Damian's Training Blog
Training for IM France

Ironman France Final Report.

Well didn’t get a chance to update the blog in the 3 weeks leading up to the Race, so I’ll do a quick report of how training went leading up to the race. I went to Italy for my Sister in laws wedding, it was gorgous in a fantastic location which took my mind almost complelty off Ironman training. I always knew I had this wedding coming up and so had done my training up until that point. I knew I was going to have a fairly long taper. I didn’t do much in Italy a couple of runs and that was it. I was planning on doing the Wicklow 200km Bike race on my return, however there was a fair bit of drink taken and we were only back from Italy on the Saturday quiet late. However I got up Sunday morning and went for a spin. I decided after Rathdrum to spin home early which meant I cut the course short by 30k or so. I was pretty wrecked after it but was going to france with good training behind me.

Arrived in France on Thursday, met Andy Cromein in Airport along with some supporters. On the Saturday we all met up from Wicklow Tri Andy Cromein, Conor McGowan, Chris England and Billy Diggin. It was great to have so many people over there and we joked about where we were all going to come.

I also met up with an ex work Colleague Sean Fox who had been doing some serious training and was looking in great shape. Sean ended up doing a really good time.

I was really looking forward to Nice this year. I knew the course knew what was ahead of me and reckoned I had enough training done to do a decent time. The swim was probabaly my biggest worry. I got out of the water in 1 hour 19minutes. It was 3 minutes down on last year but bearing in mind the amount of training I had done I was pretty happy with that. Got out onto the bike and took it easy for the first 20k which are flat feeling quiet comfortable. Took in a couple of climbs then early on and we had a good bit of desecnding to do. On one of the descents I somehow managed to clip the curb on a turn and came off the bike. It wasn’t a bad fall and I landed on some soft stuff but I over extended my knee. It was pretty sore at the time but after a few mins I was able to get back on the bike. Once I put on a bit of pressure it became sore. I decided to try and get through the bike to see if it might get better, Each time we hit a hill I had to ease off a bit. After about 60k I realised there was no way I was going to be able to do a run off the bike.  I finished the bike course and tried putting weight on the foot again after the bike, I don’t think I could have walked 500 meters on it. So I had to pull out, was absoultley gutted.

I sort of knew from the moment my knee went out that I wasn’t going to finish the race so I had a bit of time to get used to it.  But there is nothing worse than going into T2 and telling them you won’t be continuing. I think I would have prefered if I had blood all over the place but the injury didn’t look bad, there was no cuts no bones popping out but I was in agony. Right now I don’t even want to think about training or doing any races, I feel completly fed up I still haven’t taken my bike out of the box. I just think it’s the worst possible outcome I could have got over there, I’d much rather have run out of time and DNF’d that way then wimp out in the manner I did.

I’ve no doubt I’ll find some other challenge somewhere and it’s probabaly what I need to do is to focus on something else. But for one full week at least I’m just going to feel sorry for myself before I think about anything else. The worst thing about Triathlon is that when you get fustrated like this there is nothing you can do. At least in Rugby you could take it out on the next opponents but in Triathlon you are the opponent. I might even look into taking up white collar boxing or something.

Damian.