Race Report From Steve Newman
11 October 2014
After qualifying at Ironman Melbourne in March of 2014 with 9h11min, I
returned to the Big Island for my second trip and 18th Ironman with a sense of
pride in the knowledge that I actually earned the right to toe the start line with
the world’s best over the Ironman distance rather than via a lottery spot as in
2012.
The 2014 World Championship is a celebration race for me, however I was in
fairly good shape coming into the event so was going to push quite hard. Based
on my Melbourne form, I was about 90‐95% fit and having raced in Kona before,
I thought a sub 10h performance was on the cards and 9:40ish was realistic. I
was fairly relaxed coming into the event and a few cocktails in Honolulu and
some nasty evening meals made the taper a definite carbohydrate loading event
The race start was spilt
into 4 start groups this
year; M Pro, F Pro, M
Age Group and F Age
Group which was a new
initiative and it seemed
to calm the swim start
down quite a bit. I had a
relaxed and fairly
uneventful start, which
is quite rare for
Ironman, normally you
get belted for the first
10min. I eventually
found a small group and settled in for the 3.8km swim. Through half way in
31min meant that there was definite current pulling us along and the return
journey took 39min for an uneventful swim of 1h10min34sec.
Out of the water a quick wash down and then into the change tent, I sat on the
2nd last chair before the exit and boom, fell to the ground. The chair just snapped
in half and I lay spread eagle on the ground. Volunteers in the immediate vicinity
turned to help, but I was more concerned with getting my helmet on and getting
out of there, this is a race peeps! Anyway the death of that chair could be
attributed to one too many slices of pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen in
Honolulu or (Great place by the way)!! This event was a sign of things to come!
The long run around the pier, which seems to grow each year, made Transition 1,
3min 21s.
Onto the bike to where I feel at home and the most comfortable just pushing
those pedals round and round. I have a power meter on my bike, which is a tool
that allows you to monitor your effort (watts) instantaneously. Unfortunately I
got caught up in the energy of the World Championships and this was enough of
a distraction for me to make a few errors in pacing, and my limit of 230 watts
was exceeded many times over the first portion of the course as I said to myself;
“It’s ok, this climb is only 5min long”.
By the time we were
50km into the ride and
out onto the Queen K
highway the wind had
really picked up. The
last time I raced Kona
in 2012 the wind was
also strong so I knew
what I was in for, but
this was VERY windy
and damn ugly. On one
climb out on the Queen
K, I was climbing one of
the “It is ok, this climb
is only 5min long” climbs and then “POP”, my tight (med) Aussie race designed
for thoroughbreds split open like a tin of pop tarts at altitude. The zipper split in
half and was now strangling me around my neck and cutting in around my mid
section. In testing the suit two weeks prior I thought it was TIGHT, but to have it
bust in the middle of this race was a major pain. I eventually tore the zipper
apart and had to continue the remaining 130km with my suit acting like a “Super
Maxi Sail” in the Americas Cup. Not only was I fighting the wind but also now
pulling a damn sail through the wind would be another added challenge set for
the day.
In summary the
remaining portion of
the bike was just plan
hard! Through the flat
section of Waikoloa
into a head wind at
20km/h, leaning into a
wicked cross wind till
Hawi then climbing a
further 10km into a
solid head wind.
Descending Hawi at
65km/h, through
more cross winds and
then turning with the wind through the flats at Waikoloa where I sat on
60+km/h and feeling like the eventual World Champion legend cyclist Sebastian
Kienle. The last 30km home was straight into a head wind and it was a struggle
to stay focused. Normally you can expect weather or winds pick up at some point
during the day or it may get very hot for a section. But on this day it was just
phenomenal, the wind was relentless from the start, it just did not stop all day
long. By the end of the ride I was tired and sick of it and my 5h12min28s was the
toughest bike ride I have ever done in an Ironman event.
Putting on the run shoes in Transition 2 was a pleasure as I was looking forward
to the change; the 3min 26sec through transition saw sunscreen go on and then I
was ready to take the “Super Maxi Sail” for a run.
The start of the run was hot and after just 4km I knew that the thought bubble “It
is ok, this climb is only 5min long” and the “Super Maxi Sail” had taken it out of
me and the stella run I had prepared was no longer on the table. You can feel it,
that dead feeling of having nothing, just nothing, and the realistic thoughts at
that point that you still have 38km to “run” to finish and run as well as you can to
at least hold your head high with some pride.
A good mate from Wollongong, Burgo
rolled up at 12km on his pushbike and
offered up some kind words of
encouragement for a few km’s but the
damage was done. Once up Palani and
onto the Highway at 16km it was already
hurting but thankfully the heat had died
down as rolling clouds were coming
through. When I made it to the infamous
energy lab at 28km I had had enough and
decided to walk/run the energy lab.
Looking at photos from that section of the
race still make me tear up, it is hard to
explain the feeling of losing it, just on the
edge of cracking, starting to wobble only
to have a quick 30sec walk save you
falling over your own feet.
Out of the energy lab it is 10km to home, just 10km. I went from aid station to
aid station; eventually I made the top of Palani and knew I was home. The
dilemma now was how can I have a finish photo with a “Super Maxi Sail” suit? A
great Aussie couple passed me an Australian flag that I soon crafted into a front
panel for my suit before I hit Alii drive. I stopped and saw Sue and Oliver who
had been there cheering all day for me, it is always great to have them there as
they keep me going and also keep me honest (The more I walk the longer they
wait).
I had made it, I was once again on the best finish chute in the World, I was
pumped to finish but disappointed the run was not up to my standard with a
3h45min40s but I take strength that I held it together for a 10h15min34sec
when the wheels could have fallen far worse many times earlier. This event
tested me physically and mentally far greater than any event that I can recall in
the past. I guess that is why it is the World Championships; if it was easy the
finish would not be worth it.
I sit here 6 days after the race and am still scarred from the day, whether it is
mental or physical, I have absolutely no desire to push myself like that again any
time soon. I will not be back and will not return unless I am 100% and can race
to the standard that I set and expect. I will be back to Kona one day, but it will
not be for the next few years, but stay tuned for the next report from the big
island as it will have a different ending, I promise you. Thank you to all for the
years of support, I enjoy testing myself and will do again soon.
Ho’omau‐ Perseverance, Determination, Endurance.
Photos purchased from FinisherPix
