finishing strong at Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines

The game plan had been to swim easy, bike steady, and run hard. I had executed it almost perfectly, but there are so many things I can still improve on for next year (like, for instance, finally learning how to use my Suunto Ambit2 S properly). But I’d like to share some of what I learned, in the hopes it can help other people cross their first or nth half-Ironman finish line.

Work on your weaknesses. When I signed up for Ironman 70.3 Philippines last December, I knew I needed to fix my swim, both technique- and fitness-wise. I’m glad Kuya Kim referred me to Nonoy Basa. He not only gave me the drills to fine-tune my stroke, but he also gave positive feedback that built my confidence in my swim skills. As a result, I went into that wild swim knowing that I was going to come out okay.

Play to your strengths. I outwardly set a goal that I wouldn’t care what my swim and bike times were, as long as I could run the half-marathon under two hours. (Secretly though, I really wanted to break 6 hours.) Running is obviously my strength, so all my training in the swim and the bike were geared towards making me energy-efficient in both those disciplines so I would have enough left in the tank to run fast. As it happened, my easy swim and steady bike were fast enough to help me slip under that 6-hour mark, without making me pay for it on the run.

Follow a training plan. When I met Macca two months ago, he told me about MaccaX, the global team and community he’d built so he could help people “be their own CEO” when it came to training. MaccaX members get access to Macca and his team of experts in swimming, biking, running, nutrition, and conditioning.

As a birthday gift to myself, I purchased the MXPlus package, which includes 3 training programs, the easy-to-follow sessions (with customizable difficulty level) you can plug and play within your chosen program, and one month’s free membership on the MaccaX forum. I found the bike trainer sessions particularly useful.

Other people may choose to go with a specific training plan given by a coach they hire, or create their own (basing one on Joe Friel’s Triathlete Bible is a good place to start), but my point is that a concrete training plan will help you track your progress so you know how prepared you are. It’s why I didn’t feel nervous about the race; I knew I had done the work needed.

Equipment is only as good as its engine. I’m still racing with the same bike I bought in 2010 when I first started triathlon. Loki’s had some upgrades like a compact crank, a fast-forward seatpost and aerobars, and a Retul fit, but none of that mattered if I didn’t actually get on the bike and train. After last Sunday’s race, I know I’ve got some more bike work cut out for me, but I have no doubt I’ll improve my time simply by putting in more saddle time.

Practice and prepare your nutrition. It took a few shorter triathlons and long rides and runs to figure out what nutritional strategy best served my body’s needs, but I’m glad I had that all figured out before the big race. In a long-distance triathlon, being well-fueled is key in getting you through from start to finish in good shape. I made a nutritional blunder on the run (forgetting to take a swig of EFS at the right time) that almost cost me my personal goals.

Respect the distance. This is not a race you can just wing and hope you can cross the finish line within cut-off. Sure, I’ve heard of someone who only prepared for two weeks, but imagine the kind of pain he had to deal with during the race, and the amount of recovery time he’ll need after. I trained hard for this race, but at certain points I still felt the enormity of the distance I needed to cover. It will humble you.

Better to prepare well, race hard, and still be able to go for a celebratory party after.

Enjoy the journey. People kept telling me, “The hard work is over. Race day is a celebration.” And you know what, it was! Race day was a celebration of God’s gift of life and health. Race day was a celebration of the human body overcoming its perceived limits, not only because it was trained well, but because the body was mastered by its owner’s will. I wasn’t just looking forward to crossing the finish line; I enjoyed the entire process of racing, including the parts when I was tired or sore. It’s why I had a huge smile on my face the whole way through. 🙂

I’d like to thank Mizuno, Lightwater, Spyder, Salice, yurbuds, Aquasphere, Toby’s Sports, and Jay Em of Proactive Sports for all their invaluable support leading up to my first Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

I will be back next year!

I aim to make this look easy.

Race Day

I woke up several times during the night, hearing strong rain against our hotel rooftop. My team was booked at Cleverlearn Residences, approximately 1.9 kilometers away from Shangri-La and the race start. I worried about how flooded the race course could become, and if so, could the whole thing be called off? Continue reading “First Half-Ironman at Cobra IM70.3 Philippines, part 2” →

Before the Race

The lead-in to Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines race week was super busy, with so many things that needed to be done. I needed to get my planned nutrition sorted and my bike packed, so it was great to get all those done at The Brick. By Thursday evening I only needed to fret about getting enough sleep before my flight early Friday morning. 🙂

There was a 2pm organized bike out, which I and my Endure teammates joined. It was pretty much just a recon of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge so we’d know what to expect. The urban traffic from multicabs, buses, and other vehicles was a challenge to navigate, so I stayed on the tail of more experienced cyclists.

I got back in time for an hour’s rest before the Meet the Pros press conference. This was a stacked pro field; we had defending champion Pete Jacobs who is also reigning Ironman World Champion as well as two-time Ironman World Champion Chris “Macca” McCormack, but ITU athlete and Olympian Courtney Atkinson was also present, using this race as a jump-off into a long-distance triathlon career. On the women’s side, defending champion and Ironman World Championships runner-up Caroline Steffen was back, but so were her other podium-mates from last year Bree Wee and Belinda Granger. Also, our own Monica Torres was in the pro field!

The carbo-loading dinner for athletes was held on Shangri-La’s golf course. Buffet tables were laid out with lots of food, which we then had to consume picnic-style on the grass.

Hanna, Carina, Joy, Raff, and me

obviously, we are in Shangri-La

We were treated to a glitzy dance number and fireworks courtesy of the host city Lapu-Lapu. It was then that the realization hit me that I really was here and that I would be racing by myself in two days’ time. And I wasn’t nervous at all; I had this otherworldly peace that no matter what, I was going to pull through to the finish.

I had promised to volunteer for Ironkids, so before 6am on Saturday I rode my bike to Shang. I planned to do a swim recon after the kids’ race, then check my bike into transition early so I wouldn’t have to worry about a long line at check-in later that afternoon (which is what had happened last year).

photo by Jared Byrne (Running Suplado)

Coach Ani de Leon-Brown, the race director of Ironkids, stationed me at the swim exit. Before I headed out there, I saw Macca and family on the beach. His two girls Tahlia and Sienna were participating, so I said hello and wished them well. A few minutes later when I was at my post, Macca came up and asked if I had a spare helmet Sienna could borrow because she’d broken the strap on hers. “Give me five minutes,” I said, and dashed off to where I’d parked my bike and grabbed my Spyder helmet. I came back and put it on Sienna’s head. Can I just say that helmet was so easy to adjust? Just a few pulls on the straps, and it fit her perfectly. As I snapped the clasp under her chin, I quipped, “Who knew I had such a small head!”

It was just too bad they weren’t able to race. The older kids’ race was started and finished, but just before the younger age groups were allowed to enter the water, a squall rolled in! The rain and wind were strong, and it lasted so long and made the roads unsafe; in the end Coach Ani had no choice but to call off the rest of the race.

photo of the squall, and Kuya Kim Atienza giving the weather report at race briefing

The weather cleared up enough by 10:30am so I met up with my teammates and did a swim recon. The water wasn’t flat, but after having swum in Pico de Loro’s waves I knew to stay calm and find the rhythm. I really, really enjoyed that swim, especially since the water was so clear I could see the coral and fish!

Joel had arrived by then to take on photographer duties. I told him to wait for me while I checked my bike in, and then we’d head off to lunch with the team.

bye Loki! I’ll see you tomorrow!

Check out the personalized transition area with my name on it!

I finally was able to grab some lunch with friends from Team Boring at around 2pm, then attended the afternoon’s race briefing. The weather turned dark and rainy at that point, and it was only then the thought crossed my mind. I had prepared hard for this race… but would conditions allow us to race at all?