Holding on to the dream

 Steve at the finish of Ironman, Austria a race he has finished a number of times

Holding on to the dream

Yesterday, after completing my own 260 minutes slog on the turbo trainer, that took until lunchtime to complete, I had a call from dear friends elsewhere, who had also taken on the 2.6 My Challenge themselves, to help raise money for the charities. Age UK Brighton and Hove, in my case. We had similar thoughts at the end of the quest, namely that it was a almost a shame that we had all worked so hard to train for a long list of triathlon events this summer that had all been cancelled because of the global Corona virus pandemic.

Here we all are as fit as fleas, ready to take on our big events and yet they are all cancelled for the foreseeable future. It is a bitter disappointment but that seems as nothing to what is going on around us. We all seem to know somebody who has had the dreadful killer bug.

It seems to me though, that it is a good thing that we Ironman crazy lot had been quite determined to hold our fitness and be ready for the ‘if and when’ that this nightmare is over. The cloud hanging over us must float off and disappear in the atmosphere. We should be offering thanks that we possess the discipline to keep our heads on straight, our eyes firmly on the goal, to dig deep inside ourselves and keep on keeping on. 

Talking on the phone yesterday though, I did say that I thought that we more experienced triathletes were in fact in a better place right now and that it was more important to the many young people who had started to take part in our sport.

Just that same as in our own experience years ago, they had enjoyed the first couple of seasons taking part in Olympic distance races and had then got the taste for the sport and wanted to test ourselves further. The old longer, higher, faster syndrome I suppose.

That stage for me was about twenty seven or eight years ago. Since those early days back then, we have done dozens of 70.3 races and eighteen amazing Ironman or Iron distance races for me and well over thirty for Steve, including the ultimate, the Hawaii Ironman where it all started. 

Those youngsters have worked all winter with one goal in mind; to compete in their first Ironman or the first time at 70.3. They must be mortified with disappointment and I can see that it might be a completely morale crushing time for them, because the training for the first longer event is a real challenge. 

The gradual increase in mileage, that must be done with slow increments or they can start run into injury problems. It is a science and they have had that dream and fixed it into their minds. That is what the want to do. They should be able to do it, they think. It’s only logical when they see much that older people, slower people, are able to get through it. So they should then; it makes sense doesn’t it? They are young and strong…… and they have bought all that very expensive kit!

They look the part and they feel the part and in a few more weeks they could have been running down the finish shoot hearing the Race commentator shouting over the airways; “Sammy Farnsbarns, or Teresa Green, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” They have heard it when they have seen races on TV and next time it should be them. That is the moment. That it what it’s all about.

I feel their pain in having that joy taken from them this year. Of course there will be another time and another chance. Yet this time was the first spring rose in bud and the finish line is the full blown glory. Young people don’t want to wait, they want it bad and they want it now. What a shame, what a torture. I just hope they have what it takes to keep holding on to that dream.    

My own fitness level is much improved from the beginning of the year when we were still excited about the prospect of all the exciting events we had entered. Stars in our eyes, as we started to plan for the travel to new places. My husband Stephen and I love traveling anyway but we find it especially exciting to be drawn to somewhere new. We have been together for 43 years and have driven to hundreds of places all over Europe. Our race season was to have started with races in two places that we had not visited. We had been near to them or passed by on the way to somewhere else but not stayed in the places.

The first stop would have been just two weeks away in Croatia, for Ironman 51.50 Poreč 1500 mtr sea swim/40km bike ride and a 10km run in a beautiful holiday destination. Poreč is a popular summer resort on the coast of the Istrian Peninsula in western Croatia. In the historic old town, the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica complex is famous for its gem-studded Byzantine mosaics. I’ve read all about it….. Cancelled.

I have read all about Graz in Austria too, it looks marvellous, what a picturesque city it looks. That was to have been the second event on our race Calendar. That was to have been Ironman 70.3, half ironman distance….. Cancelled. 

The ITU World Championships in Edmonton, Canada have also been cancelled recently as well. What a wash out.

The young would-be Ironman has, it is fair to say better odds of still being fit next year than me at my age and a wish them well. I hope they have as much enjoyment from our sport as Steve and I have had. We long ago gave up ordinary holidays.