Ironman 70.3 World Championship

Race report by Peak XV triathlete Tori Peters

So here I am in St George Utah, Ironman 70.3 World Championship day. The day started easy, jet lag can be a good thing as I was wide awake at 4am to eat breakfast. Usually I force feed cold pasta or cold rice with sugar, not today! Today I had cake and root beer, yum, the breakfast of champions!

I really didn’t want to race at all, I was so worried about the cold, given the option to get out of this, I would have. Why? I hear you ask, because I knew I couldn’t be competitive and be in the top ten. I struggle with failure and this, to me, was failure.

All the Facebook stories of swimmers itch made me Google the bloody thing. Apparently waterproof sunscreen gives protection, so I put this everywhere in hope!!

Great thinking, I put on my wetsuit in the warm hotel, followed by a pair of joggers, a T shirt, 2 hoodies and two coats, socks, old trainers then topped it with a woolly hat. Standing around in 4°C on an exposed reservoir is going to be cold. Dan put on his shorts! Off we went for the shuttle bus at 5:30am which took 35 minutes to get up to the start.

Time to face the Ironman 70.3 World Championship course at St George

I’m coached by Garrie Prosser of Peak XV Tri Coaching

Garrie has coached me for the past few years and has helped me win Ironman 70.3 age group at Ironman 70.3 Stafford, Ironman 70.3 Estonia and Ironman 70.3 Bolton all in one year. Today was the end of that part of my triathlon journey.

Transition was buzzing as usual, lit by many mobile phones, the still air carried the crisp noise of foil blankets and a live Jazz band. It was officially freezing!! The sun wasn’t quite up when the cannon went off to start the pro ladies, they had to follow a light on the back of a boat. I really didn’t want to race, I was too cold and getting emotional about both my horses dying and the anniversary of my Dad dying. Not a good feeling to race your best. I was failing to control my emotions which is something I pride myself on. These clothes were staying on until the very last call for my wave. I gave Dan a hug and told him I didn’t want to race. I got no sympathy from him or his blue legs, so off down the start chute I sobbed.

At the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, ten athletes enter the water every 15 seconds, the water was grey (happy with that) and tasted ok but the best bit was warm 18°C, wow! I set off slow, still feeling sorry for myself, then I started to enjoy the swim! I was passing lots of swimmers and I felt good. Still didn’t push it though, all I wanted to do today is take part, not kill myself trying for a place I wouldn’t be happy with, instead just enjoy and survive and not trash my body which would ruin the rest of my holiday.

We had wetsuit rippers on the shore, I love this, they rip your suit off you like a bandaid, ping, it’s off! Transitions are about speed and this was a race, so why are people jiggy jogging! I could feel myself getting colder and colder as I searched for my transition bag. Usually, I burn its hanging position into my memory and rehearse collection in my mind over and over, not this time. Athletes were putting on all sorts of clothes, trousers, hats, gloves and windproof jackets. All I had was a gilet and as an after thought I left my Wet Mac Gloves on my bike, at least I was going have good grip.

Words fail me in describing how cold the first 6km were on that bike. My arms and legs were stinging and I couldn’t even feel my hands, feet or face! The early sun was on my back but it had no effect yet. Passing under motorway bridges was like passing though a freezer. Thank god there was a hill to warm you before the freezing descent. The views were amazing though and I kept reminding myself to look up and take it all in. I’m used to racing alongside men, it’s a different kettle of fish racing with women. No one I shared my race with had bigger balls than me descending down hills. Why work so hard on the ups and not push on the downs, it’s free speed! Every corner they brake to much and just ride in the middle of the road. I had to cross the rumble strip a couple of times flying down hills to avoid them. I absolutely loved the bike course despite the cold! After an hour and a half the feeling started to return to my left foot but not my right. I was now sweating in my my gilet but freezing in my shoes, weird feeling for sure. I didn’t push myself on the bike, instead I looked up a lot and went at 75% power to make my run a little less painful.

Bike catchers grabbed my bike as I entering transition and I hobbled off with a still frozen right foot. Those ladies wearing all those waterproof clothing must have been roasting by the end. Putting my running shoe on my frozen right foot was weird. I couldn’t tell if I had bent my toes backwards, I just set off running!

Standing upright after 3 hours on the bike was proving difficult, a feeling which took a kilometre to get rid of. The first 4km was up a tough hill. Only when I reached the top did my right foot come back to life! Then I felt better and ran a little faster. As my run continued, I seemed to gain more and more momentum. I am thrilled to have finished running in under two hours for the first time this season.

I listened to a podcast about a guy who was national champion 19 times in 4 different sports. He said it was 80% mental power and 20% technique, I like this idea. So every time I got a lump in my throat as my mind wandered off to horses past or my dad, I steered it right back on to my race.

To finish 43rd in the world championships is fantastic but I have to admit, I didn’t try. I didn’t see the point as I couldn’t win…. now I wish I had!

How enjoyable was the Ironman 70.3 World Championship to race?

I have to say this was the most enjoyable 70.3 race that I have ever done. At last I feel fit and ready to race, problem is, that’s the end of the season. Now it’s time for a rest before building up for next year. I have to decide what races I want to do next year. I have qualified for the sprint team GB racing in Hamburg next year and my entry has just been accepted to do Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. I wanted to move away from 70.3’s next year as I got a little stale this year. However, I think it’s been down to fitness looking back now. I will no doubt give my coach Garrie Prosser a headache with my race selection as the distances vary.

Life after Ironman 70.3 Championship?

I’m having a slight change of direction and I’m targeting a couple of bucket list events. So far ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ and ‘Alpe d’huez triathlons. I will of course be giving Peak XV Tri Coaching the challenge of getting me ready, you should ‘tri’ them they’re great

Thanks all for the support, onwards and upwards.

P.S. Every race has drama. Two athletes are in ICU because a “presumed” drunk driver pulled in front of them on a downhill fast section. Both athletes run into the back of the Jeep.

I passed a lady being put into the back of an ambulance around 4km mark, right at the beginning of the bike section. Apparently she passed out with hyperthermia and broken her collar bone, had concussion and a face full of gravel rash. However she’s ok but asking if anyone has picked up her helmet and sunglasses, can she have them back pleas.

One bike mechanic covering a down hill section of the ladies race had 7 punctured to deal with from tacks which we think means drawing pins. My bike computer recorded 42 miles per hour on that section, could have been messy.