Lake Anna, Virginia, USA – 8,9 & 10 October 2004.
(8 mile swim – 336 mile bike – 80 mile run)
by Arthur Puckrin.
My urgent needs were a meal and sleep and after both the next day I felt much better. We put the bike together, pleased to find that it had suffered no damage during the journey. I had a training ride to the start of the race which was only 10 miles away and did a lap of the course which was between thick woods with mature trees over 60 feet high. It was going to be very dark at night and during my ride I was amazed to see large Sea Eagles soaring overhead, indeed one paid me so much attention I thought he must have his eye on me for lunch!
I was tempted to have a trial swim in the lake, which reached to the bottom of our hosts garden but the presence of some suspicious-looking algae advised against it as I did not wish to suffer any illness before the race. Instead we initiated our hosts into the mysteries of cricket in their garden until Carl, with a mighty hit scored “6 and out” into the lake. We then adjourned for tea (what else?).
Race day was fast approaching. On Thursday evening we had a pleasant pasta party with race briefing on the shores of the lake and an early night was called for. 4.00am the next day we were up, a large breakfast and off to the start in the pitch darkness. Not only that, but thick mist caused by the warm water meeting the chill night air meant a start delayed by 15 minutes to 7.15am.
At last we were off. It was still very misty but I could make out the course – just. After about an hour the mist lifted to leave a fine, sunny day. I had asked for a drink every 45 minutes and my support crew, Carl a Vietnam veteran, acted beyond the call of duty by wading waist deep into the water to ensure I had my drink.
The lake was very shallow in places and I gashed my hand on the bottom, a fact which I did not notice until I was well into the bike ride. I tried to swim steadily and conserve my energy. I thought only of the swim and counted down the time to the finish. My left shoulder was aching badly but the water remained fairly calm apart from the wash of passing speedboats.
Eventually I was at the end, to be met by a TV crew from USA EVENING NEWS who filmed me changing (I hope they showed it after the watershed!). I gave them a brief interview and indeed it was shown on TV later that night. I did not think that a few minutes would make any difference to my chances.
Onto the bike. The course was hilly and it promised to be a long hard ride. Still, I was pleased to be out of the swim and more importantly, I felt good. I was frightened of no one. “I could beat these guys” I told myself. I rode steadily to start with, it was the last 50 miles which were the most important, not the first 50 I told myself, just keep going.
Surprisingly I felt very hungry during the ride, I ate something nearly every lap. My support crew were just after the turnaround at the start of a long climb and as I was only going at walking pace I was collecting cups of coffee and soup, drinking them and dropping off the cup at the bottom of the climb. I was eating so much they were worried we were going to run out of food. I ate soup, chocolate bars, milky ways, bananas and drank coffee and coke.
After about 90 miles it started to become dark. We were riding along a road between 60 feet high trees and as soon as the sun went down it became completely black. I had two front lights but it was still difficult. I could no longer pick up food whilst riding. It also became very cold. In anticipation I had brought my winter gear – thick leggings, rubber boots and gloves, and I needed them. I stopped for a good feed and a change of clothes.
I had completed half of the bike course when disaster struck - my gear change snapped. Bits of metal were stripped from the machinery. I collected what I could and hoped for a bike mechanic, rather a vain hope at 1.00am. I managed to jam the gears somewhere in the middle, if the gear had gone onto the smallest ring I would have to walk uphill as the course was very hilly. I remembered the first rule of ultra-distance racing – KEEP GOING. However I could feel myself falling asleep on the bike. If I fell off I could not complete the race. At the end of the lap I stopped, had something to eat and a sleep for 2 hours. I awoke, felt slightly more awake and kept riding. It was still dark, I was still half asleep, I thought I would have to stop again but eventually I could see the sky lighten, dawn was breaking. This woke me up slightly and I continued riding. It also became warmer. I was still wearing my winter woollies but it was not that warm and I was not going to stop until the finish.
Eventually the finish arrived and I got off the bike, thankfully. I had ridden 180 miles in one gear, but I had kept going! Now for some food, change of clothes and the run. I had moved up to 4th place despite my misfortune with the bike, could I improve further?
The run course was quite difficult, one mile uphill and then down. My legs were very stiff so I started walking up the hill and running down. The first half marathon was completed and then it became dark. I did the second half marathon. Only a double marathon to go I told myself! I changed into stout walking boots to protect my feet but continued to run downhill. I was holding my position but did not appear to be making an impact on the leaders, however there was still a long way to go.
“Who had the bright idea of completing a triple ironman?” I asked myself. In the dark it was amazing how different the course appeared. I was running through a long dark tunnel, there appeared to be no end to it. There were strange noises from the forest. I was not frightened but everything appeared to be strange and very puzzling. Was the forest full of animals – deer, fox, badgers? I could not see anything but there was movement all around me. I ran on, another lap, then another and another.
It was now the middle of the night (the second night on the go) and I could feel myself wandering from side to side on the track. I followed a white line in the middle of the road, hopefully it would lead the correct way. I felt like a stranger on a long pilgrimage. I could feel myself weaving from side to side, was I falling asleep? Should I rest? At the end of the next lap I decided to sleep for 30 minutes (not a good idea as I found out later). I told Mary, my support crew, to wake me in 30 minutes. It was about 2am. She woke me. I was sound asleep. “Leave me, I’m so happy asleep” I said.
“Come on” she said, pulling me awake. “You must go on, you have 40 miles to go, you are halfway”. I noticed my feet, they felt very sore. “I have done 40 miles, no wonder my feet are sore”. “Come on” she said, “I will do a lap with you”. “What am I doing?”. “You are in a triple ironman” she said “you must go on”. “What’s that “ I said. “You are in America doing a triple ironman, you must go on”. “What on earth am I doing in America and what is a triple ironman?” I asked, incredulous. Whilst this was going on I was walking. “Come on” said Mary, “we must follow this white line”. I tried to pull myself together. “Do you remember doing the swim and bike?” she said. I searched my memory, I could vaguely remember something, all the rest was blank. We walked on. After a while Mary said “I do not know the way, you will have to show me where to go”. I searched my memory again and slowly it came back. “I remember, we follow this white line, turn at the lights and then we meet a lady who lives in a white van. She takes my number, gives me a drink of free water, we go around an orange bollard and go back” I said. “How do you know which number you are?” asked Mary. “It is on my shirt, look”. I pointed to my stomach and sure enough there was the number 11. After a while we found the lady in the back of the white van, had a drink of water and went on our way.
After a while I came round and started to run. Mary left me to prepare food and I continued. Light appeared in the sky, dawn was breaking. I was not eating as much as on the bike. I survived on Ritz crackers and butter, coke, lemonade, coffee and tea, pears and melon and Milky Ways. Carl arrived back from his sleep, he would walk with me for the last 14 miles. My feet were suffering now but I did not want to stop at this stage, I was nearly home. I wanted to get it over with but on the other hand I was reluctant to leave this magnificent forest. “Last lap” said Carl. “Look at this”, I called to him. I saw a family of bears appear in the forest. The parents appeared, then the cubs. “I say, look at this”. I pointed it out to him. “You are starting to hallucinate” Carl said, “Come on, let’s get you to the finish”. I looked carefully and the bears de-materialised into the forest. I finished the last mile, sat down and had a cup of tea. 59 hours and 8 minutes equals happiness.
Thanks to Carl and Mary my support crew without whose help I would not have survived and to Dawn and Steve and their team who put on a great festival of sport and such a superb event.
Results.
| 1 | Giacomo Maritati | Italy | 44 hours 13 minutes | |||
| 2 | Beat Knechtle | Switzerland | 48 hours 45 minutes | |||
| 3 | Joshua Zitomer | USA | 51 hours 25 minutes | |||
| 4 | Michael Walls | USA | 57 hours 53 minutes | |||
| 5 | Arthur Puckrin | Great Britain | 59 hours 08 minutes | |||
| 6 | Vincenzo Catalano | Italy | 59 hours 54 minutes |