Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Velodrome Sessions are back! This Saturday 7am
* Also Saturday! ironguides social & send off party for Ironman World Champs qualifiers
* Members Updates: Multiple wins at Muang Thai Triathlon in Racthaburi
* Hua Hin endurance weekend photolog
Before many of you take a summer break, our team will gather this coming weekend both at the velodrome, the first session there since pre-covid, as well as sending off the world championships qualifiers in our social.
We will also celebrate the most recent success that you can read here in the members updates section.
For the rest of the year, I recommend registering for one or both of the new races announced in the last month (Chantaburi & Chiang Mai) to have a warm up race and more immediate goal before Laguna Phuket Triathlon
Enjoy your training, Vinnie Santana ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates & Race report:
100% of athletes on the Podium (mostly wins!) once again!
OLYMPIC Seymur 1st OA (Overall) & 1st WG (weight group) Victor 2nd Overall & 1st WG Wanvisa 2nd Overall Female & 1st WG Kipsan 2nd WG Andy Vaughan 1st WG Vincent 1st WG Anna 1st WG Shannon 1st WG Matt 4th WG
SPRINT Andrew 1st WG Nick 2nd WG Saha 3rd WG
Coach Vinnie with Victor and Seymur, 2nd and 1st place overall (Standard)
—
Congrats Lindsay on Age group win and 2nd place overall at the Laguna Phuket Half Marathon in 1h32’53” a new Personal Best.
—
Congrats Massimo Rampado, 1st Ironman in Italy, finishing in 10h27
Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin – Photolog:
DAY 1 – Pre long ride
Long Ride U-Turn – 75km group
Long ride U-Turn – 110km group
Group Dinner
DAY 2 – Post Half Marathon & 10km race
ironguides Social & Send off party for World Champs qualifiers:
Come & Celebrate our mid-season success as well as wish our ironman (& 70.3) World Champs qualifiers good luck in their races.
Where: Get Fresh Mercury Ville When: 1st July, 1230pm
All qualifiers will be gifted a rainbow stripes cycling Jersey. This jersey is given to the Cycling World Champion each year, that cyclist then has the right to use the jersey for one year until the following year World Champs.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Last Call, Registrations closes on June 2nd – Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 10th/11th June
* Members Updates: Age group wins, Personal Bests, World Champs slots @Ironman 70.3 Vietnam
* ironguides social & send off party for Ironman World Champs qualifiers
* Race Calendar added to newsletter
It takes time to become good. We had Ironman 70.3 Vietnam earlier in May, the best results came from athletes who managed to keep on training during Covid, many of them were taking part in our race simulations and training camps during Covid, improving their race day skills and fitness. The result in Vietnam comes from years of consistent training. One can surely get ready for a race in a few months, enjoy the experience and finish the event, but real improvements will come from years of hard work.
The next months will be busy with our own events, athletes training for the ironman 70.3 World Champs, and the calendar for the 2nd semester is also starting to grow, I’m adding a compiled list below
Enjoy your training, Vinnie Santana ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates:
IRONMAN 70.3 DESARU (MALAYSIA)
CONGRATS GAM GAM ON YOUR FIRST OFFICIAL IRONMAN FINISH!
YOU COMMITMENT IS INPIRING
Luxsanun Putchakan 07:14:46
IRONMAN 70.3 VIETNAM
Congrats to all who finished one of the hottest races in the ironman circuit.
Lots of Personal Bests, some first timers, wins and world champs qualifiers
Andrew Archibald 4:56:18
Michael Chronin 5:05:14
Lindsay Nickel 5:05:32 (AGE GROUP WIN & 3RD OVERALL FEMALE)
Saha Bhasavanich 5:07:38
Massimo Rampado 5:21:59
Vincent Pena 5:43:10
Thomas Ballard 6:03:15
Cynthia May 6:03:34 (WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SLOT)
Samuel White 6:26:43
ironguides Social & Send off party for World Champs qualifiers:
Come & Celebrate our mid-season success as well as wish our ironman (& 70.3) World Champs qualifiers good luck in their races.
Where: Get Fresh Mercury Ville When: 1st July, 1230pm
All qualifiers will be gifted a rainbow stripes cycling Jersey. This jersey is given to the Cycling World Champion each year, that cyclist then has the right to use the jersey for one year until the following year World Champs.
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
Where: Hua Hin 10th June (NEW DATE!)
Endurance Weekend – ironguides Long Bike ride + Hua Hin marathon, half marathon or 10km.
Cost: Free for Triathlon Club Members & Coached athletes. 400 THB for Drop in athletes.
Schedule:
Saturday 10th :
0700-1130 – easy cycling session to the Pranburi Dam (70km or 105km, depending on level).
1800-2000 – Group Dinner at Supatra by the Sea
Register for the ride here. Minimum requirement = be able to hold >25kph for 70km. Starting point, Air Space Hua Hin
Sunday 11th:
0300 Hua Hin marathon
0500 Half marathon
0530 10k
Register for the run race here. Registrations closes on June 2nd
Coffee Stop at Pranburi Dam: Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 10th & 11th June
Transition Workshop: Coming in Q3 2023
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming in Q4 2023
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* 2 races coming in May, Ratchaburi and phuket, includes a discount for members
* Coming up – Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 10th/11th June
* Members Updates: 100% podium finishes at Pattana Tri Festival
We are seeing at these recent races, the result of the past 3 years of work. Since the lockdown a lot of our members managed to stay fit despite the lack of races, and now that they are back, the competition is still getting back in shape while our team is flying, that resulted in ALL, 100% of the ironguides athletes with a valid membership who participated at the Pattana Tri festival, to get a podium finish, including overall wins in the Standard distance.
Next up, two events were recently announced for the end of May, I recommend doing these to keep motivation high and to bridge the gap until the major races that are taking place at the end of the year
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates:
All members who raced got on the podium at Pattana Triathlon Festival 2023!
OLYMPIC Seymur & Lindsay – Overall winners!
Victor 2nd Overall & 1st M30-39
Roger 1st M50-59
Gam 3rd F40-49 SPRINT
Kipsan 1st M50-59 & 5th overall
Saha 1st M40-49 & 8th overall LONG DISTANCE (IRONMAN 70.3 DISTANCE)
Andrew 3rd M30-39 & 5th Overall
Massimo 2nd M40-49 & 5th Overall
Vincent 2nd M50-59
Racing Calendar:
There are 2 events on the weekend of 28th May. One of them our team has a discount at the registration
1) Muang Thai Triathlin in Ratchaburi (~2h drive from BKK). More info.
2) Long-Distance L2 Triathlon in Phuket (by National Federation).
*Members get 10% Discount
*Personalized Coached athletes get 20% Discount
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
Where: Hua Hin 10th June (NEW DATE!)
Endurance Weekend – ironguides Long Bike ride + Hua Hin marathon, half marathon or 10km.
Cost: Free for Triathlon Club Members & Coached athletes. 400 THB for Drop in athletes.
Schedule:
Saturday 10th – 7AM: easy cycling session to the Pranburi Dam (70km or 105km, depending on level). Register for the ride here. Minimum requirement = be able to hold >25kph for 70km. Starting point, Air Space Hua Hin
Sunday 11th: Hua Hin marathon (3am), half marathon (5am) or 10k (5.30am). Register for the run race here.
Coffee Stop at Pranburi Dam: Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Transition Workshop: Coming in Q3 2023
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming in Q4 2023
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* New Date – Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 10th/11th June
* Members Updates: Podium Sweep at Sam Roi Yot Triathlon
* Songkran week break – no classes 10th & 12th April (memberships credited 1 week)
After a 2 year hiatus we had the Sam Roi Yot Triathlon again, some great results from the team, those on the podium are the ones who have stayed fit over the last few years despite all the hiccups. Training hard with no races in the calendar is an important skill to develop
There is a lack of races now from April until August, during this time, i recommend picking single disciplines events such as the Oceanman in Pattaya (May) or the 10 miles at Super sports then in June the ironguides Endurance weekend and Pattana Tridash, this will help to keep on building skills, fitness and race experience. And for motivation, just join our group sessions as in one way or another we have a race every week and its great to boost motivation
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates:
Multiple Podiums at Sam Roi Yot Triathlon
Great day for the team members in Sam Roi Yot for the Muang Thai Triathlon! Very unique categories by weight group (WG), shallow swim, semi-legal drafting, which made the run the only fair discipline of the day.
Duathlon – Highlight performance of the day
Enguerrand – Overall winner
Podium Finishers – Olympic Dist
Victor 1st WG & 5th overall
Massimo 7th overall
Andrew 1st WG & 10th overall
Anna 2nd WG & 2nd overall female
Near podium finishers (4th) Vincent, Anand & Francois. Podium finishers – Sprint
Seymur 2nd OA & 1st WG
Vansa 1st female & 1st WG
Nick 3rd WG & 7th OA
Michael 1st WG
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
Where: Hua Hin 10th June (NEW DATE!)
Endurance Weekend – ironguides Long Bike ride + Hua Hin marathon, half marathon or 10km.
Cost: Free for Triathlon Club Members & Coached athletes. 400 THB for Drop in athletes.
Schedule:
Saturday 10th – 7AM: easy cycling session to the Pranburi Dam (70km or 105km, depending on level). Register for the ride here. Minimum requirement = be able to hold >25kph for 70km. Starting point, Air Space Hua Hin
Sunday 11th: Hua Hin marathon (3am), half marathon (5am) or 10k (5.30am). Register for the run race here.
Coffee Stop at Pranburi Dam: Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Transition Workshop: Coming in Q3 2023
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming in Q4 2023
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Members Updates: Kipsan Ironman Debut, 10h28 at 50yo, World Champs qualifier + 4th place AG
* Swim class is on tonight, March 6th
* Run sessions are back at National Stadium 400m Track (Thephasadin Stadium)
* Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin (Group Ride + Marathon/Half/10km) – 13th/14th May
* Songkran week break – no classes 10th & 12th April (memberships credited 1 week)
Waking up on a monday with good news from New Zealand as Kipsan, who has been an ironguides athlete for almost 8 years, had a successful ironman debut, in 10h28, at age 50, 4th place AG, which qualified him for the World Champs in Nice. I created a five step list which helped Kipsan in such a successful first ironman so you can understand how the development of an athlete of that level works
On the group classes front, last month we saw the biggest running class since pre-covid at the reopening of the track.
See you this weekend at the Sam Roi Yot Triathlon.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates:
Kipsan’s 5 steps for a successful Ironman Debut in New Zealand 10h28, 4th Place AG 50-54, World Championships slot
Congrats Kipsan Beck on your impressive Ironman Debut and World Championships Qualification. A quick sum up on 5 steps for this result over the past many years
Develop speed and short course racing skills (“Tridash King” for many years)
Transition + dominate the half ironman distance (from 2020 to 2022)
Learn how to race under pressure (Ironman 70.3 World Champs 2019 in Nice, France)
Train consistently Ironman training plan (~15-18h per week for final 3 months)
Execute Ironman pacing + nutrition plan (New Zealand 2022)
Kipsan is on the personalized coaching programme, more info here.
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
Where: Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Endurance Weekend – ironguides Long Bike ride + Hua Hin marathon, half marathon or 10km.
Cost: Free for Triathlon Club Members & Coached athletes. 400 THB for Drop in athletes.
Schedule:
Saturday 13th – 7AM: easy cycling session to the Pranburi Dam (70km or 105km, depending on level). Register for the ride here. Minimum requirement = be able to hold >25kph for 70km
Sunday 14th: Hua Hin marathon (3am), half marathon (5am) or 10k (5.30am). Register for the run race here.
Coffee Stop at Pranburi Dam: Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Transition Workshop: Coming in Q3 2023
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming in Q4 2023
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Run sessions are back at National Stadium 400m Track (Thephasadin Stadium)
* Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin (Group Ride + Marathon/Half/10km) – 13th/14th May
* Racing Calendar Q1/2 – Ironman 70.3 @ Pattana Triathlon, Chonburi
* Members Updates: Podiums at Chiang Rai Triathlon, Thai Nationals Sprint Distance Draft Legal
“We are back to normal”, now with the track at national stadium reopening, multiple races every month, its business as usual in the triathlon world. Don’t miss the Pattana Triathlon early in April, from Sprint to Ironman 70.3 distance (non-branded)
On the coaching front, the cycling class format of alternating one technical session with one cycling trip seems to be working well, next adventure is our endurance weekend in Hua Hin, long ride followed by a run race
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates:
Bike Session 21st Jan
When 1+1=1. Athlete and bike should be one thing, class was great to improve control and safety on the bike.
– Congrats to ironguides athletes at the Thai Nationals, draft legal sprint distance champs.
Seymur came in 8th overall male
Vansa (right) came in 5th overall female
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Chiang Rai Triathlon Results 2x athletes in the Top 10 overall Male & Female – Standard distance.
Lindsay overall winner female (&7th overall!)
Anna 8th female 1st AG
Andrew 4th overall
Michael 8th male 1st AG
Race Calendar Q1/Q2 2023:
Tridash: Races in Feb, March & April + other 4 events Semester 2
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
Endurance Weekend – ironguides Long Bike ride + Hua Hin marathon, half marathon or 10km.
Where: Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Cost: Free for Triathlon Club Members & Coached athletes. No drop ins
Schedule
Saturday 13th – 7AM: easy cycling session to the Pranburi Dam (70km or 105km, depending on level). Register for the ride here
Sunday 14th, Hua Hin marathon (3am), half marathon (5am) or 10k (5.30am). Register for the run race here.
Coffee Stop at Pranburi Dam: Endurance Weekend in Hua Hin 13th & 14th May
Transition Workshop: Coming in Q3 2023
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming in Q4 2023
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Group Training resumes Wednesday 4th (Run) & Monday 9th (Swim)
* Cycling Class January 21st – Technique & Skills @ Skylane
* Racing Calendar Q1 – No more Ironman 70.3, Hello Chiang Rai & Sam Roi Yot Triathlons
* Members Updates: Podiums at CIMB Tri, overall wins at Angkor Wat half marathon
I hope you all enjoyed some uscutructured training during the holidays season. But it’s time to pick it up again since we got some fun races coming up. While Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen has now been officially postponed (to Nov 2023 or Feb 2024) two events are now confirmed, Chiang Rai and Sam Roi Yot (south of Hua Hin)
In this edition you will also read about the success of our team in the December races, 2022 was a great year for the team and things are looking even better for 2023. See you in training
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates: End year social, CIMB Triathlon, Angkor Wat Half marathon
ironguides Social 26th November 2023
Coach David special Xmas Themed swim class December 12th
ANGKOR WAT HALF MARATHON
Congrats Lindsay Nickel, overall female winner of the Angkor Wat half marathon in 1h35
CIMB TRIATHLON – 11th DECEMBER 2023
Sprint Distance podium finishers
-Seymur 2nd Overall & 1st AG M18-29
-Vansa 1st Overall & AG
-Saha 1st AG M40-44
-Chanon 2nd AG 30-39 Standard Distance podium finishers
-Lindsay 1st Overall & AG
-Vincent 3rd AG M50-59
Free for tri-club members, swim only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes
600thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Running
First session of 2023 4th January Where: Run track of Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep (map) – 1.2km from Chong Nonsi bts When: Wednesdays @18.30-20.00Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 triathlon coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions Next Session: 21st January 2023 Technique Class: Safety, Skills & Balance
Where: Skylane Running Track @10am to 11am
Khao Yai Cycling Day Trip: Coming soon
Membership & Coaching Services
Drop in Sessions (book & pay online, in advance). Book your class here.
Free sample gels or Waffles one group session per month + Exclusive ironguides athlete discount 25% off (less than 1USD per gel!)
Products
Energy Gels
Energy Waffles
–
OTHER SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Find the discount codes at the members area of our website (login at the footer of ironguides.net)
OPTIMA BIKES
The exclusive prices for ironguides members – email info@ironguides.net for more information:
20% off for Omega Frameset (Price 69,900) with free Aero caliper brakes (7500THB.)
10% off for Carbon Wheels
5% off for Omega Completed Bike
TRI-DASH THAILAND: 10% OFF at any event during 2022 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race http://tridashthailand.com/
UJAMU: 10% OFF Ujamu herbal drinks – use our coupon code when checking ou https://ujamu.net/
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Race Report – World Champs, Laguna, Tridash
* ironguides social – Saturday 26th Nov
* Apparel Garage sale – Trisuit, Jerseys, Singlets. From 100THB
* End year holidays dates announced (last session 21st dec)
One year ago, we were running a race simulation weekend in South Hua Hin as an alternate for the cancelled Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) 2021. As i now see the results of LPT 2022, i see that most athletes who took part at our own race, did very well in 2022. These are the athletes that never took a long break and just stuck to the day in day out training for a year. Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Malaysia and Philippines was the same, we had 3 athletes qualifying for the world championships.
The professional winner of LPT, Charlie Quin, has joined our group run 1x 10 years ago, he is the son of an old member, back then he was already racing at a high level in the junior category, 10 years later he is now a world class triathlete
The message here, is that triathlon performance is a very long term process, either as an beginner amateur or high performance pro, while the final 3 months into the races are important, long term development takes years of work.
See you for a Margarita at the ironguides Social so we can celebrate the 2022 success and get ready for 2023
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates: Laguna, Tridash, World Champs Slots
Khao Yai – Cycling Day trip Oct 30th
Coach David special Halloween Themed swim class on Monday 31st December
Our team took 4 overall wins at the Tridash (new venue) Fastest male & female dash (sprint) Fastest male & female long dash (olympic)
3 slots Conquered for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2023
Christian qualified at Ironman Langkawi, going to Kona
Saha qualified at Ironman 70.3 Langkawi
Kipsan qualified at Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa Lets outnumber the 2019 ironguides team at the 703 World Champs 2023
End of Year Social:
ironguides Social coming up 🥳! Lets celebrate the 2022 season with a few Margaritas & Tacos!
Where: The Missing Burro (Thong Lor so 7)
When: Saturday 26th Nov @7.00pm
Who: members & friends
Apparel Garage Sale:
ironguides kit starting at 100THB
Help us clear our inventory so we can design the new season kit. Prices are below factory cost.
Garage sale at ironguides Social (26th Saturday @7pm, Missing Burro Restaurant)
Run Singlet (small sizes only) = 100 THB
Trisuit Training model (large sizes only) = 300 THB
Trisuit Older Version (small and large sizes) = 500 THB
Trisuit Current (small and medium sizes) 1,500 THB
End Year Holidays – dates announced:
We are taking a 2 weeks break during X-mas & New Year. All memberships will be credited accordingly.
Last Session of 2022: 21st December (Wednesday Track run)
First Session of 2023: 9th January (Monday Swim)
Swimming
Last session of 2022 19th December
First session of 2023 9th January
Free sample gels or Waffles one group session per month + Exclusive ironguides athlete discount 25% off (less than 1USD per gel!)
Products
Energy Gels
Energy Waffles
–
OTHER SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Find the discount codes at the members area of our website (login at the footer of ironguides.net)
OPTIMA BIKES
The exclusive prices for ironguides members – email info@ironguides.net for more information:
20% off for Omega Frameset (Price 69,900) with free Aero caliper brakes (7500THB.)
10% off for Carbon Wheels
5% off for Omega Completed Bike
TRI-DASH THAILAND: 10% OFF at any event during 2022 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race http://tridashthailand.com/
UJAMU: 10% OFF Ujamu herbal drinks – use our coupon code when checking ou https://ujamu.net/
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* New run session venue (400m track) – starting November 2nd
* Khao Yai cycling day trip
* Race Report – More members qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships
* ironguides among biggest top 10 tri clubs at Ironman 70.3 Worlds this weekend
* Apparel Garage sale – Trisuit, Jerseys, Singlets. From 100THB
* ironguides social – Saturday 26th Nov
* End year holidays dates announced
It feels like we are back to normal racing season. Our team members are getting ready for both domestic events as well internationals, we even made the list as the Top 10 biggest tri clubs racing ironman 70.3 world champs this weekend.
The best news is the new running track, we will move there starting on our next run session and experiment for a while. If it works for us, we will maintain it in the future
The next month will be very busy with events every weekend. This weekend we have our Khao Yai outing as part of the cycling class, then the Tridash in a new course, followed by laguna Phuket and finally our end year social. Hope to see you there for a chat.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Race Report: More members qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships
At ironman 70.3 Lombok, Andrea took 2nd overall, Francois was 4th in his AG with wife Sofie in 3rd. They have all guaranteed their slots for the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Finland.
Photo: Andrea 1st triathlon (Tridash) in June 2019, with Francois in the background.
“It took them 3 years of hard work for overnight success”
–
ironguides among the Top 10 biggest Asian triathlon clubs at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships this weekend in St. George, USA – Don’t forget to add us as your triclub when registering for any Ironman event.
End of Year Social:
ironguides Social coming up 🥳! Lets celebrate the 2022 season with a few Margaritas & Tacos!
Where: The Missing Burro (Thong Lor so 7)
When: Saturday 26th Nov @7.00pm
Who: members & friends
Apparel Garage Sale:
ironguides kit starting at 100THB
Help us clear our inventory so we can design the new season kit. Prices below cost.
Garage sale at ironguides Social (26th Saturday @7pm, Missing Burro Restaurant)
Road to Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen:
Our Road To Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen plan:
Group Sessions
Long rides on open roads
Mid-week training tailored to the needs of Ironman 70.3 training
Training Plans
Specific Training plan for the Ironman 70.3
Personalized Coaching
Events
End of Year Challenge over the 2 weeks holidays
Training Camps & Race Simulation
End Year Holidays – dates announced:
We are taking a 2 weeks break during X-mas & New Year. All memberships will be credited accordingly.
Last Session of 2022: 21st December (Wednesday Track run)
First Session of 2023: 9th January (Monday Swim)
Cycling
Quarterly Sessions
–
Khao Yai Day Trip – REGISTER HERE Where: Noen Homme Cafe (approx 2h30 drive from BKK) When: October 30th @09.15am (leaving 9.30am) Who: Free for Triathlon-Club Members & Personalized Coaching athletes. Swim & Run members please contact info@ironguides.net if interested to upgrade to the tri-club membership and join the rides
Schedule:
0915-0930 – Ride Briefing
0930-1200 – 3 routes (beginner total = 67k, intermediate 83km, advanced 95km) meeting at the top for coffee break
1200-1230 – Coffee break
1230-1330 – Downhill to coffee shop
1330- Drive to BKK
What to Bring:
-Spare inner tube, pump, tyre levers
-Plenty of Water & Food
-Cash for park entrance & food
Free sample gels or Waffles one group session per month + Exclusive ironguides athlete discount 25% off (less than 1USD per gel!)
Products
Energy Gels
Energy Waffles
–
OTHER SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Find the discount codes at the members area of our website (login at the footer of ironguides.net)
OPTIMA BIKES
The exclusive prices for ironguides members – email info@ironguides.net for more information:
20% off for Omega Frameset (Price 69,900) with free Aero caliper brakes (7500THB.)
10% off for Carbon Wheels
5% off for Omega Completed Bike
TRI-DASH THAILAND: 10% OFF at any event during 2022 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race http://tridashthailand.com/
UJAMU: 10% OFF Ujamu herbal drinks – use our coupon code when checking ou https://ujamu.net/
Every year a few weeks ahead of Kona all triathletes start to get excited about the big show, wondering if one day they could be a part of the Ironman World Championships as competitors themselves.
Having raced it as a professional triathlete and having worked with many athletes who have qualified for Kona in the past few years, I have found there are some very clear rules—apart from hard work—on what it takes to earn a spot.
This article will cover both how you should pick a course profile that will provide you a better chance of qualifying as well as a rundown on what to expect at most Ironman qualifiers around the world.
Race your strength:
When it comes to Hawaii, there is no easy way—you have to risk it at some stage. If you are fit enough to race with qualifying for a Kona slot as your goal, it is very likely you have done an Ironman before, so “simply” finishing is no longer a goal. That makes it easier mentally to take more risk during an Ironman, even if it doesn’t work out as planned and you bonk at some stage of the race.
If you are a first-timer, then your goal is to finish. Of course there are secondary goals, with the most popular one to run the run, and your whole training and racing should be focused on that objective.
A very common profile of triathletes is the strong biker with a mediocre run. If you want to qualify for Kona, we are talking about high-performance age group triathletes. If running fast isn’t for you, if for any reason you feel that running 3h30 or quicker isn’t possible, but you feel great on the bike, you might do better by riding close to 5h and then do your best to run 3h40-50. With those splits you will very likely break 10 hours, which puts you very close to a Hawaii for most age groups in several races with the exception of the super-fast races in Europe or those with a stacked field.
Of course your training will have to be tailored to that. You will need to develop an extremely efficient run technique and, of course, bike strength.
Swim faster:
The swim is roughly 10 percent of an Ironman. Why bother with the hard work necessary to go from an 80-minute swim split to 65 minutes? In fact, it could take a year of swim focus to improve those 15 minutes—you might think that within that timeframe you could improve more in your bike or run splits.
Think again. Once you are fit and skilled enough to swim 65 minutes, you are not only saving time but starting the bike and run much fresher, with a lower heart rate and less muscle fatigue which will translate into faster bike- and run splits.
Another benefit is that you are around much fitter athletes during races. There is no need to waste energy on overtaking hundreds of riders which can be physically and mentally stressful. Not to mention that you have more space in the water and experienced swimmers near you which usually makes the swim leg less stressful as everyone is confident and knows what they are doing.
Pacing is another benefit of being a front-of-the-pack swimmer. You save a significant amount of energy when you are “riding with” a group of steady athletes instead of playing catch-up.
Attention to details:
When it comes to Kona, every second counts. I have seen a number of athletes who missed out on a slot by a couple of minutes. They might have gone faster by paying more attention to details before and during the race.
Equipment:
The old saying “Never try anything new on race day” is getting more and more important as the triathlon industry throws all those new technologies and gadgets at us. Walking around the Expo days before an Ironman and seeing all those items that you don’t own yet but are supposed to make you go faster can be very tempting. Don’t give in. An extreme example comes from one very fit athlete who was reduced to walking the marathon due to blisters caused by his brand-new compression socks.
First of all, you do NOT need the best and most expensive equipment to qualify. In fact, in many situations you might go faster if you choose the cheaper options, since that what is usually designed for the world-class professional athlete may be out of the age grouper’s range of fitness or skills to handle.
Diet:
You should have a very straightforward nutrition plan for race day. It has to be something you have tried and tweaked over many races and training sessions. Stick to it—the last thing you need is slowing down as a result of getting your nutrition wrong, which can cause stomach discomfort or lack of energy, which will in turn result in a slow day even when physically you were very fit.
Experience:
As I’ve written in one of my articles before, there is no perfect Ironman race. Something won’t go as planned, period. That said, the more experience you have in dealing with new situations, the easier it will be for you to pick the best choice for each surprise.
If you think you are still a few years away from qualifying, use this time to get to know yourself better, race different courses and conditions, see what suits you and what doesn’t—be aware of your weaknesses and work on them.
However, if qualifying is something is a realistic possibility for you, do a tune-up race in preparation for the big day—ideally a half ironman event 8-10 weeks out on a similar course (consider wetsuits, ocean or lake swim, hills on the bike and run, and weather conditions). Use the same equipment, strategy and nutrition as you plan to do in the qualifier race, even if by doing that you might go a bit slower than you could by racing according to the 70.3 distance.
Understanding Ironman races around the globe:
Now that you have an idea on what to consider when picking a course that will suit your strengths and maximize your chances of qualifying, you also have to understand the specifics of racing on each course and part of the globe.
Things to consider:
Matching course profile & your profile
As discussed earlier in this article, finding a course that suits your strengths and won’t make you lose too much ground on your weakness should be priority number one. Once you have picked the races around the world based on that, consider number of slots, level of competition and travel time, in that order.
Number of slots
Slots per race vary, from as few as 30 to as many as 80—that makes a huge difference as, depending on your age group, you have a chance even if you place 15th or so if you are in the M40-44 age group for example and are lucky that some athletes ahead of you will turn down the slot. On the flipside, races with fewer slots make it much tighter; unless you are in the top 5 of your age group, your chances are slim.
Level of your competition
Certain races tend to attract certain types of athletes. If you want to qualify at the fastest ironman on the planet, you better be ready to race very, very fast. Ironmans in Europe, with the exception of a few races, are known to have very high caliber athletes, since the locals are in peak shape at that time of the year and they prefer to race their “home turf” due to logistical reasons. Showing up at Ironman Frankfurt, which is the European Championships, to qualify for Kona will require a perfect race regardless of your level. It is preferable to choose races where historically finisher times are slower.
Location & Traveling requirements
Apart from the obvious fact that many athletes can’t afford too many days off work or away from home, time zones are also important when racing such a long event overseas. The general rule of thumb is a day of rest for each hour of difference; if you can’t afford that time, make sure you are a good traveler otherwise it may be a wasted opportunity.
Another detail to think about is the time of the race within the year and the qualifying season. Races later in the season are usually less competitive such as those late in August (Canada and Japan come to mind), as most of the very fast athletes prefer to qualify earlier in the year so they can afford to take some time off, recover from their efforts, before building for Kona again. The late-season races are in a way a “last resort” for people trying to qualify, as they need to back it up with Kona in about 5-6 weeks.
So, which race to pick? See the Pros and Cons of the most famous ones below:
Ironman races in the Americas:
Most Ironmans in North America offer a higher amount of Kona slots, which is already a very attractive feature. Another benefit is that the level of the competition isn’t as high, since there are several Ironman races within weeks of each other and the fast athletes tend to spread thin around the races from the country. Few overseas athletes get to go to races in North America. Most races in North America also sell out very fast, another reason that may leave fast athletes outside of the race
Ironmans Brazil and Mexico do offer a moderate amount of Kona slots but the competition may be slighter faster than in North America and Canada. In Brazil, for example, if you are a man between the age of 30 and 40, you may have to break 9h30 to have a chance.
Oceania and Asia:
As of the time of writing, we only have an Ironman race in Japan when it comes to Asia. Local athletes aren’t as fast as those in Europe or Australia, and the late time of the race also makes this slightly less competitive since most of the top athletes prefer to race earlier in the year so they can recover and train specifically for Kona.
On the flip side you have races in Australia that are very different than Japan. Busselton and Melbourne are probably among the hardest races in the world to qualify—they are early in the season on fast courses with fast athletes. If you are in a competitive age group, you may go 9h15 and miss out on Kona. They are great for PBs, but for a Kona slot only if you are a very experienced and fast triathlete. Ironman Cairns and Port Macquarie on the other hand offer less competitive fields, and slower races and courses in general, increasing the chances of intermediate level triathletes.
Ironman Races in Europe:
In Europe you have got everything. From the easier races to qualify such as the UK and Wales that are later in the year, on slower courses with slower competitors, but they can be very unique when it comes to course profile; you better be ready for a lot of ups and downs, both on the technical front and the bike course. If you live in a flat area and aren’t used to technical rides, this may not suit you.
The traditional European races such as Frankfurt & Austria are also a mini version of the world championships—don’t be surprised to see several athletes breaking nine hours if you are in a competitive age group.
You may also find extreme conditions in Europe that may fit like a glove for very few athletes: Ironman Nice for very technical and climber-bike riders, or Ironman Lanzarote for strong climbers who won’t need to be as technical but will need to be able to handle the heat.
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With the information above, you have now a clear map for your Road to Kona. Unless you are a very experienced and fast ironman triathlete with several Kona starts already under your belt, picking the right race will increase your chances and make the dream a reality. And make sure you back that decision with specific, smart and hard training.
Good luck and hope to see you on the start line in Kona one day!
100% of athletes on the Podium (mostly wins!) once again!
Matt 4th WG
Saha 3rd WG
All members who raced got on the podium at Pattana Triathlon Festival 2023! 
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