There were several Arizona athletes going to the Choo, but I traveled with my friend Al and her husband sherpa John and another teammate Jay and his dad Sherpa Bruce. Overall, I was happy that I got to be a part of this celebration. This was my first trip to the Choo and it was a beautiful little town happy to be hosting a "big event". Everyone that helped us was so friendly and took their time welcoming us and answering questions and asking questions about the race. (Imagine in strong southern accent...what is a trIathlon, what is your favorite Event?). As soon as we stepped off the airplane there were signs welcoming Ironman to town. We were treated like stars. It was nice to have celebrity status for the weekend.
Chattanooga is not an easy place to fly into because it is such a small town but they do have an airport and you have to go through a big city to get to the little city. On the way out we traveled through Detroit and then onto Chattanooga. I got to sit next to an athlete from California who was racing for his son with Team Challenge for Crohn's and Colitis. He was a first timer and we shared information about our training, the course and race strategies and talked about his son. I also bumped into Ironman Staffer Glenn from San Diego who we met in Boulder this year. Funny how when you meet people at an Ironman you feel like old friends.
We made it into town, got our rental cars, and headed to the Chattanoooga CHOO CHOO Hotel which was an old train depot with some train cars converted into rooms and tracks running through the grounds. The old historic hotel was getting a face lift but it's old charm added to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Theme. Everything in this town had names with Choo, Chatt or Nooga in it.
Nobody was ready for bed when we arrived due to the time difference and we scored big with a great grill next door to the hotel that we would visit several times. Our waitress was thrilled we were there and about the race and asked so many questions about what a triathlon was.
The next 2 days were filled with a regimen of athlete registration, the expo, attending the athlete meeting and picking up our bikes from Tri Bike Transport and then attending the Athlete Dinner which did not leave much time for test riding our bikes or driving the bike course. The weather was sunny, hot and humid which was cause for concern and the water temperature was still 77 so it would come down to race morning whether it was a wetsuit legal race or not. The forecast changed from moment to moment so we were not sure what we were going to be in for, but I knew humidity was not my friend.
The athlete dinner was very well attended and it was at the Marriott Convention Center in a huge room filled with several hundred large round tables. Most of the tables were full but we had one on the edge all to ourselves. The dinner trumped the IMAZ dinner. Different representatives from the town welcomed the athletes. Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, was the main host and interviewed the youngest and oldest athletes in the house. They featured different athlete stories and presented checks to the local charities. There were a lot of first timers in the room and most of the states were represented and then mention of this race being a little bit longer than usual. It was great to experience the energy in the room, but I have to admit, it was not the same as the first.
That night I prepared my bike, race gear, transition bags and divvied up my nutrition and got to bed. I slept pretty well that night and woke up ready to get back to work as there was still more prep to do including test riding my bike and double checking gear bags. Al, Jay and I went through our bags and made sure each of us had what we needed in the morning bag, T1 bag, T2 bag, and 2 special needs bags. We loaded our stuff back in the cars and headed back to transition to drop off our bikes and bags.
We checked out the swim in, bike out, bike in, run in and run out banners and mentally rehearsed our transitions. Next we went for a practice swim to check out the water temperature and the current. It was a very quick warm up swim although the water temperature was still above wetsuit legal, it felt quite comfortable in a tri suit. The weather was perfect as it was cloudy all day and we hoped it would last one more day.
We grabbed a snack and went back to the hotel to rest. My brother Sherpa Scott arrived and we headed out for a pre-race dinner. I was surprised to be able to make a reservation right by the Ironman Village but we did.
We were still functioning between time zones and sleep did not come easy for me that night. I finally opened up my ipad mini and studied the race maps for the bike and run since I could not fall back asleep. I felt like I was going into the race blindly because besides the transition, I had no idea were I was, so I was happy to look closer at the maps.
By 4 am, IM Chattanooga posted that the water temperature was 77 and it would not be a wetsuit legal race. The forecast continued to fluctuate and was supposed to be cloudy with chances of rain later in the day. I still carried my wetsuit with me until I heard Mike Reilly announce it in person. I was actually relieved because I was worried about overheating in my wetsuit but everyone would not be wearing them except those who chose to race with them and forfeit their chance at age group awards.
We checked our bikes and pumped up our tires and got in line for the shuttle to the swim start. Quickly, a long line on a sidewalk formed 2 hours before the swim start and we were about .5 mile from the barge where we would jump in. Having Al and Jay along was like having a security blanket until the cannon went off. Our sherpas were able to stand with us until the line started moving to start. We handed off our stuff, zipped up our speed suits and donned our caps and goggles. A local triathlete familiar with the river recommended staying in the middle away from the shore to get the fastest current, so I took his advice. All of a sudden, we were at the front of the line and they were screaming to jump in so we ran to to dock and off we went. It was a rolling first come, first serve start. I expected chaos, but it was so much better then the mass start as you did not get clobbered at all. I did spend the entire time passing people but there was plenty of space. I did start on the outside trusting the local's advice but I was not sure if it was good and when I needed to start moving toward the bouys so I gradually made my way toward the shoreline and the buoys for the second half of the swim and finished in 53 minutes. The current was a gift of 20 minutes to most athletes.
The crowd support was amazing coming out of the swim and up the steep (did I mention steep) carpeted hill into T1. I grabbed my bag and ran into the tent. I was on my own for a while and then a volunteer stepped in to help. I wasn't expecting much as many of the people in this town did not even know what a triathlon was, but the volunteer did great and got my swim stuff in the bag and off I went to my bike. It was a long run to my bike which I ended up beating the volunteer to, but it was close to the bike out exit. I got on and off I went. The beginning of the bike was fast. I had no idea where I was or where I was going. We were in Tennessee for only 5 miles or so, then were in Northern Georgia riding by Lookout Mountain which is the end of the Smoky Mountain Range. People lined the streets in residential sections and were excited to have us there. Georgia was mostly rolling farmlands, houses and churches (lots of churches) and there were signs saying GOD LOVES YOU along the course (and I was needing a lot of love at times). I was averaging in the low 18s for the first 40 miles but slowly watched my average decrease. I felt comfortable but also knew that this course was more difficult then I was expecting. My friend Jay surprised me from behind and passed me around mile 20. I noticed growing numbers of athletes changing flats on the course later to learn that someone had spilled oil and tacks on the road trying to sabotage the race. The good of volunteers at aide stations and in the towns overshadowed this vindictive action and luckily I was not a victim of this cruel act. My race turned around at mile 36 when I started having cramping in my legs and continued on and off throughout the bike ride. I was able to pedal through them and just kept moving forward but my time progressively slowed throughout the ride. The second time around the loop seemed much harder, like a different course, perhaps there was more wind. I know it was a beautiful course but it was really hard to enjoy the beauty of it with all the hard work it took to get through it. I channeled energy from my friend Valerie who I was riding for as she is tough and does not give in. I was on top of fluids, electrolytes and nutrition but my body reverted to this old cramping pattern. The only thing I did not have were the anti-cramping tablets I had been taking which I think have had a positive placebo effect because they melted in my bike bag. My legs were kind enough to take turns cramping so I could spin the non cramping side, but they lost a lot of the ability to produce power as the cramps took a toll. I was so happy to get to mile 90, 100 and then 16 more on this longer then usual course. The last 16 were exciting because people were shouting out, "you are almost in Tennessee" and "one more hill" (I heard that a few too many times). People did not use cowbells, but were banging on pots and pans and blowing whistles. I kept waiting for my friend Al to catch me and wondered how her day was going. Despite having a tough time on the bike, the weather was perfect with clouds and even a drizzle at times.
Finally made it to T2 after 6 hours and 55 min on the bike and as I dismounted my legs seized up and a volunteer quickly grabbed my bike because I almost collapsed to the ground, but I was able to stay upright and jog slowly through the transition, grab my bag and sit in the changing tent. I had a wonderful volunteer that helped me prepare everything and managed to get my very very tight compression sleeves on my calves. The good news is the cramps subsided. I took all my nutrition with me and a large bottle to carry to drink as needed. I yelled to my brother how many hours to midnight and he said I had over 8 hours. I felt some relief because I knew I could run or walk and make it before cut offs. I was even running very slowly and trying to figure out where to carry my nutrition and finally ended up stuffing things in my pockets and the remainder down the front of my tri top. I was actually running and calculating what a good time I could get if I was able to run. I was eating and drinking for the first hour and then the stomach turned upside down. I switched to coke which saved me the last Ironman, but by mile 6, I started walking...walking and running, taking coke. My stomach was full of air. I felt like I needed to burp or throw up, but that was not happening. Run, walk, run. The walks got longer. The hills got bigger. I wondered how I was going to complete 1 loop on this run let alone 2 loops. Somewhere in the middle, I got poured on which did not affect my mood and was treated to a beautiful rainbow over the river on the course. The locals were not exaggerating about the hills which they tried to warn us about, but I was not buying it. The people of Chattanooga are squeaky clean, they do not lie! Finally my friend Al, caught up to me on the second loop asked how I was and I just looked at her and she told me she was not having fun and then took off running. I channeled energy from the people I was honoring during the rough patches. Steve Cooper who is fighting cancer and competing in Ironman for the second time while on Chemo says NEVER QUIT! Ironically there was a huge billboard on prostate cancer on the run. I kept going although I did seriously consider stopping I knew I could walk and make the cut off. Let me tell you, when you are left to walking it is much more painful then when you are well enough to run. I had conversations with many others who were in the same predicament as myself, just trying to get to the finish line. You are never alone in an Ironman and the crowd support and volunteers were amazing throughout the entire run. It proved to be ONE HILL OF A RUN!
The last few miles were the hardest of what was to be a 6 hr and 17 min run and I was able to run the last quarter mile into the shoot and enjoy the finish by high fiving as many fans as possible. That made the finish sweeter then the first when I was pre-occupied with beating the clock. I was able to enjoy the moment this time. I was never so happy to be done with a race. I just did not understand why the crowd forgot to sing happy birthday to me as I was reminded that this was the grand finale for my 50th birthday party. I finished by holding up my peace fingers to represent being a 2 time Ironman as Mike Reilly called my name for the second time. For me, I am pretty sure 2 is the charm. (My brother was there to pick up the pieces and carry my stuff. He flew a long way just to carry my stuff all day, see me a few times on the course, help me walk to the car, and take my compression gear off. Thanks Scott.) Finished in 14 hrs and 24 min plus some change, not the sub 13 race of AZ, but I got it done.
In many ways I am trying to find closure to Ironman Chapter 2 as I enter into middle life. I took it on to celebrate health entering into my 50s, but had a lot of struggles in getting my body to cooperate along the way....I think No Ironman will ever be like your first. In all honesty there is a part of me that is very disappointed in not being able to run the run, although I am not surprised at my results based on my performances this year.
Many folks are now taking on consecutive and multiple Ironman races. I no longer need the race or a medal to validate how tough or strong I may or may not be. It is a wonderful community, but I will be happy to find the joy in tri-ing and be happy with health, fitness and shorter distance. I will miss my star status just a little. I look forward to supporting my friends who are getting ready to do their first or who just can't drink enough of the Ironman perform!
All in all, I would recommend traveling to a new destination and racing in a small town. Chattanooga will hold a special place in my heart. I did learn it is really hard to enjoy your surroundings for the next 2 days after an Ironman race as much as you would like to explore.
Congratulations to all my Arizona Friends who raced and all of our support crew who helped make it possible including coaches, families and sherpas and congrats to my husband and brother Greg who are the real Ironmen in our family for completing 30K of climbing at the Everest Challenge in the Sierra Nevadas while I was completing a meesely Ironman. Luckily my husband is much stronger and tougher then I am as he picked up the slack in our home as I recover with a depressed immune system and an an upper respiratory infection. So as much as I am ready to put the Choo to rest, it won't be completely out of my system until I am rid of this cold.......Those extra 4 miles might have just pushed me over the edge.......ACHOO!
IRONMAN PLUS.....144.6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
