An update since the event

It has been a strange couple of months since August. I have done my best to keep some form of training going. However, a pretty nasty back isue has arrisen which has scuppered any form of training for the past coule of weeks. I am seeing this as a period of rest to get ready for next year. I am planning to do a few triathlons next year proiding that I an resolve the back issue. The big question is whether I take part in the new Henley iron distance in September. I need to make my mind up soon so fingers crossed. So as some sort of closure to the blog, I think I am going to sign off for the mean time. Perhaps to pick things up in the new year when the season is clearer

A pretty restful week

Since Sunday I have taken things pretty easily, the cold that I picked up was quite persistent but seems to be easing off now.. My right knee is giving me some minor pain however, I did run Thursday and Friday without too much drama. Tomorrow I will go for a nice long swim in the lake in the morning then perhaps a spin on the bike. The plan will be to take it easy next week as well. The image obscures my face nicely but shows the time which works for me. This weekend has been good for me to be able to spend some time with my family and not to have to plan in long sessions. Should I decide to have another go next year then more thoughtful planning will definitely be the order of the day. With regard to the blog, I feel that it would be a shame to let it drop. Even if no one else reads it then at least it plots my progress and allows me to reflect on the highs and lows. However, I think for the off season I will switch to a weekly summary.  

Resolution......reflections on yesterday

What a day. The night before the race I lay awake listening to the fireworks in Nottingham (great timing), that went on till gone 11 and then to the couple in the next room who talked very loudly till 1am. I realised that it was going to be along one. Eventually I guess I managed 3 hours sleep before gathering all of my gear and heading off down the race venue. All was calm as I loaded the bike with various foods and gels. As I pulled on my wetsuit the sun was coming up for what was to be a memorable day. We piled into the rowing lake and it was cold, I did 5 minutes warming up and then waited for the start. The swim was straightforward enough up and down the lake and then out straight into T1. I had made the decision to wear a trisuit so no need to change, simply dry my feet, put on my helmet and go.

The air was a bit chilly whilst my trisuit dried, I also realised that the bike computer still wasn’t working, so it was all going to be guess work for the bike section. The course was pretty friendly, not too much climbing with some straight sections to get stuck into. I settled into a rhythm fairly quickly and was delighted when I hit the first loop point. I re-set my timer so that I could calculate an approximate bike time. The second loop was ok as I started to recognise familiar landmarks. When I hit the second loop point I checked my watch and it read 1:46 for 30 miles. I was very happy with this and calculated that I could complete the bike section in less than 7 hours. This in turn would give me the chance of breaking 13 hours for the entire event. The final lap came in at just over 1:47 which meant that provided I didn’t hang around I could do it. However, as I was thundering down a nice little decent I noticed a small buckle in the front wheel. I stopped to check the tyre wasn’t about to blow, satisfied that it wasn’t I carried on. The ride into T2 was fine and I was reassured that I wasn’t last. The bike had held out, so now it was just me and a pair of running shoes.

As I went out of T2 I felt good. My legs were ok and I settled into an easy rhythm, checking my heart rate every few minutes. I was clocking 9:30 minutes per mile which although slow would achieve my goal of sub 13 hrs. The first 5 miles flew past as did the second 5. Then I started to feel a little uncomfortable. As I approached the 13 mile point, I was ok but could tell that I needed to be careful not to blow it in the last 2 hours. Mile 16 came and went and by mile 20 I decided some strategic planning was needed. By this stage I could see a sub 12:35 was on the cards and using my GPS calculated that provided I stuck to 12 minute miles I could make it. However, a few fellow competitors were having difficulties. One guy passed out and another was throwing up. If that happened to me then it was all over. Although it pained me to do so I devised a plan to walk the first tenth of the mile, then run until my GPS clocked 11 minute mile, then walk again until it hit 12 minute mile and so on till I clocked up another mile. It was a process that focused me on something other than the light headedness etc I was feeling. I told myself:

"The primary goal is to finish, if you pass out you can’t do that"
So it went on until I hit the 26 mile mark.

At that stage I had dreamed that I would have a new lease of life. I would then sprint down the funnel to the cheers of the crowds. However, I didn't. The pain was too great as I ran the final 385 yards. Thinking back it would have been fun to do the wobble that you see people do where their legs just give out but I didn't. My sense of humour was absent temporarily. Crossing the line was ok. I had achieved what I had set out to in a time that was good. I walked into the food tent and immediately felt sick. After grabbing a plate of pasta I collected my gear, loaded the car, rang home and set off stopping every hour or so to let the pain in my legs subside.

By 11pm I was home.
It had been a long day

As I lay in bed my thoughts went back to my time. 12:32 and a bit. I started to wonder what I could have achieved with 2 good nights sleep beforehand, 3 weeks tapering not 4, a lighter bike, legs that are equal in strength an aero helmet, more effective nutrition and a whole years more experience.

Mmm interesting

Race day revisited

I am tired and feeling very nausious and my legs ache
Have just driven straight from Nottingham to home:
Here is the result:
Event: Outlaw Ironman Triathlon
Swim: 01:08:44
T1: 00:06:57
Cycle: 06:35:37
T2: 00:03:30
Run:  04:37:49
Total  12:32:39

Category position 49
Overal 385

I'm off to bed

Here we go again!

After hitting the hay at 3:40 this morning I still woke up just after 7:30 and started packing my kit. By 9:30 I was on the road and after stopping off at the bike shop to pick up a battery for the speedo for the bike (which is now working) and a quick hello to my mum I was heading north (again). Needless to say the traffic was awful and I finally swung into hotel car park at 2pm. At £35 a night I wasn't expecting much. However it is clean, close to the race venue, has it's own car park so who cares if the room is smaller than a very small room that has been washed on the white cotton cycle by mistake and shrunk.

I then made my way to the race venue and to registration which was a breeze compared to Bolton. All in the same place an what feels like a very friendly event. It had a very different feel to last weekend. The chap who did the briefing was the founder and his care for the event really came across. Then a quick  trip to the co-op to grab munchies for breakfast, Pizza Express for an early dinner, then it is back to the room, to make up my drinks, pack my kit and then into the sack by 9:30.

My overriding feeling about tomorrow is calm. Of course I am worried that the bike might breakdown, I might get my nutrition wrong and I could just not make it. However, what will be will be and I will try to be philosophical about it.

Not ideal prep...

I was out and about Lyme Regis bright and early this morning for a 45 minute run. This week was supposed to be a recovery week had I completed Bolton. We arranged to go to a music festival way down in Cornwall. I could hardly let the family down, so here I am sitting on the grass at the back of the audience trying to rest my aching feet. It's been a long day in the car, sitting on the hard ground and standing whilst watching the bands. So in about an hour or so we will be back on the car for a 4hr drive home. I know that I should have missed the festival to be in the best shape for Sunday, but what can I do? My hope is that we should be home by 4am at the latest, I will then get a few hours sleep before heading up to Nottingham for some rest before 'The Outlaw' on Sunday. So as Newton Falkner blasts away, the wind picks up and it starts to rain, I hope that the combination of the extended taper and the poor prep day won't ruin my chances on Sunday.

Bike seems ok

We are off down to the coast today and so I was out on the bike early for a solid hour.I was keen to check the bike out and to be as confident as I can that it isn't going to let me down. It feels fine and the ride was good. I continue to receive messages of support which is great. A cocern that I have is the prolonged tapering. This will be four weeks now and a long bike seems like quite a long time. I have no idea what effect it will have on my fitness. I had intended to do a gentle sea swim for 30 mins this evening but plumbing issues (the flat not mine) put paid to that.