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Ironman 70.3 UK 2014
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I survived! Possibly the hardest one yet for me resulting in a slow time on all legs. Cramp was awful but Pirate support was amazing.
It really was brutally hot this time and a blow out just before the first feed station didn't help. Blue Steel was suffering cramps too but finished the run a lap ahead of me. Red Stripe put in a great effort and wasn't far behind.
Well done Stanners for a great finishing time. I was hoping to break 6:10 but ended up with 7:30!!!
Well done all - look forward to the reports.
Are you sure it was Blue Steel? I didn't think he was racing?
where are the reports ....
1st one done- 6.59. It was hellish but still lots of fun. Thanks for the tips on here!! P.s. I don't think I was shit.
Purple Banana started this forum. How did he get on??
Great racing by the Pirates yesterday! I was there as support crew for the Mrs and friends. I was by the finish trying to encourage you all with a few "don't be s**t" thrown in every now and then.
Everyone did amazing and the support all the pirates was brilliant. Well done everyone and great to meet Stanners (top bloke), Red stripe and see the others on the course.
6hrs 42mins
Swim 38m m - bit of a disaster panicked early doors and googles kept taking water and swam extra my taking turn too wide.
Bike 3:36 - went well but had a lucky escape on second lap my back wheel came out of the quick release and chain locked I went done and bent then shifters but could have been far worse.
Run - 2:17 - heat and cramps where a big thing I've not had issues like this before. The run was tough. The hills were in shade both
Very tough event if I had done this last year as my half instead of the 113 I would have never believed I could do full distance at Ironman UK.
Think it was you I chatted to UW when you had cramps on the second lap and I patted you on the back. Glad you kept going and great to meet (if it was you) in our pain! Great "Arrrgggghhhh" btw!
Blue Steel - I do remember someone shouting "don't be sh!t!" a few times
In short. Knew this would be a hard one as never do well in the heat as I sweat like the Incredible Melting Man!
Swim - 39.10 - nightmare... felt crap after 5 minutes, kept getting mouthfuls of water, kicked a few times and had my wetsuit string tugged down! Had to put cap back on as it slipped off. Then got cramp in left leg...
Bike - 3.56 - all going well up until just before 1st feed station when had a blow out and spent too long trying to fix it with a girl in tears next to me with the same problem. Tyre inflated but not as much as needed for speed so had to nurse the bike around. Fighting cramps on hills on second lap. Really getting hot by the time we reached second lap.
Run - 2.38 - managed to get legs moving pretty well but the hills killed me and once I started walking up them to keep in the shade I knew it was going to take a very long time. Really enjoyed the pirate support and made sure I responded with "arggghhhh" a few times. Cramp retuned on second lap and forced me to stop to stretch. Just kept it going though and made it to the finish
in 7.30!
Much harder than 2 years ago when I did 6.20 and much harder than IM Wales last year. Hope it's not hot there in September! Now I need to step up the training and lose a about 20lbs!
Cracking weekend at IMUK 70.3 and like Unchartered Waters and Wabby said. Hard, hot and...erm...hilly.
Pre Race
Camped at Wimbleball Friday and Saturday night with great weather. In fact this biggest challenge was to find shade. I got to swim in the lake Friday evening and Saturday morning. Water was over 16 deg and people were still complaining! I ran some of the course early Saturday too so was all set. Met Red Stripe at check in on Saturday and generally spent my down time spending money at the Expo (what a load of crap that was) eating, sleeping, reading and staying off my feet.
Race Day
Swim
Bumped in to Unchartered Waters early morning and we spent the hour or so before the race convincing each other everything would be alright. Mass walk down to the start and he was like a kid at Christmas, brilliant to see. Nearly 1,800 or so started the swim in 2 waves, I was in the first at 7am. The swim was a bit of a biff-fest, especially at the buoys and wasn't helped by one bafoon who was backstroking, bloody moron. I came out in 38m 31sec (599th position), a PB but I could of done much better but for the congestion. One of these days I'll HTFU and start off at the front!
Transition is a 400m run up hill, which is nice
No faffing and bumped in to Richard (sorry, didn't get his forum name...from now on he will be simply be called my nemesis!) and Unchartered Waters and we were off in a group
Bike
The bike course was my big worry. Despite plenty of training in the Peaks, I was on my TT with a standard set up, not ideal for climbing. Quickly in to my stride and didn't see the other Pirates again. The course deserves it's reputation alright, but only part of it. Most of the hard climbs come over a 10 mile period, the rest is OK. The edge is taken off the descents due to the crap roads and sharp turns so it is hard to make up as much time as you'd like. My second lap included my seat bottle holder falling off, slipping out of my cleats on a hill (not great for getting going again) and a toilet stop. Garmin shows 1500m of climbing over 90k which I managed in 3h:9m:53s (up to 232nd position).
In to a straight forward T2, with a lovely (and I mean lovely
) IM volunteer helped me with bag and packing
Run
The run was even much harder than the bike. It starts with a series of loops up and down to the water,with a mixture of grass and gravel which realy takes it out of the legs, then on to a bitch of a hill with 2 false peaks, before then dropping back down to the lake, with an out and back across the damn before heading further along the lake and back to the start. I caught a glimpse of my nemesis at one of the crossing points on lap 1, about 8 minutes back. Not a worry, got this first Pirate position wrapped up. Swear word inducing cramp on the second lap after I'd ran the main hill but managed to run it off and went past Unchartered who told me of his bike crash. He was moving OK so I cracked on. By the 3rd lap my nemesis has closed the gap significantly and was now only 200m or so behind (he was coming on to the damn as I was leaving it). Crap, best get a wriggle on. I was maybe 1km from the finish and we passed at the last switch back. Obligatory hi-5 and would you believe it I cramped up again. Now, I'm not saying this was intentional on his part...but I'm sure he was whispering some voodoo under his breath. That 30 seconds stopped with cramp did me and with about 100m to go he passed me. I tried to get the legs sprinting but it just was not happening. Half marathon finished in 1h:47m:10s
Total time, including transitions was 5h:42m:52s. 193rd over all and 39th in my AG. Happy with that in what is a hard race
Happy with that, I bet you are. Everyone always worries about the bike at this race and preps for it, it's the run that gets you though.
Just gone through this thread again... thanks for the support on the run Goblin Princess. Well done again Stanners... no idea who that "nemesis" was!
that would be me....
Sorry Stanners......certainly didn't think I was going to catch you at the end till the errrr obvious mind over matter/voodoo cramp inducing high 5 and saw you walking up that final hill (if only I could use this power to pick 6 numbers) and hoped to have a pirate race to finish with you.
Great bicycling sir..... and great race...and good bit of banter in the finish tent after
Think I might be back there next year...very tough but enjoyable...now I am sitting on the couch painfree
race on fella.....
but not toooo serious...we are Pirates after all 
Is it quite normal to have a semi panic attack in the water about 200m in?? I had one and thought my race was over. I then had a chat with myself and 'manned up' enough to carry on. Has anyone else experienced that??
Very common Anthony - I think it has happened to most of us at some point. Often a random point too!
Runner, swimmer, cyclist and triathlete
Devoid of a competitive streak
Who cares, I'm in it for the medal!
Congrats to everyone! The heat was a killer but I managed to finish in 6.59, my first Ironman70.3
well done all , this is a cracking race and everyone who finishes deserves respect!
Massive congratulations to all the proper athletes on Sunday who did the entire course, a couple of laps of the run course nearly killed me!
Hello to everyone I met and apologies for not talking longer, I had my "support" crew (aka the rest of the relay team) hurling abuse at me if they thought I spent even one minute not in absolute agony. I love them really.
Anthony, at 400m in Outlaw 2012 (my first IM) I had a complete meltdown and was treading water for about 3 minutes before I could talk myself into carrying on. All the cool kids do it. I would like to say I have improved since but that would be a bare faced lie. My Sunday highlight was that I didn't have to get in that lake (thanks there to my sister!).
Absolutely great race though, it deserves its reputation though, as my relay partner commented at registration "even the swim is hilly". Might even man up to try the whole thing next year...maybe...
And hello to Red Stripe and Wabby in particular, lovely to meet you both and a huge well done, top racing! Wabby I saw you finish but then couldn't find you to congratulate you in person.
Stanners be careful, I seem to remember Calf and Rosey having a bet about who would run the quicker marathon at IMUK a few years back, cost Rosey a night on the beer with him having to buy all the beer
Great reports and performances from all
thoroughly enjoyed my whole weekend, event was really well organised and everyone was really friendly, add in the perfect weather and I couldn't have asked for any more, complete the race in 6:17.47 coming 495th
Swim 37:46
Bike 3:39.49
Run 1:48.29
Found the swim a little dauntin at the start, and had a small panic attack with all the flailing arms and legs, but thankfully managed to control my breathing, breathstroke it for a couple of min or so then settled nicely into front crawl concentrating on technique and breathing,
Bike was really enjoyable with some huge climes and good fast decents, looking back I feel I could have pushed myself harder on the second lap but as this was my first tri I didn't want to burn out for the run.
The run was a lovley corse with lots of crowd cheering you on, which was really nice, there was also plenty of shade which was great.
I will hopefully be returning next year or maybe even doing one abroad if there is any that could be recommended.
Cracking performance that Clello. Plenty of experience amongst the Pirates for racing abroad...expect to be press ganged in to a jaunt to Austria next year
Well done guys and gals fir taking part. I was helping out down there with miss.
i was stationed just before the bike mount line and then before you entered T2 tent. Miss was inside T1 helping with wetsuits then again in T2 tent helping out.
Must admit i had a great few days shouting support to the pirates and all the other taking part.
Thanks for the panic attack responses, I thought it was just me being soft. Last question- Do people settle for doing the 70.3 or do most then attempt the full??
I've got an itch to give it a go.
That was the toughest race I've done not for distance but terrain, uphill from the lake exit, brutal bike & tough trail run.
thanks for all the pirate support, I've only just got internet connection and didnt know my splits or time as my tracker went down on the run !
Seems if I stuck around at the finish id have got a world champs slot even if I was 1 hour 15 behind my category winner as no one wanted to go to Canada ! Shame it clashed with my holiday date.
satisfying to finish this one
Aaah if only that was the case...I ended up buying the beers on that occasion, think my standalone mara is quicker than Rosey's but he's a bloody animal at the ironman (and annoyingly great bloke too boot)
And for those of you worrying about panic attacks etc....I was telling the g'friend just before the start how in my first open water swim tri at pembrokshire 7 years ago I was a flapping panicking mess (some would say not to different to today) and ended up racing (splashing alot, going round in circles and breathing in water) the last 10m when myself and another guy realised it was between the two of us not to be last out of the swim.....2nd to last was in my mind a huge victory...as was surviving.... so you do get used to it...you might not get any faster but you do get used to it...
And clello at under 38 mins for the swim with a little panic and breaststroke at the start that's a cracking swim time.
And reiterating my peoples comments..well done all that finished...that was by far the hardest HIM I have raced!!!!