Campbell's Ironman 70.3 Shepparton 2012

Campbell's Ironman 70.3 Shepparton
18 November 2012
1.9 / 90.1 / 21.1
website facebook results my result

My second (consecutive) half ironman race at Shepparton, and fifth half ironman (70.3).




Excellent conditions for swim and temperature wise initially, and there was no danger that it would not be a wetsuit swim this year, it was cool, but probably slightly warmer in the water than out, before the start. Unfortunately there was a fairly strong (head) winds that seemed to affect about 40km of each 45km bike lap. It did warm up during the run, but not as much as the previous year..

Did a easy 3km run at home in the morning before leaving for Shepparton on Saturday, as I hadn't done my usual Thursday pre-race hit-out. A quick spin to check-out the bike before checking it in .

Swim: Felt OK, took a while to get into some sort of rhythm. Was questioning why I do this nearing the half way mark, remembering I don't like 2km swims in race conditions, and that I would rather 500m or less. As for last year it seemed like I was middle of my wave, was more like 3/4 (138/193) with 43:39, more than 4 minutes slower than last year (39:18), 6 minutes off my best. Swim overall 776/1096 = 70% (was 60% in 2011).

T1: No issues 1:55 my fastest T1 in a long tri.

Bike: Started pretty well, moving along at up to 40km/h with the wind, consistent passing other competitors. Didn't see any big packs this year, but there were a few riders in groups of 2 or 3 making no attempt to spread out. I only saw one person warned, but apparently the penalty box was quite full! My pace dropped off, during the middle (or main) section of each lap. The road surface is course, for much of each lap, and again many riders "flatted", I run my tyres at a bit lower pressure (100 psi) than some, maybe that helps. Tries to work hard and maintain pace, but my back started to give me pain (on the opposite side to where I saw the physio on Saturday morning), and I needed to pee, and it was windy, and the other riders were more spread out, and some other excuses...;)  Ended up with 2:45:15 (average speed 32.7km/h), almost 10 minutes off my 2011 time of 2:36:48, but about what I had guessed, as I buggered up the Garmin around 60km by bumping the lap button which switches it into transition mode (then had cycle thru a new swim, T1, to get to "bike" again). Overall 356/1096 and 76/193 for the age group, making the bike my best leg of the swim/bike/run.

Ate 2 x PowerBar energy, 4 x Endura gel, and almost 3 x 750 Powerade.

T2: Again went well enough 1:22, again my fastest long tri T2, and also my highest ranking "leg" of the day breaking into the top 100 (for something1) with 92nd overall, and 16th in the age group. Critically I decided to go without putting on socks in order to save time.

Run: Started run OK, first 3 km probably a bit too fast at around 4:30 pace, but felt OK.Then had to make a quick pit-stop, and resumed at around 5 mins/km for the next 7kms or so, thereafter I slowed to about 5:30. Much better run on the whole then in previous half ironman races, no upset stomach, and no walking, but still another couple of pit stops!  Finished with a nice sprint down the finish shoot, and without the need to collapse in a heap just after the finish line. Still not the run time I hoped for but OK 1:53:48  @ 5:25 pace a good improvement over the previous year (2:05:07 = 5:56 pace) 84th in the age group and 379th overall

Overall:
- Missed 5 hours target, again!
- No PB (5:18:27)
- Just under 1 minute slower than Shepparton 2011
- Slower swim and Bike than 2011
- 10 mins improvement on 2011 run, and 2nd fastest HIM run (vs. 1:47:44 Geelong 2010)
- Happy to finish!
- Beat my (younger - and "second timer") friend Fiona by only 1 minute.

Garmin Connect details: Swim T1 Bike Bike_p2 T2 Run

2012 MS Fun Run

3rd/June/2012 MS Fun Run Albert Park
Net Time 41:21 a 10km PB - not bad considering I had a cold, had run 18km day prior, and still recovering from foot/calf issues.
2nd in Age Group, was 1st last year

The Great Train Race - Puffing Billy 2012

Belgrave to Emerald

With slightly damp conditions Puffing Billy trains were quite a bit slower than previous 2 years. Unfortunately my time was about a minute slower than last year, at about 58 and half minutes, just missing beating the train by 30 seconds. I would have beaten the train if had done the same time as last year.

Caught the Train back to Emerald with Kelly and James. It had been a very long time since I last rode on Puffing Billy. It is really slow, so slow I could ran as fast as it, well actually not quite :)

Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Melbourne 2012

Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Melbourne

7:15am 25 March 2012
Ironman = 3.8km Swim / 180km Bike / 42.2km Marathon Run
website Facebook results: Individual Page

Garmin Connect details: Swim T1 Bike T2 Run

I was always destined for a PB in this race, as it was my first, and quite possible only, Ironman, the full distance; 3.8km Swim, 180km Bike, 42.2km Run. 

The day before the race I did wonder what was I thinking when I entered, I was scared; "would I get anywhere near my goals? would I finish?". To have trained up to 20 hours per week for the last 4 months, and not finish would be heart-breaking (although hopefully not literally). But the build up was really much longer than that. After deciding to focus on triathlon (rather than cricket, and basketball) as "my" sport about 5 years earlier, I had now completed a total of over 120 triathlon, duathlon, and running races. My lead up to Ironman, had included 5 half Ironman triathlons, plus 7 more half marathons, and 3 full marathons. 

For this event I set myself 4 target times:
 A - 10hr 40mins - what I calculated as my best case
 B - 11hrs - an obvious next target
 C - 12hrs - this was my main goal, I felt that if I went under 12 hours I wouldn't "need" to do this again!
 D - 17hrs - the cutoff time, if I missed 12 hours and/or something went terribly wrong then I would just aim to finish

Training: for Ironmam is different to other events. The main differences for me, beside from the extensive hours each week, were:

• Very long rides - I'd never done a ride of more than 100km before, my training program had me do 6  x 5+ hours (150 - 180km). 
• More brick sesssions - although I had done brick sessions (combining 2 disciplines back-to-back in one training session), there were more, and longer. And essentially they were unavoidable, to get all the  trainingsessions in the week.
• The number of sessions - About 15  per week, not just 2 per day, but sometimes 3, for example I did the equivalent of an olympic distance triathlon over the course of the day, every Thursday. 
• Longer training program - Previously I had only done 7-10 weeks targetted training for a half Ironman, here I did 4 months!
• It's all about the bike - the bike leg is normally the longest (time and distance) of a triathlon. As for other triathlon distances (Ironman basically follows the ratios of other distances) the bike takes more than half the total time, but for Ironman that could be 2 or more hours longer than the run.
• No really long runs - this was quite different to Marathon training where I have tried to do at least 4 longs runs over 3 hours or 30km. For Ironman my longest run was 2.5 hours, with most long runs about 90 minutes.
• The numbers - much bigger, I did over 5000km of Swim/Bike/Run for the Ironman. My biggest bike week was about 360km, and up to 10km Swim, but still only my normal 30-50km running.
• Hydration and Nutrition is critical - when you are out on the course for 12 hours, you need to eat and drink on the bike to keep the energy and hydration levels up for the run.

Pre-race: Packed my transition bags to the brim, trying to allow for any possibility, each with change of clothes for both hot/cold conditions. Bike check-in the day before, very convenient to just dash down the freeway. No issues in transition before race start. Prepped the bike with about 4 energy bars, 6 gels, 2 muesli bars and 3 bottles on Gatorade.

Swim:3.8km target 75 mins
My longest swim in a race, so a PB! Deep water start, in total darkness. Once we got out to the start buoys, a few swimmers just swam off, and then most of the field followed, all some 3 minutes early. I hadn't expected to be at the front of the pack, but I was already well at the back when the start hooter actually went off.

It was still dark until about the first turn. I couldn't see a buoy for about 800m, just the swimmers off to the left, swimmers and the shore to the right, and swimmers and the lights of the city ahead. I felt like I was swimming OK, but as I passed the jetty (about half way) I started to tire, and my wetsuit was rubbing my neck. Also once we got past the jetty the water was cold in patches, whereas it had been quite comfortable till then. It seemed to take ages to get the turn which would head back towards the jetty and swim finish. 

I really had no idea how I had swam until I came out of the water and checked my watch entering T1, 90 minutes, OK, but it was a bit of a downer as it was some 15 minutes slower than I thought I was capable of. But then I saw some of the Running in the Burbs gang cheering me on, and I started to think about getting on the bike; this is what I had trained for.

Bike: 2 x 90km laps- target 5 hours 30mins

Once I got onto the Eastlink freeway I tried to get into a (hopefully fast) rythm, but the course was not entirely flat and there was a head wind. I had missed the opportunity to ride on Eastlink prior, as the day there was a ride on it was also the same day as the Shepparton half Ironman (I had entered the Shepparton race before the Melbourne Ironman had even been announced).

4 x 45km segments:
    0 -  45km   1:27:58 - OK with headwind
  45 -  90km   1:18:43 - Good with tailwind
  90 - 135km  1:32:55 - headwind again
135 - 180km  1:28:03 - wind had turned so headwind for the last 20km :(

Hyrdation - OK drank about what I planned 6 Gatorade, 2 waters, 1 Coke. Didn't have a constant need to pee as I had in prior race (Geelong long) following my hydration plan; but still had 3 "pit-stops". Ate all but one gel.

Support on the bike course was encouraging and surprising. The Knox Tri Club were manning 2 drinks stations, and me (or my Knox tri-shorts) got cheers each time I passed through. I spotted several people I knew along the course, many from the Running in the Burbs gang, including Fi and Luke yelling out to me near the Springvale road turn, and Ray on one of the over-passes. In fact it was the "Go Wayne" banner on the over-pass that I spotted first (but only on the second lap).

5:47:39, average speed 31km/hr, not much slower average than Geelong (80km) 6 weeks before. I got off the bike feeling OK, like I could run sort of at least, and was happy enough the time. But when I added up 90mins + 15mins (transitions) + 5:45 = 7:30, so I there goes Plan B (finishing under 11 hours); I would have had to run a 3:30 marathon, which would be a 7 minute PB, and after riding 180km.

Run: Target 4 hours  5:40 mins/km pace
1 x point-to-point 42.2km course - mostly on the old Melbourne Marathon course, from Frankston but finishing in St Kilda. The first time an Ironman had had a point to point run.
I started out, and unfortunately we had to head away from St Kilda initially towards Olivers Hill, but even in that somewhat demoralising first km I felt OK. In fact I felt better than OK, I felt like I could run marathon, and even better at a reasonable pace.

Run splits:
                  Leg                        Split               mins/km
Run  10.3km   00:57:04    10.3km  00:57:04      5:32       - Going great, included pit stop
Run  19.6km   01:54:12      9.3km  00:57:08      6:08       - Slowing but still on average pace overall
Run  34.6km   03:30:00    15.0km  01:35:48      6:23       - dropped off a bit, did some calcs, picked it up
Run  42.2km   04:15:54      7.8km  00:45:54      5:53       - finishing strong. my highest ranking in this split
                                                                                       for the entire race.

The run was fantastic, not only my running felt OK, but the cheers and support was great. People were out along the course everywhere. In their backyards coming out of Frankston, the volunteers along the road near Carrum, the 2 old ladies with arm chairs and coffee table in their front-yard at Edithvale. As well as "the boys" with their stubbies and eskies at various points. There were people clapping and cheering from balconies near Blackrock and Brighton. And the "live-sites" were amazing. So many people. I heard my name, and suburb, mentioned on the PA at Green Point. Even a couple of work colleagues (who I raced with in the Nisssan Corporate Triathlon) came out near the end.

Coming to the last km "some guy" came and ran next to me, then I realised it was my son :)  I even tried to pick up the pace a bit more, but my hips were a bit tight, so I just kept moving along. As I came into the finish shute it felt like ALL of my mates from the Running in the Burbs were there. I started out doing high fives, but ended up holding out both arms like I was an aeroplane, slapping as many hands as I could. I think it is that moment of Ironman that I will remember forever.

As with any race for me, I was sprinting right at the end (or it least felt like sprinting), trying to get one more place higher. As I crossed the line, the clock showed 11:51:22, and I jumped in the air. Unfortunately I didn't realise there is ramp down just after the finish line. For some reason my legs weren't that up to landing, and I skidded down along on my knees, getting a fairly bad carpet burn on one knee. But I didn't care, because I  was an Ironman. And the commentator even said so, as does the medal.

T1 + T2: 6:45 + 8:06
Both transitions were pretty ordinary, but OK for Ironman, I don't know where the time went.

Results: 

Swim 01:32:55 HH : MM : SS Overall : 1293 Gender : 1090 Category : 278

Cycle 05:47:39 HH : MM : SS Overall : 880 Gender : 784 Category : 198

Run 04:15:54 HH : MM : SS Overall : 753 Gender : 650 Category : 165

Finish Time 11:51:22 HH : MM : SS Overall : 907 Gender : 793 Category : 204

Post Race: Got my finishers towel, medal and shirt. Then a recovery drink, Coke Zero!(well I was a bit sick of Gatorade), and a massage. Feeling OK, can still walk. Neck is sore from wetsuit rub, knew it had happened, but didn't really notice it till after the race. Meet friends (Runninging in the Burbs), family, and my Personal Trainer (Maria), most of whom were also at the start 12 hours earlier. Photos. Then collect clothes, shower, and some real food (not energy bars or gels). Unfortunately my Bike hadn't arrived from Frankston, so I went home to bed.

I went to work the next day, could still walk but pretty sore (1st Mararthon was worse) and had to collect the bike at lunch time, tried to ride it for about 1km, very sore.

General Comments:

• Less than 2 years ago I had no interest in doing a full Ironman.
• It is a big advantage to have a home Ironman, the ability to train on (or near) the course, and the impact of support from family/friends on the course is immeasureable. And you don't have the expense of travelling, and the logistics of transporting the bike.
• I wish I could swim better. I went from 1293 overall after the swim to finish 907th (gained 387 places), only a few people (maybe 20) passed me on the bike and run together.
• 180km is a bloody long way to ride, I think I like 90km much better.
• The run was fantastic, even though it was my slowest marathon.
• The run is undoubtedly my strongest leg (in all distances); it was my worst leg when I started triathlon.
• Thanks to "everyone".
• I'm glad it's over.
• If I can do an Ironman than anyone can. "Nothing is Impossible, it just takes longer".
• I am happy with my result, I could happily not ever do it again.
• Never say never.

Nissan-BRW Corporate Tri - Melbourne 2012

Nissan-BRW Corporate Triathlon Series - Race 1
Melbourne (Elwood)
7:30am 4 March 2012
Mini/Sprint 800m (Beach run)/ 10km / 4km
website facebook results team company overall certificate

Garmin Connect details: Run1 T1 Bike T2 Run2

My forth Melbourne Corporate Triathlon and first time, as the 1st team member, only ever last previously.

Overall Rank

Cat Rank

Bib

Team Name

Industry

Overall Time

Category

Team Member 1

Run

Ride

Run

Team Member 1 Total Time

Team Member 2

Run

Ride

Run

Team Member 2 Total Time

Team Member 3

Run

Ride

Run

Team Member 3 Time

95.

79.

1301

Infosys Triers team 2

IT & Telecommunications

2:13:29.2

Corporate Male

Wayne Hepenstall

03:29

20:34

15:49

39:52

Mark Mathews

05:10

21:41

18:55

45:46

Brenton Staggard

05:02

24:03

18:43

47:49

This was my best team result 98th (from 1637), best personal time (39:52) although the swim was "short" and highest personal position 64th for the 1st team member, for this event.

"Swim": Replaced by a 800m beach run, due to water pollution issues, after rain in the prior 24

hours.

After a warm-up, both on the road and beach, lined up a couple of minutes before my wave start. Squeezed my way through the pack to the start line. Gun goes off, I take a step, land a bit awkwardly and the sand ins softer than I though, and feel light I have torn my quad muscle. I taken another step, and it feels like I have torn the other quad also! I hobble walk jog a bit and the entire wave, gets ahead of me by some 20-30 metres. Can I tear both muscles? Can I finish today? What about the ironman? I still have 3 weeks!!

I keep going and the pain subsides a bit, I "warm-up" a bit, and start to catch some of the wave by "the turn", and in a short distance we hit the hard ground, I was feeling OK now and hit my stride I pass the entire wave on the lead-in to T1. 03:29 for 800m with about 500m on sand - not bad :)

Bike: 1 x 10km lap - the usual Elwood Tri bike course along Beach Road to St Kilda.

After getting moving on the bike, as I am getting my feet in my shoes , a girl (in serious tri gear) passes me and says "just keep peddling"; I must have looked like a newbie losing speed. She gives me a target, and I chase hard, and pass her about the half way mark. We pass each other (without drafting) several times, as we pass just about everyone else on the course; only one other guy passes us. My quads still feel a bit tight, but I push it. Actual ride time of 16:35 (of 20:34 including T1 + T2) is a10km PB, and my fastest ever average speed in any race at 36.18 km/hr (or 39.80km/h considering the bike course was actually about 11km). That girl just beats me out of T2, but then I fly past on the...

Run: 1 x 4km lap - Out along path standard Elwood Tri run course towards St Kilda. Annoying little loop near the the little footbridge over the creek. Ran strong but couldn't quite maintain sub 4:00 pace for all of the 4 kms.

Post Race: nice little 18km run out to Sandringham along the beach trail and back along Beach road, as my long run training for Melbourne IM.

Urban 2.80.20 Long Course Triathlon Geelong 2012

Urban 2.80.20 Long Course Triathlon

Geelong Multi Sport Festival

7:05am 12 February 2012
Long = 2km / 80km / 20km
website facebook results page

Garmin Connect details: Swim T1 Bike B2 B3 B4 T2 Run

I was always destined for a PB in this race; it was the first time at the 2.80.20 distance. This "long" race replaced the Geelong Half Ironman races of previous years, and on essentially the same course, with some tweaking for the differing distances (2 x Olympic 40km Bike laps, instead of 3 x 30km).

I still have a an aim to break 5 hours for the half ironman, as the 2.80.20 is some 10km shorter, the obvious target was under 5 hours at least.

I paid an additional $30 for the privilege of doing registration and bike check-in on the Sunday morning. This "option" is not advertised on the website, but saved me a trip to Geelong and back on the Saturday, as I needed to be in Knox mid-afternoon.

First race with the new Garmin 910xt GPS watch. As usual I turned the watch on in order to test bike speed/cadence working while riding to transition. Unfortunately I pressed a couple of buttons and locked the keys, such that each time I pressed a button, the warning "Keys Locked" appeared. You can't even turn the unit off when in this "mode". I didn't know how to dis/enable this "mode" which put me in a bit of a panic. After bike check-in, I was back to the car to google "keys locked" on the phone. Simultaneously pressing Mode and "up" locks/unlocks the keys.

This was my second attempt (after Sandringham Olympic the week previous) to follow my new hydration plan. 2 bottles Gatorade day prior; one during day, one before bed. 2 more bottles race morning before race, only had one. 1 litre (approx 2 bottles) per hour on bike, mixed "Hydralite Sport" with Gatorade, mmmm salty!! And one cup (250ml) at each drink stop on run.

Swim 00:41:19 HH : MM : SS Overall : 461 Gender : 376 Category : 92

Cycle 02:30:21 HH : MM : SS Overall : 337 Gender : 298 Category : 66

Run 01:33:18 HH : MM : SS Overall : 214 Gender : 191 Category : 41

Finish Time 04:50:53 HH : MM : SS Overall : 305 Gender : 269 Category : 58

Pre-race: Pouring rain while racking bike. No allocated bike rack, was a bit hard to find a spot in the dark, and rain. Hydration: Usual "pitstop" before swim, and wetsuit "warm-up".

Swim: My longest race swim (so far), so a PB! Swam fairly well at an even pace, without getting off course too much, averaging 2:04 mins/100m which is the same pace as Shepparton 70.3, but marginally slower than previous Geelong half ironman(s). Hydration: - 2 "pit-stops" while swimming, don't know I'd ever had one while swimming in a race before.

Bike: 2 x 40km lap - the "Geelong towards Port Arlington with deviation to the point" Olympic distance bike course.

Bumped the lap button on the Garmin during 2nd lap, hence had to switch off Multisport mode, and had a few bike recordings to get back on track. Found out later it was because I wear the watch with the face on the inside of my wrist (which is facing up) on the bike, wouldn't have happened if I'd locked the keys! Didn't ride spectacularly, conditions were not easy, strong winds, bit of rain. Hydration - only drank about 600ml per hour, constant need to pee (cold whether didn't help); 4 "pit-stops" but very little time lost!

2:30:21, slowest average speed 31.92km/hr in a race for a year (Geelong Olympic Feb 2011)

T2: Unfortunately the earlier issue with "Keys Locked" on the Garmin distracted me from testing/checking the speed/cadence sensor. When I went to un-rack the bike I found the back wheel would not turn - one of the two cable-ties had broken and the Speed/Cadence had jammed against the wheel (this may have been a result of my effort to "tap" the sensor in closer to the wheel during the Bike leg of the Dune2Dune race, whereby the sensor hit the wheel, snapped a cable-tie, and hung useless for the remainder of the ride). Rather than risk loosing or breaking the sensor, or have it catapult me off the bike, I re-attached it with some electrical tape which had been holding several gels on the top tube of the bike. Problem solved (for the day), sensor worked OK, T2 time 2:18; not bad considering.

Planned to wear socks for run, but hadn't worn any for bike, but when I picked them up they were saturated (as were my shoes), so no socks.

Footnote: had noted before the race the guy across the rack from me in transition had his hat, shoes and socks in plastic bags, and thought what a silly idea. But when I got into transition it was no longer raining, and I made a note to self -"what a good idea".

Run: 3 x lap - last one differing distance! Kinda the same course as Geelong 70.3s, except in reverse direction.