| Lake Placid 2010 IM report – Melissa Mol
After months of chastising by Bill Terry I have finally decided to write my race report. My triathlon career is short. Before joining the Cyclonauts in the spring of 2009 I had done a fair amount of cycling and one 1/2 marathon. I knew triathlon consisted of three sports, but that was it. Fast forward one year and three months and I am standing on the shore of Mirror Lake with 2600 other athletes at the start of IM.
Over the past two years a Cyclonaut has influenced every major decision I have made. Amy Warrington’s opinions made me take my job, and then convinced me to join the Cyclonauts. My first ride was with Jay O, Matt D, Jim S and Bill T who urged me to join the ride that early spring day in April of 2009. It was early in the season they justified, no one was fit – just come along. 60 miles, 6,000 ft of climbing at 6am one Sunday morning made me wonder just what I had gotten myself into. It was awesome; I came back for more every Sunday after that. It was countless rides and the endless support of so many Cyclonauts that pushed me harder and harder, as well as made me believe there was actually a reason to bring my sneakers to a ride.
I did a total of three triathlons – The Ludlow sprint, an olympic, and then Firman in that first summer of 2009.
To this day no one believes me, but I went to Placid in 2009 with no intentions of registering. I was already up all night so I decided to keep a few Cyclonauts company in the registration line at 4am. Except when I got there no one else was there. I took a place in line, at which point the guy in front of me (Tim) spent the next three hours convincing me I was ready to do it.
To the shock of my husband I came home inspired and registered for my year long journey to the start line (btw – he’s registered for next year).
I have decided to spare you all the details and instead focus on what I wish others had shared with me before I got to the start line.
Doing Ironman is expensive. Really expensive. Start saving your pennies because you are going to need a lot of them. You will have to buy more food than you have ever bought before, and you will eat it all yourself.
You will need a tri bike or two. My first one couldn’t take it which is how I ended up buying another bike 1/2 way through training. I also needed several pairs of sneakers, and an endless amount of Heed, endurolytes, Cliff blocks, apple sauce, and bagels just to get me through training.
When you sign up for Ironman you didn’t just sign yourself up for the race, you sign on a whole community of individuals. Get to know the guys at your local bike shop because you are going to need them a lot. My eternal thanks to Seth and his crew at New England bike who were relentless in their support literally right up to the start line. There is no way I would have made it there without the support and talent of everyone at that shop.
Your going to need supportive family and friends. They are going to need to help you with a lot of things and are going to get nothing in return, because you won’t have time since you will always be training. I could not have been successful with out the relentless support of my husband who picked up all the slack at home and on our farm while he also trained for his own races. He was always supportive and patient, even when I wasn’t. Training for IM doesn’t always bring out the best and no matter what it was James always stood by my side and supported me.
You will also need a compassionate workplace because no matter how hard you try one way or another IM is going to creep into work.
Special thanks also to Mikky who week after week massaged my body back together enough to keep going.
The support of your fellow Cyclonauts will be critical to your survival as well. Kudo’s to Kirsten, Ian, Jen E and Ben. You guys rode with me week after week. The saddest part is that IM took such a toll that I haven’t been able to ride with them while they train for there own IM’s.
I am strongly in favor of getting help from someone that has done this once, twice or 25 times like Tom DeLuca – the best coach ever. I found that having a demanding and unforgiving full time job on top of home life and taking care of a large property left no time to come up with a training plan. Tom was my savior. I didn’t have to think, I just had to execute every day’s work out. I’m not sure where it comes from but Tom’s talent, coaching ability, patience and ability to cope with neurotic age groupers like myself is superhuman. I can’t even begin to address my eternal thanks.
Special thanks and congratulations to Jim Sullivan who always seemed to be hovering just over my shoulder when I wanted to let up on a sprint, or who insisted on letting me draft with the “big boys” on the fast rides when it was all I could do to hang on. I am stronger and more confident because of it. Watching you over the last year has been inspirational. Thank you for your endless leadership and dedication to the Cyclonauts.
The day of IM was epic. Everything I wanted it to be and then some. Totz told me at the start line that this was going to change my life for the better, and it did.
All the hard work paid off on July 25th and the joy of jogging into the oval surpassed anything and everything. There was nothing that was going to stop me from finishing that day. The weather was perfect, I was well trained and ready to go. I even surprised myself by being able to run the entire marathon.
Despite the overwhelming commitment it takes to do an IM it has been one of the most satisfying peaceful times in my life. I came across that finish line in a large part thanks to all of you and the most supportive husband in the world. It has been a spectacular journey to the finish line of my first of many Ironmans.
Thank You Cyclonauts |
