It is a little late but none the less here it is. I suppose I can get started with saying that Challenge Roth is easily the biggest and best race I have ever done. The atmosphere around this event is absolutely incredible. The most amazing thing is that the locals just think that this is how every race is done and don’t realise why everyone wants to come to thier town year after year. Maybe why its such a successful event peerhaps?? Anyway onto the race.
Race morning was an early start at 4:00 getting the bus out to
the swim start. Everything had already
been sorted except for the Nutrition on the bike so there wasn’t much to do,
which for me left a good hour before the race start to soak up the atmosphere
and take in the size of everything it was easily the biggest transition I have
ever seen. I was lucky enough (well not
so much left to luck) to be in the first wave.
It was very interesting to see the quality of athletes in this field. I
haven’t been to Kona but I have been told that Roth is the race with the largest
Elite field outside of Kona. It’s a
crazy set up they have in Roth with no Elite category meaning everyone start
the race in an age group. Then you have
the top 50 ranked men and top 20 women then the guys who nominate to race in
the sub 9 category including the rest of the pro guys and fast age groupers
which make up the first wave of 300 or so guys, which included me. THE SWIM:
Before the start there was a fair bit of push and shove, but
while we were waiting I took the chance to have a look around and take in the
surrounds. It was amazing. The bridge over the canal – packed, the banks
– packed, everywhere else – packed.
Everywhere just packed with people.
I was thinking this is amazing. I’m
really here. I’m racing Roth. WOW!!!
THE BIKE:
Out of T1 and onto the pedals, I was on a bit of a high from
the swim and really looking forward to this. The first 10kms like most races I
just tried to settle in, get the HR down and have a bit of fluid. Riding
solidly but within my limits I found myself in a group of around 3 or 4, one of
which happened to be German Ironman Legend, Jurgen Zack. What were the chances!! I thought this was pretty amazing to be in
that situation and a little Star struck. I tried to talk to him but I don’t
think he really understood or cared all that much. He kept on saying stuff in
German but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. It was pretty cool riding
with a legend of the sport, not to mention having a TV camera next to us almost
the whole way. 
It is pretty amazing on this course. While it is nowhere near as easy as everyone
thinks, the support you receive all over the course, through villages and towns
and up the climbs is phenomenal. There
is one place however that trumps them all – The Solarberg (see photo). This is the place that all the photos are of
and every triathlete wants to experience at sometime in their life. Just turning the corner as we came into
Hipolstien and looking up the road to the Solarberg was amazing, the first time
through is euphoric, adrenaline just takes over which sent shivers through my
entire body. It is so hard to describe
the feeling – it’s just something that has to be experienced to be understood. There is something like 50 to 100,000 people
lined 4 and 5 rows deep all the way up the climb. While it is nowhere near the longest or
hardest climb of the race it has its difficulties, and the atmosphere just
drives you, you don’t want to slow down, if you do you know you’re going to get
a mouthful of abuse….. The adrenaline just drives you!! 
Before I move on I suppose it’s good to mention a couple of
things about the course. Before leaving Aus the consensus of opinion on this
course was that it was flat and fast. On its day this bike course has the
ability to be a fast, particularly if you can climb and descend well. It has a good surface plus the atmosphere. In my opinion it doesn’t get the respect it
deserves having almost 1600m of climbing one climb which is 3km @ ~5%, technical descents and tight corners through
towns and villages makes it a lot more difficult than it is given credit. My take on why the bike is so fast is simply
a direct result of the quality of athletes that compete. If you have 3500 individual competitors in an
event that has the best atmosphere in the world it is going to attract a high
quality field. Plus the Europeans (Germans specifically) are absolute monsters
on the bike. There is that embedded
mentality about doing a super fast bike time or needing to ride super fast to
race well. The result is a large amount
of bike times well under the 5 hour mark.
THE RUN:
The one loop run course was pretty good; I kind of liked it
because there was something new to see every km (except of course as you loop
back). It kind of made it feel like it went really fast. With about 60% of the
run on dirt trails it slows you a little, but I think that you get that time
back late in the race as you don’t get that extra bit of fatigue from the continually
pounding on pavement.
Couple with the Solarberg the final 2km of the run (photo left) are the
two best points of the race. As you snake your way through the old town centre
through the thousands of supporters either cheering, drinking steins or more
than likely both you know you’re nearly home. Through here I didn’t really pay
much attention to the surrounds as I was looking for one of my uni mates who
had the job of handing over the Aussie flag.
It’s hard to concentrate at that time of the race when you pretty much
run off nothing but adrenaline and while I was worried he came through with the
goods. Although I do think he was
enjoying the steins part a bit more than the cheering, but he came through with
the goods.
The last km was pretty amazing entering the packed stadium
and all you can hear is the music pumping, cheers and the German
commentary. I crossed the line in just
over 9:32 finishing with a very satisfying 3:31 run split. The most relieving thing is that I didn’t
keep the guys who were watching back home in Australia up too late waiting for
me to cross the line. I would be lying
if said that thought wasn’t on my mind throughout the run. I just kept telling myself, I have to finish
so the guys can get to bed. Ridiculous; yes, but you tell yourself what you
have to.
I don’t think I could be much happier with the result given
that I have only really been doing this stuff for 8 months. Next up - Busselton Ironman in Dec and who
knows? 6 months is a long time and there
is plenty of work to be done. So long as
I keep progressing. I will be happy.
Id like to thank the people close to me who help me through the day to day battles and the support they give me. I dont need to name them because they know who they. Without them and thier help all these things just don't happen. I also need to mention Hatch Associates pty ltd, the partners at Bilbie Dan, Zeon Bagnall, Maitland triathlon Club, and Drift Bike for thier financial support in helping me get to Roth without the help from these guys i would never have made it here and finally to my host family Perta and Heiner Zwinkel. Without you opening your home to me and making me feel lie i was part of the family as soon as i arrived i can not thank you enough. You were very influential in ensuring my trip and stay in Roth was a happy and successful one. Well that’s enough from me. Time for a few weeks of rest. Until next time.
Cheers
Dan.
No comments:
Post a Comment