Spec-Saver Ironman South Africa

Wow, what an incredibly amazing place South Africa is. It is stunning beautiful yet hard and ruthless. As old as the earth yet the youngest country on the planet. It has a short and turbulent past. At times you think of India, at others of America. Port Elizabeth is a "Friendly City", but you still have to be careful where you go and what you do. The driver of our hotel shuttle described PE as a village trying to be a city. The airport isn't much bigger than Norwich although it's the 5th largest city in the country, so initially I was tempted to believe him. We then found out that it has a population of 1.3million which doesn't include the 4.7million living in townships around the city. If that counts as a village I'd hate to think how many people are needed for a City. But it never felt that big. 

But what about the Ironman? Ironman competitions are big and need a lot of infrastructure to bring them together. The competition was based on the Summerstrand Promenade at Hobbie Beach next to Shark Rock Pier. Marques for Media, VIPs, communication towers, changing tents, bike racking, bag racking, 3 foot bridges and a dome to seat over 2,000 people were constructed in the week and half leading up to the event. 70km's of road were closed, with diversions setup for traffic to get around the race. 1,700 marshals enlisted to help out, that's one per competitor. Helicopter film crews, motorcycle marshals, film crews, photographers, bands, cheer leaders, commentators. Apparently more text messages were sent from the spectators at the event than for the 2007 Comrades marathon where there 10 times the number of competitors. Have I built it up enough yet? The atmosphere was fabulously exciting. 

The largest contingent of competitors were from the African Continent. Of the 1450 Africans, 1300 were from South Africa. So the predominant language on the course was British, albeit with a twang. Europe had 100 competitors with the UK fielding 30 competitors. Others were there from Germany, Switzerland Argentina, Brazil, France, Canada, US, Austria, Australia, Chile, Netherlands and Spain. Even Uzbekistan was represented. 

The race started at 7am with all competitors lined up on the beach ahead of a two lap sea swim with an 80m dash along the beach between the laps. A rhythmic tribal beat accompanied by tribal dancers helped to build the atmosphere before a canon was fired to start the 2008 Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa. I was lined up just behind the front line of swimmers and tagged along on their heals for the first 300m to the first buoy. Most were wearing yellow swim caps it was just the elite athletes sporting different colours so that they could be easily distinguished by camera crews. It was reassuring to be passing some of them. The initial excitement seemed to have an effect on some of those around me as I was soon passing quite a number of competitors, but by the 800m turn the numbers were thinning and I was just keeping pace with a few that were round me. As i exited the water for the first time, a glance at my watch told me it was 29mins and the hour was on the cards. 

At the end of the second lap I exited the water at 59:37 but then needed to run up the beach, shower off the salt water, run up the steps to the promenade and run over the timing mats into transition. My official time for the swim was 1:00:05. Was I disappointed at being that close? Not really, I'd hoped to get under the hour for the swim, the goal hadn't been to get under the hour for a swim and a shower. I was at this point already a minute up on my previous Ironman appearance, so could already boast the first PB for the day. I was 122nd out of the water. The fastest time was recorded by local Anton Storm, a course record, but for it to stand he had to finish. 

Transition involved finding your swim to bike transition bag in a rack, run into changing tent, change from swim gear into cycle gear, put swim gear back into bag, get some sun cream applied by the marshals hand your bag to another marshal then run round to your bike and out onto the bike course. I'd not done this type of transition before. All my previous triathlons had involved laying your kit out on the ground next to your bike. 

The bike course involved three 60k loops where the first 10k was predominantly uphill, the second 10k downhill and the remaining 40k as undulating. I was using a newly acquired second hand bike that I hadn't had chance to fit a bike computer to, so at no point did I know what speed I was doing. I just had my heart rate monitor and my own judgment of speed and exertion. 21minutes into the bike ride I went past a marker indicating 10k, so a little down on the pace I'd hoped for as my ideal time for 180k was 6 hours and would give me a PB by half an hour. At the 20k marker I'd made a bit of time up, but was still short of the 'dream' pace but I was now motivated by being so close it. The end of the first lap seemed to come really quickly. 1hour 50mins. Hang on a mo. I'm flying, if I keep that going I'll get round the bike in 5:30 that's a PB by an hour and only 12minutes off a club record. Should I have slowed up? Perhaps, but my traveling partner and team mate Russell Clarke was still behind me and I was determined to stay ahead of him as long as possible for he is a strong cyclist and a very strong runner. 

The second lap of the bike course was actually very enjoyable. I maintained my speed despite having a stop to replenish the contents of my two water bottles. The drizzle of the first lap had passed, the sun was out and I was enjoying the speed and I was now overtaking some of those that had gone out way too fast on the bike. 

Third lap, still not been overtaken by Russell and I'm now not going to be lapped by the leading Pros. In fact I start to lap the tail enders. The 10k hill was a little more testing this time, partly due to tiredness seeping into the legs having done 120km but also due to the wind picking up and blowing into your face. Head winds, don't you just love them? But once the mid way turn around point was reached that head wind became a tail wind and the final blast along the coastal section of the course was fast. Average speed for the 112miles was just under 20mph at 5hours 40mins and my second PB of the day. 

Back through transition, collect the bag, empty it, change clothes, refill it, allow the young ladies to apply sun cream to you, hand over you bag, avail yourself of the toilets, turn to run out and run straight into your team mate. Russell had now caught up the 18 minute advantage I had on him in the swim. 10 minutes he'd gained on the bike, the other 8 minutes across the two transitions, and Russell's mathematics were as good as mine and we both knew that a 4 hour marathon would now enable either of us to get under 11 hours. For me the goal was to finish and anything faster than 12:10 would be an added bonus. For Russell in his 7th Ironman the 11 hours was a holy grail. Tri-Anglia have 25 members who before South Africa had completed 45 Ironmans between them, only two had been completed in under 11 hours. 

As we head out onto the first of the three laps of the run I knew that trying to keep with Russell would be foolish. His best marathon time is some 40minutes faster than mine and he is an experienced ultra runner. My best bet was to ignore him and run at my own pace. He wasn't the only one I needed to ignore as plenty of runners seemed to be going past me. It was some 30 minutes before I managed to pass anyone. As I neared the completion of my first lap, I could hear on the PA system that the Brit Stephen Bayliss had overtaken the local favourite Raynard Tissink and that he was ahead of the course record. the helicopter overhead told me that he wasn't that far behind. A look over my shoulder told me that he wasn't that close and that I wouldn't need to pull out of the way to let him pass. 

I was half way through my second lap when the leading ladies came through on their last lap. By the time I was laped I was getting tired. The ladies flew past me at one of the drink stations. I'd stopped to drink a cup of flat coke. They had a race to win and another Brit was in contention for the victory, I was later to find out that Bella Comerford (Stephen Bayliss' fiancee) was to win by a mear 5 seconds. Only the week before our very own Chrissie Wellington had made it 3 victories from 3 outtings at Ironman Australia proving that her Ironman World Championship victory last October was no fluke. Both Chrissie and Bella have links to our part of the world. Bella was born here in Norwich and Chrissie was born in Bury, schooled in Downham Market and her mum still lives in Bury St Edmunds. 

The water stations on the run were approximately 2km apart. Running between them was now a struggle of mind over body. Both mind and body were tired and the mind telling the body that there was still 18km to go really wasn't helping. "Look Rob, just run to the next water station, you can walk whilst you have a drink there, we'll worry about the next bit then". The crowds cheering your name as you passed was a huge help.  Pinning numbers to your shirt was such a smart move.  We were provided with two.  One for the back of your cycling jersey and one for the front of you running shirt.  Of course you can wear a number belt if you prefer, but those that had opted that route seemed to have the top of their race number obscured by their t-shirts.  If the crowd can not read your name, they are not going to be able to cheer you along. Getting some personalised encouragement from the touch line is a real bonus and a great help.  It certainly stops you from walking in front of the crowd.

Into the final lap now, still struggling along, but doing far better than most around me. I was on my last lap, most were on their second and a lot on their first and some were still out on the bike course. In a rather sadistic way, that did help with focusing on the task in hand. I'd worked out that I wasn't going to get under the 11 hours, but knew that I wasn't going to be far off it and could still beat my previous Ironman performance by nearly an hour. I was now going to enjoy myself as much as possible. When the crowd cheered and applauded. I clapped back to them. I made a point of thanking the marshals for giving up their days so that we could play. Did I show off the 3 lap counter bands I now sported on my right wrist to the supporters? Of course I did. 

As I approached the end of my final lap a Euryhmics track was playing on the PA system and I sang along loudly as my pace increased as I approached the finish.  I guess being overtaken by an out of tune singing runner overtaking you would be annoying. Round the corner pass the media tower and there it is. The point that you've been traveling towards for the last 11hours and 12 minutes and nothing is in the way to stop you reaching it. You feel that you should run up to it and put in a little gig as you cross the line, but fear of a lack of co-ordination means that all you manage is to throw both hands in the air and provide the photographers with a cheesy thumbs up grin, for once again "you are an Ironman" and this time you've clocked four PBs on route. 1:00:05 for the swim, 5:40:25 for the bike, 4:15:16 for the run and 11:12:25 overall and placed 292nd. 

Your personal marshal greets you at the finish, puts a space blanket around you, provides you with water, or whatever else you want, takes you past the medical centre where they ask "How do you feel? Do you feel nauseous? Do you feel dizzy?" to which you answer "I feel ecstatic". You're provided with an ice cream whilst being massaged, you wonder if it's your birthday, then head to the food tent to change and recover. People are still coming over the finish line and will continue to do so for the next 6 hours, each one a hero and each with their story. Anton Storm the pro, had to struggle through a 5:10 marathon to ensure that his 46minute swim counted as a course record. And what about Russell? His marathon was 21 minutes quicker than mine enabling him to post a time of 10:51:24 and record the second fastest Tri-Anglia Ironman ever, 5th in his age group and 203rd overall.

An incredible set of results on an incredible day at an incredible event in an incredible country.

Tri-Anglia Results

Race Splits

Official Race Photos

More at www.marathon-photos.com

Article by Rob Lines
Page created: 27th April 2008.