Countdown to my self-supported IronMan
Doing a full IronMan distance on my own, self-supported was certainly not my plan A. I signed up for the IronMan race in Austria 10 months before race day. Here’s a timeline of what went down and how I ended up doing a self-supported IronMan instead.
September 2023: 10 months before the IronMan race in Austria: Registration for the race including accommodation and transport with Nirvana - the first issues begin because they didn’t send me correct booking information
February 2024: I contacted the organisations asking for more information because I haven’t received anything. They both assured me that it’ll be send out shortly.
May 2024: I contacted them again because I still haven’t received any information. None. They first blamed me, then ignored me and finally got back to me after a few weeks apologising because there was an error in their system. The issues just didn’t stop and I only received incorrect or no information from both organisations.
Thursday, 6th June (one week before race day): I received incorrect information again and was so fed up with it. Why did I save up and pay thousands of pounds for this lack of communication and organisation? I didn’t trust them anymore and didn't want to risk to fly to Austria and something else goes wrong. That’s when I decided to cancel the race and do it myself. I went to a 1.5 hours Hot Bikram Yoga class that day and I literally could feel how my mind, body and soul got connected again. I was one. I knew I’m ready for this challenge - no matter what: I will pull this of myself.
Friday, 7th June: I woke up and felt it: Sunday is the day. Sunday will be the day I’m becoming an IronWoman. I just felt it. So I made a plan in bed because there was a lot to figure out in the next 48 hours:
I called 7 bike shops because I needed a new chain and check on my bike (it was all arranged for the following week before the original race day). The 7th one had availability for me YES :) So I cycled over there and left my baby with them.
I then went shopping to get all the remaining nutrition in. When you race with an organisation, you get lots of hydration and nutrition provided. That isn’t the case when you do it self-supported.
Then it was time to figure out the swim, bike and run course. I used Strava for it.
I contacted my lovely swim coach and asked if she’d come down on a paddle board on Sunday at 5 AM. I felt a bit bad to ask her because it’s a lot to ask from someone but she was in it. She couldn’t get childcare but still helped me to find someone else and posted in some facebook groups.
Afterwards, I needed to find a solution for my transition area. So I tried to rent a beach hut - no luck. Then I went down to the beach looking for a parking lot. There is one but my van doesn’t fit in there. So I parked my van in front of my house and used it as my transition area. I prepared all the nutrition, hydration, cycling and running gear. I left my bike upstairs in the flat because I didn’t want to risk that it gets stolen.
Friday evening I enjoyed a Restorative Yoga class online.
Still no luck with a swim buddy.
Saturday, 8th June: I felt good even though I had one week of taper less than originally planned. I really rested and only went for a very gentle Aerial Yin Yoga & Nidra class. I prepared everything (see pictures below), wrote down my mantras and stayed focused.
In the afternoon I got a relieving message from my swim coach: She found someone! A woman who I’ve never met in my life before was willing to come down the next morning and be on a paddle board for security reasons while I was swimming from Boscombe to Bournemouth and back. I’m still speechless of her selfless kindness.
I picked up my bike from the bike shop: It looked like new :)
I messaged a handful of people who are close to me and who also were here that day - just in case they’d like to come down to the beach in the evening and I could give them a sweaty, teary hug when I finish.
7:15 PM: I’m having dinner - my typical pre-race dinner: A plant-based platty from Subway, hash browns and freshly cooked veggies. Then the door bell rings: My neighbour told me that he heard a loud noise and saw how someone hit my van and drove off. I ran downstairs and looked at it. I nearly bursted out in tears. The whole side of my van was scratched and damaged and I had no clue who it was and there was no note on my van. I went back up and tried to stay focused on my IronMan which was about to start about 8 hours later. Not exactly the kind of thing you want to handle before you do such an endurance beast.
8:15 PM: My neighbour called me again: The guy who hit my van was back. I ran down again and I got his name and number. He kept asking me what I want to do. It was all too much and quite overwhelming. I needed to focus on my challenge ahead. So I checked if my sliding door is still working because I planned to use my van as my transition area. It worked. That was all I needed to know at this point. So I told the guy that I can’t handle this right now. I will get back to him on Monday.
9 PM: Bedtime thinking: Tomorrow’s a good day to become an IronWoman :)
