A Few Days Before Challenge Copenhagen

Here's me (far left) overshooting the exit as we approached from the right... that current was strong man!

Not long now before I'll be racing in Challenge Copenhagen... a hardcore race over the Ironman Distance... 3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42k run... nice :-)

Training has been 'OK'... 15 - 20 hour weeks being the norm... not the sort of thing you should be doing if you want to really perform your best (around the 25 being normal) but I've got a lot of other things I like to do... if you know what I mean ;-).
The good thing is that training has been pretty consistent since Feb this year despite 'moving countries' etc... I haven't had any real injuries or sickness... and consistency is key... right kids?

I always like to do some shorter triathlons before the big one, it's the best way to get some 'speedwork' in and it's fun as well! Racing is fun... I like :-)

So just over a week ago I competed in the Mainz City Tri... just a walk to the start line from my house so it'd be rude not too really and a great race right in the city... sweet.
Now German races are a bit complicated... they seem to have heaps of different catergories to race in... in little old NZ you just have to decide whether you are a chick or a fella, tick the appropriate box and you're away... Not so in Germany... too many boxes to choose from and I mostly ticked the wrong ones... with my German not being that flash yet?? For example 'Kurz Triathlon' = Short Triathlon which is not a 'Fun' Triathlon or a 'Sprint' Triathlon... it's an 'Olympic' Triathlon... yeh 'Whateverrrrrr'??? Then they had this whole Regional Championship thing going on which I should of been in... but wasn't because they said I was Kiwi... but I said I lived in Mainz... but...?? Hmmm things will be a lot easier next year I hope.
Anyway I ended up in wave 10 or something with the not so fast guys rather than the fast ones in wave 1... scheisse...
The swim was in the Rhine going down stream... a big dive off the back of a ferry took me into the 'jet stream' and I managed to float down the river and actually lead the swim (in my wave)... I would of been first out too if I hadn't missed the exit, finding myself getting swept down river to the Netherlands.
The rest of the race was just a time trial as I had no one to race with but that was OK as I needed a good hit out before Copenhagen. In the end I finished 5th over all which is not bad, as the guy's ahead of me were happily working together on the bike... a good 10K run time though: 35:15 over a hilly course was one of the fastest of the day.

Thanks to my Loverly Supporters who cheered me on... especially Mascha and Markus with some good camera and 'screaming at me' work... nice work team!

So my fitness is good for Copenhagen... you never know what will happen in an IM but we'll see? A big field here with 40 Pro's to go up against... gonna be a good one and I'm looking forward to feeling the flow around that Marathon Course... Bring it on Mom!
You can watch the action here: http://results.ultimate.dk/events/2010/triathlon/challengecopenhagen/estandings/front/frameset.php

Serweet as...

Westy
xxx




4 times over this F-ing rail bridge.... F-ers!