A Stream of Consciousness about the Ironman race. There is a parallel with lots of other things in life.
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
The bonkers race, all over the globe, the thousands training,
The Periodisation, the 10% increase, the coaching, the fueling
Whether or not you’re moving
its snowing or it’s raining.
The 4am get up, I’m in training.
The pick up, The kit, The pack, the club, the inspiration
Representing your nation
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
The travel, the bike bag, the big list to pack
The id, the waiver,
or niggle in the back
I’m feeling tired cos of taper,
The stress of the airport, the baggage reclaim,
finding me bike,
diagnosing the foreign train
Where’s the hotel, the expo, the finish line clock
I Imagine the bliss
I’ve gotta get there I spent 30 weeks training for this
The water,the bike course, the run route the start
I am surrounded by physical specimens, they all look the part
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
The bravado, the fear, the pre race Brief
A breakfast with Paula Newby Fraser
A dream beyond belief
The clank of the scaffold, the tarpaulin flap, the sound check
the wind, the smells, the tastes….
I’m drinking coffee in Klagenfurt, Freezing ice cream in Frankfurt
Pasta in Lanzarote in the Heat
or in the cold of Haugusund a cinnamon cake makes me repleat
The pre race food, decrease fibre, increase carb
The drop in caffeine, im being too fickle
Don’t eat too much, don’t eat to little
Check your bike in, check your bags in, white blue and red
Don’t mix them up their content being critical, this is doin me head
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
Settling to doze, it’s 9 at night
The race is 10 hours off, sleep tight
I awake at 3, feel for my drink,
Then dress, go to the loo and check my kit
Down to breakfast to watch the Farce
Iron warriors, their rigid habits, does it matter
The Fueling dance
Bananas, honey, cereal, white bread
Yoghurt or Juice; not too much
The caffeine buzz to brighen the head.
Each to their own, what’s your daily bread.
I Queue for a bus, am I booked on it
or walk tired through the streets
white street bag and wetsuit, getting ready to don it
I am on my way
no turning back
An inspirational track
Zoning out listening to music
But I feel my heart starting to beat
Walking among the throngs in the dark dark street
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
Approaching transition I hear the PA
The noise of the athletes mumbling away
The headtorches at 5.30 am
The sound of bike tyres being pumped and a groggy yawn
In the hope that the pressure will speed you along
The queues for the toilet, final bike check,
loading it with nutrition, Ah what the heck
I help an athlete do his zip, easy with so many acts of good will.
Let’s get my wetsuit on, in the morning chill
I work to stop chafing by putting on neck glide,
I see the athlete I helped
We look at each other smile, the exhilaration we cannot hide
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
So to the start and we are packed together
1000s of us like penguins
but not standing on ice, between the toes just the feeling of sand or wet grass, nice
The PA, the 10s of thousands of spectators, wow what a roar
The national anthem
Our hearts in our chests or even our mouths, what more can you ask for.
7am, The siren goes and we run, run, as fast as we can like the race is 17seconds not 17 hours
I feel the water reach to my waste, dive in
I’m away… at last just my thoughts, the bar fight and my haste.
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
The rhythm of swim, the sighting, the pace
The pleasure of feeling at one in your space
The Australian exit, then back in without time to thaw
I don’t want it to end, round again once more
As the swim comes to an end,
The distant cheer
The crowd comes into muffled swimcapped ear
And its up on my feet, to transition
To check on the weather, what do we have here?
The heat of the canaries, the rain and lightening of Norway or the Gales in Wales
Whatever it is….
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
So onto the bike and into a spin
Athletes fall off, burst tyres as I try to settle in
The roads are a mix of asphalt, cobbles, tramlines
Hills, some with heat and some with wet slippy spills
The rear wheel slips as you Hit the hill at 100 miles
The sight of a country
You’ve never been in, the marshalls the drafters, the penalty bin.
Or the Wrestlers in Bolton, cheering you on, for an hour my face is one big grin.
Then I feel a bee sting on my leg
As we get to the end I feel sweat drip
from inside my helmet and onto my lip
The legs are tired; I get to the end and drop off the bike, helped by the ironman crew,
in a maze , The scaffolding we call T2
Then the duck waddle starts
Just trying not to think of the marathon ahead. What goes?
A chance to run on the route with the pros.
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
On the run what’s your habit?
Run walk or run run or just eat crisps
Energy gels with salt or carb or caffeine
Or oranges, flat coke or Sandwiches by Greggs
Whether heat or rain, the supporters remain
They’re the real stalwarts, the hard ones
There for you to sustain
The second half of the run is tough enough,
The cage fight, kept light by the kids who high five
I am running out of energy
But the dream’s alive.
Treadwatering sea turtles Kona, big island, where the spirits thrive.
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman
To the last mile, for some its dark again
it’s getting late right?
Remember the cut off 12 midnight
The finish shute
Red carpet, the shout “you are an ironman’
The medal the food tent the t-shirt
The cheers and excitement
The realisation of hurt, the soreness the worn out shoe
Wondering did I bite off more than I can chew.
Out to support the people still racing
The Shouts of elation and Fireworks and family embracing.
So what next, there’s always next year
It’s never complete, not a race, it’s a way of life
Another race, another Ironman, another Ironwoman
Ironman Ironman I’m gonna do the Ironman