Monday, August 26, 2013

Ironman Copenhagen

One week has gone by since racing Ironman Copenhagen and the body is feeling normal again :) Back in Germany now and the rain is pouring down!  I think my hot hot German summer might be coming to an end!

Two weeks out from racing in Copenhagen i raced the Erlanger Olympic Triathlon close to where i am staying. Here i managed to take first place with no real dramas on race day (other than my helmet being broken and given an xxs one to wear which sat like a bucket on top my head), leaving me feeling confident about my upcoming race.

Last year when i raced in Copenhagen i had a terrible time, being very ill 2 weeks before the race unable to train and not too flash on the day the race really went pear shaped during the marathon.  So this time round i was determined to get out there and give it my all.  Arriving on the Tuesday injury free and no illness i was ready to enjoy  taper week however little did i know it was going to be a busy time.  Wednesday morning heading out for a training ride it started to pour down, this causing little "flint stones" to flip over and basically become drawing pins ready to pop unsuspecting tyres as their victims!  Boom! There i was in the rain with a dead flat back tyre, great, as i had just replaced it the week before.  Joys of tubulars, for those unaware they are not a simple tube change rather a one hit wonder and when they flat time to buy another. Good racing ones are approx $180-200NZ.  So on the side of the road soaking wet ready to attempt my first tubular change, Keegan laughing at me because the first thing i do is take my helmet off but couldnt see through all the road rain crap covering the visor.  Out with the pitt stop (funny glue foam stuff to try find and repair hole temporarily before attempting complete tyre change) hmm half ends up on my jacket which still wont come out but wahoo tyre up enough and off i go :) Not so bad i was thinking...a little sting to the wallet but good practice.  O no 20mins later and boom im down again. Off i hop and start to rip off tyre, Keegan heads off down the road and my goal is to be ready to go by time he gets back.  Still soaking wet and looking funny on side of ride yanking at this glued on tyre, and off it comes wahoo, dunno what everyone crys about this seems easy :)  spare tyre out and chuck on wheel, oh shit valve too short...double oh shit valve extender from other tyre doesnt fit.  Now i pack a sad, novelty has worn off and wait like a fool for Keegan who has an idea luckily, pump it up a bit and then chuck on. Off i go...10mins later...oh great definately getting use to this sound! Valve popped itself out and half ripped out....hmm ok chop it out and ride on flattie. Only 4km from home freezing and had enough...

Thinking it couldnt get any worse riding super slow in the pouring rain then it does.  With 2km to go and i totally positive i know the way home Keegan and i split and long story short i end up totally totally lost for over an hour and end up riding around at 10km/hr with no phone or money and forgetting the address! Then finally finding a taxi man with an ipad to get in to emails to find address and take me home. 90min ride ends up being over 3hrs but YIPPEE im home.  A week spent buying more things to replace on bike and learning other uses for your toothbrush like gluing tyres on then an emergency trip to the bike shop afternoon before race, for yet another flat tyre and i was feeling a tad exhausted. Four tubulars in 2weeks is a big shopping bill let alone everything else!  But many things learnt and the bike was looking brand new.

Where i spent most of my week


Right guess i should actually give you an insight in to the race!


Race morning wandering in with my wheel and final repair job done i was ready to get this race started.
Heading out on the swim i thought i had put myself in a good position but by 1.5km i was dropped and was swimming alone until the finish. Very lonely swim. So when i got to the ramp to exit and the official said i wasn't finished i was confused and thought this must be some kind of joke!  Him pointing out to sea at the buoy that i was stupidly meant to have on my right before coming to shore i realised i had been swimming too close to shore and didnt even notice it. Oh great off i went and swam maybe 200-400m extra to include this last buoy.  Man was i pleased to get back to the ramp!!!

Through transition i saw Julia Grant in the change tent so quickly got myself organised and on to the bike thinking we could pace each other but once out of transition found myself alone. The bike was very lonely and i had no idea of my position.  This didn't really change through out the entire 180km apart from passing Lisbeth Kristensen around the 50km mark.  I was expecting large amounts of age group men to come through but it didnt really happen.  Not a lot else to say about the bike other than i maybe held back a little too much at times as was worried about slowing down too much in the later stage of the bike.


On to the run it had started to rain so i was glad to be off the bike.  I was interested to see how this would pan out as i had decided (well sort of told :) ) but we will call it a joint decision not to run with my watch. It was the best decision as was one less thing to worry about when usually you have that constant reminder of your pace going up and down.  The run was four laps and after the first lap i noticed the lead women seemed to be almost a lap ahead it seemed crazy as i didn't think i had biked that slow.  Anyway now knowing i was in 4th place i was just trying to have a good steady run with no melt downs!  Ticking the km's off i was feeling good, possibly again holding back a little as after 2 DNFs earlier in the year during the marathon i wanted to get to that finish line and so i did. 9.29 a new PB, 5th overall and my fastest marathon split to date. Still LOTS of room to improve but heading in the right direction. 


Huge thank you to Uffe, Elizabeth and family for hosting me and my bike dramas rather than illness dramas this year.  Keegan for helping me out all week even though he had his own race to think about and well done to also coming 5th overall.  

ACTIVE ELECTRO - www.activeelectro.co.nz
Physio Plus - www.physioplusdunedin.co.nz
Shoe Clinic Dunedin - www.shoeclinic.co.nz/dunedin-running-shoe-store
R and R Sport - www.rrsport.co.nz
You guys are all amazing and your continued support is greatly appreciated. These businesses all help me out in a big way so please take a look at their websites and support them.  I look forward to catching up with you when i return to New Zealand next month.


This time in 3weeks i will have completed Challenge Amsterdam and nearly be on my way home to New Zealand. 3months is certainly flying by.

Happy training
Cheers Tams