I instead dropped down to the 20 mile race as between Ironman and Vitruvian I've not had the time to put the endurance training in. I thought that I would be able to run 50 miles off the back of Ironman training. I thought wrong. Running endurance and triathlon endurance are not necessarily one and the same. Could I have completed a 50 mile ultra? Definitely. Would I have enjoyed it? Definitely not!
So I did the 20 mile race instead.
I'll keep it short(ish). After a partially disappointing performance (especially on the run) in my last 2 races I went into this with absolutely no expectations of myself other than finishing...
The start was lovely, weather was absolutely fantastic, the scenery was stunning, mist over the water, soft sunlight streaming through the trees - honestly it looked like a fairy-tale setting. After a few minutes I was storming ahead of the rest of the runners and after around a mile I was at the very front of the pack with 2 runners wearing orange hot on my heels. I plodded on and on, never quite sure if I was in fact leading or not, however once I finished the mini loop (5 miles) someone shouted that I was the first one through.
So far so good!
Second lap around I ran hard and fast, keeping checking behind me and forever seeing those 2 runners in orange. They knew the route and while I was never quite sure where I was going they always pointed me in the right direction, unfortunately this meant they were too close for my liking! When I hit the junction where the mini lap finished (10 miles) I was yet again told I was leading and with quite a pace! The worry had set in that was I going to burn out before the finish? Would I still be in first place?
The hills got steeper, the scenery just as stunning. Around mile 12 I was overtaken by a girl on an uphill section, figuring I'd probably slowed down a little too much I picked the pace up and caught her again... but I soon realised she was at a pace I couldn't maintain. Behind me was the couple in orange, forever at my heels.
And so it went, up and down steep hills, on the uphills the couple behind closing the distance, on the 'flats' (ha, as if) and downhills I pulled away again. I didn't ever really catch up with the girl who overtook me and as mile 19 closed in, my legs were heavy and my hips sore, I slowed down to a walk and then ran on again - I got talking to a few runners around this time, some of whom commented on how I was crazy by even their standards for having done an Ironman (that tattoo really is a talking point). Towards the very end I knew I was going to be second place at best, and dared to glance behind me one last time to see if the couple in orange were still close by but it looked as if I'd finally dropped them
I stormed up the final hill to the finish, taking 2nd place!
My first ever 'podium' finish!
Honestly, I was elated, I congratulated the girl who won and felt she genuinely deserved to win that one (so it turns out all that congratulating in major races might NOT be just for show after all)!
2nd place! 2:51!
There may have been only 100 people enter, but beyond it all was the fact that I had placed so highly, 2nd place overall, 1st male to finish.
I've never believed I could run faster than I do in training (this so called race pace, pah); until this race I would have almost swore it, but with the couple in orange so close behind it gave me the reason to try that little bit more, to push that little harder, to keep going that little bit further.
I've also learned from the previous 2 races and made sure I ate a lot more, which I think aided my endurance.
If only the 2016 one wasn't on the same weekend as Ironman Wales I'd be right there to try and claim 1st place!
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