Andrew Butler....YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!

31st July 2011...Pennington Flash, Leigh...5.45am.....Simon Davenport and i are lining up at the start of IMUK...and i'm having a serious case of deja-vu...
haven't i been here before???
doing this exact same thing??

About to jump in a lake..swim 2.4 miles...then jump on a bike...ride 112 miles round Lancashire...then attempt to run a marathon to and around Bolton town centre??

I have..exactly a year ago...and remembering how that felt struck fear right into my heart...this time HAD to be different!

I have trained much much harder this year, especially on the bike, which is where i saw i could make the greatest gains..i've also thrown money at the problem (isnt that what your supposed to do?) investing in a new Trek Bike and the week before some new race wheels...and although i have not done as much swimming or running...i was feeling a little more confident....but getting into the water...all that confidence meant nothing..and the fear was eating me from the inside.

But i have a plan this time...i know my nutrition strategy...my coping mechanism..and most importantly i knew the course inside out...i knew what time i had to be at what point in order to give myself a fighting chance of making the finish line...so calm down...get in the middle of the pack and get going!

here we go again..Bang!
my swim strategy was simple...find space...take your time...and get out of the water in under 1.40...as the washing machine kicked up i managed to find space almost immediately and of course tried to go too fast...so 5 minutes in i was knackered...great start...i had to catch my puff with a little floating BS..compose myself and get going again...ok no problems...my shoulder is holding fine...got into a rhythm and settled in...as i turned for the second lap i noticed the leaders heading for the ramp...so i guessed i was about on target time wise so cracked on...a totally uneventful second lap where my stroke started to seriously fail could not be over quick enough and i was so pleased to be hauled out onto dry land in 1.34...first bit done...on Target!
So into T1 and i was planning a full change....got my bag and went to the modesty change area...i was planning on taking my time..making sure everything was right and that i'd be comfortable for my assault on the bike course...got into my trek bib shorts..socks on...shoes on...BCTTT cycle top on....hang on...need to pee....right...glasses on..helmet on....stuff packed...seems like a nice morning...dont need arm warmers...dont need rain jacket..pack them...hand the bag over and out to the bike...RAINING!!!!

not loads of bikes left in transition but i felt happy and waved at the crowd as my name was called out crossing the Mat....i wanted to be on the bike by 8am....so again..on target!

as soon as i was out on the bike i hit a speed bump and the bottle mounted to my handlebar bounced out ..this had all my gels in so i couldnt leave it.ok get off...ice skate back and pick it up... as i started riding again i realised it was broken..but i could live with it for now so crack on. (it just kept spitting gel over my legs and my bike..not pleasant)...plan here was to be at the loop (babylon lane not the timing mat) by 9am...so i settled in...enjoyed the empty roads and smiled and waved at people who had come out to cheer us on...but something wasnt right, i had stomach ache and felt like AD time was finally going to come...just needed to get to the first aid station and the loo!

So.turned right onto Babylon lane @ about 8.50(start of the loop) and headed up the hill..Saw Cat (MrsB) and my mate Bob which was great but Cat decided to shout...ONLY 3 more laps...Great!! Thanks Babe i needed that....To make matters worse the aid station had no toilets...so the stomach ache would have to stay...got water...dropped a nuun in and headed out to climb sheephouse lane for the first time!
The first time is easy to be honest...i've done it so much this year it holds no fear for me...but i kid you not...there were people walking up there already!
At the top where the tree is i saw Phil Graves sat on the grass..i shouted to him and asked him why he wasnt racing to which he replied 'i'm too lazy'...fair enough...over the top...down the fast part..into belmont...along the road to the motorway (got 40mph) and before i know it i'm heading for the halfway point aid station....brilliant...toilets.
I wont go into detail but it wasnt what i was expecting...in a good way...so that done i was back on water filled up and ready to get cracking now...legs felt great and my spirits were high...no rain...temp really nice and lots of people out and about to wave and smile to!
as i approached babylon lane to start the second loop it was just before 11am..On Target!
quick cheer to Cat and friends who were now coming out in numbers...no stopping this time...told everybody to give me a cheer (which they did) and ready to fill up on liquid again!
as i was heading upto SHL for the second time there were loads of riders around and the crowds there were AMAZING...there were people right up to the top of the hill and cheered every rider up...again people walking...but i just picked an easy gear and got to work...up again...easy!!!...once again took my time on any 'up' parts and tried to strike a balance between ease and speed on the rest! I loved the second lap as there was loads of other riders around and everybody was talking to each other..the atmosphere just felt different this year but maybe that was just my outlook on things.
as i got to the 65 mile mark i started to struggle a bit...and i got some cramping in my right thigh....i made the decision that i needed to stretch..so i got off just before Adlington..propped the bike up and stretched the quad....ouch..cramp in the hamstring...stretch that...ouch...cramp in the quad! Doh!
I took a couple of minutes here...got the rest of the nuun down me (only 3 miles from the next aid station) then got going again.
I went up babylon lane at 1..20pm..on target (planned for 1.30pm)...it was at this point last year that i stopped and told everybody i didn't think i'd make it...they all had to get me going again...i was determined to show them all i was in much better spirits this time so got out of the seat and powered on up to them shaking my fist and shouting lets have it!! lol..this got a massive cheer...thing is..as soon as i rounded the corner..my legs cramped again!
I had only stopped 10 minutes earlier but i took the opportunity at the aid station to fill up water..add nuun..and rest while i tightened the screw on the bar bracket which had worked itself a bit loose....This was just what i needed and i remounted ready for another final crack at the hill!
there were still crowds at the bottom who all cheered me on (when i shouted give us a cheer to get me up this hill) and it gave me a real lift...the bottom part of SHL is not steep at all...but there was a guy walking...with a fuji Tri bike and an aero helmet...come on man ride it!!
once i got to the steep part though it was different...i was determined not to walk it so again just picked an easy gear..looked at the road instead of the hill and tried to find a happy place....finally i was at the top but the worst thing was i was also at 'the wall'...thank god i was going down hill now...i literally 'coasted' to the bottom and took on gel and fluid..i knew i could get through the wall...it was just a matter of how long it would take me....i went through belmont where the crowds were much thinner now but they still all cheered me on!..Belmont road has a climb...a fast flat section..another climb then a long long fast section where you can hammer it...i just didn't have it in me any more to hammer it...so i just kept going..waiting for my legs to come back and to try my hardest to stay positive!

The difference again this year was that i didnt feel 'at the back'...i wasnt lonely..i'd seen the same riders around me most of the day as we passed back and forth and we all had little chats here and there which really helped...and so as i came towards the second aid station my legs were coming back and i was starting to feel strong again, then 2 things hit....
one...was that i was going to finish this..somehow at that point i knew nothing was going to stop me today!
the second thing to hit me...was a wasp...that decided to catch itself in my helmet and sink its vicious little spike tail into my head!!! cheers for that...ouch...as if i'm not in enough pain....at the aid station i filled up with water...dropped in a nuun and made the mistake of asking a medic if she had anything to put on the wasp sting....INTO THE AMBULANCE I WENT!!! for a wasp sting....and she didnt even have any piriton!!! it was a nice little diversion though so i got back on the bike knowing i had about an hour to meet my target of T2 by 4pm.....i was out of the seat and powering up the hill when i saw cat and my friends again and i shouted i had been stung but i WAS going to do this....by now i had absolute certainty that i was going to finish!
In the last section i passed quite a few bikes...including felt aero helmet boy and another guy on a speed concept and a VISORED aero helmet....i mean come on...i passed him doing about 10mph...what is the point?
i also said hello to one of the TEAM TRUE SPIRIT guys....this team was being helped by a guy i know called Martin..they are a team of service men and women injured in service and taking on this challenge...they made my plight look totally insignificant and the guy i spoke to only had one leg (he was part of a relay team) truly inspirational and gave me even more belief that if those guys can do this...then so can i.
At 3.50 i was at Babylon lane again....up the hill easy and well on target...i saw Cat who shouted confirmation that i would make my 4pm target and i headed into t2 asking people if they fancied buying a bike...cause honestly...although my spirits were good..i was sick of it!!

Got to T2 at 3.55 little bit more to spare than last time eh (8 seconds) and my legs were feeling ok...again i did a full change...had a drink and a little bit of food...took my time chatting with the others...went to the loo (another good sign for today) and then trotted out to the first small aid station...took on some water...a banana and some jelly babies they had left...most excellent....set off on a march until i felt i could run a bit...and headed for Bolton with my target of 6.30 in mind to start the laps....i'd put on a garmin at this point...which both helped but hindered me all night!! it told me my pace ok...but didnt tell me the time..and i had time targets for every point on the route..so that annoyed me....got to the crown where Cat and loads of my family and friends were waiting...quick kiss off cat (if that doesnt cheer me up nothing could) and i set off on a little jog shouting DEATH BEFORE DNF...which got a massive cheer even from people i didnt know.
Hooked up with Kev and Dave..forces and ex forces guys at this point and we marched into Bolton playing a little game of run from the car to the bush....run from the lamp post to the bridge etc which was brilliant....and so...before i knew it we was back among the people and on the loop section...almost in Bolton. My time target to start the first loop was 6.30....this way i knew i'd have 4.5 hours to finish giving me 1.5 hours for each loop...and i was confident....i was even more confident when i got to the town hall and it was 6.05...i was way ahead....tonight i'm going to be an ironman!!!
loops 1 and 2 were great..The aid stations were well stocked with gatorade..cold water and flat coke...also fresh banana's and ritz crackers which i absolutely loved. at each one i'd grab something..make sure i finished anything i picked up then crack on!
i saw Simon as i was on my first and he was heading in to finish.... absolutely amazing..his first IM..i had not seen him at all since the start..and he finished in under 13 hours...we had a hug and i told him to wait for me...because i WILL be there...nothing is stopping me tonight!..I also saw Martin and Andy who i've met through training this year and i hope will always now call me a friend...both buzzing and on their way to finishing.
the support was amazing all the way round and my spirits were up...i laughed...waved...threw banana's at people and generally tried to have a ball...and when people told me i was looking good..i told them i was feeling good...that i was going to make it. the laps were taking me about 1.15 -1.20..and a 10 o'clock sub 16 hour finish crossed my mind...but then as i started the last lap the blisters started to hurt....till now i had played the 'run from to' game many times...but going back up the hill i knew this lap would involve no running (1.30 cool down then)..my legs were ok but my feet were agony..i didnt care...i had over 2 hours to finish it so i marched on..caught up with a lady called Debbie and we started chatting and decided to keep each other company in the darkness for the last lap..it was a great move as chatting kept my mind off the pain in my feet...although i was also feeling a little ropey and a tad dizzy by this point also...as we came back into town i heard people finishing and almost started to cry there and then..before i'd even finished....it all flooded back...how i was here last year knowing i'd never hear the words i had craved for so long...and now here i was..this was my night.
we came into the town hall area where there was a little loop before the finishing chute..and the TV camera caught us up and asked up how we were feeling..i told him i was fine and that this was going to be twice as sweet as it was my second attempt...a vain effort to be on TV (though i bet i look terrible) and then this was it...i told Debbie to crack on and i hung back for just a moment to compose myself...this was it....2 years ago i had this dream.....last year i had not realised this dream...but now...i was about to become an Ironman.....off i went...into a jog....honestly the finish was incredible...i saw friends from america who i'd told about the event at a wedding last week...they had stayed out all day and were at the finish...the lights were on and the noise was deafening...the camera was in front of me and i was waving and punching the air and high fiving people i didn't know...just before the line i stopped....and did a little shuffle (for the TV) and then..after 16 hours..8 minutes and 13 seconds...i heard it.....ANDREW BUTLER.....YOU.....ARE....AN....IRONMAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!!!!!!

OH MY GOD....suddenly rob walker and the TV crew are interviewing me...he said i got the award for the best finish...lol...i told him 'everyday i'm shufflin' (LMFAO if you dont know the song)..he asked me what it meant to me..how far off i was last year...where i got the energy from for the jig..lol...i think i just waffled and probably come across like a gibbering wreck but who cares?? Cat was screaming in the back ground and i ran over to her with my medal in hand (apparently given to me by Evette Grice..but i didnt know that) and gave her a massive hug...she was screaming 'you did it, you did it' and the camera was right on my shoulder..so maybe this will be on TV too...hahaha.

finally i had finished...but a race report would not be complete without some thankyou's
first of all...the BCTTT massive...everybody has followed my training thread and commented good and bad as they saw fit...nothing was ever taken in a manner it wasn't meant and i appreciate every bodies input.
special thanks to Stevie (s11) and Gary (Triumphant) both have encouraged and helped me off line and given invaluable advice.
Mike at Bridgetown cycles...what a genius....he told me if i wasnt at least 30 minutes faster i could have my money back for everything...i was happy for his money to be safe..Thanks mike!
little Sarah...my riding partner...who got me off the loop and took me on a couple of 70-100 mile tours of Lancashire...those rides showed me the wall and how to get through it!
Grant winter...my Chiropractor..another genius in his field who's kept me upright all years...cheers mate
Most of all...of course...Thanks belong to the amazing Cat Butler...a 70.3 ironman herself and a constant source of love, support and encouragement...it cant be underestimated how much she gave to my cause and its with complete conviction that i say i could not have done it without her!!! Love always MrsB xx

It was an amazing event and once again the volunteers were incredible...they worked so hard to make our day go well...and i wish i could thank them all!!

Of course, last years experience made me much stronger...not physically...but mentally...and once i got on my feet i knew i was going to make it...and i had no dark thoughts on the 'run' at all..i had my plan...and i executed it pretty much exactly as i'd have wanted to...i didn't care about the time only the finish and that goal seemed so far away...and now i've achieved it..i cant quite believe that i can...after all this time...call myself...an IRONMAN