We returned to Davao’s straightforward race course: one loop for the 1.9k swim – not to mention free from biting sea creatures (no jelly fish nor sea mites); one loop closed course for the 90k bike (no vehicles and people randomly crossing!) and 2 loops for the 21 km run.

Fourth time doing HIM but still jittery as we wait for our swim start.

I’ve never been kicked & hit in the head as much in this race. I even had an almost drowning moment! Someone pulled my left leg in the turn around! Good thing I had presence of mind to hold on to the first buoy I can get my hands on. I don’t know if that person was panicking or needed help but I’m glad to know there was no casualty in the swim leg. Presence of swim marshals and boat men (there were plenty of them!) along the swim course helped me be at ease the rest of the swim. With current coming from both directions and pulling people all over, the last 500m was a challenge with more kicks and claws. As always, I tell myself just to keep swimming and keep moving forward. After what felt forever, seeing the blue carpet and feeling the sandbags gave me relief. My watch showed time of 57 mins, 4 mins slower from last year’s but with different water conditions in 2018, I’m glad I’m within the cut off.

With its flat bike course, IM Davao was widely advertised to be a PR race. The bike leg though is my waterloo – thanks to a fractured right elbow and dislocated left elbow caused by 2 bike accidents. I’ve never been 100% confident riding the bike. But you know what they say – if you can’t beat fear, just do it scared 😱

45 kms to Tagum City from Azuela Cove is definitely a test.

Headwinds all throughout, i felt like I’ve never moved at my slow speed of 21 km per hour. At the turnaround in Tagum, riding the 45k back to the city is easier with the tailwinds. I thankfully reached the dismount area & checked my time – 3:53. Definitely not fast, but hey I cut 20 mins from my bike time last year!

Finishing both the swim and bike leg, there’s only the run left to finish. Ive been running longer that I’ve swam or biked, thus having more mileage than the other 2 disciplines – I am happy to be in my comfort zone. Save for the trip to the hydration station every 1.25 kms, I ran the entire 2 loop 21 km course.

Around the same time I ventured into tris, I also decided to go on a low carb diet. For the swim, give or take an hour – I figured I can do without any energy gel or the like. The bike leg’s nutrition is what I’ve always plan for. I prepared fat bombs and brought my low carb baked goods but guess what – I only consumed 750 ml of water mixed with Apple cider vinegar + salt. Fast forward to 3 more 70.3s later, this is just what I need on the bike course , even when racing in fasted state. For the run, it’s just keeping myself hydrated with water which works for me. That and ice baths to counter the heat. Following this nutrition plan for all my HIM, I’m confident to say that I’m one proof that you don’t need energy gels, carbohydrates and other sugary stuff to keep you fueled. Eating real food is the key. While I will have to qualify and say that each body reaction is different, it’s always prudent to see an expert or consult a doctor before taking my word as gospel. I’d be happy to share my experiences on this diet while training to anyone who’d be interested.

Given that i walked less this race, I managed to improve my run time by 11 minutes, with run time of 2:26.

Crossing the finish line at official time of 7:28 – 26 minutes faster than last year’s race – it’s a PR for me. Manny also finished with official time of 6:47, likewise his fastest race to date 🤙

The medal is once again a beauty.

Returning well-renowned Davao artist Kublai Millan designed the finisher’s medal with the theme “I Am for Peace”.

Millan explained the abstract behind his design, wherein the dove shape represents peace, while the wooden pendant represents Mindanao’s tri-people: the indigenous peoples, the Christian settlers and the Moro people.

Happy to see our names immortalized too for the 1st IM Davao. Took some time looking for our names but found it.

There were times I kept asking myself why I do tris (especially in the bike leg 😁). A week after being back to the usual grind and with the adrenaline gone, I have an answer.

I do tris not to prove anything to anyone. It’s about feeling like I can do anything. It’s about fitting in trainings at dawn before work, working 8 hrs in the office on top of being a mom that makes me feel like a superwoman. It’s about learning more about myself – that anything is possible, to not be afraid to do things out of my comfort zone and doing something about it. Its about improving my time each race and being better than myself everytime. It’s that sense of accomplishment every time I cross the finish line.

I started triathlon not knowing how to swim properly. Up to now I have not clipped in but that did not stop me from signing up in races. I’m not the fastest in my age group. I didn’t even make it to the top 10%, but that doesn’t stop me from racing. Triathlon made me discover I am capable far more than I think I am – and I’ve no doubt all fellow working moms out there can too.

Second time racing in Davao and I’m tempted to be back a third time 😊