Brutal

I'm racing the Brutal Half this weekend, ably sherpa-ed by Morton.

Just got the entrants list and there is another Pirate whose name I don't recognise. Will Paul Venus please make himself known. There is also a Daniel Floettmann from a "Team Pirates". You both owe me an explanation of how I've gone from been nailed on fastest Pirate to struggling for a Pirate podium spot!

Comments

  • Oh you are not drawing me in to the whole kit debate...life is too short image

    I'm just happy to have some more Pirate company. Quick Google suggests Floettmann is from Germany...our Teutonic chapter perhaps?

  • stealth mode wrote (see)
    Stanners from the Bridge wrote (see)

    I'm racing the Brutal Half this weekend, ably sherpa-ed by Morton.

    Just got the entrants list and there is another Pirate whose name I don't recognise. Will Paul Venus please make himself known. There is also a Daniel Floettmann from a "Team Pirates". You both owe me an explanation of how I've gone from been nailed on fastest Pirate to struggling for a Pirate podium spot!

    Oh my, you really care about the fact that anyone can be a Pirate now? Chances are it's just a bandwagon jumper. If they have done an IM within a year (or 9 months), then fair enough.

    Would that be from a seated start or a 1.30 half mara?

  • Stanners looking forward to the race report...I have always fancied that race...image... 

  • Stanners - Great day out..did the half last year and met Matt M there too....the swim is nice and flat.....the bike is the opposite way up the Llanberis pass x 2 - not the one we did at slate-man, but still a steady climb...run is pretty flat too - don't be shit!! Good luck.

  • Gran a cup of tea and a jammy dodger...race report

    The Brutal was always a race I’ve had my eye on, since someone mentioned it whilst racing the Slateman Triathlon one year. I think North Wales, and particular the area around Snowdon and Llanberis is as ideal as you could want. Crystal clear waters, challenging bike climbs and testing run routes, what more could you ask for!

    I was lucky enough to blag an entry spot thanks to the guys in the Buccaneer Team. Free half ironman race in exchange for a race report (not this one…don’t worry)? Don’t mid if I do!

    The half was being run at the same time as a full (one for the future) and a double (not enough tequila in world to get me to contemplate that one), but the total field was still only 150 athletes or so, so the event is really friendly and the sense of camaraderie between competitors really noticeable. Irrespective of the distance…we’re in this together!

    I arrived late on Friday afternoon, registered and racked (and managed to get stung by a bee on the sole of my foot…first time I’ve been stung…bloody hurt!). Nothing as fancy as transition bags here. There was a tent…with chairs…first come first served…late entrants on the floor. Basic, brutal, but it worked.

    Briefings were delivered that evening.  As well as confirming the slightly longer distances (swim 1.9k, bike 93km, run 24km including a 15km ascent and descent of Mount Snowdon), rules like no using the railway (bugger!) and hands of the race organiser’s girlfriend and mum were established (as some Yorkshire man found out mid briefing).

    The briefings ran a little late which meant I had to stand my date, fellow Pirate Matt Morton, up and headed off to bed in what can only be described as the world’s hottest and noisiest hotel. 4am start with porridge and coffee with a short trip down the transition area ready top race. Weather was ideal. Slight breeze and cloud cover had kept the temperatures mild. Spot on! 7am and it was time to rock and roll!

    The Swim

    The swim was 2 laps of a square course in Lake Padarn. 15 degrees, that is warmer than when I raced in it in May. Matt and I had discussed the course before I started and he suggested it looked a little long. Surely not! This was my first open water swim since Liverpool in early August. And it showed. Not pace wise, I managed to hit 3.5kmph that for me is bloody fast. But in technique, my sighting was shocking, to the point where my Garmin showed I’d covered 2.4km, a full 500m more than necessary. It explained my disappointing swim time of 42:09, exiting the water 45th out of 81. 

    Swim Section: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/595242589

    Transition was a jog back to the tent. Took my time as the weather is so changeable in that area to make sure I had everything I needed. Obligitory p##s taking by Matt (and now his dad too) and I was off for my 2 laps of the bike course.

    Continued....

  • Race report continued...

    The Bike

    I was a little worried to be honest. I was one of only a few people taking a TT bike out on the course. I’d managed OK at IMUK 70.3 that does have more climbing in it, but I was wondering if the other people knew something I didn’t! I need not have worried, a couple of sharpish climbs in the first section was the worst of it. The 10k or so climb up to Pen-y-Pass at the end of the bike lap is a long drag…but I quite like them. You could see well in to the distance and it gave me people to chase. I managed to pass 28 people on the first lap and go through the halfway split in 1:38:11.

    The second lap was eventful. Had someone insisting in drafting me for the first quarter. Then I punctured which I repaired quickly (first time). Realy wanted to make the time back up and was getting in to my rhythm again when I saw someone at the side of the road struggling. I’m really conscious when I race in Yellow and Black that I want to make sure I leave a good impression of the Pirates, so I pulled over and gave the bloke my last inner tube and CO2 canister.

    The race organiser also made a great point that if you take care of your fellow competitors, they may take care of you in the future, which I completely agree with. Hopefully karma would repay me.

    I really hammered the remaining second half of the last lap and managed a 1:40:00 which given my first lap time and the delays on the second lap, I was happy with. I managed to make up another 3 places so after coming out of the swim in 45th, I was up to 14th.

     Bike Section: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/595242591

    The Run

    The run has 2 distinct sections. The first is a trail run around lake Padarn, a little over 8k with some short sharp climbs in the second half. I felt good coming off the bike and was knocking out sub 4m:30s km’s on the flat with a relatively low heart rate. All good. I kept running on the hills and was surprised how many people I was passing. I finished the lake lap in a little over 40 minutes and had managed to pass 6 people and I was up in to 8th.

    Run Section: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/595242596

    In to the transition tent to pick up my mountain kit and a medical check before collecting Matt, my Sherpa for the second section of the run. An ascent and descent of Mount Snowdon! 15km and some change in total with 1000m+ of climbing.

    I had it in my head that everyone would be of a similar pace on the really steep sections and downhill, so if I was going to make up any more places it needed to be on the less dramatic sections of the climbs. It didn’t quite work out that way.

    We kept up a good pace at the foot of Snowden, but on the climbs my choice of partner came in to his own. Matt, with his long, gangly and fresh legs, even when walking, set a really good pace. I just focused on his feet. The ascent took 1h:15m and we managed to pass 2 more people to move in to 6th position. I felt a bit silly summiting in my tri kit when everyone else was dressed like Scott of the Antarctic but luckily the worst of the weather was a strong wind and low cloud which unfortunately meant the views were somewhat limited.

    Continued...

  • Race report continued...

    The descent can only be described as terrifying. A slight navigational error took us on to some train tracks and added to the distance we had to cover, and obviously screaming “runner passing on your right” means something different in Wales, especially to the women. One lovely lady panicked and took me out as I was passing at 15kmph. The fall itself was not too bad (my elbow took the worst of it) but the cramp in both my hamstrings it caused was excruciating.

    Matt had the bedside manners of Harold Shipman and after in no uncertain terms telling me to HTFU we were off again. We managed to finish the descent in 40 minutes giving me a mountain time of 1h:55m. Finish time was 6h:41m:06sec and I’d managed to bag 6th place, my highest ever finish in a race. 

    Mountain Section: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/595242599

    To say I was chuffed is an understatement! The race was everything I expected. Fun, challenging, brutally painful at times and one that I can not recommend highly enough Special thanks to Matt too…those last 2 spots I made up was largely due to him. Pirates rock!

     

    Official timings with transitions included are here: http://wildboar.racetecresults.com/MyResults.aspx?CId=16349&RId=15071&EId=1&AId=25448

  • Fantastic result matey ! Sounds an awesome day out !



    I went up Snowdon in May and my return trip was about 4 times longer than yoursimage



    Are you doing the marathon again this year ?
  • cougie wrote (see)
    Fantastic result matey ! Sounds an awesome day out !

    I went up Snowdon in May and my return trip was about 4 times longer than yoursimage

    Are you doing the marathon again this year ?

    No marathon this year Cougie, I am back at Oulton Park though. What about you?

  • Great time and great report Stanners....I managed 9h 55m last year - so was going to join the sub10 forum....!! Did the Sandman in lovely warm windless weather...great event.

  • and showing his moobs off with the pirate swimcap!!

  • Great reports Stanners, interested in this for next year.

     

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    Stanners from the Bridge wrote (see)

    Oh you are not drawing me in to the whole kit debate...life is too short image

    I'm just happy to have some more Pirate company. Quick Google suggests Floettmann is from Germany...our Teutonic chapter perhaps?

    Oh, I just came across this one. May I introduce myself? I am Daniel Floettmann from Bielefeld, Germany, a.k.a. Silverback, Team Pirate.
    I am a Pirate since 2007. The German Team Pirate is not a Teutonic Chapter of you Pirates (www.pirate.biz). The existence of another Pirate Team out there in the world (from my view...) is what I learned at Norseman 2009, when I met a yellow pirate from the UK. Unfortunately I forgot the name.

    If you have to qualify for being allowed to call yourself a pirate: will 10 Ironman races including Hawaii and 3x Norseman do for the momentimage

    Well, however,  who won the Brutal Pirate ranking then?

    Greetings from here,

    Daniel 

     

  • talking about the Brutal there is  a programme about it on tonight .. Channel 5 at 7 pm

  • Oh yes - Extreme Endurance or something ? I saw the first ep. Looks interesting !
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