Part 1: https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rt_(part_1)_P6704810
Part 2: https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rt_(part_2)_P6704814
Run
https://www.strava.com/activities/1694328749
6:24, hoped for 6:00. As with all previous full-distance triathlons, I had a little moment at the beginning of the run where I had some doubts. But, as in previous instances, I took a moment, got some food, changed clothes, and set off. Thanks to my brother’s Suunto watch, I was able to have GPS for this effort. I felt well informed about the route, and knew that there was a very tough climb right out of T2 that I planned to walk in its entirety.
After doing this and beginning to jog, I was happy to feel quite good. I saw another tall runner ahead of me and pulled next to him, and we ended up running the next 16 or so miles together: Andrey from Moscow. After some talk about our run volumes, he commented that his last run was a week ago, and it was a marathon. He’d done Celtman. Good grief!
We got on well, talked about random running stuff, and I offered the services of my support team to him as he had no access to water during the first half of the run. We crossed the half marathon in around 2:05, running pretty well despite the heat and our growing fatigue. As we came into Bonigen and turned towards Wilderswil, it was really warm and we struggled to keep running. “Why do we do this to ourselves?” Andrey mused. I had no answer.
As the trail turned uphill, we adopted the strategy of walking the uphills and running the flats and downhills. Not bad. But by the Saumertaverne stop, only a few kilometers later, I was starting to feel very bad. The water I’d had a mile or so before was still in my stomach. Not good. I had some coke, which helped a lot, and I took off up the second biggest hill on run. About halfway up, I got very dizzy, and found that I could not even walk in a straight line. REALLY not good. I sat on a bench for a minute, and then, suddenly, my ears popped, and I immediately recovered somewhat. I got up, kept going, and was soon able to run again. By the neutral at Burglauenen, I was feeling all right.
I told Jon to come back for me if they were bored at Grindelwald, and turns out, he did. He met me at around mile 18, and we ran together till 20, where it was time to pass the checkpoint and head up the mountain.
Jon and Christian were my nominated supporters, and they had the backpack ready. Feeling renewed and determined, and having caught and greeted Andrey, we turned immediately uphill and started hiking.
I must have been feeling better because I passed several athletes on this portion of the race. I have a lot of experience going uphill while tired, and so we chugged along steadily, my heart rate dropping, and I didn’t feel like I was in any trouble until the finish was practically in sight. And then I felt wonderful.
Even the Eiger smiled down on us: for once it wasn’t socked in and we could turn our heads very hard and see all the way up the entire north face. Beautiful. Indescribable. *Edit: this was the next day, haha, during the race it was covered
And finally, above, we could hear the crowd and see the finish in the fading light. There were some steps, which I took two at a time. Into the chute, I took Jon and Christian’s hands, we raised our arms together, and my Swissman experience drew to a close. It was an emotional moment, a triumphant moment, and a high point of my entire life.
I should note that, based on photographic timestamp evidence, less than two minutes later I was having my first celebratory beer.
Ceremony
After the finish, I congratulated a few of the athletes who were climbing with me, and then we went to the train back down to Grindelwald. It’s about a 45 minute drive, and once we got back to our friend’s house, we had a midnight dinner, capping off a nearly 24-hour day for the entire group. It would have been impossible to do without an amazing support crew, and I owe them my success at the race. Next morning, we got up early and went back to Kleine Scheidegg for the finisher’s ceremony, which was really cool. I got my Swissman shirt, talked at length with folks I had seen and interacted with during the day, posed for the photos, listend to the Alphorns, and finally, after a quick bite at Alpiglen, we left.
Conclusions
This race is absolutely incredible. I’d recommend it. My training was really good. I think my biggest issue was a bit of struggle digestively. I would have preferred to have taken my own bike, although I think the rental road bike decision worked out (my ISP road bike would be a nightmare to ship at the moment). I would have done nothing else differently, and as soon as my support crew forgives and forgets, I’ll be back.
Part 2: https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rt_(part_2)_P6704814
Run
https://www.strava.com/activities/1694328749
6:24, hoped for 6:00. As with all previous full-distance triathlons, I had a little moment at the beginning of the run where I had some doubts. But, as in previous instances, I took a moment, got some food, changed clothes, and set off. Thanks to my brother’s Suunto watch, I was able to have GPS for this effort. I felt well informed about the route, and knew that there was a very tough climb right out of T2 that I planned to walk in its entirety.
After doing this and beginning to jog, I was happy to feel quite good. I saw another tall runner ahead of me and pulled next to him, and we ended up running the next 16 or so miles together: Andrey from Moscow. After some talk about our run volumes, he commented that his last run was a week ago, and it was a marathon. He’d done Celtman. Good grief!
We got on well, talked about random running stuff, and I offered the services of my support team to him as he had no access to water during the first half of the run. We crossed the half marathon in around 2:05, running pretty well despite the heat and our growing fatigue. As we came into Bonigen and turned towards Wilderswil, it was really warm and we struggled to keep running. “Why do we do this to ourselves?” Andrey mused. I had no answer.
As the trail turned uphill, we adopted the strategy of walking the uphills and running the flats and downhills. Not bad. But by the Saumertaverne stop, only a few kilometers later, I was starting to feel very bad. The water I’d had a mile or so before was still in my stomach. Not good. I had some coke, which helped a lot, and I took off up the second biggest hill on run. About halfway up, I got very dizzy, and found that I could not even walk in a straight line. REALLY not good. I sat on a bench for a minute, and then, suddenly, my ears popped, and I immediately recovered somewhat. I got up, kept going, and was soon able to run again. By the neutral at Burglauenen, I was feeling all right.
I told Jon to come back for me if they were bored at Grindelwald, and turns out, he did. He met me at around mile 18, and we ran together till 20, where it was time to pass the checkpoint and head up the mountain.
Jon and Christian were my nominated supporters, and they had the backpack ready. Feeling renewed and determined, and having caught and greeted Andrey, we turned immediately uphill and started hiking.
I must have been feeling better because I passed several athletes on this portion of the race. I have a lot of experience going uphill while tired, and so we chugged along steadily, my heart rate dropping, and I didn’t feel like I was in any trouble until the finish was practically in sight. And then I felt wonderful.
Even the Eiger smiled down on us: for once it wasn’t socked in and we could turn our heads very hard and see all the way up the entire north face. Beautiful. Indescribable. *Edit: this was the next day, haha, during the race it was covered
And finally, above, we could hear the crowd and see the finish in the fading light. There were some steps, which I took two at a time. Into the chute, I took Jon and Christian’s hands, we raised our arms together, and my Swissman experience drew to a close. It was an emotional moment, a triumphant moment, and a high point of my entire life.
I should note that, based on photographic timestamp evidence, less than two minutes later I was having my first celebratory beer.
Ceremony
After the finish, I congratulated a few of the athletes who were climbing with me, and then we went to the train back down to Grindelwald. It’s about a 45 minute drive, and once we got back to our friend’s house, we had a midnight dinner, capping off a nearly 24-hour day for the entire group. It would have been impossible to do without an amazing support crew, and I owe them my success at the race. Next morning, we got up early and went back to Kleine Scheidegg for the finisher’s ceremony, which was really cool. I got my Swissman shirt, talked at length with folks I had seen and interacted with during the day, posed for the photos, listend to the Alphorns, and finally, after a quick bite at Alpiglen, we left.
Conclusions
This race is absolutely incredible. I’d recommend it. My training was really good. I think my biggest issue was a bit of struggle digestively. I would have preferred to have taken my own bike, although I think the rental road bike decision worked out (my ISP road bike would be a nightmare to ship at the moment). I would have done nothing else differently, and as soon as my support crew forgives and forgets, I’ll be back.
Last edited by:
EricTheBiking: Aug 15, 18 16:01