Ironman Klagenfurt

I’m incredibly satisfied with the race, which marked the conclusion of my first Ironman journey. A year after deciding to try triathlon, and 22 weeks of focused training, planning, and preparation for this specific race, I came into the day well prepared, and I felt like I was able to harvest all that work with a strong and consistent performance. Everything just seemed to come together on race day. I felt strong and optimistic throughout all three disciplines. I did have a tough patch during kilometers 26–30 of the run, but managed to fight through it and finish feeling strong and genuinely satisfied.

Swim

The day started beautifully. About 1km into the swim, I caught myself marveling at the scenery, even though I knew I still had over 10 hours ahead of swim, bike, and run. It felt special, and I really enjoyed the moment. I kept the swim at a calm pace, wanting to conserve energy for what was to come. That said, I was maybe a bit too candid with my expectations and placed myself in the rolling start group aiming for 1:00–1:10. Turns out, not everyone is as candid as me, and I spent the whole swim overtaking dozens of swimmers using every maneuver imaginable. Note to self for next time: start with the faster group!

Bike

The first 30km of the bike really supercharged my optimism. Even though the day was very hot, my worries faded quickly. The course had a fast and rolling start, which led to a much faster pace than expected, even though I was intentionally keeping my effort low. Aid stations were conveniently placed; I rode with just one bottle from station to station and stayed well hydrated, sticking to my nutrition plan. I finished the first lap faster than expected, feeling fresh and optimistic about the second. On lap two, it became clear I couldn’t hold that fast pace as easily, so I made the call to dial back the effort and conserve energy for the run. I had to swallow my ego as other cyclists passed by, but it was worth it. Overall, I’m really happy with the bike leg, don’t think I’d change much, if anything.

Run

Standing up from the transition bench after changing into running shoes was honestly a struggle, my back was really fatigued after almost six hours on the bike. I remember thinking, “Well, standing up was hard, and now I have a marathon to go. This should be interesting.”
A fellow racer, who I’d seen during the bike, was also bracing himself for the run. I asked him jokingly, “So, are you up for a run?” and he laughed, “Yeah, let the fun begin.” It was a small moment, but it really lifted me, just human nature, I guess: when you know someone else is in the same struggle, it gets easier.
So I set off with a simple goal: just get to the next aid station. After a few, I got into a rhythm, run a few kilometers, refuel, repeat. The pace felt fine, the effort was manageable, and at that point, I knew I could do it. That optimism held until about km 26, when I hit a low: started to lose power, got a side stich, and couldn’t bring myself to run for a while. I walked it off for a bit, and for a few kilometers was stuck in a walk-run cycle. Honestly, it was tough to imagine I’d be able to get running again, and I worried I’d be walking the final 12–16km, which I really didn’t want.
At some point, I decided to fight back: took a couple of gels, drank a glass of coke (a first for me in many many years), and started running. I settled into a faster pace than before, and surprisingly, it felt much better. I guess the change in biomechanics worked to my advantage and shifted the emphasis onto less fatigued muscles and joints. At that point, the fatigue and pace felt familiar from training, and I knew I could hold it to the finish, which I did, ending the race strong and happy.

Summary

I’m proud and happy about both the journey and the race itself, and I feel like I got much value from it. Even the struggle between kilometers 26 and 30 felt important, it gave me a chance to battle some inner demons and come out on top.

What’s next? Fatherhood! So, goodbye full-distance Ironman for now.