Lessons learnt.

Ironman World Championships 2025

 Nice, France 

Report – Paul Faithfull

Nice in France is a lovely place, sit, have a drink, maybe a dip in the ocean….or compete in the Ironman World Championships. My wife and son chose the former, I embarked on the latter.

It was perfect weather in the early morning, sea was flat(ish), well it looked that way and super warm, so much so that wetsuits were banned.  I’ve never raced without a wetsuit, nor done a deep water start (basically think rugby maul in the ocean when the race starts!). But all good, swim went, well swimmingly, felt comfortable and relaxed, didn’t over cook it and finished about 3 mins of my personal target time in 1h 8mins.

Onto the bike and having reccied the course back in May, I knew that the first easy stretch along the coast would soon give way to stunning views, and lots and lots of climbing.  In fact the bike course involves 2500metres of ascent, the equivalent of climbing Snowdon 2.5 times.

 As far as the eye could see a string of very expensive TT bikes wound their way along the road and I was comfortably cruising past one rider after another with only a few doing the same to me.  It was getting warm but the eating competition that is an Ironman was going well and all felt good. 

At 60k I summited the main climb and onto the flat plateau section, a fast flowing section for about another 60km where aero is king.  A quick projectile vomit (maybe I had been pushing myself a bit harder than I thought) and I was off and whilst it was windy, I was still making decent progress, hampered only by the undulating nature and turns which took a brave pull to stay on the tri-bars.

At the half way point, the course goes down a country road and switches back.  I dropped a  couple of gears, swung round the turn and then the athlete in front just stopped, right on the racing line. With nowhere to go I managed to stop and fumble an unclip so no fall, but in doing so I dropped my chain which duly wedged between the chainring and the frame.  8 long minutes of cursing, blood, torn fingers and scrapped carbon before I finally managed to free it. I would later discover than 21 competitors in my age group had passed me during this incident and overall it had cost me 10 places in the final standings.  Still at least I was going again, took a while to settle in but I knew the descent and I had been practicing so could make back some time.

The descent is about 45 minutes of continuous downhill, sharp bends, speed bumps and whilst beautiful, it is also treacherous. I passed 10 athletes on the way down being attended to by ambulances where corners or bumps had been overcooked.  It was hard to pass  so many people who clearly were not used to descending, and pushing when tired (about 5 hours in to the event by this point), I decided to take it steady and wound my way safely back to transition for the run.

After the worlds longest pee (I have to learn the art of peeing on the bike, a full bladder is a good sign for the hydration strategy but most uncomfortable for 6 hours) I was on the run and making good pace.  Too good, tried to slow but that just felt awkward so I just waited for the inevitable decay in pace which duly came after 15km as my legs tightened. 

It was not really hot, especially with heat soak on the black asphalt, but the crowds and DJs were fab and it all felt managed. 

Top tip from fellow SuAAC triathlete Ash to put ice in my cap at the aid stations, this kept temperatures in check and the four 10km laps passed steadily, I kept running (between aid stations!) and with 5km to go had a bit left to push, just holding off cramp to finish in 11 hours, 14mins with a 3h34 marathon.

I had wanted to be top 50, I am right at the top of my age group now so up against it from that perspective and came in 46^th out of 330.

 Given you have to qualify for the event, I’ll take that!  Very happy, it was time for a McDonalds and a rest (well once everything was packed for the early morning flight – that was an error!). 

1. It can get really hot in Berlin
2. Maurten drink mix is more beneficial thrown down your throat than thrown over your head
3. Before choosing to saturate your entire running outfit, consider whether the benefit of the slight cooling effect outweighs the risk of extreme chafing
4. Any part of your body that makes contact with wet clothing can chafe (especially over 4 hours, 11 minutes and 33 seconds)
5. If you put your face close enough to a fireman’s hose, the strength of the water jet will dislodge your contact lenses
6. Even when you’ve paid €200 to run on a World Marathon Major course, Deliveroo cyclists will still expect you to give way
7. There’s a man who runs multiple marathons while balancing a pineapple on his head
8. Before downing a post-race beer; make sure it’s a beer (and not cold tea)
9. Once you’re 60, you no longer need to seek post-race privacy and get changed in a portaloo… just strip off in public and everyone will look away
10. Don’t believe everything that you read on an apple 

Brutal Bach Triathlon Snowdonia

20th September

Report – Simon Penson


After enjoying my first triathlon in July (the Compton Verney Sprint), Fiona thought it a good idea to do a more mountain-based second event so she kindly identified the Brutal Bach (Standard) triathlon, based in Llanberis, North Wales.

The event comprised a 1km swim in Llyn Padarn, a 29 mile circuit on the roads around Northern Snowdonia and a 10 mile run up (and down) Yr Wyddfa via the Llanberis Path.

Aside from the swim, the route was familiar to me so hey ho!

Despite the weather looking good a week before, come the day it was dodgy with very heavy on the Friday and also forecast for the event

 Everything was wet and there was standing water in the transition marquee and bike racking area. it was also difficult to see where the lake started!

The lake was at 13 degrees and the swim was a floating mass start, which was new to me. After a bit of a panic in the melee of arms and legs, I settled into a rhythm and focused on the drills from swim training with the club. I got into it and enjoyed the leg, warming up well without using my legs too much. I would definitely avoid crowding at the start next time.

After a leisurely transition, it was onto the bike and some favourite roads. The weather was drier than forecast and pleasantly warm.

Economic riding paid off and the climb up to Pen y Pass was steady. The steep descent to Nant Peris was drier than expected and so I relaxed for the arrival at the transition.

I was so keen to start the run that I did not pay enough attention to my nutrition-I didn’t eat or drink anywhere near as much as I needed to. The run started well despite torrents of water on the path and torrents of tourists who could not figure out which way to move! I felt the lack of running fitness and nutrition toward the summit and I had to dig deep but was able to descend comfortably despite walls of walkers in the way. Goodness knows why they were going up Yr Wyddfa in such poor weather-and I’m sure they thought the same of me and my fellow competitors!

I knew I’d done ok as I only saw a handful of runners descending on my way up and was pleased to finish 6th overall and (probably) the first old geezer (no age groups unfortunately).

Come  Sunday the weather was bright and dry-where’s the fun in that!

I’d do the event again, taking the learnings to help improve my time. All on all a grand day out!

Chedworth 5.

Report – Stuart George

With Cardiff half impending I was unsure about fitting this one in but after a summer of racing I wanted one more hit before the dark mornings take over our lives.  

After the 10 mile version’s success, Chedworth decided to introduce a shorter event.  How anyone would want to do the 10-mile version after that I will never figure out.

I am a road runner that’s for sure but it’s good, apparently, to get out of your comfort zone and boy was I ever.  With a waist deep river crossing at mile 3 and shoes that retained half the river after that it was never going to be an even effort all the way round but I never thought I’d run a 6 min mile followed by a 9 minute one.  But with hills that make your eyes water I did just that.

Seb was there from the club too and when he announced to me that he was just doing an easy effort I thought I bet that’s going to be quicker than my all out.  I wasn’t wrong.  However, we both went out hard at the beginning on the road stage and kept up a healthy lead from the trailing pack.  At mile 2.5 the 5 and 10 mile runners peel off.  This is where the real fun began as I noticed it was only Seb and I from the leading pack who went down the 5 mile route.  We had about a minute’s lead on the third place.  Now I’m not going to lie, with it being smaller race I thought a good age based finish was in my future but, all of a sudden, a true podium place beckoned.  If it hadn’t, I think I would have packed it all in as taking on a Goliath of a hill with 2kg of water in each shoe was a slogfest.

As we crested that hill the Marshall said it’s pretty flat from here on in.  HE LIED as the hill at mile 4.5 was equally arduous.  I did walk on two of the hills for 10 seconds to regain my breath as I was honestly running slower than I walked.  Luckily for me the gap remained from 3^rd.  Seb had now run off into the distance and claimed his win.  But I was ecstatic to follow him in for a Stratford 1, 2 finish.  We got a nifty trophy but were denied the box of celebrations we wanted to share, even when we were announced as the 2^nd placed club.

Long standing club stalwart Dave Maundrell completed the trio of SACers who completed the race.

A great day out, a super hard trail run. But as always amazing to get the colours on and even better to actually win something.  The taking part is what matters but boy after an absence of 32 years to win something in running felt good (Cooper and Jordan School Aldridge fun run winner aged 11 if anyone is interested in my past glories lol)