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 Swim
Comments: Like others I was up at 4am for a 4:30 breakfast and met up with the rest of the team and headed down to the lake, I took the decision that I was a big lad and mind the rugby scrum that is the swim start so I thought I’d get amongst it and start from the middle of the pack. (next time I may start from the front) I had a good relaxed swim focusing on the glide aspect of my stroke (…glide, glide, Breath …) I crossed the island in 34mins giving a big pirate scream to the supporters there then re-entered the water … and continued to enjoy the swim, exiting in 1:14:46 What would you do differently?: Start at the front  Transition 1
Comments: The first transition went quite well, I managed to find my bike, get out of my wetsuit and grab everything I needed quite quickly … the only problem I had was finding the exit, but a friendly official guided me out, total T1 time 0:04:11  Bike
Comments: The bike is my weakest discipline … which is a shame as its quite an important discipline … and it was here that I thought my lack of training would show. The first segment of the bike (the flat bit) went well with me averaging close to 21mph, I even thought this is going ok. Big mistake when we hi the first big hill, the aptly named BEAST it all went pear shaped fro me, a started to develop a sharp pain in my lower back that would get worst as the ride progressed … but I started on the pain killers and kept going. By the time we hit the final hill of lap 1 (heatbreak hill) I had ad my limit (and more) of Ibuprofen and didn’t think I was going to be able to continue, but the great support on the hill carried me up and over and down the end of lap 1 in 3:19:45. By early in lap 2 my back was in so much pain, I had to sit up all of the time resulting in the flat segment I had so quickly covered earlier only being covered at 16mph … it was going to be a long lap. The beast sore my only mechanical problem with me loosing a cleat half way up … luckily I had spare screws with me but stopping collecting the bits from the road and re-fitting it stall cost me about 10mins … this 2nd lap seem to go on-and-on-and-on with a number of fellow pirates asking if I was ok (I must have looked rough) the final climb of heartbreak hill was a real chore but I managed to grit my teeth and get up and over and back to the finish 3:54:02 for the lap and a total of 7:11:48 for the bike. What would you do differently?: More Training Transition 2
Comments: I took the opportunity in the 2nd transition to stretch out my back and it worked I felt great to be upright again … I was through T2 in 0:04:22 – slightly longer than I intended but it was worth it for the stretching  Run
Comments: After the bike I was dreading the run … I thought it was going to be the longest shuffle around a marathon ever, but as I continued the pain in my back eased and thought to myself ‘yes this is ok’. I had a good first lap taking just about 1:04:00 for the lap. The 2nd lap was a bit slower and the 3rd a lot slower but it was graet to see so many team mates and supporters en-route. At this point I need to add that at each of the aid stations I managed to consume almost a picnic drinking and eating at each: coke, water, pretzels, crisps and various fruit. I set off on the last lap knowing I was going to finish my 2nd Ironman but had no idea of the time thinking I may get close to 15hrs if I was lucky so I picked up my pace and ran with a couple of other pirates, when it was pointed out a couple of miles to go that I might get close to 13:45 I picked up the pace and ran the last couple of miles quicker than anything since the first lap … bringing my marathon to an end in just over 5:07:00 Post race
Warm down: Stretching Hot shower Cold Shower Beer What limited your ability to perform faster: Bike Event comments: A really good well organised race The only that lets it down is lack of support on the bike Last updated: 2008-07-14 12:00 AM
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Switzerland
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When I originally entered Ironman Switzerland last year I had decided that I was going to beast training and aim for a 12:30-12:45 sort of time, But along came all the work to get my project live in November, December, January and February resulting in me averaging 80+hr weeks at work and getting ZERO training done. So I started my training on the 1st of March with an attitude of lets see where it gets me … not really time enough to train for an Ironman … but having done one before I new what to expect
My wife and myself flew from Newcastle with a connection at Heathrow, we arrived at Zurich airport and stood waiting for our luggage … all the bike came out of a hole in the wall and 1-by-1 people claimed their bikes … until I was left standing by myself …. MY BIKE HAD NOT ARRIVED!!! After several frantic conversation with airport lost and found it turned out that my bike had missed the flight and was still in London (it had probably been doing its duty free shopping) … my bike was put on the next flight and was to be shipped to me at the youth hostel … but I continued to panic until it finally arrived that evening … I must say thank you to those that were doing the Oly on Saturday that offered to lend me their bikes is mine wasn’t to arrive in time … that’s the pirate spirit for you