13 months training just for one race just to demonstrate what you did during all
the hard training sessions. Just to claim a result that makes us satisfied with
the all year.
No
one knows what we did………was hard, was tough with just one race in mind….
IronMan Barcelona 2015.
I
can tell you some of the stories but as you can imagine, Cincinnati is not
known for the good weather and the mild temperatures during winter! Hahaha
Matt
and I trained 13 months under the instructions of Jaime Martinez program. He
plans for us a very hard year. In his mind on his own words “You have to reach
the Endurance from the Intensity”, that means that we always be in quality
training with no trash or useless miles in our legs.
It
was being a wile since I train focusing on the intensity all the time and
gaining distance and endurance and more volume from the intensity on each
session. These trainings kill the mind and also your body because always you
are working in your limit. Thanks Jaime for your plan, thanks Jaime to be
always with me in the good, the bad and the ugly.
I am
gonna give you some of the numbers at the end of the year:
With
these numbers and the good feelings in our legs, after the super compensation, after
a long year, we initiate the race week. We flew to Barcelona and put our base in
Cabrils, a small town in between Barcelona and Calella where the race starts.
I am
at home and nothing else makes me happier, family and friends but more
especially with all the Tri-friends and Tri-family “Triatlo Jovent 79” nothing
make sense without them. I can’t imagine doing an IronMan without them. I started doing triathlon as an amateur and I love to compete with friends
because for me triathlon and sport is part of my social life and social
activities. My pass as a rower is gone and I want to enjoy sport as a primary
nature and only I can do it with friends.
David,
Ruben, Matt and I (all 4 from Triatlo Jovent 79) went the day before to check
in our bikes and to set up all our stuff in boxes. We talk, chat and laugh, making easy the nervous before the race.
On
October 4th at 7 am in the morning we met in Calella, before we had
breakfast, we will need it later! Was dark but the bike park was full of people
working on their bikes, checking everything prior the closing time of the bike park.
We check our bikes always keeping an eye on the others because in between 2600
participants it’s easy to get lost. We went to the tent and put the wetsuit on
us, vaseline and we went to test how cold was the water and to warm-up. The sea
was a bit moved because the previous days the bad weather and storms were present.
When I see the waves I realize that the swim will not be as fast as I expect.
We
hug and took picture with other tri-friend that came to see us, Mamen, Lara,
Toni and Ariadna, thanks to support us
at the very beginning.
This
year, as other IronMan races they have different starting lines depending your
time in the swim part. They call the rolling start. This avoids stress in the water and accidents. Also some
people say that improves the bike section for drafting.
Matt
stopped in 1:15 step and David and I moved bit more to the front to the 1:05
starting group. We are ready; we are in position to start our IronMan. More
than a year waiting for this moment. We
jump into the water and the first wave hits in our faces, David was pulled back
few meters and came out with the goggles completely out of his eyes. Oh man!
This is not gonna be easy!.
For me was the first swim in open water with the
swimsuit. I know that I was playing with fire but nothing that I can do now. The
first part was easier because the current push us, but when we turn then I
start fighting with the sea, was not that bad but without training in the open water I did what I have in my hands. I know that I was in a slow pace and my arms
were at low frequency. Touch the sand at 1h 08’ and cross the pad at 1h 09’. I am around 10’ slower than I have in mind
and at that point I should do a good bike.
Transition
with normality, not getting nervous and do all my stuff, around 5 minutes to be
out with the bike. At that point I see Mar taking picture and yelling me! Wow
she is there as always! But I didn’t expect her that early! I am
surprise and also I didn’t understand how and why she is always supporting me
on these things. Without her support and Marina’s support nothing is possible.
Both of them encourage me and help me during the all year. I always really
appreciate what they do for me and help me to make this thing real.
Ruben
and David were in front of me and I will try to catch them on the bike or
during the run.
Ready
on the bike, 3 km transition 2 big laps from Calella to Masnou and 1 short loop
from Calella to Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, in total 180km but my GPS gave me
179km. I plan to ride at 35km/h in average and if we loose some speed in the
turns and during the 6km transition then I should ride around 36-38 km/h.
That’s my plan and I followed like a robot, my feeling on the bike was very
good, eating every 20km aprox plus some extras on the AIDs stations. The last
small loop the wind starts blowing but no to hard, just to kill the average a bit.
At the end of my ride 5h 10’ on an average bit less than 35km/h but still a
good time for me.
I
passed David on the bike but Ruben was doing and amazing bike riding it in less
than 5h!!!
Was
really nice to see Mar’s family with all the kids on the road supporting me
every loop, every time that I passed them on Vilassar de Mar. Miquel, Magda,
Miquel, Maria, Miqui, Bernat, Queralt and Maria thanks for your support, not only
during the race, also during my stay in Barcelona and during the years. After
the bike they came to Calella to see me running with my daughter that always
ran with me to the finish line but with the new rules, she can’t do it! Really
sad for the young ones, because in my opinion this kind of things give the
feeling and the idea of what sport means in a good way. Hard work and
perseverance always pays off.
Finishing
the bike like never I did, with the legs ready to run, recovering during the
last 3 km and focusing my mind on the marathon.
I did a really
fast transition in less than 2 minutes and I was running the fist km at 4:35
pace but after 2 km something was wrong. My stomach was ok, I can drink and I
can eat gels but my belly was cramped. Very weird feeling because was the
muscles that didn’t allow me to run normal. After few kms (3-5) start having
pain in my lumbar as a reflex. My pace starts being 5:30 and lower after 10-12
km till 6:10. Terrible pace for my plans. knowing that if I continue running at
that pace I could not be bellow 10 hours.
I
got pass by David and we shared few km together, he is always there and
supporting me also when he is running the same competition! He makes me easier
the first lap.
After
that I decided not to stop a single time, not stop in any of the AID stations.
I decided to grab the drinks but never stop or walk on it because if I do that my
time will be really bad.
Eating
and drinking as always, the kms fall into my feet. Around the 23-25 km Toni came
to me running and offer me an Enantyum (painkiller and anti-inflammatory). My
first thought was NO but what else can happen? Can be worsen than has being
going? I take one, and I promise you that have an horrible taste! This made me
throw up few km later but gave me relaxation on my belly muscles. Then I start
running a bit faster but like one can run after 32 km in your legs! Hahaha
5 km
before the finish line I passed again David, he was having bad time after some
stomach issues as well. I passed him like a zombie and we didn’t talk too much!
I feel bad because I could stay more time with him but my brain didn’t respond
in a good way, only a sentence appears on it all the time “don’t stop, don’t
walk” repetitively.
My
close relatives were there, all the run, was amazing and very helpful to see
them, they gave energy and push me to continue and not gave up when the things doesn’t
run as I plan and I want to. It was their first Ironman and I know that is not
easy to see me in that conditions. I know that they suffer every single race but
also they are the most supportive family.
Last
2 km and boom!!!! The Cuaresma family giving me the last push to the finish
line! I would love to stop and hug them! They are amazing!
I
crossed the finish line in 10h 22 minutes, far from my idea to be bellow 10
hours but with the satisfaction to be at the finish line with my family and
friends. Ruben crossed 10 minutes before me, David 3 minutes after and Matt 50
minutes later but doing a great time in his first Long Distance
Triathlon.
Rank Bib Name
Country Swim
T1 Bike T2
Run Total
92 1786
Ruben Serna ESP 1:02:27
04:39 4:59:42
01:19 4:03:54 10:11:59
125 1305
Marc Oria ESP 1:09:01 05:28 5:10:35
01:44 3:55:31 10:22:16
123 1629 David Jimenez ESP 1:03:03
04:37 5:19:00 01:09 3:57:33 10:25:22
145 990
Mathieu Sertorio FRA
1:23:10 06:51 5:20:49 01:57 4:19:29 11:12:14
We
all 4 met inside the tent with our finisher medals and t-shirts. As always
David drink 4 beers! Amazing! Haha he is a beast! We took pictures and laugh
about what we just did. We are getting use and we think that this is normal but
if you stop and think about what this entire IronMan means....... it’s crazy. Hours
and hours of training to put our body in limits. And the terrible thing is that
we are happy and we will repeat next year. I am sure that will be with
them!!
The
Jovent family were there all the time, not only the race: Moyano, Oscar, Pere,
Pili, Pilar, Carri, Rafa, Nuria, Palo’s, Carlos, Josean, Marin’s, Maria, Paulo,
Pere, Toni, Lara, Ariadna, Mamen, Cuaresma, Yolanda, Alexandra, Inigo,
Chrsitian, Damaris, Miri.
And
I want to give a special thanks to Joan Benach who is responsible of our
success as a team and also my personal. He is always there for everything you
need no matter what. This is really difficult to find in our real world!
Thanks
to all of you that came to see, support, run, trust, yell and help during the
race and always! Sorry if I miss someone, it is not my idea and is not personal.
I
want to finish this long race report with one sentence that Matt said to me the
day after the Ironman. “I really like your team in Barcelona, looks different,
they support me and they not even know me” I told him that Triatlo Jovent 79 is
always different and it's like a family! They never fail! They are always there
to help and support you! This is what I want to build here in US..... Triatlo Jovent
79 spirit.
After
10 days of the race I can’t say that I am happy, I am a bit disappointed with
myself because I didn’t make it as I want and as I have in mind. Was a very taught
year and I want my own recognition for all the work I did. All of us know that in
sport you cannot always get what you want, sometimes hits you and sometimes, very hard. Now depends on yourself
if this hit bends your forever or makes you stronger.
My
decision…………………….Altriman 2016 is on my way!!!!!!!!!
