If you ever want to test your fitness and mental fortitude, there is nothing more challenging than a Half Ironman Triathlon
Daunting for professional triathletes let alone a beginner the 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21.5km run will push and test your body, mind and soul to the limit and will have you questioning yourself.
Why Am I doing this?
6 months ago, well-known Discovery Bay resident Simon Tasker took on the challenge of doing the Half Ironman Triathlon in Subic Bay over the past weekend.
Better known for his feats on the rugby field, taking on the half-iron is not easy especially when you step out of your comfort zone.
But you know the saying, a Comfort Zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.
Not having swum since high school, riding a bike or not running more than 10km, he knew he had to dedicate and be disciplined towards his training.
With the help of Parker Kerth and the NVDM coaching team, Simon followed a training plan that got him over the line.
Training for any triathlon event, let alone the half iron man can take up a lot of time especially if you are a father of 2 young kids and a high school economics teacher.
But through the support and encouragement from his wife Tania, he was able to push through especially when the going got tough.
Subic Bay was once home to the US Naval forces in the Pacific. Bounded by 3 sides of a mountain range and a deep natural harbor, Subic Bay is the mecca of Triathlon Training in the Philippines.
On race day the weather was wet and windy and made for a tough race.
Due to the weather condition, each leg presented its challenges.
The swim course was tough due to the strong winds and currents, with a reported 80 participants not making the cut off time, or withdrawing due to the inclement conditions. Getting through that would have been enough.
The next challenge was to tackle the long and arduous 90km bike course. With a total ascent of more than 762m this part of the race was more than the “hilly” course it was described to be on the course map. Coupled with the monsoon rains and strong cross winds the bike ride was a cautious, yet white knuckled experience, especially on the descents.
After pushing through on the bike, Simon knew he needed something in the tank as reserve to conquer the next phase of the race. The half marathon.
This was a mental battle. Physically depleted from the previous components, Simon had to stick to his nutrition plan if he was going to be able to finish before the race cut off time. He had to make sure he ate every 20 minutes. To stave off the cramps, he ate salt tablet after salt tablet and counted each and every step to break the monotony of the grueling final piece of the equation. But if any of you know Simon, he is one person who will push to the very end.
Simon aimed to finish the course in sub 8 hours and in the words of the announcer “the big fella” managed to cross the line in 7 hours 59 minutes and 54 seconds.
Overall it proved as much a mental challenge as it was a physical challenge was a test of grit determination and personal suffering and one Simon will tackle again. With one event under his belt and with the he aims to shave off an hour in the next race.
As they say in the Ironman Triathlon - Anything is Possible!
You can follow Simon's journey on his Instagram account tri4halfthaisi and we look forward to you taking us on your next Half-IronMan journey.
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