Ironman Louisville: Part 1 - The Rematch

Ironman Louisville - August 25, 2013

Last year, August 2012, Cliff competed in the Ironman competition in Louisville, KY. He swam 2.4 miles, rode the bike 112 miles and ran 18 of the 26.2 miles of the run course. It was as hot as you know what and he didn't handle it well. He got overheated, dehydrated and threw up multiple times. His nutrition and hydration was his downfall. He can not tolerate drinking warm liquids and you can imagine how warm and even hot his drinks, gel and whatever else he was eating or drinking were after sitting in 90-100 degree temps all day. Long story short.....at mile 18, he just gave out of gas and couldn't go any further.  It was also a mistake that he did not get IV fluids from the medics to replace what he lost. He suffered with cramps that night and looked like he lost 10 pounds that day and the next. I was worried. But as Cliff does, he decided that beast was not going to conquer him. He would come back the following year for a rematch. And so he did.......

Ironman Louisville, 2013.

Picking up his race packet.

 

 

The hopeful finish.

 

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 Ironman Louisville. I was still worried. Although we had experienced cooler temps for sometime leading up to the Ironman, the hot humid weather returned the very week of the Ironman competition. I could sit here and give you his goals and stats, his nutrition and hydration plans for this year, his swim times and bike times and the whole satire of how he again got overheated and dehydrated. I could sit here and tell you about how he was escorted to the medic tent and then taken by van to a separate venue to have IV fluids and of course, how this took him out of the competition before he even started the 26.2 mile run. But, I'm not. Something definitely went wrong and I'm going to leave that story for him to tell. He tried his best that day and I could not be prouder of him.

The sea of bikes at the transition area

with the Ohio River swim course in the background.

 

 

Cliff in the center, after finishing the 112-mile bike ride.

 

Something funny did happen at the medic venue, though. Cliff was hooked up to the IV and it didn't take long to empty. He watched as the last drops were going in and then saw air coming down the tube. He started getting very nervous. All he could think of was 'air embolism'. Cliff was about to pull the IV out of his arm when I asked the nurse to come over and explain to him that the air would not go into his vein.  He was clearly done, he didn't want any more and asked her to go ahead and take the IV out.

Saturday night, the night before the Ironman, Cliff did not sleep a wink. He thinks it's because of a new energy drink mix that we picked up from the expo that evening called ZipFizz. And he also thinks the energy drink contributed to his dehydration the next day. Anyway, even after not sleeping the night before and all that he experienced on competition day, Cliff still could not sleep Sunday night. I'm sure his mind was going over everything that had happened. He actually woke me up at 2 a.m. to ask me how blood pressure was measured. Gah!! He was still trying to figure out how the air in the IV tube did not get into his vein. ~Ha!~ That man's a mess.

Come back tomorrow for Ironman Louisville: Part 2 - My 8 Miles and the Fourth Street Live Incident

Til then,

Laurie

Update: The Move and First Day of School

So, it's been a couple of weeks now and I know you must be wondering how the move went. If you remember, Lidia wanted us to make breakfast together before they left. I thought we would make our famous egg sandwiches, but she had a different idea. Lidia had a surprise for breakfast and told me not to look until she had prepared it. She produced a paper bag and I was totally intrigued and curious as to where she came up with that. I left the kitchen and let her do her thing. She had placed the surprise on a plate and called me back into the kitchen. She was so proud that she was making us breakfast and that she alone had decided to do this the day before. It was chocolate cake! HaHa! She and Sawyer brought home some pastries from vacation with their daddy. So without blinking an eye...we sliced that beautiful chocolate cake and sat there and ate ours before anyone else came to the kitchen for breakfast. Oh, we still had our egg sandwiches. But hey, talk about having your cake and eating it too. The memory of that last morning before their move, priceless.



Chocolate Cake for Breakfast


The move? Well, it actually went okay. We said our goodbyes without any tears being shed......until they were out of sight. And then the flood gates opened. I spent the rest of that day feeling lost. I can only imagine how Lidia and Sawyer felt. My saving grace was that I went up on Sunday to spend a few days with them and help Emily get unpacked and settled in.

Lidia and Sawyer's first day of school was that Monday, August 19th. I was so excited to be able to go with them on their first day and meet their teachers. I felt it was important for them to feel support and hopefully squelch their fears of being in a strange place, a new school and not knowing a single soul.



Lidia's first day of fourth grade. Sawyer's first day of first grade.
August 19, 2013


They seemed fine until Emily and I left them in their classrooms. I thought both Lidia and Sawyer looked like they could vomit. I know that's how I was feeling. I could hardly stand it! But I was upbeat and encouraging for them. I kissed them both and told them I would be waiting on them, when they got home from school. Reluctanly, we left them behind. Emily had to go to her first day of her new job, which was stressful in and of itself. I can't imagine what she was feeling. I'm sure she was in knots. She doesn't show these things well. But, a text later in the morning from her reassured me that she was having a good day.

I went back to Emily's and began unpacking and organizing and crying and praying for them all. It was a long day. I could not wait until the kids got home from school. A dear, dear friend, Patty, teaches at the same school that Lidia and Sawyer is now attending and she will take them and pick them up from school each day. That woman is a God Send! I love her guts and can not be more thankful that she is in my children's lives. So, right on time, she brought the kids to me after school. I watched as they leaped out of her van....skipping and jumping and giggling. I immediately felt my neck and shoulders ease from the tension I had been feeling all day. The kids had a great day of school! I was so relieved! I thanked Patty profusely for taking care of my babies and then she left us so we could get on to my most favorite part of the day. Lidia and Sawyer shared their stories of their first day of school with me over chocloate chip cookies and milk. I felt much better!

Emily, also, had a great first day of work. She loves her new job. I think I can now start to rest easy. Change is so hard to deal with. It's stressful on everyone. But thank the Lord things are rarely as they seem. Lidia and Sawyer are not stressing over the move like I thought they would. Partly because they know we will be there for them no matter how many miles down the road we have to travel but, mostly because of the love and care they receive from Cliff and me, their parents and our friends in the upstate. As the saying goes, "It takes a village". and I am so thankful that village is all around us.

During the day, while Emily was at work and the kids were at school, I sat and listened to the sounds of their new home and neighborhood. And to my surprise, they sounded so much like home. I hope Emily and the children quickly acclimate to their new home and neighborhood.  I know I am going to enjoy the new experiences and adventures we will have as Cliff and I most suredly will be visiting the upstate.....often. Oh wait, there is an added benefit. You remember my cousin, Terri? You know the one I call Sista and have all the crazy fun adventures with. Well, she lives maybe 20 miles from Emily and the kids. How cool is that? I'll get to see her more often now and I'm so happy Emily and the children will be near family.

Cliff came Tuesday and the kids were so excited to see him. We spent one more night and then had to leave Wednesday to head to Louisville, KY. Cliff had an Ironman Competion waiting on him. But before we left, we took a tour of Emily's new neighborhood. The town is an old Mill Town. It's small and rural. It lies near a river and there is a railroad track nearby. So many similarities to home. We were pleasantly surprised to find the bridge in the picture below. It was a one lane wooden deck bridge and reminded us or should I say shared with us a part of what that area was like in days gone by.




One Lane Wooden Bridge - Upstate SC

                       
                                                      Come back soon y'all, I have lots to tell.

                                                 Laurie


 

THANK YOU!

Just a quick post to say THANK YOU! Your kind words, sweet comments, texts and most of all prayers have meant the world to me. Yesterday was such a sad day. My world changed overnight. I know from the comments left that so many of you have had similar experiences. Thank you for sharing them with me. Knowing your stories and how you dealt with them and most importantly how you adjusted to them, helped a great deal. Change is never easy, just inevitable.

And today, as promised, I am going to visit my grandbabies in the upstate. That was quick, wasn't it? But, school starts on Monday for Lidia and Sawyer and just like when my girls were little, I want to be there for their first day of school, I want to see their classrooms and meet their teachers. I want to be there when they come home from school and hear the stories they have to tell. I want them to know Cliff and I are still here for them....that a few miles down the road doesn't change anything.

So...after my training run of 7 miles this morning, I'll load up and hit the road. I have a busy couple of weeks coming up so posting may be spotty, at best. But oh, the stories I'll have to tell.....

Stay tuned,

Laurie

My Heart Hurts!

My heart feels like it's being ripped from my chest. I can hardly breathe. Today is the day that I go from being a hands on LaLa to a long distance one. Today is the day my babies move to the upstate.

Since packing up the Uhaul and sending it on it's way Wednesday, Emily has stayed at our house. Lidia and Sawyer were on vacation this past week with their daddy, but spent the night with us last night, after getting home from their trip.  Everything was going ok, until bedtime.

Lidia is the sweetest child in the whole world....at least she is in mine! And she is very intuitive. As much as we've tried to be positive and upbeat, she knows without a shadow of a doubt that things will never be the same. This upsets her and that upsets me. Her mother and I were doing damage control of sorts at bedtime last night because Lidia was crying and saying that she didn't want to move. It took all I had to hold back my tears.  I tried to console her by promising her that I would come see them all the time and that I would bring her home on weekends. That did little to help. So then I started telling her stories of my childhood....about how I moved around a lot because my daddy was in the Army. I explained how even though our address might change that our family was still together. I explained that she would have new experiences, new adventures and make lots of new friends. She finally started to calm down. I left the room so her mama could take over.

I really left the room because I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I excused myself to the restroom to get a handle on my emotions.  I know the kids will be fine and all that I told Lidia is true, but I feel her pain so badly. It hurts! I'm going to miss the heck outta them.

Right now, all I know for sure is that it's a good thing I just got new tires put on my vehicle. Because I'm going to be keeping the roads hot! Road trips will be my thing. As I was telling Lidia last night, life constantly changes. But, there are also things that stay the same.....I will always be her LaLa and that her Papi and I will always love her. She will always have a place in our home. Lord, I even have to remind my own self of that. If y'all could say a prayer for us, I would sure appreciate it. It's going to be a dark day.

I need to go. Lidia is up and we are going to make breakfast together. It was her idea. She's trying. Lord bless her and me.

Until next time,
Laurie


Disclaimer: Today, I can not be held responsible for grammatical errors or misspelled words. I'm not even gonna try. Oh and in case you were wondering, Sawyer is fine.

Sheer Determination

Things didn't come so easy for my family, when I was a child. I came from a large family....there were eight of us - daddy, mama and six of us kids. Daddy and mama worked hard to provide for us and there was little left for luxury items or entertainment. But then again, times were much simpler back then. Our entertainment revolved around activities and games that didn't require a lot. We played outdoors all the time. It was either dodge ball, kick ball, riding bikes, catch, hide and seek, jump rope, jacks, hop scotch or marbles. Little did we know, these games taught us valuable lessons that we would take with us into adulthood.

As an adult, you can often reflect back on your childhood and pinpoint the very moment that determined how your future was shaped. I love those moments when something triggers a memory from the past and you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that particular memory is exactly the point in time that shaped who you are and brought you to where you are now.  I remember the very day that it happened to me. As you know, I'm training for a half-marathon and I have often wondered how did I get to this place. How did I get my body to perform in a way that I could run such a long distance? Why am I so dedicated to training? Well honey, it can only be one thing. It's an epiphany of sorts and it's called Sheer Determination.

That sheer determination is how I learned to skate, how I learned to play tennis and now, how I have been able to run longer distances.

 

I remember once, in the early 70's, being invited to go with our church group to a skating rink in Goose Creek. It was a beautiful rink, the kind with the hardwood floors. Anyway, I was a little apprehensive about going because I didn't know how to skate. So I made up my mind that I was going to teach myself, before going on that church outing.

 

 

Circa 1970's roller skates

 

We had a pair of skates like the ones above. The kind you put your shoe into and buckle the strap around your ankle. Some came with a key to adjust, but mine had a wingnut underneath to adjust the length. I strapped those puppies on one morning and took to the carport. And round and round I went, learning how to brake and turn corners, but most importantly just how to stay up. I fell many times. I came away with bruises, scrapes and blisters of epic proportions, but I learned how to skate that day and continued to practice until the day of the skating rink trip. And when I stepped foot on that skating rink floor, I was so proud of myself. I skated with the best of them.

 

 

 

Andrews High School Gym - circa 1939

 

And then, there was the time in the mid 70's that I learned to play tennis. We lived across the street from the old Andrews High School Gym. The picture above shows what the gym looked like in 1939. A new school and gym was built some time later and this one was turned over to the town recreation department. They would hold town team basketball games there. And to the right of the building, the town built two tennis courts. Across my street, I watched people come and go and thought that I would love to be able to play tennis, too. I didn't know anyone who played, but that didn't stop me. I decided that I could learn how to play tennis by hitting the ball up against a wall.....much like the little kid in the picture below. If you look closely, on the right side of the gym at the very back there were no windows at the ground level. It was a large expanse of wall that was suitable for hitting a tennis ball. To learn the game, I would walk to the town Library on Main St. to research the rules and how to keep score.  I would practice everyday for weeks and months. I actually got pretty good and started getting invited to play some doubles and then singles with different folks that would come out to play.  Some years later, I went on to join a ladies tennis team and played up and down the Grand Strand. Again, I learned to play tennis by sheer determination.

 

 

I learned to play tennis by hitting the tennis ball against a wall...

 

Now, many years later, that sheer determination is what keeps me going during my training. It was a year ago in June when I first determined to start running and was so excited when I could run a full mile without walking. I began running longer and decided that I wanted to run a 5K, then a 10K. My confidence began to grow until now as I am determined to finish my first half-marathon. Sheer Determination, yes, it's what keeps me going during hot, humid days and the days when I'm sore and my body is tired...on the days when running feels like pulling logs. It will be Sheer Determination on race day that helps me cross that finish line after 13.1 long miles. And the sweet victory that I'll experience as I cross the finish line on October 12th, from a valuable lesson learned during childhood......PRICELESS!

 

 

Til then,



Laurie

 

 

FYI - The pictures above are not my own. I found them on the Internet and am sorry to say, I don't really know how to source them.

Overview: Month of July 2013

July has been a crazy month. Started out really wet, finally turned pretty hot and humid and now it can't decide if it's going to let the sun shine or not. But hey, I'm not complaining. It could be a lot worse. Could have done without the humidity. But, so it goes in the south.

Just a little of this and a little of that:

Not much going on other than lot's of exercise (stats below). My half-marathon training is underway and it's going well. My pace has picked up, finally. It's almost back to what it was before I got injured last December.

Sawyer is so funny. I just can't keep up with all of his ism's. His latest, however, had me hooting and hollering. He declares that when you mix a policeman with a cowboy......you get a sheriff. HaHa!

Mama was invited out to lunch with my brother, for his birthday. They went down to Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant. She declares that she saw two things she had never seen before. One - Dolphins jumping up out of the water. And two - Girls standing up on a surfboard, paddling.

HaHa! I'm quite sure she saw paddle boarders. But how awesome is it that at the age of 72 you can still see things you've never seen before?

You may not know this, but I also write a family newsletter. And this month, we had a "What is your favorite summer smell" spot. I got lots of different answers...from flowers, the smell of bacon and onions cooking to pluff mud of all things. But for me and my girls, as I said in the newsletter, the apple does't fall far from the apple tree. Our favorite smell was Coppertone Suntan Lotion. And I also like the smell of Dial soap...the gold one. It reminds me of my friend's, Robert and Shea's, clawfoot bathtub in the second floor bathroom of their beach house. They use Dial soap, too.

I've been busy canning tomatoes this week.

I put up 19 jars..........

.....and made a pint and a half of blueberry jam.

I think I'll make some more. I have many a blueberry left.

Exercise:

If you remember, I started experimenting with running and then riding the bike directly afterwards in July. Well, I've had to cut back on that. My half-marathon training program has begun and running and biking in the same day is a bit much. However, I do ride the bike on one of my weekday runs....just for a shorter distance, though. And then again on Sundays after the half training session, I also ride a shorter distance. Now, I use biking as cross training...that allows me a couple of long rides during the week. I know, it's confusing. But in case you were wondering, the stats below may help to clarify.....

July 2013:

Ran:                51.88 miles
Best Pace:       11:37 avg./5.16 mph avg.
Longest run:     4 miles
Bike:               163.26 miles
Best mph:        11:20 mph avg.
Longest ride:    20.69 miles
Races:             No races, this month. Hallelujah!

So, what has your month been like? Are you exercising yet? And, what pray tell is your favorite summer smell?

Til later,

Laurie