Galveston 70.3 Ironman Triathlon update. My thanks to those who sent prayers, positive thoughts and good karma. Quick status report--They worked, as the bad winds and rain deluge were mostly north of us, and I am happy to report success again this year and satisfaction with a faster time by 41 seconds, in spite of some unexpected adversity and drama during my race. I completed it with the times listed below: 1.2 mile swim in 1:00:20. 56 mile bike on 3:15:15. 13.1 mike run in 2:12:21. Total race time w/transitions 6:42:07. Long status report---It started off rough with cold drizzle, wind and water and some choppy waves. Swallowed quite a few mouthfuls of saltwater and tasted some oil too, yuck. Did not vomit but wanted too. The calf cramp about 2/3 through was painful, troubling and did not boost my confidence or motivation. I swam so slow that I think the jellyfish were floating past me. I wanted out of that bay, big time. My bike transition was awful, as I was feeling nasty, then my new high-speed compression socks tore while putting them on, and my helmet strap broke, so my mood and confidence again were falling, and I was getting mad. But low and behold the rain stopped, the wind slowed down and I took my frustration out on the pedals with a much faster bike time than last year. A little too fast, as I would soon learn. Feeling pumped for the run and hoping to pull off a good comeback and set my personal record, I started running with some confidence even though my legs were feeling tight when WHAM, now I know what a real leg cramp feels like! That earlier calf cramp tickled compared to how I felt when my quad locked up. It buckled my knee, caused me to gasp and grit my teeth, and it brought tears to my eye as I almost fell over. For a second, I thought I had torn something in the muscle or tendon. I had to walk and tried to stretch it out. Fear of failure and possibly not finishing became a reality. With a sick stomach and little hope, I said a prayer that I would be able to work it out and still finish the race. Fortunately the aid station was close so I drank a bunch of Gatorade/water and ate some bananas. I was walking fast and struggling when God answered my prayer in an unexpected but much appreciated way when one of my fellow military Brothers who saw my high-and-tight haircut and decided to motivate me with some tough love in a loud drill-instructor like voice--Quit walking and shuffle until you can run again! Get some! Wow. Just what I needed. Like one of my best friends Chris Hardin told me once in his Drill instructor voice-Get a box of straws and suck it up Devil-Dog! As I gradually nursed my body back to some semblance of running, I could not help but think and be amazed at the thousands of triathletes, their families and the wonderful volunteers who had spent countless hours of training, and who gave their support and their dedication to come together to make this a memorable day, and for some a life-changing day. There is a certain amount of insanity required and involved for those who compete in marathons and triathlons. I am still personally struggling with trying to understand why this is so important to me. I still vividly remember watching the Kona 140.6 Ironman Championship when I was a teenager, and thinking--wow those people are motivating, amazing and inspiring. I want to be able to do that one day. I think watching it combined with my trying to get in shape before I became a Marine led me to train for and complete the Houston Marathon when I was 19. But I digress, the best moment and most motivating part of this tough day was seeing my wonderful wife and the little blessing that Christine gave us with our amazing Hailey. It choked me up and made me proud and I knew I was going to finish this beast. I was so happy and amazed when Hailey told me that she wants to run an Ironman with me when she gets older. If I am so fortunate to have and share that day and that experience with her, it will be one of the best days of my life. There are no promises. There are no guarantees of future tomorrows. If you have a dream or an item on your Bucket List that needs to be checked, then go for it and make it happen. You owe it to yourself and to your family and friends, and I thank you for supporting and believing in me and for enriching my life. With my deepest respect, Patrick
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 02:25:52 +0000
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