OBSERVATIONS FROM A COACH - 6 THINGS I LEARNED FROM IRONMAN CAIRNS

There’s no such thing as an easy Ironman. Whether it’s a flat course like Busso (IMWA), or a cool weather course like Taupo (IMNZ), they all come with their perks and ways of chipping away at taking your soul. A flat, fast course like Busso has a good reputation for athletes overcooking the bike, ending up with a fatigued lower back, and then seeing athletes run home like they may as well be using a zimmer frame. Whereas, NZ has street credit in the uphill, into the wind, final leg of the bike, and a rolling run course to completely drive the nail in. 

Ironman Cairns has a bit of everything. An often choppy ocean swim, a stiff headwind for 70k (at the end) of the 180k bike course, and a balmy winter 26 degrees to run it home on the flat course. Add to this, you need to come into Ironman Cairns with a masters degree in logistics to figure out when and where things need to be dropped, registered, what bus to get on (sheesh, did I book that ticket!?) to get to the race start etc. An Ironman event is nerve crunching enough without all the logistical fun thrown in. 

Despite the logistical fun, Cairns IM is probably my favourite course, and one that if you get a good day (whatever that means), you can still land some solid PBs and have a great experience. It’s got the trump card on being the most beautiful, rolling bike course, and I think the run course is epic with the Cairns esplanade crowds of support. We won’t mention the swim course (I’m sure it’s nice out there occasionally), but it doesn’t take the cake over NZ, Port Mac or Busso on the swim front. Anyhoo, I like a rough swim, so it still wins.

Looking back on Cairns, ahhh the beauty of hindsight and attempting to remove all emotion and land at some helpful objective feedback, let’s see what I can pull from my foggy brain with the highlights and things to think about for next year:

1. You are nine times out of ten going to be dealt choppy swim conditions. How many of you can honestly say that you got out there in training and swam in less than ideal ocean conditions? Not only is it important to condition the neck/back with all that sighting work over 3.8k, but you might also have to adapt your stroke a touch (like a higher recovery stroke) and perhaps more sighting to be able to breathe better. Neglect this area of your training at your peril. As the saying goes, you won’t win the race in the swim, but you can certainly put yourself on the back foot if you come out of the water shattered from working too hard.
2. Again, nine times out of ten, you are going to be greeted with a lovely southerly breeze blowing into your face for the last third, or more, of the race. From Port Douglas, all the way back into Cairns, the last 30k being flat and exposed, you are likely to have a stiff headwind, and that’s no where near as nice as a stiff drink on the rocks either. So train for it. I regularly suggest my crew has a think about the prevailing winds in their area and then ride out with it, and ride home into it. Becoming comfortable with feeling uncomfortable should be right up there on your list of skillsets to master in endurance sport, especially Ironman events. As much as possible, train specific to your event, even if that means choosing the tough option of riding into headwinds. Ironman is a beast, so turn yourself into one too, if you want to conquer it to the best of your abilities.
3. Cairns has a bit more to logistically get your head around. Read and re-read the athlete guide a few times and get the highlighter or pen out and make a note of the times, and places you need to be. There’s already a fair bit of pre-race excitement in the air, so having this written down and planned out, will take some pressure off your head. Race start, T1 and T2, are all in different parts of the Cairns coast. Bikes have to go to Palm Cove, transition bags have to be dropped here and there. Special needs bags. Bus transfers on race morning. Lots to think about. Write it down. Make it clear. Save the brain biscuits for when you need it most (crushing lots of good decisions on race day). 
4. Pacing, not specific to Cairns necessarily, but neglect sticking to some sort of pacing plan to your demise. It’s a rare gem of an athlete, that can ride like a maniac in the first 60k of an Ironman (with a lovely tail wind and fresh legs), feeling… in the words of Dr Evil “one million dollars”, and then run a marathon off the bike well. In a nutshell, if you want to run the marathon, put the handbrake on in that first 50-60k of the bike and aim to finish the ride feeling strong (well at least not feeling like death anyway). This way, you’ll feel more confident getting off the bike and with that, likely run far better than the dribbling mess you might have been had you embraced your ego and let it rip early. The same can be said for each leg really… in order to finish strong, you need to pace well early on. Pacing is one of those things that is entirely in your control, so control yoself!
5. Nutrition/hydration… ahhh jeesh. It’s the bane of a lot of athlete’s endurance racing. It’s so important to have a well-rehearsed plan going in, and even a well-rehearsed plan b doesn’t go astray either. There are a plethora of products out there these days, and it can be a mind field trying to figure out the best way forward. There are also a stack of ‘experts’ out there giving out the ‘this way or the highway’ approach too. I’m always sceptical of those who try and push a one size fits all approach. From my observations, and by in large the ones who nailed their nutrition plan (usually super simple in that domain), had the best days (more PBs and bigger smiles). I’ve written about race nutrition a couple of thousand times over the years, and I likely will repeat this in the coming years. Keep it simple. Practice several times in the lead up. Treat your gut like it’s a muscle and condition it like every other muscle. Nutrition is another area of your racing you have control over, so control it.
6. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right. I can’t remember who said this, but they are 100% on the money. What you continually tell yourself during the day is what you hear. Like the Indian proverb about feeding the wolves goes, if you feed the negative thoughts, you’ll be inclined to fester a negative mindset. On the flip side of that, if you continually come back to yourself (and believe it or not, thinking of/talking to yourself in the third person helps) with positive thoughts, you are more likely to have a good experience. Even when down in the dumps, enduring some cramps or not seeing the numbers you dreamed of, reminding yourself of how lucky/grateful you are to be able to actually be racing, can help your performance. I have a vivid recollection of being in Kona at the World Champs and feeling very sorry for myself as I tried my best to not look like a drunken sailor walking home from the pub, trying not to fall asleep on my feet with 10k to go in the marathon. In my retched state, I looked across the other side of the road to those who were just heading out onto the Queen K, and saw an amputee, absolutely giving it hell. I gave myself a swift uppercut and got on with it. No matter what, when you are wallowing in self-pity, there is ALWAYS, someone out there, doing it far tougher than you. In those moments, remind yourself how lucky you are be to able bodied, and privileged enough to be doing this sport. Suck it up my friend.

Ignorance might be bliss. But having a coach, working through all the things I have touched on above, and going into an Ironman event feeling prepared and with a plan, can aid in having the best experience possible. Whether you are doing your first one, or looking to smoke a PB for dinner, taking note and nailing the six things above will go a long way to enjoying the pants off Ironman Cairns, or any race for that matter. Be the hammer, not the nail 😉
SF

Click here to learn more about Head Coach Scotty Farrell
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