2021 Ironman Couer d’Alene Race Report

Not getting on that bus!

We were trying not to giggle too loud at 1am as my sister Geralynn wheeled me down the hallway in an office chair to our hotel room. It was a funny scene as the wheels would not roll straight and she was pulling me backwards, zig zagging along the hall. I had managed to get out of the car and into the chair without stepping on my feet and using all the strength of my arms form all years of CrossFit. Then Ger had to get me over the hotel front door threshold without tipping me over. That was the start of it of the giggling!

Once in the room I had to go to the potty so bad! She took the chair back and left me alone as I crawled into the bathroom then realized that the toilet was higher than I thought as I was and about to pee my pants. So thankful for the strength of my arms as I hoisted my body up off the floor and onto the seat without making a mess all over myself. Thankful that I got a handicap room for which Alfredo was initially going to go with me but decided to stay home with the dogs. (He surprised me later by showing up anyway.)

My feet! I’m glad she wasn’t in the room as I pulled off my shoes and socks and let out a scream as I painfully removed them as the socks stuck to the blistered skin and each foot was revealed, left then right. (I was hoping no one was roomed next to us too!) My poor feet! They looked just about how they felt. Huge blisters on the heals and where the toes met the forefoot. With Ger back, we needed to get me into the tub to clean those feet and to prevent infection. I also stunk like high hell! 17+ hours of pushing my body to its limit sure gave off a stench. I managed to get into the tub and as I sat there resting prior to turning on the shower sprayer, I started to get dizzy. I had to lay down and Ger got me a towel/pillow while I let this pass in the nice cool tub.

All clean and my feet doctored up with salve and clean socks, I had to tap into more strength and will to empower me after I crawled to the bed then to hoist myself into bed and finally sleep after a long day!

It was such a crazy day in Couer d’Alene, Sunday June 27, 2021! I never would have imagined that it would turnout the way it did. I had hopes for a Kona slot for Ironman Championship this year, but God had other plans. Ever since I started racing triathlons, I wanted to go to Kona one day. I saw it as such a party to be there and goal to have that I will still never give up. The inspiration of all those people racing in the Hawaii environment and watching the final finishers cross that finish line at midnight has so inspired me to want to be there. Love all the stories of the athletes of what they were dealing with in life as well as physically and mentally to get there and what their why was.

I had the joy of having my sister come with me for the trip. My husband came the next day as a volunteer! They were awesome!! Best team ever!!

On race morning, we got up at 3am. Transition opened at 4am. Ate my half bagel with almond butter and Nutella. Yum! A little coffee and big bottle of Power Bar Isoactive nutrition for carb and liquid calories. We got a great parking spot in the car lot next to the park. Got to my bike and started setting up all my gear. Mood was great around me. So nice to have! I found fellow teammates Casey and Hazel Borden and got/gave good luck hugs.

Got my wetsuit on and downed one bag of Power Bar Cola Chews with caffeine and water. I heard the pro men’s swim start cannon go off then the women’s five minutes later which always make me smile. Now off to swim start area with the other amazing age group athletes. I made my way to the 1:12-1:30 projected swim sign(I know my ability and knew I was not going to be a fast swimmer with the training I had) and we waited for our turn which took over 30+ minutes. My sister said she was at the swim start but I did not see her where the sign from the park said start. Once I got on the sand next to the lake the actual start was down the beach more and there she was! Right at the start!! She got some great photos and had a found a good partner to stand, chat and wait with. A 20 something girl who was there watching her dad.

As we inched our way up to the start banner there was Mike Riley! The voice of Ironman! I had always wanted to meet him and especially hear him announce my name as I cross the finish line of an Ironman, and hopefully in Hawaii! He had the mike talking to the crowd and I reached out my hand to high five, but he squeezed it instead and I felt the warmth of his hand as I got into the water. So comforting!

It’s a 2.4 mile, two loop swim. My Garmin would beep every 500 yard and I felt a victory each time it did. It took me 5 minutes to calm down my heart and by the first 500 yards I was in a groove. I have a running mantra that I use in races which I made when read Born to Run. Micah True in the book suggested on how to make a mantra and I have been using that one in my swim training the past month. Light-Easy-Smooth-Happy-Free. By the Second loop I started thinking about pushing a little more and trying to pee before I got out of the water. (Did not want to stop in porta-potty in transition.) Got that done and went through my transition in my head. Water was great! A little choppy out at the end of the turns but I was mentally prepared for it. Sun was up and shinning and was so happy for my tinted goggle purchase the week prior. Out of the water and up the bank in the sand with the cheering crowds and I was all smiles!! I could hear my sister yelling my name and I was a happy girl!! (TIME: 1:32:11)

SIDE NOTE: The IM swim course is two loops. You follow BIG yellow triangle blowup buoys (8 of them)out to a red buoy, then right turn to another red buoy, right turn to shore as you follow BIG orange triangle buoys. Then a super short beach run, maybe 20 feet if that. Then you do another lap. I did not see anywhere or hear about the process of doing the second lap on the beach and where to enter/exit to do the second lap. I kept having to stop swimming as I got closer and look to try to figure it out. Athletes around me were doing the same thing. The swim exit arch was dark as well and hard to see. When I got closer I could finally see where the athletes were going and to follow them. Volunteers/workers were also directing us.

Out by the red buoy turns, as I was swimming, my right hand hit something hard. I looked up to see an athlete clinging to a paddleboard that was in the racers path. My first thought was, “oh poor girl”! Then, ouch! I don’t remember which loop that was but I was praying that my hand would not hurt for too long for me to swim with. The pain went away in only a few minutes.

I never profess to being a fast swimmer. I have an issue that makes my left hand/arm go numb at times when I swim and is super hard to feel the water. Also, in my training I swam 2-3x a week, with some weeks only 1x. Between 4000-6000 yards a week. Working a full-time job and with Covid restrictions made it not easy as well as the plan I was given. 2.4 miles is the farthest I have swam in a while and I am happy with the pace in the race and that I felt strong the whole way. I always think after a swim race that I could have swim faster. I also had a panic attack in training in open water the month before the race and I overcame it so I feel extremely happy with that. I had friends talk me down and God to be by my side!

In transition 2, I had practiced and worked on it to get under 5 minutes! I did 4:41! Yeah! It’s the little things, right! Official times I saw for lots of athletes in T2 were under 2 minutes as well as mine, which is not right. I timed myself with my Garmin perfectly. I read that there were issues with it due to the heat. So much was effected! Got everything I needed for the bike and even stuffed my bra with a couple bags of PB chews.

Out of T2 and off I go for the first of two loops. 112 miles! Before going out to hell, we go east through town and community, past a condo tower and along the lake till we turn around back to town to then head south. Less than a mile out of T2 I heard a motorcycle and then the first place at the time men’s pro flew by me followed by the media motorcycle and I think another pro and media soon after. I checked the Ironman FB coverage and found me right in the beginning of the 8:27 video posting! And I’m smiling! So fresh with the unknown yet to come! https://www.facebook.com/IRONMANtri/videos/641566883528990

So happy to be on my bike, I ride conservable for the first few miles and spin my legs to get them warmed up realizing that I have lots of hills to deal with pretty soon as well as the heat. I start my nutrition plan within 10 minutes consisting of drink every 10 minutes and eat every 20. (Power Bar Isoactive Nutrition and PB Cola Chews with caffeine. Not able to carry 6+ hours of food on the bike, I had practiced also with the race provide drink, Gatorade Endurance, which on training rides worked fine for my stomach. I did have a few single serve plastic baggies I made with the Iso to use as well which I stuffed in my race kit top, but it was much easier to just grab a bottle of the Gatorade and put in my bike cage on the fly.)

It’s about 7 miles to the turn around which is a big parking lot and also where an aid station is located and the Special Needs Bags for the bike will be brought for us. I will have teammates from Stoke Multisport team volunteering there later. (The Special Needs Bags are giving to use to put anything we think we might need later. I put in a little baggy of sunscreen, extra bike tube and CO2 cartridge in case I got a flat earlier and needed to restock, just in case. Also, I put in a bag of PB chews. What you don’t use will either get thrown away or donated) On the way out, the run aid stations were also setting up. I see that one of them is really decorating and will be entertaining!

A few miles before every turn around all day long, I see Hazel!! She’s on my Stoke team and IRACELIKEAGIRL! We whoop and holler at each other as we see each other. I see a few other friends that I know as well but not as much as I see this girl! She’s a spitfire and a powerful force and love seeing her all day long!

On the way back to town before going north, I get a blue card! I was seen drafting by an official! Ugg!! This is a non-draft legal race and we must remain 6 bike lengths behind other cyclists. If you plan to pass someone, you have a certain amount of time to do so. That cyclist you are passing, once you come up to their rear wheel, must drop back to the 6 bike lengths. I was following a gal who had a good pace and matched mine. I did not realize what 6 bike lengths actually looked like and I was too close when the motorcycle with the office on the back came up and told me what I was doing. She told me that I should have passed the gal in front but instead I dropped back. That is a no no too. Ugg! You can’t just start to pass then change your mind. No wishy washy mind here. Just do it! I told her that I just did not know what 6 bike lengths looked like and thanked her. There was nothing I could do about the blue card. So the next penalty tent I see I was to take a 5 minute rest, oh, I mean penalty! Lol. My hips were talking at me at this point, and I looked forward to the 5 minute rest/penalty.

I had been having hip issues for the past month. Tight hip flexors both right and left. I also had hurt my back ten day prior to the race. I went to my chiropractor. Been doing stretches and digging my thumbs into my hip muscles as well as using my massage gun try to get them to release. My back was slowly getting better and my hips where calming down bit but the issue was still there.

Riding into and through town is so much fun! Didn’t care for the cemetery we got to ride past though. The community and cheering friends and family gets loud here and you feel like a celebrity! Riding downhill on one of the main streets heading to and past our transition area is so fun and can’t help but keep a smile on your face. Geralynn and Alfredo are sighted, and I hear them cheering big time for me. Makes my heart jump for joy seeing them and I’m crying right now thinking of it.

I thought I had seen a yellow penalty tent on the drive in on this road but on the other side of the course. I hips were hurting and I was searching for a break. I am not one to just pull over and stretch/rest. I really needed a reason, and my hips hurting were not good enough purpose. No yellow tent to be seen. I rode on.

Once up on the highway ( Hwy 95) that will take us to the next turnaround, I feel elated to be on this course. It’s very hilly but I have done all my prescribed bike training and felt good, other than my hips. Its 20 miles out south till the turn around right after a huge fire station out in the hilly farmland. The highway is divided by cones and vehicles are driving north and south on the right side of the road with us cyclist on the left side. A mile in I hear my name yelled and see friends from CrossFit, Jared and Kelli!!! I ended up seeing them again on the way back but on the other side of road. They are vacationing and came out to see the mayhem! Such a great lift to my spirit to see them! Hazel and her husband, Casey, are also CrossFit members at The Loop Fitness, so Jaren and Kelli were cheering them on too!

The first huge hill is a 2 mile long climb which then leads into a series of hills with 7.5+ miles set of climbing. It takes forever to get up those hills! (*Total elevation of climbing for the 112 miles is over 5000 feet*) I get passed lots but keep saying to myself to be patient. I will get them later on the second loop. I seemed to pass more people on the downhills though. (I’ve been working on my bike handling skills and going downhill fast has been a goal. I prefer to see what is ahead though and if it’s a corner and I cannot see around it I do tend to go slower. But give me a straight down hill and zoom! Tuck with easy and constant pressure on the pedals.)

I am searching for the aid station and beloved yellow tent! I go through the first aid station and do a change out of my bottles. They have an area where you can through your bottle on the fly for them to pick up and you can then call out if you want a water bottle or Gatorade bottle and a volunteer will hold it out for you to grab. So cool! They were so good at doing this. I slowed down and grab the bottle without missing a beat. This to me is one of the most fun things about bike racing. Grabbing and go on the fly! I would either grab and replace my empty bottle in the cage on the frame or grab a water and refill my container between my aero bars. Most the time I would end up grabbing a water and just dumping it down my bra or shoulders and back to stay cool. They would have a sign after the aid stations which said, Last Chance for Garbage where the athlete would make sure they deposited their bottles, so the volunteers did not have to walk so far to retrieve them. Once when I came through an aid station, I asked for Gatorade AND water. I had to hold the first bottle in my mouth while I grabbed the second. Those are rockstar volunteers!! They were so good with getting what you needed!

Finally! About two hours later I see the aid station with the yellow penalty tent. However, its on the other side of the course. I yell to them if I should stop now or on the way back. They say just get it on the way back! Desperately looking for the big fire station with the turnaround soon after, my hips and back were aching. Finally, the fire station and soon after the turn around. As I was going into the turn, a gal behind me stated to make sure not to fall. So nice and easy we went into the turn and off we go back to town. Next up, that lovely yellow penalty tent!

I rolled up to and went straight under that tent with the only shade around. There are five non-athletes sitting/standing under it and one lady was the official. She took my name and bib number and started the 5 minute clock. They were so nice! Chatting with me and giving me encouragement as well as asking if I needed anything! They are cheering other athletes as they rode by too. I asked if it was ok to use my time and apply sunscreen and chamois to my bum, eat and the much needed stretch. (In some races, the penalty tent/box, you are only allowed to wait. No using it as an aid station stop. I wanted to check with them first.) I got the ok to do whatever I needed just they could not assist in anyway. I squatted down to stretch my back and could feel my hips oh so tight and a different pain I had not felt before. I then dug my thumbs into my hip flexors as hard as I could and got some release. Thank goodness! I got some food and water down me and reset. With a five second count down they all sent me off! With good luck wishes and yelling, Go Go Go, I was off! They were wonderful! Never thought I would love a penalty tent, ever!

The ride back to town was good and uneventful, other than being hot. I kept to my nutrition plan and felt better in my hips. There is an equestrian boarding stable 7 miles from downtown Couer d’Alene that I always look forward to seeing. I love seeing all the horses and they have two huge bronze statues at the entrance of the stables and another statue of a stag! Always brings joy and a smile to my face and heart. From there the route has a short hill to climb then the long, almost 5 minute descend for which to rest the legs. (This stretch of road is a 2 mile 6% grade. The race bike lane going this direction is on the shoulder with rumble strips to your left. This is one of the few NO PASSING ZONES and no use of aero bars, of the race for safety concerns.) It’s nice to be going down while others are making their way up that long hill. Checking the faces of those tacking the ascend I see grimacing and determination. There is a cheering station set up by some one’s friends/family who is the best cheer section ever! They are dressed in 80’s attire and one guy is in shorty shorts! Lol. Blaring rock music and nonstop cheering from them the whole day every time in passed by! (I saw them later on the run course as well and they never let up on the energy!)

Right before the bridge over the Spokane River I hear Jared and Kelli yell my name again!! Woohoo! Heart lifted! Now on the short stretch of road leading to down own again there is Ger and Alfredo cheering me on!! More joy to push me on!

Now for the second loop of the bike. It’s getting super-hot. Already into the 90’s temperature and spectators are still out. Out to the east route turn around and the Special Needs Bike Bag.(When you are coming close to the area a volunteer with either a megaphone or walkie talky says your number for the volunteers near the bags to retrieve them. You have to tell them your number or say that you don’t need the bag) I ask the volunteer who helped me with my bag if she knew where the Stoke team volunteers were. Nope. She held the bag open for me and asked if I needed anything. I was hoping for chamois cream for my bum. Nuts. I only put in sunscreen! Oh well. I didn’t need the extra bike tube or the air so she asked me if I wanted to donate them. Yes. I grabbed my bag of PB chews in the bag and opened it up to a gooey mess. Nuts again. The bags had been sitting in the sun for hours. I did have plenty of food on board already so no worries.

I stopped at the aid station several yards away and over comes Stacie from Stoke team! She was fabulous. Dumped ice down my bra. Got me Gatorade and water! Asked me what else I needed. I asked where were the others. (I was meaning the other Stoke volunteers) She said that I had started later than the rest, i.e., Hazel and Casey plus some others team athletes, but I was close behind them all. She yelled to Bob (Stoke) who came running over. He said I was looking a little pink and showed me his temperature reader. 98 degrees!!! He asked if I needed anything. No, I’m fine. He then asked if he could rub my corns! Bahaha. That’s been a running joke as long as I have known him. It put me in a good place. Humor is amazing help! Off I go. Back to town and I see my sister and Alfredo again!!

This second 40 mile loop is going to be rough. It’s so hot! My hips and back are better. I’ve been working on my nutrition and have been pretty much right on with it. Drink every 10 minutes. Eat every 20. As I go onto Hwy 95, there are less cyclist. This is great I think to myself. Less thinking and worrying about those 6 bike lengths. As I start with the first set of hills, I notice my heart rate is high and getting up into the 160’s. With the heat I tried to keep it in check and focus on keeping it from soaring on the hills. By this time, I had been riding for over 5 hours. I had kept my heart rate under 150 but the stress and heat of the day was making my body work harder. I needed to stay in check. I was 70 miles in and still had not peed. I had drank nearly 5 bottles of fluids. Lots of were evaporated through my skin from the sun and wind. But I knew I NEEDED to pee. Thinking of my kidneys and now starting to worry, I could not take in anymore nutrition. Please please please pee dear Lord! I couldn’t eat for fear of bringing back up much needed nutrients. I would not drink either. Riding and waiting. Finally ,the next aid station. I grabbed a new Gatorade then a water bottle. Wait for it. Yes! With every breath I peed at mile 80! My kidneys felt fine. I was tired due to no nutrition for the past hour. I dumped the water on me to rinse. Yes, I do pee on my bike. No time to wait at a port-a-potty. Besides, if I stopped, I may cramp up. Also, it is harder to get back on the bike after stopping.

Going up the hills again I saw lots of athletes having issues. Either they were on the side of the road, just sitting with their bike or having to stop on the hills and walk because of cramps or legs/body would not respond. (One gal on the side of the road was asked by a roving bike support worker if she was ok. She said she was done. My head in my morbid way wondered if she was in my age group.) So many people were dropping out on the first huge hill. When I spotted the aid station after the climb, there was also a bus. I thought to myself, “Wow, they bussed in more volunteers to help”. No, they were bussing athletes off the course! There were a couple dozen bikes leaned up against each other and I could see heads in the seats on the bus. Sheryl, I said to myself. YOU ARE NOT GETTING ON THE BUS! That is when I decided that I needed to make my body get rid of the used up fluids and just pee already. I am not getting on that bus! Dear Lord help me! This is hard but I will do this. I came all this way and have gotten this far to not give up! I have been training for a long time for this and I needed to finish! I am strong and I am capable. Let’s finish this ride!

That fire station was a wonderful sight to see again. Turn around and back to town. I stopped at an aid station over an hour to go. I need to stop and not just ride through this time. It was time for survival mode. I dumped ice down my bra. Drank and ate in the shade of a tent and listened to this guy saying that he may not make it back to town prior to the cut off time. I knew I was fine though with the time. The volunteers were fabulous again and so helpful. One guy was sitting in a chair trying to make up his mind if he wanted to continue on. I think I spent about 5 minutes there. Not sure but it was enough to rejuvenate me as I started riding again. There were hills going south and there were hills going north, just like when your grandpa said that back in his day he had to walk to school and it was up hill, both ways!

I looked for the horse stable. And kept anticipating it. That ride back took forever! Finally, there it was and soon after that nice long downhill coast. There was a guy behind me I was coming up to a guy in front of me. He was going slow. I know we were not supposed to pass in this descend, but…. Oh, he was going half my speed, I swear. I needed to pass him, so I did. I was as safe as I could be and made him aware and whizzed right by. Apparently, the guy behind me did too. He murmured something about passing and I started to feel bad and a flash of getting a yellow card or even a DQ came to mind. Then I realized that I had not seen a course marshal for hours. My thought is that they just wanted people to get done or get off the course. By the time I got to town I was feeling good. (TIME: 8:14:07)

Alfredo was at the entrance to T2! He had water for me and asked if I needed anything. Not wanting to have assistance from outside source I said no. As I walked my bike as fast as I could through the areas leading to T2, spectators were cheering me on. I was all smiles! I had finish the hardest bike ride of my life! Going into transition area and to my spot I saw one of Hazels friends who was a volunteer. I told her that I just rode up Satan’s ass! I don’t know what the look on her face meant but she had no words. Lol

Got to my spot and racked my bike. Here comes Alfredo with two water bottles! He is volunteering so he is able to come into the area! Bless his heart. He was an angel! He gave me a kiss and said that he was praying for me and was worried. I felt that love the whole way of the second loop! Got my run gear on and even changed to new socks! I used Blue Rub chafing stick and applied some to my feet prior to the new socks. I had planned that I may be dumping water on myself during the ride(and peeing) and would get my feet wet. One last kiss from Alfredo and off I went. I stopped and ran back to my transition and took out a bunch of packages of powered PB Iso I had in my pockets and threw them on my towel. Did not need anything on me that I did not need. It was going to be hard enough to get through marathon. (Alfredo got a video of me in transition and is still a shock on how I look and my mental status. I seem good and make quick work in the transition. Racing as many triathlons as I have done and rehearsing has paid off with how much I seem to flow in the video considering what I just went through on the bike)

The 26.2 marathon. It is a 3 loop run/walk/crawl with lots of areas for spectators, friends, and family. It starts out weaving through neighborhoods of Couer d’Alene. Some nice houses to see that have lake front views! It runs past that cemetery, the back park of a golf course used for maintenance then right onto the same road of the bike course that heads east. By this time there are no cyclist as they would have missed the bike cut off. The course is run on the Centennial Trail which parallels CDA Lake Drive and has the lake at your side the whole time. There are four aid stations and the Special Needs Bag station with water and support.

As I go out of T2 I am already thinking, “Better give me that glow stick now”! The announcer had earlier remarked that if you are out there when it gets dark you will be provided a glow stick. That statement stuck with me.

Right out of T2 the course follows the Couer d’Alene Resort Driveway. Very well-manicured and pretty. My sister is right outside of T2 and I hug her! She gives me lots of praise and cheering! She keeps it up and is following me along the way! So cool to keep hearing her voice! I say to her that I’m worried for her! Its hot, not just for the athletes but for the spectators too. 100 degrees hot! She laughs at me and tells me not to worry about HER and continues to yell encouragement to me! My sister Geralynn is one of the reasons that I finished. I am so grateful for having her there! As she continues to follow me, she remark that she isn’t sure its ok to do so by the rules. I want her to stop so that she does not get too hot but hearing her voice sounds like heaven.

I’m not running. I’m walking and trying to get my legs accustomed to the ground vs the pedals. I’m in good spirits too. Even thought by now I realize that in have no shot at a Kona spot. I wonder how others are doing. Most athletes around me are walking as well. I walk past the Special Needs Bag station and porta potties then around McEuen Park with music coming from a bar and grill with people eating and laughing. The park trail is lined with spectators cheering with signs and fun shirts for their athletes. I see a playground with a splash pad in the park and comment that I wish the route went that way! Some spectators say that they won’t tell if I make a detour!

Out of the park and into the community as the marathon route snakes its way to Lake Shore Drive and some nice houses with a view of the lake. Prior to was the first aid station and another athlete comments that I have stripes on my neck? What? I am sunburned and my helmet made for a peculiar pattern. Darn! I need to find the cooling cloths! I need to cover up my neck or else that white part not burned was going to burn as well! Ironman had emailed prior to the race stated that there would be “cooling cloths” for athletes to use around their neck or for whatever to help stay cool with the heat. (It also said that there would be no DOUBLE DIPPING of said cloths and to use a cup/bottle of water to rewet the cloths) I see no “cooling cloths” at the first aid station but I see athletes with either white cloths around their neck, on their head and wherever needed or different color cooling cloths.

At the first aid station, I try one of the on course sports gels provided by Ironman. I had tried a small sample in Ironman Village to make sure I would like it. No flavor which is ok. Seemed fine at the time. Here, I am hungry and squirt the whole think in my mouth. Eh.. I take a sip of water and still cannot swallow it. I’m afraid that if I try to swallow it everything else would come up. Looking for a garbage can, I spit it out, not wanting look like one of those that just barfs wherever. It had the consistency of jello. I will not buy or even sample this again in my life. Yuck!

As I continue, there are spectators and people from the community all along the route which helps with keeping you moving. They have water hoses and sprinklers. They ask if you want to get sprayed. Yes please! Thank you! We continue to weave through the streets which also have trees lined for shade. The next aid station comes up on the south side of the golf course. I see volunteers handing out white cloths! They dipped it in ice water and hand me one when I asked for it. Such joy! I put it around my neck and there it stayed till close to the finish.

I try to run, even for just a few meters. I didn’t make it far. My hips are sore. My heart rate skyrockets. Ok Sheryl, I say to myself. Just walk and try to run here and there. Its ok to walk. I’ve seen people in the videos in Kona Ironman walking I think to myself. It’s ok. Just. Move. Forward.

About 3 miles in my left foot feels like my sock is bunched up. I stop and tug on it. It helps some and I think that I will really fix it at the next aid station. 3 ½ miles point and right after the big condo building the fun aid station is alive and looks fun! Port-a-potty first. A volunteer lady remarks to NOT use the third one. It’s really bad inside. Check. I pick the fourth one.

Got my duty done and happy that I can. Still checking my body for signs of stress/trauma and making sure I’m good to go, so to speak. Once out, I sit on the curb and pull off my left shoe and sock. I ring out my sock since it is soaked with water from the hoses. Oh, my sock is fine and not bunched up but I can feel a blister/ issue with the skin of my foot at the base of my toes and my heel is red. I ask the volunteer if there is any chamois or glide or anything to put on my feet for the friction. Nothing around. (The volunteer even asked if she could give me her socks! Bless her heart! My shoes are wet so the new socks would get wet too. And me not wanting outside assistance decline the offer) Oh, wait! I have Chapstick in my running belt and I apply it to my feet. Feeling happy with myself and thinking this will be the end all of that issue, I put back on my wet sock and shoe and off I go, grabbing a water to pour on me and to drink, I may have grabbed a Gatorade as well.

I see Hazel soon after going the other way and heading back to town. She is walking and does not look happy. She comments that that is all she could do. I think I told her to just keep at it! Down past the hill from the aid station is a big parking lot and there are a few cars with people backed up to the trail with music and encouragement. Most are there for hours! The trail follows the north side of the lake and one of the spectators comments that it should be cooler here for us. Just those words alone makes me feel cooler. (Thank you to that guy!) The lake looks so good and I wish I could just jump in. People are on their boats. Jumping from the decks into the water. Having fun while we all do our best just to keep moving. Most athletes are walking. A few are running and I wonder how they are doing it. My feet start to not feel too well. This is the start of my abyss.

As I continue to power walk the course my feet start to feel worse and worse. I realize that with my shoes, socks and feet wet I am having beginning to have issues that I have never felt before. I rarely get blisters. Even when I do Spartan obstacle races. Spartan races are muddy and wet, and we crawl under barbwire in the mud and run in the woods in the mud as its raining. I never got a blister in those races. Today was a different day. It wasn’t just my left foot. It was my right one too. I try to straighten out my socks thinking they are just getting bunched up. I hear someone run by me with shoes squishing like they are wetter then mine, but they are running. I try to run then the pain starts. Ok. Just walk. The pain is there no matter what, but my hips add to the pain with the run. Just. Keep. Moving.

Right before the next turnaround is the last aid station. I ask if anyone has anything to put on my feet. Nothing. I try to eat something. I don’t remember if I did. I may have grabbed a water bottle. The turnaround! I head back to town. I can hear Mike Riley calling out with an echo over the water, “You are an Ironman!”. I won’t hear that for myself for a while tonight.

I make it back to the community. Past the cemetery. I try to avoid the hoses on my feet and tip toe around puddles and just have my body sprayed. Its hot! 100+ degrees. I dump water on my body, my neck with the cooling cloth and my chest. (I had anticipated the heat prior to coming and had gone to the Dollar Store and bought a sponge. I was not sure is they would have them here as I have seen them at other Ironman events. They are good for stuffing into your kit and pouring water on them to stay cool. If you watch Kona Ironman on TV you will see them. Even the pro’s utilize them) I have cut up a round sponge and put each half into my right and left side of my sports bra in T2. (You can see the video of me ever so diligently sticking them in there. Lol) Best dollar I have ever spent at the Dollar Store!

There is one little, short hill right after before you leave the community and into the park. A group of wonderful people are at that hill giving encouragement! I wish I could thank them for they were there all day! When you are hurting, they helped so much.

Into the park area and the 80’s guys from the bike route are there! Brings a smile and joy which helps to push through the pain.

Power walking around the park sidewalk and I see chalk on the ground directing athletes. It says to finish left. To 2^nd or 3^rd loop right. Someone asks me which loop I’m on. I mumble my first. I feel terrible. It’s getting late. A lady in a chair in the middle of the path has a couple signs. Finish with an arrow left. 2^nd/3^rd loop with an arrow right. She smiles to me as I point right. A runner in front of me goes to the left. Bummer. I still have two more to go and my feet are in pain.

As I make my way to the Special Needs Bags soon after and a guy asks me if I need my bag, I call out my number. 1936. I come into the area and they hand me my bag. What did I put in there? Sunscreen, PB chews and GasX strips. No Blue Rub! Shit! I take the GasX strip and put it in my mouth. I should need that. Plenty of sunscreen on course. I open the bag of chews and they are a melted gue. Oh, well. My sister is soon by my side! Oh joy! I so love her. She shows up at the right time. I tell her what is happening. At this time I don’t care about getting outside assistance! I ask the volunteers if they have anything for friction. Nothing. Geralynn seems concerned. I resolve to just keep going use the port-a-potty. Went I come out I look at the aid station table and ask if they have anything that I could put on my feet. One gal shows me a bunch of packets of stuff and I shows one that says pain relief gel. Oh. That’s what I need. Yes! I sit down and my sister is still there. I take my shoes and socks off and look at my feet. OMG! They look like I’ve been in a bathtub for a week! All wrinkly and white. I open up the packet I got and apply it to both feet. Wring out the water in my socks and put them and my shoes back on. I hug my sister and off I go. She follows and still gives me encouragement and tells me that she loves me. The crowded bar and grill is going strong for a Sunday as I walk past.

A little ways away I wonder if I should go back and ask her to tell Alfredo to go get my socks. I refrain and keep going, wondering at this point to just make the cutoff. I could tell her when I come back for the third loop but then I would be to late. So I walk on. But, wait. What’s that feeling? My feet! What’s going on? What the f..k!? My feet feel weird. Tingly. Hot. Shit! I put Icy hot on my feet! Crap. I read the packet as pain relief and that is all I read. Now what? Keep asking for something else at each aid station or anyone. Nothing! As I walk I think of a plan. Keep moving. Get to the next aid station by the condo. I think about getting that stuff off my feet, but I must keep moving. Something is telling me to not stop and if I do then don’t make it for very long.

I consider what to use to get that stuff off my feet. Cooling cloths! I think to grab one that has been discarded. As I walk past the cemetery, then right turn on the side road that leads to the Centennial Trail the road is not even and has cracks running horizontal. By now my feet are hurting so bad that every little bump in the road. Every crack I step on I can feel and is more painful. Just keep walking. I see a cone draped with a cloth which someone had discarded sitting on it and I grab it. Half a mile to the next aid station. Keep going. Its getting late and the sun is going down. I’m worried about the time cut off. Where was I supposed to be at what time till the cut off? I assess what people seem to be on route on second loop same as me. We will make it. Just keep moving. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch! Each step hurts.

I made it to the aid station and ask for anything to help my feet. I see a tent with a table and first aid kits and a large jar of VASALINE! My spirit lifts. I grab it a sit down on the curb behind the tent. There are three athletes sitting down and mingling with a worker. She is asking someone about a lady over on a bench who is laying down. She is done. Too sick to continue. Never mind her Sheryl. I don’t even remember if I took both my socks and shoes off or worked on one at a time. But I wiped one foot with the cloth to get the ice hot off and applied the Vaseline. Wrung out my sock and put it back on. I did the other. I didn’t want to look at my feet for long. The worker asked as I was sitting there if I was done. Hell NO! I came this far I’m not quitting I told her. She then proceeded to cut off the timing chips off the three people and they discussed getting into her car so she could drive them back to transition. They shot me a look. Never mind them. I’m not done. I remember a guy coming up to me and he sees my feet. I have no idea what he said but it was all good and encouraging.

Back on my feet and hoping that the Vaseline helped, I walked over to get something down me. Food, water. Some kind of nutrition. My legs were heavy and my feet still hurt with each step. I’m finished here. Just keep going and out of the aid station and back on the route I go.

Down the hill from aid station are the people still there by their cars in the big parking lot and music going. They are giving encouragement to all the athletes still and are a blessing to me. The music is in such a good beat that I walk to it. I so wished I could have that music the whole time. So much appreciation to these people! I don’t know them or even know if they have a friend or family member who is racing but they are wonderful! There is a water hose spraying water onto the trail and I go around this not wanting my feet any wetter than they are. One gal who runs by me makes a statement that the water must be coming from the lake because its so cold. (I later, as I was heading the other way, see that the other end of the hose IS coming from the edge of the lake. This really is no significance in that only something I used to keep my mind off my painful feet)

I see Hazel heading back to town. I know we hugged at one of our passing’s but things have become a blur in places and I’m not sure if we did on loop 2 or 3. I do remember her husband Casey walking behind her by about 5 minutes soon after seeing her in both loops. Poor guy. He was suffering too. So Hot!

On my way to the turnaround, I started seeing athletes with otter pops! What beautiful colorful frozen things they were! Where can I get one?? Soon I see people beside the trail handing them out! Oh Joy! “What color do you want?” one of the people giving them away asks me. Pink! I reply. It matches my kit! Lol Heaven! I anticipated it tasting so good. They cold ice in my mouth was wonderful. I couldn’t take it though. Oh well. It bought me joy and that was all that mattered.

Just make it to the turnaround Sheryl, I keep telling myself. Next aid station and I avoid it and just keep walking. Get to the turnaround. Made it! Now keep going. Step by painful step. I had a water bottle in my right hand and used it as a tempo metronome. It helped to keep my pace. Not a fast pace but moving. I use the water to drink and to dump on my body, on my next cloth and my sponges still stuck in my kit top like padding which to make me look like I have boobies. I use the bottle to cling to something else.

Aid station. I know I went passed the tables. I might have grabbed something to eat or drink. I don’t remember. More than likely to drink other than the water had had in my bottle. Gatorade? Things become a blur.

Next past the otter pop people. There is a guy with the otter pops fanned out in his hand and asking athletes if they want one and what color. An athlete walking in front of me says yes and the guy hands him a green one “because it matches his kit”! I decline when he asks me if I want an Otter pop. Turning down an Otter pop marks the point when I don’t care about anything but to make sure I am walking. The pain in my feet has gotten so bad that I turn down what gave me joy less than an hour prior.

As I walk along the trail route, along the lake and people on their boats which are docked at the marina, I see people jumping in the water from top of the decks. I envy them. But I am here. I am finishing an Ironman and not them.

Next aid station at the condo. They are starting to break it down. It’s still light out but the sun is going down. I do stop this time and fill up my water bottle. Blur what is said to me. Less than a minute stop. As I go down the trail back to the turn to town, the sprinklers have come on for the grass at the condo. AVOID!! Must not get my feet more wet. Even though my socks are still wet. I swing wide into the road. Others have the same idea. I wonder how there feet are.

During this whole time, till dark, on this stretch of route, there is a vehicle with several people and music blaring, driving up and down the road cheering us on. A young girl in the back seat window praising everyone on the trail. They stop and really cheer for their athlete competing but they are also giving encouragement to everyone else. So helpful!

Back to the neighborhood community route and the aid station with broth! This was the best thing I had on the marathon! So glad I could keep it down. I am worried about the cutoff time. There are less and less athletes now but I resolve to just make it was far as I can. The sun is setting and I am heading back to start the 3rds loop. The last(first) aid station before the park is starting to consolidate. I just go through. I’ll stop at the Special Needs stop. Left turn. Hill. The cheerful lady is still there giving encouragement. I know the struggle is showing on my face. I try to smile and get up the hill. Into the park. Over to the Go Left For Finish or Right for 3^rd Loop. Oh Lord. Help me. One more time around!

I get to the aid station and there is my sister!!! Yeah!! She hugs me and I tell her how hard this is and how painful my feet are. She never lets up with the praise and encouragement. She tells me that everyone is cheering for me. Back home! She’s getting texts and on social media telling me to keep going! Sending love! Each time I go over a timing wire I feel them. I can’t stop. I have to finish this!

3^rd loop. The sun is setting and it’s a little cooler. Still in the lower 90’s but we don’t have the sun beating us down. Where is my glow stick?! As I make my way out to the park and back into the community, I start to see people with glow sticks circled around their necks or in hand as a straight stick. I seem to make this my quest to get that glow stick. I have seen many athletes on the TV presentation of the yearly Kona Championship walking in the dark with the glow sticks. I had always hoped that I would not be finishing in the dark, here, in Kona or any Ironman. I’m eating my words. Now I want that glow stick and the thought of looking for where I can get one takes my mind away from my feet.

Turn after turn no glow stick being handed out. I’m feeling jealous of those with theirs. Keep going Sheryl. Dear God, why? Why do I have to go through this I’m thinking to myself. This hurts so much. My feet are on fire. My back is sore. My right hip flexor is not happy. Where is that glow stick!?! I start to whimper.

Right turn. Left turn. Right turn. Left turn to aid station. A man is in the middle of the road, amidst the left over aid station tables. He has lots. I walk up to him and he puts the ends together to make a circle and I tip my head for him to put it around my next. This seems like a passage of kindship for all those who have finished an Ironman in the dark.

Right turn. I start to cry. My mind can’t handle the pain anymore but I can’t stop. I decide to go elsewhere. Its dark out. No one can see my face and I go somewhere in my mind just enough to get it over with. I start to feel sorry for myself. Then something switched and it went dark. I had to love the pain to get through. I went back to a place in my past that I thought I would never go again. For about half a mile I don’t remember where I was. Cemetery on my left. Snap out of it Sheryl! I told myself that was enough and to start thinking of good thoughts. Buck up! I went there and now I had to focus on something else. I thought of James Lawrence, aka, Iron Cowboy. He had earlier this month finished 100 of these 140.6 swim, bike and runs in 100 days. Is moto is DEFY LOGIC! I thought of David Goggins. A total badass retired Navy Seal and Marine who inspires many with his get off your ass and don’t settle attitude with his #armoredmind. (Kinda strange for a 54 year old woman to admire men like these. Makes me wonder what God has planned for me)

As the route turns right (and on to the awful uneven concrete which I feel at ever step and makes my pain worse) then left then right onto the Centennial Trail again I realize I am so close to the end. Less than 5 miles left. Up the hill past the condos to the next aid station. When I get there, an athlete is talking to a volunteer and says something about the time. He says that its eleven o’clock. I try to do a little math and I start to freak out that I will not make it. Just keep going. Don’t let that worry you Sheryl, I tell myself. But it does. I’m not going to make it. I see Hazel once again. Go get it girl! Finish this! Then Casey! Both still walking.

At the big parking lot, only one set of spectators remains in the dark. An older man and woman. They are still saying words of encouragement. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. As I make my way to the next aid station I look at the lake. the water is dark but I hear the lapping water on the shore. Just make it one mile at a time. (I remember listening to Matt Dixon from Purple Patch Fitness team and his pre-race course overview, and he states that on the marathon if you need to just go “one f…kn mile at a time” then do just that. One mile at a time. Mile 21! Next aid station then one last turn around. At that aid station I asked what time it was. She said 10:30. What?! 10:30. Only 10:30! Oh thank you Jesus! I told her that I thought it was later. She says that I WILL make it! I have no idea what that guy was thinking earlier it had my mind all messed up. Now I was so close. As I was heading to the turnaround, I hear footsteps at my right shoulder. A gal says that she not stalking me. Just likes my pace. She is walking too. As she goes past me though she says that we should be finisher buddies to keep each other going. She pulls ahead. I tell her I have one pace and I can’t keep up. She powers on. The turnaround! We say something encouraging to each other as she passes me going the other way. Now I head back to town too!

I continue with my water bottle metronome. I can’t eat but take in a little Gatorade at the aid station. Keep going. I can hear Mike Riley in the distance. Keep going. Up to the condo aid station. I don’t know if I stopped. Past the condo driveway where a guy has been directing drivers in and out of the condo all day. He had better be getting overtime I think. Down the hill to the left turn back to the community. Ouch. Ouch. Keep going. They pain is almost unbearable. I have no idea how I could push though it. Keep thinking of all those who are following me. Thinking of my husband who has been out here all day waiting for me. My sister. Timing wire. I’m still going people!

Past the cemetery, again. There are three girls sitting on a grassy slope adjacent to the golf course. They had been there at every loop. I only know they are there in the dark because now one of them wears a glow still necklace. They cheer me on. Thank you!

Right turn. Aid station is packing up. All but one table remains and I take a cup of Red Bull. I thank the volunteer and get going. A box truck leaving the aid station with garbage cuts a corner too close and almost takes out a fence. As the driver gets out and checks for damages I move on. This was a good distraction from my feet, even short lived as it was.

A guy passes me running. I get the courage up to run too. I’m so close. I need to run. I’m less than 2 miles to the finish. My feet are in agony. The Red Bull seems to make me go. The guy starts walking and I run past him (That’s a first for the day to pass someone). I encourage him. He seems in pain too. We are on Lost Avenue. Left turn towards the shoreline and the nice homes again. Someone runs by me and I say good job then realized its someone who is pacing another athlete. She is up ahead of him, encouraging him to keep going. They ignore me. He’s in pain too. (I don’t remember what happened to them. If he dropped back or went ahead of me but the first guy I passed is still behind me)

As I go along the drive adjacent to the shore spectators are still there. Encouraging us. One guy has been there all day that I’ve been doing the marathon. I can’t believe how dark it is. Last aid station before the park. I’m running. Then I walk. I hear what sounds like a 4-wheeler or golf cart. I see the lights making a shadow of my body, long in front of me. It gets closer behind me then I hear someone asking the guy behind me his race number. I can hear him tell the guy his number. Crap! I start to run! No! Not me! I’m not done yet! I think this is the sweeper vehicle that pulls people at cut-offs times! I run and don’t stop. They vehicle follows me but I keep running so not to let it keep up. Just keep running, I tell myself. It won’t get me!

I get to the last hill out of the community and the lady that was there all day is not there now. I power walk up that hill but can hear her echoing, “Your doing great!” One last left turn into the park and some workers are encouraging! Thank you! They shout, “You’ve got this!” Thank you!

Into the park and around to where you go right for next loop or left to finish. “I’m going left, damn it!” I’m crying. The pain is gone and I just run. I am running, slow, but running. Up and over a small bridge and I see glow sticks laid out as a path saying, “This way to victory”! Or maybe saying, “This way for it to end soon”. Someone shouts to me to just get over to the next streetlights you see and your in the home stretch and finish! I see Jered and Kelli!! OMG! They are still here!!! They are shouting and yelling at me! (I am so appreciative for them for being there!)

So close! Streetlight. Left turn. All I see as I run down that road are lights glaring at me. Then I hear the crowd. There are so many people still here! It has got to be so late. I see the red carpet and Mike Riley with his microphone in his hand. People are lined up on each side and banging on the fence structure and yelling at me. I see hands out on both sides and I run down the left side high fiving the outstretched hands. Then Mike puts his hand out and I high five his! “Sheryl Perales, You are an Ironman!” I pump my fists! I did it!! As I stop at the finish line, under the archway, I don’t feel my feet. I feel nothing but elevation and joy! I celebrate by doing a twirl under that arch! It is a celebration!! I finished! (TIME: 7:25:04)

As I walk towards the volunteers, they congratulate me and I see a couple chairs, and in the middle of them I see a wheelchair. I tell them I need to sit in the wheelchair. I sit down and I hear my sister to my right. She is smiling and congratulating me! Yeah! We did it! A minute later I here Mike Riley calling someone else into the finish. I have the energy to stand up and I see the time and its 5 seconds to cut-off. The guy who I had passed running is too far away and crosses after the time. He sits down exhausted. I feel so bad for him.

As I am standing, I look to my left and see a lady next to me. “Dexter?” I say “Hi! I’m Sheryl, from Granite Falls!” We are friends on social media and she lives in Couer d’Alene and always wanted to meet this amazing woman. She has five first place trophies from her age group wins. She is a World Champion Triathlete 70+ years old! So inspiring! She gets photo of us together and later posted it on social media together with the photo with the winner, Sam Long. The first to cross and the second to last to cross the finish line! Someday I will see her in Kona. Just not this year. (TOTAL TIME: 17:23:48)

On the official Ironman results, I am third to last official finisher. There are two guys slower than me, one who crossed after me and one who was 16 seconds before me. They had started the swim before me. There are athletes who finished but was not official because of cut-off times and have DNF after their name. I was not one of them and I thank God for that!

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to my sister Geralynn for going on this adventure with me and being my friend, Sherpa and nurse! My husband Alfredo for “surprising” me by being there and also for volunteering! Mary Gandee for encouraging me from afar. Hazel Borden for talking me down from a OWS fear and crying session. Sharon for being you! Jerrod and Kelli for being on the sidelines and cheering me on! From Team Stōke Multisport: Stacey and Bob! Matt Dixon and Purple Patch Fitness for the course preview and advice. Ironman Triathlon for bringing the race back to Couer d’Alene. Mike Riley, the Voice of Ironman, for making a dream come to with meeting you! Angela Naeth for the training plan. And everyone who has encouraged and cheered me on. Thanks for following me!

Onward to the next adventure!! Always determined and never quit! Be better everyday!

Sheryl Perales, Ironman