run bike swim beat cancer

It’s been 3 months since I did my Ironman !! I haven’t written up a race report – I don’t know why, I wanted to do it justice by not rushing through it, and I still feel like I haven’t had 5 minutes to myself (no idea how I managed to fit in Ironman training….oh, yeah, I didn’t do anything else !!), but I think I’ve been avoiding it because, maybe writing it all down means it’s all in the past and maybe I’m just not ready to let it go !? I still certainly think about it a lot, in a ‘I can’t believe I did that’ way and also in a ‘there’s no way I could do that again’ sort of way.

I’m not going to bore you with any of my training, trials, tribulations and triumphs !?! just to say that, in general it went really well, I pretty much managed to stick to my plans, plenty of swimming, plenty of long cycles and good long run sessions. Physically I felt good, and I’d managed to do some training of my overactive brain aswell !!

We had a really great AirBnB chalet, beside the beach, about an hour outside Copenhagen – it was a bit cheaper and bigger than anything in Copenhagen itself and would be good for the family holiday. We hired a car – fingers crossed the bike box fits in it – yup – phew !!

Spoiler alert…….the only big hiccup I had was with my bike (stupid bikes !!) – I’d been cycling with my steel rimmed wheels in training on my TT bike and wanted to use my carbon rims for the race, so when I took my wheels off to put them in the bike box for traveling, I just put the carbon rim wheels in with it – all good. Except that when we (Chris) went to put them on the bike over in Copenhagen, the brakes kept rubbing on the rims, and the cables weren’t long enough to adjust them enough for the wheels to run free. We were trying to sort this out the day before the Ironman !!! I cried !! and apparently, me asking why we hadn’t done this back at home wasn’t helpful – oh dear. Aaaaaannyyway….after a trip to the local bike shop (which was amazing) Chris managed to fix it !! mmmm stressful….(stupid bike – so much to go wrong).

I’d registered and collected my number and bag and stuff the day before that – I cried then too !! Ironman is such a big thing, very emotional – it was for me anyway. I cried when I spotted the Ironman arch in the distance, and I cried when I walked under it……. eh..yeh…so, I picked up my stuff, checked out the Ironman merchandise tent ££££, bought a cap with ice pockets on it lol, it was really hot and I was worried about being too hot on the run – makes a change from worrying about hypothermia !

I actually manged to not be toooo stressy beforehand. Thinking about, and organising the bags, kit and food kept me busy and focused rather than worrying too much…making jammy pieces – ooooh yehhhh :-))) and it was really nice to have Angus (my Angus) and his girlfriend Rhona there, and a surprise guest – our nephew Jack 🙂

On the day, I got up at 4am, and had my normal breakfast – granola, rice crispies, cornflakes, almond milk, blueberries, greek yoghurt, a cup of tea and a cup of coffee 🙂 by now, I‘d run out of nerves and stress, and was proper zen – well, I mean, I did feel quite calm. Whatever, was going to happen, was going to happen !

We managed to get everyone up and out, and we drove in to Copenhagen, parked up and walked along to the start – chatted to some folk from Scotland 🙂 at this point, Angus, Rhona and Jack realised they’d forgotten to bring the signs they’d made (they more than made up for it with their cheering).

So…wetsuit on.. gel… kiss Chris through the fence, don’t cry…and into the pens. No more nerves, quite calm, then they play that heartbeat sound track, and did the psyche up, overhead clap – honestly – its incredible and my pulse was about 300 !!

Then before you know it, we are shuffling forwards and are in the water, and swimming – ok, so only another, who knows how many, lot and lots of hours, more than a normal day, longer than any time I’ve ever spent swimming, cycling, running, probably more time than I’ve ever spent doing anything….but hang on, thinking like that is not helpful – swim – just concentrate on the swim – don’t think too far ahead !!

And the swim was fine, not too busy, not too cold. I just kept swimming, tried to stay on feet, but that never seems to work for me – I think I must swim too squint ?! Under a couple of bridges with lots of spectators, and just kept swimming, relaxed, and again, before I knew it, I was at the last buoy. This part I didn’t like – it was quite choppy, and the course funneled in so everyone bunched up and it was busy, we were also swimming into the sun and my goggles steamed up – that last bit went on for longer than I wanted

T1 – I was a wee bit chilly but not too bad. I had my first jammy piece of the day – breakfast no.2 🙂 I got all my cycling kit on – I saw (and heard) the guys shouting on me, and the crowds were really cheery.

And we were off out onto the cycle, lots of us – really lots – it felt quite weird having so many people all around – no drafting ??! The first part of the cycle through the city is a bit meh – through some roadworks, bumping up and down a couple of pavements, through some fairly rough, single paths, but once you get on to the wider city roads and then out into the countryside, the roads and scenery are brilliant. Lovely undulating roads, lovely sunshine, and again cheering crowds. The organisation was, as you’d expect, very slick. The food stations were great, and the volunteers were awesome. Considering I am a fairly reluctant, long distance cyclist, who struggled mentally with the whole long distance, how many hours ? cycles, I absolutely loved the cycle. My very favourite part was after about 30 miles, when the leading pro man flew past, obviously on his second lap, with accompanying motorbikes etc. just as I was tucking into, and very much enjoying, a jammy piece hahaha. I waved to him, don’t think he saw me, or my jammy piece hahaha

I took on plenty of food, gels and drinks during the cycle. And I didn’t stop… at all….say no more !!

Of course, no matter how much you are enjoying the cycle, there is always the fear that you get a puncture or something goes wrong mechanically – honestly, I really don’t know how I would have coped. I can change a tube, but I wouldn’t want to ! And I saw one guy changing a tube about 5 miles from the end of the cycle – jeeeez that did give me the fear.

So when I realised we were at the end of the cycle (and I’d done it way, way, way faster than I expected) I was outrageously happy !! and I could hear Rhona shouting and I could see the guys – it was brilliant. The bike catchers 🙂 🙂 take your bike – yes !! and I hobbled into T2 – oh yeh – now just got to run a marathon !!

I felt quite relaxed though and definitely confident I could do this thing. I knew it was going to be tough, that’s the idea !! its not supposed to be easy. I was quite prepared to suffer, and I know I can push myself through hard times on a run, I know I can just keep going, no matter how bad it feels. BUT I wanted to enjoy as much of it as I possibly could.

The 4 lap format is good, I think. Lap 1 you ease into, lap 2 relax, enjoy the crowds, hopefully feeling not too bad, lap 3 – you know its going to be hard, its about as far as you’ve gone in training, and you’ve been out for a long time, and its hot, lap 4 – you’re almost done, so you can drag yourself through it !! – that was the theory anyway. And actually, it pretty much went that way. The crowds were amazing, they definitely make the miles pass more quickly. I saw the guys every lap and heard them (Rhona) well before I saw them – it gives you such an amazing lift :-)) I felt OK most of the time, I started to feel a bit sick at 23 miles and couldn’t take anymore water or food or gels, and the people stopping at the aid stations started to annoy me by getting in my way and I couldn’t get past lol, I just needed to finish by that point !!

And then there it was, I was running down the carpet to the finish line !!! Done, I’d done it. I had actually done it. And guess what – I didn’t cry !! I think I was in a bit of a daze – a bit shell shocked. I got my medal, and wandered aimlessly about for a bit at the finish area. My stomach was really not interested in any of the pizza, hotdogs or other ‘real’ food.

Eventually, I made my way out to meet Chris, Angus, Rhona and Jack. Chris was definitely more emotional that I was. I was still in a daze – I think I probably was for about 4 days !!?

When Chris told me my time, I couldn’t believe it. I really wanted to be under 13 hours, I really, really wanted to be under 12 hours, but I didn’t think I could do that, so when he said I was 11 hours 15, I didn’t actually believe him, I thought he’d got it wrong – I had a different garmin on the bike so I didn’t know my total time.

My stomach felt a bit dodgy all the way home and I had to sit down in the shower !! but after I’d had a load of crisps and icecream, I felt better !! Obviously, I couldn’t sleep – caffeine and adrenaline !!

I felt fine the next day though. We had a great few days in and around Copenhagen – its a great city. And we were staying beside the beach, so we had lots of lovely dips in the water and relaxed – it was fab :-))

We managed to meet up with Angus M. and his family, and also Mark Mc. and Jillian. We ate some fantastic meals and generally had a great holiday.

Angus M. by the way, had an incredible race (9 hours 29 !!!!!) and he was a great support throughout all the training :-))

I’ve done very little since the Ironman, but to start with I was scared of losing the fitness I’d built up – it felt great to be strong and to have the endurance, but I’m a 54 year old wifie, with a husband and family and a full time job with responsibilities !! so I can’t really keep training at that level – I know its sensible to periodise your training anyway, so your body can recover and you don’t burnout – and I really do need a break mentally and physically – bulk up and chill out !!! hahaha I’ve kept up my cheesecake habit, so all good there, but even though I’m training less, I don’t feel like I’ve managed to chill out !! and I hate the cold and dark :-(((

And the question I get asked the most (apart from, are you getting a tattoo !!)….is would I do another one ??? well….you know….I did enjoy it. I enjoyed (most of) the training, the event was amazing….so, even though I don’t want to do another one tomorrow, I wouldn’t say I’d never do another one…maybe when I’m 60 !!?

And yes, I did get the tattoo – why the hell not :-))

Cue…..ALLLLLLL the photos :-))))