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Back from IMUK 70.3

Was such good fun. Did it in 5h15 finishing 12 in the 25-29 age group (eve tho im 24, born in Nov so just out of the 19-24),



29.30- swim

4.21- T1

2h59.40- Bike

1.14- T2

1h40.44 Run

Total: 5h15.28



Race was delayed an hour due to mist on the lake, the wait was painful, just wanted to get going. Swim wasnt too bad, started fairly up front near the side and didnt have any probs with crowds or being kicked.



Bike was very technical, lots of hilly sections but a few nice downhill bits. Tried to fuel up as much as possibe with gels and power bars. Had 2 power bars and about 3 gels i think and plenty of gatoade and lucazade.



The run was pretty tough, for the first hour i had a bad stomach, think it must have been too many power bars or finishing one too near the end of the bike. Once this stopped i was ok. Didnt realise that it was going to be sort of cross country and on gravel, but was a nice course, although it did get busy



Will definately be back next year and am definately getting into triathlon now (this was my second one, my first was a sprint at dorney a few weeks ago). I am already looking for a nice tri bike and a few other bits and pieces to buy when i get some money.



Overall was really good, free massage at the end was very welcome.

Comments

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Well done,good result.
  • nicknofingernicknofinger Posts: 284
    Get in well done.
  • GGBGGB Posts: 482
    Great result - shame about the delayed start but these things are sent to Tri us ;) .. and 12th in cataegory is great :D

  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    What a race!!



    Someone had to be the last runner in and yes it was me!! I came in at 8:54 over two hours outside my target time but hey I finished!!



    The swim was excellent, coming out of the water in the first group but it all went downhill after that.....I just could not get a rhythm on the bike and the hills were just evil. Not sure where the nutrition went wrong...maybe the delayed start which was a pain...but I developed cramp in my quads on the second big hill (out of Morebath) which got worse and worse until I started the first hill of the second lap when my legs both spasmed and they locked half way up the hill.[&:]..after that it was push bike up hills over 6ish% and cycle like a madman on the downhills/flat to make the bike cutoff....which I did (5:15 )[:D]



    Onto the rum the cramp came back and had brought a friend nausea and stomach cramps...[:'(]...not going well but a quickly employed strategy of run/stagger got me round in 3:40ish (with huge thanks to Matt - one of the race crew (who kept me company on the last lap)



    So did I enjoy it YES would I do it again oh yes am I sore today just a little....but hey I raised well over £1500 for charity and the winner came and congratulated me later on for making it in[:D][:D]



    Iain.
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    @ Sam - Thats a great result well done!



    @ Combat dwarf - Thats a bummer dude"! Cramp sucks, well done for finishing the race.
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Hey well to both of you, excellent effort Sam to get that time and Combat just to get round at all in the circumstances.
  • froggerfrogger Posts: 24
    congratulations guys :)
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Forgot to say - Combat, just think how easy it will seem next time [:D]
  • JellybabyJellybaby Posts: 180
    Well done guys, awesome effort. You'll be doing full distance in no time.



    I'm hoping to do the 70.3 in a couple of years once I've got a few more sprints and some OD events under my belt.



    Enjoy a few days of rest before getting back on the Tri horse and flogging yourselves for next time.



    JB
  • JoddyBearJoddyBear Posts: 66
    Sam, Iain, well done guys. Great results both.



    The delayed start was a complete nightmare but being down on the lake shore they were definately right not to let people start, the visibility was down to about 20-30 yards and you couldn't even see the start line from the shore let alone the first buoy.



    For those that weren't able to make it, it was a great day once the mist cleared with bright sunshine interspersed with light clouds keeping the temperature around a manageable 18-20 degrees and only a very light breeze. Pretty much perfect tri weather.



    The pro's seemed to make good use of the day with both overall course records smashed, plus i think 4 individual leg records. of 1200+ entries, over 900 people started in the water with 863 crossing the finish line.



    As for me, i missed the swim cut off by an absolutely galling 3 minutes so qualified for the ultimate shame of DNF. I don't think i've been so close to tears in a long while. The only upside was being able to stand at the finish to cheer all the other competitors across the line.



    The training for next year starts tomorrow.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Guys,



    Very well done, I'm really jealous of you's. Hopefully next year I'll have the bike and ability to do a 70.3





    Congrats on the times as well, they seems superb to me.
  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    Hey JD sorry to hear about the DNF.....



    Good luck with the training for next year....just remember that bike/run course is ALL about hills! Do lots in training!!!



    BWs

    I.
  • CPT333CPT333 Posts: 56
    Ouch Ouch Ouch would be my summary!



    What a great race! Judging by wimbleball on sunday I cant understand why people say the UK organisation is bad because i thought it was run very well!



    Firstly I hadnt really swam much in the last month but the swim went really well for me and I came out with a time of 35.17 which put me in 245th place although after T1 I was down to 336th.



    My bike leg was the one I was really worried about as I genuinely didnt know if I could make it back before the cut off time, however fortunately something went right and I made it back in 3.50.04 and sat in 698th. But I had made it back so I was happy! T2 went well and coming out I was in 470th.



    Onto the run! legs=dead! but I refused to give up and was averaging a ten min mile and after half of the first lap I decided I would walk the 3 biggish hills and run all of the rest on each lap.This worked and I managed to finish in 6:43:31. 576th overall and 20th in my age group (18-24)



    Was really happy with it as its only my 3rd triathlon and first one over a super sprint! I think if I had really taken the training seriously and worked as hard as I know I should of then things obviously could have gone better but for now that'll do.



    Dec 08, cardio is for girls!

    Jan 09, Think ill give triathlon a go this year!

    June 09, An Ironman (well half anyway)



    Next middle distance is september so the biggest decision for me at the moment is which full Ironman to do next year?



    Overall, Loved it but boy can I feel it today!



    To everyone else who has done that course and was there competing by my side yesterday, I salute you cause that was some tough stuff!!!

  • IronABSIronABS Posts: 66
    Really well done guys especially Sam amazing that it was just your second tri - I'm glad i read your post as this is my first season of triathlon and i've signed up to do the Little Woody at the end of August which is 70.3 distance, with ambitions (if i get round without too much trouble) of stepping up to full Ironman next year. I've had slight doubts i'm trying to "run before i can walk" sort of thing although i'm confident i can complete the distance.



    I've got 2 sprints underneath my belt this year (Cheshire & Northwich)and 2 more sprints (Liverpool & Bananman) and an Olympic (London) before the Woody.



    Really well done guys - Shame about the cramp Combat but well done for battling round in the end thats what its all about not giving in.



    Sorry to here about the DNF JoddyBear 3 mins is harsh and can well belive you were close to tears - Just think next year!!!!
  • danny_sdanny_s Posts: 235
    What a great race! The crowds and all the volunteers were outstanding, and aside from having bagged transitions separated from the bike racks, everything was incredibly well run. The people cheering all along the course were a big inspiration. All the competitors had a great comraderie and good encouragement/banter along the course. Maybe that's more so in my decidedly middle of the pack standing rather than Sam's though!



    The swim was great, water was calm and very clear. You could see people coming to/from you meters away which made it easy to keep space, only getting packed up around the corners. Finished the swim in 42:xx and felt like I had just done a warm up which was very encouraging. Slower than I'd hoped for by 3-4 minutes, but felt fresh. Seemed to go by so fast I never even got really into the fact we were racing until the third leg.



    T1- the guys helping yank off wetsuits before the tent were amazing! Note to self: do not tie your transition bag shut because it makes getting things out of it quite a pain in the ass. Eat a gel, get the grass off my feet and get going!



    The bike was where I was really worried, both about how my nutrition and legs would hold out, but both seemed to work alright. The first lap ended at 1:48-1:49 for me, and then managed to pick it up for the second lap, finishing 3:32 which was right on my goal time. The people who came out and were cheering at practically every turn were just the greatest! The caffeinated gels must have not liked something though in my guts as at the first food break I had to bee line it to the loo, and there I learned an important lesson: cycling cleats are slippery, as are smooth plastic bottoms of portable loos. Remember this when trying to run into one in a hurry, and I nearly cracked my head and instead just crash landed on the seat. Rest of the bike was good, and by the half way point on the second lap decided to really dig into the hills and got a lot of positions back. Got a bit over-eager at one point and gunned it up the second ~16% hill which spiked my heart rate to 181 which is deep into the red, so calmed down a minute there.



    T2- Very helpful staff grabbed my shoes out of my bag and got me the gels to stick in my pockets. Went so smooth, and I was considering stopping to stretch my calves a minute before the run, but with how speedy the volunteers were I'd have felt bad to waste a second.



    Running was much tougher than I'd expected. There really is no flat spot on the course except for running along the top of the dam. The grass was soft and had good footing, but I saw a good number of people eat it while headed downhill. The first two loops were pretty average and I felt good, about 35-36 minutes each lap. The third lap, my heartrate dropped to 140 which is pretty much my slow jog pace. Tank was empty. I'd had a gel just 5 minutes earlier so I knew that there was nothing to do but grind it out. My goal became just to avoid walking. Found a nice guy from New York and we were pacing and encouraging each other on the big hills at the start of the lap, giving something to focus on. Finished the death march in a disappointing 1:57, about 20 minutes lower than I'd hoped. 50 minute final lap. Again, the crowds gave so much energy that it was impossible to give up.



    6:19 overall which is not disappointing for me. There might have been a couple minutes to get back, but having a huge dinner in my favorite indian restaurant last night with the first cold beers I'd had in almost 2 months, I felt like I'd left it all on the course.



    Looking to find a new challenge to go for now! September or October would be a good time table for another go at 70.3.

  • gdh250467gdh250467 Posts: 237
    It's inspiring to read this feedback. How do I pre-register for 2010?
  • CPT333CPT333 Posts: 56
    There is a middle distance in Weymouth on the 27th ( i think)September organized by Bustin skins triathlon, look it up,looks a fairly challenging course and I shall be there as well.not sure of the website so google it, would be cool to get a few forumites down for it, not too steep on the entry fee either
  • j27rtj27rt Posts: 102
    Great race reports guys, you all did amazing. I went down to Wimbleball to watch and it certainly looked a challenging course. Hopefully next year i'll be racing along side you
  • bigAL99bigAL99 Posts: 13
    Agree with all above, what a great day.

    Lots of lessons to learn for next year.



    Swim 53 minutes, lesson 1 here if your goggles steam up stop and clear them straight away. I eneded up on the furthest bank bestween the 3 rd and 4 th markers and again on the bank by the last marker where finally I de steamed my goggles and them made it back to the finish. To be honest I fully expected to have timed out and was very surprised at the time. Although I knew I could swim the distance having done it a few times down at Heron lake I never thought to time myself, when everyone one was mentioning cut off times I was scared to death.



    T1 9:44 Spent the time getting my legs back and trying to calm down some what.



    Bike 4:23:12 I have to thank Simon here, he took part in the event last year and timed out on the bike, he was back to do better this year ( he did by the way) He very kindly drove the bike course with my on Friday evening this is the only reason I didn't time out. Another lesson here get yourself to big events and ride the course before hand. I took 2:10 on the first loop and didn't make it it fully up any of the climbs without walking. This lead to the hardest ride I've ever done to get inside the cut off time, I cant climb but I'm good on flat and downhill this is what got me round. I need to work hard on hills before next year. Another lesson I hadn't given any thoughts to the cut off times, I cant describe the panic I felt at the end of the first lap thinking about the cut off time. I flew round the second lap risking my life on a couple of downhills just to give me time to get up the climbs. When I got over the line inside the time the relief I felt was over whelming.



    T2 6:34 Felt longer I just sat for a few minutes coming to terms with it all. Done well here to put on sun tan lotion which I was relieved that I'd put in my bag.



    Run 3:06 To be honest I've got no excuse for this time, I just ran and walked relived in the fact I was going to get round. You get 4 hours for the run so the pressure was off and I treated it as such.



    So I completed the event and got my medal. It was by luck not judgement that I got through. After the event I said never again it was to hard, but 24 hours on my view has changed. Don't get me wrong it is a hard event, Ironman themselves list it as the hardest 70.3 on their calender but if I'd gone and checked out the course earlier in the year, I would have known I needed to train more on hills on the bike and also the run. I would have timed my swim and know you only get an hour to complete, this would have relaxed me some much while on the swim which would have helped alot. I don't feel I've done myself justice hence my change of heart I want to do alot better next time.



    The event was very well organised, the volunteers and crowds were fantastic and even the weather, once the mist had gone was great.



    I'll see you there next year.
  • danny_sdanny_s Posts: 235
    CPT333 wrote:


    There is a middle distance in Weymouth on the 27th ( i think)September organized by Bustin skins triathlon, look it up,looks a fairly challenging course and I shall be there as well.not sure of the website so google it, would be cool to get a few forumites down for it, not too steep on the entry fee either



    That sounds perfect except that its my birthday and I've got a bunch of my friends all running a 1/2 marathon with me. If anyone around london wants to join us for running the race is Run to the Beat, and is a really flat, fast half.

  • Thanks for the congratulations. I have just seen that my time would have qualified me for clearwater, i never thought that that would have been possible at all. Unfortunately i wasnt able to stick around for the role out (had to fly to abderdeen that evening for work)...wouldnt have been able to afford it anyway but its nice to know that I could have. But this had made me more determined to qualify for the next one, i will definately be putting some proper prep in for next year and try and qualify.



    I really think evryone should give triathlon a go. You just have no idea if you will do well or not. I had no idea that i would be able to qualify for clearwater (maybe i would have missed that flight if i had known). I have really have no idea about race nutrition, pacing or transitions at all, and just go on what i feel. I only decided to get into it in March when i couldnt do running for 6 weeks due to a stress fracture, i took up road cycling instead (although it took me a while to take this seriously). I will definately be looking at structured training for next year, maybe i will look at it from now on actually.



    Well done to everyone, was such a good event.
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