For the first time in her eight years competing in endurance events, Squamish's Jen Segger was forced to withdraw from a race this month.
What did her in was the first ever Tour des Geants in Italy, which happened Sept. 12 to 19. But she wasn't alone in dropping out. As the second day of the event wrapped up, 69 out of 310 competitors had quit for various reasons.
Segger lasted four days on the 330-kilometre trek through the tallest mountains in Europe, but it was a disappointing way to end.
"I was having a fantastic race but this was the hardest race I've ever competed in," she said. "It was at such a high altitude but I have to give credit to the European women, they're tough."
For the majority of the race, Segger was jockeying between the second and fourth place positions for women in the race. But issues with her breathing caused her to slow down and ultimately drop out of the race.
"After finishing section three I couldn't breathe and I was coughing up dark green stuff," she said. "I was in second place at the time and tried to sleep it off but my lungs just kept filling up with so much fluid."
As the race continued, her difficulty breathing just wouldn't go away.
"By the end of section five it was getting worse and I fell to third place," he said. "The doctor on site advised me not to go on but I decided to push forward and give 110 per cent."
Her lungs got worse and on Thursday Sept. 16, she decided to drop out.
"The weather got really bad and I laid down to sleep but I just couldn't breathe," she said. "I thought to myself 'This isn't worth it,' and made the decision not to finish."
Despite her early exit, Segger said she enjoyed her time in Italy.
"The scenery was so stunning and beautiful and it was a very well organized event," she said, noting that there were over 1,200 volunteers. "There was so much climbing in this race, it just killed my quads. My legs got really beat down."
One positive aspect was that Segger's Achilles tendon, which she has been having issues with the past few months, seems to have healed.
"It really didn't bother me at all," she said. "It held out fine and it felt great all week."
Segger said she's not sure if she will return to try and conquer the race next year.
"I want to see the whole world," she said. "This was an amazing place but I'm not sure if I will come back next year. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone though."
She also wanted to send thanks to all the locals who have encouraged her along the way.
"The support I've received from everyone in the Sea to Sky Corridor has been unbelievable," she said. "All the e-mails and Facebook messages have been amazing."
For more information on Segger, visit www.challengebychoice.ca.
