Ironman Louisville - TriathlonFull Ironman

Swim was good . . . I was at the front of the line so I started early which was great b/c it didn't leave time for me stand in line and get all worked up on what I was about to do. Gun went off at 7am I was in the water by 7:04 - sweet :)

Running across the doc the volunteer said to start my watch and next thing I know I was in the water swimming. It took me a min to realize what I was I doing and started smile internally.

I didn't have any open water anxiety which was awesome - though the only thing really going through my head was the fact that I had to pee haha. Yes I thought I would go once I go it but I couldn't, well not until right before I got out of the water. TMI sorry . . .

The first portion of the swim felt great and went by fast, after I made the turn to head down stream I felt like I wasn't moving and it was taking forever. Partly b/c I drifted a little too far out and was pretty much swimming in Indiana, oops . . . kept me from being in the mass of people though which helps me stay calm on the swim.

practice my drafting and not venture so far away from everyone . . . oh and try not to intake so much water - nastyness!!!

felt good getting out of the water, got my bag and put myself together for the bike rather quickly and calmly . . . got my bike good

it being my first IM - nothing that I can think of . . . it very smoothly :)

Getting on the bike I felt solid and was ready for the 112 miles. I looked at my arm where I wrote on it "patience" I started out my nutrition with a lara bar just as I alwasy have on my long rides, giving myself a chance to let my watch get to an even number so I could easily time my feed bottle intake to every 10-15 mins wihtout having to do math. I used the 10 mile markers on the course to do my "real" food i.e gels and shot blocks.

Well the lara bar I took didn't want to digest at all . . .about 10miles in I thre up a little with the bar still in tact then around 6 more times after through out the first 70 miles of the ride.

The first loop considering felt strong though and the hills were not horrible, by the second loop I started to fall apart, I was getting dehydrated and was fatigueing . . .the hills felt like the grew and it seemed like the course was endless. My right foot started bothering me and my body started to lock up and get really sore. I was taking the enduralites to keep from cramping and drinking lots of fluids. My feed bottle was a life saver, by mile 80 I couldn't keep the gels or the shot blocks down at all. . . it was HOT and I was not a happy camper. Two of the aid stations on the second loop ran out of water which didn't help but they were awesome in trying to make due. At the second one, I don't know where they got the water from but after drining it for a bit I realized it tasted like feet :( blah . . .it was sooo nasty but I needed it sucked it up until I got to the next aid station.

When I saw the city and the 100 mile marker I couldn't have been happier - I wanted off the bike more than anything. I had to keep unclipping my right foot to stretch it out and was having a hard time staying in aero position.

I will say those hills were not just rollers - they were steep climbs with nice decents lol . . .I never came out of my saddle so much nor have I ever used my little gear as much.

not do anything solid, pace myself a little better at the beginning especially if its a hilly course.

I was in sooo much pain that I walked to my bag, sat in the tent for a bit stuggling to change my socks and get ready for the run. The volunteer really had to help me. My blood sugar was low and I was really shakey so I drank two cups of coke . . . went ahead and did a gel to give me something to start with b/c I threw up so much on the bike.

The first mile I got a side stitch so I ran walked . . .once the camp went away I started running and walking through the aid stations. I started feeling good but was dehydrated so I alternated the water and poweraid at each aid station. I drank coke a few times through the first couple aid stations to get my blood sugar us as well.

Its amazing at how fast the miles went by. At mile six I started to feel a blister on the bottom of my left foot and my feet felt numb, the pain was coming back and I started to go down hill. I was constantly thirsty and kept taking the enduralites to keep from cramping up. The chicken broth was heaven on earth too :)

About mile 8 I started walking with a guy who was trying to stretch but was having trouble b/c he was cramping. I gave him my enduralites, well what I had left b/c I knew I had more in my special needs bag and walked with him a bit to take my mind off the pain. He said it helped him as well and that I probably saved his race with the enduralites :) made me feel goot. I told him I would look for him at the finish and started running again.

By mile 14 I completely fell apart and broke down. I was in SOOO MUCH PAIN, my feet were numb and hurt like hell, I was so dehydrated and fatigued, I wanted to quite, a few supports of mine out there ran a little with me encouraging me to keep going. Then a girl came up behind me from my team and started walking with me, we introduced ourselves and started running together, she told me to keep positive and that we will get through the second loop together. We started running and made it to the next aid station and walked through it. She told me she was doing the same thing I was, walking the aid stations and running in between. After we started running again I told I didn't want to hold her back and to go on ahead and she wouldn't she said we are going to do this together.

It was a rough but fun second half to the marathon, we talked about the wildest things, danced to the music and gave the cops a hard time. GOOD TIMES for sure :)

The last mile we both agreed to run through it the whole way - I told her lets just walk for a min and she wouldn't let me, then she started to sprint off towards the last turn to the finish and yelled at me to keep up. I told her to go on ahead and I PROMISE not to walk - she went off and I told myself this is going to hurt but then I'm done so suck it up and go and I did just that. I left EVERYTHING I had left on that course, sprinting to the finish - BRITTANY BANKER YOU ARE AN IRONMAN :)

A volunteer caught me after, I couldn't talk from running so hard nor stand by myself lol. He took me to the chairs and asked if I wanted to sit and I told him no I have to get to the end, he reminded me that I finished already and it took me a min to realize what was going on lol.

I caught back up wtih Sandy and told her how much it meant to me and how thankful I was for her to help me :) she said it was mutual b/c she wouldn't have been able to keep the same pace that she was the first half of the marathon and probably wouldn't have broke 15. We helped eachother to the finish - we did it. . .finishing STRONG :)

TEAM EC ROCKS!!!!

taken extra socks to change into b/c my feet got really wet from all the water and thats how I got the blister. Even possible an extra pair of shoes for my special needs bag haha

I was so out of it . . was taken to medical but told them I was fine and didn't want to wait, I just needed my shoes off, a coke and water and I got just that.


nutrition - even though I was good with it, my body didn't want to digest but that is something i've been dealing with through the last bit of my trianing.


it was painfully AWESOME . . . regardless of how I felt - I had soooo much fun and learned so much for my next IM!!!!