Rookie goes for 5 in a row @ Ironman UK : Week 1 of 26
****I appreciate that many many people are having an incredibly tough time right now and make no mistake, it’s horrendous for everyone, myself included…….Those of us lucky enough to still actually have a job are desperately trying to cling on to it so we can pay the bills and keep the wolves from the door whilst at the same time trying to dodge the virus & look after our kids, who are not allowed to go to school anymore…..It’s an impossible situation….It goes without saying that thoughts and prayers go to everyone struck down with covid or suffering hardship as a result of it, and to those on the front line, we salute every single one of you…..But we all need a beacon of light at the end of the tunnel on which to hold on to and this is mine, so please read this article in the manner in which it was intended……Cheers!****
Areet?
Happy new year and all that!
Last weekend marked exactly 6 months until Ironman UK and yes, I’ll be hoping to make it 5 in a row at Bolton in 2021….(4 x ‘official’ + 1 ‘DIY’ covid effort last year)….
Oh ffs Rookie, Why man?? I hear you all cry….
4 reasons….
1) I’ve already paid £500 to enter and I want me money’s worth (everyone who entered last year got auto enrolled to 2021 and there’s no option to get our hard earned cash back)
2) Race day at Ironman UK is a magical experience, as anyone who has ever done it will tell you, this is largely due the wonderful supporters, of which there are broadly two groups..
a) Members of local tri clubs who turn out in fine numbers to support the event, each having their own ‘spot’ at various points around the circuit (usually outside boozers or on the feed stations) and the racket they make for you as you come trundling past will make your spine tingle for the rest of your days (they do it for everyone – not just their own)…
Why do they do this? ….
Most of these tri clubs are filled with legendary Ironmen who know exactly what you have gone through just to make the start line as they have been there themselves and they also know how much their support means to you on race day which is precisely why they do it
b) General members of the public who line the streets in their thousands to cheer you on and we must never forget that what you are doing (completing an Ironman) is ‘impossible’ as far as they are concerned – to them you are a super hero no matter how ‘shit’ you think your time is and they will treat you as such.
The expression on their faces when you look directly into their eyes and tell them that you are ‘loving it’ or finding it ‘easy’ will stay with you for a very long time my friend….
This iconic support on race day is like a drug and once you experience it you will find yourself wanting it again and again…..
Whilst such scenes may be a little difficult to imagine in the current climate, we have to believe that come July, we’ll all have had the jab and the virus will be over so it’ll be on with the show….(afterall without hope, what do we have?)
3) Every single person who lines up on the Ironman start line has a story to tell and I love sharing mine, the annual battle for survival against the cut offs – also, making it 5 in a row at Bolton has a certain romance to it, don’t you think? (and you never know, you might actually end up liking what I am saying here and go on to buy my book! eh? eh?)
4) Of course, it’s all about what happens on race day, but it’s also about something else……..
A wise man once said to me that ‘Ironman isn’t a race, it’s simply an amazing way to live your life on a daily basis whilst you train for it’….
At first, I was like ‘what the hell are you talking about man?’……
But I get it now….
It’s like being the very best version of you, every single day…..
Let me explain….
For the last 4 years, my life has gone like this…..
Jan – July : I enter IMUK & live like an ‘athlete’ (I use that term very loosely) – No drinking, no smoking, trying to eat right, watching the weight, training every day (you get the picture) and, without wanting to get too ‘deep’ here, I find that brilliant things start to happen, not just in training, but in all areas of your life, it’s like you are somehow operating on a ‘higher level’….
That said, once the event is out of the way, the devil starts to rattle the cage and I feel like I am missing out, so…
From Aug – Dec : I live like a pisshead, doing the exact opposite of ‘all of the above’ and having ‘fun’ but fairly quickly, the novelty starts to wear off….
Don’t get me wrong, being able to go down the dog and duck with your pals sinking pints whenever you like and eating ‘whatever you want, whenever you want’ is extremely liberating for a while, but there comes a point when you realise the only thing you have ‘missed out on’ is having a beer-gut and feeling like shit all the time…….
So you start to crave the ‘zing’…..
The ‘zing’ that you only experienced when training for Ironman…..
Anyone who has ever done one knows what I am talking about here….
Speaking of training, sure it’s not ideal at present, the gyms are closed, the pools are closed….
But you still have your bike…..
And you’ve still got your trainers….
What more do you need?
Besides, losing excess lard is probably the single biggest thing most age groupers would benefit from right now (in my case that’s about 4 stone) -and you don’t need a gym to sort that – you jut need to control what you are stuffing into your mouth on a daily basis yer fat bastard (i’m allowed to say that because I am one)….
Will the race go ahead?
Who knows…..
Who cares?
Like I said…..
It’s all about what happens when you train for it….
Right?
I’ll be posting a weekly update on here every Sunday if you fancy a weekend read and i’ll also be putting together Rookie’s ‘just get round’ guide to the new bike course at some point, so keep an eye out for that.
See you on the circuit!….
Like this article? so will your mates – feel free to share it and don’t forget to ‘add’ me on FB & twitter!!
Also, have you heard about this book? its nearly 500 pages crammed full of hints and tips detailing exactly how I was able to go from zero fitness to completing an Ironman triathlon and covers super sprint, sprint, olympic 70.3 & full iron distances all from a ‘first timer’ perspective – please take a moment to read the reviews on amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Ironmen-Iron-Rookie/dp/1974002322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540676777&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+rookie
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