Men and women, young and old will take on the mighty Ironman over a staggering 226km in a maximum of 16 hours for all three disciplines! A mad bet? Inconceivable? On the contrary, in this race, nothing is left to chance.
"Complete an Ironman? Impossible, I could never manage it, it is reserved for outstanding athletes! This is a concept that many believe before they try it! You only have to look at the percentage of pro versus amateurs in an Ironman. Nice is no exception to this rule: 1% to 99% pros against age groupers. Their profile obviously intrigues, but who are they?
Being an Ironman is a way of life which integrates the sport at all levels of everyday life. They balance work, family and sport, by combining time travel and competition. The average volume of training that a triathlete completes varies between 10 and 40 hours weekly, depending on whether or not they are racing.
Diet becomes extremely important and athletes are better informed, enabling them to manage their course. Healthy food, sport practice and a healthy lifestyle are the keys to their success. Far from the cliché of monolithic sportsmen's, they are entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, surgeons, professors, lawyers, teachers ... ordinary people who do the extra-ordinary.
The bonus, which leads to the ultimate achievement, is the mental adrenaline provided by the magnitude of the test. For such a race there is no individuality, you compete against yourself out there on the course -- not against the pros. All through the long hours athletes support and encourage themselves, this is the Ironman spirit! And then there's the public and the volunteers who encourage the athletes when sometimes the body fails to reach the high point: the finish line where the family attend, to celebrate together after the success of long months of effort.
Is the Ironman a crazy idea? Not so sure .... come and see for yourself on Sunday at 6:30 at the beach of the Baie des Anges.
IRONMAN France -- Nice
June 28, 2009
3.8km SWIM | 180km BIKE | 42.195km RUN
50 qualifying places for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii October 2009
16 hours and more free entertainment on the Promenade des Anglais and hinterland
45 registered pros
Photo: © MiKu
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