Ironman Lanzarote 2006 - Ben reports........

Well, I arrived in Lanzarote on Thursday 4th May and as usual it was windy and hot and was picked up from the airport by Ain-Alar Juhanson and we went over to Club La Santa where we would be staying for the next week and a half. Got up next day and just done some light training on my own to try and loosen off after travelling and before the Volcano next day. However I remembered there is not such a thing as an easy ride in Lanzarote the winds were so high I was having trouble staying on the bike but just kept telling myself to stay relaxed and not to fight it. Well up early next morning for breakfast and get things ready for the Volcano Triathlon which is based at La Santa so only had to get me and my gear to the running track where transition and the Finish is set up. Got myself to the start line in the Laguna where as you guessed it was windy and there was quite a chop on the water despite this I still had a good swim and got out on the bike where I started to catch people very fast. The bike was tough high winds bright sunshine but I held my own with the same if not better time than pros. The run was not easy more a less flat but with the weather conditions a tough one. I managed to gain 1 place on the run and Finished with a 2.15 which I was happy with only being there a day before. The winner was Ain-Alar who as usual blew everyone away on the bike being 5 mins faster then anyone else.

 

The next two weeks were just spent tapering and going over the course for the Ironman to get it all clear in my head for race day. One of the best things about staying with Ain is that when you go out training you are always in good company but also scary all waiting to go out on the bike and sitting there is Ain, Cyrille Neveu (world champ 2002), Christophe Mauch, Thomas Hellriegel, Julie Dibbens and other world class and Olympic stars. I found myself thinking what the hell am I doing here! But I held my own and even took long turns on the front.

 

One thing you learn is that the winds can hurt you so much so it’s good to ride as a group as it helps each other out and makes it a lot more fun to. We moved over to La Floresta in Puerto Del Carmen Monday before the Ironman as that is where it is based and also La Santa just gets to manic to be able to chill out. This is by far the hottest side of the island never seems to get ant cloud like the other side being 35C in the sun. 2 days before the race I went out on my last bike to check it was running ok with all my race gear on but I was in for a real scare. I have never ridden in such high winds before I was going out for 2 hrs but came back after 1 as I could hardly stay on my bike coming back down a decent on the way back in I nearly got taken out be some tumble weed. Sounds harmless but it was bigger than me about 8 foot high, I just got back to the Hotel and went for a little run but even that hurt in places as the sand was blasting against my skin at this point I thought sod it just get in and chill out. Back in the Hotel I was chatting with Ain and he said it was too windy for him and that he had got blown off of the roan all 100 kilos of him. We wondered if the course might be shortened but the Spanish did not seem to bat an eye lid so we knew it would be full distance and a very hard day.

 

Race morning arrived, early breakfast and got down transition where I had racked everything the day before so just tried to chill out before the start. I was lined up on the beach then BANG off we went 1000 people sprinting for the water it’s a bit brutal at the start with a left turn 150 meters into the swim. I had a good swim even with quite a large swell in the sea, a PB for me 1.00.01 which I was happy with but at the same time 2 secs of getting under the hour. T1 takes some time here as you have to run up the beach find you bike bag along with 1000 other red ones and get changed which took me 5.04. Out on the bike it was one hell of a tough day hot, windy and with 2500 meters of climbing sometimes feeling like the bike is going to stop going up mountains into a 35mph head wind and then you got a big gust and it nearly stops you dead. But the bit I really enjoy is the descents coming down at over 100 kph this is not for the faint hearted with hair pin bends approaching there is no margin for error and I saw some people who were not looking good where they had fallen off. One big hero in the race was Marc Herremans a disabled athlete who had come back to the island which had crippled him some years earlier when he fell off on the descent from Haria and broke his back. He said it was a big moment for him to go past the point that had changed his life. But respect to him he finished it!

 

I got back into Carmen and completed the bike in 5.52.38 not what I had hoped for but I did not count on the weather to deal a cruel hand, into T2 and was through in 2.30 and onto the run. I felt good to start with and set off along the sea front along Carmen for the 4 lap run. It was just so hot but I had kept on top of my fluids and feeding well and felt as though I was in good shape. I could feel the effects of the 112 mile bike but just felt as if I was going to run the whole way but by 18 miles it started to really hurt Ain had just regained his title winning again but I just had to dig real deep and the last lap was so painful until the last 500m where you get that feeling you can only experience yourself as you run down the finish shoot and across the line. I had done the marathon in 3.41.12 another PB and an overall time off 10.41.24 a PB as well on possibly the hardest ever Ironman there has been. After I got straight in the medical tent and got a drip in my arm and a cheese roll which after 29 gels was the best cheese roll ever. So maybe next year I will go somewhere cool and flat or will I return? Watch this space!

Catch you all soon, Ben.