Successful end of the season. Made in Taiwan.

When we showed one thing, it was stamina!
We’ve taken quite a lot of stress on us and have always believed that my form is right. Well, I was very depressed and frustrated and had lost confidence in my capacity already, but Jürgen was adamant that I am fit.

After I at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, had two plates and had lost so much time on the others as I had to wait 30 minutes on the trolleys, I got disappointed from the race.
So many nice people have written me messages that I should look forward and to take a new race in attack, but that was from the head not so simple.
Everything was geared towards this great goal. I was so happy on it, and after the race we had actually planned also 5 days holiday. But after this disappointment to both of us could not be mute to leave. Somehow I felt that I had not earned.

My year in review was really great: In addition to two colds I was really strong this year injury-free and above all healthy. Sorry, got my 2nd Exactly cold in August, where I had planned some short, very good races in Germany. As the cold was very strong and tough, I could not make any of these races and they had to cancel all.Nevertheless, I quickly found again in a very good training rhythm and my form was a 3-week training camp in Lanzarote expand very well.Now that Hawaii had run so badly, I had vorzuweißen no competitions since July, although I was fit. I wanted to prove us yet, something that I can.

So we cut our vacation in Hawaii booked, in a cloak and dagger operation to our flights (thanks to Daniel Kezele, who has helped us very much!) And I started a week later at the 70.3 Half Ironman in Austin, Texas.
Unfortunately, here again luck was not on my side and I fell in competition on the bike I felt like lying there fast, but after this effort, and after finishing the week I have not been able, I tried again to organize, set up my bike as well as he recovers and continued the race. Unfortunately I was only back hard into the race and was only on the 16th Place finisher.

Now my confidence was completely destroyed. I started to doubt everything, it’s on my form, to me, whether I’m at all suitable as a professional athlete, …
I was very sad and disappointed. All this action had brought nothing but a really brutal flight home from Austin to Phoenix to LA, Chicago to Munich. Travel time is 28 hours!

At home, I wanted to hear first two days nothing about sports, but on the third Day had come again as a small spark of hope.
There was however a fire in me. Together we were considering what options are there and suddenly there was the idea of Taiwan.
Taiwan trip. Express Travel 4 days!?
Since we had already spent so much money Hawaii for the flights we wanted to keep this adventure the costs as low as possible.
The last few years I have collected very diligently on a variety of flight miles, because we had the idea that we could possibly pay the flight to Taiwan with miles. Lo and behold, it was! Wow! What luck!
Although this was not a direct flight, but what the heck. Meanwhile, we were really tested flight;-)With the miles we came flying from Frankfurt to Beijing to Taiwan / Taipei and we now had only a domestic flight from Taipei to buy Kaosiung.
This was priced at 110 € and affordable. Now we only had to organize a starting place, hotel and transfers.
The launch site was not a problem thanks to a professional license, the only thing designed with the hotel is difficult. All websites of hotels which were in English, were already fully booked and the others we could not decipher. We wrote to the organizers if he could help us in a hotel. Our problem was the time. Our departure was already in 24 hours and we still had no shelter. Since we would end up only at 23:10 in Kaosiung, it would be difficult to find in the middle of the night with wheel for a hotel, the best is near the race action.
3 hours before we started our journey we finally got the good news that we have the two nights that we need in the official race hotel including airport transfers + half board are the organizer. Booyah! It could not have been better!

The arrival worked perfectly. At the airport we were already expected, all luggage was there and after about 27 hours of traveling we arrived exhausted but happy at the hotel.
The hotel was a really nice resort with several pools, waterfalls and great rooms. We tried the 7 hour time difference as best I could ignore and still attend all the major training session before the competition.
After only 5 hours of sleep so we had to get up again in order to go along with the organization team of the bike course. To me exactly were the extremely chaotic traffic conditions of China in memory.
The joint bike ride was organized toll: 5 escort cars and about 40 athletes who went in together on the 45 km long circuit. But after only 5 km, the first athletes turn around and finally I came with four ambitious men and 5 support vehicles back at the Hotel. Cool;-)
The round was very diverse: large areas along the coast, then inland, where it was somewhat selective, and the potholes were significantly more and larger. It was always called for full attention. On the line were an incredible number of free-ranging dogs that looked but strangely did not bark and very peaceful.
Everything looks much sleeker than in China and one could alternately banana trees, rice fields and temples in all sizes and colors.
After the cycling session I was still running short, then the race briefing and check in.
Unfortunately, there was no possibility to take the bus to drive about 15 km from the transition area. For this reason, I had to drive off with my bike.
Now I had 60 km bicycle training, one day before the race, but otherwise it was not possible because I really wanted to see the route. No matter. A good already put that away;-)

That evening there was the official pasta party at our hotel. On the lawn of the plant were built around tables. They had a view of the sea and the buffet was a colorful mix of Asian delicacies and spaghetti. Unfortunately, the organizers had forgotten the chairs!? This was the first pasta party of my life, which took place in the standing and where to stand around on the day before the race but not so much!!
A little confused, the athletes were seated on walls or in the grass. Crazy!
Already by 20 clock we lay in bed and asleep from exhaustion immediately.
Clock to 24, we were fit again, top fit! Far too fit to get back to sleep.
Well, who needs sleep?! I created it that way. The head determines so much!
About 2 hours I was able to sleep again until we finally our alarm clock at 3:40 in the springs broke.

Swimming:

At 6:30 the start, all athletes had in common.1.9 km swimming in the sea as twice turning point haul with a short shore leave. The plan was about 500 meters straight out and back. For this, the organizers had a 500 m long line stretched up to the turn buoy. The strong current, the rope was bent like a banana and therefore now was the swim a bit curvier and longer. The sea was very rough and we had to deal with really big waves. Although the water temperature was very warm, the wet suit was allowed. Probably because otherwise would have not done a lot of athletes to swim. I did really hard, but came with surprisingly little off the top of the water. In swimming, it’s really great at the moment!
Jürgen told that many athletes have maintained a panic on a leash. For less experienced swimmers, these were also extremely harsh conditions.

Wheel:

Than 5 Woman, only 1:30 min behind Belinda Granger, more time Ironman winner and red, I could go on the wheel. The wind was very strong, but thank God not as gusty as in Hawaii. Although 800 athletes were started together, one on the bike course was very lonely. Most Asians do not swim as much and as the field of competitors equalized very quickly. Without falling margins and I came this time over the 90-km bike course and was able to move horizontally to rank 5 to the half marathon.

Run:

The race route leading from the start, where both transition areas were to the hotel and a further 2 km and the goal in front of the hotel. As Jürgen had no wheel here (we had only 20 kg baggage allowance, so I only had my bike + Jürgen our common case), he had to take the shuttle back to the hotel. So I did not have any info as I was or how far the next woman in front of me. Meanwhile it was very warm.
I ran and ran and saw not a soul in front of me. Since it is obviously a lot harder to push up to its limit, as if you already have visual contact with the opponents.

At km 9, I then saw the Japanese Maki! I ran to them, they overtook, they ran a piece, but then I could not shake it. That gave me a real boost!
At km 15 was Jürgen. He called to me, that was 1:20 min in front of me the next athlete. I hit the gas, could make up for 10 seconds every mile of the current in front of me American. I tried everything, fought! But when they tell me about 2 km before the end of the turning point saw them again also mobilized their last reserves of strength and saved 11 seconds before me to the finish. Oh. I remained rooted to the stand at the finish line. Disappointed because it was so close until I saw that the timing mat 1 m was earlier. In the result I am now 20 seconds behind 3rd place, but what the heck.

I gave everything, that’s what counts. I have fought, and the distance to the top was extremely tight. Just behind Belinda Granger 3:30 min, second fastest run time, I’m really satisfied!

The journey home:

The journey home was a chapter in itself because it turned out to be our greatest adventure. Since we already had on Monday this important date in Germany, we had to on Saturday night, then leave on Raceday.

At 17:30 we went to the airport. This took almost 2 h, there was on the streets raising hell. Our first flight was back to Taipei. Since our connecting flight continued the next morning at 7:20 clock, we had all booked in Taipei in a hotel near the airport. Our shuttle driver gave us the “Domestik Terminal” out, as it indeed was one that only a domestic flight. There already was all dark and we were told that there would be no more flights this evening. Funny.
So we went, bag and baggage into the International Terminal. There, the fun really started then:
Upon check in staff meant that we could take our flight is not because we had booked an international flight and we are thus already here through customs and would leave the country. It would then no longer possible in Taipei quasi re-enter the country. We should not leave the airport so. The problem now would be that the airport is closed at night. As we now stood, still 1:30 to departure.
The staff suggested to us that we could take the train across the island to Taipei …
But first, we were tired, had no local knowledge and language skills and no idea if the train would go all night!
The flight in conjunction with the hotel we had booked with Expedia. This would have the us so not allowed to sell!
The officials were really very nice and helpful. We told them that we had seen the Herflug in Taipei at the airport for a small hotel in the airport and whether it would not be possible to stay in this hotel.
They phoned as the world champion with the immigration service, the hotel and found out that a further 2 double rooms were free! Thank God! After much back and forth we were allowed to check in at last. Meanwhile, we were even 50 minutes at the counter!
We flew to Taipei, stayed at the airport hotel. Unfortunately, there were already all restaurants closed, and we got there, nothing to eat except a 5 minute sterols: (… but that was totally ok after this stress.
I would say that if a trip does, then he can do something! Adventure Taiwan. I can not believe that these were only 4 days!

Kiira Korpi, beauty which can melt the ice

Kiira Korpi is a Finnish figure skater. She was born in Tampere, Finland on 26th September 1988.she received her training from her father Rauno Korpi. In 1998 under her father’s guidance she won a bronze medal in the 1998 winter Olympics.

In 2005, she was a part of the Finnish Figure skating Championships, and there she won a silver medal. Due to that she qualified for the 2005 European Figure Skating Championships in which she stood 13th.following that she achieved quite a lot. In 2006 she stood 3rd in the Finnish Figure Skating Championships, 6th at the 2006 European Figure Skating Championships, and then went on to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics where she finished in 16th place. The Finnish skating federation considered her results of the European championships to determine the Olympic team. Though she was a minor she got selected.

After the Olympics Kiira made her senior grand prix debut. She took part in two events there and came fourth in the Finnish Figure Skating Championships in 2006.in the 2007 European figure skating championship she won a bronze medal. Due to her win she was the 2nd female from Finland to win at the European championships. During 2007-2008 season, she suffered an injury because of which she sadly had to exit from that year’s grand prix. That would have been her 1st grand prix event.

Over the years she took part in several short programs for example like in caravan(by Ikuko Kawai),Triunfal(Astor Piazzolla) Eye Patch Yo Te Quiero-from Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Robert Rodriguez), Nessun Dorma(Giacomo Puccini) which was performed by Vanessa Mae. She was also a part of “the blues collection”-fever (Elvis Presley) in 2005,”it’s oh so quiet” by Bjork and in the ABBA medley of “gimme a man after midnight”, “dancing queen” and “winner takes it all”. (2008)

In Finland her nickname is Jääprinsessa which means ice princess. She is said to be the most beautiful female figure skater by the world. As of April 2010, she was ranked 13th in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).