Ironman Copenhagen 2023 Kate’s Story

My goal for my first ironman: To make it through the cutoffs and finish feeling strong.

I knew if I got on to the run with 7hours left, I would be able to do it, as I had been practicing my walking speed!

My biggest concern: always the swim. 

My open water swim training hadn’t given me much confidence. I’d suffered a lot with cramp in my feet and calves and had breathing problems from my asthma, mainly due to the cold temperatures of our local swim areas. This had me worried about even completing the first discipline without being pulled out. 

We had been in the water in Copenhagen a couple of times during race week and the temperature was pleasant even without a wetsuit. We hadn’t swum enough for me to have completely erased my fears of cramp, but enough to think my breathing would be ok.

The bike is my favourite bit (unless it’s raining and windy) and I felt happy that my training had gone well. I had cruised around a 102miler in Northumberland. Obviously, few things run smoothly and my new tri bike had a few issues during the last few weeks before the race. This wasn’t what I was anticipating and didn’t help with the pre-race nerves. But Tony and Rob from CycleArt pulled all the stops out and I collected it, literally, on the way to the ferry!

Two short rides in Denmark confirmed it was working well. I had even practised changing a tyre with my new Rehook (link) tool...(amazing - get one!!!)

Because I enjoy cycling so much, I was conscious I had to watch I didn’t go too hard on the bike, so I could run afterwards!

Run training had gone OK. My 70.3 at Cholmondeley had been rubbish with my slowest half marathon since time began and an old knee injury/surgery raising its swelling and hamstring restriction again. Jules and I had run/walked 33km in training and I had been ok.

The final countdown ...

The last couple of weeks of training were a mixture of ‘God damn enough already’ and ’Oh sh@t, I need another 3months’! But I really couldn’t be bothered to do much more.

Copenhagen week

Race week in Copenhagen was fun. A great Airbnb on the 5th floor without a lift ... (Keith doesn’t get to book again!), 1km from the race village and event start and close to the metro.

The other YOPPERs arrived through the week so there was always someone to register with, shop for merch with and generally get excited with. We did a couple of bikes and had a couple of pre-race swims and ate ice creams together.

The event village got the excitement or rather borderline fear going! I got to see my old pal Sergio, who was helping Nirvana as lead bike mechanic for the event.

I’m still calm at this point and a bit excited.

The real nerves arrived as I was packing my blue, red and white race bags and trying to work out my nutrition requirements, thank goodness Keith was there to help as I can’t count at the best of times!

The night before the race, I had a lovely meal, and got to bed, straight to sleep, Keith set his alarm so he could wake up and make coffee and rice pudding for me. I didn’t expect to sleep well but I got 6hours and 45mins of uninterrupted sleep. Winning!

Let’s do this...

Race morning arrived and well, it’s just horrendous. Fear had taken over from any sense of excitement I may have felt briefly earlier in the week, mainly in the merch tent!

We walked to the event start, it had rained but was drying, it was still not cold but not warm...just Goldilocks!

Into T1...

Toilet  ✔️  to my already racked bike..

Bottles on ✔️ 

Nutrition in bike bag ✔️ 

Bike computer on  ✔️ 

Toilet ✔️ 

Tyres ✔️ 

Second breakfast nibbled then thrown away✔️ 

Wetsuit, ear plugs, swim hat, goggles in hand ✔️ 

Toilet ✔️ 

The other YOPPERS were in the wave ahead of me, as I wasn’t confident on my swim, I wished them well and to have a good and safe day out. Then I went into the the pre-race swim warm up area. 

I stood speaking to no one, the odd smile watching the faces of my fellow ironmen and women.

Confident, race ready, apprehensive, happy and downright sick-looking faces; take your pick they were all there. 

I tried to stand quietly watching until I felt calmer, something I had read in Lauren Fleshman’s book

‘Good for a Girl’, which I had read on my journey over. It’s a must read.

Did it work? yes, I think so.

Surviving the swim

Standing with Paul L in the swim waiting area with the music playing watching the other competitors heading into the water, I noticed unless you climb over a barrier there is no way out! I said to Paul, “it’s like being in a casino, there are no exit signs and only one obvious way out...I guess I’m starting this thing then!”

At Ironman they let you out into the water in groups of 6, so you don’t get battered at the start. After the first couple of minutes, I managed to settle my breathing and the wheeze that I had disappeared as quickly as it arrived. I stayed out of the way, and plodded around the course, surrounded by purple hats (my wave) green hats (the wave before) and white hats (the wave after). At times I was swimming so wide I thought I would end up having swum 14k but when I moved closer in, I got battered and kicked and held up, none of which made for a relaxing swim!  I figured staying wide was the best option.

Once out of the start, the water was clear, reedy in places and shallow (some people walked ... not sure why). Normally I hate reedy water for fear of dead bodies or something worse, but the sense of calm presided.  The last 800 meters went on forever and I had started to think about food at this point.

As always, it’s a relief to get on to terra firma.

No cramp 

No leaking goggles 

No irritating gnome like swim hat

No motion sickness

Into transition, which is weird on an ironman, you want to be efficient but there is a mental check list of things you should do before you leave which takes a lot longer...

Out on the bike...

As I crossed the mount line my thought was ooh it’s not very warm, but not something I was going to be worrying about for long.

Windier than expected but not windy, we started a two loop (reversed P). I took the first lap very steadily, stopping to fill my water bottles and have the longest wee, in a vomit-inducing smelly toilet.

I thankfully had an uneventful bike. So many people with punctures. I did find myself crossing my fingers and saying my mantra “please no punctures” repeatedly every time I saw someone at the side of the road. The reports say something about flint!

The temperature was rising, the sun was out and I was thankful that I had put on a bit of sun cream and that I hadn’t bothered with my gilet. I was cycling along looking at the lovely houses thinking it is turning into a nice day for the bike ride, then I remembered I was racing.

Did I mention there were three hills...a bit like the Allendale Road but shorter.

The second one was bouncing, like Dutch Corner on the Tour or Solar hill at Challenge Roth. 

I picked up the pace a bit on the second loop, although with the smooth tarmac and non-hills of Copenhagen it still felt easy.

My nutrition had been spot-on and I hadn’t needed my emergency gels. 

What is it about blokes and drafting on non-draft legal races?! There were plenty of race official bikes out but never when you wanted them to see the groups of 3-5 blokes drafting. I might ride with a bike cam next time!

Suffering the run...

I decided not to put more suncream on in T2, mainly because I didn’t have any in my bag! Which I thought would come to haunt me later, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected.

4 laps of a twisting and turning run course, which went from bouncing energy at one extreme to isolation at the other. Cobbles, twists and turns, slight ups and downs and not a golden mermaid in sight.

Plenty of feed stations packed with gels, chewies, oranges, coke, water, gatorade, red bull (I didn’t see anyone having red bull) and Tuc biscuits.

My strategy had been to run/walk from the beginning, so I didn’t feel like I had failed when I inevitably had to walk. I had practiced walking strongly. 

Two friends from France, Steve and his daughter Shonagh, joined the YOP cheering squad for the run which was amazing. The crew were dotted at every point apart from the zone of isolation (they must have known).

Easily identifiable by the YOP flags Stew and Julie had made and the trumpet Steve carries with him to announce his arrival!

Julie and Stevie P were near the finish where you had to run round and past the finish line too many times before you got to turn the opposite way and on to the Ironman carpet. Keith, Steve and Shonagh were near the pubs!!!!

Every lap I got a hug, shout, or abuse from Liv, which made me laugh and kept me going.

We got a different coloured band each lap. On lap one, I clocked the people wearing green, were moving slower, walking more and smiled less than the others. The order of the bands: yellow, red, green and blue. 

I was running and chatting to this chap who said to me, I thought I would be ok until 32km but it hit me at 27!  

Something to look forward to then!

On the second half of the third green (green for grimace) lap, my walks were getting longer but my run speed remained relatively consistent. I had energy, didn’t feel sick, no gastro issues but was, by now sick of sweet stuff, which is when I spotted the TUC biscuits and what a welcome change. 

By the final blue lap, those 8min runs had turned into 2on 8off, my right foot was burning and each foot contact elicited quad discomfort (not pain, more like when you are cold the discomfort you feel jumping off a horse and landing on the ground).

I chatted to fellow competitors a bit more and smiled a lot, as it was nearly over, thanked the marshals and the supporters, a few of whom had been on the run course all day, cheering people on ...like the Dalglish support crew.

Eventually I got to the finisher chute. There was a chap just behind me, but there was no need (ability) for a sprint finish. 

Stevie P and Julie were shouting “the bell, ring the bell” Everyone banging the boards and shouting...the noise would have gone through the roof had there been one!

The chap next to me said “First timer!!”, grabbed my hand and ran to the finish line, stopping just short of the line so I could cross first.

No idea who competitor 1968 was, but thankfully he didn’t drag me faster than I was able to move!

I crossed the line smiling, arms raised and feeling strong! To the words...

Kate Charlton YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Job done...

For now...