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Jul 2013
8:40am, 30 Jul 2013
65 posts
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SlowSteph!
After 28 weeks of training for my first half iron man my race on Sunday was cancelled due to extreme weather. Pretty unbelievable seeing as we'd sat and watched the sprint tri the night before in glorious sunshine, and my friends had taken full advantage of the Pimms tent (I was on lemonade but put the fruit in the glass so I didn't feel left out) till about 10pm and it was still in the low 20's! Anyway, it wasn't meant to be, and the race was called off at 9am the next morning due to swelling seas and flooded roads, not to mention the torrential rain and gale force winds.
Disappointed is just not the word, I feel gutted. But I'd tapered properly for 2 weeks and now without racing feel like a bit of a slob,. I a had a look online and there are a couple of other races in 4 weeks time of the same distance but the thought fills me with dread, I'd trained for this race in particular, and chosen it for many personal reasons (it was the Castles Challenge at Bamburgh and I'd spent many a happy childhood there), my friends and family were all coming to spectate, I'd ridden the route several times in the last few months and done plenty of sea swimming in prep, to do another race feels like a massive anti climax and I can't seem to muster the motivation. I don't want all of my hard work to be in vain. I haven't enjoyed the training at all as I've recently moved down the country to be with the OH and have been putting a lot of solitary lonely hours in!!!
Any suggestions, motivation (sympathy?!). Not sure what I'm after, perhaps I just needed a whinge!!! X
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Jul 2013
8:48am, 30 Jul 2013
1,716 posts
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Crooked-smile
aw, that really is crappy  definite sympathy for you!!
I *think* if it were me, I would look to do one of the other races. I know that there are many reasons you don't want to, but as you say you've worked so hard, and if you had to wait another year for the same race, you'd pretty much have to do it all again. You haven't enjoyed the training, but I'm sure you'd enjoy a race (albeit not the one you wanted to do), and it would seem worth it when you cross that finish line?
Anyway it's entirely your decision, that's just my tuppence worth, but good luck with whatever you choose!
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Jul 2013
8:59am, 30 Jul 2013
14,357 posts
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Nick Cook
Sympathy here too.
I'm doing my first Half IM in Spetember and I too would be gutted if it were cancelled.
Do you get your money back or a free entry next year or to another event?
I certainly wouldn't want to waste that training and try to get into another event as soon as possible.
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Jul 2013
9:06am, 30 Jul 2013
7,748 posts
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TRO Saracen
That's a shame; having put your heart and soul into it, being denied the opportunity to race has left you feeling something which is pretty close to mourning.
Time will heal. I would recommend another race in 4 weeks, but also think of something else you really want to do next year (it may be the same race, maybe another half iron, maybe a full....:-O). Think of the race in 4 weeks as a stepping stone, to see where this year's training got you and what you need to do to meet your goals for next year.
I'd bet that once you had entered the first race and decided on next years you will start looking forward and moving on. Might also be worth looking at why you didn;t enjoy training. It's a lot of time, effort and commitment to train for a half iron event and many times harder if you don;t like it. I couldn;t do it if I didn't enjoy it - whilst I may not enjoy leaping out of bed in a wet cold Feb morning there's always a buzz and lingering satisfaction of a hard session done. Maybe you need company (join a club), more structore and a specific programme, or to break down some intermin targets and races so it's not one long slog towards something in the far distance, but a target race every month?
If training and the process itself if enjoyable, then less hangs on the actual event, and any cancellations (or failing to hit target time etc) in the race becomes less damaging.
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Jul 2013
9:36am, 30 Jul 2013
14,358 posts
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Nick Cook
Wise words TRO. If mine gets cancelled, I'm just going to cry!!
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Jul 2013
9:46am, 30 Jul 2013
7,750 posts
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TRO Saracen
If I was you I;d cry if it was on. Round and round Dorney 150 times....
Have done tris in atrocious weather at Dorney and never cancelled, so you'll be ok.
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Jul 2013
10:05am, 30 Jul 2013
14,359 posts
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Nick Cook
No - mine's not at Dorney. I'm doing the New Forest middle Distance.
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Jul 2013
1:56pm, 31 Jul 2013
66 posts
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SlowSteph!
Thank you all for the synpathy! Its good to know I'm noot being a drama queen and am allowed to be so gutted!!! Very wise woords TRO, I have had a lot hanging on this one race. The reason I haven't enjoyed training is mainly down to running injuries and long endurance rides by myself. I joined a club down here last night though and quite enjoyed my run! I still can't muster the motivation to enter another HIM though, and although it was the right decision for the organisers of Bamburgh to cancel the race I think its pretty crap that there's been no communication from them since. No idea if its cancelled till next year or due to be reschedules, perhaps when I know I can think of entering a new race.
Thanks again everyone. Feeling a bit more up beat x
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