In Hiding!

Despite my best intentions it has been eon's since my last post. I could try to blame it solely on being busy (which in my defence I have been) but if i have to be honest with myself I've been having a post Ironman strop for the past couple of weeks as well.

I'll try to keep the Ironman Race report brief because it was so long ago, people have probably already heard most of my own and the general ramblings about the event. The swim course change was welcomed as having swam (attempted swimming, in an endless pool style, on the spot style) in the south beach back in May the protected north beach was 100% more appealing. I would like to add at this point that i was not one of the cheating buggers who decided it would be okay! to miss out 400m of the swim course on each of the two laps of the swim. Despite having to swim past/over (they desevered it!) slower swimmers who had cheated on both laps i had a really good swim for me. Swimming in the sea regularly over the summer was definitely an advantage as the current or the choppiness of the water did not phase me. The swim was probably a bit short as i swam 59:54 , but I'm taking that sub hour swim time.

The 1km run though Tenby was well supported and got the blood back into my legs for the 180km hilly bike course. Despite being knocked off my bike 4 weeks before and still having a niggling shoulder I was optimistic that i could pull off a decent bike time. However, this was not to be i struggled to climb out the saddle, weight baring more heavily through my left arm after the 100km mark, which was not good with 5 more 12 - 16% climbs to come. I've never been so relived to get off my bike in an Ironman. Slowest bike split to date with a 6:34:14. Having not run the course (as it had been changed since our recce trip in May)and going in with minimal run training i wasn't sure what to expect. I was having a great run until start of the 4th and last lap, where some extra coke at the turnaround age station didn't agree with my stomach and it started to feel very bloated. The 3 mile run uphill out of town was managed with a slight slowing of pace, but the run downhill churned by stomach a bit too much and required a short vomiting stop 2 miles from the finish - yuk! Finished in 11:42:53: with a marathon time off 3:55:22. The best part was being greeted by my Dad and two brothers, Simon and Jamie who had come to watch their first Ironman and had been great supporters throughout the day.

Tenby did a great job of hosting Ironman Wales, I think we'll be back next year with Simon (Fiancee, maybe husband by then, if we actually start planning our wedding) not me racing though. I've decided not to commit to racing ironman next year, as in the past couple of months I had definitely been questioning my motivation to train and race Ironman this year. Work being stressful and busy and studying for Masters, had resulted in too much Cortisol running through me to effectively train at the level I wanted too = leading to further frustration/ stress and the perpetuation of a vicious stress cycle. So I've made the decision to step back a bit and focus on half ironmans and maybe just maybe do my first Olympic distance race and find some speed.

A couple of weeks back i did the Beachy Head Marathon, an iconic race on the south downs with the final 10km taking in the seven sisters, cuckmere haven to beachy head. It hadn't really appealed to me before, but feeling empty at the end of the season and having done no racing and a friend being unable to race freeing up an entry, i decided to give it a go. It's now a must do race in my opinion. The almost vertical starting hill, 20 meters in, bag piper playing a warren hill, rolling ups and downs between Jevington, High and Over and Littleington, Climbing the steps up from West dean, run down to cuckmere haven knowing the final 10km ahead is the seven sisters. Enjoyed it all and will be appearing on next years race calendar I think. Made even better as my local knowledge of the final 1km decent to the finish allowed my to sneak into the top 5. The same weekend my brother Simon, can down to buy his first road bike (inspired after Ironman Wales me thinks) from The Tri Store, with talk of doing his first triathlon next year, so all in all a great weekend. To top it off glorious sunshine all weekend.