And All I Want To Do Is Run & Enjoy It
By: Peak Physique

And all I want to do is run & enjoy it…..

After the feedback and interest from my (Brad Sheppard) Gold Coast Marathon story, I almost felt obliged to tell this one!

First the background:

Endurance competitions for me are something really exciting.  Coming from a bodybuilding background, I have virtually gone to competing at the other end of the continuum!  It’s a well known physiological fact that the greater amount of muscle you have, the harder your aerobic system has to work.  Ever seen a huge Kenyan Olympic marathon runner?  So, at 105kg I do not look like the average endurance athlete!

For me it’s the excitement, the challenge, the enjoyment & going against conventional theory to prove them all wrong!

The Ironman:

The Ironman is well respected as the toughest endurance sport.  It’s basically a huge triathlon. Fast people finish in less than 9 hours, most people take between 12-15 hours. It’s a long day!

I was in the Forster ½ Ironman: 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride & 21km run.

The Fuel:

I was scared of “bonking” (running out of fuel / energy) during the race, so I sufficiently carbohydrate loaded.  Out of interest’s sake, I have provided my food diary 2 days before the race:

Time                    Food

5:00am               Mega-Grain roll with chicken & ham

7:00am               Mega-Grain roll with Chicken & ham

9:00am               2 Soy & Linseed Bread with Chicken & ham

10:00am:            100g fruit cake

11:00am:            2 soy & linseed Bread with chicken & ham

12:00pm:            Huge Chocolate biscuit & 100g fruit cake

1:00pm:              2 soy & Linseed Bread with Chicken & ham

3:00pm:              1/ pack sakata crackers & 100g Fruit cake

4:00pm:              W/meal roll with chicken & ham

6:00pm:              100g Cadbury Hazelnut chocolate

8:00pm:              3 beers

8:30pm:              Garlic Pizza & ½ bottle red wine

9:00pm:              Large size Pizza & ½ Al fungi

12:00am:            200g soy yogurt & 200g fruit cake

As you can see, I was guaranteed that my muscles were stored with Glycogen!

The Race:

The energy and excitement of the small town that had come alive with 1000 competitors was absolutely amazing!

The swim & ride were wonderful, I can elaborate on the details at a later date, but if anyone has ever been to Forster-Tuncurry in NSW you will agree that it is a truly beautiful place!

By the end of the swim, then ride, I had been travelling for just over 3.5 hours (thank god I ate all that food!).  As you finish your bike ride (just under 3 hours) you jump off & quickly whip your joggers on & race out of the transition area to start your half marathon (21kms).

With 32 degree temperatures and not a cloud in the sky, it was a beautiful day to be, say, lying on the beach, throwing a Frisbee or at lunch with some good friends like Evans & Tate!

3 km into the run something happened.  If you have read my Gold Coast Marathon story you may remember that “something happened” there also.  That time at 38km’s, this time at 3km’s!

I started to cramp throughout the quad’s (front muscles of the legs), and although you attempt to think that this will be fine & go away, they did the opposite!  The funny part, much to the horror of the onlookers in Tuncurry, was to see this 105kg hulk, looking way out of place in a ½ Ironman, trying to hold himself up on the nearby park bench – in agony!  They sort-of gave me that “what the hell are you doing it for” look!

Fortunately, like all scary things, the cramping went away!  However the onset of pain & potential feeling of not finishing another race simply changed my outlook for the following 18kms.  I said to myself that I just want to run & enjoy, run & enjoy……

The end result was amazing; I had completed the ½ Ironman and completely enjoyed the whole event, including the run!

I crossed the line with the traditional “front double biceps pose” just loving every second of it, with the “Spike” triathlon crew cheering me on – the feeling was fantastic!

To add to the excitement, I was awarded the “Spike” triathlon “Athlete of the Month” award.

Peak Physique Personal Training – Brisbane – Australia

Suite 310/421 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, 4006

P - 0412-999-656 E – Brad@Peak-Physique.com

F – 07 3254-1996 W – www.Peak-Physique.com