Healthy Living Through Multisport Racing: 2014

Ironman Florida. I thought that having a year to prep would be sufficient but life seemed to change quite a bit since I left Austin and moved to Charlotte.

Working night shift at the hospital can be quite draining and while it's "only" three nights, my sleep schedule makes it very tough to join those early morning rides. Coupled with my re-entry into school, purchasing a home, the passing of my 16yr old dog-kid (RIP Willy!) and a persistent foot injury... I decided I would finish Ironman Florida, but "racing it" would be a secondary thought.

I hate excuses, onward.

We snagged a condo last minute and it worked out extremely well. Just a short walk to the race start and beautiful views! The water in Panama City Beach (PCB) was wonderful and I surely thought the race conditions were going to be fantastic! Many of my teammates from Big Sexy Racing were either racing or coming down for support. How awesome is that!? There were also friends from Austin heading over and it was great to see them racing and/or volunteering as well. That's the great thing about this sport... it's like a giant family of people all with the same lifestyle.


View from the Summit Condo

Race morning came quick and we all knew the forecast had significanlty changed... and going to be dang cold. If ya know me at all, I have two enemies when racing.... cold and the wind. Well, I knew it was going to be brutal when 30+mph gusts and a 38 deg race start was planned. Due to rip currents, the swim was cancelled but that really didn't say much because the conditions evened out the effort to feel like we did all three disciplines. Although, it was fun seeing the Devil Rays and dolphins during previous swims and I was looking forward to the warm water.


Yes, they really jump like 5ft in the air!

The bike was a time trial start and we stood in the cold for some time before getting to go. Luckily, one of my teammates Ben treated me to coffee while we waited so I could warm up. I also got to chat with Yvonne Van Vlerken, a friend and 2x (now 3x) Ironman Florida champion. It's always good to catch up with folks you haven't seen in a while and she is an amazing ambassador for the sport.

I stopped a bit on the bike and honestly contemplated a DNF on multiple occasions. All I wanted to do was sleep and wasn't quite sure what was going through my body. The drafting was very tempting as countless numbers of groups were doing it but in the end, I would never want to be labeled as a cheater... even if only I knew. I figured I'd be out there for a LONG time waiting to be picked up so I decided to push onward and stop when I needed to. My nutrition plan was tossed and I ate on-course stuff. Gotta figure that out for next season.

The run was more of a jog/walk/run and I had a good time knocking out the marathon. So many folks cheering and the volunteers were amazing... probably the best I've seen. I ate nearly everything in sight and laughed about it all along the way. Talked to a few people, cheered on fellow athletes and just made it through the day.

After the race, we spent a few days in PCB just enjoying the weather. The town returned to a quiet little place and I began to miss all the excitement and the people. Did some swimming in the wonderful weather that had returned, ate everything, explored the park in which we ran through and spotted some wildlife. It was a tough decision, but I felt like I owed it to myself to return in 2015 so I signed up on site. Such a great course (pending weather) and I know I'll return with the proper training and mindset to do very well. Cheers!