Triathlon2Win

The inaugural Xchallenge Tarifa Triathlon (20 June 2010) kicked off in style on a typical warm and breezy morning in sunny Spain.
Tarifa is a kiteboarding mecca located right at the bottom tip of Spain and only 18km from the top of Africa.  As the title suggests, the race name certainly didn’t disappoint with regards to laying down a challenge for the 180 odd competitors that started the race.  The windy and rough wave conditions meant that the 1.5km swim course was adapted to two laps inside the smoother Mediterranean sea harbour, instead of swimming in the Atlantic ocean.

The duathlon race started at exactly the same time as the triathlon, with the duathletes running straight ahead and the triathletes turning a sharp right onto the beach and then into the water for the two laps.  My swim went well and I was very impressed with the clear water and the amount of fish to view during the swim.  I found out later that Tarifa is also a popular place for dolphins and whales, so even if you don’t do the triathlon next year, I can recommend a visit to this part of the world for the local tapas dining and fantastic whale watching tours.  Anyway, back to the race.  I felt great after the first swim lap and was pleased to hear the local support and cheers exiting the water and running along the beach for 20 metres, before entering the water again for the second lap.  I exited the water for the last time in just over half an hour and felt strong for the 45km bike section challenge.

First of all a special thanks must go to Stefan Brinkmann from www.tarfiabike.com who provided Martin and I with top quality Coal mountain bikes for hire at under EUR 20 per day.  Now usually with triathlons, I typically find the bike leg the most enjoyable and easier part of the race.  However, I must say this 45km challenge pushed me mentally and physically to my limits.

It probably didn’t help not knowing the local terrain and this was my first Xterra.  I just wasn’t prepared for the relentless barrage of rocks and sliding stones and there was also a section where you had to get off your bike, lift and climb before getting back on the track with plenty of steep up and down sections.  I must have gone past at least 5 cyclists replacing their bike tire tubes.  After an hour and a half, I realised that I was just entering the second lap.  It dawned on me right there and then that this was going to be a long painful ride!  It was amazing scenery though and good to share the road with the local cattle.  The 45km was the longest ever in my life and at the end of the cycle section, my body was bruised, shaken and riding on empty.  I went through two, 1 liter bottles of water.  Thankfully Stefan had kindly made room for them on the bike frames.  The warm conditions combined with a stiff breeze made for a very thirsty ride.

The second transition area was inside the castle sitting on top of the old town and it was a welcome relief to see two more energy gels that my body craved before taking on the final 10km run.  They should have named this Xchallenge run section the valley of death.  Picture yourself running along the surface of Mars with steep rock sections either side and you begin to start to get an understanding of what this run was like.  Although the run also had an impressive view of the sea on the righthand side which Mars doesn’t offer.  There was a fork section near the start of the run which wasn’t clearly marked and I wasn’t sure whether to turn left or right and so I stopped for a moment before making a decision to wait for a runner behind to catch up and make the decision for me.  I didn’t have to wait long as a runner who made the wrong right hand turn was coming back on himself saying take the left turn.  There were two welcome drink tables on route and I made sure I stopped at each one, as the weather was getting hotter.

The final section of the run was through the old town and after hitting several walls in the bike and run section, I was lifted to see my friends still waiting for me at the finish line.  It took over five hours for me to complete the race, but definitely my most rewarding to date, especially when I heard only 80 triathletes actually finished the race.

Thank you Jaime Vigaray (Xchallenge Manager) for putting on such a spectacular and demanding race.  I can recommend a visit to Jaime’s website and he also manages two other triathlons.  Another Olympic size, off road in Marbella and a sprint distance in Estepona, both found in sunny southern Spain.

Tarifa is a lovely spot for a long weekend break.  The traditional old town is covered in narrow, cobbled streets leading into plazas that are full of locals enjoying tapas and live acoustic music.  The beaches and weather conditions are perfect for surfers, kite boarders and windsurfers.  Morocco in North Africa is only a 35min boat journey away, so it would be an easy place to spend a week or two exploring the local region.  Mountain biking is also very popular and Stefan from www.tarfiabike.com can also point you in the direction of slightly easier tracks, where you can take your time to view the wildlife and scenery.  For central accommodation I can recommend this cosy one bedroomed townhouse located in the quiet section of the old town.  Email La-Posada@gmx.info for a good price.