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Ironman USA Lake Placid 2002
Related Links:
IronmanUSA Pictures page
The
4.5 minute video (7.5MB)
I began my Ironman journey a year and
a half ago in early 2001, and it really has been a journey. I don't
think people realize that completing the actual event itself is much
easier than the training regimen leading up to it: 9 months of training
six days, 15-25 hours per week (not including fundraising, stretching,
driving, eating, and other related activities). It's a huge time and
energy commitment, especially over so long a period.
In addition to completing this huge
personal accomplishment, I'm also proud to say that between Wildflower
2001 and Ironman Lake Placid 2002 I've raised almost $15,000 for the
Leukemia Society, in honor of a variety of family, personal
friends and honorees of Ironteam and my contributors.
RACE DAY
Race day began with the alarm at 4:00am. We ate, gathered
our gear and headed down to the race area praying we didn't forget
anything important. I was bodymarked as # 383 and (wet)suited up before
heading down to the lake to wait for the swim start at 7am sharp.
It was wonderful having Nicoletta there with me not only for support,
but to also help calm me and make sure my head didn't begin spinning
around or spontaneously explode.
The 2.4 mile Swim
Almost 2000 fellow racers were in the water with us as the gun went
off to lauch a mass swim start (this is one of my favorite scenes
in the video). This is different than most triathlons, whereupon different
groups of racers begin in individual 'waves' to space people apart
to minimize interference. Let me tell you, with 2000 people in the
water out there vying for limited space, it was more of a melee or
a battle than a swim, with the faster (or more aggressive) swimmers
literally swimming over the slower ones. I was lucky to receive only
a few punches/blows during the swim, though one of them knocked my
watch/heartrate monitor off my wrist! Luckily I noticed my loss and
whipped around to rescue my watch before it sank more than a few feet
into the depths.
I consider swimming
my weakest leg due to my inexperience - I really only began swimming
last year. However, I felt great during this swim, and actually finished
5-10 minutes faster than I had estimated, in about 1:15.
The 112
mile Bike
This leg consisted of two 56 mile loops, and for some reason
we didn't expect there to be big hills. Unfortunately, our expectation
was totally wrong. It turns out that the bike leg includes more than
6000 feet of climb, making the course "one of the hardest Ironman
courses on the planet" according to InsideTri magazine.
I felt great on
the first loop of the bike, which took me about 3:15 to complete.
However, after almost 5 hours of racing, I finally realized that "not
only do I have to ride another 56 miles, but afterwards I get to run
a marathon. What the hell am I doing?" :)
The thunderstorm with pouring rain didn't help matters.
About 80 miles into the ride I could feel myself getting inordinately
tired, and also felt some muscle twinges in my quads and calves. Worried
about cramping and energy, I drank a couple more bottle of Gatorade
(the drink along the course) and took extra salt pills. Though a good
idea at the time, the extra fluid would come back to haunt me during
the marathon. At least the rain had stopped!
Finally, I approached
the end of the bike! I can't tell you how happy I was to get off my
bike after almost seven hours of riding. I was actually excited (in
a weird Ironman way) to begin running the marathon portion. It's funny
how your expectations change while training for an Ironman. For example,
the word "marathon" is just that, a word...until you actually
have to run one...
The Marathon
/ 26.2 mile Run
I'd been racing for about 8:30 by the time I began running,
and I felt good enough to estimate a run time of five hours or better,
putting my overall time at between 13:00 and 13:30. That fell within
the 13-15 hour range I'd estimated for myself before I began the race.
The event gives you 17 hours, from 7am to midnight, to finish.
I felt great the first four miles of the run...until I didn't feel
so great. It seems that extra Gatorade I took in during the end of
the bike ride had flooded my system. Your body can process a maximum
of about 30 oz of water per hour, and I'd exceeded that limit. I became
pretty sick and worried that I'd have to pull out of the race. However,
I kept plugging along, mile by mile, and didn't get worse...so I kept
going. I spent the next four hours/20 miles walking more than running
and stopping at bathrooms every single mile. Nutrition REALLY is key
to a successful race! By mile 24 I began feeling better and ran the
last couple of miles...to finish in 14:37:14!
As you can see/hear
in the video that Nicoletta captured, the finish line is packed with
cheering people and as you cross it the announcer intones "a
first-timer from San Francisco, Aaron Ross, you are an Ironman!!!"
It was just an indescribable moment.
Will I do another? Yep, but not soon. It's nice to have my weekends
back for awhile :)
Thank you...
To everyone who
helped, contributed and supported me and the Ironteam...Nicoletta
(for everything), my family, my sponsors, Coaches Wayne, Kate and
Steve, the Team, Kamal (my fashion show partner), and Marcy (my Wildflower
2001 mentor and incredible teammate who creates astounding gifts)
and especially all the Ironteamers who made those long bike rides
and bay swims at aquatic park bearable!!
THE
4.5MIN VIDEO (7.5MB)
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