Ironman Florida - TriathlonFull Ironman

This part scared me the most, I had only been swimming a little over a year and never with more than 70 people at one time. I took the advise of some the BT's from the message board and lined up along the bouy line about middle of the pack. Once the cannon went off an your in the water with 2200 people I think I finally realized, wow I'm doing an Ironman, this is awsome. I actually stayed calm and keep my breathing in control, there were times when I just would race up and say to myself what am I suppose to do, there were so many people wedging me, in front of me and to the sides that at times both strokes would be on backs and I wasn't even hitting water. I had my cap knocked off, my goggles knocked around, but overall I really never got hit hard or swam over. I just keep plugging away and tried to fine some open water the inside was a good spot to swim I stayed inside the bouys and angled around the outside one. My swim was right on as far at sitting and swimming in a stright line, someone must had kicked my watched when I went to check it it had stopped at 20 mins, so I has no idea what pace I was going, I got to the beach and saw the clock at 36 minutes I was delighted, that was fast for all the stopping because of people and putting my goggles back on. The second lap was a little better as far as traffic it started rough like the first when everyone is angling to the first buoy, but I keep plugging away and was so happy when I could see the bottom getting close. You could hear the fans and the announcer 700 yards out and seeing the choppers above you just gave me a giant rush. I hit the beach in 1:18 and was happy I made it with no major problems and I still felt fresh.

nothing maybe start a little closer to the front, because I think the traffic would have been the same but it might have save me some time and I could have really stroked it out better.

I stopped behind the changing tent, since I was not going to change anything, I put on socks, ate a cliff bar, loaded my back pocket with salt tablets and bloks. I ran around the outside to the volunteer with sun block and the put it on my arms and back

nothing didn't want to rush things here, time was what I expected

Coming out of T1 I was about in 1500 place, so the bike course was packed, we headed out along the beach for the first 6 miles, I was taking in nutrition and seemed to be passing several people. I wanted to take it fairly easy on the bike, my goal was to always be able to talk, if I could not talk then I was going to hard. As we headed north, I was begining to pass a lot of people, I was rolling at about 20-21 mph, I really didn't notice much wind, at mile 23 I saw the first restroom stop and there was a line of people there, luckly I didn't have to go I never have to go on the bike, around mile 30 or so I saw Mimi and spoke brifly to here she was the first and only BTer I meet the entire time there, she seem to be doing great, by this time my butt was starting to feel it, I could wait to get to special needs where I had my bike shorts waiting for me. The one thing I was suprised about was the way I was passing people on the hills, yes there are some hills on this course, I was climbing every hill in the 17-18 mph range with no effort. Special needs yeah, I put my shorts on and reloaded my nutrition and was on my way, wow did this feel great, I felt like a new may with all the padding. I keep hamming away on the bike, at mile 65 was still averaging 20.3, I thought to myself this is going to be a career day for this distance. When we got to mile 70 or so the wind starting to play a factor and the road got rougher, I just keep within my comfort zone and did not push it. It was around mile 90 I started to feel things were getting tough, my left foot was going numb, my hands were numb, I could stay on the aero bars because my stomach was hurting, but I just road through it I'm in an Ironman it's going to hurt. From mile 99-106 the wind was right in my face and the bridge climb was there also, I manage 9.5 mph up that, and about 15-17 into the wind. I was so pleased I just enjoyed the sites and fans the last 5 miles and the fact that I passed about 550 people, it really went fast it didn't seem like I was out there for almost 6 hrs.

nothing, the bike shorts at special needs was the best thing I did, it really gave me a boost and like a fresh start.

I took my time, maybe too much, but as I entered the chaning tent I felt a little dizzy and my stomach was hurting. I just sat and ate a bar, I put one sock on and could find the other I look down and it is in a puddle of water, great!, I rang it out put foot powder into the sock and put it on, I have had blistering problems before. I pinned my number to the front of my tri suit, because race belts for that distance tend to bother me and the number hung down to my thighs. I headed out and had to us the restroom, which would be my nightmare for the rest of my race.

spead up a little took to much time resting.

Where do I start, after using the bathroom in T2 my stomach was a mess, I saw my family and told them this was going to be a long one. My legs felt fine, but everytime I started to run I got stomach cramps and them I had to go to the bathroom. I stopped at the port a jon at mile 1, the mile two pot was full so I walked to mile three used that one, I thought that sooner or later it would go away but it didn't, I had went to the Jon 6 times in 11 miles, I was walking with another person who was having stomach cramps and I told him that I was going to quit at the halfway point that I could not take it anymore. I said to myself at mile 12 lets try it one more time, I used the jon on mile 12 and I came out finally feeling descent, I begain to run, I was running good, I saw my brother and he said I looked great, I told him what was going on and he said everyone was worried about me, I made the turn no cramps, I ran an 8:41 mile, ran mile 14 9:05, mile 15 9:21, I keep running until about mile 18 and the cramps started again, I walked from 18-21, but everytime I picked it up my stomach hurt, I wanted to finished at this point, so I just walked. At mile 25 the fans there ( which were just crazy) really got me going a little for about 400 yards, to the main straight away. The last 300 yards I picked it up and ran it home I didn't care if the the diarrhea came back because I was an Ironman. I couldn't believe it, I was 99% sure I was going to quit, but at mile 12 something gave me the relief I needed.

not sure, I know I could have ran a 4:30 or better marathon, my legs felt great and when I did run I ran great, but the Diarrhea would not go away.

walked to a chair at a little and family and friends took me home, I really didn't feel that bad other than my stomach


stomach cramps and diarrhea


What a great experience, volunteer were incredible, fans were unbelievable, just the greatest expienence of my life as far as athletics go.