2009 Lanzarote Ironman (May 23^rd )

By ElliotGowland

Well think it’s bestto start at the bike check in and miss the near fight at the airport over mybike which turned out to be someone else’s (same box though) Ooops!!!

“This has got to bethe longest transition in the world” I thought while wheeling my Bike down toit’s racking spot but, god must have been smiling down on me as I had one ofthe prime spots along the main run in and the out mat next to the tents and agood place to relate to, two trees with a telephone box between them oppositemy bike “won’t forget that!”

Early morningscrambled egg on toast for breakfast then off down to the start. Checked bikeout everything fine there then went and said my good bye’s through the fence.Down to the water for a quick warm up and usual pee in the wet suit (or is thatjust me?) back onto the beach ready for the run into the sea start. Saw Jamesbut he said he was going to the out side to keep out of the trouble “na! Phil Graysaid stick to the inside nearest the buoys so that’s what I’m doing.”

BANG!! Were off, wellsort of 1300+ people trying to swim to the first buoy which is 160 meters awaythink it would have been better if they put all 1300 people in a boxing ringand shouted “LAST MAN STANDING WINS.” Just a case of punching slapping andkicking to the first buoy by which time I had lost my goggles for the firsttime but got them back on without loosing any pace. Round the buoy lost gogglesagain but starting to get the hang of this by now got them back on in onemovement didn’t even loose my stroke. End of the first loop out of the water,run round the marker then back in for lap 2 no problem here as the field was bynow well spread out right up until the last buoy as we were coming in to finishit got a bit slappy again. Out of the water and into T1.

SWIM- 1h04:56

T1- 5:09

After a good T1 (wellI didn’t spend 5min in the loo like UK 2008) it was out on the bike along thesea front then heading in land. “No wind good, no hang on it’s a tail wind.” Thenturn right onto the first drag (some might say climb) of the day with lots moreto come. Then it started to rain yes rain in Lanzarote just my luck come allthe way over here to race in good weather and it’s raining. As luck would haveit, it didn’t last for long. Now we are onto the laver fields and through feedstation 2 and already had a taste of the head winds that people always talkabout when talking about Lanzarote. Now it’s onto the first proper climb it’sjust a long straight drag of a climb but the head wind is immense which makesit into a long slog. Over the top and a nice short decent then back in to thehead wind all the way to and through La Santa. Now on the coast, strong sidewind then THANK GOD! A tail wind. Now up till this point I had been given itbig licks going against good advise then one other UK competitor who I had beenhaving a little chat to as we passed each other over and over said “well that’sthe easy bit over”  as I passedhim. Mmmm!!

Got to the nextjunction turned left. Yep now I know what he meant, block head wind up hill allthe way to the wind mills so now it was time to ease back a little and keepsomething for when I get over the top. Got to the wind mills and that wasn’tthe top “bummer” kept climbing to the top where the special needs bags weregiven out. Nose in protein bar, Check! Carb bar, Check! Caffeine gel, SHIT !!! Onthe breaks. So they are sadists give you your bag at the top of the climb witha bloody mad descent straight after. So now trying to get my Red Bull out ofthe bag “done” then had to throw it away with my nuts and Jelly babies still in.So now taking my gel and drinking a can of Red Bull and descending hair pinbend after hair pin bend and passing people mad but loads of fun. Back climbingnow back into the head wind.

 Turn left to the start of the climb ofMirrodor Del Reo “what a view” took my mind off the pain. At the top of theclimb now this is where the real work starts time to get my head down arse up,took it easy on the climbs so now its pay back time. Fast fast descent spinninga 53-11 out at 48mph so gave up peddling and just pinned corner after corner allthe way down to the roundabout. Then got settled down for some hard graft andthis were it got hot for the first time. I passed loads of people even on thenasty little sting of a climb before another fast and tricky descent all theway to the finish of the bike leg. As I was coming into T2 I passed Bella justgoing out onto her run. Must have had a good bike leg then!!

BIKE- 5h39:34        

T2- 4:05

In T2 I put mycompression socks on and got a load of sun cream on then it was out on the run.The run is a 4x10k out and back course (5k out 5k back) and decided to just gofor it from the start but on the first 5k I had to stop for a pee on the secondlot of loo’s (first loo stop since the warm up in the sea). After that it washead down all the way only drinking coke and putting the water over my head atevery feed station and as I was heading back to finish my first 10k I saw Jamesfor the first time since the start. First loop done wrist band on and feelinggood so took my caffeine gel that I put in my back pocket in T2. I kept thepace up for another 5k then I started to feel a little flat and on the return5k and my time dropped so it was time to go into survival mode second 10k done.On the next 5k at the first feed station they were giving out salty pretzels sograbbed a hand full and decided to walk the feed station from now on. My timewas down again for that 5k. Now on the way back and more pretzels down andstill walking the feed stations. Running down the finishing chute to start mylast 10k. I looked at my watch and thought if I just push on I can get all mytargets for the year in one race (under 11 hours for Lanzarote & under10:30 for UK Ironman). So I pushed on and started to feel good again runningthrough all the feed stations grabbing water (over my head) and coke (onemouthful only) coming into the last 1/2k I ran past James who gave someencouragement and all I could do was wave. For the last 7 or 8 k all I couldthink about was what Phil Gray said “me and Smithy done it in 10h30 last yearjust go out and beat that”  andwhether I would collapse in a heap when I finished. Running down the finishing chutefor the last time is a fantastic feeling and what Ironman racing is all aboutbut this time it was special having Kerry and my Mam (who has never seen merace Ironman) there to see me pull a time (that I never thought I would do onthat day) like that out of the hat… Tremendous!!!!

RUN- 3h32:40

FINISH TIME- 10h26:22

Then had a beer andwent and got changed and came back out to watch the last few hours and the lastpeople come in washed down with a few more beers.