How to guarantee a Kona Finish?

Alec Riddle was weighing in at 230 Pounds (103,5kg) when his teenage stepson passed tragically in 2004. This was the catalyst to getting him back on the road and while it only took 7 years for him to win his Age Group at Ironman 70.3, it took him 27 years to achieve his goal of racing the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii only to discover he needed a Plan B, something he wasn’t prepared for

“Most Kona participants are so focussed on their preparation, that they don’t contemplate anything other than achieving their Goals. So when failure (or derailment) comes knocking on their door, they don’t now how to answer it”, said Alec Riddle, who won the 50-54 Age Group at Ironman 70.3 Worlds in as Vegas 2011.

You are probably double checking your math skills, but the former Mathematics teacher  assures me it was a 27 year goal and not a 7 year goal. So rewind and check the stats for the 27 year Kona Dream if you like, alternatively read on and glean some tips on how to adapt to a Plan B just in case it’s not your day.

David Smith came across ‘The Riddle of an Ironman’s Life’ Blog and thought that there were some important lessons for Ironman athletes on the eve of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.  David asked former World Champion Alec Riddle about the challenges and obstacles he has faced and how he responded, ensuring he finished every race he started.

DS: When you finally made it to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii what was your goal?

AR: Having done well in Las Vegas in 2011 I was fired up and I was in great shape, so I was aiming for the Podium.

DS: Did you ever stop to contemplate not making the Podium or Top 10 in your Age Group?

AR: I don’t think many of the world’s top Age Groupers contemplate failure and I certainly don’t. I think that most of us have an inherent belief that we can achieve our goals. We are prepared to make the huge sacrifices required to give us the best possible chance of success and sitting down thinking about things that could derail our plans are a no go area for many.

DS: Here is an overview of his Kona Race, but let’s focus on his Mental Challenges,

An Ironman Finish Line = An unbelieavable feeling!

 the Lessons Learnt and the Advice that he could offer to Age Groupers racing Kona 2015.

DS: Did you ever think of quitting?

AR: That word is not in the Riddle Dictionary, so no it never crossed my mind and besides I had waited 27 years to get to that Island so I wasn’t going to raise the white flag.

DS: Three years on what do you remember most about Kona 2012?

AR: Besides the build up and the start, it would have to be running that final mile. To run where I had only seen (on video or live tracker) the likes of Paula Newby Fraser, Mark Allen and Dave Scott run was amazing. To experience that final mile with the South African flag draped over my shoulders was one of my finest moments in sport and one I will treasure forever.

DS: Even though you finished close to 2 hours slower than targeted?

AR: Make no mistake there were disappointments and I had my own ‘pity party’ in the Lava Fields, in the Energy Lab and on the Queen K, but I built my bridge and got over my river of tears in time to embrace what Ironman is all about, which in my opinion is to finish what you started. I had dreamt of this race for 27 years and I wasn’t going to go home bitter, I was going to go home richer for the experience of having conquered my goal of participating in and finishing the Ironman World Championships.

DS: When you were walking and pushing your bike for almost an hour, what was going through your mind?

AR: Two things, firstly I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I was no longer in the ‘race’ and that my dream of a podium or top ten was over. Believe me I was mad, initially I was trying the blame game where it was everybody’s fault but mine, but eventually I had to start manning up and taking responsibility for not checking the spare that had been put on my bike. There were times I was shouting at the sky, the wind, the lava rocks and the cyclists passing me must have thought I was mad and heading for the Cuckoo’s Nest, it must have been quite an experience being a fly on the wall.

The second was worse than the first and that was when it dawned on me that I may not finish. I realised that if I continued to push my bike for 30 odd miles (50km), there was no way that i could do that plus complete a marathon before midnight. (I hadn’t even factored in a bike cut off as I am one of the fortunate folk who has never had to worry about being checked out on time and it cannot be pleasant for those that do). That is when panic set in and I started flagging down every official and referee pleading with them to summon bike support. Fortunately I eventually managed to get a makeshift rear wheel from bike support (they were out of spares) and rode into Kona with no rear brakes and a fixed gear, which was quite an experience in itself.

DS: How did you motivate yourself for the run?

AR: On my Ironman Journey there have been many obstacles along the way and it’s as if I was groomed for these challenges. I had learnt to persevere so I was very motivated going out onto the run. The highlight of my day was seeing my 12 year old son Jamie shortly after the turn on Alii Drive…. he had run all the way (8km) in slops to support me.

Conrad Stoltz giving Jamie Riddle a few tips n the Energy Lab, with Liesel in the background.

Then I encountered Conrad Stoltz and his wife Liesel on their bikes, who had heard of my troubles and had ridden out to come and offer some support. The Stoltz’s then very kindly offered Jamie Liesel’s bike so that he could support me on the run (yes they do allow this in Hawaii which is quite unique) and that led to one of the most amazing running experiences of my life.

There I was running along and listening to my son’s comments and I knew that he had been listening all those years I had been encouraging him. The comments ranged from “Pain is your best friend” to “You Can, You Will, You Want To”, but the best was when he said “Okay Dad I want you to imagine you have a fishing rod, cast and see the hook landing on that guy in the red. Now reel him in nice and steady.” It was classic and as much as I wanted to cry all I could do was smile as Jamie kept me motivated.

DS: Where there any difficult patches on the run?

AR: Only one and it had nothing to do with fatigue or personal disappointment. It was when we were coming towards the end of the Queen K and it was getting dark (yes I was unable to finish before sunset) that I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I told Jamie he had to go back (there was no lamp on the bike) as it could be dangerous once it got dark. I recall him saying “Dad you need your best friend with you to motivate you” and I recall saying to him Jamie I have to take my ‘friend’ cap off and put my ‘Dad’ cap on and send you back. As he was riding off I called for him to hand me the SA Flag and as he turned to hand it to me before riding into the sunset, I saw the tears streaming down his face…. that is when I broke down and all the bottled up emotions came to the fore. I had been averaging 5 min/km (8 min/mile) but now I had the wind taken out of my sails and I was virtually walking as I battled my emotions.

DS: Take us through your final mile?

AR: I knew that I had to conquer my emotions and rid myself of the tears before hitting the final mile, as this was going to be a celebration and I was going to enjoy and savour at least one mile of the 140 I had come to race. I think I enjoyed that final mile more than I had enjoyed any mile in any Ironman, even the ones where I had raced successfully. I was able to interact with some of the spectators, encourage fellow competitors who were still racing for time or position, while my ‘race’ lay in tatters somewhere near Hawi. It was simply amazing being able to pause and to reflect on my Journey, to think about my late Stepson Reece who had been the catalyst to me getting started in Ironman some 8 years earlier and to think about my late Dad who had passed the previous year and had been my biggest inspiration.

DS: What would your message be to the Age Groupers racing on Saturday?

AR: Don’t make the mistake of going into an Ironman without contemplating a Plan B. We have no control over what hand we are dealt in sport or in life, but we certainly can commit to make the best of the hand we are dealt. There is no disgrace in not achieving your goal (time/position) but your ultimate goal has to be finishing, especially on the Big Island at the World Championships. You will get over the disappointment of not making your goal, but you will forever treasure that medal and remember this, all the medals are the same colour, whether you win the race outright or finish just in time.

Also, remember to check everything. I had taken my bike for a service and asked them to put an extension on my spare ‘tubular’ and tape it under my front aero bottle. I never thought to check it and only when I punctured did I discover the extension was suitable for a Zipp 404 (my front wheel) but would not fit a Zipp 808 (my rear wheel). I had taken unpaid leave and spent 3 months in America and Hawaii, only to be taken out of the race because of an extension that was half an inch too short. They say sport is about seconds or inches and I discovered that the hard way.

Racing as though my life depended upon it

 

In pursuit of the ‘finish’ with a borrowed wheel, supplied by Bike Works.

 

 

 

 

 

DS: What if it all appears too much for them in the race?

AR: I think there are only two reasons you stop, the first is if your health is at risk or if you are checked out time wise. Otherwise you should never raise the white flag, slow down by all means , try and not think too far ahead and focus on trying to push on one step at a time. I can recall racing Ironman South Africa in 2009 and in my mind I was one of the favourites for the AG win, but I blew both physically and mentally and ended up doing a 6hr 15 min marathon. I was close to quitting but my wife, my family and my friends kept me going. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but by far the most rewarding and I have used that experience to encourage so many others. Can you imagine if I had bailed? The preparation, the effort and the experience would have been worthless.

DS: It seems the Ironman is more a mental challenge than a physical one?

AR: I think it’s a blend. For the top Age Groupers you are pushing the envelope and if you stray over the red line you will pay for it at some stage in the race. Then it becomes a mental challenge, but one thing to bear in mind is that the mind can only hold onto one thought at a time. Think of it like this, your mind has two Supervisors Mr Be Good and Mr No Good and they are both competing for your thoughts. So if you think negative thoughts then Mr No Good goes to work and starts recruiting more workers (Mr Be Good is forced to lay off some of his team), but if Mr Be Good is hard at work then he recruits more workers and he becomes the dominant force. So force feed your mind positive thoughts as often as you can. I choose to express thanks for not getting kicked in the swim, for not losing my goggles, etc. It is amazing the positive momentum you can build simply by expressing thanks. (learnt from Heather Gollnick at Iron Prayer in Clearwater 2009)

DS: Any other thoughts?

AR: You probably never got there on your own, as great things are accomplished with the support of many (team). You may be living your Dream, but there are many (friends and family) who share your dream so if it is getting too much for you, think of the rest of the team before you raise the white flag. Believe me they will be proud of you finishing irrespective of time, but they won’t be too charmed if you walk off the course. Make sure you can say I have finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7).

DS: What were some of your highlights of the Kona experience?

At Living Stones Church with Conrad Stoltz, Chris Lieto and Kyle Buckingham

AR: The best was Manta Ray Night Diving; watching the kids jump off the cliffs at the “End of the World” was also a highlight and going to the Living Stones Church on Alii Drive was pretty awesome.

DS: I would like to thank Alec for his time and sharing his experiences and laying bear his innermost thoughts and emotions. I trust you may find some inspiration when the going gets tough, as that is when the tough need to get going. Even I feel I could march on, irrespective of the obstacles.

 

 

Kona, Hawaii

 

 

Manta Ray Night Diving-what an experience

Entering the Energy Lab with my children Camryn & Jamie

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!

 

The 27 Year Kona Dream

You are probably double checking your math skills, but the former Mathematics teacher at Grey High in Port Elizabeth assures David Smith that it was a 27 year goal and not a 7 year goal, so David decided to rewind and find out more about the the significance of this 27 year Dream.

In 1985 there was an Ultra Triathlon in Durban offering a trip to the Ironman in Hawaii for the winner. Riddle thought he could challenge for the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii, but finished 2nd to Manfred Fuchs in 1985 and 1986, before losing by a minute to the late Keith Anderson in 1987.

Alec Riddle & Manfred Fuchs

A brief flirtation with Ultra Distance running & the Comrades Marathon kept Riddle away from Triathlons until his return in 1990 coincided with a Durban Ultra win and the prize being a trip to the Ironman in Hawaii.

Riddle was denied the opportunity to line up alongside his heroes Dave Scott and Mark Allen due to a sporting ban on South Africans at the time, due to the Government’s Apartheid Regime. (Two years later Nelson Mandela was released from prison and all South Africans were welcome to compete Internationally)

Nobody saw or heard of Riddle at a Triathlon again, until he resurfaced at Ironman South Africa in 2005, considerably overweight

The early days (2004)

but he completed the race in memory of his teenage Stepson (who tragically passed away in 2004) in a shade under 13 hours. At the awards evening something stirred within and Riddle set himself a goal of qualifying for Kona, Hawaii in 2010 the year he would turn 50.

Riddle missed the 2006 edition (Achilles); finished sub 11 in 2007; was absent again in 2008 (Deep Vein Thrombosis); blew in 2009 (6hr 15 marathon) before eventually winning his Age Group (50-54) in 2010 with a 9h57.

So he travelled halfway across the world to Boulder, Colorado to prepare only to have a high speed bike accident two weeks before Kona. Riddle had shattered his clavicle in five and instead of flying to Hawaii he flew home and spent his 50th Birthday on an operating table.

Pictured with Dave Scott the day after shattering his clavicle in Boulder 2010

7 weeks later Plan B had been hatched and he was in America once more, on the start line of the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. His goal was to get a finisher’s medal before visiting his Father who was dying of lung cancer. To everyone’s surprise Riddle not only finished, but he ended up 3rd in his Age Group in a time of 4hrs 31 minutes.

Unfortunately the medal came at a cost as the Titanium plate holding Riddle’s collar bone together had snapped, so after visiting his Dad he had to return home for yet another operation.

In 2011 Riddle’s Father lost his fight against the Big C just prior to Ironman South Africa, where Riddle failed to qualify for Kona with a 10hr04 Ironman. This seemingly spurred Riddle on to train harder and aim higher and 8 months later he was implementing Plan B once more, but this time climbed 2 steps higher on the podium, winning his Age Group at the 70.3 Worlds in Las Vegas.

For most this would have been the pinnacle and time to revert back to focussing on his career and family life, but Riddle had unfinished business as he hadn’t yet achieved his ultimate dream from 1985, which was participating in the Ironman proper in Kona, Hawaii.

In 2012 Riddle qualified for Hawaii for the 3rd time and he was hopeful that it would be 3rd time lucky in his quest to get all the way to the Big Island. To prepare and ensure he had the best possible chance of success, Riddle went to Boulder in July to prepare at altitude and in the Northern Hemisphere summer, staying with world renowned coaches Darren and Colleen De Reuck who he incidentally used to coach when they were students at University in Port Elizabeth some 30 years ago.

Amazingly both Darren (2012) and Colleen (2013), have been crowned Ironman 70.3 World Champions, just as their former coach was in 2011…. and they were all based at the same home in Boulder while preparing, which is quite an astonishing fact.

Riddle had trained alongside former Ironman great Raynard Tissink for two years and admits to being Tissink’s shadow on the bike for two Southern Hemisphere summers, while providing some guidance to Tissink on the running side, which was Riddle’s forte having coached more than half a dozen sub 29 minute 10km runners and a few 2hr10min marathoners. “Training on the bike with Raynard toughened me up and helped me to become super strong on the bike, enabling me to use my run as a weapon'” enthused Riddle. I also learnt a lot from Raynard on how to build towards an Ironman.

Riddle was also able to spend 3 Northern Hemisphere summers in Boulder, receiving expert guidance from Boulder Coaching’s Simon Lessing, a 5 time world champion and Darren De Reuck who invited Riddle to join his training group.

Alec with Boulder Coaching’s coaches Simon Lessing and Darren De Reuck

Swim training was at Flatirons AC under the watchful eye of Simon, as well as 6 time Kona winner Dave Scott.

So Riddle had clearly left no stone unturned in his quest to be competitive, taking a few months leave, training to what he felt was his maximum, focussing on his nutrition and core and being supported by both his family and by Isuzu, for whom he was a Brand Ambassador.

Riddle arrived in Kona almost 4 weeks ahead of race day, in an effort to acclimatize and familiarize himself with the course, spending weeks training with Kyle Buckingham, who a year later would set the Amateur world record at Kona. As race day neared, Riddle declared himself ready and not many would bet against the former World 70.3 Champion achieving his goal of a Podium placing in the 50-54 AG.

Alec’s Kona Ironman race report.

How I came close to Quitting 70.3

One would never normally talk about our own mental challenges or weaknesses, but truth be told we all have them, so I thought I would share mine in the hope it may help others facing similar demons in a race, enabling them to push onto the Finish Line. Most of us play down the negatives and openly talk about the positives, but I’ve decided to invite you into my mind, which shows that even very experienced Ironman athletes have to face up to the Fear of Failure, or the need to Surrender or Slow Down!

IronmanSA 70.3 in Buffalo City 2015 was one of the tougher races for many, due to the fairly extreme weather conditions, but for me that was just one contributing factor and I was having a terrible time overcoming my mental challenges too. The question was would I get to the Finish Line?

Feeling optimistic, taking in Nutrition as it is a long wait for the oldies to start

It all started in the final quarter of the 90km bike leg. I was starting to have doubts, doubts about many things…. Being able to catch the 5 guys in my AG who had passed me in the bike; Could I win or at worst still make the Podium; Could I still produce a respectable performance; But worst of all would I Finish?

Less than 5km to go and into the headwind up the final tough climb, I had compiled a whole Encyclopaedia of excuses and was on the verge of calling it a day. I had one of my best ever swims and had a 2 min lead in my AG, so the race started well, but the bike was simply not happening and I was passed by 5 guys before the turn point and losing time rapidly. I even wondered if my computer was lying to me as I was projecting a 3hr+ bike split and I knew my cycling had been strong coming into the race.

The morning started well….

I was starting to doubt myself and I was inviting too many negative thoughts into my brain, so the bad news was escalating. Think of your Brain as having two Factory Supervisors, Mr Be Good and Mr No Good and they need to recruit workers. If you feed yourself positive thoughts, Mr Be Good goes to work & recruits workers, while Mr No Good has to lay off workers. That’s in an ideal word, but when we are under pressure or facing extreme challenges doubts start to creep in and we allow Mr No Good to go to work, recruiting more workers while Mr Be Good is now laying off his workers. This leads to a dominant negative mindset and once the momentum swings it is very hard to reverse.

Some Background: I’m not mentioning this as an excuse (in fact half of the top 10 in our AG would have been struggling with down time from injuries so its part and parcel of our racing), but as a contributing factor to my mental challenges. You see I had hardly run in 3 months, due to a running injury and had only recently (Wednesday pre-race) been able to run 4km pain free. So my running, normally my strength was a weakness but I had also been told by respected individuals that if I feel my leg (injury) I should not try and run through the pain; that I could be putting my Ironman participation in jeopardy; that I could ruin my whole year. Yes, they all had my best interests at heart, but these ‘thoughts’ were haunting me in the closing stages of the bike and they presented me with a respectable ‘Out’! In addition I had only recently signed up to be coached by #TeamTissink once more and Raynard had mentioned that perhaps it is a bike injury and not a running injury, so more food for thought.

So back to the bike, my mind and the Encyclopaedia of excuses. My mind was telling me, or perhaps it was Mr No Good and his team, that this year I couldn’t rely on my running to try and catch the leaders; that I may fall apart on the run (I was already disintegrating on the bike); that I may have to walk due to a lack of running fitness; or worse still that I may do damage to a nagging injury, ensuring that my year would be over before it starts.

So not an ideal situation as not only was my race going pear shaped, my mind was wilting and I had the ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card handy, as I had the injury as a back- up. This was my personal ‘Iron War’ as Mr Be Good and Mr No Good fought for supremacy and Mr No Good was winning hands down.
I was fighting Mr No Good all the time as I rode along the beachfront, with fried legs that would surely not respond on the run. My first thought was of my Mother, visiting from the UK supporting me and watching me race for the first time in 25 years. I thought of my late Stepson Reece, who passed tragically in 2004 and was the catalyst to me getting fit again (I weighed a little more than a Ton back then). I thought of my late Dad and could sense him saying don’t be soft, get stuck in. I tried reciting Phillipians 4:13. I thought of my young son Jamie supporting from the sidelines and daughter Camryn at home, what example would I be setting to them? I thought of my wife Michelle, who supports unconditionally but makes many sacrifices enabling me to do what I do. I thought of my sponsors Isuzu, who pride themselves on durability and perseverance, how could I let the team down?
It was like I was being bullied in the school playground, being softened up by the weather, taking a few blows from my fellow competitors and being knocked to my knees by my own self-doubts. The question was do I stay down (on the canvas) or do I force myself to get up one more time? Fortunately I forced myself to choose the latter option, to face another blow or two… But at least this choice had a chance of success, the other was condemning myself to failure.

I was saying you can’t quit before the run starts, you have to start the run and then, sore or not, you can always say your leg is sore. Acceptable excuse right? No, because at this stage you are pre-empting and almost forcing a poor hand. You see in life and in a race, the deck of cards is dealt and you have to play with the hand you are dealt, to the best of your ability. You can’t add an Ace and you certainly don’t want to force a Joker because you’re having a bad day, or a mental mount down.

Then it came to me, I recall reading a story in one of Bill Hybels’ books, where it said if you are in a boat in the middle of a storm it is terrifying but if you extricate yourself from the storm and look down on it from a distance, it’s nowhere near as bad. So as I entered T2 and the final dice was about to be thrown, I decided to extricate myself from the ‘race’ and asked myself if this wasn’t a race could I run one kilometer? You know the answer and my mind was made up, I was going to ‘Get Started’ and try.

So onto the run I went and within a km or two Mr Be Good was becoming the dominant Supervisor once more, as I was relieved I was running, I was happy to be in the race, I was getting so much encouragement from the crowds and race announcers and I was chasing old foes Charles Naude, Manfred Reinhardt and Frank Smuts as best I could (leader James Welsh was way out front in a class of his own). I moved up from 6th or 7th to 4th but could make little, or no impression on Manfred and Frank. The legs slowed at about 15km, but the mind was still strong as I force fed my mind so many positives that Mr No Good was now redundant.

This was surely one of the toughest races of my life, physically yes but definitely mentally as going into a race with a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card plays games with your mind. I was very disappointed that I didn’t make the Podium, but happy for my good friend Frank who got 3rd after so many 4ths.

I was ecstatic that I had persevered and that I had overcome one of my biggest ‘Mental Battles’ ever and I hope that one or two of you reading this may win just such a battle one day. There was a silver lining to this battle within a battle, as a few hours later I went to the World Championship slot allocation and as the race winner elected not to go to Austria, I secured a roll down slot and have the opportunity to go and race in the World Championships in August.

Ironman World 70.3 Champs, Las Vegas 2011

More often than not we are all racing for the wrong things and I had never once given thought to the World 70.3 Championships during my ‘battle’, but what an incredible bonus. It will be an honor to race a World 70.3 Championship again and to be on the start line in the 55-59 AG with good friend Manfred Reinhardt in Austria.

One thing I am grateful for is that as a former Mathematics Teacher, I am able to count my Blessings.

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!

The Big 5

When I used to hear ‘The Big 5’ I immediately thought of five of Africa’s greatest & most dangerous wild animals!

In future when I hear ‘The Big 5’ I will think of five of Knysna’s sporting events. None of these sporting events are overly challenging and none may qualify for ‘great’ status when done in isolation, but when they are all done within a week & combined into one competition, the Big 5 suddenly becomes a very challenging competition and one of the great events in South Africa.

Many travellers & tourists regard a visit to South Africa as incomplete without having spotted the Big Five and I would dare to suggest that if you are a South African sportsman wanting to call yourself a multi-sporter, your career would be incomplete without having tried a Big 5 Challenge, which comprises the following 5 events:
-80km Knysna MTB
-109km Knysna Road Bike (or a swim or canoe race)
-15km Featherbed Trail Run
-Totalsports XTerra
-Knysna Half or Full Marathon

I was fortunate to compete in the old “Voltaren Ultraman” a couple of Decades ago, but was the supporting cast to former Comrades winner & Ultraman Champion Nick Bester in 1990 and 1991, so had an idea what I was letting myself into.

Farmer Glen (Haw), Nick Bester and I renewing rivalries & making the Podium for the XTerra

The Knysna Big 5, spread over 8 days was a daunting challenge, especially as it takes place in the middle of winter and somebody like me is only just beginning to dust off the cobwebs, after a couple of months recovery from Ironman. I rolled into Knysna, not with a 6 pack like the major contenders, but with about 6 kilos too many and when combined with my limited MTB skills, I knew I was in for a very tough week.

Day 1 dawned (80km MTB) and it was icy cold, even with an 8am start and I set off intent on pacing myself, not taking too many risks and enjoying the scenery. I cruised in just under 5 hours and was a little shocked to find I was 2 hours off the winner of the MTB event, but I tried to re assure myself that I was here to train and this was my Boot Camp.

Day 2 dawned (109k Road) and again it was pretty cold and I know the importance of sticking with a bunch, so was intent on sucking as much wheel as possible. Guess I made a Primary School error, as I didn’t recce the course profile before hand and maybe it’s my imagination, but I don’t think I’ve ridden as many hills in so short a ride before. I was going quite well, but blew (lack of bike fitness) about 20km from the end and lost a few valuable minutes.

For the first time I looked at the leader board and discovered I had placed 69th and 9th Master in the MTB ride (eish) and had improved to 5th Master after the road bike. My thoughts starting teasing me, suggesting the 50+ Podium was a possibility…..so much for training & boot camp!

Renewing friendships with Raynard Tissink at the Featherbed Trail

Day 3 and I was in the mid day slot for the Featherbed Trail. Talk about tough, well this was a tough first 4-5km and I recall seeing a sign “Stairway to Heaven”, but that km took me 8 minutes + and it felt more like Hell. My legs were shattered from the two tough bike rides and I was also lugging half a bag of cement in surplus weight up those climbs which added to the searing pain. Received some support from fellow competitor David Black and I tried to pace off him over the 2nd half of the course and over the railway lines. A heck of an effort to make marginal gains on new Masters leader Farmer Glen (Haw), of Sani 2 C , who who showed good running skills to add to his exceptional MTB skills!

Jamie at X Terra

The next morning I could hardly get out of bed to go watch Jamie do his first Xterra and also got sucked into doing the Puma Nightcat Dash. I was invited to join the Celebrity Race and race alongisde Nick Bester, Arnold Geerdts, Raynard Tissink, Dave Bellairs & Altus Schreuder but it was straight uphill, turn around and down. It was fun making up the field and somebody had to come last, but when the cramps attacked me that night I wished I hadn’t lined up.

Night Cat Dash

A highlight for our family was Camryn running in the ladies race (Nightcat Dash) and grabbing the second prize of R1,000 being encouraged & cheered on by Natalie Tissink, Caroline Wyatt & Alexa Cunningham who was shouting ‘shopping’ to my daughter every step of the way.

Camryn in X Terra Lite Relay

Day 4 was my first XTerra, which comprised a 3k trail run, a 25km MTB and a 7km Trail Run. I’ve always admired the XTerra guys, especially Conrad Stoltz, Dan Hugo & Stuart Marais so it was good to get a taste of what they do and now I can say I have even more respect as XTerra is tough. Was grateful I’d been taking my Muscle Milk after each race to aid recovery, so I was still able to push hard (with tree stumps for legs) chasing my good friend Nick Davidson around the course and catching Nick & Farmer Glen in the final km. My son Jamie had warned me that the bike course was tough, well now I know what he was trying to say!

Day 5 was the Half Marathon…. up bright and early, taxi ride into the Forest, huddle at the start line under a blanket (which would be donated to somebody in need), lots of chit chatter with friends & my training partners Mike, Liza, Martin & Craig for what seemed like eternity before the 8 am start. I was now up to 2nd in the Big 5 and hoping to challenge Farmer Glen for line honours for the ‘ballies’ race but even though I ran a reasonable 96 minutes, came up a little short. Glen, it was great to meet you and well done on a fine week of racing!

Stuart Marais with Jamie after the Laggon Swim

Well done to Stuart Marais on a great result and well done to a few of the EC guys Richard Laurie, Warren Dickson, Mike Cannon, Nick Davidson, Nick Chapman, Johan Botha, Johan Britz and Stephen Marais, it was great catching up and thanks for the encouragement along the way.

Relaxing with Michelle

To my best supporter Michelle, thanks for allowing the kids and I to pretend we were on holiday when we were actually at a training camp 🙂

Thanks to all the organisers and sponsors of the individual events, thanks to Mark Collins and Magnetic South organisers of the Big 5, as well as Greg Vogt from Knysna Tourism for the Oyster Festival, it was great fun and very well organised. Thanks to the Big 5 Challenge & Stillwater Sports for the XTerra After Party. Last, but by no means least a sincere thanks to Isuzu who have supported me over the past few years and I look forward to building to a great 2015!

Enjoy the View!

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The Riddle of an Ironman's Life

NMMU Grass Track

Once you have developed your aerobic engine, you can aim to improve your economy, strength endurance and speed by incorporating a few quality workouts into your training. A change in training adds renewed focus, but training for a road race ( or IM/70.3) is very different and there are many added stresses, so be careful of going too fast, too soon.

There is no real need to try and become the next Haile Gebrsellasie or Raynard Tissink, but taking yourself out of your comfort zone will improve your running tremendously. At this stage I would like to emphasise the need for a ‘vision’ of what it is you are aiming for (Bill Hybels defines vision as “A picture of the future that inspires passion”), because you need to be really passionate to want to transform yourself, as moving out of your comfort zone requires determination and perseverance, as it can get…

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7 Tips for Running (Tip #4 The Long Run)

The Riddle of an Ironman's Life

“The Long Run is the Golden Key to becoming a good runner” – Alec Riddle 

The one key component of developing your ability as an endurance runner, is the Long Run, so try and do 2- 4 long runs a month (experienced runners can do a midweek long run of 90 minutes). One cannot develop a decent Base, without long runs and variety is, in my opinion, the spice in a runners life, so don’t try and do the same course, at the same time, same pace, week in, week out, or your motivation may wane.

How long is a Long Run? I would say 90 minutes or longer.

Doing a Long Run in Kona (Energy Lab) with Kyle Buckingham 2012. Young Jamie in the foreground doing his ‘long’ run!

How fast should a Long Run be? In the inital stages of Base Training, I think err on the side of caution and run…

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7 tips for Running: Tip #3 (Base Training)

The Riddle of an Ironman's Life

Base,Base, Base!!! You have to develop your aerobic engine and the bigger the base, the more solid the foundation, the higher the peak. Build gradually, steadily
and frequently, interspersed with regular recovery sessions.

Putting in the hard yards!

The more consistent the pressure you put on your plumbing system(cardiovascular)  the better and the best way to do that is to train at a more consistent ‘effort’ level in base training, so be careful of taking the hard/easy methodology of training too literally.

I am a great believer in what I call steady state running. In an ideal world, discovering your  aerobic threshold, lactate turnpoints and key heart rate zones would be great,
but it is not absolutely necessary. Steady state running is running just beyond
conversational pace and upwards and there are two ways to judge when you have
‘maximised’ this form of training. (In other words just below the red line…

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The Bigger the Base, The Higher the Peak!

7 Tips for Ironman Running-by Alec Riddle

http://ironmansa.com/2014/04/13/7-tips-to-ironman-running-tip-1-rest-and-recovery/

http://ironmansa.com/2014/04/14/7-tips-to-ironman-running-tip-2-easy-running-2/

7 tips to Ironman running Tip #2 (Easy Running)

Small choices and Little steps lead to GIANT consequences over time.
Successful people take little steps each day, embracing the small windows of opportunity that are presented to them. They march towards their goals, one step at a time and the days become weeks, the weeks become months and the months become years. And before you know it they have reached a place called Extraordinary.

Your running could improve beyond recognition; it is about making small choices and taking little steps over time BUT it requires immense patience and belief in what you are going to do, or have signed up for! The problem in this modern world that we live in, is that we expect instant results and we think that by going faster, harder, longer & more often we can accelerate our improvement. Unfortunately the opposite is true, so set aside the instant gratification mindset and be prepared to build slowly.

When you start out, or get going after a break (Rest & Recovery) it is important to start with easy running. This is the tedious part of the programme, as you can’t see quickfire results, but this is about laying a foundation. It is about preparing the body (and the mind) for the base training; the long runs and quality sessions which will be added in months to come BUT first up you have to allow the body to adapt to the low intensity stress that any form of running will subject it to (even easy running).

I call this Training to Train (T2T)! IT entails many conversational type runs and just allowing the body to feel comfortable with running. In preparing for Ironman, our group would run a 20km run on a Tuesday at a comfortable/conversational pace, nothing hard just Time on Legs for 1hr40-50. For most folk training for Ironman (and it was for our group), this would be a key session in the months leading up to Ironman as we are often time limited in our build up.

Imagine if you decided you wanted to be a better runner and you started 8-10 months prior to your IM or 70.3 and one of the first things you worked on was ‘easy running’ and within 2 months you were running an easy 20km mid week run every fortnight? Picture the foundation you are building and what can be built upon that Foundation, it is actually quite mind blowing to say the least!

I have utilised an example of a 20km run, but don’t go leaping into 20k runs, as I could and perhaps should have utilised an example of a 5 or 10km run. It should not be taken out of context.

Another important thing to realise is that ‘stress’ occurs when we exercise and it is about the time spent doing, so I would rather advocate time as opposed to distance. The reason for that is that a top IM runner may take 80 minutes for 20km and another athlete may take 2 hours, same distance but more stress for the slower runner, assuming both are running at the same effort.

I would advocate 3-4 weeks of easy running, before moving on to a more focussed Base Training Phase, which will be discussed under Tip #3.

My Gift from Ironman!

This was going to be a Rest & Recovery year for me, but with the introduction of a new route & the celebration of Ironman’s 10th Birthday, I was keen to be amongst the record number of entrants. It was an opportunity for me to share in this great event’s celebrations, an event that I have used to get out of a rut and to rebuild my self-esteem, so I signed up once more.

Ironman, a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42,2km run! Sounds simple, but add in a few new Hills and the dreaded Easterly and it becomes a brutal test of endurance and faith. The distance is daunting, it will push you physically, mentally and emotionally to limits never before achieved. The start line is where the Test begins, where the nagging self-doubts surface and the uncertainties creep in. Do I have what it takes? Am I strong enough? Have I prepared well enough? Can I finish what I started?

There are thousands of reasons why people do Ironman, they have flown in from all corners of the Globe to the City of Port Elizabeth, for the African Ironman! We are all united in one Goal, to finish one of the hardest & toughest one day endurance events, to be welcomed on the Red Carpet with the words “You are an Ironman!” from Paul Kaye, Paul Velstar and Big Brad Brown AND to claim that treasured Finisher’s Medal.

This will be treaured!

As I reflect on what to write, I think of the 1000+ debutants and reflect back to when I dared to dream, of contemplating an Ironman, when my urge or desire overcame my fear and I signed up for Ironman. It was daunting back then, as when you start out, you find you cannot complete a fraction of the distance without stopping…. I know the Journey is not easy, as you encounter obstacles; it is longer and harder than you initially thought; and many people, friends, family think it is impossible, as does that little inner voice which tries to derail your dreams and aspirations.

It is vital that one focuses upon taking it one step at a time, that one has realistic expectations and that we set achievable, believable goals initially. The beauty of the Ironman Journey is that the more progress you make, the more encouraged you become and your Belief Ceiling is raised such that those things in Life that you previously thought Impossible are viewed as Possible, hence the Ironman mantra “Anything is Possible!”

Many people think it is easy for me, that I have so much experience and while it is true in a sense, I am just like the majority of my fellow Ironman entrants. I don’t see myself as different to anyone else, more experienced maybe, but different? No….. I’m just a normal guy working hard to make the most of life and the time I have left, trying to be a good Father, Husband and Friend and hoping that in some small way I can encourage or motivate people to aspire to greater heights or to transform themselves & rebuild their self-esteem.

You cannot buy, or give somebody self-esteem (even your kids), you have to build it and there is only one way to develop it. You give somebody something they can’t do, or think they can’t do, like Ironman… they work hard, plotting and planning, perspiring and persevering and in time they find they can do it and so they build their self-esteem. If you keep repeating the process of challenging yourself and working hard you will find that there are things you can do Tomorrow that you cannot do Today. I have certainly found this to be my greatest reward or gift from Ironman!

People often ask me what my Goals are and yes, Winning is one of them, but my perspective in Life has changed over time and while standing first on the Podium is still a Goal and I aspire to that, my definition of Winning is simply this: ‘The person who challenges themselves often and experiences the most wins!’

This past Sunday at the 10th Ironman South Africa I challenged myself once more but the question I am asked is “Did I Win?”
Certainly not in the context of the Dictionary, where they define Champion as one who defeats all (after all I was 10th)! But, in the context of challenging myself and experiences I most definitely was one of many, many winners at IMSA.

You see Life is about how we view things, our first Goal should always be to Finish and I would have liked to have gone sub 11 on the new course, but I didn’t, recording 11h25. Should I be disappointed? Initially I was, but I’m starting to celebrate what was a fantastic day and a great experience. If you didn’t make your Goal Time should you be disappointed? Absolutely not, think about it how can somebody with an Ironman Finisher’s Medal for outstanding endurance be unhappy? It is a reward for our efforts, our hard work and sometimes we choose to let a ‘slowish’ time get us down, just because we missed a target….

I have found that Good times are when we appreciate what we have, or the Positives and Bad times are when we dwell on what is missing, or the Negatives. This year’s Ironman was a special occasion for me, as besides it being the 10th Anniversary it was also my 10th Ironman (8 x IMSA + 2 others) and the date coincided with the Birthdays of both my Mother and my wife Michelle. I had in excess of 11 hours to reflect & appreciate how lucky I have been and am to have these two special ladies in my life. So although my race didn’t go as planned and I suffered, 90% of the time I was focussing on the positives and being a former Mathematics Teacher one thing I have learnt to do is count my Blessings.

World’s #1 Supporter Michelle Riddle

Having had the privilege of racing Internationally in the colours of Isuzu, I am aware of how special the Port Elizabeth crowd are and just how much of a positive impact that they have in lifting our spirits. My wish is that we could run 5 laps of 8km, so that we could skip that dreaded 6km loop around the University where it is like a Desert, it certainly is deserted with a tiny oasis at the back gate of the University. This would also allow us to enjoy the cheers & encouragement we get from the all of the supporters on the Beachfront, so thanks to each and every one of you.

Before I proceed on to a report of my Race, which you can read or skip, I must compliment Paul, Keith and Mandla and the Ironman SA Team. We truly are Blessed to have such a world class event in Port Elizabeth, so thanks to each and every member of your team!

Race Report:
The Mission?

Kona Ironman

For the first time in years, there was no specific Mission and no Kona goal in 2014, but before you think I’m getting soft or that I am no longer Goal orientated…..since finishing Kona 2012 my Goal has been cast in stone. My eyes are on 2015 when I become young once more and move into the 55+ Age Category and I will prepare to the best of my ability, hoping to qualify for Kona 2015, in an attempt to see if I can be competitive in my Age Group.

Preparation- I had a trouble free and enjoyable build up to this year’s Ironman and thought I was well prepared. Being the optimist and the competitive guy that I am, even though there was no specific Mission I still harboured hopes of an AG Podium finish and would challenge myself in the race. Although my training went well, in hindsight many of us, including an experienced Ironman like myself, were (could) probably never quite prepared for the deadly combination of an Easterly wind and the ‘new’ Hills.

Weather-Some spectators commented after the race that we had ‘great’ weather and for the swim the weather was truly majestic and for spectators the ‘breeze’ that was gradually picking up was probably very welcome. Let me put the weather in context for an Ironman and more specifically our fabulous supporters. An Easterly wind is the dread of ever cyclist in Port Elizabeth and all you need do is ask anyone who has ridden the Herald Cycle Tour into an Easterly, all the way from Maitland Hill to Hobie Beach. Important to bear in mind that Herald Tour riders can ride in packs and gain shelter, but it still hurts and slows the finishing times quite considerably.

Time Trialling- So for the Ironman, which sandwiches almost 2 laps of the Herald Cycle Tour between a 3,8km swim and a 42,2km marathon, an Easterly wind is our worst nightmare. It’s hard to describe the impact but let me tell it as I see it. Time Trialling 180km is tough enough (without a swim/marathon), it is a gruelling test of endurance, mentally and physically and for me, my neck and shoulders often get sore and uncomfortable & I can hardly turn my neck in the latter stages of a 180km training ride, let alone a race. (age perhaps?)

Hills- Add a few new killer hills to the 180km TT and suddenly you have to push hard on the pedals and work a lot harder than you would on the flats. It is 40km to the turn at Maitlands and although there may be a wind at your back, you are riding inland so you don’t get the full impact of the ‘tailwind’.
Headwind- Now for the killer punch, throw in an Easterly wind, which is a headwind for 50km per lap and suddenly there is no free or easy pedalling which you would get with the prevailing Westerly. So for most, especially the weekend warriors, you have just been beaten up by the hills and then you turn into the East for a slaughter fest and remember it is a non-drafting race, so you are on your own, pedalling as best you can with no recovery. Lap one is still fine and the vocal crowd certainly lifts your spirits on the beachfront, but lap two was survival mode for most. So if you wondered why your loved ones, or friends failed to make the bike cut off, or were hurting more than ever before on the run, hopefully that gives you an idea why?

3.8km Swim- I was in Wave 3 for the swim, starting at 07h00 and I had no idea what to expect. Initially when hearing the field would be starting in waves I was a trifle disappointed, as I would be starting 20 minutes behind many of the youngsters that I would be trying to beat (as I don’t only compete with my fellow Age Groupers) but accepted it as I have learnt to ignore things I cannot control and focus on what I can control, such as my preparation and my mental focus. In hindsight starting in Wave 3 was a blessing for me, as I had a very pleasant swim, no hustling and bustling as in previous years and the one lap swim went by so quickly. (and comfortably, the new Orca Alpha was brilliant Bernard, thank you)

Relaxing prior to the Start. Thank you to the brilliant Volunteers!

Hitting Terra Firma in under an hour was a nice boost, but I had been reinforcing positives throughout my swim. Jon Gordon says “When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.” I believe the same applies in sporting competitions, actively create a fertile, positive mind to increase your chances of success.

180km Bike-
I had ridden the new course (often) and had the benefit of training with a Power Meter, so I thought I knew what effort I could put out on the bike which would enable me to run reasonably well. I was excited to be on my new bike, a Fuji Norcom, which I felt very comfortable on, especially in the Aero position and was on my way shortly after 8am.
Approximately 5 minutes into the bike ride, I made the most ridiculous Primary School error, dropping and jamming my chain on the first hill. A small thing which could have derailed my race but it wasn’t too significant in the bigger scheme of things. In races you need to avoid dwelling on negatives, or obstacles and this was my first real challenge of the day. Fortunately I have gained lots of experience over the years and encountered far bigger obstacles, so knew I had to put this out of my mind as soon as possible. If you dwell on issues or worry about things you are wasting energy and I have learnt the importance of focussing on the present, as that is where your power is the greatest.
I rode the hills at what I thought was a sensible pace and must say I was shocked & surprised at how many people were literally flying past me, hammering the hills. Did they not know the impact of pushing hard on the hills, or was I being overly conservative?

The views were amazing!

The hills went seemingly well for me and I remembered to smell the roses, witnessing the Dolphins surfing the waves as I crested Maitland HIll. I thought the hills would break up the field, but was surprised at the amount of bunching on Seaview Road and Marine Drive on the first lap. A head-wind will cause the field to bunch, but it does become very challenging when you are in an Ironman, which is an individual challenge. I must compliment the Referees who were actively trying to break up some of the bunches that were forming.
Hit halfway in approximately 3 hours and had no idea if that was good or bad, but it was close to my target in an East, so grabbed my special needs bag and rolled onto the second lap. I was still feeling comfortable over the next set of hills en route to the final turnaround point at Maitland and wasn’t losing as much ground on the hills second time around. Once over Maitland Hill I realised that the East was a lot angrier than earlier and fatigue starting setting in. I was purposely forcing myself to ride within myself (or so I thought) and was intent on not overdoing it on the way home.
Those last 30-40km were ever so tough, but they always are as this is where you have to dig deep, where you have to really focus. I was trying to stay positive and remain focussed on the bike, as the last thing you want to be doing is thinking ahead to a marathon run.

42,2km run- In my book all long runs are hard and my definition of long is 2 hours +! So when you are faced with a marathon after 7 hours of swim/bike, you know it is going to be very long and you have to get working on your mind very early on. This year I decided I was going to start conservatively, as I usually get lifted by the crowd for the first 10km and then pay the price later. So yes, I was able to start conservatively, the only problem is I still paid the price later 
I ran reasonably well for two laps, but then seemingly somebody cut the fuel and I was running on empty and then you have to fight battles left, right and centre, some physical, some mental but the most important thing is to keep moving forward, even it is only one step at a time.

Shuffling & Suffering!

I once read that if you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment. Well I tried to do that for 10 hours, but come the final hour and a bit, it seemed as if the fun had been drained out of this task, the smile had disappeared and it is hard to enjoy it when you are enduring mental and physical pain. But I’m not going to complain as I sign up for this every year and I know it’s never easy, so we suck it up as best we can, knowing that the pain is temporary and that the finish is forever, while the lessons are only revealed later.
Three days on the pain has dissipated and I am looking ahead to the next challenge, I am Dreaming about 2015 and Yes, I will be on the start line next year,

R&R: Feet up, enjoying the Muscle Milk!

 

so until then have fun, appreciate your family and friends and thank them for their support and the sacrifices that they made, as all too often we get too consumed in what we are doing and trying to achieve that we forget about what is truly important in Life! So now it is time for some Rest & Recovery.

Jamie finishing the Corporate Tri

Was thrilled to watch my son Jamie (13) at the Corporate on the Saturday, how he loves this sport. Well done Jamie, my training partner! Unfortunately my daughter Camryn was away on Hockey Tour and she was certainly missed. Thanks to my wife Michelle (#1 supporter) and Kim and Graeme Gill for their support and encouragement year in year out. Also, thanks to our little training group, it certainly was a pleasure training with each and every one of you.

IMSA 2014, more lessons http://ironmansa.com/2014/04/07/ironman-the-greatest-teacher-of-all/

In closing I am sure I speak on behalf of many when I applaud Kyle Buckingham on an outstanding performance. Kyle is coached by Rynard Tissink who joined us at Ironman in an effort to raise money for the Ironman4Kidz Charity, great stuff Raynard. Also great to see Matty Trautman, Michael Davidson, Claire Horner & Caroline Koll in the Top 10!

MY kids Camryn and Jamie with Kyle Buckingham in Kona. Well done Kyle you are a great role model.