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Hi Everybody, it may be a good time to get a drink and some nibbles...
Friday
Got up early to go to the swim park for a try at the swim, only to be told no swimming as the sea is not safe; far too windy. Very windy all day, Went to pasta dinner.
Saturday
Nice easy day. I don't rack my bike until 6pm so we just chill. A very dark, 5 mile ride to T1. It's like a maze and very dark. My bike is racked by the big tree - well not so much a tree, just a big bush (they don't have trees...). There are bugs everywhere eating me. Hand in my bike and run run bags in ready for THE DAY.
RACE DAY
Up at 5am. Try to drink lots and sort the food bag for on the bike, then taxi to Chankanaab marine park for the swim. I find my bike then drop food bag off. It is dark and full of bugs.
As the dawn breaks we all give a sigh of relief - not too windy and no white horses on the sea; just dolphins jumping. A good sight to help calm the nerves.
They have had to move the swim so that we are only swimming into the current for 500m at the start and then 200m at the end. By now, it is starting to warm up. The racks that the pro's have are not any better than ours.
Its time to get sorted - the pro's have 15min start on us and we find out why - it takes them 15min to swim the first 500m.
We are called into the water through the Dolphin pen to the swim start. I find some space then off we go. For the first ten strokes nobody moves; all we do is whip the water up then slowly we start to move. It takes a long time to get to the first buoy but then I am able to get sorted and make some places and time. Out of the swim in good time 1hr 10ish.
Run about 200m to get bag then 200m more to change tent, run to bike and we are off. It is time to start to eat and drink, there are about 60 of us in a group, not drafting but in a very very long line.
This is good - 19mph, low h/r, feeling good; there are only 5 turns on the bike route so lots of very flat very long straight road in front of us.
Lap one done, a little bit faster than planned but good for the start of lap 2 as we turn the first bend where we did 19mph last time we are only able to do 16 and are working to keep at that the wind has started to pick up, we take turn 2 and now we are along side the sea now I am having to work to keep 15 mph and the road is bumpy along this part of the route - so bumpy that my speedo stops working and then drops off. I have to stop, take the front wheel off and remove bits. It is getting hard to keep any speed now the wind is strong and I now know why they banned disc wheels for the race. Lap two done just one more to go... Lap three and it is very windy and only able to get to about 12 mph now. The line is now getting thin, I now know why i did those long rides around Bala by myself because this wind could do you in fighting it all the time. I found the bike devil out there and made a few promises ("if you just get me off this bike..."). Now i know why they call this Ironman... I've worked very hard for a long time (never been this deep before). I see the road sign for Cozumel 12k; I now know I can do this. Lots of crowds for the last 5k; they give me the lift I needed. Time to eat and drink ready for the run; no GU now just food.
I hand my bike in at T2, pick up my run bag then head into the change tent. As I go in there are about 50 men, some sitting some standing but nobody looking good (don't know what I was like...). I got my run kit on, gave the bag in and then off for the run. Well just one thing first - got time to give Aline a kiss (she worked hard you know) then off on the run. I plan to run easy to the aid station then see how I am. Get to first one to find the wind has cost my body a lot. I run from aid tent to aid tent; they are 1k apart so good markers. I am now getting very hot and very sweaty but I am able to run. I get to about 10k and the heat is getting to me now; not feeling very well - head hurts and tummy not at its best. Don't know how long i can keep this up for; much too hot and lots of pain. Have to start to run/walk for 2 or 3k; now only able to walk. I have never felt this bad before (feet and knees swelling). Just need to finish this now. I try pouring ice water over my head and legs but this did not help. I am now passing bodys all over the place. The crowd are great and the armed police (they got lots of fire power) - they help brush the bugs off and spray more bug spray on and send you off for more...
On the last lap can not stop now, not even for a drink, just got to keep moving. I am dizzy and my legs are very swollen. I can hear the finish crowd every time somebody gets to the finish. There are about 6 of us now helping each other; some have more laps to do but this is my last... This is the last K now, the pain will stop in a few mins - last 500 and somebody shouts "Go for it Wrecsam Tri" so i just had to try and run.
Well I have done it - Ironman Cozumel done and dusted.
They hang a medal around my neck at the finish. Now the pain has gone; just the Ironman Tingle left... |
