Ironman Canada 

30th August 2009

4.00am - (thought) How can I get out of this ??
5.00am - Peanut Butter on Toast eaten and off to the Start
6.00am - Nice Lady writing numbers on me
6.45am - I want my Mum !!!!!!! (Help)
6.55am - All in tears as "Oh Canada (national anthem)" being sung
7.00am - Looks like 2,600 people want a fight with me in a lake and off I go
7.10am approx. - Peanut butter on toast makes an early exit due to nerves but I fed the fish anyway so I guess doing a bit for the environment.

The Swim:

An emotional start to the swim with the national anthem being sung by all the Canadians but I was so nervous and thinking how I could get out of doing it, the gun went and I dashed 2cm into the back of a large bloke who looked round at me so I kept back a bit. I could not get any free space for the whole swim and found it very frustrating - even missed the scuba divers at the first turn. Once I got halfway into the swim I kind of got a rhythm and found the swim a bit boring but did pee in the wetsuit before I got out. Poor time of 1.10 but I guess happy to make it back in one piece.

T1:

Got out the swim and collected my glasses from the drop off point and then got stripped by 3 ladies (peelers) - note why my T1 time was slow at 14 mins, maybe I put the wetsuit back on and had another go. The change tent was great and help was all around you by the excellent volunteers, got my gear on and Homer Simpson was off...

The Bike (Hell):

Flying out of transition to the 45 mile point at average of 21 mph and thinking this is great and then... Turned the corner and it looked like Mount Everest was in front of me, so while talking to Larry (some bloke from Calgary) I started my ascent at a rip snorting 6mph. From then it went all up hill and got hotter and hotter, but eventually I made it up to Yellow Lake where I was met by the Tri Anglia crew who took a few pictures of me at my worst (thanks). From there it was 12 miles downhill into Penticton for T2, but also taking in a load of smoke from the forest fires. Bike time too long to record - tan not bad though.

T2:

So knackered can't remember much about this, did see Stu coming off the bike as I was leaving for the run.

Run:

Yes my strong part (not). Right the good news first, I did overtake Sister Madonna the 79 year old Nun but that's as good as it gets. It was hard work in the sun with the heat getting well over 100F and the sun pounding off the rocks right at you, but I power walked most of it with the odd run. The realisation came that I had to be at 20 miles by 10pm, and I made that, then 23 by 11pm, and I got there for 10.45pm, so then I realised I could actually become an Ironman. I still pushed hard for the last 3 miles and came over the line in a new Tri Anglia record (longest Ironman) of 16.40.

Note: I did also get onto the official 09 DVD so must have impressed them somehow, and I would also like to thank the volunteers without whom I would have come home without a medal - they were awesome !!!!!!

Tri-Anglia Results

Article by Rob Evans
Page created: 27th September 2009.