Journey Complete

Thanksgiving Day 2010 started my journey to Ironman 140.6.  After enjoying a meal with friends Jason told me he was going to do the full Iron distance triathlon at REV3 next year.  He said “if I do it and you don’t you are going to wish you did.”  He didn’t know I had been thinking about the full REV since I finished the half distance at Cedar Point the previous September.  I had been going back and forth between yes I will do the full and no that’s crazy.  The yes part of my brain won and I registered for the full REV in December 2010.  I called by wife to tell her I was going to do it and then sent Jason a text.  As Jason says “game on!”

 Off season conditioning began January 1, 2011.  I ran all winter with the Y Run Club, spinning classes and swimming at the Y. I work best when I have a plan, training for a triathlon is no different. I down loaded a plan specific for this distance.  I started following the plan in April.  There is a science to training so I wanted a plan that was written by a coach, I did not want to try to coach myself.  Also part of preparing my body to compete for 140.6 miles was proper diet.  But nutrition to fuel my body during the event was a different challenge.  In June Rick a biking friend told me about Infinit a new nutrition supplement he was using on long bike rides.  Infinit is mixed specifically for each person, it is not one formula made for the masses.  I began using Infinit for nutrition when riding or running.  At REV3 Infinit, one Cliff bar, 3 gels was my only food intake during the 14 hour event.  I was never hungry, no stomach problems and no leg cramps, Infinit worked.

September 11th was my first Iron distance triathlon. I had been training for this race for months, I had been thinking about it for years. It all started when I ran my first sprint triathlon in Shelby in 2007, I was hooked. And now I was standing on the lake Erie shore at 7 am. My friend Jason and I shook hands and wished each other luck and waited nervously for the gun to fire. I knew Jason would do well, he had been training hard and he was ready. I didn’t know if I was ready. But I was about to find out.

There is not much to say about the swim, bike and run. I followed my plan for nutrition and pacing. My arms and shoulders got tired during the swim, my legs got tired the rest of the race. The volunteers were great, the spectators along the route were eager to lend encouraging words and the weather was wonderful. The unique thing that stood out about this event was competing with Jason again, and seeing my wife and friends John, Rabbit, Brian, Dee, Greg, Ann  Marie and Rick cheering me on at various places along the course, I have great friends and my wonderful wife!

As the sun was setting I was running my last 3 miles, I could see the lights from Cedar Point getting closer and closer soon I would begin to here the crowd cheering for the runners as they passed in front of the stands. I knew it would only be a few more minutes and I would be running in front of those stands and I would be an Ironman. I rounded the last corner and headed toward the cheers, as I approached I saw Teresa smiling. I grabbed her hand and we ran together across the finish line. In honor of 9-11 the runners were handed an American flag to carry across the finish line.  Other good friends Dee, Greg, Brian, Ann-Marie and Jason were waiting on the other side. It was a very good day. 

In the end I finished only 9 minutes after my goal of 14 hours and finished 4th in my age group. I missed third place by less than 10 minutes but this race wasn’t about the finish time or how I placed this race was about finding out if I could do it.  I did it, I have completed the journey from Fatman to Ironman, and will do my best to avoid a return trip.

Photo's by Brian Coon