Here's What Happened in 2012 (Part II)...
The big day in 2012
After finishing a triathlon in St. Louis for the 2nd
year, another Olympic race and summer training, I was ready for the big day. It
was September 22nd in Oklahoma City! It’s a day I will NEVER forget. Strangely
enough, I wasn’t as nervous as I had been for all the other races. The only
thing I did think about was the headwind. Headwind can make you feel like you
are pushing a rock up a hill. Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma is known for their red clay and winds.
Plus, it was a flat course that makes it more difficult especially if you don’t
have a tri bike or aero bars. Secondly, I don’t wear my hearing aids during
most of the races due to the swim, heavy sweating, and possibly splashing water
on my head or face. Hearing loss presents a challenge when announcements are
made. So, you could imagine the additional stress or some anxiety. Needless to
say, I did pray and read a few Bible verses early that morning for calm nerves.
I believe God sent me peace and was wishing me luck.
The Swim (1.2 miles)
It was my first race in a wetsuit. My buddy and I signed up
for the safety coral since we were new to the mass wave start. My husband Skyped my
parents on his phone while I nervously waited on the red clay bank. That was
pretty cool and quite calming knowing they were keeping an eye on me and praying
for me. Swimming is my favorite of the 3 sports. My 1.2 mile swim started the day off just
right. In fact, as I got out of the water, my buddy tapped me on the shoulder
and I turned around to see her super stoked…her enthusiasm was contagious and
made me even more excited about the rest of the race. I had so much energy when I finished the swim
that I felt I could have swam faster but, better to save the energy for the run
because that’s the last leg and often the most challenging.
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| A teammate caught me having fun |
The Bike (56 miles)
One thing that is good about the Oklahoma triathlon is that
it is vertically challenged. That is that the course is flat. There were a few
hills, but none that were tiring. Overall, I continued to smile, thank God for
the beautiful day and hardly any wind!! However, He did use some humor on my
route. I noticed something in the road about 3 bike lengths away. I knew I
could either dodge to the right or left. There are so many rules on the bike
course that biking becomes more of a multi-tasking sport! While keeping the
rules in mind and paying attention to bikers around me, I was planning to dodge
to the right giving me about a foot between the “thing” and the edge of the
pavement. This decision was made in approximately 5 seconds! This “thing”…had a
head poking up…it was a SNAKE! Little of my preserved energy went to muscle
tension and gripping with white knuckles. If you could imagine being clipped
into your pedals and trying to curl your body into a fetal position on the bike
when riding by the snake. I thought, “it just might latch onto your leg!” Whew!
Then, minutes later, a big bug slammed into me and I screamed so loud my heart
rate leaped! I couldn’t help but laugh and look around to see if anyone just
saw that. My exact words, “Funny God, just funny.”
Everything in Between
Nutrition was new to me and presented another challenge. My
experience consisted of eating chewy, gummy-like squares called Shot Blocks
about every 30 minutes and drinking electrolytes and water every 10-15 minutes.
It was very hot this day as well and I knew I needed to stay hydrated and consume
extra sodium and electrolytes. My race pouch was packed with more of the chewy goo
but by the time I was off the bike, I was so sick of that stuff! It’s strongly
advised and recommended to never try anything new on race day. In fact, I’m
superstitious about certain things I only wear what I usually wear in training.
Well, this day…I didn’t care about what nutrition I’ve tried during training!
Secondly, I’ve always wondered when these people go to the
restroom. To be honest, some go in their shorts because there is either not a
porta-pot or they take the time to stop. I took my chance when I saw the
porta-pot in transition. I didn’t care about time nor did I care about germs…I
cared about not trying to go in my shorts!
Last Leg, the Run (13.1 miles)
When you get to the last leg, the run, you know you’re
almost there. I never once thought about how many miles I’ve ran or how many I
have left. I remember passing by what seemed to be a buffet of food at every
other mile and thinking, “thank goodness!” This is where I took the chance and
ate bananas, grapes, oranges and saw they were even handing out Coke! At one
point, I grabbed what I thought was Gatorade and the flavor of pickle juice
shocked me. Surprisingly, my body either liked it or really needed it. Later, I
attempted Cola and peanut butter graham crackers. This is when I decided to
stick with softer or liquid nutrition. I can’t tolerate texture when in action.
The homestretch was amazing and seeing my teammates at the end on both sides
with my husband waving his phone at me yelling, “it’s your mom and dad” (via
Skype) was enough to send me weak to my knees. I even shed some tears! I was
last to finish on my team, but I didn’t care. I was overwhelmed with what I
just accomplished and met 4 others from my team who also finished their first
half. To top it all off, our club placed 3rd in our division! Wow,
what a journey, what a summer, and what a day!
Post 70.3
After 70.3 miles, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about an
ironman. I learned something about myself. I reaped valuable awards: a whole
new me with confidence and strength that has been applied to everyday life
including my academics. Nevertheless, after reflecting on the amazing
experience, tracking my cousin in her first ironman, hearing others attempting
their first ironman in 2013. I rethought things. Because it’s strongly advised
to get medical clearance prior to any endurance training, I got an “okay to go”
by a cardiologist. Everything looked just fine and I was even more excited to
start the journey. I was set to tackle a new goal for 2013. In May 2013, I
graduate with a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy. I say, having an
ironman on my 2013 calendar is a great way to celebrate graduation and end my
years of hard work with a bang! Cheers to the new year of firsts
and…accomplishments!
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| My husband captured my misty-eyed moment |
Quote of the day: What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Bible verse of the day: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize..."
~ Philippians 3:14
~ Philippians 3:14
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