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Ironman nerves....

Has anyone got any last minute tips on survival for the IM UK on Sunday? (and is anyone else a little scared.....???!!)

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  • I did my first IM a couple of weeks ago in Canada so remember the feeling! They may not be specific to the UK, but these are key tips from me:



    1) Do nothing tomorrow and then maybe 20 or 30 mins of very gentle running or cycling on saturday. No matter how fit you feel, relax. You will need every ounce of energy on sunday. Eat normal meals as you have before. Dont overload and dont drink too much water (you risk cramps and flushing all the good stuff out your body)



    2) Prepare as much as possible. Leave nothing to chance. Drive the bike course (some people may say dont do this, but I atleast found it easier to sleep the night before as for the last 6 months I had been wondering what it was like. IM UK has a fearsome reputation for the bike course but nothing is impossible and everyone is in the same boat). Take 2 inners with you on the bike and leave 1 in special needs bike bag. You may (like me) end up needing the. Give yourself a treat in special needs bag- jelly babies or choc covered coffee beans are good.



    3) Enjoy it. Its an amazing feeling when you are stood at the swim start. After all those months you are there. You have done the hard work. The thought if 12+ hours of exercise seems huge but believe me the time flys by. One minute you are starting the swim, then before you know it you've done 4 or 5 hours and well into the bike course.



    4) Dont panic when you start the run. No matter how much training you have done your legs will be shot. Give them 15 mins they will get better.
  • Thanks Blaise



    This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to hear, it's making me realise I am more prepared than I think! I plan to drive the course the day before, and have done a fair few hills in training so I'm hoping that'll see me through.

    I've got a 38t on by bike and a 12/25, so have followed all the recomendations on the site. I have heard the road condition is a bit bad, but I guess I'll just have to deal with it. I am hoping the wind won't be too bad though - the forecast is looking better for Sunday, weather watching has become a new obsession!!!!

    I'm planning a walk/run strategy, so may start with walk!! ha ha...



    I wasn't planning to use the special need bag, as the website discourages using them just for food purposes, they say they have more than enough to provide for everyones needs.



    How did you do by the way?
  • I was hoping to do it in about 12.5 hours, but got 3 punctures along the way and a 1 hour period of throwing up on the run so ended up doing it in 13.5 hours- but trust me, by the end of it you dont care what your time is you are just relieved to have done it. With triathlon its easy to get obsessed with times and splits etc and how you couldve saved time here and there. I've always believed you should run your own race, give it 100% and then you can be happy. Your time is simply the product of that.



    As an aside, part of the reason why I was chucking up was because it turns out that Powerbar do not make the electrolyte drink in canada so we were given gatorade. I had been training on powerbar and whilst not ideal I didnt think it would effect me that much- so the morale of the story here is when your stomach starts to shut down ANYTHING that is remotely new to it gets rejected!!



    Re special needs- alot of people use the strategy of putting a treat in here. On the bike course and run course you will be bombarding your body with ALOT of sweet food. After a while it is likely you will crave somehting a bit different and something for you to look forward to having, like a flapjack (but dont make it something you've never had before- like Gatorade!!!). The special needs bags are quite big and I went for a more rather than less approach- as no harm in giving yourself options...
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