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My Stable
Tevez - Trek 1400 permanently based in Spain The Goat - Look 555 Buzzer - Cervelo P2C

Slacko's Fat File

01-MAY-06: 14st 5lbs
01-MAY-07: 12st 12lbs
09-MAY-07: 12st 12lbs
15-MAY-07: 12st 10lbs
22-MAY-07: 12st 11lbs
29-MAY-07: 12st 12lbs
05-JUN-07: 12st 10lbs
12-JUN-07: 12st 10lbs
01-JUL-07: 12st 5lbs
06-AUG-07: 12st 8lbs
25-SEP-07: 12st 13lbs
03-OCT-07: 13st 02lbs
09-OCT-07: 12st 13lbs
23-OCT-07: 13st 01lbs
31-OCT-07: 13st 0lbs
02-JAN-08: 13st 6lbs
07-JAN-08: 13st 3lbs
14-JAN-08: 13st 3lbs
21-JAN-08: 13st 2lbs
28-JAN-08: 13st 1lbs
04-FEB-08: 13st 1lbs
11-FEB-08: 13st 3lbs
18-FEB-08: 12st 13lbs
25-FEB-08: 12st 12lbs
03-MAR-08: 13st 00lbs
10-MAR-08: 12st 13lbs
17-MAR-08: 12st 11lbs
31-MAR-08: 12st 9lbs
07-APR-08: 12st 7lbs 14.2%
14-APR-08: 12st 9lbs 14.2%
21-APR-08: 12st 6lbs 13.2%
28-APR-08: 12st 6lbs 12.7%
05-MAY-08: 12st 6lbs 12.7%
19-MAY-08: 12st 7lbs 14.2%
26-MAY-08: 12st 3lbs 13.7%
09-JUN-08: 12st 6lbs 13.2%
23-JUN-08: 12st 7lbs 13.2%
01-JUL-08: 12st 8lbs 17.0% Rolling Eyes

04-AUG-08: 12st 11lbs Mad

11-AUG-08: 12st 7lbs
18-AUG-08: 12st 10lbs
30-SEP-08: 12st 9lbs
23-NOV-08: 13st 0lbs
10-DEC-08: 12st 13lbs
23-DEC-08: 13st 0lbs
06-JAN-09: 13st 0lbs
12-JAN-09: 12st 11lbs
21-JAN-09: 12st 9lbs
27-JAN-09: 12st 10lbs
04-FEB-09: 12st 7lbs
11-FEB-09: 12st 6lbs
20-FEB-09: 12st 5lbs
26-FEB-09: 12st 3lbs
05-MAR-09: 12st 4lbs
18-MAR-09: 12st 0lbs
03-APR-09: 12st 0lbs
17-APR-09: 11st 13lbs Very Happy

01-MAY-09: 12st 1lbs
07-MAY-09: 12st 0lbs
04-JUN-09: 12st 4lbs
11-JUN-09: 12st 2lbs
16-JUL-09: 12st 1lbs
09-OCT-09: 12st 0lbs
08-JAN-10: 12st 8lbs Mad

14-JAN-10: 12st 5lbs
29-JAN-10: 12st 2lbs
05-FEB-10: 12st 1lbs
12-FEB-10: 12st 2lbs
19-FEB-10: 11st 13lbs
26-FEB-10: 11st 12lbs
05-MAR-10: 12st 0lbs
12-MAR-10: 11st 13lbs
19-MAR-10: 11st 12lbs
09-APR-10: 11st 9lbs

All about Slacko

Name: Steve
Age Group: 45-49
Married: To Rach aka Mrs. Slacko
Kids: 6!! April(21), Sam(19), Kayleigh(16), James(14), Daniel(13), Mikey(9)
Occupation: IT Consultant
Footy Team: Being from Manchester it has to be City!
The story so far:
I've always been into health and fitness. From a young age I played football to a high standard. After retiring from serious football about a decade ago, I kept up my fitness by going to the gym (where I met Rach!) and running. Triathlon always held a fascination, but I always thought it a sport for elite athletes only. Once I found out that ordinary folk did it, I had a word with Rach and we decided we'd both like to give it a go. We did our first event in Oct 2006 - the Bedford Autumn Sprint, got hooked and decided to jump in with both feet and tackle IMUK in 2007 which I completed in 12:30! Cool

I followed this in 2008 with 11:46 at IM Austria. The next big target is sub-11hrs at Challenge Barcelona!

Calendar 09 - 2010


Fight, Fight, Fight !!!! Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:47 pm Slacko

This week was about easing back into exercise, the plan is to start on a proper programme again next week. As mentioned a blog or two ago, from now on triathlon will return to hobby status and will fit in around our lives instead of us fitting our lives around triathlon. Also we’ve really had to look at our finances when it comes to our triathlon expenditure as we’re very tight at the moment. Unfortunately we’ve had to cut our coaching costs and our gym fees. It was a hard decision to let go of Daz as he’s been instrumental in my rapid development to a half-decent triathlete and there’s no way I’d of got there without him. I’ve learned a lot from how he went about training us and I’ll try and continue the principles he’s followed as best I can. Maybe if and when our finances look better and if Daz still has room to take us we can sign up again. The gym membership wasn’t so tough to let go as we have a decent weights bench and set in our garage. We downgraded to a swim membership so we still get use of the pool. Returning triathlon to hobby status doesn’t mean I’ll take it overly easy though. I will still work very hard in training and probably will still put in some decent hours but there will be a better balance and time with the kids and grandchild, house & garden will be put before training. I want to keep enjoying my sport and towards the end of the Double training I was starting to resent the time it was taking up which made it less enjoyable. On Tuesday I went for an easy 30 minute jog at lunchtime. It felt much better than the run on the previous Sunday but I still felt heavy and sluggish. I started to worry that I’d lost all my fitness. I dispelled that on Wednesdays run. I ran a tough, hilly 9.6km loop that ends with a very steep hill about 1km from work and is uphill all the way back. I intend on using this route a lot as the hill will be good training for the Forestman as it’s a similar gradient to those on the run course. I’ve dipped below 45 minutes on this run on a handful of occasions and my PB is 43:22 for it that I achieved earlier this year when I was flying on my runs. This time I ran it in 44:27 which I was very happy with as I felt like I was struggling and sluggish but I was obviously still going at a decent pace as it was one of the quicker times I’ve posted for that run. I was intending on running again on Thursday but I had a twinge in my hip area so I rested instead. Back on the subject of ‘balance’, Rach and I nipped to the pub for a couple of drinks before dinner last night. Until this week it had been nearly a year since we used our local due to either training or being tired from training! Towards the end of our drink it all kicked off and a big brawl erupted with scurrilous accusations being hurled along with fists, glasses and drinks. We live in a decent area but for some reason our local has its fair share of juicy nights like this. Rach & I sat back and watched it with a mixture of amusement and bemusement, it beats Eastenders any day! I nearly dived into the mix to get a bit of OW mass start simulation training but reminded myself I was having a night off triathlon. We ended up staying at the pub ‘til closing to watch the aftermath with the police showing up and enjoying all the gossip and post-fight analysis. As a result Rach has been a bit seedy today but I seem to have escaped the hangover. We’re off to the Vitruvian in the morning to do some cheerleading and we’ll get for a ride on Sunday then next week we’ll be officially back in training! TTFN!!!!! Replies: Poet: I’m confident a month between IMs will be fine. I recovered really well from the FM this year which I’m hoping will happen next year. Dre: See you there! Carlito: You’re right, although it’s an ultra with a sleep in a hotel bed in the middle of it! KP Nut: Thanks! Sue: Thankfully I seem to have retained at least a little fitness! Steve_r: Hope you’re right mate! See you tomorrow! Sav: Not even thinking about training has been nice for a while, we definitely needed the mental break as well as the physical. Willo46: Just about everything! Have a look at the bottom of my race report, I list my specific reasons for not doing it again there! SlackoJr: It will be good for you to see some of this first hand. PSF: Hopefully we’ll catch up with you before next years event. I didn’t realise they were doing a Quin though?! ChrisW: I’d love to race Abu Dhabi, I wonder if I could talk our benefactor into sponsoring us? _________________ Follow me on Twitter! BLOG - Slackbladder Goes Forth Athlinks
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After the Double! Sun Aug 29, 2010 7:45 pm Slacko

Thanks for all the responses regarding my race report. A lot of people have mentioned what an honest account it was and how it gave a decent insight as to what this event was all about. I'm chuffed about that as that's exactly what I wanted to achieve when writing it. Ultra's aren't for everyone but there's no way of knowing that until you've done one. A lot of the people who competed this year have already signed up for next year and seem pretty eager about it. Not me though! I remember after my first and second IMs saying 'never again' afterwards but then start planning next years assault within a couple of days. I'm not tempted whatsoever by another go at a double or triple though. As mentioned in my report, some people seem better suited to this lark than others. One of these people IMO is Rach who looked to be really enjoying it and I reckon would have finished in a very good time but for some bad luck. She has signed up for another crack next year and I'll be helping her out in training and will crew for her during the event. I'm confident she'll nail it! My recovery has gone OK I think. We had a very nice holiday in Spain with the kids. Ate loads, drank a bit and did no exercise whatsover. Just what I needed! Last week was my first back at work and seemed to drag forever. I took my running gear in with me in case I fancied a run at lunch time - I brought my unused gear home with me at the end of the week. I just didn't fancy it so I didn't bother. Yesterday Rach & I sat down to plan next years events and have decided on our 'A' races. We're both signed up for the Luton Marathon in December, hopefully this will get me motivated to resume training. Then I've got: - Marrakech Marathon penciled in for the end of January - Grantham Canal Race in March (2 x 29 miles over 2 days) - Shakespeare Marathon on May 8th - Swashbuckler Middle on May 22nd - Forestman on June 26th - The Outlaw on July 24th Rach's diary differs from mine slightly as she'll be doing the Double but not Forestman. The emphasis is intentionally on running. I really want to break 4 hours for an IM run and want to be as strong as possible in the discipline. I think a sub-4 run in the Forestman will be a tough ask but I loved that race and want to do it again. This leaves the Outlaw as the realistic event to try and hit this goal. We had originally intended on doing IM Regensberg but it's just not realistic given that the first of our collective offspring, April, is getting married 5 days later. Naturally this will be great time for our family that we don't want to comprimise or rush by taking on a European IM. We watched the highlights of The Outlaw on TV this morning and were very impessed with what we saw. It looked a great event, very professional and well supported. With all that planning we were inspired to get out for a run yesterday. Just an easy 4 mile jog, should be a breeze eh? My god, I had to stop and stretch my groin and hip flexors after 1km and my ITB played up and gave my knee pain for the last mile. My legs were stiff this morning too! This resulted in a rest day today! The first run back is always the worst and I'll be easing back into it next week with a few runs and maybe a swim. Still can't picture myself getting back on a bike yet! TTFN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _________________ Follow me on Twitter! BLOG - Slackbladder Goes Forth Athlinks
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Enduroman Double Iron UK Race Report! Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:47 am Slacko

Pre Race The week leading up to the race was pretty relaxed with hectic bursts of getting stuff ready for the event and the subsequent holiday. We travelled up to Lichfield early Friday afternoon and checked in to the Holiday Inn meeting TTers along the way. Later we headed across to the Esporta for the pasta party and the race brief. It was really great meeting a lot of familiar faces and also some new ones. Because of the prolific race thread on the forum I felt like I already knew a lot of the new people already. The pasta was good, although the one-helping each was a bit of a surprise although I did manage to wangle a second plateful. After the thorough briefing we had a TT photo shoot then headed to the race site to help Daz & Eve set up our HQ for the night then we found an all-night Tesco to get more to eat plus some Red Bull for the event as it wasn’t going to be supplied this year as we assumed. Happiness - 10!! We were in bed around 10:30, no 3am wake up for us this time but we were disturbed around that time by the Triplers getting ready. On race morning we met Daz & Eve (our crew for the event) for breakfast at 7:30am. We were joined by the other members of TTF (Team Target Fitness) Scottg and Carlito (and fimm – Carlito’s OH and crew). Team Target Fitness After breakfast we headed down to the race site and transferred our mountain of gear from the car to the tent and got Rach racked and ready before going in and watching the Triplers swim. Before long it was time for Rach to get kitted up ready for her swim. I was more nervous for her than I was for myself. It was lovely to see TTers coming to watch for a bit with p00key, Cleo, Lula and Slacker popping in for a bit. Rach was called to the start line amid huge cheers from her adoring fans, I welled up a bit and felt a bit ill at this point (strange as I was perfectly ok for my start!). Then she was off! I didn’t want to leave poolside at this point but I still had loads to do for my race start. Once it became obvious Rach was swimming well I took off and got my bike racked and ran through the lighting situation with Daz. Before I knew it it was time for me to get kitted. I saw the other guys in the change room with their swim caps but I didn’t have mine. I dashed quickly to the car and retrieved it and found my race number there which I hadn’t put on my race belt. After a whole week to prepare I couldn’t believe how disorganised I was with 25 minutes ‘til race start. My mind was jelly at this point and I couldn’t remember where I packed my race belt (it took Daz about 3 hours to find it!). I managed to get myself sorted out and back to poolside in time to see Rach finish the swim. I was so proud at this point and gave her a big hug and kiss. Then it was our turn, wave 3 were called to their lanes and when my name was called I was pleased with the cheers, especially the very loud one coming from the ladies changing room! Just before we jumped in the pool Rach came out of the changing rooms kitted up for the bike. Chance for another hug and kiss and good luck wishes. The Race Swim There were 3 of us in our lane, myself and Carlito who are fairly close in terms of ability with Carilto being the slightly quicker of us. The other guy, Bruce, was about 30 minutes slower on his target swim time. Carlito and I has previously decided to work together and to take turns leading for 500m. This worked really well for the majority of the swim. We decided that as I was the slower of the 2 of us that I’d lead first to prevent us going off too quick. We all got our first indication of T_C’s intentions or this race as he actually was in the pool for the start. First time he’s managed this in 3 years! Before we knew it, Steve was counting us down … 3-2-1 and I was off on the ‘G’ of ‘Go’ – no wasted second there!! I took it very easy, wary of Daz’s warning about going off too quickly. I felt pretty good and could feel Carlito on my toes as planned. Soon the first 500m changeover came and I snuck a look at my watch – 8:05 and a 500m PB by about 40 seconds! Carlito was obviously faster than me but I was able to hold his toes comfortably. We stopped for drinks and a gel every 1500m. After about 5000m of comfort in this routine I started to get very hot and twinges of cramp were becoming evident. The organisers were pouring cold water over us on our breaks which was nice. I lost Carlito not long after 6000m, he overtook the slower guy in our lane on the approach to the wall while I had to wait until the wall before I got past. Carlito was about 10m away and as I pushed hard to catch him my calf cramped forcing me to back off. At the next stop I just told him to go on his own as I was in cramp management mode until the end. I couldn’t swim with any fluency but I managed to struggle to the end – my watch said 2:35 when I got out – 5 minutes over my target time. The photo of me exiting the pool showed how hot I’d got. I necked half a bottle of energy drink at this stage which was a big mistake. No! Don't neck it you idiot!! Getting out of the pool with cramps isn't easy I waddled slowly out of the pool eventually crossing the mat in 2:37 and found Daz in the changing tent. That was part 1 out of the way and already I knew I’d underestimated just what a 7.6km swim would take out of me. T1 Leisurely change into bike kit, Daz had to pin my number on my back as my race belt was still in hiding. Vaseline and chamois crème everywhere and off. T_C was getting on his bike at the same time as me which meant the nasty rumours of him taking lessons and had learned to swim in the past few months were true! I went over the timing mat in a time of 2:38:04 which was the 13th best swim split out of 35 starters. Happy with that given that I was basically a BoP swimmer up until a year ago. Bike In the months leading up to the event, this is where I thought the race would start. The fact that I’d just swam 2,600m further than I’d ever swam before for some reason didn’t register until I’d done it – then it registered big time! I was dehydrated and not completely with it as I set off for the first of 224 miles which consisted of 16 x 14 mile loops. The bike course is indelibly imprinted in my mind. A short, mild climb out of the leisure centre, left turn, climb sharpens a little before a quick descent (into pitch blackness at night!), small climb to the right hand turn where the Mashes were marshalling, a nice long descent followed by a flat section where woody32 was ringing his cowbells all night. Through the crappy surfaces of King Bromley, right turn at a roundabout, the winding road to Yoxhall with a gentle climb up to the turnaround roundabout, shout number to friendly marshalls, whizz back the Yoxhall (fun at night), back through Kings Bromley hitting the same damn pothole every time, past woody32, over the railway, up the long drag to the Mashes, left turn onto a horrible surfaced road, left at the lights at full speed in the dark (loads of fun) unless it was red - then you give your number to the poor bloke sat there all night to get your 20 second credit (I think I amassed 60 seconds in total ), then a small but annoyingly sharp climb back into the leisure centre that took me about 4 loops to figure out that carrying speed and getting into a small gear made much easier. Times 16. Daz gave me Powerbars to eat on the first loop but I felt sick from necking all that energy drink after the swim. I couldn’t believe it, I’d lost my stomach before I’d really begun. The feeling of wanting to be sick never left me for the entire race until I eventually threw up 20 minutes after finishing. Knowing that if I didn’t eat I was one a one-way trip to DNF land I tried to nibble bits of Powerbar here and there and managed an entire one through the lap. I had the same energy drink in my Speedfil bottle that caused my sick feeling so I was all that keen on it but knew I needed the calories, although I drank no-where near enough early in the ride. I took in 500mls of water during lap 1 to wash the Powerbar down. I went straight through the support area after lap 1, I really wanted to cover as much ground as possible before darkness set in. During the 2nd lap I only managed half a Powerbar and a bit of energy drink. My HR was very high for the relatively low average speed of 29kph I was maintaining. In training I wouldn’t get close to 130bpm for this speed but I was well over 135bpm, the dehydration from the swim really was affecting me. After the 2nd lap I stopped for a chunk of cake and load my Bento box with chocolate raisins to nibble on. These worked quite well as my stomach could handle the tiny quantities OK. Daz had diluted my energy drink with Nuun which made that much easier to drink also. I made a conscious effort to drink more on this loop as Daz told me I was looking quite dehydrated, I think he was a little worried at this point. During the first few laps in the light it was great seeing the other competitors out there. Everyone was now out on the road from all 3 events and there were loads of shouts of “Livin’ The Dream” and “10!” happiness scores! Funnily enough, these dissipated somewhat as the event rolled on, and on, and on. It was fantastic seeing Rach who was obviously really enjoying herself and was cycling very strongly with a huge smile on her face. This cheered me up a lot as I was feeling a little sorry for myself at this stage. After lap 4 we were told to get the High-Viz on which I thought was a little weird as it was still quite bright out. The organisers were spot on though as it got dark very quickly and then instead of seeing individuals on bikes all you saw were lights. For the rest of the night it got quite lonely out there with only the briefest of words with people on overtaking. Hi-Viz & Lemon Drizzle From this point onward I’d stopped trying to eat stuff on the bike. I did just about all my eating at the end of the loops, with rice & potatoes, chicken soup, porridge and rice pudding amongst the things my stomach wanted. It had given up completely on sweet stuff and despite Daz’s urging I consistently refused gels, bars and chocolate – the very thought of sucking a gel back made me gag. Also my energy drink had to be a low concentrate to allow me to stomach it. I was aware that I really wasn’t getting all the calories I needed but I was happy that I was at least getting some in. Well into the night now and I was hearing cowbells on the course then my lights picked up a high viz jacket of some nutter out in the middle of nowhere yelling encouragement to everyone. It was massively helpful having some an extra milestone on that course to look forward to twice a lap and I thanked him each and every time I went past. It wasn’t until the sun came up that I recognised the Samaritan as Woody32 who we’d met and cheered on in Lanza last year! I also had a giggle on a couple of occasions when I passed Mrs Mash boogying roadside to cheesy tunes – top effort Luvvie! X The laps were blur throughout the night and I can’t honestly tell you what I did and on what loop. I changed base layers and fleeces a couple of times as I was getting quite chilled in the torso, but my legs were fine in shorts all night and fingerless gloves were ok too. My mood wasn’t too bad and although I was slowing down in the night I was slowing less than most and was moving through the field steadily. I think Daz told me I was in 4th or 5th place at one point which surprised me as I really felt quite rubbish. As rubbish as I felt, unfortunately Rach was feeling much worse. On one of my brief stops I saw her sat with Yve looking very tired and ill. I later passed her on the course and she wasn’t feeling very well at all. A couple of laps later I feared the worst when I pull in at HQ and saw her bike propped against the fence with her no where in sight. Daz told me she was sleeping in the tent and that she was out. This really dented my enthusiasm and suddenly I felt very tired and bored with the whole thing and started thinking “what’s the point?” and was considering pulling out as I really couldn’t say that I was having much fun. Had it been an hour earlier I may well have pulled the plug, what saved me was the hint of light appearing on the horizon. I’d done it, I’d ridden through the night and now morning was arriving. Suddenly I could see the potholes, I could see my fellow competitors, I could see Woody32 and his wonderful cowbell and I could see more than just the patch of road 20 feet in front of me! Ironically the glorious sunshine caused the course to get much colder thanks to the mist it created but I didn’t care at that point as I only had 2 laps to go and I did them without stopping. On my last lap I made the point of thanking the wonderful marshals who all went through the night and were magnificent. I bade farewell to Yoxhall and Kings Bromley and vowed never to visit them ever again! Rolling into HQ for the last time was a wonderful feeling. I’d just added 100 miles to my previously longest ever ride and was feeling not too bad. I knew I hadn’t eaten or drank nearly enough despite my crew’s urging but I was still eating and drinking and most importantly still moving forward. Eddie took my bike off me, took a good look at my eyes then sent me to my crew to prepare for the small matter of a double marathon. It didn’t faze me, I was just so happy to be off that sodding bike! My target was to break 14 hours for the bike but I was way out with a bike split of 14:43:18. The fact that this was the 3rd best bike split in the event shows how tough it was keeping speed up when doing the majority of the ride in the dark. I’m still not happy with this though. T2 was a measured affair and I opted for preventative measures like taping all my toes to prevent blisters and liberal amounts of Vaseline in all likely chafe spots. A full change into my TriTalk 2-piece, a Ginsters Pasty and a briefing from Steve and I was set to go! Ginsters & Foot Tenderers - bizarre T2 Quick kiss before the run Run Brief from Steve Run I adopted the walk uphill, run the rest strategy from the start and managed to maintain this for each of the 42 x 1.3 mile loops. My legs felt surprisingly ok and I got a nice welcome from the marshals at the Devil’s Staircase, this would also be repeated 42 times – as would be the enthusiastic support from the marshals at the far end of Blair Witch Woods, superb effort from these impressive folks. At first I was managing to take gels with me and take them on the walks up the hills. I felt I was going quite well, I was lucid and running well and enjoying the banter with those already on the run course. Initially I was doing between 12-13 minute loops comfortably. At about the half marathon stage I started to get a pain in my right knee when going up the Devil’s Staircase. It eased on the run through the woods but each subsequent loop the easing took more and more time to kick in after going up the steps. For the final quarter of the first marathon I was running with my right knee locked, but I was still running although I’d slowed considerably to 16 minute loops. At the completion of the first marathon I was in a lot of pain and hobbling badly through my run stints. My reward for completing the marathon was a plate of chips and a sit down for 10 minutes. As I sat down the realisation that I still had to run a whole marathon on one leg hit me like a ton of bricks. The enormity of the task sent me into the depths of despair, and I do mean the depths. For the first time in the event I couldn’t visualise myself crossing the finishing line and I told everyone that I was out – I just couldn’t go on. One more loop seemed far too much, never mind another 21. Accepting that I’d failed brought on some tears, I’d come so far and the failure really stung. The infamous 'Chips Incident'! Rach being there saved my race. She talked to me as I ate my chips and by the time I’d eaten I’d cheered up a bit. I vaguely remember Yve commenting on the power that chips had on us English! Anyway, I was back in the game and I hobbled the first 1.3 miles into my second marathon with Rach. A few laps later Daz ran with me, my knee was heavily strapped at this point and I was getting slower and slower. For some reason seeing the course physio just hadn’t occurred to me before then but I decided there I had no choice but to give it a go. Tim Pepper, the race physio, was nothing more than a miracle worker. He quickly diagnosed my problem as a compressed cartilage and did about 10 minutes manipulation and ditched the bandage. I couldn’t believe it when I re-entered the race and I was running again without much pain. As happy as I was I was kicking myself for not seeing him sooner as I’d run at least half a marathon at hobble pace in a lot of pain unnecessarily. Running freely felt wonderful and my lap times started to pick up again. Most of the Triplers and all the Doublers were now on the run course and I was enjoying brief chats with PSF, Hillwall, Amberetta, Scottg, Aaronb, Carlito, SJB but I kept the chats brief as I didn’t want to get sucked into anyone else’s pace. Especially PSF’s, who from what I could see was on a strategy that involved bounding around the course as fast as possible then taking a long break to recover! Always an entertaining chat though. At one point we both admitted how bored we were, boredom is just another thing the mind has to cope with in such events. When running 42 small loops you do start to feel like you’re on a hamster wheel and after the first few laps it all gets a bit Groundhog Day out there. With about half a marathon to go I started to slow again, this time with a nasty blister on the ball of my foot near the toes. This time I didn’t mess about and got straight to physio who applied blister pads and taped it up. It cost me another 20 minutes on his table but I was running freely again when I got up. By this time I was completely off sweet stuff again and was running primarily on body fat and water. Daz concocted some elixirs made up of energy drink, Red Bull, Nuun and Coke that I was somehow able to sip away at. Just about everyone was on the course now. T_C was flying as he did all day and was about to finish. Knightlancer was flying and looking fresh as a daisy on his way to a superb result. Repoman was very early into the run and was despairing a bit about what lay ahead. I really could identify with his mind state and was extremely pleased I didn’t enter the Triple! Big Ted was doing fantastically well and appeared to be Livin’ every second of The Dream. Big respect for the big man. The Rev was there too. I asked him where he was on his happiness scale, the answer appeared to be “2” as indicated by the middle finger on each hand! By now I was well into single figures on the run loop. I was spending more time than planned at the end of each loop as chasing times had long since been deemed irrelevant. I was enjoying seeing Rach, April, Marc and grandson Finn who’d come along to cheer us on and was in no particular hurry to move on. Marc ran with me with 6 laps to go and set a ‘challenging’ pace for me to follow! I ran the last 3 loops without a stop as I wanted to get it over with. I was hearing the announcements of others finishing and desperately wanted it to be my name. The last loop is special at Enduroman events, you run in the opposite direction collecting the congratulations and high-5s from your fellow competitors. It’s also a nice time to thank the wonderful marshals for their superb support. I’m pretty sure I was beaming all the way around but at the same time I felt so sorry for those still on the course because I knew what they were going through, especially some of the Triplers who looked like they were struggling with so, so far left to go. Running down the finishing chute for the final time, high-5ing the supporters and seeing Rach there with my medal was fantastic. I knew at this point that this was a definitive ‘never again’ experience so I made sure I soaked it all up. I crossed the line with arms aloft and I was a Double Iron man. Rach hugged me and hung my medal around my neck and Eddie shook my hand and looked genuinely pleased for me. He had to drag me off the timing mat as I was wobbling around it a bit! I was happy but the overriding emotion was relief. It was over. I could stop. I cried. My run split was a very poor 12:26:18, but I did spend well over an hour either on the physio’s table or sat down which I didn’t account for. My target was sub-10 for the run which was a tad optimistic in retrospect. Dazed and Confused My total time was 29:47:42, I really expected to go sub-28 but to be honest I don’t care. Starting one of these events is a big achievement, finishing it is massive. I’ll not be back to try and get a better time, to do that properly I’d need to put in a similar training year to what I’ve just had and I simply am not prepared to do that again. Post Race This is all a bit of a blur to be honest. There were lots of hugs and kisses with friends and family but my body was starting to crash. The nausea I’d been feeling since I got on my bike over 24 hours previous became overwhelming and I had to sneak off. I dry wretched for a while as there was nothing in my stomach then I started to shake uncontrollably. Rach went and found a medic who checked me out and basically said to get warm and fed quickly. Slacker took me to his tent, gave me most of his clothes, his sleeping bag and a wonderful cup of tea. It still took a while for the shaking to stop but it subsided eventually. I was recovered enough to get up and watch Scottg finish looking very fresh, then I started to wobble again. We decided it was best to get me into the car and home. Mrs Mash kept me upright on the walk to the car park while Rach and Marc took me gear over. I was bundled into the car and slept all the way home. My kids and stepson Sam were waiting for me when I got home and I think my appearance shocked them a bit. They were looking at me as though I only had minutes left to live! From there on though the recovery was pretty quick. We all went on holiday on the Tuesday and I was walking pretty much normally. It was still a couple of more days before I was eating properly again but when I did start eating again I didn’t stop and easily regained the half a stone I lost during the race and then some! With an event this size there are loads of people I need to thank, all of which played a part in getting me over that finishing line. First and foremost is Rach who has had to put up with my obsessive approach to training for months now. We’ve been through a lot together over the course of the year building up to this and I’m gutted she didn’t get the result she deserved for all her efforts. Even though she was obviously hurting from her DNF, her upbeat nature played a huge role in getting me to the finish line. Daz & Yve for giving up their weekend to crew for us and for putting up with my grumpiness. Daz also for his coaching me into the shape I needed to be in to complete this race. April, Marc and grandson Finn for being there to support all day. Of course, all the other supporters – especially Woody32 for his night long vigil in the middle of nowhere with a cowbell. Steve, Eddie and the whole Enduroman team for putting the ‘special’ into this special event. Tim Pepper, the physio, who was instrumental in me finishing the race. The superb marshals have been mentioned throughout the report but still deserve a bit more praise! Another big thank you to Spike, La Marquise, TimVin, White Noise, Mash180 and Gav at work for the loan of lights, very much appreciated everyone! After doing something this big the natural question is “What next?” Triathlon for me will be returning to its proper place as a hobby. It has completely dominated the past year of my life but that has to change. I love the sport, love the people I’ve met doing the sport, love being fit but from now on Triathlon and training will be prioritised correctly. I’m not entered in any future races at the moment and am not planning any at the moment. I suppose there’s a bit of post-race blues going on but I think I’m a little burned out too. I’ve enjoyed 2 full weeks of absolutely zero exercise and have no desire to get back into it just yet. I’m sure this will change in the not too distant future though! Ultra distance athletes are a breed apart and I’m afraid (and pleased!) that I’m not of that breed. Deke, Knightlancer, T_C and Carlito seem perfectly suited to these sorts of races but I’m not. I’m too competitive and like to race against other people but I found I couldn’t in the Double. I wanted my ‘rivals’ to do well and was genuinely pleased for those who beat me and was genuinely concerned for ‘rivals’ who were struggling. It was purely a case of us against the distance, not each other. The camaraderie this created was magic but I do prefer the dog-eat-dog world of short course stuff like Ironman! Did I enjoy it? No, I suffered and didn’t enjoy a second of it. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I found new limits and loved every second of the experience. I would encourage all my friends to do this race at least once but wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy – I think you’re getting the drift on what it’s all about. _________________ Follow me on Twitter! BLOG - Slackbladder Goes Forth Athlinks ~ Last edited by Slacko on Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:11 pm; edited 3 times in total
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2010 Events (Provisional)
MK Cycle Sportif (100m) - 28 Mar St Ives - Richardson's Rumble Sportif (100m) - 11 Apr Flitwick 10km Road Race - 18 Apr New Forest Triathlon (Oly) - 02 May Forestman IM - 27 Jun Big Cow Oly - 25 Jul Double Iron UK - 07 Aug No plans yet post DIUK

2009 Events + Reports
Fred Hughes 10 Mile Run - 18 Jan 1:13:26 - PB Race Report Nike+ MK Half Marathon - 08 Mar 1:32:31 - PB Race Report The Ballbuster - 21 Mar 3:15:17 - PB Race Report The Shakespeare Marathon - 26 Apr 3:29:27 - PB Race Report A Day In The Lakes (Middle) - 28 Jun 6:38:27 - PW Race Report Bedford Classic (Standard) - 19 Jul 2:30:00 - PB Race Report Milton Keynes Triathlon (Standard) - 26 Jul 2:19:58 - PB Race Report One Last Tri (Middle 1.4/88/18.5) - 04 Oct 4:45:14 - PB Race Report

2008 Events
23/02 - Big Cow Duathlon (4.5/16/4) R1 - 18:56 T1 - 1:02 B - 27:57 T2 - 1:02 R2 - 18:15 Tot - 1:07:12 02/03 - MK Half Marathon - 1:38:08 13/04 - National Duathlon Champs (10/40/5) R1 - 43:36 T1 - 0:57 B - 1:11:12 T2 - 0:49 R2 - 23:36 Tot - 2:20:10 27/04 - White Horse Challenge (150km) 4:58 - Gold! 18/05 - Big Cow Sprint (750/20/5) S - 12:56 B(T1&T2) - 38:41 R - 22:30 Tot - 1:14:07 01/06 - Beaulieu Middle (1.4/87/22.5) S - 0:24:00 B(T1&T2) - 2:36:00 R - 1:53:00 Tot - 4:53:00 13/07 - IM Austria S - 1:18:56 B - 5:37:00 R - 4:36:00 Tot - 11:46:45 06/09 - The Vitruvian S - 0:43:48 B(T1) - 2:41:00 R(T2) - 1:50:17 Tot - 5:15:05 05/10 - Bedford Autumn Sprint S - 08:21 B(T1&T2) - 47:44 R - 20:52 Tot - 1:16:57 08/11 - The Ballbuster Duathlon R1 - 58:42 B(+T1) - 1:27:40 R2(+T2) - 1:06:41 Tot - 3:33:03

IMs To Date
2008 - IM Austria IMA Race Report 2007 - IM UK My IMUK Race Report My Finisher's Video

Training Totals
(in hours:minutes) 2010 Jan: S - 08:40 B - 16:55 R - 12:25 Gym - 03:45 Feb: S - 09:35 B - 22:35 R - 14:25 Gym - 03:25 Mar: S - 08:40 B - 34:15 R - 16:05 Gym - 02:20 Apr: S - 02:40 B - 01:45 R - 04:20 Gym - 01:00 2009 Jan: S - 08:55 B - 09:10 R - 11:10 Gym - 04:00 Feb: S - 09:15 B - 10:30 R - 14:30 Gym - 05:35 Mar: S - 04:25 B - 12:50 R - 08:30 Gym - 02:25 Apr: S - 06:00 B - 07:55 R - 16:00 Gym - 01:30 May: S - 07:10 B - 15:40 R - 12:45 Gym - 01:40 June: S - 06:20 B - 15:15 R - 12:10 Gym - 01:25 July: S - 08:20 B - 09:10 R - 09:40 Gym - 01:20 Aug: S - 06:30 B - 11:20 R - 08:05 Gym - 01:40 Sep: S - 09:30 B - 21:55 R - 11:30 Gym - 03:30 Oct: S - 06:15 B - 07:40 R - 10:05 Gym - 03:10 Nov: S - 02:35 B - 03:55 R - 09:05 Gym - 01:45 2009 Totals: S - 74:15 B - 125:20 R - 124:30 Gym - 29:10 2008 Jan: S - 5:25 B - 13:40 R - 11:10 Gym - 01:00 Feb: S - 05:40 B - 12:20 R - 09:35 Gym - 00:00 Mar: S - 04:40 B - 21:15 R - 17:05 Gym - 01:15 Apr: S - 05:25 B - 21:25 R - 12:25 Gym - 01:15 May: S - 05:30 B - 20:00 R - 08:00 Gym - 00:30 Jun: S - 04:20 B - 29:45 R - 15:05 Gym - 00:00 Jul: S - 03:40 B - 11:25 R - 13:30 Gym - 00:00 Aug: S - 06:50 B - 09:25 R - 14:35 Gym - 00:00 Sep: S - 03:20 B - 10:25 R - 08:40 Gym - 00:00 Oct: S - 06:00 B - 16:45 R - 14:05 Gym - 00:00 Nov: S - 00:00 B - 01:35 R - 08:30 Gym - 01:20 Dec: S - 01:35 B - 02:45 R - 11:05 Gym - 07:00 2008 Totals: S - 52:10 B - 171:00 R - 143:00 Gym - 12:30 2007 Jan: S - 8:10 B - 17:35 R - 13:15 Feb: S - 12:25 B - 15:06 R - 07:30 Gym - 03:00 Mar: S - 06:45 B - 18:04 R - 12:00 Gym - 03:05 Apr: S - 03:00 B - 14:01 R - 05:30 Gym - 00:00 May: S - 06:20 B - 20:15 R - 15:15 Gym - 00:00 June: S - 04:00 B - 22:00 R - 13:00 Gym - 00:00 July: S - 03:40 B - 26:00 R - 23:45 Gym - 00:00 August: S - 02:35 B - 11:20 R - 05:40 Gym - 00:00 September: S - 00:02 B - 01:30 R - 04:50 Gym - 01:00 October: S - 01:10 B - 04:20 R - 08:05 Gym - 05:00 November: S - 02:15 B - 06:05 R - 07:55 Gym - 01:45 December: S - 00:00 B - 00:45 R - 11:45 Gym - 00:15 2007 Total: S - 50:25 B - 155:05 R - 128:45 Gym - 13:55

2007 Events
'A' races in red 11/03 MK Half Marathon DNS (achilles) 22/04 Duston Sprint (400m/20k/5k) 8:00/41:06/23:46 1:12:52 07/05 Tonbridge Sprint (750m/20k/5k) DNS 20/05 Wetherby Oly (1500m/40k/10k) - 32.12/2.40/1:16.32/1.08/54.20 - 2:46:54 03/06 Big Cow Sprint (750m/20k/5.3k) - 15.57/2.22/34.59/0.41/23.28 - 1:17:30 17/06 UKIM70.3 Wimbleball - 38:11/3:26:21/1:58:10 - 6:13:51 08/07 The Cowman (1.9km/92k/21k) 42:30/2:17/2:51:38/1:57:40 - 5:34:05 PB!!! 22/07 Big Cow MK Oly (1.5k/40k/10k) 29/07 VOTWO 3.8km OW Swim DNS 19/08 UKIM Sherborne 1:23:44/0:06:33/6:11:14/0:03:35/4:45:46 - 12:30:58 30/09 Bedford Autumn Sprint (400m/25k/5k) 8:46/50:??/23:?? - 1:22:31

The Slackos!