IMUSA - Race Report - The Run

While for both IMs I haven't been able to find volunteers for T1s - I've been lucky enough to have amazing ones for T2s.

We started going through my bag - and I tried to just settle down and prepare for the run. Taking the bike shoe off my left foot was painful. I peeled off my sock and saw it - a very swollen and black toe.

I wasn't exactly stable before noticing this - and hearing the volunteer recommend I go to the medical tent made the tears that I'd been fighting, start to stream down my face. I remembered how Ironboy JW had finished an IM with a broken toe - and how crazy I thought that was.

Knowing that running is my weakest sport, I doubted my ability to complete a marathon with a broken toe - in addition to the weird hydration/nutrition issues that were going on. Having broken toes in the past, I knew there was nothing the medical tent could do. I tried to be grateful for not having broken a big toe. So I changed clothes and tied my sneakers, figuring I'd come this far and was going to continue for as long as I could.

Through the majority of T2, TRIgirl CD was in the tent with me. Even after a tough and painful bike, she was chipper and upbeat though she knew she'd be taking the run easy and walking most of it due to a much more serious injury than a broken toe. We hugged before she headed out - with me following soon after.

I was still a mess for awhile. I stopped at the porto-potty at the first aid station - hmmm, still nothing going on. I tried walking with TRIgirl CD but soon realized her walking pace was faster than I could handle. So I experiemented with run/walk combinations that might work. Early on, I ran into TRIgirl KB (finishing her first loop!) - who convinced me to take a Tylenol.

And after that, surprisingly, things fell into place for the rest of my race. I could jog the downhills and the flats - and walk the uphills to keep my toe from having to deal with the extra bend. While my nutrition was messed up - I forgot to even Gu for the first 4 miles - I took in whatever appealed to me at each aid station. Most of the time that consisted of water, cola and oranges. The sweat continued to pour out of me, even when the temperature cooled off as the sun began to set. I saw many fellow Richmond racers. When the timing worked out, I could spend a few minutes trekking along with some of them - TRIgirls KO, SK, CD, and Coach MB, Others, I'd see in passing during the loops - TRIgirls KB, AM, LM, SS, the Barricudas, Coach BB and TRIboy MR, Some I never saw - like the super speedy boys TVR, MC, AS and GM.

The Richmond cheerleaders had spread themselves across the miles in town. My husband, mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law and house neighbors were at the out and back of the end of each loop - so I was able to see, high five and hug them twice before starting loop two. I can't remember exactly who said what - but remember feeling supported and encouraged. Seeing Ironwoman Canada and the Real Deal on the stretch through town was motivating, too.

The second loop was more of the same, with the addition of some chicken broth. A few times I started to feel light headed - probably from being low on calories - and I tried to take in something at the next aid station to help me get through. I'd given up on Gus, though, so the calories were limited to oranges, gatorade and cola.

During the last six miles, I was relieved and happy that finishing seemed to be possible and I started to relax and smile more. Ironwoman Canada and the Real Deal were waiting on one of the tough climbs back into town - they helped me powerwalk up the hill. Hearing Ironwoman Canada tell me how proud she was of me - and that I was much tougher than she realized (also mentioning that she would remember this for future workouts) gave me the last shot of adrenlin I needed to try to follow her directions to walk the uphill, but push the downhill into the Olympic oval. My husband, family and housemates were once again on the out and back. They are the best sherpas ever.

I swear the last two miles felt like four, but finally I was entering the Olympic oval. The course only really included about half of it, but it was an amazing feeling to be on grounds that have seen some of the best athletes in the world.

I finally crossed the finish line. At 15:03:12.

My husband and family soon found me - and gave all kinds of sweet and wonderful congratulations. They made feel like a winner vs. a backpacker.

I watched some of the Richmond crew finish, squeezed in a massage and headed back home (and finally peed around 11:30). Sitting around our kitchen table, I caught up with the Barricudas and both our sherpa crews, icing my toe.

One of the longest and hardest triathlon days I'd ever experienced was done.