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Ironman Wales - Triathlon


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Pembrokeshire, Wales
United Kingdom
World Triathlon Corporation
60F / 16C
Precipitation
Total Time = 16h 19m 9s
Overall Rank = 1558/2165
Age Group = M55-59
Age Group Rank = 72/133
Pre-race routine:

Pre-race routine started two years before, when I signed up, planning to do the race in 2023, as one last IM after a 9-year absence. When I started swimming, realized I couldn't make it the length of the pool due to a rotator cuff tear from a fall hiking a few months earlier, Reluctantly gave up on 2023, deferred to 2024, got the shoulder fixed surgically, and started getting in shape on 9/12/23. Wound up hitting almost every training session, averaging 17 hrs/week, controlled diet, lost 65 pounds - really put everything I could into getting prepared for this race, and in the end, I needed all of it.
Event warmup:

Got to Tenby Thursday night after flight from Denver to London, and trains to Tenby. My wife arrived late Friday. Registered early Friday, took a short run and short ride, checked in bike fairly early on Saturday. Was going to swim, but opted not too. Probably should have, as the water was colder than I expected. Race morning, walked to transition and final prepped my bike and nutrition, went back to apt and got dressed for swim, walked to swim entrance with my wife, looking out at a choppy sea.
Swim
  • 1h 32m 10s
  • 3800 meters
  • 02m 26s / 100 meters
Comments:

This was a very tough swim, about 12% of the field didn't finish or missed cutoff. Hardest part was the strong tidal current on the longest leg, even stronger on the second lap. Wind into the tide caused very short, random chop, which made it tough to get a rhythm breathing. Then I found the water very cold, was approaching hypothermia by the time I finished, evident in very low heartrate. In retrospect, very proud of this swim given how hard it was for the whole field, and working my way back from rotator cuff surgery 10 months before the race.
What would you do differently?:

Should have worn a neoprene headcap to be a bit warmer, I brought it with me but for some reason chose not to wear it.
Transition 1
  • 35m 30s
Comments:

This is a long transition by design, needing to run up steep hill and 1km through town from swim beach to transition. But I was shivering uncontrollably and took forever to settle down enough to get ready for the bike - lots of folks asked me if I was OK, I kept saying yes. I think if an official person saw me they may have made me stop. Eventually got dressed, then used porta-potty which was warmer than the changing tent and helped me really get reset for the bike.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe go into the porta-potty straight away to change given it helped warm me up. Otherwise, I lost my swim cap somewhere along the way, wish I still had it, and forgot to put my bike gloves on. Not a smooth transition, but made it through when I was really struggling after a really difficult swim. Obviously 36 minutes is ridiculously long.
Bike
  • 8h 17m 52s
  • 112 miles
  • 13.50 mile/hr
Comments:

This is really slow, compounded by significant mechanical problems - the chain came off my front ring on the first steep climb, leading to a fall and a bruised/bloody knee, and then the chain completely broke on my first attempt at the steepest climb, leading to another fall and a bruised hip. In between, I was keeping from going into my two biggest rear cogs to keep the chain from coming off again. After it broke, I believed my day was over, but after about 20 minutes of walking along, the on-course mechanic caught up to me and fixed it. What a mental boost that was, so I kept going through a very challenging, very wet second loop, walking my bike up that steepest hill to avoid overtaxing my repaired chain. I wound up falling a third time getting off the bike to walk the hill, but in the end got back to transition upright.
What would you do differently?:

Should have trained bike harder going into this, the mechanicals cost me 45 minutes, being cautious in the wet likely 20. Even taking those out, I should have been faster. I also should have checked my bike more thoroughly after travelling to recognize the chain issues that just about cost me years of effort and focus to get to Tenby.
Transition 2
  • 05m 39s
Comments:

I barely avoided falling a 4th time as I dismounted my bike as my legs were cold and locked up, but loosened up pretty quickly once I got walking. I knew I was going to be close to cutoff, but it was still disorienting to see officials checking folks on their phones to tell us if we made it. About 2/3 were told their day was done, but they told me I was good to continue. It would have been so crushing to have not made it after fighting through the swim and bike difficulties. Once I got the go ahead to go on, I changed quickly and didn't miss anything. When I checked my times after the race, I made the 10.5-hour cutoff time by just over four minutes.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, easily my best race segment of the day.
Run
  • 5h 47m 57s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 13m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

My plan was always to walk the uphills and run the downhills, I even trained run-walk. I stuck to this the whole way, making sure my walks were faster than 15min pace, and jogged the fastest I could. Since I was already so late, time didn't matter as long as I kept myself fit enough to keep moving continuously and finish. Initially, I worried I would be close to not making the final cutoff, but slowly built a buffer to be comfortable at the end.
What would you do differently?:

Given everything that happened earlier in the day, this run was just right for me. I made sure to slap hands with everyone who offered and thank the crowd and just be grateful the whole way.
Post race
Warm down:

Was in reasonable shape at the end given I didn't overly push the run, so took my time in the nice, warm, dry, finish tent. Had plenty of pizza and soda, made sure to get my medal, bucket hat, and finishers hoodie. Talked to folks about their day, main topics were how rough the swim was, and then dealing with the rain and slippery roads and avoiding crashing.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Getting old - I was never fast, but 10 more years slowed me even more. Losing time to mechanicals, probably not taking enough risk on the flatter sections that were wet - I was just really overly concerned falling going down in the rain no matter what the terrain.

Event comments:

I picked Wales to race one last Ironman because it was so hard, and because it is an epic event with the best crowd and town support imaginable. Thanks to my wife, Bernadette, my personal support, along with the folks she recruited to my team during the run through town. Thanks to Tenby, this was an unimaginably epic day in my life, and in the end I pieced together just enough to get to the finish line. Such an incredible day of determination and gratitude for me I will always remember.




Last updated: 2023-12-10 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:32:10 | 3800 meters | 02m 26s / 100meters
Age Group: 46/133
Overall: 1037/2165
Performance: Good
Two lap swim, aussie exit in between. Heart rate started high and dropped continuously through the swim, second lap slower than the first even though it was a little shorter due to a buoy floating in toward shore at high tide. Longest leg of swim was into an incoming tide, shorter legs were assisted by the tide.
Suit: 2-piece wetshuit
Course: Two-lap triangle
Start type: Run Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 61F / 16C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Bad Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 35:30
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
08:17:52 | 112 miles | 13.50 mile/hr
Age Group: 82/133
Overall: 1622/2165
Performance: Bad
Despite how slow this is, my heart rate averaged zone 3 due 9000 feet of climbing.
Wind: Some
Course: This is an incredibly hard course, one short loop with some hills, two long loops with lots of hills, many steep, and the toughest ones done twice near the tail end of the long loop. It is also spectacular in terms of scenery, towns, castles, bridges, and simply incredible support, especially on the 2nd toughest hill of the long loop. It started raining on and off about halfway in, continuously 75% in, and then really dumping 95% in.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 05:39
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
05:47:57 | 26.2 miles | 13m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 72/133
Overall: 1558/2165
Performance: Good
Heartrate mostly zone 2, some zone 1. It was all I had left.
Course: Four loops, about 4 miles out and back from town up/down a pretty serious hill, and 2 mile run in and out all the streets in town. It was dumping rain for the first lap and a half, then stopped for good - what a welcome change that was. It got completely dark by the second lap.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2024-10-29 9:25 PM

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Regular
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Parker, Colorado
Subject: Ironman Wales


2024-10-30 11:23 AM
in reply to: #5290110

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Middle River, Maryland
Silver member
Subject: RE: Ironman Wales

Congratulations...that is an awesome race report.  You could have quit that race like five different times but you pushed through - so glad you finished.  Sounds like a really cool race (I mean, beyond the temperature). 

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