Ironman, Ironman UK, Wiganer, Race Report 2009

IRONMAN UK

Bolton, Lancashire, England

02 August 2009

My History with Ironman UK

For those who donТt know my history with this race then it is worth setting the scene. I finished in 2007 at Sherborne in my first year of being a triathlete in a super time (for me that is) of 13hrs and 01mins and came back to the 2008 race feeling really good about improving on that timeЕ..time was all that mattered back then and I learned a very harsh lesson.

The 2008 race was a disaster - illness during the night before the race meant I was struggling all day - I completed the swim in 1hr 20mins but pulled out 65km into the bike leg giving me my only DNF to date. The virus I had turned into a chest infection that had me bed bound for a week afterwards.

At the time, that was me done with IM racingЕ.I was so depressed about it all. But after a short while I resolved to bounce back and a couple of months later I entered and completed the Ballbuster Duathlon (14km run / 40km bike / 14km run) in under 4hrs which I was very happy with and I felt that at least I had shown I could get round a tough old course.

Ironman UK 2009

Although I had finished the season well, I was still done with Ironman racingЕЕ.right up to the point where the email dropped into my inbox with the news Уthe new race venue is BOLTONФ ЕЕ.oh dear, how could I possibly decide to miss this now !!!! My wife had suffered two years of IM widow-ship and wanted me to take a break, but when she found out about the venue she just smiled and said Уsign up, I know how much this will mean to youЕ.we will manageФ

Part of that deal meant that I would be restricted with training though. My wife had just signed up to a teaching degree and the course ran from Sept-May, so the deal was she had all the spare time until the end of May and I had June/July to prepare for the raceЕЕnot ideal for me, but she has supported me so much in the past, that I was happy to support her during this time. I still managed to squeeze in between 6-7hrs a week but they were usually 2 long runs and 1 short bike (no swims at all)ЕЕbut as May approached I started to swim once a week (Open Water) and was able to increase the volume a little.

Her course finished and I decided that as I had such a small window I would sign up for some coaching and I am so glad that I did. It transformed me as a cyclist Ц not necessarily in terms of speed, but in terms of pacing and strength for an IM bike legЕЕ.and we had a programme that had my volumes up to between 9-12hrs per week.

Luckily for me I live virtually on the bike course, so I rode it twice a week for every week and got to know it perfectly. I knew that I could ride to my set HR to be able to ride 2.10-2.15 per lap (10 mins slower if it were windy) and then run strongly afterwards. Normally I would have tried to kill the bike leg but my new strategy meant that I was going to be slower than normal, but that I would have the legs to run afterwardsЕ..sounds like a planЕ.mmmm me with a plan !!!!

BEFORE THE RACE

One of the hundreds of emails I got through this site was from a dutch triathlete who was competing in the 18-24AG and he wondered if I could help him with accommodation. Anyway, my parents were already thinking of signing up for the homestay so quickly I had a room for him and his brother and I would act as his taxi for the weekendЕ.I would help as much as I could in a small way to get him to KonaЕЕ.and you know what HE BLASTED IT !!!!! Ц He finished 15th Overall and won his age group by 30mins in fantastic time of 9hrs 36mins Ц Diederik ScheltingaЕ.a future pro and an absolutely tremendous fella !!!! we shared some champagne and tales of the race and it was amazing to hear that everyone suffers the same things no matter what speed you go !!!

In the weeks leading up to the race, one of my boys was ill with the human form of "foot and mouth" - its nothing serious but just runs you down and leaves you with mouth ulcers.....unfortunately, in the days before the race, I too had ulcers and I think that contributed to what happened on the day itself.....but you cant worry about stuff like that, you just have to get on with it. Things as minor as that slow you down, they irritate you, but unlike the chest infection of 2008, they dont stop you completely.

THE RACE ITSELF

Even though I was in my own bed just 20mins from the start line, I didnТt sleep much on the Saturday night and woke at 2.00am ready to get going. I had the usual big race breakfast (orange juice, weetabix, toast, coffee, banana) and went to collect Diederik. He was relaxed and focussed Ц he knew exactly what he was going to do and I didnТt doubt him one second.

We arrived at the site and walked towards transition and I wished him all the best and left him to it, whilst I met up with my training partner Chris Lea - we both looked relaxed here before the swim dont we !!!

It was great that my wife (Anne) was there too for the start and as we waited in the village to go down to the lake. We had left the kids with grandad and she watched me swim and start the bike for the first time ever. I had lots of support on the day and lots of friendly faces around me in transition and I was feeling ready and relaxed.

THE SWIM

6.30am and it was time to go down to the lakeЕЕ.a kiss and a hug from Anne, some group hugs and off we went down past the quagmire of transition - dropping off the white bags as we went and I felt readyЕ..we made our way into the water which wasnt quite as cold as I imagined it would be and I took my position up to the rear of the pack to the right hand side Ц my strategy being that I would have clear water to swim rather than get smashed up in the melee. The now obligatory "Oggy Oggy Oggy" Е and boooom - OFF we go !!!!

From the start I settled into a nice steady pace and I have to say that I really enjoyed the swimЕ..the first turn buoy was a pit of a packed affair and some treading of water was needed,lots of bumping and banging, but some cheerful banter and we were off again towards the second turnЕ..

I seemed to lose a bit of navigation here and swam quite wide, but soon corrected that and got back into the thick of it. No issues whatsoever so far and all going to plan Е the weather seemed to be perking up as well with blue skies peeking through the trees Е. second lap underway and I thought "I am actually enjoying this" Е. round the turn buoy and set off for home Е. a last look at the hundreds of spectators on the far shore line and we are now heading for the big yellow Powerbar inflatable that is the swim exit Е.. its easy to get giddy here so I took it nice and easy, lets not spike the Heart Rate Е keep it under control Е. perfect.

I reached the exit ramp and swam right on to it, felt it with my hands and as the helper lifted me out he looked at me and he said Уmind the shelfФ Е. Ф ehh what shelfФ I said I just as my left ankle smashed into jagged concreteЕ and that sickening feeling hit me Фouuchhh" , that stung to say the least Е. cue major panicЕ.my feet were cold and a little numb from the swim, so I wasnТt sure what I was feeling properlyЕ.I stood up and it felt okЕ..I thought to myself "just get to T1 and assess it", so off I walked up the steep exit pathway Е. as I left the water worrying I saw a mate on the shore and asked him about time - not sure he said but everyone is about 10mins slower than they were expecting

I was more worried about my ankleЕЕup the road to T1 Е. Swim Time: 1hr 31mins (expecting 1hr 20mins)

Anne grabbed this pic of me running/hobbling from the lake up to transition:

TRANSITION 1

I ran into the muddy field and towards the change tent and grabbed my bag off the hook Ц I looked at my ankle - not the best thing to see Е it was cut, bruised and swollen Е. "oh no, not my race over with again" Е.. I wasnТt sure if the damaged area was above or below the top of my bike/run shoes Е if it was below then I was in trouble, if it was above it then I might be able to risk it Е. should I seek medical advice or should I just crack on Е.. errrrr its not hurting that much Е. so lets crack on Е.. I then put my bike shirt on and the zip broke and snapped off in my hand Е. I looked up at the sky and said in Star Trek style Уbeam me up ScottyФ Е. there was nothing I could do so I grabbed the shoes and carried them over the mud as I did with the bike and on to the road and I rested the bike on the fence and then cleaned off my feet with the small rag I took into T1 with me. I didnТt want wet and muddy feet at the start of the bike course, so the couple of minutes here would make the day more comfortableЕ..ok, time to see whats whatЕ.on with the left sock Ц sore Ц on with the shoe and thank god the top of it was just below the damage Е right off we go then for 180km of fun.

THE BIKE

This picture was taken by Anne just as I had climbed aboard - you can see the yellow Powerbar mountline behind me:

The exit to the bike and all the roads for the next km were packed, and I mean packed with supporters - there were loads of screaming people on every corner with some kind of noise making machine Ц the atmosphere was incredible and I was buzzing as I started Sheep House Lane for the first timeЕ..there were riders flying up the hill Е but I had done this so many times and I knew what to expect - I sat there slowly spinning and grinning to myself Е. one spectator at the side of the road saw my expression and shouted Уdead on mateЕ.lets see who climbs better on lap three eh !!Ф Е. and so up we went to the sounds of cowbells, whistles shouts everything Ц it was just out of this world !!!!

The final part of the climb of Sheep House Lane will stay with me forever - the Tritalk supporters were on the final bend and whilst I cannot be sure I think they may have assisted Е. my name in 8ft high letters on the hill was just awesomeЕ.whoever did that Ц THANK YOU !!!!

The Wiganerberg !!!!

After the elation, came the next disaster in my day Е.. I reached the first aid station and I had planned to ride the first 2-3hrs of the bike using bananaТs as my nutrition as they work well for me Е I didnt carry any with me as I didnt want any excess weight up that hill - so I hold my hand out and shout Уbanana" to the aid station volunteers Е. Фsorry mate, no bananas, we have powerbarsФ ЕЕ Фoh brilliant, thats just brilliant" Е. I must apologise to the volunteers - " its not your faultФЕ.. "ah, well I have to eat - so powerbars it isЕ.yeauch" I hate powerbars ....ЕЕ I am angry now and I descended like there was no tomorrow Е.. I know that descent like the back of my hand and the other athletes around me must have thought I was on a mission to madness or had a death wish the way I went down it Е.. I got to the other side and onto the exposed Belmont Road and it was quite obvious that the wind was blowing Е. "ah well stick to the HR and get on with it" Ц I was prepared for it and knew my lap time would suffer, but it was still in the plan

I felt good for the first lap Е the time was not good though - 2.25 Ц about what I was expecting for a windy day, maybe slightly slower ЕЕ what was more concerning was I was starting to feel a bit yacky with the powerbars. I focussed and pushed on for another steady Sheep House climb Е descended like a nutter again and rode well for the lap Е. my family were on Pepper Lane and it was great to see them in their УGo Go WiganerФ t-shirts and banner !!!!......started to feel more nauseous and decided to stop the powerbars and go to gels Е. that didnТt really help thoughЕ.and for the first time in my life I started to get stomach cramps Е only very slight, but they were there Е.. Diederik flew past me along Ridley Lane sharing a brief word and then Bella came past with the TV on Tunley Lane ЕЕ. then highlight of the day on the bike - the eventual winner - Phil Graves came flying by in AdlingtonЕ.great times Е.ЕЕ lap two done again in around 2.25 but I didnТt feel great at all Е.. I completed another HR climb of Sheep House and was kinda sad to leave it behind and we were off and on to the aid station, to find outЕ.no water and no gatorade ЕЕ great ЕЕ.. stay focussed, control the angerЕ. I was tired now and the sickness and cramps were horrible - I descended well again, Е. stomach cramps really kicking in now ЕЕ and then the Heart Rate dropped about 20 beats and I was struggling but pushed on ЕЕ. I reached the family on Pepper Lane and it gave me a lift

this is me just going by trying to look strong for them (about 10km from the end of the course) :

It wasnt just me - everyone around me seemed to be fading a bit, so I just kept it going round, controlling the feelings and trying to conserve something Е. I completed the final lap in around 2.40 which was very disappointing but I was feeling rubbish Е.. as you came to the end of the lap again there was super, super support up through Adlington and Rivington itself and then we were back to T2Е. Bike Time: 7hrs 30mins (expecting 6hrs 30mins)

TRANSITION 2

I decided to take my time in T2 and see if my stomach would settle down. I felt pretty beat up and certainly not ready to run a marathon, but a bit of rest can do wonders. I took it nice and steady as I changed and completed another check of the ankle Е.. it was more bruised now and slightly bigger but no more painful Е the next big test Е will the run shoes go on and irritate ?....Yes they will go on, and No they donТt irritateЕ.great stuff, at least I can start the run, but will need to keep a check on it Е.. I felt much better now mentally Е. so I had a quick drink, toilet stop and off we go

THE RUN

I surprisingly felt strong Е. yes, despite all my woes the Heart Rate work had done its stuff, I had the legs Е.. ok then nice and steady Е.it was quite hot and sunny at this stage, but I was feeling much better so I continued at my pace Е. down the hill sharing some banter with the crowds, past the reservoir Е on to the first aid station at the Crown Pub Е. I grabbed a drink and a gel ЕЕ off we go again Е

mmmmmm donТt feel quite as good as I did ЕЕ past the Greenwood Pub with a mate stood there having a pint .... very tempting and next time mate I might just go for it !!! on to the next aid station at The Beehive Е. I stuck to the plan and grabbed a gel and water and then some coke. I had the gel and immediately started to feel sick ЕЕ the stomach cramps were back ЕЕ I felt rubbish but the crowd support there was huge and I carried on running Е.. but quickly had to stop and double up with the stomach problems Е. the legs were good, but I couldnТt run, so I walked as hard as I could ЕЕ I was in a huge downward spiral and some mates came by and gave me some helping words ..... it got me moving again ...... and as we got down to the aid station on the cycle path, a club mate saved my life with a friendly arm around my shoulders and gee-up .... thanks mate .... and still not understanding what my body was saying I mistakenly took another gel on board ЕЕ. it didnТt help one bit, I felt worse - I was now sweating and yet feeling cold Е. and was now walking with total disillusionment

I saw lots of others through this stage and lots of others were suffering with stomach issues too got half way along and met up with a young lad who was also struggling ЕЕ that little fella came out with us back in April for a loop of the course and he kept me in the race - I was seriously considering calling it a day .... I was only about 15km into the run and was suffering Е.Фwe are not packing this one in now mateФ Е Фno chance, we can still sneak close to15hrsФ Е. and on we went, up the "spiral path of doom" just as another mate was on his way down it ...... we both moaned like good uns and somehow we both just cracked on with it - Its hard to describe what makes you carry on, I dont know to this day Е. on past Bolton School Е.. and into Queens Park Е.. the aid station at the gates had bananaТs Е.. ФAt lastФ I screamedФ I have waited all day for theseФ ЕЕ. Фbut now I canТt stomach them"

The loop in the park was brutal - it felt like running the Eiger Е.. I was at my lowest and the two things happened ЕЕ out of no-where appeared Christian Loney and his OH (Lucy) Е. just what I needed ЕЕ we met at Rossendale and got on like a house on fire Е.. it was great to see them there clapping and abusing me along ЕЕ the second thing, and most influential thing that got me home, was my support crew - all my family including parents, aunties, sisters, everyone Е. they were at the dead turn point in the park and made so much noise, there was no way I was wrapping this one up Е and I found out Diederik had won his AG so it was just the inspiration I needed.

This is me trying to look alive and human as I approached them at the dead turn point:

Turned and back out of the park now, heading back to Horwich. At this point I met up with Leanne and Chris (a couple from London who emailed me back in May) and we were to spend most of the remainder of the race yo-yoТing with them using the walk/shuffle/run technique ЕЕ we tried to have a laugh, anything at all, just inane jibber jabber, but it helped Е I had dropped all thought of food now and was on a strict regime of coke/water and a little Gatorade and it was working I was feeling betterЕ. As we approachd the Beehive I met a mate again and we gee'd each other up .... I asked him to get the ale in and he said he would never buy a pie eater a pint !!! top man !!!

I met Chris Lea again near the beehive about 1hr in front of me and we shared an emotional hug and knew we would get there in time ЕЕ I was on my own again, but happy that I was on the final leg Ц I only about 10km to go and I wasnТt struggling anymore, well in terms of stomach cramps etc - I was still moving slowly, but running much more than walking ЕЕI then met up with Liam Shaw, a proper northern lad from Sheffield, who like me was struggling with stomach issues ЕЕ we decided that we would work together to get home ЕЕ. so we ran all the flats and downhills until cramps got us, and we would power walks the hills ЕЕЕ.. we were now on the cycle path Е.. it was starting to get gloomy, but we were playing Уlets run to that bush, then walk a bitФ game Е..

My ankle was really hurting now, the wound and the swelling around the Achilles were painful and my legs were shot and I accidentally kicked myself a couple of times on the injury which brought tears to the eyes, but I was so close to the finish, I just had to keep pushing on Е. it would not beat me ЕЕ up the spiral path of doom Е and past the school into the park for the last time ЕЕ. we both wanted to run, but the hills killed us and we walked it ЕЕ and then we were past the park and onto the streets of Bolton Е. I saw the town hall lights and clock and could hear the noise - and knew we were home Е..

We got within 500m of the finish area and I said to Liam Уcrack on mate, its your first IM, you deserve it Ц go on and enjoy it and I will hold offФ I had experienced a finish before and to be honest wanted some time alone myself too Е. after a little protest Liam accepted and went off ahead Е.. I was on my own and knew I had done it ЕЕ I had battled the course, the injury, the illness, the disappointment everything and I had got home, I was on my own and no-one behind me for a good km or so Е.Е. its time like this where the raw emoition gets you - I started crying Е. I donТt mind admitting that, it just overwhelmed me completely Е. then up popped my dad screaming at me - right in my face WOW Е. it was brilliant Е time to pull it together and off up the finishing chute, hand slapping anyone I could ЕЕ I got to the edge of the red carpet and the noise was deafening Е the music blaring and me on a 50sqft screen ЕЕ WOW Ц then I saw Anne and all the family at the side on the barriers Е. I went over to Anne and kissed her and kissed my boys and everyone else who had waited for me Е. then I ran across that line in 15hrs 06mins, which is 2hrs slower than my other finish, but do you know what it made not a jot of difference - this race was all about being involved and finishing Е.. Run Time: 5hrs 42mins (expecing 4hrs 30mins)

I had done it, I was an Ironman again - my son Jonny got this pic as I finished !!!!

Total Time: 15hrs 06mins (expecting 12hrs 30mins)

THE AFTERMATH

I didnТt want to leave the finish area Е. I chatted to people, had some photoТs done and found Liam and hugged him to death ЕЕ it was just brilliant ЕЕ eventually I was ushered over to the town hall and off to get changed Е.. I met up with a lad from the Shetland Islands who I met the other day, who tore his hamstring and walked with that for 10miles to get home (top, top respect for that) about 5mins later Leanne and Chris came into the room, more tears all round ЕЕ. the day was tougher than anyone expected.

I canТt thank enough people for their help out there on the course, I really cant Е.. it seemed that every 20th person knew me or shouted my name ЕЕ it really pushes you on when you are low.

The left ankle was swollen sore and stiff and I needed 3 weeks of physio afterwards to sort out my calf/achilles tendon but that isnt too bad for what I went through.

That really is me done with Ironman for the foreseeable future Ц I now lead the demon 2-1 in our battles and that for the time being will do for meЕЕ

As a final footnote, I spent the following evening sharing a drink or two with Diederik and his brother Е. he was in pieces, we chatted and it was obvious that all the things us slow lads suffer from, those super fast, super fit guys at the front do as well, they are just built for speed and can handle it all better than usЕЕhe was elated, of course, but very tired and hadnТt eaten properlyЕ.

we both sat there with huge grins and out IM medals on and he had his AG winners trophy tooЕЕ.Ф You need to be going Pro mateФ I said, he looked at me and said Уyeah, in a few years, I need to get stronger firstФЕ.9.36 and he needs to get stronger - sheeesh !!!!

Congratulations if you managed to read all that well done to everyone who finished IM Bolton....