Last week I started my weekly posts for 2014 on this blog on the 50 reasons to love the Ironman Triathlon. Now, loving it can be subjective and of course that emotion changes from day to day or event to event but overall there are so many reasons to love this crazy race so I am dedicated to writing about it each week.
Last week was all about the emotions around signing up for a race and today I fast forward to the end when we all cross that finish line and get our medals.
That finish line is an amazing place. It is a place of accomplishment, energy, excitement and relief all in a very small piece of real estate. It is a place you can see from hundreds of yards away, you can feel for miles and you dream of for hours.
In training I often think about that feeling when crossing it, I visualize how I will feel as I approach it and that small sliver of time where a volunteer places that medal around your neck.
I have finished 11 Ironmans in my life and often think about those moments of accomplishment in crossing that line yet I most often reflect on the one time I did not finish an Ironman and missing out on that medal, the congratulations from other athletes and spectators. Somehow that finish line leaves an immense imprint on your memory. If you have never run a race or competed in a triathlon, the finish line is reason #1 to sign up today for a race.
I think my favorite Ironman finish line is Louisville. It is definitely the loudest one due to the "ceiling" on the street. Louisville has this section of downtown where there are restaurants and bars and it is covered and has air conditioning. Kind of cool and the noise really resonates for miles. Definitely an experience that I would highly recommend.
Yesterday I finished the Mississippi Blues Marathon and have attached a picture of that medal. It was a fun race and I had my best time ever at a marathon and for that I am happy. Yet, me and other athletes always discuss the medals with each other. This one is a doozy! It is very unique to the region, huge and quite honestly a little too heavy to wear after the race. Yet, I still wore it back to the hotel. And wore it with a big smile on my face knowing that the finish line was reached and another step closer to an even larger goal. Oh, that finish line.....
I would love to hear your favorite finish line story and what you remember most from it.