Its done and in my opinion, well done.
The goal for this race was doing the best with the least as possible. Having done IM Nice 2 weeks before demanded that.
The race venue in Zurich and Zurich itself is a lovely city, too bad i dont have time to really see the city...
I started feeling better this past week so i was expecting to have at least a decent performance although you can be sure, i had a small portuguese crew in site including my coach that was in the course to check the race and his 2 Sergio´s, me and Sergio Costa. Arriving on thursday left not much choice other than taking the most time possible to rest as those are the only days i dont really have to work ;)
The swim in Lake zurich was awesome, the buoys where hard to spot, they where too far away especially with the sun coming out, speaking of sun, the weather held pretty well except in one part of the run where we caugh some nasty thunderstorms, we had some nasty weather these days in zurich. Anyway the pros left at 6:55am, after the first buoy, probably 700m i was with riesen at my side along with others, i now live confortably with the fact that my starts are slow to actually hang the most i can in the faster groups and just hope i can catch someone faster than me like it happen in Nice, i started leading that group already with my "cruising" speed but the next group was already to far forward. i tough i had every one in my feet but when i exited the water for the small run to the second (and longer lap) i saw anyone... so that made my swim a lonely one again, i eventually passed a guy in the second lap but it really was an solitary effort, i left the water with Helder already mentioning that the times where slow at the lead and ishould be worried about the time i had in my watch.
After a beginner T1 with some extra meters and making sure i didnt loose my gels i got into the bike, i was sure that i was in front of good guys so i just cruised in the first kms trying to settle down from the swim. Mr Riesen passed me at around 15km and i tried to follow, witch i did for 15km then i dropped with the feeling that i needed to take of the entire race. Somewhere in 50km Chris Brader and mike Shiferle came by in an dowhill where i was taking easy because i really didnt know the course, i did the rest of the lap with them, i was feeling good legs at that time but i wasnt worried about going faster. Mike eventually took of just before the first climb in the second lap and Brader droped in the beast climb. I got to T2 with a decent but not great ride and wasnt sure how i would feel with the zoots on my feet.
I felt pretty bad at the begining, slugish and with not much energy but after 3-4km i started feeling my running legs. there where some guys to catch since i was running outside the top10. Helder Krepe and Sedi where keeping me updated all the way since the course had just so many spots where i passed like 20 times. I was moving in the field with Helder always screaming something like "Get them but go easy" words of wisdom??? ;) i ran so confortably the whole way (except of course the first kms) that i got bored in some ocasions. in lap 3 i got into 6th and at that time Helder "ordered" me to roll to the finish, not wanting to get him angry in the first race he watches as a coach i did so, i was safe at 6th but had a big gap to 5th so i rolled to the finish. This was by far the "easiest" marathon i ever done, never really suffered to keep a good rithm arounnd 4min/km and if someone can chime in and say bad things about that, i felt really well doing so and besides i can always say i did an ironman 2 weeks ago ;).
At the end, job well done 6th place, 8:47 is great for what i expected, another well executed race, this one with different goals than the usual "get to the finish line as soon as i can" that i so often say. the morning after as i write this i feel pretty darn well for someone that did an ironman.
more....soon
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
the swiss ride
beautiful isnt it ;) ok seat post is a bit off but i really didnt have time to tune my corima seat post to acomodate the rails of the Selle italia Optima (or any of the new generation carbon rails)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Nice was Nice
Havent bloged much after texas...
I am now in some sort of point chase while i enjoy racing...
Nice would promise to be a tough race because.... welll its Nice. After racing the half ironman in Aveiro i did a small block of training taking advantage after some holidays in portugal. i traveled kinda late to the race site with WC164K so i never had the chance to really take a look at the course and i knew how important those downhill are when you need to gain the most time possible.
Anyway directly to the race day as there isn't anything very important to mention other than the long 5 minute walk to the transition area :P
the race started at 6:30, i woke up a bit later than the usual and had my breakfast later too. part of the reason was of course not having to move around too much to get to the race...
Bike preparation was uneventful and soon i was in the water for a short warm up or getting the wetsuit wet.
It was a mass start with the pros in the middle and some gates in both sides with the faster swimmers next to the pros. I started "slowly" just trying to get into the rhythm progressevely. in the process i became visually impaired since i took quite a few punches in the first few hundred meters. There was no way i was going to stop to fix this with 2500 athletes behing me so i did the first large lap with my goggles full of salty water. I felt great while swimming in a group but had no idea on what was going on up front as i couldn't see more than shadows and a few caps. After the first buoy (1000m) thing got more peaceful and it was just a matter of being able to get out of the water fast. At the end of the first lap, around 2400 and a short run in the beach i only saw on group up ahead that would mean that the lead pack was so far ahead i couldn't see or in fact that pack was the lead one. the rest of the swim was uneventful and i felt very controlled the whole way. when i got out of the water and saw the clock that was located just before getting the bags i was definitely happy, i saw 54min. that of course could mean nothing but seeing most of the pro bikes still racked definitely meant something, i had a good swim....finally.
Now to the bike course... the tough part. I started like i usually do, not rushing things. there was around 15 20 km before you hit the mountains, and what a start, a super steep but short hill, around 500m that really putted me out of breath ;) after that climb the course gently goes uphill and some downhill until you hit the big climb of the day, before that i was passed by some guys that i would never expect to be in front after the swim. The climb was somewhere near 20km with some steep sections and other not so steep. At the beginig of the climb i couldn't believe my eyes and i was passed by ords of athletes!!! WTF i was kinda feeling the worst guy at the race. soon enough tough i started going through them again one by one. i suffered a bit on the the steeper parts for sure but i got in the top of that climb in around 13º with Scott. After that there was a downhill that needed pedaling. i had fun doing it leading scott too soon there was the second big climb of around 8km. There i was caught by someone that it was worth the effort to not being "dropped" and i was sure Trevor tried to pass me and leave me behind. I took an extra gear to keep him in sight until the downhill. Another fun part. Trevor clearly didn't have great bike skills so i just pushed the pace in the downhill. yes i got my share of adrenaline in one occasion where i almost went of course but overall great descent. the last 50km its downhill and flat (last 20km) i led the group untill T2 unaware that santamaria caught us probably at the top before the downhill.
Run time, Trevor and Santamaria just took of so fast at the beginning that i almost couldn't see them. I wasn't feeling bad nor i was running slowly they just started im MDK mode. Frederik and Chabaud where to far away, but the rest of the guys where in reachable gaps. I had to move to the toilet at around 7km, i was afraid that something like south africa could be up ahead... i didn't spent too much time in it, just a few seconds and when i left i started flying ;) i really felt better after that. second lap saw me passing santamaria and getting close to Trevor delsaut. half way through i was in his heels and soon enough i passed him to get into the 5th position. Zamaora wasn't too far away neither was Paul Amey that was fading hard. I kept going in the 3rd lap to build a safe gap to the guy behind but in the final lap i started slowing down too much...enough to forget about chasing Paul and Zamora and just get to the finish. Its very hard to spot the guys in front with so many athlete on this 4 lap course. Paul ended a couple minutes ahead while Zamora actually gained time on my in the final 5km.
At the end 5th place was a very pleasant result for me. i was chasing a good result for some time now and had a good swim at least one that reflects my pool times, good controlled bike and im back to sub 2:50 runs. i really can ask much more than that right now ;)
And what a awesome course this is, one of the prettiest i ever done right up there with lanzarote. Tough courses are alway pretty i guess ;)
more soon as i wont have much time to rest, off to breakfast....
I am now in some sort of point chase while i enjoy racing...
Nice would promise to be a tough race because.... welll its Nice. After racing the half ironman in Aveiro i did a small block of training taking advantage after some holidays in portugal. i traveled kinda late to the race site with WC164K so i never had the chance to really take a look at the course and i knew how important those downhill are when you need to gain the most time possible.
Anyway directly to the race day as there isn't anything very important to mention other than the long 5 minute walk to the transition area :P
the race started at 6:30, i woke up a bit later than the usual and had my breakfast later too. part of the reason was of course not having to move around too much to get to the race...
Bike preparation was uneventful and soon i was in the water for a short warm up or getting the wetsuit wet.
It was a mass start with the pros in the middle and some gates in both sides with the faster swimmers next to the pros. I started "slowly" just trying to get into the rhythm progressevely. in the process i became visually impaired since i took quite a few punches in the first few hundred meters. There was no way i was going to stop to fix this with 2500 athletes behing me so i did the first large lap with my goggles full of salty water. I felt great while swimming in a group but had no idea on what was going on up front as i couldn't see more than shadows and a few caps. After the first buoy (1000m) thing got more peaceful and it was just a matter of being able to get out of the water fast. At the end of the first lap, around 2400 and a short run in the beach i only saw on group up ahead that would mean that the lead pack was so far ahead i couldn't see or in fact that pack was the lead one. the rest of the swim was uneventful and i felt very controlled the whole way. when i got out of the water and saw the clock that was located just before getting the bags i was definitely happy, i saw 54min. that of course could mean nothing but seeing most of the pro bikes still racked definitely meant something, i had a good swim....finally.
Now to the bike course... the tough part. I started like i usually do, not rushing things. there was around 15 20 km before you hit the mountains, and what a start, a super steep but short hill, around 500m that really putted me out of breath ;) after that climb the course gently goes uphill and some downhill until you hit the big climb of the day, before that i was passed by some guys that i would never expect to be in front after the swim. The climb was somewhere near 20km with some steep sections and other not so steep. At the beginig of the climb i couldn't believe my eyes and i was passed by ords of athletes!!! WTF i was kinda feeling the worst guy at the race. soon enough tough i started going through them again one by one. i suffered a bit on the the steeper parts for sure but i got in the top of that climb in around 13º with Scott. After that there was a downhill that needed pedaling. i had fun doing it leading scott too soon there was the second big climb of around 8km. There i was caught by someone that it was worth the effort to not being "dropped" and i was sure Trevor tried to pass me and leave me behind. I took an extra gear to keep him in sight until the downhill. Another fun part. Trevor clearly didn't have great bike skills so i just pushed the pace in the downhill. yes i got my share of adrenaline in one occasion where i almost went of course but overall great descent. the last 50km its downhill and flat (last 20km) i led the group untill T2 unaware that santamaria caught us probably at the top before the downhill.
Run time, Trevor and Santamaria just took of so fast at the beginning that i almost couldn't see them. I wasn't feeling bad nor i was running slowly they just started im MDK mode. Frederik and Chabaud where to far away, but the rest of the guys where in reachable gaps. I had to move to the toilet at around 7km, i was afraid that something like south africa could be up ahead... i didn't spent too much time in it, just a few seconds and when i left i started flying ;) i really felt better after that. second lap saw me passing santamaria and getting close to Trevor delsaut. half way through i was in his heels and soon enough i passed him to get into the 5th position. Zamaora wasn't too far away neither was Paul Amey that was fading hard. I kept going in the 3rd lap to build a safe gap to the guy behind but in the final lap i started slowing down too much...enough to forget about chasing Paul and Zamora and just get to the finish. Its very hard to spot the guys in front with so many athlete on this 4 lap course. Paul ended a couple minutes ahead while Zamora actually gained time on my in the final 5km.
At the end 5th place was a very pleasant result for me. i was chasing a good result for some time now and had a good swim at least one that reflects my pool times, good controlled bike and im back to sub 2:50 runs. i really can ask much more than that right now ;)
And what a awesome course this is, one of the prettiest i ever done right up there with lanzarote. Tough courses are alway pretty i guess ;)
more soon as i wont have much time to rest, off to breakfast....
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
EPIC MONTH
It really was an epic month. lets see.... Trans portugal 9 stage MTB race, Ironman Texas and this weekend, one week after Texas, an Half ironman here in Portugal.
The race was fine, to be honest i had a terrific recovery from the ironman. and actually felt better leading to this race than to Ironman Texas.
I was second in a very close finish with Hugo ventura that is a tremendous athlete and one to watch if he gets into this long distance stuff.
Ventura has an amazing swim/bike strenght, i already had 4 min after the swim to recover as he was the first out of the water and i was somewhere around 10th. i felt better in the water too when compared to last week. I paced well in the ride, an out and back course of 4 laps with wind picking up really hard during the ride. hugo Ventura still managed to gain time on me, especially at the first 2 laps while i shaved a bit in the last lap. Still there was a big gap to the lead but i made my way out of the bike course in second already with a 1:14 ride while hugo posted 1:12. I was already happy just for not dragging my body through the course and was even more happy that i was feeling well, of course considering that ive done an ironman right ;)
I was hoping that hugo would have problems on the run as it is his weak spot right now or at least it could be in this race. I started in a pace that i felt confortably fast as i had Rafael and Estrangeiro on my heels especially in that first lap (of 5) where they got closer like 30 sec after arriving 1 min later to t2. i wasnt properly counting og getting to ventura on the run, just ran hard as i was enjoying the race. second lap i got away from the duo chasing me and got closer but not much to the lead. 3rd lap i finally got a chance to see ventura on the 2 out and back sections of the lap and 4th lap i took a ton of time, at some point i tought i could do it and catch him i ran as i hard as i could an at the last turn around of the final lap, around 1km to the end i was VERY close to him and he was in all sorts of trouble. I didnt quite made it to the lead for a mere 25s aaaarg the run should be a few meters longer ;)
finished with 4h:01m with the joy of having a fun day of racing and the fastest run. Ill have to congrat Hugo Ventura for his win especially while digging so deep to keep me of his heels on the run.
With this crazy month over, ill have time to prepare for another great month of racing....starting with ironman France at the end of june.
The race was fine, to be honest i had a terrific recovery from the ironman. and actually felt better leading to this race than to Ironman Texas.
I was second in a very close finish with Hugo ventura that is a tremendous athlete and one to watch if he gets into this long distance stuff.
Ventura has an amazing swim/bike strenght, i already had 4 min after the swim to recover as he was the first out of the water and i was somewhere around 10th. i felt better in the water too when compared to last week. I paced well in the ride, an out and back course of 4 laps with wind picking up really hard during the ride. hugo Ventura still managed to gain time on me, especially at the first 2 laps while i shaved a bit in the last lap. Still there was a big gap to the lead but i made my way out of the bike course in second already with a 1:14 ride while hugo posted 1:12. I was already happy just for not dragging my body through the course and was even more happy that i was feeling well, of course considering that ive done an ironman right ;)
I was hoping that hugo would have problems on the run as it is his weak spot right now or at least it could be in this race. I started in a pace that i felt confortably fast as i had Rafael and Estrangeiro on my heels especially in that first lap (of 5) where they got closer like 30 sec after arriving 1 min later to t2. i wasnt properly counting og getting to ventura on the run, just ran hard as i was enjoying the race. second lap i got away from the duo chasing me and got closer but not much to the lead. 3rd lap i finally got a chance to see ventura on the 2 out and back sections of the lap and 4th lap i took a ton of time, at some point i tought i could do it and catch him i ran as i hard as i could an at the last turn around of the final lap, around 1km to the end i was VERY close to him and he was in all sorts of trouble. I didnt quite made it to the lead for a mere 25s aaaarg the run should be a few meters longer ;)
finished with 4h:01m with the joy of having a fun day of racing and the fastest run. Ill have to congrat Hugo Ventura for his win especially while digging so deep to keep me of his heels on the run.
With this crazy month over, ill have time to prepare for another great month of racing....starting with ironman France at the end of june.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
the race
First the venue... one of the nicest course Ive done, yes its hot and humid but it wasn't that bad.
I had a predictable result that translates the feelings i had during last weeks. i felt tired the whole day and had to manage the race with what i had.
The swim in lake woodlands is cool, water is dark has hell and the point to point swim was nice also. Right from beginning i was left alone pushing a group the whole way until the last stretch. i almost able to catch the group ahead at the first turn around buoy, they where just there but then i started loosing it. leaving the water i immediately knew that i was far back and of course away from the group i should have been. no worries.
The bike was by far the loneliest ride i ever had, really. i saw nobody. yes i passed some girls but that was it!!
it was kinda cool with even some light rain so heat wasn't a factor. i didn't felt very strong right from the beginning as well so trying to get the most of what i got was the only option but in reality theres no more to be said about the bike. lonely lonely, not boring.....just lonely ;)
the run was where i really tried to do something, i started at somewhere near 6:15 6:20min/mile but i was feeling that that rithm wasn't comfortable, i slowed down. by mile 14 15 it really hit me but it was actually by then when i finally started to go up in the board so that was of course ...nice. till the end it was just a matter of running and suffering a bit more. i had no idea of race situation until i got to the finish line, was 12th and i really dont feel bad about it the pro field was immense. i was of course in a whole lot better shape in south africa but that doesn't bother me at all.
till next week ;)
I had a predictable result that translates the feelings i had during last weeks. i felt tired the whole day and had to manage the race with what i had.
The swim in lake woodlands is cool, water is dark has hell and the point to point swim was nice also. Right from beginning i was left alone pushing a group the whole way until the last stretch. i almost able to catch the group ahead at the first turn around buoy, they where just there but then i started loosing it. leaving the water i immediately knew that i was far back and of course away from the group i should have been. no worries.
The bike was by far the loneliest ride i ever had, really. i saw nobody. yes i passed some girls but that was it!!
it was kinda cool with even some light rain so heat wasn't a factor. i didn't felt very strong right from the beginning as well so trying to get the most of what i got was the only option but in reality theres no more to be said about the bike. lonely lonely, not boring.....just lonely ;)
the run was where i really tried to do something, i started at somewhere near 6:15 6:20min/mile but i was feeling that that rithm wasn't comfortable, i slowed down. by mile 14 15 it really hit me but it was actually by then when i finally started to go up in the board so that was of course ...nice. till the end it was just a matter of running and suffering a bit more. i had no idea of race situation until i got to the finish line, was 12th and i really dont feel bad about it the pro field was immense. i was of course in a whole lot better shape in south africa but that doesn't bother me at all.
till next week ;)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
post Trans pre Texas
It has been some dificult days ;)
as soon as i took my foot of the gas pedal all changed. I had some dificult days last week. I wouldnt expect being so long to recover from this although from certain point, with all the racing in the last days and still logging some non cycling workouts i was asking for a slower recovery. As today i still suffer from the very traumatic experience that my arms took at Trans Portugal. After getting rid of all the sweling the pain in the tendoms got worse and is still present with some better days and some worse days, im actually feeling it as i write. But, again, it was a wonderfull experience and with all honesty im looking forward to something like this in the future.
Im at philly airport, waiting for my ride to houston where, you guessed, ill be racing this weeekend at the inaugural Ironman Texas. I just hope to have a satisfatory race and that i feel good out there with all the great names at the race. I felt good during last weekend but last few days where more so so. We will see how this few easy days before the race will help or not ;)
as soon as i took my foot of the gas pedal all changed. I had some dificult days last week. I wouldnt expect being so long to recover from this although from certain point, with all the racing in the last days and still logging some non cycling workouts i was asking for a slower recovery. As today i still suffer from the very traumatic experience that my arms took at Trans Portugal. After getting rid of all the sweling the pain in the tendoms got worse and is still present with some better days and some worse days, im actually feeling it as i write. But, again, it was a wonderfull experience and with all honesty im looking forward to something like this in the future.
Im at philly airport, waiting for my ride to houston where, you guessed, ill be racing this weeekend at the inaugural Ironman Texas. I just hope to have a satisfatory race and that i feel good out there with all the great names at the race. I felt good during last weekend but last few days where more so so. We will see how this few easy days before the race will help or not ;)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
some numbers for the WOW factor ;)
Stages - 9
Total distance - 1170 km(there was a detour in one stage for the longer side)
Total elevation gain - 26471m
Number of massages - 0
Number of dinner plates (with food) in the 9 days - 27
Anti inflamatory pills for the arms - 10
Anti inflamatory Gel pack - 1
Shorts with most stages - 7 (they where "washed" of course)
number of crashes - 1 big 1 small and 4 totally inofensive
Number of Carboom gels packs - 81
Number of flats - 6
Times i washed my cycling shoes - 1 (there was no point with all the mud and river crossings)
Stages Won - 1 ....yeahhh ;)
and some photos from 9th stage
Total distance - 1170 km(there was a detour in one stage for the longer side)
Total elevation gain - 26471m
Number of massages - 0
Number of dinner plates (with food) in the 9 days - 27
Anti inflamatory pills for the arms - 10
Anti inflamatory Gel pack - 1
Shorts with most stages - 7 (they where "washed" of course)
number of crashes - 1 big 1 small and 4 totally inofensive
Number of Carboom gels packs - 81
Number of flats - 6
Times i washed my cycling shoes - 1 (there was no point with all the mud and river crossings)
Stages Won - 1 ....yeahhh ;)
and some photos from 9th stage
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