We swam 1.2 miles (1.9 km) in the Pacific Ocean at the entrance to the Panama Canal, one of “The Seven Wonders of the Modern World.” We biked 56 miles (90 km), three-loops, first crossing the Bridge of the Americas, connecting Central and South America, en route to the Pan-American Highway. We ran 13.1 miles (21km), three-loops, run course through the Amador Causeway, a major tourism area surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, where we watched ships transit in and out of the Panama Canal while enjoying the beautiful view of the city.
Panamá City is the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America, and a must-visit for any traveler in the area. The capital of Panamá is three cities in one, with a historic district, a rebuilt district and a very modern downtown.
I have raced….
….. Panama 70.3 in 2014. Back then I was not very competitive as I am now. I remember that the swim was so fast and that the run was hot. Therefore I knew that Panama is always very hot and humid.
Hot and Humid
Every time I hear this about a race, I can’t help but think that my performance on the run will suffer… I still was very unsure about my ability to compete well in the heat and humidity. Even if in Florida we have humid and hot conditions for most part of the year, this race preparation was in the colder months of December and January. So the only way I could prepare for the conditions was to artificially create them. We know that
heat “acclimatization”
…..is what happens when we train outdoors in hot weather, i.e. it is “natural”. Heat “acclimation” is what happens when we adapt following repeated exposure to an artificially hot environment (a hot tub, a sauna, a hot bath, etc). Either way, we have similar adaptation results: Increased plasma volume (due to increased kidney retention of sodium and better reabsorption of solutes in skin duct cells back into the blood), decreased resting heart rate, less cardiovascular strain during exercise, lower RPE, increased sweat rate at a lower core temperature and, therefore, we start sweating sooner during exercise.
In the past I have acclimated mostly using natural environments (Florida summer) and passive training (sauna and steam room). This time, a month prior the race, I started Heat training with Core. I integrated a more structured approach into my training program with planned heat exposure which is specifically designed to trigger a physiological change. During workouts my core body temperature was increased and over time I got 'conditioned' to become more effective at cooling and also to generate more power when I am hot. Luckily my husband bought me a Medical sauna for Christmas, and so I added infrared sauna everyday for 20-40 min and 3-4 times per week after some workouts.
In my opinion, the current evidence suggests that all athletes should consider heat acclimation even if they don’t intend to race in the heat. And, this doesn’t have to mean interrupting your training by exercising in a hot room — post-session heat exposure might be just as effective.
Pre Race:
I arrived in Panama on the Wednesday before the race with my daughter Alessia. The trip went smoothly and quickly. I was able to fly directly from Tampa to Panama. In total, it was about 4 hours of travel time.We took a taxi to the Riu Plaza Hotel (the host hotel for the event).
On Thursday morning we woke up early to go to the bike shop to check if my Forza ShutUpLegs bike was properly tuned up. We felt the heat and humidity. Temperature was low 74 F and high 93 F with humidity up to 90%, so the feel was about 100 Fahrenheit.
Later we took a Viator….
bike tour…..
…. of Panama’. It was so much fun and educative about the city’s history. The tour started in Casco Viejo, then Cinta Costiera”, and ended up at the local fish market (Mercado del Marisco) where we ate 2 ceviches and a beer for only 5$ 😳.
On Friday early morning I biked a bit of the…
“Cinta Costiera”
to check if the bike was tuned up properly. Then we swam at the Riu’s pool. After breakfast, I made a point to do my easy run right around the time I would be on the run course during the race. I have to say, I didn’t find the heat or humidity bad at all. In fact, I said to Alessia when I got back from my run “I don’t think heat is really going to be a factor in this race.” Finally I checked in at the IRONMAN expo, and it was so nice to have it right at the RIU Hotel. In the afternoon we hiked the Ancon Hill to admire the beautiful city from the only hill the city has.
Later in the evening we had a nice dinner at a local restaurant.
Saturday was…
…. fairly relaxing. I prepared my equipment and race nutrition for the next morning, checked in my bike and studied transitions again.
After the athlete briefing I did all the final touches to my gear and was in bed by 7 pm for a 3 am wake-up.
Race Day:
In the morning I immediately started drinking my hydration drink, it was going to be a hot day. I got to the race nice and early because I wanted to get a good warmup in before the swim. One of the many things I have learned from my experience is that proper warmup is crucial, especially if you are a weak swimmer. Unfortunately, we were told the day before that we would not be allowed to do a warmup swim, so this meant I would have to get the core warm through jogging, arm swings, etc.
The transition was a long stretch along the canal. I checked my bike over and setup all my gear and nutrition. Then I headed down to the second rack to setup my run gear. I made the mile-long trail down to the swim start and headed out onto the pier.
Swim: 3rd AG
It was a wetsuit swim which felt great in the 72 degree water. At 6:35 am it was already so hot, and we were finally let into the water and about a minute or two later the gun went off. I was feeling very confident coming into this swim. After IRONMAN 70.3 Florida in Dec 2023 I have joined a masters swim to break my swim plateau and I have been doing a couple of open water swimming. I swam along the right side of the buoys but it was a tough call to make. If you swam directly to the stairs for the exit it was definitely a shorter distance, but there was more current further out.
The current was strong, but not as strong as 2014. I kept it steady for a good while trying to draft as much as possible. Sadly, in the end, I got dropped and swam the rest of the swim solo. Nonetheless, it was a good swim for me. I came out of the water in 3rd place. (Swim Time 27:59)
Bike: 1st AG
Once onto the bike I was happy because it is the discipline I feel more confident in. I had a power target of 85% FTP, a nutrition target of 2.5 bottle of INFINIT PREMIUM Fructose Fuel formula. (I ramped up my carb from 66 to 90 gr.)
I was actually quite happy at how fast I was riding even if I stayed conservative as I started the first loop. During the first loop I was comfortable enough and I didn’t want to push the pace early. However I was so nervous about the 7 U-turns for each lap. I made sure to take in some calories and hydrate.
Being multiple loops, it almost felt like an ITU race with so many ,,,,,,,,,,
180 degree turns
on the course. I lost a bit of time coming out of the 180’s and had to push the pace to catch back up.
As I came around for the second loop things got a bit crazy. More athletes were now sprinkled throughout the course and it was getting crowded. People were passing on both sides and cutting in front of you. There was quite a bit of braking this lap to avoid issues. The officials were trying to make sure people kept moving to the right so we could be passing and I saw them give out quite a few penalties. Before finishing the 2nd lap I decided it was time to pick up the pace. I caught the main pack around 45km. I caught them right before a no passing zone, which was then followed by about 3 kilometers of very narrow road. I decided to sit at the back and conserve some energy. This was the second lap of the bike so I knew there was a decent downhill section coming up. I decided that I would use the downhill to my advantage and …….
… make the pass
when I got to the bottom of the hill. So I found a good momentum, and I didn’t have to pedal too hard in order to make the pass. I tried to utilize as much of the 25 seconds we are allotted to make the pass as I could. Right as I reached the front of the pack, I surged as hard as I could. I surged for a good 30 seconds and then dropped down for the next couple of minutes. When I looked back they were farther back.
The last lap ended up being fairly clear so I didn’t have to avoid too many athletes on the course. I was starting to feel hot- very hot! I remember thinking to myself “I can’t believe you actually said out loud that you think heat is not going to be a factor in this race!” After 90km of biking, heat was a MASSIVE factor! I pushed the pace to T2 feeling strong. At the end of the day I had the fastest bike split. This was not my fastest in 70.3, but fast enough considering the technical aspect of the course. (Bike 1st AG - Time 2:38:51).
Run: 4th AG
The only words I have to describe the feeling of the run course for you are: it was disgustingly hot and filled with amazing support from spectators! The Latin-Americans know for sure how to cheer and make you feel good!
I got my race belt on and adjusted my visor. My only 2 goals were to stay on top of my nutrition/hydration and to run by feel starting in a relatively conservative way.
My new INFINIT hydration formula was sour and salty. The Dill Pickle TripWire fuel shot was just perfect after drinking a much sweeter formula than a typical hydration product for 2.5 hours.
Exiting from transition I saw Alessia, and she screamed that……
I was 1st in AG
I was so excited.
I ran my first mile in 8:45. I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was running pretty well; it certainly felt like I was putting out a lot more effort than a 8:45 pace!
Most of the run I was just thinking about getting to the next water stop. The water stops were all about a mile apart but more than half the run was in direct sunlight. Luckily we had some clouds here and there.
The spectators were spraying water over my head and giving me iced sponges. This helped to control my body temperature and made me feel powerful again.
Every water stop I took every….
cup of ice….
…. I could hold and dumped it into my tri suit. I’d try and get at least a cup of water in my mouth and everything else I’d pour on myself. The half mile or so after each water stop I always felt great- that feeling would slowly deteriorate until the next water stop. My second mile was 8:40.
I was starting to get a little worried at this point. But, I stayed focused on first, and tried not to think about all the other athletes. I tried not to panic and stayed focused. I was actually running decently well. Interestingly, I actually felt better on the second half of the run than the first.
For some reason I didn’t find the heat to be nearly as “disgusting” as on the first half. I did my best to keep my pace steady right to the finish line.
At mile 12…
… I finally allowed myself to believe that I was going to be on the podium. I choked back some tears and that dissolved into an intense shiver down the spine.
As I entered the finish chute, Alessia yelled “Forza, Forzaaaa.” This reminded me of why I love this sport. Alessia greeted me with one of the most passionate hugs I have ever experienced. (Run 3rd AG - Time 1:55:28).
I was thrilled…
….. with this result, a podium at a championship event!
Going into the race my goal was to come 1st or 2nd in my AG. And I did it!
I was 2nd in my AG and I qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2024 in New Zealand.
While this race was hot, I absolutely loved it. There were always people around racing and cheering. Such a fun day, I can’t wait for what’s next!
I need to give a ….
huge shout out…
to my coach Tim Crowley. Without his guidance this would not have been possible. This race came onto the schedule because I did not qualify for IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand World Championship 2024 back in December at IRONMAN 70.3 Florida. Back then I came 5th in my AG and the only 2 slots were taken by the 1st and 4th.
I needed to perform my best.
I have to thank my best sherpas Alessia and my Husband who unfortunately did not come with us this time. I need to thank Infinit Nutrition for helping me ramping up with a new nutrition plan. I felt sharp from start to finish, in very extreme conditions. I need to thank coach Scott for his help in the water, which lead to likely my best 70.3 swim yet.
Last but not least, I want to ….
thank you for…
…reading, cheering and following along. All this stuff is meaningless without friends and family to share it with, so thanks for coming along for the ride.
I would also like to mention that Panama was fantastic. The weather was beautiful, the people were nice, the food was great, lots of stuff to do and see.
I think my experience at the awards ceremony sums it up nicely. I have never been to a more packed, energetic, rowdy and passionate awards ceremony in my life. The enthusiasm and passion was contagious. Everyone stayed to cheer everyone else.
It was really refreshing to see that triathlon and the spirit of sport is alive and well in Central America.
