Handicapped at the 2006 Arizona Ironman

This last Sunday (April 9th) I competed in the Arizona Ironman.  And although the word “competed” sets the wrong impression, I did finish and I was not last.

Being a full time single parent and traveling extensively for my job makes it hard to train for these events.  To this point, last Friday (two days before the race) I did my second training swim of the year – swimming 2.5 miles all at once, making it the single longest swim of my life.  True to good training, I considered this my peak swim and then had a good two days to taper before the actual race.  Real athletes peak and then begin tapering weeks before the race – not me as I just pretend to be an athlete.  At this race, I did finish the swim in my best time ever, swimming the 2.4 miles in about 1:24.

The 112 miles on the bike took longer than planned (6 hours, 41 minutes) in part because the mid-day wind picked which affected the last half of the ride.

Then after just over eight hours of swimming and biking, I started the 26.2 mile run – a brutal experience considering the heat and the fact that my legs were pretty much destroyed from the hard work on the bike – and finished it in 6 hours, 3 minutes.

Oh … about the bike … I was certainly handicapped.  Trust me, I was the only one to attempt this event on this kind of bike.  Yes, that would be a full suspension mountain bike with knobby tires.

All things considered, I felt pretty good right after this 14 hour and 23 minute effort, and decided I would certainly never do that again on a mountain bike.  Although after a few nights of sleep, I’m already thinking that doing the Ironman with a mountain bike again would be a good idea – obviously I must still be dehydrated!

Comments

[Bruce Morgan]

I recall chatting with you walking out of the finish line area late in the evening. Wow, a mountain bike? Your bike split was only 8 minutes slower than mine. You rock!

My wife and kids also saw you riding that mountain bike and were amazed. You were indeed the only person I heard of doing it the hard way.

Me, I'm going for a P3C next year.

[Stephanie Forman]

Just read about you in the Spectrum. Odd timing, I recently went to a vague lecture about data mining, In-Q-Tel and social networks given by Rob Usey.

I find your story very encouraging and I think its wonderful that you participated in the ironman. I once did 150 miles on a hybrid bike for the BP MS150, and thought i was going to die.. so a big Congratulations to you!