2013 Hualien Cup International Triathlon

 2013洄瀾國際鐵人三項精英賽

Although all the banners lining the bike and run course said "Hualien Cop International Triathlon" I can tell you that this race was not a fundraiser for policemen in Taiwan.

This is my favorite race in Taiwan. It is amazingly beautiful, set right on Li Yu Lake. You can check out my ex's blog (much better photos of the area) at millermemoires.com.

The swim begins at 12:30pm. That's right, I woke up at 9am for this race. It's a lot cooler in the mountains so high temperatures are usually not an issue.

The swim went well. The water was the coldest i've experienced in Taiwan, which isn't really that cold, probably 19-20C. It was an out and back swim, which I prefer. Pros and women launched first.
Strava Link Here Swim time: 29:16

The bike was beautiful as always. The two-lap down and up bike course is one of my favorites. It's pretty hilly, but it's also draft legal which speeds things up.
Strava Link Here Bike time (45km) 1:20:18

I felt good on the run. This is where I usually fail to keep pace but I felt strong and nobody passed me. The run is an out and back around the lake. BEAUTIFUL place to run.
Strava Link Here Run time: 46:06

I ended up 4th in Age Group with a time of 2:35:41 and beating last years time by about 11 minutes.  (2:46:24)

I would recommend this race to anyone. The bike course is challenging but overall a fast course. The scenery alone is worth a visit. The only negative thing about this race was it was on the same day as Challenge Taiwan, which was held one country south in Taitung County.

2013 Taitung Puyuma 51.5 International Triathlon

 2013 普悠瑪 51.5公里國際鐵人三項競賽

This race was all about revenge. In 2012 I did the same race with poor result, making the 2012 Taitung Tri  my slowest yet. I really overheated on the run last year and had to walk for a few kms. I was not going to make that mistake again. 

My plan was to run in the middle of the day, in the heat, for 5-10k at least three times before the race. 

Strava Heat Run #1 - Home from the bike shop getting my crank cleaned. 

Strava Heat Run #2 - I even managed two CRs (KOM for running) on this run. One of them required a 3:20/km pace. 

Only the slow train goes from Taichung to Taidong, so I was sitting for a good 7 hours or so. It was nice to sleep and watch some TV on my phone. The hostel was great and after I set up my stuff, went to bed in a dorm room where some French people were listening to a book on tape. I actually found it soothing and went right to sleep. 

I got up early to eat my usual 5 slices of whole wheat bread and drink lots of fluids. Any suggestions on a better pre race meal?

The Swim

I managed a 1:38/100m pace for 1500m, which gave me a 26:36 swim split. Not my best or my worst. I tried drafting off a guy in a wetsuit but he got mad, turned around, and kicked me. 

Strava Swim Link Here

The Bike

I love this course. I didn't remember it well from last year as it was only my second triathlon. The course is relatively flat and rides along the coast, making for some beautiful views. It was far less windy this year making for a fast bike pace. Of course, the first 4 guys were drafting HARD and all complained when they got penalized. To my knowledge, two people were actually DQ-ed. Good! I ended up with a 1:09 bike split. 

Strava Bike Here

The Run

I told myself that I wasn't going to walk. The first 4k was tough but I held pace and passed a few people on the last 5k. They changed the course from last year and I much prefer this new course. Slightly more scenic. Ended with 46:57. 

Strave Run Here

Total time was 2:29:11, which put me 21st overall and 3rd in my age group. I got money and a trophy!