Las Vegas calling, Pescara 70.3 Race

8:50am is a nice time to start a race, not too early, not too late, just right! Our so lovely hotel made us breakfast (even without being a race hotel), I got up at 6 to get everything ready without a hurry, had breakfast with lovely Italian coffee, woke JJ up, got dressed, grabbed the bag and off to Pescara.

My preparation in the transition zone was quick, not a lot to prepare, my helmet and race number had slept on the bike, we had no transition bags, just a basket, sprint triathlon style. Shoes in the basket, my white a bit superstitious race cap, 2 gels for the run and that was it.

The swim: my swim goal was: find some good feet, follow them. The start was really relaxing, for quite a long time I’ve not had a wave start. I found some nice feet quickly and followed them along the 22 buoys that marked the course. The sea was calm, the water warm and I was comfortable (not like in Marbella, where the swim was a nightmare for me). The water is very shallow for many meters, so we had to walk/jump/run a bit, when I got on my feet my watch said that I was in the time I had to be in. Smile on, and on my way to the reeeeeaaaally long transition zone. T1 was very quick, besides the long run, wetsuit off, helmet on, race number, sunnies bike and let’s go for the 90k.

Since IM Austria I had not raced with Powertap and I knew immediately that my decision to buy it was the right one. It keeps you from going too hard at the beginning and not too slow at the end. I was impressed that the Italians had somehow managed it to take all the cars off the roads! Riding was going smooth; I was only overtaken by one girl of my AG, when I said to myself: make your own race. I should catch her again at the end of the bike leg. The only thing I was missing: the officials. We had lots of police motor cycles with us, but no referees. The first I saw at km 60, and another one around k70, that was it. My tubes made their way thru the 90km without a puncture; my neck didn’t, because of a wasp who wasn’t very amused to land there… The bike course is really nice, but I was quite afraid to get a flat because the roads are not good. I went thru a lot of holes and bad asphalt. The last 10k were mine, headwind, flat, highway. There I got my position back, overtaking the girl that had caught me before.

T2: A short chat with JJ when I was putting on my super socks (superstition rocks), he told me that the first AG girl was about 8min in front. No way to get her, my run is good but not AS good ;)

And here I went for the 21km, 2,5 loops with 3 times over a lovely bridge that hurts the 3^rd time you pass it. Every triathlon race I’m grateful when I park my bike at T2, every time I think: now it’s only you, no more preoccupations for flat tires, stupid co-competitors, only running (or walking sometimes, but since2010 not even that ;)

Running felt great, so great I forgot to start the garmin, so I didn’t know exactly what km I was at, but I didn’t care a lot either. I held my pace until I guess until km 17 or 18. The girl I had caught at the end of the bike leg was so far behind I didn’t see her on the way to and back from the 180º turns. The one in front was too far away to go for. Maybe that’s why the pace went down a bit. I had a super day out there. Enjoyed the swim, the bike and the run and the most important to me: I was happy and proud when I passed the finish line, this feeling I was missing lately…

I had no idea which place I had made. My Spanish friends had told me third (which I would have liked a lot!) but finally it was fifth. 1 Slot. Fifth place.

The award ceremony started late and the slots even later. So many times we heard “slot gone”, sitting there, watching the English girl from my AG getting it. She had left her money on the table and went for a chat with some friends over there. I confess I had thought about taking it ;) just kidding.

Well, after more than 2hours most people had left. It was dark already outside. I was veeery hungry and needed to pee. When the speaker said: we have 2 slots left, just a moment please, we have to see where they go. One slot for the boys, one for the girls. “ And the girls’ slot is for the AG: 35-39”. The best was: My concentration was so bad already that I didn’t even get that it was my AG. He called the second girl… first time…. Second time… third time… slot gone. The third girl… first time… my heart rate went up, the IM Austria situation was back!... second time… my hands started to shake… third time… slot gone… Oh my god. Only one girl between me and Las Vegas. My heart’s racing. The speaker looks up and asks: is there anybody left from AG female 35-39??? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, people behind me started to laugh… he read me name: Kirsten Mangelsdorf. I: “yeeeees, heeeeeeeeeere”!!!! “Kirsten goes to Las Vegas “.

I paid the 280€ with an enormous smile on my face. I had already given up the Vegas dream during this long evening. I was okay with it, but that moment was great. Something I had not expected. I have to confess, I was about to leave already, when JJ said: no, we stay here! Thank you JJ!! For everything!!

And the ladies will be back together soon!!!!!!!!!!

Pre 70.3 Pescara, a screwed week

Pescara Italy, 26ºC, sunny perfect. Racing on Sunday has to be perfect too, as the whole week is screwed. Frankly, my last week is all about screws.

First screw problem, changing the number plates of my car, I couldn’t fix them due to the screws, but that’s not very interesting…

So: on Tuesday, preparing the travel I cleaned my bike and was about to change the brake shoes. The first one went well, the second didn’t. I had been too lazy to get some pliers, so I took the bike multi tool, well, the screwdriver to push the old one out the screwdriver slipped and aaaaaaaaaaaaah, it went directly into my left forefinger. I was scared, because that finger didn’t look very nice and hurt a lot. My thoughts went directly to the swim leg on Sunday.

One of the nurses at my work cleaned it on Wednesday morning said: igh, that doesn’t look very good, but she also gave me back some confidence telling me that it was not too bad. Anyway it still looks ugly and hurts.

So, yesterday we took the plane to Rome, we, me and JJ who I’d surprised on Monday with the ticket to Italy.

We arrived late in Montesilvano, had a gelato and went to bed at 12pm. I slept in, got up at 10am and could have slept 2 more hours, I needed a good rest and had a perfect night. 

So, this morning, we had some awesome Italian coffee on the hotel terrace and made plans: I’d put together my bike, ride 2h to know the race course, have lunch, some beach and a swim in the afternoon. But life is what happens when you make other plans: when I was fixing the seat post and screwing down tight, I heard a “clack” and thought: that was NOT good. Result: the thread is a bit tired already and wasn’t willed to catch the screw. So, instead of riding and resting we spent the morning and parts of the afternoon driving around Montesilvano in search of bike shops and hardware shops. We had some nice lunch and after that we found a corresponding screw and could put together the bike.

My worst  thought was, if the thread was really screwed up, I’d had to buy a new frame and after my last purchase, new wheels with Powertap my bank consultant would give me an upset call. 

 

hilarious, tired and making jokes, better like that than to preocupy

At 4.30pm I went out to get to know the bike course. To Pescara I have to ride approximately 5k and had the way painted on a paper. But I was not prepared to what I was about to find out there. Heaps of traffic, no street names, or wrong ones, until I thought: that’s impossible, I have to have passed the crossroad where I’d to turn right. I had a roaming look on google maps and had passed the road I had to take. So I went back, passed it again (because the road was called Via d’Illo and not Via Po like in google maps…) When I finally had found the right way and the place where the loop starts I was riding 25k already and was really angry. The roads were really bad, the police at the airport had made me to throw away the CO2 cartridges, my back wheel has a 65cm profile, not a 45 like before and the tube has no long valve, so with the lucky week I’m having I decided to return to the hotel and not risk any more accidents. Tomorrow I will get up early, grab my bike, put it in the car, get to the spot where the loop starts, and ride the loop relaxed and with good mood, not swearing like today.

 a bike bridge, and a pedestrian bridge, separated!

At the end, I have ridden 40km in 1h43m (great average), but fixed my bike, had a run with short efforts which felt good, had a nice shower, a lovely dinner and I’m glad that I have inverted some € in another flight ticket.

Things came out nice today, tomorrow will be even better, and on Sunday: prepare!