France was my first ironman and so i've got quite a bit to say so apologies for the length of this!
Background - I just wanted to fill people in on my build up to this race because I always had a bit of doubt in my mind about race day and I want to motivate those people thinking of doing any sort of triathlon or ironman to just give it a go. Sunday was my first ever triathlon race. Ever. Until October 2009 i had only ever ran 2 half marathons,i hadn't swam since i first learnt as a child and hadn't used a bike other than a mountain bike to commute occasionally. I trained by myself (no club,coach) following the 36 week plan and using the TI DVD to improve my swim technique. I dont want to big up my first ironman but rather just encourage those thinking about doing one to chase the dream and do one. With that done, on to the race....
We arrived in France on the Wednesday before and got settled, very hot, not too windy, a lot of compression socks, shaved legs, expensive bikes and some very athletic looking competitors.
SWIM - Up at 4am, usual breakfast, bit of motivational music and some time spent picturing the day ahead, was well nourished and hydrated from the past few days. Pump tyres up, stretch off and queue for portaloos until transition area closes at 6am, then make my way down to the beach start. At this point most people are already lined up so i wait at the back of the 1hr22+ swim area to get ready for a steady swim of about 90minutes without too much contact until the gun goes. 6.30am gun goes off and into the water and start moving up the field. The swim is densely packed right the way round and have to fight to move up and around every buoy. Back on to the beach after the 2.4km lap in 48:17 and start the second lap, just as busy as the first lap and finish in 27:50 for the 1.4km. Total swim time; 1:16:07, 21st in AG, 1244 OA.
T1 - bit dizzy out of the swim, have a powerbar bar and some water, suncream on and off to get the bike, exit the bike park in 8:35.
BIKE: Quite simply the most amazing 112miles i have ever ridden, incredibly scenery, beautiful villages, brilliant support at several points and very helpful volunteers at the aid stations. Set out after the swim at about 17mph, hamstrings are a bit twitchy and its a long hilly ride ahead. The first 12miles are relatively flat with bit of a tailwind, get down on the bars and take it nice and gently, overtaken by a lot of tri/TT bikes and HED/Zipp wheels. Then hit a 500m 10% hill, manage to overtake a few riders and notice some more walking up. The next section is marked as flat but has a definite incline on it of 1-2%, got my bike legs now and feeling charged so start to move up a few places. Hit a fast and straight downhill and again overtaken by the riders i just overtook. After this hit the monstrous 20km climb to Col de l'Ecre, not too steep but incredibly long, climb nearly 1000m over this section. I ride a Gianty Defy 3 which has 3 cogs up front, had a lot of gears to play with and steadily overtake a lot of bikes on this section (i tried to ride as many hills in training as possible as i knew the ride in France was hilly, it came through at this point). Very short flat section at the top before quite a long downhill, pretty straight so overtaken a lot here. After this hit the second major climb of 10km, feels a lot shorter than the last and get up fairly quickly and after this the last 30-40miles are all downhill back to Nice until you hit the 5mile flat before the run. The downhill was quite tight at points for long sections and i think having the Defy really helped, again managed to overtake a lot of the better, stiffer bike on the tight steep turns but lost places on the straights. The bike was incredibly beautiful and the second half of the course is incredibly fast, I think riding slightly harder on the first half really paid off as you can sit back and enjoy the downhill past halfway. Looking at my training before the race with hilly rides (80miles with 1500m climbing) i would average around 14-15mph so i aimed for a 7-8hr bike. Anyway on race day i finished in 6:19:33, still 21st in AG and 1256th OA and was absolutely stoked, never thought i would finish that fast and still not sure how.
T2 - bit quicker, suncream and run shoes, out in 5:23.
RUN - This consists of 4 out and back laps of the beach front which is curved so you can always see where you are aiming for (which made it psychology quite hard). I started by only stopping to walk the aid stations, drink the flat coke, bit of water and move on. At about mile 4 i stopped to walk, i was hurting and it was incredibly hot, i gave myself 2 minutes and thought if i didnt start running again i never would so got back to it and only stopped at the aid stations for water and coke. I was coming in at about 1 hour for each 10k lap. My girlfriend was as the loop point near the start so i made the effort to smile and wave everytime i went past her (think it helped us both!). Continued the run and walk the aid station strategy and started overtaking people steadily from the 2nd lap. When i hit the final lap, here i realised i could potentially go sub 12 and got very excited and ran through all the aid stations, just grabbing water to cool me off as i went. I came through the finish line with a 4:14:37 run and absolutely over the moon (i would later be very annoyed, i was overtaken literally metres from the finishline and it completely ruined my finishers photo, the guy blocks me from the cameraman, I was pretty angry at this as it made no difference where he came but my girlfriend told me people had done it to each other all day - must be a European thing maybe??). Overall time 12:04:15, 15th in AG and 964th OA.
After the race: Got changed and showered, enjoyed a McDonalds and cheered the last finishers in, watched the fireworks and went to bed. Not too sore the day after, had an easy day on the beach dipping in and out of the sea and pretty loose today - i'm amazed at how comfortable i feel all things considered. Sunday was the most incredible and enjoyable day of my life and I've never felt the as elated as when i hit that finishing stretch, I never really felt down/too tired/ in pain and can't wait to find my next race, i really feel like this is the beginning of a long and enjoyable race career. Whilst this is definitely jumping the gun and getting a bit ahead of myself I have one more year left in the 18-24 AG and 3rd place was only 70 minutes in front of me on race day (1st place was about 90mins ahead). I've only had 8 months in the sport and been self coached/trained, and I really feel that a whole 12 months with some club/coached work could really put me up there in contention if i've manged this already in a short period by myself.
Anyway, thank you for reading this far and I'm very sorry for the length, the next one will definitely be shorter! Finally, to anyone thinking of doing an IM go for it, you won't regret it and anyone thinking of doing IM France do it, it's an incredible race.
Thanks trifuelers.
JLEX
c'est formidable!
[i]c'est formidable![/i]
Oh, Well done! Sounds like a
Oh, Well done! Sounds like a fun event! ( I like hills)
Awesome JLEX! Thanks for
Awesome JLEX! Thanks for the inspiration. Your report definititely makes me look forward to race day. Good luck getting faster and shooting for the podium in the next few years.
Jesus H JLEX , you must have
Jesus H JLEX , you must have run past me a few times, I posted pics on my FB
I am hoping to do this race in 2012 trying to build up slowly, but to be honest , I am terrified, you did a really good time for a first one, and really good time anyway. It was 28C on the sea front...........in the shade.... not a cloud in sight.... The swim was awesome to see there was 2500 competitors........
Well done, you have just put the willies up me and inspired me again.
You came all the way from
You came all the way from wherever you're from (USA I suppose) to go eat at MacDonald?! Ahahah Nice race, but lame restaurant choice =D
Felicitations!
Holy Heck JLEX I missed it,
Holy Heck JLEX I missed it, you did a MCDOH on the Cote D'Azur, even the 3 steak houses you passed to get it would have been better ............ when you come back, I will fix that for you....... wow.....I am stunned.
I'm getting bashed for my
I'm getting bashed for my post race McDonalds! In my defence it was right by the finish and we had eaten out quite a few times before the race (for Warrior - we enjoyed the food at Maori restaurant), Nice was a very expensive place to eat and drink out - i'm in my last year of a 6 year degree in the UK and can't afford a steak after my IM! Plus those salty chips were just too good after such a hot day...
Next time I will take you to
Next time I will take you to a Corsican Resto, where you can get figatelle, sausicon, steak, cheese, chips, beer wine, and everything else the body would need after an effort like that. :-)
Congratulations JLEX! You
Congratulations JLEX! You are an Ironman! And a pretty damn fast one at that.
The best thing about that
The best thing about that race is you can smell macdonalds on the turn of everylap, i done a 11hours 44 minutes, wont go to the effort of a race report cos your report sums it all up amazing race :)
Well done JLEX first
Well done JLEX first triathlon and an Iron Man, I wished that I had started at your age, you can only get faster and I am sure that if you stick with it you could do very well. Good luck. My first Iron Man is still two years away.
Well done JLEX first
Well done JLEX first triathlon and an Iron Man, I wished that I had started at your age, you can only get faster and I am sure that if you stick with it you could do very well. Good luck. My first Iron Man is still two years away.
12hr IM on your first tri
12hr IM on your first tri ever...that's quality stuff!
good job on your training!! and your IM!
when my IM comes, I might do
when my IM comes, I might do this one just so warrior can take me out to eat
Dear friend
Dear friend !
Congratulations on a great race. I am planning to do IM France in 2011. Any hotel / apartment recommendations ?
Thanks in advance for your help
Gunter
www.triatlonca.org
@honguito - I rented an
@honguito - I rented an apartment five minute walk from the beach and about 15 minutes away from the expo. It was slightly cheaper than a hotel and meant I had somewhere to keep the bike secure, a kitchen to cook my meals from (eating out is very pricey) and a lounge to relax with some dvds before the race. I can't remember the specific website but there are quite a few places advertising online.
Feel free to send anymore questions my way.
JLEX
JLEX: thanks a million for
JLEX: thanks a million for your response. My problem is that I do not know in which sector of the city to look for an apartment / hotel. What's the district / neighborhood / zone called where I should look ?
Thanks
Gunter
www.triatlonca.org
honguito, If you get onto
honguito, If you get onto google maps, and look up the Promenade Des Anglais, Nice 06 France, you will see where the Iron Man starts, and the road where marathon is run. The only area in Nice to avoid is L' Arianne. I live in the extreme North of Nice and it's a 5 mins coast to the promenade.
The town is completely geared to tourism and accomodation. There are 1000s of holiday apartments, 100s of hotels, and loads of places to eat and drink.
You can find it all on the internet, but I can do you a favour if you like. If you want me to go check out a particular place, or run it by me, then send me the details... I will give you some feedback before you spend your money!
I stayed just off Boulevard
I stayed just off Boulevard Gambetta (can't quite remember where but that area is pretty central for all things race related), anywhere by there is perfect for swimming/eating/sightseeing/race day so that would be my suggestion but I think Warrior is going to be your expert here.
JLEX
Warrior: Dia duit - conas
Warrior: Dia duit - conas ata tu ?
Could you send me your eMail address, please, mine is triatlonca@gmail.com
Thanks
Gunter
www.triatlonca.org
Honguito Gunter a cairde,
Honguito
Gunter a cairde, Taím go maith ar fad, go raibh mile maith agat. Is féidir leat teagmháil a dhéanamh liom ar colliewarrior AT gmail.com
I love that so few people have a clue what we are talking about.
G'day Warrior, might also
G'day Warrior, might also take u up on offer to check our accom with u prior to booking. Will prob be another month to decide and settle everything but would be great if our final decision gets the thumbs up from u before we book.
Is it an issue to hire a car in Nice but drop off at an airport in Tuscany a week later as that is what we r planning.
Any area of Tuscany we should focus on for basing ourselves with the Florence, Pisa trips on the agenda??
Cheers mate, u have been very helpful.
oh p.s. strewth Wazza, the sheilas r running wild but she'll be rite mate. No worries. Stone the crows but Nice looks the bees knees. ( my attempt at bilingual Aussie for ya mate)
You Dag! hahahahaha...
You Dag! hahahahaha... listen mate, not too sure about the cars, you would have to check it out with the company, try Hertz though, they are usually good. I can't really fill you in more on Tuscany than I did already, my guess is pick one and go from there, but if you are not booked up when you get here, I will check it out with the missus she might have a recommendation.
scoop1962: don't wait too
scoop1962: don't wait too long with your reservation in nice, i found many of the apartments already booked out for june. i can recommend http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk
regards
gunter
Cheers Gunter, will get onto
Cheers Gunter, will get onto it ASAP.
Did you use a TT bike or road bike with bolt on aeros. I am leaning towards the latter in light of the hilly bike course. What do u recommend?
scoop1962 wrote:Cheers
[quote=scoop1962]Cheers Gunter, will get onto it ASAP.
Did you use a TT bike or road bike with bolt on aeros. I am leaning towards the latter in light of the hilly bike course. What do u recommend?[/quote]
I was at the start last year, there wasn't a single mountain /TT on view. A lot of tri bikes, but most people have good roadies, and those with roadies have clip on bars...
I like the use of the word hilly, it aint a hill it's a mountain...
scoop1962 wrote:Cheers
[quote=scoop1962]Cheers Gunter, will get onto it ASAP.
Did you use a TT bike or road bike with bolt on aeros. I am leaning towards the latter in light of the hilly bike course. What do u recommend?[/quote]
I was at the start last year, there wasn't a single mountain /TT on view. A lot of tri bikes, but most people have good roadies, and those with roadies have clip on bars...
I like the use of the word hilly, it aint a hill it's a mountain...
scoop1962: you might want to
scoop1962: you might want to try out http://iamtri.com/group/ironmanfrance2011 - there is a discussion going on on that site about what bike to use. I definitely will go for a road bike with clip on bars.
all the best
gunter
+1 For the road bike with
+1 For the road bike with clip ons, saw very few TT bikes on the course. I've attached the course profile as recorded by my Garmin 310XT so you can get an idea of how "hilly" it is.
I rode a Giant Defy 3 - has three up front and I didn't ride an overly aggressive set up for the race, made a huge difference on the climbs; I had enough gears to spin up the hills and definitely saved the legs and back. Between the two long climbs and a fast and technical downhill section you aren't going to be able to get down on the bars very often or for very long.
JLEX
OOPS, too used to the french
OOPS, too used to the french expression VTT, which is a mountain bike...duh!
Deffo go for a road not
Deffo go for a road not unless your a super bike handler, seen 3 broken tri bikes in transition after i finished, one person got air lifted off the course at some point from a crash
Thanks heaps guys, will def
Thanks heaps guys, will def go for road bike and clip ons.
Obvious next question...does anyone recommend a good clip on aero?
p.s. Warrior....have read a fair few posts re the tough bike course so even though I m a clydesdale putting in the hard yards now on the hills/mountains. The idea of a easy last 40-50k before the dreaded hot run leg appeals so wont mind the hard yards early.
you are always talking about
you are always talking about the heat in nice. what temperatures are we actually talking about ? what about humidity ? especially during the run (talking in account that i will start the run around three o´clock in the afternoon.
regards and HAPPY NEW YEAR
gunter
It was 28C/83F last year
It was 28C/83F last year when I did it and felt hotter, not sure about humidity though. On the run I saw a lot of people in medical tents getting IV fluid replacement and more people collapsed/lying on their backs in the one bit of shade down by the airport. If you look at past results there are quite a few DNFs every year and the most seem to be on the run. We're not talking BOP AGers but quite often guys who have very respectable swim and bike times not finishing the run. Hydration is key, especially on the bike in preparation for the run. The infinit drink IM France uses is really easy to drink and has plenty of glucose and replacement salts, I'd recommend it for race day. There are a couple of cold water showers on the run loop and I stopped at every aid station to throw cups of water over myself just to keep cool.
Be zealous with the sun cream too, 6 months down the line and I still have two lines on my back from where my trisuit ended and the sun cream didnt reach.....
JLEX
That 28C is a measured
That 28C is a measured temperature in the shade, you guys will be running a boringly flat, well attended, non shaded road....with very little breeze coming off the sea....so I guess the advice would be plan your hydration for the run really well.
Just had an email from the
Just had an email from the person we rented our unit through for Nice holidaylettings.co.uk, a Chris Kingy, who advises us that as he now has a group booking we no longer have our unit despite paying a 25% deposit back in early January.
We had booked for 4 nights arriving thurs and leaving mon after race.
Surely our deposit and the booking forms we filled out are a legally binding contract.
He ha offered to refund our desposit if we do not wish to change dates (can we just move the Nice Ironman back a week guys) but has not made any effort to suggest likewie accom still available.
Does anyone have any tips for acomm for family of four from oz at this late stage?
Hey Scoop I sent you a
Hey Scoop I sent you a message on iamtri.com, will contact you as soon as I have something sorted... I will let you know, but you can email on colmmag 'AT' gmail dot com
That's outrageous. Have you
That's outrageous. Have you read through the contracts etc to check if he is able to do that? Also is there a site administrator you can contact to complain because it looks bad for the website too.
Hope Warrior manages to sort something for you.
Let us know what happens.