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
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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.
Both transitions were pretty ordinary, but OK for Ironman, I don't know where the time went.
Results:
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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:
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.
