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April 19
2007:
The long and
hard bike rides
were over. The
countless laps
in the pool were
logged. The
lengthy weekend
runs were
finally coming
to an end. The
only thing left
to do was give
it my all in the
third annual
Ironman
Arizona.
I
knew how hard I had trained and why I was here.
I was running to honor my fallen and wounded
teammates from Iraq and to raise money for the
Injured Marine Semper FI Fund. I had the best
coach on the planet and 3x Ironman World
Champion Peter Reid in my corner not to mention
all the awesome people at Specialized Bike
supporting me.
When
the gun went off I thought about what a great
journey this has been. I thought about my
fallen and wounded friends and said a quick
prayer before I started my 2.4 mile swim. The
swim was like being locked inside a washing
machine with ten of your closest friends. I was
kicked, grabbed and swam over.
I
came out of the water in 1:05 (350th). The next
event was the 112 mile bike ride. I felt great
and my Specialized S-Works Transition functioned
like a rocket ship! The new Roval Rapide wheels
were so fast that the bike felt like it was on
cruise control.
Although the winds were 25-30 mph I came off the
bike in 5:14 (70th).
The
last leg of the Ironman is the 26.2 mile
marathon.
I
carried a full sized American flag with me
during the marathon portion of the Ironman
because that flag was in the back of the vehicle
the day my teammate SSgt Jay Collado was
killed. Carrying the flag was my way of
honoring his service and the ultimate sacrifice
he made in Iraq. The flag was tough to carry in
the high winds, but the positive comments I
received from the Ironman Arizona spectators
helped me during the tough times. When I was
tired and hurting I thought about my teammates
suffering from catastrophic injuries. I thought
about the pain that they must endure during the
lengthy rehabilitation process.
When
I thought about their courageous actions my pain
seemed to go away. I knew that my teammates
were racing with me and that they were telling
me to raise the flag just a little higher for
them.
I
finished the race in 10:54. The best part was
having my son Tyler run the final fifty meter
leg with me. Crossing the finish line at an
Ironman is an emotional experience. All I can
say is that I was filled with raw emotion. I
found myself thinking about Iraq, my teammates,
and how precious life can be. I reflected on
how lucky I was to be an American competing in
an Ironman. After finishing the Ironman I
kissed my son and my wife and thanked them for
supporting me during my long training plan. I
found the people that made this possible (Ariadne
and Louie from Specialized Bike & Peter Reid) I
gave them all huge hugs because I was finally an
Ironman!!
This
isn't the end for me. I plan to continue to
race and raise money for the Injured Marine
Semper FI Fund.
The
journey isn't over yet. We have countless
numbers of wounded warriors that need our help.
Peter has agreed to coach me for a future race.
The great people at Specialized will continue to
support my efforts to raise funds and
awareness. I appreciate all the positive
comments and e-mails I have received.
I hope that the
next time we see a flag flying we remember that
the flag stands for freedom, courage and often
the ultimate sacrifice of America's true heroes.
Semper
FI
Andy |
