A few days ago I went to Cyclefit in Bensheim to get a saddle position analysis done and to sort out my discomfort on the bike. Let me say upfront: it was worth it in almost every respect. There were two main issues to fix: the saddle discomfort that had been getting more and more frequent (including numbness in my legs), and a compensatory movement in my left leg during the final phase of the pedal stroke. ...
Planning for the new season is mostly done — here are the races I’ll be entering: Jan 6, 2012 – Three Kings Run Dielheim (10km) May 20, 2012 – Heidesee Triathlon Forst (1km – 32km – 7.5km) Jun 10, 2012 – Challenge Kraichgau (1.9km – 90km – 21.1km) Jun 24, 2012 – City Triathlon Heilbronn (2km – 70km – 15km) Jul 8, 2012 – Ironman Germany (3.8km – 180km – 42.2km) A half marathon or a 10K might get added here and there, but the race dates haven’t been confirmed yet. ...
There was a change to my bike position yesterday, and the next one will probably be due in two weeks. 1. New extensions The old S-bend extensions were swapped out yesterday for straight ones. The S-bends had too much rise, meaning my actual grip position was about 1.5 cm lower when I was riding relaxed in aero position. 2. New saddle position At the end of November, a saddle position analysis is planned — something isn’t quite right with my position on the bike. It mostly shows up as saddle discomfort; unfortunately the saddle just doesn’t fit my backside anymore.
For the stats fans among us, here are the raw numbers from the 2010/2011 season: Bike: 360h / 10,262km Run: 233h / 2,856km Swimming: 112h / 340km Total: 705h / 13,458km For comparison — my car mileage in the same period: 9,009km
Last Wednesday was the day — the 10,000 season-kilometer mark on the bike fell. Somewhere on the Rhine levee, doing 45 km/h — fitting, I think …
After exactly 8 days and 74 minutes I couldn’t take it anymore without sports and relapsed. It was my longest sports-free stretch in over 5 years — a weirdly peculiar time. Unfortunately my appetite didn’t adjust accordingly, with the result being almost 2kg extra on the scale. Tuesday and Wednesday I had two very easy bike rides on the schedule, just under 2 hours each. Absolutely amazing, and somehow incomprehensible that you can miss it so much… it was only 8 days off ;) ...
Who would have thought that after this year’s Ironman Germany in Frankfurt there could be a step up in terms of conditions?! I was prepared for a lot: rain, wind, and rough roads, waves in the swim and a rolling marathon… my expectations were exceeded by far, and not in a good way. Given everything, I can say (and so can many of my fellow competitors) that we finished and survived what is currently the toughest Ironman on the calendar. Every single person had to work extremely hard for their finisher shirt and should — no, must — wear it with pride!!! ...
A look at my stats has revealed something surprising: as of today I’m only 1,011km short of hitting the 10,000km mark on the bike this year. I should take advantage of this — who knows when I’ll pull that off again. I think I’ll start back up tomorrow ;)
… or what do you do with too much free time?? I was genuinely looking forward to this period even before Wales, but somehow I’m already not enjoying it. After 6 days completely without sport I’m seriously considering getting back to it again. I feel like an addict being forced into cold turkey withdrawal… luckily the weather isn’t great today and I don’t want to get wet — I can get through today, but tomorrow I might just… ...
Well, that didn’t go as planned… Short version: The swim went pretty well despite some heavy wave action. Admittedly, most people cut the first section quite significantly. Then the real suffering began. The bike course had a casual 600 extra meters of climbing not listed — over 2,500m total. Terrible roads and fierce gusting wind added to the misery. It was completely unpredictable out there and genuinely dangerous at times. At least it didn’t rain. I probably drained half my electronic shifter battery — there was never 30 seconds without a gear change. Toward the end I had serious back pain and hand cramps from gripping the handlebar To top it all off, I had to stop three times for three (!!!) flats. All my spare equipment was gone by km 95 After the second stop I knew the qualification goal was gone; after the third, motivation was gone completely. Lost roughly 15 minutes from the stops alone I rode out the rest of the bike leg pretty listlessly, with noticeably less power on the pedals I ran the first lap of the run at full effort. Midway through the second I found out my current placing and wanted to quit after a 4-minute chat with my support crew Jan and Frank. Eventually I did keep going — but with the handbrake firmly on, nowhere near first-lap pace. The run course is simply brutal — it’s all uphill or downhill. There’s barely a flat stretch anywhere. Some sections are too steep to run. And all of that after that bike leg… Summary: Even with the reduced run effort, it was the hardest race I’ve ever started. Frankfurt this year was a walk in the park by comparison. Unfortunately the bad luck on the bike left me no chance of reaching my goal. Shame… ...