Outlaw 2012 race reports

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  • T1

     

    Got into transition as quick as possible did a quick hello mum to the camera and sorted my kit out. Couldn’t find cycle glass’s and after tipping out both bag’s sorting through and putting them back must have lost them in rush the day before. Got out to the bike and got cheered on by a gang of pirate’s on the roof of the boat houses.

    Bike

    Had a lot to make up on, after the first mile stopped and adjusted my bike sensor that wasn’t working. Over did it so had a click click click every time my wheel turned over saw Steve and had a brief conversation along the lines of.

    Steve: cake where’s your glass’s.
    Cake: Steve did you say you had my glasses can’t find them.
    Steve: I’ll find them for you mate.

    Spend off and did the best I could, first 15 miles or so was hard going recovering after the swim and didn’t do that well. Had a few problems seeing properly after a bit with the wind and hayfever in my face plus the odd fly. Just before the first loop Sarah spend past me with Steve hanging out of the window of her car telling me to pull in. Quick discussion followed by a pair of tom’s sunglass’s and off again, If I angled my head just right they worked cool but was a little hard on the neck. Got to the first loop roundabout and missed the turn (could see things but not details) and had to stop and ask a couple of people where I should go. Up the speed bump and tried to make up the speed in the head wind was now click click click click click every few seconds instead of just a few clicks on the front whell. Almost came off just before the BMX ramp with a bit of a cross wind and after that didn’t use the bar’s. Got back to the roundabout and realised the sign for the turn before was behind a white van so felt a bit better about missing it. Was just starting to work out how much I needed to make up and a clickatar clickatar on the bike magnet on my front wheel and if it was possible when the nice marshal told us he had been told to take me off the course. Didn’t know they could do that before the bike cut off and gutted because was finally starting to get it together and could actually see things again. Overall I let my self down with a lack of preparedness training wise and also not taking the time to sort out my kit on the Saturday but a lot of want if’s in my mind if the weather had been better and stuff. Average speed on the bike comp at the time of stopping was 13.9 mph and was building every time I had looked at it before so might have made it in time and still had fresh leg’s by the time I got back so know I could have made it only question was the cut off’s and easy to say would have rather have been pulled off after the 112 miles on the bike if I hadn’t have made it.

    On reflection needed to have been better but at the same time I’m in my own mind on a different day could have made the cut off’s. Time to regroup and revaluate for next time. Did learn one important lesson through and that’s the eye wash stuff you can get from the chemist’s works wonder’s in taking out 2 day old fly's imageimage

  • positives to take from the weekend where little sister crossed the line and so did a lass I've know for years called ozzy helen who races through wakefield tri club. Got to meet some old friends and make some new one's a good weekend just a shame about the racing.

    Oh and Al dropped a crate of lager by my tent before he left always a bonus. image

  • spongecakespongecake ✭✭✭

    Dread to think how long it would have been if id finished

    Outlaw Report DNF

    Well, not much went right at my first Outlaw attempt. I had trained hard for the bike, swam the distance numerous times in the pool and a few times in open water. The run training was sporadic but I was confident I could hobble round.

    I had spent the 2 weeks prior to Outlaw tapering, having panic attacks about the event, even partook in some self mutilation by shaving my upper torso, and it appears I have more hair on my stomach and back than I do on my head these days!

    Registration day was great, met loads of ‘Pirates’ who were happy to chat and share advice which helped to calm my nerves. I was beginning to realise how special the ‘Pirates’ and support are. Was anyone else fooled by the position of the orange buoy in the lake on the Saturday,I looked at it thinking the swim was going to be a doddle.When I arrived on the Sunday and it had been moved back towards the end of the lake,I thought ‘HOLY SWAN SHIT THATS A LONG WAY’.

     Had a sleepless night and arrived at HPP really early, so early it wasn’t even open. I put my bottles on the bike, it was here I realised how good some of these bikes were compared to mine. The guys who were riding these bikes didn’t just suck the gel out of the packet they probably ate the packet as well!! I faffed around with transition bags then waited for the start. Thank you to ‘Purple’ for the little chat; hope you had a great day. Put my suit on, picked my hat and goggles up and made my way into the water, it was then I realised I had left my earplugs. I hate swimming in open water without them.

     Anyway the swim started and I held back, had a few people who came over the top of me and I swallowed a bit of water the wrong way. I began to choke and quickly stuck my fingers in my mouth to make myself sick. I calmed myself down then started breast stroking up the water. To my right there was a bloke who was really panicking, I asked if he needed me to shout for help, he said he was ok while swimming on his back, I encouraged him to swim on his side and try to calm his breathing. I then started off up the water. My swim choke had really knocked my confidence and I struggled all the way. I got a real shock swimming towards the finish and they were all shouting about the 2 hr cut off, I got out of the water in a real panic in 1 hr 56 ish. I knew it was going to be a long day at the office.

    T1 - Got help to remove suit and into the changing tent. I put my cycle shoes on, my sunglasses fell on the ground and I accidently stood on them and to top it off, I then forgot to put my Garmin on. Grabbed my helmet and gloves and ran out to bike. The support up on the bank behind the bikes was amazing, ‘Go on Pirate’ they shouted, I gave them a wave and promptly dropped my gloves, the crowd shouted out so I ran back to get them.

  • spongecakespongecake ✭✭✭

     Got my bike and set off. More support on the left hand bank out of T1, I gave them my first ever ‘AAARRRGGGHHH’ and I was off with a massive smile on my face. I then realised I’d left my Garmin in T1, thought never mind I’ve got my speedometer. I had only got about another 200 meters when my speedometer fell off the bike, I saw small bits of plastic bouncing along the ground, so didn’t bother going back. Not a lot was going to plan! I thought never mind I will look out for mile markers and work out the speed using my watch. I then began to crack on, wondering why there wasn’t any distance markers on the route. Wind was quite bad in places. Support on the side lines was brilliant, and there were no big hills to worry about. The feed stations were brilliant with great support, I was starting to feel tired but cracked on, and being late out of the water I didn’t see many riders and found this quite hard mentally. Down onto the southern loop, first lap and lots more cyclists were overtaking me, going on to their second lap. It wasn’t long before the Pirate feed station came into view, I had a massive smile on my face riding through. Narrowly missed a pushchair when chucking my bottle, Sorry. Brilliant support and a massive thank you to all the Pirate helpers and support; you truly know how to lift people’s spirits. Unfortunately at about 70 ish miles my body just didn’t feel right, energy seemed to drain, I stopped and ate some chocolate brownie and had a drink. The wind seemed to be picking up and with no speedometer or Garmin I was losing the plot on where I was on the course. Pirates were passing me, shouting encouragement and I tried to crack on. At about 80 miles I saw another Pirate at the side of the road who was also struggling. Hi Capt.Jack. We had a good chat and as I was talking, my body just seemed to shut down. We were pushing our bikes along the road, lots of Pirates stopped and encouraged us to carry on and offer gels and tablets. Thank you to you all for your offers of support it meant a lot. I was kind of thinking if I could get to the feed station I might be able to get going again. My body had other ideas and I started being violently sick, I felt like death and the vomit just kept erupting out of my mouth and nose. In between vomits Capt.Jack and I began to laugh at each other, I suppose it was better than crying. By now I knew my race was over. Months of training all for nothing, ending on the road side in a pool of vomit and laughter.

  • Some cracking race reports.

    Great to camp the day before the race and meet up with loads of people from the 'Shorter Tri' thread, those I'd met at the DIY Half and loads of new faces too.

    Catching up with some of the stories in The Bridge on the Monday was great too - everyone had a story to tell about some point on the day.

    Posted my full race report on my blog here: http://serunner.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/outlaw-iron-distance-triathlon-2012/

  • spongecakespongecake ✭✭✭

    Me and Capt were picked up by a support van and taken to an ambulance, Capts blood pressure was low and I kept flat lining when they were taking my blood pressure. Nothing to worry about then!! We laughed and joked on our trip back to the medical tent at HPP. Once in the tent the medical staff wanted us to wait until toilet issues had passed. All I wanted to do was go in a corner and cry, I sneaked down to the changing tent and got my phone to ring family out on the course, I couldn’t speak on the phone trying to tell them I had failed. After the phone call I stood wiping tears from my eyes and thought to myself, ‘remember this feeling you soft twat, be stronger next time’. I had already planted the seed to return and conquer the OUTLAW.

    I am truly honoured to have spent part of the day with so many special people. The whole organisation was fantastic. The Pirate support was truly amazing from the Feed station, to the supporters who lift the whole crowd. An experience I will never forget. Amazing highs and the terrible realization of failure. Thank you to you all...VERY very special people.  Proud to be a Pirate ...  in training!

    Sorry for not hanging around at the finish but I just wanted to dig a whole and hide.

    Well done to all who finished and commiserations to the few who didnt do it this time.

  • spongecake wrote (see)

    ‘remember this feeling you soft twat, be stronger next time’.

    Spongecake, that is fantastic, lots on here have failed and come back stronger and better.


     

  • debbodebbo ✭✭✭

    Spongecake - it sounds like it just wasn't your day - many of us have DNF'd and come back to triumph, so don't lose heart - you'll do it next time I'm sure  image

     

  • And even more have never got to the start line !
  • Spongecake, I heard several times on Sunday people saying 'You dont know, if you dont try'
    None of the people saying it knew the other ...

    Rest, recover, repair and you will live to fight another day  image

  • I had a long discussion with Sue the other week that I thought doing an IM was starting to be what running a marathon used to be 15 years ago.....



    ... She suggested that me and my mates ( think she meant you lot ) have a distorted view on life
  • Loving all the reports everyone image



    I've DNF'd an IM, and maybe it means i'll never be up for the full distance, but i'll give it a try again, when i'm fitter. I can deal with not finishing, having at least tried, but i can't deal with an expectation that i'll never be able to do it (which isn't unreasonable due to my size, and lack of sporty background). I really do believe in the 'better to try and fail than never to try', and who knows, i might even succeed! image
  • Dave The Ex- Spartan wrote (see)
    ... She suggested that me and my mates ( think she meant you lot ) have a distorted view on life

    I think I said similar things to KK over the weekend. It's a skewed normality.

    I joined my running club after doing a HM. I was immensly proud of myself (and I still think it was the hardest race I've ever done), but was immediately welcomed by people who do marathons regularly. There were 1 or 2 IM people in there, and some who run shorter distances faster.

    The takeaway here is I went from my 'normal' friends who don't run, to hanging around with a group who run a variety of distances well. Then I graduated (or was expelled) to the PSOF who skew the normality even further to the 'ridiculous'.

    Report to follow......(one day).

  • Any more reports yet??   Slackers   image

     

  • Spongecake you will be a friend for life mate , I was at my lowest point and felt like death when we caught up on the bike, the pair of us distraught with the feeling of failure soon turned to being like a comedy sketch !! One of my most miserable times was soon to be one of my most memorable funny moments of my life and it completely changed my day for the better . I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that many people , fit or un-fit , can end up with a DNF and I think it just wasn't our day......but trust me that day will come ! I'm glad you've recovered and I look forward to us celebrating our ironman status with our "finishers" t shirts at the next attempt image
  • *scurries up stairs to start typing and appease Meldy*
  • Its a race report thread which is a little bereft on race reports and its not like you lot have got much else to do this week   image

  • I've been writing mine Melds, but it needs editing. It's huge.

  • Pity we dont know any good writers eh? image

  • Maybe Ironman isn't for everyone and some will try and fail and find they don't get the urge to try again..............but for many the failure is just a learning step to success the next time.............

    I still rate the feeling of achieving it one of the best i have had and would still encourage everyone who wants to have a go  to just dive in................if you never try you will never know............our bodies are capable of a lot more than we think..............and if you dream about it then go for it even if it takes several attempts......

    I think taht most who fail and then do not try again....didn't really have the dream and the desire.........maybe they were doing it for the wrong reasons..........not because deep down they really wanted it...............

    dnf is absolutely horrible.........but with the right attitude it does make you stronger image

    and where are all the rest of the reportsimage

  • FRI/SAT


    Arrived quite late on Friday so I could have the Saturday to relax and not worry about driving.   Got there the same time as Ferret so camped up next to him in the Pirate area.
    Saturday, what a day!  Exhausting, so many pirates so little time.  Loved meeting up with all the IMW guys, having them there at Outlaw was fantastic.  Went to register with Mr Zuvai, VTD and Ian, a non pirate who had managed to pitch up in the middle of the Pirate massive.  Love the Pirate/Outlaw buff, hoping it’s not lost…. 
    RACE DAY!


    Sunday!!  4am wake up with some porridge, some general faffing before heading over to transition.  Bike check and at 5.40, about to head towards the lake when Sis goes, “Where’s your timing chip”.  Holy mother of crap, it was in the tent.  Sprinted back to campsite (fastest I ran that day!), got timing chip and rushed back to lake, at least it was an opportunity to warm up …


    SWIM


    Lake was lovely (if you ignore all the shit) !  So warm, and with the sky all blue it really was a lovely swim.  Got a bit biffed up and goggles dislodged a bit at turnaround but not a problem. On the up part of the swim I punched something mid stroke, took a look and it was a swan coming in to land!  Ended doing swim in 1.15, very pleased, was expecting about 1.20.

  • T1
    Quick transition and out on the bike, not much else to say except I was surprised at how many bags were still there.

    BIKE


    Lap of lake was good to orientate you.  Very fast first couple of hours but the wind started to be a right pain from about mile 40 and continued to be so.  Lots of pirates starting overtaking with lots of Arggghing going on (and a good bit of gossiping too)  Fuelled my bike with homemade flapjacks and I’ll use them again, really yummy and not sickly.  THE PIRATE SUPPORT STATION HIGHLIGHT OF THE BIKE!!  Needed to pee at about 90 miles and decided I could wait until transition which was a very bad idea.  22 miles doesn’t seem much when you’ve done 90 miles but it’s an age when you’re bursting for a pee!!  Ended up peeing in a hedge, much relieved I headed towards transition.

    T2


    A 2.51 bike to run transition put me in the top 51 (actually in there were a few of us with the same time, but I’m taking the top 51 position).  So all that training and the thing I’m best at is changing my trainers fast .. whoop whoop!

    RUN

     
    Off for the run, feeling pretty good actually … As I got to the bit where you run round the split in the path where you do the first lap of the lake I got diverted off to the out and back bit …. Took me about 5 mins to realise something was up and had to run back!!!!  So, my IM run was the longest run I’ve ever done, about 27 miles image … anyway .. ignoring that, I was going for a run to feed station, walk through stuffing my face run to next and repeat strategy.  The feed stations put on a marvellous buffet.  I had a banana at the first one, jaffa cakes at the second, for the next I tried the crisps washed down with coke.  For the last 8 miles or so I stuck to the oranges which were lovely and refreshing.  I’m really happy that I didn’t take on a single gel the entire race! …The walks got longer and longer… Didn’t appreciate the head wind so used this as an excuse to conserve my energy.  Saw tons of pirates, the arggggghing got less and nods of acknowledgements more. 

     
    Finished in 13.21, and very happy, especially as I didn’t feel tired or achy afterwards!  Good old endorphins ???  Oh, and that time is nearly 2 hours faster than IMW last year which I think goes to show what an utter beast IMW is!


    So who’s back next year …!!! image

  • spongecakespongecake ✭✭✭
    Cpt. I will spew on your feet any day mate and a pleasure it was meeting you too.We will be back.
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