Finally
It was a long stretch and not a very easy one. After coming
back from my long lasting injury I was really working hard and hoping for a
good season in 2013. Not many things came together on my race days and I was
starting to doubt myself. Doubting if it all makes sense and also if what I am
doing in my training is right. I am working as a coach for almost 10 years and
I helped many, many people on their way to their personal goals. Should I be
not able to help myself!?
Everything was different this time. The weather in Calgary
was cold the last 4-5 weeks leading up to the race and I decided to train 100%
of my training inside and not to risk to get a cold or a stupid crash on the
snow/ice. Everybody who knows me a bit knows that I am not necessarily a fan of
indoor training, but the job needed to be done. I switched a few things around
in my training, did less long training sessions but most of them with a fairly
high intensity. All felt good, till I did one track session and had massive
knee problems afterwards. From there on it was a fine balance of listing to the
body and not pushing too hard, but still put some solid training in. A hard
session was usually followed by a rest day for the knee. Somehow it all worked
out and I made it to the start-line of the HITS Palms Springs. I didn’t really
know what to expect. The training felt completely different than the outdoor
training, but I was confident enough, that I did a good job during the last
weeks.
Jenn and I flew the Wednesday before the race to Palm
Springs and enjoyed the warmer weather and used the time to check the courses.
Race morning: It was cold, not just for Southern California.
We had about 7 degrees Celsius at 7am and a water temperature of 15 degrees.
The ironman distance race and the half were started together. We had to swim 4
laps with a short run on the beach after each lap, the half distance athletes had
to do 2 laps, which makes sense when we do the quick math!
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| Dave is NOT mad at me, he just wants to motivate me! |
For the first lap I stayed in the front pack, was 2nd overall after the first lap and continued with my pace while the half distance athletes started to pick up the pace. One other guy, who was doing the full distance, followed them. I could see in the water that he was a bigger guy and I figured that he must be a former swimmer, who will probably not ride or run as fast as I will. I swam zick-zack for most of the other 3 laps, being busy of finding my way thru the slower swimmers who I lapped.
I was 2nd out of the water of all the full
distance athletes and bit over 1 minute behind the current leader. He was still
in T1 when I arrived there and I left T1 before him.
I started fairly hard on the bike. The course was 3 laps
30km out and back. Like this I could see every 30km where my followers are.
After 10-15km my front wheel made a wired noise and I noticed that the break
pad was rubbing on the rim. I didn’t know what exactly happened but I knew that
I should open my break as much as possible. It was better afterwards, but the
rim still touched the break pad at one point. I figured that I will have to
ride with a little bit more resistance today as I wanted to- after the race I
found out that my front break was broken.
After the first turnaround I was a little confused when I
figured that I had already a 10min lead. I continued to push and did my best to
let the lead grow. It was the first time that I was leading a long-distance
triathlon and I had the feeling I had everything under control , but I also
knew how fast things can change during such a long day, so I wanted to stay
focused and get as much of a lead as possible off the bike. The wind picked up, as the forecast said, and
we had some sections with great tailwind but unfortunately also with strong
side wind or straight from the front. Especially the last 12 miles were tough.
First we had a really strong side wind (I was told that it was up to 50mph at
some points) and the last 3-4 miles we had a solid head wind. I rode fairly
hard but couldn’t bring my speed sensor over 20km/h.
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| Head-wind is never nice! |
In T2 I had a lead of about 45-47 minutes.
That was a solid lead but I had too many bad marathon
experiences in the past to think that this race is over and I have my first long-distance
victory. Usually when I start my marathon I don’t feel great for the first
30min, before I find my rhythm and pace. But this time everything was
different. I started and was shocked how fresh my legs felt and I remember how
I was thinking “if that’s the bad feeling, I am excited to feel how it feels in
about 20minutes”.
I didn’t want to risk anything. I had a solid lead and as
long as there was nobody in the top 5 who can run a sub 3hrs marathon I should
have podium finish safe. It was a 2lap 10,5km out and back course and beside
one 2km climb towards the half-marathon mark and the finish was it totally
flat. I took enough nutrition at each aid station and slowed down a lot to make
sure that I actually got everything into my body and not just chucked the water
in my face and not really much into my mouth. I ran an ok pace, but was scared
to go harder. I knew I could go harder, my legs felt good, but I didn’t want to
risk too much and pay for it at the end. At the half-marathon mark my lead to
the second was almost the same and I thought I could maybe go a little bit
harder and see how my body feels. At the last turnaround at about 30km Jenn and
my friend Dave were waiting for me. They said that I still have over 40min to
the second guy. I stopped, gave Jenn a kiss and started the math. If I would
walk he would catch me, but as long as I run I should be good- and my legs felt
strong.
I ran, but I stopped at each aid-station and beside the normal
nutrition I had enough time to talk the great volunteers and to say thank you
for being out there for us all day. I knew that would cost me a few minutes in
total, but I think it was the right thing to do. How often do you get the
chance to do that, when you are going to win a race and I don’t know how many volunteers
I passed in my life during the 21 years of racing, without saying anything to them?!
THANK YOU to everybody who ever gave me water, coke, gel, bar or whatever I
needed, without you all the races in the world wouldn’t happen!
I enjoyed the last 10km a lot, for sure the best 10km I ever
had in a long-distance triathlon and for sure the most emotional 10km I ever
had in a race. During this 10km I thought a lot about the last 2-2,5years and
how much I wanted a good race. I had really a lot of moments where I was very
close to give up and stop racing in the last years. I came stronger out of these
two years than I was ever before and I will continue my way and continue to
work hard for a great 2014! It only just begun!
Ah yes, important side note: I WON!
I can’t thank enough the people who believed in me during
the last years!
First of all Jenn and
my family but also my sponsors! Ingolf and Peter from SPOCE. You guys supported
me from the very beginning and you had to be very, very patient with me. Robyn
from Taya chain was also on board from the very beginning. Deano and Deb&
Drew from Huub. Deano, you just know what to
do with black rubber! Deb& Drew, you helped me a lot when I first came to
Canada and I appreciate that a lot! Last but not least, Kelly from EnergyLab.
You helped me in the 2013 with the fastest wheels I have ever ridden and I am
looking forward to start into 2014 with you! Thank you!
I will be back soon!
