Alan's Race Report:-
Things got off to a really bad start on the way out to France, as I jogged back to the car to pick up my wallet at the airport I stumbled on a loose stone and badly twisted my left ankle! By the time we landed in Nice it had swelled up like a balloon and when we checked in at the hotel I could hardly walk. It didn't look good at this point.
Thankfully the ankle responded to treatment, and on the morning of the race the swelling had disappeared. However, I didn't know when I started the race if I would be able to run on it, so I would have to get through the swim and bike legs hoping that when the marathon came the ankle would do the business.
Discussing tactics with my race manager (aka my wife) beforehand, because of my dodgy ankle we decided that it was imperative that I achieved good times in the swim and cycle legs, to give myself plenty of time to limp around the marathon if needed. This was a risky strategy in the hot conditions as pushing hard on the bike would run the risk of leaving me exhausted. However, it seemed the only way to go.
At 6:30 I stood on the beach with 2,800 other competitors, and when the gun went off I plunged into the unknown with the rest of them! The swim was a pleasant surprise, the mediterranean waters being warm and clear compared with the flooded gravel pits I am used to training in! I had aimed for a swim time of 1:45 and found myself exiting the water at the end of the second lap on 1:35.
A ten minute transition saw me heading out for the bike leg on 1:45. I reaped the benefits of a hard winter's training in the Derbyshire Peak District as I found the 1800m of climbing in the first half of the bike course well within my capabilities and found myself accelerating away from many other competitors on the hills. The climbing was relentless, and there was no escape from the heat. It was a great feeling riding through little French villages with all the locals screaming 'Allez Allez' as you passed. It was a little disconcerting at first because in England if anything shouts anything at you on a bike its usually an insult!
The second half of the bike course consisted of fast technical descending from the mountains, touching speeds of 45-50mph in places on the smooth French tarmac. Several riders came a cropper on the descents, I saw one guy being airlifted off the mountain by the rescue helicopter and two others receiving treatment by the roadside by paramedics after losing control. Luckily I held it together and descended down to the Promendade Des Anglais for the run into transition.
This was a hairy moment, as the bike run-in was parallel with the run course and there were thousands of people spectating or walking on the promenade who the marshalls were struggling to keep out of the way of bikes coming in at 30mph+. I was happy to get through this part unscathed.
I dismounted my bike in T2 and tried to run to the changing tent, but was disuaded by stabbing pains in both ankles as I tried to run with the bike! I fought the urge to panic and resolved to take my time in transition and change clothes to give my ankles a chance to settle down. Fifteen minutes later I emerged at the start of the marathon and took the first tentative steps. My ankle was fine! Hugely relieved, I set off for the four lap run with a spring in my step.
The mid afternoon heat was oppressive and there was nowhere to go to get out of the sun. Thankfully, the organisers had laid on showers at the refreshment points, which were a welcome opportunity to cool down.
Towards the end of the first lap I witnessed a horrible accident when a spectator, a girl in her late teens or early twenties, stepped out in front of a speeding bike. The impact was sickening and the rider was thrown several metres through the air and landed very badly on the tarmac. I believe the girl suffered severe head injuries from the bike handlebars, and the rider looked very badly injured. Luckily for them there were plenty of paramedics around and they were soon being attended to. I hope they were both OK.
I managed to run two and a half laps of the run course before being struck with severe cramps in my left leg. I managed to run and walk for another lap, and by the time of the final half-lap I was reduced to a slow limp as my leg muscles tightened up to breaking point. As I reached the finish straight my pride got the better of me and I gritted my teeth and broke into a painful 'run'.
I was overwhelmed by the noise of the applause as I approached the finish straight. As I entered the final bit, my Daughter Hannah had jumped over the barriers and she ran with me down to the finish line. Unfortunately she was in better shape than me at that point so I was struggling to keep up and it was too noisy for her to hear me asking her to slow down! We crossed the line together and she gave me my finisher's medal, which was a lovely moment for the two of us!
Overall, competing in the Ironman France 2009 was an incredible experience which I am delighted to have been a part of. I would do it all again in an instant!
Alan
