Race Report: IM Austria scrape in under 10hrs

By Sean Barry

I had done 4 ironmans already and still not a good one. So I decided after a 2 year hiatus it was time to get back on the horse again. The last one I did was in Regensburg and I came off the bike 2 days before in front of the hotel. I didn’t realise I had done any damage and thought it’s just a flesh wound. However in the race I found out it wasn’t and had a horrible day but got to the finish line somehow.

Before this I had done Challenge Wanaka and was lined up to do ironman NZ however due to 140k winds it got cancelled and we had a half on the day after instead. I had a great race but still it was a half and I got an entry to another IM as a result and so decided to do Regensburg. In hindsight it wasn’t a good idea as I was probably close to IM burnout at this stage.

So I decided to try to get in one piece to the line in Austria.

Started training from being injured in late Feburary in pretty bad shape. The next few months I spent more time in Physio and massage than I’d care to remember.
Anyway I had got a new bike, power meter, q-rings and was about to get very friendly with the N11.
I wasn’t worried about the running as that was my stongest, biking next and then swimming. My swimming was improving and I was getting a feel for the water which I subsequently lost and started to go backwards. The swimming lessons with Chris on the Sundays were very good, it’s a pity they died out.

I panicked at one stage that my biking was in a bad place and focused on the bike.
When I went back to the swimming squad my swimming was in a bad place, this was a big mistake. Weird the fitter I got on the bike and run the slower and slower I was getting in the pool, I was also losing a fair bit of weight at this stage.

However I could see my bike times were improving and run times were getting good aswell. I was starting to get confident that I was capable of doing a good time if I could get to the start line in one piece. I was doing my long run on Wednesday and long bike rides on the weekend. Some long weekends I put in 2 long bike rides. My body was waking me up at this stage Wednesday morning at 5 to go running, funny I had set the alarm for 5.30 but I was bright awake at 5 and itching to go.

I thought at this stage that my bike position was too comfortable so I decided to go more aero. This wasn’t a good idea as I started to get tight hips and other issues. After a few weeks of that I tried to put the bike back in the origional position but the bike shop had lost it so I got it back as comfortable as possible.

I was also due to have a baby around a month out from the race. So I aimed for 2 half ironmans with the idea that I would get one of them in, which is pretty much the way that it happened doing the Lough Cultra half. Baby arrived and the training went down a step. I had tried to get in most of the training beforehand anyway and was close to the taper at this stage.

Race was approching and I droped the bike off for a service 2 days before it was due to be sent out. This was a bad idea and cumulated with me running around like a blue arse fly on the morning that the bike was due to be shipped trying to get spokes fixed on my aero wheels. I thought the stress must be preparing me for the race.

In-laws had arrived over from Germany at this stage and were looking after the wife and baby and I was free to head off to Austria.
When you arrive it’s very spectacular with the lake and the mountains in the background. Water was a really nice temperature and the place had a good feel about it.

The day before the race I think I got heatstroke as I felt dizzy and had a really bad headache. I don’t think I hydrated enough before the race and I should have kept out of the sun. I thought get a good nights sleep and it will be fine in the morning.

The morning of the race I did feel better but not 100% but still I haven’t got to the start line before with so few injuries so thought no point complaining.

Lined up on the beach with the 3000 others and it’s pretty spectacular. The gun went everyone eased into the water and we were off. Kept a nice rythmn in the water and had feet most of the way. In the end you swim into a canal which wasn’t very nice. The level of the water was low and there was alot of people being squeezed in. I knew though we only had 800m to swim so it was just a matter of taking it. Didn’t know what my swim time was but from the results after it was 1.12. 5 minutes slower than last time but still I wasn’t swimming very well so I have to be happy with that.

Onto the bike of the 2 lap course with 1400m of climbing. The first section was relatively flat along the lake. However there was so many people on the course that my power was spiking to get past people and then dropping to my normal training level. This went on for pretty much the first 90k. The heat kept rising at this stage and it was getting very hot. My heart was in the 130s about 10 beats above in training. I was expecting it to drop but it never did. I tried to keep as close to my power in training as possible.

First lap done in 2.30 which I was very happy about it and was starting to think I was on for a good time if I could hold it. Second lap the wind really came up and it started to get tough. I was still passing alot of people though. About 40k into the second lap my power started to drop off abit and I really felt the climb up Rubertiberg, however I knew it was mostly downhill after this so didn’t worry too much. There was a long fast decent from here passing through villages on the way down. Some of the houses had mattrasses on the side of them in case any cyclists went carrering into their side of it. Normally on the Rupretiberg there’s supposed to be a Roth like atmosphere however a storm had come in and everyone had dissapeared. I never even noticed the was no one on the mountain.

The last 5k I eased up abit and just relaxed and started to prepare mentally for the run. My power was less than in training, I think this had to do with the surges on the first lap. Looked down and the time of 5.06 and was pretty happy as it was the first time I done a good ride in an Ironman, this was my main goal that at least I’d do a good bike time as I hadn’t done one before in an IM.

So onto the run and this is normally where I’m passing alot of people. First few k and I was overtaking people. After the third k looked at the k split and I was after going through in 4mins. I said to myself I need to slow down which I did.

Then it hit me my legs just suddenly went dead and I felt like crap. I was thinking of giving up at this stage. However I thought of all I’d been through to get here. Also remembered that I’d run half marathons off the bike in training so at least I should run to the half way mark. It was a case of getting one foot in front of the other. They say the race starts half way through the marathon but the race was already after coming to me with about 40k to go. I tried to avoid walking at all costs because I knew this is alot slower than even a slow run. Managed to keep this going for a while and then started to walk the aid stations.

I took on a load of water and felt physically abit better but the legs weren’t going anywhere in a hurry. Got through the half way mark and concentrated on getting through the next 10k and managed to keep it going. About 4k from the finish line a balloon came flying past with 10hrs on it. I had nothing to respond.

However I started to think about it and picked up the pace abit, the legs were all over the place at this stage. The next thing I know I’ve gone past the balloon and he’s stopped. I thought at this stage it must be game over. Came into the finishing straight and saw 9.59 something on the clock so I sprinted. I could see something like 9.59.36 on the clock.

I looked at my watch and I finsihed the run in 3.32 a long long way off what I was doing in training. It was mixed emotions being happy with the bike ride and disappointed with the run.

Looking back I don’t think I took in anywhere near enough water before or during the race, I think this was a major factor in the legs seizing up.

After thinking for a long time that I need a new hobbby I signed up for another ironman next year … ooops.