The Longest Day
SWIM.
Picture the scene 1991. its 6am and I’m standing in a field
next to a lake, I have been up all night ‘raving’ faithless are playing full
blast on the sound system and I’m off my head.
Now jump forward 15 years. Again 6am in a field (well car
park), again faithless on the sound system only this time I’m a lot more
focused and there is a lot less of me about 4st to be exact, HOW MY LIFE HAS
CHANGED.
I was worried about the, No actually I was petrified I was
not going to make the cut off. But still in walked in to the water like a
condemned man. And as the horn went off I thought oh well just swim and see
what happens.
First thing I noticed was how warm the water was. Well it
was in my wet suit. (We all do it) once I started and got in to a rhythm not a
lot else happened. As I came out of the water I looked at my watch. 1:30hr I
could not believe it. That must be wrong.
In to transition and I’m helped to change by a fellow
B.R.A.T. also in there are Dave, and Ceri. Out to my bike and away at 1:40hr.
BIKE.
Rain !!!!!!! this was perfect cycling weather. Now what had
I been told Do NOT go off too fast! Obey your HR and eat as much as possible.
SOD THAT I’m flying this ironman thingy is a piece of …… that’s not how it went
at all, I just tucked in and got my legs spinning and thought about getting to
the first feed station. Soon enough I was there. Swapped bottles, grabbed 2
bananas and did not stop,
Its funny what you think about when your alone for 7hr on a
bike, if I’m spinning at 90 r/p/m then times that by 60 then times that by 7
and I will have turned my legs 37,800 times by the time I get off the bike,
I was actually enjoying the bike until about 70 miles when I
realised that for about 10 miles I had been chasing the bike in front, STOP
RACING!!! So I got off the bike for a toilet break, that way I bike in front
would go on and I could get back to my own rhythm, just as I get back on the
bike . Someone passes me, Now I have a bike 100yds in front of me. NOT FOR
LONG, “stop racing”.
Once I reached 80 miles and the turn for home. I feel great.
I’m boosted by seeing John and Sue Ward. And as I’m riding up the duel carriage
way. Their car pulls up by the side of me and they spend the next 5 minutes
lying to me about how good I look, Do they not realise I can in the wing
mirror.
The last 12 miles on the bike is nothing but hard work,
Mainly because I do not want to get of the bike and I certainly do not want to
run a MARATHON .
But like all good things the bike soon comes to an end and I
stagger in to T2.
I’m greeted by Paul RobertShaw (BRAT CHAIRMAN) who spend the
next 10 minutes changing my clothes, covering me in sun cream and feeding me
water and generally making me feel like a proper triathlete. He is only
interrupted by Sharon
running in to the tent with a tube of glide in her hand shouting “GIVE ME YOUR
NIPPLES”. As I run out of T2 I’m greeted by a mixture of BVHers and runner
world forumties. Who over the next 4:56 minutes are going to become one of the
main reasons I finish.
RUN.
After having my bottle filled up. I’m off. I had a plan you
always need a plan!! Run 10minutes walk 2 minutes. This lasts for 3 miles. Then
it becomes 8 minutes run 2 minutes walk.
By the second lap its walk/run/jog for as long as I can manage. But most
important is make sure I’m running whenever I see someone I know. I maybe dying inside, but as long as they all think I
look good.
Having completed the third lap shouted instructions for BELL
and LOLO to be by the gate when I come back, I start the last lap, I am joined
by Paul foot ( a fellow BVHer) who asks if I want some company, by now I had developed
a new plan run for the count of 50 walk for the count of 50 and it was working
was actually passing people. So I one thing
you all thought would never happen did…… I ran the last 6 miles and kept
quite while someone else talked. Mind you it did occur to me that I had spent
the last 13hr getting from A too B, thing is I had quite liked A and really did
not see the attraction of B.
At the last turn I do not know what happened but I got my
second wind and started for home with a new, fresh pair of legs as I turned in
to the field BELL and LOLO were waiting and all three of
us crossed the line together.
I had finally completed the journey I set out on 18 months
ago. I was feeling tired but very very happy. 13:45:18
Now how could I shave 58 minutes off the next one…….
