How hard is it to complete an Ironman?

After Kona this Year I was interviewed by the Daily  Telegraph - This is the transcript of the dialogue

1. Presumably a lot of the preparation on the day is psychological, as there’s not much more you can do physically?

The race is very physical, from start to finish. There is a almost a continuous level of mental pressure and you need to be able to find a balance between enough pain to ensure that you're competitive, but also be mindful that its a long race and you'll only be competitive if you make it to the finish. On race day you need to be able to draw upon 'your bank ' of training that led you to this race. It's this that gives you the confidence to push though the pain when your mind is telling you to stop

2. When you start your swim, what’s going through your mind – and how do you feel by the end of the first section? Do you think of it as 1 down, 2 to go? Or are you knackered already?

I've taught my self to be totally calm on the start line of a race. In an Ironman I'm treading water surrounded by a couple of thousand athletes until the start cannon fires, and then I propel myself forward fighting for clear water. It’s not unusual to take a kick in the face or to be knocked around when so many athletes are in such close proximity. This isn't normally intentional... It’s just racing! I don’t think of the next segment of the race until I'm within 400m of the shore, only then do I rehearse my transition from swim to bike in my head. I plan every thing, from the order I'll put my cycle helmet and sunglasses on to exactly where upon exiting the transition area I'll jump on my bike. This is crucial to ensure that valuable time is not squandered. At this stage my only concern is to exit the transition zone safely without an incident or crash with another athlete.

3.With the cycling, how hard is the transition? Because clearly your legs will be doing completely different things – so that must be hard?

Typically for 2.4mile (3.8km) swim I'm in the water for just over an hour swimming flat out. In Hawaii this is an out and back and at the turn point it’s about 30m deep, it can be very choppy when there's a swell and this always affects how you feel when you exit the water. This year it was reasonably calm and I felt in control exiting the ocean. In previous years it’s been rough and I've swallowed too much sea water. This can leave you feeling a bit disorientated when you reach the transition zone.
4.Do you get to eat and drink as you’re running for your bike? How does nourishment work during an Ironman? Do you know how many calories you use per discipline/overall?

Overall during the race I'll burn about 8000 calories. During the race there's no way that I can replace this level of nutrition. My refuelling is done on the bike and the run. On the 112 mile (180km) bike section I will eat 2x Clif Bar Blocs every 20 mins. These are like fruit pastels but will provide me 100 calories + electrolytes each 20 mins. I'll eat 300 calories and drink 1 litre of water every hour. This equates to 1500 calories and 5 litres of water for the whole bike segment. On the run my heart rate is higher and its harder to take solid food on board so I'll switch to Clif Bar gels. These contain 100 calories but are in a liquid form. I'll take one every 15 mins and aim to drink 30ml of water each aid station ( every mile).

5.Whilst you’re cycling, do you get major uncomfortable? Presumably cramp happens occasionally throughout the race, and chafing must be an issue?

My bike position has been tailored to my physiology. This means that the components perfectly fit my body shape. Freespeed London are a specialist bike fitting business and the owner  Richard Melik has created my optimum cycling position which is a perfect balance between power, aerodynamics and comfort using a Retul bike fitting system. This means i can stay in the most aerodynamic and fastest position for the whole 112 miles. My race suit is also aerodynamic and creates minimal drag to ensure each watt of power isn't wasted.

6.Is the transition from cycling to running easier, or is it really disheartening to feel as if you’re going much slower once you transition to foot?

The transition to the run is the hardest one, when I  step off the bike my legs feel really wobbly. They have to transition from being gluteus and quadriceps dominant to the calf and hamstring muscles taking over. They feel really strange like they're not firing properly. I know this is normal so I try not to let it concern me and any involuntary twitches or pain I simply ignore. After about 3miles (5km) they normally feel OK so I just keep moving forward.

An aero bike position can save valuable watts and help you keep a higher average speed

7.Your legs must be feeling it by the time you’re well into your marathon – how do you deal with that pain?

The first 10 miles are free, every thing hurts, but its imperative that you establish a rhythm and hit your target pace. I say its for free, this simply means that before you know it you've run 10 miles. I think that it's possible to marginalise the sort of pain that comes through attrition. I've found that at this stage in the race every thing hurts, bet generally if you increase your pace it doesn't always hurt more. Conversely if you slow down it doesn't hurt less... so its best to stick to your target pace irrespective of how much pain that you're in.

Exiting the notorious Energy Lab with just 8 miles to go

8.What’s the hardest discipline on the day, in your opinion?

The run is the hardest part of the race, ideally this is where you utilise every ounce of energy. You leave it all out there.... what ever you have left is completely rinsed from you being, both physically and mentally and I will be broken when I cross the finish line. Running a fast marathon on top of fast swim and bike is what completes a competitive Ironman race.

9.Is the hardest also the most energy-sapping, or is it hard for other reasons?

It’s hard because it's completed in one day. I've completed in other Extreme Endurance challenges like the Norseman  and Cape Epic and  Ironman ranks among them. Although the distances in Ironman are the same irrespective of where you race there are different factors that can make one race harder than others, like temperature, wind, amount of vertical assent or descent. Ironman Hawaii - Kona is hard because its an open ocean swim without a wetsuit. The bike segment is windy with 1300m of vertical ascent and its hot (34 Celsius) .The run is also crazy hot. This year it peaked at nearly 40 degrees Celsius ( Tarmac temp) for 1.5 hours  before it clouded over and settled at 32 Celsius

10.Finally, in a few words, could you just answer the headline: How hard is it to complete an Ironman (overall)? My coach Richard Hobson, would say that with the right attitude, any one can complete an Ironman with right training programme, conditioning & mental attitude and I agree..

Team 'Frazzled' Freespeed - Alison Rowatt & Richard Hobson - Podium Winners

To view the Telegraph edit - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/how-hard-is-it-to-complete-an-ironman/