Representing Australia...

It was a long time coming (even longer than this blog entry) but I finally finished Ironman. And stoked to do it on my first attempt.

I've wanted to do this race since I was 16, so you can imagine how much I had played it out in my mind. I guess it's kind of how girls have an idea of their wedding day... As Ironman UK played out nothing like I had expected, it was bitter-sweet; until the finishing straight, where it was better than I could ever have imagined.


Between the half Ironman in late May and the full IM on 1st August, I had done such little training that the swim and ride were actually further than I had trained collectively in the previous 8 weeks! Luckily I had run more than the race distance as I expected that to be the tough part.

Despite the fiddly aspects of UK IM (2 transitions areas 20kms apart, setting up on Saturday which takes a whole afternoon, and having to drive to a bus which takes you to the race on the Sunday morning) I felt incredibly calm. I knew I just had to go through the motions, eat consistently, not push too hard on the bike and then hope my ITB stayed together on the run and then I'd be at the finish line 12 hours later.

Jumping into the lake before the start proved even more calming. Here I was in a line, 1600 people long, surrounded by pansies squealing as they dipped a toe into the cold water. I'm no waterman, but at least I'm not 100% British. Instant confidence boost. At the end of the first lap of the swim I finally got some clear water and a nice rhythm and was surprised to exit the water in 1 hour 8 minutes.

Ironman is so much calmer than short course racing. Transitions are an absolute dogfight in faster races but everything was fairly relaxed in my transition but I still came out on the faster side. The bike was all academic for me. I have never planned anything more meticulously. Drink this at this time, eat that and that time, stretch here, blah, blah. My plan hit a minor hurdle when the drink bottle cage behind my seat fell off, losing one of my precious custom made calorie drinks (thanks www.infinitnutrition.eu You rock!). I had no choice but to push on and did fine. Only once in the whole race did I feel hungry, but never felt weak.

Coming off the bike I was well and truly ready for a run. The 3 x 60km laps of the bike were incredibly boring! I knew now that I was beginning the toughest part of the race. The part where I would be breaking down- mentally and physically. I lasted 6kms before my ITB blew up. But this time was different. My left ITB (which has been a problem since I was 16) was perfectly fine. My right ITB had been a problem for a few weeks and was killing. I managed to get about 14kms before having to walk because I knew if I kept going it would lock my knee up. I decided to run for 5 mins then walk for 1 min. This worked ok because my ITB (strangely) went down fairly quickly but this method did give me a disgraceful 4:47 marathon time.

But none of this mattered when I turned the last corner and saw a huge red carpet, 5,000 people screaming and hearing the MC announce "representing Australia, Nathan Fenton". He even gave an 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie- oi, oi, oi" which I haven't appreciated since the first time I heard it at the Sydney Olympics 10 years ago! So despite a terrible time, my parents and Deneil not being there, losing to Angus and the race being nothing like I had imagined, I was over the moon when I crossed the finish line. This was one of the few things left on my list of things to do before I die, and I think I might do another one. I won't be happy til I get under 12 hours. I kind of knew I'd find another reason to race again...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Think I'm Back.

Things are a little different to when I last put a blog up. I'm a lot lighter; lighter in posessions, companions, attachments and money. Also lighter in friends, direction and raison d'être. But I have made up for that with a pot belly and a lot of issues... Ha, that would be the easier path, but if I were one to make things easier for myself I probably wouldn't be here right now. So I have made up for my lost weight with the most determination and biggest list of strange goals I have ever had.

Tomorrow I aim to be able to tick off one I've wanted since I was 16. We'll see...

Do It Anyway...

Happy Birthday Flip.

Happy Birthday Clare.

Épernay... Look at moi...

Tomorrow I head back to the greatest country outside Australia. For Clare's birthday we are heading to Epernay in France.

According to Wikipedia:
Épernay (Sparnacum) belonged to the archbishops of Reims from the 5th until the 10th century, when it came into the possession of the counts of Champagne. It was badly damaged during the Hundred Years' War, and was burned by Francis I in 1544. It resisted Henry of Navarre in 1592, and Marshal Biron fell in the attack which preceded its eventual capture. In 1642 it was, along with Château-Thierry, named as a duchy and assigned to the duc de Bouillon.

More accurately, however, it's within the region that Champagne comes from.

I have a few issues with the Wikipedia explanation:
a) The Hundred Years War actually went for 116 years and was a series of different wars;
b) The French Royal Anthem is mostly about Henry of Navarre, yet Épernay resisted him- does that mean they should have their own renegade Royal Anthem? 'God Save the Queen' perhaps?
c) Francis I was born in Cognac. I see jealousy...

So despite what I see on Wikipedia and Google maps, I'm not sure what to expect. There are only about 25,000 people in Épernay, so maybe it'll be a quaint little town ruined by tourists looking for another glass of champagne (ie. us).

What I do know, however, is that it's no surprise they resisted Henry:

Post Script in a Happy Tone

After I wrote yesterday's post I got an email from WE, a Swedish clothing label, which went as follows:

What do you want to do today?
If you could choose to do anything, no limits, what would it be?

Whatever it is (unless it's illegal), try to do it. Sometimes the need to break the norm and the daily habits get a bit overwhelming and the only way to cure that is to actually do something that you wouldn't normally do. The reason we're saying this is simple - we want you to be inspired, active and more than anything, happy.

I thought that was well said. A more upbeat version of what I said!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new Gyroscope album. I think this is the first single.

Gyroscope - Some Of The Places I Know

GYROSCOPE..new album COHESION out APRIL 9 !!! | MySpace Music Videos

What Would you Say or Do?

On Friday it will be a year since Shane McConkey died while skiing/ BASE jumping in Italy. I just watched an interview with him that was filmed on 13th March 2009 and I wondered what he would have said or done if you told him he had 13 days left to live. I don't think he would have done much differently and that's a good way to be.

The thought of only having a limited time here is a morbid thought but it shouldn't be. I think we should all live like we have 13 days left- nobody could accuse McConkey of not doing that. We may have more; we may have less but we shouldn't go through a day without making ourselves feel alive.

Yesterday the 2008 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Champion, James Williamson, died in his sleep at a race in South Africa. That's far from expected from an incredibly fit 26 year old, but it does happen and at the moment there's nothing we can do about it.

So get out and enjoy yourself and the time with your family and friends. Work out what makes you tick and do it. Work out what makes others tick and help them with that, too. Just make the most of it.

Preparation Is Key

I managed to get out for a good ride on Sunday- one of the first days of the year above 10 degrees and, pleasantly, the sun was also out. What was especially good about the ride was that it involved hills (which, on a good day, I love) and I rode with 3 other guys who are better than me.



I quite like riding with people who are better than me because it keeps the pressure on. It's all too easy to think you're tired and lay off the pace but when there's pride on the line you will tend to find out exactly how tired you can get without dropping the pace. I found out on Sunday that it's not just distance, pace, conditions or food intake that can determine how quickly you get tired, but also whether or not you spent 5 hours shopping down Oxford Street the day before...

On the upside, I got to know 3 other guys from the triathlon club I'm training with, found some more hills south west of London, and made a pact with myself never to go shopping the day before a ride.

If you want to see the route we took, you'll have to check this link because I can't work out how to embed a map with Garmin Connect (yet another corporation that has bought out and ruined a perfectly good, functional website because they couldn't make a good one on their own). Garmin Connect

While not big hills by any standard, it's the best I can get in the south of England, and I can tell you that on Sunday these hills were enough! Below is an elevation map that suggests I should have eaten more for breakfast...


Looking forward to doing it again.