Today is five years since the longest exercise day in my life. On August 24, 2014, my wife and I started the Ironman event in Louisville, Kentucky at 7:20 a.m. We jumped off a pier in a boat channel together, and I did not see her again until I finished at 11:54 p.m., an hour after she finished.
The 2,600 entrants ran off three piers and started swimming. It took 40 minutes to get everyone in the water. We were in about 1,300th place when we jumped off the pier together at the start of the 2.4-mile swim in the Ohio River. At the end of her swim, Annalisa was in 1,000th place having passed 300 swimmers in the water. I finished in 2,595th place with a lifeguard kayak next to me. I lost 1,295 places in the water.
When I started the 112-mile bike I was so far back I saw only three cyclists in the first 20 miles. Eventually I passed a thousand more racers on the bike, but a couple of hundred of them passed me during the marathon that ends the event and I finished nearly last among the 1,800 who finished the full 104.6-mile distance.
At 11:54 pm, I crossed the finish line. I slowly walked and wobbled to the car. Annalisa and I drove to the hotel. We had leftover pasta from dinner the night before. Annalisa ate hers cold. I put mine in the microwave. I started to eat the pasta, but the effort of lifting the fork was too much. I went to bed.
The next day we got up and drove back to Pennsylvania.
It turns out that Ironman event was the last running race I will ever do. Five months ago I had my left knee replaced. The surgeon said if I run it will be damaged, maybe need repair. No more running.
Annalisa leads a running group and could swim an Ironman distance tomorrow. She would have to train for the bike. So she could do another Ironman. The whole thing was her idea. And we finished a year ahead of the initial plan.
Also, no more Tough Mudder competitions. This post has reports of my Tough Mudder and Ironman events.
