11:00 a.m. (+3 hour, 50 minutes) mile 35
I was now halfway up the hill that seemed to go on forever.
(How is that “Fortune favors the bold” stuff working?)
The 4% incline from 4 miles earlier had been replaced with a 9% incline & I was suffering. I needed to stop. I needed to get off my bike.
In 2016 I competed at Ironman Lake Placid with its 6,000+ feet of climbing. I remember needing to take a break at mile 90 of that bike course due to the heat of the day on that climb. I decided that here in Nice, I should do the same.
(But weren’t you on like a 25% incline or something?)
The 9% became 4% again at the halfway mark, so I knew if I stopped, I could restart. At 9%, it’s really hard to hop on your bike and not fall over as you start to pedal.
(So, you just sat down in the middle of the road?)
No, I unclipped my feet from the bike pedals & just stood there sipping…
(Espresso?)
…my Blue Raspberry Gatorade in the warm autumn sun of Nice.
(Warm, Blue Raspberry Gatorade sounds yummy)
Unbeknownst to me there was a transatlantic conversation taking place between my very worried wife & my very groggy swim training buddy. My phone was back in the hotel, or she would have texted me. I knew that my wife, family & friends were following my progress on the Ironman App, but I had no idea that my panicking wife turned to the only person she could text at 5:55 a.m. on a Sunday morning, back in the US. What I’m about to share, I only found out about days later:
JANET “I’m scared…this is Janet.”
SHLOMO “This is Shlomo.”
JANET “I don’t think that he is going to finish.”
SHLOMO “Why?”
JANET “Because it says that he is going to finish his bike at 6:11 and it takes him 6 hours to run a marathon.”
SHLOMO “He made it through Bolton (U.K.)—he should make it through this.”
JANET “Yes, I know, but this feels different. I hope that u r right.”
SHLOMO “Me too. Let’s see what happens.”
I guess 90 minutes of riding at 3-4 miles per hour will really skew the predicted finish time.
11:01 a.m. (+3 hour, 51 minutes) mile 35
After 60 seconds of standing still my heart rate had come down to its normal pace.
(What is “normal” for you?)
Between 42-50 beats per minute. I climbed back on my bike &…
(Everything was easier?)
No, just not harder than before, but the fatigue was gone.
We were outside the cities of southern France. The countryside was beautiful. One & two-story homes dotted the grass lined hills. These old concrete homes were nestled into the mountain like a scene from a World War Two film, set in Italy.
(“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat” indeed!)
As pretty as the surroundings were, I had to keep pedaling to reach the top by 12 noon.
11:30 a.m. (+4 hour, 10 minutes) mile 37
Along the way something special happened…I started to pass people.
Some were slowing down, others were laying on the side of the road.
Some of those who raced ahead of me overreached their abilities & had to stop.
(Did they get up & start again?)
I have no idea. I still had to reach the top & the climb became 9% again.
(How hard is 9%?)
At this level I’m not spinning, I’m pushing down on the shoes that are clipped into the bike.
Every pedal stroke is painful. I wanted to get to the top as fast as I could to get a break, but I still had 4 miles to go.
(So, just “gun it”)
If I had, I ran the risk of muscle spasm & falling over. I had been climbing for hours & my legs were beginning to fatigue. I could feel the bike slowing down & my breathing getting harder.
11:45 a.m. (+4 hour, 25 minutes) mile 39
At this point, I should have been able to see the top of the climb, but it seemed to just go on forever. Every turn was another climb with beautiful houses & waving spectators.
12:00 a.m. (+4 hour, 40 minutes) mile 40
The path continued to snake up the hill…but this was no hill, this was a mountain. As I came around yet another turn, I saw it, there were officials standing in front of a sign. I just prayed that this was the cut off sign. My legs were beginning to tremble, which meant they needed a rest.
David Roher is a USAT certified triathlon and marathon coach. He is a multi-Ironman finisher and veteran special education teacher. He is on Instagram @David Roher140.6. He can be reached at [email protected].
