Ironman 70.3 Dallas
Dallas Race Report
New season, new me. Everything is different, everything is better—and I’m ready.
Coming into my first race, I had doubts. Missing training hours, broken sleep, and the reality of life with a two-month-old don’t exactly scream “peak performance.” The consistency was there over the past weeks, but I lacked some key long sessions. Not ideal.
But we played it smart. Credit to my coach—and to myself. We started adjusting to the Dallas time zone a week before traveling. Not easy with a newborn, especially when I want to fully show up as a dad. But honestly, there’s no better recovery than holding Lou and getting lost in her eyes. That’s perspective.
Still, the question remained: would it be enough?
Race week, I felt good. My coach believed in a podium. I was more conservative—thinking top 5. Then race morning hit, and the swim got shortened to 350m. That changed everything. With a time trial start and strong riders ahead, my expectation shifted to top 10. No illusions.
The Race
Number 1 off the line: Lionel Sanders. I was number 12—one minute behind him, five seconds between each athlete. With a short swim and current, bridging up would be nearly impossible. So the plan was simple: race smart.
Swim – 350m
2:46.
Let’s call it what it was, a 2⅓-athlon. The current was wild, but I executed well. Picked up numbers 11 and 10 quickly, but there was already a gap to the next group. Ahead: Ben Kanute. A strong swimmer. No surprise.
Bike
The race really started in T1. I saw the group rolling out just before I got there. Decision made: all in. Fast through transition, straight onto the pedals, head down. No hesitation, no pacing thoughts—just one objective: make the group.
Power numbers went straight through the roof. 400 watts average early on. Not sustainable. Didn’t matter.
I kept pushing, closing the gap. Race Ranger lights flashing—orange, blue, then red. Right on them. But now I had to overtake. Fine. Let’s go.
After 20 minutes, still holding close to 380 watts. Honestly, numbers I don’t hit in training. But it felt right—and that’s what mattered.
Fueling was a different level this time. No more mistakes. Not like Nice. I went in with a clear plan: 130g carbs per hour. Aggressive—but trained and ready. And it worked.
Once I settled in with Kanute and the group, I locked into a sustainable pace. The goal: ride hard, but finally run like I know I can.
Up front, Sanders and company were flying into a brutal headwind. I came off the bike about 3 minutes down. Ironically, about the gap swimmers usually create. It is what it is.
Run
This was the real test. And finally—the breakthrough.
I went out at my pace. Controlled. Confident. 3:20/km, and it felt… easy. That feeling I’d been chasing for years was back. Fast off a hard bike. No cramping. No energy crashes. Fueling dialed.
I didn’t even know my position because of the TT start—but for once, I didn’t care. I was enjoying it too much. Just running free. Then I saw Kanute ahead. That changed things.
I started closing, slowly but surely. For a while, I thought I had him. Then it stalled—10 seconds, no change. He found another gear. I started to fade slightly.
At the same time, Schaufler was still ahead—but he had started earlier. So where did that put me? No clear answers. Just noise from the sidelines—my mum shouting that it was close. So I committed. All in to the line. The last 500 meters were pure survival. Tunnel vision. Nothing left. Across the finish—collapse.
The Result
3rd place. A Podium. I’m Back!
After everything—the illness, the setbacks, the doubts—this one means a lot. This wasn’t a perfect race. It wasn’t even a full triathlon. But honestly? This was the best race of my career. Fitness is back. Fueling is dialed. And for the first time in a long time, I’m not chasing form—I’m racing with it.
Game on.