My Journey to Ironman UK, Our Journey!

Ironman is not just an event, a race or something you just do. As the title reads, it is a journey. A journey of 6 or 7 months where it needs to be your focus, your target, a point of destination! This is what I/we decided to make our destination nearly 8 months ago- Ironman UK. We made the decision to take on this responsibility and to take ourselves through it all; the pain, the tears, the laughter, the 5am wake ups, the joys, mental battles, financial sacrifice, and of course through this all you learn so much about yourself and this is what you bring to race day. That is what every athlete feeds on when they are about to enter into the water and into the journey of the day. Every Ironman will say that race day is the best part of it all! Ironman is a journey; you take yourself to places you never know existed within yourself. It is an experience, and what sets yourself apart from the rest are the ones that have endured the pain and joy of such a challenge (not only on race day that is the fun part!) put on the road to it… There is so much that I have learnt and I want to thank so many people for bringing me over that finish line. You were always there for me and encouraged me and for this, crossing that finish line was not for me, but it was for you…

So this is the last blog entry for my Ironman Journey. It is so hard to think that the journey is all over. I have had the whole week to reflect and to be honest it feels good, it feels amazing but let me tell you it is not the be and end all of my life. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to experience sport like I have, to be given the ability. But I can come away from this experience knowing that I am not addicted to it and it does not define me. It is so easy to have something consume you. I have already gone through that and I never want to let any sport define who I am. I can recognize that God has given me a gift for sport and so I will use it and I will enjoy it. God has given me this body to use on earth and I am going to make the best of it and really take it to the cleaners! Just kidding :-)

Getting onto my personal Ironman story. There is so much to say that I don’t know where to start. This blog is just going to be written just how I speak. Whatever comes into my head I put on paper. Whatever I feel in my heart I will put it in as I have prayed over this blog and I pray that whoever is on the receiving end can relate to it in some way or another. So here goes…

Before I go into the story, I want to say to you, believer or non-believer, that for the first time in a very long time I took my eye off God. Now what this means is that I totally slipped back into my old ways: a selfish, pushy, impatient, spoilt brat. When I gave my life to God, I surrendered myself to Him, not in weakness and because I was a pathetic and a useless human being, but because I wanted to change. I wanted my heart to change. I wanted more from life and I was tired of living for myself and doing things for me. The reason why I am explaining this to you is because in the days leading up to the event I turned back into this person I was, without even knowing it! It was really scary and I want to be honest with you all as I believe I have been through this for a reason. Now being a Christian for 5 years, your life changes and it is only when you go back to those old habits that you realise how ‘messed up’ you actually were, and how you saw things. So, now keep this all in mind when reading this. I want to create an atmosphere before the story even beginsJ So, AD and I arrived in Manchester on the Thursday afternoon. By this time the nerves or should I say anxiousness was just about hitting full tilt! After a long drive we drove straight to register at the expo and check out the scene. Experiencing Nice Ironman last year- the atmosphere was electric! Almost 3500 athletes and the buzz was incredible. I was a little disappointed as this expo was really small in comparison. I then started to focus on myself. I started to moan and say Í cant believe this expo’ there is hardly nothing to buy that actually fits and I need to find tri pants ASAP! That was my main focus and I wasn’t stopping until I had some. I was snappy and I was a spoilt brat. Here we were, my husband was so excited he was bouncing off the walls and just so excited and happy to be on holiday and not at work. Here he was just so happy to be somewhere new and enjoying the moment and here I was focused on myself and MY needs. How SELFISH! I was so angry at myself for being such a spoilt brat and for not realizing that my husband is excited and not to ruin the moment. The Lord came through for me once again, just reminding me to keep my focus on Him. There were no tri shorts I could see, then I went to a rack and there was my size- the last one, the perfect length and everything I needed. They even were on sale! That was the first of many incidents that happened in running up to the event. I wanted to share with you this one in particular as with this whole Ironman thing, it is so easy to be so self focused. You can be to a certain extent, but when it changes your character and makes you bitter then it is just not worth it! I thank God for my husband who teaches me about unselfishness daily by loving me like he does…

On Thursday afternoon AD and I cycled to the infamous ‘Sheephouse Lane’ the big hill climb that we will be doing 3 times on the course. To be honest I STRUGGLED! I was wearing these freaking compression pants that was seriously uncomfortable and my thighs were not having it. I crawled up the hill and nearly had a heart attack (hence the locals call it heart attack hill!) After that I was in tears. Self doubt crept in and all the feeling of weakness had come back in. It is just incredible how all these negative feelings can come back so easily. I hadn’t been spending time with God and being so focused on myself lead me to try and do this in my own strength and to do it MY way. Well let me tell you, I felt weak and I felt out of control. I was back to my insecure old self. I will never forget how I just hugged my husband at the bottom of that hill, in tears and in fear of what was to come. Flip man, looking back now I praise you Lord for going through it! It has made me realise that I KNOW, I know as I know where my strength comes from. You think it is cliché for every Christian to say that, well let me tell you my brothers and my sister there is a strength that I never knew existed and that is what I am going to share with you…

Friday was no better really, I hardly slept and the nerve-o-meter was climbing. It was all about me and what needs to be done. I know this is human, and can happen but let me tell you it steals ones joy and you forget to ENJOY THE MOMENT!! Family arrived and it was great having them there. Nix, my sister in law decided to come at the last minute and this for me, was so big. Having family there meant so much and for this I am so grateful. Sacrifice was made, people slept on the floor on the walls, wherever they could find space! The chaos only just began… Then friends started to arrive, our truly amazing supporters club. Let me tell you guys, I have never in my life experienced friendship and love like I did last weekend (except on our wedding dayJ). There were 16 supporters in total. People were coming far and wide and were making the effort to drive 5 hours away. Making sacrifices to come watch us. I couldn’t really fathom it and I thank God for the friendships that I have. They are real and special. They understand my heart and they have understood this journey and what it has taken and this means so much to me. So, there we were by Saturday there were 5 or 6 tents pitched on the back lawn of the B & B- committed and dedicated supporters!

At this point, Saturday, tension was high. AD and I had to drop off our bikes at transition 1, we had to make sure our bags were hung up with our change of clothes etc. We then had to shoot across to transition 2 (which was a different place) and drop off our running stuff. Looking back I was such a self focused spoilt brat! I was just so anxious I forgot about the people around me and forgot about my God who removes all fear and who replaces it with joy and confidence and assurance. I was nervous, rightly so, but it got the better of me…

We then (all 16 of us) went to an IronPrayer meeting. This was a meeting for all athletes and supports to come together and Pray for the event and to pray over the athletes. It was a truly incredible experience: the venue was too small for the amount of people there- Amen! There we all were, young people coming together, who love God and who have all have a story, a past. We sat in that meeting and listened to fellow athletes testimonies. I cried, because I felt overwhelmed by all my friends and family who were there, who had come so far and who were so patient with me, even when I turned my back on them. I felt the pressure of performance. I felt that all these people had come so far, I don’t want to disappoint them and come over the line in 15 hours!! I just wanted everything to be smooth, no punctures, no ‘brick walls’.  I cried because I realized that what I was about to do was not to glorify myself, but it was to glorify God. As I sat there and I closed my eyes, God spoke to me and he said, Lou, don’t worry, I am with you just trust me- I know your hearts desires… I know what you really want… To cut a long story short, it was an incredible evening. We heard touching stories from other athletes, and we all were inspired and encouraged. Hearing everyone else’s journey really was special.

Coming out of that, I felt so much lighter and I had a peace in my heart that I hadn’t felt for a few days maybe even weeks. I was so thankful… But let me tell you that it is not just plain sailing when you are a Christian, when you get closer and closer to God you are tested more and more. That night I was tested OH HOW I WAS TESTED! To cut a long story short I crawled into bed at 11pm that evening after watching this DVD that was compiled for us, to wish us luck for the day. They went around to all the home groups and filmed them wishing us luck. They did skits and sang and danced for us! Tears of joy ran down my face. I went to bed that night with peace in my heart and thanking God for all the prayers and thoughts from friends and family, and what amazing people there are in our lives. Thank you to you all…

Race Day:

Isaiah 60:1-3

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! 
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, 
And deep darkness the people; 
But the LORD will arise over you, 
And His glory will be seen upon you. 
The Gentiles shall come to your light, 
And kings to the brightness of your rising.”

3am start, 4 hours sleep and an Ironman to do- how exciting! Race day was here at last, all that anticipation, all that worry, all that anxiousness I was ready to do this thing and to cast all that nonsense aside and to focus on what was to come. Ready to give this thing a good crack! It was go time... Bring it!!

Eating peanut butter and syrup bagels at 3am was a tough job but the Lord was with me from start to finish. I woke up with peace and excited for the challenge that lay ahead: the months of preparation, the early mornings- how could I not be ready? Oh yes, it was GO TIME!

That morning was beautiful. Perfect weather forecasts for the day. It was going to be a good one! In transition area, AD and I were getting our bikes ready and putting on our wetsuits. I heard a shout from the outside: LOU!! LOU!! My heart skipped a beat and I felt a joy I can’t explain. I sit here as I am writing with tears streaming down my face, thanking God for my friends. I turned and through all the athletes I saw our friends and family hanging over the railing, shouting my name. I could hear the proudnes in their voices, the love, the genuine care. It was so special and it put such a smile on my face- for the WHOLE race :-)

After a good group praying session, AD and I made our way to the water in amoungst it. This is it Bossie! The swim was a water start so we had to tread water for 10 minutes before the gun went. I will never forget holding my husband’s hand right before the gun went off. Now it was every man for himself. Let me tell you, that my husband was my biggest fan. Oh no, not the tears again! I will get to the thanks later, for now we are on the race. SO the gun went and it was a bun fight. But I got through it with not too much fighting J I was civilised! Now when you training for Ironman, in the beginning it is all about just getting fit. Then after your first event you are then thinking about time. What times you are ‘hoping for’ in the race. You will never know if you have done enough. The reality is, is that one can always do more! The key is to just trust in your training and to have faith in your preparation. What was to my advantage was that I had God on my side. You know I had set myself some unvoiced targets in my head, times I would like to achieve in each discipline. Let me tell you that God exceeded all my expectations! He knew my hearts desires! I aimed for a 1 hour 20 minute swim. I climbed out the lake at 1:10. I couldn’t believe it! I smashed itJ So happy it was a quick change and out on the bike. As I pushed my bike out of the exit, there were my supporters- screaming their lungs out! The announcer even couldn’t believe the support I had- it was awesome! As I mounted my bike and cycled out getting some food in, who do I hear screaming like banchees behind me? There were my friends- sprinting alongside me and running behind me shouting words of encouragement. They reminded me of my black brothers and sisters back home in the khaya’s running and screaming and shouting with their arms up in the air in an undignified way- man I love my friends! I just laughed and was screaming out Zulu words I never even knew I had! Man I love having black blood in me!! The bike could not have gone better. My nutrition was spot on, and the ride went well. God exceeded all my expectations with everything from time to nutrition to safety! I was just praying on my bike, thanking Him for my friends and saying sorry for turning my back on him in the days running up to the day. As I was 10km out, nearing the end I just prayed that I wouldn’t get a puncture. Then this scripture came to my mind, 1km out: “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.”I thought God was going to give me a puncture 3km out or something ridiculous to punish me for turning my back on him- how silly is that! God does not punish. He asks nothing of us, just to love him. Pulling in there under 8 hours in total I was elated! Now it was for the marathon. I felt a tweak in my right hamstring, but I just prayed. About 8km’s or so into the race I picked out a friend out the bush- I think he was vomiting or something! I said to him come, we are going to do this!! So we became friends and we pushed each other until I could feel it was my time to push harder... The marathon- what an experience! The support from our friends and family was incredible. They went absolutely ballistic, not just for us but for everyone! Their energy and enthusiasm was like no one else’s on the side. They were calling everyones names encouraging them and high fiving them as they ran passed. How amazing...

Then one lap to go.. I said to myself, I can do this! I can ACTUALLY cross that line under 12 hours- NOOOO!! I started to push myself, keep that rhythm going, keep that smile on my face, treasuring the pain I was feeling, because I knew it was temporary. I came around and got my last band and that was to say ‘you are on the home stretch!’I started to get tears in my eyes and I could feel the Holy Spirit running with me and all around me. I was passing people and running strong. People on the side watching were clapping as they couldn’t believe I was on the home straight and on my way in. It was a dream and all a blur really. I started to feel like I wanted to vomit about 400m from the finish. My salivary glands were working over time! I actually thought I was going to vomit. I just prayed and kept pushing. I came around that corner feeling like a super star- the first red carpet I have ever ran on! Crowds shouting and realising that I did it under 12 hours. This was a dream, a time that God had given me in my heart. I time I thought that I would never be able to accomplish unless something extra ordinary happend! 11:48 crossing that line. The year before AD did an 11:47. How amazing hey?! Same times! I crossed that line, feeling elated and grateful I had finished, but I did not feel that feeling of I DID IT!! Yes ME ME ME! I did it, look at ME!! I AM AN IRONMAN! NO. I crossed over that line feeling that this was a journey, a journey my husband and I took together, to grow in our faith, to realise that it will never fill you. Yes, it is great and it is an amazing feat- but I crossed that line feeling content, that this story will be used for His Glory, not for my own. And here we are...

In ending I want to thank all my friends and family for the support you have been. For believing in me and for being patient with me. That medal that hangs there is not just mine, it is ours! To Maryke and Lieb, Amber and Warren, Amy, Keith my cuzzakstani, Jolene and Henning, Belinda and Herbie, my dear family Ma Lil and Pa, Nix, Wakkie and Sakkkie- to you all that made the journey, thank you so so much! Having you all there really meant so much to me. When you go through an incredible and touching experience you automatically feel connected and like you have endured it together. I cannot thank you enough for your support, no words can explain... Thank you!

To my family and friends who could not make it, thank you for being there for me and for understanding and realising my dream. I appreciate it!

This is not a book so I am going to now end off;-) Last but but not least to my beautiful husband. AD, you have been there for me through the hard times, through the doubting times. You always built me up when I felt weak. You always pulled me up to the sacrifice of yourself. You had the patience, the love and the care that was never-ending. The way you have been there for me throughout this whole journey has been one that I will never forget. It has made us stronger. Climbing those Alps with you and experiencing those views together through pain and sweat are memories that I will hold with me. I have absolutely loved this adventure with you. The tough times and the good times. It has all been worthwhile. You believed in me and are my biggest fan and I dedicate this one to you.

Then above all and everything, to my God. My unfailing God who looked after me, who kept me safe throughout the whole journey. I cannot thank you enough and I love you with all my heart. Thank you for changing my life the way you have. For giving me the eyes to see, too really see life for what it is and from a different angle, a Godly angle. For loving me even when I turned my back on you and tried to do it in my own strength! It is you I give all the glory to. Keep humbling me and keep changing my heart.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

Until Next time, God Bless and take care

Lou xxx