RACE DAY

So, the alarm went off at 3:45am, and I was ready to go! I slept through the night and felt good, nervous but good. I got dressed and went downstairs for coffee and food. Yes, the Holiday Inn had breakfast ready for us at 3:30am -- oatmeal, eggs, fruit, etc. I started with coffee and oatmeal. I tried some eggs, but I wasn't lovin them so I moved on. Most of the athletes looked as apprehensive as I felt, and that was reassuring. BUT I didn't want to spend too much time there, soaking up that nervous energy, so I ate and scurried back upstairs to finish getting ready.

At about 5:00am we got in the vans to head down to the lake. The weather was cool, in the 40s, and there was a breeze. The lake was not like glass as I had been promised by coach Paul. I put my bottles on my bike, added a PB & J sandwich to my swim to bike transition bag, and headed over to get body marked. Tomie called at this point to tell me that my IronFANS had arrived. I wasn't sure I wanted to see them -- I was very nervous at this point and didn't really want anybody to ask me how I was feeling. As soon as I saw them, though, I had a good laugh. Their shirts say "Trish Da Ho" and the hats say "Iron Trish" and I WAS glad to see them :)




I got my wetsuit on and made my way down to the lake. There was a ton of people crowded into a small space, everyone trying to find their loved one to wish him/her luck. Karen saw her mom and squealed, and a little later Maria found her dad. He gave her a hug, and Maria and I both started crying. Even though my mom and dad weren't there to give me a hug for luck, they were there with me. There is no way I would have ever made it to the starting line without their love and support my whole life. They both believed that I could do ANYTHING! My mom would have asked me if I was going to win.




THE SWIM (2.4 miles)


The water was still cold and choppy. It was so choppy that the race organizers announced that anyone who wished could opt out of the swim and work the day as a duathlon --- bike & run only. As much as I was dreading the swim, this was not an option worth considering. I had worked long and hard to get here, and I was going to be crowned an Ironman today! About 50 people decided not to swim.



So we were all huddled on the beach trying to stay warm, waiting for the gun to go off. There was a strange mix of adreneline, fear, anxiety and excitement flowing through my body at this point. My friend Jen told me that once the gun went off, all would be well, and I would just get the job done. I was praying that she was right. The gun went off and I followed the crowd into the water. I placed myself in the middle of the pack, walked into the lake, took a second to get my bearings and started swimming. I got bumped a little bit, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. So I swam, and swam , and swam. Sighting was tough because everytime I looked up I got smacked in the face with a wave. I have a tendancy to swim to the right and the buoys were on the left. Because of this I probably swam closer to 3 miles. But I was doing it, and I wasn't freaking out! This was a 2 loop course, and I finished the first loop in about 58 minutes. The pros were already finished with BOTH loops, but I knew I would be able to finish and make the time cut off of 2:20. So in I went for my second loop. It seemed easier this time, and I was hoping my time would reflect that. My calves started cramping up toward the end of the swim. I flexed my feet and tried to stretch them out. Finally, I was finished! I ran across the timing mat and heard my name announced and the crowds cheer! I was so happy to be done :)




I ran to the strippers, sat down on the grass, and had them yank my wetsuit off. Heavenly! It is always such a struggle to get the dang wetsuit off. I may have stick to Ironman races just for this feature :)



time: 1:59:08
rank: 2112/2197



THE BIKE (112 miles)

There were more volunteers to help me get ready for the bike. Christy, our team captain, was volunteering and found me in the women's changing tent. She helped me get on my arm warmers, gloves, and helmet. I was cold and shaking, which made it tough to do those things myself. She sent me out, and I made a stop for sunscreen --- yes, more volunteers slathered me with sunscreen. One more stop at the porta pottie (no volunteers to help there!) and then I was off. The course went through town, around CDA lake, back through town, and then out to Hayden lake. It was beautiful! Many residents were out in front of there house cheering us on all day. One house had signs posted that said that we could use the bathroom, get water, and get mechanical help. And on a table under an umbrella sat a sign that said "counseling available" ... I laughed out loud. On my second loop I told the man there that this was my favorite house. He seemed genuinely touched by this and said thank you.


I stayed focused on the ride and on getting my nutrition in. The swim was in the past and I wasn't worried about the run yet. I felt good. Because it was a two loop course I saw a few of my teammates several times, and I found this very comforting. The pros passed me while I was in the hills (about mile 40 or so), and that was exciting. I was racing with the pros! Once again they finished in about half the time it took me. I saw my IronFans frequently. I don't know how they did it, but they were everywhere! Later, Liz and Theresa told me that they thought my Mom and Dad had guided them to the right spot on more than one occasion.


The second loop proved a tad bit tougher, but manageable. Finally I was out of the hills and headed back to the transition area, but first I had some head wind to deal with. The weather had been great all day-- in the 60s and cloudy and windy in spots. I was done! I had made the cut off with about 30 minutes to spare :) Once again, there were volunteers .... they took my bike and racked it for me while I headed to the changing tent.


time: 7:51:46

rank: 2061/2197



THE RUN (26.2 miles)


I saw Maria almost immediately. She was about a mile and a half ahead of me. Maybe I could catch her, I thought. I saw her at least 2 more times, but I never did catch her. Then I saw Gregorio ... he was starting his second loop of the run. He was almost done, and I was so proud of him. The run was tough I can't lie. My goal was to run and only walk through the aid stations, but I didn't quite make it. I walked a lot. I was feeling a little light headed and knew I needed to take in some nutrients, but everything I ate made me sick. I must have spent at LEAST 30 minutes in the porta potties. I tried chicken broth, pretzles, and Gu. Nothing was working. Finally at mile 14 I decided to only drink Gatorade. That worked, thank God! At one point during the run, a little boy who had just come out of the porta pottie exclaimed, "Mom, I saw your diarrhea!" Ha! At least I didn't have anybody announcing my gastrointestinal troubles to the world!



Again, my Fans were great. I saw them many times. Liz ran with me for a while, and Tomie biked beside me. It was dark and lonely out there. I know I wouldn't have quit, but it sure was nice to have some company. Finally, I was almost there. A couple more turns and I would be able to see the finishing chute. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. By this point it was cold, the wind had picked up, AND it had started to rain! Bring it on! I am an Ironman, I can handle it! I started to pick up the pace a bit. It was almost midnight, but there were still lots of people cheering us on. I heard Mike Reilly say, "Trish Ray from Hermosa Beach, California!" and the fans went wild. I saw Coach Paul and he gave me a little shove, and I felt like I was flying. People were cheering like I had won and giving me high fives. It was amazing! I was an Ironman! Click here to see proof of this :)

time: 6:29:54
rank: 2048/2085
Total time: 16:40:58



Thank you for believing in me and supporting me on this journey!

hugs,
trish