IronMan UK Race Tips 2008

This might be useful for those of you doing IMUK this year. One of my Aunt's in the US who is also a multiple IM finisher including Kona, has a friend doing IMUK and asked me to send her some tips.

Swim
* The water is cold. It always rains here in the UK in August so the water never really heats up too much so definitely make time to get in and do a warmup. The start line is actually about 200m from the shore so you do get to swim a bit before hand.
* Be careful about what time you get in the water, last year (2007) we were delayed and could have really done without the 20 mins of treading water.
* You swim clockwise around the course, 2 laps
* The water is murky brown so don't expect to see much. You will be lucky to see your hand a foot in front of your face
* They do a practise swim around 9am each morning so do try and get to one of those in the days leading up
* The swim was delayed by more than an hour 3 years ago due to mist on the lake. Make sure you can get some food and water should this happen and you have to wait because you will be in the race funnel on the side of the lake waiting.

Bike
* It starts with a hill. A steep hill. You leave the castle and go maybe 1km and then start climbing. Take it easy, it is one of those hills that when you think it is over, it twists around a bit more. You only do this one at the beginning of the race because the loops start at the top of the hill.
* The climbs are tough, especially on the back section of the 60km loops. They are long and it can be really windy. We had a really strong cross wind last year so when you would get to a gap in a hedge you would have to really hold on.
* There is a long decent on the back stretch, it isn't technical but a lot of people hold off. If you are fine with speed I suggest you cane it. I was overtaking loads of people on that section and it isn't a technical descent, you just need the balls to go for it.
* It can be cold in Britain in Sept, in fact a few people got hypothermia last year. I wore a cycling top, arm warmers and shorts and I was fine but I don't tend to feel the cold too much. You definitely need to plan on having some warmer clothes than a trisuit. Saying that you might get lucky on the day and have beautiful sunshine!
* They sweep the roads the day before the race but they do get covered in crap so there are lots of punctures. A friend got 4 last year which was game over for him. I was lucky, but make sure you have plenty of spares and know how to change them quickly.
* Put a tube, spare C02 canister and a bt of food in your special needs bag. You won't get it back but it is nice knowing you have a backup tube should you go through the ones you are carrying with you. It could have saved my mates race last year.
* The mechanic support on the course is minimal, even one of the pros I know couldn't get help, so game over for her. I don't think they would even help you with punctures.
* They do have mechanics at the expo if you want your bike looked at pre race, but you have to book in. Mail the race office and they will help you.
* There is always support at the top of the hill in point one where the loop starts again as lots of people walk the couple of km's out there to support people. There are a few other hot spots for supporters and you pass through a few towns but there isn't loads of people out there.
* The aid stations are great, shout out what you want going into them and you will get it. Remember to say thank you to these people! They have all got up very early on their Sunday to help you realise your dream. Saying thank you isn't going to cost you any time.

Run
* The run course has changed this year but I believe they still do the same 1st half around the castle grounds and changed the 2nd half which was on a duel carriageway rd.
* 1st half leave transition out towards the campsite and is lumpy, it then goes up gradually to the turnaround and back down around behind the castle, around past transition and around again. You will get a bracelet as you do the first loop so they know to send you out on the 2nd one.
* If it has been raining it will be muddy in parts as some of it is dirt tracks. Avoid the water, last thing you need is wet socks, yuo will get blisters.
* After the 2 loops around the castle you go through the town and over this bridge which is stairs on both sides. Killer on the way home!
* Once through town, last year it was 2 loops of basically 3 hills, there wasn't a flat bit in it. If they are not doing that part again thank your lucky stars!! It is brutal but if you can run hills you will dominate. If your strategy is to run the marathon, do it! If your plan is to run / walk, stick to that. Don't change your race plan on the day.
* It was incredibly windy on the run, especially the 2nd half and it was either a head or tail wind which made some of those hills interesting. At one point I was blown backwards :) Be mentally prepared for that!
* Once the 2 loops are done, back across the killer bridge, through the town and out to the castle to finish. Even the finishing chute is on a hill!!
* The support going back through the town is great so don't forget to soak it up!
* Again, don't forget to be nice to the volunteers. They don't have to be out there and it is a thankless job.

I wish everyone who is doing Ironman UK on 7th September the very best of luck, although finishing Ironman has nothing to do with luck. Ironman is about hard work....and lots of it! Have a great time, it is a phenomenal achievement to even make the start line and something you can be proud of for the rest of your life.
Cxx

The numbers + video of me finishing IMUK!

The numbers + video of me finishing IMUK!
So some of my regular readers have asked me what the actual numbers were around IMUK and where I sat amongst those...so here they are...
1575 entrants all starting at once for a 3.8km swim. The fastest swimmer came out of the water in 44:39 (Brian Rhodes who was the favourite to win). Fastest woman was Hiliary Biscay in 49:03. I came out some time after that in 1:14:40 and in 734th position.
The bike is 180km with 2300m of climbing. 3 laps of a hilly, windy course, with a bit of rain thrown in for good measure. Fastest man was again Brian with 4:47:41. The fastest woman was Nicole Klinger with 5:29:49. I managed a 6:10:35 which put me in 13th place out of all the women, including pros. My overall place was now down to 329th.
The run is a marathon. 42.2km of hills with 770m of climbing if you do Ironman UK. Bella Commerford smacked the run in 3:10:01, taking 1st place for the women overall. Fastest man was Scott Neyedli who flew into 1st place with a 2:48:32. I did my best ever marathon time with a 3:30:04 which was the 8th fastest of the women and 88th overall.
Scott Neyedli won in 8:35:53, Bella Commerford for the women in 9:36:09. I managed a 11:04:57, putting me in 12th place for the women, 184th overall and 1st in my age group. I also broke the course record by 21 minutes and my nearest rival in my age group was 22 mins behind me. Bring on the world championships!

August 2008 + London Triathlon Race Report

August: I was starting to get really nervous, but had confidence in both my ability and training I had put in. When I started this back on the 29th January, I made a promise to myself that I would not be on the start line thinking I could have done more. I really do feel that I couldn't have trained or given up anything else and that I was in the best possible shape to have a crack at winning.
I did the London Olympic race which is the largest triathlon in the world. It is really well organised and run and really encourages people to give triathlon a go. The distance I completed was 1500m swim, 38km bike and 10km run. I came 4th in my age group and 12th woman. I was so pleased with this result because I was using it as training and doing the things I would do for Ironman. Despite all of this I managed to do my fastest swim ever and get the fastest first lap in my age group on the bike. It gave me a massive boost for IMUK. I went into the race with wanting to do under 2:30 and to get under 42 min for 10km run. I managed a 2:22 and a 41:59 run! Just made it there!
I am going to do a separate race report blog for IMUK, it deserves it ;)
Here is my London Olympic race report:
I had such a fun day, I think I must be one of the few people who doesn't mind racing in the heat, reminds me of home! I was using the race as a training session for IMUK and to double check race kit, nutrition and practise transition. I had a good swim (the water was lovely!) but forgot how brutal women can be to each other in open water! At around the 500m mark I had one on either side bashing me, but a few strong kicks to either one of them and they backed off a bit! The chicks seemed to be swimming in formation because every few hundred metres everyone would start funnelling in towards the centre and then there would be another scuffle and everyone would fan out again. It actually worked for me because I swam a little harder to get out of the way. Came out of the water in the middle of the pack, and as always, grateful that the least favourite part of the day was over. Onto the bike and went out strong, at the first turnaround I was in 55th position in my wave which was of mixed ages. I loved that they had a couple of short hills in there toget over the bridges, I had this one girl who kept catching me on the flats but thankfully not even her full disk wheels could get her up the hills to enable her to overtake me. I could hear her coming for me in the tunnels, it sounded like a massive bird flying up behind me and I kept thinking I was going to be picked up and swept away! I have her to thank for pushing me along on the bike, it became a pride thing that I wouldn't give in to her in the last few KM's after fighting her all race. I was trying to hold back slightly because I was determined to run a sub 42 but that went out the window.Quick transition and out into the run, I was lucky to be in the first wave so I could easily count how many were ahead of me. Lots of people were suffering in the heat, but still everyone was giving encouragement to each other. I started the run in 15th place and worked with a couple of the girls to pick off some of the top 10. I started the 2nd lap of the run in 11th and worked my way down to finish 6th in my wave. My overall time was 2:20:59 which I am thrilled about because I went in secretly hoping to go under 2:30. According to the age group results, I got 4th (thats the 24-29 age group Graham!) and posted the fastest 1st lap on the bike (Thanks disk wheel girl!). It was a PB for me across the race, with a 30.09 swim, 1.02 bike and I managed 41.59 on the run, just made it in! I had Sam and 2 close friends waiting for me at the end, who all got wet sweaty hugs and kisses from me. I thought the race was really well organised and I love that there are plenty of people out there giving triathlon a go who had never raced before. There is loads of support from the crowd, lots of drink stations and people throwing water at you to cool you off. Everyone looks like they are having fun, especially when they have that medal hanging around their neck. Well almost everyone, not sure how happy the guy in the full penguin suit was, I am sure he would have been half roasted by the end, he certainly earnt his medal!

Hard Work - 25 February 2007

Hard Work
Hello! Hope everyone has had a great weekend. So so for me, I wanted to get more work in but today hasn't been easy. Yesterday was great, had my first session with my new swim coach, Kirk. I am going to see him once a week for the next 2 months, I really need to get faster and more efficient to get out of that water in a decent time. Even in 1 lesson he got me on the right track and I felt faster.
I also did my longest run that I have done for a while. I hit Hyde Park, Green Park and a couple of laps of St James Park, then back and another lap of Kensington Gardens. Nice easy pace for 2 hours 15 mins, kept my heart rate in the high 140's. I have regularly been doing 2 hour runs but want to get up closer to 2 hours 30 and then onto 3 hours with in the next 6 weeks. I am finding it difficult to find the time to fit it in, but find that if I can get up early and do the run it doesn't eat into my weekend. Also did a weights session so went to bed really early last night. Let alone finding the time to train, I am sleeping loads. I have struggled for the last 2.5 years with having to get more sleep anyway so it is compounding at the moment. I used to survive on 5-6 hours a night, now I need 8-10, sometimes 12.
I had viral meningitis October 2004 and following on from that I had post viral chronic fatigue. I went from running marathons, I even did a 54 mile (85km) race, to at one point that I physically couldn't walk 50 metres without having to sit down and rest. My doctor told me on 17 March 2005 that I would never run again and that I had to learn to live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. That was devastating news for me and me being me, I refused to believe her.
The first time I tried to run again was in April 2005 and I ran for 20 minutes. I ended up in bed for 6 days because I had physically wiped myself out. I didn't try again for another 6 weeks and I only had to spend 4 days in bed to recover so I knew it was only a matter of time before I could do it. :)
I persisted and I ran the Rome marathon on the 1 year anniversary of being told I would never run again. I crossed the line in 3.50 and had taken it really easy as I had injured my knee. I had trained, and was fit enough for a sub 3.30, but was stopping for 5 mins every 30 mins to walk and give my knee a rest. It was such an emotional race for me and one I will never forget. My Mum was brilliant and called me a few times to make sure I was OK, plus I had 5 friends out there who were dashing around the course to cheer me on inlcluding my brilliant flatmate Corinna who is doing her first marathon in April.
Unfortunately everything comes at a price and I ended up in bed for a week following the Rome race, but it didn't stop me running the London marathon 3 weeks after that. Predictably, I didn't have a great race as I wasn't able to train between Rome and London as I was still quite ill. I shouldn't have done the London race, but I refuse to back down. I managed another 3.50 but didn't have fun like I normally do in a marathon. I was in a lot of pain, was physically exhausted and vomited quite a lot during the race so I kept losing any nutrition and fluids I was taking on board. I finished and thats all that I needed to do, but it wasn't a happy day :(
So, the next challenge is IronmanUK. I found it very interesting listening to a sports psychologist a few weeks ago talking about positive affirmation and belief in yourself that you can complete ironman. I was sitting there thinking, wow, I am a step ahead because I already do that. I know I am mentally strong and if I put in the training, eat enough, get enough sleep I will do a time I can be proud of. Lesson for the day...hard work is the key. Have a great week! C x
PS have included one of my favourite Tough Guy pictures :)

Iron-Head Racing 20 February 2007

20 February 2007
13:02:30 o'clock GMT Feeling Happy
Iron-Head Racing
This is the link to the Tri club I have joined, Iron-Head Racing. Seem like a good bunch, all really into tri, what more could you ask for :) They also have a great forum on there to hook up with other triathletes for training.
http://www.ironheadracing.co.uk/

Roll up! Roll up! 20 February 2007

12:43:31 o'clock GMT Feeling Happy
Roll up! Roll up!
Rollers! What an experience! The rollers are a fab workout, but difficult to get used to. I say that after I took a chunk out of my elbow when I fell into the wardrobe trying to master them this morning. I only managed 30 quality minutes on them as I spent the other 30 trying to stay upright!
Rollers are basically 3 rollers on a frame that you put the back when in between the 2 that are closest together and the front wheel sits on the top of the 3rd one. I preferred these to a turbo trainer as you have to work on your balance as well which is preferable to me. See the picture and you will know what I mean :)
Getting a little concerned that most of the people I meet who have done Ironman UK, or know about triathlon, make that face where they draw breath in between their teeth. The look of horror on my face usually prompts a 'oh, but I'm sure you will be fine...'
Really enjoying the Ironman Talk podcasts, I am still catching up but they do this great top 5 tips which is very useful. Also makes a nice change to listening to music when walking or training.
The swim coach I contacted is now in touch and we are having our first session on Saturday which I am looking forward to. I know I could be moving through the water a lot more efficiently so I hope he can help sort that out :)
Smile on! C x

Bringing the Baby Home 14 February 2007

14 February 2007
22:06:52 o'clock GMT Feeling Chillin'
Normann
This is an interview done with Normann Stadler last weekend at the triathlon I went to. I also went to a question / answer session with him. Wow. The guy is amazing :)
http://www.tri247.com/article_1623.html


17:40:29 o'clock GMT Feeling Ecstatic
Bringing the Baby Home
I have my new Baby!! I went to Sutton this morning to pick it up from Pearson Cycles. Those guys are fabulous, William in particular who spent about an hour with me last weekend and 2 hours today. I got him a nice bottle of red to say thanks for all his time. I love buying from places like Pearsons, they are the oldest bike shop in the UK and the 2 guys who have it now are the 5th generation. http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/index.html?action=68 gives the family history through the war and so on. Nice to see that places like that survive.
I took my bike out to Richmond park for a few hours to see how it went and I managed to hit 50km hour on the flat! I got into an aero position and just hammered it! So much fun! I was too scared to look down at the speedo coming down the hills :)
Off to the gym tonight for a weights session, and then home for an early night. Rock star lifestyle that I lead.
Went to see Underneath the Lintel last night, fabulous play and I would highly recommend it. 1 character played by Richard Schiff who plays Toby in the West Wing TV series. Really great play.
Bit of inspiration to get me to the gym ASAP... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gOF3obXbEQ&mode=related&search=
C x