So, after completing Outlaw & Lanza last year, I was supposed to be having a nice quiet year without full distance racing - then Wales opened an extra 100 starting places in May, and with some debate surrounding which was harder - Lanza or Wales, I made the snap decision there and then to find out for myself - so that was how I found myself on the start line on Sunday 14th September !
This was the first time that I didn't use the Don Fink plan for training and just played it by ear, knowing which distances I needed to hit in the week leading up to race day. I managed a couple of 3k+ swims in the weeks leading up. spent a lot of time on the bike including riding 236 miles in a 12 hour time trial, but didn't quite get there on the run, with one 14 mile effort having to do, sprinkled with a 10 mile hilly race and a few 8 & 9 milers - it was what it was and I was as ready as I could be as we headed to Pembrokeshire and the 4th running of Ironman Wales.
Pre race
We stopped at a travel lodge at St Clears which was 10 miles-ish outside of Tenby. This was a great base to explore some of the best parts of South Wales from. It was an easy place to get on the last part of the bike course from too so I took the time to acclimatise early with the climbs of Wisemans Bridge and Heartbreak Hill at Saundersfoot, I found the race logistics to be easy enough too, with registration being really friendly and the expo not so busy. I gave the Pasta Party a miss, but did go to the race briefing which had some useful info to digest. Managed a few hours sleep and then force fed myself porridge at 4.00am on race morning.
Race day
Yippee, a race day ! Felt really positive about the whole day. There was no rain and the wind was only 13-14mph, so I should enjoy better than average weather conditions on the bike. Also, the sea would be out as it was going to be three hours until high tide - this would mean time saved running further into the sea and I could definately sense a super fast swim time - yes, this was shaping up to be a faster than expected day !
We made our way into Tenby and entered the Parking competition, which started with trying to find one and finished with a 10 minute queue in darkness to put unseen random coins into an unseen random meter ! Managed to then do the last bits to my bike, snap at a bloke who wanted to borrow my pump - growl !! and then join the procession (that I had aimed to avoid) through Tenby and down to North Beach. It was like a protest March !
Arrived at North Beach, so far so good, racked the running shoes in the racks on the way down the ramp, and could hear the announcer counting down - 6 mins to go - found myself a space towards the right, stood and had a very long pee on the beach, heard the national anthem which was poignant, and then a klaxon sounded and 1800 people ran into the sea.....
Swim
When I say ran into the sea, I mean ambled along and walked as far in as possible. I got clear view of the swells for the first time - this was going to be rough, rough, rough !!! I tried to take my time and ensure there was plenty of space around me , but within three swells I was slap bang in the centre of the carnage trying to gently push swimmers in the right direction rather than getting in a biff-fest so early on in the swim. We were aiming for the first orange turn buoy and fighting against the tide to get there. It seemed to take an eternity to get there the first time around and I fancied that it was in fact going to be a long day after all ! Inch by inch, we got there, and then there was a big shell shocked crowd grabbing a breath before settling into the longest leg of the swim which in fact was the fastest leg of the course. Out of the water at the end of the first lap in 42 minutes, and just the second loop to go - this was going to be painful. It took 22 minutes to get to the that first buo
y, and I could see swimmers 6ft above me on some swells - I am not kidding. Once at that turn though, the hard effort was over and I knew the worst of it was behind me ! Another 27 minutes of swimming and I was back on the beach for a 1.31 swim time and a 2 minute personal worst Ironman swim.
T1 - Run up the beach, run up the zig zagging ramp, Grab run shoe bag, take off wetsuit, drink some coke and then leg it across town about a kilometre to transition. Sit down and get nice and ready for the bike leg. 13.54 - had envisioned 20 minutes so not too bad.
Bike
Chose a road bike set up with tri bars. Rode the first 30 miles conservatively, having heeded warnings online about going to giddy and found those first 30 miles a pleasure to ride. The hills then started and were everything that I had read about. Whilst not initially steep, or with massive gradients, they were relentless with very few sweeping downhills to assist with recovery. At 56 miles, I hit the first of the 3 reported big climbs - Narbeth. About halfway up I reset the Garmin as the first half of the bike was done with an average of 16.9mph placed in the Bank. By doing this, I avoided the depressing sight of the average speed plummeting over the second half of the course. I also knew that if I could maintain an average of 14.1 mph over the next 56 miles, then I would meet my overall target of 15.5mph - simple !
Narbeth climb then - nothing to write home about - I didn't think it was any tougher than what had come before, The spectator support in Narbeth was great though with free jelly babies on offer to boot ! At the end of the lap, came the 16% ramp out of Wisemans Bridge, which again was over relatively quickly, and then the one I had waited for - Saundersfoot and ze Heartbreak Hill. Down in the bottom ring and then a seated moderate effort all the way up and around the corner home free - enjoyed it in fact as the support was amazing ! ........ and then the real part of the climb starts and keeps climbing and climbing - how many f'in levels has Saundersfoot got ???? Eventually to the top, and onto the second and final loop. the climbs were tougher second time around, but manageable ! Second time up Wisemans and Saundersfoot really hurt though and I was glad to be in off the bike after a shorter than anticipated 110.5 miles. 6.59 for a hard bike. Pleasing ride for me who is renowned as being one of the poorest climbers in the Wheelers - a mighty 17th in the club hillclimb - so to come though this one and readyish for a run, I was rightly happy.
T2 4.21 nuff said , except I put on a running club shirt backwards and did the whole marathon in it :-(
Run
The aim was to do no more than 12 minute miles, which would see me break a 5 hour Marathon for the first time in 4 attempts. Initially it started well - I coped reasonably well with the climb up to New Hedges and the undulations of Tenby itself. I couldn't bring myself to eat though and was very low on energy - all I could manage was small amounts of liquid. Still, I managed the first couple of loops which brought up the Half Marathon point in 2.21 which was well within target for a sub 5 run. the third lap really bit me hard on the bottom though. All of my mojo seemed to leak from my body and I had nothing in the tank, I felt sick all the way around and watched helplessly as I fell further and further behind schedule. Yes, I was having my usual Marathon meltdown :-(
Cone counting really helped and I tried everything to trick my body into getting moving again. That third lap was horrible, and the fourth started equally as painful, however, as it got darker, things picked up and I started moving along better. It was great to be running in the dark as well, as I struggled to make shapes out coming from the opposite direction ! As I made my way back to Tenby I will never forget the beautiful sight of tenby waterfront lit up in full glory !
back into town and running well again, I had missed my 5 hour run target and consequently the sub 14 that I had wanted. I had earned my 14.07 finish though and made the most of the red carpet as I finished what would be my last Ironman for the time being.
There it was then, a real tough day out which had not beaten me. I found the course to be near perfect, and the town of Tenby to be the perfect host - the locals were amazing, albeit a little pissed towards the end of the Marathon !
Which is harder ? Lanza, without a doubt, and its the bike that sets it apart - this version of Wales only coming close because of the rough sea swim. Debate settled in my own mind, I'm back home now planning next years Duathlon activities, and after that swim, I won't miss the water one bit.
After last weeks Lantern Rouge (last place) performance, it was time to make a trip to Spalding and have another crack at the crazy world of Lincolnshire Cyclocross.
