Amy Reynolds, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!

On Sunday, August 26th, I made one of my dreams come true.  I have wanted to complete an Ironman since I was about 10 years old.  That goal had different spots on my priority list over the years and I am so happy that Jason and I agreed last October to put that goal at the top of the list and achieve it together.  The journey has been an amazing one and we couldn't have done it without the help, support and encouragement from our family and friends and the incredible relationship we have with each other. 
Getting ready
The week leading up to the race was kind of a crazy one.  After a full rest day Sunday and a swim Monday morning, I felt like I needed to do a little more so I did 30 minutes on the trainer.  I had trouble falling asleep that night because I had too much energy!  I really tried to pay attention to drinking more water and making sure I wasn't increasing my food calories too much. 
Tuesday was a busy day in my classroom getting things ready and then that night I did an easy 4 mile run and really felt good.  
Wednesday Mary and Ed arrived and I planned on heading our for a short bike ride, but the weather changed my plans.  I had managed to avoid biking in the rain through all of my training, I wasn't going to do it during the last week! 
Thursday morning was a busy one getting everything settled at home and packing for the weekend.  We hit the road shortly after Jason got home from work and headed to Marion.  It was a little sad to say good bye to the kids, this was the longest I had been away from either of them.  Ever.  But we knew their tears would be gone as soon as we were out of sight and they would have a great time with Mary and Ed.  We arrived in Marion just in time for dinner and then attempting to sleep, which again was not easy for me!
Friday morning we were up and back on the road headed to Louisville.  My parents rode with us and my mom drove which was great.  Jason set up a mobile office and was able to get a lot of work done while we drove.  I relaxed for about 10 minutes then I was bored!  I wasn't driving and I had no kids to take care of, what was I supposed to do??? 
We arrived in Louisville sometime in the afternoon and got checked into The Galt House, which was the race headquarters.  After dumping our stuff in the room Jason and I went to check in while my parents brought up everything else from the car (thank you!).  It was so cool to be down where all the action is and get to walk past the sign that said "Athletes Only".

 Check in went well and we were really excited to get our Ironman Louisville back packs.  Then it was time for a little shopping at the expo.  Talk about a kid in a candy store...  The expo is no place to try and be frugal, and we sure weren't!  Jason and I each picked up a few necessities (2 t-shirts each, a hat, two glasses, a lanyard, shirts for the kids, poster...)  After our shopping adventure, Jason and I headed to the athlete welcome dinner.  We met up with Janel and her husband in line and it was great to catch up and share the excitement of everything going on.  Dinner was a buffet and pretty decent.  We sat at a table with a few other first timers and it was fun sharing stories, concerns and tips that we each had.  From what I understand, the entertainment portion is a similar format at all the pre-race dinners.  The important people from the race and town say a few words, then the announcer recognizes different people in the crowd.  At about this time Erin was texting me that she was on her way so I went out of the room to meet her. As we were walking back to the table, the announcer asked if there were any couples, who were married, who were both doing their first Ironman together.  Uh, yeah!  That's us!  They were asking for the first two couples to come to the stage, but by the time Jason and I met up and got there, we were the third couple :(   Oh well, still pretty cool to be one of the only married couples doing this together!  One of my favorite parts of the event was the Biggest Loser recognition.  I had lost 11 pounds since May, and about 30 over the past two years which I am pretty darn proud of.  Well that was nothing compared to the people who were standing.  It was incredible to see how many people lost 50, then over 100, and even over 150 pounds on their journey.  So very cool.  After the dinner was the race brief where they went over some of the rules and details of the race.  I had read most of this info already but it was still exciting to hear it all.  By the time this was all over, we were hungry again so we made a stop at a sandwich place which was right near where the finish line was going to be.
So cool!

Then back to the hotel for another attempt at sleep, not very successful...
Saturday
I was up early Saturday morning, either too much energy from not working out, nerves about the race, or excitement about the breakfast buffet Erin told me about!  Once everyone else was up we headed to breakfast which was awesome.  This day was all about adding calories, and not watching them :)  After we stuffed ourselves, my dad headed out on a run and the rest of us headed to the practice swim area. 

It was nice to get in, swim around a little, and see what the swim exit would look like from in the river.  The water felt good although it was pretty muddy, but I probably didn't want to see what was in there anyway...  When we got out of the swim, Jason and I walked through the path that would take us to the transition area.  It was starting to become real.  It was so cool being in this environment and around so many extremely fit people, and being one of them. My excitement was really building :)  After our swim, we headed back to the hotel to shower and change then Erin, Jason and I went out to drive the bike route.  I had heard many things about the course but it is so helpful to actually drive it.  At about 15 miles into the ride, we made a right turn onto an out and back portion.  I had heard this part was a little crazy as the road is narrow, it's still pretty crowded, and there's a pretty significant down hill then up before a 180 degree turn and going back to do it again.  Driving up that hill, I knew we had trained on similar or even slightly harder, and that we would be ok.  The rest of the route was mostly rolling hills with a few steep, but pretty short hills. Again I felt good about the training I did and that I was well prepared for these hills.  The route was similar to a lollipop shape (with the exception of that little out and back) and we repeated the circle of the lollipop twice.  That loop takes us through LaGrange, an awesome spectating spot where we had a lot of fun cheering for my dad and Sean last year.  While in LaGrange, we stopped at a Wal Mart to pick up a few things we needed (apple juice, water bottles, snacks) Jason got a hair cut and we picked up Subway for lunch.  We finished the drive and I couldn't help but imagine how cool it was going to feel coming down that last road on my bike the next day.
Back at the hotel we started getting our gear bags and bike ready to drop off.  You would think this would be an easy process...  I am not good at packing to begin with and then to try and think about what I might need at certain times during the day while doing something I have never done before...  Hmm, I did the best I could. 

 

With everything ready, we all headed to the transition area to drop off our bikes and bags.  Again, it was so cool to be walking amongst all of these other racers!  We found a spot to drop all of our bags with my parents and William and then Erin, Jason and I set out on a little ride.  Jason had gotten a new computer on his bike just a few days before so this was his first time riding to check it out.  One of the sensors was in the wrong place which was a quick fix, but would have been very frustrating on race day!  And Jason noticed that the water bottles in my back cages were about to fall out so we were able to tighten those cages.  Again, that would have been a big problem on race day if I couldn't keep my water bottles in!  So I'm very glad we did that little ride.  After a final check over the bikes, it was time to drop them off. 

 

 Ready to race!

 

As we walked through the check in, a volunteer met me and walked me to where my bike was to go.  Then to where I needed to drop off my special needs bags, then through the changing tent to where my transition bags went.  He answered all of my questions and was very helpful.  I will mention the volunteers several more times during my story, and can't say enough how awesome they were!  After I had my things settled, I met up with Jason and we took a few minutes to take it all in.  This was so cool.

So many bags

So many bikes!

 

We met back up with everyone else then headed to dinner.  Instead of fighting the crowds at the downtown restaurants, we went to one of the places at the hotel.  They had a special buffet of chicken and lots of pasta which was perfect.  Then back to the hotel for last minute preparations and another attempt at sleep.  I was very thankful that I fell asleep pretty quickly.  Race day was going to start early.

Race Day

4:30 AM.  I don't think I have ever been excited to get up and out of bed that early, but that day I was.  Race day was finally here!  I started eating some breakfast while getting ready and gathering the few things I would need for the morning.  Once we were all ready, we headed to the lobby to meet up with Janel and her husband, then to the transition area.  It was amazing to see so many people out at 5 AM!  As I walked with Janel, she asked what I thought my finish time would be.  During all of our training we always said our number one goal was to finish.   It was hard to estimate a real finish time.  I was pretty confidant with my swim and bike predictions, but I had no idea what to expect for the run, so I said I hoped to finish between 13 and 15 hours.  But I would be happy with anything under 17.  At the transition area I checked my bike, it was still there.  Checked the tires, my back one needed air and thankfully I was able to borrow a pump from someone next to me (ours decided it was all done working the day before...)  Checked my water bottles, they still had water.  And that was it, I was ready to go!  We then started the almost 1 mile walk to the swim start.  It was hard to walk slowly with so much excitement building!  We got to body marking and there were plenty of people there ready to write all over us with their big sharpie.  You know how sometimes a certain smell can trigger a memory?  For me the smell of a sharpie always makes me think of body marking for a triathlon.  I love it.  Anyway, with my race number, 340, written on my arms and my age on my calf, we were ready to go get in the swim start line. The start of Louisville is a time trial start, different than the mass start at every other Ironman.  And the order is first come, first in line.  Some people were there are early as 3:30AM!  So we started walking to get in line.  And we walked.  And walked.  It seemed like we walked almost another mile just to get in line!  Finally we found the end and started to get settled.  We had about an hour until the start so plenty of time to eat a little more and try to relax.  Yeah right.  The time flew by and before we knew it, we were handing our layers of clothes to my parents and William and we were getting ready to go. 

As we moved closer to the start, the crowd grew, the music was pumping, and I was getting so excited!  I don't remember feeling nervous at this point.  I was prepared, and I was ready to go.  Down to ramp to the end of the dock, and into the water. 

The Swim 1:09:54  12th in my age group

I loved being able to start swimming right away and not having to fight for my position like in a mass start.  We started swimming upstream but there was no current so it was more like swimming in a lake.  I was passing people but thinking, don't worry, you will probably all catch me on the bike!  At one point I realized I was swimming next to Erin. I think we swam together for a few minutes, then I lost track of her.  After a little over 1/2 a mile, we entered the main part of the river and then got to the turn around buoy and headed downstream.  Again there was no current so it felt about the same as going upstream.  I was swimming very comfortably and felt great.  I continued to pass a lot of people and my excitement grew with each bridge we swam under.  Finally I was even with the transition area, a little farther and then I was at the last buoy for the turn to the swim exit.  The crowd was cheering, the music was blaring, and I felt awesome.  A quick glance at my watch, 1:09, not bad!  Up the ramp down the path towards transition.  I decided to walk this part for two reasons - 1. to give myself a chance to catch my breath and drink some water, and 2. to take it all in.  The atmosphere was amazing.  I saw my parents (I know I saw my mom, can't remember if I saw my dad there or not!)  When my feet hit the grass at the transition area, I couldn't help but run (ok, jog).  A volunteer called out my number and I headed towards my bag, which was then handed to me by another volunteer.  I headed towards the women's changing tent where another volunteer came in with me and helped with anything I needed.  I had decided to do the swim in just my tri shorts and sports bra, so I needed to get my racing top on.  So thankful the volunteer was there to help with that!  I drank a Muscle Milk, took some electrolyte tabs and Tylenol, the volunteer sprayed me down with sunscreen, got my helmet, gloves and bike shoes on then I was off.  I found my bike quickly and was happy to see that almost all of the other bikes near mine were still there :)

The Bike 6:35:42

I started off on the flat section with a slight wind behind us and was cruising along at 18-20 mph.  I thought about trying to slow down a bit but then decided to ride how I felt and I felt great!  I got to the out and back section and made the turn onto the narrow and crowded road.  I was passing people and people were flying by me.  It was crazy!  I passed the sign marking 20 miles and thought that went fast, but I still had a long way to go. I got to the downhill and tried to keep it under control as my speed picked up but there were people everywhere.  It was crazy, but I was enjoying the craziness.  Up the hill which wasn't too bad then to the turn around to go back and do it again.  I kept an eye out for Erin, Jason and Janel but didn't see them on this section.  Erin had said she was always glad to make it through this part without any craziness and I shared that feeling as I came to the end of the road and turned right.  A few more miles and then another right turn to get onto the loop.  I was still feeling good and following the nutrition plan I had done in my training - drink big gulps of Perform every 5 miles, eat something every 15 miles and drink lots of water in between.  The aid stations were about 10-15 miles apart and I was able to replace a water bottle and Perform at each one.  I ate lots of Gus, some Shot Bloks, and three Bonk Breakers.  When I saw the sign for LaGrange, I knew my cheering section would be coming soon.  I got up a small hill then saw my mom standing next to the big sign she had made.  I started waving, no response.  I kept waving, no response.  They finally saw me just before I passed! 

 

After passing them I rode through about 1/2 mile lined with screaming crowds and music blaring.  I know I smiled again and thought, I'm really doing this.  Over a few rolling hills and around the rest of the loop.  I noticed a lot of people off on the side of the road fixing flats.  Later I found out someone had put tacks or nails along the route.  I'll never understand some people.  Just hoping that those who had to change a flat were still able to have a good race.  Around 60 miles I grabbed my special needs bag and got off my bike for a little stretch.  I chugged my apple juice, read a note Jason snuck in there, and left my bike with a volunteer so I could take a little walk to the port o potty.  Then I was ready to go and merge back into the bike traffic.  Back through LaGrange and I saw my cheering section and went through the screaming crowds again.  So cool.  I finished the second loop feeling great and was happy to be headed back to downtown.  Although I was still feeling good, I was ready to be off my bike and the last several miles seemed to take forever!  I got to the transition area, crossed the dismount line and although I had unclipped from my pedals, I stayed on my bike until a volunteer yelled at me to get off!  Oops, sorry, got a little caught up in everything going on.  :)  I got off my bike and handed it to a volunteer who would take it back to it's spot and put it back on the rack.  So thankful for that!  I walked over to the gear bags, was handed my run bag and then to the changing tent.  I changed from my tri shorts to run shorts, put running shoes and hat on, a little more sunscreen, read another note from Jason, then I was off on the run.  I remember thinking to myself, who starts running a marathon at 3:00 in the afternoon?  Me!

The Run 5:04:41

I started with a pretty slow run trying to allow my legs to wake up and adjust to the change, and they actually felt pretty good.  I remember seeing my mom and William and I asked how Jason was doing.  I had been thinking about him all day and was hoping he was enjoying his race as much as I was.  I headed up and over the bridge towards Indiana and my shins really started to tighten up.  I decided to stop and stretch them out and I moved a little too quick and my hamstring tightened up.  I remember thinking, it's going to be a long way to hobble if I pull a hammy!  So I slowed down, did the stretches I needed to, and got back to running.  Thankfully my shins felt fine the rest of the way.  I ran with my hand held bottle and stopped at the aid station to fill it with water, drink some Perform, and ate a banana chunk and an orange slice.   After so much artificial food on the bike, real fruit tasted amazing!  I came down off the bridge and headed through town where my dad was there cheering and made a comment about my great bike time.  I remember telling him that I may pay for that on the run! 

 

The run was an out and back course that we did twice.  It was really cool to be able to see Erin, Jason and Janel several times and shout words of encouragement back and forth.  I stuck with my plan of only stopping at every other aid station (which were every mile) so that I could refill my water bottle, drink perform/soda/chicken broth, and eat something (chips, pretzels or fruit).  I tried to keep my walk portion fast and get back to running as soon as I had grabbed what I needed.  I briefly thought about holding back a little so I didn't run out of energy but then decided to keep running how I felt for now, and deal with the later part later.  I was feeling good as I headed towards town on the first loop and my dad ran with me for a bit.  I told him that I was feeling good and having lots of fun.  It was so cool to see him out there and to see how excited he was to see me.  I then ran by my mom and William before heading to the end of the first loop.  At this point I was about two blocks away from the finish line.  Finishers went straight, the rest of us turned right to do the second loop.  What a tease!  But I said, see you soon! and kept on running.  I stopped and grabbed my special needs bag, chugged another apple juice and saw another note from Jason.  I decided not to read it then and tucked it in my number belt to read when I got to mile 18, thinking that would give me some extra motivation at that point. Sadly, putting that paper next to my soaking wet shirt was not a good idea and it was destroyed before I got to read it :(  As I headed out on the second loop I saw my mom, dad and William one more time and Erin headed to the finish line.  I was excited for her and to find out how she did!  Around mile 14 I started stopping at every aid station to refill and refuel but kept moving through them quickly and kept running between each one.  As I neared the turnaround there was a woman that I had passed a few times and then she repassed me.  We started chatting and running together.  She was also a mom (twin girls and a boy) and one day decided being "just" a mom wasn't enough and she was determined to find a way to take care of her family and train to be an Ironman.  Sound like anyone you know? :)   We were running about the same speed and the conversation really seemed to help both of us keep on moving.  She asked about my family and I told her that my dad had done Louisville several times and Kona 4 times (I love telling people that!)  I told her my sister had already finished and that my husband was also out on the course.  She said, "wow, your husband sure does go to great lengths to impress his father-in-law!"  We chatted the rest of the way and she started to run a little faster as we got closer to the finish so she pulled ahead.  I got to that point where the finishers go straight and was so happy to go that way, while my heart went out to those that had to turn and keep on running.  I had heard the finish line at 4th Street Live was like none other and I was so excited to be there.  I know it was loud, but I don't remember hearing anything.  I know my legs hurt, but I don't remember feeling them.  I felt like I floated through the finish and then I did hear, Amy Reynolds, YOU are an Ironman.  I had done it. 

Final Time 13:11:41  24th in my age group

Soon after crossing the line a volunteer grabbed me and kept asking how I felt. I felt great!  I saw my parents on the side and gave them both a huge hug.  After a few happy tears, I composed myself enough for my dad to take this picture.

 

I then picked up my finisher hat and shirt and when my volunteer was confident that I wasn't going to fall over, I was allowed to go find my family.  Erin had an awesome race shaving 25 minutes off her best time.  She placed third in her age group with only two slots to Kona.  Our fingers were crossed that one of those girls wouldn't want to!  After grabbing a little food, we headed back to the finish line to cheer for Jason.  I cheered as loud as I could as he came across the line but he didn't see me.  He looked great and so happy.  I met up with him when he was getting his food and it was so awesome to see him and hear that he had a great race. 

 

The crew (good thing we all coordinated colors!)

 

A few more minutes of hanging out, eating and sharing stories before we hobbled back to the hotel.  A huge thank you to William and my dad for picking up our bikes and gear bags earlier in the day so we didn't have to go do that!  I had really wanted to go back and watch the finishers near midnight but after a shower and sitting down, the only thing that sounded good was crawling to bed.  Surprisingly, I wasn't able to fall asleep easily!  I guess all the emotion from the day was still there, and the fact that I was super hydrated. 

Monday

I slept in until about 8 and woke up feeling pretty good.  My knees were a little sore but nothing hurt too bad, I had no blisters and only one messed up toe nail.  Not bad!  Everyone else had been up for a while - my dad had already gone for a run and Jason was in line at the Finisher Expo about to go in.  I headed down there and we picked up "a few" more things :)  Most of my old t-shirts don't fit anymore (they are way too big!) so I really did need all the new shirts I got :)  We then headed to Janel's room to congratulate her and hear about her race.  Back down for breakfast and then to the room to pack up.  I can usually blame the amount of stuff we pack and the path of destruction that we leave on the kids but this time it was all us...  We eventually got everything into bags then into the car.  We headed to the Roll Down and Awards Ceremony.  Unfortunately, both of the girls in Erin's age group took the spots to Kona, so she just missed it.  Erin had a great race and I am so proud of her, we just wish the other girls hadn't done so well! 

 

 

After that we said good bye to Erin and William then we had one more stop to make before leaving town.  When I was in high school and in my early 20's, I thought I would only get a tattoo of the Olympic Rings or the Ironman Symbol.  When it seemed that I wasn't going to do either of those things, I went and got a sun (still not really sure why...)  So now it was time to go get that tattoo that I originally wanted. 

 

The drive back to Marion went well and I am so thankful that my mom drove.  We quickly got settled at their house and I had no problem falling asleep that night!

Tuesday

After hanging out with my mom for a bit, we were back on the road.  We were not excited about another long drive, but we were both looking forward to seeing the kids.  The drive went well and we were greeted at the front door by this awesome welcome sign.

Conner was napping when we got home but Makayla was super excited to see us.  We talked with her and Mary for a bit before Mary had to head home.  We are so thankful that Mary and Ed were able to come down and that the kids behaved and had a great time while we were gone.  We hung out with Makayla a bit longer before Conner woke up, and greeted us with a cough and a fever.  So off to the doctor I went with him.  Not the relaxing evening I was hoping for, my mommy "vacation" was over!  All little medicine and he was back to himself quickly.

The next generation of Ironmen:)

And one more sticker for the car:)