Chasing the Kona dream and a Mai Tai cocktail

c07

Very, very best of luck

tunney

Have a good race and come home as



not

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Ha ha funny, just have your phone on in case i need to call a friend in T2:)

tunney

Best of luck in http://ironmanfrankfurt.com/side-events/ironkids/

Hope you win, or at least place, in the 7th grade Height Group

shotgunmcos

Good luck Fran, go get em angry hobbit style!!

pgibbo

The very best of luck Fran

BTH

Best of luck big man

Bambaata

All the best Fran!

catweazle

AH my usual good luck for Jacky before a big race - only need to do it twice this year.

The very best of luck Fran!

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Wednesday
Swim
Just a short set of 1.6k with main being 5x100 -10sec of race pace. Pushed the 100s a little harder than expected. With times all around mid 1:30s. Did not feel fantastic in the water, as usual i always feel a little off after a rest day. This was also an epic visit to the pool for other non related swimming reasons:)
1.6k, avg moving pace 1:43, swolf:76

Run
Just 45mins easy, it was horrible and hr off the charts. I put this down to the rest day, as said previously i always feel crap the day after.
42mins,8.9kms,4.47km pace

Thursday
Bike
Out on the road bike for this as everything packed. 55mins with 5x4mins race pace +30w. All came in around 245w and felt good.

Thats me for now, heading for the airport shortly. Cannot wait to get going on Sunday.

El Director

Best of luck Fran. Enjoy

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Ready to rock at Frankfurt, if the build up is anything to go by tomorrow is going to be epic.
My 2 focuses tomorrow are smile as much as possible and go as hard as I can sustain for 10hrs. Time to reap the rewards of a years training.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Well little else to be doing as I cannot sleep or get comfortable. A day after IM Frankfurt and I am feeling a totally different and unexpected pain to what one would normally feel after IM day.

Arrived over on the Thursday evening, checked in and built the bike box up ready for a spin the following day. Woke early the next morning and headed out for a short/easy spin to make sure everything was ok. Out soon after for a 40min run in the heat and legs were feeling a little heavy from walking around earlier in the day with registration etc. Saturday out for another short spin with some race pace efforts, all feeling easy and moving nicely at 40kmph on smooth roads. Another 20min run later in that evening and I was feeling really good.

Had one of the best nights sleep ever prior to an IM and to be honest I felt totally relaxed as I had brekkie at 3.30am and even heading out to the Lake I had another snooze, yes that relaxed!! We got the nutrition and hydration sorted on the bike and I said my goodbyes to Knut who was tackling his 2nd IM. Down into the lake with 5mins to spare with 2500 fellow triathletes ready to tackle a long day ahead. At this point still no nerves just a big grin, one of my mantras for the day was to race the whole lot with a smile on my face and enjoy the experience. I felt i was not on the best shape possible but good shape to take time off my pb and maybe even possibly dip under 10hrs.

I had positioned myself to the left about 4 or 5 rows back from the front as I felt it was the fastest and shortest line. 7am and bang the gun goes off. This was the roughest swim I was ever involved in but I just swam as hard as I could to get out of the washing machine. 30secs had not yet passed when a guy stops in front of me upright turns to his side looks at me, cocks back his leg and hits me full force into the chest. Why? I don’t know why, perhaps someone was dragging on his feet? I know its triathlon and not a petting competition but that is clearly totally unacceptable and scumbag behaviour for someone to blatantly lash out like that, especially in the swim.

I knew something was up straight away as felt a sharp pain in my chest/rib cage and struggled to breathe as i was getting boxed/kicked to death as I stood still in the water. I could not get into any swimming at all and I was fearful that I was going to be swum over and die at the bottom of the lake. I was having a full on panic attack at this stage, stuck in the middle of 2500 people and struggling to breathe, I thought that was that, game over. I managed to clamber over to a buoy and try assess damage and let the melee go off out in front. Finally after losing about 7 or 8 minutes I finally started to swim but every stroke on the left was hurting my ribs like hell and I had to breathe every stroke such were the problems I was faced with.

I managed to get through the most uncomfortable swim ever in 1:19, don’t ask me how as there was a number of moments i was just going to swim over to a marshalls boat. Annoyingly without the kicking issue I think this would have been much closer to 1:10 which would have been a big improvement and set me up nicely for the day. As I started to run up the ramp to transition I had to stop to walk as my breathing, chest and ribs were not having it. Relax I was telling myself it will sort itself out, probably just winded.

Out of transition and some girl brings me down to the ground as she is trying to clip in, really is this **** happening. No serious damage done apart from my hip a little sore. Off I went passing lots of people and hitting target wattage fine, so thankfully no issues with previous swim/bike issues I had encountered and the legs felt good. I was about 15mins into the bike when the pain in my side was becoming unbearable and my breathing was becoming restricted, I popped 2 nurofen but no good. I was still passing lots of people but my pace was miles off. I stopped at a medical tent about 1hr in but they could do nothing for me. We hit the cobbled section and it was only then I knew my day was over as my bones rattled going through it. Made it through 105k of the bike and had to park up, this was so tough to do.

X ray confirmed I had fractured 2 ribs from the swim and even now as I type this I can tell you its painful. It was a tough decision to pull out but I knew if I was suffering that badly on the bike the inevitable would happen on the run. I am deeply upset, I just cannot seem to catch a break in long distance tri. I went back up to watch Knut finish, great to see him finish close to 11hrs but I would be lying if I did not say I found it very difficult standing there spectating rather than being a finisher. We hung around for a beer after but with everyone around me sporting their medals,t-shirts and with Mike Reilly shouting “You are an Ironman” every 10secs I just had to get out of there and be on my own back in the apartment.

Thats 5 long distance tri races in 3 years for me and all I have got to show for it is a mediocre 10:33 with two DNFs. Not one to be making rash decisions but I think that will likely be the last time I will stand on an IM start line, just too disheartening and so unforgiving if something happens on the day.

I don’t know what the rest of the year will look like, likely DCM and sub 3hr is out of the equation as the ribs will likely keep me out for 4-6 weeks of decent training. I just don’t have the heart or desire any more now to go at it again and train at the levels I have been over the last 2 years guided by my coach. I am looking forward to a few weeks of getting up early with the kids and not worrying about going out for 4 or 5hr bikes at 6am in the morning!!

Thanks for all the messages, e-mails and texts, the support was much appreciated.

catweazle

Hard to see but there are some positives you can take from this Jacky

The previous poor performances have all been self inflicted in some form or other, through no fault of your own you were knocked out this time.

Looks like this time you got the training right - you were coming into this race with a great mindset and it didn't seem like any pressure got to you this time.

The training improvements are in the bank - a 1.19 swim with 2 broken ribs is a long way from almost missing the swim cut off in Ironman UK

interested

"Why? I don’t know why, perhaps someone was dragging on his feet? I know its triathlon and not a petting competition but that is clearly totally unacceptable and scumbag behaviour for someone to blatantly lash out like that, especially in the swim."


If someone did that to someone in the street it'd be assault. Whether someone is pulling on your foot or even chewing on it - if you lash out you are a 'fvck wit' of the highest degree.
Fran, sincerely sorry you had this happen to you. Infuriating.

mitresize5

****ing hell - have been dipping in and out of your log for a long time now and signed on specifically this morning to see how you got on.

I dont think I've seen anyone get less reward for so much effort in all my life .... I hope you keep it up mind you. One day it will all come together for you.

p.s. remember reading on her previously that a girl had something similar happen to her on a course that swimmers had to get out at the beach and return to the water - a guy turned around, punched her in the face and broke her nose. So it doesnt seem to be all that rare.

tunney

I have gotten to know you over the last few years and I like to think that we have become friends. I know our kids are friends "Lauren is my best friend Daddy, best friend."

At every turn you have been focussed and disciplined. Done what needs doing, swallowed your pride when it was needed and sucked it up and just did it. You sacraficed alot for the various races and yet managed to balance being a good husband and father and a high pressure job too. You have gotten zero rewards, nothing. Roth, Barcelona and Abu Dhabi were ruined as a result of severe motion sickness. This was addressed and I really was prepared to get a years abuse when you pick my IM PB in Frankfurt.

Alas, alack, that did not happen. A selfish pr1ck ruined your race, someone decided that a slight inconvience should be responded to with extreme aggression. You soldered through the bike but collapsed and had to go to hospital.

Despite swimming like a retarded brick I think you have a great IM race in you. You have the mental strength to suffer over long periods, you have the frame to run fast over long distances and you have put the work into the bike to ride a 4:50 on a continental course.

I think physically and mentally you are suited to IM racing. I think you, like myself, love IM racing despite the results never reflecting effort.

Use the next 4-6 weeks recovery time to reflect and then decide what you want. I know I was looking forward to kneecapping an orange man and hobbling the hobbit in IMde next year.

mossym

sucks to have to read another race not turning out as planned, can't even imagine how much more it sucks to have undergone it. truly sorry to hear what happened, and all i can say is don;t rush to any decisions, take the couple of weeks to recover before making any calls.

El Director

Fran I have said it already but how you did a 1:19 IM in that situation off the back of minimal swim training is beyond me. Then to do 100km+ on the bike in the aero position. Nothing short of incredible and can you lead to one one conclusion: you are one seriously mentally strong individual. You have what it takes dude to reach your goal. Do not give up, don't let some pr1ck ruin it. What terrific words from Tunney there, heed them and I really like the sound of IMde with that gang, it would be incredible. You can and will come back.

#ifanyonecanFrancan

TRR

Sorry to hear that Fran. Gutted for you. Your race result was taken out of your hands. It will come right some day though and when it does you'll see that the hard knocks and disappointments were part of the process and ultimately worth it. Don't rule out a fast marathon in DCM yet either.

RacoonQueen

Tried to avoid reading your blog earlier as I knew it would be tough reading. Dude nothing we can say will make it feel any better. It fu*cking sucks, you really couldn't make this shite up.

Chin up, relax and get back on the turbo in a few days when you're feeling a bit less like banging your head off a brick wall and keep that fitness up. 4 weeks, you'll be back running. Finish the year on the high, DCM will be a blast.

I echo El D, given the shoulder problems and the fact you *allegedly* swim like a brick....to lose 7 minutes or so and then finish the swim in 1.19 is phenomenal. We have to believe one day it'll all come together otherwise we wouldn't keep going back for more. This time next year we'll hopefully be reading a tear jerker for a whole host of other reasons.

Oryx

I agree. Don't underestimate your mental strength. Hard to get on the bike with that much pain, and even harder to stop and end your race. You are one tough b'stard.

I really can't believe the run of luck you've had. It sounds far fetched to have so much go wrong. No, you didn't get the tshirt or the pb. But not because you raced wrong or trained wrong. Someone else took it from you. And while you should be rightly furious about that, don't allow it to write off everything you have, and still can achieve. We all knew without question you'd go well at the weekend, I think you knew it too. And you would have but for that ignorant prick (who I hope fell off his bike at the very least).

I hope you come back to long distance and give it another shot. Yeah you're a jinx, but you're a very talented one.

El Director

Watch an excellent sports doc on BBC this evening about Andy Murray, you should watch it dude. I was thinking of you when I was watching it, inspirational. The Beep are generally very good for putting stuff on YouTube for free.

shotgunmcos

Ah crap. Really sorry to hear that Fran. So unlucky. You are made of serious stuff to keep trucking for hours in pain. Particularly with the sacrifices and expense of these events it probably hurts more than the ribs themselves. I'm sure you will nail one one of these days. You deserve to for your efforts.

Dory Dory

There's not a whole lot more to add, I think all of the above fine peeps said it all. But I'll just say....JB, you're one of the good guys - one of the ones who always rallies behind all of us here and cheers us on and motivates us to reach higher. If you rode a horse, you'd wear the white cowboy hat. And that's why this is all that much harder to stomach - the way the blow was delivered to you. The guy in the white hat is always supposed to ride off into the sunset with his gal his medal, tshirt and pb...not sitting on the sidelines with broken ribs due to a cheap shot delivered by an unsportman-like idiot with the OW version of road rage. If the IM gods are paying attention here and keeping score, my money is on you to have an epic year in 2014 because you are so due payment in arrears with triple compounded interest for all that you have been through. You're class, JB, and don't you ever forget that.

Trig1

Sorry to hear about Race JB..really sucks...hope you feel better soon...

BTH

Dude that's ****ing Sh1tballs. I can only imagine how frustrated you are. Three years of great training in the bank and no results to show for it. But remember, it's all in the bank. While it might feel like its been a waste, it's not. That work will stand to you.

Tom Cruise to play you in the movie once Hollywood get hold of the thread. You couldn't write it.

(Sorry, it's probably the drugs talking)

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Thanks everyone

Shell to Run

JB - what happened was out of your control. You are in a fantastic position moving forward because you have addressed a range of issues which 'you can control'. Life can be b!tch and being knocked down makes getting back up even more sweeter. Keep looking forward at what can be.

BennyMul

Hey JB it is truly sh1tty and as said this was outside your control and at this point nothing here will really cheer you up and it just happens that you have a normal person life time of bad luck in a few a races.

but we all believe you have the talent, dedication stubbornness to hit the goal you have laid out.