Ironman - Nice - 22 June 2008

911sc

I knew these were nutcases in Ireland, but not so many.:)
49 registered to participate in the Ironman in Nice on next Sunday 22th June.
I think that puts Ireland in top position in terms of entry per head of population.

Best of luck to you all.

hunnymonster

I had to pull out because the doc assured me I would have to book a coffin on the flight back, not a bike box, but I'm still going over to support. I'm actually looking forward to it now that I've gotten over the disappointment.

Good luck to everyone taking part, particularly those going for Kona spots and those who are attempting their first ironman.

Phil01

yeah can't wait for Ironman France, 6 Days and counting. I definitly think i qualify as a "nutcase", doing an Ironman as my 10th ever triathlon at 22 years old. What am i thinking...lol. Can't wait to get stuck in now, and cross that line. The heat will be the biggest hardest factor for me.

hunnymonster

It's looking like 24 C for Sunday. Not too bad in ironman terms actually. it was mid 30's for IM germany in 2006. The lake temperature had risen too much to allow wetsuits. I thought the poor race director would be water-bottled off the briefing stage when he mentioned that. I couldn't really swim at the time so had a nightmare getting around but I guess the good part was that I was well cooled for the bike (in a thunder & lightening storm) and the run.

Good Luck Phil, It's going to hurt, you'll get thumped, you'll cry, your supporters will make you promise never to put them through that again, you'll have cuts and aches in places you never knew you had places, you'll get sunburned, you'll get heat-stroke, you'll be shivering, you'll throw up,....... but you'll be back here this time next year getting ready to do it all again.

Phil01

Thanks hunnymonster, I know im going to love it. Can't wait for it to be over now. I'm resting all this week, its hard as i feel like im not doing enough, but i got to fight the urge to go cycling, and take it easy now, all the hard work is over.

hunnymonster

As soon as you get to Nice put your bike together and get out for an hour. It's worth is psychologically to know the bike is in good shape. Also worth going to one of the warm up swims in order to get your sighting sorted.

tunney

+1 checking the bike and triple checking the bike.

FIVE ****ing mechanicals on the bike in HIM UK yesterday.

Phil01

Yeah i plan to setup the bike straight away, im arriving in Nice on friday. I got to get use to the Ironman transition setups. And to know what i can carry, other than that i'll be flying... hopefully....

911sc

So, how did you get on? were you number 316?

The heat seems to have had a big impact on the competitors, with one of the leader getting heatstroke in the early cycle and having to stop twice to get sick. And that was still morning time!! That race must have been so so tough.

The cover was pretty good on the web with a good bit of slip times being posted real time, so i could follow my friend race from Dublin...
It's a pitty there was not video streaming on their web.

I was extremely delighted to see him crossing (virtually, by chip timing) the finish line after more than 15h of non stop racing !!!! And it was his first triathlon ever....
Very sorry i was not in Nice to cheer him up and others during these long infinite run laps along "La promenade", but at least the run was flat.

36 out of the 42 Irish who started finished the race
Fearghal MULVIHILL being the first Irish home in 11:01:42.. and i bet you he is dissapointed not to have done it in 10:xx:xx, 0:1:43 to slow, which is mad after 141miles of racing, that's not even 1sec per miles!!

Well done to all, you are really nuts, and i am sure you all want to do it again!

Funkyzeit

As a Tri-Newbie I an't even imgaine doing them distances....:eek:

Well done to all who took part....although you must be sadists in disguise...

Phil01

Yeah, i was 316. Finished in 13:56:08, the run was horrible, the heat was unreal. The water hoses at the aid stations were great though. i done the swim in 1:31, bike in 6:53 and run in 5:12. I was aiming for a 4 hour run, and think i was capable of it.
Stomach felt like a washing machine on the bike from all the gels, and i was getting heart burns from the cola on the run. So i had to stay away from that.

Was brilliant though, crossing that line amazing, i would do it again next week if i could!!! It makes all the training worth while.

hunnymonster

Congrats Phil.

Fearghal was looking really strong on the run.

I knew about 40 people doing it. On average (back of envelope type calculation) they were about 20-30 minutes slower than Austria last year. The bike really sapped people and then the relentless heat on the run didn't help.


I'm just in the process of uploading photo's. They're mostly of the Runners world (pirate) crowd that I was with but might be of interest to anyone who was there. Will post a link when they're ready.

The leading man into T2 had a 10 min head start on the second man, He didn't even hold it for the first 10km of the run! Never again will I go on about how "It's all about the bike!"

Phil01

I have to say psof (pirate crowd) were great, everytime i was running towards the finish they were cheering me on. They gave a real boost by calling out your name. Hats off to them. They had alot of athletes racing too.

Would be great if u could send on the link honeymonster, when your done. I think in Ironman races its the better runners that do the best, if u can keep within touching distance of the leader on the bike, they would have the fitness to pass out the leader on the run.

hunnymonster

Phil, I've actually lost my voice from all the cheering. The PSOF are a great crowd, I always have fun when I head off with them. There were about 40 athletes and 70 supporters this year. We'll be in Zurich next year but I've been to Florida and frankfurt with them too (as well as training weekends all over the UK).

Poncherello

Well done folks, savage achievement

does anyone have a list of the irish athletes finishing times ??

911sc

There is a spreadsheet containing the results at http://www.ironmanfrance.com.

hunnymonster

Phil,
About 1000 photo's here, sorry, pretty much all pirates.


http://picasaweb.google.com/fearonj/Nice_2008TheSwim
http://picasaweb.google.com/fearonj/Nice_2008TheBikehttp://picasaweb.google.com/fearonj/Nice_2008TheRun
http://picasaweb.google.com/fearonj/Nice_2008NonRaceStuff

Phil01

wow thats alot of pics hunnymonster, nice to see the race again, unfortunately i didn't get many pics of the race. Great pics too.

ceverlobike

Has anyone very done ironman swizterland ?

hunnymonster

the bike course has recently changed so pervious reports may not be relevant. Below is a quote from a mate who did it in 2005

just been looking at the new bike course which is now 2 laps rather than the 3 when [we] went in 2005......not as much overall climbing due to the change so it should be a little easier but nice to see that the Beast and Heartbreak Hills are still there and they are the true essence of that course.......

in some ways it looks more interesting as you get to see more of the lakeside hills which are fab

hunnymonster

all the cool kids (cough) are going to ironman germany next year though :cool:;)


(yes I have just entered!)

ceverlobike

im doing IM switzerland can seem to find any detailed reviews on web , how would the Beast and Heartbreak Hill compare to wiclow 200..... Wicklow Gap, Slieve na Maan etc

hunnymonster

what kid of detail are you looking for? I would have thought the downloads from the official website give plenty of information?
http://www.reygrafik.ch/htm/streckenplaene/ironman_ch_radstrecke.htm

tunney

hunnymonster wrote: »

all the cool kids (cough) are going to ironman germany next year though :cool:;)


(yes I have just entered!)

You looking forward to the new revised 09 course?

(

hunnymonster

It doesn't seem to be at all clear what's happening yet. From following it in the German media I have to say it looks more like Kai Walter (funnily enough, he organises the Wiesbaden 70.3!) is stirring it and taking advantage of the residents complaints but who knows.

I like the Lanzarote course just as much as the Florida course so it really doesn't bother me where they go in terms of course. I've also done Roth as another german langstrecke which has a completely different feel to a IM-corp race! Frankfurt does have the advantage of great transport links though and It's similar enough to my own german accent not to cause communication problems. Munich is not so good for an auslander trying to communicate :-)


Also thinking of Zurich the following weekend as a cooldown and to meet up with the Runners world crew again.

ceverlobike

thanks for the link , i have all the relevant route maps etc , i just was looking for some documented reviews of what the cycle portion is like.... climbs etc

hunnymonster

You want a person's opinion rather than the details/facts?
Try any of the tri forums e.g.
http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33355&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0