CONFESSIONS OF AN AGE-GROUPER

BY HOLLY BENNETT

TRAVELING TO A FAR-FLUNG RACE DESTINATION CAN PRESENT CHALLENGESAND REWARDSYOU NEVER IMAGINED.
62 OC TOBER 2012

BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE

Im a travel fiend. The further flung the destination, the better. In fact, as I pen this column Im cocooned aboard a 747, clad in comfy clothes and compression socks, en route to Bavaria, Germany, to report on the iconic Challenge Roth iron-distance race. Im not headed to Roth as a competitor, but I do have a passport laden with proof of my experience racing internationally. And let me tell you, that experience rocks! Sure, it can be daunting to venture forth, swimming, cycling and running in parts unknown. But any challenge youll encounter is bound to be balanced by an equal chunk of positive profit, the silver lining of any seeming fiasco. The first race I undertook outside of the States was in 2005. I traveled to Taupo, New Zealand, to tackle my first Ironman. Heed this advice: If you are an iron virgin wrestling with options, give yourself over to racing abroad. Satisfy your long-distance desire in a stunning

HUNTER KING

exotic locale and no matter your race result, your rst time is bound to be fabulous. Trust me, youll never hear anyone utter these words of remorse: I went to New Zealand and it didnt live up to the hype. Granted, adjustments are required to get race-ready in the Southern Hemisphere. Cycling on the wrong side of the road and passing on the right takes a good deal of practice. Youll probably master this 180-degree ip by the time you nish the bike leg. But then, once onto the marathon youll be so loopy from the days eort that youll continually veer into oncoming runners on the out-andback course. For Americans, keeping left goes against every natural instinct. But in trying to avoid a head-on collision with a fellow racer, your focus will shift from Kona qualication or any specic time on the clock. When youre in the moment of the adventure of a lifetime, who really cares about punching a ticket to another paradise? Mexico was another race destination I cherished, having competed in the Ironman 70.3 Cancn. The venue was touristy but nonetheless divine. Practice swims took place in the azure sea, a stones throw from my room at the host resort. Downtime was spent, siesta-style, lounging poolside. But once on course, the creature comforts disappeared. I had one hell of a crash during the bike leg, necessitating nearly an hours wait while a rustymoped-riding mechanic could be summoned to my aid. But no botherI seized the opportunity to practice my rudimentary Spanish with the medical crew, while they bandaged my bloodied appendages and laughed with alarm (that I intended to continue) and amusement (at my lagging Spanish skills). Language barriers can actually turn oddly comforting while racing abroad. People cheer for you with all sorts of words and expressions you cant begin to understand, yet the sentiments are universal. And when you reply in a series of guttural grunts and groans, it wont matter a whit that youre too tired to actually talkthe locals will simply assume that English is an ugly tongue. Thailand, where I was fortunate to race the Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket, is another place where not understanding the language might prove problematic. But when youre busy white-knuckling down a treacherously steep slope in a tropical downpour, precise translation is of little importance. Danger! is easily comprehended, no matter the dialect.
64 OC TOBER 2012

Food is another hot travel topic. Dont shy away from local dishes and delicacies while voyaging abroad, race-week nutrition be damned. Contrary to common advice, I say dig in rather than limit your diet. If you journey to Thailand and forgo the food, youll have deprived yourself of one of lifes greatest pleasures. I opted for spicy curries every day in Phuket, which served as a systemic cleanse in addition to being utterly delicious. Chow down and let your tummy toughen up. On the race course, youre sure to encounter a few nutritional oddities. During a trip to Ironman Australia I witnessed (although I couldnt quite stomach) the salty spread Vegemite served at aid stations, generously slathered on Popsicle sticks. Rumor has it that Challenge Roth serves pickles on course. In my imagination, the sausage-loving Germans also oer bite-size chunks of various wurst, a roadside buet of beef and pork products. Race-day drinks can also be interesting. Roth is renowned for its biermiele, where locals qua brews alongside the course and inevitably several athletes stop to indulge in a deep drink. Were I to race, you can bet Id partake in Prost! In Cancn, water was served in small, portable, plastic pillow-shaped bags. I quickly learned to ll my top with these uid cushions, hoarding hydration as an innovative water-bra to stave o the intense heat. Of course, traveling gives you free rein to form excuses for every imaginable mishap. Maybe you caught a bug from the sneezing neighbor seated next to you on the plane. Perhaps youve been feeling o since you arrived, a victim of prolonged jetlag. Or you didnt realize that the race took place on Saturday (while you were busy with local wine-tasting), not Sunday (darn that language barrier). You can chalk anything up to wayfaring woes. But if you do make it to a foreign start line, Ill guarantee you this: The further youre willing to step out of your comfort zone, the less youll care about your specic race-day performance. Youll be too busy wondering whether the mosquito that bit you had malaria or exactly what mystery meat was in your soup to obsess on posting a PR. Which, of course, is precisely when youre most likely to do soor at least to experience a race youll never forget. And if you do end up getting your race-day nutrition all wrongbecause lets be honest, no triathlete has ever uttered the phrase, I got my nutrition just right!go ahead and blame it on the zwiebelwurst.