Out of the Darkness

I got just two blocks away from the finish line. And now my legs are starting to shut down. The street is dark but I can hear the crowds roaring.

Unfortunately, I am fading and I am pretty sure that there are less than a few minutes to go before the whole course is shut down.

Out of the darkness, a volunter gets right up in my grill and says, "You have got to move--NOW". I told him that my legs would not work. He says I have four minutes to go and starts o bark out instructions, "Swing your hips----Breathe this way---Do not stop". Clearly this man is a trained professional.

He gets me through one block in a minute and a half.

Now I can see the arch that leads to the finish line. There are massive neon signs lit up. There are huge spotlights on the finish line. The clock is ticking. The crowd roar is huge. I can also hear a countdown going on and I know that they are counting down the closure of the course.

The volunter (Dark Angel) tells me that he is going to leave me at the arch and that I need to make it to the finish line. I pass the arch swining my hips and now the legs are locking up further. They are basically non functional and just 25 yards from the finish I am not sure I can stand up. I realize if I fall that crawling will actually take too long.

Out of knowwhere and with no active higher brain function, I let out a yell. An incredible hulk kind of yell. The kind of yell that is not pre planned and that has no other purpose than survival. This launches me across the finish line. For a second I am not sure that I crossed it but then another volunteer catches me. He is as happy as I am and wants to put me in a wheelchair--I refuse because I know that I will get up again if I sit down now. Out of the corner of me eye I see Lisa and Jody running towards me. I recognize them but cannot but the whole scene together-
I look at the guy and say, "Holy ------- ---t"

Next the aftermath

Run for the Roses

I am actually suprised to make it off the bike. I am very happy to see Lisa and Christopher. So after 112 miles of torture its time to switch to the next part of the plan.

My main focus is on getting through the transition quickly. They send a volunteer to follow you through the whole process. Its in case you need something and also in case you fall over. I was scared to death to bend over and put on socks and shoes since I was convinced that a massive leg cramp was on its way. He was kind enough to oblige and had been doing it all day long.

My first thought was to figure out when the course was going to close. Because of the nature of the start, the course closure time was not fixed. I need to know the closure time to calculate a pace that I will need to finish. I settled on 12:30 am as a closing time so that meant about 15 minutes a mile and I will be able to finish.

I started out walking and had a smile on my face. The first two miles go out and back over a bridge to Indiana and are pretty hot. That part went well and I was able to see Lisa and Christopher twice. I set my watch and would check every mile. The plan was if I dropped below the pace or if my heart rate got too high, I would drop out of the race.

The next part heads through town and then out past Churchill Downs for 6 miles out and 6 miles back.

Trouble begins. My first problem is that I cannot run at all. My heart rate jumps so high and my leg begin to cramp every time I run. But I am keeping a pace just below 15/mile walking and so why ruin a good thing. Worse though, my practiced nutrition plan is not working. I cannot get any food down and so I am going to need a back up plan. In the first loop I settled on water along with PowerBar and pretzels.

The first loop is great, sort of. I talked with a church lady and liked her hat. I settled into a routine. I made it out and back and now had to head for the second loop. Things get rougher though----now its dark, the first loop takes you right next to the finish line and then turns you back (demoralizing)---did I mention it is dark and most of the people are now off the course so it is lonely.

Early on in the second loop I feel like there is a sliver in my shoe. I bend down and take it off but develop a huge cramp and now can barely stand up. So I am hopping around Louisville streets trying to work this out. A volunteer looks me in the eye and says, "Put that shoe on and start runnning." I do what I am told.

Along the walk out I met up with a guy named Kurt who is in the same shape that I am. He , however, can see so we can get the time and splits from his watch. I can do math so I calculate the splits. Now we have a little team. We also settle in to a strategy that has us eating one water, one coke and multiple pretzels at each stop. Believe it or not the volunteers are out in full force, the cops have the course fully controlled and there are still race fans.

Near the turn around we pick up a third guy who specializes in telling crazy stories and so now out team is complete. He also tells me that he trains only an hour on the bike and refuses to run. In addition they are making a documentary about this guy for reasons that were never clear.

Working together we are just barely on track but on track nonetheless. So we move forward, shoulder to shoulder, and the finish line is coming up. At Mile 25 my legs begin to seize--Oh, Oh.

I tell the other guys to go ahead. My right thigh is in fully shutdown. My left calve is out of power and now I am fading. I am kind of stiff leg but moving when I turn the corner with two blocks to go.

Next disaster strikes and a dark angel apears......

The Sun Shines Bright on My Old Kentucky Home

things looked so promising after the swim. I headed off onto the bike and within 20 Miles I knew something was wrong. Work not hard yet but Heart Rate too high and too soon. The first 14 miles are about flat before heading into the rural areas. On my best day I can make it through this section in about 1:05. Today I go there in 1:20 and with a way greater effort.

I am a pretty negative person. So give me a bad situation and I can make it worse. The only thought in my head ,"I am not going to make it" , "How do I drop out?" and , of course, "Does this suit make me look fat?"

Things got worse and around mile 38 I started to write the speech I would give the kids--Sometimes you do not make but you still gotta try, it wasn't my day, the journey not the destination--I even visuilized what room I would do it in and where i would it them. This is not typically recomended as a winning attitude. Only one part of my mental strategy worked--here it is---I normally get one part of a really bad song in my head and then cannot get it out. For instance, a song like "Baby, One More Time." To defeat this, i made a CD pf a bunch of great songs. On race day the song in my head was "Jesus,etc" by Wilco--score one for me.

I saw the family twice as we passed through LaGrange. By the second loop the fear in their faces was obvious. Of course all of the other racers had gone through and now I was passing through town with tumbleweeds. Struggling and struggling.

I got to the last 33 miles which is a straight shot back to Louisville. Now the challeneges are multiplying--Heat rising, two stops have run out of water (and the Baptist churches running the spots are unable to summon miracles), riders are literally lying in ditches on both sides of the rode ( 9.5 % of folks would not finish the race).

I am planning what happens when I get plucked from the race since you have to be off the bike by a certain time or they pull you. A slightly strange thing then happened--I hit the easier part of the course and started to make a little time.

Now i am pedaling faster and trying to make some hay. I head back into to Louisville along the river. Now I am faced with the cruel reality that no force is going to pluck me from the race--They will let me continue--I hate a choice like this. Lisa and the kids are glad to see me and are now fully aware of the bad position we are in. Frankly, they are suprised I am not returning in a medical van

Run?????

The Swim Starts or "Fatman Begins"

I got in the water just before 7:30 and early on knew that it was going to be a great swim. We start by going upstream for about a mile in this somewhat protected area. The water temp was 83 degrees , so no wetsuits. After three years of struggling with the swim, I could tell that I finally had this beast under control. It only took four years, daily practice and lessons from 5 different instructors, but hey. I made it up to the turnaround marker and then stopped for a few seconds. A number also stopped at that point and i think we were all somewhat shocked that we had mad it this far. So a tiny thirty second party was going on in the middle of the fourth busiest shipping channel in the US. I knew the current was great further out in the river so i tried to get in the middle. At a few points I developed cramps in my foot which were scary and at one point I started to cramp in my thigh--big scare. I was able to work things out and keep moving.

We had to get under two bridges to reach the finish. Even with the current, the bridges seemed to come slowly. I then had to angle for the finish line and account for the current. All of that went well and the whole family was there at the finish.

Off to a great start and ready for the bike.

This is Gonna be Great

My race report begins on the Thursday before the race. I had booked a room at the Galt House which is right on the water. It is also where Hugh Hefner stays with his girlfriends for the Derby so it seemed good enough for me.

The issue is that I had forgotten what kind of room had been booked. Due to availability I could only get a suite. So I walked into the room and my first thought was, "Honey, pack up the kids. We're going on vacation." Let me back up. Training for IM is so time consuming that I felt guilty about all of the problems I caused for my family. You can only do early am workouts up to a point. Once you get out to 8-10 hour workouts you are pretty much useless to anyone. So my original plan was to have the family only see some of the bike on Sunday and then head home. But as soon as I saw the room and the excitement in Louisville, I knew they would have fun at the Galt House. Ok, so it was a huge boost to me as well.

We follow the motto, "Semper Gumby" (always flexible), so Gerri got on board and the next day I went back and got the whole crew and got them down for the race. But not before I registered and did the practice swim. The practice swim went great and I really knew that I was going to handle the river without problem. The only issue was that my heartrate felt a little high--omnious forshaddowing of trouble music begins to play.

So the crew came down and had fun generally exploring the giant sized hotel.

On race day we had a decision to make. Should I go to the swim start early or late. Due to a complicated quirk of this race, an early start would actually give me a little longer to finish the race but of course would make me more tired. We decided to go with a later start and more sleep. So I got up with what I thought was enough time, but when I got to transition it was clear that I was late. I then got sent in the wrong direction. The next thing I heard was, "Transition closes in 5 minutes."

Time to get to work. Pump the tires, get the food on the bike, arrange the gear--just done in time. Off for the mile walk to the swim start. When I got to the start, the line was huge but I was able to meet up with David and Jody and we settled in about 2/3 of the wy from the front.

Gross alert---My stomach got really active at that point so lets just say that having porta-johns nearby was a lucky thing. I believe the phrase is , "scared ----less."

The Race Report Starts

Ironman was a tremendous experience. I thought I would give you a report in five sections: The three race phases plus reports on on pre and post race. Lots of fun stuff to talk about and too many funny stories to count

Ironman

I am an Official Ironman. The rest of the story is beyond belief. So as soon as the enormous blisters on my feet abate and as soon as my legs begin to funstion again, then I will give you the full story.

I promise it will be worth the read.

Live From the Race Venue

We are just fourteen hours before start time and things are heating up. I am not speaking figuratively. It is boiling hot down here. I was prepared for hot but give me a break.

I think I got dehydrated just walking the mile to the swim start. So tomarrow will belong to the following groups of people;

1)The Thin--Is this not always the case. If only I had known the eating right and being healthy could be an advantage.

2)The Hydrated--This one I can do. I have made huge mistakes in the past but now those mistakes come back to help me.

3)The Paced--Tomarrow is not a day to go fast. It is a day to survive. Frankly, that's where I live. every workout is survival for me. So I have a good feel for what I can do in these condtions.

A few other points:

1) I went to the swim start and it looks even more attractive. Secluded, narrow and less current than the main channel. After we hit the turn it is out into the main shipping channel for a big long float home.

2)All kidding aside, the heat could turn tomarrow into a bloodbath. i would suspect there will be a high number of non finishers.

3)Given the conditions I peg my chances of success tomarrow at 60-70%. Sorry I meant to say----IRONMAN or BUST

Its Fun Until Someone Puts and Eye Out

I really want to finish the Ironman. Reasons:

1)The other day I was driving down to Louisville and i got passed by a car with a Tri bike on the back. The car was obviuosly heading to Lousiville for the race. I started to cry---just a little---because, well because I was doing the same thing. I used to go to events like this and thing the people in them were so cool and I could never do that etc. Now here I am doing it. But it only, really works if I finish the race. Its one thong to be a goofy,funny, slow last place finisher. It is another thing to be goofy, funny , slow and Not Finish---The punch line only works if I finish.

2)This is the three year aniversary of Lisa's transplant. There were four times during that period that I thought I had lost her. Others have not made it in a similar time frame. So this is a celebration not of the the impossible but of the difficult. But the celebration only,really works if I finish.

3)Training for this stuff is really a pain in the neck. If I fail to finish, I will feel compelled to come back and try again. I can avoid Ironman training next year only if I finish.

4)I have what most people would call a "big mouth". So lots of people know that I am doing this race. That means that I am going to be asked a thousand times, "did you finish?"--I can answer yes only if I finish.

5)I think chicks dig this sort of thing, but only if I finish

What a Scene

I have been down in Louisville getting things set up. It is a crazy scene down there.

1)Got everything set up and then spent most of two days trying to make sure that I had not forgot something--huge anxiety

2)Had a bad meal at Champions bar--then I noticed the Ironman Champ leaving from the same place. So he eats the same crap I do.

3)The heat is up, up ,up. But no rain and little wind.

4)I got to do a practice swim in the river today. It went really well. Clearly my swimmong has improved a lot and if I execute, I should be ok for the first leg.

5)I have been keeping track and believe that there may be two guys fatter than me. So my only hope is to finish ahead of the really old guys.

6)The finish line is going to be super exciting with a real party like atmosphere.

7)Louisville is on fire with tons of people and a million things going on right now.

8)I am planning on bringing the whole crew down to Louisville tommarrow. I actually came home tonight. This turned out to be a good thing since I was getting a little buggy down in Louisville.

Payback

Over the past five years we have been able to raise a lot of money through the genrosity of our donors. Also our TeamBigWave folks have gone out and really hit the pavement for our cause---Buddy, Sara, Carol, David, Greg, Brian, Gwen.

So each part of the Ironman gets a dedication. Of course if I collapse and give up during your segment you will be extra honored.

SWIM
Start-Chun
Leg 1-Kushner
Turn-Jody and David
Leg2-Gruber
Finish-Chung

BIKE
Miles
1-10-Valerie
11-20-Terri
21-30-Johanne Servedio
31-40-Rogers
41-50-Hurst
51-60-Al and Michele
61-70-The Carpenters
71-80-Inoglia
81-90-Spink
91-100-Maddock
101-110-Jeanette and Frank Servedio
Finish-Angie Eazzetta

RUN
Miles
1-Nelson and Carol
2-Gizzi
3-Bill and Margie Servedio
4-Marra
5-Gunza
6-O'Neill
7-Gee
8-Disipio
9-Rothaus
10-Bill and Ann
11-Boland
12-Avers/St. John Associates
13-TeamBigWave Team
Turn-Murtaugh Family
14-Szawaluk
15-Hammerman
16-Caples
17-Linda Reid Baker
19-Macks
20-Our past and Future donors
21-Lisa (First Treatment)
22-Christopher
23-Andrew
24-A special person
25-Adult Cancer Patients
26-Kid Cancer Patients
Finish--Family


Let's give it a whirl. Check out www.ironman.com or www.ironmanlive.com and use the athlete tracker to follow me on race day. Projected start 7 am, projected finish 12:30 AM

Heading Down to Louisville

I am just now heading down to Louisville. Triathlon is a whole big production and Ironman is like the Oscars. I have gear for three sports plus special food and back gear and sunscreen and chamois creme (dont ask)

A few things:

1) I looked up the last finisher under 17 hours, a certain Mr. Seale. I can do all of his times. The question is , "Can I do them back to back to back in the hot sun"?

2)I generally pay no attention to the weather but at this point I check the forecast every hour. Good Stuff--no rain, low humidity, temps not around 100 Bad Stuff---Big Sun, Temps around 90====all in all a fair deal and I will take it. Water temp not known but we anticipate a NON wetsuit swim

3)Andrew took me out for a training run today with him on the bike. He thinks I can finish but if not we can come back and try another day

There is still time to donate--just email me at murtaught@yahoo.com

More Donors on Board

I found the piece of paper that reminded me of a few more of our supporters and donors:

The Carpenters
The Spinks
Linda Baker

Also, since our blog fired back up The Szawaluks and Barbara Boland have pitched in with donations. If you are interested in being a donor send me an email at murtaught@yahoo.com

Join in and cure blood cancers--donate to Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

It seemed Like a Good Idea

It seemed like a good idea at the time:

1)I will sign up for Ironman and during training correct my nutritional problems and race at a low weight. Wrong--Should have lost weight before. Now must pay the price

2)I will get my nails trimmed before the race so they do not dig into my toes. Wrong--I called a place that does salon work for men only. I figured they must get a lot of guys in there with the same problem. So I went for my pedicure. I really just wanted my nails trimmed. The whole concept of an endurance race seemed foreign to the girls (more about that later). So I ended up with a true pedicure and a little buffing on the nails. I had to tell them to not take off my callous--I need those little buggers come Sunday night. But wasn't it at least realxing, Tom? NO--for two reasons: 1)I am incapable of relaxing 2)You sit in a slightly elevated chair and the foot person (who is female and about twenty three) leans over in front of your feet and works on them (Please draw a diagram to get the correct angles). She is attired as many young women are. So now I have to figure out how not to look forward or down for 40 minutes lest I become, "The creepy old guy who does the weird races".

3)Hey, let's invade Iraq. They probably have WMD.

4)I will do an Ironman in Lousville not Florida. I mean, "how hilly could it be".

5)I will do an Ironman in Louisville and not Idaho. I mean, "how hot could it be".