This blog will have my thoughts about training for running races and triathlons. It will also contain items about weight loss (nutrition) and general fitness.
In 2007 I completed my first Ironman triathlon at Ironman UK and therefore I am now an Ironman.
In 2009 I took part and completed my first Ultra Marathon a 39.3 Miles (63.2 Km) run.
In 2010 I completed two Ironman distance triathlons with just 1 month between them.
Today I took part in the Cranleigh 15 mile race, a few years ago I did the 21 mile race so was good to the other distance. Although on the drive there my car temperature was showing -1c and 0c plus it was snowing a bit.
When we got there I changed the route at the race HQ, as only the finish position had been changed from when I last did the race. The route was one 9 mile loop to the east of the village and then 1 or 2 (15 or 21 mile) loops to the west of the village.
I then went back to the car and put on the remaining layers I was planning to wear for the race, I decided to leave my bin liner there hopefully it would not be that cold.
By the time we got to the start area there was only 5 minutes before the start so not too long but was starting to get cold before the start. I decided to start about 1/3 from the back as I was not going for a particular time but by effort. However for the first 3 miles I was regretting that as I was blocking by other runners even with doing some XC on the muddy embankment next to the road. Once I got in to my rhythm I was ok apart from the snow but due to the layers I was not feeling that cold. I was keeping pace with one of my work colleagues and then one of their club runners for most of the course, they where doing the 21 mile option so was good to keep a steady pace.
When we got to about 4 miles I was prepared for the easterly wind (headwind) but luckily was not as much as forecasted but the snow was more, this was for a few miles until we turned back. At which point we had side wind and snow which was nice going up the biggest hill on the course at mile 7. We then headed through the village high street at the end of the 9 mile section before starting the 6 mile loop on a fotopath. This was next to the car park so was so tempting in the snow cold just stop and go to my car but I carried on.
The next 6 miles the inclines seemed to take more effort despite being not the steep just ongoing. With about 2 miles to go I picked up the pace a bit. With about 1 mile to go I got lapped by the 21 mile winner nobody else in the 21 mile or 15 mile race overtook me from that point. I just had be prepared to turn sharp left in to the new finish in a playing field which I kicked again to the line and was glad my race was over. I completed the race in 2:12 (8:45 min/mile) and went through the half marathon point in 1:55 which I was pleasantly surprised with.
I then just had to wait for my running club mates, get warm clothes on and a nice cup of tea with a homemade cake :-)
Below are my GPS mile split data with the red line the average pace for the race. From it you can see the first 3 miles were the slowest part due to the number of runners and on narrower country lanes. I was then fairly consistent with miles 11 I think there was a big puddle in the road which I had (plus everybody else) went round and mile 13 was I think an incline for the mile. Then the mile splits I picked up the pace and was feeling strong. I was surprised that mile 7 was not the slowest mile as had the biggest hill on the course.
At that pace I would not have been able to do the 21 mile but I am currently training for 4 weeks after most runners doing this race for a spring marathon. I tried some new kit which was ok and kept me warm. I also tried a new sports drink Lucozade Sports Elite , it had more carbs using different sources like some other gels I normally use, it also had a bit more sodium not as much as my sodium tablets though but also had caffeine which helped near the end of the race. Using this drink after properly fueling myself in the morning and before the race I did not need to take any gels that I had taken with me or any water they had on the course.
Overall I enjoyed this race despite the conditions, it is a good race to test your marathon training. The negative part was the queue for the tea and cake afterwards but was nice so was worth the wait.
While on a week's triathlon training camp the morning after doing an afternoon Aquathon and a few days in to training I took part in the resorts half marathon.
This was effectively a 3 lap out and back course, which others did not want to do as thought it would be boring. However I was using it as practice for the full Ironman run which is also 3 out and back laps next to the sea on the other side of the island but they would be bigger loops.
The loop started with a run to a turn around cone on the track which was 300m away then back and out the gate and headed to the La Santa village. This was in to a strong headwind and rain, there was even a rainbow between the turnaround point and the edge of the lagoon. You then ran the 1/4 mile through the village up the incline still in to headwind until the turn off down a side road to the end to the turnaround point where there was some water but I had my own drinks with me, at least this road you had side wind. You then headed the same route back and did the 300m loop around the track, at least this was in to a slight back wind.
Despite the wind and rain plus early start it was fairly warm enough for me to even have shorts and short sleeve t-shirt on!!!
As it was not a PB course even without the wind, I was pacing by effort without looking at pace with the aim of getting quicker and also not using much drink or gels. In the end I finished in a time of 1:55 (8:43 /mile) with a kick from 2 miles out and then again on the athletics track.
While also only using 1 gel at the start of the last lap (about 8.5 miles) and finished the drink by the end but this was due to being ready for the next session that day.
Below is my average mile pace for each out and back section, the red line is my average for the complete race.
Interestingly I was getting slightly slower (6 seconds then 3 seconds per mile) on each outward leg, however the wind speed direction and rain may have been different on each lap plus the incline at the end of each out section was feeling harder. However each back section I was getting quicker (4 seconds then 53 seconds per mile). Although at the last turn I picked up the pace with a small bit of a recovery part way back before I final push for the finish. This can be easily seen in the mile splits below with the red line as the average for the race.
I got a bit carried away in the first mile as it is a bit faster than the average as each section was about 2.21 miles you can see which where the outward sections (above the average) and back sections (below the average). You can clearly see where I kicked from 11 miles with the pace for the remain of the race being 8:07, 8:01 and 5:59/mile. The last part of the race was on an athletics track so I gave it a bigger effort which the last 0.28 miles was at a lot faster pace per mile.
Below is my average mile pace for each half of the race, the red line is my average for the complete race.
Based on the GPS information I hit my main targets of getting quicker and negative split. The only slight issue was getting slightly slower in to the head wind outward section, however I am not sure if the wind speed changed or it was fatigue on the incline at the end of the section although my back speed was quicker so it is less likely was fatigue. For the outward section there was a variance of 4 seconds per mile on average between the 3 loops, so not a really massive difference.
While on a week's triathlon training camp at club la santa in Lanzarote after a few days of early start swims followed by multiple other sessions I took part in the weekly aquathon the resort organised which had an unusual start time of 2pm.
It was listed as a 200m swim and a 3km run although I think it was a bit further but my GPS had lost the GPS plot.
The swim was in the outdoor 50m pool, so was only 4 lengths :-)
However it was into a headwind so there was some small waves on the outward part. The left lanes were meant to be the fast and the right the slowest so I went near the right as not so many people and easier to get out. Luckily we had organised the people in our lane to stay on the right hand side and I followed somebody slightly quicker than me. Other faster lanes people were swimming slower breaststroke and people were getting knocked.
I got out of the pool in 4:23 which was a bit slower than planned but trying out different swim technique and the few days exercise already had fatigued me a bit.
The transition was from out the pool which I had some running shoes ready passing my swim hat and goggles to somebody I knew. I then carefully ran along the top poolside which was already quite wet and up the steps to the left of this photo where the timing mat was. This took me 1:02 which quick for me which I was pleasantly surprised with. I had also tried some different kit options as was a short race.
The 3km (2 miles) run then ran post were this photo was taken, then carefully down some steps and out of a resort gate. The route was then a loop around the lagoon and back in to the resort finishing with about 300m on the athletics track. However the first km was in to a strong headwind, at least it dried off my tri suit a bit.
The next km was alongside the lagoon with a side wind which you had to be careful the wind did blow you off the path and give you an additional swim!!
The next half km you had a back wind but then a short incline towards the resort complex (in the photo background) which was sheltered from the wind. You then ran through the main gates and on to the track for about 300m to the finish. Nobody overtook me on the run but I overtook a few and was running strong all the way to the end.
The 3km run took me 14:14 (7:38/mile) which I was pleased with due to the weather conditions and the training I had already done that week.
It was a good race which I learnt some different kit options in T1 and felt strong on the run.
I was planning to do the sprint triathlon in 36 hours after this but with a half marathon between this my legs did not feel up to it so I decided recovery was a better option.
After my first ever DNF at Ironman Wales last year I was not a happy person for over a week. So within a month I had entered another Ironman then last month I entered another long distance triathlon just 7 weeks after the first this year.
After last years issues I have learnt from my mistakes and have bought a Ironman training plan which has been going well apart from the cold and snow that we have been having in the UK for the last month or more. In this time I have done a few parkrun's, a 10 mile race and and a half marathon with the my pace and endurance is improving at the end of these runs.
The only problem is the lack of cycling outside due to the weather conditions, so I booked a week at a Spanish sports resort. Typically this was windy than normal and also rained a lot more than normal, this meant we could not do much long distance rides due to safety mainly on the descents back to the resort. However learnt some more details about part of the Ironman location their and bike handling, plus some more drills and technique improvements for both swimming and running. I also took part in an aquathon and half marathon they organised there which happened to be on a wet and windy day. In between sessions I also did 4 hour stretch (yoga, pilates or stretch) sessions in the sunshine and wind.
In the end I learnt a bit more things about my training and main Ironman event but not as much cycling as would have liked but my training is not peaking for another 2 months yet.
I got to Tenby on mid morning on Saturday which allowed meant I did not had to rush around. I leisurely walked to the Ironman Expo, had a look round the stands and got my registration bags. I then went back to the car and packed the bags and got my bike ready. To save time I had already packed my kit into separate bags so it was a matter of transferring them in to the official kit bags with my race number on and put the number on my kit belt and bike.
The only thing I would need to do in the morning is add my race nutrition to the bags and gps devices. I then headed back with my race kit packed and checked it all in, we even got a bike cover not sure if that is a good sign in terms of the weather.
I noted where my bike was compared to the transition in/outs and any surface issues as there were a lot loose stones on the car park surface.
Also noted were my bags were, luckily they were near the end of the racks.
I then headed round the town taking some photos of key areas of the Ironman (used in the race report), the only difference was the sea was at low tide but would be at high tide for the race.
I then went the few miles to the hotel to just relax for a few hours before going back to the expo for the race briefing. The key points I noted was only 350,000 ironmen on the planet out 7 billion (0.005%), this one of the toughest Ironman and T1 and T2 bags cannot be accessed until the race!!
The last comment meant I would have to change my plans even before the race started, which give me a bit a minor pre race panic!!
Race Morning
As the race start was 7am on a Sunday I had a nice lay in till 4am for breakfast!!
This gave me an hour to eat, wake up and get ready for the day. When I went outside it was still quite dark, when I got to the race car park I could have done with a torch to get to transition it was still that dark.
I got to my bike took the cover off and put on my gps device and drinks bottles. I then put as much of my nutrition in my bento box and even some in my repair kit. The rest I left in a carrier bag and put on my aerobars with handles going round the aerobars so it should not full off. This would mean I would have take a few seconds to put the nutrition in the cycle shirt pockets. As long as they did not think I was leaving that to identify my bike, which is not allowed, I took the risk.
To the Swim
At 6:15am we had to leave transition and then there was a procession though the town to the swim start. I had put on the bottom part of my wet suit leaving torso and arms exposed to the elements, this would ease getting in the sea. I also had my trainers on loosely for the run to transition of the swim. While walking along I recognised another Ironman who runs a local parkrun 5km run, I thought what a small world. There were a lot of people at the top of the cliff to watch the swim and the fast part of transition.
I then racked my yellow bag (run to T1) to on my race number which was only a few away from a turn in the zig zag path up from the beach to the promenade on the cliff above.
Then I fully put on my wetsuit after some acclimatising and my 3 swim hats and goggles. I decided against using my swim watch as I did not think the sea water or the potentially getting knocked about in the swim would be good for it.
By the time I got to the beach there was only a few minute to go so I got a brief dip in the sea, just enough to check the kit was ok and so it was not a shock when we started the swim. Was a bit concerned by seeing the biggest lifeboat I have ever seen and at least 30 people on surfboards and/or kayaks.
I lined up on the right side of the starting line up of 1,500 people as I thought it would be less agro in the swim and better swim currents. They played the Welsh national anthem which was sung with strong feeling by a few near me, I thought we are really here. With that the start gun went off.
Swim
If you have not seen a mass swim start it is quite an awesome sight. Included is a video from youtube of the start.
For the swim we headed straight up for about 200m before turning to the left diagonal the turn buoy. All this time I was getting hit, kicked and punched more than normal and swallowing a bit of sea water, it was great. I thought I must be going faster than normal as there is a lot more people around me. I got to the turn buoy which is about a 135 degree turn to the right, the waves were really small if noticeable but people decided to stop before turning which created a pile up. This was a bit interesting trying to find some gaps and get swimming again.
The next 700m was straight along to the fair turn buoy, there were boats out to see and people in kayaks along the route to ensure that people did not get massively off course. I was using a house in the distance which was painted white, as the rest were other colours. Again at this turn buoy the same bottleneck occurred, I could also smell the cooked breakfast that the cafe’s nearby must have been cooking for all the spectators. It was then a 400m swim to the swim exit for the first loop. This was just to the left off the big rock (Goscar Rock). This bit was less busy until the shore line when I was getting hit more. I swam until the water was about knee height as I can then easy stand up and run out of the water. This was 1900m (1.2 miles) swum only another 1900m to go and I was feeling really great.
There were a lot of people at this point so I could not run the 20m as fast as I would like so I checked my goggles and swim hats were ok. I then ran in to the sea and then dived in and swam off on the same route. This lap there was a lot less swimmers around the first lap so I could get into my natural swim rhythm better.
I completed the swim in 1:16:23. This is 3:50 minutes faster than my previous 2.4 mile best (in a lake) just a few months earlier and 9:49 minutes than my quickest 2.4 mile swim in a sea.
T1
The T1 transition was a split area, which was officially 1km but felt like 1 mile from the swim exit to the transition tent. This included a run up the beach then up a zig zag path to the top of the cliff then a run through the town to transition.
The first part of the transition I got the top part of my wetsuit off easy and then ran up the beach and the first slope. I saw somebody seat down on a seat to get the wet suit off I thought that was a good idea, somebody got up from there just before I goto there so I thought I might as well. Although sitting down it still took me as long as normal to get the wet suit off. Then I ran up the next path and just around the corner to my bag. I had put in the bag a flannel to get most of the sand of my feet so less likely to cause any blisters as I would not being wearing any socks for the run in. I got my trainers on, wetsuit around my neck and my swim hats and goggles and started running. When I got to the top of the path I drank the small can (150ml) can of coca-cola I had also put in the bag to get all the taste of the sea water out of my mouth.
I was running fairly fast through the town and even overtaking some people. There was a lot of people cheering us along the route in to the town.
I then got to the change tent and got my bag was close to the end and went to the change area as I would putting on cycling specific kit different to the swim. This was a small space they had section off with only 3 seats in their, I timed it well and got a seat as somebody left.
On the swim and then the run in to transition I decide what I would be wearing for the cycle and some kit I would take with me. I decided on 3 layers with winter gloves but taking fingerless gloves and a light waterproof jacket with me. This took me as long as normal, although I was not thinking straight as I was trying to put on my right cycle shoe on my left foot, in my defence it did have an shoe cover on but it took me a while to work this out!!
With that I headed out to my bike which I easily found, I did not run that fast as there was a lot of loose stones in the bike area. When I got to my bike I my nutrition bag was still there so I put the nutrition in my cycle shirt back pockets.
Cycle
I then started the 112 mile cycle ride, it was one larger loop of about 70 miles then a small loop of about 42 miles on the same part as the bigger loop. Based on the Ironman distance triathlon I did 2 months previous to this race I went off a bit slower than normal, just one gear easier. This also took in to account the big hills were at the end of the loops.
I was also eating solid food on a regular basis, on the half hour a brioche and on the hour half a sausage roll, with drinks in between and when needed. I only skipped one rep of this as this was too close to one of the aid stations which I got extra food (bar and banana) at. With the plan being the last 60-90 minutes switch off solid food to liquids and gels, to nutritionally transition for the run.
The first 15 miles were in to the wind and a bit more exposed to the elements but were relatively flat with moderate up and down sections. We then got to the furthest west point which had a sharp 180 turn, it made me laugh it was at a place called Angle. This then had a bit of climb next to the beach which you had to be careful of the sand on the road for tyre traction and gaps in the hedges for the wind.
I was keeping as much as possible on the aerobars to be more aerodynamically efficient.
At the 25 mile point we got to the first bike aid station which I changed the drinks and got the food I needed. This was the second out of three times I would go past my hotel. This point it got more undulating and hilly in places with some narrow lanes. Going through these narrow lanes the leader went past with a motor cycle following, as the lead car/van could not get past all the cyclists.
It also started to drizzle and wind to pick up a bit, this made bike handling skills even more important when getting fatigued. I remembered the pro who fell (slide off) at a corner last year on the tv review of the event so I knew when there was a big warning signs for the event and road signs take a bit more care. Based on the marshals and first aid it looked like a few people already had come off their bike.
At about 50 miles I put on my water proof jacket as it was getting a bit wet and colder which is not a good combination on an endurance event in particular a cycle. Then within 5 miles I got too warm and had to take it off.
A couple of miles before the the big hills at about 56 miles and 97 miles (more about this later) there was a few decent warm up slopes in Narbeth, below is a video from there.
Then at 60 miles the first big hill came it was a 16% incline which was in shade and about quarter a mile long. I had to get out of the saddle up this hill but was overtaking a few people, with the last quarter of the hill I had to use my 3D trigonometry skills to get up the hill (zig sagging, this was a closed road and there was no event vehicles around), it reduces the angle cycling but slightly increases the distances cycled.
With less than a mile recovery came the next bill hill of a similar steepness but about 2 or 3 times longer through Saundersfoot. This was also through a town so there was a lot of support in this section. I made it all the way to the top without stopping. However at the top it was starting to rain again a bit harder so I put my waterproof jacket back on.
The next few miles were the cycle back to the Tenby to start the second smaller loop. I was starting to feel no energy in my legs and a bit cold but I carried on round. The second lap I was going significantly slower than the first lap and normal at least 4 mph slower but there was a stronger wind and rain. I was noticing the road closure signs and the time that the road reopens, they were getting closer. I went passed the hotel for the third time and I could have easily stopped there but I carried on. This next section was the hilly and more technical handling part of the course which was now wet, this was not a good place to be when mentally and physically fatigued.
For the previous 2 hours each time I got to marshal point I was thinking about stopping, so I was glad in a way when the pulled me out at 97 miles as I missed the cut off time, to the point. At that point was just less than 8 hours of cycling which averages at 12.2mph which was 2 to 3 mph slower than average at an Ironman event.
The above graph shows my split time from my gps per 5 miles, the red line is the overall average and the green line is the start of the second lap. From this the first 50 miles were significantly faster than the rest, the big hills started 10 miles after this. Also the start of the second lap was done a lot on the first lap (same part of the first lap course for 10 miles then missing the next 30 miles) and down a lot of normal rides and Ironman triathlons.
Overview
Included is an overview video of the event to give an impression of the whole event on the day.
The swim went better than planned and is still improving and the extra T1 went well, the day just went downhill from there on. The cycle was significantly slower, although I was performing well on the steep hills it was just the rest of it.
The support and marshals were great around the bike course, with more
people in certain hotspots, such as the steep hills even in the poorer
conditions.
I should not have bought anything from the expo as that jinxed the race. The event support was great all weekend, I will be back at some point.
This was my first DNF which I was more annoyed with myself for not training specifically for this event.
From the official results there was 1317 people registered at the weekend, so I think this was already down on the number who entered. Then on the race day 112 people DNF or DQ’d which is 8.5% of the participants. I think this is a lot more than normal.
There was a lot lessons learnt the hard way from this event, most I already knew but had ignored them.
The main one is to practice/train on the course or similar to the course and likely weather. I did this for the swim and extra T1 and cycle nutrition which went well but did not for the cycle which went wrong big style.
Next thing is train and then train some more.
Next is read the race instructions, the bit about the T1 and T2 bags was at the top of a page in bold and red font, I must have skipped over this information to the maps section.
Check course maps, verify on race day for the swim or last minute changes. The swim had a straight bit fast and not just a triangular route.
Mentally on the bike I lost it on all parts apart from the big hills where I was overtaking people. I need to cycle more and in different weather conditions other than sunny and calm day.
Significant changes need to be made to my training, including planning training which I did not do this year and more weight loss.
Bring on the next Ironman race, only 8 months to go.
The race day started with an early breakfast at 3am on a Sunday!! Luckily we did need to leave to much early as were fairly close but there is not much traffic on at 5am on a Sunday, until we got to the venue.
When I got there I put my drinks bottles on my bike and also checked the tyre pressures and other mechanics. I also made one last check where my bike was compared to the T1 entrance and exit, as you can be disoriented after the swim.
To Bike from entrance
From Bike to exit
I then went to the transition tents and put my nutrition in bags for cycle and run. Then I visualised my bags from different t1 and t2 entry points with everybody’s kit bags in place. My bag position reminded me of a double length bendy bus, as there was two tents with the connecting section covered but narrower.
I also made a mental note where there was some hidden metal drain covers underneath carpet.
I then headed out to get my wetsuit on for the swim and the nice 6am start.
Swim
The swim is 2.4 miles (3.8km) in a rowing lake and navigationally is simple, swim 1.2 miles up on the left side then swim the 100m across the lake and then swim the 1.2 miles back. The only issues were the buoys in the lake for the rowing lanes which were all the way up the lake and the yellow turn buoys in the sunrise. You could not see the turn around buoys from the start.
For the start there are 4 start bays, so I decided start at back of 2nd instead of 3rd bays as previous years. This pace should be 3 minutes faster than my PB so should have plenty of swim space, plus they mentioned in the race briefing a lot people last year went to the back of the 1st group as the fast people swam off leaving a lot of space.
As the start siren went off the fun of the swim started, with 1,000 people in 100m width that narrowed to about 20m after 250m.
Its quite an impressive sight seeing that many swim off at the start of a race.
For the first half a mile I was being hit and kicked a lot and could not get in to a good swim rhythm. After this I was being hit a lot less but still more frequent than normal. When I did get in to a good rhythm I swam a few meters past the turn buoy and then got hit a lot more when crossing the lake and then hit again for the next 1/4 mile. I was glad I did not put on my GPS swim watch as it might have got knocked off in the “fun” of the open water swim.
At this point I was mostly on my own and not able to draft of anybody at my pace or slightly faster. This meant I put in a bit more effort than I could have got away with by drafting.
When I got out the swim I could see the race clock which I completed the swim in 3 minutes quicker than my PB and 2 minutes ahead of my brothers previous best time but I was not sure of his time today.This added an extra spring to my step and I ran in to T1.
I felt good with technique improvements even with only 1 lake swim of 1.5km just 5 days before.
T1
I decided to change in to cycle specific kit and not tri kit as this is a long ride. I took my time (as much as normal) but then I was prepared for the cycle ride ahead. I easy found my bike thanks to pre race checks plus the lack of bikes left helped. When I was going to my bike I noticed my brother’s bike had already gone, I was a bit gutted as I thought I would beat him out this year.
Cycle
The cycle is 112 miles (180km) which started with a loop on the path around the lake (not hitting any geese), then cycle out to a north loop (done once) and then cycle to a south loop (done twice) before heading back to the race venue, simple.
Unlike last year’s race I had done up the handlebars tight on to the headset and did not fall down like last year, so that was a good start.
At about 15 miles I caught up to my brother, I found out I beat him out of the swim and overtook me in T1. So that meant I had the fastest Long Distance swim time in the family, I just needed to complete the event for the time to count.
For the first 30 miles I going fast and staying mostly on my aerobars. Then when we got to the one big hill on the course a 11% incline I was overtaking a lot of people going up it and nobody overtook me.
For cycle nutrition I was trying to stick to the new nutrition that I was trying out on the race day (not a good tip normally). This was jam sandwiches (was interesting getting them out of the bag while cycling), then in my sports drink I had added some green tea powder to give some extra kick and caffeine. From the race aid stations apart from swapping out bottles as needed I had bananas until they run out and I had to switch to gels to get some more calories.
The south loop was meant to be fast but in the wind it felt a lot harder, at least I saw the leaders as they lapped me on this section. There was plenty of support in the villages along this loop. The second loop in addition to the wind it started to rain. At this point I was starting to feel fatigued mentally and physically which was not helped by being overtaking by people every mile.
My knee had been feeling sore after about 50 miles and the last 10 miles the sole of feet felt sore. At this point I would have gladly swapped my bike for left back in the warmth of a car.
More people kept overtaking me and I was not a happy triathlete and was considering not doing the run.
Then with a few miles left to go a person fell a few 100m ahead others there to help, not sure if it was due to the wet or fatigue.
I finally made it back and I was glad to get of my bike not sure if I would even start the run.
T2
At this point I was seriously thinking about stopping as knee and my soles of me feet were sore. I took my time (again) just going through the motions of getting ready for the run I put on 3 pairs of socks with talcum powder as my feet were sore.
While getting ready I saw another competitor eating a small pork pie, I like that style I may have to use that on another race.
At this point I mentally and physically zipped up my Ironman tri-suit, I was back in the race.
Run
My plan was to start at a comfortable pace for the marathon and maintain for as long as possible with walking through aid stations I got stuff from. The route was effectively 3 loops of lake and out to the city centre and back along the riverside path and then 3/4 of the lake to the finish.
For the first half of the race I was overtaking a few people and slightly less were overtaking me but they could have been on the same or 8 or 16 miles ahead of me but I felt good. There was good support around the lake and at the other end of course near the city centre (past the Nottingham forest football ground).
As the was aid stations about every 1.25 miles I was planning to have something every 2 aid stations and not an endurance picnic like I did in previous years having a few things at each aid station.
I was trying to alternate between sports drink and cola and then water if I was feeling thirsty, then a jaffa cake or some crisps with a gel about every 5 miles. I felt ok until 16 miles when I had to start to walk due to fatigue and stomach issues.
As there was three out and back loops could see where my brother was, so I was mentally working out could I beat him if I walked the rest and he ran the rest based on my calculations in my fatigued state I thought I could.When I got to any slight downhill section (only 2 from memory) I jogged that and I also walked faster when there was more support. In my last hour there was more people walking with every passing minute.
Then for the last few miles (from the last turn around) I jogged 100m walked 100m all the way back, as I thought I could make it under the next hour mark. When I could hear the finish line crowd in the last 1/4 mile I started to jog all the way to the finish.
From my GPS data the average speed per 5 miles. The red line is my average speed for the cycle, which I got to about 65 miles before the pace started to drop of a lot.
From my GPS data the pace per mile. The red line is my average pace for the run, which I was doing ok to 16 miles and then I hit the wall big time until the last mile and a bit.
Summary
I was glad I got the quickest swim time in the family and did not need to visit the first aid tent this year.
This year apart from the swim time I was not aiming for a particular time, this was mainly due to the
lack of training. This was apparent on the cycle which I felt the worst from any race that I have done.
There is still more things for me to learn about long distance triathlons.
The race highlights will be shown on Channel 4 on Sunday 12th August nice and early at 6:30am.
There was plenty of support for Pirates (triathlon group) from the spectators and follow triathletes, there was no place to hide in the yellow black kit, aargh!!
Lessons Learnt
Some of the additional things I learnt from this Long distance triathlon, some of them the hard way.
Train for more than half race distance would be a good idea. The cycle course was no worse than where I train although the new section was more undulating than expected. The run was virtually flat and I have done this course 3 times and parts on a marathon. For other races that I have not done before I may need to simulate the course as best I can before race day.
The swim technique changed helped me be more efficient on the swim, there would have been more effect if I had done some long swims.
My core muscles helped a lot with being on the aerobars a long time and in the swim and run, in addition to the core workouts I think the pilates sessions helped a lot with this.
The jam sandwiches worked on the bike as was something different than a pure sugar of a gel or sports drinks. Perhaps I should have practice eating them from a sandwich bag while still cycling before race day. I need more race nutrition practice which ties in with doing more training.
For the cycling I should have managed my effort/pace more evenly instead of going out to fast for the first 2 hours and really struggling in the last 2 hours.
For the marathon instead of running to fatigue, I may consider a run/walk approach which I have used in an ultra marathon (39.3 miles).
