firstoffthebike.com - Interviews

Tim Beardall on how to survive an Ironman

Arrived in china and the weather was quite cool and not to be expected, although we were told it would be warm for the race. I was sick two nights before race with vomiting and diarrhoea and therefore up all night and unable to take in fluids or food. The next day all I did was sleep.

Race morning felt a little groggy but jumped on the shuttle bus to transition. Weather forecasters predicting blustery conditions with a temperature of 35 degrees.

Swim.
4 loop swim in a reasonably clean wide river with a pro mass start and all the remaining competitors entering the water 5 at a time, every 5 seconds.
The swim flowed well but times were hard to judge as you could never get feet to sit on. The course was packed with quick and slower swimmers.

Got out of the water and was feeling sick and after vomiting in T1. I had no solid food in me.
Headed out on the bike with a strong head wind and feeling below the necessary touch. Vomiting all through the major part of the bike wasn’t pleasant but I had to just keep eating and drinking.

Bike.
The bike has long stretches of highway which were wind affected but that made it challenging. There is also a section of the course which you ride in a small village and the crowds calling out encouragement in Chinese pushing you on and making it a really interesting period. On the highway plastic tape used to close sections of the highway blew across my path and wrapped around my wheels and then entangled around my rear cogs limiting me to three gears.

That was the point I knew this would be a matter of just getting to the end. Limiting time loss and taking it one section of race at a time.

I reached transition with nothing in my stomach but was ready to run.

Run.
My stomach had a mind of its own and made it incredibly uncomfortable as I was physically reminded several times of this. I constantly searched aid stations for the porta toilet – not pleasant!
I realized to finish I would have to keep consuming calories and I did this having Powerbar gel and energy drink.

The run was fairly average for pace over the whole field but that was an indication of the weather, with no respite from the heat and wind.

One section of the run course meanders through old sections of the city and there is a real pulse going around. People yell, cars idle and buses stop for you as you cross roads and head into highly populated streets. The smell and air is not the easiest to run in with smoke and gas around but this is another test and definitely gives the run its own challenge.
I thought I had my position which was 1st in my age group in hand if I ran a consistent and strong but not quick run.

The finish was in old China city and to complete this race with what had been happening to me was a great sensation. I just held it together to win my age group.
My goal was to qualify for Kona and I did this. I was first in my age group and fourteenth overall. It was not a race to look at times and as the race continued I prioritized and set the main goal of to qualify for Kona. The deserving winner was Luke McKenzie. Chris Mc Cormack, as well as other international winners also were there.

The events which unfolded showed me another aspect of the race. I found it was important to keep going and regularly assess my progress and position in the race. It is great running fast and doing what is enjoyable but when things go wrong and the task is finished successfully it provides another perspective of how to see the race. The result while not quick ,feels definitely well earned and is something fought for which can only better me in all aspects of competing and adapting to whatever is dealt out in ironman competition

Tim Beardall.