So the plan was always to race Florida IM at the end of the season to firstly start the hunt for point to qualify for World Ironman Champs but also to post a quick time. I have done 2 IM before Florida, Lanzarote which is very hilly and slow, and the Outlaw in the UK which is rolling but I raced it to win… not for a time. I said the placing wasn’t so important for me but the time was, and if I posted a fast time then the placing would take care of itself…
So after some chilled out days with Matt my homestay it finally got round to the race. The sand on the beach before the swim was pretty cold and was slightly unexpected being Florida so it was a relief to jump in the warm sea. I had a pretty solid swim but not quick because there were some strong cross currents. In fact from what spectators said the group I was swimming in swam a fair bit extra due to being pushed sideways. We exited in 56mins and I was surrounded by about 5 other pros.
I had one of the quicker transitions and exited first from the group. I started pushing fairly strongly to get strong onto pace. I had the idea in my race plan that I was going to have to push the first part of the bike to catch the group, but little did I know Ronnie and Frank rode a 4:19 so that was never going to happen! Anyway I rode on the front for about 20miles before someone else decided to go to the front. We were riding pretty hard at that stage but pretty comfortably under my threshold. The bike was pretty uneventful apart from half way through I realised I had a slow puncture on the front. A spare wheel motorbike came up next to me and I asked to get a change… Wow what a slick operation! I felt like I was in the Tour de France. I rode up to the front of the group to minimise the time lose, pulled over and swapped wheels within about 30secs. I put my head down expecting a savage chase to regain contact with the group, as you would in a road race. I caught the group after about 2 mins of chasing and was seriously surprised how good my legs felt. I didn’t just join the back I rode up to 3rd in the group so that I was in a position to go with a move. I felt great.
Coming into the last 30miles I was beginning to get a heavy full bladder. It was infuriating watching all the other guys just piss while they were riding along. I could even piss whilst standing out the saddle and coasting… I was pre occupied by trying to piss and it definitely made me lose focus and stop drinking. I really need to work on that. I tried a small break in the last 5miles because I felt like the pace had dropped a fair bit. They caught be just as we went into T2.
So into the run I set off pretty hard and the first 6miles was on 6:10min miles but I didn’t feel as though I was cruising. After about 10miles I was getting small flinches of cramp in my calves. I took salt tablets early which I’m sure saved me from full on cramp. After 16miles I was pretty much into conservation mode and knew if I cramped worse, then I’d be walking and that would seriously nail my finish time.
I was in 10th but I got overtaken in the last 2miles and I didn’t have the physical or mental ability to get with him. I finished 11th in 8:35:30.
Seriously frustrating as it was the most comfortable I have felt leading into the run and yet I couldn’t execute my strongest discipline. I was aiming for 8:30 and if I had run the predicted 2:45 I wanted I would have been nearer 8:25, so it was frustrating. Frustration can only be turned into a positive though and knowing if I get the small things right, like nutrition and pissing on the bike then the strength and fitness is there!
Photos courtesy of Ramon Serrano
Joel Jameson
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