Any excuse to get into a pair of Budgie Smugglers

Doeshedare

Steroo wrote: »

. Bike fit planned this eve as I think it's the cause of the knee discomfort

Maybe check your cleats too, assuming you have them. I fitted new ones recently and my left foot was marginally pointing inwards, knee sore as a result. Adjusted the cleat slightly and no problems since

Steroo

Doeshedare wrote: »

Maybe check your cleats too, assuming you have them. I fitted new ones recently and my left foot was marginally pointing inwards, knee sore as a result. Adjusted the cleat slightly and no problems since

Thanks very much I think that's part of the fit , as I can see a slight twist in my leg and am thinking it could be that !

Steroo

Bike fit complete : lots done. Cleats adjusted, saddle slightly higher and moved back, stem shortened and flipped lower, Tri bar rests widened and lowered. Overall a much more aggressive and aero position, feels more stable and spacious. Took her for a spin and no knee issue at all

Dilbert75

All the best at the weekend S.

Kurt_Godel

Good luck at the weekend Steroo, I have to say I never thought you'd make it this far based on your lack of swim ability in November. However you worked really hard and put a whole lot of effort into your swim arsenal: the swim will be no bother to you and you should look forward to it!

Its maybe a little late in the day for a bike fit (and nutrition queries), but given your swim prep these may just be final tinkerings to have an optimal race. In any case, all anybody can race is what they got on the day, and in that respect you are very well prepared, so you will do well.

Don't go crazy; control from the start and and respect your abilities: give it a solid swim (slower than you think you should go; be in control), ditto the bike, and balls to the wall towards the end of the run. I'll be interested to see how you get on; good luck!

joey100

Best of Luck on Sunday Steroo, I'd echo what Kurt said, take it easy from the start, it will be a long day of you go out too hard. Try to enjoy it too!

MojoMaker

Best of luck Steroo, knock em dead.

Oryx

Have a great day out there, smile and enjoy!!

Steroo

Kurt_Godel wrote: »

Good luck at the weekend Steroo, I have to say I never thought you'd make it this far based on your lack of swim ability in November. However you worked really hard and put a whole lot of effort into your swim arsenal: the swim will be no bother to you and you should look forward to it!

Its maybe a little late in the day for a bike fit (and nutrition queries), but given your swim prep these may just be final tinkerings to have an optimal race. In any case, all anybody can race is what they got on the day, and in that respect you are very well prepared, so you will do well.

Don't go crazy; control from the start and and respect your abilities: give it a solid swim (slower than you think you should go; be in control), ditto the bike, and balls to the wall towards the end of the run. I'll be interested to see how you get on; good luck!

I wouldn't have blamed you thinking that, I doubted myself many times (temporarily) but felt I had the time to make it happen & once the OW sessions started it came together, the wetsuit is a big help & the endless lessons in your thread & advice on sticking at it 4/5 times a week.. eventually the penny dropped & the relief was immense.

Yea a bit late for bike fit but the niggle in my knee told me to just do it - so hopefully I won't regret it.

I'll do my best not to spill my beans too early & take it all in & enjoy. The support on the run should help.

My Target is to get under 6 hours, but I won't be disappointed with a slightly longer time.

So what Full IM should I be looking at for next year

Steroo

joey100 wrote: »

Best of Luck on Sunday Steroo, I'd echo what Kurt said, take it easy from the start, it will be a long day of you go out too hard. Try to enjoy it too!

Will do, Thanks Joey. Jesus I'm hyped today - time to go register

Steroo

Thanks Dilbert, Tang, Mojo & Oryx

sconhome

Best of luck this weekend Steroo. It's been a steep learning curve but I think you've got it. Don't let the nerves get to you, make a plan and stick with it on Sunday.

Don't fvck it up!! ;-)

Dory Dory

Enjoy your race on Sunday.....enjoy your race on Sunday.....enjoy your race on Sunday. :)

Steroo

Racked and ready

Doeshedare

Good luck

tang1

Well done dude, great time. Enjoy the post race beers.

RacoonQueen

Well done today!

Steroo

5:56 finish , delighted good swim, fast bike and tough run/walk

http://tracking.ironmanlive.com/mobileathlete.php?rid=2147483723&race=dublin70.3&bib=1377&v=&beta=&1439131500#axzz3iFaF77XW

Doeshedare

Good man Ste Roo. Been great to follow your progress from nowhere to where you are now.

Steroo

Doeshedare wrote: »

Good man Ste Roo. Been great to follow your progress from nowhere to where you are now.

Thanks a lot - and we'll done to you

Steroo

tang1 wrote: »

Well done dude, great time. Enjoy the post race beers.

Thanks Tang - was out til 3am and sorry for it now !

Kurt_Godel

Delighted to see you get such a good swim after putting in so much work. Well done!

Steroo

Flying

GoHardOrGoHome

Steroo wrote: »

Thanks Tang - was out til 3am and sorry for it now !

Fair play Steroo!
I was asleep at 9pm and could have gone to bed earlier and slept through.

I had roughly the same swim time (39 seconds slower). Those Howth Aquathons did the job I think!

Steroo

Kurt_Godel wrote: »

Delighted to see you get such a good swim after putting in so much work. Well done!

Thanks Kurt. I tried to PM you yesterday but it would allow me ? Anyway I just wanted to say thanks a lot for all the lessons and input - massive help. The sea was calm, I didn't notice any current and the buoys were not a problem - bar a hard kick and elbow to the head it was an easy enough swim. Definitely more than 1.9 km

Steroo

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

Fair play Steroo!
I was asleep at 9pm and could have gone to bed earlier and slept through.

I had roughly the same swim time (39 seconds slower). Those Howth Aquathons did the job I think!

I could slept at 7 but decided to join the club for a few then I got a 2nd wind

The aquathlons were the best thing we did - especially the rough ones - gives good perspective on a calm day like yesterday - well done

mossym

well done. great to see someone put in the effort over the year, share it all on here, and get the result they wanted.

Steroo

mossym wrote: »

well done. great to see someone put in the effort over the year, share it all on here, and get the result they wanted.

Nice one Mossy

Steroo

Ironman 70.3 Dublin Race Report:

So I started this thread for this race. Everything up to now was preparation. Could I survive a 70.3 (mainly the swim) was the big Question I had to ask myself. It was clear from the start that it would take a lot of work, all the input from Boardsies was invaluable from Day 1. I hope that if the event is on again next year & there is a non swimmer out there who'd like to do it, that they can take something from this that will help them achieve the same.

A special thanks to Kurt & his 'swimming for tri beginners' thread - what a super guide! even though I couldn't keep up with most if it & started it late.

Pre Race:
Alarm went off at 4:30am & I jumped into the shower, got dressed & put my porridge bread in the toaster & kettle on. Into the car & put Ben Howard on full blast! Found the GArda Boat club handy enough & got one of the last parking spots. Jumped onto the bus & had a great chat with an Ivan who was also a Virgin. As we arrived in DunLaoghaire the nervous energy on the bus was great. I said 'Jesus it's mad choppy out there' aloud to raise a few eyebrows As we got closer we could see it was lovely & calm.

Into T1 & put my bottles on the bike, checked the tyres & met a few club members for a little chat - everyone on a HIGH! I found a nice spot on the grass outside & got the wetsuit etc ready. before long we heard the horn & the Pro's were off! They looked like they were flying along. I met my Pal Paddy who was in a wave 20 mins ahead - a quick 'good luck' and he was off. I kept thinking 'What am I forgetting??'

I got into my Pen for 7.20am start & put on my first hat, then goggles, then 2nd hat. Took a Quick Gel. The goggles felt loose & I was trying to fix them when I heard a crack - oh no! A white piece was hanging off & I just decided to leave them alone & hope they were not going to break in the sea.

I spotted a few familiar faces & said a few hellos & then it was our turn.

Swim: Target 45 mins, Actual 45:10
The horn went off & it took a minute or two to make it down to the water, I got in & felt comfortable nearly immediately, goggles were fine & I found my 'easy' pace. I had seen earlier waves head far right of the first yellow buoy but I found a nice straight line to it, slight congestion at the buoy & I got a nice elbow to the head! On to the first Red buoy around 1000m out & I remember being confused as my wave all had Red hats, the sighting off the end of the pier advice was wrong but I found a fairly good line to the Red Buoy & around it we went. All I could see now was a yellow buoy & I got to it fast enough & thought I was nearly home. However this was not the buoy I thought it was & I got quite disoriented after this, it felt like a 90 degree turn but it was only a middle buoy on the way to the 2nd Red one... everyone seemed to run into confusion at this stage. I saw swimmers heading out to sea at this stage, breast strokers & plenty from earlier waves. Then I got a kick in the hand that bent back my fingers & I was worried it was going to hurt later on. I could feel my Calves locking up, slight cramp, I stopped for a moment to get my bearings & realised I still had a good bit to go! Head down & I motored home for the last 10 minutes, it was great to see rocks underneath & the pontoon within reach.

I was pulled from the ramp & let a roar "Yes, come on you fuc*ers", I've no idea why - delighted I suppose, tourettes kicked in temporarily! Into T1 & saw my mate Paddy & we had a laugh & let a few roars. Bike gear on, quick wizz in the portaloo & onto the bike.

Bike: Target 3 hours, Actual 2:54:55

I took it handy for the first few km's, everything felt good & the support was nice on the streets. I gave everyone in ear shot a 'Good Morning' and a nod - buzzing. I was being overtaken a lot but I was happy to see 29/30kph on the speedo & didn't want to push too early. Ate my Banana. Going up the Quays was nice & I spotted a man with two Irish Terriers & I told him I loved his dogs. I grew up with with two of these dogs at different stages & I haven't seen one in about 5 years - so it was a nice omen for me. I didn't expect the hill at the Phoenix park, I had done my homework wrong & about 10 bikes passed me climbing this... but I caught most of them soon after in the park. Some of 20-40km is a blur in my head, the rain started around this stage & I had a wobble & lost my nerve a bit. I was reluctant to use the tri bars in the wet & I crawled around all corners. At the first feed station I grabbed an energy bar & took a gel from my bag. At 40km I got a cramp in what felt like my left hip flexor & it was awkward to stretch it out.. but soon enough it was gone & I got a burst of energy - at this stage the cycle began for me & I felt strong. At the second station I grabbed a drink & another bar, soon after I took another Gel from my bag. We hit dry roads again at around 60km & the turnaround at Kilcock. From here I was down on the bars & turning on the power - I made up a good few places.

Each time there was a bunch of spectators I gave them a cheer & they responded - great buzz. I saw a man down in Maynooth College with an Ambulance in attendance ;( no shortage of others stopped with punctures & mechanicals along the route too. At about 75-80km my glutes were telling me this run was gonna be a struggle, my calves were tight & my hamstrings too... I stretched them on the bike as best I could & got out of the saddle when I could.
As we went over the speed ramps at the Strawberry Beds a guy called Alessandro used a gel & threw his wrapper away & it landed on me so we had strong words & he let me pass, which made me think he was going to do something sinister from behind me – be he later passed me again. I had a good Ding-dong with another chap of the same name on the exact same bike so that was a bit of laugh, we kept on each other’s tail for about 10km until near the end & I’m pretty sure I was ahead the last time I saw him.
Before I knew it we were in the park flying towards T2. Dismount line came out of nowhere & I racked the bike. Had a pee on the fence as they only had a handful of portaloos & all in use. When I sat down to put my runners on I could feel my hips were stiff. Took another Gel.

Run Target 1:45, Actual 2:04:44

I set off very slow to loosen out. The first 10 mins were awkward to say the least. It was great to finally be on the last leg & start to feel the buzz of the crowds in the park. I wasn’t comfortable so at about 2km I lay on the grass & rotated my hips, hamstring stretch, calf stretch, QL stretch, cracked my back & took a few deep breaths! Now i was feeling a bit better & aid station was good for a boost – The Pepsi was magic & cold water over the head to sharpen me up! I knew my target pace was out the window but that I had time to play with to get under my target of 6 hours so no panic. I saw my family & friends around the course & this was amazing The Volunteers all around were so encouraging too – really big effort from everyone.
The Laps made the fun a bit of a blur, I was struggling to stay running & pace was slow... walk/run strategy kicked in & I made use of all the stations. I ran when the crowds appeared & walked when it got a bit baron. Running up towards the finish line & having to turn back on Lap 2 was hardship. Getting the 3rd wristband & knowing the finish was not far was a great feeling & as I got closer I burst into a run... into a sprint towards the finish. Hearing my name over the speaker & breaking into an aeroplane was such a high for me – job done! When I realised I had got in under 6 hours I was delighted. All had gone pretty much to plan for me, bar a slow run.
The finisher T-shirt & medal were nice. The non-alcoholic Bavaria was muck. I hung around for ages & soaked up the atmosphere & cheered on a few others I knew were still out there. Rank 1133 out of about 2300 starters – so I finished mid pack, which is consistent with all my races this year.

What now? Not going to think about it too much for a while. I can see where I can try to improve - get better at all 3 disciplines over the winter & come back next year with a new goal. At the moment I'm just going to enjoy the fact that I made it over the line & enjoyed my day immensely. I need to give some head space back to my family for a while as this really did take over my head for so many months. The fear of failure drove me, I became obsessive to varying degrees.

I've a strain in my left leg - it feels like a tendon, so I'll give that a while to recover. I had a 20 minute swim today & felt good. I've signed up for the Dublin Marathon so I'll give that a go without killing myself or worrying about times.

This log will take a rest for a while & I'll change my training a bit. I'll get back to doing more Legwork for sure. More upper body strength. Maybe some Spin classes over the winter. Maybe a Turbo Trainer. I might look for a masters swimming group to bring me on swimming.

So to all who poked their head in here on occasions - Thanks. I know this report is probably very scattered & lacking technical detail - but this is how I remember it!

This is the best thing I've ever done. Now I feel like a Triathlete. Will I do a full IM at some stage? Probably

Pics: https://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-photos/pctrl/Photos/paction/search/pevent/ironman-703-dublin-2015/pcpt/6060289/pbib/1377.html

Neady83

Congratulations Steroo, great report, great race and best of all, it sounds like you really enjoyed it. All the hard work paid off. Love the aeroplane at the end, a picture says a thousand words