Kona - I am in!

FullSizeRender.jpg

I received this email earlier today....

My first Ironman was in 2008 in Nice. 10 years and 14 ironman races later I have been accepted into the Ironman Legacy program and will be racing in Kona on October 13th 2018.

In order to qualify for the legacy program you need to complete 12 ironman events. I actually completed 12 in 2016 - you can see below the races by year that I have completed or at least entered.

When you look down the list it is interesting that several of them have had very high DNF rates e.g 2013 Texas and/or the race has subsequently been dropped from the schedule e.g St George. It has been an unbelievable journey with so many challenging but ultimately enjoyable experiences!

You will also see that I started to do 2 Ironman races a year from 2012. This, obviously, really helped me get to 12 in a quicker timeframe. But the only reason I started to do 2 races a year is because I was bitterly disappointed that I DNFd in Wisconsin. Furthermore, up to then I didn’t think I would be capable of doing two a year. But what is remarkable is that I only DNFd because I had 4 flats, my gears got stuck in one gear and my bottle holder fell off my bike. In a way my bike malfunction actually helped me get to this point. A bad experience led me to an even better experience much later!

For several years it has been my plan to try to get to Kona in 2018. This year is an important milestone...Kona will be my 15th full distance race, 10 years doing Ironman full distance races, Jamie and Gemma turn 18, I turn 50, and early 2019 Ana and I will have been married 25 years.

I have watched the race day coverage for may years and listened to so many podcasts and fellow athletes talk about this famous place. I am really excited to experience the challenge of the Kona course and also to visit Hawaii for the first time. I plan to make to make the most of it!

Finally, for all of you who have helped, cajoled, kicked, loved, supported and assisted me on this amazing 10 year journey thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know who you are!

Wish me luck


2008

1 Nice

2009

2 Nice

2010

3 Wisconsin

2011

Wisconsin DNF - bike fell to pieces!

2012

4 St George

5 Wisconsin

2013

6 Texas

7 Lake Tahoe

2014

8 Texas

Lake Tahoe CANCELLED - forest fires created too much smoke

2015

9 Lake Placid,

10 Lake Tahoe

2016

11 Lake Placid

12 Chattanooga

2017

13 Lake Placid

14 Chattanooga

Why I like to run with a Camelpak

I love running with a camelpak...in fact I dont know how fellow runners can do without something similar for longer runs. Once I get over 10 miles I need to drink something so a Camelpak is the best way to help me keep going. I tend to fill the pouch with an electrolyte or an energy drink.

 

What I find so useful about the Camelpak is that I can drink when I feel like it. This sounds obvious and a triviality but in a long running race when I am not using the backpack I find it difficult to drink what I want and when due to the lack of reliability of distances between aid stations and also the products they use. The longer I have been doing events the more I want to have my own products and consume them at my own pace. 

 

The other benefit I have found is that I can run with my iPhone. I listen to podcasts or audio books whilst running so I put on my current book and run with Bluetooth headphones. Also I can put on the mapmyrun app and it will tell me my pace and distance every mile...very useful. Strava claims to have this functionality but it does not work much to my frustration.

 

One downside of a drinks backpack is that you make a lot of sound! If I am running and talking to someone whilst running I make a lot of noise with all the liquid sloshing around...

 

Final tip: if you use a camelpak make sure you keep you bladder in the deep freeze between runs. This will stop it from getting the annoying build up of black fungus over time. However much you wash it after each use I have found it to be unavoidable.

 

Happy running!

A Sunday run round Dorney Lake and how not to do your first open water swim in a race

 Today I went for a run through Bray and on to Dorney Lake. It was a beautiful early summer morning - birds singing, sun rising over the horizon, the smell of horses and wild flowers. There is something so special about a summer's day in England, unlike any other place I have been.

   

Around 2 miles into my run I came off a public path and through a gap in some bushes to see Dorney Lake in its full glory. As I started to run around it perimeter so many happy memories came flooding back to me.....

 

Until 2009, we lived about 20 minutes drive from Dorney, in Farnham Common. We regularly came down this beautiful place. We walked the dogs; our kids rode their bikes for the first time here; we debated our dreams and future together; we witnessed some amazing rowing in person at the 2012 Olympics; and I took part in my first sprint triathlon.

 

It was 2006, 10 years ago this year. I had done several marathons and also some bike cyclosportives in France and Belgium over a few preceding years. I was walking in Windsor one Saturday morning and there was a group of people milling about in the park near the town center. They were setting up long thin poles in lines. I had no idea what they were, but was curious, so I walked over to take a look. I asked someone about what was going on and they said it was the Windsor Triathlon the next day. When I saw all the people, the wetsuits, and bikes I almost immediately became fascinated. Right then I knew I had to do one and soon. A couple of weeks later I entered the following year's Windsor Olympic distance triathlon along with an entry to a sprint triathlon at Dorney Lake as a lead up.

 

Flash forward three or four months later I stood on the platform at Dorney Lake in my wetsuit ready to get in the water for my wave in a sprint triathlon. This was a 750m swim, 21km Bike and 5K run. I can't tell you how nervous I was. My fear, above all else, was the swim. But, I thought to myself, with my good run I may have a chance to race well in my wave.

 

Despite being fit enough to run 26 miles and cycle over 100 miles I had never been a swimmer beyond the odd dip on summer holidays. I could swim, my parents made sure I was capable of staying alive in water, but I was never competitive or properly trained.  Come on, I thought, I can run a marathon, how hard can it be to swim a mile!

 

I walked with confidence into my local gym, the Monday after my visit to Windsor, got changed into swimming trunks, donned my rather old goggles and almost swaggered to the edge of the 20 meter pool. 'I will do a quick 500 meters and then get some lunch' I thought to myself. I dived in, belly flopping rather painfully, but unashamed I proceeded to start my best front crawl. 

 

About 150 meters later I stood, exhausted, at the shallow end of the pool, completely out of breath. How could I possibly swim another 1350 meters, then get out, cycle 26 miles and run 10k? I decided to get out, shower, and retire for lunch to consider my next steps. I walked away from the pool certainly more humble than when I got in. Such lessons have been taught to me over and over again in triathlon!

 

As I sipped on my smoothie and munched my sandwich I decided that I was not going to give in so easy. How to solve this swimming problem? I know, hire a coach!

 

A few days later I met with Francesca, a GB age group triathlete team member, and so began my long journey of drills and hard work to becoming a very below average swimmer. The most exciting part for me was buying my wetsuit!

 

Back to Dorney Lake. I had never done an open water swim but I had practiced in the pool a fair amount. Francesca had advised me to try an open water session but I thought to myself 'this can't be that hard' as I looked over the very short 750m course - a half loop from one jetty to another. It's just a lake after all, no real difference to a pool right?

 

The horn for the wave before me shook me out of my thoughts and the race starter shouted for myself and my fellow wave participants to get in the water. Great...here I go, as I jumped in.

 

Suddenly I could not breath - the water was freezing cold and was working its way down my back. I literally could not breath! '30 seconds' shouted the starter. My feelings of excitement and nerves were now drowned out, by panic. I wanted to get out of the water now. 'Hey come on, you have run marathons, cycled in the Alps, you can do this' I thought to myself.

 

The starter's horn bellowed out. All of a sudden everyone in the wave started swimming. I was still out of breath and in the middle of everyone. I briefly got dragged under by one fellow swimmer who quickly went past me in a cloud of bubbles and rubber. Another competitor hit me in the head and my goggles came loose. Water started to leak in.

 

As the pack started to get quite a way ahead of me I started to swim. Water still leaking into my goggles and the cold environment still taking my breath away, I struggled away with the stragglers. After a few strokes I could not breath any more, I started to do breast stroke to try to get my composure back.

 

By the time I made the first turn the leaders were already into the home stretch. I was in despair, what a disaster I thought to myself. I am going to be last!! I tried to break into front crawl several times, but ended up quickly out of breath and back to breast stroke.

 

Finally, it was over, I dragged myself out of the water. I was third or fourth last I think. It didn't matter by then. I ran over to my bike, this was the first time I felt the disappointment of seeing your kit in empty space on the racks. You never forget it!

 

The rest of my race went great! I cycled hard and did a very fast run. I caught up and passed many of the people in my wave before I crossed the finish line. But I had learnt a very valuable lesson - be humble and always respect the race. I made the same mistake once again, and had a lesson taught to me again 5K from the top of Mont Ventoux, but that a story for another day.

 

Despite my swim disappointment I loved my first triathlon. I was caught by the bug and still take part 10 years and 10 Ironman races later. But it was a lesson, hard learned, that I have never forgotten.

 

Funny what you remember on a Sunday morning run!

 

The Art of Frictionless Living

If you read the article ’11 traits of Top-notch triathletes’ on ironman.com the item at the top of the list is ‘We can deftly balance a jam-packed schedule’. I remember looking at similar articles when I started triathlon and thinking to myself how on earth I can squeeze all this in?…I felt I was busy before I started training!

I don't know if my schedule is any more jam packed than anyone else but I thought I would write about how I make such a simple sentence actually happen.

Basics…how long have I really got?

How many hours really do I have in a week - how much time do I really have the opportunity to maximize and change? 

168 Total hours in a week

Have to do time - fixed cost

50 hours sleep - 7 hours per night + 1 extra hour lie in at the weekend

55 hours work or work related activity - have to earn a living

7 hours per week preparing to leave for work and commuting to work

6 hours per week commuting back home

11 hours per week actually eating 

So you want to be an Ironman - discretionary but prioritized 

So now lets do some Ironman training - even for an age grouper like me, I want to do around 10-12 hours per week. But when you add in all the stuff around it i.e showering, traveling to and from the gym/pool, changing, preparing etc etc - lets call this 15 in total

So this leaves…

This leaves 24 hours available for the rest of your life….roughly 3 hours per day and around 14% of your total available time in the week. This is not a lot of variable time   So in this time you have to:

Have to do - you don't want to do

Admin - pay bills, waste time on the phone with cable, credit card, electricity etc etc

Shopping - need to buy food, get your haircut, go to the pharmacy etc etc

Chores - launder your clothes, put them away, cleaning, gardening, honey-do lists etc etc

Extra work - work you need to finish, unexpected items etc etc

Want to do

Spend time with your family - they are, for me at least, the most important

School events - kids sports, concerts etc

Friends - keep in touch, go out together etc etc

Resting - you need quiet time…don't underestimate this...I find that 3 hours of just doing nothing in a week makes a huge difference to help recharge 

Reading/Learning - you still need to learn about how to be better at everything!

Any other hobbies that you might have

Make sure you are healthy - doctor, dentist etc

The goal here is to remove as many of the don't want to do and maximize the Want to Do. 

How do I make this work?

So how do you maximize the priority items and training and minimize all the rest? To put the idea into two words, I constantly strive for what I call the ‘Frictionless life’…the principles are as follows:

1 Keep it simple - Simplify as much as possible. Companies are constantly trying to sell you products and services that apparently will help you be efficient. Some are worth trying but I recommend keeping things simple. You will have a few tools that really add value....the rest actually make the situation worse.

2 Set the priority - you need to decide what is and isn't priority in your life. You will not be able to do everything you want - deal with it!

3 Outsource - where you can afford it outsource tasks to people who will do them for you e.g cleaners, dry cleaners, some or all of the clothes washing/ironing etc. The more of this you can do the more time you will create.

4 Share - with your family/partner share the tasks that you are unable to outsource. Everyone should have responsibility for some part of the have to do tasks. Once shared let those responsible get on with it and trust it will be done. If you meddle then you are wasting your and the other person’s time!

5 You need a plan - plan out your spare/chore time in the same way as you do your workouts and work. For example we sit as a family and plan out the weekend on Wednesday and Thursday. This works because it generally involves fun items as well as chores so everyone looks forward to the time and maximizing the fun stuff. If you don't have a plan then time will disappear (later I will talk about how sometimes disappearing time is really good for you)

6 Combine - combine some of your tasks together. For example learn by reading/listening whilst commuting or working out. If your friends also work out then do it with them. You can rest with your family - play games, watch a movie etc etc

7 Prepare - for me, like most I am sure, the busiest time is Monday to Friday. My schedule is timed down to a few minutes. The only way to make this work is to prepare in advance. For example my training schedule is entered into Training Peaks by my coach every Saturday. This is based on me communicating late in the week what my schedule for the following week looks like. I then lay out the clothing for each workout for the work week in advance and put it into a bag in preparation. I write out the swim workouts onto individual pieces of paper for each day and put them into my swim bag.

8 Bring those important to you along - you must tell the important people in your life your plan and make sure that they are bought into whatever you are doing. What you will do, won't do and how you will help each other achieve your individual and shared goals. Give and take is vital!

If you can optimize these 8 items then you can create this Frictionless life…when you leave for work your coffee is ready, your car is full of gas, your train and parking ticket is up to date, your bills are paid on time, your bag is ready for training at the exact moment you are ready to walk out to the gym etc etc. Additionally you get to spend good times with your family and get the right amount of rest....everyone is happy!

When things go according to plan it is great. You will make a huge amount of progress towards your goals in very short periods of time. Everyone in your life knows what is going on and what they need to do…..

Consequences of living this way

In my time trying to live this way I have found some interesting things happen that will have an impact. 

1 Stop and Fix - because you are constantly prioritizing your life you will find that over time a backlog of low priority tasks will build up. Individually these tasks do not create a problem for your frictionless existence but together, over time they will get in the way. Eventually you have to pause the relentless prioritization and deal with them. I find that this needs to be done around once a month and will cost you at least a day of dealing with them. At the end of the time you will feel as though you have achieved nothing important but you should try not to think this way. Collectively they grease the wheels of your life, accept them.

2 Not everyone lives your way - I find that I sometimes get frustrated with others who do not live in a similar way. For example I stand in line to buy lunch at a buffet and the person in front spends so long putting small spoonfuls of food on their plate and changing their mind while you stand and wait knowing that you have a meeting in five minutes but you desperately need to eat. Accept that others live differently

3 You will not have time - one of the most difficult consequences of this lifestyle is that you will find that you do not have time for a lot of unplanned items. Example, a good friend calls you out of the blue and asks you out for a drink. Based on what you are doing this will unlikely fit into your plan. This means you have to make an instant prioritization decision. Do you drop your plan and go or say truthfully, in your eyes at least, that you are busy. These instant decisions have consequences….be careful.

4 Rest - you will not be able to keep the pace of living a frictionless life going for a long period without rest. You can either do it consciously or your body will force you by getting ill or overly tired. Experiment to know your limits and also plan for periods of rest. I generally find I need a rest of at least a few days every 3 months.

I have found this to be an effective way to live to achieve life goals. However, within the framework described you have to be flexible and adapt. Long term goals are by their very nature longer term...a consistent but flexible approach within your priorities works best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A drive to San Diego sitting on a tennis ball ...


I am writing this whilst sitting on a plane from LA to NY having spent the weekend at the Braveheart Highland Games Triathlon Training Camp in San Diego.

I got up at 3.45am this morning to get to LA airport in time for a 8am flight to NY. I had to leave early because another winter storm is due in NY later this evening and I promised my family I will be home for the Super Bowl viewing extravaganza.

So I was on the 2 hour journey at 4.30am driving on the freeway north of San Diego sitting on a tennis ball trying to release a rather painful muscle strain in my bottom when it occurred to me 'what the hell am I doing?!'. (The reason for using a tennis ball is another story that I will tell some other day)

I have spent the weekend all around the city of San Diego. Swimming in the sea at Ventura Cove near Sea World Thursday, running intervals up steep hills and cycling the Great Western Loop on Friday, and up Mount Palomar Saturday. Over eight hours of training in two days. Then just to make sure my muscles got a full workout we took part in an old fashioned Scottish Highland Games in NTC Park. This involved, amongst others, teams 'tossing the caber' or in our case a surfboard, racing with 40lb sand bags, and a tug of war.

I have met some amazing people who have told me their unbelievable and inspiring stories. I also saw some really talented athletes training at a pace I will never reach. I have done some great training, captured some great views around the city and seen a glimpse of the triathlon community of San Diego.

Bear in mind that I missed Thursday morning training and will miss swim, bike and run sessions today...I had to get up on Thursday morning in NY at 3am and drive down to JFK. The apparent 'snowmageddon' that was supposed to happen Tuesday cancelled my original Wednesday flight.

So crazy right? I should be heading towards 50 'elegantly'....taking part in more sedate activities more suited to my age group...most normal people would think so.

Definitely not...this weekend has convinced even more that I am living the right life. In fact it has added to my motivation to keep improving and striving to be the best I can be. Life is a one time deal and is lived one day at a time. Every day, in its own way is important. If you have the ability and a passion you must do your best to fulfill it. Live for today not yesterday...I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity and ability to even take part. Long may it continue!

Tahoe September 2014 - how an arsonist and the wind conspired

 

One of the principles of Ironman that you explicitly or implicitly buy into when you take part is that you finish what you start. I have been questioning this recently when I think about what has happened to me at Ironman Lake Tahoe in the last two years.

In a separate post I shared with you my experience at the 2013 race which involved snow, cold conditions, and a diversion off the course to get some warm clothes from my hotel. Despite these issues I overcame my additional problem of lack of fitness to collect my finishers medal and return home declaring success but with a desire to go back and perform better. So this year I returned to Squaw Valley, fitter, a year wiser, and with renewed hope that the weather would be fine so that I could turn in a satisfying result.

To add to this I had persuaded Raz and Andy, friends from Chicago, to join me in Tahoe with promises of beautiful scenery and a tough course to challenge their undoubted athletic prowess. They themselves persuaded family and other friends to come and join us....So we were all in on 2014 Ironman Lake Tahoe!


Not to worry, optimism will win the day!

The problems began as we came into land in Reno airport, about an hour's drive from Squaw Valley where the race is centered. We were in our final approach when a pungent smell of burning wood came apparent in the plane. It was so noticeable that we had a joke that the pilot was burning a wood fire because fuel was low...to add to that the landing was very bumpy with an extra hard landing. All was well....

However, when we got out of the plane and walked into the terminal the burning smell got worse and smoke was visible in the terminal building. There seemed to be no concern from our fellow passengers or locals...what was going on?

Google will have the answer....a quick search revealed all. There was a huge forest fire in the area. Well at least we were not going to burn to death in the terminal building. But wait...what about the race, I didn't fancy cycling and running in smoke? The Internet helps again, the organizers announced that race will be not be cancelled. The wind is blowing the smoke away from where we will be on the course on Sunday. All is well again!

We pick up our bags and car rentals and head down to Squaw Valley. We check in to the Plump Jack Inn, have a glass of wine, a snack, and retire to bed, minds starting to turn to how to deal with the hills on the bike course.

Blissful preparation

Friday and Saturday were spent happily preparing for the rigors of Sunday's event. A short swim in beautiful Lake Tahoe, warm up biking and running, and enjoying the local scenery and food - very relaxing.

 

On Saturday afternoon as we wandered in Squaw Valley, smoke started to blow in over the mountain top and into the valley. The wind had obviously changed direction. As day turned into evening the smoke became quite thick. What did this mean? There were no messages or indications from the organizers on the web site. All must be good right?

 

We enjoyed a sumptuous early dinner together, nerves and excitement starting to build. Another ironman day was coming, number nine for me....let's do it!

'Race day'

Up at 4am, I had my, standard Ironman breakfast - bagel with cream cheese, granola, coffee and a banana. The hotel served this with no extra cost or drama which makes such a difference. As a side note I would thoroughly recommend the Plump Jack Inn if you are ever in Squaw valley

As we left the hotel to get into the car we were greeted with the same thick smoke....no messages from anyone so we must be game on. There is so many challenges during an Ironman that this would just be another to deal with when the time came.

We drove down to the swim start, all smooth and on schedule. The day was much warmer than the year before. I was delighted that I would not lose feeling in my feet because of ice cold sand as I wait to get into the water to start swimming.

With 20 minutes to the start I put on my wetsuit and strolled down to the lake beach with Andy to have a final warm up swim and preparation. I enjoyed a gentle warm up swim with a beautiful sun coming up over the water. How am I going to do today...have I trained enough?...words from Ana, my wife, and Lesley, my coach, in my mind. Same questions, same answerS every race - you are what you are, just leave it all out there on the course.

Ready to go, I stand up in the water and start to walk back to the beach to get in line. The first thing I see is a guy with his head in his hands..it's a bit early for defeatism I think to myself. The person next to him looks really upset. 'What's going on...' I say. 'Did you not hear, they have cancelled the race!', 'Your joking right?...' I retort. Just then over a crackling microphone a voice comes over saying 'to repeat, due to unsafe conditions caused by the forest fire, the race is cancelled, please collect your bikes and return to Squaw Valley to pick up your running gear...' Unbelievable!

Another competitor next to me then proceeds to tell me his Ironman story, how he had begged a surgeon to fix his knee to get him back to training to be ready for the day. How could this happen he wonders aloud..he was almost in tears. I told him about my race experience the previous year...I said to him that at least his knee is fixed and he can come back again and to it next year! We hugged and promised to meet at the same point the year after if the race was on. What a weird sight, two blokes dressed in wetsuits, hugging in Lake Tahoe at 7am!

I went over to see the support crew. They had found out that the organizers had to cancel the race because of the smoke over the run and parts of the bike course, not the swim. It was a beautiful day over the lake but in the far distance you could see the smoke billowing over the valley.

It was over....

What next?

I grab a cup of coffee and we have a chat about what to do next. I felt that I wanted to do some sort of workout, if only to work off the huge dinner from the night before!

So we decided to do a swim and a cycle. They had left the buoys on the swim course and the kayakers were still out on the water. So, after one mile of swimming Andy and I got on our bikes and proceeded to cycle one loop of the tough bike course. Apart from the top of the tough second hill and thick smoke in Truckee, a small town on the route, it was a lot of fun.

On our way back to Squaw Valley, just over 50 miles into the bike we decided to stop and get some food. The support crew joined us in a great bar and restaurant where we decided to sample their famous Bloody Mary's!

We did not cycle any further.....

Again!

In my view WTC, the race organizers did the best job they could in difficult circumstances. They made the right call canceling the race. Even after cycling only 50 miles in quite good conditions my eyes were starting to burn and my throat was sore. I don't think a full 112 miles biking and a marathon would have done us any good at all.

On Monday afternoon we all got a mail offering us, amongst other things, a limited number of places in races in the following weeks and also $100 entry into the 2015 race.

We decided we will do it all over again...third time lucky and a great race for me next year then!

 

 

My Favourite Ride

I have told so many people about my favourite ride on the Mediterranean Riviera that I thought I would put fingers to keyboards and get pictures recorded for everyone to see. Every time I am in France I get excited about doing this ride because I cant imagine a better experience on a bike anywhere in the world. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

As you can see from the map below this is approximately 140Km (84 miles) out and back route from Beaulieu-Sur-Mer in France to San Remo in Italy. The ride also includes climbing the famous Poggio which is part of the Milan to San Remo cycling race every year.

I generally do this ride very early in the morning as soon as it is light so I can see the sun coming up and get it completed before lunch time so I can enjoy wine and food on the beach afterwards!



The first 10km of the day is tough climbing up to the famous road called La Turbie. However, you are rewarded with some amazing views over Cap Ferrat as you climb out of the town and up into the mountains above the sea

Its a steep climb...especially towards the end.

But you get this at the top!

Once at the top there is a short ride over to the village La Turbie

Followed by a very long descent into Monaco...

And after a short climb there is another restful descent into Menton on the Italian border.

Into Italy...

Another 20km or so and I take a rest for breakfast in Ventimiglia..Espresso and Croissant overlooking the square

And now onto San Remo...through the Italian morning commuter traffic

Up the Poggio

Takes some effort!

Great view at the top over San Remo

And now I start my route home...instead of going on La Turbie again on the way back I go through the center of Monaco...and ride some of the Formula 1 route in the harbour

Once out of Monaco and a few towns along the coast road I arrive back at Beaulieu Sur Mer...lunch, wine and a rest on the beach awaits!

 

Ups and Downs at Ironman Lake Tahoe September 2013

 


Trip down

I flew to Reno/Tahoe airport, about 45 minutes drive from Squaw Valley, on Thursday night. My journey was supposed to be via Chicago from NY but, due to poor weather in Illinois, I had to fly via Dallas. Once I had got a car, driven down, and checked into the Resort at Squaw Valley is was 3.30am back in NY!

I got up early the next day, had breakfast, and drove 30 minutes to the swim start at Kings Beach. The swim starts at the pier, and, after transition, the bike route is 2 1/3 loops before finishing back at Squaw Valley ski resort.

I parked up and got into my wetsuit and wandered down to the beach and took in the spectacular view. There was an official practice swim but I didn't need to follow the organizers times, I just got in and swam! The first 100 yards or so of the lake is very shallow so you have to wade out until you can start swimming. The water was chilling and a little cold on my head so I resolved to wear two swim caps for the race.

After a pleasant swim and a stroll around transition I returned to Squaw Valley where I picked up my race packet, my bike from Tri Bike transport, and the obligatory merchandise. Squaw valley looked like it would be fun in the winter for skiing.

The journey from the day before had exhausted me so I returned to my room, had a snooze, did some work, and waited until evening when I picked Ana and Jamie from the airport. It was great to have my support team with me!

Final preparation

Up early again Saturday. Over breakfast the weather for the day did not look good. The forecast was calling for a heavy rain storm from about 10am through to the next morning. I wanted to check in my gear, go for a second swim and a short bike ride so we went straight to Kings Beach. When we arrived the storm was already having an effect - the winds had picked up and the lake was very choppy. So instead of swimming we bought some breakfast items for Sunday and checked out where we would park on race morning. On the way back to the hotel I got out of the car and had a pleasant, but wet, bike ride back.

The race at Lake Tahoe is held at altitude, about 600m, and the course has two big hills, one about 4 miles long, the other 3. When I read up about the course I was told that there were several sections with gradients over 11%. Because of this, and my lack of knowledge of the area I decided to take my road bike rather than my tri bike. My road bike has a compact inner ring and in the end this turned out to be a good decision.

The other decision that needed to be made was what to wear on the bike and run. I had brought thin gloves, a bike jacket and arm warmers. The weather forecast expected it to be around 30 at race start and rising to late 60's. So this meant that I would start cold and then perhaps need to strip off later in the race - always the worst to plan for! So I decided to go with a jacket, arm warmers but my usual no socks.

For the run I has brought a long sleeved running shirt and I bought a fleece hat to put in my special needs when the sun started to go down.

Once all my kit and bike were in transition we went for an early dinner and then to bed. We were all asleep by 8.30pm. As I dozed off I was feeling nervous about how I would get on the following day. Myself and family have recently moved from Chicago to NY for me to take up a new job. All of the moving and my travel for work had really got in the way of any consistent training. I knew I was not fit enough to replicate my circa 12 hour time the previous year in Wisconsin. My target was just to finish, collect my 7th Ironman medal and then start again for a better overall season in 2014. My only concern was would the bike course break me......

Race Morning

Up at 4am for breakfast. For some reason I forgot to have granola with my bagel and banana as my traditional ironman breakfast - as a result I was very hungry when I finished the swim and it took over an hour of almost constant eating of bars and chomps for me to feel satisfied on the bike! Lesson learned.

We drove down to the start, found a parking spot, collected my bags and walked over to transition. It was very cold, below 30 I would have thought, and there had not just been rain overnight the transition bags had ice on them!

Anyway I checked my bike, handed in my special needs bags and then went over the start, my teeth already chattering! Once in my wetsuit and having had a practice swim in the warmer water I started to feel a little better. In fact I was still in the water when the pros started.

Swim

The swim at Tahoe is two loops of an out and back course to the beach. You don't get out of the water after the first loop but the water is shallow so many people walked a few yards before starting the 2nd loop.

The organizers did a rolling start for the race. This worked very well and I have to say I had very little stress or 'fighting' associated with traditional mass starts.

One item to note was that we waited on the beach to start. This was fine except that the sand was unbelievably cold from the night before and so I lost feeling in my feet. Additionally it took 10 minutes or so to go through the start so I was shivering with the cold. It was blessed relief to get into the relatively warmer water. Would definitely recommend booties....

As I walked into the water and the light was starting to come up there was a really beautiful view of the hills surrounding the lake. There had been a lot of snow overnight on the peaks so it made it look even more picturesque.

I actually really enjoyed the swim. The only issue I had was that on the first loop there was so much steam coming off they water I could not see where I was going! I could not see any of the buoys so I am sure I swam further than I needed to by going off course.

I think I took it too easy on the first loop, I felt very comfortable all the way through to the finish. I was actually fitter than I thought....


Bike

And so on to the bike. Transition was a bit odd in that the changing tent that was set up was completely inadequate so I, and many others, had to change out in the cold. Not really an issue other than again I lost feeling in my feet and I got cold... Anyway got my kit on, grabbed my bike and started the ride.

All was good for the first 10 miles or so but as we started towards Squaw Valley the cold wind made my bare legs and feet even more cold. Even a steep climb at 12 miles could not warm me up. As Squaw Valley got close I could that it was still snowing up the mountain and my legs were beginning to get red raw!

The bike course actually goes past the turning to the Squaw Valley Resort where we were staying. As I came up to the turning I decided to take a detour! I cycled the 2 miles up to the hotel, got off my bike, asked the reception to give me a key to our room and then went and put some long socks on. It was kind of funny because as I came back in to the lobby there was a small crowd clapping me and shouting 'way to go' as I ran past in my cycling shoes.

After about 30 minutes detour I was back on the course and feeling much better. I was still under dressed but I was warm enough to ride.

And so on to the two big climbs. If you look at the profile of the bike course on the event web site the first climb looks less steep and high as the second. From bitter experience I can tell you that this is not a good representation. The first climb is very tough. It has many false flats which I think makes the profile look easier but the in between parts are steep. So the routine is climb a steep part, false flat and then repeat about 8 times. When you reach the top you are basically at the top of a ski resort called Northstar.

The climb is followed by a very quick descent on good quality and open roads. When you reach the bottom you turn right and then immediately start the second climb which is less challenging but is also hard work, especially the last half mile.

When I got to the top of the second climb it was great to see Jamie and Ana there to greet me. I was now sweating a lot and feeling very tired. Once over the summit the cold air immediately cooled me down and made me feel cold again!

Long descent and then to the start of the 2nd loop. At about mile 60 I really felt tired and was very concerned about doing the two climbs again. I was demoralized and thought very seriously about quitting. As usual I had my phone in my back pocket and called Ana for help! My ideas of packing it in we're given short shrift by her and I resolved to at least make it to mile 90 at the top the 2nd climb.

As I went up the climbs for the second time I had to rest several times to get my heart rate down. I was struggling but somehow I fought through the exhaustion to get up those hills. I had to dig really deep to get to Ana and Jamie at mile 90 but it was so great to see their smiling faces and encouraging words. There is absolutely no way I could have ever have done all of the races I have done without their support. They are wonderful and an inspiration to me.

Once over the top at mile 90 a fast downhill and then a weary 20 miles to the end of the bike. I was very glad it was over.


Run

In May when I did Ironman Texas my main issue was the heat and trying to keep cool. To keep things different the issue on the run in Tahoe was that's the sun went down it would start to get very cold.

The run course is two loops, the first of which is 17 miles and the second 9 miles. I actually quite like this format because when you go back into town to all the crowds you know that you have less than 10 miles to go which makes you feel better.

Anyway got off the bike through transition and started the run. Was not feeling good but after half mile or so got my legs back and started running. For the first 16 miles I kept a reasonably reliable 11 minute run/walk pace. After that, the light started to fade and so did my running pace. By mile 20 I had pretty much slowed to walking.

As I came up the last 2 miles it was pitch black and all you could see we're lights on the runners heads and their hot breath hitting the cold air.

I was absolutely delighted, after such a difficult bike and all the changes in my life over the last few months to actually finish Ironman Lake Tahoe. I came over the line, wrapped myself in foil, collected my medal and after picking up my gear went straight back to the hotel to bed and fell quickly to sleep..I was a happy and satisfied 7 time ironman finisher.

I would definitely recommend Ironman Lake Tahoe. I will return in 2014, better prepared with more warm clothing and also much fitter. You need to be fit to do this race or you will suffer like I did!

 

 

 

 

 

Hot and Heavy in The Woodlands - Ironman Texas 2013

Trip down

The Texas race is on a Saturday so myself, Ana and Jamie left Chicago on an early flight to Houston on Thursday. We arrived around lunchtime and drove around 30 minutes north of the airport to The Woodlands where the race is based.

We checked into the race hotel, The Marriott which we had booked right around the time I entered the race. The hotel is in a perfect location and I would thoroughly recommend staying there.

Once settled in I went over to the expo and got registered. Queue was not long so was through quickly. I then picked up my bike from Tri Bike transport who had picked up my bike from Highland Park Trek about 15 minutes from where we live and trucked it over to Texas. They offer a great, cost effective, service which avoids you having to pack up your bike in a box and get it off and on planes.

We had a quick lunch and then returned to our room for a little relaxation time. A snooze later, I decided to take a quick stroll over to transition and checked out the swim in, bike out, run out schemes. Whilst there I met a guy who told me that this was ironman number 39, made my 6 seem quite inadequate!

After a very pleasant dinner right opposite the finish line with a colleague from work and her family we retired to bed.

Final preparation

Early Saturday I went over to the swim start for a practice swim. The race organisers did not advertise the practice very well but after asking around I found out it was going on. I must have been one of the few that didn't know because three were hundreds of people milling about when got there.

The swim starts about a 15-20 minute walk from transition. Kind of unusual in most races I have taken part in but in the end it was no big deal. More of a big deal for me was that the swim was one where the temperature of the water is too hot to allow wetsuits. You can actually wear a wetsuit if you want but you have to start 10 minutes behind the mass start. I planned to not wear a wet suit and because I had never done it before, was nervous about how I would perform. I had actually done a lot of swim training so I felt apprehensive but reasonably confident that I would be fine

Anyway, had a nice swim even though the water was a bit choppy, and returned to the hotel for breakfast and then to bike check in and final preparations. These always take longer than you think so I was not done until lunchtime.

Rest of the day was spent examining maps, buying stuff in the expo, relaxing and eating! What was clear though from the forecast was that Saturday was going to be hot...over 90 degrees, winds gusting up to 14 mph, and mid 80's humidity. Having spent my training time during the winter in Chicago..this was going to be a tough adjustment!

My father, who was on business in Houston at the same time, came up for an early dinner and, after dropping him off at his hotel, I retired to bed. I slept reasonably well, but thoughts of the swim kept racing around my head....

I had also not had an ideal training run into the race. I had been ill a couple of times in Jan and Feb which had meant that I had lost at least 4 weeks of training. With my tight travel and work schedule this is a big deal for me. In fact, late in March, I nearly decided to pull out. But with some consistent and strong training in April I felt I was in half reasonable shape. I knew, however, that given the expected heat and humidity I was going to suffer a fair amount. There is nowhere to hide in an Ironman....you will get found out eventually!

Race Morning

It seems to have become a tradition for me that I have a small bowl of granola, coffee, a bagel with cream cheese, and more coffee for my pre Ironman breakfast. Strangely, the hotel did not offer a breakfast so I arranged to have the items delivered via room service the night before and put the milk etc in the fridge.

So having filled myself with food I walked over to transition, checked out my bags and then met up with Ana and Jamie to walk over to the swim start.

One mistake I made, I put chamois cream in my bike bib shorts on Friday afternoon and left the in the hot sun all day and night. I should have put fresh cream on the shorts on Saturday....by about mile 70 on the bike I had a fair amounts of pain from rubbing on my ass and crotch...

Swim - 1hr32m

The swim at Texas can be broken down into 3rds. The start is in Woodlands Lake and takes you out most of the length of the before you turn back on yourself and almost return to where you started. However, just before the start line the course takes you to the left where you swim down a narrow canal to the finish and transition.

I could not figure out where best to start in amongst the masses so I decided to be in the middle of the start line a little behind the front..this turned out well for me so I would do this again.

Anyway, the gun goes off and we are underway. The start of an ironman can be very stressful with lots of fighting and kicking so I am always determined to keep calm and just try to get into my stroke as soon as possible. I really did not have any major problems.

However, the kicking and fighting returns when you turn into the canal. It is very narrow and so there is little room to manoeuvre. This is not the best time for this to happen because tiredness is beginning to creep in and other swimmers get more angry! The very interesting part of the canal is that spectators are very close. They could reach out and touch you..never seen this before.

Bike - 6hr14m

Felt pretty good when I got out of the swim and very pleased to have survived without the wetsuit! Smooth transition and off I went on the bike.

I knew from conversations with fellow competitors that the wind was going to be with us until about mile 40 and thereafter it was going to be either a side or worse, a headwind all the way home.

40 miles in, sure enough I was averaging 22mph and feeling good. Turned a corner and then suddenly the side wind slowed me down....after a further 20 miles and another left turn I was slowed down even more by the headwind....

I had no bike issues, got or had all the nutrition I needed and so the ride caused me no problems. However, after about mile 80 I really started to feel the heat and the wind, and with my chafing issues the last 20 miles were really tough. I wanted them over quick...My speed really slowed and so I did not manage to break 6 hours.

Run (or not) - 6h23m

I was very pleased to get off the bike but I soon realised that I was pretty much cooked already and I had a marathon to complete! I had no intention of quitting so I figured that I would cool myself down at the first aid station and things would quickly improve.

I went through transition slowly and then started to run out after getting covered in sunscreen. The aid station came quickly and I drank cold drinks put ice in my hands and on my head. I then started to run again but I quickly slowed to a walk. I was already suffering and I was on mile 2! In fact, after repeating a run walk pattern until mile 4 I started to feel dizzy and was concerned that if I collapsed or sat down my race would be over.

There are 3 loops for the marathon:around the lake we swam in and the the town where the hotel is based. I quickly decided that I came to Texas to complete the no wet suit swim and get a medal...whatever the time so I ended up walking most of the first loop with the intention of cooling down as much as could. This included getting a tip from a fellow runner to put ice into my shorts because the vein around the crotch is wide and so is more likely to help with cooling. This technique had a good effect so as I came back into town I felt better to run again.

A quick note here to say that the crowds in and around the main town of Woodlands were fantastic, they created a great atmosphere and really cheered me up as I struggled through the afternoon heat. Dancing girls, singers, bands, you name it they were out to cheer us on..

So onto lap 2, starting to feel better so I ran a lot more than I walked, but as I headed into the end of the loop I was done. I had nothing left to give so I was left to mainly walk with brief interludes of running.

The marathon was my worst time ever, ironman or not, but I was so delighted to get over the line and finish! Ana and Jamie said that I did not look happy but I can tell you that inside I was jumping with joy...what a tough day. I finished in 14hr26mins and was so happy to get the medal put over my head. Ironman number six was done...

Post Race

I went with Ana, Jamie and my Dad for food and drink at the post race party. I inhaled a burrito but my legs were very very tired. I had to then get off my sore ass and walk over to transition to pick up my bike. It felt like one of the longest walks of my life. Ana even had to wake me up after I took a little rest in the grass on the way! After struggling through transition to get my bike and gear we slowly got back to hotel and I collapsed into bed. I was very happy, despite my time, to have got the job done..

Next morning after inhaling a large breakfast I decided that I have to go back to the Woodlands and do the whole experience again. I always want to do better so I signed up for Ironman Texas 2014. I really enjoyed the whole experience, the atmosphere, and the location so I will return....

 

Ironman Wisconsin, Madison 2012

 

A great day in my 3rd Ironman Wisconsin...no punctures, no bottle cages flying off, or broken cables!

I was aiming for a time under 12 hours. As you will see from the photo I missed it by 19minutes

Everything went to plan until around mile 15 on the run...I ran out of energy and slowly but surely walked more than I should have done.

I needed to finish before 7pm but the clock ticked over 12 hours when I was at the drink station inside 2 miles. I could see the Wisonsin state building where the finish line was set up...very frustrating...

Anyway I beat my PB by over 30 minutes which is very satisfying. I am so glad I went back to Madison for my third outing. It is such a great course and the crowds are absolutely brilliant.

I had such a memorable weekend with Ana, Jamie and my Dad who was visiting from the UK. It was also great to be together with my Triumph training friends, coaches, and their family and friends. They were all cheering me from beginning to end of the day...I am very lucky!

Me in a funny helmet... 

And over the line....!

 

 

Horrible Hilly 2012 - A Pole, a Romanian and a Scotsman go cycling in the hills in Wisconsin

The web site for the Horrible Hilly Hundreds says it is "The Toughest One-Day Challenge Ride in the Midwest" is not to be missed by serious riders anywhere. It did not disappoint...

Myself, and fellow cyclists Raz and Andy travelled up to near Madison on Friday evening and stayed over at the Hilton Homewood Suites about 30 minutes from the race start.

Saturday morning we got up at 5am and, after a quick breakfast, headed over to the race. The road up to the parking was steep and long and gave a good indication of what was to come!

With admin and pre race prep we took some time to get going but by 7.30am we were on our way. We were doing the 150k route. The thing about the course is that the hills are steep but generally quite short. However, there is almost no respite, they keep coming one after the other!

We rode together for about the first 50 miles but after that Andy and Raz went on ahead...I was really feeling the hills and starting to suffer. The last 20 miles were a real struggle but I knew that it was great training!

Good day out...highly recommended it if you want a hard challenge. Thanks Andy and Raz for your company and making it a great experience!

Adventure in the Desert - Ironman St. George, Utah 5th May 2012

Travel down and preparation

Myself, my wife Ana and my son Jamie travelled down to Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon, around a 4 hour flight from Chicago. By the time we picked up the luggage, a rental car, and drove 2 hours through the desert it was about 9pm when we arrived at the Green Gate B&B in St. George. Interestingly we drove through 3 states, Nevada, Arizona and into Utah to get to St. George, we also moved back from Pacific to Mountain time. We ended up in a nice small cottage of our own in the B&B ‘complex’ - clean, a comfortable bed, close to the finish line, and welcoming owners – perfect.

Friday morning we had a hearty breakfast with a few other athletes, some of whom had been there since very early in the week, and headed down to get registered before the final 11am cut off. I also picked up my bike which had been transported down to St. George by Tri Bike Transport which makes things so much more convenient.

The swim is in a reservoir called Sand Hollow Reservoir just over 20 miles out of town. The bike course goes back into town and does 2 circa 40 mile loops before heading into the town for the run. The run is 3 loops on the streets in the town center so very good for spectators.

Once all registered and I had checked out my bike setup we headed out to the lake to put my kit into transition and have a quick swim. One of my concerns going into the race was that the water has been very cold during previous years. However, soon after I jumped in I felt great – much warmer than early season training in Lake Michigan!

Once checked in we headed out to have a look a quick look Zion National Park – wonderful scenery - Ana took some photos and we agreed we need to return for a longer stay next year. We then went back into town to a prehistoric dig site where a number of original dinosaur fossils were on display. We also met my cousin who drove up with her kids from Las Vegas to meet us for a few hours. We shared some great frozen yoghurt, watched the kids running race in town, cooled our feet in the fountains in the town center and played with the kids. Very relaxing!

To finish a busy day we found a supermarket for the pre-race breakfast supplies the next morning and bought a pizza for dinner. And so to bed at 9pm…..we were all exhausted and it was only day one!

Race morning

Up at 4am…followed by breakfast of bagel & cream cheese, banana, some granola, and the mandatory two mugs of coffee. Adequately full, I left the room, handed in my special needs bags, and got on a bus to the lake. The B&B was right across the road from the bus pick up so zero stress or concern here. Little note on my special needs bag, given what happened to me last September in Madison the bike special needs bag was full of spare inner tubes and gas just in case!

Swim

The swim course is one loop of 2.4 miles starting opposite a small island in the lake and then out and back where the back involves going past the other side of the island and in to the finish - the corners being at roughly 800m, 1400m, and 3200m.

Felt good at the start, found a place on the right and started a good paced swim with very little kicking and fighting which is unusual. I was really hoping to get a PB on the swim – this is where a lot of my winter training had gone! This confidence carried on up until the first corner, but when we turned we had large waves going across our path. The wind had suddenly got up and was causing large waves to kick up – plenty of white water. I kept calm, put the idea of a PB out of my head, and kept my stroke consistent breathing to the right to avoid the swell.

After 1400m we started to head into the wind and the swimming got a lot harder! Every few strokes I was either slapped in the head or got a mouthful of water. However, I still kept calm and got on with my swimming just making slower progress!

After a good period I was getting very close to the island – roughly I guess about 800m to go and I heard a lot of shouting around me. I stopped swimming and had a look around. There were a lot less people in the pack I was in and I could see some boats way behind me with many competitors hanging on. Also there were boats to my left with athletes being transported to shore. This was obviously worrying to me…had the swim been cancelled and I had not heard? Also I could not see the buoys that were there before we started – they almost all had disappeared. All I could see ahead was one orange buoy but not the red one where we were supposed to turn to go into the swim finish. Finally, and most concerning there were no kayaks or canoes around as support. It suddenly occurred to me that if I had a cramp or something go wrong there was no one around to come and help. They would find it difficult enough to find me in what must have been up to 10 foot waves.

I carried on swimming but after a few more minutes where my calmness was beginning to be replaced with genuine concern for my safety a motor boat bouncing in the water came nearby. The guy driving the boat asked if I was ok – I said yes but that the swim was crazy. He said that many had been pulled out and that it may make sense for me to get out also. So at that moment I had to make a call….should I stay the boat may not come back? With no support in sight, no bouys marking out the course, and so many being pulled out, and with his advice it seemed unwise to continue. I did not feel tired at all and felt confident that I would finish despite the conditions but the risk/reward at that moment seemed to be in the wrong balance. So I decided to get on ….

We then went on and spent quite a lot of time collecting more athletes some of which were injured or shivering badly…one guy in particular looked bad. We then headed to the swim finish…


When I got off the boat, grateful to be on firm ground, I started to walk off the marina and I noticed that a few athletes were finishing the swim. I assumed that they were finishing but that the swim time would be discounted and a duathlon would then be the order of the day. Just then an official walked up to me and ripped off my timing chip…he told me to go to his colleague behind him and talk to him about a duathlon.

I walked on looking for his colleague but there was no one about…several officials were, quite rightly, looking after the injured person on the boat I had just dismounted. So I thought ‘what the hell’ keep going and I will work it out at the finish! So I ran through to transition got my bike gear and ran out to start the bike. The race clock just ticked to 2 hours and I was on my way.

Here is a link to an article in the local newspaper about the swim…this should give you some context to what we had to deal with http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/54055727-77/race-didn-george-athletes.html.csp

Bike

So I immediately put the experience of the swim behind me confident that I had made the right decision at that moment and got on with second part of my day. I immediately felt the wind on the bike that we had been swimming through. I hoped that this would not continue for the whole 112 mile route – that optimism was drained away over the following few hours!

After about 3-4 miles I met a guy who told me about his swim experience…he had got to the island, had a rest and then joined up with a few other athletes and swam directly in from there without going round and following the race route. This confirmed to me that I had made the right choice but he had not had his race chip taken from him!

I had looked at only the 20 mile route into town as part of the pre-race prep so it went without any event of note except the continual wind. Thereafter I only knew that there were basically 25 odd miles of climbing followed by 15 miles of downhill back on the two loops. I also had heard from fellow athletes that there were two steep climbs on the loop – one called The Wall.

I had spent a lot of time preparing my bike and checking and re-checking everything that I was quietly confident that I was not going to have the disaster of Madison where my bike basically collapsed on me (another long story) and caused me to DNF in September last year. In fact this race was really meant to be redemption for what happened that day!

Anyway back to the bike, we were cycling uphill and into a strong wind. Furthermore the course was not just a gentle climb up 25 miles, it was constantly rolling! So the wind plus the 2 steep hills just continued to sap strength from the legs…very hard work. Then at about 25 miles into the loop we finally turned a switch back up another steep hill for about a mile but this time the wind was behind us! A few more rolling miles after that and suddenly we started to plunge downwards…..smooth roads and steep downhill I noticed several times that I got to 50 miles an hour on this section – what a relief! With strong side winds it took all my skill to not get blown off the bike – I heard later that one of the pros with a disc wheel did indeed get blown off the road.

And so to the second loop – I was at about 70 miles in at this stage so I knew that I needed to get 25 more uphill miles done and then I would have a fast downhill again to the finish. Every one of these 25 miles were painful and tiring. My only relief was seeing Ana and Jamie who had made the effort to get a bus out to the one point on the route that spectators could get to. They had waited so long for me but they really cheered me and made me even more determined to get the job done.

Finally after leaving part of myself on those steep hills, especially the one at 90 odd miles I finally got downhill relief and made it into transition for the run. My timer showed just over 7hours 30mins for the bike just under 14.5miles per hour for the 112 miles.

Run

And so the last part of the day…the marathon. My basic aim here was to try to 10 minute miles for as long as I could and measure where I was at this point in the tri season. I took a walk break at each rest station to take on water and ice to keep my temperature down. I was bit overheated after the bike so I really worked on this for the first few miles of the run. Ice down the shirt, in the cap, cold sponges etc etc..after 2-3 miles I started to feel good and was hitting 10 minute miles easily.

However, after I had done 12 miles the wheels started to come off…I knew this was going to happen I just didn’t know when! Despite Ana and Jamie’s constant and unbelievable support I could not keep the pace going and I gradually got worse and worse as the miles went by. The rest of the run was a combination of run/walk until the end - the last 5 miles being more walk than run.

Finally after 14 hours 40 minutes and 30 seconds I crossed the line and finished my fourth Ironman!

Post Race

I was expecting that because I had no timing chip that the organizers would not give me a medal but to their credit I got the finishers hat, shirt and medal – I was very pleased. I then walked through, grabbed some pizza and finally rested – I couldn’t eat the pizza so I gave it to my hungry family!

After some time talking about what had happened we handed my bike back to Tri Bike Transport, grabbed my gear, got a bad case of the shivers in the shower, and collapsed into bed. Apart from terrible sun burn on my calves I felt very tired but basically fine. My body was so ‘cooked’ however I could not sleep – I heard the final athlete go over the line and the fireworks go off and I drifted off to sleep happy with what I had achieved in a long and very rough day.

Another report from the local paper sums it up for me… http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/54054992-77/ironman-com-hoffman-livestream.html.csp