Hawaii World Championships 2023
Having just returned from a week at Club La Santa in Lanzarote, in the ‘pro zone’ as usual from there , I thought I would put down a few words re my race last year. My sights had been set on a return to Kona for quite a while – since a dnf in 2000 which is quite a while ago in my second year of racing triathlon.
My goal was a podium finish which ranged from 10.19 to 10.30 and is achievable by me fully fit and uninjured (sporting background – 13 seasons of hockey – triathlon – 10 years of cycling primarily track cycling and always a naturally good runner if even on only 20km a week due to usual achilles issues).
As the year progressed this goal changed on a moving scale for me to getting there in one piece and just getting to the finish line and enjoying my holiday with an old college friend and her cousin. This was due to a fractured knee just before a swim race when I slipped on some sand and landed on some concrete and a semi dislocated and a fractured right shoulder due to an altercation with tram lines one very hot evening on my way home from work (Chartered Accountant by profession) – the left one has been out many times posterior dislocation and a lost cause per se.
My overall point is that my preparation consisted of 400m swims in the waterpark for the few months before and 4 x 3 hour bike rides for the few weeks before it but I could run without too much knee connection and kept my mind intact by getting around some 10kms and a half marathon at a steady pace.
I knew I had to do a Half Ironman before I got there so did the Sandman – my first 90km ride easy since mid June and then I was set.
Many of us forget that we have the years in our legs and minds and I used that as my focus. For the week itself, I was there early and did the training swim to see where I was at functionally – 1.40 – I swam 1.29 on the day (both swimsuit) and was happy with this – bike I knew it was just to ride easy and I jogged the first 30km of the run before walking the last 12 km.
My point to all is that now is the time to think about this again for next year or the year after!