IronMan Wales 2016

BriD

I was supposed to race it last year but did Roth too. After Roth I sort of fell off the wagon a bit and bailed on Wales. Oops..

PSM1

Entry has just opened for Wales 2017. Just saying!!!!!!!

BriD

I'm not sure it's the course for me to be honest.

Swim: I don't mind the sea, but the whole giant jellyfish thing... not so much

Bike: Spectating it was pretty obvious that the 12m rule isn't possible with that course. Too many riders. There were huge pelotons. After being knocked off my bike at Mallorca 70.3 I get the heebies about people riding that close around me.

Run: The support is awesome. Perhaps too awesome. When I'm in a world of hurt I prefer to have a bit of peace and quiet. You don't get that at Tenby.

PSM1

On bike course I feel would be same for any IM. The swim is not enough to spread out 2000  athletes to prevent groups forming.

BriD

Roth worked pretty well. Start waves were spread over 2 hours or so and waves were done by estimated finish time, not buy age. Even though ~3000 athletes the bike course was mostly quiet (apart from Solar Berg which was mental.. Like Heartbreak Hill x 10).

I've signed up to Mallorca 70.3 again. What do you have planned next ?

PSM1

Keeping to short stuff next year as my wife's training will be taking precedent over mine (I had this year and she has next).
I am sure I will go back to Iron distance racing in the future but not sure on next direction. I am thinking about age group qualification for GB (not sure if duathlon, tri or maybe aquathlon). Other things then maybe a bit of a different event like the Henley bridge to bridge swim or Lake Windemere one length swim. Also looks like I will be helping a friend do the Triple Brutal in Snowdonia next September.

p9ul

IM Mallorca didn't go well for me - I had to abandon after the first 90k bike loop. I was in so much pain from my back I couldn't have done another 3 hours odd in the saddle.

Torrential rain hit after about 50k and it was treacherous, I saw 2 guys come off and I spoke to an Irish woman in transition who'd experienced the same weather at the 70.3 a few years earlier - she said she seen a guy go over the road edge on the mountain section and they'd had to get a helicopter out to fish him out of a gorge.

While part of me is just plain gutted, another part is thinking I may have gotten away lightly, I saw at least 6 people in a bar close to the village yesterday, with wristbands also wearing 1 arm in a sling....

Will have to try again...

PSM1

My friend managed to get round in just over 12hr. How hilly was the bike route?

p9ul

There was one big climb on the 2nd half which I didn't do - 1200m of elevation IIRC.

PSM1

Not too bad then over all. Sorry to hear about your back. Did you have issues before race or something that just happened on the day. Sounds like you made the right call although must have been a tough decision on the day. There is always next year.