The Road to the Ironman – I heard it!

As I approached mile 15 I heard it. What did I hear? Well I tell you what I heard in a moment.

21 days? Really? I remember when it was in the 360’s. Boy this year has gone by so fast. All I have left is 21 days, WOW! 21 days marks a very important point in my Ironman training, it is taper time. What is a taper? Well this is the start of doing less miles in the pool, on the bike and on foot so the body can recover from the punishment I put it through during the training. Looking back that was a long year. I know I just said it was interesting how quick it went, but it is my blog so I can have it both ways.

On to today.

It was important to finish this portion of the training with a milestone. I already had a few swimming milestones, swimming 4,500 yards (2.5 miles) is up there along with swimming the actual IM course in Madison. The milestones on the bike include the few 100 milers and the numerous times riding the loop in Madison. I didn’t really have a milestone for my running. Sure I have countless runs above 10 miles, but a milestone moment? Not really. So a milestone was important!

Today I actually had a running partner! Katie Nelson is her name. I know Katie because she is one of the swim master coaches that has taught me so much in the pool. She is in training for her 1st marathon at the end of September, today it just happened to be her long run of 16 miles. We agreed to meet at Springbook, a park here in the Naperville, IL area. This park has a marked 5 1/2 mile crushed stone trail and I was looking forward to the change of pace from my normal run. That being said we both agreed to run at a turtle pace, we kept to our word and it really turned out to be a wonderful time.

So we started out on the 1st of three laps. Not training with anyone this year I found it exciting to have someone next to me. We haven’t seen much of each other lately, so the 1st lap was mostly getting caught up. We breezed through the 1st lap holding a 9:30 mile pace. The other benefit of running was the number of other people on the path, including bumping into other people I knew. It was nice to see Luanne and Dar. 5 1/2 miles done.

As we started the second loop the conversation turned more to our soon to be big challenges. Katie and her marathon and well you know mine. The pace slowed a bit somewhere around the 9:45 mile pace, but we didn’t seem to mind because of the conversation. Lap 2 done 11 miles in 5 1/2 to go.

On to the third lap, still feeling fresh (ish) we headed out but the conversation dropped off a bit. You could tell the suffering was starting to build. One of us would chime in from time to time, but we kept on plugging on. Pace slowed to 10 minute miles but we did stop or start to walk yet. As I approached mile 15 I heard it. Everything disappeared. I found myself running in Madison! I was somewhere near the last mile of the marathon. It was dark, I was was sweaty and very tired. I started to hear this rumbling and it grew louder and louder. The rumble was the crowd, hundreds, no thousands of people cheer for all the finishers running through the finishers shoot and now it was my turn. I was giving high fives to everyone moving from side to side of the running course. THEN I HEARD IT. Mike Reily the Ironman announcer said those magical words I have been working so hard for… JIM RISTOW… YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! I am not sure how long I was in Madison but it made the entire run worth it. We finished 16 miles, slowed to a walk and walked in the last 1/2 mile as a cool down.

I thanked Katie for helping me, because there was no way I would have run the entire 16 miles without walking from time to time. So she will have a special place in my thoughts as I travel through the 140.6 mile course. She will never know how much this morning meant to me.

I was tired but inspired so as I bid Katie good-bye I told I was off to do one more lap. Yes, another 5 1/2 miles. Just me, no iPod, just my thoughts. I filled up my water bottles and I was off to shuffle. What a difference without a running partner, let’s just say I walked. I noticed a few runners walking so I would run up to them, slowed to a walk and ask if they like some company and they all said yes. The best part about this was I got to hear their stories. Some were out just because, but many where training for a 1/2 marathon or a full marathon. I’d listen to them and I heard a lot of doubt that I had been going through lately. As time went by they asked me what marathon was I training for and I said Madison. They would pause and most knew the Madison marathon is in May. I’d go on to say the marathon was part of the Ironman. The response I got was of amazement, shock or inspiration. I told them not to be amazed because if I can do it, anyone could and their race they are training for is just as amazing to me.

Well I finished the 4th loop went through the mile marker that signified 22 miles (actually mile marker 5.5 for the 4th time) and I stopped and had a big smile. A couple of runners that I talked to caught up with me and said it was an  honor running with an Ironman. I had to say thanks, but I am not an Ironman yet, but SOON!

After today soon! I know I heard Mike Reily say it.

Totals:

Running Miles: 751.80

Number of Hours: 115:35

New shoes: 241.50 miles (for my record keeping)

Biking Miles: 1,788.00

Number of Hours: 105:40

Swimming Miles: 76.84 miles or 135,238 yards

Number of Hours: 33:05

Swimming laps (25 yard pool): 5,230 lengths or 2,615 laps

Weightlifting hours: 26:00

Stairs in Cancun: 1:05

1 pathetic game of volleyball: 1 hour

TOTAL HOURS – 294 hours and 40 minutes