Allison Moe Report: Wisconsin Triathlon

Race Report- Ironman Wisconsin 2008

What a journey!!! As I reflect on my first Ironman, there are so many thoughts that are going through my head. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do these types of things. Every starting line is a gift and every finish line is a reward. Doing the Ironman is simply amazing.

The Swim 1:20
Heading out to the swim was one of the coolest things that I have ever done. You have all these bobbing heads out there and you look back on shore and see thousands of spectators lining the Monona Terrace. There was so much energy coming from all the athletes, and at that point, it hit me that I was actually here doing this thing! I truly enjoyed the swim. It was what I expected. The "human washing machine" that everyone talks about was an experience. You expect to get kicked and hit, and the first turn around the buoy was pretty rough. But there was
an excitement to it that made the swim so much fun. I thought the swim was so great, but then it got better. I loved having
the volunteers strip the wetsuit off. Every triathlon needs to offer that service. And the run up the helix, again, that was just another really cool aspect of IMW.  I loved seeing the MSM crowd about halfway up.

The Bike 7:01
I love to bike, and I was so happy to get to the bike. I was anxious to
head out to the hills as I knew that there would be roads lined with people. The entire bike felt good. The crowds were awesome. There were so many people from MSM out on the "second bitch." And I wasn't expecting to see a band with a trombone and tuba player, but then again,
there are a lot of crazy things happening out there. The ride into Verona was another high point with about a mile of roads line with spectators. And my mom was waiting at the end of the road. I was able to
wave so she knew I was coming, and she got some pictures. The second loop was much of the same, just with a little more wind in my face. But
the last 14 miles back into Madison had a tail wind so that was helpful.
At that point, I was really ready to get off the bike and looking forward to the marathon. The ride up the helix was great, and I pulled into transition to a loud reception from my cheering section. They were
all there waiting for me and as I headed into the building, they followed me in and surprised me again! That was a great feeling.

The Run 6:16
I had no idea how this was going to go. I was excited to run and my legs felt pretty good coming off the bike. Heading into downtown Madison
was a terrific feeling. The roads were packed, the atmosphere was loud.
I saw my coach Mike at the start and he gave me a few tips and sent me on my way. Around the corner, my cheering section was waiting for me again. I had forgotten that our race bibs had our names on it so at first, I was waving to everyone that yelled "Go Moe!" Pretty soon I
realized that they all really didn't know me, they just looked at my bib. It was great to hear people yell "Go Madness." It was so nice to have the jersey on and hear shouts of encouragement from the club members (athletes, volunteers, and margarita drinking spectators)! The first 13 miles felt pretty good, and the start of the second loop went well. After leaving Camp Randall Stadium for the second time, I started
to hit a major wall. I ended up walking most of miles 18-22. It was dark, there were many hills (how come no one seemed to warn me about Observatory Rd???), and my body was just tired. Luckily I met up with Donna who seemed to be in the same mode as me. So we walked and talked.
At one point, we even tried mental math. We were trying to figure out if
we maintained a 15 minute/mile walking pace, what time we would finish.
But mental math at that point in the day wasn't a good idea. So we just kept moving forward and celebrated every time we passed a mile marker. At about 9:00, it started to rain. Nothing bad, but it was just
enough to get us moving. We started to shuffle our way back in (there wasn't much running at this point, just shuffling). Coming into the last mile, I saw Coach Mike, and I knew that this was going to happen. I
couldn't muster up much speed at that point, but when I hit State St.
for the final time, the crowds were still loud and full of people (many
who had spent  a good chunk of time at the bars all day). At that point,
I started to get a little choked up but realized I wouldn't be able to
breathe if I kept that up. So I pulled it together and enjoyed rounding
the Capitol one last time. Making that final turn was the greatest feeling in the world. The lights were bright, the crowds were pumped, and the music was blaring. There was a party going on on that street! And then I entered the final stretch, and I let out a huge yell. As I began the run in, I heard Mike Reilly speak those precious words, "Allison Moe, you are an Ironman." And that was what I had waited to hear all day. It was the moment that I had imagined in my head every
day for the past year. It will be a moment that I will always remember and replay in my head for the rest of my life. I was able to yell a little more, pump my arms, and do a little jump  and moved on through the finisher's chute. And thank goodness Jaime was there to meet me right after I finished because all the energy just left my body. After a
few slices of pizza though, the energy was back.

The End 14:58:21
After finishing, I was able to make my way back into the hotel lounge, and I thought I was still mentally a little shaky as I saw that the Bears were going to bet the Colts. But no, that was actually happening.
I showered and was going to head into bed, but there was still a party going on outside of the hotel and all I could hear was Mike Reilly's voice. So at about 11:15, my mom and I went down to watch the final finishers. That was the best part of the day. To walk down there and see
others finish, it made me so happy to be able to cheer for the others and see their excitement as they finished. The final woman came in at 16:59:56, and I imagine that she felt just as good as the first place finisher.

Thanks
There are so many people that were a part of the Ironman journey.

Bethann- we made it a point to do this with smiles and that we did!! Thank you for doing this entire thing with me from start to finish.

Coach Mike- you are a man of your word. You told me you would get me to
the starting line healthy. And when I got injured back in March and had
those 6 weeks on crutches, you brought me back slowly, and you got me stronger that I had been pre-injury. On that note, my doctor and PT were
awesome and understood that my recovery needed to involve training for the Ironman.

My family and friends- anytime you asked about training or about triathlons, you allowed me to talk about what I love to do. Thanks to everyone who supported me throughout the training, came to watch, tracked online, or simply wished me luck. Boot Campers rock!

Mom- you were a trooper getting up at 4:30, taking pictures and running
around all day, and even watched the last racers! You are an Ironfan!

September 13, 2009- Ironman Wisconsin, I can't wait to do this again!


Allison Moe
Assistant Principal and Athletic Director moea@ccsd93.com
Jay Stream Middle School
283 El Paso Ln.
Carol Stream, IL 60188
P-(630)462-8949
Fax (630)462-9224