The Ironman is a huge, famous event in Lanzarote.The third article in this series gives the self reported experiences of several Ironman TSOs who took part this year. The TSOs who took part were: Charlie Baker, Carsten Christiansen, Chris Wild, Andy Robinson, Neill Morgan, Keir Ayling and Eamonn Noonan. Congratulations to them all.
The Bakers have been visiting CLS since 1987. Charlie is now 28,a graduate of the University of Leeds in Business and Communication. A triathlete and also a windsurfer. He is a qualified Windsurf instructor (RYA) and worked as an instructor in Greece and Turkey. Charlie has worked in the e-Advertising industry, and now runs two London pubs and a property company. He did his first mini-triathlon in Club La Santa around 7 years of age. Since then he has done them on the family annual trips to CLS.
Charlie’s buildup to the Ironman involved competing in the UK sprint summer series around London then moving up to Olympic distance. He then decided to try Ironman, competing in a few 70.3 races in the UK and Austria before his first Ironman in France 2009. Then Norway in 2010 in 10 degree fjords, force 7 winds and -2 windchill. He completed his dream Ironman in 2011 in Lanzarote surrounded by friends and family competing and supporting.
Carsten Christiansen has been a TSO at CLS since 1988 with Lena Christiansen. Originally Lena was the enthusiastic Triathlete and drew Carsten in with her enjoyment. In 1993 Carsten became “infected” by the "ironman". He has competed in 15 long distance triathlon and Ironman races, among them twice in the Ironman New Zealand (2003 & 2004). In 2003 he qualified for Ironman Hawaii; then the Ironman Florida (2005, 2007, 2009 and now 2011) He also did the Ironman Arizona 2008. He reports that after events he has said many times “never ever more”! The Christiansens have been long term friends of fellow TSOs Martin and Sally Baker, parents of Charlie. Carsten encouraged Charlie in his teenage years and this mutual interest continued with a twist in 2011. Carsten did Ironman Lanzarote 2010 and wasn’t very happy with his result, so when Charlie signed up for Ironman Lanzarote 2011, he signed up too. “Race day was a very tough day at the office(as we call it) for many of us. It was one of those days with very strong winds.” Carsten’s time of 13 hours 46 minutes was an hour slower than 2010. So he plans to come back and do Ironman Lanzarote again.
is not a ‘typical’ triathlete; a quick look at any race registration, and he sticks out with his long hair and heavy metal t-shirts ! His career as an archaeologist is also rarely associated with sport. He can still remember the moment in 1984 when his parents announced they'd bought a timeshare at CLS. His love of cycling developed through the 1990s, and became 'serious' at the end of 1996, when a timeshare week coincided with the 1st International Bike Week, riding with that year's tour de France winner, Bjarne Riis. Chris' introduction to triathlon was, like Charlie,the 'Mini Tri'. Despite being a bad swimmer, and hating running, he signed up to Club la Santa's first triathlon training camp in 2005, and the pipedream of 'doing an Ironman' was on the way to realisation. Despite its reputation as “ The Toughest Ironman in the World”, there was only ever going to be one place to make a debut, on his 'home' course of Lanzarote, on roads that had become very familiar. His time of 12 hours 17 minutes was massively better than the target of 'just finishing' within the 17 hour time-frame. Chris has been on the start line every year since, improving his time on each occasion, to
a new personal best of 10:39 in 2011. The entry for May 2012 is, of course already in.
Andy Robinson has been a TSO member for three years and is married to Jo who, with children Kate 21 and Michael 18 enjoy the sports at CLS and back in the UK. Andy lives near Box Hill where the Olympic cycle road race will be looping in 2012. Working as a controls analyst for multinational oil company based in London, Andy commutes 17 miles each way daily by bike. His training also includes the 33m swimming pool in the basement and running through Royal Parks at lunchtimes. Andy enters the 50-54 age group.
He is in his 4th year of triathlons which have been mainly sprint and standard distance. His first attempt at the Ironman distance was in UK in 2007 when shortly afterwards he had a heart operation. Since then he has competed for GB at European and World Championships at standard distance. Andy’s second Ironman distance in Lanzarote this year had the following aims: get round in one piece / don’t walk any of the marathon / ENJOY the experience!
Neill Morgan has been visiting Club LaSanta and Lanzarote since1998. Originally enjoying football and running he first heard of the Ironman in the Pool Bar. Initially appalled at the concept, the years rolled on and swimming and cycling were taken up and he tried the mini triathlon. ‘It was just great fun.’ Hooked ! Although not good at hill climbing on the bike he persisted with training at CLS. In 2001 and 2002, the Ironman USA was completed, it was a hilly course, but not as much as Lanzarote, and less windy. In 2004 Neill entered for Lanzarote Ironman but came down with a nasty bout of food poisoning, which affected the absorption of nutrients in the race three weeks later. This resulted in the Doctor withdrawing Neill from the race at the top of Mirador del Rio. To prove he could do an Ironman he did Austria a year later. Then in 2008, Lanzarote again, only to pick up a nasty chest infection resulting in withdrawal from the race the day before. ‘Needless to say I was gutted and beginning to think that the Lanzarote Ironman was not going to happen for me. In 2009 Neill finished Lanzarote Ironman and then redid the event in 2011.
An Ironman distance (3.8 km swim / 180 km bike / 42 km run = 2.4 miles swim / 112 miles bike / 26.2 miles run) may only be called an Ironman when the event is part the Ironman organization www.ironman.com. There are also a wide range of events at Ironman distance that have other names.
