By Jen Knickerbocker
Jen Knickerbocker recently completed Ironman Arizona, and we asked her to write about her experience. She said she initially didn’t want to...
“After rejecting the idea, I thought it might actually be a good idea for me to record this so that when I’m tempted to consider ever doing it again, I can refer back to it and hopefully come back to my senses. Not that it was a bad experience. As a matter of fact, it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Pure awesomeness.”
Thanks to Jen for giving her TOP 10 of the race!
My top 10 from the day:
#10 – Getting to the start line! It was a multi-year journey, and I credit making it to the starting line to realizing that I just can’t train like I thought I needed to train for an Ironman. With 5 kids who I’m trying not to completely mess up + a husband that I really like and hope to keep around for a while + a super challenging 80-hour/week job, I cannot train 17 hours/week. I am a slow learner – ended up in a New York City emergency room with pneumonia the first year I tried it (along with a gunshot wound victim, somebody with an ugly bar fight head wound, and a crazy lady screaming for coffee as fellow patients that evening). Then one of my kidneys decided to stop working a couple of weeks before the race last year. I finally came to the realization that I REALLY don’t like hospitals and should include a strategy to avoid them in my training plan. And this year, of more than 2,700 registered racers, about 15% didn’t make it to the start line, but I did!
#9 – Being in a race with Sister Madonna Buder. So she didn’t continue after the swim – so what? She’s still a hero to me. Has there ever in the history of the world been another 80-year-old woman who would get up at 4:30 in the morning to go jump in 61 degree water to start an Ironman journey? Of course not! She rocks! And I’m incredibly proud to have been in the water with her.
#8 – Chrissie Wellington. She is AMAZING! She broke the world record that day. So cool when she blew by me on the bike (she was on her final loop, I was on my first). Then she was at the finish line as I crossed to congratulate me (and all of the other late finishers). I have to admit I really don’t remember this--I was a little out of it at the time. But she was there, and she is a rock star and is forever cemented in my mind as world class for taking time to encourage those who take up triathlons for reasons other than winning the event.
#7 – Wearing a wetsuit. My official flotation device. Incredibly important to me....
#6 – Not drowning. Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m not kidding….this is a huge accomplishment. I DO NOT like putting my face in the water or being in water that other creatures live in, and I barely know how to swim anyway. While I know in my head that Lake Tempe is fresh water that comes from the mountains, this fact did not stop me from worrying that I might be attacked by a shark. Or a giant alligator. Speaking of which, I don’t understand all of the crazies who do Ironman Lake Placid every year. Have they not seen the movie?!!! Not drowning was great, though, because it gave me the opportunity to ride my bike….
Stats: Swim time 1:33:30 (goal <2 hours); 95/133 AG; 1901/2361 OA
#5 – Riding my bike! I love to ride my bike. A bad day on a bike is better than a good day doing anything else. It was ridiculously windy – to a point where I didn’t feel stable and was afraid to take my hands off the handlebar. I didn’t stay aero and didn’t eat for long segments on the bike. And it rained (in the desert), but that was ok; it kept the heat down. I had a great time on my bike, and realized on my third lap that I probably could have ridden harder on the first two and would have felt fine. Lots of lessons like this learned that day….that’s what a first Ironman is all about, right?
Stats: Bike time 6:40:46 (goal <7 hours); 55/133 AG; 1453/1901 OA. The good part about being such a slow swimmer is that I get to pass more people than pass me on the bike!
#4 – The volunteers. They were incredible. My only complaint was that they moved a little too fast in the transition tent. They give NASCAR pit crews a run for their money. They can strip you, dress you, lather you with sunscreen, tie your shoes, and send you out of the tent in record time – whether you’re ready to start the next phase or not! Then they’re out on the course feeding you, massaging muscles, getting you back on track when you’re delirious and take a wrong turn on the run, and relentlessly encouraging you. Their role is more important than most people realize, and I’m grateful for the five-star support I received.
#3 – Port-a-potties. Unlike many folks who decide to pee on themselves during an Ironman event, I used port-a-potties. Maybe because so many choose not to use them, they were in relatively decent condition, which I really appreciated. Especially on the run. I visited all but one of them between miles 11 and 24 to dry heave in an attempt to get past the nausea and feel better. Never did get over it, and the dehydration really got to me.
Stats: Run time 6:08:23 (goal to finish by cut-off, or <8 hours to crawl through the marathon); 100/133 AG; 1877/2361 OA (And I got to see all the people I passed on the bike again!)
#2 – Officially finishing. Going into the day, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the finish line, and I thought I’d be pushing the 17-hour cutoff. While my time is by no means great, it’s great for me and I’m glad I didn’t have to spend any more time on my feet! The 10+ miles of walking I did took plenty long enough for me. Those of you who have done this know how cool it is to hear Mike Reilly yell, “First time Ironman, Jennifer – YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”
Stats: Total time 14:40:42 (goal 16:59:59); 83/133 AG; 1756/2361 OA. I beat 600 people! Unbelievable. And I wasn’t in the bottom third in my age group!!! Seriously unbelievable. Woo hoo!
#1 – Neil (my best friend/husband) and my many fabulous friends/training buddies who helped me get to the start line and cheered for me all day. Neil carried me through the run and got me to the finish line. OK, he didn’t literally pick me up and carry me, but I wouldn’t have been as motivated to get to the next mile marker if I hadn’t been looking forward to the camera in my face as I stepped out of the port-a-potty (yes, he was kind enough to record my obsession with each port-a-potty by capturing it for my photo album). While the crowd turned on him when he yelled “Hurry it up!” as I passed him at the bike turnaround, they just didn’t realize that he knows exactly how to motivate me and keep me moving. Because of his great coaching and encouragement over the years, I knew better than to start crying at any point during the day (“You’re just dehydrating yourself,” or “You are wasting all of your energy,” are the two coaching tips he shares with me in response to this technical mistake). In all seriousness, it meant the world to me to see him waiting for me at mile 10 on the run (about ½ a mile into my stomach issues), have him run alongside me for portions of it (shhhh – don’t tell the race officials), and to know he was waiting for me at the finish. He’s the inspiration behind all of this insanity…. the reason I can now call myself an Ironman.
What’s next?
Jen Knickerbocker recently completed Ironman Arizona, and we asked her to write about her experience. She said she initially didn’t want to...
“After rejecting the idea, I thought it might actually be a good idea for me to record this so that when I’m tempted to consider ever doing it again, I can refer back to it and hopefully come back to my senses. Not that it was a bad experience. As a matter of fact, it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Pure awesomeness.”
Thanks to Jen for giving her TOP 10 of the race!
My top 10 from the day:
#10 – Getting to the start line! It was a multi-year journey, and I credit making it to the starting line to realizing that I just can’t train like I thought I needed to train for an Ironman. With 5 kids who I’m trying not to completely mess up + a husband that I really like and hope to keep around for a while + a super challenging 80-hour/week job, I cannot train 17 hours/week. I am a slow learner – ended up in a New York City emergency room with pneumonia the first year I tried it (along with a gunshot wound victim, somebody with an ugly bar fight head wound, and a crazy lady screaming for coffee as fellow patients that evening). Then one of my kidneys decided to stop working a couple of weeks before the race last year. I finally came to the realization that I REALLY don’t like hospitals and should include a strategy to avoid them in my training plan. And this year, of more than 2,700 registered racers, about 15% didn’t make it to the start line, but I did!
#9 – Being in a race with Sister Madonna Buder. So she didn’t continue after the swim – so what? She’s still a hero to me. Has there ever in the history of the world been another 80-year-old woman who would get up at 4:30 in the morning to go jump in 61 degree water to start an Ironman journey? Of course not! She rocks! And I’m incredibly proud to have been in the water with her.
#8 – Chrissie Wellington. She is AMAZING! She broke the world record that day. So cool when she blew by me on the bike (she was on her final loop, I was on my first). Then she was at the finish line as I crossed to congratulate me (and all of the other late finishers). I have to admit I really don’t remember this--I was a little out of it at the time. But she was there, and she is a rock star and is forever cemented in my mind as world class for taking time to encourage those who take up triathlons for reasons other than winning the event.
#7 – Wearing a wetsuit. My official flotation device. Incredibly important to me....
#6 – Not drowning. Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m not kidding….this is a huge accomplishment. I DO NOT like putting my face in the water or being in water that other creatures live in, and I barely know how to swim anyway. While I know in my head that Lake Tempe is fresh water that comes from the mountains, this fact did not stop me from worrying that I might be attacked by a shark. Or a giant alligator. Speaking of which, I don’t understand all of the crazies who do Ironman Lake Placid every year. Have they not seen the movie?!!! Not drowning was great, though, because it gave me the opportunity to ride my bike….
Stats: Swim time 1:33:30 (goal <2 hours); 95/133 AG; 1901/2361 OA
#5 – Riding my bike! I love to ride my bike. A bad day on a bike is better than a good day doing anything else. It was ridiculously windy – to a point where I didn’t feel stable and was afraid to take my hands off the handlebar. I didn’t stay aero and didn’t eat for long segments on the bike. And it rained (in the desert), but that was ok; it kept the heat down. I had a great time on my bike, and realized on my third lap that I probably could have ridden harder on the first two and would have felt fine. Lots of lessons like this learned that day….that’s what a first Ironman is all about, right?
Stats: Bike time 6:40:46 (goal <7 hours); 55/133 AG; 1453/1901 OA. The good part about being such a slow swimmer is that I get to pass more people than pass me on the bike!
#4 – The volunteers. They were incredible. My only complaint was that they moved a little too fast in the transition tent. They give NASCAR pit crews a run for their money. They can strip you, dress you, lather you with sunscreen, tie your shoes, and send you out of the tent in record time – whether you’re ready to start the next phase or not! Then they’re out on the course feeding you, massaging muscles, getting you back on track when you’re delirious and take a wrong turn on the run, and relentlessly encouraging you. Their role is more important than most people realize, and I’m grateful for the five-star support I received.
#3 – Port-a-potties. Unlike many folks who decide to pee on themselves during an Ironman event, I used port-a-potties. Maybe because so many choose not to use them, they were in relatively decent condition, which I really appreciated. Especially on the run. I visited all but one of them between miles 11 and 24 to dry heave in an attempt to get past the nausea and feel better. Never did get over it, and the dehydration really got to me.
Stats: Run time 6:08:23 (goal to finish by cut-off, or <8 hours to crawl through the marathon); 100/133 AG; 1877/2361 OA (And I got to see all the people I passed on the bike again!)
#2 – Officially finishing. Going into the day, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the finish line, and I thought I’d be pushing the 17-hour cutoff. While my time is by no means great, it’s great for me and I’m glad I didn’t have to spend any more time on my feet! The 10+ miles of walking I did took plenty long enough for me. Those of you who have done this know how cool it is to hear Mike Reilly yell, “First time Ironman, Jennifer – YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”
Stats: Total time 14:40:42 (goal 16:59:59); 83/133 AG; 1756/2361 OA. I beat 600 people! Unbelievable. And I wasn’t in the bottom third in my age group!!! Seriously unbelievable. Woo hoo!
#1 – Neil (my best friend/husband) and my many fabulous friends/training buddies who helped me get to the start line and cheered for me all day. Neil carried me through the run and got me to the finish line. OK, he didn’t literally pick me up and carry me, but I wouldn’t have been as motivated to get to the next mile marker if I hadn’t been looking forward to the camera in my face as I stepped out of the port-a-potty (yes, he was kind enough to record my obsession with each port-a-potty by capturing it for my photo album). While the crowd turned on him when he yelled “Hurry it up!” as I passed him at the bike turnaround, they just didn’t realize that he knows exactly how to motivate me and keep me moving. Because of his great coaching and encouragement over the years, I knew better than to start crying at any point during the day (“You’re just dehydrating yourself,” or “You are wasting all of your energy,” are the two coaching tips he shares with me in response to this technical mistake). In all seriousness, it meant the world to me to see him waiting for me at mile 10 on the run (about ½ a mile into my stomach issues), have him run alongside me for portions of it (shhhh – don’t tell the race officials), and to know he was waiting for me at the finish. He’s the inspiration behind all of this insanity…. the reason I can now call myself an Ironman.
What’s next?
- Swim lessons. I don’t ever want to spend that much time in the water again. I want to get faster – not because I have a time goal that I want to hit in order to have a better result, but because I need to be able to get this part of the event over with faster. Sheer terror is not a fun way to start a day. Besides, I don’t want to look like such an easy target for the sharks.
- IM Cozumel 2011. Why? Because I can’t just deal with my fear of the water, I have to finally overcome it in an ocean (where there really may be sharks) without depending on my wetsuit for flotation. So I didn’t answer the question….Why? I don’t know. Guess I really have lost my senses (refer to opening sentence). I have no real goals or expectations beyond the swim. If I’m not feeling it and decide to bail on the run to spend the afternoon at the beach, so be it. But I need to finish the swim. Neil will be doing this one with me (will be his 7th), along with many of my High Cloud friends, so it’s sure to be a great day!
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