Deep Thoughts: Ironman Edition

So I still need to write a very general summary of Ironman and how much it meant to me. Now that my move is winding down, I’m finally getting a little time to think about these things. But before I write and post that, I also wanted to talk about other, less profound things. I could talk about my Ironman experience all day long, but who would enjoy that (I’m not fishing here. You really don’t want it). Instead, I wrote up a condensed list of some of my Ironman reflections.

1. I sweated off the body markings on both my arms before the bike ended. What I gather from this (whether it’s correct or not is another matter) is that I did a really good job hydrating. Normally, I do a less-than-ideal job with this. I can’t decide what’s worse, my hydration abilities or my sighting.


2. I did not question the cleanliness of the water in the Hudson until we reached probably the last 10 yards of the swim. I put my face in the water and suddenly could not see my hand in front of my face because it was so black. I kept putting my head in just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things but then I got a mouthful of what tasted like motor oil and decided to just keep my head out until the end.
   
3. That hill! That hill at the beginning of the run was brutal. I’m glad we didn’t have to do it twice. When I got to what looked like the end and realized it made a sharp turn and kept going up, I said “COME ON!” and the guy at my side laughed at me.
   
4. I’d like to add following directions to the list of things I’m bad at…okay fine it was the first thing on that list (Kim, I can see you laughing). I didn’t bring my bike and run gear bags to transition the day before the race as instructed so had to take them the morning of. It ended up not being a disaster somehow, even though no one seemed to know where the bike bag location was.
   
5. Bonk Breakers bars are really good. I looked forward to getting off the bike just so I could eat like two of them. It was my idea of an Ironman feast. They’re so good that I even tried and succeeded at eating one while on the bike. I know, guys. I didn’t even fall.


6. At one of the miles Trey asked me if I’d tried chicken broth, which they had available at many of the hydration stops on the run. I thought the idea sounded pretty foul, but he insisted that it was amazing so I gave it a try around mile 23. Trey was right. It was amazing.
   
7. At some point, though I also stopped being able to eat that much. At the end of Dyckman Hill, someone handed me an orange slice. When I wondered aloud why I hadn’t been eating them the whole time, she handed me another cupful. But I looked down at them and sadly realized I couldn’t eat any more. In the trash they went.
   
8. Dyckman Hill was no joke and I admittedly walked it. Even the voice was like “eff that.” For the record, I walked a lot on the run. It’s something I look forward to improving upon in future Ironman races.
   
9. Triathletes are really tall. When I was at the pre-race briefing I was surrounded by people and most of what was at my eye-level was mid-back. Toward the end of the race, I was running as fast as Trey could walk.
   
10. The swim was fast. I did mine in 1:01! That’s only 6 minutes longer than it took me to swim half the distance in Providence
    
11. Crossing the George Washington Bridge was amazing. Not only was the view beautiful and the wind fantastic, but drivers were honking encouragement! At least, I think it was encouragement. But then again, this is New York City so who knows.
    
12. I thought about a lot of things on the bike. One of the strangest, though, was a burning desire to know why the eff Berger would break up with Carrie over post-it?!?! If anyone can provide some insight into this, please do. It’ll give me something to ponder on my next IM ride.
    
13. I got my nails done (purple, in case you were wondering) for the race. Just because I smelled like an armpit didn’t mean my nails shouldn’t look pretty.
    
14. When I finished, I thought Mike Reilly had missed my name and I was crushed (I know, it didn’t diminish the fact that I’d finished the Ironman but let’s face it, no one is rational right after finishing). Many thanks to my amazing friends for hearing (or at least convincing me that they’d heard) him say it.

I’ll think of more things, I’m sure. Word of warning, if I think of enough things there may be a follow-up deep thoughts post.