I am an Ironman!!!

First of all I have so many people to thank for supporting me through this endeavor and coming out to watch me race on Saturday! The best part of the day was seeing my family and friends along the course and at the finish line. I was overwhelmed at the number of phone calls, text messages, emails and facebook messages I received wishing me good luck and praying for me.

On Friday I made my way to The Woodlands to meet Tobey, my brother, Slade and Mark. We turned in our bikes and transition bags and made ourselves familiar with the transition area. Next up was lunch, checking in at the hotel and a nap before dinner with some of our tri4Him teammates. To my surprise I still was not nervous at dinner. We sat at talked about what we were expecting from Ironman, how the Houston team was going to beat up on the other tri4Him teams in Waco () and what our next plans with look like with our coach Jeff as some of us are racing in Augusta 70.3 in September. At 7:00 we left for the hotel and it was time for bed. Lights out at about 9:00 and I actually got a good night sleep. The alarm went off at 4:00 AM but it was not needed, my brother and I were already up getting dressed at that point. We were laughing as we filled water bottles, checked our bags for goggles, swim caps, etc. Again I was surprised at the calmness in me. We headed out for transition about 5 AM and there was a quiet nervousness everywhere. People were airing up tires and checking bikes one last time in the dark. Then we headed to the swim start where we met up with our family, friends and teammates for prayer at the tri4Him tent. I was in awe at the number of people in tri4Him jersey’s and the amount of people surrounding our banner to pray. At the moment that Cindy gave the devotional and Jeff did the prayer everything else was still. I couldn’t hear the crowd, the announcer, nothing but God speaking to me.

Tobey, Rik and I headed to the swim start about 6:40 and stood in the massive crowd trying to get into the water. At most races this is where I get nervous. Anyone that knows me knows I do not care for the swim portion of triathlon. Still to my amazement no anxiety, even as I walked into the water I felt at peace about the whole day. I was very thankful that Tobey stayed right by my side and kept talking to me as we treaded water. It didn’t take long for that clock to wind down and the gun to go off. It was like a washing machine was turned on high out there. Even though I was in the back and took my time taking off I got trampled on. This is the time my nerves got the best of me. I started to panic about 200 meters into the swim as my googles were being ripped off and I was being run over again by another swimmer. I kept thinking to myself I can’t do this for 2.4 miles, I will never make it. I had a slight panic attack and thought to myself I was going to have to drop out. Then I started praying and decided to get to the inside, turn over and start back stroking. If I had to back stroke the whole race so be it…I was not giving up now. Once I turned over my heart rate went down and I got a steady rhythm going. I was then able to go back to my free style swim and start making some good progress. Once I made the first turn I felt good, breathing was perfect. As we made the last turn into the canal towards the swim out I could hear the cheers and I was so excited to know I was about to be out of the water and onto the bike, which is by far my favorite part!

As I headed towards my bike in transition I heard the cheers of my friends and was so excited to see all of them! As I headed towards my bike I guess I was a little caught up in the moment and I’m still laughing at my crazy mistake. My number was 222, but for some reason in T1 I had 522 in my head. When I got there I didn’t see my bike and told the volunteer my bike was gone. I even looked at coach Boo and told him my bike was missing. As the poor volunteer was in panic mode looking for my bike another lady reminded me I was number 222 and my bike was 3 rows up…OOPS Now onto the bike course. I have trained on this course 2 times previously and to be honest it kicked by butt both times. The hills and the wind out there can be brutal so I had been mentally preparing for it. To my surprise that course felt easy on Saturday. I felt like something was pushing me up those hills at times, my heart rate stayed in check and my nutrition was going according to plan. I tried to encourage everyone out there on the course and thanked all the volunteers which made my day go by much faster. I also prayed for everyone while I was out on the course. I received many prayer requests so I spent the time having those conversations with God. I also spent much of the 7 hours singing the same Casting Crowns song over and over. “I’ll go but I cannot go alone because I know I’m nothing on my own. The power of Christ in me makes me strong” “When I’m weak You make me strong, when I’m blind You shine your light on me because I’ll never get by living on my own ability”. I wore an ipod in one ear for many of my long training rides and on Saturday I didn’t miss it at all as this song was the only one I needed to get me through the day. There are two things I was very thankful for during the bike ride. One was the overcast skies the second was the light wind. When I came off of the bike in 7 hours I knew I was going to finish this thing up with plenty of time. As I headed into transition I could see a group of my friends there cheering me on with signs and nothing could wipe the smile off of my face. The bike handlers took my bike and I ran into T2 where I changed into my run gear and talked to Erika and we headed out to run.

When I hit the run course I saw John and Theo cheering me on and also notified me that my brother had to stop the race, he was in the medical tent but would be ok. Now it was up to me to finish this strong for both of us. My first thought was concern for him, what could have possibly taken him out? He was more prepared than anyone for this race. I had to get settled into the run but it was very hot at that point and my heart rate was spiking. I was already having to walk at mile two when Tommy passed and assured me it was in hot for everyone and just to take my time and keep moving, so that’s what I did. At about mile 4 I heard Todd calling my name from behind, he had hurt his ankle on the first lap and was having to walk. He too told me just to keep moving and I would get there. As I got to mile 5 and back onto the canal area my heart rate was settling in and I was able to keep my run going. When I got to the Landry’s where the tri4Him team was stationed I was hit with a wall of cheers and it was AWESOME! Everyone was there cheering and of course Cindy was on the mega phone! I was also relieved to see my brother out there cheering everyone on. These are the moments I run for during a triathlon. That is by far my favorite part of racing! As I headed out on the second lap I again see my Wolfpack gang and read their very funny shirts and have a quick laugh before continuing on. I ran and walked with many people, had many different conversations with them and tried to stay positive the entire time, even when it felt like my legs were about to fall off. On the last lap of the run darkness had fallen on us and my knees and hip were killing me. I had to walk way more than I wanted but I knew I had plenty of time so I just kept telling myself to put one foot in front of the other. At about mile 22 I ran into Tommy’s sister Lynne and we both decided we would NEVER do this again. One Ironman was enough for us, I think I have since changed my mind. The last time I hit Landry’s I saw my very best girlfriends standing there with their signs and Kim running alongside me, this is the first time all day that I started to get emotional. The tears hit my eyes and I again felt so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. From there I ran on into the chute towards the finish line. As I hit that chute everything stopped hurting, my adrenaline kicked in and my pace picked up as I rounded the corner and saw the finish line I could feel my smile getting bigger and bigger and the tears started to hit. I could hear my friends screaming and cheering and in one brief second everything stood still as the announcer said “Kelly Ryan you are an IRONMAN”. That is one of the best feelings I have ever had. I looked over and had people running down the sides and my handler said “I think you have some people that want to see you pretty bad” I told her I was just as excited to see them. It was a great celebration at the finish line.

There is so much that went into getting to the finish line, race day is just a small portion of the journey to be an Ironman. I do believe that race day is where you can shine the most. This competition can break you, make you question yourself and God. I am proud of the way my friends raced out there supporting each other, helping others and encouraging others. I am especially proud of my brother for taking a disappointing circumstance and having a good attitude about it. For showing others that God had another plan for him and accepting it with grace.

Tobey reminded me a few weeks ago that I was about to do something that most people would never attempt to do, that this was going to be very special and to take it all in. I did just that, I enjoyed every single moment of it. You all have inspired me so much along the way and I hope that I can do the same for some of you.

Congratulations to all of the finishers, it’s very exciting to see so many new people we can call an Ironman! Thanks again for all of your support and for following me through this journey. I look forward to cheering many of you along your Ironman journey this next year.
God Bless,
Kelly

Ready to Race...

It's finally here! I can't believe that in just under 36 hours the first ever Memorial Herman Ironman Texas will be starting. Among the participants will be professional athletes, first time Ironman hopefuls, veteran Ironman finishers, young, old, all types will be represented in this race. The one thing we all have in common is to need to do something bigger than ourselves, the need to push our limits and say I am an Ironman. What an amazing experience this has been for me. I can't even begin to explain the ways I have grown over the last year. Regardless of what happens on Saturday I know that I will never again be the same. I will forever be stronger, more determined and always realize my inner strength.

I have expected my nerves to kick in this week but as of today they are still very much in check. Today my brother, Tobey and I picked up our packets in The Woodlands. We experienced the nervous energy of the crowd signing in, shopping at the Ironman Plaza and milling around the expo. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement and it was nice to feel the energy but I made sure to tune out the nervousness, to stay in my own zone and focus on what lies ahead. We had a 30 minute run around the course just to stay loose and it felt great! Now all that is left to do is finish packing up in the morning, check our bikes in and head to the hotel to relax. I'm very excited to be rooming with my brother tomorrow night. We both have a way of using laughter and joking as a way to loosen up and it will be much needed tomorrow night and Saturday morning. Saturday morning we will head to transition to air up our tires, place our water bottles on our bikes and then head to the swim start for our 6:15 prayer at the tri4Him banner. Then we will start to make our way to the water for the 7 AM start.

I keep looking at this as a way to put all of my work together. I have done each individual leg of this race at one point as a stand alone event. On Saturday all I have to do is put all three of them together to get to the finish line....pretty easy, right? :) I'm ready to get out on that course and show the participants from all over the world what Texas and tri4Him is all about. I know it won't be easy, I know there will be times of doubt but I have God on my side. If I keep my eyes focused on Him and why I started this journey in the first place there is no way to lose. It is so exciting to know that so many of my friends and family will be out there watching and cheering us on. I also take great comfort in knowing my brother is out there on that course with me, even though he will be so far ahead of me. He is my greatest inspiration and I want to publically thank him for dragging his little sister on this journey with him.

I want to thank each and everyone of you that have sent me words of encouragement, prayers and support over the past months. This has been a long journey that would not have been possible without you. Ironman is an individual sport but the journey to get to Ironman takes a village.

Please pray for all of the volunteers, spectators and racers this weekend. Pray for good weather with LOW winds:) Pray that we not only all cross that finish line but that we do it in a way that shows people that we tri for HIM. Good Luck to all of my teammates and friends racing....
Ronnie, Tobey, Karen, Rik, Erika, Slade, Greg, Tommy, Wendi, Matthew, & John. Please also pray for Papa Joe as he heads out of the country for work on Saturday. He will be greatly missed on race day but will be in my prayers all day for a safe trip.

Next post....race report! Looking forward to that finish line:)

God Bless,
~Kelly

Final Countdown

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a persons determination"...Tommy Lasorda. This is a quote I have found to be my motto over the last year. I have come in to contact with many people who say "there is no way I could ever do an Ironman" and I used to be one of those people. Today I realize if you really want something bad enough and pray about the circumstances surrounding your want you can make it happen. I am ten days out from race day and I now see exactly how I'm going to become an Ironman, I know I have put in the training that is required to get me across that finish line. I'm not feeling the nerves yet but I must say I am absolutely feeling the emotions. As I reflect on the last year leading up to my first 70.3 and now to Ironman I find myself getting tears in my eyes. Everytime I talk to someone wishing me Good Luck and sending me messages of prayer and well wishes...tears! As i think about all that has been sacrificed from my friends and family...more tears. I am a very blessed girl to be surrounded by the best friends, family and teammates in the world! You have absolutely gotten me here today.

This week started taper, the workouts are light and the volume has drastically decreased. We are all VERY excited to see a 2.5 hour bike ride on the schedule for Saturday. Coach Boo said that I would start to feel a little sluggish towards the end of the week and he was right. I have been asleep by 8:00 every night this week and my body is thanking me for it:) I have taken this week to run last minute errands and the slight bit of OCD in me has started a white board with lists for Transistion and Special Needs bags so that I don't leave anything behind next week when I head for The Woodlands. Now I just need to wait for Saturday the 21st to arrive....I'm ready to race!

A great friend reminded me to visualize the race ahead of me, see myself relaxed and steady out there. He reminded me that God has been with me through all of my training and on race day He will be with me, especially when things get tough. I know this day will not be easy, it will test me in every possible way but I know God brought me to this journey to show myself that I am stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. I found strength within myself during training days that I never thought I could have, race day will prove that even more. I have worked harder for this than just about anything else and I give all the credit to God because without him I could have never made it. My friend Tommy told me that the training was the journey and the race is the celebration and I plan on celebrating the entire 140.6 miles.

Remember to send me any of your prayer requests, I have received some already and have started preparing my stickers to remind me on race day to say a prayer for you. Please pray for all of the participants, volunteers and spectators of Ironman Texas. Pray that we all get to race day safely and injury free. I will send my last update late next week and then post my race report soon after. Thanks again for all of your support and well wishes, you have all made this journey very special for me.

~Kelly

YOU MIGHT BE TRAINING FOR AN IRONMAN WHEN....

I am just over two weeks away from attempting one of the craziest things I have ever done! Many people are asking me how I'm feeling and am I ready? I can honestly say I feel good and yes, I am ready. I have put the work in required to get my body able to do the 140.6 miles, after this weekends race prep it is all a mental game from here. Taper officially starts Sunday, this process will ensure that my body is well rested on race day and to be honest, I'm ready for some rest!

I have a nightly devotional book that I read before bed, it is 365 days of scripture and inspirational thoughts. I decided a few weeks ago to look at May 21st, just to see what the inspirational thought was and I was overcome with joy to see one of my favorite scriptues, one that is written out all over my house. "with God all things are possible" Matthew 19:26. It goes on to say that God does his greatest work when a situation seems impossible. With His wisdom things that seem impossible are turned into great opportunities. Throughout this training I have hit some rough spots and many of my teammates have as well, but keeping our eye on Him has helped us get through accidents, injuries and illness. On race day it will be no different. I can't say I'm not getting more anxious with every passing day but there is still a calm inside me as I know He will get me through mile after mile.

Over the past few weeks I have come to recognize a few signs that I am clearly an Ironman trainee...things that would not define me before but are my life now....kind of a "you know your an Ironman when"...
~The largest food group in your pantry is Hammer Nutrition products!
~You spend more time riding your bike weekly than you do driving your car!
~Your dishwasher is completly full, but it is only full of dirty water bottles!
~You are on a first name basis with the people at Fleet Feet, Tri on the Run and the Bike shop!
~You aren't scared to go anywhere in spandex...including starbucks and the mall!
~You never have a conversation with anyone without mentioning training at least once.
~Your friends have forgotten what you look like and want to know when this will be over!

Thanks again to everyone for all of your support. I'm really looking forward to May 21st and seeing many of you out there on the course. Remember to send my any of your prayer requests for that day....I will have a lot of time to send them up for you!

~Kelly

25 Days and Counting.....

We hit the one month mark until Ironman Texas last Saturday. It is a little surreal that we are so close to race day. I am excited, nervous, and even a little emotional when I think about running my first Ironman. The fact that it is in our hometown where so many friends and family will be there to cheer us on and we will be able to race with so many of our fellow Houston triathlon friends is even more exciting. Most of all I am excited for my training to come to an end:)....it has been a long, tiring journey to get to this point in training. I think I can speak for most of my fellow Ironman Texas trainees when I say we are ready for this race so we can take a break from the 6-8 hour bike rides, 2+ hour runs and the long hours in the pool. I received an email from Coach Boo yesterday reminding me that my last long run would be this coming Wednesday and I found a whole lot of satisfaction in knowing that this is where the training starts to taper.

This past weekend the tri4Him team members being coached by Jeff started race preps. Race preps are the time in training when you try to simulate the different disciplines as you expect them to happen on race day. I did my bike/run race prep on Good Friday but it did not start out as I had expected. When I started out with the group for our 117 mile ride I found that my new cleat on my left bike shoe would not clip into my pedal. After several attempts by my teammates I gave up and headed home to grab my old shoes then head South with Cindy to do our ride closer to home base. This was just another reminder that no matter how well we plan some things just don't work out the way we want them to and we have to be prepared to change directions quickly. Luckily I have a sister-in-law who can roll with the punches and move quickly to the next plan! We got on the road late and just like our fellow riders in The Woodlands we hit 25+ MPH winds....and they never died down. This is where Jeff's plan comes into play. Regardless of the conditions Jeff has spelled out a plan that we must stick to in order for our legs to still have enough juice left in them for the run....so I stuck to the plan, just as he prescribed. Even with the wind I finished faster than my race prep plan had called for and when I hit the 1 hour run after almost 7 hours on the bike I felt GREAT! I was so excited to see that my pace was right on track, my heart rate never spiked even though it was 90 degrees and I felt like I could have kept going for many more miles. All I could think was wow....Jeff is a miracle worker:) I actually see how everything will come together on 5/21. My nutrition is on target, my paces seem to be dialed in and I am mentally convinced this is going to happen and I'm going to cross that finish line. So many things can go wrong in any given day and when they do we have to trust in Gods plan. Mr. Tom reminded me that it must not have beens God's will for me to be riding in The Woodlands on Friday and that he had other plans for me.

I believe the toughest part of an Ironman race is probably the mental part. There are no ipods allowed in any triathlon which means you are left to your own thoughts each hour of the race. That means that I will be spending a lot of time in my own head telling myself to keep going. I also know I will spend a lot of time talking to God, thanking him for giving me the body to be able to compete in this race, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of tri4Him and racing with so many of my friends. I know he will be all over that course on May 21st, showing himself through us and to us. I will be printing out stickers with scriptures and prayer requests that I will place on my nutrigrain bars, hammer gels, water bottles, etc. If you have something specific you would like me to pray for you during my race please email me and let me know what it is, I will be sure it is added to my collection of stickers to remind me to raise you up during my race. You have all been so generous with your support of me during this journey and I will be thanking Him for all of you that day.

Cindy, thanks for doing my race prep with me, you must be nuts for riding all day with me when you are not even training for anything! Brother, thanks for changing out my wheels and making the adjustments on my bike...also want to thank you for all of the guidance you have given me. Racing with you in IMTX is so special and one of the biggest reasons I will keep going that day. Tobey, thanks for the pep talk before race preps...it definately helped keep me focused on Friday. Coach Boo, thanks for the great coaching! Your plan is exactly what I needed to get to this point. I'm looking forward to finishing this thing out strong.

As we get closer to May 21st I ask that you pray for all of the participants of Ironman Texas. We still have a few long days ahead and with high winds and hot weather I pray that we can all finish out this training with no injuries and make it to the start line with healthy bodies and minds. Here is a list of participants I ask you to pray for over the coming weeks....Ronnie, Tobey, Karen, Joanna, Suzette, Rik, Erica, Slade, Mark, Todd, Tommy, Greg, Marti, Wendi, John and of course me.

Every week Coach Boo adds a different scripture to the bottom of our training schedule and I want to leave you with the one from this week, I think it speaks to what many of us are feeling now in anticipation of race day. "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:5,7.

~Kelly

Today I realized just how close I am getting to May 21st. In just 44 days I will be among 2800 other athletes competing to complete the Inaugural Ironman Texas. I remember the day I signed up with my brother sitting in a little coffee shop in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. We were like little kids on Christmas day giddy with excitment and now it is so close. The training is going way better than I expected. 100 mile bike rides are becoming easy, 13 mile runs are becoming fun and yes, I'm even finding joy in swiming for 1.5 hours. I'm starting to feel the excitement of Ironman being here and I must admit I'm starting to feel the nerves as well.

This week I had a little encouragement from a very well known triathlete named Chris Lieto. Chris is an Ironman Champion and runner up in the National Championship in Kona in 2009. He is also a fellow Christian athlete and just an amazing person. He spoke to the tri4Him team here in Houston on Monday and the things he said hit home and really helped to calm my nerves. He spoke about his experience in Kona in 2009 where he was in the lead all the way through the bike into the last 2 miles of the run. In those last two miles Craig Alexander passed him and eventually crossed the finish line before him. Even though he wasn't winning the race, he was winning the way God wanted him to. He had run his race with endurance just the way God had planned and that was a sweet victory for him.

Chris also spoke about visualizing your race, setting expectations high and not limiting yourself. This is something I have been doing week in and week out as my training has gotten longer. I spend a lot of time visualizing myself crossing that finish line and the announcer telling the crowd that I am an Ironman. I have learned through this training not to put limits on myself and that I should set my goals high. So I am telling you all now my realistic goal...I will be keeping my stretch goal to myself:) My goal time for Ironman Texas is 15 Hours and 40 Min and I know that this is a very achievable goal for me and I look forward to crushing it.

The last part of the evening with Chris consisted of one of his friends finishing up the speech with a few encouraging words. He ended with one of my favorite scriptures, one that I have had written on my chalkboard in my kitchen for weeks. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. God has a plan for all of us and I know He brought me down this path for a reason. I know he is going to use me in so many ways over the coming weeks of training and on race day. I am praying that I recognize the opportunities to shine for Him on race day! And when I cross that finish line in less than 15 hrs and 40 min everyone knows who I was racing for!

This week is race week for me and many other teammates. I will be racing the Sprint Tri on Saturday in Galveston and many others are racing Sunday in the 70.3. Please pray for all of the racers this weekend. Good Luck to my brother, Cindy, Vicki as well as John and Kyle on their first Half and Piper on her first tri!

Special thanks goes out this week to Cindy for completing my long ride with me last weekend and for changing my tire! Thanks to the Wolfpack for helping me have a little fun in between training session and for a good laugh when I need one. (Jen....Windshield Wiper...you figure it out:)
I'm asking for special prayers this week for Jim Lieto who was in a bike accident last weekend while training for IMTX and broke his hip. Please pray for a speedy recovery. Also pray for my friend Tobey, he is leaving to Guatemala on Saturday for a mission trip. Pray for a safe trip for him and that he is able to reach out to many people through his work there.

Lastly if you haven't had a chance to check out Emma's Hugs please click on the link to the right. We are still raising money for their foundation to help those who have children in the hospital in the medical center by paying for parking, meals, etc.

~Kelly

Psalm 37:23

The past week has been a huge success for me. After over 3 weeks of no swimming I was able to get back into the pool to try to swim with a separated shoulder and....there was NO pain! It was such an exciting moment for me and at one point I thought I was going to start crying in the pool from the excitement. It completely set the tone for the rest of my week and today I did my first swim time trial and I actually hit a Personal Record for swimming an 800 meter swim.....all it took was a big bump on my shoulder!

Last Wednesday I set out for a long bike ride with Karen, Erica and Mr. Tom. I was pretty nervous to ride with this new group on roads that I was unfamiliar with. After all of the bike accidents I've had who could blame me:) I was also unsure I would be able to keep up....Mr. Tom is a 70 year old man who has set out to ride 10,000 miles this year and he is an amazing cyclist. To my surprise I was able to keep up and was enjoying our ride over the ferry, around the San Jacinto monument, into LaPorte and around Alexander Deussen Park. At the half way point I realized that I could realistically hit the 100 mile mark and was determined to hit it before my scheduled time to ride was up. When I shared this thought with Mr. Tom and Karen they were 100% on board! When we finished the 100.8 miles you couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. Karen and I had hit our first century mark on the bike and we felt great. It was exactly the confidence we needed to know we could complete the 112 miles at Ironman.

Over the weekend I took some time off from training and went to the Austin cook-off. I was able to catch up with some old friends and even made a few new ones. In talking to these friends about Ironman and how I got started I remembered that everyone gets into something like triathlon for different reasons....some to heal from a relationship gone bad, some to heal their relationships, some to help with strongholds they have in their lives and some to simply become a healthier person. Whatever the reason for starting into this world I am finding that after time these catalyst are no longer what pushes us day after day. What pushes us is the internal strength we find in ourselves through the process, the voice that is now telling us how strong we are, that even though you couldn't walk a mile a year ago you are able to run 13.1 today! Once this strength takes hold it is seen in everyday life and becomes who we are, pushing us in other areas of our lives. I have seen so many lives changed through the sport of triathlon and along the way it has definately changed mine. It reminds me of the following scripture: The steps of a man are established by the Lord and he delights in his way. Psalm 37:23 I can't help but to think that the Lord has led me down this path for a reason!

This week my thank you's go out to Mr. Tom, Karen and Erica for taking me on my century ride, Dino for being such a great friend this weekend,Craig for the good advice and Marlene for the encouraging words of wisdom. I'm looking forward to longer hours, a few small triathlons and race preps over the coming month. Keep all of the racers in your prayers as we spend so much time out on the road.

God Bless,
~K