The Outlaw

[Lucyap]

Dominic Lowe and me became Outlaws on sunday, taking part in Nottingham's own Ironman distance triathlon.

Dominic - 12hrs 10
Lucy - 14hrs 12

The Outlaw was defiantly the best organised event I've ever done. The race brief on saturday was very thorough, and quite comedy in places. Bikes had to be racked on the saturday, and the transition bag system worked really well. The bike course was marshalled brilliantly, with so much thought and care taken into every junction. They even built a BMX style ramp over the pavement at one tricky junction. The run course had very well stocked feed stations and much needed toilets every 1.7miles!

My story (its long, but so is an Ironman!)

Jamie and I traveled up to Nottingham on saturday, and camped at the National Water Sports Centre where the race is based. Tent sorted, but air bed had a puncture - I hoped this wasn't the start of something! (I'd also say if you want an early night don't camp next to a bunch of Pirates! Of the internet Runners World forum type. This particular ship of fools were running one of the feed stations on the bike course).

6am for the swim start, not too stressful with everything racked and packed the night before. My swim went ok, and I felt good coming into transition - only to be pulled aside by the marshal and told to put my helmet on the right way round, doh!

Out on the bike and I was feeling great. My bike was well stocked with food, loads of gels, and I wore my 2 litre Camel Bak. So I sailed through the feed stations and was happy to pass lines of other competitors. The course was good, with loads of spectators, including a crazy man with a SLH cow bell! 50 miles in and I got a front flat, bugger! I'd never had to change a tub before, so it was rather a faff. Tried Pitstop, but the hole was too big. Fortunately I'd carried two tubs with me, as I couldn't get the first one on. Got the second on, but it was rather rough looking, and rotated with a load knocking noise. I'm sure this was the valve, but I found it rather unnerving. I had to stop again as the brake was rubbing on the wheel rim, front end of the bike felt wrong and I was convinced I was going to roll the tub off on every corner I took. That said, I don't regret the decision to use race wheels, at least I know what to do next time! But I lost lots of time, most of those I'd passed came back past me while I was stopped. I was also surprised to find I'd run out of juice in my Camel, although I was only 12 miles to go it was very hot and I'd just passed the last feed station. Thankfully I passed a guy with 2 full bottles and he was kind enough to pass one over.

Back into transition I set out on the run. What can I say? I always knew it was going to be hell, I don't see myself as much of a runner and mentally I don't think my brain was in gear. Realised I'd left my bike shorts on top of my tri suit half way round the first run lap, these had been a great comfort on the bike - but not the best thing to run in on a day that was getting hotter by the hour! Dumped them in transition as I passed by, also a quick glance into the medical tent saw a fellow competitor in recovery position on a drip. "I don't want to end up in there". There was no shade on the run, why had I never thought to run in a hat? Got a smearing of sun cream from a lovely lady as I passed transition again, and by now I was making full use of the feed station facilities. Couldn't get enough fluid in - High 5, water, flat Coke - give me the lot, and more to throw over my head (not the Coke!) Toilet stops became more frequent, and a problem! The heat inside a Portaloo in full sun is unbearable, and a few times I thought I was going to pass out. Jamie was doing a great job of cheering me on, it must have been very hard for him to see me in such a state. He walked with me for a bit and reassured me that even if I walked the rest of the route I would still be making ok time. I managed to get running again, counting to 3 helped, and running to a point in the distance. Dominic passed me on his final lap, and we walked for a bit having a chat, which really helped. The next lap round and Jamie speed walked with me, but I was determined to run at least part of the final lap . . .

And I made it, into the finish tunnel, found my legs again, lots of cheers . . . "You are an Outlaw" grabbed by Paramedic, lots of sobbing (never want to see that moment on film), sat on a box, given more water, Coke . . . and of course my medal. And I'm glad to say I then passed through the medical tent without stopping to collect my drip!

Once again the organisation was great, my bags were all ready for me to collect, retrieved my bike and found the front once again was flat - so glad it had got me round! This sounds silly but I only started to appreciate just what I'd done when we stopped in a motorway service station on way home an hour later, and I saw a guy walking just like me - we gave each other a knowing smile

So would I do it again? At the time all my brain kept saying was "This is the most stupid thing you've ever done, what are you doing to your body?" I hadn't expected this, and had thought I'd be able to fight through the brain chatter. I would certainly know what I was getting myself into if I did it again, and would also know that I can and have done it before. Did I just say "If I did it again?" So I guess thats a maybe . . .

The Outlaw 2012 - 1st of July if anyone is interested!!!!!!

[carl f]

Well done lucy and Dominic massive respect to you both!,thats a very respectable time considering your tire problems and your 1st IM Lucy. How much run racing or training did you do compared to all the TT's you did in the build up to to the race Lucy?

[Marcus]

Congratulations to you both.
What where your splits?

[Andrew G]

Congratulations to both of you, a huge achievement and you must both be rightly very proud of yourselves. If it was the same up there as down here then the heat really picked up during the day with quite a strong sun and racing for that long would have been very hard in those conditions.

Really pleased for both of you to have all that hard training pay off . Congratulations.

[quote="Marcus"]What where your splits?

[Lucyap]

Thanks guys
[quote]How much run racing or training did you do compared to all the TT's you did in the build up to to the race Lucy?

[kieran]

well done, I can't imagine doing a full marathon on it's own, let alone after the swim and bike legs.

[Dominic]

Finally back home and walked straight into a suprise Outlaw barbecue to celebrate, nice

My report: To say I was nervous was an understatement. It had been the event I had been preparing for, for a year. Myself and my wife and children met up with by brother, who had kindly paid for the race, his partner, my mum and her husband and my dad in Nottingham the night before the race. It having taken a lot longer to get there than expected so the minute we arrived it was off to the main venue, the National Watersports Centre to register and rack the bikes and fill the transition bags. We also went to a race briefing with lots of very fit looking men and woman wearing various T-shirts telling us what difficult races they had done. Got bored after listen. Even the lake that we had to swim one length to the other looked too long!! Roll on race day.

Up at 4am having been awake since 3am and had breakfast and off to the centre again to put on my wetsuit and wait for the 6am start. Very nervous now, so nervous that I was saying I don’t want to do this, I can’t do this etc etc.

Swim
Out and back course one end of a lake to another 2.4 miles, simples. I was starting in the slowest area and thought I will start in the middle and draught of people’s feet, because I can’t be the slowest in the slowest start. I wasn’t, but I was bashed about a bit and this dented the confidence and I reverted to my breast-stroke/front crawl mixture to get me to just before halfway. The cut off for the swim was 2 hours and I had already talked myself in to not making it. I did think that if I didn’t make the cut-off at least I would have swum 2.4 miles which is something I had not done before. Then it just seemed to click and I managed to front-crawl my way to the finish, although my sighting could have been better as I was weaving quite a lot. Got to the end and wobbled my way out of the water towards the transition. My time, 1 hour 35 I almost cried I was so happy and relieved to have made it.

To transition and off with wetsuit, they had people to help you if required! As charming as the ladies were I declined the offer. Once off with the wetsuit I did use the portaloos and ended up standing in some liquid of unknown origin, nice. Into transition collect bag and put shoes, helmet and mitts on. Off to find bike.

Bike
Found my bike and off I went. The first lap was around the lake and I was feeling really good. Stomach felt bad at the start but seemed to ease up towards the end of the bike. aThe bike course was basically 21 miles out to a loop, 3 loops of 23 miles, and and back 21 miles again. The first 21 miles was very comfortable and made sure I ate and drank. Onto the first circuit onto the biggest hill of this ‘flat’ bike course. Not a big hill but enough to get the heart rate up to 160. You then had a nice long blast for about 10k gently down hill, through Southwell were most of the spectators were. Always a nice cheer there. The back end of the course was interesting, It was windy and very draggy, not hilly but not flat, coupled with the wind it was a real pain the rear. I just kept plugging away always seemed to be passing people, which isn’t a surprise the amount of people that I had in front of me. The first lap seemed to take for ages but the second and third to go by reasonable quickly. Passed Lucy on her very flash bike at the bottom the hill on the start of my second lap By the time I was on my way back to transition I was getting really bored of cycling and was grumpy. The last bit to take you back was on a country/private road that was badly surfaced and gritty. Very pleased to get off the bike. Finished the bike in 5 hours 47 minutes.

Run
Very simple plan for the run. 9 minute miles equals 3.56 marathon. Started off and was feeling great, had to slow myself down to run 8.30. Walking the aid stations and having water, coke or High 5 and bananas, which ever I fancied. The race pack said that the run was 3 laps of roughly 11 miles and two more of just over 8 miles. It transpired that it was 3 laps of just over 8 but because I hadn’t stayed and listened at the race briefing I did not know this. First lap and I was feeling good in fact I was running the same pace as the leader of the woman’s race who was however a lap in front of me. I just kept it steady until it all went wrong at 10 miles and started having stomach cramps. Had to walk and once that happened it as run walk all the way to the finish, which as a shame. Last time round the lake and down the shute sprinting past the other guy who had gone down the shute at the same time so that I could have my glory on my own. Arms in the air and big shout and I was an Outlaw. Run 4.34.

Total time 12.10.13

[Sylv]

Well done both
Too exhausted to say anymore!

[Ian A4size]

Brilliant write ups from both of you, I could really feel your pain.

I can only wonder at all the training and sacrifice that you both must have done over the last year- it must have been an emotional moment when you crossed the line.

Fantastic acheivement.(sp)

[Toks]

Dominic and Lucy, that made inspiriational reading. Well done both of you

[Dominic]

[quote="Ian A4size"]
I can only wonder at all the training and sacrifice that you both must have done over the last year

[Lucyap]

[quote]Have to say I am thinking about doing it next year

[Dominic]

I was talking to Chris Costiff the last time I saw her and she was talking about a her and NIgel entering and trying persuade Brian to enter aswell, so we could have quite a crew!!!

[quote="Dominic"][quote="Ian A4size"]
I can only wonder at all the training and sacrifice that you both must have done over the last year

[Dominic]

Anybody thinking of doing this next year the price will be rising from November 2011. Current entry price is £225!.

http://www.onestepbeyond.org.uk/news/ou ... -open-now/