Bonnie's Race Report

Here's my little ditty about my IMNZ experience:

My bike got left behind in the UK when I flew out (another drama) but thankfully arrived a few days later. I travelled to Taupo - the central area of the North Island where the IM is held and thought I had sorted some accommodation out... only to arrive and be told they serve breakfast at 7am... an hour after the start of the race! Another triathlete then took me in as a refugee to a house he had rented along with some friends, in order that I get my 4.45am Ironman nuts, raisins and banana porridge breakfast!

After the accommodation was sorted I pretty much chilled out and carbo-loaded until Friday night. Race morning saw us head to the start line and a very calm lake. We were greeted by Maori in their Waka's (traditional canoes) who then performed a welcome ceremony for overseas visitors - if that didn't fire you up then nothing will!

The lake is like nothing I have ever swam in before, I couldn't believe how crystal clear the water was - I was playing 'spot the golf balls' at one point along the swim. The lake was cooler than the sea around St Heliers that I had had a couple of warm up paddles in, but comfortable nonetheless. I took the swim nice and easy with the 'conserve energy' mantra and finished in a pleasing 1hr 8mins. The 400m run to transition (v. long in a wet suit) was compensated by all the spectators cheering along the way.

The weather was kind to us but the morning was still a wee bit chilly, so arm warmers were the order of the day. The bike course was more or less flat with a couple of undulations thrown in and again, lots of spectators at key points cheering you along. The course was a two lap affair with the turn around point in Reporoa. Luckily I had no major dramas or malfunctions on the bike but I did see plenty of unlucky people fixing punctures at the side of the road. The bike course negotiated I got off my bike in transition and wobbled in a very wonky line into the tent... "Ooh", I thought to myself "my legs aren't working very well!" So, I decided on a five minute sit down in transition before getting changed into my run gear - that seemed to work well enough.

Run shoes on and with two down and one to go nothing was going to stop me... except maybe the heat. The run course was also a two laps mainly along the waterfront with a couple of dogs legs sections into local housing areas. I broke the run up into four sections in my head and mentally started counting down. The heat on the first lap was a little claustrophobic but I walked through every aid station throwing at least two cups of water on my head each time - half way round the first lap our own support crew of house mates had set up camp armed with pompoms, banners and lots of 'cheer leading chanting' - without doubt it gave me a huge boost every time I ran / hobbled past.

By the second lap it had seemed to have cooled down a little bit and at 30kms in I was expecting to hit the wall and suffer from lower back pain as I did in IM UK last August, but it never happened - hoorah! all my 'technique, technique, technique' training drilled into me by my coach, Chris Clarke had payed off.

I crossed the line in 12hrs 45mins and achieved three things I had set out to do: