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.

IMSA race report 2013

In team events one team usually wins and another loses, leading to bitter sweet moments. In an Ironman, it’s much the same as there are those that are euphoric with their performance and those who feel disappointed on the day. However, when you reflect back and you allow your emotions time to settle and your body time to recover, you focus on the positives and you realise you achieved a great deal in overcoming the physical and mental challenges.

This was my experience, as initially I was very disappointed but on reflection I realised I achieved close to the best I could with what I had on the day and here is my war story for those who have any interest therein.

I’m not writing this report to offer excuses, as Ironman is like life where you are dealt certain cards and you have to deal with the hand you are dealt with there and then & you cannot say let’s postpone or restart this race next week, just as you cannot put off whatever storm crosses your path in your everyday life. I hope by writing this I am able to encourage those who face challenges that seem insurmountable in the moment, as that is exactly how I felt a multitude of times during Ironman 2013.

We need to appreciate that we are blessed and privileged just to be able to partake in this wonderful sport. So I think the key is to respect the challenge and to enter in the right spirit, which should be to try and finish at all costs and that anything better is a bonus.

With the Finish Line in mind, we have to commit to moving forward and to taking it step by step, no matter how daunting it is. The more you can stay in the present the better your outcome will be and that was certainly one of my mental challenges on the day. In my mind I was very well prepared for this Ironman and I had taken my running to a new level but my running, normally my ally, turned out to be my achilles heel.

I was very relaxed leading up to race day and on race morning enjoyed seeing so many friendly faces & supportive people and was appreciative to Graeme Gill for accompanying me to the start and very fortunate to see my wife Michelle a few minutes before the Canon fired.

I started the swim fairly comfortably and other than protecting myself from the flaying arms at the first Buoy, was having a comfortable swim until my first cramp attacked me. This was worrying as I’ve never cramped in an Ironman or in training before and being in the Ocean you tend to panic more than if it occurred on land, so I slowed and tried to ease it out, but it kept returning and at times I wondered if I would be able to complete the swim let alone the Ironman itself.

I knew I was damaging my calf for the run as it cramped repeatedly, but pushed on as hard as I could. I kept finding my mind drifting, thinking about what was wrong, was it the coldish water, was it nutrition related, how would this affect me on the bike and run?  To be honest I was a little demoralized before we hit terra firma at the end of the first swim lap but to my amazement I hit land in 29 minutes (lap one), which lifted me somewhat.  I took the second lap a little easier and ended up swimming 61 minutes which was a positive and I knew I was still in contention in my Age Group.

The bike was relatively trouble free, other than having my computer fall off on lap one  and dropping a full Cytomax bottle on lap two, although I hated that little easterly breeze that the spectators loved, probably thinking to themselves that we Ironmen must be in ‘weather heaven’.  This was going to be an Ironman with a difference, as there was no soft pedalling, it was either uphill with the Easterly or on the flatter coastal road into the Easterly and we Ironmen felt it, I’m just not sure the spectators did.

The crowds were amazing and this year I was making a more conscious effort to take in the atmosphere as I normally go into a zone where I’m oblivious to the crowds. Thanks to everyone for their support and to those at the Isuzu Tent, it was deafening riding past.

I was watching my Watts on my Garmin ( never saw my speed once ) and trying to ensure I never burnt too many matches (thanks to Joe Friel & MTD for those invaluable tips) and thought I was doing a pretty good job, conserving energy for the run, which is what Ironman is all about. I saw my friend Abel Esterhuizen making good progress behind me & I hit T2 after the 180k bike at about 13:30 & thought if I ran 3hrs 30 I could still make it in ten hours. At this stage the cramps of the swim seemed behind me and I was very positive heading into the run, believing I could pull back the twenty odd minutes on the leaders from 9^th position, as I had been awaiting this run chase all day and for weeks before.

The first few kilometres of the run were ever so easy even though my calf was tight and I had to keep on forcing myself to slow down and at this stage I was in running heaven. I was ecstatic to see my good friend  Kyle Buckingham come cruising past and we had a little chat and he was beaming from ear to ear, what a talent! (Well done Kyle, your hard work paid off.)

Running along the Beachfront the cheers and support was deafening and an International Pro who was running in front of me kept looking back at me and my number (#1388) and eventually asked me “Who are you?” and it reminded me of Jorg Knor once asking me if I was the Mayor of PE, as so many people were cheering my name. To the supporters along the roadside, you have no idea how much you lift our spirits, especially on the second and third laps when we are weary and reality sets in. The men’s winner said at the Awards evening that he had never experienced such crowds, so please know this, you are helping to put Port Elizabeth on the map, as the Pros just love this race.

I ran the first lap very conservatively (68 min) and had moved up to third and the second lap was seemingly going quite well until close to the back gate of the University (23km). I hadn’t even pressed the button yet as I was awaiting the final lap to make my intended move but then my calf starting cramping again, small spasms at first but gradually getting tighter and longer. At the same time my mind, which is normally my strength started wilting…. not a good sign at all. Louis De Villiers who had had a brilliant bike was very encouraging and tried to keep me going but just before the Golf Club I experienced the most dreadful spasm and was flat on my back on the roadside for what appeared like an eternity. I had visions of my race being over as I honestly didn’t think I could run through this pain, as it was like something I hadn’t experienced before.

Note I said I thought my ‘race’ was over, as in ‘racing’ for a podium finish and a Kona slot, but the most important thing was that I was still intent on finishing and switched to survival mode. I was determined not to repeat my 6hr 15 min marathon recorded in the 2009 Ironman, so in time I got back to my feet, walked a little and then started plodding along, then I saw Freddy Lampret a km further down the road and asked him what I could do to alleviate the cramps and he suggested something, which definitely helped a great deal-thanks Freddy. Also saw Damien Catherine (Official) and enquired about Medics & he suggested ice at the water stations which appeared to help, maybe it was the placebo affect 🙂

I tried to get inspiration from thinking of my late Stepson Reece, from my late Dad, from Michelle Enslin & Michael Bester’s late withdrawals due to Flu, from my colleague John Osmond’s  triple heart bypass on the Friday & from the many hours of training and sacrifices. I kept reciting the verse  which was printed on the back of my race top and yes, I was getting the necessary strength to push on, to absorb the pain, but it appeared like I was running in slow motion as I trudged along towards the madding crowds.

Believe me, this was  becoming one of the hardest things in living memory and it would have been so easy to slow down, to walk or to raise the white flag but I remembered the story of ‘Burn the Boats’ and I knew I could not surrender. Finishing or quitting was becoming an ever present debate between Mr Be Good and Mr No Good  in my brain and this was not because I was losing, as we are not defeated by others, only we can defeat ourselves.

I was solely focussed on the Finish at this time and not on raising my pace, as I fully believed that my ‘race’ was over, but then I passed my family and friends and that lifted me and I was surprised when they told me I was 7^th  & not too far behind third, as I thought I had lost so much time with my stops, walks and plods. Once again the incredible crowd support encouraged me to keep on pressing on and even though my body was in agony and my mind was playing games, I still tried to convince my brain that I held a slender chance of a top ten finish, as it was a war of attrition out there.

At the S Bend (12km to go) I saw the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th runner all Internationals & all within a minute and my competitive instinct, which had malfunctioned for a while, resurfaced and I thought come on you must never, ever give up (although if I am honest I had sort of thrown in the ‘racing’ towel over those last 7 kilometers and I’m disappointed in myself for that). I fought hard with my mind to give it one more try, but it was a daunting task as it would take more than an hour of suffering. Somehow  I settled into a rhythm, which I don’t think was very fast, but seemingly fast enough as I started making progress.

Slowly but surely I used my imaginary fishing rod and reeled my fellow Age Groupers back one by one. In life once you succeed in a task, your motivation levels rise and the same in sport, as every time I caught and passed one of my opposition I was feeling a little more motivated, but knew I had to stay calm as the calf was on the verge of cramping every so often.

By the time I got back to the Isuzu tent (9km to go) I was in 2^nd place, which was quite amazing as literally 5km earlier my ‘race’ was done and dusted. Then it was into the University grounds away from the madding crowds and it is here that the mind plays tricks on you and I must say that at times my mind was being tested to the hilt and I felt like I was hallucinating. I opted to nurse the lead I had and to try and save something for the finish and early race leader Andre Bekker, who had biked amazingly, caught back up to me with 3km to go and now the duel was well and truly on.

There was lots of surging and no quarter was asked or given and from about 3^rd avenue I started pushing hard, but felt a spasm so backed off a little but was still determined to head into the finishing chute first to get the best line, with Bekker on my shoulder. We rounded the first corner and I moved to the left as there was a slower runner on the right and just as we were about to turn right into the finishing straight I was flying (shoved) into the barriers (pictured on the big screen for all to see) and gone was any chance of a fair sprint. So I ended third, a trifle disappointed but happy I had pushed through and challenged for the podium placings. I want to take this opportunity of congratulating AG winner Marcus Jores of Germany, you certainly put us to the sword with a dominating display of power riding and strong running and to all the other Gents participating in my Age Group thanks for a tough duel.

In hindsight I was happy with my result, the bonus being that there were 3 slots to Kona, Hawaii for the World Championships, so I’ve reserved a slot just in case.

What really spoilt my day was that I never got the opportunity to walk out of the finish and embrace my wife, my children and my grandchild, as Andre Bekker seemingly wasn’t satisfied with his silver medal and verbally attacked me before anybody could say a word, saying that I had blocked him & swearing and threatening me in front of my wife and children, as if to justify his unsportsmanlike actions.  (have it all recorded on video, with him even pushing and shoving me – but I elected not to retaliate, perhaps because I was literally out on my feet or maybe I’m comfortable with having given of my best). I also decided not to object, as I didn’t need to inherit a second placing as positions don’t define us as people.

I am still physically and mentally sore, but in time we recover, pick up the pieces and move on to the next challenge. Thanks to everyone for their support, especially Michelle and the family and Kim and Graeme Gill, you were stars. Thanks to my sponsors Isuzu, you guys are amazing and so supportive. Thanks also to Orca, Cytosport and Oakley for their continued support.

Thanks to my colleagues at the office, in particular Andrew and thanks as always to my clients for their immense support. Thanks to Nick Van Der Leek for the pictures, he sent me, much appreciated and used with pride.

Also thanks to Specsavers for the past ten years and to Paul, Keith and Mandla for the vision in bringing this race to our shores. Also, thanks to my training partners and well done to Ryan Johnston and Dan Howitz on your awesome races….. Kona is on the horizon guys!!!

Congratulations to everyone who completed Ironman 2013, you are all winners in my eyes! Appreciate my God given talent and looking forward to the next chapter in this Journey called Life!!!

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