I was a little nervous to be lining up against Chris McCormack and Paul Matthews in the small but quality Pro men’s field. The mass start for the race made for an interesting first couple of hundred meters since the age group athletes where allowed wetsuits and the Pro’s were not. This is something I never agree with and hope in future events the swim waves are separated if it is the case. The river we swam had a huge tidal sweep that we had to negotiate as we swam out to the first bouys and unfortunately Macca and I got caught underneath the first turn allowing Paul Matthews a small break. The back leg of the swim course flew by as we swam with the current but the swim back to shore was very tough and took a lot of energy. The race director took out the last 200 meter section against the very strong current and added in a long run to transition.
Once we were on the bike I already felt a little weak and wasn’t able to ride a good rhythm as I tried to ride with Macca. Despite not riding my best we were still able to drop Paul Matthew at around 30km into the ride and I tried to keep Macca within a manageable distance but he kept getting 50 – 100 meters infront of me and several occasions and I just had to let him go. Once he was out of sight I really felt like I hit a low point and just wanted to be off the bike. I struggled to the end of the bike and was glad to get into the shade of transition. The sun was brutal now and I was not looking forward to the next 21km run.
I went onto the run about 5 minutes down on Macca and about 6 minutes ahead of Paul and I was thinking if I can just run a steady 1.22-1.23 run split I should be safe with my second place ( ha ha … how wrong could I have been). 300 meters into the run “OK that’s too fast …slow down a little” 400 meters into the run “Damn even that’s too fast … slow down” 500 meters into the run “This is getting ridiculous … I am in trouble”. The first 10km out and back section was the single hardest part of a triathlon I have ever experienced. The aid stations were almost non-existent and the 1.8km between them was definitely not measured accurately. By the time I had struggled back to the transition area at 10km I was walking and considering my future in the race. I was so close to the edge I felt like I could pass out any second. I stood at the aid station for about 3 minutes pouring water over myself and getting Ice onto my face and neck. I was sure Paul would come around the corner any second and I would have to fight it out for second place.
I got going again and shuffled along walk running for about a kilometer till I had gotten in enough gel, coke and water to perk me up a little. Things started to look up again and I got going at a good pace from about 14km to the finish.
I crossed the line about 18 minutes behind Macca (which was quiet embarrassing) for second place. I was not surprised to find out that the temperature had reach 45 degrees Celsius at it’s peak and I had pushed my body through one of the toughest days our sport has ever seen. I just couldn’t believe there were people out there racing an Ironman!!! I couldn't have gotten through the race without the moral support from the K-Swiss crew. Erik, Ivette and Ben kept me in the game when it looked over. Thanks guys!
I was really excited to see Amanda win the Ironman 70.3 event. She looked amazing in the sweltering conditions and I was very proud of her for pushing herself like she did. It looks like she has turned a corner and is back on track after a rough few months.
Watching the Ironman finish that afternoon resembled a War Zone. Literally every person crossing the line was in the medical tent and every 10 minutes an ambulance would whizz some poor person off to hospital. The race Ironman race had 380 starters and 140 people did not finish … the highest ever drop out rate.
I have to mention our good friend from Noosa Charlotte Paul who won the women’s Ironman event. Her run was amazing in the brutal heat and she not only came 5th overall in the whole race but had the fastest overall run split out of everyone. Awesome! Congrats Char and Happy Birthday. Also, DMac for winning the 25-29 age group and getting that long awaited Kona slot ... good on ya mate you deserve it!
We have one more day here in Haikou and then it’s back to Australia for three more weeks before we head to the USA. I feel like I am still not 100% since I was sick last month and will take it pretty easy for the next fortnight before I head away. I really want to recover and get back to full fitness again leading into Ironman Japan in June.
