Triathlon du Roi Sprint – Versailles – May 21st 2017
Race Reporter: Rick
DIY-er Rick navigates Versailles 2 years in a row.
Like all First Timer’s with a new adventure ahead, I looked to the internet for info. I discovered Expatriés, signed up for Meetup, but never acted on anything. Just by chance, I met Ed van de Logt. As a complete rookie, I asked him “What’s the secret to tri-training”? Ed’s reply was simple “just sign up for a race, everything else follows.” He told me the Triathlon de Roi was coming up, so without thinking, I dove in. I plowed through my ‘DIY’ (do it yourself) style training, relying on Ed as a key source of info. He became my personal “chatbot” coach and buddy. I did the work, logged the hours (largely alone) until race day arrived.
Triathlon du Roi 2016
Race day came and I felt comfortable swimming and running, but I didn’t log a lot of time on the road bike and they were calling for rain. It ended up being monsoon-like the morning of the race so the pavement and trails were under water and I was pretty freaked out. I immediately downgraded my objectives to: no crashes, no screwing up someone else’s race and to finish strong.
Each leg was rough: nothing could have prepared me for the swim “spin cycle,” I witnessed a multiple of crashes & bloodshed on the bike course and the running leg was more like an American-themed mud-run. Despite the conditions, I finished feeling strong, without injury or creating a spectacle…and very motivated to try again.
Triathlon du Roi 2017
What a difference a year makes – Le Roi-Soleil was shining upon us. I arrived with one race under my belt, a clear head and perfect conditions. There was a lot of time to mentally prepare and the race organization seemed to have bumped it up a notch. There was a thorough orientation session and precise course directions, forewarning of critical turns throughout the race.
As for the race, the open water, spin-cycle swim is still a shock to my system, especially as I was more aggressive than last year and found myself in the center of the storm. But, the rest of the race was smooth sailing and I felt strong.
I hoped to cut off 15’ minutes from last year and managed 12’30! And, I’m happy to announce my ‘DIY’ status is coming to an end. The Triathlon du Roi was just a warm up for the Triathlon de Paris, my first Olympic. With the race staring me in the face and only 5+ weeks left to train, you’ll certainly be seeing more of me!!
