Executive Summary
First half-ironman. 5:42:45. Top 20 finish 30-34 female. It was a massive challenge start to finish but I am rapt with this result.
The detail
I arrived in Cairns on Wednesday and it had rained non-stop. Literally, non-stop. However, as race morning dawned, the wind was still, the sky's were clear and the forecast was for a hot, hot humid race.
5:20am and walking down to transition, I passed some Danish backpackers who were just heading home after what was evidently a large night. In broken English, I got a "good luck, cycle hard" and smiled.
Arriving in transition, I felt calm and relaxed. I had plenty of time to go through the motions of pumping tyres, filling bottles and checking mechanics. As I was filling up my bottles I took a sip of my drink (which I had made up last night) and gagged. Overnight, something had happened and my usual mixture (plus an electrolyte tab) had almost fermented into a sickly sweet taste. Undrinkable. I had to water it down, but to do so I would have to dump roughly half of each bottle (meaning half of my nutrition). There was nothing I could do so I found some water via a volunteer and set about fixing the problem. I'd have to figure it out on the bike (Lesson # 1 learnt).
Swim
To get to the swim start, we all had to shuffle down the relatively narrow pier to jump into the water and swim out to the marked starting point. Trying to shuffle ~1200 HIM athletes down a narrow path was always going to be hard and, as it turned out, some people logistically could not get near the swim start for when the gun sounded. Very unfair when everyone was where they needed to be prior to the start.
Unlike other HIM races I've watched or entered (but then withdrawn), Cairns was a mass start like Ironman. I'm aware that mass starts are hectic, rough and can be downright menacing and was mentally prepared to battle for the first 300-400m before finding some feet or water and get into some sort of stroke.
However, this was something else (again, this is my first one so I don't have anything to compare it to; maybe its always like this). Within the first few minutes, I copped a strong kick to the nose and face and by some miracle my goggles didn't dislodge. My momentary stop in shock, though, led to the beginning of 20min of feet grabbing, belting, head dragging and a few men from the teams (who started 5min after us I think) grabbing my waist and actually pushing me down under the water so they could swim over the top of me. To me, it was frightening and dangerous and I'm someone who has grown up in the water and surf swimming. It was like this for the first 1100m, just a constant battle with no clear water and men grabbing and belting me. I wasted so much energy trying to stay afloat, yelling at a few who were being complete pricks and calming my heart rate down after the couple of underwater pushes.
Basically, by 1200m I just wanted to get the hell out of the water as quickly as possible. It was difficult to navigate back to shore but at least it wasn't the shit fight that it was going out. Got to the stairs, ran up them and under the showers and started the 500m run to transition (yup 500m!!) . Found out later around 37 min. Slowest swim time ever but given the conditions, pleased with that.
Bike
Basically, the half-ironman was being run exactly the same as the ironman. We ran up to the transition tent, grabbed our cycle bag and into the change tents were some people were helped by volunteers to get wetsuits off etc. I just ripped mine off, grabbed my sunglasses and number belt, shoved the wetsuit in the bag and then....well actually I can't remember what I did with it. Must have put it in the right place as I have it now! Ran into the monster transition, found bike easily and ran out navigating around everyone. The mount line was tiny so I ended up running a fair way up before jumping on and heading off.
The first 20min or so of the bike course was pretty slow as we were sent around built up areas with only one lane closed. It made it absolutely impossible to stick to the 12 x 3 draft rule (as the width of the road wasn't 3 metres in most places). Once onto the Captain Cook Hwy it was a little better, but packs quickly formed and I was waiting to see a TO come past. They never did (I only saw 1 TO take notice of drafting the entire ride). The road surface of the Hwy was excellent, however it didn't last as most of the ride was on rocky rough, dead bitchem. The road quality was pretty bad, but fortunately the scenery made up for it! The road roughness ended up messing with my shifting & gears, as well as my seat post (it dropped about 4-5mm and started making some horrible noises!) but what can you do - I wasn't about to stop to check this out, I knew what was happening and tried to compensate as best as I could.
At about the 35k mark, we climbed up, down, up, down the side of a mountain. Sharp, steep climbing for roughly 20min which stung the legs. Some people were walking their bikes up! I was pretty surprised by that. We heard afterwards that one of the EnduranceTeam athletes came off going down the steep climb after hitting a pothole (there was a few of those on the road) and got ripped up pretty bad. Lots of guys going down on aerobars which freaked me out as I was going down behind them - not safe boys, those were some tight corners.
The ride itself is an undulating course. The road quality adds that additional sting to the legs. The views, however, are what you hear - gorgeous, picturesque. I did spare a few moments to take them in!! The sun was well and truly out by this stage and a lot of people were sweating like dogs. I felt relatively cool (thanks to this little number!) and well hydrated, although I had missed an aid station due to bikes everywhere and I knew I was behind on my nutrition but again - you live and learn (Lesson #2 learnt).
Coming back into T2 (at a different location), checked the Garmin and saw 2:49 ish and 32kph av. Really happy with that time on the course. Gave the bike to a handler (again, Ironman treatment!) and ran over to get my run bag and into the change tent.
Run
Within the 1st km, people were walking. It was hot, but it wasn't normal hot. It was hot in the way that sapped everything from your muscles and just left you feeling like you had nothing left. The first 4km was really tough. Trying to get the legs into a rhythm, and knowing (by how I was feeling) I hadn't taken on enough nutrition on the bike, it was going to be tough. I decided to break it down into 2km blocks between aid stations and this was the best decision I made. It made the half marathon in those conditions manageable as you knew you were only 2km away from the next water, hose off, sponge, coke, gel or ice. And truly I needed every aid station.
This was a point to point run so we ran probably 17-18km through the hot, barren cane fields in Cairns. There were some small false flats which I normally would not have noticed but, funnily enough, when you are suffering in the heat any tiny incline feels like Mount Everest!! I had moments of feeling good, there was a patch between 8-14km I was feeling ok (relatively speaking), but the rest of the run was an enormous mental battle. Just focusing on the 2km blocks, trying to stay as cool and as hydrated as possible, and not walk. I walked aid stations (to get in fluid), I stopped twice for 10sec to regroup but that was it. I didn't walk at all and I am proud of that, particularly as it was my first half marathon (or 21.2km as we were told).
The last 3km was hands down the hardest. Around midday, smoking hot, so close to home, you could see it but I felt like I was running on the spot. People were walking between 19-21km; so close to home, spectators cheering but so spent they can't muster a shuffle. That's long course I guess.
I've never been so happy and delirious to see the flags down the finishing area, meaning I was 100m or so from the finish. I don't remember too much; what I can recall is at about the 1km mark pushing into 5:30km pace (that's right, really motoring ;) to pass a girl just in case she was in my age group. But once in the flags and then in the chute its all a blur. I can't remember the people or cheering. I remember slowing about 5m from the finish so a guy in front could have his finish line moment and then I crossed after him. Relieved to be finished. And so exhausted.
A volunteer put the medal around my next, I couldn't talk so I just nodded. She explained we would walk to recovery. I nodded, swaying a bit. Then I managed my first words: "It's so bloody hot" The volunteer's response: "Welcome to Cairns". Really summed up the day nicely!
Post-script
This was a tough race. I am proud to have completed it, particularly as my first half ironman. After changing from Busselton to Cairns 6 weeks ago, I knew it would be a challenge as the course and climates are totally different - I learnt so much and I feel like I took on everything that was thrown at me during the day and didn't give up.
I've now got a base and some lessons to work with for the next 4 months before 70.3 Port Macquarie in October. I know what I need to work on and test and areas I need to really nail over the winter.
Now, for another nap and maybe some sun!
No comments:
Post a Comment