18 gels in 3 hours.....stout fellow!!

Here are the finishline photos from the Ironman.

photos.

We'll get more pics from the race up tomorrow, along with a race report.

Thanks

Daniel RW

got back going, and my achilles tendon was giving me a bit of gyp. i'd hurt it two weeks ago in a fit of taper madness by attempting to do a 15 mile run at a pace i hadn't run at since well before IM Lanzarote, and i hadn't been able to walk for a few days.

i'd hoped and thought it was clear, but evidently not. i had real trouble cycling, and although i managed to get in it took ages.

it wasn't a problem though. sometimes the irongods are kind to you, sometimes they aren't. i clearly wasn't going to beat my provious best of 11 hours 12, in fact i wasn't even going to get anywhere near my backstop target of 12 hours, so i just put those anal targets away and got on with dealing with the day and finishing.

great finisg pics Daniel!!!

Cheers for being there... Candy, keep going mate... I'll do my race report when we are back in the uk, prob at the w/e after fri nite PARTY!!!!!!!

And a top job it was too mate. How on earth you kept going on that I don't know.

Anyway, I have partial approval for next year.... However, finances, new baby, the patience of my boss and other things may well get in the way.

On the other hand...

I think it's time for me to take mt piratey name, as Ava suggested. 'Willy Won't he?'

got in and out of T2 and started running. i convinced myself that the achilles issue had just been a "bike thing" and that i was fine, and i cracked on with a 4 hour marathon pace.

the run was great, pirates passing you on the course every few minutes and pirate supporters in team colours in clumps at various intervals. very inspiring, and great fun.

most of the pirates were chipper, but everybody was suffering with the heat, so there were lots of high 5s and encouragement to keep spirits up.

after 10k my achilles let me know that it wasn't just a bike thing at all, it was a run thing as well, and it stareted to really hurt. i started walking, but that made it worse. i had a real limp at 20k, stepping with my right foot was really quite painful, however i'd rather crawl than quit (or actually shuffle on my arse, since my foot would be in the way if i crawled!). at the half marathon point i reached rock bottom, because it was getting unbearable and there was still a long way to go. i think i might have been close to crying, but i gave myself a mental slap and told myself not to be a snivelling child.

all the pirates were now on the course, barlist looking like a determined yellow king kong, sally looking focussed, and punchy looking worryingly out of it, but again focussed on doing what was necessary to become an ironman.

Seems that name is alreadt taken!

Shurely shome mishtake!

Can't even begin to write a report yet though. May have had a beer or two :-)))

"come on barlist! catch me up!" i shouted, then when he was out of sight, i was thinking "sh!te - barlist WILL catch me up... i'll never live it down" so i tried doing a "running limp"

wow, what a godsend - it hurt like b*gg*ry, but it was a lot easier than walking, and i was able to maintain a resaonable pace, something like 10 minute miles.

however i looked like a complete idiot - somebody (lindi or Jj i think) commented last night that it looked like i'd dropped my hobby horse and not realised

on random german spectator said to his wife in english "now THAT'S an ironman", which was nice and very much appreciated, but most people just pointed and laughed. however, i was putting some ground between me and barlist - excellent. carl, you're a real inspiration!!

chris - fantastic, you HAVE to be there mate, especially with a new baby to carry over the finish line

by now, half of zurich loved the pirates and were recognising us and cheering us on by name. and all the ironmen and ironmen to be out on the course were rallying roung to support each other, be it beaming grins from cartman and handy runner, wrods of encouragement from dermot and sally, or good natured abuse from smithy about how crap i was being and how he was getting bored waiting for me!

i saw oxy suffering and i gave him my salt capsules. i assume that he took them as he was perkier the next time i saw him.

i came through the finish at the end of my third lap, and Jj held out my union jack to carry over the line. i grinned and showed her that i only had three wrist bands on - meaning i still had another 10 k or so to go. "ages yet!!".

the last quarter marathon was annoying, because by hopping along for 14 miles i was getting pains all over, especially in my back and shoulders. but i was very happy, because there was now no way that i wouldn't finish.

when i got a positive head back on, the final miles went by more quickly, there were lots of finishers now taking their bikes home and they were stopping to clap and shout on some encouragement. "that's it buddy, two miles left, grit those teeth"

just downloaded my entry form for VITRUVIAN!
What am I doing?

Phew! Just read Rosie's report and your Candy......

Keep going! Do you need some fuelling before you continue. This must be harder than the tri! :o)

BTW Rosie......

Excellent report. Great respect for you! It must have been disappointing not to finish but YOU WILL return and you know it! That's true Ironman spirit.

;oD

Great pics, what a good looking bunch you Pirates are!

Love the ickle baby shot awww!!!

Great reports btw, keep em coming

got back to the turnaround/finishers chute the last time, and again Jj held out my union jack. however i couldn't lift my arms up, so i shook my head and ran past. thanks Jj - next time I'll definitely take it. that damn flag has now been with me for at least three ironman races, and i've never once used it yet.

i rounded the chute, and there was an uproar - especially from the pirate contingent who had taking over half the stadium. handy runner and ratbag were leaning over to high 5 with the most enormous beaming grins, and i'm sure ratty had a tear in his eye, the big girl.

i dunno how long i took to finish, about 15 hours i guess, but that's not a problem at all. i'm proud i finished, that was the best race i've ever done. had a quick shower and some food in the recovery area, then back out to join the pirates in the stadium to welcome in first jellybabe, then carl.

for both of them, i ran back round to the reception area to hug them and say "congratulations, you're an ironman!". except when i found carl he was naked in the shower, so i gave him a manly punch on the arm and then backed out hurriedly.

FANTASTIC PICCIES TOO.....

TOTALLY CAPTURES THE EMOTIONS OF THE RUNNERS.......

I'm gonna have to stop reading these IM threads. I sooooooooooooooooo want to try a tri..............

i ran back round to the satdium, and all the pirates and supporters were in a mixed mood. really bouncing with the atmosphere, the cheering, the free champagne and the cheesy, cheesy eurobop (how many times can they play "no no no no no no there's no limits" in one night?), but increasingly worried because punchy was out on the course somewhere and we were getting very close to the 16 hour cut off

Go for it Wabbit - you've got a year to train! I'm going to - I've lost my job as of October so will have more time to train - I'll get a part time job and double my training.

:'o(

Great report Candy........

Can't wait to be part of the next venture (even if it's not competing but supporting)

You're a star for competing and finishing and to be praised for organising it all....

When do you plan to start a new thread for novices/training for next year's event! :oD

then there was a buzz of activity - our advance spotter Jj reported that he was in the final straight. he ran down the chute with a californian woman he'd been working with for mutual support to finish together, and we went berserk. it was pandemonium, we were screaming and cheering and jumping up and down and leaning over the barries for the high 5s. amazing, and very emotional.

he failed to get the fireworks though, as a few came in behind him before the cut off. better luck next time, mate!

we'd booked an open air beer garden for the mother of all booze ups yesterday, and we didn't disppoint.

awards went to Ratbag, for winning a few hundred francs in the "guess your finishing time" sweepstake, Barlist, who was voted most inspirational novice, and TC for his amazing first ironman result of 10:48 in very tough conditions. (obviously not as hard as lanzarote though!!)