I’ve always wanted to do an Ironman ever since I started triathlons 15 years ago. As time passed, and marriage then children appeared I thought it might only be a dream rather than a reality. That was until Ken mentioned he was going to start up a triathlon club in Perth and was keen to continue my Ironman quest. I knew then that it was the ideal time to give it a go.
In for a penny in for a pound, in November 2007 I entered Ironman UK 2008. D-Day was the 7th September 2008 - the journey had begun! I decided early on that if I was going to do it then I was going to do it in a manner that gave me the best chance off finishing. This would involve setting some training / race goals, sort out a proper training programme and look after myself along the way (i.e. proper diet, get plenty of sleep, achieve the correct work / life balance etc). Here is what I learned along the way.
Programme
I wasn’t starting completely from ‘ground zero’. I’ve been active all my life and had a good base level of fitness, with cycling being my key strength. The plan was to work on my base fitness during January, February and March, then switch to a more race focused programme for the period April – September.
I read a lot of magazine articles and a few books, but settled on a programme that I picked up on the internet, aptly titled “For those who just want to finish”. That was me!
The programme covered a 20 week period (6 days per week), finishing on Race Day. Weekly programmes were provided that began slow and easy with 8 hours a week, but ramped up over time to 18 hours of mixed intensity and duration. At first the programme looked somewhat daunting, but since it was designed to break you in gently to intensity and duration, it proved to be less so when I actually put it into practice.
I set myself a few milestones. By setting these milestones I was able to gauge how well, or otherwise, my training was going. Achieving a milestone also allowed me to reward myself, which was important, especially as I was doing this for fun. The milestones that I set myself were:
· RUN: Inverness Half Marathon – 9th March 2008
· SWIM: Swimathon (5km) – 17th April 2008 [cancelled as NU pool closed]
· CYCLE: Etape Caledonia (83 miles) – 18th May 2008
· Open Water Swimming at Lochore and Loch Morlich
· Bala Half Ironman – 8th June 2008
I sat down with Jules every Sunday night and mapped out the week ahead. I didn’t always follow the programme to the letter. I had to make some adjustments to cater for work and family commitments. I did the time / distance every week, but not necessarily in the order they recommended.
Top Tip: You need to be flexible!
I did a lot of my training at night, after the kids were in bed, and at weekends, often when the family were busy doing similar sporting activities. I found out early on that training early in the morning didn’t suit me as I preferred to stay in bed.
Having a regular training partner is invaluable, especially when your motivation to train is an issue on a rainy windy day. However, you still need to do a certain amount on your own to simulate race conditions, and it also helps with the mental preparation. No room for excuses, you need to go out in all weathers as you never know what it’s going to be like on Race Day.
The sessions that I enjoyed the most were the ones commonly known as ‘brick’ sessions, particularly the bike / run variety. These were undoubtedly the hardest sessions, but probably the most valuable, particularly the long ones – 5 hour bike followed by 1.5 hour run. They were the key factor in completing the Ironman, both physically and mentally.
As the intensity and duration increased I was amazed just how much the body can physically withstand (it’s a lot more than you think!). Often it’s the mental side that goes first. Once you push yourself through this mental barrier you’ll be surprised what you can achieve physically. Without the right positive attitude (i.e. “I can do this”) you’ll never achieve your goal. For example, I did this by always swimming an extra 200m at the end of every session, or an extra 2km on the run.
I did invest in a Heart Rate Monitor (couldn’t afford a Power Meter, maybe next year) which proved an invaluable tool for both training and racing. After many hours of trial and error (i.e. bonking on the bike or having to walk home when out running) I found that my heart rate range for cycling was 140 – 150bpm, and for running 150 – 160bpm. This worked out at an average for cycling and running of 145bpm / 81% of Max HR and 155bpm / 87% of Max HR respectively. [Rough ‘rule of thumb’: Max HR for me was 220bpm less my age, 41, which works out at 179bpm]
Top Tip: Don’t give yourself a hard time if you have a bad day. Learn from it and move on.
In total over the 20 weeks I reckon I did the following hours / distance in each sport: swim – 50.4hrs / 151.2kms; bike – 113.8hrs / 3095.4kms; run – 68.3hrs / 771.4kms; TOTAL – 232.5hrs / 4017.9kms. A more detailed breakdown is provided at the end of this report.
Life Balance
Fitting in training while holding down a full time job, which often involved working away from home, plus being married with two young children, proved to be a time management challenge. Before I embarked on this journey I had to consider the impact it would have on my family life and my work. It was a huge commitment, particularly as I wanted to give myself the best chance of finishing. Let’s face it, it’s not something you decide to do the week before the race. You have to plan your time, knowing exactly what you’re doing each hour of the day.
I always had my swimming and running gear in the car. If I worked down in Glasgow I went for a swim in Stirling University on the way home. If we went away for the weekend, I’d take the bike and either cycle there or back, sometimes both. When you get the opportunity to train you have to take it. However, I’m a strong believer in listening to your body (i.e. if you feel tired then rest). You’ve got to think of the long game, not just satisfying an immediate need for endorphins.
Top Tip: If you feel tired, rest. Have a ‘cat nap’ – they’re worth their weight in gold!
Nutrition
This I knew I had to get right. So I made the effort to find out as much as I could. I read lots of material on the web and sought advice from a number of different sources, including chatting with other endurance athletes.
The approach I took was to settle on a diet which I could use for the whole 20 weeks, and not just the last week.
I noticed a big change in my body structure over the 20 weeks. What I noticed the most was how quickly I needed to replenish my stocks after a big training session, and also how easy it was to get it wrong and run out. You soon get to realise your body is just like your car – if you don’t fill the tank with diesel, it will eventually run out of fuel and stop, plus if you don’t look after its components they will eventually begin to fail.
Once the metabolism kicked in it felt we were never away from Tescos. I ate like a horse! I didn’t loose any weight with my weight holding steady at 92kg. What happened instead was that the fat / muscle balance shifted towards more muscle and less fat, which was nice. The worst hunger pains were first thing in the morning. When I woke I often felt “if I don’t get downstairs and start eating immediately I’m going to eat the bedside cabinet”.
Again, at the start there was a lot of ‘trial and error’. I tried lots of drinks, gels and bars. My favourites were SIS Go Gels, Gatorade (which was the drink provided during the Ironman) and High5 Energy Bars. I also developed a passion for porridge made with sultanas and honey.
Top Tip: Important to eat the right stuff at the right time of day.
Physiotherapy, Stretching & Massage
Training 6 days a week was tough on the body. Aches and pains became the norm after a while. When the weekly training hours started to ramp up I noticed that it was taking longer for my muscles to recover between sessions. Having sought advice from a local Physiotherapist, she recommended that I should start getting some sports massage as the muscle aches were due to a build up of toxins which couldn’t flush out of my system before I needed to work the muscles again.
The Physiotherapist recommended that I contact a chap called Joakim Valsinger at Balans Pilates Studio & Treatment Rooms (check out their website www.balans.uk.com). Balans are based at Perth Airport outside Scone.
What started out as a luxury quickly turned into a necessity. I can’t recommend it enough, it was fantastic for relaxation and for muscle conditioning. I went for a 1 hour session every 2 weeks during the last 6 weeks of my training. Without it I would have definitely struggled to complete the volume of training that I still needed to do.
I stretched as often as possible, in fact I wished I’d done more. Whenever I was in a line, whether at Tescos or waiting to check-in for a flight, I found myself stretching my neck / arms / legs.
Top Tip: Stretch 10 minutes 3 times every day.
Visualisation & Mental Conditioning
Most nights as I lay in bed waiting to fall asleep (which didn’t take long!) I tried to visualise what it was going to be like – the swim start, the bike, the run, and the finish chute – the length of time, the fatigue and the nutrition. By doing so, when it came to the day I felt as if I had already done the race about 100 times. This helped me stay calm and relaxed, particularly at the race start.
Outcome
When I got to the start line I was ready. I was in the best condition of my life. I felt fantastic and was determined to enjoy the day. And what a day it was! Everything went to plan and I finished in a time of 12:35:23.
Swim – 1:14:20 / TI – 0:07:40 / Bike – 6:28:46 / T2 – 0:05:17 / Run – 4:39:21
493 out of 1193 finishers, not bad for a first attempt!
Post-Race & The Future
No injuries, but I certainly underestimated how physically and mentally tired I would be, even after 4 – 6 weeks. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and learned an awful lot about myself along the way. Will I do another one? Definitely, it’s just a matter of when and where. I’m planning to get back into full training in the New Year, until then I’m going to enjoy the time off.
Who said dreams don’t come true, mine did, and so can yours if you put your mind to it. Hope you found this of interest. I’d be happy to chat about my experiences over a pint (or two).
Until the next time, onwards and Ironwards. Cheers Alec