Ironman UK 70.3 race report

The toughest Triathlon that I have ever completed - a beautiful torture if I can describe it as such. On Sunday, I managed to complete the half ironman at Wimbleball  - described as the hardest 70.3 in the world by some bloke who knows more than I do - this is my report.....

Pre-race
Arrived in Somerset on Friday and made our way straight to the lake to register. Local Rotary Mafia mugged us for a tenner for parking, however, it didn't seem muddy and I thought that the tales of mudbaths in previous years were exaggerated. Registration was quick, expo looked a bit like a bad village fate ! Drove from the lake an hour to get to our lodgings at Cullompton in Devon - saw the town and realised I'd forgotten my banjo and rocking chair...

Day before.. 
Wet and very windy, we made our way back to the lake, this time going via Haddon Hill and getting to see some of the lumps I'd be riding up - not bad, but I'm in a car, might be a bit tougher on the bike. We were making good time as well, but as soon as we got near the lake... traffic chaos and an hour queue to get in.... complete mudbath causing this, as well as the Mafia getting their money with menaces ! Racked the bike in Glastonburyesque transition area and told not to cover my pride and joy because it was too windy. Went to pre race briefing and had to listen to the rain peeing down all over my baby. Listened to the meat of the briefing before legging it toward the end to ensure a quick getaway. Some were held up two hours leaving the car park....organisers...party....brewery ?

Raceday
Weather did a complete U-ey, and it was calm and almost sunny as we headed down to the lake. The pros and the young uns went off at a delayed 7.15 (that brewery again and even longer delays for car parking) . The 40+ fogies made our way into the water for a 7.30 start. No klaxon, no gun, everyone just started swimming so I sheeped up and cracked on with it. I couldn't see the first buoy so generally tried to swim in the same direction as everybody else. I didn't start too fast and tried to keep a good technique. There was little biff over than a clash of hands occasionally, and I managed to narrowly avoid breaststroking kick to the face, just the shoulder as we made our way around the first buoy. The remainder of the swim went well, the markers were easy to see , I felt confident as I got out of the water of a 35min swim, casual glance of the watch... 42 something WTF ???? and the swim was a little short apparently.. 


T1 - 7.58 - A bit of a dizzy run up the hill into transition tent, all of us looking like wipeout contestants ! Grabbed bag, sat down and then took my time, hoping my senses would return. Out into the mud, doing a penguin waddle in the bike shoes trying not to get mud in the cleats ! Not a bad time considering....


Bike
Straight out of transition, and run the bike past people falling over at the mount line. Climb the first rise in the small ring, and then change up for the flatter section that follows, then further hill, no probs, will just change down into small ring again.......oops that didn't work..damn LBS had supposedly fixed that last week.. OK so now lets see if I can kick it down...worked but scared too do this too many times so decided to ride the first half of the course in the big ring, then heel kick it down into the small ring for the hillier second half of the course - this worked fine initially, but there were still climbs on the first half that I could have done with taking   a little easier ! Enjoyed the first half of the course and got some good aero speed down in the bars. Thought the first climb was coming up at the bottom of the first long descent and changed down only to find that it was a fair few miles before it started - bad error and should have driven the course, but it was what it was ! First time up 'pylon hill' not too bad, and didn't seem too long. Made my way round the second half of the course OK, with the toughest climb being the rolling 14% job on the way to Haddon Hill. Got about 5 miles from the end of the first lap when Phil Graves came tear arseing past at the fastest speed I have seen anyone on a bike. It was a further 15 minutes and then some before 2nd place blokey came past. First lap done in about 1.48, and now time to really put the hammer down on the 2nd lap....yeah right..... to be fair, the speed remained similar, but those climbs became like treacle as I ground my way up them for the 2nd time with plenty of people choosing to walk them, and me swearing my way up ! Happy to get back into transition in a bike time of 3.37 - the hardest, hilliest ride of my life ! 


T2 - 3.55 - Seemed a lot longer than that, and included a lavvy stop, so can't beat myself up too much....


Run
Straight out of transition, and immediately apparent that I'm just running up and down around a lumpy field and not the nice flat tarmac I'm used too. This is hard, but also a good challenge and the first mile was dispatched in 7.50 something - maybe this will be quick I got to thinking and then promptly took that back as I hit 'concrete mountain' which seemed to up and up for ever and not the final 10 metres that they show on TV. Legs recovered enough for the downhill, and then really enjoyed the flat part across the dam with its stunning scenery ! Plenty of tough trail type running followed all of it either up or down, but I seemed to be coping with it and my recent injury didn't flare up. Walked the aid stations eventually as the first couple ended with me pouring cups of water down me but not in me.


Began to feel tired of all the climbing on the second lap and was not pleasant swallowing so many flies down by the lakes edge. By the third time up concrete mountain, I was the only one running it albeit as a very camp,slow motion, Peter Kay way to Amarillo kind of way ! 2.00 almost bob on for the run, and a finishing time of 6.32 for the whole thing....mid table mediocrity and my best WTC event finish so far... the mission completed and plenty of practice for Bolton in five weeks time.


In all.... yep, the pre race queuing, delays and the like are annoying, how much of that is down to the restrictions of the venue, and how much the organisers I can't say. The course is tough but also fantastic. Last night I went to bed saying I wouldn't want to do Wimbleball again. This morning though different story......

Woodhall Spa Triathlon

I know it as the 'home of Triathlon' and others may disagree with that, but this for me was where it all started in 2009 and this Triathlon holds a special place in my heart.... and its always sunny !..............

Apart from today it would seem, as from the moment I got up I could hear the pitter patter of rain on the conservatory roof, and the forecast confirmed that it would be a blanket of rain for the entire day ! Still, onwards and upwards, and I loaded up the car nice and early to make my way to the venue - Jubilee Park at Woodhall Spa. After negotiating a diversion, I arrived plenty early but found that the usual car parks were already full, which meant a trip to the overflow car park located on the run route. Once registered and in receipt of another fab technical t-shirt I returned to the car to get my bike and other bits - this was a good walk and I used it as a warm up as I was getting very cold and very wet - in fact it was a relief to get in the pool when the start time came around a short half hour later, as the heated outdoor pool had steam coming off the surface and it was a beautiful warm temperature!

I could have sat there all day, but all too soon, I was being counted down and I was off !

Swim 8.39
Unlike at Southwell, there was no traffic as I pushed away from the wall for the first time and I was able to enjoy a smooth first couple of lengths. It was fast though, and the inevitable slow down came over the next few lengths, until my breathing and stroke rate settled down. I really enjoy the swim here and todays time of 8.39 was nearly a minute better than my personal best set in last years race.

T1 1.29
I have been getting precious about slow transitions like this one recently, but today being wet, cold, and muddy meant that some time and care had to be taken - so I'll not beat myself up!

Bike 42.34
I've invested some cash in a silly pointy helmet, and whilst its not the most comfortable of things to wear - especially when it was bending down both my ears, it certainly feels more aerodynamic, and as a result I really felt that I was flying, even though the race conditions were treacherous and there were big pools of standing water everywhere. I was flying past people, and riding quicker than I have ever ridden, and really enjoying it ! I did wonder if I was overcooking things, but thought nah, just crack on!  Once the first half of the course is done (which includes the long deceptive inclines), there is a really fast second half and today with a little backwind I was holding 30mph in parts quite comfortably ! I arrived back in T2 in 42.34 which was over four minutes faster than last year - booooom !!! Maybe there was something in that little pointy hat....

T2 1.08
OK could have sharpened that up a bit but couldn't feel my feet, they were numb from the cold!

Run 20.40
So, couldn't feel my feet, calf guards heavy with water, and reduced speed in training due to my niggling bum injury - got to say as I headed out onto the run course I wasn't holding much hope for the run, but I just kept working as hard as I could and as I got my legs working, I somehow managed to get my legs working enough to knock out a 6.47 first mile ! The second mile came and went in 7.07 and I knew that I was in for a good time if I could keep it up ! We were soon back onto the footpath that runs along the main road and the last mile was spent dodging the huge puddles that had formed (I don't know why though cos I was wet enough in any case !) and attempting to overtake the chap in front. I kept up my 100% record of losing every sprint finish I've ever attempted, but overjoyed to cross the finish line in 1.14.31 and inside my target of 1.15 that I had set myself.

A good days work then in terrible conditions and a personal best finishing of 61st place to boot ! This meant that I finished 5th in my age group over the 3 races that make up the Midlands Triathlon Series.

That was my last Sprint Tri of the season (I think), as in two weeks time I head for Wimbleball in Exmoor to compete in the UK Ironman 70.3 race - I can't wait !

Norwich 100

Today, I got up extremely mega early to make the 106 mile journey by car to Norwich to take part in the Norwich 100 mile bike ride put on by the British Heart Foundation as a charity fundraiser.
It was a baking hot day from the off, and I made sure that I covered myself with 'never fail' P20 sun lotion!
I found Norwich Cathedral easily enough, but cut my last toilet stop a little fine, so started 5 minutes later than my allotted start time of 7.15am.

The ride can be summed up in three parts :

0-43 miles - Part of the largest peleton I have ever ridden with. It was impossible to ride on my own, and to be fair there was a fair bit of giddyness on the part of my some of my fellow competitors, so the pace was kept strong at 17.9mph average. The heat didn't seem to be affecting me, and I felt good. There were no real climbs of note, just some pesky rises to negotiate every now and then. I rode with Great Yarmouth CC for most part 'the dappies' as I called them (they were sponsored by dap).

43-71 miles - At 43 miles we pulled into the halfway compulsory 30 minute stop which was annoying as I was riding well. Once I had served this 'time penalty' it was back onto the road, where I ended up in a tit for tat overtaking exchange with some Texans for 10 miles, and the caught up with another group of dappies which I settled into. At about 69 miles, I started taking turns at the front, but by 71 I had accidentally pulled away from the front of the gang and disappeared up the road. This section took in Norfolks seaside resorts and Cromer looked really inviting !

71-100 miles - I managed to spend at least 60% of my time down on the tri bars and each time I did, the speed ramped up and the average overall had a good boost. I took it in turns with another rider as we formed a two man attack, making sure we overtook the shorter route riders who had merged onto the course. I still felt really good as we arrived back into the Cathedral grounds.

Overall ride time 5.29.32 excluding the 30 minute stop - so very very pleased with that, and to get my second century ride in for the year. Next up is Woodhall Tri next Sunday........

Southwell Triathlon

Booooom !!! 1.02.22 !!!

After riding 66 miles in total yesterday, I didn't honestly think that I would be quite fit enough today to put in a performance that I would be happy with, but against the odds I managed to pull a bit of a rabbit out of a hat - this is how it happened :

Swim - 9.53.... Got in the pool for my start time of 9.42 and whilst I waited the minute before setting off, two breaststrokers managed to turn in front of me and that made for a slower than usual first 8 lengths, I suppose though that the slower pace put paid to my usual giddiness at swim starts so may have benefited me. The second 8 lengths were swam at a sensible pace concentrating on quality of stroke and breathing. Hauled myself out of the pool gracelessly in 9.01 and it was 9.53 when I went over the timing mat and into T1. Had I not had traffic in the first half of the swim, it could have been a PB swim, but hopefully that will come together at Woodhall.

T1 - 1.07...A first attempt at a sockless transition and using the elastic band trick - both have worked well and this saved 45 seconds from my Lincoln Triathlon time a few weeks ago, so more than happy !

Bike - 30.24....There was a headwind all the way to Lowdham roundabout and I just got my head down and drilled it as fast as I could knowing there would be a back wind on the way back !  Round the roundabout I went, and then wow, a great little strectch of road, an assisting wind and holding 27mph comfortably !
Legs felt a little tired going up the rolling sections on the way back to Southwell , but in the end pleased to get back into T2 in a time that was 4 minutes quicker than last years.

T2 - 0.48...great little transition, helped by no socks and a healthy portion of talcum powder !

Run - 20.10...My first sockless run, and hell it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, in fact I could almost not tell at all. I thought that when I hit the slope for the first time my legs might give up the ghost, but no - I felt really strong and attacked it all the way up. In fact my running held up really well and I was again pleased to improve by nearly three minutes on last years time !

In all then, a fantastic day at Southwell, and a great weekend overall !

Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive

I took part in the Lincoln Grand Prix Sportive for the second year running today which was supposed to be a training exercise with Southwell Triathlon to tackle tomorrow morning......the plan was simple...draft my way round 56 miles, not ride too hard and make sure my legs were in good working order at the end...how could such a plan fail... impossible ????

Well for a start there were roadworks which meant that the course was lengthened by 8 miles to 63 miles - good start !

I met my friends at Registration at 8.30 and it literally took seconds to sign in, receive my freebies and then get the days timing chip -  a far cry from last years meltdown which took the good part of an hour ! At around 9.00 we were ready to head off onto the course in the cold sunshine ! From the off, there was a lot of people getting a bit giddy and as a result I found we were being swept along at a faster pace than I suspected we were going to be riding at. We were however, meeting lots of people and gaining some draft along the way, so not all bad. The first hour came and went very quickly as we made good progress and once past Bardney we found that the inclines didn't cause us too much problems either. I did make the mistake of stopping for a pee break and then having to chase down the pack over the next four miles - this did not help things and I could feel my legs creaking by the time I had finished my effort and got back to the group.

We reached halfway in good time - 1.53 something - and yes, they had the same rocky road as at Rutland and I filled my boots again thank you very muchly ! 

The second half of the race was a lot tougher, due to the work done in the first half, and also because we caught a Wheelers group - this was bad news as I could no longer spend long periods drafting and felt that I should do some work - so do some work I did and put in some good long stretches off the front. This again did not help the old legs, but hey ho, I was enjoying setting the pace and testing the other guys. 

There was just one climb of note at Scampton which I just nailed as fast as I could, and then it was straight into Lincoln for the famous Michaelgate cobbled climb ! Last year, I had to get off and walk the last part of the hill, but not this year, I gave it everything and was loving the applause and cheering from the spectators at the side of the road up the climb and rode it right to the top!

Overall time for the day - 4.06 - not bad for what was to be a training ride when we first set off , and 70th of 261 finishers on the day. Now where did I put that Ibuprofen cream ???

Rutland CICLE Sportive Sportive 100m

Last year I went to Ironman having ridden a maximum distance of 82 miles in training - which was something that I wanted to put right for this year. This sportive takes place in and around Rutland - the same area that I raced at Dambuster triathlon- so I knew that it would be good ideal hilly training for me.
I arrived early for registration having noted the pigs ear of registration that the organisers made at last years Lincoln Grand Prix - but I shouldn't have bothered as it was seamless in and out to collect my race number for the bike and before I knew it I had ridden under the start arch and was on my way ! How quick was that !
The weather forecast had said the day before that the outlook was dry all day, so I was looking forward for a dry ride - how wrong was I ???
One we had started, it stayed dry for at least the first couple of miles and then it started to spit a little, then it started to drizzle and then it just rained.....and rained....and rained....oh and it was windy too.
I enjoyed the first 40 miles or so because I was riding well, and hopping inbetween some groups from time to time as well as riding on my own. I liked having the choice and felt like I was making progress. At about 40 miles the groups had fractured according to different paces and once I had stopped to put my rain jacket on, that was it, I rode solely on my own with the odd exchange of conversation should I pass or be passed.
The route was lumpy with a couple of long drags and a few short sharp hills, but nothing that I couldn't negotiate with a bit of hard work.
Halfway round I knew the time was going to be on the slow side, but made sure to break the ride down into half hour segments, and aiming to add 8 miles for each of these.
I didn't stop very long at the aid stations and this was just to cram as much rocky road into my mouth as I could !
I passed the last of these at about 86 miles and knew that I was going to get round under my revised target of 7 hours ( 6.15 being the target I set out with !!!)
6.53.56 it took me in total and I worked out that I finished 62nd out of 203 finishers, so I figure not as bad a performance on the day as I had told myself.

Lincoln Wheelers 75'' Restricted Gear Time Trial

This past Tuesday gone, I had another opportunity to ride a time trial with Lincoln Wheelers and ride the same 7.7 mile course that I rode my first time trial on back on Boxing Day.
On that occasion I rode 21.41 or thereabouts, but did have the use of all of my gears. This ride was a little different as I was restricted to only being able to use one gear, which was about the halfway through my top set of gears.
.....and boy was it hard !
I managed to scream my way around the course and totally fry my legs in a time of 20.17 - a PB from Boxing Day so happy with that, but this short sharp stuff really hurts my legs and Thursdays long run was painful.
That being said I do enjoy time trialling so will return for some more later in the year !