Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Presents
Sweet 452 km
The European Championship in double ultratriathlon Bakovci/Murska Sobota (Slovenia)
26th and 27th of August 2011
Swimming 7,6 km , cycling 360 km, running 84,4 km In total: 452 km
So, the excitement is growing because there are only 2 hours until the start of the race.
Now we are in a car, a nice lady takes us to the
hospital in Murska Sobota, where we’ll perform blood tests
on the basis of which we will later do a case report, in this case because I have a diabetes.
We’ll do a blood test 2 hours before the race, the measurements during the race and after the race,
and we will, on the basis of these data, make a research which is later going to be a guiding point for competitors who have a diabetes.
Squeeze a fist. Slightly disinfect.
I won“t be so gentle tomorrow. Neither will you take my blood.
Nenad is a triathlete and has a diabetes.
Diabetes type 1 was diagnosed to him when he was six years old
Now he is 27 years old and he has done several shorter traithlons and two Ironman competitions
Swimming- Artificial lake near Murska Sobota
82,6 kg
I feel great, only my blood sugar jumped up to 14 mmol/l,
but ok, that was expected and planned because I will try to swim
with a little higher blood sugar levels -9-11mmol/l, as though in water it is harder to regulate it,
while it is a lot easier when I'm running and cycling.
You will swimm in a neopren suite?
In the morning the water was already 25 C and that's the limit value
for deciding whether to wear neopren suite or plain swimming suite.
But, since I'm a rather slow swimmer, neopren helps me arround 30 percent
in making more buoyancy and faster swimming, so I'll wear it regardless of the water temperature.
18 men and 4 women competitors start the race
They have a 7,6 km of swimming
Priest: The most beautiful blessing shall be with all competitors
Start
After giving a blood and monitoring all the parameters,
everything is ok and in normal limits for Nenad. Every half an hour, or even often if necessary, he should measure his sugar blood level.
So, he has his entreched nutricion regime and needs, known from the last few Ironman
and also tomorrow we'll measure his sugar blood level and according to it's values we'll act on.
Competitiors swim 20 laps of 380 meters
It's great, water is great, I'm not hot and I'm doing fine.
after 5 laps (1,9 km)
Only that my blood sugar level is ok and that's it.
You swim good and straight, I'm not rushing, it's ok, you also have good strokes, It's good, I'm really satisfied.
Time is not important, just easy and everything will be great.
10 mmol/l, some isotonic, some banana and I'm ready to go
At the beginning you think 7,6 km is a long distance, but I'm doing great.
I see you have cheerleaders. Girls are great. Which one is better? The one with smaller or larger bra? Whatever!
Norbert Vakhal (HUN) withdraw cycling
I can't wait (after 17 laps - 6,5 km) to start cycling, 3 more laps,
and then I have to eat concrete food because I'm very hungry and a little dehidrated,
but it's ok.
Some water and that's it. I'll continue...
Suraya Oliver (GBR) withdraw cycling
Nenad Šimunko ends the swim part as the last competitor.
He comes out of the water after 3:40 hours swimming
It throws me a bit
Listen, the feeling is too good, but in the last 4 laps I had a lot of problems, I was in a crisis.
neopren started to tighten me up, I had some easy chest pain but
i knew I had to get over it, those last 4 laps and I'm satisfied.
Higher level of blood sugar? That was my plan, to keep my sugar blood level between 8-10 mmol/l
while swimming because in many cases I was swimmning with low level of glucose,
and that wasn't a training or anything like that, so i have planned to finish it with
higher sugar blood level, and now I'll add more attention to it while cycling.
Cycling: circle track through the streets of the place Bakovci, closed for traffic, cycling without a draft
Competitors cycle 105 laps of the 3,4 km
Friday, the 26th of August, 2011, 20:02h
10,7 mmol/L and how are you feeling? what would you like to eat? I feel great, in 3 or 4 laps a I'll need grilled meat on the stick,
prepare me a t-shirt, bicycle jacket, you tidy up this and that's it.
8,2 mmol/l, I'll eat one, and after that you'll give me the rest during the ride, when I slow down just put it in my hand.
after 220 km of cycling
there is still 140 km to go
Some Power Sleep and I quickly move on
It's good, it's ok, I feel good, I can do it. Just let the sun come out because it's dark, just monotony, I'm sleppy.
Every 3-4 laps I have to stop,That's the only way.
Saturday 27.08.2011 6:00 am
31 laps to go/106 km
4 more laps/14 km
After 14:22h of cycling , Nenad finishes the cyle part of the race
Saturday, 10 o'clock, air temperature >30 C
Look, Since the cycling is my best discipline,I was surprised. If I didn't have fervent desire to win this,
I colud easily withdrawn the last 10-15 km.
But that was just one of the moments of crisis that have to be passed. I'm satisfied, I stil have running and that's it.
Running-circle track through the streets of the place Bakovci
Competitiors run 55 laps of 1,53 km-overall 84,4 km ( 2 marathons)
41 laps to go, 14 behind me Does that mean a halfmarathon is over? Yes!
Yes, that's it, my friends support me, every lap or two they switch, they run beside me, they give me a pace and everything is super.
It's very hot, my organism can't absorb so much water that I drink in a short time.
But we go on, let's finish this and we'll see what to do next.
Last lap
and the winner crosses the finish line, Austrian Thomas Fruhwirt,
paraplegic( stripped from the waist down)- the first man in the world
with that degree of physical disability who has completed a double Ironman
Dario Ivanagic (CRO)-2nd place in male competition, Time: 24:45:08h
Kim Greisen (DEN) 4th place in male competition, Time: 27:09:22
14 laps to go/21 km
Saturday, 8:26 pm, 7 laps to go/11 km
Rene Dragschitz (AUT) 7th place in male competition, Time:29:10:48h
Last lap for Nenad Šimunko
So, Nenad, Thank you,and a first question: was this your first ultratriathlon?
The first and maybe the last
What do you think about the race? We saw that you've had a weaker start, but
towards the end you've been getting better and faster.
Yes, I made some rules that I didn't breake and now I'm very pleased with the result.
We congratulate you, I see that you have many fans here?
You were diagnosed with diabetes type 1 since you were 6 years old?
Yes, that's right.I have been fighting it for 21 years,that's why I'm here, to show that anything is possible.
Nenad Šimunko, living proof that a diabetes didn't stop him from finishing double Ironman for the first time, here in Bakovci
I congratulate you, Nenad, we are proud of you and from now on you'll be in our harts.
Thank you Nenad Šimunko, Croatia
Nenad šimunko ended the race of 452 km in 29:40:29 h and placed as 9th in male competition
And by that became the first person with a diabetes type 1 who has finished double Ironman
I won't be so gentle tomorrow. Neither will you take my blood.
Thanks to everyone who helped me to successfully finish the race.
Thanks to everyone who continues to help me
Production: 3sporta.com
The author of the film: Zvonimir Mikašek
Filmed in HD quality Used equipment: