Build-Up
About the time I was getting back into proper training after winter it seemed to start with me witnessing an accident with someone knocked off their bike in front of me and being seriously injured. This played on my mind for a long time thinking do I really want to get into major cycling outdoors again. However the dice was already cast and there was no going back now.
After qualifying in September in Chattanooga it gave me plenty of time to prepare. I got out my swim book again and went to all Chris’s crazy swim sessions after the season finish. The book says you need to focus 90% of your training on the catch. One day just as I was about to throw the toys out of the pool the catch kinda half clicked and I went from the back of the lane up to near the front in one session. I got the catch once before where the water felt solid underneath me, this was good but not on that level.
Also during the winter I started doing short turbo sessions indoors without any fans trying to get used to sweating profusely on the bike. It seemed to work all right and these sessions would come in handy leading up to my departure for Kona.
After Christmas I got really into the swimming doing 4 swimming session all together even the 1,5hr Saturday one which I wouldn’t really have dreamed of before. I could see I was making progress and starting to move up the lane. However every time I thought I was making progress I would get another virus. This is the problem with having kids it’s only a matter of time before the next one strikes. It seemed to get fairly regular with 2 weeks virus/2 weeks healthy. I suppose it probably saved me from myself in the end.
Also during the winter and spring I was doing run intervals with a group at lunchtime. I pretty much did them religiously even when it was hammering down and only a few of us would show up. I used to be in group 1 when I was just running but now I was in group 3. I was cautiously building myself up.
At the end of Feb myself and the family headed off to Aus for 3 weeks holidays to see some old friends and do some training. I got back in with my old training group and could feel the difference coming from our down season compared to their race season. Also did a few ocean swims while I was there. One I turned up to there was thunder, lightning and lashing rain. Didn’t know if it was wise to get into the water but there was already a race going on.
The official told me it would go on. It was a bit of a surreal experience with the chop and the thunder and lightning.
Dublin Ironman 70.3
Was hoping to get 4 races of the national series during the summer but only managed 3 in the end and also Dublin 70.3. First was Hell of the west where I didn’t go very well. Then did 2 provinces where I got a second. After that was Dublin 70.3 where I got a 3rd place and a dropped metatarsal in my foot. I thought I had a stone in my shoe, first time I ever heard of a dropped metatarsal. Then onto DCT where I had done a long ride the day before. On the day I had no top end speed but felt like I could go the whole day. It was also the first time running again since the dropped metatarsal.
Lucky enough I managed to get slowly back into running a few weeks before heading off to Kona and managed to get back to close to where I was before. A few weeks out I got hit with another virus which seemed to go on forever but still managed to keep training somehow. Was also doing indoor sessions for the heat and doing sauna sessions at this stage.
Managed to get a piranha tri top before leaving thanks to help from Dara, Bob and Phil. Then before I know it it was off to Kona 2 weeks before the race.
Kona – 2 weeks out
First impressions was that it was hot but not as hot as Chattanooga where I qualified However the longer I was there the hotter it seemed to be getting! I still had the virus but seemed to be getting better.
My first ride was up to Hawi to check out the winds. It lived up to its reputation. I was cycling along with a rumble strip on one side, narrow strip of road in the hard shoulder, crash barrier on the right travelling at 60kph+ with 2 different winds gusting across and a truck passing at the same time. It’s pretty scary stuff. I hit the rumble strip a few times where you’re holding on for dear life. Then when you hit Hawi and turn around, you’re travelling at 45deg down hill with serious gusts. I got blown into the road a few times with a few people telling me they got blown over to the other side of the road. In fairness if you get out in Ireland on the windy days it’s pretty good preparation especially if you can practice riding into a head wind for 5+ hrs.
Ran into the energy lab as well to check out the story. You drop down from the queen K into the energy lab and there’s no wind and this is where temperatures can reach 40deg. I had ran 6k up there another few k in and out and back down the 6k again. All the while there was a French guy running close to me with zero water. He threw himself under the shower in the energy lab but don’t know how he survived without taking on water!
American guy with this bike out on the queenK!
I did the practice swim 1 week before where the course seemed to go on forever. It took me 1.24 after swimming 33 for a half in Dublin and it started to dawn on me every part of this course knocks chunks out of you.
1 week out
On the Monday I was having all sorts of stomach issues, headaches and sleepy. Went to the doctor who prescribed me antibiotics. The afterwards headed off to see the Volcano where it was freezing cold and I ended up sitting by the fire!
On Tuesday was the parade of nations. This was great to meet other Irish triathletes all of whom I’d never meet before. Was really good for taking the mind off things. On Wednesday I went to the night Manta ray snorkelling. There was a blind triathlete called blind iron mike doing it. He kept saying the view was crap and he couldn’t see anything, was a good laugh.
Team Ireland in the parade of nations
On Thursday went for a swim and watched the underpants run. Afterwards I was feeling dizzy, headaches, sleepy and couldn’t concentrate. Went back to the doctor who could only say stop taking the anti-biotics. Then woke up on the Friday before the race still not feeling well so went to the hospital as I thought I must be dehydrated. They said I wasn’t and did a cat scan and said my head was all right. He said I shouldn’t race if I wasn’t feeling all right but good luck in the race. Don’t talk to me about American medical bills, insurance etc.
At least now I felt ok about doing the race knowing that there was nothing seriously wrong. Weird thing was 2 days before the race I had a terrible night’s sleep and the night before I slept like a baby.
Race
Arrived at race start at about 5 and thought I’ve load of time. But there was one Queue after another. By the time I got to the bike I only had about 15mins to race start. Was a real panic but managed to get out to the swim start with 5mins to go. Also saw a guy with a broken shoulder so thought to myself I’m not really doing it that tough and also blind iron mike will be out there as well.
Swim
Went close to the pier as it was the closest. Everyone said this is where you really get bashed but didn’t mind as was happy to be on the start line.
Then the cannon goes and you’re off. The start wasn’t as bad as what people had told me so I was pretty happy not too many kicks and punches to the head. At one stage I passed a guy doing back stroke which was the worse part as he kept hitting me.
Looked at the watch half way around which said 37 mins so knew I was quicker than in practice swim but for some reason seems to take longer to get in than going out. Also a few people said to me that the swim is long more like 4k. Plus you’re already dehydrated after getting out of the water as it’s so hot.
Then out of the swim in 1:17 happy with that compared to the practice swim and felt like I was doing it easy.
Bike
Out on the bike and the weather not too hot at this stage. I knew about 2hrs into the bike that’s when the heat really starts to strike. Off out on the bike looking at my watts. Amazing how many people were going nuts on the uphills and then taking it easy on the downhills really surprised me at this level. I was looking at my watts and thought they must be burning loads of matches.
Then out onto the QueenK and I was slowly passing people but not as much as I would in a normal Ironman. Not long out on the queen K and then the head wind hits and the speed just drops off. Was keeping the fluids going in and trying to stay cool Then the 30k climb up to Hawi which I’d done at numerous times at this stage which really helped mentally knowing as the Americans would say “You got this”(even half way into an Ironman). A bit into the climb I could see the pro men coming down and then the pro women.
The further up to Hawi and the cross winds were average, not the worst I’d experienced since being there which also really helped. Then I could see the age groupers coming down and there was big groups of them – pretty sad that so many people aren’t doing a solo effort.
Grabbed an extra water at the top for extra weight and then put the hammer down on the way passing quite a few people. Was only riding at 30deg on the way down but once you relax and think it’s ok then a big sidewind hits you.
Near the bottom the sole of my feet started to burn. In no time I was in agony. I knew it was coming so had put in metatarsal buttons and had pain killers both of which did nothing. I was in real agony and contemplating stopping. Then I decided on the uphills to put my feet on top of the shoes which seemed to do the trick, gave me enough relief until the next hill.
All the while was cycling into a head wind, speed going nowhere and the heat was really climbing at this stage. You need to get out to Hawi early to avoid the head winds on the way back or at least get some tail wind.
3hrs into the bike I was feeling fantastic, thinking I was doing it easy and was going to have a great run. At the end I was really happy to see the airport and then transition.
Run
You never know how you’re going to run until you hit the run and assess. It was really hot I this stage heading out on Ali’i drive however I thought it could be worse as I was out running on hotter days than this. Not long into the run and I knew there was something seriously wrong.
All my body wanted to do was sleep, I got hit with a wave of tiredness just like what I was experiencing on the week leading up to the event. I kept looking at the ground for somewhere where I could go to sleep. Was weird you’re in the middle of a race and all you can think about is sleeping. I said to myself just get to the turn around and re-assess. My mind kept me running at a pace which was an easy pace for me but felt really hard at the time.
Got to the turnaround somehow running and saw someone I knew coming back. Said I’ll run up to him and have a chat and forget about the tiredness. When I got up to him he just said keep running, bugger no break. Then I said I’ll run to the half way and then re-asses. After running past the guy I started to feel a little bit better and was running the same pace but the tiredness seems to start to pass. Suddenly I started slowly thinking I could finish this. Got to halfway and decided it was time to hit the coke. If I was thinking rightly I should have probably done this at the start!
Was slowly passing people again not at my usual rate. A lot of people were stopping at aid stations and I just kept on running. I went past one guy from Arizona where it’s 40deg who was complaining about the heat. At that stage I realised a lot of it is in your head. Later heard someone from Chattanooga collapsed a few k into the run from heat exhaustion.
Then it was up Pallani hill which is a slog and onto the queen k where the temperature seems to drop slightly with the ocean breeze. I think it was around this point I felt the metatarsal drop again – like running with a stone under the foot again, however I was thinking it could be worse at this stage.
Could see the female pros coming back down at this stage. Then into the energy lab. These felt like the quickest km’s I did all day. I just thought to myself get in and out as quick as possible. There was 2 Irish flags and Irish bunting in there one of the girls put up otherwise no flags. This kept me amused and not thinking about the heat. It was a real slog though coming back out of the energy lab. Back onto the queen K and things were getting really tough at this stage. I knew there would be a lot walking so my focus was to keep running.
Weird thing is when you run up the queen K it looks uphill and coming back it looks uphill as well! Then getting closer the Kona I was in a duel with 2 other guys just on Mark and Dave’s hill. The legs weren’t going anywhere in a hurry, cramps were coming on and I was just in auto mode. Dropping down from the Queen K you can hear the finish line but still have a few k left, it’s pretty cruel really. Tried to high 5 a few people but there no energy to even high5, the tank was empty. Weird thing once I got to the finish chute I was able to high5 again. Over the finish line in one piece what a relief!
I really enjoyed the day in the end. This course really has it all in terms of hardness. Hopefully I’ll go back some day when I sort out a good few things.
Mahala Big Island
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