This is a guest blog from Woburn Coaching Community Athlete Debb Howcroft:
I’d originally signed up for Outlaw back in 2019 but deferred because my mum had been quite poorly. 2020 didn’t happen, and so here we are in 2021!
They say things happen for a reason and I think it’s true. Had I have done it in 2019 or 2020, it would have been a different story. But in the lead up to the event, I felt a bit worried I wasn’t worried! I’d had a lot of time to mentally prepare and think I’ve done all my panicking in previous years!
In 2020, due to lack of swim availability, my open water anxiety got pretty bad, so I went to see an NLP coach who helped me manage the ‘bad thoughts’ when they try to take over. This year, I started swimming at the end of March – when it was still cold – rather than waiting till the last minute to get in open water like I normally do.
So, when race day comes along, I know I’ve got this. I’m in the last wave to go and walk down to the swim start with a couple of people I know, having a chat. Cross the timing mat, and in I go… sitting on the jetty and lowering myself in. No spectacular diving for me, thanks!
I’ve heard people say that if you get close to the edge of the lake you can actually walk. Maybe not my little legs, but it was bizarre to see a couple of people actually doing that! My plan was to swim alongside the ‘lane markers’ as my sighting. This went well for the most part. I got swum over a couple of times by people who couldn’t sight, though. I lost all concept of time and distance but made it to the swim exit. After a little wobble getting out, I checked my watch and was chuffed to see bang on 1.30 – I’d had my best swim ever!
Transition is about a mile long and for the first part, on the horrible perimeter path, there are no mats. I couldn’t run on it. I could barely walk! I got to my T1 bag, got everything out that I needed for the bike and put all my swim stuff in. I was dying for a wee so didn’t put my jacket it on till I got there. Planned to eat my T1 bagel going through transition, but stupidly hung it up in the loo and then forgot about it. I was gutted when I’d realised cos it was quite nice!
Eventually I got to the mount line and I was off, instantly realising that I absolutely did not need my jacket on. Never mind. My husband had shouted at me to go and catch Jess. She had set off swimming a good 15 mins before me so I had no idea how far ahead she was. It took me 50 miles – three hours – to catch her!
Those 50 miles were great and I had a decent average speed, but by the time I’d got to the top of Oxton Bank – a 12% climb – and stopped for the loo, painkillers, and a quick chat with Jess, I’d lost a bit of pace which I just couldn’t get back. The last 50 or 60 miles felt much windier than the first, and I spent a good part of that wondering how I could get away with DNFing (again – I had done the same last year at Outlaw X.) I couldn’t come up with anything, so when I got back, I went through the mile long transition again and got on with it!
The run out starts with a little hill on a grass banking which was totally uncalled for! I was planning run/walk at 90/30, but walked the first 4 mins while I had a bit of bagel. I then got started, slowly, and the good thing was I only had to focus on 90 seconds at a time. The run involves the lake path, and also goes down the river to Nottingham, so it’s a great out and back section where you can see people coming the other way. I’m always looking out for friends and other Wakey athletes to shout to, but generally speaking there’s a lot of camaraderie on this run. I stopped to chat to people and hug when I saw them, which was lovely.
I got to the first Wakey feed station and had a bit of a chat with Coach G before moving on. There’s another out and back section here that goes on FOREVER, but when I got back my friend Bev – who was on the feed station – came and jogged with me for a few seconds. I reached the next Wakey feed station and had a hug and a few tears with my hubby, then cracked on.
The rest of the run was pretty much the same, with chats and hugs when I saw people. I was flexible with my run/walk ratios and regularly walked more, but was always able to keep running. People congratulated me on still running – we’d laugh and joke, but I’d always say: 90 seconds, that’s all I have to think about! I’d started to imagine I’d get done for about 9.30 but the last two laps of the lake where tough going. The surface was horrible and my feet were really hurting by then, so I spent as much time as possible on the grass banking.
Loads of camaraderie here, we’re all just getting through it, so I did slow down and chatted more, but as I got closer to the finish, I made sure I had a little walk first then picked up the speed for my sprint finish – it felt like a sprint anyway.
The noise is amazing with all the support from friends cheering you home! I’d planned what I was going to do for my finish photo, and I nailed that too – apart from my eyes! Well actually, if you look closer, the eyes are really saying it: “I’ve fu***ng finished!” I still can’t believe it. It totally doesn’t feel like that whole thing happened to me. Apart from my feet, they are still a bit achy!
