RACE REPORT BUSSELTON 2010

Ironman Busselton 2010 has come and gone.Another chapter in life completed . I finished in 11.37 , a PB for me and I had a PB in my swim , bike and run . I can't be happier.

But there is always room for improvement . The weather was kind but for some winds on the cycle course . I arrived in Busselton with the family on Friday morning , the weather forcast was thunderstorms on Sunday and the winds on Friday in Buselton were gusting .It wasn't looking good. The new transition area was on the opposite side and the finish was now on the main street. I got registered and immediately got to the chalet at Mandalay Caravan Park and got my gear sorted out. Spent the rest of the day doing nothing.Went to the carbo night which was quite good .Mike Reilly was the MC for the night and there were no performing acts but just interviews wih interesting characters in the race and the pros. Food wasn't too bad . The company was priceless.

Met up with everyone , including Jeff and Debbie Smith from ironman Japan tritravel group , Shane from tri travel and now general manager of WTC Australia. Met marcus who was in tri Travel Japan in 2008 and Russel Cook at the transition on race day.

As Mike Reilly said at Carbo Night , when you do an ironman you become part of one big family . There is a binding spirit that ties everyone in this sport together.

On Satuday I did a short swim , ride and bike just to loosen the legs .I felt good and just a little nervous.Nothing like my first Ironman race .
I spent Saturday with Jonathan and we checked the finish line. Jonathan even got to run through the finish line before he got chased off by the workmen putting it up. he was most fasinated by the Portaloos and wants one ???? .He helped me check in my bike and the gear. It rained off and on during the day .One thing was sure it was not going to be a hot race day.
I had all my nutrition sorted out and salt and electrolyte.


Race Day .It was a calm and ver still day .I had an early night and anaged to sleep well .Got up at 3 am and got myself ready. Breakfastwas a bidon of gatorade and a slice of toast . I caught the3.45am bus put onby the organisers to the start area. I was early but with transition closing at 5am I wanted to get myself sorted out. The ocean looked perfect for the race and I have yet had a difficult start at Busso atleast weather wise. Got the tyres checked a bit late but paranoia made me pump them again. someones tyre exploded and I say one guy change his tubular . All nerve wrecking at that time of the day.

Got body mark ...F for fabulous as the body marker said ...not fast. Into my wetsuit and I was ready. Itwas a bit of a wait as the pros went off at 5.30am and we went off at 5.45am .

It was a washing machine as in all ironman swim starts .However , I managedto follow and draft behind someone for most of the first half of the swim.It was pretty rough with the number of swimmer around me but I felt very comfortable.I did not once get too exhausted. I had a twinge of a cramp in my left leg but it soon passed. I got round the jetty and then tried to find someone to draft off and found it more difficult and felt I did lose a bit of time just zig zagging the course. My sense of direction was always bad. Something to work on with my swim time.

I made it to the end in 1.20 a PB by 3 minutes . I had my garmin but unfortunately I thought it was on multisport mode but it was on bike so it
was just one big stopwatch for the day .No individual results of each segment.

I got to the transition running pass lots of people walking .It is a race guys. There was a wetsuit stripper which was great. Got my belt , jersey ,socks and shoes on and I was off.Forgot my sunglasses but it was a cloudy day.

Off I went 3 laps of 60km .Made good progress and I was feeling quite comfortable in the first lap . The only real hassle was having to back off slightly when someone overtook me. I was averaging above 34kph at the first lap and that gradually dropped off to 30kph for the last 20km . I was eating lots and my nutrition comprised :

1.5 bananas from the aid statios
5 bidons of water
gatorade concentrate = 180gms carbohydrates
gels = 6 x 30 = 180gms carbohydrates

Dates, 1 protein bar and allens snakes and gingered sugar cubes.
It was a feast. I felt a little sick but I had more than 450gms of carbohydrates and 1800mg of salt.

I managed 3 pees on the bike leg without stopping . I was glad to be off the bike and my garmin was at 7hrs 8 mins.

I was out of transition with a quick change of socks and top and a pee stop at the portaloo in 5.17min. Still a little slow. I had my gels in a bottle which I put on my fuel belt. Shades and cap on and I was off .It was nice to be cheered by everyone through the street every time we did a lap. I felt good for the first 5 km and then I just got tired and my legs began to hurt. I just kept moving as stopping would just make it worse. I held out on the cola till the 20 km mark and that helped.I had300mg of salt every hour and I was hoping I could keep up a 6min/km pace but by 20 km the pace was slowing to 6.30 and I held at that pace for most of the remaning 20 km. I finished with relief and I knew I would be able to complete my race in a new PB . There were lots of people who cheered me on from the club and whom I train with .I am grateful for the support. It was a great day out on the course and I even had a kind word of support from John McClean who was out on the run course. It made a great day even better.

The finish was a blur . I am glad and grateful for all the volunteers as well .especially those who held me. I was just dead tired. I had a massage , some chicken soup and then headed home. I got changed and some dinner and headed back for my bike and gear.

It was a great day and the weather was a lot better than last year . But an ironman is an ironman and it is never easy.