Update from WTC! Keep the emails coming...

Dear Shawn's Iroman Supporters:

 

Below is a response that was given to one of those that have generously taken their time to email on behalf of the Shawn's Ironman Project.  I ask that you don't get discouraged by it, but that it fuels your passion to see this journey completed at the Kona finish line.  Please continue to send your emails.  The more they receive, the better chance that WTC will see this is an opportunity to be a part of something that has never been done before.  Thanks for all your help:

 

Thank you for following up in regards to Matthew Murphy. Each year we are inspired by all of the athletes who pursue their dream of crossing the finish line in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. We are honored to be a part of their journey and moved by the incredible stories, like Shawn's Ironman, that are shared with our team.

Each year, more than 70,000 athletes attempt to gain entry into the Ford Ironman World Championship. Unfortunately, based on the demand and our qualification requirements we are unable to offer Matthew a slot into the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championship.

Our goal is to make the Kona experience attainable for everyone -- from seasoned professional athletes to first time competitors -- through the Ironman Lottery, charitable eBay Auction and qualifying opportunities at nearly 30 events held worldwide. We hope that Matthew will continue his efforts to qualify through one of these channels and are certain that with your determination and help, we will one day see him on the starting line.

Looking back at a year ago...

This week was still a recovery week for me, but was also a time for all of us to remember where we were just a year ago.  How easily you forget about the anxiety you have about hospitals until you have to go back like we did this week for Shawn's ultrasound.  Even though Shawn was less than a year old (8 months) when he had his surgery to repair his "Shawn's Urethra", you could see it in his face that he knew where he was as soon as the double doors opened up.  He immediately tensed up and started to cry. 

I knew what he was thinking, but I also knew that I would not be able to explain to him that he was not going to be here very long.  As we checked him in you could see that he was very hesitant to be there, but immediately found his favorite toy to play with for a while with a new found friend while we waited for the ultrasound:

Shorty after that video, Shawn was called back for the ultrasound.  I picked him up and took him back to the room.  As soon as we got in the room, he would not let me go so I could place him on the table.  Of course, I knew that they would not be doing anything to him except running the ultrasound wand around his torso, but he did not know that.  He was so afraid he was about to have another surgery.  He screamed and cried so much and there was nothing I could do about it.  Rachel and I had to restrain him so they could get the pictures needed, and Rachel sang to him, but nothing really helped.  He was remembering the last time someone in that hospital had touched him...  

Shawn after getting his IV before surgery

March 2010, was not the start of his surgeries, but I do believe that it was the start of him remembering them. He was admitted the night before his surgery because they had to make sure that his gastrointestinal tract was clear for his morning surgery.  At first he was having fun, playing with his toys, and being a normal little boy.  All of that changed when they came to get him to start an IV so they could administer the GoLYTELY (Go Lightly) Laxative.  Let me just explain to you that there is nothing light about this laxative.  None of us really got much sleep that night because he was constantly needed his diaper changed, you could tell that his stomach hurt, and he was so tired.  Most of the night Rachel and I took turns holding him while the other slept.  Shawn, unfortunately did not not get much sleep at all.  I felt so bad for him because I knew I could fix a lot of things, but I could not fix this. 

Waiting for surgery

Waiting with Gammy

Visit from Nanna Haley

In PreOp with Mommy

The morning could not come faster for all of us, and it finally did, but there was very little relief.  The rise of the sun meant that our son was about to undergo and unprecedented surgery to repair something that had never been diagnosed before.  We were all nervous including Rachel's mother (Marsha aka Gammy) and Shawn's nanny at the time, Haley.  They finally called us to the surgery prep room where Rachel and I took turns holding and praying over our son until the doctors came to take him back about 10:30am.  We were both left with feeling like a piece of our heart was being torn away. and we were not sure if we were going to get it back.   Our plan was to try and get some sleep during the planned 3 1/2 hours of the surgery, but soon realized that our stress would keep us from doing that.

In PreOp with Daddy

PICU after Surgery

PICU After Surgery

Recovering with Blue Beary

Awaking happy and hungry

The first part of the surgery was done without any problems and it took longer than expected.  The surgery was broken up into two phases. The first phase involved removing the multi-cystic dysplastic kidney on his left side and was to take about an hour. The second phase involves taking the two urethreas and turning them into one. The second part should have lasted about another 2 1/2 hours.  Both took a lot more time than expected, and when 2:00pm came and past, we all started to worry a little even though we would not talk about it.  Finally about 4:30, Dr. Wesson (One of the doctors assisting Dr. Cisek) came out to see us to let us know that they surgery was wrapping up and they would be taking him to PICU.  It was finished and he was doing very well.  We were all relieved, but we also knew that we still had a lot of recovery to go.

Getting Bored After Surgery

Going Home

I am not sure what came over Shawn, maybe it was the pain or maybe it was God just talking to our son, but he barely moved in the first 24 hours after surgey.  We we all worried about that, but it never became a problem.  After getting a lot of rest and recovering over the first 24 hours after surgery, Shawn woke up hungry and we could not get him bottles fast enough.  Later that day you could tell that he was really starting to get bored, so I brought the old trusty DVD player and Baby Einstein Videos.  Of course that only worked for a while before he started driving the nurses, like Starley, nuts.  It was not soon after that we were able to stroll Shawn around the floor and let him get a good look around.  We were all relieved that he was doing so well.  Finally, Shawn was sent home 2 days later.  We contributed his quick recovery to being at the best hospital for children (Texas Children's Hospital), the prayers and support of friends and family, and the will of our son.  It was not soon after that surgery when I decided to undergo my own impossible journey in honor of his recovery and started training for the Ironman...

Sporting his bandages from his blood tests before going home

Shawn had a lot to remember this week in the hospital, but after finishing up giving blood for his test, we were heading back home.  You could see the relief on his face.  We were all relieved considering that we received good news that Shawn was healing very well, and it looks like the surgery is still deemed a success.  Of course we are not completely out of the loop yet.  Once we start to potty train, we will know if he has bladder control.  Dr. Cisek said it best, we will just have to wait to see if he can "Sink the Cheerio!"

The Annoying Flyer Guy at Ironman Texas in The Woodlands

The Ironman Texas was epic for me for sure.  At first I was just going to go out to the event just to get a good grasp of what a full Ironman event would be like.  I had been told that it is much different than the half Ironman in Florida, and they were right.  It was a mad house there, and I can't imagine what Kona is like, but I hope I get the chance to experience and write about.

On Friday, I was at work and I received an email from my good friend, Dean.  He and I discussed earlier in the week about going out to the race together.  He is a triathlete, artist, innovator, and the owner of Prosper Apparel.  Dean was telling me about this amazing design he came up with for a shirt, and I was so excited to get one from him so I could wear it at the race.


After talking to him, a light bulb went off in my head, and I decided to get some flyers printed up so we could pass them out during the race.  I agree that is was a spontaneous idea that may have not been fully thought through, but never the less, I was committed to it.

I made about 1000 flyers simply saying "Send Shawn's Ironman To Kona-Go to www.shawnsironman.com for more details" on a flashy red paper.  Shawn and I ventured out early on Saturday morning so we could see the event and pass out flyers.

After about an hour of passing out flyers, I realized that my message was not very clear on the flyer because I started to see crumbled up flyers on the ground, and people were starting to avoid me like the plague.  It did not take long for a Divine intervention to happen and my friends, Shannon and Dean, came to the rescue with recruits to help me get the story out.  Soon, I started people started to engage me and them, as we were passing out the flyers, wanting to know more about Shawn and his condition.  It was a really cool moment in my life, but I felt that there was true compassion coming from so many people.  I can't thank all of you enough that took the flyer home and decided to look up the website.

The beauty of the sport of triathlon is that you get to compete on the same course as the pros, but what is also cool is how real the professional athletes are.  Because you get to know them on a personal level, you can't help but become a fan.  I learned that at the Kemah Triathlon, and it showed up again in pro triathlete, Romain Gullaume, from France.  He had a busy couple of weeks participation in the Galveston Ironman 70.3, the St. Croix 70.3, and now the Ironman Texas.  It obviously took a toll on his body, and he had to drop out of the race due to injury.  All that being said, he was still very interested in what Shawn's Ironman was and took the time to find out more.  He is heading back to France to recover before he comes back to U.S. for a few events including the Ironman 70.3 Kansas.  Romain, thanks again for being so nice and showing compassion for my son.  Hope to see you again and recover well.

All in all witnessing the Ironman Texas was a success, but I have to say that it opened up my eyes to how hard the event really is:


For those of you that have send an email on behalf of the Shawn's Ironman Journey, thank you again.  It means a lot to Rachel, Shawn, and I.   God Bless!

Rohto Ironman 70.3 Florida Results

Well, it's official, I am an Ironman Finisher, or at least a half Ironman, but none the less, I have a Ironman sanctioned event finisher metal, and that means a lot to me.  I can't tell you how nervous I was about the whole thing.  I don't know what it was, but this event got to me more than even my first ever triathlon back in August of last year.

This was not just a race for me at all, it was a major happening.  There were so many things that made this memorable for sure:

The night before the race was really nerve racking for me.  I had so many emotions happening to me at once.  I was nervous for so many reasons such as:

Am I ready?
Did I pack everything?
Will they Lathrops, Rachel, and Shawn make it to the race okay?
Is my bike okay in the rain? 

The one thing that did relieve my stress was the time I go to spend with Rachel, Shawn, and the Lathrops.

Theresa and Rachel decided they were going to make support shirts that they could wear during the race, but it ended up that only kids could wear them because of time constraints and size limitations of one of the shirts.   Either way, I got warm fuzzy feelings knowing that I had such a great support staff behind me.  Tommy also helped me relieve stress by watching some video we shot of the day before.  I love the Lathrops so much.  They are as close as we can get to family without being family.

3:00am came way to early on Sunday morning, but nevertheless, Tommy and I were out the door by 3:30am and heading to Disney World.  As we were heading there, I noticed some lingering lighting and clouds in the sky.  As soon as we got there, the rain started to fall while I was setting up my transition area.  I started to get a little discouraged because I felt they would cancel the swim.  Fortunately, the bad weather cleared away and we all headed for the swim coral. 

I was one of the last waves to hit the water, so I took full advantage of the opportunity to get a warm up run in to loosen up the muscles, drink my Advocare Spark drink, and socialize with great people like fellow blogger, Kevin Jacobs,  who gave me a lot of encouragement because he was so sincere.  He was also generous enough to donate to Shawn's Ironman Fund.  Thanks Kevin. 



Photo by Action Sports International

 Before I knew it, it was time for our wave to start.  All of the crowd noise and loud music just seemed to mute and the only sound I could hear was my own breath and heart beat.  The air horn went off, and I hit the water.  The water was a warm 83 degrees and I knew that it was going to wear on me before I reached the finish, but before I knew it I was making the first turn, then the second turn, then, wow, I was done.  I could not believe how easy the swim was for me even though you could not see 1 foot in front of you because of the murky water.  This was however the most comfortable that I had ever felt in the water.  I was warmed up, but not worn out when I headed to transition with a smile on my face.

Photo by Action Sports International

My transition was good, but not super fast just because I wanted to make sure I was able to get a GU Triberry Gel in before I went off on the bike course.  I was also a little hesitant because the wind was blowing pretty hard before the race, and I knew that I would be heading into it during the first part of the race.  It did not take long for me to get over the wind though because my new Profile Design Altair Carbon Clinchers seemed to be cutting the wind like a hot knife through butter.  I could not believe how fast I was going and how many other riders I was passing along the way.  I ended up finishing the bike portion with the fastest split I have ever posted in a race.  I really can't say enough about the Profile Design gear installed my Bicycle World of Houston that has turned my bike into a hydration supplied rocket ship.  Thanks Corey and Justin and thanks again Karen.  I can't wait to meet you in person at the Ironman Texas.

As I am running with my bike into transition, I wish I would have had a camera, because notice a girl with a sign that said, "Charlie Sheen says You're Winning!"   It made me laugh, and then I nearly cried as I saw the Shawn's Ironman Support Staff (Tommy, Rese, Noah, Mady, Shawn, and Rachel) by my transition area.  They were all cheering me on, ringing their cowbells, and waving as I transitioned.  I could not help but stop and sell hello to everyone.  I know it slowed my transition down a lot, but I don't know how many times I will ever be able to enjoy that moment again. 

The run started off great.  I was starting to get into a zone, when I heard a familiar voice behind me say, "Hey Finish Strong!"  I turned around to notice Shannon whom I had met the day before with her friend.  They had noticed that I was wearing a Finish Strong Coach Dana Lyons shirt on and knew I was from the Houston area.  We decided to run the first 4 miles together and chat it up.  They were great, and I hope they catch up with me so we can train and visit together once we all get back to Houston.  Before you knew it, I was heading for the second of the 3 loops and feeling pretty good, but that slowly started to fall away.  I ran out of my GU gels because I did not have a place to keep them during my run, so I started on the power gels they were giving me.  They did not sit with me as well as the GU gels, and I stared to get an upset stomach.  Before I knew it I was walking by mile 9, not because I could not go any further, but it was because I was getting an upset stomach.  As soon as I stopped I could feel the lactic acid start to enter my muscles and I was starting to get stiff quick.  I was just 4 short miles away from my the finish, but my muscle were telling me that I was already done.  I was getting a little discouraged until I met a Canadian named ironically named Shawn.

Photo by Action Sports International

Shawn had done this race last year and swore that he would not do it again.  Of course he did not keep that promise and he and I were walking briskly to the finish.  He encouraged me to keep it up and so I eventually took his advice and ran the final 2 miles of the race until I reached "The Chute".  All of a sudden, my pain went away, and I could hear the crowd again as the announcer called my name.

There were a series of thoughts that started to flood my mind but the biggest one was the one I had the day before about my grandmother.  Naydene Roberds (Gran Gran) Leach was born in 1921 (My Race Number) and would have been 90 years old on May 24th.  I could not believe the irony, and I know if she were alive with us today, she would have been there to scream, "Alright!" as I crossed the finish line, so I screamed it for her, raised up my hands in thanks to God, and blew her a kiss! See Video by Clicking Here!  

 

 

Matthew Murphy

BIB	AGE	STATE/COUNTRY	PROFESSION
1921	36	Houston TX USA	Engineer

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	RANK	DIV.POS.
44:33	2:56:29	2:35:00	6:28:06	1177	197

LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	RANK	DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM	1.2 mi. (44:33)	2:20/100m	1010	170
TOTAL BIKE	56 mi. (2:56:29)	19.04 mph	1047	182
RUN SPLIT 1: 3.5 mi	3.5 mi (38:16)	10:56/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 7.75 mi	4.25 mi (47:24)	11:09/mi
RUN SPLIT 3: 12.25 mi	4.5 mi (1:01:05)	13:34/mi
RUN SPLIT 4: 13.1 mi	0.85 mi (8:15)	9:42/mi
TOTAL RUN	13.1 mi (2:35:00)	11:49/mi	1177	197
TRANSITION				TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE				7:47
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN				4:17

It was not long before I turned around to see all of the Shawn's Ironman Support Team, and I could not hold back the tears.  I want to thank all of those that were watching my progress on Ironman.com and following the twitter blogs.  I read all of your words of encouragement.  I will soon post all of the video of the event.

We spent the last couple of days enjoying the pool at our vacation rental with the Lathrops before we headed back to visit with Rachel's Sister, Brother-in-Law, and their new son, Carter Ryan, before we flew back to Houston on Wednesday. 

This weekend will be pretty exciting me too because I will get to meet Karen from Profile Design while we all cheer on the participants at the Ironman Texas in the Woodlands on Saturday May 21, 2011.  I will also get to cheer on my new friends Susan and Blaine that we met on the plane ride back.  Susan will be completing her 40th Ironman event on Saturday.  I find that simply amazing.  Good Luck to all that will be racing.  I will be cheering you on. 

So up next is training for a full Ironman event.  I am just not sure where that will be yet.  Since I was not able to win a lottery spot into the Ironman World Championships in Kona, I would need a special invitation to compete in this years event.  I have faith that some how I will get an invitation to the race, but your help is needed. 

Please find the time to help me out by sending an email to the staff at World Triathlon Corporation saying that you would like to see the Shawn's Ironman Project Finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI.  You can send them an email at kona@ironman.com  with the subject line "Send Shawn's Ironman To Kona".  Make sure you cc shawnsironman@gmail.com with your email so I will be able to document it.  I figured that if we get enough support, they will eventually send a special invitation to me, and you can say that you assisted in making the dream a reality.  Thanks again for all your support and I will keep you posted.