ADR and ultra endurance athletics

[TPatti]

Originally Posted by jss

IronMan is a race in which the participants swim 2.4 miles, bicycle 112 miles and then run a marathon, 26.2 miles; all of which must be completed in 17 hours. Surprisingly, there are many spine patients that are able to participate.

Since March of this year I have been training for this year's IronMan Florida to be held this Saturday, Nov 2. The training is all consuming; up at 4:30AM, swim, bike or run for 90 minutes, work all day, then swim, bike or run that evening; four days a week. Saturday consists of a long bicycle ride, up to 100 miles, with Sunday having a long run up to 20 miles, with a 2 mile swim mixed somewhere into that weekend. Both myself and my IronWidow, I mean wife, are looking forward to this being over.

The fallout from seven months of this insane training regimen is:

• Swim: 73 miles
• Bike: 1,752 miles
• Run: 432 miles
• Calories: 128,846

Though I weigh the same, body fat % has gone from 10 to 6, and my waist size is within an inch of what it was when I graduated high school in 1981.

There have been limitations from my two cervical fusions and two M6-C's. Namely, swimming without a snorkel is contraindicated. I've done it only twice; once for 2000 meters and once for 300 meters. Two days after the 2000m swim (back in April) I had all the same debilitating symptoms that I had in 2009 that led to my double ADR; it took about 6 weeks to recover. After the 300m swim a few weeks ago, I had a lot of muscle spasms in my upper trapezius and neck; which are just about gone. At least for me, use of a snorkel is required.

If you get bored Saturday and want to check-in on me, IronMan's web site posts real time tracking updates at 15 or so distance intervals;

• go to the IronMan site
• hover over "Races" and select "Live Coverage" from the popup
• select "Ironman Florida" (the only race that day)
• select "Athlete Tracker"
• my bib number is 2964

The race starts at 7AM EDT, and if I complete the swim in time, I'm expecting to finish between 9 and 10:30PM.

Congrats, You Are An Ironman! Ed from my club finished right around you in all three legs, he would have been wearing a Ionraic jersey.

[jss]

It was a long day, but I finished the IronMan Florida Saturday night in 14:12:49.

The surf had been heavy with breakers 100 meters out for two days before the race; plus 20-25 mph winds. I tried three times to go out for a practice swim before race day and was unable to get past the breakers. Very few of the non-spine patients with two strong arms were able to get past the breakers and swim. I got up at 4AM on race day and in the dark could still see breakers 50 meters from shore. I tucked my tail between my legs expecting a DNF (did-not-finish) because I couldn't finish the swim. As I didn't work for seven months to just give up, I donned my wet suit and goggles and went down to the starting line to do battle. As the sun came up, the surf got calmer. I went out for a brief swim and easily cleared the breakers. I might not DNF...

I finished the 2.4 mile swim in 1:48:53. While that's a very slow time and I was lapped by nine other racers, it was only four minutes slower that my target time; so I was very happy.

After the swim I transitioned and set out for 112 miles on the bike. As I'd ridden 100 miles in less than six hours a few times, my plan was to finish the bike in less than seven hours, but really hoped for a sub-6:30 time. Given the 15mph wind, I knew that 6:30 wasn't going to happen. The IMFL course is very flat and I was happy with my 6:51:13 time.

The legs were tired from the ride, but I transitioned and set out for the final leg of IMFL, the marathon; 26.2 miles of running. My goal was a sub-5hr time. I'd planned to run 4 miles at a 10 minute pace and then walk 1 mile at a 14 minute pace; repeat that four more times and then run the final 1.2 miles, sprinting the final 100 meters across the finish line. To my shock I was able to execute that plan down to, and including, the final 100 meter sprint across the finish line for a 4:56:08 marathon; and a 14:12:19 IronMan.

It was really cool to hear the announcer at the finish line pronounce, "Jeff, you are an IRONMAN!" (I'm in the green tank top)

Yes, my spine problems are only cervical, which are much more easily managed than lumbar issues. However, during our three days in Panama City Beach I had the opportunity to converse with a great number of people. My favorite was a gentleman that was 83 years young and competing in this same 140.6 mile race (he did finish). My second favorite was a woman in her late thirties that had had an L5/S1 fusion some years earlier; this was her fourth post surgery IronMan.

Of course there are no guarantees in spine surgeries, and very few spine patients will ever desire to participate in such insanity as an ultra endurance athletic event; but given the experience I've just shared of two spine patients, one cervical, the other lumbar, I hope that everyone can realize that with today's medical technology that hope for a "normal" life is not necessarily out of reach.

[jss]

Originally Posted by TPatti

Congrats, You Are An Ironman! Ed from my club finished right around you in all three legs, he would have been wearing a Ionraic jersey.

Todd, thanks for checking in on me! And congratulations to your buddy Ed.