After a pretty intense couple of weeks filled with an ironman, some international travel and a 70.3, my legs are up and it’s time to relax and reflect.
The Lake Placid Ironman was a new course for me and it actually felt like I was doing my first ironman again. I went into it with no expectations of time and ultimately my goal was to get enough points to qualify for Kona which was roughly a top 4 placing. That said, I never shy away from a challenge, so I wanted to test myself on this kind of course against some great athletes and try to win.
The cool temperatures and good competition through the swim and bike kept the pace fast and set me up for a good run. It was a brutal course on the legs but with pain put aside I focused on running fast and getting to the finish line. I pushed hard right to the end knowing I was on course record time but took a moment down the finish chute to enjoy the moment and thank the fans. I hadn’t planned to break the 14year old record set by Simon Lessing but I was able to stay focused and strong all day.
After a long trip home from New York due to late and missed flights, I quickly got in for treatment to turn my body around for the next challenge.
I’ve raced the 70.3 Philippines for the last four years and being a part of the local Alaska Milk Team I wasn’t going to miss this years edition. So I hopped on a plane only seven days after getting home and a few days later I was on the sandy beach in Cebu starting another race.
My legs had only started coming around from the ironman two days before the race. I did a few ez runs and a couple of spins on the bike to loosen up. With “feels like” temps of 38-40C the race was going to be about pacing and managing heat which suited my tires legs.
I felt strong on the swim and bike which wasn’t a surprise but once onto the run it was keeping the legs going at ironman pace and managing the heat. I steadily worked my way through to finish fifth in a strong field where new bike and run course records were set on a blistering hot day.
I had another amazing race experience in the Philippines and a strong effort in the heat which will help me on route to Kona.
It’s been a rough start to the season but these last two weeks have turned things around and got me on the right path towards Kona.
Brent McMahon 2 x Olympian Ironman Champion 250 418 5391 Victoria, BC
