Why didn’t someone show me this a year ago? Hilarious…

4:30 am came really quickly, but I was ready. Team 303 slowly rose and put on all their race gear and we were ready to go! We drove in the dark down to the race start and the tiny town was packed with athletes pushing their bikes to T1 with their headlamps on. It was chilli and foggy. We were all wearing jackets. I had to get my brakes adjusted by the bike tech and the line was long. I had to pee so bad that i was wiggling like a little kid. Monica just thought that this was hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing, which didn’t help.

Anyway, we made it down to the water and I hit the port-o-potty. I rolled my bike into transition, got my body marked and slid into my wetsuit and swim cap. After getting all my gear situated, I walked out to the water entry to greet all of my support crew wearing their “GO Aden GO” t-shirts. It was awesome and felt so good. My wave was the second to start at 6:35. I set up my watch and got into the water with all the other white caps. Before I had a chance to stand there and get nervous, the bullhorn sounded and we were off! I started my watch and started swimming. It was VERY crowded. I got bumped, kicked, elbowed, and did my share of the same. I thought that we would spread out pretty quickly but I just kept passing more and more swimmers. I just kept telling myself to relax and focus on my stroke. Long pulls, head down, kick from the hips. We swam under 2 bridges before hitting the first turn-around. The water was shallow and I noticed lots of athletes walking as fast as I was swimming. That pissed me off. They were cheating. Not that I cared, but it’s the principle… I made it through the first mile and felt like I could have swam 10. My adrenaline was kicking and I felt really good out there.

As I approached the shore, I hit the ground running into transition with a huge smile on my face. I was feeling great and so pumped that 1/3 was already over. I found out later that my swim was at 1:12 which is faster than I’ve ever swam that distance. As I peeled my wetsuit and put on my biking gear, I let out the biggest belch from swallowing river water. I think Kara got it on film… I’ll post it later.

With helmet on, I ran the bike to the bike start and headed out. I wouldn’t see my friends again for another 7 hours. I took off on the bike and immediately ate a GU and pounded some gatorade. Keeping hydrated throughout the race was always on my mind. I looked at my watch to see what my time was and it had stopped at 18 minutes. Apparently, while I was being bounced around among all the other swimmers, my watch must have been hit at 18 minutes in and my time just stopped. So I pushed start again and just added an hour in my head to get my approximate time.

Monica’s swim start was 15 minutes behind mine and she kicked ass with a 1:19 swim time. I’m very proud of her for knocking that out like a pro. Jeremy grabbed the timing chip from her and sped off on his bike. He had to make up 20 minutes to catch me on the bike. We were guessing that he would catch me around mile 30. It wasn’t until mile 65 that he finally caught me and could give himself a break. I really had no idea how fast I was riding because my damn odometer kept reading zero. I was upset that none of my tiny computers were functioning correctly for me that day.

The rest of the bike portion was very exhausting. It was starting to get hot. My back was getting extremely tight from being in that position for so long. And my legs were just getting fatigued. With 15 miles to go, we stopped to get off the bikes and stretch for the last haul to the run start. I had already been on the bike for 6 hours and we had one more to go. As we approached the bike finish I sent Jeremy well ahead of me to let everyone know I wasnt far behind. Seeing everyone again was a welcome sight as I had ridden for hours and hours alone and the last few with Jeremy. I whizzed by the big tent that they had set up and I could hear all their cowbells clanging as I got off the bike for good!

In T2, I met Kara who was beaming and ready to run! I so badly wished I could share her enthusiasm, but my body was singing a different tune. I changed shoes, re-applied sun screen, put on the visor and we were off… I was slow at first as my legs were adjusting from bike fatigue to run-mode, but I started to get adjusted after the first mile which seemed to fly by. There, I passed the tent up close and got to see everyone in their shirts, ringing bells, taking pictures and cheering me on. I’m running my first marathon!

So…. here comes the bad news. If you’ve been reading this blog, then you know that I have struggled with my IT band on my right leg all season. In the last 3 weeks of training, I seemed to have gotten over the injury with the help of some custom orthotic insoles in my shoes. I was confident that this would stay true, and it did…………… for my right leg. On an uphill climb during mile 3, the IT band on MY LEFT LEG gave out. Mind you, I’ve NEVER had an issue with my left leg…… EVER! This unfortunate incident sent me to the ground as I tried to stretch it with several different exercises. I got up, tried to run….. and couldn’t. I was heart-broken. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I was so unbelievably pissed that I started crying. I knew that the next 23 miles was going to be the longest walk I’ve ever taken. I tried to send Kara on to run her race, but she refused my consistent pleas to get her to leave me behind. Not only did I feel bad for myself, but now I felt bad for her too.

As Kara tried to turn my frown upside down, this runner literally galloped past me leading with only one leg. I wondered if he had the same problem I did and tried mimicking his stride… It worked! I caught up to him and asked him if it was his IT band and he said YES. So from then on out he and I galloped then walked, galloped then walked, galloped then walked. He’d pass me, then I’d pass him, and so on. All while Kara lightly jogged behind me and my ridiculous stride.

As I experimented with this new technique I realized that I could almost turn my body forwards if i kept my left toe pointed outwards and kept my left leg straight. It was a very uncomfortable position, but it was my only option. My weight balance was completely one sided and my right leg (the one I was so worried about) was taking ALL the weight of my body.

I returned to complete lap one and had to tell my whole support crew what had happened. Though heartbreaking to me, the news didn’t phase them one bit. They were going to stay out there as long as it took for me to finish. I have such great friends.

Lap #2 was just more of the same. Only this time the aid stations at every mile seemed much further apart. The aid stations were my sanctuary. Each one had these delicious cut nectarines that were so unbelievably delicious and refreshing. I chased them with ever-changing combinations of water, gatorade, and coke….. yes, coke.

As we reached mile 18 to pass the tent yet again, my overall fatigue level was starting to show. I got so much more encouragement when I started running like a disabled veteran. That amused me to no end. “Way to fight through it Colorado!” were some of the cheers I heard from the anonymous crowd. As I turned the corner, there was an athlete coming down the finish line next to me with a huge smile on his face… I so badly wanted to trade places with him… but I had another 9 miles to go.

With Kara continually providing me with motivating words, we jog/walked to the 4 and a half mile turn around, only to watch the sun set in front of us. By this time both of my knees were on fire. Even walking was painful. I just didnt have anymore juice to keep jogging. I wanted things to just be OVER….. We weren’t out there alone though. Many athletes were still out there with us in the dark. Some of them still only on their second lap. Race officials drove by us handing out glow necklaces so we could be seen. There were NO street lights on our run and at times we couldn’t see the pavement in front of us.

With about 2.5 miles left, my dad drove up in his truck to check on us. That was the last straw for me. I had to get this over with. I put my head down and pushed my legs into the only stride I had left. That of a one legged pirate…. with arthritis. I wasn’t going to stop until I crossed that finish line. I could see the lights in the distance and pushed my may through the pain. Kara fell back and let me run solo during this time. Bless her heart. She was such a trooper through this whole ordeal of watching my body slowly collapse.

As I turned the last corner for the home stretch, Carissa and Monica ran by my side helping me make the final push. I could see the runway to the finish. It was still there!!!!!! At 15 hours and 7 minutes I hobbled accross the finish line with my arms in the air and I just let out a giant “YES!!!!!!!!!” and dropped to put my hands on my burning knees and enjoy the relief of being DONE!

Kara came in behind me as the paparazzi flashes blinded us for the next five minutes. I gave a big hug to everyone waiting for me to thank them for making it through such a long day for me. I was officially an Ironman!

I hobbled to the car, and as we arrived back at the house… I showered, duct-taped ice bags to my knees and drank my first Stella in 3 months… thanks to Jeremy who so thoughtfully had it chilling for me all day. CHEERS!

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On this day, I turned 40… and as if father time was playing a dirty trick on me, I woke up at 5:30 am with intense back spasms like I’ve never felt before. I was panicked. I got out of bed and could not even slightly bend over without intense pain. I thought to myself, “why now? why now?” I took some ibuprofen and got out the laptop and started googling chiropractors in Sonoma County. I had the numbers ready to call when they opened, and tried to go back to sleep. I layed there thinking how this could have happened… then it came to me. I bought a new large bagpack for the trip and wore the over-stuffed thing all day travelling the day before… I never wear bagpacks… and the last thing my coach told me to do was “Don’t do anything different!”. I’m such a numbskull.

Anyway, I woke up an hour or so later with everyone else and told them my predicament. Monica had me do several back and hip yoga poses (pictured), and then Kara worked her magic by cracking my back and doing some deep tissue therapy on the newly 40 year old spine. They were life savers! I felt much better (and less panicked that I had really screwed things up for the race).

At 8 am, Team 303 and I drove out to the swim area on the Russian River to check it out. There were athletes there in wetsuits practicing up and down the current. We then drove the first half of the bike course where we discovered how hilly and winding the roads were through the the wine country. We stopped at a vineyard so the girls could do a tasting and enjoy the excellent views.

We made our way back to Windsor where the Race Expo was taking place. I bought my Vineman souvenirs and we sampled all the giveaways before we got in line to register at 2pm. It was starting to get exciting seeing all of the athletes gather for the first time. We got all of our bib numbers and timing chips and sat for the pre-race Q&A where we learned essential information for the transitions on race day.

We returned to the house at around 4:30 to a kitchen full of ladies wearing matching birthday aprons scurrying around, drinking wine and chopping vegetables. It was a hilarious sight. They had all been swimming in the river that morning and returned to prepare for the birthday dinner. With help from all the aproned ladies, my mom had put together 3 enormous pasta dishes (beef, chicken and veggie) for the party. We all sat down and I raised my glass to all my friends for making the trip and being there for me, not only for the weekend and the race, but for all the training this last year. I have great friends… and they were all very well fed on this night.

When dinner was over, the cake was presented and we all had some delicious chocolate goodness. Then I got the coolest gift ever… Carissa had made a compilation DVD of videos from a dozen or more of my friends from Dallas who couldnt make the trip. She pushed play, and I was so touched to get well wishes from my friends in this unique and creative way. I will post the video here when I can convert it.

With a full tummy and a smile from ear to ear, I hit the sack at 9:30 to get a good nights sleep for the 4:30 am wake up call. Goodnight!

This is it. It’s showtime tomorrow morning.

Today was a great day. Beautiful sunny and cool weather. Gorgeous scenery. Warmer water. Tons of other athletes. Amazing well wishes from friends near and far. Dear friends here with me. Close family showing their support. Lots of great gifts. Great food. Touching sentiments via video from friends far away. Confidence brewing. Gear packed. Massage!… now bed.

As far as I’m concerned, Ive already accomplished my goal by just being here. Finishing will just be icing on the cake.

Thanks to everyone for all of their support these past 12 months. 39 was a great year for lots of reasons…. and I plan on kicking off 40 with a bang.

Carissa will be posting updates frequently throughout the day on my facebook page. Click it if you want to follow me on the course.

Hi five!
Aden

Well I think I have everything packed and ready for the trip in a few hours (it’s 2:15 am now). I’m excited to get there and see all my friends and family. I am bummed that Michael won’t be able to make it now that he is a brand new daddy, but I guess I that’s a good enough excuse. I will be carrying my laptop, so I will continue to keep you guys updated as often as I can. Now that I finished my last run, there is nothing left between me and the starting line at this point. Let’s DO THIS!

My friends have offered to post real time updates to my facebook page from their phones on race day as I get through the course.  So if you want play by play status updates, just go to my facebook page. If you are not my friend, then “friend” me to see updates. You can “defriend” me after the race. I wont mind. (smile)

The Heat Miser I was warned about from past Vineman participants appears to be taking the weekend off this year and I couldn’t be more relieved. Horror stories of 105 degrees on the run don’t do much for my confidence. This is the exact same forecast (aside from the humidity) that I had for the Boulder Peak. I know I can handle it…. and I will.

I got lots of calls from friends near and far yesterday, wishing me luck on this last leg of my journey. It feels good to get support from those who care about you. I’ve been feeling a little guilty lately at how focused I have been on myself as the end quickly creeps closer. “Look at me suffer wah wah wah” is all I feel like I’ve been saying lately. It really is ridiculous. I put myself up to this challenge. I wasn’t in an accident, and I’m not sick. I have friends and family who are currently REALLY suffering and struggling just to survive and get back to a normal life. If I catch myself pulling some “poor me” bullshit out on the course, all I have to do is remember those close to me that are fighting harder than I. Their strength will power me through this if nothing else. And I hope that my strength does the same for them as I will be thinking about them along the way.

Well, I just finished my last swim this morning. I think I finally perfected my flip-turn and it only took 6 months! (wink). As I was swimming my last 18 laps, I was reflecting on how long I’ve been swimming back and forth and back and forth over and over and over again. Over the course of my training this year, I probably swam to Boulder and back. That kinda freaks me out. Read the rest of this entry »

Well, my roadbike was packed in the truck and is now currently headed west on I-70 towards California. It got new tires, a new chain, and a fine tune-up from the guys over at Campus Cycles before it hit the road. My parents decided to take a week-long road trip through Yellowstone on their way to Sonoma, so they have graciously offered to transport the bikes for me and Jeremy. Our final ride was to and from Chatfiled State Park on Saturday morning with an open water swim in between. I’m still feeling good on the bike and in the water. Read the rest of this entry »

My long time friends in Bowling For Soup made a tour stop at the Marquis Theater on Thursday night. I’ve known these guys since college back in Denton, TX. I am so proud of them for making music their careers. It is so hard to do these days and very few bands survive their first few years in the local scene, much less graduating to major labels, global tours, Grammy nominations, and surviving the music industry meltdown. Read the rest of this entry »

Wash Park Pub Run had 57 runners this week. This rules by the way.

Best Cereal: Quaker Oatmeal Squares

This cereal has become my crack. I actually crave a bowl of this several times a day. (I’ve had two today!). I bought it on complete whim thinking that Quaker is a good company and Oatmeal is healthy. I was so delighted to find out that they were delicious as well! I put fresh blackberries on top and pour on Almond Milk and I am in heaven. If you are looking for a new cereal to “mix things up” for breakfast, (or a bedtime snack), I highly recommend the Brown Sugar flavor. Yummers! Read the rest of this entry »

Two weeks. Just saying it freaks me out.

I had a mental breakthrough this weekend. Instead of feeling frightened, insecure, and under trained… I have turned a corner and feel more confident than ever that I will become an Ironman on July 31st. My change in attitude is due to many factors: Read the rest of this entry »

As some of you know, I only started triathlon training a few months before I moved to Colorado. My first triathlon was the Disco Triathlon at Lake Grapevine just outside of Dallas in 2006. It was a sprint triathlon (500 M swim, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run). I rode my mountain bike and had to walk a part of the run. Finishing that race was a HUGE accomplishment for me as I hadn’t exercised 2 days in a row for 15 years (unless you count rocking out on stage). Read the rest of this entry »