Challenge Roth Race Report - Craig Patterson
WhittleFit coached athlete Craig Patterson racing the iconic Challenge Roth triathlon a few weeks ago, here's his race report: 
11 Months nearly to the day since I last raced and nearly 12 months since race entry to Challenge Roth, my first Iron Distance race and I had been told that it will be an awesome event for your first ever one. As the WhittleFit Majorca team will know I was still not running in April so very worried that I would not even be able race. Achilles injury aside I felt in great shape and coach Chris had got me in a very good place. Running had resumed but I only had about 10 weeks proper injury free run training under my belt so I was a little short on run volume but hey I WAS RUNNING!
We got to Germany on the Thursday and started to take in the atmosphere around Roth when we checked in on Friday afternoon, the expo was huge so if you do the race clear your Credit Card; the pasta party on Friday was pretty decent and two days out from race day which was a nice change. Race brief was on Saturday was long, hot and a bit over kill, it was in English & German so forgetting water was a stupid move. Bikes had to be racked on Saturday afternoon with your helmet to remain on the bike, also deposit your run kit that was to be taken across to T2 in the town of Roth as the race start & T1 was in the next town down the road. Pretty straight forward as you would expect from organisers who have been doing this for 15 years.
RACE DAY:
Could I sleep? Not really, so the 0320 alarm call wasn’t as big a shock as expected. We were staying in Nuremburg so had a 40 min drive to get down to the start. Breakfast of two Tesco porridge pots, Banana, some seeds and a Beet-It shot went down surprisingly well at 0400 in the morning. As it was going to be a long day I had to make sure I kept sipping, so had two water bottles, one with Torq Energy (Pink Grapefruit – cheers Tom Foster, good choice) and one with water. Parking was well organised at the event and we were straight in and wandering across to transition, I was not due to start until 0725 so had a good 2 hour wait but then I was relaxed and taking everything in. Got the tyres pumped up, bottle on (Gels in one, Torq in the other) and it was time to find Lynz for a good luck kiss. Got a bit emotional when we said goodbye, she has been though it this winter with my Achilles Injury and the 2 relapses, the late nights, early mornings and grumpy Craig at times.
Its Game time, my friend Becky Hoare started at 0650 so I’m focusing on the swim in my own head. Wetsuit on and make myself to the start (nervous toilet visits already done), just waiting to get called forward and who is running up into T1, Frodo! I’ve not even started and he is on his way to the bike. I get myself to the front and close to the bank as its meant to be quicker. Nobody trying to elbow me out the way so I’m where I want to be, plan is to find feet.
SWIM – 1:02:38
BANG, the cannon goes off and we are away. I kick hard for 50m to get away from any trouble and get on some fast feet, all is good no trouble and I start to settle in after about 100m. There is a slight problem with the race plan, there are no feet as I seem to be the quickest in my start wave. Ah well best I just keep going. It’s a one loop swim so I just focus on breathing and going forward, it’s a bit crazy when you breath & sight seeing the bank lined with a huge crowd sometimes 2 or 3 deep. I soon start to catch the earlier waves and I make my way through them pretty easily though I did have to grab a couple of breaststroke legs to ensure I didn’t get kicked. I felt like I was going quick and that long straight passed by reasonably quickly, the rhythm was good and apart from a tight glute no niggles. The bridge was a welcome sight as that meant about 500m to go so time to up it a bit. It did get a bit busy near the swim exit but I just went wider rather than taking the shortest line. There were lots of helpers to get you out the water so no stumble back in or anything comical, it felt like a good swim and a time of 1:02:38 was a PB for 3800m – Great start to the day!
T1 was a doddle with all the helpers and as my bike was in the first rack out of the changing tent it was never going to be difficult. Helmet on, glasses on and we are running out of T1 to the cheers from the crowd. Probably not for me – except Lyndsay’s loud screams.
BIKE – 5:17:06
It’s a 2 loop bike course and the first section is downhill and quick so the plan was not go nuts with excitement and watch the power numbers. I had the bike computer set up to beep every 20 mins as a reminder to eat & drink, it was only going to get warmer so this Scotsman needs his fluid. I settled into the bike leg pretty quickly and took some pacing’s from a group of Germans who seemed to be riding around my required power/pace, its essential not to draft as at Roth as there is a 5min time penalty as well as a 1km penalty run loop. You could see a few drafting so I just either backed off or upped it a little to get clear.
I was able to get clear on the long down hill sections, the Europeans seemed to like coasting down hill, no chance of me doing that as its free speed. Lap 1 was going along nicely and then you hit the Solar climb, WOW. Its so hard to describe but you just have to enjoy it, sit up as you can’t pass anyone and take in the cheers, there were a few “Go Army” shouts but generally it was just nuts and by far the greatest minute on a bike ever.
I had some issues with my gears during the 2nd lap which was an almighty pain as I was restricted to only 4 gears from my rear cassette but what do you do mid race except get on with it. No point crying about it. Other than the issue the 2nd lap was pretty quiet, I was not cycling near anyone and just enjoyed it as I knew the pain was to come. When you get back around to the T1 exit you need to be prepared for another 10km into Roth, this could be a low point but that 10km is quick so I just got my head down to finish. Posting a 5:17:06 bike split was better than I hoped, hopefully I hadn’t burnt too many matches.
Run – 3:43:03
Having had only 10 weeks run training having had a serious Achilles injury since July 15 my coach Chris Tasker and me were unsure how this would go, the fitness was there from all the bike miles and swimming but could my body handle the run? The plan was to run for 9:30 mins and walk for 30s.
I felt good off the bike and the legs came back pretty quickly so I was motoring along nicely between Marathon and Half Marathon pace which was the plan. The first 10km out along the canal felt good and I was surprising myself how well things were going, It was nice to see Majorca training camp buddy James Elgar (NEWT) and his brother Rich on the course, both were looking good. Its always nice to see people you know on the course. I got out to the first big turn around point in the village of Schwand, the 14km point and things started to hurt a little however was still running good but I could feel the temperature getting up which I knew would not be to my ginger complexion.
The next section from Schwand to Eckersmuhlen is straight along the canal, an 18km stretch I knew this was going to be painful on the mind. My world started to hurt around the 20km point (only 4 park runs completed out of the 8) and the time between run/walk seemed to get longer. My pace started to drop and the temperature was by that point around 27 degrees so I was trying to run in the shade though there was not much shade on the canal. Going through the turn off to Roth was hard as I new I had about 12kms before I got to enjoy that.
By this point I was walking through the aid stations on top of my run/walk. I could feel a few blisters on my toes and because I had sponged myself down so much my trainers were soaked. To turn off the canal was a great feeling but I still had a good chunk to run before that turn around point. That’s a lonely section through the woods though I enjoyed the cover from the sun. Lots of support & music when you hit Eckersmuhlen and I saw my Army Tri travel buddy Becky Hoare which gave me a boost.
Having never run a Marathon before I now knew about this hurt Locker though I had not seen this wall that is spoken about but there was still about 12km to go. The canal was difficult but I was on my way in now so I just kept plodding forward, I had to stop the run/walk as it was to painful to get going again so I was now trying to run the last 10km but walk the aid stations. Turning towards Roth I had about 5km to go and I fell in beside another runner from somewhere in Europe. That kept me going and we hit the little hill into Roth, I walked up as by this point I was starting to feel the effects of dehydration, I needed fluid but due to running next to the euro guy I missed the water……….Bollocks! 3km to go and I’m in trouble, I need fluid. Ahead I see a lady handing out cups of water (unofficial water station) I get a cup from her, she will never know how grateful I was, maybe she saved my race even with only 2.5km to go.
We run through the town of Roth which had some good crowds and we are into the final kilometre or so. I think I’m good and them my world falls apart; the legs are really biting now. Glutes, Hamstrings & Thighs. I visibly slow right down but my Euro run friend gives me a pat and a “Come On”. I have a word with myself and I get going again, I grab a sponge from a wee lad, run through the cooling shower they have and I pick up the pace as I can here the stadium.
Into the long shoot before the arena and the cheers put a big smile on my face, I hit the finish arena about 3.5 hrs after Frodo but its still full with the crowd giving everyone a cheer. I try to take it in but I am dehydrated so struggling a bit as a couple photos show, I hear huge cheer in a Canadian voice and there is Lynz at the side. Did I put on huge smile, amrs aloft I triumph – No Chance as I’m knackered but I have finished my 1st Iron distance race. I got my medal but all I wanted was fluid. Becky was waiting for me at the finish line with a big hug, it was awesome to see a friend and share that moment.
I initially thought 11hrs but on race morning I set a target of around 10:30 so a final finishers time of 10:07:29 blew that out the park. What an event Challenge Roth is, the organisation, crowds and pre, during and post race events are fantastic. If you get the chance, do this race! I want to go back one day though maybe in a few years.
A few thank you’s have to go out, my coach Chris Tasker who managed me through my injury ridden 2015/16 to get me in such great shape, the Army Triathlon for the training camp in Cyprus which helped build a great base, Dave at Agile Therapy and Daz Bosher for helping get my body back in a workable state. Most of all has to be my wife Lyndsay who supported me through a long winter and travelled out to Roth to help with mine & Becky’s admin.
Now, which is going to be my 2nd full distance? Any Suggestions?
Well done Craig, great racing in very tough circumstances!
