Splendid report: such an enjoyable read. Oh and well done 
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Fantastic report and an amazing achievement, sub 9 is āother wordlyā well done mate. 
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Thatās a great race report, gripping stuff. You kept the suspense going right to the end with the gingerbread man sub-plot.
Numbers interesting too- FTP of 330W , you monster, how heavy are you out of interest?
Really enjoyed that, thanks, congratulations, managed to read the whole thing from start to finish in just under 9 hours 
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@Mr-me - I hate you!!! I think that it is totally awsome you went sub 9 hours. However, I was totally happy to let sub 9 go and focus on retirement from IM in Nice next year. Your race report was excellent and really inspiring, however it has just poured petrol on the dying embers of my Sub 9 thoughts.
I am now in a quandry, I have entered Cascais as this is the sensible choice that will suit me, but itās not a sub 9 course. Just as well, otherwise, having just read your report, I would be entering Emilia Romana, which is a sub 9 course, but not as good for me.
I really want Nice to be my Last Ironmanā¦ I can see another attempt at Roth on 6 July if they open up a December entry
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Interesting that my FTP is very similar to yours - My FTP after a winter killing myself on Zwift is 330-335w, after a summer of endurance riding I think that it is 315-320w. Weight 70kg
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This is what I canāt let go of 
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Brilliant write up, fantastic race. Chapeau
Now to order some tailwind for next year 
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Great write up, race and last 10 years!
Loved reading that.
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And the power of the crowd
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Love it. Congrats!!
Great read, first time Iāve wanted to be back on a start line since December. Hopefully youāll be showing me the ropes soon enough
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So Iāve beaten you once then! 
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What a brilliant result for all that hard work, and a truly inspiring write-up. Just awesome!
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Thanks everyone for all the positive feedback much appreciated.
@fruit_thief - I tend not to weigh myself these days but Iād guess from the days when I did step on the scales that Iād be about 78kg on race morning. I tend to creep up to 81kg over the winter.
@Matthew_Spooner sorry for stoking the embers (I had wondered about how youād feel when I was writing it). A friend of mine had told me Iād need everything to go right on the day for sub 9 to materialise and this was exactly whet happened. Itās a big investment for a goal that has so many uncontrollable variables but in the end (for me) it turned out to be worth it.
@funkster - donāt give up on the dream. Everyone who goes has their own take on the Kona experience but for me it was everything I hoped it would be and more. When the body and the mind is ready I know youāll find a way to make it happen.
@Chriswim - seems like youāre settling into my part of the world. Give me a shout when youāre getting back into the swing of training - itād be good to show you the local routes. Once Barcelona is done Iāll be easing into my winter schedule. In recent years Iāve been trying to get out on the mtb a fair bit over winter to limit the time I spend in the garage and to preserve my sanity during the North East winter (which tends to only set in around February time 
)
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sometimes those embers need a good stoking. In reality Nice is the objective, emotionally I need Nice to be the goal and the focus for next year - Beyond Nice itās all Ultra cycling, Tour Divide and top 20 in TCR. I am not getting younger, and at some point very soon I will have hot the peak.
My current though is to do my own āoff gridā IM to see whether I can go sub 9 on a course of my own making.
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Great report and great roadtrip, that was an epic journey.
I really wanted to get to Kona and was within about 15 minutes in 2016 and a couple of run meltdowns that if Iād ran what I was capable of I might not have been far away but Iāve given up on that now. I just donāt think I had that last bit of dedication or my nutrition tripped me up.
That was a lot of calories you were taking on board though.
It has half made me think I still want a last go next year with a reasonable target of something like 10:30 on a fast course but as Adam said elsewhere I just donāt think I can motivate myself for the long rides anymore, or swims for that matter.
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Definitely the long rides for me. The swims really arenāt that much of a chore. Iāve hardly done any swimming in 2 years, and yet still managed to bash out 3k OW this morning in only my second OWS in 2 years. Long swims I find quite therapeutic mentally (I just switch off), and ultimately, ālongā swims really arenāt that long a duration.
The 5-6hr rides though become a proper chore. Iām finding it hard enough to motivate myself to get out and do 90k in prep for my upcoming race at the moment.
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The way around this is to not do the long rides or swims! Thatās what I did last year for Wales! 
(may also, along with genetics and a lack of motivation, be the reason why Iāll never sub 10 letalone sub 9 
)
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Outstanding race and a great report @Mr-me, I really enjoyed reading that. Itās no surprise though seeing the work youāve put in on Strava and having seen you crush Bolton and Tenby over the last couple of years.
16 scoops of tailwind though, blimey - did you have that on the bars and just sip it regularly?
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Thanks @Adam to be honest itās the training I really enjoy. It provides much needed balance in my life and Iāve often said that if I wasnāt able to train Iād have to find a new job. Probably a sign that I need to find a new job anyway .
As for the tailwind,I had it divided up between three different bottles that I started the ride with - a 750ml one up front and x2 500ml at the back. Youāll remember how many times I had to stop to collect ejected bottles in Bolton so itās a good thing the roads in CPH are considerably smoother as losing that nutrition would have been a real blow.
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