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IM France Race Reports
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great report Emmi!
I must have been in a bad way when you offered me those drugs - I didn't have any of my own, but I couldn't work out how I would get them from you so said no! doh!
good stuff though - well done on the report
oh - and on becoming an IM
PS - when you said you had a pink bike I didn't realise how pink until I saw it...............that is some minging colour
Nice report
Excellent novel there...!
Award for the longest race report goes to .........
................. even I had to go and have some tea before i couild get through the whole thing.
FB just HOW pink is it?
Well done to all the pirates. They're fantastic race reports and inspirational stories on this thread.
I then picked up plantar fasciitis about 3 weeks before Bala, which wasn't good and basically stopped my run training in its tracks.
Anyway, off to Nice. I had a real wibble in the sea on the Wednesday afternoon, there was quite a swell and I struggled to swim. Thursday morning I made myself get back in and swim out to the buoy, and it was much better.
Race day dawned, and even then I wasn't sure about it all. I'd said that if I failed in Nice then I would have to do Switzerland next year.... I guess I'd already made my mind up that I wasn't going to succeed!
Walking down to the sea shore was the best bit. I was suddenly excited, all those people clapping and cheering as the athletes made their way to the sea. I was grinning like an idiot. This is what I did it for! Mind you, it took me bliddy long enough to make my way to the pens, across those flippin pebbles. Oh well, good physio for my foot!
The gun went off, and in we went. I picked my way rather gingerly to the sea and went down into the water as soon as I could, just to get off that horrid pebble beach. Started swimming. So many people, such a bunfight! I hadn't had anything like this in Austria but I was loving it. I saw a jelly, he swam right underneath me and I stopped kicking in case he stung my foot, then a bit later another couple, looked like a mommy and a baby one, but quite a way below me. I wasn't stressed. Out of the swim and then back in again, I didn't look at my watch. I felt like I hadn't been swimming very long really, it seemed to be over fairly quickly. Out again, and I checked my watch which read 1:30 and either 16 or 18 seconds, I couldn't see properly. Wayhaaay, I'd had a good swim (for me any way!) I couldn't believe it. I'd taken 23 minutes off my swim last year.... oh, and I beat Bassy out of the water (he thinks I've forgotten about the tenner bet we had)
Into T1 and I'm sure I didn't faff that much, then onto the bike. I really wasn't looking forward to this. A nice flat bit to start before the climbing, then boy did it climb! It was baking hot, the hills were hard, thank God for the graffiti on the road which cheered me up - thanks pirate supporters! On and on, up the hills and I had to stop a couple of times to let my HR drop a bit and stretch my legs. My left foot was killing me for some reason (not the foot with the PF) and I took some nurofen. It was great to see the pirate supporters out on the course, it had been rather lonely. I couldn't eat any solids, I'd taken all my energy drink and had eaten a Cliff bar which had stuck in a lump somewhere in my chest and refused to move, which was making me feel very sick, so all I could take on was gels and lumps of banana.
Eventually back into Nice and I almost took 3 people out in 3 separate incidents on the zebra crossings. My language was rather choice!
Off the bike (thank feck for that) and into T2. Nobody around. A nice Irish lady wandered through the changing tent pushing a child in a pushchair. I was a bit puzzled as to where she'd come from and what she was doing. She stopped to talk to me, telling me I'd done really well and I'd got loads of time. I thanked her, but said I wasn't going to make it, I'd only got about 5 and a half hours to do the marathon, it would be pushing it a bit, it had taken me over 6 in Austria. I then asked if she could put some suncream on me, which she did.
Out of the tent and onto the run course. I couldn't run. This wasn't going well. I was absolutely trashed, my legs felt like nothing on earth. I'd been able to run straight off the bike in Austria. I felt like shit. At the aid station I took a gel, grabbed coke, water, crackers, bananas.... anything to get some food into me. I knew I hadn't eaten enough on the bike. On I stumbled, trying to cheer the pirates coming the other way. Keg Killer came past me and he said he didn't think he'd make the cutoff. I said I probably wouldn't either. Crashie and Bassy coming the other way, and I told Crashie that as long as they didn't pull me off the course I would finish, whatever the time.
More walking, and a bit of a chat with Cougie to the next aid station. I then saw KK on the floor sitting against a wall looking not so good. I stopped to see if he was okay. He wasn't. The people at the aid station weren't taking much notice of him. I got myself some coke and grabbed some more crackers then went back to see KK. He was now lying down and looking even worse. I sat beside him and he asked if he could have my sponge and I poured some water onto it and he sponged his head. I grabbed cups of water from off the table and sponged them over him. The people at the aid station asked if he could walk back, KK said no he couldn't. He couldn't even sit up! I asked if they could get help and give him a lift back. They all looked a bit blank, but eventually some medics arrived. I think they asked about 3 times if he could walk back. What part of 'no' did they not understand?
I then made my mind up that my race was over. I wasn't going to make the cut off anyway, and I was rather worried about KK, I've never seen anybody go such a funny colour. The medics couldn't speak very good English, so I decided there and then that I would go back in the ambulance with him.
It was quite exciting driving round the backstreets of Nice with sirens blaring, but not so good when they had to slam on the brakes! I don't expect KK remembers much about it.
I went back to the med tent a while later, but KK had gone. I guessed he must have made a recovery. It wasn't a pleasant sight in there. It made me wonder why we do this to ourselves. There were a lot of people in a very bad way.
I went to the end of the finishing funnel and watched some of the pirates coming in, Donald, Symes and others, then Bassy and I knew that Crashie was on his heels. Lots of tears and hugs, at least this time I'd been able to see him finish!
Well, that's about it really, there's not much more to say. Even though I DNF'd, I wouldn't have missed that bike course for the world! The hills were hard but the scenery was spectacular, and that downhill was the best in the world. It wasn't my day, I didn't do enough long bike rides in training, I didn't eat enough on the bike and I had absolutely nothing left for the run.
I can't retire on a DNF...... I'm signing up for Switzerland next year, and even now, over a year out, I'm already excited and I've already got a better frame of mind for this one.
I would just like to end by thanking all the fabulous pirate supporters, it would be much harder out there without you all. You really do make a huge difference, whether you were there in person or following on IM dead. Thank you to my mentor Debbo, hopefully she won't have to put up too much with my whining and fretting next year...(if she still agrees to be my mentor!) and finally thank you to my darling Crashie, of whom I am very proud. He has been very poorly, but still managed to finish an Ironman. I'm very proud of you.
I hope to see you all next year in Switzerland!
great report Squishy - plucks the old heart strings a bit - see you in Switzerland...........
And Emmi, just great. You had a tough time getting there and a tough time doing it. Bet you feeling pretty chuffed now though hey!
I haven't found Holly's report yet... so many great tales to read. Might go back to page 1 and start again.
lol FB....minging indeed!! Plum....seein is believing
Well done Squishy, glad you're coming to IMCH
Just spent ages glued to the computer reading the latest few reports...............................It makes amazing reading.....................So inspirational...................
One day i will join you and know that mix of emotion.............
I really enjoyed those last two reports, I don't want them to end. Being back in work yesterday was a drag.
Beautiful race reports. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to write them!
Emmi, was so heartened to read how you fitted in training round kids, jobs etc. As a single parent with 2 kids I feel quite daunted how I'll manage with work starting next week etc. But youngest starts school in Sept so I have a great deal of faith and determination this time!!!!
[pads in wiv li'l clipboard]
there's still quite a few missing, you know, and it's been a week now...
lovely honest report their squishy. i think it must be fairly common to find it tough to motivate yourself for a second IM particuarly when it's not something built up to over a number of years.
glad you'll be racing again - i'm sure you'll find renewed motivation this year.