We still can't believe it but it's over and we are now Ironmen! We haven't been able to sit down and really think about what all we did, it's been so busy since the Ironman. The day after the race we went into work (only for a short time) then left the following day for California for Craig's brothers wedding. It was a busy week but we really enjoyed being a part of the wedding and visiting with family. Once we got back it's been busy as always at work so that's why the update is coming so late.
So, here's how it all went down. Craig's sister came out a couple of days prior to the race and we are so thankful she was out here with us, she really helped out and was a huge support for both of us. We were supposed to register by Friday at the latest, you're supposed to register two days prior to pick up all your materials and get all the required information. Craig was added on to an exercise at the last minute that lasted from 4am on Friday until 8pm that night so we were pretty worried that he would be unable to register. Carla and I went to Coeur d'Alene after I got done with work on Friday and explained the situation....everyone was so helpful and allowed Craig to come by on Saturday and do his registration. So after a bit of a scare everything was coming together. Saturday he registered and we drove the bike course to get an idea of what we were up against....A LOT OF HILLS!
Sunday morning began at 3:30am, after some breakfast and one last check we were driving out to Coeur d'Alene. We got there just around 5am and began the process of checking over our bikes, all of our gear, nutrition, getting numbered, etc. Craig had a little scare at first because he lost a screw on his bike tube so the tire would not stay inflated. After some help from the bike mechanics that were available he got a new tube and we were getting our wetsuits on. At 7am the swim began and it was insane....2,000 people all starting on the beach, there were people everywhere. We started next to each other but then never saw each other after the first minute in the swim. Both our swims went well, Craig finished in 1hr 15min and I was done in 1hr 28min. After our transition we were on the bikes...Craig was awesome on the bike, he was up in what he said was the good athlete pack. He later said that he was looking around and kept thinking "these guys are in a lot better shape then me!" He finished his bike ride in 6hrs 6min with a minor glitch at the end. The last 20 miles he began to feel pretty upset and with the last 5-10 miles to go he threw up. Once that happened it was downhill from there for him. Along the run his legs and body felt great but his stomach was feeling awful. He could not keep any fluids or food down, he tried everything they had at each aid station and nothing stayed down. During this whole time I was dying on the bike, my first loop was great but then the hills really got to me and I had a much slower second lap. I finished the bike in 7hrs 22min and couldn't wait to be off that bike!! I started my run and like Craig my stomach wasn't feeling great either but nowhere near as bad as him...I was able to keep foods and liquids down but after 12 hours of non stop go your stomach just doesn't want to eat the power bars, GUs or gatorade. My legs were so tight that I had to do a walk/trot the whole time. I'd been having problems with my right achilles tendon for a few months prior so I expected it to be a little sore and problematic, which it was...but mainly my legs were just dead from the bike.
I saw Craig three times during the run, we passed each other going opposite directions and the last time I saw him he said he may need an IV because he could tell he was getting very dehydrated due to nothing staying down. He mostly walked and jogged just a bit for the remainder of the marathon and finished the run in 5hrs 40min....almost two hours slower than his last marathon! But he finished the entire race in 13hrs 13min 22sec!! He ended up going to the medical tent right after the finish line and after trying a few things they gave him three bags of IV!! During this time I was finishing up my run, so sore and miserable! I finished the run in 6hrs 6min...almost two hours slower than my last marathon! My overall time was 15hrs 15min 40sec...the finish was amazing, people lined up down the street cheering you on even at 10pm, it was incredible!!
Craig is feeling much better now, he was real sick almost the whole time we were in Santa Barbara for the wedding but he's doing much better now. We took a whole two weeks off since the race and went on our first jog today. The whole experience was amazing, the training leading up to the race and the race itself was incredible! While we both had a rough time, Craig being sick and my legs making the run awful we both agree it was still a great experience overall! So much so we actually signed up for next year! So, maybe in a few months we'll start up another blog and let you know how are second crazy attempt goes!
We've attached a few pictures from the Ironman, the one of both of us is just before we made our way down to the beach for the start. The video that's attached is of my finish, we have a video of Craig's finish but it's on our other camera and we can't get it uploaded yet. Enjoy the pictures!
We want to thank everyone that has e-mailed, called, posted comments and given us support and encouragement. We really appreciate everyones support and it definitely helped us along the way, thank you!!
