4 July race reports

RichardM

Andy, you mentioned spotting a few of my clubmates around the Austria course. Well one of them is definitely not an adonis. Probably about 5'6" and must weigh about 15 stone. He did his first tri at London last year and wrote a great report about how he had never believed he could possibly achieve the olympic distance and what a thrill it was. Well he's now an ironman too, and a lovely bloke as well.

candy ollier

is he quite hairy in some way rich? maybe a beard or longish hair? i saw him a couple of times if so.

(apologies for the vague description... i wasn't really concentrating and just have an image of a slightly round red face and brown fuzz)

Nessie

Fantastic thread, Ironpeeps. It has it all - tears, laughter, pee, poo, wimmins things, and beer.

A veritable roller coaster. I've been through the "I want to do that", the "Aye, right, I can't even swim a sprint distance", the "I could get lessons, and I'm ok on the bike", the "3:45am alarm - s*d off!", the "I can't do a 4 hour marathon *without* the 7.5 hours swim/bike beforehand".

But then Nick does his pep talk, and FB says "I thought never, but now...."



<<whimper>>



Now I'm really thinking about it.



[goes for a lie down in a darkened room]

[Deleted User]

LOL!

fat buddha

excellent Nessie - join the "hmm maybe" club.

(although in all honesty my thoughts have been drifting in this direction for some time)

candy ollier

and there's Ironwolf's perspective (as a female vet) and Chris' still to come.

That said, hopefully IW finished it and she won't put you all off with some horror story. She's done a few though, so she will have done us all proud.

I know that Chris did well as I saw him the next day. Don't believe anything he says about it being less than 100% pleasant - he was walking fine when I last saw him!

[Deleted User]

If want to do it you can, and 2005 would be a good year to do it as there loads of us first-timers going to do Switzerland - it doesn't seem so bad when you know there's others in the same position.

[Deleted User]

fantastic! Just read the entire thread in one go. Finished Candy's and Monique's reports and was thinking "wow, what a laugh", then read Nick's and thought "sh*t, there's hard work too"! Just as well Nick's report was in there, or I'd have signed up for an Ironman immediately, Monique and Candy made it sound 90% fun, 5% effort and 5% old ladies and ripped Americans! COngratulations to all of you.

fat buddha

"is he quite hairy in some way rich? maybe a beard or longish hair? i saw him a couple of times if so. "

candy - you have just described your forum self you fool!!!!!! stop admiring the IM tattoo in the mirror.......

candy ollier

my colleague Mr Dangerous is right there - there will be, it appears, dozens of forumites there, the vast majority of them first timers.

that should create an electric atmosphere, especially on the run.

Nessie

DD - next year would be too soon for me - my marathon PB is 5:50 at the moment!

Maybe a half next year, and a full in 2006? Is that do-able?












I can't believe I just typed that.

[Deleted User]

You've done it now, Nessie! Be afraid, be VERY afraid - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! <wibble>

candy ollier

FB - lol! but the serpies wouldn't let me in, as i'm not a hairdresser.

nessie - you can do it; you might even get your own firework display. have a look at the 'Forum IM outing 2005' thread.

snail - you too!

Nessie

Oh, I am afraid Shambs.


Really really afraid that I've finally lost it.

No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.
No Candy, not 2005.

[Deleted User]

There's no point in leaving it for more than a year - if you've had a reasonable fitness base for a couple years. 12 months or 60 months isn't going to make any difference if your goal is get around inside the cut-off.

Nessie

Dave - GO AWAY!


)



No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.
No Dave, not 2005.

candy ollier

no arguing there, children

[Deleted User]

hahahaha! Snail falls off chair laughing at yet another example of Candy's comic genius...



Um, I have joined a tri club though, but on the basis they don't actually expect me to do any triathlons at all... First running session on Tuesday, and I was very very last. I got to run small laps whilst the big boys ran big laps then small laps - one of each for every one of mine - they still lapped me and had enough breath to shout well done. First swim session tonight and I'm expecting more of the same. I'll turn up to the first cycle session just as soon as I can work out how to attach these bl**dy shoes to the bl**dy pedals, and then I expect I'll be left behind there too. But as for all of them together - you have got to be joking!

candy ollier

snail its all good fun

otherwise there'd be no point doing it!

enjoy

(practicing getting your shoes OFF the pedals is more important than getting them on though. TIMBERRRRRRRRR!!!)

[Deleted User]

My tupence worth as posted before on IM2005 thread:-




The cut-offs are:-

Swim 2 hours 30 mins
Swim and bike 10 hours
Swim, bike and run 16 hours

Even I can do the swim in 2 hours 30 mins and I swim breast stroke. At the moment it would take me 2 hours 10 minutes - so what - it's quite entertaining at the back watching people getting cramp, fiddling with googles, swimming in circles and drafting little old ladies.

So that's 7 hours 50 minute to cycle 180km - at 24kph - thats 7 hours 30 minutes to do the bike. 24kph average is really easy. My BPM doesn't go over 120 at that speed.

So 9 hours 40 minutes so far. That leaves 6 hours 20 minutes to go. That's 14 and a half minutes per mile - walking speed.

Worst case senario.

candy ollier

...and make no mistake about it, Dave has gone downhill a long way since his forum picture was taken

candy ollier

anyway i wasn't drafting the little old lady, i was using her to navigate. she was actually drafting me. it was an excellent example of those symbiotic relationships that sometimes occur in nature. except i did kick her a couple of times.

[Deleted User]

for those who don't think they can do it

- see

Nessie

[puts fingers in ears and closes eyes *really* tightly]

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

I can't hear you, I can't see you

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

candy ollier

err dave, i just realise that the bike numbers dont work in the introduction to that!

[Deleted User]

16 mph works out to 7 hours.

[Deleted User]

Lots of differing views here and I am sure some are very scared, some are intrigued and others are already up for it.

I think the first time I did an IM the most I had cycled was 3 1/2 hours and the furthest run in training was 16 miles. I had done this for the London Marathon training before the IM.

Swimming was the most daunting for me as it just looks so damn far, however with almost 2 1/2 hours to do it it actually becomes the most pleasant, if you start at the back, and not in the mass ranks !

If you can do all of these seperately then its the actual triathlon training that brings them together. If you are training for a tri then it will happen naturally, you will start off with the small brick sessions and then by the time your big training weeks are upon you you will be doing exactly what you NEED to do to finish the race. If that means you want to do a sub 11 hour IM then you need to work harder than someone who just wants to finish.

I suppose you could go as far as saying be under no illusion, this is a long way to travel in one day but snails (sorry snail no pun intended) finish this race as well as speed merchants.

I know Andy is pushing the trip next year and believe me it is a fantastic experience but you won't be pushed into doing something you don't want to do or can't do, most wouldn't be here if there wasn't a small sparkle of the thought of crossing that line and saying ....

I am an IRONMAN !

candy ollier

hear hear

this is one race where taking part and just finishing is the key thing. to a large extent times really don't matter, although of course lots of us set ourselves targets.

the last finisher gets the biggest cheer of the day, and the fireworks.

everybody who finishes is an Ironman - and that's one of the best feelings there is. anywhere. ever.

[Deleted User]

OK guys I have another race report if you want to read it from Chris, one of my mates who came in after Candy and covers some of your other fears, it also makes for some bad reading on the run but shows you what you must go up against if you really want to do this, he is also one the funniest guys I know and needed his sense of humour throughout, however lots of mirth was had when him and Andy were together and I know they made a good few friends along the way.

I will await the response as I not for putting people off but this is about middle of the road .......... let the vote begin !

Nessie

Stop it Nick.


[Nessie starts to cry]



I do, but I'm a really carp swimmer. And a slow runner. And my furthest cycle ever was 50 miles in a day, but we stopped for a picnic.