sealed with a kiss.

the day after.

I've learned that more than one person is checking the blog to see how things went and the least I can do is give a word or two.  Folks might be getting personalized blow by blow accounts, but here's some of my inspiration, just about twenty four hours after I crossed the finish line:

• I finished the event, in 13 hours and 12 minutes and change.  My 3.8 k swim was 1:10, my first transition was 7:09, my 180k bike was 6 hours 38 minutes and change, my second transition was 6 minutes, and my run was 5 hours and 9 minutes.  This total put me in the upper 50 percent of my age group.
• I'm happy that i finished. Canada ironman has been a dream for many years, and last year I failed to finish, so the goal yesterday was to get myself across the finish line.

Tidbits of the day:

• 6:45--pros start, and I'm still standing in the portolet line....oops!  (i still made it to the start on time). 
• 7:00 race begins and I proceed to be pummeled and climbed over by guys for the next 70 minutes.
• 8:30 on the bike.  crowds are screaming on the way out of town.  The layout is awesome and the support on this course is beyond compare.  I see Peter and Nan and the girls and give a big hi.
• The first third of the day consists of riding through spectacular countryside, sunny, beautiful roads, rolling hills eventually turning to mountain passes for remainder of day.
• 12:30. Lunchtime!!!!  We have a special needs bag that we submit so we can stash away any special nutrition.  By this time, I've eaten enough sport nutrition stuff, so I'm craving my specially packed PB sandwich and bagel and cookie that Kathy made for us (have i mentioned how much i adore our host?).  Anyway, I forgot that on this course the SN station is actually a little (quite a lot) beyond the halfway mark, so I was cheerfully calling out *lunchtime!* as we were rolling into the area.  
• My favorite hand-made sign of the day?  "you guys are crazy"....on the ride. Then there she was, later on during the run, with a sign, "you guys are still crazy!"  I told her that she was my favorite and she laughed with glee.
• The hills on this course are deadly.  With 900 first time Ironman athletes, I don't like being passed by somebody going 47 miles an hour down hill when we have one marked lane with cones going down the median and the surface is slick from new rain.
• The run.  Well, a while back I had proposed, what happens if the longest run, ever, in preparation for an Ironman is 14 miles?  I knew from the outset that it would most likely mean a lot of walking and jogging.  And so it was.  I got myself to the 13 mile turnaround in about two and a half hours.
• When I reached the turnaround, I got down on my hands and knees and kissed the electronic mat that we cross over ( i hollered that this was as far as I got last year and the crowd went wild!)  I was off like a bandit and Lady Gaga was playing on somebody's radio.
• I see Peter, the girls, and Nan at mile 22. I give them all giant hugs and Peter and I walk and talk for a while. It's the first time I've seen him in hours, and it feels wonderful.  We talk about the weather and how I was doing and was I going to finish and see you at the finish line.
• The last 3-4 miles are almost entirely populated by appreciative people, cheering, talking, playing music.  I still walked some, but, really.  Time to move unless you're really fried.
• An adorable volunteer also a nurse, Amy, helped me transition out of the event and then set me loose.  So there I am with foil wrapper keeping me warm, with a slice of veggie dominoes pizza and a bag of chips and a cup of melon, looking for my family.  There they were, all smiles by the bandshell.   
• 
  
• Now to get home.  When we pulled up in front of our house, our host had purchased a beautiful bottle of local wine, had a candle lit with a lovely note, and outside of the house were twinkly lights and handmade sign from the girls: