Ironman Louisville, Kentucky

As I’m unlikely (very unlikely) to ever get a spot in Hawaii, I decided last year that the only way I was going to experience a North American Ironman was to book one online. By the time I’d decided this only Ironman Louisville still had General Entry places so I ‘chose’ this one. 

After a peaceful night’s sleep the first alarm went off at 3:25, the next at 3:30 and the third at 3:35 (not that I was worried about sleeping in at all!). We were all up and about after the first alarm being dressed and fed by 4am. This might seem early but the swim start for this race is not a mass start, you have to queue up and jump off the quayside one at a time from 2 start points. So the earlier you get there the sooner you start. Once all my checks had been completed and Cindy’s tyres had been pumped up we made our way to the swim start and queued up for a little over an hour. 

At 6:50 the pros started and then 10 minutes later, a second cannon was fired and the first age groupers were off. As the queue gradually moved forward people the tension rose. Then we started to jog in single file between supporters cheering us on and high fiving us to the start of a very long training day until I was in the water, about 15 minutes after the first age grouper had started. Apparently it took about 40 minutes for everyone to get in the water so that last person would have had 16 hours 20 minutes to complete the course as the cut off was still midnight.

The swim is in the River Ohio and was quite uneventful apart from the sandbank that I walked over just before the turnaround one third of the way in. Managed to finish the swim in 1:24 which I was pleased about as it’s a none wetsuit swim and although you swim with the current for two thirds of it, I was happy to be only 4 minutes slower than my swim time for Austria.

T1 was my normal casual affair, even though I didn’t have a wetsuit to take off I still managed to faff about.

The bike course is described as undulating. Apart from the first and last 9 miles which are flat, you’re either going up or downhill. There’s nothing too long and steep it it’s just very difficult to get in a rhythm as it feels like you’re changing gears all the time. The course is set up so you cycle about 30 miles to a loop that you do twice and then come back into town. By the time I’d started the first loop I’d found out that Gatorade Endurance doesn’t agree with me so I was on water and solids for the rest of the bike. The first lap was fine although the cooling wind seemed to be in my face most of the time (strange how that always happens!). Halfway round the second lap my legs started to feel it, I was having to use a lower gear than I used on the first lap and I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything left for the run as the inclines seemed to out number the declines. However, at about mile 80 we passed over the highest part of the course so, the declines started to be more prominent and my legs had a bit of a chance to recover. I had noticed that there were several people with punctures which I thought was strange as the roads (which weren’t all closed) looked clear. I later found out that a local who doesn’t like the Ironman had spread tacks on the road, fortunately I think that most of them had been cleared off by the time the bikes hit the course.

Into T2 after a little over 6 hours in the saddle and I handed Cindy to Frank who happened to be the volunteer I handed my bike too.

At the start of the run (which was a two lap affair) I actually felt good, my heart rate was a bit high but I’d been struggling with running off the bike all year and this was the best I’d felt so I was quite optimistic about posting a good time. By mile ten that optimism had all but disappeared, my legs were really tight and I was having to run / walk. It seems that the pounding my legs got on the bike had been too much for them so it was damage limitation time. I made a deal with myself that I’d walk through every aid station and also at each mile marker for 50 paces. Apart from that I was going to run this damn marathon! This worked until about mile 20 when my legs started to cramp up. After that it was run as much as I could, walking when I couldn’t. I was determined to run the last three quarters of a mile as that’s where all the crowds were so I ignored the pain and ran at a very slow pace. Coming down the finish chute was fantastic, with all the noise and lights it certainly made it all worthwhile, somehow as soon as I crossed the finish line and had my finisher’s goodies all the pain went away. 

After a quick change we were off to get Cindy and my gear bags, then back to the local diner for beer and a burger.

We had a lovely time in the States, everyone was really friendly and I found that it helped to have English speakers at the aid stations and in the crowd as it was good to be able to have conversations with them. The organisation was spot on and the help was great with over 3000 volunteers. The only thing that would help is a total closure of the roads on the bike course.

As ever there’s a team of supporters who have put up with me training for the last 6 months so thanks to everyone who helped me. Especially Mum, Dad, Michelle, Jack and Amy who came with me and supported me on the day, you were awesome! Roll on Roth next year but I have a feeling I’ll be back to the states again!

Article by Jonathan Tyrrell
Page created: 16th September 2009.