IM Arizona

The goal to one day do an Ironman began when I was in middle school. In 1996, I watched the Ironman World Championship in Kona for the first time from my living room studying for a science exam. I had never heard of a triathlon, much less the distance of 140.6 miles as a swim, bike, and run event in one. I was in awe that the human body could do that. What inspired me the most were the stories of individuals like you and me going after their dreams and accomplishing their goals at this triathlon. I didn't realize it then as a child; however, I understand now as an adult that sometimes these physical feats and goals we go after help us process the whirlwind of emotions we go through as we process the challenges or setbacks we have experienced in life. This is why sometimes these goals become so powerfully therapeutic. From battling cancer, losing a loved one, losing a child, losing your business, or going through a divorce, there are a number of left hooks that life sometimes throws at us and we are left asking ourselves: why me? These are life changing moments I didn't understand then, but I understand their impact now. I said at age 12: one day, I will do an Ironman.

I researched the triathlon sport. Unfortunately, the barrier to entry at the time for me was money and age. Triathlon, as cycling, is an expensive hobby for non professional athletes. I came from an immigrant family; therefore, doing triathlon as a child was not possible within my family's means and the minimum age to do an Ironman was and still is 18. Naturally, I thought picking the simplest of the three sports would be the first step so I signed up for my first marathon at age 14. In 1999, in the age before social media, I walked into a world alone and afraid of what was to lie ahead. People thought I was crazy. The one person who has always believed in me said: I will run it with you. That was my father. We didn’t know what we were doing and hadn’t run more than five miles, but we went for it. My dad told me that if you believe in yourself, the power of your mind will triumph, even when the body weakens. Needless to say, the day we ran our first marathon together is a day I will never forget. We crossed the finish line hand-in-hand at the 1999 LA Marathon in 4:05. It changed my mindset forever. I began to believe that no matter what preconceptions others had of me or I had of myself, I could push myself beyond anything I have ever imagined. 

Race Day:
I arrived race day very nervous, frightened of getting hurt, and unsure how I would do. I had not trained as much volume for this Ironman as I had for my first and second. On our drive from Los Angeles to Arizona, I broke into tears because this was the first major race my dad or family would not be on the sidelines cheering for me. Everyone had to work and couldn’t come along. I relied on my family for emotional support because they are my strength. I work as hard as I do academically, professionally, and athletically because they model an enduring work ethic. With their love and sincere encouragement, I feel like I have the power of an army. 

The Swim:
As nervous as I was, it didn’t help to discover at 6:18 am that I had forgotten my wetsuit. “Anyone have a women’s medium wetsuit they can lend out?” the announcer called out in the darkness of the morning. My race cannot end before even the start. As it got closer to race start time at 7:00 am, I had no wetsuit. Should I swim without one? Then a gentleman came to the front and said, “You can use mine. I’m not feeling well so here you go.” I jumped into the too large suit then it was a mad dash and jump into the water. The shot of the cannon was the only reminder that it was race time. I miss the challenge of mass starts at Ironmans. Go! For me, swimming 2.4 miles is not as daunting as cycling 112 miles or running 26.2 miles. However, trying to stay afloat among 2,700 or more other frantic swimmers can send anyone into a panic. Be aggressive, be tough, be you. Our pool was closed for the past month for renovations so I had only swam once in that time. I survived the swim in a much slower time than I normally did at the time: swim split 1:33:22.

The Bike:
Wetsuit stripper quickly peeled off the oversized wetsuit and off I went to find my intro level bike. It gets me from A to B and it sure got me to the finish line. I may not have a carbon bike or parts. I needed to prove to myself I had legs of steel to tackle 112 miles. Best way to tackle any large feat is break it into at least three parts. First loop start strong but smart; second loop remain strong but survive; and third loop hammer it hard like it will be your last. First loop of 37 miles was my fastest, second my slowest, and third my second fastest. I lacked the cycling mileage and volume in training for this race. However, I made sure that when I jumped on that saddle that I hammered hard to make the most of it for me. Without upgrading my bike like I sincerely wanted to, I dropped more than one hour from my bike split most likely because it was a flat course than compared to my two previous 112 mile courses. Nonetheless, I know riding only 1 90-miler and 2 60-milers was not enough. Making every mile count is. Bike split 6:30:46.

The Run:
I love to run. From the moment I jump into the water, I have to resist the thought: I cannot wait to run. When you love something so bad, it never seems like work. Coming back from a grade I ankle sprain, I was unable to follow the progressive training plan for my run as I would have liked. Run too fast in the beginning of a marathon, you hit the wall, which in my honest opinion should never happen if you are prepared for the distance and you execute the right race strategy for yourself. It took about 15 marathons to figure this out that there is no wall. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It means you are racing the right pacing strategy for what you are prepared for. Run too fast in the beginning of a marathon IN an ironman and be prepared to be mangled. As excited as I was to get off the bike and ease into 7:30 pace, I backed off. I could not make the same mistake I did at Vineman or Coeur d’Alene, my first and second 140.6 respectively. Forcing myself to slow down to 8:00 min/mi, I found myself constantly fighting with my mind: C’mon just a little faster, just a little. Mile 15: pace began to slow, thighs began to burn, feet began to ache, calves began to throb. Mile 18: why did I sign up for this? Mile 20: Oh, I remember. I only have a 10K to go and I can break 13 hours?! Walking was painful. Shuffling was painful. Jogging was painful. I might as well run my heart out and I did. I picked up the pace through the screaming pain that shout out from my legs. I ran and pushed hard passing male after male after male. "Woah great pace," they’d mutter. My body was fatigued, my body was depleted, but my mind and heart was full of vigor. I was going to do this. I was going to finish for my family, for those who can’t, for those who want to and for me. I approached the finisher’s chute and heard the roaring cheers of the spectators standing shoulder to shoulder cheering for everyone. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I looked upwards and said: this is for you. I couldn’t even see the clock anymore but I could hear it: “Congratulations, Nadia!! You are an Ironman!!”

What it took to arrive to this start line and many others before and after -- Anything is possible when you believe in yourself. 


Course:
2.4 mile swim in 1-loop mass start in Tempe Lake @61°F
112 mile bike in 3 out-and-back loops @71°F
26.2 mile run 3-loops
Start 55°F
Finish 63°F

Race Day Food:
200 1 pack of almond butter (breakfast)
200 1 box of granola
400 1 serving of Go Lean Protein Crunch
100 1 gel (During T1)
500 3 bottles of on course hydration (Bike)
100 1 bottle electrolytes 
500 2 boxes of granola
300 6 half bananas
300 1 Salt & Vinegar Chips
700 5 mini-energy bars
200 1 serving of Nut Clusters
200 1 serving of Nut Clusters (During T2)
100 orange slices (Run)
100 1 bottle electrolytes
100 chips
300 1 slice of pizza (Post race)
600 3 meat tacos
100 1 bottle of electrolytes
5,000 Total Calories (values approx.)

Results Summary:
Swim 1:33:22
T1 12:03
Bike 6:30:46*
T2 8:43*
Run 4:09:13*
Total 12:34:08*
*PR