This blog is not so much about the one race I have just completed - 70.3 Xiamen, China, but the thing that keeps me motivated from race to race and keeps that desire to compete alive - I simply LOVE racing! Yes, and I won't lie, I enjoy beating others I race against! I am a person who lives life from goal to goal - I set myself goals in my personal life, at work and in my sport, and I will stop at nothing to achieve these set goals. They hardly ever come easy and some take time and I suppose there is one relating to triathlon that has taken many years. My incredible wife, Sharon, wrote an article on Facebook after I completed Xiamen, about how she is a firm believer that ‘life is a journey and not a destination’. I have been on a triathlon journey since 1999 (with a few forced injury breaks in between). Sharon has been part of the Kona journey of my triathlon years since 2008, when it became a realistic goal with my first sub 10hr SA Ironman. I have had my up and downs and come close but just never quite made it - until now. To be honest I didn't make Kona the be all and end all, simply because I love every race I enter so much - they are all part of the journey. I always thought that when the time is right I will qualify - there wasn't a specific year that it had to happen in. Then in late 2015 I was urged on by Craig Wilson (who had just completed Kona) to join the TriFacTri club, led by coach supremo Lucie Zelenkova. The inspiration and motivation from likeminded triathletes at TriFacTri, the incredible belief from Lucie in my abilities and the ongoing support of my wife and beautiful twins, then created a year to remember. Three 70.3 races (2nd in my age in all 3), two Ultra's (1st in my age in both) and a couple of strong performances in shorter events has ended in a Kona slot.
The day's building up to the race were as usual, getting everything 100% prepared, registering, trying to relax but also put in those last few sessions, meeting a few people (when you in a foreign country one tends to seek out the South Africans, Auzzies, New Zealanders and in my case Germans) and this time around seeking medical care the day before – long story. The mishap was not in the script, but lesson 1 - NEVER walk around barefoot the few days before a big race! I also knew what advice I was going to get from Lucie – “Suck it up and race”! Again I got very little sleep the night before - I am simply too nervous and have so many thoughts running through my mind. One would think that after 17 years of this sport I would be used to racing - I never get used to it, that's probably why I LOVE it so much. Race morning went fairly smoothly, strange start time in China of 9.45am, meant that I didn't need to get up as early as usual but I still had my Future Life (brought with from SA) at 5.30 am and ended up being the first person to line for transition opening. That gave me plenty of time to relax and absorb some of the pre-race atmosphere. It was a rolling start and it seemed many athletes in China thought they were sub 30minutes which meant I ended up in about the 12th group to start. Despite being the tallest guy on the beach by some way, the Chinese have a knack of pushing and shoving. I later heard that pushing back is the best remedy! The swim was great, I excited the water 3rd and still remember hearing Paul Kay coming through on the loudspeaker talking about a South African being in the top 3 – great feeling! The run to transition and getting the bike was a rather long one but once on the bike course it was all worth it. My favourite discipline lay ahead on a pretty flat course, on perfect roads that were barricaded for all 45km (2 lap course) and policemen standing what seemed like 100m apart. Apparently the Chinese have no idea what the sport entails so they took every possible precaution to ensure a safe race for all. The heat starting taking its toll and it felt like I was weakening but my splits were exactly 1.10 per lap. Happy to average over 38km/h. I was now ready for the discipline I had trained the hardest for and which has always been my least favourite - the run. It was now 12.30 in the afternoon and the air felt hot and heavy (air pollution is a problem in China). It was a 3 lap run, very flat along a beach front similar to Durban 70.3. I started ok, but towards the end of lap 2 I felt really weak and at one point felt like I was going to collapse. I got to a water point and shoved my entire head into the giant drums that were full of ice water for the sponges. I think the local Chinese volunteers thought I was crazy. I recovered somewhat and finished the third lap slightly better than the second. I crossed the line - I was absolutely exhausted. I try finish every race in this state – It might not be healthy but I tell myself that at least I left everything I had out on the roads. Why waste precious energy for any other time but the race!!
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May 2018
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