Yo, i had time to think about last week a little bit. As usual, i gave myself 2 mins to enjoy the win. after that, i had forgotten about it. yesterday’s news. in the evening, i sat together with my wife and we celebrated a bit and ate a bite. next day, business as usual. treshold swim and a bike ride with some core strength in the evening.

what has gotten me to this point? well it is simple. i have never stood still. i have always adapted and evolved with the game. That is what keeps it so fresh for me even after all this time in the game. Still learning on the job on a day to day basis. that is what i love about it.

at 46, i feel better than ever and i feel that i have evolved mentally and physically onto another level yet again. In my particular case, that is hard work. real hard work. no one is ever there to witness it. it is done in absolute silence and behind the curtains. that is how i want it to be. no other way.

I feel like this year 2021, just like every other year, is a special one. I am blessed, grateful and thankful to be on this planet and breathe more or less fresh air here in Dubai. That is what its all about. I am grateful and thankful for all those people around who believe in me and make it possible for me to be the best version of myself.

Even in this moment, i will continue to adapt and evolve. never stand still. standing still is like going backwards.

i wish you all the best in all your endeavors as well. May God bless you.

C all of u soon.

Oli

yo, and another year pretty much has gone by. and what a year it is ( was ) and still will be, whats left of it. it started off very normal like every year does. But then the Covid pandemic hit. I did IMNZ ( which was the last race before the lockdown ) and got out in time from NZ. then the lockdown. i was never in prison and don’t intend to go there in the near future, but in Dubai that is how it felt like. but let us not make it worse than it really was. I always say if you want to enjoy liberties then you also have to do something for them. pay sacrifices, reorganize your priorities etc.

if you really look at it, since the end of WW2 in 1945, we never had to face any real struggle. Not like my parents did, or let alone my grandparents. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of the people nowadays have forgotten about the hardships and losses that went on during and after that time. Since 1945, the western world in general has pretty much enjoyed an uninterrupted period of growth, material gains and personal liberties like never before.

But in this time, it seems to me that generally people do not seem to value this anymore and have taken most of the luxuries of today for granted. But these things do not come for free. Every once in a while, you are asked to do your part and contribute so that society can function again in regular patterns. It takes discipline and responsibility to accomplish that. regarding covid, it is the simple things that matter: stay away from each other, no hugging, no shaking hands, cover your mouth etc. kids stuff, but yet most grown ups struggle with it.

for me personally, 2020 was a good balanced year when i look back at it. i am working daily with my meditation to improve myself so that i can be present and attentive to what my loved ones require and that i can meet those requirements. i do not have many relationships, but the few ones that i have are positive and free of negativity. Businesswise, things are on the up and up. Sportively, i have focused during 2020 on Long Distance with the goal to ” pump up the volume ” and that i have accomplished by putting up a new PB in Ironman of 8h 8min. I did the unthinkable for myself at least and performed at a world class level during 4 weeks by putting up 2 monster scores back to back in Ironman of said 8h 8min and 8h 19min 4 weeks before that. I am very proud of that. it will stay with me forever.

after that, i came home and continued training for the Challenge Daytona. But i told my wife i don’t want to do it because i find it irresponsible as an AG to go there to a race. in this time, that does not make any sense. sure as a pro to be present in a big money race is logical, but i don’t race for money so i can go there next year. no issues with that.

Instead i said to my wife: why travel when i can race here in the UAE as well? she thought that was a good idea. The whole year i basically have not done any real speed training, more IM long stuff. So racing Olympic Distance was a bit daunting, but i think i managed fine for an old guy. it felt great to turn it up to 10 and it was like i never left. in 2 of the 3 races i had mechanicals on the bike which sort of stopped me a bit in my tracks. Result wise, 2 x 2nd and 1 x 4th is nothing to complain about.

I recharged my batteries and look forward to things to come. They may not be possible to plan ahead, but hey that is ok.

Sporting wise, i still feel that burning burning fire in me. The molten lava so to speak. i still want to continue to prove myself just like all these years before. I have seen in my training that there are improvements in all 3 disciplines. So the way i see it, the best is yet to come for either 70.3 and Ironman.

i take always things one day at a time. i know how it feels to be really low and feel not quite yourself on the edge of breaking down like i was in 2018 after my accident. i rebuilt myself to be better stronger, and more importantly i have learnt something from it. if my career was to end tomorrow, i would be a really satisfied and happy guy with all the things that i have reached. anything that comes my way, is a cherry on top. i am very blessed and thankful and take nothing for granted.

i wish you all the best for the next year and season. may your dreams come true and most important of all that you all stay healthy.

see you out there.

Oli

Yo, whats up. i was thinking about this topic for quite a while. The one man army principle is after all a huge part of my persona towards the outside. And therefore i think it is only right to shed a bit of light onto that.

Let me go way back. Back to the days of the kids play area in our neighborhood. If i remember correctly, the one man army started off there. Sometimes the other kids they really don’t want to play with you for whatever reason. So you go and look for something else to do, preferably on your own. at first i tried again and again to join sports teams, like the football club. I always went to training and did the work, but other kids who were closer to the Club President got chosen to play the games. That was very frustrating for me. and from there on out i quit team sports and ” mass gatherings ” . i was about 9 nine years old.

What now? i asked myself. I went and found a wall at school. Then Boris Becker won Wimbledon in 1985 and he was a complete outcast. total rockstar. he didnt give a shit. Cool, i thought to myself Tennis it is then. I got a racquet and went to said wall and started to hit tennis balls against it. after countless afternoons i taught myself what a forehand was, i played a doublehanded backhand. taught myself how to play volleys. Learnt how to serve too. Homemade move, but it worked. Wow, i thought to myself, i want to take my game to a court and play against other people. Then i found out where the tennis clubs where and went there. I tried to play and asked if i could but the people said this is a club and you have to pay club membership. Back then, my parents did not have that much money to be able to get me to a club. so i continued playing against the wall for a while.

FF a couple of years later, we had moved to Switzerland and i started skateboarding and snowboarding. i thought that was really cool because you did not have to be member of a club, no fees. you were your own boss. i really enjoyed that and for the first time in my life i felt a certain freedom to express myself through movement.

It was also in Switzerland where i picked up Golf. That was really cool too because it was individual, you could play and practice whenever you wanted. i really thrived in that and became a really decent player. I played off scratch at my best and 3 under par, 69 was my best score ever on a par 72 course. But i fell out of love with the game because i did not want to really work that hard on it as i probably could have. Also that was a time in my life where you are more preoccupied with drinking, going out, chasing tail and all that.

Anyway FF to my time in Dubai. 2010 i started triathlon and to this day i don’t know why. it just happened like that. i think it was fate, but thats not why i write this blog. For some unknown reason to me, i felt really really attracted to me and the whole thing was very appealing. I started training by myself like i was used and went out and bought a bike at Wolfi’s in 2010 a Scott Plasma 3. amazing bike at that time. i followed my wife’s and dads advice to practice for 6 months before i entered a sprint competition. i followed their advice and it paid off in a sense that i felt really great in the competition and i was hungry for more.

In 2011, i started to perform really well and won all the local events around, and the year after and after…..etc.

Since in my heart i am a sincere member of the triathlon community, i also wanted to be part of TriDubai, because i thought that was a really cool idea to put something up like that. On the other hand, i stand for top performance and, well, they surely could use a guy like me. I mean i put the numbers on the board and all. But just like the 9 year old at the football club in Luxembourg, i got rejected/overlooked/dismissed. period.

i thought to myself, fine, you have been there. done that. no need for this. so i turned around and created my own world, again. like many times before.

Now, we almost write the year 2021 and when i look back after having won all of these trophies, national championships, Ironman comps, 70.3 comps, podium in Kona, 8h flat in IM, Challenge 70.3 world champion AG twice etc etc, i can look back and smile. it is nothing personal. I also stay in the moment and smile. Moreover, i look ahead and smile as well. I did, do, will do more things the only way i know: the one man army. the best is yet to come.

What is the moral of the story? We are all born as individuals. Some choose to stay individual and choose and follow their own path. Others might plot a different course. Either way, you have to do it with conviction and trust yourself to do the right thing. Being a one man army is the only way for me personally. I go by myself, i don’t need other people around me to tell me how good i am, i know that. i dont need to dress like others either. I choose my own clothing. i have chosen a coach who is not from here but far away and with him, i have achieved the highest level of triathlon which nobody would have believed that it could happen, not even myself. I have had a lot of practice being by myself, maybe thats why i am so good at triathlon. I like to be by myself. But it is not all gold here.

A downside to the one man army is even though i have won all these accolades, it is impossible for me to get any sponsorship from anybody. When you are alone nowadays and don’t rock up at a comp with a numerous entourage, you are simply not visible. Even if you are at the top. People only seem to recognize groups in this part of the world, not individuals. That is very frustrating, but nothing i can do against that. Society is the way it is.

Going back to the upsides of the one man army. Imagine all of this rejection, being overlooked, either dealt to me or created by my behavior at few occasions, imagine what kind of energy this releases which is in itself very negative, but through your work you turn it into a positive you create something. The rejection i am dealt to this day and in future is like uranium and plutonium. it radiates forever and provides endless energy to fuel the true passion that i have for the sport of triathlon. which is why i still do it, i love it and it is fun. i never lost sight of that. I always focus on the love that i have in me.

Concluding, i can say despite being a one man army, nothing is ever meant to be personal. i don’t take it personal and i don’t mean it personal to others. it is just the way it is. i smile now about it, which was not always the case, i matured over the years. I always try to help people in triathlon and lend a helping hand.

I think that is what it is all about. Live and let live.

So long now. have a good one and stay safe.

Oli

Yo, Winter has also reached the UAE pretty much. Cooler temps, at night now slightly below 30C, during the day max slightly above 30C minus this mind numbing humidity. I feel great, and I hope you do too. Life outside has become possible again. and everyone behaves responsibly with a distance and a mask, then we are as good as gold.

I must admit, I am a bit emotional about this post. I felt it already last Friday before the race before i even decided to write this blog. In the race of course it is blinders on, focused, but after the race and at the awards i looked around and could not help but feel a little bit nostalgic. I have not been at or raced the Jebel Ali triathlon since 2014 i believe. That is a long time. The last time i competed in the UAE was TriYas 2018. those are long gaps.

In a way, it felt like i came home. I was greeted everywhere and greeted back in the same manner. Friendly and with a smile. It felt really warm inside. Thank you to everyone for treating me with respect. At the awards after the race, Christian Berglehner from RaceME introduced me to the crowd with nice, warm words. I really appreciate that. Big thumbs up for that. Thanks a ton. I felt really good and it makes all the efforts, achievements, victories, course records and dedicating myself to the sport of triathlon worth over all these years to hear something like that. If i remember correctly back to the time beforehand, i was rather hard and unapproachable. I must have had my reasons, but with time you mature and see things differently.

Sporting wise, a lot has changed too. There is a change of generations now and the next wave is rolling in. A crop of really talented younger athletes is here now and that is really great to see. If the invitational field at TriYas among all the other events has anything to do with this growth, which i strongly believe, then i am very proud to have helped out the younger generation in the UAE to create opportunities to see whether they got moxie to step it up to the next level. Also i saw a lot of new clubs and faces, young and old, having a go at this beautiful sport.

A lot of the guys and girls that i saw since 5 years have now developed into cracking athletes. and that makes me really happy. as you know, i always enjoy competing and i love nothing more than having a crack at this super level which we have now here. It keeps me motivated as well to still move on and give my best.

At Mamzar and Jebel Ali, i showed at both events i am not backing down from a fight. Although, i must say it becomes quite hard to compete against the young guns. I have to exert myself, but i can handle it. Switching the training at my age is not that easy anymore, but i have a lot of fun with it and it keeps me on my toes. as you know, i love to work hard. but i have to be realistic too; i am not going to be super quicker all of a sudden. In my age, the explosiveness needed for the top level is biologically finite, and i am cool with that. The shelf life of every athlete has an expiry date on it. It happens to everybody. This generation that is taking over now will also one day be greeted and taking over by the next one. That is just how life goes. But so far, i am managing quite well and my performances are top notch still, not embarrassing in any way, and i will pull the plug before that will ever happen. trust me on that.

For the further development, i think it is very good and helpful that the UAE triathlon competition scene is built up on sprint and olympic distance races to the largest extent. Before getting to the IM and 70.3 racing and having all the success that i had and still have, i did for 3 to 4 years just these short races. I am of the opinion that without these shorter races i would never been as good in IM and so forth. It sharpens the senses, you get good repetition because the races are on all the time, you learn strategy and everything that comes with racing. It is a great school and with the 2 events operating companies we have here in Dubai, both RaceME and SuperSports put up great events that have something for everybody.

Also now we have officially a UAE Triathlon Federation governing body. That is great, and they are active too with a roster of promising young athletes. They race on a weekly basis and really have developed to a high level. I have registered with the UAE triathlon federation as an athlete and i think everybody who competes and resides here in the UAE should do that, too and support them.

All in all, i think we are in a good place here in the UAE and i am proud of the everyone in the community.

So long now. stay safe and c u soon.

Peace

Oli

I know, the new 007 movie is gonna hit theatres way late. only in 2021. but no worries, i am here to help. Yes, i am licensed to blog.

yeah, that is right. I have registered my company with the DED and now can offer services in social media advertising and internet content creation to interested companies. By all means, if you like the kind of triathlon content that i create, please get in touch by leaving me a message on this blog or send me DM on my IG @olivetree.sports. thank you.

i always thought how i could give something back to the sport. My main occupation is to be a competitive athlete. i mean i just love it. i love to race. people do know me for that and that is great. Next to that, i always thought for a long time that i could maybe coach people. But very honestly, i know diddly boo about coaching. nada. So therefore if i don’t know nuttin about it, how could i stand credibly in front of people and give information? That would be half ass and that is not what i am about.

I am pretty good with words. always was. i like a written message and very receptive for any kind of language. i taught myself how to read english from a very early age and felt always very comfortable expressing myself with words. On top of that, when i say something i say it with credibility and charisma. People believe me when i say something. So i take that seriously. In regards to triathlon, i know how to create content too. in fact, got a long standing experience creating TriYas, the best triathlon event in the Middle East together in a team with the great folks at ADMM. I did that for 7 years and my god, that was a great experience. Not only athletically, i have won TriYas 3 times but also contentwise i have learnt from the best in the game in what creating content is concerned.

Social media wise, in the past, i have to admit i was a bit on and off, not really interested as i had other priorities but now being on social media and present consistent, engaging, relevant content is now a priority. And i love it. Because i also had to mature a bit to grow into all of this. I aint no millenial, i did not grow up with social media. it took a while to get it. but now i do.

As far as creating content for me, it is very natural. All of these stories and bits and pieces, they are all in me. I dont have to think about it. Thats why it is not contrived or fake. I am not a person to produce or create something. I just say how i feel about it. Because i am truly passionate about the game and have paid my dues, and continue to do so, it comes very ez to me.

The feedback from my feed and stories that i get from the audience is great and very motivating. Thank you very much to each and everyone of you, i really appreciate the support and will continue to work hard. I never take anything for granted.

All of our media, we create in house. Action shots, moving, static photography, videography, graphics. What do i mean by we? my wife Petra, also has a company called Salty Eyelashes, of course she is also registered with DED. Check out http://www.saltyeyelashes.com. also check out her IG @petrafit_dxb. She is a great photographer. She is the visual mind behind all of this and i produce the language and business structure. We have combined forces and we really enjoy it.

as a business we offer photography, action shots, reviews, product endorsements, feed posts, story posts, competition shots to name a few. if this is up your alley, get in touch and we ll take it from there.

Licensed to blog. truly indeed. 48/50 and Olivetree Sports, my company and Salty Eyelashes, my wife’s baby, these things have come about without too much thinking really. it was born very spontaneously. Like a lively champagne.

And to that ending, i say cheers. and cheers to all of you. Take care and stay safe.

Yours Sincerely.

Olivier

Yo, like all triathletes, this topic has kept me busy pretty much all year since March and therefore the outbreak of the pandemic. What events will be on and how will they look like?

Well, i found out first hand at Slovakman and Austria Triathlon Podersdorf how the near to mid term future of events will probably look like.

The events will have barely no spectators. the transition will be sealed off for competitors only. Less touch points at aid stations, self service basically. no race briefing, just online. no awards dinner or party. no other social functions or carbo load party. limited number of participants. bigger surface requirement for race village and transition facilities due to social distancing. social distancing and mask at all times requirement for participants until the gun goes off. no more mass starts, at most races there will time trial chase start, which gives the race again a different dynamic. because people are put and outright scared to help at an event where they are exposed to a multitude of people you will have lesser volunteers. most triathlon events could not exist without volunteers. registration is done by delivery or with gloves mask only. there needs to be a thorough COVID protection plan in place. also once a competitor finishes the race, no hanging around. leave the area.

you pretty much get the picture and by now pretty much all of us have witnessed how this works. Luckily for me, so far the 2 races i have done in the COVID period were very well organized, since the events are longstanding events, the people in charge know their shit and do it well. Will everyone do it well? that remains to be seen. It is possible to do it well, but both organizers and athletes need to work together well and especially athletes need to be reasonable and use their brains and be responsible.

all in all, in my opinion, the sport has returned to somewhat a more raw version of itself. it is just really a competition and lesser a celebration. the social factor is pretty much left out. for me personally, i like the raw format as it keeps the eyes on what it really is – a sport event where results matter. in the general picture, however, not quite sure if people find triathlon really attractive, i think they might be put off more since it is much more clinical. i remember when i did 8.08.00 in Austria and came through the finish, there was no applause you could hear the crickets. but for me it does not matter. for advertisers and sponsors Mass participation events have become very unattractive since there are no spectators. no spectators no sponsors, and that is not advantageous for our sport.

also due to pandemic being extremely prone to spreading in urban areas, most competition locations around the world will have to be rethought and relocated to less denser areas i.e the countryside and rural areas. now logistics become more expensive, travel if possible more expensive and since there are lesser competitors you have higher costs and in the end the price per head will go up. Not that good. but that is the way it is.

I really do not envy the guys and girls at Ironman now. Besides the challenges that a pandemic has on the human side, the challenges for basically the sole provider of a large number of races that matter plus the Kona showcase, has a lot fires to put out. They are pretty much without revenue for the whole year and will be for the foreseeable future. Also since their business model is based on unrestricted world wide travel, they are faced with a couple of swords dangling dangerously close to their head. Efficient event logistics will become hugely important for them in the near future to tackle the events that need to shift to other locations, if that is even possible.

Ironman is financially on solid ground. But what about the others, Challenge, and smaller operators? i don’t even wanna know.

Surely, the seas are stormy at the moment. even very stormy. but what remains is the true spirit of the sport, a somewhat reduced amount of comradery, the passion of each and every triathlete to keep it going. We will prevail.

In that sense, keep it up. stay positive. eat more vegetables.

Cheers from Dubai

Oli

Yo, i am back now since 2 weeks and i feel great. i have really missed Dubai after being in Europe to train for the 2 IM comps in Slovakia and Podersdorf. Surely, Switzerland has its natural beauty and has stunning landscapes. But in Dubai is where my heart is. My wife is here. My Dad also lives here for the most part. my businesses are here. So naturally it feels close.

When i came back though, the heat was the same than usual. I think that will never go away.

Things have also changed quite drastically here in Dubai. Covid has taken its toll on an already slightly weak consumer appetite, which is indicative of the state of the economy here in Dubai. Also there are barely no tourists, normally Dubai is a hotspot for tourists. Due to COVID and all the testing, people and especially families are naturally put off by the hassle and of course the costs. A lot of people have left Dubai after the summer, especially families, because they wanted their kids to finish the academic year in Dubai before starting somewhere else. Jabal Ali port is down in traffic as well as DXB International airport. Emirates has had to let go a ton of people and have grounded most of their fleet especially the A380. Also going to Abu Dhabi is not so easy anymore as there is a solid border in place between the 2 cities with checks.

But i always see the positives as well. All in all i have seen a lot of people be more mindful of their health and take care of themselves. Generally if you walk thru the supermarket and peek into peoples trolleys there is generally more veg and fruit. So that’s great to see. A lot of people have also taken up cycling and work out more regularly despite the high temps which are still well above 40c and humid on top.

Personally, i have settled in well again. I have enjoyed a lot of time with my wife. I have found a new vigor for my work again and have a new drive towards it. that is very fulfilling. Of course, i have been training as well and the new perspective without the Long Distance aspect to it has let me discover some angles here and there. So happy to see that after all this time, you can still peek out new things or new techniques.

after Ironman, you always have to take care off your body. I am in great hands with a great, strong physio who squeezes me twice on a weekly basis. It feels really good. i do my usual self massage, black roll and of course stretching on a daily basis. Mind good, body good. So far all green, but i do not get ahead of myself, take it one day at a time and take nothing for granted. that is how i keep myself in check.

racing wise, i find it difficult to see what races should go ahead now that the season in Europe is coming to an end and the colder climate moves in. Again, here also i will get ahead of myself. You can’t control it anyway. just keep observing it. You can only control the things which you are in charge of and that is for the most part the training. I will do just that. Keep developing.

so enjoy your training. stay positive. not all is doom and gloom. There is so much color out there to take in.

stay safe. Olivier

I had now the time to reflect a little bit on the past 10 years of triathlon. It was a lot of training and dedication to get to this level of the Long Distance Format in the sport. For me, personally it never felt like a sacrifice. But if i take myself out of the bubble, for the close ones around me, it surely was a time where they had to make a lot of sacrifices.

My wife, my dad, my brother, my in laws, they have always supported me unconditionally. That is why i feel now is the time to step down from the Long Distance Format and the incredible training hours it requires on a weekly basis. I feel if i would continue then their unwavering support could turn into the exact opposite and i don’t want to do that. Besides, i have reached the highest highs in the Long Distance Game in Kona, and with outstanding performances worldwide over the past couple of years, capped off in 2020 with burners in IMNZ 8:41.00 in March before Covid, Slovakman 8.19.00 in August, and Austria Podersdorf LD triathlon in 8.08.00 in September.

I had the privilege to choose the moment i step down at my very best. And i am very thankful and grateful for that. I have left an extreme brutal sport, if done wrong, unscathed, in fact i am faster at 46 than i was when i started the sport at 35. my body feels and looks great due to consistent vegetarian nutrition, good sleep, meditation, pliability, balance and core training. I was lucky enough to have met Lubos Bilek 9 years ago and he has been my coach ever since. Lubos is the exact opposite of me and that is why we get along so well. He has an individual approach to each athlete and believe in the organic growth of basic endurance training fundamentals over a span of several years. He is not a ” Dictator ” coach that burns out athletes through the cookie cutter. He is very calm, collected and takes a highly scientific road that leads almost certainly to success, if you take a look at the athletes he has formed: Sebi Kienle, Ricarda Lisk, Svenja Bazlen, Andi Boecherer in the past, and now the new guns from Czech Republic Tomas Renc and Lukas Kocar, plus Pieter Heemeryck and world class Routinier Ruedi Wild. That speaks for itself.

Especially for this 2020 run of events, the seed was planted same day about 2 minutes after i finished the Kona race 2019, where i finished 9.00.00 on a hard day, 3rd in my AG, with the fastest marathon of all AG. I was not happy with the performance, especially on the swim, where i could not train for 10 weeks in the summer due to broken metacarpal due to my stupidity. i swam with 1 arm basically and i came out the water way late. also my bike power was missing. Surely, you have to take what you are dealt but i felt inside me that this was not my best performance. So i decided to up the ante and go into more details and i did that on a daily basis and that translated into much deeper performance, which was really satisfying for me. Back in March, just before COVID dropped on the world, i competed in IMNZ. very cool hard race with rough road surfaces and a very hilly run and i felt already very good there. COVID required all of us, i mean all of us, to modify our lives and in my particular case the training as well. I did not stop or quit or moan. long Zwift rides, indoor parking garage 30k runs, main living room workouts, dry swim sessions was the norm as we had very hard lockdown in Dubai for about a month, but my wife and i we had a good time and enjoyed it.

When lock down was over, the more specific prep started and the heat of May and June in Dubai is always a treat and makes you really fit. Training at 40c plus is great for your efficiency, when done right. so i got into really good shape.

Now a small other problem started: all the races i had planned got cancelled so i had to come up with alternatives. Since March i was actually thinking that with a pandemic there is no shot in hell that a US based company like IM is going ahead with races, same with Challenge. So i had to look at races which were great, but at the same time not held in urban areas, more like rural places. Slovakman and Podersdorf Long Distance fit that bill. These are established races, 17 and 33 years running in basically villages, so the probability of getting government approval is much higher if the protection concept is in place, which it was for both cases. So that gave me peace of mind and i could really pinpoint prepare for both races in my usual solitude and quietness. no comments. no tam tam. just train really really hard.

My wife was very supportive, my dad also in letting me prepare as i needed to be in peak form. I left for Switzerland and stay in my house in Pfaeffikon SZ on Lake Zuerich. it is a great location, as you have all the Alp passes in close proximity, 50m pools, great gyms, flat riding as well, great trails, good physio. i trained a lot with my friend Ruedi Wild, a world class triathlete who lives in the next village. We gave each other the beans lets say.

Commuting by air to the races was out, so i went by car which was easy and free flowing through Austria. Pietstany the location of Slovakman, is on a river, and relatively flat but always very windy. tough bike course and even tougher run course. i managed the race very well, was attentive at all times, and made the right decisions. I fought it out to the end with Tomas Renc, who pipped me just by a bit. But what is more important here is the fact that the race was properly organized with the right protection concept. And you can see that that was possible in these times. Plus this was the first race i ran with the Nike Alphaflys and they just rocked. so good.

i came back from the race and straight did a COVID test so that i knew i was not bringing anything home as my dad is in the high risk group. but regarding this COVID, i am always very responsible and forego any gatherings, handshakes, social going out and stuff. i think we as a society we are blessed with liberty and FOSpeech since 1789, we have been blessed with unstopped material wealth since the end of WW2, i think we have to be grateful and appreciative for these things and now during this time we should make sacrifices and take 2nd row in our individual needs.

Then as a surprise my wife visited me in Vienna and we spent a week there. Fucking amazing. I took no days off and trained again the day after Slovakman, albeit easy.

Once back in Swizzy, another block in August was up and i put it down very easily and my body felt great. no grain on the muscles really smooth.

Then Podersdorf came and i drove again straight through Austria close to the Hungarian border where the Lake Neusiedl and Podersdorf is. Very quaint little village, nothing going on really, great nature protection area. The Austria Triathlon organizer has had a very good protection concept by not allowing even spectators from the ouside. the finish area was sealed off. Podersdorf is a very flat swim, the lake is about 1.50m deep, which is surreal when you stand on your feet 2km from the shore. but very nice and clean water. we had a single TT start and i swan really well and come out near the front, which set me up well for the bike. which was very wind that day. it is even more exposed than Piestany as there are no woods there to keep the wind away. i had a very good day on the bike, as aerodynamics is very important on that course. i had 4.19.00 bike split on my trusted Cervelo P5, a very sleek bike that has been with me for a lot of great wins. the run as well was very windy on the way out, 4 loop course through the fields and vineyards. flat as well. i had a 2.49.00 marathon, same than in Piestany in the Alphaflys, a shoe made for Ironman since you feel less fatigue in the legs due to the mega cushioning. I just ran and did not think much as usual, just staying in the moment. When i got to the finish and i saw the time i was really happy for like 2 minutes. and then i forgot about it as usual.

Now Ironman racing is done. What is next for me? triathlon is part of my life, can’t be without it. I really like Ironman distance, but my love in triathlon belongs to 70.3 and Olympic non drafting distance racing, as it is purely about the athletic aspect. That is what i will do racingwise. I have some races in mind, so lets see what comes out of that.

also i feel like i have amassed a lot of knowledge in triathlon over the past 10 years and i would like to share that with the community. Instagram is a good tool for that find. moreover, i am putting together a way of helping advise people in triathlon, but not through traditional coaching, that is something i defo will not do. i shall keep you posted.

all in all i am very happy and proud and thankful to those that support me. Without you i would not have made it.

Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

Yours Sincerely

Olivier Jean-Nicolas Godart

Got reminded this morning by my wife that my blog still exists. Thats great i told her. She is right. What many blessings we do have.

I haven’t used the blog in quite a while. Which is a shame. But i will get back to that more in the future again. Earmark and follow it for more interesting content. Peace.