I decided to do
this ironman not knowing my pulse or splits. I do better
if I go by feel. I believe this really helped me during this
race. I stayed positive the whole bike despite the continued
downpour. What I didn’t know is that
I finished the bike in 7 hours 10 minutes. I averaged only
15.6 mph. If I had known this I would have been very depressed.
Again I was glad I went the pace I did because I had my legs
for the run.
Ross running in the rain. |
Ross running in the rain. |
Ross running. |
Bill going strong in the rain. |
When I saw Marion, Flynn (Christine’s
husband), Peter and Krista Blakemore (who are good friends,
who came to watch the race) I told them I felt great, which
I did. I knew I was running well. I ran great until at about
mile 11 of the run course. I saw that my race time was like
10 hours 40 minutes or something like this. This really took
away my spirit, because I would have to struggle to break
13 hours. I wish I hadn’t seen my time. Fortunately
I was depressed for only about 15 minutes because I saw Desiree
Flicker about to finish and I realized Desiree, a pro who
should do this Ironman in like 9 hours 30 minutes, was going
to finish in like 11 hours! Desiree had come in 2nd in the
World Ironman Championships, so if she was 1.5 hours slower,
it wasn’t
so bad I was also.
Marion and
Krista/Petra Blakemore waiting for me in the pouring
rain. |
Wet family! |
Carol and Marion at the BBQ. |
I was running great and hit the low point
around mile 18. We were on a road without any fan support.
Even Marion couldn’t
see me. She was a trouper, as were my other friends and the
volunteers, staying out on the course all during the day
while it poured. Yes, it even poured during most of the run!
Imagine swimming 2.4 miles, then cycling 112 miles up and
down hills in a pouring rain, then you have to run a marathon?
Yes, not an easy task. I think the picture of me on the bike
says it all. Look at that picture and study it - it says
a lot! From mile 18 until the fan support at mile 23, it
was rough to keep on running. I definitely started walking
up the hills. When I saw Marion at mile 23 we walked up a
hill together. It reinvigorated me and I ran the rest of
the way. I ended up running a 4 hour 20 minute marathon!
Not bad for a 45 year old. I finished Ironman Lake Placid
in 13 hours 10 minutes. Wow, what an accomplishment!
Ross finishes Ironman Lake Placid! |
Ross finishes Ironman Lake Placid! |
Ross finishes Ironman Lake Placid! |
It is
now 3 weeks since Ironman Lake Placid. I am training again,
but this time for a marathon! I am planning on doing an Olympic
distance triathlon next weekend and then not doing another
triathlon for at least a year. My friend Rick Zurbriggen
is the inaugural member of Florida Area Retired Triathlon
Club, something like that. It is basically the FARTS club
and since we are all older he is calling it the Old Farts
club. I am going to be the 2nd member. You have to not do
a triathlon for one year. Once you do one you are out of
the club, but you can rejoin!
Don’t fret, I have some
other goals to achieve. My marathon PR is 3 hours 46 minutes,
I would like to break 3 hours 10 minutes in the West Palm
Beach Marathon 12/7/08. Yes I have signed up. I would like
to complete the Ice Age Ultramarathon in May 2009 (50 miler).
Hopefully in November 2009 I will finish arguably the hardest
Ironman race in the world (Silverman). Those are my immediate
plans. For now, I am happy with my outcome at Ironman Lake
Placid, as are my friends who both set PR’s. Bill Sawyer
my bud, beat me by 13 minutes, as he did 12 hours 56 minutes
and Christine
Donovan cut 1 hour off her Ironman time with a 15 hours 51
minutes.
The whole Ironman Lake Placid experience made Marion
and I fall in love with the Adirondack Mountains. We do plan
to go back and cycle through the area. It is beautiful, spectacular!
The whole experience also reinvigorated my love for Prolotherapy.
I, like others in pain, are glad that Prolotherapy exists.
While the massage, chiropractic, physiotherapy helped me
to some degree. I suspect if I did not receive Prolotherapy
to my neck and upper back I would still be struggling with
cervical radiculopathy. I would not have done Ironman Lake
Placid. I was a believer in Prolotherapy before this experience,
but having truly been a chronic pain patient, I can state
to the world that you can truly Prolo Your Pain Away!
Ross
A. Hauser, M.D.
5-time Ironman Finisher, Author: Prolo Your Pain Away, 3rd
Edition and Prolo Your Sports Injuries Away! and Editor-in-chief
of The Journal of Prolotherapy
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