Well, I can quite honestly say that a few years ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me I was going to do an ironman, but here I am having just completed it in 11hours 47 minutes.
I signed up when I was pregnant with Bodi who is now 8 months old- something to motivate me to get fit again! I managed to swim the English Channel when Indie was 11 months old but this was a different kettle of fish; for a start I didn’t own a road bike!
I think I’ll crack on with a little race report so that I can tell you a bit about each discipline, starting with the swim.
The Swim
My strongest discipline, I don’t get intimidated by mass starts so I popped myself at the front, eyeing up potential feet to get on. The horn went off and I put my head down and followed the bubbles in front. Because we were near the front there was no jostling for places, most people were good swimmers who were quite self aware in the water. I didn’t feel fantastic so just tried to relax and enjoy it. Nearing the turn buoy at halfway, I could see the leaders had already turned and were on their way back… I knew I was way off the pointy end of the race but looked back and saw the masses behind me. There was hardly anyone around me so I settled into just enjoying the swim and thinking about the process of getting out of the water and onto the bike. I got a bit complacent at a few points and didn’t realise I had slowed until someone came up onto my feet so got myself going again. I thought I would be perhaps top 5 women. About 600m from the finish I saw 2 girls(silver hats) come up on my right. I didn’t know where I was placed so I kicked out hard and put some water in between myself and them. As I got out of the water I heard someone shout well done, first woman and a cameraman ran beside me into transition-all I could think about was “sh!t, they’re going to film me getting on my bike” my worst fear!
The Bike
All 3 of us girls got out the water in similar times and I was 3rd out of transition (yes I got filmed- watch channel 4 in a few weeks on how NOT to mount a bike!)
I got a bike in January and have done some pretty tough sessions racking up some decent mileage at some decent speeds but I didn’t know how it would go on the day.
Being out of the water in 1 hour, I was on the bike before a lot of people and so for the next 2 hours(!!) had some serious bikes with all sorts of aero thingys come past me. I wrongly felt rather smug but did try and say a cheery “hello!” to all that passed me- it seemed they were all concentrating very hard on pedalling, that or they really didn’t like that they had been chicked.
I was averaging about 20mph and was in 2nd place girl so although there was a constant stream of people overtaking me, it took a while for me to drop to 3rd place and then to 4th. I think I was 7th girl off the bike after the 112 miles.
My main worry after getting ON the bike was then picking up bottles at aid stations. Volunteers hold out bottles of drink and you grab it as you cycle slowly past. The first aid station was 15 miles in so I was with Super Serious Aero Guys. They rode through fast, grabbing bottles and filling up their aero bottles. I smashed the first bottle out of the volunteer’s hand and onto the road then pretty much had to coast through at crawling pace to the final table where, concentrating with all my might, I picked the bottle out of the volunteer’s hand and got it in my bottle cage. PHEW! By the third aid station I was with people more similar to my ability and realised that everyone in this part of the race slows right down and so I managed to get a bottle AND a banana- the small achievements is what it’s all about!
The bike was what it said on the tin- 112 miles of flatish roads. It felt great to finally be able to practise being on my aero bars and I got quite comfy on them by about halfway through the ride- I reckon I did about 90 miles of the 112 on them.
The last 20 miles were tough but I just kept eating and drinking and accepted that I couldn’t ride at 19mph for the last bit. The final few miles of the ride are down a road which has a bit of gravel, a few potholes(superbly marked out in spray paint for us by the event) and speed bumps- it was the equivalent of having to ride up that one last hill to get home- I could have done a little cry… Thankfully there were a few people around me feeling exactly the same so we moaned together and before we knew it were on the perimeter road back into the lake.
Could I get off my bike without falling off after riding for 5hrs 58minutes?? Argh, just about. The lovely marshals took my bike and I started jogging to transition before realising I had left my legs on the bike. I walked but then the commentators announced to everyone I was placed 2nd in my age group- the pressure! They got everyone on the grassed verge to cheer me so I attempted a smile, a wave and a little jog into the transition tent!
The Run
I am very thankful to all the ultras I’ve done- I know the feeling very well of not being able to feel my legs and having to just ‘get on with it’. Running is not my strongest. Actually I think I am quite strong willed at running but I’m not that quick so I was expecting the stream of people coming past me to continue. The first 10km was tough. I was a bit bored of it all and so went to the toilet twice(mainly just to have a little sit down on my own) and walked for a bit, changed my hairdo from a bike-helmet-friendly plait to a high bun. Then I thought I had better get going or else I would be running forever so I plodded off and slowly started feeling better. Mark decided that well before halfway he would inform me that I was 2nd in my age group, this coincided with me not feeling so great about having 15 miles left to run and lowered my mood a bit more as I was certainly going to get overtaken by the girls.
I walked, jogged and ran the 2 out and back loops and then, with 5 miles to go, came back into the lake for a final 2 laps round. I got chatting to a few people and this really helped that last bit. With 3km to go, Mark told me I was 3rd in my age group. Unlike a few hours ago, I suddenly felt my competitive edge appear and so for the next 3km kept an eye out for any girls coming up behind me. Thankfully no one wanted a race to the finish line but I still ran quickly down the final 1km with my head held high, knowing that I would be crossing that line in a matter of minutes. I did 4hrs 37 for the marathon.
The Finish
What a great buzz! The commentator said he thought I was the first girl out of the water to which I put my thumbs up. Everyone was cheering and I saw my family sitting on the finish cheering me in which was fantastic. I crossed the line and had a medal put round my neck. I was waiting for a guy I had been running with until 1km to go to congratulate him and got chatting to Alice, one of the crew who I had met out at the Scilly Swimrun. One second I felt fine then the next I started going pretty fuzzy and losing the ability to stand up. Alice ran off to get me water and I walked about 20 metres before having to have a little sit down and a few cups of coke given to me!! I could tell that the next hour or so might not be too pretty. I saw my family and my mum took the kids back to the hotel so that it was just Mark left with me. I went through the whole post-race spectrum of elation, followed by a need to sit down before throwing up a few litres of High 5 then shivering and pulling myself together to go and get my bike and bags out of transition and walk to the car.
I managed 6 chicken McNuggets (not even the fries) and a very small celebratory glass of wine at the hotel room before retiring to my own child-free bedroom (I have the best husband in the world) and passing out.
I’m really proud of what I acheived and can say I truly enjoyed the experience. All the guys and girls at OSB events were just incredible. The marshals were all smiling and clapping and the guys who were helping with semi road closures were encouraging too. I tried to make sure I said thanks to every marshal and aid station volunteer I passed because without them the event wouldn’t function.
I can’t have done any of it without my amazing family. My in-laws and mum travelled up to watch and help with childcare whilst Mark was my domestique(slave) for the weekend. Since January we have pretty much filled every weekend around my bike rides and runs and I know it has been hard for Mark to fit his training around my ‘first dibs’ and spending time with our children. It’s been tough to get up and look after the boys on a Monday after a Sunday marathon or long bike but Mark has pretty much picked up the pieces the whole way!
The beauty of being on maternity leave is that I have had Monday to Friday to spend with the kids and so I don’t feel like I’ve abandoned them for training(although how many mums feel guilt free 100% of the time?!)
I am amazed at the amount of people tracking me on the day and the encouragement- fantastic to have people around me who appreciate my enjoyment for sport- thanks to you all.
I’m going to have a little rest now, until the next event…
Lucinda Bayliss 