Stephanie, You asked the question, here is your answer:
Wendy Ingraham and Sian Welch gave the 1997 Ironman World Championships the kind of drama no triathlon could buy. Within 50 yards of the finish line in Kailua-Kona, the two women simultaneously suffered severe cramps and wound up racing each other to the finish on their hands and knees before a worldwide TV audience.
"It was like someone took a baseball bat and whacked my legs," said 34-year-old Wendy Ingraham of Walnut Creek, Calif., who finished fourth among the women.
"It was an experience that made me better," said Welch, "but I put it out of my mind a long time ago."
Both women are back on the Big Island for tomorrow's Ironman, and neither wants a repeat of the bizarre incident dubbed, "The Diaper Dash."
"I plan to use a little more nutrition this year," said Welch, who was fifth. The 31-year-old San Diego resident found herself vomiting during the 112-mile bike ride. "I had no electrolytes and was only drinking Coke and water."
Ingraham said her salt tablets fell out of her wrist band on the run, and that created problems for her last year. "I need a lot of sodium in my body," she said. To make sure she doesn't lose all of her tablets, she said she will tuck them various pieces of clothing on her person. Ingraham was leading the women's race until the 15th mile when the loss of her sodium tablets caused the cramps to begin.
Welch arrived in the finish area in third place but wound up fifth after struggling to the finish on the strength of spectator chants of "Crawl! Crawl!" Her husband, Greg Welch, dragged her off the course after she got across the line.
"Mentally, it made me stronger and now I can probably get through anything," said Ingraham who was picked up by her boyfriend and carried away.
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Awesome!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Just awesome! Thanks for sharing. ;)
ReplyDeleteI run to feel alive... it is at that moment that it is just me and the road... and everything seems right with the world.
ReplyDeleteThat was absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGreat video. Do you know more about the two that crawled into the finish? WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteThe scene with the father who runs out to his son brings me to tears EVERY SINGLE TIME...
ReplyDeleteI am not allowed to watch anymore running videos at work... *tears*
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. That was awesome.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks! Glad to read I wasn't the only one to tear up! :)
ReplyDeleteStephanie, You asked the question, here is your answer:
ReplyDeleteWendy Ingraham and Sian Welch gave the 1997 Ironman World Championships the kind of drama no triathlon could buy. Within 50 yards of the finish line in Kailua-Kona, the two women simultaneously suffered severe cramps and wound up racing each other to the finish on their hands and knees before a worldwide TV audience.
"It was like someone took a baseball bat and whacked my legs," said 34-year-old Wendy Ingraham of Walnut Creek, Calif., who finished fourth among the women.
"It was an experience that made me better," said Welch, "but I put it out of my mind a long time ago."
Both women are back on the Big Island for tomorrow's Ironman, and neither wants a repeat of the bizarre incident dubbed, "The Diaper Dash."
"I plan to use a little more nutrition this year," said Welch, who was fifth. The 31-year-old San Diego resident found herself vomiting during the 112-mile bike ride. "I had no electrolytes and was only drinking Coke and water."
Ingraham said her salt tablets fell out of her wrist band on the run, and that created problems for her last year. "I need a lot of sodium in my body," she said. To make sure she doesn't lose all of her tablets, she said she will tuck them various pieces of clothing on her person. Ingraham was leading the women's race until the 15th mile when the loss of her sodium tablets caused the cramps to begin.
Welch arrived in the finish area in third place but wound up fifth after struggling to the finish on the strength of spectator chants of "Crawl! Crawl!" Her husband, Greg Welch, dragged her off the course after she got across the line.
"Mentally, it made me stronger and now I can probably get through anything," said Ingraham who was picked up by her boyfriend and carried away.
You can thank me when we meet in person. :-)
That daddy/son combo got me chocked up! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI loved it!
ReplyDeleteoh no, Stuart, you made me cry!
ReplyDelete(ok, i guess the video made me cry ...)
thanks for sharing :)
Very cool - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete