Somehow some comments about an organisation : no cloakroom, no toilet.
The rest was just like other competitions, we went there and got our dossards.
We arrived early with Marie, Laëtitia and me. It was chilly but bearable.
It's nice that it's not raining.
Later on, everyone started to arrive and get their dossard.
With Laëtitia, we did a warm up a bit by ourself about 15 minutes before it started.
Marie came to see Laëtitia and me a few last minutes on saying that we had to find Sean. As Raja didn't have a helmet so she was waiting for Sean to bring one, 2 minutes before we went to started line, we had not found Sean yet. Suddenly I saw him and shouted out so loud so Raja could have a helmet for the competition. The last minutes stress relief!!!!!!!!
I started off 400m running with Raja, as usual, I did a good super sprint running to get a great view of Laëtitia as it is her first time of a race and we didn't say which side she would be. I was quick enough to grasp a bike as she was on the front line. Struggling among the crowd to get the bike through all competitors ........no accidents :-)
Marie and Raja were behind but as Raja, a good runner, Marie, a steady runner, we finally caught up on the second round on the flat running track around the lake as I had a pain (not sure if it's because I wanted to pee as there is no toilet or the biking on the hills that I was not used to it and not trained to do it properly much so I pushed myself hard or bad movement so I stopped to ask some medics but they said it should be fine so we continued a race.
Cesar and Phil didn't make a great start as Phil was running super quick and he missed Cesar who was waiting for him at the front while he had to run back to find Cesar.
The first up & down hill is the small slop next to the lake before entering to a real trail in the forest.
Next come it was very muddy and hilly too, the first obstacle is a piece of big tree in middle of our way.
Then another one elevation was fun but it kept going up and up further and higher.
Ha ha so much fun, we all stopped biking but pushing out bike up to the top of some hills. It was so much fun to go down on a hill but I lost Laëtitia again. I passed through more than 20 competitors after a big hill and I went down hill but I still could not find here. I thought I had lost her in the middle of the way. Somehow I kept biking super fast, I saw her running already on a flat part and she was running consistently. Well done.
I am glad that she didn't wait for me as so many teams are running all sides by sides all the times. good tricks as I always catch her up later any ways.
Somehow the second round is different we were staying side by side, especially last 2k after the hills.
A moment, I thought I could not go on as I had a contraction of muscles a bit then I slowed down but kept going steadily then I got better.
At the end, a good memory left, among the crowd at the start line to the end, having a moment to enjoy every part of it. I must thank to Laëtitia, my team mate who is a brilliant team player and we could finish it together without any injuries with big smiles.
At the end, we were all happy as we had so much fun, loving our shoes and bike covered with muds. No podium but the joy we shared, with a motto " Sport is fun. Well done everyone.
PS I am still thinking of myself, may be a little pain which lasted a few minutes was imaginary during the competition :-) as when I finished it my body felt still perfect fit.
Personal experience of Wippy
Also a few words from Sean's viewpoint....
Versailles Bike & Run
A very cold mid-January morning in Versailles with a wind chill factor below zero saw 8 of the Expatriés meet up for a muddy, hilly Bike & Run. A bit of a confused start with many bikers missing their runners in T1 causing some time losses but everyone got away in the end for two 6.5km laps in the forest around Piece d'Eau des Suisses (Everyone was shivering at the thought of being in the water for the sprint tri in May).
There were two main hills to contend with on each lap and the paths were both narrow and muddy making it nearly impossible for the bikers to overtake and catch their runners. The runners had no choice but to 'stand on' and hope their team-mate wouldn't be too long in catching up. Second time round the mud in parts had turned into liquid and there was virtually no choice but to run the last 10-20m to the top before careering back down again.
Good fun all round with everyone finishing safely. Well done to Wippy & Laetitia, Marie & Rajah, César & Philippe and Sean & Paul although the jury is still out on how Paul stayed so clean!!
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