Can no training make for a nicer tri experience?
Short report - not if you judge by the timesSwim (1.9km) - 00:45:37
T1 - 00:06:27
Bike (91km) - 03:06:06
T2 - 00:03:51
Run (21km) - 01:56:09
Total - 05:58:10
Long report
So had done very little training, lots of drinking and eating and thus was under cooked for the half ironman distance. But how hard could it be???
The overall event is excellent and very hassle free - highly recommend to anyone and everyone and seriously considering going back next year to do again properly. We hired an apartment a couple of hundred meters from the transition area in Alcudia. The run circled the apartments so the race could be watched from our patio and the pool area.
The proximity and weather made for a very relaxing Friday, building the bikes and then testing them out before listening to the race briefing.
Need to make a point here, this is the first Ironman branded event I have taken part in and thought it was excellent apart from the briefing. The briefing amounted to 2 mins of info and 50 mins of rules you must obey. No this no that, no helping anyone else and certainly none of encouraging your fellow competitors as this could be viewed as coaching - WTF get a life Ironman, they will be banning having fun next. I certainly spoke and encouraged fellow competitors - go on DQ me....in fact please do my time is embarassing ;-).
Gregg and I racked our bikes and then went for a warm up swim in the bay. This amounted to almost half of my swim training....
With no expectation of posting a good time I slept like a log and felt great going into the event. No nerves, well only just before the gun. I was wondering whether this was a new, genius way of approaching triathlons. Minimal training = minimal stress = more enjoyment?
Swim was an out and back in the flat water of the bay. Splashed round and managed to avoid getting too badly swum over when the next waves came by. The transition is long, and still managed to run passed my bike.
But found it and was off for the cycle. Time to see how the wednesday morning RP sessions sets one up for a 91km race over a big hill. The added difficulty was that there was a large glowing orb in the sky giving off a lot of heat. They call this the sun, apparently we get it in the UK sometimes....
I loved the cycle as this was the first time I had ever cycled this type of terrain or long hills. My new 11-28 cassette came handy (as did the tri bars on the flat - so there Mr Action Bikes "who puts an 11-28 on a bike with Tribars, I certainly wouldn't bike fit that"). The down hill was such good fun. Flying into corners and overtaking all the way down - loved it, the only scary bit was the number of people who clearly didn't grow up cycling and handling bikes.
Bike took just over three hrs and I had enjoyed it all. This no training could actually work.....
Out of T2 to a cheer from Em and the announcement that Gregg had c8 mins on me. Could I catch him? 1st km - 4mins, 2nd/3rd 4.30mins all was OK, but I knew.....
By the end of lap one I had the gap to 6, but I was toast and I knew it. I was now creeping over 5mins and couldn't stop it increasing. Legs were getting heavy, quads screaming at me. Bursts of energy everytime got some water from the aid stations - in that heat could have done with twice as many. By the end of the 2nd lap it was survival - Em didn't give me a time update this time, she thought it would be kinder not to........ 6min - kms....just wanted to take it home, I was counting the aid stations not to the end but as a way of saying 4 more walks before the end etc....
I eventually came in at 1hr56mins a massive 25mins slower than the last half ironman run I had done. And in total 53mins slower. So the time in retrospect was rubbish but up until the end of the first lap of the run it had been my most enjoyable triathlon so far (build up and race). But it ended up being the hardest one I had done....so far!
So Gregg and I had a few beers to celebrate finishing that night.
So to answer my question I haven't found a new training regime. At least not for a HIM. But it was a very enjoyable event and I would love to go back and give it a proper go.
Congrats Gregg for his 5:41 in his first HIM and to Amy Forshaw who we heard from our patio got second in her age group and is off to Vegas!
