Bonn Marathon, 22nd April 2007

[Rick]

Just booked. I guess others will be going to Wilhelmshaven but I have unfinished business in Bonn after crashing out in 2004. It's also an easy drive if anyone fancies going down there with me. This was also my first ever dry marathon back in 2003 and so has other fond memories.

[tanya g]

[Gav]

Wilhemshafen is the first GBC race of the season.

[Rick]

Decided to fly to Bonn. It's a little further away than the others and easily accessible from the airport. Since I'm going solo to this one it was only about £30 more expensive to fly.

[Rick]

Well that was a bit of a shock for someone who was planning to take it easy on the first race of my season. Yes I know all the "good" skaters were in Wilhelmshaven but I just finished 21st in Bonn. I rock!  

Time was reasonable respectable too at 1:31:14. Funny thing is my stopwatch recorded 1:32:07 so maybe I took it off the wrong mat or times are going to be adjusted. Whatever the position is well good. No discomfort except for a little bit of fatigue around km5 which I soon got rid off as I found someone better to skate behind. I´d just done a couple of shifts at the front too so fair enough. Could have gone a bit faster but no lines to do it on. Everyone else ahead were on line 1 and burned by the Zepto B team.

For those of use that know him, Andrew Gordon, skating in his home town won the M50 class, 39th overall in 1:38:45

Race report:
It was dry. That´s really all that matters at this race as there are some hairy sets of cobbles and some rough sections including the finish. Smallish field with only 220 recorded finishers. Don´t know how many started but there were some out still on the course as the first runners were coming past my hotel 30 mins after I had finished and my hotel is at km34. First half was 5 minutes slower than the second half. Not sure why because it felt more tiring. May have been because I had a few rubbish drafts for the first 12km. I walked the finish and the course round my hotel yesterday so I knew what was coming up and where to move onto the offensive from my comfy drafting position.

The last right hander is on a slight downhill and at about 70 degrees it´s very tight. The guy a couple of places in front of me took it too wide and crashed into the barrier. I knew what was coming and moved out and dabbed a brake before the turn and hammered my way out of it but he still manged to get in my way so I had to lean on someone to keep myself from getting tangled. He was the only faller I saw all race but then most of them were behind me. Some really nice sections and good crowds came to watch and beat their drums. It´s mostly through residential areas so it wasn´t much effort for them.. Only a small amount of wind. Coldish at the start but nothing to worry about. All in all a big thumbs up. My issues with this race are now resolved. Bring on Duisberg next weekend and the rest. The cobbles where I fell 3 years ago in the wet passed without incident. Feet were lovely and comfy in the Junkers.

[Ray]

Well done Rick,

a good start to your season!

[Mikey-two-Names]

Nice one Rick!  And well chuffed for Andrew, yay dude!

[Rick]

Well the full results are up now online but still not quite in the right order I think.

21st guy out of 161, 25th overall out of 222 finishers 5th in the class they put me in out of 41. 14m16s behind the winner which is the closest I have ever been and over 11 minutes faster than my previous 1st marathon of the year and possibly more significantly the 3rd fastest I have ever raced and the other two were point to points with a substantial tail wind for a good portion of it. So all in all I am totally chuffed! Need to stop myself from celebrating with alcohol and ice cream.

I wonder if this exercise/dietary practice thing from Patrick was any contibution. I was quite good in following it. More exercise and less carbs Monday to Wednesday, less exercise and loads of starchy carbs Thursday to Saturday. My legs felt awfully tired on Wednesday and Thursday Friday they were starting to get better and today they didn't feel remotely tired. Somehow I am not convinced, My road technique is much improved post Sardinia and I didn't put a foot wrong tactically though I might have gone just a little bit earlier at the end to move up the line. If I had I might have stolen the other places from the people in my line.

Just realised that I was the first non-German over the line. Sorry if I sound a bit full of myself but I just am at the moment. Feel free to burn me up and tell me I suck as you go past to help me feel normal again. Oh and get your arse in gear and book some races so I don't have to keep doing this alone.

[Mikey-two-Names]

Of course you're chuffed, and you did awesomely well!