Reflections of a 2 x Iron(wo)man

 
I never thought I’d do an Ironman. Triathlon was just another way to challenge myself – except my challenges just kept getting bigger and bigger! I believe that every race is a learning experience and I try to find new ways to improve when I reflect post-race. Now that I have 2 Ironman’s (IM) under my belt, here are the Top Three things I learnt from and changed between Ironman 1 in Cairns 2017 and Ironman 2 for Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie 2018.

1. Fuel Your Body – In the lead up to IM Cairns, I was not consuming enough food during training to fuel my everyday needs, cue falling asleep at 2 pm during work and lots of hangry moments. IM Australia was much more organised. I followed a periodised nutrition plan from Dietitian Approved to ensure there was no midday drowsiness, even on my bigger training days, only the occasional hangry moment (who doesn’t have those!?) and plenty of energy to smash training.
2. Practice Makes Perfect – I did a lot of my training with friends for IM Cairns which made the 5+ hour rides a lot less lonely. But come race day, I got very lonely and fatigued at the back end of the bike – at one stage I wondered if the race was still going! For IM Australia I made a point of trying to do a lot of solo riding in training where possible and I believe this gave me a much more positive mindset come race day.
3. Knowledge is Power – Nerves were not an issue with either IM but lack of experience was. How was my body going to hold up during my 12+ hours of racing? My “weakness” is my run leg and after blowing up fairly early on the run in IM Cairns I knew I had to have a better plan for IM Australia. Taryn made some big changes in my bike nutrition to ensure I was getting the right amount of fuel without any gut issues. Combined with a well-controlled run leg, this made for a much happier race and faster, consistent run splits!
   
   

Whilst I was reflecting on the differences, it also gave me time to remember the things that didn’t change. One thing that was a constant between both races was the love and support I received from my friends and family. It was unwavering, and I am truly grateful (you all know who you are). Triathlon is an individual sport, but it takes a team to get you there. Thank you to everyone on my team. I feel Ironman is achievable for everyone, don’t be intimidated by the distance, embrace the challenge – make a plan, build your support team (coach, dietitian, massage, training buddies) and go for it! You won’t regret it.