Ok well I have finally got around to starting my blog! The website has been sitting here for ages waiting for me to write something on it and now is as good a time as any.
SO I think I will start with a write up of the dreaded Wimbleball Iron Man event, everyone has been emailing trying to find out what went on but we have been so busy at work and at home that I have had no time for a write up – so here we go you may want to grab a coffee!
On June 17th Ryan and I attempted the Wimbleball Iron Man 70.3 – we had entered almost a year ago and to be honest it has pretty much taken over my life. For the last 6 months Saturday nights out were, well, out – Saturday days were spent on my bike and running and most mornings before work (?!) were spent swimming, riding or running too as well as after work jaunts to the pool or the park… I am quite tired just thinking about it all!
So we drove down the day before and booked into our rented cottage (which had a hot tub but no hot water) had a quick recce of the course, got very scared and had to spend the evening worrying and watching the rest of our party drinking wine all night whilst we were mixing energy drinks and cutting the tops off our energy bars ready for breakfast mmmmmmmmmm.
Off to bed at 10.30pm alarms went off (what seemed like) two seconds later at 4.30am, Ryan and me were wandering around the living room in a daze stuffing bananas and toast down our throats (not good at that time of the morning/night) and generally being grumpy. Luckily all of our stuff was packed and racked the day before so there were not too many decisions that needed to be made that morning –we jumped in the car and then we were off! All we needed to do now was to find the lake!!
We arrived at the lake around 5.30am checked the bikes, got straight into our wetsuits (it was absolutely freezing by the way!) and down to the lake. My group was off last so we got to cheer all the boys off and then we were in… WOW the water was cold my feet were completely numb and I was a bit worried about cramps but it was ok in the end and we overtook some of the earlier mens groups on the way around and I completed the swim in 38mins – quite a bit slower than I had hoped for but the lake was beautiful and the swim was nice and relaxed so I didn’t mind. Out of the lake to hear the commentator saying my name (which made me feel like a superhero!) and up the 500m hill with my completely numb feet back to transition. I do not know what on earth I was doing in T1 but it took me 10 minutes in total!!
Once I was ready I grabbed my bike, ran out of transition and headed up what seemed like a 5 mile drag hill out of the lake. I took this first hill quite steady and actually enjoyed a little relaxation – there were a few men walking back down the hill back towards the lake I assume their bikes had broken but I felt pretty bad for them. After the first hill the next 15 miles or so were great! Beautiful rolling hills and the weather was nice and cool you couldn’t help enjoying the views. At around mile 18 you hit the first of the hills and they just carried on back to the lake where you turned around and did another lap! Two steep hills followed by a bit of a slog to get back but as they were at the end of the lap you didn’t mind so much as you were nearly home! After the second lap you ride down the 5 mile drag and I really picked up speed down here screaming all the way back to T2!! Bike ride was 3hrs 49 in total so I was really pleased with that I was prepared for something more like 5hrs!!
T2 was much better that only took me 5 minutes and I was out of the gates and onto the run course. Now I had always envisaged that when I got to the run I would be really happy as it was all nearly over… however this was not the run I had seen in my dreams… this was more like the run I had seen in my worst nightmares!!!
A cross country half marathon up and down hills with only one nice flat section over the dam that I was soooooo happy to see on each lap! It was pretty painful especially after a hilly bike ride. The first lap was pretty good but it went downhill after that. I was convinced that my little legs were going to snap each time they whacked the floor!! But amazingly I made it! 2hrs and 7 mins later I was running through the finish line which was a wonderful feeling I can tell you! So in total it took me 6hrs and 55mins just under my 7 hr deadline so I was pretty happy! After a few glasses of Gatorade we headed back to the lodge cracked open a bottle of champagne and got in the hot tub where I stayed for quite a few hours!
THE FINISH LINE!!
RYAN AND ME WITH OUR MEDALS!
So that was the Half Iron Man –I think we will tackle the Full version in 2009 but before then we are heading off to Nepal and Colorado so watch this space for our updates!
Caroline x
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