Enduroman 1st - 10th June 2012

I know i will have to spend the next few days getting my head around it as I have to but it has really knocked me for six............i appreciate there is going to be very fast men in the double who are going to be competeing at the fast end................so letting us ladies go off with the knackered quins and decas seems to make more sense

I've emailed Steve. You should do the same , you never know ...we may get a change

I have already emailed him

Come on team, youll get your head around it, keep it positive.  You know the day will be more of a mental challenge than physical.

Seren, don't let the change of time get to you, it's doing all you training in warm sun and then getting a weather forecast saying it's going to rain on race day, at least you can plan for it and it hasn't happend due to a delay on the day. Stay positive please.

I went on my bike for the first time since LeJog (had a lot of work on) we did a 70 mile ride- a good average and felt greatt even though I had taken no food and we didn't do a cafe stop. Like veryone here feeling the rest period corresponds to a loss in fitness but it seems to have done me good.

Still  not been in open water though,  I have delayed getting the above ground pool out and so willhead over to Ellesere Wednesday and Holmes Chapel on Thuursday, noting like a bit of cramming.

for the first time ever i wish i had a blog.so many thoughts....so i will just chuck them down here......

The last few weeks have been hard for me.........a hell of a lot of stress in the real world from various quarters..........and so little time for training.......and then my dodgy knee giving me greif and stopping me from running.........and even walking properely at times..........

so i think that is why this time change has hit me............at the beginning they did say 6 or 9 and when a few months ago they confirmed it was 6 i was elated and made my plans............i can totally understand why the decas and quins would want the change and can support this........but its an iuta race and so the women have to go off with the men......

i have spent the last few weeks when i haven't been able to train much.visualising the race....as i know the course i could work out where and when i would be......how many laps until lunch ...afternoon tea..dinner,.........even what i would eat and when.with alternatives........

i had it in my mind that i could actually do this...............the swim cutoffs and bike cutroffs would be tight for me.............the swim is 2:30 for the single but only 3:30 for the double...

the bike cutoff is an even bigger worry after my epic fail to do a 9 hour bike leg at IMW........my cycling is not my best point........and with only 24 hours for the swim and bike then i have 20 hours to do it and that will be cycling all the way into the sunday morning now...........

i need a lot of sleep.usually in bed by 9:30 most weeks at least one night i'm in bed by 7:30pm............so now having to run all through the second night is a worry.......

when i enetered this i had the knowledge in gthe back of my mind that enduroman do not usually enforce cutoffs if you are still moving forward and working at it..........but when it became an officially iuta event and now the british double ironman champuionships then they will have to enforce them.............

so i'm not in a great place.........but i know that i will have to spend this week getting my head back in it because i know that so much of this race is in the head...if i can't get my head around it there will be no point in starting the race.........

on a positibe note the sun is shining..............the world is always a better place in the sunshine.

seren, I am not the one to offer advice.  But I have looked into this thread all along with fascination and admiration.  The simple fact that you, and others even consider doing such stuff is way beyond my current comprehension and endurance.

You have put in some brilliant training to date and the bike rides have been of particular note.  You have already done more in on session than a lot of very fit people cover in a week and you have remained humourous and upbeat.

I would say to keep hammering away best you can and turn up.  Forget the blog, it won't help you, but your previous training will.  You might not make the swim cut off, or the bike or the whole thing, nothing is guaranteed on that score.  But what is for sure is that you won't make it if you don't get that mind thinking positive and get round the little stuff. 

My money is on you from here in.

Seren - you are a much stronger cyclist now. I don't know what happened with IMW but the girl I saw a few weeks ago would have nailed that course. I struggled to keep up with you all the way around.

Its too late for us to change anything and the only thing we can now control is what goes on in our heads.

I too am worried about cut offs but for me its more important to that I know I tried 100%. If I do that and don't make the cut off then so be it, I couldn't have done anymore. 

Be proud of what you have acheived so far, those night rides, all the hill climbing you have done, all that swimming in the cold water during the winter and last but not least all the long runs you have done.

You have honestly been an inspiration to me all the way through this. 

Seren,

You can do this, Purple and I know you can do it, we've seen you training and read of your exploits over the last few months.  Youre a different cycling from IM Wales last year, your strength was quite clear to see when we rode in Wales, and you burried our noses in it on that hill by Tallybont resevouir.

I can understand youre hesitation about the later start and itu certification possibly affecting Enduroman's flexibility on cut-off times?  Why dont you email them to see if you can find out where the ground lies with the bike / run cut-offs? 

All the training is now done, there's not much more you can do on the physical side, its a mental game from here on in.  Just think of the hours and hours youve put into training, now you just need to train your mind to cope with the mental challenge and that might be that you need to visualise the race in a different way?

Try to deal with your worries individually, most of them arent directly affected by the start time change, your swimming is ok, 3.30 cut-off is your first target and theyre hardly going to pull you if youre 5, 10 mins over?  Whatever you think of your cycling, 20 hours (or even less) allows some margin.  Once you get to the run and its one foot in front of the other.  I think when you get to the 2nd night sleep will be least of your worries 

Look at all the positive things youve done to prepare for the race, your ultra runs, long long bike, long OW swim at South Cerney. 

As Barlos says, he's wise you know!

seren, I took a shed load of coffee and pro plus when I did it, you will find that adrenalin hits will keep you going. I chose not to stop and sleep but Mon said a quick kip did her the world of good.

Seren I do empathise with the moving of goal posts, I dont agree with that at this late stage but as a wise man once said 'it is what it is'  Look at what you can change and concentrate your energies on those points and not the points you cant change.   You are (as are the other loons) strong people and you just need to believe in yourself.   You can do this, 
Courage my friend  

<hates self> agrees with Meldy too.

The distance hasn't changed and you both know you can do that part of it, can you jump start your body clock a few days before the event to try and replicate the sleep/start time?

Sorry Purple I'm not sure about your ideas on time but Seren, if you can do a single swim in 1:30 you will definitely do the double inside cut-off. You've then got a lap per hour to get through which you can do and that leaves you spare time too before cut-off. As kk says this will be the point at which you can take an iron nap, whether you want to get a few run laps under your belt first as she/Mon did at the double or straight off the bike as I did. You've got 19 hours to do 48 laps and have a snooze, without the snooze it's over 23 minutes per lap which is a lot slower than walking pace. Don't forget with 50 people out there you won't be alone on the course, buddy up with someone through the night on the bike and again on the run.

You can do it and I look forward to seeing you both finish it.

Thanks all

VT'd your right............24 hours hours of thinking and i am moving forward...........workin on the new timings and meal changes.......i keep think this time of the morning i will be swimming and each time that pops up i keep on relplacing it with at this time i will be waking up............i'm sure my brain will realline it all in the next week.........

onwards and upwards...........i am planning on trying to average the bike laps at 55 mins ....so ahving a 5 mins spare each lap with which to give myself an hours nap in the night if i need it.........and then a short nap after lunch the next day.......

right off to get my bike gesrs readjusted this morning................

thanks again

Get them to do a full bike check, or have a bike service, worth checking everything out at this point then having chance to ride it and check any adjustments have bedded in.

i had it serviced last month.they put a new gear cable on and it was that that needed a slight adjustment.a 2 sec job.but one i am incapable of doing myself..........#

this time in 18 days i will be on my bike ....lets hope it will be a little cooler 

Seren and PT - I am absolutely inspired. I hope you can both put all the demons behind you and have a great great time!! Absolutely amazing!!

Wide words Golden Boots.  Pop in and out of this thread, as somewhere in theback of mind there is a temptation.  Ran a 50 miler on Sunday, and thought of doing that after a few hours swimming, and a lot of hours cycling seem impossible.  But keep up the good work, keep the positivity, and enjoy.

I too am getting my head around the new time.

My plan is too try and sleep till 6:00 on the 9th and then have a leisurely breakfast.

I'm working on 1:55 for every two bike loops. If I complete each two loops in under that time I will get of and stretch, drink, eat etc. I am hoping not to sleep until the bike is finished, that's the hardest challenge with the new start time. I don't think I will have enough time for a sleep but may well do on the run.

I think moving the goal posts so late in the day is really out of order and I still feel a angry about it. I will definitly give Enduroman that feedback, but I'll wait until I'm a Double Ironman to do that  .