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Ironman Langkawi - Triathlon


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Cenang, Kedah
MY
35C / 95F
Sunny
Total Time = 15h 04m 37s
Overall Rank = 413/900
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 53/121
Pre-race routine:

Had a banana and a coconut water drink about 3 hours before race start
Event warmup:

None
Swim
  • 1h 29m 29s
  • 3800 meters
  • 02m 21s / 100 meters
Comments:

Timing was exactly as I had expected. Thought I would come in at 1:30h. Which is a bit disappointing, because it shows that swim faster in a pool. And that there is no difference if I swim in a fresh water lake or in salt water.
Otherwise the swim was nice, no current, no jelly fish as far as I could see, and warm water.
What would you do differently?:

Just need to train more I think.
Transition 1
  • 16m 36s
Comments:

Had to pee so stopped at the porta-potty. Had tried to do it in the water while swimming but failed :) Otherwise took my time. We had a changing tent so could sit down, have a peanutbutter, jelly sandwich and change from my swim trunks into my bike gear. Took my time. Since this was my first Ironman, I tried to avoid stressing.
What would you do differently?:

Will be a bit faster next time.
Bike
  • 7h 06m 43s
  • 180 kms
  • 25.31 km/hr
Comments:

It was as hot as could be expected, around 35 degrees Celcius. Tried to keep a comfortable effort. Did not look at my speed or time. But was devastated to feel some early cramps already on the first loop, which turned into full on cramps up the steep hills on the second loop. My stomach also started feeling bloated. No idea why. I had a peanutbutter jelly sandwich at the special needs at about 100km. Otherwise was drinking the sportsdrink I have been using in training and water roughly every 10-15 minutes. Never had any issues with cramping or stomach during training. May have ended up drinking a bit too little towards the end as my stomach just felt full and I struggled to get anything down.
Happy with my overall time though which again was just as I had expected. My prediction had been 7h, finished in 7:06h
What would you do differently?:

Definitely need to relook my nutrition and hydration plan. Don't know what went wrong, but something did.
Transition 2
  • 13m 31s
Comments:

They had volunteers taking our bikes which was very nice. I am not pro enough to jump off with the shoes on the bike, so after I had handed it off I took off my shoes and waddled to the changing room with shoes in hand. This is the only indoor T2 in the world with aircondition I think, which felt fantastic in the tropical heat. Again took my time here. Partly because my legs felt quite bad after the cramps up the hills on the bike. So afforded myself a couple of minutes extra to cool down, while I tried to stretch and shake my legs. Also changed from bike pants to running pants - would finish the race in a pair of Tri pants with very thin chamois. Kept my top on as it shields the full upper body from the sun and is supposed to have some cooling effects. Also changed my socks.
What would you do differently?:

Next time I will probably try to be a bit faster.
Run
  • 5h 58m 18s
  • 42.2 kms
  • 08m 29s  min/km
Comments:

The run turned out to be a struggle. My stomach still felt bloated and I was not able to get much liquid down. There were aid stations about every 1,6-2km, but I could max get down a mouth full each time. Also managed to lose my electrolyte tablets after 5 km. The legs were stiff and got quite painful, but it was the stomach pain that prevented me from running most of the time. Started off with running a few hundred meters, then walking a bit, the running again. But the running parts got shorter, and the walking parts got longer until about halfway when I walked a couple of km's. Also spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I could do with my stomach, if I should vomit, or what had caused it. Was hoping I had overhydrated on the bike, so there was too much liquid inside that would slowly go away. But don't think that was the issue. This was also the first time I ran more than 30km so was "excited" to see what would happen when I entered the unchartered distances. But despite being very, very painful, my legs held up quite well. And with about 10km to go my stomach also finally seemed to settle abit. So was able to finish the race with the fastest 7km of my entire run. Finished the run in 5:58h, had to smile, I had predicted 6h, and a total time of 15h, my total read 15:04h...
What would you do differently?:

A lot. Firstly, in the heat we drenched ourselves in cold water every aid station, but the shoes I wore seemed to retain quite a bit of water inside the shoes. So my feet swelled up really bad, and formed blisters. Felt like I was walking on glass. Did not prevent me from running though, was just painful. Secondly the hydration, this is something I have to fix for the whole race. Still not sure what went wrong.
Post race
Warm down:

When I passed the finish line and heard the coveted "you are an Ironman" I was absolutely thrilled. But only seconds later I just sank down on a chair and felt quite miserable. All I could think is that I was glad it was over. It had been absolutely brutal, from the last hills on the bike through the run. I started feeling nauseous and still could not drink much, felt like I would vomit any time. Sat for about 1,5h before I finally got up and dared get my bag to change clothes. And realized my legs were stiff and could barely hold me if I bent my knees. My stomach discomfort lasted until the next evening, when finally I was able to eat normal.

I did not weigh myself immediately after the race. But 4 days later I was still 2kg below my starting weight. And I was already very lean if not skinny.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The stomach problems. Something went wrong with the nutrition and hydration. Will need to test this more and see. But it puzzles me because I did just as I had successfully done in training.

Event comments:

I think it was a very well organized race. They had improved from the previous year I understood, based on feedback collected then. The swim was now in the bay of a 5 star resort, so just imagine a tropical island beach and bay. No current or waves.
The bike course was good, in some very scenic areas, but also very tough. Heard some pro's discuss that this is the toughest Ironman after Kona - probably due to the tough bike course and climate. The 3 steep hills we had to pass twice had a lot of the participants off their bikes.
The run was nice, although some parts were very dark and could have used a bit more lights. T2 was absolutely fantastic inside a big expo hall with airconditioning! The volunteers were great and there seemed to be a perfect amount of aid stations.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2015-11-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:29:29 | 3800 meters | 02m 21s / 100meters
Age Group: 49/121
Overall: 424/900
Performance: Good
Suit: Swim trunks
Course: 2 loops inside a bay. Beach run start, four and four athletes at a time.
Start type: Run Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 30C / 86F Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 16:36
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
07:06:43 | 180 kms | 25.31 km/hr
Age Group: 63/121
Overall: 468/900
Performance: Average
Wind: None
Course: 1 and a half loops. First 30km hilly, then about 50km flat, followed by 3 very, very steep hills. Then 30km to T1 and repeat, but after the 3 steep hills on the second loop you take a different flat route to the T2. T1 and T2 are at different places.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 77
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 13:31
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
05:58:18 | 42.2 kms | 08m 29s  min/km
Age Group: 53/121
Overall: 413/900
Performance: Below average
Course: Pretty much completely flat, running around a runway, along a beach and on some side roads. 2 and a half loops. Finishing at a beach resort.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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