"For most of us, health will depend not on who we are, but on how we live. The body you have at 20 depends on your genes, but the body you have at 40, 60 or 80 is the body you deserve, the body that reflects your behavior."
-- Dr. Harvey Simon
Ou la la! Where do I start...
One could start describing the outstanding beauty of the Alps Maritimes with its impressive cliffs, peaks & charming villages, the lapis lazuli color of the Mediterranean Sea or the enchanted Ville de Nice together with the Côte d’Azur, but I would defined it all with a categorical: tout c’ est magnifie!
Ironman France, with the course where Mark Allen once dominated, is a place with a great tradition of triathlon racing and a distinctly European competition. The fact that it has a bike course that is regarded as one of the most spectacular & difficult in the world make it a race for the determined only.
Ou la la! Where do I start...
One could start describing the outstanding beauty of the Alps Maritimes with its impressive cliffs, peaks & charming villages, the lapis lazuli color of the Mediterranean Sea or the enchanted Ville de Nice together with the Côte d’Azur, but I would defined it all with a categorical: tout c’ est magnifie!
Ironman France, with the course where Mark Allen once dominated, is a place with a great tradition of triathlon racing and a distinctly European competition. The fact that it has a bike course that is regarded as one of the most spectacular & difficult in the world make it a race for the determined only.
The pulsating nightlife in Nice. Here with Cory
Just a few bikesThe last minutes of the dark dawn said goodbye to all party animals and a shiny morning received all competitors gathered in the transition zone.
The Start at 6:30 am would be from the rocky beach of Nice and consisted of two loops, swam in different directions, one of 2.4km and the second of 1.4km with a beach run between both. The ocean was calm and pristine and the azure blue water was cool but not cold.
The whirlpoolIn a sec I was behind the feet of a hefty swimmer who was wearing a blue wetsuit, which facilitated the catch, and who open me the way among the 2500 swimmers who with unprecedented euphoria invaded the blue waters of the Mare Nostrum.
The second loop would be more abrupt because when exiting the water I lost my blue guide and as a result the collisions and stroke-orientation become more and more frequent.
The swim would end with a PB swim in an Ironman but that would not be a great cushion with what would come later.
T1 consisted of a 400m run to the bags and a 400m run to the bike, and in my case, it was fast and irrelevant and very soon I was en route to one of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes in the world, but also one of the most dreaded, due to more than 5000 feet of climbing and stunning & technical descents.
We would pass across fourteen quaint French villages with narrow cobbled streets, each with its own particular style which ranged from mountainous villes to medieval towns and fortified castles.
The second loop would be more abrupt because when exiting the water I lost my blue guide and as a result the collisions and stroke-orientation become more and more frequent.
The swim would end with a PB swim in an Ironman but that would not be a great cushion with what would come later.
T1 consisted of a 400m run to the bags and a 400m run to the bike, and in my case, it was fast and irrelevant and very soon I was en route to one of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes in the world, but also one of the most dreaded, due to more than 5000 feet of climbing and stunning & technical descents.
We would pass across fourteen quaint French villages with narrow cobbled streets, each with its own particular style which ranged from mountainous villes to medieval towns and fortified castles.
Stunning views and virtually no guard railsThe route, a magnificent emerald gemstone with gold had a number of splendors which make, for brief moments, our effort less severe with initial relentless gradients ranging between 10 & 12%. The first climb was hectic at 10%. More than one opted for walking their bikes; others less fortunate broke their chains and many, just like me, ride with all our strength sending our heart rates on top of those infamously rough climbs without even pushing the pace.
At the 50km mark it began a long ascend of twenty one kilometers famous for being a mountainous stage of the Tour de France and which truly tested muscles & tenacity in an endless clamber-like march towards the mountain ranges of the Alps. Fortunately the scenery took my mind off the hard work.
To tell the truth we all knew that this steep stretch would arrive sooner than later but once we were there, it showed us its sharp teeth which ranged from thin fangs to cutting incisors. I tried to speed the pace all I could, but the g-force attracted us like magnetic-iron-men.
At last one could see the crest and unbelievable we were just at the 71km mark, with 109km remaining, long Kms that included short high plateaus with incredible panoramic views of dense green mountains, projecting cliffs and durable fortresses; more & more cruel and inescapable climbs and finally one of the most technical and reckless descents of any cyclist route in the whole world, with tight hairpin bends, crazy speeds, a few U-turns in the middle of the descent at speeds of 70km /hr and mad cyclists everywhere, fiiiiiuuuuuuhhh!
During this time I saw more than one cyclist loosing control of the bike and falling down and one or two ambulances helping fallen athletes. According to later reports, unfortunately in this part one athlete passed away.
The entrance to the Ville de Nice announced the end of one of the most beautiful and equally challenging bike courses on Planet Earth, and with a strong and warm wave-like hug “she” received us.
Mi condition could be described as stable and I only feared of the possible consequences of that crushing heat that I was sensing, since my training had not include enough running in the heat, nonetheless we are Iron-men and NOTHING, yes you read correctly n o t h i n g, could ever affect us… Well, in reality, all things affected us at the time, but it was nice to think otherwise.
T2 was just as long as the first transition and I was sweating profusely even before I was out of transition. Even so, it evolved smooth and swift.
I started the marathon approximately at 2:00 pm after a stunning bike course and considering the difficulty of such ride, I dare to say, to some extend, it was a solid bike. The temperature was hovering around at 38-40ºC /104ºF. There was absolutely no wind and the run was going to be a real tester. Gossip was that the afternoon Mediterranean sun has been known to melt the ice creams while they are still in the freezer!
Still smilingThe run splits tell the full story. First lap was good (maybe too good) and I thought I would crack sub-4. The second lap was where all the chickens come home to roost, and I felt sleepy and though that maybe I was running in zigzags and could fall down anytime soon, I eventually conceded that I had to take a break. The shade of a palm tree called my name and it was inviting, I declined at first but then I had to stop, I lie down and set my alarm to ring 5 minutes from that moment. I really was afraid to sleep and wake up hours later… no way! Soon after that session, I realized that I was no longer in control and that the finish was going to be a struggle.
In the zone
By now the run course was very crowded and the tables had queues of athletes trying to cool themselves down and drink what ever they could find. I started cramping in the top of my thighs and calves on the last stretch along the beachfront and didn’t quite understand why, as I ate many bananas and swallow many salt pills & electrolytes, and all in all I was feeling good. But definitely it affected me later.
Light on my feet
The last two laps were spent dodging walkers, slow runners and cheering them. Eventually I pulled myself over the line, slapping thousands of hands in that vibrant blue carpet. It was a disappointing run on my standards but the overall experience was phenomenal. That day in Nice I gave my best in an extremely difficult course but equally magnificent race.
This time was more than a mental game…much more. But I can proudly say, I am a 7x Ironman Finisher.
7x Ironman “Swim 2.4 mile, ride 112 mile, run 26.2 mile. Then brag for the rest of your life.”
-- Commander John Collins, US Navy and the father of the Ironman.
