Just a brief recap of a great day out at Ironman South Africa 2018…………….
The Swim
The water conditions were in our favour, the sea was relatively calm, as were we as we lined up to start. The rolling start was effective, there was very little fighting, but it made it difficult for me to draft as we were well spaced out. For some reason I was freezing cold, despite wearing a wetsuit – I was literally shivering, and just couldn’t warm up. I kept telling myself to keep moving, so I could get out quicker, and thankfully I didn’t suffer any cramping. I managed to sight fairly well and finished in 1hr 22mins, two minutes slower than my personal best in IM Florianopolis last year. T1 was also slower than I would have liked (9mins), due to having such cold shaky hands, I was having trouble getting them to work properly. I took advantage of the wetsuit strippers, and the kind volunteers helped me pack my wetsuit back into my bike bag.
The Bike
The route was a two lap out and back course, along stunning coastline with amazing views. Rolling hills and brutal wind made it a tough ride, especially the last 45km heading back home. My speed was getting slower and slower, as the wind increased, along with my fatigue. My ankle (which had suffered a slight sprain a few weeks before the race) was starting to hurt towards the end of the ride. Thankfully my nutrition went to plan, sticking to Infinit (one bottle per hour) with just a nibble of a Clif bar on the second loop. I made a quick stop at special needs for extra bottles at the half way point, no other stops – yes, I pee’d on the go! I eventually made it back to T2 in 7hrs 2mins, two minutes over my target but happy to have survived with no mechanical, muscular or GI issues. T2 involved a long walk with the bike and my ankle was sore, but I didn’t care – I was just happy to be on two feet again. I also spent 9mins in T2, the nose piece on my sunglasses broke, but I definitely could have saved some time here.
The Run
You wouldn’t know it from this photo, but the run was my favourite part of the day – I absolutely loved it! ❤️ It was a four loop course through the town, with so many spectators and cheerleaders lining the streets, families out barbecuing and drinking beer. There were just two lonely spots, at either end of the loop, both which happened to be hills (one short and sharp, one longer and steadier), so I used the steeper one as a walking spot to reset my form. The first two loops I held a great pace, but I did start to slow a little after that. Strangely my ankle hurt less to run than it did to walk, a good reason for me to keep moving! I focused on keeping good form, my hip flexors were getting sore, but I kept my mind strong and stuck to my plan, only walking briefly through the aid stations. My nutrition was spot on, using Skratch in my hydration flasks (I stopped at special needs to pick up refill powder to mix with water), and then using coke in the last few kilometres for a boost. The final stretch home was an amazing feeling, I almost didn’t want it to be over – but I could hear Paul Kaye in the distance and I couldn’t wait to hear him say my name when I got to the red carpet. I was incredibly happy to complete the run in 4hrs 43mins, my best Ironman run by a long way (previous best was at IM Texas, 5hrs 50mins).
The Finish
What can I say……..pure happiness ❤️ The last few kilometres of the run were amazing, knowing I was close to that red carpet. I was feeling such mixed emotions – I wanted to speed up to get there quickly, but also wanted the moment to last forever. Coming down the chute is actually a bit of a blur – I vaguely remember my name being called, and high fiving Paul Kaye, and then just ecstatically being under the blue arch and touching the ceiling – what a moment! My overall finish time was 13hrs 27mins 49secs – a massive 1hr 36mins off my previous best in Texas. I can’t thank my coaches at TriMarni enough for getting me here feeling healthy and strong (despite the sickness and ankle niggle) and for so much advice and support, particularly from Marni on nutrition (I should note that this whole journey was powered by plants, being vegan rocks!). Also massive thanks to my team at ONEndurance for all their never ending support and encouragement. And this day would not have been as much fun without Trevor, Doc Luc and Oreo – thanks for being part of this journey guys!
VeganTriGirl 