7 IRONMAN FINISHES IN A ROW - NEW GTC RECORD

Swim 3.8km bike 180km, marathon 42.2km - complete within 17 hours

Heading towards IronMan Austria 2024 I was contending with an ongoing knee injury, all info from pre event Blog. 

So, onto the 2024 start line, with near 3,000 other participants, with 5 of us heading out through timers and into Lake Worthersee every 5 seconds. Into the water, under the water, breathe, take stroke 1 and we are Game On. 

I am not setting out AGAINST the challenge of 140.6 miles. I am setting out FOR. 

For? For my wife, and for my daughters. For my mum. For what the race organisers said in the 2024 athlete briefing, 'Just being here is a Celebration of Wellness'. For our amazing, local, friendly and inclusive GTC Glenrothes Triathlon Club. For everyone who has mentored and encouraged me over the last 10 years. For everyone back home who will be signed in today and watching my ongoing progress via ankle transmitter, on the IronMan App. For is always much easier than against!

Austria is not a technical turning swim - it only has two turns, it is straight out into the lake, turn left at 1.35km, a few hundred metres more, then turn left again and swim directly back into the morning sun, back direct towards the final 1km down the narrow Lendkanal. 

I had a bad start to the swim, very busy, much contact with many others, just could not relax, let alone get into any rhythm at all. Realised 500 metres in that, caught up in the joy of being at the start line, I hadn't gone through my usual visualisation, deep-breathing, and focus on relaxation. I was about to find out that 'I have done this before, and can easily do it again', is absolutely not applicable. 

Pool rehearsals with my usual Total Immersion swim style and relaxed 'both sides' bilateral breathing, immediately all out the window. Breathing only on the right side, and back to the slower and much more physical 'survival mode' front crawl which I was using ten years ago. Swimming in a pool is a country mile of difference from open water, amongst many other swimmers. 

At approximately 1.5km into the swim (circa 33 minutes), bam! Cramp begins, goodness me it is both legs, and it quickly worsens. And then it turns into something I have not experienced before when swimming, both legs totally cramped, stuck, unable to move at all, and extremely painful. So I totally stop and bob around in the Lake for a few minutes. Swim again, cramp returns, stop. I end up needing to stop completely four times. Arrive at Lendkanal (narrow canal for final 1km), check my watch and see I am already nearly 15 minutes behind my target swim time. 

By now, stuck legs feel only like they are hanging under me, as opposed to behind me. I am needing to sight (look ahead) every second stroke as it is so busy in the canal, and each time I do that my head goes up and therefore my legs drop even further underneath me, I feel like I am actually almost not moving, despite all efforts. Explaining how this part felt afterwards, I said 'Flumping around!' 

Then it turns comical. Legs are totally 100% stuck so I actually roll over on my back and start hand-paddling backwards down the canal LOL. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!!! I have never seen anyone doing this in an Ironman, there's a first time for anything. A metre at a time, let's get this done!

I give myself a character credit on making it to the end of the 3.8km swim, a full 35 minutes before the cutoff time. 

Exiting the water, mutter mutter ... And of course wondering if I can shake off the cramp for the next section. 

A quick change in Transition 1, I pop an electrolyte pill to counter the cramp, and head out to begin the cycle section on The Black Knife. Once again, as opposed to being 'clipped in' I have flat pedals and trainers. Not seen any of the other 3,000 others doing the same. If it works for you then it works! 

Cramp disappears. Bike feels superb, with new updated Fast TT raised bars. So comfortable, I could sit pedalling in this position for hour after hour. Unlike previously, where I have only been able to hold a much lower aero tuck for 3 hours, before the bike turned itself into a mechanism of total torture, and reduced holding speed from near 30km per hour, back down to 22km per hour, due to increased wind resistance from sitting up. 

Kilometre after kilometre. 180km = 112 miles. I always think that the single most important thing about an Ironman challenge, is being able to be truly comfortable on the bike. 

I managed some 95 overtakes on the bike this year. Many others also overtaking me. It was a two loop cycle this year, so ... after a couple of hours many of those who had started the swim much earlier, and were much faster swimmers, and were riding mega expensive hyper bikes, were now catching up on their loop two, and flying past me at near 50km per hour on the flat sections. 

I have noticed over recent events that the Canyon Speedmax is proving to be a truly effective and fast bike. My Trek Speed Concept is now nearly 10 years old, equipped with Bontrager Aeolus (Aeolus = God of Wind) aero wheels, and the Fast TT bars, it is absolutely superb for what I need it to do. 

On the climbing sections, so as to protect my bad knee, I put 80% of the pedalling effort through the good knee. That worked fine. 

On flat sections and downhills, same idea as Tour de France cruising sections, I maintain an overall tempo of no more that 65% total effort, keeping my heart in the 'heartbeat comfort zone', it is tempo all the way, with a focused endeavour to conserve energy for the marathon to come later. 

Austria is a technical up and down cycle course, got to have your wits about you, some of the downhills rolling between 70km and 80km per hour. 

Overcast and sometimes raining conditions help the 2024 cycle pace, and I made up some of the time previously lost in the swim. Target time to finish the cycle 4.30pm, actual time finished 4.45pm. 112 miles cycled, including the equivalent of cycling up over Scotland's highest mountain Ben Nevis, plus another additional 450 metres vertical, in just over 7 hours. 

The overcast conditions would prove to be such a help this year, that the total of those who would not finish was as low as 10% - circa 300 participants DNFs. This is massively down on failure rates in previous years, certainly in contrast to July 2022 when the temperature was 38 degrees, in the shade! 

A quick change, Voltarol on the bad knee, on goes the knee brace, and off we go with race walking the marathon. 42.2 kms. The equivalent of Markinch to Dundee, let's Go! 

Try and keep everything cool, every 2km stop at an aid station, a glug of cola and a scoosh of cold water over the head. : 

After 10km I know exactly where I am with timings and with a full couple of hours theoretically spare, the bad knee is now very much letting its presence be felt, so I decide to back the race walk pace off, by 3 to 4 seconds per 100 metres. Thereby adding a half an hour to my 15 hour target for end finish time, but totally increasing the prospects of actually finishing the challenge. Whilst many Ironman participants are wholly and exclusively focused on their finish times, and setting new personal records, managing myself, actually finishing, getting the medal and T shirt is more important to me, than improving any previous finish time. 

Some participants have nutritional strategies that include energy gels and energy bars. I am jelly babies for the cycle, with a couple of syrup oat bars, and a few half bananas. Water and cola. 

Due to injury and unable to do any running at all over recent months, but able to fast walk, preparations this year included fast walking over 300 kilometres down on Kirkcaldy Prom. Tune your orchestra with what you've got! 

Final conditioning sessions on Kirkaldy Prom, I was hitting sub 8 minute per km race walking. In final Final sessions I had worked on significantly quicker 'slightly risk the bad knee, by running 500 metres, then race walk 500 metres, repeat'. On the day itself however, I knew I had enough time to race walk the entire thing. The finish was not taken for granted in any way until I was 10 metres from the end. 

The 2024 plan worked! 

So that's a new Glenrothes Triathlon Club record. And sharing thoughts with fellow Club members: 

Whilst the club has many members who focus on all 3 Triathlon disciplines, there are members who only focus on one or two. Annual membership is £20 - so what are you waiting for? 

Many thanks to Sportograf for all race photos, and all official event photos below. 

It is always the same. The pain of the day itself. Back at the hotel afterwards, legs lathered in Voltarol, compression socks on, and thinking 'Never again!'. Challenges getting up on feet the next day, let alone walking. And the second day is always even worse. But day 3 is always better! And after 5 days you begin to think, 'Well maybe I could do one more?' This time around I am having a very, very good chat with my very lovely wife Gaynor about the Triathlon future. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

IronMan Class of 2024 

IS 7 IN A ROW POSSIBLE? IRONMAN AUSTRIA PREVIEW 16.6.2024

3.8km swim, 180km cycle, 42.2km marathon. Every section timed, you fall behind the clock you are out. Must complete in 17 hours. 

At IronMan Copenhagen 2023 I had the great pleasure of crossing my sixth full distance 140.6 mile IronMan finish line, going into a tie for the all time Glenrothes Triathlon Club IronMan finishing record, with fellow GTC member Doug Stewart. Let's see what 2024 brings! 

The biggest physical stage finish in global Triathlon is set for Austria on 16th June. And event history is certainly in the making this year, as it is the 25th anniversary of the crown jewel of European Triathlon. The race is of course completely Sold Out, the commemorative and celebratory atmosphere is going to be quite incredible. 

It is such an honour in prospect, at age 56 young to be taking the Austria start line for the fifth time, and for my seventh IronMan in total, representing Scotland's over mid fifties, and our amazing, local, friendly and inclusive Glenrothes Triathlon Club. Upon reflection, joining GTC a decade ago was certainly a life-changing circumstance. Annual membership is £20 - you should go ahead and join! 

Scrolling through social media, and I'm suddenly thinking, 'Hold on a minute, that's me cycling on my bike AKA The Black Knife in the photo!' How lovely to see 😎 That was Austria last year. You see the arms position, that's aero tuck, makes a vast difference to the speed you can hold. Less drag = more speed. I've made further adjustments to the arm bars this year, many thanks to southern hemisphere's FastTT and to the team at Kirkcaldy's Singletrack Bikes for installation. 

The Austria start line? Suncream on, and 7am sunlight already hot as you zip up the wetsuit. 'Boom!' - that's the cannon fired for the start. Helicopter flying overhead. ACDC pounding out the PA system. 3,500 athletes penned and ready to go! On a sensory level alone, it is really quite something to experience. 

Little did I know 10 years ago, but Triathlon training would eventually lead to a level of fitness whereby I could also re-embrace a love of skiing, after having taken a skiing break of 36 years! And I'm not talking about a gentle wee ski for an hour here or there, my best ever single day Strava ski record (spring 2023) covered a truly epic 204 kilometres in one go up on the Deux Alpes glacier, what a day that was, carving run after run at circa 50km per hour. Carving? Feels like being a low-flying fighter jet pilot, whilst peeling the wrapper off a brand new iPhone!

Fast forward to the end of January 2024, I was in Meribel, and shifting on skis only at walking pace in flat light, whereby the sky is momentarily exactly the same colour as the snow, everything goes completely white, rendering it extremely difficult to see where you are going. A ski tip clipped a lump of ice, I fell to the ground at an angle whereby the ski boots didn't have time to release from their bindings, and oh my goodness my right knee got a torque injury. Everything below the knee twisted one way, everything above the knee went the other way! As I lay on the snow cursing away for the next 15 minutes, and knowing it was a bad injury, I was wondering what it would mean for the prospects for Austria 2024! 

And so began a process of injury rehabilitation, blended with what training and conditioning could be done. RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. And onwards we go. 

In my decade of Triathlon I have never previously pulled out of taking a booked event start line, I was absolutely gutted to have to pull out of the 85 mile Etape Caledonia 2024 cycle three weeks ago. I did so, to do my absolute best to protect the bad knee for Austria. 

Over recent months I have not been able to cycle on roads, uphill. And I have not been able to run any long distances. So how am I able to even consider taking an IronMan start line in 2024 for a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle inclusive of the vertical equivalent of cycling up 405 metres higher than Scotland's highest mountain Ben Nevis, and then a 42.2km marathon on foot thereafter? 

Well, swimming is going great, and I have however been able to very consistently maintain 'flat road' cycling conditioning by using my indoor bike, the mighty Wattbike. And I have very consistently maintained, and increased the amount of very fast walking. I am resisting all temptation to run, so as to protect the knee. 

As always, I am doing everything I can, to fully prepare with the best tools I've got. Build and build and build. Every single session storing the necessary reserves of glycogen, as you certainly need the minerals to go the distance. 

If I make it through the totally stunning turquoise waters of the Lake Worthersee swim, my only plan is to take it from there and see what happens. 

Over 6 previous IronMan finishes, I have successfully raced 843.6 miles. At many times it has been truly character building, 2022 Austria in particular. It was in July that year with sunlight temperature (in direct sunlight) between 43 and 48 degrees. The 112 mile cycle was absolutely brutal. 

Reflecting back to 2018 and how this IronMan journey really began, after 4 years of training I thought I would have a go at the Edinburgh half IronMan, a 1.9km sea swim, a 90km cycle, and then a 21.1km half marathon. Same bad knee capers that year, I was unable to do any running at all for 4 months in advance. I had paid the entry fee, so I thought I'd just turn up and see what happens. The swim was fine, the cycle was fine, and I basically then turbo-walked the entire 21.1km half marathon. I made the finish line at 8 hours with half an hour spare before the cutoff, turned to my very lovely wife Gaynor and said, 'I am never ever going to do another event like this again!' 

Fellow GTC member Lee Kinnell offered a few words of support as I hobbled very slowly back to our car. That night however, I realised that 'all I needed to do' to potentially complete a full distance IronMan and get the T shirt, medal and obligatory M dot tattoo, was 'simply double' what I had just done that day. So I signed up for Austria 2019 the next day! And then, I didn't just double my training, I tripled it and the rest. 

(wrapped in cellophane after tattoo artist)

My training over the decade has now taken me significantly further than the equivalent of going around the entire circumference of Planet Earth's 40,075 kilometres. There has never been a hundred metres in which I have not counted my triathlon blessings. 

Each time I have taken part in an IronMan, I've been thinking 'Maybe this will be the last one?' But then again I've always thought afterwards, 'Why stop, if you think you can complete one again?' Let's see what happens this time. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

IronMan Class of 2024 

Balbirnie House rated STRONG in 2024 UK Wedding Industry Plimsoll Analysis

A month ago, we delivered an article which talked about our latest publishing of accounts within Companies House, for the year which ended way back in April 2023. We had a financial loss that year, but writing the article approaching a further year onwards we have greater optimism based on a further three quarters of a year of new and fully up-to-date management accounts. 

Not sure if the future-forecasters at Plimsoll Analysis are reading our ongoing blog articles, but we have very good news today for Balbirnie House!

We are informed that financial results for 328 UK wedding venue companies were analysed via Plimsoll. Within these, only 62 companies were rated as strong. 

Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd is categorised as Strong. 

Following all pandemic challenges, and all industry financial challenges thereafter, we are truly and absolutely delighted to see Balbirnie House rated financially in the Strong category. 

More bluntly put however, only 18% of such companies are rated as Strong. Which therefore means that 82% of UK wedding venues are not categorised as strong. 

In further consideration, 253 companies out of 328, are categorised as either Mediocre, Caution, or Danger. This equates to 77%. 

In even further consideration, 179 companies out of 328 are categorised as Danger. This equates to 55%. And that, is a very sad but fully realistic assessment of the reality of the UK wedding venue sector today. 

Fundamentally therefore, 2024's newly engaged couples who are looking for a future UK wedding venue for 2024, 2025 or 2026 (or beyond), are currently considering a range of wedding venues, with 55% of those venues already in financial Danger, and 77% of venues classified as either Mediocre, Caution or Danger. This is a truly staggering and unfortunate set of statistics for the UK 2024 wedding venue industry. 

Stating the reality as well, banks tend not to lend money or otherwise continue to support companies which are seemingly destined to fail. And that is when venues have no choice other than to discontinue. It all very simply underlines why governments need to do more today, to support the hospitality industry. 

I also highlight that geographically the challenges are even more epic in Scotland alone, as the Scottish government has not provided the same two year Business Rates Relief, as has already been applied in England. (The two year saving that Balbirnie House would otherwise have experienced, would have been £172,500 - as I was recently asked to write about specifically for this business article via The Courier.) 

Over the Balbirnie decades we have met with many visiting couples who have been holding wedding bookings elsewhere, only to find that the other venue is needing to close effective immediate, and the couple urgently need to find a new replacement wedding venue, and that is of course to say the very least a very highly stressful scenario for any couple. 

The ongoing 2024 financial challenges across the entire UK hospitality sector are all extremely well documented and self-evident across the span of media today. 

Most helpfully intended, best advice today for any couple looking at any UK wedding venue company for any future wedding (or indeed for event organisers and the generality of special events), prior to paying any deposit, is to ask the venue for any information they can provide with regards to published accounts, current financial status, and opinion on ability to be remaining in trading business through to the intended date of the special event/ wedding celebration itself.

Fundamentally of course, any couple booking a future wedding venue most ideally want to be brimming with the joy of the venue itself, and to then be able to enjoy the journey of planning and approaching the celebrations. 

Whilst none of us in the hospitality sector actually has a financial crystal ball, at Balbirnie House we are certainly progressing into the future with renewed financial optimism. 

To arrange a visit to Balbirnie House E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk 

With all best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

BALBIRNIE ACCOUNTS TO YEAR END APRIL 2023 DEFINE A £186,000 LOSS

It is an astonishing set of statistics, but during the 2022 and 2023 calendar years combined, Balbirnie House took bookings for 414 future weddings. Our sincere gratitude to everyone who has made bookings for their special day at Balbirnie House. Onwards we go, one very special day at a time. 

Over and above, and beyond the scope of weddings, the hotel continues to provide the backdrop for private and corporate special events, afternoon teas, dinner, and residential stays. 

Given we are so busy, anyone might be wondering why we are publishing new accounts today, which define a loss? This blog sets out why this is the case. Fundamentally the costs of operating in the entire Scotland hospitality sector are now more extreme and more expensive than ever before, and they are also now more expensive than operating in hospitality in England! 

The harsh reality of exactly where things now are across Scotland's hospitality sector today, January 2024? Read via: At least 10,000 hospitality businesses operating without financial assistance. 

The 2024 calendar year began with multiple very emotive business closures across the span of the UK hospitality sector, over on twitter (follow our progress on X here) multiple owners of restaurants in England in particular were stating at the beginning of January that they were of the categorical opinion that they could quite simply not afford to keep trading, as they envisaged that it is truly and absolutely impossible now, to make enough money to break even, let alone deliver any operating profit. The doors to those many businesses therefore were closed. With circumstances now very sadly seemingly worsening elsewhere in hospitality, by the day. 

It is certainly the case that since 2020, the hospitality sector has been contending with a truly perfect storm of trading challenges. The financial hangover circumstances from the pandemic (in Balbirnie's case that was a previously well documented £1M hit in the first 3 months of closure alone), have subsequently met additional necessity for new CBILs support loans. Hospitality then saw a tripling and the rest of gas and electric energy costs, within which our in-house Environmental Taskforce continues to deliver new efficiencies as far as is possible to do so. There have been huge inflationary increases everywhere, and very significant increases with interest costs. Prevailing tourism vat at 20% is also considered extortionate by the entire hospitality sector, and all trade bodies and their requests for reductions are ignored thus far by both governments. Wage levels understandably keep increasing as always as well. 

Check out the image archives, Balbirnie House in the Hotel News 4 years ago, how time flies! -

Fast forward and it is worth mentioning today however, that the England hospitality businesses which have already closed, have also successfully experienced the very significant benefit of 75% reductions with business rates, now fully applicable across the England span of two years. And still those businesses could not afford to continue? 

Scotland however has not had any of these same reductions with business rates, and given the sum in question for a cash flow benefit for Balbirnie over two years would have been a quite staggering £172,500 I was recently asked to supply Balbirnie-specific information on this point for an article for The Courier. To go a further comment in the interim, whilst working in the Scotland hospitality sector today, it actually feels like the Westminster government is doing the very opposite of supporting the hospitality sector, and Scotland's government is in these terms therefore actually doing significantly even worse. 

There are many Scotland hospitality operators who have already ceased trading. Perhaps Scotland's government considers it best for many hospitality operators to close, and thereby deliver no taxes at all? The lack of government support is astonishing. It is not platitudes that the Scotland hospitality sector needs, it is direct and ongoing financial assistance. 

Is is against the above backdrop that we strive to continue with the task of stewardship of what we do, doing everything possible for present and future clients. And despite all challenges, we are fully optimistic at Balbirnie House, as to the future ahead. Balbirnie is rather unique as a hotel, in that we have a future diary which is already very, very well booked ahead. 

Whilst normal countries have ways of financially supporting, incentivising and encouraging cultural heritage buildings, Scotland sadly does not. We work at Balbirnie House with an insurance value re-instatement estimate at £25M, with absolutely zero such government assistance, and the task of paying for all upkeep, maintenance and improvements, is our own welcome responsibility as well. 

Image credit: The Kilted Photographer

By way of rough calculation, and remarkably so, we have started 2024 with significantly more business confirmed and booked into our future special events diaries, than we have seen with total turnover in the accounting year now publishing. The task ahead as always, is how to endeavour to give every single visitor a wonderful time in hospitality, and still have enough left to pay all the bills! And stating the obvious, a small amount from every visitor needs to go towards the safeguarding of Balbirnie House as a category A listed 1777 national treasure. 

So here we are today, and we've just published our latest annual accounts for the 2022/ 23 financial year which actually concluded at the end of April 2023, 9 months ago. These show that, inclusive of vat and with total financial turnover heading towards £5.5M we were almost 25% busier than in the previous year. We have certainly seen Balbirnie House provide the backdrop for an an incredible number of special occasions over recent years, even more so than in the previous very busy years. It is certainly also the case though, that up until the financial point 9 months ago, in that year our entire operating costs were marginally greater than our entire revenue! 

The bottom line is a loss of £186,000 - and our company directors have needed to successfully arrange new financing to cover the losses. We are absolutely and fully appreciative that we have had the ability to arrange new financing, as we are well aware that so many hospitality industry colleagues have not been successful in these endeavours. 

Whilst none of us has a financial crystal ball, we consider the future with optimism, and stating the obvious, for prospective future wedding clients making bookings for dates eg two years in the future, there has to be a belief that any business will be able to keep trading. Our focus on this is completely resolute, and not just on keeping trading, but retaining the constant ability to be able to keep on reinvesting back into the fabric of the assets as well. As minted as is possible to do so, for all of the future ahead. 

Given accumulated awards history, eight best-in-world awards via Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, including Best Wedding Hotel in the world for the fourth time in 2023, and fifteen time annual recipient Scotland's Wedding Hotel of the Year, this all absolutely brings a further set of dynamics in wishing to keep everything looking at its best possible for the future, befitting the past but also looking into that future, and onwards we go with one very special day in hospitality at a time. 

We are accustomed to publishing new revised annual pricing information each year. There is a lead time for circumstances. What happened financially in 2022/23 was driven by pricing and operational decisions taken in 2021/ 22, with final results then delayed by the timeline for publishing accounts. It is always fully, a 3 year story. 

Working with decisions at Balbirnie House in many ways, is like turning a supertanker in the sea, it is not an instant thing, it takes time. Decisions now taken today may take at least 3 years to pave their way into published accounts. 

In particular, I would like to highlight one section of the 2022/ 23 director narrative in the accounts, and I do so because it more accurately conveys the reality of today, as opposed to the financial circumstances from a year ago: 

BALBIRNIE HOUSE HOTEL LIMITED STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2023

The directors are optimistic based on current projections, and with management accounts showing a record-breaking first half of the 2023/ 24 financial year, that financial results to the end of April 2024 may show a return to profit. We suggest that it is conceivable that our company may now finally return to profit, four financial years after the negative financial implications of the pandemic lockdowns. We will therefore consider fast tracking production of our next annual accounts. 

The above is self-explanatory. And the combined improvements in prospects today are certainly a result of massive contemplation from our management team, all systems under full ongoing appraisal and review, and with purchasing and procurement in focus as always. (I won't take more of your time with this blog post but if you wish to read more about this, within accounts Strategic Report we set out additional specific reasons as to why we are optimistic as to the future. Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd accounts of course are fully accessible to the general public via Companies House website.)

Hospitality workers are wondering today what it is that governments hope to see in the future? In amongst all challenges, at Balbirnie House we remain completely focused on ensuring that we are doing all that we can, to make sure that the decisions of today are continuing to deliver the stability and trading success of 3 years into the future, and beyond. Many blessings counted that across the span of our company management team, that there is a wealth of experience, a constant willingness to embrace evolution and new technology, and all driven by our desire to do our absolute best in delivering the warmth of welcome of Scotland hospitality. 

Our sincere gratitude to all clients past, present and future. And onwards we go with the future. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House