This report is for Greeny and for all the DR that want to see the other side of doing the Ironman - I'll also try to pause the report and add some thoughts that might be relevant to you.... Ok - let's go..
Part 1: Race prep and swim
I'll cover the training part in another post in more detail - but I was pleased with my preparation. I had done three rides of 170+ km and these were solid and intense rides. (think >36km/h average speed on the TT bike with few stops). I had also done three runs of 32km (sub 2:20 time) and some speed work. I'm still amazed that IM Melbourne goes ahead each year; the effort to close off all that road and the disruption for just 2200 people in a major city is pretty surprising....
The big talk in the days beforehand was the wind.... but you cannot change the conditions...
The day before the race is all about staying relaxed and also packing the race bags. The little decisions that you make here can have a big impact. I like to lay it all out and think through the whole race and ideally cross-check with another IM athlete. In the Hawaii IM a little volunteer grannie inspects all your bags to make sure you have the essentials, which is very reassuring...
See the photo above of all the equipment. I also now take a photo of the gear and the race bike so that I can remember what I did for next time. It also helps to think through the race and all the elements. You will notice that I don't have that much nutrition in the picture - and that is simply because in a well organised Ironman, there are aid stations every 10km on the bike and every 2km on the run and they are well stocked with everything you could possibly need - so why carry what you can pick up...
Race morning dawned. Two Sustagens and then I was picked up for the drive down to Frankston. We are organised and early and it is all about conserving energy. Sit and relax whenever possible.... don't rush and don't waste energy for the long day ahead.
Then the delays began. They announced that race start would be postponed by 30 min, then the swim course would be halved. It is still pretty dark and I could not really see what the water looks like, but it was windy and I knew that it would be a tough day irrespective.
I completed the pre-race ritual of going to the toilet and get into the wetsuit, making sure that all the important parts have Vaseline on them and sun screened up. Then we headed to the water and the water was rough... there is a biting short chop on the bay, white-caps everywhere and a nice surf rolling into the beach. I went for a "warm-up" swim and I actually enjoyed it - no issues at all....
But now there is more waiting as the start is delayed again and 2000 people are on the beach and ready to go... an amazing feeling of tension. Finally the pros are off and then it is our turn. I don't like to line up on the front row, but I'm happy in rows 2-3 back. The start is a joke, with no "start line", the front rows just keep creeping forward and everyone follows. It should be better than this.
And then we are off. And it was scary. The waves and chop are fine swimming solo, but with 1150 age groupers it was the trickiest swim I've done. I had to use all of my swimming skills to avoid being pulled under, to avoid hitting the Frankston pier pylons and to keep myself above the water and moving forward.
My goggles become dislodged easily and I had to flip onto my back several times. I also experienced a tightness in the chest and focus on relaxing and breathing out to restore full function. In essence, it was the roughest swim I've done in a triathlon in 20 years of racing and I needed to draw on all that experience to ensure I stayed in the race and up the front of the swim. On the way back in and through the transition - 23 minutes or so - so a distance of more like 1.5km
Swim time:
23:37
out of the water in 79th
Some thoughts from part 1:
* Preparation prevents piss poor performance. So take the time to get your kit and nutrition laid out and right before a significant event
* Take a photo / write it down - improving is about recording and reproducing what went well and not making the same mistake twice
* Even experienced people make mistakes and need to learn stuff: e.g. I did not get a chance to buy some new goggles before the race - and I was lamenting this when flipping on my back to empty out the water for the third time in the swim.
* It is good practise to train in crappy weather - because every so often, you will be racing in crappy weather and experience counts for a lot in tough conditions
Part 2: The bike
The first transition is always a bit of a blur - pushing high heart rates, running in bare feet, being wet. The key risks are falling over, getting lost in transition (1500 bikes), dropping important things and generally wasting energy. So, the key is to take it nice and smooth and to have thought about all the
important elements beforehand. I employed a new idea this time. I put my sunglasses, nutrition, arm-coolers etc into a plastic snap-lock bag and in the change tent, I simply slipped the plastic bag down the front of my racing suit and ran off.... I figured I had 180km to get my sunglasses on... this worked a
treat and I was dry by the time I got all my stuff out of the bag and did not waste time in
transition.
Onto the bike and it is nice to get out on the course. I made a small mistake in the opening km of the bike. I got the call that I was 3 min behind the front of the age group race, so I was pushing to make up some time... and then I took a corner a bit too quickly in the aero position, it ended up being a more than 90 degree turn... I had over-cooked it and I ran off the road, jumped the "road furniture" (as Phil / Paul would say), repositioned and then got going again. I recovered will - but I kicked myself for being an idiot....
About 17km in I hit the lead group and it was not looking good. There were a group of about 8 with a few of the lead women in there as well. I had a laugh to myself at Natasha Badman. She is a 45 year old Swiss pro. And in the Hawaii Ironman in 2000 she rode past me like I was standing still on her
aero Cheeta bike with Aero helmet (back then I had a standard road bike, standard helmet and clip on aero-bars. How things had now changed. And there was no way I was going to let her sit on my wheel for the next 150km!!
So, into the undulations and I got in the front and then dropped the group through the tunnel the first time.... To give you an indication of the wind, I rode the 45km out in 1:19 and the return journey took just 57 minutes. The way back into town required a lot of concentration. Hitting speeds often >50km/h with a disk wheel and a deep front and the occasional cross-wind. And at these speeds, being aero really matters - so I tried to stay down, smooth and focused on going as fast as possible as smoothly
as possible.
Riding through Frankston is fun - but then onto the second lap and the headwind again. I'm all alone again and setting my own pace. Re: nutrition and I'm drinking the supplied Gatorade and also having the occasional gel just to break it up - but having a target of keeping the carbohydrate flowing in at
about 80g per hour. This equates to drinking about 2-3 x 500m bidons per hour or reducing the fluid a bit and having 1 gel (about 25g of carbs per gel). Doing some maths helps to pass the time :)
The other "intervention" that I use is caffeine. I have 500mg of caffeine a bit after 100km. This is a pretty solid hit of caffeine (maybe equivalent to 3-4 strong coffees at Tuci). Why? Caffeine helps you to concentrate. Riding a bike for 180km with no stops is hard work (it is also about 25,000 revolutions of the pedals!) - and in the last 90 min, it can be hard to stay focused. The caffeine helps to focus and keep down in the aero position and to keep pushing. Does it help? I think so, but the greatest effect is probably a placebo effect. It is great to "take" something to make you feel better. It is truly a "1%" - but it is something I've practiced in shorter races and in other IM and it seems to work well for me....
Official bike time:
4:41:09
38.4km/h
off the bike in 19th
HR ave: 144
Cadence ave: 100
Some thoughts from Part 2:
* Even after 12 Ironmans, I'm learning and trying new stuff - and the transition snap-lock bag really works for me
* I still stuffed up the first part of the bike - and running over road furniture is not cool. Have to control the power until onto the freeway proper
* Very happy with nutrition and pacing and it was great to take the race up the road
Part 3: The run and finish
The transition is a funny place. On the one hand it is great (really great!) to get off the bike and do something different. The plastic chairs in the change tent never feel so good. But, you know you have a marathon to run - it is a daunting feeling, so it is time to get going... you don't want to ponder that fact for too long!
Out onto the run - and it is exciting to be the first age-grouper. In truth, there were a couple of blokes around me at the very end - One guy rode off on me down-wind and another one slipped by in
the final km through town. But a smooth and fast transition and I was off in first.
I felt pretty average in the first km. My legs felt tired and tight, and the boardwark along the Frankston foreshore is twisty and narrow. Then through the town was fun and it was great to see Catherine and the kids. Unlike biking along the freeway, we are going slowly and you can connect with the spectators....
Then, I got into a bit of a rhythm, and then the first women ran up. I frankly got a bit of a surprise. I was not expecting her to bike so well and she looked like a good runner. We had a bit of a chat and I asked her what her target marathon time was. She said "2:56, lets run together". I told her that the
best I had ever run off the bike was 3:06, so good luck with that and off she went into the distance....(I never saw her again and she ran 2:56 and won the women's race!)
Onto the road back to Mordiallioc. We all know this road so well and I started to find my rhythm and was really enjoying the challenge of the run now. A couple of pro males went past me - no issue there.... given I gave them a 10 min head start - they should be way in front. At 17km, a 40 y.o. bloke
went past and then another.... and then Sam Hume (my training partner and in my age group). Frustrating, but there is nothing you can do... he had a spring in his step and I was my spring had turned to autumn.... I was having a flat spot, was starting to eel bloated and low on energy. It is a tough spot to be in. Ironman is not a tennis match - and it's important to focus on your own race and try some things when you are in a flat spot.
Sadly, my flat-spot lasted for about 12km. I was running "OK" about 4:50 per km - but it was not pretty to watch. I was really working on trying to figure out what was wrong and what to do about it (e.g. too little nutrition, too much nutrition (and bloating), too fast, too slow) etc. My HR trace shows a pretty sad decline around the 2hr mark that lasts for 40 min.
And, then, I came to home turf. Just around Brighton I say Kinga and the Fridge on their bikes and I started to feel good (thanks guys!). I've never 'come good' so quickly before - it was like I was able to run and compete again and put the hammer down (which is a relative term after 8hr of racing!).
In this photo - I have real spring in my step again. It is close to the finish line. Of course, it was also great to have the support of the DR out on the course and other family / friends. As I rounded Pt Ormond (the 39km mark) there were the kids and the high-5s were on..... a great feeling
The final 3km are a bit of a blur - after such a long day. The crowd and the noise is amazing. You realise that you are going to make it and that you are also shattered and willing yourself on to the line - it is real mind over matter stuff. Nutrition and pacing simply don't matter any more - you are in the realm of the 'crazy eyes' and the will within - and that is all that matters....
Marathon time: 3:15:56
Ave pave: 4:39
Ave HR: 133
Total time: 8:24:47
Overall place: 28th overall
35-39 age group: 3rd
Thoughts from the run / post race:
* The Ironman is all about pacing. In the end, I got off the bike in 19th and ran into 28th place. I had a bad patch on the run. I think I biked a bit too hard
* But, it was cool to "take the race up the road". Sam Hume finished second in my age-group (to my third) and he ran a 3:04 and Barry (winner) ran 2:52 !! So, I have to get off the bike first, because I'm never going to run as fast as them - but still, I think I biked a bit too hard
* Thinking about a power meter for next year - it is extra hard to dose your effort in big head / tail winds and I think I just over-cooked it a bit
* I want to be looking better when going past Brighton and all my mates :) - will remember to save something extra for running through 3186 next year
If you've got this far - thanks for reading and see you in June.....
Danger
Race morning dawned. Two Sustagens and then I was picked up for the drive down to Frankston. We are organised and early and it is all about conserving energy. Sit and relax whenever possible.... don't rush and don't waste energy for the long day ahead.
Then the delays began. They announced that race start would be postponed by 30 min, then the swim course would be halved. It is still pretty dark and I could not really see what the water looks like, but it was windy and I knew that it would be a tough day irrespective.
I completed the pre-race ritual of going to the toilet and get into the wetsuit, making sure that all the important parts have Vaseline on them and sun screened up. Then we headed to the water and the water was rough... there is a biting short chop on the bay, white-caps everywhere and a nice surf rolling into the beach. I went for a "warm-up" swim and I actually enjoyed it - no issues at all....
But now there is more waiting as the start is delayed again and 2000 people are on the beach and ready to go... an amazing feeling of tension. Finally the pros are off and then it is our turn. I don't like to line up on the front row, but I'm happy in rows 2-3 back. The start is a joke, with no "start line", the front rows just keep creeping forward and everyone follows. It should be better than this.
And then we are off. And it was scary. The waves and chop are fine swimming solo, but with 1150 age groupers it was the trickiest swim I've done. I had to use all of my swimming skills to avoid being pulled under, to avoid hitting the Frankston pier pylons and to keep myself above the water and moving forward.
My goggles become dislodged easily and I had to flip onto my back several times. I also experienced a tightness in the chest and focus on relaxing and breathing out to restore full function. In essence, it was the roughest swim I've done in a triathlon in 20 years of racing and I needed to draw on all that experience to ensure I stayed in the race and up the front of the swim. On the way back in and through the transition - 23 minutes or so - so a distance of more like 1.5km
Swim time:
23:37
out of the water in 79th
Some thoughts from part 1:
* Preparation prevents piss poor performance. So take the time to get your kit and nutrition laid out and right before a significant event
* Take a photo / write it down - improving is about recording and reproducing what went well and not making the same mistake twice
* Even experienced people make mistakes and need to learn stuff: e.g. I did not get a chance to buy some new goggles before the race - and I was lamenting this when flipping on my back to empty out the water for the third time in the swim.
* It is good practise to train in crappy weather - because every so often, you will be racing in crappy weather and experience counts for a lot in tough conditions
Part 2: The bike
The first transition is always a bit of a blur - pushing high heart rates, running in bare feet, being wet. The key risks are falling over, getting lost in transition (1500 bikes), dropping important things and generally wasting energy. So, the key is to take it nice and smooth and to have thought about all the
important elements beforehand. I employed a new idea this time. I put my sunglasses, nutrition, arm-coolers etc into a plastic snap-lock bag and in the change tent, I simply slipped the plastic bag down the front of my racing suit and ran off.... I figured I had 180km to get my sunglasses on... this worked a
treat and I was dry by the time I got all my stuff out of the bag and did not waste time in
transition.
Onto the bike and it is nice to get out on the course. I made a small mistake in the opening km of the bike. I got the call that I was 3 min behind the front of the age group race, so I was pushing to make up some time... and then I took a corner a bit too quickly in the aero position, it ended up being a more than 90 degree turn... I had over-cooked it and I ran off the road, jumped the "road furniture" (as Phil / Paul would say), repositioned and then got going again. I recovered will - but I kicked myself for being an idiot....
About 17km in I hit the lead group and it was not looking good. There were a group of about 8 with a few of the lead women in there as well. I had a laugh to myself at Natasha Badman. She is a 45 year old Swiss pro. And in the Hawaii Ironman in 2000 she rode past me like I was standing still on her
aero Cheeta bike with Aero helmet (back then I had a standard road bike, standard helmet and clip on aero-bars. How things had now changed. And there was no way I was going to let her sit on my wheel for the next 150km!!
So, into the undulations and I got in the front and then dropped the group through the tunnel the first time.... To give you an indication of the wind, I rode the 45km out in 1:19 and the return journey took just 57 minutes. The way back into town required a lot of concentration. Hitting speeds often >50km/h with a disk wheel and a deep front and the occasional cross-wind. And at these speeds, being aero really matters - so I tried to stay down, smooth and focused on going as fast as possible as smoothly
as possible.
Riding through Frankston is fun - but then onto the second lap and the headwind again. I'm all alone again and setting my own pace. Re: nutrition and I'm drinking the supplied Gatorade and also having the occasional gel just to break it up - but having a target of keeping the carbohydrate flowing in at
about 80g per hour. This equates to drinking about 2-3 x 500m bidons per hour or reducing the fluid a bit and having 1 gel (about 25g of carbs per gel). Doing some maths helps to pass the time :)
The other "intervention" that I use is caffeine. I have 500mg of caffeine a bit after 100km. This is a pretty solid hit of caffeine (maybe equivalent to 3-4 strong coffees at Tuci). Why? Caffeine helps you to concentrate. Riding a bike for 180km with no stops is hard work (it is also about 25,000 revolutions of the pedals!) - and in the last 90 min, it can be hard to stay focused. The caffeine helps to focus and keep down in the aero position and to keep pushing. Does it help? I think so, but the greatest effect is probably a placebo effect. It is great to "take" something to make you feel better. It is truly a "1%" - but it is something I've practiced in shorter races and in other IM and it seems to work well for me....
Official bike time:
4:41:09
38.4km/h
off the bike in 19th
HR ave: 144
Cadence ave: 100
Some thoughts from Part 2:
* Even after 12 Ironmans, I'm learning and trying new stuff - and the transition snap-lock bag really works for me
* I still stuffed up the first part of the bike - and running over road furniture is not cool. Have to control the power until onto the freeway proper
* Very happy with nutrition and pacing and it was great to take the race up the road
Part 3: The run and finish
The transition is a funny place. On the one hand it is great (really great!) to get off the bike and do something different. The plastic chairs in the change tent never feel so good. But, you know you have a marathon to run - it is a daunting feeling, so it is time to get going... you don't want to ponder that fact for too long!
Out onto the run - and it is exciting to be the first age-grouper. In truth, there were a couple of blokes around me at the very end - One guy rode off on me down-wind and another one slipped by in
the final km through town. But a smooth and fast transition and I was off in first.
I felt pretty average in the first km. My legs felt tired and tight, and the boardwark along the Frankston foreshore is twisty and narrow. Then through the town was fun and it was great to see Catherine and the kids. Unlike biking along the freeway, we are going slowly and you can connect with the spectators....
Then, I got into a bit of a rhythm, and then the first women ran up. I frankly got a bit of a surprise. I was not expecting her to bike so well and she looked like a good runner. We had a bit of a chat and I asked her what her target marathon time was. She said "2:56, lets run together". I told her that the
best I had ever run off the bike was 3:06, so good luck with that and off she went into the distance....(I never saw her again and she ran 2:56 and won the women's race!)
Onto the road back to Mordiallioc. We all know this road so well and I started to find my rhythm and was really enjoying the challenge of the run now. A couple of pro males went past me - no issue there.... given I gave them a 10 min head start - they should be way in front. At 17km, a 40 y.o. bloke
went past and then another.... and then Sam Hume (my training partner and in my age group). Frustrating, but there is nothing you can do... he had a spring in his step and I was my spring had turned to autumn.... I was having a flat spot, was starting to eel bloated and low on energy. It is a tough spot to be in. Ironman is not a tennis match - and it's important to focus on your own race and try some things when you are in a flat spot.
Sadly, my flat-spot lasted for about 12km. I was running "OK" about 4:50 per km - but it was not pretty to watch. I was really working on trying to figure out what was wrong and what to do about it (e.g. too little nutrition, too much nutrition (and bloating), too fast, too slow) etc. My HR trace shows a pretty sad decline around the 2hr mark that lasts for 40 min.
And, then, I came to home turf. Just around Brighton I say Kinga and the Fridge on their bikes and I started to feel good (thanks guys!). I've never 'come good' so quickly before - it was like I was able to run and compete again and put the hammer down (which is a relative term after 8hr of racing!).
In this photo - I have real spring in my step again. It is close to the finish line. Of course, it was also great to have the support of the DR out on the course and other family / friends. As I rounded Pt Ormond (the 39km mark) there were the kids and the high-5s were on..... a great feeling
The final 3km are a bit of a blur - after such a long day. The crowd and the noise is amazing. You realise that you are going to make it and that you are also shattered and willing yourself on to the line - it is real mind over matter stuff. Nutrition and pacing simply don't matter any more - you are in the realm of the 'crazy eyes' and the will within - and that is all that matters....
Marathon time: 3:15:56
Ave pave: 4:39
Ave HR: 133
Total time: 8:24:47
Overall place: 28th overall
35-39 age group: 3rd
Thoughts from the run / post race:
* The Ironman is all about pacing. In the end, I got off the bike in 19th and ran into 28th place. I had a bad patch on the run. I think I biked a bit too hard
* But, it was cool to "take the race up the road". Sam Hume finished second in my age-group (to my third) and he ran a 3:04 and Barry (winner) ran 2:52 !! So, I have to get off the bike first, because I'm never going to run as fast as them - but still, I think I biked a bit too hard
* Thinking about a power meter for next year - it is extra hard to dose your effort in big head / tail winds and I think I just over-cooked it a bit
* I want to be looking better when going past Brighton and all my mates :) - will remember to save something extra for running through 3186 next year
If you've got this far - thanks for reading and see you in June.....
Danger
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