The preparation
So if you’ve seen the last post about Châtelaillon-Plage XS Triathlon, you already know this race was my main goal of 2025. Carcan is a small city in south west of France, near Bordeaux. It’s in the “Médoc” area, mostly known for its wine. The Olympic distance is a 1,5km swim, 40km bike and a 10km run. It fits well it’s “medium” name : it’s not a “long” distance (as in endurance) and it’s not short either like a sprint, where you need to be full gas.
The distance is long enough to humble yourself a bit and start some sort of preparation. If the goal is to have fun and finish it, it is largely doable by most people, but with a bit of training consistency or you’re gonna have a hard time. With this said, it’s a distance that doesn’t require to allow all your time and life to training if the goal is not to finish first. We decided to register with Jérôme and Thomas, 2 colleagues. Training not alone with a common goal is really motivating.
Regarding training : I didn’t followed any structured plan. By the end of 2024, I was running 2 times a week. I simply added 2 swims sessions. Regarding the bike, I cycled 10km 2 times a day to go to work, 4 times a week. So I was averaging 80km a week just by going to work.
The swim was the main issue for me, unlike Jérôme and Thomas who had a much stronger base. So I took multiple lessons, and did managed to slowly progress over time. Most of the run session was a chill one, around 7-8 kilometers at a confortable pace. Another session was either “30-30” : 30 seconds at full gas, 30 seconds rest, 10 times, rest, repeat once. Those sessions are very effective but they make you question your life choices everytime you’re doing them.
Course overview
This race is known to be very flat, and thus very fast. It is well known among triathlete in France, and one of the biggest races even if it’s not under the Iron man brand.
The swim is located in Hourtin/Carcan lake, the fifth biggest lake in France. The race is just one loop, nothing complicated :
The bike portion is also a single loop, around pins forest in between the lakes of Lacanau and Hourtin. We cycle take the “33 turns road”, which is a twisty road know by local bikers.
The run part is across the lake promenade at the beach, and around some pin forest. There is a bit of elevation gain during the run, but nothing horrible.
The swim
The start is at 7am, so we wake up at 5 if I recall correctly, to have time to have a proper breakfast. We already have left the bike in the transition zone the previous day. We walk from our airbnb towards the start line, the sun rise at the same time as your stress level, the atmosphere is a bit strange with all those people quitely walking towards the same destination. It’s a particular feeling, you know you’re going to have a special day.
Given the amount of triathlete, around 3000, the swim is a rolling start, it means not everyone starts at the same time. They let 7 person go every 7 seconds. This prevents having too much people at the same time in the water, which, well, can lead to problems.
So you need to seed yourself among others, by your predicted time. Elite swimmers can achieve this swim portion in just 20 minutes. I’m aiming for something like 37-39 minutes. So I see Thomas and Jérôme go first, and wait for my turn. Now no going back 😀 !
Swim was okay-ish, could have been better, could have been worse. I felt a bit like I lost what I’ve learnt in the swimming pool. A little bit grasping for air, not a very efficient stroke, and an overall feeling of “let’s survive this” instead of mastering the swim portion and achieve to settle a confortable pace. The main issue was maybe not much training in open water on a regular basis.
However, my goal during the swim was to not breast-stroke at all, which I did. What I don’t tell (well, I’m writing it so…) is that some breast-strokers around me was swimming at the same pace :D.
As you can see, because of a not very straigh-forward swim, it is very common in open water to add 150 / 200 meters of the initial distance. This is because you are constantly swimming while correcting your trajectory. While un-zoomed it seems okay, but if you do, you can clearly see the issue !
However, you need to take into account that the GPS is 1 to 5 meter precise, so it can explain some of it.
Transition 1
Off the water, I see Océane (my SO) in the crowd, yelling something not understandable at all, it gives me a lot of strength and a smile. Getting out of the water is a great feeling. Quick run to the transition zone, where it’s a bit packed of people. here in Carcan you don’t just lay your stuff around your bike. You have to pack it in 2 bags, one for T1, one for T2, and hang in under a big tant with benches.
So I quickly grab my T1 bag, take off my swimsuit, put on shoes, bib, grab my bike and off I go. It’s quick writing it, but I was not that quick at all !
The bike
The underlying goal, the one you dont admit, is to beat your friends. You tell yourself it isn’t a competition until it is. You tell you do it for yourself, until you’re telling yourself “yes I’m doing it for me, but what if I beat the shit out of them at the same time ?” 😀 and that’s the spirit I’m on starting of the bike ride, try to catch them back.
I grab my bottle, take a sip, try to put it back, and of it goes, down the street. What a great way to start. It seems stupid, but I might not have properly trained myself at refueling while riding. With my ego-boosted goal to catch Jérôme and Thomas in mind, no time to get it back, I’ll just drink during the run.
Everything is fine, I pass a lot of better swimmer :D. And then something its wrong. I’m starting to feel something off my rear wheel. I think I recognize that it. Please not now, I’m telling myself. After the short deny phase, I quickly arrived at the acceptation one, I just had a puncture off my rear tube.
So I stop off the road, and starts repairing. I had everything with me to repair, just in case. Being a commuter on bike, I’m used to puncture, so it’s not new for me. What’s new however is to use co2 cartridge to fill back the tire with air pressure. I took 2, I hope to figure out how this works.
During the repair, a motorcycle crew of the event stops by and ask if I’m okay. He’s not here to help you at all, but just to check if you’re safe and if you’ll be able to resume your race. I took about 15 min to get back on tracks.
The rest of the bike portion was great, with cool flat roads in a natural environment. I starts to recognize Carcan and the end of the portion. I see Océane and try to tell them that I had a flat while going to the transition zone. I dont think she heard me.
Transition 2
Nothing much to say honestly, leave the bike, change shoes, take some gels and off I go.
The run
I start the run well, and I cross Jérôme on the other side, at that time he completed 6/7km of the run already. I cheer for him and slowly venture into the forest, away from all the noises, where you only here the sounds shoes make when they enter contact with the ground.
I feel well, my legs are ok, and I settle at a comfortably hard pace. I might not finish under 3 hours, which was my initial goal, given the puncture, but I’ll give everything.
I pass a lot of people that have passed my on the bike, the small elevation gains its a little bit. After 6/7 kilometers, I run back to the beach lake, you pass the finish line on your right, but you still need to do quite a loop :D.
Once the last loop done, I know I’m getting closer, at this time all your fatigue fades away, you no longer restraint from getting faster, I see Océane trying to get her phone working or something, she panicked as she see me coming fast since she didn’t expected me here right now it seems, I tell her hi, and sprint to the finish line. I just did my best time on a 10k after a 40k ride and a 1,5k swim !
Conclusion
And then that’s it, I’ve done it. My official time was 3:00:58 if I recall correctly. My initial goal was under 3 hours, and without the puncture I’m way under it, so I’m quite happy with results. Beside the time, it was a really fun event. Weather was perfect, a lot of people cheering, flawless organization, and the scenery of the area is beautiful.
It’s a beginner friendly triathlon due to it’s low elevation gain, but elite triathlete also loves this flat routes to performa great time, so an overall great experience for everybody.
Having trained for a long period of time with Thomas and Jérôme (and also others people, that were not signed up, but did run and swim with us) was great. We all managed to set a good discipline to have at least 4 training a week, for several months. It’s a great reward for your self to set that type of goal and manage to stick with it. You wear a small badge of honor in your head. Is that a ego problem ? Might be. But If you’re happy like that and don’t become an asshole constantly bringing it, I think it’s fine.
Regarding my medical condition, doing an Olympic distance triathlon isn’t too harsh, since there is only the running part that is more brutal for your body. And 10 kilometers, once you’re a running multiples times a week for a few months, is not a long distance. I dont recall having troubles for next days or so.
FX
Leave a Reply