Ironman Florida 2008: A Flashback

i started this blog after finishing my first full Ironman triathlon, so i never got a chance to describe the day.  The following rights that wrong.  It is not a full race report, but a copy of an e-mail that i wrote to family and friends a few days after the race.

After the recap, you can also find a very short video of Jodi and i (26 minutes after Jodi) crossing the finish line.

Enjoy...

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Everyone,

i'm walking again, even up and down stairs! i want to thank all of you for your encouragement, both in recent e-mails (fun to read as my body healed) and in person over the past several months and even years. It took a ton of hard work to get to the starting line, but i never would have been able to slide on my goggles or lace up my running shoes if not for the support of so many of you, including folks not on this thread but who are forever in my heart. i appreciate and cherish every kind word and helping hand.

By request, race recap:

* Pre-race: Kept waiting to get nervous but somehow never did. The training was done. Detailed checklists ensured there were no surprises on race day. All gear was exactly where it needed to be. 8 gels taped to bike frame. PBJ sandwiches, salt tabs, bars, more gels, more everything all set. Up at 3am for power smoothie and first to the race site by 4am. Final adjustments made to bike, shared good luck wishes with strangers, slid wetsuit on, headed for the beach and waited for the national anthem. Ready for battle. Tip: It's dark at 4am, especially in a PortaPotty. Headlamp invaluable.

* Swim: Starting cannon fired right next to me, caught a little shrapnel. Was definitely awake now. Good water conditions. Stingray and jellyfish below but no sharks (that i saw). 2200 triathletes flying through the salty water felt like a cross between swimming with a huge pod of dolphins and a stampeding herd of buffalo. Very primal, very intense. Survival. The water was clear so one could face guard in order to get kicked and punched in the arms rather than in the head. It worked for the most part. One loop done. A quick run on the beach and a drink of water, then back in for more boxing/swimming. Didn't kick at all during final stretch to conserve legs. Somehow swam 4 minutes faster than i thought i could. Tip: As you are running over the first couple waves, just before diving in to the deeper stuff to take the first stroke, look back at the beach through the white water spray and the rest of the athletes. Awesome.

* Transition 1: Ran up beach, felt fairly fresh. Found a clear spot and before my butt hit the ground two volunteers helped my rip the wetsuit off over my feet to save time and my somewhat tired arms. Helmet on. Shoes on. Go go go.

* Bike: Decided to leave arm warmers behind, so first 30 miles were on the chilly side. Settled in, sipping lots of water to start and broke into solid food around 45. Was holding over 19mph, which was significantly faster than any of my 100 mile training rides, so wondered if i was moving too fast, but legs OK so just stuck with it. Grabbed my special needs bag -- filled with extra food and drink -- at around 60 miles, slung it around my shoulder and enjoyed a fast stretch of highway before turning into the wind and some rougher patches. Just tried not to crash and hoped against hope for no flat tires. Soon i was back with the wind and getting even faster. 5 hours and 44 minutes flew by. i was thrilled with my time but very ready to say goodbye to the bike. Tip: Do not miss the special needs bag. Stop if you have to. A teammate missed his and he lost 26 pounds during the race.

* Transition 2: Hopped off the bike and grabbed my transition bag. Tried to run in bike shoes but was awkward. Grabbed curb and went barefoot for the run to the transition tent and it felt like i had no feet. Found a chair, pulled on my running shoes and visor, tucked more nutrition in my pockets and headed out for the marathon.

* Run: Felt surprisingly smooth as i settled in. Latched on to one person who i felt had a good pace until about 10 miles. Took my turn in "the lead" and at the halfway point was on a pace for a 3:40 marathon. Knew i only had to run 9s to break 11 hours and that was 2 hours faster than my original goal so I allowed myself a smile. Somewhere after 16 miles my legs got goofy and i started to spin. It was very hard to let that perfect race go, but suddenly my new goal was just to finish and avoid the medical tent for once. Started doing the math and hoped to break 12 hours. Walked 50 steps, ran 100 steps, repeat, repeat, repeat. Kept eating, mostly bananas and coke now. Some chicken broth. Pretty sick of gels by this point. Somewhere around mile 22 i rallied and was back to all running. Watching the sun set over the ocean, i knew now i would finish and that there would even be a little daylight left. At mile 25 i could hear the party at the finish line and i started to float on air.

Turning the final corner, finish line in sight, tears mixed with sweat. A lifetime of running around the planet, biking up and down mountains, swimming in endless circles, lifting heavy objects, overcoming injury and life's many challenges, just finding a way... it was all crescendoing at a line painted in the middle of a road in Florida... And then -- 41 years (give or take), 11 hours, 19 minutes, and 8 seconds later -- my arms were instinctively raised, the finish tape across my chest. i closed my eyes for a moment and when they opened, Jodi -- who had finished her fourth Ironman 26 minutes before me -- was there with arms out, wearing the biggest smile i'd ever seen, screaming at the top of her lungs, "David Seevers -- YOU are an Ironman!" All i could think was, "How can i be this blessed?" Tip: Just keep moving.

Lesson learned: If a goal seems impossible, set that goal high anyway because you can do way more than you think you can do.

Race pictures posted in a few weeks on Facebook.

Again, thanks from the bottom of my running shoes. Your inspiration means the world to me.

dave

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Finally, here is that video of our finishes.  It was a great day...