2.4 mile Swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. That’s the size of the challenge that I was about to attempt. I am sat in the Hotel restaurant attempting to eat a light breakfast of fruit and toast at 3:30 am surrounded by a whole host of other zombies shuffling around in various amounts of race kit, at this point just chewing and swallowing are challenging enough. I finally manage to shake off my stupor and decide to make an early exit and get to the race venue to finish getting ready. The family are staying in bed and will find a way to the venue later on, I can’t say I blame them.
It all started the day before, when I turned up to register and get my race pack and rack my bike and put my kit in the transition tent ready for the day after. Also had to sit through a race briefing with free erdinger beer before being given the opportunity to hammer the credit card even more at the expo.
It’s pitch black outside but at least its dry. As I get to the venue I am one of the first there and as such I’m parked relatively close to the start. I get my track pump out and wander down to transition where I pump up the tyres on the bike having let them down yesterday to avoid any issues with the tubes exploding as they expand and shrink in the differing temperatures. This done, I use the toilets for the final time and just try to relax and get mentally prepared to smash this race to pieces.
There is no point worrying, I have trained hard and if I am not ready now then its too late to do anything about it anyway. The big worry for everyone and the main talking point is the weather, when would it start to rain, most are hoping it will hold off until they start the run at least.
The Swim – Historically, the swim is the bit I look forward to the least in triathlons. Now though I know I can swim the distance and I’m swimming as well as I ever have done. I leave it as late as possible before the start to get into my wetsuit and just get the zip done before we start filing into the start area.
I pick bay 3 (for swim times 80-110 minutes) expecting to do around 95 minutes for the 3.8km swim, planning to take it relatively easily trying to say smooth and strong burning as little energy as possible. The water is quite nice and not that cold and as the 30 second shout goes up I start my watches and start to swim towards the start line, I’m in a decent amount of space as the hooter goes and the race starts although I’m still a short stretch away from the start line. This swim is pretty much two lengths of 1.2 miles so no navigation required, even my lovely wife couldn’t possibly get lost.
The race starts with the 1000+ competitors stretched across the whole 100m width of the lake. This causes its own problems as a lot of the less confident/slower swimmers on the right hand side want to get near the left hand bank as soon as possible so swim across at an angle. Other people want to swim as straight as possible towards the first marker buoy and others and others don’t seem to know where they are going – at one point a swimmer cuts across me at an angle of 90 degrees to everyone else.
It soon settles down but given the amount of racers contact is inevitable. Quite often you find yourself in a group getting bumped on both sides and with feet in front and hands slapping your feet from the swimmer behind. Its pretty good natured and the first open water race swim I remember where I haven’t been punched flush in the chops.
The swim keeps going and going, no sign of any turn buoys and when I look up to sight I still can’t see them – “just keep swimming, be patient, it’s a long day” I keep repeating to myself. Eventually the turn buoy arrives and a quick look at my watch says 42 minutes so ahead of schedule and feeling strong.
Now it’s 1.2 miles back up the lake to the start and into T1, it seems to be going smoother than the way out now that the pack has thinned out somewhat. I even manage to relax and start to enjoy it. The end of the swim is there before I realise it and I am soon in the transition tent starting to get ready for 112 miles on the bike
The Bike – The big question for the bike is what the weather will do. The forecast says it will soon start to bucket it down but as I exit the swim the weather is sunny-ish, and not too windy. I decide to go with the extra bike jersey only and force my pointy aero hat down onto my fat head. I take the time to swallow a couple of indigestion tablets hoping they will stave off the same stomach problems I suffered at the Titan earlier in the year.
I grab the bike and settle into the loop around the lake, which gives you chance to settle down a bit before hitting the roads. The plan was to set an easyish pace depending on the conditions that I could sustain for a number of hours and not go out too hard and blow up halfway round. I wasn’t worrying about the run at this stage, that can look after itself later.
The bike course then goes into three loops, A southern loop followed by a Northern loop and then a repeat of the Southern loop. The first loop comes and goes very quickly and I’m averaging 31kph, the crowds in Car Colston are starting to build up as I come back through the village. I then go onto the Northern loop. The Northern loop contains the only hill on the course although its not that special, particularly compared to the other triathlons I have done this year.
I change into the small ring on the climb to save the legs a bit although I’m sure I could have stayed in the big ring fairly easily. I’m overtaking people all the time which is encouraging and having a ding-dong battle with a few guys. I’m being careful not to draft behind other riders and risking a penalty although I can see others doing it. There seems to be a lot of riders suffering mechanical issues and there are later reports of drawing pins on the road. The road surface is crap enough without deranged idiots causing issues.
I pass through the 4th bike aid station and finally get my act in gear managing to grab a bottle, banana and 2 gels off the volunteers as I cycle through.
As I restart the second loop the wind starts to increase and the first spots of rain start to descend. I know if I continue this pace I have two hours left before the run so hopefully the rest of the bike leg will pass without incident. I stop at the pirate aid station to use their big blue telephone and the kind volunteers swap my bottles for full ones. Then its on for the final push – 50km or so although my back, arse and shoulders are all starting to grumble. My average pace has dropped slightly, partly due to fatigue and partly due to the wind and rain conditions making me take more care in places.
The km’s are starting to count down and finally we make the turn onto the last stretch – Now despite the bike route being 180km the only bit I can recall with any clarity is the last few k’s. What a horrible road, massive difficult to see speed bumps, places where its easier to mark the undamaged road than the damaged bits and a chuffing slippery cattle grid. At one point the route diverts up someone’s drive because the road is too dangerous. Now my wrists are really hurting. Finally there is a steep ramp down into T2 where a slight bit of inattention causes me to bottom out the pedal on another speedbump and nearly spill me off. I give my bike to a nice lady with instructions to chuck it in the lake, and speed waddle into T2 where I change into my running daps and dry socks.
I had been slightly worried about the bike leg as I hadn’t done any stupidly long rides in preparation – to beat 6 hours and overtake 250+ other competitors was much better than I expected. Leaving over 9 hours in hand before the 11pm cut-off also massively relieved the pressure for the run leg.
The Run – My strategy for the run was to start steady and to try to run between the aid stations and then walk through them taking on some food and drink. As I left transition I was feeling reasonably strong and started on the first lap of the lake. As I turned the first corner I heard my lovely wife and son on the bank shouting me on so I gave them a wave. The first aid station was very soon after the start of the run and I grabbed a coke and half a banana – A few sips and a bite and I start up the side of the lake. The weather had really become horrible and you couldn’t see the end of the lake 2 km away so the straight plod up the lake was very difficult. As you round the top of the lake you come to aid station 2 where the volunteers were playing music – more coke and Jaffa cakes this time. The run then continued back up the lake to the start/finish area where I picked up my first one of 3 wristbands before turning the corner for the first attempt at the out and back loop.
Aid station 3 comes and goes with a handful of crisps and then its onto the towpath, trying to dodge the puddles and other runners this section seems endless, I keep plodding on for ages until the next aid station comes into view. More fuel and coke kick-starts me back into the run and my strategy is holding although I am going quicker than planned at this stage. Another endless stretch and I pass under one of the stands at Nottingham Forest football club. Then the route climbs up onto a footbridge and over the river Trent. Feed station 5 comes and goes and the run continues along the river before doubling back on itself over a timing mat past another aid station over another timing mat and back over the bridge.
I keep going past Nottingham Forests ground again and the long slog to the next aid station – the 1.9 miles between these two feels like an eternity. My feet are soaking, I’m cold and continuing on pure willpower. Finally it comes and I walk a little longer this time, once again consuming Jaffa cakes and coke. The running starts again although is becoming more of a painful plod and I get back to the lake, as I pass through the aid station to start the second circumnavigation of the lake I go into a real low spell. I walk quite a lot of this lap forcing myself onwards. As I reach the end of the lake and pick up my second wristband I tell myself that I am halfway there at around the half marathon point in just over two hours.
The second iteration of the out and back is soul destroying, the weather is filthy – I am properly cold and pretty miserable. Knowing how far this out and back is its all I can do to keep moving taking solace in the fact that every step is one step closer to the finish. Lots of people are walking at this stage and no-one is smiling. Everyone is trying to encourage each other with lots of friendly words and banter.
This funk continues until I cross the bridge. I start to cheer up feeling that I am now on the homeward leg. I start to get some running legs back and am running longer stretches again although at a pace best described as pitiful. This lasts for about 20 minutes and as I go back onto the towpath past the football stadium I hit another low spell. This stretch is horrible back to Holme Pierrepoint. As I get back to the lake I realise its just 10km left – a little bit over an hour and I’ll be done. I manage to run most of this lap stopping for some short stretches of walking, pretty much operating back on plan. I see Vicky and Patrick again making their way back to the car soaked to the skin and tell them I only have one last lap of the lake to go. They turn around and start to go to the finish to see me cross the line.
As I pick up the third and final wristband I look at my watch which tells me that although the 5 hour marathon is now very unlikely, I can still get under 13 hours for the whole event. Somehow I manage to run nearly the whole 5k lap of the lake just stopping to thank the volunteers at the aid stations who deserve medals for remaining so encouraging despite the conditions.
The signs come and go “1km to go”, “500m to go”, “200m to go”. The red carpet is approaching, I watch out for Vicky and Patrick and grab their hands and together we run up the red carpet. The announcer shouts on the mic “Ian, you are an Outlaw” – the words I have been dreaming of for a long time and have kept me going for the last few hours. I put on a sprint/shuffle finish to beat my family across the line grabbing the finish tape off the volunteers holding it.
I have done it – amazing! I get my medal and finisher shirt before going to the food tent and devouring a lovely curry and chatting to the other outlaws. I do the obligatory photo with the big glass of erdinger and go and get changed into my warm gear. I get the bike and my kit bags from transition and trudge slowly back to the car, shouting on those still running as I pass them.
The car is lovely and warm now as they have been sat in there trying to dry off – I’m in better shape than they are now. No feet blisters, just the expected aches and pains and a sore neck from where my wetsuit has rubbed the skin away.
Would I do it all again? I probably wouldn’t do the Outlaw again as I like to try new races but I’m also unsure about putting myself and my family through the volume of training required for this distance even if I know I can definitely go sub-12. I like the half IM distance and may concentrate on that for a couple of years before considering an IM again. Would consider doing it as part of a relay team though as that seems like good fun – If I do the swim I can sit there drinking beer all day cheering on the others and picking up the free gear and finishers T-shirt for less effort.
I would recommend the Outlaw as the volunteers are truly fantastic, the crowds in Car Colston and at the finish are great and the course is reasonably benign if not overly inspiring in places. It’s a very well organised race and one I am very proud to have competed in. Big lesson for me in that I can do anything I set my mind too.
Some photos that I am unwilling to sell of multiple limbs and organs for can be spied here PHOTOS
There is also still chance to support some great charities at this link – http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/beatthesheriff
The Splits
On the run, on the bike, in the drink 