Former local triathlete Charlotte McShane continued her Ironman journey last week, competing in the Aix-en-Provence 70.3 in France.
It proved a tough day at the office for McShane, who described the race as a “disaster”.
She completed the event in 95th place overall in four hours, 29 minutes and 36 seconds, with the race comprising a 1900-metre swim, 90-kilometre bike ride and 21.1-kilometre run. McShane finished 18th in the women’s professional section.
McShane started strongly in the swim, exiting the water as the sixth female, before things unravelled in transition.
The zip on her trisuit broke and became stuck at the top, leaving her standing for several minutes attempting to fix it without success. Racing with an open zip carried the risk of disqualification, adding further stress to an already difficult situation.
Eventually, she was forced to continue the race without it repaired.
The first half of the bike leg was particularly grim, racing in around six degrees on a mostly flat and slightly downhill course, with the trisuit flapping open and making conditions extremely cold.
The climbs became a brief reprieve, allowing her to warm up and regain some comfort, while also noting she felt surprisingly strong on the ascents despite limited recent climbing preparation.
The run was steady, although her legs felt flat after the demanding bike leg.
It was a disappointing but courageous effort from McShane, who did not go into the event with high expectations given the course-specific preparation required.
She was full of praise for the event, saying the course, spectators and volunteers were “absolutely amazing”, and she is keen to return to race in Aix-en-Provence.
Despite the challenges, McShane has already moved on, taking positives from the race — including a strong swim and solid bike power — with little time to dwell, as she now turns her attention to Ironman Hamburg in a couple of weeks.
