Enduroman 1st - 10th June 2012

Have a look on the enduroman website. Click on the enduroman event and at the top will be a tab with course. Look down at the bike section and it says click here for interactive map of bike route. It is a garmin route and shows an interactive pointer on a map and a profile at the top.

You'll enjoy it next year

http://www.enduroman.com/uk/ultratrichampscourse.html

Hopefully this link will take you there!!

the bike course id fine............for the first 7 loops 

  Too many? 

only 20 to do

So you are planning on doing the double hey

for the triple you only have to do 29 laps so you save a lap

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Well here's my little bit about the day.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">We arrived on the Saturday afternoon to all the activity going on around the place. 40 odd doublers and 20 quins and decas all out on the bike course and then a further 20 odd people running around doing the 100 mile run. Beehive of activity around the turning circle that was for sure. Got booked in at reception, found a camping spot, tent up, lets have a go look what's going on prior to registering.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">It was great standing around what was known as the turning circle. For those not in the know this was basically the hub of the race. It was a small roundabout at the bottom of the lane into the Avon Tyrell estate where most of the activity of the weekend ( week ) takes place. Runners running around it one way on their 1.1 mile loops of the run course and over timing mats within their coned off area. Cyclist freewheeling it the opposite way as the marking of the end of one 11.6 mile loop and the beginning of another. Gazebo's and support crews all around the outside of the roundabout helping their athlete and in many cases helping others which was great to see. A covered seating grandstand area used a lot on the Sunday and finally the Enduroman team all there eager to help, support and encourage every athlete in their conquest to succeed.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Anyway registered, evening meal and a walk around the run course to weigh it up and before you knew it sleep was needed. Struggled to get to sleep and it didn’t seem long before the 4.15 alarm call was up. A walk over to the main house, porridge and a brew for breakfast and off to the transition area with bike and clothing box.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">This was only to be my second open water swim. I had one session 2 weeks ago on the River Tyne so I was into the unknown really. Open water doesn’t bother me but it is different getting in and not being able to see anything in the water. The race director gave us a few words and at 6 am we were off. Found myself a place away from others as I wasn’t too sure of the etiquette but before long we were strung out and a line could be found, sighting every 2 or 3 strokes. With it only being a small lake it was quite easy to do as the marker buoys were big and easy to spot so it was head down, don’t get out of breath and swim away. At the end of the 13 laps I exited the water to be met by my brother who had my shoes to put on to make the way to transition. Shoes required as it was about 300 metres away up a path. I asked him the time and he replied with “It’s 6 minutes past 7 “. A 1hr 6 min swim! Couldn’t believe it as my fastest in the pool was 1 hr 20 odd mins prior to the event. Many people have said though that it is easier in a wetsuit and I certainly felt it easier.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Off into the transition tent. Bit of food, bit to drink and change into bike gear. It was a cool morning with rain in the air so I decided on a thin under vest, 2 cycling tops, bib shorts and arm and leg warmers on. These stayed on for the whole bike section of the race. 10 to 15 minutes in transition and I was on the way on the 1^st of 10 loops around the 11.6 miles of New Forest road. Out of the rat run which is a private road leading into the estate that is covered in pot holes, and onto the open road. Soon after a quick downhill, up to 35 mph, flying. Not for long though as you hit the flat open area prior to Burley village and realise that the non existent cross head wind wasn’t quite non existent and only got up as the day and laps counted on, Two smaller climbs which had you changing the gears down and you were into Burley village. A small hamlet in the forest but unfortunately full of wild horses that seemed to take no notice of life going on around them, Watch out for the day trippers walking in the road, again no idea of life around them!

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Through Burley and a tight left hand corner brings you to just about the highest part of the course now. That cross wind now became a tail wind across the open plain of deforested scrub land. Definitely the fastest part of the course, a few undulations but not much to worry about and then the fast downhill section of Crow Hill. Halfway around the route now and the steady 4 mile section back towards the left turn and the climb up Braggers Lane. I had climbed it on the Saturday evening and was happy with my gearing and I left the 13-23 cassette on the rear wheel. Laps 1-7 no problems however by laps 8-10 I almost wished I had the 25 sprocket on the back wheel, it would have made it that bit easier. The course was challenging with not many stretches where you could get into a good rhythm before you had to change gears again. I stopped properly at the end of laps 4 and 7 to eat and get my Bento type bag filled up with food but had very quick stops on other laps purely to get full drinking bottles on board.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Anyway, first 6 laps steady away and at the start of the 7^th lap just after the rat run I had my first sighting of Ali and my 2 kids. They had been staying off site at a hotel. It was great to see them as they cheered me on. Ali drove the car around the circuit stopping every few miles and it was a great lift. They then made their way to Avon Tyrell where they set up helping my brother in support crew mode. Lap 8, 9 and 10 were hard as a bit of tiredness set in. I was now onto my longest bike ride for many a year after not doing more than 70 in training prior to the day. They were made harder by the fact that there was mizzle in the air making me wet and the wind had got up a lot more whipping through the exposed parts of the course. I was more than happy to finish the bike but still felt ok, not many aches and pains and no sign of cramps. 117 miles showing on my computer and a bike time of 7 hrs 38 mins. Happy with that!

 An Enduroman team member took my bike away and I was into the transition tent to be met by my brother with food and drink as I changed into my running gear for the start of the marathon. With never having done a stand alone marathon before and my longest training run being 20 miles, I was well and truly going into a dark unknown hole. I was reassured though as I knew I had done 6 months of training to help me on my way and it wasn’t going to beat me, no way! The run route had been recced the day before with it being 24 loops of a 1.1mile circuit. Prior to the day someone had told me to imagine a football with a disc around its centre. If you push the disc at one side to the floor and imagine running around the disc whilst it touches the floor that is just about the run route in a nutshell. I went off at a steady pace looking for sub 15 minutes laps and feed every 4 laps. The policy worked well and I was under an hour per four laps with a few minute stop for food every hour. This was what I had done in all my longer training runs which undoubtedly helped on the day.

Not long into the run I made a decision that there was 2 places I would walk every lap up the 2 steepest parts of the course, which I think most people were doing. The run course is all off road apart from a small section of no more than 100 metres. The weather did turn though on about lap 5 and soon some of the areas at the bottom of the course near the swim lake became, squidgy, muddy, swamp like areas as the rain got heavier. You had to be cautious around here, one bad slip and race over. It pretty much carried on raining until the end of the day from there on in. I kept on banging the laps out at the same pace and before you knew it I only had 2 to go. On this lap I had my worst scare of the race. I was at the start of the lap on a downhill section and suddenly I felt the inside muscle just above the knee of my right leg go into a cramp like spasm. I looked down and could see the muscle twitching into about 5 or 6 strands! Weird sight for sure and I just kept thinking “Don’t go now with less than 2 miles to go!!” Fortunately got through it and at the end of lap 23 and in Enduroman tradition I was turned around and I ran my last lap around the course in the opposite direction. What a feeling that was, just 1.1 miles to go. I was met at the last 200 metres by Ali and the kids and I ran it with the kids, around the turning circle for the last time and under the Enduroman finish line banner!! 14 hours 53 minutes and 18 seconds after starting swimming in a slightly murky lake I was now at the end of a 6 month dream of completing an Ironman distance event and becoming an Enduroman!!

Thanks to all the Pirates, the cheers you gave me every lap of the bike and run were so uplifting. I didn't get to meet loads of people with being wrapped up in the day, but Barley, Shmunkee and Supercaz were the loudest and it was great to see you there

Big congrats to Seren and others who finished their races and to others commiserations and come back stronger next time and kill the course!!

great report Chilli..you brought the bike route back to me............you will have to rmemebr to edit each post next time you transfer it from word to get rid of the crap 

I've just rid of it on 1, how do I edit the others?

unfortunately i think that at the moment you can only edit a post before anyone else posts so too late............but its ok i still managed to read it all fine............

That was a great time on that course especially as it was your first............hope you are recovering well.........and whats your next plan

Cycling was always going to be my stronger point, it is my background. I was hoping for a bit quicker on the bike however the course was harder than I had anticipated. I think, like others I would have been quicker on a flatter course where you can get the bike rolling well but with so many small undulations and the few climbs it was hard. I was most pleased with my swim time. When I asked the question months ago about swim times with wetsuits most people suggested that they were 10 -15 mins quicker with it than without. Assuming the swim course and distance was relatively accurate I was in the zone as well.

Future plans? Not sure at the moment. Don't think I'll be at AT next year but not ruling out a return in the future I think I'll stay local next year. Holgs has always given the Cleveland Steelman a big thumbs up. I may give that a go and try and concerntrate on getting a bit more speed than endurance in the legs for the bike I know that the run isn't my strong point so work on that and try and get a half ironman run time close to my half marathon time after doing the swim and bike.

Where do you go from here though? Lands End to Dover challenge? 

Nice report chilli

Well done on your finish.

David Miles 4 wrote (see)

Nice report chilli

 

Well done on your finish.

 

Seconded!

come on symes...............there might be people on here contemplating a quin who need to read your report on the race