I will be doing Ironman Lanzarote 2011. It is a year before the event, yet I thought it would be prudent to register early before the race sold out. As of now, many marquee M-Dot races have been snapped up completely – some within weeks, and even hours! In less than 10 days, Ironman Lanzarote has almost 900 participants registered.
Some triathletes ask me why I would repeat a race that I have completed. This was due to previous bad weather, cancelled swims, compromised health, and better performance; I have done Ironman Malaysia and Ironman New Zealand twice. Having done one of the toughest bike courses in Ironman, what would possess me to attempt it another time? Several reasons abound:
1) I strongly believe I can complete it again.
2) I seriously want to improve my timings for all three disciplines (and also for overall finishing time).
3) I have a fresh and sensible race and nutrition strategy.
4) I will race with more specific and rigorous training.
5) I have done more races since my first attempt at Lanzarote three years ago to benefit from my mistakes.
6) I am more confident of my fitness now than when I last did this race.
7) I have more insights about my strengths and weaknesses.
I like the challenges of this course; I did my best swim there. The climate is gentle. The first 40km of the ride is made across landscape that looks like the lava fields in Kona, with winds in your face. The hills make it physically and mentally tough; you climb from sea-level up to 2,500 metres. The scenery is awesome and definitely worth the climb. I blew it on my nutrition plan, having inadequate fuel to feed my hungry muscles. The food portions served at Club La Santa (official hotel) is awesome. The sangria is totally to die for! Plus, the race director, Kenneth personally welcomes every finisher at the end-point.
Consider what you would do twice.
No comments:
Post a Comment