The day started off great. The water temperature was perfect and my swim went well. I moved through the first transition and then headed out on the bike. The first few miles on the bike were fast and a bit chilly. I was sticking to my plan, keeping hydrated and eating all the food I’d packed. But the temperature started climbing quickly (the temperature eventually peaked over 100) and by mile 56 I was starting to worry.

To be cautious, I stopped at all the aid stations on the second half of the ride to take short breaks and cool down but by the time I got to the run I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t run my planned pace for more than a quarter mile at a time and it took a surprising amount of time to recover. So I lowered my expectations, slowed down and took breaks at the aid stations. By the end of the first lap I felt a bit better and was able to run a little faster. Then things really got tough!

A few miles into the second lap, my ears became plugged and they were bugging me. So I tried to pop them by swallowing and yawning real big but that didn’t work. Then I tried holding my nose and blowing and that made me super light headed. I had to sit down on a guardrail and I threw up. A volunteer called a medic and I thought they were going to pull me out of the race. In the two minutes it took the medic to arrive I felt better and started running again. I explained what happened and she let me continue. Then, a few miles later, as I stopped at the aid station at mile 12, my shins cramped up. So there I sat on the side of the road while a volunteer massaged my legs. As my shins started to feel better and I thought I’d be able to get going, my calves cramped up. I think I spent about 20 minutes there in some of the worse pain I’ve ever experienced. All I wanted was for it to be over.

Finally my legs calmed down and I was able to continue. In fact, my legs were in a constant state of almost cramping for the rest of the race and the only thing I could do was keep them moving. Seeing Rebecca and the girls at the end of the second loop was a huge boost. Those last 8 miles were done mostly alone, in the pitch dark (I didn’t expect to need a head lamp). I just though of my family, my teammates, all the training I’d put in to get here and all the people I raised money for. There was no way I wasn’t going to finish. When I finally crossed the finish line I felt relieved and proud for sure. And more than that, I had truly surprised myself. That’s rare and something I cherish.

I also feel a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who helped me do this: my family, my coaches, teammates, donors and supporters. Thank you.

Now I just want to get a little Ironman tattoo and go back to racing shorter triathlons.