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THE FINAL ENTRY…

Listening, observing, smiling I sit in a booth looking over at a person that has not only become a mentor, a friend and an inspiration, I slow everything down and wonder to myself am I really hearing this?

It has been 11 days since Ironman Florida and I am sitting at an IHOP having breakfast with Bob Scott. Earlier in the week I received an email from Bob asking if I would like to go out for breakfast. Those who haven’t followed my Ironman journey that close, Bob Scott is a 11 time Ironman, multiple Ironman World Championship Finisher and simply one of the most humble human beings one could ever meet. Oh yea, he is also over 80 years old and shows little affect of being a person at that age.

From time to time we get together at this IHOP to talk. Anyone want to guess what we talk about? Listening to a person with such experience can only help me in the long run, plus did I mention he is the nicest person you can come across? Before anyone mentions the word “bromanance” this relationship is more. In one’s lifetime there are only a few people that come across that directly influence how you handle your life and person for me is Bob Scott. Bob is a  mentor, a friend and yes there is a little idol worship, because he has done things in this sport that I could only dream of doing.

During our conversations he lets me tell my story of the race like he has never done one before. He sits with bated breath wanting every little detail and simply makes me relive the entire day. That is what makes being an Ironman so special. Most people you come into contact with are simply amazed of the achievement of an Ironman once they can get their mind around the accomplishment, but here I sit in front of an Ironman legend and he too is blown away by the details of the race.

Then Bob threw me a curve ball.

He mentioned the other reason why he wanted to talk to me, he wanted to talk about food/nutrition during the race.

I said great… I waited for him to start… nothing…

As it turns out here is an IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHER was asking for advice from me?!?!? This guy has forgotten more about the Ironman than I will ever know and he is asking for my advice???? Let me backtrack a moment.

Before Ironman Florida, we had a breakfast and I told him about my unique food plan for that day. I bet if you asked every single Triathlete on this planet none of them would have my plan. There are so many choice out there that everyone swears by, but to me my stomach can’t bear the thought of most of them. Gel this, bar that, goo’s, special powders and the list goes on and on. I tried most of them and well I haven’t had much luck with any of them, so for me it is Twizzlers and PayDay bars. Odd yes, but it works for me and until I find something that works better for me that is the plan. At the time Bob seemed puzzled and I suppose he had every right to be, but now that he has failed to finish his last 140.6 mile races I felt like he actually might try it. Yes you have to be some what fit to do these races, but come race day one thing you will need is food. If your food plan is not in tune with your body the chances of you finishing are small. As we both prepare for the off season it will be interesting what 2012 brings for both of our food plans.

…

Want another reason why I do this thing called Ironman? As Bob and I got up to pay the bill, I was putting on my new Ironman Florida Finishers Jacket. Bob proceeded to say in a rather loud tone, “WOW NICE IRONMAN FINISHERS JACKET” and proceeded to walk away, leaving me standing alone with the entire IHOP staring at me. I had people clapping, shaking my hand and saying congrats as I proceeded towards the exit. Yes I enjoyed every bit of it, but what I enjoyed more is the respect I get from this 80 year old, 11 time Ironman finisher named Bob Scott.

…

OK I am now a 2x Ironman finisher, this chapter is now closing and it is time to start planning the next chapter of this journey…

Naturally the first thought is “When is the next one?” Let me answer that by saying there WILL BE  A NEXT ONE, heck yes! The Ironman is intertwined into my DNA, it is a part of who I am. Not only do I use it as a tool to inspire and motivated myself, I bring others along with the ride. This year alone I had friends compete in their 5k’s, their first Triathlons, their first Marathons and their first 1/2 Ironmans. I already have a handful of people tell me their plans for next year and the list will continue to grow. Who knew, little old me doing Ironman could help inspire others to lead a healthier and fitter lifestyle!

On that note #3 might have to wait a while. No I am not stepping away from Ironman but one main reason it might a little while for #3 is I am simply tired. I have training for these things since September 2009. I need a break. The plan for 2012 is to find my smile for Triathlons. I made it no secret that training for this one was more like work, less like fun. If I could simply show up for the race and do it I would, but that won’t happen. So right now NO FULL IRONMANS IN 2012!

The other reason #3 might have to wait is my career.

My career is the last piece to solve in this mid-life crisis I have been on for this many years. Being laid off from a job off 15 years (even though I was lost in that job) is a tough pill to swallow. I have to remind myself I actually could see it coming 5 years ago and I am glad I survived as long as I did, now it is time to move on. As most know I have been testing the waters of Personal Training for a couple years and at times it is my calling, but I can see it simply won’t be able to provide the lifestyle I have become accustom to living. I promised Kim, I would have an answer for her the day after the Ironman and I came up with my answer. It is time to throw my hat into the job/career search ring and find a job that helps us lead the life we are accustom to living.

…

I think about this journey I have been on for so long and I smile thinking that I have come full circle in this career search. I wonder what is different about me compared to the days I was doing when I was so lost. My answer is simple, the Ironman…

Not the Ironman itself, but what I did to reach such a high peak in the mountain. The Ironman represents everything I am today. It helped shape and form me into a happier person, a person that can do anything once I put my mind to it, the Ironman helped put the smile back on my face. As I begin to sit in front of people interviewing me for a position I know I will be different than any other person that sat in front of them, because I am an Ironman. I don’t have to give the typical responses that are simply empty words, I have proof. Will the Ironman automatically get me that magical career? NO, but I sure have something in my arsenal that not many will have. Instead of just saying the words hoping a new employer wants to hear, I have proof.

So there, if some of you in the last month or two noticed a change in my demeanor, you may have a better understanding of what has been on my mind. Yes I was training for an Ironman and I was reaching the peak hours of the training which went over 20-25 hours for a few weeks and add on what is going to be my next career, hopefully you can forgive me a bit.

So when is #3? 1. Being tired and 2. Career search, you see why there might be no full Ironman in 2012. Of course I might find myself rested up by January and the most awesome perfect job falls on my lap, it is a good thing I know of 2 WTC Ironman’s still taking applications in 2012, so I make no promises…

…

OK it is time to close this chapter. I write these blogs for two reasons. I never kept a dairy of anything in my life and I write these for me. If some of you enjoy reading these you really need to get a life. That being said THANK YOU! The second reason is I want the world to know you can do this. Maybe not the Ironman, but something that is your Ironman. Only 8 short years ago none of you would have like me, for that manner I wouldn’t have really care if you liked me or not. All it took was a picture to start the journey I am on. What made me break away from the person I was I am not really sure, but all I know was this, I had enough of that life. Life passed me by and I let it. Life isn’t that way anymore, I live life! I have no LIMITS! I have the DETERMINATION to succeed in anything I choose to do (why did I capitalize those two words, sometime in the future remind yourself to look at my Ironman shirts that I wear and you will understand.)

Maybe it will be a picture for you.

Maybe it is a person you meet.

Maybe it is simply saying enough is enough.

My hope is this… Ironman or not, everyone deserves to stand up in an IHOP and have people clap for you, shake your hand and say congrats, while your mentor simply walks away smiling…

Swim 2.4 miles

Bike 112 miles

Run 26.2 miles

BRAG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!

I am Jim Ristow and I am a 2x Ironman Finisher!

Until next time… Your Fitness Buddy!!!!

Ironman Wisconsin results – 15:35:07

Ironman Florida results – 7:37:18     so far….

As I handed off my bike there they were once more, my support crew. I was actually worried if they were going to be there because if I wasn’t expecting to finish in 6:09, how did they expect me finishing in 6:09. I am guessing they were following me online so they made it on time.

One note on the Ironman support crew. I had the opportunity to be a spectator of an Ironman event back in September at Ironman Wisconsin and my Ironman hat is off to them, it is a hard day for all. In some ways it might be tougher on the support crew compared to the athlete. At least the athlete is doing something the whole day, the support crew has moments with their loved one and then hours of nothing. The Ironman may be a selfish individual endeavor, but when it comes to it, that Ironman is only going to be as successful as those he or she places around them.

Back to the riveting story…

Hoping off my bike I was surprisingly strong and ready for the run, this pales in comparison to how I felt coming off the bike in Wisconsin. I ran to my transition bag, ran into the hotel (happy it was a little emptier this time around), sat down a proceeded to get ready for the run. All this time I remembered I needed to cut more time off my transition times. I switched shoes, put on some shorts over my salty stained tri shorts, grabbed my visor, Vaselined some important areas and I was off, 10 minutes 8 seconds! OK not fast but the goal was to cut the transition times in half and I’d say that goal was accomplished. I ran outside the volunteers put sunscreen on my shoulders once again and I was off.

As I exited the running out chute I came across something amazing. Here I was starting my 26.2 mile journey and low and behold the men’s finisher was coming down the finishing chute! AMAZING! What these pro athletes can do is simply remarkable! I learned after the race it was the first sub-8 hour finish in North America history. Well I had about 26 more miles to go before I could receive my glory.

As I continued I noticed right off the bat the crowds in this area were the biggest of the day, but soon tailed off only a mile or two into the race. I passed the turn around point making a mental note that I should be back in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There were pockets of cheerleaders out on the course but this was going to be a big difference between Wisconsin and Florida. This run was going to be a two loop out and back. Each loop was going to be around the 13 mile range which made me wondering if I could make it through the first lap before the sun went down. The benefit of the mostly out and back was there were always runners around and it actually gave the runners more water stops than the advertised one per mile.

As I started past the crowds I notice something else I WAS RUNNING!?!?! Well before you ask isn’t that what you are suppose to be doing? If you remember my Wisconsin effort I walked almost the entire 26.2 miles, not only was I tired and wanted a nap, but there was a problem in the bathroom area of my body.

I can say with some pride I actually ran 1/2 of the first loop. Again, probably something one shouldn’t brag about but in my book this was a win! As I ran (yes did I mention that I was running) I got to see the top male and female finishers whizz by me on their second loop. I kept on looking for a pro female triathlete named Bree Wee (by the way she married into the Wee name). Bree and I have become semi-close friends on Facebook and I was wondering how she was doing. I saw the 1st through 3rd place women whizz by and there was Bree, in 4th place. I screamed go Bree, but looking at her face I could tell she was in trouble. Bree came out of the water in 1st, came off the bike in 1st and finished in 6th. Hey 6th was much better place from where I was going to finish. This helped pass some time during the 1st lap.

This course followed mostly neighborhoods. As I mentioned before there were pockets of people, but what I noticed the race was causing quite a traffic jam as we criss-crossed the main drag a few times. The locals seemed to take it well, but I am sure some nerves were being stretched thin. I can’t blame them to a point, here are 2,700+ people coming to their nice quite beach town along with all their support crews it can be a little bit frustrating. Then again how many millions of dollars are we bringing in and we don’t cause the damage the spring breakers do.

The course is flat, not even a slight incline or decline to shake things up, unless you count the speed humps placed in the roads. There must have been 50 off them on the loop, which later I used in a game I play when I began to walk. I usually play “the cone game”, but there were not many street cones on this course so I decided to run between each speed hump. The course did have one break away part where we could not see the other runners, that part went through a state park. You want to talk about lonely? The only crowds here were the two aid stations on this loop.

As I exited the park the sun was still up and I was beginning to slow down. Maybe I pushed too hard on the bike but my legs were shot, not to mention the bigger problem; MAJOR RUBBAGE in certain parts was beginning. Looking back I should have applied Vaseline earlier on the run to hold this off. As I retraced my steps back to the turn around point I also was getting hungry. I wasn’t having the bathroom problems as I experienced in Wisconsin so it was time to experiment a little with the food on the course. At the water stops they treat you to a buffet of tantalizing goodies, Ironman Perform (AKA their version of Gatorade and YUCK), water, coke (unfizzed YUM), chicken broth (SUPER YUM), pretzels (YUM), potato chips, chocolate chip cookies (SUPER YUM), grapes (didn’t work this time) and bananas. As the raced progressed water, coke, chicken broth and the chocolate chip cookies became my dinner.

As I approached the turn around at mile 13.1ish I realized something different about this turn around compared to Wisconsin. This turn around was pretty far from the finish line, where as in Wisconsin it comes so close to the finish line. I think I liked this way better, one sad part I did not discuss this with my support crew so as I turned there was no familiar faces there to cheer me on. So after the turn around there are your transition bags. The sun was going down and that meant the temperature was going down too and will soon be in the 50’s. I stopped ripped of my tri top, put on a clean long sleeve runnung shirt (of course it was my DETERMINATION IM shirt), ate a few goodies when I noticed someone slipped a goodie zip lock bag of treats which made me smile. I took the zip lock bag, stuffed it into my shorts pocket and was off. Looking back that stop probably cost me 5 minutes.

On to lap number two. Knowing that I probably was walking too much it was time to run. Maybe it was having the new clean shirt, a few goodies in my stomach but I took off (maybe took off is to strong of words, more like a shuffle) and ran the next two miles. As the sun dipped into the Gulf of Mexico the run became a shuffle, became a jog, became a walk and that is when I met Jennifer. Now I did know her as Jennifer, her first name was SPEED WALKER. Now I keep a pretty good walking pace to the point I can walk almost faster than I can run at this point, but SPEED WALKER shot right past me. I didn’t give her much thought, until she past me again and again and again. We came up to the state park and I finally had a few words with her. She was having bathroom issues, so she would pull ahead of me, I’d pass her again while she was doing her business and she would pass me again. This happened the entire remaining part of the race.

By the time I got to the state park it was dark, except for a few flood lights along the course it reminded me of a small portion of IM Wisconsin. The difference in Wisconsin I was slow enough to have the glow sticks handed to me, this time I made it into the park before they handed them out. It was a clear night so the moon provided a small bit of light but it was dark and now I was alone. My guess the state park route was a little under two miles, dark and lonely.

I did have SPEED WALKER, which by this time her name changed to PORTA POTTY GIRL just ahead of me most of the way and as I exited the park. This meant THE FINAL STRETCH! I entered the 20+ mile part of the run. I started to think about the journey once again and with perfect timing I understood why I do these things called Ironman. At the time I thought how wonderful is it to be a part of something with so many like minded people. As I started the way back to the finish line those of us on the second loop began to talk to each other more. Some told their stories, some told jokes, some bitched and complained but soon said this was the greatest thing they have ever done in their life. Here I was doing this for the second time!

As the battle of PORTA POTTY GIRL and I built as she passed me once again. I said see you after the next porta potty stop, my mistake she stayed ahead of me (within sight) the remainder of the race. The miles slowly ticked off, 21, 22, 23, 24, and finally 25. I caught up to a gentleman from North Carolina, crying. During that last mile we talked about the accomplishment about to happen. He reminded me of a certain person 14 months ago. He was about to accomplish the single most important moment of his life, he was going to become an Ironman. What he didn’t realize to me he was already an Ironman the day he signed his name on that dotted line almost a year ago. See he was soon to be an Ironman FINISHER! The Ironman itself is having the guts to do something that most think is crazy, but in turn it inspires others to be better than they were the day before. Seeing the importance of this moment, I told him go ahead and I will make sure he has the finisher chute all to himself.

We turned the final corner I slowed down to let him have the moment. This in turn gave me a few moments to reflect and the smile that I had been missing for most of my training found me. Whether I finish only two Ironman’s or go onto countless more I will always get emotional. That is my I GET MOMENT! I ran closer to the finish line and noticed I was going to come in under my 9 pm hopeful time. I crossed the finish line at 13 hours and 54 minutes and 33 seconds, with the finishing song of Little Bit of Monica in my life….?!?!?!?!?!?

Well not exactly the finishers song I was hoping for (9 pm it is Ironman tradition to play U2’s Streets Without No Name and it just sounds awesome!!!) Oh well. I went though the finish line waiting for the volunteer to catch me and the dude ran right past me!?!?!? What’s going on? The person that finished right behind me tripped, again oh well. I didn’t really need anyone to catch me, other than a few tender parts I felt great.

I walked through the finishers area, got my hat, got my medal, got my mylar blanket and walked away a 2x Ironman finisher beating my previous record by 1 HOUR and 40 MINUTES!!!!!

I soon past PORTA POTTY GIRL and and thanked her for pulling me through the second loop of the run. It turns out her name wasn’t PORTA POTTY GIRL after all, her name was Jennifer and she was from Ontario, Canada.

Soon I met up with the gang and even with the Key’s. This was the first time I saw Robert all day. My ultimate dream of beating was not meant to be with him finishing just over 12 hours. Also back on the bike recap I mention I passed a Triathlon Coach named Joe, well he smoked me on the run as predicted. Again, oh well…

Ironman Wisconsin finishing time 15:35:07

Ironman Florida finishing time 13:54:33

Not a bad day…

• Ironman Wisconsin 2010  results – 15 hours 35 minutes 07 seconds
• Ironman Florida 211 results – 1 hour 17 minutes 02 seconds

so far…

The evening before my new found weather forecaster, Robert Key was trying to explain to me why the bike ride was going to be fast and smooth. Something about the winds would pick up in the late afternoon and even then they will be coming out of the Northeast and by that time there would be a tailwind all the way back home.

Ah, right…

Stayed tuned…

Running into Transition #1 (T1) I grabbed my bag ran into the hotel conference center ready to redeem myself for my slow IMWI T1 time of 14+ minutes. I ran around the corner and slammed on my brakes! Why? There standing in front of me was sea of sweaty, salty naked men trying to change into their bike gear. The room was so packed I walked up and down the aisles looking for an empty seat so I could start my process of changing into my bike gear. I walked back and forth for few moments and finely found an empty chair in between (you guessed it) to naked men. Well I made the best of it, changed into my biking gear, ran outside, had the volunteers glop on some sunscreen and I was off to my bike.

Volunteer note: They are wonderful! I came around the corner with a volunteer holding my bike cheering me on.

As I ran in my bike shoes towards the mount line I always take it slow there is no traction with these shoes, plus it is so crowded with people mounting their bikes. This time I actually found myself running a pretty good distance past the mount line before I got onto my bike.

T1 time – 11:12 better than Wisconsin, but still not under the 7 minute mark I was thinking of…

As soon as I got onto my bike, their they were… my cheering section, Kim and the gang were all there screaming and cheering me on. After a few quick turns it was time to settle in for the first long straight stretches of the bike course, about 6 miles long as we hugged the coastline. This is the first time to settle in during the race, I find the swim portion and T1 portion crazy and you do everything to just move through it as fast as you can. Now with the chaos over this is where the day really begins to sink in, I am on this stupid thing for 112 miles.

The bike portion of an Ironman is suppose to be a non-drafting event. There really big advantages in finding a group of riders and drafting off someones back wheel. They do all the work, while you sit in their draft pulling you along. That being said when you come out of T1 with hundreds of other riders it is almost impossible not to draft in some form or fashion. You might think they don’t enforce this, but there are course referees on motorcycles watching. Yes even in this mid pack where I was and they were handing out penalties that you must serve by stopping at the next penalty tent.

I used this 6 mile stretch to relax, get into a routine and started to eat and drink. At this point the wind wasn’t to bad and started to think maybe Robert was right on his forecasting skills… Well that thought didn’t last too long…

As we turned inland the proof that is was going to be a long morning and into afternoon smack all of us right in the face. They might as well put up a sign that stated HEAD WINDS NEXT 56 MILES! Come to find out we headed in winds blowing easily at 15 mph with gusts exceeded 25 mph. This is where triathlon bikes have an advantage called the aero position. You simply tuck into this position giving the wind a smaller object to hit and slice through the wind. There is a catch, staying in that position takes a lot of practice and well I am not the best at it. During such a long ride I am constantly changing my position to remain as comfortable as possible. All it took was one good wind gust and it reminded me to stay in the aero position as long as I could.

Driving the course a couple of days before was a good idea, I was able to picture in my mind what was coming up next, unfortunately on this course there are not too many landmarks. I play a game of a metal checklist. Once I get done with one landmark, I checked it off and move onto the next one, that wasn’t going to happen on this course. This course had town and there were long stretches, very long stretches of straightness! These long straight stretches were carved out of forests of tall pine trees. When they did this they simple made a wind tunnel for the wind to funnel through making it that much windier.

The course is mainly flat which plays to my Illinois strength. This meant a lot of peddling and not a lot of coasting, knowing this I was good idea to do many of my long rides on the trainer at home. The trainer simulated much of the day.

As we turned I knew the first landmark at a rather large bridge that went over the inter-coastal waterway. The bridge is the “biggest hill” on the course and we would have to ride over twice. In Wisconsin terms it maybe was a 5 or a 6 on the 1 to 10 sucky scale. Know that a good portion of the athletes come from the southern region, they too have little experience in climbing hills. I was surprised how few I noticed did not change gears. I mean these bikes have 20+ gears for a reason, use them. I popped my bike into the easiest gears, put my Wisconsin face on peddled up and down this “hill” with ease. As we headed out it was very easy to feel the winds picking up. The winds that were not suppose to torment us (Robert Key) were starting early. As we approached the one and only town of Elbro we turned and the real war began. Up to this point the winds were not 100% in our faces, now they were…

I guess in some good way I was glad to have people around me during this point of the race, there was drafting. Also this portion of the race had a sneaky part to it you did feel or see when you drove it. There was an incline! Nothing major, but it lasted 15 miles, combine that with the wind the sufferfest was on.

After the 15 mile sufferfest came the next turn, once you made the turn it was like being shot out of a cannon. Finally a tailwind!!!!!! It was very easy to maintain speeds above 25+ mph, which made wonder what the pros speed was during this portion. So the tailwind brighten the mood, for two miles. That is when the road was making a turn, you guessed it back into the wind.

I would have to say the Florida roads up to this point are some of the best roads I think I have every rode on. It seemed like they laid down a new road just for us. That would soon change….

We made one more major turn and we were back into the direct headwinds. The sad part of this course there were very few spectators throughout the entire course. There were pockets, but nothing that compared to the support in Wisconsin. As we all peddled into the head wind of death I looked down and we were quickly approaching the mid way point. I was feeling good, eating like I was suppose too, drinking and all in all I was pretty close to my 3 hour halfway mark, even with the wind. Then it happened…

Mile 52!!!! Everything changed! We went through this intersection and we came out the other end on some of the worst roads I have ever been on. Every two seconds there were railroad bumps. s. These are the bumps that jar every bone in your body. Triathlon bikes are very stiff, there is no give on these babies and you feel everything! Soon you saw the carnage, people off to the side fixing blown tires, water bottles everywhere, bike parts (YES PARTS OF BIKES) everywhere, so many items it now felt like you were in an obstacle course. No matter how I positioned myself everything hurt, everything was miserable and  this was the first time my mood went south. I just kept on think those sons of ______ who laid out the course are laughing now! Did I mention this was all in that headwind I have been talking about?

All I knew was the 56 mile turn around point was coming and soon after that the special needs bag stop. That four miles in seem to take forever, but finally the turn around point! 56 miles in, 56 miles left and since it was mostly head winds out to the 56 mile point, that meant the tailwind all the way home that Robert Key promised…

Soon after the turn around point the special needs bag stop came. I found my bag, stopped, took care of some business, looked through the bag, replaced my empty water bottles, ate a few things and I was off. It too me 8 minutes, but I figured I’d make that up in the promised tailwind.

Now it was back on the rough 4 mile road, which seemed shorter because there was a tailwind but it still was equally rough and soon I found myself turning on a smooth new road! You could hear everyone around simply thank God for the new road. I was excited for another reason, soon we would be hitting a small portion that reminded me of Wisconsin. First a small twisty turny portion which was better than the long stretches of straight we endured for the first 60 miles. That was followed by a steep quick turn onto to some rollers, actual hills that went up and down for about ten miles. After the rollers we reconnected with the road we took all the way out and simply retraced our way back to transition with a small detour (more on that in a bit.)

Remember me talking about a tailwind? I mean we fought the headwind for 56+ miles, we deserve the “Robert Key tailwind”, right? Well I was expecting a full on tailwind, that didn’t happen. It was there but it came more from the sides or maybe from the corner. I can’t really complain too much after battling to keep my speed around the 17 mph range on the way out, it was much easier keeping a 20mph+ speed on the way back.

Now the miles were click off, the 70’s became the 80’s and soon that became the 90’s. Around mile 90 I did make a quick stop to give my back and shoulders a rest costing me 2 minutes, but soon found myself back on the road. up to this point we basically retraced the bike portion back to the transition area, but we had to make a quick 3 mile in and out detour. I normally would have not mentioned this but the highlight of my ride happened in this portion of the day.

Coming up to mile 95, I was able to make out a familiar body, I was about to pass the owner of the Triathlon Club I sometime run with! Now I don’t know Coach Joe as well as I should but wasn’t he supposed to be way ahead of me? As most passes go I we said a few good words to each other as we hit the turn around. Now I know he was pacing himself and will run past me in a blaze of glory on the run, but this really perked my spirits up 17 miles of the ride.

Had I become a better cyclists? Hmm…

I hit the turn around sped back to the main road and soon found myself facing the big bridge once more at mile 100. At this point this is where the field opened up, for the first time on the bike I found myself by myself. I looked down at my watch and I couldn’t believe what I saw. I had a real chance to break 6 hours on the bike. To go from a IM Wisconsin bike time of 7 hours and 10 minutes to riding under 6 hours went way past what I ever dreamed of doing. I entered PCB and make the final big turn down the road along the beach and it felt like I slammed on my brakes!

THE WIND! Head winds, cross winds, tail winds, winds that felt like it was blow straight down, blowing straight up, seriously at times the wind was blowing from everywhere trying to knock me off the bike. The last 6 miles were not going to be fun. If there was no building a cross wind that blew from the left. If there was a building the wind bounced off of that and blew from the right. The last 6 miles it was all I could do to hold on. I knew at this point the 6 hour mark was lost, but still I was going to finish better than I ever hoped too.

Finishing times

Ironman Wisconsin 7:10:37

Ironman Florida 6:09:05!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking back if I didn’t take the 8 minute break at the halfway point, plus the 2 minute break around mile 90, this ride would have been under 6 hours. Oh well, the things you learn.

I got off my bike feeling good, not worn out out like at IM Wisconsin and was ready for the next 26.2 miles.

To be continued…

OK time to talk about the race.

Setting up

Finish time – Ironman Wisconsin 1:24:28

Finish time – Ironman Florida ?  TBD

The day starts early for those who compete in an Ironman, for me the alarm went off at 4 am sharp. Surprisingly I slept sound, usually there is a lot of tossing and turning but not this night. The goal was to walk down with the Key’s, Kim and my mother-in-law Christine. As we started, I had to make one more stop before I checked in, the stop was to drop off the special need bags for the bike and run. Robert chose not to have these bags so they broke away from us and started the process of checking in, this would the last I would see of the legend name Robert Key for the remainder of the day.

The special needs bags are positioned at the half way point of the bike and run courses. A person can put anything they want in them as long as it fits into the bag. My bike bag had four extra water bottles with the Carbo Pro powder I use, along with more twizzlers and payday bars (more on that later.) My run bag I had a few extra running belt bottles with Carbo Pro, twizzlers, payday bars and warmer running gear.

As I approached the check in point I got body marked, #2145 on both arms, age on the left calf and soon found myself walking to my bike carrying yet another bag. In this bag I carried four more water bottles, 2 filled with water and 2 filled with Gatorade, all having the Carbo Pro. Near my handle bars there is a bento box (a square pouch) to store my food for the first half of the race, plus salt tablets. I pumped up my tires and thought I was ready to go. My mistake is when I bring in my pump, others want to use it. I am glad to say the entire Danish team was grateful for the use of my pump. Now it was time for the porta-pottty stop, the line was long but I had plenty of time and was I glad I wore warm clothes. It was around 50 degrees and the wind that Robert said should not give us any problems was blowing hard. I checked on my transition bags and set off to find Kim and my mother-in-law.

I found them just outside transition and we slowly made our way inside the hotel so I could put on my wetsuit. After sitting for a few moments it was time to put the black rubber suit of death on. I might have to change what I call it, because this new wetsuit (if you remember my old one met its demise by the hands of one angry teenage male in Augusta, GA) is so easy to put on, not to mention I don’t have to worry about that stupid zipper anymore. After sealing me up it was off to the beach.

We waited outside the meeting area, because I wanted to see my brother-in-law, Dan, his wife Julie and the two little ones before I took off but they called us into the swim area. As it turns out I missed them by a few minutes.

In the staging area the mood changes, just like in Wisconsin I blocked everything else out. I could tell there were hundreds of people around me, but they almost seemed to disappear. I found myself almost in an alone feeling. There my toes where touching the water but everything around me went dark. I could hear the National Anthem being sung, I could see the pros take off 10 minutes earlier, and remembering the songs leading up to the start but everything was in slow motion.

I found myself looking at the sunrise just as I did in Madison 14 months before…

Calmness…

I was ready…

Then the cannon went off…

The Swim

2,700 people rushing into the Gulf of Mexico… Very different compared to Wisconsin where I was able to start a bit more on the outside, this time I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WASHING MACHINE! Man, did I pay for that…

The swim is a 2.4 miles course, made up with a two lap 1.2 mile rectangle with a 100 yard beach run in between.

The first quarter or going directly out away from the beach was a mess of elbows, knees, hands, feet, finger nails, and toe nails all going after me (well that is what is seemed like). I would say 99% of this is unintentional, but there were a few times I could have swore the impact of the elbow or knee had a little more mustard behind it than usual.

Usual?

What is usual about a mass start of 2,700+ people running into the Gulf of Mexico? NOTHING!!!!!!!

Now there are quite a few things that go racing through ones mind during a swim of an Ironman, especially the start. The first and foremost is the drowning topic. Even though I did get pushed under the water about 6 times I was never in any danger, because the wetsuit popped me right back to the surface. The next thing is boy the shore line is getting farther and farther away, simple fix count the buoys along the way knowing that number 6 would be the one we can all start back to shore. The next thing was the water was clear and you could see what was swimming below you, I didn’t see much until the ground sunk away around buoy #4. There they were, the JELLYFISH. I wasn’t worried about the ones I could see (probably around 30 during the swim), it was the ones I couldn’t see. I made it through the swim with no stings!!! At this time the floor also dropped off, leaving one to wonder how deep was the water at this point?

As I rounded the first turn there was a short swim until the next turn and then it was straight to the shore. One remaining question sat in my mind… How come with all the hours we “Ironman” put into the swim… Why are there so few that can swim straight? In a pool I breath on every third stroke, because there is a lane line below that keeps you going straight. If I were to attempt this in a ocean, the next stop for me would Key West. I breath on every other stroke in triathlons. Yes less efficient, but at least it gives me a a quick moment to look where I am going. I mean COME PEOPLE!!!!!

Around the second turn things opened up a bit as we headed back to shore. As I approached the shore a new twist to my Ironman experience came into play, a short run before I had to do lap #2. It probably was a good thing that I came out with so many people the run was more like a walk. They offered us a cup of water, which I used to wash the saltiness out of my mouth and then it was time for lap 2.

The goal of this lap was to stay closer to the buoys there in turn shorting the distance of lap 2. Things remained crowded through the lap, but not nearly as bad as the first portion of lap 1. I soon found my first rhythm and actually found myself using my legs only when the current deemed it necessary. Save the legs the rest of the day was all about them. Made it past turn 1 and then turn 2 and then I started down the home stretch.

I actually found open water during this part and soon my mind drifted off to those people that helped during this journey… More about them later.

What seemed like a minute or two I found myself standing up, starting to rip off my swim cap, goggles and wetsuit and running towards the swim exit. I WAS DONE! 1/3 down, 2/3’s to go…

Finishing swim time 1:17:02… my Wisconsin time 1:24:28, 7 minutes and 26 seconds faster!

Off to transition #1…

To be continued…

Visualization is a key to training for these things called Ironman. In the countless hours of swimming, biking, running, racing, eating, sleeping, and thinking about this thing called Ironman you learn quickly learn that visualizing is a key to keep you moving forward in this journey.

There I was finally on the pure white sand of Panama City Beach, Florida. Me and about 2,900 other people from all different backgrounds ready to jump into the Gulf of Mexico to take on what we all trained so hard for… but before I go into detail there is a whole different story to tell leading up to the race.

The days leading up to the race…

The days leading up to the race were going to be an experience in itself. What faced me was a car trip of 1,000 miles through the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and finally Florida. Oh, didn’t mention this would be a two car caravan with not only Kim at my side, but my brother-in-law, his wife, their two kiddies and YES even my mother-in-law. Being that I was the only one that knew how to get us there and back safely that added in more responsibility to the journey.

One note on my in-laws. They are amazing, they where there every step of my first journey with Ironman and there they were again on journey #2. The support I get from them is unique and it is a important part of this journey. I know many of us don’t see eye to eye with our in-laws, so I am grateful to have this relationship with them. I am glad in some small way I can touch their lives with this inspiration. I know I do, since my brother-in-law announced to me he will be taking on his first 1/2 Ironman in the summer of 2012.

This too was a vacation of sorts for them, so the plan was to take our time getting down to Panama City Beach and allow them some time to feel like it was a vacation not just hurry and get down there. We made stops at the Indy 500 and at Mammoth Cave National Park along the way. It was interesting to see how they reacted since none of them have been on a car ride of such distance. The Vacation movie kept playing in my mind (didn’t see any hot blonde’s in a Ferrari or take a naked pool swims with one either).

The second highlight would happen in Panama City Beach, FL in meeting a legend in his own mind, Robert Key and his wife Susan. Robert and I have become good friends through the use of social media and when I booked the condo I booked a three bedroom condo with the thought that Robert could take one room if he’d like. Well the Griswalds pulled into PCB (Panama City Beach) on Wednesday right around noon. After a lunch at a place called Dirty Dicks (insert your own joke) we met up with the Key’s at the condo. The condo wasn’t ready so we sat around one of the pools to get know each other a little better.

OK I hate to write this portion but I have too. It turns out that the Key’s are awesome people. Wait for it… You can almost hear it… Listen hard there is a noise coming from the Houston area… Yes, Robert it was an honor to meet you and Susan. Who would have known we were so much alike in so many ways. I would think we were separated at birth, except of our huge age differences and the funny way you talk.

One word on this condo…WOW! I have stayed in many nice places in my travels, but this condo WAS REALLY NICE! Three bedrooms, three baths, kitchen, family room and the largest deck I have ever seen on the 11th floor over looking the Gulf. Jim Ristow did good picking this place out!

With the kids splashing around in the pools, Robert and I decided to take off for Ironman central and check in. Let me be the first to say I beat Robert Key through the check in process! Hey, you have to take in all the victories! Soon after check in, I walked into heaven… aka The Ironman Store! It is my blog so I am just going to say it, I cried. No I didn’t buy anything yet, but just being in there the reality of the coming days was hitting me across the face!!!!! Ironman #2 was about to take place.

Thursday morning I awoke with two goals in mind. #1, swim in the Gulf of Mexico. #2, drive the bike and run courses. Robert, Susan and I walked down to the swim start. I had some concerns about swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. The size of the Gulf didn’t bother me that much because of the numerous times swimming in Lake Michigan. What concerned me was three things.

1. Swimming in salt water.
2. Critters, especially jellyfish.
3. Swimming straight out versus swimming along the shore.

Robert and I met up with a group from iamtri (the Facebook for triathletes) and we were off. The first thing I noticed was there were two shallow spots as we attempted to swim. This caused to wave breaks which made me think back to my time swimming in Hawaii. I got my first few gulps of salt water and that too reminded me of swimming in Hawaii, so that helped calm my nerves a bit. As we practiced the water was clear so you could see everything below you. No jellyfish, but it was interesting to see what swims below you, in the lake around here there is no chance. I am not sure which is better. As I started to swim out I could help but think how far we would swim out from shore. I did some quick math and figured it would be a little more than a 1/2 mile. Then I wondered how far I was out already. In all my other triathlons there is some comfort knowing that you are really never that far off the shore, this was going to be my biggest fear of the swim. Then again, when one is in a wetsuit, in salt water and plenty of safety people around the chances of something happening like drowning is small.

With the swim practice over it was time to drive the bike course. The hardest part of the drive? 112 miles with Robert Key. Let’s just say he thinks of himself a bit of a weather forecaster and especially when it comes to wind direction, speed and gusts. Let’s just say the people at the Weather Channel have no worries when it comes to Robert Key taking one of their jobs. The real reason to drive the course is simple, get some visualization on what the day will bring for 6 to 7 hours on the bike. I will go more into detail later about the bike ride itself, let’s just say training on the flat roads of Illinois played right into my strength. Yes there were a few rollers and semi big bridge, but over all it was flat and there was very little to look at, just like the cornfields I ride through.

After we drove the bike course we had a little time while before the Ironman dinner, so we decided to tackle the run course. Again I write about this later, but the run course had a few hills, called speed humps, ran through mostly neighborhoods and one state park.

Thursday evening was the Ironman dinner and my date was my brother-in-law, Dan. So holding hands we set off with the Key’s to enjoy the 5 star meal and some banquet fun. When I say 5 star I really mean 1 star, if I had to complain about anything about the experience the Ironman meal resembles something lower than a high school cafeteria meal. With the amount of money we gladly hand over to the Ironman people they really could up the meal a bit. Oh well. We sat with our new iamtri friends swapped stories and I even met the equivalent of Bob Scott on the female side, Bobby Williams. All in all an entertaining night, but I kept on thinking about what laid before me come Saturday.

I listened to the other triathletes about their goals, their finishing times and what their day was going to bring. Me? I had this unsure feeling. Did I do enough? I guess no matter how much talk is happening everyone feels that, but this time it was different than Wisconsin.

The next morning I wanted to do one more swim, plus I needed to check in my bike plus my transition bags so what was meant as a peaceful day turned out to be pretty busy. This time Kim went with me to the swim practice. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES. Thursday the waters were a bit choppy but nothing to install fear into this Ironman’s eyes. Friday? Yikes!!!! I ventured out watching and feeling waves that would crash at head level. The currents were totally different and it simply took me ten minutes just to get past the breaking waves. I struggled to keep my goggles on and basically letting the fear of God overcome me. I am glad I went out, but the concern of the swim ate at me the rest of the day. After getting a ton of sand out of body parts where sand shouldn’t be, the Ristow’s and the Key’s were off to check the bikes and transition bags in. I found my spot, dropped off the two transition bags in their spots, took some pictures and gave Kim a surprise.

Up to this point Kim’s “vacation” was spent keeping one mother and two little kiddies happy. Not much of a vacation, especially one with her hubby. I took her away from all of this and had an afternoon together. We found a great place to eat, then we shopped and she bought a few things and we were ready to call it a night. I set the alarm for 4 am and went quickly off to sleep…

Oh yea, I forgot we did spend some time in the Ironman store and so you will be seeing me model all the latest Ironman fashions! PS Kim and my in-laws are drinking from the cool aid, they too purchased Ironman gear! My evil plan is working…

To be continued….

7 days…

OK all of you have put up with me for the past 2+ years talking about this Ironman thing. I get it you are all tired of me talking about it so let me lay it all out for you to see.

THANK YOU!

I say this from the bottom of my heart. I hope in some way you gained a little insight on the life of a slightly nuts person and his journey. The time leading up to this race has been full of peaks and valleys, but the one thing that has stayed by my side is all of you. From Kim my awesome wife to all of my Facebook buddies and everyone in between.

Thank you!

You put up with my mood swings, you put up with my constant sarcasm, and you simply put up with Jim Ristow. The way I look at it that must be wonderful, but I am pretty sure some of you might have a different opinion (no matter how wrong you are).

Thank you!

I get, you get, heck the dog down the street gets it, this Ironman thing is an important part of my life. It has yet to give me anything bad, OK maybe sucking my money away from me could be considered bad but I do it willingly. I know it is a cult thing. Find your own cult and you will understand.

Thank you!

If you don’t believe me that the Ironman has only brought good into my life, why are you my friend? In some form or fashion the Ironman introduced us as friends or simply made the friendship bond we had stronger.

Thank you!

All of you in some way inspire me as I inspire you.

Thank you!

In 7 days I will be swimming 2.4 miles, riding 112 miles and running 26.2 all under 17 hours (closer to 14 would be great). During that time I will be thinking of you and ice cream/doughnuts. It might be a time in the race where I am feeling great. It might be a time where I am in the darkest of lows and you will help pull me out and push me towards that finish line.

Thank you!

Yes, I will have family and friends down there cheering me on. Yes, I will have people throughout the country following my progress on ironman.com that day. Yes, I know there will some of you going about your day and a quick thought might pass wondering how I am doing. Yes, there will be those WHO WILL TOTALLY FORGET ABOUT ME THAT DAY, but still you gave me support at some point in my journey.

Thank you!

Doing an Ironman is a selfish endeavor. There are those who say they do it for a person or maybe a cause to raise awareness, but deep down it really is only about one question. Do I have it in me to push my body, my mind, my spirit, my soul as far as it can go? If so, can I push it a little further?

Thank you!

Then I think if it is such a selfish endeavor…. Why am I surrounded by some many great people that are supporting me?

Thank you!

I don’t I say this enough, Thank You everyone for the support and love you have shown me over these couple of years. Without you this journey will be a lot emptier and a whole lot less meaningful.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Until next time… Your Fitness Buddy

Topic #1

I wrote some time ago I see this number all the time, 262 or 26. Wanna guess what number post this is? I didn’t plan this I just happened to look today at the number of posts I have written over the past two years and the last was 261. I tell you this really freaks me out. I don’t go searching for it, it just happens. I am certain I will see it in some form or fashion as I start my travels down to Florida, during the race and driving back to the great white north. I should keep a tally sheet on how many times I see it and if I had to make a guess there would be a 2 and a 6 involved. It is creepy!

Topic #2

OK now that I have that off my chest on to more pressing matters. Did you know I have a Ironman coming up? 11 days from today at 7:00 am number 2145 will be diving into the Gulf of Mexico with 2,500+ of his closest friends on a journey of pure insanity that will last up to 17 hours from some and slightly over 8 for others. Me? If you are placing a bet in Vegas I would lean closer to the 17 hour mark, but who knows right?

As I close in I am trying to figure out how I feel about this race compared to my first. I remember fear of the unknown the last time… I really don’t have that this time around. I remember excitement of the unknown the last time… Nope. I remember anxiety… Nope. So what am I feeling? I guess in some way I am feeling those things, but it is different. I can’t really explain. Is it because I have done one of these before? Is it because I am better trained? Is it because I am actually racing with a few people I know? I am not sure…

• I feel prepared, in fact more prepared than my first.
• I feel excited, but not excited enough to jump out of my shoes.
• If feel calm, I am ready to deal with what the day throws in front of me.
• I feel ready to call it a year with Triathlon and what a way to cap that year off, but with an Ironman.

Looking at those feelings simply the best word is I am ready. Coming off the Augusta, GA 70.3 this sense of calmness has surrounded me. It is scary when a 1/2 Ironman is considered a long training day. I mean just typing that sentence seems silly.

I have done enough Triathlons to get a good feeling on what the day is going to hold for me. It will be a decent swim, probably finishing around 1:20, a better bike finishing somewhere under 6:30 and a run that will be painfully long and finish well after the sun goes down. If that is how the day plays out I am OK with that, remember the #1 goal is to finish under 17 hours.

If I had to post a time so everyone can see look for me to finish around the 14 hour mark. That would be awesome, 9 pm! Slow in the sense I will be finishing in the back of the pack once again, but I will be the faster of the slow if that makes any sense.

8 days and counting! The training is almost done. I will be doing a few swims, runs, and rides this week but just enough to let the body we are not quite to the start line just yet. I look forward to the drive down to the sunshine state. I will enjoy not only being with family, but my Ironman family once again.

I guess I feel PROUD!

Until next time… Your Fitness Buddy

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This is some inspiration from arguably the best female Ironman on the planet. As you read this keep this in mind, she recently won the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for the 4th time. She usually dominates the rest of the female field and gives most of the pro men a run for their money, but this time she decided to add in some interest to the race. She did the entire race with a torn pectoral muscle and still won.

Being an Ironman is not only about one’s physical abilities, but what is one’s heart and soul. It also proves you are one of the few on the planet that is willing to put it all out there to see and you might just find out something about yourself.

15 days!

Until next time… Your Fitness Buddy