Sunday the 24th July was THE day of my project: „Ich habe ein Ziel… das Ziel möchte ich erreichen“ which means as much as: „I have a goal… I want to achieve the goal“
I can say: mission accomplished! I did not win the championship but I came second. I am now Vice European Ironman Champion age group 45 -49. I wanted the title and missed it by 1 minute. But why do I say: mission accomplished???
Here is the story:
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| Getting ready... |
Race day morning the thermometer was showing only 9°C, it was overcast and there was the smell of rain in the air. I had brought my beloved GIANT Trinity into the transition zone the day before and it had been wrapped up in plastic to shelter it from moisture during the night. Taking off this cover I was already thinking of the task coming up to me: 3,8km swim – 180 k bike and 42,2 k run! I felt very confident to have done everything possible to be prepared for this challenge. My training and race results before had been very good! The pre race atmosphere is always stunning: people are mumbling and talking with low voices; you can hear this “pfffft” of the pumps being taken off the valve when the tire has been inflated; slowly daylight comes to the scene and shadows become fact.
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| BANG! And we are off! |
15 minutes before the race I put on my wet suit. I had to take off my warm up clothes and could feel the cold the first time this day! I quickly put on the suit not to loose body temperature. Blime me… it was cold! Walking down to the swim start I was encouraged by a lot of people wrapped up in thick clothes. I am still no quite sure if it was pity or sorry ness in the eyes of these people. They knew what was coming up: a true battle against the elements!
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| I already feel the cold... |
The water was some what 18°C “warm” and was the warmest I would experience up to the shower I took long after the race! I did my warm up routine and felt good. I was in the first of two starting groups together with the PROs and faster age groupers. Best about it: we where only some 350 athletes. The second group: 2300….!
BANG…! And we where sent off. I got into my stroke very easily and could stay in my group until we had to exit the swim after some 2000m for a quick run on land and then back into the water for the second leg of 1800m. I could keep my pace very steady and did not have to push hard at any moment. It was not my idea to swim flat out… more swim solid! I did so and left the water after 56:27 which is not spectacular but still the 121th split of the day. I charged up the sand ramp to transition and had a good change to the bike.
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| Scary conditions: wet and cold! |
I had done my homework before and had analysed the bike course: there is a 13k leg from the “Langener Waldsee” to Frankfurt city which EVERYBODY does extremely fast (too fast for most of them) so I concentrated on my own pace which was high anyway. Entering Frankfurt it started raining the first time. My average speed was at 40,5 km/h and I could ride that speed comfortably. I took a sharp right turn and my front tire slipped away strongly…! I could just avoid slipping away and crashing! “Tricky thing coming up” I thought.
The road conditions in Frankfurt itself and on the following 30 km were very poor: lots of pot holes, patches and rail road crossings. Hmmmm! The climbs are very short and up to 7% steep. Not the big deal if you normally train on Lanzarote. I grouped up with two other athletes and kept the speed at an average of about 38 km/h. After 70k I decided to speed up a little and dropped the small group. It was now about 3 hours into the race and it was raining heavily with the temperatures “rising” to 12 °C. The cold was slowly creeping into my body and I was trying to eat as much as possible because the amount of energy the body needs to keep its core temperature stable at 37 °C is amazingly high! The biggest problem was that my fingers where getting so cold that I couldn’t grab food at the aid stations and if I managed to do so, I could not open any energy bars or according gels.
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| HARDCORE...! |
Entering the second lap I was still very fresh and could still keep the speed up high. Now I was picking up all the athletes who had started up too fast! Fun!!! But when the fun starts, the party blocker is never far away: WIND… head wind… strong head wind. After 160 k I had to ride against hunger, energy lack, rain, cold and a vicious head wind. Too much for me: I battled the last 20k. My eyes where flickering and I started seeing white dots bouncing in my sight. The last climb “Heartbreak hill” I climbed subconsciously because I can’t remember until today. Fortunately the last 15k led down to Frankfurt but my speed had decreased strongly. I was off the bike after 4:53:41 which was the 34th fastest bike split of the day. Not too bad and what I am able to ride.
The transition Bike – Run was “easy peasy”…: socks, running shoes, cap and gels… off I went.
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| Still in the top 30 and under control! |
Entering the marathon on an Ironman is always something very special. You start running with no feeling for speed and stride. I started not only like so but also with frozen toes. I had no feeling in them! I had brought along a GARMIN Forerunner to give me an idea of my pace and kept it steady at 4:25 per K. It felt good and right. The first of four laps was not very hard (it never is by the way). But I was not warming up… the exact opposite was happening: I was getting colder and colder.
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| Entering the third lap...! |
During the second lap I had to run alongside to the “Main” river and the wind was blowing into my face lowering the temperature even more. It started raining heavily and I felt my energy escaping my body. My hands where close to being ice. After the second lap (21 k) I entered on of the biggest challenges I have had in my life as triathlet! My energy balance was so low that I again started seeing stars flashing in my sight. My hands where not able to hold anything anymore.
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| My body is waisted!!! Border lining...! |
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| Draining myself... |
Suddenly after 22k I stood still. Everything in me was pleading me to stop this nonsense! I bent over and held my knees. I walked a few steps. My body and my mind where battling each other! I started trotting again. I had to stop again because my knees were now hurting very badly because they had swollen immediately after me stopping: the cold did a good job! Again I started running with the aim to reach the next aid station and then try and refill as good as I could! With strong pain I made it only to realize I couldn’t open anything or hold anything. Someone opened me an energy gel which I swallowed. “What now”…?!? I saw someone with a thermos can and asked him if he had something hot in it and would kindly pour it over my hands: it was warm coffee (never loved coffee so much)! I ran to the far turn point and was due to withdraw from the race: no energy and no motivation!
If you can’t do it yourself you need people to help you! One of the athletes I coach (million thanks Fränky!!!) stood at the 30k sign. He walked up to me and asked what’s up. I said “ I am so cold” He took my hands and felt my legs. They were freezing! He looked at his watch and said ”Hey Foli, if you just run the last 12,5 k at “mini-max” (that is what we call the fastest speed you can achieve easily) you will get to the finish line with a time of 9:25:00! Decide: fly or die?!?”
I chose the “mini-max-fly” version and started running step by step. My body was shouting ”NO” but my mind was telling him to carry on. The most stressful situation I can imagine. I was digging very deep into myself. I was not thinking anything anymore. I started looking for the distance signs: 7 k to go…. that is like my training loop in Hamburg
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| The fourth dimension...!!!! |
I ran up the finish cute and was too weak to be really happy. I stretched up my arms but I did not feel the success. I had done the marathon in 3:30:00. I finished after 9:24:46 being 76th overall. I had “lost” the title during the third lap… but I had “won” the experience of how deep I can dig into myself to achieve a goal. I had entered the fourth dimension!
BUT
I also say that I would never repeat this experience because there is a limit for me between challenge and over charge. This was over charge for me and that is not the reason why I do such a fantastic sport like triathlon.
I did not take my slot for the world champs on Hawaii
Thanks for reading all this and you never know: some time some place….
CHAKA!!!!
P.S.: If I my say so… from mid August I will launch my newly named company: MOVE-MENT. It’s all about endurance sports, seminars and workshops. I have the knowledge and the experience to share. I have the people and companies which have experienced!
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| Three of the MOVE-MENT boys: Foli, Fränky & Lenni |
Contact: info@move-ment.net and web www.move-ment.net (will be fired up till mid August).
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| Lennart Hoffmann (trained by MOVE-MENT) finishing after running a stunning 3:03:46 Marathon: no magic... just training the right thing at the right moment...! Finishing time: 9:30:59 |
