Ironman Wales 2013

12224262728

Comments

  • Pirate kit for me in my next IM, never seemed to have got myself organised at order time.
  • the route is in one of the countreis national parks.........and they tell you that they will eb strict....when you picked up your shoes for the run the marshalls were reminding you that you had to take the bag to T1.I presume they e,phasised that in the briefing.....they usually are big on littering..#

    there wiere romours that IMW would move to cardiff which would have been disastrous as they are the only European capital eithout a marathon and the only place ion britain who tried to shut down the park run as they said the dog walkers didn't like it..

    But just read that it was announced at the awards ceremony that it will be in Tenby  next yearimage

    great news as you cannot believe how great the people in Pembrokeshire are for this race..on the swim you look up and there are a couple of thousand people on the cliff and beach watching you....every village, junction and farmhouse on the route have people out cheering in the rain for you. on the bike course   from the elderely to a the youngest toddlers.......amazing .never far from a cheer.....and on the run the noise through teh town is deafening in places....

    ..

  • MTRIumphant wrote (see)
    Pirate kit for me in my next IM, never seemed to have got myself organised at order time.

    You need to get on the kit list sharpish if you want kit for 2014 season as I am closing the book at the end of the week image

  • Mtri...I was wondering how you weren't far infront on me on the run.i guessed something had gone wrong

     

  • Really sorry those not in pirate kit ... we looked and looked for signs, only recognised Crab as he called me something usually only reserved by my mother   image

    Very proud of my two pirate ladies, top effort both of you
    Well done to Flat Footed and 'Bob' as we christened BBT and comiserations to Button and Slag, Wales seems to like you as much as Germany likes me!

    Bloody supporting is hard fecking work ... i'm off for a lie down in a darkened room for a week

  • Just woken up after having an afternoon nap.

    Big thanks to all the pirates who came support it made hell of a difference especially when I wanted to walk and got shouted at. Report to follow soon when at my computer not on the phone.

  • Agree with the littering rule, you wouldn't some people throwing their rubbish out side of your house or village so why do people do it in a race. 

    Although does giving your bottle to a group off kids asking for empty bottles count as littering?

  • Race report

    afetr failing 2 years ago at IMW by missing the bike cutoff I have spent 2 years working on my bike.........

    meant that i had a good Outlaw bike split of 6:23 this summer .......but my training since went form rest to 1 weeks good training on holiday to a full stop when son was ill........so after a 4 week taper which only contained about 5 sessions in total.....I had to go to wales and hope that it was enough

    Stayed in the centre of town this year instead of in a wet tent in kiln park with a long work everywhere........brilliant decision as it meant i could rest up the day before.......

    only incident was the day before in a coffee shop where i missed the gap in the flooring and went down like a sack of spuds with a twisted left foot.decided the best solution was to ignore it or otherwise my imagination would have me believe i had broken it in 5 places by the morning

  • Glad you made it after putting in the hard yards.

    My Timex GPS watch gave up somewhere along the bike route, I'd be really interested to know what the marathon elevation/climb was if anyone would be so kind.

  • Race morning.

     

    up early for my sausage and bacon sandwiches and then out to the tranistion area.took my time totally unstressed and then joined the back of the queue for the walk through the town to the beach..........only bad point in the whole days organisation.......arrived near the beach still going in  aslow line.....pulled up the rest of my swimsuit but i was in a rush.......managed to place my bag on the rack and the national anthem was playing and i was still not on the beach let alone get my pre race dip to check my goggles......

    was on the beach with a minute to go.....managed to get on the right side of the bunch and got in the water  about half way up the group......but unfortunately everyone else was avoiding the right side because of the inside turns on the buoys......and so i didn't get a pair of feet all to follow...first half not too bad in 47 mins then the second half was tough......pain in the neck from wrong placement of goggles and chaffing on the neck as i hadn't put the neck of my wetsuit right.stopped a couple of times to try and unfold the collar.....second half a dismal 54 mins

    total swim time 1:41:50 slowest Ironman swim ever

    wlaked up the clifftop zigzags got my shoes off and ran through the town with my wetusuit to my waist......amazing run.i wanted to walk but both sides of the 1km run was crowded with people.......got to T1 and quickly got changed.....well quick for me,.....waited for a kind helper to go and find my run bag so i could use my emergency sudocream on my sore neck and off to find my bike.........T1 was 16:57 so had used up my full 2 hours and so hadn't given myself any help for the bike.....

  • so out on the bike......I only needed to average a bit over 13 mph to get the cutoffs.but i needed a margin for punctures etc........

    so my plan was to cane the first half aiming for 16 mph and then the harder second half i could slow down to 11 mph and still make it................not the best plan but its the only one i could cope with mentally.........

    so off i bombed.didn't mind the rain as it wasn't cold for me.i had a monavco and armwarmers on.i was ok... lots of people coming off the bikes or having mechanicals/ punctures.......

    I justr kept on peddaling argghhing all the kids and thanking all the spporters.....

    didn't eat or drink enough really....but overtook Slag and Mouse fairly quickly and was away......

    The hills are brutal but the scenery is woderful and the support amazing........just kepty on going and after the second lap i knew i was still in credit for the bike and could cope with amajor slowing down and walking the last hills if needed......

    but even though I slowed down i didn't slow down too badly.....the second 56 miles took me 30 mins more than the first 56 and the second half is harder....I took the final 2 miles back into tenby at a liesurely pace enjoying the difference from 2 years ago when i was pedalling like mad knowing i had missed the cutoff but hoping that they would not enforce it......

    as I got into town i got very emotional....I crossed the line dead on 10 hrs.a 8:01 bike split and a full 30 mins inside the cutoffs.......i went to the far end of the bike rack to rack my bike and started crying.i rarely cry and so this a shocked responses.Min saw me as she was officating andf came over and gave me a great hug and I was ready for T2 and to get my run shoes on......I think the emotions got the better of me as T2 was 8:05

  • walked the first few hundred metres out of T2 swilling a couple of painkillers with a can of pepsi max.......

    the bike shoes had supported my ankle in the bike but it was sore now on the run.......after a bit i tried to run..my legs were knackered afetr caning the bike......did a shuffle for a mile and the pain killers kicked in and I started running better...had a great jug from TC from tritalk as he was out and about on his last lap.and then another from BBT.....

    the run course suited me with its hills as i planned on running the flats and downs and walking the ups.....kept this up for the first few laps and was enjoying it.lots of support and the run gives you a chance to chat to others and find out where they are from etc...so many first timers out on the course and people from around the world....I could take any energy products as my stomach was not happy and i felt sick...so i tried to swill my mouth with water each stop and eat half a little ritz biscuit.....3 lap went ok and i was enjoying picking up my bands.i had a few tired moment but in general was happy as I knew i would make the 17 hr cutoff.......

    the painkillers had worn off now and i couldn't take anymore as i felt if i tried i would start throwing up.....so carried on with the walk run but was slowing down....last lap i was slowing down. Mouse caught me up near the beginning of it.....we talked for a while and she said we could go for sub 16. i knew i was slowing down and getting more pain and I didn't mond whatever time i got so i sent her on her way.....

    i had a few more chats on the way back to tenby with some more young emn and ended up going through the finishers tunnel in 16:11:50......as i said the time for me on this one wasn't important..i just wanted the medal and t-shirt......

    I don't do hills well.i can go up them but at my own pace.to have to go up quicker than I am comfortable with was the hard part......

    I would love to go back next year to support.Its a brilliant event....

  • brilliant report seren, sounds like a tough day but brilliant that you made it round. Hope your ankle is ok

    well done to everyone else too, whether you finished or not

  • RV my watch is dead atm and I won't have my charger until later in the week, I will try to remember to post it

  • Seren Was the walk down only bad caus you had to walk down with me? image

  • Great report Seren. Well done gal!

  • image.I was just starting to panic a little near the end.....if they had left 10 mins earlier then all would have been fineimage

  • I don't think I was there 10 mins earlier image great report too

  • Well done to all the pirates that earnt they Yaargh in Wales. From what I saw online it looked like a good craic.

    Re: littering, I was really impressed at Henley how most people would dump their gel wrappers in the bottle nets as well as their bottles.

  • Seren I'm just so thrilled for you.

    Every time I saw you you had a massive grin on your face.

    Congratulations. x

  • ... when she wasnt chatting up young men that is !!


    Very well done Seren, glad you have that shirt & medal image

  • The date for next year is 14 september.....entries open on wednesday for preregistered and friday for generalimage

    go on .you know you want toimage

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    well done Seren, impressively going back to put things right. I remember you posting some through the night rides to get long rides in, it paid off. Great story.

  • Great report Seren, and I'm so pleased for you. IM Wales is just the best!

  • Great work Seren and FF - impressive stuff ! Sorry about the DNFers but Wales is a hard one.



    As to the DQs for littering - well it serves them right.

    Henley said any littering was an instant DQ and still I saw some nob on his throw his gel away. I made a point of telling him it was a DQ as I passed him.



    If you're big enough to race 140 miles - you're big enough to use a bin.
  • Sounds like a good plan on the bike to manage the race,  great stuff Seren.image

     

  • Nice write up Seren - could imagine some of your feelings image  Glad you put the demons to bed this time and got your just rewards image

  • Well done Seren, great report.

Sign In or Register to comment.