3.8k Swim 180k Bike 42k Run – Temperature 31oC
Swim 01:05:28 - T1 04:50 - Bike 05:36:38 - T2 03:54 - Run 03:14:41 Total Time 10:05:31
It was an early start to the season but I have a lot of
racing planned so I needed to have a crack at bagging an Ironman world champs
slot early. I did Ironman South Africa in 2009 and won my first age group title
there so I have fond memories. The course had changed this year and the race
was now the African continental championships. The course was tougher and the
field bigger and deeper but it was my best shot outside of the later European
season.
Working away from home less this year meant I could have a
more predictable build of fitness during the winter months but peaking so early
in the year had meant a lot of long, wet and cold training sessions. I know
what is required to compete at the highest level so I have no complaints, just
get the work done and then express the hard earned fitness out on the race
track.
A beach start always adds a bit of extra excitement and as
the cannon boomed we hurtled towards the surf, diving head long into the waves
as they poised to break. I had placed myself at the front and centre of the
start, an aggressive plan probably beyond my swimming ability but I was here to
compete. As we rounded the first turn buoy I had some open water to cleanly
start to hit some rhythm (and no sign of the tiger sharks that had cleared us
from the water earlier in the week!). The big swell made navigation problematic
with sighting the next buoy only possible at the crest of each wave. Soon
enough though, I had the 3.8k under my belt and I was exiting for the showers
and to my bike.
I pedalled out the next 90k at an easy pace whilst wrestling
with the notion of quitting and the relentless head wind. I resolved to finish
the bike, switch to my run kit and try a couple of ks before finally deciding
to hand my timing chip in. I knew I needed to find a spark again and it came
from an unexpected quarter. I took some coke at the first aid start, it was
cool, the sugar gave me a little energy and the caffeine perked me up. The 2k
mark was actually the lap turnaround point and they gave out a green wrist band
to help tick off the three laps. Now I had one and only needed two more to be
finish line bound. I convinced myself to jog through this one and if the wheels
didn’t fall off, grab another. 14k later I picked up an orange wrist band, one
more to go. On this lap I had started to pass one or two of the strong bikers
who had left me standing on the first lap of the bike, the race was no longer
up the road, it was coming back to me. I kept the pace going, firm enough to
nail a competitive time. Lap 3 and the final yellow wrist band, full house and
time to start racing for the line. We were competing in the height of the day’s
heat but I was eating and drinking well and running confidently by now. I
started to really believe I was in the race for a podium and a Kona slot so I kept
pushing. Down the red carpet of the finishing chute, I crossed the line and the
announcer declared me the age group champion. I had no idea, I was stunned. I
had been in a very dark place physically and emotionally just a few hours
earlier and I had turned it around to win. My place at the Ironman World Champs
booked and I can start to dream a little.
