Ironman Part 2

10/29/2016

Welcome to Ironman Maryland....

The alarm went off at 4am and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready. I had never thought I would have gotten such good sleep the night before the race of a lifetime. I felt ready to take on what I had signed up for. We grabbed all of my bags and headed to Cambridge. Everyone parked at a local school and then we all packed onto buses that would take us to the transition area. When we arrived at transition, what welcomed us was a flooded road that we had to had to walk down to pass off our special needs bags. “This is high tide folks! If the water scares you, then you shouldn’t be here!” At this time, athletes were separated from spectators and at that time I started to break down. Was I ready for this? Tears streamed down my face and I told Demetrius that I was scared to death. It was the fear of the water. Yesterday’s practice did nothing for my confidence and I started to wonder if that was going to be what shut down my dream. I finally got myself together, took off my shoes, rolled my pants up to my knees and made my way to the bag drop area.

I checked on my bike and realized that due to the all day rain for the last couple days (my bike’s name is Monsoon for a reason) our bike rack sank about 6 inches over night. Almost half of the bikes on my rack were essentially trapped by the bar that held them up. Another athlete was able to find someone from the race who could help fix the problem immediately. As I walked around somewhat aimlessly, I found Demetrius on the other side of the barricade and I walked over to talk to him and get a pep talk about the swim. Soon, it was time to start putting on my wetsuit to get ready for the race. I suddenly realized that I didn’t have enough time for a warmup swim and that had me more concerned about my confidence. This race was going to be a rolling start, where athletes seed themselves according to projected swim finish time. This allows the race to start quicker than having designated times for age groups. The announcer called out on the microphone to get everyone’s attention, “Attention athletes!! Due to swim conditions, we will be delaying the start of Ironman Maryland in hopes that conditions will improve to have a swim portion of the race. At this time, we will be delaying the start by thirty minutes.”

“YES!! I get to go fit in a practice swim now!” I knew that we were under a small craft advisory for at least another hour or so and just prayed that the water wouldn’t drown me.

I went over to the practice swim area and tried to find a rhythm in the water. It felt better than yesterday, but I still struggled to feel “comfortable”. I walked back to the start area and soon we were greeted with another announcement from the announcer. “Unfortunately, due to conditions beyond our control, we will not be able to offer a safe swim for athletes. The swim portion of Ironman Maryland has been cancelled.” This was met with disappointment by most of the athletes. For me, I broke down in tears not because I was upset I wouldn’t swim, but honestly I felt relieved that the water didn’t have a chance to kill me today. I felt some disappointment too because the question on everyone’s mind was suddenly “would we really be Ironmen at the end?” This is a debate that I refuse to get into here. At this time, athletes were told to get their T1 bag and get ready for the bike start. Athletes waited by their bikes and we rolled out two at a time based on bib number. As #540, I knew I had a bit of time before I needed to line up. I used this time to talk to Demetrius a little more. I knew it would be a long time before I saw him again. I took one last look at the pictures I packed in my bike shirt and snapped my helmet chin strap. “I got this.”

As I rolled over the starting line, it hit me, “As long as I don’t suffer any mechanical issues on the bike, I can do this!” I thought about how six days ago I was nearly run over by a truck (on purpose) and I wondered how my mind would respond to 100 miles on the bike in an unfamiliar place (Oh yeah, the bike was shortened by 12 miles due to flooding on the course.) Interestingly enough, my mind blocked it out for the majority of the ride. Mile after mile I was cruising. The weather shifted from dry conditions to a rainy headwind. Around mile 45 we arrived at the Special Needs bag area. This is the most chaotic place on the bike course. Volunteers are yelling out your bib number and running to get your bag for you. God bless these volunteers!! I opened my bag and smiled as I remembered what I had packed. One thing I packed in every bag was a set of 3 small pictures. Most of the pictures were of Justus and Haro and the rest were of Demetrius and the rest of my family. I used these pictures as a way of making a scavenger hunt for myself on the course. I looked at the pictures, told my family that I would cross the finish line no matter what, and added them to my collection before heading off. I also packed a Savannah Bar from Great Harvest Breads because that is my absolute favorite pastry! Having something from home made me smile. Soon, I was back on the road for the rest of the bike race. I just kept telling myself, “As long as there are no mechanical break downs, I WILL be an Ironman today.” The thought excited me and I continued on down the road.

When we hit mile 80, we hit a headwind that impacted even the most advanced rider. I looked down at my speedometer and realized that the wind was taking its toll on me. Before that, I was riding faster than I had expected. Mile 90 came and there was a tail wind for about five miles and I felt back on track. Before I knew it, the ride was over and it was time to get ready for the marathon.

I made sure to spend enough time in Transition 2 in order to be ready for the upcoming 26.2 mile run. I was just a marathon away from this crazy dream. No stopping now!

Welcome to the swimming portion of the run!

I headed out for the run I wanted to cry every time I heard someone call out my name. It is a feeling that I can’t quite describe. It’s a combination of pride and strength. I knew that nothing was going to stop me. There were a couple times where I found that I wanted to slow down because I thought, “Not long from now, this will all be over.” The run consisted of running two and a half loops on the road and soon we would realize that our swim from the morning wasn’t exactly cancelled. Rather, it was moved to the middle of the run. As we came back through the transition area to complete the first loop, the road was once again flooded just like it was in the morning. “Are you f***ing kidding me????” Those were not just my words, but those of many others. “I’m not running through that.” I took my shoes and socks off and held them over my head and walked through the water that took over several hundred feet of pavement. Once I got to the other side of the water I put only my shoes on and held onto my socks. I was told by other competitors that there were many more areas that were just the same. And they were NOT kidding! The whole loop had about 6 areas of flooding, some much worse than others. Every time I got to where water would be over my feet I would stop and take my shoes off. It wasn’t comfortable, but it sure as hell beat running 20 more miles in wet shoes. Blisters can kill a race and I was not willing to risk it for the sake of saving time. “Pay now or pay later” was my motto at that point. Once I made it back to the first area of flooding, I put my socks and shoes back on and went out for loop two. At this time, I started thinking, “Okay, blisters are a total possibility, so be smart about this!” The whole second loop I was trying to decide what to do for the next round. Once I made it back to the “swim” portion of the run, I stuck to my original plan and took my shoes off at every flooded area. Some competitors said I was crazy but it turns out that I was right by doing that because the majority of athletes ended up with very bloody shoes by the time they crossed the finish line. I was willing to sacrifice a few minutes if it meant that I didn’t have blisters for a month! The flooded streets were getting better but it was still a struggle. I was most excited when I was running up an area of the street that I called “The yellow brick road” and I saw my dad and my brother. I was so happy to see them and thanked them for coming out (or at least, I think I did…) I then said, “Where is Demetrius?? I haven’t seen him today. Please call him and tell him I need him.” I knew that getting around on the course was very difficult so I just figured that I spaced out if I ever ran past him. It wasn’t exactly easy to find me after all! My dad said they would all see me at the finish line. I wiped tears of strength away and continued to put one foot in front of the other. As I headed out for the last half loop, I made a stop at the Run Specials Needs area to pick up my last bag. Inside I had a dry shirt, dry socks, more pictures, and another Savannah bar. I chatted with a volunteer for a couple minutes. Looking back, I have no idea what I said but I am sure she was used to rambling from insane athletes. I do remember handing her an unopened pack of hand warmers and told her to give them to someone who needed them. Who knows what she actually did with them… I continued on my path to the finish line.

At this time it was dark for who knows how long. Night time running is my favorite! As I continued to run, I could hear the announcer call out athletes as they became Ironmen and women. At one point I looked over at someone and said, “That will be us soon!” Most people had no interest in talking which I found slightly annoying but certainly understandable. Here we were against all odds, showing strength and determination, and so many people didn’t even have the ability to comprehend what a feat this was. I wanted to enjoy every moment and remember every second of the experience. I would pass someone, tell them good job and then I would be on my way. Hearing the finish line from miles away was just pulling me in. I could feel the energy and I wanted to feel what it was like to cross the finish line and here those sweet words: “You are an Ironman!!!!!”

One last trip up the Yellow Brick Road and I felt a bit of sadness knowing that I was almost done with the journey. I stopped and grabbed a picture out of my bag. I was committed to carrying my family across the finish line. But… there was one friend that this was truly for: Justus. I started thinking about how a year before, I made him a promise that I wouldn’t wait two years to do Ironman. I committed to completing Ironman in 2016. I looked at his picture. His head is turned in the picture and his expression says, “You’re going to do what??????” I told him that I loved him and that I was going to make him proud. I held the picture in my hand and made the turn for the finish. I had tears in my eyes as I got closer and closer to the bright lights. The music was blaring and the crowd was going crazy. There is something so magical about that red carpet at Ironman. My feet hit the carpet and I felt like I was flying. I ran under the finish line arch as they announced, “Jamie Connerton, from Greenville, North Carolina. YOU! ARE! AN IRONMAN!!!!!!” My arms went up in the air and I said, “We did it little buddy!” A volunteer reached for me as I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breath anymore. My medal was placed around my neck and I bent over and grabbed my knees. I was an Ironman. All those mornings where I would wake up at 4am and earlier, were all worth it in that moment. Within minutes I thought, “I want to do this again.” I got my picture taken and then saw my dad and brother. I had TJ hold my things and then I did a cartwheel, just as I promised my dad that I would. I then saw Demetrius… the face of the person I had longed to see all day. “You did it. You are IRON!” I can’t say enough about how supportive he has been through this whole training cycle. Demetrius and I met right around the time that pre-training was ending and the real training was about to begin. He has never known me as anything besides training for something.

Once I made it to the same side of the barricade as Demetrius, Dad, and TJ, we headed to the finisher store (back at the white tent again!) and I picked out a finisher jacket that I couldn’t live without. By the time I picked out something, I no longer had an appetite for food. My legs started to give out as we walked back to the car so I soon found myself sitting on a curb and waited for Demetrius to get the car to pick me up. We then all drove over to the transition area so that they could get my bike. By the way, if you ever do an Ironman, take the advice they give you about giving your orange (or whatever color it is in your race) pickup ticket to a friend or family because it is true: You wont care about your bike after the race. I remember them saying that at the athlete briefing and thinking that it was funny. Truer words have never been spoken!

After we dropped off my dad and brother at their car, we headed back to the hotel. I was thankful that we had so many pastries left over from the Bay Country Bakery because now I was starting to get hungry. I also made sure to drink my protein powder (Vega Performance) and I swear that stuff made such a difference in my recovery. After that, I remember taking a shower and then passing out in bed.

The next morning I woke up and reflected on the accomplishment. My favorite thing to say for a week after was whenever anyone said, “Hi, how are you?” I would respond with, “Hi, I’m and Ironman” and then I would start to laugh. I guess being delirious went far beyond just the day of the race.

Looking back, I still cant believe that I completed the race. It’s true what they say about how Ironman will change you. Ironman is about so much more than just race day. It’s about overcoming a lot of challenges that you come across each day. Our race was cut short, but that doesn’t make us any less IRON. We were made throughout the training, the early morning workouts, the near misses by cars while we rode our bikes for hours at a time. We were made when we overcame sickness and muscle soreness. We woke up HOURS before the sun came up in order to fit in a bike ride or long run before heading off for a full day of work. We missed parties and other celebrations, all for this opportunity to complete something that most people think is crazy/insane. We went to bed early on weekends and missed time with friends, family, and loved ones in order to focus on training. And sadly, believe it or not, there are people who lost their marriage during the training because it is that intense. Lucky for me, I have someone who supports me in everything I do and continues to encourage me to do great things and push beyond my perceived limits. (He helped me sign up for a half marathon a month later) Race day is the celebration of starting something, keeping the commitment, and seeing it through to the end by never giving up. It would have been nice to complete 140.6 on race day, but it’s just a number. We completed 126.0 miles and while it comes up short mileagewise, we are all still just as IRON as they come. Congratulations to my fellow “Crabbies”. We trained, we competed, and we crossed the finish line with our head and arms held high. We never gave up. We are IRON.