As I enter T2, I think to myself. O-M-G I just finished 112 miles on a bike after 2.4 ocean swim. I am 26.2 miles away from becoming an Ironman!! Holy Crap!
Yes, that is exactly what through my mind as I was transitioning off the bike. That and Holy crap this will be the first time I am running a marathon!! The most I had ran to date was 15miles and that was only because I tacked on the extra 5 while running Marc's Bronx 10-miler run and even then I could barely walk for 3 days after! And shortly after, my orthopedist told me I have to stop running while giving me my first cortisone shot. :-) But yet, here I am - about to run a marathon. I think to myself, I hope to god those hours on the elliptical and aqua jogging pay off and the 2nd cortisone shot kicks in!
In the transition tent, I am showered with help. Those volunteers were seriously amazing. Per Ian Murray, head coach for LA Tri Club, he advised I change my socks and put Vaseline on my feet and in between my toes for the run. No problem! I can do that and I am so happy I did. Happy Feet = Happy Rachel. :-). So as I lube up my feet and put on a fresh pair of socks, the ladies in the tent are stripping me of my bike shirt, putting on my run shirt and spraying me down with sunblock and bug spray. Thank heavens.
As I exit the tent, I hit my watch again - fully transitioned for the run. I hear it buzz saying low battery. WHAT? I say to myself, it is barely 10hrs. This thing is suppose to go for a full ironman! I panic for a second and then I see dad, Marc and Christy, AGAIN on the exit shoot. They were like cheering ninjas! The watch situation escapes my brain and say to myself - Here we go. This is the last leg. I GOT THIS!
Running through the streets of Cozumel was probably the coolest experience of my life. The streets are flooded people cheering on every single runner or walker as the case may be. It is the biggest fiesta you could ever imagine. "Si Se Puede" is chanted over and over again. Bands and DJs are playing music at each and every aid station, kids are running with you down the street trying to give you a cup of water or orange slice, that they so proudly sliced themselves. It is phenomenal the love you feel from complete strangers.
Approaching the first mile I noticed that my watch did not buzz for my 4:1 interval (run for 4min /walk for 1min). I am surprised, because for a hot minute I thought I had run a 4min mile! LOL. But I quickly reminded myself, that I am NOT that kind of runner. However, according to my watch that was barely hanging on, I was at a 9min or so pace. Which was awesome, but I knew my knees would not be able to sustain that, so I slowed myself down just a little and continued on for another 2miles at that pace until my watch completely died on me. My watch dying was probably the worst thing that could have happened. I need those intervals to keep me going so, I did the next best thing, I counted my intervals in my head, or at least attempted to. I know I lost count a few more times that I care to admit, but there I was, counting out loud or singing the number until I reached 240 then I would walk for 60 and repeat for as long as I could.
I saw Stephen and Guneet early in the run. They were looking good - strong. I think they both were on their 2nd lap or possibly the last. I was so happy for them. Slightly jealous as I was just starting, but over the moon for them. Stephen was in the zone and I don't think he saw me, where as I was able to get Guneet's attention and we said a quick hello and good luck and chuckled on how far we have come. It was great and that was the last I saw of him in Cozumel. What an inspiring athlete. I am so glad we have become friends.
Passing each mile marker I am getting more and more excited. I am RUNNING! I know this sounds so trivial, but it is huge for me. Each loop was 8.6 miles. Just before I finished the first loop, I saw Marc, Dad and Christy up ahead on the right. It was hysterical, because I can hear them cheering, and not for me. They were cheering for everyone that passed them. I can hear dad saying to a lady...
"Hey you in the pink top, I told them you would pass that guy in the yellow! Well done." Or Marc saying to random dudes, "You got this man!" It was really fun to watch them be excited for others and then, the real hysterics took place when they saw me! They were cheering "GO RACHEL" at the top of their lungs, taking pics, jumping up and down to the point where anyone near them was also cheering directly for me by name. Amazing.
The best part about the run, was the fact that there were loops. So at mile 8, give or take is when I saw Dad, Marc & Christy. They would flip flop from across the street so they could cheer me on again from the other side, so I saw them again at mile 9. And I knew that is where they would be for last two loops.
Excited to be running, I pushed the slight knee pain out of my head for as long as I could. I ran my intervals, or as close to them as I could. For a solid 8 miles I was in the zone and I was able to push it to mile 13 before it gave up on me. For a while, I thought I would be able to crack my A-Goal of 15hr, but unfortunately my knee thought otherwise. But that's OK. From mile 15 to maybe close to 18 miles I was speed walking. I had never really done that before, but I felt good and I was stoked! I hit up my special needs bag to grab an Ibuprofen and to swap out my hat for my visor, since the sun had set and I peeled off my hot pink KT tape under my knee braces. They were practically peeled off anyway from the swim and sweat. And in hindsight, I probably should have put on the extra tape in my bag, but didn't... Although at this point I don't think it really mattered.
I was a chatting with everyone, including KELLY from the bike. Although this time she wasn't so annoyed to see me, maybe she finally realized that despite doing this individually, we were all in it together. We were going to become an Ironman. Not only was I chatting with everyone or anyone at this point who will chat back, but I am having a little dance party at every aid station because the DJ or Bands were so fun! It was awesome. I was also peeing ALOT! I literally was stopping at every other port-o-potty to pee or sometimes additional business. I know, TMI, but when you are moving around for 16hrs straight, your body jostles things around and you just have to go. SHOCKLINGLY, they were all in pretty decent shape and thankfully, I didn't get locked in any of them! :-)
When I reach the main part of town again during my second loop, I look to where Dad, Marc and Christy were the first time and I don't see them. It was weird. It was not like them to not be there and I was slightly disappointed, only because my knee was hurting and I needed a little love, but I continue on taking in the support from the rest of the city. After all, the Ironman race is just as much a mental race as it is physical one. I think to myself, they are probably getting a good spot near the finish. I make my way to the turn around and get a tiny burst of energy, I am on my last loop. 8.6mi to go. YES!
Trotting down the street, mixed in with speed walking and 1:1 intervals, I hear voices from what seems like the heavens cheering for me, but not me as in Rachel specifically, just a random racer. I hear the Ironman clappers and a girl's voice, "YOU GO GIRL IN THE TEAL TOP AND WHITE VISOR! YOU GOT THIS!" as I look up to say thank you, I notice that it is Christy! She of course then notices its me and all of the sudden, she is jumps up screaming and yelling that it jolts Marc and Dad to realizing it is me and they stand up and start super duper cheering. I mean they are cheering like their life depended on it. It was awesome! They are freaking out. "This is your last lap! You got this! You are doing awesome!" So now I am pumped up. I tell them that when I finish, I will be wearing a thin white shirt over my tank top and all I hear back is Marc saying something like, "Stop talking to us and run." (Of course Marc later tells me he never said that, which is hysterical in itself -- and they actually never heard me say that I was having a costume change.)
Pushing down that last loop I am now asking everyone under the sun what time it is. Since my watch is dead, I have no clue how long I have. Of course I am getting general times. It is 9:30. But what I really need to know is it 9:30 or 9:32:43. LOL. Getting nervous that my speed walking is not so speedy, I really push the 1:1 intervals... 8.6 miles is not that many miles, but as the same time, it is still a while to go. (I later learn from my times that my speed walking was faster than my 1:1 intervals)
Reaching the last turn around I am beyond excited. It is around 10:20pm, I think, and I know that even if I crawl, I will be an Ironman. That of course was not the scenario I want, but my dream was going to become a reality. The band is playing music actually in front of my hotel and I grab a random guy and start dancing with him in the street while still running. It was great. I asked him to do me a huge favor. See, once the race is over, your special needs bag is tossed and you lose whatever was in it. I had tons of stuff in there that I still wanted to keep, including a back up pair of sneakers, so, my dancing partner thankfully, took my bag to the lobby of the hotel for me so I can grab it when I got home, YAY! So before I passed my bag on to him, I took one final Ibuprofen and grabbed a thin white shirt. One, I wanted to have sleeves, because I knew as soon as my adrenaline calmed down and was not crazy, I was going to be chilly from sweating and the fact that I was 11:15 at night! And Two, it was my mom's shirt. Not a shirt that she was known wearing or anything, just a shirt she loved before she died because it was so light and thin, it was not constricting when she was sick. And I have to agree with her. It is a very soft light shirt and perfect for after training. I know that she was with me the entire race, this was just a little added something.
At mile 24 see two people standing in the middle of the street. By now, most of the crowds had gone home and the restaurant were closed. I ask them the time and it is 10:46pm. The next thing I say to them, they found extremely hysterical... and to be fair, so did I.... I said, "DO YOU KNOW WHO IS GOING TO BE AN IRONMAN IN 2MILES? THIS GIRL!!!" (as I point to myself and am now skipping down the street) they loved it.
As I am taking each and every moment in, I notice that there are a few athletes just starting on what I hope is their last loop. But I know deep down, if they are walking, they won't make the cut off and I am crush for them. To come so far to not finish is such a heartache.
Just then, two runners creep up on me. And I cheer them on. "Good Job guys! You got this, 1mi to go!" They say thanks.. and just then I realize it is Neil from the shuttle bus! He is looking pretty good and asked if I wanted to run in with him and the girl he was running with. I said thanks, but my knees are not up for it and I am going to walk and save up whatever running I have left for the finish line. He says sounds good. "Good luck I will see you at the finish" and he and his gal pal take off.
"Good luck" I say back with excitement as I know I luck is no longer needed. We are moments away from becoming an Ironman.
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