 photo by Delly Carr | 1st 8:54:39 Swim 54:29 (3rd) Bike 4:48:46 (3rd) Run 3:06:39 (3rd) |
photo by Delly Carr If you haven't yet seen the footage of me coming down the final 50m of the finish chute, let me tell you it looked and felt a bit like one of those bad dreams. That dream you get where you're so close, just meters from the end, the crowd's chearing, the musics blearing, you're about to win an Ironman after nearly 9hrs of racing, the course record is right there for the taking... but as much you try to convince your legs to go a few more steps, they cant, and they wont. Well, thanks to a nasty hamstring cramp during the last 20k of the run, that's what I ultimately looked like trying to make it to the finish banner. Other than that the body held up pretty well and I was stoked to get another Ironman win under the belt. This is how it happened...
photo by Witsup.com I didn't get the best start in the 3.8km swim but it was nothing to complain about. Three girls took off quick as we ran down the beach into the crystal clear (shark-infested) waters. As we got going I was too slow to get on their feet but I was happy swimming on my own and I felt like I was swimming well. After a couple hundred meters my goggles were too fogged to see, so I had to stop to clear them. I made my way out to the purple turn buoys at the far end of the jetty without spotting any sharks so that was a win! As I got around the end of the jetty and started heading back there was a lot of chop on the windward side but straight back following the jetty should be easy enough to sight. I was 50sec behind at this point and I tend to swim better in rougher conditions so I was confident I would start gaining time on them on the return trip. I put my head down and just swam straight, parallel to the jetty. That was until I spotted another purple "turn buoy" way off to the right. (Clear pre-race instructions were that purple coloured bouys on the course were "turn bouys" and must be kept on your left.) I stopped and started to panic while looking around for an official to ask if I was meant to go around that buoy, cos it wasn't close. I couldn't find anyone so I had to make a decision... head straight back, miss the buoy and risk getting DQ'd, or swim out to sea and potentially end up swimming a lot further. I had to take the second option so I put my head down, sprinted out to the buoy and then stopped... Now what? Do I stay out here or do I head back to the jetty? I was so confused as I couldn't see any other buoys. I headed back to the jetty but the whole rest of the swim I couldn't relax. I kept second guessing myself, stopping, swimming with my head up, trying to sight an official to ask if I continue straight back as I was. When I got closer to shore I spotted another purple buoy out to the right again so I started heading for it and then luckily saw a paddle boarder... I asked him about going around it and he said "no, go straight back". When I finally got my feet on the sand I was sure I was going to get the sympathy clap for last out of the water.
photo by Delly Carr As I ran to T2 I heard I was 4th out of the water... That told me at least one of the girls ahead didn't do the course I did as I passed one of the three on my way back before taking my detour. I was frustrated with my swim but I still wasn't sure if I was the only one to do the full course or the only one to do extra. I did find out after the race those extra turn buoys we're "accidentally" left out from the 70.3 course earlier in the morning and were immediately removed from the course after a pro athlete was seen going around them. I tried to forget about my swim and just get on with my race. It's a long day and things can go wrong, you've just got to roll with the punches.
On the bike I knew I had to be conservative. I'm getting getting closer to confirming diagnosis on my quad problem that effected my Kona race. Now that this Ironman WA (and my Kona qualification) is complete I can go ahead and have the problem fixed. In the mean-time, leading up to Ironman WA and for the race itself I had a few techniques that I used throughout the race to manage the problem and keep the quad pain at bay a little better. Busselton bike course is dead flat! But, there are 6 sharp u-turn on each of the two laps so every one of them I stood up for a couple of minutes at a time, then sat down and massaged my quad before getting back down aero. I did the same at other 90degree turns and the same through all aide stations. As long as I didnt push it too hard and regularly opened my hip up, I could keep in under control and still run on it fine afterwards.
On the bike I knew I had to be conservative. I'm getting getting closer to confirming diagnosis on my quad problem that effected my Kona race. Now that this Ironman WA (and my Kona qualification) is complete I can go ahead and have the problem fixed. In the mean-time, leading up to Ironman WA and for the race itself I had a few techniques that I used throughout the race to manage the problem and keep the quad pain at bay a little better. Busselton bike course is dead flat! But, there are 6 sharp u-turn on each of the two laps so every one of them I stood up for a couple of minutes at a time, then sat down and massaged my quad before getting back down aero. I did the same at other 90degree turns and the same through all aide stations. As long as I didnt push it too hard and regularly opened my hip up, I could keep in under control and still run on it fine afterwards.
photo by Delly Carr I took the lead early into the bike leg and maintained a 4-plus minuted lead over the other girls. The excpeption was with Mareen Hufe who took off like a rocket in the last quarter of the bike. She caught me and went a couple minutes further up the road by T2. I kept composed and didn't attempt to even go with her as my leg was clearly calling the shots and I had to listen. I got off the bike and walked right through transition massaging my leg on the way then tried to quickly stretch out the quad and hip flexors. As I pulled my heel up to my bum my hammy cramped. Hmm, never had a hammy cramp before. I quickly dropped it back down... Ok, we don't need to stretch that any more, I'm all good.
photo by Witsup.com As I ran out I heard I was 2:30 down on Mareen. Yep, she destroyed that bike course! But I had a good 6minutes buffer on Sarah and Asa. I was still in a good spot. I got my running legs pretty quick and took over the lead at 8km. My left quad and VMO was good. I got through all my nutrition on the bike. I was in the lead and I was now on my best leg - the run! I was happy!
The run was going well, I tried to stay relaxed and not push it, to make sure my lack of training leading into the race didn't come back to bite me. The only thing that gave me trouble during the run was the hammy cramps. My hammys started twichting funny again like they did in T2 at 24k's into the run. When I got to the next aid station I asked for salt just incase the funny twitching might start being not-so-funny if it continued. Instead of salt, what I got was a jar of vegemite! Now I know this is very un-Australian but... VEGEMITE! Omg, that stuff is terrible! I looked down at it then looked over to my lead cyclist and he gave me the nod of "it's the only thing that'll get you through". I swirled it around my mouth while screwing up my face in disgust. It was horrible. My lead cyclist and I shared a little laugh as the twitches subsided for a bit.
The run was going well, I tried to stay relaxed and not push it, to make sure my lack of training leading into the race didn't come back to bite me. The only thing that gave me trouble during the run was the hammy cramps. My hammys started twichting funny again like they did in T2 at 24k's into the run. When I got to the next aid station I asked for salt just incase the funny twitching might start being not-so-funny if it continued. Instead of salt, what I got was a jar of vegemite! Now I know this is very un-Australian but... VEGEMITE! Omg, that stuff is terrible! I looked down at it then looked over to my lead cyclist and he gave me the nod of "it's the only thing that'll get you through". I swirled it around my mouth while screwing up my face in disgust. It was horrible. My lead cyclist and I shared a little laugh as the twitches subsided for a bit.
photo by Witsup.com Not for long enough though... The next cramp was like a whip to my hammy and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I heard the lead bike guy skid to a stop right behind my bum too. Poor guy hanging off the front of his handlebars. I couldn't move. I let a few nasty words fly as the awesome spectators tried to mentally help me get going again. Once it passed I took off and made my way from aid station to aid station sculling electorates and munching on vegemite just in case it might help. I must have got struck down over half a dozen times in the last 18km and there was nothing I could do but wait for it to pass. The worst one was at about 32km right in front of the best cheer squad on course. There was a dressed up cow, a clown, people with undies on the outside of their pants and a tonne of lovely helpful Aussies screaming like crazy, willing me to push on. It was also about 10m from an aid station where that now yummy vegemite was calling my name. As I stood their frozen for what felt like eternity I was willing my arms to turn into inspector gadget as I tried to reach out and grab the vegemite off the table.
photo by Witsup.com My lead to Mareen hovered around 3mins depending on if I was standing around waiting or if I was off running. The last 6km was one of the most nerve racking 6km of my life. I'd been out there for so long and I was so close to finishing and everything else was feeling fine but I just didn't know when I'd have to completely stop at unpredictable moments and for unkown lengths of time... I was on a mission that last 6km. No sharp turns, no quick movements and definitely no side stepping people that got in my way... sorry to the poor man I ploughed straight through with a couple km to go.
photo by firstoffthebike.com Finally I got to the M-dot finish carpet and then turned the corner to where I could see the finish banner... and they could see me. I knew I couldn't let my guard till I crossed the line but I guess I just got a little too excited... I gave a couple of high fives and then my hammy just took the grip of death, locking my knee and hip in place. How embarrassing, the commentators getting excited over the loudspeakers for a new course record, the crowd all chearing, while I move just a few meters... then wait... move a few meters... then wait. It was a rediculously comical situation. The least I could do was acknowledge the spectators with some slow-mo high-fives while I'm trapped there on the spot. Just like a good dream going bad. I could see the banner a few meters ahead and was starting to wonder if I waited here long enough, if Mareen would eventually just run on by for the win. Thanks to crowd getting louder and louder at me, willing me to make it, I finally walked across the line and grabbed the banner. Held it up and gritted my teeth to something that resembled a smile then lied down for a minute or so till the cramp subsided again. Once that was gone I was able to jog back down the finish chute and thank the amazing crowd... like as if nothing had happened.
Mission complete! Ironman win, course record, Kona qualification, mental training to the max and now plenty of time to get the treatment right and fix this leg issue for good. Happy holidays and thank you to everyone that supported me on the weekend. It really makes a massive difference.
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