1,5 km swim – 18’26 (1'14 par 100m), 3rd, 151 bpm average, 161 bpm max
2mn T1 – crapy, couldn’t get the wetsuit off
42km hilly bike – 1’25'30, passed many times (30.9km/h)!, 146 bpm average, 160 bpm max
1’25 T2 – better, put socks for once
8.5km hilly course, got passed more than I passed… 37'04 (13.8km/hr), 157 bpm average, 167 bpm max
Context
13 weeks to go to IM distance in Roth… But already 4 weeks with a painful knee (tendinitis): almost no bike since then. Needless to say that this is not appropriate training.
The goal was simply to go and have fun, checking if the knee would hold on after 10 day rest.
We arrived in the area Friday morning and I took the opportunity to swim in the sea (no knee strain). That work-out didn’t last too long! The water was SO cold that I had brain freeze when I put my head down, in the water.
Got a scuba diving hat (neoprene) right after!
And did a mini ride to test both the knee & the time trial bike… I was hesitating on the bile for this race. The knee was fine during the ride, but sore later in the day. And upon Sullivan’s advice, I selected the road bike: haven’t ridden enough on the TT to be comfortable.
The race.
Got the bib, hat, and stuff and off to T1 to prepare the gear. The speaker explains:
- wetsuit are NOT optional, but MANDATORY today: 15° Celsius. Yeap, that’s cold!
- Stairs! Right out of T2. To warm the legs up he said, funny guy, I tell you.
Air temperature is to raise from the current 10°C to about 20°C, with blue sky and little to no wind.
The swim is to start at one end, passes 2 buoys & ends at the other end of the port, to be in T1. I didn’t have time to check the details, and we couldn’t see the buoys’ location before hand (not visible from the startline).
After walking from T1 to the starting point, I get ready: I put for the first time a neoprene cap. It is meant for scuba diving so I “customized” it by cutting pieces off: don’t want to have brain freeze or to swim water polo for 1500m.
I get in, goof around to warm-up, the “helmet” is working, I can put my head in the water. And finaly get back to the start line, in the front. Some people aren’t coming back behind the rope… so the start isn’t coming. The referee is waving to move back, and the speaker starts the count down (people still not behind the line) – Three… Two… and here they go! No gun but a bunch of guys took off. I didn’t, now hoping that they’ll do their job: stop them. The kayak guy is doing it, almost hitting the guys to stop them! ; )
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| With the beard, and neopren hat going under the chin... Did you find Waldo yet? |
False start confirmed. We start boo-ing the “cheaters”. Just for fun.
It was a good thing there was a false start, I forgot to start the watch.
And here we go again. Squeeze everybody behind… squeeze, wait, squeeze,… I start the watch. Wait…BANG!
I jump in somebody’s feet, check on the right. All clear. But on the left, it’s a riot. And behind it’s a riot too. Every 2 strokes, someone touches my feet! And now it’s squeeze time, shoulder to shoulder as we move forward, and turn to the left. Never being in so much “hugs” at a start. Plus, some guys are hitting it off hard, so I turn into sprint mode: the kicking engine (the legs) in the back…
I move to the second place, after pushing whom ever I need to and try to relax (legs off). Boy, the pace is fast.
I’m not doing any navigation, but I’m breathing every 2 strokes, if not every stroke. Pace and the water temperature make me hyper-ventilate. Need to calm down. I force a few breath every 3. Better.
Where is that 1st buoy? We couldn’t see it from the start, hidden by the curvature of the shore. It seems awfully long. I’m not gonna be able to keep that pace that long: I’m pushing it, suffering a little and my mind is going to the wrong place!
Again, breath 3, calm down (better stroke) and stay in the feet.
The guy behind me seems “Genki”, touching me once in a while…
First turn, at last! I’m second, in a 3 man group. Next turn, and we’ll have the longest stretch, to the finish.
Again, I’m struggling to stay in touch. The pace is fast. I do look now the next buoy, impatient to be done with the swim. My abs are burning, and I can’t picture myself putting some legs on to prepare to T1: again, dark thoughts. Stay with me here, keep it together!
Turn again. Pace seems better now. All is fine. But I’m less attentive to the feet tracking and lose the guy a couple of time. I get back into it but it’s demanding. And as I suspected the #3 guy is feeling the moment, he charges to pass. Fine by me.
No swimming in the last 10 days doesn’t make me comfortable enough to fight it off. Plus I have a severe bike ride ahead of me. So I stay in the feet of the leader, not intending switch man.
He passes me and they swim side by side. But again I mess up the feet navigation, drifting away (side way) from the bubbles. I get back into it. And again… after a while I just get unhooked. I see now the finish chute: that’s fine. I let them go: better breathing, start some kicking. I’m cooked anyway.
At least the navigation to the exit is easy with the 2 guy a few meters away… I reach the ladder, boy it’s hard to extract yourself from the water.
My parents & kids are there cheering. My dad, a very sensitive man, “what’s up with that? I don’t recognize you there”… expecting me to exit in the lead…
The speaker announces that it was a sub 18mn (rats, I forgot the swim split on the watch): that makes me even more tired all of the sudden.
I’m struggling with the wetsuit as I run to the bike. Can’t open it, can’t pull it down (shoulders), right arm is stuck, left leg is stuck… Raaaah, at last! Glasses, helmet, food, tool, belt… Run, Forest, Run! I take the bike and off I go.
The bike is simple, up and down, left and right: ALL THE TIME (after checking on the map, it’s 42km, and no less than 1300m climb). But it’s gorgeous. But not a David type of ride. I chose the Cannondale: the road bike.
After 400m, we start the first climb. And people start ZOOMING by. I reach happily the top of the first one, expecting another big climb on the way to the U-turn, right at the Spanish border… Well, there are more than 1! I check the heart rate: over 150 bpm… Ouch! Need to manage the effort: I need to be able to come BACK to T2.
And now I realize that I didn’t ride enough recently: people also zoom by in the down hill. I’m glad Alain is not around. Man I suck in the turns!
But do note that we’re not suppose to cut the turns as the road is still open to traffic, both ways. If you’re caught cutting a turn, it’s a DQ. Well, I justify my poor skills the way I can.
So far so good. Back down to the next city, Banyuls, famous for its cooked wine, and up again! Zoom, zoom… Still. I talk to some of them, when they spend a little time to pass.
The sight is great! The sea, the hills, no wind, blue sky. Raah, I forgot to put sun screen!
There are Sunday cyclists as well. Alone or in groups. Pretty neat, they cheer up, we chat.
A referee is parked for now on the side of the road. “Where”s the beer?” I ask him. “If only!” he replies. That’s the spirit!
And now the turn-around point, well that’s what I thought. I thought the old customs office was in the next village, Cerbere: I could visualize it.
And up we go, this one wasn’t too steep, just long. Zoom-zoom again. But not as fast now. The road is crapy as we go into town. Braking, braking (thinking of Alain)… And then I remember, it’s not in town! The turn-around is WAY up, one more climb. Boy, do I want to turn around now! Because I figured that the slopes are steeper on the way back…
So off I go, one more long climb. But I keep a small bracket, spin the legs. All is fine. I’m actually quite pleased with myself. I feared to be stuck in the smallest gear, and being able to move it up. I’m spinning, I’m spinning… happily…
I see the end of it, especially since I start coming across the guys whom already made their U turn.
Here is, at last, the old customs office, where they use to check passports. I make the turn around right before it. Here you can get a water or sport drink bottle. Nan, I don’t need it. Still have water, and I’m halfway through my gel, taking some in the descents.
Back to Cerbere, I try to push it more in the down hill - lots of spinning & more aggressive turns (from Grand-Pa’s turn to Daddy’s turn… nothing outrageous). Passing is now seldom, and slow for the most part. But now we have some wind facing us.
After Cerbere, the hill is steep at first, and then mild but long. And look what’s happening: I’m catching up some of the wacky bikers. Sissy guys!
And back down. Stuck behind a car… Some riders pass in spite of the incoming cars: that’s wacky! I pass it finaly in the descent towards Banyuls. The guy in front of me almost hit a pedestrian… And into the last climb. I’m feeling great. The knee? I’m not even thinking about it. Spinning, spinning… Feeling the wind, still.
It’s a 3 stage climb: steep, (small down hill) mild, steep. I now ride “with” a couple of guys: they pass me on flats & down hills. I catch them up on the up hill.
There is the young big-gear Cedric, and the old skinny Alain from Agen. I take a lot of pleasure passing them on the last steep ascent (boy it’s a steep one). I try not to work / power it too much. Just stick to the spinning plan. I still gotta deliver on the run. Paul said to cut it in thirds (med, fast, all out, or something like that). And I felt descent recently on the runs…
Down to T2, yeah! Big gear, yeah. Alain still manages to pass me, not yeah! But that’s ok, Alain is cool, not Cedric! ; )
Couple of turns in town and we’re there. Open the shoes, take ‘em off. Spinning, here we are. Off the bike. Family cheering: stick your tongue out! Yeap, it was tough.
Empty the pockets (didn’t eat anything solid, only a gel + water). Take the helmet off. No hat (don’t know what happened to it). Socks (yes, becoming precious) & shoes: I’m good to go. Out of T2.
They had mentioned stairs right out of T2, and I was ready to head to the ones just across from the bike park, gnarly ones. But no, volunteers point to run the other way. Cool.
Well, 100m later, sharp turn to a uneven flight of stairs… Short, long, but at least not too high. Baby step mode! Passed a guy (he he he).
Reached a gravel road (that’s why we had to use the stairs: constructions). A couple guys flew by. Hmmm, not yet…
The “plan” was to run easy to the bottom of the climb, then hit it (mild +) for the climb (climb w/a trick: you see the end of it, and once you get there, there is MORE: we drove it a couple days ago). Then down hill to the light house for the U turn, push it hard, down the hill medium, and HARD finish on the flat… That’s the plan.
Tempo is fine as I reach the water table at the bottom of the hill. Sunny, no wind, it’s good.
Up the hill, a guy passes. Alright, let’s do it. In his steps. Up, it’s fine. Getting steeper. He slows down, come on! I passed him, and his long white socks… Feeling good, not too hard, it’s moving along good.
Catching thump run guy: flop at each step, man, he’s loud! Not as steep now but I can’t gear up, kinda stuck in the climbing gear. Staying with thump-thump and white socks is coming back. Actually passing us. Hmm (2).
Need to move. I go with him. Into the red zone.
Note for the reader: there was no real change of pace, more a feel: I was pretty much cooked, stucked in gear 1…
Thump-thump drifts back (can’t hear him), but half way up I have to admit that I have to let white socks go. He’s too much for me, today.
I reach and pass Alain (rider). He’s enjoying the day too.
I reach the peak, starting gently down, before whining down the steep road. I start moving better now, dropping people around.
In the steep area however I don’t feel so comfortable: I can’t let it loose and roll down as I could.
Reaching the turn around, yeah! Need to go the light house, NOOOOO!
There is 50m, only, but it must be 15% up. No big deal, I’m feeling good, I gear down (small steps) and up I go.
25m, fine.
30m, oh oh…
35m, massive tightness behind the legs, Argh… keep moving, keep moving
40m, very tight, please don’t cramp (don’t want to walk ALL the way back)
45m, it’s passing
50m, heart is fine but, boy, I have a grapefruit behind each leg now.
Around the light house, water (took a ½ gel in the down hill) – water is good!
And back I go. Under 20mn run so far. Good, I can do a sub 40mn (not 10km, remember, don’t go crazy).
Gently down the steep 50m to avoid cramping. It’s fine.
But now, I’m suppose to let it go in this steep portion, before the long down hill. But there is nothing here… Empty tank. 1st gear again.
It’s tough but 3 positive notes:
- no one passes me
- no bad thoughts (cf. swimming portion)
- came across the first girl, she’s about 3 or 4mn back: I think I’m safe from being “chicked” today.
Reach the “summit” and it’s all down hill from here. I need to save some for the flat, want to nail it there.
So I open up the gear, let it roll better. Meanwhile I hear a pack of horses or something catching up with me. Olivier runs by me, and I recognize the familiar thump-thump: HE’s back! 3 or 4 guys, I don’t know. We’re rolling down pretty good and I’m in the front of the pack. I don’t like that at all. I don’t like setting the pace. Olivier does it sometimes (many people – other athletes – still going up) cheer him up. Yeah, yeah, it’s Olivier alright…
Should I drift back into the pack and let them burn themselves? Still in the group lead… Thinking, thinking.
We are 2/3rd down the hill, I’m preparing to hurt on the flat: it’s gonna be the house of pain. But a wacky Spaniard flies by. I jump in his steps. The hell with the plan!
I surge & follow him a little. He’s WAY too fast. But it did the trick, Olivier & thump-thump are off the hook.
I don’t look back, keeping pressure to move it.
Onto the flat portion, about 6 mn to go (I looked how long it too me to get there from T2). Piece of cake! Yeah, right…
Man, flat hurts, too! Especially, when it’s slightly up hill. Good form, I must keep. Tempo I must increase.
Can’t tell where it hurts, it just does!
Then it’s up-hil to the gravel road and back to the stairs. So I stick to what’s left of the plan, give it all in that final up-hill. And I hear from people cheering that someone is not far behind. Need to drop him!
Up I go, nothing in the tank, good form, relaxed shoulders, pushing hard, … I reach the top, dead. And he’s still right behind me.
It’s a long straight line to the gravel road, that’s when Olivier makes his move. I’m done. He puts 20m on me, rhhhh. And now, 2nd wind, I start moving, closing slightly the gap. But the legs aren’t really there. Can I pass him in the stairs (dangerous)?
People are going up (starting their run), we’re flying down. The center rail blocks us, to the left, to the right, I don’t know where I should go. Down, Olivier is too far now.
To the road, at last, to the finish, take the glasses off for the picture.
2’23'52. Family right after the finish.
Congratulations to Olivier, thump-thump, a little back, and Alain, further down.
Covered with salt (sea & sweat), we enjoy the drink & food. Olivier is preparing Nice IM.
Boy, it’s hard when you’re not training at full speed. Need to fix that knee quick to resume training, especially bike training. The run wasn’t great but I’m not far off whereas the swimming, well, I just have to get my sorry bottom in the pool more often.
David, happy triathlete
