2010 Double Ironman Race Report (Part 3)

The Swim:

The swim is always a strange one for me as, being my background I don’t tend to think too much about it. In fact, I was at this stage wondering if I had been rather too arrogant about relying on having done it for so many years as I really have done very little swim training in preparation for the Double, probably averaging less than 2 hours a week. I also worry so much about getting on the bike that it almost comes as a bit of a shock that I have to get in the pool and swim for 2.5hours before even getting anywhere near my pedals! The lanes had been seeded by IM times and I think I was fortunate in that I was seeded 4th overall which meant I was in the fastest swim lane but the slowest swimmer in that lane. This meant plenty of opportunity for drafting off those who were a bit speedier. I was more than happy to take my turn at the front when necessary but I was just that little bit off the pace of the others so often found myself happily at the back again, hanging onto feet!! I had planned to stop every km or so for a drink and started off by counting 40 lengths, stopping, drinking and setting off again. This coupled with stopping every 10laps or so to let people overtake worked reasonably well through the first 4k.

By around 4k I was tiring slightly, not so much that I was concerned that the lack of swim training would kick in but just a little fatigued. My wetsuit was rubbing slightly at the neck but I didn’t have any major concerns and I think I held my pace fairly consistently. They were running a leaderboard at the side of the pool which was updated every km with people’s times – in hindsight I should have got Mum to write those times down so I could see how consistent I was but never mind. Between 4km and 6km I did start to get a bit bored of swimming and had to try and keep myself focused. I broke it down at this point to stopping every 20 to help mentally and also as I was worried I wasn’t drinking that much and may start getting a headache as I often do in the pool. Asking the lane counters at 5km how many lengths I had done, they said 5,150 which was nice as I had a few extra banked that I didn’t know about! I tried to ignore those though and keep to counting the 20lengths as before as I knew they’d be a nice surprise over the last 600m! And they were! Once I had reached 7km, I said to myself, just 6 x 100m and you are out of here. I pushed on through each 100m but the two-lap to go float came into the water much quicker than I had expected so it was nice to have those lengths in hand that I hadn’t been counting!

Out of the water in around 2.16 and I really wanted to get under 2.20 for the swim. My secret aim had been to get under 2.20 (I had said 2.30 as I thought that was realistic given an IM time of 71mins but I had secretly hoped that with the drafting and wetsuit I could go 2.20) and be the first woman out of the swim so with those two boxes ticked I was very chuffed! I was aware the timing mat was out near bike racking though so I grabbed my bottles and went to pick up my race bag from my crew. Unfortunately this was the time they decided it would be good to do a photo shoot so, with one eye on the clock, I dutifully posed for prosperity! I then legged it out of the door and rushed up to the bikes. Finally across the mat in 2.19 – hurray!!





T1:

I knew that I didn’t want to change in the pool as I wanted to try and get a good swim time so I had made up a bag of bike kit and placed it in the change marquee next to bike racking. I had decided I would swim in tri shorts and a sports bra as I didn’t want to face getting too naked in the tent as who knows who might have been out at the same time as me! In the end it was just myself and the other RAF representative, Mike , so I do apologise if he got an eyeful! I decided in the end to change my top as it might give me a chill having it next to my skin so after wrangling with my wetsuit, I changed then added a cycling jersey, gloves, glasses, socks and shoes. I was just debating what other layers I might require when the heavens literally opened so it was on with a water-proof and off out to my bike. I handed over my kit bag to my crew waiting near bike racking, stuffed some soreen and a gel into my back pocket and wobbled off to the mount line.