I found it interesting, thanks! I don't think that outside assistance is a penalty at Roth by the way, I know you can get given drinks from supporters anyway, so why not inhalers?

Here is my race report.
I had a great day, everything went as well as I could have hoped for, Roth is a brilliant race, I'd recommend it to anyone doing a Iron distance race.

Nice report. I liked reading it. Go get it next time.

---

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Great report! I had a minor panic episode during my last 70.3 for the first time as well. I got a little aggressive and started further up than I problably should have and ended up in the middle of the pack unable to really get into my stroke. I managed to get to clear water and take a minute to recompose myself but ended up finishing 5m slower than I expected.

Since then I've done a few openwater swims and that panic attack has kind of stayed at the back on my head and not really allowed me to fully relax. What would you say helped you the most? Just staying outside away from other swimmers?

I'm glad you posted a RR! Congrats on meeting your swim goal.
As I said on the womens forum, I think you made a smart choice to DNF.
How is your foot feeling today? How do you feel overall? Are you super tired?

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I also just wanted to add what a fantastic race Roth is, and that it should definitely be on people's bucket lists. I sort of had the opposite race as you in terms of AG positioning by discipline, Anna S (1:27 swim followed by 5:57 bike and 3:58 run), but for once I would actually say that I genuinely enjoyed the swim (small wave starts, easy sighting, no waves!), and the road surface for the bike was next to perfect - big difference from most of the races I've done in the US or UK. Never really been into alcohol-free beer but with there being so much of it flowing around all weekend, I developed quite a taste for it... seems like the Germans mostly drink that instead of water...

Hi Anna s, how did you like the Alp Extreme in Ottenbach? Und eine schnelle und gute Genesung!

---

*
___/\___/\___/\___ the s u r f b o a r d of the K u r p f a l z is the r o a d b i k e .. oSo >>

Full reply later Anna, but first of all thanks for coming on here and posting, second congrats on playing the smart card and choosing to fight another day (it takes a big person to do that, and I have made the wrong decision to continue and paid long term in the past), and finally what makes us stronger as people/athletes often has its roots in days that went far from perfect, whereas then the day goes to plan we often brush aside our weaknesses which then come back to bit us in the future. This day in Roth is a foundation for future success. It always works that way.

Anna, just a quick question about the asthma issues on the run, but not bike and swim. Was that due to being around plants etc on the run trail and pollen etc? Was that something you experienced on the run at other events, or during training runs? Congrats on the swim and glad that starting wide worked and you have 36x days for another crack at this. With the size of your engine given your swim capabilities, I am certain that the bike times can come down in a big way.

Roth is awesome. I double flatted there in 1993 with one spare tube and sat on the side of the road in driving rain waiting for a volunteer to bring me a spare. I was targeting a 5 hour bike and after waiting around for 45 min or so, finally got a spare wheel and resumed (if I recall correctly bike ended up being 5:5x). I was going to pack it in at T2 bonking from not eating during the flat escapade, but the only thing that got me going was that I was too cheap to DNF having coming across the pond, so I started with a shuffle completely unmotivated. That was the year I ran a 2:48 open marathon so was really motivated to fly at Roth (I was also in grad school and on the 25 hours per week training plan)....but I think every mile I was going to DNF but my cheapness kept me shuffling through. The 3:20 marathon target came and went and I was still 10K away from the finish line and was going to DNF again and then I realized if I could pull out a 50 min 10K, then I'd come in at least under 11 hours and somehow my head flipped to trying to push my body. But being hypothermic and down at 135 lbs with negative body fat (ideal for a fast open marathon in 33C, very bad for a bonking IM in 12C driving rain), I was shaking like a leaf at the finish line and my body was "off" for a month after that event. That was one race, I should have just packed it in at T2. It was not worth the next month of misery. I then went to California 5 weeks later for the World's Toughest Tri (2 mile swim, 100 mile bike with 10K ft climbing, 20 mile trail run with 2000ft climbing/descending) to make 'amends'....well that never works either...was in 7th place overall halfway through the bike at the top of Monitor Pass at the snowline and then from there the rest of the day (that has barely started), I went backwards backwards backwards. My health had not recovered from Roth even though I thought it had (and being 27, well, you think nothing can stop you).

You made the right call. It actually takes a lot more for people with our mindset to walk away from a race we are doing badness to our bodies than stick with it. Actually I don't even trust myself in racing to make rational decisions about what is good for me, so around 15 years ago I made a deal with myself to ask myself this question every 20 min in every race, "If I do the following will my day end in the medical tent". If the answer is yes, then I won't do it now.

Upsi, the b fell over, sorry for that .. yeah, I would say a marathon is fun to ride if the personal aims are save in the recall, too ..

---

*
___/\___/\___/\___ the s u r f b o a r d of the K u r p f a l z is the r o a d b i k e .. oSo >>