I keep active combining both strength and endurance training with workouts uploaded to either Strava or Garmin Connect.

I trained for my first Ironman over the 2018/2019 summer. The approximate weekly training time was 20 hours per week for 12 weeks. Training preceding this period was skills-based, approximately 8 hours per week for 45 weeks. The total time invested in training came to around 600 hours.

Tauranga Half 2019

I competed in my first triathlon race in the Tauranga Half Multi-Sport event in January 2019. The race includes a 1.9k swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run. The swim was my first open-water swim. I had issues with sighting during the swim but persevered. The bike was three circuits from Mt Maunganui down the straight towards Papamoa and back. The run included a couple of laps around the base of Mt Maunganui at approximately 30 degrees Celsius. I finished in under 6 hours with many lessons learned for the next race.

Ironman New Zealand 2019

I completed my first full-distance Ironman in March 2019, involving a 3.9km swim, a 180km cycle and a 42.2km run. I had my best swim yet, recording approximately 1 hour 11 mins. The bike was brutal as you raced 45km from the Taupo centre to Reporoa and back. You complete this circuit twice, which includes tackling heartbreak hill multiple times. Unfavourable wind direction changes led to a headwind for 135km of the ride. The bike was slow and featured numerous punctures. I finished the cycle just after disembarking just over 7 hours earlier. I was ready to run after the transition. However, sharp ankle pains accompanied me, which jolted up my leg. Unfortunately, I injured myself on the bike with an incorrect bike setup rendering myself incapable of running without excruciating pain. I reached a crossroads in my Ironman journey. I had come too far, trained for approximately 600 hours and had a whole community backing me. I could muster a painful walk, so I walked 42km to finish the race. About 15 hours and 45 minutes later, I had completed my first Ironman. I am most grateful for William and Angela Cook, who cheered me on from the beginning of the race, and my parents, Steve and Janet McDowall, who surprised me mid-race to cheer me to the finish line.

Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast 2019

In September 2019, I flew to the Sunshine to visit my childhood friend Trevor and his family. While I was there, I competed in the Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast. My university schedule and other priorities led to a more relaxed training schedule. It was lovely soaking in the sights on the sunshine coast as I pushed through the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run. It was tough at approximately 30 degrees Celsius again. I finished the race in about 6 hours and 20 minutes.

Ironman 70.3 New Zealand 2022

In December 2022, I travelled to Taupō, New Zealand, to compete. The COVID pandemic & university put the triathlon on hold over 2020 & 2021. New Zealand’s COVID red zones cancelled the event, having to transfer race entry from March 2022 to December 2022.

The race was challenging, with no shortage of obstacles. Several viruses swept through Auckland in the weeks leading up to the race. I fell ill with a non-COVID-related flu the week before, present on race day, leading to breathing issues from chest soreness & congestion. Additionally, the flu caused a lack of sleep leading up to the race. I was adapting to a new diet to manage a newly discovered allergy. Therefore, energy levels were relatively low. Some old injuries flared up, mainly pain in the knees. Last-minute transport cancellations led to a contingency plan of a 12-hour train ride with the bike in hand to Wellington on Thursday, followed by a 5-hour car ride on Friday to get to race day on Saturday, and a 6-hour bus ride back to Auckland on Sunday. Rental car prices were spiking, and Intercity buses between Auckland to Taupō were not taking bikes.

I made it to race day. It was the first wet race in my dabbling with triathlon. The lake was flat like a bath, perfect for the swim. The ride out and back from Reporoa was wet, contending with rain & moderate headwinds. The run saw all conditions. There was torrential rain at one stage and clear skies with Sunshine at another. I managed to get sunburned, of all things. After I finished with the Ironman athletes on the course, lightning strikes illuminated the ski met with booming thunder echoing across the central plateau. Nonetheless, I completed a 40-minute swim, 3-hour 40-minute cycle, & 3-hour 10-minute walk.