EmbrunMan Ironman Triathlon
Embrun, French Alps.
Overall 13hr 59min 198th
3.8km Swim 1hr 12min 196th
185km Bike 8hr 28min 226th
Marathon 4hrs 80th
600 started the race, 440 finished....My day began at 3.35am. Kata, Leon and I were staying in Crots, a 20min walk from the race start at the Plan D'eau just outsideEmbrun.The night before, as well as applying factor 50 sun tan lotionall over, I'd placed my swim, run and bike bags and breakfast in theconfines of the small bathroom and so made my way there so as not towake anyone up. After struggling through breakfast and re-applyingfactor 50 everywhere I could reach, I woke up Kata to finish the job.After saying bon chance and a hug with Leon I left them to go back tosleep and made my way out for the walk along the dual carriageway. Thevarious bags around my neck and over the shoulders must have made melook like a donkey laden with goods as the car headlights passed inthe darkness. On arrival in the Park Velo I made my way for racknumber 77 ('soixante dix-sept!' which I would here shouted at least athousand times later in the day) where the trusty Bianchi was hangingafter racking it the night before. An italian guy opposite wasmeticulously pumping up his tyres, it seemed to the nearest 1000th psi and generally seemed extremely tense. 5 minutes before the start herealised he had not brought any swim goggles with him, fortunately Ihad a spare pair which he gleefully accepted. Giles Reboul (one of thepros) also had bad race prep as his derailleur failed on leavingtransition causing him to abandon.The 3.8km swim start is at 6am in the dark. The atmosphere waselectric. The gun went and 600 bodies launched themselves into thelake. The usual mad panic ensued worsened by the fact that you had noidea where you were going due to the dark. As my heart rate raced up Imanaged to spot an illuminated buoy somewhere in the distance andheaded for it. After 500m my heart rate had come back down and I beganto feel comfortable but had to continously look up to try and spot thenext buoy and make sure that the swimmers in front were actuallyheading for it. Two laps of the lake later and I was approaching theexit into transition, I'd had a good swim given the dark and the blindstart, 1hr 12mins.
It had started to get light at 6.30am and noweverything was in full view. Wetsuit off and bike gear on. I made myfirst and last mistake of the day, I realised I had left my sunglassesbehind after 50 metres of cycling.The 185km bike course is breathtaking. Not only for the 5000m ofaltitude climb but also for the sheer beauty of the landscape throughout. After 100m you are already into your first climb, up to 1250m. For me this is a good thing as I like to get my climbing legson early. The views of Lac Serre Poncon give you a big lift and myfirst rendez-vous with Kata and Leon was planned for 8.45am - 9.15amas the bike course passed straight past the hotel after the initialloop and back past Embrun. I made it here at 8.50am and as Kata wavedher arms and went crazy, Leon just looked up at his mother wonderingwhat the hell was going on. Fortunately all of the time ranges atcertain spots that I'd estimated were borne out on the early side andso there was not too much waiting around for them. After passingthrough Embrun we were off into the mountains. The temperature wasrising, there was not a cloud in the sky and it ended up being a 34degree C day. Bike nutrition consisted of Powerbar Bars and Gels,bananas, Electrolyte/Carbohydrate drink, water and coke. Once onto theslopes of the Col de l'Isoard the numbers of spectators spectacularlyincreased. Their enthusiasm was astonishing. Allez! Courage! C'estbien! C'est superbe! Allez Paul (pronounced 'Allez Pul' which becamemore and more endearing as the day progressed). The french holidaymaker is a wonderful sight, the whole family camped/sat by the roadside, the obligatory chien wandering around, table set up withfull picnic, parasol etc. Allez!! The Isoard is a relentless 2 houreffort, there is not one inch of flat and the road varies from 3 -20%. At various points there were guys keeled over with medicalassistance on hand, administering drips, as their bikes were leftabandoned by the roadside. There were holiday maker cyclists tryingtheir arms on sections of the mountain decked out in US Postal shirtsetc. I found I was leaving these guys for dust which together with theshouting of the crowds spurred me on.
On reaching the top (after 6hours 10 minutes of racing) I felt slightly delerious however this quickly disappeared as I was acosted by two french guys one of whom unzipped my race top to shove a newspaper across my chest then zipback up (to protect against the wind on the way down), and the otherwho brought me my special needs bag. I made sure that I unwrapped the2 ham sandwichs (a treat!), I had prepared in the bathroom earlier,from the foil before starting the descent, took a bite and put them inthe pockets on my back. Also in the bag was a fresh litre ofElecrolyte/ Carbohydrate drink and various energy bars/gels. I was away and all of a sudden clocking 70km/hr on the bike computer.'Concentrate' I remember saying as I approached the first turn. Thefeeling of delerium was still with me and I went round the third turntoo fast, like a speedway motorbike racer, losing the back endcompletely. Not crashing was a miracle and was a firm reality check.There are no safety walls on the mountain and next stop after a crashis somewhere down the mountain side. The descent actually takes yourbreath away, like being in some horrendous fairground ride as youcling to the handlebars trying not to be catapulted off. Oddly I thenfind myself completely alone and cycle for something like twentykilometeres without seeing another racer (apart from one guy who hasparked his bike and is sitting in a village water fountain lookingdazed). The heat at this point is considerable so I concentrate on mynutrition and hydration. At around 140km there is the 2km 15% hillthat I have feared for some time. It springs itself on you with nowarning and you are out of the saddle instantly. There is no way I amgetting off and walking up this. All I remember is seeing the roadlooking like a wall. I make it. I can now do any hill on this courseand no longer fear the bike course. The remaining 45km is a blurapart from the final 5km which is a cruel 10% hill. I make my way upthis as though it is not uphill, I feel like I can climb anything nowand the legs are on autopilot. As I approach the Park Velo in Embrun Ispot Kata and Leon which was a hugely welcome sight, this means thebike is over. As I approach the transition area I almost struggle torealise that I have to stop cycling now. My bike split was 8 hrs28mins. Good.The transition area was like a furnace such was the heat. I reappliedthe factor 50 to arms and shoulders. I was completely white comparedto the French, Spanish and Italian guys who all looked as though theyhad been lying in the sun for months. On with the white reflectivecap, sunglasses, 600ml of electrolyte drink downed and I am away. As soon as I start running I think ' I do not want to do this, my legsfeel like they have been pummeled with baseball bats, it is boilinghot, my stomach feels like a tombola, I want to stop etc'. This lastsfor less than a minute and I then say to myself 'just get on with, youknow your running legs will come in 10 minutes or so'. The usual then.Once out of transition you are hit by a 50m 15% hill, I actually startlaughing. 'This course is ridiculous'. I can see three guys walkingthis. I run it, and end up not walking any part of marathon includingall the hills contributing to the 400m vertical climb you achieve onthe two lap run course. Gradually I begin to feel good. I now feellike I am running fast and decide to keep pushing, in the hope that mynutrition plan will see me through. I have one power bar gel withoutfail every half an hour with around half a litre of water, and havebananas and coke + more water at all the other aid stations. I wasamazed at how quick that half litre gets absorbed. At first it feelslike you've just finished your dinner, then within three minutes itfeels like you are empty again. After circling the lake you arestraight into the 1500m 5% hill up to the top of the cobbled streets of Embrun. Loads of guys walking, hobbling here. Some guys are justkeeled over on the road-side. I run up and this plus more cries of'C'est bien ca, bon' from the roadside spur me on. Now it's a longstretch out to the the River Durance and my pace is good. I'm nowthinking a four hour marathon is possible and a sub-14 hour finish ismaybe on the cards. Thinking about this race back in January, thisseemed an impossibility. Now it was reality, as long as I couldcontinue to push at this pace. 'When will I blow up, it must come'went through my mind many times. The section at the Durance ishorrible. It's an out and back with no shade. Ambulances littered thissection and some guys looked really bad here as they lay down, againwith drips attached. I hope they made it OK. The section after theDurance is a never- ending hill up to Baratier, again I don't walk atall and pass many runners. The first lap is almost done. The crowdsare incredible. Whole families line the roads, the kids running at youwith sponges. People seem to know who 77 is and as soon as I arrive everyone is saying 'Allez Pul!', an advantage of being one of the onlynon-french in the race (the race programme contained the racer numbersand names/nationality). Some people go even further all the way to oneperson shouting 'God save the Queen!'. One italian woman shreeks 'CheBianco'..('look how white he is'). Going through Baratier there is agroup of around 40 people all screaming Allez Pul! Bloody amazing atthat point in the race. As I run back to the finish to start my secondlap I see Kata and Leon again, who are parked up in the shade, andthen off up the 15% stomach churner again. The second lap is a greatmemory. I maintained pace and pushed to the limit, I could not have gone faster. Out on the River Durance section I pass a guy also on hissecond lap who was staying at the same hotel as us. This guy was tall and built for speed, he looked a bit like a cartoon action hero. The day before, Kata said that he looked like one tough cookie and startedworrying about me doing the race. I would definitely be telling herthat I passed him! and at speed. This Frenchman turned out to be avery nice guy, talking to him the next day back in the hotel, hefinished 32 mins behind me, but he did finish, he is now an Embrunman.Back up the punishing hill to Baratier, into Embrun, around the lakeagain and I am 1km from the finish. I know a 4hr marathon is close anda sub 14hr finish is possibly on. I don't look at my watch. I am absolutely sprinting for the line with no let-up. I don't see anyone(apart from Kata, and Leon, who shouts out as I pass) although thatfinal kilometre was absolutley packed with people going crazy. I cutthe tape in 13 hrs 59 mins 42 seconds and have run a 4 hr marathon.
This race was breathtaking, everything I expected and more. By thelength of this report you can probably tell that it meant a lot. Thisrace attracts the best IM Triathletes in France + around 100 international guys and I finished 198th from a 600 start list. Now for a rest!
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