Challenge Kraichgau

Last Sunday I raced Challenge Kraichgau over 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run. My 9th start at this event — more than at any other race. In previous years I’ve always used this race as a training tune-up for the main season goal, racing it straight out of a training block. This year the dynamics were different — my season highlight was already 4 weeks ago. To still have some meaningful comparison with previous years I trained fully through the two weeks prior, as preparation for the next race (Challenge Roth). Those two weeks were among the harder ones — not because the training was so different or longer, but simply because I was hitting a wall after about 30-45 minutes in every single session. In short: nothing was working. ...

Two days to go until the first race of the season, the Challenge Kraichgau. It’s always been a preparation race leading up to the season highlight — this year even more so than in previous years. Training under race conditions, essentially. Why? I was injured for a long stretch this year — almost 4 weeks out during the crucial base phase in February/March. During that time I ran exactly 20 kilometers. Cycling only worked with pain. Swimming was at least possible. In running I’ve probably made up the deficit — the recent training results at least suggest so. On the bike there’s still something missing; the long sessions aren’t quite where I want them yet. Of course I’d be further along without the injury, but for the Challenge that shouldn’t really matter. ...

After two very busy days I finally got around to digging into my SRM data from the bike leg at Challenge Kraichgau. I mainly wanted to understand why, despite higher watt output, I was slower than last year. My questions were answered — more on that in a moment. First, a look at the power comparison between 2010 and 2011. The yellow curve shows 2010 values, the red curve 2011. The curves are about 3 minutes apart — mentally shift the red one slightly to the left. ...

… or me and the race marshals… It already started on Saturday at bike check-in, when my TT helmet failed inspection — more on that in the post about the bad omen. Today was the sequel: I picked up my very first time penalty in my triathlon career. More on that below. Conditions today were significantly tougher than last year — fairly windy (last year was calm). This showed up in the swim as choppiness, and later on the bike with wind from every conceivable direction. ...

The race marshals at the Challenge Kraichgau bike check-in were very thorough — and they found something. My TT helmet is defective and I’m not allowed to race with it tomorrow. The reason: two approximately 5mm-long “cracks in the outer shell” (direct quote from the marshal), which can no longer guarantee safety… The initial shock was significant, especially because I don’t quite see it the way the marshal does. In principle he’s right — there’s a crack, and that’s against the rules. BUT: the underlying material is completely undamaged and just as solid as before the crack. It really is just a crack in that 1mm-thick outer shell… ...