From Triathlotte to Ironlotte: Here we go again

Second Time lucky.

Saturday 9th May 2015 I find myself once again on the start line of Ironman Mallorca 70.3. With 400 other ladies - It's 8.04 in the morning and I've been up since 5am - The Countdown begins. The pink lipstick is on and I'm ready for battle against the sea, the tarmac and the baking hot sunshine.

The music booms from the speakers but I'm in deep concentration this year - I couldn't tell you what the track playing was this time. In 2014 I could remember every little minute detail of the race build up, the sounds, the smells and every part of the atmosphere. This time I am 'In the zone'…I've got a job to do.

After months of training and hard work it's time to prove to myself what I'm really made of. I'm leaner and meaner and I am going to push myself harder than before to achieve something I've got my heart set on - A better time. This race has a lot to do with 15in15, but I'd be lying if I said that this year was not also about my time and being a bit selfish. I didn't tell anyone what time I had in my mind, but just that I wanted to get a PB - It was time to put this to the test.

3-2-1 - BANG! Off we go - The army of pink hats create a huge whirlpool of white foam as we enter the water. Arms and legs flailing all around me, heads and arms banging together, dragging each other down until everyone finds their own spot in the clear blue expanse ahead. I decide to stick to the same plan as last year - relax and stay as close to the buoys as possible. The shortest possible route and last year it stood me in good stead - apart from a few others have decided to take the same route this time. One other lady in particular has not practiced her sighting and is keen to weave left - right - left -right - Highly irritating. Time to use the elbows and find a clear spot ahead - head down I give a burst of speed and find a more comfortable spot. Just need to get a rhythm now. For some reason I am feeling a little anxious - my suit feels like it is tightening on my neck a little…I have a word with myself and manage to relax a little - this is after all, the first part of a day-long journey to the finish line. I finish the swim and managed to stay relaxed until I reach the beach and the exit point which led to transition. No Adam this year shouting ' Lets F@*k this shit up' However he was there in my mind! With a smile on my face at that memory - I carried on my journey.

A 300m run saw me enter transition - grabbing my bike bag and taking a seat on the ground - stripping off my wetsuit to reveal my tri-suit and my team colours this year '15in15 - lets challenge cancer' The team colours of Tony Woodcock - My Dad - the reason I started my Ironman Journey almost 2 years ago. Focus now Lottie focus….

I took a look around and I seemed to be reasonably placed in the field at this point, so I knew the swim had gone ok…now it's head down to find my bike and head out for the 56miles against the wind, sun and the open road. I was looking forward to this part…my trusty steed and I and some phenomenal scenery to take in.

Over the mount line and off we go - Thoroughly pinked up and ready to put the hammer down. The first 10k took us out through the beautiful town of Puerto Pollensa…along the seafront looking onto the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea glinting in the sunshine - It was breathtaking and as always I thought of Dad. Lets get this show on the road…the hill beckons and then the steep descent afterwards. The hill (mountain) was a 2000ft monster - not steep but relentless…but what the hill didn't realise was that this year I had undertaken the Allendale challenge as part of my mental preparation. I had Journeyed across middle earth to mount doom and reached the finish - I laughed in the face of the hill…I didn't for one second think I wouldn't make it and I even overtook a few people on the way up! Quite a few also overtook me to be fair - but not for long…the descent was coming and then the long flat road which leads back to Alcudia (mwah ha ha).

It was a hot climb, but the descent afterwards more than made up for it. I used my tips from camp (Thanks Tom) on cornering and descending, and before I knew it I was overtaking people…women and men. I was still cautious though…nobody wants to put all that training in to then fall victim to one of the hairpin bends. I felt confident I'd shaved some time off by the time I reached the bottom, but my hands were still like claws from holding on the breaks round each bend…still they would get a rest soon…time to get into my comfort zone and down on my tri-bars.

I am often ridiculed by friends and family (thanks Dad) for the size of my bottom…It is only recently that I have come to realise that it is a weapon of mass destruction (steady) on a long flat road. Suzanne Davies (my lovely tri-noth team mate and roomy) pointed out that the ergonomics of a large bottom work well in conjunction with the use of tri-bars. Maximum power can be achieved because of the position using the bars creates. I have never understood this until now - Bring on the long flat roads of Barcelona! This is where the fun really started…There was a headwind for much of the way back and I think many people were starting to struggle. I got my head down and got myself into a nice light gear and a comfy position- Gluteus engaged. Slowly but surely the #chicking began…only the stealth bombers were passing me now. It was a GREAT feeling. Most of the women who passed me on the hill were now behind me and I was still feeling strong. I was careful not to overdo it, but at the same time I was here to do a job and the run was going to be hard no matter what happened now. As the race re-entered Alcudia, I did not take my foot off the gas until I passed the dismount line.

I took my time in transition to rack my bike, gather my thoughts and press the re-set button ready for the run. I asked someone what the time was and it was 12.30….about 4 1/2 hours…I knew I was faster than last year but not by a massive amount - despite the strong finish on the bike. The run was going to determine how successful this race was going to be for me. I knew I wasn't going to burn up the tarmac, but as long as I burned it a little bit more than last year - that should be enough…

I donned my pink Ironman visor to complement my 15in15 armour - now the real battle began. The heat of the day was already intense as I had expected. As I ran out of transition and onto the run it was time to make a pact with myself which I failed to keep last year. Barring any major disaster or injury, I WAS going to run all the way, but I would allow myself a walk through the aid stations to drink, cool off and re-set. That was it - deal made - only 13.1 miles to go before victory and another medal to add to the collection and hopefully some extra sponsorship for the 15in15 pot.

I hadn't seen any of my team mates thus far apart from a short encounter with Rich Jobson on the bike course - He was one of the stealth bombers going past me. I hadn't been long on the run when I saw Suzanne up ahead - she was flying…I couldn't help but scream out as always - she was having the race of her life and she'd trained hard. I would never catch her, but I had my own race to think about.

It was getting hotter and hotter…I doused myself in cold water at any given opportunity…using the aid stations to re-fuel using coke and water - it was a formula which had worked the previous year and it didn't let me down. What had let me down the previous year was my mental endurance, but this year I was stronger and I was determined that I would get a better result.

Along the way I saw many friendly faces - Marius, Rich, Suzanne, Rich and Leanne all passed by on the run - sometimes going in the opposite direction, but always we encouraged each other to keep going. We were all so close now…we'd survived the swim and the technical descent on the bike…this was the home straight to glory.

Our supporters - My Mum, Jane Jaffa Dungait, Shaun Branegan, Jackie Hudson and the lovely Sarah (Marius' partner) were AMAZING. I think being a supporter is often a harder job than doing the actual race. Worrying about everyone and waiting for them to return from the bike must be agonising…hours spent cheering, clapping and standing in the baking sun. Think the blow was softened slightly for Shaun by the consumption of 4 ice creams - well he is in training…isn't that right Ironman?! They were all fantastic and they kept me going along with all the other strangers who cheered out my name. If I had a pound for every time someone commented on my lipstick still being on that day - 15in15 would defo be at about 12k!!! Think I'll be approaching mac for sponsorship soon!

The second half of the run was HARD…it was getting really really hot and my mind was weakening, but I was not stopping…Between miles 7-10 was when I really struggled. I used all of the positive methods I had learned to keep to 'the plan' I had made for myself. Repeating my mantra helped a lot 'Courage to start, Strength to endure - RESOLVE to FINISH!!!! Keep going…pick a point on the horizon and get to that. I chipped off the final few miles by using all the positivity I had. By the last mile I was even overtaking people and encouraging the ones that were walking - What was going on?! I had made a plan and I hadn't given up! I was beaming along the last few hundred meters to the finish….I was sure I'd done a PB at this point … I ran along the blue tarmac path and onto the beach where the race leader announced "Charlotte, You are Ironman" - Boom! I was there. Medal round my neck, My mum was there to greet me just after the finish. I was so happy to see her. We thought I had done about 20mins faster than last year and I was overjoyed at this.

In the athletes village I met with Suzanne who had smashed her target to smithereens and come 20th in her age group in a huge field of athletes - In her first ever Ironman. Rich was already done, so all that was remained was to cheer in Marius. On the way out, I bumped into my friend Leanne who had done her first Ironman - we had a teary re-union as she completely overwhelmed me by saying thank you and that my blog had pushed her to enter the race. That really makes it all worthwhile - never thought I would inspire another person to complete an Ironman - seems crazy to me.

Marius ran over the line to thunderous cheers - We could now get ready to paint the town red after months of abstaining.

As the evening progressed I managed to grab a few mins to check my result. 7.05.32 - 34mins and 13 secs faster than the year before. I could not believe it! All the hard work had paid off. The best foundation possible for Barcelona - I was overjoyed! Think Irondad would have been happy with that.

Big Thanks to Chris Waugh, Andy Stevens and Paul Jones from F4l for coaching me to this PB. Head down now for 4 months. I WILL be a full IRONMAN come october. That medal has my name on it.

To be continued……

COURAGE TO START, STRENGTH TO ENDURE, RESOLVE TO FINISH > BRING IT!!!

Love Lottie xxx

Team Tri-North