Kona - 2008 - Day 3

Aloha! Well today was kind of a boring day in regards to writing a blog so I decided to give you some insight into Ironman since we are now in the final days to the race. It is so crazy that close to a year has passed since I even qualified for this amazing race and now it is less than 3 days away. Some of you have done an Ironman or at the very least, a triathlon. Some of you think this is the most absolutely craziest event on the planet............and yet it is hard to find anyone who is not somewhat enchanted with the whole idea of completing the Hawaiian Ironman.

So while I have not actually yet experienced this Ironman, I can give you some insight on what an Ironman in general entails. First off you are usually awake at 3:30 or 4 am both from anxiety as well as having to force yourself to eat some breakfast before the race. I personally love "eating" usually, but I sure don't enjoy my forced breakfast the morning before an Ironman. Then you head down to the start to have some nice volunteer write your race number in permanent black marker on your body. Yes, you end up with a lovely sunburn image of your number that lasts most of the winter! After that it's time to slather on some sunscreen which of course there are those hard to reach places that you always miss so there is another lovely hand print or weird mark to last the winter. After that it's off to load your bike up with the gallons of sports drinks and gels, inflate the tires and check, recheck and check again all the brake pads, tires, and anything else that really should not have changed overnight but that we compulsively must assure ourselves are all ok. Then it's usually the 20th visit to the bathroom (ok too much information I know) and then probably back to check all the gear bags that you had to load up the day before. Oh and back to check the bike again b/c something could have happened in that 15 min that we were not there. (: Then it's down to the swim start. Some of you may not know this, but Ironman is not divided up into age groups in terms of the swim start. It is actually a mass swim start..........yes that means 1800 to 2000 people all thrashing about in the water as a cannon goes off. It is complete chaos and while I have a swimming background it is probably the most dreaded moment of the whole race. Athletes have ended up with broken noses, ribs, concussions and other various injuries. There is always the irritating person hitting you in the back of the head every stroke they take or the one hitting your feet the entire way so all you can do is pray that the swim will go by quickly. Ah thank goodness, on to the bike! You must run into the changing tent with your gear bag and get all "dressed" and ready to take off for the 112 mile bike ride. Initially you are elated to be out of the water but as the hours pass, you are now sticky with gels and sports drinks, hungry and tired from eating the same stuff, salty, sweaty and hot from the heat of the day and realizing you still have 30 miles to go........that is when the mind starts to revolt against your body. Now thoughts like "this is the dumbest idea I have ever had, why did I decide to do this?"........."I don't even care if I finish, this sucks"..............."I just want to get off this stupid bike".........And then some kind volunteer out there shouts out and says "hey you are awesome! keep it up! You are almost there!" and you keep going. And now you think..."Yes I am doing an Ironman and I will finish!'. Yay! It is time to get off the bike, again elation that the 5 plus hours on that not so comfortable bike seat is done! You run back into the changing tent to put those running shoes on. You sit in a chair and think "Oh......I have to run a marathon." And then you say, "just start running....." And so you do. The first 2 miles are horrible as you feel every mile of the bike ride you just completed. Then you get into your pace and you start feeling kind of good..........you get confident and determined as you run by the miles of smiling, encouraging volunteers and family out there cheering for you. Ah the magical or not so magical mile 18.......if you are one of the avg people out there, it is now starting to get closer to sunset and it's getting lonely out there. Now you are really tired of gels and sports drinks. The one time I drink cola is on the marathon of an Ironman b/c for some reason, it is a life saver at that point. Sometimes you lick the salt off your arm as a last resort if you are in need of sodium, sometimes you feel as if you are just plain losing your mind. Now you really have to play mind games as there is now no part of your body that doesnt' hurt. If you can make it to that 23 mile mark you just think "have 3 miles to go......I can do that!" As you get closer to the finish line you can hear all the spectators cheering and you hear the announcer calling out the names of those finishing the race ahead of you. Finally you see the banner of the finish line, all lit up with a big screen TV so you can see yourself running down the final few yards..............then you hear those words you have been dying to hear...."Heather Butcher, you are an ironman!!!!!" Then some kind volunteers wrap some mylar (I just call it aluminum foil) around you so you are warm, they ask you a few questions to make sure it is safe to let you proceed and then you blankly look for someone you know. But it is done and you have achieved what seemed so impossible at many points during the long day. I know it sounds like a crazy race but when you truly test your limits, both physically and mentally, it truly is an experience.

Ok hopefully that wasn't too long of an email and my purpose in writing it was just for you to understand why all of us do this crazy event. Hopefully tomorrow will yield a more entertaining day of Hawaii adventures.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers as well as support!
Heather