The volcanic Challenge Vichy 2011
Challenge Vichy - Sunday 21st August 2011
Geography
The inaugural Challenge Vichy is situated in the thermal spa town of Vichy, on the banks of Lac d'Alier. It's well located in terms of getting flights from the UK to either Lyon (2.5h drive) or Clermont Ferrand (30 min drive), train or comfortable 6 hour drive from Calais. The swim and run course are situated in or around the man-made Lac d'Alier, created by damming the river Alier and the bike course takes in the surrounding countryside, sunflowers, forests and France's only existing remnants of volcanoes. We certainly experienced lava-like temperatures on race day!
Pre-race
The temperature in the days leading up to the race averaged 30+ degrees, as central France sweltered under heat wave conditions. Having recce’d the swim, bike and run courses in the days before, it looked likely to be a non-wetsuit swim and warm conditions on race day.
I arrived in transition early on race morning and began my usual pre-race routine of re-inflating tubs on race wheels and organising fuelling systems for the day ahead. Halfway through this process a French journalist and cameraman wanted a pre-race interview about the course, conditions and where I hoped to place/ finish. With just 10 Pro women in the race, including a few late entries from NZ and America, they were keen to find out a little more about the non-French competitors!
Swim
An announcement that it would be a non-wetsuit swim created general confusion about whether competitors could wear FFTRI approved speed suits over, under or instead of race kit. As we left transition to head to the swim start, it was confirmed that an approved suit could be worn however there wasn’t a speed suit in sight as we all slipped into the warm 26-degree lake! After a slight delay, the race got underway and being an out and back swim between the two bridges at either end of the lake, it was relatively easy in terms of sighting and lacked any technical difficulty. We were swimming slightly into wind/ current on the way out and subsequently had easier conditions on the way back, although I seemed to be pulling a couple of ‘companions’ along as I discovered when stopping to empty leaking goggles ~500m from the finish. I’d been steadily passing people from the turnaround point and from the constant tapping of my feet, I knew I had company.
T1
It was a fairly lengthy jog along the bank of the lake to T1, via the bag racks. I needed a couple of extra minutes in transition to remove and reposition one of my troublesome contact lenses which had shifted during the leaky goggle episode. Without a mirror, and in a hectic transition tent, this is a somewhat difficult and delicate task! Once accomplished, I found my bike and was happy to exit transition in under 5 minutes.
Bike
After about a kilometre on smooth, fast, flat roads, the course immediately starts a two-part climb at 6-8% gradient for approx 800m then leveling out into a more sustained climb at 4-6% for 2km. The two-lap course then rolls along under the canopy of the forest, through beautiful countryside and villages at an altitude of 900ft for the next 70-75km before a fast gradual descent back towards Vichy. It’s best described as ‘French flat’, rather than comparable with other very fast and very flat bike courses I’ve raced such as IM Western Australia or Challenge Roth. I enjoyed the first lap of the course, under overcast skies. I was able to get into a good rhythm of using the aid stations for cooling/ water intake and taking in calories and my onboard energy drink in between. The second lap felt significantly hotter under full sun! I caught up to one of my coached athletes who was having a few issues with the heat on the exposed sections of the bike course, and checked that he was doing ok as I rode past. I hoped I’d see him on the run…
At this point I felt pretty comfortable and well within my limits passing a couple of female competitors and improving my position from 7th or 8th out of the swim to 5th off the bike.
T2
After a swift entry into transition, wheeling my bike into the hands of a volunteer, trotting through the bag racks, I was into the welcoming shade and cooler temperature of the change tent. It felt good to pop on a pair of compression socks and trusty Asics racing trainers after 112 miles in bike shoes! With a fully loaded Nathan fuel belt, I headed out into the 40-degree heat of the run course.
Run
The first 2-3 km of the marathon course is well shaded and supported as it passes by the finish line and race HQ. The atmosphere was obviously building as I passed through on the first of 4 laps, in anticipation of the race leaders finishing. Stephen Bayliss was comfortably leading the men’s race and Amy Marsh was extending her lead each lap. After 6km I passed Aline and moved into 4th place, settling into a good rhythm and making use of the aid stations every 2km. The options for cooling included hosing, sponges or spray showers, all of which were very welcome in the hot conditions when out in the full sun! Approximately 40% of the run course was shaded, and being situated around four sides of the lake meant you could feel a welcome breeze off the water. I was getting quite concerned I hadn’t seen Dean by the 3rd and 4th laps. Being a full-time coach means that more often than not, my thoughts are with my athletes’ progress if they are racing the same event, rather than my own! I was quite relieved to find him (unfortunately off the course) on my way into the finish, seemingly ok despite having to be withdrawn with heat exhaustion on the bike. Over half the field didn’t complete the race due to the heat wave conditions of 37 degrees in the shade!
Finish
It’s always great to find the finish line, and finish 4th Pro female/ overall, +10 hours after starting it was a very welcome sight! My goal was a top 5 finish in the race, and my expectations of a faster time on an untried course were tempered by the heat and conditions on the day.
Remaining positive, concentrating on your performance and execution of your best realistic effort, rather than time splits of swim/ bike/ run in extreme conditions, is a powerful strategy in any race. ‘Stay in the moment’ to focus on the process rather than the outcome and this in turn frees up valuable mental energy and sometimes creativity required to deal with challenges throughout the race. You'll more often than not surpass expectations of what you'er capable of delivering on race day!
Allez!
Fiona
