Hi all. Well, he
did it!!
Despite the 37 degree heat, Andy managed
to finish his first Iron Man Triathlon,
and in pretty good style!
1400 competitors started at 6.30 am, on
the beach at the Promenade des Anglais,
Nice, with the 3.8km swim. It was like
watching an enormous piranha pool, with
arms flailing and legs kicking....
chaos!
After leaving the water the competitors
run to 'transition', the point at which
they quickly prepare themselves for the
180km cycle. The cycle course climbed up
into the lower Alps, reaching a height
of over 1,800 feet/600 metres, and then
descended back down towards the
Promenade des Anglais.
Once again the competitors made for
transition, where the bikes and helmets
were quickly dispensed with, the running
shoes replaced the cycle shoes, and off
they went again for the run, a full
marathon of 40km (26 miles). We saw Andy
at this point, and he was looking good,
but suffering from agonising cramps.
Despite this, he gritted his teeth and
got stuck in to the task ahead.
Meanwhile, the competitors were dropping
like flies, with ambulances whizzing
past consistently, and stretchers
littering the curbs like a war zone. The
heat was taking its toll. |
