Returned from Frankfurt last night where I'd been watching - rather than racing - triathlon. Well, this was no ordinary triathlon. It was the Ironman European Championships - and boy do the Germans really know how to stage a race! It was out of this world and made Ironman France look like a village fete in comparison.
More than 2000 triathletes took to the course for the 2.4mile swim, 112-mile bike and marathon run and among them were two good friends of mine, Tom and Helen, from Leeds & Bradford Tri Club.
They'd made no secret of the fact they were hoping to qualify for the almighty Ironman World Championships, held in Kona, Hawaii, every October, but Tom knew he'd have to cover the distance in 9 hours 25 or faster to be in with a chance and H would have to finish in the top five in her age group.
There was a great gang of us out in force as official Tom & H Support Crew. For the uninitiated, it's almost as tough watching an Ironman as it is doing one (not that I have!), what with the race starting at 7am and the last finishers not rolling in until 11pm, but we'd come prepared and by the time the guys were out on the run course we had a fair idea of how their chances were looking.
Thirty klicks into the 42.2km run, H was well up there and looked like she had a great chance of making it, but unfortunately she started to struggle in the last 10k, still holding on for a fantastic 10:53 finish time and 11th place in her age group. For Tom - who is renowned for his mental toughness in the latter stages of races - his day had grown tougher much earlier and he had to dig deeper than ever before to reach the finish line in 9:59.
What I loved so much about them both was that although they hadn't made the cut for Kona - and they had just spent all day putting themselves through IronHell - that night after the race they began talking about how they'd approach training for their next Ironman, IM Lanzarote next May. The Nietzsche quote - what does not destroy me makes me stronger - immediately comes to mind!
To top off an amazing weekend, Brit Chrissie Wellington absolutely kicked ar$e in the pro women's race, winning her fourth Ironman after only turning pro last year. Considering the two of us were lining up to race each other as age groupers in 2006 (both at Shropshire Tri, my first Olympic distance race, and then at the Worlds in Lausanne, which she went on to win) it was great to be standing talking to her after this race when she'd just come within 30 seconds of posting the world's fastest ever female Ironman time. After I congratulated her she turned around and said: "No, well done you for silver in Vancouver". I was staggered!
There is no doubt about it: she is a true legend of the sport and will go on to make triathlon history. I also have no qualms about saying she inspires me to train and race harder than ever.
Enough from me, it's time for the gym...