First impressions of China was that it was very built up, with lots of very short people, mad traffic, drivers who seemed to like nothing more than to constantly use their horn and drive the wrong way down dual carriageways. But also beautiful palm tree lined massive roads. We had decided to use Endurance Sports Travel, run by a chap called Ken Glah, who is an Ironman legend, he has done 50 odd Ironman races with 23 straight appearances in Hawaii, which I think is a record. The package included tours of the bike course, airport pick up, gas canisters, a bike mechanic and also a translator (which in China was a necessity). The package also worked out to be about the same as booking it individually, so it was a no brainer. On the Monday we did Loop of the bike course along with Ken and a few of the other guests, one thing that was apparent speaking to the others was just how experienced some people seem to be, most people had done 10+ Ironman races with some having done 20+ with 2 or 3 trips to Hawaii thrown in. The bike course was 2 loops of a 90k course, mostly rolling. The first climb was 8k ish but very, very slight. On race day we would have 3 or 4 lanes of the road for the most part of the course, difficult to believe that a country that does not even know what an Ironman is would be prepared to get behind it so much and let us have traffic free lanes. The highlight of the course was between 53k and 66k where we turned off the main roads and headed up towards 2 villages and the main climb called Crater Park. This part was going to be spectacular, riding through a rural village, you were under no illusions that you we in China, with Buffalo walking down the street, rice paddy fields either side of you (with a nice 2m drop off into them). The villages were crazy, thousands of people mulling about, again difficult to imagine how these people were going to “give up” the roads for all these foreigners come race day. After the main climb there was a fast descent for 7k, and 20k or so of very steady climbs and descents. We rekkied the swim course a few times and tried to get in a few tick over runs at midday to get used to the heat, which was about 30 with high humidity. Just ticking over for the race week. On Thursday news started to come in that a Typhoon was approaching Hainnon, so the hotel was battened down. It hit as expected on Friday but Saturday the winds subsided, the sea was like a mill pond; all was looking good. Race Morning, we woke at 4am, got some brekkie, went down to transition and got numbered up and then went back to bed for 45 minutes. Got back up when back to our bikes to inflate tyres, check over etc. There was an amazing buzz in the air, the atmosphere at an Ironman race is incredible. They had drafted in what seemed like thousands of locals who were all wearing blue Hawaiian shirts, a surreal sight, really. At 6:45 we head to the beach and got kitted up, it seemed warm, but no hotter than it had been in the past week (how wrong I was!!). This I think was my first mistake - when we arrived at the beach everyone was exiting the water from warm ups for the announcements and countdown (in hindsight I should have gone and got wet or taken my wet suit down to my waist). 7am the gun went off and we ran into the water, the first 100 or so metres were OK! After that I just could not get my rhythm, it was not because of the washing machine effect that can happen on these mass start events as there were only 500 or so of us, I just could not breath properly, it felt like I my chest was being constricted, I back-stroked, breast-stroked and front crawled, trying to get my body to settle down, but it just would not play ball. I really thought I was not going to make it, as my breathing would not settle, I have never felt this way before and I was worried! After the first of two laps in 35 minutes (normally under 30) we had a 50m beach run to start our second lap, by this time I was just hanging on, about 100m from the beach whilst backstroking I heard Louise’s name being called so she was just behind me, nice to know she was OK. I just kept thinking get to the end then I can settle into my race, I never felt comfortable through the whole swim, my breathing never settled down. Swim target 59 Minutes - Time taken 71 Minutes
Thank god that was over. Out of the water, the run up to transition was 400 or so metres through some showers and into the changing tent, I had a couple of guys stripping me and managed to get some sunny on. Kit on and out onto the bike………
I had a plan on the bike to stick to mid Zone 2 for the first lap and upper Zone 2 for the second! Which turned out to be impossible, my heart rate was immediately lower zone 3, I just kept thinking it will settle, just take it easy. Again my breathing was laboured, a real effort, even when just spinning. The bizarre thing was though, I was not losing too much position, sure I had had a poor swim, but being in so much distress I thought people would be flying past me. The villages were awesome, all the locals were out waving flags and cheering, if you thanked them or waved you got a loud cheer, they were really enthusiastic. The first lap came and went, my HR never settled down, at the aid stations I was drenching myself with water to try and cool down as it had been getting hotter all morning. This aside all I was thinking was I cannot sustain this HR level for 10+ hours, but come what may no matter what I did it would not go down. Just finishing was now becoming my priority. Onto the second lap and more of the same, I had seen Louise a couple of times which picked up my spirits, she seemed to be having a good race with not many girls in front of her. The second lap came and went and mirrored the first - elevated HR, etc. By this time I was feeling so bad I had taken to praying (but still not crying!!!!!). Bike target 5 hours, time taken 5 hours 37 minutes
Into T2 for a quick application of sunny (Australian for Suntan lotion) and on with the trainers. Took some more gulps of drink and out into the Sauna ! The aid stations/markers were every 2k, so my target was 10 minutes every 2k for a 3 hour 30 minute run split but looking at my splits I never got into my stride and by 4k I had already started to walk with my walking HR at lower zone 2!. I had started to see the odd person lying at the side of the path but it did not really mean a great deal until after the race as you are so cocooned in your own thoughts. The first 4k of the run had a bit of shade, but then we went across onto a rubber track which was along the seafront, this went on for about 4k or so and was all un-shaded, and the rubber track just seemed to absorb the heat, my feet were burning at this point. All was not well. I had been trying with 3 min run 2 min walk but the walks just kept getting longer and longer. At the top end of the 10.5 run we ran through town for 1 or so kilometres which was even hotter with all the traffic, we swung left and ran past an open stream that smelt really bad, I had started to gag here and this part of the run was even hotter. Got to the turnaround point and on headed on back towards the hotel. After about 10 minutes of run/walk I saw Lou, who thought (although she did not tell me) that I looked ashen coloured. I told her stupidly that I was going to pull out as I felt so bad (Sorry Lou), she told me to just keep going. At this point I was working out how long it was going to take me to walk the 30k home and weather I would make it inside the 17 hour cut off…….Not good thoughts ! My run/walk system got me to the half way mark, at this point I saw Ken who took some photo’s, I told him how bad I felt, he said it was “Carnage” out on the course and that people were pulling out all over the place, as I said it’s difficult to focus on anything outside of you when your in a bad way so it never really sunk in until later. Again I saw Lou and said for her to catch me up and I would then try to keep up with her. I managed to keep up with my run/walk until 35k. With 7k to go I tried to keep running, just doing it minute by minute, from 35k onwards I never lost a place, seeing the 40k mark was awesome, the last 2k was through the city, again there ware so many people lining the streets to see all these mad westerners doing this crazy thing. Up over the bridge and the last 200m were the best sight ever. Across the line for 11:44 and some change Run target 3 hours 30 minutes – Time taken 4 hours 44 minutes Total Time 11:43.55
At the finish I waited for Lou to finish and we crossed the line together (sorry for spoiling your photo Lou) for a great end to the race.
Apparently most people suffered badly on the course, only the winner went Sub 9 Hours, only the top 11 went Sub 10 hours (including 30 Pro’s) with the ladies winner Belinda Granger posting a 10:08! A hard day at the office for everyone concerned. At the Awards dinner Lou won her age Group (By 35 Minutes) and Qualified for Kona “Again”, well done Lou. Here’s a photo of her receiving her Trophy with the second placed girl.
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