Everyone has failed at something in life. Everyone has beat themselves up for that failure no matter what the circumstances were or still may be. November 1st-8th could not, and would not be a failure for me. This one begins back in April, 2008.
Umstead, North Carolina April 4th 2008 is the date of the race that would set me on the Ironman/Pinhoti adventure. Umstead is billed as "Just a Walk in the Park". Which essentially it is. Maybe I underestimated the hurt rain and cold can do to a man. Everything was fine for the first 50 miles, I felt great, however Jen did not and dropped at 50. I had a great surge in energy as I will come to find out happens to me at 50 miles. Anyway, I took of like a bolt at mile 50 and ran the next 12.5 fast enough that Jen was not there to see me as I came in. 62.5 down, only three more laps to go! Not so fast there buddy boy! I slipped in the mud and removed the big toenail from the connection and now all the pain was compounding. The chaffing was like raw burger meat and the toe was throbbing. I only made it to 75 miles, failure numero uno. Failure numero dos was the Keys 100 Ultra May, 2008. Made it to 82 miles, dropped but at least I now know my self at 4a.m. at 20 hours. Another day will be the Keys report.
Panama City Beach here we come!! Jen and I headed down to meet our friends Scott D'Angelo and Sarah Thomsen for a little race called Ironman Florida. Super Sexy Time for all is what I say! Anyway what a great weekend, great race great friends and the beginning of an excellent challenge. My goal was to do Ironman on Saturday the 1st in Florida, go home Monday back to work and on to Heflin Alabama that Friday for the Inaugural Pinhoti 100 Mile Endurance Run.
So getting back to Ironman, this was a great, fast course and had done my homework previously by riding the route twice. The run couldn't be that bad and the swim was going to be cool to. I tried my wetsuit on for the first time Friday morning in an early morning swim in the gulf, my 4th swim total for Ironman period. Did I mention I hate to train for the swim? Anyway, I was ready, and now it was just having to wait.
Race Day:
We walked down to the hotel Scott and Sarah were staying in and had some more coffee and plundered their bathrooms a bit before heading down to the 45 degree sand and air. AC/DC was playing loud and the crowd of over 2200 was getting seriously pumped! Now its just an hour or so of getting smacked, elbowed, kicked and scratched to get out of the water. Out of the water in 1:11, good time but little did I know my ever deserving wife was just one minute behind me! Onto the bike in a running jump and moving out pretty good, I was making good time. Just not as good as some of the "Ironman Peletons" I saw cruising past at cheat speeds. Seriously guys, you suck, may all you other races produce dnf's from drafting! Anyway at about mile 60 I got sick. Gatorade and I don't normally mix well and we got together out on the course. Baaaaaad mistake. My speed dropped to about 13 or so for as long as I can remember and orange still stains the road, but the next station was the turnaround. They also had bathrooms, also where I had to spend some time. This is where Jen also saw me on the bike!!! At that point I knew I needed to kick it but was still feeling sick and without any strength. A few miles passed and I was reborn! Paced kicked up drastically and I was back, from mile 80 on I was never passed again and passed about 100 people in the last 15 miles, what a rush. As for Jen, her training really paid off, she came in just 4 minutes after I did! time 5:44
The run begins, and ends. The runs was great, there were some issues at the beginning with breathing but fortunately negative splits were on the menu for the entire day and it just got better as it went on. Our run was through some neighborhoods and a parks, with just a little bit of main drag to throw in some great spectators. Slow marathon, time 4:25, but a finish in 11:32.
Not a bad time knowing I had to leave a bit on the table so i could do Pinhoti the next week.
Heflin to Sylacauga Alabama, the Talledega National forest, south end to north end. Rocks, roots, 16,000' +climbs, decent,mud, and leaves covering the "Pinhoti Trail".
More to come........
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