Race Report: Roth 2014 DNF not in DNA

by John Wallnutt.

Second Ironman distance attempt
I swam, I biked, I walked, I finished …………..I was very close to leaving it like this and jokingly sent it to Ellen but sure I might as well jump on the bandwagon and get another Roth report in.

I had done IM Zurich in 2011 and had some on course issues very similar to what happened to Stu with his experience of Roth. But if the truth be known I had not trained enough which was mainly on my own. Roth was different. Not only was there 40 odd to begin with but there was a whats app group ( with tons of opinions and advice) There were training plans supplied by the club and others, Meetings, Slide shows, webinars and training groups. No stone was left unturned. We trained as a group, we trained in pairs, we trained on our own. 12 months ago Steve E,Ivan E and I had decided this was the one to go for so we signed up. Ivan due to a hip problem which would not heal had to pull out so Steve and I set about getting the training done. We did, come hail, rain and sun we got it done, each one of us making sure we did not fall far behind the other. Egging each other on we got 105% of the hours on the training plan done. This included 10 days of cycling bliss in Portugal. We planned out our races taking in Connameara Sporit ( 140km) followed by Lough Cutra the following day. Then Tri Na Mhi where I pushed a few minutes under 5 hours and finally Athlone sprint , winning AG in all 3 events and beating a few people I had never beaten before. We had the balance right, good volume of swimming, loads of long bike session and trusted all the advice on the how much running to do. Avoided injuries, practiced punctures, salt tablets and nutrition …….WE COVERED EVERYTHING ! Heading into Roth I was in the best condition of my 50 years on this earth. I was looking forward to the event ( I want to say race but ITS NOT A RACE ).

The days before the race were kept low key and generally out of the sun, we hydrated and relaxed. Enjoyed the buzz and our follow Piranhas. There was a lot of talk about the weather but my mantra was don’t worry about it it WILL be overcast and if its not we will get a nice tan ! Either way if the sun came out we had to deal with it.
Race day arrived after 2 nights of good sleep, breakfast was consumed as per the plan and we arrived in T1 with enough time to chat, set up without any panic and soak up the atmosphere. I felt very relaxed and confident, privately I thought this was going to be my day. I had avoided setting targets or times until I saw the course and the day before the race I had numbers in my head which I thought I was capable of. Other members were suggesting sub 10hr but I know IM and that was never on the cards even on a down hill course !!

Into the water for 7.10am start. I removed my supplied swim hat ( green) to reveal my Pink swim hat so I could be easily spotted by the Piranha supporters. Gun goes and off I went. I kept out of the messing and found space and generally swan on my own and did not draft . Heard the girls screaming at me at about 3km so stopped and had a few words but I was cruising along, it was an easy, gentle pace. Target was 1hr 5min ( even though Ivan gave me a target of 60mins for a free set of Dr Drea head phones) I thought if I got a good swim I might dip under that target . Hit the mat in 1hr 4mins 59 sec. ! Job done and not even out of breath. Strolled into T1, off with wetsuit, on with cycling shoes and gone out to the bike. As I put on my helmet Frank ( o Connor) arrived beside me with a surprized look on his face suggesting he thought he was the better swimmer ( he is, I just went through the tent quicker). Jokes exchanged we set off out of TI and on to the bikes.

I had vo2 tested in February and my top of zone 2 then was 140HR. I have no dobt if a retested 2 weeks before roth that would have moved out to 144/ 145 but I stuck with 140 knowing it was safe. Frank went off like a rocket and I let him go. I settled into a nice pace and HR was sitting nicely at about 130/132. I tipped along for about an hour when I noticed I had a right pain in my stomach like Mike Tyson had given it a bashing but I just ignored it thinking it excitement/ nerves etc. In no way did it stop me getting my planned gels in. Alarm after alarm went off and in went the gel or bar or fruit as planned. At about 35km Casso went by. He had been in an earlier wave so I had passed him in the water. I noticed he was moving faster but at a steady pace not like a rocket. I knew by looking at his pace I was moving at about the right pace. The KMs flew by but the sun was getting hotter and hotter and there was nowhere to hide, 30c 32c, 34c, 36c. I went by Frank then Linda. Little chats exchanged I ploughed on happy with my pace and HR sitting nicely. Through the solar hill. Loved it but remembered not to let the HR spike so sat up, took it all in and relaxed. Up and over and on into the next town, Lap 1 done. Bike clock showed 2hr 36m for 90km . At this stage Frank and I are trading places but I swear every time he saw a timing mat he upped the pace !!

Bike target was 5h20m to 5h30m. 5h10m was possible but it would have killed the run speed ( that’s seems like a bad joke now). We decided to pull back a little and just spin up any hills nice and easy. Then Frank Punctured and I was on my own. 5km down the road the leg cramps started. The inside of my upper leg just locking up with frightening speed and pain. I had to stand up on the pedals and message it loose without peddling. As soon as I would get the right one sorted and peddling again the left one would go. I tried everything. Salt tabs had been taken, water and sports drink taken. Cold water poured over the legs to cool them etc etc . Nothing worked. This went on for the next 80k right leg cramps, message it, slow to a stop, get going for 3 or 4 mins left leg would go. I get to the Solar hill and half way up both legs cramped so someone held my up on the bike while I tried to stretch them out. I could not understand what was going on but in the back of my mind I knew it must be the heat as this was the only different factor to all the training days. I kept going. I didn’t lose it or get upset I was still moving. My target was to get out of T2 on or around 6hr30m giving me 4 hours to run / jog /walk the marathon for a 10.30ish finish. I got into T2 6hr48m. Under the circumstances I was happy with that and my thoughts turned to the run. I thought my legs would be ok once off the bike and running. They were not !! I look back now and if I had sat down or lay down for 15 mins I might have got to the finish line 2 hours quicker and not scare the bejaysus out of Mags. But as quick as a flash I was in and out and off onto the run. 500m into Mags & Catherine Eustace were there again cheering me on. A quick hug and kiss and off I went announcing to them I was fine and going to nail it…….My legs had other ideas, 1km up the road hammers cramped, the pain was stupid, you all know what its like. On I pushed, I got to the 4km marker and stopped for my first pee of the day , which scared the shit out of me as it was red then I remembered B2R telling if I take the beetroot this would happen. Off I went plodding along, then I noticed a pain in my back around both kidneys, I also could not take a deep breath. At this point I was nearly calling it a day but I said get to the next aid station and get checked. I got there but no first aid so just kept going. At this stage I was walking, calfs where cramping if I tried to run but walking was generally ok. On I went further and further into LALA LAND !!!………..from about 12km to somewhere around 35km I am a bit lacking in info. I am told by many Piranha’s that I was talking more shit than usual, giving out about my bike being stolen, annoyed that the marathon was too long. Most of them lied to me telling the finish was ‘’just up there’’ when I was still 15km from it. I remember bits and pieces, a bit like a night out and you struggle to remember everything after you get hammered ! I do remember at one stage laughing to myself as I pour the coke down my back and drank the water , crazy stuff. It then rained and I think this helped me as it cooled me down. Next thing I know Mags is walking beside me on the run course at about 38km ( she joined me at 35km). For a while I could not work out how she got an entry for the race ! I finally came back to reality at about 38km. Then there were tears, laughter and more tears. I looked at the time and worked out I had about 40 mins to do the last 4 km in to get a PB. So I said fuck this for a game of soldiers I might as well do that.

I walked and walked and walked and finally 6hr 30 odd minutes after I started out on the run with some hope I walked into the finish area, down the long shoot and into the stadium. I could not even jog this so head down I walked around the stadium which was still full and everyone cheering. I crossed the line and at that point I could only feel embarrassed about what had just happen. I joked to myself that the 13hr 25m was a PB by 4 minutes but the over whelming feeling was utter disappointment. I felt robbed after all the training. 

To top it all off an hour or so later I found myself in the first aid tent on a dip but other than that a good night sleep and I was more or less back to normal.

My saving grace is 28 Piranha’s started and 28 finished. If I had been the only one not to finish I would still be in hiding ! The following day over a number of pints the war stories were recounted. No one got what they hoped for on the day but hats off to Will completing that course in 10hr 11mins which is some going in that heat. And also hats off to my other training buddies Leo and Steve. We had worries about Leo at times but he got done what he could get done and then went out and did it. As for Steve E, his by-daily hour long phone call to me with 345 questions kept me entertained, motivated and informed. Without his support and friendship we would not have got to the startline in the shape we did. Finally to Mags who supports me all the way, worries about me getting to old for this stuff, puts up with all my training. She is a great supporter and wife. Thank you.

Every Ironman distance is a rollercoaster of emotion with joy, panic, anger, sadness, frustration, sometimes embarrassment and hopefully ends with elation. Maybe I will get that elation someday may just may it will be third time lucky

Johnny Wallnutt

DNF not in DNA ( t shirts currently being printed)