UK Ironman70.3

Jonathan Tyrell and I travelled down to Taunton on the Friday and registered that evening before the expected rush on the Saturday. We stayed in a Hotel on the Friday night hoping to get a good night sleep before moving to a camp site next to the lake for the Saturday which we spent getting kit ready, racking the bike, walking the run course, making a few essential purchases (trendy but very functional sunglasses) and drinking gallons of Gatorade. We had been led to believe that Powerbar were providing the drink on the course so when we found out it was Gatorade we needed to spend some time getting used to the (free) drink in readiness for Sunday.

The alarm was set for 4 am ready for the 6 am start, Jonathan (or mum for the weekend) prepared the porridge and after finishing that and consuming a banana we set of the make sure the bikes were still there (several were stolen last year). The bikes were there and we hung up our various kit bags and donned the wetsuits.

The pros followed by Jonathan’s wave were called up and that would be the last I saw of him until much later in the day.

From the vantage point on a hill approaching the lake I saw the pros and following waves set off from the shore start, looked like absolute mayhem. My wave started some twenty minutes later. Got to the front of the start line as I intended to start quickly and try to get some space. Turned out that that’s what most people were trying to do and the first 200 or so meters were the scrummage I thought it might be. People were swimming over me, and I got hit and kicked a few times as well. Eventually got into my rhythm and came out of the lake in 34 mins only to be faced with the 400 metre uphill run to T1.

Out of T1 and onto the bike. This was the part I had worried about the most as biking is my worst discipline and given that during the recce we’d done several months ago I’d failed to get up any of the meaningful hills without having to get off and walk I feared the worst. The initial few miles of the bike course is mostly uphill but after that the first half if not too demanding with several significant down hills to rest the legs on. However, the second half of the lap is completely different, with several climbs, most notably a 14% climb to the top of Haddon Hill.

However, I managed the first lap without having to get off the bike. I took on carb bars, gells and drink at each feed station and ploughed on. On the second lap Haddon Hills got the better of me and I must admit that I walked part of that. I finished the bike course in about 3 hours 50 mins which is by no means fast but I was quite pleased with it.

I was in and out of T2 in reasonable time feeling quite comfortable, apart from nearly choking on a jelly sweet. I wanted to get round the run in even pace and had already made the decision to walk up the one major hill on the undulating 3 lap run course. I saw Jonathan just after the start of my third lap, he had a couple of miles to go and looked in good nick although he later told me that he was suffering from cramps. I again took something on at each feed stations, either a gel or just an energy drink and made it round the course in 2 hours 7 mins for a total time of 6 hours 42 mins.

Does anyone know of a flat middle distance race?

Results

Out of 856 finishers:

Pos	#	Name	Cat	Cat Pos	Club	Total Time
394	1180	Tom Wagstaff	M30-34	74	Tri-Anglia	06:21:17
466	1167	Jonathan Tyrrell	M35-39	109	Tri-Anglia	06:32:36
530	264	David Clark	M40-44	65	Tri-Anglia	06:42:42

Official photos at www.asiphoto.net. 

Article by Dave Clark
Page created: 30th June 2007.