Typically after a race I write a
lot of details about the Swim, Bike & Run, but this time there is not much
to tell in that department. It was a great swim (1:10:47) , a sub average bike
(7:12:49) with severe pain in my right lower abdominal area, which then was
finally matched nicely by a sub average 26.2 mile walk (7:16:15) (due to the pain
– which subsided around 20 miles in to the marathon, but at that time my legs
were done already) to the finish line, where I arrived after a long day in
16:02:23 for 140.6 miles.
What was more interesting this
time is the things that happen around you during race preparation that make you
carry on on a difficult day.
As many of you know – I’m friends
with Fireman Rob (http://www.firemanrob.com
/ http://www.firemanrobfoundation.com)
and last year Esra and I delivered 20 bears on a #BearASMILE mission to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.
This year Rob went overboard and shipped 36 little bears to my home. I traveled to Auckland with a whole duffle bag filled to capacity with soft and cuddly Gund Bears and was able to provide them to nearly every child in two different wards and even have a few left guys for some of Starship’s outpatients. It’s amazing when you hear the stories of the children and what they and their families have go through.
When we do an Ironman it seems
like a grueling event, but it’s something we pick and choose to do – the
children at Starship did not “pick” to have Cystic Fibrosis or receive a heart transplant, but they battle day
by day with their families and do not give up.
Yes – it was a hard day and I was
more then once ready to call it quits. However – having this experience under
my belt – it did not seem right to just quit. We struggle – yes – but at the
end of the day we are done – it’ll probably hurt for a few more days and then
we are looking forward to a new chapter in our stories.
Well, this chapter is in the
books and I’m ready to move forward with new lessons learned, revising my bike
fit, trying out (for me new) Hoka One One shoes and rediscovering the fun in my
training.
However this report would not be
complete (even though it had a different format) without a few thanks (and I’m
sorry if I forgot someone):
Jan Tate at Starship Children’s
Hospital for organizing my visit – as you can tell – the Bear Mission ’16 was
very important on race day. Mark and the team from Top Gear Cycles in Taupo – great
customer service up and beyond the call of duty to make sure I have a saddle to
ride on. Ann, Arthur, Felicity and Scott for entertaining me and being out
there on race day making sure I don’t get lost. Last but not least – my love of
my life – Esra – I know it was hard watching me train all winter with purpose
and following the race from afar instead of being on the course with me, but I
love you for the company on long bikes and runs, the “gopher duties” like
bottle refills and fan adjustments (and for so many other reasons – too many to
even list or count)
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