| Date/Location: | June 12, 2022 – Des Moines, Iowa |
| Distances: | 2.4m Swim - 112m Bike - 26.2m Run |
| Time: | 11:56:25 (1:07:46 swim - 10:35 - 6:00:29 bike - 9:40 - 4:27:57 run) |
| Place: | 14th of 90 |
| Others: | Erica Chan |
Walking 1mi in the dark with Robin to the race start, I have no plan except trusting Jesus. I strained my left perineal tendon when I twisted my ankle in a pothole 3 days ago when we arrived. Robin and I went for a run as soon as we flew into town and I was looking back and stepped in a hole. The quick pain went away rapidly and I praised God as I was still able to run and finish 3 more miles. But the next day the pain gradually got worse as we walked around town. It was so subtle at first I thought it was just the walking shoes I was using. I started massaging and stretching it but it just got worse. Then I remembered the pothole and how I had strained a perineal tendon many years ago and it took a month to heal. We got a support sock, ace bandage, professional massage, ice… I elevated it, rolled it out and lightly stretched it.. a lot of which was advice from Anna who has lots of experience with twisted ankles.
Well, it’s race morning and it’s sore just walking. I don’t dare try running on it. But I really feel like God is going to do a miracle. Many times God has used my Ironman to leave a lasting memory of His faithfullness with me. He has often rescued me from the misery of pain and hopelessness of finishing, to an exhilirating finish and the powerful experience then served me well for months to come. So with appreciation, yet apprehension, I figured I would go through the same today, racing along until my plan completely fails and all the wheels fall off and I have to rely on Christ fully and He rescues me and I learn my lesson to rely on Him from the beginning instead of just when it gets hard. The scary part was not knowing when that moment would come or had bad it would get. But yesterday it was like the Lord said, “this time you’ll know ahead of time what the problem will be and you’ll rely on me from the beginning”. It was actually very relieving to understand that maybe my twisted ankle was the dark moment.. so I don’t have to wonder what will go wrong.. it already had and now the Lord may do a miracle and bring me though the problem even before the race starts! That was my prayer.
I check my gear bags, adding a salted sweet potato to my bike jersey, then add bottles to my bike and try running just a little in the grass… still hurts.
Robin meets me at the swim start where we bump into Ben from Iron Prayer and pray together. Iron Prayer was such a blessing, it was amazing to gather with 15 people that somehow heard about it, usually through word of mouth.
Wetsuit on. The water is 74. Will be a challenge just to stay cool. Robin is right beside the railing as we slowly walk to the rolling start. This is it, Lord, I just have to stay focused on you the whole time and love the athletes around me like you do.
Swim:
The lady letting athletes into the water one at a time looks at me and says, “It’s a good day for a swim”, then the buzzer beeps and her hand goes down.. I head into Grays Lake. First, because we weren’t allowed a warm-up swim, I have to stop and let water into all areas of my wetsuit which makes it easier to swim. It’s weird standing in the water preparing as 1,000 other athletes anxiously wait their turn to dive in behind me.
Water's really comfortable. I find a draft behind the woman who's swimming very straight. Around the first buoy I can see the arch in the distance we will swim under. Add some excitement. I can feel my sore ankle as I'm kicking, it reminds me to trust completely in the Lord. Under the arch I can hear the timing beep as it records my split. Around the final buoy I struggle a bit to find another draft. Drafting is really conserving energy I think I can get the 110 goal. Approaching the peninsula I'm looking forward to running on the sand which hopefully will be faster than swimming. As I climb out of the water though it's difficult to transition to being upright. The dizziness fades as I form some semblance of jogging. I volunteer hands me water. Thank you! There's Robin right up against the fence. So cool to be this close to your family in the middle of the swim. Okay back in for lap two. Wow only 33 minutes this is great pace. I draft off a guy this time but he doesn't swim very straight so I keep looking for someone else. Again the arch is it good goal to site on and I realize it won't be long now. Around the final buoy. very tired now.
Under the beach again more water and see Robin again and now to dive in for the final Sprint of the finish. I tried to pass the guy I was drafting. He's swimming to the left pushing me off course. I can't get ahead. Father and further off course finally flip onto my back and roll and find myself perfectly on his opposite side. He continues slightly off course allows me to finish ahead.
T1
Happy to be on dry ground I start jogging grab my support sock and put it on and as I continue Robin asks about my foot and I realize it's better than it was this morning. Thank you, God. It's still feels like it could go any moment so I'm very careful to jog straight. Transition takes a while as I put on socks, arm warmers and the sweet potato in my pocket for lunch. I grab my bike and continue jogging slowly for another 300 yd. to the exit.
Bike
Weather is perfect no wind and this course goes through a pleasant park along the river. It's easy now but I realize it's going to get real difficult later so I start relaxed as others push ahead.
Out on the main roads there's no traffic, no wind it's fairly flat and I think Robin would enjoy this race. Thank you God and I'll continue to thank you even if I get a flat or have problems. I noticed before the race my front tire had a lot of cracks in the rubber.. never know what might happen. One large street we travel is the Veterans Parkway with large monuments of folded flags to honor our service men and women.
As we head west, the terrain begins to roll more with cornfields and cute farm houses. Reminds me of Field of Dreams. The guy next to me is riding a road bike without aero bars. I would be very slow without mine. Another guy near me is drafting off someone in front. A while I finally remind him to either pass or drop back.
Although many pass me these first 30 mi., there are a number of riders I keep seeing as we go back and forth. A girl who has the best aero position of anyone I've seen; the guy who drafts sometimes but otherwise is very talkative to everybody; and a guy without aerobars who seems to effortlessly go just as fast, prompting me to joke with him, “you’re making me feel guilty.”
I’m drinking my bottles of Vitargo, 1 each 90 minutes. I’m also eating a sweet potato, something Robin discovered that works good for each of us. Energy is good but seat comfort isn’t. I consider adjusting my seat but don’t, remembering how I felt God telling me to just have faith in Him and stick with the setting. I’d like to average 18.6 mph, a speed Robin has done multiple times in the past in order to get 6 hrs. The conditions are great, no wind, but my current 18.9 average will surely take a hit when I do find the headwinds.
The talkative drafting guy starts talking to me about how easy the 2nd 1/2 of this course is because he rides it a lot. Something about the last 30 mi being all downhill. It’s such a nice thought but I can’t trust that.. especially from someone who drafts. I push ahead..
40miles. We turn South and hit wind. It’s tough. At 56mi I get 2 more Vitargo bottles at Special Needs. Fast pitstop thanks to the great volunteers.
60miles. We finally turn East and the wind isn’t as bad. My aero position still isn’t feeling right and I want to switch to my more powerful forward position, but I know that would only last 25 miles or so before the chafing got so bad. I decide that at 85miles I’ll switch to the more powerful position. Just gotta make this work for another 20 miles..
I shouldn’t, but I keep thinking about what the “draft” guy had said… “a big hill and then 30 mi of downhill..” so at every hill I wonder if this is it..
70miles. There are 3 riders ahead of me, spread legal distance (5 bike lengths between each), and I use them to leapfrog ahead, catching the draft a bit while passing in the alotted 25 seconds. Then later they pass back doing the same. Legally this motivates us all to go faster.
80miles. My aero position was feeling weak, annoyed me much of the ride. As soon as I tried to spin faster, I’d get out of position and uncomfortable. But instead of trying to spin faster, I tried pushing a bigger gear, but at the risk of burning out. I went faster while remaining comfortable! This is a gift from God, thank you! To most people, being a little uncomfortable on a bike seat may not seem like something needing God’s help, but it can start to feel like torture. After 4 hrs of pushing hard it can feel like you’re rocking side-to-side on sandpaper, or your back, as my friend, Sean Depana, used to describe it, can feel “like knives stabbing you over and over”. Trying to adjust to relieve that pain can then lead to leg pain that feels like barbed wire under your knee caps, or guitar wires up the back of your leg snapping back and forth on your nerves. And all this is just biking, then there’s the run, with a strained ankle tendon which could hurt every step – and there’s about 50,000 walking steps in a marathon. A scary thought to do without help. So I’m talking with God throughout the ride, not just because I want His help, but because my goal is to do His will, even for inconsequential things like riding position. Doing His will is the only goal I can confidently achieve, all other goals can fail, but His will doesn’t fail. And it’s so good… and surprising what joy can result from it. Right now my aero position is working well and I’m motivated and going faster.
85 miles, as I promised myself, I try my more powerful forward riding position, but it surprisingly feels worse. I quickly abandon it for the aero position that’s working so well, thanks to the Lord. Normally I have to stop pedaling and use lube during the ride to relieve the “sandpaper” feel, but I haven’t at all today. And my average speed is going up instead of down. And my outlook is going up instead of down..
90miles. I’m exhausted. But I have to push the bike because I might not be able to run. This may be my last chance to give a good effort. I really want the bike to be done, but then I don’t know if my ankle can run. All this keeps me focused on the Lord, because He is the only one that can help me and has so many times before. This is the reason I do Ironmans, as training to rely on Him and not myself, which is something I easily forget in the 2 years between each Ironman. Thank you Lord for your patience with me.
95miles. There’s Robin! She runs over to the side of the Road. She’s brings such a smile to my face. I tell her it’s going good. Thank you, Lord, for her.
97miles. It’s an out-and-back time-trial zone here. I remember there’s a prize for the fastest bike split here. I feel like I have nothing left, but I at least try to keep steady and do what I can. I really can’t wait for the turn-around. Ah, finally, heading back, only 10 more miles! Robin sees me again and it’s big boost. Earlier I was at 17.8 mph average and lost hope of breaking 6 hrs, but with the bigger gears I’ve been catching up and realize in great surprise I could break 6 hrs! Through the beautiful park I push hard… it’s going to be close… I can see the transition area… 1 min left to 6 hrs… oh, we have to bike around transition to the back… the extra 1/2 mile puts me slightly over but I’m still really thankful and excited to have been that close. Thank you, Lord!
T2.
Whoa, my legs are beat up. I try to run with my bike but they’re just not working. I walk. I thank the volunteer who takes my bike. I grab my run bag, go into the humid tent and start changing. Because of my legs, I don’t know really know how my ankle feels. Trusting the Lord that He will get me through. it’s 1:15 pm.. I have less than 10 hrs before the cut-off.. will I need all of that to limp through 26.2 miles? That may be more painful for Robin to watch than for me to go through. But I know Robin, Anna, Ariel, my Bible Study and others are praying for me and that gives me so much hope. I’m not even worried.
New socks, ice sock for my neck, Vitargo bottle, salt, and an ace bandage.. just in case. I use the bathroom and then start jogging across the grassy field of bikes to the sunscreen booth. Being very careful, ankle seems to be holding together.
Run.
Here we go.. onto the path and I start running.. I can run! And I see Robin and tell her. I’m so excited. I go through the tunnel onto the path around the Lake and this cool breeze hits me and makes me feel like a million bucks! It’s almost 90 degrees with high humidity but I suddenly feel very comfortable.. and I feel like I’m going to run this whole thing thanks to a miracle the Lord is doing! I’m plan to stop at every mile and pray for others in my life.
Mile 1. I stop and pray. It's easy because every step shouts to me of the miraculous gift I have running! I drink a lot and use my FCA bottle to get extra water and ice. It's a 3-loop course and I'm near some of the women pros on their 2nd and 3rd lap. Even though it's a 2-mile fully exposed out-n-back concrete path, I'm smiling because God is good. And it's making spectators, volunteers and even some of the women pros smile and cheer for me.
I fill my sock with ice and wrap behind my neck. I focus on form knowing that one wrong step might inflame my ankle. And I focus on the Lord who is delivering me from a possible 8hr marathon to maybe only 5hr.
Robin is on her bike, cheering for me every couple miles. sometimes her cheers are instead looks of astonishment that I'm able to run well.
It's weird, I'm motivated, happy, and unconcerned for the heat or monotony of a 3-loop course. God has answered prayers, I'm running and Robin doesn't have to worry and I'm humbled before Him.
I complete the part around the Lake (favorite part) and head to town. It's really hot. Down and up a steep section right near our hotel. Even hotter near the high rise buildings. Robin tells me "don't look at the finish line". I take the advice as I turn and start Loop 2. The sign "loops 2 & 3" is strangely encouraging. Makes her feel really good.
Back to the lake I choose to get my needs early. 2 bottles - Vitargo and Perpetuem. I thank the volunteers and start chugging fluids.
I increase cooling efforts now as the temperature rises. I'm so glad to see the spray booth someone was building is complete and I stand under it for a while.. but not much water coming out.
I continue drinking, eating fruit, taking salt, pouring on water, peeing, smiling, and praying.
It's a great experience praying for a different person each mile. I pray for my dad. He had kidney failure right before we left but thankfully got better in the hospital and yesterday was transferred to skilled nursing. As I round the lake for the 2nd time, Robin holds the speaker phone up and I hear Anna say, "Hi Dad, I'm with Pappy and he wants to say, hi." And then I hear him. It's a huge boost and relief. I was worried about my Dad, stuck in a hospital bed, without contact with family, and he just said hi to me 2000 mi away in the middle of an Ironman.
Later, Robin again held the phone up with Ariel talking to me. She's camping in the mountains near Truckee so again a huge surprise to hear her sweet voice.
Finishing the 2nd loop, there a spraying fire hydrant!! Ah! Completely doused. That really helps the core come down.
Loop 3! I'm really excited. I can't wait to get to there worst part, that 2mi out-n-back, so I can charge through it and celebrate never having to see it again!
Yay, I see Erica Chan, our friend and Teammate who is doing her first one. I've been praying for her because it's such a hot day. She's smiling big and I'm so excited for her! 2 days ago 15 of us, including Erica, gathered at FCA Iron Prayer. I gained so much there. Including new friends. 2 of which I saw right before they start. Robin has been telling me their progress and they're all doing well.
This last lap (such a great feeling saying that) I keep reciting Ps 23. "He leads me beside still water" comes alive along the lake. "I shall fear no evil, His rod and staff comfort me" helps me when the pain threatens to stop me (not ankle pain amazingly, but knees, calves, hip, etc). And "makes me like down in green pastures" reminds me how great the finish will be to lie down!
2 more miles. Robin says I need 13 min to break 13hrs. Impossible but I try anyway. Anna tells me on speaker phone, "others are slowing, you need to pick it up!" It hurts a lot but I must try, over been given great opportunity. They last mile I get into the 8's which is so satisfying even though I won't break 13.
Thank you Lord, I'm finishing, and somehow am breaking 13 hrs.. it is a miracle. I couldn't run for 2 days and God let me run the whole course!!
