Ironman France
Peter JordanFirst of all I must tell you that this was a fantastic event - atmospheric, well supported, great hospitality and a course to die for. It certainly left me thinking that IMUK was very low key in comparison.
As for my day in Nice it turned out to be an epic. A real hard battle to get to the end but the memories and the medal made all the effort and pain worthwhile. Nice really will have a place in my heart for the rest of my days.
Apart from a few dramas in the build up – e.g. got stung by a jelly fish the first time I took a dip and then had to buy a new wet suit after I went for a swim with wet suit to find that one half of the zip had gone awol! - I arrived at the start line feeling confident and in great shape but then promptly snapped my nose clip 5 minutes before the gun. After a quick panic I realised I was stuffed and that I would have to swim with salt water up my schnoz!
I needn’t have worried as the starting horn blasted and I was off. I started wide but in the second row of the grid and had a clear, albeit slightly longer, swim to the first turn where I avoided the crunch on the inside. I rounded the second turn and headed back to shore for the beach turn around. Although there was the odd bit of pushing there wasn’t anything too serious and I made it to half way in 37 minutes (unbelievable for me).
Clambering back on to the beach to run round the turn point and get back in to the water (as painful as the entry due to a beach made of large pebbles) I realised that my feet were feeling a bit battered. However, I dived back in feeling positive about my time and determined to maintain the pace. I just about managed this and was out of the water in 74 minutes (8 minutes faster than Sherborne).
A very long transition started (long run up the slip way and through the finishing chute to the tent, then an even longer run with the bike to the exit). This was all on concrete/paving stones. Although this lasted for 10 minutes I was more worried about my feet. They are always a problem for me (take a look at them next time you see me in the pool as they aren’t normal!) but this time they were feeling tender at the start of the bike rather than towards the end. I sensed trouble ahead!
I shrugged off these negative thoughts and got stuck in to the bike. Although I held my self back in line with my plan it seemed to take me an hour to completely get over the swim and find an easy cycling rhythm. However, no sooner had this happened than I was in to the 3000 feet climb to Col l’Ecre. Although this was steady and never really steep, it went on and on and on. In fact it went on for 21km. By the time I got to the top I knew I was in trouble. Although my muscles were fine and HR under control my feet were a big problem – shooting pains and a burning sensation in both feet.
By now I had serious doubts about getting back to Nice. I stopped, took some pain killers and massaged my feet and got going again. Although I soon felt fine this was short lived as I had to get off my bike again after 10 km or so. This happened 6 times before I got back to Nice and destroyed my chances of a good time.
Although I felt gutted for about the next 50km I pulled myself together and worked hard to make sure I stopped focusing on the time I had lost. I reset my goals for the race so that time was off the agenda long before I got back to Nice. Although my bike was a slow 7 hours 35 minutes I was ecstatic to have made it back and to get off the bike.
Although I was hobbling badly enough for Mrs J to look worried, things improved as soon as I got my running shoes on. However, I new the run was going to be a personal nightmare as I was about to hammer the feet again with 26.2 miles of road running. Although I winced for the entire run I popped more pain killers and somehow managed to keep moving on what was a very hot day. It was 28 in the shade and some claimed that it was at least 35 along the sunny marathon course. Must say it was really hot and walking through the aid stations was essential to ensure adequate hydration and make sure you used the sponges and hoses to keep cool! While this was fine for thermo regulation it played havoc with my bladder – at one point I smiled to myself when it occurred to me that I might be spending more time in the toilets than I was running.
Despite more adversity than I had ever had to deal with I kept going and dragged a couple of youngsters along with me. Although it was tough the crowd were fantastic. My number had my name on it so that all I heard was allez Peter from start to finish. The crowd and volunteers were fantastic and played a huge part in making sure I kept going. Overall the heat was not as bad as I feared – probably because the run was at a slow pace and because my feet hurt so much.
After the second lap I got fed up with gels and started taking the food at the aid stations (fairy cakes, bananas and crackers) and then downed a brie sandwich I had in my special needs bag (Lynette’s idea – and what a good one it was despite a French man almost passing out when he opened the bag for me and caught the whiff of a brie sandwich that had ripened in the sun throughout the day!). This helped enormously as did a couple more pain killers and I sensed an increase in speed during the 2nd half of the run.
I rounded the final turn and headed for the line. Bit by bit the finishing line came in to view and all of a sudden I was heading for the Can Can girls at the finish line. As I got closer I was delighted to discover that the gorgeous young French lady flashing her knickers at me was no hallucination. Although it was tempting to stop and make a new acquaintance I “charged” past to cross the line in 14 hours 16 minutes. Although slower than I had hoped for a finish is a finish in an Ironman race and given the circumstances I was ecstatic.
I picked up the most impressive medal I have ever received, had an erotic post race massage and then met up with Lynette in time for the finale. As the last competitor to finish approached the line the pa volume rose to a deafening level and a firework display to the sound of “we are the champions” brought a truly fantastic day to a close. If you are thinking about an Ironman then I would urge you to sign up for Nice. The heat was manageable, Nice is a fantastic venue with the most incredible cycle course and the people involved in the event moved heaven and earth to make sure everyone had a great time in Nice.
PS. Pictures (see club photos) and thanks for all the good luck texts before the event they really helped my motivation levels hit the ceiling the night before the event!.
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