14 May From 0 to 70.3 in 5 months
Hey everyone, below we have a special race report from one of our MetaMates! You may have seen him in a previous article, and he’s back to share his exploits from 70.3 Da Nang. It is a testament to how far he’s come and how much MetaSport Training brings to the table by way of coaching and a support community.
Swim
The swim went much better than expected! I was initially worried about strong currents and crowds, but the waters were calm and I managed to find a free lane early. From that point on I just tried to maintain a good rhythm throughout. I focused on applying the techniques we’ve been drilling in our training sessions, which helped me tremendously. I also got lucky with positioning – having started towards the back of the last pen, I had plenty of people to follow which meant less sighting was needed. Found several good drafting opportunities at different points of the swim that helped conserve energy too.
T1
Transition was smooth overall, with just one minor hiccup: I forgot to put my timing chip back on after removing it to put on my socks. Only noticed about 20km into the bike leg but decided not to let it affect my mental state.
Bike
The bike course was super flat and fast along Da Nang’s coastal roads (literally the ride of my life). I started too enthusiastically in the first half and had to dial back a little in the second half – classic pacing mistake! Fortunately, my nutrition and hydration went according to plan with no issues, which set me up well for the run (or at least the first half of it).
T2
The second transition went well and I managed to locate my timing chip I had left behind earlier. Though I did make a quick pit stop to empty the bladder – when you gotta go, you gotta go! Probably cost me a minute or two but I just couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Run
The first 12km felt decent and I was maintaining my desired pace, but things got tough from the 12km mark onwards. My stomach was feeling funny which meant I skipped all gels and electrolytes, taking only water every 2km (definitely need to work on this for future races). The lack of nutrition caught up with me and I had to take brief stops in the final 3-4km. During those tough moments, the mental image of Andy yelling at me not to stop helped push me through to the finish line! 😆
Overall it was a really good first experience and I’m forever grateful for the support the coaches and fellow Metamates showed leading up to it. Thanks everyone!
