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The Road Less Traveled: IM 2012
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It was epic. It was awesome. It was horrid. I am so never doing it again. But god what an experience.
I think we've all said that after every IM
Well done, you certainly helped liven up my Sunday. When things are tough, it's cold and wet, I'm not in the mood for training, etc etc etc.....my new mantra to get me to HTFU is WHAT WOULD ORYX DO? Works every time
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griffin100 wrote: »I think we've all said that after every IM
Well done, you certainly helped liven up my Sunday. When things are tough, it's cold and wet, I'm not in the mood for training, etc etc etc.....my new mantra to get me to HTFU is WHAT WOULD ORYX DO? Works every time
Ya know i thought that one of the days last week:o0 -
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At the beginning of most race reports, clever people like to give a run down on the geography and some background on the race area. As I am useless at geography, all I can tell you about Klagenfurt is it is extremely pretty, with postcard scenes in every direction, glistening lakes and majestic mountains everywhere. It seems to be the country where God stores all his leftover epic landscapes.
Pre race
I arrived in Klagenfurt on the Friday evening, so Saturday was spent registering, attending race briefings, and racking the bike. As I was staying 15k from the event and dependant on scheduled lifts, this took all day. And what a day it was. I had been warned it was going to be hot, but nothing prepared me for the reality of 38 degree heat. It is the kind of heat that makes you want to lie down inside on a cool tile floor and pant like a dog. You sweat when standing still in the shade. I had no idea how I would race in it, and doubts about finishing began to surface. These were justified; I do not work well in heat. There had been murmurings throughout the week about a non wetsuit swim, but I never imagined they actually would do it. So when, after a massive build-up, the non wetsuit swim was confirmed at the race briefing, I was stunned. As was everyone else, it seems. 1500 people gasped in unison when they said it. A few, like me, began laughing hysterically. ‘But, but I bought a 300 quid wetsuit! This isn’t fair!’
RedB, who was beside me at the briefing, seemed to be in shock, slackjawed and pale. But, them’s the breaks, nothing to do but give it a shot. I lay in bed the night before the race thinking ‘Just survive. Stay on your feet till the end’. In this heat all thoughts of a good finish time were gone, any finish at all would do.
Race morning.
I was on autopilot on Sunday morning. I just did what I had to do, and turned up where I needed to be. I pumped my tyres and taped my frozen ride bars to the bike. Met a few familiar faces, (handangeo and Orla from limerick tri) and some new ones in transition, it was a friendly, if nervous, place. I just felt numb. I did not want to do the race. I was scared, but my thoughts were quiet, not even letting me contemplate what was ahead. Queued for the horrendous portaloos, where my nose clip came in handy, then it was down to the beach of the Worthersee for race start. After few minutes of stillness on the beach with crowds of nervous wannabe ironmen, we were into the water. The start was a bit of a let down, as the lead swimmers ‘forgot’ to stop when heading to the start point, so it turned into an emergency rolling start with no gun.
Swim
In spite of being nervous about the swim, I loved it. The water was warm and clear, vividly blue. I didn’t get hammered in the washing machine, I settled into a rhythm quickly and ended up swimming in a pretty good line to the first marker. The turn to the second marker was easy and sighting a doddle. I thought to myself, that even if the rest went wrong, this swim was wonderful, and I began to enjoy myself. It only got difficult at the turn back towards the canal, when the glare of the sun made it impossible to sight. I think I strayed off course here, but nothing too serious. The canal swim was a big change from the lake, murky and dark, with weeds and mud. But the proximity of the crowds helped, and I knew I was on the 800m home straight. I got out of the water knowing that would be the only time I would be cool all day. Swim time 1hr 55min. A bit off the time I had hoped for, on account of no wetsuit.
Bike
I was dreading the heat and distance of the bike. After a 6 min transition I left an almost empty T1 and headed out. I’m not the world’s best cyclist, all I could hope for here was to keep myself fed properly and get in before the cut-off. Stay alive, in other words. At first it was cool enough, and the downhills made it easy. Even the first drag was not too bad, but I was glad to get to a feed station at 40k. There were some funny sights on the course. A gang of hippies in a rubber dinghy on the roadside, smoking their heads off. A mad irish man yelling ‘gwan the yellabellies!’. Spectators having a bbq complete with marquee... Great fun. The scenery was amazing, and the support was better. At every feed station I took water and banana, and got either hosed down or poured my own warm water bottle over my head before changing it. I was dry five minutes later every time. Boy, it was hot. Like riding in an oven, with solid walls of warm air in the valleys. I drank litres and litres of electrolyte. The end of the first lap was mostly downhill and cooler, but god, the thought of doing it again was rough. My ride bars had turned to soup in their packets, making eating messy. I got covered in melted chocolate. My electrolyte drink was lukewarm no matter how often I topped it up.
The second lap all I could do was suffer it. Get it done. A chat when passing some other slow souls helped, and I did find I was stronger on the hills than anyone left around me on the course, which was a boost. Water, hosedown, eat, sweat, grind, repeat. As I approached the last hill tough hill, I had to psyche myself to push on and get up it. Not that it was that steep, but you just cook once you put the effort in. At the top I had to stop, and lean over the bars, my quads were shaking from effort. Myself and Red met once again, and after a bit of leapfrogging, we finished together. We cruised home, enjoying the spin. I had been watching the clock, and knew I was ok for the cut-off. Part two of three was done. Hallelujah! Now, just the little jog to contend with. Bike time 7hrs 33. About what I expected to do.
Run
My T2 transition took 8 minutes. This was because I sat in the tent, turned out my run bag, and stared at my run shoes, wondering how in the hell I was going to find it in me to cover 42k in this heat. Nothing for it but try. I had seven hours. I’d do it on my knees if I had to.
Usually in a tri, it takes me a few kms to find my run legs. This time though, they refused to play ball. I shuffled, I dragged, I tried really hard, but I had nothing. I ended up walking before the 1km marker, and that was how it continued. In spite of staying constantly soaked, I kept overheating, and my legs felt like lead. I ran a bit, then walked a lot. I wouldn’t call it a run/walk strategy, more of a desperate effort. At 15k, the wheels came off completely. I felt dizzy and disoriented, and went to use a portaloo. Once inside, I had to cling to the walls as the whole thing rattled and shook like it was about to fall over. Except it wasn’t. The shaking was all in my head. I got out and walked again, conscious of the fact that it wouldn’t take much for me to faint, and dnf. I decided that I had all night, so I would walk, and once the sun set, and the temperature fell, if I could, I would hit my groove again. The next 6k was the lowest point. Walking solidly but being passed by everyone, and left for dead by RedB who had turned up again, jogging easily. He tried his best to get me moving, bless him, full of kind words and encouragement. The crowds tried to egg me on as well, but I just kept shaking my head. I still tried to take in the sights, and remember this one time event. A girl drumming on a snare drum as her sister hosed us down. Flaming torches on the underpass feed station. Sweet orange segments that tasted like heaven. Passing through the narrow streets with beer drinkers cheering us on. Ringing the town bell on my last run through.
As I got to 21k, a strange thing happened. I started to run more. I was over halfway, and my mind suddenly knew I had broken the back of it and could finish. My speed picked up, and I got more comfortable. I caught RedB, and after a bit more leapfrogging, somehow, passed him by. I still walked bits, and it was still hell, but bearable hell. I clicked off the kms one by one, until I was 35k into it and the sun had set. Only then did I feel like I normally do, like I could run properly. It still wasn’t fast, but I ran the last 5k without stopping. It was the best part of the whole day.
I ran the last section lost in the pitch dark, asking anyone around which way to go, till I got to the bright section with the banging music, and the final stretch to the finish chute. I had been told to savour this bit, but it went in a flash, I barely remember it. I know I grinned like a loon though, whilst trying not to make a complete eejit of myself by crying. Run time 5hr 10.
Total race time 14hrs 54mins 16 seconds.
Post race
Before I even got to the recovery tent, I was nabbed for a race face picture. It was grim. They couldn’t get me to stand without swaying. It took a very wobbly, emotional hour before I felt able to go collect my bike, but after that, I was fine, and watched the fireworks as I walked back from transition.
My time was a disappointment, as I know I had a better time in me, had the weather been kinder and more suited to pale Irish flesh. But I know how I felt on that run, and I know I left absolutely nothing out on that course. I did my best, and 14.54 was it.
The body has survived well, with no soreness, nor any blisters. Just a touch of vertigo to contend with! I’m just left with the haunted feeling that it could have been better.... I guess someday, I'll have to find out. But not any day soon!0 -
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Sorry about that.Wells Delicious Gazelle wrote: »That sounded grim really what I wanted to read before Roth!!
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Clearly, the feckin body needs a lot more work!griffin100 wrote: »Absolute legend. Hugh respect for anyone that can keep going like that long after the body has given up.
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