the run

... the run was all that I faced now and I knew it was an out and back and would have to see R at some point. I was anxious to see how he was doing and started out on my run feeling good. My legs felt great and not brickish at all they felt light from the get go, and so I began - steady eddy. I grabbed some corn chips at the first rest stop and continued on. Then I saw it, the hill. I didn't realize how hilly the route was going to be, but faced it head on and took it one step at a time. I made it up the hill running and looked for R. The field was pretty quiet at this point, and I continued to look for R thinking I would see him by now. I was approaching the turn around and then I saw him, I knew all was good and seeing him inspired me to run even faster. It took me awhile to catch him, because running "faster" in an ironman isn't as fast as it feels, but I did catch up. We began the break down of how we felt. R said he was involved in a crash on the bike course but he and the bike came out okay. I was doing well all around I said but was starting to get tired. "Keep going" he encouraged me and I figured I better get going while the going was good. I finished the first of three loops and felt pretty good but was just beginning to feel slightly nauseous. I saw K with R and the big Texas flag and the rest of my fam and friends at the turnaround and waved. I was still amazed at my time and knew I just needed to stay the course. I did know that I was starting to slow down and my run was beginning to turn into a run - walk. I tried not to get too down knowing how much lean way I had in my time to reach my goal. At some point R caught back up to me and asked me how I was doing. I'm feeling nauseous I told him and he said that he drank coke and that made him feel better so I hit that at the next rest stop. I also started walking with a woman who was on her first lap and we talked a lot, which was really nice. She gave me one of her salt tabs and I was feeling somewhat better, but not the self that had hopped of the bike. The second lap was down and I knew I just needed one more lap and at this point was still close to coming in at 12hrs 30 min. I drank coke at the stops and grabbed a bit of food, but still had not gone to the bathroom at this point I thought nothing of it. After I made the turn and knew I just had four miles to the finish I was beginning to feel a little headier, but par for the course. "You just have to finish" I encouraged myself and continued on. I then began to feel light-headed and focused on just getting to the next rest stop. I have a history of panic attacks and figured that was what I was having so, when I got to the rest stops I told one of the girls there I was feeling light headed. They suggested I sit down and gave me water. I sat and drank water and gatorade probably 4 - 1 for awhile until I started to feel better. I also ate a couple of gels and took another salt tab. I sat there for over an hour and had begun to walk circles around the rest stop to make sure I was feeling better before heading out. "You would have probably already finished by now the amount you've walked around the rest stop" one of them told me. "I know I said and I'm worried that my family is worried" I said back. "They probably are worried but you need to do what you need to do." I can do this I thought and was building up confidence. One of the rest stop workers said she would ride her bike next to me to the finish if that made me feel better and I said "yes". I headed out walking holding my cup gaze focused straight ahead determined to finish and we talked along the way. Finally not too much longer and I saw the finish in my sight. "Mary Keith Trawick from Austin Texas and is that a cup of coffee in her hand? She even had time to stop at Starbucks." I finished and not in my goal time, but I finished, found my family who said they were worried by just glad I finished and we walked to triage where R was at. I sat on a cot and they asked me how I felt. I told them I was nauseous and they offered me some broth which was chunky and made me feel worse, so I just laid down. They took my temp and said it was 93, so they but some warm water bottle around me and blankets and then came back to see how I was doing. "I'm still nauseous" I said. Well all I can offer you is a nausea pill or shot. I shook my head okay and took the pill. A little while later they came back by and asked me how I felt. "I'm still nauseous." I said. "Well would you like the shot?" I looked at my mom and then nodded yes.

I don't remember anything after that. My Mom tells me that she helped me go to the bathroom and then loaded me in the car with the two of us in the back. She said I was sitting on the edge of the seat and gripping the seat in front of me, not saying much. As we were driving back to the hotel I let out a weird animal-like noise, threw my head back and started shaking and vomiting. Then I was out and she couldn't wake me. They immediately drove me to the hospital after finding a taxi to ask where the nearest location of one. My Mom said they saw me in ER and immediately recognized what I had as hyponatremia and my sodium count when they took a blood sample was 116 (normal is above 137-according to the doctor what happened in the car was a seizure due to low sodium), so they began pumping potassium chloride and sodium into me, 5 bags worth just in ER. They performed a catscan on me and determined all was okay there and only at that point did my parents say they felt I would be okay. I was still unconscious, but moved to another floor. The next day I was completely out of it still and would open my eyes and look around but not respond to anybody around me. All of this happened on Saturday night and I didn't consciously wake up until Monday morning. Needless to say, I was shocked to be in the hospital.