Background:
18 months ago I was alot heavier than I am now and could not run 50 metres. I was getting fed up feeling tired all the time. My personal problems(including 2 disabled kids) weighed heavily on me. I spent a year losing weight (including cabbage soup diet twice) and getting very basic fitness. This IM was my first race since school. I was looking for something EXTREME - it is what I like. About 6 months ago I saw this event advertised. I was nervous and approached the race organizer John - who assured me I could make it no problem! He is only one of 3 people who were ever convinced I could make this and were not totally mad. The other 2 were the boyfriend of my sister-out-law(I think he wanted to get in her good books or maybe her pants) and Ozzy from White Oak who has been a huge source of inspiration. My wife is used to me doing totally mad stuff - including being one of the most senior/active members of the notorious fathers 4 justice.
I then started training more and more seruiously - then I fell off my bike (wrong way off A2 dual carriage way). Quite badly injured arm and damaged rib. Next week I showed off in front of kids by cycling on wet decking. Straight off taking all the scabs off my arm. Then I tripped over a child in play park(one of the five I was looking after - helping up my wife when childminding). Ribs gone again. Then I was cycling along pavement and a tree jumped in front of me. Hit ribs again and took me a minute to get up - a van driver actually stopped. I tried to train through it but after 2 weeks I gave up - I had to take a week off. It took 2 months to get up to full fitness.
I had swimming issues too. I finally discovered that open water swimming was different to a pool. So reluctantly I joined the local club which does twice a week lake sessions. I don't have much money so I found it expensive(I had already paid to enter the race). I got a wetsuit online for £30 - I could just about afford it. I went to the lake, unfit and still recovering from injury. I freaked out putting the wetsuit on (I wish I had a latex thingy) - then got 50 metres, tired, disorientated and had to be escorted back by rescue boat(cheers Sam). Then when I got out the organizer started laughing at me - "what is that you are wearing?". Me "A wet suit?". Organizer "That is a surf suit. You need a tri suit". £230! £230! Ouch!
About 3 months ago I felt I just had to do this for charity. I discussed with parish priest (who has been a great source of comfort both for me and the kids). Fortunately they were just starting on a new community project. So many people have made amazingly generous contributions. However it became very difficult as I knew I had to make it. The pressure was so intense. In the last few days I started to dream about the race - including getting to a feed station and finding only cheese there!
It was very hard to get information on what is required. At one stage I was told on tritalk that the fastest way of getting round the course was to wear my wetsuit the whole way and I believed it! I suppose they get a few trolls on the site. And subsequently I have discovered a process called sandbagging which is rather like the fiur yorkshiremen sketch. The idea is to pretend you eat only lard and do no exercise. Gosh these triathletes take it all very seriously! Thankfully Dallas stepped in (from a computer forum) and gave me tons of invaluable advice! Cheers Dallas!
Preparation:
Dallas gave me a link on tapering. I decided for the Wed/Thu/Fri to take energy drink, wait 30 mins, 10 min warm up, 3 min sprint. Wed/Thu were great Friday I was getting really aggressive! My wife took the kids out Sat morning - I have air conditioning so managed an hour sleep. Big lunch - getting fed up with pasta. Three diclofenac. It was a very hot day and I knew if I could sleep in the a/c it would help alot. But way too nervous - I believed I would not finish and would have to pay back all the sponsors. The last time I was that nervous was running the first ever superhero fathers 4 justice protest. I think I spent an hour on the toilet.
Got up and waited as I did not want to arrive too early. Headed out on A20 - road block by police/ambulances after accident! I was thinking of cycling which would have included M25 - I would have done it! Luckily we got going.
Wife dropped me at lake (so she could come back and support later). I walk past the bikes. OMG! The machines there! Get registered. Finally pluck up courage to say hello to Dallas - carefully avoiding the race favourites. Her bike looked great and she says "lets see your bike". I turn red. She tells me I have to put race number on. I can't put it on tri suit as its under my wetsuit. "Where is your race belt?". Aaarrgghh. I try to call my wife as I think I have one at home(high5 freebie) - she will bring it with kids on bike course. But I grab John who has a spare Vancouver one! Cheers John. I am then too nervous to put race number on - Dallas has to do that for me.
Swim:
Good atmosphere at the start - I find a pipe to stand on. Someone calls "tritalk" and I pop over - met hillwall and wicksy. Then it is off and field disappears in front of me. Few behind. Halfway round first lap I see quite a few have gone wrong way! Alas all on the half route - no competititors. I keep plugging. On last lap someone goes the wrong way - boat leaves them to it. Why? I was going to pop over to boat but almost no-one left and I need to get going. Later find only 3 behind me in the water. Get out and its 1:45! I cannot believe I was soooo slow - very down. Later find out it was 400m too far so was okay!
Bike:
Bike racks almost empty. Say hello to Sir Velo who is off. Wet suit stuck. Will not come off. I pull and pull. Finally pull timing belt to bits! It was over wetsuit. Beg race marshall not to DQ me - who laughs and says no issue. Lots of caffeine and out. 7:50pm. I pull out to track - marshall lets me go stopping car and also 2 other racers! I apologize then put my head down in case they punch me - luckily they are not bothered.
Far end of course - wife and kids there! They have made signs "go daddy" and "go andy". They sing the song they composed "go Daddy you're the best. you are better than the rest. go Daddy!". I later find my daughter apologized to other racers "Not to disparage the rest of you". Apparently someone shouted out "where is my sign". First sight of the amazing support at that end of course. Lady with 2 huge bottles (I hope a bottle just means a bottle in triathlon language) jumping up and down! Wow! Get to end of lap 1 and it is 20 minutes! If I can keep that up it is 6 hours.
Next 8 laps are 20 minutes each. I chat to Dallas (who has done 1 more lap than she thought). I chat to number 76 (I think he chatted to everyone!). Lose a full high5 on dual carriageway - sorry I did not stop to pick it up but Brillowood on a mission. Then I get overtaken by number 30 - one of the favourites. I sprint after him and overtake. Yeeaahh! I overtake a favourite. I feel happy but somehow like a saddo. Wife and kids go home leaving signs - but the support at top end of course is incredible. I encourage them with hand waves and shouting - definetly faster in that part of the course. They are amazing! Marshalls also clapping - wow!
Next 6 laps take 2 hrs 10 min. I had to stop for a pee. I keep swallowing mosquitos. And being bitten. A fox eats an empty gel sachet. Gets scared and runs off right under me - I have to break very sharply. How do the supporters at top end of course keep going? Marshalls also doing a fabulous job. Hear one person shouting at marshall - later seems he wanted to know lap count. Not nice.
Last 3 laps are 1 hour 10 minute. My back is hurting. Supporters keep me going. I need 2 pees - one of which Dallas is going past. Hope she sees nothing. As penance mosquito bites my 4rse. One of the things I find really annoying about heavy exercise is that my bits almost vanish - hard to pee. Luckily so far they end up at normal (what does that mean?) size when I stop. I wish I had to confidence to pee on the go.
Run:
Marshall has my timing band back. Fabulous course! I keep bumping into everyone! Very quickly Sam joins me to keep me going. He ends up doing half marathon. Cheers Sam! But its like a social gathering. I realize I could be on for a fast time - will wife and kids be there to see me finish? My back finally goes fully after 2 laps. But no chance of long term damage. It is really painful but I have to carry on.
Its start to hit me that the sleep deprivation has been countered by caffeine and adrenalin. I can make this!
Crowd, other competitors and caffeine keep me going. 4.5 laps my knee goes. Now this is serious. This is long term damage. But I MUST keep going. Charity depends on it. 5.5 laps wife and kids turn up. I direct them to finish line and tell them to cheer Ozzy who is nearly done.
Finally finish line appears. As I have limped I am not in bad shape apart from knee. Wow! I finished! And not such a bad time. Can't wait for t-shirt and medal.
to be continued
18 months ago I was alot heavier than I am now and could not run 50 metres. I was getting fed up feeling tired all the time. My personal problems(including 2 disabled kids) weighed heavily on me. I spent a year losing weight (including cabbage soup diet twice) and getting very basic fitness. This IM was my first race since school. I was looking for something EXTREME - it is what I like. About 6 months ago I saw this event advertised. I was nervous and approached the race organizer John - who assured me I could make it no problem! He is only one of 3 people who were ever convinced I could make this and were not totally mad. The other 2 were the boyfriend of my sister-out-law(I think he wanted to get in her good books or maybe her pants) and Ozzy from White Oak who has been a huge source of inspiration. My wife is used to me doing totally mad stuff - including being one of the most senior/active members of the notorious fathers 4 justice.
I then started training more and more seruiously - then I fell off my bike (wrong way off A2 dual carriage way). Quite badly injured arm and damaged rib. Next week I showed off in front of kids by cycling on wet decking. Straight off taking all the scabs off my arm. Then I tripped over a child in play park(one of the five I was looking after - helping up my wife when childminding). Ribs gone again. Then I was cycling along pavement and a tree jumped in front of me. Hit ribs again and took me a minute to get up - a van driver actually stopped. I tried to train through it but after 2 weeks I gave up - I had to take a week off. It took 2 months to get up to full fitness.
I had swimming issues too. I finally discovered that open water swimming was different to a pool. So reluctantly I joined the local club which does twice a week lake sessions. I don't have much money so I found it expensive(I had already paid to enter the race). I got a wetsuit online for £30 - I could just about afford it. I went to the lake, unfit and still recovering from injury. I freaked out putting the wetsuit on (I wish I had a latex thingy) - then got 50 metres, tired, disorientated and had to be escorted back by rescue boat(cheers Sam). Then when I got out the organizer started laughing at me - "what is that you are wearing?". Me "A wet suit?". Organizer "That is a surf suit. You need a tri suit". £230! £230! Ouch!
About 3 months ago I felt I just had to do this for charity. I discussed with parish priest (who has been a great source of comfort both for me and the kids). Fortunately they were just starting on a new community project. So many people have made amazingly generous contributions. However it became very difficult as I knew I had to make it. The pressure was so intense. In the last few days I started to dream about the race - including getting to a feed station and finding only cheese there!
It was very hard to get information on what is required. At one stage I was told on tritalk that the fastest way of getting round the course was to wear my wetsuit the whole way and I believed it! I suppose they get a few trolls on the site. And subsequently I have discovered a process called sandbagging which is rather like the fiur yorkshiremen sketch. The idea is to pretend you eat only lard and do no exercise. Gosh these triathletes take it all very seriously! Thankfully Dallas stepped in (from a computer forum) and gave me tons of invaluable advice! Cheers Dallas!
Preparation:
Dallas gave me a link on tapering. I decided for the Wed/Thu/Fri to take energy drink, wait 30 mins, 10 min warm up, 3 min sprint. Wed/Thu were great Friday I was getting really aggressive! My wife took the kids out Sat morning - I have air conditioning so managed an hour sleep. Big lunch - getting fed up with pasta. Three diclofenac. It was a very hot day and I knew if I could sleep in the a/c it would help alot. But way too nervous - I believed I would not finish and would have to pay back all the sponsors. The last time I was that nervous was running the first ever superhero fathers 4 justice protest. I think I spent an hour on the toilet.
Got up and waited as I did not want to arrive too early. Headed out on A20 - road block by police/ambulances after accident! I was thinking of cycling which would have included M25 - I would have done it! Luckily we got going.
Wife dropped me at lake (so she could come back and support later). I walk past the bikes. OMG! The machines there! Get registered. Finally pluck up courage to say hello to Dallas - carefully avoiding the race favourites. Her bike looked great and she says "lets see your bike". I turn red. She tells me I have to put race number on. I can't put it on tri suit as its under my wetsuit. "Where is your race belt?". Aaarrgghh. I try to call my wife as I think I have one at home(high5 freebie) - she will bring it with kids on bike course. But I grab John who has a spare Vancouver one! Cheers John. I am then too nervous to put race number on - Dallas has to do that for me.
Swim:
Good atmosphere at the start - I find a pipe to stand on. Someone calls "tritalk" and I pop over - met hillwall and wicksy. Then it is off and field disappears in front of me. Few behind. Halfway round first lap I see quite a few have gone wrong way! Alas all on the half route - no competititors. I keep plugging. On last lap someone goes the wrong way - boat leaves them to it. Why? I was going to pop over to boat but almost no-one left and I need to get going. Later find only 3 behind me in the water. Get out and its 1:45! I cannot believe I was soooo slow - very down. Later find out it was 400m too far so was okay!
Bike:
Bike racks almost empty. Say hello to Sir Velo who is off. Wet suit stuck. Will not come off. I pull and pull. Finally pull timing belt to bits! It was over wetsuit. Beg race marshall not to DQ me - who laughs and says no issue. Lots of caffeine and out. 7:50pm. I pull out to track - marshall lets me go stopping car and also 2 other racers! I apologize then put my head down in case they punch me - luckily they are not bothered.
Far end of course - wife and kids there! They have made signs "go daddy" and "go andy". They sing the song they composed "go Daddy you're the best. you are better than the rest. go Daddy!". I later find my daughter apologized to other racers "Not to disparage the rest of you". Apparently someone shouted out "where is my sign". First sight of the amazing support at that end of course. Lady with 2 huge bottles (I hope a bottle just means a bottle in triathlon language) jumping up and down! Wow! Get to end of lap 1 and it is 20 minutes! If I can keep that up it is 6 hours.
Next 8 laps are 20 minutes each. I chat to Dallas (who has done 1 more lap than she thought). I chat to number 76 (I think he chatted to everyone!). Lose a full high5 on dual carriageway - sorry I did not stop to pick it up but Brillowood on a mission. Then I get overtaken by number 30 - one of the favourites. I sprint after him and overtake. Yeeaahh! I overtake a favourite. I feel happy but somehow like a saddo. Wife and kids go home leaving signs - but the support at top end of course is incredible. I encourage them with hand waves and shouting - definetly faster in that part of the course. They are amazing! Marshalls also clapping - wow!
Next 6 laps take 2 hrs 10 min. I had to stop for a pee. I keep swallowing mosquitos. And being bitten. A fox eats an empty gel sachet. Gets scared and runs off right under me - I have to break very sharply. How do the supporters at top end of course keep going? Marshalls also doing a fabulous job. Hear one person shouting at marshall - later seems he wanted to know lap count. Not nice.
Last 3 laps are 1 hour 10 minute. My back is hurting. Supporters keep me going. I need 2 pees - one of which Dallas is going past. Hope she sees nothing. As penance mosquito bites my 4rse. One of the things I find really annoying about heavy exercise is that my bits almost vanish - hard to pee. Luckily so far they end up at normal (what does that mean?) size when I stop. I wish I had to confidence to pee on the go.
Run:
Marshall has my timing band back. Fabulous course! I keep bumping into everyone! Very quickly Sam joins me to keep me going. He ends up doing half marathon. Cheers Sam! But its like a social gathering. I realize I could be on for a fast time - will wife and kids be there to see me finish? My back finally goes fully after 2 laps. But no chance of long term damage. It is really painful but I have to carry on.
Its start to hit me that the sleep deprivation has been countered by caffeine and adrenalin. I can make this!
Crowd, other competitors and caffeine keep me going. 4.5 laps my knee goes. Now this is serious. This is long term damage. But I MUST keep going. Charity depends on it. 5.5 laps wife and kids turn up. I direct them to finish line and tell them to cheer Ozzy who is nearly done.
Finally finish line appears. As I have limped I am not in bad shape apart from knee. Wow! I finished! And not such a bad time. Can't wait for t-shirt and medal.
to be continued
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