Dare to Dream

.....as I turned the corner to the finish line my entire body tingled. The official timer says 11 hours 50 minutes. (I would finish with the 500th or so fastest marathon of the day and in 841st place Out of 2,500). I see my family as the announcer says John Orsini you are an Ironman! And with that my dream was realized....

After crossing the finish line I am immediately grabbed by a volunteer and wrapped in an aluminum foil like blanket. I am ushered through the crowd and told to wait to have my picture taken. My head is spinning as flash bulbs go off all around me. I am positive it is noisy but I don't hear a thing. Before I know it my picture is taken in front of the "finisher" sign and I am whisked along yet again.

As my escort and I make our way toward the massage table something catches my eye...is that pizza? Yes it is! I break away from my escort and begin to inhale large quantities of pizza. Has pizza ever tasted this good? I think not. I have never been so grateful for a food in my life.

As I wolf down my third slice I start to wonder how do I get out of this caged in area? I wander along and as if by magic Team Orsini appears. Missy just about takes me down with a cross body hug. I remove my medal and place it around my little girls neck and her smile lights up the night sky. I hug my Mom then my Dad and look down to see the little man relaxing in his stroller as if this is a typical Saturday night.

We make our way out of the mob scene and I struggle to take it all in. What has just happened? I have done it. It is over. All the time spent dreaming, planning and training, training and training some more and now I have really done it!

And with that my dream was realized....

But this is not an ending but rather a beginning. A beginning to a life of a person that now truly understands the value and place that hard work and dedication have in achieving ones dreams. Ironman was not the ultimate dream for me but rather it was a goal that was out there for me to prove that I could do it....that I could accomplish something that few can do.... "if" I put my mind to it and dedicate myself to the goal.

I now feel equipped to accomplish anything in life. Nothing seems out of reach. With time, effort and perseverance anything is possible.

"Dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behinds your dreams."
Josh Hinds

Ironman Florida Race Report

As I stepped onto the balcony of our 8th floor condominium and looked out upon the Gulf of Mexico an overwhelming rush of emotions came over me. The water was the most beautiful mix of blue and green that these eyes had ever seen. Through the perfectly still water a lone swimmer made his way down about 50 yards off the coast. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was a brilliant mix of blues, reds and oranges. I stood there for several minutes with Missy just taking it all in. We were here together and I was ready for my challenge on Saturday.

The days leading up to the race were quite relaxing. I went out for an easy 3 mile run on Wednesday morning and then out for a 20 minute swim in the early afternoon. This is hard to believe but the Gulf was literally more calm then the pool at my gym. I was at the same time in awe and afraid of the hundreds of fish that I saw as I swam down the coast.

After my swim it was off to the airport to pick up my parents. Thursday I wanted to simulate race conditions so I was in the water promptly at 7 am as this would be the starting time of the race. Again the water is perfect...absolutely perfect. I just can not get over how calm the water was. Shortly after the swim I was off for a 10 mile bike ride. The intent of the ride was really just to ensure that the bike was mechanically sound. All systems are go and now it is time to rest and mentally prepare myself for race day.

Through out the week I had little trouble falling asleep at night but was unable to sleep past 5am. This may have had something to do with me being excited for the race or Emily coming into our room and telling me "come on daddy time to get up it's a wonderful day" each morning?

Friday morning I turned on the t.v. and the lead news story was the impending arrival of Hurricane Ida. Hurricane.....you have got to be kidding me? Luckily the storm was scheduled to arrive until Tuesday but it's effects would be felt. The previously tranquil Gulf was now showing it's first signs of turbulence. Could not help but wonder what the water would be like on race day?

The rest of the day was spent taking it easy and following my well researched prerace day plan. For those interested in pursuing an Ironman I highly recommend Joe Friel's Triathlon Training Bible (http://www.trainingbible.com/). I ate a large breakfast first thing in the morning and then a decent sized lunch while making sure to have a bottle of water in my hands at all times.

The Mulholland's were scheduled to arrive in the early afternoon after a drive from Disney but had a last second change of plans. Their daughter Kylie had been battling a severe case of the flu all week and just was not getting better. As a father of two I know how incredibly stressful traveling with small children can be, let alone a sick child in Disney. It just doesn't seem fair to them. Thankfully they were able to get home safely and Kylie has since recovered:)

Later on in the afternoon the family was joined by my cousin David who serves in the US Air Force and is stationed in Panama City Beach. The kids were beyond thrilled to meet their cousin David for the first time! The poor guy spent the better part of his visit playing hide and seek with the kids and listening to Emily tell stories. Though I must admit that it helped to keep my mind off of the race.

As the evening was winding down Missy announced that she had something for me before I went to bed. Finally I would get to see what this "top secret" project she had been working on was all about. I was told to cover my eyes as she set it up. After a few minutes she told me to open my eyes and turn my attention to the t.v. What could it be?

The video begins with Missy telling me how incredibly proud she was of me and how much support I had behind me. What followed was the most amazing gift I have ever received...
A video good luck from the most important people in my life...family, friends and co-workers. To see the out pouring of love and support from so many people truly touched me. As I sat there watching I couldn't help but think I have to be the luckiest person on the face of the earth. To be here prepared to embark on my dream with the people I love pulling for me...my race was already won. Missy you are the best. I love you.

After the video it was off to bed and believe it or not a peaceful nights sleep. The alarm went off at 2 am and I made my way into the kitchen for my prerace breakfast. 1 bagel with peanut butter, 2 ensure shakes, 2 cups of apple sauce and 1 pint of water. After my meal it was back to bed for a couple of hours. At 4:30 am the alarm went off again and I was up for good. After getting dressed I came out of the bedroom to see a "sea of red". My parents, Missy and the Kids were all wearing red Team Orsini tee shirts. Talk about awesome!

Dad and I began the 1 mile walk to transition around 5:30. We arrive and the place is bustling... the entire area is pulsating with an incredible energy. "It's a Beautiful Day" by U2 is blaring over the loud speakers as the sun begins to rise. I make my way over to my bike to load up my bottles for the day. 1 5x gatorade, 1 protein/peanut butter/banana shake (900 calories)/and 2 bottles of water. I don my wetsuit and make my way out of transition to meet up with Dad. He has a look of pride in eyes that I won't soon forget.

After a few minutes Missy, Mom, Emily and Johnny arrive to wish me luck and then I am off. I slowly walk down to the beach and try to take it all in. 2,500 athletes, thousands of spectators...unbelievable. I stand there at the beach and I go over my race plan in my head and am again strangely calm. The pro's go off 10 minutes ahead and then it is time for the mass start.
The moment is here and the time is now.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
- Teddy Roosevelt, Speech at the Sorbonne, April 1910

This moment is about more then just finishing a race...it is about setting a goal, working as hard as you can, over coming adversity, striving to be the best that you can but ultimately it is about putting it all on the line stepping forward to be counted, to put it all on the line in front of everyone and know either victory or defeat.

The cannon goes off and there is a rush to the water but I don't move. I wait. Let them go. Take your time this is not a sprint but a half day event. Survive the swim and go on to the bike. One step at a time. The goal is to finish. The surge heads out and I begin my walk to the water a full 1 minute after the rest. I check my goggles, adjust my swim cap. One last check to make sure the goggles are on tightly. No leaks. I am ready to go.

I look at my watch and 2 minutes have passed. Here I go. I begin my swim and quickly find my rhythm. My swim stroke is strong and fluid. My breathing feels great. With in seconds I am on the back of the pack. Like a half back following his blockers I patiently look for gaps in the mass of humanity. When I find one I hit it. When I don't I patiently wait for my opening. I begin to make my way through the field of competitors. The calm waters of mid week are long gone. I would later find out that the seas were 4-6 feet that day and I believe it. Up and down I go over the rolling waves. I am certain that people will have to withdraw from the race due to sea sickness.

As we approach the turnaround I resist the temptation to cut it close to the buoy. Way to many people. I take the turn a solid 25 yards wide. Wise choice. I glance over and see people at an absolute stand still, treading water waiting to make their turn.

As I begin the swim back to beach I am feeling great. I am not sure what my pulse is but the effort level feels like about 75%. Before I know it I am on the beach I look at my watch and it says 34 or so minutes...one lap in the books and one to go. As I cross the timing mat I hear my name. I can't believe it...amongst the thousands of people there is Missy standing in the surf with a video camera holding Johnny. My spirits are feeling really high.

The second lap is all about restraint. I resist the urge to open it up and instead take it easy. Any doubt that I had regarding the swim is gone. I stick with an easy 75% effort and cruise through to the finish of the swim. I would later find out that I came out of the water in 814th place.

After coming out of the water I see my family or at least I think I do? It's all a blur. The adrenaline is really pumping. The wetsuit strippers make short work of my wetsuit and before I know it I am dressed in my bike gear and getting slathered with sun block by the fantastic volunteers. Missy is cheering me on at decibel levels that have to be causing long term hearing damage to Johnny and Em.

I am out of transition and on the bike. I am cruising along taking in fuel and watching my heart rate. I am also watching dozens upon dozens of people passing me in Tour De France like drafting trains. Unbelievable? I can't believe people have trained for this long and then blatantly cheat? The first 20 miles are an endless stream of being passed by hundreds of people. I stick with the plan. I am not racing them I am racing myself. Focus on fueling early and make up ground later.

At mile 20 we make a right turn and a spectator yells enjoy the headwind. My first real bit of adversity. I struggle but battle through. I am happy to see that others out there are working hard. Not so happy to see the blatant drafting taking place all around me. A bit of redemption is felt when I pass the penalty tent and see dozens serving their 4 minute penalty.

The miles roll on and the wind continues. The windy miles put in during my Outer Banks vacation are paying off. I am ready for this and I am handling it well. At mile 50 we make a right turn and the wind is gone. I did not know then but the worst of the bike ride was over. The rest of the way there would be maybe 12 miles of head wind.

I begin to make my way through the field. The strategy is paying off. I am feeling incredible. One of the quotes that I read during my training advised that when you feel great on the bike take on more fuel and that's just what I did. I rode the last 40 miles with my heart rate below 70% the entire time...resisting the temptation to open it up. This is a triathlon not a bike race. There is still a marathon to go. Glory is not had on mile 95 of the bike ride but mile 26.2 of the run.

As I approached transition I am elated to see my Dad about a quarter mile up the road. He lets off a raucous cheer that shakes my bike. I have fallen back in the standings to 1166th place. Coming through transition my Mom's smile lights the way. I head out for the run and I can see, hear and feel Missy. The kids are cheering! This is just as I imagined it on all of those long runs.

The first few miles are a bit of a blur. People are everywhere cheering us on. I find my stride and settle in for my marathon. The plan for the marathon is walking breaks at each aid station with a target time of 9 minute miles. What wasn't planned for were all of the rest room breaks. The draw back to taking in so much, maybe too much, fuel during the day is that I had to go to the bathroom a lot. In total I went to the bathroom 9 times during the run. That has to be some kind of record?

As I approached the half way point of the run I noticed that I had a great chance of bringing in a sub 12 hour ironman if I could avoid blowing up. I began to pay close attention to what my body was telling me. Looking for signs of hitting the proverbial wall. Then it happened. Around mile 15 I felt a slight tightness in my right calf. I decided immediately to implement a 1 minute walking break every 5 or so minutes in addition to my aid station breaks. The strategy pays off and by mile 20 my leg is feeling good but I continue with the 1 minute walking breaks.

I approach mile 24 and I am searching for a port potty that is not occupied. I finally find one at mile 25 and what a relief. I make my way up to the road and am struggling to process all that is going on...what is happening? Then just as I am about to make the turn to the last half mile a stranger steps out of the crowd and screams for the world to hear "632 YOU ARE A F$^KIN IRONMAN!" we both let out a roar and I hi fived him as I passed him. I don't think my feet touched the ground the rest of the way.

As I turned the corner to the finish line my entire body tingled. The official timer says 11 hours 50 mintues. (I would finish with the 500th or so fastest marathon of the day and in 841st place Out of 2,500). I see my family as the announcer says John Orsini you are an Ironman! And with that my dream was realized.