Double Ironman Paul

19 days before the Ironman Austria I strained my calf during an interval session. Being upset is an understatement, all sorts of things were immediately going through my head such as should I pull out, we’ll go on holiday and avoid the event, can I get some money back, what an effing waste of all my training, etc. You get the idea. I came round to thinking if I did no running and molly coddled it for a couple of weeks, it may be in a state to enable me to run. I was also offered a session of acupuncture from a friend, so thought why not, I was in a position where I would try anything. So that’s what i did and kept my fingers crossed until the big day.

On the morning of the event I was looking forward to the swim and cycle but dreading the run, both because I didn’t know how my calf would react and also the memories of last year when my lower back was so painful during the run that I hobbled like an old man who had been working the fields all his life.

The weather forecast was for sunny warm weather all day with a 40% possiblity of a shower at 11. Peak temperature 25 deg. At the time of going (about 6’ish) to T1 to pump my tyres up, it was raining! So much for forecast accuracy.

The sun then appeared and I watched the elites swim off at 06:30, then the good age groupers, and then the better than me age groupers, by which time it was an hour later, the elites were finishing their swim and now it was my turn, amongst the self seeded slower than average swimmers to get wet. The water was about 21 degrees, so comfortable. It was also calm, clean and quite clear. Apparantly beautiful scenery all around, not that I could enjoy it with my head underwater and fending off other swimmers. I could hardly see where I was going.

The swim ended with a 1km swim along a canal. Approaching and sighting the canal was difficult, with swimmers converging to one point from a fan shape and then lots of hustle and bustle in the canal, but I stood my ground and tried to stay on the centerline concentrating on my stroke with an occasional piece of weed attaching itself to my beard and a breast stroker kicking me in the face. Then, finally a hook turn to the right to the exit point. Many hands grasping at us to stop us from falling over from dizziness and to get us out of the way of the following swimmers. I was pleased with my swim and enjoyed it. Also a sense of achievement having swam 2.4 miles and feeling good.

My bike was positioned in a good place next to the exit of T1, so a long but easy run from the swim to my bike, a quick change and a spray of Factor 30 (wishful thinking)! And I was away on the cycle route. Got a cheer from Cath and then down to business. The route started nice and undulating along the side of the lake and the sun was shining. Then the clouds got darker and the hills got closer. And yes, it started to rain and it got cold. In fact it was fecking freezing when on the downhill sections and in a thin wet Tri suit. . The views were gone because of the lower cloud on the hills and after 50 miles I was thinking “do I really want to do another lap in this?” Then came a long descent into Klagenfurt and the end of the first lap. The sun came out again and so I attacked the 2nd lap with revived optimism. The sun and the warmth made such a difference and I started to enjoy the views and the ride. The route was officially described as ‘rolling’ but it was probably a little more rolling than many expected. Nothing too onerous though when compared to the rides I’d taken in North Wales and the Lake District.

At the end of the second lap I was feeling good having taken on plenty of energy and fluid and holding myself back a bit for the run. I arrived at T2.

Shoes on, helmet off, cap on, gratuitous spray of the sun cream and I was off on the run alongside the canal. Feeling my way regarding the calf. Since I wasn’t running too fast, the calf wasn’t pushing off much so seemed ok. 5 km in and the old lower back problem came into play. Same as last time!

My strategy was initially to walk for a brief time at each feed station which were spaced 2.5km apart but I seemed to stretch out the brief walk at each station and to have another little walk half way between stations, all because the pain in the lower back was escalating when pounding the street and the only thing that relieved it was walking. The calf, which was initially my main concern, took a background seat and gave me no problem at the speed I was going.

Just as I was going past the red carpet and on to the 2nd half of the run, I saw Matt running to the finish hi-fiving who he could and with a big smile on his face. I smiled and was so happy for him and briefly forgot about my own run. I continued on and collected my lap band ready for the 2nd lap. Only a half marathon to go! I continued in the same vain. When I saw Cath with 10km to go I said to her that my back was so bad I would probably walk the last 10km so expect me to finish in an hour and a half. When I made that verbal notification aloud I was horrified at myself. So I started running/shuffling again and managed running longer sections than before, telling myself it’s only 10k. Only 10 more km of this pain.

Then, at about km 35 I was suddenly overcome with a cold sweat and dizziness and just had to sit down on a nearby wall. I rested a couple of minutes with a fair few runners showing concern for me and a Marshall asking if there was anything they could do. Ofcourse I said I was fine and continued sitting with head in my hand. I guess I was there for a couple of minutes when the nausea had settled down a bit before getting up and running again. Amazingly after that sit down I got my mojo back again and managed to run most of the final 5k to the finish, albeit still bent over a little with the pain, running like an old fella.

When finally reaching the red carpet I tried to run up it with a straight back and looking good. Well, that was the picture in my head. Having seen the photos and the video, this was not the case. It wasn’t me finishing but some old fella unrecognisable to me!

Anyway, I got the call “You are an Ironman” with lots of pats on the back and congratulations as I crossed the line. (I actually felt like a Dampclothman, not an Ironman).

I was directed to the food tent and collected my squashed battered chicken, a vegan chilli rice and a beer. One bite of the chicken and one scoop of the rice was all I could manage. Hunger had left me after stuffing gels, energy bars and carbs down my face all day. So I smuggled the chicken out to Cathy, who I thought may not have eaten all day. (Turns out she had had a feast whist waiting for me)!

I said at the start of this report that I was destroyed, well, not strictly true, I still had a bit of life in me. More like my ego was destroyed and a bit like the chicken, squashed and battered. I was very disappointed in the way I felt during the run and it took away a little off the high I should have been feeling. I was happy with the swim and cycle and happy that I managed to get through the run. I’m sure in years to come I can call myself a double Ironman with pride when the pain is not as fresh as it is now.

I also said never again. Well, if I could be certain the back pain would not resurface and I could find out what the basic cause of it is, then it’s possible I could change my mind, but at the moment, it’s still never again. After all, I really enjoy the training and being able to take part, complete and sometimes compete in these events as I get older

Middle distance and shorter from now on and maybe go back to working on my running if my aging body allows it.

Sorry about no finishing shots of me but the official photos were not good. And the photos during the run, all I can see is pain, so from a vanity angle, I’m not spending the money to show photos of me feeling awful. So before and after shots only.