This past Saturday, April 1, I found myself walking down the boat ramp at Oceanside harbor to start my second Ironman 70.3 race. Last year didn't go as planned. My official time is "did not finish". I was two minutes and fifteen seconds over the allotted time of eight hours and thirty minutes to finish the course. Just to remind everyone, an Ironman 70.3 is made up of three events: first is a 1.2 mile swim, second is a 56 mile bike ride, third is running a half marathon, 13.1 miles. Each participant is given eight hours and thirty minutes to complete the course. My goal for this second event was to be twenty minutes faster in each of the disciplines which would have me finish with an hour to spare, plenty of time. So, how did I do?
Swim - Oceanside harbor is like a pool without lane lines. It is protected and safe. There are swells and current at the mouth of the harbor if the ocean is turbulent with waves. This morning there were no waves. The water was perfect. I couldn't have had better conditions. It took me a few hundred yards to find a comfortable stroke and breathing rate. Once I got my stroke and breathing settled, I kept aiming for the next bouye marker. I completed the swim in under fifty seven minutes; eighteen minutes faster then last year. My day has started off great!
Bike - Fifty six miles in the saddle. The first twenty eight miles are beautiful California coast line, with the Pacific ocean on my left and the green coastal hills on my right. It is a gorgeous ride. Then you turn right to enter Camp Pendelton Marine base. This is home to three major climbs. The first is short and steep; one mile of 8% grade. The second is long with up and down rolling road and will lull you into thinking you're not climbing until it's too late. The third climb will test what you have left in your legs with a long, slow assent. It's easy to get caught looking at the beautiful coastal California terrain but with both the cross and head winds, my eighty millimeter deep disk wheels catching the winds, and some lower back pain; I had enough to concentrate on then to get lost in the vistas. Besides this is an active marine base. They are training with light arms and tanks. I just wanted to get outta there as fast as possible. Back at transition in Oceanside harbor, I checked my time it read five hours. Last year I was at five hours and fifty minutes after the swim and bike portions. I had completed the bike portion in under four hours! One more thing to do and I will finish. I just have to rack my bike and get in my running shoes.
Run - You will think that after swimming and biking a total of 57.2 miles that running a half marathon would be difficult. Well you are correct! Over this past year, keeping up on my running has been difficult at best. Work, family, and other commitments took over my life though out the year. This would be the most difficult half marathon I have ever run. The course is two loops and finishes at the Oceanside Pier, one mile away from transition at Oceanside harbor. My plan was to manage myself though out the run. I carry a water bottle with me and two emergency energy gels. I would take water and nutrition from every other aid station on the course. They say "nothing new on race day" but I am wearing my new running shoes for the first time today. In the first three miles I had to stop twice to adjust the lacing and tying of my right shoe. My foot felt swollen in the shoe and I was getting some pain on the right outside part of my right foot. Finally, I stopped noticing anything with my right foot and shoe, but my running wasn't going so well. It had become more of a jog/walk then an actual run. It's hot, I'm hot, I'm taking more nutrition then I realize, I'm taking more water and gatoraide than I thought I would. Am I going to complete this?
Triathlons will give you a race bib and stickers with your number on them. You put the stickers on your bike and bike helmet and wear the race bib either on a shirt or a belt. Also, they will write your race number on your triceps and your age on your calf. I have always wondered why they want to write my age on my calf.
It's mile 11 of the half marathon and I'm really struggling. A police officer has jokingly said to me I should run after another participant in front of me as though she has stolen my wallet. I didn't get the joke. Shortly after that I am passed by two men who stop their jog about ten feet in front of me. My head is down and I'm not really focusing on anything, just thinking how much further to the next aid station. 46 and 47. Why am I seeing this? Why is it registering? It's the number on the calves of the two men who just passed me. They're in front of me. They're in my age group. They're in front of me and in my age group! I have a better pace than they do. If I can get them behind me, I should be able to keep them there. I want my place in my age group. I get my jog going and pass them. I pass three more men in my age group on my way to the next aid station and mile 12.
With one mile to go, the course takes you back on the Strand and you can see Oceanside Pier and start to visualize where the finish line is. There are two aid stations left. The first one is a party, lots of music and cheering. I start to get emotional. I have to get control of myself. I can't run like this. The second and final aid station is more cheering and more emotion. Control, I tell myself. I enter the two hundred yard finishing chute and another wave of emotion. I can't have my family see me like this. They are cheering for me at the one hundred yard mark. I see my son, high five my daughter, and blow a kiss to my wife. I cross the finish line, arms raised in victory, and turn quickly to check the time: eight hours, six minutes. I did it! I'm handed my medal, finishers hat, and a cold bottle of water. I walk forward to have my picture taken, they take two. Then turn to walk out and I see my family coming towards me. I began to sob and collapse onto my wife's shoulder. She's asking me what's wrong, what's the matter? All I can say is, "I did it. I did it. I fucking did it."
