Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 70)

I like the idea of having something special in the run special needs bag. Now to determine what that should be. See you all in Florida.

I can't wait to leave and get down there! I am AMPED!

Sh#$ ...the race is Saturday!

WHAT!!! Oh crap! I guess I better head on down there. Good thing I have a room booked starting tomorrow night.

Seriously...tommorrow i got so much stuff to do for coming down.

I am behind in the posts but noticed that they just put up a race day spectator guide. My apologies if someone already put this up.


http://www.ironmanflorida.com/09IMFLSPECGUIDE.pdf

I have loved the last few days because I have been very busy with the last smaller workouts, packing, getting my business stuff done before my departure on Wednesday....and then....tonight...I came home to a quiet house...with just me and my dog...and started thinking...which leads to worrying..which leads to being nervous...and DAMN IT..can we just race already!!!

..and if I had a quarter for every time I checked the weather in Panama City...I would be able to retire!!

Last weekend workouts done, most bags packed, headed out with wife and kids tomorrow late afternoon. Be safe headed down, everyone! Won't be long, now!!Cheers,Mark

Hey socks i'm a huge Diet Coke fan.  In that kind of weather is the soda super hot.  How does it stay cool.  I would love to pack one for sn but don't want to drink warm soda

Ha!  I want a coke in my bike SN just in case...but yes, I was trying to figure out how to keep it cold..cuz a cold, fizzy coke produces the best burp!  Maybe Walmart has single can coolers??  Like a coozie thing but that covers the whole can??? 

Getting to the RaceOn becoming an Ironman When I was 15, I remember seeing this tall guy running and riding throughout the town of Monroe, Michigan. He was tallish, freckled, and often sunburned. One day he came into Bicycle Bob’s Monroe Schwinn, where I worked part time to help pay for my growing cycling habit. He was wearing a shirt and tie, and needed some air for his tires so he could do a lunch time ride after getting changed. I asked him if he was training for something specific and he told me it was the Ironman. 2.4 mile ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full marathon, which is 26.2 miles. I thought he was crazy. I had seen the footage in 1982 of Julie Moss crawling across the finish line as her body shut down mere yards from the end of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. It seemed impossible. Years later, in Wisconsin, Mimi and I watched finishers cross the line at Ironman Wisconsin, in Madison. We both agreed that it was an amazing feat, and not really for us, though we also agreed that it was similar in many ways to summit day on a big mountain. That day always starts at about 1 am and sometimes does not end until 9pm. It’s very difficult physically, dealing with altitude, wind, and cold, and mentally, facing serious injury and death with every step. Generally, mountains have much more objective danger than an Ironman. The main difference, we decided, is that on summit day, at least briefly, one can stop and rest. In 2004, I competed in a Half Ironman (all of the above distances are cut in half) called the Great Floridian in, you guessed it, Florida. It was really tough, especially doing a half marathon in the intense Florida sun and humidity, but I did it. The race also included a full Ironman, so as I was gathering my bike and other gear in the late afternoon, there were many people just beginning the marathon (26.2 mile run) portion or their Ironman. I felt only pity for them and was so glad I was not in their shoes. After that race, I told Mimi that there was no way I could EVER do a full Ironman. In 2006, Mimi did the same half Ironman I had done in 2004. She completed it about 40 minutes faster than I did. She began talking about maybe trying a full Ironman. In 2008, she trained for and completed a full Ironman near Vancouver, BC, in 13:51…a great first IM time. As I watched and assisted her in her training, I became inspired to maybe attempt the very race I said I’d never be able to complete. Halfway through her training, I started saying things like “when I do MY Ironman….”. I did some research and by mid 2008, I had settled on registering for IM Florida. Despite such a seemingly unattainable goal, Ironman “brand” events sell out very quickly. IM Florida sold out in 2 days and I was lucky to become registree #1088. For the last six months, I have trained…trained my body and my mind to deal with the rigors of such a huge undertaking. People who have done these races always say that the race itself is just the final exam…it’s all of the studying that is the REALLY difficult part. I worked out 6 days a week – 3 of those days each week involved 2 workouts each. My workout routine before training started consisted of riding my bike about 1 hour maybe twice a week, so this was a huge switch. On any given day, I’d be exercising from 1-6 hours, in an environment where heavy, fatty foods and adult beverages are the norm…New Orleans. My social life became pretty much non-existent, as getting together for a drink is the way New Orleanians generally interact. My taste in food changed greatly as my body was telling me that it wanted quality fuel for these workouts. I lost maybe 8 pounds total, but my weight shifted from fat to lean muscle mass. My cardiovascular fitness has dramatically changed. When I started In May, 2009, doing a 30 minute run was tough for me as I ran a 12 minute mile. Now I am regularly doing 1.5 hour runs at 9.5-10 minutes per mile. My swim speed and endurance has also increased. I did a 5 mile time trial at the start of my training and my average speed was 20.7 mph. In October, the same distance was done with a 22.5 mph average.Sleeping 9 hours per night became part of my routine as well. I spent 6 weeks in Spain and France during this training period, and managed to find a great pool in Paris, swim in the Mediterranean, and do some great rides in the Pyrenees and outside of Paris. Training in August in New Orleans was not fun with temps in the 90’s and humidity to match. All of the distances got longer in September and then peaked in October. It’s interesting to see how relative things became…a 3 hour ride was a piece of cake when compared to a 1.25 hour swim, followed by a 2 hour ride, followed by a 1 hour run. A 2.5 hour run became “not so tough” when a 6 hour ride was scheduled for the next day. No matter how rigorously I adhered to the training plan, there was always the question in the back of my mind about race day: “can I actually do this?” I found that I didn’t really prepare myself for the possibility of not finishing the race because I feared that just the thought might weaken my resolve. It’s like the idea of not summiting…if any doubt creeps in, it can really cloud things and jeopardize not only your chances, but your safety. So, I think I am ready to become an Ironman. I am as ready as I can be. I have the inseam of a dachshund, a 35” waist, short arms, and small hands – not exactly a triathlon winning combo, but I will work with what I have. I am dreading the swim not so much because of the distance or the fact that it’s in the ocean, but because I will be amongst 2,500 people and really don’t like getting swam over or kicked in the face. My wetsuit is very buoyant, so drowning doesn’t freak me out much. The ride will be long, but at least it will be really long and also long, so I have that going for me. My consolation is that I will have one of the sexiest looking bikes around, so I least I will LOOK fast. The run will be extremely challenging mentally. I’ve done 4 Chicago Marathons, so I know what the distance feels like. It hurts and it screams at you to just walk for a while. The whole process of trying to become an Ironman has allowed me to be narcissistic and self-focused, which I’m not all that great at in real life. Thinking about myself first has been a new challenge. I’m not sure how life will be after the Ironman, but whether I cross that finish line by midnight on November 7, 2009 or not, I’m very proud that I dedicated myself to a seemingly impossible goal, and I have “made it to the race”. I would appreciate being in your thoughts and will feel the good karma you send my way all day on 11/7/09. Special thanks to Mimi, who has been my support crew (occasionally accompanied by Ansel and Stevie) for the whole six months, driving behind me at 18 mph for 6 hours, setting up my ice packs and ibuprofen and Endurox drink after runs, making great meals for me, and just listening to me and enduring my narcissism. Thanks so much.

Edited by mountainpics 2009-11-01 9:25 PM

Sue 'socks' has a super clever way to keep her Diet Coke cold..I'm sure she will share it.

AHHHH more than 1 paragraph????

Good morning!  4 days and change....

Accuweather - 73/53 sunny
Weather Channel - 75/56 sunny
Water Temp - 71.1 degrees

Pack up the car today and heading down to PCB tonight.  Safe travels all, I will see you down there! 

Leaving today...yikes!  Will arrive PCB Tuesday afternoon.  Seems like we are taking everything.....including the kitchen sink and 2 bathroom sinks.  Seriously, I think there is more in the car than the house right now.  And I am sure I am forgetting something.

Not sure what my schedule is when we get down there, but I do know I want to swim Wed, Thur, and Fri am (swimming calms me).  I know there has been talk of a meet up on Thur (not sure the time) but if anyone wants to meet up Wed and Fri am for a little swim please post and we can figure it out.

Look forward to meeting everyone!

I know what you are saying.  I just went out and bought a new Expedition a few weeks ago and I'm glad I did.  We are loaded down with stuff!  The car is rated to tow 9000 pounds, hopefully that will be enough 

Edited by jjcnbg 2009-11-02 6:11 AM

^^^ Thurs. 9am is the scheduled swimmy time...Everyone have a safe trip down there - we get in Wed. afternoon around 2   I. CANNOT. WAIT.!!!!! I won't have access to a computer down there (I don't think) so I'm collecting cell #'s...mine's 908.930.3128.  In my SN will be big ol' packs of Trident gum. I luv having fresh-ish breath after eating all that crappy gu and stuff... 

BTW, Brittany started this thread w/ 330 days ago

Edited by kristinc0916 2009-11-02 6:19 AM

 

See above post I spent significant time last year working this out.....YES I am THAT addicted to diet coke.

ALSO if you can get your soda of choice in a small plastic bottle with a twist off top it will work probably better than a can

Edited by Socks 2009-11-02 6:56 AM

Linda, so glad it worked out for you to get to go! Hope your son is doing much better...

I already miss my IMFL peeps...I do "get" to ride 112 miles on Saturday, just not with y'all.  But it all worked out, so I smile too.
I'm thinking IMFL 2011 is in my future!
BE SAFE! TRAVEL SAFE!
Be hydrating now, and eat right!!

Son woke up with a cold!  Crap!

I was just looking at the sunrise/sunset for Sat.  It's showing a 6:02am sunrise and a 4:51pm sunset.  I didn't realize it would be getting dark that early.  Should be interesting.  At least that should make for a cooler run.

Edited by jjcnbg 2009-11-02 8:04 AM