Going into this particular event, I felt that failure was a real possibility. I did the training, but there were difficulties along the way. In particular, I never felt as though I had a really solid long bike ride. The first one was five hours on my trainer because of the crappy spring weather. The first outside ride was in Lake Placid and it simply did not go well. The third one wasn't too bad, but the bee sting at mile 25 put a damper on things! And the last one was 100 miles in 95 degrees over a really difficult course that I will never ride again. So, despite doing the work, I just wasn't feeling confident. I talked to Randy (husband & coach) about how I was feeling and that helped. I realized that I have nothing to prove, even to myself, and that I can just go out there and enjoy the day. So, that was the plan.
Race morning was the usual. Check the bike, get the last-minute nutrition in the right spots, drop off the special needs bags. Randy and I made our way to the swim start and got a nice picture from a friend just before getting in the water. Thank you, Rebecca!
We were watching the flags on the dock as they were whipping in the wind and I remember thinking, this bike ride should be interesting! Anyway, the water was beautiful (of course - Mirror Lake is an idea swim venue), but really choppy. I wasn't pushing it, just enjoyed the swim. I got out of the water a bit slower than I would have liked, but I wasn't disappointed. As I ran from the swim exit to the transition area, I saw my parents. That was awesome, since I wasn't really expecting them to get to Lake Placid that early.
After a long transition, I made my way to the bike start and there were my parents again!!! I even saw several friends in that first section through town sending everyone on their way.
So, the bike - 112 hilly miles. But, 112 hilly miles that I know very well. While I was feeling a bit underprepared, I knew that if I stayed smart, I would make it through. The course changed back (more or less) to the original course and while I'm glad it did, I think it's a bit slower of a course, so I wasn't expecting a PR. Not surprisingly, it was raining on the way out on the first loop. But, that didn't slow me down. What slowed me down was the wind. Wow!!! The wind was whipping across the road with some serious gusts! I've never had to pedal through the Cascades. I mean, I always did, but it wasn't necessary. The descent into Keene was borderline scary. I could see others being blown side to side and I could feel it happening to me. Thankfully, the other cyclists around me were being smart and not taking stupid chances on that hill and I made it down safe and sound. A little chilly, but safe. During most long rides, I have a song get stuck in my head and, if I'm lucky, it's a good one. At this point, I had Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" going on and, boy, did that help! After that, the next 30 miles were uneventful. I was riding my pace and taking in my nutrition and feeling pretty good. I was actually feeling a lot more optimistic than I had in the days leading up to the race. Maybe I was better prepared than I thought.
But, I was definitely unprepared for what happened next. No, I didn't crash (whew!) or get a flat (which would have sucked, but I was prepared for that). At about mile 45, I all of a sudden could not shift in the back. I was able to shift the front chain ring, but I was stuck in the largest (easiest) cog in the back. My initial thought was that the battery for my electronic shifting lost its charge. That seemed odd to me, since I had recently charged it and it should have lasted much longer. I thought that I had messed up and was now really annoyed with myself for allowing that to happen. I rode the next 11 miles with only two gears available to me. The good thing was that for any steeper climbs, I could be in my smallest (easiest) gear, but the bad was that I could never get into a big enough gear for the flatter sections and that was slowing me down. I used that 11 miles to think about how I should handle this. I kept looking for some bike/tech support, but never saw anyone. I decided to stick it out and keep going onto the second loop. Worst case is that I just can't go fast enough to make the bike cutoff, but I had some time in the bank and figured it was worth a try. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...
As I got into town, I stopped to tell my parents and friends what was going on. I told them I was going to keep going, but I'd likely be a lot slower than expected and they shouldn't worry about me. Off I went.
Let me take a minute to thank not only my parents for their support over the years and on this particular day, but also my friends. When in Lake Placid, there are a lot of people that we know and it's always fun to see them at various points in the day. But, there are a few in particular that get special mentions here... Jen and Gerry were the best sherpas anyone could ask for. They were with us for the days leading up to the race, helped us with anything we needed and took pictures and video to memorialize the day. They, along with friends Jodi and Rob and my parents were the best cheering squad we could have asked for.
As I headed back out on the second loop, I saw a tent along Route 73 that said "Mobile Bike Shop." I immediately stopped and asked if they could help. Another friend happened to be there as well and got the mechanic to look at my bike. The mechanic (I believe his name was Karl, but I could be wrong) did a quick assessment and assured me that it wasn't the battery (whew!). It's a bit more complicated, but essentially the wiring had gotten wet and well, water and electricity are not really friendly. However, he was able to get me into a better situation by getting me into a bigger gear in the back. Karl said to stick with shifting only in the front until I get to Jay (so I'm able to actually pedal with some power through the flats), so that's what I did. On the first climbs of the loop, I was essentially in a gear that was a bit harder than I would have liked, but it allowed me to be in a decent gear in the flatter sections of the course. I was still slower as a result, but I got through the course. Karl (from Velofix in Albany) saved the day!!
I got into transition and prepped for the run. Let me tell you that some of the best advice I have ever gotten (and tried to pass along to others) about Ironman Lake Placid is that the bike course is very unforgiving. The general rule is to go easier on the first loop than you know you can do and just stay steady on the second loop. It is possible to push it on this bike course, but often those that push it suffer on the run.
Well, I didn't really have a choice but to push it on the bike and, not surprisingly, my run suffered. I ran about 6 or 8 miles and that was all I had in my legs (even that was a run/walk). I did meet up with my friend Pam and she kept me company for a little while. Unfortunately, I didn't have it in me to run much longer and she went off ahead.
One may think this experience would have been enough to call it quits. I admit, I kind of wanted to, but really... stuff happens in an Ironman and this bike issue was out of my control, so I adjusted my attitude and decided that I would finish no matter what (after all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger) and I'm so glad I did.
What I didn't know was that my husband and best friend, who was participating in his eleventh Ironman, had decided long before starting this race that he was going to slow down so that we could finish the race together. Randy's typical Ironman time is around 11 hours and my best time is around 13 hours, so this was an awesome sacrifice for me. His bike split and my anticipated bike split should have put us about 45 minutes apart on the run. The plan was that he'd walk and stall until I caught up. What he did not anticipate was that my bike had other ideas and we were more like 90 minutes apart. We finally met up with about two miles to go. I couldn't have been happier to see him.
We decided that he would dip me just before crossing the finish line. Well, a wrong move had us stumbling and laughing but it was a great moment.
As we came across the finish line, Mike Reilly called out "Randy and Karen, you are an Ironman couple!"
I wish I had the words to describe how I felt that he sacrificed his race so that we could have that moment together. All I can say is that I am so blessed to have him by my side, not just in Lake Placid, but every day. I love you, Shmoopie!!
So... I call this my "Worst and Best Ironman." The worst because it was my slowest. The best because I not only persevered through a difficult and frustrating scenario, but I was reminded that Ironman isn't about the time. It's about celebrating life and being grateful to not only have the opportunity and ability to do something like this, but to do it alongside the best husband I could have ever asked for.
Great journey Thanks for sharing
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