The joys and agonies of Challenge Roth…

My time in Germany was very short but loads of fun.  Including travel time I was only away 10 days, with 30hours each way being travel time. It was well worth it though.  The Baum’s Family took such great care of me and I can’t wait to go back next year.   I didn’t have a lot of time to look around with only a few days over there but made the most of it seeing Roth, Nuremberg, Schwabach, Munich and Rednitzhembach (where I was based with my home stay). All these towns had beautiful old stone buildings and cobblestone roads, some buildings even had golden roofs!

  

The race course was a great setting. First we swam in a canal, then rode 2 laps around village towns and finished with a single lap run which was mostly along a track following the canal, but also popping into a few forests and through a couple of towns ending up at Roth with huge crowds waiting to cheer us to the finish line. There is nothing similar to the spectators at Challenge Roth. This year they estimated over 180,000. You never swim, ride or run more than 2km without seeing someone.

Right on to how my race day panned out…

The morning started off as usual. Early breakfast around 4.15am then on the road to travel to the swim start.  The day was mild, no wind about and an expected high of 25degrees. I knew it would be over 30degrees though if the other days were anything to go by.  Into transition to make sure my bike was ready to go then into my wetsuit and down to the swim start.  My wave was the third to start so there was a good chance of catching some slower swimmers. Boom and off we went. The swim was one 3.8km lap.  My swim felt ok. Not fast but not slow. When I got out of the water I forgot to listen out for my time so I didn’t find out until after the race what it was.   My swim was 59minutes. I was very pleased with this as it was a PB by 7minutes. But can not wait to get into my new 2XU wetsuit and shave some more minutes off that time.  Next a quick transition and on to the bike, reminding myself to stay on the right hand side of the road, which is harder than you might think!

First 90km lap of the bike went well. The crowds are amazing and keep you going. You do have to watch that you don’t get distracted with everything that is happening around you though.  On to the second lap of the bike things started to go downhill. My legs were still feeling great but I started to get really bad stomach cramps. Trying to push through I started to get slower and slower.  I had to get off the bike a couple of times as anything I was putting in my body was coming out one way or another!  With my performance starting to deteriorate I turned the speed screen off my cycle monitor and continued to ride the best I could.  Off the bike and into transition two.  In Challenge Roth there are two transitions. It is set out very well though and you get to give your bike to someone else to deal with as soon as you hop off which is nice.  I did however get given the wrong transition bag though but laughed it off.

Trusty Newton Racers on (with much looser laces this time to pamper my chubby feet) and off I went. Legs were feeling great. I was thinking my slower performance on the bike may actually help improve my run time. O no that was until I got 1km down the road and knew that if I didn’t find a toilet asap I was in serious trouble!  I won’t give you all the gory details but basically every 2km of the marathon I was thanking my lucky stars that there was a toilet and that it wasn’t it use because it was hard to know what end I needed it for but in need it was.  Apart from that problem my running felt great in between my 12 or so stops on the run. Was just a shame that it slowed down my overall run time. It does give me great motivation though for my next race knowing that my running legs are improving.

So at the end of a stressful day and feeling very ill and dehydrated I decided I had to be proud of my result. I had an overall personal best time of 10.23 with PBs in all 3 disciplines even despite all my stops.  I had come all the way from Dunedin where it was -4 when I flew out to race at Challenge Roth where it was over 30degrees. I went from feeling very ill and hard done by at the finish line to wanting to register the very next day for next year and so I have. Challenge Roth 2012 here I come. Can’t wait J

No good finish line shots but here I am with my best pal the lolly o and Sara J who came over to watch. It was great having her there. Hmm not sure who the guy is with his eyes on my lolly!

I must give a huge thank you to all those in New Zealand who helped me fundraise and support from 2XU, R&R Sport, Newton, Physio Plus and Active Electro with my trip to Germany. My sponsors did a fabulous job of getting my equipment and I to the start line in top shape. Also to my new family away from home – the Baum’s family.