UK 70.3 Wimbleball, Sunday 15th June 2008

Report by Rich Hyder and Rob Harper

Rich writes:

I entered this race back in October 2007; I was looking for a challenge for the forthcoming season and thought all the training I need to do for a Half Ironman would put me in reasonable shape for the rest of the year and maybe even consider full Ironman.

Once I'd entered I then started to research the event. In hindsight I should have researched it before entering. I would have then found out that the location was a five hour drive away in the middle of no where and that the bike and run route seemed to take in every hill in Exmoor. I also found the statement "Toughest half in the World" so then realised what a challenge I'd set myself.

The off season winter training went fairly well, I'd set myself a manageable plan of about 8-10 hours a week and beyond the odd weekend on the beer and a few bad weather calls pretty much stuck to it. So by February I was beginning to feel pretty confident and was even considering a Florida qualifying spot.

Then I went and fell off my bike on a training ride in April. Although I seemed ok my little finger on my left hand wasn't as straight as it should have been and subsequently needed Surgery and even worse news a minimum of a six week lay off, allowing it to heel and the swelling to go down. So all I could do was sit around and eat and the odd low threshold Turbo session. I attempted to drop out and get a refund or defer my place until next year. The organisers were having none of it, unless you drop out before March they won't do a thing. So I decided I was going to take part, as I wasn't willing to waste the large entry fee and all the cold winter training.

Fast-forward to June and myself and Helen set off down to Wimbleball on the Friday night, me feeling vastly under prepared and a little apprehensive. Despite the long drive it's a really beautiful part of the country and quite picturesque setting for the race. We set camp and bumped into Rob, who'd been there all day and so far had managed to register, sleep and eat.

We had a walk down to the lake to check out the swim course and general surroundings and that was it for the day.

Saturday I registered checked over the bike, went for a walk to a lovely little cafe for traditional Devon cream tea, listened to the briefing, racked our bikes and transition bags and then Rob and I attempted to walk a lap of the run course. All we could establish is you went up a hill, down a hill and sort of round in a circle before doubling back on yourself. We then resigned to the fact neither of us would be in the lead and we'd just follow the person in front.

Race day 6am start. It was about 7 degrees. We all met in transition at 5-30am and were herded down to the lake for the mass start. Having stood around for 30 minutes with no shoes on in my wetsuit my feet were numb and wading into the lake water actually brought them back to life.

The professionals got about a 20-metre head start on the rest of the field but other than that we all set off together.

The swim went really well for me, sighting was a bit tricky as just before we'd started a fog had come down over the lake so made the buoys difficult to pick out. Though I felt comfortable and came out in a very respectable 28 minutes, only just off the back of the professionals in the field.

Its then a 400 metre run up hill to transition, to attempt to find your Transition bag, which although seemed to be racked in a logical order the day before now seemed to have changed and I spent what seemed like several minutes attempting to find mine.

Off onto the bike a 2 lap course which wasn't 56 miles but just over 58. I started fairly steadily trying to concentrate on a cadence and heart rate based performance assuming if I got this about right I wouldn't explode and struggle through the distance.

As mentioned earlier having missed roughly 6-8 weeks of quality training before the race I'd also missed getting the final miles in and practicing eating on the bike, so this was something new to contend with. Knowing when to eat.

I was moving quite nicely on the flats at about 40kmh, so didn't want to loose time there. The down hills were too scary and I hovered over the brakes touching just over 70kmh and the up hills were so tough with an all time low speed of 5kmh. So for the first 45 minutes I only had a sip of my drink and nothing to eat.

The hills were a killer and every one I hit I seemed to be the slowest person on it and loose about 20 places each hill, of which there were 52 in total. I later found a lot people had opted for a Compact or even Triple set up.

1 Lap down a quick wave to Helen and off onto the 2nd, I was still feeling OK and had now about got the eating and drinking right. At about 40 miles Rob came passed me looking fairly comfortable and going well. Rather than set of in pursuit I stuck to my cadence and heart rate formula and waved him off into the distance. Then it started to rain...

This made the descents even scarier and I was now starting to feel cold. I ploughed on going through a rough patch at about 52 miles were I just sat on my bike and spun the pedals just hoping to get to the end. This only lasted about 10 minutes and then I managed to pick up the pace again and make it to the end of the bike to a reasonable sized crowd all cheering. Which really helped to spur me on. Time 3 hours 31.

A very kind man took my bike from me and then another tipped the contents out of my T2 bag onto the floor and took my bike shoes off, helped me into my trainers, cleaned up after me and sent me out onto the run.

I'd read about the bike course been tough, no one had mentioned the run and even from the failed recce the day before it hadn't seemed to bad. I was wrong. No gentle easing into it, straight into a down hill, followed by an up hill and then onto the road for more up hill, followed by steep down hill, for about 2 miles. You then looped over the dam on the tarmac to an aid station and then back to the lake onto a cross-country multi terrain path.

I'd set off quite slow; well actually very slow the first mile took about 10 minutes. I assumed this was just tired legs and they'd soon pick up and I'd get into my stride and down to the 8 minute mile pace I'd hoped for. It never happened I did improve but only to about 9-minute mile pace, so I just plodded on at what felt like a steady and comfortable shuffle to the end. Time 2 hours 5 minutes.

I was so happy to finish, it hadn't gone as well as I'd hoped for, though I was over the moon to have completed the distance at the first attempt on what seemed a very tough course and I didn't feel to bad.

Helen and Rob were already at the end, I think Helen had enjoyed the six hours of spectating and the 5am start and Rob agreed it had been a really tough course but a great event. It was a real challenge and certainly one that deserves respect and more training than I'd managed.

Rob writes:

The UK 70.3 was my main focus for the first half of the season, and I'd trained well and then tapered. The course at Wimbleball is notoriously hilly (on both the bike and the run) so the two races I did in the run up - Horwich and Keswick - were also far from flat. They'd both gone well so I was quite confident going into the race.

Travelled down to Somerset on Friday morning and drove a lap of the bike course before heading to the race site and getting my tent set up. It's a beautiful place alright - especially on a sunny afternoon - but it really is in the middle of nowhere.

Whilst it is undoubtedly a scenic location for a race it does sadden me slightly that the only way to put on a race of this scale in the UK is to do it in the back of beyond. Whereas a lot of the other 70.3 (and Ironman) races in Europe and elsewhere are located in sizeable towns. But I digress.

Saturday was spent sorting my transition bags, having a look at the swim (not swimming it you understand, I won't get cold and wet until I absolutely have to!) and walking 2/3 of the run course with Rich. After the race briefing it was just a case of resting and killing time.

4am alarm call for breakfast then stayed in my sleeping bag as long as I could since it was pretty cold. Entered transition with my white bag what felt like far too early but actually I only just got myself sorted when it was time to process down to the lake. Here we go then.

Entered the lake and made my way towards the front on the right. Without any notice the hooter went and in an instant the tranquility of the lake was broken by 900 thrashing people. A bank of mist that was over to the left had rather inconveniently drifted over us making sighting for the first turn buoy impossible. The only option was just to follow everyone else, and I also tracked slightly left (since I'd started on the right). Didn't see either of the two yellow intermediate buoys on this first leg but eventually the turn buoy popped up out of the gloom. From there on it was no drama, just plodded on to the end. 38 minutes is a par swim for me as I'm a bit rubbish.

A l-o-n-g run uphill from the lake to transition, found my red bag easily enough but harder was finding any room in the change tent. Took the time to put on arm warmers and a cycle jersey over my tri top - hence the ridiculously long T1 - but I was very glad I did given the weather, cool and clouds had obscured early sunshine. Grabbed my bike, made a total hash of mounting with the shoes clipped on (failing to take my own advice from the forum thread of a few weeks ago i.e. don't try it when it's uphill out of T1!), but eventually I was away.

Had to take the initial descent down to the lake quite easy due to the number of other riders around, but as soon as we started climbing everything began to sort itself out. Left turn at the top onto a very narrow country road, up and down before turning onto the main road where at last it's possible to get settled onto the tribars.

This next section is actually very fast. However, my Polar watch/speedo was only showing about 15mph for some reason (seriously, I really was going much faster!) and eventually I gave up on it.

Was making steady progress through the field as we screamed down the steep descent, taking no risks with the brakes burning towards the bottom. Just another couple of miles now before the course turns nasty, as most of the climbs are back-loaded into the second half. They may only be short but boy are they steep, and a lower gearing than 53-25 would have been nice but y'know you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it.

A good crowd at the top of the climb to the 2nd feed station, complete with cowbells for that alpine feel, which also heralded the run in to the end of the lap. Which seemed to take forever. I was convinced the turn to Wimbleball was just over the next brow, of just round the next corner but it never was. And to add insult to injury it started raining, a heavy shower that thankfully didn't last too long but made me very glad of my extra layers. Eventually the turn did come with a short descent, a tight corner taken tentatively on the wet tarmac, and so onto lap 2.

Lap 2 was more of the same, was still riding strongly which was good. Caught up with Rich at about 40 miles and exchanged pleasantries about the weather. Again the last part of the lap went on interminably but at last I turned for Wimbleball enjoying the long fast descent back to the lake and then a final short climb back to transition.

Quite a luxury having your bike taken from you. Very long transition, mainly because I stopped in a portaloo for a rather lengthy "comfort break" (too much hydration I think!). Heard on the tannoy that the leaders were starting their last lap, so remarked to the transition helper that I had a lot of catching up to do!

The run at Wimbleball is almost more notorious than the bike, with more than 2000ft of climbing over the course of its 3 laps. I felt good leaving transition, possibly too good as with hindsight I went too hard too early, pushing on on the first lap. The 2nd and 3rd laps were then just a case of pacing it to avoid total meltdown! My legs were spent and I couldn't get my HR above 150, but I kept on running all the way which was the main thing. I don't think it's so much the total amount of climbing on the run course that makes it so tough, but it's that you're always either going up or down - apart from 500m over the dam - so you can never get into a rhythm, especially given the rough surface underfoot. Hoped a cup of Coke would give me a kick for the last lap - it may well have done if I'd managed to get any of it into my mouth rather than all down my front (yuck).

On the last lap I was just ticking it off; last time across the dam, last time past the feed station (nicked a gel for future use!), last time to the far turn, last time up a hill, hooray the finish!

Crossed the line on 5:32:30 for 103rd place, 19th in 30-34. Skipped past the massage queue and made a beeline for the food - after stuffing my face for about 20 minutes I felt much better.

Went to the presentations after the race, and the rolldown in 30-34 went all the way down to 18, one place above me! Glad that I'd already decided not to go to Clearwater (if given the chance) otherwise that would be gutting. Some very happy age groupers winning slots, especially the two Russian lads! The pro winners Fraser Cartmell and Bella Comerford gave good speeches, both very humble. Fraser's performance particularly was inspiring, winning from Stephen Bayliss by just 13 seconds with a 1:14 half (both breaking the course record).

It really is a fantastic tough race, and I think I may well be back quite soon.

Results (1.2mi/56mi/13.1mi)

Pos	Name	Pos Cat	Swim	Pos	T1	Bike	Pos	T2	Run	Pos	Total
1	Cartmell, Fraser	1	00:22:36	1	00:02:38	02:36:46	3	00:00:56	01:14:48	1	04:17:39
103	Harper, Rob	19	00:38:16	417	00:06:26	03:06:57	88	00:03:08	01:37:46	76	05:32:30
324	Hyder, Richard	64	00:28:29	35	00:06:14	03:31:38	385	00:01:50	02:05:13	459	06:13:20

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