Ironman Florianapolis – Brasil

Early qualification for the Ironman World Championships Hawaii!

With two second places from Ironman Malaysia and Western Australia in late 2016 I already had a lot of points counting for the 2017 Kona Pro Ranking. This world ranking is determining the 28 female athletes that get a slot for Ironman Hawaii 2017 by the end of July.
Last weekend I kicked off the 2017 Ironman season at the Latin America Championships in Brazil. Finishing 6th in this big race means finding myself at place 12 of the Kona Pro Ranking and already having gained all the points needed to secure a Kona slot. Whoohoo – I am a happy girl!!!

The Race
Weather predictions were right and it was a rainy race day in Florianopolis. I cannot influence this and was prepared for the wet conditions.
6:50 a.m. the pro women left the wet beach to get only a bit more wet in the ocean. Stroke by stroke I made my 3.8 k long journey through the water to my Rose Aero Flyer patiently waiting for me in the rain. After 55 minutes and only 7 minutes back on the fastest swimmer, I was out of the water followed by 6 other athletes close behind. That was a good swim for me! Two years ago I lost 11 minutes on this swimmer. The great Aquasphere gear and the training under the watchful eye of my coach Ute Mückel and my local swim coach Tim Spiwoks pays off!

I allowed myself the first hour of the race to get used to the wet roads. Then I started to push a bit more and I moved closer to the front as the race progressed However, I did not manage to pull away from most of the girls I swam with.

 

Only as of k 140 I could open a gap. Biking 4:51 hrs meant the fastest bike split of the day. It did not allow for a “monster move” on the bike, but I could establish a 4 minute lead on the girls behind me. I reached transition in third Position,

 

 

3 minutes down on the two race leaders.
Leading up to the race bike training was not my main focus due to time constraints. Given the preparation I have done I am happy with the performance. Showing the best bike split in this competitive field is a very good achievement!

 

Out on the run the speed of the girls in the mix was really fast. I decided not to look at their run but concentrate on my marathon. I lost time in the first half and gained some time back in the second half.

But is was not enough to close any gaps completely. It was a very tight race and at the end I ended up „just“ on 6th place. On the one hand, it is a pity that my legs did not move just a bit faster over the Brazilian streets. On the other hand I am very happy with my new PB of 3:09 hours on a challenging course. At the finish line I was happy with what I could show in the water and on land and as always waved to the people following me online all day. ThCredit: Wagner Araujoanks for your support!
I achieved my main goal to qualify for Hawaii. I would have like to see my name a bit further up the list at the end of the race.

 

 

 

My conclusion:

“I am happy with my performance and still have to make friends with the position I ended up!“
Aloha, Mareen