Gold Coast Half Ironman Race!!!

Well, unbelievably I completed the Half Ironman. I really didn't think I was even going to make it to the start. Brisbane was hit with some severe dust storms in the lead up to the race. I am allergic to dust and these storms wrecked havoc with my respiratory system. I tried to train indoors mostly, but had to cut the training right back as I was quite sick with allergies. I ended up fainting 1 week prior to the race after attempting a wind trainer session at home.

So, for me, just being in the swim area prior to the gun going off was a really emotional experience. It was great to share it with the other girls too. We all knew that we had done the work and we had all overcome adversity to some degree to get here.

My swim went well, it was a wetsuit swim and my goal was just to be relaxed. Thankfully this worked OK and I was able to swim the whole race without getting my heart rate up too high. Then it was on to the bike. My goal here was to not go out too hard. I wanted to get off the bike and have plenty in the tank for the run. So, I eased into the first lap. My bike computer had me averaging just over 30km/h. I was expecting around 27, but I was very comfortable and my HR was not high, cadence good, so I kept on eye on everything and all seemed good. My hydration goal was to drink 4 bottles of electrolytes on the bike, so I had sectioned off the course into quarters so that I knew when I had to have my bottles consumed by and this worked well. I also had 2 vegemite sandwiches and a chocolate/brown rice bar to eat.

Craig's parents were out on the course, Craig and my parents were also out there, so after the first lap I sung out to them and gave the thumbs up - "everything is good" I yelled out, I wanted them to know that I was OK. However, it soon went a bit pear shaped...

Just after that first lap I ended up with a glute cramp which was really uncomfortable and worsened to the point of excruciatingly horrible! I tried stretching, I tried wriggling around on my seat, I tried not thinking about it (impossible!). In the end I just ended up struggling through and plenty of people that I passed whizzed by me as I watched my average go from just over 30km/h down to 26km/h over the next 60km's. The second lap when I came back in I yelled to Craig that I had a sore bum! As I progressed through the ride the glute cramp ended up expanding into a hamstring cramp. I got off the bike to try and stretch it out and it became a toe cramp too!

Needless to say, I was getting really worried that these cramps were going to be with me all through the run and I realised that this was going to be a really tough day at the office. I had taken to not pedalling down hills and I was in a really easy gear just spinning it home.

Finally, I finished the 90km's and could get off the bike! Longest transition ever to put on sunscreen, hat, take some of my sustagen sport that I had frozen overnight, put on my hat and away I went - just a half marathon to go.

I have never run a half marathon prior to this and to be fair I still can't claim that I have run a half marathon... My strategy was to plod through in my Cliff Young shuffle and walk through the drink stations.

This strategy worked really well and I was able to hydrate, eat and enjoy the crowds. It was a 3 lap course and I had supporters all around it which was just great. I really looked forward to the turn around where Craig and his parents were, I also had Mum and Dad floating around the course which was great, it was awesome for both of them, particularly Mum to see that I was OK and that I was enjoying myself.

There was also a guy from my work called Paul who was a great cheerer and took some photos, then there was the BTS tent where there was always a lot of noise and then there was Trisha who was great and talked me through a bit of it where I was extending my walks from the drink stations!

The finish was great - I really appreciated Jacque G coming back to the finish line for me. She had finished almost an hour earlier! We had our photos taken with our finisher's towels and it was a really proud moment.

All in all, I can say that I felt good the whole way through with the exception of the horrible cramping on the bike, my nutrition and hydration was good. My recovery was spent on Daydream Island with Craig which was fabulous. I was very sore for a couple of days afterwards, but I'm sure that this is from the cramping rather than anything else. Once that subsided I felt good.

It took me a couple of weeks before.....

I signed up for IRONMAN NZ!!!

OMG - what have I done!!!!