Ironman Copenhagen 2023 Jules’ Story
Ironman Jules
The few months preceding Ironman Copenhagen were tough. My mental approach to training and preparing for the race was poor. My enthusiasm had gone. Endless lengths of the pool were just monotonous and long bike rides were hard. I had niggles in my achilles, hip and wrist and felt tired. I was pretty down.
The night before the Ironman I slept better than I had for months. I woke up feeling excited, all the nerves had gone and my niggles were behaving themselves. En route to T1 at Kastrup Metro station I saw two magpies, one for sorrow, two for joy. The weather was perfect. Abbie had been in Copenhagen two weeks earlier and there were 40 mph winds. Today there was a gentle wind and it was warm and dry. When I arrived at T1 to check on my bike I managed to let all the air out of my front tyre with a dodgy pump. I calmly found a decent stand pump and rectified the situation. Everything was falling into place and I started to believe in myself again.
At that point I was able to make a conscious decision to enjoy the day, to give it my best shot but most of all enjoy it. I really did enjoy Ironman Copenhagen.
The swim was lovely and pretty easy. Warm water, a pleasant route that went under two bridges full of supporters and a noisy exit. Any fears I had of battling through swimmers and avoiding fists and kicks were quickly dispelled. It never felt busy. Six swimmers entered the water every six seconds and it worked so well.
I took my time in T1 and changed into a pair of well-padded cycling shorts. 112 miles is a long way and a long time in the saddle! I set off at a good pace enjoying the smooth tarmac. I was aiming for an average pace of 16 mph/hr but I also wanted to give myself as much time to complete the run as possible. A series of small climbs and rolling hills didn’t cause any problems. Training in Northumberland has its benefits. By the end of the bike, I was tired and the quads were burning but that was always going to be the case. I averaged 16.9 mph/hr and was more than happy.
T2 was another leisurely affair with a full change of clothes and a toilet stop before heading out on the run. My race plan was to run/walk (8mins/2 mins) the marathon from the outset and that is what I did. Four laps of a 10k course and four times past the finish line was tough going. Never a fan of loops I did struggle to get my head around it at times. I looked forward to seeing our support crew on course and seeing Kate, Stewart, and Craig at various times as the route wound its way around the city centre. The general support was incredible. I felt overwhelmed at times and “Jool” does sound gorgeously inspiring in a deep Scandinavian accent. I managed to run/walk the entire marathon, as planned, fuelled only by sips of water and slices of orange. I just couldn’t eat anymore after religiously following my nutrition plan of eating every 20 mins on the bike.
I am not sure I can put into words the feeling when eventually the time came to turn right down the red carpet towards the finish line. It is the one part of the Ironman that I had been visualising since signing up. I had thought that I would be in tears or crawling or on wobbly legs. I wasn’t. I felt great and was able to really enjoy the applause and banging on the boards…and then hear those immortal words “JULES YOU ARE AN IRONMAN”.
Doing an Ironman is all consuming, it costs a small fortune, takes up a lot of time and affects more people than just the competitor but I am so pleased that I embarked on what can only be described as a positive life changing experience. I am very grateful to Steve for his unfaltering support from start to finish and to the coaches and friends that I have worked, trained and moaned with during this journey. Believe!