Ironman Weekend

This is what I love about Ironman. Doctors tell my friend, Barbara Dortch, not to exercise too much. She doesn't listen. This year she pushed herself too far. She finished the Canadian Ironman in 13 hours and 46 minutes.
(For those who don't know, that is a race composed of three legs - a 2.4 mile lake swim, a 112 mile bike ride over two mountain passes, and a marathon run of 26.2 miles)
Barbara finished second in her age group of 55-59 year old women, but that couldn't have been much of a motivation. I say that because she pushed herself so far and so hard that when she crossed the finish line, she had nothing left. Not enough to stand. Not enough to talk. Not enough to recognize the faces around her. She sat down and passed out.
So how can I say that second place couldn't have been the driving factor? Because third place wasn't breathing down her neck. In fact, she was an hour and a half behind Barbara.
Donna had been handing out medals in the finish chute. When she saw Barb coming in, it was clear she was running on empty - listing to one side so much she was nearly falling over. All Barb could see was the finish. And when she crossed it, she let go.
Medical staff are on hand at these events, prepared for just this sort of thing. A race this long takes a toll on the human body and one slip in nutrition can leave you delirious on the road unable to finish. Two paramedics picked her up and while Donna stayed by her side, I cleared a path to the medical tent.
An hour later she was up and walking, but the next day she still suffered from spells. She nearly missed receiving her award for second place.
But here is what I love about it. After all that, she didn't talk about pushing herself too hard. She didn't talk about what an accomplishment she had just achieved. She said that next time she had to get her nutrition right. Good on ya, Barb. You are an inspiration to us all.