This is the sixth and final article in the Ironman Chronicles series.

Well, I did it! I am officially an Ironman, one of the elite few people who have competed in a triathlon swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and then running a marathon (26.2 miles). 1406. is my new favorite number.

I think this whole race was highly unusual for me. First off, my business trip earlier in the week totally distracted me from the race so I didn’t even think too much about it. I thought that was a good thing, not having a lot of pent up nervous energy. Then for the first time in three years, I actually got a full night’s sleep before a race, 7 hours.

My main concern about this race was the swim. The weather here in Coeur d’Alene can change from day to day. But the stars must have been aligned today because the weather was picture perfect with minimal wind to kick up the waves and cause a swell in the lake. So basically the water was very calm.

After dropping off our Bike Special Needs and Run Special Needs bags, Eric and I got ready for the swim in the changing tent. We basically just sat in the tent since it was warm and waited until about 6:00 AM to put on our wetsuits. The race starts promptly at 7:00 AM with a mass start, basically 3000 male and female athletes jockeying for position in the water.

Swim (1:28:22)

Eric and I chose to start in the mid-rear and to the right, letting all the would-be “I think I’m going to qualify for Kona” people fight for space. Despite this starting position, I managed to get punched, poked, prodded, kicked, bumped for most of the first loop of the two-loop 2.4-mile swim. This was something I really was not prepared for, and it negatively affected my swimming form. As a result, I got extremely flustered, sighted poorly so that I swam zig zag instead of straight, and drank a lot of water. I’m disappointed with my swim time because I know that I can swim this distance 12 minutes faster in the pool.

T1 (11:04)

Transition was interesting. Frantic, naked bodies everywhere struggling to take off swim gear and put on bike gear. My first frustration was listening to Eric and not putting on my arm coolers underneath my wetsuit before the swim. As a result, my arms were wet, and it was extremely difficult to put them on, so I wasted a lot of time. Oh well, it is what it is. Next time, I trust my instincts.

Bike (5:51:36)

The bike course at Coeur d’Alene is moderately tough. It has a few rolling hills with two short, but steep climbs. It’s a two-loop course, so you have to suffer through the climbing two times. I’m glad to have hit my target wattage for this bike ride at 219 watts. I averaged 19 mph, which allowed me to finish the course in less than six hours. I know I could have ridden faster, but I purposely saved some energy for the run. However, even at 219 watts of power for the overall bike ride, I think it was still a bit too high, or at least too much for my current ability to run off the bike.

Oh one other item of import. The water I swallowed during the swim upset my stomach. So basically I felt sick from the time I finished the swim until the end of the race. I really wish I could have vomited the water out, but instead it came out the other end. I had to make two pit stops during the bike ride due to diarrhea.

I also was not sure what to do about my nutrition and hydration. My stomach was pretty full from the ingested lake water from the swim. But I decided to proceed with my normal drinking and eating plan. Biking didn’t have much impact on my stomach since it’s not a weight-bearing activity.

T2 (5:58)

Same thing for this transition, mass hysteria. I changed out of my bike gear and put on my tri gear, which is more tight fitting so there is less chance for rubbing against the skin while running. This transition was much better than the first.

Run (5:11:49)

Well, this was not my greatest marathon run by any means. I had some cramping in my quads again so basically i would run somewhat slowly until my legs started cramping. And then I would walk until the cramps went away. Running seemed to aggravate my stomach even more, jostling all the liquid around and I had to make five bathroom stops during the marathon. The entire run was just blah. It was difficult to concentrate because all I could think about was not pooping in my shorts while running. I did a lot of run, then walk. So it was not very pretty.

I’m actually pretty happy with my overall time. My bike ride saved me from disaster. My personal goal was to finish under 13 hours, and I achieved that goal.

As I made the last turn towards the finish line with about 0.4 miles remaining, I really focused on the moment and savored the finish. The volunteers and community support was tremendous. There were numerous spectators lining both sides of the street and the finish chute. I made sure that there was enough leading space in front and behind me so that when Mike Riley announced my name, I would be the only one finishing and thus, the only name read for my finishing time.

I thought I would be more emotional as I neared the finish line. I did tear up a little bit, but then really just took in all the energy and excitement of the Ironman fans all around me. I pumped my fists in the air, which drew loud cheers from the crowd. As I entered the finishing chute, the person ahead of me was getting their name announced, so I zig zagged from right to left and slapped high fives with the spectators.

Then I heard those magical words:

Gerry de Ocampo, from San Marcos, California, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

And with that, I leapt in the air under the finish line banner with my right fist raised to the sky. My final time was 12:48:49.