Austria Ironman 2007 - click photo for slideshow
RACE REPORT
Here it is my Iron journey, hope you won’t be bored senseless by yet more Turton tales…
As you know Austria Ironman was Tom’s first Ironman last year. I was so inspired by Tom & the Ironman challenge that after seeing Austria’s fantastic atmosphere & course how could I resist the registration tent the day after Tom had finished??? So in I went & popped £250 hard earned credit card pounds onto the desk and signed the next year of my life away to two wheels, a lot of water and a few pairs of trainers.
I’ve loved the training, truly enjoyed each discipline & getting to learn where my weaknesses are & how I can improve them. 5am starts have been par for the course to fit my long morning swims in and then after work I’ve fitted in my second session of the day be it cycling or running. It’s been a full year of relentless training, averaging about 18-20hrs a week and it’s all been worth it. The winter evenings in our garage on the turbo, the long runs in the rain & the nuances of swimming in Virgin pool nearly every day, they’ve all got me through it, along with the fantastic support from Tom & all of you who took the time & interest to ask how it’s all going.
The week in Austria leading up to race day was quite relaxing, there were things that had to be done every day but nothing taxing, except every night was one night less and one morning closer to the big day. Our good friend Sam was also racing, he’d been hindered by injury after injury so he spent much of the week feeling anxious that he wouldn’t be able to finish at all. We all crossed our fingers for him & prayed that overdosing on painkillers on the day was going to be the answer.
The hotel sat on the lake edge that we would be racing in. It’s truly beautiful, so clean and the perfect temperature so we swam nearly every day. Tom & I rode one lap of the course (56miles) the day we arrived so I could get a feel for it. The scenery is beautiful, the roads are smooth and a joy to cycle on & when the sun was out it was red hot. I no longer feared the ride, I took in all of the scenery then as I knew I wouldn’t take much notice of it on race day.
Registration and reality was on Thursday, I got my athlete band that I had to wear at all times to allow me into the transition area, the race briefing and anything race organised. I got my swim to bike bag & bike to run bag, swim hat, chip, number and bike numbers. It was all becoming very real.
Saturday was bike racking and race briefing, Saturday may as well be race day. I was nervous from the second I got up. Tom & I made last minute checks and changes to my bike, packed my bags with all the things I would need for the race and I cycled the 10km from our hotel to rack my bike & say goodbye to it for the last time. The next time I was going to see it was on race day, now that was a scary thought.
The transition area is actually a really nice place to be. Only athletes are allowed in there, no public, no friends, no relatives. I racked my bike, let the tyres down (it was too hot to chance leaving them up, they can explode) then walked through each different part. Where was I coming out of the swim, which row was the bag I had to pick up and how do I work out the easiest way to find my bike (there are 2,500 bikes in there). Then I walked through getting off my bike, picking up my run bag and where I would run out. Sorted, I left and went to the race briefing, very excited & willing the hours to hurry up and tick by.
A quiet evening meal on Saturday evening and then off to bed. I slept really well believe it or not.
RACE DAY
I got up at 3am, time for breakfast, mmmm breakfast so early in the morning, lovely!!! At 5am we went James Bond stylee to the race start. Our hotel organised speed boats to take us up the lake, the atmosphere was tense but buzzing with excitement.
Sam & I toddled off into transition (our quiet place.) I pumped up my tyres, filled my bike with the nutrition I wanted to take with me and Sam & I went back to meet our ever growing throng of supporters.
6.15am time to get into the wetsuits and say goodbye. Definitely the most emotional part of the day was saying goodbye to everyone. They’d given their love, care, support and time all through the months and here they were on the day too, they all knew how much the day meant and how much effort had been put into it, it was impossible not to cry.
Sam & I walked off into the medley of black wetsuits & white swim hats and positioned ourselves for the beginning of our very first Ironman. Something to be savoured & remembered, we would never have the first one ever again.
They walked us into the water with 3mins to go. I started swimming straight away so I could get used to the cold, and to relax my breathing. However, un-be-known to me and many others they let the gun go early. I was under water and hadn’t heard it, so when I saw everyone swimming away from me I wasn’t sure what had happened. I had to just press my watch and get on with it. It turned out that the masses started swamping the pros and they couldn’t hold everyone back so they let the gun go early!!
I loved the swim, it was very physical in parts and I felt like I was in a washing machine right in the very middle section but got through it & swam solidly. You start in the lake but the last 900m are in the Lend canal, very odd, but the atmosphere is amazing. Right by the finish I saw & heard our crowd, I got out (1.01.10) and they all went nuts (Tom fell in the canal!!). Into transition, nutrition in my pockets & off I went on the bike. I’d been told to pace the bike so the first lap felt easy & this is what I did. I concentrated on getting my heart rate down and getting into it. I felt awesome, in control & strong. I wasn’t enjoying the food I had though, I did feel a little queasy all of the way through the bike but had a 20min eating strategy which I stuck to. I didn’t want to start the marathon in a calorie deficit.
I saw Tom & everyone about four times on the bike, they were soooo loud & just brilliant, I looked forward to getting back to those points on each lap, they spurred me on. I was surprised & elated at my bike splits & couldn’t believe I had broken 6hrs, doing 5.48 and feeling comfortable. Time for my best discipline, the run.
I got off my bike and got out on the run. The first 10km was a struggle, just to mentally get sorted & physically get used to the level of fatigue. Tom had told me an Ironman marathon feels like mile 22 for the whole way but that it didn’t get any worse. He was right, it’s hard but you get used to it. I got into my rhythm, my legs felt good & I was ticking along nicely, passing loads of people on my way. I went through half way in 1hr55 and was pleased, I knew I could maintain that. I passed everyone smiling and then 20mins later, it all turned hideously wrong!!
I had been feeling queasy so while I was running I chose not to have anything but water or coke, I couldn’t bear the thought of anything else. I got to about mile 18 and knew I was going to have to find a portaloo, I had a horrible feeling diarrea (sp) was on its way!!! And so came the demise of my run. I had to stop at a lot of portaloos on the way & then I started vomiting and feeling faint. The 12km left had seemed so short just minutes before now seemed eternally long. I threw up about four or five times, quite violently and really pulled my stomach muscles. I was reduced to walking, vomiting and pooing!!!
My original target time had been to get under 12hrs, then when I was racing I thought I was going to kill that time & still feel strong, now I was back to survival. I joined a few people for the Ironman walk and managed to run the last 2km and made it home in 11.57, home to Tom, my brother, my niece loads of friends and Tom’s parents and aunty & uncle, finishing was amazing!! Hey no one said it was going to be easy, and no one can take away the fact that I’m an IRONMAN. I can’t wait to get my nutrition sorted and do another next year!!
Thanks so much to Tom who has been the most amazing inspirational, motivating, knowledgeable, supportive & loving boyfriend a girl could have, we’re in it together Tom, to the very end. And thank you everyone who is still awake reading this and for all of your continued support & friendship.
Love H. xxx
