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Age: A poster (actually a page torn out of a an old Runner's World magazine) at my desk at work: The seven stages of marathon: 1. ritual I have learned this also pertains to IRONMAN. Pre-race, I was in denial. Couldn't believe I made it to the start. Couldn't believe I thought I BELONGED at the start. NEVER felt bad in the swim. Got to skip over 1-5, went right to affirmation/renewal. WOOHOO! I am an Iron-swimmer. On the bike, started as a ritual - just out for a long, catered training ride. Bypassed the shock and denial stages. Experienced isolation with so few folks around; despair in the heat, on the hills, with mechanical difficulty; affirmation AFTER the guy said we missed the cutoff and I blew past him; renewal with the first Disney moment of making it in the allotted time. The run had all seven elements. Ritual - yeah, done this before how many times? Shock - omigosh is it hot, my stomach is sick, my blisters hurt. Denial - what was I thinking???? Isolation - it's late, it's dark, where is everyone? Grateful for the volunteers that stayed to the end. Despair I remember so vividly. That is when I believed the gal in front of me would be the last finisher and I would be the first one who didn't finish. Affirmation - cemented in my mind at mile 24, when I began to run. Renewal - @ 11:58:31 Sunday night! Diane Hill of Rancho Cordova - you are an Ironman. If you'd like to email Diane to congratulate her, click here (dhill@macnexus.org) If you'd like to email Teresa, click here |
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Diane Hill
