On Saturday Chris and I joined Jake (a friend doing IM France as well), his father, and a group of his father's friends for a 40ish mile ride into West Marin. This ride was our last longish taper ride before Wildflower next weekend.As soon as we arrived I was informed that one member of the group, Rich, has won his age group at Kona - the Ironman World Championship Event - five times. Yikes. My first thought - am I going to be able to keep up with this group?
Answer, no... but I did have an opportunity to talk with Rich in Nicasio as the group refueled. I asked him about his events and he shared that he had just completed Ironman Australia a few weeks prior. I then asked him the question I have been asking everyone who I think might know - was he familiar with the Ironman France course? He asked why. I told him that Chris, Jake and I were all training for the event. At first he didn't seem to believe me and then he started LAUGHING as he said, "It's really hard." GREAT.
I also found out today that the "hill" on the IM France bike course is 13 miles (21 km) long, not 6 miles as I had originally been told. I am almost speechless... Now I know why Rich was laughing. The Tierra Bella Coe Park climb is starting to look easy at this point...
(My friend Christopher Kautz wrote a story about Rich last year in the local newspaper, which you may view here. Rich is quite an accomplished athlete.)
2 comments:
Oh, dear. That doesn't sound good....the laughing. It sounds rather ominous. Are you sure about this?
i think some yummy french croissants in the bento box will help on those hills!
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