One Long Day

So as I sit at my desk eating another candy bar I decided to write about last weekend........

Last Tuesday morning came very early.  My wife and I were up and at the airport around 4:30am.  We checked on and they took our bags and my bike, then it was off to our gate.  We watched an episode of LOST on the way to Dallas where we met my brother and his wife at TGIFridays.  Had some brunch and it was off to our gate.  We made a few last minute phone calls and then we were off to Cozumel.  We landed and made it through customs and we were off to the hotel.  After checking in we were back in the lobby figuring out our next move.  Soon we were out by the pool relaxing in the sun.  That night we were introduced to chorizo and cheese.  It was awesome.  Melted cheese and Mexican sausage on tortillas. We went to bed early as it was a long day.

The next morning we were up early and decided to rent a jeep to tour the island.  We left town and ended up at the Bob Marley bar.  It then proceeded to pour, and pour it did.  After "waiting" out the rain we left for Coconuts, another must see.  We hung out there and ate a little.  Then we drove in the rain back to the hotel.  We hung out that afternoon and the next morning we got up and went back to Coconuts where all of us got some sun.  We even stopped by a beach and did some body surfing.  After that we hung out at the pool and back to sleep it was.

Friday morning I got up and planned to bike a little and meet Nacho and FGLB at the swim start for a practice.  I ended up ride 52 miles and the swim was closed.  SO upon arrival at our hotel I ran into Nacho and FGLB.  We planned to meet that night for our meeting.  After the meeting it was up early and out the door for another shot at a practice swim.  The swim went well and that night we had an awesome meal with my group at the hotel.

So now on to race day.  I woke at 4am and went downstairs for the athlete breakfast they had set up.  The nerves started to set in and I decided to ride to the start with two others. So after meeting up with Nacho and FGLB, we got set up for our day.  We walked down to the swim and met my group and a few others before the start.

The swim went very well for me.  I was HOPING to be done in 1:30 and ended up out of the water in 1:13. So then it was off to the bike, my strong suit.  I went out at a good pace and it was awesome coming into town with all of the people that we cheering us on.  On the third lap of the bike I was ready to be done.  I can only imagine what its like riding in a wind tunnel.  Cause the last lap was nothing but wind.

The run seemed to be conceivable for me to get to my 13hr goal.  It was another 3 loop course.  I walked the first mile only to have the winner go by me in the opposite direction as he was finishing.  Damn I was just getting started.  So the first lap I walked and ran each mile.  I saw Nacho and FGLB looking very string and it started to mentally wear on me. By the time I got to the 13.1 mile mark, my feet were fried.  I could feel blisters popping and it got to the point where I questioned myself. So with one lap left BojiHawk started to walk the last lap with me.  I truly needed the push to finish.  So with my goal time well out of reach we trudged on.  As we came back into town, I knew that I was going to finish.  With the last .1 miles to go I started to jog.  Everyone was there to root me on and suddenly my feet didn't hurt any more.  And when it was announced, "Scott Kauffman you are an Ironman", all the pain seemed to fade.  Then it was a few pics, two slices of pizza, and some pizza, it was off to the hotel.  It was an amazing experience.  All the support from my family and the crowd was amazing.

FGLB and Nacho came in just under 12 hrs.  I am very proud of them. I heard of the 2000 participants only 1300 finished in the alloted 17 hr cut off.  WE ARE IRONMEN!

The next two days were filled with recovery and my legs and feet swelling to the point they would not fit into my flip flops.  After a lay over in Dallas and they worst walking of my life we made it back to St Louis.  BUt in the end it was an awesome experience.

Again thank to all that were there and those cheering from home.  It helped more than you could ever imagine.  Thanks to everyone at the Cozumel Palace for making our stay perfect.  We would recommend you to any one going to Cozumel!

20 Hours

As I sit at my computer trying to get some last minute work done I find myself going over the check list for my race in my head.  I get the occasional email from FGLB and Nacho that reminds me of something or makes me laugh. As the title says 20 hrs from now my wife and I will be getting on a plane to head south.  I am excited to get down there and relax.

My game plan at this point is to smile and have fun.  Lat week I was asked, "How can that be any fun"?  Well i am going to do something that most people feel this way about.   And there are even people out there that would like to do some thing like this but can't.So for all those people I am going to smile and smile and smile, even though deep down my body may be crying.  I do not plan on setting any records with this race, but this will let me know if there will be another in my future.

2 weeks

I fly to Cozumel 2 weeks from today and the nervousness is setting in.  It seems like yesterday that I was signing up for this race which has been over a year.  At the time I had huge aspirations for training and finish time.  But as life catches up with all of us and we make excuses to not workout for just today, the tough part is getting out and doing it the next day.  I don't feel under trained, but I wonder with those workouts that I did miss if they are going to cost me big as far as finishing.  So my goal for the 140.6 mile Fun Day, is to have fun and make sure that I smile as much as I can.  I am going to have awesome support.  I started doing triathlons to stay in shape for wrestling during the summer and FGLB also gave me a nudge as his uncle was an awesome triathlete.  So why not try to do something that most people can only imagine?  As I have read by many Ironman participants, the mental aspect is always the toughest to overcome.  My support from friends and family will be huge and I definitely  want to make their trip worth while.

So as Bone Thugs N Harmony starts to play on my Slacker radio I think back a few years to listening to this song in FGLB's Bronco our senior year of high school.  How time does fly!

Next Step

So I woke up this morning and decided that if Feelin Good Lookin Better won't update his blog then I would start my own.

We are 22 days away from the longer/biggest triathlon that I have ever competed in.  Three of us signed up a year ago this past August and at first I thought, Cozumel, what an awesome place.  So living in Des Moines, I thought what better place to train than with the two guys I am competing with.  So I spent a few hours that winter on my bike and in the pool.  I ran a little, but who likes running on treadmills.  As the weather got nice I bought a new bike(black and gold).  It reminds me of sunny mornings and crisp morning air, along with the feeling of vomit in my throat and thoughts of having to run when my legs want to fall off.
And as April came I started to look at a new career path.  See, my wife was living in St Louis where she was going to OT school.  Its the best in the country for her program and I did miss her.  So I jumped at the chance and left all my friends to head south.  It is awesome seeing my beautiful wife everyday, but my training has definitely suffered.  Its not easy to get on my bike or go for a run alone.  But with that said I have done quite a bit if training and feel confident.  I am not going to break any records but I do want to hear those words, "Scott Kauffman you are an Ironman".
So with Nacho battling a broken shoulder and Feelin Good Lookin Better with a bad ankle, we are set to go to Cozumel this Thanksgiving.  Its going to be an awesome trip as my brother and his wife, Amy and her parents are all going to join me for the race.  I am very happy to have so much support for this event. Nacho is still unsure if he will compete but I hope that he does as he is always a joy to have at any race, even if he wont camp and sleeps in his car(Kansas).  So heres to the next step.
Its been a summer of fun and a few races!