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Freddie Croneborg
2nd in Ironman China 70.3
Imagine flying into the City you
are racing in hours before the start after going to the
airport twice to see when your flight is leaving. Imagine arriving
and finding the bike support company was packing up for the night
and you can't access the
Freddie blasted out of transition and the next and last time I was to see him on the course was coming up to the bike turnaround. I was clearly a few K's behind at this stage and cramping. Freddie looked fresh as he powered back up the slight incline of the freeway section. I knew I wasn't going to win the race but its nice when you see one of your team mates ahead and with a good chance. I relaxed and managed the occasional leg cramp for the rest of the 90km bike course. I hardly ever cramp, and never during a race so this was new to me. I had taken all the necessary salt caps, electrolyte drinks etc and all I could put it down to was the heat in the wetsuit. For the few minutes I saved in the wetsuit I was to lose almost an hour across the bike and run slowing to stretch out cramps. It was a real costly lesson for me.
Out of transition and onto the run, he was later to tell me he didn't feel too good. He found it hard to get into a rhythm, a statement that certainly amused me as I was struggling, like most from one aid station to another in the sweltering heat. A rhythm was the last thing from my mind, any pre conceived race times I might have had went out the window as soon as I hit transition 1. Freddie on the other hand was on a mission to run down anyone in front of him and he set out to do that from the on set. By the 10km mark he had almost taken everyone and was gaining on the leader. Unfortunately even having the fastest run time by 10 minutes wasn't enough and he was seconds behind the leader to finish 2nd overall and 1st in his age group. Truly a great race for his debut 70.3, a distance we'll see him race more.
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STRIC - Shanghai Tri Club is a
free and open club. We take no responsibility for injury during events
or training. |
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necessary
tools needed to put your bike together. Imagine finding out
they had sold out of CO2 bottles you need as spares for your race
and you had to rush to put your bike together in the dark so it
could be checked into the transition area by one security guard who
wanted to go home. Do you think you'd be a bit rattled?
Maybe, I would. This is exactly what happened to 3 of the
STRIC members including Freddie Croneborg. Imagine if this was
your first long course (70.3) race and this happened to you. I
don't know about you but the battery on my watch/heart rate monitor
started to fail the morning of the race and the thought of racing
without it send me into a spin. I couldn't imagine how I'd
handle what Freddie, Terry and Jackie went through and to think
Freddie managed a 2nd place in his debut is quite mind blowing.
How focused do you have to be not to let any of that affect your
race and strategy?
What
makes a great champion? Chris 'Macca' McCormack losing his goggles at the
start of a 3.8km swim and continuing to have not only a good swim
but one of the best of his careers. 2007 Monaco 70.3 race, the
night before some people broke into what was a heavily
guarded transition area and stole 12 of the Pro's bikes, including
Macca's. Most of the 12 Pros cancelled their race, Macca hit
the water for the swim while the organizers tried to find him a
bike. They found a replacement just as he finished the swim.
He ran into transition put on the cycling shoes, 1.5 sizes too big
and rode a bike he had never ridden before. Not only is that
incredible but if you know this bike course it is the most
challenging course on the 70.3 circuit. This is what makes a
Champion, the ability to be able to take what is served up and make
the most of it. Freddie Croneborg in like this and once again,
in true champion form he overcame the upsets with the help of his
team mates and had an incredible race.
I
lined up right next to Freddie and before we knew it the race was
on. He took off so quickly I didn't even see him hit the
water. We were off to the left and there wasn't adequate audio
so I didn't really hear the start of the race, I just saw the other
running so I ran too. After pushing through a through people I
spotted Freddie starting to seed the group even before the 200 meter
mark, all I could do at this stage was find some clean water or jump
in the wake of some one a little faster then myself, I did both by
the time we rounded the first buoy where I spotted Freddie and the
lead group at least 100 meters ahead. Freddie was 2nd out of the
slightly cool water, only just cool enough for a wetsuit with a
time of 22 minutes and 2 seconds. I followed with a 25.22, a
personal best for me.
This
was the day after a Typhoon blew past Haikou Island in Southern
China. The weather people got it right and we were left with a
blanket of heat and humidity. While the water might have just
been cold enough to wear a wetsuit, for me I would have preferred to
sacrifice a few minutes on my swim time then dehydrate my muscles in
the wetsuit, something I was to pay for on the bike and run.
Freddie
weighs about 55kg and has been working on his bike strength but it
wasn't enough to maintain is 2nd position and arrived in 6th place
in transition. Having trained on the course several times leading up
to the event certainly helped and knowing most of the run course I
know he focused where his strength is, on the run.
As
for the rest of the STRIC crew, we loved and hated it, loved
crossing the line, hated getting there. Overall it was a great
experience, not sure how you train for that sort of heat coming from
a snow covered Shanghai winter but we'll all be better prepared, if
only in the mind, for next year. - KP
