OK, Cathy asked about report so I'll here it is. (Brevity is not a virtue I possess) Then I swear I'll shut up about it!! I've also included some links to photos from the trip.
This was my first attempt at an IM and I've only been in the whole endurance sport thing for a couple years. (This is my third season) I had no idea what to expect. I've done a bunch of halves and was confident I could handle the distance, but was really open for anything in terms of how my body would react. Goals? 1) Finish. 2) Finish in under 12 hours.
Leading up to the race I started developing some IT issues in my right leg and I was a bit concerned about that. Then 2 days before the race while riding the course, I dumped it in the middle of Zurich. I gave the pavement a good bonking with my chin and got a mild sprain in my left wrist. I mangled the front end of my bike and had to replace my handlebars and re-cable everything the day before the race. I tested out my tune-up by riding to the bike check in. Good times. The astute ones among you will recognize that all I was doing was giving myself some nice excuses in the event of a disappointing performance! ;)
My other big concern was the temperature of the lake. At the race briefing they announced that they would not allow wetsuits. Crap. Then the lake temp dropped by 2 degrees (yeah, right) and they allowed them at the last minute. So it was like swimming in bath water, temperature wise, but man was the water clean. The swim was really fun and went by really quickly. Although my time didn't reflect that.
My family came out for the race (Mom, Dad, Bro/Wife, Sis/Husband) which was fantastic. They have never seen me race before, and it was great to have my own cheering section. They went over the top, as they usually do, and had shirts made up for the occasion. We looked quite official. They kept getting stopped by press wanting to know "who's Dave?" I guess the big "Go Dave" on the back of their shirts got noticed.
The course was a 3 loop bike and a 3 loop run which was great for me given that my family was there. The run left a bit to be desired, but again I liked it as I got to see my family at least 4 times on each lap. I thought the bike course was a blast. It was fun, beautiful, challenging, and fast. 3 hills on each lap, one with quite a crowd at the top. The bike course did get a bit crowded, but as I mentioned in another thread people did a good job (for the most part) avoiding blatant drafting. Man, I loved that bike ride!!
Unfortunately on the run I developed some stomach issues. This was a disappointment as I had never experienced this in training, and I followed my practiced nutrition. On the first lap of the run I spent much of my time walking, looking for a bathroom, or in a bathroom. In all I spent about 25 min in the can throughout the race. :-( They didn't have port-a-potties spread throughout the course like I'm used to here in the states. At any rate, I finished in 12:16 and change. All in all I was happy with this given the stomach problems. My last lap on the run was by far my strongest. I only wish I could have the first lap back and not have spent sooo much time walking.
The cool thing was that I felt strong throughout the whole race. Yes my legs were hurting, but my form didn't suffer too much. (Then again at the speed I was "running" I'm not sure how it could.) But what really amazed me was that I never experienced any doubt in the race. In most races I do, even some sprints, I always have that moment where I very clearly think "Why is it I like this?", "This is fun??", or "What the F*** am I doing??" I was expecting that and it never came. I just had a lot of fun and the race flew by. I can't believe it was 12 hours long.
This race was a bit of an exploration for me. I had no idea if I'd like the distance or if I'd try again. I think I will definitely do another, but certainly not next season. I tend to do better on the short course stuff and can even get hardware from time to time. Not even in the realm of possibility at this distance. I'm looking forward to getting more miles in my legs before I give it another go.
I had a great time and recommend that race to anyone. The bike course made it all worth it to me. But one warning. Zurich is expensive!! I shudder when I think how much I spent on this trip.
So here's some pics. This is just a simple album with some race / course / misc pics:
http://www.amazon.ofoto.com/...7405&n=234159287
Here's the pro photos from the race. It's time to reap what I sew. I've ripped other's positions in the past, so rip away... (just remember, I am on a ROAD bike ;-) )
http://www.live-sportphotos.com/...;eid=123&sn=1068
Thanks for reading
This was my first attempt at an IM and I've only been in the whole endurance sport thing for a couple years. (This is my third season) I had no idea what to expect. I've done a bunch of halves and was confident I could handle the distance, but was really open for anything in terms of how my body would react. Goals? 1) Finish. 2) Finish in under 12 hours.
Leading up to the race I started developing some IT issues in my right leg and I was a bit concerned about that. Then 2 days before the race while riding the course, I dumped it in the middle of Zurich. I gave the pavement a good bonking with my chin and got a mild sprain in my left wrist. I mangled the front end of my bike and had to replace my handlebars and re-cable everything the day before the race. I tested out my tune-up by riding to the bike check in. Good times. The astute ones among you will recognize that all I was doing was giving myself some nice excuses in the event of a disappointing performance! ;)
My other big concern was the temperature of the lake. At the race briefing they announced that they would not allow wetsuits. Crap. Then the lake temp dropped by 2 degrees (yeah, right) and they allowed them at the last minute. So it was like swimming in bath water, temperature wise, but man was the water clean. The swim was really fun and went by really quickly. Although my time didn't reflect that.
My family came out for the race (Mom, Dad, Bro/Wife, Sis/Husband) which was fantastic. They have never seen me race before, and it was great to have my own cheering section. They went over the top, as they usually do, and had shirts made up for the occasion. We looked quite official. They kept getting stopped by press wanting to know "who's Dave?" I guess the big "Go Dave" on the back of their shirts got noticed.
The course was a 3 loop bike and a 3 loop run which was great for me given that my family was there. The run left a bit to be desired, but again I liked it as I got to see my family at least 4 times on each lap. I thought the bike course was a blast. It was fun, beautiful, challenging, and fast. 3 hills on each lap, one with quite a crowd at the top. The bike course did get a bit crowded, but as I mentioned in another thread people did a good job (for the most part) avoiding blatant drafting. Man, I loved that bike ride!!
Unfortunately on the run I developed some stomach issues. This was a disappointment as I had never experienced this in training, and I followed my practiced nutrition. On the first lap of the run I spent much of my time walking, looking for a bathroom, or in a bathroom. In all I spent about 25 min in the can throughout the race. :-( They didn't have port-a-potties spread throughout the course like I'm used to here in the states. At any rate, I finished in 12:16 and change. All in all I was happy with this given the stomach problems. My last lap on the run was by far my strongest. I only wish I could have the first lap back and not have spent sooo much time walking.
The cool thing was that I felt strong throughout the whole race. Yes my legs were hurting, but my form didn't suffer too much. (Then again at the speed I was "running" I'm not sure how it could.) But what really amazed me was that I never experienced any doubt in the race. In most races I do, even some sprints, I always have that moment where I very clearly think "Why is it I like this?", "This is fun??", or "What the F*** am I doing??" I was expecting that and it never came. I just had a lot of fun and the race flew by. I can't believe it was 12 hours long.
This race was a bit of an exploration for me. I had no idea if I'd like the distance or if I'd try again. I think I will definitely do another, but certainly not next season. I tend to do better on the short course stuff and can even get hardware from time to time. Not even in the realm of possibility at this distance. I'm looking forward to getting more miles in my legs before I give it another go.
I had a great time and recommend that race to anyone. The bike course made it all worth it to me. But one warning. Zurich is expensive!! I shudder when I think how much I spent on this trip.
So here's some pics. This is just a simple album with some race / course / misc pics:
http://www.amazon.ofoto.com/...7405&n=234159287
Here's the pro photos from the race. It's time to reap what I sew. I've ripped other's positions in the past, so rip away... (just remember, I am on a ROAD bike ;-) )
http://www.live-sportphotos.com/...;eid=123&sn=1068
Thanks for reading