CDA Ironman 2015

It was hot....it was unbearably hot.  My dad and Jess competed in the 2015 Ironman in CDA on Sunday, June 28th with record high heat, no cloud coverage and no extra water stations from the Ironman Corporation.  So sad.....I was so unbelievably sad that I couldn't be there to watch!  I wanted to be at that starting line at 5:30 AM when they shot the gun for the racers to dive into the water to start their 2.4 mile swim, but money kept me from flying across the country to do so.  However, thanks to modern technology, I was able to track Dad and Jess throughout the day and see where they were, how fast it took them to get there and even watch a live feed of the day! But still.  My heart and soul were in CDA with "my men" and I wanted nothing more than to cheer them on, hug them and congratulate them in person.  I was glued to my phone ALL day- refreshing my browser to keep looking at their stats.  I was panicked, worried, beyond proud, excited, etc., and I wasn't even there! They finished the swim within 3 minutes of each other (Jess first then he waited for Dad).  They left on their bikes together for the 112 mile ride- SMILING- and stayed pretty even with each other until the last 30 miles.  Jess got about 10 minutes ahead at that point and left to start the 26 mile run.  He was flying during the first part of the run.  I don't know how he did it.....

My Dad was hurting badly when the run started.  At mile 6, he just couldn't go on.  His calves and feet were cramping up way too much to continue.  He was done.  In that heat, there is just no way to get your body past the pain when it starts to shut down.  He gave it his all until he couldn't anymore.  My dad is NOT a quitter, so when I heard he was done, I knew he really couldn't go on.  

I sat on pins and needles, tracking my brother, waiting for updates, wanting to "watch" him cross the Finish Line online.  Mom and Tiff saw him and from miles 12-15 and reported that he was starting to hurt.... I waited up until 12:08AM when my Mom finally texted me and told me Jess had collapsed 4 miles from the Finish Line.  My heart broke for him and my tears started flowing.  4 miles!  He was SO close!  But he collapsed and the medics picked him up and wheeled him into the medical tent (he couldn't walk).  His body completely shut down.  It was in the high 80's still at that point in the night but he said he was absolutely freezing.  He had those foil blankets on him and the medical team told my parents he actually had hypothermia!  So sad.  He threw up 5 times and had a fever.  He pushed until his body fought back and collapsed because it had NOTHING left to give.  Those conditions on Sunday were not safe.  Not at all. At one hour during the race there were 200 injured racers in the Medical Tents.  They were overcrowded; people's bodies just quit on them.  I am soooo in AWE of the Ironman Racers, but so sad for them as well.  They train for the better part of a year, and because of the weather, they couldn't make it.  Sad day.  I wish the Ironman would have moved the race to another day, or let my Dad and Jess compete in a different race like they asked, but they wouldn't budge.  They didn't care....  I was just so sad for my Dad and brother.  It was a monumental day for them. I hope they are beyond proud for what they accomplished, despite that finish line not getting crossed, and I hope they know how much I admire them.  Although I wasn't there physically, I was there in spirit! (And if I had been there physically, I would have been on the sidelines where I could, yelling and cheering them on with all my heart!)

Tiff posted this picture on Monday saying that my Dad got heat rash on his legs just from running the 6 miles he ran on the asphalt:

I wrote on Facebook on Monday a little about my Ironman feelings, and so I'm just copying and pasting that so I don't have to write it again:

I was embarrassed at myself when I ran my measly 4 mile run this morning in ideal weather conditions! I was actually getting winded and couldn't help but think of how incredible those Ironman racers are who competed in horrific conditions yesterday and pushed as hard as they could and lasted as long as they did before their bodies just shut down on them. I was so sad to hear of the hundreds of racers that collapsed due to heat stroke, blacking out, severe cramping, bodies shutting down, etc., and the fact that Ironman didn't step up and add more aid stations as they promised. When the pavement temperature is read at 147 degrees, there needs to be water stations every mile for the safety of those competitors. At one point, my dad went 30 miles on his bike in 106 degrees without a single aid station in sight. Can you imagine!!!!!?? I'm mad that Ironman didn't do anything extra to help, given that the temps were record high. I know how much blood, sweat, tears, strength, time and money goes into those races, and I applaud EVERY SINGLE racer in yesterday's event. Whether you crossed that finish line or not, you are STILL an Ironman and I wish I could hug every one of you! They were forced to push their bodies harder than they will ever have to in any other race. Some made it, some didn't. But every person who gave it their all is amazing. The human body can only withstand so much, and I am proud of every single one of you. ‪#‎Ironman2015‬ ‪#‎TeamSmidt‬