Ironman 70.3 Top Tips from the Coaches and Triathletes

With less than 2 weeks to go before the start of the 2011 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines, there’s nothing more you can do NOW that will make you go faster on race day training wise. You can cram but it’s almost a guarantee that come race day, you’ll end up over trained or worse, injured. The work is done, like what most people say.

But mentally, there’s still A LOT time left.

Read on as SWIMBIKERUN.ph talks with our local coaches and top triathletes and asks them this question:

“If there’s one advice you can give to Camsur first timers and age groupers, what would it be?”

Noy Jopson – 2009 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Filipino Elite Champion / Polo Tri Team

Enjoy, soak it all in, and experience the best race the Philippines has to offer!

Andy Leuterio – Head Coach : Alpha Training Systems /  Fitness First Triathlon Team

When the going gets tough, just remind yourself that everybody else is suffering too. Mind your pace and your nutrition and you’ll eventually get through the bad patches.

Dan Brown – High Performance Coach of the Philippine National Triathlon Team / Pro Athlete

Go into the race without any expectations and you will enjoy your race better

Coach Ani de Leon-Brown – First Filipina Ironman Kona, Hawaii Qualifier /  First SWIMBIKERUN.ph In[FOCUS] Athlete /  Timex Multisport Team

Race for yourself, don’t put unnecessary pressure and put yourself in a positive frame of mind.

Tri-Mac Coaching – SWIMBIKERUN.ph In House Coach.

Before anything else, I would like to congratulate every participant of Camsur. Finishing it is no joke.  Less than 1 percent of the world’s population can do what you guys are about to do in about two weeks.  Bravo!

For the first timers and age groupers take it easy.  Unless you are Superman or any other super hero, you will not win the race.  Don’t (and I mean, don’t even think of it) hammer the bike. Don’t get carried away by the crowd or the fast riders. If you do, the run leg will be extremely painful. Treat the bike leg like a long easy-to-moderate ride.  If you have a heart rate monitor stay at zone 2 or zone 3.

The pacing advice we give to our students is the swim should get you comfortably to the bike; the bike should get you comfortably to the run and the run should be comfortable until the last 5k.  If you have something left at that point, then that’s the only time you start pushing.

Good luck guys!  See you in the finish line

Omar-Laarni Paredes – Herbalife Triathlon Team /  Second Pinay to Qualify in Ironman Kona, Hawaii

Try to stick to your own race plan. On race day, it will be very tempting to race faster than you intended, especially if you see people flying on their bikes and going past you. Remember that each racer has different strengths/weaknesses, each trained differently, and each has their own strategy on how to tackle the race. By sticking to your own race plan, you take your own training and fitness into consideration, and you can make sure you can finish a well-executed race.

Raoul Floresca – Coach /  Entreprenuer  / The Starting Line Triathlon Team

Don’t give into the temptation of going faster than your intended race pace. Chasing down a pack on the bike leg can get you stoked but you’ll pay the price on the run. Stick to your race plan, enjoy the atmosphere and don’t forget to high-five the locals!

Ferdinand Catabian – Filipino Elite /  Polo Tri Team

Don’t get too excited on the bike, especially if you’re not familiar with the race course. There were a lot of accidents last year caused by newbie’s who went too fast on sections where they should have slowed down because sharp turns were coming up. Familiarize yourself with the race course so you know when to speed up and slow down. Pay attention to the road coming up ahead and be aware of other athletes around you. Also, this is a very hot race, nutrition is key. Practice before the big day to see what works for you. Last but not least, give due respect to the race and the distance.

Norman Pascual – Coach

As the saying goes, “the miracle is that you are at the starting line”. You are there because you have already survived the rigorous training of triathlon. When the gun goes off, it’s time to enjoy yourself and reap the benefits of all the hard work you have done.  Race to celebrate!

Alvin Alindogan – Davids Salon /  Triathlon Legend

Newbie’s should race with themselves first before racing with anyone else. Finish the race smoothly without any hassles according to the plan. Do your best in the 3 disciplines fast but upon his capability as a starter in the sport.

Miguel “Ige” Lopez – Triathlon Coach /  Fitness First Triathlon Team

Enjoy the journey not the destination. Savor the moment.

Guy Concepcion – Swimming Coach /  Polo Tri Team

As race director, I am asking all first timers of Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines to please attend a mini-race briefing after the main race briefing so we can give some extra info on race nuances, plus a little emphasis on race etiquette. And to all participants, I am announcing in capital letters: NO DRAFTING! Finally as a swim coach, my advice on the swim: the day will be remembered on the run, so enjoy the swim while you can because while you’re at The Rice Cooker, you’ll wish you were back in the swim!

Notice how they all in a way, basically say the same thing? Interesting eh?

Lets get out there and have some fun!

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