Tri Sport Coaching Triathlon Training and Racing

Lorient, France, home of the ITU Long Course World Championships. . .I could write a few pages on this town, along with the rest of coastal France & my trip to Paris after. But hey -it's a race report- let's get to the action .

I arrived in Lorient after typical tough travel w/a bike case - across the country of France via planes, trains, shuttles & cabs -hauling said bike case was no different- I think my case has at least 7 more rolling miles on it now. . . .it is the same wherever you travel, often a cab shows up, sees bike case & they drive quickly away...

Team USA had 115 athletes of all age groups signed up to race, from what I have heard 105 started the race. We had a Team hotel, Team manager, Team Travel director, Team Docs, Team Masseuse and a GREAT Team mechanic that fixed several small, but serious items on my bike keeping me in the game.

I met so many Team USA'ers, all of them great people. I cannot talk enough about the support, and camaraderie that is shared by everyone and meeting people from all walks of life in this sport is always such a pleasure.

Add in great buffet breakfast & dinners every day, plus team buses to take us to registration, swim, run & bike the course everyday prior to race day. Many showed up 5 days in advance, due to work & school I arrived 3 days -time enough to get some sleep, swim & practice diving from the start pier and run thru some nice French countryside where the dogs did NOT chase me. They would sit, bark & watch- That alone was enough to make me fall in love with France. Plus the fact the Tour AND the Triathlon were all over the TV and newspapers the whole time. The French love their sports, and they love to watch us compete.

The race venue itself was set in a bay connected to the ocean. Fresh & salt water mixed, just the right amount so when you got kicked in the head and gulped a little down, it may have been a proper mix of sodium. ITU built a long pier out into the lake 6 days prior to race, with a swim to ramp on one side to exit the first lap of the swim& dive off the other side. Finish of the 2 loop swim was up the ramp again & run along the pier to transition. The transition area itself was one long double sided runway, about 400 meters. And I mean looooooong way to run barefoot, carpeted but none the less tough.

I had the best rack spot of all, right next to 2 of the 4 porta-potties in transition for about 1,000 athletes. I just followed the smell, right to my bike. It was actually a spot created for me, as this was day 2 of me not existing at Worlds. A day prior, at registration I was not listed, but curiously when I approached the help desk, they said "Ah Monsieur Mico, we have been waiting for you" Kinf of made me feel special. My reputation preceded me. Turns out myself along with about 20 others had been 'Glitched' out of the computer, but they hand wrote us in and all was fine, so I was told. Over the next days, transition had no spot for me, swim cap was wrong color for my wave and my results stayed missing for about 7 days. I am there now, so I am told, so all is well. On the website I am still listed only as 1048 from France? Perhaps I am so good that France wanted me.

Race morning is cool and overcast - perfect weather. We were on team bus & to transition a few hours early, plenty of time to fix the last couple of things my friends have been bugging me about for months. I figure, what better event than World Championships to force you to properly attach aero bottle, right? (Duct tape)

Watching the Pros start ITU. They dive start off the pier with stirring music playing, helicopters overhead and hundreds of spectators scattered all over the start area and course. I still get chills thinking about it. Then before I knew it, my wave was heading out onto the pier. Except race officials wouldn't let me in it, due to my 'wrong' color swim cap. After checking their list, and seeing I WASN'T on it, they took my race number (I'm just a number for the next 7 days!) and let me in. I went all the way to the end of the pier, where I thought the water rugby would be the worst, and over the quickest. Then hop in for deep water start. One hand on the pier & with music playing loudly, crowds cheering loudly, helicopter buzzing over head we heard "Athletes get set!" The gun went off & I was swimming World Triathlon Championships in a bay in France.

The swim from the deep end of the pier was much better than I had hoped. I had the usual bump & thump off and on, few punches and kicks, but was able to stay clear of the ruckus that went on to my left (where most swam hoping it wouldn't) I took a bit of a wide line to pass and then settled in for the long, 3000 meter, 2 loop swim. One of my favorites parts of the race was swimming the first loop, beaching yourself up the ramp on the backside of the pier to gain your footing and then sprinting up the ramp and launching yourself off the other side of the pier in a running dive. That was excellent!

I could really feel my lack of swim training thru the second lap, was probably about 1' slower per 1500 than I should have been. But like all of us, I trained when I could, taking time off over the weeks prior thru sinus infections, stomach flu, work, school and everything else that needs to be taken care of in life. All these thoughts along with the music they played, the crowds, the fact that I'm swimming Worlds, and of course, watching my stroke, all run through your mind when swimming open water in a crowd for 50 minutes.

Up the ramp a second time & running... running... running... feet starting to hurt. .geez . . . .still running to my bike, finally there, helmet on/wetsuit off, shoes already on the bike and gone!

I started out of transition up a short hill, bike chain skipping gears & dropping me all over the place while spectators are lining the barricades, cheering, cameras are clicking away & Team USA Coach is yelling to get rocking. I turn the corner, FAST downhill swooping right hand turn (turns out there were a few crashes here) and my size large Team USA jersey billowed open like a sail. I had a medium & large but opted for the large thinking it would be more comfortable, but in hindsight... well you know. Flicked left to avoid another downed rider who apparently took a header into an underpass wall off a curb, medical was on him already and I was off to open French countryside, heading for the sea coast.

The bike course was about 11.5 mile out & back twice, for a total of 46 miles. We were warned there would be a lot of drafting and there was. Guys working together better than the tour. Tim Yount, Team Manager said it was a choice we could make, and hopefully we all made the right one. (Meaning don't draft!) Although it was crowded, I didn't have a problem staying fairly clear till the 2nd loop. The bike course itself was flat & rolling hills, nothing too serious except a short little climb at the end of the loops out along the sea coast. Spinning thru this course, with spectators everywhere cheering, especially around the small villages we whizzed thru, flying around the roundabouts, climbing the little hill at turnaround and having a couple people run next to me. I felt like a pro on the tour (you know, that bike France tour thing that going on right now too)

With plenty of support, aid stations at perfect slow down areas I rode much harder than I was fit for, knowing I would pay in the run. But I as I told a few folks who asked if I would slow down a bit for race strategy (they knew I wasn't in tip top shape prior to the race) "I'm gonna go till I blow, then go some more" I raced as hard as I could. 2nd lap out the headwind had really kicked up, and before I knew it riders started piling up. I tried to get clear, but couldn't hang out in the wind, as several other did the same. A rider would break thru the pack, get clear and the wind on the front would just send him back to a pack of now close to 25-30 riders. I drifted back and sat my 5 bike lengths off all riders along with several others but I still had this pack of 20 riders up front we were catching a legal draft from. Officials on motorcycles rode in, whistles blowing, shouting -riders were throwing up there hands to the officials, saying in all languages "Where am I supposed to go?", as there were so many packed up and no way to breakaway into the wind. This went on for a good 3 miles before the rolling hills and roundabouts, and a slight change in our direction made it a crosswind, the crowd begin to break apart. I was able to push past several riders who had come up and sat in, and I was alone, again heading to the turnaround and my last bike surge in to the run.

The run course was not flat. In fact, the hills actually did get bigger on each loop, something I'm sure they teach at race director clinics. Although I felt completely trashed, I ran like I stole something, tried to grin like a fool whenever I saw anyone cheering for USA, or me. Thanks to all those by the finish where we looped. I ran blistering 5:40 mile pace past you all. Thanks to your cheering (slowed to 12' miles around the corner) I ran w/ 3 Gus, one per loop plus drank coke & water at every aid station. It was not flat coke, as I would run by and grab a hand off bottle, open it w/my teeth as it spewed everywhere & get in a few chugs before spinning it off the road, usually spraying spectators who actually seemed to like it.

I did ask and sure 'nuff, 3 loops only, I was running a PR not only in ½ IM distance, but my standalone ½ marathon. Climbing the last hill towards the finish line I saw again someone go down on the run, another member of Team USA. A young girl just flat out with medical personnel attending to her immediately. A reminder that the temps had steadily risen all day, as the sun came out and day had gotten hot. She was one of many, many casualties of the day. I had pushed all the hydration/nutrition hard, both early and thru the run, and I was able to keep me going beyond what I thought I was capable of.

This was ITU Worlds, and I will not bore with you all it took me in life to get here. But I can say it was the sweetest, toughest, most challenging journey that started so many years ago and continues past that finish line.

I am always happy to see a finish line, but this one... I would have canceled this trip due to all the stress of financial worries/school/work but for those I know, and I coach. Those who I try to help keep going. You got me here, and kept me going I ran for all of you, and myself too. I've enjoyed the 44.5 year long ride all the way across that line, (although I was too spent to even get my head up after hammering in the last 400 meters) Happiness, pure happiness.

141 1 048 MICO Mark USA 17 V2M ETATS UNIS D AMERIQUE 0:50:37 169 3:06 2:07:18 125 (+28) 2:10 1:31:31 167 (0)4:34:39.14

Results - Race Time: 4:34:39 - 17th in Worlds for age group 45-49, 2nd Team USA 45-49.

Thanks to everyone, and especially a huge Thank you to my my party people. I was able to: #1 make it there, race, and make it & home, #2 upgrade my hotel room from closet size to regular in Paris!!!

See you in Holland next year.