I've been writing and rewriting this post for several days, but I just can't seem to capture this whole experience with words. For the past year my focus has been this Ironman. I gave this race everything I possibly could, and now that it is all said and done, I can honestly say that I do not have one single regret.
It wasn't always an easy journey. Yes, most days were fun, and I loved seeing myself grow stronger both mentally and physically. Of course, there were days when I just wanted it all to be over. It took a while, but several weeks before the race, the Ironman truly broke me. The joy was gone. The fun was gone. It just sucked! I was told that the challenges I was facing had purpose, and that it was part of the process. I knew the people who were telling me this were right, so I had no choice but to suck it up and let it happen. Once I overcame this hurdle, I felt stronger and more confident than ever. I truly felt ready for Arizona. I knew the hard work was done and November 18 would be my victory lap.
I woke up on race morning ready to tackle the Ironman. I was excited and full of energy, but when it came time to leave the hotel, the nervousness crept in. When we arrived at the race my eyes were filling up with tears. The tears were part nerves, part fear, but mostly the emotion that came knowing that this was the final 140.6 miles of one of the most amazing years of my life. Once I got into transition to make last minute checks on my bike and gear bags, I began to feel relaxed. This is not at all what I was expecting to feel. I savored the moment and said a prayer for the nearly 3000 athletes who were getting ready to take on this course. We all had different reason for being there. We all had challenges to overcome, and we had all changed in some way preparing for this day.
As I toed the starting line waiting for the cannon to signal the start of the race, I thought about all the people who had helped me get to this point. My coach, the community of triathletes, my friends, my family, my students, my chiropractor....they were my inspiration. Their support and prayers would carry me every stoke, ever crank of the pedal, every step of the marathon.
At 7:00 AM the cannon fired and I began swimming in the crazy mass of people. I had positioned myself near the front, and I was feeling pretty good. It wasn't the miserable experience I had been anticipating. Shockingly, I kinda of enjoyed it. My goal was to finish the swim in 1:25-1:30, and I actually finished in 1:19! I was pleased.
The bike course was a three loop course. Each loop was approximately 37 miles. It was a fairly flat and fast course. There were times when I really wanted to push myself and go faster, but I knew I had to save my legs for the marathon. I stuck to my race plan and soaked in the experience. I kept thinking, "Wow! I'm really here!" I had a great time on the bike and finished up way ahead of schedule.
I went through transition pretty quickly and began my marathon....my very first marthon! My legs were feeling great. I followed the 5 minute run/1 minute walk schedule that I had used during training. I also had my bottle of EFS nutrtion that I had trained with. The run/walk schedule worked like a charm on race day, but the EFS didn't. The aide stations were stocked with Perform sports drink, water, sponges, potato chips and pretzles, Gu, and flat Coke. Because I hadn't trained with most of this, I had no plans on using it, but since I needed a new nutrtion plan ASAP, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try something new. I started with the potato chips! After 112 miles of eating and drinking sweet stuff, the salty chips were so awesome. Then I decided to try the flat Coke. I swore I would never try this on race day since I've never trained with it, but so many people had told me of it's magical powers. OMG! It was like crack for runners. I suddently had a new nutrtion plan....Perform, water, potato chips, and Coke...and it was awesome! Once the sun went down, warm chicken broth was being offered....more magic in a cup. The new nutrtion plan couldn't have worked better.
By mile 20 my quads were getting tight and my feet were hurting, but I was still smiling and having fun. At this point I decided to stop walking, except for at the aide stations. I needed to slow down enough to grab what I needed. I knew if I let myself walk, I would never be able to start running again. I began looking at my watch and realized that a sub 5 hour marathon was very possible, and that I was going to finish this race in under 13 hours. Never in a million years did I think either of these times would be possible. The adrenaline was serging though my veins. The last few miles seemed to tick away pretty quickly. Near the last mile there was a man on the side of the course cheering us on and telling us that if we didn't stop we could finish in the 12:40's! For a second I thought of walking most of the last mile so I could save the moment a little longer, but decided against it. I knew my friends were waiting at the finish line. I knew there people in Louisian and Texas watching the live feed online. Walking wasn't an option.
When I saw the turn for the finish I started screaming and pumping my hands into the air. I had a few hunded yards to go and could hear Mike Reilly announcing each new Ironman. It was my turn now. As I made the final left turn and ran the last few yards, my ears were filled the sounds of the crowd. For a moment, those cheers and scream were just for me. For a moment it felt like the whole world was cheering for me! Most of those people didn't know me, but they understood! Finally....finally....I heard the words I had been waiting to hear, "From Plano, Texas...Amy Manuel YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!" That moment, those few precious seconds, was everything I thought it would be and more.
There was no magical transformation when I crossed the finish line. My friend Trent said there wouldn't be. The transformation happened slowly over the past year. I was the same person who toed the starting line 12 hours and 43 minutes earlier, but I was not the same person who was sitting at my computer a year earlier registering for this race. Once again, I was reminded that I'm surrounded by some of the caring, supportive, loving, inspiring, and kind people I will ever meet. I didn't cross that finish line alone. The hundreds of people who have supported me through everything were with me. I couldn't have done it without them. If you are reading this, you are probably one of these people.
Yes, I did get my sub 13 hour Ironman. My goal was 14 hours....and I smoked it;-) I can honeslty said I had fun from the first stroke to the last step of my 140.6 mile victory lap. The experience far exceeded my expectation. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.
What now? I'm still going to swim, bike, and run through the off season, and I'll be racing agin in the spring. Next season I plan to give back more to the sport though volunteering than I was able to do this year. Unfortunatly, an Ironman probably won't happen in 2013, but I'm sure there will be more in my future. I learned so much about myself over the past year. I have grown and changed in so many ways. Hopefully I've inspired someone along the way. Tomorrow I will go back to work for the first time since the Ironman. I can't wait to share my story with my students. They have been some of my biggest fans, and they have been such a big part of this journey. I want them to understand that their only limits are the ones they place on themselves. I hope they always remember to dream big!
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.
"Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition." ~~ John Smith
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. You goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish your race. It's up to you." David Scott
