After a relaxing off season, it was time to get back to it! After the first full, I had a pretty gentle off season with mostly yoga and weights but I quickly realized that this made it way harder to get back into training. Taitung (which is my first 70.3 a year ago!) was full already to my intense disappointment and the only other option was Davao in the Philippines. I really did not want to do a 70.3 in such a hot climate but I also wanted to sign up for something to kickstart my training. Jerry was also quite skeptical about going to Davao because he has suffered through some hot races (Danang!) but I ultimately decided to sign up.

One great thing about having the race in Davao was that Cathay recently introduced a direct flight! For those who have done a few races, you would know that a lot of locations are slightly difficult to get to (Taitung is plane then 3 hour bus, Busso was plane then 2-3 hour car ride), so this was definitely a perk! Our flight was delayed so we were unable to go to the Athlete Check-in as planned. We decided to just relax at the hotel and grab some food at the nearby mall.

This year was my first time being an AWA Athlete and participants were invited to a breakfast to hear from a veteran Ironman triathlete and an Ironman coach. I have been trying to be optimistic about the weather, but knew I was just in denial when they said “this will probably be one of the hottest runs you ever do”. The tips they gave were super helpful, especially the ones about how to survive the run in this weather. They also reminded us to think about our personal goals and why we are here when we are suffering and hurting, and how lucky we are to be able to participant in the first place. I think these thoughts really did help me when I was out there on the course the next day.

I’ve been lucky where my recent races did not start super early and I had to wake up when it was still dark outside. Unfortunately, this race started at 6:20 and transition closed at 5:30… meaning an early pre-sunrise wake up time. I went to sleep around 9 and had my alarm set at 3:30. We had shuttles leaving from the hotel from 4 and 4:30 so I wanted to make sure I had enough time to eat and prep in the morning.

Race morning! Maybe it was the first race of the season but I definitely had those exciting jitters when I woke up. Jerry and I had forgotten to bring our pump but I was expecting lots of helpers (like Busso) to be standing around at transition. I had let out the air of my tires out so I definitely needed the pump! To my despair there were no mechanics or people standing around with pumps. Everyone was busy pumping their own bikes and when I finally was able to borrow a pump from a less than friendly neighbor, I realize her pump did not latch properly with my wheels. Getting a bit frantic, I luckily found another pump from a nice girl and me and another girl who needed a pump (SO MANY OF US) helped each other out.

Sunrise at swim start 

With my cheerleader 🙂 

After the stressful start, I hustled to the start into my swim group. I was wearing a swimskin for the first time and was quite excited to see how it would perform for the race. The swim course is a little tight but I thought it would be ok since it is a rolling start… I was wrong. The swim was a complete clusterfuck and men were crashing and swimming over me for a good 500-600 meters. This usually happens in the first bit of the race but this was completely ridiculous. It was frustrating because I actually felt quite good but was unable to really settle into a good rhythm as I was being constantly attacked. At the second turnaround point, the swimmers spread out A LOT and I think the buoy may have drifted because after the race I spoke to a friend and he also felt that he wasn’t able to sight or see where he was going around the same area. I was hoping to check my Garmin to see how much extra I swam but my GPS was also wonky and jumped everywhere.

On to the bike! I turned on my bike computer, threw on my helmet and off I go…. then I realized I left my swim skin on!! I was already speeding down the road and contemplated stopping to take it off, but where would I put it?! I could try to shove it into my bottle where I have my spare inner tube and levers… but there’s hardly any space there. I certainly did not want to just toss it either, but with the hot weather I was getting worried that I would overheat. Another competitor rode behind me and told me I was still wearing it, and even offered to help me unzip it. Thanks but no thanks but great idea. I managed to unzip it while riding and that helped quite a bit because the swim skin is quite tight and this would also cool me down a little. Suddenly I hear a thud and realize my 2nd bottle of water fell off! I only had my front bottle and this bottle… so that was NOT GOOD.  I have also never grabbed a bottle from aid stations and did not really want to try that now in case I wipe out. But with the heat I definitely need more than just my front bottle. As I approached the volunteer holding out the bottle, I tried my best to slow down and hold the bike steady…. GOT IT! I was super pleased with myself until I realized the bottle has a cap outside AND another stopper inside. Why would you give such a difficult bottle to a cyclist? Complaints aside I was able to grab 3 more bottles during the race (yay!). However, my list of misfortunes during my bike ride did not end there. The road was super bumpy and to my horror during a particularly bumpy section my handle bars suddenly dipped down! I have had that happen before while riding in the airport and it was absolutely terrifying. I wasn’t sure if I could stop because I have to lean on the handlebars to pop off my seat and if bars fell down I would also. I had specifically tightened it quite hard the night before but clearly it was not enough (or I may have crushed the carbon according to my bike shop guy later). I tried to twist the handlebar back up gently without moving it TOO much but it was pretty scary it shifted multiple times during the bike course.

Can you spot my swim skin! 

Apart from all these problems, the bike course was AMAZING. The crowd was absolutely phenomenal and I have never been so invigorated by a local crowd. There were lots of children and locals out cheering and screaming for the athletes along the roads. I was super pleased to get a PB for my bike and was glad that I pulled through even with all the issues.

Now on to the run… my most dreaded part for this race. The bike did not feel too hot because there was a nice breeze but the heat definitely was no joke during the run. I did not do a lot of brick training before the race and it really showed. My legs felt like lead once I started and it took so much just to move them. There were aid stations at every 1 km with barrels of ice water and people were flocking to them like flies. Jerry gave me a great tip where I carried a small wet towel with me the entire time. It felt like a burden at first but soon became such a lifesaver. One of my major pet peeves are runners who run 200 meters… then walk… and then run again once you pass them. How about you man up and run the whole damn thing? There was one particular guy like that and I was struggling to shake him but I suddenly got a second wind and lost him for good! Crowds were also amazing during the run and I was so grateful to all the locals cheering for us and the armed militia protecting race participants in this heat! I felt amazing the last 3-4 km and powered through to the finish line!

That little orange towel was essential!

Overall I was super happy with the race because the PB on the bike allowed me to achieve a PB for the overall race too! The run could definitely be better and I look forward to seeing my improvement in Korea in May. I really was blown away by how passionate the crowds were and it really made such a difference in my experience. It was a great start to the season but I don’t know if I would do another tropical hot race! One thing that I remember from the AWA breakfast was the coach telling us that our energy affects ourselves and others during the race. He mentioned a few professional athletes are known to smile and cheer on other people and the positive effects of this. This was something that stuck with me and I tried my best to smile when things were tough and it really did make a difference!

I have done many things in my life that I am proud of, yet I might say completing the Ironman may be one of my top achievements. I have never been so dedicated and fully committed to one goal, I spent countless hours and poured literal blood, sweat, and tears into this journey. Even as I think back on it now, it still makes my heart flutter to think of the planning, training, and execution of this goal.

I came into Ironman knowing very little. One of the things that I love about this sport is how much I learn after each race. I would keep little notes after each race of things that I could improve on and what to look out for in the next race. I used to be petrified of U-turns and have slowly worked my way to feel more confident about them. I have also gotten better at remembering where my bike and transition bags were. For the full, I had to learn how to change my tires, something that I always hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with in my previous races. Nutrition and making sure I don’t cramp during the race was another huge issue for the full. I am so lucky to have seasoned teammates and Jerry who is my constant support and source of helpful information.

When I first started riding on the trainer, I could only last around 1 hour and I would be bored out of my mind and be dying to get off. As I started training more and finding ways to past the time (Harry Potter audio books and a LOT of Kona highlight videos), I was slowly starting to get to 4 hours… then ultimately 6 hours! If my previous self had heard this, I would have 100% not believe it. Many times while I rode and watched the uplifting (and brainwashing) Ironman videos, I would tear up and be filled with emotion. The videos are super hyped up and are made to tug at your heartstrings, but I agreed with every single word they said. Swimming was also something that I found myself enjoying more and more. I used to dread waking up so early to jump into a cold pool, but as I went to more and more squad sessions, I found myself looking forward to the feeling of gliding through the water (most of the time!). I was so happy with my progress and felt so empowered week by week. I was crushing workouts that I only dreamt about months ago.

Obviously there are some low points too. Sometimes I didn’t feel like I was as strong as I should be getting, that the progress was slow. Training for an Ironman is mentally taxing and sometimes you just have off days. In moments like these, it was so important to remind myself that I am sticking to my training plan and it’s ok to rest when your body really needs it. Once again having Jerry there was indispensable and he always encouraged me and gave me good feedback and examples from his own experience.

My #1 cheerleader

During the race, I was really lucky and I did not have any bike mechanical issues. My front water bottle was slipping off and my power meter did run out of battery (software issue) but luckily I did not have any flat tires or other major problems. I was also lucky that I did not have any cramps during the run. I always went into a race with a goal time. With an Ironman, it was a little more difficult since it is such a huge race with many opportunities for delay. During Jerry’s first full, he basically limped through half the 42 km with a painful cramp. Ultimately I settled for around 14 hours and sub 14 was something that I REALLY wanted but did not think was actually feasible.

During the race, I surprised myself by how powerful my body felt. Yes, there were some painful moments and I did have to remind myself of how much I had trained to get to this moment, but overall I was shocked by how my body carried itself after hours and hours of physical exertion. During the last 10 km, I was constantly reminding myself to not slow down and to push it as much as I could. I knew that if I allowed myself to slack off and then missed my goal, I would be so frustrated with myself. I will never forget the feeling of turning the corner into the carpeted finish line… the flashing lights, the cheering, and the drum like banging of hands against the railing… and realizing that I had finished in 13 hours and 37 minutes. This was a time that I was not expecting at all and at that moment I felt stronger, more powerful, and capable than ever.

Doing an Ironman has shown me that not only could I do anything I put my mind to, but that I could do it way better than I had imagined. It also showed me that I had the will power and dedication to prepare for something so taxing. Obviously this was my own choice, but when I look back on the months leading up to the race, I remember all the social events where I had to leave early or not attend at all to make sure I could wake up bright and early the next day to train. I’ve also been so blessed to be surrounded by supportive friends and loved ones (and also friendly strangers! I love the triathlon community) who were so excited for me to embark on this milestone and who celebrated and cheered (both in person and virtually!) as I charged towards that finish line. This journey is something I will never forget and was not SO traumatic that I will definitely be tackling another full soon!