IM BACK.. ALIVE. DAY 2 POST IRONMAN. NO MORE STRESS, NO MORE ANXIETY. JUST RELIEF ITS ALL OVER. THE DAY ALWAYS COMES,DOSENT IT? WHETHER ITS LEAVING CERT, DRIVING TEST, CHILDBIRTH. YOU PREPARE ,ANTICIPATE AND THEN ITS HAPPENING. I FINISHED AND I DID IT. I ACHIEVED WHAT I CAME TO DO, TO CROSS THE LINE BEFORE THE CUT OFF TIME. TO HEAR MY NAME AND COUNTRY CALLED OUT AS I CLIMBED THE RAMP OF THE FINISHING LINE AND SEE MY DAUGHTER CATHERINE AMONG THE FRONT LINE CROWD,FILLED ME WITH SUCH PRIDE AND THANKFULNESS. TO BE HERE AND ABLE TO DO THIS HUGE COMPETITION ON THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. WHEN I QUALIFIED FOR KONA , IN SWEEDEN, I WISHED WITH ALL MY HEART THAT CATHERINE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME. SHE DID USE UP HER LAST HOLIDAYS AND JOINED ME THE WEEK BEFORE THE EVENT. I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE THIS TIME WE HAD TOGETHER. GOLDEN MOMENTS. IT WAS TOUGH, BUT THEN ALL TOUGH THINGS ARE HARD EARNED. I RESPECTED THE CHALLENGE AND NEVER ONCE ALLOWED A NEGATIVE THOUGHT OR WORD TO PASS MY LIPS THE ENORMITY OF THE WHOLE SET UP WAS INDESCRIBABLE. I SAT ALONE ON THE GRASS UNTIL 5 MINUTES TO GET INTO THE WATER. I WANTED TO GET IN A MENTALLY RELAXED ZONE AND PRAYED JUST TO STAY CALM, AND GET OUT SAFE. I LINED UP WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD AND A CANON SHOT SET US OFF . I GOT BELTED, BOXED, SWAM OVER.AND WAS SECRETLLY AMUSED, SO THIS IS HOW THE PROS. FEEL UP FRONT, BATTLING TO GO IN FRONT, ONLY I WAS NEARLY AT THE BACK.. I REMINDED MYSELF TO STAY CALM AND LET THEM OFF, BUT KEEP A FEW IN SIGHT THAT I COULD GET IN BEHIND. I THOUGHT I SWAM GREAT,(KNOCKED OFF ONE OF MY GOOD ERRINGS, LESSON, DONT WEAR GOOD JEWELLERY IN THE WATER!) BUT IT TOOK ME 1HR.57MIN. IM NOT MAKING EXCUSES, BUT AS WE WALKED TO THE SWIM START, THE WAVES WERE COMING OVER THE WALL AND OUT ON TO THE PATH, I THOUGHT CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES.. I HAD MY SWIM LESSON,( I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT BEFORE), MY NEW GOOD FRIEND UNA FROM IRELAND,( BUT LIVES HERE), HAD SWAM THE COURSE WITH ME AND THAT HAD SETTLED MY FEAR, NERVES AND SELF DOUBTING.. I EMERGED FROM THE WATER ELATED WITH CATHERINE AND ALL THE IRISH SCREAMING AND CHEERING. IN THE CHANGING TENT AFTER THE SWIM, SOMEONE LEADS YOU IN AND HELPS YOU INTO YOUR BIKE GEAR,YOUNG ANGELS IS All I CAN CALL THEM. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THIS YOUNG GIRL PUTTIN ON MY SOCKS AS IF I WERE A CHILD. I HAD NOT DRIVEN THE BIKE COURSE SO IT WAS ALL GOING TO BE A SURPRISE! IT WAS VERY VERY HOT, LIKE A HOT IRON ON YOUR BACK. THE WIND WAS LIKE BEING IN A TUNNEL BEING PULLED BACKWARDS. IT WAS MY BEST TO STAY ON THE BIKE. AGAIN I NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO FEEL BAD NOT EVEN WHEN I REALISED I HAD NO SUN SCREEN ON AND I FELT THE BURN AND BLISTERS ON THE SIDE AND BACK OF MY RIGHT LEG. I SAID IT WONT HURT NEXT WEEK AND THEN I DID NOT FEEL IT ANY MORE. SAME WENT FOR ALL THE SORE AND CHAFFING SPOTS AND THE SORE FEET AND LEFT KNEE SO STIFF AND SORE. DID NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO THINK HOW WILL I RUN. CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES JERRY DUFFY WRITES IN HIS BOOK. I HAD A HALF WAY SPECIAL NEEDS BAG WHICH CONSISTS OF FOOD ONLY. I HAD ORDERED SAUSAGES NEXT BEST THING TO PETTITTS THEY WERE PORTUGESE, AND STREAKY RASHERS. CATHERINE (MY FULL TIME AND ONLY CREW HELPER) HAD COLLECTED THEM AT 6AM AND GOT A SECURITY MAN TO DROP THEM INTO ME BEFORE THE START. IM SAYING TO NICOLA COLLIER MY NUTRITIONIST HOW COULD YOU HAVE HELPED ME WITH NUTRITION, WHEN I ATE AT PETROL STATIONS WHILE OUT TRAININGAT HOME, AND STILL MANAGED TO DO THE SAME THING HERE. THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE WELL I GOT OFF THE BIKE AT 90K THE HALF WAY STAGE AND MY CARROT. I SPOTTED ONE OF THOSE LOVELY DIRECTORS CHAIRS AND ASKED COULD I SIT ON IT. YES, AND 2 OTHER LADIES SHIELDED ME WITH A LARGE UMBRELLA. I OPENED UP THE FRY, BUT COULD ONLY MANAGE A BITE OR 2. MY STOMACH HAD A SIGN CLOSED DUE TO EMERGENCY. I WAS WAVED OFF HAVING INVITED ALL TO STAPLESTOWN IN WEXFORD. I PASSED SAD AND MOVING SIGHTS. A BEAUTIFUL WHITE BIKE SET IN THE ROADWAY ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF A LADY KILLED,WHILE DOING THE IRONMAN. AN AMBULANCE AND POLICE CARS WERE CONSTANTLY ON THE ROAD, AT ONE STAGE TRYING TO CLEAR BIG CONGEALED LUMPS OF BLOOD. A YOUNG GIRL IN HER 20 S JUST GOT OFF THE BIKE WITH ABOUT 30 MILES TO GO, LEANED ON HER SADDLE, AND CRIED OUT LOUD. IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO READ THE SITUATION, SHE WAS COVERED IN SALT THROUGH HER GEAR, I SHOUTED TO HER TO TAKE HER SALT TABLETS AND SAID GET ON YOUR BIKE, YOUR NEARLY THERE. IRONMEN AND IRONWOMEN PARTIALLY SIGHTED AND PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS THEIR DISABILITIES NOT APPARENT IN THEIR EFFORTS. I STARTED TO CHANT OUT LOUD FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE BECAUSE IF YOU HIT THE ROADSIDE MARGIN THERE WAS ONLY ROCK. WITH 12 MILES LEFT I HAD ONLY 90 MINUTES TO CUT OFF. I FORGOT ABOUT EVERYTHING AND PEDALLED AS FAST AS I COULD. GOT OFF THE BIKE AND HAD 6 HRS. 30 TO COMPLETE THE 26.2 MILE RUN CATHERINE WAS THERE AGAIN TO SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT, AND ITS A LOVELY COMFORTING FEELING TO HAVE ONE OF YOUR OWN PHYSICALLY THERE. ANGELS HELPED ME OUT OF MY CYCLE GEAR AND I PUT ON MY IRISH TRI SUIT, IT HAD MY NAME AND IRL ON IT AND I WAS VERY PROUD TO WEAR IT. MY FEET FELT LIKE SOMEONE HAD ATTACHED 2 CEMENT BLOCKS TO THEM. CATHERINE HAD WRITTEN FUNNY ENCOURAGING MESSAGES ON THE ROAD, LIKE UP THE BANNER IM FROM CLARE. IT QUICKLY BECAME PITCH BLACK THOUGH AND AT THIS STAGE AND HARD TO SEE ANY CHANGES IN THE FOOTPATH OR CONES ON THE ROAD. YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED IF YOU TAKE ANY OUTSDE HELP. ANOTHER PERSON WHO PLAYED A MAJOR PART ON HELPING ME THROUGH THE RUN WAS ALAN RYAN. ALAN HAS DONE 15 IRONMAN COMPETITIONS AND QUALIFIED FOR KONA 3 TIMES. BEFORE I LEFT,ALAN HAD HELPED ME WITH ALL BACKGROUND INFO RE ACCOMODATION NEAR THE SITE ETC. HE SAID TO ME YOU CAN RUN THERE WILL BE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO WONT BE ABLE TO RUN. THAT ONE LINE OF ENCOURAGEMENT COMING FROM THE LIKES OF ALAN RYAN MADE ME FEEL LIKE RONNIE DELANEY. WHENEVER I FELT I COULD NOT GO ONE STEP FURTHER, AND MY MIND SCREAMED STOP AS IT DID CONSTANTLY FOR THE LAST 6 MILES, I THOUGHT OF ALAN RYAN YOU CAN RUN. ONE NEVER KNOWS HOW A GOOD KIND, ENCOURAGING WORD, FALLS ON A PERSONS EAR. I FINISHED THE RUN WITH 40 MINUTES TO SPARE. I STARTED TO TAKE SOUP IN DESPERATION A FEW MILES OUT, AND REALISED TOO LATE IT WAS HEAVENLY AND HEALED MY STOMCH, WHICH WAS IN BITS. I HAD FORGOTTEN THE SALT TABLETS, DONT KNOW IF THEY WOULD HAVE HELPED FATIGUE. UNA, WHO IS A SCHOOL TEACHER, WAS MANNING AN AID STATION NEAR HER SCHOOL, SHE HAD DECORATED ALL THE AREA WITH IRISH FLAGS AND WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE HELP AND SUPPORT ,BEING SUPER FIT AND HAVING DONE THE FULL IRONNMAN IN 2010 AND THE HALF UMPTEEN TIMES. IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT FOR ME TO HAVE MY ONLY DAUGHTER CATHERINE ALSO THERE TO CHEER ME ON, AS SHE HAD DONE ALL DAY. ASHLING (ANOTHER IRISH STAR) HANDED ME AN IRISH FLAG FOR THE RUN IN, IT FELT LIKE I HAD WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS. STIFF AND SORE, AND HUNGRY, OWEN MARTIN, HAVING ALREADY COMPLETED THE IRONMAN IN AN AMAZING TIME DESPITE BEING KNOCKED OFF HIS BIKE, HELPED ME IN FOR FOOD. PITZA AND ICE CREAM, HEAVENLY, I THEN QUEUED FOR A MASSAGE. OWEN AND HIS WIFE AISHLING, AND CATHERINE, ESCORTED ME BACK TO THE HOTEL. T.G. IT WAS ONLY A FEW MINUTES AWAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS JOURNEY WITH ME, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, FROM THE MOMENT i QUALIFIED TO NOW AND ESPECIALLY YOU CATHERINE ps plesase excuse any spelling and grammer mistakes Im not great on the computer. UNTIL THE NEXT IRONMAN!
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:44:48 +0000
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