I did Ironman South Africa on April 6th. I've got to say the level of organization was really superb. At the current exchange rate the entry is about $430 which is incredible value for money, especially given that the level of professionalism is higher than any other regular Ironman I've done. It's a bit of a mission getting there from the US, but if you're in Europe it's a no-brainer (overnight flight and no jet lag) - I would enter this race.
Here's the Short Version of my race report:
09:53, 3rd place M35-39 (that means a kona slot too), 29th overall. Pretty happy with the result considering a relatively low training volume. I basically did just enough to KQ, without killing myself over the winter. The really interesting take away for me, is that the final training block is really the critical thing, everything before that is just to make sure you can handle that specific block.
Swim 1:03 (under-performed but still a PR). 23rd in AG, 176th overall
T1: uneventful besides passing 38 people, 5 of whom were in my AG. Came out of T2 in 16th
Bike 5:19 342 TSS, .80 IF, 236W NP, 215 AP, VI 1.1, Pw:HR -1.98%, 6000ft elevation gain (there were some nice fast downhills but I descended like a bit of a chicken). Unusual for this time of year there was a strong easterly wind, which meant the first part of each lap was in the hills, with a 50km coastal stretch back to T1 into a headwind. Even though it technically wasn't extremely hot, I felt more "weathered" than I have in hot races like kona and cabo. I worked my way up to start the run 32nd overall, 4th in AG. Here is my bike data
Run 3:24 (not my best time but I was happy with that considering the tougher than average bike course, and strong wind during the run). Finished 29th overall, 3rd in AG. Here is my run data.
Sprint finish for the podium! my fastest mile of the day was mile 26 (6:30) with the last half mile @ 5:44/mile... That made the day super exciting (full details in the long version on my blog, where it's easier to add pics and videos). Here is a pic of my HR and pace graph at the end...
- It was a tight race in M35-39 with only 90 seconds between 2nd and 4th
- Fantastic course, amazing people, superb event organization
- as with all Ironman races, I learned something new. This time I finally nailed my pre-race nutrition with high fat low carb until 2 days out, then a specific carb loading protocol without overdoing it.
- St Croix 70.3 will now be a "pressure-free" race and I can focus on having fun!
- I've got a "long version" on my blog, which is really long, and includes pics, videos, details about training volume, CTL, race week diet, and of course a detailed account of the day.
____________________________________
Are you ready to do an Ultraman? | How I calculate Ironman race fueling | Strength Training for Athletes |
Here's the Short Version of my race report:
09:53, 3rd place M35-39 (that means a kona slot too), 29th overall. Pretty happy with the result considering a relatively low training volume. I basically did just enough to KQ, without killing myself over the winter. The really interesting take away for me, is that the final training block is really the critical thing, everything before that is just to make sure you can handle that specific block.
Swim 1:03 (under-performed but still a PR). 23rd in AG, 176th overall
T1: uneventful besides passing 38 people, 5 of whom were in my AG. Came out of T2 in 16th
Bike 5:19 342 TSS, .80 IF, 236W NP, 215 AP, VI 1.1, Pw:HR -1.98%, 6000ft elevation gain (there were some nice fast downhills but I descended like a bit of a chicken). Unusual for this time of year there was a strong easterly wind, which meant the first part of each lap was in the hills, with a 50km coastal stretch back to T1 into a headwind. Even though it technically wasn't extremely hot, I felt more "weathered" than I have in hot races like kona and cabo. I worked my way up to start the run 32nd overall, 4th in AG. Here is my bike data
Run 3:24 (not my best time but I was happy with that considering the tougher than average bike course, and strong wind during the run). Finished 29th overall, 3rd in AG. Here is my run data.
Sprint finish for the podium! my fastest mile of the day was mile 26 (6:30) with the last half mile @ 5:44/mile... That made the day super exciting (full details in the long version on my blog, where it's easier to add pics and videos). Here is a pic of my HR and pace graph at the end...
- It was a tight race in M35-39 with only 90 seconds between 2nd and 4th
- Fantastic course, amazing people, superb event organization
- as with all Ironman races, I learned something new. This time I finally nailed my pre-race nutrition with high fat low carb until 2 days out, then a specific carb loading protocol without overdoing it.
- St Croix 70.3 will now be a "pressure-free" race and I can focus on having fun!
- I've got a "long version" on my blog, which is really long, and includes pics, videos, details about training volume, CTL, race week diet, and of course a detailed account of the day.
____________________________________
Are you ready to do an Ultraman? | How I calculate Ironman race fueling | Strength Training for Athletes |