Tuesday, June 24, 2008
One Year Later...
So, it is now one year later and not a day has gone by in which I have not thought about IMCDA and how I can manage my time to do another Ironman. Carol asked me the other day why do I feel the need to do another Ironman and my response was simple, "the distance calls for me." In other words, once you have been there, you just can't wait to do it again and again and again. Currently, I am only running and training for two fall marathons as I do not have the time to swim and bike but hope to be in the next few months. Will 2009 be an opportunity for a second IM or will I need to wait until there is more time to train. We will see. In the meantime, I will keep running, staying in shape and looking forward to training and crossing that Ironman finish line. Good luck to all of Team Z who is going to Placid in July. I wish you the best and I will be thinking of you every moment of the day.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
This picture was taken by Dan Hicok - the team photographer who does an amazing job capturing the moment. For the rest of the pictures, check out his website at http://www.danhicok.com/ and click Team Z.
Seeing me like this gets me thinking about an IM in 08. hmmmmmmm, Placid anyone?? TBD
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Ironman Race Report
First and foremost there are many thanks in order. Thank you thank you thank you to my wife who sacrificied the most and being patient with me during the hours and hours of training and early weekend nights. And thank you to my parents for coming to Idaho to cheer me on and the endless support from brother Mike and all my friends.
Most of all, I would like to thank Ed Zerkle, Coach of Team Z who guided me to fulfil this dream. Team Z is an incredible Team and I would not have been able to do it without them. Thank you to all the Z'ers and families who organized everything - I am forever greatful!
Okay - here is my race report. I wrote this sitting in Seattle airport on the way back from CDA. Is it very long. I tried to cut it down but realized that I couldn't, as these were my thoughts that day during the race. All I can say is that if you ever have an inclination to do an Ironman, join Team Z, sign up and DO IT! The unimaginable will come true. I hope you enjoy.
My final times for IM:
Swim – 1:16:34
T1 – 10:35
Bike: 7:45:02 (Averaged 14.5 mph)
T2 – 5:33
Run – 5:24:16 (Average 12:20/mile)
Total: 14:41:58 (140.6 miles)
Overall Place 1628/2200
Pre – Race
My day began at 4:00am which wasn’t so bad because my body felt as if it were 7am, still on Eastern Time. I started hydrating around 4:45 or so and found Mark lying on his duffel bag outside my room waiting for a ride. Carol took Mark and I to the start and dropped us off around 5am.
I dropped off my special needs bags, pumped up my tires, put my fluids on the bike and walked around shooting some videos. There were so many athletes it was very impressive. When I was in line for the bathroom there was a man and woman. The woman said this was her 8th IM and the guy said it was his 9th, both were using this as a “training” IM for another later in the year. I turned around and said “you guys are killing me” and smiled. They could tell this was my first IM and congratulated me because they knew I soon would be an IM as well.
I found Carol and we went back to the Team Z tent set up on the hill overlooking the swim start. The wind was blowing strong and the water was very choppy. I wrapped myself in a blanket to keep warm and laid down on the ground next to my teammates, closed my eyes and listened to a little OAR to take me a way for a minute or two.
At 6:30am we took the group picture, got on the wetsuit and headed over to the start. The wind was blowing pretty strong and there were 2’ waves. The air was pretty cold, say around 50 degrees and I found out later the water temperature was 63 degrees.
10 minutes before the start, the MC announces that athletes have a choice to opt out of the swim because of the rough conditions and do a duo. Or, if swimmers make the first lap and want to get out, they can still do the duo. All I thought was NO WAY!!! I’ve come this far and I’m going to do it. The MC finished up his announcement saying that we are all in this together. I found out from Mark later on that they almost cancelled the swim. It was a nice announcement to freak out Carol and the family but they knew I was not going to turn around and skip the swim. I have come too far.
Swim
Dave, Jen and I lined up right on the buoys for the mass swim start. As the National Anthem was playing, I looked around and was amazed at the number of swimmers there were about to go into the water, the majority of which were to the right of me.
The announcer began to announce the start and his microphone went dead, and then I heard the GUN! And then he announced the start. WOW – you talk about an adrenaline rush!!! I was so PUMPED up!
I wore a sleeveless wetsuit with just the swim cap and as soon as I entered the water, I put my head under and came up and did the breath stroke a few times just to catch my breath from the cold. I had to switch to freestyle because the waves were so high I kept taking in water each time I went for air.
There were people everywhere! The first leg out to the buoy was the hardest swim of my life. Between the 2’ waves, the cold water and the swimmers converging on me – it was pretty overwhelming. It took everything I had to remain calm and try to keep somewhat of a swim stroke as people hit me from behind, me hitting people in front of me. I was trying so hard to get a clear spot but could not move. There were hundreds of swimmers around me and they were all converging on the turnaround buoy.
I passed one guy who was panicking in the water and next thing I saw was him grabbing for something – I’m glad it wasn’t me, then I saw him lunge for a buoy and just hold onto it gasping for air. That almost put me into panic mode and I thought if it made sense for me to get to the side and take a break. I looked around and there was no way I could get to the outside as there were way too many people – so I pressed forward.
At the first turn, you could have stood up on someone’s head and just walked straight across the water with no problems as there were so many people just treading water trying to get around that turn. Hundreds and hundreds of people. One guy started panicking and saying we turned too soon.” Come on buddy!! Start swimming as there were hundreds of people coming up on us on the rear!”
Once we made the turn, the waves were coming in on the right side of me and the sun was glaring directly in front of me. The only good part was this was the shortest leg. We rounded the next buoy and headed back to shore. Ahhhhhhhhh, swimming with the current. The packed spread out and I finally got into a groove. My breathing was good and I wasn’t out of breath. Next thing I knew it I was at the shore and as my fingers glazed the sand I stood up, had the biggest smile on my face and ran over the mat, under the canopy, heard my name called several times by Team Z’ers , saw my time for the 1st leg at 37 minutes, (37 minutes – NO WAY, I thought, under those conditions, I thought I would have been around 40+ or so), anyway, a little excited, I took my time going back in for the 2nd lap. I looked around and tried to soak it in.
The 2nd leg had its own set of challenges as the field was pretty spread out and I didn’t have to worry about hitting anyone, however, the waves appeared much bigger. The only way I knew there was a wave is when I would look ahead of me and I would see two swimmers above me, like dark shadows underwater as I was in the trough of the wave. So, I just kept thinking “cut through the wave, stroke by stroke”. Going back out it did seem to take longer.
When we turned left for the short leg, the kayakers were yelling to go right as the current was blowing people downwind of the next turn. So, I cut across several swimmers to get up wind and then drifted into the turn which seemed to work pretty well. As we rounded the last buoy to head to shore, I just rode the waves and started singing to myself “everybody’s gone surfin, surfin USA” from the Beach Boys. The waves were definitely bigger.
As I approached the shore I started to kick my legs because they felt a little cramped but never locked up. Once my hand touched the bottom I jumped up and started to run for the canopy as someone plowed into me from behind and pushed me to the ground. GREAT! It took a lot of energy to get up the first time now I had to do it again, and I did with a HUGE smile on my face! The swim leg was done. The intensity of the crowds cheering and hearing my name from Z’ers was simply amazing.
Transition 1
I ran into the stripping area towards two women that asked if I needed to get stripped. I dropped to my back lifted my legs way up and said “take if off baby”, they both laughed pushed my legs down and yanked my wetsuit off!
I grabbed my transition bag and ran into the changing tent. WOW, hundreds of people in there and it was hard to find a seat. I sat down, got situated and as I was putting on my gear I started talking to a guy next to me who got pulled out of the swim. I felt so bad for him. He was not feeling too well as I tried to encourage him. He actually helped me pack my swim stuff in my bag and I shook his hand wishing him a good ride. Running out of the tent I went right for the bathroom, took a quick wiz and then as I was going to my bike, my number ripped off one corner from the race belt. MAN that always happens. So as I was fumbling with that, I ran past my bike aisle as Carol and my mom were yelling my name. I got a little confused with all the excitement going on. Once I regained my composure, I got my bike situated, waved goodbye and off I went to the bike course.
Bike
112 miles to go……..the bike leg has begun. In the beginning we rode up Lakeside and I knew the Team Z tent would be on my right in about a ½ mile. As I approached the tent I could hear the roar as I pumped my fist in the ear. It was awesome and electrifying!
Overall the bike course was beautiful as we rode the first part along Coeur d’Alene Lake as an out and back. There were two climbs but nothing too bad. My heart rate was hovering in Zone 3 and I knew I had to get it down. In fact, I fought my heart rate the entire ride in which I would be in Zone 2 and then it would creep up into 3 and then 4 on the hills. I tried to slow down thinking of the misery in Lake Anna, but I felt comfortable.
There was a water/Gatorade supplies every 10 miles, along with porta johns and at the 10, 20, 30 miles marks I was off my bike going to the bathroom. Fortunately, I was well hydrated.
There was a nice stretch of flats as we left CDA and headed toward Hayden Lake. I was cruising, but still trying to keep my heart rate in check. I can’t remember how fast I was going but during the flats it had to be 16+, and even still, hundreds of bikers were passing me. No worries I kept thinking, I could not get caught up in their traffic. I had to do my own race.
Hayden Lake is where the hills really began and I think it was between miles 25-50 and 81-106, on the second loop. The hills were short and steep and there were quite a few of them. And then when I got through those hills, they became very long rollers. So I plugged along. Probably the hardest part during the hills was that I knew I had to do it again on the second loop. That was tough!
As I was biking, I remember some Z’ers passing me including, Kerri, Brian and then Casey came zooming by. I also remember when I started the ride Justin came flying by as well – he was having an awesome ride!
As I got through the hills, the first time, I headed back to CDA on the flats, but going INTO the wind so I couldn’t take advantage of the wind. It felt so nice to get through that first loop, but sucked knowing I had to do it again.
During the 2nd loop, I never felt exhausted but was getting a little tired. Some memorable moments include my right nut stinging around mile 80 as I had to stop, get off the bike and readjust. I have never had that happened before! I talked to Mark after the race and he said he had the same thing happen to him. It was weird. On some of the very steep climbs my heart rate shot up to Zone 5 so I jumped off my bike and walked up the hill. It was a good plan because my heart rate dropped down and I actually got up the hill quicker.
Around mile 80, Roy finally caught up to me and we traded places for awhile along with Suzanne as well. In fact Suzanne passed me and later on I zoomed past her around mile 95 because I was getting excited the bike was almost over. I also remember trading places with Kim and Dave. I write this now not because I was competing with team mates, but to remember how nice it was to have familiar faces around as we went
through this grueling event together. It really helped a lot.
I saw Mark when I was around mile 100 and him at 80. He complained to me that he was worried he wasn’t going to make the cutoff. I yelled at him and told him he will make it and to keep pedaling. Then a little later I saw Linda, woooooo, that was another story. I knew she was going to be close. Even Roy was worried as well.
There was no doubt I was going to make the cut off as I rode into town, that last 2 miles did seem endless and the mere thought of going to run 26.2 miles was very overwhelming, even at that point.
Transition 2
As I made it into T2, I believe the time was 4:30pm, 9.5 hours into the race! I averaged about 14.5 on the bike which was pretty impressive for me, but I was really worried that biking out of zone was going to hurt me on the run. However, I knew I had 7.5 hours to complete the marathon. That was doable.
When I got off the bike, it FELT SO DAMN GOOD! All I could do was be thankful that leg was over. A volunteer took my bike and I went right for the bathroom, again. Man, I sure did pee a lot today!
I grabbed my transition bag and into the tent I went. I sat next to Dave as we got ready for the run. This time the tent was pretty empty as I figured it would because the entire field was ahead of me from the bike. It was nice because I actually had a volunteer help me out.
Out of the tent, two women lubed me up with sunscreen and as I ran onto the course I heard my Carol say, “oh good honey, you have your sunscreen on”. Now, here it is 4:30 in the afternoon, I have been going for 9.5 hours and she is still worried about my sunscreen. How can I not love her, she is so cute!
Run
26.2 miles………No doubt, I was tired. I started to run and knew that I would only be able to go so far before I had to walk. I think I ran for about 4 miles and then started to walk/run.
As the run began I realized that I forgot to take off my bike shorts and my hutchie was feeling pretty cramped! So I stripped it off my bike shorts and handed it to a volunteer who put it in my special needs bag. Ahhhhhh, much better. (I had my team z tri shorts underneath).
I remember going up the hill toward the Team Z tent and the roar of the crowd. It was awesome as I swirled my hat in the air above my head, seeing all the people cheering I was all smiles. I saw my parents cheering and it was very exhilarating and uplifting.
I think I made it to about mile 7 where the walking really started to occur. Between miles 8 and 14 I was walking a lot. Around mile 9 I passed the Team Z tent again and Carol interviewed me with the camcorder. I was tired. However, my legs were not sore, they were not locking up. I could not put my finger on it, but realized I still had 17+ miles to go! During Carol’s interview, I told her, “This was it and remind me never to sign up for another IM again”. I was tired, but not in pain! I continued on. I was looking for Ed but couldn’t find him.
As I walked down Lakeside toward the start and back on the path Dave caught up to me. Dave was kind enough to walk with me a little and then he took off. The lowest of the lows was beginning.
Then, each aid station I remembered what Brian said about chicken broth, so I decided what the hell, I had to try something. I had to get some strength back and I couldn’t handle the GU because I was sick of it and pretzels were so dry. So, I think at mile 13 I had some broth and it tasted SO GOOD. It was warm and felt just right. When I hit my special needs bag at mile 14 or so, I stripped off my water bottle belt and grabbed my long sleeve shirt. I knew I was going to need it as I would be running in the dark.
I saw Dave at special needs and walked by him saying hello and he smiled as he was putting on a fresh pair of socks.
It was now time to do the 2nd loop. I felt like my energy was slowly coming back. After special needs I tried to run a little and saw Kathryn, Ilene (Dave’s girlfriend) and then who I thought was Carol. I was confused; I thought Carol was up the hill by the Team Z tent. Oh well, I got so excited that I went to go for a kiss and realized at the very last second it was Kitty! OOPS!!! We all started to laugh. It was pretty funny.
As I continued my walk up the hill I saw Carol again and she walked with me. I told her I felt my strength was getting back and hoped to be running. Then I saw my mom and them Carol left me and did the hand off to my Dad. I had such great support from my family and friends. I needed it at that moment. As I rounded the corner, there was Coach Ed, right there smack in the middle of the street waiting for me. I told him I was tired and he looked me in the eye, grabbed me and said, “Jerry, it’s an Ironman, it’s suppose to hurt, now get to it, get to it!” I got choked up a little bit and that was all I needed it because then my walk became a slow trot and I could hear Ed and my Dad yelling. It was time.
That was around mile 15 and I knew I had 11 to go. My walking now became more running than walking, a
little at a time. At the rest stops I sucked down chicken broth and water and I was able to get a GU down also. As I made it out of town and along the lake I picked landmarks to run to and then walk some. Then I realized that there were some Z’ers ahead of me and I used them as landmarks to run to.
I keep saying this as I was not competing but having people you know that I could run to was what I had to do
to keep going. First there was Suzanne, who I saw several times on the bike and who passed me on the run early on. I said hello as she told me I finally caught her and I told her she would catch me soon, she then told me what I did not believe at that time was that I was on a roll. I then saw Henry with that cool hat and then Justin as the sun began going down. Next thing I knew I passed mile 20 and was walking up the last steep hill. When I got to the turnaround, I ran down the hill knowing that Mile 21 was at that bottom.
I started to tell myself over and over again that “I want to be an Ironman, I want to be an Ironman” as I have done during so many training rides and then it happened, that moment, somewhere around mile 22 I started to say, “I am going to be an Ironman, I am going to be an Ironman”. I was getting pumped up after some 14 hours into the race – it was unreal! It was that moment, that change in thinking. I saw Dave shortly thereafter and I mumbled to him, “It’s gut check time Dave”. He told me the next day that I looked mad, like I was on a mission.
Soon thereafter, I saw Roy, Kim and Mark, going in the opposite direction, and Mark said “look at him, he is still running”. I was running, not very fast but I was running. I was not going to leave any effort behind. I was putting it all right there. My walk breaks were shorter and shorter. As I passed mile 23 I saw my name on the board come up and my message to myself said “Keep Movin Jerry Curl”. I also saw the clock say 14:09. Then, my mind woke up, if I did 14 minutes miles, I could break 15 hours. Now all of a sudden I started thinking about my time. What was happening??
During the water stop at mile 24 I grabbed some water and poured it on my head to straighten out the hair - I wanted to look good for the final picture crossing the finish line! ; ). As I started running again I looked ahead for my next landmark to start walking and then asked myself, why I want to walk, just keep running, there is no reason to walk. So, I ran.
At mile 25 I could not believe that I had 1.2 miles to go to become an Ironman. 1.2 miles to go. All the training, all the sacrifices, all those moments came rushing to me. It was going to happen.
I then made the last turn and a volunteer told me, you’ve got 6 blocks to go. As I ran down the hill I began to cry as I whispered to myself that I was going to be an ironman, I was doing it. It was like tunnel vision watching the finish, I ripped off my long sleeve shirt, fixed my number, played around with my hair. All I could see was that finish line, the lights, the camera flashes, the roar of the crowd and sound of the MC. I was only 4 blocks away and I saw a Team Z cheering crowd, threw them my long sleeve and just kept going. I made sure no one was around me as I approached the chute. I saw Carol in the street jumping up and down waving her hands yelling my name and heard my parents as well. I was so happy!!!!. The crowds were unreal, I lifted my hands up in the air they roared louder, the flashes were coming from everywhere and then I heard it, what I have been looking forward to hearing for 2 years when I began this quest, what I have dreamt about during hours and hours and miles and miles of training, what I have seen in the Ironman videos, that electrifying announcement, “FROM WASHINGTON DC, JERRY RICCIARDI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!”
There was ED, right there and I gave him a big ass hug. He was so choked up as well as I and he looked at me and said I did it. It was GREAT! He put a medal around my neck and gave me another huge hug. God I hope I remember this moment forever. Please don’t ever take that moment away from me.
After Ed, a volunteer grabbed me and handed me my finishers hat and t-shirt and also some water. He asked me if I needed to go to the medical tent and I told him no way, I was good. I then said to him with a smile – “I am an Ironman” and he replied, “Yes you are!” I waited in line for the picture and then I saw Carol and gave her a huge hug and then my parents. My turn was up for my picture and I adjusted myself with the biggest smile and got my picture. I just can’t get over it, still as I type this now and I’m sure as I read this years from now. How can I top this moment?
Carol had the camcorder going and she asked me if I had any last things to say, so I told her, “Yes, I’m ready to sign up for another”
Most of all, I would like to thank Ed Zerkle, Coach of Team Z who guided me to fulfil this dream. Team Z is an incredible Team and I would not have been able to do it without them. Thank you to all the Z'ers and families who organized everything - I am forever greatful!
Okay - here is my race report. I wrote this sitting in Seattle airport on the way back from CDA. Is it very long. I tried to cut it down but realized that I couldn't, as these were my thoughts that day during the race. All I can say is that if you ever have an inclination to do an Ironman, join Team Z, sign up and DO IT! The unimaginable will come true. I hope you enjoy.
My final times for IM:
Swim – 1:16:34
T1 – 10:35
Bike: 7:45:02 (Averaged 14.5 mph)
T2 – 5:33
Run – 5:24:16 (Average 12:20/mile)
Total: 14:41:58 (140.6 miles)
Overall Place 1628/2200
Pre – Race
My day began at 4:00am which wasn’t so bad because my body felt as if it were 7am, still on Eastern Time. I started hydrating around 4:45 or so and found Mark lying on his duffel bag outside my room waiting for a ride. Carol took Mark and I to the start and dropped us off around 5am.
I dropped off my special needs bags, pumped up my tires, put my fluids on the bike and walked around shooting some videos. There were so many athletes it was very impressive. When I was in line for the bathroom there was a man and woman. The woman said this was her 8th IM and the guy said it was his 9th, both were using this as a “training” IM for another later in the year. I turned around and said “you guys are killing me” and smiled. They could tell this was my first IM and congratulated me because they knew I soon would be an IM as well.
I found Carol and we went back to the Team Z tent set up on the hill overlooking the swim start. The wind was blowing strong and the water was very choppy. I wrapped myself in a blanket to keep warm and laid down on the ground next to my teammates, closed my eyes and listened to a little OAR to take me a way for a minute or two.
At 6:30am we took the group picture, got on the wetsuit and headed over to the start. The wind was blowing pretty strong and there were 2’ waves. The air was pretty cold, say around 50 degrees and I found out later the water temperature was 63 degrees.
10 minutes before the start, the MC announces that athletes have a choice to opt out of the swim because of the rough conditions and do a duo. Or, if swimmers make the first lap and want to get out, they can still do the duo. All I thought was NO WAY!!! I’ve come this far and I’m going to do it. The MC finished up his announcement saying that we are all in this together. I found out from Mark later on that they almost cancelled the swim. It was a nice announcement to freak out Carol and the family but they knew I was not going to turn around and skip the swim. I have come too far.
Swim
Dave, Jen and I lined up right on the buoys for the mass swim start. As the National Anthem was playing, I looked around and was amazed at the number of swimmers there were about to go into the water, the majority of which were to the right of me.
The announcer began to announce the start and his microphone went dead, and then I heard the GUN! And then he announced the start. WOW – you talk about an adrenaline rush!!! I was so PUMPED up!
I wore a sleeveless wetsuit with just the swim cap and as soon as I entered the water, I put my head under and came up and did the breath stroke a few times just to catch my breath from the cold. I had to switch to freestyle because the waves were so high I kept taking in water each time I went for air.
There were people everywhere! The first leg out to the buoy was the hardest swim of my life. Between the 2’ waves, the cold water and the swimmers converging on me – it was pretty overwhelming. It took everything I had to remain calm and try to keep somewhat of a swim stroke as people hit me from behind, me hitting people in front of me. I was trying so hard to get a clear spot but could not move. There were hundreds of swimmers around me and they were all converging on the turnaround buoy.
I passed one guy who was panicking in the water and next thing I saw was him grabbing for something – I’m glad it wasn’t me, then I saw him lunge for a buoy and just hold onto it gasping for air. That almost put me into panic mode and I thought if it made sense for me to get to the side and take a break. I looked around and there was no way I could get to the outside as there were way too many people – so I pressed forward.
At the first turn, you could have stood up on someone’s head and just walked straight across the water with no problems as there were so many people just treading water trying to get around that turn. Hundreds and hundreds of people. One guy started panicking and saying we turned too soon.” Come on buddy!! Start swimming as there were hundreds of people coming up on us on the rear!”
Once we made the turn, the waves were coming in on the right side of me and the sun was glaring directly in front of me. The only good part was this was the shortest leg. We rounded the next buoy and headed back to shore. Ahhhhhhhhh, swimming with the current. The packed spread out and I finally got into a groove. My breathing was good and I wasn’t out of breath. Next thing I knew it I was at the shore and as my fingers glazed the sand I stood up, had the biggest smile on my face and ran over the mat, under the canopy, heard my name called several times by Team Z’ers , saw my time for the 1st leg at 37 minutes, (37 minutes – NO WAY, I thought, under those conditions, I thought I would have been around 40+ or so), anyway, a little excited, I took my time going back in for the 2nd lap. I looked around and tried to soak it in.
The 2nd leg had its own set of challenges as the field was pretty spread out and I didn’t have to worry about hitting anyone, however, the waves appeared much bigger. The only way I knew there was a wave is when I would look ahead of me and I would see two swimmers above me, like dark shadows underwater as I was in the trough of the wave. So, I just kept thinking “cut through the wave, stroke by stroke”. Going back out it did seem to take longer.
When we turned left for the short leg, the kayakers were yelling to go right as the current was blowing people downwind of the next turn. So, I cut across several swimmers to get up wind and then drifted into the turn which seemed to work pretty well. As we rounded the last buoy to head to shore, I just rode the waves and started singing to myself “everybody’s gone surfin, surfin USA” from the Beach Boys. The waves were definitely bigger.
As I approached the shore I started to kick my legs because they felt a little cramped but never locked up. Once my hand touched the bottom I jumped up and started to run for the canopy as someone plowed into me from behind and pushed me to the ground. GREAT! It took a lot of energy to get up the first time now I had to do it again, and I did with a HUGE smile on my face! The swim leg was done. The intensity of the crowds cheering and hearing my name from Z’ers was simply amazing.
Transition 1
I ran into the stripping area towards two women that asked if I needed to get stripped. I dropped to my back lifted my legs way up and said “take if off baby”, they both laughed pushed my legs down and yanked my wetsuit off!
I grabbed my transition bag and ran into the changing tent. WOW, hundreds of people in there and it was hard to find a seat. I sat down, got situated and as I was putting on my gear I started talking to a guy next to me who got pulled out of the swim. I felt so bad for him. He was not feeling too well as I tried to encourage him. He actually helped me pack my swim stuff in my bag and I shook his hand wishing him a good ride. Running out of the tent I went right for the bathroom, took a quick wiz and then as I was going to my bike, my number ripped off one corner from the race belt. MAN that always happens. So as I was fumbling with that, I ran past my bike aisle as Carol and my mom were yelling my name. I got a little confused with all the excitement going on. Once I regained my composure, I got my bike situated, waved goodbye and off I went to the bike course.
Bike
112 miles to go……..the bike leg has begun. In the beginning we rode up Lakeside and I knew the Team Z tent would be on my right in about a ½ mile. As I approached the tent I could hear the roar as I pumped my fist in the ear. It was awesome and electrifying!
Overall the bike course was beautiful as we rode the first part along Coeur d’Alene Lake as an out and back. There were two climbs but nothing too bad. My heart rate was hovering in Zone 3 and I knew I had to get it down. In fact, I fought my heart rate the entire ride in which I would be in Zone 2 and then it would creep up into 3 and then 4 on the hills. I tried to slow down thinking of the misery in Lake Anna, but I felt comfortable.
There was a water/Gatorade supplies every 10 miles, along with porta johns and at the 10, 20, 30 miles marks I was off my bike going to the bathroom. Fortunately, I was well hydrated.
There was a nice stretch of flats as we left CDA and headed toward Hayden Lake. I was cruising, but still trying to keep my heart rate in check. I can’t remember how fast I was going but during the flats it had to be 16+, and even still, hundreds of bikers were passing me. No worries I kept thinking, I could not get caught up in their traffic. I had to do my own race.
Hayden Lake is where the hills really began and I think it was between miles 25-50 and 81-106, on the second loop. The hills were short and steep and there were quite a few of them. And then when I got through those hills, they became very long rollers. So I plugged along. Probably the hardest part during the hills was that I knew I had to do it again on the second loop. That was tough!
As I was biking, I remember some Z’ers passing me including, Kerri, Brian and then Casey came zooming by. I also remember when I started the ride Justin came flying by as well – he was having an awesome ride!
As I got through the hills, the first time, I headed back to CDA on the flats, but going INTO the wind so I couldn’t take advantage of the wind. It felt so nice to get through that first loop, but sucked knowing I had to do it again.
During the 2nd loop, I never felt exhausted but was getting a little tired. Some memorable moments include my right nut stinging around mile 80 as I had to stop, get off the bike and readjust. I have never had that happened before! I talked to Mark after the race and he said he had the same thing happen to him. It was weird. On some of the very steep climbs my heart rate shot up to Zone 5 so I jumped off my bike and walked up the hill. It was a good plan because my heart rate dropped down and I actually got up the hill quicker.
Around mile 80, Roy finally caught up to me and we traded places for awhile along with Suzanne as well. In fact Suzanne passed me and later on I zoomed past her around mile 95 because I was getting excited the bike was almost over. I also remember trading places with Kim and Dave. I write this now not because I was competing with team mates, but to remember how nice it was to have familiar faces around as we went
through this grueling event together. It really helped a lot.
I saw Mark when I was around mile 100 and him at 80. He complained to me that he was worried he wasn’t going to make the cutoff. I yelled at him and told him he will make it and to keep pedaling. Then a little later I saw Linda, woooooo, that was another story. I knew she was going to be close. Even Roy was worried as well.
There was no doubt I was going to make the cut off as I rode into town, that last 2 miles did seem endless and the mere thought of going to run 26.2 miles was very overwhelming, even at that point.
Transition 2
As I made it into T2, I believe the time was 4:30pm, 9.5 hours into the race! I averaged about 14.5 on the bike which was pretty impressive for me, but I was really worried that biking out of zone was going to hurt me on the run. However, I knew I had 7.5 hours to complete the marathon. That was doable.
When I got off the bike, it FELT SO DAMN GOOD! All I could do was be thankful that leg was over. A volunteer took my bike and I went right for the bathroom, again. Man, I sure did pee a lot today!
I grabbed my transition bag and into the tent I went. I sat next to Dave as we got ready for the run. This time the tent was pretty empty as I figured it would because the entire field was ahead of me from the bike. It was nice because I actually had a volunteer help me out.
Out of the tent, two women lubed me up with sunscreen and as I ran onto the course I heard my Carol say, “oh good honey, you have your sunscreen on”. Now, here it is 4:30 in the afternoon, I have been going for 9.5 hours and she is still worried about my sunscreen. How can I not love her, she is so cute!
Run
26.2 miles………No doubt, I was tired. I started to run and knew that I would only be able to go so far before I had to walk. I think I ran for about 4 miles and then started to walk/run.
As the run began I realized that I forgot to take off my bike shorts and my hutchie was feeling pretty cramped! So I stripped it off my bike shorts and handed it to a volunteer who put it in my special needs bag. Ahhhhhh, much better. (I had my team z tri shorts underneath).
I remember going up the hill toward the Team Z tent and the roar of the crowd. It was awesome as I swirled my hat in the air above my head, seeing all the people cheering I was all smiles. I saw my parents cheering and it was very exhilarating and uplifting.
I think I made it to about mile 7 where the walking really started to occur. Between miles 8 and 14 I was walking a lot. Around mile 9 I passed the Team Z tent again and Carol interviewed me with the camcorder. I was tired. However, my legs were not sore, they were not locking up. I could not put my finger on it, but realized I still had 17+ miles to go! During Carol’s interview, I told her, “This was it and remind me never to sign up for another IM again”. I was tired, but not in pain! I continued on. I was looking for Ed but couldn’t find him.
As I walked down Lakeside toward the start and back on the path Dave caught up to me. Dave was kind enough to walk with me a little and then he took off. The lowest of the lows was beginning.
Then, each aid station I remembered what Brian said about chicken broth, so I decided what the hell, I had to try something. I had to get some strength back and I couldn’t handle the GU because I was sick of it and pretzels were so dry. So, I think at mile 13 I had some broth and it tasted SO GOOD. It was warm and felt just right. When I hit my special needs bag at mile 14 or so, I stripped off my water bottle belt and grabbed my long sleeve shirt. I knew I was going to need it as I would be running in the dark.
I saw Dave at special needs and walked by him saying hello and he smiled as he was putting on a fresh pair of socks.
It was now time to do the 2nd loop. I felt like my energy was slowly coming back. After special needs I tried to run a little and saw Kathryn, Ilene (Dave’s girlfriend) and then who I thought was Carol. I was confused; I thought Carol was up the hill by the Team Z tent. Oh well, I got so excited that I went to go for a kiss and realized at the very last second it was Kitty! OOPS!!! We all started to laugh. It was pretty funny.
As I continued my walk up the hill I saw Carol again and she walked with me. I told her I felt my strength was getting back and hoped to be running. Then I saw my mom and them Carol left me and did the hand off to my Dad. I had such great support from my family and friends. I needed it at that moment. As I rounded the corner, there was Coach Ed, right there smack in the middle of the street waiting for me. I told him I was tired and he looked me in the eye, grabbed me and said, “Jerry, it’s an Ironman, it’s suppose to hurt, now get to it, get to it!” I got choked up a little bit and that was all I needed it because then my walk became a slow trot and I could hear Ed and my Dad yelling. It was time.
That was around mile 15 and I knew I had 11 to go. My walking now became more running than walking, a
little at a time. At the rest stops I sucked down chicken broth and water and I was able to get a GU down also. As I made it out of town and along the lake I picked landmarks to run to and then walk some. Then I realized that there were some Z’ers ahead of me and I used them as landmarks to run to.
I keep saying this as I was not competing but having people you know that I could run to was what I had to do
to keep going. First there was Suzanne, who I saw several times on the bike and who passed me on the run early on. I said hello as she told me I finally caught her and I told her she would catch me soon, she then told me what I did not believe at that time was that I was on a roll. I then saw Henry with that cool hat and then Justin as the sun began going down. Next thing I knew I passed mile 20 and was walking up the last steep hill. When I got to the turnaround, I ran down the hill knowing that Mile 21 was at that bottom.
I started to tell myself over and over again that “I want to be an Ironman, I want to be an Ironman” as I have done during so many training rides and then it happened, that moment, somewhere around mile 22 I started to say, “I am going to be an Ironman, I am going to be an Ironman”. I was getting pumped up after some 14 hours into the race – it was unreal! It was that moment, that change in thinking. I saw Dave shortly thereafter and I mumbled to him, “It’s gut check time Dave”. He told me the next day that I looked mad, like I was on a mission.
Soon thereafter, I saw Roy, Kim and Mark, going in the opposite direction, and Mark said “look at him, he is still running”. I was running, not very fast but I was running. I was not going to leave any effort behind. I was putting it all right there. My walk breaks were shorter and shorter. As I passed mile 23 I saw my name on the board come up and my message to myself said “Keep Movin Jerry Curl”. I also saw the clock say 14:09. Then, my mind woke up, if I did 14 minutes miles, I could break 15 hours. Now all of a sudden I started thinking about my time. What was happening??
During the water stop at mile 24 I grabbed some water and poured it on my head to straighten out the hair - I wanted to look good for the final picture crossing the finish line! ; ). As I started running again I looked ahead for my next landmark to start walking and then asked myself, why I want to walk, just keep running, there is no reason to walk. So, I ran.
At mile 25 I could not believe that I had 1.2 miles to go to become an Ironman. 1.2 miles to go. All the training, all the sacrifices, all those moments came rushing to me. It was going to happen.
I then made the last turn and a volunteer told me, you’ve got 6 blocks to go. As I ran down the hill I began to cry as I whispered to myself that I was going to be an ironman, I was doing it. It was like tunnel vision watching the finish, I ripped off my long sleeve shirt, fixed my number, played around with my hair. All I could see was that finish line, the lights, the camera flashes, the roar of the crowd and sound of the MC. I was only 4 blocks away and I saw a Team Z cheering crowd, threw them my long sleeve and just kept going. I made sure no one was around me as I approached the chute. I saw Carol in the street jumping up and down waving her hands yelling my name and heard my parents as well. I was so happy!!!!. The crowds were unreal, I lifted my hands up in the air they roared louder, the flashes were coming from everywhere and then I heard it, what I have been looking forward to hearing for 2 years when I began this quest, what I have dreamt about during hours and hours and miles and miles of training, what I have seen in the Ironman videos, that electrifying announcement, “FROM WASHINGTON DC, JERRY RICCIARDI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!”
There was ED, right there and I gave him a big ass hug. He was so choked up as well as I and he looked at me and said I did it. It was GREAT! He put a medal around my neck and gave me another huge hug. God I hope I remember this moment forever. Please don’t ever take that moment away from me.
After Ed, a volunteer grabbed me and handed me my finishers hat and t-shirt and also some water. He asked me if I needed to go to the medical tent and I told him no way, I was good. I then said to him with a smile – “I am an Ironman” and he replied, “Yes you are!” I waited in line for the picture and then I saw Carol and gave her a huge hug and then my parents. My turn was up for my picture and I adjusted myself with the biggest smile and got my picture. I just can’t get over it, still as I type this now and I’m sure as I read this years from now. How can I top this moment?
Carol had the camcorder going and she asked me if I had any last things to say, so I told her, “Yes, I’m ready to sign up for another”
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
IT'S TIME!
It's 4:25am and time to go do an Ironman. Last night, we had dinner with the team and families/friends. There were over 90 people there. During the dinner, Coach Ed prepared a great speech, slide presentation and motivation talks. If anyone out there ever wants to do an IM, this is the team to do it with. I walked out of there almost in tears it was such an inspirational. It almost got me to the point where I'm ready to sign up for another IM. I had a pretty good night sleep considering and now I need to go get some food because I have a long day ahead of me.
Thank you for all your support - see you at the finish line!!
Thank you for all your support - see you at the finish line!!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Remember to track me online!!
Track me online at www.ironmanlive.com/ironmanlive
My bibb number is 1009.
The race will start at 7am Pacific, 10am Eastern, and will end at 12 midnight, or 3am Eastern.
My bibb number is 1009.
The race will start at 7am Pacific, 10am Eastern, and will end at 12 midnight, or 3am Eastern.
...
This morning Mark and I drove the bike course and got a reality check by the number of hills out there. Part of me is like do I even want to do this?? The hills will be no harder then what we have done in our training rides, but it seems all the emotions and doubt are all coming at me at once. It's amazing how much energy I am spending today fighting those doubts! I'm ready, I just need to get to the start!
Today, I packed by transition bags (swim to bike bag and bike to run bag) and prepared my bike for the big day. We dropped off the bags and bike at the start. It is incredible how much preparation is needed for an IM as opposed to a marathon where you just show up with shoes and a number. Here, you have transition bags, special needs bags and warm clothing bags.
We have a Team Z dinner tonight and then I will prepare my nutrition bags. Tomorrow we will be waking up around 4am to start nutrition and hydrating.
My right knee is feeling better today, however, my neck popped in my sleep last night so my kink is back, but not to bad. I'm sure all these aches and pains are all in my mind but they sure do hurt!
Well, off to some more relaxing and WAITING!! 4 am will be here before I know it!
Today, I packed by transition bags (swim to bike bag and bike to run bag) and prepared my bike for the big day. We dropped off the bags and bike at the start. It is incredible how much preparation is needed for an IM as opposed to a marathon where you just show up with shoes and a number. Here, you have transition bags, special needs bags and warm clothing bags.
We have a Team Z dinner tonight and then I will prepare my nutrition bags. Tomorrow we will be waking up around 4am to start nutrition and hydrating.
My right knee is feeling better today, however, my neck popped in my sleep last night so my kink is back, but not to bad. I'm sure all these aches and pains are all in my mind but they sure do hurt!
Well, off to some more relaxing and WAITING!! 4 am will be here before I know it!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Anticipation...
This feels like a game of waiting and keeping busy just to get to the start line. I keep reminding myself it will be here soon enough.
This morning we went down to the lake about 7am and did our brick workout. 15/15/15 - 15 minutes each for the swim/bike/run. The water was still pretty rough as the wind was blowing into the shore and man was it cold. It took me about 5 minutes to get used to the temperature so not to bad. On Sunday, I will need to remember to get in the water before the start and get the "shock" over with. I felt good throughout the workout, however during the day, my right knee started acting up. I'm a little worried because right now it hurts for barely a short workout. I even went to RiteAid tonight and bought a knee brace to put in my goodie bag on the run. I'll get the goodie bag around mile 13 so if my knee really hurts, I'll put the brace on then.
After our workout, CJ and I drove around the lake and looked at the scenery - so beautiful. We came back and I took a 2 hour nap because I felt exhausted. Tonight we went to dinner with my parents.
Right now at this moment, I feel very grateful for all the support I am getting right now. From my wife, parents and friends - your emails and phone messages are great and they will give me something to think and use to get me through on Sunday.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as we have to rack our bikes at the transition area, pack our bags and drive the bike course. So much to do!!
This morning we went down to the lake about 7am and did our brick workout. 15/15/15 - 15 minutes each for the swim/bike/run. The water was still pretty rough as the wind was blowing into the shore and man was it cold. It took me about 5 minutes to get used to the temperature so not to bad. On Sunday, I will need to remember to get in the water before the start and get the "shock" over with. I felt good throughout the workout, however during the day, my right knee started acting up. I'm a little worried because right now it hurts for barely a short workout. I even went to RiteAid tonight and bought a knee brace to put in my goodie bag on the run. I'll get the goodie bag around mile 13 so if my knee really hurts, I'll put the brace on then.
After our workout, CJ and I drove around the lake and looked at the scenery - so beautiful. We came back and I took a 2 hour nap because I felt exhausted. Tonight we went to dinner with my parents.
Right now at this moment, I feel very grateful for all the support I am getting right now. From my wife, parents and friends - your emails and phone messages are great and they will give me something to think and use to get me through on Sunday.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as we have to rack our bikes at the transition area, pack our bags and drive the bike course. So much to do!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Coeur d'Alene Idaho - We have arrived!
We have arrived!!!!! We got in last night around 11:00 Pacific time so I was pretty tired. We picked up our low rider station wagon at the Spokane, WA airport and used my new Garmin navigation system (b-day gift), we made our way to the hotel. WOW, I'm finally here!Today, we did a practice swim in the lake. MAN, was that lake cold, but absolutely beautiful. I warmed up after about 10-minutes in the water. Also, the water was a little choppy with the wind blowin into shore. The course is counterclockwise and two loops in whi
ch you swim out (against the waves) turn left and then come back get out of the water briefly to run over a mat and then back in and repeat. So, if this winds keeps up it will be tough going out but nice and easy coming in. I just need to keep reminding myself that no matter what, keep my heart rate and level of exertion down! It's going to be a long day and I certainly don't want to blow it on the swim!
ch you swim out (against the waves) turn left and then come back get out of the water briefly to run over a mat and then back in and repeat. So, if this winds keeps up it will be tough going out but nice and easy coming in. I just need to keep reminding myself that no matter what, keep my heart rate and level of exertion down! It's going to be a long day and I certainly don't want to blow it on the swim!
After the swim we went to packet pickup. I cannot remember the last time I went to pick up my packet and smile so much. I was so happy showing my ID, signing my life away with waivers, weighing in (even though I was 10lbs heavier), having a volunteer go through my packet with me and leaving the tent. I was all smiles. I am so excited, so happy at this moment. It is such a good feeling to have. I have worked so hard for so long to get here.
After packet pickup we went through the expo which was okay and then 
headed over to get a bite to eat at the Coeur d'Alene brewery. After drinking about 5 beers and eating 2 cheeseburgers and fries, we went grocery shopping and stocked up on Gatorade, pop tarts, pretzels and water. Now I'm just chillin in the hotel room trying to remain calm and force myself to take it easy because I really excited!!
p.s. - i really had a chicken wrap for lunch and a coke ; -), what do you think I'm crazy, I've got an ironman to do!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Birthday & PACK!
Today's my 39th birthday!! woohoo. This morning I went to swim and we had a nice easy workout. We swam about 30 minutes and just hung out. It was a nice change from the last 5 months of swim practices pushing it hard every workout. Just to relax, joke around with my teammates I've trained with for so long and enjoy the moment. So close.
As I rushed throughout day going to a zillion meeting and making sure everything is covered before I leave, I got home around 5:30 and met my mom, brother, dad and of course my wife to enjoy a nice birthday dinner. It was nice to have everyone over and it was unexpected. I felt weird about it because I missed mother's and father's day because of all the training and that they took the time to come over for my birthday. In some ways, I felt a little guilty because I couldn't be there for thier days, but it was nice to see them on my b-day.
After everyone left, I was up late packing my bags as we leave for Idaho tomorrow after work!!
As I rushed throughout day going to a zillion meeting and making sure everything is covered before I leave, I got home around 5:30 and met my mom, brother, dad and of course my wife to enjoy a nice birthday dinner. It was nice to have everyone over and it was unexpected. I felt weird about it because I missed mother's and father's day because of all the training and that they took the time to come over for my birthday. In some ways, I felt a little guilty because I couldn't be there for thier days, but it was nice to see them on my b-day.
After everyone left, I was up late packing my bags as we leave for Idaho tomorrow after work!!
Monday, June 18, 2007
NERVES!
NERVES! I am just a bundle of nerves. It finally hit me this morning as I was going to work on what I am about to do this weekend. I can't believe, 6 more days to go. In fact, at the time I am writing this blog, I should be on the run after starting at 7:00am. Unreal - IT IS JUST MIND BOGGLING.
I'll give a recap for last week soon enough. But in the meantime, I skipped the 30 minute run tonight because I have way to much to do. I plan on swimming tomorrow but I'm sure it will be pretty short.
Recap for last week:
Swim: xx miles
Bike: xx miles
Run: xx miles
Total: xx miles, xx hours.
I NEED TO RELAX! Otherwise it is going to be a very long week
I'll give a recap for last week soon enough. But in the meantime, I skipped the 30 minute run tonight because I have way to much to do. I plan on swimming tomorrow but I'm sure it will be pretty short.
Recap for last week:
Swim: xx miles
Bike: xx miles
Run: xx miles
Total: xx miles, xx hours.
I NEED TO RELAX! Otherwise it is going to be a very long week
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Thoughts...
So, what have my thoughts and feelings been and how have I been feeling these last few days as I approach the start?
Well, physically, I'm still fatigued but not as much as before. I have noticed that my energy will come back, then I'll do a hard workout and I'll have no energy for a couple of days. This has been the pattern for the last 2-weeks. My left neck still aches after the swim and my right knee still acts up after a long run. I noticed this week that my quads and hamstrings have been a little sore from the sprints on the bike and run we have been doing, but nothing unusual. I seem to be sleeping better at night and not tossing and turning like I usually do and it seems like it is a deeper sleep. I am still very hungry all the time and it's hard not to eat too much food. The concern here is not to eat to much because the workout volume has decreased and I don't want to be putting on extra weight before IM. In fact, I'm trying to drop a few more pounds before the start. I have been at 169 all through training and I would like to be at 165 at the start.
Thoughts & Feelings
You know, in all honesty, I just keep thinking it's time. It's time to start this race. I am as ready as I am going to be. I feel like the race is calling me. This may sound weird but after all the training that I have done, you just feel it, it's time. You feel that start, on the beach with 2000 other people is just yelling your name to get there and begin. PATIENCE, is all I can think of. I just try to remind myself to be patient as it will happen soon enough. This race will be here before I know and will be over just as quick.
I struggle at times on how I'll just be able to stop after IM, to not workout so hard as my body just craves the workouts. I know time after time I complained about being tired and worn out, but deep inside of me, it calls to keep pushing, keep going, don't stop, this is what I love to do.....You get these feelings and sensations during the long workouts. You feel alive, even though at that moment you may be so tired. It allows me to release all my thoughts and not think about anything. It will be painful and sad not to sign up for IM next year and watch others train for it. Well, this is my time and I'll be soaking it up as much as I can as next year and years to come will be for others as my time will come again soon enough. What will I do after IM? I won't know how to be or what to do to fill that craving, that void inside of me that allows me to be me that I have kept filled all these years in endurance sports??????? IM is not about one race, it is about the journey that has taken me here and will continue for years to come.
Well, physically, I'm still fatigued but not as much as before. I have noticed that my energy will come back, then I'll do a hard workout and I'll have no energy for a couple of days. This has been the pattern for the last 2-weeks. My left neck still aches after the swim and my right knee still acts up after a long run. I noticed this week that my quads and hamstrings have been a little sore from the sprints on the bike and run we have been doing, but nothing unusual. I seem to be sleeping better at night and not tossing and turning like I usually do and it seems like it is a deeper sleep. I am still very hungry all the time and it's hard not to eat too much food. The concern here is not to eat to much because the workout volume has decreased and I don't want to be putting on extra weight before IM. In fact, I'm trying to drop a few more pounds before the start. I have been at 169 all through training and I would like to be at 165 at the start.
Thoughts & Feelings
You know, in all honesty, I just keep thinking it's time. It's time to start this race. I am as ready as I am going to be. I feel like the race is calling me. This may sound weird but after all the training that I have done, you just feel it, it's time. You feel that start, on the beach with 2000 other people is just yelling your name to get there and begin. PATIENCE, is all I can think of. I just try to remind myself to be patient as it will happen soon enough. This race will be here before I know and will be over just as quick.
I struggle at times on how I'll just be able to stop after IM, to not workout so hard as my body just craves the workouts. I know time after time I complained about being tired and worn out, but deep inside of me, it calls to keep pushing, keep going, don't stop, this is what I love to do.....You get these feelings and sensations during the long workouts. You feel alive, even though at that moment you may be so tired. It allows me to release all my thoughts and not think about anything. It will be painful and sad not to sign up for IM next year and watch others train for it. Well, this is my time and I'll be soaking it up as much as I can as next year and years to come will be for others as my time will come again soon enough. What will I do after IM? I won't know how to be or what to do to fill that craving, that void inside of me that allows me to be me that I have kept filled all these years in endurance sports??????? IM is not about one race, it is about the journey that has taken me here and will continue for years to come.
Busy week - packing and stuff
Well another week has flown by as we approach the BIG day. I last left off on Monday so let's get you updated for the week.
Tuesday
THIS IS THE LAST 5:00AM SWIM!!!! AMEN! Now I get to sleep in on Tuesday's and get up at 4:30am instead of 4am for swim practice. This morning's swim was BORING! The coach took out all the lane lines and we swam straight for 90 minutes. I felt like I was in a washing machine as the water was really choppy and splashy. Every time I went for air I was swallowing water. It took me about 30 minutes to get used to the choppy water and to get in a sync where I didn't feel I was going to head butt into a swimmer coming at me. It was a good workout but just boring. I swam about 2.3 miles.
Tonight I SKIPPED bike - yes, I actually skipped last night's run and tonight's bike workouts! I actually spent the time packing my 25lb bag with all my gear for Coeur d'Alene (CDA).
Wednesday
Tonight was track workout. Man, it was short and sweet. We only did 4 x 800, 2x400's at Z4 pace with 2' recovery. I averaged about 3:11's on the 800's and 1:32 on the 400's. I was averaging about 3:17's 3 months ago - so a little improvement there.
When I got home I finished packing my big bag and got my bike ready for tomorrow.
Thursday
Swim was fun today. After doing the normal warmup, routine, etc... the coach pulled all the IM folks on one half of the pool and had us swim in heats. The first set was 1x50 all out, the 2x25's all out. The first 50 I think my time was around 32 seconds. The first 25 was at 13 and the last 25 was at 14. I was cruising! I wish we did more of those during swim practice. It changes it up and it gives me a chance to really open it up on the swim which is getting stronger and faster these last couple of months.
Tonight, we did a quick 30 minute ride around Haines point with some sprints. Then we headed to Contee's bike shop in Arlington and dropped off our bikes. Brian in our group rented a hug U-Haul to drive the bikes out to Idaho. I think he is taking some 50 bikes out there plus a 25lb bag. Well, I must say I had the biggest bag as I packed all my gear in there and got picked on about it at Happy Hour. Oh well, better to have the stuff go in a U-haul then to carry it on a plane. Let's just hope the Uhaul makes it safely out do Idaho, otherwise I am going to be spending A LOT of money out there buying new gear!
Friday
This email I wrote to the team says it all:
Okay folks! I have been waiting for a year to be able to do this. Last year I watched each person doing Lake Placid post their bib numbers and was so pumped for those guys. I told myself - one year to go. So now it's time, let's get this ball rolling CDA folks...
MY BIB NUMBER FOR CDA IS 1009 - wooooohoooooooooooo!
Who's next?
Jerry
and the emails from everyone else started to come. I can't wait, we are so close.
Saturday
Today's run was nice and easy. I ran 10 miles in zone 2, took about 91 minutes. However, at around 10 minutes in my vision was acting funky and I felt really weird. The same thing happened to me last week on the run as well. So I stopped, regrouped and started back up again and felt fine. I'm not sure what that is all about but no doubt, this will give my mom something to worry about.
: )
Tuesday
THIS IS THE LAST 5:00AM SWIM!!!! AMEN! Now I get to sleep in on Tuesday's and get up at 4:30am instead of 4am for swim practice. This morning's swim was BORING! The coach took out all the lane lines and we swam straight for 90 minutes. I felt like I was in a washing machine as the water was really choppy and splashy. Every time I went for air I was swallowing water. It took me about 30 minutes to get used to the choppy water and to get in a sync where I didn't feel I was going to head butt into a swimmer coming at me. It was a good workout but just boring. I swam about 2.3 miles.
Tonight I SKIPPED bike - yes, I actually skipped last night's run and tonight's bike workouts! I actually spent the time packing my 25lb bag with all my gear for Coeur d'Alene (CDA).
Wednesday
Tonight was track workout. Man, it was short and sweet. We only did 4 x 800, 2x400's at Z4 pace with 2' recovery. I averaged about 3:11's on the 800's and 1:32 on the 400's. I was averaging about 3:17's 3 months ago - so a little improvement there.
When I got home I finished packing my big bag and got my bike ready for tomorrow.
Thursday
Swim was fun today. After doing the normal warmup, routine, etc... the coach pulled all the IM folks on one half of the pool and had us swim in heats. The first set was 1x50 all out, the 2x25's all out. The first 50 I think my time was around 32 seconds. The first 25 was at 13 and the last 25 was at 14. I was cruising! I wish we did more of those during swim practice. It changes it up and it gives me a chance to really open it up on the swim which is getting stronger and faster these last couple of months.
Tonight, we did a quick 30 minute ride around Haines point with some sprints. Then we headed to Contee's bike shop in Arlington and dropped off our bikes. Brian in our group rented a hug U-Haul to drive the bikes out to Idaho. I think he is taking some 50 bikes out there plus a 25lb bag. Well, I must say I had the biggest bag as I packed all my gear in there and got picked on about it at Happy Hour. Oh well, better to have the stuff go in a U-haul then to carry it on a plane. Let's just hope the Uhaul makes it safely out do Idaho, otherwise I am going to be spending A LOT of money out there buying new gear!
Friday
This email I wrote to the team says it all:
Okay folks! I have been waiting for a year to be able to do this. Last year I watched each person doing Lake Placid post their bib numbers and was so pumped for those guys. I told myself - one year to go. So now it's time, let's get this ball rolling CDA folks...
MY BIB NUMBER FOR CDA IS 1009 - wooooohoooooooooooo!
Who's next?
Jerry
and the emails from everyone else started to come. I can't wait, we are so close.
Saturday
Today's run was nice and easy. I ran 10 miles in zone 2, took about 91 minutes. However, at around 10 minutes in my vision was acting funky and I felt really weird. The same thing happened to me last week on the run as well. So I stopped, regrouped and started back up again and felt fine. I'm not sure what that is all about but no doubt, this will give my mom something to worry about.
: )
Monday, June 11, 2007
Skipped run
Tonight I decided to skip the run so I will feel fresh tomorrow for our last hard swim. I ran over 30 miles last week and feel I need to taper just a little more on the run, plus I'm pretty tired. The good thing though is physically, my body feels pretty strong, especially after another hard weekend. Tonight I need to start my what if scenarios for the IM. Such as:
- What if I get kicked in the face during the mass start on the swim, do I remain calm or do I bounce the guy that did it?
- What if I throw up on the bike or flat, or even wreck (sorry Mom, I need to think about these things)
- What if I go out to hard on the swim and lost my breath, or take mouth full of water
- What if I can't run during the marathon
Stuff like that....Then I need to begin developing my race plan as well, then I need to pack as my bike is leaving on Friday to be trucked to Idaho. Man, I've got a lot to do!!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Another weekend of training has come and past!
Massage - finally got my massage on Friday. Man, it felt great. He was able to loosen up the several knots in the left side of my neck and found some knots in my muscles above my right knee. Also, he loosened up my hamstrings, quads and IT band. I need to go back before IM, no doubt.
Saturday's run....hmm, was interesting. We set out to do 14 miles and I got 2.5 miles in and had to stop, walk and regroup. I'm really not sure what happened, maybe I wasn't expecting so much humidity from the forecast the night before or maybe it was the leftover affects from the massage. However, I was able to regroup my thoughts, start back up again and felt pretty good for the rest of the run. I think it took us around 2:05 or so and we ran from Roosevelt Island to Old Town and back.
Sunday - Aquavelo or what I would call Aquavelvet. The Aquavelo is the swim/bike portion of the Eagleman race held in Cambridge, MD. more later.....
Totals for week:
Swim: 4.8 M
Bike: 69 M
Run: 31 M
Totals: 11:15 hours, 105 Miles
TWO WEEKS TO GO!!!!
Saturday's run....hmm, was interesting. We set out to do 14 miles and I got 2.5 miles in and had to stop, walk and regroup. I'm really not sure what happened, maybe I wasn't expecting so much humidity from the forecast the night before or maybe it was the leftover affects from the massage. However, I was able to regroup my thoughts, start back up again and felt pretty good for the rest of the run. I think it took us around 2:05 or so and we ran from Roosevelt Island to Old Town and back.
Sunday - Aquavelo or what I would call Aquavelvet. The Aquavelo is the swim/bike portion of the Eagleman race held in Cambridge, MD. more later.....
Totals for week:
Swim: 4.8 M
Bike: 69 M
Run: 31 M
Totals: 11:15 hours, 105 Miles
TWO WEEKS TO GO!!!!
Friday, June 8, 2007
So, how do you practice for a mass swim start with 2000 others at IM????
http://weshobsonperformance.com/images/video.mpeg
Credits - I got this from one of my teammates Jen M. You can check out her blog at: http://triathlonjen.blogspot.com/
Credits - I got this from one of my teammates Jen M. You can check out her blog at: http://triathlonjen.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Energy is UP and Down
Well, it's Thursday and I'm getting ready to go bike at Haines point as I continue my "taper week". Let's get you up to speed so far this week.
Tuesday
The swim went pretty good. I feel really comfortable in my new lane and feel I can hold my own. I was keeping with the lead swimmers today and felt pretty good. My neck is still a little tight and I hope to get that worked out this Friday when I get a well needed massage. I skipped the bike tonight because I am feeling pretty worn down. My right knee and hamstring are pretty tight and sore and the massage should help this.
Wednesday
Well as much as I bitched about the 10 x 1200's, I skipped this workout and ran for about 65 minutes with some hills (~ 7.5 miles). Today was interesting because I started to get a little more energy back as I lost some these last few days. During my run I was analyzing my energy levels and although they are still VERY low, I am getting little spurts back and then losing them. I am assuming that as we get closer to IM, the spurts will become more extended and my energy level will be very high at IM - let's hope that is the global plan by the coaches.
Thursday
Today we swam about 2300 yards and had some good 500's at Zone 4 pace. I actually led the lane in the high Zone 4 for 500 and rocked it. I felt solid and kept a pretty good pace going. I did some minor tweaks to my stroke and that maybe making the difference. Although I will not be at Z4 pace on the swim, I'm hoping this will help me with my Z2 pace. We will see how it goes as I am doing Aquaman this weekend which will be a 1.2 mile swim. That will give me a good indication as to what my time could be at CDA for the swim.
By the way, I realized the other day as I was whining to everyone about my aches and pains and knowing that everyone else is going through the same, that I needed to separate how I was feeling physically to not influence my mental preparation. So, it was at that time that I decided mentally I am very strong and that the physical body will catch up the next two weeks. NOW is the time to build my mental preparations as we are only 2-weeks away. Don't get me wrong, every workout has been a mental preparation and now is the time to finalize that preparation into a plan to execute during IM. We are 17 days away!
Tuesday
The swim went pretty good. I feel really comfortable in my new lane and feel I can hold my own. I was keeping with the lead swimmers today and felt pretty good. My neck is still a little tight and I hope to get that worked out this Friday when I get a well needed massage. I skipped the bike tonight because I am feeling pretty worn down. My right knee and hamstring are pretty tight and sore and the massage should help this.
Wednesday
Well as much as I bitched about the 10 x 1200's, I skipped this workout and ran for about 65 minutes with some hills (~ 7.5 miles). Today was interesting because I started to get a little more energy back as I lost some these last few days. During my run I was analyzing my energy levels and although they are still VERY low, I am getting little spurts back and then losing them. I am assuming that as we get closer to IM, the spurts will become more extended and my energy level will be very high at IM - let's hope that is the global plan by the coaches.
Thursday
Today we swam about 2300 yards and had some good 500's at Zone 4 pace. I actually led the lane in the high Zone 4 for 500 and rocked it. I felt solid and kept a pretty good pace going. I did some minor tweaks to my stroke and that maybe making the difference. Although I will not be at Z4 pace on the swim, I'm hoping this will help me with my Z2 pace. We will see how it goes as I am doing Aquaman this weekend which will be a 1.2 mile swim. That will give me a good indication as to what my time could be at CDA for the swim.
By the way, I realized the other day as I was whining to everyone about my aches and pains and knowing that everyone else is going through the same, that I needed to separate how I was feeling physically to not influence my mental preparation. So, it was at that time that I decided mentally I am very strong and that the physical body will catch up the next two weeks. NOW is the time to build my mental preparations as we are only 2-weeks away. Don't get me wrong, every workout has been a mental preparation and now is the time to finalize that preparation into a plan to execute during IM. We are 17 days away!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Taper?? WTF!! When does Taper REALLY begin??
So, last night I told you about how we were waiting for the June schedule to see what the workouts will be. Well, I got to work this morning and they were finally posted and low and behold I see PEAK PEAK for weeks of June 4 and June 11. Then, I looked at some of the workouts! This week, 10 x 1200's at Zone 4 pace - WTF!!?!?!?!!?!?!! I thought we were in taper, not "let's really kill ya". Now, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the schedule but damn it, when I finish a 20 mile run at the end of an EPIC weekend, don't slap me high five and say 'WELCOME TO TAPER" and then two days later slam me with not so taper workouts.
p.s. I completely support and appreciate everything Team Z has done and have the most respect for the coaches - I'm just getting a little edgy so sorry if I have offended anyone. : )
Tonight, I did a 55 minute run in Zone 2 + 2 x 4 minute Zone 4 afterwards. I also included some hills as well. I went about 7.5 miles.
p.s. I completely support and appreciate everything Team Z has done and have the most respect for the coaches - I'm just getting a little edgy so sorry if I have offended anyone. : )
Tonight, I did a 55 minute run in Zone 2 + 2 x 4 minute Zone 4 afterwards. I also included some hills as well. I went about 7.5 miles.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Finally! I feel awake!!
Man, I feel like I have been in a fog ever since last Sunday and FINALLY, the fog has lifted today. I finally feel awake and actually have energy. I was getting worried that it would not come back. So, it took me a week to recover from last weekend. That will give me a good idea what it will take to get my energy back after IM.
So, let's recap the last two days.
Saturday:
Today we swam at Pohick Bay in VA with Team Z. Ed did a great job organizing this event in which he had buoys and spotters set up in the water for what we thought was a 1/2 mile loop. My motivation for this swim was zilch and it continued when I started up until I finished. I ended up swimming for 1:30 and I estimated it to be about 2.8 miles. My stroke felt smooth and even my sighting was good so I felt that I was keeping a pretty straight line - that is a huge improvement from previous open water swims. After the swim, we ran for 5-miles which felt pretty good.
When we were all done, it was only 11:30am!! WOW, can you believe that? Ed had the grill set up so I stuffed myself with a cheeseburger and potato chips and the time I was done, it was 12:00. I got home around 1:00pm and pretty much laid around all day, slept on the couch and was just plain lazy. My neck was still hurting me and I still felt pretty beat.
Sunday:
After a good night sleep last night, I woke up this morning and was HEALED! My neck did not hurt at all, AMEN, and I had my missing energy back. Today we rode in Rock Creek for only 30 miles. What a treat! To be in my back yard and not have to drive to a workout is always awesome. It rained today so I felt pretty grimy with the road spray but I felt good during the ride. The greatest thing about this ride was it was FLAT and I was home at 11:00am! WOW! To be home at 11:00am on a Sunday it just unheard of. So, I came home, cleaned my bike, which was nasty, and painted the bathroom. OH, one note today was a group of us got pulled over by the Five-O while riding in the park because we ran a red light and were not riding in single file. WHATEVER - there we no cars around and we were being cautious. Anyways!
I'm not sure what the workouts are this week as the coaches have decided to wait until the last minute to post them. I asked them today when the workouts were going to be posted in a joking way and they came back with, "you know what your workout is today, don't you?" I did not appreciate that since all I am trying to do is plan my week. A lot of us have a life outside of training, and they usually post the workouts way in advance. Not sure what the deal is this month. Oh well - no worries....
This week's total for my recovery week are as follows (to be posted):
Swim: 4.2M
Bike: 42M
Run: 9M
Total: 55 miles, 6:25 hours
So, let's recap the last two days.
Saturday:
Today we swam at Pohick Bay in VA with Team Z. Ed did a great job organizing this event in which he had buoys and spotters set up in the water for what we thought was a 1/2 mile loop. My motivation for this swim was zilch and it continued when I started up until I finished. I ended up swimming for 1:30 and I estimated it to be about 2.8 miles. My stroke felt smooth and even my sighting was good so I felt that I was keeping a pretty straight line - that is a huge improvement from previous open water swims. After the swim, we ran for 5-miles which felt pretty good.
When we were all done, it was only 11:30am!! WOW, can you believe that? Ed had the grill set up so I stuffed myself with a cheeseburger and potato chips and the time I was done, it was 12:00. I got home around 1:00pm and pretty much laid around all day, slept on the couch and was just plain lazy. My neck was still hurting me and I still felt pretty beat.
Sunday:
After a good night sleep last night, I woke up this morning and was HEALED! My neck did not hurt at all, AMEN, and I had my missing energy back. Today we rode in Rock Creek for only 30 miles. What a treat! To be in my back yard and not have to drive to a workout is always awesome. It rained today so I felt pretty grimy with the road spray but I felt good during the ride. The greatest thing about this ride was it was FLAT and I was home at 11:00am! WOW! To be home at 11:00am on a Sunday it just unheard of. So, I came home, cleaned my bike, which was nasty, and painted the bathroom. OH, one note today was a group of us got pulled over by the Five-O while riding in the park because we ran a red light and were not riding in single file. WHATEVER - there we no cars around and we were being cautious. Anyways!
I'm not sure what the workouts are this week as the coaches have decided to wait until the last minute to post them. I asked them today when the workouts were going to be posted in a joking way and they came back with, "you know what your workout is today, don't you?" I did not appreciate that since all I am trying to do is plan my week. A lot of us have a life outside of training, and they usually post the workouts way in advance. Not sure what the deal is this month. Oh well - no worries....
This week's total for my recovery week are as follows (to be posted):
Swim: 4.2M
Bike: 42M
Run: 9M
Total: 55 miles, 6:25 hours
Friday, June 1, 2007
No energy....
Man, I am beat. My neck is killing me, my body aches and I feel totally fatigued. Tomorrow we are schedule to swim 2.5 miles then run 5. I wish I could just skip the swim and do half the run. I thought I was suppose to get some energy back being on a recovery week. Not so right now, that's for sure.....
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