Ironman Dubai 70.3  - Big 50 Birthday Celebration

It is hard to comprehend who in the right mind would put oneself in a 6+ hours race torturing their mind and body, especially on one’s birthday. Not just any birthday but the Big 50.

This race was about celebrating my 50 years of a healthy and fruitful existence. It was also about showing a middle finger to COVID after my bout with Delta Variant in November 2021.   I didn’t want to have a typical COVID period birthday day which was sitting in front of 20 friends on Zoom video call and cutting my birthday cake.  That didn’t cut it for me. Nope!

In late December, my friend Parveen instigated the idea of taking part in Dubai Ironman 70.3. Usually, this race happens in late February but due to the COVID situation, it was postponed to 5^th March 2022.  Well, that happened to be on my 50^th Birthday.

Without skipping a heartbeat, I signed up for the race and my good friend Praveen also signed up for it. With slightly more than 10 weeks to go, I had to quickly put together a race plan which obviously was not sufficient. Given that I had contracted Covid-19 in early November 2022, I was also worried about putting my lungs and heart under great strain in a short period.

The race objective was definitely to just finish it and still be alive to celebrate after the race. A very simple objective. The training objective was also to clock sufficient mileage at a low heart rate (Zone 1 to Zone 2) so that I don’t overly stress my cardiovascular system and risk of getting long covid.

Early January Praveen also caught the Covid-19 virus and fortunately, he recovered within a very short period. But he had less than 8 weeks to train for a demanding race. We told each other that let’s just aim to finish, and anything else would be a bonus. With that mindset, we kept our focus on the key workouts and cut the fat out from the training program.

Race week  -  It was great that Praveen was bringing his family and my wife and youngest son also decided to join us for the race. After settling the pre-departure PCR test and sorting the Airbnb apartment we were set to go.

We landed in Dubai on the 2^nd March and checked into our 3 bedder apartment at Dubai Marina. This place was 10km away from the race site. There were no affordable hotels or Airbnb close to the race site and we had settled on this area after an extensive search.

After more than a 2-year break, coming together with family to race was really great. The apartment was buzzing with excitement and we were all recollecting the good memories from our race back in 2014 in Busselton.

Praveen and I visited the race site or Ironman Village, completed our registration, collected our race pack, and went for a short dip in the sea to test the wet suit and also check out the swim course.

The water temperature was bearable, not too cold and we could see some people swimming bare-bodied. We were hoping that the wetsuit can still be used on race day as it certainly gives good buoyancy and some extra speed 😊. The water seems quite calm even in mid-afternoon and we heard from other competitors that in the morning, the water will be quite calm. That was certainly a piece of good news.

The bike transition for the race was set up on the beach which meant transition time could be short.  However, the bike and run bags racked up very closely and this meant that with 2500 athletes, it was going to be a tight squeeze.  We parked our bike in the large transition and tried to find signs or landmarks within the large transition area to easily identify our own bike in the sea of bikes drug race day.

Race Day – I had a good 6-hour sleep and jumped out of the bed as the alarm rang at 4am. My breakfast was cooked steel-cut oats with berries and coffee kindly prepared by my wife.

We booked a vehicle to take us to the race site at 5am. Praveen and I filled up the hydration and nutrition on the bike and started pumping the tires as it was deflated the day before the day.  It is always a nerve-wracking experience pumping tires in the dark and hoping the tubes don’t pop. Usually, when a pop sound is heard in the transition area during race morning, people go quiet for a while feeling sorry for whoever experienced the tire malfunction. 

As I tried inflating my tire, the pump kept popping out before I could the desired inflation pressure. Not wanting to risk a “pop”, I stopped at a pressure slightly lower than the usual desired rate. With that sorted, we headed to the sea for a quick warm-up and proceeded to race swim pen. We found ourselves at the back of the pack of 2500 swimmers. This meant a long wait and also many beginner swimmers to navigate during the swim.

Swim Leg - The covid protocol for swim start was for swimmers to go in groups of 4 every 3 seconds. With 2500 swimmers, this meant that we had to wait nearly 40 mins before reaching the water. The long wait certainly created some nervousness and jitters amongst competitors.  Amidst all the nervous energy, the announcer called out my name and wished me a Happy 50^th Birthday. That got the crowd clapping and wishing. That certainly lifted my spirit

After a good 40 mins, I calmly walked to the water and started the swim in a relaxed manner. Didn’t want to run into the water and created unnecessary panic. As I got into the water, the cool water gave me a slight shock and with competitors beside me, it made me slightly nervous. I reminded myself that I have done this before and told myself to relax and treat this as a training swim.  There were several large inflatable markers about 200ms apart. I used these markers as a sighting device and aimed to swim comfortably to each marker and took a few seconds rest before proceeding to the next marker.

As I navigated the markers and swimmers, I started feeling more confident and settled in a rhythm of coordinated stroke and breathing. As I made the turn for the land, the rising sun on the horizon was shining directly into my eyes. This made sighting even more challenging. I had to tread water from time to time to make that I swimming in the right direction.  Once I saw the Ironman Arch on the shore, I swam vigorously to make up for any lost time. As my hands hit the sand on the beach, I stood up to water around my waist and started running towards to beach. I looked at my watch it was about 42mins+.

I was quite happy that I came in below my target of 45 mins. I suppose the wet suit and clam waters helped to get a decent time on the swim.  As I ran towards the bike transition, I started taking off my wetsuit and the lack of practice taking off the wetsuit proved to be costly. I struggled with the wetsuit and in the process, managed to unstrap the Garmin watch band. As I settled myself, I patiently changed into my bike gear, helmet, and gloves … yes gloves. Took the time to attach the watch straps and headed to the bike. Run out of T1 at a very slow time of 6mins  

Bike Leg – Once I pushed out the bike and start riding, my key focus was to keep my heart rate at low Zone2 of 135 to 145bpm. With the earlier swim and the furious transition, my heart rate was spiking at low Zone 3 (155bpm). I had settled into a comfortable heart and power out which I closely monitored on Garmin Bike Computer mounted on the bike.

The bike course was one loop of 90km. That’s 45 km one way and 45km back.  Dubai doesn’t hold back for events and the ironman race was no exception to that. Authorities actually closed one lane on both sides of the highway which created a huge traffic jam on the return leg of the bike.  We, on the other hand, had a fantastic time riding on the highway. The first leg or 40km+ ride was a gradual uphill course with headwinds.  I tried to keep myself very aerodynamic on the bike and could feel my neck muscles getting very stiff. As I turned the corner around the 45km mark, the ride back to the Transition area was absolutely a thrill. With a tailwind on our backs and a slight downward course, I was speeding away on average 40km/hr for a good part of the return leg. I was careful not to get too excited or pushed too much as I still had 21 km to run after the bike ride.  Rode 2hr 56mins for 90km averaging 30.5km/hr. Onwards to the run. Gulp! I hope my lack of run mileage wouldn’t bite me on the run leg. Transition 2 time - 5mins+ 

Run Leg – I was happy that the swim and bike went well. The cool weather was quickly disappearing and the famous desert heat was slowly creeping in. Kept my eye on the heart rate which was meant to be at Zone 2  (140 to 153 bpm). As usual, the heart rate spiked with all buzz and excitement. I broke in a short walk or shuffle to keep the heart rate at Zone 2. An elevated heart rate would mean that the cramps would quickly kick in and derail my run. The objective was to keep it at Zone 2 till about 16 to 17km and then start picking up the pace. The heat was becoming unbearable and I tried to cool myself by dousing myself with cold water and putting ice inside my trip suit to keep cool.  While I was trying to keep myself collected and focused on the pace, I was increasingly worried about my friend Praveen, whom I had not seen throughout the swim or the bike course. It would have been pretty easy to spot him on the bike course but I didn’t.

Around the 10km mark, I spotted Praveen running opposite of me. Words can’t describe my relief and happiness. I called out to him, we hugged each other and had a quick chat. Praveen got a flat tire on the bike and his tire valve gave way after inflating it. He had to ask fellow cyclists for another CO2 cartridge and there was a kind soul that gave him one. He had wasted a fair amount of time on the bike course.  Nevertheless, I was happy that he got the fix the bike and complete the bike course. Phew!

As I hit the 17km mark, it was a home run for me. By this time, my knees were aching and the afternoon heat was getting even more unbearable.  My average running pace was 7min 20 Sec.  I did some rough calculation and if I manage to squeeze in a Sub 6h 45min pace then I can potentially have a Sub 6hr 3min race. Just a slight increased pace to 6min 45 sec it increased my heart to High Zone 3 and I could feel the calves and arms cramping.  I took an awful-tasting Crampfix solution which gave me some immediate relief but it didn’t last for long.  The last 2-3km was just painful as I tried to keep a sub 7min pace and the cramps at bay.

As I entered the finish chute, I looked at my time and was well under 6hr 30min.  My wife, son, Praveen’s family were all shouting their lungs out cheering me on as I ran down the carpet.

I raised my hands to the Heavens and said a big “Thank you” for bringing me across the line.   As I ran past the finish line, the cramps quickly set in and I needed some medical assistance to get back to my feet. I felt slightly emotional as I recollected the challenge of training for this race after my bout with COVID-19. I was very happy with the time. Race completion is always the ultimate goal. To get a sub 6hr 30min timing after recovering from covid just more than 3 months was good for me.

Coincidentally UAE was celebrating their 50th National Day and the medal the number 50 on it. So it was meant for me to take part in the race to celebrate my 50th Birthday. 

Run Time – 2hr 36 mins. Total time take 6hr 27 mins

Post Race Thoughts –

The base training and strength training throughout 2021 provided a decent foundation for my decent performance. The actual race-specific training for the race was only about 10 weeks and I had lost nearly 1 month recuperating from Covid-19. The next Ironman 70.3 race is about 5 months away. Therefore, I intend to keep focusing on strength training, swim technique, bike strength, and good running mileage.  

I am also fortunate to have a great Ironman brother and partner Praveen who followed me on this journey and persevered and trained for the race despite his bout with COVID . The race experience would not have been the same without him and his family. 

Last but not least, a Big Thank you to my soulmate Sue and my youngest son Renesh for being with me throughout this journey. I wanted to celebrate my 50th Birthday in a special way and am happy that things went well.