Ironman Cozumel Pre-Race Thursday / Friday/ Saturday

So when I stepped off the plane in Cozumel, the heat and humidity greeted me with a slap in the face. Those are the two things I IMMEDIATELY noticed. We went to pick up the car rental; my dream car; a convertible Jeep Wrangler. I remember watching this TV show as a kid when I lived in the projects. There was this white female who always drove a white Volkswagen convertible Rabbit. I recall she lived near the beach and always drove alongside it with the top off. Since then I have always dreamed about riding in a convertible along the beach. Finally, that dream was being fulfilled. (if you know name of that show please tell me!!! It was in the early 80’s her name was like Bridgette or something like that)

Hotel Melia



 view from hotel balcony



Thursday was supposed to be my packet pickup, registration, and bike assembly. Uhh yeah none of that happened but KP and I checked in at Hotel Melia, which is north, and just walked around a lot. My left knee started to feel pain as was my right knee. I was hoping the right knee was just compensating for the left knee or feeling sympathy pain.

That evening I went to the athlete dinner for the IAMTRI group. I was lost almost an hour looking for this place. Why? Because it took me that long to realize the street signs weren’t posted on the corners like it is in the states or any other country I have visited. The street signs are actually on the buildings. The streets also don’t follow sequential order. For example, if I am on 53rd Street, you would expect the next street would be 54th Street. WRONG The next street is 55th Street then 57th Street. And! The north side of the island are even numbers 2nd, 4th, 6th Street and the south side are odd numbers , 1st, 3rd, 5th Street. It sounds confusing but it makes sense after you drive around a bit.

I finally got there at 6:30 pm. I thought it started at 6 pm but thankfully it started at 7 pm so I was early. I met a lot of people that I have talked with over the past year in the forums. Notably, Heather and Jeff. Heather has always had supportive words. She was a great friend and I was so excited to meet her. I was equally excited to meet Jeff, her boyfriend, because I just knew he would be an awesome dude. No surprises he was!!! He is also an Ironman triathlete but was not participating in Ironman Cozumel. So while talking with them I shared something with them that I was too embarrassed to share with anyone. I didn’t know how to properly put on swim goggles. It sounds easy I know but I was having issues with leaking goggles all year and I was sure it had to do with the way I was putting them on.

It turns out I was. I would put my goggles on and ratchet them as tight as I could get them. Over longer distances not only was a leak inevitable, the goggles were becoming extremely uncomfortable. So Heather and Jeff told me putting the goggles on too tightly was actually causing the leaks because it was breaking the seal. Well they told me how to put them on correctly and I would get a chance to try it out at the practice swim the following morning.

Dailene (day-lean) was in charge of putting on the IAMTRI dinner and she was also getting me in touch with a doctor that would possibly be able to help me with my knee. Side bar: Dailene was in the IAMTRI group (obviously). She saw I was a police officer in Charlotte, NC. She then asked if I knew a particular officer and, small world, I work with that officer on shift! Turns out that officer is married to Dailene’s cousin.

Ok moving right along. Can I just say the IAMTRI dinner was REALLY REALLY good! I was surprised! Dailene made sure there were vegetarian options (for yours truly non-death eater lol I joke) and it was actually really good. They had potato lasagna that was just awesome!!!!! Did you get the food was really good? The doctor arrived a little bit later in the evening and when I saw him I was so excited I nearly kissed on the mouth (not really! ha!). We made an appointment to meet in front of the expo and 1430 hours. He was going to the athlete meeting too because he was also competing in the Ironman.



Jason Gunter

 Friday morning, I was supposed to meet Jason Gunter for the practice swim but I was late. I didn’t realize how far away the swim start was from my hotel. I was a little disappointed because I was really looking forward to getting into the water with someone I knew. Well, I ran into Ingrid and Ute both who were with the IAMTRI group! That was pretty cool.

As we walked over to the swim exit I saw Jeff and Heather exciting the water. They made it look easy. It’s not hard to spot them considering they both have sleeved tattoos like myself. I was asking about the swim and they were like “Oh you will be fine.”

Some people were swimming laps but on the left side of the course near the swim exit people were just kind of treading water. Those are the people I needed to be with and swim next to. So, the three of us decided to go to that side of the swim practice. Ingrid jumps in first like this wasn’t her first rodeo! Ute jumped in soon after. She turned around and yelled, “It’s salty!”

That left little old me at the dock just waiting. Gathering my peace. Meditating to become one with God’s ocean. Then it was time. I had to ask myself, “Would I run into a burning building?” We know the answer to that is no! That’s why I am a police officer! “Would I run into a burning building to help a child?” YES! This ocean was my fire and the children needed help! I jumped in!

The first thing I noticed?! The water was EXTREMELY salty! I guess the water is like that in the ocean! But seriously I guess I wasn’t expecting that taste. It reminded me of when I was a child and would put a hand full of salted sunflower seeds in my mouth. It was similar to that but times ten! I stayed there treading water the best I knew how because treading water is a weakness of mine. Then I began to notice how I was staying afloat without much effort. I began to experiment. I stopped moving my legs and just moved my arms back and forth. Still afloat. Then I stopped moving my arms and put them on my sides. I could feel my feet rising. The water WAS really buoyant. I stayed there a while longer until I was stung. I heard there were marine organisms called Fire Coral that would give you a good sting. I wanted to know what it felt like before I started swimming.

It didn’t take long. !STING! It wasn’t too bad. I saw a yellow buoy about 250 meters out. I put my head down and swam to it. The water was extremely clear. I thought it would freak me out being able to see how deep the water was but it really didn’t. I was caught in the beauty of it all. I did see a jellyfish (I think it was dead though) and thought it smart to swim to the right of it. Way right of it! I swam to the buoy and I just began to tread water. I was doing this because I wanted to know that if for some reason I had to stop during the swim I could do so without freaking out.

I stayed there treading water for a bit then I swam back. I saw schools of fish this time as sawm toward the swim exit. One school swam right toward me. It was kinda funny but startled me a bit because it’s not every day a school a fish swim toward you kamikaze. When I got done with the practice swim, I knew I was ready to swim in the Ironman. I had so much confidence! The practice swim was exactly what I needed!

Thanks to Heather and Jeff telling me how to put on swim goggles correctly I didn’t have any issues (finally!) with water leaking and so forth. Thanks Heather and Jeff!

I was going to start carb loading Friday morning following the swim with my traditional, huge “stuff your face with pancakes and potatoes” breakfast! I have done this before every race and it seems to work. Trust me, I’m ok with eating pancakes for “training.” Following breakfast I took my bike downstairs to be assembled. The mechanic was awesome by the way. Cant wait to tell you about him during the race report! FYI, all of the host hotels had bike mechanics that would assmble you bike. It is free but leave a good tip. Your race is in their hands!

Then we prepared to go to visit the children at Ciudad de Angeles. (you will hear me refer to the children as Angels). We only drove around for 20 minutes looking for this place. When we arrived, they had a mission from Atlanta still hard at work. I met Dennis and his family and they were awesome people! After talking with them, we decided to return Saturday to visit the Angels because most of them were still in school.

I then went to register and packet pick up at the expo. The expo, admittedly, was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I was ready to blow my wallet there but there wasn’t anything that struck my eye. I also wasn’t buying anything until after I crossed the finish line. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I would finish but 17 hours is a long time for things to go wrong. Besides, I had only had one perfect race and that was in Augusta.

After the expo, I waited outside for the doctor. We walked next door to the pharmacy and he was speaking with the cashier in Spanish. She hands him the medication without asking for his identification. I later learned he is one of 6 doctors on the island so he knows the staff there quit well. Then he began looking for something that they obviously didn’t have. I was hoping it wasn’t a syringe. The lady rings up the item and it’s about $20 USD. I gave her my card and it was denied. WHAT?! I KNOW there was cash in the account and I just used it just an hour before. UGH! So I run back to the expo to get $20 bucks from KP then run back to pay for the medication.

Sidebar: I later called my bank and they said sometimes transactions don’t go through when traveling in Mexico. No biggie I learned a lesson. Need to keep cash on me at all times!

The doctor and I walked back to the expo and he tells me they don’t have alcohol swabs to cleanse the injection site. I was think I don’t care I will lick the bottom of a toilet if you told me it would fix my knee. I understand there is a risk of infection if you make an injection at an unsterilized site, but at this point I was desperate! We went to the Red Cross booth to see if they had swabs but they didn’t. So, doc used the next best they had; alcohol-based hand sanitizer. I didn’t care I was game! So we go to the men’s bathroom and I roll up the shorts on my left knee. He says nope. Points to his buttocks and I was like shoot! Not in the rear lol!

So here I am bent over with one cheek exposed, some dude is in the next stall over just murdering the bathroom. I'm praying he doesn’t come out or no one comes in while I’m in the compromising position. He cleans the injection site and makes the injection of whatever it was he was shooting me with just below my hip and just before the fatty part of the buttocks. It hurt a little! I let out a little moan and was REALLY praying no one was coming in or out of the bathroom lol! He wrapped it up and I was done.

This guy was awesome. He didn’t even charge me for making the injection. I only paid for the medication. Was that a blessing or what?! He could have charged me $200 USD and I would have paid it! But this guy, a triathlete himself, saw a patient and fellow athlete in a bind and graciously helped me out! WOW!

I asked how long it would take before I was feeling better and he said a couple of days. Later that day, I didn’t notice much of a difference but by midday Saturday I was feeling 90% and race ready! By race day I felt 100% ready to rock! But more on that later.

Pre-Race Dinner:
Friday evening KP and I went to the athlete dinner. I thought it was well done the food was pretty good! I later heard that was the same food they had for the athlete finisher party too! That kinda sucks!

We met a lot of the other IAMTRI athlete’s at this dinner that I hadn’t met before. It was also a chance for me to introduce KP to the people I have been talking to and have never met over the course of the past year. That was my Friday.

Saturday:

I woke up early which is inevitable! I am always up by 6am! I had another HUGE pancake breakfast with home fries and was maintaining my hydration. I spent the morning preparing my gear bags (swim to bike, and bike to run bags). These bags hold a change of clothes and other gear you need to change in to. They had to be turned in Saturday during bike check-in.

So as I am preparing everything, I realized I was missing my aero bottle! This is the most important water bottle because it’s the one I actually drink out of and it sits in the front of the bike. After about 90 minutes of panic, I found my aero packed in my second luggage. Whew!

I was confident for the swim and I had all of my gear and at that moment, I was able to relax. Well, as much as one could relax knowing there was an Ironman triathlon in front of him. Today would be a fun, stress-free day. Bike check in, visit with the Angels, then a sports massage, and in bed by 7pm.

One last minute check of the bike. I went to adjust my bike computer sensor and it broke! EEK! I tried to fix it using zip ties to hold it in place. And it was working; then it would stop. It would work and then stop again.

Bike check in was painless. I saw several IAMTRI members and just chatted with them. As we a approached the entrance, there was a gentleman there that would check our armband and race number (#366). He would also mention the brand of bicycle we were checking in and it was logged into a computer. I checked in my bike and hung my gear bags. This is where I started to make peace with the entire race. I began positive visualizations of me getting out of the water and grabbing my bags, running into the changing tent, and then jumping on my bike. Then I would picture myself crossing the finish line. I was mentally ready for this race!

At the check-in, I saw some of the pros, Andy Potts and Rutger Beke who are absolutely shredded! TV really doesn’t show how fit these guys are. Any who, after check-in I waited nearly an hour for my shuttle bus to return me to my hotel. It never showed up. I hitched a ride on another shuttle bus that was going to a nearby hotel. Needless to say, there is certainly room for improvement in the organization of shuttle busses. No worries. I made it back to the hotel just in time to run upstairs and change. It was time to meet the children that brought me to this island.

Wow I am getting emotional just thinking about it! I remember the first time I felt like I could swim forever. I blogged about it. I was thinking about these children’s faces. Children I never knew. Children that had no idea they were playing a huge part in God’s plan for me.

It was hard not to get emotional as we approached the compound. I couldn’t cry in front of Dennis and his family. Not in front of the children; but inside my soul was beaming! We went to the first home and introduced ourselves. I was extremely nervous.

Then we went next door. There was a little girl who was deaf. She seemed a little apprehensive of these new faces at first. It didn’t take her long, though, to warm up :) These children truly are Angels! Right here on earth. I now know what it feels like to be hugged by an Angel! And there was a whole city of them. (note: the name of the children’s home translates to City of Angels.)

When we walked in they were having dinner. I saw bananas on the counter and like a mad man that hasnt eaten on a week asked for one. I was getting paranoid because I was feeling cramping in my calves. Lol! I didn’t take it but I felt a little embarrassed that I asked. It was just fear driving me at that point I guess. So the children were having dinner and Dennis was telling them I was doing the Ironman. The boys then started showing me their Ironman poses! They were too cute!

Ironman Pose

We had to cut the visit short; it was a little over an hour. I had a lot to do still and it was going to be a short night. They planned on trying to get the children to visit the race site but it was going to be a challenge. I was looking forward to it but knew it was going to be a late night if they did manage to go. A school night at that!

Dennis Wilson

Next to do was go the MEGA shopping center, get something full of carbs, and then get what we needed for Communion. We ran into Dennis and his family and it was a blessing. His youngest son was able to help me pick out the best noodles to satisfy my need for carbohydrates! We were also able to find Wech’s grape, “The official Communion drink of Church of Christ.” as Dennis jokingly put it. We found everything we needed and it was dash back to Hotel Melia.


I went upstairs and began sorting out my special needs bag (this is the bag that has extra nutrition etc.).There are two special needs bags. One for the bike and another for the run. Most people get these bags at the halfway point of the bike and the run. I put my extra nutrition bottles in the bike special needs bag. For my run special needs bag I had KP write Bible verses to place inside the bag.

One verse was Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

How fitting. I felt like this whole year I was commanded  by God to do this Ironman. And here God's word telling me...do not be afraid or discouraged. WOW!

The second verse was Hebrew 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

I also added a piece of KP’s favorite gum! I knew that having KP’s handwriting with God’s word would help me get out of any hole I may have gotten myself into at the halfway point of the run. The gum was something fun which a lot of people say you should do; so I did. Because it was KP’s gum, it made it that much more special. It seems small and insignificant, but when you read the race report you will know how much something as small as that actually is.

After packing my bags, my day REALLY got tough! I had a 90 minute sports massage to help work out my cramping legs…tough I know! It was only about $90 USD with a nice tip! What a great price. Can I just tell you it was without a doubt THE BEST massage I ever had! I told the massage therapist to take it easy because I didn’t want to be sore the next morning. I felt absolutely ready to go!

Saturday evening was brief. I took a sleeping aid, and was in bed promptly at 7pm. I needed to get up at 0345 to give my stomach chance to settle. When I woke up, I needed to be ready. This was one year of “impossibles” coming to a head. One year of becoming closer to God. One year of faith. One year of watching God perform miracles. One year of watching an average man who was run-walking half marathons, who could not swim, who never ran a marathon, who never really cycled go from that to an Ironman. All to God’s glory. Sunday was that day. It was time to practice...my game face!

Practicing my Game Face

"You have 16:59:59 to complete the Ironman. Anything faster and you're just showing off" =)

“Hassan Peterson of the United States now you can say YOU…ARE…AN IRONMAN!!!!!”

I will never forget that moment!

Race Report to Follow

How to track me Bib#366 Last name Peterson

http://ironmanlive.com/

Scroll down and look to the left where it says Recent Ironman Event Coverage
Click Ironman Cozumel

Click tracking to see where I am in the race.

Or click audio video feed. I expect to cross between 11pm and 1am est if you watch the feed between those hours you can see me cross and giving it up to God!

My knee is feeling good I am feeling good! God's has my back and he will be pushing me forward!

Cozumel En Route

Let me just say I HATE flying. Obviously not enough to not do it. But certainly enough to know I don’t like it.,. kinda like swimming in triathlon.

So I am sitting here on this plane and I'm not sure that it has hit me yet. I have this really weird feeling and this is the best way I can describe it. It is a mixture of two feelings. You know that feeling you get when you are on the airplane getting ready to parachute out. You ask yourself that question, “When did this seem like a good idea?” And you know the day before your child is born, you KNOW you life will never be the same. That is what this is a mixture of regardless of the outcome, my life will never be the same.

Over the past week it has become difficult to really absorb everything that is taking place. I know one thing. IRONMAN is EXPENSIVE!!!! KP seconds that for the record! Maybe an international Ironman isn’t the best idea for a first timer on a budget lol. But I was called to do this and God made a way! Also I wanted to mention here not only has the fundraising goal been met, it’s been passed! The goal was set for $2,500 I think it may actually hit $3000! There are several people I want to thank for helping with this effort! First Andrea Eller! Her organizational skills and networking are bar none! She made a lot of this possible! I'm grateful God got her involved! Thank you Andrea SO MUCH! Second Gary Hixson (side note Gary is the same guy who baptized me!) Gary made an awesome flyer which generated tons of support and prayer.

Update on my knee…

It is still sore and I am extremely nervous the inflammation will return. (unfortunately a few hours into my day it did return) I'm praying the Mexican Doctor can possibly give me a cortisone shot. I honestly think it will save me a lot of worthless pain. I don’t mind pain. I know it will come. But work smarter not harder! Besides, I have read reports of guys not finishing because they “cooked” their IT band. I want to go ahead and remove that possibility.

Any who, I have been receiving reports from the triathletes I met on the IAMTRI website. Heather Brown sent me several emails detailing the conditions there. She stated the water was super buoyant! Perfect because being a new swimmer that is exactly what I wanted to hear. She said the jellyfish sting but nothing to panic about.

It was funny because I started thinking about Christ and how he told us how beautiful heaven is and how much God loved us. The best part He was even going to show us how to get there!

Well, I'm excited starting to hydrate today. I know one thing I am ready to get this event over!

(Ding!) “Good morning folks just wanted to let you know we are 20 minutes outside of Cozumel and will be landing here shortly”
Yup!!!! That’s when it hit me!!!!! I am going to the Ironman!!!

Recap of a bad taper!

*********QUCIK BLOG ENTRY ON THE FLY FORGIVE TYPOS!*****

Wow, I am just a few short days away from flying and even shorter to seeing if what I have trained for over the last year was worth it. Actually, I already know the answer to the latter. It was TOTALLY worth it! But I face even more hardships going into this race. About a week and a half ago I hurt my left knee really badly! I was on my first taper run which would be an easy 10 mile run. I started off my run at my new found faster pace and was feeling awesome! I hit mile 5 and things started to change quickly.

I was starting to feel a “something isn’t right” pain in my left leg. It was kind of weird though. It felt like the upper part of my calf was strained and the lower part of my hamstring was strained too. What was weird was I couldn’t begin to understand how someone only strains part of a particular muscle. It just doesn’t seem possible. Then the real issue became known. The outside of my left knee started to hurt REALLY badly!

I walked a half mile then decided to suck it up and ran the next mile and a half home. I was afraid I had really messed up my knee just two weeks before the Ironman. I immediately starting an internet search and thought I may have Iliotibial band syndrome. This is a common running issue. But I was adamant this issue was not caused by running!

A few weeks ago I did a century ride. Prior to the ride I changed out my cleats and it was the first time I have had knee pain in 8 months even with the tough training I had been putting myself through. And it was the first time I ever had knee pain on the bike. But trying to be a tough guy I sucked it up. So the night before my injury run, I did three hours on my bike training ( a trainer turns your bicycle into a stationary bike). Prior to the training, I adjusted the cleat position again trying to alleviate the knee pain. And it worked…or not!

The next day I did my run and bam! Knee issue. So I Googled to see if Iliotibial band syndrome can be caused by improper cleat/foot position on the pedals and it can. Ok so I get ART (Active release technique) performed on my knee to try to assist with the healing process. After a week of visits I attempted a run; which was this past Friday. A little over a quarter mile into the run I started feeling the tightness returning to my knee and I stopped. After I stopped I started feeling the same pain in my right knee. I have NEVER had issues with my right knee. The following Saturday, I went to Ortho Carolina looking for a cortisone shot. I didn’t get it!

The doctor stated the improper cleat position on my bike turn my knee in a way that it caused inflammation behind the patella of both of my knees. He was certain if I took 800mg of ibuprofen two times a day for the next week I would be able to race the Ironman pain free. I, however, have a recommended doctor (who is an attending physician for the Ironman event) on standby to give me a cortisone shot if needed. I never had a cortisone shot and I am not looking forward to getting one. At this point, though, I will do just about anything to get through this race.

I am actually somewhat grateful for this injury, because I was becoming so bent on finishing in 15 hours and so terrified of the swim. Now, I am embracing the swim, as much as I can, and focusing on just finishing and putting forth my best effort!

Sunday at church we put on an information piece about the fundraising efforts for the Ironman and the children’s home in Cozumel. The minister introduces me and was giving a description of the Ironman and it was humbling to hear exactly what the Ironman is. And it’s crazy. 2.4 miles in the ocean!!!! 112 miles on the bike!!!! And then a marathon! That is just insane!!!

As he is interviewing me in front of the congregation I became emotional because of what God has done in my life over the years. I just cant believe it. To boot the sermon talked about God and his power. God breathed the stars into existence. It was just an unbelievably great lesson and made me really understand the God that gave me life, is the same God that got me though the tough times in my life. He is the same God that made the universe, AND He is the same God that will be with me during the Ironman. There is a peace I feel in that. I am still afraid and I think that is ok.

It’s really starting to sink in though. One year seemed so long ago! Now here I am! I will be honest. I don’t really feel like I am racing for me. I am racing for God and for the City of Angels. I really don’t want to let them down because of a knee injury. I don’t want to let my own children down by not finishing. They have had to sacrifice too. I don’t want to let KP down who too has had to sacrifice. I don’t want to let the people down that I have helped to inspire. I don’t want to come back home and explain to people why I didn’t finish the race.

I will make one promise! I WILL NO QUIT! THAT IS NOT AN OPTION! I will suffer for 17 hours if I have to but I will NOT quit! If my knee flares up I will call upon my God. When I am having a good time and things are going great I will Thank God! I will NOT quit. I think that is the only thing God is asking of me in this race and that is to not quit.

I can tell you we are about 6 days out and I can still fill pain but my promise still stands. I will not quit! Keep praying for me guys! I am praying for a healing and a miracle! At this point, getting to the starting line is a victory!

How did I get here?

How in the world did I get here? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I ask myself that question as an athlete. I remember a year ago I could barely swim 250 yards in a pool. The most I ever road a bike was 30 miles. The farthest continuous run I had under my belt was one 10 mile run and that was almost two years ago. I am now about 4 weeks out from doing an Ironman. And while I know God was present the entire time, I often ask myself, “How did this happen?”

It’s eye opening to look back on the road that has led me here. This is a moment I will NEVER have again. I will NEVER be 4 weeks out from my FIRST Ironman. So I thought it fitting to look at exactly how it happened.
Well, I was always a heavy drinker. I NEVER drank to be social always to get drunk. I never saw the point in having drinks if you weren’t going to get drunk. As my drinking began to escalate in 2007 there was only one thing that helped curb that addiction. RUNNING! Now I was never really good at running. In the Army I was in the back of the pack. The slowest guy there was. I hated it; probably because I was a smoker. Running is to smoking as water is to oil. I stopped smoking the day my son was born in March 14, 2005.

I started running again to lose weight (winter 2006) and when I ran my first 10K, Cooper River Bridge Run in 2007, I got a finishers medal! I think I became more addicted to getting finishers medals than I was the running. In high school I was far from an athlete. I never won athletic trophies or anything like that so finisher medals help kind of fill that void. Most 10ks don’t give finisher medals so I had to increase my distance to the half marathon.

I read an article in the September 2007 Runners World (I actually read the article in November 2007) magazine called “I am not a jogger” (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-332--12126-0,00.html ). The one line that really stood out was “I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.” Even though I was slow, I considered myself a runner! I was inspired by this article. After reading it I decided to do my first half marathon. So with a 6 mile base, and 6 weeks to get to 13.1 miles, I tackled Thunder Road Half Marathon in Dec. 2007. I was still drinking heavily during this training period but not as much as I was used to.

Ironically, the half marathon was the same year and month (also December 2007) I saw Ironman Kona on NBC for the first time. I remember I couldn’t swim and never thought something like that was possible. I never knew what the Ironman was until I saw it on NBC. I cried with excitement watching these peoples’ stories. And I have cried at every Ironman I have watched since!

I heard of triathlon but didn’t think they were normal people! They were fitness buffs right?! In the 2007 Ironman Kona broadcast, there was a larger guy who completed Kona…he was about 300 lbs. Maybe, something inside of me said if he can do it so can I! (but alcohol was still telling me no!)

After my first half marathon, I did one or two duathlons (run-bike-run) but always fantasized about doing a triathlon. The one thing that was holding me back was I couldn’t swim. It wasn’t long after the completing duathlons that I stopped running all together and not that I was ever any good at it anyway. I did just enough training in between my drinking and running to barely finish the half marathon. I had 15 minutes to spare before the cutoff for my first half marathon and I was last in the duathlons (I finished before one girl and a guy who was 250lbs).

The only time I ever cycled was during the 12 miles of the duathlons. I never trained for the cycling part of the race. I thought all you had to do was pedal and that wasn’t too difficult. Then I stopped running because I no longer wanted a reason to curb my drinking. In April 2008, drinking was the answer to every problem and every success I ever had. Then suddenly, it had turned its back on my. I almost lost everything! My career, relationships, and the ability to support my children were on the line during a drinking rage April 2, 2008. It is only by Grace I can sit here and say I didn’t lose everything.

I remember during my drinking days praying to God (whom I did not believe in I just didn’t have anywhere else to go) to curb my drinking. And when April 2, 2010 happened, I hated God for letting it happen and I lost the very little faith (if you can call it that) in God. It was crazy I was practicing Buddhism at the time but praying to God whom I had no faith. A little lost? You think?!

April 3, 2008 I was sober and I have been sober ever since (wow…getting emotional writing that). Six months of intensive outpatient rehab…getting over the embarrassment of not being able to drink and being called a recovering alcoholic, I wanted to start reclaiming some of the things alcohol took from me. I started running again. Nov. 2008, Thanksgiving Day, I ran my first race sober. It was the Turkey Trot a 5 mile run. I cried during that run (where are these tears coming from now). It was a tough run but I remember thinking “How did I get here?” I was sober, I was enjoying life, I was starting to feel comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t feel like a fake or a fraud. I was accepting who I was and learning not to care what other people thought of me.

The best part…I was running again! I was taking back something alcohol had taken from me. With every step of that race, every mile marker I passed, I was taking something back that belonged to me. I kept reciting in my head… “12 more steps” (fyi-there are 12 steps to the program for Alcoholic Anonymous). So this mantra took on dual meaning.

On May 23, 2009, I was baptized into Christianity. I learned God, whom I had lost faith in, did not lose faith in me. I learned on April 2, 2008, when I thought He left me, He was actually answering my prayers. He had been in control all along. July 2009, I did my first mission trip in Mexico. I developed a love for a people I did not understand. At the end of that trip, I had a vacation in Playa de Carmen, Mexico (ironically it is a 20 minute ferry ride from Cozumel). This trip was an absolute blessing from church members. (Aida and Armando thank you for your blessings! I hope you see what the blessing has grown into!) It was also the reason I took my first swim lessons.

Playa de Carmen was the first time I went to the beach in my adult life. I was in awe at how beautiful the water was. I couldn’t totally enjoy the beautiful ocean because I couldn’t swim. I vowed, after that trip, I would learn how to swim. In August 2009, two weeks later, I took my first swim lesson. After my first week of swim lessons, I ambitiously decided I was going to do a super-sprint triathlon which was just a day before my 30th birthday on October 4, 2009. Somewhere, as I struggled to get through the 300 meter swim (I had to take a break and did 50 meters on my back), biked the 10 mile loops (had hills that I could barely get up because I didn’t know how to climb hills) and the 3.1 mile run ( I walked a little) I decided I was going to do an Ironman! God said perfect! You can do it next year!

I was looking at half Ironman races for the following year because I thought in a year I would be prepared to do a half Ironman. Then I saw Ironman Cozumel and remembered our church sponsors Ciudad De Angeles, a children’s home in Cozumel. This was a new Ironman venue and it was in Cozumel! My burning bush. I asked my coach, Lance Leo, if I could do an Ironman in a year, when he said yes, I signed up for the Ironman.

I thought this journey and the purpose of this Ironman would be to raise money for the children’s home in Cozumel. Sadly, I have not raised as much money as I would have hoped. I pray that changes in the very near future. But what I have learned is something I know God wanted me to learn. I didn’t learn it until the Augusta Half Ironman. What is impossible with God?!

When I told people I was doing a half Ironman just 8 months after my first swim lesson and 4 to 5 months of training, I was getting “looks”; but I completed it! Tell me what is impossible with God? In Augusta Half Ironman, I beat my personal record by over an hour and completed that course 45 minutes faster than I thought I could have imagined. Now you tell me what is impossible with God? And after I have said this, the human in me rears its doubt. Going into Augusta, I was afraid. I prayed but I was afraid. Going into Cozumel, I am afraid, I am praying but I am afraid. In the end this is God’s race and whatever happens, happens because of and for Him.

Just like this is God’s race, my life belongs to God. Even when I think I am in control of things, I am not. And like my races, I am not always the best; I fail, I sin. God, however doesnt keep a timer, doesnt keep score. He just gives grace. Still, I have a tough time accepting that. This Ironman is for my God and it is also to regain the things I have lost to my addiction. It is to confront the demons of my alcoholism. I accept I can never, not be an alcoholic, but at least I have a chance to meet those demons head on in the Ironman.

I was listening to a song my Eminem (the clean version). There were lyrics to his song “Not Afraid” that nearly had me in tears because it touched me! I felt like it told the story of the past few years of my life.

“And I just can't keep living this way
So starting today, I'm breaking out of this cage
I'm standing up, Imma face my demons
I'm manning up, Imma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through”

This reminds me so much of when I was actively in my addiction and now I am facing my demons. The You he refers to in these lyrics , in my interpretation, is God! Having said that, this last month of training has been the hardest! It has asked the most and I guess after a year of training the mental toughness is starting to wear a little thin. Perseverance is the key! Except some days it’s just so hard to remember that! Coming up on 30 days out!

2010 ESI Augusta 70.3 Race Report

!!!FACING THE GIANTS MOVIE SPOILER!!!





~~~Facing the Giants Spoiler in this video! ~~~’

I refer to the movie Facing the Giants a lot. I think this movie taught me that God can be present even in sports. I have tried to really let God use me when training for and competing in triathlons. All I have to do is give it to Him. There is one part of the movie, at the end, where the coach comes in and asks team members, “What is impossible with God?” The response… “NOTHING!”

Nothing is impossible with God!

This is significant for me because knowing this got me through Augusta!


Pre-Race:


We drove up to Augusta, Ga Saturday morning. I checked in immediately and the line was ridiculously long! They only had 4 volunteers checking in athletes. Other than that checking in was a non-issue. I hit the expo, checked-in my bike, and I was in bed at 7pm. I wanted to get up by 3:15am and be out the door by 4am. I always have stomach distress before a big race. I wanted to have time to relax if that was the case in the morning and I figured it would be. At 3:15am I woke up and immediately took 2 Pepto Bismol tablets. This is a little trick I learned from the tri athlete social website www.iamtri.com. I took in applesauce but wasn't really in the mood to eat.

We arrived at the race site and it was total chaos! Let me just tell you the logistics used in the set up of this race left much to be desired. The parking situation presented a HUGE challenge. At 4:45am, I was the first athlete in the transition area. In fact, I arrived 15 minutes before the transition area even opened! I mean I beat EVERYONE there… even the body markers! I needed that time, though, to feel settled. That also meant I was the first person in the green giant (porta-johns). I’m sorry, but every triathlete knows you cannot talk about triathlon without mentioning the porta-johns! I then took another dose of Pepto!

After trying to come up with a plan amidst the chaos, we decided KP would park at the swim start. Unfortunately, she would miss the swim exit and the bike start/finish. She would, however, have a parking spot and be in position for the run. Let me say, if you have a significant other who wants to watch this race in its entirety, having a bicycle for him/her might not be a bad idea. Parking and viewing access are a huge challenge for the first two legs of the race. You may have to do what we did and have your spouse miss the swim exit and bike start/finish. The hardest part of the race is usually the swim start and the run so we opted to park at the swim start. Having KP at the swim start was really neat. I don’t know why but I still get very nervous before the swim...every time! The spectator view of the swim start is about 100-150 yards away on top of a hill. Poor planning, I think, by the organizers! Your significant other will barely be able to see the start. As time wore on more and more spectators were making their way down that hill. (shhhh KP was one of them lol)
My wave was the first age group wave to start. Pro males, followed by Pro females, then physically challenged. Finally, my wave would start; the first wave of age group 30-34. I did see Scott Rigsby in the transition area. Talk about motivation. I have seen his interviews and know that he has a strong faith in God. Scott Rigsby was the first double amputee to complete Ironman Kona. Kona is the Holy Grail of triathlon.


Swim:


At this point there was a light, off and on, rain with heavier rain forecasted for later in the afternoon. It looked like the rain was going to be pretty heavy during the mid to late afternoon. I would later learn that would surely be the case. I took plenty of time to put on my wetsuit. I didn’t want to have issues with my wetsuit like I did in the Lake Logan Olympic distance triathlon. As usual, I engaged in nervous chatter with other athletes. Can I just say there were A LOT more African-American triathletes here than in New Orleans. That was pretty cool to see, too! I walked over to the side and I prayed. I gave this race to God. I admitted I was afraid. I admitted I felt like He wasn't with me like I did in previous races. It was because I was too consumed with the unknown. And so I prayed, and I prayed and finally, I felt like I was with God but still had some trepidation. I admitted I was afraid, but felt at that point, I was still giving the race to God. So all I had to do was have faith.

The two minute warning sounded as we approached the water. My heart rate wasn't peaking, but I was still nervous. 1 minute warning. Everyone was getting excited. The announcer really had the crowd going. I could hear the cheers. We were the first Age group and I could hear the crowds screaming with anticipation. HORN!!!!!

I started my Timex watch so I could keep track of my race time. I put my head down and I started swimming. I was feeling really good. The swim is the place where my mind plays the most tricks on me. It’s where I have to struggle to listen to the Voice of Truth. I still continue to struggle with sighting on swims and found myself zigzagging at the start. Finally, I was able to see the buoys. The river was murky like every other body of water I had been in. There was A LOT of natural debris in the water which got really annoying after a while. One time I saw what I thought were fish scales and it turned out to be leaves. It’s all fun and games until I’m screaming like a girl underwater!

I remember sighting the swim exit and thinking, I never did feel the downstream current everyone was talking about. I was thinking my swim was probably about 40 minutes, which isn’t bad, but as I approached the timing mat I looked at my watch…33 minutes! NO WAY! That swim really set the tone for my race. Not because it was a fast swim, but the fact that I felt comfortable in the water…that is what set the stage for me!


Transition 1: Swim to Bike


I decided in some of my early races that I will give these events the respect they deserve! I jogged (instead of walked like KP told me to do lol) to my bike but first I had to visit the green giant (porta john). I was happy to relieve the effects of my hydration in transition and not on the bike. Then I ran to my bike and boogied on out of Transition. I made sure to turn on my Garmin and Bike computer prior to leaving transition. I forgot to do that in New Orleans! I was pleased with my transition considering how far the run was from the swim exit to the transition…350 feet! I went to grab my Gas-X strips and they had melted in the rain! I opened the strips ahead of time for easy access, but it turned out to be a bad idea in the rain.


Bike: 56 Miles


I remember reading race reports going into Augusta that stated, paraphrasing here, the first 12 miles are super flat but don’t let that fool you. At mile 12, they said the hills come. My heart rate was 165bpm coming out of the water and transition 1. My goal was to wait until my heart rate was about 140 to 145 before I started to take in fluids and find my race. I headed out of transition and my cycling computer wasn’t working. I checked it the day before and it was working fine. I guess when I put air in my tires I must have moved the tire sensor. I stopped twice before I finally had it working correctly. My goal for the bike portion was to race within my heart rate zones. I had to keep reminding myself, the hills are coming and I want to be able to run ten miles of the run.

Twelve miles into the ride and there were still no hills. I remember looking at the elevation map of the bike and thought at mile 17 I saw a sharp hill. I did face a hill at 17, but it wasn't anything scary. Now I don’t pretend to be good at reading elevation maps, however, I recall telling myself between miles 17 and 37 is where the tough hills that everyone was talking about were going to be. While there were some hills, the course I train on at home is A LOT tougher than this route was. At mile 37, the profile showed the route would start trending downhill and it did. It was awesome to ride this course. At one point I hit 40 mph going downhill!

Being the first wave, I knew there were going to be A LOT of people passing me and there were several. Two of those fast people were David and Ashley; two Fellowship of Christian Athlete Team Endurance members whom I first met in New Orleans. I saw them again while volunteering at a triathlon for Team FCAE at Lake Norman; small world! I forgot they told me they would be in Augusta. I saw Ashley at packet pickup on Saturday and David at bike check-in. They both were super strong on the bike. Ashley actually qualified for Clearwater. Clearwater is the 70.3 version of Kona.

Being passed by so many people wasn't all bad. Other Team FCAE members would pass and it was like a 2 second praise fest. Other random cyclists would pass and make mention about God, Jesus, and the Ichthus Fish. It wasn't a bad thing at all! I did have the opportunity to pass a few people in my age group on the bike which is a VERY rare occasion. I kind of felt guilty, because it felt good to pass them! On the other hand, I did encourage them as I passed. I started to play leap frog with a guy named Timothy. I seemed to do really, really well going downhill while Timothy was better at climbing. I would later tell him that we will likely leap frog most of the day as climbing was my weakness and sure enough, we did! I would pull ahead of Timothy and then have to stop to refill my water bottles. I’m getting better at moving around on the bike, but I just can’t seem to get to my water while on the move. I’m still working on it though! I hate stopping for 30-45 seconds to refuel but it is a necessary evil for me right now. Eventually I will be able to grab water bottles and refuel on the move. I will say this, this has motivated me to strongly consider using a Speedfill bottle in Cozumel.

One time I stopped and Timothy checked on me. I was ok, just refueling…again. I was able to catch up to him and he stopped. I asked if he was ok and he waved me forward saying he was fine. I didn’t see him again.

The first 20 miles of the bike ride were great as far as the weather was concerned. The last 36 miles were in the rain which was EXTREMELY heavy at times. When riding downhill against the rain, I would get pelted in the face and it would hurt (ok I’m a big baby)!

The home stretch of the bike ride was relatively flat, no big climbs, but some small insignificant rollers. There was some wind at times on the flatter portions of the road but really no big deal. I recall cycling and thinking how badly I needed to save it for the run and kept racing within my zones. I felt like I did a pretty good job of that. The Infinit Nutrition on the bike was the best thing I could have done. The first hour it seemed to taste bitter but by the second hour it wasn't bad. For the next batch I will have them tweak the sweetness a bit. One last thing on the bike…. I made progress by being able to grab a gel from a volunteer while on the move! I WAS SO EXCITED! LOL! I was able to rip the tag off and take the gel! Maybe by Ironman Cozumel I will be able to grab a water bottle on the move.

The last five miles I started to feel some slight cramping in my left calf. I was hoping it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I was going to have a personal best on the bike, so even if I did cramp and had to run-walk the run course I was still going to have a personal best! I was excited and nervous about the next part of the race. The Run…


Transition 2


By the end of the ride the rain started to clear up and the sun was starting to make an appearance. I did the shoe-less dismount off the bike for the second time in a race!!! I LOVE doing that! Makes me feel like the professionals :) …it also makes for faster transitions. It's easier to run in transition barefoot than it is in cycling shoes. The transition area was extremely muddy because of the heavy rains. l jumped off the bike and took my Timex watch off. Unfortunately, I broke the strap in the process. I looked at the time and realized I was going to be able to complete the race in under 7 hours! I threw on my Vibram Five Fingers and hat, then it was time. Time to ask myself the most difficult question every triathlete asks themselves. Do I have running legs?!


The Run: 13.1 miles (Half-Marathon)


I prayed…”Thank you Father, I have running legs”!!!! I might just be able to run ten miles like I promised myself the night before. Even if I had to run-walk I was still going to hit my goal of finishing in 7hrs15min.

Secretly, I had a bigger goal… a goal I didn't think was really possible. I wanted to run the full half marathon in the half Ironman. In fact, I told myself I would not sign up for another full Ironman until I was able to run the whole run. In the New Orleans Half Ironman, I run-walked the run course. And by that I mean I pretty much walked most of the run course because I was dead. That was a very short 20 weeks ago. Running the whole run course didn't seem likely. But maybe, just maybe I could run 10 miles.

I set out on the run. I successfully made it ten feet out of transition before having to stop for the green giant, then I was back on the run course. The run is always the best and worst part of the course. The run is the hardest part but also the same place where you get to meet other tri athletes and see your family. Early on I met Paul. This was Paul’s first Half Ironman. He had knee issues and had suffered from a type of respiratory infection two weeks before the race start.

As I started to run, I realized at the end of the first mile that I felt like I could keep the pace I was running forever. I noticed right away that there was already tons of support from the cheering crowds. The first mile passed and I looked at my pace; 11min. Body check-in... am I running too fast? How do I feel? What is my heart rate? I was running with my heart rate between 155 and 160. I was running MY race based on MY heart rate and it was working. Three miles passed and I was still in the zone both mentally and physically! Man, I was loving it! The miles seemed to go by quickly (for me 11 min miles beats the 14:30 miles I was run-walking in New Orleans). More importantly, I was feeling good! I was enjoying it!

At about that point, I made my first pass through Broad Street. The run on Broad Street is why I, Hassan Samuel Peterson… will be returning to the Augusta Half Ironman! I felt like a superstar! Our bibs (race numbers) had our first names on them so people were calling our names, hitting our hands, just going crazy! It was awesome! I got chills running on Broad Street. I’m getting chills right now re-living that experience. When people were cheering me by name I remember thinking, “this must be what the pros feel like” and “Wow! I can’t believe people are pronouncing my name correctly!”

SIDE NOTE: I just want to thank the terrorists for this! Before those idiots, the name “Hassan” was nearly an unheard of name. I cannot tell you how many times I have been called “who-sane.” Really people?! But now nearly all of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist have Islamic names! And so a fortunate result of this for me, is that I get to have my name pronounced correctly! Unfortunately, I also get stopped EVERYTIME I fly internationally! Even in MEXICO! I expect it will happen when I go to Cozumel as well. And if you were wondering there is a Hasan (spelled with one s) on the terrorist list! But, I digress.

Broad Street was a pretty long stretch. We went down one side, made a u-turn then ran up the other side. I saw KP and I was so happy! I wanted to tell her how awesome I was feeling! After seeing KP, about a half mile up the road, I saw my coach, Lance Leo! I didn’t know he was going to be there! It was a welcomed surprise! All I could yell was “I think I am going to PR!” He was excited for me and his excitement was genuine. About a quarter mile beyond that I saw his wife Ann! She is AWESOME too! An Ironman herself! These people really are the best!

Paul (the friend I made early on) and I continued to run and I told him, If I start to slow you down leave me, this is your race! He said the same thing to me. I guess I needed to hear that from him because I started to see his knee injury and upper respiratory infection starting to take its toll on him. At mile marker 4, I walked through the aid station to get drinks and starting running again. I looked back and Paul was still walking. I yelled “Paul I will see you when you catch up to me!” He waved me on and I continued moving forward.

I ran up alongside the opposite side of Broad Street and heard KP but didn’t see her. Then the course leaves Broad Street and you pass the finish line. The right lane was for finishers and the left lane was for the mere mortals starting the second lap. I saw the race time and it was 5:15 ish. I had about 6 to seven miles to go and I was feeling really good! As you pass the finish the run course goes by the transition zone. The road gets really quiet for about two miles on the backside of the course in between the finish line and the transition area.

I guess I needed this “alone time.” It was at this point I started my run with God. I remembered, I’m not supposed to be here. I remembered how close to death I once was….afraid of killing myself and afraid of living, too. During that time, I was “here” but usually drunk. I would fake it for 8 hours at work. You know smile, crack jokes, but deep inside I was afraid people might find out who I really was. I am grateful for the days I spent in the dark and even for those lies I once believed. It makes me appreciate the light and the Truth so much more. So here was this recovering alcoholic, fat boy, as I was once called (232lbs 4 years ago), ex-smoker, running in a Half Ironman in the name of Jesus (Whom I had hated just a few short years before) and enjoying it! Now you TELL me what is IMPOSSIBLE with GOD! NOTHING! It was that day in Augusta that I learned that Truth! And it was THAT Truth that got me to the finish!

I was coming up on Mile 8 and my promise was to get to mile 10 still running. I only had two more miles to go before I could walk. Every step was becoming more and more difficult. I always say when it starts to hurt that is when the race begins for me. I told KP while on the course that at mile 8 I was going to feel it and I did. Well my race was in full force! With every difficult step I asked myself, What is IMPOSSIBLE with GOD?! And answered, NOTHING! And I would keep running.

As I made my way back to the transition area I met another triathlete. Susannah McLeod. This was her first lap in her first Half Ironman. She had spirit! This woman was on her first lap and just so happy to be in this moment! I needed to be around that and she was a pleasure to run with. As we approached Broad Street I was telling her how powerful it was to run down that street. She took pride in that because, coincidentally, she was from Augusta! What a treat to do your first Half Ironman in your hometown.

FINALLY MILE 10!!!! OH Yeah! I kept my promise!!!!!!! I could finally walk!!!!!!! Now… let me tell you why I didn’t! KP told me the night before the race, when things were getting tough and I wanted to give in and walk, to think about what I wanted to be able to say and remember when it was all over. Was it “Yeah I ran 10 miles of the half marathon?” Or was it “I ran the WHOLE half marathon in the Half Ironman?” You KNOW which one I wanted to be able to say.

I remembered lyrics from some of my favorite Christian bands. One song was “Every Time I Breathe” by Big Daddy Weave. The lyrics say, “Now how could I, after knowing One so great, respond to You in any way that's less than all I have to give…” another song was “Sing A Song” by Third Day. The lyrics are “I want to sing a song for you Lord. Lord for you I want to sing a song” it goes on to say “With everything that's in me Lord, listen to me sing, I want to sing a song for You, I want to sing a song” Well, unfortunately I can’t sing so my song is triathlon. And I wanted to sing that song with everything that was in me… so I kept running.

Soon I was back on the other side of Broad Street. It was really cool! The people that cheered for me on the first lap got even louder when they saw me on the second lap (just got chills again!). It was unreal! There was HUGE support for Team Endurance (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) on the course. They had a tent setup with noise makers and drums. Every time I ran through that group they went crazy! There were a lot of other participants from Team Endurance on the route offering encouragement too. It was funny I would hear people scream “Go Team!” For the longest time I thought it was for me or Team Endurance. Toward the end of the race I realized it was Team In Training. So to all the Team guys I’m sorry I poached off your cheers! Lol.

I was nearing the end of the race. I knew I was going to finish. I knew I was going to have a personal best time. But most importantly, I knew that Nothing is Impossible with God! I just didn’t know how sweet it was going to be (wow I’m actually getting a little emotional here). I was coming around the corner and I saw the finish. I raised both of my hands in the air and I was screaming! WOOOOOOO! Like I was Rick Flair! I was so happy that I had just run the whole half marathon! And I was so happy it was over! I had set two long term goals for the Half Ironman Distance. One goal was to have a 6 hour and 30 minute time and the second was to run the whole half marathon in the Half Ironman continuously. I decided I was not going to sign up for another Ironman until I was able to complete these goals at the Half Ironman Distance. I thought maybe I could complete these goals next race season; a year from now.

I did BOTH in the Augusta Half Ironman! I even got one better LOL! My time was 6 hours 29 minutes. LOL! A minute faster than my LONG-TERM goal!

Although I wanted it, I never prayed for God to give me a 6:29 time. Honestly, I was just hoping to have 7:15. I have learned to give my races to God. This is His race and what happens, happens for His Glory! Look what I received in return, I was able to praise Him on the course, and had a race I thought might be possible…a year from now!

NOW YOU TELL ME WHAT’S IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD?!