by Heather Ferber | Jul 29, 2012 | General Health, Inspiration, Ironman Training |
Most of the humor of my IM day occurred during the swim and bike. The run was bit more tough, although I met some great friends along the way.
The first 7 miles of the run where surprisingly tolerable for me. Had no idea how my body was going to tolerate all the activity. My legs felt great off the bike; however, I was only running an 11 minute pace over the first 7 miles…a much slower pace than I anticipated and trained at. But I was running. There were quite a few walking all around me so I just kept plugging away at my slow pace.
Just after mile 6, things started getting really hard. My socks and shoes were soaked from kind spectators cooling us down with their hoses, sprinklers, and squirt guns. In addition, there had been quite a few cups of water poured over my head, ice cubes down my shirt, and cold sponges tucked in strategic places like under my hat and in my shirt. By 3 miles into the race, the soaking wet socks and shoes had already started to cause mild chaffing on my feet. By mile 6, the chaffing had turned to complete rawness and was getting very painful. Could feel the blisters starting to form.
And then, as I rounded the end of my first loop, on the double loop run, I saw my dear friend Molly and her son M cheering me on. I was SO excited to see my beautiful, inspirational friend! Molly was one of my friends on my IM prayer list for the race. She truly lifted my spirits and encouraged me to keep on going. M raced down the course, along side of me for a bit, and I was able to keep running through mile 7. By mile 7, my feet were in so much pain from the many blisters that were forming along the inside of my feet and the balls of my feet that I started walking. However, I kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other. But the clock was ticking very quickly and I was moving very slowly. This really bummed me out since I was tracking to finish the run in about 2:20 which would have been ok by me considering all the activity I had done prior to the run. Ended up taking me 20 minutes longer than that. My worst half marathon ever. A complete disaster in my mind.
There was a “positive” to all the walking though. Had a chance to talk to those walking around me and met some really nice folks – a couple from IL who were also doing an Ironman as their second tri (so I was not the only crazy one out there); a young business man who was going to start working on his MBA and start saving money to do other IM’s around the country (yes, he was single with no children…and kind of cute but I did not get his number…sorry single ladies…truly LOVED his energy though); a trainer from a gym who was having the same wet socks and shoe issues I was (we compared notes on how we were going to manage the healing of our blisters); and finally, a most inspirational young man, dressed in all his fireman gear in the 95 degree heat, out on the course to raise money for his cause and to prepare himself for IM Madison in September. Truly inspirational and amazing!
Finally, I was into the last mile of the “run.” And that’s when I made up my mind to ignore the pain for a few more minutes and finish strong with a big smile. My family and friends were gathered along the finish chute (which I was hoping but did not know until I saw them) – I owed them a fantastic finish! Thanks to Dave and the boys, my mom, my in-laws, RS, BR, SE and her family, TW, KI, EL, and AM and I. You are the best friends a girl could have!
My dear friend BR captured a video of the last final moments of the race; however I cannot get the file to upload directly here! AGH! (Think it’s too big.) Check it out at this link (and it will take a minute to download): Heather’s IM Video Finish.
And here are a couple great pics of my support crew for the day. So thankful to have all of you in my life!
The IM Family
- My Mom
- My AWESOME Support Team – Thanks All!
I’m excited to say, that since this race, I have sparked the tri bug in a few other friends. One has committed to an Olympic distance event for next summer. Another two have committed to their first tri ever! Can’t wait to help you both out! And I know there are many more of you thinking about it. It was truly one of the most unbelievable feelings to cross that finish line. Everyone should experience it once in their lifetime. GO FOR IT!!!!!
by Heather Ferber | Jul 22, 2012 | General Health, Heart Health, Inspiration, Ironman Training |
It’s been one week since I crossed the finish line and became an Ironman. Thankfully, I’ve been feeling mostly great with very little pain – just some muscle fatigue. My blistered feet have healed beautifully and I made it to the gym a few times this week for some recovery workouts.
This picture was taken about 20 steps from the finish line.
Being that this was only the 2nd triathlon I’ve ever completed, there were a few funny things that happened along the way that I thought I’d share to make you smile.
Apparently, I missed the IM Memo about the strippers on the course. After I exited Lake Michigan, and struggled for a 1/4 mile through the sand, I was pleasantly surprised to hear people calling out, “Wet suit strippers here. Do you want help?” Had absolutely no idea that there was such a thing as a wet suit stripper until that moment in time. I was overjoyed by this discovery because my full wetsuit is a beast to take off! So I ran down the lane toward the strippers. Came upon two young ladies who told me very emphatically, “Sit down.” I answered back, “On the ground?” They just looked at me like I was clueless – because I was! Looked around, and sure enough, everyone had their suits pulled down to their waist, then they plunked on the ground, and the strippers whipped the wet suit off. So I followed orders and thankfully, my wet suit was stripped without any struggle.
Then it was into T1 (transition 1) to prep for the bike. As a tri-newbie, I may have over prepared my transition space a bit. Had everything there but the kitchen sink. It was quite comical. Wish I had snapped a photo so I could have shared how my space looked compared to others. Had everything laid out and ready to go (or so I thought). Changed into my bike jersey, dried and wiped my feet (to get all the sand off), slathered on more sunscreen, packed my PB&J’s in my bike shirt pocket, took a few swigs of water, put on clean socks and my biking shoes, checked the time...it’s no wonder my first transition was over 7 minutes. LOL! (The pros took about 2 mins in transition.) Hopped on my bike and off I went for 56 miles. About 53 miles into the ride, I realized I never put on my biking gloves…so much for having everything laid out and organized.
Somewhere around the 45 mile mark on the bike, a friendly gentleman decked out in his fancy bike outfit, expensive sunglasses, racing helmet, and $5000 tri bike pulled up next to me and said, “You look like you’re having too much fun. This is a race you know.” His comment was driven by the fact that I had just sat up to stretch my back and neck, was looking around soaking in the sights of the countryside, and absorbing as much hot sun as possible while riding my trusty road bike. So, I looked like a total tri-newbie at this point. I answered him back with a big smile, “I may only do this race once in my lifetime, so I’m trying to soak it all in.” He thought that was great and he proceeded to up his speed to 20+ miles an hour and left me in the dust.
One other new, smooth move that I managed on the course was pulling over for my water stops. I pulled over, unscrewed the tops on my lovely insulated water bottles, dropped in my electrolyte tabs, refilled with more water, screwed the caps back on….I even pulled over to switch the bottles between cages when one bottle emptied. For all you hard core bikers out there, hope you are having a great laugh. Don’t think I saw one other person pull over to do this the entire race. Lesson for future: figure out the water bottle situation on the bike.
Then it was time for T2. Stripped off my biking jersey while eating another quarter of a PB&J sandwich which was really hot and sticky from being stuck in the back of my bike jersey for 3.5 hours. But, by this point in the race, I did not care (at least it was not moldie). Apparently, I had a lot to do during T2 because it took me 8 minutes! Like 7 minutes was not long enough! No idea what I did for 8 minutes in T2. But, it was at this point that I had removed my bike helmet and sun glasses to change into my running shirt. Grabbed my running hat and then my sun glasses to put them back on. It was then that I noticed a big, gold, oval sticker on the front of my sun glasses…a big sticker that said, “UV polarized protection.” I had run out to REI the night before the race to get a better pair of sunglasses for race day (yes, I know, nothing like waiting until the last minute). I managed to remove the price tag prior to the race, but not the UV sticker. Rode with it on all 56 miles and never noticed! I think back to the guy who pulled up next to me on his bike, I’m sure he didn’t miss the big gold sticker on my glasses….and I’m sure he was laughing all the way into T2.
Finally, it was on to the run.
by Heather Ferber | Jul 17, 2012 | Inspiration, Ironman Training |
In less than two weeks, in eleven days to be exact, I will be celebrating a milestone birthday that will bring me into another big decade – my 40’s. I’m having a bit of a difficult time accepting the fact that I have reached this significant point in my lifetime as I never imagined I would be the one with gray hair, fine lines, 3 little peeps wrapped around my legs, and a little bit of belly fat here and there. But, here I am!
About a year ago, I thought it would be fun to mark this grand occasion with a spectacular event. That thought, in conjunction with the motivation and inspiration of a dear friend, led me to sign up for Ironman 70.3 Racine.
And on this past Sunday, after 7+ hours in the hot, hot sun, I became an Ironman! Technically, I was only 39 when I crossed the finish line; however, for IM purposes, they use your birth date as of December 31st of this year. So on Sunday, I was 40 years old – and it felt great! If this is what a decade of 40’s is going to feel like, then I’m up for it! And two days after the big event, I still feel great. Very little pain or soreness, just a bit of overall muscle fatigue and some nasty blisters on my feet from my soaking wet running shoes and socks. (It was blazing hot so spectators were hosing us down, which was great. But I had a very poor plan in place for dealing with wet feet. In fact, I had NO plan. Lesson learned).
There are so many stories I want to share about my exhilarating and inspirational day; however, I cannot sum them all up in just one blog post. You guys would be reading all night! So I just want to start off with a great big thank you to all of you who inspired and supported me throughout this journey over the past 20 weeks, and ultimately, this past year. I would not have crossed the finish line without each and every one of you. A huge heartfelt thanks to my dear family and friends that joined me during the race and at the finish line. You are all an amazing part of my life! Love each of you.
American writer Ursula LeGuin once said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” And I am realizing how true this is. I have learned so much about myself – my body, my mind, my emotional state, my spirituality, my commitment, my determination, my sweat rate, my tastes, my gut, my ability to juggle, my creativity, my tolerance for eating moldie protein bars and allowing laundry to reach piles that were sky high – plus tons more over the past year. In addition, I have learned so much about my close family and friends and their unending support, love, willingness to help, understanding, flexibility, generosity, patience, and kindness. Truly, I am blessed to have a wonderful support circle surrounding me and encouraging me in my life’s endeavors. This has been a most inspirational journey. Thanks to all of you!
Later this week, I will update you on some really funny things that happened to me on race day – all pretty much a result of being a total tri newbie – as well as more on the race itself. Some of you may not know, Ironman Racine was only the second triathlon I have ever done in my life (the first one was last summer and it was a sprint tri). With my inexperience, there were bound to be a few “oops” and there were. Also hope to share some pics and video clips with you very soon as well.
Signing off to check out a few pics my hubby took of the race and to savor my first taste of 40!
by Heather Ferber | Jul 5, 2012 | General Health, Inspiration, Ironman Training |
Cannot believe it is only 10 days until I attempt my first (and probably last, well, the last one I will ever swim in Lake Michigan) Ironman 70.3. Twenty weeks ago, when I started my training program, race day, Sunday, July 15th seemed so far away.
Thanks to my dear friend RS, I have been reading 17 Hours to Glory: Extraordinary Stories from the Heart of Triathlon by Mathias Muller. The book is a collection of seventeen compelling stories that allow readers to experience tremendous athleticism, unbelievable capacity for suffering, and true strength of character brought about during an Ironman journey. I started the book on June 28th, fittingly 17 days prior to race day. I am reading one inspirational chapter every night and will continue to do so until the eve before my race.
I am truly in awe of the personal stories of triathlon’s most inspirational athletes: Julie Moss, Mark Allen, Paula Newby-Fraser, Greg Welch, and Chrissie Wellington. And the stories get even better as I am reading about an out of shape secretary, with terrible health habits who takes up triathlon to lose weight; a nun who races triathlons to bring attention to her spiritual causes; and two men with a rivalry so intense that their disabilities fade into the shadows. Injury, unfortunate circumstances, and close finishes mark many of the stories.
In some of the stories, I am reading about Ironman champions. Other stories outline individuals who will overcome all odds just to finish. I will be in the category of just working to cross the finish line. Truly, this journey, and this book, have shown me that there is no limit on the possibilities of the human spirit.
A very special to thanks to all my wonderful family and friends who have supported me throughout this journey. And a very special thanks to those of you who will be there on race day at the finish line. I will be picturing your loving faces and strong arms the entire time I am on the course. I am truly blessed to have this incredible opportunity in my lifetime and will race for all those who cannot have this opportunity: Grandpa Gunther, Nicole, Kathy and Roseanne who all had a special impact on me or my family and who all were called home to Heaven over the past few months; Molly, Kara, Jen, Susie, and Mike who have battled cancer or continue to battle cancer at this time in their young lives; and for my dear friend, who roped me into this crazy thing, who battles MS. She will be a star in the next edition of Ironman’s most inspirational stories as she will also be crossing the finish line in 10 days. And I race for all the others I know who have loved ones that are experiencing health challenges at this time. All of you will be with me, in my mind and soul, on race day….just 10 short days from today.
by Heather Ferber | Jun 24, 2012 | General Health, Ironman Training |
O.M.G. Yesterday will go down as one of the most SHOCKING days of my life (right up there with the day I found out I was expecting TWO babies instead of the most likely ONE!).
As many of you know, it’s getting close to tri-time…Ironman 70.3 Racine is only 3 weeks away. For the past 17 weeks, I have been following my training program, as well as possible, to prepare myself for this epic event (and ONE TIME ONLY) event on Sunday, July 15th. It was suggested this past week, that I venture to Racine and into Lake Michigan to become “one” with the water and my wetsuit. So, that is what I did on this lovely summer weekend.
And for the first time, I am now having SERIOUS DOUBTS as to weather I can do this race. The water temp in Racine yesterday at 8am was 50 degrees! Yes, 5-0. OMG! I FREAKED OUT! It was SO COLD. I was freeeeeeeeezing in my weh-weh-weh-weh-wetsuit (teeth chattering). Even peeing in it (a lot!) did not warm me up much (I know, too much information, but at least I’m honest AND I was desperate). It was a complete nightmare and total shock. I was only able to tolerate 30 minutes of swimming….if you want to call it that – more like water ballet for a few moments followed by a several minutes of freak-out-swim-spasms. And it’s going to take me a lot longer than 30 minutes to swim 1.2 miles!
AGH!
Of course I was not stupid enough to go on this adventure alone. Thanks to my 2 other buddies that survived the frigid waters as well….and a GREAT BIG THANKS to my ONE buddy who thought this would be a FABULOUS idea to better prep us for the race. Honestly, I am now more UNPREPPED, mentally, than ever.
***Deep breaths***
Today’s 11 mile run, and short swim (in the pool thank you very much) were much more encouraging than yesterday’s endeavor. And tomorrow’s 3 hour bike ride and 1 hour run will be a breeze compared to yesterday morning. The true test will be my next swim in Lake Michigan…and not sure exactly sure when that is going to happen. But it will DEFINITELY not happen until I have my new neoprene booties on my feet 
So, if you are looking for me over the next 3 weeks, please know I am alive….and truly questioning whether I am well. If you have any FREAK OUT remedies, those are greatly appreciated….please post them here. HELP!
by Heather Ferber | Jun 11, 2012 | General Health, Inspiration, Ironman Training, Weight Management |
For almost 15 weeks now, I have been moving through my Ironman Training without too much excitement and pain (very thankful for that). However, everything changed last week as my 3 lovely, little boys got out of school All of a sudden, I am doing a lot more working out at “odd hours” of the day (i.e. 5:30am and 9:00pm) as opposed to cramming in all the training while they are at school. But so be it. Only 5 weeks to go! YEAH!
Well, on Sunday, I raced out the door at 6:20am to get going on my 3+hour bike ride for the day. Decided to start with a few hills (have some really great ones close to home) and then I headed over the the New Berlin trail, out to Waukesha, and onto the Glacial Drumlin Trail. At the 1.75 hour mark, I turned around and headed back home, the exact way I had ventured out. Unfortunately, the ride home was NOT as uneventful as the ride out.
There’s a little window of time in Waukesha where you are on the roads (and off the trails) in between the Glacial Drumlin and New Berlin trails. I encountered an area with a four-way stop….so I unclipped, stopped, looked around, and started to proceed thru the intersection, reclipping my feet as I progressed forward. About 2 seconds later, I was on the ground, bike on top of me, with a tremendous pain in my butt.
At around 8am on a Sunday morning, a car came, out of no where, and did a very poor stop at the intersection (if any stop at all) and continued to turn right, through the intersection, into my path!!!! AGH!!! I had about 1 second to slam on my brakes, come to a complete stop with my toes clipped in, and fall gracefully to the ground.
The car continued on it’s merry way (not sure male/female) and the kind woman behind him/her, got out to ask if I was ok. Thankfully, I was mostly ok. I got back on my bike (after unclipping to get up) and began my 1+ hour journey back home.
Well, today, I have a GINORMOUS bruise/hematoma/painful area on my hip/rump area (the spot that absorbed the majority of the fall). I also have a big swollen spot on my inner forearm where my bike bars came down hard on my arm). Have a bit of a bruise on my inner knee, but nothing else too bad to speak of. My bike appears to be mostly ok too…since ALL of it landed on top of me. Could not swim today and could not bike. However, I did manage to run 10 miles w/o too much pain. Will be interesting to see how things looks tomorrow.
The best laid plans are never executed without any blips and bumps. In my mind, I am trying to think about this incident as preparation for things to expect on challenge day as nothing ever goes 100% according to plan. We’ll just have to wait and see. And I am very thankful that nothing more serious happened as many others have suffered torn ligaments, broken bones, and death during episodes like this.
Hoping that I can get my big bruised butt back on the bike later this week….and my arms back into the pool by tomorrow or Wed. And if you happen to see me at the pool this week/next, please hold your comments about the HUGE black and blue marks that will be covering my bottom.
Just think to yourself, “That is her little (well, kind of BIG) bump in the road.”
No comments please
