Racing to Save Lives

Week Thirty Eight of Ironman training and the Ironman

26- 31 July 2010

26.2 miles running

2.4 miles swimming

Bike 112 miles 4K climbing

Cumulative (since 8 November 2009)

Swim: 77.92 miles

Bike: 1,982.0 miles

Run: 1,739.36 miles

And lots of walking with Casey!

Although I cannot post the official time this morning (still not up on the Vineman website), I did finish the Ironman, in the not very impressive time of roughly 16 hours and 30 minutes.

The weather during the long day was close to ideal- very cool early morning, water temperature in the low 70s, late morning/early afternoon heat (about 82 degrees or so) and cooling off nicely into the evening/night.

The swim went as expected- initial moments of utter panic with my usual chest tightening and difficulty breathing. After about five minutes that passed and I was able to head upstream. I did not experience much pummeling from other swimmers. A few bangs and clouts, but my goggles were never pushed off and no more water than usual was swallowed. I was out of the water in about 1 hour and 32 minutes which was as fast as I could have expected.

The ride went reasonably well although I stiched up with some GI issue early on and had to spend the next 30 miles or so working it out. I cut way back on planned calorie consumption but the alternative would have been much worse. I lost a few minutes in the first loop helping someone with a mechanical problem mid-way up Chalk Hill- her chain had come off and jammed behind the front chain ring. It took my pulling up on the chain and her pulling out on the ring to free it. On the second loop at roughly the same place a Team-In-Training teammate had some problems which I tried to help with. Something about Chalk Hill, I guess. I slowed a bit on the second lap but not significantly and finished about when I reasonably thought I would.

As I headed out of T2 onto the marathon course, I knew the run would be very hard. My tank was very much on empty and I had to adopt the basic triathlon shuffle through the course, walking the steeper uphills and running the flats and downhills. Molasses in winter at the North Pole moves faster than I did. The final bill came due on the last of the three loops. My headlamp died about three miles from the finish in a pitch black section of poor country road. I tried to keep shuffling along but after running off the road twice and nearly doing some damage I realized a fast walk down the center was my best bet. With a mile to go, we were back under street lamps and I was able to jog it in, greeted by my coaches, my teammates and Patty and her family.

I'm writing this early Monday morning, disappointed in my performance but at least glad I didn't let everyone down by dropping out. I thank everyone again for their support, both financial and moral. I carried my honorees names Karie Epstein, Gene Moose and Phil Szanto the whole way (inside my wetsuit in a ziplock bag, on the bike's bento box and in my camelback) and remind everyone that the race for a cure still goes on.

Of course donations are still being accepted- I did all I set out to do, albeit not as well as I had hoped. If you still have not donated, your "to do" list is still open. Thanks in advance

For any final comments and advice, my personal email address is jonathan_penn@hotmail.com (telephone number 650.455.8865).

It has been a pleasure.

With gratitude and friendship,

Jonathan and unofficial team mascot Casey