Lanzarote Love story....
My reason to compete in Ironman Lanzarote was fundamentally that the race
scared the hell out of me. I like to challenge myself- I had completed
Ironman Oz 2004 and New Zealand 2005 and did the swim and bike in Ironman
Zurich in 2005. I enjoyed the european race immensely. I was impressed with
the organisation and support and felt that another race in Europe was next.
Why not choose the so called toughest race out there. The intimidation and
immensity of the task was the reason I chose the island of Lanzarote. It was
a place I had always felt a 'calling' to go to. It was following intuition
in many ways which I often try to do as I live my life. It was also that I
had not felt the elation I imagined I would from the previous races and I
knew that Lanzarote could give me that.I wanted to prove to myself I cold do
it and to see how well I could place as a female Ironman.
It was not until I was actually on the plane to Arrecife that the
realisation hit me. As I flew in overthe volcanoes and saw the dry rocky
terrain and saw the flags on the runway flapping intensely... I questionned
why I had chosen to put myself through this. Never before had I doubted
before an Ironman whether or not I could cross the finish line. My training
had always filled me with the confidence to know I had done the necessary
preparation. This was different.
Most of my training I had completed alone in Melbourne. I guess I was in
denial and also ignorance at what would greet me when I reashed my
destination. The isolation of the island mirrored the loneliness I felt the
first few days. I took a bus from Puerto del carmen to La Santa and this
took at least a 4 hour round trip. The main purpose was to meet fellow
Ironmen. To exchange some of my nervousness for their nerves. To reassure
myself. In fact I got talking to nobody. It seems so ironic at these events
to be surrounded by 999 people who understand what the previuos few months
have been like. Who understand your routine and mentality more than your
family do. To remain socially isolated seems crazy but is often the case.
I refused to accept this. I wrote in my diary that La Santa met at 8am that
tuesday at the swim start and decided to go at the same time in order to
find fellow competitors to hire a car with and study the bike course. I was
nervous in my approach and chose 2 guys on the sunbeds who looked like they
were travelling together - as the group from La Santa was large. The
Australian was quite chatty his name was Carl. He is the guy on the race
video who carried a banner for his dad. He never told us this until we saw
the video.
Henrik was from Denmark. He barely looked at me when we spoke. Not too
friendly but agreed to share the price of a hire care with me the following
day. It was hard work . I arranged to meet them both the next day. We all
got on well as we drove around the island. I was so focused on the race it
was not until race morning when Henrik zipped up my wetsuit that I felt
maybe our friendship could be the beginning of something.
From that first meeting on the beach I have known Henrik for 54 days today
(14th July) and we are preparing to head to Melbourne together on 1st
November. I hope I am lucky enough to continue to be with Henrik for the
rest of my life. He completes me. I am so happy I listened to the voice
that told me to go to Lanzarote and owe a huge thank you to kenneth gasque
for introducing me to a fellow danish triathlete!
The Lanzarote experience has changed my life and I feel the need to share
that. For many Ironmen and women it is an amazing journey but a lonely one
and I hope our story can highlight how we need to swallow our fears. Not
just the fears of a physical and mental challenge but those of the emotional
kind too. No Ironman or Ironwoman is an island!
26-1-2007
(Chapter II)
In the crazy 40 degree heat of a Melbourne Summer, the tale of Lanzarote Love is now set. The journey has been one of determination and there continues to be challenging setbacks which can be related to an Ironman journey. To recap Henrik and I met in May 2006 on the crazy windy Lanzarote Ironman Island. Henrik was living, working and training in Denmark and I had just become a resident of Australia. I was living in Melbourne but visiting my family in England and we had both set ourselves the Lanzarote challenge. It was indeed a life changing event for both of us in more ways than one.
Where did we finish the last story? In fact the adventure was just beginning. Both Henrik and I may as well have bought our own plane for the airmiles flown between Denmark and London from finishing the Ironman in May to August last year. Thank goodness for the invention of Skype! I was lodging with whoever would have me and became a live in personal trainer to pay the rent in London. Henrik came over for my brother’s “dance off to MC Hammer “wedding and hit it off with my family in a big way. It seems if you can do Ironman you can do anything and Henrik tackled the M25 with ease on his first solo drive on the left side, making it to the church with minutes to spare.
We convinced each other that Ironman UK was a good idea, neither of us aware of the rollercoaster hills on the marathon which must prove love had blinded us! By helping out at the Up and Running Triathlon franchise, we saved much needed pounds on race necessities and bike servicing. Sharing another amazing Ironman experience and being together in the preparation this time it was obvious that I was not going to head back to Melbourne without a 6foot5 piece of excess baggage!
Logistics considered but tackled, we believed in following our hearts. Coincidentally there was a job in Henrik’s home town in a café in Silkeborg. To my coffee habit’s delight I got the job which meant I could move to Denmark and help Henrik prepare his family and himself for the trip down under. Culture aside, the Danish language is about as easy as Chinese to grasp. Local people were highly amused by my attempts at Danish, topped up with school old German in an Australian accent. Equally entertaining one evening to serve two Lanzarote loving customers, who I found out were good friends of Kenneth Gasque, the Lanzarote race director. Indeed there were coincidences that constantly reassured us we were doing the right thing.
That summer in my confusion as to where I could call home, I was told that home was where my fridge was. I stopped counting the number of places I was storing possessions in when I ran out of fingers. I do own a fridge and that house in Melbourne was as close to a happy home as I had ever had. However I never anticipated meeting a Danish Ironman and hence my room was long gone by the time I flew back to try and reclaim it.
The support that friends and family give when living this triathlon crazy lifestyle makes it possible. While I stayed with a girlfriend in Melbourne, Henrik stayed in London working 7 days a week labouring for my Sister’s fiancé earning much needed pounds. The longest time of being apart since we had met in Lanzarote that May was 3 weeks. However the 2 weeks Henrik joined the London rat race while I was in Melbourne was the most testing time for both of us. The work mentality and impersonal atmosphere of London as well as the near impossible task of training was topped with the stress of how to ship our lives over to the other side of the World.
I could write a book on airline policy and triathlon travel. I can summarise the whole stressful weigh, reweigh, pack ship, ditch, toss, sell experience by saying it totally depends on who checks you in. By touching the heart of the check in desk somehow Henrik got away with a guitar, bike, laptop and minimal clothes. I hope for the sake of travelling triathletes that one day the check in weight involves sitting on the scales with your luggage.
Christmas this year was a different one for both of us. We did a tinsel ride in the heat of Christmas morning then caught up with friends who are also international orphans. The toughest part of internationally racing is leaving family behind. Henrik’s parents were convinced he was travelling the distance never to return again. My sister will give birth in March, I missed my brother’s 30 th and will miss my mum’s 60 th. Life faces us with tough decisions and the path we choose sometimes seems to climb uphill just like some of those infamous Lanzarote bike climbs with no sign of reaching the top. The fact is believing in what you are doing will enable you to achieve. There are often judgements from those people questioning the lifestyle and choices but this is just part of the process of sticking to those beliefs. The mental aspect of those decisions and the emotional experiences that accompany them will be just as important a component of training as the physical. The spiritual and mental growth alongside the physical development is what gives us the training journey of an Ironman.
The best thing about living back in Melbourne with an Ironman partner is the support and complete understanding. Although both Henrik and I are fiercely independent we appreciate the reassurance we now give each other to skip a training session for example hence avoid overtraining or injury. In these hot humid bush fire day’s smart training is essential.
So far as training goes here in Melbourne, Henrik has no regrets. Of course he misses the forest in Silkeborg where he used to live and the beautiful Danish lakes. However as he acclimatises to the hot humid conditions here we are thankful every day to have the opportunity to swim in the Ocean, ride the hills or long beach road and run in the many stunning venues that surround us. The ease compared to the frustration of riding out of London or finding a pool lane in Denmark reminds us why we have left our families to train here. So long as the Great White sharks in the news right now stay away from us!
It is not a smooth run financially as I work part time and Henrik is only on a tourist visa. Both of us have decided to go professional this year and after many months pestering sponsors we have managed to get some help through Blue Seventy Helix wetsuits and Musashi. We continue to try and tap into the tiny tri budget but when professional entry to Ironman Australia is full price it does seem an uphill battle to fuel and kit myself for the next race as well as pay the rent. We have adapted our lifestyle accordingly as all athletes do with no guarantees. We have given up a lot of our material possessions which has been an enlightening experience in itself. A potential sponsorship with Café Movida is on the horizon. This café not only serves the best coffee in Melbourne but offers fitness classes of a professional standard especially the hard core Pilates an essential for triathletes. I know Ironman has helped me have the confidence to believe we create out own opportunities.
The ultimate goal of Ironman involves many sacrifices, discipline and motivation. This past year it has highlighted what is truly important. As we continue to listen to our inner voices to train, Henrik and I have become a voice for each other. We all need the voices around us to encourage and support us on each day as we head to the start line of our next destination and to continue beyond the finish line of our next Ironman.
If you have not yet seen the film the Pursuit of happiness with Will Smith I highly recommend it. There are times in all of our lives when we feel like everything is against us and the struggle is uphill. However the passion I have for the sport and the thought of working fulltime fights any disappointment or stress in my current lifestyle.
Once again I thank the Island of Lanzarote for changing my life and giving me the opportunity to share my passion and Ironman experiences with Henrik. In my 4 th year of Ironman competition I now have company, more balance and a partner to set goals with who understands my dedication.
The plan after Ironman Australia in April this year is to head to Europe for the Danish championships in August, so that Henrik can show his Danish tri squad the benefits of escaping the Danish winter. I aim to do Zoffingen in Switzerland in August, and then Henrik will compete in Western Australia. Who knows right now if we will have the funds for these plans? I know if I was determined before, then it is now multiplied by two! If I had stopped to work out If I could afford the holiday or races I have had in the years leading to now, I would still be living and working in England and would never have left for Australia or Lanzarote and would never have met my Lanzarote Ironman!
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