Ironman Zurich
On 28th July 2013, I finished Ironman Zurich. It was a very hot day and as a result, wetsuits were banned from the swim, which was worrying as they make the swimming much easier! At 7 AM, I was one of 2,400 athletes who entered Lake Zurich for 140.6 miles of pain. The swim was great, I really enjoyed it and it hindsight, feel I could have pushed more. Half way round, we had to run over an Island, where the crowd support was incredible. After one and half hours, I left the water and changed into my bike kit, grabbed my Dad's bike (Willier Izoard), which I'd borrowed, and set off. The first 90 km lap was great. I was flying on the bike, crouched down on the tri-bars. All the training on the hills of the peak district paid off as I climbed "The Beast" then descended back to the lake. "Heartbreak Hill" was amazing, with Tour De France style support from the large crowd urging us on. The second lap was harder as the temperature increased. I saw a few people passed out on the side of the road but no time to stop to help - they were being looked after. I got round the second lap and after another fantastic ascent of Heartbreak Hill, I descended to the end of the bike route in almost exactly 6 hours. A quick change into my running gear and I was off again for the marathon. The first lap was OK, I felt good. Then the second lap was hell - still over a half marathon to go and time was ticking very slowly, it was hard to keep my legs moving. Eventually after nearly four hours, I was given the red armband, which meant I was on my final lap. With two miles to go, I had a burst of energy which came from nowhere and I sprinted to the finish line. It was an amazing experience, but so tough!
GPS tracking on STRAVA here:
Photos are here
Here are the results:
