Dave Clamp

Paris Marathon 15/4/12 in support of Beat Bowel Cancer

Dave Clamp — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:38:11 +0000

www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk

www.beatingbowelcancer.org

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NigelWoodger www.beatingbowelcancer.org

In 12 days time I leave for Paris with Nigel Woodger to take part in the Paris Marathon . We went public on the above charity link 10 days ago and to date have raised over £900. Please visit the page and leave a donation, no matter how small. This is Nigel’s first marathon and I will be running with him every step of the way. Discomfort will be a given but there is little doubt that we will reach the finish line together.

I’ve had plenty of cause for reflection recently. A completely unexpected setback came along and there are always 2 ways to react. One is the descent into victim mode or the other option is to bounce back, learn lessons and aim for greater heights. The road less travelled is the one to go for. We often seem most scared of the things we most want and therefore unwittingly act in a way to stop them happening. I am using the recent setbacks as a stepping stone to greater goals and have a renewed drive for an original and unique goal that most experts consider highly unachievable.

By setting forth towards this challenge, it has led to vibrant, positive people crossing my path and offering assistance. Training has risen to a whole new plane , diet has had to be improved to cope with the training demand and alcohol intake has reduced to a trickle. I will be dedicating all my efforts to the new goal once we have completed the Paris marathon and will be raising funds for the same charity. For the time being, focus is on Paris ………….. Please click on the above links and support a fantastic cause. Dave

Reflections on 10 x Ironman in Sicily

Dave Clamp — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:09:09 +0000

7 days have now passed since the epic final day at Enna . It’s left mixed feelings of satisfaction and the usual ‘what if’s ‘ !! I’m still fighting the chest infection and know that it compromised my peformance significantly . On the other hand , so many things went perfectly . The main one being the way that Sam and I worked together as a well-drilled team. I’ve just watched the magnificent New Zealand display in the semi- final against Australia—- what a superb example of power , discipline, unity , skill and teamwork . Teamwork is so vital in ultra-distance racing , even though only one member of the team is the limelight .

In the 10 days , I covered 24 miles of swimming , 1120 miles of cycling and 262 miles of running . Put another way , 1520 lengths of the pool , 350 laps cycling and 80 laps of running . Sam was available at the end of every one of those laps with food , drink and encouragement . I barely asked him for my requirements — I simply had the trust in him supplying me with what was needed . At the lowest moment of my ill health , as I was being sick behind a crash barrier on day 3 , he somehow managed to get me back moving . I would have been so disappointed to have given up and without Sam’s presence , I undoubtedly would have done at that stage . It made our gradual climb from 10th to 3rd place over the next few days even more rewarding in that it certainly did not come easy .

Giorgio Alessi and his team put on a superb event for us all . Many new friendships were formed and old ones strengthened . There really is a spirit of genuine camaraderie in ultra-distance triathlon racing . Kari Martens , who decided not to punish himself further by completing the race , then spent hours at the trackside helping others . He was one of the team of 3 ( with Sam and Ed) who managed to get the soaking gear off my frozen, shaking body at the end of the bike on the last day and then somehow managed to get me into running gear despite my inabilty to help . Without this assistance I would never have hung on to that 3rd place .

I still feel that the original Deca is harder . I was able to recover from running a marathon each day by not not running for another 19 or 20 hours . this is so different from trying to run 262 miles non-stop !! If I had been able to race faster , maybe I would have felt differently . We’ll have to try again with good health to find out !! For the time being , I will be concentrating on re-stabilising myself financially and creating a successful business , via personal training and motivational speaking . When that happens , I will look at future race possibilities . This week has been spent resting and relaxing back in Chester . We released the doves on Friday from their enclosed netting where they have spent the last 3 months . It’s cool to see them flying free but that they have now learned that this is their home .

Many many thanks for all the messages of support thoughout the race . I will keep driving forwards and see what the next chapter brings .

Day 10 Report

Dave Clamp — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:13:51 +0000

It’s over !! We’ve done it . 12.01 today . Hung on to 3rd place by 4 minutes . What a tough day . Swim 63.47 . On the bike it was very cold — 7 degrees plus windchill. With 5 laps to go for me ( the first wave faster men were already running) the heavens opened . By the end of the bike I couldn’t feel my hands or feet and had to be helped by 3 people to get out of sodden bike kit and into 3 layers of running gear . I then sat in a car for 5 minutes with the heat on full blast . Bike took 6.23 today . We knew it was going to take a very determined run by this time to hold onto 3rd place. Hermann Steinacher was producing scarcely believable run times for each lap . The organisers rely on competitor honesty to run all the way to the turn round cones on each lap. Sam updated me on the task in front of me. I was going to have to produce my fastest run on the last day and for the first hour I still had no feeling in my feet. I managed a steady pace and went through halfway in about 2.07 . I was going to have to speed up. Hermann finished soon after . For the last 3 laps I had to 1.38 to be 3rd. the heavens then opened again . It was already dark and bitterly cold in a fierce wind . The track was flooded . I could feel myself getting seriously cold , but had to push on even harder . For lap 6 Sam told me I’d done 31 minutes . So 2 laps to go and 67 minutes to do it . I felt sick and simply wanted to stop . Sam was so encouraging as I crossed the pits at each half lap . 1.5 laps to go and I had 51 minutes to do it . I pushed on again through the freezing wind and rain. 1 lap to go and Sam said I had 36 minutes !! At this stage I felt that I was barely moving and had no feeling in hands or feet , but kept pushing the pace. 0.5 of a lap to go . 19 minutes to do it according to Sam . I ran straight through without the usual drink or food . Even at this stage I wasn’t sure if I could keep going . If my shoelace had come undone , I wouldn’t have been able to tie it up . It was too dark to see my watch and despite my effort it felt as though I was wading through mud . As I came into the finishing straight , Sam was all smiles . We’d done it with 4 minutes to spare !! The run had taken 4 hrs 6 mins and was the hardest thing I’ve ever done . Sam and I crossed the line together . It has been a true team effort by the two of us . Photographers huddled round , my state of discomfort being a good opportunity to capture distress on film . We were driven staright to the hotel where I spent 30 minutes thawing in the shower before enjoying a celebratory beer and pizza with Sam. A few minutes after me , Kim Greisen crossed the finish line for a fantastically deserved victory . Kim is a celebrity in Denmark getting uo to 200,000 hits a day on his website !! I’ve been pleased with 100 !!! it just shows the sporting priorities in the UK , where footballers behaving like 3 year olds are the ones getting 200,000 hits . After his last race in Mexico , Kim had 3 tv channels waiting to interview him as he arrived back home at the airport . I’d better make sure we are prepared for the media frenzy when we arrive in Manchester on Wednesday morning ! Hopefully John will help with some more photos of the presentations tomorrow . It’s been a quite amazing 10 days .

Day 9 report– Time 11 hr 33 mins for Ironman number 9

Dave Clamp — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:21:21 +0000

Spent most of the swim coughing again but completed it in 62 mins 30 secs ( again). After heavy overnight rain , the track was still quite wet but not slippy as it is NOT a smooth surface . It’s a bit like a rural Cheshire lane surface – ie very bumpy. We dispensed with suncream as it was so overcast , but Sam has ended the day with a burnt face and neck . I completed the bike in 6 hr 4 mins ( approx 30 secs faster than yesterday and 2 mins slower than Thursday . My challenger for 3rd place , Hermann Steinacher of Austria pushed a fast pace on the bike , so I knew I could not relax . At this stage of the race , you don’t really want to still be pushing the limits . I knew that a good run was required . I went quite steadily for the first half and then really tried to hold the pace ( I have been slowing down most days in the last few laps). With 2 laps to go ( 6+ miles ) I knew that I had a chance of my fastest day if I could put in a good hour’s running . I was also 10 minutes behind the day’s race leader , Kim Greisen who I crossed the line with on Thursday , so I used him as a 2nd target as we crossed paths twice on each of the out and back laps . I sprinted through the last feed station , ignoring Sam’s offer of food/drink ( and his order not to injure mysel) and caught Kim with 300 metres to go , in the process beating my best time of the race by 1 minute !! I think I am about 50 minutes clear of 4th place but anything can still happen on the last day .

As you can imagine , the camaraderie amongst the competitors is growing by the day. It develops quite a shared bond by undertaking such a tough task together . Today I had my first longish chat with Thierry Delhaye of France , who is competing in his first Deca . His goal was only to finish , so being in 2nd place is the creme sur le gateau for Thierry. He has been lucky to have his wife alongside him on her bike throughout the runs . Also today , despite having dropped out , Kari Martens was there supporting us all with his wife Petra and son Oliver . They informed me that they had been counting strokes during the swim. I swim side by side with Harald Oswald . Apparently it looks quite funny as he tkes 16 strokes a length to my 24 !! Vincenzo keeps plugging away and it looks like he will make it . Mike Ward of England had a storming run today and Wayne Kurtz continues to smile and TALK all day despite painful shinsplints . Tony Reed is a character — yesterday he had a shave AFTER the swim . None of us had ever seen that before . His rear end was so so sore after 3 days — I think Sam and I have made a friend for life by letting him use my Assos cream each morning — that stuff really is good for saddle sores . AND …………… amazingly after 9 marathons in 9 days , some in very wet conditions , I do not even have a hint of a blister !! That run to Rome must have really toughened my feet up .

So…………….I day to go !!!

Day 8 report

Dave Clamp — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:43:06 +0000

A very windy day made cycling a much harder prospect . Swim in the now fairly customary time of 62 mins 30 secs. Kari Martens , my Swedish friend , is the latest to withdraw . Kari had a serious bike accident last year and is still recovering . He was struggling by his own high standards and had nothing to prove by completing the event — he came 2nd in the Mexico Deca in 2008 — you may recall those appalling pictures of his blistered feet .

I completed the bike section in 6.05 , only 3 minutes slower than yesterday , but it used up a lot more energy . The run took 4.25 and I had to fight all the way . Total time 11.45 ( only 10 mins slower thn yesterday ) and up to 3rd place . Hermann Steinacher produced an outstanding time from nowhere today . If he repeats that over the next 2 days , there will be little I can do to stop him taking 3rd place . I definitely could not have gone any faster today .

I can hear thunder outside now , so I’m glad I’m not one of the competitors still out there . Usual exemplary crewing from Sam yet again . Time for an early night

DAY 7 — Best Day Yet !!

Dave Clamp — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:08:59 +0000

A good English day today. Overcast , rain threatening and coolish. At the pre-race weigh in , I had gained 0.7kg from yesterday !! Explain that ! A couple of people have asked if this format of 10 x Ironman is easier than a traditional Deca where we swim 24 miles , cycle 1120 and run 262 miles . I think the answer depends on how fast you are . I’m sure Vincenzo finds this harder as he gets little sleep — the cut off for a Deca is 14 days . Those of us who are lucky enough to go faster have the advantage of a full night’s sleep . When I did the Deca , I slept for only 2 or 3 hours a day , so sleep deprivation was a critical factor . Also in this format , the running muscles get chance to recover each day , a luxury not afforded in the Deca. having said that , it is psychologically quite difficult to get in the pool each day. I’m also still recovering from having been so unwell for the first 4 days — I’m still coughing through the night but seem okay during the day .

Today saw me go faster in all 3 disciplines than yesterday. Swim 61 mins 56 secs , bike 6 hrs 2 mins , run 4 hr 15 mins . total 11 hours 34 mins . I caught Dane Kim Greisen with 1 mile to go and we ran to the finish together . The time of 11.34 was the fastest by anyone in the race so far . For me it was the 4th improvement since day 4 — see full results on www.decaironman.com . It will still leave me in 5th place with 3 days to go . Once again Sam was crucial to the day’s success.

Tomorrow sees a Double Ironman event on the same course . They start swimming at 11 am.

Paul Taylor’s funeral takes place tomorrow October 7th . Paul expressed the wish for Bolton Tri Club members to escort the funeral procession from the church to the crematorium on their bikes . He wanted no black clothes and everyone to be in their cycling gear . I will race Day 8 in Bolton Tri Club kit in memory of Paul and in support of everyone at the club. Paul will be missed very much by everyone at the club as well as his friends at Rochdale Tri club ( both of which I have been a member of). Our thoughts are with Paul’s family tomorrow .

Day 6 — an improvement on yesterday

Dave Clamp — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:20:58 +0000

Tucked up in bed early tonight after going faster in all 3 disciplines. The race continues to take it’s toll . Arnold Wiegand retired after day 5 with a sore knee and shin splints. Leslie Holton became sick during the run and was unable to finish — today she ran the missing laps fom yesterday and will recommence tomorrow — she now hopes to complete 9x Ironman in the 10 days . In total 6 competitors have abandoned , a sure indication of the severity of the challenge. Vincenzo Catalano finished in the early hours today and went straight to the pool where he had 30 minutes sleep before starting Day 6.

For me the day went well. At the usual morning ‘weigh-in’ I was measured at 62.7kg ( less than you again Gordon !!) , which isn’t too bad as I started at 65kg. Today’s nutrition was nigh on perfect — Sam once again handed me an assortment of food and drink as I cycled or ran by after each lap. He really has got it down to a fine art . I don’t even ask for anything , but just take whatever he hands me . It is working perfectly . I now have a swim lane to myself and completed the 2.4 miles in 62 mins 34 secs , 16 seconds faster than yesterday . The bike took 6hr 16 min including a 10 minute food stop and I set off on the run 17 minutes ahead of yesterday . The run was also faster ( approx 4 .40) through yet another thunderstorm for a total time of 12 hr 10 mins , 2nd fastest today . We think it has moved me up to 5th place . See www.decaironman.com for full results .

Lights out time ! 4 days to go.

Day 5 —Better News

Dave Clamp — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:42:45 +0000

Mostly good news as we reached the halfway stage , having completed 12 miles of swimming , 560 miles cycling and 131 miles running. For the first km of the swim, I was still feeling rough but then got into a rhythm tofinish in 52 mins 50 , covering the last 100 lenghts side by side with Harold Oswald of Austria . The bike ride from the pool in Enna to the circuit is 4.3 miles and includes a lengthy ascent , followed by a high speed descent into Pergusa and the motor racing circuit . Each lap is just over 3 miles , so we have to do 35 laps to make up the 112 mile distance. The track is approximately the width of a 3 lane motorway and our service area is in the ‘pits’ of the circuit. Today I was lapping in just under 10 minutes at an average speed of 18.5 mph . I took the planned 15 minute break at 80 miles . I ran the first half of the marathon today in 2.15 and total of 4.55 . We’ve not yet seen today’s results but we think I was 3rd fastest and may have moved up a couple of places . Various ailments are now inevitably appearing for many competitors and 2 more people have dropped out today .We also had another storm — Today I timed it perfectly as I completed the bike and rode into the garage– seconds later enormous hailstones were once again bouncing down .

A race like this can only be taken day by day . There is no point racing . It’s vital to just concentrate on your own speed and see what happens . Previous race leader Arnold Wiegand had a tough day today and dropped back to third . Anything can happen .

brilliant work by Sam yet again today. He’s a star . Many thanks for the continued messages . The support really helps

Day 4

Dave Clamp — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:37:02 +0000

Very tired and need to get to sleep. Today we had thunder , lightening , floods and massive hailstones . The swim was a struggle today in 67 mins ( felt very sick) . We had the strategy to stop at 70 miles on the bike to eat a proper meal in order to avoid yesterday’s problem . As luck would have it the storm hit with 3 laps to go on the bike . Without the meal stop I would have made it to the end of the bike just in time. I got really cold and lost a lot of time but then ran quite well . We will stick to the same strategy tomorrow as were just a little unlucky today . Sam was brilliant yet again today — available after every single lap with offerings of food/drink and always the right word . A true team effort if we make it to the end. Will try to finish earlier tomorrow and write a more informative report . Bonne Nuit .

Day 3 of 10 x Ironman

Dave Clamp — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:36:57 +0000

Health problems had eased a good deal this morning ( or so I thought) . The swim once again quite well in 65 minutes . Beto Villa , who had been suffering with the same symptoms as me, was taken very ill in the pool and after several attempts to restart , he eventually had to withdraw . My bike time was 30 minutes faster today ( 6.18) and I was looking forward to an earlier finish. However , after 12 miles of the run I started to be sick again and was contemplating abandonment of the race . Sam managed to get me eating and drinking again . We walked one lap and then i ran/walked a couple with Wayne Kurtz. I ran the last 2 quite quickly again for an 11.45 pm finish . It is quite eerie running round a deserted motor circuit in the pitch black……… I’m hanging in there– back in the pool at 9am for more fun.

Day 2

Dave Clamp — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:20:04 +0000

Day 2 completed , but very slow due to chest infection — difficulty breathing and swallowing . Got through the day with Sam’s help . Will see if I’m better in the morning and make a decision whether to continue or not . It’s been quite exhausting doing 2 Ironmen races whilst unwell. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Swam in 62 mins again today but struggled thereafter .

Day 1 report — 10 x Ironman

Dave Clamp — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:42:37 +0000

It was quite an anxious start to the day . I have caught a bit of a cold and experienced quite a bit of discomfort breathing during the day. I’m in the 2nd wave and we set of at 9.08. I’m in a lane with Austrian Harald Oswald for the 10 days and he is an excellent swimmer. I went through half way in just under 30 minutes an finished in 61.08 , intermittent cramp causing the slow down. Harald did 57 mins and Sam says the only reason that he is faster is due to his tumble turns. It was then out on to the bike as temperatures gradually climbed to 28 degrees. I felt very comfortable for the first half but gradually developed breathing difficulties. It also became evident that the course measurement was anything but accurate. Estimates from peoples’ speedo’s put it at anything up to 20km overdistance. I slipped back towards the end of the bike and lost about 20 mins to the competitors who I had been close to for much of the day. Anyway, I felt very heavy at the start of the run but after about 10 minutes, I settled into a comfortable rhythm, only slowing down in the last 6 miles. By the end of he day i had gained a token 5 minute lead over Arnold Wiegand, the German is 2nd place , with Kim Greisen and Harald Oswald also in close attendance. Positions are largely irrelevant at the moment. I am quite sore in the legs and a bit chesty. Hopefully a good night’s sleep will do the trick . Sam has done a fabulous job today as my support man, despite really suffering with a cold himself. He’s just happy that it’s not the deca as we would still be in the pool if it were. I’ll see if John can insert a picture from the day’s action. 9.30pm in the UK — night night !