Ironman CDA 2010 - It’s never easy!

Ironman Finish #6 is in the books, but like all of them this one was a struggle…but not for the reason you may think.  Despite the fact that my very busy travel schedule this Spring hampered my training slightly, I felt I was in good condition and ready for the race. 

The swim, like all Ironman swims was very crowded.  My time was 1:24.  Not earth shattering but average…for me.  It is always such a relief to get out of the water.

The first half of the bike was very good, just under 3:00 hours.  I was on pace for my fastest Ironman CDA bike split.  Then, at mile 75 my blood glucose dropped to 80.  It was above 200 for the first part of the day, then out of nowhere it was 80.  Way too low, especially since I still has 37 miles on the bike and a marathon still left.  In the past, my blood sugar didn’t get low until half way through the run, but never that low.  I had to slow it up a little, going barely faster than a coast, AND I started loading up in Gatorade and Gel in an effort to bring my blood sugar up.  For two hours, it would not budge above 100.  I was facing the prospect of either not finishing, or best case scenario having to WALK the marathon.  So the second loop of the bike took over 3:40…and most of that was over the last 37 miles.  Needless to say, all the get and gatorade was making me feel very sick!

I managed to keep the blood sugar at around 100 and I finished the bike.  It was very frustrating to feel strong, and like I could have ripped up the course, but instead I had to watch as hundreds of people rode by me.

I got into T2 (transition are between bike and run) and although I felt sick from all the junk in my stomach, my blood sugar was finally starting to rise…150.  I left transition and ran into a volunteer I knew, I told him my issues and he handed me an ice cold can of coke.  Obviously I don’t drink Coke on a regular basis but I was in survival mode.  I downed half the can and started running.   A few hundred yards up the road was the Special Needs Run are, where at about mile 14 of the run you are allowed to get into the bags with the “special needs” (stuff you put in the bag the night before - gel, drinks…in my case an extra blood glucose meter and a few bottles of glucose gel.)  I downed a bottle of gel and kept running.  At mile two I tested again and my blood was 426…higher than I have ever been in my life.  Not only is that too high, but it meant that I could not take in any carbs/energy….which would make it very hard to run a marathon.  I decided to give myself a small bolus of insulin to bring it down a little.  But by the time I got to mile four, I was back down to 150.  SO…I spent the rest of the run with my blood sugar hovering around 100.  I had to run slow because of it…and once again very frustrating since my legs felt very strong.

The good news is - I finished.  My time wasn’t great, but considering what i had to deal with I am very satisfied and relieved.  Someone asked me today “why I do this, the other triathletes out there don’t have half the battle you have?”  What I said is the same thing I always say - If it was easy, no one would be inspired!”

Next stop - Ironman Wisconsin in September…but for now I will take some time off from traning and bask in the glow of my 6th Ironman finish in four years!!!

IRONANDY