Ironman 70.3 Oman Muscat
Members Race Review
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Niel medla "the coolest medal I have ever seen or received"

Reviewer:  Niel Meyer
Race Name: Ironman 70.3 Oman Muscat
Age Group: 25-29
Location: Muscat
Date: February 21st, 2020
Website link:  https://www.ironman.com/im703-oman
Triathlon Experience:  This was my first Ironman 70.3 after only one year of training, Sprint and Olympic races.


Highlights

  • Easiest Ironman 70.3 to reach from Doha, well attended by TriClub Doha members
  • Scenic bike course through the hills of Muscat; some moderate climbs


Rationale for Choosing this Race

I missed my Ironman 70.3 Durban 2019, because I moved from South Africa to Qatar and it has been a major goal of mine to complete the 70.3 challenge, where later during training, it became more a challenge of time than completion.

Travel to the Race

Flew from Qatar to Oman and then used taxi’s, very costly. Tip is not to fly a day before or leave the evening of the race, extend and take some more time. Was really exhausting, but all worth it in the end.

Pre-Race

The athlete village was really good and registration flowed smoothly and efficiently. Restaurants in the area were also pleasant and our hotel was good, only problem was that we booked too late, so I recommend getting a hotel closer to the race area. The race giveaway was a nice backpack, would have been better if it was of better quality

Race Gear

Pretty standard race gear. I have a cheap DHB short sleeve wetsuit, a 2019 Merida Scultura 300 road bike with aerobars, Giro shoes with Look pedals and New Balance 880v9 running shoes.

RACE DAY

Getting to the start line

I woke up at 3:30 to eat, get my last things needed and run through my checklist again. Also slowly started with my pre-race drink.

Swim Leg

Swim leg was amazing!! The water was at 23,5 degrees, so still a wetsuit optional swim. Seeding was not done very well, so I just stuck to the outside to pass people and get into good rhythm. Finished the swim comfortably in 28mins, which was 5mins under my prediction.
Neil post swim

T1 

Basic Ironman setup and went nice and fast and as planned.

Bike Leg

The bike course was beautiful, I really enjoyed the scenery and push according to pace and time, as fast as the bike could take me. Some good climbs and fast downhills. Ended in 2h45mins, which was what I estimated and still felt good.
Niel Bike1ready to roll....

T2

T2 was good and fast, struggled with my socks, but got through in good time.

Run Leg
Niel run

The run started off well for the first 6km, there after deterioration set in. I lost both my gels as they fell out of my triclub trisuit pockets... Although I just carried on and pushed forward. From around 14km into the run, the legs became very tired and fatigue set in. The last 3km became difficult, goal was every water point. The heat was at an extreme, at least they had cold ice sponges at each water point. Through al that, I was 3mins over my run prediction time, ended the run with a 2h03mins.

Finish Line / Finisher Area

It felt amazing to finish, I did not expect the race to be that difficult to finish. Crossing the line was amazing, I was so glad that I could sit in the shade and relax. Stopping never felt so good, and water never tasted so fresh. The medal is the coolest medal I have ever seen or received. After the race, I enjoyed the burgers at the finishers area and then lay on the grass dead after the 5h23min race.

Evaluation of my race

I believe I did exceptionally well, considering that I was aiming for a sub 6hrs and managed a sub 5h30mins. In the end, I think it was only the running leg and the heat that got to me. I found that I performed according to where my level of fitness was at that stage and all the restrictions I had building up to race.
To better myself, I would want to train more and get a better bike for the next race, also work more on my running endurance.

Apres-Race

I would have loved to meet up with people and attend the ceremony, but unfortunately I headed back to the hotel, packed up my bike and left for the airport. Had a flight back to Qatar and work the next day. I do not recommend this routine at all and recommend taking more time off after the race.

Evaluation of Race Organisation

Perfect, I think the Ironman group know what they do best and found everything up to stand.