The end of the Ironman Journey? Don't be stupid!

Well I swore blind that South Africa would be my last Ironman but as the tiredness slowly eases off and the training starts to slowly build I have had time to think and now know I will do another one. I don't know which one, or when it will be but I will do one. I know I have a low 10 hour race in me possibly sub 10? but I havn't finished with Ironman just yet!

So its time to think ahead to this season, I have entered the Driffield sprint on the 17th May and the Vitruvian in September but what else to race? I think I will be doing the Cleeveland Steelman (1/2 Ironman distance) and possibly enter the hardest race in the world (Wensleydale Big Cheese) I have still to see if any of the RAF girls and boys are brave enough to join me at this one. Not sure what else really, possibly the Interservice olympic if I'm selected as I will not be doing the Dambuster selection event this year. I will have to start looking at what else I would like to do and also seeing what I am available to do.

So its just 10 days until the London Marathon now, not really sure how that's going to go? I'm not expecting a good time and I'm not putting any pressure on myself either, what will be will be, I've not really got any interest in it if I'm honest, its just a training session for me this year. Last year I was fired up and in great form but was let down with health issues. This year, no interest and not feeling in great form so just a nice day out and enjoy it. Check out the picture of all the tablets I'm on at the moment, I rattle when I walk!! I'm slowly coming off some of them after the problems I had before the Ironman and I've started some new ones which I will be on for the next couple of years possibly longer subject to the 3 month trial I'm on now. I have to have weekly blood tests to see how I'm reacting to them. I might be able to stop taking some of the others that I've been on for a year as they don't seem to be helping, I will find out in a couple of weeks. Eventually if everything goes well, I could be on just one tablet 3 times a day, I will have to see how things go over the next few months.

So apart from Ironman what was good in South Africa? I found the place was fantastic in the short time I was there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone as a holiday destination and would like to go back with Anthea and Beth someday. After the layout of flight costs its actually a very cheap place to be, car hire, hotels, eating out and activities are all good value. Check out me and my friend in the picture, what a great experience, in with the lion cubs one day, then in with the cheetahs the next day. Highly recommended!

Back in training

Well today was the day I had to return to work after 20 days off. Weekends are good at work as I get chance to train for a while. I brought the bike and turbo in and set up in the gym. I did a mini brick session, 5km run on the treadmill at 18:37 followed by 10 mile on the turbo, another 5km run at 18:42 and then another 10 mile on the turbo. After the session I checked the turbo details and had completed the two 10 milers in a total of 48 Min's. Before I started I felt quite fresh but certainly found it harder going than I imagined it would be. So that's it Ironman out of the way and now back in training. I've entered a sprint on the 17th May, I have the London Marathon on the 26th of this month, and if I can get off night shift early enough next weekend there is a 10/40/5 duathlon in Hull that I would like to do. I could do with a good race under my belt to help with the confidence at the moment as I've raced twice this year and not had the results I'm used too! Its early days yet so I'm not worried yet but need some good results to give me a boost.

That race! Disaster or a great experience?

Well here I am after 26 hours of travelling back home and updating the blog. So how was it? A hard day would be an understatement. The night before the race was OK, got everything done in the afternoon, racked the bike and transition bags and went to the compulsory race brief. We had an early dinner at about 1800 hrs some nice pasta and garlic bread. That night I tried to go to bed early but couldn't sleep, I was still awake at 1 am and managed to sleep until 2 am. Unfortunately Anthea thought we were 2 hours ahead and phoned to wish me luck at what she thought was 4 am as that's what time I told her we were getting up. It was only 3 am !!! and I couldn't get back to sleep so I reckon I had an hours sleep. At 4 it was up for breakfast, a tin of rice pudding followed by toast and jam, coffee and a cup of tea. We walked the 1km to transition from the hotel sipping on the energy drink and mentally preparing for the day ahead. It looked like it was going to be a good one with no wind and warm weather. After checking the bike over I changed into the wetsuit which had been repaired after tearing the sleeve on the Friday training swim. We lined up on the beach as the sun started to come up on the horizon. At 7 am the canon sounded and we were off. The first 450 meters would be rough to the first 90 degree turn and I was right, I've not been that badly beaten up in a race for years! At turn 1 there was then a 600 meter stretch and it was only half way across that stretch before I got settled into bilateral breathing. After 29 Min's I was on the beach run before starting lap 2. This was a better lap for being in control as the 1500+ field had spread out nicely. I enjoyed the second lap and had time to think about the fact we were in the Indian ocean with no shark nets, just 2k from the harbour where the great white was photographed 2 weeks before the race. At the end of lap 2 I ran up the beach and crossed the timing mat in 1 hr 2 Min's 35 secs. Happy with that as I had been regularly hitting 1 hr 4 min in the pool in training. A good transition of 3 min 38 saw me on the bike and down the road to start the 3 60km bike laps. The first lap was uneventful and I felt good to go and confident. On lap 2 I felt as though I was overheating and started to struggle to take on any nutrition (food/gel/drinks). By the end of lap 2 I had been sick and couldn't get anything down. As lap 3 began I knew it was not going to be a good day, I continued to cycle and at one point I was yawning a lot and actually cycled off the course onto the grass and gravel at the roadside. It certainly woke me up a bit! I was feeling the full effects of heat stroke, dizziness, tiredness and nausea. As I got back to T2 I passed the bike to the bike staff and ended up with a 5 hr 36 bike time, I grabbed my stuff to prepare for the run. In the changing tent the helpers were trying to assist but I told them to leave me while I cooled off, I asked for headache tablets and they went and got me some. I felt like I was in there for an age but in fact was only in T2 for 6 Min's 25. I didn't want to start the run as I knew it would be hell with no nutrition and already badly dehydrated, however I hadn't come all this way not to finish either. I set off for a very long afternoon of run/walking. I ran for the first 6k I think and then started the first of many walks. The sun was baking me alive, I looked for shaded areas so I could get out the sun for a while but couldn't find any. On lap 2 of the run I was being sick again, after a couple of times I finally found a shaded area at the road side and had to lie down before I fell down as I was so dizzy. A race referee stopped and offered to take me to the medical staff but I was having none of it and got up and started walking again. I managed to run a few kilometers at a time and did eventually get to the last couple of k as the bay was starting to light up with the thunder storm heading for us. Crossing the line in 12 hours and 6 Min's in the dark was believe it or not a good feeling. I was pleased that I didn't give in and made it round. The next part of the adventure was still to come, as I lay in the recovery tent which was about 60 meters long, from out of nowhere the wind picked up severely and after a couple of minutes blew the recovery tent down. I was sat on the side that lifted up and received a thump on the elbow by one of the pegging down eyes. I have a quality bruise on my arm now. There was fortunately just a few with minor injury's but no one seriously hurt. It then turned into a big storm, wind, lightning, thunder and rain. I got back to the hotel, had a shower and slept for an hour and a half. I woke at 2230 and Mat and I went for a coffee and then up to the finish to see the clock hit 17 hours. One guy was on the red carpet at 16 hours 59 minutes and 50 seconds. He was in a bad way and missed the cut off by 12 seconds! No medal or t-shirt for him the poor sod. So that was Ironman South Africa in a nutshell. A bad race? possibly, but its still an Ironman finish! An experience not to be forgotten.

Time for Ironman!

Hi folks, just a quick one to update you. After a 3-4 weeks of tummy probs i'm feeling a lot better and tomorrow is Ironman time. The bike is racked, transition bags hanging, time for food and rest ready for the morning. Its going to be a scorcher with light wind and 30 degrees. Course looks good, will just have to see what the day brings as far as performance goes. This will be my last Ironman so I hope for a good race. Will update you more after the race and loads of pics when I get home. You can follow the race on ironman live website using my number which is 602 if you want to track my progress.
Bye for now
Daz

Form is temporary, talent is permanent!

Well the first race of the year has been and gone, the Fleet Half Marathon. Lets say it didn't go exactly how I had imagined! The truth is it was a disaster. After just one mile I was struggling to get my breath, I slowed down to try and get things under control but it made no difference. At about 2.5 miles I walked off the course and tried to get my breath, I couldn't inflate my lungs fully as I had a huge amount of pressure built under the diaphragm. After a minute or two I tried to run again but it was no better. I had some serious thoughts of jacking it in for the day but knew I hadn't done any long runs for 4 weeks due to injury and then illness, in fact I'd only been running just over a week after the physio appointment. I decided I would have to finish no matter how slow I was. At about 4 miles I burped loads of times and felt the pressure release. I then tried to settle into a decent pace to get round. I felt OK up to 11 miles but by then the lack of running was starting to show. I could feel my legs trying to cramp but managed to run all the way to the finish. I ended up with a 1:23:01. I suppose lots of people would be happy with that time, but I'm a perfectionist and I am not happy. I am worried how the Ironman marathon will go? only time will tell I guess. Still to keep positive the main thing is my ankle held up for the distance and seems to be healing well.

Tough times ahead

Well its been an eventful week with mixed emotions. Last week was an uncomfortable week with the Colitis. The week ended with a visit to the gastric specialist to see what he suggests as the "flare ups" seem to be getting more frequent, in fact it seems to be every 2 months now. I have been put back on some extra medication on top of the normal stuff to settle things down again. After South Africa I am to start a new form of medication called Azathioprine used in conjunction with my current medication. This stuff is a bit nasty and will wipe out my immune system by reducing the number of white blood cells in my body. The result is I will be highly likely to catch every cold/flu/virus that's going around this year. I have to do a 3 month trial on the drug to see how it affects me, I also will have to have weekly blood tests to monitor my health at the same time. If it goes OK then I will go onto a 3 year course of the drug and then try to come off it at the end. There are lots of side affects that I will have to watch out for but the doctor says as an athlete I am more in tune with my body than the average Joe and will know quicker if things are not right. I also had a shock when he suggested that another alternative is surgery to remove the bowel completely and spend the rest of my days on a colostomy bag or an internal sack connected to the large intestine to replace the bowel but its not as efficient and I would have to make much more regular toilet visits. I have to say I'm not keen on this idea and think I will try out all the medication options before it gets to that stage. It has come as a shock and made me realise how serious my illness is. Lets hope for an improvement on the new medication next month.

On a lighter note, I got the all clear to try some running from the physio on Thursday last week. I have ran a three mile, 4 mile, 5 mile, and a 10k since then. My ankle is still stiff but seems to be holding out so I hope things are on the mend. I had a big day on Sunday, 1500m swim and a 10k run in the morning and then I did the big one again, another 112 mile turbo session. I did it in 4 hours 52 this time but used a bit more resistance than last time. Today I did an 18 mile ride, 5 mile run and then down the pool this afternoon for a 3.8k time trial. I managed a 1hr 5min 08 secs for the swim which I am pleased with.

I must at this point thank Sags for all the motivational texts I have received over the last week or so, they have helped me out when I have been feeling rather down. Thanks mate.

From bad to worse

Just when it seems things are going to be OK I take another knock back. The ankle injury seems to be on the mend and I managed a steady test run of 3 miles on it today. I will see how it feels tomorrow but I think it might be ready to build up slowly over the next few weeks. The bad news is I've had a major colitis flare up and my insides are in pieces. I've been back at the doctors today and I have to go into hospital on Friday to see the specialist for an emergency sigmoidoscopy. It looks like the medication might not be working out as the flare ups are becoming more frequent. I may have to try a different type of medication but will know more on Friday after the tests. Its not the best timing and I am worried as its only 4 weeks this Sunday until race day. Not feeling too good and definitely loosing motivation and confidence as each day goes by. The target time for IM South Africa is not looking good and just a finish is becoming the new target.

Got some new tyres today for the race wheels, Michelin pro 3 race with white sidewalls to match the white saddle and bar tape on the race bike. What do you think of them?