Ironman 70.3 Florida: The Overflow of Emotions

I went straight to the food tent after receiving my medal. This was two-fold. One: I was hungry and knew if I sat down I may never (at least not in a reasonable amount of time) get up again. And Two: I was bawling my eyes out.
I did it. I trained for a Half Ironman. I traveled for a Half Ironman. I raced a Half Ironman. I was a Half Ironman. A year prior I hadn't even raced a triathlon yet and I had just raced 70.3 miles in a row.

Smiling with my medal. And yes that's bike chain grease on my arm and leg.

I had some plain pasta, some bread and I think there was salad I got as well? I can't even remember. I sat down with my fellow finishers and packed in some food quickly. I didn't eat a lot. I was hungry. I was tired. I was sunburnt. And suddenly I wasn't as starving as I thought. I was full.

I went and found my parents and cheer squads. And by went and found I mean ... I slowly walked there. My skin in fact did feel like the surface of the sun, or at least what I think the surface of the sun must feel like.

My cheer squad clapped for me. High fived me. Hugged me. They all asked how I felt. I sat down. I felt tired. If I had any comparison I'd say I felt like I had just raced 70.3 miles, but since I didn't previously know what that felt like I just sat. 

I fought back more tears. I was overwhelmed. A couple friends came from Orlando and stood for the day holding race signs. Just stood, baking in the sun holding race signs rockin' their 0.0 mile Spectator Stickers. 

Then there were my parents. My poor dad had never been to a race of mine. Much less one that took me over eight and a half hours to finish. 

I posed for the obligatory photos. And when I say obligatory photos, don't get me wrong. I wanted these photos. I needed these photos. These are the photos from my first Half Ironman. But as soon as I was done with the photos I went and changed my clothes. I had been wearing the same spandex outfit since 315am when I put it on. In the next 12 hours I had peed in it (spoiler, that's the first thing I did when I got into the water before the swim (I just left that part out of the swim recap)). I had sweat in it. I had sunscreen glopped on it. I had spilled my UCan race nutrition on myself. I had dumped water over my head to kill my sunburn. I had spilled Gatorade on myself. I mean, it was time to change clothes. Let's be honest, you just got a little grossed out just reading that.

I went with Sara and Michelle to the restroom and I very slowly ripped my clothes off. Oh. My. Sunburn. I knew I had a sunburn, I had felt it, but taking clothes off to put dry and clean clothes on that would have to touch my surface of the sun skin ... Oh. My. Sunburn.

And just like that I was walking away from my first Half Ironman. I had plans of wearing the hell out of my medal. And wear the hell out of my medal I did.

Ok, here's the thing. My neck was sunburnt. That race ribbon hurt my neck. Moving my body hurt. And then the hunger hit again. This may not be my most flattering look, then again ... over 12 hours in the same Spandex outfit. Triathlon isn't a pretty sport.

The hunger: nothing pizza and beer wouldn't cure. Then again I barely could shimmy into the booth, I was bright red, wearing my race medal. I still had chain grease on me. I had my numbers marked on my arm still. And I didn't care. I had just finished a Half Ironman.

As the day drew near an end an Epson Salt bath and shower were in my future. Here's the thing. I barely was able to get myself down into the tub to sit down. It wasn't so much the muscle pain, but the sunburn. Oh.My.Sunburn.

If I'm being honest, and I usually am here. I made it through the Epson Salt bath. It was rough. It was painful. And I honestly didn't shower or rinse my hair out until the next day. I was so tired and sore. Moving took too much to do. In fact I had to have help pulling my shirt and bra over my head due to my sunburn.

I went to bed with my medal sleeping next to me.

I awoke the next morning still ecstatic from my accomplishment the day before. And even more sunburnt than I had went to bed with. Remember that volunteer I mentioned who lathered sunscreen on me? I wore his hand print for days. The muscle soreness and stiffness set in the following day.

 

The muscle soreness went away within a week. My sunburn went away about two weeks later. My sense of accomplishment, my proud feelings of "Holy Crap, I did this." They still linger.

Ironman 70.3 Florida 2016 Total Race Time: 8:48:44.