photo by witsup.com 1st - 7:52:04
Bike - 4:37:42
Run - 3:10:46
Where's Mick Fanning when you need him? Clearly the sharks in Busso did not get the message to buzz off this weekend. And what about the kangaroos tackling a couple of internationals off their bikes, C'mon Roo's, that's not how we treat our guests. And then the bush fire that started due to the sweltering Aussie heat! Welcome to Straya - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
Bike - 4:37:42
Run - 3:10:46
Where's Mick Fanning when you need him? Clearly the sharks in Busso did not get the message to buzz off this weekend. And what about the kangaroos tackling a couple of internationals off their bikes, C'mon Roo's, that's not how we treat our guests. And then the bush fire that started due to the sweltering Aussie heat! Welcome to Straya - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
So when the announcement was made that the swim was cancelled due to the shark I was frustrated and briefly lost motivation as I was so pumped and ready to break my course record from last year. I had it all worked out... What times I needed to swim, bike and run and I was confident I could break the record. Why couldn't they just keep us closer to shore instead of going 2k straight out into the feeding zone, I thought. I was too focused on breaking the record to think clearly and realize now that keeping all my limbs is a little more important than chasing records. Ironman did a great job at quickly deciding on an alternate plan. So that was it, we had a duathlon starting off with a 180km time trial heading off 20 seconds apart. As I was number one seed I started last.
photo by koruptvision.com This would usually be no different to how I'm usually positioned at the start of the bike leg, but this race was made up predominantly of uber bike-runners anyway. After all the pro's had left the beach and got on their bikes, I was the last lonely one waiting for my start. I ran from the beach up the stairs and over the bridge, into T1, grabbed my helmet and socks out of my bag and quickly made my way to my bike. Mareen, who started 20 seconds ahead of me was just leaving T1 by then. When I mounted my bike I had caught her within seconds and went straight past. My plan was to sprint through T1 to get my heart rate up as it would be if we'd just swum 3.8km. It was hard to control myself at the start. I felt so fresh and just wanted to hammer it but I held back and kept reminding myself it was still a long day ahead. The bike course had six out and back turns on each of the two laps so you could see your competitors many times through the race. I was making up ground on everyone except Carrie. Carrie started 1minute ahead and seemed to be pulling away.
photo by koruptvision.com After racing a 70.3 last weekend it felt so slow to ride at Ironman pace but I had to stick to my plan. Carrie was going to have an absolute blinder out front if she kept up that pace. After lap one I had moved into 2nd place and Carrie's lead had built to a couple minutes. As soon as we started the 2nd lap I finally started to make time back on her. By 140km I'd caught and made the pass, which also meant I essentially had a minute lead on her accounting for the different start times. It was not long after I'd made the pass though that the heat really started to take its toll. The aid stations seemed so far apart and I couldn't get enough water in. I'd grab a bottle and scull the entire thing before the end of the aid station. Forever wanting more.
photo by Dally Carr It gave me a little comfort knowing I must not have been the only one suffering as Carrie hadn't come back to pass me and Mareen and Yvonne had dropped right off by then. I got to T2 first with a new bike course record of 4:37:42. The heat was now cranking. I sat down in T2 and thought I took my time but I obviously rushed through faster than I thought as I totally forgot to take my nutrition with me. I upended my bag and all sorts of goodies fell out. Socks - I already had some on from T1, calf sleeves - already started with them on, watch, race belt, sunnies, hat. All of which I grabbed but somehow I didn't even see my nutrition flask. I ran out and it was less than 100m before I realized I'd forgotten it. Jared just happened to be at that point too so I yelled to him "should I go back?". He yelled back "get it at special needs" so I continued on knowing I had two gel flasks in special needs a few k's up the road. But I would have to end up three gels short in the end with out the T2 flask.
photo by koruptvision.com When I got out onto the black bitumen road it was like a furnace wth heat blasting up off the road. I grabbed my special needs bag at 4k and could have sworn the volunteers had boiled up my gels in a kettle. I took my time through aid stations and grabbed as much water and ice as I could. Aside from the frying pan conditions I was going alright until 18km. Well, it was before 18km that my hammy started to twitch but I tried to not give it too much attention. But then at 18km it was like I'd just been head butted in my hammy by those kangaroos. My hammy just seized up and locked my leg out making it impossible to make forward progression. I stood there gripping my hammy while some f bombs accidentally flew out, waiting...
inHaus photography When it released I hobbled off trying to reduce my leg flick-back to prevent using my hammys to much. I only got a few more km before it really started to come on again. It was on the out and back section and I knew Carrie who was in second place would be coming the other way any second. I tried to hold out till she ran past but I couldn't. It got me, right as we crossed paths. She yelled out to me to keep moving but I couldn't, every time I tried to inch forward the grip would tighten. I was thinking we're lucky it doesn't get this hot in Kona or we'd all suffer big time. A nice man coming up behind me gave me one of his gels which just so happened to be a GU gel - the gels I use and left in T2. I was very grateful for his generosity. Once the cramp passed I was on my way again. I was now on my third of four laps so I knew exactly where every aid station was so instead of counting up the kms I was now counting down the kms till the next aid station. I ran from one to the next downing everything they had.
photo by koruptvision.com The spectators were amazing and had garden hoses and jugs of water they were throwing over us as we ran past. This also helped to dilute the pain and break up the run. The last 4km was back into the head wind and went on and on. It was about the point where I finally believed I had it in the bag if I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. So close yet so far. I started imagining that finish line. I was picturing a massive bucket of ice water at the end of a red-carpet-water-slide and a giant slurpie to drink. It was so close I could even feel that brain freeze you get when you scull the frozen drink too fast.
photo by koruptvision.com Finally, I was on the M dot carpet. Pete was calling my name and I knew I was now metres away from being able to throw myself on the ground. I stayed on my feet for the photos then lied down on the carpet and closed my eyes. 7:52:04. I was wrapped with the win and relieved the suffering had come to an end. But at the same time I was a little disappointed that I missed the opportunity to get the record that I'd set my sights on. I was left to only imagine if I had my 54-min swim from the previous year added on I'd be so much more satisfied walking away with 8:46 and achieving both goals I'd set out to achieve. That said, of course I'm even more grateful a shark didn't chew my leg off!
photo by koruptvision.com The heat caused some serious carnage out on course. 13 Pro's didn't finish the race. I ran a lot slower than I hoped and what I thought I was capable of, but so did everyone. Only 4 pro's ran under 3:10 (men included). There were some pretty spectacular blow ups! Those conditions were tough. People often talk about Kona being hot. Kona's heat seems more like a walk through the air-conditioned grocery store when compared to some races in Aus and Asia . In a weird twisted way (it's easy to say this now) but I'm kinda glad we got thrown those tough conditions. You can't buy/simulate that sort of pain and suffering in a controlled training environment and it'll only make us stronger for future races. I know I'm not back to full fitness yet but I am heading in the right direction. The more important part for me is that I'm almost back to good health again. Fitness doesn't usually take anymore than a few short months to regain, but restoring good health was the complicated challenge this year following some serious emergency surgeries.
After this past fortnight, I'm confident now I can return to my pre-kinked days. I've now reclaimed my IM WA title. I qualified for Kona. I got my second win in as many weeks and feel like I'm just starting to get rolling again. Fit, healthy, injury free, motivated and finally I have two fully functioning legs for the first time in 3 years.
After this past fortnight, I'm confident now I can return to my pre-kinked days. I've now reclaimed my IM WA title. I qualified for Kona. I got my second win in as many weeks and feel like I'm just starting to get rolling again. Fit, healthy, injury free, motivated and finally I have two fully functioning legs for the first time in 3 years.
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