#immelbourne

I’m elated with the bike leg as I hand it over to the volunteers at the dismount line. Another great thing about IM is that you don’t have to re-rack your bike; someone just takes it from you and the next you see of it is when you pick it up again after the race (for many that is the next day). I step to a side to take off my bike shoes so I can easily run into the transition tent. The last thing I want to do is slip and injure myself at this stage. My run bag is been placed on my hook while I’ve been on the bike. Reflecting on it that must be a huge task for all the volunteers to make sure everything is in the correct spot. I had been given some advice not to tie my transition bags (you can imagine with cold, tired fingers how difficult it could be to undo a knot) so I’ve been a bit worried about things falling out of it. Thankfully everything is there.

Through transition 2 making sure I put my race number belt on (and a large dollop of sunscreen) and on my way. The course takes you 1km away before turning and running back past the transition area and the cheers of the support crew. I’m thrilled at this stage because of my bike time. Feeling confident as I head along the 42.2km run from Frankston to the finish line in St. Kilda. You wind your way through the beach path in the next few kilometres after transition and there are lots of people dotted around having picnics and drinking champagne (people drinking alcohol is something that you need to get used to along the course – in actual fact halfway along Nepean Highway there is some “crazy lady” offering up cans of bourbon to each athlete). Everyone offers some cheer and support. I really enjoy this and try to make sure that I say thank you to everyone. Like the bike leg it is important have some little strategies to distract you.

“The blue km markers were also good for building motivation and enjoyment. I’d suggested to all the people I’d worked with that they would gain self-confidence from seeing these. That worked for me too and again I would find myself smiling as I counted them down”

Coach Nick had given me some advice to walk the aid stations (which are about every 2km) and I implemented this well, as I made my way through the first 12km. With one of the athletes I had provide hypnosis sessions to prior to the event I had made the suggestion that he would be in a complete focused zone for the first 12km and this had also rubbed off on me. I remember people cheering me on and I know that I was keeping a good pace, but it felt like I was in my own little bubble. I had no concerns, just good positive emotions and confidence. So I was feeling pretty good and loving the support that had followed me up the road. I remember having a little laugh as my main support crew managed to drive passed me honking the car horn, ringing bells and cheering – It was so loud that it scared the life out of one of the other competitors need me.

There are not a huge amount of specific memories from the run leg, it was all about managing the fatigue. I got some cramps in the top of my hamstrings from about 15km, so I developed a fast walk on the uphills and jog the downhill sections. The blue km markers were also good for building motivation and enjoyment. I’d suggested to all the people I’d worked with that they would gain self-confidence from seeing these. That worked for me too and again I would find myself smiling as I counted them down. Despite embedding these kind of anchors with people for years it is still strange to see how well this works. Along the way a number of people had come out to support me (the support from strangers was also brilliant), as well as my personal crew following me as best they could, and it gives you the pickup you need. With 12km to go I started to look at the time and try to work out in my head the pace I needed to finish in under 13 hours (the time I had hoped to do). It was no longer a case of making sure that I can finish but now how quick did I need to go. The calculations were difficult under fatigue but I think I did. My smile was getting bigger and confidence was growing knowing that I was going to do this.

“Down the finish chute I gave the crowd a pump up and got them to make some noise (you have to do this!!) and then hearing the words at the end – “Fraser Carson, You are an Ironman”.”

By a strange bit of luck there always seemed to be someone I knew cheering me on just at the right time. Bindi and the support crew (eating fish and chips!!) were there with 10km to go (this would be my last cheer from them until the finish line); Catherine at the 9km taking some photos; and Greg at about 7km from the finish line, helping me to pace up on of the short, sharp hills; and one of my previous training partners was there with 4km to the finish. Thanks Ed for your perfect timing and running with me those last few kilometres.

I had a huge smile at the 40km marker (I think there may have even been a fist pump) because I knew I had done it. The pace even picked up considerably with Ed beside me and I ran the last 2km at my usual training speed. I’m not sure if Ed said it, or I said it, or I just thought it “let’s make the last km the quickest”. So I put the foot down. Cheered by a large crowd that was alongside the track I did run the last km the fastest for the day. I remember turning the long, final corner into the finish chute with a massive smile on my face. Down the finish chute I gave the crowd a pump up and got them to make some noise (you have to do this!!) and then hearing the words at the end – “Fraser Carson, You are an Ironman”.

It’s great to get out of the water and have people cheering you. I stopped to give my biggest supporter (Bindi, my wife) a kiss and she says that she is so proud. It’s a great spur on and I jog through to the transition area enjoying the cheers from other friends and strangers. Transition is massive in an IM event but it is really well managed. I know where my bag is, as I left it there on a hook the day before, and progress through to the change area. I’ve practiced this in my mind numerous times and now it’s time for the real thing. I choose a chair closest to the exit, because I don’t want to run any extra distance in my bike shoes than is necessary. Someone helps take everything out of my transition bag and put my swim gear into it (I have taken my wetsuit off, I still can’t recall doing this), as I take a few deep breaths and switch my mind to my bike. My high carbohydrate drink that was in my bag is consumed in less than two seconds. It makes a nice alternative to the salt water that I have been drinking for the last hour. Sunglasses, helmet, and bike shoes are on and I am off to my bike. Passing my bag to one of the brilliant volunteers, I head along the red carpet to where I had racked my bike the day before. I’m a bit disappointed that there were not more bikes still there, but I like the thought that that means there are lots of people to pass on the road. Grabbing my bike, I am again encourage by my support crew who have made their way to the mounting point. “See you in a few hours I shout to them” and off I go on my 180km bike ride.

“I set myself a little challenge to try and get to the turn without getting passed by the pro’s on their second lap. I’m going to do it. I push a little harder. I’m going to do it”

It’s about getting into a rhythm for me on the bike. I know not to push too early. I pass one of my training partners a few km’s into the ride. “Go Bren” I shout, and she says something in return that I can’t make out. It brings a smile to my face anyway and I settle down onto the aerobars to enjoy the great road surface and lack of cars. When you travel along Eastlink by car you don’t notice the undulating road, but in places there are good inclines that make you work a bit harder. Another competitor goes passed me on an early downhill section and I pick him off easily on the uphill, then the same thing happens about 4 times over the next few km’s. This annoys me so I put the foot down and that is the last that I see of him for the day. I work through my rather extensive nutrition plan (it equates to about 3 energy gels per hour) as I make my way towards the Eastlink tunnel. My speed drops as I get closer to it and it takes a little bit of time to realise that there is a slight head wind. Strangely I gain confidence from this, as I am about to turn and have it push me back towards Frankston.

I get a cheer from Coach Nick at the turn, which was unexpected but really helpful. I look at my Garmin, 1hr34 for the first 45km. I’m close to the pace that I want to set for myself. I had mentally broken the ride down into four 45km sections, as it makes it much easier to manage from a cognitive perspective. Leg two was quick. I get times every 5km from my watch and I am going quicker than I ever have before (and it feels easy). I set myself a little challenge to try and get to the turn without getting passed by the pro’s on their second lap. I’m going to do it. I push a little harder. I’m going to do it. Just as I get into Frankston about 2km from the turn, something whizzes past me. I must point out that not many people did pass me on the bike so this was a bit of a shock, but also a thing of beauty. It was the race leader, Nils Frommhold (on his way to a record breaking 4hr17 bike ride). Well I hadn’t achieve my challenge but I didn’t mind. It was inspiring to see him make that speed look so easy. I also didn’t have too much time to dwell on it. I was rounding the turn and getting cheers from the supporters. 1 hour 6 minutes for that 45km. I’m ecstatic but need to refocus. I am only half way. Head down and back into the wind, which has increased in strength, for leg three. I feel good but looking for ways to distract myself because the wind is making it tough. One of the great things about race day is the surroundings that you find yourself in. Regularly in endurance sport you get access to places that you can’t usually go. Cycling along Eastlink is one of those (running the Great Ocean Road is another that springs to mind). From a mental perspective it is good to take this in and enjoy the experience; it is also possible to get immersed by the supporters cheering you along. It is strange to see so many people the whole way along the bike course and they are great for distracting you, with the various colours, outfits and noise coming from them. Obviously it is not great to become completely absorbed and lose focus on what you are doing, letting your performance slide; but it is really advantageous to us this energy.

The lead female competitors go by in the other direction. That is looking like a great race. I try to imagine what is going through their minds (How good would it feel to be at the peak of one of the most difficult sports in the world? How much training do they do? How much training have I done? I then try to recall everything. Hey, that’s quite a bit. I’ve done this before). As you can see my thoughts race through but they lead me to feel confident and strong. As I near the tunnel again I remember that the first time I went up that I thought the 120km and 150km markers were the wrong way around. The second lap confirms that, but it is another way of distracting me. Through the tunnel is great going down but is steep to get out of and you have to remember to smile because there is a photographer at the end. Around the turn and I check the time. I’m a bit disappointed but that wind was strong. With a good ride home I can still break the 6 hour mark. Having a positive mindset is essential for sports performance. I work a lot with people on thought stopping techniques and positive self-talk. There are some key factors in this work that have become second nature to me by practicing them regularly. I find that it is ok to be disappointed but you can’t dwell on this. The tailwind was my positive. I remind myself that not only is it going to push me in the right direction but can help with the cadence and prepare my legs for the run leg.

“I need to concentrate as I’m getting towards 60kph on the downhill. I can pick those messages up again on the way up”

There had been a number of people in my ear about doing an IM event for some time. It had started before I had even completed my first half marathon! There’s quite a bit of difference between a half marathon and a full IM event (205km if we are going to be specific), but there were people who believed I could (Coach Nick Dobyn was the main instigator). Around this time I got the opportunity to work with some people who were competing in IM Melbourne 2014, building confidence and belief in their ability that they could achieve this amazing feat. It was during this time that the intrigue started to grow. I guess that is what happens when you are constantly surrounded by talk of IM and triathlons. The seed was firmly planted watching the 2014 event in Melbourne. Seeing the wide variety of different body sizes and shapes (by the way this has absolutely no correlation to a person’s ability to complete an IM event or the time it will take them) got me thinking: “If they can do it why can’t I?” I had signed up for the 2015 event the next week.

Fast-forward 12 months and hundreds of hours training and I am wearing a fluorescent green swim cap with the M-dot symbol on the side, passing under the start gate and into the perfectly still water to compete in my first IM. The longest distance I had completed in a previous event was an Olympic Distance triathlon (1.5km swim; 40km bike; 10km run) but I had survived all of the IM distances previously, just not putting them all together in one continuous session. “How did I feel?” is the common question that I get asked. It would be wrong of me to say that there were absolutely no nerves. Of course there were some but mostly I was excited to begin. I didn’t have to worry about the things I normally would during training as most of these were taken care of (common thoughts in training for me included: I hope my towel and bag are still on the beach after I’ve been swimming for over an hour; where can I ride my bike to avoid most of the traffic; what route am I going to take today; how do I carry some money / id / keys without losing them).

“So there I was waiting for my start, standing on the beach, eyes closed for a few seconds and squeezing my dominant hand into a tight fist and recalling all those positive emotions”

I had conducted a number of hypnosis sessions with several other competitors in the lead up to the event and embedded some beliefs, strategies and positive mind set into each of them. The great thing about doing this is that I have found many of these things stick with me and I get great benefit from these hypnosis sessions as well. So there I was waiting for my start, standing on the beach, eyes closed for a few seconds and squeezing my dominant hand into a tight fist and recalling all those positive emotions (just like almost everyone who I had worked with over the last few months). The rolling start to the 3.8km swim was something I had only seen on video clips provided in the athlete information guide, but it was actually a great initiative. It was the first time that it had happened at IM Melbourne and basically means that a group of six enter the water together, with about a 5 second gap to the next group. I had been told by competitors the previous year about how difficult the mass start had been with 2500 people all trying to go at the same time. So off I went, pressing the start time on my Garmin, into the water. I find that (and others I have worked with on open water swimming confidence have said) the first run and dive into the water really elevate the heart rate. In fact in my very first ocean swim training I really struggled with this and could only swim about 50 metres before feeling like my lungs were about to explode. With this in mind I managed my entry well and took it fairly easy. I also find it really useful to have a number of long deep breathes within my first few strokes just to help manage the heart rate (and also at any stage during the swim. I regularly concentrate on my breathing to help refocus and relax in the water). I started closest to the pier, as I figured that I could use this as part of my sighting. I only breathe to the right when I swim, so having the pier there allowed me to try and track alongside it to keep as straight as I could. There are also marker buoys in the water (orange every 200m and pink as a turning marker) to help with sighting. I keep good sight for the first 400m but then started to drift to the right a bit. With hindsight I have realised that I had spotted the second pink turning marker and had mistaken that for the first, but after a quick check I was soon back on course.