How a Four-Year-Old’s Encouragement Helped Me Finish My First Ironman 70.3, What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Ironman 70.3, & More
Thursday Three: Episode 21
read time 2 minutes
Here are three interesting ideas you won’t find doom scrolling.
TL;DR
Story: How a Four-Year-Old’s Encouragement Helped Me Finish My First Ironman 70.3
Advice: What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Ironman 70.3
Tip: How To Do Hard Things
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How a Four-Year-Old's Encouragement Helped Me Finish My First Ironman 70.3
I stripped off my bike gear, slid on my running shoes, and started the half marathon. The first half mile I felt fantastic. The road was flat, I was cruising at a seven minute and thirty second pace, and the crowd was cheering all around me.
The second half mile was a different story...
The flat terrain turned into a steep downhill descent.
My pace slowed to a ten minute per mile pace, and the cheers from the crowd transitioned to competitors complaining about cramping, the humidity, and the hilliness of the course.
Every stride I took downhill, I could feel more and more pressure building up in my quads. Cramping was inevitable.
It was like my quads were balloons. And with each step, they filled with air. I knew that if I pushed too hard, they were going to pop. But I had to keep on moving anyways.
I survived the descent, turned a corner, and was immediately staring up at a half mile ascent. "Seriously?" I said, moving up the hill.
The cramping became unbearable. The balloons were about to pop. I stopped to massage my quads, but as soon as I did, my hamstrings started cramping.
"Fuck!" I quickly straighten my leg to prevent a full blown cramping attack. "This can't be happening. Not now," I said, realizing this could be the end.
I started walking gingerly until a small voice screamed, "C'mon! You can't be walking now! Let's go!"
I looked up. It was a four year old girl. "You gotta go! No walking!"
I couldn't help but smile. She started jogging beside me — I had no choice but to run. "No stopping you got it!"
And I didn't stop for the rest of the race. I finished in in six hours and 25 minutes — five minutes faster than my goal time.
What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Ironman 70.3
If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing prior to my first half Ironman, it'd be this...have a better plan for your bike nutrition.
My plan was to fill up my two Camelbak Podium bottles with a Maurten 320 and two LMNTs, and then half way through, stop at an aid station and fill both bottles with another round of Maurten 320 and two LMNTs. I ended up stopping at an aid station about half way through the bike, but I only refilled one of my bottles. I didn’t want to waste too much time — big mistake.
I thought I'd be fine with that, but I ended up paying for it on the run with my legs cramping uncontrollably.
For my next race, I'll be changing my bike nutrition strategy, likely picking up one of these Profile Design hydration systems that can carry 32 ounces of fluid. That way, I can easily whip up my nutrition while riding so I don't have to stop, saving time and ensuring I get the nutrition I need to prepare for the run.
How To Do Hard Things
Put a date on the calendar.
Want to do an Ironman? Sign up for one and figure out your training later.
Want to get a certification to advance your career? Sign up for the test and figure out your study plan later.
Unless you make a commitment, odds are, you're not going to do it.