How NOT to recover from an Ironman

Post Ironman I felt surprisingly good and only a few weeks later I was flying around the course in Nottingham at the National Club Relays helping the Tri Training Harder team to a win in our category. I was feeling really strong, especially on the bike, helped by my Cervelo P5, ‘Celler Cadella’ (Swift Bitch).

A few days later and I started really struggling. I became constantly tired, my legs were falling apart and I felt drained. Given how physically and emotionally drained I had been in the heat of Zurich, this should have been no surprise. Normally I recover fairly quickly from races- a week or two at max where I feel a bit of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This was different though and September became a write-off for racing and my only training was cycling the 20 miles in to work each day (which hurt) and a one-off 100 mile cycle sportif (at a very slow average speed). I had entered the XTerra English Championships in Surrey, and even rode the cycle course on the Saturday, but I was in no shape to race in the PRO category. This at least gave me a chance to start my masters course in ‘Sports Law and Practice’ and watch some of the Tour of Britain.

At the end of September I was entered as a PRO at ‘The Gauntlet’- a new half IM that makes up part of the Merkel Castle Triathlon Series and is at Hever Castle. This is where Henry VIII did something to one of his wives. Whatever history took place there, it is an awesome estate. Although tiredness was becoming less of an issue, my quads were still in a bad way. I had little confidence in doing well and as a B race, was not too bothered if I had to drop out at some stage. I was definitely still in my Ironman recovery phase and perhaps entering a Half Ironman as part of this phase was always going to be a stupid idea. Regardless, it was a race, and I like racing!

The 1.9km swim took us to the end of the lake and then back around a small river to the swim start. I thought I was having a bad swim as I lost the group ahead of me as the ‘short-cut’ I had taken turned out to be a ‘long- cut’. However, I got out of the swim in the top 10, a few minutes down on the leaders David McNamee and Fraser Cartmell.

As soon as I was on the bike my quads told me that they were not going to be pushed and they were actually painful, rather than being the normal dull ache that fatigue brings. I passed a couple of people straight away but was also passed myself by Richard Horton, an up and coming young GB triathlete at Loughborough University. I ignored this, focussing on my own pace and using my experience to get myself around the very hilly cycle route without using too much energy. I caught the leading woman after 15 of the 56 mile course, of two laps but was still contemplating pulling out after lap one given how I was feeling.

In terns of nutrition, I was well-prepared and had a good supply of gels, High Five carb/protein drinks and jelly babies throughout the cycle. On lap two, I was caught by a group of five and realised that Richard Horton was amongst them. It turned out that they had all gone the wrong way, as had David and Fraser. Unbeknownst to me, I had been leading the race for twenty minutes. As these guys were all racing in a messy pack, pretending not to draft, I stayed within reach of them until we got to one of the steeper hills and dropped off the back, just as the motorcycle camera came along side me. Towards the end of the cycle I caught Richard Horton and one two other guys to put myself up into third place heading out on to the run.

I felt good starting the run, which was largely off-road. I started steady, slower than I had headed off on the run at Ironman Zurich. Richard Horton came past me early on but I let him go, knowing that he was a strong runner and that if I stayed with him, I would pay for it later on.

The Olympic distance race was taking place at the same time so we had a lot of people to use as carrots on the entire two lap course. It was again an undulating course, definitely not one for a personal best! On lap two, David McNamee passed me (flew past) so I was down to fourth position. The legs were aching and I had some blisters coming up but I was already happy knowing that I would finish with a little left in the tank.

So, fifth place on a day I expected very little. I would have been top eight if the leaders had gone the correct way. Despite the fact that Fraser Cartmell went the wrong way, I can now say that I have finished ahead of him as he came across the line jogging 15 minutes later. ‘The Gauntlet’ is a great race on an awesome triathlon weekend, at a fantastic location. If I was fully fit and raring to go then the hilly bike course and undulating off-road run course would play to my strengths, meaning I will be sure to race here again in future years. Strangely, it is my hamstrings that are now hurting post-race and my quads are feeling quite a bit better!?

Next week I am racing the Red Bull Steeplechase in the Peak District. This really destroyed my legs last year as I finished sixth. Hopefully my legs will recover quickly this week, helped by a massage with Dave Taylor in Sutton, so that I can improve on this position. After this, I am pacing at York Marathon for Runner’s World for 2 hours 58 minutes, then racing the Spartan Beast, the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest at Battersea Park and then a few duathlons and off-road runs. Then, season over, thank f.