“The Devil Whispered In My Ear: “YOU’RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND THE STORM.” On Race Day I Whispered In The Devil’s Ear: “I AM THE STORM!””
I have always been a dreamer, with aspirations that stretch far beyond myself. There’s a powerful saying that encapsulates this spirit: "If your dream doesn't scare you, it isn't big enough!" It’s a reminder that true greatness lies just outside our comfort zones.
I like to qualify every year for Ironman 70.3 World championship because it changes venue every year! I was disciplined enough to do it every year since 2013. Staying at peak performance is not easy, but dreaming of winning is not enough; we must be disciplined and train for it!
Train smart.
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Train Hard.
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Have fun.
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Train smart. 〰️ Train Hard. 〰️ Have fun. 〰️
Leading up to this race, I prepared mentally and physically very well. However, just 10 days before the race, staying focused and continuing my training became incredibly difficult due to the devastating Hurricane Milton. This fierce Category 4 storm wreaked havoc across Florida, leaving a trail of destruction and tragic loss of life. The storm’s impact on our communities was—and still is—profound, with more than 2 million people, myself included, left without power. In the aftermath,I relocated to Gainesville, where I was fortunate enough to have electricity restored and start returning to a more normal routine. My back was really sore after moving all the furniture from the patio and the first floor. Despite the chaos and stress, I was determined to stay on track and finish my taper strong.
In addition to…
… my usual structured training, I incorporated heat training with CORE. My heat adaptation score was very high on race day.
A score of 100% is the highest level achievable with CORE, earning athletes the title of Heat Champions. The adaptation I gained gave me a boost of confidence for performing in optimal physical conditions.
Pre Race
April and I arrived Wednesday evening, and everything was going great… until we realized that April booked the Airbnb for 2025.
So, while April was focused on driving, I got the glamorous job of hunting down a last-minute place to stay. Let me tell you, between Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb, and what I now call "Verbs I Didn’t Know Existed," everything was booked solid. Cue the panic! After messaging about 50 hosts, we miraculously found a nice place. Crisis averted!
Oh, and just when we thought things were under control, the weather decided to join the party. A cold front rolled in, dropping temps from a cozy 55–75 to a brisk 45–60.
Apparently, we booked the wrong year and the wrong season!
This race was a logistical puzzle. While I’ve tackled races with two separate transitions before, I had never faced one where each discipline is point-to-point—nothing ends where it starts! Surprisingly, I didn’t mind this setup at all. I loved that my bike was returned close to the finish and that all my swim gear magically showed up alongside it. The day before the race, we took advantage of the pre-swim warm-up, which allowed us to swim a section of the course. Despite the chilly 40-degree air, the water felt surprisingly warm and refreshing, a perfect contrast to the crisp morning air.
Race day
I like to wake up about 3–4 hours before the race starts. I had a good amount of coffee along with a bagel topped with peanut butter and honey. Around 3:30 a.m.,
I did a mile warm-up run to avoid the initial shock when hitting the water. Fortunately, the temperature was a bit warmer than the previous days—49°F, though still pretty cold for us.
April and I drove downtown, parked the car, and took the first bus to the T1 transition zone, where we inflated our tires, prepared our nutrition, and hit the restroom.
I like to give myself plenty of time for these things. After that, we walked over to the buses that took us to the swim start. I stayed hydrated, did some jogging and arm swings to warm up, and ate a banana before the start.
The swim always makes me nervous. I’ve been trying to cope with these fears for the past 5–7 years, but I’m not sure what triggered them. When I was younger, I felt invincible—nothing scared me. I used to swim without a wetsuit or safety buoy, far from the coast, and never thought twice about it. I'd swim miles away from the start point, focusing on time instead of distance, even when I was 8 months pregnant! But about seven years ago, something shifted. Now, open water swimming makes me anxious. I can’t shake the bad thoughts like, "I’m going to die," or "I’m going to drown," or even, "What if there’s a shark out there?"
Before this race, those same unsettling thoughts crept into my mind again. I texted my coach and husband, saying, "I’m afraid I’m going to die!"
Swim
This swim is always fast.
It is saltwater, but not in the ocean.
It is staged at Wrightsville Beach and features a unique point-to-point layout with a wave start.
It takes place in a channel connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, where there is always an incoming tide assisting the swimmers.
The water temperature was in the high 60s Fahrenheit—perfect for wetsuit use.
I entered the water with the first wave and immediately noticed how much warmer it was than the air.
It was about 50 degrees outside.
And for a change, it didn’t feel like I was thrown into a chaotic washing machine of arms and legs.
With only 3 athletes...
…..released every five seconds, there was no need to fight off flailing arms or dodge kicks to the face.
It was almost... peaceful? If only every swim start could be this polite!
I settled into a rhythm right from the start and felt good.
My main focus was pushing away those nagging thoughts, so I prayed, counted my strokes, and concentrated on finishing each one with proper body rotation.
Sighting was a bit tricky, even though the sun was on my right.
But watching the sunrise while swimming was incredible.
The most congested areas were the three main turns, but they weren’t as bad as I expected.
The current …
……helped push us along, though the water was a bit choppy.
My early morning swim training definitely paid off, though it wasn’t quite enough to beat my previous swim time.
The course zigzagged through the channel, and I veered slightly off course a couple of times.
But once I spotted the ladders….
…. at the pier, I made a quick exit and ran to transition.
Overall, I felt pretty great!
Swim Time: 31:15
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Avg Pace: 1:37 min/100m
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Division Rank: 46 out of 115
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Swim Time: 31:15 〰️ Avg Pace: 1:37 min/100m 〰️ Division Rank: 46 out of 115 〰️
T1
Once I climbed up the ladders, I ran about 30 yards to the wetsuit strippers, who quickly pulled it off. From there, it was about 0.4 miles of running barefoot on concrete and grass to the first transition. I was lucky to have a great spot that was easy to find near the entrance. I tucked my swim gear into the T1 bag, quickly put on my bike gear, and was on my way.
T1 Time: 5:58
Bike
I hopped on my bike and started riding from the beautiful Wrightsville Beach through historic Wilmington.
I aimed for a power target of 85% FTP and a nutrition target of 2.5 bottles of INFINIT PREMIUM Fructose Fuel formula (I ramped up my carbs from 66 to 90 grams).
The first 5 miles were a bit slow due to the narrow lane and the bridges where we couldn't pass. It was during this stretch that I noticed the solid cold headwind forecasted for the day.
There were a few zones on the bike course where we couldn't pass or stay in aero position, like the bridges with metal grids.
While I was biking in a straight line, hands firmly on the handlebars, a girl flew past me in aero position…
..totally reckless!
About a mile later, I saw the same girl suddenly veer into the right lane, straight into oncoming traffic.
She hit a car and went down hard.
I was completely shocked. I slowed down, heart racing, but luckily, I spotted the IRONMAN crew nearby and they rushed over to help.
I kept riding, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of horror.
I wasn't able to get comfortable in aero until mile 6, when I hit the highways.
It was freezing, and my hands were so cold and numb that I could barely feel them, making it hard to shift gears.
As the riders started to spread out, I began to find my rhythm and felt incredibly smooth.
For about 20 miles, a guy kept drafting off me. A woman got frustrated and called him out, but he didn’t care and kept drafting, causing some close calls with other cyclists we passed. With so many bikers on the course, it was tough not to get too close or avoid drafting, but this guy was clearly using me to cut down on the headwind.
Luckily, the course marshal penalized a few cyclists, hopefully including him.
The headwinds during the first 32 miles were blowing at 10-15 mph, but thankfully the highway asphalt was nice and smooth.
Despite the headwinds trying to turn me into a human kite, I managed to hold a steady 20-21 mph, keeping my cadence around 85 RPM and my power at 85-90% FTP—basically, just trying to outrun the wind and my own sanity!
The course was...
… flat as a pancake, except for a couple of bridges and ramps.
Through the first 30 miles, I felt great and had a solid group of competitors to keep pace with.
The course led into a rural area, then back down the highway toward Wilmington and T2. The last 16 miles featured a nice tailwind, and my hips and legs felt good.
On the back half of the bike course, I was disheartened to see so many cyclists ignoring the drafting rules.
Around mile 50, I spotted a sizable pack zooming by, clearly drafting with no intention of breaking up the party.
To make matters worse, there didn’t seem to be many race officials around to enforce the rules!
I felt amazing …
… on the way back and was able to pick up speed, consistently reaching 23-26 mph while maintaining the same heart rate, FTP.
Unfortunately, my CORE temperature monitor was way off. It kept giving me high Heat Strain Index (HSI) readings, ranging from 7 to 9. I knew it couldn’t be right because I was cold and actually feeling great.
I saw a guy in front of me who decided to unleash the hose mid-ride—he looked like a malfunctioning water sprinkler! It was definitely one of those moments where you just can’t help but laugh while wondering if I should be impressed or concerned!
I must've peed at least 5–7 times during the bike leg.Apparently, when it’s cold, my bladder turns into a race-day overachiever!
Around mile 50..
…. I still felt strong and pushed my effort until we crossed the big bridge back into the town center. As we reached the top of the bridge and started descending, I was excited to get to the run. I entered Wilmington, navigating some smaller streets with crowds cheering along the sides, and saw the dismount line. I decided to ignore the Heat Strain Index and trust how my body felt instead.
I was ready to hit the run.
One thing worth noting: in previous years, the bike course was almost 2 miles longer than the standard 56 miles.
Thankfully, they adjusted it this year to the correct distance.
In the past, my bike computer and watch consistently recorded around 57.7 miles.
Bike Time: 2:34:40
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Avg Speed: 22.05 miles/hr
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Division Rank: 5 out of 115
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Bike Time: 2:34:40 〰️ Avg Speed: 22.05 miles/hr 〰️ Division Rank: 5 out of 115 〰️
T2
A large race means yet another sprawling transition area that could rival an amusement park in size. It felt like I was on a quest just to find the official start of the run course! I was pretty quick here too.
T2 Time: 2:40
Run
The first 1–2 miles were tough. I felt an unusual back pain, likely from all the heavy furniture moving I did during Hurricane Milton.
Running through the historic downtown of Wilmington was fantastic, with huge crowds cheering.
I couldn’t help but notice people at the bars and cafés enjoying lunch—talk about a triple dose of rudeness! (LOL).
The cheering spectators motivated me as I headed toward the scenic Greenfield Lake area.
The first stretch of the run featured a series of rolling hills, and although I wasn’t feeling my best, I noticed my average pace was around 8:35.
Concerned...
… that my back pain might not hold up for the entire 13.2 miles, I decided to maintain that pace a bit longer and see how my body responded.
I ran until I reached the aid stations, where I walked for 10–20 seconds to grab ice before picking up the pace again.
I had my Infinit Tripwire with me, but I needed more water. The Dill Pickle Tripwire fuel shot was exactly what I needed after sipping on a much sweeter formula for the past 2.5 hours.
As I started running around Greenfield Lake, I thanked God that the pain had subsided and I only felt heavy stiffness. The shade provided by the old live oak trees draped with beautiful Spanish moss was just what I needed.
It was a Mental…
….game now.
I kept reminding myself to ease into the pace, knowing that a conservative start would set me up for a strong finish.
'Let’s get to mile 6 and reassess,' I thought.
As I neared the turnaround, I took a moment to appreciate the breathtaking views of the lake.
The course threw a few hills and some rollers my way, but I stayed focused and kept my heart rate steady, even on the climbs.
Around this point, I spotted more support crew, which gave me a surge of motivation.
'Let’s push to mile 8.'
My pace hovered around 8:15.
By mile 9, I wish I was feeling stronger to drop pace and push harder.
My back was still very stiff, so I held back to make sure I would finish strong, determined to conquer both the course and my own mental barriers.
I was amazed at how my body kept tapping into its energy reserves.
In that moment, I knew that my training strategy was working.
I found a woman around mile 11 and ended up chasing her to go a bit faster and sub 8 MPM.
Just before the finish line, the run course followed the boardwalk with a view of the USS North Carolina, which was pretty cool! The finish was different than previous year.
Emotion overwhelmed me
…..as I powered through the final stretch, savoring each second of that unforgettable moment.
The rush of coming down the chute was indescribable—pure exhilaration and pride.
I finally let myself acknowledge that I had executed the race to perfection, leaving everything out on the course.
As I glanced up and saw my name on the board, my eyes shifted to the finish time—I wanted to beat my previous time of 5:00:40!
However, I finished the run with an 8:35 pace and a final time of 5:07:50.
The mantra "Train slower to race faster" truly works.
““Don’t stop when you’re tired; stop when you’re finished.””
Run Time: 1:53:31
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Pace : 8::36 min/mile
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Run Division Rank: 17th out of 115
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Overall Division Rank: 6
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Run Time: 1:53:31 〰️ Pace : 8::36 min/mile 〰️ Run Division Rank: 17th out of 115 〰️ Overall Division Rank: 6 〰️
The vibrant…
… atmosphere, the energy of the crowd, and the excitement of the town made this race unforgettable. For anyone hunting a PR, this course is an absolute must.
A huge shout-out to my coach, Tim Crowley—this wouldn’t have been possible without his guidance and support. We know that the best is still to come.
A big thank you to Infinit Nutrition for helping me fine-tune a new nutrition plan—I felt sharp and strong from start to finish, even in extreme conditions.
A massive thank you to my partner in crime, April Critelli, for always putting up with my nonsense! We’re the perfect duo for tackling wild adventures together—and somehow still laughing at the end of it all.
Last but certainly not least, I want to thank you all for reading, cheering, and following along. These experiences wouldn’t mean half as much without friends and family to share them with, so I truly appreciate you being part of the journey.
And I have to say—Wilmington was incredible! The weather was gorgeous even if colder than expected, the people were warm and welcoming, the food was delicious, and there was no shortage of things to see and do.
But the real highlight was the awards ceremony. The passion and enthusiasm were infectious, and everyone stayed to cheer on every last finisher. It was inspiring to see such genuine camaraderie and support. It’s clear that the spirit of triathlon is alive and thriving in North Carolina, and I feel lucky to have been a part of it.
And yes! I qualified for IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2025 Marbella Spain!
My next race coming up is RONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2024 Taupo, New Zealand on Dec 14th. Can’t wait to rest and then peak again!
Rosa Laura Elbooz
So here I lay out the times By IRONMAN
Swim: 31:15 - Pace 1:37. 46th AG out of 115. 365th by gender out of 804
Bike: 2:34:40 - Speed 22.05 M/Hr. 5th AG out of 115. 27th by gender out of 804
Run: 1:53:11 - Pace 8:36. 17th AG out of 115. 137th by gender out of 804.
Overall time: 5:07:43 - 6th AG out of 115. 60th by gender out 804.
