Ironman Louisville - TriathlonFull Ironman

We get up and they ask for our race number and off we go. I jump in since I have not mastered diving in with goggles while still keeping them on my face. Bad choice...immediate mega-wedgie! Yikes. Nothing like starting off an IM swim by picking your *ss! Swim out a bit and let the blatter go.

I'm slow, try to draft here and there, but really enjoyed my space in the water. I had tons of red caps (guys) passing me, but no big deal. I hit the turn bouy at 34 minutes and I'm happy with that, kinda what I had expected. I was looking forward to a little push from the current, but didn't seem to feel it like I had on the practice swims. In my mind I focused on staying relaxed and repeated, "I'm doing an IM swim! Very cool!" Also sang random songs in my head and then had a mild panic that a dead body would float by or one of those mega-catfish. For those in the know about my man-eating catfish panic, I hear you laughing :)

About 5 times during the swim I had to flip over and pull my cap back down. I have a small head, no clue why the darn thing would not stay put! Then at some point a guy swims up from behind me and I get a thumb up my *ss! Ugg, another friggin wedgie! My first thought is, "damn someone's getting a bit frisky!" Pick my butt again and "go" again.

Continue to swim and finally see the last bouy, great! I'm so bored with swimming at this point, I just want out of the water. I see the last bridge and I think I need to swim under it to get out, but realize, no need to the exit is before it! Yippeee! Of course right as I'm 20 yards from the swim exit, some guy jumps on my feet and was pulling on me, WTF!? Dude, I'm 20 yards from the swim exit, I'm not paniced any longer about man-eating catfish and now you want to drown me? So I kick really hard, and he is relentless. Kick again and finally he gets off of me.

Options are as follows to avoid the swim start wedgie:
1- Learn to dive in and be able to keep my goggles on
2- Wear a thong swim-suit, if it's already up my butt, no problem
3- Skinny-dipping

And maybe have the guy who put him thumb up my butt at least by me dinner first!

Ran out of the water and was thrilled I was out in under 90 minutes! Raised me arms and the crowd was amazing! I was also excited that the announcer did not have to yell "and 809 is out of the water, but got her *ss chewed off by a cat-fish!" In one of my pre-race panic swims, this was going through my mind.

Ran down to the change-tent and saw Alli (close friend of mine volunteered in lady's tent). she yelled, "Abbie over here". Stripped off my suit and got dressed. I had her throw my tubes and other stuff in my jersey pockets. Threw on globs of vasoline and chamois butter on the tata and shorts. I hugged Alli, gave her a high-10 and yelled, "go Iron-Tata". With all of the saddle sore issues I have battled, no way was my crotch not going to show up in this RR!

Ran out of the tent with my shoes in my hand and out to the bike. I see Matt and my MIL, yay! Put my shoes on the bike and threw on the GPS tracking devise.

If I would have known my GPS tracking thing would not work the ENTIRE day, I would not have worn it.

Started out on the flat portion of the bike just peachy and just told myself as TONS of men flew by me "do not eat the paste, relax and pace yourself" After about 5-6 miles I began to feel my stomach get slightly uncomfortable. I figure no big deal, I'll be fine. I eat a Crank gel and it does not really feel like it is going down. I just drink more water and think nothing of it.

Another mile or so and I am ready to turn off this road and hit the hills. Living in N. California, the longest I've ever ridden on a continous flat road is about 4 miles, I'm always climbing or descending. Finally we hit the out and back! Good...hills, I'm bored on the flat. I do the out portion and hit about 37 MPH on a downhill, love it! Get passed by Cube and he is flying. A few more rollers and then we head back. On my way back I see a girl laying in a ditch! Yikes! She is conscious, but it freaks me out a bit. I try to stay focused. I love the downhills, the road surface is amazing compared to where I ride back home. I hit the end of this section and by now my stomach is not happy. I keep sipping my water trying to ignore the pain.

Start the first loop and I am spinning the uphill, working the downhill...trying to relax and maybe the tummy will get better. Now I'm thinking, maybe I just need to go to the bathroom, so I look behind me, no one there and I go. No luck, still in pain. I keep sipping water and by now I have not eaten since before mile 10, not good. I try my Infinit and no way can I drink that, 1 sip and I'm starting to feel worse. Don't panic, adjust. I get to an aid station and get half a banana and down that with 2 Enduralytes. Great at least it's some calories, not nearly enough, but something is better than nothing.

Eventually we hit a head-wind! I yell out "are you friggin kiddin me?" Hot, headwind and I'm screwed on my nutrition...welcome to my Ironman experience. I know the La Grange festival is coming up so I tell myself, just make it to the cheering crowds, they will pump you up. I get to the festival and everyone is lining the streets and I yell "more cowbell!" People are yelling "you go girl!" It's a blast for a few blocks and then silence again on the course. For those precious moments I forgot I had stomach issues. Continued to eat banana halves and enduralytes with water & pee 2 more times on the bike. I stopped at 1 port-potty but almost fell....bike shoes and the floor in port-poties DO NOT MIX! Was not going to let a porta-potty accident take me out of this race.

Around mile 50 I am feeling so lousy I wonder if I can continue on the bike. I start to watch the men pass me and in my mind score their *ss from 1-10. Actually the scale started at around 6, no men in IM have a butt below a 6. They are saying "great job" "keep going sweety" "good work darlin" and I'm scoring their butts! In the midst of this I drop my chain twice, lovely.

At the second loop I'm really miserable in the headwind, I'm running out of energy from lack of nutrition and I tell myself, TUMS are waiting in Special needs!! I can make it to SN! I see Maura on the course and I tell her my nutrition has not gone well and she cheers me along. And then the festival, people cheering! I get to SN and try my Stacey's Pita Chips, my little slice of heaven on long rides. The volunteer opens the bag and I eat one, and I say, "well it looks like these are not going down either". I grab the TUMS and Rolaids, dump my Infinit and the powders I was carrying and off I go. I see my family and Alli, it's great!!

I pop 2 TUMS and around mile 75 my stomach is finally accepting some gel, but not much and some Gatprade. Yes, I can have some more calories and I start to feel like I'm getting some energy. I pass lots of people on the side of the road sitting in the shade under trees or under the tents. I see the guy in jean shorts off to the side of road sitting and tons of guys with their disc wheels and earo-helmets in the shade too, and I finally believe I will finish this course. I think of the BTers watching online and my family who flew from everywhere to see me become an Ironman....I can't disappoint anyone, especially myself.

The last 10 miles are flat and I'm happy to be done with hills, but my feet are really hurting. Bizarre b/c they NEVER hurt in training. Maybe they swelled from the heat? The lack of nutrition has been a b-tch. I finally reach T2, yippeee! I dismount and then remove my shoes and shuffle into the tent.


Start my ride with TUMS and Rolaids in my Bento box. I was more than ready for the hills, but my stomach killed the nutrition, it's tough to push with nothing in the tank.

Maybe yell out to the guys as I grade their butts how they score. Who would not want to hear their butt is a 10 as they climb a hill??

Got into T2 and stripped. Wound up ripping my number somehow on the way in. I asked the volunteer to punch a new hole for me. Got my shorts and top on. By this point my fingers were swollen and had turned into sausages. I asked the volunteer to put more Enduralytes in my side pack on the race belt. She dropped a few in the mud and apologized. I said, "no worries, throw them in anyway. A little dirt is not going to kill me." Took my time and lubed up my feet. Had some water, ice and gatorade. Of course on the way out of the tent, I notice a HUGE FAN! Gee, that would have been nice to sit in front of while I changed! Ugg, my brain was fried is my only excuse for not noticing it.

Sit in front of the HUGE FRIGGIN FAN while I changed!

Came out of T2 and my legs were shot. Figured if I got my legs back I could go 14:30 on the course overall. Took the ice and stuck it in my bra. Kept drinking water and walked. I get to the bridge and see Mike (Rogillio) and we walk for a bit. He can hear a noise from me and I say "it's just ice in my bra". He's feeling better than me and I tell him to go ahead and have a great race. I come off the bridge and see my family, this lifts my mood, but not my energy. Lack of calories has bitten me in the butt. I pass by a bank and the temperature is 93, ugg...please let the sun go down! I continue to walk for about 9-10 miles.

Bob (rstokes3) catches me on his second lap and and I think I said something like "I hate you. This is your second lap isn't it?" he said "yes" but told me he was having issues and was reduced to walking. I share my TUMS with him and we continue on. Eventually he drops me and I continue on my march of agony. I eat at every aid station. I try pretzels, bananas, gatorade, water. I dont know if I can make up for all the lost calories, but I try. Eventually I can run a bit and I feel every blister on my feet. Ouch. I use the wet sponges at every aid station and even do the wet sponge shoulder-pads.

I see plenty of BTers on the course along the way Karen (KSH), Shaun (Cube), Kelly (kaburns) Pat (devilwillride), Kati (Katimomma), Maura (maura9900), Kenny (ten9t6) more of Mike (Rogillio). I'm sure I'm missing some of you, sorry!!!!

Eventually Gary comes up behind me and says, "your not going to let an old man pass you?" so i run a bit with him, but my stomach and feet are at war. When my feet are winning I run, when my stomch is winning I walk. You guessed it, the stomach by far won more battles over this 26.2.

Then the "sex in a cup" is out on the course...a.k.a. chicken broth! I had heard the tales of how wonderful this is, but could not fully grasp it's power until IM. It tasted amazing!!

I reach speacial needs and change my socks and get a bandaid. Alli and Matt are there and say "you look awesome" I say, "liars!" ha ha! I think to myself "damn I wish i had an 8-ball in here" and have a chuckle to myself thinking back to Wednesday's dinner with some Bters.

I continue onto the turn-around and I'm pissed that I have to see the finish line but cant cross it yet. What a pisser! Out for more fun and carnage. Could not believe the amount of poeple laying on the side or getting medical. I talked to myself "one foot in front of the other, you will do this. you will do this!" I pass a woman and she gives me a look, "I say , just talking myself up" and continue on.

I walk with tons of people. So many had hopes of finishing in 11-12 hours and were content to just finish whenever. Lots of people threw-up on the bike and/or the run. I heard sirens from all directions. I stayed focused and watched the dream of 14:30 fade, but with it a belief that by the end of the night I would be an Ironman. One of the last guys I walked with put his arm around my shoulders and said, "it doesn't matter what the clock says, you will be an Ironman soon. I'm going to help this other guy, I spoke to earlier because he needs some motivation or he will not make it. Go get 'em baby!" Off I went.

Coming in just around mile 25ish, I see Matt and my brother. Matt says, "almost there. You going to run?" I say, "yep going to run a bit" He and mike take off to let everyone know I'm almost there. I keep running and turn the corner to 4th Street. Both sides of the street are lined with poeple, I high-5 Gary and run it in! I see my entire crew in their green shirts cheering! All I wanted to hear was "abbie, you are an Ironman!" and all i heard was "...from califronia, first time Ironman.....". Did not hear my name, maybe it was never said, who knows.

I cross the line and look up to the sky with a fist pump...bad idea, my finisher's pic has a lovely shot of my neck! Damn it!

A volunteer asks how I'm feeling and a DR comes over and asks if my heart feels like it is speeding. I say "I'm fine, just need some water." I get my shirt, hat and medal and my family comes to over to welcome me in. Hugs all around. My 6-yr old niece says, "Aunt Abbie, Ironman is a really hard race! You can have my balloon dog from the festival"

Look forward when I crossed the line!

Other than that, I adjusted to what the day threw at me as best as I could.

Took a few pics and went to get food and a massage.


Stomach issues and 2 days later I'm still battling.


I wish things would have gone a little better for me in this race, but hell, I'm still an Ironman....Iron-Abbie!!!

Thank you to all of you who cheered me on throughout training and especailly in May when my life went south. You continued to inspire me and send positive thoughts to my family, I am in awe of you. On days when IM seemed impossible you made me see that a few bad workouts did not destroy an IM dream. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and finally meet you this weekend.

I remember about 3 years ago when i signed on BT, there was a post and it said, "to be a considered a triathlete, you must do at least 1 tri a year, but if you complete an IM, you are a triathlete for life". I remember thinking I'd guess I'd be doing at least 1 race a year...no way would I ever consider an IM! ha ha, ignorance!

Thank you to all of the volunteers. I tried to say thank you along the course as often as possible. Without you, this race could not happen. Thank you for reading this long RR, I hope it did not disappoint!