Just keep smiling

Here is the thing that makes life so interesting. The theory of evolution claims only the strong shall survive...  Maybe so. But the theory of competition says, just because they're the strong doesn't mean they can't get their asses kicked.  That's right. See whatever long-shot-come-from-behind-underdog will tell you is this: the other guy may in fact be the favorite. The odds may be stacked against you. But what the odds don't know is that this is not a math test. This is a completely different kind of test, one where passion has a funny way of trumping logic. So before you step up to the starting line, before the whistle blows and the clock starts ticking just remember out here the results don't always add up....suddenly we've got ourselves a game!

Motivation


The above quote and link is from the motivational video I listen to before every race. I think I watched it about 100 times before Ironman Lake Placid. It gives me chills every time.  And to my surprise, the wonderful people at FitWerks PLAYED the speech for me every time I ran by their tent during the race.  This is just one of the bazillion reason Ironman Lake Placid is going to be a tough race to top.

Let me do things a bit differently and start from the finish. Here is my speech from the awards ceremony:

The Speech

I always told myself that if I ever won an Ironman I would try to give everyone in the audience hope that  anything is possible if you have a little determination and big, crazy dreams. 

Thanks Brent Doscher for the awesome photos!

Just over 4 years ago I was  toeing the start line of my first ever full Ironman: Ironman Wisconsin. When I initially signed up for the event I had raced just 3 triathlons. They were sprints, and they were ugly. I think I may have finished ahead of the 75 year old with the fanny pack but my memory eludes me. 

What I do remember thinking when I finished was that if I can do a sprint - I can definitely do an Ironman! Not surprisingly, many people questioned my sanity.  But I showed up to my first Ironman raring to go even though I had no clue what a disc wheel was, I didn't own a wetsuit and I really couldn't quite balance in my aerobars yet. But I was determined and I had big, crazy dreams.  I bonked multiple times on that day subsisting on just one gel the entire bike ride.  I did eventually learn I needed more fuel to race well but I also learned that good race,  or bad race, big bonk or big breakthrough racing Ironman is a great way to spend a Sunday.  

 One of my very first races as a professional was here at Ironman Lake placid in 2011. I remember sitting in the audience listening to the pro winners speech and I thought wow I want to be up there one day.  So off I went setting another crazy goal. Along the way some goals were met and some I didn't quite reach.  However, throughout  the process I grew as an athlete.    Each experience was an accumulation of learning's from the previous time. And this became a self-fulfilling prophecy of success. 

Not to mention, I was having the time of my life. Ultimately, what it really comes down to is that it truly is about the journey, about loving every minute of your life, smiling, laughing and giving thanks.  And of course having big, crazy dreams. 

Photo Credit: Brent Doscher. He has talent. 

Every time I cross the finish line I say I really don't deserve to cross it alone. I have a HUGE support system. My mom and dad were out here today and I want to say thank you for loving me even when I show up a little late to every family get together dressed in spandex, and really, really sweaty. 

My sister Deidre and my good friend Myles chase - I heard you guys yelling and it powered me more than you know. Thank you Myles for the belly shot.

To my great friend Ryan Kelly: Thank you for putting up with me during my melt downs on 6 hour training rides. You told me a few days before the race that when I made the pass for 1st on Sunday make sure to smile because all  of the hard work has payed off.

To my coach  Kurt Perham.  The brains behind the operation. You turned a very rookie pro into an Ironman champion. You are one talented dude and I am so lucky to be working with you.   

And to  Danny Ferreira. My partner in crime. The one who believes in me more than I believe in myself. He told me I would win Ironman before I even knew what one was.  It is amazing what can happen when someone believes in you. This life is not long enough for me to return all the favors Danny. But I will try...

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the town of Lake Placid and to the amazing volunteers and congrats to all who crossed the finished line.  I know the Ironman journey well. This is my 11th go at it and its a brutal process. Too many 4 am wake up calls, too much chlorine, way too much Gatorade, leg cramps, spandex up the wazoo, the realization that your biker calves have now out grown your calf sleeves, dumping more money into your bike then your car, outrageously sore muscles and blistered feet. But it's a great way to spend a Sunday. This is your life. Love every minute of it, laugh deeply, encourage others and follow your big crazy dreams.

Now, if I haven't lost you yet, here are some juicy details on the race.  

 

The Juicy Details

As I mentioned,  Ironman Lake Placid is a special race for me. I qualified to race at the world championships as an amatuer here and it is where I qualified for my Pro licence . Placid is also my hometown race and it was absolutely amazing to have my family there as well as the crazy crowd support.  I have participated in numerous training camps at Placid and subsequently have bonked more times on this bike course than I would like to admit. It is these dark moments in training  that define you, that better you as an athlete. I've had dozens of dark moments at Placid. The moment when you hit rock bottom and 99% of you knows you are done but that 1% of you finds a way to push on. To push past your limits and realize you are stronger than you ever could have imagined. Just like in life, it is the darkest moments that award you with the most potential for growth. 

Race morning I was relatively calm. Per usual, Danny lived up to his sherpa extraordinaire name and helped me have a flawless day.  I tried to savor the energy from the crowd at the swim start and just get psyched to race. 

This is moments after Danny almost wrestled a security guard just so I could take a tiny sip of the water that I so desperately needed. :) Thank you Danny!

Me and Andrew. What a maroon he is ;)

Swim: 57:xx

Bottom line: I swam like a turd. But I cut myself a little slack due to the fact that on the second lap I was trying to zig zag my way through 2000 age group athletes.  This head-out-of-water, zig-zag-style of swimming all while dodging arms and legs was for the birds. Two point four miles could not come fast enough. Not all was lost!  At least I excited the water looking like a stud muffin: 

You know the photographer is good when he can make you look like Andy Potts :) Thanks Brent Doscher for the great pics!

Bike: 5:19:xx

As soon as I jumped on the Argon complete with the Enve wheels and Q-rings I found my rhythm. The Q-rings were amazing on a course like Placid as I felt myself really powering up and over each hill. I had a mission and that was to catch the 2 girls that beat me out of the water.

Photo Credit: Brent Doscher

Photo credit Liz Kreutz

The bike was absolutely nuts for a variety of reasons. We road through thunder showers and lightening, heat, humidity, sunny skies and then more heavy rain. I pushed my limits on the bike and was very aggressive at times but also focused on staying on top of eating and chugging the Infinit.  I totaled 7 bottles, 12 gels and 3 bananas on the bike.  I may have gained weight after the race. Which, in my opinion, is a bigger feat than winning the race.  

After 20 miles I moved into the lead and in all honesty for awhile I just tried to savor it. I had 7 more hours of racing and anything could happen.  I had never been leading an Ironman before and I guess I thought once I moved to the front I would develop super girl powers and it would be smooth sailing. Quite the opposite! Being chased by some of the fastest girls in the sport for 7 hours was nerve wracking to say the least.  


However, as the hours passed something funny happened.  I began to really get attached to the lead. I did NOT want to give it up.  There was a point at mile 90 on the bike when I was feeling very low on energy and in a dark place.  I was light-headed, my quads were on FIRE and my thoughts were scattered.  An awesome volunteer was handing out bananas at the aid station so I grabbed on. From mile 90 to 112 I managed to consume 3 entire bananas. And just like that I was back in action and still had the lead.  Leading actually made me to push deeper that I ever have before. Climbing through the notch back into town the excitement started to build. I had 26.2 miles of my favorite leg to go and I was leading Ironman! And my stomach was full of bananas. Nothing can stop me now.

Even before I dismounted my bike some pretty deep emotions started to creep to the surface. Every personal battle I'd fought in training and on a personal level this year bubbled up (or was that the bananas?) I felt so lucky to be able to swim, bike and run my way through 140.6 miles. I was so grateful that Danny and my family were here to cheer me on. I knew right then this would be a day that I would never forget, regardless of the result.

Run: 3:08:xx

The run was simple. Run like you stole something.  Kim Schwabenbaur ( capable of a 3:01 marathon off the bike) and Lisa Roberts (capable of a 2:58 marathon off the bike) were looking fierce and chasing hard in 2nd and 3rd. 

So I ran and drank...

Ran and gave some nervous smiles...

I am happy to report I only splashed myself in the face with Gatorade twice. This is a huge improvement for this girl.

Run like you stole it...

Still running and smiling (on the inside) :)

Still running.

I hit mile 20 and saw the ski jumps, and did the math and felt like maybe I really am going to win this thing.

And then it happened. I rounded the corner of the olympic oval and saw the finish line tape. I was going to win Ironman.  I spent 9 hours only half believing it, fighting more than I ever had and now it was happening. I tried to give some high fives but the tears were flowing and it was all I could do to stay upright.

And the moral of this story is to keep SMILING.  There has been numerous studies done on athletes and their self 'explanatory style' - basically whether their internal dialogue was positive or negative.  What the studies found was the athlete that was the optimist - that believed in themselves - even if they had failed numerous times was eventually going to kick some butt. Saying "ok, I just failed but next time I will do better" and giving you all will lead to great things....    

To my sponsors: I am totally in debt to you, thank you for choosing me. Big thanks to Maverick Multisport, Argon Bikes, Rotor, 110% compression, TYR, Smith Optics, Infinit Nutrition, Enve wheels, Zoot shoes, Cobb saddles, Champion System, and Biotta beet juice.