So we left Worcester the Wednesday before the race, September 3rd. I was so nervous and jesus talk about packing shit. So much crap to pack race day clothes, transition items, run clothes, hats, pants, nutrition, fuel belts, the list goes on and on. Oh the bike and shoes. Hahaha! We spent one night in Rochester NY on our way to Sandusky Ohio. When we arrived in Sandusky on Thursday, I was full of excitement, Cedar Point amusement park was pretty, the area not so much but it was decent. The hotel was all decked out for Halloween, my son got a kick out of that. After getting to our room and getting situated I met my friends that came as well to race to go for a bike ride. We did a bit of the bike course since two of the riders had done this before. It was pretty and flat. I was so excited. I was here at Cedar Point and I was about to participate in the biggest race of my life.
Friday we wake up and take a rest day. Me and a friend drove the bike course and that was great. Lots of corn field. Holy crap! But it was not that bad not many hills some rollers. I thought to myself I got this. And two nights before the race I am seriously cool as a cucumber. I am so relaxed. Not my usual self. If you knew me I am a stress ball. Literally nervous nelly....
Saturday came and it is the day before race day. Decided to go for an early morning swim with friends. As I was putting on my wetsuit I feel a breeze on my ass. My ass was exposed! I ripped my wetsuit!!
Ok don't panic.. Worst case I swim without one or I rent one from the vendor onsite. My friend pipes in saying she has the same wetsuit and I could use it if I wanted to. OMG! What are the chances she has the same wetsuit in my size. Thank god! So I am back to being calm cool and collective. I eat dinner early and go over to meet up with John and Sean at the amusement park. I decide to go on a ride with Sean it looked like a nice easy ride. OMG!! Not.. it was nuts spinny and I thought I was going to die before I got to my race. Sean was laughing. After that I went back to the room and watched t.v. turning in early. I was still so relaxed no nerves.
Race Morning!! Look at me slept through the night! OMG. never had such a good night sleep. I eat my pre-race breakfast and get my friend and head out to the swim start. You could feel the nervous energy as we stood by the race start. We decided to get wet before race start and get a feel for the water. Umm.. its a little choppy I think to myself. I don't think much of it. As the announcement is made to please approach the start and go over the start mat to register your chip I am still calm. My girlfriend said to me "hey you, what the hell did you do with Wamback." That is how calm I felt. Well that is all about to change. As we cross over the mat and make our way into the water I am getting nervous. The waves are pretty big. The start is in the water since Lake Erie is really shallow so we have to walk out probably 100 yards from shore. OMG! I am up to my chest and the waves are crashing at my face and I find myself jumping. Panic is setting in and as the whistle blows I start to swim. I really start to panic. I start to think I can't do this, waves are to big, I am going to die, I didn't train for this and can't adapt, and then I start swearing and breast stroking and crying. After 10 minutes in the water I tread water for a bit and I say to myself, "suck it up kim! you didn't train your ass off to drop out in the first quarter mile." I took my time met a guy along the way as we rounded the first mile (it was a two loop) and he tells me just take your time and try and duck the wave on way out and ride wave on way in. He said believe me you are not going to have a good swim so just get through it. He saved my life. We stuck together and come to find out he is a very fast swimmer and was with me! He said he does between a 23-25 minute mile swim and here he is with me. Unfortunately, we were not going to swim date since he was puking. hahaha! Several people were! Okay I got this... I finished, the swim and I have never been more happy. Not a pretty time 1:40 but I made it before the cut off. And 62 competitors were pulled from the water so I am damn happy.
Onto Transition 1. Dear god I am in good shape. Most people were vomitting and just looked awful. I felt a little nauseous but took some sips of water while I put my cycling gear on and took a bit of food and off I went. Bike was amazing. So many corn fields I nailed my nutrition, had a great ride. Felt kind of sick around 90 miles but fueled and felt a little better. Such a great ride and even got some woman all scared. I told her the corn field make me think we are in children of the corn and she freaked out and missed her turn. Hahahah! I had to ride to tell her she went the wrong way. She was doing the half and missed the half turn. So I had a little fun.
Transition 2 I was feeling good. Trying not to think about having to run 26.2 miles but thought I will stay the course and run to every water stop and walk the water stops. No long walking will cramp up! Had to keep telling myself that. I stayed with the plan. Met some awesome people along the way that keep me motivated, strong, and focused. So much to talk about with other runners and shared some stories. One woman had a whole entourage with her they had a radio. Oh I had to stick with her and I did for about 10 miles. I learned so much about this woman. She was amazing, my age. She lost her daughter at the age of three and was doing her first ironman for her. She has done many half irons for her daughter. It was an amazing and inspiring time of the run. She ended up getting a good kick the last two miles and i let her drop me. Another guy who we picked up along the way stayed with me till the finish. We chatted and as we hit the causeway to Cedar Point amusement park we could smell the finish as we encouraged each other for the next two miles. When we hit the causeway he made a joke what a romantic date we were on since there was water on each side, nice big moon, and the amusement park lit up in the distance. hahaha! it was romantic. :) We laughed.
What an amazing run. I felt great the whole way and now I have yards to go. I see my friends parents and my husband and son. I am crying emotional its over, I did it! My son ran in with me and was yelling at me to run faster. I hit the finish line! Emotions so big it is hard to explain! Roller coaster head is spinning I did it someone call COACH! I did it and I have my husband and son to thank for my success as well as many other friends and family. I finished why do I feel so sad, wait I feel sick. Off to the medical tent I go...
I finished! Better than I expected I was thinking around 16 hours and I finished in 14:45. Amazing! So happy and proud. What an accomplishment.
So now the real fun. I get back to the hotel room. Shakes all night, freezing, crying uncontrollably, and the shower I screamed bloody murder due to chafing. Then I decide to read Facebook posts because I can't sleep. OMG! Sobbing, just sobbing at all the people who wished me luck, followed me and supported me the whole day. Oh yes good times. Don't you just want to sign up for one now.
That is not even the worst of it. For the next six months to this day the mental let down and physical fatigue was way more than I could even imaging. I am still not right mentally from it all. Now goals seem so small and I can't wrap my head around not going that distance and being satisfied. I keep thinking there is nothing I can do that will top this, nothing is big enough. I am working hard to get out of this mind set. Now I know how people continue to sign up for them. It is 10x worse than "marathon blues" It is down right awful. That being said, will I ever do it again? HELL YES! I can't wait for the next one. Well that is my story.
