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Its about time - IMAT12
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The thing is, I am still a novice triathleteCongrats Ironman Red, some day I hope to be able to do the same, you are an inspiration to many of us novice triathletes
I'm solid back of pack material but it just shows that if I can do it, most people should be able to. It just takes time . It's a relatively huge undertaking with a lot of pluses but significant minuses also. It's hard and it can have a severe negative impact on family so that should be the first bridge to cross. After that, it's about time (get it ?). Maybe now I should concentrate on becoming less of a novice over the shorter distance 
! Meanwhile, you can do it if you really want to. You just have to want it enough . 0 -
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and even Tunney among others throughout the day and I must say a MASSIVE thank you for all the support I've got on Boards.
I bet Tunney arrived on your shoulder when you were at your lowest point whispering sweet nothings into your ear
You're fcuking useless, stop moaning, stick to the scouts, HTFU, anything more than a 3.30 marathon is waddling
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Or words to that effectand even Tunney among others throughout the day and I must say a MASSIVE thank you for all the support I've got on Boards.
I bet Tunney arrived on your shoulder when you were at your lowest point whispering sweet nothings into your ear
You're fcuking useless, stop moaning, stick to the scouts, HTFU, anything more than a 3.30 marathon is waddling:)
Just packing up in Klagenfurt and of course it's much cooler now after a pleasant thunderstorm. :0. Heard of several Irish who didn't make the Swim cutoff incl a guy who did 1:20 Swim in previous IM so counting my blessings I actually got through it
Auf weiderson (sp?!) from Austria. It's about time I started this holiday.0 -
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THIS IS NOT AN IRONMAN RACE REPORT!
Its a report on a 5 night family trip to Austria that included an Ironman event so you're going to get all the details and its going to take a while :rolleyes:
Week 30 of 30 (cont'd)
A hectic few days before traveling meant even less training than intended.
Wed 27/6/12 - No training - Travel to Kerry with Work, No 1's school graduation ceremony and packing.
Thurs 28/6/12 - No training - Travel to Naas with Work and onward to Italy and Austria.
My bike had departed the previous week via the Club arrangements and was safely arrived in Austria so the family all set off from Limerick around 10am with bags bulging to the Ryanair limits for a 4pm flight to Verona, Italy where we were collecting a hire car and heading on to Klagenfurt with an ETA of 1am. I had a work meeting in Naas that I sandwiched in en route while the family got well fed in Avoca at Rathcoole. I deposited them at Dublin Airport before dropping the car to the in-laws and getting a taxi back to the airport. We spent too long ar$eing around the shops and were nearly last onto the plane. Little did I know that this was going to be a apt omen for the trip! We ended up seated in 3 separate rows and wedging some bags under our feet as the overhead space was full. It was 8pm local time when we got out in Verona and it was hot! By the time we picked up the car (a Fiesta which we just about squeezed into) it was feeding time at the zoo so we bailed into the first petrol station outside the airport and sampled their finest cuisine which at that time and location was basically some dog-eared sandwiches but it hit the spot. We loaded up with water and coffee and finally hit the road. After a bit of hassle with the Italian names we got pointing the right way and starting knocking down the KM. The problem was there was a few 100 of them and it turned into a bit of thrudge as everyone tired, there was hassle as to whether the air con should be on or off and the usual fun and games that travelling with families entails (=WWF). We had to break the journey in a darkened truck stop after nearly 3 hours to let them stretch their legs which we should have factored in better and finally rolled into Klagenfurt close to 1:30am and then had to track down our rented accomodation which we managed pretty well. By the time we're unpacked and settled in its past 2:30am and its still over 25 Deg C. My bed is too creaky and I end up sleeping on the floor for half the remaining night.
Fri 29/6/12 - No training!
Up early and scouted around the local area to scrouge up some basic grub for breakfast. We were on the first floor apartment with a nice old landlady on the ground floor and a French family on the 2nd floor but use of a decent garden also.
We were staying near the town centre but all the IM action was out at the lake 10-15mins drive out from town. The landlady had some water and milk in the fridge and even baked us a cake but the ravaging masses needed more. Once we signed in the register the old dear directed us to the big Spar on the way to the lake for any big shopping needs. We headed down towards the park bedside the lake where the Expo was and parked up at MiniMundus, a model world tourist attraction. Even the walk across the park was too much for the youngest (Mini Me) in the heat and we resolved to park nearer in future. I met a clubmate as we arrived at the Expo and abandoned the family as we sorted out our registration. Got our wristbands, transition bags and backpack and had a quick look around the Expo before hooking back up with the family who'd had al fresco lunch at the Sunset Cafe overlooking the lake and were well impressed with their surroundings. Lots of IM people pottering around and several swimming in the lake. Bumped into Oryx in the Expo and a nemisis who'd just scouted the bike course and advised that the hills were no problem. Hot hot hot. Picked up some extra tickets for the family for that evenings Pasta Party and headed back towards Spar to do a big shop. Got plenty of water and fruit and headed back to the apartment to escape the heat, set up properly and chill out.
Things started to come apart then as I realised I'd forgotton my 'good' run shorts and socks but figured I'd pick some up at the Expo. I also couldn't drink very much fluids despite trying to down Isodrinks and water. We ended up spending too long chilling out after our trip and initial orientation and no time figuring out our next moves properly. I needed to collect my bike from the hotel near the lake by 6pm, the family wanted to register for their IronKids / Irongirl events by 6pm and the Pasta Party was starting at 6pm so heading out the door at nearly 5:30pm was suddenly a problem. Of course there was a bit of traffic enroute back to the lake and I had to abandon them to do there stuff at the Expo and find there way to the IM Dome while I went looking for a man with a van. No sign of him at the hotel so I sped back into town to the 2nd Rendevous point in the Town Square but still no joy. Texting back and forth with MrsB and some of the clubmates re mutual 'where the fvck are you?'s had me stressed and sweating as I had to race back out to the hotel near the lake and claim my bike box at reception before stashing the car in a packed carpark and racing into the Pasta Party to hook up with family. I thought it would have been a running buffet for a few hours but it was a meal with a show! A troope of teenage Danish gymnasts were giving it socks in a high tempo display to a thumping Techno soundtrack and of course my gang were parked right up front and centre as I arrived nearly an hour late and wolfed down the fine spread of pasta, salad, and juices. Following the display the MC gave a big welcome to all the different Nationalities and the Irish got a very high ranking in terms of numbers. There was some bit of a speel that brought a lump to my throat about all the hard work, etc and then they brought out Faris Al Sultan for a few words and photo ops with the punters. I was more taken up with getting desserts and bringing kids to the loo but appreciated the moment enough to grap a long distance snap but here's a nicer one of me and No 2.
Thought I might meet Handango there but didn't happen. I had to abandon the gang again to bring the bike back to the apartment as there wasn't enough room but they went swimming in the lake while I was gone and were happy campers upon my return and we were evicted from the area by 8:30pm
My own plans for a swim were long gone and I didn't even have time for a quick 20min run as I had to put the bike together when we got home. The bike shop had taken the chain apart and try as hard as I could, I wasn't able to put it back together so resolved to bring it up to the Expo in the morning to sort it out. Hot, tired, frustrated and still not hydrated enough I put the mattress on the floor and had a half decent sleep for half long enough.
Sat 30/06/12
Up early, loaded the bike in the car and abandoned the family again but was under orders to be back for 10:15am as the Iron Girl Run was starting at 11am. Headed back out to the lake to meet the Clubmates for a 8am stretching session and enquire if anyone knew how to fix a chain! Was advised to get the Expo Bike Mechanics to check it out when they were open. Headed first for the 9am English Briefing and found Oryx where we laughed at the wild rumours floating around about a non-wetsuit swim. <Aside - Brian Jenkins from Limerick jumped in beside me and introduced himself as we'd never met. I meant to tell him that he was a big reason I was there after reading the account of his 2008 Lost Sheep win and seeing his finish line photos here and thinking that looks great :rolleyes:. However in all the fuss I didn't get a chance>. Despite the temperatures in the 30's I was quietly confident that they'd find a deep dark spot that would creep under the limit in a 'sure, like, we'd all be grand, begorrah, nod nod, wink wink, aren't we only here because of the wetsuit' kinda way. I laughed as I reassured myself that there's no way they'd have such a high level of IM virgins heading off without wetsuits! But then someone mentioned that they'd done it 2 weeks earlier in Regensburg and I stopped laughing and swallowed hard. The MC went through his briefing routine and got to the part where he laughed about going out to the deep dark spot in the lake ....<pause>....and measuring.......<pause......25.1 Deg(24.8?) and that wetsuits were not allowed! PRICK!!! FVCK!!!!DAMMIT!!!SH1T!!!!
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I retreated to a deep dark spot in my head and went very pale and quiet.
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Not in my worst nightmares did I envisage this.
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All bets are off.
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There is a distinct possibility I might die
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OK, maybe not die but I AM FVCKED!!!
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Calm down
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Take deep breaths
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Breath
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TBC 0 -
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Patiently waiting on part 2 - Where is it man??
Sorry, I know I've been very tardy. I've been swamped with work since coming back from hols and I haven't got a chance to finish it out what with epic tales and photos to include
. Seeing as I've now surfaced on Boards again, that must mean I'm over the worst of the backlog :rolleyes:. I'll throw up what I have later on today with the balance to follow ASAP 0 -
(cont'd from prev page –Sorry for the delay!)
Oryx starting laughing and saying 'you've gone all pale and look funny' <understatement >
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OK, I thought, get it together, snap out of it and get the show back on the road. One step at a time. Ignore the giant elephant in the room and concentrate on what you can control.
(Aside - my MASSIVE problem was that I hadn't done enough swimming as I figured I'd get around it with the help of the wetsuit. In terms of my 'return on time investment' I'd decided that I couldn't justify the time input to bring myself up even to the 1:15 level but that I should manage 1:30 handy enough. I'd done 3.2km a fortnight earlier in 1:11 so figured pro-rata that 1:25 was my target IN A WETSUIT! My legs drop bigtime in the water without one and its like driving with the handbreak on. I know, I know, I should have expected the worst and factored it in and done the training and got lessons and sorted it out but at the time even the idea of doing a 3.8km swim was daunting and I couldn't get my head around a non-wetsuit one!)
So of course there was a bit of rumbling from the crowd about this and they said they'd handle questions at the end, etc. There was a bit more stuff in the Briefing about going into Transition at set times but I was watching the clock and bailed out as they were winding down the main speel. I grabbed the bike from the car and headed to the Mechanics stand but there was already a queue and while I joined it for a few minutes, I realised I wouldn't be sorted in time to be back at base for 10:15 to collect the family as required. It also then dawned on me that I couldn't bring the bike back as there wouldn't be room to bring it back to the lake again without more shuttling. Starting to get fairly messy now! I went to the Help Desk and got them to keep an eye on it for half an hour while I collected the troops and returned pronto. Of course it wasn't that easy and they were far from happy about that idea and declined all responsibility, etc. Anyhow, it worked out ok as we got back rapido, collected the bike and left MrsB off to do her warmup for the Iron Girl 4.2km run while we queued for the Mechanic. At this stage the sun is beating down, its 30+ Deg C and I'm trying to get sunscreen on the kids and keep them in the shade. I got talking to a friendly Donegal guy called Liam in the queue and discussed the pros and cons of having family over. At this stage I was leaning in the Con camp as there was a lot of juggling going on and not a lot of IM preparation! The Mechanic was scratching his head trying to figure out what way I'd wrapped the chain around the rear derailleur (=ar$eways) and we concluded that a new chain would be the best option and that'll be €55 please. Do I have money on me? Of course not, its in the car! Luckily I spotted a Limerick top in the crowd, introduced myself (as I train Hans Solo style and know very few in the club especially the uberfast people who do IM!) and tapped him for the price of a chain. Finally sorted there we head over to the finish of the Iron Girl race just in time to cheer on MrsB who's enjoying the sunshine!
We decide to head back home to rest up before the afternoons IronKids event and I finally take the opportunity to cycle the bike for the first time after putting it back together. Thankfully it seems ok bar a few tweeks to the tribars.
So, we grab lunch at the apartment and head back out to the lake for 1:30pm where there's supposed to be a 'briefing' for the Ironkids. Its mental around there and I end up offloading the family at the entrance while I try and get parking. I circle two carparks unsuccessfully and, mindful of the previous sad issue of walking any distances with kids in the heat, end up throwing the car into a slightly illegal spot just around the corner from the Expo . As I have to pass through the Expo anyway and I think I need them I buy some shorts and Isogels in a hurry but not socks .
The Ironkids is an aquaton with a 50-100m swim and 450-1800m run depending on ages (6-15) and they go in waves. We entered all the kids in it as they get a tshirt, swim cap and treats at the end but we were very dubious as to the young fella doing it as he’s just 6 and hard enough to get away from the couch and out to GAA training plus he’s only learning to swim (takes right after his old man as it turns out!). Anyway, with all the commotion down there and with the OW Swim we figured it’d all freak him out a bit so we’d been telling him for weeks that he didn’t have to do it if he didn’t want to. No pressure. By the time I rocked up expecting a DNS from him however he was in ‘Transition’, all suited up, and gung ho!
A massive surprise and a very pleasant one to see this side of him. Bring it on! Who’s your Daddy!! There was a barrier keeping the crowd back so I told him to set up his towel and shoes in front of where I was standing and keep an eye out for my red hat as he wears glasses and the whole thing was going to be mental. It then turned out a parent was allowed in to help them as they were the youngest group so MrsB jumped in. Mini-Me headed off down the pier to the swim start and we waited anxiously.
They spread out in a line with plenty of lifeguards and floats where necessary and the hooter went. Mini-Me naturally followed his pedigree and took it slow and steady in the swim, using a float and closely watched by a following lifeguard. Oh the omens were there if I’d only seen them! Anyway, he got out of the water and raced over to where he’d set up his stuff…….only……they weren’t there! Disaster! The look on his face was absolutely priceless “WTF!!!”.
Can you imagine you race into T1 and there’s no sign of your stuff! MrsB had moved them closer to the swim exit as she was going to nab him but in the bedlam he’d gone by her! Anyway she got to him, gave him a hand and off he went like a rocket. Absolutely amazing to see! MrsB had to head off after him to collect him from the finish area and when he returned with his medal and icecream and choc donut, you could see that there was something different about him. He was an IronKid!
There was less drama with his 2 sisters as they knew the score from watching him. No 2, who is just getting into running this year, had a lightning fast transition and was gone in a flash.
No 1 was a bit more anxious before hers as some of the older kids were in trisuits and were making serious shapes in the start area while she was just hanging as far back as she could!
It took a good while to run off with the different waves and separating boys and girls depending on the numbers in the wave. I must say that it was very enjoyable and they got a real buzz from it. By the time we were finished it was 4pm and time to get my bike in by 5:30pm. I still hadn’t packed my transition bags but I figured I’d just use my carefully prepared list. We walked from the lake area, happy with our afternoons activities , and headed back to where I’d left the car………………….. and then the sh1t hit the fan. No car!!!!!! :eek: I realised in a millisecond that it had been towed away from my slightly illegal spot as the line of cars that I’d joined were all gone.
Sh1t! Fvck! Dammit!
I had another meltdown moment –Where was it and how was I going to get it back? What was the Car Reg which I’d surely need to find it? How much is this going to cost me? How’re we going to get out of here? And most pressing how am I going to get back into town to the apartment and get my bike, pack my bags and be back here within the hour without a car. And, oh yeah, the key of the apartment was in the car…….along with my runners and orthotics. Panic stations!!!
MrsB calmed me down a bit by noting that she had a spare key for the apartment so that was a major hurdle cleared. The next step was to abandon the family, race back to the Help Desk at the Expo and try to explain my dilemma, that my unidentifiable car was gone, my stuff was in town and that I mightn’t be able to get my bike in on time. They calmed me down and rationally suggested leaving the family, getting an estate taxi over and back, getting the bike into T1 and sorting out the car after that. There were no taxis around so they called me one. I was up to 90 so I headed back to get the family in the meantime to explain the plan. Luckily I spotted a large enough taxi enroute to them and nabbed it. We all sped back to apartment and started to sort my stuff at a million mph but was making little real headway. The list! Use the list! Where the heck is the list! Can’t find the damn list. Flapping like a madman, sweating like a ninja, cursing like a pirate. Tried putting my aero bottle on the bike and couldn’t figure how to Velcro the holder in securely. Spent 5 precious minutes ar$ing around with it until MrsB stepped in and sorted it in 1 minute. She’d also removed the kids from the scenario and calmly assessed the situation which I was incapable of doing at that time. I was racing through multiple scenarios and timelines and come to the conclusion that, best case, I was going to have to do my IM Marathon barefoot! And I was ok with that. In the rational world however she had gathered up the car hire docs and my passport from her magic storage system and deduced that the local Police Station was my first port of call on the bike as it was just around the corner and maybe the car was even there. That calmed me further and I finished packing properly, threw the bags over my shoulder and headed off on the bike having already missed my 5:30pm slot. I knew the last slot closed at 7pm so I figured I could blag my way in before that. It was baking hot and I was dripping sweat when I arrived at the Cop Shop where I met the duty officer, a very pretty, fit, young blonde lady to whom I explained my dilemma. As we sat there sweating in the hot quiet room another lady officer of similar appearance came in and as I noticed her also sweating in her police uniform complete with gun and handcuffs, time suddenly stood still, and a completely inappropriate thought crossed my mind – “I bet Catweaale wishes he could be here right now and that this scenario unfolded in a completely different direction!!!”. OMG!! Focus!!! :rolleyes: Anyway, with the help of a map she was able to source the towing company who were responsible for the lake area and give me directions roughly (steady!) to their location on the equivalent of the Long Mile Road. No address, just the road. I did a quick calc on my narrowing window of opportunity and headed that direction in the hope of at least securing my runners. I timetrialled it across town and up the Strasse. It was approaching 6pm Sat and I had visions of them shutting up shop for the weekend with no access until Mon! After a short search I found them and yes they were open and had my car. There is a God! I quickly handed over my credit card and got a mental kick in the nuts when the figure of €200 popped up on the screen but I was in no position to argue. Now, said the guy, you just have to pay the fine to the Police. Where? When? How? :eek: Oh he’ll be here in a few minutes after I ring it in, he says. I load up the bike into the car and sit down to wait. The atmosphere is like the movies. A silent room, sweat is dripping from me (did I mention that its hot!), the clock hand moves slowly. Tick. Tock. I watch it intently and debate will I unload the bike again. The phone rings. Ja Ja OK Ja. The cops aren’t coming, forget about it, you can go. Like a bat outta hell I was gone! I raced out to the Lake, parked the car (legally) beside the Expo and unloaded all my stuff. Wait a minute, where exactly is transition? I head towards the Canal and follow it downstream which is the swim route and bump into some Limerick lads then who, with a look of amazement, direct me to the bike park. Its 6:45pm and thankfully there’s no hassle getting in and setup. The place is pretty quiet at this time for some reason! I memorise and take photos of the route from the bags to my bike and finally leave Transition with an almighty feeling of relief. And I'm not even at the start line 
TBC!0 -
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(cont'd from prev page– again, sorry for the delay!)
Well, at this stage I’m well and truly out of the zone and not dwelling too much on the main task ahead. I realise I’m all over the place and need to get my act together. On the way back to the apartment I review my position and face some facts. The first issue is I’m underprepared for a non-wetsuit IM swim and I haven’t even set foot in the water since I got here, let alone do any sort of swim or lake course assessment. I also haven’t checked out any of the bike or run courses. Another issue is I’m not fully acclimatised to the heat and am going to suffer on that front. I’m not a heat merchant and it’s going to be very very hot. The forecast is for mid-high 30s. Which brings me nicely onto the fact that I’m subtly aware that I’m not hydrated enough. I’ve been trying to get enough water into me and I’m sweating plenty but not even close to peeing clear. Inexcusably I haven’t got my gear fully sorted as I want to use a new pair of tinted goggles but I haven’t even tried them on. I’ve one pair of heavy 1000mile socks for the run when I planned on a lighter pair and only nasty cotton ones for the bike. I’ve only worn my new tri shorts for the first time this morning at the club stretching session and I don’t know if I’ll be running in them or in the new pair I bought this afternoon which are ‘breezier’ especially if I factor in my plan to pee off the bike and the possible requirement for fresh kit. The bike still has a Gatorskin tyre on it that I had planned to swop over to a Conti race one. On the body front I also haven’t had any run since I arrived and my legs are feeling twitchy as a result. After a millisecond of deliberation I make a couple of quick decisions based on one overwhelming goal, namely, forget about time and just try and finish this damn thing happy. End of. Its going to be a long day and I’d rather take it easy, finish it slow and happy and have something to show for it than DNF or even finish a bit faster but be in a world of pain. Because who am I fooling anyway, my ‘fast’ is pretty slow in the grand scheme of things and what difference will another hour or so make. Doing an Ironman seemed impossible for me years and even months ago but now I know I can do this if I hold it together. I’ve invested a fair amount of time and effort into this gig and at this stage I just need to abandon any last ego issues and be ‘sensible’. Sit up and get to the finish line. In hindsight it sounds pathetic and a cop out and its more than a bit embarrassing to admit that was the way my mind worked but I made the decision based on the conditions I was dealing with and figured it was the best odds to salvage a result. Not pretty, but practical. After that decision, the IM was treated as a walk in the park with no pressure.
We ended up going back out to the lake that evening to the Sunset Café again for dinner and to soak up the last of the pre-race atmosphere. Of course there was no pasta left by the time we got there so it was choice of Pizza or Salad and I needed some carbs. They were getting the big buoys in the water and I had a last look at the finishing area and got talking to some Waterford lads who were staying in the nearby campsite. When we got back to the apartment I finally squeezed in a 20min run and afterwards I went upstairs to the French family, introduced myself and enquired if anyone wanted to share an early taxi to the lake as I was leaving the car with the family. They offered to drive me out (as I was hoping) and we arranged to head off at 5:10am. By the time we had the kids and the last of the logistics sorted (P20 sun screen applied, Garmin settings tweaked) it was just past midnight and I opted for the pull out bed in the Sitting Room and quickly crashed out.
The alarm went at 4:30am and I was up like a bullet with my game face on and a smile that this day had come at last and I was up for it. OJ, Banana, Porridge and Coffee, another layer of P20, toilet and off with my new French friends on a beautiful sunny morning. A small stream of IM traffic was heading out of town at that hour but there wasn’t much hassle getting into the parking field opposite MiniMundus after a slight delay. The usual shuffle of tri-heads with gear bags heading for transition but with a bit more of a spark in the air. Lots of onlookers, supporters, family members, etc milling around the entrance. Some smiling faces but others determined and some anxious. Lots of different event t-shirts on view incl some Irish ones as we funnelled into Transition around 5:40am but no familiar faces yet. I was finally in the zone and where I wanted to be. A walk in the park was my mantra. Plenty of affirmations were floating through my head as I went through the final setup motions. No bother. One step at a time. Finish happy. Long and strong. Enjoy. It’s all good. Keep moving forward. Loaded my chilled energy drink bottle onto the bike and filled up my aero bottle with water and Zero electrolyte. Stuffed the bento box to the max with 8 PB gels and a bar. It’s all good in the hood. Handango appears for a minute and introduces himself and I’m delighted to meet a friendly face. One last look at the bike and I get a lump in my throat as it dawns on me after all the previous day’s stress that I’m about to head to the startline and what that means. A flashback to all the dark morning starts, the freezing cold cycles and runs, the nights on the turbo with steam rising and sweat pooling, the hours of solitude and visualising this day, the seemingly never-ending fatigue and constant, all-consuming juggling of training and life, the crankiness, the hassle and conflicts, the boredom, the building, the demons, the sacrifices, the growing confidence, the realisation of feeling truly alive and firing on all cylinders, the entire journey from the very start when I could barely dream about doing this and finally, at last, the destination. I’m reminded of a mantra / line I read online ‘One day I won’t be able to do this………. but today is not that day!’ and I feel a swell of pride. I think of this log and the encouragement I got at a particular low point from one simple ‘Thanks’ from someone I never met to a post I made about turning a corner. And I’m extremely grateful that I’ve been able to make it to this place and this moment in time. A dorky emotional photo in my HTFU t-shirt for the record.
A last check of the bike/run bags and I spot and salute my neighbour and Tri-an-Mhi winner Mike O’Brien (MOB) as I leave Transition at 6am. I’m feeling calm as I join the crowd heading back towards the swim start and there’s a good atmosphere as we hear the PA noises drifting towards us.
There’s a bag drop at the IM Dome Tent and I offload my stuff after having a bit of banter with a couple about the HTFU t-shirt.
As I walk towards the Strandbad (public swim area) where the swim starts from, I unexpectedly fall in with a few others from Limerick and suddenly we’re a group of 10+. Friendly faces and a bit more banter go down very well and I’m feeling good as we pass into the crowded start area and it’s fairly mobbed. Handango appears again and I let the Limerick group go as I figure it’d be better for him not to be on his own as he’s equally concerned with the non-wetsuit swim! I’m still feeling calm and stoical and try to take it all in and let it soak into the memory banks. It’s even better than I imagined it! There is more thumping techno music. The sun is shining and the scenery is good. There are at least 2 helicopters and 1 plane circling overhead. There are loads of spectators looking in awe at 2,000+ competitors and I feel that I’m in the right place. This is where I want to be. Mantra time. I’m just going for a swim. One step at a time. Long and strong. Don’t forget to breathe as Ryle said. We hang near the back in the middle of the left hand group and find a bench to relax on until the final few minutes before the 7am start. I pop an Isogel and soak up the amazing atmosphere. With the water and the noise and the helicopters I’m somehow reminded of the Apocalypse Now movie scene about loving the smell of napalm in the morning! It’s wired and I’m loving it! They’re counting it down every few minutes and finally kill the techno and do the Austrian National Anthem before letting us into the water. Handango and I shake hands and wish each other luck as we wade towards the start buoys and suddenly some are swimming, others join them, nobody is stopping, there’s a hasty gun, I hit the cheapie Casio stopwatch and the ball is in and the game is on!
The water is surprisingly warm and clear and it really is just like a swimming pool! There’s a good bit of early bumping and banging as the herd of wildebeest-like swimmers head for open water. I try to get on some feet but there’s bodies everywhere going on different tacks at different speeds and I just try to suit myself. My new goggles are working a treat and I concentrate on getting any thoughts of drowning or how deep the water is out of my head during the initial anxious minutes! It feels weird to be without a wetsuit in open air / water. I’m happy to just relax and swim easy as I figure I’m going to be here a while so I might as well enjoy it. My position is poor but I’m breathing easy to my right every 2 strokes. I try getting my legs up by dropping my head/upper body but it fecks up my breathing as there’s a slight choppiness in the water so I abandon that. I’m happy with my sighting and anyway there’s this huge crowd to follow. Not a lot to report about the first half as I just tipped away at my own steady pace except that it seemed to take me a good while to get to the first turn at 1230m. I was happy with my position as there were plenty around and I got a few short drafts. Again it seemed to take longer than expected to make the next 500m to the second turn but I was beginning to tire a bit now. I drafted a guy for one spell with a girl beside me and was amazed at the hip rotation that she had going on compared to what felt like my very flat and static position –so that’s what I should be doing I thought . It seemed to be a bit choppier around here and I wondered had a wind appeared. The last 1100m section in the lake however slowly turned into a nightmare as my tiredness grew. Not only was I swimming with the hand break on but the clutch also seemed to be gone and I was making little progress as I dragged my 85kg carcass through the water with the grace and elegance of a hippopotamus. I couldn’t see the Canal entrance and was swimming vaguely in the direction of the shore, parallel with some nice lake view houses and trying to follow the crowd but they had thinned and seemed very spread out. I was a member of the “Where-the-fvck-are-we’ tribe, popping my head up every few strokes trying to figure out which way to go. I couldn’t see any other buoy and the water seemed to get colder. When 1 guy breaststroked past me I knew I was in trouble. I was tiring bigtime and my body was breaking down. I was chaffing under one arm as I hadn’t even considered Bodyglide when it was non-wetsuit. I started to cramp in my gut / lower stomach and dry retched a couple of time and I need a toilet as my body wants to jettison all non-essential items. My legs started cramping and I eyed up the swim support crew nearby for a millisecond in case I started to sink or needed to abort. And then…. over the hill…… came the cavalry….. in the form of Boardsies! I thought of all the various people who might be tracking or vaguely interested in what was happening and tapped into their imaginary feedback. The first contribution, bizarrely, was ‘SIU’ from you know who, which was actually just what I needed to hear. A mental slap in the face helped focus me on the positives. I was still in the race and moving forward. That’s it. I thought of Dory, MCOS, Catweazle, Izoard, JB, Griffin100, Abhainn, etc and them encouraging me and telling me that I’m able to do this so keep going! I thought of various people hitting F5 and typing stuff online. And it helped. Thank you all so much because I literally could not have done it without you. I thought of MiniMe and his classic advice – just keep swimming! It seemed to take forever to cover that last section in the lake as I was making so little progress but I figured once I got to the canal I was over the worst and would manage the rest by hook or by crook. After an age I finally struggled into the canal and felt a surge of emotion. Almost welling up, I gave myself a mental clap on the back and actually heard BennyMul’s voice saying “You, Sir, are a legend”. I was wreaked but I was also so happy and relieved to make it to there. The fact that I was hearing voices only seemed strange days after the event. I thought I had beaten it. I thought I only had to swim approx. 500m to the bridge and the finish was just after it. I thought I’d get carried along by the canal or have handy drafting……….. I was wrong. Where’s everyone gone? I realised I was in a relatively empty canal so there was no flow or drafting. I slowly ground out the next section to the bridge but no sign of any finish area. I’m tired and confused and annoyed that I haven’t checked this out properly in advance. And then I hear the guy on the PA in the distance and my world turns upside down in an instant! “And now we have the last of our competitors coming in before the cut-off time”. WHAT!...... THE CUT-OFF!.....WHOLEY SH1T!!!! ……I never once even considered the cut-off in my worst nightmares! This day is getting better and better!! I was planning a 1:30 swim in a wetsuit and WTF has happened! What time is the cut-off!! What time is it now!!! What kind of hot-tub-time-machine have I been swimming around in that I’m faced with the cut-off! Nooooooooooo! I’ve come too far to be turfed out like this. My (lack of)swim chickens were coming home to roost. I kept ploughing on and vainly searching for the finish but I couldn’t see anything. It turns out it was approx. 500m past the bridge. I heard the guy on the PA again identifying the last swimmer who’d probably make it in under the cut-off and I’m panicking. I still can’t see any sign of the finish and I’m fvcked! It is an absolute nightmare. I finally see a gap in the right of the canal which opens up to a bigger area and there, at last, is the finish area. The PA guy is going on again about the cut-off and the last guy being a 70 year old German named Juergen. I’m splashing my heart out and getting all emotional again as I approach the finish. There’s about 8 people waiting at the finish area to help people getting out and I don’t see any Juergan lookalikes so the penny finally drops that I’m actually positively really really going to make it. My crazed mind starts to unload a lot of stress related stuff. The PA guy who’s the same guy from the briefing who joked about the non-wetsuit swim is the focus for most of it. You’re not getting me $%*&! Etc etc. I’m very highly charged as I know, for sure, that I’m going to make it and as I finally swim to the finish I start to release a lot of pent up stuff in my head. The tiredness and the stress of the last lake and canal sections unloaded in a very emotional way. I can’t put it on here but the demons got a hard time as did anyone who ever put me down. It was a diatribe that basically said ‘FVCK YOU’ as the rage and relief overcame me. I’m a pretty easy going fella normally but I was pumped and nearly shaking with emotion when I got out of the water and that might explain the look on my face here.
I was so wound up, relieved and emotional that I felt a primal urge to roar and that is what I did!
I don’t know if there were hormones involved but I’ll blame them anyway! I trotted gingerly back to the bike park which was practically deserted, grabbed my bike bag and headed straight to a Portaloo as fast as I could. You don’t want to know about the state of it or my body’s response to the swim from hell or other logistical issues so we’ll gloss over them but suffice to say that it wasn’t pretty but I emerged, superman-like, in my bike gear and feeling a bit better. I think I just dropped my swim stuff into the bike bag and left it somewhere to be rehung? Another wave of emotion but I pushed it back in its box and went to grab my bike which was embarrassingly easy to locate as nearly everyone else’s were gone. I headed out of Transition and finally, feeling a little calmer, set off on the bike leg of 2x90km laps on closed roads.
As I started pedalling I noticed a few others around me and bizarrely I recognise one of them very well. It’s a blast from the past. I punctured during my first HIM at Lost Sheep 2009 and was one of the last out on the course as it took ages to sort. I chased down a distant rider on the way back to T2 as I didn’t want to be last but the 50+ year old lady ran by me minutes later anyway. She’d stuck in my memory since and I’d seen her at other events but never spoke to her. She’s even in that photo of me with the shopping bag during the run to T1 at Lost Sheep 2011! We’re obviously at the same standard so I introduce myself and we chat for a minute before wishing each other good luck as I pull away. As I head out the course I become acutely aware that it’s deserted! Where’s everyone gone!? It’s eerily quiet like a scene from the Walking Dead or 28 Days Later! Oh well, at least I’m not being passed. There are a few pockets of 2-3 spectators outside houses as I wind my way along the lake edge and I say ‘Danke’ to everyone. Its several km before I spot and catch my first fellow competitor who’s an elderly gentleman. Everyone also has their name on their race number so I salute him by name as I pass slowly and say well done. The course is more up and down than I imagined and I’m only averaging 28kph as I settle in easy and take on some water. I have the Garmin mounted on the handlebars with a timer alert for every 15mins. But the alert volume is too low and I have to keep checking the display.
I try to take a gel every 30mins and alternate with water and energy drink in between. I press on a bit and hit 30kph for a short spell but the gradient rises as I leave the lake area and I only manage 27km in the first hour despite my average target being 28.5kph. It’s getting hotter as its 10:30am at this stage so I’m happy enough to just stay steady. I remind myself that my goal is to finish happy. I’ve no HRM so I’m using RPE and pace. The aero bottle isn’t working for me as I’m not holding the position with even slight inclines. My new chain comes off on one and I’m mindful of potential issues there. I pass through a section towards the small town of Rosegg where faster riders are coming against me on the opposite side of the road and think I spot MOB powering away but in reality he’s probably further along than that. I’m picking up more stragglers now and start to count them and there are more supporters on the route and plenty of encouragement of Yup Yup, Bravo, Zuper!. I say Danke to them all and encourage anyone I pass. My aero bottle drinking tube decides to come apart in the middle and I can’t get it to join back properly and it’s as awkward as hell to use when I’m not even close to an aero position. I decide to discard it as it’s only a nuisance but part of me is remembering how much it cost! I resolve the conflict by tossing it complete with holder to some confused Irish supporters with a Tricolour in some small town and telling them I’m from Limerick in the vain hope of maybe getting it back after. There’s a short spike leaving Rosegg and then a longer incline as we turn towards St Niklas and the first aid station. There are loads of people cheering nearing the top and out on the road waving flags and shouting and it’s pretty amassing to be in the middle of it as they give it loads. It’s not quite the full TdF treatment but it’s my first time getting it and I appreciate it. I gratefully take a fresh water bottle from one of the many volunteers that are offering water, energy drinks, bars and bananas. Danke. A nice descent to get the heart rate back down again and enjoy the view and the feeling of speed for a change. I’m cycling on my own during the next section through open countryside towards St Peter when out of the blue a motorcycle goes by. That’s nice, I think, there is someone checking on the backmarkers. Then a 4x4 with a roof mounted clock goes by displaying 4:00 hours. Nice touch, I think, very considerate. Next there’s a flash and Philip Graves, the leading pro, whizzes by followed by another car and motorbike and I’m amazed (why?) that I’m being lapped! Once again, it was something that hadn’t even crossed my mind! 10 minutes later Faris Al-Sultan, the eventual winner, and another Pro whizz by going like that clappers and I take a moment to appreciate what they’re doing and that I’m in the middle (or end!) of it. Back around to Rosegg and I’m only through 52km after 2 hours on the bike thanks to poor climbing at low speed as I try to keep the effort constant and sustainable as the sun beats down.
More ascending and I take on 2 bottles at the next aid station and plough on. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere I’m grinding my way up an incline in the baking heat and there’s a female randomer on her own at the top shouting encouragement and waving a Union Jack and as I thank and pass her a light bulb goes off in my head. That’s Chrissie Wellington! On her own, in the middle of nowhere, in this heat, whooping it up for everyone! Respect. I’m not familiar enough with the route and amn’t tuned in to where the real hills are. When I hit the bottom of one as we enter a forested area I dig deep and SIU. Approaching a bend after a few minutes of sustained effort and passing several people including one walking, I ask some Irish supporters walking down (God bless all the Irish people with Tricolours!) is it far to the top, praying that they say that it’s just around the corner. A pause as they do the math. 2km. 2 fvcking km of this! Sweet mother of Devine Jesus help me! It’s HTFU time and I grab the top of the handlebars and grind and sweat and swear my way up it. It’s a bit of a blur and I’m positive I saw my speed drop to 8kph at one stage but then I saw sky up ahead and there was the sound of techno music coming over the hill. Yessss there’s a short flattish section out into open countryside! I could then see a music tent up ahead in the haze but as I approached I realised it was rising sharply again around a corner so back to the grindstone. This is Rupertiberg and is the main climb. There’s an aid station and more music at the top and I am so glad to see it as I’m gasping and low on liquid. The relief as I descend feels great and I congratulate myself until I hit the 3 hour mark and note 74km and that my average speed has dropped to less than 25kph. I’m baking in the midday sun now and hoping that the sunscreen is working as it’s full on radiation.
The scenery is pretty good throughout the whole ride going through several small villages and towns with plenty of vocal supporters but also passing by nice lakes, rivers, mountains and forests. Some villages seemed to have everyone sitting outside the local pub cheering. Other times you’d come across a few people in deckchairs in the absolute middle of nowhere with flags and coolers. There was a very positive vibe the whole way through with ordinary people and supporters shouting lots of encouragement especially the ‘Yup Yup’ kind. There were more Pros passing me at this stage but I was slowly pulling in people too so that balanced out somehow in my mind. I got miffed at the last aid station on the circuit when I was going for a bottle and a Pro nipped in front of me and grabbed it and I went without. SIU Red, it’s the Law of the Jungle out there. I got a lift another time when descending and was actually catching up with a Pro for a short while. I let him off in the end! We passed by some amazing views and one bar / restaurant that had an old, full size fighter jet on a pole in the car park!? There was a good bit of descending and flat sections on the way back into Klagenfurt and I managed to complete the first 90km lap in 3.5hours so my average was back up to 25.7kph. I got a big lift when I approached the turnaround and saw and heard my family there with a Limerick flag. This was the first time they’d seen me all day as they didn’t think they’d be up in time to see me come out of the swim (how wrong they were!). I was delighted and gave the kids ‘five’ as I cycled past.
It then dawned on me that I had to do the whole circuit again. Oh crap! SIU said you know who. I took solace again from the idea that there was people tracking me and willing me on but it was tough heading back out again. Of course it’s tough, that’s the whole idea! I obviously had a better idea about the course now so that helped although the support wasn’t as deep as the first lap. There were still people out there shouting you on but it was getting even hotter and hotter as we hit early afternoon and I started to wilt a bit in the heat. I’m still trying to take on gels every 30mins but they’re running out around now and I’m just pedalling along as best I can. Finish happy is still the plan.
No sign of Chrissie as the assents from the lake edge came around once more and through 126km in 5hours and the average is dipping again. Its unbelievably hot and I seem to find particular pockets of intense heat in places. The road seems to be sucking my tyre into it at times. The chain goes again but it’s ok. I’m starting to note a few people stopped on the side of the road whose races are over due to mechanical issues and I cross my fingers and pray that my luck holds. I pass an Irish guy walking and offer assistance but he needs a valve extension which I don’t have. Sorry buddy my heart goes out to you but I’ve got to keep going. Around 5.5 hours in and I finally need to pee. I decide there’s precious little to gain and possibly a lot to lose (See Lost Sheep 2011 crash report!) from trying this on the bike now so pull in for a minute. I know there’s a big hill out here somewhere but I can’t remember where it is. I even try convincing myself that I’ve passed it and it was easier the second time. I meet and pass a 60+ year old Limerick Tri Club legend called Mick Griffin who I’d never met, as we struggle up some hill and introduce myself as his nephew’s Cub Scout Leader! Through 149km in 6hours and there she blows! Rupertiberg! There’s more people walking this time and the thought crosses my mind but I’m determined to grind it out. I catch up with a familiar face from the Expo, Liam from Donegal. He’s looking for Vaseline but I don’t have any. We swop stories about how fvcked we are and I pull away and wish him good luck. My feet are burning up big time in my crappy cotton socks and I again curse my sloppy preparations.
I need to zig zag across the road and my heart is pounding, my legs are burning and my chest is heaving. The road through the forest rises, my speed drops. 13kph. 11kph. 8kph, 6kph! Oh for a granny ring! The warp core is about to explode when I see sky and drag myself by my fingernails up to the flatter section. Momentary relief until I remember something about music 
. I recover slightly and head out gasping into the sun again. I’m feeling pretty fried but hear the music and see the tent ahead at the bend on the hill. The top, there’s the top at the music tent, you’re nearly there. As it rises up sharply I dig deep again and go for it. Again as the road rises, my speed drops. Again my heart is pounding, my legs are burning and my chest is heaving. Suddenly my spirits plummet when I realise this is not the top, that it’s another 500-750m past the music tent. Keep going Red! You’ve got to keep going! YOU CAN NOT STOP! I’m gasping like crazy, dripping sweat and the dancing dots in my eyes are going blurry! 11kph. 8kph, 6kph, 4kph! NOOOOO!!!!2kph! NOOOOO!!!!0kph. NOOOO!!! I stop at the music tent just before I fall over. I’m out of it for several seconds as I suck air in and try to stop my heart bursting out of my chest. I’m disgusted by my weakness and mentally curse myself over and over. You useless fvcker!:mad: I’m not happy. I may be slow but I didn’t want to have to stop. I look up at the remaining section and instantly reject the idea of walking one step of it. I’ve done enough Walks of Shame in my time. I AM NOT DOING ONE NOW! I take a minute to get it together and remount awkwardly on the incline and try it again. This time it’s hard but manageable. As I turn the corner and head up towards the incline I see the beautiful purple and yellow colours of Wexford Tri Club and Oryx shimmering in the heat! :cool:
TBC!0
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