The Ironman Perspective
For many triathletes, completing an Ironman is the ultimate test of endurance. Some compete to win by being first across the finish line, breaking records, or qualifying for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Others participate for personal accomplishment, winning in a different way by simply completing the race (no simple task by any means), and maybe breaking a personal record along the way.
This past September, four female athletes stepped up to compete at Ironman Wisconsin. Even though they had all met before the race in various ways, chances are their paths didn’t cross during the race, but they were all there with a purpose. So we decided to connect four women athletes and two coaches to compare notes about their Ironman experience and what it means to ‘win’ from their perspective.
Heather Haviland:
professional triathlete & coach, founder of Team 4, overall 6th place female finisher of Ironman Wisconsin 2009, 8th Ironman, 2 Ironman World Championships, 2 ITU world Championships placing 2nd in one of those, 2004 USA Amateur Triathlete of the Year
Emily Kratz:
age group elite triathlete, Health & Wellness Consultant for Willis of Wisconsin, 4th place age group 30-34 finisher of Ironman Wisconsin 2009 and Qualified for World Championships 2010, 2nd Ironman
Tammy Foltz: wife & mother of 2, cancer survivor, age group triathlete, Director of Fitness YMCA Pabst Farms, set a PR at Ironman Wisconsin 2009, 2nd Ironman
Trish Washburn:
wife & mother of 2, age group triathlete, yoga teacher & owner of Soleil Lune Yoga Center, 1st Ironman
Dwight Sandvold:
husband & father of 4, coach & owner of FAST (Fitness and Sports Training), age group elite triathlete, 5 Ironmans, 2 Ironman Qualifiers, 1 Ironman World Championships
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| Emily, Trish, Heather IM WI 2009 |
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Both coaches and athletes:
How did you spend the days before the race? What were your feelings? What impacted you? What did you find distracting?
HH:
I was busy with the pro panel and discussion, then the pro meeting. I then finished up with the Janus Charity Challenge video on Saturday afternoon. I had all my schedule meetings with my athletes the 2 weeks before, so I did not have much responsibility with them, but each one doing the race was sure on my mind. Distracting? Stuff going on in my current personal situation.
EK: I got to Madison on Friday and got registered, checked in my bike, went to the opening banquet- went for a swim in the lake and an FCA devotion. The day before the race I basically stayed at my hotel- off the beat and path – and just hung out and relaxed. I tried to keep a clear head and not get consumed with the actual race the next day…If you spend a lot of time surrounded by the other athletes it can get a little overwhelming – their nervous excitement and apprehension can get to be a little much- so just tried to do my thing- have fun and stay relaxed- I also drank all day and had a DQ Blizzard for some extra fuel J
I was actually very calm and relaxed going into the race- I knew that I had worked hard all summer and the race was just a celebration of that effort. I had spent a significant amount of time practicing and training in all three disciplines so the movement of my body the next day was going to be completely familiar and natural…and I had to just do my thing and I would be good to go. I think what impacted me the most was all the people that helped me get to the start line. The support from my family, friends, and my coach played such an important role in my Ironman journey…the sacrifice and hard work sort of comes to a head on race day and I just had an overall appreciation for the gifts that God has given to me- the opportunity to race and such a wonderful support system around me. The overwhelming feeling was just an overall appreciation and heart of gratitude for the opportunity to be able to attempt and complete an Ironman.
My mantra the whole week before the race was “I am going to just sit on Gods wing and let Him determine how fast He wants to fly” – that just really gave me a sense of peace knowing that my race was in His hands- all I can do is give it all I have and enjoy the ride.
TF:
I was excited. Nervous too, but having done it once before I had that first one under my belt. I felt very ready for the day, much more than my first IM. It is so cool to go through this experience. People impacted me the most, from those who do admire what you are doing and can’t imagine doing anything to that extreme, those who are close and are excited for you and hoping for the best and peers who have been through it and are there for you for whatever. Distracting the days before the event was probably work. It was emotionally draining the week of IM dealing with regular work stuff because my mind really only wanted to focus on IM.
TW:
I spent the days preceding the race as ‘normal’ and held a normal workload. I left for Madison on Friday and checked into my hotel. I did my medical checks and packet pickup, went to an FCA prayer/devotion, and the athlete banquet. I have to confess the banquet was all you can eat and I did, then 90 minutes later went out to dinner with my ‘person’ Amy and her son and ate again…a full pasta meal, huge plate, and ate it all and still was not full. Love to fuel! Greatest impact was actually being there as an athlete. I still get teary-eyed just thinking about it. Distracting? All the nervous energy at the banquet. It was really exhausting.
DS:
As a coach the days prior to the race are anxious ones- you're asking yourself if your programs have adequately prepared the athlete as an individual for the race. You're wondering if the workouts they missed do to just life stuff will hurt their chances of meeting their goals. The athletes have great final questions and because you have been there yourself you're hoping they are remaining in a positive mental state and also are avoiding the tendency to dwell on all the little things that could go wrong (flats, weather, nutrition, injury).
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| 2007 CA 70.3 |
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Athletes:
What were your goals coming into the race?
HH:
My goal this year was to become a more efficient cyclist, which would be a better run off the bike. I wanted to improve my strength to weight ratio on the bike and be able to hold 76-78% of my threshold on the bike. My overall goal was to break 10 hours at this year’s Ironman.
EK:
My main goal was just to the do the best that I could on that day- to execute my race day strategy to the best of my ability and enjoy the day – the day goes so fast so wanted to be sure to take it all in and live it up. The day can present so many challenges and my goal was to stay focused on my race and stay within my ability and myself.
The ongoing goal was to stay injury free; I have had quite the history of injuries so stayed pretty conservative on the running training all summer- as well as paid attention to my body; made stretching and flexibility training a habit and stuck to the plan that my coach prescribed.
TF:
My goals were to do better than my first IM, to enjoy the results of all the hours of training, and enjoy the day.
TW:
To finish my ‘unfinished business’. Going long is so outside my box of comfort and my body had to relearn everything. I am a sprinter so anything longer than 100 meters is LONG DISTANCE. I wanted to finish and be injury free while training and at the end of my race. I wanted to be in the moment as I raced. I did have specific goal times, but just to be able to glorify the athletic talents God gave me was most important. Someone told me it was a celebration of the bazillions of hours of training and it was fully catered—I got a laugh out of that. It was true.
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| Trish IM WI 2009 |
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Coaches & Athletes:
What did you think about during your race? What did you think of the conditions?
HH:
Oh, many things…each discipline is taken one at a time. For me it was executing my race plan: eating, hydrating, and even surviving at times. Conditions were nothing to speak about as they were ideal
EK:
I think I was just excited to get going – There is so much thought, analysis, training, prayers, and overall preparation that goes into a 12-hour time frame- so it was great to just get going. The conditions were great- the bike was a little windy and the run did get a little hot and I think I was dehydrated by mile 2, but did what I could for the next 24 miles to hang in there. Mentally I tried to stay in the moment as much as I could- if you think to far ahead the race can seem overwhelming so you just take it one mile at a time and keep moving forward.
TF:
A lot of it was spiritual. I thought about what others have gone through and that doing an IM was minor compared to living with MS or fighting and surviving in a war and the entire day asking the Lord to keep me strong and my thoughts in the right place during the day. What did you think of the conditions? I thought the weather was perfect! My first IM it was 96 degrees and WINDY! The weather to me was a blessing!
TW: The weather was ideal. During the race I was in God’s presence all day. I prayed a lot for a woman fighting cancer (Beccee) and had a great conversation with God. I was thankful all day long for everything: every mile, every breath, every gulp of water….and the sweetness of the finish line. My mantra was Philippians 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
DS:
During the race I am concerned for the athletes. I am trying to ensure I see them all to cheer and also provide support as able. I continue to feel anxious and wonder if we did enough - enough info on HR zones or watts or nutrition etc. - it's a huge responsibility as the athletes have given a large chunk of their year and sacrificed family, job, gatherings etc. to train for this one day and meet a goal. It's easier emotionally as an athlete to race IM as you only have yourself to blame, however as a coach when you see your athlete struggling it's hard not to look to yourself in the mirror. The conditions this year were overall pretty ideal.
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| Emily IM WI 2009 |
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Athletes:
What were the low points? How do you cope during those points?
HH:
Getting through mile 8-13 I did not know if I was going to finish. After running through the turn around, I knew I would get to the finish line.
EK:
I can honestly say that the day was very stable and balanced – I may have felt better at some points than others, but just kept pushing through. I think when you go into the day you have to have a very open mind and be ready and almost expect anything. There are so many things that you have no control over so you need to take the one thing you do have control over and use it to your advantage and that is your attitude. I knew that if I did not feel the best at mile 13, mile 14 would be better so let’s get there. IM can almost be more mentally challenging than physically challenging so to have an “I can and will” attitude can and will take you great places and your low points won’t seem so low, but rather just part of the journey that you acknowledge, embrace and overcome.
TF:
I think my low point was in the run, not so much the general fatigue, but the frustration of developing LOTS of blisters in the first 5 miles. So, just mentally dealing with running with the pain was my low point. A wonderful friend sent me a verse the day before the race and I repeated it in my head all day long--Especially when I was hurting and it helped me to keep going. Psalms 28:7 The Lord is my strength, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.
TW:
I know people say that if someone tells you they did not have a low point they were lying. Well, I’m not lying and I really did not have a low point. I remember realizing how hot I was on the run, but that was about it. I also remember thinking where is John and kids?? Then I saw them on the run. It was a fantastic day.
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| The finsih line awaits... |
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Athletes:
What was your high point(s)?
HH:
Getting off the bike in the exact position I thought I would be in.
EK:
"EMILY KRATZ YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!", but besides that...I know that there were points on the run that everything in my body said stop and my head said just kept running and I did. Looking back at the mental obstacles that I was able overcame, I was able to increase my self confidence and my ability to do anything that I put my mind too- that’s a long term high.
TF:
The encouragement from my family, friends and coach along the way. The bike was fun, it went by relatively fast. That doesn’t mean that it wasn’t hard, but all in all, those 112 miles came and went.
TW:
Just being at the start line and ready. Being able to race and seeing my husband and children on the run for the first time. Seeing my parents and my lifelong friend Nate and his wife show up out of nowhere all over the course. It was crazy. Also, seeing my friends that took out an entire day or part of the day to come watch me. Hearing “TRISHA WASHBURN FROM WISCONSIN, TRISHA YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!”—now that was surely sweet. I still play my finish line video so I can hear that.
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| Heather IM WI 2007 |
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Coaches:
What was it like to watch your athletes’ race? What was it like to see them struggle? Succeed? What were your low points? High points?
HH:
It was an honor to have helped 8 athletes to the 2009 IM Wisconsin starting line. After the race, I tried to find each one of my athletes to talk with them to see how the day went. I went out to watch Kelly Weske and Tina Prade finish. My heart truly smiled seeing them!
DS:
It is rewarding when your athletes are doing well and humbling when they are not. A low point - an athlete with a mechanical problem that took 13 min. to fix and the same athlete in trouble nutritionally on the run. They recovered and PR'd by 45 min. which was rewarding. The high point is always finding the athletes in the last miles of the run and encouraging them and also seeing their spirits and pace pick up.
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| Swim to bike gear bag room |
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Athletes:
Now that it is a month later, what images and emotions from the day stand out? What was the most unexpected thing: pleasant or unpleasant?
HH:
I really struggled on the run from not taking in enough electrolytes and close to cramping in my quadriceps. It was a tough day out there, but the highlight of the day was seeing my athletes and that finish line. In an Ironman anything could be unexpected, so you are ready for it all…
EK:
The friends, family, and fans of all the athletes on the course were so fun- very encouraging and spirited- really made the day. The nervous apprehension in the morning, determined faces throughout the day and overall glow of victory post race was something I was surrounded with all day long- it was really cool to be a part of all the athletes journey that day.
TF:
Almost daily some aspect of the training or the actual day does go through my head. I don’t know that I can pick any one thing, but the whole experience from when you sign up to when it is done, is something that stays with you.
TW:
The best thing was the night before the race, having John and the kids with me. Also, coming back to my hotel room and finding a gift from my friend Sarah on my bed. It was so touching, so thoughtful, and helped me get centered and calm…well okay as calm as one might be the night before that race. Race Day: Walking to the race that morning. IT was pitch black and the capital building was lit up and so white. All the athletes were on the ‘death march’ with their loved ones with them or walking alone as I was. The silence was deafening, but when you got to the race site it was so LOUD. I could not believe the energy there. I kept crying, was scared to death, and just ready to get going. Once the race got under way I was fine. Coming out of the water was nuts—again it was so LOUD after spending an hour in silence with just your breath and the voice of God--then you get out to these huge crowds, the DJ, and your own thoughts. I remember seeing Peggy and Vicki going wild when they saw me and that was exactly how I was felling. Then I saw my dad in the catwalk and I started to cry and thinking Holy Crap—I’m doing the Ironman!! The finish line was THE BEST. I just remember thinking THIS IS SO GREAT. I was smiling so hard all day my cheeks hurt and I was so filled with emotion to see my friends, family, and my coach.……It really cannot be described.
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| Awards |
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Coaches:
What do you consider your best reward? What is more rewarding for you: competing in your first Ironman or coaching others to theirs--come on, be honest here....I would imagine it is a very hard toss up....
HH:
As I continue my journey as an athlete, at first it was about me, it was about my journey. Now as a coach and an athlete, it is really about my athletes. I will have to say that if there was a toss up between an athlete’s success and mine in terms of achieving goals, I get more excited seeing my athletes achieve their goals. I have been there, achieving goals you once thought was unachievable and now being part of that is one of the biggest reasons why I am on my journey of coaching.
DS:
As a coach the best reward is a huge smile like Trish's coming into the finishing shoot. All my veteran athletes PR'd by 30 or more min. this year and the rookies had great races exceeding and coming very close to their goals. It is also rewarding to see them with families and friends after the race and know you had some small part in the joy they are feeling.
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| Trish & Dwight |
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Coaches:
As coaches, what was it like watching your athletes? What was is like to see them finish? Heather--what was it like for you to race and be coach on the same day?
HH: I was confident going into the day that each athlete had the tools they needed to succeed. I was proud to see them on the racecourse as I was racing. The biggest thing was when I did see them; it helped give me strength, energy and a smile!
DS:
Having raced as often is a have and with some success, I thought that nothing could beat running to the finish in Kona. However when the first IM athlete I coached ran sub 8s in the final four miles the feeling was so overwhelming as I rode my old bike to spots and cheered, that I was reduced to tears. The same was true this year.
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| Bikes are ready |
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Athletes:
Will you do another IM?
HH:
Absolutely!!! Each IM is special; each IM is unique….
EK:
I do think I will do another IM at some point after Kona…I try to just take it one season and race at a time but have learned to appreciate the process it takes to get to the start line. Ironman is so much more than 140.6 miles to me…it has been a means to discipline, sacrifice, relationship gaining and building, confidence generator, and positive development both as an athlete and as person.
TF:
Yes, I think I will. It is very hard to balance family and work while training for the IM. Although part of me wants to live through that experience of finishing another IM next year, I try to remember how bad I felt when I had to miss something with my family or choose not to something because of training. All the sacrifices are worth it, but for me, not year after year. It is SO nice not having my life revolve around my training plan.
TW:
Yes although I cannot say when, maybe in a few years? I would love to experience it again, but at the same time my experience was so perfect, such a mountaintop, I don’t think it can ever be repeated. All the sacrifices are worth it, but I believe I experienced perfection that day so how can you top that??
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| Swim start |
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Coaches & athletes:
What would your advice be to anyone doing their first Ironman: What is your ONE nugget of wisdom to pass along?
HH:
ENJOY it and I would not set a time goal, go out and enjoy every moment. I guarantee it will put the least amount of stress on you and an almost guarantee that it will be your most memorable race EVER!!!
EK:
I think that belief in your ability that you really can do anything that you put your mind too- By building self-confidence, any competitor has the foundation for success, but to not base your success by comparing yourself to others. Do the best job that you are capable of doing at that particular race or training session. Keep a positive attitude and have fun. Stay within yourself and set attainable goals. It is not always easy, but I have found that it’s the challenging times that build character and can take you personally and athletically to another level.
TF:
Do it only if your “head” is ready. Almost anyone can get their bodies ready to complete an Ironman, but if you don’t have it straight in your head that you can do this, it can be an even longer journey.
TW:
Advice? Time. Be sure to give yourself time. Be balanced. Training can become so consuming and so self-centered. Have time to relax. Your body and mind NEED downtime. Take it one step at a time for it is the journey that is the reward. Time goals are unimportant on race day, as with most of us who set them, if we achieved them (or not), we would sit and figure out how we could have come in sooner. On race day—be sure to slow down and take it all in. You only have a first time once.
Nugget of Wisdom? Your training is your true test of character just as much as the race itself. One of the best tests of character that exists is how you respond to your body's signals of distress, for it is often also how you will respond to life's signals of distress. Do you quit the moment something even remotely hurts? Or do you lean in and hammer through? Would you be able to allow God's awareness to teach and guide you? Learning to distinguish different types of intense sensations in your body will help you work with the pain that is an inevitable reality of life, both in and out of the "athletic world". Our greatest surges occur when we are faced with our toughest challenges. You never know when all your hard work and dedication will pay off and you cannot force life into giving you what you want, exactly when you want it. Complaining, comparing yourself to others, or making excuses will not get you what you want. The only thing left to do is to focus on your technique, dig deeper into your stores of internal strength, steady your mind and surrender. Trust your journey.
DS:
Ask yourself, given any past orthopedic injuries, is the IM Distance a good option for me? More importantly, ask yourself is this the right season in my life to take this challenge on? Moving, job change, family challenges etc. in the coming year? Perhaps spend the next year learning about the sport and then sign up. Some can handle these things, however, it can come with a cost to family, job, and faith. Another nugget - consistency and desire will always beat out the latest toy. Train smart - however remember Dave Scott and Mark Allen, and Paula had about 19 IM wins between them at the times run today and this was prior to power, HR monitors, engineered food, wind tunnels and strange looking long socks. Avoid feeling like you can't afford the sport.
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Summing it all up
All
in all, Ironman is the experience of a lifetime. It is a journey of
continual learning and is life changing in more ways than one. So the
question remains, what is ‘The Ironman Perspective’? Can you be an
Ironman? The answer is easy yet so complex….
"What we have is based upon moment-to-moment choices of what we do. In each of those moments, we choose. We
either take a risk and move toward what we want, or we play it safe and
choose comfort. Most of the people, most of the time, choose comfort.
In the end, people either have excuses or experiences; reasons or
results; buts or brilliance. They either have what they wanted or they
have a detailed list of all the rational reasons why not." ~ Anonymous
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