Triathlon Vitoria 2023

Janice’s race summary:

As previously stated, I was very nervous at the start, however, I saw a lovely little toad in our start pen and I was concerned it would get trodden on with all the feet around, so I manage to pick her/him up and took him to the side and a spectator kindly took him off to a safer place.   This managed to calm my nerves a bit as I was actively thinking of something else.  I ended up having a really good swim, my calves started cramping a little at the end but luckily, I managed to control this and finished in 1hr 27mins.  I managed a fairly good transition and off I went on the bike leg.  The cycle route was through some beautiful countryside and rolling hills and although long and hard, I managed to enjoy it overall and finished in 6hr and 34mins.  The weather on the day was perfect and luckily not too much wind and the temperature was around 25 degrees so could not have asked for better.   My major concern during the training was making the cut off time and it was also the thing that worried me the most during the swim and bike portion of the race.   However, in the end I got to T2 with an hour to spare 😊.  The T2 transition was good but my run started (as usual) with both quads cramping and I had to walk/jog to the first aid station.  Then, unfortunately, I got stomach issues and during the run had to go to the bathroom at least 6 times.  The other issue was I was unable to eat anything for the duration of the run, which meant my energy levels just kept decreasing.   However, I think the strength/core training I did helped me as I was able to continue with my walk/running strategy until eventually I heard those words “you are an ironman” and I had completed the race.   I did not see Julio on the run and I was concerned that he had not made the swim/bike cut off, but I was soon to find out he had got to T2 but due to an incident where the person taking his bike dropped it and the gears of the bike injured his foot, was unable to run.   This was extremely sad, to get so far and have your race stopped before you could attempt the last discipline. 

Julio’s race summary:

My thoughts were whether I would make the cutoff times, these thoughts were an annoying little monster wandering there inside my head.  Today, after reliving in my mind the whole affair, I recognize, humbly, that at the end, I was not ready, and here’s why.

My swim was OK, cutoff time was 2 hrs and 10 minutes and I made it under 2 hrs.  My transition to T1 was not bad and I was riding away with the urgency to complete the ride before the 9th hour, which was the deadline or second cutoff time including the time of the swim.  I started confidently, feeling fine but after 100 kms, I felt a little uneasy because I wasn’t feeling strong enough.  I knew I had to be at T2 before the 9th hour, so I pushed myself a harder.  As always, before dismounting the bike, I take my feet out of the shoes, which remain attached to the pedals, and before the line to T2, I free-wheel with both feet resting on my empty left shoe still attached to the pedal.  Volunteers are there waiting to take the bikes.  I handed my bike to a guy who looked to be about 50 years old, I did notice he was nervous, and then it happened.  I tumbled down to the ground entangled in the bike.  The guy asked me “do you need a medic? I said no”.  Wrong answer: I was bleeding from four lacerations on the bridge of my right foot and there was a lot of blood - I ride without socks for faster transitions, which in this case might have resulted in less serious injury had I had been wearing socks.  In any case, what happened, happened, I got up, started to run towards the bag racks to get my running shoes and cap and realized that blood was pouring copiously from the cuts – I heard a spectator say “mira que tanta sangre” (look, so much blood).

I put my shoes on with some pain though and started moving to start my run.  What I didn’t realized was the actual state of my injury.

After about 1 km, I was in such pain that my mind started to look for an excuse to stop; a second look at my foot with blood seeping through the shoe, and the plans Janice and I had to visit Zegama and run-walk the route of the Golden Trail series, I stopped, gave my chip to an official, and sat on the curb to sort myself out.

As one can imagine, I wasn’t happy, tired feeling sorry for having had to quit.  I decided to get to the bike collection area, take my bike, and wait for Janice.  I saw a bench from where I could see the bikes being returned and sat there to wait.  Observing people to pass the time allowed me to think about what happened and to try to accept my situation; did I do the right thing stopping?  What if I just kept going, just walking to see if I perhaps had had a recover while I was moving?  A nice old lady sat next to me, and her dog started to lick my bloody shoe; I looked down amused at the whole picture and started to feel a little better.

A guy stopped to look at my bike “nice bike, he said.  How was your race? We had a very nice chat; he was from Leon; he gave me some helpful tips about the Camino Primitivo, which we will be doing from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela in June 2023.  After he left, Janice came and though tired, she was happy, we got her bike out headed for the flat we were staying.

I am completely recovered now.  I am looking forward to doing the Camino the Santiago next year.  Thoughts of returning to Ironman Vitoria are bouncing inside my head often; I will decide what to do about it next year for sure.

… Janice Continues

After meeting Julio and collecting our street clothes, our bikes, and bags from the transition area we walked back to the apartment to shower and change into some warm dry clothes before I cooked something for us to eat and going to bed for a well-earned sleep.   At that time of finishing, I was not aware I was third in my age group, so the next day we went to the awards ceremony.  This was the best possible outcome for what I think (for now) will be my last ironman long distance event to receive a podium position and get a trophy😊