Jun 26, 2007 6:02 AM
European Long Dist Champs RR
European Long Distance Championships Brasschaat Belgium
Swim 3Km Bike 80Km Run 20Km - Weather Wet and Windy
Swim 1.04.15
T1 2.59
Bike 2.38.05
T2 1.47
Run 2.11.12
Total 5.58.21
This was to be my second attempt at this sort of ½ IM distance ? I did the same race last year and despite the problems I had with stomach issues and to be honest probably not being prepared enough ? I wanted another go.
What made it even better was it was the European Champs and I had been selected to race in the Age Group team for GB .
I arrived in Belgium the night before the race and found out that the hotel we were staying in also contained the most of the Elite athletes competing in the race . A dinner that night I realised just how good the field was when I saw I was sitting opposite Bella Comerford current World Champion (Who is really nice and friendly as were all of the pros that I met over the weekend).
As the race started at midday I was able to have a normal dinner and get a full nights rest. Up at 7.30 for breakfast ? 2 rolls with jam and a couple of cups of orange juice ? and a banana.-
Final check of the gear and we drove down to the Transition area . I had 5 other guys from my club racing for the team and we all had temporary club tattoos on for the day .
We set up our gear in T2 and prepared to cycle the 4 Km to the swim start ?
I wasn?t anyway as nervous as last year as I had faith in my coach and my training ?
I had 3 goals ? Minimum ? acceptable ? and perfect
They were Minimum ? to improve on last year ? acceptable to go Sub 6 hours and perfect would be sub 5.50.
We got to T1 and set up the bikes and got the wetsuits ready and then realised I had left my HR belt dangling off the back of my car ? What a dufus ? But I wasn?t going to let it bother me ? Mark (My coach) was racked 2 spaces up from me and he told me to forget it and be confidant in my own ability To trust my feelings ? He didn?t quite tell me to use the force but almost.
Wetsuits on and walk over to swim start ?
SWIM
The Elites started 3 minutes before us for the 2 laps of the lake ? The wind was kicking up quite a few waves on the lake but I was looking forward to the swim ? I felt strong in open water and wanted to be under my time for last year .
3 2 1 the gun goes off and so do we . We were in a wave with nearly 300 swimmers all trying to find there own space ? I am loving this ? after about 200m things start to get sorted out and people start to have there own space ? I feel that my stroke is nice and controlled ? I am swimming in a straight line and in control ? Round the first turn ? short straight and back down towards the start ? At this point as I am sighting I realise that one of the safety canoes is a 2 man canoe but this guy has his dog in the back
Around the turn at the bottom and 1500m done ? just as I turn again to go back up the long straight I hit the swimmer in front so I move off to one side and hit another one
No panic just keep going then I hit a 3rd which sends a bolt of pain up my right shoulder ? As I was coming forward on my down stroke the person o my side was bringing his left arm out of the water and wrenched my shoulder right back ? My first though was that I had dislocated it ? Oh S**T- I flopped over on to my back and paddled out of the way of the other swimmers A canoeist came over and asked if I wanted to stop ? At this point I didn?t know if I could go on ? I bobbed up and down beside him for a few minutes almost in tears with the pain and the thought of stopping ? but I thought of you guys My CR buddies out doing your bit to match what we were doing today ? I thought of Jim down in Nice and especially of Thor over in Idaho ? bugger this I am going to carry on ? I had lost nearly 5 mins in this stop and the shoulder was still painful but I knew that I would be able to move it ? not with as much force but I would get round ? I thanked the canoeist ad got moving The rest of the swim was a bit of a blur but I finally gout out f the water and ran up to Transition
Swim Time 1.04.15 Almost 7 mins slower than last year
T1
Quickly run around the racking ? off with the wetsuit ? glasses and helmet on ? socks and bike shoes ? grab my gels and shove them in the back pocket and away I go ? It was only when I grabbed my bike that I realised that it was raining ? not good on a technical course
T1 2.59
BIKE
The bike course is very flat with lots of tight turns ? 2 laps of 40km each ? I soon got into a rhythm and was keeping a steady speed and started to pass a few guys ? I took a gel about 10 mins in and some water and 2 thermolytes . I was keeping a steady pace of just about 30 km/hr ? the wind and the rain meant I was being a little bit more conservative that I would have like but I did not want to come off- In what seemed no time at all I was at the ½ way point of the first lap and passed the aid station ? I had all my own gels with me on the bike and had 2 botttles ? 1 Water and 1 Carb drink ? My plan was not to need to change them until the 2nd aid station at 40 km so I just kept going ? the straight sections were great but the many corners were very tricky-- wet greasy roads with lots of gravel thrown up from the recent storms
Soon I was at the 40km mark ?
I had managed to get around the 1st loop without being lapped by the pros so I was pleased with this ? A mini goal
I dropped my empty water and took another ? I eat another gel and kept going ? I was feeling really good ? It was about this point last year that my stomach problems started but not this time ?
The only problem that a flat course has is there is no rest ? no chance to freewheel for a while ? no hills to coast down ? at least with an uphill section you can change gear and get out of the saddle ? I think that in the whole of the 80 km I only shifted gear twice- Thank god for all those hours spent on the trainer. I was cycling within myself I knew that I could have gone faster but I also knew what happened to me on the run last year ? I wanted to be able to run .
The second loop seemed to take less time than the first and it wasnt long before I was headed into T2
Bike Time 2.38.05 nearly 7 mins faster than last year and I kept my Speed over 30km/hr
T2
Off the bike and a long run to my rack ? helmet off ? hat on change shoes -shall I change socks ? they are wet but should be fine- so no (I would soon regret this)
Grab my gels for the run ? make sure I have my baggie of Thermolytes and away I go
T1 Time 1.47
RUN
The run was 3 laps each of 6.7km with the first section from Transition taking you past the finish line ? The crowds were great shouting and cheering for everyone but it was especially good passing a group of fan from GB ? I settled into my usual plodding pace and got going ? my legs felt good and most importantly my stomach was great - had none of the cramping that I suffered with last year ? I hadn?t overeaten on the bike and had trained myself to take gels on the run .
The course was entirely through the park and twisted and doubled back on itself so many times that it was difficult to know where on the lap we were ( I was still confused during the 3rd time round) The timing mat was at the end point of the course but I didn?t have a clue as to how far along it was . I was taking small amounts of water at each of the aid stations and had planned on 1 gel per lap . The final part of each lap had us go around the athletics stadium track and then past T2 and a final km before the finish line past again ? The first lap went according to plan I was running steadily and felt good ? not long into the second lap I realised that my not changing socks policy was coming back to haunt me ? I was blistering in both feet ? but too late now ? so keep going ? I felt during this second lap that it would never end ? I was dropping off the pace a bit and my feet were sore and the shoulder was starting to hurt again (This may have been just coming out in Sympathy with my feet) I thought of all you guys again ? I use you most and your positive energy most during the low points- I grabbed my second gel and a couple of Thermolytes and kept going ? Back in through the stadium again and around to the finish ? I now knew that I would have to run the last lap in jut under 45 mins to get under the 6 hours ? I knew that the sub 5.50 was gone ? I couldn?t have done the lap in under 35 but I also knew that I was almost home and no matter what I would beat last years time ? I kept going ? During the whole run I only stopped once to step behind a tree briefly and walked when drinking water a couple of times at the aid stations ? Last year I had to walk quite a bit
On the last lap I managed to thank all the marshals and volunteers as I passed them ? I knew I wouldn?t be back round again ? I came to the entrance of the stadium again and I knew I had less than 2 km to go so I picked the pace up ? My feet didn?t seem so sore now and the shoulder I had forgotten about ? I was almost home
Around past T2 again and into the final 500m past the crowds I turned the final corner and gave it my all ? 2 fists raised in the air as I saw the first digit on the clock 5
I Had done it
Run Time 2.11.12 Nearly 22 mins faster than last year
Total 5.58.21 beat last years total by 25.22
After crossing the line I was given a space blanket and some fluids due to the rain and cheered in the last competitors ? Thankfully my stomach was not the issue I had last year so I was able to enjoy the beer (You can add a further 3 litres of fine Belgian beer to LRR?s running total for Sunday ? I have to add that this was drunk over the next couple of hours not straight away
)
Despite the rain we hung around for the awards ceremony and one of our club won the Silver in her age group .
GB also won a further 4 bronze medals including both Bronzes in the elite category .
After last years race I seriously doubted that I would ever be capable of doing the full IM ? Today I know I can ? I will be entering IM Germany next Monday when the entry opens .
The race was difficult ? the conditions were uncomfortable but with the exception of the swim I am really pleased with how I did. I know that one of my main problems especially during the run is the excess weight that I carry ? I am determined to lose another 30 lbs before Germany next year this will make it much easier especially running .
I have never been in a race with such a high class field ? I felt quite intimidated and inadequate compared to almost all the athletes racing . But I did find that all the athletes were really encouraging especially the elites ? Nearly all of them hung around after the race to cheer home the rest of the age groupers and gave loads of encouragement all round . They are a great bunch of people .
A special final thank you has to go out to all you guys ? I would not have got through this if it wasn?t for the support and encouragement that you guys sent my way
Ron was helping me through the swim ? Jim was pulling me along on the bike and Thor was pushing me on the run and John was helping me with the beer at the end and the positive energy from the rest of you guys was awesome ? I have read some of the updates that went on on Sunday Thank you all of you
Sorry for the length Thanks again
Neil
------------------
I'm not sure if Duff beer and doughnuts are good race day nutrition but I'm willing to give it a go
Stuff About Me[/URL" target="_blank">
Swim 3Km Bike 80Km Run 20Km - Weather Wet and Windy
Swim 1.04.15
T1 2.59
Bike 2.38.05
T2 1.47
Run 2.11.12
Total 5.58.21
This was to be my second attempt at this sort of ½ IM distance ? I did the same race last year and despite the problems I had with stomach issues and to be honest probably not being prepared enough ? I wanted another go.
What made it even better was it was the European Champs and I had been selected to race in the Age Group team for GB .
I arrived in Belgium the night before the race and found out that the hotel we were staying in also contained the most of the Elite athletes competing in the race . A dinner that night I realised just how good the field was when I saw I was sitting opposite Bella Comerford current World Champion (Who is really nice and friendly as were all of the pros that I met over the weekend).
As the race started at midday I was able to have a normal dinner and get a full nights rest. Up at 7.30 for breakfast ? 2 rolls with jam and a couple of cups of orange juice ? and a banana.-
Final check of the gear and we drove down to the Transition area . I had 5 other guys from my club racing for the team and we all had temporary club tattoos on for the day .
We set up our gear in T2 and prepared to cycle the 4 Km to the swim start ?
I wasn?t anyway as nervous as last year as I had faith in my coach and my training ?
I had 3 goals ? Minimum ? acceptable ? and perfect
They were Minimum ? to improve on last year ? acceptable to go Sub 6 hours and perfect would be sub 5.50.
We got to T1 and set up the bikes and got the wetsuits ready and then realised I had left my HR belt dangling off the back of my car ? What a dufus ? But I wasn?t going to let it bother me ? Mark (My coach) was racked 2 spaces up from me and he told me to forget it and be confidant in my own ability To trust my feelings ? He didn?t quite tell me to use the force but almost.
Wetsuits on and walk over to swim start ?
SWIM
The Elites started 3 minutes before us for the 2 laps of the lake ? The wind was kicking up quite a few waves on the lake but I was looking forward to the swim ? I felt strong in open water and wanted to be under my time for last year .
3 2 1 the gun goes off and so do we . We were in a wave with nearly 300 swimmers all trying to find there own space ? I am loving this ? after about 200m things start to get sorted out and people start to have there own space ? I feel that my stroke is nice and controlled ? I am swimming in a straight line and in control ? Round the first turn ? short straight and back down towards the start ? At this point as I am sighting I realise that one of the safety canoes is a 2 man canoe but this guy has his dog in the back
Around the turn at the bottom and 1500m done ? just as I turn again to go back up the long straight I hit the swimmer in front so I move off to one side and hit another one
No panic just keep going then I hit a 3rd which sends a bolt of pain up my right shoulder ? As I was coming forward on my down stroke the person o my side was bringing his left arm out of the water and wrenched my shoulder right back ? My first though was that I had dislocated it ? Oh S**T- I flopped over on to my back and paddled out of the way of the other swimmers A canoeist came over and asked if I wanted to stop ? At this point I didn?t know if I could go on ? I bobbed up and down beside him for a few minutes almost in tears with the pain and the thought of stopping ? but I thought of you guys My CR buddies out doing your bit to match what we were doing today ? I thought of Jim down in Nice and especially of Thor over in Idaho ? bugger this I am going to carry on ? I had lost nearly 5 mins in this stop and the shoulder was still painful but I knew that I would be able to move it ? not with as much force but I would get round ? I thanked the canoeist ad got moving The rest of the swim was a bit of a blur but I finally gout out f the water and ran up to Transition
Swim Time 1.04.15 Almost 7 mins slower than last year
T1
Quickly run around the racking ? off with the wetsuit ? glasses and helmet on ? socks and bike shoes ? grab my gels and shove them in the back pocket and away I go ? It was only when I grabbed my bike that I realised that it was raining ? not good on a technical course
T1 2.59
BIKE
The bike course is very flat with lots of tight turns ? 2 laps of 40km each ? I soon got into a rhythm and was keeping a steady speed and started to pass a few guys ? I took a gel about 10 mins in and some water and 2 thermolytes . I was keeping a steady pace of just about 30 km/hr ? the wind and the rain meant I was being a little bit more conservative that I would have like but I did not want to come off- In what seemed no time at all I was at the ½ way point of the first lap and passed the aid station ? I had all my own gels with me on the bike and had 2 botttles ? 1 Water and 1 Carb drink ? My plan was not to need to change them until the 2nd aid station at 40 km so I just kept going ? the straight sections were great but the many corners were very tricky-- wet greasy roads with lots of gravel thrown up from the recent storms
Soon I was at the 40km mark ?
I had managed to get around the 1st loop without being lapped by the pros so I was pleased with this ? A mini goal
I dropped my empty water and took another ? I eat another gel and kept going ? I was feeling really good ? It was about this point last year that my stomach problems started but not this time ?
The only problem that a flat course has is there is no rest ? no chance to freewheel for a while ? no hills to coast down ? at least with an uphill section you can change gear and get out of the saddle ? I think that in the whole of the 80 km I only shifted gear twice- Thank god for all those hours spent on the trainer. I was cycling within myself I knew that I could have gone faster but I also knew what happened to me on the run last year ? I wanted to be able to run .
The second loop seemed to take less time than the first and it wasnt long before I was headed into T2
Bike Time 2.38.05 nearly 7 mins faster than last year and I kept my Speed over 30km/hr
T2
Off the bike and a long run to my rack ? helmet off ? hat on change shoes -shall I change socks ? they are wet but should be fine- so no (I would soon regret this)
Grab my gels for the run ? make sure I have my baggie of Thermolytes and away I go
T1 Time 1.47
RUN
The run was 3 laps each of 6.7km with the first section from Transition taking you past the finish line ? The crowds were great shouting and cheering for everyone but it was especially good passing a group of fan from GB ? I settled into my usual plodding pace and got going ? my legs felt good and most importantly my stomach was great - had none of the cramping that I suffered with last year ? I hadn?t overeaten on the bike and had trained myself to take gels on the run .
The course was entirely through the park and twisted and doubled back on itself so many times that it was difficult to know where on the lap we were ( I was still confused during the 3rd time round) The timing mat was at the end point of the course but I didn?t have a clue as to how far along it was . I was taking small amounts of water at each of the aid stations and had planned on 1 gel per lap . The final part of each lap had us go around the athletics stadium track and then past T2 and a final km before the finish line past again ? The first lap went according to plan I was running steadily and felt good ? not long into the second lap I realised that my not changing socks policy was coming back to haunt me ? I was blistering in both feet ? but too late now ? so keep going ? I felt during this second lap that it would never end ? I was dropping off the pace a bit and my feet were sore and the shoulder was starting to hurt again (This may have been just coming out in Sympathy with my feet) I thought of all you guys again ? I use you most and your positive energy most during the low points- I grabbed my second gel and a couple of Thermolytes and kept going ? Back in through the stadium again and around to the finish ? I now knew that I would have to run the last lap in jut under 45 mins to get under the 6 hours ? I knew that the sub 5.50 was gone ? I couldn?t have done the lap in under 35 but I also knew that I was almost home and no matter what I would beat last years time ? I kept going ? During the whole run I only stopped once to step behind a tree briefly and walked when drinking water a couple of times at the aid stations ? Last year I had to walk quite a bit
On the last lap I managed to thank all the marshals and volunteers as I passed them ? I knew I wouldn?t be back round again ? I came to the entrance of the stadium again and I knew I had less than 2 km to go so I picked the pace up ? My feet didn?t seem so sore now and the shoulder I had forgotten about ? I was almost home
Around past T2 again and into the final 500m past the crowds I turned the final corner and gave it my all ? 2 fists raised in the air as I saw the first digit on the clock 5
I Had done it
Run Time 2.11.12 Nearly 22 mins faster than last year
Total 5.58.21 beat last years total by 25.22
After crossing the line I was given a space blanket and some fluids due to the rain and cheered in the last competitors ? Thankfully my stomach was not the issue I had last year so I was able to enjoy the beer (You can add a further 3 litres of fine Belgian beer to LRR?s running total for Sunday ? I have to add that this was drunk over the next couple of hours not straight away
)Despite the rain we hung around for the awards ceremony and one of our club won the Silver in her age group .
GB also won a further 4 bronze medals including both Bronzes in the elite category .
After last years race I seriously doubted that I would ever be capable of doing the full IM ? Today I know I can ? I will be entering IM Germany next Monday when the entry opens .
The race was difficult ? the conditions were uncomfortable but with the exception of the swim I am really pleased with how I did. I know that one of my main problems especially during the run is the excess weight that I carry ? I am determined to lose another 30 lbs before Germany next year this will make it much easier especially running .
I have never been in a race with such a high class field ? I felt quite intimidated and inadequate compared to almost all the athletes racing . But I did find that all the athletes were really encouraging especially the elites ? Nearly all of them hung around after the race to cheer home the rest of the age groupers and gave loads of encouragement all round . They are a great bunch of people .
A special final thank you has to go out to all you guys ? I would not have got through this if it wasn?t for the support and encouragement that you guys sent my way
Ron was helping me through the swim ? Jim was pulling me along on the bike and Thor was pushing me on the run and John was helping me with the beer at the end and the positive energy from the rest of you guys was awesome ? I have read some of the updates that went on on Sunday Thank you all of you
Sorry for the length Thanks again
Neil
------------------
I'm not sure if Duff beer and doughnuts are good race day nutrition but I'm willing to give it a go
Stuff About Me[/URL" target="_blank">
