So, I set off for Nice to do IM France, which was my target 'A' race for the first half of the season. France is one of those places I absolutely fell in love with when I visited 3 years ago and I was glad to be back and racing there. All things going well; all the luggage made it safely, we were settled into the hotel room not too far from the race site, jet lag wasn't really an issue and we were off to preview the bike course.
I always drive and/or ride the bike course of every race I do. Especially this bike course, as it is hilly and has a few technical spots to take note of. We drove the majority of the course and I hopped out at one spot to get a good hour or so ride in - up the longest climbing portion. Everything was feeling good - the bike legs were ready to do some racing! It's a gorgeous bike course to boot so that makes for some inspirational riding.
The day before the race I had a few things to get done before sitting 'feet up' for the remainder of the day: ride the run course, swim, press conference, pro meeting. So, first thing I get up and walk down to do my bike ride. Only I discover the worst possible thing imaginable: my Cannondale Slice had been stolen. Utter disbelief and and castastrophe! I ran out to where I could were get cell service and call my coach Jimmy. I also called the race director for help. Leaving voicemails for both, I crumple to the pavement in tears. All that work, all those hours spent adjusting and working on my bike had just been ripped from me. But, I couldn't let that stop me from racing. I had to pull myself together, find a bike and prepare for a race I was going to do 24 short hours from now.
Yves the race director was so very kind and called me back quickly; he was looking into a few options for a loaner bike and we planned to meet a few hours later at the race expo. Not wanting to get too off schedule, I jumped on my fiance's bike (which was waaay too big for me), put on his shoes (which were also waaaaay too big for me) and off I rode sobbing and sniffling.
I met Yves an hour later to discuss bike options. Two of the french female pros offered up their own spare bikes (thanks Jeanne and Delphine!) and Nicolas, a local Cannondale rep, offered up his own Evo as well. Not feeling right by using a competitor's bike, I graciously accepted Nicolas's offer and made my way to the press conference and then pro meeting.
The next 6 hours were spent tweaking Nicolas's bike to get it as close to fitting me as possible. This is not an easy task when you're in a foreign country, your time is limited and many places are closed in France on Saturdays. But, a new stem, new seatpost, new cleats, new bento box and a borrowed saddle later and I had exactly 15 minutes to jump on the bike and call it good before it needed to be racked. What a day; off to eat and to bed.
Race morning was a funny scene; walking to the race start at 5am, the mixture of triathletes and late-night partiers finally heading home was a fun clash of lifestyles! The transition area is a very looooong one, so if you ever do this race be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to the swim start. I was working my way through a log jam of people heading out of transition, spotted Mary Beth Ellis buzzing her way through (it helps when you're a little one like she is), so I tucked in right behind her yelling out 'Pardon!' 'Pardon!'. Once we get to the swim start on the rocky beach that is in Nice, we all realized that the swim course wasn't clearly marked. This would be my one complaint about the race - the swim marker buoys need to be bigger and color-coded. I found someone who spoke English to discuss the course, then talked some more with the rest of the pros in the water, only moments before the race start. With confusion still abounding, I decided to simply follow the pack.
A less than spectacular swim and I was out on the bike course. I could tell pretty quickly that there was a bit of discomfort riding a slightly bigger bike, especially on the flats and downhill portions of the course, but the Evo climbed like a champ! A perfectly wonderful bike, but just simply not my beloved Slice. I left quite a bit of time on that bike course that I fully intend to get back next time I race there!
The run. I was down by a fair bit of time when I got off the bike and had a bit of lower back/glute pain, but I set off on the run determined to have a solid finish to the day. The run is flat - very flat - and it sends the racers back and forth along the Promenade de Anglais. I managed to run a solid 3:02, passing one other female, to capture 4th place.
This race was clearly not as I had planned, but I am forever grateful for those who immediately chipped in to help me get to the start line! I will return to this course because of its location and challenging bike course and I will finally get to see how fast I can go here. I highly recommend this race to anyone thinking of doing it; just keep a close eye on your bike at all times!
Nicolas at Cannondale was so very kind to let me keep his bike for the next 10 days while Jon and I toured and rode in the Pyrennes mountains. How amazing is that?
Next up...Pyrennes and Alpe riding. And Le Tour!
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