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How hard can it be, eh?
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Friday
Descending through the clouds into Zurich, there is rain lashing against the plane windows. Ehh, this is not how it is supposed to be?
Get the gear and head out to be picked up by the guys from Nirvana (the travel agency.:-), who were babysitting us on the ground.
Stepping outside, it is cold as well as wet – should have signed up for Eireman instead!
Get to hotel, assemble the bike and head off for a bus tour of the bike course.
First 30km – beautiful and flat. Left turn, and the bus starts wheezing up the first hill. Before travelling, I was contemplating switching to a 27 on the back - starting to worry already.
First hill not so bad and plenty of up and down until km 55 – The Beast. Steep and appeared to go on for 3km or so – not promising.
More undulation before the descent back to the lake shore. Around km 75, the bus driver states:
“Here ist Heartbreak Hill…the bus cannot arise up the hill” – and left it at that.
Sh1t! Why can’t the bus make it up? Too steep? Too narrow? – Decision made – new block tomorrow.
Saturday
Still pissing rain.
Take the bike down to the IM site for registration and a new block. Distinct wobble on the back wheel…what? Initial diagnosis is that the rim is OK, so the problem is somewhere else.
The Shimano boys quickly replace the block, but the rim/ tyre is causing consternation. The first analysis?;
“Your tyre is sheeeet” (brand new Conti GP4000s).
Swap it for whatever they have, same problem.
Eventually the most senior guy gets an adjustable wrench to the inflated tyre (Conti back on at this stage) and starts to wrestle with it.
“Now ist is gud, ja?”.
Take it for a quick spin, feels fine – great- drop the bike into transition.
Serious bike p0rn, coupled with a liberal dose of continentals parading around in Speedos and compression socks, give this a “real deal” feeling.
We missed registration on the Friday, and there was no info on the course in the registration pack. Just follow everyone else I guess…
There was also a debate about whether wetsuits would be allowed. In this weather?
The sprint and Olympic on the Sat were non-wetsuit, so I was cacking it that they would pull the suits.
Went to bed praying for weather improvement, a colder lake and good legs! – A techno party in the field beside the hotel, ensured that most of the IM punters only got couple of hours kip – what’s new.
Race Day:
Up at 3.45am, down for breakfast at 4am, transfer to the event site at 5.15am.
Weather looking good – God is an Ironman!
Swim:
6.45am: Head for the swim start. There are buoys everywhere…where do we go? Which buoys? Yellow or orange?
Announcement: “2 minutes to pre-swim start!” What?
At this point, the first lines are in the water and the rest are shuffling in.
“Ironman Switzerland 2010 is off!” What? No gun? No hooter?
The swim is 2 laps including an exit onto an island for 20 meters before back in the water. The route to the island is unclear, but everyone seems to be heading for the large yellow buoy miles away!
In I get. Water beautiful – warm and clear. Given I was a minute or 2 behind at the start, I missed the full washing machine, with the only physicality taking place at the turns.
Fairly chaotic getting onto the island, but out in 40 mins and back in for round 2. Heading to the end of the swim, I felt I could go on forever.
16 hours in this water? No problem:)
1.22.54. – PB for 3.8km
T1
Went for the full gear change and took advantage of the relaxed approach to nudity.
Leisurely and calm, grab the bike and go.
0:06.27
Bike
Down on the bars straight away.
Nutrition plan was to alternate Nature Valley bars and bananas every 20km, starting at km 0. Liquid was water with Nuun tabs.
Drafting central, but in fairness to the marshals, they were nailing as many as they could with penalties.
First 30km – perfect. Warming up, but partly cloudy, but no wind and no rain in sight.
Bang! Hit the first climb of the day.
Seemed steeper on the bus – then it dawned on me – road surface.
I’m sure Zurich gets worse weather than here, but they use a nice fine grained tarmac stone. Makes a huge difference and I felt I was gliding up the hill.
Starts to roll for the next 20 or so km, then we hit The Beast. Nice climb with some great switchbacks, super views of Lake Zurich and opens up onto a lovely plateau complete with fields of cows at the top. Brass band at the top belting out the standards.
No use for the 27 yet.
Just after, I stopped for a leak and saw an Ireland jersey whizz by. Conor20, I guess! Jumped back on and introduced myself and we yo-yo’d all the way to the finish of the bike.
Great – downhill to Lake Zurich. Ehh, not quite. There was a significant drag for nearly 3km along the train tracks that was not apparent on the bus and a real leg sapper.
Some hairy descents and we are back to Lake Zurich.
The sense of dread as we approached Heartbreak Hill was growing. Past transition and we get to Km 75, swing right, and bang! Here we go.
Ramping from the start, there are a number of sharp turns with the road narrowing all the time. Then you turn a corner and the crowd hits you.
4-5 deep screaming at the riders with just enough space to get through. Reminiscent of Contador and Schleck on the Tourmalet earlier in the week.
Unbelievable and one of the best sporting experiences I’ve ever had.
Check out a sample here.
With that support, you fly up the hill and then it is back around for the 2nd lap.
1st lap: 3:07 HIM PB
2nd lap was much the same. However, much of the crowd had left Heartbreak Hill by the second lap to watch the marathon, so it wasn’t quite so epic.
Finally dropped into the 27, just to get some use out of it.
2nd lap: 3:18
Bike Total: 6:25:45
T2
Legs were feeling great and I was torn whether to continue wearing the compression cycling shorts, which were giving great support and would help with staving off the inevitable cramp, or switch to tri shorts.
I had mentioned this to one of the guys in CycleSuperStore earlier in the week and he said;
“You’ll be pi$$ing through a straw for a week, if you do a marathon in cycling shorts!”
More nudity and I reluctantly switched to the tri shorts and a fist full of Vaseline.
0:05:07
Elapsed time: 8 hours
Run
At this point, I knew I would finish and that my “A” goal of sub-13 hours was in play. At this point, I was focusing on a sub-5 marathon with no loftier ambitions.
Feeling strong, and mindful of the quantity of food/ drink I had taken on the bike, I ran non-stop for 10km, ignoring the aid stations, running 10.1km in 54mins.
Feeling great.
After the first 10km I decided to start to walk through the aid stations. In retrospect, this was a mistake as the run at IM CH is one long feeding station.
I started to feel there was too much walking, but I had it ingrained that this was the plan, so stick to it.
Next 10.6km in 1 hour.
The support on the course was superb. Continuous looping meant there were supporters everywhere, but having to run past the finish 4 times, was a definite mental strain.
Mid way through lap 3, my hamstring locked up and required nearly 5mins of stretching to get me to a point of being mobile again.
Worked through it, and 10.7km done in 1:05:32.
By now, I realized I had been too conservative and I had it in me to have done sub 4.
Maybe, just maybe I could up the gas for the final lap.
I met up with one of the Irish guys staying in the hotel and we pushed and pushed for the sub-4, sub-12.
However, the reality was that we were getting a little slower and the final 10.7km was done in 1:06.25.
It was sweet swinging into the finishing chute…high 5’s all round and a victory salute across the line.
4:06:52
Overall 12:07:07
Straight across the line, medal and beer
Reflections:
Incredible event.
For some reason Austria and Frankfurt are seen as the darlings for IM Paddies on tour, but the large Irish contingent loved this race.
I’ve noting to compare it to, but it was top class.
Over 2,000 marshals managing an IM in a major urban centre on a very tricky course – super job.
The first spin over Heartbreak Hill will be my abiding memory.
Personally, I’m delighted to finish and thrilled with the time.
However, I know I could have gone harder on lap 2 and 3 of the run (dodgy hamstring allowing), so there is some sneaking regret that I didn’t do the sub-4 marathon. My simple plan of walking the aid stations, didn’t take into account there would be so many of them!
I'd love a crack at another one...:)0 -
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Great report... where do I sign up!
No really, your excitement comes through that report. It must have felt wicked with all those people on that hill. What was the gradient like? Was the road surface that good for the whole course? Delighted you had such a great time and exoperience and did all of your hard work justice. Never a beer as good I'd imagine. A big hearty well done Mr challenge leader! Good job Sir
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Thats the best race report Ive read. At no point do you ever refer to struggling, or suffering, or finding it hard. In fact, you make it sound easy, like anyone could do it. A fantastic log, a fantastic achievement, thank you for taking us all with you on the journey. Congratulations! 0
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Thats the best race report Ive read. At no point do you ever refer to struggling, or suffering, or finding it hard. In fact, you make it sound easy, like anyone could do it. A fantastic log, a fantastic achievement, thank you for taking us all with you on the journey. Congratulations!
Thanks.
Anyone can do it - No one is to old/fat/busy to do an IM. Like the field at a marathon, there was all shapes and ages.
Also, don't get blinded by the science.
The "swim/bike/run for as long as you can, when you can", will certainly get you around.
Finally, this has been a "brick-free" zone from the start. Very glad I never had to do one, as I hate them:)0 -
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Fantastic race report. Makes me want to do IMCH next year just for the support.However, I know I could have gone harder on lap 2 and 3 of the run (dodgy hamstring allowing), so there is some sneaking regret that I didn’t do the sub-4 marathon. My simple plan of walking the aid stations, didn’t take into account there would be so many of them!
I'd love a crack at another one...
Complete / Compete / Conquer - phase 1 is most definitely complete:)0 -
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