Posts Tagged with: "Ironman 70.3"

Looking for a destination race next year? Malaysia will be the venue of IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya on 12-13 April 2014 and IRONMAN Malaysia in Langkawi on Saturday, 27 September 2014. More details in the press release below.

KAILULA-KONA, HAWAII, October 10, 2013 — IRONMAN today announced that Malaysia will host two new IRONMAN races next year, marking a return to the country for the world’s most iconic endurance sports brand after nearly four years.

Malaysian government official Zulkefli Sharif, the CEO of Malaysia Major Events, joined IRONMAN CEO Andrew Messick and IRONMAN Asia Pacific CEO Geoff Meyer in making the announcement in a special function held here in Kona, Hawaii on the eve of this year’s 35th GoPro IRONMAN World Championships.

The new IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya will be held on the weekend of 12-13 April 2014, while the IRONMAN Malaysia on the island resort of Langkawi will be held on Saturday, 27 September.

“It is a great privilege to have IRONMAN return to our country,” said Sharif. “We’re expecting great interest from international athletes.”

“We are extremely excited to welcome IRONMAN back to Langkawi, and to introduce the IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya,” said Sharif. “IRONMAN has had a long history with our country, and it is a great privilege to have it return here. We are looking forward in welcoming athletes from all over the world with our warm hospitality, and to proudly offer them the unique cultural experience of Malaysia – Truly Asia.”

Meyer said the IRONMAN brand is “delighted” to be returning to Malaysia next year.

“It’s been three years since South East Asia hosted an IRONMAN event, and the sport has grown significantly in that time,” said Meyer. “IRONMAN Malaysia and IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya will bring a brand new energy to the triathlon community in this part of the world, and we look forward to delivering memorable race experiences in spectacular destinations for athletes from around the world.”

Putrajaya, a dynamic city situated just 32 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, symbolizes modern Malaysia. The green and intelligent city, a spectacular mix of the old and new, is the federal administrative center of the country.

Athletes will race on a fast, rolling IRONMAN 70.3 course in hot conditions amidst an iconic landscape that showcases Malaysia’s rich culture amidst a spectacular display of architecture.

Langkawi Island sets the stage for athletes from around the world to be taken on a truly Malaysian tropical and cultural journey. Athletes will be embraced by the local Kampung (village) communities as they embark on their personal IRONMAN journeys within one of the most welcoming and beautiful destinations in South East Asia.

IRONMAN Malaysia is one of more than 30 qualifying races on the global IRONMAN circuit that culminate with the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii each October. IRONMAN Malaysia will offer 40 age group qualifying slots for Hawaii in 2015.

IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya is one of 60 events worldwide that qualify athletes for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya will offer 30 age group qualifying slots for the 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Mont Tremblant, Canada on 7 September 2014.

Professional athletes will be competing for a total prize purse of USD$40,000 for IRONMAN Malaysia and USD$15,000 for IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya.

Online entries for both events will open on Thursday, 7 November 2013 via their respective websites.

For additional information on IRONMAN Malaysia or to register for the 2014 race, please visit www.ironmanmalaysia.com.

For additional information on IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya or to register for the 2014 race, please visit www.ironmanputrajaya.com.

Life is like a triathlon. You train hard, you prepare for all possible scenarios, then you hope for the best and go out there to race. Sometimes, every thing turns out as planned. Other times, you get a little surprise.

For the past months, the road to Ironman 70.3 Cebu has thrown in quite a number of surprises for me. I got injured in April, crashed on my bike in July, and, just last week, sprained my rib area while doing ab work.

The thing is, my wounds healed so I got to swim 10 days after the crash. I pushed myself to overcome my fear after the crash and rode 100k alone two weeks after. The ribs?  It’s just uncomfortable; I can swim and run through it.  And, as of today, I got to run 12k with friends, Joey, Nona, JR, and Joel, without a single niggle of pain. Yes, injuries do heal!

– As if the injury free run wasn’t enough to make my day, I bumped into these guys at the parking lot. ALL of them are TBR Dream Alumni from Batches 2, 3, and 4. So happy to see them training for Milo Marathon while the others have gone into triathlon –

After months of uncertainty, today, a mere 14 days before race day, I know for sure that I can—and will—race Ironman 70.3 Cebu. Sure, it won’t be my best performance and maybe I won’t be able to beat my own time last year. But, I will try my best.  As my Coach, Andy Leuterio said, “You will race it like a warrior!”  Hey, after the hell that I’ve been through, crossing that finish line will be a celebration in itself.

Here are five things I learned during the past 7 months of joy, frustration, and pain while training for Ironman 70.3 Cebu that can probably be applied to running, triathlon, and other aspects of life:

1) Clearly define your goals. Are you aiming to finish, to improve your time, or to have fun? Should trials arise, such as problems with time management or training, then go back to those goals and make a decision based on that. I’ve found that, as the race draws near, there’s a tendency to keep up with Joneses and you worry if you’re training long or hard enough. Thankfully, I have the kind of personality where I don’t really care what other people are doing or thinking as long as I’ve done my best and set out what I planned to accomplish. I’m such a Bull, I know.

2) You decide. In triathlon, you can be part of a team, you can have a great Coach by your side, and you can have friends to support you all the way. But, at the end of the day, it’s all you. You decide how hard you’re going to push yourself during training. You decide if you’re willing to commit X amount of time to your already full schedule and if a medal is all worth it. You decide how you want a bike accident to affect you. If you do make it to race day, there’s no one else to praise (or blame) but you.

3) It’s a mind game. You can train your body to swim, bike, and run any distance, but if the mind is weak, then you’ll have a problem. For marathons and triathlon where you have to dig deep during training and on race day, you need the will, commitment, and determination to overcome the pain because (if you don’t know yet then let me tell you now), it may hurt like hell during the last few meters to the finish, but it will be pure bliss when you hang that medal around your neck.

4) People don’t care. Now, I don’t mean that your friends don’t care for you. Triathletes, based on my little experience being in triathlon for just a year now, are a great bunch who sincerely help newbies out and support others who share a common passion for the sport. But, they are also too busy swimming, biking, and running and living their own lives to care about that protruding tummy of yours in your trisuit or how slow you are on the bike. In other words, just do your own thing and ask for help when needed. Most triathletes are willing to help and they don’t really care about the little things that you are insecure about. (Just make sure to inhale during photos.)

5) Balance everything. Triathlon is like life, but it is NOT your life. (Well, at least for most of us age-groupers it’s not.) So, while you’ve been bitten by the bug and you would love to swim, bike, and run as much as you can, don’t forget that there’s more to life out there. There’s fulfilling work, a loving family, and awesome non-athlete friends who can make you just as happy too (and, guess what, they don’t want to know how long you rode or ran today.) If you keep this in mind, then any misfortunes in triathlon—a bike crash, an injury, or a missed race—will be nothing more but bumps on the road. The journey goes on.

You all know how much I love yurbuds (I’ve got three of ’em). So, it’s great news that they’re launching a new product: yurbuds Pete Jacobs Signature Series ITE-100. If you want one, they’re launching these babies at Ironman 70.3 in Cebu. Read the press release below…

PRESS RELEASE: In 2012, Australian triathlete Pete Jacobs came to Cebu, Philippines and won the grueling Cobra Ironman 70.3. A few months later he would go on to dominate the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the most prestigious triathlon in the world.

With Pete Jacobs holding the crowns of Kona and Cebu, yurbuds proudly announces his Signature Series ITE-100. yurbuds, the official #1 sport earphones in the US, is designed by athletes for athletes who want cutting-edge sound and overall usability when it comes to earphones. Aside from the brand’s “never fall out” trademark for all its earphone styles, the Signature Series ITE-100 sports uniquely reflective, tangle-resistant Kevlar cords, premium sound quality and a 1-button microphone system with track and call control. A multipurpose dry mic/remote allows for easy, hands-free control of any iPhone®, AndroidTM and Blackberry® device. It also comes with two sizes of interchangeable ear buds in each box.

It is also sweat and water-resistant, allows ambient noise, and features FlexSoftTM comfort fit and TwistLockTM Technology – features also found in the other yurbuds styles that have been generating a buzz not just among athletes of all types, but anyone looking for quality earphones that provide superior sound and that stay put through all the twists, turns and sweat that come with vigorous activity.

The yurbuds Pete Jacobs Signature Series ITE-100 retails for P3,000 and will be launched at the 2013 Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

yurbuds is proud to welcome Jacobs in its growing roster of inspirational Signature Series athletes, which also includes San Francisco 49ers running back LaMichael James.

yurbuds is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Cascos Inc., and is available at the following retailers: Power Mac Center, Digital Walker, Digital Hub, Beyond The Box, Buzz, Planet Sports, The Athlete’s Foot, RUNNR, Chris Sports, R.O.X, Riovana, Rudy Project, Mobile One, The AShop, Specialized Concept Store, Islands and More, IGig Center, Gadgets In Style, The Electronics Boutique, GNC, Gold’s Gym, Nothing But H2O, The Brick, Primo Cycles, Second Wind, and Fitness First.

Cascos Inc. offers a 1-year Replacement Policy on all yurbuds purchased at authorized dealers due to defects. All customers have to do is return the defective unit to the dealer purchased from along with the receipt of purchase. A brand-new unit is provided within 3-4 working days.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CascosInc

Just one month to go until Cobra Ironman 70.3 and Alaska Ironkids! I was at the presscon a few days ago to learn more about the upcoming event.

– Women Power! with Vimz of Kulit Runner, Lara Parpan of Women’s Health, and Ani de Leon of The Next Step Tri Camp –

– with Ton Gatmaitan representing Gatorade, Anton Gonzales of KSwiss, and Yong –

Mr. Fred Uytengsu, the man behind Ironman 70.3 Philippines, announced that the swim will be slightly modified from last year’s route.  It will have a deep water start in waves.  Use of timing chip starts had yet to be decided upon.  The bike route will be the same as last year’s course (ack headwind again!)  And, the run has been slightly modified.

Kenneth Cobonpue also unveiled his new design for the medal.  The blue in metal symbolizes the swim, the black rubber for the bike, and the brass for the run portion.

– Ironman 70.3 Cebu 2013 Medal designed by world renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue –

Here’s some interesting facts shared about Ironman 70.3 Cebu 2013 during the event:

Individual Category
Female 262
Male 1519
Total 1781

Relay Category
All Male Teams 57
All Female Teams 22
Mixed Relay 43
Total Teams 122
Total Members 366

Total Participants
Individual 1781
Relay 366
Grand Total 2147

PRESS RELEASE: The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines returns to Cebu, the country’s number one tourist destination, as the province hosts its fifth edition as well as the Alaska Ironkids Triathlon on August 3 – 4, 2013.

Already in its fifth year the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 has become the biggest and best Ironman 70.3 race in this part of the world with over 2,000 participants from 35 countries across six continents. All slots for the race were sold out four days after they were offered to the public and more than 600 individuals are on the waiting list.

The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines starts with the 1.2-mile swim in open water at the beach of the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa in Mactan Island on August 4.

The 56-mile bike ride will traverse four cities (LapuLapu, Mandaue, Cebu City and Talisay). The culminating 13.1-mile run will be at Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City.
Race organizer Sunrise Events, Inc. expects the coming race to top the wildly successful races of the past four years confident that this year’s race will be its biggest and most exciting ever.

Alaska Ironkids Triathlon will be held at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa on August 3. It is the local junior version of the international Ironkids triathlon series. It is open to youngsters age 6 to 14 years old and aims to promote health among the young through proper nutrition and an active lifestyle.

Leading the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines are the professional triathletes notably three-time champion Pete Jacobs of Australia. Jacobs is a regular fixture of the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines. He will gun for a fourth consecutive victory after winning the past three editions in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
He will have his hands full against Cameron Brown of New Zealand and Alaska Team TBB’s Mathieu O’Halloran who placed second and third in the 2012 race. Other male professionals to watch out for include Ben Allen Australia, Fredrik Cronberg of Sweden and Michael Murphy of Ireland.

Defending women’s champion Caroline Steffen of Alaska Team TBB returns to defend her crown. Her strongest challenge will come from 2011 champion and 2012 third placer Belinda Granger who is fresh from her triumph at the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon in Subic last June.

Expected to compete for the crown are Bree Wee from the United States (who placed second last year), Alaska Team TBB’s Christie Sym, and Jacqui Slack of Great Britain.

The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines is a qualifier for the IronMan World Championships Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada on September 8.

For more information, check out the Cobra Energy Drink IronMan 70.3 Philippines website, www.ironman703phil.com.

Sure you can train for and finish a triathlon on your own, but, it definitely makes life easier when you learn basic techniques and skills from experts who are not only experienced in their field, but are also well-equipped to train athletes like you.

It took quite a number of supportive people in the running and triathlon community—yes, as huge as a village—to guide me through my Ironman 70.3 Cebu journey.

Here’s a list of the coaches I worked with, even if there were many more friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who gave their much appreciated advice on how to do well for my first Ironman 70.3:

1) COACH ANDY LEUTERIO

When I was choosing a coach for triathlon, Coach Andy came to mind. I asked a friend about him and here’s how the conversation went:

Me: How’s Andy as a coach?

Friend: Andy will work you to death. Then, he’ll spit on you. Then, he’ll work you to death even more.

Me thinking: Oooh, I like him already.

With that, I signed up with Coach Andy as my primary coach for triathlon, with more focus on cycling.  Andy also works with Specialized, the guys that set me up with the Shiv, so he basically played two roles: the guy who trained me to reach my target time and, umm, the guy who set that specific target time for me to win the Shiv!

Andy set my training program composed of 9 workouts for 6 days of training per week. He emailed this to me every Monday while I filled it in with what I had accomplished and sent it back to him every Sunday. With this info, he could adjust each week’s program according to my schedule (e.g., travel, heavy workload, or kids’ exam week) and my progress.

Particularly in cycling, Coach Andy monitored my improvement through a Power Meter test and provided me with a comprehensive assessment of how I could train and race efficiently using my heart rate. He also accompanied me to Edmund Mangaser’s bike shop, All Terra, for bike fitting.

– 6 weeks before Ironman 70.3 Cebu. Power meter test at All Terra with Coach Andy. I remember asking Andy: “Coach, is it okay to do a Power Meter test after my swim training?” hoping he’d postpone it because I’d be tired. He replied: “Oh, that’s perfect. Bring running shoes too so you can run after.” Gasp. I didn’t call him the King of Suffering for nothing. –

Coach Andy is perfect for competitive athletes who want to improve their performance and constantly want to push their bodies to the limits. He regularly holds swim, bike, and run group sessions with his students, but, in my case, we were one-on-one or I’d do my homework on my own. He has an e-group to communicate with all students. He’s also a prolific writer so he occasionally sends out an inspiring letter or a technical article via this e-group.

– with Coach Andy after finishing Ironman 70.3 Cebu. Photo: Andy Leuterio –

Andy practices “tough love;” he won’t pamper you nor will he mince words to tell you exactly how hard you have to train for race day. He will prepare you for a race by killing you in training so that when race day arrives, it will be a walk in the park…or at least one with less suffering.

Training: Triathlon
Area: Alabang, Pasig
Phone: 0917-864-1014
Email: alpha_tri@yahoo.com

2) PATRICK JOSON

Coach Patrick Joson trained me for a few weeks on my roadie when I started biking in February 2012. He taught me proper mounting and dismounting, how to spin properly, and—the greatest fear of most newbie cyclists including myself— how to ride with cleats!  He was incredibly patient with me and gave me the assurance that he wouldn’t let me crash. I pitied him when he had to chase me all around the parking lot as I attempted my first ride with cleats.

Coach Patrick is great for beginners and serious athletes, especially those who enjoy training in groups. He enjoys dishing out new learnings in the world of running, cycling, nutrition, and triathlon, especially from the Maffetone and Pose Methods which he espouses. He trains runners and cyclists in Alabang.

Training: Triathlon
Area: Alabang
Phone: 0917-527-7141
Email: patrickjoson@gmail.com

3) NORMAN PASCUAL

I joined Coach Norman Pascual for 3 to 4 sessions of bike skills at SM Mall of Asia when I got the Shiv. Shifting from a roadie to a TT bike in April, just 5 months before Ironman 70.3 Cebu, caused much anxiety as I felt like I had to learn how to ride again.

Coach Norman taught me specific bike skills: bike handling, balance, riding on aero, drinking while riding, and proper mounting and dismounting. He even taught me how to refill my Speedfill as I was biking!  These sessions were a key factor in building my confidence on the bike.

I was a witness also to how he helped other friends go from zero to finishing the Ironman 70.3 Cebu.  I heard how he helped cyclists atop the Marcelo Fernan bridge and witnessed him pace one student in the run with complete disregard for his own performance.  Coach Norman is one coach who will go all out to care for each of his students.

– Coach Norman teaches me how to change a flat –

Coach Norman is a great coach for beginners, especially those who want to get into triathlon, as well as serious athletes who want to become more competitive. He coaches in groups and teaches you everything from swim, bike, run, and everything in between like transitions, drinking at stations, and other the little details that you don’t really find in books.

Training: Triathlon
Area: QC, Bonifacio Global City
Phone: 0917-862-6224

4) ANI DE LEON

Coach Ani is a friend and my teammate at Unilab Active Health. She offered to guide me in training for Cebu and would regularly email me a program as well. We didn’t get to train together regularly due to conflicts in schedule, but it was her training camp, The Next Step Tri Camp, last year that planted the seed in my mind that I could actually finish a medium distance triathlon.  Oh, this Iron mommy’s words of encouragement during smaller triathlons: “Go Jaymie!” as she gunned for first place certainly gave me that extra push to make it to the finish!

– Next Step Tri Camp 2011: with Coaches Ani and Dan Brown in Subic. This was my first open water swim –

Training: Triathlon
Area: Alabang, NUVALI
Phone: 0915-444-0290
Blog: My Strength is My Strength
Website: The Next Step Tri

5) MARTIN CARANDANG

I started training with Coach Martin in the summer of 2011. When injuries prevented me from running, I got into swimming as an alternative means to maintain my fitness and provide me with another goal while waiting to recover. True enough, my progress in swimming kept me happily distracted. From panting and pausing at every lap, I could swim 1.5k with, um, a lot less breaks during the summer of 2011.

– 2011 Swim squad photo. Just when I was just starting to get my feet wet…literally. L to R: Jake, Adel, Bic, Coach Martin, and myself –

When it was time to train seriously for Cebu this 2012, I had grasped the basic techniques and had a mileage base that Coach Martin said we could build on. Coach Martin started adding speed a month or two before Cebu. He got me swimming 2k at Tri United 2 with confidence and more speed, such a big improvement from my past triathlons. His practical tips before Tri United races and Ironman 70.3 Cebu also kept me calm and focused.

Training: Swimming
Area: Pasig
Phone: 0917-838-7967

6) NONOY BASA

Nonoy Basa didn’t train me for Ironman 70.3, but I had to include him in this list because it was my knowledge from my sessions 4 years ago that gave me the foundation for the swim. Nonoy is a Total Immersion swimming coach and I turned to him when I needed help for my mini-sprint triathlon way back in 2008. I highly recommend Total Immersion for anyone  who wishes to learn how to swim more efficiently.

– 2008 Total Immersion Sessions with my only classmate Dondi Gaston and Nonoy Basa –

Training: Swimming
Area: Alabang
Phone: 0917-350-6383

7) LIT ONRUBIA

Lit is one of the friends that I run with regularly especially for long runs. Luckily, he is also the first certified Chi Running coach in the country.

– 2009 Chi Running Session with my classmates and instructor, Lit Onrubia, on the far right –

While I can be stubborn when it comes to my running (no one can really tell me what I should do anymore or how slow or fast I should go!), I still get nuggets of running information from Lit every now and then.

During the run at Ironman 70.3 Cebu, the last and, undoubtedly the most critical portion of the race for me, I remembered to lean forward, keep my shoulders relaxed, tighten my core, and just let gravity do the work for me.

Training: Chi Running
Phone: For more info on the next Chi Running workshop, call or text 0915-638-5801
Website: Forward Lean Running

To the coaches mentioned above, thank you once again from the bottom of this Bull’s heart. I couldn’t have done it without you!  May you continue to spread the love for running and triathlon!