IMLP (part two)

Being the true athlete that I am, I'm sitting out on my deck with a glass of red wine in fantabulous 80+ degree heat, (bring it on baby) when it dawned on me I haven't even begun to tell the race day happenings!!!

Race day, Sunday started at 3am. Luckily Karen had set the hotel alarm clock because I am such a dork that when I set my cell phone alarm clock I didn't realise it defaulted to PM....YIKES!

We were up and gone....it was dark and sort of misty and it was a very eerie drive into Placid, luckily for us we were able to follow other vehicles into town. Those in the cars a head were obviously competing due to all the bags and bikes in and on the vehicles.

Luckily we found a place to park (which was to be cordoned off until after 6pm that night) and we headed off to meet up with the other body markers.

Unfortunately I do not have photo's of the bodymarking experience, but we took over the street right in front of the bike transition area. The athletes came to the zone so quickly it would have been impossible to take photo's, body mark, have the opportunity to chat with them and of course you guys know me....give them a hug and wish them GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN!

Some were relaxed, some were joking, some were competing with their mother, some were uptight, some were having their birthday (they got an extra BIG hug), some were older (73) some were young (21) and one was experiencing an Ironman after a life altering accident....Please see and read Matt Long's story.

There were so many bodymarker's, so many athlete's and so many of their entourage it was mind blowing. I thought I would never get to see Anne nor Dean, but I heard my name being called out and there they were! Karen had already marked Anne, but she came to me to have my signature "smiley face" put on her calf...it was awesome to get to see her before she started her incredible journey to Iron. We gave each other a HUGE HUG and I told her to "get lost" because I was going to cry.....

Once they announced the elite were having to line up, the numbers dwindled down in the marking zone because everyone wanted to see them start. I chatted for a little while with a photographer that was there, he had asked permission to take my photo, while we chatted I asked him for his business card, can you believe he was from Canada and lived not very far from where I work!!

The world just keeps getting smaller.

We headed over to Mirror Lake where everyone was or had already suited up and were getting into position. Just as they were finished with the Anthem and prayer, the skies opened to a deluge of rain (luckily no lighting), the cannon went off and it had begun!!

Lake Placid Ironman was on its way to cheers, cowbell's, clapping, laughter and tears of excitement (that of course would be me).

We totally lost track of Anne in the mayhem of swimmers, however, we did stay to watch the very last swimmer come out of the water. He was a gentleman who had suffered a stroke last year and vowed to make himself fit enough to compete in IMLP.

He swam courageously right to the shore, just missing the cut off time which would have allowed him to continue on. He was stoic, he only has the use of one arm!!! The number of people who staid to watch him emerge from the lake was staggering. Everyone was cheering and chanting his name. He came out of the water as if he was still going to continue, he looked strong and he was so emotional, the wetsuit remover guys were waiting for him, they proceeded to help him out of his wetsuit and they lifted him up onto their shoulder's....they walked up to where his wife and daughter were waiting for him. People were still cheering and ringing their cowbells.

He took his wife and daughter's hands and walked up the long slope to the bike transition area.....he to me IS AN IRONMAN!

to be continued......

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

It was amazing energy...IMLP (part one)

There is so much to say, beginning with I can't believe it has been two weeks since the Lake Placid Ironman. Two weeks today since we trekked off the meet and support our friend Anne and a few others from our local Kanata Running Room who were participating in this same prestigious event.

I have to apologise right now because I have so many photo's, so many memories (none of which compare to the participants, trust me)and so little patience posting to blogger, this will be posted in at least two posts.

After driving through Lake Placid and being swept up in the energy of the weekend. We found our way to our hotel in Willmington, it was cute, clean and had everything we needed for our short stay. It was close to many attractions in the area and close to Whiteface Mountain and The North Pole.

This shot is for you Marcy!!

Saturday morning dawned with warm temperatures and hazy sunshine, after coming from rain soaked Ottawa, any warmth and sunshine was a welcome relief.

Karen and I ate a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh berries and got ready to go for a run.

We headed of towards "the North Pole", straight up!! It ended up being more of a walk / run instead of the other way around, I was not use to the altitude, heat nor hills. I could only think of what the Iron participants were going to face, miles and miles of hills, yikes!! When we finished our run we got ready to head into town. Having been to many competitions with Anne I just knew that we may not get the chance to meet up with her and her husband Dean on Saturday. Anne needs her prep time and she also needs time to get "into her head", so the fact that we never really saw her most of the weekend was no real surprise.

Let me begin with, the American's really do put on an amazing show. You could feel the energy building as you entered into downtown Lake Placid. Every shop, every restaurant and every building sported Ironman logo's, banner's or pennant's. The streets were lined with Ironman paraphernalia and the sheer number of people was totally overwhelming, each of the 2,300 would be Ironman had between 4 - 10 people in their entourage wearing matching T-shirts with some inspirational saying emblazoned upon it. It was amazing!

Saturday was spent wandering around the sports expo which rimmed the Olympic oval supporting the bike transition area. There were sooo many people of all ages, shapes and sizes, all there to support a friend, son, daughter, mother or father, they were there to support a loved one.

The athletes had to rack their bikes starting at 3pm. It was so amazing to watch...we spent a few hours just wandering back and forth, checking out the sights. While we sauntered over to Mirror Lake it just showed us how far the swim finish was from the bike transition, is was a really long run up a hill and then down the hill to the Oval.

Once we saw pretty much most of the Expo and the swim to bike areas it was time to do what any athlete in training would do....find a spot to eat and have an adult BEvERage.

We ended up several times throughout the weekend at the Great Adirondack Steak & Seafood Restaurant and Brewing Company on Main Street. They have a wonderful menu and a fine micro brewery set up right on location. For a nominal price you can get beer and a beer glass which sports different "quotes", I choose " I drink to make other people interesting." - George Jean Nathan.

The weather was perfect to sit outside on the patio and people watch. What a great way to start a long overdue vacation!

After we wandered around some more we headed back to our hotel for an early night since we had to be back downtown for 4:45am to body mark the soon to be Ironmen and women!!!

More on the actual Iron Day to come!!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Getting ready to go!

The wheels, they will be turning, we are getting ready to head off to Lake Placid tomorrow for the Ford Ironman Lake Placid being held on Sunday.

This has been a year long adventure for our friend Anne. One full of ups, downs, tears, fears and accomplishments.

It was Anne who got me through my first 10K race, my first marathon, my first triathlon and has helped me an awful lot with my mood swings this past summer while I've been recovering from an injury that yes, I did to myself by trying in my own feeble way to train with her while she started this wonderful adventure. I'm no Iron, but Anne is.

She slogged it out in the freezing, cold winter weather, along with all the hours at the pool, all the hours on the bike trainer and then out on the roads starting in March, cycling and running, there was still snow out there...

Luckily her journey to iron was not totally by herself, her husband Dean spent many an hour in the saddle cycling along with her for all those 180K rides. Karen would meet up with her and either run the last half of the 40K runs or the last half of 100K rides...

Although I wasn't much help running or cycling due to my injury, I was there as the telephone / email support system. I had promised to do what I could to help last year when the decision was made to go Iron. So, I booked my holidays, threw my name down to volunteer as a body marker and the rest as they say will be history.

You've done all the hard work Anne, all the laps in the pool, all the miles and miles on the bike and all the bizillion km's running in all kinds of weather, you are SO READY! Remember all of your why's, remember all of the hard work, remember all of us who love and believe in you and who are cheering you on!!!

No matter what Anne,

YOU ARE IRON.

"BE TRUE TO YOUR DREAMS"

Karen and I will be on the road Friday morning, until I'm able to catch up again on the blog remember, no matter how big or how small your dreams and goals are go for them...because you only get one kick at life, no gets out of this alive.

Life's fun if you don't weaken

Lily

Just a quick shout out to Jen Ajersch, Ralph Richardson and Kona Shelley McKee...

GOOD LUCK in Placid, see you there!!