Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 118, May 2019 | Page 40

DARE TO TRI
YOU
ARE
AN
IRONMAN!
It was another emotional day for competitors and spectators at the iconic Standard Bank Ironman African Champs in PE, and
we had seven Dare to Tri (DTT) finishers, including four novices. – BY DTT COACH DERICK MARCISZ
Congratulations to the
following DTT finishers:
Jason Edgecomb – 13:08
Ian Halkerk – 13:29
Strini Reddy – 14:35 (novice)
Craig Slater – 14:44 (novice)
Marcello Gnudi – 15:04
Neil Potgieter – 15:07 (novice)
Wiehann Joubert – 15:24 (novice)
The Modern
Athlete DARE TO
TRI programme
will get you there!
The Ironman 70.3 Durban on
2 June 2019 will mark the
end of the 2018/2019 season
for Dare to Tri, and details for
the 2019/2020 season will be
announced soon. The success
of this programme is that it is
an affordable, manageable and
sustainable training programme
that fits in with your family, work
and social commitments, and
you will receive expert coaching
and be able to join fun weekend
group training sessions.
40
My Race: Craig Slater My Race: Strini Reddy
Being a multidisciplinary
sport, my Ironman journey
started way back with open
water swimming, having
completed 20 Midmar Mile
swims. When cycling took
off in SA, I became an avid
cyclist. Initially, triathlon did not
appeal to me, as I never saw
myself as an endurance runner,
but I decided to give it a go. I
joined the Modern Athlete 9to5
Programme and realised that I possibly had the ability to
attempt triathlons, starting with the sprint distance. Race day had arrived and my
nerves were shot. I started
to question whether I was
adequately prepared, doubting
whether I could finish this
triathlon. Then it was time, I
had no choice now, I was here
and I had to make it count. My
motto was, “Slow time rather
than no time.”
The bug bit and it was not long after that when I joined the
Modern Athlete Dare to Tri Programme with Coach Derick
Marcisz, and completed the Ironman 70.3 Durban and
Ironman 70.3 East London, always wondering if I had what it
takes to take on the ultimate test of the full Ironman.
I have always been disciplined in my approach to all things
in life, and decided that if I was to complete the full distance
event, I would need to do this with a structured programme,
so I once again signed up with Dare to Tri. While the event
is a true test of endurance, both mentally and physically,
the training stood me in good stead, and there was never a
moment when I doubted that I would run on the red carpet.
This is an event that takes a
huge amount of sacrifice, and I
could not have done it without
the support of Coach Derick,
my family and close friends. On
the 7 th April 2019, all the training
paid off and I was pleased to run
down the red carpet to complete
my first full distance Ironman.
ISSUE 118 MAY 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
The swim was intense. The
water was choppy, which
created both physical and emotional strain, but I persevered
and made it out of the water. Port Elizabeth is called the windy
city for good reason, and despite months of training, the wind
seemed to continuously challenge me for ownership of my
bike. I had to keep my wits about me and was determined to
stay focused, blocking out what was happening around me. It
wasn’t easy, and I had to keep telling myself that I can do this.
Having managed to get through the swim and the cycle,
I felt confident that the difficult parts were over, but was I
in for a surprise! Just 12km into the run, I felt my left hip
stiffening up, then an excruciating pain pierced my hip and
seemed to run right down my left leg to my heel. I was
convinced that I could not go on, but when I looked up and
saw my fellow athletes persevering, I said to myself, “You
came this far, you cannot quit now.”
I put my head down, and despite it feeling as though this
run would never end, I continued running. My body and my
mind were in conflict, but I had only one goal in mind and
that was to get to the finish. When my feet touched the red
carpet, the exhilaration was indescribable. I realised that the
words ring true... pain is only for a day, but pride is forever.
And I had learnt a valuable lesson: What the mind can
conceive, one can certainly achieve.
D
ue to very choppy seas,
the swim was shortened
to 1.6km, but there were
unfortunately still two deaths in
the swim, which was very sad to
hear. One of our novices, Wiehann
Joubert, commented that it was the
toughest thing he has done in his
life, but those words, “You are an
Ironman,” can be treasured forever.