Ironman 70.3 UK 2014
Better late than never, here’s my 70.3 UK race report!
At last year’s 70.3 UK, 3 members of my club qualified for the 70.3 World champs It was chucking it down: many dropped out during the race, and many more didn’t bother staying for the roll-downs, which meant a few surprised athletes got a slot for Las Vegas from pretty deep in the field.
Looking at the profile of the course, raining or not, it was one I knew I’d enjoy. At least the bike leg. So I registered very early, knowing I could give it a good go, and have potentially the support of my Coach, Jo Carritt, who’s a local. This was also going to be a second 70.3 target to qualify for the worlds.
I stayed at Jo’s which made the whole trip very easy. Having two pros in the house (with Laura Bostock), also made it interesting for a common mortal like me, but no one was too stressed out. Jo initially didn’t want to race, but changed her mind when she knew only 3 pro ladies were registered! Knowing she’d be in the field spurred me on to do well at the race, as I knew I would (again), have her as a target to catch on the bike.
However, after I registered for this race, I went on to do very well at Lanzarote 70.3 2013, and I qualified for the Canada World Champs over there. 70.3 UK was therefore for me a race without pressure, and all the more enjoyable. I did give it a good go, but possibly not as hard as I would have done without a slot in my pocket.
Pre-race, reccing the route with Jo and Laura was interesting as well, as they’re no slouch in the water or on the bike, and certainly changed from my usual, lonely routine. Getting through the pro briefing, away from the masses was also both easy and enlightening as to what is said in those. Ironman clearly doesn’t waste any opportunity to reinforce the fact that they’re a brand and they’re relying on the pros image to make money… The level of attempted evangelism was slightly amusing as a non-pro, but a bit cringey given the recent backlashes against WTC, prize purses, and how they seem to look after the ones who should be the stars of the sport.
Anyway, the water temperature the day before the race was a balmy 19C, with glorious sunshine, with the same predicted for race day: a stark contrast from the previous years! Racking was dead easy and volunteers chirpy and welcoming, but getting to Wimbleball Lake and getting out of the area was a challenge on its own. Narrow roads, “one way system” in place for both racking and race day, and no phone coverage whatsoever to tell everyone how pumped I was and send pretty photos of the lake… At least distractions got out of the way pretty quickly and we could concentrate on the hard stuff!
Race day was no different. Everyone at the house was pretty chilled, as I don’t think anyone had any pressure, and after a 40min drive from Jo’s place, we went our own ways to slump in our pre-race nerves. I met the absolutely gigantic (and massively enthusiastic) RGActive group who had their “team champs” on the day, before getting through the last bits of race prep and visualisation.
I was in the first wave, so I went down by the lake pretty early. My swimming isn’t the best, so I take a little bit of time to visualise how I could get around without leaving too much energy and try to enjoy it. That’s usually before I decide to put myself at the pointy end of the start to get a good get away and try to follow some quick feet.
Once again I started at front of the pack, for the most civilised swim I’ve ever had in a 70.3. I can’t remember being punched, kicked or swam over at all, and that must be a first, especially for a front row start! That didn’t mean I was suddenly swimming 22min ahead of everyone (I swam 32!), but rather that the other swimmers weren’t in a fighting mood as seen at other races. I believe having such a wide start line also helps a lot, as it’s easier to find free water before the first buoy, by which time everyone has pretty much slotted in their right positions.
Looking at the rankings rankings now while writing this, I was 23rd out of the water in my AG. Surpriiise!!!
Out of the water in my "usual" time
After the age-long run-climb up to transition, akin for me to another great race elsewhere int he UK (The Swashbuckler, in the New Forest), I was in my element, and quickly up on the power to get over with the first climb quickly. I passed Laura before the left turn at the top and was surprised by that given how good a swimmer she is. I couldn’t be in a bad place, but knew I had another target further ahead with Jo.
Even though I recced some of the route the day before, I had not raced there previously, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Well, it’s pretty simple: there isn’t a single flat section on the whole bike course. It’s up, or down, or steep up, or steep down! You’ve been warned if you want to do that race! I had my “Lanza” gearing, and when I reached Blight’s hill, about 30K in the lap, I barely got over it on a 39x27. And you have to do it all twice!! Not only is there no flat section, and very steep gradients, there is also more cumulative ascent than at Lanza 70.3, so that course really packs a punch!
climbing, climbing, and more climbing!
This year, the weather was gorgeous. It was warm, dry, and I could really push it on the bike. At one point, I sadly lost my front water bottle with all my nutrition in it, so I had to stop and go back for it. One of the locals there had picked it up and ran towards me which was amazing. This sort of thing makes me really happy and hopeful in that people do embrace the racing around their area. Thanks to them, I didn’t lose much time. I did lose a few places though, as I was battling with the same group of guys around the climbs all the way through until then. I’m a mountain goat, so I’d pass them on the ups. They were big muscles guys, so they’d whizz past me on the downs. With that bottle accident, I had lost them, and my place in the pack.
However, it looks like I ended up being 9th off the bike in M30-34… It was all going quite well!
I caught Jo right while I got into T2. This time, she’d out-biked me, and there will be a revenge some day! So it was game over for me in my little personal race against her, as I knew she’d totally destroy me on the run. Despite her shouting at me while she was 2nd lady (thanks coach!), the gap lengthened and I snapped. If you’ve never been to Wimbleball to see the course: don’t leave it all on the bike, as the run is worse!
I was a bit down mentally during the first lap. I didn’t know the course, and I walked a fair few aid stations. Someday I’ll run the whole damn thing! But I regained conciousness for the last two laps, now that I knew the terrain and where the hard bits were. Jo was long gone, but I was starting to catch guys up, so I didn’t think that I was doing too bad. After seeing Laura’s partner at the time, Steven, around the bike course, it was a breath of fresh air to have him shout incomprehensible things at me on the run. He’s from “the North”, you see, so as a Frenchman, I don’t get half of what he says when I’m racing and puffing my lungs out! But having him there was something to look forward to every lap, much like the oh-so-noisy RGActive posse who should have won the loudest and craziest cheer crew award of the year at that race. I’ve never seen so many enthusiastic (and frankly, nuts), people, driving everyone on as they passed. I managed to run almost all of the remaining hills on the last lap, only slowing down a little bit at the top of the aptly named “Steep Lane”. The end was in sight, the ordeal almost over, and I felt that I was flying.
Is that a smile? Neeeh, more a grimace!
It turned out I was flying so well that I didn’t have anything in reserve for the last climb, and that’s exactly where I caught another M30-34 who did have some left… I tried to kick a little as I passed him, but should have buried myself here and then, as he hung on, and had a massive sprint kick when it all levelled up at the top of the last climb. I just couldn’t follow in the convoluted end funnel before the line, and I let him go. My fun day was over, but I still managed a respectable 5h10'10", for 15th in my AG. Happy days!
It was great to find Jo not too far in the tent, and even share a bit of her champagne afterwards from a well deserved podium for her usual true grit!
Let’s be honest: this race is a perfect playground for hard-core racers. I don’t know if the race reputation of being the hardest in the world is true, but it’s certainly the hardest I’ve done to date. Comparing it with Lanza makes the latter look pretty easy if I’m honest! The bike is hard with long climbs and wind, but it’s not as relentless as Wimbleball. The run, however, is on a totally different level. One you’d be wise to respect if you want to do well around the lake.
