Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Good swim for me, usually the worst event but this time very pleasant. It was busy the whole way round with catching previous waves and being caught by some of the fish from the one behind, but I enjoyed the company for once. It was choppy for a lake swim but that was fun too, especially surfing back to the Marina. Sun was already warm on my back and sighting on the return leg was a little tough with the sun in your eyes.

Walk a little faster for the first 200m

I spent a little time drying and lubing my feet a reapplying sunscreen

nothing

Felt like a great ride to me, no incidents, no crazy people, lots of friendly, happy people. Made up 50 spots overall (but lost 1 in my agegroup?). Always someone just ahead to pass to keep you pushing. For those of you considering the question of road bike with aero bars versus true TT bike... I have the former was continually yo-yoing with a group of TT bikes - I'd cruise by them on the gentle ups and they'd cruise by me on the downs, repeated many times and I was trying to keep a steady effort, so maybe TT bikes are a little more slippery. Sun blazing down already but thought I kept on top of my hydration and nutrition by sucking down 5 various bottles of infint, perpetuem and heed, a couple of roctanes and a large slice of malt loaf (it's an English thing) and some precautionary ibuprofen against the run aches and pains. Arrived at T2 1 mile an hour faster than plan and overall 15 minutes ahead of my 6 hour schedule, a little tired but really happy and full of confidence.I had 2 hours 15 minutes for the run and I have never gone over 2 hours for this distance, even as a brick after a long bike training session. My 6 hour goal was in the bag! I even took the time to use a porta potty. (You can see where this is headed!).

Ride slower and save some for the run!

More suncreen and half a bottle of perpetuem/coffee/saltstck (my 'pick me up' bottle)

Absolutely brutal.The sun was blistering and there was no hiding from it (apart from in the cool, blissful tunnel. Geneva was hotter than Death Valley on the 17th of July 2011. I know this because a smart ass colleague sent me a link to the BadWater race suggesting I might like to do that next (135 mile run through Death Valley if you're interested - I am not), - it had the forecast on the web page.
I ran the first two miles gently (heck - I could afford a 10:00 pace!) but seemingly at 8:30's (are those mile markers accurate?) and then crashed and burned on the first hill - that lawn/steps thing. I have never had to walk before - never, ever, ever. It was a crushing blow. I was going to run the whole thing, I had been training on hills, far worse hills. This was nothing but I could hardly even walk up it. My heart rate was maxed out at 175 (I'm an old git) and I was barely moving. But I'd heard others had trouble with this hill and those arpound me were walking too so I got to the top, gritted my teeth and kept going. But it just got worse - from there on it was a struggle just to keep moving, every hill I had to walk (and there seemed to be a lot of these nasty little steep buggers - even on the way back down to the lake for Christ's sake!!!). I have never experienced anything like it - my body just refused to work. I stopped and drank at every aid station and time was slipping away. Somewhere around mile 8 I knew 6 hours was not going to happen. Then I was walking even on the flat back in the Park. I mamaged to pick it up again from the last aid station and jogged over the line. I was now an Aluminum Man but a pretty humbled, dispirited one. I didn't realise it at the time becuase I really thought I'd kept on top of my water/electrolye needs (I drank at least 8 bottles worth throughout the event) but I was badly dehydrated. When I got home I weighed myself and I was 6.5 pounds below weight despite having consumed another two bottles on the way home. I must have been 8 or 9 lbs under weight at the finish. Never lost that much before - that's 7% of total body water - seems like a lot to me.

My wife (mini mussel this year, her turn for HI in 2012) bought me a 70.3 bumper sticker from Finer Lakes Running and Tri Company (aaaaah!). The girl who sold it to her had a musselman shirt on. Discussion ensued. She'd done the mussel before. She saw the weather forecast and at packet pickup the day before turned her HI into an AquaBike and had a fantastic day. How incredibly sensible!

Sat in paddling pool in shade tent and gasped a lot. Drove home and instigated my rehydration therapy (alternating Tangueray and Stella Artois)


This was my first HI so I don't have enough experience to know what would have made a difference. Was it just too hot? If I had drunk even more would it have helped? Hanging around in the blazing heat on the day before for the mussel kids and minimussel was not good prep, I got dehyrated then too. In retrospect, the stretegy of going hard on the bike while it was a little cooler earlier in the day and then trying to just hang on for the run may not have been so smart! Will definiely try going easier on the bike for the next HI.



Thank you to the fantastic volunteers - I just can't say enough good things about them, they were all awsome.
Thank you to all the townsfolk who came out with their hoses and sprayed me down, I think you saved my life.
Thank you to everyone, volunteers and spectators alike, who took the trouble to read the name on my bib and lied through their teeth "Simon, you're looking great", "Simon you're looking strong" - that human touch made such a difference.
Thank you to the girl who high-fived me while I was walking and told me I had it in the bag.
Thank you to the ladies who prevented me from getting lost in the last two miles when I took a wrong turn in the park.
Thank you to the volunteer kid who emptied the bucket of water over my head at the final aid station - that's what got me up and running again.

At the finish I would have said that I had had a great swim and bike and a truly dreadful run which blew the whole day - and I was thoroughly disappointed. Then I saw the results the following day and I was in the middle of the pack which is a great result for me. My age group rank was 40 overall and a fairly even 38/39/47 despite the mushroom cloud at the foot of the frist hill. So now I'm feeling better about it, and I'm foolish enough to think it would be fun to do it again. I'm even looking forward to Ironman Mt. Tremblant 2012. How quickly we forget!