Infinite Runners

To Hell and Back

This race report had no problem finding the right title. But in order to fully appreciate my report one needs to understand the history and months building up to the race and then the race itself.

The Challenge:
Back in 2007 I had gone downtown to watch some friends run in the Flying Pig Marathon (Cincinnati) and we were hanging out together after they had finished. They prodded me and said that I should do a marathon and try to qualify for Boston (3:20:59) with them. The best time in the group was 3:56 and I thought about it but never committed at the time.

I started to run again with a mission - something I had not done since college. I say start as I took a 4 year hiatus with starting my business and then the birth of our son. I remember doing a time trial mile in 7:56 and it was all out at the time. It was slow but a start. Once I was running regularly I thought why just focus on Boston and up the ante to a full Ironman Triathlon (2.4 swim, 112 bike, 26.2 run) - something I've always wanted to do. I had never had Boston as a goal and it still doesn't really mean anything to me yet.

Well, after 6 months of running hard, swimming and biking I did the Columbus Half Marathon and ran a 1:31 and surprised myself. I then did an Ironman in 2008 in 12:10:16 with the idea of trying one marathon after it with a shot at qualifying. That marathon was the Air Force Marathon and I ended up running a 3:31 and falling off pace around mile 21-22. It was hard and I gave it my best shot. Shortly after this race I got hit by a truck on my bike which knocked me out of training for about 2 months.

The Goal Race: Chicago Marathon
After recovering from my accident I set my sights on running a race about 10 months away. It was between the Chicago Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon. I selected Chicago as it was an easy drive with family and we could stay with my brother-in-law's family while in town. Plus he had run it a few times and could give me some good advice about the course and race.

Training With A Purpose:
My training actually progressed a bit slower at the start of the year due to my accident. I was set to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon and decided to just run it with a friend and help pace him. Therefore, it was a long, slow run (1:56) for me.

After this race I really focused on my running and tried to get some good long distance and uptempo runs in before the big race. I was doing track workouts about once a week and those really progressed well. By mid-July I was starting to feel that this year was going to setup well for a fast fall marathon. I was doing some mid-week 10+ mile tempo runs where I would average 7:20s. I also did the Yasso 800s in late July and averaged 3:15, which apparently means I should be in shape to run a 3:15 marathon.

My training kept clipping along with good distance runs up until a scheduled 20 miler about 5 weeks before Chicago. It was on this training run that my left foot/ankle started to hurt around mile 12 but I knew I needed to get 20 so I kept pushing on even though it hurt. I decided to stop at mile 15 as it was really starting to hurt and I knew I shouldn't press my luck. I pressed too hard as the next day I walked around like a penguin because it hurt so bad. 

I tried to run on it that next week but no luck. I was pretty sure it was a stress fracture and decided to rest it as best I could until the marathon. I did decide to continue swimming and biking to try and keep my fitness level up. I did manage to run 2 miles 3 other times before the race. The last pre race run was a 20 minute run in Chicago 2 days before the marathon and it was pain free - so I was hopeful.

The Race:

5:00 am - I woke up early and ate a Clif Bar and some Peanut Butter Toast with some Orange Juice. I then just relaxed and looked over the course map again. 

6:30 - My brother-in-law took me and 3 of his neighbors down to the start area which was nice on a very cold morning. I recall it being about 30 degrees with it suppose to rise to mid-40s by noon. Was a bit of walking to get to bag check-drop off and then ultimately to the start area - I was in Corral B which was really nice and pretty close to the front.

7:30 - And we're off. I started with not knowing what to expect. My plan was to try and run Boston Qualifying pace for as long as possible. 

Mile 1 - I missed the marker completely and I was looking as I did not want to go out too fast.

Mile 2 - 15:26 or 7:43 pace so I was close to the 7:40 BQ pace and was a tad slow which was perfect.

Mile 3 - 7:30 mile - now back on pace and feeling pretty good.

Mile 4 - 7:13 mile - I was suppose to see my family at this mile but they were late getting there. 

Mile 5 - 7:34 mile - It was shortly after mile five I started to get a small annoying pain in my right hip. My best guess at the time was that I was unintentionally overcompensating for my left foot. I also had my first GU this mile and was taking water and Gatorade along the way even though it wasn't going to be a hot day at all. 

Mile 6 - 7:43 mile - Still felt relatively in control and was placing much emphasis on breathing easy and trying as best as I could to run smooth and in control.

Mile 7 - 7:31 mile - Another good mile and the flow of people were cruising along. It was late in mile 7 that my left foot said "hey, remember me?" and started to hurt again. I thought if I could just put it in the back of my mind then I could push on through. 

Mile 8 - 7:44 mile - This mile was still decent but I knew I was in trouble now as both my left foot and right hip were causing me not to run smooth. Not good with 18+ still yet to go.

Mile 9 - 8:05 mile - This was a mile I just managed to hold together and was looking for my family around mile 9-10. I was also running on the right side of the street that had a slight slope and was causing me some additional pain. 

Mile 10 - 8:31 mile - I was still technically on BQ pace and then I saw my family shortly after the mile marker 10. I waved and stopped to chat. My brother-in-law looked at me as if I was crazy for stopping as I was on pace. I said I am off pace but will try to just enjoy the rest of the race. I explained that not only was my left foot and right hip hurting but my right foot joined in the fun that last mile. 

Mile 11 - 8:45 mile - This mile mark a pretty quick unraveling for the rest of the race. I think deep down I knew this was going to be painful (much harder than just simply running a marathon). And I am not trying to belittle anyone that runs the distance, but this would be a different kind of pain I had not yet experienced.

Mile 12 - 9:44 mile - We made our way back into the city center and were turning to head back out which is not a good thing when your body is saying "I'm done." After the turn to head out I realized that I completely forgot to put nipple guards on before starting. They were on the verge of starting to hurt so I knew I had to fix that situation pretty quickly or I would have one more pain to deal with. 

Mile 13 - 14 - 32:00 - Yes, that is 16 minutes per mile for both. I think I went by the half in 1:47 but can't recall for sure. The time does include a stop in the medical tent around mile 13 to have Band-Aids applied to my nipples. I also instructed the medical person to apply tape as I had a feeling they would come off otherwise. She said she add this non-stick tape which was then applied on top of them. Just over a mile later I had to stop again because those Band-Aids fell off. This time I told the medical person to use the tape that sticks I will deal with pulling it off when I was done. 

Mile 15 - 10:34 mile - I was actually surprised I ran that fast as I was in a world of hurt already. I was focusing on things (poles, signs and buildings) and saying run to that and then I would repeat. 

Mile 16 - 11:32 mile - I think this would be the last full mile I would run as it just simply hurt too much to run. 

Mile 17 - 18 - 28:21 - I tried to run and walk but found myself doing mostly walking and that hurt but not nearly as bad as the running. It was also around mile 18 that some guy on the side of the road was handing out licorice sticks to which I said "What the heck? Not setting any PRs today." Again, enjoying the race (if you want to call it that).

Mile 19 - 14:25 - I was simply looking forward to hitting mile 20 - means 10k to go.

Mile 20 - 14:47 - Okay, hitting that 10k to go mark was not that great. It during this mile that a woman wearing an Asics shirt past me and on the back it said "To Hell and Back." I remember just looking at that shirt saying "You're not kidding." 

Mile 21 - 13:42 - During this mile I realized that my cousin who ran this last year did it in 4:59 minutes so I had to beat his time. I started to calculate the time in my head and realized I need to keep hitting sub 15 minute miles which was not easy as my running per mile was becoming almost non-existent. I would have to power walk the rest of the way in order to have a shot. Let's just say it gave me something to focus on but the pain kept getting worse.

Mile 22 - 14:17 - I now could not run anymore. To say "run" is funny as at best it was a shuffle step because it hurt to bend my feet and it hurt to land on them. Not ideal for running.

Mile 23 - 14:51 - Okay, it hurt. Period. But I was determined to finish for really only one reason which I will share at the end. If there ever was a race I should have DNF'd it should have been this one and it should have happened around mile 9. 

Mile 24 - 14:41 - The power walking was hurting but I was making progress ever so slowly to the finish line. It was also during this mile that another lady past me wearing a shirt that said "Caner free for 747 days and counting." And then underneath it said "You can do anything." I absolutely believe in that motto - kind of like Ironman's "Anything is possible." 

Mile 25 - 14:46 - The city is in site. The only issue with walking is that everyone is saying "you can do it." and looks at you as if you are in trouble. I guess I looked like I was in trouble.

Mile 26 - Not sure but my .2 was 2:46 - I knew there was a turn and then a run to the finish downhill. I saved all of my pain tolerance and used it for that last little bit of street to run across the finish line.

Now, was it worth it - you bet. My son really enjoys looking at my medals and he is at an age (5) where time means nothing and a medal means something special. I was determined to finish to share with my son another medal from another race. It could've been a "Sweat'n for the Kids 5K" medal or this "Chicago Marathon" medal and it would hold the same significance to him. It does mean something special to me - I was able to finish what I started and now have a much higher tolerance for pain then I knew existed before. Sure, I wanted to qualify for Boston but there will be other opportunities. I wanted to enjoy this race and I can honestly say I didn't enjoy it physically but rather mentally. It is a great race with great fan support and good organization.

Sometimes in life we need things to motivate us or to set us back so that we can become stronger or smarter. It may have been the gentleman I sat down next to at the finish area who had just completed his first marathon in 4:11 and he was hooked. It may have been the cancer survivor running past me knowing that she can withstand pretty much what life can throw at her. Or maybe it is the lesson of my brother-in-law's neighbor (Courtney) that missed qualifying for Boston by 27 seconds to which she simply said "I ran as fast as I could. Maybe next year."

You would think my pain would be over after finishing. Nope. I still had to take off the industrial tape over my nipples. Lets just say I have less chest hair now. Thanks for reading and best of luck at your next race.

The Site Launches

After two years of many late nights, heavy programming, revisions and getting the site ready — we finally launched Infinite Runners (http://www.infiniterunners.com) this past weekend. One can not imagine how much goes into the most simple feature on a social networking site. When everything is linked together even the smallest feature can become exponential in creation. But when something is your passion those late nights just seem worth it. We hope you check out the site, register, play with it and make it part of your daily running routine. And then tell 10 of your closest running friends to sign up.

We have some great stuff still yet to come such as adding groups as separate pages as well as being able to rank against other runners in your group. I hope to see you on IR and at the races.

Pushing it.

I've had a few good quality workouts this week. An 18 mile run on Sunday and a 10 mile uptempo run on Wednesday night and both had me feeling it the next day. The most satisfying run this week happened today when I was able to run with my daughter for the first time since she was born. I pushed her for 2 miles on what was an absolute beautiful day. It was a slow and easy recovery run after the 10 miler yesterday, but it's always awkward to push a stroller after having not done it for a while. It was a bit of a process to get the tires pumped, baby completely ready, water, photo and other stuff before leaving but was well worth it. Below is a picture of Brianne before the run (happy and excited to go) and after the run (tired from getting pushed).

Feeling Good or Good Feeling

I had a very productive day at the office so that had me feeling good. I decided to do a 41 mile bike ride down on the Newtown Bike Trail after work instead of a run. It was just too nice of a day not to ride. I rode out from the Newtown parking area and then rode up the trail (as it follows the river and I was going against the flow - slight grade up) until it became the Loveland Trail and turned around somewhere beyond Kings Island (20+ miles). It was a typical ride where I try to keep my cadence up and hit 19-20 mph for the full ride. I had a little extra time today, which is something that hardly ever happens, and that would prove to come in handy and change the complexion of the day.

I had just passed through the beautiful town of Loveland and and was riding strong. I then passed two ladies biking on my right and said "I am on your left and a deer is on your right." There was a deer standing next to the trail and It got scared away when I said that. I then had about nine miles to go still on my ride when I noticed 2 riders walking their bikes. I eased up passing them and asked if they needed help. They said the one guy had a flat tire and no stuff to fix it. I decided to stop as I had a spare tube.

I pulled the tire out and started to hand it to the guy but could tell he looked timid in his reach for it. I then said "Have you changed a tire before?" which he replied "No." I said I would go ahead and do it for him and explain what I was doing throughout the process. We had some chit chat conversation which included my training for the Ironman and the other guy competing in the Mr. Kentucky (BodyBuilding) contest next week. Lets just say he made me look like a skinny bike rider (which I am not).

The exercise proved to be great training for me as I had only changed 2 tires the entire time I've been riding these last 2 years. It was his front tire and the change actually went pretty quick. The two guys kept saying "We really appreciate it." I was a little concerned on the co2 as I wasn't sure if I remebered how to do it - well, it came back quickly and I only lost a touch of it at the start when inflating the tire. I then handed the completed tire back to Pat (his name which came out during the final moments of the change). He then asked for my card or number so that he could reach me to repay me for the tube and time. I said it was no problem and to not worry about it. It felt good to help him and I said that "I hope someone would do the same for me if necessary." To which Pat replied "Pay it forward."

My only concern going forward was I still had 9 miles to ride and no spare. The ride back went quick and I actually got a bit slower the last 5 miles as it caught up with me a bit. The 41 miles would be my farthest ride this year and 10 more than my previous ride. While I started the ride feeling good I sure ended the ride with a good feeling. I will take that feeling any day.

The last 10 months lead to another Ironman.

It's hard to believe that it has been over a year since I completed Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Much has happened since that time and I will start off my next set of updates leading to Ironman St. George, Utah (yes, I signed up for another one) with only touching on a few key things that happened over this time period. The last part of this post will be forward looking (goals and hopes).

First:
The first major thing that has happened and is happening is I have been developing a social network for runners which we hope to launch in the next few months. It is incredible how much time I have put into this site and how much more we have to go. Our goal is to get it up and bugs worked out before September. The site has been a labor of love. We will certainly announce when it is live here and on Twitter, Facebook and by other means.

Second:
The second key thing was my attempt at qualifying for the Boston Marathon at the Air Force Marathon. I came up short but learned much about myself and my training. You can read the race recap in the previous post.

Third:
The third event was a trip to the Emergency Room when I got hit by a truck on a Friday afternoon bike ride. It was a beautiful day in October and I thought why not cut out of work a bit early and head out on a ride along the Ohio River. I drove to Woodland Mound Park and parked my car at the back entrance around 4:00 pm. My plan was to get about 20 miles in so I could get back home for dinner around 5:30. Well, that plan changed as I headed up 10 Mile Road and passed through an intersection. I saw a truck with a lawn trailer sitting to turn my direction and it waited until I passed as there was another car coming the other direction so it had to clear before they turned left into my lane. Knowing the truck was coming I hugged the white line as I always do. It pulled up along side me (as passing) and was only about a few inches from my shoulder as the truck passed. I of course had a few choice words (including jerk) as the truck cleared me. In that split second I got this feeling like they were trying to force me off the road. What I didn't know was that their trailer was wider then the truck. Next thing I knew my left heal/leg yanked hard along with my bike to the right. I then went flying over the handlebars toward a gravel/grass embankment. My bike flipped a few time and ended up in the street. I was able to get my hands out in front when I hit the ground hard. My hands collapsed hard on my right side with my shoulder taking the brunt of the force. After impact I rolled about 3-4 times coming to a stop at the top of the embankment. I remember just laying there saying (in my head) this really hurts and trying to figuring out what I was going to do. [The picture below is of my left ankle as well as some other parts of my body a couple days after the accident.]

The truck did stop and the two guys came down to see if I was okay. The one guy just kept saying "Are you okay? Are you okay?" I just laid there for a while not saying a word. Another lady came out of a house near by and asked if she needed to call an ambulance. Then another driver behind me (I was facing the woods) slowed down to ask the same question. It was about this time that my toughness took over and I started thinking I didn't want my wife to worry and needed to get home if possible. It hurt but I sat up and remember being hot. I then tried to stand up and only got about half way up before getting dizzy and sitting back down. It was about this time that the ambulance arrived and were asking me questions and I heard the police asking the driver questions as well. It was funny as I was wearing my Ironman CDA bike jersey and they wanted to cut it off me - to which I said "No way!" I gritted my teeth while they carefully pulled it off over my head. It was a symbol of all that I had accomplished the previous year and there was no way they were cutting it. Next was the Paramedic asking if I wanted to go to the hospital. I really didn't as I wanted to get home and not give my wife something to worry about. Well, he then told me about possible neck injuries and internal injuries which I quickly agreed that it would be good after all. They then transferred me to a backboard with neck brace on and I was off to the hospital.

The paramedic in the ambulance dialed my wife and we tried to reach her to tell her what had happened but we couldn't get through. Finally at the hospital I was able to get through and leave a message. She called me back to say that she was checking out at the grocery store and had to go home to drop off groceries and then her and Braden (our 5yr-old son) would be there. They arrived and I then had all my x-rays, tests and treatments to clean up the cuts and stuff. I would end up leaving around 8:30 pm that night after the doctor said I had no broken bones, which was the good news. I am not one to use drugs of any kind so I told him I didn't want any pain killers or similar.  It hurt to walk and to get home. The next day I was shot - I could not lay on my left side and all of my inside hurt. It was an absolute pain to go to the bathroom so it was limited. It took about 20 days before I could actually lay on my left side at all, but not for a long time. 

Fourth:
The fourth key (and most important) event was the birth of my daughter Brianne Elizabeth on November 1, 2008. My wife went all natural and had a home birth. It went very well and that was her Ironman for the year. She had our first child all natural as well but in the hospital. She said that this one hurt more and she could understand why women get epidurals but she is pretty tough and worked through the temporary pain. Picture is Brianne around 7 months old.

Fifth:
The last one was pacing a friend to a Personal Record in the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May of this year. It was much slower than I normally run but a good time and very rewarding. I will post that race recap in the next day or so.

Looking forward:
Why do another Ironman? After doing Ironman CDA I totally get why people get hooked. If you do the training then you are in awesome shape for most of a year. The race itself is very hard but there is a sense of everyone pushing themselves to see what they can achieve. After I finished I felt great - much better then after a marathon if you can believe it. The training also forces you to really focus on what is important and filter out all the non-important stuff like TV and casual conversations.

When I saw St. George pop up and it was a lake swim I jumped on it. Not really knowing what the course was going to be like. Now I know it will be one of the harder ones in North America, if not the hardest. I say the harder the better so bring it on.

In preparation for this Ironman I will be doing the Chicago Marathon in October 2009 to really focus on my running with the goal of qualifying for Boston (3:20). It will be challenging and hard especially since I am writing this having missed a key long run already due to a sore left achilles. It is getting better so I am optimistic.

Well, that's my story. I now need to put the focused training in to reach my goals and will be providing a few updates each week as this next Ironman odyssey starts. I better get some sleep and hit the roads tomorrow. Had a great late 10 mile run tonight in 1:21:22.

Air Force Marathon Race Recap

I ran in the Air Force Marathon this past Saturday with really only one goal in mind –  qualify for Boston (3:20:59). I woke at 4 am and eat a peanut butter sandwich and had a PowerBar with orange juice. My Dad met me at my house at 4:30 am and he drove with me up to watch the race in Dayton at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It was just the two of us and I was really hoping to qualify with him present as he is the one that got me started in marathoning back when I was 12 years old.

We arrived at the base after 6:00 am with plenty of time before the 7:30 start. We parked in the dark and boarded a shuttle bus that took us to the museum area for the start. The temperature was suppose to be 55 degrees at the start, which I thought would be ideal but it was going to be more like 65+ at the start.

Once at the starting area I slowly stretched and got items together for the race. I really struggled with my decision on what shoes to wear as I had Plantar Fasciitis that started about over 2 weeks earlier and was trying to limit the heal pain. I had bought some new shoes thinking that might help and it seem to help a little but I had not completed a long run in them so I opted for my older shoes that were tested at least – even if it meant some pain. The new ones could be much worse and I was sticking to the typical marathon advice not to use new shoes.  A huge transport plane flew right over us in the start/finish area and it was loud and kind of woke everybody up.

At around 7:15 am I made my way to the start line and found the 3:20 pace group. The man leading was Mike (from Michigan) and was a very down to earth guy. He said to the group of about 30 of us that this was his largest group ever and that this marathon was first class as far as aid stations, the course and people. He said that he would go out a bit slow and then ease into a pace so that we could warm up a little first. I found this pace group because I decided 2 days before that this was my best shot at qualifying – not doing it alone but having others around me. 

Right before the start we had 2 F-22 Raptors fly over and shoot straight upwards at the starting line which was cool and loud. I should also note that the national anthem just seem to carry more weight being on the base.

7:30 am – the gun shot and we are off. I said to myself “stick the Mike like glue.” Mike had a blue shirt, blue bandana and of course was holding the 3:20 sign. Glue meant I would literally be within one step of him at all times. Now I will give you my mile splits and commentary.

1 - 7:52:57
We were slower then the 7:38 pace, but this first mile had a slight hill and he said he would be slow anyways. It was also after this first mile that time became irrelevant to me in a weird way – I was just focused on the pacer and trying to stay relaxed all I did was hit my watch at each mile marker.

2 - 7:40:00 (hill)
Still a little slow but had another hill and we seem to be in a pretty good grove now.

3 - 7:16:14 (down hill)
The downhill came out of nowhere and it was welcomed and are next split reflected it as we were now about on pace.

4 - 8:22:88 (good hill)
That didn’t last too long as we hit what would be the biggest hill (not a real steep one but one none the less)

5 - 6:54:12 (down hill)
The good thing about up hills is you have down hills and this one felt good as well. I think at this point Mike said we were about 40 seconds under pace and that is a nice cushion and he would probably try to maintain that for a while.

6 - 7:19:88
The group was now settled and we all seem to be clipping along. Late this mile is when my first issue developed. It felt as if something was in my right shoe on the ball of my foot. My mind started racing to figure out what it could be and I tried to shift my foot around a bit to see if it got better. I thought it might be a key at one point. I determined that it had to be my sock (same socks I worn before) – it must have gathered some how so I made the executive decision to run through it and hope it corrects itself. I really felt I couldn’t even stop for a minute and catch back up to the group.

7 - 7:18:85
These next three miles were on the base and pretty quiet. The aid stations were about every mile and they were great. I was taking Gatorade and water every stop. Usually a mouthful or two of each and a pitch of the cups.

8 - 7:26:31
I just focused on running smooth. Mike actually took a bathroom break and gave the sign to another guy before he caught back up. Kind of broke the mental focus up a bit which was probably a good thing.

9 - 7:38:31
Mike said that we will hit the fans in Fairborn at mile 11 and try to stay calm. This course in interesting in that most of the miles are on the actual base and it it very quiet – almost like a long training run with your buddies.

10 - 8:16:20
We had picked up the pace and Mike had us shake out our arms and legs (while running of course) and kick it down a little to relax. I had my first 2 Lime GUs before the next major aid station.

11 - 6:59:12 (first major fans - adrenaline)
We hit Fairborn and see the leaders as they are coming out of the city segment. We couldn’t help but pick it up some as these were the most fans on the course and there had been very few the whole way. My heels were starting to hurt now but I was still able to keep my same gait, which was good. More of like a dull numbing pain – more annoying then anything else. One good thing was I didn’t feel the sock in my right shoe anymore.

12 - 7:23:38
13 - 7:40:36
14 - 7:39:99
Miles 12-14 were all on the back side of the base and in the sun – had to be in the mid 70s now. I remember running through the half marathon mark and Mike saying we are perfect. Also, he would yell out at certain miles “ON!” and the group would say “PACE!” and repeat. Kind of a teamwork confidence boost.

15 - 7:43:08
The sun is just beating down on us. I was taking Gatorade and water every stop and trying to make sure I was staying hydrated. I also had 2 more Lime GUs at 15 and was now out of what I brought with me. I would grab some from the stations going forward.

16 - 7:44:50 (airport runway)
This was a pretty cool mile as we turned onto a great big air strip and ran down it for about a mile. Mike commented that the group was all running shoulder to shoulder 2 deep in formation and would’ve made a great picture for this marathon. The group was now down to about 16 at this point.

17 - 7:40:90
We finally hit some shade and it was a gift from God. The course overall is very beautiful and the next few miles were just picturesque. About midway through 17 my quads started to hurt and I knew that wasn’t a good thing from experience. Mike and other guys on the run talked about the “Wall” and running though it or over it. This was one of those moments and I kept saying run through it.

18 - 7:31:16
We picked up our pace a bit and now I could feel it when we made the slightest shift in pace. Mike said that we had about a 50 second cushion and he would try to maintain that to the last mile. I was like glue on Mike and bumped his arm I was so close during the mile. The group was now down to about 12 guys.

19 - 7:33:96
This was one cool mile as the road had trees on either side and it reminded me of a road in the Fench countryside – and the shade was awesome. It was also during this mile Mike pulled away from me after an aid station. I kept saying “Stick”, “Stick”, “Stick” and managed to get back up to him. I also grabbed a Vanilla GU and the usual Gatorade and water. My quads were really hurting but I kept trying to put it in the back of my head.

20 - 7:42:57
This was a great psychological mile as I knew I only had a 10K to go. The issue was I was feeling really hot now and my quads were not cooperating. We also came back out into the sun during this mile. The group is now down to about 10 guys.

21 - 8:30:24
I made it almost to mile 22 before I physically couldn’t hang with the group. My mind was saying “Catch up with them, don’t let them go.” But they were slowly pulling away and there wasn’t much I could do at this point. Now all of sudden, time was important – but it wasn’t. It was in that I could run a very good time still but it wasn’t in that my body was shot. I made the decision to press as hard as I could with whatever energy I had left. This would be a challenge.

22 - 9:14:20 (rolling hills)
This mile actually had a us run up onto a highway and that hill sucked. I tried to focus on anyone close and hang on or catch someone. It was at this mile that the marathoners were on the same course as the half marathoners. That helped a little as there were quite a few runners and walkers on the course now. There were 2,700 for the half marathon and 2,100 for the marathon. I felt very hot now and was taking spunges every aid station for my head.

23 - 10:08:07 (rolling hills)
As noted, we hit rolling hills and they sucked – okay, pretty much everything sucked now. They are not huge hills but anything above 10 feet seem like Eight Mile hill to me. I remember passing this mile mark and thinking If I can run a sub-30 minute 5K I will be under 3:30. It seems like a no brainer but after 23 miles on this day but I was also just trying to finish the damn thing.

24 - 11:46:66 (rolling hills)
Again, the hills sucked bad but I knew I was getting close. I ran that split above but I could have probably walked it. Pride was now on the line. I wasn’t going to walk one step of this race. Run baby. Somewhere around 24.5 I got a glimpse of a sign that I was passing that said “Trust in the Lord.” That sign couldn’t have appeared at a better time. I turned over this effort to God and realized that it wasn’t my day to qualify and that this race served a greater purpose. I know it is a stepping stone for me and maybe for others in some small way.

25 - 9:33:26
I was pretty sure I would finish now without walking and even got a bit of a boost with no hills as we were back on the base. I could also see the finish line area way off in the distance. I say way off as it sure seemed way off. I enter the gates and then it is a long straight shot down a road the leads to a U turn right into the finish area. They had an aid station at 25.2 I think and remember saying that is a dumb place for a station. Man was I sure glad it was there as I was dousing myself with water and I had a spunge on my head every few feet.

26.2 - 10:52:73
There’s the finish - “YES! Thank God.” The finish goes up a retired runway with old planes on either side to a sizable crowd cheering you on. I hear my Dad say “Good job Brain.” just before I hit the line.

Final Time: 3:31:48
I look at my watch. I was absolutely shot. I gave 110% and my body would let me know. An Air Force Commander put a Medal around my neck and shook my hand and I remember saying “Thanks.” Then I moved in a daze over to the the area wear they were handing out towels and food. A nice lady took my chip off and then I went up to this line for food that was really long. I stood for a couple seconds and then turned to the guy next to me and said I have to lay down – I pointed to a spot further up the line and ask him to say my name when he reached me. I went to the spot and collapsed with arm over face. My core body temp had to be up there as I just felt really hot and my quads were just pulsing to boot. I ended up doing this same procedure 2 times before food. I also had 2 nice ladies get me cold water and one of them got me a bag of ice for the back of my head on my last lay down. The bag of ice did help the most.

I grabbed a ton of food and drinks as I went through the food tent and then saw my dad on the other side. As soon as I reached him I said I gotta lay down – I’m not hungry. We stayed for about an hour after the race and then headed home. I did see the pacer Mike and said “Sorry I couldn’t hang with you.” He said “No problem, many in the group peeled off after you(me) and he only had a handful qualify.”

My thoughts on the race: I am completely satisfied with the effort as I know I gave my all. I remember telling Jim and Gary that I thought I was in about 3:35 shape. If I would have run my race and not the pacers race I think I probably would have been around that time. The course was really nice even though I complained about it. I especially liked the small race feel being on the base for most of the race and not having many fans – it really felt like a training run which can be a good thing. I would have preferred they started the race an hour earlier as I think that heat really effected me in late miles. I have never hurt this bad (primarily qauds) after a race ever. I now have a better appreciation of what it will take to qualify for Boston. I think one solid year of training with many runs above 18 miles with hard miles starting at mile 14 in the workout. It is that high mileage endurance that becomes driven into your running DNA. Plus a flat marathon course would help like a Columbus or Chicago.

That’s my story and I am sticking to it.

"You are an Ironman!"

An Experience To Remember

After having successfully completed the 2008 Ford Ironman Triathlon Coeur d'Alene I now understand why many people become hooked to this event. Here's a full race report on the build up and the actual event itself.

Tuesday -

As previously mentioned, we flew out on Tuesday night to Spokane (via Denver) out of Indianapolis. We drove up to Indianapolis with what we thought was plenty time to spare. I say thought as we (both Kristin and I) forgot that Indy does not observe daylight savings time which means they are in the same time zone as Cincinnati. We got to the Indy airport with about 1.5 hours to spare according to our time. We did the check in stuff and leisurely walked to our gate and noticed it said 8:15 pm was the departure time so we headed on down the concourse to have some dinner. After about 5 minutes Kristin said I am going to go check the seats to make sure we had decent seats on the flight. Lucky for us she did that as the flight had 5 minutes until departure and we quickly headed (what seemed like really fast race walking) to board our plane. It would not of been good if we missed the flight as we would have missed an entire day.

We arrived in Spokane, Washington around 10:45 pm and still had to drive to Coeur d'Alene which was about an hour away. We drove through the darkness and arrived in downtown Coeur d'Alene around midnight pacific time or 3 pm eastern time. By the time we got the car unloaded and Braden down it was about 4:15 pm eastern time which made for a very long day. I did manage to sleep for about an hour on the leg from Denver to Spokane which helped.

Wednesday -

One thing that was very unexpected was the wonderful breakfast that was made for us on Wednesday morning and would become a great way to start our mornings the rest of the week. This morning was a fruit cup and Apple Cider Pancakes which were very good. Apparently, which I had no clue when I booked this bed and breakfast (The Roosevelt Inn), was that their breakfasts were voted the best in Idaho. The Roosevelt Inn is an old Schoolhouse that was converted into a Bed & Breakfast by John and Tina Hough (pronounced Huff). Both John and Tina are wonderful people and really made our stay a great experience and were fine representatives of the city of Coeur d'Alene. Their black lab Pippin became one of Braden's buddies as they played fetch many times.

My wife's parents Rich and Elaine made the trip out to support me and spend time with Kristin and Braden. So, we met them after breakfast and our plan was to drive the bike course today so I knew what to expect and to help me visualize the course (more so the hills). After a brief meeting in town Kristin, Braden and I drove the course. The first part of the course was in the city area which meant a few turns and then we headed out along the Lake, which was absolutely beautiful now that we could see it in the daylight, down to Higgins Point which would be our first turnaround and the area where the special needs bags would be located during the race. Then it was back into town and out to Hayden by Hayden Lake and into the country. The low point of our day was when we got stopped for a speeding ticket on a small wavy road in Hayden. I was being careful watching the road and Kristin was in charge of the map and the speed bumped up a bit and the officer was just waiting for me. They had to be just sitting their knowing that many people like me would be coming through today. After our initial "You got to be kidding me." reaction we felt that it was our way of donating to helping keep this area beautiful and safe. I also felt maybe it was a good omen as a need for speed for the upcoming race. The drive along Hayden Lake was also just absolutely beautiful and this is when the serious hills started to kick in. The bike course is said to be pretty technical as there are many turns where you go down a very big hill and almost come to a stop at the bottom to turn and then go up another hill. Outside of Hayden Lake we get the rolling hills which will be around miles 30-45 on the first lap and miles 75-90 on the second lap. The last 15 miles of the course is fairly flat and gradually goes downhill into town.

Workout: I did an easy 30 minute run along the actual run course in the city. It was in the high 70s and hot but I felt okay.

Thursday -

This was the day when the race expo would be setup and I could pickup my race number, wetsuit and bike. We headed over right after breakfast and I stood in a pretty long line to go through the registration process.

This event is unlike many of the marathons I have run and in a much better way as I think the small size (they only allow 2,200 participants) makes it much more personable. The reason for the small size is due to the swim start as any more and it just couldn't work. I got my number, had my weight checked (for medical reasons just in case) and I sat down with this nice man that explained the race and the rules. I then picked up my rented wetsuit (which was actually a new one - cool) and my bike that was shipped to the event. With my list checked off we headed to the lake to check the water and it was still pretty cold, about 55 degrees.

Workout: I did an hour bike ride up to Hayden and back along the course. The streets are wide and nice as most of them have a bike lane which makes it really nice. Coming back into town I was hitting about 21-22 mph which I felt would be a great area to try and push it on the bike without over doing it during the race. Tomorrow morning would be the swim workout and I was a little apprehensive about it but I did see quite a few people testing the waters so that helped.

I tried on the wetsuit before going to bed to make sure it fit and I was good to go for my test swim tomorrow. Braden was impressed and wanted one.

Friday -

Workout: It was another beautiful day. We got down to the beach around 9:00 am and I was told the water temperature was now about 57 degrees. I put on body glide (like vaseline) and then my wetsuit with the help of Kristin and then headed out into the waters for my test swim and what would be my last swim workout. It called for 30 minutes and I actually made the complete lap in about 33-34 minutes which felt great. The water visibility was about 4-5 feet which was great. It took about 5 minutes for my face and hands to numb to the point where the temperature didn't bother me.

Upon completing the swim I actually felt fine and I now knew the water would be very cold but not much of a factor in performance. The other thing that was weird about wearing a wetsuit was the buoyancy of it and that my legs almost felt like they were out of the water so the kicking seemed not as effective.

After the workout we stopped into the Janus tent in the Ironman Village so that I could give them my final fundraising total and so that Kristin, Braden and Elaine could create signs to help cheer me on.

I also created a simple sign to help motivate me for the run. My friend Jed and I have a friendly rivalry and this sign was to not only help motivate me but maybe motivate him into doing an Ironman someday.

We then got away from everything and drove up to Spokane to check out the waterfalls that flow through the city. With the 180 percent snowfall the area has received this winter the melt had the waters crashing through with incredible force.

It was nice to get away from the race area and not do too much. It was also Kristin's birthday which we celebrated with her parents for dinner at 5:30 pm. The dinner was quick as I did have a mandatory athlete meeting at 7:30 to go over all the final race details.

Before going to bed I organized all my transition and special needs bags. The transition bags are all the gear I would need for the "swim to bike" and "bike to run" portions of the race and the special needs bags are placed at the midway points of the race and you can put those items you think you might need. For me the special needs Bike bag included a Snickers bar, Powerbar, Gatorade, salt tablets and extra peanut butter crackers while the Run special needs bag included 5 GUs just in case I needed them. These bags and the bike needed to be dropped off tomorrow.

Saturday -

This was the last day before the race and a day that all athletes should not do much and try to relax. After breakfast we went to the store to pick up some Ensure and other last minute items for the race. The drop off time for the bags and bike was from 10-3 pm.

Workout: My schedule called for a final hour mini brick workout of a 45 minute bike and a 15 minute run. So I fit my workout in at 12:30 pm. It was a good final workout and I felt as ready as I could be for the big race.

We headed over to the transition areas around 2:15 pm to do the drop off. It seemed easy enough and it was yet another beautiful day.

After racking my bike I did one final check and it was a good thing I did. I found my back tire flat as it had an industrial staple in it. I quickly went to the bike tent to see if they could do the repair and I was in luck. I quickly rushed my bike over to them and they managed to fix it with a little over 5 minutes to spare before the 3 pm cut-off time. It is quite a site to see over 2,000 bikes in that area.

I also dropped off my 2 plastic transition bags and tied them as good as I could as I heard we might have light rain Saturday night. They keep the bags out and in order to make it easier for everyone on race morning.

The Ironman Logo is everywhere and extremely hard to miss.

I also managed to grab some extra plastic bags and cover my bike handle bars and front water bottle.

That night John and Tina made us a carb dinner of salad, spaghetti, lasagna and chicken that hit the spot.

John also told us that his crew would be working the last half mile of the run portion to help motivate people into the finish. I was told that the people of Coeur d'Alene volunteer like no other race as they get somewhere between 5-6 people per athlete where other races get 2-3 per athlete if they are lucky. The whole town is behind this race and it shows.

I would fall asleep around 10:30 pm.

Sunday - RACE DAY - Start is at 7:00 am

4:00 am - I awake and head downstairs to start to add some fuel for the day. They say that an Ironman athlete will burn about 5,000-6,500 calories for the day. And it is very important to start the day with as many as you can. My breakfast consisted of a can of Ensure, bagel with cream cheese, hard-boiled egg, bottle of orange juice and then another bottle of Ensure to drink while getting ready - along with water of course. I figure I was close to 1,000 calories before the start.

5:00 am  - I head over to the start area to my body marked as they write your race number on both arms and your age on your calf. The age is so that if you are battling it out with another competitor you know if they are in your age group or not. After the body marking I head to my bike to check and make sure the back tire is good and everything is fine. We did have some rain last night and I removed the wet plastic bags from my bike.

I borrowed a bike pump from another athlete and get both my tires up to 120 psi. It was a bit cool in the morning and a fellow athlete snapped this photo in the bike area.

5:30 am - After taking care of the bike I head over to check my run transition bag. It appears just as I left it with the end wrapped over to keep the water out in case it rained. Well, no such luck. I open the bag to find that all of my gear is not only wet but soaking wet. My only guess is water came up through the bottom. I immediately take out all of the gear to check the damage. My shirt, socks, hydration belt and shorts where soaked. The biggest bummer and potential issue was that my shoes were soaked.

I did not bring an extra pair of running shoes with me so I would have to wear these in the race. My mind immediately went into crisis management mode. "Okay," I said "you'll have to run your marathon as if you were running in the rain." Luckily, I had an extra dry shirt and I stuffed my shirt in both shoes and tried to absorb as much moisture as I could. I also called Kristin and asked her to bring down an extra pair of dry socks for the special needs bag in case I needed to change them halfway through the run. Water is known for causing blisters and blisters are just not good when you are trying to run.

5:45 am - I head over to my bike bag and it did not have any water issues which was a good thing. I grab a couple of the food items and take them to my bike to put them in a small pouch I have in the front of the bike. It will mean a couple less things to worry about or handle when in transition.

6:00 am - Kristin arrives with my dry socks. I then head over to the opposite end of the transition area to drop off my special needs bags in their designated spots. It is an absolute perfect morning.

6:30 am - I had been drinking my other Ensure throughout the morning to help put some additional calories in me. I meet up with Kristin and Braden at the far end of the swim course. I decided to be there to try and stay out of the mass of people that will be converging into the middle to follow the buoys.  I put body glide on as I did on Friday but forget one key area in my pre-race thought - the back of my neck. Kristin helps me zip up the suit and I am ready to go. My main concern at this point was just finishing the swim and trying not to get kicked in the face which I had read about.

6:45 am - I hop into the water and do a few strokes to get my body use to the cold water again. Now 59.5 degrees - still pretty cold but 2 degrees warmer so I will take it. All the athletes are are on the beach and ready to go. Dan, another athlete staying at the Roosevelt Inn, taps me on the shoulder and says hello and good luck. I say what time are you trying to swim and he says "1:15" so I think I am right where I should be.

7:00 am - The cannon goes off and everyone just flows into the water and starts to swim as best they can. It is crazy with people pushing, grabbing, kicking and just doing whatever they can to move forward.

I was on edge the first 15 minutes until I realized it was going to be like this the rest of the way. That edge became normalcy. It also became apparent that in order to survive in this mass of swimmers you have to be competitive and do what you can to stay strong. I did a lot of breathing on one side of my body as when you would turn another swimmer would be right on you throwing water into your mouth. It was this constant analysis of where you were among the swimmers around you and which side would work best. I did get one full mouth of water about 400 meters but calmly went under and spit and took a long next breath. I did practice that in training and it came in handy. I also got my googles knocked off about 600 meters in and had to quickly adjust and get them on to keep the momentum or most likely get run over. The first turn was just crazy crowded and I decided to swing a bit wider heading back to shore and that helped a little - I was at least able to get some alternating breaths and get a bit of a groove going. I also realized that if I saw bubbles directly in front of me then kicking feet where very near and I needed to move left or right - thank god for that 5 feet of visibility. At about 1200 meters my right calf cramped and locked up on me - not fun in the middle of a lake with swimmers all around. I had to stop and try to massage it while treading water, which was not easy. I did have a female swimmer look up and say are you okay, which was nice amongst the chaos. I managed to finish the first loop by hitting the beach and the timing map for the 1.2 miles and then back into the water for the second loop. I looked at my watch and saw 38 minutes.

Loop 2 would bring its own set of issues. The swimmers were now thinned out but it was still not great in my opinion. In the first 100 meters of the second lap I kicked some woman's goggles off and felt it. I turned around quickly and said sorry. I guess she got too close. By about 400 meters in I felt the back of my neck start to hurt which let me know that I forgot to put body glide on that area when I put the suit on. It wasn't horrible but more like a very slight friendly pain every time I would turn to breath. Then a few meters later my calves where locking again but I managed to still swim and try to stretch them. I then quickly realized it wasn't going to go away so I made an executive decision to just use my arms the rest of the way. I found that if I just dragged my legs they wouldn't lockup. So that was fun swimming the last 1,200 meters with only my arms. I found that I was still able to swim with the group around me pretty well and tried every once in a while to use my legs.

SWIM - 1:21:48 - I exit the swim and was glad to get that first portion behind me. It is funny to write about it now as it was just crazy and I can see why many people fear that portion of the race. You have to have a sense of calm about you or it could get ugly/dangerous very fast. I head up the beach an into the transition area.

T1 - 9:47 - As you enter the transition zone there are athletes everywhere and volunteers trying to help you take off your wetsuit. I quickly found two nice ladies that each grabbed a leg and pulled very hard. It was off and I was up and running to my gear bag. I found it and headed into the changing tent. I was going to wear the tri-suit bottoms I had on for the swim to help speed things up and that worked well. I did take a bit of time as I wanted to make sure I had everything for bike leg and especially the nutrition as it is critical to get fueled for the run. I head out of the tent and run to my bike and I am off to the bike mounting area. I see Kristin, Braden, Rich and Elaine for the first time and give the thumbs up. I guess my thumbs up at that point was simply that I survived the swim.

BIKE - 6:20:45 - I had a bright florescent yellow bike top on with arm warmers as it was still cool. This color proved to be great as Kristin was able to easily spot on the course when I passed by. The first 20 miles I just drank water and tried to make sure I was well hydrated. The weather was sunny to overcast and expected to get in the low 70s. At about 25 miles I pulled out my peanut butter sandwich and ate it. It was a little hard as my mouth was dry and I had to add some water with each bite. I then tried to eat something every half to hour and make sure I was fueled for the run. I ate a PowerBar and peanut butter crackers. The hills hit around 30 miles and it seem like I was passing people on them - I guess my Cincinnati hills training was good.

These hills were harder as they were more frequent and the wind was somewhat strong in areas. The crowd along the way was great and they would call out your name every once in a while which helped. My name was on my number which is different then other races. I knew I was going to need to ease up a bit on the second loop and as I approached miles 50-55 it was downhill into Coeur d'Alene. The same course I had biked earlier in the week and hit 21-22 mph downhill I was lucky to hit 17-18 mph so the wind was certainly a factor and kind of a bummer. I now was looking forward to hitting Higgins Point at mile 64 where they would have the special needs bag. I got my bag and stopped for a minute or two to grab what I needed and to take my first salt tablet. I also opened my Snickers bar and that hit the spot. Leaving Higgins Point is all uphill and I seem to pass quite a few people again which gave me a boost. The rest of the way I just tried to stay within myself.

I would drink three Gatorades and water the rest of the way in addition to some more peanut butter crackers. The hills certainly hurt more on the second loop but again I passed people so that gave me a boost. I knew I needed another salt tablet so I stopped briefly at an aid station around 90 miles and this nice young boy volunteer held my bike while I found and took my tablet, had a quick banana, emptied trash, refilled a Gatorade bottle and had a GU. This would be my last stop and food before the run. Just after the stop the balls of my feet started to hurt as they had in training. Before it would hit around 65 miles and today it didn't hit until 92. I simply sucked it up and pushed through the last 20 miles with the pain. I was a bit slower and tried to take pressure off of them on the downhills as opposed to peddling harder off the hills. I was so ready to be off the bike - I couldn't wait to hit transition and massage my feet for minute or two. It was also overcast and actually a little cool on the bike with the wind. I had taken my arm warmers off after the first loop and was regretting that decision for most of the second loop. They were in one of my back pockets but it wasn't enough to make me stop. I kept thinking the sun is going to pop out and then I would be warm. I saw the "Team Hock" gang around mile 110 and again at the end of the bike which was a welcome site.

Braden was cheering loudly - "Go Daddy!"

T2- 11:48 - I really wasn't sure what the run would bring but I was glad to be off the bike. I also was thinking about my wet shoes those last 20 miles and just kept saying it will be fine. I grabbed my bag and headed to the changing tent. I probably took more time then I should have in hindsight, but I wanted to make sure my feet felt okay first. I took my shoes off first and massaged both of them for a bit. I then changed tops and put on a Janus Charity Challenge Tri Shirt that they had given me which stood out and I was sure Kristin would be able to spot me with it. I grabbed my Band-Aids for my nipples and they were wet and wouldn't stick. Runners put them on so that they don't rub and bleed. This didn't throw me off as with Tri Shirts you sometimes don't need them and I was hoping today would be that case. Next I put on dry socks which felt really good on my feet. Then I grabbed my shoes and put one on. It was still somewhat wet and felt warm on my foot. Then I put my other one on and it felt the same. It actually didn't discourage me as they felt better then my biking shoes so that was a good thing. My biggest concern were blisters so I hung an extra pair of socks off my Nike Hydration Belt and headed to the bathroom. This was a good thing as I needed to pee and that is a very good sign I was properly hydrated for the run. I also had a GU to add a quick 100 calories before I started the run.

RUN - 4:06:08 - I saw Kristin, Braden and Rich just as I left for the run. As soon as I started to run I felt good and I knew this should be my strongest part. I took off and headed down this path and was passing people.

I had no clue what my pace was so I just tried to stay within myself and kept telling myself to do it like practice which was about 8:10 per mile. I passed a lot of people in the first 5K and I understood why - I had run it in 22:30 which is pretty fast. I knew I needed to back down off the pace or I would be in trouble later. The course goes through the city and then along a lake shore path up to 7 miles to the turnaround. The last 400 meters up to the turnaround is a steep and cruel uphill and not much fun after having done what we have already. Not to mention we will hit it one more time. I did manage to keep a solid pace up through 10 miles and recall seeing my split as 1:24:00. The early miles I took water, Gatorade and oranges at about every mile aid station. I realized now that I did not need my Hydration Belt as the stops were perfectly placed and that extra weight (wet of course) wasn't necessary.  As I came back into town I saw Kristin and Braden and handed her my fuel belt and she asked how I was doing, which I replied "it's hard, but I feel pretty good." After I hit the next turnaround at about mile 14 I knew I was in some trouble. The crowds in the city where awesome and they carried me up through about mile 16 and it was at a much slower pace. My stomach started to feel weird and I really didn't want to throw up as I heard once that happens you have to walk the rest of the way as your electrolytes are all messed up. Just after 16 I saw Kristin and Braden again and crossed the street to give Braden a high five.

I then started to walk and said to Kristin that I needed to walk as my stomach didn't feel right. She said are you okay and I said "Yes, I am okay, I will finish but I don't know how long it will take, I may have to walk the rest." With that I walked on only to have Kristin come running down the street behind to make absolutely sure that I was fine. I reassured her I was fine but needed to settle my stomach. She knew I took an Advil before the run to help minimize the coming pain and had read that it can enhance chances of other problematic issues.

I reached the next aid station just before mile 17 and had some more Gatorade, and ice water. Plain water just wouldn't do. After drinking it down I said it is "Mind over matter, if I don't mind then it don't matter." and started to run again. Much slower then before but at least I was running - guessing maybe 10 minutes per mile pace. Even at this pace I was passing people as many people could only walk. It was around mile 18 after the next aid station that I got into a groove pace wise with a woman next to me. We both ran next to each other and didn't say a word as we just heard the pounding of our feet. I also started a pattern with each aid station as I would grab Gatorade, orange slice and Water every stop and an occasional spunge to just squeeze over my head as I walked through it. I would then pick back up running and she would to and we were off. After mile 20 she finally broke the silence and said "Thanks for running with me." I said "No, thanks for running with me." We talked briefly and then it was back to silence so we could focus on the task at hand. Just before hitting the turnaround hill there was an aid station and she said "Good luck, I don't think I can keep it up." And I said "Good luck to you to." and she eased up. I pressed on up the hill. I think I was the only one that actually ran up the hill at this point from what I could see with the runners around me. I also had held off drinking flat cola and was planning on starting it around mile 21 as I had read and can give you a much needed boost. They had it at every aid station but I held off as I also read once you start you have to continue and it starts to diminish the effect.

It was as if I had another gear. I did take the flat cola at Mile 21 and it did have an effect. It was weird, as I didn't feel it right away but I started running after the aid station and I seemed to go faster. I was sure I was doing 9 something miles and maybe even hit a sub 9 from mile 21 to 22. It was great as I continued to pass many people which felt great psychologically. I was still feeling the pain and it was extremely hard to start running after each aid station but once I got going I was focused. I even passed a few runners I thought I wouldn't catch.

It was about at mile 23 that my focus changed to not how many miles were left but how many aid stations were left. I figured that I only had two aid stations left and that sounded better then 3 miles left. I took full advantage of the aid stations grabbing a Gatorade, ice water (had to be ice water), pretzels, orange slice and flat cola, of course.  When I hit that last aid station at about mile 25 I knew I would finish and I also remembered that the Roosevelt Inn crew would be at mile 25.5 motivating people. So I kept looking for them and finally saw them on the other side of the street. It was a big decision of do I cross to high-five them and risk losing momentum or continue on in a straight line which sounded pretty darn good at this point in the race. They had some disco tunes going and I decided to cross over and give them high-fives and both John and Tina said "Hey Brian, you got it, only six blocks to go!" I continued on and turned onto Sherman Avenue and from there I could see the finish and I seemed to go faster. There was an opening in front of 4 people ahead and that would mean a clear shot at the finish so I pressed harder. It was at the time that I heard Kristin say "Brian! Go Brian!" I looked over and she was on the phone with our friend Jed trying to get a race update. She said "Jed's on the phone" to which I simply yelled "Jed!" while running by.

She was surprised to see me as she thought I was going be another half hour to hour because of the walking. It was great running downhill into the finish and a serene sense of excitement and relief came over me as I hit that last stretch with the bleachers. I smacked hands on either side with the fans as they were great all day.

I crossed the finish line with a pump of the fists.

 

FINISH - 12:10:16

I saw Kristin's dad Rich when I finished and he seemed almost as excited by the accomplishment as I did at that moment. Then I got a kiss from Kristin's Mom Elaine and she said the whole event was very emotional and she was on the verge of tears.

I think I got a new burst of energy after finishing as I wanted to eat and drink something besides Gatorade or Water. So I had a piece of pizza and a Sprite which hit the spot.

I actually felt decent after finishing and not as wiped out as I have after marathons which I guess is attributable to the overall fitness of the training I did to prepare. Don't get me wrong as it hurt plenty to push through and finish and also to walk home, but it was a good hurt.

I will give a Fundraising update tomorrow as it was a great experience and I really need to get sleep. I will also post pictures to go along with this blog entry tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their support. Thanks!!!

Leaving Today for Coeur d'Alene.

It seems like time has flown by and now we will be leaving to fly to Coeur d'Alene later today. I have been extremely busy getting the off-line fundraising typed into the Janus site as well as with work and life. Just getting everything ready has been quite the task. Packing for three events and in between weather as my wife calls it is tricky. It will be around the mid 70s when we arrive but is due to have a few days in the 60s. At this point the race day is forecast to have rain and be in the 60s. This could and probably will change. I talked to the hotel where we are staying and asked them what the lake temperature is today. She said it has warmed up to a cozy 52 degrees. Therefore, even if we we have a warm blast over the next few days it is going to be around 55 or so - cold. I plan on doing a trial swims on Wednesday and Friday to get as ready as I can be for the cold.

I will try to post my goal times tomorrow or Thursday so those following online will have a good idea when I will be hitting each event and finishing. Remember that you can watch the actual race on Sunday all day by logging on to www.ironman.com and click on the live coverage. And you may even see Kristin, Braden and Kristin's Parents (Rich and Elaine) as they will be wearing TEAM HOCK yellow shirts. Kristin picked yellow so that I can easily spot them.

Wish me luck. It has been a lot of work but I feel that I am ready for whatever is thrown at me. And many thanks to all of those that have sponsored me and for supporting Winners Walk Tall.

Relax and Breath. Simple, Right?

It has been about one year since I have done a lake swim and I am very glad I decided to do one today. Kristin, Braden and I headed up to Ceasar Creek State Park to do just that - well, at least me anyway. Kristin and Braden watched me swim, played and enjoyed the day. I had no apprehension about doing the swim so it was a little surprising that I got nervous when I started. The plan was that I was going to swim out to the farthest left buoy and then swim to the farthest right and loop back and repeat until I reached a total time of 45 minutes. I would then hop out and go for a 35 minute run.

As mentioned, the last time I swam was at the East Fork Triathlon in August of last year. I went up the day before that event to register and do a practice swim in the lake and had the same reaction as today - an unsettling feeling. My first few strokes I had some anxiety and was trying to double breath and generally didn't feel good about it at all. I had to come up and stop twice on the way out to the buoy. I finally realized I just needed to relax and try to get in an almost meditative state. basically, close my eyes as I  turned my head into the water and open them when I breath and create a comfortable rhythm to it. The muddy water (due to the rains) was causing me some anxiety I am sure. This approached worked very well but it did take me a good 5-10 minutes to settle into a very good stroke. I was very glad I decided to try and get a lake swim in before leaving as it really makes me feel much more at ease about the swim now. The cold water in Lake Coeur d'Alene will be challenging enough.

I then did about a 36 minute run on the park roads. It was a hot day but not too bad.

I am very tired however so I think some of the big workouts from this past week have caught up with me. Off to get some rest.

It's Hard To Believe This Is A Taper.

One would think that a taper is when you wind down with your training and relax. That's just not the case when you have to prepare everything for the trip, have family matters to tend to and have work stuff to complete.

Tuesday -
As I was getting ready for work on Tuesday morning my back had another pretty good muscle spasm. It's that locking feeling that makes you stop in your tracks and try to breath. The workout was an hour swim and an hour run and I thought then that there would be no way I could do it. I ended up taking some ice packs for my back with me in the car and into the office and that seem to help my back.  I started the swim very easy to see what would happen and it was okay. I covered 2 miles and then ran about 7 miles. I was glad to get the workout in and have it behind me. That night I did get other one so I tried to take it as easy as I could.

Wednesday -
Only an hour bike ride and It actually felt pretty good. It was a hot day but I prefer that over cold anytime.

Thursday -
My last MAJOR workout before the race. I was suppose to have a much easier day today but I had to drop my bike off to be transported to the event on Friday. The big workout was scheduled for Saturday and I wanted it to be on my tri bike so I switched the workouts. Therefore, I ended up doing an hour swim, 2 hour bike and an hour run. The workout was a very hard one again as it was hot and I had not had as much rest (or easy days) in between big workouts as scheduled. The hardest part on all my brick workouts has been the run as your body has to switch gears and then the overall workout time just starts to catch up with you. It is good training as I constantly have to talk myself through the hard times. I can only imagine what mile 24 of the run will feel like in the race.

Friday -
Off day. Well kind of anyways. I had to think through and prepare what I was going to ship with my bike to the event. I headed out to Wheelie Fun (same place I purchased my bike) to drop off my bike and a gear bag today. I just happened to pick when the downpours started and what should've taken me 45 minutes to get there took about 1:20. I then drove to get my haircut and be race ready. I already feel a good 10 minutes faster with the cut. I would've said 20-30 minutes faster but I don't have that much hair to begin with.

The workouts up until race day are all now pretty easy. I may even try to get a lake swim in at East Fork Lake tomorrow or Sunday just to help prepare mentally for  the race. We will be leaving Tuesday for Couer d'Alene and I have a lot of work to wrap up so it will be a busy few days coming. Oh, and my back got another spasm - the fun never stops.