IRONMAN 10th March
Tessa Haig was one of many amongst the throng of first timers at this years Kellogs Ironman in Taupo earlier this year.
It was arguably NZ’s toughest Ironman yet with the strong westerly winds causing havoc for many swimmers. Up to 20 swimmer were pulled from the water. The wind followed them onto the bike course. As we cyclists know, riding into strong head winds is like riding hills non stop. Many commented how the affects from the swim lingered and stayed with them for a good portion of the day.
Congratulations to everyone who got out there to take on the challenge. This is Tessa's raw and inspirational story
Ironman March 4th 2017
3.8 k swim
180k cycle
42.2k run
MAKE A DECISION
I'd been supporting friends/whanau who were doing Ironman for the last 6 yrs and remember thinking EWWWW I'd never do an Ironman...haha that was up until last year when I thought, hey im gonna do it
PRE EVENT SNAPSHOT
Cost just under $1000 for entry fee
$800+ for accomodation for IM week
Ironmaori Toa camp $180
Plus all your nutrional, petrol and other event costings (HEAPS)
YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO TRAIN
Training for the 1/4 Ironmaori and 1/2 Ironmaori first, and my 1/2 Ironmaori time for me determined whether or not I was going to Ironman 2017.
My time for the 1/2 was 6hrs 50mins. I was happy with this.
Training for Ironman then goes up 20 notches. It is a very selfish sport to train for, lots of hrs put in and lots of other things you miss out on because of cost and you don't want injuries etc.Training with peeps is always better than training by yourself.
TRAINING WEEK EXAMPLE (Before Taper)
Swim 3.5km as per program and one outdoor swim of 3.5km
200m warm up
All with pull buoy no paddles
20 x 100m (25m 75%, 25m 100%, 25m 50 %, 25m 100%)
10 x 100m (breathing like this, 3, 5, 7, 9 you may not get to 9 but relax and you will eventually get it)
200m 100%, and 100 warm down.
BUT always remember if you are sick just rest up and if you have an injuring let it rest.
3 of us had ankle/foot injuries after the 1/2
2 of us (women) just saying lol rested our injuries and used our ears. One guy kept running on his injury (no matter what we said) and in the end he could'nt do Ironman cos his foot was wasted. So in other words listen to your tinana and don't worry because you've done the training
FINAL WEEK BEFORE THE BIG DAY
I was feelIng sIck In the car drIvIng to Taupo on Wednesday haha was just nerves!
Have your maIn support person wIth you for that week cos your mInd Is thInkIng 1000 thIngs.
Go shoppIng In the IM tent, It makes you feel better lol
Deff recommend goIng to the 1st tImers semInar on FrIday mornIng wIth Verna Cook-Jackson, puts your mInd at ease a lIttle, go wIth your mates and take your support person too.
Make sure you get to bed early especially Wed, Thurs nIght. Get some decent sleep as you mIght not get much FrI nIght.
I dIdnt have a tIme In mInd as I just wanted to fInIsh, It was lIke goIng Into the unknown so to speak.
SATURDAY MORNING
Alarm went off at 3.30am
Breakfast at 4am Ish, I wasnt hungry but forced myself to eat porrIdge and toast.
Down to transItIon at 5am to pump up tyres, check bIke, settle the nerves and everyone wants to hug you and wIsh you well that mornIng, I would suggest you do all that before you go down to the lake as It can get quIte emotIonal (Is that just women)? lol thats what I dId anyway, cos I dIdnt wana cry and get foggy goggles lol
Have karakIa wIth the IronmaorI Toa whanau cos Its beautIful and It just feels rIght!
The swIm was the hardest for me, ( and I LOVE swImmIng In choppy water) BUT that was out the gate!! It was as rough as guts. I know I wasnt the only one who felt sIck, It was lIke there was no end In sIght. I just kept thInkIng I was gonna eat that bIg elephant up 1 bIte at a tIme!! I stopped about 6 tImes just to try get my bearIngs lol 3.8 k was the dIdtance but I thInk we all swam atleast 4.3k haha
Scoffed a banana down In transItIon even though I felt Ill as from the swIm,
RIde was tuff BUT I was every so grateful for all the rIdes Pete and Owen took us on (NIhera and I)
The second lap....hmmm tough but not once dId I thInk I was gonna gIve up. About 3-4 tImes I just thought to myself #fIghtlIkethehammerhead and I eventually got to the end, and yes It was a joy to get off that bIke onto the run.
Felt good on the run and I knew that was because my nutrItIon was on poInt on the bIke...eat every 1/2hr drInk every 15mIns no matter how your feelIng.
My knee started playIng up on the fIrst lap to the poInt of, If I keep runnIng, Im probably gonna wreck It...soooo got my power walk on, and I knew I had enough tIme up my sleeve. Support on the run course was amazIng!! whanau and frIends everywhere, was just massIve. The volunteers In transItIon, bIke and the run course are just bloody AWESOME, treat them wIth respect and I was always thankIng them for the wonderful (FREE) job they were doIng.
3rd lap on the run Pete came wIth me whIch Im glad he dId or It would of been lonely, dark and hard as I started to feel It on the way back In. Got the wobbles a couple tImes on the way back. GettIng closer to town round by the pubs etc the crowd was pumpIng...what a buzz!, then I could hear MIke RIley In the dIstance...I could smell that medal lol.
RED CARPET MOMENT....Whatttt a buzz!!! Can't even explaIn the feelIng EVERY ache goes out the door (my feet were blIstered up bad).
To hear MIke say Tessa HaIg YOU ARE AN IRONMAN, was truly awesome..and the crowd Is just roarIng, everyone was goIng off! My maIn traInIng buddy NIhera put my medal on me (that was very specIal).
Make sure you take your tIme In the tent, (kaI,relax,massages) your whanau wIll waIt for you, they've waIted all day whats another 40mIns hahaha.
DId I enjoy It? YES
Was It hard? YES... the body achIeves what the mInd belIeves!
Would I do It agaIn? hmmm for me It was always a tIck off the bucket lIst....but never say never
I was feelIng sIck In the car drIvIng to Taupo on Wednesday haha was just nerves!
Have your maIn support person wIth you for that week cos your mInd Is thInkIng 1000 thIngs.
Go shoppIng In the IM tent, It makes you feel better lol
Deff recommend goIng to the 1st tImers semInar on FrIday mornIng wIth Verna Cook-Jackson, puts your mInd at ease a lIttle, go wIth your mates and take your support person too.
Make sure you get to bed early especially Wed, Thurs nIght. Get some decent sleep as you mIght not get much FrI nIght.
I dIdnt have a tIme In mInd as I just wanted to fInIsh, It was lIke goIng Into the unknown so to speak.
SATURDAY MORNING
Alarm went off at 3.30am
Breakfast at 4am Ish, I wasnt hungry but forced myself to eat porrIdge and toast.
Down to transItIon at 5am to pump up tyres, check bIke, settle the nerves and everyone wants to hug you and wIsh you well that mornIng, I would suggest you do all that before you go down to the lake as It can get quIte emotIonal (Is that just women)? lol thats what I dId anyway, cos I dIdnt wana cry and get foggy goggles lol
Have karakIa wIth the IronmaorI Toa whanau cos Its beautIful and It just feels rIght!
The swIm was the hardest for me, ( and I LOVE swImmIng In choppy water) BUT that was out the gate!! It was as rough as guts. I know I wasnt the only one who felt sIck, It was lIke there was no end In sIght. I just kept thInkIng I was gonna eat that bIg elephant up 1 bIte at a tIme!! I stopped about 6 tImes just to try get my bearIngs lol 3.8 k was the dIdtance but I thInk we all swam atleast 4.3k haha
Scoffed a banana down In transItIon even though I felt Ill as from the swIm,
RIde was tuff BUT I was every so grateful for all the rIdes Pete and Owen took us on (NIhera and I)
The second lap....hmmm tough but not once dId I thInk I was gonna gIve up. About 3-4 tImes I just thought to myself #fIghtlIkethehammerhead and I eventually got to the end, and yes It was a joy to get off that bIke onto the run.
Felt good on the run and I knew that was because my nutrItIon was on poInt on the bIke...eat every 1/2hr drInk every 15mIns no matter how your feelIng.
My knee started playIng up on the fIrst lap to the poInt of, If I keep runnIng, Im probably gonna wreck It...soooo got my power walk on, and I knew I had enough tIme up my sleeve. Support on the run course was amazIng!! whanau and frIends everywhere, was just massIve. The volunteers In transItIon, bIke and the run course are just bloody AWESOME, treat them wIth respect and I was always thankIng them for the wonderful (FREE) job they were doIng.
3rd lap on the run Pete came wIth me whIch Im glad he dId or It would of been lonely, dark and hard as I started to feel It on the way back In. Got the wobbles a couple tImes on the way back. GettIng closer to town round by the pubs etc the crowd was pumpIng...what a buzz!, then I could hear MIke RIley In the dIstance...I could smell that medal lol.
RED CARPET MOMENT....Whatttt a buzz!!! Can't even explaIn the feelIng EVERY ache goes out the door (my feet were blIstered up bad).
To hear MIke say Tessa HaIg YOU ARE AN IRONMAN, was truly awesome..and the crowd Is just roarIng, everyone was goIng off! My maIn traInIng buddy NIhera put my medal on me (that was very specIal).
Make sure you take your tIme In the tent, (kaI,relax,massages) your whanau wIll waIt for you, they've waIted all day whats another 40mIns hahaha.
DId I enjoy It? YES
Was It hard? YES... the body achIeves what the mInd belIeves!
Would I do It agaIn? hmmm for me It was always a tIck off the bucket lIst....but never say never
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