Score Settled.

As we packed up the truck to head to Louisville on Thursday, it just seemed different this time.  Different how?  Hard to really put my finger on it, but it was definitely different.  I had the nerves going for sure, but for some reason, the whole pre-race build up seemed to almost be a bit old hat this time.  But the main reason this time was so different was because this time, I had something to prove.  And with quiet confidence, I knew that was exactly what I was about to do.

Here is a short version of the back story:

In 2010 I was entered in IMKY with no experience, no knowledge of triathlons, and no idea what I was in for.  To all outside appearances it looked to most people like I had completed my goal of finishing the Ironman inside of the 17 hours required to make it official.  As I crossed the finish line with a total time of 16 hour and 40 some odd minutes, I got the finishing medal, Mike Riley announced that I WAS AN IRONMAN!

Little did I know what I would soon find out.  A week or so after the local news paper ran a front page story on me, I got a call from the reporter informing me that someone was questioning the validity of my story because I was not listed on Ironman's website as a finisher.  I was not sure where the mistake had been made, so after speaking with the race director I was told that I was not considered an official finisher, no matter my time, since I had finished a couple of minutes past the midnight deadline.

Embarrassed both privately, then publicly as the paper was required to print a back page retraction, I still don't know who pressed the issue with the paper, but I hope they are reading this story now.

The next day, I promissed myself that I would never consider any other Ironman until I had settled the score with Louisville, KY.  So for two years I quietly kept that little piece of racing history close to my heart, and I put my head down and worked.  And when I say I worked, I mean business.   Since that day I have put in close to 200 miles of swimming, 4,000 miles of cycling on my trusted stead, Misery, and I have worn out 3 pairs of shoes while running over 1,000 miles.  Anyone who would like to question my work ethic, I invite them to join me on a 3 mile open water swim any given sunday.

So for anyone who did not previously understand my determination and commitment to earning the respect of Kentucky, this back story should have cleared things up for you.

Race Morning:
Alarm at 4:30... I got dressed and ate breakfast.  1 can of pineapples, 2 cups of cottage cheese, and one turkey avocado pita sandwich.  Headed down to meet the team in the lobby.  Got in line and drank a bottle of perpetum.

I hit the start button on my Garmin as I launched off the pier at exactly 7:30 am.  I had a goal in mind of averaging 1:45 / 100 yds for the 2.4 mile swim.  I actually average 1:44 but to my dismay the course was quite long.  Garmin says it was 2.64 mile, other racers reported further.  Either way I got out of the water a hair longer than 1:20 but I felt great.  Unlike 2010 I actually ran all the way from the water to the changing tent.  Presto - chango and I was on Misery in less than 8 minutes since I had stepped up out of the Ohio river.

Once on the bike I ate another avocado / turkey sandwich, and started to hydrate while keeping a good easy pace of close to 20mph making my way out of Derby City heading for the hills of horse country.  As I passed through the town of Lagrange I checked my pace, still looking good at an average of a little over 18.5 mph at the 40 mile mark.

I learned a lot about myself at this race in 2010, but I learned even more about salt.  This time I was quite regimented with my nutrition, and it payed dividends as the miles clicked by, and I just kept felling stronger and better as the day got hotter and the mercury passed well into the 90's.

Of course no race ever goes off without a single hitch, so at around mile 70 bad luck hit me for the second time in as many tries at this race.  My chain slipped and all but broke.  Once I actually was able to see what happened, I was sure that as badly kinked as it was, there was no way it could be ridden all the way back to transition like it was.  Apparently my guardian angel gave someone else a flat just ahead of me, because as I rolled up over the next hill ther was Ironman bike support just finishing up with fixing a flat.  I asked for a screw driver, and the tech says, "I have the part to fix that properly"

Close to 10 minutes later I was back on the road.  Having went from an average speed of 18.7 down to 18.0 mph I had some making up to do.  So from mile 90 I dropped the hammer.  I was ultimately able to gain back 3/10 of a MPH that I had lost, giving me an overall pace of 18.3 mph once I rolled into T2.  Not as fast as what could have been, but litterally hours faster than 2010.

As I hit T2 I felt like one of the pro's handing my bike off to one of the bike catchers.  Quick change from bike shoes into my Kswiss, and I was running again.

My plan was to run at a pace that would keep my heart rate under 135 bpm and only walk at the aid stations.  Mission "mostly" accomplished.  There was the one particular hill that we had to run over 4 times, and I decided that I could actually walk that stupid thing faster than I could jog up it... So i did, 4 times.

As I crept up on mile 21, I told myself, only 5 miles to go pal.  This is just a quick Thursday evening run from the YMCA out to the high school and back... Bad idea.  That was the point that I said, this sucks, this day will never end.  So I had to mentally break the run into 1 mile sections, just to keep my sanity.  At mile 23 I started to allow myself to think about the finish line.  For the first time in almost 5 hours I started to get excited and feel some energy creeping back into my tired bones.  At mile 25 I started to plan out how I was going to,pose for my friends as I crossed the finish line.

I never looked at my Garmin after mile 25, I just ran like Forrest Gump.  As I was coming into the finishing chute, I slowed down in order to put a little space between myself and the people in front of me.  This was my moment of glory, and I had no intentions of sharing it with anyone but my wife.  As I came through, I saw each and every one of my friends and heard them cheering for me.  Giving my best Usane Bolt pose, I crossed with a finishing time of 13:04 (including a broken bike chain).

My wonderfully supportive wife was ringing that big old cow bell with a vengeance, and I spoke two simple words between the tears, that until now, I knew only she would fully understand...
Score Settled.

With those two words and a simple fist bump from Maria and the celebration began.

On a little side note, the highlight of my night was when after dinner, we returned to the finish line, and I was able to place the finishing medal on the very last person to cross the finish line before they tore it down at 12:01 am.  Even if it will never be official, I believe that she too is an Ironman.

This thing just got real for a second time...
Race number for IMKY 2012 have been officially issued.  Now as I look back on the road to this race, I realize what a windy path it has been.

It all started close to 3 years ago on a snowy sunday evening when my wonderfully supportive wife, Maria, and I were watching a special TV about the former biggest looser contestants and where they are now.  Matt Hoover was featured doing Ironman Kona.

Fast forward 8 months and you would find me doing my first Ironman in Louisville, KY.  What a day that was.  Oh, the things I learned about myself that day...  Never before had I ever been put in a situation like that, where I wanted to finish but really did not believe I could physically.

As I was training for my first IM, I did very little research about nutrition, which would ultimately come close to leading to my demise.  Severely dehidrated and extremely salt depleated, I came very close to missing the final cut off at the Midnight closing of the finishing line.

Being the very last person to be allowed to cross the finish line right at midnight left me plenty of room for improvement.  Yes I fnished, but barely.  Over the next couple of weeks, I vowed to do another Ironman, only this time the goal would not be to simply finish.  My goal would be to finish decicivly with a time that would not only be respected by my friends and family, but with a time that would also be respected by my piers in the triathlon community.

At a Christmas party for our local tri-club in December of 2011, I along with three other friends committed to the completion of an Ironman in 2012.  One friend even went as far as to sign up for IMKY on a borrowed laptop at the party.  The summer was set.  No small races this year as our main goals, we were going for Iron.

Knowing the problems I had last time, I have now done a lot of research, and spent countless hours of training, and experimenting with different kinds of nutrition.  Now that the race is only weeks away, I am confident that I have a solid race plan, as well as a very good nutrition plan for the race.

I have had a lot of people ask me why I would ever do the Ironman in Louisville again.  Why wouldn't I choose a different IM somewhere else?  I had so much trouble in the heat, and the hills were so hard on the bike, why would I want to go through that again?  Why not go to Florida, where it is 68 degrees and flat?  The answer is quite simple.  I have a score to settle with Louisville, and Florida just won't do it. 

I would rather live one day as Lion, than a lifetime as a Lamb.
18 days to Iron.

A cammo ribbon tribute to my friend...

So today I had a little time spent reflecting. Gerry Clevenger, who is a very close friend to my family, was diagnosed a few months ago with a rare form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma. It makes me wonder how, in less that 20 years, we have found a way through modern medicine to basically stop AIDS dead in its tracks, yet cancer research seems to make no real head way after decades and decades of research and testing.... Simply put, cancer sucks.

This really hit home with me today when I was asked to help out with a little custom photoshop work to make a photo collage for a benefit that is being held this weekend for my friend. Over the years I have made countless memories from fishing, to biking, hunting, and cook outs. When we have a Christmas Eve dinner and he is not there, it's like we are missing a family member. You name it, I've done it with Gerry. He has been there my whole life, and the thought of loosing him never really dawned on me until today when I was working on the photos.

When I was asked to do the photo art, I am sure that my family did not think they were really asking anything much from me. I mean, I am a professional artist, and I do this every day for a living. Should be something that I could whip right out, and of course I could. Putting my hand to the mouse and creating art comes so naturally to me, that its almost unfair to be paid for it. So that is not what made this hard for me. The emotions that I felt while doing it is where it truly got tough for me. With all the day dreaming, and reminiscing, it must have taken me half the day to do that little 15 minute project.

As an adult I have put countless miles on my motorcycle either following Gerry or watching him in my rear view mirror. Just about anytime I have ever ridden with him, my dad has also been there. Anytime my father would ask where we were headed on the bikes, Gerry's answer would always be, "It's not the destination, it's the journey". When Pops (that's my dad's nick name) told me what he wanted the photo collage to look like, he asked me to make sure I included this saying in the artwork.

As each year passes, and The reality that my thirties are about to become nothing but memories, I am finally starting to realize the true wisdom in my friends words. In so many ways this applies to my life, so much further than where we are heading on the bikes for the day.

After spending the afternoon behind my desk, I headed home to the lake. About two and a half years ago I found a new passion that may have actually saved my life. I started training for an IronMan. I have been a runner since middle school, and I have really taken to cycling over the past couple of years, but I really developed this passion for swimming that is hard to describe. I have had quite a high stress level in my life for as long as I can remember, but there is something about open water swimming that is like meditation. I am quite sure that swimming is the reason I am no longer a high risk for a heart attack.  

So, as I was cutting a wake across the 1/2 mile long lake tonight it was more time of reflection. Swimming is so rythmic and peacefull, it is just hard to explain. The troubles of the day just wash away with every stroke. It is the best way I have ever found to clear my head. So i was thinking, isn't it funny how when ever someone looses a loved one, they always say, wish there was more time to tell them how I really felt. But even when you know you friend is slipping away right in front of you, you still don't really know what to say. Of course my father is the most important man in my life, but I only hope Gerry knows what roll he has had in helping to shape me into the man that I am today.

As I train for my next battle with the mighty Ohio River at IronMan Louisville,  I will savor every moment of training leading up to the race because if there is one thing my friend has taught me, it's not so much about the destination, it's much more about the journey.

I don't really think pink is Gerry's color, so when I trudge up the stairs out if the waters of the Ohio River, in Louisville and strap on to Misery (that is the name of my bicycle) she will be wearing a cammoflaged cancer ribbon in honor of my friend Gerry.

To my friend, I want him to know...   For this life I have lived up until now it has been my honor to share the journey with him.

Look ahead to 2012

As soon as I returned from SD this fall, I got right back to work making signs at Aardvark Sign Company.  I also signed up for IMKY 2012

This past summer we started our own local multi-sport racing club.  The team name is LionHeart Racing.  Like a lot of modern clubs, we use Facebook as our main hub of communication.  Along with me, two other members of our club will also be racing at IMKY 2012 (with a fourth member signed up for IM Canada, on the same raceday).  Unlike them, I have a little score to settle with the Ohio river, and the hills of North Central Kentucky .

Everyone has their own reasons for competing in an Ironman.  As well, everyone also has their own expectations, and goals when competing in an Ironman.  My goal when doing IMKY 2010 was simply to finish inside of the 17 hour time limit. Who knew just how close of a call that was really going to be.  With IMKY 2012 I have a little higher expectations for myself.

I will take this opportunity to state for the record that I expect to complete the race in under 13 hours, with my ultimate goal being sub 12 hours.  I know this will not be easy, and I also know that my performance will also need a little help from Mother Nature.

Anyone who know me, will tell you, that I don't race so good in the heat.  So, anything less than heat and humidity billowed straight from the bowls of Hades itself, will be welcome after my last experience in Lousiville.  2010 was 98 degrees with 97% humidity, and it seems that the weather has been alternating every other year between race friendly and Un-Godly misserable.  Last year was nice..... you do the math :/

It is still winter here in the upper midwest, but with my entry fees paid and rooms at the Gault already reserved, it is hard not to think about Louisville everytime I lace my running shoes, or slip on my swim googles, for laps at the pool.  One thing is for sure, August 26, 2012 gets closer every day and on that day I will live without regret, I will race to fullest of my potential, I won't hold back, and I will leave it ALL on the race course... On the last sunday in August, 2012, at 7:00 am standing on the bank of the Ohio River, I will choose to live the day as a Lion.