Satisfacció absoluta. Per fi el gran dia va
arribar! Diumenge 22 d'abril, la data que tenia ben marcada al calendari des de
feia mesos es va fer realitat, el dia de la famosa triatló d'Ishigaki! Quin
lloc millor per estrenar-se en les triatlons que una illa tropical del Japó? :)
Un altre petit somni fet realitat i aquest cop per partida doble, viatge a
Okinawa, tresor poc conegut del sud del Japó i participació en una triatló
olímpica!!
Expedició Ishigaki amb la Ceci, la Charlotte i la
Delfina vingudes directament de Suïssa. Després de mesos d'entrenament ja no hi
havia excuses. Una última nit amb poques hores de son i a les 05:00 (!!!) tots
de peu, un bon esmorzar, repassar que portàvem tot el material a sobre, bicis
en mà i sense dir massa cosa ens vàrem dirigir a la sortida. Era la primera
triatló olímpica pels 3 i la tensió/nervis es notaven a flor de pell. A l'àrea
de sortida l'activitat era frenètica, 1500 participants preparant el material
en la seva respectiva zona de transició però en un ambient molt distès i
sobretot molt japonès. Després d'ordenar tot el material i posar-nos el vestit
de neoprè vàrem fer cap al port per a la prova de natació i allà sense temps
per donar-hi gaires voltes ja em vaig trobar a la línia de sortida. Ordenats en
grups de 140 persones, els participants anaven saltant a l'aigua per fer els
1500m inicials en un circuit de dues voltes.
Aaiii la natació, déu ni
dó...tothom ens havia dit que la primera vegada era dura però realment em va
sorprendre, la gent et passa literalment per sobre, cops, cosses, un estrès
total!...els primers 200m estava bloquejat, no m'entrava aire als pulmons, no
sé ni com vaig poder avançar, Em vaig intentar asserenar i poc a poc vaig començar
a trobar una mica de ritme però llavors em van fotre una cosa a la cara que em
van treure ulleres i gorro de cop, de postres més tard vaig perdre la
orientació i em vaig desviar un bon tros, tot això sumat al fet que la meva
tècnica deixa bastant que desitjar vaig acabar la prova amb un temps bastant
fluix (37`)...però bé l'impotant és que la vaig fer i d'allà tot corrent cap la
zona de transició per agafar la bici, treu-me el vestit i sortir pitant a fer
els 40km. La bici un altra història, un circuit al voltant de la illa vorejant
el mar i amb algunes pujades i sobretot baixades molt divertides. La sort de
començar dels últims va fer que em passés gairebé tot el recorregut avançant
gent cosa que mentalment ajuda. La veritat és que em vaig trobar molt bé sobre
la bici, gaudint del recorregut de principi a fi i tot i que no feia molt bon
temps (va caure una mica de pluja) encara hi va haver prou gent animant-nos al
llarg de la prova, sobretot iaietes que ens anaven animant sense parar a crits
de "gambatte!" "gambarimasu" "tanoshinde
kudasai!", molt didstret tot plegat, em va passar volant i vaig fer un
temps prou acceptable, 1h25`. De tornada a la zona de transició, canvi de
calçat i a correr falta gent! bé correr és un dir perquè els primers dos km vas
a pas de tortuga, les cames no et responen i va costar prou agafar el ritme, el
circuit al voltant del poble d'Ishigaki bastant pla i això va ajudar a
agafar-li l'aire mica en mica, als 5km, la meitat de la prova em trobava em
força i bon ritme, va ajudar tota la gent que hi havia als carrers, gent tocant
la tradicional guitarra dÒkinawa (un instrument semblant a un banjo), fins i
tot un grup de noies ballant dances locals...gran motivació :) ara partir del
vuitè km però la cosa ja va ser més dura, les cames van començar a pesar de
veritat i la sensació de que en un moment o altre queia una rampa anava en
augment...així doncs amb una mica de patiment vaig encarar l'últim km
però quan vaig arribar al port amb un ambientassu de nassos et trobes corrent
per inercia, sense pensar en res més i per fi després de 48` vaig arribar a
meta i bufff...satisfacció absoluta, després de tot aquest temps entrenant-se,
aconseguir acabar-la, gaudint-ne i fer un temps lluny de les meves expectatives
(per sota les 3 hores), una sensació espectacular!!! Molt recomenable, em
sembla que he trobat una nova afició :)
Absolute satisfaction. At last the big day came!
Sunday, April 22nd, the date I had well underlined in my calendar came true.
The date I was waiting since months ago, the day of the famous triathlon in
Ishigaki! Where else better than a triathlon in a tropical island of Japan? :)
Another little dream that came true, and this time double, first a trip to
Okinawa islands, a treasure not so well known in the southern part of Japan and
my first participation to an Olympic triathlon!
Ishigaki expedition with Ceci, Charlotte and Delfina who
came directly from Switzerland. After months of training there were no more
excuses. A last night with few hours of sleep and at 05am (!!!) we were all wake
up, a good breakfast, last check of our material, we took our bikes and without
saying much we headed towards the starting point. It was the first olympic
triathlon for all of us and were a bit nervous/tense. At the main area the
activity was already lively, 1500 people preparing and arranging their stuff, but
all in a quiet atmosphere and very very japanese. After arranging the material
and got into our wetsuits we moved to the ports where the swimming race took
place. Once there without much time to think on it, I was already waiting in
the front line to get into the water, so exciting! Organized in waves of 140
people the participants were jumping in the sea smoothly to do the course of
1500m in a track of two laps.
The swimming part will always remind in my
memory, everyone had told us that the very first time was tough but the reality
was even worse, people directly try to pass above you, kicking, pushing, a
complete stress!! in the first 200m I was completely blocked, I couldn't even
breath, it was like I was in a stress of adrenaline and panic rush. There I tried to keep myself calm and little
by little I start to gent into the swim but then when I had got my pace
suddenly someone kicked me straight in my face and I lost the goggles and cap
at once! Moreover later I got disoriented and lost my track wasting more time,
all together with the fact that my technique is not that skilled resulting that
I finished it with not that good time (37`)…but at least I finished which was
the most important!! Once outside the water, running straight to the transition
area, took off the wetsuit and got into the bike to start the 40km. The bike
race was another story, much much better, I really enjoyed it, a track all over
the island with some parts along the shore, some others more inside into the
wild, it had up and downs, all very funny. The good thing of starting from the
back is that I spent most of my time overpassing people and this helps to keep
you motivated J.
Overall I felt very comfortable in the bike, with a good pace and enjoying the
race from the beginning till the end. In addition despite the weather wasn´t
very good (with some rain), there was quite a lot of people all over the
course, particularly lovely grannies that cheered us up with "gambatte!" "gambarimasu" or "tanoshinde
kudasai!", so finally I ended up with a quite acceptable time, 1h25`. Then back to the transition area, to change
shoes and straight to do the running course! Well, more than running the first
two km were like trying to move in a rather unsophisticated way, my legs were
very heavy and didn`t respond much to my will to run. The 10km track was all
over Ishigaki city and was quite flat which help me to improve my pace little
by little, so at 5km, I found myself running quite fresh and with strength, it
helped as well all these people over the city that cheered us up, some with the
traditional Okinawan guitar playing songs or even a group of girls dancing
local tropical dances J. Now I see
I was too optimistic, from the 8th km the situation changed, my legs
were heavier and had the feeling I was about to get some muscle pain at any
moment so the way to the finish line was an eternity. However when I reached
the port, there was such a good atmosphere that you find yourself just running
without thinking on anything else, and at the end when I crossed the finish
line after 48`…well absolute satisfaction! After all this time training, being
able to finish, enjoying and doing a time (below 3 hours) beyond my
expectations…feels sooo good!! Strongly recommended experience for everyone, I
think I found a new hobby :)!.
Ishigaki expedition with Ceci, Charlotte and Delfina who
came directly from Switzerland. After months of training there were no more
excuses. A last night with few hours of sleep and at 05am (!!!) we were all wake
up, a good breakfast, last check of our material, we took our bikes and without
saying much we headed towards the starting point. It was the first olympic
triathlon for all of us and were a bit nervous/tense. At the main area the
activity was already lively, 1500 people preparing and arranging their stuff, but
all in a quiet atmosphere and very very japanese. After arranging the material
and got into our wetsuits we moved to the ports where the swimming race took
place. Once there without much time to think on it, I was already waiting in
the front line to get into the water, so exciting! Organized in waves of 140
people the participants were jumping in the sea smoothly to do the course of
1500m in a track of two laps. 
