Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 3427 Location: There or thereabouts
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: Slacko's IMUK Race Report ..... (longer than Wiganer's)
A lot of you know I can write a book about a 1 hour training session so you shouldn't be too surprised at this ....
Raceday:
Pre-Race
The alarm went off at 3am, Rach & I just looked at each other and made faces! I sent a text message to Scottg saying simply "OMFG", he immediately sent one back indicating his current state of no-so-wellbeing!
We went for breakfast and I managed 4 Weetabix and 2 slices of toast. We chatted to some of the other competitors which settled me down a bit and got me looking forward to the race. Managed to get some toileting done (sorry, but it's important! ) then put on my trisuit and some warm clothes and did one last check of my white bag before saying to Rach "Let's go do it!". It was drizzling when we set off but it wasn't too windy at that time of the morning. We got to the car park around 4:30 and there were already cars getting stuck in the mud but we managed to get parked ok. Into transition we went passing athletes who were kissing and hugging their families before going in. I think it was Helen who once said "It was like sending them off to war", that phrase popped back in my head when I witnessed it for myself.
We went to Rach's bike first to pump her tyres up and met up with p00key and saw Mountaingirl, then I went off to sort my bike out. One more toilet visit before putting my wetsuit on, then I went back to find Rach who was with p00key and looking rather sick with nerves. I reminded her to take deep breathes which seemed to calm her down a bit. We zipped each other & p00ks up and took a couple of photos before handing our white bags in and waiting with the masses. We chatted to Big Ron, MG, p00ks, Snafu and my arch-rival Wiganer came over and we gave each other a hug and waited to go. I looked all over for Scottg but never spotted him, we've become quite close over the past few months so I was disappointed not to see him before the race.
It became quite evident that the race wasn't going to start on time but no-one seemed too bothered at this point. Then the crowd started moving and we were off heading down to the lake. Rach and I walked down hand-in-hand and the emotions hit me a bit as spectators clapped us through. The Italian bloke who sat opposite us at the pasta party gave us some advise and wished us good luck. I gave Rach another hug & kiss and told her how proud I was of her before we climbed into the water and swam out to the start line. I know it takes several days to change the temperature of a body of water much, but it felt a lot colder! I was quite relaxed swimming out and was just glad to be in there to get it started!!
Swim:
We'd decided to start on the left of the lake so I headed over there. It wasn't long before I heard Rach laughing which was nice to hear as it meant she was relaxed. I found her standing on some rocks at the extreme left and I waited with her. The long wait in the cold water caused my calf muscles to start cramping which wasn't good as we hadn't even started yet! I had to nursed these calf cramps for the rest of the race (and for some hours after).
There was an Oggy and a few roars from the lake to try and get them to get the thing started. Finally the sound that we'd been working since last October to hear went off! I gave Rach a last good luck kiss when the klaxon sounded and off I went. Strangely enough I experienced very little biff despite the number of people and I got into a decent rhythm. I seemed to hit the first turnaround point very quickly but I kept it nice and easy and tried to relax. My calf muscles kept wanted to cramp but I managed to stave it off somehow. There were times when I felt really good in the water and I started to enjoy it. All in all the swim part of IMUK went just how I wanted it too - unremarkably! Time of 1:23:44 was about what I expected.
T1:
Having done transitions in my head for most of the night I was very organised and efficient for once! A quick towel down, dry feet, baby powder on, socks, shoes, race belt, helmet & glasses then sucked back a gel while heading to the bike. Put my gel bottles and Nuun tube in my pocket and ran out in 6:43, unfortunately a gel bottle fell out of my back pocket on the run out. I immediately realised the benefit of printing your name on your trisuit with loads of "Go Slacko!" shouts! Off I went with a big smile on my face.
Bike:
I had a very good bike ride and I felt fantastic. I stuck to my plan and I kept the watts lower than my training rides. The first climb out of Sherborne was effortless and I was surprised a how many people I overtook. There were already loads of people at the turnaround point but nothing could beat getting to the top of Lyons Gate to a rousing reception from the TT Massive - you guys were all stars (me & the Mrs have already resolved to pay back the debt by supporting next year). I had a huge smile on my when I saw the banners and the Slacko + Rach in a heart on the Blogland banner. Somebody called out that I was 5 minutes behind Wiganer (which was the first of many Slacko v Wiganer comments made on the day), I bombed down to Dorchester but freewheeled where I could to conserve energy. I already was becoming aware that there was a puncture problem going on as there were dozens of people fixing flats. I immediately decided to ride towards the centre of the road where possible.
The first time back up to Sherborne I felt really good, my nutrition plan was working well with my new watch beeping ever 15 minutes to remind me to eat. I had trouble getting the banana cake down though so I stuck to gels. I bombed down the descent on my bars, the only danger being other competitors being more cautious. I had to cross into the other lane at points but it was exhilarating hitting 50mph! Despite the cold and the ever increasing wind speed, I was enjoying myself. I smiled and gave the thumbs-up to all spectators who clapped or gave encouragement. There were a load of stars out there along the way - the bloke with a loudspeaker, Mr GFA who high 5'ved me on all 3 passes and the bloke with the clappers who just seemed to be everywhere all day! Towards the end of the loop some wag had sprayed “Only 2 laps to go!” onto the road. I reached the turnaround point in about 2:06, spot on where I wanted it to be.
On loop 2 I found myself really looking forward to getting to Lyons Gate, it may be a bit of a climb but the reception at the top was worth it. I yelled out "Has Rach been by?" and got told she had (I think by Pip), I let out a big shout and punched the air before setting off down to Dorchester again.
Because I had my name across my butt I got a lot of shouts from other TTers on the course and Leahnp came to my rescue (for the first time) when he saw me drop my tube of Nuun - quick as a flash he reached into his back pocket and gave me one of his. Without that tube of Nuun I’d of been in big trouble as I lose a lot of salt and am very prone to cramping.
Getting close to the turn at Dorchester disaster almost struck. I lost my grip on a full water bottle when I went to refill my Aero bottle, the bottle bounced off the road and hit me just above my left knee. The pain was excruciating and I thought my race was over as I couldn’t put any weight through the pedal. I had to slow right down for a while and spin in a low gear until the pain eased, which thankfully it did. I then started to think how lucky I was that the bottle didn’t hit the bike at all and things could be been much worse.
The Slacko v Wiganer match race seemed to be widely known on course with TTers asking if I knew where he was and wishing me luck! Although neither of us were taking it seriously, it did add some humour to the race and was a welcome distraction for the TTers out there it seemed.
I finished the second loop in 4:10 – still bang on expectations but I had to work hard into the headwind from the gyppo camp to the turnaround point. A great reception here then off for my last lap.
Last loop then, all was well over Lyons Gate to huge cheers then down to Dorchester. All was going very well so it completely took me by surprise when my inner quad above my knee started cramping up. I dropped to a lower gear to try and spin it out but it wouldn’t go away. On the first hill back to Sherborne the cramp locked in and I had to dismount. I pummelled the muscle until the cramp released then massaged it for a minute or so … it was at this point I really feared my race was over. I decided to take it very, very easily up the next hill and see if I could make it, I was halfway up it when I felt the cramp starting to come back and all I could think of was all those early mornings and effort being for nothing. I was on the verge of tears at this point as the cramp was about to lock in again when I got out of the saddle to try and ease the pressure on the muscle. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found that I could turn the pedals without aggravating the cramp! I kept it easy for the next couple of hills then put a bit more effort into the remainder. As long as I stayed out of the saddle on the climbs I was back in business! Soon I was passing everyone who’d just gone by me – it was great!
I went past Rach after the Middlemarsh turn and she told me about her puncture in T1. She didn't look overly happy but she seemed to be cycling quite well. At that point I didn’t realise just how tough a race she was having and wasn’t the most supportive as I should have been. Instead of slowing down for a while to chat and encourage her, I selfishly powered on. Sorry babe.
I passed the “only 2 laps to go” road marking and gave it the V sign , had a good outwardly verbal rant at the wind before hitting the very, very welcome right turn (instead of left again) at the end of the loop to freewheel down to the castle whilst stretching the leg muscles.
I came in at 6:11:14, considering the foul conditions out there and the cramping I was happy with the time.
T2:
Again, efficient & organised. Vaseline in all the right places, fresh socks, shoes on, hat on and off. 3:35
Run:
I ran out of transition and the support was fantastic, loads of people shouting “Go Slacko”, not sure if they were TTers or not but I recommend to anyone to put their name on their trisuits as the personalised support you get is worth every penny. As for the run itself, I was in trouble from the start as my stomach was cramping. Due to the lost gel bottle on the way out of T1, I was forced to take on the provided Powerbar gels which didn't agree with me. I tried to eat different combinations at the first few aid stations but nothing worked, so it was just water for me from there on. At the start I was annoyed because my legs felt fine but I was in a lot of pain in my stomach for the first half of the run. The castle loops went in a flash, the crowds were great, I saw some familiar faces that I've only ever seen on this site (I'm sure I spotted Younggun at one stage). As I headed into the Girl’s School, I shouted out encouragement to Bella as she was storming off for the win, I then passed Hilary Biscay as I was going up the steps to the overpass (going in the opposite direction of course!).
I started off using the 10 minute run / 20 second walk strategy and managed this for the first 10 miles or so and eventually became a “run when you can” strategy before I resigned myself to a “walk the rest of the way” strategy. As soon as I hit the dreaded A30 I hit the wall full on and my legs started to seize. I tried to stretch my calf muscles but my legs had had enough. I tried a nibble of banana with some coke at the next aid station but my stomach cramped violently and doubled me over. I stuck my fingers down my throat to try and get whatever was causing my problems out of my stomach but nothing came out except a lot of wind (and I mean a lot!) out of both orifices! This helped a little with the stomach cramps but my legs were still very sore as I walked on.
As I was trying to calculate my finishing time with my current walking pace, Leahnp ran up beside me and rescued my race for the second time. He gave me a bag of high carb jelly sweets and told me to stick them between my gum and mouth and let them dissolve, then he got me running again. I ran with him for a number of miles as my legs slowly came back to me. As we turned around for the second loop I started to falter again and told him to keep going, I was reverting to a run-walk. I was getting loads of support from TTers in the race, some of whom I never knew but mentioned how much they enjoyed reading my blog. I high 5’ved TTers coming in the opposite direction including Ray (you looked brilliant mate!) who help me immensely by telling me that City beat United in the derby match! Eric was great shouting encouragement each time we crossed, PaulL was amazing although I did feel sorry for him sat there by himself cheering the TTers on. I even went over for a patented PaulL manly hug (not sure if they could have DQ’d me for outside assistance ). I tried to gee Wiganer up as he looked like he was suffering on the first loop and I was really chuffed to see him running again the next time we crossed, but this time it was him that had to gee me up – cheers mate!
At one point a bloke I was running near to asked if I knew everyone in the race as it seemed I was getting shouts constantly. I told him to get his arse onto TriTalk!
Snafu popped up everywhere as did the bloke on a bike riding up & down the A30 with plastic clappers yelling encouragement all night long – legendary stuff whoever you are! I got a nice surprise at the last aid station at the Sherborne end of the A30 when Putt Putt and Mrs PP were there to cheer me through and their lovely daughters handed me things from the table shouting encouragement at the top of their lungs!
I knew I was close to becoming an Ironman now as I headed into Sherborne. The support on the main street was raucous and welcome! A little later I went past a couple of neighbours sat in their front stoops drinking alcopops that were there when I headed out – still shouting encouragement – top marks! I then went past Towel who was changed and out on the course offering encouragement – top bloke. I asked him about his race and he told me about his punctures but all he really wanted to know was if I was in front of Wiganer!
I was approaching the castle and was getting very concerned that I hadn’t seen Rach, p00key or GFA yet. I passed Mountaingirl and Scottg on the A30 both looking well so I knew they’d make it. I past a few supporters I know are TTers but I don’t know which ones who were chanting “Slacko, Slacko!” as I passed them, then spotted Rach coming towards me. I was so happy to see her looking good, we hugged and kissed and I told her how proud I was of her. As we ran off in opposite directions I heard the chants of “Mrs Slacko, Mrs Slacko” behind me! Then it got even better as p00key came out of the castle gates! I gave her a pat on the back as we passed and I pushed on through the gates.
As I entered the castle grounds a marshal told me I had 2 minutes to get in at 12:30. For the life of me, I’ve no idea where it came from (pure adrenalin probably) but I managed to pick the pace up. I milked it down the finishing chute, high 5ving everyone who offered their hand before “sprinting” for the line. There was another bloke finishing and I should have let him go first to get the photo all to myself, but if I did that the clock would have shown 12:31 instead of 12:30, so we crossed the line together, although I’m sure I beat him with a dip! That was it … I was an IRONMAN!!
Post Race
As soon as the euphoria wore off the confusion began. I started walking away when someone said “Don’t you want your medal?” I just stared at her as she put it around my neck. Then someone wanted to take my timing chip off and I had trouble standing steady while she did it. I thought I’d be a mess emotionally at the end but I wasn’t really with it at all until Snafu appeared again (as if by magic) and handed me a card that Rach had asked him to deliver. I read the message she wrote then lost it completely with a shoulder shaking blubber.
At this stage I was aware that I was shivering uncontrollably and headed off to get my clothes. I must have been standing at the tent for a while looking blankly at all the white bags when someone offered to get mine for me. I then went over to the hot tubs as I was aware I needed to get warm but I couldn’t get my shoes and socks off without cramping. My calf muscles were moving involuntarily like there was a small rodent wriggling around under my skin. I went to the massage tent to see if they could do anything with it and saw Bryan Rhodes chatting with anyone who wanted to chat. The masseur tried for a couple of minutes before sending me over to the medical tent as she was concerned I was seriously dehydrated as well as hypothermic (I was shivering uncontrollably). I went over to the medical tent in a daze and they took one look at me and wrapped me up and laid me down. They gave me some electrolyte mixture and hot drinks, I wasn’t hypothermic but I wasn’t far off and it only took about 45 minutes for my body temperature to come back into a normal range. They said I could go at this point and I tried to stand up when all my calf and quad muscles cramped simultaneously. They went and got a masseuse who worked my legs for ages before I could even wiggle my big toe without cramping. Snafu was giving me regular updates via mobile phone on how Rach was doing and I desperately tried to get discharged so I could see her finish but they were having none of it. My phone beeped continuously with text messages of congratulations from friends, family and TTers who were following my progress on the internet. I talked to my kids and Rach’s kids who were concerned that the internet showed her as DNFing – I reassured them she was still out there.
I heard the announcer call Rach over the line and heard the cheers. I knew she’d be looking for me so I asked Snafu to let her know where I was, but only after she had finished. She arrived in the medical tent and I apologised to her for not being there to see her finish. We then had to find a way to get me to my car, in the end Rach fetched the car and went to the castle gates while the St John’s blokes wheeled me into an ambulance and took me off to the car.
We managed to get me to the hotel and we shared war stories with the staff and other IMers before heading to our room. I pre-arranged a bottle of champagne to be in our room and we managed a glass each (at a struggle) before zonking out, very very tired but both happily Ironmen!
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Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 1043 Location: NW London
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:
That's an epic report Slacko of an epic race Well done you! But your poor legs, that sounds like such an ordeal. I knew you were in the medical tent - Mr GFA told me - but I hadn't realised you had been there for so long Such as shame you missed Rach finishing - she looked so happy as she came over the line. But there's always next year
Have a great holiday _________________ Only dead fish swim with the stream
Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 3621 Location: At home....still!
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject:
Another great report. Very inspiring - in fact I will dust the cobweb off of my turbo and give it a spin tonight.
The Slacko household must be a very happy one at the moment. Jeez your kids have got a lot to live up to but I bet they're mightily proud of their Ironman parents.
Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 10222 Location: walking in a Wigan-Wonderland..
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject:
great report mate, but mine had more pictures
seriously though, it was tremendous to meet you and Rach this weekend and we both shared the desire to get home didnt we. Well done on your time, but i am just wondering when you passed me on the bike.....I stopped 3 times for a "comfort break" so it must have been on one of those....pity really.
TOP EFFORT mate and long may the rivalry continue !!!! _________________ Energypics TeamWear - Custom Cycling Jerseys, Shorts and Triathlon Race Kit
Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 135 Location: Finally back in the UK!
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:48 pm Post subject:
Slacko - great effort mate!! I know you said you were suffering on the run, but you honestly did still look pretty strong! 12:30 is an awesome time and I'm glad I could help in whatever tiny way I could with the updates.
Enjoy your holiday, you've both earned it!! _________________ Snafu's Meanderings
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faces! I sent a text message to Scottg saying simply "OMFG", he immediately sent one back indicating his current state of no-so-wellbeing! 
Wiganer came over and we gave each other a hug and waited to go. I looked all over for Scottg but never spotted him, we've become quite close over the past few months so I was disappointed not to see him before the race.
I was very organised and efficient for once! A quick towel down, dry feet, baby powder on, socks, shoes, race belt, helmet & glasses then sucked back a gel while heading to the bike. Put my gel bottles and Nuun tube in my pocket and ran out in 6:43, unfortunately a gel bottle fell out of my back pocket on the run out. I immediately realised the benefit of printing your name on your trisuit with loads of "Go Slacko!" shouts! 
Without that tube of Nuun I’d of been in big trouble as I lose a lot of salt and am very prone to cramping.
Eric was great shouting encouragement each time we crossed, PaulL was amazing although I did feel sorry for him sat there by himself cheering the TTers on. I even went over for a patented PaulL manly hug (not sure if they could have DQ’d me for outside assistance 
Such as shame you missed Rach finishing - she looked so happy as she came over the line. But there's always next year 
