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The setting was really beautiful the lake we swam in was clearer than tap water we had 2900m in the lake then the final 900m was down a canal, the bike was a 56mile loop twice and the run was 13.1 miles twice.

Got up at 3am on race morning to have some breakfast and do some final checks, arrived at the venue around 6am so I had an hour to get ready and pick my starting point on the beach, before this race my biggest open water swim start was about 100 people, so with 2,526 people due to start this race I knew it would be interesting. I picked my spot the cannon started the race and I was off I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be and got into my rhythm very quickly and then after 15 mins it dawned on me that I was actually here in Austria after all the training and actually doing the Ironman, throughout the swim I managed to stay clear from all the kicking and punching, got caught up a couple of times where there was nowhere to swim as there was a wall of swimmers so I had to wait for a gap (probably should of swam over them) but I wanted to stay out of trouble. Sighted the buoys very well and managed to stay quite close to them, coming out of the swim I felt it went okay, my previous best time was 1:29 so I thought with all the swimmers I might get around 1:30, when I got out and saw the clock on 1:26 I was very happy, good start to the day

Felt really good ran to transitions got my bag decided to change completely so I would go off on my bike dry and plenty of sun lotion as it was due to be a very hot day, got out of transition in 8:28 which I was happy with.

Now just the matter of a 112 mile cycle, been on a bike course tour the day before the course was a bit up and down with two "massive" climbs, I knew ideally I would need to get off the bike in 8 hours which would require an average speed of 14mph, after the first 56 mile lap I had an average speed of 15mph but the second lap meant the sun was so hot temperature was 34 degrees and also a 20 minute hail storm, so had a bit to contend with, also just as I was about to complete the first bike lap Vanhoenacker came past to complete his second lap at a speed I've never seen on a bike before it was amazing to watch, for the 5 seconds I saw him!!! on the second lap I decided to walk the two hills as I probably could of struggled up them but regret it later on so I took the time to get some circulation back and take on some extra food and drink, the last few miles where all downhill so I knew I could get some speed up at the end, I managed to come in off the bike in 7:58:44 so again I was under my 8 hour target

I got into transition and completely changed my clothes again to start the run with dry clothes, now just the small matter of a 26.2 mile run, I have done 4 marathons previously so knew what to expect but none of these really prepared me for this!!

My plan was a jog/walk strategy, I managed to do this for a very short time but every time I ran I felt my heart rate was about 200 bpm and I couldn't bring it down so I found myself walking a lot more and it soon became apparent that if I continued running I may not finish the race, so I then worked out I had enough time to do a fast walk for the rest of the race, by this time it was getting dark and at some places it was difficult to see where I was going, the last 5k which was from Klagenfurt city centre to the finish felt like 50k I felt myself stumbling a couple of times and quite light headed, there where drinks/feed station every 2.5km's and I had something at every station to make sure I was replacing the energy I used up, but with 3k left to go I could hear the thumping music from the finish line, then I could see the lights, and the next thing I knew I was at the finish straight, it was the most amazing 100 meters of my life, the crowd was amazing, the music was pumping, it was just a wall of sound and light and the announcer was saying my name and the amazing phrase, Barry you are an Ironman!!!It was an amazing day and an amazing 12 months training for this event, I know it isn't the quickest time in the world, but I have completed it, of all the starters there where about 500 people who didn't finish the race.

A big thank you to all the coaches who have helped me at the sessions over the past 12 months, we really do have a wonderful set of coaches at our club

Barry "Ironman" Sherwood

So if you read this and think your not quick enough to complete an Ironman with the right training, nutrition and mentality you can achieve ANYTHING...so go on give it a try, it will be one of the best things you ever do...