Dear readers,
like some of you might not know of my race at 44°C in Nice, France, the world-championate course in 2019, was not the very fact of 800 athlets did not finish that day. It was probably the most hard race ever, due to that 26,7% DNFs.
What only few know is of ten screews in my left arm, like OMG (O. M. Gonzales) and friends from Morelia, Mexico, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, whom I know from Ratisbon the open German Championate the year of 2016, that time in Nice, thus I it was a little like Star Wars Robot C3PO as of that titan in my left arm close to the jolt, with an L-shaped plate in. So they called me Titanman. Because of racing with L-Plate and 10 screws in my ellbow Palais de Angelis and finished. In October, 18 months after an accident with the mountainbike, plate and screews had been removed. All fine again with the left arm.
This is the valid document - I did finish.
Then I was an official IRONMAN announced by the moderator, valid by signature and Nice became World Championate location in the following. It is irony, 1st, that I did it before, and 2nd, that again I am called TITANMAN by my acquaintances here e.g. by Major Tom. Because of the bacterial infection and es of sports. There are eight screws in my spine, that fix that artificial disc in the very middle of the breast, that is titanium, too (cage). Last year I was allowed to compete olympic- and middle-distance, but I did not come back to the circus and races. Meanwhile I am allowed to even parachute-jump again. It is like nothing ever happened. Of course I confronted myself again and again, likewise a 1400k 14d stage bike-hike through Eastern Germany and Czechia last year. The implants hold for several decades. I am a model case. 20-30% die of infection, 70% sit in wheel-chair, and many of the remaining round about 5%, that are 400 cases out of 8000, have pain. Few from that 5% haven't. Meanwhile I don't have any, and feel like before. Sure, I won't become Yoga-Champion anymore. But am allowed to do everything even leg-press (...). Thats why the called mé Titanman for a second time, after that titan in the elbow. Thank you to top-spine-surgeon and top shoulder-shoulder surgeons at Germany top clinic (Focus Money 2024 awards).
So what to do now with this new life? Actually I had triathlon-burnout. From 2006 to 2022 I competed 16 years, 10k, 21,1k, 42,2k, sprint, 5i50k 113k and 226k all distance finisher and may be, despite of training down, my body was not strong enough to fight bacteria. Some they it came in from the Baltic Sea others argue as of dentist. Maybe yes, maybe no. But stress and exhaustion, IMHO, are the second key factor besides the infection itself. The biologist, who found the right antibiotics the first try, thus thank you, too, he was like cool like surgeons and said that this is life and cause cannot be evaluated. So I really check all and have to agree. Meanwhile I am wanted for diagnosis concerning VO2max, lactate etc. - but I know I am 100.00% healthy. For sure I had to stop smoking, as another factor, and drinking beer, too. To be honest, from time to time I smoke a cigarillo and permit myself a beer closing time after. However, sport and alcohol and tobacco mismatch, in general and in my case in general and in special, esp. if I go race hard.
That is way I do not race hard anymore and moreover no more 226k like in Nice that time. Friends, who have also doctor title, said I should compete again in order to make sure it isn't a problem even aeroposition on carbon frame time trial bike. By the way: I also have meanwhile as of special merits I deserved Doctor h.c. (honoris causa). May be I make another doctor, and that is ironically, for my research in stress and sports, that is applied by German University to do so. For 2,5 years now. Thus, I can lecture a lot. Thus many of my acquaintances told be I have to make something out of it. Lecture of God, or psychology, mind-sets, the hard why and having had big luck and fortune, likewise German GSG_9 said at their 50 years meeting of that time in 1972 it was 50% luck and 50% KSAO (knowledge, skills, abilities, other meassurable factors). So to say. I am inline with Lance Armstrong, who's survival chance was 1,0 to 1,5% with that kind of cancer:
"You have two options in life both emotionally and medically: give up or fight like hell." L.A.
Sure, a biological infect isn't cancer, but the pain is grey, terrible and awful, too. And you cannot let your guard down, only shortly before operations to fully relax and let go, as of the bacteria is to be fought by discipline, will and unbending intent.
May be I might add a third component:
"When you are dying and all the people around you do worry and are despaired, this wind pushes me up and makes me smile."- little L.A.
Me, I was called little L.A. from old friend in my beginnings. Or Lance Lorence, too, had to struggle that time with similar things compared to Lnace Armstrong. One day I write a but titled: from Madman to Ironman. Not in here. So what I leave for all others here is my experience with that. Actually I needed to find own words. The truth is of William -not the USAF Europacommander, whos name is William, too, I shook his hand - but Jonathan Frakes a ka William T. Riker from STAR TREK TNG, Commander of the Enterprise 1701-D. His words had been, when an infection on his feet made his way up to his head and paralyzed him more and more: "Death is a serious affair and someone who looses his humor confronted with is a fool!". So me, little Lance, I agree to Lance Armstrong, fight emotionally, medically like hell, yes, but don't forget humor. Maybe doping causes cancer, maybe IRONMAN-triathlon triggers biological infects? Well, I cannot speak out for L.A., but as a Doctor of psychology I know to mention of factors analysis and multivariate variance analysis. Thus, there are many input parameters. Psychologist on that level (it are 2000 pages mere mathematics in small letters at least) calculate main effects, but the increment of additional variance that cannot be explained by interaction-effects 1st, 2nd, or 3rd or even higher orders, too. Doping might be the tip on the scales. Beer and cigarettes, in combination with "triathlon-burnout" might be the tip on the scales. Biologist would repeat what he said already of that is simply life and cancer specialist would mention good and bad luck. Thus, many specialists around and all are right. But really, I would really take death easy, it is uncomfortable to die, yes, but you don't have to be afraid of. You can laugh, and doctors might wonder. However, that kind of joy might be the increment, too, in order to survive. At least you stay strong inline with top doctors and keep your head up, thus you are able to make the right decisions. It was a little risky, yes, but surgeon recommended. I could have been it in wheel chair, yes. I could have been lost my right arm, yes. So I did follow top-doctors' recommendations, yes, but I was I myself, by humor, in order to decide. In other words: intelligent training thrumbs volume (that means you have to understand what you do). Later that some surgeons said it was brave. Later I found out of that kind of surgeons'-technique was invented in Switzerland 20 years ago and can be done since 2015 with titanium coated cages. Please do compare the study of: Baumgartner, 2015. Just in case you are interested. Is free to download. So then? All fine? All fine. Fine? Really? What about: da capo?
here we go: fast and fabulous 50yrs+
Well, 8-9 months infection after I was said to have successfully fought
the bacteria in 2025, and now, 18 months after I believe I really can do
all again. Like it was that time in early 2019. Thus, all fine. Of
course there is no need to take risks. As both IRONMAN & TITANMAN. What does that mean in numbers?
In former times a preparation to competion was a 9-10 monthes span of time with base-level activity and built-stages, than tapering and peek (race): Now, it are 3-5 monthes span of time with base-level activity, mainly, and short accellerations (sprint during base-level activity), and HIIT (high intensity intervall training), and for sure training with weights became more important likewise gymnastic (stabilisation). But: no more lactate tolerance that much, no more built-stages with high intensity over several weeks, and no more so-called key-sessions. I can be top3 Germany mastery olympic-distance (5i50). But I don't want to. More over a new time trial bike costs 10000$ and what for? Like Mexican manager are true in affairs of watts. A carbon frame brings 2-3 minutes along 180,2k. At professional level. Now guess of how much is such a bike in advantage in minutes compare to aluminium, chrome-molybdane, titan- or even iron-frame along 40k? 45 seconds? And 1000$ for a new swim sui along 1500m instead of 3860m? 15 secs. Sure, it might be 5 minutes is psychological, too, togehter with new aero-geeks, to call it like this. The olympic distance 5i50.
If all well and reinvest I could make it on the podium (masters, age group M50-55). But what for? People at the ceremony would applaud, may be some few know me or that kind of story now, that can happen to anyone, nothing special. See? So my PB is 2:19 h min in 2019. Now I go for 2:50 h min. Without neo-suit, no time trial, but gravel-bike I do transport my tent to Lake of Roth on it at Friday, enjoy the festival, league and pupils race the professionals at Saturday, and demount the cargo-loader for the age-group race German mastery the Sunday.
Like in good old times of triathlon. Everyone, who does cross the finish-line is a winner.
Cheers,
Mike .
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