“Do your best and don’t stop!” Race Report from Ironman Cairns

I was nearly there, just a few km’s to go now. I’d made it to the 39km run mark of the Cairns Ironman and I ran the last few km’s for Billy, I always do. My spirits lifted, my body became light and I was at peace. When I asked him if he had any tips for me a week before the race, he looked me in the eye and said:

“Do your best and don’t stop.”

Billy is a shining star in my life. His words stayed with me whenever things got tough. I found peace at the 25km mark, despite the pain because I was thankful to be doing the race at all and especially to have John and Billy there with me watching and supporting. This was Ironman number seven for me, and my run prep had been  limited due to knee tendonitis that had flared up ten weeks before. Off the bike, I broke the marathon down into smaller parts and only let myself focus on 5km at a time. There were times in the lead up where I was considering pulling out of the whole race due to my knee injury, or just doing the swim & bike, however John had timed it with a big work trip in Queensland, accommodation was booked and paid for and we’d arranged for Billy to come,  so I decided to give it a go.

I was grateful to be able to participate, remember the magnitude of what an Ironman Triathlon is to all people and to share precious memories with my family and friends, that’s all that really mattered. We’ve been on an incredible journey in this lifetime so far.

For me, an Ironman is about living my life purpose, loving to run/swim/ride, never giving up, helping other people realise they can do more than they thought, its about challenging myself and doing amazing things when something tells me I can’t… and so much more!

 

I was  excited before-hand that some of my friends were going to be there, racing and supporting too. Thanks so much John, Amy, Michael, Pete, John, Monty, Kate, Jono, Jimmy and Belinda and everyone else out there on the day for your support, cheering, good times and yelling. Especially a huge well done to Amy, Michael and Monte on your great races.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was on the flight over to Cairns Ironman, that I watched the Kona 2013 documentary and received  huge inspiration for this race. It was the story of Chris McDonnel, racing at Kona, to fulfill a promise to his daughter Grace, who had been tragically killed at seven years of age in the Sandy Brook Elementary School Tragedy in Connecticut, USA. He, his wife Lynn and their son, had reached deep within themselves and realized that despite the tragedy, they would live on, with the purpose of honoring Grace’s life and spirit. He said that in doing the race, he was role modeling to his son that it is okay to keep living, keep dreaming and living life to its fullest and that they would do this for Grace. They said that as a seven year old, his daughter already knew she wanted to be an artist, that she embodied the spirit of dreaming big and saw beauty in all of life. She would often remind them to enjoy the moment and say,

 

 “Soak it up!”

Chris pointed to the heavens at the finish of his race and said that no matter what, on the day of the race and beyond it,  he and his family would always find a way to:

“Look up, move forward.”

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I help out with a wonderful children’s charity called TLC for Kids and Billy and his school-mates at GGS are doing a big relay to support them this coming Thursday. I thought to myself that if they are going to tough it out, I can too. They will be toughing it out, running, for TLC for Kids and have done a fantastic job of raising money, awareness and training. What the kids and families supported by TLC for Kids go through, always reminds me to be grateful for my own families’ health and wellness. So on race day, although it rained from start to finish of the swim, bike and run, I was pretty peaceful and out there.

There was one thing though, that I didn’t smile at …………..CROCODILES!

I arrived in Palm Cove a few days before the race, it was time for tapering and, uh oh!  EEEEEEEEK!!!       ………….. CROCODILES!!         

HOLY MOLY!  The signs scared the living daylights out of me!! I’d wandered down alone to the Palm Cove Beach where, we would, in a few days time, be swimming 3.8km as the first part of the Cairns Ironman Triathlon. I was shocked to read

I couldn’t believe it. Then reassured myself that on the day, there would be around 1600 other competitors swimming with me and in the meantime I could swim at Cairns pool! When I asked a local, he told me that there was a regular couple of crocs in the area measuring around 2.5m or a bit more who might “hang around a bit,” but he thought they had moved up a few beaches now so would probably not be there…. PROBABLY NOT BE THERE!!! Was he for real!!  I think he was trying to reassure me but the horror was he was being totally serious!

Race day arrived, I braved the crocs (joking, apart from the signs, we didn’t see any) and swam well.

• Swim: 1.04,  6^th in agegroup, 20^th woman out of the water on times

Then it was on to the bike. I raced the bike and my nutrition plan worked really well so there is plenty of good stuff to take from it along with some challenges I overcame.

• Bike 5.56

I was glad to get to the run and get started.. on finishing!  

• Run: 4.23 probably my slowest run time for a marathon, but still incredibly satisfying to tough it out and finish

Thats all for now, its awesome that speaking bookings are coming in more and more frequently so I can help more people make the most of who they are. I love my work!

Lots of love

Grace 

 HUGE BIG THANKS EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS ME 

Especially, everyone who sent messages of support and ALL my friends  family and training buddies. My sponsors: Jo Hall at Liv Giant, Darren at Giant Bikes and all my Giant Family. Anth, Dave and all the crew from CBD Cycles. Sheridan and the gang at Oakley, Danny O and Powerbar. Alice McClure for Amelia baby-sitting and the help with self-coaching. Annie Martin for our rides together and wisdom, Dave & Buddy, for swim coaching and all our awesome gang at swimming. Deb Stevens for hypnotherapy before IM NZ. Pete McKenzie for all your help, belief, guidance and cheers and John Hill for our injury management talks  prior to Cairns race.

#LivBeyond!