Posts Tagged with: "Ironman 70.3"

Finally, I can say it, I am an Ironman 70.3 Finisher!

Crossing the finish line last Sunday was one of the most fulfilling finishes, a culmination of all the blood, sweat, and tears—not just during the almost 7-hours of the race—but throughout the past months of arduous training, juggling nine workouts a week with family and work. Looking back, I still can’t believe I survived!

My official results:
Swim – 00:43:26
Bike – 03:28:18
Run – 02:28:52
Total – 06:50:35

As most of you know, I had a 6:49 target time set by Specialized to win my Shiv. I missed the target time by 1 minute. If you want to be anal about it, I missed it by 36 seconds. I’ve said all the curse words in my head, thought about all the what ifs, but nothing is really gonna give me back those 36 seconds. Do I return my beloved Shiv? Read on and you’ll find out. (Yep, pang telenovela na ito)

SWIM: 1.9k at 43:26

Before the race even started, as triathletes made their way to the water start several meters from the shore, many had wounded themselves from the sharp corals and rocks underneath…including myself.

– Guess who I bumped into before the race? Good friend and pacer at my very first marathon, Neville Manaois. He was part of the organizing committee for IM 70.3 (Photo: Neville Manaois) –

– Before entering the water thinking about two things: 1) What the hell did I get myself into? 2) Where do I throw this cup of water without getting penalized for littering? (Photo: Robert Acosta) –

– Nerves. Nerves. Nerves. (Photo: Robert Acosta) –

Even if I swam upon entry, I got huge scratches on my knee and several cuts on my hands and feet. Still, I don’t think it was an issue for many of us. We were going to be Ironmen—well, at least half of an Ironman!—in a few hours and nothing was gonna stop us!

Wave 1, with the pros, elite and majority of the men, went off at 6:15 am while Wave 2, where all women, relay teams, and men 18 to 29 or 50 and above, were to start at 6:25am. I had never joined a triathlon with a water start, but with buoys to cling to as we waited, it didn’t cause as much of a problem as I initially thought. Thank God we didn’t have to tread water as I probably would’ve bonked by the swim! Hah!

The gun went off, I started my Garmin, and swam ahead. I had swam the day before and, much to my pleasant surprise, I didn’t encounter any of the rumored “Twilight Zone” current nor jellyfish that scared me to death. I focused on my strokes, steady and strong, as advised by Coach Andy Leuterio, and enjoyed the pristine water while occasionally spotting sea life below.

The swim was a rectangular 1.9k course with majority of the route going against the current. Except for the time I got kicked in the chin, it turned out to be a wonderful swim. Most of the triathletes posted spectacular times. I finished my swim at 43 minutes, 6 minutes faster than I expected.

– The swim was fantastic! I enjoyed every minute. (Photo: Millette Rances) –

When I got out of the water, I discovered that my Garmin didn’t start at all! Without my swim time, I lost the chance to monitor my time. I was going to go into this race “blindly” which meant two things: 1) I would go by feel which is one of my favorite ways to race, and 2) I would have no idea if I was to make my target time to win my Shiv.

– Out of the swim at Transition 1. Drat, the watch isn’t working! Paaaanic! (Photo: Mia Macaraig) –

BIKE: 90k – 03:28:18

The bike is my weakest area. I only learned to ride in cleats in February and got the Shiv in April.  I was confident about my bike skills and the distance, but when I heard that Cebu had nasty headwind and crosswind, I was concerned.

– I look like I’m strolling in the park with my boyfriend, the Shiv. Next time, please remind me to rush out of transition. I wasted 5 minutes here! (Photo: Mirian Libre) –

As soon as I exited the transition area, the wind enveloped me. They weren’t kidding when they said there would be crosswind and headwind. Most of the bikers ahead of me were comfortably in aero position while I tried to calm myself, focus, and gain confidence even if the sound of the wind was unnerving.

The 90k route took us through four cities of Cebu: Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay. We ascended Marcelo Fernan Bridge, heading toward a letter M route, then back up the bridge to end the bike at Shangrila hotel. Again, I was to maintain a steady ride paying little attention to time nor speed and ensuring my heart rate didn’t go above 155.

As I’ve experienced in the past, particularly during the inaugural Cebu Marathon, Cebuanos go all out when cheering for athletes. I was glad to see hundreds of spectators, mostly students, lining both sides of the road. They cheered with so much enthusiasm and sincerity that it energized us and even provided entertainment for the long road ahead. I can’t count how many times I heard “You go girl!” (mostly from the gays, hah!), “You can do it!,” and even “Iya Iya” or “Ann Ann” (not that I look like any of these celebs that are a dozen years younger than I am, but mainly because I was a female and they knew both were in Cebu!)

– On Marcelo Fernan Bridge (Photo: Michael Ocana) –

The climb up Fernan bridge was not as difficult as I expected, probably because my training at Nuvali provided hills that were far longer and steeper. As we ventured out towards the M loop, it was a battle against the headwind. This made the course tough and, needless to say, for me, slow. The wind at certain portions, by Radisson Blu hotel and at SRP, made me even more cautious. At certain points, I could see my speed (or the lack of it) and I had to remind myself to just go by my own pace. I maintained my heart rate and pushed forward.

– Making a u-turn at the loop (Photo: FinisherPix) –

The good thing with the headwind was that, on the way back along the M loop, we enjoyed the tailwind. And, boy did I enjoy it! I was thrilled with the ride back; it was fast and easy and it allowed me to forget, even for a while, about the time and to simply enjoy the experience.

When I reached the transition area, I was extremely thankful for a safe ride without any flat tire or road mishaps. Even better, I knew I had enough left in the tank for a steady run.

RUN: 02:28:52

Without my time, the only plan I had in mind was to run a negative split: run easy on the first 10k and go faster in the second half.

The run was a two-loop course via Punta Engano starting and ending at Shangri-la hotel.

I was fortunate to start my run feeling strong. I found my rhythm by the first few kilometers and repeated a single line over and over: “I am a runner!” reminding myself that this was my strength and I was going to kill it.

By the second half though, the body and mind were tired. We were also running under the afternoon heat. I had a race belt carrying my own hydration, but I would stop at every station to pour cold, murky water (who cared where it came from?!) all over my body. I ran with soaked socks and shoes and this caused my feet to blister. At one point, I stopped by a medic station to ask for petroleum jelly. They had no clue what this was. Even when I asked for powder, they frantically went into the house searching for this. With the clock ticking, I decided not to wait and went ahead despite the pain employing a strategy I’ve used in past races: mind over blisters.

It was great to see other triathletes, especially my teammates from Unilab Active Health, along the course, supporting each other by exchanging high fives or yelling “Looking good!” or “Go! Go! Go!”

– Fun but painful run! (Photo: Lloyd Joseph Lawas) –

When I passed one teammate, Jake de Guzman, his simple gesture of pointing at me then beating his fist against his chest, made me dig deeper and push harder. This was no time to slow down or give up. It reminded me of the months of training together when I shared with him the sacrifices I had to make as a working Mom, when we compared notes on workouts and nutrition, when he told me, as we ended our training: “The Shiv is yours. The time will just confirm it.”

As I neared the end, a marshal yelled: “Malapit na. 800 meters nalang!” It was at this point when I decided to make a go of it. After 200 meters, much to my horror, the next marshal yelled: “Malapit ka na. 1km nalang!” Gasp! I didn’t know if I was going to laugh or cry!

– Last few meters! –

When we made our way into Shangrila, I thought that the race would soon be over, but, oh no, it wasn’t! With each turn, I would search for the finish line only to discover that there would be more meters to run. Where was the finish line?!!

After what felt like forever, I did cross the finish. I glanced at the clock ahead of me: 6:59. Since I started with Wave 2, 10 minutes after Wave 1, this meant I came in at 6:49. 6:49!!! Holy Shiv, I hit my target on the dot! I crossed the finish beaming with pride, I finished! Not just that, I won my bike!

– with the guy who prepared me for this race, Coach Andy Leuterio! Can’t thank you enough for all the pain and suffering, Coach! (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– Ton Gatmaitan and I took a leap of faith last December when we decided to sign up for IM 70.3 together. Here we are ecstatic after the finish line (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– My close friends in running…and now in triathlon: Jay Nacino and Jun Cruz. Jun and I trained for IM 70.3 together from the roads of Nuvali to Ultra. Couldn’t have done this without him! His key role was to lift me up from my bike every time I crashed! (Photo: Jun Cruz)-

– with good friend Hector Yuzon of Secondwind. Hec analyzed my past races and prepared a target pace and time for IM 70.3! Aaaw, don’t you just love having OC triathlete friends?! Thanks Hec! (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– Laugh trip! Ton, Hec’s IM hair, and Coach Andy’s hair. (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– with JaneJane Ong and world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue with the IM 70.3 Cebu medal that he designed. Unfortunately, my medal fell apart as soon as I crossed the finish (Photo: JaneJane Ong) –

– Teammate August Benedicto (in white with the trophy) is the Top Filipino Elite finisher with a time of 4:27! Here he is with my teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. I was probably sleeping or eating when this photo was taken. Thanks to Team ULAH, especially Clinton Hess, Pot, and Vida for the great support! (Photo: Pia Panlilio) –

OFFICIAL TIME

Later in the evening, I checked the Ironman 70.3 Cebu official results and discovered that I finished at 6:50:35. I missed my target time for the Shiv by 36 seconds. 36 seconds!!!

What if I didn’t stop during the swim to ask the marshal which way to the finish? What if I practiced a quicker transition? (My total transition time exceeded 10 minutes much to my Coach’s shock.) What if I had pushed just a wee bit faster on the bike? What if I didn’t wait at the medic station for the petroleum jelly? What if I didn’t pee six times?! (Seriously, I did! haha!)

So many what ifs. Sigh.

Thankfully, the good people at Specialized, Joey Ramirez and my Coach, Andy Leuterio, decided that they’ll still award me the Shiv. As Coach Andy texted: “Time targets are good but we shouldn’t attach too much fulfillment to them. What matters is how you finish the race.”

I’m blessed. I really am thankful for finishing the race safely, for being surrounded by such positive and supportive coaches, friends, and family, and for having the opportunity to participate in the race that pushes you so hard you feel so alive.

I really have no right to complain or to regret.

So, here’s my last what if:  What if I just sign up for Ironman 70.3 next year and prove to myself that I can cut more than 36 seconds off of my time?  Hmmm…let’s see!

NEXT: It Takes a Village to Raise a Triathlete – the coaches and friends who helped me train for Ironman 70.3

I did it! I finished the Ironman 70.3 Cebu last Sunday! It was a 1.9k swim, 90k bike ride, and 21k run that was pure suffering and so much fun!

While I’m busy organizing my thoughts into a blogpost, scrounging around the house for food, and well, um, basically just resting, allow me to share with you this video from the race.

Everytime I watch it, I feel like I’m back at the starting line with all the other 1,700 participants…

Click HERE to visit Ironman 70.3 Website.

Video courtesy of Ironman 70.3 Philippines 2012

Two more days until the big day!

I actually have an hour to go before I leave for the airport and fly off to Cebu. This may be the last time I’ll post before I race on Sunday as I expect to be caught in the whirl of activities that surrounds Ironman 70.3 Cebu.

I’m all set. I’ve packed my bags.

– Can you find my peanut butter and jelly, bagels, and gummy worms in there? –

– Awesome bike bag lent by Joey of Dan’s Bike Shop to keep the boyfriend Shiv safe and comfy –

Along with the luggage, I’ll be bringing along a whole lot of mental toughness, focus, and some sense of humor for the race. (Hey, I can’t start crying now about jellyfish, waves, and crosswind right? So, um, I figured I might as well just laugh about it! Hah!)

It’s a little over an hour’s trip to Cebu.  But, the journey to get to Ironman 70.3 has taken months of sweat, sacrifices, crashes, and tears.  It’s also been the most fulfilling months for me when I learned about my own mental and physical strength and where I truly pushed myself to the limits despite my fears.  I’ve been fortunate enough to receive  guidance from the best coaches around (who I’ll thank in a post next week) and from family, teammates, friends, and even you readers who’ve always been supportive of me.  I couldn’t have done this alone!  But, at the end of the day, the Ironman 70.3 is a solo journey.  As with everything in life, you are truly on your own out there facing your own demons and winning your own battles.

It’s been a long, challenging road just to get here, and, I’ll see how it all ends—or shall I say how a whole chapter of my life begins—after Ironman 70.3 Cebu on Sunday. Until then!

6:49. That’s the target time set by Specialized for me to finish Ironman 70.3. If I finish before then, I own the handsomest bike I have ever set my eyes on, the Specialized Shiv, that was loaned to me during the past few months. If I don’t, then I’ll have to purchase the Shiv if I want to keep him.

My thoughts:

1) Holy #@%*#! What did I get myself into?! I am dead!

2) It’s a fair target time. It’s achievable, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park too. I can do this! I will do this! I will own that Shiv!

3) Holy #@%*#! I can’t ride that fast! I’d rather pay for the bike then kill myself on the road! (Wait. I take that back. I think my husband will kill me first if I have to pay for that bike!)

4) I’ve done the work. I am physically and mentally ready for Ironman 70.3. Move over Pete Jacobs!

5) Holy #@%*#! I have to run that fast under intense heat after swimming and biking?!

6) 6:49? Pffft. I’ll finish 10 minutes before then with time to spare to kiss the Shiv, hug my coaches, and high five my teammates.

7) Uhm. Why am I doing this again?

Like many other triathletes signed up for Ironman 70.3 Cebu, I’m experiencing a wild mix of emotions—fear, excitement, anxiety, restlessness, doubt, confidence, and more—in the last two weeks leading up to the race.  In short, I’m going nuts!  (This target time is pushing me even closer to the edge, ya know!)

No one knows how our race will go. All we know now is what we did in the past months to prepare our bodies, our minds, and our hearts to endure whatever is out there in the water and on the road.

Target time or not, I’ll be giving my best come August 5 anyway. We probably all will. So, I’m heading into the race giving everything I’ve got, hoping for the best, and I’ll just swim, ride, and run strong heeding my coach’s last orders: GIVE THEM HELL!

Wish me luck. And, if you have time, please say a short prayer for me.

I don’t know how I survived the past week.  Really.

With three weeks to go, my program last week was heavy.  As in, ton of BRICKS heavy. (No pun intended.)  Total number of hours I worked out last week was 14 hours.  Longest I’ve ever trained!  (Imagine, I could’ve flown from Manila to LA with all that time and with much less sweat!)

KILLER WORKOUTS

I swam my longest ever, 3km, on Friday, rode my farthest distance, 110km in Nuvali on my Shiv Saturday, then ran 24k with friends on Sunday.  If the workouts weren’t long, they were intense; those are what I did on the other days that week.

Except for the run (don’t be surprised), I wanted to quit each workout that week.  While swimming laps with Coach Martin, at the 6th out of 24 repeats, I was thinking I could just pretend to drown, which was not very far from how I looked at that point.  During my bike trainer sessions at home, the cushy bed upstairs seemed to be calling out my name every 5 minutes; I replied “No thanks!” with all my might in between groveling and gasping for air.  As for the run, nearing the end of the 24th kilometer, I felt like I could do more, but, um, the smell of breakfast beckoned so I knew it was time to stop.

HIGH FIVE!

Surprise surprise, I did accomplish every single workout the past week.  There was a lot of groaning and whining, but, at the same time, there was a lot of laughter, pride, and high fives along the way.

I am completely amazed at what my body can do now compared to a few months back.  (I am equally astonished at how much weight I’ve lost despite all the food I’m eating!)  I am also equally aware of how—through months of training this body at specific skills—I’ve also inevitably trained the mind to become stronger and more focused.  And, the latter, my friends, is what I think matters most and is, so far, the biggest gift this journey has blessed me with.

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE COMING WEEK?

This coming week is all about back-to-back twice a day workouts.  (Say what?!  Coach Andy, I never heard of such punishment!)  Man, these triathletes have been putting themselves through these grueling workouts probably for years now and I’m the new runner who’s foolish enough to try it. Hah!

So, let’s see how I fare this week.  I expect a lot of suffering and a lot of fun! (Yes, I’ve learned the past few months that the two can actually co-exist.)