IM70.3 SA 2015

[deanbean]

Kudos to everyone that finished, that was probably the toughest 70.3 I've ever been involved with.

Swim was challenging, bike was brutal and the run was hot and humid !

I've never seen so many dnf's

How did the wife do Fanie

[fanievb]

How did the wife do Fanie

7:37 she was going for a PB but the wind was just to hectic for her small frame and she lost a lot of time heading out to Berlin.

She overcooked the return to make up and as a result the Ki run wasn't to great, but she's happy with her time and I'm as always a super proud husband

[Craai]

Kudos to the organisers/sponsors for listening to the complaints re the t-shirts from last year. Great ones this year!

[Snytjie]

Well, all flights to Joburg out of EL delayed by 5 hrs+, so plenty time to report. BTW, airport lounges are normally very depressing places when flights get delayed. Everyone is just the moer in. It is even worse when said flights has several 100 very tired triathletes on it. It looks like a refugee camp here...

 

Word around is that it was a tough race. I wasn't too sure as I tried to get used to my planned IM race intensity and didn't really go hard until the last run lap. What I did notice was that the sea was deceptively difficult. Apart from the reasonable swell and chop there was a major onshore push which completely threw a lot of swimmers including the leading three pro Saffas. I noticed it during the warm-up and saw the three male pros go off course, so guarded against it on the way back. Around me there was only 2-3 others who (I think) swam in a straight line from the third turn around buoy. I could see the main group on occasion but I'm sure they were a good many clicks off.

 

Headwind on bike and with IM intensity it took me a whopping 2:05 to reach the turnaround. "Flew" back in 1:25. I'm curious to hear if others had the same sort of difference. Started the run pretty cagey, and tried to run a negative split which I achieved by a meager 1 min.

 

Overall time 3 min or so faster than last year, the significance of which I don't know. If conditions were in fact much harder then I suppose I made some progress.

 

I really like raceday in EL. Its properly organised, I like the course, the challenge it presents and the  special vibe/crowd support.

 

I don't like the part of EL where it happens. The decay is obvious and I don't get the feeling that there is something done to prevent it. The surroundings are really not inspiring. I didn't enjoy being on the Esplanade on the two days leading up to the race. Several people I spoke to who stayed out towards Nahoon said that they had a lot of hassle getting into the area on raceday. On top of that its a proper bitch to get here from CT. 

 

I'm not sure I'll do it again. 

[Snytjie]

Pssssstt!

 

Major rumor going around that a IM70.3 in Durban announcement was going to be made.

 

Was it? 

[Zeffer]

Jip

Anounced last night at awards function

5 August 2015

Entries open two weeks

[WezGK]

hi. is there a relay team option for East London event? when do 2016 entries open?

[Adrian Fogg]

Well done to all the finishers, i was at the halfway point on the bike leg. Lots of dnf all huddled under my gazebo. It was tough with that heat and headwind.

[pista]

Jip

Anounced last night at awards function

5 August 2015

Entries open two weeks

 

 

Strange time of year for such a big event in SA.Euro season is in full swing and SA athletes are in hibernation.

[Raydek]

I'm curious to hear if others had the same sort of difference.

My wife managed 2:17 and 1:45

[Raydek]

hi. is there a relay team option for East London event? when do 2016 entries open?

Yip, there was this year. Usually open in the next few days..

[fabes]

So on Saturday morning I packed the car and headed off to east London. We were on time to make it registration by 12:30 because it closes at 1. We got stuck in stop goes and managed to only get to registration at 1:10. Luckily they were still packing up and we were able to register.

 

My plan was to take it easy. Keep the heart rate low and just finish. Swim was really easy and enjoyable. Didn't push to hard and did about 34 min.

 

Then the bike. Wow. Also took it easy. Went slow up the hills and pushed on the downhills. I took it a bit too easy going out into the wind but made up a bit of time coming back. The last 5 kms of the cycle were very unpleasant and the only part of the day I didn't enjoy. Then got into the run and helped pull a broken first timer over the finish line. I got medal number number 5. Had a really good day. Next time I'll train a bit

[Showtime]

Also the first time I did the race without training for it and it was tough. I was always going to pace the bike at 2 hours out after my 12 month taper but even that wasn't a walk in the park. Coming back on the R72 the last hill on the bike was extra difficult and then it was the usual struggle of staying cool on the run. With 5 medals now I think my East London days may be over and I'll look to try another 70.3 somewhere. It's still superbly organized but the sense of occasion just isn't there for me anymore.

 

More importantly Stan the Man doing the event with a prosthetic is an incredible human being. I sat next to him in T1 and the kindness with which he treated his volunteer was the most inspirational moment of my race. 

[Snytjie]

Conditions seems to have been quite a bit tougher than last year. My official time is only 13s faster than last year, but I finished on 33% of my division. Last year I finished on 58%. So I obviously improved quite a bit relative to the field, but the time is the same.

 

I thought at first that it may have been because this year I entered in a new age group, but if I was in the previous one I would have been on the 31% mark - even a little better.

[IceCreamMan]

nice one guys...I hear it was a tough event....kudo's

[ScottCM]

Jip

Anounced last night at awards function

5 August 2015

Entries open two weeks

 

That's a Wednesday