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Today on our off day, while Calli is probably eating a delicious thanksgiving dinner, I would like to describe my experience during last weekend at Ironman Arizona 2011. Maybe some of you already have seen the pictures on our Facebook account (Let’s TRI), and you noticed how I was trying to cover every possible spot during the event. As I’m writing, the videos that I promised a few days ago are uploading on our youtube channel and hopefully by tomorrow you will have access to all of them.
But let me tell you the story. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning on a Sunday is not what I would usually do, but this was different… I wasn’t even planning on being in Arizona for the Ironman, it just happened! I took the first bus to be able to see close to 2600 people in the water and maybe double than that on top of the two bridges of N Mill Avenue. The water was at 18°C (64°F), so it was not THAT bad for the cold morning that we were in. And looking at all that people ready to start with a 2.4 mile swim was very inspiring! Maybe they were not thinking about the 180 km of biking or the marathon that was waiting for them afterwards… Once they started there was no turning back! You better finish! Even if you have to walk at the end… It doesn’t matter!
Approximately 50 minutes after the pro athletes started, they were already getting out of the water! For a person like me that is still struggling with the swimming, it was even more inspiring and kind of scary at the same time! I need to be there at some point! I took a video of the first 8 guys getting out and then I ran to the transition zone and waited for them to take off on their bikes, which I also recorded.
Being in the transition zone is simply amazing! You see young people (18 years old girl the youngest) and not so young people too (69 years old the eldest gentleman). You see very fit people, but also people with a few extra pounds. And they all have one thing in common: They want to finish and they look so excited that I cannot explain! I saw ALL of them! 2600 persons ready to experience the biking route!
At this point of the morning, I went to have breakfast and then check out of the hotel because I was returning to Costa Rica that same night. But short after lunch and with the help of a great friend I found in there, I went back to the finish line to wait for the first one to come. I was honestly waiting that it was Eneko Llanos. He is a great person, a humble guy, very friendly and of course as people say, behind every great man there’s always great woman too! And this was not the exception. Eneko’s wife looked as humble and friendly as him and they seem to be very in love which even in that way was inspiring for me (I love you Calli!). I had the chance to talk to him a couple of days before the race and his wife took a couple of pictures of us. One of them is our picture for today. But anyways, as I was approaching the finish line I heard the people cheering loud! The champion was coming! Since I was still far from the finish line I had to run over there while preparing my phone to take a video of the winner!
I got to see Eneko running and I took a very short video of his entrance, I was almost running with him since I was far! But it was the perfect timing! I had two pictures with the new Arizona Ironman Champion and the first one to go below 8 hrs on this IM. It was amazing looking at him still being able to walk just fine, because others after him, crumbled at the finish line and they hardly walk fine after that. Eneko deserved to win that afternoon!
Being a little bit stubborn I had to have another picture! So I went as close as I could and he finally approached to talk with some friends and I asked him for the pic! The one that Calli posted on Sunday!
Unfortunately I had to go soon to the airport so I left the Tempe Beach Park and I was not able to see Leanda Cave finishing with her extraordinary 8:49:00. But it was good enough… for now!
On my way to the airport around 7:30 pm I saw a LOT of people still running, others walking, trying to finish their marathon… As I said at the beginning: You better finish! Not to prove anyone that you can do it but to prove YOURSELF that you can do it! The pain will last a couple of days, but knowing that you crossed the finish line, will last forever! You are now an IRONMAN FINISHER!
Being this my first Ironman experience I just can wait to be able to be there on any other city! Hopefully there will come the day when I will be able to participate in one and be a proud finisher too! Let’s hope for the best!
“Know yourself, dominate yourself, better yourself, eternal beauty of sports, fundamental aspirations of the authentic sportsman and premise of its success.” – Baron Pierre de Coubertin 1923
Jose, have a safe flight home, and I will see you in another week or so. Te amo xoxoxo
