November 18. 2012
Time: 16:25
Ironman Arizona was my end of the year race for the year 2012. This was a race heavy year with eleven races on my plate. In each race I've learned something new but none like IMAZ. My goal for this year as always is to finish but underneath that layer I did have time goals set. I was close to hitting my goals on the swim and bike but once again the run is where I have struggled and this year was no different. I make no excuses for the race that I ran and I did complete my main mission...Finish. However, triathlon is a goal orientated sport so time goals have to be set and examined for the past present and the future of my races.
Swim goal: 1:30 Reality 1:38 Bike goal: 6:15 Reality 6:45 run goal 6:15 Reality 7:30
So I have some work to do to improve which is what this sport is all about. My strategy is always to finish first and sort out my times second and that is exactly what I did this year. The outcome ........3X Ironman finisher!
BOOM, the cannon goes off and all hell breaks loose. Im not swimming, I'm fighting to keep afloat while being punched, kicked and pulled on. Ok, so this is how it is going to be? Yep for 1.2 miles a sluggfest and slow, almost 52 to the turn where I followed Erik Svans advice and stayed against the north wall and came home in 46, my swim number. It was an OK swim because on the return I had no contact with anyone til the Mill St Bridge where the battle began for the last 1/4 mile. Out of the water and stripped, I begin to hear people call my name all the way to the bike transition. I dont remember who you are except that it was freaking awesome to have so many people cheering you on. I was pumped and looking forward to the bike.
Once in the changing tent, the guy takes my bag and dumps it in the wet grass so I stuff gets scattered about. no worries Im that way too so I deal with it. but where is my chamois butter...logistics error , no butter. Ok I asked the guy in the tent for Vaseline or butter. He comes back with a jar of sun screen and proceeds to dump it in my helmet, the whole jar. Off he goes with my helmet to wash it out, 3 minutes go by and Im wondering, Dude are u coming back with my helmet. He does and Im ready to go but as i put on my helmet my visor is a blurr. Stop, off comes the helmet, grab a water and I clean my visor. So now 15 minutes later, Im finally on my bike all because of a logistics error. Leaving the bike area is again very cool because of all the people leading u out .
Lap 1, standard morning Beeline wind in the face up the hill. 18 mph to Gilbert rd. and climb the hill at 13 just like I planned. Get to the turn around grab a banana and haul ASS down the hill at 27-32 mph. I passed hundreds of folks down the hill and down into Tempe. I'm feeling like a normal training ride with my HR at 135. Hit the turnaround back to the Beeline we go, and as usual the wind has shifted to the east. Same plan, go with to Gilbert and climb the hill at 13 stay in the HR zone. the return down the hill was a little slower as the PROS were dogging me when I went to pass slower traffic. I was at 25 they were at 35mph. Erik passed me at the turn around and then he was gone. At mile 56 I wanted to keep going but thought I better stop for chamois butter or i will be in big trouble. stopped and loaded up with my goodies and away i went. Back to Tempe and a 1;15 lap, great Im still doing good. On lap three a mechanical issue popped up, my tube holder strap broke and got tangled in my rear wheel. It sounds like a baseball card, Go Braves, was clattering the spokes. I stopped quick and a good thing as if I had one more turn on the wheel down I would have gone. Jury rigged the bag in place(5 minutes) and bam gone again. Those ZIPP Firecrest wheels are definitely fast and it made a huge difference in the wind. I could have road faster but 6;30 was a number I thought i could manage going into the run. A quick nature call at the top of the beeline and then it was back into town, passing many many folks on the last lap. All in all still OK minus some exceptable errors, loss in time so far 30 minutes, and i could live with that. Got to the run station, changed and was on the go.
THE RUN: this is the whole race and immediately I struggled with my HR, amped up and ready to go and my HR shot to 150...Nope not good so I walked to get started again and had the same trouble for mile and two. Things settled down but I was already thinking there is gonna be some trouble if i dont get control of myself. this mental fight went on for the first lap, and Im thinking to my self, really all that training and we are at this stage mentally. When I got to the ONE LOVE aid station every thing straightened out. I knew going in that Cindy Blair would be playing my 1st song, Gangnam Style and that I had a surprise for the ONE crew including MyBella and Kiel. So me being me I busted out with my best dance moves to the song..that took my mind off the mental drama and I was able to actually start a consistent run pace. Lap two is always the hardest because the reallity of most people starting to finish while you have a lonely 8.5 to go just sucks. I saw many ONE teamates along the way and believe me it helps having that support on the course. And I needed it big time. Lap three and my mental math to finish on time was in full mental panic mode. wouldn't you know it my Garmin says night night, no more time piece. In oder to finish in 17 hours I needed to run the last 11 miles without dilly dallying. At the ONE LOVE aid station Kiel gave the real time and the numbers that were needed to get this thing done. Where the F did all the time go i'm thinking. It was then I told my self, listen son, you've been through way bigger life threatening bad deals than this so get your sorry ass going and dont fn stop till u cross that line. So with that I ran the last 11 or jogged in reality and only walked the Curry Rd hill. When i go to the aid station Carla gave me a quick kiss and Kiel went with me the last two miles. At the Mill Street bridge, Rhino was there to escort me home.
Coming up the hill to the finish line shoot was loud and I knew no one was in front of me for a minute or two so it would be me by myself trying to find Carla before i crossed the line. I made the turn and Riley was there on the PA but I couldn't hear him because of the noise. I missed Carla completely as I slowly airplaned in and began high fiving everyONE I could. The crowd was so loud and for that minute in time, it really is indescribable the emotions that cross your brain. Proud to finish such a demanding venue, realizing the crowd is responding to the accomplishments and dreams of the triathletes as they cross the line. So so many thoughts, wondering how my teammates did, what they were thinking when they crossed, all the training we did together as a team. My god how could I not sign up for another year of this. Then the line, ONE finger raised to the sky in honor of all my ONE teammates and there accomplishments through out the year.
I am so proud to call my self a ONE Multisport triathlete. I would not have been able to reach the goals that I have set for myself if it wasn't for ONE. John and Cindi Dean, you will never truly know all the people that you have touched by starting and carrying this club to where we are today. I have been blessed to have so many friends as a result of ONE Multisport. And know this my friends, ONE is a club of some Bad Ass triathletes. Proven again by the winning of the Red Rock triathlon points championship. You tread on ONE u tread on all of us. That's how we roll!! From snow angels, to racing in Alaska, Europe, Canada, Mexico and to racing a freaking marathon in Antarctica. ONE is across the globe and really, how cool is that. John and Cindi coined it...ONE LOVE...and i am all about that.
Lastly, I want to thank my number ONE support group, TEAM KELLER, led by my MyBella, love of my life and my future Ironman guy Kiel and of course his Hannah. So now its on to 2013!! Lordy knows what the hell is in store for next year....
