Previous races - Ironman Lanzarote part 4 - the run

Ironman Lanzarote part 4 - the run

Back out of the bike shorts under the same rather open circumstances as I’d changed into them, and I cared even less. More suncream on, although it was now 6pm and the need was somewhat less than for the earlier runners. I did briefly consider that at least one reward for slow riding was not needing to do the run in the heat of the day.

For us back of the pack athletes, a percentage of the ironman run is always going to be walked. The usual maths is that you have at least seven hours to do it from bike cutoff to the end, and its usually possible to do some sort of run/walk/shuffle that will get you through the distance in the time. That was my comfort blanket as I shuffled off up the coast towards the airport on the first 13 mile out and back loop - there were three loops, one long and two short, along pretty much the same out and back route, turning round next to the finish line each time.

It wasn’t until I had been going for several miles when the maths part of my brain tapped me on the shoulder. That seven hour thing is really good, it said, when you are doing a normal ironman. At Lanzarote, however, they extend the bike cutoff an hour because of the severity of the route. Its a good thing they do, it said, because you needed most of that extra hour to make it in. However, the overall ironman 17-hour cutoff is not affected - that still stands. They just allow you to take an hour of your run time and apply it to the bike (how nice!). And that means you only have 6 hours for this marathon. I told the maths part of my brain to check the calculation, and it did. Buggeroonie. That blows the “just shuffle” option out of the window.

Right, I’m supposed to be able to run. Its flat, its really not that hot, and there’s a good view. Get going, and lets see how long the first 13 miles takes. And actually, that went OK - I was actually passing some people, a new concept for me, and the turn point came up reasonably well. Back along the coast, a wave at another group of pirates who were on their last lap, and back to the noisy main drag, where the run route was lined for what seemed like at least a mile. The support at this event is amazing.

Round the turn point, look at those who are already finishing, try to avoid impersonating Vyvyan from the Young Ones (if you don’t get that, you’re too young) and grab the all important wrist band that shows you have done your first lap. Wave at any pirates in Ruta 66 that are not yet horizontal, including a few that have already finished (Vyvyan again), and off along the main drag lapping up the noise again. Plenty of people spotting my name on my race number and encouraging me along. That was definitely worth a couple of miles.

OK, so four parkruns to go. It doesn’t sound so bad that way. I was remembering to drink, but severely running out of things I wanted to eat. I only had to go half as far to the turn point for the short lap, but I was definitely suffering now. Fast loo break really didn’t help much, and anything I remotely considered a hill was now getting walked, including a couple of places on the main drag that I hadn’t even noticed had an incline in the previous three days. Back to the finish line turn for the second time, Vyvyan again, wrist band again, Ruta 66 again. Right, next time I’m here I can stop.

I don’t remember much about the final out leg - there weren’t as many of us left as there had been, and I was aware of a few who were still behind me. I had two hours left at this point to do 10km, which shouldn’t have been an issue. But I was definitely wobbling. I remember the lady who had music out on the balcony of a house somewhere near the turn point shouting everyone on. At one point Minibar (who’d managed to sort her bike and still made the bike cutoff) passed me, checked I was OK, and vanished into the distance. I don’t know, I’m sure I used to be that young at one point. Didn’t feel it now.

It was dark, I had an hour left to do 5km, and I was wobbling. I had enough time as long as I didn’t fall off a kerb or walk into a seaside bench, but that was becoming more probable. Someone who was watching us go past saw me and said “I’ll walk with you a bit”, and did exactly that. I’ve no idea who he was, and had never met him before - he told me his name, but that went straight in and back out again. He said he and his wife always visited the island to support the Ironman, and was happy to walk along with me for a while. He walked me back to the main drag and to within reach of the crowd, and then saw I could finish from there. No thanks are possible. As I say, the Lanzarote supporters are amazing.

The noise from the crowd, most of whom were still there at 11:30 at night, and a couple of whom were still sober, took me through the last couple of km. Past Ruta for the last time with all the pirates cheering me on, and this time I could take the finish chute. I managed a sort of run with everyone screaming me along, and that was the finish tape.  16 hours 40 minutes and 4 seconds by my watch. It had been a long day. I was a Lanzarote Ironman.

Thanks

It was an amazing day, that a lot of people helped me with. Thanks to the pirate bunch for supporting me every step of the way. To Andy at Windmill Wheels for setting my bike up to get me round. To the encouraging online crowd at Rutland Running and Triathlon club and Catmose Sports for all their support. And finally to Andy and Sam, for helping my training and encouraging me every bit of the way despite the fact that logistics simply didn’t allow them to be there.

And never again.

Definitely.

Probably.