Ironman Western Australia December 4th, 2011 – Darin’s Race Report & Random Thoughts
Well, as most people now know (well those that have an interest anyway!), I had a pretty tough day out there on Sunday. I faced a number of challenges, but the near showstopper was a mechanical that cost me around 67 minutes of my day. More on that later.
Swim 1:07
Bike 6:18
Run 3:45
Total elapsed time 11:17hrs (Total moving time 10:10hrs!)
My day started with me missing my 1st alarm (iPhone) at 3am and luckily my back up alarm (watch) woke me at 310am. I ran through my usual routine and was ready to go at 350am as I met the other Amigo’s in the car park of the villas. Time in transition went really quick, as we set up our nutrition and checked our gear. I was a bit nervous and couldn’t figure out why my speedo wasn’t working – then I realised I was spinning the wrong wheel! Idiot! On with the wetties and then the walk down to the water. Time seemed to speed up and H-Hour of D-Day was upon us. The Pro’s were introduced like rock stars as they entered the water one by one before their start at 530. They took off and we had a chance for a warm up. Then it was our turn.
The first thing to go wrong with my day, was that my stop watch somehow turned off after 23 seconds of swimming! I glanced at it at around the half way mark and saw only the time of day! Doh! No matter, just keep going. The swim out was pretty lumpy as we swum into the chop and I took on some sea water twice and then vomited it up again. I felt awful and had to do a couple strokes of breast stroke to get things back under control. The gag reflex was pretty strong and lurking there for a while. No matter, just a another small challenge thrown at me. Once we rounded the end of the jetty, we were swimming more with the chop and so I got into a good rhythm and was able to put in some good solid sustained efforts. But I could not find some feet to sit on and draft for very long. Doh! But someone certainly found mine as they touched my feet for ages! I was then hampered by niggly cramps in my calves. It seemed whenever I put in an extra effort I would get a painful cramp and have to slow and point my toes down until it went away. I have never had so many cramps in one swim before! No matter, just keep going. Another small mishap was when I had a thin, long strand of seaweed stuck on my face/head and I tried to brush it off – but what I actually did was knock my own goggles off! My slow 1st half deficit was not able to be made up and I officially swam 1:07:23 hrs. This was 5min slower than I was aiming for. No matter, it’s a long day and what’s a few minutes? My overall place was 354th to that point. Very average.
After sussing out the distance from the water to transition, it looked like my goal time of 6min in total (for T1 & T2) may be a stretch, so I was determined to have lightning fast transitions. I managed to get in, pull off the wetty and out onto my bike in 3:23 minutes, which is about 1 min slower than the pros! But I was happy enough.
The bike leg started well, but was pretty congested on course. It was hard to stay draft legal for the 1st 15-20km. I sort of hooked up with a train after a bit and stayed with this bunch for about 10km. But then I decided they were going too fast for me on this the first of 3 x 60k laps, so I let them go. Just before I did however, I saw one of them get busted for drafting. I saw Rod and a few guys on their bikes out at the turnaround point and they cheered me on. The wind was picking up from the NE and we were pushing into it on the way out on our capital ‘H’ shaped course. I averaged about 31-32km/h into the wind and about 38-39km/h with it. The crew were all waiting at the Layman Rd roundabout when I got back towards town, which was great. Seeing family and friends really does give you a lift. The girls all had sombreros on and were dressed in green and were waving pom poms! I saw them again on the way out of town and was going a bit slower into the wind, so was able to take in their cheers better. Nutrition was going well, pace was spot on and I felt good.
Then just as I started to pass someone, I heard the worst sound in the world – a pop and then a hiss, hiss, hiss, as a tyre flatted...hoping it wasn’t me I looked down and then felt my rear tyre go down! Bugger! No matter, just change the tube and be on your way, just like I had practised – only 3-4 minutes. So I stopped and calmly went about doing just that. I was using a mates borrowed disc wheel, so had to use a little attachment on my CO2 dispenser (crack pipe). Up went the tube and then POW! I had somehow managed to blow the tube to smithereens. I could not believe what I had just done! I didn’t think that could happen with a CO2 cartridge! Due to having 2 different wheels, I only carried one tube for each wheel and they were different. So now I was stuffed. Stranded at the 91.2km mark of the course. All I could do was flag down an official vehicle and wait for a mechanic. So my 3-4min’s was going to be a bit longer, no matter, I can still do a good time. So I ate and got ready for my rescue. I was out of fluid and getting thirsty, it was getting very hot and sweat kept running into my eyes and the flies were shocking. My mood was deteriorating rapidly. Eventually (after about 15min) Budgie rocked up in the Bikesure ute and he called in for a mechanic over the race radio. By now I was seeing my race disappear down the toilet. But help would be here soon – or so I thought. Then Amigo Rat came by and stopped to see if he could help (what a team player!). But the tube I needed was not one he was carrying (48mm stem). He tried to cheer me up and told me to finish the race off. I think I sounded pretty despondent. I told him to get going and don’t waste time with me. I was now seriously considering pulling out. DNF. Just 3 little letters. But I couldn’t bring myself to give up. I thought of the kids and friends who came to support me and thought what kind of example would that be to them? I never give up and this was no exception. Well, eventually a mechanic on a motorbike rocked up, 45min later! He told me I should be careful to not over inflate a tube. Thanks for that mate! Then somehow I had managed to lose the nut off the axle, so then he had to go find one in his bag of tricks. 67min after stopping, I was being pushed down the road like a TdF rider and on my way. I was very angry and so took off like I was riding a 40k TT. I was constantly passing people like they were going backwards – as they were all the slower riders by now. I blew back into town and then started the last lap. The headwinds going out were a lot stronger now and it was hard work pushing into it. To my surprise I caught up with Amigo PJ on Layman Rd who seemed to be pacing himself perfectly. I even stopped and had a quick chat to the family who were (bless their weary legs) still there cheering me on. By the time I got to the turnaround point out at the end however, the breeze started to swing around and turn into a head wind coming home! No matter, at least it was cooler coming from the west. By the time I finished, the bike course had thinned right out. Official time was 6:18hrs, but by working backwards from my avg speed on my Polar watch, I actually biked 5:11hrs (or 34.8km/h). My day was shot, but no matter, I could still finish well. My overall place had now blown out to 686th (332 people had passed me on the side of the road)
I hit T2 and blew through in 2:45min. So I had achieved one thing at least today – total time was 6min for transitions! Yay. I started running and the legs felt pretty ordinary for a couple of kays, but they soon came good. I had my one and only wee stop for the race at loos located at the 2k mark. I had to slow myself down constantly for the first 10km, as I didn’t want to pay for it later. The plan was to run about 15 seconds per km slower for the first lap and then pick it up to the goal pace after that. All went well and at the eastern most point the support crew where there to cheer me on. It was good to see familiar faces out at the end of the course where it was sparsely populated with people. The 2nd lap started before I knew it and I got my 1st wrist band. As I came through town, Rod & the Bikesure crew from work where in the pub and all cheered me on! I was wishing I was there with them by this point! The breeze now dropped out and the clouds all dissipated and it was pretty warm. I gave up on gels and switched straight to coke and Gatorade. I kept jogging, if only very slowly sometimes, through all the aid stations. I really dug deep for the 2nd 10.5km lap and made pretty good time, with one 5k split at 4:54 pace. I got back into town and received my second wrist band and the half way point was now passed. The real mental battle now began. With a total time that was already blown right out from my goal, I had to really focus on holding my pace and not giving into the little voice that wanted me to walk – “just for a minute or two!” I think if I was going for a good time I would have been more motivated, instead it was just pride and wanting to salvage something from the day that kept me going. But it was tough, real tough. My lower hamstrings started to tighten up, my left ITB got sore around the knee area too. I started to hurt all over as my legs fatigued and I went through the hardest part of the race – the 21km to 32km point. I just wanted to stop and sit down. I hung tough and kept plugging away with my 3rd lap averaging 5:25 pace, which was a lot slower than the last lap. I kept passing Rat going the other way, who I thought was one lap in front of me. But it turned out we were on the same lap and I was drawing closer to him. So I gave myself a goal to try and catch him by the finish line and we could finish together. That would be cool I thought. So with that in mind I kept shuffling away, all the time passing lots of fellow competitors in various states of disrepair. I just wanted to get to the sign that said 38km, as I had passed it 3 times now and really wanted to pass it and it apply to me. With 4 km to go, then I could put up with anything! Well as I progressed I saw Rat at the Western end of the course for the first time and he revved me up as if to say come and join me (well that’s what I read into it anyway!). It took me about 3 or so km but I finally caught him. Once I got there, I kind of fell in a heap (mentally) due to using a few extra fuel tickets. Rat & I ran together for a while, which was really cool, as it is a long day on your own and we had done this so many times in training during our brick runs. Then when we reached the next aid station and he was sticking to his plan and walking through aid stations to fuel up, so I reluctantly pressed on without him. I finally saw that 38km sign and was pretty relieved. Just 4.2km to go now. I had to hang in there and not give in. Even though I was so close to the end, my legs just could not maintain the pace and I slowed a little.
Then it was all happening so quick, last wrist band, then into the finish chute already! There, half way down was my family and friends all there to bring me home. I slowed a little (not enough in hindsight) and gave them a few high fives and a big smile. My body was on auto pilot and just wanted to cross that line so bad! Every cell in my body had been going all day to get across that line and I had not given a single moments thought to running down the finish chute! What an idiot! Anyway, I crossed the line and nearly collapsed in relief and exhaustion. My legs buckled under me and I felt like just falling over. Luckily there were two skilled volunteers there to catch me and walk me for a few meters. They offered me a wheel chair (which I refused!) but I started to feel a bit better after a minute and was soon walking under my own steam to the recovery area. But before I got there I got a bit wonky again and another one of the fantastic vollies helped me to a seat and put some ice on my neck and gave me what was the most delicious can of Passiona I have ever tasted, in fact it was the nicest can of drink I have ever had in my life! After a couple of minutes Rat appeared and joined me and we shared a moment of satisfaction.
I ended up running a 3:45hr marathon, which was about 5 minutes slower than my goal. Funnily enough I had overtaken 347 people on the run leg to finish with an overall rank of 339th. Official time 11:17hrs. A rubbish time, considering all the work I had done and what I know I was capable off. If I take off the 67min I lost on the side of the road in the Tuart Forrest it was a 10:10hr race – which would have been a 19min PB, could have, should have – didnt though. I was about 59th in my AG out of around 230 finishers. It could have been top 20. Not much consolation to me, but what can you do? I could of had more spares on board, I could have just used my own rear wheel, I could have not somehow overinflated my tube...the list goes on. But the main thing is I never gave up pushing myself, all the way to the end and I gave it 100%.
I am really proud of PJ and Paul and how they executed their own race plans, to near perfection as best I can tell. They both had great days and were pretty happy with their own results. PJ even picked up 9th spot in his AG! Well done boys...it has been great sharing the journey with you and after all - its not about the time you do - but the time you have! (thanks Wardo). Next time? I don't know if there will be at this point...but I have said that before!
Adios Amigos
Daz.
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