Wow, just wow...

Everyone was jumping in feet first, just a rolling, first come first in start.
I jumped in, trying to press my goggles against my face. I still got a bit of water in there. I decided to get going and see how much it would bug me. As I started I realized there was enough water in the goggles to be an irritation but I noticed if I just breathed to the right it wasn't a problem. So I headed for the first buoy, then the next. I had a few people come across my line but just maneuvered around and got back in to my groove. I caught some feet to draft a couple times but didn't stay with them. For a bit a jet ski was idling along near where I was swimming and the exhaust was not helpful to my breathing. The scene was beautiful. On a more leisurely day I would've snapped pix.

Buoy, buoy, wait is that one orange?!?!?!? That's half way! No way! That can't be right. Buoy, buoy, bridges?! Wait, those are close to the end!!! Then the red finish buoys. No way! That went way to fast!!!

Swim through the red buoys and a sharp left to the stairs. Pulled up by a couple of great volunteers, then helped up the stairs by a couple more and I was cruising toward T1.

Maybe try to wet my goggles better for a better seal. Maybe try harder to draft.

Usually the swim is so hard for me that I don't run in T1 but this time I had the energy to run. I grabbed my bag and headed in to the tent. I didn't get a volunteer but that didn't bother me. I got changed, put my gels and base salt in my pockets, clipped on the tracker then headed out to find some sun block. I wore my RWB bike jersey and grey shorts. I opted to stick with the shorts that had a longer ride to test them.

The people applying sun block slathered it on pretty thick then I was headed to my bike. I grabbed my bike and headed to the mount line.

Not much, I thought this was pretty good.

I heeded the warnings about the rough spots in the first five miles and was cautious to make sure I didn't lose my bottles. I tried to pay attention to the draft zone but it was nearly impossible to avoid.

Once we got out on to the country roads things opened up some. I started my normal hydration/nutrition routine. I would agree with the description calling this rolling hills. There were truly no sustained climbs. There were a couple bigger hills that I got out of the saddle to use the muscles a bit differently. The aid stations were great. The bottle on my downtube was slimy, likely from the slathered sun block so at the start of the second aid station I pitched it and grabbed one from the AS. After that I got in to a routine of alternating water and Gatorade from the AS and just used that front bottle.

The roads were rough in spots but nothing worth giving much complaint. I went passed DH and DS2 at Chicamauga. Erin and Jason were a few miles before Chickamauga, I heard them but didn't respond in time for them to hear me. The town really turned out for this and it was great going through. Bike SN was also in this area. I felt great but decided to stop anyway.

A young man, 13 or so, came up with my bag. I reached in to the bag and accidentally dumped out a bunch of water from the melted ice in my cooler. I poured the cold beverage in to my back bottle for "just in case". Then I grabbed the small baggie of chamois butter. Um, how to pull this one off? The young man had been friendly and talking so I just maintained eye contact while I stuck my hand down my shorts to lube up a bit. At athlete check-in they gave us one of those rubber bracelets to give to a volunteer to helps our race. I gave the bracelet to this young man to make up for having shocked his southern sensibilities.

Then back on the road. The biggest hill on the course was between Chickamauga and the start of the second loop. It was doable, but notable, I thought it might hurt more the next go 'round. After the climb there was an amazing down then we eventually came back to start the second loop. I was so happy with how it was going. Between the amazing swim and a great start to the bike I was sitting pretty for a great race!

The second loop was good. Same scenes, nothing much of note, until my rear shifter cable broke :0 I had two AS left before the line back to Chatty. I asked at both and neither had a mechanic. I was stuck in the small rear gear and use of front so I basically had really hard and half-hard. I didn't want to fiddle with it myself and risk making it worse so I decided to keep on keeping on. This time Chickamauga was pretty empty but DH and DS2 and Erin were there yelling. I yelled, telling them about my issue but kept going.

So for the last 30 miles I was climbing in the small back/small front gear. After a few of those the quads were starting to complain. I knew I was good on time but was bummed that I was losing my head start. When I got to the "big" hill I decided to dismount because i didn't want to continue to fry my legs. Once I got up that hill I enjoyed the big down and the rolling back to Chatty.

I'd eaten 5 packs of Cliff Blocks over the course of the bike. By the last one I was getting pretty tired of those, but I choked it down. After the fifth I thought I'd try GU's, though I am not a fan of those. I choked that down too. I was also taking a "lick" of base salts every five miles.

When I got back to T2 I was concerned about how the shifter issue had affected my legs but as they say "it is what it is".

Not break a shifter?

I handed off my bike then grabbed my bag and headed in to the tent. I pulled the stuff out and started changing. I had trouble getting my sport bra on. I only have one with clasps in the back so I used in in T1 assuming I'd be wetter then. Again I didn't have a volunteer but the one from the lady next to me helped me wrestle on my bra. When I got to my socks I couldn't find one but eventually located it. I got everything on and adjusted and set out to find the sun block slatherers.

I planned to eat off the course for the run so all I had to do was clip on my little flashlight.

Buy another clasp bra.

Once I had enough legs to start running I did. There is a bit of a hill coming up out of T2 so I walked that then started moving faster. I was feeling pretty good but felt like my heart rate was crazy. I was trying to stay around zone 3.5 so I slowed, a lot, and even walked some. Still though I felt like my heart rate was crazy. My HRM showed it wasn't but still my breathing was very labored. Around mile 3 or 4 the slight discomfort in my stomach became a shot-put residing in there. It got bad enough I couldn't run. I opted to walk fast, hoping it would pass and I could salvage this thing. I asked a couple of the AS for tums but, of course, they didn't have any. One lady offered to rub mint essential oil on my skin. I figured it was worth a try.

As I passed DH and DS2 on the bridge, about mile 6, I told them everything hurt. My quads were complaining, my stomach hurt and now, probably because of the walking, my feet hurt. I kept walking as fast as I could. At this point I was constantly calculating the remaining miles, my time, and the pace I needed to do to finish. I started having thoughts of the disappointment when I knew Mike Reilly would call my name but if it was after MY 16:30 it wouldn't be a real finish. I thought about how I'd have to explain it to my non-tri friends. I thought about the support of my friends and family and how they would say nice things to comfort me. I prayed, I talked to myself and others and I kept walking as fast as I could. Every once in a while I would try to run/walk between cones and one time I did it and it wasn't unbearable. So I increased my run intervals until I was running flats and downs and walking ups.

When I went past DH and DS2 a second time (same spot) I told them I was feeling better. I knew I wanted to try to save this thing. I knew I had a margin, but not a comfortable margin, if I maintained a decent pace. It was like I was blooming. I felt better and better, I was able to enjoy the wonderful aid stations. My feet hurt, like blister hurt, but I didn't have the time or the brain space to worry about that. It would be what it would be. I got out of my own head and started to encourage others. When I got back to essential oil lady I thanked her and when I passed DH and DS2 the third time (same spot) I told them "I am going to be an Ironman!" They cheered and told me to go get it.

My watch was dying. I'd set it for low energy use and turned off blue tooth but I guess Garmin doesn't build their watch for people who are out till cutoff. I continued to calculate how much time I had for how many miles and was sure I'd make it. (Except for the couple times my math was off and I scared the crap out of myself) My watch finally died at 21 miles. After that whenever I saw a mile marker I asked someone the clock time. I knew I had until a few minutes after midnight but wanted to be back by midnight. I told one guy that I would turn in to a pumpkin at midnight.

For the first part of the marathon I was alternating gatorade and water, and eating oranges. When my stomach revolted I kept the oranges to get calories in but switched to sucking on ice. When my stomach got better I stuck with the oranges and tested coke. That went well so for the second half I was doing oranges, coke, and still taking cups of ice.

The aid stations were great. One was Christmas and had an announcer encouraging the runners over a microphone. When I got to him the second time he told me I'd come 133 miles and had 11 to go. That puts things in perspective! Another had a train track set up and the second time through I locomotived my way along the track. That one also had a HS band which was fun to listen to, even from further away. There is one spot where the course goes under an overpass which could be dark and creepy if left alone but there was a group under there with music and a disco ball, making it a bit of a dance party.

I knew as i started on the bridge the last time that it was real, I was going to make it. Mike Reilly, who I could hear in the distance, was going to say my name. As I crossed the bridge I got rid of my cup and glow necklace, put my sunglasses on the back of my shirt and got ready for MY finish line. At first the way was wide then it narrowed at the red carpet. I started a high five that lasted all the way to the finish. DH and DS2 were there yelling. Mike Reilly said my name. Terresa (and John) you are an IRONMAN!!!!

Not sure what caused the GI issues. I've trained with everything I had out there but it's hard to replicate the bike/run. What amazes me is that in spite of walking essentially the first 13 I still placed the best in the run. Imagine what I could have done without the GI issue?!?!?!?

Someone put a medal around my neck and a young man put water in my hand and checked my bib for my shirt size then got my hat and shirt. He walked me over to the cool down area then congratulated me and left me there. I walked around the cool down area for a bit then walked over for my posed backdrop pic.

After that I went out to find DH and DS2. They handed me my recovery drink so I started working on that. I wanted to watch the finishers but REALLY needed to sit. We sat for a bit, listening to the finish and swapping stories then we made our way to the car.

It was a great day. I think other than the tough run miles I was smiling the entire way.


Aside from just my level/ability it was the shifter issue and the GI issue.


We all know WTC puts on a good show but this one was amazing. The Ironman experience was enhanced by a spectacular course and amazing volunteers.