I have to start this with the BIGGEST thanks to every single person who supported, watched, wished me luck and donated to my IRONMAN at home on the 5th September. I am absolutely overwhelmed to have raised £850 (in fact over £1000 with gift aid) for my chosen charities; Blue Cross animal charity and PDWRA (The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association). See link here. I am so humbled and grateful.
It was one hell of a day. The knowledge I had raised so much money really did push me on, especially when it got dark, not just outside but for me too. I am glad I kept my promise of doing an IRONMAN this year after Wales was cancelled but please never let me do something like that ever again! Mainly because the torture of running past my friends at my home 8 times while they sipped beer and Prosecco was horrible! 🤣
Hollie's IRONMAN @ Home
The Swim - 1 hour
I woke up at 5:20 to begin swimming at 6am. My thoughts being the quicker I start the quicker I finish. In hindsight I am so glad I did start early given my eventual finish time! I did the swim in my parent's above ground pool (where we live next door) via a swim tether. Essentially I tied a bungee cord around my waist and swam towards a wall.
The plan was to do this for an hour as that would be roughly how long it would take in a real event to do the 2.4 mile swim and I didn't have waves or an Australian exit to worry about like in Tenby. For those who don't know this is where it is a 2 lap swim course so I would have to do one lap, get out of the sea, run on the beach and restart the lap.
I was using a wetsuit, nose clip, waterproof iPod (lifesaver) and snorkel, a sexy look I am sure you can imagine. I had got up to around 40 minutes two nights previous to the event with minimal stops and I only stopped due to my snorkel leaking (great timing!). Luckily a friend stepped in to save the day and the day before I rushed to her house to borrow her snorkel (an absolute lifesaving decision - thank you Grace).
The pool looked amazing actually. It was still so dark at that time and the full moon was shining brilliantly down on the lit pool. It was lovely. I started my watch and off I went. I have to say the hour flew by. My 15 minute alerts were clocking down and I was just enjoying being in the moment listening to my music in peace, calm and serenity (probably because I knew it would be anything but for the my next discipline where I had 112 miles to do on a stationary bike).
My Dad joined me outside with his kindle, a coffee and a VERY warm coat and although I couldn't thank or see him much when swimming I noticed his presence and it meant the world. My mum was watching me in the warmth of her bed (smart move) through the bedroom window and managed to take this lovely image of the scene.
Anyway. the swim went without any fuss and then it was onto T2 (transition).
The Bike - 6 hours 53 minutes
Nathan was now taking on the role as my sherpa and PR company, going on to Facebook live whenever he fancied (much to my seeming annoyance on screen especially as he started at 05:30) but it has to be said he did a great job. He had set my Zwift up ready for me to jump straight on. I took 10 minutes taking off my wetsuit and having a complete change (what a luxury to a normal triathlon) and jumped on the bike.
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I wanted to mimic the epic climbing in Wales and as my Smart Turbo trainer allows me to do this (again for those who don't know if Zwift - the cycling programme I use has an incline it links up to the turbo trainer which affects the gradient on the machine). I knew I had to climb 2450m over the 112 miles so picked a course on Zwift to suit this.
The bike also went without a hitch really. I actually enjoyed it. I had the boys in there with me watching sometimes and my friend Gemma, who stayed the previous night, kept me company for a lot of the 7 hours, which was a perfect time to catch up (no bike handling skills needed).
Nathan was prepping food for the friends arriving and then I could watch out of the window as some of my closest friends from various places begin arriving.
At the end of the 6 hours and 53 minutes I felt pretty good. I averaged 26km per hour for the 180k. I had a bit of stomach pain but I felt I had fuelled OK during the ride.
I was however absolutely dreading the run. I had been for weeks. I spent 10 minutes getting my trainers on psyching myself up for marathon and for the hours pounding the pavement ahead.
The Run - 5 hours 57 minutes
Maybe I went into the run with the wrong attitude despite knowing I had the distance in my legs especially with my recent treadmill work. Yet even if I did after the first lap it all went to...well literally...shit (pardon the pun and pardon the brutal honesty of racing long distance).
I had decided to do 4 laps of my usual 10k loop. This lap system is one I tend to like as I can break it up, as well as this it mimics Wales' course. It also meant I passed my supporters 8 times. It was decided that I would have company for each lap. My mum riding with me on one (which ended up being nearly all), then my best friend Yuliya running the second, Nathan the third, then mum again for the final.
I did the first 10.5k lap in just over an hour, just shy of what I wanted. However, I was struggling.
During the second lap I was cramping badly and just felt like I couldn't run. When I was with mum I could just drink on demand as I put my water in her basket. However, neither myself or Yuliya were carrying water with us when running (I couldn't find my run jacket for some reason either). I called for someone to bring me cold water (mum cycled to the rescue doing another lap). Despite needing energy I couldn't face more gels or Isotonic. From that moment on, just 13k into a 42k marathon, I was almost doubling in pain and solely drinking cold water. My body was rejecting all the sugar I had loaded it with.
My lap times got slower. My GPS was not working. I plodded the 3rd lap with Nathan. It was slow and painful (for both of us). I had a wild poo which eased me for a bit. Then I was starving and felt sick because of that. I realised hadn't had any proper solid food bar a small malt load for around 9 hours when I was forcing some overnight oats down my neck on the bike at 8am. Not well played Hollie. You should know better!
I requested a ham sandwich which Nathan made after our lap together.
Mum took over for the final lap on her bike again and without her I may well still be out there! I just had nothing left. I was angry and muttering to myself about why I couldn't move. It was getting pretty cold and it was getting dark. Mum got me into a rhythm of running between every 2 sets of telegraph poles and walking between 1 set. It worked and then on the final section I was met by my sister and brother in law on their bikes who cheered me up no end. So much so I nearly actually pooed myself and had to run into the field again. My stomach pain was crippling.
I ran past my house for the final time and did the short lap around around the lake. My Dad met me by the bridge in the village around 600m from home and began running in his flip flops with me (I mean could I really call my plod a run by this point?). Anyway, his smile and support as ever meant the world.
Then I heard my friends cheers as home for the final time came in to view. Moments before, just as I started the final section of my lap around the lake on my own, I was crying about missing Dobby so so much and reminding myself why I was doing this. I truly felt I would collapse in tears when I finished. However, teamed with seeing my Dad at the bridge and with my mum alongside me on the bike, when I saw my friends pulling out the IRONMAN banner as my finish line tape for me to run through I just beamed. I was in agony and was totally spent but wow, the feeling of support was overwhelming.
See my finish line video below (which was a Facebook live of Nathan's). The hugs from my friends, from my Dad who expressed his pride, the hugs from my boys who had been out shouting 'Go Mummy' all day; how can you not be taken aback by that?
Total time (with transitions) 14 hours 10 minutes.
The After
I stayed up after with my friends drinking bubbles, eating nice food, playing Cards Against Humanity until I physically couldn't (my stomach was still wreaking havoc with me).
My body was crying but my head was smiling. As I looked around I realised I am lucky despite not feeling it sometimes. I have got an awesome network around me. I don't have a huge friendship list but the ones I have are true, amazing and would do anything for me, and vice versa. That to me is more than enough. My mum always said you need one handful of friends who you could call in the middle of the night and they would be there, no questions asked. Mum's are so so wise. In fact as I looked around I had more.
Friends new and old were there from all walks of my life, wailing with laughter together and all to see me. That realisation has been one of the most pivotal things that that stupid challenge I set myself has taught me. MY tribe of family and friends.
A 14 hour IRONMAN - not my best but also not my worst (second worst mind)
My hardest? Most definitely.
Would I do it again? Definitely not.
Did I learn something? Yes one being to sort my nutrition out!
Was it worth it? 100%
I made a promise I would do this for me if Wales was cancelled due to COVID.
I made a promise I would raise money for my Dobby.
Yet again I have proved that this body, whatever size it may be, and stubborn mind can do it, all with a little *ahem* A LOT of help from my friends (and family of course).
