Joseph Spindler's Blog

With a 17th place and 8:48 hours, Challenge Barcelona was nothing than a very hard earned finish for me. Indeed, the race started to get tough way before it began. I started my trip on Friday and the first thing was that I lost my credit card at the train station. I noticed this at the airport when checking in my bike and luckily had still some cash left to pay the bike fee. Next thing, plane late and because of that delay I missed my train at Barcelona. I had to wait for the next one. Still no drama since I would arrive at me hotel at 10:30 pm or so, enough time to get a good sleep. When I left the train at Calella (a little town 50k north-east from Barcelona, where the race is located) and entered a taxi to bring me to my hotel, the driver looked funny at me. But he didn’t speak English, I didn’t speak Span, so I really was not sure, what he wanted to say. Finally he started his engine and got the car moving. And rode… and rode… and rode… It turned out, that my booked hotel was not – as ensured by the travel agency – in the middle of the center of Calella, but in another little town at the coast, about 15k or 3 more train stations far from Calella.

In the meantime, I was really tired, and just happy, that we finally arrived. So I checked in, carried my stuff to my room. And encountered the next problem. There was music. Loud music. Very loud music! Down below my window, the hotel guests were celebrating a party. There was a live band and it literally was like they were playing in my room. So I went back to the reception and asked to change the room. They told me that probably tomorrow, but there is no chance this night. So I went back to my room and tried to find some sleep. But it was impossible. I really had a band in my room! Finally I went back to the reception again: No, room changing not possible, but the band will stop in 15 minutes anyway. This was true. But when they stopped, I had the bum, bum, bum of a close disco in my room… and the snoring of the guy in the next room. It sounded like he was lying besides me in my bed… I finally could find some sleep…

The next day, I managed to change in a more quiet room, but it took me 3 hours and several talks with different head receptionists until I finally was allowed to change. So, as you can see, not the easiest way to get into race mode. I still was quite positive, tried to be not affected too much by all those detractions, was quite happy about my new room and was loking forward to the race.

Swim felt ok, but when I jumped on the bike I immediatly knew that it would become a tough day. I felt not fresh, had no good legs. In an Ironman there normally always is some period where you enjoy your speed, enjoy your body operating at it’s limits, time flies. Not so this time, I literally had to push me every single minute. On the run it wasn’t better. I had to push me forward from the beginning on, suffering a lot. Still hoped to catch some more guys during the last hour, normally my strongest part in an race; I just had to focus all my energy to get me to the finish line.

After the race, the struggle was not over yet, since my body really hurt. I was happy that I had booked a flight for 3 days after the competition. The first 2 days I wouldn’t have been able to make the trip.

The race itself was very well organized, especially since it took place for the first time. The atmosphere was very friendly and familiar. I enjoyed this very much.

So what can you take out of that story? Watch out when you book your hotel the next time! Don’t loose your credit card when travelling! And if there still is some trouble, deal with it and get your job done!

I always wondered, how these hills in Leysin are easier to ride. What is the ultimate hill training method?

I did a lot of testing: Long intervals, short intervals, steep hills, less steep hils, high intensity, less high intensity, big gear, fast spinning… I really tested everything!

Now, after 6 weeks or so after my last camp in Leysin I discovered the ultimate hill training method.

And because I am so a nice guy I would like to share with you.

Try it, nothing beats that! You will fly next season!

Thought I share since it is so cute.

There is a short video report in German about the Cologne Triathlon on Kölner Stadtanzeiger. Here is the link (scroll down the articel):

Nerven aus Eisen

Cheers,

Jo

Cologne 226 was quite a tough race for me. Before the race, I thought a 58 min swim split would be quite possible. However, I finally ended up with 64 min. I really don’t know, why I couldn’t take my definitively improved swim from the pool into the open water swim this time. Fact is that Luke Dragsta was already riding his bike for 15 minutes when I came out of the water.

But feeling sorry with myself only because I had a bad swim was never and option. In fact, feeling sorry with yourself, only because your goals suddenly seem out of reach is never an option! So many wannabe ironmen do exactly the opposit: They give up before they even tried hard enough. Ok, I messed up the first hour, but there are 7 more hours to make it better. Do your job and when you finished look at the outcome. No pre-meditation how the day might be! Better focus on the task at hand and ride your bike. And ride it fast! That’s what you get paid for!

We had to do 3 loops of an entirely flat and more and more windy course. Initially there was a group of 3 riders at the front, consisting of Luke Dragsta, Heiko Tewes and Sebastian Küfner, an unknown 22 year-old German, who did his very first iron distance race. I made some time on Luke and Heiko, but Sebastian still pulled away and increased his lead from 15 min to 18 min in T2. 18 minutes! This was not exactly what I wanted to hear when I dropped off my bike. But at that time, I didn’t really care. I was not interested. I dropped of my expectations to this race when I jumped onto my bike after the swim. And guess what? Racing without expectations is so much easier! Now I was only looking forward to the run, to get out of the low aero position, to move my legs in a different way.
I immediately had a good rhythm. For the first 10k it was pure joy of running, what I call “the race feel”: the joy of feeling your body operating at its limits. All of a sudden, it turned a bit into pain run, since I got a tumb leg, couldn’t feel anything in my left leg, felt very wired. But nevertheless could hold my speed.

In the second loop of 4 my competitors slowed down. I could hold my run together and started to eat them up from behind. At the beginning of loop 3 I already was 2nd, but still 11 min back of the leading man. Can you be satisfied with second? No, you can’t! Beginning of loop 4 still 6 min left. Was it possible to close that gap? I was not really sure – but I had lots of good friends at the course, who yelled at me and believed in me so much! This gave me a great confidence boost, I put all in I had, really pushed my limits, and got closer and closer. I was flying. Nevertheless, at 40k there was still a bit more than a minute left. But now I could see him, I was getting closer and closer. But shit, why consists a marathon only out of 42k!? I already could hear the speaker at the finish line. Then, with 300m to go, I finally run past Sebastian. Sprinting, not looking back, just running, running – and crossed the finish line first!
It was a great hunt and I loved it and I think the spectators loved it as well .

That’s what I am, Jo the Hunter. I get what I hunt!

All my respect to Sebastian! He did very well and with a bit more luck he would have been the winner. Either way, this race was a great start of his iron distance journey. Keep on the hard work and good luck for your races to come!

Great thanks to Peter, Regina, Sebastian, Hasan and Nic for their believe in me and their cheering at the course.

And especially to Erik and Denise for a great homestay and all their incredible support all over this weekend!

It wouldn’t have been possible without you!

Well, I arrived in Cologne yesterday, 2 days before I will do the iron distance here. I booked me an early train, so that I had to get out of bed at 5 am. I could have taken another train, but first, this one was cheaper, and second, I like to get into race day rhythm the days before the race. So nothing wrong with an early train. It was a wonderful trip along the Rhine, I saw the Loreley on her rock, brushing her long, wonderful golden hair and upon arrival stepped into the Cologne Dome, the heavenwards striving monument of gothic architecture, for a short coffee brake with the higher spirits.

I feel good and very fit. On my last session, I did my 800s 10 seconds faster than “normally”. I hade something like a breakthrough workout on the track in Leysin (thank you Hiro, Manny!), since then my run is much better.

Nevertheless, it’s always funny, how an upcoming race affects your mood. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure, some doubts, some kind of fear, (why?, of what?). Sometimes, and this time it is like that for me, you are just excited, looking forward and can’t await to get to the starting line to show what you can. This is a great feeling! But it is not always like that: You certainly know, that bursting from confidence is the better thing, but you hardly can influence it. You are more or less a victim of your feelings. We are kidding ourselves, if we think we know what is going on in our mind. On the other hand, you ARE not your feelings. They are not identical with you. You are a being, not just a thought, not just a feeling. Right? Right. Feelings and thoughts just come and go, everybody has them and everybody can have the same. So it is in a kind even doubtable that you can speak from YOUR feelings, YOUR thoughts. They are not yours, everybody can have them, feel them, think them – even at the same time. – Ok, this gets complicated now and we better stop here. I think what I initially wanted to say was simply that one probably just has to find a way to let the right feelings come and the wrong ones go. Very simple.

However, I had funny dreams as well this night. About the race. We started with the swim (as you can see, initially everything was in best order). And it went great. I had a personal best with a 52 or 54, sorry I can’t remember exactly. Unfortunately, the hassle began in transition zone. Here it started to get wrong. It was a closed room, like these rooms, where we used to change before a soccer game. There were no bikes – instead lots of chairs and banks and bags with lots of clothes and stuff. For example I had my notebook in one of those bags, but couldn’t remember, for what the hell I needed a notebook during a triathlon? And even worse, where I should store it so that it wasn’t stolen! Or a hand-driven cream whipper? Without cream?? I had no clue… In the meantime, I put on lots of different clothes, put them back into the bags again, not exactly sure, what I should wear. I showed pretty much the same behavior that Christl shows in front of her wardrobe when she dresses for a party. Very scaring, really! I got lost between all that bags and stuff – and finally pretty worried since everybody else started to leave the transition room. I got even more worried when I suddenly noticed, that apparently no one else had a bag or too much clothes or a notebook or a cream whipper or whatever. Obviously, I was the only guy with bags and clothes and other stuff, and lots of it! … Well, the dream stopped here. Unfortunately! I woke up for the train. A bit too early. But I really think my other self in the dream never made it out of that transition room…

Ok, one final thing: Nico recently fell in love with a super green car with brown tires (for the Germans, he says not „super green“ but „quietschgrün“ pronounced like „diiiiiiiiiiitschgüüüün“). Now, as he thinks, that he always gets a toy when papa wins a race, and, secondly, that papa always wins a race whenever he races a race (he simply made a rule out of one single occurrence) he now strongly believes that he will get this quietschgreen car very soon. Aiaiaiai. Well, what should I say? I hate to disappoint him, I really do! Let’s see what I can do.
I’m ready, hehehe.

My win at Ostseeman gave me quite of a boost. I feel very fit these days. 2 days after the race (when most of the post-race-pain was gone) I started with lots of swimming, continued this for 2 weeks and then went back to Leysin for another week of heavy training. The boss said he can see some improvement in the swim – and since he gives kudos only if they are true, this was very encouraging for me! I had good legs at the hills (and on the flats as well – he he he), I am a bit skinnier than before last race; and it feels a lot easier for me to hold a high cadence during my runs, – always a good indicator that my is getting good. If I am very tired or struggling with the run, my cadence slows down.

It was great to catch up with the team before all are leaving and our camp in Leysin shuts down. Over the time, we are not just teammates, but become friends as well and I really miss the squad when I am staying at home.

So, as you can see, body and mind are really ready for my next race – the iron distance in Cologne on 6th of September!

Now, let me tell you another story: When I returned home from Leysin, I rode with my brothers car (thanks for lending Kili!!), when I returned home – it was a 6.5h ride, and I had to do a swim and another ride up to Col de la Croix before I left – I arrived at our appartment at 9:30 pm – and Nico was still waiting for me. This is very unusual, since he normally is at bed and sleeps at 7 pm. Well, at this day, he was in bed as well, but he was not sleeping, instead still waiting for me. He couldn’t sleep, since he was so excited about his new tractor.

You must know, that I promised him: Nico, if I will win Ostseeman and get some price money, you will get this tractor you always look at in the catalogue. Now. after I won, we immediately ordered it, and it arrived during my stay at Leysin. It’s a pitty that I was not there, when the package arrived and he opened it, jumping and running around from excitement and happiness. But he couldn’t sleep and waited for me to show me his new tractor – before he couldn’t sleep, impossible! After he told me the good news, he immediately fell asleep, literally before I left his room. But, for sure, not without awaking around 4:30 am the next day to have a look if his tractor is still there…

Hi guys, I am Mr. OstseeMan now! Last Sunday, I won the race for the third time. And I also locked out a new course record in 8:28h. And while it is not the biggest race in Germany, I was amazed by all the attention I got from the local people in Glucksburg, from the media and all the people who know me! You may have a great race, you may have a personal best – but if you finish second, you won’t get the attention your effort deserves. The winner takes it all. Probably that’s not fair, but the way the sport is. So better win your races !

Relieved, job done!

The race itself started quite nice. For the first time, I broke 1h in the swim (by one second, haha).

Bike was a very steady effort. I felt very comfortable in my aero position. Everything smooth. We had to do 6 loops of 30k. For the first 4 of them, I had 2 guys riding with me. Unfortunately, we had a completely different rhythm, so that we dind’t work together. They attacked it on the hills and passed me there, I kept it steady on the flats an re-passed them – pulling them along to the next hill…

Eating up the road in front of me.

I finally dropped them and then the fun began: It was the 5th loop with me at the front of the race now. Ahead of me the lead motorcycle. Well, there was lots of cornering on the course, especially when riding through the little town Glucksburg. So I played catch-me-if-you-can with the motorcycle. He couldn’t ride the corners and the short decends as fast as I although he really tried. I passed him left, I passed him right, it was a ton of fun.

In T2 I had a lead of 2 min. Startet out in 4min pace for the run. There was a turnaround, so I could see my competition and control my lead. In the second loop (we had to do 5 now) I coudn’t see the 2nd guy, thought he might have slowed down and took it a bit easier, but was really frightened when I suddenly saw him only 1 min behind, smiling from ear to ear, looking quite fresh and fast. Where did he come from??? I increased my speed to show that I am strong and that he must not even think of catching me. And managed to regain a lead of 3min till end of loop 3.

German Terminator on Fire!

2 more loops left. They hurt. I really, really had to push. I was slowing down a bit. But the second guy too, I could hold my lead quite constant. I wanted to win. I had to win. I had so much support and encouragement from the spectators, that I simply couldn’t do anything else but winning. – And that was exactly what I finally did! It was great. Soaking up all that energy in the finish area.

Thanks, doc, Alex, and teammates, for all that hard training. That was exactly what me got through that 2 final loops… And there is more!

Family was with me for the race. We stayed at the coast for 5 more days celebrated the win and enjoyed the good vibes there. We had great weather, great water, got to know lot’s if nice people. This all helped my recovery a lot and now, one week later, I have to hold me back on the bike.

There is more and I can’t await to nail it down for the second half of the season!

Last weekend was tough, since I was prepared to race IM Zurich but got sick and could not finish the race.

I felt very tired the day before, maybe a bit more than normal. But I was not concerned about it, thinking it was just tiredness leaving my body. In fact, it was a virus entering my system.

Race morning, felt quite normal. I did the swim, changed to the bike – and had no legs. I still was quite confident, you always have a bad hour in such a long race, and I thought, it’s ok to have the bad hour at the beginning of the race rather than at the end. Let’s deal with it and get through. But I couldn’t get the legs moving. I tried everything: Pushing in aero position, ease down in aero position, lift up the cadence, pedal seated, standing up, eating something, but nothing helped, and it cost me an incredible effort to reach an intensity which I do in training for hours without noticing. Then, after 50 min of struggling, the body shut down completely, and I had to back off. Heartrate below 100 beats, I couldn’t get it up, not even at the hills. Race over. But I didn’t want to quit – always having doc’s dogma in my head of never letting a job undone. And two of my brothers with their families were waiting for me at heartbreak hill. They made the long trip just to cheer me! Therefore I rode slowly, but I rode. The remaining 50k of the first loop took me 2 hours. In the meantime I was feeling sick more and more, fevered and shivery. There definitely was something wrong. Tickle in my throat and lungs. I completed the first loop. I stopped, stood at the side of the road, still not sure if I should quit or go on. Looking at all the athletes passing by. Finally I decided to take the signs of my body seriously and stop instead of risking a serious illness. Now, three days later, the virus is in full bloom and I am reliefed that I didn’t push me further.

One one hand, a really bad day. On the other hand it gave me the opportunity to recognize some things I would never have without dropping out.

I watched the race now as a spectator and realized how big the difference is between your imaginated self as an competing athlete and the perception from outside. 45kph feel really fast on the bike and you think you are a really tough guy – and look so slow and unspectacular from outside. Same with run speed. If you run sub-4min per k you feel like an hero (and you might be) – but it looks anything else but fast.

Another thing were the big groups riding together. Not 10 meters, not 7 meters, but tour de france like wheel at wheel. Even when the leader was passing by he had 2 motorcycles 5 meters in front of him. This is the way it is. If you want to control the race, you have to be in front of it.

I always thought, triathlon is a boring sport to watch. Instead, I was astonished how fast time went by! While you are waiting for the top 10 men entering T2, there are already the first ones coming by on the run. You track time and wait for the first girls. Until they change you are half way into the marathon and it gets really interesting who moves up… and so on.

Watching hurted. My real self found my imaginated self still competing from time to time, and it was painful to unify them at the side of the course again and again. I recognized how badly I want to win such a race. I never will be satisfied with a third or second place. I want to win.

Then I finally found my family . All of them were concerned about my physical and mental well-being after quitting the race – the only one who did not care was my son Nico with his 2 years. He was not a tiny bit concerned about that. He had a complete different view on the whole event as well. We watched the finish of the first guys together, but he was just scared by all the people and all that noise at the finish area. He was not interested in watching Ronnie crossing the finish line, – what him fascinated most were the hunderds of balloons flying into the air when he came in. He loved the bouncing castles in the kid’s corner of the expo area and had so much fun jumping around with his cousins and other kids. He was so excited, was sweeting from enjoyment, had so laughing eyes, that it really made me happy. With his ruthless happiness, he taught me that one’s ego is – and is not – at the same time the center of the earth. I even couldn’t call it a bad day any more.

Keep your head to together and look ahead. There was nothing wrong with your training. You just got sick. Get that virus out of your body and look forward to your next race. Then do what you are born for – race and win!

Cheers,
Jo

IM Lanzarote is now quite a while back. Recovery went nice and I am in full training mode again for IM Switzerland.

Nethertheless, Denis finished his IM Lanzarote these days and sent me the link. It’s great work and some of TeamTBB’s athletes play a major role

I experienced the race from the “participant’s view”. And is quite fascinating for me to contrast this perspective by a more “spectator view”. Good memories! And motivation for the next race!

Enjoy – here is the video: http://www.vimeo.com/5099383

Cheers,
Jo