Me with the Barker bros
(Again we lost Eliot at the swim start)
Well what can i say, if i recite all you would be reading for a long time so i shall try and condense as much as possible. As previously noted my build up to this race was vastly different with Woody's guidance and having done Lanzarote earlier this year i felt confident and less apprehensive, again i had set no time targets and left the clock behind. The few days leading up had been blighted by rain and cold, me Woody and Gray had driven the bike course and not felt at all concerned, we put in a 20 min run Thursday evening, one swim of the course Friday morning (1 lap), another 20 min run in the evening and a 30 min or so bike Saturday which felt fantastic.
Roll on race day morning, pitch black, strong coffee and scrambled eggs, Genr8 bottles mixed up x2, all sorted very calm and excited!! Chatted with Fraser in transition and spotted Neyedli looking focused, left Woody cuing for the toilets and lost everyone else. Into the water and positioned at the front, the delay was annoying and i got quite cold so others from warmer climates must have been freezing. Finally we were off and i went quite hard but when i was ready to ease up i found i couldn't as everyone around me was still caning it and i would have been trampled so to speak, i felt like i was swimming at 1500m pace. At the lap 1 turn point i spotted the leaders coming back the other way and was surprised that they weren't further ahead, my 2ND lap i pushed on and felt great so pushed all the way to T1 really enjoying it but feeling the need to pee which I'm unable to do whilst swimming like some people!
Quickly into transition and a long run to my bike which was kindly very close to the pros, my legs felt great running so i was happy and off i went up the long climb nice and easy remembering i had forgot to go to the portaloo so planned on trying to pee on the bike which i haven't mastered yet and still haven't!! My stomach felt full so i didn't eat or drink and thought once I've peed i will be fine. I stopped close to the end of lap 1 and JB went past voiceibly noting that i haven't mastered the peeing on the move.
Fraser leading the bike
I went off with the intention of reeling in JB and went past Tony Dixon (TD)of Hartlepool, it took an age to catch JB and i had to work very hard, harder than i wanted to, as i caught JB TD went past and we ended up settling. TD would pull away on the hills only to be reeled back on the down hills. Towards the end of lap 2 i began to feel as if i was blowing so having not eaten or drank yet in an effort to allow my stomach to start working i new i had to put the nutrition in, so the S2 and Vitargo bar went in. I did initially feel better but then stomach pains got worse and i still didn't feel good, my legs were aching and i just felt as if i was working so hard when it should have been steady. My back started playing up and i was far from comfortable, feelings of DNF were circulating.
Lap 3 began with JB stopping for his special needs and TD was easing away, JB caught me again going past offering me a snickers which I refused, he reeled in TD then they promptly dropped me again on a climb. That was it, I'd had enough, i still had half a lap to go and my stomach was killing, as were my legs which just weren't working and my back was killing too. I worked on the down hills digging deep to catch them again and just as i reached the turn point i caught them again but the turn point precedes an up hill where they promptly dropped me. This time i sat up and was sick as chips, thoughts were turning to how am i possibly going to run off this, my stomach is shut down and is painful my legs don't work my back is killing, i can't stay in the aero position and can't eat.
I kind of just cycled back like an easyish training ride, i was all set to 'rap' but when i approached T2 there were so many people all cheering that i thought i can't possibly quit. I grabbed my bag and Laura our girl inside Ironman helped my out, we had a chat getting everyone's splits, i asked where the nearest portaloo was 'either in transition or a mile down the road' so i thought right I'll run a mile down the road and see how i feel.
I went off quite steady with stomach sloshing and painful with every bounce, I'd been here before at Austria it was all familiar which is why i didn't want to go through it all again. However as soon as I got going I spotted TD and was catching him, then I ran past our campsite where everyone was and they all spurred me on telling me JB was 3 min up the road, I wont tell you what I said, '******* ******'.
I got past TD at the top of the hill and felt quite good running down just relaxing, my stomach stopped being painful but was still full and sloshing, I spotted JB too and could see how much he had on me. Into the town and the run course was canny except for the hills, I quite like the mud and twists and turns and knowing alot of people in the race keeps the motivation up.
2ND lap and i was smiling this time running past the campsite although i did feel pregnant and said never again but you know. This time JB was closer and coming down the hill he stopped for a pee, which by the way i still hadn't done. As i past he ran straight onto my shoulder, this is JB's favorite running position and, i hate it!!! He stayed there for about 5 mile, bugging the hell out of me, it makes me so uncomfortable, all you can here is JB slapping his feet, 'pitter patter, pitter patter' it's bloody annoying!! So on a down hill section at the end of town i stretched out trying to drop him but he was hanging tuff, finally after pushing quite a bit i got a gap and couldn't here his feet. Thank god, i seemed to have about 20 sec so just settled thinking that's it. Back into the castle and i chatted with Steve on the lead bike as Bayliss came past, not quickly either but how skinny is he!! Then i heard it, 'pitter patter' someone behind me and they weren't coming past, just right bloody behind me!!! JB was back, 1 lap to go and here we were, then on a little up hill i started to cramp, side by side, i swore and complained easing up a little, JB offered me salt tabs but i thought it was too late to take them, this happened at Grotty and i could run through it if careful. I caught him back up and came downhill past the tent again and they were all loving the battle.
Pleased we kept them all entertained; it felt like Dave Scott and Mark Allen all over again but which one of us was Mark Allen? Ok perhaps feelings of grandeur going on but you have to live the moment and this was mine and JB's epic Iron War! A battle like this in an Ironman after everything that had happened and the hours we had been racing and it was coming down to the last 8 mile.
We hit the hill out of the campsite which was now covered in triathletes, mud and loose stones, this time I settled on JB's shoulder mainly cause he's better at running up hill. Just before the turn point at the top i felt the pace slow quite a bit, was JB suffering or just messing? Sod it; i squeezed past a few ran around the turn point through the aid station and stretched out downhill harder than ever!! I know I'm 8 mile from home but lets just go for it. I didn't look back but apparently JB was running through the aid station peeing at the same time and getting drinks in!!!
Into the town and a girl handing out jelly beans saved my life, sour coca cola bottles were particularly effective!! No sign of JB but i didn't ease up, God knows what he might pull out the bag!! Finally at my last opportunity to check there was still no sign and i could relax running into the finish where i promptly cramped on the grassy up hill but I crossed the line seeing my time for the first time in the entire race 10:13 Bloody hell, i didn't quite know what to make of that but think i was little disappointed, Laura caught me at the line and informed me that the race had surprised everyone as to how tuff and slow it had been, even the pros! I got 32ND place but really i was just so pleased i had finished. I nearly waited for JB at the line but thought bugger that i need to sit down!!
We met up in the finish area and gave each other a Man'ish hug then caught up with the other TRI boy's, Davy, Eliot and Woody, all eating Currie and doughnuts and beer!! This really was a belta, so tuff I actually found it harder than Grotty!
Congratulations to everyone who raced particularly Davy for doing a great time in his 1st Ironman and Eliot for taking over an hour off his PB Gary for tuffing it out with a nasty infection 'your crazy' and Tony for getting 2ND in the 60-65 category!! Thanks to all the supporters and TRI team, i know we kept you all entertained but you also helped us out immeasurably!!
We went back to watch the last finishers, these people are awesome, so lonely out there for that long in the dark and cold, the last one's just beat the cut off of 17 hours!!!
Me with the Barker bros
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