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Ironman Regensburg 7th August 2011 - entries open 5th July
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Bike 7.54
Feck me that transition was long in more ways than one !!
Made the decision to put my gilet on as it was chucking it down with rain and looking at the sky that was not about to change!!
Settled out on to the bike course past the noisy rabble now known as the PSOF Support! The course on paper looked a fairly decent one, nice flat start and then all the hills in the first quarter before a flat run home to make a loop of about 50 miles. I had asked PTLs hubby what the time was when I came into T1 as I had forgotten my stopwatch to get a total elapsed time, I never really remember anything significant about bike courses, villages and names and such like and this one was much the same, the hills were fine no real problems apart from just settling myself after being unnerved again in the swim, the rain battered down for hours upon end and it feckin hurt!! I am not the most confident of cyclists at the best of time but being aware of wet roads and debris that had been swept out kept me a little cautious on the downhills but not overly so. There was an extraordinary amount of slugs on the road which amused me somewhat, a few shouts of ‘crap swimmer’ in the first few miles and I played a game of ‘spot the silly name’
‘Hello Uwe’ made me smile more times than a sane person should
Having failed to beat my ‘wee in the swim’ record it soon became apparent that I was going to need to get rid of several pints and the irony of stopping in the pouring rain left me with one choice … yes Ladies and Gentlemen: I pissed all over £1000 worth of carbon bling, new socks and bike shoes. My mother would be horrified, I have no doubt that would be instantly diluted by the continued monsoon.
Lap 1 in about 3.34 looking at my bike computer which was slower than expected but not for the want of slacking, from looking at other reports I think the rain disguised the wind and vice versa but it really was not a nice day to be on a bike, lap 2 and I passed a few more people of the sick, lame and injured variety on the hills (a kill’s a kill right?)
I am fully aware at this point (the lead man went past at 4hrs 360 that although I am slower than intended I have plenty of time in hand to get done even though my first target time was looking unlikely. I too had a snigger at being offered a damp sponge at several points on the bike course when perhaps a towel and a bar of soap would have been a better option
I was happy given the overtaking that I was not the last person on the course, the roadside was like the Somme with bodies littered all abouts and different parts of bike kit strewn about and a fair few ambulances too, I think I remember checking my computer and had covered 60ish miles, I was expecting 70 so that wasn’t the best news and then I became aware of a car behind me and turned to see the IM branded Audi behind me … presumably the race car as I had seen It pass me a few times and through nothing of it. The car continued for a long time (in fact it never left) and I became concerned that my calculations were out and doubted my mental arithmetic, did he want me to leave the course? After a few more miles I decided that if he had wanted me to stop he would not be following me still, I reached the conclusion that I was the last cyclist on the course (for a change!!) but I was still not happy with my maths, for the last 50 miles or so I hammered the bike .. it is all relative I can assure you!! I can honestly say I have never worked harder but that probably says a lot more about me than it does anything else, my bike splits don’t really tell the story (other than the one that says 30kph!!)
For the added pressure that the car and the subsequent police bikes (yes, all of them!) contributed they actually did me a favour I would not have put that level of effort in on my own and it proved that I can actually work harder and survive, hard work does not kill !!
If I didn’t know any better I could have sworn Mr Rose was in the passenger seat of that car, to put this course and conditions into context my bike time this year should have been at the very least 30 mins quicker and it ended up pretty much the same as last year at Roth where I was functioning on half a lung and walked up most of the hills!
The last 12 miles or so back to town were not quite so easy as the profile suggested either that or I had indeed lost the will to live by that stage, my language got heavier as the rain got lighter, I had a fab 2 police bike escort in to T2 and no bugger got a photo !!!
Another long transition and on to the run …
Help yourself to the bits you want
Winter swim - website is below:
http://www.winterswim.co.uk/
Started around the end of November last year so a few more months for you to get practising first!!!
well done Melds, I am happy to accept the contract extension, and yes, its going to hurt you more than me xx
Meldy wrote (see)
Arse.
Yes, that will hurt a lot more too.
30 weeks starts in December .... how long do I get off?
and you are now equal with Plum on the Germany 2 Pirate 1 list
that should cheer you up - or not...
at least I am not that old eh
Meldy what a lovely report and great advice about race day expectations!
Well done, top racing!! x
Aitch - your run was faster than at Roth last year wasn't it? Some achievement
Win to Swim hahaha
Top report Meldy.
*slopes off, shame-faced*
M....eldy said 'pissed'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=5yuluT96Hhs
? m....eldy ? 0.08 seconds
My bike was right down the far left of the picture next to the pros .. could have been Arctic Chicken??