Ironman Austria Race Day Part 2

 

The Athlete tracking systems seem to have been honed to a fine art and Anthony gave me updates quickly each time Steve passed one of the timing points. 

Steve was first in his age group out of the swim and he was obviously happy with that when we saw him. He had a good bike ride at a nice steady pace as his splits came up and his total time for what is a hilly ride was 7.19. Anthony and I had been waiting for Steve to come out on to the run course since we arrived on the boat at 3.40pm. From the time that we saw on the tracker that he had made it in off the bike course it seemed like a long wait until he came into sight, at which point we saw immediately that he was in trouble. He was leaning forward quite badly but seemed in good humour still when we first saw him. His body position had got steadily worse when I saw him at the end of the first 10km loop. He was in pain by then with his back that had not straightened out at all after the bike section. I ran ahead and back to keep an eye on him and then waited whilst he did the stretch into the town centre. The run route for Ironman Austria is roughly a 10km loop in one direction and another after that in the opposite direction alongside the canal that goes in to the centre of Klagenfurt and back to the Ironman Village. Then both loops are repeated and with the link sections through the park you get the 42km total. 

It was clear to me that my poor lamb was going to find the second half marathon very hard and that I had better make sure that I was in a good state to be a helper if help was needed. I went and sat in the shade in a café exactly where we had waited for the swim start earlier. I took my shoes and socks off and sat quietly, resting for an hour and twenty minutes before returning to my spotting spot for Steve to begin the last 10 km loop. During that wait I had a phone call from Anthony saying that Steve was in a massive amount of pain and was stooped right forward and could only walk using a stick that Ant had found for him. Anthony told me that I had better work some magic and find some pain killers for him or he was not going to be able to cope. I started approaching groups of athletes who had finished the course and asking all of them for something for pain. I found one group who had no English and no German but that I communicated to, that my husband needed tablets for a bad back. They all when through all their bags and between than they handed over tablets and a squeezy packet of something the spread on his back. Then I hurried along the course toward Steve and Anthony and after several km I found them and produced tablets, medicated gel and water. Then the three of us started off again. Steve was doubled over like some sort of old troll. As we passed the group who had come up with the goods they all stood and cheered him on. About five km later we were approached by an official and we realised it was the race director who we do actually know. Erwin asked if we thought he could make it to the finish or should he call an ambulance. We all swore that he could make it because there was plenty of time. He agreed that Steve could go on but said that we must both stay with him on the course. He also said that he would see us at the finish.  

It was a struggle and I nagged like some old fish wife to keep him moving on. All of our married life Steve has complained that I walk to fast and he did that now and I told him to poke up with the pain and dig deep for whatever he needed to push on.  We did make it in the pitch dark, and Steve staggered up the finish tube and through the finish gantry. The time was 16 hours 58 minutes 19 seconds. He had finished his 31^st Ironman. His worst ever run section that in this event was just a stagger though he legs were working. Eight times winner Miranda Carfrae, place Steve’s medal around his neck 

We had a two km walk in the total black of thunder and lightning flashes to a field where the car was parked. The transition was closed so could not pick up the bike and bags. 

As if all this were not enough trauma; Anthony fell over on the way in to the finish and had to go to hospital to have four stitches in his leg. It was his birthday by the time he got to bed.  It was 2am before lights out. 

Steve’s sport nutrition for the event was three whole bags of Jelly Snakes, coffee in his drinker that he watered down most of the day and Coca Cola on the run (stagger). I added up my mileage for the day and it was 28 kilometres! 17 ½ miles I think. I am a wreck today and have ten mosquito bites and my knee has swollen up. When Steve woke me at 6am I told him to go away because I don’t like him. The day did get better though but not much.  

I have told Steve that if he signs up for another Ironman I will take this event finisher photo and have it made into a tee shirt. I have been trying to trade Steve in for a new one on the internet…. I proposed to Gerard Butler but he declined saying that I was a meanie and would not let him go to football or out with the boys to get drunk. So that’s a no then.