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IM France Race Reports
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Pebble,
Not sure this helps but on one of climbs I was riding with Crashie and I was worried that my heart rate was getting too high at 155 bpm, Crashie said he was going along at around 165 bpm, so I stopped worrying.
His marathon was far better than yours or mine, so I guess he can run and we cant!!
It was the Crashie/Bassy Express wot done it for me, guv'nor
I hit 183 Up the Col de Fuckinsteep and averaged 170 for that 13 mile climb coz I'm a rubbish cyclist, but I've spent 2 years running at 140, so don't have much trouble run/walking at that pace...if someone would just remind my guts that it's supposed to be comfortable, I'd be grateful.
I'm not sure if that helps, but maybe 'sign up for IMCH, you know you want to!' does...
165 ish on the first short and sharp one and about 154 on the others .... for those that want to know!
oh and a marathon pb of 5.35
Well here it is the full story
Where do I start....?
This time I had organised my mother, sister, friends, and other family members to come and spectate. While it was great having them there, I was also conscious that there was a certain expectation. I had finished my last 2 Ironmen, and so I should finish IM-FR.
My training could never have been considered as ideal, total of 4 bike rides for training a few runs here and there, and even an Olympic distance tri 2 weeks ago.
So it was off to Nice to join the other shipmates on our next adventure....
The build up here in Nice was the normal round of getting bikes together and off to have a little dip in the water, lots of chatting and nerves. I was feeling very vulnerable as I know how little depth I had to my training.
Sunday arrived and it was going to be hot - even at 5:00 am walking to transition to phaff once more with the bikes it was more than just warm. 6:00 am rolled around and down on to the pebbly beach that so many pay a fortune to visit in July and August. A quick dip in the water to check the goggles were not leaking and to get the wetsuit full or water, then lots of nervous chatter with other fools.
The gun went off and I was quickly into the water and soon into a good rhythm. I was also becoming aware that I was the only person who had remember the course and work out which buoy was which. All the competitors was swimming at a very funny angle to me, and were definitely not swimming at the buoy I had identified as the first mark of the course.... (I was later proved right - as they corrected the other swimmer, but this was not till there had been quite a few incidents)
The first lap was going well and I was please with how I felt as I approached land. A very quick out the water and back in lead to a shorter second lap. By this point I was starting to feel thirsty and felt as if the water was being drawn out of my body by the salt in the sea. With 625 m to go I was aware of a lot of powered safety craft and the smell of 2 stroke fumes and fuel was making me feel very sick.
So with my head down I set about getting to shore and 1:24:56 I was out of the water feeling very relaxed and not too tired. Quickly removing my wetsuit and showering I headed to the transition where I will pick up the story tomorrow
Transition was a zoo, there was no way into the changing tent even if you had to get there so I started to get it all wrong.. and nearly ended up in the same state as Crashie at Klaggers covers in sun cream… I now understand how unsilly that photo really is!!!
Helmet on, glasses on, gloves on then the whole lot off again to slap the sun block on then start again. Socks and shoes on, some helpful little elf was next to me picking up my discarded bits as and stuffing them in my bag as I confirmed that I had finised with what ever it was. So ready to go and all the cream rubbed into the obvious bits I headed off to find my bike. I has spotted that there was a convenient sign marking where my bike was when I had racked, so it was not too difficult to find. I picked it up and walked brisky 10 rows then re racked it so I could go and have a pee. Then picked it up again and headed off out to start the bike. The first bit of the bike course was great I was quickly into my rhythm and was cruising nicely. I was still very worried about the hills though as I new my training was very light this year, and I find hills very very difficult. I seem to stop on them and just have no power even in the granny gear. The big hills I knew would slow me down and I would just have to sit there and grind in whatever rhythm I could get into but the little bumps worried me more as they are the sort of places I knew I would lose time and they could not really be estimated.
I got to the first aid station and managed to get a gel, only to have it slip out my fingers, oh well I will get one at the next station I thought. And so the first hill came up 500m at 12% I got into the low gear well before it and was in a large crowd going up it. It was great reading the names of all the pirates really gave me a big lift. About half was up there was a lot of shouting to my right as someone had found it too hard and stopped to walk up the hill causing lots of people behind to swerve, unclip and stop, I was glad I had missed the chaos – but only just. Popping out the top I was pleased to what my speedo showing my speed increasing as the hill continued, ok less steeply, but still climbing. I was starting to feel confident, this was not going to be too bad, there were only 3 main climbs left. I was now fixing my thoughts on getting to the bottom of the Col d'Ecre as fast as possible. The encouragement was great and people of the villages kept on cheering. The next aid station I knew I needed a gel for the climb, and they had run out. That really pissed my off! It was unforgivable. I also knew my support crew were waiting at Pré du Lac, just where the 20 km climb started to get serious with a very shap right hand turn. I had said between 2 – 3 hours to there and most likey 2 ½ I was very happy when spot on 2 hours I was at the Pont de Loup. The descent for Tourettes had been great very very fast. I was very please I had driven the course and knew what was coming next.
So 2 ¼ hours on the bike and I passed sister, mother and Cedric all cheering madly and noted that they had managed to aquire a pirate flag from somewhere. So now it was time to sit up and find a rhythm and just keep going 10 km to the village of Gourdon and about 17 to the top of the col, this was now serious climbing I knew it would take me just over the hour to the top from here and it was a case of keeping in the zone.
The climb up to the aid station was steep but I new I had nearly got he worst of the hill over, I was even impressed with the french motorists who gave us all room and were patient behind up when they could not see round bends.. They clearly understood what was going on and the importance of the day to us. So Gourdon aid station was reached and I started to look for a gel, and managed to get the last one… I suspect it was recycled from the road but that did not matter to me as I had it now, and I was not going to drop it. The last push to the summit consisted of some long sweeping switchbacks climbing not not steeply. The summit was always in site once we had left Gourdon and I had the summit fixed in my sights. The signs counted us down to the top, and we were soon over the timing mat and over the col. What a feeling I had done. What I perceived as my biggest challenge of the race was in the bag and I was well within time. 3:30 mins it had taken me to do 70km. I had been told previously that the first 1/3 of the bike course will take about ½ your time, as I set of over the plateau de cassoul I was gaining in confidence. The next downhill was a pleasure and then the next climb I new was over rated, it was nothing more than a little bump. And soom I was at the half way mark of the course.
The long run down to Greolières allowed me time to get my head sorted out for the next major climb, the Cotes de St Pons. A 5 km climb that I felt should have been simple but when it kicked in I was finding it a lot harder than I thought I should have been. I was by now starting to feel my lack of training. And really could do no more than hang in on this nasty little climb. The next section was and out and back along the road to the Col de Vence, and I knew somewhere along this stretch there would be pirate support. I was by this point having some pain in my right foot and so just before the turn arround I stop to take the shoe off and massage my foot. As I did so concerned pirates came running up to see what was wrong. They were relieved it was nothing more serious… and soon I was on my way again. The climb through Coursegoules was short and soon passed and then the technical downhill section started. There were some very nasty bends and I was not very confident on them – note for next year get out and practice going downhill as well as up!!!
By now I was aware that Ironman is actually a blood sport as I saw buses full of people being carted how and bikes in various states of disrepair, and even worse ambulances stopped at various corners and people being pulled back onto the road. So the last little climb as 2 km and I thought it would never end I could not wait to get onto the last downhill section. When at last it did arrive it was all I had expected it to be lots of sweepeing corners and going like a bat out of hell, and it was all I dreamed it would be. My legs were very tired but it was exhilerating. There was the small matter of the last 20km which were flat into the finish… The last stretch along the promenade des anglais was in my sights and I just had do keep going. It was nearly over, just 42km to run/walk/shuffle or crawl.
It was great to be back to Nice and as I took my feet out my shoes and prepared for T2 I was aware how hot it was on the front, and that I was not longer sweating.
Cedric was just where I needed to see him as I came off the bike at the dismount line and I walk gingerly into T2. He tried to lift my spirits, with me in a very grumpy mood as I tried to hold my body together. In the tent I had time to change my shoes my head gear, take off my gloves and get some nice sole to rub more sun cream into my unreachable bits. A cup of water and off it trotted out onto the marthon course. 42.195 km to go 4 laps of the Promenade des Anglais.
As I came past the finish area on the first out run to the airport I saw the whole of my support club, all 7 of them. Cheering me on, but I was feeling so dreaful I was not sure I was going to make it. The first thing to do was to get some salt in my body. I had been taking salt tablets on the bike. But now I was needing TUC biscuits. Also coke and bananas were all high on my shopping list by this point as well as 3 sponges, to keep me cool. I had picked a strategy that I knew worked and was happy to keep at. Run 5 min walk 1 min. the idea was good but I am sure about the efficiency of my excusion of it. I found that I also walked at every aid station too. I was starting feel a little more human when I reached the 3rd station but when I saw how far it was from there to the turn I round I was downhearted again. My stommach started to play up again I was aware how illusive the toilets seemed to be.
The run back to the finish the first lap and I spotted the portoloos on the prom and mad a beeline for one, which was not in too bad a stated…
Continuing and I was starting to suffer again… I was feeling like giving up, but with 7 people having specially come to see me complete this race, I thought I was letting them down as well as myself in just throwing in the towel. If I passed out and was stretchered off the course that was one thing but to just stop was not on. The end of the first lap was great I collected my "chouchou" and off I went again. The next lap brought up the half distance. Great nearly there. That 3rd lap all I could think of was collecting the last armband that would allow me to go to the finish line. At the end of the 2nd Lap there was a slight mix up and the armband elves wanted to give me two in one go… it was tempting but I was not goint the cheat myself. During the 3rd lap a family of cyclist could not accept that the cycleway was shut and was for runners only and set of weaving through the bodies heading back into town… It was the only bit of "bad public" I witnessed all day. The drivers on the roads had all be courteous to us as well as all the people roller blading and walking on the prom.
As I started the last lap I told my familly that I would be finishing in about 90mins. Wow my last lap… I was able to take some energy gels again and started to pick up speed I got to the turn arround at the airport in about 40 mins Oh my God I will be early… I was feeling tired and so I walked a bit chatting to other pirates and anyone else who would chat.
The finish chute was finally there and I had crossed it. Wow it was amazing... I had actually done it on not a lot of training...
See you all in Zurich
Good effort Bobby, the run wasn't half a killer so well stuck out.
I think thats the first report mentions thelast 20K of the bike.
Big Respect ISB. Trust Mum and Sis are keeping well.
organising this lot must have been some form of cross training............the heat on the run in bala got to me so i can't imaginse how everyone did the one in Nice
Congratulation all
Good report Bobby , see you for the next round of looney capers !
IBS - how the fck you can even contemplate toeing the line after that 'much' training is beyond my comprehension. Respect is due. How about less excellent and much appreciated hotel booking and more training next year ;o)
As you were.
CRAB
I did to a bit of spinning through the winter, but that was about it... 2 months off with back problems and ear infections etc