World Ironman Championships, the Titanic and the Ring!!!

Can you feel the pre race tension?

I have had an amazing Journey over the past 8 or so years and have learnt some invaluable lessons, overcome many an obstacle and have tried to encourage people to pick themselves up when they are knocked down and to never give up on their Dreams.

Well I guess I’m going to have to dig deep and start re applying many of the lessons learnt and try and do what I would be telling anybody else who has been knocked down.  Time is a great healer and I know I will look back on this experience in time (already am)…… smile and say thanks for the lessons, as there is a lesson to be learnt in everything we do, it’s just that in the moment we grapple to understand why things happen as they do.

At lunch time on Monday  my daughter said to me, “Dad, where is your Wedding Band?” and my heart sank as I knew I had it on when I started swimming the 3.8km Ironman swim at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and remember feeling it shifting on my finger and for a fleeting moment thinking about the Titanic and the ring dropping to the bottom of the Ocean. I skipped two swim strokes, pushed it back on and never thought of it again. I was so focussed that I immediately put the ring out of my mind and concentrated on staying on the feet of the swimmer in front of me.

The strange thing is I’ve swum hundreds, if not thousands of times in the Ocean, never taken my ring off and never had it slide off. So should I have taken my ring off, would I have taken it off even if I had thought about it? The answer is simply No, what happened was beyond my control (or maybe I shouldn’t have lost as much weight as I did…) and therein lies one of the Lessons of my Ironman race.

Would I have done anything different to avoid going down like the Titanic during the bike leg? No, I prepared to the very best of my ability, I sacrificed as much as I could (as did my family), I tried to work on the what I could control and truth be told I did look in the mirror after the race and asked myself if I gave it my best? The answer was a resounding  Yes, as I never waivered in my commitment to finishing this race which was the major objective and a repeatedly stated objective of mine.

Ironman athletes get punctures, slow ones too, we run out of air (‘bombs’ in triathlon jargon) and our fellow competitors aren’t interested in slowing to help strangers (although a few did hand/toss me a ‘bomb’ enabling me to get closer to the finish line and I am very grateful to them for their help) and even the bike tech guys, who are out there doing their best may only find or stumble across you way too late. It happens and we may never fully comprehend why it should happen on this one particular World Championship day thousands of miles from home.

Make no mistake, I was gutted, I was devastated, even heart-broken and I shed many a tear out there in the hot Lava Fields, but they all evaporated very quickly and while I’ve had hundreds of encouraging and supportive messages I know that people do not like ‘pity parties’, so the good news is you won’t be getting an invite to one for me, as I’m already building a bridge in an effort to get over it and move on with the next chapter of my life.

I do try and live Life without regrets and when I departed the the Big Island of Hawaii, which had been our ‘home’ for 4 weeks,  I chose to put my personal disappointments behind me and am able to say “No regrets, I came, I prepared, I tried with all my might, I took the long road (which I prefer to do in my Isuzu 4 x4) and I persevered as best I could to that hallowed finish line on Alii Dve to complete the Ironman World Championships.  I am Blessed to have been able to participate and to have fulfilled my Dream of racing in Hawaii, so I am eternally grateful for this wonderful opportunity..” As a family it was a great experience too, drawing Michelle, Camryn, Jamie and I closer than we already were.

Yes, I was a bit of an emotional wreck for a day or two and I am still hurting inside. It is disappointing when you give your absolute everything to prepare for a race, you swim, bike, run, day after day, you work on your core, your mind, you watch what you eat and get your weight down to the target you set for yourself…. and your family sacrifice so much, your clients are patient and your work colleagues and employers are very encouraging and understanding and your friends and sponsors so very supportive.

All going well on the first half of the bike, after a great swim.

I seemingly timed my taper well, as I had a brilliant swim, coming in 2-4 minutes ahead of scheduled expectations and was feeling great on the bike, so one could hardly ask for more. It was a case of being patient, of good nutrition during the bike, of being conservative to enable one to fight really hard in the latter stages of the bike and in the marathon run. I’m not going to go into details of all the mechanical issues I had out there amongst the Lava fields, where you frustratingly end up pushing your bike and walking for 45 minutes in the sweltering heat and don’t see a solitary spectator and it is just you, your mind and the elements.

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

At times I thought I was having a nightmare and kept trying to wake up, at times I couldn’t control the heartache and the tears flowed, but I had to try and keep myself sane, try and keep my mind strong, I had to persevere and finish this race and get this monkey off my back, as it’s been a 27 year Dream to participate in and finish this race. After what seemed an eternity a vehicle arrived out of the haze and provided me with a borrowed rear wheel, so I was finally back in the ‘race’.

Too late to compete though, as I was now virtually last in my age group. One feels cheated when you cannot test yourself physically and mentally as this is what we athletes prepare for. In fact we have a craving to compete, to see if we can push through the pain barriers and on this fateful day I wasn’t going to be challenging any physical barriers, only mental ones and not the mental ones I prepared myself for.

This was no longer the race for the podium, or a top ten finish, this was simply the ‘race’ of life! Life is like an Ironman, you will get knocked down and you have to dust yourself off and get back into the ring and keep plugging away. I am pleased that I kept on plugging away and my family (and friends and family at home following on the net) made it that much easier to keep on pushing, as did my late Step Son Reece, Terry (Father in Law) and Harry (Dad).

A tough Marathon lay ahead….

Jamie (my 12 yo son) was with me for almost every stride of the marathon, as he ran on the opposite side of the road barefoot for 7km, before Liezel and Conrad Stoltz came to offer me some encouragement and Liezel immediately offered her bike to Jamie. Obviously he jumped at the chance and Conrad lowered the seat and Jamie (no shoes) rode 30 odd kilometres with the South African flag draped over his shoulders, cheering everyone on. That kept me in the present and going at a good pace and it was only when it started getting dark and I said to Jamie he needed to head to the finish (as he had no light) that I allowed my mind to wander and I was overcome with emotion. For about 3km of this race I took a time out, before getting a grip on the emotions that inevitably surfaced, enabling me to enjoy and saviour the joy of finishing one of the World’s toughest and greatest endurance races, the Ironman World Championships.

Happy and relieved to have finally started and finsihed the Ironman World Championships

I am grateful to my family for greeting me with a smile and their unconditional support and love, I am grateful to my friends and colleagues for their support and words of encouragement, I am grateful to my sponsors Isuzu (as well as Oakley, Cytomax, Orca and Online Innovations) and to the leadership within our business, Consolidated, for their encouragement.

One of the most effective leaders in the Bible, St Paul, said, “I am focussing all my energies on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” I too will put this behind me and look forward to what lies ahead.

In closing I would like to congratulate Germany’s Wolfgang Schmatz who won in 9hrs 31 minutes, with a 3 hour 10 min marathon a phenomenal performance (winning the 50-54 Age Group by an astonishing 24 minutes) and certainly a performance I would not have been able to match on the day. Congratulations too to top South African finisher Kyle Buckingham (Velocity Sports Lab) who recorded a time of 9hrs 19 minutes, as well as Andre Van Heerden (55-59) and Ken Poole (70+) who both placed 5^th in their age categories.

Top South African finisher Kyle Buckingham, a great talent for the future.

 

Ironman World Championship Preview 2012:

As of next week I will be trying to keep my mind relaxed and off the competition and the magnitude of what lies before us as competitors, so this week I’ve decided to preview the World Champs (then put what I need into a mental file), looking at:

1. The Kona Ironman Course
2. The Top Professionals
3. Some of the top Age Groupers (50-54 category)
4. A few South African contenders

The Kona Ironman Course:

Well the distances are standard, so it is a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42,2km run but that is where any similarities end when comparing it to qualifying Ironman races. The swim is a one lap out and back swim and of course it is an ocean swim and as we swim fairly far out, it can be quite bumpy (swells), something I would relish as I have no fear of the Ocean (respect it I certainly do) and a bumpy sea could eliminate quite a few contenders in all divisions. It’s important to have prepared well for the swim, as you don’t want to swim 3,8km and exhaust energy reserves that will be required later in the day. It’s also a mass water start with the best in the world present, so we will have to swim water polo style for the first 400m or so.

This 180km bike has to be the most unique, yet the most different of any other Ironman bike and nobody knows what to expect, as on any given day it produces a different challenge with very extreme conditions. I have dreamt of this race, heard loads about it, read about it but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what I have experienced to date. Raynard Tissink always warned me that this bike course could be a beast if the winds get up and I guess I experienced that on my 150km this week, witnessing training partner Kyle Buckingham being blown off the road (by the crosswinds) coming down the hill from the turnaround in Hawi. The hills, although not steep seem never ending, but the heat and humidity and of course, the winds gradually wear you down.  I will be treating this ride with loads of respect and trying to conserve energy for the run, by being as patient as possible.

The Marathon run is also a tough course, as it’s like a heat cauldron on Alii Drive, where we run about 10-12km and will be worse when it is lined with thousands of spectators. Then the run up the steep Palani Drive will sap loads of energy, before the run along the Queen K (gradual uphill most of the way) to the infamous Energy Lab, where we do about 8km in what feels like a heat furnace, before turning and returning along the Queen K to one of the best finish lines in world sport. Again, one will need to be patient if one hopes to run well when it really matters and I hope I am patient enough and have prepared well enough to be running strongly to the Finish. (As much as the Sunsets in Kona are amazing, this is one race that you want to be finished before the Sun sets)

Then of course one has to factor in the mental challenges and the heat and humidity, which not only impacts performance but also our ability to take in calories, as well as an increase in fluid loss. This can increase the chances of cramping and it will of course affect our core body temperature and ultimately the speed that we can race at. Getting here early will improve acclimatisation and lead to more efficiency in each of these departments on race day.

“The person who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.” Coach John Wooden.

The Professionals:

In the men’s section both 2011 Champion Craig Alexander (the silent assassin) and 2010 Champ Chris Mc Cormack (the antagonist) are back to seek another title, pity though that Raynard Tissink has retired (thanks for inspiring so many Raynard), Lance Armstrong is serving a suspension while under investigation and Chris Lieto is recovering from an Achilles injury.

New world 70.3 champion Sebastian Kienle has thrown his name into the hat with that awesome bike performance in Las Vegas, followed by a solid enough run and the German obviously means business, as we’ve seen him on the Kona bike course a few times already. Other Pros already training in Kona (sighted) include Marino Van Hoenacker, Timo Bracht and Dirk Bokel. I guess the Raelert brothers will always be a factor while the Americans will be hoping Jordan Rapp may well be the dark horse.

Former IMSA winner Marino Van Hoenacker training on Alii Drive

The women’s race seems to be between Miranda Carfrae (another Aussie and 2010 winner), Caroline Steffen, 2012 70.3 World Champion Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce, while America’s Kelly Williamson could be an outsider for the podium. I’m sure South Africans will be hoping for a good effort from 6 time winner Natasha Badmann, who won the Specsavers Ironman earlier this year.

My Age Category (50-54):

2012 Las Vegas winner Patrick High is a very balanced competitor, with no visible weakness and he has shown he can compete at Kona, recording a 9h35 a few years back, which included a 5h05 bike followed by a 3h23 run. Another top and consistent contender is David Boyes, who like High moves up to the 50+ category this year. Boyes recorded a 9h39 in the 45-49 category last year and that included a 5h01 bike, followed by a 3h24 marathon. Boyes has never gone slower than 9h51 in Kona over the past 4 years and is obviously a strong runner having done a 3h05 marathon in Kona when he was 46.

However,the out right favourite is probably 2009 AG winner Kevin Fergusson, who also has two runner up spots in Kona behind his name. Before I get onto Fergusson, how would you like to be in the 50-54 age category and record a time of 9h11m12 secs, with a marathon split of 3hrs 03 minutes? Well that is exactly what Toby Somerville did in the Melbourne Ironman this year, BUT it was only good enough for 3rd place. The runner up, 13 seconds up the road, was the afore-mentioned David Boyes, while Kevin Fergusson was some 9 minutes ahead, recording what is believed to be a World Age Group record of 9hrs 02 min 02. Fergusson’s splits were a 52 swim, 4h45 bike and 3h18 marathon, so I guess these Aussies will be arriving in their Superman and Batman outfits, as those are performances of Super Heroes. (Fergusson and Boyes are featured on the Kona Ironman website, as two of the best Age Goupers in Kona over the years)

While they and American Patrick High are the favourites in the 50-54 age category, there are quite a few other contenders and probably a few unknowns (to me) that may creep out of the woodwork.

Belgian Stefaan Vervisch handed me a thrashing at IMSA and is obviously a contender, as is Bill Mc Cleod of the USA, who I managed to overhaul in the final few kilometres in Las Vegas last year. German Wolfgand Schwartz finished in 9h32 in the 45-49 year category a few years back, with a 3h10 marathon and he returns to challenge, as does countryman Rainier Breur (a sub 5 hour bike last year)together with  Americans Mark Ford and Barry Lewis and Canadian Peter Buehlow.

So making the Top 5, let alone the Top 10 (out of 142 participants in our AG) will require a solid race and something I am hoping for, but first and foremost my goal is to get the Finisher’s Medal that has eluded me for 27 years.

“You may be better than the rest, but you are not a success until you have made the effort to become the best you can be.” Coach John Wooden

“Hopefully I will be able to look in the mirror and say I gave it my best, in an effort to be the best I can be, both in terms of preparation and in the race and if I can do that, then I will consider my epic Journey to have been a success. To have turned back the clock somewhat and to have overcome a few obstacles along the way, in an effort to reach the start line has taught me so much about myself, about people and about life. Now I must focus on the Finish Line!” Alec Riddle

South African contenders:

I’m not sure if any South African has ever placed in the top 3 in Kona, let alone won an Age Group title, which illustrates just how tough this Championship is, but hopefully there are a few SA contenders in 2012.

It’s always difficult to say who could challenge in one of the world’s toughest races, as one is never sure how each individuals preparation has gone, but a few have realistic chances of doing something special on the day, so I’ve highlighted three to keep an eye on.

A young man with immense talent who has proved that he can race with the best is Kyle Buckingham (25-29 and race number #1879), sponsored by Velocity Sports Lab and coached by Raynard and Natalie Tissink. I’ve done a few training sessions with Kyle and although he is still very new to the sport, he has gone sub nine hours and could challenge the best in his category.

Ken Poole (70+ and # 194) produced an awesome performance at the Specsavers Ironman and should make the podium, but will probably have to up his game to challenge for the world title. (Bumped into Ken this morning and heard he broke his collar bone 6 weeks ago, brave warrior that he is, he will still be attempting to finish the Ironman next week… Respect, as I know the pain he will endure!!)

Andre Van Heerden (55-59 and # 393) has a great running pedigree and could certainly challenge for a podium placing and if I know Andre, he will be exceptionally well prepared.

Note: The top five in Kona make the Podium!

“We don’t have to be superstars or win championships….. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.”  Coach John Wooden

Thank YOU: Am really appreciating this opportunity and would like to thank my sponsor Isuzu, as well as my employers Consolidated Financial Planning for granting me the time off to chase this dream. Also big thanks to Cytosport (The Wright Stuff), Orca, Oakley, Online Innovations for their loyal support, as well as my amazing family.

Triathletes Conrad Stoltz, Chris Lieto, Alec Riddle and Kyle Buckingham at Living Stones Church, on Alii Drive.