Challenge Walchsee race report

Photo: challenge Family

 

Last weekend I once again found my self on a starting line. Here three weeks after Challenge Copenhagen I drove with Susa to Austria, this time for a half distance but not just any half, Challenge Walchsee was on. I got a late entry spot and was looking forward to a good race and the last hard unit before the next long distance in the mid September.

Susa had the job of handing out gels and salt to me one race day, and kindly asking me why I was not racing faster when I knew that I was slow. - I think she likes that job way more than racing herself.

We arrived Thursday evening to our little but very sweet hotel in Kössen, next to Walchsee, where it turned out that the daughter Michaela and her boyfriend Mario also was going to race. Both of them for the first time.

Later that evening Jacob Frandsen and Chris Fischer checked-in. Both of them are very talented Danish athletes ready to kick my ass, but all in all perfect company leading up to the race.

I hate race mornings. I don´t know why, as soon as the gun goes off and the swimming is on everything is good but until that point I just want to get back into bed. This time was no different even though we all was welcomed by a beautiful sunrise and the typical challenge atmosphere when we checked our bikes the last time and went to the swim start.

The clock hit 8:00 and off we went. Now everything was good, except that some guy hit my glasses in a way that I almost lost them, but I got them back on and did not loose much time. My swim was good and I had a group and never had problems with following. I exited the water with athletes that normally are quite a bit ahead of me in the swim so it seemed like that I had a swim that was better that normaly somehow.

On the bike I spent the first kilometres closing a small gap to 3 other guys. A couple of guys came along but on the first big hill I was kicked off when they for some reason practically sprinted to the top.

After not being able to close that gap, the rest of the ride was more or less unspectacular and I hit T2 with a setback of about 4:30 to where I wanted to be.

Photo: challenge Family

So yet again I knew what to do if I wanted to finish somewhere near top 10.

It was kind of a lonely run for the first 10-12k. In that 4:30 gap there was no one, so even though that the gap got smaller and smaller I did not see anyone. I was happy that the spectators was so motivating because otherwise it would have been a even more though task to close the gap.

On the last lap I caught 3 guys, and then on the last meters I overtook Chris Fischer who again had showed his power on the bike were he after 15k came blistering by.

I hit the finish line just in time to get a little share of the price money, lucky me that a couple of good guys had signed up as age groupers because I was only in 12^th position overall.

Photo: challenge Family

I am very happy with my performance. It was a world class field, I can´t think of a stronger middle distance field in Europe this year, so a 12^th place is for sure okay.

Now back in Germany the last preparation is on for Challenge Henley on the 18^th September.
- I am looking forward!

Results can be found here