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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