Hopp Hopp Hopp Hopp Hopp

I can now say that the 2009 Rapperswil-Jona Ironman Switzerland 70.3 is something I've done rather than something I'm going to do, I finished in 5:52:14 which is quite a bit faster than I'd estimated before the race. Therefore performance wise I'm really really pleased. I'm also very happy to have finished without incident.

My 1.9KM swim time was 42:03.
My 90KM bike time was 3:04:12.
My 21KM run time was 1:58:17.
T1 time from swim to bike was 4:47min.
T2 bike to run was 2:53min.

I was hoping for under 6:30 with a realistic mental stretch target of around 6:15 so I was much faster overall than I thought I would be. My individual race legs were all close to or just over my previous single leg personal best times.

I'd dropped off my bike on the Saturday evening and had made sure my tyres were at the right pressure. It was torrential rain most of Saturday so this added to the pressure. All the bikes were covered with plastic rain covers to protect them from the ongoing downpour.

We got up early for breakfast 6:30am. I checked the skyline, I could see the snow on the alps and there was hardly any clouds. The weather didn't look like it would be a factor for the big race. I'd slept OK despite the day ahead and ate a hearty if nervy breakfast. Alison and Wallis surprised me with Go Daddy Go /Go Campbell Go Team Kennedy Scotland Tee shirts , its always nice to have a couple of beautiful groupies supporting you at a big race :O) Its especially good for your legs to have a friendly face there shouting you on on each lap.

We got down there around 8am and I got my box and gear setout in the transition zone. We then watched the professionals start at 8:55. They were swimming like the Waverley I was off at 10:20. I was nervous but not so much that it was likely to be affecting my performance, it probably helped a little. I spoke with a few people and everyone was very friendly and we all joked about our nerves and about just wanting to get started. Only one guy said he wasn't nervous at all but he still managed to misplace his car keys and put his wetsuit on back to front and then was flapping to get it switched round just 5 minutes before the start. Calmness personified.

I started the swim leg in the middle right at the very back so to keep in-swim jostling to a minimal, a lesson I'd learned at my first open water swim mass start earlier this year in Roybon, France. This worked well although I did catch a few folk up and had to weave my way through folks who must have been breast strokers. I swam with a slow to medium speed strokes but concentrating on keeping my technique right. I had no oxygen debt or dizzyness at the start and so starting slow and steady is the right way for me.

Swim was a good time and overall it felt quite a short duration both mentally and physically. I left the water feeling good. No real dizzyness or disorientation. I had a little leg cramp on both thighs and one calf running the 150M from water to the transition area but nothing major. I managed a thumbs up to the flag waving Alison and Wallis so they knew my head was OK after the swim. Great to see friendly faces in the crowd.

I took 2 gels and 500ml of Isotonic drink before the bike leg. Got my shoes,gloves,top and helmet on and jogged out the 200m to the bike start with my cycling tap shoes clicking and I got started without any problems.

The first 15km is pretty flat so plenty of time to get into the spin of the bike before the first climb. The first hill is left and up a road called Witches hill. Pretty steep and very winding for about 2km with up to 15% climb in parts. There were loads of people there watching the cyclists suffering. They did however add a huge atmosphere with bands, lots of people dressed as witches ringing huge cow bells and of course the continuous Swiss chants of Hopp Hopp Hopp to help us up the hill. Listen for it the next time you watch Ski Sunday.

The next leg breaker was "The Beast" , we'd been warned about this at the previous days pre race orientation. The warning was , "Make sure you have a granny ring on your bike", again it was up to 16% at points but this time only around 1km in length but steeper and straight up so the winding didn't hide its length nor its steepness. I did see a handful of folk walking it. After this section it was down then flat for what seemed a long time then more gradual climbs and then the final backbreaker hill into Goldingen which is the summit. After the previous 2 big climbs this seemed less extreme but there was still plenty of pain etched on the faces and a fair bit of groaning around me. The big crowds in Goldingen helped a lot and the DJ was shouting out peoples names when they looked especially tired. I managed to keep it in the big chain ring for almost everything except for Witches hill and The Beast or when I got caught up in traffic.

The next section is mostly downhill followed by the flat with only a handful of smallish(relatively) uphill sections so plenty of time to get rejuvinated before getting back to the town. I got back into town at the roundabout turn point at 44.5KM at 1:30:00 so right on schedule for a 3 hour bike leg time which was fast for me.

At this point I was just under halfway and now felt confident I'd finish as I only had half the bike and the whole run leg to go which should be my strongest event . This added some extra power to my legs and mentally gave me a big boost.

I thought my second leg on the bike would be harder and slower as I now knew the reality of it. I think the mental boost from realising I was over the hump boosted me physically. As a result the second leg felt quicker mentally and my split times were very close over the two legs at a total of 3:04.

I ate a lot on the bike and took 3 gels of my own plus 1 from a feed station as well as an Energy bar which actually made me dry heave a few times after I swallowed it. I did however eventually manage to get it down for good. I drank both my Isotonic 750ML bottles plus I took a bottle of water at one station and took 3 or 4 gulps. I never stopped the whole race even though I was needing to pee from around halfway on the swim....

I got off the bike and was a little leg/back weary but feeling OK and knew I still had a good run section left in my legs. I had a super transition straight into my running shoes and I ran in my cycling top showing off my Scotland Cycling Club colours(hat tip Stu and Chico)

The first run leg was OK but the stairs really took it out of my legs. I felt the heat through the town as the buildings were radiating the heat back into the air. I came round past the train station and saw the actual time was 14:40 so I knew with around 15K to go I was at 4hrs 20mins. So I quickly worked out 3x 5K's under 30min each and I'd be under the 6 hours. The pressure was building just as my legs were starting to feel the previous exertions

You finish the first lap just short of the finish line and you can hear the DJ and I was wishing it was me who was running up the finish line. However I needed another 10K lap and so round the roundabout and out on the run again. Alison and Wallis cheered and waved me past and I managed to run a little faster for a while. The atmosphere was absolutely electric round the finishing arena. I was also getting more and more hyper as I now knew I'd finish. It was just about what time.

The second lap was harder and hotter and I was feeling my legs starting to go around the 15K mark. I had continued to take water and Isotonic drinks and use the sponges thoughout the second leg. I really needed them to keep me going. As I grinded the last 5k out I knew the 6hrs mark would be very close. As I ran up the finish line I could hear the music and see the faces but all I was thinking about was the work I'd put in the previous 6 months and all the support I'd been given. It was an amazing sensation to finish. When I think of where I've come from to this point it still amazes me. Running up the finish line I knew it was all worthwhile and I could not have been happier nor prouder of myself for all the work I'd put in. To many people its not a big deal, to me its been life changing. To put it in perspective , as of 1st Jan this year the furthest I've ever been on a bike was 12km and I only got my real racing bike delivered 14 weeks ago. At 41 its the first one I've ever owned.

I went through the line at 5:52....the feeling was amazing. I picked up my medal and my can of freezing Red Bull. I needed to find my two supporters to start the celebrations for real.

I was 270th in the M40 age group and 1149th overall from a starting list of 2000.

The Online Stats are on here

I'll post some photos later