“The journey is longer and harder than the destination”. 

This was very true for my return to Ironman Lanzarote 2025.

Race Report by Ciat Joyce

 

“Can we do another Ironman but anything other than Lanzarote?” Those were the words uttered by my best friend (some call him my boyfriend) in 2024. I had done my last Ironman in Lanzarote in 2022 which made it 3 finishing medals on the island. It also happened to be my best finishing time but more importantly my most comfortable and enjoyable race in all the attempts there. Why? I’ll get into that later.

Time to Flip the Switch

2023 was a year away from any races. In 2022 I had performed well in both Ironman and the Dublin Marathon, finally getting around to attempting sub 3 and realising this dream through a lot of hard work. Funnily enough once I achieved this, I flipped a switch and gave up running. My body demanded it and I probably obliged for way too long. Looking back, my ability to achieve that effort was established from all the training I had done from late 2021. My aerobic capacity was massive without me realising it. Once I switched to Ironman training in the Winter of 2022 I was able to build on my ability to go fast without hurting myself (well, until I injured my right calf). Luckily I had the help of my physio (Colin from The Movement Clinic) who always works wonders and got me to the start line of IM Lanzarote 2022. I was unsure of my ability to run, never mind completing the marathon at the end of it. Due to the rest and rehab and my increase in aerobic work on the bike, I ended up having my best ever marathon time in an Ironman and not only that, finishing knowing I could have gone faster. The lesson I learned was that less is more and how important it is to allow your body to recover. My biggest takeaway from that year was to listen to what my body was telling me, it knows best and when it sends you signals about being tired and the little niggles you experience through the sheer volume or intensity of your training, don’t ignore them.

These lessons became important in 2023-2024 where I switched my focus to purely cycling. I cycled for pleasure and there were no set goals in 2023. I attempted a couple of Sportives and then in 2024 I took part in Mallorca 312 and the Marmotte Gran Fondo. Two epic cycles that tested my ability to last on the bike despite the distances or elevations. These events were only made easier to me by slowly building my endurance engine on the bike. I allowed a lot of time to do this by not sharing it with Swimming and Running. It’s amazing how strong you can get but unfortunately when you do Ironman and you are not a full time professional athlete, there are not enough hours in the day to train for all 3 disciplines and to recover from them.

I returned to triathlon after my foray into cycling by racing the Lost Sheep Middle Distance Race in Kenmare in early September 2024. Fantastic race and a great weekend away if you can manage an entry. My swim training wasn’t too bad as it’s easier on the body but my running felt hard and awkward. I must have looked like Bambi on an ice rink. It also didn’t help that I came across a verucca on my foot. I pushed through the discomfort and pain knowing I would get through and get it treated after the race. The Lost Sheep went ok and I was happy to finish but I knew there was work to do if I was going to double the distance.

The Phone Call

On my return journey from Kenmare, I got a phone call confirming my fears that had been building all Summer. I was being made redundant as Eurocycles went into liquidation. I took a couple of extra days off work before going in to help wrap up orders. I felt a little in no man’s land but had resigned myself to the fact that I was now going to have to look for a new job or career but very quickly got offered a job with Wheelworx who wanted to move straight into the building. I took my time to consider this but after some conversations with friends and family, I decided that the stress of having no income for myself and my family was not an extra stress I needed.

Once I committed to my new job I immediately got on to my doctor to get my foot sorted but it took 5 visits over 4 months to sort the problem. That quickly empties your pockets quicker than a visit to Eddie Rockets. During this time I continued to do some gym work and swimming and to get out on Coffee Spins with Pulse. I was not going to commit to an Ironman until I knew my foot was ready. In the background I had come across an Ironman in Northern Spain in a region called Vitoria-Gasteiz. It looked beautiful. It was in July so I knew it gave me plenty of time to get ready. I mentioned this to Matt and he coincidentally told me that he had marked that one too as the Ironman he’d like to do. It was great that we were on the same page.

Roll on to December 27th. My Verucca looked like it was gone and my focus could finally switch to booking something for 2025. Matt and I cycled to Maynooth that day and that’s when he dropped the bomb that he couldn’t do IM Vitoria-Gasteiz. Himself and his girlfriend (she doesn’t mind sharing him with me) were getting renovations done and this meant they had to move to Athy. Matt said there was no way he’d get the required training done because of the extra commuting involved. “Funny you should say that”, I said, “Linda checked out Vitoria-Gasteiz and didn’t like it as a holiday destination. She’d prefer to go to Lanzarote.”

Matt’s response? “Well if you’re doing Lanzarote, you’re not doing it without me!”

I quickly fired back that he didn’t want to do that in the first place. Eventually a few days later he saw sense and decided he couldn’t commit to any Ironman despite his desire to return to Lanzarote with me even though he had achieved his 5th medal in 2023. My mind was made up. My family wanted to go to Lanzarote so we could also have a small holiday after the Ironman so on New Year’s Eve, I soberly booked my entry. I then rang in the New Year knowing I had twenty weeks to prepare but wishing I had started about 8 weeks before.

Build it up but be mindful to do it steadily

New Year’s Day 2025 saw me run for the first time since Lost Sheep in September. A very easy 5km. Slowly, slowly was going to be my approach, the lessons learned from the previous 3 years. Build it but be mindful to do it steadily. The most important thing was to get to the start line after parting with €1,000 for my entry and flights.

Work settled after the usual Christmas demands in the bike trade and it allowed me to slowly build volume in my training. Early on, given my time away from triathlon I had decided that this 4th attempt in Lanzarote was about finishing. I didn’t have my previous base or my previous legs. I hoped that once I got through the first ten weeks I’d be able to start testing the waters a bit more to see how fine tuned I could get by adding some more race specific workouts.

Because of the emotional toll of everything that had gone on with work, I knew I needed a break. By the end of January I had booked a week away in Spain to visit my dad near Malaga where I could get some more volume done in a sunnier and warmer climate.

The day before I travelled, another shock announcement came. Wheelworx had to move out of the building but our jobs were safe if we were willing to move to their Fonthill branch. That was a no brainer to me. I quickly committed to answering and went on holiday without worrying what else could happen!?

When I got to Spain, my dad, Tadhg was delighted to share some bike time with me and even booked me into the local gym so that I could swim and weight train. It was also around this time that Linda, my wife, dropped the bombshell that she couldn’t come to Lanzarote as it clashed with my daughter’s attempts to make the Irish Basketball team. I understood and although I agreed she was the priority, it didn’t stop me from sarcastically stating that I had only booked Lanzarote because of them! On hearing of my predicament, my dad’s wife Loretta said that she would send him to Lanzarote for his birthday to stay with me and watch the Ironman. He was delighted because he had been there for my first race in 2017. We quickly booked our accommodation to lock it in.

After a great week in the sun and a good rise in my training volume without any issues I returned to Dublin knowing that the changes I was alerted to prior to my “holiday” were well and truly underway.

February became a very easy month work-wise because I had also booked time away with Linda in Wicklow and a training week with Matt in Lanzarote. Again I had a great week in Lanzarote testing my body and seeing it adapting to the increased demands. It was only after the holiday that I got sick and also got an impingement in my shoulder that kept me out of swimming for 5 weeks and off the bike and run for 2. I initially didn’t panic about being sick. I understood that I had been vulnerable given the extra training volume in Lanzarote and the fact that I got caught in a cold rain shower on my last day only compounded this. I had to take a week off work as I know I picked up a virus on the plane journey home. It was only after a day of being back in work that I then woke up in agony with a pain in my shoulder that ran all the way down my left arm. I had to take another day off work and book an emergency appointment with my physio who immediately sorted the pain only for it to return a few days later.

The initial problem was causing an issue in my rotator cuff which gave Colin a reason for concern. He questioned the reason it could have happened and despite him believing that something like this usually happens from trauma, I looked back at my time in Lanzarote and reckoned it happened after a windy day or two on the bike that resulted in the tightness and stress in the shoulder. Rehab was the order of the day and 5 weeks away from swimming. Luckily, despite my initial concern I was able to continue with the other two disciplines. They weren’t easy given the stiffness in the shoulder and on top of being sick, my road back to being happy with my fitness was a long one. My best laid plans of starting any race specific workouts were quickly put to bed. Now it really was a case of surviving this Ironman. The pain in my shoulder got worse before it got better and during this period I was close to giving up. I have seen enough people turn races into shitshows and I didn’t want to be one of them. It didn’t even concern me that I’d paid a massive entry fee. I would still go on holiday but just to watch the event because at that moment I felt I couldn’t move comfortably. Thankfully, although slowly, that began to change and Colin and I could see some light at the end of the tunnel.

The return to cycling was the hardest. After being so strong in 2024, it was a reality check of where I was restarting from. Every long cycle was a challenge because the effort was putting a bigger demand on my body. The virus had wiped me out and it was taking longer than I wanted to get to any semblance of previous fitness. Even short commutes to work were hard for the first couple of weeks but my patience was key. I knew I could get there and I had to constantly ignore Garmin telling me I was overreaching. Garmin didn’t know I was cramming for an Ironman. The best advice I can give regarding wearable fitness watches is that although they work off the information they are fed from your numbers, they don’t truly know you or your ability so at the end of the day, trust your own instincts and train and recover accordingly. If you’ve got a coach, do not be afraid to give feedback on how you feel. The best and only person to know this is you.

Don’t Overlook Recovery

Thankfully as the mileage demands went up, the weather improved which made it easier to get out. Where I lacked the previous consistency of past years due to work rosters and not having the same base training I made sure to tick certain boxes. The biggest box I ticked was recovery. If I felt I needed the rest, I would juggle around my training days to allow myself to tackle other sessions fresher. The results started to show even though I knew they were never going to match previous heights, I was confident that my body was strong enough to finish. The last couple of weeks before tapering confirmed this as I came through unscathed. I had managed to get up to a slow non-stop 4km swim, 7.25 hours on the bike and 2.5 hours on the run. I had at least reached these benchmarks that I had set myself. Only the Triathlon Gods would know if it was enough.

On the 14th of May, I flew to Lanzarote. Although I had somewhat dreaded the thoughts of coming back to the island, as soon as the wheels touched down it ignited an excitement in me. I thought, We’re back! Let’s get this done!’ I shared a flight with a couple of Pulse members, Niall Connaughton and David O’Dwyer who like myself, had tackled and completed IM Lanzarote. We all knew what was ahead but said very little as our minds started to come around to being back again. Race day wasn’t until Saturday so I settled in for a couple of days on my own by getting the necessary supplies in, getting the bike built and meals sorted. As well as that there was the last bit of training to do. I swam one lap of the swim course on Thursday morning, cycled for an hour later that afternoon to ensure the bike was okay which highlighted it needed a tweak. On Friday I got a short swim in, just to practice the first few buoys again. Later that morning Rob Larkin joined me for a quick run just to wake the legs up in preparation for race day. After that it was a case of trying to stay off the feet and get an early night. Sleep is massively important in the lead up to events like these but it’s hard to get the right amount and quality. Some of the reasons are down to you not being as tired due to the reduced volume, a strange bed unsettling your sleep hygiene and of course your mind constantly second guessing if you’re ready both physically and logistically. The third reason didn’t weigh on my mind but the main one that affected me was not sleeping comfortably away from home. I recommend if you can, bring your own bed pillows to help. I didn’t have the room!

Both Matt and Tadhg were in by Friday and we shared a Carb heavy meal with David. I challenge anyone to eat as much as David at dinner, the guy is a machine! The two lads went off for a few pints while us athletes tried our best to get as much sleep as possible. My first three hours of sleep were decent but the remaining 3 were sporadic at best. I woke before my alarm and rather than tease myself lying around any longer, I quietly got myself ready. By 5am my Garmin was suggesting a rest day. “Not today Garmin, I’ve a little something I’ve to do first”, I said to myself.

Race Day – Cool, calm, collected

I was a 10 minute walk from the transition area but my approach was very leisurely that morning. I didn’t rush anything. Breakfast. Showering. Bag checking. I was so calm. This was all because I came to finish so my mind was at ease. This approach followed me towards transition.

Matt and Tadhg tagged along and helped carry some of my load. Although I’d normally have been a lot earlier getting to transition in previous years, I sauntered around and bit by bit made sure I had things set up the way I wanted. If I forgot to take something from the bags my dad had, I’d stroll back up and get it and go back and mentally tick off that everything was in place. Eventually it was time to don the wetsuit so I returned to the main strip and got ready with the assistance of Matt. Lots of Vaseline and anti-chafing cream to help with the Sea water. I posed for some photos and accepted all the well wishes and took my place in the 80-90 minute swim pen. It was there I remained focused while I quietly peed myself a couple of times so that I didn’t have to do it swimming. I know I wasn’t the only one enjoying that fuzzy warm feeling in the inside of a wetsuit!

The Pros went off first and then we entered the water via a staggered rolling start. The day had finally gotten underway. It’s a frantic enough start but having practiced for the two previous days I held a good line and felt confident and comfortable that my measured approach would get me around the course in about 90 minutes or less, even with the Australian exit (2 swim loops broken up by a run back on to the beach). I find it mentally easier this way because I didn’t enjoy the longer full loop they used in 2022. I had no idea of my swim time as I don’t swim with my watch firstly for fear of losing it but secondly because I don’t care how fast or slow I’m swimming while I’m swimming. I came out of the water comfortably and feeling good. I drank a cupful of water on the beach and rinsed my sandy feet in a tray of water and then got a massive cheer from Brian Power who had a front row view of the chaos going on around him.

Into Transition where the stress, nervousness and excitement were palpable. I took my time and walked out to the far end of the bike racks to get my bike and then told myself to at least start jogging with it. I had only got going when Matt spotted me through the fence and turned his phone around shouting, “Say hello to your wife!”. It was a lovely moment. I couldn’t tell you if I said anything remarkable but I was glad she was getting a little bit of the experience from a distance because I know how much Linda loves events like this but especially Lanzarote.

I ran up the ramp and jumped on my bike being mindful not to snot myself. I’m sure it wouldn’t have won any awards in the athletic department. Off I set along the strip where my day of peeing myself (literally) started already. Well at least I knew dehydration wasn’t going to be a problem.

A physical and mental test

After such a calm swim down in Puerto Del Carmen and having looked at all the weather apps, we had all been led to believe that the wind on the bike course wasn’t going to be too bad. We all thought wrong. Once we started to climb and hit the open roads it soon became apparent that it was going to be a tough day. Despite that, I climbed strong and although my heart rate was elevated I knew I was riding within myself. That would be the order for the day. I got overtaken on the flats as I held back my effort only to climb better on the drags or hills. I knew it was going to be a long day so I allowed myself to just settle in and never push at the risk of blowing up or fading. The battle with the wind was a physical and mental test. Luckily I had lots of experience of it so I never let it get the best of me. I reminded myself that it was my race, my effort and to stick to the plan of getting through the bike comfortably so that the run to the finish could be achieved in a reasonable time.

I could see plenty of dark moments happening around me. Most of them began with about 50km to go as the mileage started to hurt people. Although I didn’t experience any of these myself, at one point I did get hit by a wave of tiredness. It made me aware of what was behind but also what I had to prepare for ahead. Just keep the legs turning and stay sharp. Unfortunately within minutes I passed a guy who hadn’t been so lucky. He had lost concentration momentarily and ended up in a ditch in the lava fields. His race was over as he stood at the back of an ambulance with a sling around his shoulder. Mentally this is the hardest part of the bike course as you cycle downhill into a wind but knowing that eventually you will climb that hill quicker because the wind will finally be your friend as it puts its hand on your back. After that section, the remaining 15-20km is fast and it’s here you need to be careful as you descend with speed, especially coming down some winding narrow tracks.

I felt better at this stage and continued at speed back into Puerto Del Carmen where I knew the roar of the crowd was waiting. That roar came from a distance and the loudest person that day could only be Matt Bird. I heard him before I saw him. Legend! I knew he was up for a few hours of keeping me motivated on the run.

Dismounting and Transition 2 went smoothly. I took my time getting ready in the transition tent. Reapplying sun cream and making sure I had all my gels. With the new set up, we had to run by the finish gantry before running up the ramp on to the course. The female volunteers were offering me a yellow coloured band for my wrist but I refused shouting that I’m only going out on my first lap. On making a U-turn before hitting the ramp, one of the girls made sure she gave me a band. She was telling me that I needed it so they could identify what lap I was on. The layout for the run in Lanzarote was to do 1 large lap consisting of 20km, broken up into a 10km out and back. The two successive laps were 11km in length broken up into 5.5km out and back. They give you a different coloured band for the 3 laps. You are constantly looking around you on the run identifying what lap people are on. A sense of joy when you are on your last and people are only on their first and the reverse when you are only starting!

I started the run very cautiously pace wise and never really changed gear. I knew to be sensible because I hadn’t got around to pushing much speed in training. After the difficult day on the bike in the wind I wasn’t going to go chasing speed. My strategy was to run in between every aid station and walk the aid stations to rehydrate. I milked every step through the aid stations, taking my time and regrouping before kicking on again.

Even though there were a few difficult moments in between the aid stations and my desire to walk was tempted, I stayed mentally strong and ploughed on. I had a couple of stomach issues on the run and made sure to use the toilets. The volunteers on the course were amazing and kept them immaculately clean. Knowing I wasn’t breaking any Personal Best for my race, I took my time but never had any trouble getting going again. I just ate up the kilometres bit by bit and in my last lap I was delighted to make it into the single digits.

Support Makes All the Difference

The on course support was brilliant, especially on the strip in Puerto Del Carmen. It was electric. Plenty of shout outs for Pulse when you wear the club colours. Matt and Tadhg were brilliant, always egging me on. They were missing from their usual spot on the return into the finish line meaning they had headed for the finishing gantry. It was at this stage I decided to increase my effort and to at least feel like I was ending strong. I soaked up the last bit of daylight and ran down the ramp arms to out in flight mode, high-fiving the volunteers. I encouraged the crowds in the stands to shout even louder and it was at this point I could hear and see my dad who I high-fived and then Matt appeared handing me his phone telling me Linda was on. He roared, “Take her across the finish line with you!” A lovely and touching finish to the day.

This was my 4th time doing Ironman Lanzarote. A lot of people are put off by the claim that it’s the toughest Ironman branded race on the planet. It is a tough race and it’s not for the faint hearted. However it is worth the challenge and it’s only when you come to the island and do it that you realise why you are drawn back to it. Logistically it is very easy to get to, compared to other events. There is a plane and a taxi ride involved unlike other races in Europe where you could be travelling for hours once you’ve landed. There is the sunshine and holiday feel to the island which is great when it’s finished. Ironman Lanzarote have upped their game since the last time I was here and I’ll have to up my game before I return for my 5th and final race here.

-Ciat Joyce