The Swim (1:07:22)

The horn went off and we were off. This swim was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. There were people everywhere thrashing about. I didn’t try and sight for at least 10 minutes because I was just concentrating on finding enough water to put my arms in to pull. If a little gap appeared in front I would aim for it - but so did half a dozen others so it soon filled up. The gentlemen don’t treat us ladies any different in this fight for space I can tell you. At one point (actually several times) I got so fed up with someone swimming on top of my legs persistently I just tried to kick him off. Arms were a flailing, whacking me on the head and it was just a big fight for space all the way around the first loop. Part of it I think was my own doing (not intentionally) because at one point when I looked up to get my bearings I found myself right next to a buoy so I was on the inside, busy track following the underwater line up the course. I’m a pretty confident swimmer so I knew I could hold my own but it wasn’t easy. It’s funny what thoughts go through your mind as you swim along. I was watching other peoples strokes and analysing them and looking for the divers (didn’t see any) which they had told us about (“don’t be startled by bubbles and divers in the water”). Also just telling myself to reach and pull, slowly and smoothly. According to my watch I did the first loop in about 32 minutes which is amazingly fast for me - I think I just got sucked around! The second loop was a bit clearer but still plenty of people around and bumping into each other. I just kept swimming and trying to find some feet to draft on which sometimes worked and sometimes I was on my own. My swim time was 1:07:22 which I was thrilled about and it hadn’t seemed like much of an effort at all.
My wetsuit was pulled from me and I started down the carpet to transition. I was surprised to find that the move from horizontal to vertical didn’t affect me - I felt great and was able to jog down and locate my transition bag.



Start nearer the front I think. I was a bit wary about my first mass start but having done one I am confident enough to battle it a little closer to the front

T1 (12:41)

I purposely took my time here, just getting ready, drying myself, applying sunscreen and making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Minor blip number one was here - having loaded up my back pockets of my bike shirt with my nutrition I found that my race belt didn’t sit easily and on the way out to the bike it tore off so I had to stop and redo that with safety pins. I had to find my own bike (even though they were numbered I went down the wrong rack first- duh!) and then I had to run with it all the whole length of the transition area to the start line.

Get changed faster!

Bike (6:44:20 (splits 3:09:05, 3:35:14))

There were a lot of people heading out at the same time as me so it was quite hard to find a space to get bike over the mounting line and get on. Patience on a long day I guess. Took it easy - out of transition is downhill and 2 sharp corners. Then I was off. There really were so many people that it was impossible to stay 4 lengths behind anyone on the first climbs. I was told that you can’t really draft at the speeds we were going up the hill though so everyone just got on and did their own thing. By the time we got to the top of the hill it was all a bit more spread out and the USAT referees came along several times on the motorbikes to check no- one was drafting. The first downhill into Keene was awesome. I had to actually brake several times because people were in the way but generally it was good. I love downhills. The flat bit was good - I just kept telling myself it was important not to feel like I was “working” and that I was just out for a “Sunday afternoon pleasure ride“. I remember smiling constantly and thinking “I’m doing an Ironman and this is easy”. My first aid station attempt wasn’t so good. I dropped 2 water bottles before managing to hold onto one and made a mental note to slow down a bit more next time. Even my dreaded hill up to Wilmington wasn’t as bad as I thought - the encouragement of the spectators is truly magnificent. The out and back bit plus the climb back into town weren’t too bad either. I felt strong, happy and was having a great time. The hardest thing was finding a clear enough section on a downhill to pee! (sorry mum, hope you aren’t reading this bit).

The crowds on Papa Bear are amazing and I don’t remember that feeling hard at all. My first bike loop split was 3:09 and I didn’t feel fatigued at all. Round we went again.

My second loop bike split was much slower at 3:35. I didn’t actually think it was so much to do with fatigue because apart from needing to stand up to stretch and get my bum off the seat a couple of times I still felt good. However, the wind going down the big hill into Keene and all the way along the flat bit to Upper Jay was really noticeable against us and I think that was more of a factor. There was this one guy (Declan) who was around the same pace but I was faster on hills and him on flat so we kept passing each other. The reason I know this is that I named him Mr Snotty. I think he must have had a cold or something because he kept snot rocketing every 20 seconds or so with no thought to who was behind. After some minor sprays I tried to keep a bit ahead of him but alas, big groan when he came by me again. In fact I got so fed up with it that at one point when I went past him I said loudly “nice” in a sarcastic voice as he “sniffed” but I don’t think he got the hint!

Another minor blip of the day was when my race number tore off one of the pins and I had to stop and refasten it (again) before it completely flew off.
I felt I had to work a bit harder on the uphill last 11 miles but generally I felt pretty good all the way around. The only noticeable thing was a had a kind of side stitch practically all the way around the bike course which was made worse by eating solid food (my Jaffa cakes) so I stopped eating those and just survived on gel and Gatorade (and water). So, I knew I hadn’t taken in as many calories as ideal but I was still eating when I could and felt OK.

Back into town to the amazing crowds, over the line and just passed my bike to a volunteer and was pointed in the right direction to my next transition bag.

Other notes on the bike course were
(1) Despite what people say there are USAT officials on the narrow out and back course - I know - I saw them
(2) Although I didn’t see a great deal of it, I got really annoyed at a few people (all male) that were clearly drafting. Several times I had to give dirty looks over my shoulder to get some one off my wheel and several times I saw people in front of me blatantly drafting. I guess they have no conscience.


Nothing except pin my number on better

T2 (8:39)

This was a strange experience. I found my bag and waddled along to the changing tent. I just wanted to sit down for a couple of minutes to recharge but volunteers kept coming up to me and trying to help, tipping out my bag, asking me if I needed sunscreen etc. I was really grateful they were there but just needed a few minutes on my own. So, once I was ready they topped me up with sunscreen, I went to the portapotty then off on the run.


Nothing

Run (5:26:06 (splits 2:21:27, 3:04:38))

Oh it was a good job the crowds were there to start. They were the incentive to get through the first difficult 10 minutes when my legs were fighting me as I was persuading them they could run. But going down a steep hill to start was tough. I knew it would all get better after the first mile or so and those crowds really helped. After that I settled into a rhythm and just walked aid stations to take in nutrition as planned. I could feel my legs were a bit sore so I pretty much knew I wouldn’t be going fast but I felt fine. I watched the clock and at 3 miles and 6 miles I knew my pace was well under 10 minutes (probably around 9:30). I took Gatorade or gel and water at each aid station as planned. Then it all started to fall apart. I started to feel nauseous and by mile 10-11 I was starting to feel dizzy too. I decided to walk more than I planned - I know the rules - slow down and sip water to try and settle nutrition problems. At each aid station I sipped water and then when that didn’t help I tried cola as I heard that can be a life saver. I managed to jog past my family and the crowds on the first bit of the second loop because I didn’t want my kids to see I was struggling so much but Fred had guessed because Dennis had gone into the short out and back behind me and came out way in front. He walked with me (Dennis) for a few minutes as he was on a revised plan too. In fact I think most people I saw in the team seemed to be having a few “challenges“. It was a hard day.

Off on the second loop I plodded. The course was actually strangely quiet considering how many people were out there. Apart from a few words of encouragement made to one another as you passed each other everyone seemed to be in their own world, focusing and trying to just keep going.
I went to a portapotty for a wee so I knew stuff was going through me but boy it was hard to get up. There was no way I wasn’t going to finish and I was scared if I pushed myself I would get worse and be hauled off. At one stage there were “things” floating on my retina and I had to make a concerted effort to walk a straightish line past an ambulance station! I had pretty much resigned myself to walking when at mile 19 Sarah came past me and we walked a while. She was sucking pretzels for the salt and gave me one to try. Sarah saved me! I am so grateful to her. I knew she was finding it tough too but she was there to help me and encourage me. I was salt deficient. I would never have guessed it. I had been drinking Gatorade and eating gels and never needed extra salt on my long runs but eating pretzels cured me. Literally. By mile 20 I started to jog again, and I jogged, sucking on pretzels, just walking any of the bigger hills and aid stations and I started to feel much better. I’m not saying it was easy but it was such a relief not to feel so sick still. After the last aid station before town I hadn’t started jogging again and a man called Tim who I had been playing leapfrog with (no not literally) passed me again and told me I could at least run to the bottom of the big hill - which most people walked up intentionally anyway. He was right, so I did. Thank you Tim. I was a little faster than him but he caught me when I walked and after the hill he passed me again and told me that surely I could run the last mile. He was right I could. Thank you Tim again (I did thank him lots then too- both times). So, I finished strong, with a smile on my face and needed no medical attention at all.

My family were apparently there, even at the finish but I only saw them once on the run. The Train-this support crowd were awesome as were all the strangers yelling my name and encouraging me.

Where do I start? Better nutrition and many more bricks would have helped

Afterwards and hindsight

I felt OK immediately afterwards - guess that’s what a 7 mile walking break does for you! I grabbed a bit of pizza, sat and eat it and then went off to find people and my bags etc and cheer some people home.

I am elated that I have had this experience and finished and it means so much to have a “team” of supporters out there and that all of our competing team finished. I am so proud of all of us. I can’t say I am not disappointed with my run, but I wouldn’t have guessed a salt problem and at the end of the day what happens is what happens. The time doesn’t really matter because this was a one-off for me, always was, still is! I had no compulsion to join Mary in the sign up queue on Monday morning. I have enjoyed everything about the training and the race experience was awesome but I want to concentrate on a shorter distance now.

The next day I can see I have a couple of blisters on one foot (probably from wet shoes since I poured cold water over me a lot on the run) and my legs feel a bit sore but not too bad at all. I wouldn’t like to go for a jog but I could easily go for a swim. I won’t though, not for a couple of days anyway. I’ve got some chocolate eating to catch up on before my metabolism slows down from lack of ridiculous amounts of exercise.

All my race pictures show me smiling and although I think my natural bike face is a grimace that can be interpreted as a smile it was nice to have comments as I cycled along saying “Nice smile lady“. I think that summed up the day for me. It was fun!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading all my team mates race reports too.



The run


The post race food was practically non existent. I managed to grab one of the last slices of pizza and when I went back for another or something else there was practically nothing left. I would have been better off going to one of the aid stations! This was the only let down in a fabulous day