You rise you fall
're down, Then you rise again.
What do not kill you make you more strong.
Broken beat & scarred - Metallica. From May 30, 2009 to June 12, 2010.
is exactly the time I spent without participating in any trial of any kind. It seems it was years ago when I finished that Madrid's Olympic triathlon, which enjoyed as a dwarf despite the injury, thinking that maybe I was disputing the last triathlon of my short career of armadillo.
A year and 13 days have passed, and the road instead of laps in the pool outputs km bike and jogging, I have met trauma, ultrasound, CT scans, sports doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, glucosamine, chondroitin , isometrics, stretching thousands gym. It has been a difficult period of which I learned about all to enjoy every ride a bike, each short ride with Sonia and our dog Arrow, and each day on which the pain did not appear.
Well, after a year and peak crossing the desert, it occurred to me anything other than return to the popular sport of cycling marches demanding the country, Irati Xtrem.
Irati What is? The prototype of "Armadillo" in capital letters. Any resemblance to QH, Pedro Delgado and the other covert career is pure coincidence. The Irati is running so hard that what matters is not the time nor the place ... the real challenge is to end. Your profile has 8 climbs, two of which, Errozate-Artaburu and Larrau are the toughest in the French Pyrenees, accumulating between them a whopping 15km above the 9% average gradient. A total of 3.600m of altitude up to 127km.
In my calendar was the only goal of the year since we ran back to the QH, even at the expense of losing Gus's wedding last week (I know you understand). Nano was the other brave, but his unfortunate fall was not allowed to "enjoy" the day. I thought of him many times in the route, especially in the last drop ... that would Larrau enjoyed as anyone. Since
Nano could not go and I had not accumulated enough "family points" to drag Sonia on a trip of 7 hours by car Friday - March Saturday - 7 hour drive Sunday, with the worst of the weather forecast I had to go alone to Otsagabia. There I contacted my fellow adventurers, the APM foreros Buru and Isma, who would join the Wildlife and road deaths.
morning could not submit worse. From 7:00 not stop raining, and we come out far fewer than the 1,200 enrolled. A tip: just 510 riders progress. While many were leaving for home, none of the five of us even raised the possibility of withdrawal. A Galician is not 830km drive to back out for rain! After
fixed mechanical mishap at the last minute, when she had given out, we left just before the sag wagon, and then shot in the downpour the first three climbs. Honestly was the part of the route that I had a worse because it did not break a sweat and was soaked to the bone. The pep talk did not take my mind the cold and it seemed a blessing face the wall, 500 to 15% on a cement track. That finally broke a sweat just before the first supplies, discovering that riding a 34x32 for the occasion was a great idea. It allowed me to go to 7-8km / h with a high rate, and save the legs for the remainder.
After beginning arms factory which was perhaps the most beautiful, or so it is guessed from the tag, fog and rain. My mood improved dramatically on the rise Azpegi, and in the long and Organbide drop rough first I did not go cold. The road here is so narrow Botos and even seemed dangerous. Get off slowly, and suffering are the arms and brake shoes, broken with the mixture of mud, gravel and cow dung.
Regrouping in a corner right impossible, there where begins Errozate - Artaburu. My classmates come forward, because I'm sending a message to Sonia that everything goes well, and suddenly I realize that my bike computer says simply, completely flooded. There is no way to revive it, so that within a goal, or percentages, or speed or anything ... just pedaling and sensations. Vamos!
Artaburu
port is a very hard, it clearly reminds me ... brutal hardship Pelliceira quite irregular, but hardly breaks below 8%. I take it very calmly, and I'm talking a while when I reach to Buru. What good will for what little he has prepared this madness and I'm glad a lot about him ... is one of the people you connect from the first time you try, the people that are uncomfortable silences. Subo
increasing the pace a bit, because I look really good. Reached in the rest of fauna and commented that this is already done ... when suddenly we see the tremendous final Rampone, who is also very scenic. Here it the step hard time, perhaps because I expected the decline. When we finally reached the top, we diverted down as planned, as lower Errozate is very dangerous. 8km we save.
Regrouping in provisioning, in an idyllic setting. It has stopped raining, you see the sky, the grass and cows, I have no cold, I like two sandwiches, a banana, a candy, nuts, a glass of Coke and Isostar. It made you want to stay and live there. We are the grapes, and when at last we left, jab!. Isma, who is much stronger than the rest is left to wait (thanks!). Soaked and numb my hands are barely able to remove the cover, when a viewer arrives and offers to help (thanks!). Isma is inexplicably able to put pressure almost 7kg of hand pump (thanks again!) And we resume the march. So glad! Notorious
Surzai and Irati in an area that I find beautiful, and over the Pyrenees, with the lake, the woods ... how little we see is very beautiful. The last two miles of Irati is choking me, especially coconut. Met a new grouping Buru and victualling. Sonia I have a message: "Courage !"...¡ rush!
as much on the advice of Isma, and I shot after Fauna and deaths Irati port below. Complain my brakes down a hill that has to be impressive imperial ... When I have finally just too cold again, but Larrau starts suddenly and I hit a good heater before reaching the village, where starting time trial Larrau, the only competitive section of the route. Animals and deaths begin to rise and I am left to wait for Buru and Isma, who have problems with the brakes and take a long time coming.
I take off my windbreaker, gloves, I rolled up his shirt thermal, and faces eager Larrau. Larrau is very hard, but Tourmalet or Plateau de Beille, but it is a port that's going very well ... very consistent and smooth asphalt. The first km I spend a little rhythm, and when I reached Isma'm a little vex. I give it a rallying cry and I just get a "aupa Isma "choppy. Hopefully people start to pass, that always motivates. The faces are a poem, many have confused with the developments and others are completely empty of power. A poor boy is being treated at the roadside, very pale, perhaps with a drop of sugar. Then I learned that death was who attended him in the first instance (you're the crack, and not what comes first!).
The hard segment must end at once, because I'm pretty stuck ... I estimate that to 7km/h...pero not, to me is the last ramp Erroymendi, a long line to 16%, with two that are before me set foot ashore. I remember Sergio ..."¡ here you have to throw two balls! "take the wheel of one who passes me slowly and crown from the minds of the public (thanks!). Meto dish on the break and give him two changes to the kid who goes above and left me As it climbs again. We passed a bus full of people up who has retired. Step Obito is breaking, but with a smile from ear to ear, and face 2km to 10% I know glory. I get excited enough got me thinking about who the cycling bug (my father) and how badly we've spent the last year, the first of my life doing just sport. I go up in the cloud, crowned with force and held at the high with wildlife, Isma, deaths and his girl. I know it will come Buru well ... he looked in his face that he would avenge his retirement last year. The soft drop Otsagabia Larrau in total solitude, puts a finishing touch to a tough start, which for me has been very special ...
From now on I would run again, bit by bit, if you can. If not, continue with the bike. I do not know how many of these awaiting me crazy, but I know that from the Irati, the enjoy it all twice what it did before ... and in 2011 will be in Otsagabia, short and to the camera. Irati is so nice to enjoy yourself as you deserve ... in the company of more armadillos.
The glove is thrown.
