Ironman 70.3 Bahrain - 5 Dec 15

At last, the race report from my main goal of the racing year: Ironman 70.3 Bahrain - or in this case Ironman 68.4!! Yes, the swim was cancelled. Not great but with safety concerns paramount it was well accepted by everyone (apart from the mega fish-like folk!).

The Build Up It could be said that the build up for this event was 'difficult'. 2016 has probably been the most difficult year for us (family) due to many episodes that we have experienced and the adjustment to life in Saudi Arabia - nuff said. As far as training goes, although there have been many interuptions and consistency has not been great, I seem to have maintained some sort of run fitness. My swimming had improved; largely due to the help of BigFish Dave Lowe, who provided a structured swim schedule that, well, just worked for me! I was unsure as to my bike form. Although I had completed lots of turbo work, I was short on longer rides and time trial races that I normally compete to hone form and obtain an indication of fitness. I had been fortunate, however, as assistance from the RAF Sports Lottery allowed me to purchase Vector Pedals - for the first time, I was training with power as a guide. And boy was it painful! Yes, the best zones to live in on the bike are the 85 - 92% of threshold power. The longer the reps, the more productive the training is. One of the main obstacles to overcome - or in my case, get used to - was the onset of rhumatoid arthritis. My knee has been the size of a melon since May 15 and an MRI confirmed that I was suffering from this auto-immune illness. It is painful; no doubts about that! How to cope? Join Jens Voigt and just say 'shut up legs!' The Race I won't go in to all the logistics of getting to Bahrain and the disaster associated with the hotel. I racked my bike on the Friday after registering. The entire transition zone was carpeted. This was heaven for me and my sensitive feet! I just hate the running bare foot that comes with triathlon. Rutland Water is worst and my feet are black and blue after racing there. Saturday morning and up early for the normal pre-race breakfast of rice pudding and coffee. When I got to the race venue the buzz was all about the swim - wetsuit, no wetsuit? What could it be? The water in the bay was choppy and there was quite a wind blowing off the coast into the Bahrain Bay. Soon, the news was announced over the load speakers: Swim cancelled. Say what?!! Yes, very disappointing, particularly for the guys who were tackling a 70.3 for the first time, as they wanted to race the full distance. So, a 68.4 race it was. The start would consist of 5 triathletes running into T1 from the swim exit point at 15 sec intervals. I positioned myself as near tot he front as I could get; my idea being that if I could get out on the road I would avoid groups and slower cyclists. I was first out of T1 from my group of 5 starters and quickly passed some stragglers from earlier start groups.

The pros had started 10 min before the age groupers; so no risk of seeing those guys on the bike! From the onset it was clear that the wind would be a big factor on the bike leg. It was consistently strong and also gusting even stronger. Over the causeway bridge with the cross/tail wind was super fast but I had an issue with my Garmin not reading my power read out properly. I was fiddling with the Garmin in the pic below:

I had a 3 sec current power reading and an average power. But the average power never moved from 244W and I suspect that it was not a true reading. This was a bit frustrating but I had to adjust the plan and rely on the current 3 sec power. Of course, it was all over the place with the wind and rises over fly-overs. Sometimes I was over 350W and eased off. Then I was at 180W and eased up the effort. The ride was becoming too disjointed and did not feel efficient. So I made the decision to just ride on feel and glance at the power every now and then. The closed roads were a dream to ride along:

However, I was surprised at how many deadstop U-turns there were. The wind was all over the place; sometimes I was flying in the 53/11 and other times I considered going into the small ring - but I thought better and avoided the small ring! My early start ensured that there were no drafting issues. But as the bike progressed some of the looped out and back sections meant riding into late starters who were going considerably slower. The wind seemed to get stronger too. Or was that just me getting tired! I could see the Bahrain International Circuit approaching but we had an out and back loop to complete before we entered the motor racing circuit for a lap of the F1 track!

The F1 circuit was deceptively hilly and quite rough tarmac to ride on. I was ready to dismount and test the legs after completing the bike leg in 2:23:49. As I grabbed my T2 bag I noted that the legs did not feel too bad. Out of the change tent and back on to the F1 circuit and I clicked straight into hold back mode! In racing we generally run too fast at the start of a long distance triathlon run. I always hold back. This also helps enjoyment as I can soak up the atmosphere.

My Garmin continued to malfunction, with only a stopwatch working - no GPS. The first 3k was switching around the F1 track and was quite nice. I resorted to mental arithmetic for the pace and was maintainng constant 4:20 per k pace. I walked through the first aid station to ensure that I consumed a good cup full of water and a gel. I knew that I would only need 2 more gels at the most and a few swigs water or coke. I always focus on the first aid station during a half IM to set me up for the rest of nutrition intake. During the first 5k I was passed by a couple of youngsters who made me look like I was standing still. I made a mental note to see hem later when they blew up! Sure enough, around 10k they were walking and I passed them. Out ofthe F1 circuit and the wind was a factor on he run also, swirling around and making it tough in places. The run took you out to the wildlife park and I knew that the reurn leg after a 8k loop in the park would be tough into the wind. Once into the park I started to pass people. But I was joined from behind by a guy that looked familiar. It was Nick Tipper - ex-Army Tri. We ran together for the entire loop in the park: As we left the park and headed back to the F1 circuit, the wind was smack in your face. I tried to up the pace as I still felt strong. In reality I probably only maintained the pace as fatigue and the wind took its toll. Nick was struggling and I was trying to drag him along. But the elastic broke and I pushed on for home. The final 3k was also on the F1 circuit and I was feeling rough now. But that is when you should feel rough - the last 2k where you can go flat out! The finish line was a welcome sight and the atmosphere was quite thrilling: A run split of 1:30:51 was slightly slower than my target but the tank was emptied and on the day there was no way I could have gone faster. Also, that run bagged the fastest run split in my Age Group. I just needed a more efficient bike split as I was 2nd overall in my Age Group to a French dude who blitzed the bike in 2:17. I was catching him on the run but not quickly enough. I can't complain with that result after the topsy turvey year that I have had. Plus my finish position was a World Champs qualifier. I didn't accept the slot as there was no way I could commit to a trip to Australia. Overall, I was pleased enough but, as always, could do better. Next year will be a busy period for me as I commence some study to prepare for when I leave the RAF. I will focus on shorter distance races in Saudi. Then looking further ahead, I still have ambitions to race Ironman and bag a sub-10 hour race. But the clock is ticking; at 51, how much longer will it be before the decline in performance due to age rules that target out? Intelligent training and racing is the order of the day. Some stress free periods in my life would really help also! Maybe one day. . . .