No Miracles Left for me in Lake Placid

Here's a quick update for anyone curious about how my Ironman race went in Lake Placid yesterday (or wondering why I DNFed). I had my fastest IM swim, a good bike time, and was having the run of my life when my stomach shut down sometime in the late miles of the marathon. After an epic vomiting session around mile 20, I was hit with severe dehydration and collapsed after seeking medical assistance at the aid station around mile 21. For most of the run, I was feeling strong, and when I dropped out, I was in second place in my age group, on pace for a sub-11:00 Ironman and a likely Kona slot.

I haven't quite recovered from the disappointment and sense of complete and utter failure. People say it will get better with time and distance, but today, my eyes are too filled with tears to see that far. I had such high hopes, long training hours and money invested in this race and now I have nothing to show for it.

I spent many hours lying awake last night analyzing what might have gone wrong: too aggressive a pace, a sleepless night before, nutrition errors, etc. But the thing that most frustrates me is how rapidly and decisively my race fell apart with no opportunity to regroup. I begged the medical volunteers to help me find a way to finish, but they said my race was over and put me in an ambulance to the finish line.

I had expected to arrive there in a completely different state (and state of mind).

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