It’s 5am in the morning, the first day of vacation for Tripp in 5 years and the start of our first full day in Lake Placid/LP. He manages to sneak out to grab a cup of coffee so he can start the day. This is not lying on the beach after a breakfast buffet kinda vacay. This is Tripp Doherty we are talking about. The man who is on a mission, going for his third Ironman completion three weeks from now. So that brisk dark morning, he grabbed his bicycle pump, filled both tires to optimum level and put on his helmet to ride into the sunrise. When his day of training ended, it was approaching sunset. This time he would do the Ironman course one day ahead of the race.
I went back into the house after saying best wishes and made some coffee for myself while the rest of the folks were snoring and snoozing. I was planning the day, which consisted of meeting up with my Ironman volunteer teammates, a 20-mile bike ride and then a run with the husband. Having done this LP weekend before, Janene grabbed me for a quick ride into town for a Starbucks hit and gave me a little tour of transition area and tips on how to be a spectator. We met some friendly athletes and chatted for a bit as we entered into the holy finish line area that was lined up with tables and chairs for a pre race pancake breakfast. This screamed surreal yet spiritual at the same time. It was the calm before the storm. Stillness before the 40 + mile an hour tri bikes come storming in from 112 miles of rolling Adirondack hills. It was a day of compression socks and rest for the 3,000 strong willed competitors. Some call them crazy, others in envy of their tattooed IM markings that brand the body for an experience only a small percentage of humans can endure. Strike that, will endure.
A couple of hours later, Mirror Lake was filled with families, fun and laughter. That swim would have to wait a day as a few of us saddled up on our bikes to explore the local beauty and steep hills that characterize Lake Placid. Toto we are not on Long Island anymore. Our last leg of our Tour de LP ended with a glimpse of Tripper, now about 1pm in the afternoon running shirtless down the road as fresh as can be. It was a carpe diem moment, a dry beautiful day in the low 70’s. Must follow the lead and go for a run.
My husband, Michael and I ran down into town and did our own version of a triathlon…Bike, run…eat. Lunch couldn’t have tasted any better. As we overlooked the town from the balcony area, we started to see more and more athletes bringing their bikes over to transition area. It was final preparation for the tried and true, certainly more relaxing for us simple folk who leisurely walked around and visited the merchandize tent picking up Ironman tumblers and cycle jerseys.
After 20 miles of running on rolling hills, and a day that can be defined as unbelievable to many, Tripp comes back for his first meal of the day when most are looking to have their third or fourth. It was lights out early for all of us, as Sunday was due to be yet another jam packed day.
My station was mile 10 on the bike course and our duty was to supply those with water and nutrition but more important was our spirit and enthusiasm. Thank yous poured out from the athletes as they grabbed bananas and Gu out of our hands for a glimpse of comfort food. They needed the smiles, the support and the love. I was glad to be a part of the energy and support for those who desired more out of life. They passed by at 27 miles an hour, feeling like the speed of light, yet left a lifelong impression.
When I came back home and had a chance to digest the powerful weekend, I thought of rainbows, success and pots of gold. We can physically see rainbows, but we have to visualize the pot of gold. That end of the rainbow can be plentiful, with the right mindset and support from inspirational friends.
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