Ironman Wales course preview - Part 2
Here's part 2 of my Ironman Wales course preview (part 1 is available here), with my best tips for racing the bike and run sections of this challenging and beautiful Ironman. Good luck to all athletes!
Ironman Wales: the bike
You need your climbing legs for the Ironman Wales bike course. Set aside all thoughts of a PB (apart from maybe "fastest descent") and focus your legs, lungs, mindset (and gearing) on the climbs.
Bike tip 1: the bike course is essentially two loops. You do the Western loop (which is more rolling hills) once and the Northern loop (hillier climbs and descents) twice. Sorry about that!
Bike tip 2: the first real climb of the day comes as you leave Pembroke. It's not too bad of a hill, but it comes early in the bike leg, so use this climb to wake your legs up.
Bike tip 3: after a rolling section, you'll get to Freshwater West Bay. Enjoy the lovely scenery here, because you'll soon head into a stiff climb. Watch the road surfaces as you descend down towards the beach, it can be a little skiddy here from sand on the road. The road is quite narrow here, too.
Bike tip 4: the first feed station is at the village of Angle. As you ride out to Angle, there's a chance of a headwind so push on through and keep an eye on your effort (or heart rate or power, if that’s your choice). Of course this does mean that you should have a nice fast section from Angle into Pembroke with the wind behind you! This is a nice stretch of road with a good road surface, so it gives you a chance to claw some time back and get down on your aerobars.
Bike tip 5: after Lamphey, the hillier Northern loop begins. Watch out for narrower roads, some bumpy road surfaces and draggy climbs of 3-7%.
Bike tip 6: Narbeth is a hilly section with little let-up between two significant climbs. Stick to your plan and do whatever you need to do to keep your mind in the game and your heart rate under control. The crowd support in Narbeth is incredible, which should take your mind off the climbs somewhat!
Bike tip 7: OK, now we get to the two main climbs of the Ironman Wales bike course: Wiseman's Bridge and Heartbreak Hill at Saundersfoot. Both start at sea level and max out at around 16%. Get your head on straight before you do battle with them. You're going to need to stay calm, and tough it out. Heartbreak Hill is pretty late in the bike course so prepare to be climbing this bit when you're already feeling tired and possibly a bit emotional! But the crowd support here is amazing, so tap into that energy. Once you get to the top (be careful as there is a flat section after Heartbreak Hill before it kicks up again), you can just spin out as you drop back down into Tenby (the only slight issue being that you will then set off on this Northern loop for a 2nd time... yes sorry about that!).
Bike tip 8: let's talk gearing. Make sure you have the correct gearing for a very hilly course, and be prepared to use the small gears! No prizes for suffering! Use whatever gearing you need to in order to complete the bike with plenty left in your legs (I recommend a 27 or 28 tooth sprocket on the rear cassette).
Ironman Wales: the run
The run course is hilly too, so be prepared for 26.2 miles of undulating ups and downs which never really give you the chance to settle into a rhythm. But also be prepared for stunning views, amazing scenery, and local support which will make this race a lifelong memory. Lap it up on all four of the laps!
Run tip 1: you'll recognise the first significant hill, as it's the same one you rode down towards T2. It's about 2 miles of long, gradually climbing as you head out on the run.
Run tip 2: make the most of the descent, but bear in mind that there's a sharp left turn at the bottom of the descent so do be careful. Add some downhill running into your Ironman training so you get used to the sensation of running downhill on tired legs.
Run tip 3: there's a few other smaller hills per lap (in Tenby itself), but one that catches many out is the one up to The Croft, which is steep but quite short. You will know how to tackle it after the first time around and can actually use the descent to your advantage.
Run tip 4: be prepared for a run course which challenges your breathing, stride pattern, pace, posture and heart rate. Get used to this in training.
Run tip 5: it's a 4-lap course, which could be good or bad depending on your opinion. I like it: it means you can chart progress frequently, and also means you get much more crowd support than on a 1-lap, stretched out marathon. The support during the final loop through Tenby is awesome.
Well, that's it! Everything else you will discover for yourself.... on your way to becoming an Ironman at one of the world's toughest and most respected Ironman triathlon courses.
Good luck, and let me know how you get on! I'll be there to cheer on each and every athlete!
