Slowly hotting up

Slowly hotting up…

It’s been an action-packed last week for so many reasons, but reasons that are more for life than anything else! My two girls started their new school, I picked up some work doing assistant teaching or as MS would say, “assistant to the teacher teaching!”. You know if you know! Vet visits for colin, my car broke down and excitement is building for my trip to Sydney this weekend to watch the final test of the lion’s series.

So, from a rthperfromance standpoint, it’s been all the behind-the-scenes stuff this week. New business cards arrived, chasing more leads, working on my speech, as always, and just generally getting things together for our talk in mid-august in collaboration with tony. I have another booking for the Rotary club in Medowie in September, and then another booking for the Probus club of Fingal Bay. Making some progress on all fronts.

I therefore thought it would be a good opportunity to review a previous race in this week’s blog. This time it is going to be Ironman UK, 2005. My first triathlon, 3.6km swim, 180km bike and a 42km run. It was written very soon after the race and I haven’t edited it all. Have a great week guys and girls, more to follow next week. Regards Rx

September 2005

Standing on the start line last weekend, I know I was nervous. 9 months of training had accumulated into this one day and as I stood there, along with 1500 other athletes, I attempting to achieve something far beyond what I ever thought was possible. To most this was the end of a long training programme that had consisted of 100’s of triathlons over the years. For me, this was my first triathlon and my first ironman. I had recovered from my marathon set back but still didn’t have one under my belt. What lay ahead of me? 2.4mile swim, 112mile bike and 26.2mile run. The gun went off, we were in the water. The second shot was fired and we were off. Apparently it was quite a spectacle. 

                I had arrived on the Tuesday before the race and was staying with a good friend from university. I had been entertaining myself all week by visiting the expo and also seeing the route both by foot and on the bike. The start/finish and the transition, all took place in the grounds of Sherbourne castle. It was a stunning setting and as I trained in the lake during that week, the atmosphere begun to build.

                The race start was due at 6am and so it was an early start to check the bikes, the transition area, and fiddle with all the last minute doubts that go through your mind. I put my sun cream on and then my wetsuit and made my way down to the water’s edge. The mist on the lake made it look incredible. However, the mist was too “incredible” and we stood for 2 hours waiting for it to lift. At 8am, we went into the water.  

                On the second gun shot, the race was off, So many arms and legs, flying around, you could almost feel the power from each highly trained athlete and for the best part of a mile, there were guys and girls on top of me, under me and all around me. I finally managed to settle into a nice rhythm, helped by the fact that I managed to find some clear water and just got on with the job. I had trained so hard, nothing was going to faze me. After 1 hour 7 minutes I exited the water. I had completed the swim, for me the hardest part and I was on my way.

I ran over to the bike, took my wet suit off and cycled off into the distance. Once on the bike, it was straight into the hills. The miles took an eternity to go by and although I stuck to my guns of food every 30 min and water every 15, the bike took ages. Every time a looked down at the speedo, I seemed to be going no where. It was incredibly hot (hottest day of the year) and also windy. But I did have one comfort, there were loads of other athletes around me, we were all finding it hard. 7 hours later we all arrived in transition, bruised and battered, tired and sore. But the bike was done; now it was time for the marathon.

                As I sat down in transition in order to put my shoes on, the helpful attendants put some sun cream on my shoulders. I had been exposed, with the help of a slow bike ride, swim delay and early start to about 4 hours of unprotected sun to my shoulders, and it felt like san paper. I left transition, nervous about the marathon and slightly confused about the sandpaper on my shoulders. As I passed the crowds at around mile 2, it was a very emotional time for me. I just started crying. I think, looking back on it, it was because I knew, from that point onwards that I was going to finish. I pulled it together and as I passed the winner at my mile 4 and his mile 22, I got on with the job and just kept on running.

 The run course was not the most inspiring of routes, a straight out and back route, literally around a cone at one end. After around 15 miles I was forced to walk as my legs got heavier and heavier I broke it down to 20 minutes run, 15 minute walk. Athletes would run past shouting encouragement and I would return the favor by doing the same to ones that I went past. Each athlete was experiencing something different, over coming different problems, but we were all there and all there together. With 5 miles to go, and dark beginning to descend on the route, I got myself running again and headed to the finish. As the course wiggled around the castle I could hear the crowds and see the lights. What a sight. There were 100’s of spectators and coming down the finish straight was incredible. I sprinted, or ran faster than before to cross the line with my hands held high. I was empty but more importantly, I was an ironman.

                It still hasn’t sunk in, maybe it won’t. But nobody can take it away from me. I am an ironman finisher at 23 yrs old. I’ve overcome a serve back problem and I’ve achieved what I wanted to. It’s simple really…..what next!

A special thanks to mother, matt and his mum and Nancy. Also the nurses who treated me for my bad sunburn on my shoulders. Very much appreciated.