Triathlon and Ironman. Anyone doing them?

[Gremlin]

Nice. I heard the weather was a bit of a factor this year!

Lake was choppy, also a bit of wind which initially died down after the swim, but picked up during the cycle leg. Quite a few apparently rescued from the lake.

[FROSTY:Me]

For anyone that's interested.
Well thats Ironman NZ 2018 completed and what a difference from last year.
Those of you that know me probably know I finished last years Ironman NZ pretty pissed off at myself. Don't get me wrong I finished and the finish time of 14 hours 46 minutes was ok given the conditions. The problem was I just knew I hadn’t given it my best shot.
I Haven't really been able to explain it properly until I read the book by Dom Harvey (yep the DJ that is also a marathon runner) . His philosophy or mantra when running is “Be the best YOU can be”. I've added in the words "on the day"
This year it couldn’t be more different. I was far more focussed on the race and Taupo turned on a fantastic day. The weather was as close to perfect as you are ever going to get. The lake was like a swimming pool and for once the wind was blowing towards Reporoa.
My lead up to the race was fantastic thanks to my Coach Andrew Mackay from Boost coaching. I had a solid build in both training and races. Then darn it I got a bit over keen 2 weeks out and damaged either my hip flexors or my glutes. I got massage and physio work right up till Friday before the race meant hopefully only the run would be affected.
My day started really well. I knew it was just 10 minutes until my start once the female professional start cannon went off. I was in the water seconds after the boom of the cannon and swam as fast as I possibly could for 100m to get my heart pumping. With my heart pounding I cruised to the start line in time to see a Maori Whaka glide past through the mist. Pretty magical.
The swim went really well for me.It was the culmination of 2 years of bloody hard work by a series of fantastic swim coaches. got this fella able to swim the 3.8km in 1 hour 9 minutes. Basicly I had the perfect start position (for me) and got a series of drafts from start to finish. I got out of the water feeling fantastic. A 400m run uphill to transition and all was going well. Heck I even got my swimming on camera by the ironman underwater photographer.
Into the 180km bike ride The first lap I pushed a bit harder than was on my plan because I knew the wind would get stronger as the day went on. I caught a fellow Tri Club member at the 45km mark but then he shot off like a bullet staying a few bikes in front of me for the next 45 km. The first 90km lap was finished in under 3 hours.The only side affect was that my hip was already complaining by the time I climbed up from Taupo at the start of lap 2.
Special needs is the place you can stop to refill your special choices of food/drink.Its located at the top of the first climb out of Taupo.In my case it was a bit of humour (for the spectators) .For some stupid reason I’d put all my run and ride gels in my bike special needs bag. Knowing I’d need them for the run later I tried to stuff them all into my bento box (bike food storage box) and lost the whole lot as I tried to get going. Gels everywhere on the ground as Im scrambling to pick em up. Fixing that muck up cost me a few minutes but it did make people laugh and hey I needed a stretch.
Back into lap 2 of the bike and wind in the face for the next 35km dropped the speed by about 3km/h.I knew it would so stuck to keeping my heart rate where it was planned. The return leg from Reporoa to Taupo was fantastic with a 14 knot wind at my back instead of the normal 10-20 knot wind in the face. Heartbreak hill just didn't appear to be anywhere near as bad as normal .You have to love the sign at the bottom "its a hill--get over it"
Once i saw the Taupo Motor race track I knew I was all but home. The run down to transition is my favorite bit of the ride being pretty fast downhill ride, I finished the ride in 6 hours 25 minutes.
Transition 2 went really well taking only about three and a half minutes from start to finish including a pee stop.
Then came the not so pretty bit. The Marathon
The Taupo ironman 42.2km run is reasonably hilly so your pace does vary a bit. Its also lovely to look at.
For me I knew the run was going to be pretty ugly with my hip giving me a fair bit of pain by this stage. But it was the machine I had to work with.
My origonal race plan was to run the 2.5km between aid stations with a pace of between 6.55 and 7.15 then walk the aid stations so I'd have a run time of 5.08 -That just wasn't physically possible. So the plan got modified.
What I worked out was I could run in short bursts until the pain got to 100% then race walk until it settled down to 60% and I’d run again. Repeat for 42.2 km.
There was the amazing support along the way from so many spectators and officials. The Club tents and Boost Coaching tent both roared as I went past (thanks a million folks) A real huge lift was my 6 year old daughter running to me then taking my hand and “pacing” me for 100m or so per lap.
My best freind and my darling wife both came up to me a couple of times "suggesting" it was time I picked up the pace. I unfortunately told them both to f@@@ off because the pain was spiking. I did remember to add darling to one of them and sorry to the other (m not sure which to be honest).
The red carpet at the end of the race seemed to turn up really fast and from somewhere I found the energy to dance down it and bend down to kiss the Ironman symbol right under the arch as Iron Mike screamed out "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" 13 hours and eleven minutes after I started. Then came the big surprise. I did the run in 5.26.-half an hour faster than last year.
I finished wanting a bucket of greasy fat dripping KFC.
I can't stand the stuff normally but it tasted SOOO good.
Im beyond happy with that result. I put everything I had into that race. So this time I have no regrets.
I can tell anyone that’s waded through this race report There is no way I could possibly have finished let alone made the improvements I have over the past year without the help, support,guidance and encouragement from a bunch of the most amazing and fantastic people I’ve been privileged to meet.
Coach extrodinaire Andrew Mackay from Boost Coaching has taken a tub o lard and built almost an athlete. I can’t sing his praises too much. if you want to give yourself the best shot at completing ironman I'd say give Andrew a call.https://www.boostcoaching.co.nz
Some fantastic amazing athletes at Boost Coaching,Waitakere and Black Sands tri club who encouraged or pushed me along the way.
The support of my family and close freinds has made it all possible. I can’t thank you people too much.
To answer the question “ Will you do it again???” HECK YEA !!!
The “When” is under negotiation with my darling wife who wants a crack at IMNZ 2019 so it might be a few halves in 2019 with maybe a visit to Roth later in that year.
I can actually say my ultimate goal is to qualify for a Kona slot. It might not happen but i'm gonna give it my best shot.
My name is Tony Frost.
I am an ironman.
I have never been first
I have never been last (Yet)
I always try my hardest and I hope I always will
I might not ever be the best
But I will always be the best I can be.
#BETHEBESTYOUCANBE.

[FROSTY:Me]

save starting another thread.-from march 2019
Well thats another Ironman NZ “done and dusted” I have to say it was by far the toughest day out there I have ever had. --finish time 14.01.10
But wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
The day started fantastic. Ironman nz swim is in a clear lake and is a deep water start.
I’d swum over to my preferred start spot and lo an behold right in front of me were two fellow Boosties. The start cannon goes off and I got a fantastic tow from them through the first 200m of the “washing machine” They literally carved a path for me (thanks guys) After that there was the usual smacks in the face,kicks and general mayhem that is the ironman start. I managed to get another couple of tows up to the first turn. Things got a bit tight with a bit of argie bargie right to just after the start of the return leg. Then I saw I was in clear water –or so I thought. Then realized I had FOUR swimmers using me for free power. Coach woulda been proud –Ol Frosty towing in a perfect V formation.-actually it was pretty cool –for about 40m.Then I felt the sudden need to turn hard right and drop em. Pretty easy swim from there on except for the BOOM of the 70.3 start cannon as I must have been directly in line with it. I nigh on filled me pants it was so loud. -being clear--in Taupo it is literally a big ol Cannon.Got the swim done feeling comfortable in 1 hour 12 minutes.
First transition is a 400-500meter/yard run into the change tent and it went perfectly.-Except for a moments hesitation to realise the mens/womens side was swapped. My new tri suit worked a charm.T1-including a wee wee stop took 8.36
The bike ride is in essence 2x 45km out one way then 45 km back on seal that shakes teeth out. Usually theres a decent wind in your face one way or the other.
Out on the bike and felt great. No niggles no aches YEEHAA. Then starting the very first climb out of Taupo there was a loud CLACK from the front of the bike and my left arm dropped down.My left armrest had snapped off the mount bolts and was dangling down onto the handlebar. Then going to change down into easier gears for climbing and I couldn’t shift gears at the back cassette. “Yep this is gonna be a hard day” I thought. Positives were that the gears seemed to be working sometimes. Enough so I got up the first climb alive. I hadn’t realised just how much time I spend on the aero bars-and how much difference it makes to my speed until I basicly couldn’t. Gear shifting wasn’t a big problem I just got fairly high in the cassette when it would shift and use up down on the front chain ring —Until I turned around at 45km and hit the headwind/side gusts. At that point I’m pretty sure the people riding past me thought I was insane Seeing me riding in a hard gear into the wind and sitting up like on a flat bar bike. . The rest of the ride back to Taupo was uneventful- just a slow hard slog. Got to the special needs station at 95 km with my legs and shoulders throbbing.I then spent 10 minutes trying to fix the bike. The armrest wasn’t totally broken in half so by rebolting it the opposite way to normal it was hanging in there. AND with the armrest back It seemed I had gears again too. YEEHAA. I kept saying-“Come on baby JUST another 85 km-Just another 80km” as the miles rolled on. I managed to rip past people who had passed me earlier with ease. The armrest hung in until about 5-10km before the final 45k turnaround-when it let go in fairly spectacular fashion . taking the gears with it.The rest of the ride was just hard work. Ride done in a really slow 6.52
T2 was pretty fast-In, shoes on /running belt/hat on and go-- T2 total was 3.23
I Started running and within the first km my belly was churning The marathon runners phrase”never trust a fart”(or in this case a burp) was running around in my head. 7km into the run and belly said “enough is enough”. Needless to say the oranges at the next aid station tasted really good.
Then something totally new for me.As I was trying to run I got really strong leg cramps. Walking it out was manageable .Marching like alittle tin soldier was possible. If I did some running my legs just gave way after a few meters. Apparently mere mortals pushing big gears for 180k’s does that to your legs. I tried to run past all the tri club tents and my coach. But I figured falling down in front of them was a bad thing so just kept on marching.
I made it to the red carpet and the roar from Mike Reiley –YOU ARE AN IRONMAN after 5.47.05 and a total time of 14.01.10.
I decided to get full value for my entry fee by falling over after crossing the line. It turns out I had lost just short of 4 kg somewhere out there on the course. so I got to spend a bit of time laying down in the medical tent.
I learned so much about myself on Saturday.Ive come to realise I do the tough guy bit but my family is everything to me. I’ve always wondered what I would do if I had a really tough day “in the office” . Turns out I’m pretty stubborn and just refuse to stop-Who’da thunk ?
My personal quote of the day. "If I can't run, I'll walk, If I can't walk I'll crawl but I ain't stopping for nobody or nothing”.
I can tell anyone that’s waded through this race report --There is no way I could possibly have finished without the help, support , guidance and encouragement from a massive group of the most amazing and fantastic people I’ve been privileged to meet.
Super Coach Andrew Mackay from Boost Coaching has put up with my inconsistant training this year and built almost an athlete. Put simply—You want to do well at Ironman you NEED Andrew. I can’t sing his praises too much.
ALL of the truely fantastic athletes and supporters in the Boost Coaching family (Boosties) . Waitakere and Black Sands tri club who encouraged or pushed me along the way including on the day.
Most Importantly -The amazing support of my family, friends and fellow athletes has made it all possible.
I can’t thank you folks too much.
To answer the question “ Will you do it again???”-Heck yea-- -
Edit 13/3/19
Ive already entered IMNZ 2020 AND Cairs ironman 2019 in June. Strongman Japan looks like a maybe for 2020 but 15000 try to enter and only 3000 are allowed to.
Ohh and what happened to my gears?? hidden behind my "new to me" front drink tank is a connector box where all the wires for my Di2 gears plug in. One plug was pushed so it unplugged--(the one for the right side brake lever gear button)
Final edit-why the belly issues?-a bit of idiocy on my part. I was stuffing well over 100 calories down per hour and didn't hydrate properly--eeejut.

[FROSTY:Me]

Loving trolling through this old stuff. 10 ironman races 20 ish halfs and a bunch of stand alone races done n dusted. -Heck even got on the podium a couple of times.