Hi All,
I thought I would post a review of my Challenge Weymouth 70.3 (half Ironman) experience whilst sharing my view on why I think God is a woman (controversial I know but my thought process will become apparent)...................
So in true Jason S stylee, I enter a race with plenty of time to train/get ready.........everything was going ok with the exception of the swim - I entered the Weymouth event as the swim was a sea swim which I hoped would provide me with the drive & motivation to get my arse in the pool & swim??!!?? Wrong I turn up for the event not having swam a single stroke in over 2 years (last event IM UK, Aug 2012!) but felt pretty comfortable in the fact that it's only 1.2 miles, I've swam further in previous full IM events?!?
Race Weekend - arrive at Weymouth on the Friday, register and collect my race info, numbers, timing chip and other useless things. Not happy at this point as Half competitors do not receive a 'freebie' backpack; we have to make do with a 'carrier bag' (surprised we weren't charged 5p). Anyway on with race preparation - check the swim location & transition area (always good for the nerves).
Swim lap was set for a single lap of 1.2m distance, start on the beach charge for the sea, swim the lap, get out & jog to T1. At this point I was pleasantly surprised/relaxed as the water & weather conditions looked perfect. Calm, very little surf; picture postcard I guess.
Transition looked great: big space, great size changing area, clearly marked bag areas with a good mount/dismount line for the bike start/finish.
Please note still no ‘God is a woman theory’....yet!
Accommodation Check In - I had booked myself & my 2 children into a Haven Holiday Park (Weymouth Bay) for the weekend - this was all completed easily & hassle free. I had even been given an upgrade to my caravan, moved from a ‘Deluxe to Prestige’ model (check me out, living the dream).
Saturday – bike & bag check in day – all my race day bags were packed & the bike was ready to get me around the 56m course. Weather as with Friday looked spot on – calm sea, little wind, blue sunny sky – this is where my theory starts: I had packed the Bike Bag with additional layers & included ‘arm/knee warmers’ as the weather was due to change (what a surprise, perfect build up all week to change on race day – we’ve all experienced this I’m sure). Attend race briefing – all conducted in a good light hearted manner even when going through the possible DQ infringements.
Sunday – race dayAll starts well: usual start of little sleep the night before, up at 3.30am to get to the transition nice & early for when it opens at 5am. Pump up the tyres, cut up the Powerbar & stick it to the top tube (time saving tip) & then start pacing around like a caged animal. Then it happens: my theory starts coming to life: megaphone announcement “will all athletes please meet at the transition entrance in 5 mins”……....what the hell!
Race Director – emergency briefing: due to the strong winds and ‘choppy’ sea the swim lap has been re-designed so that it’s a shorter distance, 2 lap affair with full IM distance being cut from 2.4m to 1.2m. All start times are also put back by 30mins for the race team to assess conditions.
Brilliant!!! My Fri/Sat feelings suddenly turn to slight panic, how choppy is choppy? Must be pretty bad as they’ve cut the full distance swim!?! Carry on with race preparations – pacing around like an idiot, apply the embrocation, lube up, get the wetsuit on, let’s go check out the sea! BLOODY HELL, the only thing that’s missing is George Clooney & Mark Wahlberg on a boat trying to fish!!??!! Yes, it was almost a Prefect Storm!
Whilst waiting for my swim time to come around, still felt pretty good/relaxed – surprising as within the first 3 waves of starters they had pulled out at least 10 competitors? Would I be no.7?
My turn to swim……..bloody hell the surf/waves were bad enough just trying to get in the sea, let alone swim. Got through the initial battering and settled into what can only be described as cross stroke of front crawl & breast stroke. Every time a wave would hit you you’d lose site of the turn buoy, then see it, then lose it - I felt like a cork floating in the ocean it was insane. Got to the 1st turn buoy then the 2nd then the home run for the beach (tide should be assisting as this point). The head for home for a very strange sensation – powered by the incoming wave then losing all power as the wave passed by, much to the point it felt like I was swimming on the spot. It was as difficult trying to exit the sea as it was getting in; I had another lap to go……..stay calm & get on with it! I felt pretty good on lap 2 surprisingly & started to enjoy it! You thought cyclists were mad, triathletes should be locked up!
Lap 2 done, head towards T1 – managed to get my land legs back pretty early & jog into T1 whilst lapping up the applause from the huge crowd (felt like a pro!)
T1/Bike Leg: Good T1, steady change – risked it and left the layers/warmers; onto the bike. I have to say what a great bike route – good sections with a testing nature: steady climbs, a couple of sharp stingers but enough sections to get the speed-up. Time to start the fuelling up – peel off the first strip of Powerbar which by now is in a strange ‘sort of slimy state’, dropped the damn thing – note to one self – grab it firmer next time. Other than that no mishaps on the bike luckily, smooth gear changes, no punctures it felt great I even managed to catch loads on the bike & shout at a car driver to speed up on a descent much to the amusement of spectators.
A little more to add my ‘theory’ – easterly wind was forecast & was indeed evident for the day which should have given a stiff crosswind/headwind for most of the bike leg with the exception of the final 10-12m with a kind tailwind – my arse was it – smashed with a headwind or crosswind all day!!! As stated before I’m sure we’ve all experienced this false hope before?!
T2/Run Leg: – as with T1 approached with great speed still on the aero’s looking like a pro & in control! Lapped up the applause once again. Good change & I’m off running. By now the cloudy dull morning has changed to a blue sky/sunny afternoon/still with a stiff breeze on the outleg though.
Started running according to plan 8:30min ‘mileing’ & feeling pretty good considering the sea challenge/windy bike leg – 15 miles to go (2 ½ laps); then it happened. Right foot didn’t want to play anymore & decided to provide a pain that made it difficult to walk let alone run! Nightmare! Pressure point pain – similar to when/if you ever set a shoe cleat slightly on the wrong side of the sweet spot – pain that is difficult to relieve. Several stops of taking the shoe off/massage the foot/shoe on try a few more miles/walk this was the theme for the remainder of the afternoon broken up with almost being run over by the lead bike providing a ‘safe route’ for the female lead competitor. Several attempts of my new found sport of walking/running with different foot gaits (there’s prancing like a pony on tippy toes to plodding like an elephant by landing on your heels) has led to knackered knees and one very sore foot! The run course was brilliant/terrible depending on how you were feeling: imagine Weymouth beach front – littered with blue rinse old ladies scoffing their chips & slurping their cup of tea whilst watching 1500 or so lycra clad athletes running past them all afternoon thinking what the hell is going on today backed with swarms of screaming family supporters.
The one huge plus on the run was seeing my children en-route (luckily I was running at this point – keeping up appearances & all that) which I have to admit was brilliant, the surrounding crowd ‘whooped & cheered’ as I cuddled, kissed & hi-fived my little boy. Huge lump in my throat & I have to say brought a tear to my eye as I continued on my limp around the final lap.
Anyway in summary – a great event. Well managed, great spectators, great location. Would recommend to anyone.
My time: Swim 1.2m: 59min / Bike 56m: 3h07m / Run 15m: 2h41m. Total: 7h02m. Happy(ish) with my time especially with the challenging swim & disastrous run.
It’s just a shame God is a woman? Why you ask? Well, why would you change weather conditions that have been the same for 2-3 weeks prior to race day. Why do you let someone’s foot hurt so much after a good run of training & a pain that has never been experienced before on any run so much so that they have to prance about &/or limp embarrassingly in front of thousands?!
Well my theory is quite simple: God is a woman because no man would or could be that cruel to another man! FACT!
On a less debatable topic: would I do it again, you’re damn right, already entered for 2015!
