Reflections on 2010 & Warm Wishes from Cold Luxembourg

After my return from my very relaxing spa vacation in Italy, I jumped right back into the flow of things. Lots of work was scheduled, as I still had some stuff to set up our new place in Luxembourg. There is not too much news I can reveal at this point concerning sponsorships, but soon enough I will fill you in on all the news.

Last week I had some meetings with our tri federation, the Olympic Committee and the Army. Apart from that I attended some
events in Luxembourg so I could share my stories of the past year.

We decided not to take a too long of a break and keep a certain fitness level from early December onwards, as the first race will be in March 2011, where I will fight for the win in Abu Dhabi.  After my second place there this year I a hungry for the big prize over there.  But, it is obvious that the big goal of the year is Ironman Hawaii.  Regardless of the penalty call, we all saw what is possible out there on the big island.  Not only did I swim and ride very well, but I also dropped 7 minutes of my
marathon time this year. I am convinced that there is more to come and I am eager to prove it to you.

To sum up 2010:

7 races: 4  podiums, 2 x 5th and an 8th place in Kona, so all in all I am very happy with it.  I added some more Luxembourg records to my list (fastest IM ever 8:21, PB marathon 2:51, PB 47 swim ….) which is a good sign that I can still improve after many years in the sport.

I would like to thanks my sponsors and all my fans for the help along the way.  You know that it would not be possible without you.  Special thanks go to K Swiss, Ceepo and Shimano. Also big thanks to the Luxembourg army, the COSL and the federation for their generous support throughout the year.

Now, in the off season, there is lots of time to reflect and evaluate the flow of things.  I would like to remind you that there are so many kids in need and especially in the organization I support, SOS Villages d’enfant Monde –It’s an amazing organization that gives orphans in the world a chance to have a normal life and family and I dedicated my heart to it in order to raise awareness. Kids without parents need the same opportunities and need support from us in order to have a good life ahead of them.  Please do help and contribute, even little donations help.  Also, donations make good Christmas presents for those who have everything they need already.

All the best for all of you and enjoy the cold winter time as you get ready for Christmas!
Best,
Dirk