Last race leading up to Florida Ironman
I went for my long run on Tues before the race to try out some compression socks. I was going for a 3 hour run, 1 hour into the run my calf decided to end my run for me. My right calf cramped/strained a bit and I didn't want to push it especially for the race on Sunday. I rested it as best I could doing bike workouts but no running. Thursday classes didn't feel that well on it even with a couple of days rest. I finally made an appointment to see Dr. Whipple at Austin Longevity Center and he worked my calf over! I went to open water swim practice with Texas Iron (Andrea and Jamie) and it felt better. Friday I just ran errands and picked up my son early to go watch, Legend of the Guardians (that owl movie). I loved it there was one scene where the owl was flying through a rain storm as fast and as strong as he could. I pictured me riding my bike and wanted to remember that imagine. My son liked the movie too, I love taking him to the movies.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I used my wetsuit to swim in at decker and Barton springs. Saturday, me Matt and Gin did a short bike ride with a swim then ate some breakfast. They went to the pancake breakfast. I got the family and we went to ihop, then came hope to clean the bike. Troy helped me clean it as Melia and Mindy slept. It was so amazing to have him do that with me. Put him down for his nap then dropped of my bike. Me and Mindy had a soccer game but we both decided it would be best if I didn't go, yeah I know I'm getting old!
Dropped of my bike and bags for the race and went home to try to rest. My kids had other plans. We played around the house but that gave me energy for Sunday. Me and Matt decided to carpool to the race, set my alarm for 3:45, yes really! I remembered how bad the shuttles were last year and didn't want a repeat and Matt wanted to get there early as well. Meet up at his house at 4:45. Cranked up the music and we went to the race. Little traffic, we went to T2 (transition #2) and dropped off Matt's stuff, I check mine to make sure it was set up right. This race had two transitions swim to bike at the park (decker lake) and bike to run set up at expo center.
It was really good to have Matt there as we joked the whole way to T1 on the bus ride over. It was also good to see my friends volunteering there really really early in the morning. Got to my bike in the middle of transition and got it all set up.
Cranked up my music and walked around to get some nerves out. My stomach started to turn on me a little so I got some water and laid down on the road for a bit to collect my thoughts. As I was lying there I thought of all my friends who were racing. A couple of them doing this for the first time. Then I switched to my goals for the race. I wanted to swim good, bike really hard, catching most of my friends that went off earlier than I did. Like Christa, Ashley, Gin, Matt, and Lindsey. I wasn't sure how my calf was going to do but earlier rides it didn't bother me too bad. Last I wanted to finish my run with out further injury to my calf since I have 3 weeks till my Ironman in Florida. I have come to terms that I might have to walk the course, I had told my wife that I was ok with that she thought the same thing. Mindy has become my best coach this year and I really appreciate that. Thanks Mindy!
Started to get ready and found Blake and Lilly getting ready. As we were chatting a guy came up to me and asked if I was David Garza. Shocked I told him yes. He stated that he saw me race in the Dilloman race last year and he saw me bolt out of the water and finish the race 3rd overall. I said yeah that was me. He went on telling me how inspired I had made him feel doing the race and since then he had done the Lonestar 1/2 ironman and a few sprints and now this one. He thanked me for inspiring him to race. I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! It reminded me once again that I do make an impact in peoples lives on the positive side. A huge boost of confidence came over me. Ok lets do this damn thing! National Anthem was sung and the race started.
I hear them announce Matt's name which meant I had 15 min to get ready. I wished Blake and Lilly luck and went to toe the line!
Swim, 8:15 start, biggest wave in the race (in my opinion) day glow orange caps (really??). Horn goes off! Bam! I hit a few people then found my stroke. Those open water swims sure helped! Bright swim caps did as well. Last year I remembered how long that swim felt so I counted the buoys so I could have a feel where I was on the course. No matter how many times I do this it still looks like a long ways in the water. Felt good except for the bastard who kept hitting my feet. So i veered over to swim by someone who was a little slower than me (yeah I know its rare) and swung in front of him no more tickling of the feet :) Turned left backside of swim. Still felt good so picked it up a little focusing on my glide. I smiled a bit thinking wow, I am really doing another 1/2 ironman, I'm crazy! Left turn again, weird most people really went wide. I really wanted to get back to dry land so I turned sharp and found the line of buoys back to shore. I get close to the shore and practiced what we went over in our clinic, passed 5 people with that one technique, yeah baby! Get the strippers to help with the swimsuit, I think Tom was the one who helped, rolled it up and jogged to T1. T1 found my bike YEAH!!! Got it ran to mount line gave Adam some knuckles and got on my bike, time to kill it!Everything felt good, hitting good speeds around 25 mph, slowed down as we turned right off decker lane to catch my breath and eat something. And I noticed who I will call left calf tattoo guy pass me. I caught up to him as we turned right onto the hill. You know which one I'm talking about. I was ready for it he wasn't. Picked it up even more hitting 38 mph down those hills. Came up the hill to toll road and pass this guy on the right since he was blocking my pass on the left. Moved over and hit my climbing cadence, then he passed me on the right AS I WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, Really?? Up and over the toll road and I hear this weird noise like something caught on my spoke, then my back tire slides, DAMN IT! Its a flat. Last year I had 3 flats before mile 6, at least I made it to mile 10 this year. The nail went all the way through the tire and almost to the other side. The other tire was bad, I took of the wheel, pulled the nail out and saw the huge hole in the outer tire. DAMN IT! Didn't have a tire boot (i normally carried 3) BUT I did have a dollar bill as a back-up. Slapped that dollar bill inside the tire put the spare and aired it up, holly $!*% it worked. Tire on clipped in, off I went. Yes tattoo calf man passed me again and didn't see him any more. I didn't really know how much time I left (around 7 min) but knew I would not catch my friends in front of my but hell if I were to give up on that yet I had 46 miles to go, why not. I pushed pretty hard and still felt great. Lost a water bottle (a first for me) on an bump but it was ok. I loved the course hilly some straights light wind. So with a flat I avg 22.7 mph. I didn't catch anyone :( Goal not completed. I have to admit I was pretty bummed that I didn't catch anyone, BUT my calf was still holding up so I focused on my run coming up and hoping it would let me run. By me trying to catch my friends the miles just flew by on the bike I almost couldn't believe the bike portion was over.
Into T2, did my dismount on the fly to the dismount line. I put my bike on the rack, sat down and put my socks and shoes on grabbed my hat and some energy stuff and I was off (later someone told Mindy that I was in T2, she was kinda worried that she saw my friends come in before me she knew something was wrong. I love my wife and she is the best spectator ever, if you want o watch a race you need to watch it with her she is so amazing at it knowing all of our times, its almost indescribable! Someone told my son I was sitting down in transition. He later asked me why. I told him I was putting on my shoes. Oh was his reply.). I saw lateef and mallory volunteering in T2 putting sunblock on athletes. Thanks guys. I saw Mindy and the kids quickly, down the shoot and I hear my name yelled so many times, I saw Kelly and her friend, Andrea, Jamie yelling LOUDLY, Alex, Chris, Tom, John taking pictures, several other who I know but sorry don't know your names. Thank you for all your support! I busted out of the gate with 7:30 min miles, whoa, slow down Dave! My feet felt great my calf was ok as I was going downhill. I was so happy I could run again with out it hurting! Out of expo on the road to Adam and Carol cheering us on I gave high fives and they gave me energy. Downhill again, yeah baby feeling great, oh wait up hill. No calf push all glute and hamstrings. Calf felt good, just a little tired ok this is good. Into the park around T1 out to go down Quadzilla. As I head back into the woods, Matt finally yells at me, "Let's go Garza!" Damn there he is. I thought I would take every ounce of energy and possible injury to catch him, may not be possible. (Later he tells me,"I saw you and I thought it will take every ounce of energy to stay in front of him" Kinda funny) Slight uphills I went slower as not not aggravate my calf. Down quadzilla shook the crap out of my calf, ouch! turned to go up the dam hill, made it up slight pain. Hit the road still going up hill taking it easy. I hit water stations and saw some friends there who knew me, turned to get out of the park and I see Michelle at a water station, she yells I yell back people laugh, yeah I am in good spirits. Headed back to the expo center long up hill, ok I fell you calf and its talking back to me. Come up to Adam and Carol at the top, spirits lifted again. Down hill vibrations hurting, not too bad, not as bad as up hill. Mile 7 my abs start to cramp, no not a side stitch, a cramp. My abs are so sore from that today. I can't get upright to breath, somehow I get through it. I think its because I came around to the huge cheering section by T2.
I was so excited to get back there and couldn't believe that I was back there already and I had only 6 miles to go to finish. Made the turn around saw my kiddos and out I went. I was feeling pretty good, pass the cheering sections and back out to the park. I started to see people on the run now, Ashley, Lindsey, Matt (as me and Matt passed he yelled,"Its a good day!" I agreed low fived and ran on), Lilly. Everyone I saw looked strong. There were other people who were racing that starting to cramp. Yup it was getting a little hot! On the back side of the trail by quadzilla I ran by Chucky slapped his ass and then saw Brad. Talked to them for a bit and I moved on. Down hill really hurt and I knew I had to go back up the dam hill. Started the hill and could feel my calf, come one hold on baby just 3 miles left. Mid hill i think I would have been faster if I walked, but didn't. Made it this far. I can see the top, please calf almost there, I see Logan calling out names for encouragement. I got it. I was right behind another Garza then he called my name. Thanks Logan! I slowly picked it up but still up hill not by much. Passed Dustin he sped up I slowed down a bit. (Dustin you inspire me man, Love you dude!) I told him I was going to pick it a bit since I was a little injured. He told me I looked good for being injured, I told him thanks and to have fun! Pass Michelle and that rest stop out the park up to Adam and Carol, almost there. Right into expo center up one last hill calf is on the verge of going. My inner thighs were on the edge of cramping from the over use of them. Hold that pace Dave! Top of the hill I see the left turn to the cheering section T2 and the expo center itself where I was to finish in a few min. Down hill I pick it up a bit, turn left I hear the cheers but focused on pushing these last few meters. I pick up my pace, slight up hill to turn right to go to the finish line. AND HOLLY CRAP NO WAY! I see calf tattoo pass me and pick it up, down hill i could pick it up, round the turn by the band. I have enough to catch him, he doesn't have the heart I do!! Pass him on the turn into the center I see another athlete I can catch him too, into the center I pass him with in a few feet of the finish line! The volunteers have to slow me down, yeah that was a good feeling. They take my strap I see Mindy and my daughter passed out in her arms. Matt, Lindsey and Christa were at the end gave them all hugs. I was so proud of them. Matt told me how Lindsey smacked his ass, I returned the favor for him :) Ask Lindsey about it. Gave my wife a hug, kissed my daughter, told my son that that race was for him. He was the reason, my energy and my inspiration for being my best that day. He smiled and I gave him my medal. I cried! My daughter woke up and she was asking for me, melted my heart more. Jessie and Tyler were there helping out Mindy, thanks guys. I told Mindy I couldn't do this with out here and thanked her. Later on saw Ashley finish her first 1/2 ironman, so proud.
Quote of the race,"That dude passed by me like I was going still and I was going 25 mph, I saw him get a flat on the side of the road. The a few mins later he passed me again, damn!"
"What is important is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us."
Jean-Paul Sartre
