"BELINDA FONG - YOU...ARE...AN...IRONMAN!"

I did it. I actually can't believe I did it. I swam 3.8kms, rode 180kms & ran 42kms, totally exceeding all of my expectations & finishing in under 13 hours. Here is a preview of my first ever Ironman. Sit back, get comfy & be prepared for about 20 nins of reading. The Fonginator doesn't do anything in halves, and this is no exception. You have been warned!

Sunday 6th May was a day of firsts; the first time I had ever ridden 180kms on a bike and the first time I had ever run a marathon. I always said the only time anyone would catch me running 42kms was if I a) got into the NYC marathon or b) ran it at the end of an Ironman. 

HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT

Ironman Australia entries opened in May 2011 & a group of us from Balmoral Triathlon Club (BTC) had decided to take the plunge & enter together. A handful of us had done one or two long course/Half Ironman races & we figured there was no time like the present to sign up. We had the remainder of 2011 to build a base, without having a full-on training program, and then four solid months of pure Ironman focus (long swims, long rides, long runs & no social life). 25 of us from the club (10 of whom were first-time Ironmen), signed the forms, handed over the money & the rest, they say, is history.

THE TRAINING

My training started on 1st January, 2012. But 6 months prior, I was trying to recover from an ankle injury which ended up needing surgery. I had to pull out of a lot of races but with patience & a good attitude, I made a full recovery. Within 6 weeks of getting the bandage off my foot, I started running. But I was sensible. I hadn't run for about 4 months so my return to running was very gradual, and even including walking. I was completely ok with this & was still confident I could run the marathon, if I listened to my body & did all the things my physio said. 

I was willing to do whatever it took to get to the start line of Ironman. But I also told myself it would be ok if I couldn't race. After all, there would always be other races. I was willing to be patient (and that's hard for me!) & I have to say, it was the first time in my life where I felt more determined than anything to kick this injury in the ass.

So many people have supported me throughout this whole training cycle & I really wanted to be able to come home & say that I did it in true Fonginator style - all or nothing. The amount of support I managed to get from posting my training on Facebook every week was awesome. Call it a cop out but I just love training with other people. The Tuesday morning BTC girls ride (or as Owain would call us, The Photography Club!) got me out of bed every week. The company on the weekend long rides made it all so worthwhile. Just knowing that someone else was there made me push harder & keep going. Those 7.5 hour rides were tough!

THE HIGHS & LOWS

Like everyone, I always knew that there were going to be times where I loved training & times where I hated training. The sheer sound of knowing I was going to be an Ironman made me feel somewhat hardcore at times. Just the reactions on people's faces when I told them what I was training for was priceless. People are just in awe, but to me it didn't really seem like a big deal because I was either surrounded by other people doing the same thing or it it was just another crazy adventure I wanted to tick off the bucket list. Over time, I began to realise it actually was a big deal, especially considering I never really came from an endurance background. I loved Sprint & Olympic Distance triathlons & when I first started racing in this amazing sport, Ironman was something I would only ever dream of doing. And now it was becoming a reality.

Towards the end of my training, I lost so much motivation & I started missing sessions (mainly the swimming) because couldn't be bothered. According to Mel, I had two personalities; one minute I was saying Ironman training was the best thing ever, and the next thing she knew, I was texting her saying I was sad!

On top of training for an Ironman, I was also trying to teach group fitness classes. Body Pump really helped build my strength & endurance, but I would never fully recover properly from Body Attack & end up going into a big weekend of training feeling sore & exhausted. After a few weeks of this, I decided to drop a few classes in my biggest training weeks. It was getting ridiculous, to the point where some days I was doing 4-5 training sessions a day. I wasn't recovering properly & really suffered physically. Because teaching is my job, I never really thought about the impact it was going to have on my other training.

THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE

We rented a house about 1.5kms from transition that had the most amazing jacuzzi! That was a massive selling point for me when we booked it 12 months prior. The house ended up being in a great location, only a few mins drive from transition. 

Frankie says, RELAX

We registered, signed our name on the wall, got our IM wristband & then it all started to sink in. That afternoon, we racked our bikes in transition & put our gear bags in. Ironman is like no other triathlon; there are two separate transitions, both of which you need to be prepared for in advance, unlike Sprint, Olympic & even 70.3's where you have everything in the one place, next to your bike. 


I don't know what came over me but in the week leading up to Ironman, I was just EXCITED! Now to those who know me, that's pretty normal. I get excited about everything! But it was like I was in denial that I was racing. I was just happy to be there, injury-free and ready for the experience. After numerous YouTube clips of Rick & Dick Hoyt and inspiration from friends who had competed against the best in Kona, I felt ready. Ready to experience something extraordinary that would never compare to anything I would ever do in my life. I knew from the start it was going to be amazing. I don't know how or why, but I just knew. And I knew it was going to hurt.

RACE MORNING

I was pumped! I was clapping, I was dancing, I was smiling. I felt awesome. And at the same time, I could tell I was pissing people off who were really nervous. I couldn't sleep that night because I was too excited. It kind of worried me in the beginning that I wasn't nervous. But then I realised my attitude to racing has been the same since I started this sport ; all for fun & fun for all. And anything extra is a bonus. I had no control over what was going to happen on the day so I figured I may as well enjoy it as much as I can.

There were a lot of nervous athletes in transition when we arrived at 5.30am. It made me antsy. And I didn't like it. It was cold & dark & everyone was making sure their kajillion dollar bikes were in order. Talk about bike porn. I saw so many time-trial bikes that probably weighed less than my back wheel. As usual, I was the only one who looked ready to have fun. I don't mean to disrespect people who get nervous, please don't get the wrong idea. But I think I have become immune to nerves. I guess that doesn't make me a "serious" triathlete. To be honest, I'm glad I'm not.

THE 3.8KM SWIM (Goal time: 1h15. Actual time: 1h13)

The start of the swim was a bit emotional. A very good friend of ours, also called Bel, had been involved in a serious bike accident a few weeks before, leaving her with a broken jaw and losing most of her front teeth, having to pull out of her first Ironman. She had come down to watch us race & the realisation that she couldn't be there in the water with us was indescribable. Once we headed down to the waters edge, a slow walk with 1600 people, I now had Bel B in the back of mind - make her proud.

I was one of the last ones into the water, but I didn't want to get stuck right up the back. I decided I would go a bit wide to avoid the human washing machine as much as I could. Before the gun went off, we had a few mins to soak it all in. The sun was rising & when I looked behind me, there was literally a wall of people, about a kilometre wide, of spectators waiting for us to start. It was insane! Hundreds of people who had gotten out of bed at a ridiculous hour to watch their friends, spouses and family members for this. I smiled, thinking of how lucky I was to have so many people supporting me out there & the fact that I had actually made it. I made it to the water to start the swim of my first ever Ironman.

Heading into the water

3.8km swim - DONE!

Strangely enough, I felt like I had a clear path for most of the 3.8km swim. There were numerous occasions where I would get bashed in the head (one blow which made me stop momentarily, but the guy actually apologised). If it wasn't someone hitting me in the head, it was someone grabbing my legs. But for the most part, I had a good rhythm. I was really scared about the swim as I don't like mass starts. So anytime I saw a gap of clear water, I would pick up my speed. The sun was up & I couldn't see a thing in front of me. I literally had to follow the splashes of water. I couldn't see where we were supposed to go but when I started the second lap, I actually felt great. On my way back, I was looking out for my coach, Mel who I knew was going to be in the water for patrol. As I turned my head, I saw her sitting on a board so looked up, gave a little “Hey Mel” with a wave & continued on my merry way. I must admit, seeing her made me swim a little bit faster!

When I saw the finishing chute out of the swim, I started sprinting & when I finally exited the water, I screamed “woo hoo!” I saw my parents (who have never watched me race) behind the fence & gave them a wave but as I ran towards transition, I couldn't get my wetsuit off. A guy running next to me saw me struggling so he asked if I needed help. He grabbed the zipper & yanked it down. What a legend! I thanked him & went to go find my gear bag, with the help of three screaming friends who were volunteering in the tent; Rhona, Tammy & Carol. When I got inside, Rhona emptied the contents of my bike bag. She knew I wanted to keep it quick! I told her in exact order what I needed. Once I was done, I stood up, gave her a big hug & ran out of the tent as fast as I could to find my bike. I got to the mount line to a huge cheer of “Go The Fonginator.” I was excited to be out of the water & couldn't believe I was about to ride 180kms. TRANSITION TIME: 4m17s.

THE 180KM CYCLE (Goal time: 7 hours. Actual time: 6h55m)

The first 90kms felt amazing! And I usually dread the bike. I only really started training for & riding a road bike properly two years ago. And everyone knows how much I detest it. My odometer broke a few weeks prior & as Ironman was squeezing all the funds out of me, I couldn't afford to buy another one, so I relied on a Garmin, borrowed from my friend Mel Dunn from BTC (I had dropped mine a couple of months earlier & cracked the screen. Just call me Captain Clumsy). I was averaging about 30kms an hour & felt awesome. I was overtaking guys on time-trial bikes but I had to keep reminding myself not to go too hard because it was going to be a long day. 


The one thing that got me through the bike was my nutrition, or as its commonly called, the "rolling buffet." My coach had sent me a nutrition plan the day before – a gel after the swim, a few sips of electrolyte every 20 mins for an hour, then a gel or a vegemite sandwich. Then repeat. When I ran out of electrolyte, I would conveniently be at an aid station or close to it to fill my bidon with water or grab more electrolyte. Mel was a genius. I never felt like I was too full or under nourished. I wanted to go into the run feeling like I had eaten enough to fuel my body for the first 10km. And I did. I had a couple of wee stops along the way but overall, felt good. 

As I cycled out to Town Beach, I could see the BTC Tent & as soon as I got there, they whole cheer squad came out onto the road, yelling, screaming, clapping, taking photos & generally being loud. It was amazing! I was so pumped & happy. It was just the boost I needed to continue.

                                       (photos courtesy of Dani French)

Most people who have cycled in Port Macquarie know that its hilly & the road surface is generally pretty awful. Being in the aero position made my neck & lower back really sore but sitting upright was slowing me down. I must have switched positions hundreds of times during the first lap. When I got to Matthew Flinders Drive (the steepest hill in the world!), I started preparing myself mentally about how I was going to get up it. I had done the hill a few months before & prior to that, was a couple of years before. I was definitely stronger now & it was time to beat this beast!

There were literally screams of people yelling my name everywhere I looked! I actually felt like I was riding in the Tour De France. I was completely and utterly floored at the amount of people who were shouting & encouraging me to ride up the hill. My coach Mel said to me the look on my face was priceless; I was genuinely shocked & couldn't believe these people, some of who I didn't even know, calling out “Go The Fonginator!” It fired me up & I smashed that hill to pieces, and I think I smiled the whole way up. There was LJ in her Team Fonginator tshirt, there was Kerrie in a yellow cape holding up a “Harden The Fong Up” sign, there was Bel B, Lucie & Tarn who stood up & cheered from the start of the hill, there was Dee trying to chase me up the hill! I've never experienced anything like that before. 

When I finally got to the top, I felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest, but I kept pedalling (thanks Tracy!) and a guy rode past me & said, “Geez, you're popular.” I laughed & told them I paid them a lot of money.

 

As I rode back into town, I got excited that I only had one more lap to do. But within about 10kms of the second lap, my legs really started to hurt. My quads felt every pedal stroke. Everything started to ache; my neck, my lower back, my butt, my lady bits. I distinctly remember shouting out to the BTC crew at the top of Town Beach, “Riding 180kms is not good for your fanny!”

The last stretch coming back from Lake Cathie felt like it went forever. The wind had picked up, the road surface was so bad, I started getting pins & needles in my forearms. I was really uncomfortable so I just tried to focus - one pedal stroke at a time. Along the course, there was a couple of big music stations so I made a point of having one arm in the air to dance as I went past. There were a group of people on part of the ride who were dressed up as farm animals, and were singing (really bad) kareoke. It was hilarious but made for a good distraction from the pain. As I cycled through one of the music stations, the song Sweat by Snoop Dogg came on & it made me think of my friend Catherine Pritchard. Cat was also racing Ironman that day but a week before, had a bike accident, suffered a major concussion & left her with bruising on her tail bone, scars to her face & nausea. The poor girl was basically in pain from the word go. I was thinking of her & wondering how she was feeling (turns out Cat managed to pull through & cross the line in just over 14 hours - bloody inspiring)!

As the clock ticked to 100km, then 120km, then 140km, then 160km, I started to realise that I was getting close to finishing the bike. I couldn't believe I was about to ride 180kms. I kept saying ohmygod I am actually going to do this. Even during the race, I had a few moments to myself where I just smiled because I couldn't believe I was racing in an Ironman. Even to thise day it still feels surreal. 


I got to Matthew Flinders Drive the second time, and I was sad. My body was hurting everywhere & I wanted to stop. I thought for sure there wouldn't be many people left cheering on the hill. And I started seeing people walk up. I thought, oh no, are my legs going to buckle or cramp? Low & behold, they pulled through & the one thing that got me up there was LJ who ran beside me the whole way up, with her “Go The Fonginator” sign. And there were still people screaming my name. The same people who were there on the first lap. It was amazing! A couple of minutes later, after I had gone over the hill, a guy cycled past & asked if I had just ridden that hill for the second time. I said yes & he told me how impressed he was. For the first time ever, I felt like I was doing well on the bike.

Thanks LJ for making this awesome sign!

The last 15 or so kms were just painful; rolling hills that seemed like they went for eternity. I started to get sad again then I looked up & saw Todd (my coach's husband) & the Nicholsons; Nat, Matthew, and the kids (Taj, Jett & my god daughter, Scarlett). They were all dressed in Team Fonginator tshirts & holding up yellow signs. It really picked me up so I waved, gave them a thank you & headed back into town.

I looked down at my watch & I was on par to going sub 7 hours for the ride. I had to keep checking my watch to make sure I had it right. Could this really be? I got off the bike & remember running to get my gear bag, and my legs actually feeling pretty good. I ended up seeing a woman in transition who used to go to the gym I worked at in Willoughby many many years ago. While I was rushing to get my stuff on, I said, "Karen? Is that you?" She yelled in excitement & we had a brief chat before I had to go. Small bloody world! I got my shoes & hat on as fast as I could & I was out of there. TRANSITION TIME: 1m44.

THE 42KM RUN (Goal: no walking, except through aid stations. Goal achieved in 4h41m).

Funnily enough, I was never worried about the marathon in my training, even though I had never run more than 25kms. I guess I just blocked all the pain out of my head. I knew I could run & I believed I could run 42kms but I didn't realise that it was going to be painful pretty much the whole way. I started running at 5 min k's then realised I would blow up soon enough, then each lap just got slower & slower. I was happy for about 8kms, then it all turned bad!

I got to Town Beach towards the end of the second lap & as I was running up the hill, I saw Moseley in his yellow hazmat suit (!!) & even though it made me laugh, I was in a sad place. I got to the top of the hill to see the rest of the gang & started crying. I wanted it to be over. My legs were in agony & every single step hurt. I wanted to stop & walk but I would've felt like a failure in front of everyone. Especially when I knew I could do it, but my mind was simply giving up. Julia told me I was half way & at first, that made me even more depressed because I still had 21kms to go! But once I turned the corner, I realised I only had two laps left. Rather than focusing on how much longer I had to go, I just took it one lap at a time.

By the third lap, it started to get dark so I grabbed my arm warmers from my special needs bag & tried to keep shuffling along. Just one foot in front of the other. I felt like I was going nowhere. I got out to Settlement Point & it was pitch black & hardly any supporters left as most of them had headed to the finish line. But out of nowhere, I saw Tarn, Lucie & Bel B! I wanted to cry again! But seeing Bel somehow made me battle on. That and the fact that Willo was closing in & catching me on the run! I started to feel ill from all the gels & lollies so I moved onto flat coke. When I was sick of that, one of the volunteers yelled out, "tomato soup!" I thought, I must try it. And it was absolute gold! I could've sat there & drank the whole box!

One person I distinctly remember on the run was a guy called Simon. We just ran together, side by side, not uttering a word, for what seemed like an eternity. It definitely kept me going. Just having someone run next to me made me push a little harder & not let myself give up.

The final lap went on forever. When I got back to the bridge after doing Settlement Point, I found a pace runner who stayed with me for a couple of kimoletres. We had 4 more to run & if we picked up the pace, we would be able to crack 13 hours. So I started running for my life. 


I got to Town Beach & lost him, then started panicking. If there was a chance that I could make sub 13 hours, I was going to give it my best shot. I yelled out to anyone, "Who's got the time?!! Who's got the time?!!" One guy looked at his watch & said, "12:55." Oh sh@$! I had 5 minutes to run the final 1.5kms back into town. I thought for sure I had been running faster than any other lap. There was no way I only had 5 mins left. But I thought, f#$% it, I'm going. I ran as fast as I could down the hill towards Town Green Inn. There were only a few people left on the sidelines but man, did they make some noise! There were people were yelling at me - "Go girl! You can do it! You're on fire! Sprint finish!" The weird thing was, I was on so much adrenaline, there wasn't a moment during that whole sprint where I felt out of breath at all & I couldn't feel any pain in my legs. It was the most surreal experience ever.

I grabbed the final black wristband & knew I still had about 200m to go to the finish. I started getting confused, as the final loop was a bit deceiving. I didn't want to run out to the break wall again. What if I missed the chute? I got to the corner & there was Owain & Moseley, yelling at the top of their voices, "SPRINT! YOU'LL MAKE SUB 13!" So I dug deep & went for hell! 

THE FINISHING CHUTE (beyond all expectations)

I always said I would dance down the finishing chute of my first Ironman but I got so caught up trying to crack 13 hours. But when I woke up the morning of the race, I told myself that the finish line is going to be something I would never get to experience for the "first time" again so I was going to make sure I soaked it all in. 

I got to the finishing chute & there it was; I was sprinting as fast as I could but at the same time, I felt like everything was going in slow motion. I was welcomed into a sea of noise like I have never seen or heard before; cheering, screaming, banging against the barriers, feet stomping, hands clapping, music blaring. I felt like a rockstar at my own concert. I had to run past that chute 4 times before actually getting to experience it for myself & now, it was MY turn.  

I don't remember seeing anyone's face. Except Bel B for some reason. I know I gave a bunch of people in yellow a high five as I started running down the chute. And according to one of the photos, my parents tried to high five me! But the rest was a blur. 

I got about 10 metres down the chute, and looked at the clock - 12 hours 56 mins. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! Not only did I crack 13 hours, but I didn't even need to sprint the last kilometre! I remember turning my back to the clock to see all of the supporters who lined the chute to cheer. I put my hands on my head in pure shock & amazement. Was I really here? Was I really about to finish an Ironman? I sprinted my tired little legs to the ramp & jumped as high as I could, running into the arms of my coach Mel (who looked more excited than I was)! All I could think about was, "I hope the photographer got a good shot!" Haha! 

 (photos courtesy of Myza Wong - thank you)

When the announcer called out those magic words, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN, I couldn't believe it. I had done it. 3.8kms of swimming, 180kms of cycling, 42.2kms of running. All in under 13 hours. Couldn't have been any prouder. I walked through the tent, grabbed my clothes to get changed into something warm, ate some soup & bread & went outside to see my friends who had come to watch me race. I had a massage afterwards, managed to eat a meat pie & some chips, before heading home to sit in the jacuzzi with the rest of my house mates, completely gobsmacked that we had just done an Ironman. Wow.

THE SUPPORT

I am going to keep this brief because I could go on forever & name every single person who cheered for me on Sunday! The personal thank you's are coming. But I have to say this: the support was pretty much the only thing that got me through the day. Everywhere I went, I felt like someone was screaming my name. Sure, it was plastered all over my tri suit & my race number but the fact that people had spent 15 hours on the sidelines cheering just blew my mind. Balmoral Triathlon Club, Team Fonginator & everyone who made the trip to Port Macquarie to cheer for me, and my friends who raced along side me.... thank you so much!

For the people who couldn't make it but anxiously waited online to see where I was and those who kept everyone in the loop on Facebook. To anyone who sent me a message from across the globe back to Sydney, tagged me in a post, made a poster, chalked my name on the ground or simply just took an interest in this crazy Ironman & the training I had to do for it over the last few months...thank you. I am still so overwhelmed by all the love.

If it wasn't for my coach, Mel I would never have made it to the start line. She got me to my first Half Ironman (Port 70.3), my second Half Ironman (Busso 70.3), and has put up with many a tantrum in the last few months but seeing her excitement at the finish line of my first Ironman was the best feeling ever & I felt like I finally did her proud.

THE DAY AFTER

I was limping for two and a half days. I had to walk down stairs sideways whilst holding onto the rail. And I needed to hold onto something everytime I needed to sit on the toilet! I thought the marathon was the most painful thing I ever experienced; until I felt the aftermath of my legs the next day. Imagine the worst pain your body has ever been in, times it by 10 & that's where I was!


People keep saying I will be back for more. And I won't completely rule it out in the future. But right now, I have absolutely no desire to do another one. I think it was one of the  most incredible experiences of my life & I am so happy & proud to have done it. But I have kicked a major goal, am happy to tick the box, bask in the glory & get back my social life. If I only ever do one, then I definitely gave this one my best shot. I am not one for analyzing my races. I couldn't have gone harder & I wouldn't have changed anything. Except maybe a dance down the finishing chute! I honestly couldn't have asked for a better first race. Time to move onto the next goal. Not quite sure what that will be but in the mean time, The Fonginator is going to pay it forward and be the best damn cheer squadder around. Time to bring back the fancy dress I think. Watch this space!

HERE ARE THE 5 MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES OF THE DAY:

• Having so many supporters cheering from the sidelines, including my parents who have never seen me race before. Nothing compares to the feeling of being surrounded by people who are genuinely proud of what you are doing.
• Seeing signs & Team Fonginator t shirts all along the course.
• Getting caught by my coach, Mel at the finish line. To celebrate the day with someone who has been on the journey with you just makes it that little bit more special.
• Sitting in the jacuzzi, realising that I had just done an Ironman. Still blows my mind!
• The finishing chute. Nothing will ever compare to this moment.

Thank you again to everyone who has made this journey so special. I will never ever forget my first Ironman experience! I can't believe I AM AN IRONMAN!

MY FINISH LINE VIDEO (courtesy of Dani French)