06/21/10
Bala Half: 4 seasons, flying discs, hills, wind & Kamikaze bees
ironguides Coach Jono Rumbelow has guided Liam to his first half Ironman which inspired this ironguides athlete to write the following account:
Category: results
Posted by: editor
Target Times
swim: 30-35 mins
bike: sub 3 hours
run: sub 2 hours
TOTAL - 5 hours 30
(Huw: Best of luck -- and watch out for the sheep)
So Wales being Wales, it started super-sunny at the unearthly time of 4.15am. I probably had my worst night’s sleep this year -- 2 maybe 3 hours???
By the time I'd wrestled all the gear to registration, numbering and into transition the clouds and showers arrived. Of course, it’s Wales.
(Brett: Remember the strategy, use the force Luke: redline the swim, redline the bike, sprint the run)
The lake was unusually warm. It was very low due to the lack of rain -- yes there's a lack of rain in Wales… That meant a long walk to the start line and involved a lot of monkey business, plenty of "ooh ooh ah ah" on the stones.
Apparently during the swim some competitors nearer the shore stood up and walked the course! Me of course… I locked onto Michael Phelps’ feet and stayed on them until he blew and Rebecca Adlington took over at halfway - thanks guys, much appreciated:-) easily finished in the top third.
(Dave: Feed well on the bike -- like 2, 3 courses plus coffee…)
Took my time in T1, brushed the teeth, gelled the hair, logged onto my email, updated my fantasy football team and also got ready for the bike. No upset stomach so drank and ate too. Opted for proper cycling gear -- top, gilet, gloves --with tri shorts. Bosh.
Bike was an undulating out-and-back course with "plenty hills". All the way out I was thinking: Hills? Check out Alpe d'Huez - them there are hills! But with the windy conditions those hills caught up with everyone on the return, fortunately the headwind was now a tailwind. Despite approaching the sound barrier on the bike, I was getting caned!
At first glance I thought UFOS! Then I realised I was being blitzed by the largest concentration of disc wheels outside of the Zipp Wind Tunnel Test Centre. Flying discs indeed. Hats off to the boys as there was a tasty wind out and back…
So far so good on the nutrition Liam's thinking his tummy’s bomb-proof with everything thrown at it. Am thinking next race I might order a Vindaloo halfway on the bike. I'd be fine with that, not sure about the guys behind me though.
But the enduring memory of the bike was the Kamikaze Bees! Overtaking downhill at 60kph, a bee hits my face, infiltrates my shades and starts buzzing around, deciding which eyeball to nuke. The bike shakes as I approach the sound barrier again, and then, another UFO tries to overtake me as well. Three of us hurtling down the hill and a car comes hooning along the other way… I mean what next?!
A DRAFT BUSTER - of course. So there's Liam throwing a fit in the middle of 60kph peleton with a draft buster thinking, "My day is ruined".
Two kms later I caught this guy frantically digging around 'down there'. “bloody bees - I just got one down my top and it’s gone all the way down!" Forget the sheep, those bees are deadly.
By now I've been passed by at least a million people, hang on I thought only 700 started the race? I must be close to last…
(Jono: Think of all the fun times you've had training - then go kick some butt!)
T2, I was like a well oiled machine. I use Johnson's baby oil personally... Schwarzenegger eat your heart out.
The run was quite up and down. In every sense. Couple kms in, just as the legs are adapting, my left leg starts tensing. Noooooo don't cramp, not now buddy, only 75% to go?!
Again I was being molested on the run! Outrageous. Where did these people come from? They must be all be Kona qualifiers for sure -- cos I'm dominating this! Mile 12+…come the longest mile of my life -- seriously it went on for 4kms -- even my Garmin was swearing. There's actually photo's of me consoling it… But I never stopped once. I kept my pace.
I sprinted the finish. I beat my target. I'm happy and limping. Bala, I own you :)
Avg. Speed Avg. Pace
Swim Time 00:33:49(125) 3.37km/h 00:17:48
T1 00:04:13 - -
Bike Time 02:44:42(267) 32.79km/h 00:01:50
T2 00:02:59 - -
Run Time 01:52:05(411) 11.24km/h 00:05:20
Overall Time 05:17:51 WOOOHOOO!
Liam's next race is the Norseman Triathlon on August 7.
swim: 30-35 mins
bike: sub 3 hours
run: sub 2 hours
TOTAL - 5 hours 30
(Huw: Best of luck -- and watch out for the sheep)
So Wales being Wales, it started super-sunny at the unearthly time of 4.15am. I probably had my worst night’s sleep this year -- 2 maybe 3 hours???
By the time I'd wrestled all the gear to registration, numbering and into transition the clouds and showers arrived. Of course, it’s Wales.
(Brett: Remember the strategy, use the force Luke: redline the swim, redline the bike, sprint the run)
The lake was unusually warm. It was very low due to the lack of rain -- yes there's a lack of rain in Wales… That meant a long walk to the start line and involved a lot of monkey business, plenty of "ooh ooh ah ah" on the stones.
Apparently during the swim some competitors nearer the shore stood up and walked the course! Me of course… I locked onto Michael Phelps’ feet and stayed on them until he blew and Rebecca Adlington took over at halfway - thanks guys, much appreciated:-) easily finished in the top third.
(Dave: Feed well on the bike -- like 2, 3 courses plus coffee…)
Took my time in T1, brushed the teeth, gelled the hair, logged onto my email, updated my fantasy football team and also got ready for the bike. No upset stomach so drank and ate too. Opted for proper cycling gear -- top, gilet, gloves --with tri shorts. Bosh.
Bike was an undulating out-and-back course with "plenty hills". All the way out I was thinking: Hills? Check out Alpe d'Huez - them there are hills! But with the windy conditions those hills caught up with everyone on the return, fortunately the headwind was now a tailwind. Despite approaching the sound barrier on the bike, I was getting caned!
At first glance I thought UFOS! Then I realised I was being blitzed by the largest concentration of disc wheels outside of the Zipp Wind Tunnel Test Centre. Flying discs indeed. Hats off to the boys as there was a tasty wind out and back…
So far so good on the nutrition Liam's thinking his tummy’s bomb-proof with everything thrown at it. Am thinking next race I might order a Vindaloo halfway on the bike. I'd be fine with that, not sure about the guys behind me though.
But the enduring memory of the bike was the Kamikaze Bees! Overtaking downhill at 60kph, a bee hits my face, infiltrates my shades and starts buzzing around, deciding which eyeball to nuke. The bike shakes as I approach the sound barrier again, and then, another UFO tries to overtake me as well. Three of us hurtling down the hill and a car comes hooning along the other way… I mean what next?!
A DRAFT BUSTER - of course. So there's Liam throwing a fit in the middle of 60kph peleton with a draft buster thinking, "My day is ruined".
Two kms later I caught this guy frantically digging around 'down there'. “bloody bees - I just got one down my top and it’s gone all the way down!" Forget the sheep, those bees are deadly.
By now I've been passed by at least a million people, hang on I thought only 700 started the race? I must be close to last…
(Jono: Think of all the fun times you've had training - then go kick some butt!)
T2, I was like a well oiled machine. I use Johnson's baby oil personally... Schwarzenegger eat your heart out.
The run was quite up and down. In every sense. Couple kms in, just as the legs are adapting, my left leg starts tensing. Noooooo don't cramp, not now buddy, only 75% to go?!
Again I was being molested on the run! Outrageous. Where did these people come from? They must be all be Kona qualifiers for sure -- cos I'm dominating this! Mile 12+…come the longest mile of my life -- seriously it went on for 4kms -- even my Garmin was swearing. There's actually photo's of me consoling it… But I never stopped once. I kept my pace.
I sprinted the finish. I beat my target. I'm happy and limping. Bala, I own you :)
Avg. Speed Avg. Pace
Swim Time 00:33:49(125) 3.37km/h 00:17:48
T1 00:04:13 - -
Bike Time 02:44:42(267) 32.79km/h 00:01:50
T2 00:02:59 - -
Run Time 01:52:05(411) 11.24km/h 00:05:20
Overall Time 05:17:51 WOOOHOOO!
Liam's next race is the Norseman Triathlon on August 7.