Post by Brooks Modie on May 23, 2006 12:36:33 GMT -5
Well, I finished it!! The sky was clear, air was moist and the temperature was 95 degrees. Pretty much the same weather as when I left Cleveland friday afternoon....not 
I was assigned to the second last wave which meant I was going to be out in the heat for the better part of the race, but also gave me the opportunity to watch pros like Tim DeBoom and Lisa Bentley complete the swim in the mid 20 minute range. Pre-race nerves = very high.
The Swim:
Feeling confident in my swim stroke I lined up in front on the left side of the beach. The horn blew and all 171 m25-29 participants sprinted into the lake. As I dove into the water to begin swimming someone dove right on top of me pulling my goggles down in the process. Stay calm I thought, tread water and fix this problem. Minor setback but no big deal. As I swam through the water fighting for space I couldn't help notice that the water had a strong gasoline/exhaust taste!! Not good, stomach starting to turn. After making it to the turnaround point in the lake, the Disney skyline was in full view. It was really cool to see Space Mountain, the Magic Kingdom and many other attractions as I continued back to land. Swim = 34:37 (not my best time but respectable considering all the jostling that went on).
The Bike:
How beautiful is the Florida countryside? Let me count thy ways
Cycling through orange groves, wine vineyards and treelined streets with hanging spanish moss was a very special treat. Even better was not having to worry about potholes, cracks or uneven road surfaces. Those Florida cyclists don't know how good they have it. Oh yeah, there are hills in Florida!! Where did they come from? They were just rollers but never-the-less this is Florida were talking about. All of this made for a pretty fast bike course. Bike = 2:50:47 (about 20 m.p.h.)
The Run:
The sun is beaming down now on all the participants, creating very difficult conditions to stay hydrated. Aid stations were added so that every half mile runners could fuel up on water, coke, Gu, fruit and pretzels. The run course consisted of a 3 loop course which traversed along a dirt/grass pathway. The dust that was kicked up by the constant footsteps made it difficult to breathe. After the first loop, my legs were covered in a thick brown dust. My once new white shoes were now completely filthy. Just after I completed the first loop is when my race completely unraveled. My stomach was churning, vision was blurred and I was extremely dizzy. Next stop, find the port-o-potty!! All in all, I guess I lost 20-25 minutes doing various indescribable things in the bathroom. On the last two run loops I visited the port-o-potty 4 times. I was in serious pain but was not about to quit. Other runners slowed to help me out. They talked me through it and kept me motivated that the end was near. Seeing the finish chute ahead, my body went numb and all the pain in my body disappeared. I began to run again. I saw my friends and family on the sidelines cheering me on. It was very emotional to say the least. The announcer was yelling "Here comes Brooks Modie from Ohio. Don't stop Brooks you can make it!!" I will never forget that moment crossing the finish line. My first Half Ironman, heck, it was my first triathlon...ever!! Next stop was the medical tent where I was to receive an IV to replace the fluids and electrolytes that my body unwillingly gave up in the port-o-potty's. As I layed on a cot in the medical tent, a man two cots down from me stopped breathing and was rushed to the hospital. My prayers went out to him, along with the three other people I saw who could not take another step in the heat and just collapsed into the bushes along side of the trail. Run = 2:56:40
Looking back, this race was by far the hardest obstacle I have ever overcome. The last 8 miles are a blurry concoction of sickness, pain, tears and perseverance. Also in the mix are faces and voices of people who encouraged me, cheered for me and inspired me to press on. I am a stronger person because of this race just as all of you are stronger from your races. I want to thank all of you who I trained with and who helped me prepare for this race. I couldn't have done it wthout you ;D
Brooks
I was assigned to the second last wave which meant I was going to be out in the heat for the better part of the race, but also gave me the opportunity to watch pros like Tim DeBoom and Lisa Bentley complete the swim in the mid 20 minute range. Pre-race nerves = very high.The Swim:
Feeling confident in my swim stroke I lined up in front on the left side of the beach. The horn blew and all 171 m25-29 participants sprinted into the lake. As I dove into the water to begin swimming someone dove right on top of me pulling my goggles down in the process. Stay calm I thought, tread water and fix this problem. Minor setback but no big deal. As I swam through the water fighting for space I couldn't help notice that the water had a strong gasoline/exhaust taste!! Not good, stomach starting to turn. After making it to the turnaround point in the lake, the Disney skyline was in full view. It was really cool to see Space Mountain, the Magic Kingdom and many other attractions as I continued back to land. Swim = 34:37 (not my best time but respectable considering all the jostling that went on).
The Bike:
How beautiful is the Florida countryside? Let me count thy ways
Cycling through orange groves, wine vineyards and treelined streets with hanging spanish moss was a very special treat. Even better was not having to worry about potholes, cracks or uneven road surfaces. Those Florida cyclists don't know how good they have it. Oh yeah, there are hills in Florida!! Where did they come from? They were just rollers but never-the-less this is Florida were talking about. All of this made for a pretty fast bike course. Bike = 2:50:47 (about 20 m.p.h.)The Run:
The sun is beaming down now on all the participants, creating very difficult conditions to stay hydrated. Aid stations were added so that every half mile runners could fuel up on water, coke, Gu, fruit and pretzels. The run course consisted of a 3 loop course which traversed along a dirt/grass pathway. The dust that was kicked up by the constant footsteps made it difficult to breathe. After the first loop, my legs were covered in a thick brown dust. My once new white shoes were now completely filthy. Just after I completed the first loop is when my race completely unraveled. My stomach was churning, vision was blurred and I was extremely dizzy. Next stop, find the port-o-potty!! All in all, I guess I lost 20-25 minutes doing various indescribable things in the bathroom. On the last two run loops I visited the port-o-potty 4 times. I was in serious pain but was not about to quit. Other runners slowed to help me out. They talked me through it and kept me motivated that the end was near. Seeing the finish chute ahead, my body went numb and all the pain in my body disappeared. I began to run again. I saw my friends and family on the sidelines cheering me on. It was very emotional to say the least. The announcer was yelling "Here comes Brooks Modie from Ohio. Don't stop Brooks you can make it!!" I will never forget that moment crossing the finish line. My first Half Ironman, heck, it was my first triathlon...ever!! Next stop was the medical tent where I was to receive an IV to replace the fluids and electrolytes that my body unwillingly gave up in the port-o-potty's. As I layed on a cot in the medical tent, a man two cots down from me stopped breathing and was rushed to the hospital. My prayers went out to him, along with the three other people I saw who could not take another step in the heat and just collapsed into the bushes along side of the trail. Run = 2:56:40
Looking back, this race was by far the hardest obstacle I have ever overcome. The last 8 miles are a blurry concoction of sickness, pain, tears and perseverance. Also in the mix are faces and voices of people who encouraged me, cheered for me and inspired me to press on. I am a stronger person because of this race just as all of you are stronger from your races. I want to thank all of you who I trained with and who helped me prepare for this race. I couldn't have done it wthout you ;D
Brooks
