Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz 2024
This was today:
Back in 2021, I completed Guernsey’s answer to a (half-)IronMan - the GraniteMan - a 70.3 style triathlon in Guernsey.
I harboured ambitions of completing a full distance proper Ironman event - 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run - but unfortunately, ’the plan’ never worked because 2022 went to shit.
And 2023 wasn’t a lot better.
Towards the end of 2023, though, I managed to start training again and decided to have another go at the plan… 2024 would be a trial year (marathon, triathlon, no injuries) with a view to Ironman in 2025.
And despite turning down a ticket for Patagonman training was
(1) going really well, and (2) really full on.
To the extent that I somewhat counterintuitively didn’t want to maintain it all year given the amount of sacrifice it requires in all other areas of your life.
So on a whim, I decided to get it done in 2024. And after surveying the list of European races in 2024, landed on Vitoria Gasteisz as the one.
Finished in a fairly respectable time. Well for me, anyway. I was aiming for 13h but the bike course ended up being a lot harder than expected.
An amazing experience.