IRONMAN
As I crossed the finish line, months — maybe even years — of intense training finally came to fruition.
In 2019, I joined Ganløse Triathlon and Exercise (GTM) with the goal of learning to swim backstroke. I had no plans to compete or complete an Ironman. With several years of experience as a kayaker and basic swimming skills, I felt that the time had come to get better in the water.
I considered myself a skilled runner, but quickly discovered that I was among the slowest in the club. Still, I enjoyed the togetherness and the good times with the other members.
Swimming training progressed slowly. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but if you really want to, you can move mountains. I struggled through each 25-meter course without understanding how to properly breathe, hold my head, or do arm grabs. Everything had to be learned from scratch, and the patient trainers had to repeat their pedagogical explanations over and over again.
When I started running in 2016, my goal was to be able to run 5 kilometers without pain in my knees. In the past I had tried to get going, but the pain sent me back to the sofa every time. An app helped me through an 8-week program and when I reached the goal, I set course for 10 kilometers. From here it went fast.
In the fall of 2023, I decided to take on the challenge of a half Ironman. When I shared the plan with the family, they pointed out that I was already training almost the same distances in swimming and running. In 2023 I ran, among other things, 38 half marathons and 1,800 kilometers. They therefore suggested that I try a full Ironman – it would be a real challenge. However, I had no idea how much it would take.
Cycling was a new world for me. I didn’t have a handle on the technique or the equipment, and my plan was to complete the Ironman on a regular racing bike. However, this changed and I ended up investing in a tricycle and a home trainer for winter training.
I diligently participated in the club’s weekly training sessions, and the development went forward. However, Coach Michael Krüger noticed that my training was unstructured and driven by desire. He took me under his wing and started sending weekly training programs that fit into my everyday life.
I signed up for Copenhagen Ironman 2024 and also decided to participate in the half Ironman in Helsingør in June as training. At the same time, I signed up for the Copenhagen Marathon and CPH Half Marathon to complete a ‘Big 4’ in the same year.
In February 2024, I was unlucky and fell while swimming. I fell into the water, grabbed for a post and slid down it. Unfortunately there was a hook on the post which drilled into my right forearm and I was stuck, half in the water. I had to pull myself up to get free from the hook. At the emergency room, it was found that no tendons, nerves or bones were damaged. Fortunately, training could resume soon after.
The training went as planned, and at the Copenhagen Marathon I tried to get under the magical 4 hours. I set out calmly, followed the plan closely and finished in 3:57:18. Very happy with my time, an improvement of over 15 minutes from the last marathon.
In the middle of May, on my way to training on my newly purchased tricycle, I was hit head-on by an electric bicycle. The other party fled the scene, and as if that wasn’t enough, my bike was completely damaged. The insurance didn’t cover the damage, so I found and bought another used tricycle.
In June I participated in my first half Ironman in Helsingør and finished in 5:20:40. The surroundings were fantastic and it was a party like no other.
On 25 July I was run over by a car that overlooked me at a right turn in Herlev. I drove into the side of the car and ended up on the asphalt. The car drove on without stopping, but a quick-witted motorcyclist and another motorist followed and blocked the way for the motorist further ahead. The older man had obviously not heard me hit the car in the side. He seemed sincere and immediately accepted the blame. I secured witnesses and reported the case to the insurance company. It became an unparalleled jungle to get hold of the tortfeasor’s insurance company through more departments than I thought existed in an insurance company.
My trike had to be assessed to see if it was total damage or fit for my Ironman four weeks later. At a competent cycling centre, the damage was assessed at DKK 15,000, which was communicated to the insurance company. After some tug of war regarding reception and case processing, the case was approved by the tortfeasor’s insurance company.
Although I was active at both Roskilde Festival and Smukfest, I continued training. When my tricycle was at the mechanic, I had to take the racing bike to Smukfest. On a bike ride in the Jutland hills, I suddenly got a pain in my knee that I couldn’t ignore. I continued the route and drove 25 kilometers back to Skanderborg with great pain in one knee. I was seen by a doctor at the festival who thought I had a minor fiber tear in the knee as I had bleeding around the knee (bruise).
Due to the traffic accident with the car, I had arranged physiotherapy in Skanderborg four times during the festival, as I had pain in my lower back and upper back. He also looked at the knee and advised me not to complete an Ironman with that pain. Oddly, the other knee also started to hurt in the same place, so I assumed it was probably knee fatigue rather than a fiber tear.
It has been some hectic festivals, especially at Smukfest, where I was not only a software supplier, but also a volunteer in the emergency office. It’s been special because I haven’t had alcohol since New Years. It has been wonderful not to have a hangover and a headache the next day. I’ve enjoyed the excuse that I’m training for Ironman and therefore don’t drink alcohol, and there are only a few times I’ve had the urge to drink alcohol. In general, I think we have a problem with the Danish alcohol culture in Denmark; a lot of fun involves alcohol, and you’re an outsider if you don’t drink. I found joy in non-alcoholic gin and tonic – it tastes good.
After returning from Smukfest, I brought home more than expected. I had contracted Corona and was in bed with a fever. No training was possible, which was probably very good, because the knee continued to hurt.
I felt like a hypochondriac and didn’t tell many about the latest development or illness. Many from Smukfest also fell ill with Corona, and yet I felt far from my optimal conditions to complete an Ironman.
Coach Krüger advised me against starting the Ironman. I made a plan to assess my condition during the race and decide whether to withdraw. However, I wasn’t going to give up without a fight, despite the many challenges in recent weeks.
On Thursday I picked up my race number and other things at Amager Strand. It was buzzing with life, but I still had a fever and took Panodil to keep it down. On Friday the fever went away and I could taste and smell again. Saturday I spent the day on the final preparations, packed my bags and handed the bike and bags in the meeting area.
Raceday
I got up early and was ready for today’s challenge. I chose to park my car at the Opera so that I could get to it more easily after the convention. I took the metro the last bit of the way to Amager Strand.
Once there, I checked the bike one last time and got ready for the swim. A little after 7:30 I entered the water with 2,367 other athletes to swim 3,800 meters. The event was well managed and we were sent off in groups based on experience and speed.
The swimming part went as expected and I ran up to change into cycling clothes. I spent 12 minutes and 13 seconds in T1 and then it was off on the bike. I quickly got out of Copenhagen. My knees didn’t hurt much, but I had also chosen to take Ipren and Panodil all day. However, I felt that I should not push myself too hard, so I rode with a higher cadence and lower speed in order to complete the 180 kilometers by bike.
I tried to stay in the hoops most of the time, which gave good aerodynamics and speed without too much work. In fact, I was running at an average speed of 30.1 km/h at 118 watts. I reached the goal within 6 hours.
Along the way I experienced dizziness, probably because I held my head back to see the road. The edge of the helmet was not optimal, so several times I had to hold the handlebars and loosen the neck and shoulders.
Approx. 7 km from T2 we hit inner Copenhagen again. At this point I wanted to make sure I had enough fluids and energy to complete the marathon. While I was drinking, I suddenly saw that the road turned to the left. Trying to put my water bottle back on the bike, I lost my grip on the handlebars and fell to the ground.
When we cycled in North Zealand, there were signs with “Slow down” or “Left/right turn”, which made it easy to know the conditions on the road. These signs disappeared as we approached Copenhagen, so the left turn came unannounced to me.
I gathered my things and got to thinking that any cyclist would get back on the seat and ride on. I noticed a little after myself; I had a cut on my knee and a couple on my arm, but otherwise I felt ok. I therefore chose to get back on the bike and ride the last kilometers at a slower speed.
In T2 I spent 11 minutes and 37 seconds licking my wounds, literally. I had to assess whether it was time to withdraw from the event or whether I could continue. I didn’t dare ask first aiders for advice, as I was afraid of being pulled out of the race. The arm was not really functional, but I had tried that before in connection with a skiing injury a few years ago.
I put on my running shoes and decided to try running. Running is my home track and the body knew what to do. It went really well, and I ran the marathon distance in 4:31 hours, actually only half an hour more than at the Copenhagen Marathon in May. A very good result, and there were many spectators on the route in Copenhagen. It was uplifting and nice to be cheered on.
I crossed the finish line after 12:29 hours and could proudly call myself an Ironman. It was an emotional experience. I didn’t think it was possible with my run-up and injuries – and certainly not after the bike crash.
Family and friends had chosen to spend their time cheering me on throughout the day and everyone was ready to celebrate me at the finish line. I am very grateful that they would drive around Nordsjælland to cheer along the way and stand with banners and posters on the cycling and running route. I feel very honored.
I got to take the important performance photos and was celebrated in the best way in the finish area. Afterwards, I had promised my children that we would go to Burger King and eat. Fortunately, Sif had offered to drive, and it was lovely. I got sick along the way and had to lie on the floor in Burger King with my legs up while eating fries. A little salt and coke helped so I could get home safe and sound.
On Monday my arm and shoulder hurt more and I had to see a doctor. I was referred to Frederikssund Hospital, where the verdict was that I had broken my collarbone and crushed some ribs in my crash on the bicycle. After a week, it still hurts, and the night’s sleep is not optimal. I also can’t sit properly at a computer and work; it must be done from the sofa with support under the arm. Looking back, I think it’s pretty crazy that I completed a marathon with a broken collarbone and bruised ribs.
Every great achievement has its heroes and victims. I have many people who have supported me along the way, helped me on the long bike rides, in the dark months on the home trainer, and believed in my project. First of all, thanks to my family, thanks for the support and sorry for the many times when I had to go to training “once again”. Thanks to family and friends for believing in me all the way, standing by the side of the road and cheering, and helping when I was injured. Many thanks to Coach Michael Krüger and Anja Krüger. Without your help and effort, I probably wouldn’t have reached my goal. Thank you for always stepping in, always being ready for training and supporting.
So what now? Should I do more Ironmans? Perhaps. Maybe not. I could be tempted to try to complete an Ironman without the many obstacles and mishaps along the way. It could be cool to try to do an Ironman without injury or illness right up to the finish. Maybe I should try shorter distances and fine-tune the small improvements that can give better results. Who knows? Time will tell. One thing is certain – triathlon is in my heart, it’s great to combine the three disciplines, especially and thanks to the unity of the sport, both inside and outside my triathlon club. You can go the elite route, where it’s about being the fastest, or, like me, the exerciser, where the others want to get ahead and come first.
BUT IT HAPPENED – I am an Ironman!
