Ironman Mallorca 70.3 – Race Report

Ironman Mallorca 70.3 – Race Report

Another race report from the archives to help us start thinking about the race season ahead and learn lessons from other athletes’ experiences.

Pre-Race Build Up

This was to be my first race of the year as a calf injury had ruled me out of three running races so far this year.  After months of constant training, and running back on track, I was excited to race at last.

It was also Lynn’s big race!  I had taken the unusual (and bizarre) step of entering her for the race – without her knowing – back in October, despite her previous triathlon experience being a single sprint distance race!

I think she was less than impressed with this gesture!

Much of my race build up, including training in the weeks leading up to the race, was focussed on Lynn’s preparation.

The race was also a big one for the club – with between 20 and 30 athletes (that I know about) racing this.  A sizeable group of us were spending the week in Alcudia, arriving on the Wednesday before the race and leaving the Wednesday after.

Also, this was to be the first time my Mum & Dad had been to watch me race a triathlon.  A few days before we flew out, they asked if they could come and watch.  Of course they could!

Race Goals

I didn’t really have specific goals entering the race.  I have never competed in an Ironman 70.3 race before (I have done Bala Middle Distance four times but the distances in this race are slightly different – 2k/80k/20k) so I had nothing to compare myself against.  

Having said that, I had thought I was capable of going under 5 hours, based on rough splits of 25 minute swim, 2:45 bike and 1:40 run. 

I suppose my over-riding goal was to run well after the bike, wishfully hoping for a 1:35 half.  However, I didn’t know how my run injury would hold up, or whether I had done enough run training prior to the event to hold a strong pace throughout.

Race Day!

We were up at 5.30am to get ready for a 6pm breakfast and although the hotel put a breakfast on (which actually just consisted of pasta!) Lynn had supplied everybody in our party with a pot of M&S porridge. That’s a lot of porridge to carry in a suitcase!

How about that for preparation!

After breakfast we made our way up to transition and sorted our bikes out.  My bike was conveniently on the very end of the 500 metre row of bikes, right next to the mount line. That should be easy to find in the race!

I was relaxed about the race ahead, having gone through this build up in many other races so I made sure I helped Lynn (and a couple of others) with their tyres so they had less to worry about.

After sorting out my bike and my transition area, I met up with Lynn prior to her race start and she looked relaxed and ready to rock!  To be fair, all of the MerseyTri ladies looked ready to go out there, enjoy the race and do themselves proud!

This race was slightly different to others I’ve done in that it was wave starts.  Pros were off at 8am, Lynn and the other ladies at 8.10, the 18-29’s at 8.20, 30-34’s at 8.30, my age (35-39) at 8.40, 50+ at 8.50am, the 40-49’s at 9am and then the relays at 9.10am.

Relax, Take Your Time …

I like to have a laid back approach to the start of races. This time was no different.  I took my time getting my wetsuit on, chatting to my mum & dad, watching the other waves start before thinking about moving into position for my race.

I eventually walked into my pen a few minutes prior to start (rather than the 20 minutes that the organisers encouraged), meaning I was about 6 rows back from the front.  Ideally, I wanted to be near the front to chase some fast feet, but I decided not to push my way to front – that would be rude! 

How hard could it be to swim past / through these other guys?!

Let’s Do This!

We had a 30 second warning before the start. Goggles on, “good luck’ to friend Jamie, and then the blaring hooter. I followed the crowd, running, flicking my feet to the side to enable me to run as far as possible through the water before eventually diving in. 

I deliberately swam the first 10 metres water polo style, keeping my head up to spot gaps in the field and then head towards them.  Luckily, a slight gap opened up between the two guys in front so I wasted no time in going straight through it, knocking them slightly on my way through.  Then another gap, this time three guys to my left.  I swam diagonally, straight over three guys legs. Sorry! 

I was looking up every two or three strokes to spot the opportunities and see how the front of the field was developing. 

Unexpectedly, after about 50m or so, I was in some pretty open water.  I could see 6-8 swimmers in front of me, off to the right, who seemed to be swimming at a good speed.  I changed course slightly and headed straight for them.  Another 50m and I was in third spot in my wave!  I was working pretty hard but still in control of my swim.  I decided that I would stay behind these guys, focus on finding a nice rhythm and staying controlled. 

As I neared the first yellow buoy (about 900m out?), I moved into second position and started daydreaming, thinking about how great it would be if I could get out of the water first.  Putting those non-helpful thoughts away, I re-focused on the moment.

Shortly after we made the turn past the buoy, we started to encounter swimmers from the earlier waves.  Initially, these swimmers were 1’s and 2’s – and swimming on the left and well out of the way of my path – then after making the turn past the second buoy and headed for home (800m to go?) they increased in frequency and were directly between me and the swim exit.  

As we were weaving between the earlier waves of swimmers, I started losing the feet of the guy in front. Sighting more frequently to avoid crashing into these swimmers was now a feature of my swim. The volume of swimmers in front continued to increase as we neared the exit and I think I actually swam over one of our clubmates, Natalie (I apologised after the race!!).

28 Minutes … Meh!

I made it out of the swim in 28 minutes 43 seconds, fifth in my age group.  Reflecting back, I’m assuming this swim was a little long.  Fifth out of the water, in the competitive 35-39 age group, in a race of this size, would not be possible with a 1.30/100m average.

Anyway …

Coming out of the water, the crowds alongside were big and loud!  I heard a lot of shouts for me – but didn’t have time to turn and check who was cheering – and it was fantastic!  I made the run into transition and sat on a bench next to two clubmates – Connie & Hannah.  Both seemed to be happy with their race so far and ready for the next leg. 

Wetsuit off, socks on, shoes on, race belt on, grabbed Garmin and switched it on, grabbed helmet and ran off to get my bike, putting my helmet on as I went.  Let me tell you now, running 500m to get my bike at the end of the massive transition area – in cycling shoes – is not easy!

The Bike 

Through transition, on my bike and I was away.  The first couple of hundred metres were spent dodging people who were fastening their cycling shoes whilst simultaneously weaving slowly across the road.  

I passed Lynn on the bike after about 5k and she was in great spirits!  She looked like she was enjoying herself too. 

Bonus! 

I sped off past her, relieved and excited.  I was relieved that she wasn’t too tired after the swim, was out onto her bike and actually seemed to be enjoying herself – and excited that she was going to have a super day!  

Overtaking

The wave starts gave me an unusual perspective on the race.  With a mass start, I am usually out of the water near the front of the race and then am overtaken by the quicker cyclists throughout the bike leg. 

I very rarely overtake. 

However, in this race 800+ athletes must have started ahead of me, giving me plenty of opportunities to practice overtaking!  There was a long train of riders ahead, stretching into the distance. I moved out to the left, and began moving past rider after rider.  I was pedalling ‘easy’ too, knowing a full day of racing lay ahead, but was still cruising at 36-38kph with a heart rate of less than 160bpm.  I was very conscious not to draft in this never ending, snaking peloton of riders.

In no time at all we had reached the first aid station at about 15k.  I threw away my water bottle and replaced it, grabbing the fresh bottle at a decent speed without any problems.  Phew! Shortly after the aid station is where the road started to rise slightly (1-2%) and already, the heat on the road was starting to make itself known.  No breeze, no shade, just full sunshine (26c at this point according to the Garmin afterwards).  

The Climb

The road then kicked up, hitting between 6-8%.  This was the climb we’d been waiting for.

The road surface was fantastic, making the climbing feel pretty comfortable.  The road was packed full of triathletes meandering up the hill and I continued passing lots of them as I went up.  My plan was to keep it steady on the hill, not wanting to ruin my legs for the rest of the race (although at one point during the climb I debated giving it a little extra effort in the knowledge that we had a big downhill to come!)  

After about 2k of the climb, I opted for sensible, and stuck the bike into the lowest gear and span my legs.  Despite this being a 34 x 28 gear, I was still making great progress with very few people keeping up or going past me.  My heart rate stayed at about 160bpm throughout the climb, which meant I was riding well within myself.  

The climb did go on and on – I think about 12k in all – and it was a great feeling to hit the top of the climb, knowing the rest of the race was either flat or downhill. 

I had heard that the descent was pretty technical with lots of switchbacks, tight corners and no real chance to let go of the brakes and build up speed.  However, I wasn’t prepared for exactly how technical it would be.  I can’t really descend very well on a ‘normal’ descent so this was in another league! 

So many good cyclists flew past me on this part of the course, with one German guy in particular getting very irate at my unpredictable cornering in one section!

For the next 9k I hardly pedalled, with my heart rate dropping to as low as 117.  I reckon I must have lost up to 5 minutes on some of the better cyclists during this section, as no sooner had they overtaken me than they were gone out of sight.  I was actually relieved to get to the end of the descent and take my hands off the brakes!

The Second Half

45k in 1 hr 35.  I was going to have to really pedal if I was to hit my pre-race goal of 2:45 for the bike.  1 hr 10 minutes for the second 45k of a Half Ironman bike leg.  Was this possible?  Only one way to find out!

I allowed my heart rate to climb a little during this section, overtaking some of the faster looking riders, in my quest to get back to transition as fast as possible!  During the out and back section of the course, I spotted my first MerseyTri rider ahead of me … and he was wearing yellow shoes. 

There is only one rider who wears yellow shoes. 

Robbie Collins!  Well hello!  Robbie looked cheery (doesn’t he always?) and seemed to be riding well.  He informed me that of the MerseyTri contingent only Tim was ahead of me.  As reliable as Robbie is, I couldn’t quite believe this as I hadn’t seen Daniel or Gregg – two riders I expected to have to chase down during the latter part of the race as they are both decent swimmers and strong bike riders.  I had my eyes peeled during this section – looking over the road to see the riders ahead of me coming towards me.  I hoped to spot Daniel, Gregg or Tim to gauge their lead over me but didn’t see any of them.  Doh!  They must be further ahead of me than I thought. 

Once I’d made the turnaround, I realised I had been cycling slightly uphill and into the wind.  Now, with the wind behind me and a slight downhill, this was a great bit of road to open up and hit some speed. 

Let’s go! 

Speeds were hitting 45-48kph here and I was making a lot of ground on people ahead of me … until we turned off the road and immediately hit a sharp incline, slowing everything down!  Up and over this short climb and it was back through the gears.  Although I maintained a decent speed for the remainder of the race, staying at about 38kph on the flat, slowing only on the inclines, I dialled down the intensity preparing myself for the run.

I didn’t quite make the 2:45 – my bike split was 2:50:41 (31.7kph) with an average HR of 156.  The last 45k were covered in an average of 36kph.

Transition

The nearer we got to transition, the larger the crowds and the noises were amplified.  Once again, people were shouting my name but I couldn’t make out who they were.  Thank you if it was you!  Racking my bike in transition, I took off my shoes and ran / hobbled towards my run bag and the transition tent.  I stopped at the toilet en route and heard music coming over the tannoy.  The song was St Elmo’s Fire.

“Just once in his life a man has his time, and my time is now and I’m comin’ alive”. 

Inspired, I ran through transition, splashing a bit of suncream on as I went out on the run, motivated to blast through the rest of the race.

The Run 

It was hot when we hit the run. 

32 degrees hot! 

It was tough and my legs were heavy.  I managed to run at about 4:25k pace between aid stations, then walk through the aid stations to make sure I took on enough water, coke and energy drink.  For the first 10k this strategy averaged about 4:40min/k pace and I was starting to feel good.  My HR was peaking at 173, which was sustainable with the aid station breaks.  

I had overtaken Tim on the first lap, who was really struggling with stomach issues, and Gregg, who was running well.  I still couldn’t see Daniel though.  Although an ambitious plan, given he is a much better standalone runner than I am, I was hoping I could pick up my pace a little and try and run him down!  I finally spotted him at about 11k, 20m in front of me.  My plan was simple – catch him, take a moment, and then blast past him.

Once again, the support on the run was great.  Lots of people shouting ‘Go Mersey’ or ‘looking good Bryan’.  Through the sweat-streaked Oakleys, I spotted a few club members out there supporting.  Ray Handley spotted me, Andy Roberts was there, Eureka cafe owner was shouting, Alvin & his boys were in good voice, Amy Martin was there, other athletes’ wives were on the course.  Fantastic!  I kept my eyes open to spot my Mum & Dad on the course, but didn’t see them.   

The run course was well designed, enabling athletes to see each other frequently. Spotting other athletes gave me a boost and kept me running (relatively) strong, for fear of being caught.  Dani Trinca was running well behind me (catching me with each stride!), Nick Rose was also looking good.  If I wanted to stay ahead of these two on the course, then I would need to stay in control and continue to move well.

I overtook Daniel.  Once I’d gone past him I didn’t think I would see him again.  However, after the first aid station when I walked through, Daniel picked up his nutrition whilst running through, overtook me and put some distance between us.  Doh!

I managed to put a little more distance between us by the next aid station, meaning he barely overtook me by the time I started running again, after my on-the-go buffet.  However, about 15k into the run and cramp struck.  Hamstring. Argh!

I stopped by the side of the road, to massage and then stretch, gradually bringing my muscles back to life. This painful process cost me two minutes of time, and Daniel was once again in the distance.  Once mobile, I adjusted my run stride, keeping it extra short – so I could actually keep moving without further seizing – now running at about 5min/k pace. 

Adjusting my pace brought my heart rate right down, from an ‘on the edge’ 173 bpm to a ‘cruisey’ 162, an indication of how much easier I was now running.  Cramp seemed to be a painful, distant memory as I started passing people again. 

Once again, I saw Daniel in the distance and I was gaining. 

I moved past the transition area for the last time and I spotted one of our supporters, Amy.  Amy gave me the great news that Lynn was home after the bike and was now out on the run.  This was the best news I had received all day!  She was going to make it.

I caught Daniel just outside transition and suggested that, with 1k to go, we run in together.  Daniel was having none of it, as he wished me well and dropped back. Going up and over such a steep bridge near transition was hard work, particularly with legs that wanted to cramp at the slightest excuse.  Once on the downhill section of the long bridge, I started to enjoy the finish, high fiving anybody who would stick their hand out and doing ‘aeroplanes’ down the finish chute!

I covered the 21.1k run in 1:43:17 (4:53min/k), with an average HR of 167, giving me a final time of 5:12:22

---

Lynn

Lynn’s finish was one of the most amazing things I have seen in a long time.  Firstly, the fact that Lynn finished an Ironman 70.3 is just awesome.  I have to say it again.  Lynn finished a Half Ironman!  

The support that our clubmates gave her towards the finish was nothing short of astounding.  Crowds were thin, and the noise had petered out during the afternoon.  However, with 300m to go, an almighty roar, a wall of noise, sounded out.  All of the guys who had finished the race – in their green finishers t-shirts – were waiting for her at the 100m to go point.  They all stood up, clapping, shouting, yelling. 

Tears were flowing from some of these athletes-turned-spectators. 

The admiration, love and respect they all had for her to put herself through this race – and finish – was clear for all to see.  Amazing, simply amazing.

---

Post Race Reflections

I was pleased to have a strong race throughout.  The swim was solid (5th out of the water), the bike was controlled but fast by my standards – given the length of the climb in the middle – and the run was generally well executed (other than a touch of cramp).  

I was disappointed to cramp on the run, but I suppose this only cost me 2-3 minutes overall.  Better fuelling in the heat to resolve this in the future?

This race also reinforced something that I already knew – I need to learn how to descend properly, particularly on a TT bike.  I must have lost minutes on that descent – and had a scary time in the process!

This is a race that I would definitely like to do again.  Not only was it a well organised, fun race it was also a week spent in the sun with my triathlon buddies.  What could be better than that?!

And as for Lynn … she has officially retired from triathlon!