Right up there with my wedding and the birth of each of our two kids, July 25th 2010 is clearly around the top so far.
3 AM: Rise and shine, time to eat like there no tomorrow. 1500 calories is the goal amount to consume in the first hour. Why is it still so dark outside?
4 AM: Bags are packed, I am ready to go and getting very excited. So cool to see others in the hotel lobby already up and at it.
5 AM: arrive early and get numbers put on body, Glad to have kimberly with me as i get the numbers wrong, check bike and run bags, fill nutrition on bike and check tires.
6 AM Hang out water side with Kimberly as the sun starts to come up. Can I do this? Will I make the swim? How am I gonna run a marathon at the end of this? Lots of questions and lots of self talk, Wow I need my ipod turned up loud to drain the voices.
7AM Just saw my family right before getting in the water, that was some good energy blast and now KaBam goes the cannon and off I go, swimming with 3000 other people is like a human demolition derby.
8:15 AM out of the water, quick get the wetsuit off, now run ¼ mile or so down to the expo tents. Could they make it farther? Bike shoes on, helmet on, sunglasses on, race belt on, gloves on lets get on that bike.
9 AM: Hills out of town were no so bad, energy levels are high and I feel great. Now its time to fly down the hills towards keene at near 50 MPH, holy crap is that fast in the rain.
10 AM: 30 miles in on the bike and I feel great with an awesome first bike split around 23mph. Crap how come I have to pee again????
11 AM: Climb, Climb, Climb and then Climb some more. Headed to the top and am I only doing 7.5 MPH? at what slow speed do you just fall over?
11:30 am : Got to see my family after the first bike loop and stopped to give kisses to them, that always refuels my energy tank. They have now been here for 5-6 hours and this is the second time they saw me, they are awesome for sure. Team Kris rocks.
12: Downhill the second time is bitter sweet, its fun doing near 50 MPH for a few miles, but my legs know what it’s going to take to get back up and they are not happy. Eating lots of food on the bike is good.
1 pm: Flats feel good and I ma keeping good time. Hey wait there goes my friend Mark from Mooseman. I wanted to chat for a bit but it bathroom time again, wow this is getting on my nerves.
2 PM: Just before heading up the hills again I feel like I want to just get off my bike and sell it, first mental obstical of the day really gets the self talk going n a bad direction. I took a 5 minute break, chow some serious food and am now ready to climb and get this 112 mile ride done.
3 PM: Bike done and in T2 my legs are working still, holy crap I can still move around. Time for running shoes, hat and sunglasses. It was raining before and now its sunny, massive changes in weather up here in the hills. As I exit T2 I see the family and everyone looks so amazingly happy and awake, have I said how much Team Kris ROCKS?
4 PM: It took 3 miles to get my legs to slow down and now I have a comfortable pace that I am confident will last me the whole race without bonking and having to walk it off.
5 PM: Mile 11, who put this huge hill into town? It’s not killing me right now, but all I can think of is how hard it will be when I have to do it again at mile 24. Yuck, just walk and smile and say thank you to the people who came to cheer us on.. I get to see my family twice on the turn around and am feeling strong again.
6 PM: Running 9:30’-10:30 in between aid stations and walking all the hills and stations for rest, just keep moving and keep smiling is the thoughts in my head.
7 PM: feels better to run, but walking the hills has become necessary to get the job done, stick to the plan and make this happen.
7:30 PM Here comes that hill at mile 24 again and it just a nice walk to the top of the second of three peaks . Just after I started to run I see my family and this gives me all I need to run to the top. Just two more miles to go, out and back along the lake and this is all over.
7:45 lost track of time but I am sure I am not breaking 13 hours so I just settle in toa slow jog so I can finish.
7:53 As I turn into the stadium, I see my family first and am feeling like 100% again, then I see the clock at 12:54 and am going to finish in under 13 hours. Over the loudspeaker I hear, Kris Kaplan of Lexington Mass, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.
8 PM: Found my family quick and got to get some serious love, I am an emotional mess of joy and just loose it with the sweat loving hug from my wife. This was awesome. Two weeks ago, I would have said never again, now I can’t wait to do it again.
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