A higher state of cardiovascularness

shotgunmcos

pgibbo wrote: »

I think next year one of 2 things needs to happen:

1. You both pick the same IM
2. CW goes to Austria and RQ to Nice

:cool:

Or they both do Galway!

RacoonQueen

BTH wrote: »

Are they both coming to Copenhagen for the boards get meet up ??

Was thinking Copenhagen or barca next year...

BTH

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Was thinking Copenhagen or barca next year...

Youd have company in Copenhagen. Four boardies already committed.

Dory Dory

BTH wrote: »

Youd have company in Copenhagen. Four boardies already committed.

Which 4??

pgibbo

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Was thinking Copenhagen or barca next year...

Both very good races. Better crowds & support in CPH based on my experience.

BTH

Dory Dory wrote: »

Which 4??

Not sure any of the four would want me outing them :pac:

catweazle

Thanks all got home last night - I am always moaning after all of my races but I wont complain here. I probably got as much as I could out of myself on the day.

I am the first to give out about the price of these races but I cant even nitpick on this race, there's plenty of well organized races in Ireland but this was a level above that again.

I will write up a race report later in the week when I get the bog out of the way - pray for me out there..............I can hardly move a muscle in my legs and my right side is all road rash *

* It wasnt a bollard Paul - a row of these bad boys - as you can see they are so small they could be easily missed

BennyMul

congrats CW, great result; looking forward to the report.

sconhome

Well done CW great times! Enjoy the 'off' season but don't loose all that hard earned weight advantage you got over me

catweazle

A nice long wait at the dentists for root canal number 3 and I was able to finish this off

Ironman Nice 2015

I suppose we will start with the night before - we went out early looking for a restaurant and the place was packed with blue wrist banded triathletes eating early - we got a table at one spot, lovely chilli pizza for myself and a glass of wine - I think it was the first time I have had a drink since New Years. A great sense of camaraderie across the tables - although it was really only the UK athletes that had any chance of understanding my accent. I was commenting to the wife all week about all the shapers with their Ironman bags and that I wouldn't be seen dead with one of them - until I got handed one going through registration myself as a freebie...Hmmm it is a nice bag, perhaps I will just use it over here and then give it to the wife when we get home

Home to bed, finished off Ronda Rouseys autobiography and hit the sack - slept like a log till the alarm went off. Had a bowl of yoghurt, banana and peaches - porridge would have been just too much hassle, got dressed and headed down. It was approx 5am so there was plenty of party goers from the night before on the journey - floods of mini skirted girls shouting allez allez at me kept the mind off the race.

Check in was seamless the only mild panic I had was that I had been warned to let the air down on my tires the day before with the heat as punctures are common - I got the back tyre pumped fine but the valve extenders thread was dodgy and for the life of me I couldn't get any air into the front. Panic rising as they were calling 5 minutes and I hadn't even looked at putting on the wet suit yet. Luckily I had given some French lad bedside me my spare water as his water that he left on the night before was warm - I tapped him up to have a look at it and I suppose he was obliged to give it a good effort after my good turn. After a minute of two of non non, it finally turned to a smile and oui oui. I could have hugged him - turns out looking at IM France award photos hes going to Kona - karma!

Wet suit on and the wife had snuck into the race start area so a big hug and kiss as we walked down - this is one of the biggest races in Europe, I think 2700 started and as I was one of the last to go down to the beach I finally got a glimpse of how large this is. Wetsuits as far as the eye can see - I had a long think of where I would go, its a mass start and the beach is segregated into sections and you enter one according to your ability - reading some race reports some swimmers around my expected time started at the front of the + 1.22 section to give them some breathing space at the start, however that meant you had to swim further to the turn around. I decided to go in the 1.14 group towards the front.

We watched the Pros take off and then it was down to business. The pounding trance music was switched off and shouts of 2 minutes came over the tannoy. Two girls beside me were hugging bawling crying - a pumped up English lad behind me was roaring "Goooo Onnn" over and over, with all the Euro lads telling him to shut up and be quiet. All we were missing was Russell Crowe prancing up and down on a horse shouting Unleash Hell - it was electric. I wasn't a bit worried - I was expecting a good swim.

Off we went - the first 100 meters was beautiful, I hardly touched a foot and I thought this will be effortless but quickly all the groups started to merge into the one group to make the first turnaround. I started to panic a little - my first thought was why didn't I do a ****ing race or two before this to get used to the bullocking. I gave in on every clash, letting people swim over me, slowing to let others past, not pushing through a gap, not fighting my corner which is not like me. I suffered like a dog for a long time till I eventually moved out and got clear water. My panic gradually subsided and I knew where I was was stupid, I would get no benefit from the draft and I was giving myself extra distance. Time to man up and I swam back into the maelstrom, it wasn't as bad at this stage as peoples ability had leveled out and everyone had lapsed into a rhythm. No more stopping when I got landed on and a few bits of hard kicking every now and then to teach some swimmers that I wasn't going to be their bitch anymore.

The turnaround felt like it took ages - straight back to shore for the first section and it all seemed a bit easier with the swell behind us. I was a little bit in my own world at this stage, there was a girl beside me (pink hats) and I was daydreaming admiring how long and easy her stroke was. Before I knew it we were getting close to shore. This race has an Australian exit where you run out of the water for a few meters and dive back in - great for the fans but not good for my cramp tendency when I wade through water. Getting close to shore I couldn't believe the sea of humanity in front of me - cramp or not I will be trampled over if I stop. Got to shallow water stood up, first step cramp, second step the other calf cramped - it didn't matter, I was pushed along, nearly carried around and thrown into the other swim section. It was fine once I hit deep water again and I was off on the shorter 2nd section.

I went wrong here - a big group of us just barreled on when we should have gone left, I was just following the leader. It wasn't too bad a jetski came along in front of us and pushed us back on course, turned around the next buoy and my goggles were knocked off. I didn't panic, took me a little while but I got them on right eventually and thanked christ it didn't happen to me at the start as I would have panicked completely.

Got in to shore and looked at my watch coming up the ramp, 1.09 - bollox....I was a little disappointed. I can admit now I expected to be closer to 1.05 for the swim, I always feel I am better in the wetsuit than pool. Didn't lose to much time worrying about it, 4/5 minutes doesn't matter much in a race this length and I was comfortable. From looking at the PRO results no-one broke 50 minutes so I will take that it was a harder than usual swim. Took in the crowd on the way up to the swim exit but didn't see Loraine anywhere, I was surprised as she has a fine brass neck on her and I expected her to push herself into a good spot

Swim = 1.10.34

Got into the bag collection area, was given my bag and sat down in one of the seats to change, I was mistaken in my belief that some French goddesses would rub suncream into my taut biceps while I was getting ready and I had to wait for a guy beside me to give me his one after he was finished. I then compounded my error by throwing my bike bag back into the bin without putting my sunglasses case in, so I had to shuffle around in there till I found my bag in there again and stick them in. While my transitions times look awful (and they are awful) I didn't take transition 1 easy, with the size of the race running through the bike area alone in heavy traffic took a good while.

T1 = 11.40

Out on the bike - no sign of the wife. I laughed to myself that Pgibbo was going to be busy as she would be texting him for updates as she would be so stressed. The first bit coming down the prom and out to the suburbs is flat so I was steaming along nicely thinking this might be the only time I am 30kph + for a long time. The Garmin 500 still hadn't picked up a signal which was pissing me off as I wanted a read on the heart rate and it was going to skew my distances. I finally heard a beep so looked down to get it started and by the time I looked up a second or two later I realized I was in big trouble, the double lane we had coming out of transition was being reduced to a single lane and I hadn't spotted a big line of a traffic fence cutting across me. Smashed straight into it and went skidding along the ground. I can remember the horrified cry of the crowd as I went down and my thoughts of how ****ing embarrassing was this as I slided along the ground.

I had never crashed before and I was completely disorientated as I lay on the ground - a few cyclists nearly ran me over screaming behind them to warn others, I got pulled across to the path by some spectators and some others got my bike. I lied there thinking my elbow and knee are killing me - my first thoughts were relief I had an excuse to drop out, my second thoughts were how disappointed Loraine would be if I came back to transition wheeling my bike and last but not least I finally said I cant quit now. Two spectators came running over to me, gave me the once over, made me flex my elbows and my knees where most of the cuts were. They were stiff but I could move them - that was enough for them - allez allez John go go, and pushed me back over to the bike. Ok **** it - lets see how I get on. Hows the bike - chain off, looks ok otherwise.....ohh **** shifters look fecked.....no a few twists and they were ok too.

Off I went - I was a bit demoralized, a crash 2k into a 180k bike ride what a fool I am. I couldn't put my elbow on the pads with the pain but that didn't worry me too much, there wouldn't be much of the aero position on this course anyways.

Would you believe I had a plan - I didn't want to go any more than the 120's for heart rate for the entire bike. This made the first flat section very slow for me and a steady stream of cyclists went by me, I hardly passed a soul for the first 50k. There was a section at about 30k which was just a 500m wall at an average of 12% I think, this was a real struggle for me and I was cursing I didn't put a compact on the bike. However there was a few big guys walking this so I wasn't doing too bad I suppose. The road rash had ceased to be a problem and I was starting to enjoy myself again.

The main hard section of this race starts at around the 50k mark, its a route up to the top of the Col De L'Ecre which is approx 21k at 4%. I may not be much good at it but I far prefer grinding up a mountain that's not too steep than pushing on the flat into a headwind. I tend to just get into a steady rhythm and just keep going. The first 5-6k section of it isn't too bad, I was managing to keep the heart rate in the 130's but I remember turning just before we went into a village where there was a good crowd cheering us and from then on it had definitely got steeper.

As per usual my nutrition strategy went out the window - the Nature Valleys were too dry for that heat and the Nutrigrains were mushy and disgusting, i put faith in my Iron constitution instead and just had what was at the aid stations, the Cookies and Cream Power bars were a lot nicer than what I was eating. The views when i remembered to look up from the line on the road were stunning - my heart rate was in the 140's now but if I went any slower I would keel over. I was still feeling good though, the heat was beating down at this stage with the Garmin reading 36 degrees but it wasn't bothering me. I started to pass people who went out too hard and then I just started to pass some in general.

It was getting very difficult towards the top with nothing but switchbacks as far as you could see, I was bursting for a whizz so I promised I would reward myself with a piss behind some bush when i got up there. It was also the special needs stop as well, I didn't bother using those bags, I couldn't think of anything to put in them. I was surprised when I got up there that there was a load of heads in the penalty box, there was a good few draft busters on the road for the first flat section so they must have pinged a good few of them. I had forgotten about them as there was no need for them on the mountains.

I went for the longest slash of my life behind some french sign just after the top - I certainly was well hydrated anyways and off I went again. I was expecting a great descent but just flat roads for the next while.............eventually we hit a short descent before the second climb. Again I am not much good at descending but I was braver than most of the Euro puffs that were around me at that point and I passed a good few on the way down hitting 70k at one stage - great fun. At one stage we even went through the streets of a small narrow village where you felt if one person opens a window or door at the wrong time they will take my head off.

The 2nd climb is another 5k or so and I guess hitting this with tired legs would be a major problem, my heart rate plan was going fine, while I knew it was going to be slow at this stage my main intention was to come off the bike ready to run. This one seemed to be easier, I was able to stay in the 130's for this climb and I was passing the same people that went by me on the flat section before it. Its gas - don't expect me to be concentrating on any mens arses but I can certainly remember Miko from Japan, Ingrid from Sweden, Charlotte from Belgium and a Russian girl Elana I think as you couldn't forget them.

Once up the second climb beside a couple of small, short climbs we were more or less flat or downhill for the rest of the way home. Flew down the main descent passing a good few again, eventually two lads one with a teddy bear in his back pocket went by me going far faster than I was so I tried to keep them in sight and go with their lines which was working. Crazy stuff though - you look back after and you think was it worth the few near misses I had for a few seconds off your overall time but it was some buzz too. It was well marshalled with warning marshalls before you came to the really sharp switchbacks.

We got down to the flat of the Nice suburbs and I just decided I was going to hold this pace line that I found myself in for the last 15k into transition. I really am no good at this - while I was still in the 120's doing this I was struggling to stay down on the bars and it all felt much harder than the climbing earlier. I suppose I was well over 6 hours in the saddle at this stage which wouldn't have helped either

Got into the Promenade and I said I would keep a tidy pace along here to impress the supporters but christ it seemed to go on forever, looking at the amount of people out on the road course did my head no good either. However I was feeling good which was encouraging - I am usually at deaths door coming off the bike at these distances.

Bike = 7.10.49

Now this transition was very bad, I will admit that, two Paddies were beside me in transition and we were having a good natter, the wife comes along outside the rails and roars at me to move my arse. Neither of them have suncream handy and it was roasting so I asked the marshall just coming out of transition who went off and got some for me and got some young one to run it in. I then had to pose for a few pictures for the wife before I set out

T2 = 12.51

I head out - the plan at this point was 130's HR all the way for the run and walk the aid stations - I don't have pace or time on the garmin, just the HR and autolap for each kilometre, 1st one no aid station 5.43, 2nd one with aid station 6.11. I grimace - whatever about my bike and swim I know my running has come on a tonne since I signed up for this and I had hoped for a sub 4 hour marathon. I briefly thought of going into 140's to have a go at this but I decided against it. What the 130's give me it gives me. There was real carnage on the run course, I couldn't get over how many walkers there were out there.

The run was 4 x 10.5k laps up and down the promenade. An aid station every 1.7k and showers at 4 points along the run. I was warned that I might blister with the showers but Christ it was so hot you had to run under them. I knew from early on that a half marathon at this heart rate would be fine and things will get more difficult from there on. Every time you go through a lap you get a colored wristband or chauchau, I was so envious of some of the guys i ran past with 3 on their wrist. Loraine was throwing me out the Kinetica Colas as I went by her and I was having them every 3rd aid station and bananas, oranges and cokes for the other stops.

I had to start compromising with my head come the start of the 3rd lap, I was telling myself If I can run the entire 3rd lap I can reward myself with some walking on the last one and still come in under 4 hours 30, I was beginning to slow going out from 5.30s/5.40s Ks without aid stations to 6.00s/6.10s on this lap, the heat which hadn't really bothered me earlier was starting to feel like it was beating down on me. However I also had to stop for a pee on the 2nd and 3rd lap, there was no-one going behind a bush or anything like that so I was shamed into using Portaloos which had me lining up the 2nd time. Christ I was still well hydrated, I was getting annoyed watching time ticking away as each slash took ages. With about 25k gone Loraine hands me a gel and says that's my last one - i say no problem but as I go by her I curse myself, you ****ing eejit John how did you not pack enough gels. I decided to save that one and go for the Powerbar original gels as the banana strawberry were horrible

I am really struggling now but still keeping it in the 130s - I come up to the turnaround point beside the finish where the main support is, the DJ previously had some poncy French songs when I was running through but this time he had a stomping remix of just the opening strains of Calvin Harris Feel so close to you. It was a big lift to my head, I am certainly not going to walk through the crowd with that song on. I shuffle on, I look at the clock and finally do the maths, 10.7k in less than an hour to make sub 13 - no chance and I disregarded it completely but I decided I would try and keep running for another while.

The wife is waiting for me another minute or two up the road. I vaguely listen to her as she is roaring sub 13 You can f-ing do it and that a lad we knew called Jim was only a minute or two up the road from me and he was going for it to. I nod and tell her I will try, more to keep her happy, shes always been more driven than me and telling her I cant do it would have just brought more fire and brimstone down on me.

However not long past her I start to think, I reckon the way I was going with the 130s heart plan i was I was going to be in around 13.05 or so unless I blew altogether which might push me out to 13.10/13.15. Would that really make much difference to me. **** it I might never do another one - I will give it a go, my next decision was whether I should have another gel or not, I was sick of them and I was borderline puking for the last 30 minutes or so. I decided a puke might be better than bonking so I downed it and off I went, 8k to go. Straight away the heart rate lifted into the high 140s and I was feeling the strain almost immediately - the other thing I had to do was run the aid stations from now on and no slash - these were killing my split times.

It took me ages to catch Jim but eventually I did, his stomach was gone and he told me to drive on. I eventually settled into a group of wrecked lads with three wristbands all trying to hold on for dear life to get under 13 hours. I was really struggling here but I hung on to the back of them, while I thought I was flying at this stage the kms were still all over 5 minute pace. I saw a sign for 40k done, we all look at our watches, some visibly relax and slow, I know myself its looking good if I can hold the pace. I think back to Craughwell a few years back when I also thought I had a sub 70 minute in the bag and slacked off and missed it by two seconds, that thought me a big lesson and I pushed on, no letting off today I had worked so hard for this race I am going to finish it full on, I see the wife just before the finishing straight, she knows I have it, high 5 her and a kiss.

I come into the finishing straight, 12.54 on the clock, I let the two lads off in front of me and I go in......I never usually give a crap but today I pumped the fist and let out a low "Come on" to myself, I must have said it louder than I thought as I got a small cheer, **** it I deserve this I didn't walk one bit of that ****ing marathon and I went all Hulkamania on it finishing with a double fist pump roaring "Come onnnnn" at the top of my lungs, I got another cheer and then suitably embarrassed at my enthusiasm I shuffled under the finishing line

Run = 4.09.27

The sub 13 time didn't really matter to me at all, it could have been 15 hours for all I cared - I was just elated that I had stuck to a plan that had worked for me and that I had given it my very best shot and didn't back down when it got tough like I have always done in previous races.

I haven't a clue what I will do going forward, the obvious answer is the Dublin Marathon as I would smash my previous pb if I can keep it going, however I just want a break for a while, I am on holidays again in Portugal later this month so perhaps then I will look at getting back on the bike, there's a mountain there with a cafe at the top which is my favorite cycle`route of all time so that might get me back in gear.

Loraine loved it and is demanding that I do Barcelona next year for her 40th, she really got into the whole atmosphere of the event and the choice of the event location would have been a big help. At least I don't even have to think about that till October

joey100

Well done Catweazle, great report. Well done on the race, hope you have healed up.

tunney

Great race report. Glad you enjoyed it.

Fvcking horrific nutrition strategy.......... doomed to fail from the start.

gofasterdad

Great report, fantastic writing, I felt like I was out on the course with you. Well done for having the discipline to stick to the plan, it must have been tempting to push it on a bit at times but it seems you did the right thing.

BTH

catweazle wrote: »

Loraine loved it and is demanding that I do Barcelona next year for her 40th, she really got into the whole atmosphere of the event and the choice of the event location would have been a big help. At least I don't even have to think about that till October

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Copenhagen..................

tunney

tunney wrote: »

Great race report. Glad you enjoyed it.

Fvcking horrific nutrition strategy.......... doomed to fail from the start.

By "doomed to fail" I am only referring to your nutrition strategy.

pgibbo

BTH wrote: »

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Copenhagen..................

I tried that too but we know who wears the trousers!!! :pac:

Great report. Very enjoyable read. Really glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I was busy texting quite a bit on Sunday.

@tunney - I called out the nutrition issues months ago but it fell on deaf ears. Thankfully the onsite nutrition worked out.

I expect to see finisher pics of named women at some stage

Enjoy the bog - if it happens, lashing down again

j0hn1

Some man to keep going again after the crash, and it reads like you never allowed the road rash to become an excuse on the run either.
Really great report, felt the whole race for you, you can be really proud after a performance like that.

career move

That was deadly. Well done

Abhainn

Savage reading that report John. Great stuff.
10/10 for the performance after your early bike mishap

RacoonQueen

Great report Catz...might get to race ye properly in Barcelona then

Or Copenhagen if BTH has his way!

Dory Dory

So, how's that IronMan bag working out for you?? Before you know it, you'll be all kitted out in everything M-Dot....t-shirts, hats, flip-flops that pose as recovery shoes, sleep ware, glass ware, cycling shorts, cycling tops, swim caps, toys for kids, tooth brushes, hair brushes, baby clothes that pose as future IronMan apparel, wifey clothes that pose as support crew clothing, and every kind of sticker imaginable for your car. Whew! Between the case of Assos Chamois Cream (ask pgibbo) you'll need and all the IM loot you'll want, I'd say your Christmas list is complete for the next few years!

P.S. You rocked it. Super Duper Dory Congrats!!! And, let's be honest....report of the year, right here! :)

BTH

A rare night out on Saturday??

catweazle

BTH wrote: »

A rare night out on Saturday??

Afraid not - herself is making up for lost time and heading to Dublin with the girls

BTH

catweazle wrote: »

Afraid not - herself is making up for lost time and heading to Dublin with the girls

I was referring to last Saturday night?

catweazle

Ahhh - yes she said she saw you perving at her down the prom at 8am on Sunday morning. Dinner in a friends house so we packed up and stayed in Salthill - but you can count it as a night out as it felt like that in the morning

pgibbo

How's the bog going? :pac:

catweazle

pgibbo wrote: »

How's the bog going? :pac:

Tisssss tuuuuuuurned!

Sttttttacccckiiing next - he's panicking with me going on holidays Saturday week that I might be away for some of it

The heavy downpours today are like a dagger to his heart

He's two weeks holidays taken today and I would swear all he is planning for it is the bog every day

BTH

catweazle wrote: »

Ahhh - yes she said she saw you perving at her down the prom at 8am on Sunday morning. Dinner in a friends house so we packed up and stayed in Salthill - but you can count it as a night out as it felt like that in the morning

Fed up of being surrounded by super tans in Nice she was eyeing up my milk bottles

mossym

catweazle wrote: »

Tisssss tuuuuuuurned!

Sttttttacccckiiing next - he's panicking with me going on holidays Saturday week that I might be away for some of it

The heavy downpours today are like a dagger to his heart

He's two weeks holidays taken today and I would swear all he is planning for it is the bog every day

ah that brings me back, 15 years of doing turf on the grandparents bank as a young fella. you'd think you were doing great footing and one of the uncles would knock the lot down as it wasn;t done right

the same uncles would then overload the trailer every year and it would sink halfway out from the bank, meaning a full unload and load again

good times

Green&Red

catweazle wrote: »

Tisssss tuuuuuuurned!

Sttttttacccckiiing next - he's panicking with me going on holidays Saturday week that I might be away for some of it

The heavy downpours today are like a dagger to his heart

He's two weeks holidays taken today and I would swear all he is planning for it is the bog every day

The heavier stuff is taking a while to dry alright this year