Team Endurancelife

Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2011: James Heraty

On August 6^th 2011 I took my greatest test in triathlon to date. The Norseman Extreme Triathlon is like no other triathlon on earth, if you want to read about a fast flat predictable multi lap course this report won’t interest you. If you want to find out about what drove one man to battle across Norway read on.

My alarm went off at 2am, yes 2am all my kit was already packed and sorted. I knew the race would be testing both physically and mentally, however it was the mental element at the forefront now. During the race briefing on Friday it was announced the swim course would be moving due to the unseasonably cold water temperature in Eidfjord. The swim begins with an iconic jump from the ferry into the middle of the Fjord.  The ferry point was 10 kilometers before T1 by road, so we’d all be swimming to our bikes having not laid hands on our kit or even seen the new transition area.  We would be fully reliant on our support crew to guide and assist us. An extra twenty kilometers was added to an already tough bike leg, making a ride of 200 kilometers, I had never ridden so far without a decent coffee stop at least!

The sight of 250 athletes boarding the ferry will always stay with me. For those not familiar with the Norseman format, this is a 226 kilometer (now 246 kilometer) point to point race across mountainous Norway, with the marathon finish on the summit of Guastatoppen. Only the first 160 athletes to reach the 32.5 kilometer checkpoint are allowed to continue to the mountain top and claim the coveted black T-shirt. Others can complete the distance via flat shuttle runs to and from the ski resort and claim a white T-shirt.

 I spent most of my time on the ferry out  to the start line either in the toilet queue or trying to spot anyone I could beat out of the water, but with no success, my only hope was that others were looking at me and thinking the same ‘he looks fast.’!

The jump.  At 04:45 the nose of the ferry raised up to reveal the 400 meter deep fjord and a small flashing light very far away, our target at which point we would turn and complete the final section of the swim leg. With more than just butterflies in my stomach I stepped forward and jumped, no turning back now! I hit the water and kept going down before popping up and looking back at the ferry and then started my 400 meter swim to the start line. As the fjord is tidal I soon realised we would be against the current, oh joy!  At 0505 the ships horn sounded and we were race on!

The field soon spread out and I relaxed and began swimming, I was unable to find any feet to follow so I headed for the light, the sun was starting to rise on a cloudy day. On the cliff directly above the nav light a break in the tree line worked as a good indicator and I headed towards it. With a field of only 254 the swim did not have a rough start like others I’ve experienced and the green swim capped heads were spread across the water. I checked my time and settled into a long swim. Eventually the flashing light started to appear closer and I reached the boat and turned. What a relief, I was finally with the current and with a quick look behind was pleased to see plenty of swimmers on my tail. I was swimming at the edge and could make out the rocks on the bottom before the depths plunged to 400 meters. I rounded a small jetty before making it out of the water, my exit was less than glamorous as I slipped on a rock and nearly took out one of the guys helping us. Despite posting a 1hr 40 swim I was pleased to be greeted by a nearly full T1 which reflected the toughness of the swim leg.

Ride on time. The Norseman does things differently so Dave from the Endurancelife support crew was able to help me in transition. He guided me to my bike in the grassy transition area, where I stripped out of my wetsuit and jammers and donned my bib shorts and loaded jersey, my sunglasses had orange lenses already loaded which made it seem sunny! Arm warmers, socks, shoes, lid on, grab bike and run. I carried my bike over the grass out of transition and spotted a steep short zig zag tarmac section so rather than risk a chain snap I opted to carry my bike up to the flat, unlike the chap behind who choose to snap his chain, ouch! I jumped on and headed out on my 200 Kilometer ride. 

Ups and downs. As soon as I started riding the rain arrived and hammered down relentlessly, my gillet just about kept the cold at bay and I settled in to the twisty roads. I found myself shouting encouragement as I sped along in the rain, I continued to pass riders and still had no idea of my placing in the field so tucked down on the tri bars and cranked on. I soon hit Eidfjord where the bike course would originally have started. It was time to head off the main road and take the old tourist road. This traffic free route winds its way up through the valley via tunnels, bridges and bypasses the newer road up onto the plateau. The first climb to the plateau took about 2 hours (yes 2 hours) to cover 40 kilometers and at the top in Dyranut I was met by the Endurancelife crew. The Norseman has no official support on the bike leg so each competitor must have a dedicated support party. I’d packed and organized my own transition box to cover every eventuality and this box would be available at three points on the bike course. I grabbed my bottles, one water and one energy wrapped with Torq bar and gels. I was wearing my 2XU calf guards for the whole race so I just added knee warmers for full leg coverage.

The fast bit. From the first stop at Dyranut it was either flat or downhill across the plateau and straight past an impressive glacier, fog provided very little visibility however a good tail wind was a welcome boost. In what seemed like no time I arrived in Geilo a popular ski resort in winter however more importantly this was food stop number two.  Another fast meeting with the team to grab more food and exchange bottles, before attacking the famous three hills.  These are three 7% climbs with thankfully a rewarding descent after every ascent. This is where my bike choice came into its own riding the Cervelo S1 with clip on tri bars allowed me to climb and descend confidently, also justified as I passed not one, but two Trek speed concepts complete with aerofoil toolkits, I never saw them again! On these climbs I started counting to 100, first sitting in easy, then standing and dropping gears, this method was working as I passed more on every climb. I then flew down the descents like life depended on it and hit the final Endurancelife food stop for the bike leg in Imgingfjell.

Numbers game. At Imgingfjell is the second of only two right turns on the whole course and sitting on the corner were two race officials who give you your placing “147” they shouted, that gave me a cushion of 13 and would get me in a black tee shirt. Not safe enough in my mind so with one more climb and a joyous 30 kilometer descent with a few hairpins it was time to build my cushion. I gained spot 146 on the climb then as the plateau opened out I could hone in on targets 145,144,143. I was going well sat on the drops all the way down. One rider was eluding me, every time  I got  within 200 meters of him he’d  spot me and speed up, then with just  1 kilometer  to go before the run he pulled up for a pee stop, my easiest take of the day.

I jumped off the bike at T2 and was greeted by brilliant sunshine; I hopped out of my jersey and bib shorts and donned fresh kit and new socks, bliss. As I left T2 I heard “134” music to my ears and I was much happier with that cushion.

Crunch time. My training hours were paying off as after 200 kilometers of riding I felt fantastic on the run. The first 25 kilometers were relatively flat and followed the edge of the lake. At 8 kilometers I met with the Endurancelife team and grabbed my food pack in which I’d packed some Twiglets, I savored something crunchy and savory instead of the necessary gels. The sun was beating down now, so with every sip of water I also put some down my neck to ensure I stayed cool. A local had rigged a hose up across the road and the cold shower was very welcoming, what a contrast to the earlier rain at the start of this long day. I had been running in an enclosed valley which suddenly opened up to reveal Guastatoppen in all its glory, I could see the summit at 1850 meters top and knew I had a massive climb in front of me.

At 25 kilometers I turned off the main road and was greeted with a Norseman checkpoint with an interesting mix of gels, water and some salami (not for me thanks), then I turned and started the long climb up what is affectionately known as Zombie hill. I started to run but the gradient and speed did not equate to running and I was gaining nothing on those who were walking and so a long walk began! I knew I needed to make the 32.5 kilometer mark in the top 160 to be able to finish on the summit and don the black tee shirt, and I made it number 141, 10 kilometers to the finish.

Rock and roll. I was pleased with my energy levels and happy I’d opted to wear compression on my calves all day. However an attempt at running on a flat section just hurt my quads and gained me nothing, so I continued with a purposeful walk. At 37.5 kilometers I grabbed my mandatory mountain bag and after a quick check from the medical team I hit the track. This is a very rough, little used track with large boulders and loose rock underfoot all the way to the summit. Time was now unimportant I’d made the cut offs and it was guaranteed I’d be collecting a black tee shirt at the presentation on Sunday. With just shy of 246 kilometers already in my legs the final section was proving hard work. Thankfully my wife joined me for this final stint and it was encouraging when she mentioned how hard the going was. The conditions were perfect with blue clear skies and incredible views in all directions.  James and Andrew Barker from Endurancelife had finished 20 minutes ahead of me and as the finish line loomed into view I could hear them shouting encouragement  to me.  One final scramble and I made it to the top. I had propelled myself 246 kilometers across Norway in 16 hours 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Now I am a Norseman!