Sophia Ibert 
KickAss Squad, I would like to use my latest blog to tell you about the triathlon in Ingolstadt. Even though the race turned out to be shorter than planned, there’s a lot to tell. But let’s start at the beginning.
Triathlon kick-off in Buschhütten
After my triathlon season opener at the classic in Buschhütten, my first middle distance for this season was on the agenda last weekend. The race in Buschhütten, which I finished in a good 10th place in a well-known field, gave me plenty of confidence for the German Championships in Ingolstadt. I returned from Buschhütten particularly satisfied with new wattage records on the bike and I was also able to run at a very good pace for my standards of 4:24 min/km over the final 10 km.
In the weeks between Buschhütten and my first big highlight of the season, the Audi Triathlon Ingolstadt, Kickass Head Coach Flo Heck and I concentrated on training and, above all, economizing the race pace I was aiming for in the middle distance. The training went well and I was very confident for the upcoming race.
Race week is just around the corner
It was already apparent during Race Week that the title fights in Ingolstadt would probably not be a heat battle. The weather forecast was around 15-17 degrees, no rain, which would have been perfect conditions. The tapering went as planned and I was looking forward to lining up at the start line with Nine, Flo, Tino and Franzi Reng from the Kickass Squad.
Swim off quickly and find good legs
On the morning of the race, the weather was even better than expected. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. I set up my transition area and did a warm-up run together with Nine. Shortly afterwards, the starting gun went off. The swim went really well for me. My aim was to start swimming quickly and then look for “good legs”. That worked out pretty well and I came out of the Ingolstadt Baggersee in 7th place with a time of 28:33 minutes. The weather was still great and I was looking forward to my main discipline – cycling. But after only about 10 minutes on the bike, it suddenly started to rain heavily. The temperature plummeted to below 10 degrees and the battle against the cold began. On the way to the second turning point on the bike course, I was still sure that the rain would stop soon. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out to be the case and an icy cold wind blew in. My whole body was shaking, I could no longer feel my hands and feet, braking and shifting gears became almost impossible. After somehow circling around the turning point, I slowly realized that I wouldn’t make it through a second bike lap. My goal was just to get back to Ingolstadt. Back to my supporters, back to a jacket or a blanket.
I can’t get out like this
I was now in 6th place and although I was only able to pedal at a very low wattage, I wasn’t overtaken by any other women. I can’t drop out now, was my thought. The way back to Ingolstadt felt endlessly long and I was relieved when I finally saw the town sign. My family was just behind it. I stopped at their house and got out of the race, completely chilled and in tears. After just 40 km, the race was over for me.
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50 % of all starters finished the Ingolstadt triathlon early
At the time, I didn’t realize that around 50% of all starters on the middle distance had the same experience as me. We waited almost a quarter of an hour for a rescue blanket – these had run out in the meantime due to the many hypothermic triathletes. No-one could have anticipated this sudden change in the weather. The conditions on the course were chaotic. All the ambulances, police cars and fire engines were full of athletes who had dropped out and had to be treated. There were also several bike crashes, some of them serious. A huge tree fell over at the athletes’ campsite, luckily nobody was injured and there was only major material damage.
Looking back, I’m just glad that I survived the day unscathed – even if the disappointment is naturally deep-seated. I wanted to compete for the German championship title in my age group and the race was my sporting highlight this year.
My greatest respect goes to everyone who managed to finish the race. From the Kickass Squad, for example, the two coaches Nine and Tino. Chapeau!
Franzi Reng, Flo and I were unfortunately part of the very long DNF list.
And now what?
To take my mind off things, I’m going to take part in a bike race this week and try to beat my best 10 km running time. Thanks to my coach Flo, who understands my situation and supports my plans without any ifs or buts.
I will give myself a few more days and then sign up for another middle distance. I don’t know yet which one it will be and am grateful for any tips!
Your Fia
