Sommaire

1. Little Reminder
2. Mental Coaching
3. Osteopathy and contracture
4. Arrival
5. D Day
6. Swim
7. Bike
8. Run
9. End
10. Some Stats

Little Reminder

Hello, jet lag! It’s 4 a.m., and I’m struggling to fall asleep. Well, not struggling, really – I just can’t sleep at all, haha. We returned from Hawai’i five days ago now, and I’m finding it a bit difficult to get back to a stable sleep pattern.

Our daughters are coping a bit better, despite a few middle-of-the-night wake-ups. But children adapt faster than we do. And Audrey… apparently not affected by jet lag – she’s so annoying 😂

Two years ago, we were already in Hawai’i for the same reason: the IRONMAN World Championship. While there were many similarities with this trip, the adventure didn’t go so well that time. I’ll spare you the details (since it’s all written here anyway), but I had to withdraw from the race during the swim. The next day, I told my wife something like, “The island has won; I’ll never finish the Hawai’i IRONMAN.” To which she replied that I couldn’t let it end on that failure and that I’d regret it for the rest of my life. She was right, of course (have I mentioned she’s almost always right?).

So, we got back to work, and in the meantime, so much happened again. I qualified again for Hawai’i (because otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this report) at IRONMAN Florida, where I took 🥈 in my age group. I then raced at IRONMAN Austria this past June to prepare for Hawai’i, where I took 🥇. I knew I was in good shape, but I didn’t expect to take such a sweet revenge on this course (I’d had to withdraw the year before due to a recurring heel issue).

Mental Coaching

I also started a journey I should have embarked on a long time ago: I took care of my head. No, I didn’t go to the hairdresser, but I made an appointment with a psychologist and mental coach, Laure Calviac. By a twist of fate, my manager at Doctolib (hi, Flo!) mentioned a partnership our company has with Moka Care, a mental health prevention platform. He told me that each employee gets four free sessions with any mental health professional, no matter the issue. Perhaps it was destiny giving me a little nudge, but I found the right person and started my first session the following week.

It’s honestly (REALLY) fascinating! I won’t bore you with the details of my life (even though I sort of am by writing this), but there’s so much to explore and understand in your own mind. Sure, the initial focus was on athletic performance, but that’s inherently linked to our psychology. Many sessions ended up delving into life events that shaped me as both a man and an athlete.

Mental profiling, imagery, visualisation, confidence anchoring, mindfulness, cardiac coherence – these are just a few of the tools you learn to use to be at your mental best on race day (and in training, and ultimately, in life 🤣). For anyone interested, I could talk about this for hours!

I unlocked so much in my mind in such a short time, thanks to Laure’s work. Thank you! 🙏

Osteopathy and contracture

I’ve also set up regular check-ups every three months or so with Pierre-Antoine (whom you obviously know), my physiotherapist/osteopath. When you train almost every day (well, every day except for rare exceptions), it’s crucial to address minor aches as quickly as possible and anticipate tensions that build up over time (for instance, due to a heel operation – haha – or a weakness in my ribs that sometimes pop out – haha). The advantage of regularly seeing your osteopath is that they get to know you really well!

At every session, he releases my left ankle, rebalances my diaphragm, and relaxes my back (especially where my ribs popped out that one time!). Thank you for your work, Pierre-Antoine – it’s definitely helped me avoid major injuries. Because, let’s be clear, the top priority in triathlon (and in all sports, really) is not getting injured.

I had a bit of a fright with my calf at the beginning of September – a nasty muscle cramp during a run that was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the first time in my life I’d experienced a cramp like that, and to be honest, I didn’t even know what it was. I took it easy in the days that followed, thinking it was just muscle fatigue like soreness, but it didn’t go away at all – to the point where I couldn’t run anymore.

I started to worry a bit, so I did some research online (don’t pretend you’ve never done the same – I know you!). I realised it was very likely a muscle contracture.

A contracture is the body’s self-protection mechanism: when it senses a muscle is about to tear, it contracts that muscle very tightly and prevents it from relaxing to avoid injury. It basically means rest and relaxing the muscle.

I must admit, I had a moment of doubt. I couldn’t sleep that night, picturing having to cancel Hawai’i because of a muscle tear (which would take a good three weeks to heal) 🤦. But in the middle of the night, I used my mental preparation tools, planned out my next steps for the following day, and calmed myself down.

The next morning, I called my favourite physio, Antoine, and my sister Emilie (who’s now a sports doctor as well as a gynaecologist – and I’ll admit, the sports medicine part is much more relevant to me!).

Of course, Antoine was on holiday, so it was Victor (who works in the same practice as Antoine – and Pierre-Antoine too, for that matter; hope you’re keeping up!) who stuck a tiny needle into my calf to release the tension. And it worked perfectly – three days later, the pain was gone, and I could get back to training without any problems.

It’s so reassuring to have such great medical support – thank you, team! 🙏

Arrival

Anyway, back to the point – here we are, ready to head off to the Big Island again. We’re acclimatised to the heat (despite the dreadful weather we had in Normandy in September). This time it’s even better: we’re travelling with our two daughters, my sister Emilie, and also Lyséa, our niece (her trip to Hawai’i is her 18th birthday present – not bad, right?), along with Jason, my sister’s partner.

To top it all off, we’ll be meeting up there with Adrien Boullier and his family. He’s my mate from HAC Triathlon, and he’s qualified for Hawai’i too (for the fourth time – he’s a regular 😅).

Our previous trip was… eventful, to say the least – problem after problem. But this time went so smoothly it’s barely worth mentioning. Then again, we’re starting to get used to travelling, so logistics aren’t much of an issue anymore. That said, just to show it wasn’t entirely easy, Emilie and Jason were a bit short on time arriving at the airport and made it “just” 20 minutes before boarding. It was a close call!

The girls were adorable on the flight. Sure, Pénélope climbed on the seats a bit, but she’s only two and a half – poor thing, it’s a long journey to Hawai’i. I think the worst of it was for Jason, though, who’s not exactly a fan of flying (yep, I’m calling him out, and I’m not done yet!).

We arrived in Kona like seasoned pros. Audrey and Emilie went to pick up the vehicles, while the rest of us handled the luggage – not a drop of sweat shed. We headed to our accommodation in Waikoloa, the same place as two years ago. It’s slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the race, and it’s absolutely perfect for the kids. Honestly, we almost had the confidence of people who go to the same place every year 🙄.

Adjusting to the time difference was a bit tricky (for me and the girls, not Audrey, of course), but everything’s fine! The first training sessions felt a bit sluggish – no surprise after over 20 hours of travel – but I’m feeling calm. I’ve prepared well, both physically and mentally, for this event, and I trust in my preparation. I realised how different things are compared to last time, and I think I mentioned more than once to those around me that it feels like a completely different person will be lining up at the start this time.

I crossed paths with some pros during training – it’s so cool! It’s funny to find yourself right next to the guys you watch on YouTube at home 😀.

I did part of a cycling session with Adrien – just enough time to chat a bit and take a photo to make everyone at the club jealous! It’s so awesome to share this experience with him 🤗.

We made the most of the island, the beach, and the ocean – the water’s warmer than when we go to the pool in France! We even went swimming with manta rays at night (one of the most incredible experiences of my life). In short, living the dream.

And to top it all off, my coach, Romain Guillaume, joined us three days before the race! He hadn’t been sure if he could make it, but with three of his athletes competing in the IRONMAN, he booked his tickets at the last minute. I offered him the sofa bed, so there he was, showing up on Wednesday night 🤣. We’ve been working together for two years, but this was the first time we met in person. And what better way to make a first meeting unforgettable than on the other side of the world!

To give you an idea of what he’s like, he did the IRONMAN Malaysia three weeks earlier (competing in the pro category, even though he’s technically “retired”), flew back to France, and then almost immediately set off again for Hawai’i. It felt like he barely slept, yet we were running, swimming, and he was preparing training plans for his other athletes. He’d head out at 6 a.m. in Kona to meet his sponsors and so on. He seems to know everyone there – you couldn’t walk 20 metres without him bumping into someone he knew. Absolutely incredible 🤣. Bursting with energy!

The girls also got to have their own race – a 400-metre run along the ocean, complete with a commentator, supporters, and even a lady dressed as a unicorn 🤷.

Penny was a bit scared (which is totally normal at two and a half with all that noise!), but Livia ran the whole race. She really did run, even with her little five-year-old legs – I had to run too just to keep up with her! It was SO much fun 🤣. Of course, I’m pretty sure what they enjoyed most was the aid station at the finish line, with crisps, cookies, apple juice, and sweets. Given how much they ate, you’d think we don’t feed our girls 🙄.

D Day

And then race day arrived. I didn’t have any trouble sleeping, no issues with waking up (unlike in Finland 🤣), and Rom even jumped into bed to finish waking me up (he jokingly said he would do that the night before, but it turned out he wasn’t joking!). There’s not much to say – we’re getting pretty good at organising race mornings. I think the hardest part was for Jason, who’s not too keen on early mornings. Poor guy 😀

We headed to the start line. I felt calm, just like I did before the IRONMAN Austria start, which is a good sign. Audrey showed off her driving skills – I’m glad Rom got to witness that 🤣.

A final hug and kiss for everyone, Audrey said something to me but I was a bit spaced out (I’ll need to ask her later what she said). I wasn’t distracted, just focused.

The good thing about doing Hawai’i again is that the organisation is pretty much the same! I remembered a little hidden corner with two toilets where no one goes (please keep this secret, and by the way, I’m not going to tell you exactly where they are), perfect for a pre-race pee.

I had to go back to the tattoo tent to put a tattoo (or a “touatouage” as Penny would say 🤗 ♥️) on my second arm. Normally, Audrey does my tattoos (which is just the race number) in the morning, but this time for some reason, I felt like I had wings and decided to do it myself. I forgot to peel off the protective film, so the tattoo was useless… I got told off. Anyway, back to the tattoo tent, the volunteers were super nice, we had a little chat, and the lady struggled to get the ‘4’ the right way round. She missed three times in a row, so the ‘4’ ended up half stuck on, and had to be removed each time with alcohol and a bit of scraping – free waxing, in a way. In the end, she wrote it with a marker 🤣. (If you look closely at my right arm in the race photos, you’ll see the ‘4’ is in marker).

I headed to the bike park, where we were greeted by a row of volunteers (at least fifty of them) who cheered us on and wished us good luck for the race – it was really moving 🥹.

I found my bike, pumped up the tyres (we deflate them the day before to prevent them from bursting in the heat), but I had a doubt about my rear tyre as it hadn’t inflated like usual. I figured it was probably just because it wasn’t my usual pump (they provide bike pumps). I finished setting up my helmet, shoes, and nutrition (two one-litre bottles of water with 240g of carbs and two PF&H 1000 packets each, one bottle of water with one PF&H 1000 packet (electrolytes), three PF&H caffeine gels, and one PF&H gel). That’s quite a bit of sugar! As Emmanuel, one of my colleagues, once said, given the amount of food I carry, should I be considered a food truck?

I checked my rear tyre again, and the pressure hadn’t changed, so all was good.

I headed for the start line, saw all the pros ready to enter the water. They start at 6:30, and my wave is at 6:45, so not too much time to wait. I put a good amount of anti-chafing cream everywhere (because swimming in salty water doesn’t help!), took a gel, finished my bottle of water and electrolytes (we avoid a repeat of earlier dehydration this season). In races like this where it’s very hot, we can do “preloading.” This means drinking more water than usual the day before and the morning of the race, adding electrolytes (sodium + potassium) so the water stays in the body. Honestly, having an extra litre of water already in me and being sure I’m well hydrated is so important.

I put on my speedsuit (the swimming suit, not the neoprene one that helps with buoyancy, as it’s not allowed here due to the warm water, but the one with a hydrophobic coating) and headed to my starting slot.

I had forgotten how amazing the atmosphere is at this race! To be honest, I think I was so tense the last time that I was oblivious to everything around me. The start is on the street by the sea, so there isn’t much space, and with the crowd, it gets really packed. People are cheering us on, high-fiving – we almost feel like pros 🤣.

I waved to Adrien’s partner and his girls, searched for Audrey for a bit but couldn’t find her, then moved into the start slot. I bumped into Victor, with whom I was on the podium at IRONMAN Florida, and we’d agreed to meet in Hawai’i. I was so happy to see him! We chatted for a few minutes, then both went back into our pre-race focus.

Swim

We hear the pros start, and a few minutes later, it’s our turn to enter the water. I’ve got a shot of adrenaline just writing this – I’m ready to race again! The water is warm, unsurprisingly, between 28 and 29 degrees. The (virtual) starting line is about 100 metres from the shore, so we swim out to it. We end up in the ocean with around 300 guys in a tight group, no standing (good thing we know how to swim 😅), and the organisers’ paddlers take turns in front of us to prevent us from going further. Naturally, with 300 guys full of energy, we’re not sure whether we’re swimming in water or testosterone, and we start drifting past the starting line. The guys on the paddles shout at us to move back, then begin raising their paddles shouting “BACK UP! BACK UP!”… it’s tense 🤣.

The funniest part is when we started feeling slimy things under our hands. We were in the middle of a jellyfish swarm, the size of a big grapefruit but with long filaments. And, being boys, we started joking around, which quickly turned into jellyfish throwing. It was like a throwback to my football years when I was 10, throwing worms at each other while waiting for our turn to take a shot at goal, and painting ourselves with mud for warpaint.

The issue with these jellyfish was their filaments… which sting.

I got stung on the thigh, foot, and hand, and honestly, it hurt 😓. I heard later that a few athletes had to drop out of the race because of the stings, tough luck for them.

Anyway, everyone is super motivated, and when the cannon goes off, we’re off at full speed. We push a bit at the start, but more to carve out our space, and even though we take and give a few hits, the swimming goes pretty smoothly.

I struggled a bit at first to get into the right rhythm, but I feel like I’m swimming well.

After about ten minutes, I do a quick internal check of my body, and everything is fine. My ribs are in the right place, I’m not in any pain, and my mindset is solid. I have flashes of my thoughts from two years ago, and it makes me a bit sad, but today I have confidence, and I’m not going to fail. I pass the turnaround point (after 1.9km), marked by a big boat, and I feel strong, and a few meters later I think to myself, “I’ve never gone this far in the race before” 🤣 I glance over at the guys on the paddles, expecting to see the man who had helped me on that day, but he’s not there 🤣

Anyway, the rest of the swim goes well, the group has spread out, so it’s easier to swim, and I’m feeling good. I stay cautious and keep my energy for later, there are still a few kilometers after I get out of the water.

I later heard that there were dolphins in the water while we were swimming, and they weren’t far from us. I didn’t get the chance to see them, that would have been magical. It would have been even more magical to see the sharks that the dolphins had just chased away, and that the organisers were keeping an eye on, haha… There’s very (very) little chance that the sharks would come and bite our toes (at worst, I’d throw a jellyfish at them!), but still, it’s a bit scary!

I get out of the water in 57'03 (I’d aimed for 57', so I’m right on target), the atmosphere is amazing, I run to grab my transition bag, quickly take a gel while putting on my leg sleeves (for aerodynamics AND also to protect myself from sunburn), and I run to my bike. I put on my helmet, stash a few gels in the pockets on my back, check my rear tire (it’s properly inflated!), put on the lucky bracelet that Paola made for me, and I mount my bike after exiting the transition area. Of course, my shoes are already clipped onto the pedals and held in place by elastic bands so I can slip my feet in while I pedal. No time to waste in transition!

Bike

And off we go for 180km of cycling. After about 50 meters, the first hill begins, with hordes of spectators. I smiled because I was truly happy to be there, feeling strong, in the sun, on my bike, at the World Championships!

The start of the course is through the city, and I get to see my whole family twice; the girls are gorgeous ♥️ The megaphone is out, and it’s full of energy as well.

Then we go on the Queen K, the “highway” of Kona. It’s almost 90km in one direction to Hawi in the north of the island, where we turn around and come back. Simple, brutal, and unforgiving. No shade, volcanic rock all around, and a mix of climbs and descents. Nothing crazy, but it’s draining. The only real change is the climb to Hawi, which is quite long, and where we face a strong headwind.

I remain quite cautious on the way out, I could feel right from the start of the bike that I wasn’t having my best day, the target watts (240 watts) felt a bit challenging, while it should have been relatively comfortable at the start. Sometimes you have a lingering fatigue, sometimes it’s the body conserving energy, I’m not sure how to interpret it, but I know that even if the legs are not at their best, the mind will do what it takes. And even if it’s not the expected performance, you have to do your best with what you have on the day! So I keep it between 220 and 230 watts, and Rom advised me to stay calm on the way out and push a bit more on the way back. Anyway, it’s still moving fast, and to my delight, the other athletes are following the drafting rule well. I’ve never seen so many referees (on motorcycles). I even spotted them using their stopwatch to check that overtaking times were being respected, which is great! (NB: when passing another competitor, the overtaking must be completed within 25 seconds, otherwise, you receive a penalty card).

I take a bottle of water at each aid station to splash cold water on my head and body because even if the weather is overcast, it’s still hot! It’s easy to get a false sense of relief on the bike because you’re riding, so you have air flowing, but you need to stay cautious, otherwise, dehydration will catch up on the marathon. I reach the climb to Hawi after 90km with an average of over 39km/h, it’s fast!

The climb is quite long, and I can really feel that I’m not in the best shape at all, struggling to push over 280 watts, so I lose some time, but the morale is good. After a final long uphill stretch into a headwind, I reach the turnaround (the only technical part of the race, really 🤷), and we head back to Kona! It’s more than 10km of descent with the wind at my back, averaging nearly 55km/h, faster than a scooter, ah ah.

The return was… long! I felt the heat, especially on the head, not overly, but the water bottles at aid stations were always welcome. I followed my nutrition/hydration plan to the letter, so I was sure I wouldn’t hit a low point. But the watts were so tough to maintain! The last 60 kilometers were into a headwind again, and as spaces opened up, you end up pretty much alone on that long straight line. Riding straight with my head in the aerobars doesn’t bother me at all, thankfully because the course is quite monotonous. At least we ride with the ocean and volcanoes in the background. We also cross wild goats and donkeys, quite the sight 🤣.

I often see less than 200 watts on my watch, which isn’t great, but I keep going. And I feel like I’m “sticking” to the road towards the end, like when you have big MTB tires. The end of the bike course is approaching, and we start passing the pros who are already on the marathon, and the Kona vibe is back — it’s so cool! I take off my shoes about 200m before the bike dismount zone, and I do a little graceful jump (at least I think so, though it may not have been graceful at all) to start running before the line, and then I’m back in the transition area.

After 4 hours and 50 minutes with an average speed of 37.3km/h, I give my bike a little farewell kiss and run towards the transition tent. That’s when I realize three things:

1. The volunteers are still on top of their game in the park, and I feel like a world champion!
2. It’s hot, like really, really hot.
3. My legs feel terrible, usually by the time I hit the marathon, I’m like “yay, it’s the marathon” and I don’t feel my legs at all.

Run

I sit down in the tent to put on my running shoes, and have a little fright when a volunteer puts a cold towel around my neck to cool me down — totally didn’t see that coming! 🤣 He apologized, I did too, and we laughed about it. I told him I’d love a second one because it felt so good! I place my Team GB headband (which my big sister lent me, a headband she got as part of her gear for the 2012 Olympics 😎) under my cap to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I grab my nutrition and off I go for the marathon!

Usually, I have to control myself to not go out too fast, but today… I’m struggling. My stomach hurts, and my legs are begging me to slow down. It’s going to be a long one. But I remind myself that this could pass, just like in Austria where I felt totally wrecked after the bike, and two kilometers in, I was running like a gazelle and finished the marathon in 2:57, so patience is key!

The first 10 kilometers were… long. My usual IRONMAN strategy (which comes from my coach, of course) is:

• First 10 kilometers, take it easy, stay just below the threshold
• Next 20 kilometers, hit the planned pace and maintain it
• Last 10 kilometers, give whatever’s left. Usually, I start feeling the pain in my legs around 25-30 kilometers, but the marathon is generally well-managed.

Strategies work well when everything goes according to plan, but today, I had to improvise! I was clearly struggling from the very first kilometer, and had to push a bit to maintain my pace. Still, I kept going, but the sensations stayed the same: 4:11 for the first kilometer, then 4:15, 4:17, 4:19, and 4:46 at the 6th kilometer. I started to doubt myself. 36 kilometers left.

The first part of the course was along the coast, and it was suffocating. It was very humid, and there wasn’t even a breeze. Honestly, I thought to myself, “DNF is coming!” I gave myself 5 minutes to complain, and after that, I called on all my mental tools to get back on track. Even when it’s tough, I reminded myself to stay positive. I had already completed the bulk of the race, I could still run, I wasn’t in hypoglycemia or dehydration, and even though I had given up on aiming for a great time, I could keep going!

Good news, I cross paths with Audrey and all my supporters, except my sister, who had gone much further along the course. No need to tell Audrey how I’m feeling — she knows me well enough to see from my face and stride that I’m not in the best shape. A few minutes later, I cross paths with Rom (my coach), and I tell him my stomach hurts. He says, “The race isn’t over, be patient, and stay positive.” Good, I had just told myself the same thing!

After 10-12 km, we arrive on the Queen K (again), with a little less humidity but still rather hot conditions, especially with the tarmac! They recorded 92% humidity and 52 degrees at ground level. Luckily, we have shoes on. Anyway, it’s straight ahead, with an alternation of slight uphill and downhill stretches, and you just have to switch off your brain. For the rest of the marathon, it will be a rollercoaster of sensations, one kilometre in 4:15 and the next in 4:40, making it impossible to maintain a consistent pace.

What’s cool is that I ran into some pros who were on their way back from the marathon, and honestly, judging by some of their faces, it was (very, very) tough for everyone. The marathon has aid stations every 2 kilometres, and that’s just about right! Each station is filled with ice, and you mustn’t hesitate to pour ice into your tri-suit and under your cap. It’s so hot that I can barely feel the ice, and it melts before the next aid station because my body is so hot. Missing one is risking heat stroke and having to DNF. It’s a race against the heat, and you have to constantly stay soaked to try to cool down. I drank over 15 litres of water during the race, and I think I still lost a few kilos. To make things worse, we often get water in our shoes, which tends to give me blisters from the rubbing. But hey, that’s the least of our problems 🤣

And who do I hear shouting in the middle of the Queen K? My sister 🤣 She came all the way to cheer me on, even though there was no one else except at the aid stations. Rom had laughed when she said the day before, “I’m going to meet you at the 35-kilometre mark,” because he didn’t think she’d actually do it. She ran her own marathon during the race, no less than 14 km of running/walking to see her brother with his face drawn and drenched in sweat. I have no idea what she said to me because I was honestly in terrible shape, but as long as she was shouting at me, it kept me going 🤣 At the end, she told me, “You’re 50th!” I replied, “Overall?” “No, no, in your age group.” Tough to hear haha. The thing is, in Kona, every little dip in performance costs you. I’m not having a bad race, but the competition is so intense that stopping for 5 minutes means losing 10 places.

It didn’t stop me from continuing, and I ran all the way to the airport. I must admit, at that moment, it seemed endless. We were slowly approaching 30 kilometres, and judging by the looks on the other runners’ faces, I wasn’t in the worst shape! I ran a few kilometres with an Englishman, who looked fine but had to stop because of cramps.

Back on the Queen K for the last 10 kilometres, and I thought, “Last stretch,” and most of all, I was looking forward to seeing my sister again because I knew she was still at her post! And it exceeded my expectations 🤣 Just before that, I crossed paths with Adrien, who was coming the other way (he started the race almost an hour later), and we had a high five, which gave me a burst of energy! I hear my sister shouting from a distance, encouraging me like crazy, and she tells me I’ve moved up to 40th place. A supporter passing by on a bike (who was French) also cheered me on and complimented my sister for the strength of her encouragements. I kept going and heard my sister still shouting, but getting closer. I thought, “She hasn’t seriously started running to catch up with me, has she?” In the end, she overtook me, straddling the bike seat of the guy 😂 She thought the guy knew me, so she asked him to hop on his bike — it was magical! The video she made during her ride is definitely worth watching!

I thought, “That’s it, the heat has made her lose her mind,” when I had promised my mum I’d keep an eye on my sister 🤣

I was finally able to think about this for the last 7 kilometres on the endless Queen K. I also enjoyed the moment; I was, of course, still struggling, but I knew I was finally going to finish this race that had given me so much trouble. For two years I’ve been thinking about this, and now I was going to close the chapter. I slowly approached the finish line, and honestly… what an atmosphere. Once again, I understood why this race is iconic and what the end of the course represents. In the end, my legs didn’t hurt that much, I was far from my expected race pace, so I decided to lengthen my stride. I wasn’t tired at all, so I finished the last 400 metres at almost 19km/h.

To be completely honest, I didn’t hear anything at the finish line. Audrey was there with the megaphone, but I was in my own bubble. It’s a bit hard to describe those moments; I would actually recommend doing an IRONMAN yourself to fully understand. Looking back, I felt fewer emotions than when I finished the IRONMAN in Klagenfurt last June, where I had fought for first place with everything I had. I was very much in tune with myself back then, and once again, I was able to appreciate the personal work I’ve done over the last few months to fully enjoy the moment with mindfulness.

End

It’s done! Finisher of the IRONMAN World Championships in Hawai’i, in this legendary place. 9 hours and 12 minutes of effort, far from the 8 hours and 45 minutes I had originally planned, finishing in 37th place. I had more ambition, but that will be for another time. And as Rom (yep, him again) would say, even though the performance is poor by my standards, completing 9:12 in Hawai’i on a bad day is still really, really good!

When you cross the finish line, a volunteer comes to put a towel around your shoulders, hands you a bottle of water, and walks with you towards the final aid station, and this happens for EVERY triathlete. You really feel privileged. Of course, I ended up with a British volunteer, and we had a good laugh all the way to the tent. As we passed the medical tent, I told her that two years ago, that’s where I had stopped the race, and that today, I had finally made it to the end. I could tell it really moved her, and I almost made myself cry 🥹 Beyond the sport, it’s so amazing to meet people from all around the world at this kind of event — it’s truly enriching.

Anyway, after a few bottles of water, I was eating fries by the ocean. I wasn’t too tired, and I was looking forward to meeting my family. I grabbed a nice plate of chips for my girls and set off to find my supporters ♥️

My girls were thrilled to see me, but I think it was really the chips that had that effect, haha. Finally, I truly crossed the finish line when I was able to hug my wife, and I mumbled a “we did it” 🥹

My sister was there too, and I still don’t understand how she managed to get back so quickly; maybe she stole the man’s bike 🤣

Here we are, at the end of the story! What an adventure, my friends! To be honest, I was eager to finish the race and move on to the next thing, so we could all rest a little. I thought I could put Hawai’i behind me as a great memory and take my foot off the gas. I really believed that, until I crossed the finish line. I thought the fire inside me would calm down — wrong! I was even more motivated at the end! Let’s face it, there will be more race reports to come!!!

One last anecdote before I let you go. When I went to pick up my bike after the race, I noticed that my rear tire was flat 😑. I figured out why I felt like I was dragging towards the end — it must have been deflated. Luckily, it was a slow puncture, but still, that was close! 😅

How could I not finish without saying thank you to everyone who supports me in these adventures — my family, my friends, my coach Rom ( 😗 ), my colleagues (Hello Blue & Green team 💙💚), the unwavering support of HAC Triathlon (thank you Philippe and the team), my club mates, my medical staff with Antoine and Pierre-Antoine, my mental coach Laure Calviac, my partners at Culture Vélo Le Havre (if my bike could talk, it would have some thank yous for you, thank you Laurent and the whole team), Aris (thanks Remi Delahais 🙏), Precision Fuel & Hydration, AB Sports Piscine and Spa (thanks again Alexandre Baril, an amazing team with whom I’ve spent way too much time chatting at the poolside, no wonder swimming takes so long). Thanks also to Julien Debris for his coaching by the pool, Adrien for his kindness and the pleasure of sharing these world championships with me (we’re going back whenever you want!).

It’s amazing the number of people you meet over time; it’s so enriching!

Finally, how could I not thank my little Lysette 😽 and Jason, who joined us on this journey, my sister Emilie (a thank you will never be enough, but you know what’s in my heart ♥️), and the most beautiful person in my life, who supports me through every moment and helps me grow, without whom this adventure would have never happened. You are the IRONMAN, Audrey, not me ❤️‍🔥

If my daughters ever come across this story, remember that we won’t be going on holidays to Hawai’i every year, haha 🤣. Also, you have far more resources than you think, it will take sweat and effort to tap into them, but it will be worth it, no matter the outcome.

Some stats

Some data on the race:

Swim:

• Strava - Swim
• 57'02”
• 1'30”/100m
• 115 sTSS

Bike:

• Strava - Bike
• 4h50'25”
• Average speed: 37,3km/h
• Max speed: 68,4km/h
• Normalised Power: 223 Watts
• Max Power: 596 Watts
• Climbing: 1772m
• 219 TSS

Run:

• Strava - Run
• 3h16'16”
• Average Pace: 4'37”/km (13km/h)
• Fastest Pace: 3'16”/km (18,3km/h)
• Climbing: 307m
• 220 rTSS

Nutrition, all with Precision Fuel & Hydration (PF&H):

• Before swimming:
  • 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
  • 1 bottle (600mL) with 1 packet of PF&H 1000 (1000mg of sodium)
• Transition T1:
  • 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
• Bike:
  • 2 bottles (1L each) with 240g of PF&H carbs and 2 packets of PF&H 1000 (240g of carbs/2000mg of sodium)
  • 1 bottle (1L) with 1 packet of PF&H 1000 (1000mg of sodium)
  • ~6 500mL bottles of water
  • 2 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
  • 3 PF&H gel 30g
• Transition T2:
  • 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
• Run:
  • 4 PF&H gel 30g (I had a couple left in the end)
  • 1 soft flask (500mL) with 1 PF&H gel 30g and 1 packet of PF&H 1000 (30g of glucides and 1000mg sodium)
  • 4 electrolyte capsules (250mg of sodium each)
  • 1 or 2 glasses of water (~100 mL) at each aid station (20 in total)
  • Approximately 10kg of ice cubes!