My Ironman Story Part IV

The Day I became an Ironman

Part IV

The Run:

26.2 miles, a Marathon. The course was 2 loops, with the bulk of the mileage going out to River Road that is nothing but forest and some houses and it’s barely a 2 lane road, your classic country back road. No streetlights, they put up lights every few miles for at night but otherwise its pitch black. They also give you a glow stick to wear once it gets dark. The loop goes out to river road, which is about 2.5 miles or so from the Olympic oval, then 6.5mi or so out and back on river road, back up to the Olympic oval and a 1ishmile of an out and back on Mirror Lake Drive. It’s a long downhill from the oval to river road and an awful uphill back, River Road is rolling and the 1mile out and back from the oval is slightly uphill out and downhill back.

As I start the run, I get tons of Team Maddie cheers from family and friends. This spot is the perfect spot to see the runners 4 times on the run, before they finish. It’s a downhill to start, which is both nice but also painful on the quads. I again have the avg pace on my watch, critical yet again to not let the avg get below a certain pace. Again, worst case scenario I would have 6 hrs to complete the run, which is a 13:44 mile. I ended up having 7hrs to complete it, but I didn’t want to chance it and worked to at least the first half, keep that 6hr pace. The first half felt really good, relaxed, lots of people still on the course. I saw most of the Team Maddie athletes, they all knew my stress of making the cut offs. So, the joy I saw in their faces as I saw each of them, made me burst with pride and joy as well. I was able to run to each aid station, there is about 1 per mile and I power walk through them grabbing want I needed. The aid stations are long, but all set up way, so you know what to expect along the way. Each aide station I had it down to a routine of what I grabbed, its literally a walking Buffett but you can’t over do it so its important to just graze and move on. As I came up past the Oval to finish the first loop, the Hot Corner as they say, all of Team Maddie Spectators are out in full force, including Maddie’s parents Amy and Kevin, I patted my chest, the flag the seal of the team if you will: I was fired, proud and honored to be part of this for and with them and the rest of the team. I nailed the first loop, just under 3 hours, comfortable, leaving me with 4hrs for the next if I needed it. I stopped at my special needs bag, grabbed a few uncrustables that I packed and these pickle snaps in a bag. I know your probably thinking, those things have been sitting out in the sun for 14hrs at this point… well I don’t careI didn’t die! They were delicious.

2nd loop begins, I start down the hill going through town and come up to fellow Team Maddie athlete, Bob Anderson. Bob had been battling foot issues through training and I could see he was hurting. By this point, I was locked into a comfortable timed out power walk and run routine, so I chatted with Bob for a bit and then he joined me walking and running. By this time, its starting to get dark and as we get back onto river road its all but pitch black minus the athlete glow sticks and the generator lights up every few miles. Far less athletes out at this point, aid stations are starting to consolidate and get shorter with less options and some even close all together. Grateful that Bob was with me, we had lots of conversations and periods of quiet. I was doing so much math at this point and looking at my avg pace on my watch slowly creeping up. The math said I would take it easier, enjoy the moment more with walking more and running less. I was still worried, anything could happen, I’m one bad step or a cramp away from it all being over. Seeing athletes dropping like flies along the way only added to the stress. Just keep moving I kept thinking, with purpose. We got to the turn around point, the furthest point of the course and started out return. Barely anyone left at this point, almost no aid stations or athletes, maybe a few random spectators. I had the pleasure of being with some T3 athletes for a bit, they are another Tri Team, heavily present in Lake placid with a house right next to the finish with a bell for their athletes to ring as they make their final pass. I was with a father and his 2 daughters, he brought up Team Maddie, how he has seen them at many races and knew the story of it all well. It was a great conversation, I told him I was newer to the team but how much it meant to me and my WHY. This is a good time to add how much impact wearing the Team Maddie flag was, due to the long history of the team in Lake Placid I had so many strangers cheering me on, it was truly amazing and the day would not nearly have been the same otherwise. Its really something special to be with this group of people, I’ll forever be grateful, but proud to keep the memory going at future races.

As Bob and I started our return on River Road, I broke open the pack of pickles that have now been in my back pocket for 15+hrs, they were absolutely delicious, I’ll never forget how good they were, or at least how I perceived them to be. I shared them with Bob, he agreed. Its so dark at this point, I’m for sure in a delirious yet stressed out state. I know I have the time, but I’m not leaving it to chance and I’m power walking HARD, I can’t run much as my hips are too tight at this point and its nearing cramp levels when I try. A cool part of this tie of night, you can see the lights of the Ski Jumps they used for the Olympics, early photographers were placed so that when they take your picture it had the Ski Jumps in the background. My watch battery is getting low, so now I have to be careful how often I check my watch for the time and my avg pace, so I don’t turn the backlit on. I’m in a steady probably half-asleep power walk and then BAM, I’m off the road falling, I land and quickly get into a half kneel. I hadn’t noticed the road curve and caught the side of the road enough to roll my ankle. I assess the situation, Bob is still with me and standing near me, I mentally check the points of my body to see if anything hurts more than it was, and I slowly stand up. I take a few limping steps and my ankle loosens back up. That was at mile 22, yikes. That last 4 miles took an eternity, mostly power walking at this point, fast enough that Bob with his foot fell back some. I was ready for it to be over, but I also was fortunate to be able to take it all in without killing myself trying to run to get to the cut off. Even miles away, you can hear the finish line echoing throughout. Then you can see the lights, then you’re next to the oval, but you can’t go in yet as you still have an out and back 1 mile to do. As I walked past the T3 house, there were lots of people outside still cheering. Normally their finisher bell is for T3 athletes only, but they opened it up to Team Maddie and I happily wrang that bell as I past. It’s a little crushing to have to pass and move away from the Oval, it’s at least light but its still empty and quiet and your still seeing athletes who are so close, dropping. As I make it back to the Oval, for the finish, I remind myself to take it all in, walk that finish line. I enter the oval, turn the corner and there on the corner is my support, my friends and family, yelling at me to remind me to wring the first timers bell. I give my hugs, high fives and walk that finish line chute and here those famous words:“Eric Purdy, You Are An Ironman”

I can’t ever explain deeply this has impacted me and what it meant to me to finish, it broke me in so many ways not all in bad ways either. It’s life changing. It’s completely changed my perspective on what’s possible. The kid that quit most sports growing up. Zero confidence in myself or to try new things so I didn’t embarrass myself. Always fighting to fit in. I’m now completely fine standing out, be an outlier, maybe showing and helping others do what they think is the impossible. Life is to damn short to think you can’t achieve something. GO FUCKING GET IT.

 RING THE BELL!!! As I rounded the last turn and saw all my friends and family that came to support me all day...that's all I heard them yelling over and over. The first timer's bell, you only ever get one first time for anything. I nearly took that thing off the hook ringing it, that will forever give me chills when I think of that exact moment.

Ironman finishers are less than 1% of the population. For this race? Just over 2,000 signed up, dozens never got a chance to line up due to various reasons and hundreds didn’t finish. I’m 1 of 1600 that finished. The Odds were NOT in my favor. Its not lost on me that I don’t look like anyone at the starting line, at 270lbs this shit wasn't easy. 

This was the first image of the next morning, I don't think I slept more than an hour at best. Between the adrenaline and mostly my body was just wrecked. This is photo from our balcony, it was dead quiet out. Right after this I actually went out and walked main street, well more of a hobble. It was so peaceful, the day after the biggest battle and war of my life mentally and physically.....

Thank you to my Mom, Carol. You not only do so much for me, you’ve shown me what it means to enjoy life and work for things that matter most to you. 

Team Maddie, for those who raced with me Kat, Bob A, Bob S, Mike, Kara, Kelley, Kristy, Chris R, Chris M- Thank you for this amazing Journey so far. You are all incredible humans. Team Maddie is far larger than this group, there are many that have been part of its journey from the start.