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Guadeloupe – yes, I know, where the hell is that? I exclude all my French friends from this comment, as, although it is far removed, it is indeed a department of the French metropole. So, for the benefit of the geographically challenged I have inserted a map indicating the location of this butterfly shaped island.

It was not my search for Johnny Depp and The Pirates of the Caribbean that brought me to Guadeloupe, but rather my quest for an exotic end-of-year race.
The Fiat Karukera Triathlon, now in it’s 19th year, certainly exceeded my every expectation, and was by far worth the epic voyage to get there!

There are so many people who made this one of the best trips of my sporting career, but out of honour and respect for what these guys do everyday, I have decided to put them right up there, at the top of my story. The race was organised by the Gendarmes (a kind of specialised branch of the French military) of the Abymes station in Guadeloupe. These guys serve, protect and even risk their lives for their country on a daily basis, yet found the time to organise a triathlon that can only be described as world class organisation.

Apart from Cyrile Pistre, chief in charge, I don’t think that many of these guys have actually ever done a triathlon (je lance le defi Monsieurs les Gendarmes ;D!), but I sincerely believe that they are capable of organising anything from a 3yr old’s birthday party to a multi-national military operation! Chapeau to all of you guys, and my greatest respect to your profession!

 My first sightings of the Island of Guadeloupe left my mouth hanging wide open. The beauty and diversity of the island is truly spectacular, as well as a savageness that can only be the product of centuries’ old volcanic eruptions. I can hardly blame the French for claiming this piece of paradise as their own! Similarly impressive is the amount of cars that can be seen blocking up every road, at any time of day here! People here love their cars, and are willing to sit in traffic in the heat and humidity simply to let their wheels turn, and listen to an array of Creole and Reggae tunes. I have to admit that I was seriously considering where I was going to ride my bike! Fiat, the race sponsor, generously came to our assistance and offered us a number of cars to use during our stay – was pleasantly surprised to see the ’green’ advances in terms of automated fuel efficiency, especially in a place where traffic backs up alot…well done Fiat!

Sunday morning, and as the sun glowed over the turquoise Caribbean waters, I could hardly wait to get going! There is nothing more motivating for me than racing in a beautiful and balmy venue . I was told to expect some serious competition from the feisty Guylene Louis, so I knew that I had to make the swim count. Luckily, from the gun the boys set a very fast pace, and I managed to plug myself in with a little group of four.

The top step of the podium

 The most amazing thing about standing on the top step of the podium, is not just the view, but the heights that it encourages you to reach in your next event. I had such a fun time out on the race course, that the pain of some of this season’s failures just evaporated as a distant memory, and all I wanted to do was cross that line first!

 

A special mention has to go to these guys Thierry (left) and Laurent (right) – apart from making me laugh and forcefully making me go to Mc Donalds to eat a Mc Flurry, they are truly special people. The guy in the middle is indeed a cardboard cutout of their clubmate Vince who died at the age of 25 from cancer. Every race they go to, Vince is right there with them, and I am so priveleged that I too, got to know Vince!

Post race:

Lolling in the sea at St.AnnesShopping on the beach The best food for monkeys and me!Exceptional spice markets

 

Always wondered about coconut palm fatalities

Pierre our race announcer flirting with the sorbet seller

 

 

The secret cascades deep in the forest

Doing what the sign says you are not allowed to do !

Local kids get swimming lessons in the sea!

View from my beach resting place

Climbing palms to try and get coconuts!

Black sand beach and swimming with the turtles at Malendure

Thanks to Pierre Cessio and anyone else I may have stolen pictures from! 

There are some races I will simply never forget. Usually, one would expect these to be races that I have won or fought an impressive battle, but no, I did not win the Indian Ocean Triathlon, and even though I got a credible second place, this is far from the reason that this has to be one of the most memorable events in my career as an athlete…

I have never been to Mauritius before, having largely thought of it as an expensive honeymooners joint with not much to do – boy did I have to swallow my words! When one does the maths, you will actually find that a week in Mauritius, all inclusive will probably cost you less than a December week in Cape Town, where everything is super expensive, the south easter blows everything away, and  the water is a chilly 13 degrees, oh, and the men in the dark suits lurk in the sea (FYI the Great Whites)…. 

The Indian Ocean Triathlon is most probably one of the best kept secrets in the world of Tri. Not only do you have the perfect, idyllic setting with warm, magnificently clear waters, but you also have roads in surprisingly very good condition. The locals in Mauritius are friendly, and realise the importance of being good to the tourists who visit their shores, so are usually willing to go the extra mile for you…at no extra charge!

On landing in Mauritius (a mere 4hr flight from Johannesburg), it was impressive to see that these people are on the upward move – a new, state of the art airport is being constructed adjacent to the old one, and should be completed next year…

 Unlike many island destinations, I found Mauritius to have retained much of it’s rustic charm, and to be less ‘commercially’ touristy – in other words, you still feel like you can go by unnoticed as a tourist, and not be bambarded by people trying to sell you things.

On arrival, I was picked up by my own personal chauffeur service, with a friendly driver, who even had the sense to hand me a bottle of water for the journey to the south of the Island which was to take about 45 minutes. The weather in Mauritius at this time of year is very pleasant, I like hot, but I think at this time of year it never reaches beyond 30 degrees. The road leading south is lined with sugar cane fields as far as you can see, and dotted with small villages. Houses in these parts, although colourful, always seem to be ‘under construction’…dogs seem to casually wander across busy roads, not seeming to have one owner, but rather being collectively owned by the village.

  A large group of athletes from all over Europe, including France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Italy had decided to make the Indian Ocean Triathlon their last race of the year, and a week in the sun before the European Winter sets in. VO2Max Voyages flawlessly organised everything for the athletes (Most of whom were the most fun people I have ever met!) from the hotels to the actual race logistics. I got to stay in the magnificent Tamassa hotel/resort, which offers nothing less than excellent service, beautiful gardens, stunning ocean views and an athlete’s nightmare – buffet meals! I arrived not knowing anyone, and I have to say by day 2 I had already made some memories with some really good folk

The best part of the Indian Ocean Triathlon, is that for a week, everyone, including Pros, Age-Groupers and Partners hang out with each other. Prior to the race, bike rides, runs and swims were organised , and amazingly I think that nearly all the race participants joined in! Everybody got to  meet the Pros and chat to legends like Thomas Hellriegel and Laurent Jalabert.

Some of the most fun I ever had was riding at the back of the group with some people that made me laugh so much I could barely keep pedaling – Mathias from Germany, who quickly understood the African way of doing things – his bike was irreparably damaged by the airline, so he decided to ride a ‘local’ mountain bike, complete with gel seat cover, squeaky brakes and a good 2 sizes too small. Next was Celine from Aix-les Bains (France), who was impecably dressed, who managed to execute the most graceful crash when her dropout snapped – she got up, smiled, laughed and decided that she would probably finish the climb of Chamarel in the support bus (yes, there is a bus where partners and family can also check out the course, and take some pictures). But the guy who really reminded me that everything about doing triathlons should be fun was Pierre from Lille. Pierre has a less than state of the art bike, which is most likely indestructable, but probably last had a service before he got his first grey hair. Thinking that Laurent Jalabert might feel inferior if I sat his wheel the whole way up the climb, I thought it would be more fun to join Pierre on his personal attack on the monster of Chamarel. He stopped to take a few breathers going up (the heat and humidity being a touch more than the north of France at this time of year),and of course I gave him the option of no options. He did not quit and get in the bus, which turned out to be a good thing – poor Pierre managed to pick up a stomach bug the night before the race and ended up not racing .

Pierre conquers Chamarel!With Thomas Hell and Jaja

Race day. I would have to say that there were more laughs than there were nerves, the Indian Ocean Triathlon is not a place for menacing scowls!

The start takes place on the white sands of the beach of Les Pavillons hotel, and within seconds of the gun firing we hit the clear warm waters of the coral reefs. Of course, things would be idyllic were in not for the surprise beneath the surface – a current strong enough to bring the great Thorpedo to a halt!  The path to the first buoy I am sure took me 15 minutes, and then the return trip of 15 seconds for 500m. Needless to say I couldn’t help but giggle under the water at the uselessness of my force against mother nature! The swim exit had to be executed with NASA precision – one overestimation and you would be swept past the exit altogether…

Next up was the 55k bike course – nothing, I thought, for someone more accustomed to the Iron distance. What I did not expect was that the race organisers would put a little ‘sting’ in what would have made for a pleasant ‘holiday’ race…. the Chamarel! Locals know this climb well, and you could just see that, for them, it has been the site of many a training battle!. Unfortunately, as we started the bike (me in second place behind Charlotte Morel), nature decided to shower the Mauritian Island with what the Luxemburgers dubbed a ‘warm shower’. Given that Charlotte is a strong candidate for the French Olympic team, I knew I would be a little off her pace on the swim, so I hoped, that I might be able to catch her on the bike. It was not the climb of the Chamarel that troubled me, but rather the going down the other side! Normally, I can be pretty reckless on descents, but this time, I had to go down like a real Mary Poppins! I did have the honour of being passed by Jalabert….like a rocket (impressive his uphill sprinting ;D!), only to see that he had crashed on the descent, remounted and then punctured himself out of the race….you see even heroes have their bad days!

After surviving the not-so ‘easy’ bike that I imagined, I maintained my second place ino the run. Once again, the run had to have some true Mauritian flavour to it – more sand and beach than you could dream of . The three lap run course, mostly on off-road paths, had a particularly challenge section on the beach itself – made for great pictures, but boy, by lap three there was more wobble than legs!!

I ended the race in a pleasing second place behind Charlotte. The men’s race was won by Fred Belaubre (who will compete for France in the Olympics next year), followed by Hell on Wheels (or should I say Hell on a Buffet ;D!), and Christophe Jouffret.

As for me, I cannot wait for next year’s edition, and this time I hope to take a team of Springboks with me….who’s in???

Some more pictures in case you have some doubts

Time out...Beach podium

Coconuts!

I only eat carrot sticks – or so the myth goes! Nobody ever questions the contents of the plate of an Omnivore, or Carnivore for that matter, but heaven help you if are a Vegetarian! I have been a “full – on” Vegetarian for 18 years now, yes, that’s right folks, no animal, fish or chicken flesh has entered my mouth or digestive system for nearly two decades now. I have been questionned and ‘advised’ more times than I remember, and can only but sigh when asked “You must be lacking something??” or “How do you manage to do all the training you do and you don’t eat meat??”. And of course my favourite (usually softly spoken as if referring to a terminal illness) “Why don’t you eat meat?” – funny, no-one ever asks meat eaters why they EAT meat?!

Anyhow, for the pleasure of my readers, I have decided to try and dispell the myths without reverting to any sarcasm .

1. Why I don’t eat cow, fish or chicken  -  Vegetarianism has always been in me. I have never liked meat since childhood. As an adult, I do not approve in any way of killing any creatures for food – I believe it is intensely cruel and barbaric, and completely unnecessary. Humans can survive perfectly well without it. To top things off, ‘meat production’ (here we could never refer to animals, capable of feeling emotion and pain, it would make us far to uneasy), has a hugely damaging impact on the environment….so we put our blinkers on and pretend that what we do not chose to see cannot possibly affect us.

2. I only eat carrot sticks – Or salads for that matter. Go to any regualr restaurant as a Vegetarian, and ask for the available options, the first response is almost always “Oh, er… (stunned expression), we have some lovely salads!”. Yes thank you, after a 6 hours training day, a salad is exactly what I am looking for ! The ladies in the gym changerooms are also experts at this one – “Eish! You must be eating only salad to be so slim??” *sigh* it could never be the hours of training that could be the contributing factor to ‘slimness’?. Ok, so put the myth to rest, I actually do love carrots (my favourite veg), I am an expert in salad preparation, but I do eat lots of carbs and proteins (the type without eyes ).

3. I must be lacking something – Of course Vegetarians are lacking in everything, except a conscience ;D. We are pictured as pale, hippy like people who wear crochet and tie-dye . Naturally, if you ever happen to have a sniffle or a bad race, it has to be because you are ‘lacking’ something! Vegetarians are not allowed to show any form of physical weakness without being lambasted by the ‘normal’ folks. Interestingly, the ‘something’ that we are lacking is never quite defined. To prove this theory wrong, I submitted myself to a series of blood tests after feeling a little ‘off’ after my travels to China last year. The Doc had absolutely no idea that I am a Vegetarian, and on the return of my blood tests, he revealed that I was in fact in excellent health, not lacking in ‘anything’ and that I merely had picked up a little stomach trouble from eating food I was unaccustomned to. To prove the point, I specifically asked for my protein and iron results- and guess what? Wasn’t short of any of those…

4. I do not belong to any strange religious sect – This one makes me giggle . I do not abstain from flesh for any ‘religious’ requirements, though, if I were not an Aethiest I would probably be rather supportive of any religion or cult that condemned flesh eating!

5. I am not offended sitting at a table with meat eaters – I cry tears for every animal that is killed to satisfy human greed, maybe you don’t! I do not care what is in your plate, the guilt is yours to bear, not mine. In the same breath, do have the decency NOT to analyse my carrots!

6. Yes, it is very possible to be a competitive athlete and not eat meat - Just ask Dave Scott.

I do not wsh to lecture anyone, or promote Vegetarianism to anyone with a penchant for a Sunday Braai, but I do wish to eliminate the myths!

Now being comfortably in my thirties, I, like many others my age, have started to realise that I do have to pay attention to what I eat (actually, how much I eat). Gone are the days of my youth where I was able to eat a whole pile of junk after training because ‘I deserved it’. Nowdays, it is quite possible that my jeans can feel a little tight in the post-race season ;D. 

I have been back in SA for nearly 3 weeks now, and most of that time I have spent admiring my Asics running shoes from the comfort of bed at 6am! Were it my choice, it wouldn’t be that way, but after 4 months solid racing and training in Europe, my body was in no uncertain way telling me that it was no longer going to be forced to co-operate.

The more than niggling calf pain that I was experiencing for the past two races, is in fact a muscle tear. While my wonderful physio Linda Steyn is an expert at fixing the things that I ‘break’ because I simply do not heed the signs, she did insist that I had to take time off running. This seemed a completely absurd idea to me…I mean, running is what I do??? She then asked me when last I took time off to recover properly? Apart from the odd day here or there, I really could not answer her! As athletes, so often we blame performances on what is wrong with our bodies, or not training hard enough, but it takes a whole lot of balls to admit that through our own obsessive compulsiveness we do not rest enough!

I am, unfortunately,  firmly from the school that believes that I should be doing something productive ALL the time – if I am not training I need to be working to make money to support my Triathlon habit, and if not that, then I need to be making a contribution to the well being of society in some way or another. My head will always tell me that only a lazy man is still in bed at 6am (even on a weekend), even though my body is desperately begging for at least another 1 to 2hrs sleep… In essence I like to believe that my body is that of super-woman, and that it will do anything I want it to, no matter how I treat it!

Finally, after having had a cold which left me reaching for the Kleenex at an average of 30 second intervals, plus the calf tear which made it impossible to run, I had to succomb to what my body needed most – REST!. Of course I have felt twinges of guilt, especially when friends all around me are training up for Ironmans and the first sprint races of the local series, but I have come to enjoy this time as I know that I am building a stronger body…even though it doesn’t feel that way right now!

The extra time has given me the opportunity to do things in the sporting community, without actually having to race, and yes, that is possible! Last weekend, I helped the Boksburg Athletic Club man a water point at the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Walk, which was a fun experience! Most of the club members in attendence all had an injury of some sort, ranging from calves, knees, hips and general old timers – which made for great conversation as we got to compare our complaints! It is not always easy to explain how you feel to those who are (presently) strong and training hard, but mix the injured together and it is like one mighty support group!

While setting up the water point we had to delegate tasks according to the mobility of each member, so that no-one would pick up, say, a shoulder injury from carrying crates of Coke with an injured knee! As this was a walking race, I estimated that the pace would be quite relaxed and that we wouldn’t have cups of Coke being smashed at high velocity out of our hands. What I didn’t count on is that the leading males were actually walking so fast that I had to run (hobble) after them with water sachets and cups of Coke splashing about!

My point about dealing with injury or flu or lazititus, is simply that your body is pulling up a hand brake. You can either wallow in self pity, or, if you can handle the head part, then you can see it as the performance enhancer that will boost you into the next season. Tomorrow, I am putting in my great new xtenex transition laces into my Asics shoes, ready to tackle the new Tri season… 20 minutes every second day….for now!

Getting ready for the 'stampede' of walkers

Making an 'emergency' plan when the water was not delivered...The guys and gals from Boksburg AC in action!

Cannes? Nooooo! ROYAN

Crazy ideas are something I am good at coming up with. One has to say that doing a half Iron distance race, 6 days after an Ironman is pretty crazy, or some would say just plain dumb! Despite the obvious stupidity, there were some reasons why I decided to take on this ’6 day’ feat….

• To see if I could finish
• To see if I could win
• This had to be THE most talked about race in Poitou Charentes
• The organisation was destined to be top notch with people like Etienne and Stephane in charge!
• I have never been to Royan (A prime motivating factor for me)
• It was to be my last race in Europe and lots of my French friends were there for the race…and party after!

Gastronomy from the top class Garden Ice Cafe :}

I drove down to Royan (about 2hours from Poitiers) last Friday, and apart from some issues with parallel parking french-style outside the hotel (how do you somehow squish a car between two bumpers!?!), I arrived well without the use of GPS. The Pro athletes were hosted in the quaint and charming Alpha Hotel, which was conveniently situated about 400m from the race site, yet far enough from the party goers. Apart from a groaning toilet and Simon Billeau’s snoring in the room next door , it was ideal!

Perfect car for messing up your hair

As I had no idea what to expect from the course, Bastien from the race organisation offered to take me around the course in a car. What I didn’t expect was a REALLY cool car! Pictured is the car . I almost let my love of fun and fast cars distract me from one of the most scenic courses I have ever seen!

When I decided on this little ’6 day’ feat, I had no idea that this course was far from easy, and the race organisers have a very strange sense of humour! Firstly, the race could only begin at 14h30, because, due to the tides, there would be no water to swim in any earlier! Then of course there was the left current, the chop and some very big globby jellyfish…

Knowing where to stand at the swim start was vitally imperative, and I can’t say that I got this right. Within minutes of the gun, I was fighting off a washing machine of big male arms, the left current, mouthfuls of Eau de Royan and grabbing handfuls of those squishy jellies! As a result, I swam really slow, came out the water first, but I had definitely not got the advantage I was hoping to get, with two girls coming out right on my heels. The run to the transition was a really long one, so the organisers really made sure that the blood was back to the legs and everyone was well warmed up for the bike…

Someone remembered the SA Flag!

The bike was a really challenging, and energy sapping 3 lap course over the dreaded ‘little’ hills of Meshiers. The problem was not that they were little or exceptionally steep – rather it was the fact that you had to ride them on the way out, and on the way back, which multiplied by 3 would give you a total leg mashing 18 repetitions! Despite my previous week’s warm up of an Ironman, my legs felt pretty darn good on the bike . I felt really strong, and for once got to use my descending skills to gain some time over some particularly bumpy downhill sections whoooo….hooooo! Amazingly, 90k felt relatively quick in comparison to the Iron 180k . Soon I had a comfortable lead of around 5minutes…until the last 5km, while in the process of overtaking some male competitors, I was shown a black card by a rather hasty referee :(:(. While I have to respect the decision, I cannot help but wonder why he did not take a minute to actually study what was actually happening – did he really think that if I had not been drafting for 85k that I was about to start in the last 5k??? As for the males who think it is cool to suck female wheel…GGGGRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

Local Royan architechture...

So that was that. My hard earned lead disappeared through a penalty which meant 4 minutes prison time. This is not always the worst thing that can happen – sometimes it is useful to get your heart rate down, eat, and in my case, have a pee . By the time I was released from prison, the stiffness had plenty of time to accumulate in my legs, and I emerged at the same time that the second girl started the run. On a good day, this would have turned into an interesting race on the run, but my legs now felt like lead, my left calf disfunctional, and I couldn’t match her pace. I had signed up for this, unsure of what I was going to be able to do, but knowing that I was prepared to give every last ounce of what I had. The run was very challenging, even if you were well rested – the organisers must have had lots of laughs when they decided that we would run across 3 small beaches (yes, in thick dry beach sand!), on two of the laps! It was actually pretty hilarious to see athletes wobbling their way across the beaches! There were many strategies as to what to do – take shoes off, wear socks, no socks…. I decided that I would wear socks (I still had the battle scars from the previous week), and then just hope for the best. Everyone seemed to suffer, including my friend Tristan (who although terribly disappointed with his race), who had the misfortune of not packing socks, and then still having the most not-so-funny stomach issues which led him to a little mid-run ‘baignade’ in the ocean .

The podium

Unfortunately, even though my heart was wanting the win more than anything, my legs would not tolerate anymore . I finished a credible 3rd place. Finished, exhausted, but knowing that I had given everything of my best in the last 6 days, and for that, I couldn’t ask for more. The podium is always a great place to be, even if you know that you’re going to feel the pain for some time after …

I have nothing but the sincerest thanks to the organisers Etienne, Stephane, Bastien and all the volunteers for a race (and party) that is going to become one of the most famous in France! It was great to do and share this event with so many friends, in particular Valerie and Tristan (my hosts in France), Philippe (who was great to see making his comeback after 10years!), and the guys and girls from the clubs of Stade Poitevin, Chatellrault, Charentes, Royan who have made me feel so welcome! Merci boucoup a vous tous, et j’attend la saison 2012 avec impatience et bien sur je m’inscrit pour la course de Royan 2012!!

Apologies for the delay in this report, but owing to traveling time, little recovery and catching up on work, I have only now had the opportunity to tell you about….

COLOGNE! How did I come to do this race? Well, I have been in contact with Melanie, one of the race organisers for most of this year. Apart from organising an event comparable with Roth, they have contributed mostly generously to my project at Padi School, without having even met me! The organisation of the Cologne Tri have already sent over a box of disused race T-Shirts and medals, which will surely inspire some smiles and performances at Padi School! Thank you Melanie and Uwe, we will report back soon …

So, after being struck by the ill-fated bacteria that ended my race at Ostseeman, I was significantly restored and ready to attack another Ironman in Germany! Cologne is a fantastic city, very vibrant and dynamic – it has to go down as one of my favourite cities in Germany for sure .

There is beautiful architechture, and many interesting details, if you just take the time to look around. I found this guy, who reminded me of the feeling you get the day before an Ironman -….what have I got myself into????

Although I would have loved to spend my time being a tourist, I was indeed here to compete (and this time finish or die trying ), in my 15th Ironman. The course was magnificently laid out, and despite not feeling 100% I was sure I could put in a good performance. The swim took place in a lake that caters for rowing regattas, so there are lines above the surface and even just below the surface, so navigation could not be easier! I used my new Tri 11 wetsuit for the first time on race day, and I had a strong swim, exiting just seconds down on Diana Riesler.

I jumped on my bike, and managed not to crash in front of all the spectators . However, this time, I could not get my left foot in the shoe….no….not because of a coordination problem, but rather, I seemed to have gotten a roll of electrical tape stuck inside! Well, I didn’t intend for it to be there, but I do know that I was looking for it everywhere just before the race! My apologies to the person that I hit when I managed throw it out ;D! The bike course in Cologne is flat an fast (whoo-hoo!), the only thing that can really slow you down is the little thing called wind, a bridge crossing, oh, and a tiny little hill that my friend Kristin from Norway said “Don’t laugh! You’ll feel it by lap number 3!”. Ok, it did snap a little …

Although I lost some places, I did have a very good bike ride. I knew this was the German Championships, so the German girls were really lifted and motivated, but being half German myself, I thought I would give it a bit of the Koll-sche stuff too! The result, I had one of my best bike splits ever (thanks Ray and Nat for all the advice!), but was in 6th place off the bike.

The run takes place in central Cologne, and along the river Rhine, so scenic, and at the same time really bringing the spectacle of the sport to the public. Unfortunately, the run turned out to be very tough for me , I still wasn’t feeling quite right health wise, so while I had hoped to gain some places, all I could do was manage to maintain my position. I have to emphasize that the race organisers were particularly cruel – and let this be a warning to anyone , they decided to include one of the steepest spiral staircases I have ever seen in my life! We had to run (ok, walk ;D) up this thing 3 times! By the time I got to the top, I felt much like some of the party goers that I had seen the previous morning,  trying to  make their way between the horizon and the earth… I think next year they should launch a challenge to see who can run up there the quickest, an then take photographs at the top!!

In the end, although a bit slower than I expected, I finished respectably, but for sure this has got to be one of Europe’s star Iron Distance races! I absolutely loved the course, people and the atmosphere of the weekend, which included many different distances, and makes the attempt to incorporate every triathlete no matter what his/her level!

Many Thanks to Melanie, Iva, Stef and the gang for a memorable weekend… I’ll be back!

Pictures of the Token – ‘Wunderfluegel’ posting a new PB, my very fast new Asics, the awesome TRI11 wetsuit  and other race pictures coming soon ….

Wonderful stay at the Maritim hotel - they even remember to provide chocolates!

A few lover's locks - literally millions on this bridge!

The old is peserved alongside the new in Cologne...

Dissen is a small town in Germany, about 30k from Osnabrueck - 9000 inhabitants, a delicious bakery or two, a bank, post office but not much else that you can blow your money on! The fact that you can walk everywhere in this town means that it is nearly impossible to experience the good heart of it’s people.

Following what should have been the ‘race high’ after racing Ostseeman, I came here to spend a week on a totally different mission, this time not for me, but for 480 kids back home at Padi Intermediate School.

My good friend Carsten Michael, of the Dissen Triathlon Club, read about my project with Padi School on this very blog, and decided that although Padi is very far away, there was something they could do. So, what better than a running race, planned for the  14th of August, all proceeds going to Padi School :).

Seeing the efforts of Carsten, Wolfgang and the guys and girls of Dissen Tri Club quickly lifted me out of my post-disaster-race melancholy, and soon I got really excited about the race! What was simply amazing, was how EVERYONE got involved, on a VERY RAINY Sunday and every contribution was made with a smile – A smile for kids that they have never met…

There was a 5k and a 10k race, passing through the beautiful forests and town of Dissen, although I have to admit Carsten wasn’t messing about when working out the route, it was by no means flat and easy! On the first test run, a couple of those hills left me short of conversation and with lots of lactic in the legs!

On the day, we unfortunately bore the brunt of some very rainy German weather , so sadly, I think we got fewer entries than we hoped, but those that did show up were a merry lot (who even forgave my bad German and directing skills ). We did, however, manage to raise close on 300 Euro, which is around R3000 and is going to go a long way in helping these kids. Watch this space as I will show you what we will achieve on my return to SA in September!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Carsten, Wolfgang, everyone at Tri Team Dissen, the people of Dissen and of course all the runners who came and got their shoes very muddy and clothes soaked!

I’ll let the pictures show the stories…

Sometimes you just want to hurl. Sometimes you know the cause and sometimes you don’t, but all I can say is that whatever is the cause, it is not usually very pleasant!

The summary is simply this – I went to Germany a week ago to race probably the best triathlon that Northern Germany has to offer – the Ostseeman Iron Distance Triathlon. I really love this race, I finished 3^rd there in 2009, 2^nd
in 2010, so you can understand if I say that I REALLY wanted to win the race
this year! The fact that the organisation is so brilliant and that I have made
so many good friends there, made me want to do it even more J.
My training has gone really well here in France, and so have some of the races that I have done from here, including:

• 3^rd ITU World Series China
  1^st 20k Mignaloux France
  1^st 15k Vernon France
  3^rd Nouatre Int. Triathlon
  2^nd Aquathlon Jard Sur Mer

So, all in all, a very promising preparation….

Two weeks before race day, on a Sunday night I am ill L, I am writhing in pain from stomach cramps, sweating, then the chills
and worst of worst…. I want to hurl L! Three days later I felt better, but since, still a little out of sorts…

July 29, I leave for Germany, and while sitting in the train, I am reading my Horoscope in the French newspaper – it says ‘Beware of “Imprevus” ‘ (Beware of the unforseen). I thought this might have had something to do with the German air traffic control strike that had been announced for the day, and I thought that I could be in for some delays…
Unfortunately for me, and yes, here I can only wish this was a case of delays… the journey went absolutely fine, but the unforeseen was coming down with the mystery illness again, the night before the race L! Once again, I was up every hour, trying to wish away discomfort and pain that my stomach was causing, but, as luck would have it, I arrived at race start still bearing the unrelenting stomach pain. I told no-one, in the hope that if I did not recognise it’s existence, it would somehow disappear during the course of the swim and bike.

To cut a very disagreeable story short, I felt dreadful, dreadful, dreadful…. Unable to eat anything on the bike, and so, I had to make the even worse DNF after attempting one lap of the run. 14 Ironmans under the belt and I just could not do number
15 to the end…
No pity please! I am attempting no.15 again in two weeks time! As it is always said folks – It doesn’t matter who you are, how well trained you are, there is no guarantee that you will finish an Ironman!

This story, however, does not end there, and despite feeling under the weather, and the obvious disappointment, I had one of the most positive and heart-warming experiences in the week that I spent in a little town in Germany called Dissen, just after the ‘Imprevu’ of my race. But that merits a story of it’s own…

Being in France and at the Tour de France is an enormous privelege. I have been to the Tour a few times before, but never have I had such a special day as this one! The day did not start out according to plan – nothing unusual for me – and after being misguided by technology called GPS we found ourselves stuck in a traditional French traffic jam. The problem is that the whole of France apparently needs to go on holiday at the same time, and apparently, all in the direction of the ocean. The clock was ticking, the temperature was steadily rising, the ‘Caravan’ had probably already passed and I was convinced I was not going to get my share of Haribo sweets and TDF freebie bounty…

Eventually, when it seemed like 1 millionth caravan had finally let us through the ‘Peage’ (Expensive toll gates in France ), we were able to execute a U – eee and back track to Les Essarts where stage 2, and the Team Time Trial of the TDF was to take place. I was quite right that we had missed the ’Caravan’, and I could only glare at fellow sun-burnt spectators as they proudly wore their “Champion’ spotty caps and ate their free cheese and salami samples…

It was just after 2pm (Stage start 2.30pm), and I was absolutely starving. Absolutely had to find some food or there was no way I would be able to enjoy my favourite cycling spectacle! Apart from having to climb over a sea of spectators, already enjoying their picnics and vino, it seemed like mission impossible to get into the town and find foodddd….

En route to the nearest Boulangerie (Bakery), we had to walk around the back end of the VIP ‘village’, and even made the comment about how fortunate this lot were to be enjoying their nosh and drinks on tap . Just then, Lady Luck or should I rather say Mr. Luck slapped us in the face! We were approached by a chap wearing a France TV embroidered shirt, and being a typically suspicious South African, I was already questioning in my mind as to what he was about to sell us…
Turns out Jose from France TV had been waiting for two friends, who never bothered to arrive, and wondered if we might want the two VIP passes that he had reserved for them! I had to think really hard for all of one second if I was up for the challenge of being a ‘VIP’ at the TDF - Um…HELL YES! So we snatched up our VIP bracelets and marched straight into the VIP village .

What an awesome experience is all I can say! We could eat whatever we liked, from a range of stands, offering delicious regional snacks and delicacies . On top of that we received a few TDF souvenirs and of course some Haribo sweets .
By now we were ready to watch the spectacle that is probably the most awesome race in the world – the TDF Team Time Trial! As VIP’s we got ourselves the most perfect spot ever – right where the boys get their bikes checked (There are some stringent checks regarding weight and measurements), before they get going. At this spot we got to see every single team, team member and mechanos as they prepared. It was so great to see all the riders up close, as well as their magnificent machines . We were close enough to feel the stress, smell the sweat, hear the conversations and of course check out the legs ! So here are a few facts that I happen to take note of:

• Team Sky had two spies taking notes on the every move of the other teams (Incidently, the two blokes often seemed to plonk themselves in the way of my photos …)
• Danilo Cuenego is tiny! The dude is pint sized and most probably weighs around 50kgs!
• Thor Hushovd has massive legs and is hot
• Fabian Cancellara probably ha the biggest legs out of any rider on the Tour – He is built like a TT thunder machine.
• The Schlecks – Surprisingly taller than I thought, but way skinny…
• Jan Bruneel – ex-Armstrong right wing man needs to lose a few pounds.
• Vladimir Carpets is cool – smiles and jokes even in the heat of the moment.
• Coolest looking bike – La Pierre ridden by the FD Jeux – very swish looking eagle graphic
• Least Good Looking boys – Rabobank
• Least organised Team – Liquigas, the mechanos were still fiddling with cranks, brakes, saddles 5 minutes from the start!
• Best turned out Team – Garmin and Astana – they simply just smelt like lean, mean oiled machines!
• Most Laid-back Dude – The Green Jersey, Cadel Evans – looked like he was waiting for the gusy to pitch up for a Sunday Coffee ride!

I also got to test out the official indoor bike of the TDF – By American Company ProForm – like an indoor simulator, using Google earth, you can ride any route in the world if you choose! The hills are not simulated by resistance, instead the whole bike lifts as it would on a hill…really fun and practical for dark or miserable days!

After all the action, we had to walk back to where we had left the car – in a giant field filled with mountains of cow poop, only to wait another 2 hours for the traffic jam to ease, but that was ok, it gave me the chance to soak in my day of good fortune!

Pictures: