RACE DAY!

11:45pm: Go watch the last hour of finishers! These are the people who really, really, really need the support and prayers. I, however, am calling it a night. I'll have some final reflections tomorrow. Teri called and sounds as exuberant as you would expect.

First day of kindergarten for Lucca tomorrow - life rolls on!

9:20pm: 13:17:48 - beats her 2001 race by 1 hour, 14 minutes and 23 seconds - and beats my 2003 race by 14 minutes. I guess she followed the mantra I suggested last night, "Must Beat Steve!"

9:17pm: Teri Pastorino, from Utah, You are an Ironman!

8:48pm: The words "You are an Ironman" still give me chills. I had the special privilege of carrying one-year-old Lucca over the finish line with me at Coeur d'Alene. Teri says I have to do another one so I can do the same with the other kids. For the record... no chance. Once is enough.

Anyways, it's great watching all these people finish! Teri should be done in the next 30 minutes...

8:23pm: Just sat down to watch the finish line - and I got to see Lauren finish at 12:22:40. She didn't set a PR, but all things considered, I think she'll be happy with that time. Six years ago, Teri and Lauren finished the run together... discussing in the final feet of the race who would cross the finish line first, so they could each get their own finisher's picture. Lauren - We're proud of you, too!

If you don't get tears in your eyes watching these people finish, you are one cold person. Everyone should watch - it's inspiring!!

7:30pm: Teri's time is finally posted. 2hours 20 minutes for the first 13.1 miles. She tends to be very consistent on her runs. If she can match her first half with another 2:20, she would finish at 8:55pm mountain time... set a PR (personal record) by 1 and 1/2 hours, earn family bragging rights AND, it might even be about her fastest marathon ever. But there's a lot of pavement to cover still. The prayer to the bike-mechanic gods worked earlier today. Let's pray to the patron saint of ankle ligaments and assorted joints for this final stretch. Thanks everyone for following along and sending emails, calls and comments. I've got to try to get the kids to bed so I can watch the finish. What a day it's shaping up to be. Let's bring Teri home!!!

7:00pm: Teri is past the halfway mark in the run. Matt left a message that she looks great but misses her family. As soon as I see her official time, I will give another estimate of finish time.

6:40pm: Lauren has rounded the race midpoint and is heading home. Her 2:15 half-marathon is awesome. She could break 12 hours if she keeps this up - I'm impressed!

5:28pm: Teri is probably 5-6 miles into the course. It heads out for 13.1 miles along Skaha Lake, then retraces its route to the start. Matt will call me with an update at the halfway mark. If all goes according to form, Teri's marathon will be just about 5 hours... a few minutes under if it's a particularly good night of running. That would put her at the finish line between 9pm and 9:30p mountain time... (8-8:30pm if you're in Pacific time - parents ;)... I will try to revise that time after I hear from Matt.

By the way, he saw her just before the bike finish and she was doing fantastic!

4:21pm - TERI IS OFF THE BIKE! She biked 112 miles in 6:30:53, shaving 45 minutes off her time from 2001! I'm so proud (can you tell?!) She also has shaved about 2 1/2 minutes off in her transitions... so, cross your fingers, if she has any kind of a decent run, she will substantially improve on her previous Ironman.

She passed about 475 people on the bike (nothing beats that feeling!) and sits in 1476th place - almost exactly in the middle of the pack. She will be psyched! GOOOO TERRRRRRIIIII!

4:20pm - Kiernan Doe of New Zealand has won the race in 8:32:45... He is a first-time Ironman winner, headed to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii later this year. Cool.

4:00pm - They are interviewing a Seattle woman cheering on 17 teammates from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training who are competing today. Most people know that Teri and I met when we were both training for the Anchorage Marathon in 1999 - and the cause remains dear to our heart 8+ years later. We've raised more than $50,000 for LLS in that time, and both of us swell with emotion everytime the Team in Training story is told. We remind you that the swimming, biking and running is NOTHING compared to the suffering and battling that children and adults endure when fighting blood-related cancers. I am sure that Teri will summon courage and strength from people like her training partner in Bountiful (you know who you are!), whose mother is fighting leukemia as we speak.

3:50pm: Lauren is off the bike... 6:05:35 total bike time, or 18.4mph. I think this bodes well for Teri, who is likely not far behind. In 2001, Teri's bike was 7:15:06 - so if she finishes in the next hour, it will be an improvement. Fingers crossed!

3:45pm: Just waiting for word (online or from Matt) that Teri has finished the bike. Also, I am stunned to learn that Teri did the 2001 race, not 2002. How quickly we lose track of time! She swam in 1:25:32 in 2001 - so one minute slower this year.

2:00pm: Matt left a message around 1pm that he saw Teri at the 56-mile mark of the bike and she was smiling, waving and calling it a great day so far. She was climbing up hill at the same time! Sounds good. It's amazing to me that the pros are off the bike (4 hours, 38 minutes for one of the top males on the bike) and well into their marathons already. Once Teri is in off the bike, we'll be able to begin to project approximate finish times... but you never know...

12:00pm: Wow. First 40 miles at nearly 18 mph. She's ready to climb!

11:00am: Talked to Lauren's boyfriend Matt, who is on the course. Both Teri and Lauren headed out of transition on bikes in good shape. (Teri made up about a minute on Lauren in transition... and is about five minutes behind her).) Matt is headed to legendary Richter Pass to watch them climb the race's most famous hill. With all of Teri's training in Utah's canyons, we have no doubt she'll eat it up. Pray to the bike-mechanic-gods that she has no technical difficulties. (Back here in Utah, I'm taking the kids out for a little while... next update about 2pm probably.)

9:30am: 1:26:54 for the swim. Lauren is in at 1:20 or so. Off to bike for 7 hours or so!... I think Teri will be very satisfied with the swim.

9:00am: One of the first amateurs out of the water was from Utah... small world... See the first comment below for a quick link to the Ironman athlete tracker.

8:05am: Race is underway. You don't always start an Ironman with a time goal - just finishing safely and healthy. But Teri did this race in 14 hours, 30 minutes in 2002 and we are hoping she will better that. If shes finishes before nightfall (8:30pm?) - that would be phenomenal.

7:45am (MT): Teri just called. She and Lauren were donning their wetsuits and headed to the beach to start today's odyssey. The 25th Anniversary Ironman Canada Triathlon. A year in the making.

It's overcast - shouldn't be hotter than 70-75 degrees today. Perfect weather. Follow all day here or at www.ironman.com. The pros are starting. Go Teri!

Comments

[Julia]

Looks like you can follow Teris progress here

http://ironman.com//events/ironman/canada?show=tracker&y=2007&race=/events/ironman/canada&bib=2496

Go Teri!!!

[Nancy Thomas]

Go Teri, fantastic day for you. Very proud of you. Love, Mom and Dad

[Nancy Thomas]

TERI, YOU DID IT - AGAIN. SO EXCITED FOR YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. LOVE, AND HUGS, MOM AND DAD
WHAT A RECORD - GREAT TIMES ON ALL THE EVENTS.

[JM]

Congratulations on such an accomplishment. I am proud of myself when I can do 30 minutes on the elliptical so I am in complete awe of your accomplishment.

(From an RSL fan who still thinks Steve is awesome...) ;-)