I hadn’t really considered doing a longer distance triathlon until I heard about Staffordshire Ironman 70.3. The Lichfield Tri lads sent the event information around when the event got announced on social media. It was right on our doorstep, so we all knew the course really well. The swim was staged in Chasewater, scene of my ill-fated foray in to windsurfing. Putting my mental scarring aside, I knew I was in familiar territory. The bike section then went to Shugborough Hall via Lichfield and the surrounding villages, literally going past my old home in Kings Bromley. The event was then to culminate in a three lap run around Shugborough estate. It was perfect for all of us. Knowing the area so well gave me a huge amount of confidence that I would be able to step up to the longer distance. It was also exciting to step in to an official Ironman event.
The lads knew it was going to be a popular race and expected it to sell out quickly. They recommended I made sure I was online to secure my place as soon as entries opened. Sure enough, as soon as the website opened up the system was inundated with people trying to register. After a few unsuccessful attempts I finally managed to register and get a place. Some of the others weren’t so lucky. Apparently the event sold out in around fifteen minutes. Along with four of the other club mates, I was in. This was September 2014, the race itself wasn’t until the following June. Plenty of time to get in shape.
Realising that this was a step up in distance I decided to follow a training plan. I found one online that I’d seen recommended by a triathlon magazine. This was a 16 week schedule designed for those who were time poor. There were a lot of references to training in zones which I wasn’t familiar with, but the plan was easy enough to follow. I managed to fit my sessions in around work to ensure I wasn’t impacting my family life too much. I would often commute on my bike and then do any runs during my lunch hour. Swimming would then be in a public session at the University pool.
I’m not great at public swimming sessions to be honest. Having been a swimmer for many years, I have a low tolerance for poor lane etiquette. I think competitive swimmers get this, but I’m sure everyone else would think I’m just being miserable. An example of this would be for a slower swimmer to push off the wall just as I am about to do a turn. This invariably means I swim in to them or have to wait to get around them, cue lots of underwater swearing. Another would be for someone to ‘hog the wall’, meaning that I can’t tumble turn at all because they are blocking the space. This drives me nuts. The only scenario where I am happy in a public swimming session is when I have the lane to myself. Anything else is just irritating. Rant over.
After a few months of training I was feeling good. It was really exciting to do something challenging, and I was really getting in to it. As with most of the bigger events I do I decided to run for charity, this time for SWAN (Syndrome’s Without A Name). I had become aware of this organisation through a work colleague whose daughter had a very difficult and rare condition to manage. It seemed like a worthwhile organisation to support given the challenges those with the conditions themselves and their carers face. Raising money always gives me that extra motivation to get over the line.
The event itself was great. As it was the inaugural one in Staffordshire, Ironman had managed to enlist five time world ITU Champion, Javier Gomez, to compete. This really added an extra dimension knowing that one of the best ever professional triathletes was competing. I didn’t meet him myself, but I know he was very generous with his time, happy to have photos taken and give signatures. He won the event of course and went on to win the 70.3 world championship later on in the season. There were other famous people who were taking part, including TV chef Gordon Ramsay. I lined up with him at the race registration on the Saturday but resisted the urge to engage in random small talk and get a selfie.
As it was a point-to-point race with the finish being at a different location to the start, the logistics were a bit more complicated. This was particularly true for supporters. For the competitors it was relatively easy as you just followed the set up at each transition point. At the end of the race, your gear was waiting for you in your own numbered bag having been shuttled across to Shugborough. But for spectators it wasn’t easy to watch due to closed roads and diversions. The only real opportunity to cheer was on the run section, so that’s where I saw my family.
Conditions for race day were perfect. There was rain the day before so I’d put a rain cover over my bike, but on the day itself it was dry and sunny. After the obligatory multiple toilet stops I was lined up in my wave for the swim start. We all made our way in, got acclimatised to the water and before we knew it we were off.
As usual, I really enjoyed the swim. I got in to a good rhythm with some space and came out of the water feeling strong. The bike leg was good fun. It felt like a sightseeing trip of my life growing up. I loved going through the villages, past old friend’s houses and local landmarks. I think I had a huge grin on my face pretty much the whole way round.
Going through Kings Bromley my daughters were waiting outside the house with a good luck banner and my parents were stood at the cross roads a little further up. It was probably only fleeting for them as I cycled past, but for me it meant a lot that they were there.
I went off at fairly fast pace for me. I was definitely getting carried along with the atmosphere and the occasion. For the first half of the bike I was overtaking quite a few people, but in the second half I was getting reeled in by the proper cyclists. My mate Aaron came bombing past me later on just past Cannock Chase. He was flying. I think he posted one of the quickest bike times of the day. He is a proper time trial rider, and had completed Ironman events before. I saw him burn off up the road as I was starting to struggle.
By the time I came in to transition for the run I was more than happy to get off the bike. The run started off well but towards the end of the first mile I felt the dreaded feeling of my legs beginning to seize up. It’s a horrible feeling. My legs just wouldn’t loosen up. At every feed station I was grabbing drinks and gels, but nothing was working. The three laps were tough. There was an uphill section half way around each one which knocked your stride. It felt like I was going backwards as other runners came past.
All that pain disappeared though when I got to the finishing chute and on to the red carpet. It is such an amazing feeling to run to the finish with the commentators shouting your name and everyone clapping and cheering. There really is nothing like it. It seems to make everything worthwhile. I finished in 5 hours and 40 minutes. The run didn’t go to plan, but it didn’t matter. I’d got my first Ironman event in the bag, even if it was the 70.3 distance. I loved it so much I did the same event the following year. With nowhere near the same amount of training I did exactly the same time. How does that work?