Craig Banks: Ironman South Africa 2007: A view from the back of the pack

My view of Ironman South Africa 2007 is extremely different from the previous posts on this site. Back of the pack athletes seldom get to share their experience which makes websites like this so special. Personally my race went well although I really did get my full monies worth on race day! What an incredible experience and it is something which I will never forget in my life.

Racing on behalf of the 2twenty6 charity made the day a little more special for me. Together we raise R300 000 for cancer research and were very recognisable in our kit. Passing each other on the course revitalised the energy levels and added a little more spring into the step and with our 60-odd supporters out on the course all clad in their red shirts it made for a wonderful day.

The view from the back of the pack…and I mean back of the pack is never really told and while most of the Ironman 07 field were having a hot shower, a cold beer or warmly tucked up in bed I was still trudging the empty streets of PE.

My day started fairly well. That hour wait before the swim kicked off was probably the longest in my life but what an amazing experience to be standing in the middle of all that energy. You could see the anticipation, fear and excitement in the faces of the athletes as we all waited patiently for the gun to go off. My swim went surprisingly well in the unexpected rough conditions but I found the exit of the first lap a little tricky after I was swept under the pier and had to climb into the support beams and hang on for dear life until the set past!

The one thing I did find about the swim is that back of the packers in Ironman racers are super friendly?! It was difficult to swim straight in the big swell and our little group crossed paths on more than once occasion. However I was never kicked or punched nor did I have the overwhelming sensation to swim over the person who was disturbing my rhythm as is often reported. A gentle nudge or some quick breaststroke was all it took to correct the situation. I am sure that like me after months of training the last thing you want is for you race to end prematurely with lost goggles…or a broken nose. A healthy respect for our fellow competitors in the water is something which I’ll never forget from this race.

After a 1h35 I was in the change tent ready to tackle my worst discipline.

I found the bike course difficult as I tend to go backwards up-hills and fiercely dislike the wind so the combination of both in the first 14km did not help to settle my HR after the swim. My sense of humour was further tested when I was forced to peddle down hill as the wind slowly increased! The first lap seemed to take forever but I kept to my race pre-race strategy and forced out all the negative thoughts which tend to creep into your head. The second lap was much better as I got to experience what it must be like to be leading an Ironman when the pro’s passed me…although with the speed that the leader went by my fantasy was short-lived. Lap 3 went by in a blur as I knew I was homeward bound and before I knew it I had happily rid myself of my bike.

After 180km on the bike a full marathon really doesn’t seem like a long way especially when the crowds are screaming your name. I breezed through my first lap at a steady easy pace, sticking to my plan of walking the water stations and running as much as I could between them. The sun set sometime during my second lap and then the heavens opened right as I had urgently ducked into the bushes at the furthest most desolate part of the run course. I just had to laugh! I had felt so strong running through the crowds and their encouragement fuelled my tired legs however once the downpour had wash away the support I realised that I was in for a long 14km walk home.

There is something quite eerily walking / running in the dark especially when you have the roads to yourself. For long periods there was at least 50m between athletes and once the rain stopped the silence of the once noisy streets was incredibly surreal. It was very hard to imagine that just an hour ago crowds lined the streets and I really did feel like I had been transported into a different race. Running (if you can call it that) past the night clubs, our hotel and the finish line for the last time was hard but there were a few die hard supporters out there who kept us going.

An incredible experience which majority of the field would have missed is Ivan and Sues’ candle. As it gets dark they light a candle which serves as a beacon, a guiding light to those athletes coming out of the dark stretch from the golf course. They sit there patiently supporting every single athlete and it is the little things like this which will make this race a legend in this country.

As the finish line loomed I knew I was about to fulfil a 3 year dream of becoming an Ironman. All Ironmen have their own wonderful experience of running down that incredible finishing shoot and mine was no different. I was fortunate enough to cross the line with my 2twenty6 team mates, my family, friends and fiance in tow… all who had supported my during my difficult struggle with cancer.

15h34 went by in a flash and it still hard to believe that after all the hours of training, months of planning and years of thinking about this one event it is now finally over. I’ve got a serious case of PIB (post Ironman blues) but Xterra looms (think I’ll do the sprint!!) and the desire to compete again is starting to burn inside me again!

See you on the road

This entry was posted on Friday, March 30th, 2007 at 3:08 pm and is filed under 2twnety6, Craig Banks, Eastern Cape, Ironman, Ironman South Africa, Ironman South Africa 2007, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, charity, triathlon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.