Ironman Lake Placid, 2008, meant many things to me. It was three years in the making. In 2005 I signed up for the 2006 race, only to have my hopes and dreams dashed 6 weeks before the race because of serious parasite illness. Not to fret though, my last two races in 2006 were spectacular, as I set my half ironman personal record of 5:17 (Steelhead) and my ironman record of 12 hours 11 minutes (Ironman Florida). In 2007 I finished Ironman Arizona and with my buddies Christine Donovan and Bill Sawyer, had hopes and dreams of completing Ironman Lake Placid in 2008. From January 30th through the whole month of February it looked like there was no way I was going to be doing Ironman Lake Placid as I suffered with Cervical Radiculopathy and was unable to train. Yes, Ironman Lake Placid 2008 would be a significant achievement for me if I could complete it.

Marion and I took a red-eye flight from Hawaii on January 26th, 2008. Obviously it is difficult to sleep upright. We arrived home on a Sunday morning. Monday morning I was back to working out and back to work. On January 30th, I did an aggressive swim with my friends Chris and Allan. I remember sitting in the hot tub after the swim feeling a burning pain in my right upper back. I decided to forgo the rest of my workouts that day. Little did I know I wouldn’t be working out for the whole next month, I would just try to be surviving. Over the course of the next few days the nagging pain in my right upper back because lancinating pain (piercing, knife-life pain) down my right arm. I was soon taking pain pills. I had become a pain patient!

Besides having acute cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve in my neck) I also developed the full blown flu. I was miserable. I was just surviving moment by moment. I still had to work. The month of February was awful. I saw multiple doctors and even received an MRI of my neck. No herniated disc, just a lot of degeneration. I had a rotated vertebrae in my neck and had C6 radiculopathy.

To make a long story short, while I tried other therapies besides Prolotherapy (chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, steroids,) I, like many of my patients, found that the treatment that really resolved the pain was Prolotherapy. Yes, it was Prolotherapy that rotated the vertebrae back into alignment! By March 1st I was going to try working out again.

I remember my first workout back to training. I still could not extend my head up, so I cycled 45 minutes on a stationary bike. I had to look down the whole time. If I looked up I would get a sharp pain down my arm. I averaged 10 mph. I worked with my coach Pete Alfino of www.MileHighMultisport.com and we slowly increased my workouts. I did the workouts at the level and amount that he told me to do. I reported my slow progress to him. The workout that was the easiest for me at the time was running, as it is possible to run while looking down. Swimming was the worst, as proper swimming form has the neck extended, so I had to swim with a swimming snorkel so that I could continuously look down. Cycling was also rough, but I was able to cycle in the upright position (versus the aero position). I did my best and slowly my neck improved.

It was probably one month before Ironman Lake Placid when my neck really started to feel good. So it really was only one month before the Ironman that I could swim with reasonable form. My lower back was too tight to attempt the aero position. I was only able to do two century rides before the Ironman, but my running was going great. Hum, I was running great, cycling okay, but swimming was definitely not there. Predictions? My hopes were for a 1:22 swim, bike - who knew? And for the run – I wanted to break 4 hours. But in the end, I was going to Lake Placid with Marion and my buddies to enjoy the journey. I would pace myself and do the best I could.

Once we arrived in Lake Placid, it was clear that they were getting rain most days. When it rained it just poured, but typically each day it would rain for 30 minutes and then stop. The forecast the whole week for race day was pretty good - low 70’s and a possibility of rain. The problem was as the race approached the percent chance of rain for race day went up from 30% to 90% on www.weatherunderground.com. Even the night before the race, it still seemed like the rain was not going to come until way into the bike leg. This would allow most of us to get through the massive downhills on the course going really fast, which would be impossible in the rain. That is what we hoped anyway. I did bring rain gear and knew I had to have it on me during the event.

Ironman Lake Placid, 2008.

Ironman Lake Placid, 2008.

Ross and Marion before the race.

Ross, Christine Donovan and Bill Sawyer, all friends doing Ironman Lake Placid.

Bill and Sarah before the race.

Christine and Flynn Donovan before the race.

Ironman Lake Placid Swim, 2008.

Ironman Lake Placid Swim, 2008.

Ironman Lake Placid Swim with Chris, Bill and Ross, can you find us?

Ironman Lake Placid Swim, 2008, what fun?

Ironman Lake Placid Swim, 2008.

Ironman Lake Placid Swim, 2008.

Ross coming out the water after finishing the swim portion of Lake Placid.

This picture says it all about Ironman Lake Placid...the Ironman in a deluge!