IRONMAN RACE REPORT PART 3

26.2 miles.  Lots of people run marathons.  Lots of people do NOT run marathons after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112.  This was my thought as I ran out of transition.  And I did run...My legs usually feel good for awhile right after biking.  I headed out of town and the feeling good part lasted for a whole two miles.  UH OH.  It's going to be a long night.  My legs weren't the problem.  It was my stomach.  I had a cramp on the right side of my abdomen that simply would not go away.  It was hot too.  I still had my arm coolers on and dumped water on them every aid station in that first loop.  I also had a cooling towel that functions the same way as the arm coolers.  The towel was wrapped around my neck and tucked into my shirt so I looked like I was wearing an ascot.  Very trendy...except I was a sweaty, sticky, smelly mess....but damn I looked good!!!  My stomach cramp allowed me to run maybe a half mile at a time before becoming unbearable and having to walk.  This forced me to adopt a strategy of running all downhills and as much flat as I could tolerate and power walking anything that remotely looked like an incline.  When I was running I could hold around a 9:45-10:00 min/mi.  When I walked I made sure it was below a 15 min/mi. The aid stations on the out & back section of River Road were great.  One had a redneck theme and my second favorite sign of the race..."If you think a girl is out of your league because she bowls on a different night...you might be a redneck."  These volunteers were dressed in hats, mullets and missing teeth.  Another was Christmas themed complete with Santa  Claus and an elf and Christmas music.  The aid stations were stocked with water, Perform, Coke, chicken broth, gu, chomps, bonk breaker bars, pretzels, oranges and grapes.  Nothing on that list appealed to me.  I tried something different each time to settle my stomach but nothing was helping.  I can honestly say there wasn't a lot of running going on by anyone that loop and even less the second time around.  About a mile after the turnaround I saw Kerry.  Again it was such a mood booster to see her and know she was ok and I also knew it wouldn't be long before she caught me and we could chat.  Around Mile 11 as I was powerwalking up the hill back into town Kerry came up behind me and kept me company to the top of the hill then she took off like the Kenyan-wannabe that she is on the run.  Since it is a two loop course the spectators here have no idea what loop you are on so I got quite a few "Way to go..almost there..you are going to be an Ironman"  Umm NO.  I have 15 miles to go not 2.  I headed up Mirror Lake drive and was excited to know my family was waiting for me.  I first saw Cindy, Deb, Patty and Bonnie and then passed by the family.  I handed out high 5's, gave Tracie my sunglasses and arm coolers as the sun was starting to set and headed to the turnaround.  Right before it was special needs run where I stopped and put on my second life-saving purchase...calf compression sleeves.  All of the down hill running and powerwalking was killing my shins.  These things felt wonderful.

I also grabbed a ziploc baggie that had 7 notes in it.  I had asked my family and Quinn to write something down they wished they could say to me during the race.  I stuffed it down my shirt and hit the turnaround and headed back down Mirror Lake Drive past the family again.  Here I stopped dead right in front of them and said "I just want you all to know this is really hard".  But I said it with a smile because I was still having fun.

Note the red ascot and compression sleeves.  Nice

At the bottom of the hill I had to make the dreaded left turn to start the 2nd loop of the run while some lucky people were going right into the Oval to finish.  I resumed my run downhill strategy and noticed my stomach pain was gone.  It was replaced however by lightheadedness.  Great I was thinking.  I can walk the last damn 13 miles and finish but what happens if I pass out.  UGH.  I drank and drank and drank at every aid station and forced myself to eat although I had no interest in anything there.  YUK. My new run strategy was run 20 steps, walk 20 steps.  This worked better and sometimes I could even get up to 50 steps before I thought I would pass out.  And so it went run, powerwalk, pray I don't take a header, run powerwalk, Thank God I am not the person I just went by puking or passed out or crying on the side of the road, run, powerwalk.  At Mile 17 I read the first of my notes from my family and they really gave me something to look forward to and lasted until Mile 24.  It was all good then though.  My feet were KILLING me, I was exhausted, dehydrated, tired and lightheaded but I was 2.2 miles from becoming an Ironman.  As I walked up that bigass hill into town the crowds got heavier and heavier and louder and louder.  For 2.2 miles I heard "Hey 847 you are going to be an Ironman", "Hey Deanne you're almost there, you are going to be an Ironman tonight".  I couldn't stop smiling.  I looked at all of them said thank you and yes... yes I am going to be an Ironman.  I was running/walking around the same pace as a girl named Katie for around 1.5 miles.  She had about 3 or 4 people from her tri team running alongside her telling the crowds to cheer for Katie.  At one point one of them asked my name and I told her.  She then proceeded to run ahead of us yelling at the spectators to cheer for Deanne and Katie.  It was pretty cool.  As I turned onto Mirror Lake one last time I saw Deb, Cindy, Bonnie and Patty again which was awesome.  I knew my family wouldn't be there because they would be at the finish.  I saw Kerry one more time as she headed to the Oval and told her "Go be an Ironman and I will see you at the finish!!!"  Soon it was my turn and as I made the right turn onto Main Street to the Oval I stopped running for a few seconds.  I had two reasons.  1.  Katie was right in front of me and I wanted some separation between us and 2.  I wanted to savor the moment.  I was about to enter the Olympic Oval which was rocking with thousands of spectators and run a quarter way around it to cross the finish line and become an Ironman.  I can not put into words the feeling as I rounded that corner and saw my entire family in their green shirts and then the finish line.  Because I had lost my ability to do math a few hours prior I thought I was looking at around 15hrs 15 min.  When I looked up and saw 14:54:27 I starting fist pumping like the Jersey Shore cast.  Holy crap how did that happen.  And then I heard the words I had dreamed about for months...."Deanne Hobba from Salem, MA you ARE an IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!!!  The finish line catcher put her arm around me and asked if I was ok.  "I think" I said.  And this is how the rest of the conversation went. I can't be bothered with punctuation so follow the conversation.  We are going to walk over there and someone will give you a bottle of water. OK.  Now they are going to take your timing chip off your ankle. OK. Now they are going to give you a finishers shirt, hat, and medal. OK.  Now you are going to go over there and get your picture taken.  OK. Are sure you are ok?  Yep I am fine.  So off I went and found my family, friends, and Kerry for lots of hugs and pictures.

WE ARE IRONMEN

BEST SUPPORT TEAM EVER

BEST FRIEND AND IRONSHERPA

Shortly after these pictures I didn't feel so hot.  I was very lightheaded and my hands were getting tingly.  I didn't want to pass out and freak my family out so I went back in the athlete area and sat in a chair.  A volunteer asked if I needed anything.  She brought me chocolate milk, water and pizza.  Chocolate milk not a good idea.  Couldn't tolerate that.  I drank the water and slowly ate a piece of pizza and after about 15-20 mins I felt better so I went to find the family again.  We sat and talked about the day and celebrated my accomplishment.

They all look so attentive

Thanks to my awesome Ironsherpa Quinn I didn't have to worry about getting my bike or bags.  She had done it earlier.  What a lifesaver that was.  So the final numbers

SWIM  1:34:46
TRANSITION 1 15:29
BIKE 7:30:40
TRANSITION 2 9:28
RUN 5:24:04
TOTAL 14:54:27

There are a few more blogs to write and wrap up the experience so stay tuned but after that my blogging days are over.  My everyday life just isn't entertaining enough to keep this going.