Ironman Dean Edwards rank No1 in the UK

[Lee]

Dean from forum sponsors The Engraving Company, has been tirelessly working away morning, noon & night at becoming one of the worlds highest ranking Ironman triathletes & last weekend competed in the world championships in Kona Hawaii.

He trained for this whilst still engraving by day & had a cracking result which see's him as the UK;s highest ranking 25-29 age grouper, some 1200 points ahead of 2nd place.

 

His race in Kona was an amazing acheivement, I hope dean doesn't mind but I copied his blog of the race. its an inspiring read......

 

 

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 RACE REPORT

 

The swim here in Kona is tough. Some say it's long, but they say that about every Ironman I've done! It can get quite choppy, although today it didn't seem too bad. One thing you can guarantee though, is that it'll be a scrap from start to finish, fighting with the other athletes for space. Sometimes, I can get frustrated or lose concentration and naturally end up veering off slightly and doing a 2.4 mile solo effort, which is neither the fastest or economical way of completing it. I was determined to stay in the thick of things and swim on people's feet as much as I could.

The waiting around at the start is the worst part for me. Treading water for 10 minutes in the middle of the ocean, waiting for the cannon to go off. I'm not the most patient person in the world. Actually, I'm probably the least patient and that 10 minutes feels like 10 hours to me. The helicopters and drones buzzing overhead, the dramatic music and the hundreds of spectators, filling every possible vantage point back on land, making for an intense atmosphere. 2000 of us bobbing around in silence, all wondering what the day will have in store. Then, BOOM! The cannon has gone off and even though you're expecting it, it still makes you jump out of your skin. There seems to be a moments pause, although it is probably just a fraction of a second. Then it begins. Arms and legs flailing wildly. Everyone with the same intentions of trying to get away quickly and find a bit of space.

 

I worked as hard as I could but it can be frustrating at times as you are constantly colliding with other swimmers. Arms and legs everywhere. People trying to swim over each other. I got to the halfway mark without any major incidents. I started swimming around the turn buoy and it was mayhem. Everyone grouping together again, attempting to take the inside line. A guy in front of me decided to start doing breast stroke at this point and kicked me square in my quad, with his heel, giving me a dead leg. I felt the rage boil up inside of me and for a split second, wanted to retaliate, but I reasoned with myself that it wouldn't do my chances of a good swim any favours.

The second half of the swim seemed to go on and on forever, swimming against the current. My arms were starting to get quite tired, but I dug in and seemed to be passing quite a few people. I started to wonder when it was going to end. Am I having a terrible swim?!

Finally, it was time to get out of the water and into T1. My legs felt good and I had no dramas finding my T1 bag. Transition was manic. Bodies and bags everywhere. I found a little space and emptied my gear on the floor. Sun cream, sunglasses and race top. Sun cream applied in a comically fast fashion, glasses on and I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there, pulling on my race top whilst running to my bike.

I was relieved to see that there were still loads of other bikes still in transition, which meant that the swim couldn't have been too bad. Out of transition and onto the bike. I was trying hard to concentrate and anticipate the movements of other riders on the sketchy early stages of the bike course. Sometimes, people are a bit dizzy and disorientated after the swim and I didn't want my day to end early. I wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks on the first 10 miles until I got onto the Queen K. I had done a few training rides up and down the Queen K Highway and had been going pretty well. It is, in theory a course that should suit me, as I am a taller, heavier cyclist with decent power and there aren't any really steep climbs on the course. I'd rode 145k on it, on Monday and had averaged 35kph without too much trouble, so I hoped I could do a bit of damage here on race day.

 

I used those first 10 miles to find my biking legs, take on some fluids, before starting my nutrition plan at 25 minutes .I kept on top of my nutrition, which was based on one High 5, electrolyte tablet every hour. I picked up one bottle of water and one isotonic drink at each aid station, every 7 miles. I alternated Clif Bars, Mars Bars and Powerbar Gels every 25 minutes for the first half of the ride, before sticking to just gels for the remainder of the ride and weening myself off the solids.

 

Once out onto the Queen K, I was passing one after another. There was a definite cross-tailwind benefit and I was flying, averaging 24-25mph. I had to question whether I was riding too hard because I was going past hundreds of riders. Literally. I decided that based on my heart rate sitting below 150bpm and my legs feeling great, that I would carry on at this pace. Sometimes you have to take a risk anyway. No guts, no glory! I told myself.

 

I've always had a low cadence on the bike and prefer to push bigger gears in training and racing. However, prior to last years race I had read Chris McCormack's book where he advocates pushing 90rpm on the bike, which is what I went for on the day. In hindsight, that was a mistake and you should always go with what feels good to you personally on race day. In this years race I ended up averaging 74bpm, which is pretty low, but I felt good and it suits me. If you're used to working like this in training, then you can tolerate it in a race situation.

 

It was getting really hot. Pouring water over my body and head through my helmet, felt heavenly and was making it easier to keep my temperature down. I started passing even more people on the climb to the turnaround point in Hawi which made me feel good. There was a strong headwind at this point, but I tucked into the aero position as tightly as I could and ignored it. I knew I would run out of gears after the turnaround and descent, which was frustrating. Maybe I should have put a 54 chain ring on. I did run out of gears and felt irritated that a couple of people went past me and I wasn't able to respond. However, I told myself I'd benefit from the momentary respite knew that there'd be a big headwind for the last 20-30 miles that I could work really hard on.

 

You go through so many highs and lows during the Ironman that it's ridiculous. During the lows, I worried that I'd worked too hard and f****d it up and I'd walk the marathon! On the highs, it felt truly incredible to be passing so many good athletes in one of the toughest races of them all. Surreal, if I'm being honest! Everyone goes through those ups and downs, no matter how fast or slow and all you can do is listen to your body, make smart pacing and nutrition changes when needed and keep going no matter what.

 

The fierce headwinds that I'd anticipated arrived for the final stages of the bike. The rate at which I was passing people had slowed, but I was now up there with the better cyclists in the field and still overtaking, albeit, slightly less frequently. My average speed started to drop but I was still averaging over 37kph which I calculated would be roughly a 4:50 bike split. I ended up riding a 4:53 split and made up 609 places.

 

I came into transition and I honestly didn't know how my legs would feel when they hit the ground, but they didn't feel too bad when a volunteer took my bike away and allowed me to run into the T2 tent. I put my fuel belt on that contained two bottles on the front. These contained 5 powerbar gels and 2 High 5 Electrolyte tablets mixed with water, in each. I would drink the equivalent of one gel every 20 minutes. Trainers on. Garmin on and now just the small matter of a marathon in over 40 degree heat and stifling humidity!

 

I allowed my legs to settle into their natural run speed for a couple of hundred meters and checked my heart rate and pace. My pace was 4:15min/km. Slow down you idiot. I felt good, but I wasn't deluded enough to think I could hold sub 3 hour marathon pace. I knocked it down a bit and settled into a more sustainable pace. I had calculated that sub 10 hours was definitely mine to throw away, 9:45 was a real possibility and sub 9:40 could be done if I had an absolute blinder. I wanted the best time possible after doing so well on the bike but knew I had to pace it! Sub 10 would be a PB, but I wanted to PB by as much as physically possible. I knew how hard the latter stages of the run were going to be as it got hotter and hotter, but I made a pact with myself that I would put myself through living hell on the last 10k of the run. I thought of my family tracking back at home. There's no god damn way I'm going to let that tracker show me faultering.

I stuck to my nutrition plan for the first two hours, taking just gels, coke and water. I was soaking myself with water and throwing ice in my hat, down the front of my top, down the back, down my shorts and in my hands. The aid stations are as regular as every 1 mile and you make the most of every single one of them or it'll come back and bite you on the arse.

I managed to get to the top of Palani Hill at 10 miles, still feeling 'half decent' and averaging 4:54min/km. Back out down the Queen K and it just felt NEVER ENDING. It''s barren, lonely and searingly hot. I could feel the soles of my feet burning through my trainers. I kept plugging away at target pace. It started to get really, really tough for me at 25k and I knew I still had the Energy Lab to go through, which is considered the toughest part of the run. My pace was dropping slightly but I was holding my own, passing people who could no longer go on, but being passed myself by stronger runners. Just keep going no matter what. Don't let it slip you bastard.

 

I managed to run up out of the energy lab and was on 32k. 10k to go and I knew it'd be the longest 10k's of my life. My body was on the edge and I felt like I was hanging on by a thread, only just making it to each aid station to try and cool down again and take on more fuel. I got to 35k and I could tell every fibre in my body wanted to cramp. I could feel it in my arms and in my legs. I was nearly at the next aid station when a woman from a promotional 'salt tent' offered me some salt tablets. I'd tried salt tablets in training at the heat chamber and they made me feel ill, so I refused. I thought of what I could get from the next aid station to see me through the last 7k and knew that Pretzels would be 'just what the doctor ordered'. I ate a few and instantly felt a bit better.

My 1 kilometer splits were flashing up on my Garmin and they had slowed down quite a bit, but I knew if I kept going, I would still be there or there abouts, for a 3:30 marathon.

 

I got to almost 38k and I started to suffer real bad discomfort in my guts. Oh FFS not now?! I knew I needed a toilet and I needed one right now. Luckily, I was close to an aid station and asked the volunteer where the portaloos were. She pointed to the end of the station where there was just one portaloo that was in use, with another athlete squatting at the side of it doing a number 1. There were two police cars nearby sat at a side street blocking the road from traffic. I could either wait for the portaloo for god knows how long or drop my tri shorts and 'do the business' and risk getting arrested for public indecency. I opted for the latter and carried on with just 4k to go. I didn't get arrested either!

 

I somehow made it back to the top of Palani Hill with just 2k to go. Most of which is downhill with good support. I managed to pick up the pace a bit again and made my way down towards the finish chute, with gritted teeth. I crossed the line in 9 hours and 45 minutes feeling totally elated and overwhelmed. I was guided away by a male and female volunteer and I spent about 10 minutes sobbing uncontrollably. Happy tears. They stayed with me and I think they thought I was a nutcase. It's been such a long year and I've truly given it my everything.

The icing on the cake for me this morning was when I found out that I've finished my season ranked Number 1 in the UK by Ironman for my age group out of 1000 athletes.

Thanks again to my sponsors, coach, family, friends and everyone that has wished me well during my training, qualification and race in Hawaii. I look forward some more exciting races next year!

 

 

Well done Dean.

 

Lee

[petercoulson]

Amazing and well done

[Craig Gardner]

Yip amazing well done

 

Craig

[Mick Friend]

I have no idea how you get the mind set to do all that work - very well done 

[hakeemz]

well done dean..inspirational stuff..nicely written blog too,,well explained,

totally agree with cadence.

i am always told in group rides to do do higher cadence on smaller gears but i feel comfortable doing bigger gears with slightly less cadence..

another point of contention is in or out of saddle going uphill? i tend to choose bigger gear and get out of saddle more, but then i am in my mid forties and other guys are mostly younger than me..

good luck and keep up..

[StevenB]

Astonishing.

 

Top effort.

 

Well done seems so inadequate...

[kobblers]

Nice one!!!!

 

Rick.

[keithm]

Well done Dean

[Broms Cobb]

wow - well done amazing thing you have done 

[Dean]

Thanks everyone. Just seen this!

 

Hakeemz - I prefer to stay seated as much as possible. I find that standing up a lot is less energy efficient and would tend to have a negative effect on your run afterwards, in a triathlon.

[hakeemz]

yep ..agreed and noted, i really need to stick to more efficient style rather than revert back to bad habits..

[hibsjo(SCO)]

brilliant read, massive well done mate

carry on!

[Baitthebear😎]

Wow!! Well done buddy 👍🏻👍🏻