Hey,
Well I'm done, and I believe the C man is too. There musta been some prayers sent up too as both Curtis and I had some mishaps, glad we were both safe, well somewhat safe. For me the swim was a nightmare, it was the worst IM swim I've ever been in. I can't even explain how bad that first corner was, at one point I put my head up and it looked like 50 people all with their heads up, no one could move, and the people from behind kept running into us. Anyways I inhaled some water then drank a bunch more. Then eventually I started to panic, oh btw the waves were pretty big if you hadn't figured that out yet. Anyways I'd had enough on the second lap, I was ready to pull out. I swam out to the first kayak I saw and hung on and sat there. I tried to swim several times, 4 kayaks later and twice I said to the guy "I'm out" but both times they didn't listen to me just let me hang on and the one guy even offered to to paddle with me. I can't explain all the range of emotions that went through me, I was so petrified of swallowing more water and the cluster F$%&ck at the corners. I hated every minute of it. So I eventually kept going and made it through the swim, 33.5 min. for the first lap 1:15 total. Please be gentle on me, I know you guys will think I'm stupid for being so disappointed. It's more the panic that I felt, I'm gonna really think long and hard whether or not I'll ever do a Mdot race again. That saddens me, I should be happy, but w/e on to the rest of the "quick" report don't worry it gets better.
So I got out eventually really unhappy and got on the bike. I had a really solid bike ride, I felt strong and I passed probably over a thousand people. I guess I felt some urgency, there was a small part of me that thought well if I have an amazing bike and run I still have a shot. It's really true what they say, "you can't win an IM with a good swim, but you can certainly loose it with a bad one." So had a really strong bike, never really went through a weak point. I passed Sonia eventually, I drew energy from that. She had a solid race, I'm betting she'll get her slot.
The run started off really strong, the first lap was smokin. But then I'm not sure what went wrong, or maybe nothing?? I still ran really well 3:34 is awesome, but I slowed down a lot for the second lap. I started walking aid stations at about 18 miles and my pace slowed. But I hung on and I was proud of that. I finished and actually managed to shave off 3 minutes off my PB so all is not lost. I just don't know how to over come the swim thing, I guess IMC start isn't as bad as this one. I hope WTC realizes they need to stop extended the fields, but doubt that'll happen.
I appreciate all your well wishes, I thought of every one of you while racing, I really did. And part of what kept me going in the water, was the fact that I know all of you would be disappointed if I quit. Well plus they wouldn't let me drop out. lol
Curtis had a tough day, I haven't talked to him yet. He can give you the details, all I know right now is he crashed because of a flat and was pretty banged up. BUT he still finished, what a tough bugger, I tip my hat off to him. I always knew he was tough, but now I got a whole new level of respect for him. He can give you more details. K, this isn't as short as I thought. I know some of you will give me heck for being disappointed, that's what I get for having such high expectations. Oh well fire away. Cheers,
DP
15 comments:
Well...what to say. You should be proud of the day! You finished that swim...sounds like from a few people it was not a fun time. So good for you!! You rallied on the bike...passed 1000 people?? Really?? And you are a damn good runner any day of the week so....
I am sure you had some lessons learned and I am sure you are disappointed but that is the craziness of this sport!!!
Good job D!!!
Reflect on this race & come back stronger,it is true that anything can happen,you def stepped up to the challenges & overcame them.Curtis you get the HTFU award for the race !!!good job to both you guys .
Well done my man.
Another one under your belt is that much more experience you WILL take into the next one.
Trev
Hey Darryl, great job fighting through the adversity. It would have been really easy to just turn in and enjoy the afternoon on the beach with the family, ya hung in there!
Awesome job. That's the thing with IM...you never know what the day is going to throw at you. I know all too well what it is to have a panic attack in the water.
You'll do another IM... I am sure of it!
Way to go on a solid race overall! You should be proud of yourself for putting the tough swim behind you and out of your head, and pressing on to have an AWESOME bike and run! And a PB as well! Well done!
Don't worry about the swim at all - you know you're WAY faster than that split shows. It is ridiculous that IM is allowing that many competitors to mass start. That is beyond your control, so don't beat yourself up about it. Also the congestion is much worse on a 2 lap swim course, compared to a 1-lap swim such as at IMC.
Regardless, you were able to move away from the negative mindset created by the swim and finished with a great result!
Congrats on your finish Darryl! I don't think its stupid for you to be dissappointed, you didn't have the day you had hoped for. But it's all relative, most people would be thrilled to have your time right...I know I would be, lol. Your goals are just higher and I am sure you will get there.
Maybe they didnt listen to you when you said you were done is because they knew you weren't.
And I agree with Cam, Curtis deserves the HTFU award! Hope his isn't too banged up!
Time to think about the next race now Darryl...well maybe not right now...enjoy some off time!
If it makes you feel any better - ALL swimmers can feel panic if placed in a situation where you feel you are loosing control. I had an experience like that at GWN - the first buoy is so close it is stupid... i was pulled under and beaten and I PROMPTY swam out of the masses and stayed on th eoutside edge. I was contemplating swimming under everyone and out because I thought if I stayed in the chaos I would drown.
IMC was such a great swim - lots of room - very different set up!! You will get over this and be back out there!! How do you run so damn fast??
Darryl, that swim was a cluster f$%k. Seriously. What is so amazing and important that even while wanting to quit you didn't.
You didn't quit.
Sure you wanted to. Sure the kayaker guy ignored you. But you still didn't quit.
You rallied and kept going.
The year I did IMC and ended up in the hospital after having a seizure, I swore I was never going to do another IM again.
When I got home, I talked to a friend who told me this: "You've seen the best of Ironman, and now you've seen the worst. Don't make your decision based on the worst. Give yourself time to think about it." He was right, Darryl.
Your dream of going to Kona is worth it. Ironman is a totally different animal than other distances. You cannot compare them with past races, you cannot compare them to other IM's for that matter. Every race is so totally different.
I am very proud of your performance. You finished, Darryl. You FINISHED what you started.
BIG HUG from me. :) :) :) :)
D,
I'll echo the others and their comments here. You turned a bad situation around, and that says a LOT about you.
I think what so many athletes tend to forget is that Ironman is a Battle Royale, and ultimately a battle of one: you and the inner demons that lay within you.
But you slayed the bastards, even after they got the better of you for a while. Then, you went on to set a PB and that's HUGE, since it was far from your best race. It's these events and reactions that teach us who we really are, and you should like what you see.
Keep your head up, don't worry about future races just yet, and do all the right recovery things. Walk proud. I'm certainly proud of you.
-Chuckie
Great job!
Darryl Penner... You are an Ironman! What can I say? I called Terry while you were on the final stages of the run, to be sure he was watching on internet. Turns out he wasn't watching the live feed - just watching your times. But while we watched, they went from video to a shot of the leaderboard, and we never got to see you cross!!! But you did, and we Penners here in Manitoba were cheering all the way. Take some time to celebrate that you finished (again!), and that you even got a new PR! The next one will come when it does, and we'll still be cheering! Way to go Penner!
Hey Buddy,
Outstanding job in CdA! Listen to the words of your coach, he sounds like a wiseman. Although the race didn't pan out quite the way either of us wanted it is really only the cherry on top of the sundae. All the experiences training together (including post workout coffees or smoothies) are the true gems to me. It was amazing to see you push yourself as hard as you did in training and raise your fitness to new levels. I think back to some of the times when we wheezed up the res hills because we were way out of shape and marvel at the change. You are a very determined and talented athlete and I'm glad to have you as my training partner and especially as my friend.
Aquaman (haha not in CdA though!)
Hey Darryl,
You definitely slayed a dragon out there (or a few!) and Chuckie is right, the fact that you PB'd and definitely have NOT seen your best race yet amazing. That said, I totally understand the disappointment. The b$%ch of IM racing is you train for a year or more for those races and when you don't get to execute your best race it is a real let down.
Enjoy your summer with Lisa now and after the burn has subsided you will know what you want to do next.
PS Holy smoking fast run batman!
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