Team Spartan at the finish line
Been there, Done that, Wearing the T shirt !
When the whole idea of doing The Big Woody was mentioned this time last year, it was a far off, stupid dream. OK So I had started and failed to finish 1 sprint tri, I swam that breaststroke, with 3 breathers. And I’d damaged my bike, so I hadn’t even started the run.
So what made me, even consider that I could do an Ironman… ?
The people who have the “pleasure” of sharing an office with me, Know I love to cover the white board in motivational sayings.
One of my favourites being T E Lawrence’s :-
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, awake in the day to find it was all vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it reality”
Along with the Tibetan :-
“It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a sheep”
Well on Saturday 1st September in the Forest of Dean, the Scouse lions roared !!!!
(Even if I’m a Lancastrian, Min’s Welsh and I’m not sure where Holgs is from originally, Viking is close enough to be a Scouser, but with the whole scheme being cooked up on the RW Scouse Thread, They can adopt us for the day)
Much has been written on my blog about the why’s, and where for’s
Here’s what happened on the day….
With Holg’s Dad unfortunately ending up hospital, it left Emma without transport, But as Sam (Sprog 1) was driving over to meet us at the hotel we had enough transport to cope. Drove down on the Friday morning, stopped at the first services on the M5, and promptly met Holgs & Emma, only for the Vikings to drive up.
Collected Sam from the hotel and all went down to register, quick look at the lakes (yukkie) and then drove Holgs round the bike course. Wasn’t looking any better than it did a month back, but at least I now had the triple hanging on the back of the car !
Most reports start with as dawn rose.. Well this one started well before dawn ! Not wishing to trust leaving my bike on / in the car I took it up stairs to my room. Suzie knew I was going to start sleeping with it in the end !,
4:45 on Saturday morning, I managed a little rock & roll moment by riding it down the 1st floor corridor.. Teehee Little things and all that.Met Andy in the darkness of the car park, and with Sam driving the Holgs, and Suzie looking after me & Annie we were soon at the lakes and T1.
Great fun racking in the dark, Met up with Min & Viking, Min still waiting for her bike to arrive, and getting more wound up by the minute, But it arrived in time.
All ready to don the trusty wettie, application of loads of lube, (yes that lube…. I don’t care, it works !). Wandered down to the lake entry point, just as day light started to break. Not half as worried as I was 6 months ago about open water swimming, But this was going to be a long way, and only the second time I’d done the distance. Hmm this lake is rather shallow, managed to walk halfway across to the start point.
Time for a quick good luck to Holg’s and the hooter went and we’re away. Started near the back and only got one punch in the back of the head….. Almost at the first turn mark and…. My breakfast re-appeared. Not sure what is causing me to throw up after about 10 minutes of a race (it happened at the Deva as well), Just start in front of me guys ! But I soon felt OK, and started to feel better, Out of the first lake, quick glance at the watch, cheers from Suzie and the Sprogs and in to the second lake… Ouch some flipping sharp rocks just under the water, But soon got back into the rhythm almost at the end of my first lap one of the canoeists was called on to pull the buoy back into place, and he managed to whack the back of my hand, Sam said she could her me swear from where she was on the bank. (Wouldn’t be the last time during the day), Slippy climb back up the bank, and as usual managed to fall over, into the second lake feeling really strong, and worried I was pushing too hard, Could see Suzie taking photos on the bank, then grabbed by the marshal and up the bank, easy jog towards T1, pulling the wettie off.
Called out my number to the marshals for my transition bag, and it was great to see the Loon heading my way with it. Dived into the changing tent, tried not to notice it was mixed changing…. And into the bike kit, grab the bike and away from T1 with a long drag up hill, But felt OK stuffed a power bar down in an effort to replace my now missing breakfast. Passed by Holgs at the bottom of English Bicknor and even Cougie had time to shout “I thought you couldn’t swim ? ” as he shot past.Steady up the climb, got to do this 3 times so don’t kill yourself yet.
Thro race HQ and grabbed another bottle of High 5 and out on to the first big lap, drop down the big hill to the right turn and there seemed to be a party going on … Suzie, Sam, Annie and Emma amongst others. Had to stop and give them my bento box, It wouldn’t stay upright and it kept hitting my right knee, Not hard enough to do any damage but it was annoying as hell.
Then the long stretch south to the sea, only 1 other rider for company, not close enough to draft. Spun up the hill at Bream and then along the A road, still eating like mad to make up for the missing brekkie. Felt very lonely along that road, Then the hills of Blakeny and Newnham, and then turn left and only 4 miles up hill to the feed station. The organisers said we could have outside assistance from our supporters at this feed station. My wonderful 3 some turned it into a formula 1 pit stop, new bottles in the cages hand full’s of gels into my back pocket, Someone, Loon I think even had time to take the empty sachets !!, Quick dab of Vaseline down the shorts and off, interesting moment on the next roundabout as I went for the brakes with Vaseline smeared fingers….. Ooops
Long section with no one in sight, then the climb up English Bicknor again, Started steady and got slower. Cheers from Wickett and several others half way (Sorry, without my specs I couldn’t tell who you all were !), Then Hmm yellow paint on the road, Barley must be up ahead ! And to a shout of “The hills are your friends” it was past the pirate camp and on over the crest. Thro race HQ again, and more High 5, down the big hill, checked the bike computer and at some point I hit 42 mph, must have been here ?
Cheers from the girls on the cross roads and out onto the most boring couple of hours… Not a single person around, no other cyclists, and all the brain can think about is the hills of Blakeny , Newnham and English Bicknor. I knew that this was going to be a mental strength test as much as body, But I don’t think I had dreamed it would be this hard.Nearly got knocked off right at the bottom of Blakeny hill, by a female wedding guest running into the road. Almost had to laugh at her male companion shouting wasn’t I looking where I was going ?, Face it I’m 6ft 4 and wearing Pirate yellow and on the road, How about you look where you are going ?
I must be one of the strangest people in the world, cos I’ve never tried Red Bull ! But following the Pirate ethos of try something new each race day, I thought that a Maxim bar with added caffeine might give me a lift, Not sure about a lift, It left me with a blinding headache for about 30 mins
The long drag back up to feed station 2 and I really needed the girls to give me some sort of lift, wasn’t sure what I could ask for or needed. I was wondering how far ahead Holgs had got… My mind decided he would be about 45 minutes. Finally pulled up next to the team, and another slick bottle change and as I’m munching on a pork pie the news that Holgs was only a couple of minutes up the road. Hugs from Suzie and off… Only one more serious hill, I was starting to struggle with my left shoe, Not sure what’s wrong with it, But lots of creaking from it and seemed to have gained about 90 degrees of float.English Bicknor again, no one in sight… Just keep pushing, only another 3 miles and it’s off the bike, Really tough and lots of talking to myself, Come on you did this a couple of weeks ago on the old Decathlon double, you’ve got this awesome triple under you, now go for it.
Doesn’t matter how much I think I look like George Hincapie , it was clear I was riding this hill like his granny ! Almost stopped, But couldn’t get my left shoe to release, Better keep going then ! Yeah, the top , last easy spin down the road and left into race HQ. Cheers from the gang (If the Mersey lightship ever breaks down, they just have to send for Loon ! I could hear her from miles away) Managed to unclip, and someone took the bike away as my run bag got handed to me, Holgs just finishing getting changed so a few quick words and into my run gear… Sorry guys, But I was expecting a changing tent, But I had to dump the bib shorts and put something more suitable on. After the disaster of the Deva I was taking no chances with my feet, and used masses of Vaseline and fresh socks before I plodded out onto the run course.
5 laps of what was very similar to Suzie and mines usual Delamere Sunday morning run, Plenty of time, nice easy pace and let the legs get going. Lots of negatives usually about multi lap run courses, but apart from the tarmac hill, all I can say was this one was brilliant, Especially the fact we could keep on cheering each other on, and whilst standing round the mid point drinks table with Minnie and Cougie there was even time to introduce me to Smithy.
OK so I admit to run / walking the first couple of laps, and the last couple was more walk / run ! Great cheers from the Pirates as I came back into the field each time, and Suzie, Sam and Annie cheering like mad every time I reached the turn round point. Holgs was going like a train, and looked stronger each time I saw him, was even getting concerned that he might lap me, So I didn’t stop at the last drinks station til I had turned round and was into the last lap, Think I worried Suzie when I didn’t pull over before I turned. Stupid really, He is some 16 years younger than me, But got to keep these youngsters honest !, (It’s a male thing OK ?)
Then off back into the forest for the last time, going dusk and not many runners left, slight touch of cramp in my left calf, But all of a sudden it was within my grasp, turned at the far end, a last cup of flat coke and a thanks to the scouts and head for home. Time to think back over the last 12 months, nights on the turbo in the garage, jumping into Salford docks for the first time.. that first night at Chester baths with Colin, and waking up the following morning in agony, the loneliness of a couple of hours back. Kept checking my watch, In my wildest dreams I had considered getting under 14 hrs 15, But sub 14 was sitting there waiting to be grabbed. Back out on to the field for the last time and away in the distance I could see the lights at the finish, No one else around on the field, just my daughter Sam, who had run over to give me one last cheer, and it was round the perimeter, shouted thanks to the drinks team and held my wrist up to the marshal on the turn point so he could see the 4 bands on it… Even managed to zip up my top and pull the number up to cover the gut a little and past the cheering Pirates and smile there’s the line !!!
Medal and t shirt and the wonderful Suzie for hugs and kisses. Hugs and kisses all round in fact. Holgs wearing his IronHolgs sweatshirt, Viking as pleased for us as anyone, So sorry mate that you had had to pull out on the bike course.
Photos with my wonderful girls, it’s not the most exciting thing in the world to watch a tri, and sticking at it, and providing support all day was worth almost as much as my training ! Nice Australian girl gave my calves the best massage I’ve had in years, Then off to find the gang and cheer Minnie in. Wonderful all of us together, smiles, hugs might even have been the odd tear….
And what’s next ? Well no more Ironmen, It just takes over family life, and having had a wonderful start to my new life over the past couple of years, I see no reason to put it under any more strain…. But that said having got all the kit and learnt how to swim, Well it would be shame not to do the occasional Sprint & Olympic…. And well Bala is only 30 minutes drive away
Next up though .. Time to return the favour, and cheer on my wonderful wife, Sue when she makes her tri debut in 2 weeks. (and not forgetting Loon)
To Sue and Annie, Thanks for living with me for the past few months, When I admit I have got rather wrapped up in TBW.
And to all three of my girls The Luverly Suzie, Sprog 1 Sam, and Sprog 4 Annie thanks for everything (including the pork pies),
To Holgs, Minnie and Viking great training partners and inspiration when things got tough.
To Emma, Lou, Min’s Mum, Lucy and Will thanks for being there for all of us.
