Thursday, March 29, 2012

Ironman Melbourne Thoughts

Ironman is a long long race. For me it's a 13-15 hour journey all on my own. Plenty of time to let all sorts of thoughts to get into my head.

So what does one think about during an Ironman? Here is an account of the thoughts that crossed my mind during the my recent 13h45m Ironman Melbourne.

15 minutes before: Ok... Show time. Let's get into the water.

14 minutes before: Brrrr.... so cold. 

10 minutes before: I can't feel my feet... Do I have to do this???

5 minute before: Ok, warm up... swim to the start. Put the head underwater. Great, now I can't feel my face

2 minutes before: Where the hell is the turn buoy? It's so dark I can't see...

(Horn goes off for swim start)

Start: Was that the start? Do we go now?

10m: Ok, here we go, follow those feet.

100m: Ouch! Where did that foot come from?

200m: Ok, got people around me, I'm not that slow.

500m: Am I going the right way? Where is everybody?

800m: Shit! Where am I? Waaay off course....

900m: Where's the turn buoy? Should have seen it by now...

1000m: Kadush! Another kick, must be back on course again.

1.2km: Ok just keep that blue seventy guy in sight, I'll be ok.

1.5km: That looks like the turn buoy just ahead. That was quick. Good swim!

1.6km: Damn it wasn't the turn buoy. It's the midway buoy. This is sooooo slow...

2km: Where did everybody go? 

2.5km: That looks like a buoy. Swim towards it...

2.8km: Damn... it wasn't the buoy. It was a marshall. 

2.9km: Great... Off course again

3.2km: Ok... home stretch, not far now. 

3.6km: Finally, the last turn buoy

3.7km: Ok, hands touching ground. Get up.

3.8km: Yes! Done with the swim. Shit! Can't get this wetsuit off!

T1: Ok. Slowly! Take left arm off, take right arm off. Opps stuck on the Garmin. Take Garmin off. 

T1: Wow! Big crowds. Look it's dad! Hi Dad!

T1: Ahh the showers look inviting... BRRR.... too cold, get out of the showers. 

T1: Ok grab bike bag, put helmet on, put arm warmers on. Why is everyone putting gloves and windbreakers on? 

T1: (leaving change tent) Damn, it's cold!!! Not very smart leaving my windbreaker with dad :(

T1: I'm shivering... how to ride?

Bike 0km: Strangely not that cold on the bike. Ok, let's go...

2km: Food! Eat eat eat!

2.5km: Burp! Ok let's go

5km: Need to pee. Should have gone at T1.

8km: Passing people! This is fun!

15km: Ok pee break.

20km: I love this course. So easy to go fast.

28km: Why am I going so sloooow? Are we going up a hill!

30km: Yay! Two-thirds of the way to the halfway point of the first half of the bike!

40km: Here comes the tunnel

43km: Wooo hooooo! 60kmh!

44km: This climb out is damn steep!

45km: Halfway there! 

62km: 46km/h and I'm not even pushing! Woo hoo!

80km: Why can't I hit 30km/h???

90km: Big crowds here! Off the saddle! Look good!

91km: Need to rest. Let's stop at special needs.

100km: Legs are cramping, pop some salt. 

110km: Pushing so hard but still going 23kmh!!! What's going on??!!

125km: Second wind!!! Woo hooo!!!!!

127km: I'm tired... What am I doing this again???

133km: Tunnel again! Wooo hooooo!!!

134km: I hate the tunnel I hate the tunnel I hate the tunnel....

135km: Less than two hours to cover 45km to break 7 hours, can be done....

145km: Cannot be done. Another 7 hour bike, looks like

150km: I really want to break 7 hours...

160km: Not going to happen, not at this rate...

175km: Only 5k to go, push push push.

178km: Easy, still got marathon to run...

180km: Made it! Sub-7 bay beh!!!! Wooo hoooo!!!!

T2: Rest! Phew!

T2: Oi! Race still on, get off your ass and get going!

Run 0km: Eh? What's Senn doing here? Oh missed bike intermediate cutoff. She must be bummed...

1km: Maybe I should join Senn and DNF, I'm not looking forward to this run. 

3km: Trail run???? I thought this was Ironman, not Xterra...

4km: Wow, they're really taking us on a tour of Frankston.

5km: McDonald's! I'm hungry. Should have stopped with Senn.

6km: Ooooh.. tummy ache, pitstop

10km: Yay! A quarter of the way!

15km: Oooh... Mexican restaurant... A burrito sounds good right about now...

18km: Mental! This road is soooo long and straight!

19km: Hey look! It's Senn and family on the bus! Hi!

22km: Oooh... we're down by the beach! How nice...

24km: We have to go up that bitch of a hill??!!! Seriously???!!!

28km: 2 more k to 30k. Then can walk. NOPE! NO WALKING!

33km: Damnit! Garmin's dead... So much for 20 hours

34km: Ok, one hour for the last 8k and I'll break 14 hours... pick up the pace!

35km: 8k is one loop of the Ironman Langkawi loop. That's quite long, better ease the pace. 

36km: 6k to go. Let's pick up the pace!

37km: Maybe pushed to soon. Let's save it for the last 2k.

40km: Last aid station! Woo hoo. Speed up speed up speed up!

41km: Last k, last k! I can see the finish line! That looks more than 1k to go!

41.5km: What?! turn right here? But the finish line is straight ahead!

42km: The finish chute. Woo hoo! High fives high fives!

42.2km: There's the line. Let's do a leap across the line. Here we go: One... Two... Lea.. OW CRAMP!!!!

1 comment:

heckler said...

GOOD JOB! nice report ;-)