As we publish this, we already know how Alex fared in Nice (and all will be revealed soon), but Alex took some time out to talk to T-Zero shortly before he boarded the train to France and we wanted to record how he felt before the big day.
In Part 3, Alex told us how he’d been struggling to overcome injury and was wondering why he’d ever undertaken such a challenge. In the days leading up to the race, his mood was transformed.
“Once I overcame the ankle problem I managed to complete a really solid block of peak phase training – averaging around 18 to 22 hours per week – and I’m definitely faster and stronger,” he says. “I still find it incredible the amount of training you need to do. It’s been totally relentless at times.”
That training consisted of multiple long-distance rides (in excess of 100 miles each), running up to 21 miles at a stretch and endless hours in the pool.
Interestingly, for someone whose pre-Ironman efforts in the water barely warranted the description ‘swimming’, Alex eventually found himself looking forward to his trips to the pool.
“It’s hard to believe, but I’ve actually started to enjoy swimming,” he says. Perhaps that’s something to do with improving his speed by 30 seconds per hundred metres over the last few months.
One of Alex’s initial goals was to shed a little weight. However, once the training load increased, it wasn’t something he paid much attention to. “I didn’t focus on food quantity at all, but I did try to ensure that I mostly ate healthily.” Even so, Alex estimates about 5kg have come off and he says he’s definitely noticed the difference on the hills.
As for the race, Alex admits he’s terrified. “There’s so much that can go wrong.” On the other hand, he says he’s better prepared than he has ever been for an endurance event.
Alex in training
“I know I shouldn’t as anything can happen in Ironman, but I can’t help myself setting time targets. If I can do 1hr20 for the swim, 6 hours for the bike and a 4 hour marathon, add in some time for transition and still break 12 hours, I’m going to be totally satisfied.”
Alex was coached throughout his Ironman preparation by Fiona Ford of Triathlon Europe. This is what she had to say before Alex set off.
“Alex has managed his injuries well and has really gained confidence and understanding of what Ironman is about. As a first timer I wouldn’t put any time expectations on him and have deliberately been conservative in my estimates of how he will perform. However, I am positive about his prospects and I think he’s going to love the whole experience. I hope, when he crosses the finish line, that he thinks all the effort and sacrifices over the past few months have been worth it.”
Alex plans to start well on the left for the swim to avoid getting boxed in and complete the first 2.4km lap at a steady pace. His priority is to stay out of trouble. Once things spread out, he may try to pick up the pace a little for the second 1.2km lap. He will then change clothes completely for the bike leg.
“I’ve done all my training in padded cycle shorts so I’m going to race in them. I’m not trying to grab every minute by speeding through transition in a tri suit.”
With cycling Alex’s strongest discipline he knows he has to resist the temptation to blast off as soon as he hits the road. “Much of the first half of the course is uphill so I have to remember not to become concerned if my average speed is initially low.” Instead, Alex will aim to keep his heart rate below 165 bpm and make up the time on the descents near the end.
For the run, Alex will once again change all his clothes and then try to maintain a pace between 8 and 8.30 minutes per mile while keeping an eye on his heart rate. “My biggest concern is cramp as I’ve suffered from that in every marathon I’ve done.”
Many people fail to complete an Ironman because they don’t fuel and hydrate properly. Alex aims to feast hourly on Clif Bars and Mule Bars, as that’s what he’s used in training. Also, he says, gels don’t agree with him if he takes too many. He intends to drop Nuun tablets into his water to ensure he maintains his electrolyte levels.
We can now reveal that Alex finished Ironman France in 11 hours, 36 minutes and 4 seconds. His splits were: swim – 1.17.56; bike – 5.51.49; run – 4.12.56. Next time will report in detail on how his race went.
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