It has been eight days since the Ironman 70.3 last Aug. 9, but I still can’t forget the challenges the triathletes faced.
SWIM. The swim was the toughest since this triathlon race started in Cebu in 2012.
Atty. Oliver Moeller, our relay swimmer, experienced the brutal conditions firsthand. Although the official swim distance was cut to 1K (from 1.9K — a good move!), his watch recorded 1.8 kms. because the strong current forced him into a zigzag pattern just to stay on course.
BIKE. I did the 90K bike ride, and it was the most challenging since I first joined this event in 2012.
When you’re up on the CCLEX, the wind doesn’t simply blow against you. It pushes you sideways, hard enough that you have to hold your handlebars firmly as your bike begins to wobble. Your natural reaction is to slow down, but that can make things more dangerous because you become less stable.
Yet going faster has its own danger. A strong gust can suddenly push you sideways and cause you to fall. The worst stretch was going down the CCLEX towards SM Seaside.
Carlo Villarica and Mathias Bergundthal, who also did the bike relays, attested to these challenges when I spoke to them after. You experience everything—sidewind, headwind and crosswind. Then, suddenly, you get the best kind: the tailwind, when the wind comes from behind and pushes you forward.
RUN. While the first two disciplines faced major challenges, the runners—usually the ones who suffer most from Cebu’s midday heat—had the best conditions.
There was hardly any sun. It was overcast, making the 21K run much more comfortable.
My daughter Jana ran the half-marathon. She had mentally prepared herself for a hot and difficult run but ended up enjoying it. Her relay teammates were Pink Ocampo, who turned in a fast 24-minute swim, and former Cebu City Councilor Jessica Resch, who bravely took on the cycling leg despite the wind.
TRIBU SUGBU. My teammates were the same as last year: Atty. Oliver Moeller for the swim and Cebu’s marathon queen (and Olympian) Mary Joy Tabal-Jimenez for the run.
As always, we had our pre-race discussions, but this year they were even more interesting. Oliver is preparing for his first 42K marathon in Sydney this Aug. 30, while Joy has been getting into Hyrox, which happens to be Oliver’s specialty.
We were also joined by Joy’s husband, Dan Jimenez (who did the Sprint event), and their energetic daughter, Athena.
MEGAWORLD. Mactan Newtown is an ideal venue for Ironman. The newly built Mactan Expo made it even better. The race expo and awarding were held there, as was the traditional 4 p.m. (Saturday) Holy Mass. The post-race lunch was also held in a comfortable, air-conditioned venue.
And staying at Mercure Hotel, overlooking the bike transition area and just a five-minute walk from the start? It couldn’t get any better.
SUNRISE EVENTS. Behind all of this is Princess Galura, who deserves credit for once again handling the many details and pressure that come with delivering a world-class event.
Ironman Cebu reminded us that the Philippines has many beautiful places. But when it comes to staging a world-class triathlon, there is no better venue than Cebu.
