It was a two loop course, in a rectangular shape. We swam out about a half mile, then left for .2 miles, then another left back towards the shore. We exited, ran back down towards the original starting point and did it again.

The swim is my favorite part of a triathlon. Like many people, my very first open-water swim included a huge panic attack. I got through it, but it wasn't fun. After that, I developed a real love for open water swimming and consistently placed in the top 10 of my AG. Today, it may have been the nerves or the excitement, but I felt like I was hyperventilating when we hit the water. I quickly got it under control and just began a nice easy stroke. That lasted for about 8 seconds.

The first loop was, by far, the most violent OW swim I've ever experienced. When the cannon went off, all 2000 of us ran from shore into the water. It was a spectacle. It was something to behold. However, the mood went from amazement to anger as things got rough. It seemed to be more of a marine fist fight than anything else. I was frequently kicked, elbowed, bumped, grabbed, and pushed. I got assertive very quickly and made sure any encroachment on my position was returned in kind.

As we approached the turn bouy, things got very rough. It was a crush of bodies trying to cut a corner and things slowed to a crawl. If you could keep going, it was an opportunity to pass some folks, which I did. But, passing usually meant bumping someone out of the way or crawling over them. I got to enjoy being both the crawler and the crawlee at various points in the race.

Coming up on the second bouy, I realized that I was expending an enormous amount of energy on just maintaining my position in the water. I was swimming an easy pace, but never had a clear lane in which to swim. There was no where to go. As I was exiting, I looked around at the people next to me and we were all smiling and shaking our heads. I guess I wasn't the only one. The guy right next to me was complaining about being hit by a jelly fish.

The second lap was much easier. The crowd had thinned out and it seemed less violent. I focused on just maintaining an easy, relaxed pace. I got out feeling great.

This was a whole new experience. There were "peelers" to remove your wetsuit for you. Upon exiting, you laid on your back and they basically stripped off the wetsuit. Then, you ran through a shower and headed towards the changing tent. On the way, you had to find your T1 gear bag. Once in the tent, it was all about getting changed and packing everything back into the bag so it wouldn't get lost. An Ironman is a very crowded, frenetic environment. If you don't want to lose something, you really have to pay attention to where you place it. Anything valuable, like wetsuits and goggles, have to get packed back into your numbered gear bags or you'll never see it again.

The transitions take much longer than a normal triathlon due to all the gear bag crap. I must say I prefer the old "transition area" method much better.

My goal time for the swim and T1 was 1:30. When I looked at my watch as I left on the bike, it showed 1:15. I had 15 minutes in the bank.

The course was a single loop out and back route. Panama City and the surrounding area is flat. But, what it lacks in altitude changes it made up for with wind and gusts. There was a tail wind for the first 20 miles or so, but then the rest of the race seemed to be in a constant headwind. It was very frustrating.

I kept the effort very low for the first hour, hoping the HR would settle down into the 130's. But, it never, ever got below 150. It really started to worry me, particularly when I considered how it might affect the run. But, after a few hours, I realized it just wasn't going to cooperate. So, I kept a moderate pace and kept the cadence to around 85rpm. The course was well marked and had aide stations about every 12 miles. I set my watch timer to beep every 40 minutes as a reminder to hit the gel and H2O. In between, I drank my Crank fluids. This strategy worked well to keep me hydrated and well fed.

I had my low point of the race from the 100 mile point to the bike finish. The return portion of the ride was along the beach, inbetween towering condo buildings. We rode into a very stiff headwind which was simply demoralizing. I was in a lot of pain, my butt, back and neck were really hurting. I'd kept a 19.5MPH average up till this point. On these last 12 miles, I was lucky to see 14-15mph. I let out just about every cuss word in the book those last few miles. That was awful.

I finished the bike in 5:53, well under my target of 6:30. I had another 36 minutes and change in the bank. My "B" goal of getting in under 14 hours was a lock and my "A" goal of a sub 13 hour finish was very likely.

This took a little longer cause I wanted to put on some clean socks for the run. Again, I'm here to enjoy myself, not kill the clock. My feet were numb and I had to walk a bit to get them to work again.

Well, not only was this my first IM, but it was also my first Marathon. The longest I'd run in training was 20 miles. Today, I got through the first 3 before I stopped and walked through an aide station. From there, I walked every aide station except the last one.

I became familiar with the IM shuffle a few times during the race. I probably walked a total of 4 miles out of the 26. The rest of the time, I wavered between a jog and a run pace. I kept telling myself to enjoy this experience, it was the only time I'd ever run my first IM.

This was a great experience. It was a two loop course, which was cruel in the sense that you got to smell the finish line upon completing your first loop. However, at the 13.100001 mile mark, you then began your second loop around the track. I enjoyed the second loop much more. Each mile mark had two signs, one for the first loop and one for the second loop. It was much more enjoyable seeing those and knowing, for instance, that you were at the 18 mile point instead of the 5 mile mark.

By the time I had finished the first loop, my watch read 9:45. I knew now that I'd break my goal of 13 hours. I could walk the last loop if I wanted to. It allowed me to relax, but for the most part, I kept running. At the turn, I grabbed my special needs bag and changed into come clean shoes and dry socks.

The aide stations were great. On the second loop, I partook of the chicken broth which was awesome. It was a delicious change of pace from all that sugar I'd ingested all day.

At 15 mile mark, as it was getting dark, a solid black cat jetted right across the road in front of me. A startled spectator asked me if I was superstitious. I said, "Hell No!" and kept on running. Of course, I was much more careful after that point. There were points on the course where you couldn't see your feet it was so dark and I was very cautious as to where I was stepping. If I turned an ankle, my day would be finished.

This was a great time to people watch. There are so many different types of people out doing this race. There are the expected athletes who are thin and fit. But, then you also have all the other body types. Everyone out there is challenging themselves in one way or another and it was so cool to see it all unfolding during that run. Everyone was experiencing that joyous suffering.

I experienced my first encounter with the haleucinegenic effects of endorphins. As I left the 21 mile aide station, I think I began to haleucinate. It was like dreaming while I was running. I "woke up" upon hitting the next aide station. I couldn't remember anything about the last mile, nor could I remember what I had been thinking about. It was similar to when you "zone out" when driving, but felt more like I was dreaming. It was very strange. But, I felt great. The legs and body were incredibly tired, but my spirits were high.

At the 24 mile mark, I began to ponder the day. I thought about the swim, the transitions, the long bike ride, and the last few hours of running. I thought about all of the training and sacrifices that were made (by me and my family). I then thought about the impending finish line and what it was finally going to feel like to reach my goal. I had already beaten my time goals, now it was just about enjoying the next few minutes. About a quarter mile from the finish, I once again saw Renee and Jess. They were great and were just screaming with excitement as I went by! That was so cool.

I hit the turnaround mat for the last time, which was about 200 yards from the finish. Then, I heard it. I still couldn't see the finish line, but over the loudspeaker I heard, "and now approaching the finish is Karl Kiss from Marietta, Georgia!". I made the turn to run up the ramp towards the line. There was the crowd, the jumbotron, the lights and pandamonium. I made the final left turn down into the chute. It was my moment, that moment I'd dreamed about so many times. I high fived everyone I could. I screamed as loud as I could and pumped my fists in the air. God, it felt so good. There was no pain, only total and absolute exhiliration. At the tape, I turned around, faced the crowd, and just let out a big, loud "Yeah!". I then turned around and crossed the finish line of my first Ironman.

Oh, it was just so cool.

Are you kidding? I still haven't come down. I'm shaking as I write this, two days later. I found my family and just relished the moment. There is nothing like an IM event at the finish. Its just pure excitement.

I walked around in a state of disbelief that it was already over. I did everything I could do to drink in the moment. I'd finished, I was finally an Ironman. How cool is that? It still hasn't fully sunk in. But, it feels great to finally reach a goal that I'd chased for 12 months. What a blast! I'd recommend this to anyone.

I was thrilled with my time. I really thought I'd be somewhere between 13 and 14 hours. For my first IM, it was a real treat to beat my own expectations. I can see how, with a lot of training, I could be faster, particularly on the run. But, that will be something which will have to wait till '07 or beyond.

After packing up my bike and gear, we headed back to the hotel. I took a very long, hot shower (till the water ran cold). Then, we cracked open a bottle of 1995 Dom Perignon to celebrate my finish. That was a great glass of champagne.


Some pics from the race are in my album:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/photo-thumbnail...