Race Report/My Story

Ok, well clearly I did not post my race report "within a few days" of completing the race. Instead I waited for over a month to actually sit down and write about my Ironman experience.

Here goes nothing...

Thursday: I, of course, procrastinated my packing until the night before I was to leave for Coeur d'Alene. I went running around Portland to try to find Glucose (my favorite race drink) only to find that no one carries it anymore. Opps, should have practiced with Gatorade during training since I ran out of Glucose the week before my taper. I went through my list, checked everything twice and figured I'd just deal with the Gatorade issue. (Fortunately for me, I did not have any issues with nutrition on race day!)

Friday: Bright and early, Katie Cashman, Molly, Pat and I all wake up, pack my car, and head out. I drove, which was probably good because I kept thinking about how I couldn't believe that the Ironman weekend had arrived. I was beyond nervous and had NO clue how this race was going to go.

As we got closer to Spokane and then to Coeur d'Alene, the butterflies in my tummy grew. The first order of business was to stop in at the Athlete's Village to check in and pick up my race stuff. Once there, I ran into Leslie, Shannon, Alana and David! It was fun seeing them AND they were able to point me toward the Athlete's Village (note to self: make sure to print off maps of where you need to go if you've never done a particular race before).

Getting in line to check in, my nerves were at an all time high. I was struggling to remember my race/bib number for the check in guards at the tent. You basically pay your USAT race-day membership (if you are not a member) and then proceed to another tent. In the tent, you fill out all of these liability waivers, which I was too nervous and over-whelmed to understand, and then you proceed through to a different tent. In the 2nd tent, you'd wait in line until a volunteer called out your number. At that point, you'd go sit down at a table with one of the volunteers, who would walk you through your entire race packet (the timing chip, numbers for your bike/helmet, etc). Once done, I was free to leave or explore the vendors.

We left to go check into the cabin we were staying at in Post Falls, ID (about 10 minutes from downtown Coeur d'Alene). The cabin was AWESOME. We had a huge deck and access to the lake. We unloaded all of our stuff (and my gear) and settled in for the Ironman weekend (YIKES!).

Friday night was the Athlete's Pre-Race dinner and race briefing. Katie joined me for this, which I was so thankful for because I was so nervous (a theme is emerging). They had inspirational videos and speakers, the mayor of CDA to welcome us, and the different race directors to talk to us about the different portions of the race and race course. I was trying to concentrate and take all of their words in. There were so many questions I had about the race day, such as, how do transitions work (you get transition bags to set your gear up in - nothing is set up by your bike, which is what I was used to from previous races), what should I put in my emergency bags, when/where was I supposed to drop off the bags, and where did I put my wetsuit once I was done with the swim portion? Fortunately for me, I had friends who had done Ironman races before and were able to help me out with my questions. TO ANYONE DOING AN IM RACE, GO TO THE ATHLETE'S DINNER!! It's included in your race entry fee and it was fun/inspirational!

Saturday: Needless to say, my nerves had increased. I kept thinking about how I couldn't turn back. In less than 24 hours, I was going to be waking up, putting on my race outfit and heading down to the start of the Ironman race. I was so nervous.

Saturday was when I had to drop off my transition bags and my bike. I had laid everything out and was double checking EVERYTHING before I put the stuff in the appropriate bag to take it down to the race start (you drop off the bike and run transition bags and keep the emergency bags to drop off on race morning). Once there, it was pretty easy to see where the bags were dropped off and where my bike was to be left. We had these bracelets on, so the whole weekend, you could tell who was in town for the race by looking at someone's wrists (it was kind of fun).

Once done, Cash, Pat, Molly and I went to Spokane to visit our old college stomping grounds and have lunch. To give you an idea of how little my brain was functioning, I kept referring to my Gu packets as Jew packets (opps) and on the drive back to our cabin from Spokane, I saw two guys riding motorcycles with matching shirts that I thought said "Mariners!" and which I publicly exclaimed with excitement, only to be corrected ("um, actually Kelly, the shirts say 'Marines.'). Oh. Man. So. Nervous.

For dinner, we cooked a big pasta meal. I so badly wanted a beer with dinner but refrained. And then the TNT crew that was in town for the IM to support Johan and me called. It was so fun chatting with everyone on the phone and knowing that they would be there race day to cheer me on! THANKS TEAM!!!

Darrell told me over the phone that I probably wouldn't sleep much, boy was he right. I tried going to bed by 8pm or so because I had to be up by 4:30am and down to the race area by around 5am to get ready for the race start, which was 7am. Yeah, I didn't sleep much. I tossed and turned and somehow eventually fell asleep.

Sunday: RACE DAY! I woke up to my alarm around 4:15am. I brushed my teeth, put in my contacts, got dressed, and made my race day breakfast of bananas, peanut butter and plain oatmeal. It took me about 20 plus minutes to gag down. Once done, Cash drove me down and dropped me off at the race start/athlete's village. I dropped off my emergency bags for the run and bike, and then walked around, drank a Gatorade, peed many times, and eventually put my sunscreen and wetsuit on.

Heading down to the race start, I ran into folks from a Bay Area Chapter of Team in Training. They had raised funds for LLS to be there. I was so proud of them and cheered them on (and they returned the favor). Once 7am was drawing near, 2,000 or so athletes were all trying to get down to the beach. It felt like we were being herded. I chose to start my race in the back of the pack and to slowly head down and get in the water. I was nervous about getting punched or kicked in the face and knew I could take my time in the swim. My goal was just to finish by midnight, so no racing.

The Swim: The gun went off and I started walking down toward the water. Again, my strategy was to let the fast folks go ahead of me. No need to be right in the pack. I got in the water and started to swim, taking my time to warm up. The wind had picked up and there were decent sized waves. On the way out, we were swimming right into the waves, which meant that I was kicking more and harder than I wanted to do. The swim course was a rectangle and we were swimming counter-clockwise around, so once I got to and around the the first turn buoy, I was then facing the waves on my breathing side, which sucked. I breath on my right and that's where the waves were crashing over me. There were numerous times that I swallowed Lake Coeur d'Alene water and had to stop and catch my breath.

The first loop was done in about an hour, which was a bit slower than expected, BUT I had decided that if I could do the swim in 2 hours, I'd be ok and have enough time for everything else. Of course, if I could finish the swim faster, then I'd have just that much more time for the bike and run, but with the waves, I finished in 2 hours and several minutes (or 1 minute, I can't remember).

By the second loop of the swim, I was getting cranky. I was done with the waves and my stupid wetsuit kept coming undone at the top portion (where the Velcro is). I was seriously regretting not wearing my sleeveless because I kept having to slow down/stop to get more water into the shoulder area.

Eventually I finished and got to run under the arch and up toward the transition area. Up the sand bank, I was trying to get my arms out of the wetsuit like I usually do out of the swim in order to pull the suit down to my waist, but I was struggling and eventually found myself at the volunteers that were there to help strip me out of the wetsuit. They were giving me instructions, but I was having a hard time mentally processing what they were saying. Eventually, I understood and they got me out of it. Then the next step was to run and grab my Bike Transition bag, which was lined up on the grass. This is where I ran into Mike P., who helped me find my bag and got me to the changing tent.

The Changing Tent: Never in any triathlon race I've done before, has there been a changing tent or an opportunity to completely strip down during a race. I had decided to swim in my bike shorts/top, so all I had to do was put on my shoes, gloves, helmet, etc. in the tent. No sooner had I entered the tent then there was a volunteer who helped me dump out my bag, handed me what I needed, and then she RE-PACKED my bag with my wetsuit (the volunteers are AMAZING at the Ironman race). Then I was ready and there were sunscreen volunteers outside of the tent to lube me up with sunscreen, which I gladly accepted. Fully dressed and greased up, I jogged toward the bike rack area. I could hear family/friends cheering for me (thanks guys/gals)!

I grabbed my bike and ran toward the bike mount area.

The Bike: Getting on my bike and peddling for the first few miles made me nervous. I've never felt my legs so much at the beginning of the bike before. I tried to just ease into the ride because I needed to warm up the muscles and was hoping/praying that my legs wouldn't feel that crampy for the entire ride. The cool thing about the bike (and run for that matter) is that I got to go through the downtown area about 4 plus times, which helped emotionally because I knew I'd get to see my family/friends. And without fail, they were there cheering me on for the few seconds they got to see me.

The first loop was awesome. I started to feel great a couple of miles in and was riding probably a bit too fast. I was passing people and loving my bike (I rode Roo). I got out to the rolling hills portion and was still having fun. The hills were tough but not as bad as I had thought they would be. There were some steep portions but they weren't long, so I always emotionally knew that the end of the hill was near or in site, which was awesome.

The whole bike I was looking forward to the last 12 miles, which looked on the map to be all downhill. Well, once I got to that portion, the wind was blowing and was blowing directly against me, so I couldn't just easily pick up speed or recover and roll down the hill. I had to work at the downhill, which seriously pissed me off. I was now cranky and mad going into my second loop. It was at this point, starting the second loop, that I started to lose it emotionally. I knew I was slowing down but didn't have a bike computer on my new bike to tell me just HOW slow I was going. I knew I needed to average about 14 miles an hour to make it through the 112 miles in 8 hours. But with hills, I didn't know just how fast I needed to go on the flats to make up for my slow climbing speed. Needless to say, I couldn't do the math in my head and I was starting to cry. The wind was making me feel cold and was getting in my way of an easier bike ride. I was mad.

I started whining and crying to myself and it was at this point that I was back through the downtown before heading off to the rolling hills by Haden Lake. That's when my friends/family cheered loudly for me and I could hear Cash yell "yes you CAN Redhead!" That's when tears formed in my eyes and I decided that YES I could. I could keep rolling forward until they pulled my from the course. So that's what I did. I kept rolling forward even if I had to slow down my pace. And then I got through the toughest/steepest hills in the beginning of the rollers and didn't have to walk, so that perked up my attitude. I could do this! And then every mile marker beyond 76 miles became a new personal record for the longest ride I'd done in my life, so that made me feel better too. And somehow I started to laugh and smile again. Somehow I started enjoying the ride again from mile 81 onward.

So I kept rolling forward and the funny thing is, no one ever pulled me off the course. In fact, I was even able to pass a bunch of folks in the last 12+ miles! And I even made it off the bike in less than 8 hours, which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. Getting off the bike in about 7 hours and 45 minutes gave me enough time to get through transition to give me exactly 7 hours for the marathon, which I needed!

I HAD MADE IT! I had finished the bike before the cutoff, which was my biggest concern. It was funny because during my emotional breakdown on the bike, I was thinking about quiting and how if they did pull me from the bike, I wouldn't really mind and was kind of hoping that would happen. I had never done a marathon before and had NO idea how I was going to do that after the 112 mile bike.

The Changing Tent Again: I wasn't sure if I could completely strip down in the changing tent. I had planned to change out of my bike shorts/shirt into fresh/dry clothes for the run, but was kind of nervous that when I'd strip down, a volunteer would yell at me and say "oh my gosh, what are you doing?!?!" But they didn't. Instead they helped me to change (handed me what I needed). Jess Haddy was there and gave me chicken broth, which was the most AMAZING thing I'd ever tasted in my life! She helped me out of the tent, held my stuff when I was in the port-a-potty and cheered me on as I started my run.

The Run: I felt great! My legs were feeling MUCH better than I thought they would, which HAD to be because of my tri bike. I was SO glad I chose to ride my Quintana Roo over my Serotta. For the run portion, I had set my watch to beep at 5 and 1 minute intervals. I jogged for 5 minutes and then walked/recovered for 1 minute. This strategy worked well for the first 7+ miles. After mile 7, everything started breaking down. I started running for 3 minutes and walking for 2, then walking for 3. By mile 13, starting my 2nd loop, I was walking a majority of the run. My knees were killing me. I got back into the downtown and ran into Pat and Sheryl. Sheryl told me that I still had about 4 hours until midnight and could totally walk the last 13.1 miles in 4 hours. I TOTALLY needed to hear that at that point. By this point in the race, my brain was definitely NOT able to do any kind of basic math. I had NO idea if I was going to make it to the finish line but I did know that I HAD to keep shuffling/running.

The aid stations on the run were AMAZING! They had chicken broth, which was the most amazing thing! It was warm, had a hint of flavor, and was salty. AMAZING! And they were exactly at every mile, which was so wonderful. I began to count down the miles by the aid stations I encountered. I made sure to walk through every aid station and take in whatever I needed (calories, liquid, electrolytes, etc).

By the 2nd loop, it was getting dark. The wind had died down, but the weather was rainy (more of a steady mist). The race folks decided to pull the space blankets and put them at aid stations so the runners could have some sort of protection/warmth, which was awesome. I did most of the 2nd loop with a silver space blanket wrapped around me. It was also by the 2nd loop that I had stopped my watch and had decided to run/walk point to point. I'd jog to the next tree and then walk to the light post. I also at this point discovered the my pinky toes were in major pain. I knew there were blisters forming, but had to keep moving. I had to consciously keep my toes curled so they wouldn't rub on the bottom of my shoes. It definitely threw off my form, which probably added to my knee pain.

It was also during the 2nd loop that I saw my friends/family again. I was in tears at this point and wanted to stop. Molly looked at me and told me that I was ahead of schedule and could TOTALLY do this! Cash and my dad also confirmed this and they all cheered me onward with tears in my eyes.

By the end of the last loop (about mile 18, I think) I saw Crystal and her dog Sachel. She walked with me and tried to help keep me positive and moving forward. She is an Ironman and fully knew what I was going through and just told me to keep going. And then off I went. I had emotionally broke down at this point and was totally whining to God and to myself. I had come SO far and was so worried I wouldn't make it to the finish line in time. I knew I was going slow but I was in so much pain that walking was my only option. It's amazing just how tired I was. I was struggling to pump my arms because my biceps were sore/tired. I've NEVER experienced that during a race before!!

I had decided that after the final turnaround point, I would begin to jog/walk point to point again. And it was at this point I was able to catch up to 3 people walking fast. One was an Ironman and had completed about 6 races. Her friend was a IM virgin like me, and so she kept talking to us and telling us that we were going to do it and become Ironmen. I found that I TOTALLY needed people to tell me that during the last loop of the run because I didn't know if I would. I could believe it when the volunteers and other participants were telling me, but I couldn't say it to myself until I was at the finsh line.

At about mile 24, I saw Crystal again. She walked with the 4 of us and told me that Darrell and the gang were waiting for me around mile 25 to cheer/run me in. It was at this point that I left the group I was walking with to jog/walk again.

Eventually I found Ilana, Jeremy, Leslie, Darrell (and then Sheryl and Dan). They totally jog/walked me in for the last mile or so.

I can't even begin to describe the feeling of rounding the last corner and seeing the finish line in the distance. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of entering the cheering chute and hearing the announcer say my name and say "Kelly O'Gara, you ARE an Ironman!" I thought I would sob at the end, but I just couldn't stop smiling! INCREDIBLE!

I did it! I finished the race with about 20 minutes to spare. I got my medal and finisher's shirt. I am officially an Ironman!

A VERY special thanks to everyone that texted, facebooked, called me, cheered for me AT the race, etc. Your love and support ABSOLUTELY carried me through that race! Words cannot express how much it meant to me! Thank you!

Ironman Race Pictures

Here are some pictures of my race weekend...

The drive to Coeur d'Alene:



Packing my car with groceries (we had to fit all my gear PLUS the 4 of us and my bike into my little Echo):




Me in my wetsuit for a practice swim before the race:



At the Athlete's Village (to register my name at the Ford Cheer sign):



The swim start (race day):









Transitioning out of the swim:



The beginning of the bike:



Finally done with the bike and heading toward transition:





Starting the run:





At the finish line: