This is how crazy life can be. One week before you feel like your training is going nowhere, all that time spent by yourself on the road seems just to keep you far from the reality. Then 72 hours before one of the biggest Ironman events in California I see this ad on my Tri-club page. One Ironman team was looking for a last second runner to compete for the relay.
I say why not... and here I am writing the day after the notplanned, notpreparedfor, toolong, extreme , yetanother, competition.
Friday evening arrival at Scott's huge house. I get the best hospitality ever, I get a little house just for me to rest my legs for race day :-). Jana ( the swimmer ) is already in bed at 8.30pm :-). Scott makes a "Ragu" unbelievably good to be true. We go over all the race details, pacing, race course, transition times etc. etc.
I am not really in the competition mood where I should be but I feel so good inside to be able to help another team for once... instead of just pushing myself for a simple mediocre result. I go to bed at 9.30pm. Racing just for the running leg makes it easier... not many accessories to prepare just running shoes, vaseline, shorts and t-shirt. Love it.
Race day:
4.30am wake up to support my swimmer.
6.50am She goes off on this big river in the middle of Sonoma county, 3.8Km of fast swimming... she is out in 1h06 minutes, we are within the first 10th position or around that. I take pictures while Jana gives the chip to Scott to let him start his 112 miles bike ride .... ( gosh that's a long ride ). I start feeling the race adrenaline and feel part of a team... awesome feeling.
9am We are back home to get some rest, eat and have Jana take shower and care of her 3 daughters ... We have to wait about 5 hours before the bike race is over and while Scott is suffering on the road, I am having a big breakfast right before I will get another 2 hours sleep.
12pm I am awake feel relaxed, mind is free, legs are ok and weather now is great 85F, sun everywhere... it will be an hot run. Jana is all excited to go cheer at the transition bike-run. Scott should arrive between 1.15pm and 1.45 depending how fast it went.
1.30pm Transition area is packed with bikers arriving. Most of them will continue the race ( Ironmans are crazy :-) ). I am in the middle of a bunch of runners waiting for their respective bikers to come and bring the chip home. The wait is crazy... my hearth beats fast and I cannot really warm up not knowing when Scoot will arrive. I see relay teams arriving and I get anxious... We have about 10 teams in front of us... I will do my best to catch up... but cmon Scott where are you?
2pm While I am drinking the 3rd bottle of water ( is bloody hot )I see him... his wife is shouting at him... GOOO, he gets off his bike and he is limping.... come to me boy I need your chip... GOT IT.
The only words I hear from him while I am attaching my chip are " Sorry man, I could not do better than this"... I answer ..."Man u did it... u gave all out... and I will do the same for ya".
BOOOOM I am running, wind on my face, legs are light, I don't have a watch ( lost it ) I will go just by sensations for 26.2 miles, same way the ancient Greek did it. 3 laps of ~9 miles each.
First Lap, I am running like the wind, my body tells me I am ok, the rhythm is right and I keep telling myself... take it easy... it is a long race... Virgilio u forgot how long are 26 miles... dont try crazy things.
I approach the end of the first lap, I see the time on the arrival monitor, wow.... I did it in 1hour... I am running a sub-3hour pace.... shut.
Second lap, legs are hurting a bit, but guess is normal. People are cheering for me, real runners dont show up much in Ironman events and people seems enthusiastic of my running style ( compared to ironmans one ). I feel a little tired, feel thirsty and I am drinking at each single refuel station. This second lap seems infinite. Keep the rythm, form, I am born to run, cmon V. pushhhh.
End of the second lap, I am surprised to see I have the same time of the first lap ( 1h01m ). I am running close to 3hours sharp. If I finish a little faster I might go sub-3... I am thrilled.
Third lap, the beginning of it does not feel easy anymore. I have 20miles on my shoulders and I havent run so much in the past 2 years. My style is down, but the will is all there, and breathing wise I am good. 21st mile I am spacing out, I feel things are possible, I feel I could even finish with a sprint... I see a French guy I met while in the transition area...I am starting a little uphill.... OOOPS my right leg feels weird, feel tight on the bottom of my butt... uff. cramps... shut... what is going on... I try to slow down... OOOPS my right foot touches badly the ground and I am falling...2-3 meters of awkard struggling to stand up again. I have cramps ... all my right body is cramping. Butt, hamstring, calf, even the right bycep... stretchhhhhhhh
I am not running... I am 5 miles from the end and I am not running... but I need to stretch or cramps will damage my body.
20 seconds later... cramps seem gone. I am back on the run but the fear level is now high. I fear to not be able to finish, to not be able to get the team to a finish. Time does not count anymore, I need to finish. I am running again, slow, but It seems like I can do it. Bottom line this cramping thing happens again 3 times in the last 5 miles each time is worse and worse.
0.5 miles from the end... the crowd is all over... I am finishing, people screaming, my head, my upper body could sprint... but my legs are gone and cramps are right there... BOOM... I need to stop .... stretchhhhh cmon... 3 more minutes... cmon..... I am running using only the left leg... I am trying to touch the ground with right one in the lightest way possible. I am finishing... I smile, my team is right there,... I look at the time...10hours 11 minutes for the team... 3h07/8 for me... I cant believe it... the last 10 meters are pure JOY.
Scott hugs me like we have been friends since forever. I can see from his eyes we are sharing something extraordinary... I can barely walk but today I discovered something new. ( I will keep it for my next blog ).
One big hug to the FB world, the real one and the internet... somehow I feel connected even if I am here in the middle of Sonoma county where the only people I know I met 24 hours ago ( Thanks Jana and Scott ).
