Race morning - we woke up early, 4am, and got to the race site around 5. People were just starting to arrive. Rick dropped off his special needs bags, got body marked, and headed into the transition area to go over his transition bags and check out his gear. While Rick was busy in the transition area, I took a few pictures then headed to the spot we had picked as a meeting place to catch up with my parents and David and Valerie at 6am. Met up with Rick again at the same time. Chatted, Rick stretched. He was in good spirits, nervous but relaxed at the same time.
We headed down to the beach to take some more pictures. The pros took off at 6:35, and after their start Rick went over to the start area. When the race started at 7am, it was an incredible sight - almost 2000 athletes running into the water at once.
The swim was two laps, and I knew I'd be able to get a feel for Rick's progress when he exited the water and made his turn around on the beach. I picked a good photo spot - and my father and David scouted locations as well.
Rick exited the first loop at almost exactly 30 minutes - an EXCELLENT time. He looked great, too, and I was happy when saw him head back into the water for his second loop. I moved my position to get a better view of him running up the beach to the transition area. I was thrilled when he exited the water on his second loop at 1:03 - a few minutes better than the time he had estimated.
I ran up past the transition area to try to get a shot of him starting the bike - and got to see just a glimpse of him, outlined with the sun behind him, as he rode off. My parents, Valerie, David and I met up, and the waiting began. We knew we had about 5 hours to kill . . . so we got a bit to eat, split up, took a walk, figured out the lay of the race course and the best photo locations. And then it was about time for Rick to come in . . .
My mother, Valerie and I hung out right where the bikes came in and the bike-to-run transition bags were hung, hoping to be able to get a word with Rick to see how he was feeling. We got to see the first pros come in, and then, slowly at first but with increasing frequency, the age-group pack started to arrive. I knew the bike was usually Rick's strongest leg, and I expected him to come in on the low end of his estimated range - which ran from 5 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes. 5 hours 10 minutes came and went - no Rick. 5 hours 20 minutes came and went - no Rick. But just as I was starting to get nervous, he appeared - at 5 hours 29 minutes. I yelled to him in the transition area as he picked up his run gear that he had a fantastic swim . . . and when he responded "well, what about my bike time?" I knew he was both coherent and in fair spirits. I told him his bike time was great, and he headed off into the change tent. Valerie, my mother and I headed around to the other side to try to catch another glimpse of him coming out.
When he emerged, he headed over to the fencing where we were standing. He was not winded and was not cramping, quite a remarkable difference from some of the other athletes that had been going by. That's when he told us that he had been having breathing problems on the bike - his exercise induced asthma flared up about halfway through. He was frustrated, but fine and looking at the situation positively - he knew he was in good shape for the run because he hadn't been able to push on the bike. With that, he was off on his marathon.
At that point, we knew we had a little less than two hours to kill before we saw him again - the run course did two loops. We walked around. Ate lunch. Grabbed some of the chalk they were handing out and wrote on the pavement of the run course. Waited. Found a good position (I had to get a picture of him running by his name!). And suddenly - there he was. His first half of the run was 1:54, a bit less than he anticipated. I was excited for him, and thought he looked strong and focused. I couldn't wait to see him again - for his finish.
So, again, we had two hours to kill. Of all of the waiting, this was the hardest part. And I knew that, mentally, this was the hardest part of the run course for Rick - heading out, away from the cheering fans and race finish for a second time as the sun was sinking.
We went over to the finish at about 10 hours and 20 minutes. Rick's goal time had been 10 hours 30 minutes, but I knew that with his bike slower than he had hoped that that time would be unlikely. And I had a feeling that the second run loop would take a lot out of him. As we watched the finishers coming in, I couldn't wait to see him again. Finally, there he was - at 10 hours, 56 minutes. Under 11 hours for his FIRST Ironman distance tri. How amazing is that?
Hmmmmmm, why is my race description so much longer than Rick's?
