I am trying to capture the Ironman experience and put into words for people to understand what it is all about. I think I am having a tough time because you really cannot truly capture what I experienced. The feelings and emotions that you go through during an Ironman are varied, depending on how hot it is, how windy it is, if you are working your way up a hill or whatever conditions the Ironman throws at you. All I can really do is talk about what an Ironman event is. Specifically, what the Ironman Arizona was like.
We left Austin headed to Phoenix on Thursday morning. We, being Rose Mary, two friends of ours, Bill and Fran. Bill and Fran were wonderful. Besides being very supportive over the last year, they had "Jims Crew" shirts made for themeselves and Rose Mary. I was given a really cool "Ironman Jim" shirt. Along with us on the same flight were about 12 teammates who I had been training with. The team is called T3 and there are 33 in total of us headed out to Phoenix. We have been training for close to 6 months to be able to complete the Ironman.
Thursday we spent most of the day just getting settled in. We swung by the race site to get registered and pick up my race packet. I hitched a ride with a couple of other T3ers and we drove out on the race course to get an idea of what the bike would be like. Flat was the answer. The roads were very flat, especially when compared to Austin. For the bike we would be doing three loops of about 34 miles. We would leave Tempe and head out into the desert, pass through the Salt River Indian Community for 17 miles and then come back into town.
After exploring the bike course, I went back into town and met up with Ro, Bill and Fran. Walking around Tempe and the race site, was almost like being in Austin, there were so many people from home. We saw a lot of old friends and met a lot of new ones. Everyone in the area was there for the Ironman. Everyone always asks. “Is this your first Ironman?” The veterans always try to make the newbie’s feel comfortable. They give advice and do their best to calm the nerves.
Friday morning was a day of preparation. I had to get my bike ready, and pack my transition bags. For the Ironman, the athletes are entirely on their own for equipment they need. So, we have transition bags that allow us to go from the swim to the bike and then to the run. The bags have your number on them so as you go through the transition area you pick up your bag and change from one segment to the other. If you forget something, you are pretty much out of luck. If you miss a critical piece of equipment like helmet or bike shoes, you are out of the race. If you forget something like socks, it is not the end of the road but it means you will have a long painful day. So it is up to the individual to have planned out all clothing and nutritional needs.
Besides dropping off the bike and transition bags, Saturday is another day of waiting around. I took it easy all day. Drank lots of water. Ate a lot of carbohydrates and just lay around. It was fairly nerve racking. I was not sure what the next day had in store for me but I knew I was as prepared as I could be.
Sunday morning, the day of the race, I woke up at 3:30 and ate breakfast. I took my time getting ready and was out of the hotel by 5:00. By the time I got to the bike transition area it was like a bee hive of activity. People were milling about getting ready. We had to get our bodies marked with our race number, put on sun screen, pump of the tires, double check the transition bags and most important, visit with friends. Here we all were. After 6 months of training together we were all getting ready for the race we have been preparing for. It is odd that all during training us all swam together; we rode together and ran together. Today, we were all on our own.
At 6:45 we were all herded into the water. One by one we jumped off the dock and into the water. I was with Liz and Amanda as we hit the water. As we swam out to the starting line, we were amazed by all the spectators. They lined both of the bridges and were all along the shore. We could not get a perspective of what 2000+ athletes looked like in the water but looking at all the spectators was really cool. As we tread water, we jockeyed around and tried to find the best spot to keep from getting beat up. The swim start is the most anxious moment. 2000+ athletes are all crammed into a fixed area. Once the gun goes off, everyone is swimming like crazy. There are slow swimmers mixed in with the fast ones. There are aggressive age-group athletes shooting for a record mixed with ones that just want to survive the day. With those conditions, it is common to get kicked, punched, swam over, bumped and pushed around. We all wished each other good luck because we knew once we started swimming; we would not be seeing each other for awhile. Amanda yelled out an “I love you Gordon” to her husband who got separated from us at the dock. Not sure if he heard her or not but it was touching. Somewhere amongst the spectators was my Mom, Kelly, my sister Judy, Ro, Bill and Fran. I wished they could see me but I knew that was not going to happen. I did not know it at the time but my sister had a big banner made and it was hanging from the bridge overhead. It said Jim Opre, Ironman Athlete, and in reference ot my last attempt "Tinfoil boy of the past". It is hanging in my garage now.
The gun went off and the next thing, we were swimming the 2.4 mile course. The swim was uneventful. I got kicked a couple of times, punched in the face a couple of times but nothing that caused me any concern. I was expecting it. I did catch some good drafts every once in awhile. Those are fun. You just drift in behind a swimmer and let them cut the water for you and you just follow them as close as possible.
Out of the water in one hour and 9 minutes and into transition. I picked up my bag and headed to the changing tent. There you get met by an army of volunteers. They take care of all your gear. They dump it all on the ground and help you get changed into your biking gear. When you are suited up and ready to go, the volunteers take care of packing all your swim gear up for you. The volunteers are awesome.
Out of transition and onto the bike course in 7 minutes. The bike out was incredible. My speed was good. The roads were in great shape. I was making some incredible time that is until I reached the turnaround and headed back into town. At that point I cam face to face with a headwind that slowed me down to a crawl. The wind was straight into our faces. It was a tough day on the bike due to the wind. I heard of several athletes getting blown off course. Some were hit with debris that blew into them. The bike was tough due to the wind. It was pretty un-remarkable other than hard. I made sure to drink water and take electrolytes every 15 minutes. I stayed pretty consistent on my intake and that helped a lot. Not much to report on about the bike portion. I did share a port-o-potty with another guy. I stopped and waited in line for a pee break. No one likes being in a race and having to wait for your turn in the outhouse. Me and another guy decided that we could double up in the port-o-potty to save time. So we did. That was a first... The looks on people’s faces when we came out were pretty funny. After 7 hours and 6 minutes, I finished the 112 mile bike course. I did not do as well as I had planned.
Going into the run, I did not let the bike bother me. One piece of advice we all got was to be flexible and not let anything get you down, just because things did not go as planned. I was in and out of transition in about 6 minutes and out on the run. The first 13 miles went great. I was at about 2 hours and 25 minutes for the first 13 miles. I continued on and then at about mile 17, my run fell apart. I had energy but my legs would not run. My hip flexors would burn and ache until I stopped running. I never quit moving but I quit running. I tried to run but after a few minutes, my legs would start burning again. So, at this point my big worry was hurting myself or doing something that caused me to not finish. I started walking my way to the finish line. I managed to pull off a fast walk. It made for a long day. At about the 25.5 mile spot I ran into two friends from Austin, Nancy and Karen. They had sat there all day cheering us on. It was a welcome site to see them because I knew the finish line was really close. Karen ran alongside of me and handed me a phone. She had dialed Felicia to let me talk to her as I ran. Felicia is a teammate who was supposed to do the Ironman bit had to pull out due to back problems. Felicia wanted to know what the hell I was doing taking time to talk on the phone, congratulated me and I was off to the finish line.
Another tenth of the mile down the road, on the bridge, I came across Kelly. She was on watch for me. She relayed a phone call to let everyone know I was coming around the corner. She ran with me for awhile and told me where everyone was so I could see them when I finished. That is about all I remember of the finish. It was all a blur, I ran in, feeling strong. I did not feel like I had spent all day covering 140.6 miles under my own power. I remember seeing my Mom and Judy. I don’t remember hearing them say “Jim Opre of Austin Texas, you are an Ironman”,, I don’t remember throwing my arms in the air as I crossed the finish line and catching some air as I jumped up. It was all an overwhelming experience that was so full of a sense of accomplishment. I looked forward to being reunited with everyone who had cheered me on all day. And I especially looked forward to some food.
We left Austin headed to Phoenix on Thursday morning. We, being Rose Mary, two friends of ours, Bill and Fran. Bill and Fran were wonderful. Besides being very supportive over the last year, they had "Jims Crew" shirts made for themeselves and Rose Mary. I was given a really cool "Ironman Jim" shirt. Along with us on the same flight were about 12 teammates who I had been training with. The team is called T3 and there are 33 in total of us headed out to Phoenix. We have been training for close to 6 months to be able to complete the Ironman.
Thursday we spent most of the day just getting settled in. We swung by the race site to get registered and pick up my race packet. I hitched a ride with a couple of other T3ers and we drove out on the race course to get an idea of what the bike would be like. Flat was the answer. The roads were very flat, especially when compared to Austin. For the bike we would be doing three loops of about 34 miles. We would leave Tempe and head out into the desert, pass through the Salt River Indian Community for 17 miles and then come back into town.
After exploring the bike course, I went back into town and met up with Ro, Bill and Fran. Walking around Tempe and the race site, was almost like being in Austin, there were so many people from home. We saw a lot of old friends and met a lot of new ones. Everyone in the area was there for the Ironman. Everyone always asks. “Is this your first Ironman?” The veterans always try to make the newbie’s feel comfortable. They give advice and do their best to calm the nerves.
Friday morning was a day of preparation. I had to get my bike ready, and pack my transition bags. For the Ironman, the athletes are entirely on their own for equipment they need. So, we have transition bags that allow us to go from the swim to the bike and then to the run. The bags have your number on them so as you go through the transition area you pick up your bag and change from one segment to the other. If you forget something, you are pretty much out of luck. If you miss a critical piece of equipment like helmet or bike shoes, you are out of the race. If you forget something like socks, it is not the end of the road but it means you will have a long painful day. So it is up to the individual to have planned out all clothing and nutritional needs.
Besides dropping off the bike and transition bags, Saturday is another day of waiting around. I took it easy all day. Drank lots of water. Ate a lot of carbohydrates and just lay around. It was fairly nerve racking. I was not sure what the next day had in store for me but I knew I was as prepared as I could be.
Sunday morning, the day of the race, I woke up at 3:30 and ate breakfast. I took my time getting ready and was out of the hotel by 5:00. By the time I got to the bike transition area it was like a bee hive of activity. People were milling about getting ready. We had to get our bodies marked with our race number, put on sun screen, pump of the tires, double check the transition bags and most important, visit with friends. Here we all were. After 6 months of training together we were all getting ready for the race we have been preparing for. It is odd that all during training us all swam together; we rode together and ran together. Today, we were all on our own.
At 6:45 we were all herded into the water. One by one we jumped off the dock and into the water. I was with Liz and Amanda as we hit the water. As we swam out to the starting line, we were amazed by all the spectators. They lined both of the bridges and were all along the shore. We could not get a perspective of what 2000+ athletes looked like in the water but looking at all the spectators was really cool. As we tread water, we jockeyed around and tried to find the best spot to keep from getting beat up. The swim start is the most anxious moment. 2000+ athletes are all crammed into a fixed area. Once the gun goes off, everyone is swimming like crazy. There are slow swimmers mixed in with the fast ones. There are aggressive age-group athletes shooting for a record mixed with ones that just want to survive the day. With those conditions, it is common to get kicked, punched, swam over, bumped and pushed around. We all wished each other good luck because we knew once we started swimming; we would not be seeing each other for awhile. Amanda yelled out an “I love you Gordon” to her husband who got separated from us at the dock. Not sure if he heard her or not but it was touching. Somewhere amongst the spectators was my Mom, Kelly, my sister Judy, Ro, Bill and Fran. I wished they could see me but I knew that was not going to happen. I did not know it at the time but my sister had a big banner made and it was hanging from the bridge overhead. It said Jim Opre, Ironman Athlete, and in reference ot my last attempt "Tinfoil boy of the past". It is hanging in my garage now.
The gun went off and the next thing, we were swimming the 2.4 mile course. The swim was uneventful. I got kicked a couple of times, punched in the face a couple of times but nothing that caused me any concern. I was expecting it. I did catch some good drafts every once in awhile. Those are fun. You just drift in behind a swimmer and let them cut the water for you and you just follow them as close as possible.
Out of the water in one hour and 9 minutes and into transition. I picked up my bag and headed to the changing tent. There you get met by an army of volunteers. They take care of all your gear. They dump it all on the ground and help you get changed into your biking gear. When you are suited up and ready to go, the volunteers take care of packing all your swim gear up for you. The volunteers are awesome.
Out of transition and onto the bike course in 7 minutes. The bike out was incredible. My speed was good. The roads were in great shape. I was making some incredible time that is until I reached the turnaround and headed back into town. At that point I cam face to face with a headwind that slowed me down to a crawl. The wind was straight into our faces. It was a tough day on the bike due to the wind. I heard of several athletes getting blown off course. Some were hit with debris that blew into them. The bike was tough due to the wind. It was pretty un-remarkable other than hard. I made sure to drink water and take electrolytes every 15 minutes. I stayed pretty consistent on my intake and that helped a lot. Not much to report on about the bike portion. I did share a port-o-potty with another guy. I stopped and waited in line for a pee break. No one likes being in a race and having to wait for your turn in the outhouse. Me and another guy decided that we could double up in the port-o-potty to save time. So we did. That was a first... The looks on people’s faces when we came out were pretty funny. After 7 hours and 6 minutes, I finished the 112 mile bike course. I did not do as well as I had planned.
Going into the run, I did not let the bike bother me. One piece of advice we all got was to be flexible and not let anything get you down, just because things did not go as planned. I was in and out of transition in about 6 minutes and out on the run. The first 13 miles went great. I was at about 2 hours and 25 minutes for the first 13 miles. I continued on and then at about mile 17, my run fell apart. I had energy but my legs would not run. My hip flexors would burn and ache until I stopped running. I never quit moving but I quit running. I tried to run but after a few minutes, my legs would start burning again. So, at this point my big worry was hurting myself or doing something that caused me to not finish. I started walking my way to the finish line. I managed to pull off a fast walk. It made for a long day. At about the 25.5 mile spot I ran into two friends from Austin, Nancy and Karen. They had sat there all day cheering us on. It was a welcome site to see them because I knew the finish line was really close. Karen ran alongside of me and handed me a phone. She had dialed Felicia to let me talk to her as I ran. Felicia is a teammate who was supposed to do the Ironman bit had to pull out due to back problems. Felicia wanted to know what the hell I was doing taking time to talk on the phone, congratulated me and I was off to the finish line.
Another tenth of the mile down the road, on the bridge, I came across Kelly. She was on watch for me. She relayed a phone call to let everyone know I was coming around the corner. She ran with me for awhile and told me where everyone was so I could see them when I finished. That is about all I remember of the finish. It was all a blur, I ran in, feeling strong. I did not feel like I had spent all day covering 140.6 miles under my own power. I remember seeing my Mom and Judy. I don’t remember hearing them say “Jim Opre of Austin Texas, you are an Ironman”,, I don’t remember throwing my arms in the air as I crossed the finish line and catching some air as I jumped up. It was all an overwhelming experience that was so full of a sense of accomplishment. I looked forward to being reunited with everyone who had cheered me on all day. And I especially looked forward to some food.
Six months of training, many miles of swimming, running and biking. Time well spent with some good friends and it was all over. 14 hours and 56 seconds to cover 140.6 miles. It was a high point of my life. I could not have asked for a more special day than I had. Besides completing the Ironman, I had my Wife, Mom, Sister, Daughter and friends there to celebrate with me.
I did not do as well as I would have liked. I would have liked to have a better ride and run. I would like to have heard the sound of the announcer proclaiming that I was an Ironman. So, these give me some new goals when I do my next Ironman. I hope it as rewarding as this one was, I am sure it will be.
2 comments:
Hey Jim. Well done. You are an endurance athlete, not an impostor. Always remember that.
I didn't know you had a blog! Thank for sharing your race day adventures and congratulations for finishing a tough race. I really enjoyed training with you these past 6 months and I am looking forward to the next challenge we face :)
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