I was fit for the ace, as I’d trained for Ironman China in March hoping to get a Kona slot, but due to the heat, humidity and not really being good enough. I was really spent, more than I realised, physically and mentally. If I’m really honest with myself I struggled massively after China and I didn’t really realise just how much until yesterday morning, when I reflected on the race on Sunday when writing this. I’ve been going through the motions in training for the past couple of months and out of the three disciplines I’ve only really enjoyed my swimming. Probably, because I escaped the heat of Dubai, so, because of this I didn’t fully feel as fit as I was going into China, but I was in good shape.
Mostly, going into the race on Sunday all I really wanted to do was to enjoy it, but and it’s a big, but I truly wouldn’t have been happy if I hadn’t of gone Sub 10.
Everything seems to go really well in the lead up to race. Sarah and I had met Chrissie Wellington and all the team members from Tri2aspire, but then two days before the event at the practice swim I was bitten by something behind my knee - ouch. It was angry, very angry and I couldn’t see any muscle definition around my knee for about 24hours. I was worried, as I was struggling to straighten my knee and run on it, this could be a problem.
The Swim 1.02Fortunately, through the use of a number of medicines the knee calmed down and by 6.20 I was in the water in the canal ready for the off, ready for Challenge Roth. Despite the fact that there were only 200 guys in my waves start it was the roughest Ironman swim I have ever done. If I got hit, got swam over or I swam over someone else once it happen three or four times. The swim down to the turn around point felt pretty quick, but it seemed to take forever to come back and for the most of it, the swim was pretty uneventful. As I headed out toward the exit I checked my watch and to be honest I was a little disappointed. I’ve been swimming great in training and open water events back home, but whether I didn’t push myself hard effort, got lost or just picked the wrong legs to draft off for a bit, I was 5minutes off target of 57minutes, disappointing really.
T1 – No problems, but just how hard are CEP socks to get on!
The Bike 5.11
I set out on the bike and all the talk before hand had been how fast the course was, but when we drove it on the Thursday afternoon. I remember telling Sarah that I thought it (and the hills) was a little harder than people gave it credit. Equally, there were parts where you could get really battered by the wind. The first lap seemed to take ages and I really felt like I was behind the time I wanted. There were parts of the course that I simply loved the three hairpin descent turns, the Solarberg Hill and some of the descents, where the fastest I got to was 77kph! At this stage I have to mention the Solarberg Hill, if this is what it’s like on the Tour de France, oh my god! I have never and I think never will experience anything like that in a race every again (unless I do Roth again). It is like nothing I have ever seen, heard or raced through, simply incredible, there were, however were parts on the course where (the back end with the wind) I could have just got off my bike, found the recovery vehicle and gone home. I did really find it hard to get into it during the first lap, that was until I started the second lap then I seemed to liven up and I started to enjoy it more. At this stage my front mech, started to play up and wouldn’t change back up to the big ring, so I just stayed in it instead and struggled my way up the hills hoping it wouldn’t damage me too much on the run. I wasn’t eating much to be honest I just didn’t fancy it, throughout the bike I had 4litres of High 5, 500ml of water, 600ml of Ensure (meal replacement drink) and a couple of sips of High 5 Gel. Even through this was the case I still felt fine and I knew I would have to shift onto coke and water straight away in the run. The enjoyment I was feeling on the second may also have come from the fact that there where a lot more people on the course. The first lap was more like racing in Ironman China, there was hardly anyone, but then on the second lap there was also the relay guys, who were mainly bikers, so I knew they would be strong. I rode for the last 80kms with two strong German riders, every so often each of us would that the lead legally. It was a great help to tell truth and I never really quite realised how much help it would be, we didn’t chat at all until the last 10km, where each of us would encourage each other when each of us took the front. I headed into T2 way, way, way too fast with one of the guys, he stopped safely, giving his bike to the helper, whereas almost flew over the handle bars, with one foot clipped into the peddles. The butch German lady grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me from going over the handlebars! I then ran off into T2.
T2 – No problems here.
The Run 3.35
I started out well and felt good. It really helped having my GPS and my watch telling me my pace and my overall time. The run was quite flat, but there were parts that tested you, grassy parts and some small hills, which just broke your rhythm. On my way out to the first turn around I saw some of the male and female pros heading towards the second turn around. The aid stations were great loads of different foods, but all I really wanted coke and water. In typical fashion as I started the run I was careful not to spill it down my face and on my hands (I hate sticky), so I did tend to walk while I downed the coke and water. Then I’d grab a sponge and wipe my face etc. It was hot, but not that bad to be honest, it felt comfortable, but there was a lot of people suffering, because of it. My pace was going up and down a tad, but this was only due to the areas I was walking in the aid stations, when I was running my pace was pretty much same. The run out through the forest was a pain and at this stage I felt I wasn’t going go sub 10. I wasn’t really in a happy place and I wanted to walk for a bit. I asked myself one question, how much do you really want to go Sub10? So that was that, I wanted it, I really wanted it, for a number of personal reasons alone beyond just the performance factor. I decided that I was just going to cane it and run the aid stations too. So out the window went the idea of not spilling coke down my face! Every aid station I went through there I was chucking coke down my face, in my eyes, ears, just everywhere. I keep my pace up and moved into the town area, where there was a small climb, which I started to cramp on in the calves. I was worrying, I was only 2km from the finish with about 10minutes to get in to go Sub10. I knew it was going to be tight. My quads were also very sore from the bike, hitting the big ring on the climbs, so things were looking a little desperate. I put my head down, gritted my teeth and simply ran through the pain. After 2km I found myself on the finishing carpet, with the crowd cheering. I crossed the finish line and my legs had had enough, all I wanted to do was lay down and rest, so that’s what I did (after I’d stopped the watch). I laid there for a couple of minutes, got up, grabbed a couple of beers, I sat down and chatted to a nice French guy for a while. Then it started to sink in, I’d done it, I’d gone under 10hours for an Ironman – 9.57.12. I couldn’t believe it, I’d done it!
Afterwards
After a massage, food, etc I had to find Sarah. To be honest most of the way round the race I kept saying to myself that if I when Sub10 that would be it for a while and that I’d take some time out from long distance triathlon, however, by the time I’d met Sarah I’d already decided to enter Ironman South Africa (which I’ve now done only 4 days after).
What did I think of the event?
If you ever do one long distance race, this has to be the one. I do not think there is anything like in the world. The Challenge motto is ‘We Are Triathlon’ and the ‘Challenge Family’. That is what they are about, family. Felix (the race director) not only looks after the athletes, but possibly more importantly they look after the families who in turn look after the athletes. Without the families, the athletes wouldn’t be there to race. The Challenge series seem to understand this and in turn everyone there at Roth felt included and had a great time, something the WTC could learn a lot from, maybe?
Photos to follow as we're staying with friends in the south of England at the mo. Looking forward to getting out running again very very soon, watch this space.
Be safe,
Ed and Sarah
