Race Recap - Ironman Klagenfurt

🏊 The starting gun fired at 6:30 a.m. with a water temperature of 22.1 degrees Celsius, just above the limit for prohibiting wetsuits. This worried me a bit, as I get cold easily in the water. But the swim went well. The start was intense, a tough battle to get into the right group. I stayed with it and was able to position myself in a good swim group for the first time this season. I got out of the water in 14th place – a great start.

🚴♂️ On the bike, the race was challenging from the start. The first climbs were ridden very aggressively in a large group. After that, the pace noticeably slowed on the flat sections; no one wanted to lead, and I, too, tried to conserve some energy. We rode at the necessary distance, accompanied by a referee who rode consistently with us. At kilometer 140, an attack followed; I joined in and had to go deep again. Overall, I'm very happy with my cycling performance. I entered the transition zone in 13th place.

🏃 The run started promisingly. My legs felt good, I ran at a controlled 3:50 pace, and I had to slow down for the first few kilometers. But after about 15 kilometers, everything turned sour: stomach cramps, dizziness, and dehydration completely set me back. I had to go to the bathroom during the half marathon, was completely drained, and close to giving up. I even sat briefly in the first aid tent and considered just staying there.

But I knew that if I gave up now, it would be easier to give up again next time. I wanted to live up to the Ironman spirit, to all the age groupers who are on the trail for up to 16 hours. So I got up again and started alternating between walking and jogging. Starting at kilometer 35, I slowly found my rhythm again.

Even though the top result I was aiming for was no longer possible, I crossed the finish line proudly and relieved, after 8 hours 38 minutes, with a new personal best. What counts is the finisher's feeling. And the pride of having fought until the end and not giving up. Now it's time to recover well, analyze what went wrong, and then look ahead: to Thun, my season highlight.