near finish line13 hours, 26 minutes and 37 seconds of swimming, cycling and running.

1.18 minutes of swimming.
7.01 hours of cycling
4.49 hours of running.

(For the mathematicians out there, your final time includes the transitions so these not included).

Was it hard?  Sure.  I anticipated that.

Was I in a wheelchair and confined to the medical tent after the race? Yes.  That wasn’t expected!

Did I love it?  More than I could have imagined.

Would I like to do it again? When’s the next one!  Sign me up.

Sincere thanks to all my patients, friends and family who helped me.  Physically, spiritually and by sending me the good vibes needed to get through.  Never, ever, ever underestimate how important these ‘good vibes and thoughts’ are to getting you through the tough stuff.  That was the X factor for me.

ironman finish lineWhat did I learn on the day?  Training yourself to block out the pain also has an effect on blocking out  the joy.  The final chute (see attached picture) was amazing but not as much as I had imagined.  Sure I was tired and drained but I was waiting so fervently for the ‘Wow’ moment.  It didn’t happen.  I had blocked out the chance to feel the joy too.  That’s the danger of learning to avoid pain.

A metaphor for life perhaps? Very apt for me as an Osteopath to comprehend.  Let me learn much more.