(And WHY I may not be racing it next year)
As I write this blog, my thoughts go to the glorious visuals of ‘Ironman 70.3 world championships’ written boldly at the start of the race. The feeling of getting to the start line in my 20’s is unforgettable. Wearing a neon pink and a wetsuit with the letters ‘ROKA’ written on it, I was mentally ready to dive into the lake and start my race consisting of a 1.9km swim, 90 km of bike and 21.1 km of run.
I wasn’t nervous about completing it, I had finished one about 3 months ago in Danang, Vietnam. I had won my qualification slot from that very race finishing with a timing of 6:06 hours. As the lineup for the world championship race began, I was surrounded by triathletes from across the world. I smiled at a few Australians and congratulated a few Europeans, my heart was beating faster than normal. I felt surreal and I couldn’t stop my excitement.
Before I move to the race start, let’s move to a couple of weeks ago, to the day my visa to Europe was approved. This was a triumph in itself, I remember running up towards my room to open my passport in front of my Dad’s picture. This was just 4 weeks after my first attempt was rejected and it was extremely challenging to just focus on doing it right the next time. That was a hard period to keep the training going as I was already dealing with a lot of grief. I felt sparks of self doubt on so many occasions, the rejection acting as a mere trigger.
What a relief, getting it was more important to plan the 2024 year calendar with European races and my bike upgrades than just the immediate race we were going for. Hush, hush, I was finally going to Europe for the very first time and the feeling was engulfing. Landing in Europe, the air and the water quality, lush green forests with minimal urbanisation and the yummy chicken tikka at Indian restaurants took me by a spiral. I felt a sense of pride and gratitude to be able to represent my country for the first time ever!
Every place in Europe was just extremely beautiful and as pedestrians, we felt like kings. Cars would wait until you cross the road and that was so unusual when you come from India. Every single bike ride we did across the race route felt like riding in a dreamy land. We were surrounded by grasslands, forests or cute homes at all times. The waters in the lake where the race was to take place were surreal.
Slowly, the small city of Lahti was flooded with triathletes from across the world. The restaurants suddenly had wait times and you could find a fancy canyon or a Cervelo just around every corner. While racking my bike in, my road bike Noah was among the only 10 other road bikes in the flock of TT bikes with disc wheels. The race route was also extremely challenging with the added cold weather and the gradual long climbs plus steep hills on the run. The time lost on the hill climb can’t be covered with the time gained on the downhills. But who cares, I was here for my first ever world championships, my second ever Ironman 70.3 event in my first year doing these races. I was just soaking in all the energy and positive vibes from the race. The defining moment was when I got to lift the Indian flag at the parade of nations. I felt truly gifted and the feeling of Euphoria surged through every vein!
LET’s GO BACK TO RACE DAY!
As the race whistle blew, I started my wetsuit swim with a jump-in and quickly gathered some stability. I had a tough time sighting as the only pieces to sight were the big buoys. The women were aggressive swimmers and alas I got out of the water in about 42 minutes. Probably faster than almost all other Indian women in the waters. The bike is where I witnessed the world standards. These women were a class apart, the men the next day were at another league altogether. Even the fastest Indian time was beyond the 800th position gender-wise. My race didn’t go as I expected with a crash due to a tube on the road. But I had gained the incredible experience I had come there for. I have loved every moment in my journey so far as a triathlete, it’s fascinating to know that there’s like an super long way to go.
So, If the experience was phenomenal, why am I not racing at the next world championships?
The experience at the world championships and training with a professional coach from Endure IQ made me realize a few aspects.
The current coaching framework in India is driven towards amateurs completing the races or towards securing a personal best. If I need to get anywhere close to the world level, I need to train differently. More so, scientifically.
The world championship courses are designed to be very challenging to make it a fair experience, making them a ‘No-PB course’. It also means that it needs a few days of training on the race route to understand the course to do well.
Everything from the flight prices, airport wait times, hotel rates, food and even the registration fees are hiked up at the WC races.
The ROI for these races at the current Indian racing level would mainly include the sweet bragging rights of finishing a world championship race only.
Whatever said, the experience at these races, especially in a European race is at a whole new level of celebration. It’s something that needs to be felt first hand and it adds to a lifelong memory. I have always felt homesick after just 10 days of travelling to another country. Even 14 days in I wanted to stay back and keep riding in the beautiful black roads of Lahti. Well, that’s why we have planned a month-long Trication to Europe in 2024 with a couple of 70.3’s. Can’t wait to surrender myself to the beautiful pine trees and lavish grasslands as I elevate myself to become a better athlete every day!
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