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
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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/
Dear athletes, below the relevant updates for the upcoming month
* Road to Ironman 70.3 Thailand (Bangsaen)
* Khao Yai cycling day trip
* Members updates – New generation is killing it
* Swim session confirmed on Monday 24th (Public Holidays)
There are some strong evidence Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen is coming back on February 19th 2023. We are preparing a “Road to Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen” programme, which should start now, by racing short course events at the end of this year then building more endurance in December to race day. I recommend the Tridash on November 6th (don’t forget yo use our discount code) as well as Laguna Phuket Triathlon.
Talking about Laguna Phuket Triathlon, we are organizing a cycling trip to Khao Yai to allow members more skills in the hills as well as experience a day of climbing, more details below.
Finally, we have some new members who are absolutely killing it in races and ready to push you on our group sessions too.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Race Report: New Generation is taking off!
Congrats Mai on the 2nd place Overall at Tridash Pattana Oct 2nd
“Happy to place 2nd overall female today’s race at TriDash Pattana.
New PB: 1:23:29 (from 1:31:46) big thanks to ironguides!!”
Congrats Seymur on the 1st Place Overall – Pho3nix Kids Triathlon 25th September
Road to Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen:
Whilte not official yet (as per Ironman website), the Ironman liscence holders in Thailand have already promoted on their personal social media the date of the Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen in 2023, February 19th.
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
Cycling
Where: Noen Homme Cafe (approx 2h30 drive from BKK) When: October 30th @09.15am (leaving 9.30am) Who: 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
Swimming
We are running our Monday group session on Monday 24th, Public Holidays
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 1-month membership & new pricing structure
* Quarterly bike session confirmed: Velodrome session on August 27th
* Race Report: 9x podiums @Rayong Triathlon, Ironman 70.3s finishes globally & more
* Updated terms & conditions: Sessions refunded when cancelled due to bad weather
Due to popular demand, we are offering again a one month membership for all 3 packages (swim only, run only, triathlon). We have also updated our pricing structure
We also had a cancelled swim session recently, we can only make the call few minutes before the session in the case of the swim and run, and a couple hours in the case of the velodrome, if session is cancelled, single discipline memberships will be refunded 1 week while triathlon memberships will be refunded 4 days
On the racing front, we had a very successful weekend in Rayong, with 9 podiums across both the Sprint and Olympic Distance. The next popular race is now Laguna Phuket Triathlon.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Race Report: 9 podiums in 1x race! Ironman 70.3s finishes globally & more
9 Podiums at the CORE Nutrition Running and Triathlon race on Saturday in Rayong “surround yourself with inspiring people”
-Sprint Distance
Victor 1st Age Group & 3rd Overall
Chanon 2nd AG
Saha 22nd AG & Best bike split of the day!
Vansa 2nd AG & 3rd OA
Petro 1st AG & 5th OA
-Olympic Distance
Andrea 1st AG & 4th OA
Massimo 3rd AG & 2nd bike split of the day!
Andrew 3rd AG
Vincent 3rd AG
Anand 7th AG
–
CM6 – Ping (& former member Rut) were top 100 overall at the CM6 64km trail run, its a thing to be top 100 as they get a recognition prize for it. Note, they were 99th and 98th place, well paced
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Ironman 70.3 Swansea (UK) – Vicki finished in 6h42 with a half marathon PB (including open runs) of 2h10.
–
Ironman 70.3 Cebu (Philippines) – Anna’s 1st half ironman in an impressive 6h25
Free for tri-club members, swim only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes
600thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Running
Where: National stadium (warm up 200m blue track ) When: Wednesdays @18.30-20.00
Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Where: Hua Mak Stadium (access via ramkhamhaeng road – map below) When: Saturday 27th August @07.30-10.00am How often: Quarterly. Session cancelled in case of rain (check FB group if weather unstable)
Schedule:
0730-0800 – Road Cycling Safety Skills & Technique
0800-0830 – Velodrome Skills & Technique
0830-0945 – Main Set
0945-1000 – Run off the bike (don’t forget the shoes)
Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, 1-on-1 coached athletes.
*August 27th 2022 session, free for run only or swim only members *400thb for drop in athletes
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
* Events are back! Triathlons in Krabi & Rayong on August 21st,
* Quarterly bike session confirmed: Velodrome session on August 27th
* Race Report: Successful Ironman Debut & World Champs qualifier
* Free sample gels & waffles at sessions
We had several first timers over the full Ironman distance as well as the Ironman 70.3 distance, more details below.
In Thailand, Krabi triathlon is coming back on August 21st as well as a new Triathlon in Rayong, both offering Olympic and Sprint distance (more details on our Facebook group), and our velodrome session is confirmed on August 27th.
Starting this month, at one group session per week, all athletes will get a free sample of Bollox Energy gels or waffles.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Race Report: Successful Ironman Debut & World Champs Qualifier
Ironman Austria
Lindsey had a crash which resulted in a completely broken collarbone early in April this year, 3 months later, she finished her first ironman in 12h09 – so proud of her for never giving up on the ironman dream and fighting through all the possible challenges
Challenge Roth
Victor 9h36 (first ironman!)
Dirk 11h54
Fenn 12h06
Petro 13h34
Ironman 70.3 Finland
Andrew (1st Ironman 70.3) in just under 5 hours
Ironman 70.3 Desaru
Christian coming in 5th place M40-44 in just under 5h
Ironman Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Helder Francisco (1st Ironman) 10h20
Tridash (2x races in July)
2x Overall wins at the Indoor triathlon on July 24th (Congrats Vansa & Kipsan) and overall sprint win (Congrats Saha) @ Tridash July 3rd
Lindsey Broken collar bone – 3 months out of Ironman Austria
Free for tri-club members, swim only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes
600thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Running
Where: National stadium (warm up 200m blue track ) When: Wednesdays @18.30-20.00
Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Where: Hua Mak Stadium (access via ramkhamhaeng road – map below) When: Saturday 27th August @07.30-10.00am How often: Quarterly. Session cancelled in case of rain (check FB group if weather unstable)
Schedule:
0730-0800 – Road Cycling Safety Skills & Technique
0800-0830 – Velodrome Skills & Technique
0830-0945 – Main Set
0945-1000 – Run off the bike (don’t forget the shoes)
Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, 1-on-1 coached athletes.
*August 27th 2022 session, free for run only or swim only members *400thb for drop in athletes
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
* Velodrome sessions are back on a quarterly basis! 1st session August 27
* Welcome Coach Keng to the ironguides coaching team
* Welcome back Bollox! Energy waffles & gels @special prices
We are acting on the Customer Satisfaction Survey that you filled in recently. Velodrome sessions are back on a quarterly basis, in this transition period we will accept members of the swim only or run only memberships. The sessions will be a mix of safety skills, fitness (very intense!) and velodrome technique, its a fun and intense workout
We are welcoming back Bollox Energy as a team sponsor, an old partner that took a break from the industry during the pandemic, but it’s now back giving our athletes a nice discount on their products as well as providing samples during some of our club sessions as well as socials.
We have now Coach Keng taking over the running sessions on Wednesdays. Keng has been involved with triathlon since 1997 and brings a lot of experience.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Welcome Coach Keng to the ironguides Team:
Coach Keng is our new running Coach. He is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Ironman Certified Coach and hold over 20 other certifications in Sports Science and Triathlon Coaching.
His coaching experience includes two years ahead of STAGE U physiology lab, twenty years of personal training and five years of online triathlon coaching.
As a triathlete Keng did his first triathlon in 1997, is an ironman finisher himself and has over sixteen half ironman finishes. He comes from a corporate background and speaks fluent English.
Free for tri-club members, swim only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes
600thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Running
Where: National stadium (warm up 200m blue track ) When: Wednesdays @18.30-20.00Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, run only members or 1-on-1 coached athletes *400thb for drop in athletes (book & pay online, in advance)
Cycling
Where: Hua Mak Stadium (access via ramkhamhaeng road – map below) When: Saturday 27th August @07.30-10.00am How often: Quarterly. Session cancelled in case of rain (check FB group if weather unstable)Schedule:
0730-0800 – Road Cycling Safety Skills & Technique
0800-0830 – Velodrome Skills & Technique
0830-0945 – Main Set
0945-1000 – Run off the bike (don’t forget the shoes)
Cost:
*Free for tri-club members, 1-on-1 coached athletes.
*August 27th 2022 session, free for run only or swim only members *400thb for drop in athletes
Welcome Bollox Energy – Exclusive ironguides athlete discount 25% off
Products Energy Gels
Energy Waffles
Fire Balls
Energy Gels
Bollox Energy Gel was developed and tested in cooperation with world renowned Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore using solid scientific research. The combination of the Bollox ingredients provides a powerful energy boost and significant scientific research has been carried out to prove the stimulating effects of this nutrient mix.
The 3 main ingredients of Bollox Energy Gel are:
1) A blend of fructose and maltodextrine in a 0.8:1 ratio,
2) Na, K and Mg electrolytes mix and
3) amino acid taurine.
Below you can read more about all the performance enhancing properties of these 3 components.
–
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: Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, Pattana Tri Festival, Pho3nix Kids race
* From Zero to Hero: Andrea’s story & race report
* Races are back! 4x Iromans 70.3 to pick 2nd semester
Race season is finally back on again, we had 3 events back to back in May with excellent results for our team. One of them was Andrea DiCaprio performance at Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, Andrea joined our squad 3 years ago as a complete beginner in all 3 disciplines, fast forward he is now one of the strongest age groupers in the region over the Ironman 70.3 distance
Other notable results were a total of 3 World Championships qualifier in Vietnam, 7 first timers over the Ironman 70.3 Distance and 6 podium finishers in May across all 3 events
Races are also finally back, there are 3 confirmed Ironman 70.3 events happening in the 2nd semester of this year. Cebu, Lombok, Langkawi and Puerto Princesa
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates – May Races Report:
Pattana Triathlon Festival
We had members at all 3 distances! Some dedicated podium finishers as well as inspiring first timers
Half Iron distance
Veterans
Victor 3rd overall in 4h30 and new PB
Kipsan 4h56 2nd overall non-elite and 1st AG non elite
Dirk 2nd in his AG, and 2nd “Family man” of the race First position was former member Toll, talk about busy and fast guys
Anand 6h03 and new PB
First timers
Gam achieved her dream and finished the race in 7h00`7 sec (need some dimples on the water bottle to shave those 7 sec 55)
Romain’s 4h52 was a warm up for his career and will be coming back much faster
Matt came in 6h20 as a training day for Ironman Sweden and Peter who just started triathlons late last year managed 6h50
Congrats to old member Chris on the overall win and Kenshin who attended our races and set the pace early in the race and push everyone to their limits
Standard Distance
Andrew managed the 2nd best bike split of the race and 4th in his age group
Champ our sponsor from Optima Bike was 3rd overall
We received the below message from Andrea in March 2019 – legit beginner that could not swim
Fast forward to May 2022 – Andrea placed 5th with a time of 4h46 at Ironman 70.3 Vietnam (there were 7 slots for the World Champs)
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ANDREA’S OWN RACE REPORT BELOW
Ironman 70.3 Vietnam Race Report.
Recap here (WARNING long post only for Triathlon Fetishists) : I qualified for the 2022 World Championship BUT…..it’s all to be redone.
—————-
Swim 1.9km = 33’33’’
Bike 90km = 2h23’
Run 21K = 1h44’
Total Time 4’ 46’’
5th Age Group – 20th Overall
5 out of 7 called for World Championship in St. George – Utah – United States on 28/29 October 2022
———–
I don’t want to sound arrogant but I don’t want to hide either … I was really trained for this race, I was sure that without mechanical problems and with a bit of luck I would be able to play in the top 10 of the group.
I was so trained that I secretly hoped for the worst possible conditions (rough sea, wind and terrible heat in the race) to be able to play even better with those in front.
In the last 10 weeks, I have practically done a half marathon every Wednesday morning and a sort of half ironman every Saturday morning with the beasts in HuaHin … the race was a rest day compared to the previous 10 weeks
——————
SWIM: the Sea was much less rough than the day before, the first 200 meters not easy due to the waves but then all quiet until the end. I chose to start very slowly to take off the strong swimmers from behind and find plenty of free space in front (one of the last of the first group).
I entered the water much more calm than usual (thanks to the April Training Camp where we certainly “ swam ” in a very very angry sea) this helped me to keep my heart rate low in the first meters and then keep a stable pace until the end, as we have tried several times in training.
————–
BIKE: as per strategy, very slow first km, until anyone passes me, then I started pushing until halfway where I realized I was a bit low in average power and I significantly increased until I found myself first in the group of pursuers of the first 30 athletes … in the middle of the race it started to rain quite heavily, moreover the route was in my opinion very dangerous … too many bottlenecks and an internal loop that put the head of the race side by side with the tail with a very dangerous difference in speeds. I lost something in the corners to avoid taking risks and I was slowed down several times by the flooded roads but all in all I managed to do better than I had anticipated.
————-
RUN: I am beginning to understand that running in long races is truly a separate race where many variations come into play that can greatly influence the pace and the final result.
The last km of the bike stopped raining and a little sun created a crazy humidity … Even in the run I chose to start very slowly and I started to hum in my head the music of Pacman when he chases the ghosts in the corridors (sound)… every person I passed was an eaten ghost(sound) … I enjoyed until the 14 km when I became the ghost who ran away!
Halfway through the race, the temperature rose considerably due to the sun and humidity but the plan was to stay focused on my pace until halfway through the race and then watch the race time on the clock and attempt to attack the leaders of the K group (I did not look at the race times from the start of the swim until 10 km of the finish line).
For a few meters I was on the podium of my group but then I was passed by strong runners who ran at 4’30 ” on average … another level (for now …).
I tried everything by accelerating to the max for the entire last km but they were too far away.
——————–
The goal was to go below 5 hours so I am extremely satisfied with the result, half of the credit goes to my coach Vinicius Santana who trained me from zero (I didn’t know how to swim, I never had a bike and I was just running to lose weight ) until reaching a world qualification in 3 years. As always, his training plan was simply perfect: there’s no secret I train almost 20 hours a week, go to sleep every night at 9pm and wake up at 4.30am every morning to be able to combine work and training.
7 days a week Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays included. I am not athletically gifted in any discipline, I train a lot but also a little if we compare it to real athletes … I am not the best at anything, I am just the most hungry of all when I have a goal in mind … I can slow down but I always get there and in any case, I would easily sell my soul to the devil just to be able to take what I want…it has been always like this, all my life.
So I qualified for the October World Cup in the United States?
Yes, but I will NOT be able to go
I have a work commitment in Singapore that week that cannot be postponed, I already knew it long before the race, since last year, when they called me on stage for the slot I tried to ask if possible to postpone it to the next world championships of 2024 in Finland but the business machine of the Ironman has been inflexible…
So everything is to be redone … from October onwards I will go hunting for the world qualification again, first in Lombok in Indonesia then in Puerto Princesa in the Philippines, and then again and again at each race until I manage to qualify again for the 2023 World championship in Finland (this time without business appointments!).
Honestly, I’m not much disappointed (now…) on the contrary, the bright side is that I just have more time to train even harder and present myself in Finland better than I could have been in October in the United States.
A special thanks to Kipsan Beck who was the first to believe in this result, it all started with his idea during one of our killer run sessions at the Track.
Sponsors & Discounts:
–
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
* Swim sessions now only 1x a week, on Mondays
* Training Camp Photo report
* All sessions confirmed in May (despite public holidays)
* Optima bike colors for 2022
As we come back to training post Songkran, we are making a change to the swim sessions schedule, now there will be only one swim per week, on Mondays. We were not getting enough people to justify a second weekly swim, if this changes in the future we may reconsider.
Below also some images from our Long Distance training camp early in April, to inspire you to push the next couple weeks into the start of the long distance season with Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, Pattana Long Distance Tri as well as Roboman
In this newsletter you can also check our bike sponsor line for 2022, Optima has been a long time supporter and if you are looking for a new bike, frameset or wheels, ironguides members gets special pricing, other then a great value for a top notch equipment, the customer service is bar none since they are a Bangkok based brand.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
We have renewed our multi-year partnership with Thai bicycle and wheels brand Optima Bikes. ironguides athletes and members get discounts exclusive prices – must have a valid membership
20% off for Omega Frameset (Price 69,900) with free Aero caliper brakes (value 7500THB.)
10% off for Carbon Wheels
5% off for Omega Completed Bike
Omega bikes for 2022
Sponsors & Discounts:
–
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
* Last call! 10 days to go for our long distance camp
* Sponsorship deals on bikes, wheels & frames
* Run session confirmed on April 6th (Chakri holidays)
* Songkran dates announced (no classes 11th-14th = 1 week added to your membership)
We are now 10 days away from our camp, we still have some slots if you want to kick start your long distance season with the camp as well as our race simulation
Talking about season, we are now approaching the hottest period of the year combined with a few long races early in May. I’m seeing a lot of you are struggling to even finish workouts in this heat, so I did a post on Social Media page in which I will replicate it below, its a good time to forget a little about the numbers, the garmin pace, lower the expectations and just learn how to read the current conditions (race day & training) to adapt.
And finally, we renewed our partnership with Optima bikes, not only they provide very fast equipment at a great value but the fact it’s a Thai brand based in BKK, means superior Customer Service
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Members Updates – Racing in the heat:
Songkran Dates Announced – Week Long Break
All 3 classes will be cancelled on Songkran Week (11th to 14th), memberships will be credited 1 week. Reminder that on April 6th, also a public holidays (Chakri) we will be running our run session
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Ironman 70.3 Vietnam & Why you should lower your time expectations into the race and plan to walk all aid stations.
This is likely going to apply for Pattana 70.3 as well since the run there is rolling and it may be just as hot:
I’m sharing this with some of our athletes, and I figured I would post this here if you also plan to race Vietnam.
I’ve been to Ironman Vietnam 4x to work at the event (2015-2018), the day before the race in the first year in 2015, we had a big team from BKK and I thought “This is going to be a disaster, everyone will be blowing up and walking” as we sat in the shade with the perceived temperature at 42 degrees.
Turns out race day was only “very hot”, the average run split of the top 5 male (minus the fastest & slowest) was 1h23″30. I also checked the other average times
Now, these are world class athletes, capable of running ~1h09-12′ in cooler conditions. If THEY slow down 10-15+min, you can count that the damage on your own time will be much greater (20-30min) unless you are an outlier who handles the heat extremely well.
Why this is important:
a) Vietnam is not a race for fast times – chances are you won’t PB there and you should lower all the expectations.
b) Adjust your race day strategy accordingly, the run:walk protocol works very well here, at worse case scenario, walk & dont rush every aid stations. Be careful with pacing too
c) Adjust your training – you will see our track sessions becoming longer and slower, we still do threshold work (10k pace intervals) but not a lot of very fast intervals for the next 2 months. Attention also with technique, higher stride rate = bonk proof technique.
All that said, the tougher the race, better opportunities there are in terms of placing if you show up fit and execute it well on race day.
Final Call! Long Distance Training Camp & Race Simulation:
C55 events has just announced a ironman 70.3 distance event (non ironman branded) on May 1st and Roboman will also hold a middle distance event Mid May. The below camp is a perfect prep weekend for this 4-6 weeks out.
It will include a race Simulation 1.5k swim / 90k bike / 10k run with 3,000THB symbolic prize purse to spice things up (women get 30min time bonus!) and 16 lucky draw items, as well as a long ride of 130km (90k for beginners), open water swim & a QA session with the Coach.
Many of you are training for Ironman Vietnam 70.3 as well as a full ironman in the summer, this camp will be perfect to transition you into long distance racing, the shortened run will take less out of you while you can still practice pacing, nutrition and race day strategy.
Beginners athletes are welcomed and we have a shorter version too as course will be multilap (2x 750m swim, 3x30km bike, 2.5km run).
Please read the FAQ carefully especially the cut off guidelines as well as cancellations policy (now with an insurance option to keep it simple)
We have renewed our multi-year partnership with Thai bicycle and wheels brand Optima Bikes. ironguides athletes and members get discounts exclusive prices – must have a valid membership
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
In this month’s newsletter, learn more about Optima Wheels options (prices shown are pre-discount)
Sponsors & Discounts:
–
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
*Members updates: Overall Win & Bike Course Record @February Long Tridash
*Get ready for the Ironman 70.3 events in May with our long distance camp – Final 7 slots
*Available for Download – Swim pacing template sheet
*Songkran dates announced (no classes 11th-14th = 1 week added to your membership)
Another good day at the Tridash, our team took the overall win as well as the overall bike course record
For the data geeks, I’ve created a template sheet to help find your ideal pacing on your next swim as well as added three olympic gold performances with their data. Document is now available for download at members area.
A reminder that we have just a month to go to our long distance training camp, if you are training for the new non-branded Ironman 70.3 distance event in Thailand on May 1st, Ironman 70.3 Vietnam or any Long Distance during the summer, this is a perfect prep.
Enjoy your training,
Vinnie Santana
ironguides Head Coach
Race Report & Members Updates:
ironguides @Tridash – 6 in the top 11, including overall race winner (Victor) & a new bike course record (Romain)
— Tridash & Pool Time Trial pacing strategy
Now available for download @members area (website login)
Tridash & Pool Time Trial pacing strategy – including 3 Olympic Golds performance
— Songkran Dates Announced – Week long Break
All 3 classes will be cancelled on Songkran Week (11th to 14th), memberships will be credited 1 week.
Final 7 slots! Long Distance Training Camp & Race Simulation:
C55 events has just announced a ironman 70.3 distance event (non ironman branded) on May 1st. The below camp is a perfect prep weekend for this 4 weeks out.
It will include a race Simulation 1.5k swim / 90k bike / 10k run with 3,000THB symbolic prize purse to spice things up (women get 30min time bonus!) as well as a long ride of 130km (90k for beginners), open water swim & a QA session with the Coach.
Many of you are training for Ironman Vietnam 70.3 as well as a full ironman in the summer, this camp will be perfect to transition you into long distance racing, the shortened run will take less out of you while you can still practice pacing, nutrition and race day strategy.
Beginners athletes are welcomed and we have a shorter version too as course will be multilap (2x 750m swim, 3x30km bike, 2.5km run).
Please read the FAQ carefully especially the cut off guidelines as well as cancellations policy (now with an insurance option to keep it simple)
–
OTHER SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Find the discount code at the message board of our app
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 at any event during 2021 – use our coupon code on the members area when registering for the race https://ujamu.net/
Fastest male & female dash (sprint)
!
today’s race at TriDash Pattana.
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