2011 is long gone, but before I get to court up in the new year I would like to take a little look back on the past season.
It all started on Fuerteventura where I together with Susanne arrived early in January for the first of four camps. The next weeks was filled out with group rides, technique sessions, Video analysis and presentations and lectures in the evenings.
After some good weeks on Fuerteventura, and about one million time in the same buffet, we moved on to Mallorca for the last of our camps. And then I was ready for the races.
Or said in a better way, in the last days of our Mallorca camp I got ill and had to put the preperations on hold. That also meant that I could not start at the Xterra Italy. Susa had been ill to a little before me, but startet and finish strong even though she was missing her normall power on that day. In the days after the race we had a little time to enjoy the beautiful island. Susannes father Jacob was along for this trip, like many of other other ones, and it is always a blast to be on the road with him and Susanne.
The first race for me was a duathlon here in Germany. Hilpolstein Duathlon – I won it. I had just started training again, and it was more or less just a try, when I decided to start. It was a day with a lot of fun, and really a race to put on your to-do list.
The next race was The Rothsee Triathlon Festival on the Olympic distance, where I ended up in 4th position, fighting hard on the run after not the best bike ride. From this race itself I remember the hills on the run the most, but again, those Germans knows how to put together a good race
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| @photo Sebastian Kuhn |
After this, it was time for the big Scandinavian trip. First Norseman and then one week later Challenge Copenhagen. In 2010 Susanne did both, but this year I was allowed to do the Copenhagen part ;)
Susanne won in Norway again, and I was able to set a new personal best wit 8:36 and finish 9th in Copenhagen.
Only A couple of weeks later Challenge Walschsee was on the schedule. I was the second time I had the opportunity to ride on this amazing course and in the end I was able to run a little forward in the field to finish in 12th position.
In between those races, several things happened. League races for my German club TSG ROTH 08, training rides in the high mountains of Switzerland and a relay swim in Challenge Roth just to name a few.
After Walschsee, my season should have been ended, but I felt like I wanted to race once more.
Challenge Henley in England was on, and despite being a really cool race, I had a really bad day, finding myself through up in the side of the road after less than 90km on the bike. But that swim in the Thames, I will never forget.
I would like to thank everyone who made this amazing year possible. I owe
Susanne and her Family a big thank you, as well as my sponsors. I am looking forward to 2012 with you all.
Thank you to
Planet X for some cool bike. To
Saucony for covering my high number of shoe changes, to
Sailfish for putting me in a wetsuit that brought me new personal best times on practically all distances this year. To
Penco for keeping my energy level high – and with my metabolism that takes a lot :) - and of cause a big thank you to
Susanne and Professional endurance team for making it easier to get closer to my full potential - I owe you guys a lot!
Happy new year everyone – I hope to see you here in 2012
Take care
Hans
