Last updated
02 November 2014
Tri Results 2014
11 October 2014 - Hawaii Ironman Triathlon
Just a quick post Hawaii, race update. With a few photos (courtesy of John
Mc McConville)........it really didn't go to plan......
After some really hard training in Mallorca, between
March and May and again in September, topped up with some more back
breaking, power based turbo sessions (wearing ‘longs’ and a anorak in a 25
degree glass conservatory to try and acclimatise). I trotted off to Kona as
ready as I was ever likely to be, to try and contest my age category.
This was my 5th visit to the ‘Big Island’ in 26 years,
and despite once finishing in the top 100 overall, (1998), I felt that I had
never had a ‘great’ race there.....this was surely going to be it!!??!!
Arriving almost two weeks before the race, I just
concentrated on my taper, eating correctly and not spending too much time on
my feet, walking around the trade stands and expo. I even avoided the pasta
party and all the pre race razzmatazz, the PATH 10km race and the open water
swim the weekend before. It was a case of early to bed and early to rise
(the whole place shuts down by 20.00hrs, but the sun rises soon after
5.00am). My regime was simple, just to do a few short runs and spins on the
bike to get used to the heat......something I hoped I would be much better
at, after battling through freak temps in Mallorca in September ( a very
similar 33 degrees + high humidity).
There really was nothing that could possibly have
predicted what was about to happen.
I got sick with a dose of Hawaiian Summer Flu!
Thursday night before the race I woke up with a wicked
sore throat; fever and racing pulse. I could have cried!! I did actually
beat my head against the pillow as I realised any ‘hopes’ had just
flown..........
I probably shouldn't have even started the race on
Saturday morning, but I did..... AND finished.....albeit in my worst time
ever....10hrs 51mins.
The swim was OK but the salt water BURNED my sore
throat like crazy, and I couldn’t swallow comfortably for the first couple
of hours on the bike, (if your even thinking about this sort of thing
halfway through an Ironman, pedalling along the Queen K with all those
endorphins flowing you know you’re in a bad place).
One of my ‘saviours’ was my Fusion trisuit, it was
great, it kept me super cool on the bike (considering I was running a
temperature anyhow), I did my 'drink and pour' trick and it worked well (at
the aid stations take water...drink half and pour the remainder over
yourself to evaporate off and cool your body). This worked great and
probably kept me out of hospital.
I really can’t remember my marathon time......or at
least admit to it!!
Suffice to say, there was a lot of walking involved!!
My memories of the run are surprisingly few (rather
worryingly, I can actually remember more of the marathon in Hawaii 5 years
previous to this). A general description would be, that I was ‘lifeless;
lacking any energy; in a fuzzyheaded flu like; overheating; meltdown!!
Unable to run up any sort of gradient. There was
nothing, water; food or a cool suit could do......I needed a doctor!!
Looking back on it now, I am glad I started and
finished. If nothing else it’s an achievement to have done the 2014 race,
26years after my first visit as a boy in 1988. It was great to be out there
on the course with the top athletes in the World, ex Olympic champs, Jan
Frodeno and the like...
And there is always another year....
Nick Kinsey
Ps I plan to return to Hawaii in 2015 to make amends.
As you know Heathens never give up!
29 June 2014 - Nice Ironman Triathlon
Full results
here
I got a Hawaii slot and an age group course record on the
weekend at the Nice Ironman......9hrs 57 mins beating the previous best by a
55-59 year old by over 20 minutes! I almost fell of the podium in shock when
they announced it at the awards ceremony.... So off to Hawaii again in
October.....one last shot at an age group win!!!
Nick Kinsey
CRYSTAL PALACE TRIATHLON 18 / 05 / 2014
192 Jim Phelan 1.25.11 1st V60
197 Simon Tolson 1.25.24 48th V40
541 finished
