Ironman Canada is long over and that day was awesome for so many reasons. However, I had something that I wanted to share with a friend and I have finally taken the time to share my story with her. Kira Peters Crawford thank you....... Kira - Hope this finds you doing well and feeling better today........On July 27th of this year I competed in Ironman Canada. My day started out like any other day with the one exception, I was in the best shape and the best fitness of my life....I was ready and I knew it..that feeling you get is just undeniable… The journey had been long going back to early 2007. It is strange how you replay your journey, the people, the challenges, the changes, the sacrifices, and the bike wrecks :)…..We arrived at T1 and the place was a buzz. You could see and feel so much just by looking at the faces of the competitors. Reading fear, confidence, anticipation, and much more just by the look they all carried with them that early morning. I decided to carry quiet confidence that morning. Strange to make a conscious decision to be a way, to be a feeling, to be a look, but for some reason I made that decision…….I felt like an athlete, which at age 54 seems odd in so many ways, but hey, lets be an athlete today. The memory of walking through and connecting with team mates, training partners, and the few deep friends that made the journey north to Whistler was awesome. For the few deep friends that were there, we were connected, we knew what laid ahead and what we wanted from this day, our absolute best, to leave it all out there on that course (and we wanted very cold NW IPA at the end). The water lay ahead, filled with people slowly making way to the start line, where ever that was. Whistler is beautiful and has a presence, that you never forget. It is etched in my mind as I type this story out. That cool body of water with the early mist rising up and graying out the clarity of what was ahead. Just follow them and I will get to where I need to be. The mind races; I am fast today, so get up front, or am i? Where are the sight lines, check the watch, settle down……BAMM it is go time without warning! 300 yards, yeah that is when it happened. The “I am going to explode, I have to stop, oooo god not this race.” It happened, the Robert Knight Freakout in the water!….Damn, is what I said and the goggles went up, shut down. “get it together” I said over and over. “All this work down the drain, not today, come on”……I turned to watch “HUNDREDS” of people pass me, so disappointing was that moment. Then I realized the dock was right there, just cash it in, breast stroke over and call it a day?….that moment felt like forever, then something clicked and the voice said turn and go, one stroke at a time, one stroke at a time, that is all, one stroke at a time. I turned and went, one stroke at a time. The swim felt like eternity, not too mention a boxing match the entire way. You see I had to pass all those “HUNDREDS” of people back. As the swim ended I remember thinking how much I loved seeing the bottom of the lake, it meant I was almost done with this endless swim. Transition was awesome as I love the chaos that seems to be in T1. Stripped and running to the bag with MY things in it. Felt good about mapping out bag location and running lanes in and out of T1. Running out was awesome, with all those people cheering YOU……People are so cool is what I thought riding out! The bike started out just as I had planned, steady and staying in the zones. Focus on not racing, not competing with anyone, just stick to the plan, the Aleck (my coach for the past 2 years) and Robert plan. For it was our shared plan, our strategy, our vision, and our belief in my fitness and extracting the best I could delver that day. The bike is an awesome part of Ironman! It is where you settle in, where you focus the breath, the technique, the position. It is where you do the inventory; check your body, your mind, and how things are feeling. Things felt nice!…..Laying on the handles, feeling Whistler, and just hitting the watts and cadence, a beautiful thing. Then “Clink” I dropped a chain. Quickly stop and fix without dismounting, back on the saddle. Relieved it was a quick fix, no big deal. Soon the right hand turn and up we go. Be disciplined, stay in your zones…..Then I heard it, that familiar sound that comes from the Professionals descending at over 50 mph…..just something cool about those guys going that fast, damn, they are good (I felt like a fan for a few minutes)! Being disciplined on the hills can be hard when you are getting passed by a large number of riders, but you have to do it…..As I approached the top of the hill I started to see my Ironhead Team mates streaming off the top. DJ, Rick Jones, Jim Hayhurst, Whitney…..So proud of them and all my Orange Crush teammates, is what I thought at that moment. Coming down the hill was sketchy, but I was committed to staying aero and in my zones. Then it happened………approaching a bridge, I encountered a pretty severe bump which ejected my aero bar water system that included my Garmin 510. Off the bike and over the embankment, gone! My mind, “you have got to be sh……me, no way, not now”. O well it is what it is. Lets finish this bike by feel. Time to take all those hours and miles of training leading up to this day and replay them onto the rest of the ride, dont blow up! The 40 mile flat section was great and I really enjoyed the challenge of being my “power” meter. As we entered the Pinticton and hit the sharp left hand turn, the shadow behind me went down. It was so odd to see the shadow go away, then hear the sound of metal and carbon hitting the curb that I narrowly missed. I felt bad that I did not stop, however there were a large number of people on the turn that were there to help (i rationed in my mind). The return to Whistler was much different than the first half. I still felt strong, and the inventory was still good. However I still had those last 20 miles to ride. It did not take long for those hills to meet my front and back wheels. lets just say they did not get along. I worked hard to keep on plan, but it was not to be. I made a decision to slow down and back off on the power. This meant that about 100 riders would pass me on that final stretch. As I went a long, my left hamstring started to cramp. The cramping was light at first, but right as Mr. Mike Grier (training partner and friend) came beside me the entire leg seized up “Hi Mike”……..So I stopped, dismounted, and stretched. Re-mounted the bike and took it easy, as I cramped throughout on both legs for the remainder of the ride. It was during this challenging time I wondered how the run was going to be pleasant considering my current state. The prospects for a good run were remote at best. The final section though, was familiar as we had ridden it 2 days before. Which is an odd way, gave me a boost of confidence and seemed to make the pain, cramping, and inventory improve. I entered T2 with a little feeling of optimism. T2 was awesome, bag found easy, stayed away from sitting to avoid the famous full body cramp I am sure would hit me if I did. Again, the people were awesome. And I still felt like an athlete leaving T2…….People are so cool! The run has always been a mind thing for me. And I really wanted so badly to run well and to hold my own. I had plenty of time to replay my past runs and where I got weak, which allowed me going into this Ironman to be ready to identify those times and feeling and override them should they rear their ugly head. Plus, I just wanted to, if I could, stave off the Steven Livermore run that I knew would be coming. Unfortunately the run is a blur for the most part, which is strange. I really only remember the highs and lows. The times that I was comfortable take me time to recall now. The first big thing for me was to focus on steady and compromise. Aleck had shared with me the art of compromise. It was echoing in my mind his words, “Instead of walking, compromise, make a deal with your body. Instead of walking, compromise and run slower the next mile or half mile”……..That advice really helped me, although making deals with myself did seem a little spooky……..The run continued, Just be steady; walk during the nutrition, take it easy and walk if you have to on hills, just do not blow up. Then it hit, the mind started to question my heart and my legs. I responded with, O no you don’t I am going to do this as planned, I will over come you! There are many things that motivate you through challenges. And Ironman is no different. During this run something hit me, something that brought tears to my eyes and begged me to cry. I thought of Kira Crawford. Most of you do not know who she is, but Kira is a beautiful blond woman, a friend, an acquaintance, a person, that inspired me when I started my journey from fat to fit. She has this smile that just says, “I like you” when she looks at you. However, Kira has cancer. In fact she is battling it for the second time now. I and I think of her often over the past 4 or 5 years. How is she, is she ok, how is her family. I have prayed for her and when I have seen her, I am sure to smile in a way that says “I like you”. Well for some reason, this day, this race, this run, at that time as I was looping around the out and back up hill turn I said it, “what would Kira do”. You see I wanted to walk, slow down, to give in to my mind. Over the course of the next 14 miles or so, I would repeat “what would Kira do”, “She would not quit”, “She would love to be here doing what I am doing”, “Her family would love to be hear cheering her on today in Whistler”……I cried at times, and I smiled, and I grimaced (nothing to do with Kira on the grimace) at times during the rest of the run. For I was lucky to be an athlete that day, I was fortunate to be pushing myself to a place that was brutally uncomfortable. Kira you made a difference that day, as you have for so many who have been fortunate to know you and to be part of your fight. I will never forget that thought, those words, and the feeling that came from those words that day, “What would Kira do”. As I approached the end of the run I became comfortable with my effort this day. I wished in a way that my friend Steven would pull up beside me and I we would have finished together that day. We had braved some dismal days on the bike during training and some absolute awesome days on the bike during training. As the finish lined approached and I realized that my time would be 25 seconds short of making the 11 hour time I was seeking, but you know, it really did not bother me. That day, that moment, I did what I trained to do, I was doing what I wanted to do, and it was done with intent and total commitment. And, I will never forget when things became challenging and I thought I would give in, I thought of Kira and what she would do. Thank you Kira. Although far away most of the time, you and your family are thought of often. Robert
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 23:22:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015