Imaz 07, Version Dnf.0

[LBTC]

Aw, Denise you got my waterworks going again! I can so tell how you were feeling, how it's sometimes hard to know what to do, how we try to ignore those subtle and not-so-subtle messages our own bodies will tell us.....but you did the right thing! You listened!! YAY!!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out what made you throw up, and not eat that at the next ironman!!!

I competed in a 24 hour mtb relay race once. 4 guys and me. The laps were short - they were doing them in around 30 minutes, mine were closer to 40....so they would do 2 laps each and I would do one.

Throughout the night we all got feeling sick. We were new to 24hour racing and thought this was normal. We also found our brains didn't work very well. We had been leading since my first lap (yes, I was the one who passed for the lead), and we never lost the lead, but the other riders kept looking at the wrong sheet and thought we were in second place. I actually offered to drop out and let them do it - it would tighten up their rest time a little, but they were all faster than me, so we could win that way.....

I didn't want to stop, but I thought, for the good of the team, right?

They refused and eventually, when we finally had daylight again and some of our brains were working again, we realized we had it won, so all worked out well.

On the flipside, we all stayed sick for a week. A doctor we know who also competed there on a different team (and never did live down that I did a faster first lap on my freeride hardtail than he did on his FS XC bike), explained that the water was infested with cryptosperidium. I couldn't wear anything with a waistband for a week! It was urpy, gurgly, bloating, ouchy, but luckily, I managed to refuel as necessary and get the laps in.

A 24 hour relay is nothing in comparison to an ironman, but it's a race experience and a struggle with the question "do I continue or not?"

So, my theory in life is that each injury to a body part makes that body part more susceptible to injury, etc, in the future. Any chance that that experience made my intestines more vulnerable to Crohn's which now has me not racing, barely riding, and barely walking? Maybe. Does that mean I should have dropped out? Probably. Can I change it? Nope.

I did what I could and you did what you could. I hope next year the weather is in your favour and you drink your magic potion and feel success in every pore and doubt in none!

Hugs and proud butterflies,
~T~

[crazycanuck]

Denise, I'm proud of you for giving IMAZ a shot. I'm amazed at anyone that does an Ironman..

I'm sure that whatever it was that made you ill will be solved for IMAZ 08..

I look forward to cheering you on at IMWA in 08 or 09 or whenever ya make it down this way

ps-LBTC-i'm sure that you can compare a solo 24hr race to an Ironman..

C

[Wahine]

Denise, I feel for you. I know it would be terrible to DNF after all that work. It's the culmination of a years training. It's heartbreaking. But you did the right thing.

Before ever race, my husband makes me look him in the eye and say, "There is no shame in a DNF." He knows how stubborn I am and worries that I wold try to push through something nasty like you had and seriously hurt myself. I've finished many races. That's no longer what I think of as making me strong. Now I hope to have the strength to stop if I have to, because it's the right choice.

You made the right choice.

This year's training is going to be so much more fun with your husband training with you.

Take care.