Sometimes you just have a bad day. I don't think there is another explanation for my latest race result than waking up on the wrong foot.
But let's go though it step by step. The Sparkasse Ironman 70.3 Kraichgau powered by KraichgauEnergie was my second middle distance race in a 14 days period and based on my previous performance (a 4:51 time) I was pretty optimistic because I felt I didn't push myself there to the limit.
The swim started relatively calm. Since it was a rolling start I could start a little more relaxed because there wouldn't be to many people around me. I jump into the water and felt great. The only thing that was strange was the lack of a salty taste in my mouth because of the swim part being held in a lake instead of the sea I usually race.
The race to the first turn was pretty smooth and I felt great. I glanced at my watch a few times and things checked out. Once on the first right turn things got a little messy with a few people bumping into me which caused some navigational issues but nothing special. I swam pretty good and once on the third turn I was looking forward for the swim exit. My arms didn't feel too heavy at this point but they weren't fresh either so I was just looking for the yellow arch to get out and have a nice ride on the bike (at least that was the plan).
Out of the water and happy - Photo: Ivana Begic
Swim time 35:06 (664th overall, 107th age group)
Once on the bike I usually start relaxing and just keep pushing my pace. I don't mind getting overtaken at this stage because a lot of people start the first 10 kilometers too hard and end up regretting it later. I know I'll catch most of them on the second half of the race when I usually start picking it up a little but this time things were a little different.
I got overtaken quite a lot and it looked like I can't do anything about it. I kept pushing but the numbers didn't line up with my expectations most of the time. Then there were a lot of people who didn't follow the simplest of rules like ride on the right and overtake on the left which put me in a stupid situation of risking a penalty if I crossed the center of the road to overtake them. The other option was just to ride 12 meters behind them (no drafting) and hope they'll move out of the way.
The region here is know as the land of a thousand hills and it did not disappoint! I love riding on a rolling terrain going up and down the hills but this time, again, was different. Even on the descends I couldn't pick up the pace so that my top speed was at around 60 km/h which is a shame because of a few very long stretches where I just had to get up to speed quickly and then use gravity to ride even faster.
At kilometer 80 I was rally thinking that things are very wrong since I was felling very weak despite drinking and eating normaly.
Two weeks ago when not pushing to the limit my average power was at 191W and this time it was 181W when I was riding (at least as I felt it) on the edge of my abilities. There isn't much more I think I need to tell then these numbers.
Keep smiling - Photo: Finisherpix
I came into the second transition with a bad feeling for the run. The volunteers took my bike and I quickly changed into my running stuff and I was out and running.
At least my transitions are getting faster :)
I don't think I ever lost places on the bike course but it looks like there is a first for everything
Bike time: 02:57:33 (635th/114th)
This is going to be tough! Three loops of seven kilometers are going to take everything I have from me. I tried to keep the first loop easy because at this point (four hours into the race) breaking a personal best was out of the question and mentally I was just fighting for scraps. The run course was nice with a bunch of turns but nothing that would break your rhythm or be a distraction.
There were a lot of people on the course having fun so I was able to get into the zone and just finish the race. I saw my family and friends twice per lap and envied them because they could stay in the shade while I was running mostly in the sun. I had fun with the kids at the aid stations and enjoyed the little high fives and jokes along the way.
Once in the last lap I tried to kick it up a notch and also started firing up other athletes who started walking. Come on! A slow jog is better than a walk. or Just one more lap and you are done. Get moving! were some of the things I started saying to other athletes and this served two purposes. First, most of them started moving, smiled and thanked me for taking the time to help someone out while I was in the same situation as them. Second, once they started running again I couldn't stop. How would it look like if I fired them up and then started walking myself.
Motivate other so you motivate yourself :)
This just looks like I am in control - Photo: Finisherpix
I came into the finish with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I was on the verge of giving up because ever since getting out of the water I felt bad and if it was a full distance race I would think hard about just quitting the race on the bike but I probably would have pushed through anyway which makes this finish even more special.
Run time: 01:53:37 (549th/100th)
My total time was 05:31:07 which was enough to secure myself the 549th place out of 1900 athletes and the 100th spot in my age group out of 200 athletes.
If everything went as planed I would have been fighting for a TOP 20 spot in my age group and would have been in the first 100 overall but it is what it is. Even more motivation for the next race in three months.
In retrospect, I don't think I made a mistake with two races in two weeks. I had harder bike/run sessions back to back during the weekends in training and felt good after them and I even felt great on a short 20 minute ride the day before the race.
I wouldn't have changed anything about my preparation for this race but I will make some adjustments for the future so I can prevent these bad days from happening.
This race was even more special because it's just 15 km from my German home town and I had the support from a lot more people then usual.
Finisher selfie time :)
If I finished the race in this fashion last year I would be happy about it but once you get good at something you want even more so I will think of this race as a partial success and I will definitely race here again one year because I have to set some things straight with this race.
Everyone who wants to check out my data can get them here.
Until next time,
Keep smiling :)