Table of contents
I feel Audrey shaking me to wake me up; I slowly emerge from sleep as she whispers, ‘It’s 5:30, the alarm didn’t ring!’. The alarm was supposed to ring an hour ago, and 5:30 was the time we would leave to go to the Half IRONMAN World Championships that morning. With an hour-long drive and the bike park closing at 7:30, we were cutting it close. Another race off to a great start! 😂
A lot has happened since the big failure in Hawaii last October, and needless to say, I wasn’t going to leave it like that when I returned. Audrey had warned me, “If you stop here, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” And since I always listen to my wife (even if I don’t always admit it), we decided on the next steps. Two things came out of it: Triathlon takes time, and finding the right balance with family and work life is crucial. A 6-hour bike ride on Sunday morning is not exactly a gift, both for the one staying home with the kids and the one heading out to ride. So, if we were going all in on training, we might as well find a way to do it with the least impact. That’s where I asked my company (Doctolib) to switch to part time (80%) (another brilliant idea from my wife). And I’d like to thank them (thanks Florian, Stan, Jad, and Raphaël for your trust). Thursdays will now be dedicated to training, and given the sessions I was about to endure, it was a good idea. Beyond a certain level of performance, there’s a quest to maximise training for efficiency. Since training volume is a significant factor in progress, I didn’t want to go wrong with the method. That’s why I sought the help of a coach, and that’s where Romain Guillaume, a pro triathlete, comes into play. He was highly recommended by Hind, a triathlete I had met in 2019 for the IRONMAN in Finland (hi Hind!).
Since last November 2022, I got back to work with a lot of dedication and plenty of new advice and methods from Romain. Not a revolution in itself since the principle remains the same. Consistency, progressiveness, and the right mix of volume and intensity at the right times. Not having to decide everything relieves a lot of stress, especially since it can be challenging to be objective when you are coaching yourself.
Romain reassured me and demystified a lot about how to train, especially about the moments when you should stop training. He also brought his pro experience and sessions that I would NEVER have dared to do, because I would have thought it was suicidal (both in terms of injury risks and fatigue). And in the end, it worked 😂, even when he schedules a 7-hour training session on a Thursday. Not a scratch. Well, let me rephrase that, I was completely shattered after those sessions, but it would put the rest of the training at risk. Even when the session is titled ‘Brick Run - it’s going to hurt!!!!!!!’ In the end, the coach knows better than we do what we are capable of. ‘Trust the coach, trust the process.’ Let’s be clear, overall everything went well, but there are still sessions where you’d feel lousy, and everything would be tough even though it’s supposed to be an easy session. There are moments when you’d rather stay warm at home because you’re tired and it’s raining outside (it never rains in Normandy ah ah…). And the next day, you’d feel like a war machine during the toughest session of the week. Not easy to understand how our bodies work sometimes 😂
Anyway, having a coach like Romain is a great experience!
Step back on 2023
For 2023, I had four major events: Vendôme (France) triathlon at the end of May (half IRONMAN distance) IRONMAN Klagenfurt, Austria, at the end of June (to see where I’m at in my training and try and beat my PB) Half IRONMAN World Championships in Lahti, Finland, at the end of August (that’s what we’re talking about in this report for those who aren’t following), thanks to my qualification in Weymouth, England, in September 2022 (where I won in my category, and also for which I didn’t take the time to write a race report!) IRONMAN Florida, USA, at the beginning of November… to once again qualify for Hawaii in 2024. A great program!
The start of the season with cross-country races went quite well, even though I still had heel pain (a result of my surgery a year earlier! Tendons rehabilitation takes a long time), training was going well, and I began to regain confidence. A second-place finish in the Vendôme L triathlon at the end of May confirmed that my form had returned, even though I struggled and was quite disappointed with my run. Some might say, ‘Well, it’s still good to finish on the podium despite not having a good race.’ Yes, but it’s far from satisfying. I made some mistakes that I shouldn’t have, and I really wanted to perform well to get back on track after Hawaii. In short, the race left me with a sense of unfinished business and a slight heel pain, just when I thought I could put that behind me. I felt my heel tingling several times during the run, especially in the trail sections where the ground would be unstable. The pain was there again when I resumed training, and my physiotherapist (my dear Antoine) confirmed that there was a slight inflammation, nothing very serious but that I would need to be patient. However, the IRONMAN in Austria was just a month away. I did my best during this time to deal with the inflammation; it didn’t improve, but it didn’t get worse either. I was so accustomed to this pain that it didn’t stop me from training.
Arriving in Austria, I had resigned myself to the situation – we’ll see how it goes during the race! It’s a shame because this race also deserves its race report, but honestly, it’s hard to do everything, and I can’t let myself write something rubbish. Writing a report takes me 5+ hours!. Anyway, aside from the breathtaking landscapes of Austria, I had the best swim of my life in 56 minutes, aiming for less than an hour, and I wasn’t disappointed. Finally, that feeling of being more like a fish in the water than a stone. I had done a few sessions with Valéry (Toupin) before this race, and in my head, I kept telling myself, ‘be a dolphin like Valéry.’ From the inside, it seemed to work; from the outside, I don’t know, but I was still happy with myself! Smooth transition to the bike and a fantastic 180km course, where I clearly had a great time. Only the last hour was starting to get a bit tough, but I also had the best bike leg of my life in 4 hours and 58 minutes, averaging 36 km/h, cool! Another smooth transition to the run, surprisingly zero heel pain, I was super happy. I covered the first 10 kilometres in 42 minutes, perfect for the goal of under 3 hours on the marathon and under 9 hours in total. I felt really good until my heel pain came back. I gritted my teeth, then started to slow down, then limped more and more. That’s when I told myself two things: I’ll finish the first loop (the race consisted of 2 loops of 21km) because Audrey is waiting for me there, and I don’t want her to worry. I’ll stop the race here. I know I can finish it, but if it’s going to damage my heel, it’s not worth it. It wasn’t a major race (except for chasing a time), and the rest of the race went very well. So, I stopped at kilometre 21, but without regret and with a clear conscience. Audrey was much more disappointed than I was! I just remember telling her, ‘My heel hurts; there’s no point in continuing. It’s a bit frustrating. Plus I’m not even tired.’ And it was true; I wasn’t particularly tired, not even sore legs. A good sign, the preparation was really good. But we’re not here to talk about Austria.
Sponsors!
After that, THREE great pieces of news came in – I found THREE sponsors to support me! 🎉 This was an initiative I had started before Hawai’i (a bit hastily, I must say), and my club and the city of Le Havre had stepped up to give me a hand! This time, I once again used my portfolio to approach businesses. It’s quite uncomfortable and strange (for me) to do this. Sport is a passion, and I don’t do it to make money. But it’s a good way to involve local companies or simply get people involved in a sporting adventure.
In June, Tacher Acogex, an accounting firm, volunteered to support me in my sporting project. I can never thank Laura enough for believing in me!
Next up was Precision Fuel & Hydration, a British sports nutrition company that offered its support. Given the amount of food we ingest for triathlon training, this assistance is very welcome.
And I’m also fortunate to be able to rely on Culture Vélo Le Havre to support me and ensure performance by helping me finance the acquisition of a disc wheel and the maintenance of my equipment. It’s a huge plus for my practice!
Thanks to everyone for your support!
Here we are Finland
But back to our story. Off we went to Finland (our two daughters, Audrey, and I), with our dear friends Mélanie and Vincent and their two children. Well, I had to take the plane the day before because my bike had been rejected a week before due to some baggage quota issue. I’ll spare you the panic, the flight change with additional costs, and the additional expenses (train, hotel night, etc.). Even though it’s not the first time we’ve had these kinds of hiccups, it’s a lot of energy and stress. Everyone arrived safe in the end, and here we were again on the roads of Finland amid forests and lakes, after a last-minute stress because we struggled to put the bike suitcase into the car (that was tough, right Vincent?). Honestly, travelling with a bike is “a bit” of a hassle.
I won’t give you a detailed story of our vacation, but between the lakeside house with no neighbours within earshot, grasshopper fishing, boat rides, and the bearskin on the living room wall, it was a true joy to be there. The children loved it too!
IRONKIDS
The kids also had their first race for IRONKIDS, except for Livia, who had already done her first race in Hawai’i (not a bad start for her sports career). Another moment full of emotions; Pénélope, at the tender age of 1 and a half, covered the entire 300 metres in one go (she also tried to grab another child’s cookie on the side). Esteban took off so quickly he almost left us behind, and Paola gave us an epic 200-metre sprint finish. SO COOL! All of this took place in a massive athletics stadium right next to the ski jump ramps, very, very impressive.
Race day
If you recall the beginning of the story, we woke up late, but we still made it on time and before the bike park closed. In the end, we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves, ah ah… I was surprisingly calm this morning, Audrey wasn’t, whereas usually, it’s the opposite. Sometimes it’s good to switch roles because pre-race stress is really not my favourite part.
We arrived at the race venue without any issues; I went to the bike park. Everything was okay, the bike was ready (with my magnificent disc wheel thanks to Culture Vélo Le Havre!). I placed my bottles on it, shoes were clipped onto the pedals and secured with elastics (to be able to jump on the bike at the transition exit), and the tires were well-inflated. We just had to head to the start area about 1 km away. The pros had already started and exited the water; I would have liked to see them, but I was in the race too!
After a short 5-minute jog, I put on the wetsuit, swim for 5 minutes (a good habit I’ve developed to avoid having burning shoulders at the start of the race, very unpleasant), even though I’m not a fan of getting wet before cracking on. It’s 8:20, and my start is in 10 minutes. So, I think it would be a good idea to get there. I finish getting ready, everyone wishes me good luck, I shed a small tear (as usual), it’s so cool to have my family and friends by my side.
I head to the starting area; each age group starts separately every 15 minutes, with a rolling start (meaning in groups of 7 people). Surprisingly, I’m alone even though the start is in 5 minutes. I still find it strange that no one is there 5 minutes before the start, and then I realise that I must actually be the ONLY ONE NOT YET in the starting area. A little moment of stress and a sprint later, I join the other 500 athletes in my category, who were all already ready.
Sometimes I deserve a small (according to my wife, a big) slap on the head. I’m here taking my time without panicking and almost missing the start. It’s not like I’ve never had issues before. Anyway, I’m ready, I try to get as close to the front as possible but quickly get stuck, and I blame myself because I know I’ll be swimming with triathletes slower than me in the water, and that’s not good. It means I’ll spend my time zigzagging and losing time. Another mistake not to repeat. We start from a pontoon that is a metre above the water; I knew that in advance, so I practised diving to get used to it and not lose my goggles along the way. I’m calm and ready to go.
It’s my turn!
Swim
A few metres to run before diving, where everyone joyfully pushes each other (we’re all still boys who like to play around in the end, ah ah ah), and I “dive.” The dive itself wasn’t bad (I didn’t belly flop), but the two guys next to me did a pretty rubbish jump, pushing me at the same time, so I dove quite crooked. And I lost my goggles in the process… I come out with the goggles askew, luckily no one sees it, I put them back on, and I paddle my arms to find my place. Sorry to those who got bumped, it’s part of the game. I took a few hits too.
The swimming goes well, even though, as expected, I spend my time overtaking and zigzagging to pass people. The water is less cold than expected (18 degrees), probably because of the adrenaline running through my veins. I have to stop several times completely because large packs have formed. It’s a bit chaotic. Overall, I swam ok, and much better than in previous years, in 28'55". I know I could have swum faster, but I would have had to stop daydreaming at the start!
There are many spectators and a lively atmosphere during the transition, with all my supporters on the side! The bike park is quite large, so there is quite a bit of distance to cover to retrieve the bag, change, take my lucky bracelet (crafted by Paola 💙), grab the bike, and head out on the course. Five minutes later, I pass the mounting line and cautiously get on my bike; my hands are a bit cold, but other than that, it’s all good.
Bike
The beginning of the race is rolling, like the rest, with no major difficulties except for a few climbs that don’t last more than 5-10 minutes, so it was fast riding all the way! The roads are straight and well-maintained, very enjoyable. Quite a few people were already on the bike; we (the 30-34 age group) started after many other categories. After a few kilometres, an uninvited guest (well-known in Normandy) arrived for the party. Rain. Not just raindrops. POURING RAIN. One minute later, I was soaked, and the rain didn’t stop until the end of the day. I felt like I was at the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings. You really think about strange things during a race. I also thought about my speech for the following week, as I was becoming the godfather of my friends' daughter 😂
So, in the pouring rain, with my arms getting increasingly numb, and being careful not to fall. Not much to say during the bike since I couldn’t see anything with the rain, except for the guys drafting unashamedly even though it’s prohibited, while the referees would pass by without saying anything. I just can’t get it. These guys are at the half IRONMAN World Championships, and they cheat (as soon as you don’t respect the rules, it’s cheating, let’s be honest).
A bit disappointed in the athletes' attitude, but maybe I expect too much. I would have liked the referees from the IRONMAN Austria to be there; they wouldn’t forgive anything. I remember being in a group of 7, making sure to respect the drafting distance (i.e., staying far enough from the bike in front of me to avoid being in the drafting zone and risking a 5-minute penalty), but I was the only one. The referees passed once on a motorcycle, stopped at the next roundabout, and came back putting a penalty card on everyone except me. Ah ah ah. Justice 😂
Anyway, the hardest part is drinking because my hands are so frozen that I can’t squeeze my water bottle. And my whole nutrition is in the bottle, so not drinking is not an option! I reach the end of the course and hear the sweet sound of my wife’s megaphone, what a pleasure! I start to feel some leg pain towards the end, but nothing serious, so far, everything is going smoothly. 2 hours 15 minutes and 50 seconds to cover the 90km, averaging 39.7 km/h, I’ve never ridden so fast!
The transition zone is a huge (like really huge!) sports hall, and it takes me more than 4 minutes to transition to running. The size of the sports facilities in the city of Lahti is incredible.
Run
Besides frozen fingers, the rest of my body is fine, and I set off happily for a half marathon, determined to enjoy myself and break the curse of my heel.
The running course is quite demanding, with some hills and very long climbs. Over 200m of positive elevation gain is a lot for a half marathon, especially in triathlon. So, it’s not a flat race, and there’s no hope of achieving a fantastic time. Two laps of 10.5km each, with a passage on the stadium where we had the IRONKIDS. The race alternates between sections in the woods and passes through lakeside homes; a very nice run!
The first lap goes smoothly, with great sensations. I pass many people and run at over 16km/h; I’m really pleased. I remember passing the 15km sign (for the second lap) and thinking, ‘when you pass this on the second lap, nothing can stop you, so it’s time to fully enjoy.’
I run into all my supporters, who, despite the rain, are there to cheer me on.
I start the second lap, and I feel an athlete starting to catch up with me. It’s the first person who’s going to overtake me, so I tell myself it’s time to hang on and see what I have left in my legs. The person comes next to me, and I set my pace the same, which, in the end, is not much higher than mine. We didn’t look at each other, but I felt an unspoken agreement and an immediate synchronisation. Some may find it strange, but the connection was there. And the show began! We set a very good pace and start passing a ton of athletes. I felt like a steamroller, and the kilometres passed effortlessly. It was truly exciting. That’s how I met Read (Ziegler). Although our strides were very different, with his being very powerful, and mine being quite elastic (a true deer), we challenged each other on the uphills and downhills. He has an impressive physique, and I feel like I’m running next to Terminator 😂.
As I reached the 15th kilometre, I realised that it was even easier than I thought to make the most of the present moment. Sometimes, we experience quite unique adventures; I’m in the middle of Finland with my loved ones, participating in the Half IRONMAN World Championships. It’s pouring rain, I’ve had a challenging year physically and mentally, but I’ve just found an American pal to run the end of the half marathon with, and I feel great. What a thrill!
We reach the 19th kilometre, and the race is ending soon. I decide to start a conversation with Read. We’ve been running almost 10km side by side without exchanging a word, even though we started running together. He tells me it’s his first lap since he’s in the 25-29 age category, and they started after us. I tell him I’m sad it’s the end of the race, and that I would have liked to do a third lap, even though, well, even if I feel good, I’m getting tired. Finally, he tells me that he will miss me 🤗 Awesome run together. There’s 1km left, I tell Read that I’m going to let it all out to finish the race, and I wish him to have fun and enjoy the second lap, to which he replies with a very American “Yes, Sir,”, love it 😂. I rush past my supporters, finishing the race in a somewhat euphoric state, so relieved to finally have a good race without pain. I have a vague memory of “expressing my joy” (read shouting as hard as I can) before the finish line, completing the half marathon in 1h19'12" and the entire race in 4h12'18". My best time for this distance, despite the quite challenging course and the rain worthy of a Norman autumn. Training and efforts have paid off.
Read will finish the race in 4h05'42", what an athlete! I’m really happy to have shared this moment with him. I’m used to running alone, so it was very cool to run with someone, especially someone as strong as him!
I ended up being 47th/518 in my age group (30-34 years old) in a very strong field (less than 30 seconds for the 4 athletes in front of me), and 203rd/3935 overall (including the pros). Cool!
Thank you for reading this far; it’s so much easier to write reports about “good” races! What can I say except a huge thank you to all the people who support me in my adventures—my wonderful daughters who endured the rain during the race, my family, friends, colleagues (current or former), my coach Romain Guillaume, my partners (Tacher Acogex, Culture Vélo Le Havre, Precision Fuel & Hydration), my physio Antoine, my osteopath Pierre-Antoine, my triathlon club HAC, my beloved SRE team 💚💙 (they are direct witnesses of how hard Thursday training days can be 😂), my company Doctolib, and my village of Mannevillette.
And once again, the person who is always by my side, without whom I would be lost 🩵 (even if we almost missed the race because of the alarm!). I often say it, but beyond the race and training, it’s a whole organisation and logistics to think about to make everything work, to get to the race, and, above all, not jeopardise our relationship. Audrey and I really are a team, and most of the actions we put in place come from her. She’s the brains of the group, let’s be honest 😂 I’m the legs, and I execute.
In conclusion, life is like elevators; there are ups and downs. When there are downs, you have to grit your teeth and double your efforts while waiting to climb back up. When there are ups like today, you have to enjoy the moment to the fullest before the next down 😂.
Race Data
The whole race data:
Swim:
- Strava - Swim
- 28’55”
- 1’30”/100m
- 54 sTSS
Bike:
- Strava - Bike
- 2h15’50”
- Average speed: 39,7km/h
- Max speed: 68,7km/h
- Normalised power: 244 Watts
- Max Power: 585 Watts
- Elevation gain: 708m
- 149 TSS
Run:
- Strava - Run
- 1h19’12”
- Average pace: 3’47”/km (15,9km/h)
- Max pace: 3’15”/km (18,5km/h)
- Elevation gain: 201m
- 135 rTSS
Fueling and hydration, all with Precision Fuel & Hydration (PF&H) products:
- Before swim:
- 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
- T1:
- 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
- Bike:
- 2 bottles (1L each) with 60g of PF&H mix (60g of carbs/1000mg of sodium)
- 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
- 1 PF&H gel 90g
- Transition T2:
- 1 PF&H caffeine gel 30g
- Run:
- 1 PF&H gel 90g
- 1 soft flask (500mL) with PF&H electrolytes (1000mg sodium)
So that gives around 109,7g carbs, 731mg of sodium and 605mL of water per hour for this race.
Time to go, I’ll let you enjoy the view we had from our house in Finland:
