"Ironman is every person, trying to find out what he can do." - John Collins, Ironman Founder
I am thankful to say that I found out what I can do. It was more than I ever imagined I was capable of doing.
Our adventure began with a few hour drive on Wednesday evening, the 22nd, to Washington, PA for a quick pit stop and sleep over to break up the 10 hour drive to Louisville, KY. The next day, we woke early and finished our drive into Louisville. We didn't realize the next few days of "vacation" would be super busy with race prep and sleepless nights.
Thursday: Once we arrived in Louisville, we immediately drove to the Galt House hotel for athlete registration and gear pickup. This process is more than your average triathlon packet pickup. We had to first sign our life away, as the volunteer explained it, then weave through various lines for wristbands, packets, bookbags, and timing chips. We then proceeded through the Ironman village, or the store where they sell you anything and everything Ironman related. Of course we had to buy the customary t-shirt and maybe a bumper sticker or two :) After leaving the hotel, we drove across the Ohio River (which we would later swim in) to check into our much less expensive hotel for two nights. I actually enjoyed this hotel better since we had a kitchen and living room type area. This was not so with the downtown hotel and I wished I had that kitchen. After getting stuff unpacked and the bikes unloaded, we walked down to the river front to have some dinner and look at our future swim spot. We had a "last beer before the race" toast, then off to bed.
Friday: This day was packed from start to end. We began our day by driving to the local bike shop to have our rented race wheels put on. Once we finally had the wheels on, we decided it might be a good idea to test them out and ride a little of the race course to make sure things were working a-ok. The nerves started to get antsy on this ride with everyone else out cruising the course, testing our their bike setup, etc. I'm glad that we rode part of the course because the road surface wasn't the greatest on parts of the road. After cruising out and back for about 5-7 miles, we decided to drive the entire bike course to see the road surfaces, turns, uphillls/downhills, etc. Also glad we did this b/c we could make mental notes (as best we could) of what roads to use more caution with potholes and speedy downhill turns. Then, we headed back to the hotel to get something to eat and cleaned up. We then headed across the river to downtown Louisville to walk around a little before the athlete banquet to cap off our evening. After the banquet, we headed back to the hotel to finalize the packing of our gear bags. This was quite the process since for most tri's, you just have all of your gear set up in transition the morning of the race. This is not the case for Ironman. You have to put everything in separate bags for the bike and run (and check them the day before with your bike) - so I really had to focus on what I'd need for each leg and what to put in my special needs bags for both the bike and run. I was so afraid I would forget something huge, like my helmet or race belt. So, I triple checked every bag and packed more than I needed.
Saturday: We started out with a practice open water swim at the swim exit. We swam upstream for about 600 meters, or 3 buoys, then back downstream to the swim exit. I actually didn't swim to the last turnaround buoy, just the second to last. Joe swam the entire 1200. This was unremarkable but nice to see the stairs you had to ascend coming out of the water. Of course, I ended up banging my shin off the bottom of the stair. We dried off and headed back to check out of the hotel by noon only to drive back downtown with all of our gear to check into our MUCH closer hotel to the race start and finish. We had from noon to 5pm to get our bikes and bike/run gear bags checked so, we checked our stuff really early so we would have one less thing to worry about. We walked around town a little and met up with Joe's parents briefly for some dinner and last minute race logistics so they would have the best viewing experience possible. We aimed to be in bed, asleep, by 9pm, but I think it was more like 10:30 for me. The alarm came too early after a restless night's sleep.
Sunday:
RACE DAY!!
Pre-race: The alarm rang at 3:30am. This isn't something new (although a tad earlier than most races)...I've been waking up early for races for a few years now. Normally I am antsy, nervous, and on edge. This morning, I woke with a sense of calm - I knew it was going to be a long day. No need to get worked up just yet. I choked down half a bagel and a banana. I took the other half with me for later (thank goodness I did!). Since we didn't have to cart our bikes, wetsuits, and all of our gear, it was an easy walk down to transition. We left the hotel around 4:15am and caught the late night drunks in the hotel lobby making frozen pizza. They congratulated us in a slurred speech and were psyched for us to take on the challenge. It was a welcomed distraction as the nerves started getting to me. We got to transition around 4:30 and stood in an already LONG line of athletes waiting to get in to get body marked and make final checks of their bikes. After the flurry of nerves running around the transition, we proceeded to walk (some people were running) a mile up river to the swim start area. IM Louisville has a time trial swim start, unlike most other Ironman's that do a mass swim start (where everyone starts at the same time). This meant, earlier in line, earlier into the water, and more time to finish the swim. You had 2 hours and 20 minutes from the time the last athlete entered the water to finish the swim. We were in the top 1/4 of the line and entered the water at 7:06. This meant I probably had an extra half hour to swim until the last person got in the water. So, we got in line around 5:15am...and just sat. We did chat with others around us and heard some interesting stories about other races folks have done. I did manage to visit the bathroom twice before the swim. My second trip there, I met a nice old guy who was really excited that this was my first Ironman. He said, "You've done all the hard work. Just think of today as your victory lap". This thought came back to me many times throughout the day and I was thankful that I got this advice.
Swim: We descended down a weaving ramp to docks that led out into the water. Once we started the walk down, I knew this was really happening. We tried to dodge puddles of piss left behind by those ahead of us trying to rid their bodies of any last remaining liquid because once you jumped off the dock, it was off to the races! Joe and I held hands walking down the ramp, gave one last kiss (super cheesy, I know!) before starting a run across the dock, crossing over the timing mat, and jumping into the Ohio River.
I felt calm, cool, and collected beginning the swim and kept telling myself to just warm up the first 800 meters, or until the end of the north end of the island we had to swim around. Little did I know that it would feel like eternity until we got to the end of the island. I kept hoping to see some sort of clearing to my left to indicate we were coming out of the channel, but it remained, tree, tree, tree.... I was constantly getting passed by the green caps (guys) and didn't see many pink caps (women). Once we got to the end of the island, we continued north to our turn buoy. At the turn buoy, I managed to tread water a little and unfog my goggles. Then, I made the turn, and followed the rest of the field downstream. I noted during the practice swim and on the swim map that we pass under two bridges and exit just before the third bridge. Holy crap - that first bridge took forever to arrive. It almost felt like it got further away. The water got really choppy, I got mouthfuls of water anytime someone would swim past me, and several times I was bumped, kicked, or swam over. Overall, this swim was extremely frustrating. You would think over the course of 2.4 miles you could find some open space to focus on your stroke, pull, kick...nope. I had no moment of clarity or zen during this swim. It was frustrating almost from beginning to end. I thought, after getting pushed down for the second time, that there's no way my body will make it to the end. My stroke was off, my legs were dragging, my hip flexors were really tight...it was the worst feeling open water swim I've ever had. My time reflects it too. All while trying not to ingest a lot of the Ohio River...who knows what it could lead to later in the day! Finally...I made it to the swim exit stairs into the waiting arms of volunteers to pull us out of the water.
Swim time: 1:35:50
T1: 7:36 - this was a flurry running into the changing tent, throwing on the helmet, bike shoes, sunscreen, race belt, and shoving my food for the day into my tri top pockets. I couldn't tell you if a volunteer helped me...I was completely out of it and scatter brained. Thankfully I taped a "DO THESE THINGS" list into my bike gear bag to make sure I got the main topics covered.
Bike: I was so happy to begin biking where I could breath normally and not be hit by anyone else around me! The ride out of transition felt awesome with the cheering crowd along the chute, then it was out along the river. The first 10 miles went by SO FAST...I had to look down to make sure I wasn't overdoing it. I told myself to follow advice I read of "just warm up for the first 30-40 miles, then turn it on a bit". So, I realized I was cruising around 19-20mph without much effort, so I decided to keep it here for a little while. I was feeling too good, I thought. Don't worry if people pass you - you'll get them on the run. Pff, yeah right. Who am I kidding? These people are GOOD. I got to see Joe on the out and back part of the course and that lifted my spirits :) This road was just scary. It was a long downhill, across a small bridge, then a long uphill to the turnaround. I did get to see Superman and the Grim Reaper giving high fives on the climb up, so that made me smile again. This out and back road made me realize that people are idiots and need to learn the rules of racing, or even bike riding in general. Pass on the left, move over to the right to allow for others to pass. It's not a hard concept. After this out and back, you proceeded north to begin the "two loops" of about 35 miles each. During the loop, you had neverending rolling hills that reminded me a lot of Lancaster County. The first loop was fairly uneventful as I knew what to expect from our driving preview of the course. I began seeing the same people during this part of the ride: pass them on the uphills, they pass you on the downhills, pass on the uphills, get passed on the downhills. Maybe I need to bulk up so I can get some good speed on those downhills. We rode through the town of La Grange, which made you feel like a ROCKSTAR. Everyone along the road with signs, cheering you on, making you feel so awesome that it was impossible not to smile! This took you into mile 40ish on cloud 9 and you could cruise for the next few miles before hitting the rolling hills again. There were some technical downhills and turns at this point in the race that made me nervous, but it was easier the second time around. We hit the beginning of the second loop about 60 miles in and I was feeling decent. I did take notice that I didn't have the urge to pee yet, which concerned me a little. I know I wasn't paying close enough attention to my hydration and fueling plan, so I tried to get that back on track. It was difficult sometimes - I would forget the last time I ate or drank, so I tried to make it every half hour either a salt tab or half a powerbar. I think I was more concerned with watching the road for potholes, water bottles, etc to avoid getting a flat tire (which was my biggest fear of the race). The second loop was more of the same - rolling hills, passing, getting passed. At about mile 66 were the bike special needs bags. I called out my number, stopped, and a volunteer held my bag for me as I dug out what I needed for the second half of the race (namely powerbars). I was informed that some locals who don't like bikers or Ironman sabotage the course by throwing tacks on the road to give riders flat tires!! Thankfully, I had two tubes and co2 cartridges in case I ran over these, but THANK GOD I didn't have any issues. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing, so I made it my priority to inform other riders to beware the next 5-8 miles for tacks on the road. I didn't want someone's day to be ruined by some asshole that's angry because they had to take another route to the local corner bar. That pissed me right off. But, I made it through the second loop with little to no issue and was onto mile 80ish. At this point, I made it my job to pee. I concentrated SO hard and managed to get some out while cruising downhill standing up. Yep. Pee pants. These last 20-30 miles hurt pretty bad going into a headwind...I was ready to be off this bike but knew running would not come easy. At this point, I was finding it hard to choke down anymore powerbars and knew if I didn't, it would be a very long marathon. Rule #1 of the bike leg: set yourself up for a good marathon. I was not doing this at mile 90. Nor was Joe, from his account. Rookie mistake. I just pushed my way to the end and was thankful to get my ass off that saddle. Thank God for bike catchers...I was in no place to run my bike back to the rack.
Bike time: 6:38:15
T2: 9:59 - I thought my feet were broken when I took my shoes off. My legs quivered as I bent down to remove my shoes to run barefoot down the sidewalk back into the changing tent. I knew when I sat down to put on my socks and running shoes that this is going to be an ugly marathon. A volunteer filled my fuel belt bottles, I sprayed on more sunscreen, and was on my way.
Run: I began by walking out of the changing tent in T2 until the chute weaved around and started towards the exit. I needed this time to try to get my legs back under me, get some feeling into my feet, and catch my breath for a second. I started with a slow shuffle out of transition and immediately felt something in my sock/shoe. I figured it was a piece of grass or dirt of some kind. Ok, this will work it's way to the side somewhere and go away...nope. I decided to just stop during the first mile, take my shoe and sock off, and brush off whatever was there. I came to the horrifying discovery that this wasn't dirt or grass on the ball of my foot...but the beginnings of a blister. NOOOOOOO!!!!! There was nothing I could do at this point. It must have began to form towards the end of the bike. F! Whelp, this is going to be the longest marathon of your life with a growing blister on the ball of your foot. Dear God help me. So, I was feeling sorry for myself through the first aid station along the out and back across a bridge into mile 3. But, I wasn't going to let a blister defeat me during the biggest race of my life, thusfar. Just keep going...one painful foot in front of the other. We ran through downtown Louisville and headed south past the University of Louisville and Churchill Downs racetrack...I couldn't tell you what they looked like since I was only looking for the next aid station as soon as I left one. I could see the runners that were in front of me that already hit the turn around and were making their way back to the loop to start their second lap...or finish line even? You had no way of knowing who was on their first or second lap, so I just pretended everyone was ahead of me on lap 2 so I could try to catch them. I did see the leading women go past, which was exciting. I was feeling somewhat decent through mile 5 and was hoping the turn around was in another mile or so. Man that turnaround took forever to arrive. I kept hoping it was just around the next bend where I couldn't see it, but it didn't come until just after mile 8. I thought, holy crap, that felt like eternity. I can't believe I have to run the whole way back, then OUT here AGAIN?! I just tried to keep running between aid stations, walk through the station, drink water, dump some on my head, sponges under the shirt and ice down the front of the shirt. I made my way back to finish my first loop and saw Joe's parents right around mile 13. I was so happy to see them, but also so sad because I knew exactly how far I still had to go. It was such a depressing moment that I started to get tears in the eyes. I believe my words were, "I can't do it. I can't go back out there. There's no way." But, even though I knew it was going to be very hot and very uncomfortable, quitting never came to mind. I just needed some time...time to walk, time to gather my composure, time to refocus on what I still had yet to do. So, at mile 14, we were blessed with our run special needs bags. I packed socks in mine, but realized that there was no way I could stop, sit down and remove my shoes to change my socks. It would be impossible for me to get my shoes back on with how badly my feet hurt...and impossible to stand back up. I knew if I stopped then, it would be extremely hard to get started again. So, I packed my socks underneath my tri top with hopes of changing them if it was absolutely necessary later on. Shuffling along, I managed to keep moving through the aid stations on my second loop. I saw Joe around mile 18, which lifted my spirits a lot until he told me he felt lightheaded and wanted to pass out. He only had about a 5K to go, so I hoped he would be smart and do what he had to do to get across that finish line. Slow down, eat, drink, cool off, and get the heart rate down a bit. Believe it or not, the second loop didn't feel quite as long as the first one, so I was pleased when I hit mile 20. At this point, I thought, Ok - only a 10K to go. This was the point that I realized there was a great possibility that I could break 14 hours. My original goal was to finish under 15, so this was spectacular. I had right around two hours to finish this last 10K to break the 14 hour mark. This is definitely doable...let's do this! My spirits lifted again, but my legs did not want to cooperate. They hurt pretty badly, along with my feet, and head. It was a rough walk/run until mile 25, but that was the best I could manage. My body was done. I had very little left, but knew I had to give it everything this last mile. Making the last turn and coming down the finishing chute was such an incredible feeling - like none other. Everyone was cheering for you...and knowing that I was actually going to cross the finish line made all of the pain and exhaustion I was feeling immediately disappear. And I got to hear those magic words I trained so long for, "Chandra Capen, you are an Ironman!!".
Run time: 5:28:07
Total Race Time: 13:59:47 - just made it in under 14 hours!
Final placing: 36th out of 84 in my age group; 1232 overall out of 3014 entrants. Not too shabby for my first go-round.
I can't begin to explain what an incredible experience this was. I am so thankful for all of our friends and family supporting Joe and I while we trained for this unimaginable feat. I still can't believe that I actually did it...
