Rachael Cadman, aged 29 is a Training & Education officer in the Royal Air Force. Her parents live in south-west France which is ideal for holidays and impromptu training camps.  She lives with her fiancé Adam, an Engineering Officer also in the Royal Air Force who is currently serving in Afghanistan. 



SH: It was great to see you at Lichfield this year at the Double Enduroman UK.  What brought you to your first Enduroman Event?

RC: You!  I would like it recorded for prosperity that the blame for my appearance at this year’s Double Enduroman UK rests firmly on the shoulders of one Steve Haywood!  I seem to remember you convincing me it would be great training for the Arch 2 Arc!  However, I am nothing but grateful as I absolutely loved the race.  The Enduroman team were wonderful and the camaraderie blew me away.  Plus I somehow managed to wangle the first win of my career so a good decision all round.  Plus I am forever in debt to Ironman Switzerland who fortunately brought their race forward by a week which allowed me a whole fortnight of rest between that and the Double.  I think having just 7 days between them might have pushed even my resolve!!

SH: A fantastic podium finish in 1st place at this year's Double Enduroman.  Tell me a bit about the race?

RC: Frankly I was a bit in awe by the levels of training some people seemed to have recorded prior to the race.  I hadn’t ridden longer than 127miles and I hadn’t run further than 26.2miles and that was back in April!  With the preparations for Adam’s deployment in June, training sort of took a bit of a back seat as we tried to maximise our time together and with family and friends.  So really I had no idea what the race would hold for me.  Basically I decided that I wanted to push the swim with the aim of a sub 2:20 and first lady out of the water and then just take everything steady and try to enjoy it!  I actually found the swim the hardest part of the whole race, despite it being my background, probably because it was the only part I really wanted to push on but I was happy to be out of the water in around 2.16 and first lady.  First goal achieved! 

The bike was always the bit I was most nervous of, I had never ridden at night or for that distance so I just decided to work through it in 56mile (4-loop) sections.  The first 3 laps were actually the hardest as I was getting a lot of pain and stiffness in my neck and I wasn’t enjoying the bike that much.  However, after three laps, my Mum who was crewing for me, sensibly dragged me in to see the wonderful physio Tim Pepper who sorted my neck out a treat and from then on I was a happy bunny! He did ask me how long I wanted him to work on me for and I resisted saying, “about 32 hours” and instead replied “10-15mins please”.  Honestly, I could have happily lain there all day and probably all night too!  It was ‘lighting-up’ time around Lap 7 for me so I donned high-vis gear and crossed fingers that my array of lights (until then untested – foolish!) would see me through the night.  Luckily, they worked like a charm and soon I had powered through the first IM.  I actually enjoyed biking through the night and it was an easy time for me mentally too.  I just kept repeating to myself that all I had to do was cycle until it got light again and then I could get off the bike!  My Mum also did a fabulous job of feeding me things (chicken super noodles!) at random hours of the night that I never thought I would want to eat but actually tasted like nectar and kept me well fuelled! I was also lucky never to feel particularly tired, I had a small dip around 4.30am but at that point I knew it was only around 45mins to dawn so I powered on through! First light saw me on the last lap of the bike course and then 224 miles later I could finally hand my bike over to Eddie (Enduroman Race Director) and start the double marathon! I never thought I’d be excited about the prospect of 52miles running but I really was at that stage!!

For my first three laps I had the honour of running with Marie Page (female single Enduroman winner) which helped me no end. Taking the time to support her as she finished off her marathon helped me slip into the running mindset easily and stopped me focusing on the long road ahead!  When she headed off down the victory chute I took the time to go and do a full change of clothes and re-focused my thoughts on the 40-odd laps still to go.  I quickly adopted a strategy of walking all the uphills and jogging the downhills and flats which worked really well for me and meant I was probably running about half a lap and walking half a lap.  The walk breaks allowed me to recover and I was fortunate to feel strong throughout.  I just concentrated on smiling at the other competitors, encouraging those who looked like they had hit a bad patch, being courteous to the marshals and being pleasant to my poor Mum who was a bit knackered by now!  Other friends had also popped by to visit and them being there really helped to distract me and break up the monotony.  Finally the last lap was upon me and I had to stop myself flying round it as the adrenaline kicked in and instead spent time thanking all the marshals who had been utterly wonderful and high-fiving and hugging the other athletes. I finally crossed the line in 32.16 to receive my handshake and medal from Steve – I was thrilled and couldn’t believe how lucky I had been to have felt so good throughout and to have truly enjoyed it.  My full Double Enduroman race report and my training for ‘The Big Daddy’ can be found on my blog at www.arch2arcchallenge.blogspot.com





SH:  The world of double distance and beyond is growing fast in the UK with many newbies attended the Enduroman Ultra events.  What tips and tricks can you offer them to help them on their first big day?

 

RC: Firstly get your logistics right.  Do as much research as you can into the event – get on the forums and ask questions from those who know.  Don’t rely on good fortune (I was VERY lucky!) – test your lights at night if only for 10mins or so to make sure they work and are aimed at the right place in the road etc.  Get as bright a set of lights as you can afford (or borrow!), it made all the difference to be able to see the road properly all night.  Try and test foods out in training, find ones you like and bring a lot of them with you.  Then also bring all kinds of random stuff that you may end up liking!  DO NOT rely on sports products and definitely bring some savoury foods and things that will hit your need for fat and salt.  As I said, the chicken super noodles where like manna from heaven around 2am!! 

If you really have little experience at these type of events then just concentrating on finishing and enjoying the race.  I firmly believe I could go sub-30hrs but if I had tried this time it might have blown up in my face and I am certain I wouldn’t have had such a wonderfully enjoyable experience; I can save trying to ‘race’ it for next time (!).  Savour your first race, speak to other competitors, jog with those who are struggling and chat to them and encourage them – it can be a lonely place out there if you are having a down patch.  Always smile and thank the marshals and your support crew even if you feel rubbish – they do a wonderful job and taking time to appreciate them will distract you from your own issues.  However, do always TELL your support crew early if something is bothering you.  You won’t be thinking straight and will have ‘race-head’ on.  I didn’t want to stop so early in the cycle to see the physio but I am so grateful my Mum made me as it helped me no end and increased my enjoyment of the biking portion by 100%.  Whatever you do, formulate a plan to RUN/WALK the double marathon.  No-one can run 52miles after a 224 mile bike without seriously deteriorating and it really, really helps you to feel strong and be consistent throughout.  Once you have a plan, stick to it – start running again at the same points each lap so YOU are controlling the race and IT is not controlling you – that helps you to stay strong mentally.

Don’t be put off by the huge amounts of training everyone else appears to have been doing.  Do what ever training you can that stills allows you to fit it work, family and friends.  A year is a long time for both you and your family to be unhappy – find a balance that works for you.  So long as (and this is key) you race within your own capability according to the amount of training you have actually done you don’t need to do monster training sessions.  I would suggest not doing uber-long runs either unless you have an ultra-running background as the propensity for injury is just too great – substitute long cycles and hikes for the really long runs.  TAKE A REST DAY AS SOON AS YOU NEED IT!

SH:  Support crews.  Most newbies do not understand the importance of having the right people doing the right job.  What are you thoughts on this?

My Mum was an absolute angel and I couldn’t have done the race without her.  Doing the race without a support crew is possible but makes it so much harder and there is a greater likelihood of things going wrong as no-one is really monitoring you and as I mentioned previously you have ‘race-head’ on and may ignore the warning signs that your crew wouldn’t.  Even basic things such as, my Mum advised that sometimes because of queues for the kettle etc it could take 20-25mins to get hot food ready for me, do you really want to have to take the time out of racing to do that yourself? This year people’s crews ranged from friends and family members to coaches to previous Enduromen and women.  Your crew does not have to be experienced in the world of triathlon, they just have to care about your well being.  However, if your crew don’t know much about triathlon (or even if they do!) it is important to brief them well.  Label things for them so they know where they are and if they wouldn’t understand technical words such as ‘arm-warmers’ or ‘CO2 canister’ make sure to explain to them beforehand so they know what to get when you ask for it. Try and prepare a brief equipment and food schedule so they know when you might want certain items and can prepare it in advance.  However, be flexible – I wrote a list of things I might want to eat every hour on the bike but it soon went out the window as the race went on and Mum had to get creative!

Also talk to your crew about how you might feel mentally and how you like to be encouraged.  Some people need to be told they’re doing brilliantly and that their crew is so proud etc but for others that is too emotive and can interfere with their mental state.  They might prefer practical solutions or information such as timings or to spend that lap focusing on smooth pedal revolutions etc.  Know which you like and make sure you have someone with the right capability to offer that help.  Warn them you might get grumpy or weepy and how they should react to those scenarios.  Having a couple of people in your crew is better than one so responsibilities can be shared.

SH: You have recently entered the Enduroman Arch to Arc ('The big Daddy) on August 20th 2011.  Why?

RC: It’s funny because my Mum asked me to tell her why I wanted to do the Double Enduroman so that if it got tough she could remind me of why I was there and what I wanted to achieve, and I couldn’t tell her!  I’m not sure why I want to complete ultra-endurance races of the ilk of the Arch 2 Arc but I did know that if was going to go down that path I wanted to complete what I believe is the ultimate endurance challenge, the Arch 2 Arc.  My background is in swimming and I have wanted to swim the Channel since I was a little girl.  When I started contemplating the Ironman distance I looked around for what was out there on the ultra-triathlon scene and the Arch 2 Arc found its way into my consciousness and because it had the Channel swimming element it really appealed.  For a few years I couldn’t fathom that I would even be able to attempt a race of such magnitude but slowly but surely I grew in ultra experience and last year I finally believed I could maybe give it a shot.  The time had to be now as over the next few years I see myself getting married and starting a family so it was time to commit!!  I was extremely fortunate in that I managed to secure funding from my key sponsor Herbalife without which I wouldn’t have been able to meet the costs of the event, and suddenly I had no excuses left!

I’d love to be able to cite a driving reason for completing the A2A and I suppose the flippant answer is the well worn ‘because it’s there’. I would love to look at it more deeply with a psychologist because I am pretty sure that all athletes who enter events of this nature are proving something to someone but I’m not sure who at the moment!  I do also love the science behind it – I have a Masters in Sport and Exercise Science and seeing physiologically what can be achieved by someone with limited natural athletic ability certainly does prove interesting.  Honestly though, I think we all have a bit of a desire to ‘leave a legacy’ (even if it is only within a rather select community!) and to become the first woman to complete the Enduroman Arch 2 Arc would be wonderful and an absolute dream.  I’ve just got all my fingers and toes crossed that I’ve got it in me to do it!!


 

SH:  Enduroman Events have become the 'must do' races within the Ultra community.  What is about them that brings new athletes in, and more importantly, retains the old ones?

The camaraderie of the Enduroman events are second to none.  I’ve never seen a competitive arena where everyone is truly supportive of one another and full of encouragement for their so-called ‘rivals’.  Of course, you get the amazing athletes who are out there winning these events in incredible, awe-inspiring times but there really doesn’t seem to be room for anyone to think that they’re better than anyone else, most are truly humble about their achievements.  Whether you are first or last you are cheered home and welcomed into the Enduroman family just the same.  As I said above I’m pretty sure most people who do events of this kind are proving something to somebody but that’s usually a very internally driven factor.  As everyone is so focused on what they as individuals want to achieve they don’t seem to need to find that validation by ‘competing’ against others.  You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who answers the question as to why they’re there with the answer ‘to beat everyone else’. 

The Enduroman management team couldn’t be better.  They will go out of their way to support and encourage every single athlete and will go over and above their race director role to help out wherever they can.  You attend these events truly believing the management team care about every single athlete and want every single one to complete what they came to achieve.  The highs and lows are felt as acutely by the Enduroman team as by the athletes and the crews themselves.  Plus the Enduroman team never expect their athletes to attempt anything they themselves haven’t already been through – they know how important it is as a race director to have the credibility to ‘walk the walk’ and all events have been raced (usually as a solo attempt with minimal support) by one of the race directors.  This gives them massive personal insight into how the athletes may feel at any one time and means they can truly empathise with the athletes and, more importantly, suggest solutions when problems arise. Notably, the races are also great value!

SH:  Enduroman wish you then very best of luck for The Arch to Arc.  Every ultra distance triathlete has a strapline which motivates them.  What's yours?

I absolutely love these two quotes and I suppose they may sort of explain why I want to complete these events – I don’t want to be a ‘cold and timid soul’! 

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." (Mohammed Ali). 

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” (Theodore Roosevelt) 

However, the thing that most goes round and round in my head while I’m competing or during a tough training session is the Persian proverb, “This too, shall pass.”

SH  Here's your chance to tell everybody something that they didn't know about you?

RC: Did you have to end with such a toughie?  Thank goodness this isn’t a live interview – it’ll take me some time to think of something even vaguely interesting! Umm………..

Ok, this is probably not that interesting but for someone doing what I’m doing it’s a little ridiculous.  I have a totally illogical fear of the submerged side of inanimate objects.  For example, I can manage in a race when I have ‘race-head’ but in training it TOTALLY freaks me out to swim round a buoy – I don’t like the bit that is submerged under the water! I have really had to conquer that fear to learn to swim alongside a boat in the two Channel relays I have done. Not sure how I’ll be during feeding though when I have to get close to it!! Oh dear, what a ridiculous fear!