Race Coverage

So Much More Than Data.......

Saturday, 14 October 2017 23:10

By Erin Ladendorf (bikesandcatsrightmeow.blogspot.com)

How do you put into words the best feeling you've ever had in your life?

IRONMAN WISCONSIN RACE REPORT - It's been 4 weeks since Ironman Madison, and I am still struggling to find the words that can accurately describe those 13 hours of my life. Sure, I could go through my whole race report and tell you how nervous I was, or how my pacing turned out, or even what happened with my nutrition plan, but those were just pebbles in the gravel on a giant mountain of a day. Don't worry, I will still go over that, but I think Ironman recaps are so much more than a data recap. They are a chance to analyze and interpret all the ups and downs and emotions that a race can bring.

Let's go back to 5 years ago. When I was a pack a day smoker. When I worked in a nightclub and spent my days sleeping until 4, only to wake up, get ready, and go get a beer and shot of Jameson before my shift at 10 pm that night. It was a vicious cycle, but it was all I knew. After spending 12 years in the service industry, drinking and sleeping were the two things that were just part of the deal. But about 4 years ago I made the shift into a healthier lifestyle, which included quitting smoking and eventually becoming sober.

And now my life is full of early morning swimming, long bike rides on the weekends and running at every chance I can get. I have also surrounded myself with a crew of people who have similar goals and aspirations, and I must say, life is great. I feel more mentally strong than I ever have before, and the physical transformation was a happy byproduct of this change. Which brings me to where I am today.

This time last year I decided I wanted to do something that most people would never dream of doing. I wanted to complete 140.6 miles in under 17 hours. Call me crazy, but that sounds like one hell of a dream. ...

Now, because I think I am somewhat of a glutton for punishment, I decided to compete at Ironman Madison. A notoriously tough course. But, as Jimmy Dugan would say, "The hard is what makes it great."

Woof. And what a fricking course it was.   READ MORE