Best estimates ... I do not write too ago, but today is a reason enough to write.
Rodmy I traveled with my friend to Mexico, the island of Cozumel with one goal in mind: to finish the Ironman Cozumel that would on 28 November this year.
Flights to Cancun Panama to more or less, except a little hard landings, but fine. After waiting too long for the luggage in the aerropuerto, take a van to Playa del Carmen, a place from which you buy the ticket and embarks on a ferry to the island of Cozumel.
We reached the island on Thursday afternoon, after starting the trip at the airport in Quito at 4:30 in the morning. I was tired and a little worried about feeling cold, but the goal would be the race on Sunday. A record number of career and get the chip. Now all was to meet Sunday at "The Beast ".... nothing more than an Ironman.
Ironman triathlon is emblematic of ultra distance in the world, whose distances are 3.8Km swim, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km footrace for a total of 226Km of travel within a limit of 17 hours. It is the pinnacle of ultra distance. The run
very cautious with food, with warm, with water proof, the assembly of the bicycle. And when it was late afternoon when handing the bike in the park Chaakanab, instead of that we would begin the swim and would take the bike. Also we had to leave bags of T1 (swim-bike transition) and T2 (bike-trot transition.) Bike left list, with the correct pressure tires, parts in the back seat, revised for errors and gels and glued to the table for the next day. One last look at the place of swimming, turquoise waters and the encirclement of dolphins jumping and doing somersaults, back to the hotel.
no sleep the night before, with the nerves to the surface with my traveling companion and novice Ironman. Do not know what to expect, we attacked one after the other questions and doubts about the next day.
sounded the alarm and was on D. Which time there was no going back no more to do. A shower, get dressed competition, a sweater, the sandwiches pedyalite armed with a special Need for the 97 Km bike and 21 of the trot. A breakfast, a nutritious breakfast but measured and that tell us that the last bus starts charging people. Putting in a whole wheat bread and scrambled eggs run the bus (by the way heat, lol). Recent board posts sitting and start address.
Check that the bike is in perfect condition, the tires have the expected air pressure, which are the parts in the event of a puncture, leaving the extra clothes in the closet and towards the water, through the marking of the body with the number of competitor. Walking along the pier and into the water, perfect temperature to be banned wetsuit. Clear water, nice place to start swimming.
was the moment of truth, there was nothing else to do but wait for the start, a sea of \u200b\u200bcompetitors ready to face the journey and themselves, to be iron or break on the road. Sounded the game and all that floated in the clear water of Chankanaab coral reef off we went. Aim straight ahead orange buoy which would turn one counter and crowded around.
Before reaching the first buoy I got a kick in the face and swimming goggles that stuns me a bit and damaged something in the nose piece of the glasses begin to leak everywhere. The salt water-filled lenses are no longer clear, burning eyes, but I to bend at the buoy and try to see the next buoy. Saw very little, everything was blurry and my eyes were burning a lot. A stop and adjust the glasses, fix a little piece of the nose and to better align the glasses for less water. To keep swimming, turning buoys, stopping once to remove water that slowly seeps into the glasses. Reach the submarine and a twist, now just flip up the stairs where they end the 3800m swim. One more stop to evacuate water starting to overrun in the lenses of swimming and swimming upstream, going zigzag line with the current against us and ended up swimming.
The sensations were good, the sun was with us since the beginning of alzandose swimming was entirely on a blue sky, it was hot and the humidity was strong. I made the transition bag 2133 (my competitor number) and get the shirt that would make cycling and jogging, helmet and sunglasses. Apply lots of sunscreen and for the bike. Cadillac was there my beautiful, lonely road bike from last generation TT so faithfully and with shoes stuck with their clips. We had to push to the line of ascent to the bike, gain momentum and jumped on the bike to be sufficiently slow to move forward and find one at a shoe buckle set Velkro and cycling.
60km circuit, roughly, strong. An endless plain, no ups and no downs, no option to rest my legs a bit to getting more than halfway crosswind along the eastern side of the island. We landscapes, crashing waves of the sea, Mayan ruins, tropical vegetation, but a stifling humidity. The first round goes well, very good feeling, very hydrating, wetting a lot of head and back to hydrate and refresh the skin. Second round and as usual, it starts to annoy the ever levantarsee no seat, but not much more to do with cycling. People are totally nice, very excited about supporting the athletes ... screaming, clapping, placing speakers to the path ... in short, enjoying the feast of Ironman. Km 97 and get the bag special need: a sandwich that has more nutritional value than giving emocioanl ham, cheese and butter that taste of glory and a moisturizing pedyalite more than gatorade. Last lap on the bike and the pulse must be exactly where to go for your last posts of supply of the bike, hydrate your best and wear sunscreen, all non-stop pedaling.
ends in the town bike path, people excited to see so mad compete and we left the bikes and we go for running shoes. For the transition under the bike without shoes and left them locked in the clips, give the "Caddy" one of the many volunteers who ensured that the event will look and other red handed me my bag of T2. Entered the tent and put on socks, stockings pressure and jogging shoes, leave the helmet in the bag and took the visor to the trot, one last time in transition to put on more sunscreen and for my first marathon.
The marathon consisted of "only" three laps of 14 km from the center and north of the island, before the whole town and away, going towards the airport to the hotel Meliá 7km north of the island. The first 14 km at a normal pace, trotting all the time, good feelings and the exact keystrokes that should point at the trot. Pushing my mind to go, and I realize that the coach was right, the Km 10 of trot the start of the Ironman. Everything starts to hurt, to ask why her head is there. The reason for enduring so much suffering in the race if sitting the same time angry and hurt. Voliva determination is crucial, the head just thinking about coming, to break all bounds and become a finisher personal. FINISHER OR DEATH.
to face the second round and go jogging with more heart and will that leg. The legs and stuck, and came to the half marathon, 205Km of suffering had already passed, I could not give up or falter now that I was missing the 10th part in km (only 21) but how hard the competition in trot. I started walking, feeling that everything is slow, but that desire more. Jogging and walking, mixing both disciplines to spend less time, but to withstand the abuse that my body was undergoing. I was thinking how much I had in getting there, even in what happened if I had to crawl to try to reach.
mind perversely played with me, did you fly in thought but could the determination. Will power makes a finisher. I started the last lap on a paved foot ugly, even though pretty to the eye because a bird in the driveway. I separated and less than 14km from the finish line. Night had already fallen and the weather was good, not cold, warm moisture allowed the tank top is comfortable enough. Each check point to take gatorade, water, coca cola ... nibble a little peanut or prezels, oranges and bananas to keep fuel. The last 7km
thought only to arrive, forcing me to trot even when the pulse had fallen and did not want to go jogging again, at a good pace. It got to the dock and the city, a beautiful place that has the island with cruise ship docked in the port ... were now only two thousand meters to the finish line. I was filled with feeling of knowing that he was to achieve greater personal achievement he had faced, took from the pockets of his jersey without Sleeveless my two flags, the tricolor from Ecuador and my Jolly Rogers, the pirate flag that always accompanied me. Sheltered myself with the two banners bearing and jogged the last mile, people are encouraged and harangued ... children stretched out their hands to collide with mine. A group of women shouted: "We are truly iron."
E U-turn rather than for returning was my turn to enter the site reserved for those who We ended, encouraging crowded bleachers, a giant screen where I saw the speakers arrived and an animator who announced: " Gandhi Ecuador Vela, and remember that now you are a IRONMAN !!!". All worth it, the last 2km of 226 thousand meters of suffering were worth totally worth it. Finisher crossed the line, even with a bad time, but I broke something that is monumental to the standards of which we like ultra long distances.
am the captain of my destiny, and will fly all the time with the aim of finisher and I did, not the best preparation but with a lot of heart and willpower.
This first experience really showed me that "Impossible is Nothing" and I will face the same forces that I come along. An Ironman is like life, long and hard, with parts that we like more than others, but always worth it go and fight.
I hope they have a great time and I photos, which hang when I send them to the organization. A hug
IronGandho
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