Joining our amazing, local friendly and inclusive Glenrothes Triathlon Club a decade ago at age 46 was a life-changing event. Some club members do one or two of the three sports, swim, bike, run. Annual membership is £25 - what are you waiting for?
Copenhagen is arguably the happiest city in the world, in the world’s happiest country, what a happy place for an Ironman race! Step into the Scandinavian arena!
If you are new to Ironman and reading this blog, it's a 3.8km swim, then a 180km cycle, then a 42.2km marathon, all sections are timed, if you fall behind the cutoff time at any point you are classified as DNF Did Not Finish. In most circumstances for those who participate, the preparations take years.
(The Ironman organisation are having technical issues with releasing 2023 timing summaries for Copenhagen, we were told that 2,900 had registered, and it's seemingly the case that less than 2,000 finished? This would mean DNS Did Not Start and DNF are above 30%, but less than last year's combined DNS/ DNF of 39.5% - I will amend this section of blog when official results publish.)
UPDATE 11.9.2023 - 1556 Male Finishers, 323 Female Finishers results now live.
Thoughts especially with Messrs Stuvemark and Mochizuki who missed the finish line by 1 second and 3 seconds respectively.
As we were told over the tannoy at the swim start that there were 2,900 athletes initially registered this year, from 67 countries. With 1,888 finishers before the 14 hour 45 mins deadline, that gives a DNS/ DNF rate of = 34.9% (last year was higher, at 39.5%)
Since finishing the Austria 2023 Ironman two months ago, in the interim my ‘normal preparation and conditioning’ was disrupted so-to-say initially by recovery time from Austria, and then by having a two week holiday in Spain in July. When in Spain, I ran 8 to 10km every morning before sunrise, and was swimming open water in the sea every day. No cycling though.
Normally I would increase training in the 8 to 4 weeks out from the event, up to say 20 hours per week. This time around I didn’t do that, I just held it at 10 to 12 hours a week, and then had 6 days off before the race.
Not sure if tourist-walking 30km the day before an Ironman is best advised, but caught up in the magic of Copenhagen that’s what happened. Also managed to get a good roasting of sunburn as well. What a place!
Registering the day before. Every time you do an Ironman they give you an Ironman bag. Including the one I got for the Edinburgh half Ironman, and one extra last year, I now have 8 in total! More Ironman bags than my wife has handbags LOL!
Signing the 2023 competitor wall:
And so to the day itself. 4.30am wakeup. Breakfast then half an hour in the hotel lobby, breathing, relaxing, visualising. Timing chip on left ankle, so it won’t get caught in the bike’s chain on the right. One switch stop on the urban train and I am at Amager Strandpark beach lagoon for 6.30am. Final check on all kit, and bring the bike tyres to the right pressure. Wouldn’t want to be any later, they lock the bike areas at 7am! Breathe.
On goes the wet suit. I spray my slimline AquaSphere mask with the magic stuff that keeps it crystal clear in the water, rinse it and put it on. Ear buds to help remove end of swim dizziness. Swim hat goes over the google straps, so the googles don’t come off if I get kicked on the head by other swimmers, which has happened twice before.
Into the water swim warmup zone. Water temp 20.4 degrees. Check the mask tightness is just so. Water now between wetsuit and skin, water warms against the skin. We are now ready. Breathe.
Into the 7.20 to 7.30am swim start line. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be here, and in this moment once again. The clock ticks. Every 5 seconds the buzzer gives a buzz, and 6 competitors are released into the swim.
‘I am One with The Force and The Force is With Me!’. Everything is absolutely calm. I very VERY purposefully restrain my heart beat and blood pressure. Relax.
Buzz. I run into the water, dive in and we are Game On.
The only thing I will now focus on is breathing. Set the swim tempo to the rate of breathing. Relax, let all the training kick in.
It's quite a technical swim. 6 turns and 4 bridges to swim through, and very regular sighting ahead required. I can say that in the training pool I now have my Total Immersion swim technique working very nicely indeed, but out here in the open water surrounded by so many other swimmers, there's a lot more to think about!
The next thing I will think of after starting, is only about getting to the first swim bhuoy 300 metres away. When I get there, I will say to myself, ‘Congratulations on getting to this bit, now all we need to do is get to the next marker’. One small stage at a time, because if you contemplate the enormity of the entire 140.6 miles ahead that’s possibly too much!
The Danish sea water doesn't seem as salty as it is in Spain. Funny that.
The water is clear enough to see everything below. So I can see how fast I am going. Lots of sea reeds, I rake my hands through them all, no panic. The reeds are all over my face, I roll side to side to shake them off. No worries!
It’s overcast and raining. Hadn’t budgeted for that. My mask is tinted, would have been better vision this morning with a clear lens. *makes a note*
3.8km swim done in an hour and a half, quick transition and onto the bike. I am now 50 minutes ahead of the cutoff time. We head north on closed slippy wet roads through Copenhagen city centre. The competitor cycling directly in front of me at near 30km per hour, a disastrous lapse in concentration, his front wheel clips a small traffic cone in the middle of the road, and bang down he goes with a sickening crash onto the tarmac. Sair yin. A stark reminder about keeping 100% focus on safety.
What’s at stake on the fastest cycle sections? Put your swim outfit on, get in your car, drive on the motorway, open the car door and jump out. That, is what is at stake if you get things wrong.
Two cycling loops in stunning rolling countryside north of the city. 112miles (180kms) averaging nearly 30km per hour. I overtook 140 other competitors during the cycle.
On loop 2, ACDC 'Highway to Hell' blasting out their sound system, and I am up through the supporters funnel a full hour ahead of the designated cutoff time. Good.
The cycle stage completes in 6 and a quarter hours. Arrive back into Copenhagen centre, 1 hour and 15 mins ahead of cutoff.
It’s now 3.45pm, on go the running shoes and running cap, and the marathon begins. Not feeling great, I have to say. Beginnings of the feelings of leg cramp. Nausea and hungry at the same time, yet unable to eat. But - Time is now on my side.
Thousands and thousands of spectators. They can see competitor names on each person’s Bib. Person after person shouting eg ‘C’mon Nicholas, you got this!’ ‘C’mon Nicholas, go Go GO!!!’ I am going as fast as I can!
Coming into the scenic iconic 17th century waterside legend that is Nyhavn, my very lovely wife Gaynor is there. So I stop and chat. Gaynor has seen me near delirious on these occasions, so I am keen to convey that all things considered I’m doing fine.
My two youngest daughters Isobel and Ruby are there an hour later. Another stop for a wee chat. A kiss and a cuddle from a sweaty Ironman! By this point, every single competitor who is still in this race has a Triathlon suit that is soaked with visible salt stains. Loss of salt causes cramp, I counter this with an electrolyte pill, one on the bike, two on the run.
Time is on my side. I back off and settle into turbo walking at 8mins 30secs per kilometre. I cover some sections quicker. But on the clock I don’t now need to cover sections any quicker when my goal, is simply to complete. Enjoy a very, very fast long walk!
Many of the 140 folk who I overtook on the cycle earlier (if indeed they are still in the event), are no doubt now running past me! Never mind, time is on my side. Keep the energy, keep the focus.
The marathon consists of four 10km+ city centre loops, each time you loop you get a different colour of wrist band. Photo below, about to collect the final one, which is blue!
We've now been on the go since dawn, and those of us still on the course are heading into golden hour. What a day, what an occasion.
I have zero doubt writing today a week later, that I could have covered the 2023 Copenhagen marathon section at least an hour faster, if I had shifted into perpetual running, having done most of my recent training in the 6min 30 to 7 minute intended zone.
But what I don’t know, is if I would have been able to cross the finish line at all if I had done that. Aye, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Each to their own in this fine balancing act. Look after yourself. Keep moving. This sights, the views, the crowds, what a place. Take those sensory snaps my lad, it’s now a part of you.
18 kilometres or so out from the finish line I am joined on the ongoing turbo walk by fellow competitor Matt, a music teacher from Southampton. He says, 'You look like you are totally on a timing mission, if that is the case do you mind if I join you, I have £2,000 charity funds at stake for a children's hospital, and I must make the finish line'. We had a great chat for the next two hours. 500 metres to go, 'On you go Matt, go ahead and take your finish!'
A few seconds later, I am up the Christiansborg Palace Square, red carpet finish line:
Crossed the finish line in 14 hours 5 mins, with an hour and 40 mins spare. Job done. (Normal Ironman 17 hour cutoff deadline is reduced to 15 hours 45 mins for Copenhagen)
- Ties the Glenrothes Triathlon Club (GTC) record for the number of successful Ironman finishes. The record of 6 finishes has been held by Doug Stewart after Ironman Wales 2022.
- The first ever GTC Ironman six finishes-in-a-row, for any club member in their fifties.
- The first time any GTC member has finished Ironman Austria four times, and Copenhagen twice.
- The first time any GTC member has completed three Ironman events in the age group 55 - 59.
- I'll need to have it verified, but I think Copenhagen 2023 might be the fastest swim split, and fastest bike split for any GTC member in their fifties. All these different age categories, such is the joy of Triathlon.
- Finish time is a new Personal Record, by 6 minutes.
Thank you for the Memories Copenhagen 2023, the City of Happiness.
All best wishes,
Nicholas
Ironman Class of 2023
Seeing you continue on this journey just fills me with utter joy and pride. Yep, pride. You have always ploughed your own furrow and it's a reflection of a deep inner strength and peace that you have got to the place you are in now. I know I joke about an alien abduction but you've just figured it all out and driven yourself to where you are now. And you pulled me along with you. Grateful.
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