To all,
If you are there and you did the training, just finish the damn thing, even if everything is conspiring against you, it is worth it.
I am about 2 weeks removed from Embrunman. While I had a good training leading up to the race, I lined up on the start line less than ready due to personal issues. I am not going to detail all of it (would take a while), but I had a bout of panic on the swim (could not put my face in a fairly warm water), had my (rental) bike stuck on a 36x19 gear (discharged battery, even though I did recharge it the day before, but since I don't have electric shifting systems on my bikes I was unaware that the damn thing discharge overnight in certain conditions), and lost my running shoes during set-up (and had a cramped foot from the get go due to my grinding all day up 9% slopes).
So, it didn't go the way i wished it to go, what with all my family being there, but I finished it. While I can remember the misery of the whole day, stuck at 14mph on flatish section with my ass bobbing up and down, my first walk of death ever on a marathon, but I can't imagine how bad it would feel now had I not finished.
It was not all my doing though: without the help of good Samaritans on the way, I would have quit. I screamed and broke down more than a few times, but at those critical moments there was always some random person encouraging me to keep going. On the swim, I actually swam back to the start, unable to breathe: one guy stopped initially miffed that I was going the wrong way, but then even in the dark he must have seen my panic and telling me to get back in there, so I did. Right after T1, fiddling with my bike aimlessly trying to get it to work, a volunteer came up and tried to help me, finally delivering his verdict after looking at my gear: "ca va passer l'Izoard", meaning I could go over, so I did. And what really broke me, the lost shoes, it took a collective effort of 5-6 volunteers, truck and motorcycle, to recover them. These volunteers were later on the run encouraging me "Gogo, shoes!", so I pushed my bloody foot to continue. The real shout-out of this post goes to these incredible volunteers and racers and family, who helped me finish, despite the desolation following me (not to mention the sights of busy ambulances, too many of them...).
The course is unbelievable. I never rode the Alps before, but I will be back there. You all know that, but for the first time I think I experienced the human experience of Ironman racing, and even racing in general. After all this suffering, I might be done with long course racing, but I am sure glad I finish. So you finish too, it's worth it!
If you are there and you did the training, just finish the damn thing, even if everything is conspiring against you, it is worth it.
I am about 2 weeks removed from Embrunman. While I had a good training leading up to the race, I lined up on the start line less than ready due to personal issues. I am not going to detail all of it (would take a while), but I had a bout of panic on the swim (could not put my face in a fairly warm water), had my (rental) bike stuck on a 36x19 gear (discharged battery, even though I did recharge it the day before, but since I don't have electric shifting systems on my bikes I was unaware that the damn thing discharge overnight in certain conditions), and lost my running shoes during set-up (and had a cramped foot from the get go due to my grinding all day up 9% slopes).
So, it didn't go the way i wished it to go, what with all my family being there, but I finished it. While I can remember the misery of the whole day, stuck at 14mph on flatish section with my ass bobbing up and down, my first walk of death ever on a marathon, but I can't imagine how bad it would feel now had I not finished.
It was not all my doing though: without the help of good Samaritans on the way, I would have quit. I screamed and broke down more than a few times, but at those critical moments there was always some random person encouraging me to keep going. On the swim, I actually swam back to the start, unable to breathe: one guy stopped initially miffed that I was going the wrong way, but then even in the dark he must have seen my panic and telling me to get back in there, so I did. Right after T1, fiddling with my bike aimlessly trying to get it to work, a volunteer came up and tried to help me, finally delivering his verdict after looking at my gear: "ca va passer l'Izoard", meaning I could go over, so I did. And what really broke me, the lost shoes, it took a collective effort of 5-6 volunteers, truck and motorcycle, to recover them. These volunteers were later on the run encouraging me "Gogo, shoes!", so I pushed my bloody foot to continue. The real shout-out of this post goes to these incredible volunteers and racers and family, who helped me finish, despite the desolation following me (not to mention the sights of busy ambulances, too many of them...).
The course is unbelievable. I never rode the Alps before, but I will be back there. You all know that, but for the first time I think I experienced the human experience of Ironman racing, and even racing in general. After all this suffering, I might be done with long course racing, but I am sure glad I finish. So you finish too, it's worth it!
Last edited by:
Baboonator: Aug 27, 18 7:24