Yes, I am alive and enjoying a wonderful summer. My sons' musical education continued in May with a trip to Noblesville, IN to take in the sounds of rock icon Eric Clapton. He played largely a blues set with a few of the classics thrown in. We sat on the lawn and watched the stage and the jumbotron in awe. Marshall IV and Jackson each play guitar and were blown away. Marshall especially, since he is a Fender Stratocaster man. Bad weather hit Indy toward the end of the show, forcing us to listen to "Wonderful Tonight" and "Layla" under a blanket as cover from a lightening storm. Little did we know, but tornadoes hit Indy that night as we drove through town on our way home. We had a fantastic night, and we also realize how fortunate we were to stay safe. I have introduced the Rolling Stones and now Clapton to the boys. They are taking me to see 3 Doors down later this month as a Father's Day present. I'm expanding my horizons!
June was very special for our family, as we vacationed in Washington state and Idaho. It was the first time our boys had been that far west. For me the trip was even more exciting because I raced Ironman Coeur d' Alene the first Sunday of our trip. The weekend was picture perfect with temps in the 60's and 70's and no humidity. I think God was paying me back nicely for the bad weather Pete and I endured in Wisconsin in '06. Our home base was at our cousin's home in Sand Point, Idaho. Steve Kirby described Sand Point as a "slice of Heaven"...and it was.
I never felt the same prerace nervousness that I felt in Wisconsin. I guess the "can I do it" question had already been answered. Now the question was, "can I do it better than last time?" Raceday weather was perfect. The water in Lake Coeur d' Alene was a chilly 59 degrees. We all wore the recommended neoprene skull caps and swim socks with our wet suits. I was toasty! The mass start was much more chaotic than the tread water start in Madison, but the crowd separated into compatible groups half way into the first lap. I was thrilled with my personal best swim split of 1:08:30!
The bike course was divided into three parts: flat and fast, technical small hills and neighborhoods, and brutal wooded hills. Every part was scenic. The worst hill, on English Point Road,was so beautiful that you almost forgot that you felt like hurling up your lungs!
My bike strategy paid off well, as I pushed harder than in Wisconsin. I still got passed lots, but I also did my share of passing as I tried to stay consistent. My Zipp carbon wheels from Race Day Rentals were awesome, if only for my confidence. I finished the bike in 6:21:01 at 17.6 mph over the 112 mile, 2 loop course. By increasing my average speed by nearly 2 mph over my Wisconsin race, I shaved 50 min off my time. My strategy was working! But could I run the marathon?
My marathon strategy was unchanged: Run the whole way except through the aid stations. This broke the race into 26 one mile runs which was very doable for me. I did not notice as many people walking this time. I guess this was because I finished a little earlier on the bike. It seemed that my pace was comfortable for lots of folks, as I seemed to run with the same group for the bulk of the run. I saw Jenny and the boys several times during the run. Marshall IV reminded me of a T shirt when I saw him at mile 12. It said, "Some consider the marathon to be the ultimate test of human endurance. Ironmen call it a cool down!" Some cool down, I thought to myself. The boys said I looked strong at that point, and that got me charged for the final push home.
The finish line emotions were totally different this time. Instead of a feeling of huge accomplishment like before, it was more a feeling of satisfaction that I had given a stronger showing this time and had cut more than an hour off of my previous time. I finished the marathon in 4:47:42 for a total time of 12:36:47.
Lots of folks ask me if I am through with iron distance racing. Right now is probably not the best time to commit one way or another because of how I feel physically. But who knows. I may wander over to Arizona in 2009. Hey Pete, didn't you live there for awhile!
I need to close now. I'll leave you with some pictures of my Iron Crew. I love them and thank them so much. If you are reading this, I also thank you for your support, phone calls and messages.
I'll post again sooner, as the summer has more in store.
Marshall
