Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 68, March 2015 | Página 42

BATTLING

Ma dare to tri

Buffalo

City

With 34 finishers at January’s Ironman 70.3 in Buffalo City, the Modern Athlete Dare
to Tri team, in their distinctive green and blue kits, made waves and did themselves
proud as they wrapped up months of intense training with Coach Derick.
– COMPILED BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

GREG KENCH

VANESSA DE SOUZA

SUSAN BOLD
“We took a road trip down to Buffalo City and I was
caught up in the hype. The sea swim was daunting
and probably what I feared most – and it ended up
being the best. Transition was awesome, with so
many volunteers assisting me to the point where my
supporters almost missed me flying out on my bike.
The ride started out well, but sadly the day panned
out differently and I had to stop halfway due to
dehydration. It was so disappointing, but I now have an appointment with Buffalo City
in January 2016. Disappointing result – but in the famous words of Arnie: I’ll be back!”

So What’s Next?

• Ironman, Port Elizabeth: Dare to Tri has 22 triathletes training for Ironman
in Port Elizabeth at the end of March, 18 of whom are ‘Iron Virgins.’
• 70.3 Durban: On 2 August, the inaugural Durban 70.3 will take place!
The Modern Athlete Dare to Tri programme will be training for this event
and we will start training in June – check out the next edition for details of how
to sign up.

“My weekend was filled with so many emotions
ranging from fear of my first sea swim to absolute
joy when finally crossing the finish line in a time
of 6:44:56! I conquered the swim leg in tough
sea conditions and pushed through the cycle leg.
There was a strong, hot headwind for most of the
cycle leg, but exiting T2 onto the run course, my
legs felt fantastic and I went on to run a very solid
sub-2:00 half marathon. I have now entered Ironman 70.3 Durban and have my
sights fixed on entering Ironman 2016. I would like to thank the Modern Athlete Dare
to Tri programme and Coach Derick for everything. Over the course of the last seven
months I have met and made a great group of friends.”

CHRISTELLE VAN ROOYEN
“This year’s 70.3 was the hardest one I’ve done yet. My third 70.3 medal ended up
being the one that I had to work the hardest for. The swim was not much fun and
the bike was brutal, but I was lucky enough to end the day off with an awesome
21km run. And getting to see Johan and the kids at the finish line ensured that I
ended another race in tears!”

Coach’s Corner
A word from DTT coach Derick Marcisz
The race was without doubt the toughest Half
Iron race I’ve ever attempted – and this was my
11th race! The Buffalo City 70.3 is considered the
second-toughest event on the 70.3 calendar in
90 races worldwide, and the sea conditions were
rougher than anything in the last five years. The
bike course was simply brutal – temperatures
of 40 degrees with a hot wind – and the heat
continued through the afternoon on the run. That’s why race times were much slower
overall than in previous years.
Well done to all the DTT athletes that attempted this event! And to those who
managed to get to the finish, you can honestly say that you deserve that medal. With
12 novices in our group, the programme proves time and time again that it works!

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ISSUE 68 MARCH 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Images: Greg Kench and courtesy Susan Bold, Vanessa de Souza

“This was my first Ironman 70.3 and one of the
toughest events that I’ve participated in. Although
you have control over how you prepare for an event,
you cannot control the conditions on race day. We
were confronted with rough sea conditions and a
hot and windy cycling course, which resulted in
tired minds and bodies. I finished the race and truly
earned that medal. Most importantly, I thoroughly
enjoyed the experience and will definitely be back next year to find out what
challenges Buffalo City has in store for 2016. Without Derick’s guidance, the DTT
training programme and my team mates, I would not have been ready to take on this
event.”