Ironman CDA Nastalgia

Late after noon last Sunday, I headed out for my second run of the day on the Ironman run course.  I had a few race pace (ish) intervals to do and thought what better way to get into race mode than to do it on the course.  As Shane & I started out I was a bit blah.  My legs were heavy and I felt a bit dizzy.  This happens a lot when I do double runs, I'm definitely more of a morning runner, but I usually come around.

Our rental is about a half mile from the park (transition) so we weaved through the Fort Grounds neighborhood then were on course.  Each turn I started to remember.  Remember the 3 other times I had been on this course (officially) and the memories just started flooding.  The first one was right about where the special needs bags are, passed the library and in front of Tubb's hill.  I remembered that is "Benny's lawn."  In 07 when we were here we met up with some "blog" friends from Utah.  Benny had a rough time out on the course and Shane told me about him literally just stopping to nap in this lawn.  A bottle of gatorade and I think a half of a sandwich later and he was back motoring through the course.  Every time I see that house, and that lawn, I think of that story.  Benny's lawn.  Benny and Jaynee are still great friends.

In that same area on the course, I couldn't help but giggle thinking about how Melisa and I ran the back half of the marathon together.  Exhausted and ready to be done, we made a pack to run the "flats" and walk the "hills."  Funny that was done on the "flat" part of the course.  But hey, whatever makes the miles click by.  And they did.  And the feeling I had crossing my first Ironman will NEVER be forgotten.

I'm also not sure I will ever forget the absolutely terrified feeling I had at the start of the race....

The experience of training with our group will always remain special to me.  I planned our weekend rides for months, booked our rental house and in the end we all had successful days.  We had each other out on the course, as well as my special super fans :)

Somehow Melisa peer pressure had me signing up while I was still on my Ironman high, and before I knew it we were back training again.  I of course hoped to better my time, and while I did by about 10minutes, it was really just transition time.  To be honest I don't know what I thought was going to be different.  If I knew then what I do now (NUTRITION), things may have been different, but none the less it was a a trip to remember with friendships made that were priceless.

While I was on the course Sunday these are a lot of the memories that flooded me.  I remembered Lindsay's crazy fun, energetic family out there cheering their faces off!!!  As I turned around on my last interval, this is what I thought of.  It carried me up the false flat and back into the Sanders beach area of the run.

This memory will be channeled on June 29th, for sure.

As will the post race celebration party. TEQUILA!

It was a few years before I came back to race here.  This time I got a few new friends to join me and we had adventures of our own training for months.  This was also my first time working with Michelle, and meeting her! 

 I had big hopes for this race, but once again came away a bit defeated.  My whole day was off.  The water was so cold that I think it shut my system down.  I was unable to take in my nutrition and fell flat on the run.  I had no get up and go, no energy.  My stomach was bloated to no end and I actually ended up running shirtless (NEVER HAPPENS) to relieve the pressure of my tri top.  I finished the race completely wasted and ready for a break from this course.  

We had a nice post race celebration (duh) where we got drunk with the coach, Shane confessed his goals and a few week slater we were both on a training plan with Queen BSC training for Ironman Canada! 

It's been 3 years since that last time here and I'm back and ready.  I'm in love with this town, and feeling more at "home" than ever.  My training buddies and girlfriends will be here in a couple of weeks and we have a whole group of spectators that will be out on the course.  I'm bound and determined to "WIN" that damn swim and come out in a respectable (for me) time and then nail the rest of my race plan.  Everything else will be like a card draw.  There will most likely be wind, there will most likely be  cold or HEAT (yes!), and I will make the best of it.  When I'm out on that run course I will remember such great people I've shared this experience with, and do my best to smile every step of the way!