140.6 What a long strange trip it's been.

To get the full scope, I am briefly starting back to 2009.

After I signed up for IMCDA in 2009 , I had to pull out 3 months in due to my back (whatever the hell was/is wrong with it). 2 car accidents, 1 bike accident during Lonestar Tri... Quickly, I fell off of the map... I was frustrated, burnt out, my back hurt but mostly I was disappointed. I wanted this, but it just wasn't my time.

A year ago I came to Arizona to watch a few team mates complete their dream of finishing their Ironman at whatever speed for either the first time or more. I had no intentions on signing up while I was there. (honestly). Then after being in a kayak watching the mass floating swim start I knew as my eyes teared up that this was in my sights again. It had been a full tri season since I had trained... Train, trained... I travelled to Russia, biked and enjoyed my summer. I gained 20lbs literally overnight due to a new medication I was put on. This was going to be hard... Starting over hard.
Over the last six months I've been on what I like to call the "D" plan aka. the weekend warrior. It had been at least a year since I had been in the water, or had set a foot on a road or track to run on. I was fat and I was way behind, I knew it was going to be hard for me to watch my teammates who had been training since I was gone. Most of them trained for halves before the training for IMAZ begun, they were ready. I was worried I wasn't ready for the training. Unfortunatly, I am competative, stubborn and I beat my own drum, this being the only child in me. My goal from the beginning was to get my mind around NOT having a time goal and really.... REALLY! Just. Finishing. If any of you know me you will know that when I train.. I train and I want to be the best that I can be. Time for the hardest change of all.... My ability to just let it go.

TRAINING
SWIM - Splash!!! Back in the water again, it had been at least a year for a coached swim... All the people I use to swim with I couldn't keep up with anymore. Grrrr. I forgot how hard it is to start from scratch... BUT this time my stroke feels smooth. Slow but smooth... Strange. I swam at practice for about 6 weeks and did a 2.4mi swim just to see where my time stood. 1hr:20min. I was ok with that. So, I stopped swimming except for my long swims. Six weeks before the race I started going back to swim practice just to make sure I could still do the 1hr:20min for the whole 2.4 mi swim. What I called maintaining.
BIKE From day one I thought this would be my strong point since this is the one sport I kept up with while I wasn't doing tri's over the last year. I got rid of my old tri bike and rode my road bike till I got my new tri bike... And I cursed myself. I started averaging well over 18mph in wind and or hills to by the end of training riding 15-16mph. Apparently, I wasn't doing things right. The fits on my bike were changing from week to week since I am SO impatient. Go figure. I did most of my long rides by myself, I liked it that way. The bike is zen to me... when I like my saddle... and when my wheel isn't rubbing my frame for 75 miles. Bottom line... training was hit or miss I had no idea what to expect here. This was frustrating.
RUN - My long runs started on the greenbelt... it didn't hurt my back, so this is where I kept running. I really loved running out there in the trees! Then half way through training, I decided my body needs to get use to the pavement and and get away from the summer snakes. Town lake trail it was... BOOM! My back fell apart. Again? Shit! Back to where it was a year and a half ago. I backed off went to see a doctor, got an MRI (no herniated disk), two rounds of cortisone shots in two areas, (none of which did anything). Now, I am 2 1/2 months out and I have got to figure out what I was going to do. This one I'm not backing out of, I am just too far into it now. What about orthotics. I said it... no Doctor did... Huh... Finally, something finally helped. The pain never fully went away but it was better and that is what I settled for (good enough to finish.... Ohhhh yahhh thats my goal)... Thank you, I will take it. I cut the miles back and nursed it.

DAYS BEFORE RACE- This consists of walking/driving back and forth to Ironman Village to... Standing in line to sign a waiver, stand in line to pick up your race bags, stand in line to get henna body marking that looks like a spongy, non legible mess, stand in line to buy things, stand in line to check bike, stand in line to drop off gear bags.... Ohhh wait! Stand in line to stand in line. The calm before the storm. uhhhhh. yaaaa. little stressed. more meds.

RACE MORNING-1:30am I wake up... Plan was 3:00am... I woke up early for the first time in the last 6 months! Ironic. My mind was up and there was no going back to bed. Shawnda my sherpa got in late so I was doing yoga and drinking coffee in the bathroom till others got up. Breakfast - One bagel with nutella and banana, three cups of coffee. Second breakfast 1 hour later - Two packs of instant oatmeal with a full cup of raisins (FYI..I hate raisins). Time to get to IM village get your special need bags and lets go! I am feeling good... chilled out and content. Whats the worst case?... I made it here... What happens after... is after. John, Shawnda my Dad and I chill out on the grass till they start telling us to stop screwing around and get in the water... John and I head over a good luck kiss... I gotta go claim my spot!

SWIM- Spluuuush! in I go! Okay.. ok... it might be a tad chilly... I keep telling myself its not nearly as cold as Alcatraz! I swim under the bridge to the start bouy and start asking people around me what their swim pace was, I didn't want to lose a tooth or an eye in what is called "the washing machine". Finally, I find as comfortable of a spot as I think as I am going to get and I start floating on my back looking up at the Scottsdale/Rural road bridge (also, claiming a larger area of water to myself)... This is beautiful, awesome I'm laughing to myself... I'm thrilled. People lined up everywhere to watch 2700 people start a 2.4mi swim all at once!... talking, yelling, music in the background and still I feel like I should be here... No nerves here. Coldplay, Viva la vida! Annnnnd.... the cannon goes off and I'm swimming with my head above water like I am learning all over again. People are kicking swinging and I kept thinking when is someone going to knock my goggles off? When is someone going to kick me in the jaw? Didn't happen. Swim swimmy swim.. What washing machine? And we are at the turn around bouy! Half way there! I look back a what there is Nancy! "Hey! Nancy!" And a "Hey" back. Funny how the world throws you in a pot and spits you out and lets you see who you see and when. Small world! For those of you who haven't swam in a wetsuit there are two types of people... those that pee in their wetsuit and those that lie about it. I don't like it and will avoid it if I can but before the end of the swim I peed 4 times in the suit. WHAT? That is a lot! Sorry wetsuit strippers! Yay! Finally, the stairs that lead to land. Whoa... there isn't a step out, its a huge gap, from the water to the stairs. A guy reaches for my hand and helps me out... hooooo rahhhh. Getting out was more effort than the swim. I begin to peel off the wetsuit and it is sucking on to my arm.. the stripper grabs it rips it down I lay down.. Boooom! its off! and to.....

T1- I trot....Grab my bag run to the changing tent. A girl goes what can I help with? What do you need? I said "Nothing I'm not in any hurry here, but thank you for being here! And she smiles and asks again. All good here! I dump the bike bag out, put on my glide and more glide, cycling stuff and look at more than half of what was laying on the floor and wondered why so much stuff? Off to grab my sweet ride.

BIKE- The ride out of the shoot, people screaming, photos popping, chilly air chilling. This is where the tunnel vision kicks in. Drink drink drink. fooood. High cadence these wheels are hurting me more than helping me! Ugh.Double Ugh! Suck it up can't go back now. Tailwind on the up hill, headwind on the downhill, crosswinds (I heard.. 25mph winds and up to 35 MPH gusts), saguaros, agave, prickly pear, team mates, rain, hail and rainbows. I stopped five times on the bike to pee (3x... seriously, thats 7 times total today) see a bike mechanic (1x go to special needs refill my nutrition... since I ate it all! Thats a first. I sit down for "lunch" my Dr. Pepper and salt and vinegar chips! Any I had an awesome caddy holding my bike waiting patiently for me to finish "lunch"). I thank my bike caddy and peddle away I go. The turn arounds were the best! Cheering team mates all in blue smearing up the course! Awesome. Finally down the finish shoot.

T2- Heres my bike, grab my run bag and where is the changing tent? Oh there it is. I sit down and have a reflection of the chilly, crowded but non-violent swim and the really windy, rainy, crapy ride and what I smile. I am still here, smiling from start to middle. Shorts are on (packed the wrong ones, a little shorter than the ones I wanted) My apologies to everyone on the course... you are going to have to look at my big rump.

RUN- here we go the part where I am worried the most. Aid stations every mile drinking the gadorade, powerade, sports drink or whatever they called at that station all the same stuff just with a different name. Go Alison... Looking gooooood, Alison, I hear my name all over the course. What? how do these people know my name? Oh shit, my name is on my bib. Every time from start to finish I thought it was someone I knew, sometimes but not all the time. Funny stuff. I pass Shawndie mile 1 1/2, Twice! Hey, nice to see that face! But...Put that camera away. :) Walk walk. Chuckles "HEY!" Me, "Oh HAY!!!!" Chuck, "How are you?" Me, "Good!" (I was I was real good! Chuck "Are you?" Me, "Ya!" Trot! trot! Special needs first lap grab my nutter butters, chomp chomp YUM! and the rest get shoved in my sports bra, the best pocket ever! Second lap I was a little worried about time, but still felt good, slow but good! :) Walk, walk... jog, jog... run... walk. Last mile on my second loop I had to stop at the Reno 911 aid station... This blister on my big toe was making me hobble/walk. I hobble in the aid-cop says sit down. I told him if I sit I'll stop. He tells me well I can't fix your toe if you don't. I listened to reason and sat. He gets a bandaid and slaps it on. I poked my toe and told him ummmmmm this isn't going to cut it I need about ten more. Hold on I've got something... White duct tape. He wraps that thing so well I could have dropped a brick on it... okay, maybe not a brick. Thank YOUuuuuuuu! I slowly trot away. Last loop? I can't count... One... one... two... THREE! I left my garmin on my bike I had no idea what mile I was on....Bad move... It was like quantum physics trying to figure it out. My name is Alison thats all I needed to know right? Last loop I run by the finish exit and ask what looked to be like an official Ironman guy how I was on time... Keep the same pace and you are just fine. Ok then... Smile, giggle let get this last loop done. Trot trot, walk walk. Am I losing my mind? I have been up for way too long. Tunnnel vissssion. Did I just say television? Want some soup? Uhhhh, think less and drink more... Ok why not... "drink the soup!" its warm. sip... sip... Gulp. Nasty. To each his own. Sticking to the mystery sports drink, thank you. I'm walking more looking at my watch. Still greek to me. The road gets darker. yet shorter... As, I come to the finish right before the shoot Dionn jumps in front of me and says you have to run from here. Ok, ok but I'm walking right now. Hee hee! I'm here! I'm here! Run! run. people are screaming! hands are out wanting to high five me.... weird but nice. Am I far enough away from the guy in front of me so I don't ruin his picture? Think I'm ok. "ALISON STEINER FROM AUSTIN, TENNESSEE YOU ARE AN IRONMAN." (Ha ha! When I signed up I was trying to be incognito so I put Tennessee instead of Texas) BEEP. I crossed the mat! I shoot my guns in the air! Smiling from cheek to cheek I did it! WOOT! (what no tears? I thought I was going to cry for the last 6 months but instead just an intense feeling of joy! A warm bear of a man hugs me with a shiny, silver, sparkly, blanket... " How are you?" " Hi, I'm fine how are you?" Bear takes a closer look... I smile Then a closer look. Bear, "how was it?" Me, "ummmm great!" Bear, "someone wants to say something to you" Boom! right in my face was Chrissie Wellington... Took a second to realize who it was again... rocket science is soooo hard. "Congratulations on becoming and Ironman!) Me, "Oh thank you! Nice to meet you." and the warm bear took me away I keep taking the blanket off its way too hot! way too hot. I'm hungry, I want a cocktail. He shuffles me to the t-shirt tent she lifts up a small... HA was this a joke? :) When I was small I couldn't fit in that. I haggle with her about size grab one... walk away with the Bear who is still hugging me and I turn around to get a different size once again. The bear and shirt lady think I'm nuts at this point... No.. no... blanket too warm. Medal, Photo and the bear is gone. "ALISOOOOOON!" Shawndie in tears, Dad teared up, and my Mom who thought I was crazy this whole time with a smile. John! my sweet partner in crime . All done now.... NOW what?