Things I learnt last weekend

Struang

So this happened last weekend.

That's the Coast to Coast in a day consisting of 150 miles of cycling from one side of England to the other.

I learnt:
Lack of training becomes very clear, very quickly on something like this.
Theres a huge diffrence between riding 50 miles of gentle undulation, and 50 miles of hills.
Fuiling is important!

Most important cycling with a team is awesome, they kept me going when I wanted to quit, they looked after me and helped as much as they could. I didn't complete it, my team made it possible!

Made me realise I need to take the next 6 weeks seriously, noones going to help me round Ironman Copenhagen!

Struang

For those intrested the course looks like this, with two of the steepest climbs in the Country.

https://www.opencycling.com/coast-to-coast-in-a-day/map/

Aaron Webstey

Nice work!!!

Martin

I think we will all be more impressed when you mention how many pubs you stopped in on the way across, and how many pints of bitter were consumed...

Struang

@Martin sadly none, and by the time I reached the finish I was too tired to go drinking. Just retreated to bed.

Matt

And here I thought it was the race that Lachlan Morton did (riding South end to Northern tip)

Struang

Update Copenhagen is 5 days away and I'm currently in the "I should get away with this" mind set. Done the cut off math and think I can make those times but we sure ain't going to set any course records!

Martin

Struang said:

Update Copenhagen is 5 days away and I'm currently in the "I should get away with this" mind set. Done the cut off math and think I can make those times but we sure ain't going to set any course records!

Do it. I have a fondo coming up that I have no business entering. We can compare knee injuries afterwards.

Struang

So very happy with that swim

While it was nice to get a 6:30 bike for my first Ironman I should have conserved energy, paced better

When it came to the run, see above, just nothing left. Did the first lap @ 11min/miles and then it went south and I walked the rest.

Struang

Also Top tip team mates:

If you plan to combine doing an Ironman with visiting somewhere you've never been, plan to do the sightseeing first then the Ironman.

Hobbling round the city sightseeing post race is a suboptimal experience!

Struang

If you are going to bluff your way round an Ironman (not do enough training, then turn up on the day and see what happens) stick with relativly flat courses like Copenhagen and avoid the hilly ones like Ironman Wales!

I finished in 16:47:39, just under the 17hr cut off.

Martin

Struang said:

If you are going to bluff your way round an Ironman (not do enough training, then turn up on the day and see what happens) stick with relativly flat courses like Copenhagen and avoid the hilly ones like Ironman Wales!

I finished in 16:47:39, just under the 17hr cut off.

You still got to hear the words.

YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN.

Tad_M

@Struang
We are pleased to announce you have qualified for the 2020 Sworry Trials.
Please click the link below to claim your discount code.
Seriously, congrats. Your first beer is on me if you can make it!

Struang

Martin said:

You still got to hear the words.

YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN.

Unlike the poor man who finished 56 seconds after the cut off. As he came towards the finish you could see him crumple inside knowing he couldn't possibly pull off enough of a sprint to make it.

kjrunnin

Struang said:

If you are going to bluff your way round an Ironman (not do enough training, then turn up on the day and see what happens) stick with relativly flat courses like Copenhagen and avoid the hilly ones like Ironman Wales!

I finished in 16:47:39, just under the 17hr cut off.

That's just good ROI on your reg fee. Nice work!

Tad_M

I learned this weekend that the ISL swimming league puts on a great inaugural meet, and they pay the pros well.

Martin

The skins race was awesome.

Tad_M

Totally cool @Martin . My son and I went with his swim team mate and father. Next to us was Robert Howard's Dad. Robert nipped into the final 4 in the skins race. It was so cool seeing how happy his Dad was.

Also, I'm fairly certain Florent Manaudou is actually 7'8" tall and 296 lbs. and the internet data is false so that all other male swimmers in the world don't quit instantly. He is absolutely gigantic.

In early warmups prior to other swimmers entering the pool, Katie Ladecky was warming up. Using this strange ultra-slow motion gliding stroke, very deliberate controlled arm motions, no kick, like she was going to stop at any moment, with super deliberate flip turns that were kind of segmented and her feet would smack the water top like a dolphin tail -- very strange
I noticed that she did this for about a million laps at a 1:20/100m pace never varying more than a couple tenths of a second on my watch. I was astonished because it didn't even look like warm up swimming.

Apparently, I'm trying too hard when I swim....