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Dino's Awesome First Ironman Finish.... The highlight reel.

Dino SartiDino Sarti
in Community Forum 🏠

I finished my first Ironman this past weekend in Coeur d'Alene.  In short, the experience was awesome.  The whole thing exceeded expectations!  Thanks to RnP and the whole team I showed up informed, in shape and ready to go.  As a result, I COMPLETELY OVER EXCEEDED MY GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE RACE ACROSS THE BOARD AND ON EVERY LEVEL.

I am eager to publish a full race report, but that will take a little time to pull together.  In the meantime, by popular demand, I thought I would post my finish video as a teaser.

I was completely elated to turn on to Sherman St., look down the hill those 9 long blocks and see the finish.  I was moments away from completing my 1st Ironman with a time of 12:00:00.  So, I take off tearing down the hill and it feels like I am flying.  No pain, just speed.  It felt like I was doing 5 minute miles (as if I knew what 5 minute miles felt like).  I look at my watch and I see it is in fact just under 8 minute pace.  I usually run EN intervals at 7:00 pace for a reference.

I get about half way there and actually start to notice that my fingers are going numb and I am starting to get tunnel vision on the finish.  "Push harder" I tell my legs "cause I think the wheels are gonna come off soon."

I hit the carpet and throw my hands up.  The crowd cheers and suddenly I think I am super human.  That's when the idea came to me.  I am gonna leap over the finish line and get the best pic EVER!

As I come tearing in at the last moment, I realize there are DOZENS of people standing just on the other side of the line - catchers, camera guys, WTC people, the works.  There is also a MASSIVE camera right in the middle.

I hit the line and I JUMP!  I think I may have actually thought I could fly....

My legs were having none of it.  My knees locked up and stayed behind while my torso went up and out.  Crash!  Roll!  Laugh!

After some TLC in the med tent for rug burn and dizziness, a little pizza and chocolate milk, I called my wife to tell her all about it.  I get the part about the manly finish and she says "we saw your fall already".  

"How did you do that?"  I ask.

She tells me "We were tracking you on Ironman.com, Irontrack on the iPhone and then started watching the stream of the finish when we predicted you would come through.  Your mom put it on Facebook already".

Oh, I didn't know they did that.  So much keeping it a secret between myself and Mike Reilly....

The clock over my head is a little long.  It was a rolling SwimSmart start and I got into the water 44 seconds after the gun.  My official time was 12:00:03.  I missed an "11 handle" by 4 seconds, but I had the finish of a lifetime.  Ben Hoffman and Heather Wurtele, the champions on the day, later that night said it was the best they had seen.  I consider that a badge of honor.

Here is the link.  Enjoy!

Feel free to post yours....

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