Korea half ironman in the rice fields

 

Greetings. Gurye, a small town in the southern part of Korea, was the scene for my last triathlon test of the season. I had an off day. I've been scrathing my head for 5 days wondering what went wrong and how I can improve next year. I think it was mainly the cold swim and lack of long bikes that did me in. Hard to blame the weather or jet lag. We had near perfect conditions and I dreamed of a PB or at least sub-5 hour race. It was not to be. I finished in 5 hours 41 minutes, about 44 minutes slower than my last half ironman!

 

 

List of excuses:

1. Cold swim: About 18 degrees C. I now have 6% bodyfat, probably the lowest in my life. I was cold throughout the swim and shivered on the bike for the first 20k. Teeth were chattering. Serious.
Next time wear another layer on the bike.

2. Lack of long bikes: I did 3 long bikes over the summer: an 80k, 90k, and 100k. That's it. I guess I was too focused on the olympic races. Live and learn. Next time do more long bikes.

3. Fatigue from last race in Murakami: I went hard in Murakami 2 weeks prior to Korea. It was only an olympic distance so I figured all systems would be go for Korea. Not. Next time give more space between races.



Anyway, here are the gory details of the race:

Swim: 38 minutes. A bit slow.

Bike: 1:48. Not so swift.

Run: 2:09. Ouch.

 

 

 

For those keen on going, Gurye is a small, picturesque farming town situated between Jirisan and the Seomjin River. Gurye is the sole designated special tourism and leisure zone in all of Jeollanam-do.

 The modest population is approximately 30,000.

 

Gurye County is a popular hiking destination during the spring and autumn seasons. The county's beautiful landscapes are showcased during its yearly festivals such as Sansuyu Flower Festival, the Royal Azalea Festival and the Piagol Valley Maple Festival. Gurye is also home to Korea's first national state park, which houses some of Korea’s most important temples.