Ironman Louisville

[colby]

So there I am at the finish.. they have 2 "catchers" to walk you through the maze of stuff to the food and chairs etc- by now it is pretty chilly- I got a few space blankets and had some melon - I wasn't feeling so great but heck I just finished an Ironman- doesn't everyone feel like crap??? ( apparently not there were lots of people looking normal) anyway I though I would feel better if I could just lay down- so I took my space blanket to a patch of grass but just as I laid down someone came over and asked if I needed help- I must have looked kinda blue- she said ohhh we'll take you to the medical tent to warm up- they gave me hot iv bags used like a hot water bottle- they were great but I just felt worse and worse I finally said I think I'm going to be sick - I vomited up the melon (sorry for the tmi) they then took me to a plinth and hooked me up to an iv and gave me anti nausea drugs but I threw up 2 more times!! so more drugs and more iv...now it is getting late ( close to midnight and they close the medical tent at midnight) I am still sick and haven't been able to find my husband. Anyway they waited as long as they could but because I was still so sick the Dr did not want to send me home- so they called the ambulance..just as they were loading me up my husband saw the ambulance and then saw it was me- he had been looking for me for over 2 hrs!!!- he finished only about an hour after me ( only 4 months post angioplasty..he's amazing)...so I get send off to the hospital via ambulance- I ended up staying at the hospital for more iv and yet another anti nausea drug- that seems to do the trick and they let me go home for the best night sleep at about 2:30 am. I feel great today- nice to get the iv for that reason I guess
Now I have to go over my nutrition plan and figure out where I went wrong- I am thinking the temps had something to do with it- also I know I really don't do fesh fruit well on an empty stomach- so heaven only know why I chose the melon after the race- that was definitely a mistake I won't repeat!

What I will repeat is IMC- my husband and I are both signed up again
Thanks for reading ( if you got this far)
It really was an amazing experience- even if it didn't go as planned for me- I was sooo happy for my husband and truly the crowd support at this race was awesome ( even if people did tell me I was almost there with 10km more to run/walk)

Hey Pika, great report!! I heard the weather was pretty rough from a few other finishers. You did AWESOME. I laughed at your swim report... washing machine, all the men, I know whatyou mean.

Whatever caused you to bonk on the run may have been a result of earlier issues that also led to your mega crash at the end - maybe not enough or too much or the wrong food for the weather and ride you had with that wind and cooler temps that finally caught up with you on the run? It's really hard to know until you put it all together on race day, even if you have tested your nutrition plan there are so many variables. Even your muscle strain can cause random issues that manifest themselves in more directly unfortunate ways...

I remember finishing my first Ironman, I must have looked like a zombie, I sure felt like one. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, asked me if I was okay. I made it home and to the best night's sleep of my life, sans IV fluids, but I am so glad there are so many people there to help you out and watch out for you. Volunteers and even spectators really make the race. After my second, things were very different, I had pizza and soda, I could say more than "water" and "take these clothes off me and put on my soft fuzzy pajamas please"...

Congratulations on your first, here's to your second. Congratulations to your husband, too, how serendipitous that he found you just before you left - that would have been pretty traumatic for both of you! I'm thinking maybe I can convince my husband to come up and volunteer for IMCA next year. I don't have any strong desire to race 2 IMs that close together, but I wouldn't mind cheering people on and experiencing it from the other side.

[kacie tri-ing]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to read it again now!

(Pika--I will post mine soon, I promise!)

How are you feeling now?????

[OakLeaf]

Wow Pika, congrats, and hope you're feeling much better.

[Pika]

Thanks everyone for the congrats I am happy I finished but feel there is lots of improvements that I can make for next year
How are you doing KC?? I heard there was lack of water in Louisville- hope that didn't have an effect on you!!
Here it is wed- day three post IM and I am still not digesting food well Still on broth and rice- when I try to eat something else it just sits like a lump- I am hoping my digestive system recovers by tomorrow as I am back to work!!
Gosh I really did not think that it would be my digestive system that would take the longest to recover. ( The rest of me feels great- I could totally run or bike today but my stomach is limiting me!) That seems crazy!!
Looking forward to your report when you get a chance KC
And Colby- do you mean you'd come up to Penticton to volunteer? That would be AWESOME!!

[colby]

And Colby- do you mean you'd come up to Penticton to volunteer? That would be AWESOME!!

Yep... that's what I'm thinking. It would be a nice adventure at a nice time of year when I don't have anything else planned.

[Pika]

Yae! Will will have to plan to meet up! That would be soo fun
My belly is finally pretty good- I had normal meal last night( something other than rice and broth) and it wasn't sitting in my stomach like a rock this morning so i am happy for that
The one major benefit of all those iv fluids is that I have had zero muscle soreness (though walking most of th run likely had something to do with it as well!)It has only been my stomach that has stopped me from exercising so I can get back at it now ( yippeee
here is a link to my pictureshttp://www.asiorders.com/view_user_e...60069&BIB=2760