14th place, 6 hrs 8 minutes.

Well, today was the 7th 70.3 (half iron distance) race I’ve started and finished. I am absolutely delighted in the face of adversity. I have been unwell most of the week and was several thousand calories short on the start line, still wasn’t eating but decided to put myself in the field of play. I didn’t in a million years expect to finish one discipline, let alone three, but as my bike was left overnight nearly two hours away we had to go and fetch it anyway and I thought I’d have a little go.

Once in my starting pen in the lake about 1000 people sang ‘happy birthday’ which was nice. It would have been far more embarrassing if a significant number of those people weren’t all looking the same in wet-suits and the same colored swim caps.

Started swim steady, knew I could have got right up there into the lead but didn’t as shaving a couple of minutes off the swim time would have significantly increased the chances of bike disaster and illness. I knew the bike would take 3000 calories and was where I needed to manage things the most. The whole day I stayed on energy drink, water and coke. I didn’t dare risk gels or solids and it worked a treat. I felt sure if I got the bike into T2 I would very likely get a medal as I would easily be able to make the finish cut off, even if I walked the whole half-marathon.

The run is the bit I am really chuffed with. Whilst a 2 hour 13.2 miles isn’t that fast for me, it was solid running, I gained a very large number of places, managed a prolonged sprint finish and I finally felt I could compete in that bit as well. A negative split proved that! I did have foot pain but I managed that and the calories well.

So whilst today was a second Steady Eddy in a row, there is much confidence gained. Getting up at 2.30 am on my birthday was well worth it. Kill or cure as they say! And you’ll be pleased to know I have just eaten 1/4 of a large family sized cake.

Next up: Full Iron distance at Outlaw Full in three weeks.