Post by ricodorsey on Nov 5, 2008 7:04:16 GMT -5
I did the Pumpkin Butt as my final long run prior to Ironman FLorida and met alot of you and thought you may want to read my race report. So, Here goes.
Well here goes my attempt at a race report. I hope I don't come across bad, but I am as competitive as I can be. Know I was enjoying the experience and trying to win what I could, that is my nature.
Ironman Florida 2008
60 pounds, 3 years and not able to run around Stone Mountain, later.
In the beginning,
My story started with a hideous sprint triathlon 3 years ago in which my cheap mountain bike seat broke and I got last place, to a 5 mile run walk around stone mountain that took 62 minutes. Now an Ironman and a Beast to my cross country teenager. Best of all to me, an example and role model, in a small aspect of life.
Florida, PCB, October 29,2008 Wednesday I arrive on time and checkout the bike course from the car, it looks nice from inside my Tahoe. Alone and trying to focus, I get settled in the condo get unpacked and relax. I get checked in and get my race packet early, no line, awesome. I cook a big bowl of spaghetti and to get me through a few days of loading carbs. I needed to make sure I was sleeping full nights and able to make the morning swims. I get relaxed in and wait for my roommate Claire (Ironman) and her kids to arrive. I get to sleep at a decent hour.
October 30, 2008 Thursday morning, Gatorade swim at the boardwalk, the idea was to get about a 20 minute swim in. It was 44 degrees and the water was 73, so I was told. We came down, grabbed a bag and changed into our wetsuits and check our bags with the Gatorade people. It is very hard to walk across the boardwalk in bare feet. It looks 20 years old and has never seen any Thompson’s Water seal. It is a splinter waiting to happen.
I make it down to the sand and the sand is so cold that my feet started cramping along with my lower back, we went down to the water and got immediate relief. The water felt cool and brisk. I talk to some friends and then Todd Atkins and I swam out 8 minutes then across to the incoming buoys and back in for a 20 minute swim. I was feeling great on the way out, then I was doing the math and felt very slow. The buoys must be off. I will keep my fingers crossed. We decide to do about a 30-minute bike ride, around the run course and it turns into an hour. I end up leaving my friends, I have to get back and stick to my regime. I have a plan. I have to relax and stretch. The training is in the bank. It is not time to cash it out yet. Time to go to the banquet and the athlete’s dinner. The banquet is great, You will do this, is the motto. I am becoming inspired. They introduce the oldest and the youngest athletes and the ones that have done the most Ironman triathlons. The former Pro Hockey player Pat Lafontaine, 5 time Ironman, gives us his inspiring speech. Now I want to beat him too. What is the matter with me. I want to win. I get to bed, got to be up early for swim and pancake breakfast.
Halloween, 2008, No Naughty little devil, just prerace focus. OMG, to say the least. Early morning swim is later, 9 o’clock waiting on friends. I hate running so late, I wanted to be in at 7. I have no patience. I need to be on time. That is how I am wired. We swim 20 minutes out and back and there is some choppiness and swells rocking. On the way out I got in a rhythm and on the way in, I was fighting it a little. Nice and uplifting. Everyone wants to stand around and talk. I need to eat, get back and get my bike looked over, pack my race bags and be set by 3. I have a lot to do. All the waiting is eating at me. I feel like I am being an ass, but I need to be on time. I get all my stuff together and ride it over and check it in. I was invited to dinner, but I turned down 2 great offer and ate leftovers. I am focused and relaxed, trying to nap and get whatever rest I need. 9pm sneaks up on me and I head to bed. I sleep maybe 2 hours. Every aspect of my race was running over and over in my head. Every time I tried to think about something else, the race was back in my head. Ok time to get up.
My race rivals
Mike Roby is a previous Ironman, a beast at cycling and better runner than me, a great athlete.
Stucky, All I know is he rides all the time and is a fast skinny guy.
Todd Adkins, Beast of a cyclist, SE Regional Champ in Exterra events, Physically Challenged, but you would never know it. Marine. Great guy Jeremy, New friend, fast young guy Chad a long-standing rival and best friend of mine Craig is another young skinny guy that beats me all the time. He has been injured a lot this year.
Nov 1, 2008 Ironman race day. My battle is to try and beat one of the awesome guys or as many as I possibly can, oh and the hockey pro. LOL!
3:30 came fast with no sleep, time to feed the machine, I ate a banana and a small bagel, Claire was an eating machine. I figured I would eat when I needed food. Go over last minute details in my head for an hour and try to get a wink or 2 in. 4:30. Time is here. I got dressed warm and packed up, wetsuit, goggles and swim cap. We meet with everyone and walk over to get our tires pumped.
I get to my bike and a guy walk by and offer to pump my disc up, that is my racing tire. I get set and put all my food on my bike and tape everything I can. Now I need to relax again and focus. I go to the T1 tent and find a chair and relax in the dark and put on my wetsuit and try to stay calm and keep my energy inside.
I head down to the water and watch the pros start. OK 10 minutes. Oh crap I got to pee. I go straight in the ocean, pee and back to the corral. I ended up starting right in the middle about 5 people back. I am getting excited, It is ON!!!!
I start walking into the water, as deep as I can before I start to swim. It is packed shoulder to shoulder, but everyone is trying their best not to hit me. I get bumped once by an idiot and extend my arm and push him away. He doesn’t come back. Everytime I try to spot all I see is 500 swim caps, ugh!!! We continue to the first buoy and I am 60 feet or so outside, you know 1000 people swimming the same speed. It was awesome. I loved it. I am then doing the same at the next buoy way around the long way. I work all the way until about 100 feet from shore and stand up on the sand bar. The hundreds of people getting out created a current that just pulled you right out. How cool is that, 36 minutes. I get a sip of water and angle back in, another current pulling me out, nice and easy. A long lap 900 meters out 200 over and 900 back, I am out with only a elbow to the goggles and a hand ripping my swim cap off. LOL . 200 meters from shore the traditional unleashing of the last fluids. It had to be done. I head up the ramp and hear my dad say go Rico and a few more people joined in, nice, to the peelers, drop and roll in the sand and under the shower rinse, ahhh 5 seconds of joy.
Then the T1 tent of hell. 1000 naked dudes in 2000 square feet, yuck… My socks were wet, now I have to go 112 miles in soggy shoes. I finally get lubed up and collect all my stuff and I am out.
On the bike headed down 98, I am moving pretty good and eating an Uncrustable PB&J and drinking only water for the first hour on so… I had little debbies and powerbars. I catch up with Stucky pretty quick and he encourages me and I keep going around 2-3miles in. It is a long ride up the beach rode with the wind in your face and holding my bike from wobbling. My bike has 19 width tire that are very thin, like riding on a tight rope. No room for error. My goal is to get over the causeway around 10 miles without being passed by anyone on my rivals list. I am doing good passing people and getting passed. I make it to the cause way and want to fly down the down hill and guess what, they put the 10 mile aid station right in my coasting free speed zone. That was a big bummer! I was really flying. I grab all the water I can and am gone. Putting it down!!! I am starting to hurt in my back and legs already but I know Mike is hunting me down and I am trying to keep his gap as small as I can. I estimated before the race that he would be an hour ahead of me off the bike.
Mile 13. Mike passes me like I am sitting still. He is really flying, and looking effortless. That must be nice. I try to stay with him but he is gone in a hurry. I need to find someone else to pace with. I am going the same speed as a few very cute girls so I try to stay motivated with my testosterone. And am cranking with a Michele in White, DeAnne who was heavenly OMG from behind, duh, I am all man!!! A Brenda and a Karen all helped me make it through mile 60 or so. Listen, I said thank you to everyone I passed or waved at. It may have cost me a little time but the payoff was priceless. I got it back. I make it to the turn at 20 and a high school of great kids help to inspire me on. Very nice people. I was loving it but hurting badly. I had packed a pill container with advil, endurolytes and pepto… for problems and went to open it and could find the advil. Ok, I will have to deal with the pain. The day before at the pancake breakfast a guy from the sponsoring church wanted to talk to me, and to tell me a bible verse to say, and it would take away my pain. It was something like all things through Christ are possible. I got it all wrong, but it worked for about 20 seconds each time. I bet I tried that verse 500 times. Stuckey repassed me at 44 miles in to the bike ride. Dang.
Man hwy 20 was 25 plus miles long. I was trying to say with Deanne but all the other guys were too. LOL. We make it to mile 50 the turn at 231 no just a long straightaway I need to get my back loose. I had just skipped the special needs. I didn’t think anything would help. 10 miles of pacing with Brenda we were doing good. Nice and steady into the wind on every turn. Hmmm, hows that happen. We turned on a back road and then the hell started ever 6 feet a long crack bump and my speed went to hell. My back was jarring and I was getting passed, into the wind over 3 hours now, on skinny little wheels no time to stop. Another turn and 8 miles of crappy road and miserable wind, then 388, the devils highway. The worst road ever. I almost decided to ride in the grass. It was a 3 and a half mile out and back out rut after rut after rut. I was knocked down to 13-14 mph. Hideous. And the my body is jarring. I know, my story keeps going, that is the point, my race was going forever. Now I know Todd out swam me, I never saw him on the bike and he never passed me. He is a beast. The road continued to be bad. There were a good bit of hills and they were a nice change of pace. A coast did me good. My manhood was hurting, my back and my bottom all terrible, I make 2 turn and have a familiar 28 miles to go, Bad roads for about 6 miles the they are done. Now Julie passes me. Dang. I’m all man, hmm My stomach starts to rumble and I look for my pepto around mile 90, I find my advil. OMG. I take 2 large gel caps. I start to get a little emotional. I start to think about all the friends and family and loved ones, that I have rooting for me. I will not let them down. It is ON!!!. As I head up the causeway at 100 miles. I am barely moving but I am smiling. Just 12 miles. My bike could break and I knew I would get it done if I had to walk from there. I need to be in by 7 and ½ hours total time. I did a 1.14.59 swim and a 6.13 bike and 10 minute T1. I am ok. 9 hours to do a marathon. I can walk. I am in on the bike 112 miles without stopping, OMG. I cannot stand up. I hold onto my bike and a volunteer take s the bike I get my bag and head over to the changing tent. I can’t get upright with my cycling shoes on. I take them off and hobble over to the tent. I am feeling like pure hell. I take my time to change and the empty myself. 10 minutes on my feet and feel like a brand new man.
26.2 to go. I head out and feel like a million dollars. The monster is behind me. My plan was to do the Galloway run 2 minutes walk one minute drill. But I feel good and I am hunting down rivals, friends. LOL. I am on a mission. I run the first to miles and I have to admit. We have the greatest fans. I ran by a thronged group of ladies and they made me spank them, AGAIN, all single man!!! My run was enchanting. I felt like I was running through six flags or disney. Everyone said go Rico or some suave remark. At 2 I turn on my Gymboss and it is set at 2 and 1, with an audible beep. My run was enchanting. I felt like I was running through six flags or disney. Everyone said go Rico or some suave remark. I was smiling and playing along and make it to mile 4 of the 13.1 mile out and back course, When will I see Todd, Mike, Stucky, Jeremy. Craig or Chad? Ok, a half mile out of the park here comes Mike, start the clock. My best guess is 4 miles ahead of me. I continue to look for people about another half mile is Stucky ok, 3 and ½ ahead of me then Todd 3 ¼ ahead and Jeremy 1 mile and Julie about ¼. After the turn, I caught up with Julie and passed her around 8 and figured out my gym boss was running 3 and 1 instead of 2 and 1. Oh well, it was working. I felt great and was still going fast, running 8 minute miles while running. I slowed a bit on the way back; I need to be sure I had nutrition to make it.
I worked to reel these guys in. I missed mike at the half turn, and I asked a friend and he said he was about 30 minutes ahead of me. I told Doug, I don’t think I can, but I am going to try. I see Stuckey he is 2 miles ahead with 13 to go and I pass Todd at the turn. He was beat. I got to my special need s bag and got my 5 hour energy and a Redbull out. I turned the Gym boss to 2 and one to get a little more rest on the next couple of miles. Then it was on. I caught up with Jeremy who was dying and gave him 4 advil, 2 now and 2 later. I think I made a life long friend. He stayed with me for 5 more miles, and was very gracious. What great people. But I wanna beat em!!! At the turn 6 mile to go Mike has me by 11 minutes and I see Claire and she is 8 minutes away on her first loop. OK track her down. My Gymboss is off and I am running. I have been easting just enough. It takes 2 miles to catch Claire. I told her I was hunting her friends down. LOL. She later told me that I had the eye of the tiger. LMAO. And that it scared her. I took off and a mile later caught up with Stucky. I jogged by him and at 23.5 I am getting ready to walk and Mike is 20 feet in front of me. We still have over 2 miles to go. I don’t want to sprint the last 2 miles or the last half. I walk when he walks, and he isn’t looking back. He jogs I jog. OK. An area came up where it was pitch black for about 150 yards. I ran past Mike and an Aid station lights are on ahead. I don’t stop. I run right through the light and back into the dark, meanwhile hoping he hasn’t seen me. I turn and look back I don’t see him. I can do this. I cross the road, make a turn look back again, no Mike. I spank the girl again and I am headed home. 1 mile. I am constantly thinking I am going to be caught. But I am too strong today, I finished and it felt great. I completed my goal and finished faster than my rivals whom I know they exceptional athletes whom make me push my self harder than I normally would. I am an Ironman but I am still the same guy I was 60 pounds heavier. Smiling. I had the best volunteers, spectators, friends and family.
Well here goes my attempt at a race report. I hope I don't come across bad, but I am as competitive as I can be. Know I was enjoying the experience and trying to win what I could, that is my nature.
Ironman Florida 2008
60 pounds, 3 years and not able to run around Stone Mountain, later.
In the beginning,
My story started with a hideous sprint triathlon 3 years ago in which my cheap mountain bike seat broke and I got last place, to a 5 mile run walk around stone mountain that took 62 minutes. Now an Ironman and a Beast to my cross country teenager. Best of all to me, an example and role model, in a small aspect of life.
Florida, PCB, October 29,2008 Wednesday I arrive on time and checkout the bike course from the car, it looks nice from inside my Tahoe. Alone and trying to focus, I get settled in the condo get unpacked and relax. I get checked in and get my race packet early, no line, awesome. I cook a big bowl of spaghetti and to get me through a few days of loading carbs. I needed to make sure I was sleeping full nights and able to make the morning swims. I get relaxed in and wait for my roommate Claire (Ironman) and her kids to arrive. I get to sleep at a decent hour.
October 30, 2008 Thursday morning, Gatorade swim at the boardwalk, the idea was to get about a 20 minute swim in. It was 44 degrees and the water was 73, so I was told. We came down, grabbed a bag and changed into our wetsuits and check our bags with the Gatorade people. It is very hard to walk across the boardwalk in bare feet. It looks 20 years old and has never seen any Thompson’s Water seal. It is a splinter waiting to happen.
I make it down to the sand and the sand is so cold that my feet started cramping along with my lower back, we went down to the water and got immediate relief. The water felt cool and brisk. I talk to some friends and then Todd Atkins and I swam out 8 minutes then across to the incoming buoys and back in for a 20 minute swim. I was feeling great on the way out, then I was doing the math and felt very slow. The buoys must be off. I will keep my fingers crossed. We decide to do about a 30-minute bike ride, around the run course and it turns into an hour. I end up leaving my friends, I have to get back and stick to my regime. I have a plan. I have to relax and stretch. The training is in the bank. It is not time to cash it out yet. Time to go to the banquet and the athlete’s dinner. The banquet is great, You will do this, is the motto. I am becoming inspired. They introduce the oldest and the youngest athletes and the ones that have done the most Ironman triathlons. The former Pro Hockey player Pat Lafontaine, 5 time Ironman, gives us his inspiring speech. Now I want to beat him too. What is the matter with me. I want to win. I get to bed, got to be up early for swim and pancake breakfast.
Halloween, 2008, No Naughty little devil, just prerace focus. OMG, to say the least. Early morning swim is later, 9 o’clock waiting on friends. I hate running so late, I wanted to be in at 7. I have no patience. I need to be on time. That is how I am wired. We swim 20 minutes out and back and there is some choppiness and swells rocking. On the way out I got in a rhythm and on the way in, I was fighting it a little. Nice and uplifting. Everyone wants to stand around and talk. I need to eat, get back and get my bike looked over, pack my race bags and be set by 3. I have a lot to do. All the waiting is eating at me. I feel like I am being an ass, but I need to be on time. I get all my stuff together and ride it over and check it in. I was invited to dinner, but I turned down 2 great offer and ate leftovers. I am focused and relaxed, trying to nap and get whatever rest I need. 9pm sneaks up on me and I head to bed. I sleep maybe 2 hours. Every aspect of my race was running over and over in my head. Every time I tried to think about something else, the race was back in my head. Ok time to get up.
My race rivals
Mike Roby is a previous Ironman, a beast at cycling and better runner than me, a great athlete.
Stucky, All I know is he rides all the time and is a fast skinny guy.
Todd Adkins, Beast of a cyclist, SE Regional Champ in Exterra events, Physically Challenged, but you would never know it. Marine. Great guy Jeremy, New friend, fast young guy Chad a long-standing rival and best friend of mine Craig is another young skinny guy that beats me all the time. He has been injured a lot this year.
Nov 1, 2008 Ironman race day. My battle is to try and beat one of the awesome guys or as many as I possibly can, oh and the hockey pro. LOL!
3:30 came fast with no sleep, time to feed the machine, I ate a banana and a small bagel, Claire was an eating machine. I figured I would eat when I needed food. Go over last minute details in my head for an hour and try to get a wink or 2 in. 4:30. Time is here. I got dressed warm and packed up, wetsuit, goggles and swim cap. We meet with everyone and walk over to get our tires pumped.
I get to my bike and a guy walk by and offer to pump my disc up, that is my racing tire. I get set and put all my food on my bike and tape everything I can. Now I need to relax again and focus. I go to the T1 tent and find a chair and relax in the dark and put on my wetsuit and try to stay calm and keep my energy inside.
I head down to the water and watch the pros start. OK 10 minutes. Oh crap I got to pee. I go straight in the ocean, pee and back to the corral. I ended up starting right in the middle about 5 people back. I am getting excited, It is ON!!!!
I start walking into the water, as deep as I can before I start to swim. It is packed shoulder to shoulder, but everyone is trying their best not to hit me. I get bumped once by an idiot and extend my arm and push him away. He doesn’t come back. Everytime I try to spot all I see is 500 swim caps, ugh!!! We continue to the first buoy and I am 60 feet or so outside, you know 1000 people swimming the same speed. It was awesome. I loved it. I am then doing the same at the next buoy way around the long way. I work all the way until about 100 feet from shore and stand up on the sand bar. The hundreds of people getting out created a current that just pulled you right out. How cool is that, 36 minutes. I get a sip of water and angle back in, another current pulling me out, nice and easy. A long lap 900 meters out 200 over and 900 back, I am out with only a elbow to the goggles and a hand ripping my swim cap off. LOL . 200 meters from shore the traditional unleashing of the last fluids. It had to be done. I head up the ramp and hear my dad say go Rico and a few more people joined in, nice, to the peelers, drop and roll in the sand and under the shower rinse, ahhh 5 seconds of joy.
Then the T1 tent of hell. 1000 naked dudes in 2000 square feet, yuck… My socks were wet, now I have to go 112 miles in soggy shoes. I finally get lubed up and collect all my stuff and I am out.
On the bike headed down 98, I am moving pretty good and eating an Uncrustable PB&J and drinking only water for the first hour on so… I had little debbies and powerbars. I catch up with Stucky pretty quick and he encourages me and I keep going around 2-3miles in. It is a long ride up the beach rode with the wind in your face and holding my bike from wobbling. My bike has 19 width tire that are very thin, like riding on a tight rope. No room for error. My goal is to get over the causeway around 10 miles without being passed by anyone on my rivals list. I am doing good passing people and getting passed. I make it to the cause way and want to fly down the down hill and guess what, they put the 10 mile aid station right in my coasting free speed zone. That was a big bummer! I was really flying. I grab all the water I can and am gone. Putting it down!!! I am starting to hurt in my back and legs already but I know Mike is hunting me down and I am trying to keep his gap as small as I can. I estimated before the race that he would be an hour ahead of me off the bike.
Mile 13. Mike passes me like I am sitting still. He is really flying, and looking effortless. That must be nice. I try to stay with him but he is gone in a hurry. I need to find someone else to pace with. I am going the same speed as a few very cute girls so I try to stay motivated with my testosterone. And am cranking with a Michele in White, DeAnne who was heavenly OMG from behind, duh, I am all man!!! A Brenda and a Karen all helped me make it through mile 60 or so. Listen, I said thank you to everyone I passed or waved at. It may have cost me a little time but the payoff was priceless. I got it back. I make it to the turn at 20 and a high school of great kids help to inspire me on. Very nice people. I was loving it but hurting badly. I had packed a pill container with advil, endurolytes and pepto… for problems and went to open it and could find the advil. Ok, I will have to deal with the pain. The day before at the pancake breakfast a guy from the sponsoring church wanted to talk to me, and to tell me a bible verse to say, and it would take away my pain. It was something like all things through Christ are possible. I got it all wrong, but it worked for about 20 seconds each time. I bet I tried that verse 500 times. Stuckey repassed me at 44 miles in to the bike ride. Dang.
Man hwy 20 was 25 plus miles long. I was trying to say with Deanne but all the other guys were too. LOL. We make it to mile 50 the turn at 231 no just a long straightaway I need to get my back loose. I had just skipped the special needs. I didn’t think anything would help. 10 miles of pacing with Brenda we were doing good. Nice and steady into the wind on every turn. Hmmm, hows that happen. We turned on a back road and then the hell started ever 6 feet a long crack bump and my speed went to hell. My back was jarring and I was getting passed, into the wind over 3 hours now, on skinny little wheels no time to stop. Another turn and 8 miles of crappy road and miserable wind, then 388, the devils highway. The worst road ever. I almost decided to ride in the grass. It was a 3 and a half mile out and back out rut after rut after rut. I was knocked down to 13-14 mph. Hideous. And the my body is jarring. I know, my story keeps going, that is the point, my race was going forever. Now I know Todd out swam me, I never saw him on the bike and he never passed me. He is a beast. The road continued to be bad. There were a good bit of hills and they were a nice change of pace. A coast did me good. My manhood was hurting, my back and my bottom all terrible, I make 2 turn and have a familiar 28 miles to go, Bad roads for about 6 miles the they are done. Now Julie passes me. Dang. I’m all man, hmm My stomach starts to rumble and I look for my pepto around mile 90, I find my advil. OMG. I take 2 large gel caps. I start to get a little emotional. I start to think about all the friends and family and loved ones, that I have rooting for me. I will not let them down. It is ON!!!. As I head up the causeway at 100 miles. I am barely moving but I am smiling. Just 12 miles. My bike could break and I knew I would get it done if I had to walk from there. I need to be in by 7 and ½ hours total time. I did a 1.14.59 swim and a 6.13 bike and 10 minute T1. I am ok. 9 hours to do a marathon. I can walk. I am in on the bike 112 miles without stopping, OMG. I cannot stand up. I hold onto my bike and a volunteer take s the bike I get my bag and head over to the changing tent. I can’t get upright with my cycling shoes on. I take them off and hobble over to the tent. I am feeling like pure hell. I take my time to change and the empty myself. 10 minutes on my feet and feel like a brand new man.
26.2 to go. I head out and feel like a million dollars. The monster is behind me. My plan was to do the Galloway run 2 minutes walk one minute drill. But I feel good and I am hunting down rivals, friends. LOL. I am on a mission. I run the first to miles and I have to admit. We have the greatest fans. I ran by a thronged group of ladies and they made me spank them, AGAIN, all single man!!! My run was enchanting. I felt like I was running through six flags or disney. Everyone said go Rico or some suave remark. At 2 I turn on my Gymboss and it is set at 2 and 1, with an audible beep. My run was enchanting. I felt like I was running through six flags or disney. Everyone said go Rico or some suave remark. I was smiling and playing along and make it to mile 4 of the 13.1 mile out and back course, When will I see Todd, Mike, Stucky, Jeremy. Craig or Chad? Ok, a half mile out of the park here comes Mike, start the clock. My best guess is 4 miles ahead of me. I continue to look for people about another half mile is Stucky ok, 3 and ½ ahead of me then Todd 3 ¼ ahead and Jeremy 1 mile and Julie about ¼. After the turn, I caught up with Julie and passed her around 8 and figured out my gym boss was running 3 and 1 instead of 2 and 1. Oh well, it was working. I felt great and was still going fast, running 8 minute miles while running. I slowed a bit on the way back; I need to be sure I had nutrition to make it.
I worked to reel these guys in. I missed mike at the half turn, and I asked a friend and he said he was about 30 minutes ahead of me. I told Doug, I don’t think I can, but I am going to try. I see Stuckey he is 2 miles ahead with 13 to go and I pass Todd at the turn. He was beat. I got to my special need s bag and got my 5 hour energy and a Redbull out. I turned the Gym boss to 2 and one to get a little more rest on the next couple of miles. Then it was on. I caught up with Jeremy who was dying and gave him 4 advil, 2 now and 2 later. I think I made a life long friend. He stayed with me for 5 more miles, and was very gracious. What great people. But I wanna beat em!!! At the turn 6 mile to go Mike has me by 11 minutes and I see Claire and she is 8 minutes away on her first loop. OK track her down. My Gymboss is off and I am running. I have been easting just enough. It takes 2 miles to catch Claire. I told her I was hunting her friends down. LOL. She later told me that I had the eye of the tiger. LMAO. And that it scared her. I took off and a mile later caught up with Stucky. I jogged by him and at 23.5 I am getting ready to walk and Mike is 20 feet in front of me. We still have over 2 miles to go. I don’t want to sprint the last 2 miles or the last half. I walk when he walks, and he isn’t looking back. He jogs I jog. OK. An area came up where it was pitch black for about 150 yards. I ran past Mike and an Aid station lights are on ahead. I don’t stop. I run right through the light and back into the dark, meanwhile hoping he hasn’t seen me. I turn and look back I don’t see him. I can do this. I cross the road, make a turn look back again, no Mike. I spank the girl again and I am headed home. 1 mile. I am constantly thinking I am going to be caught. But I am too strong today, I finished and it felt great. I completed my goal and finished faster than my rivals whom I know they exceptional athletes whom make me push my self harder than I normally would. I am an Ironman but I am still the same guy I was 60 pounds heavier. Smiling. I had the best volunteers, spectators, friends and family.