Reflections on my Ironman Journey

"The sacrifices we made for Ironman are actually rewards in disguise." - Chris Skelton

Chris is absolutely right.

We made many sacrifices: time with family and friends, time for us, work, life... much of our lives were put on hold, particularly as race day approached and our training volumes increased.

Over the past year I learned that Ironman isn't about race day - it is about the journey that takes you there.

What a year it was. I fell in love while training for Ironman. I found myself in the hospital while training for Ironman. I grew closer to the most amazing people training for Ironman - Chris, Dian, Paul, Jake, Ryan, Ashli, Elisa, Rick, Kara, Rangsiwan, Jessica, Julia, Sam and all the rest of my GGTC teammates. I broke my elbow training for Ironman. Most of all, I learned much about me.

During my Ironman swim I thought back to about 15 months ago when I found myself sitting down to dinner in Santa Barbara with five people that I had only recently met, the night before doing my first century ride in over a year -- the Solvang Century. I wasn't even sure I could do a 100 miles at that point, as it had been a while.

Mark, D'Anza, J.P, Janet and Jim were all talking about the Ironman race they were training for, Ironman Coeur D'Alene. Mark was talking about training and testing and blood tests... I had no idea what he was talking about. I felt like the outcast at the table, but recall thinking to myself that these people were so amazing, as they were training for an Ironman! There was no way I could do an Ironman...

One year later, I found myself in Santa Barbara, the night before the Solvang Century, talking about the same things - training, blood tests, thresholds... concepts I was very familiar with. A century was no longer daunting and I was actually looking forward to it.

Ironman has indeed been a rewarding experience for me. I learned so much about myself while training - my perseverance, will, desire, dedication and my strength. These are lessons that will carry me through the rest of my life - in athletics, in my career, and in life generally.

I was inspired by many along the way - my coach, my family, my friends - but mostly by Jon "The Blazeman" Blais.

The day after the race I was already thinking about what Ironman I wanted to do next. I think I have decided on IM Canada. Probably not next year, as I have some living to do, but maybe in 2010.

I look forward to seeing who I am in 2010.

In the mean time, many have asked if I will continue to blog now that my first IM adventure has come to an end. While I may not update as frequently, my season is not yet over, so there will be updates. Jessica is right - there is life after Ironman!

Next up, Vineman 70.3 on July 20th, followed by my first sprint distance triathlon in years - the Malibu Triathlon in September. My final event for the year - the Nike Women's marathon in October. No rest for the weary, or those who clearly have problems not signing up for races...

Ironman Coeur d'Alene

I have resurfaced on the other side of this Ironman adventure and loved every minute of it. The training was ruthless and didn't leave time for much else, but it also brought me closer to some amazing people.

In the spirit of those who have inspired my online blogging of my Ironman adventure, I feel I must share my race report.

SWIM: 1:40:26

"SERIOUSLY, are you kidding me?"

I am not a fast swimmer. Haven't been since sophomore year of high school when I grew tired of swim team and decided it was time to do something else. I haven't looked back. I knew a 2.4 mile swim would take me about 50 minutes for each 1.2 mile lap, and that is exactly what it took.

I have participated in many triathlons, ranging from sprint to half-Ironman distances. Each triathlon I have participated in began with a wave swim start, ranging from 50 to 150 or so athletes. Ironman is a mass start -- all 2,200+ of us started at once.

Chris compared the swim to sharks in a feeding frenzy... and he was absolutely right. Chris and I started on the far right side of the beach for the mass start, with me holding back for a few seconds once the gun went off to let "the boys" go ahead. No need to get injured at the start!

I was pretty fortunate and found (unlike many) some open water before hitting the first turn buoy, but it was short lived. 2,200 people all sighting for the same location -- well, you can imagine. It was insane. I was kicked, elbowed, and swam over. Good thing I was not afraid to fight back!

Prior to race day, I had only once participated in an event that consisted of two swim loops where you had to get out of the water and then get right back in. I did not enjoy it the first time, but found myself invigorated by the crowd this time and didn't mind it at all. Lap one down, one more to go. At the turn I heard someone cheering me on by name -- it was Julia! Yay! A friend! I loved it. Julia, you are a sweetheart.

I jumped back in and set out for my second lap. By this time the masses had thinned out as everyone found their paces. I was THRILLED that there were still people around me.

The second lap was uneventful. It didn't fly by as quickly as the first lap, but I finished feeling relaxed and ready to ride! My only frustration during the swim was on the way back in from the last turn buoy on the second lap of the swim. Some guy who CLEARLY had issues sighting kept crossing my (straight) line over and over and over again. Finally, while swimming over this man, I screamed "SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I think I scared him.

I was thrilled to hit land. Leg one DONE.

On my run up to transition I spotted a HUGE sign in the crowd that said "Jennie Eddy Rocks IM CDA!" Aaawww... Chris' parents! Sweethearts! I located them underneath the sign and waved as I headed into transition.

T1: 7:20

Transitions in Ironman are fun. First of all, people help you take your wetsuit off! Where are these folks in other races? I ran up to a group of three who unzipped my wetsuit, freed my arms, told me to sit on my butt, pulled off the rest and then handed the wetsuit over. Post wetsuit removal, I booked it to the women's changing tent where a lovely woman dried my feet for me, sprayed me with suntan lotion and sent me on my merry little way.

I grabbed my bike and started my 112 mile bike ride.

BIKE: 6:57:15

"And OF COURSE..."

We had driven the bike course the Thursday before the race so I knew it was a little bit more "hilly" than I had thought it would be. But, once out on my bike, I felt strong and ready to tackle the ride.

I saw my dear friend Lindsay about a quarter of a mile into the ride. How fun to have friends from High School cheering you on! I loved it! Classy me stuck out my tongue at her as I rode by.

I was under strict instructions not to consume anything but water for the first half hour of my ride. Done. However, when it came time to start eating/drinking, I took one sip of my CarbroPro bottle and realized this was not going to work today. It did not taste good nor did I want it. Good thing I had a back-up nutrition plan for the day (or so I thought).

I started on Powerbars for the first two hours of eating. My body has handled solid foods well earlier in the day on longer training days and then over the course of the day I switch to Gu's and then to liquid calories (of course, drinking lots of water as well).

It was during the second hour of my bike, feeling great, that my SRM power meter decided to stop displaying my wattage output. My reaction, "And OF COURSE this happens today."

While I did not have power, I still had cadence, so I decided to keep my cadence constant and just ride at a comfortable, but quick, pace. That worked for about five more minutes until I lost my remaining data - cadence, speed and the time I had been riding. My power meter simply turned off. NICE. (For those of you wondering, it was charged.) So, left with the time of day, I decided this was to be an old-school "ride as you feel" day.

I didn't let my loss of data get me down and I enjoyed the scenery. It was a beautiful ride. The hills we had seen while driving the course were a bit longer and steeper than they had appeared from the car, but I was ready for anything after Jessica's SEVEN MILE hill workout only weeks prior.

I finished the first loop of 56 miles in approximately 3:30. I wanted to finish around 3:15, but was resolved to the fact I just wasn't having the best day and to enjoy it regardless.

Heading back out to ride the same loop, I thought, "I have to do it again?" But, I was still feeling good and strong and knew it could be a good ride.

I was thrilled when I came up behind a cyclist wearing number 1957. SWEET.

As I had no data, I am not quite sure where I was when I found Kara, but I would guess it was about 10 miles into the second loop, or at about mile 66. Kara is a friend and fellow GGTC Board member. And, as we spent many a mile riding together down at the Wildflower Course, I knew we were pretty evenly paced. Kara and I passed one another back and forth for a while and then just started chatting and ended up riding together. What a wonderful way to pass the miles. I never had a dark moment on the ride. We must have appeared to be having a great time because a woman we passed declared, "I wish I had a friend to ride with!"

At about mile 106 Kara zipped ahead, not to be seen again until transition.

The last 6 miles seemed long, as there was a bit of a headwind, but I didn't much care. I was almost done with the bike leg and was thrilled to be getting off my bike. Note to self: 112 miles in tri shorts is painful.

T2: 6:08

I was happy to pass my bike off to the lovely volunteers who whisked it away at the dismount line. Again, where are these folks in all my other events? I don't have to rack my own bike?

I grabbed my T2 bike to run bag and ran into the women's changing tent for the final time. I traded my bike helmet, bike shoes and sunglasses in for my visor, Garmin watch and running shoes and took off to start my marathon.

RUN: 6:35:14

"No way! It's you!"

My run was my favorite and least favorite part of Ironman.

I am a terribly slow runner. I have never run a 5K in under 30 minutes. Never. I consistently run a 10:30 to 11:00 minute mile on a good day. Longer distances are worse.

I was wearing my Garmin, which provides pace and was thrilled when I first looked at it once I had settled into about a mile of running that my pace was a 9:30. NO WAY! I felt great and was thrilled. I felt like I was holding back and was still moving. SWEET.

I tried to not look at my watch too many times, or I knew I would start obsessing about times. However, at mile 3.1 (5K) I noted my time was at 28:18. OMG. I was thrilled! Was this the start of a great marathon? I hoped so, but didn't want to blow it, so I slowed down to my planned pace of 11:00 per mile.

Ah, alas, it was too good to be true. I made a fatal error during the final hours on the bike. In my backup nutrition plan, I had started consuming Clif Blocks for the last two hours of my ride. Clif Blocks are what I traditionally use as fuel when running.

At mile 7, after having consumed Clif Blocks for over three hours, my body decided it was done with food (and water). Any time I tried to swallow or chew I wanted to throw up. I couldn't get anything down. I decided to slow it down and hoped my stomach would settle.

It got worse. With no fuel or water, I was running on fumes. My calves and quads threatened to cramp and I settled into a walk to calm my system. It was all downhill from there.

There was a highlight before the downfall. At about mile four I spotted in the crowd a gentleman I have seen many times before -- a guy holding a teeny tiny little sign, probably 4 inches by 4 inches, that simply said "Go." It's the Go Sign Guy!

I had seen Go Sign Guy the first time at Wildflower in 2007. He was hilarious. I busted up the first time I saw him and his sign and he loved it. He gave me a special shout out. I saw him again at Escape from Alcatraz a few months later on the bike and run courses and he remembered me. We laughed. I hadn't seen him since, until my Ironman run.

Me: "Oh my goodness! Where have you been? I haven't seen you since Escape last year!"
Go Sign Guy: "No way! It's you!" (Now running next to me.) "We have to stop meeting like this!"

Go Sign Guy's name is Dan. He made my day.

I was super excited each time I saw Chris, Ryan, Jessica, Brian and Dian, as they were FLYING. I was also thrilled each time I saw a GGTC teammate or friend, all the SF Tri folks, fellow Blazeman Warriors... you name it, it provided a moment of joy.

Miles 7 to 13 were bad. An extreme bonk. With no water or fuel, I did not feel well and all I could think about was getting to my special needs bag at mile 13. In that bag was a Twix bar that was calling my name. I eventually made it to special needs, after having watched my desired 14:30 finish slip away.

I tore into that special needs bag to gather my remaining shred of hope. That Twix bar saved my day. I was able to eat a bite of it. After letting it settle a bit, I had another bite. Finally, about a mile later, I started to feel better and could actually jog.

I spent much of miles 13 to 20 with a gentleman named Jason from LA. Jason was having IT band issues and was not happy. Having been through the same issue earlier in the year, I felt for him. We had a lovely chat until mile 20, when I finally felt that I could run again and set off to run the rest of the way in.

I spent a lot of the run feeling disappointed, but reminded myself that I was fortunate to be healthy and injury free -- this was a nutritional issue -- something that can be fixed and improved upon for future events. And, my original goal was to finish this race healthy -- something I was doing.

Coming around the last bend I could finally see the finishing chute. The end of this journey was in sight. The Coeur d'Alene community was so supportive and there were people cheering everywhere. It made those final six or so blocks unforgettable.

It was amazing to cross that finish line... "Jennie Eddy, You are an Ironman!"

After crossing the line and receiving my finishers medal, hat and t-shirt, a very nice young man asked me if I needed anything. "Just Chris." And then I heard Chris call my name.

TOTAL TIME: 15:26:20

It's Official...

I AM AN IRONMAN!

Thank you to my family and friends for all your support.

Thank you to those of you who emailed, called, texted, send cards, gave me inspirational cards, cheered me on on the race course (Lindsay, Dana, Julia, Paul, Jim and Ginny)... it meant so much to me. Thank you.

Kara, you were a lifesaver today. Thanks for pacing me when I found myself with no power.

Paul and Dian, I am so thankful we all made this journey together. I love you both.

And Chris, well, there are no words.

Race Eve

I awoke early this morning. Part of me wanted to sleep in but the other part of me wanted to get up early so I would be able to go to sleep early (hopefully). The part of me that wanted to be up won out. Too bad Chris wasn't on the same schedule.

We hit the water for a quick little dip about 8 am and were thrilled to discover that we have acclimated to the water or it has warmed a few degrees. Regardless, it was not as shockingly cold as it has been the past few days, so we were both pleased.

Race day eve is a bit of a hassle! All these bags to organize and plan out. You have to drop your transition bags and bike off the day before the race, so you really have to plan ahead. How many gels do I want? How many bars? Should I open the bars ahead of time? Be sure to cut the corner off the Clif Blocks (thanks Will)!

After the quick swim and short bike (where Chris and I attempted to take a photo of the two of us), I set out to organize my bags and Chris did his. Dian and I were cross checking to make sure we both had everything. I am so thankful to have friends here with me doing the same thing!

Post bag packing, bike drop off and t-bag drop off, we were off to the store to get ready for our final pre-race meal. We planned a very early bbq for Dian and Chris' parents. We managed to squeeze in a traditional family-gathering game of cards (I won!) and then set out for the resort to do our final prep and get ready for bed.

Didn't exactly stay off my legs today, but rather kept myself busy to avoid the pre-race panic. I remember feeling like this before my first half. I guess it's just the unknown of the longer distance.

Wish us a sound night of sleep and a lot of luck!

Rest Day

We were ordered to stay in bed as long as possible today. I tried and tried and tried to sleep in, but by 7:30 am I was UP.

After a huge breakfast, we drove the bike course. It is beautiful and green, but a bit hillier than I thought it would be. Apparently "rollers" in Idaho are a bit hillier than "rollers" in the Bay area.

Cheryl had left me a voicemail message asking what on earth we are doing these last few days before the race. We are resting and gearing up for Sunday, and I am trying to calm my nerves.

I am much less anxious today than I have been all week. I remain nervous, but am starting to get excited too. It's that darn super long run that has me nervous. A marathon on its own doesn't freak me out -- it's a marathon after biking 112 miles. Yikes!

Post course preview and lunch, Chris and I headed out for a little last minute gear retrieval and organization with his parents. We ran into one of my favorite GGTCers, Ryan, in the hotel lobby on the way out. Ryan is going to rock this race. I can't wait to see it.

Post shopping, we headed back to Chris' hotel to put our feet up and watch a movie. While resting we were spoiled with well-wishes from Ashli. Ashli, you are sweetheart -- thank you! You made our day!

For all of those back home, I also ran into Jessica today and she looks READY to go! Go Jess!

Chris' parents treated us to dinner again today -- this time at the Cedar's Floating Restaurant. It really was floating -- right where the Lake meets the river. I was surprised by how strong the current was. It was so strong when they sat us on the patio I thought that I might get sea sick. My favorite moment of the evening was the local who tried to whisk away Chris' mother and girlfriend. We also spotted a really funny license plate in the parking lot.

After dinner Chris and I headed back to the resort to attend the mandatory athletes meeting, where we found Dian. Not exactly exciting, but fun to see all the athletes. It's funny -- I recognize a lot of people from Wildflower and Oceanside.

Tomorrow morning we have a very short swim, bike and run, just to keep the muscles moving. They say the water will be about a degree warmer. We shall see!

Registration Day

Yesterday when I arrived I thought maybe we had come a day too early. We did not. I am so thankful that I have to days to completely chill before the race.

We spent the entire day running around – the practice swim, shopping for CDA and Ironman merchandise, picking up our bikes from TriBike Transport, Race Day Wheels… these things take up a lot of time!

I was anxious to get into the water today. We have been hearing about how COLD the water has been for months and months, so I wanted to make sure it was bearable. Many were sporting neoprene booties and caps and it had me worried! Was it that cold?

Dian cracked me up as we were getting in, as she had FOUR pairs of goggles. She's worse than me.

I got in and it was cold, but as we occasionally swim in the Bay, it wasn’t too bad. We swam one loop of the partial course before heading back to the house to get ready for some serious shopping.

I spent SO MUCH money on Ironman gear today. I thought I was the biggest geek ever until the salesperson helping the gentleman behind me announced his total. He spent more than me. I felt better.

When we registered we were thrilled to discover that we received a race poster – Chris and I had wanted one since seeing them in store windows about town. It will be just perfect in my new office!

We also had our body compositions tested, which was surprisingly fun. I have the metabolism of a 16 year old. Who knew?

Chris, Dian and I rode part of the run course today, and it looks like it will be a very scenic run.

I saw many of the GGTC contingency out doing the same thing, and also ran into GGTC member Gordon, who I met during Vineman 70.3 last year when we ran about 5 miles together.

After my ride, I met up with one of my best friends from high school, Lindsay, and her two sons, who are the cutest things ever. It was so fun to see her, as it’s a rarity.

I was also spoiled with the most beautiful gift basket and bouquet of flowers from my parents, sending good luck. Thank you so much Mom and Dad! The treats are amazing and the flowers beautiful.

After a quick little run, I joined Chris and his parents, who arrived this afternoon, for dinner. It was a busy but a good day. I find myself looking forward to sleeping, as I cannot WAIT to sleep in tomorrow!

Welcome to Idaho

We are off!

Our flight from the Bay Area to Spokane, Washington was quite entertaining. Triathletes are pretty easy to spot - the shaved legs, the Zoot tri bags, the incredibly fit bodies… and our flight was FULL of them.

We have arrived in Coeur D’Alene. It is BEAUTIFUL here. I find myself looking forward to my 112 miles on the bike to explore! (Alright, maybe not 112 miles, but many miles nonetheless.)

We arrived around lunch time and sought out the Coeur D’Alene Brewing Company, as many have told us we just had to go. While there we there, our waitress pointed out a local celebrity, Lee, who is a George Bush impersonator. Dian and I were more impressed with spotting Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to complete an Ironman distance triathlon.

After lunch we took a little tour down to the Lake to check out the water temperature, as we have been hearing about it for months. Dian and Chris both stuck their hands in and said, “it’s not that bad.” I put my feet in – it’s COLD. I think it’s colder than the Bay, but I will find out for sure tomorrow morning when we jump in for a practice swim.

After a trip to the grocery store stock the house for the week, we settled for a bit before heading out for our 35 minute run requested by our coach. My IT Band has been aching a bit for the past few days, but I am hoping it’s due to my taper. Regardless, I had a great little run. Even Chris was surprised at the distance I covered in my 35 minutes. SWEET. (I know, I know… this is not the time to be running faster than normal.)

There were athletes EVERYWHERE. I saw tons and tons of people while out for my run, many of whom had been on our flight or we had seen around town since we arrived.

Chris’ parents arrive tomorrow and I am looking forward to a visit with one of my closest high school friends and her children, who live nearby in Spokane, Washington.

I think it is going to be a great week here in Coeur D’Alene!

CDA Send Off

Prior to our departure to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, we celebrated the continued taper with a 3 hour bike ride on the Peninsula, touring about Woodside, Portola Valley and Palo Alto.

Dian, me, Chris and Phil, a New Yorker transplanted in San Francisco for the summer, headed out La Canada road for our adventure. It was to be our last rides on our bikes, as we had to drop them off later in the day to Tri Bike Transport for their journey to Idaho.

It was so nice to catch up with Dian, as it had been a long while since we had had the opportunity to chat. Chris and Phil had fun as well, which we celebrated post ride with some dim sum. YUMMY.

In the evening, Rangsiwan and Sam hosted a wonderful send off for those of us headed to CDA. It was so much fun to get together with friends from the triathlon club. Chris and I both had a wonderful time. When we were leaving there was a photo op and I seriously felt like we were being stalked by the paparazzi! There were so many flashes going off at once. It mad me laugh.

Thank you to all of those who sent us off... I felt spoiled.

Escape Continued

As the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon came to an end last weekend, I set out on my last longish run prior to CDA. Hoping to see some friends coming in, I set out on along the run course, running against the run traffic.

While running along I ran past Sarah Reinertsen, a challenged athlete that many know from Ironman coverage and from seeing her at events. I am a fan, as she is not only inspirational, but also because I am envious of the fact that she has been on the Amazing Race, one of my favorite television shows. I shouted a bit of encouragement as I ran by.

I ran the Alcatraz course plus some at a very slow "tapering" pace and was laughing when I returned home. My two hour run seemed short. I am hoping that this means I am ready for Ironman.

Escape from Alcatraz

I was SO UPSET when I didn't get into this year's Escape from Alcatraz. Out of me and five of my friends who had entered into the lottery, 4 received lottery slots to race. Poor me and Paul!

In order to avoid this issue next year, and to be able to cheer on those lucky participants who were racing, I opted to volunteer as a registration "Race Director," which allows me to bypass the lottery next year. I must say -- I have earned it.

We spent almost six hours stuffing the registration bags Thursday evening. I didn't crawl into bed until almost midnight, after having missed my workout and staying up way too late on a "school night."

I then spent the entire day Saturday working in the registration tent, which was a total debacle due to random shirt sizing. "The shirts ran big this year, so they say they are a size smaller than the shirt size you have requested. Rest assured, it's the right size." No one bought it.

Race day was a blast, however, as I was able to cheer my friends and GGTC teammates on full force, as my volunteer committment had ended at 7 am race day.

The weather could not have been more perfect.

I saw Jake, Wes and Chris come out of the water and chased Chris down to cheer him on as he ran back to his bike in T1. Chris had quite a cheering section, as his parents were in town, and many family and friends had come down to join in the fun.

I lucked out waiting at the finish line. While waiting for my friends, I maneuvered into a prime watching spot and saw Andy Potts and Leanda Cave win the event. Andy Potts was a fan favorite, as he ran around and gave all of us watching high fives. I have been praying that his high five has somehow transferred some of his triathlon excellence to me for a few weeks to get me through Coeur D'Alene. Ha!

I also ran into my coach, who was celebrating with his significant other, Leanda, who had won the women's event. He cracked me up as he grabbed my face and exclaimed, "this is what I like to see!" I must have looked confused because he then stated that I had the chiseled look of someone training for an Ironman. Please!

Everyone had a great race. Congratulations to Chris, Dian, Jake, Ashli and Wes! Now I can't wait for next year's event -- as I will be there too!

14:31:08

My boyfriend's father threw down a challenge this past weekend -- If I beat the time of his other son's three friends who did IM Arizona in 2007, he will give an additional $500 to my Blazeman Foundation fundraising efforts.

14:31:08 is the time to beat.

Nothing like a little monetary challenge to light a fire!

I have been studying the boys times... wish me luck!

Thunderstorms in Central Park

I found myself in New York City this weekend, running in Central Park during a thundershower, which featured a downpour that instantly soaked me to the bone.

Ah, the joys of a 3 hour run in the rain.

I actually enjoyed it, as it reminded me of home. Relocated Seattle-ites occasionally enjoy a good run in the rain.

I was in NYC this weekend with my boyfriend for his brother's engagement party. It was a whirlwind weekend of family events, however we managed to sneak in our training runs. Fear is a great motivator.

It was so hot and muggy on Thursday, however, that I ended up doing a 1.5 hour run on the treadmill. While I hate running on the treadmill, I decided the treadmill was preferable to the sticky alternative. I laughed when I made this determination as I could hear all my triathlon coaches, past and present, in my head -- "it's better to train in the elements!" Oh well.

I cannot believe that in two and a half weeks I will be in Coeur D'Alene getting ready for the event -- oh my goodness!