I apparently have survived my daunting task of doing two Ironman's in 8 weeks. Thanks to all of you who sent me those nice (and warm) thoughts prior to the race and thought of me on Sunday. It was a very interesting and amazing week.
The week started out with an interview with the Penticton Herald. We talked about my participation in the CEO Challenge and also the donation that the CEO Challenge group has made to one of the causes that I have been passionate about, the Blazeman Foundation. The Blazeman Foundation is in honor of Jon Blais who was the first person with ALS who finished an Ironman at the World Championships in Kona in 2005. I served as the Secretary in 2008 for the foundation and I am really proud that the CEO Challenge group donated over $6000.00 to the foundation. The article appeared online and when we arrived in Penticton late Wednesday we went in search of the actual newspaper. Of course I bought 3 copies :) it included a great photo of me doing a practice swim last year. (http://www.pentictonherald.ca/stories.php?id=129430)
Thursday morning we went down for a quick warm up swim in the late and the temperature was perfect. There were others complaining about the cold. I somehow couldn’t relate. I think they said the temperature was around 64 degrees and no where near what the lake was at Ironman Coeur d' Alene which I think was 59 degrees. We went back to the hotel to find my phone and email buzzing. The local news wanted to do a story at noon and film me either biking or running. There was several moments of panic and a quick text message to my mentor Ms. Patty Swedberg who immediately called to get me in the right frame of mind for my big interview. So, for a few hours I got to worry about being on film and making sure I had the right outfit, my hair looked good, and wondering how "large" I might appear on TV. The owner of the CEO Challenge group, Ted Kennedy (no, not that Ted Kennedy), went first and talked about the 11 CEO's in the challenge but also their donation to the Blazeman Foundation. I was up next and got to answer the silly question about how I had time to train, work, sleep, eat, etc. We talked about Renaissance Resource Associates and what it was and what we did and how it was woman owned and operated. It was really quite fun. We then moved to having me ride around on my bike for a few blocks while they got video of me. That was really weird. People were looking and wondering what was going on and trying to get in the video. It was really a great moment and I enjoyed having the opportunity.
The new story aired at 5pm along with a story about a man trying do like 20 Ironmans in a year. It was funny to see myself on TV (and I am now going to loose those last 10 pounds even if it kills me). It was all good fun. We met up with the other CEO's that night for dinner followed by a swim in the morning with some of the pro's favored to win. Jasper Blake is a Canadian pro who has won the race previously and we have met before. His mom has MS and he has a goal of raising a million dollars while he is a pro for MS. Last year after Kona, Jasper and his brother took his mom who is wheelchair bound to the base camp at Mount Everest. It was a life long dream of hers and they had to slowly carry her up to base camp via a very narrow trail. When I think of great athletes I have had the privilege to meet, I think of Jasper.
Then there is the Kiwi Bryan Rhodes. What a crazy guy. He came within a few seconds of winning the race about 10 years ago and was back for more. He made me laugh and certainly had a great perspective for Ironman racing and what it means. He has this amazingly loud voice and laugh that is infectious. On Friday before the practice swim Rob and I are standing there waiting for the rest of the CEO's (its like herding cats) and here comes this car that is lowered with the funky tires and the gangster rap playing way too loud for 8am in the morning. They pull up near us and 2 young guys with their pants hanging around their ankles and hats sideways come out of the car. Rob turns to Ted (CEO Challenge owner) and says "hey Ted, those guys with you?" and Ted replies " well actually yes, that’s Bryan" and we look to see Bryan coming out of the back of this car with the music blasting and I thought I was going to pee my pants. What a way to make a entrance and something I will always remember. Gangsta Bryan won the race on Sunday with Jasper doing a nice 3rd place. Really, special guys.
Throughout the week we got a chance to see the great Paula Newby-Fraser and I spent some time talking to the owner of NA Sports who owns these events, Graham Fraser. What an interesting perspective on how to run a business and also what Ironman means to him. I really enjoyed talking with him and his wife about the business of Ironman and how each race is different. Graham's perspective is that Ironman Wisconsin is the toughest race they put on. No, I am not signing up for that.
So, on race day it was great because Rob had a VIP pass and got to go into transition with me. Once you go into transition here you cannot leave so you basically have 2500 people who are nervous, anxious, and have to pee. There is never enough room and never enough bathrooms. They say nervous people get quiet and I have to admit these folks were really freaking me out. It must be that most of them were Canadian - way too quiet. There were about 750 first time Ironmans in the group so you could tell the first timers with the glazed over look. I was pretty calm actually. I was more nervous about the swim then anything. We do 2 laps of 1.2 miles in CDA and this course is out 1.2 miles then come back - so you are pretty far out in the middle of the lake which was causing me to worry. That and "OgoPogo". Apparently OgoPogo is the lakes version of the Loch Ness monster. You really don’t want to put thoughts into Ironman triathletes heads before races. We just don’t have a grasp for reality…..
The cannon went off and were off to swim with OgoPogo. The first few minutes of course I always give myself the opportunity to have a panic attack and I did. I just try to slow down get my breath back and not think about the distance. I focused on one buoy at a time (there were 18 of them). At the turnaround I knew I was on a record breaking time. This swim was nothing like CDA where we are crawling over the top of each other. I actually had room to swim and it was not as horrible as the washing machine event it can be. I knew if I kicked it up a notch I could knock 8-10 minutes off my best Ironman time. I then decided this was going to be a long day and to keep it simple. I ended up coming in with my best Ironman swim time knocking over 5 minutes off the previous time. Whew hew, thank god that was over with.
It was then off to the changing tent. There are usually a lot more volunteers in the tent but I only saw a few so I had to change myself which takes much longer. I know that sounds odd but when you have someone to help it makes a big difference trying to get clothes on your wet body. Off to get my bike and power up my new Garmin bike computer. I am finally on the bike and riding up Main Street to get out to the Skaha Lake and back toward the border. The first 40 miles are supposed to be the easiest part. I found there was a good climb and very technical descend with the roads being a lot of chip seal and holes. Not the greatest of roads. We finally come out at Okanagan Falls and there is a head wind. Everyone around is commenting how there never is a wind here. Well there was all the way out and that slowed us down. I had planned on hitting it around 17 miles per hour during this section, nice easy pace to not blow up on Richter Pass. I was a bit slower then I wanted but that wind just sucked.
We are all playing nice on the bike - not a lot of "on your left" crap. The roads are not closed so we are doing our single file version of a peloton down the highway. Finally hook a right toward the pass. I hear this very large explosion every few minutes and thought "why is someone firing at us?" I later learned that the farmer was skeet shooting in his field that day. Wow, that just seems dangerous and weird to be firing toward us - perhaps we were the skeet?
Finally Richter pass. As the pro's indicated the pass is doable just a nice spin up but it is long about 6 miles. I kept my pace even and knew I would see those screaming by later (and I did). The next section is some good rolling hills with some crazy descends. I hung on for dear life on one. The wind never seemed to really go away. After a nasty out and back section we were headed toward Yellow Lake the steepest part of the climb. Again it wasn’t crazy but if you kept a nice pace you could do the 3 mile climb. FINALLY at mile 92 I am at the top of the pass about 3000 feet and it starts raining. For those of you playing the home game of Ironman, rain and a steep descend are nasty and can be dangerous. I was following an idiot who was riding the white paint line which is absolutely stupid. I was just hoping he didn’t crash cause I would be right behind him.
So, a nice 20 mile ride into town in the pouring rain. The bike computer says my max was 40 there but I think under good conditions you can get a go 50-60 mph down that hill. At the bottom I am greeting by a lovely cop. I cant really tell if we go straight or right and ask for a quick direction check, he responded with a nice "depends. you want to go to the pub or to the run'. I pondered for a moment and headed toward the run and not the pub.
Finally back into the town of Penticton and it is raining but not as bad as in the mountains. I make my way to transition. Not a great bike ride but considering my IT bands froze up a mile 65. I am lucky to finish. I had some anti-inflammatory cream with me that I had to stop and put on twice on my legs just to keep them moving. I also had this crazy knee pain at the top of Yellow Lake. My left knee just starting popping out of place which would cause a great deal of pain and of course cause me to jump a bit, which made by bike go sideways. I am not sure what that was but I am guessing my IT band just got too tight and was pulling my on my kneecap. It sucked. I prayed to the Tri Gods and asked just to get back to transition.
I give my bike to the handler and back to the changing tent for a change of shorts and ready to roll. Well sort of, my IT bands were against the whole theory. I tried to run but could tell I was in a spot of bother. I used my cream again and swallowed some Tylenol and hoped in 30 minutes things would change. I see Rob and he yells that Joe Biden sent me a text message - that of course impressed everyone around me. Ted actually said to Rob "Cheryl knows Joe Biden?". It is our little secret that Joe emailed 20 million of us on Sunday.
I found a nice man, Tim to walk through town with and he told me that the bike was the windiest he ever encountered here. We swapped Ironman stories and I finally headed out to start running at mile 3. We had plenty of spectators the first section out of town. Someone had rolled out a few of the older folks in front of a long term care facility. They were wrapped up in blankets, clapping and shouting our names. It was very cool. The rain continued and I thought what a miserable run this would be. I managed to run to each water stop until 13. There were lots of great spectators out along the lake. At one water stop they all had those EASY buttons from whatever office supply store. We were all required to hit it. It was funny and very creative. Then it was getting late and dark and my IT bands stopped playing the game. I pretty much walked the rest of the marathon.
At about mile 17 we were given the mandatory glow sticks. The vain of all Ironman. The goal is to finish before they hand them out. I usually make it to the last mile in CDA but not this time. "JUST SAY NO TO THE GLOW" is what I have heard people say. I grab my stick and then start to hallucinate (joking). I start to pretend I am in the Olympics in the relay race. "The baton has been passed to Cheryl Iseberg" kind of thing…..nuts but I was cold, wet, walking, and something was moving around in the bushes which freaked me out. I knew if whatever was there wanted me I was toast. I couldn’t out run a snail at that point.
Finally I hit the last few miles and I am excited to get back into town and be done. I then see a motorcycle and a guy on the back with a camera. I am walking at this point. I looked at him and said " I am not going to run for you" . He replied he just wanted to talk. Fine what is it? He wanted to know why as a CEO I would do this. I kept thinking you want to ask me that when I am a mile from the finish? Because I don’t have enough sense not to? Cause I am stupid? Cause I cant help it - I am a pain freak? Well my response was " we are like everyone else. We want to do something extraordinary". He left me alone and I start to make sure my hat is on straight, my belly is not hanging out of my shorts and my hair is not sticking straight out. They are playing California Dreaming and I hit the grandstands. I am thinking to myself this was the dumbest thing I have done in a long time. I am not happy with my time but I also just don’t know how I did that. I am on the carpet and have decided my finish line dance will be an airplane. I raise my arms straight and do my best interpretation of an airplane moving back and forth between the two grandstands.
DONE - finished. There is Rob with my finisher medal and Ted from the CEO Challenge. I am happy to be home. We head out and grab a few slices a pizza - yes, the first Ironman I have been to that had pizza at the finish, and head back to the hotel.
All and all, I found the day to be tough. I loved the course and would consider doing it again. Now that I have done Canada I am not sure I will ever go back to CDA. It was just that much better. I didn’t have the overall time I wanted but I guess if it was going to be EASY then something magical would have happened when I hit that damn button on the run. I know I have more work to do to reach my goals. It has been a tough year for a lot of reasons and a few times I have considered not doing this anymore. The reality is, I can't stop. Maybe I wont be a 13 hour Ironman and maybe I have to work with what I have for my body, but I don’t want to stop trying. At least not yet.
Thanks again for your support and kind thoughts. I am looking forward to next year already.
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