Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 68, March 2015 | Page 30

Sweet joy of

my story

But the negative thoughts came back
closer to the event. Was I crazy?
Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this? I was
so close to faking an injury or illness
just to get out of competing in East
London, but my friends and family
were having none of it, so I carried
on training through the festive season
and before I knew it, I was on a plane
to face another 70.3. What if I failed
again?

Races like the
Two Oceans
Marathon prepared Lana for
Ironman 70.3

The Transition to

GLORY

The worst sight? Marshals cutting you off in a race after
months of hard, intense training, but for Modern Athlete Dare
to Tri Academy member Lana Lapin, it was just a slight
stumble before success.

A

fter three years of running, my friends and I decided to do a
triathlon. How hard could it be, we thought… but boy was I
surprised! After entering 70.3 a year back, we joined the Dare
to Tri team and started training, and it was then that I realised the
mammoth task we had taken on. Still, the months ticked by and we
lined up at the start in East London. I was nervous because completing
the swim was my biggest concern. I kept telling myself that if I can just
get out the water, I’ll be fine for the rest of my journey. As it turned out,
I was the last person out the water and transitioned to the cycle very
pleased with myself... but there was a gruelling 90km to follow, with hills,
the wind and the heat beating down.
I thought I made it to the run transition, only to be met by marshals
holding hands barricading off the entrance. My worst fear had come true
– I had not made cut-off! I was devastated. I never expected this race
to be so tough. I couldn’t believe that it was over. All my friends finished
except me, and it made me feel despondent and humiliated. I never
thought about coming back to try again.

OVER THE HURDLE

After a long journey home to Johannesburg, I was down in the dumps,
but my buddies at Jeppe encour Y