Team TCUK athlete Ben Carter gives his account of a great performance at Ironman 70.3 Vichy....

Pre-race

Preparations were ok-ish once I arrived in Vichy. Unfortunately once we arrived we realised we'd booked a box room and would have to share a bed (!!!) in a stifling hot room. I didn't get any decent sleep in the 4 days prior to the race. In all honesty though the adrenaline and excitement on the day meant I didn't feel tired whatsoever. On the nutrition side of things I felt prepared - lots of wholemeal pasta, vegetables and oats. That's what I'm used to at home so felt comfortable and confident.

Despite having numerous niggles through the year (which limited my running a lot) I felt more than happy that I could handle the distance, and whilst the heat was something I hadn't trained specifically for, I felt confident that the training plan would mean I had enough to finish - it was just a question of whether I would be as fast as I'd hoped! The coaching has been absolutely first class. I can't rate it highly enough - plans were adapted at short notice to accommodate injuries, responsive coaches who are always on hand to answer questions and varied training weeks keep motivation and enthusiasm high. Above all Ady, James and Matt are a really friendly bunch with a genuine passion for triathlon - I didn't want to miss a session for fear of disappointing them!!

Swim

Time: 34:18

Very happy with the swim. I'd done no open water non wetsuit training and was worried I would be a lot slower than anticipated - turns out I swam exactly the same pace as in training with a wetsuit (taking into account my slight waywardness!). Positives were that I discovered a wetsuit doesn't provide all the speed gains I'd convinced myself of, and at my next event with a rolling swim start I can start further up the pack (I underestimated my swim time). Negative was that I was wayward - clocking around 50 extra metres and drifting towards canoes. Sighting can be improved and is something to work on. I'm convinced that I have the potential to swim a lot faster - I never feel that short of breath when I leave the water. I'm speaking to my local tri club about joining 2-3 of their swim sessions each week to force me to quicken the pace. Sometimes swimming alone makes it hard to really push on.

T1

Time: 0:03:46

Not the quickest time but I was happy. I didn't have my shoes clipped to the bike (will practice flying mounts though for next year) but everything went smoothly. Apart from some idiot woman dropping her energy gel at the mount line, deciding to turn around with her bike and backing everyone up! Nothing we could do there and it only cost a few seconds but still annoying! A non wetsuit swim leads to a much easier transition!

Bike

Time: 2:27:28

Absolutely chuffed with the bike split! I was aware Vichy is a fast course but I wasn't expecting that time - I don't feel as though I was really burying myself either, but I was definitely putting in some effort! If I'd have gone any quicker I think I would have done a lot worse on the run. Once I saw the average speed at the halfway point whilst still being in Z3 I was really happy with how the day was going. I felt good in the aero position and didn't sit up all that often. I liked the fact that there's always people down the road to set your sights on and start picking off - I'm sure that helped lead to the time I got. Nutrition was good too and no stomach issues - took Clif Bloks and will continue to use those; gels sometimes given me a dodgy stomach for the run.

T2

Time: 0:03:05

Included a quick pee stop - happy with the time and it was a smooth transition. Someone barged me out the way of one of the toilets! But luckily another opened a few seconds later! Positive was that I felt the transition was smooth. No real negatives.

Run

Time: 1:40:26

The run was brutally hard - I struggled with the heat, especially in the second half. My HRM run out of battery at the end of the bike too. If it had been working I’m not sure I would have ran faster (I literally emptied the tank) but maybe my pace would have been more even? Who knows.

I feel there's a lot of improvement to be found in the run. Injuries have limited my training and I'm sure that with some solid training over the winter I can get down to 4:30min/km pace and that's something I want to work on. Nutrition also needs to improve - I don't seem to get a great deal of energy from gels (at least it doesn't feel like it). I might try using Clif Bloks given they seem to work on the bike.

The main positive was that I made it round the course without fainting - I was working so hard! Aside from that it was the longest run I've done since December so pleased to have completed it in the time I did. Negatives are that I wasn't able to focus on heart zones (which might have helped even out pace) and my nutrition didn't feel quite right (although likely didn't impact my time that much). The heat was a negative...but I can't control that!

Post race

Chilling out, a couple of beers and easy cycling. I'm now ready to get back into training though, I've thoroughly enjoyed the process from Day 1 right through the finish line. Well maybe not the last 5km...but I can't wait for the next one. Someone did tell me I'd get addicted...

For next year I’m planning more 70.3s, maybe 3? And then the full distance in a couple of years. I'd like to get sub 4:30 for a 70.3 next year - I will focus on the run, swim in a group and keep trying to make gains on the bike! As ridiculous as it might sound now after only having done one event, but I'd like to try and qualify for the 70.3 World Championships in the next 4 years. I believe I can do it and am more than ready to put in whatever it takes to get there. 

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