Challenge Roth

Pre-race

Sunday, 4 a.m.: I wake up. I have a 30-minute drive to the transition and need to fuel three hours before my start time (7:45 a.m.). I fill my bottles with water, add Veloforte electrolytes, get dressed, and jump into the car. I would usually have overnight porridge for breakfast, but staying in a hotel wasn’t an option. 

Once parked I head off to the transition area. Put my bike computer on its mount, add the electrolytes into the Shiv fuselage, put the two water bottles on the back of my saddle. Then it’s time to undress, put the wetsuit on and hand over my transition bag to the staff. 

The race

I’ve tried it all. Books. Swim analysis. Training. Custom wetsuit. High tech goggles. And my conclusion is that swimming is a very technical and ungrateful sport.
I was expecting to be slow. And I was. Despite feeling quite good all the way in the 3.8k canal loop.
A first though, I swam into a kayak 😂 I also pushed a bit too hard on my goggles, so I didn’t get water inside, but I definitely got marks around the eyes after 1h23mn. It felt like my left eye was out of its orbit.

The bike is where I am in my element. And where I hate photographers that always take photos from the front.
Thank you Challenge Family for having some taken from the side.
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I was SO pleased when I finally managed to reset and upgrade the firmware on my Qarq power meter.
Now, that I had power data, I could try sticking to the target of 70-75% FTP throughout as an average (208-221W). I’m pretty sure it went up when Magnus’ chasing group overtook me, as I try sticking with them (within the legal 12m). Leon overtook me on a hill. The power they put on those is mind blowing.
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Talking about hills, Solar Hill was absolutely stunning, it felt like being a cyclist in the Tour de France with the road opening as you go. I felt lifted from bottom to top.
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Nutrition was it went a bit off piste with my brand new Specialized bottle cages unable to keep the bottles in (yeah, never try something new on race day). I had enough Veloforte electrolytes for most of the course but had to eventually switch to the Challenge’s sponsor drink towards the end. Apart from that, Veloforte gels and chews all the way.
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5 minutes under the 5 hours mark, it was time to give the bike to one volunteer, follow another one that had my transition bag, and get on with my run.
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Transition in Roth is like staying at a 5 stars hotel.

Before the race I knew a sub 10h was possible: less than 1h30mn for the swim and T1+T2, a 5h bike leg and a 3h30mn marathon.
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For the run I decided to go carbon with my On Boom who served me well in the London marathon (3h03) and the LCW marathon (3h20). Having raced those two with laces, I thought it was time to upgrade to a ‘no lace’ solution. They say never try something new on a race day … I did.
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I started well with a pace around 4mn30/km. But quickly my feet felt compressed. I had to stop to adjust the ‘no lace’ system and got back to a 4mn45/km pace, hoping to maintain it for as long as I could.
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Aid stations were well placed, every 1.5k. I still don’t know how to drink and run so I walk in every each of them. That’s not where I lost time!
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About 5k in, maybe a bit more, I felt pain in my quads. Both. Something I’ve never experienced before. It could be the bike ride, pushing hard, but I believe it’s the carbon plate that wasn’t right for me and the course.
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The pain started to go worse and worse as the km went. I convinced myself not to walk up until km 33. I’ve tried stretching but the pain remained and legs got stiffer. The cap went backwards, a sign it’s time to go deep.
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I’ve tried the Coué’s method, repeating to myself I wasn’t in pain. Also telling myself that pain was temporary and regrets eternal, plus that I paid for this. But still, I had to walk. As little as possible, but I did walk, loosing some precious time here and there.
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I didn’t want a DNF. I was cautious. With 2k to go, I knew it was in the bag, and I – somehow – managed to put the pain aside and finish in less than 10 mn, lifted by the amazing crowd.
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10h10mn32s, it’s what took me to conquer Roth. A bit disappointed, but proud of my achievement. IM distance #4 (Nice, JurassicMan, LCW, Roth). And a PB.
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The post race recovery park was impressive: massage, showers, food, drinks, … They’ve definitely learned how to through a good event after 40 years running.

TIME CHIP