My frist triathlon (life experience)

Why?

I consider myself a dynamic person, always on the move, and eager to take on experiences that challenge and help me improve. In July 2023, I decided to do just that—to face challenges and push myself to see how far I could go. I should mention that until that moment, I had never swum more than 25 meters, and my main form of exercise was going to the gym. I made the decision, and with the help of a great friend, Andres Mercado, we found the coach of the “IronMad” team, and I began my training.

The experience

Race day arrived. We woke up at 5 AM, had some fruit and a sandwich for breakfast. I went to drop off my bike in front of the Decameron Hotel, at the “I love San Andrés” sign. I carried my cycling shoes, gels, swim cap, and goggles in my bag. Upon arrival, each of us had an assigned space to set up our bikes, shoes, gels, helmet, goggles, sneakers, and other gear.

As soon as I set down my things, boats arrived to take us to Johnny Cay. The boat ride was smooth, with a beautiful sunrise. We reached the island, and I started warming up. We received some instructions: ideally, we should swim straight, as the current would naturally carry us to the finish point. I swam for 10 minutes to warm up, and 5 minutes before starting, I took my first gel, as my coach had advised.

The plan was to swim at a pace of 2 minutes and 10 seconds per 100 meters, aiming for a total swim time of 42.5 minutes (based on training). We began swimming. Right away, swimming in the sea felt very different from swimming in a pool. You could feel the current pulling you, and the taste of seawater affected my rhythm and sensations. At this point, although I felt energized, swimming in such an open environment gave me a sense of fear. I kept thinking about how much I had prepared and that I had to achieve this no matter what.

From time to time, I would lift my head to check if I was swimming in the right direction. As I neared the finish, I started to struggle with a lack of oxygen and even felt like vomiting. I managed to hold it back, but when I got out, I was disoriented. I clocked in at 42:33 with a pace of 2:36 per 100 meters.

After exiting, I took my time. I was literally on the verge of vomiting and a bit disoriented. On the bike, the plan was to take 3 gels, one every 40 minutes, and drink electrolytes every 8 minutes. I was supposed to start the first 5 km with a heart rate (HR) of 140-148 bpm, and the next 35 km at 148-155 bpm. The circuit was an out-and-back, with each leg being 10 km. On the way out, I felt great, reaching 35 km/h. On the return, due to the wind, I couldn’t go past 25 km/h. I felt good during this part, managed to use the cycling shoes, stayed hydrated while pedaling, and most importantly, enjoyed the scenery. I stuck to the gels and HR, achieving a time of 1:26:39 with an average speed of 25 km/h.

I reached the third transition. I put on my sneakers, grabbed my cap, and saved the last gel. The idea here was to maintain a pace of 6 minutes per kilometer for the first two kilometers. Then, hold a 5:40 pace until the fifth kilometer and finish by gradually increasing speed. I think I started too fast and had a pain in the sole of my foot that came back at that moment. This part was the toughest for me. I had to stop several times (walk) because running hurt too much. I would jog intermittently until, at the 7th kilometer, a teammate encouraged me, and I managed to jog at a 6 min/km pace for the last 3 kilometers. I finished with a total running time of 1:02:14 and an overall time of 3:28:11.

I finished very tired, extremely emotional, and above all, grateful to Julio, the coach who promised me I would make it, and I did. Finally, I received my medal, and we took the obligatory photo. I want to enjoy this moment more, but I can’t stop thinking about the Ironman in Cartagena, as it’s double the time. We’ll see what happens.