Race Report - Ironman 70.3 Philippines

Finally Aug 23 had arrived, and everyone was pumped. I'm not gonna talk much about the other stuff like registration and other pre-race activities. The only thing I will say is that it was nearly perfect - Kudos to the production team for really putting on a show!

Fast Forward to Race Day

Surprisingly I got to sleep pretty well. I only woke up 2-3 times during the night, and lulled myself to sleep by playing the race in my head. By around 3:45AM, I was already up. After getting dressed and fixing my gear, I proceeded to have breakfast. I boarded the bus headed to CWC, and the next thing I knew was I was already getting inked.

We had already checked in our bikes and T1 and T2 bags, so there was nothing much left to do than pump my tires, put fresh bottles and do last minute bike checks. Shortly after, I proceeded to the lake and did a short swim warmup, and some light stretching afterwards. The energy in the start area was amazing, and so was the anxiety. After the Pros were introduced, 7am was looming and the race was ready start.

Swim - 1.8km

I positioned myself on the outside left, thinking that if I swam relatively straight, I would be taking the shortest route to the turnaround, which was around 600m away. When the gun went off, so did everyone. For the next 400m, it would be about finding space. Constantly getting tugged at the feet needs getting used to, and you must really have the patience not to let it affect your rhythm. Nearing the swim turnaround, I finally got some space and was working some kind of rhythm. Visibility was near zero (I couldn't see past my spearing hand), and so taking someone's feet was more difficult. Heading back, I found myself veering off course, most oftenly to the left. This was the same problem I had in Subic. I adjusted my rudder and voila...I started swimming straight (Joke!). The swim back was mostly uneventful, as I just concentrated on swimming as straight as I could and maintaining a good rhythm.

The Washing Machine Live at CamSur

As I got out of the first lake, I glanced at my watch and it read 23mins...right on target. A short jog over to the small lake, and I found myself trailing my training buddy Drew. This 2nd lake posed a problem, since it was a counter-clockwise swim, and I was a single side (right) breather. However, 50m into the swim, I had a eureka moment. The 2nd lake was a wakeboard lake, hence there were cables which pulled wakeboarders through the course. For some strange reason, the idea of following the cables (sighting it on my right) seemed like a good idea. I followed my instincts and proceeded to guide myself around the lake following the cables. It worked perfectly!

I exited the 2nd lake at around 35mins...a pretty good swim.

T1

I picked up my bag, entered the tent, sat on the chair and emptied out the contents. I had been playing this transition in my head for several times... Put nutrition in back pocket, put on headband, put on helmet, put on watch, put on shoes, put on shades....done! In the middle of all of that, a foreigner beside me was struggling to put on his tri top (he swam bare torso) and asked me for help - Note to self: It's hard to put on tight clothing when you're wet. I was off...

Bike - 90km

The bike leg was amazing. Kids lined the streets holding flags and screamed 'Go, Go Ironman'. It felt like the Tour de France! The support on the streets definitely pumped me up. Aside from the occasional cheers, I got the usual 'Hey Joe' despite wearing the Philippine Flag on my chest. Maybe now's the time to finally have that 'Tangina mo, Hindi Joe ang pangalan ko!' jersey made :P

Still happy entering T2

The course was an out and back, roughly 90km total. They said it was flat, and most of us believed them. As I approached the turnaround point, my watch read 1:17...I thought to myself...this could not be possible...I was flying! Then it dawned on me...we must have been going downhill or had a tailwind. Sure enough, a few mins later, I found myself grinding out...barely making 27kph. The way back was tough, but again, the crowds on the streets (some said there were 90,000 people) kept us participants going. Before I knew it, I was on the main road, with less than 10km left to T2. I was feeling great. I made it to T2 and I was actually around 5 mins ahead of my target.

T2

T2 was much less complicated. After racking my bike, I walked to the change tent with my T2 bag, which had already been positioned at my rack. I changed from cycling to running shoes, took off my helmet and replaced it with a visor, and put on socks. As I was about to exit, Drew came in. I decided to wait for him so that we could run together.

Run - 21km

Drew and I began running at a pretty good pace. However, around 10mins in, I had to stop to pee, and told him to go ahead. There was not a cloud in the sky, and reports said it was pushing well over 40 degrees. It was close to noon then, so I made sure I stopped at every aid station, pouring as much water over my head, and getting some water and Gatorade into my system. About 3km in, my stomach felt really bad, and it seemed to be rejecting something. I stopped and proceeded to the side of the road, where I ended up puking. Everything came out, including my breakfast. A member of Sunkist Tri-Hard, which I later found out was Sec. Noy Andaya, briefly stopped to make sure I was alright, and handed me a bottle of water. This gesture of sportsmanship is what this sport is all about - thank you Sec. Andaya.

Drew and I starting the 21km hot run

I knew I needed to recover somehow, so I started walking for a few KMs. Once I felt a little better, I managed to alternate between jogging and walking. My race had gone south, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. As I was ending my first loop, my wife screamed 'Dig Deep!'. I then realized that this was what I have been training for. I needed to just suck it up and make do with what I had left. I shuffled the remaining 11kms, quads dead and calves locked-up. I walked every hill, and took my time in every aid station. I wanted to make sure I made it home.

With a few mins to spare to break 5:50, I finally crossed the finish line. The last 20m, running through the chute, and hearing your name is simply amazing. The sense of accomplishment makes all the pain worthwhile. At the finish, I was greeted by my wife Hannah and my teammate Drew. It never felt so good to be done.

Ironman 70.3 Finisher

I'll end here and save the learnings for another blog. It was a great experience and I have to thank Hannah (for not only the excellent race pics, but for all the support) and my teammates, especially Drew (for pushing me in every single workout).

My facebook status says it all...




See you all again next year. It was a pleasure. Congrats to all who started :)

With 2007 Kona Champ Chris 'Macca' McCormack


With the uber photographer and race journalist