Triathlon de Gerardmer, France. Sept. 10th 2006
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1222 days
Jeroen posted 2 years ago.
Like Noel I participated in the DO (distance olympique) race. My 2nd tri ever (I did a 1/4 tri in may) and although I felt I didn't put in enough hours of training I was going to tri anyway and just finish. Hey, when a mate calls you and says he's got a seat with your name on it to a race in Gerardmer France ... what would you do? Exactly...GO!
I really enjoyed watching the XL race and do a little shopping to build up anticipation for the next day. I was thinking of getting me a wetsuit since I didn't have one yet and the water was looking kinda chilly. But I decided to just suck it up, save the $200 and do the entire race in my trisuit.
The swimstart was incredible. 425 men and women geared up in wetsuits charging the lake and leaping forward. And one silly bugger in his trisuit ;) A real sight... and I was in the middle of it!!! I was dodging arms, legs, asses and elbows and loving it. There was this guy in front of me, who was apparantly being pulled at by someone... don't know what set him off really, but all of a sudden he turned around and started hitting the water right in front of me and lashing out at some poor sod who just swam by. I exited the water after 31'. Don't have the exact time because I wasn't wearing a watch and...ah well you'll find out soon enough as you read on.
As I exited the water and ran for the transition area there were people everywhere cheering the athletes on. I'm not unfamiliar with audience at races or being cheered on myself, but this was different. Triathlon is a much bigger thing in France than it is in Holland. Anyways... it gave me the chills and put a big fat grin on my big fat face. This grin remained on my face as I raced my bike through the citycenter of Gerardmer. I managed to squeeze out a small grin as I started to climb the hills of Gerardmer but it soon disappeared as I entered a world of pain and torture.
Noel warned me about the bike leg, but I soon found out I came ill prepared. As I nearly reached the top of one climb, I was utterly exhausted and trying to shift to a lighter gear. But instead I shifted to the outer ring... I came to a complete halt right there on the climb with about 200 meters left to a flat bit of the route. I managed to clip out of my pedals but as my feet touched the road I just fell and sat there looking sad. Shortly after I ran the last 200m, clipped in again and set out to descend, climb, hurt some more and take 2 more laps of agony. I was soon put out of my misery though... After another hellish climb in the 2nd lap my rear tire went PSSSSHHHHT on me. End of story for me...DNF... egh. I walked back along the course and headed for the finish chute to meet Noel.
Hats off to the organization. Say what you want about the French, like most of them don't speak a decent word of english... but they do know how to run a tri! I'll be back next year. Better prepared and with my bike thoroughly checked at the local bikeshop.
Gerardmer is in the North West of France and I love it there, last year I did my first Tri there.
So it was kind of an anniversary in the sport I guess. Fun was the motto.
I managed to get a van from my work ( a Mercedes no less) and what do you do, when you have a van and embark on a road trip? That’s right, you call a friend and hit the road together!
Jeroen and I hopped in the van on Friday and headed south for 6 hours.
Got there and set up the tent, got situated and had a little run, ‘cause 6 hours driving will seriously screw you up!
The Triathlon XL was on Saturday, it was a 3k swim, 120k bike, 30k run. We watched as the race unfolded and we got our race bib and all the other required stuff. Strolling along the little race expo.
But our race was Sunday, an Olympic Distance tri, which would have the EXACT same course as last year.
At 13:30 a total of 425 athletes started to thrash each other in the swim. Washing-machine-free-for-all-central. Just ten days before Gerardmer I managed 22’33� on a 1500mtr swim, but when I exited the water my watch had good news; 22’18�
After T1 is was getting ready for what was coming, the one thing that made Gerardmer fun and horrible; the bike course. A three lap bike course with a 10% climb that lasts about 3km long! Man, I was hurting!
And I was paying for it too, during the run ( an 2 lap out and back)
I kind of ate it in the last 2.5k and my negative split turned positive one me :D
All in all I finished 53rd in 02.30’09� ( too bad about those 9 seconds)
Bike:
http://www.finisherphoto.com/veranstaltung/showdetail.jsp?nr=2&event=ger06&id=13646&width=130&height=86&showinfo=Startnummer:%20D132
My finish foto:
[URL="http://www.finisherphoto.com/veranstaltung/showdetail.jsp?nr=4&event=ger06&id=14363&width=86&height=130&showinfo=Zeit:%2002:30:00(+/-%201%20Minute)"]http://www.finisherphoto.com/veranstaltung/showdetail.jsp?nr=4&event=ger06&id=14363&width=86&height=130&showinfo=Zeit:%2002:30:00(+/-%201%20Minute)[/URL]
It was a big leap form last year, I finished 106th back then in 02.43’--“
Improved 2’32� in the swim, 9’ on the bike and about 5’ on the run.
After finishing I was wasted! Man! I spoke to an Aussie dude who I went head to head with in the run and he said to me; “That wasn’t a bike course, that was murder!�
I had a blast! I’m def. Doing Gerardmer again next year! Thanks to Jeroen for tagging along!
Noel.
www.noelbrand.blogspot.com
It ain't much, if it ain't Dutch!!