PTO World #9 Patrick Lange endured a difficult day out at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside last weekend, with the German coming home in 16th after struggling with the cold climate in California.
Chasing the IRONMAN Pro Series title as well as a third Kona crown this year, Lange was well off the mark as one of his main rivals Lionel Sanders took a commanding victory.
Set to race IRONMAN Texas in two weeks time, the 37-year-old recapped his Oceanside experience on Instagram and vowed to step things up over the full distance on April 27.
“Definitely not what I was hoping for”
After travelling over from Germany five days out from the race, Lange said that despite preparing well, it quickly became apparent that the weather on race day would present a real challenge.
“My build up had been really good and I felt ready for a first good hit out and also felt capable to lift up my 70.3 performance.
“The closer the race came, it became clear that the morning would be really chilly with 7 degrees outside temps and 15 degrees water temps.
“It was definitely not what I was hoping for and scared me to race in such conditions, as I am an athletes who likes the hotter conditions.”
“On the bike I was freezing”
On race day, the German’s concerns were quickly realized, as he found himself unable to put out the effort required to keep up with the front over the early stages of the bike.
“Soon into the swim I realized how hard it was for me to get up to speed, but looking back the swim was maybe the brightest moment of the day. I could stay with the front pack and in contention to the leader.
“On the bike I was freezing and couldn’t get the power down to keep up with the front. As I was taking a wrong turn in Camp Pendleton, I lost about 4 mins to my competitors and never really found a way back into the race.
“With a big disadvantage I left T2 and started the run. Pain in my lower back and right hip caused by the cold wouldn’t really help a good run and it took me approximately 10k to warm up. Surprisingly the last 3km were my fastest and I was able to speed up again and catch some athletes.”
Finishing almost 15 minutes behind Sanders, Lange was down on a number of his likely competitors for the rest of the IRONMAN Pro Series, including fellow veterans Joe Skipper and Braden Currie.
However, despite the result not going the way he wanted, Lange shared his gratitude for the support shown post race and the opportunity to compete for the first time in Oceanside.
“The scenery and the vibe around Oceanside had been great. I am happy and grateful to have had the chance to experience this race and place and meet some great people!
“I received so many positive and upbuilding messages from the community here and I am extremely grateful for every single one. Thank you!”
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