EVENT DATE: May 12th, 20234
BIB NUMBER: B38
AGE GROUP: 25–29
Official Time: 5:34:55
Position: Age Group — 8th
A few minutes into a 10-minute run in the city of Danang, sweat comes pouring down like rainwater. The city is gorgeous, people are super welcoming and their habits are enviable. You can spot the majority at a 6 a.m. breakfast and 6 p.m. dinner, even in a fancy resort or on a cruise trip. I just love this tier-2 coastal city, no wonder we went back for a second time.
The Vinfast Ironman 70.3 Danang is a ferocious event. It's not for the faint-hearted. The swim is rough, and the so-called ‘Flat’ bike and run course is insanely hot. If your race day has a spell of rain, you are in a treat, this can be your PB day. Otherwise welcome to a day of sufferfest, swim or no swim.
A FEW MONTHS LEADING UP TO VIETNAM
The first few months of the year saw a very tough patch. I have been through worse in the previous years but this was hard, hard. One part of it was sickness, so mild that we work work work, but training took a blow. Looking back, it only shaped us to embrace anything that comes our way. I am happy, life is my biggest teacher and I have been an excellent student. From Jan to April, I swam for about 2 months with 4 good sessions per week. It's double the volume I was swimming in last year. I’ve gotten smoother and more comfortable in water. My overall fitness levels have bumped up and I can run with a better rhythm. Luckily, I didn't have any injury but sickness can get annoying after a point. You just wait for that dark tunnel to end.
This year we had big plans, and we still do. Looking at it now, we can make it happen. A few months ago, not sure, but we never lost hope.
REACHING VIETNAM
This was our second trip to Danang, and we stayed at the same resort ‘Olalani Resort’ located about 1km from the race hotel. The view, the hospitality and most importantly the ‘Ashiatsu massage’ where they stand on you is unparalleled! We reached about 3 days before the race. I hate overnight flights as I cannot sleep, so basically Day 1 was sleep. Day 2, I went for a swim in the morning. Everything looked okay, a rough sea wasn’t new, it was the same last year. In the afternoon was a fun interview with the Ironman Team as I was part of the A-list participants they had selected based on previous performances. The tough part wasn't answering the questions, but answering them after removing my sunglasses. HOT HOT HOT.
PRE - RACE DAYS
We quickly got done with the expo mandates, met a massive group from Sri Lanka and then got a quick Hyperice boot recovery. All done, we were back for a yummy Indian lunch ordered from the famous ‘Maharaja restaurant’ with a Taj Mahal photo on its beige walls.
After a nap, we stepped out for a 1.15-hour ride on the race course around 5:30 pm. The ride had about 30 minutes of warm-up, some short hill reps at race pace and a cool-down. It got dark by 6 pm and the flashy lights of Danang and its street restaurants overpowered my bike’s backlight very soon. Interesting ride until my friend got almost knocked off by 2 ladies on a two-wheeler. They can be aggressive riders sometimes.
The next morning, the ocean took a different swing. I didn’t have a scheduled training session and another Indian wanted support with the swim. I make my way in and out of the waves pretty comfortably but this time the waves were 1.5x stronger than the previous day. Without a streamlined position, one would get tossed in different directions while coming out, but only if one could manage an entry. I waited post every wave to help the person come in, the waves were in no mood to accommodate. The person chose to head back, thinking that would be easier, only to get nauseous and stuck. I navigated out in about 5-8 minutes but had to go back in to bring the person back. The lifeguard could spot nothing.
In the person’s own words, after having done many races across India and other countries, nothing was comparable. “OWS camps in the sweet waves of Bambolim Beach don’t cut’. This experience was life-changing for me. It’s extremely challenging to race and do practice sessions in other countries, especially without groups. It ain't the same as in the comfort of your own country. Straight up, the challenges cannot be compared.
I racked my bike in the very first row along with other elites. My sweet road bike with aero bars made friends with fancy TT’s and discs. No insecurity there.
That day just went from okay to worse with time. My Purpose race suit never arrived in Vietnam and my shoes didn't have the elastics. There wasn't much time to check and figure out as the days were packed. Partially my fault as well, should’ve asked for help early. There was more but I had a good support system around me. In the morning, my bottle was missing and I had just 1.2 litres for the whole race. I have been toughened in the last few years to make these challenges feel like a pinch of salt. My bike was fine, I was fine so it was time to embrace it all and go for the kill.
RACE DAY
The swim situation looked dicey as the Ironman Team also had some rescues the previous day. They didn't want to take any risk. They chopped the 1.9km swim to a 300m run, a 700m swim and a 300m run back to transition. 6 am in Vietnam looks like 10 am in India. “Race and weather gods, please be kind. Sea don’t swallow me.”
I closed my eyes regained my focus, and decided to start with the 2nd batch of swimmers. AWA caps give you access to any swim zone. The swim was 30m into the ocean with a wave smashing you every 6 seconds. Most participants ran as much with a couple of swim strokes here and there. Felt like a leg workout for me, especially with my hyper-mobility with people crashing into me along with the waves. I might’ve had the slowest time and I wished we swam, but safety >.
Transition 1
A quick transition as usual, with no fumbles, I have done this a gazillion times now and without my menstrual cycle, my mind is super clear and present. Got it done quickly, put in some gels and took my road bike Noah onto the mount line.
BIKE
‘A 90km ride, mostly flat with small 2 hills in between along the most beautiful coastline’ is a good line to describe the race course. The race is organized very efficiently and traffic is cordoned. The roads were tarred for the race two days before. An 8th wonder for us Indians.
The aid stations on the bike felt infrequent as the previous year. It was more in focus for me as I already was short of water. I stayed within my HR and Power zones in the first 20-30 km and then slowly bumped it up. I averaged about 14 watts more than the range I was given as a reference. I tried staying in the aero position as much as possible but my traps hurt more than my legs. It must be the bike fit but there’s a limit to the customisation for an aero position on a road bike. The ride was great, I relished some good air, tucked in and rode with control at the beginning, some aggressive power in the middle and got it done in the end. There was no aid station in the last 15-5km mark and that took me down. My VMO started to hurt a bit and I was craving electrolytes. I replenished on that final station but the damage was done and the consequences were on the run. It just feels great to get the bike done, 1 more leg to go! The temperatures were soaring. “Thank God I tried to pose for the pictures, let's see how they come out”. “Ugh, can there not be one aid station here, cold water, I need you”. “Let's break that draft, overtake her, damn so many girls latching onto some guy’s wheels. K”
Transition 2:
T2 was slow, I had to tie my laces like a kid and my run had turned into a shuttle. Somehow dropped my bike, got my shoes on and focused on getting to the aid station about 300m away.
RUN
This course is like a splash zone in an amusement park. You get people spraying water from a pipe to splashing water from big bins. Ana Garcia, the girl from Guatemala who won the overall race told me “Damn, I didn’t know you couldn't drink the water from these splash water bins, had an upset stomach post-race”. Well, I didn’t drink, but I have two minds now. I needed more frequent water. I stopped at the first aid station, my VMO giving away. Can’t take a step more. I asked for spray, rubbed some ice and genius I used the same ice on my face. EYE BURN. A couple of minutes with “Damn, I don’t want to DNF but I can’t run if it hurts this way” and I was off. All it needed was some water and ice, and everything was nice.
Went slow and easy on the run, with a pace that I knew I could sustain. Built up the pace over time. After a lap, the ice and mugs in the splash buckets disappeared. Wasted attempts taking a detour to a blue water bin to find it empty. Last 5km, the water in them disappeared too. But not bad, the aid stations were decent. I felt a bit high on carbs, or maybe it wasn’t digesting as well due to the high temperatures. I decided not to take the last gel. But my RPE was a lot lower than my previous year's race. Well, coach said its a traning race after all. I overtook many many on the run, it feels great especially when you’re not a lanky runner. In the last 2km, I did some competitive moves over 2 girls and raced to the finish line. I felt faster than I looked on camera.
Crossed the finish line with arms above, my usual pose because I just couldn’t think of anything else at that point. Happy and elated to meet UJ after the finish line. I was done. This was tough but I am tougher. I am getting stronger with every progressive day and I am in love with the process.
It’s just 6 weeks to the next Ironman 70.3 race and I’m already pumped to go for it.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a fantastic day ahead!
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