Well I have finished another Hawaiian Ironman and received the lovely lei, medal, finisher’s t-shirt and goodies bag. One of the best parts of the bag was a fridge (refrigerator) magnet. A fridge magnet you ask? Yes, a fridge magnet.
Why? Well you peel off sections and it allows the magnet to become your official finishing time. This is now on my fridge saying “10:20:28”. 10 hours, 28 minutes, 28 seconds. This now hits my vision every day mocking me, motivating me, and driving me to want a new fridge magnet that has my goal time of near 9 hours flat or a dream time of sub 9.
Whilst happy to have finished and happy that I put myself in a position to challenge for a podium, I am not happy that nutritional issues derailed my race at 7 miles into the run leading to a run time of 4 hours 16 mins and about an hour slower than I had practiced for and am definitely capable of. This is now my drive for the next year.
I had had a great lead in training over the whole of the course and felt strong, fast and relaxed. I was ready. Race morning transition went on without a hitch and in my orange endurance junkie t-shirt it was very distinctive and helped the guys pick me out.
I had a good warm up swim in a ‘Sailfish prototype speedsuit’. Fought and held position in the front line. Got front water until the board paddler decided to stop and sit up closing in the group. I then joined the thump fest for the next kilometer with people who have no idea to swim draft. I lost some considerable time on the lead swimmers but after gaining free water I pulled back many groups and did it comfortably. The swim went well coming in around mid 50’s with little energy expended.
Transition was going to take longer as I had endurance-junkie compression calf guards to put on and a speed suit to take off. This was taken into consideration so nil problems there. Was interested to see people running out of the water in calf guards after I was told by the swim director that it was illegal to have any clothing/guards on due to the new swim rules and it would be a disqualification.
Lost a few places because of this but it is a long day and being a good cyclist I knew I would pick people off easily on the way to Waikoloa.
On the bike and into the mini loop I looked for the family as it passed our Kona accommodation which had been organized by Hunter Industrial Ceramics. Great to hear them cheering and make eye contact. It is a long day for the spectators and they make sacrifices as well. Plus it also is a great boost.
Using the first large hill back into town to see where the age leaders were and to settle in, I could see comfortable pacing would close down the leaders by scenic lookout-Waikoloa. So I settled in and got the nutrition on board.
Things went as planned and I picked up water-electrolytes at each station and slowly made way up to the front grouping with a couple of people off the front. With the heat and winds picking up I knew it was time to not get caught drafting and be alert to sitting near the front with a good gap. Heading for the Hawi turn and people were already dropping and the outliers were being picked up.
Hitting the base of the Hawi road with 30kms to go the turnaround and things got messy with the hills and the cross winds. Cards were going all over the place and I wanted none of it. So I rode with comfortable power, clean and found myself (being used to the crosswind from training) riding away from all and passing guys up ahead with ease, a low heart rate and able to get nutrition in. Towards Hawi I only spotted 1 guy out front, and 3 in a group, then myself and two others about to pick me up from behind with the head wind into Hawi.
All going well and on target for a comfortable mid 4:40’s. Special needs and slowed to make sure all onboard properly with a troublesome descent at speed to come.. Lost contact with the two guys who had caught me near the turn (both went on to win their age groups I believe) but rode my own race. All ok and rode well on the descent picking up a couple of guys and keeping the others in rein and moving towards to lead car and small lead pack that had formed.
Saw a heap of people on the side of the road after crashes and pulling up stumps for a rest in the wind!
Had a bad patch at around the 120km mark for 10kms but worked through it.
Got my first ever draft penalty in Ironman and second ever since 2000 after passing the Waikoloa timing mat. Lead through the matt and a guy I had picked up 5km before on my tail passed me on the way up the rise/hill. He hit the crest and sat up in the head wind and being down in aero I drifted into his zone. Rather than passing I eased up out of the zone to make him work so he couldn’t jump on my tail again and ‘bang’ done by a draft buster. Ah well, line call but no point arguing. Asked where the next penalty box was and told either in the next two stations. You have to pull up at the next box or you get dq’d. This information meant I could up the tempo a bit and get some more liquid on board to drink and use the 4min penalty time plus stopping time for nutrition/stretching. Useful. Mentally drained me a bit and took a few minutes to pull out of it loosing a small amount of time but thinking of it as a good nutrition-stretch-rest break brings the race back into focus. Knew I could still get to the podium if I used it sensibly.
Grabbed extra drinks at each of the next 2 stations and stopped at the 2nd at a tent with yellow/red large flags and a bike rider sitting in it with an official. Called out my number and the guy walked over saying it wasn’t a penalty box but medical, withdrawal, volunteer rest box – yellow/red flag were signal flags only to alert riders. AGGGHHH. Off I went. Eased up at each aid station getting extra fluid to find that there were no boxes all the way until transition 2. Lost some time stopping-slowing at each one but was riding well and feeling comfortable to run well off the bike not being fatigued for once. Knowing I was going to ride in around the low 4:50-mid 4:50’s was ok but having to serve a penalty but the stop-slowing at stations cost a bit of time.
T2 and my penalty in the heat was fun sitting in the humidity with a helmet on with no fluid was not what I had planned for for my penalty. I used the time to stretch out, drop the heart rate and focus on the run. Changed and ran out comfortable for my marathon.
Saw the family and a quick running chat was great. And off I went. I was still holding on to the top of the age groupers and in 6/7th so the podium was in sight even with the lost time. Got into rhythm straight away and ticked away the kilometer marks comfortable but on pace for a 3:15hr marathon. Nutrition was going ok and I felt strong and energized. Saw the MacDonald’s who I had stayed with training in Waikoloa and Kona who run Newcastle Radiology and was moving well.
Hit the turn around and the aid station and put some gels in, bang, straight back up. Water the same, coke the same. Anything in went out. Ice on the body and off I went to the next station to allow time to settle it. Next, tried salt tabs (even worse as they made non stop dry retching). Managed to get two sips of coke in plus ice on the body and kept going. Slowing the running down as I was starting to get dizzy and a bit tired with no energy to push off, I was working on the ‘ease up and let it settle so that you will come good again soon’ motto.
By the time I was back into town I had got 6 sips of coke in and nothing else but lots regurgitated and plenty of dry retching. Still hopeful I could turn it I kept up an ok pace. Seeing the family again in town was a pick up. Out on the Queen K and I knew it was going to be pure survival and a finish for the year. Got to see Macca and Raelert fighting it out plus the compacting of the top guys racing for a pay cheque.
My battle was now to get some nutrition in some how and walking all aid stations was the way through it hopefully gaining a few sips that stayed down was a bonus. Not much else to say but struggled through to the special needs where I grabbed some salt tabs and sustagen-like drink that stayed in. This turned things around a bit and I could jog home for the last 7kms.
On Alii Drive my fiancée Samantha and daughter Frankie were on the side of the road cheering. I was able to stop for a good cuddle, photo and kiss before heading down the last few hundred meters to the finish line.
I take a lot from this race. I was able to ‘race it’ rather than go to just go to enjoy the experience and aim for a finish. Even though things didn’t turn out great I take a lot of positives out. I swam and biked strong and fast at a very comfortable feeling, heart rate and mental state. It was a windy day with strong crosswinds. It was hot – reports of temp gauges being over 50 degrees Celsius on the bike and 40’s in the run. The run started out great and I got into a good pace early and easily. I was able to be with the leaders pushing for a podium in the age groupings. My family and daughter got to be a part of a Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon race. Samantha and I got engaged in Kona before the race. We had a great trip and want to return. I have the fire to have a fridge magnet saying as close to 9:00:00 as possible.
As an aside, I was trialing a new two piece suit for the endurance-junkie team. In some of the warmest waters and with a speed suit over the top, I did not overheat or have drag issues. In some of the windiest and hottest (50+ degree Celsius) biking conditions I had no over heating issues and was comfortable with fantastic performing padding. In hot running (35-mid 40 degree Celsius) and struggling with nutritional issues and dehydration, I still felt comfortable and cool. Post race I had no burn marks or sun issues at all. The suit worked under the toughest conditions and came through great. Plus it looked ‘shmick’ as one of my triathlon mates said.
Cheers,
Bevan.
