Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2009 has gone by, and also with this year I completed my first ever! One Year Training Cycle.

I can't say I didn't knew that if trained consistently I could achieve good or better results, but after those "good" results came, Now I know I can do much better, and that those good results might be not that good. It's amazing how the body is able to be better and better if you keep pushing it.

At the beginning of 2009 my goal was just to Qualify for Clearwater Worlds. I really didn't hoped to finish at the Podium 4 times, win the AG in an Ironman 70.3 event and cross the finish line at Clearwater in 4:23 (with a 4 minute penalty ) It's funny......... but at the same time I'm satisfied with this season, I'm more certain than ever that there's a long long way to go.

We are close to the end of the Year, and I'm already in the Starting List for my First Ironman 140 event, A distance I've always said that I will never do if it was only for finishing.

It's been a good year but the most important thing that I learned is that "I can Learn" So many things have changed in the last few years, and my frame of mind have changed with those things.

Actually, I learned "Because" of that frame of mind......... It's hard to explain without boring you to death with so many words, but I can say that I'm in my best shape of mind ever!

After the 70.3 in Hawaii, I was riding in the Queen K with Benjamin Sanson, and we were talking about training methods and that kind of stuff, but the conversation then took a deeper insight, and we ended talking about FEAR, we both got to the conclusion that the hardest obstacle in our way, is always FEAR, again it's a little hard to explain what kind of fear we were talking about, but let's just say it's the FEAR of the unknown, the FEAR of getting out of what we are used to, and most important, the FEAR of really listening to that inner ME that never stops saying what he wants, but we are so used so not listen, because this or that reason that "Learning" to listen again like when we were kids, might take some effort.

So what the hell I'm talking about?

I think It might not be all about the Bike, It might not be all about training or even results, it's something else, and without FEAR we all might find out what that "Something else" is for everyone.

Destination: Ali'i Drive

I guess that I knew it since mt first year as a triathlete, Ali'i Drive will be, sooner or later, my final destination.

In 2005 I was there for the first time in Ironman week, but I wasn't racing IM, the previous week, I competed in the ITU Worlds in Honolulu, so the jump to the Big Island was a must.

It was really exciting to see the most important Triathlon in the world, Since I was also writing an article for a Sports Magazine, I was privileged to carry a Media Pass, the result was a great article and great pictures. Even with that, I really didn't catch the bug of racing at Kona.

It was until this year "2009" and after riding the Queen K plenty of times, racing at Ironman Honu 70.3 in May, and once doing the whole 180kms starting from the Lava Java, Hawi, and back to Kona, when I started thinking seriously to qualify and then come back to Race the "Ironman World Championship"

I've just signed for Ironman Louisville, Kentucky, it's still a long time away from this day, but I can already feel the difference, every Ironman is tough, and Louisville is not an exception, I know that first, I have to qualify against the best of the world, but I already have the "Bug"

So the switch is ON!

Even that I will be training for every race I enter, this 2010 the main goal IS KONA!

is Ali'i Drive!

Zone Diet Sponsorship

Today I received an excellent news. I'm officially sponsored by ZONE DIET http://www.zonediet.com.mx/ I've always said that I will never sponsor something that I don't really believe in, and Zone Diet couldn't be a better example.

I'm a true believer in the 40-30-30 Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat ratio and how's related to your body composition and performance. Since I read the book of "Enter the Zone" by Dr Barry Sears, I became a follower, it literally changed my body, and took my performance to another level, and now with their support, I will be able to reach deeper in the Zone, and get the most out of their really good products like the ones that I currently use, like Eico-Pro (omega oil) Sea Health (antioxidants) protein and energy bars.

I know it sound like an Ad for my new Sponsor, but the Zone Diet program is much more, than just supplements and a type of Diet.

For example........Today they will test my blood for a full profile of cellular inflammation and Omega Oils Blood Profile, with those lab results a Dr Gustavo Orozco, from Zone Diet and Nutrasource Diagnostics "NDI" will elaborate a Diet, and Supplement plan tailored just for me, it's really exciting!

The lab itself is impressive www.ndimexico.com/home.html NDI Mexico is part of NDI based in The University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Ok........... Got to go to the Lab appointment......

(Funny this sponsorship came right after my 3 kilos post, and by the way.....Those kilos are gone........ In just 5 days into my 2010 Training Pre-Season)

3 Kilos in 1 week

It's scary how fast you can gain weight if you stop training, and at the same time stop taking care of your food intake, and that's exactly what I did last week. Sure I enjoyed some desserts, a couple of beers, and more than one Breakfast "a la" Michael Phelps Style. But after a week I was already feeling like a Fat Person, I didn't weight myself until yesterday, my first day of training for Abu Dhabi and the 2010 Season, and the scale just confirmed my feelings, I was up by 2 kilos! And I felt them in today's run...... So the break is officially off. Now it's time to train.

Race week & Race Recap

I'm still reflecting of what happened in Clearwater last saturday, there are hundred of thing to learn from, and as I said, I still have to find out what went wrong or right, because it was a bittersweet race, a couple of bad things and also some nice things occurred that day.

First it was race week, my last post was on Tuesday morning, & the day before was an off day with a well deserved massage, Tuesday I was preparing to do a couple of things that I was postponing due to training all year, they ended up being more time consuming and a little bit more stressful than I thought, being one of them finding a new house to live.....

So the previous week was not what I wished it to be.

Then....... here comes the first mistake that ended up having an influence in the outcome of my race, for some reason I thought that the race was Sunday, so we had our flight scheduled for Thursday, too close to the race, but I bought these plane tickets months ago and they were non refundable, so in the back of my mind I knew that it was a little bit dangerous to have only one day to prep for a World Championship, anyway I tried not to think to much about it, but that ended as soon as we were on the counter of Mexicana Airlines.

The flight plan was Mexico City/Miami, Miami/Tampa, not ideal but it was ok, so it was a surprise when the lady of Mexicana tell us that first the plane was going to Cancun! I couldn't believe that just like that! they can change the flight schedule, I had in my hands the online ticket and it clearly didn't have a stop in Cancun, in that second I knew there will be problems with my bike, it's not that I can predict the future, but surely I can recognize Disorder when I see it., and what happened next just confirmed it, they sent us to the other side of Mexico City's Airport because now...we were departing "Domestic" but after a long walk and once inside the domestic gates, we had to walk back to the "International" gates, it was just dumb.

When we arrived to Miami after a 60 minute stop in Cancun, my worst and every other Triathletes nightmare came true, My Bike didn't arrived.

They told me to continue my trip to Tampa and that the bike will come 3 hours later in another plane, they even gave me the plane number, so we spent 3 hours at the Tampa Airport just to find out that again, my bike didn't arrived, I tried to talk to the same person who assured me that in 3 hours I will have my bike, but we was already gone, so there was no ones fault.

Again they told me that it will arrive to my hotel in Clearwater at midnight, so I couldn't sleep well, waiting for the Bike that never arrived!

Friday was pretty much the same, they kept telling me that it should arrive in the next "few" hours and that I should stay in my hotel, so there I was.... making phone calls, trying to rent another bike just in case, and having to register.

When I had a rental bike ready and with just one hour left for the mandatory bike check in, my bike arrived, so I didn't even had time to ride it more than the 800 meters from my hotel to transition.

After I left my bike at T1, I realized that I haven't hydrated or eaten properly, so we went to the first place to eat and to the hotel to get some sleep.

At morning race I found out that they changed the swim to a canal, just because Friday the sea was a little rough, very disappointing because I like swimming at the sea, and if it's choppy, better.

The swim start was supposed to be on waves, so it really took my by surprise when we got to a little dock and everyone was already entering the water one by one, so before I knew what the hell was going on, I was already racing, I didn't even had a chance to start my watch.

(I missed the compulsory race meeting due to the bike issue)

My swim was a disaster, I couldn't see the buoys because the sun was hitting right in our faces, and I didn't really knew where they were supposed to be, in fewer words, I didn't knew where we were going, but I knew I wasn't swimming straight, as I found out later after the finish, the swim course was not a rectangle, it had a few non straight lines in the middle.

I also didn't got into a rhythm at any point of the swim, so when I saw my slow swim split in 32 minutes, it really wasn't a surprise. I was very UN-concentrated, at the point that I couldn't find my transition bag!

Once in the Bike I screamed to myself " Jano, just get it together! " So I did, I found my focus, and started passing people, I was flying, there was always someone in front to pass, so I even thought that a slow swim was a good thing, that coming late out of the water gave me the chanceway to pass slower riders and avoid drafting issues with guys with the same physical abilities.

It all went "Perfect" until the 65km mark, I was on my way to a 2:07 bike split and suddenly here comes a " drafting group" and absorbs me, almost at the same time the Marshall comes in a motorcycle screaming the numbers he could see, and there was my number and my first drafting penalty in my life. Even worse is that I slowed down my pace! Because I couldn't break out from the group, It was very stressful.

I got into T2 in 2:10 and headed to the penalty box, after 4 minutes of waiting and seeing people passing by, I headed into the 21km run.

At this point I knew that even if I had a lousy run I would still break my 4:34 pb for a Half Ironman distance.

But still I set my mind to no matter what, I had to run like never before, and hold a 7 minute a mile pace for the 13 miles, that's the pace I've been training, and I was on mode of succeed or blow up!

First mile 6:50, last mile 7:00. There was a bridge that we had to climb 4 times, and in those miles was where I pushed it the most, so at the end the pace was exactly 7 minutes per mile. Right On!

My placing is not even worth mention it, but the time was ok, 4:23 with a 4 minute penalty is not so bad, at the end I had a good year and I'm very excited to start the 2010 racing season with the Abu Dhabi Triathlon in March.

I still don't know if I will come back to Clearwater next year, focus in Kona, 70.3s or 140's but I will have time to think about it later next week.

Right now I have more important things to decide on, I have to enjoy my rest week in Vegas, and I still don't know if I will have the Cheesecake, or the Brownie Chocolate Delight for dessert.

Clearwater in 4 days, Abu Dhabi in 123 days.

I know I'm not too much of a Blogger, but I promise to do better in the future. My last hard week just finished and I'm already into the hardest week of all, the Taper week, I don't know but for me is easier to go out and train like a maniac than train with certain limits, I really feel like an animal in a zoo. I guess that must be a good sign..... Ha Ha....

I was about to sign up for IM Langkawi, and Paola was about to start the travel arrangements to our trip to Malaysia and also to Bangkok, so there we were with our laptops on, and our index fingers ready to start clicking when we find out about this new Triathlon in Abu Dhabi, and we just couldn't resist.

The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com/

Abu Dhabi seem "fantastique" just like Ben says, the race course is irresistible, and Dubai another place that we were planning on visiting soon, is just an hour by car, so after a couple of minutes I was already signed in, and Paola was taking care of the travel itinerary.

The Race date is March 13, 2010 and the unique distance of the main race will be a 3km swim, 200km bike ride and 20km run, all around of one of the most amazing cities in the world, so this race, as they say it's already an Instant Classic and a "must" for my 2010 season.

The presentation of the race was set up at the Abu Dhabi Shangri-La Hotel, where we will be staying, it was presented by Faisal Al Sheik, head of the ADTA (Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority) Faris Al-Sultan 2005 Ironman world Champion, and John Hazan, race director of the Inaugural Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.

As for the "Amazing course" the opening swim leg takes place in the lagoon of the Grandiose Emirates Palace Hotel http://www.emiratespalace.com/ one of the most luxurious Hotels in the World.

The Bike passes many of Abu Dhabi's iconic sights including The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, before moving onto Yas Island, home of the recent F1 Grand Prix, and yes, the bike course takes in the impressive Grand Prix course, so imagine just riding onto that same ground where just a week ago Sebastian Vettel in his RBR Renault won the last F1 race of the 2009 season.

After the 200kms bike ride in a course that will be completely cosed off to traffic and thus setting the stage for a very safe event.

"The race will be quite flat and fast, but it'll be windy and hot" said Faris Al-Sultan at the press conference.

So Yes! I can repeat like in my last post that 2010 is already here, I guess that if you want to be competitive it's not only about training, resting and eating right, there's also planning, marketing and all the stuff managers do, so I guess I can say I already have a manager, Paola.

Well........ I will go back to my taper day ( I have a massage appointment soon ) and then start to focus for Clearwater that's just 4 days from today!

2010 Already?

With so many races around the world we could think that it's just a matter of choosing where to race, but it's much more complicated than that. You have to plan your training months ahead and then, there's the registration to the event.
I've been thinking in my 2010 season and if I don't decide and register almost right now, I might find the events "sold out" in a couple of months.
Next year I will do my first Full Ironman in Langkawi, this race doesn't fills out that fast, but there's also the flight prices, here it's the same, if you wait to buy the tickets and hotels you will be paying more as the date gets closer.
So... I guess that 2010 is already here, I already decided to race Langkawi, and Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, but it seems that I will have to keep going till the end of the year if I don't want to find myself left out of other races.
After 70.3 Hawaii in June, Paola and I want to rent a Motorhome or RV, and drive from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Niagara Falls, and in the way race at Ironman 70.3 Muskoka and a week later Ironman 70.3 Syracuse, that's in September but again, If we don't decide (and pay) now, we might have problems either with the planes, the RV, or with the registration to the events.
I reckon that soon I will have to register to a 2011 Ironman Distance event.
(I want to do IM Western Australia, and IM Canada)
How crazy is that?

Back from Malaysia and USA. And now Clearwater is around the corner.

Finally a solid 10 days of training after Malaysia.

After the race in Putrajaya, we went to Kuala Lumpur, where we had a great time, KL is an amazing city and we left with the feeling that we needed a little more than the 4 days we spent there.

In the way back to the U.S.A. we had the longest (and strangest) day of our lives.

It started waking up in Kuala Lumpur with the amazing and surreal view of the Petronas Towers in our window, we spend the morning at KL, we had lunch there, and then we took a "teksi" to the airport, our plane left at 2pm to Taiwan, where we arrived at about 7pm, and the next flight to L.A. was at 11pm, so we had 4 hours to be at the Airport, the Taipei Airport is very interesting so it really gives you the feeling that you are in Taiwan.

So we left Taiwan at 11pm heading to L.A. and here's where everything starts to get a little strange, after a 13 hours flight, we arrived L.A. at 8pm of the same day, we waited 2 hours to get in our third plane of the day, heading to Las Vegas, where we arrived at 11pm, so there we were... at Las Vegas Strip, surrounded with all the nightlights and thinking "What a long day" we just couldn't believe that we were still on the same day, after all it was a 39 hour day! Strange, Strange, ha ha!

We had the weekend to relax in Vegas before heading back home, I was ready to resume training, and I was feeling rested and energized because a managed to swim almost everyday in KL, in a very cool Swimming Pool of 25 meters in the 33th floor, with an excellent view of the Petronas Towers, actually this pool becomes the "Sky Bar"at night. So it was very nice to swim there.

The problem started as soon as we walked into our house, in that moment I felt like I was about to get a cold, and in less than 3 hours I was feeling like crap, with a fever of 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) muscle pains like never before and a terrible headache, I went to see the Doctor and he said I had The Swine Flu or H1N1, I was like "WHAT?"

He told me that it wasn't that bad, and that I didn't need medications, so I went home with a prescription of a simple dose of Paracetamol and over the counter cold medicine.

Just as the Doctor told me, the lab results came positive for H1N1, and I felt much worse the next 2 days before I started to get better, in the 5th day I was riding my bike again, 3 days of easy training, and now it's been already 10 days of solid training.

I'm feeling great and ready to race.

Clearwater is just around the corner, so I have this weekend of hard training, and then just taper for the Big Race. Another good news is that my Website http://www.janosoto.com/ is ready, everything is going great and now I'm immune to the H1N1 virus ha ha!

Ironman Putrajaya 70.3 1st Place!!!!!!

It was simply the perfect day and the perfect race I could ever wish for.

Starting by the swim leg, after the gun shot I went to the front of the pack, at my sides i had a Korean guy and a Aussie, the lake was flat as a pancake so it was very easy to see the buoys but since I was at the front it was easier to follow the Kayak, the feeling of being at the front was excellent but in the 950mt turnaround I let the Aussie take the lead and get some rest at his feet, I knew I could get him later, and that happened at t1, so there I was in the bike 5 minutes behind the Elite Group, and at the front of the rest.

The bike course this time didn't look flat anymore it was more hilly than the previous days ha ha! But after checking some splits I knew I was going fast, after the first lap I started to pass the Elite women and I got to t2 in front of all of them and some local pros.

The run was simply beautiful as I said in the previous blog, and running in the main street of this exotic place was really incredible, and being at the front of the Age Group pack was just the best I could ask for, in front of me there was just Jan Rehula, Cameron Watt, Passuello, and .... ( I still have to see the results)

My plan was simple, try to hold my target 21kms pace (4:30 min per Km) as long as I could, and I did it til the 18km mark from that point I lost the pace, but nothing disastrous, I was passed again by 3 Elite girls, one Elite guy and by one guy from the 30-34 Age Group, so I finished 1st place for the First time in an Ironman 70.3 Event, and I just can't by more satisfied.

Later in the week I will post the great pictures that Paola Shoot, they are really great.

Malaysia 70.3 Preview

After a 25,000 kms trip, Here I'm in Putrajaya, Malaysia at the other side of the world literally..... It was a long long trip, but it also was not as terrible as I thought it would be, a Shuttle Bus from Puebla to Mexico City International Airport 2 hours, then the flights... Mexico/Las Vegas, Las Vegas/L.A. L.A/Taipei (14 hours straight) Taipei/Kuala Lumpur, and finally a cab to Putrjaya, funny but we enjoyed the whole time.

The City is simply Beautiful! This is a new Federal city created to move the Government powers from KL ( Kuala Lumpur) And looks like they didn't spare a dime. You get the feeling that things are not real, everything seems so perfect, and the streets so clean, even the sidewalks have beautiful designs and are made of different kinds of stones, just like the lobby floor of a 5 star hotel.

We are staying at The Shangri-La Hotel, in the top of a Hill right next to the Prime Minister's house, the name of the hotel says everything and from our balcony you can see the Putrajaya Mosque, one of the 3 other ones in the Main Street, where the run leg is gonna be (2 laps) I can't wait to be running here.


The Putrajaya 70.3 is gonna be held in the Pullman Hotel, also an incredible place (later I will add some pictures) and the bike leg consists in 3 Laps around Putrajaya, in a perfect conditions freeway, flat with some rolling hills in the mix, I think we will get fast times, not like in Cancun.

Well...... I will eat breakfast and then head to the Pullman hotel where we will stay for this night (5 star hotels are very cheap here) there..... after a 1 hour ride, I will go for an easy swim in the course that's also very well marked with buoys every 100 meters and then relax for the rest of the day.

Everything seems perfect here, I'm feeling good and I know I'm in Shape, so I hope to be writing about a good result tomorrow after the race.

Cancun Ironman 70.3 2nd place! Yes!

Cancun, Mexico September 20th, 2009.
6am and I'm at the transition zone in the parking lot of The Aquatic Park, Wet'n Wild.

We are just 1 hour before the start of the Cancun Ironman 70.3 2009. Today after so many races I feel nervous again, maybe because my inner type A Triathlete, knows that especially today I "have" to race well for so many reasons, first because is the only Ironman 70.3 in Mexico, and second, after an excellent start of my 2009 season I will race against the whole Mexican Triathlon Community, many of them being this race their primary target or key race of the year. So this time I "HAVE" to do well. So I check my gear, once again and we all start walking the 300 meters to the swim start at NIZUC Beach, the time flies as I put on the speedsuit, warm up, and Paola shoots some pictures, before I know it, I am at the starting line and the siren goes off, normally my heart rate is about 80 bpm but this time reaches 3 digits. And the reason is that in the last 3 races, the swim has been very violent the whole time, specially in Hawaii and the X-Terra, so the last couple of months I've been working in my swimming, and it's time for the truth. The Siren goes off and here we go! I swim as planned, fast as I can for the first 200 meters, I was expecting violence but this time after the first buoy I see that I left behind the chaos. I realize that now I have no one around to push my pace, and I will have to keep up the pace alone, so I do my best to keep up the pace and I exit the water in 29:56, not bad knowing (after the race) that the Elite group and the Overall winner, Oscar Galindez swim time was 27:23.

Already on the Bike is time to work my strenght, that is, and has been always the bike. In the first 5 kms I pass at least 20 guys and when I reach the first aid station I found myself alone, at this point the course consisted of 2 laps of 40kms to complete 85k and then back t2. For the next 20 kms I ride alone, and as I was getting closer and closer to the turnaround point, I realize that I was in an excellent position overall, I see the first pro, then the second, and then Oscar Galindez with another 4 guys, I try to count everyone, and I get to the turnaround surprised and of course very happy, seeing the there were no more than 15 in front of me. After the turnaround I pass 2 of the 3 Women that were in front of me, the remaining one, was Michellie Jones, then in the 45k mark I see that I'm getting closer to a couple of the guys but I also realize that I have at least 5 guys hanging on my wheel, very annoying by the way.

And I have no other option than keep up the pace, hoping to leave some of them behind. At least the Race Marshall saw a couple of them and penalized them with a 3 Minute stop, but the others just kept drafting behind me. The first 40k split was 1:01 and as I said I had no other option to keep up this high pace, even knowing that I would have to pay later.

So I get to t2 in 2:22 and start the run with my passengers haha! in the first mile, finally they blow up, the split is 7 minutes, second mile 7 minutes again, and then I found myself chatting with Chris Davy from Florida, he is the guy who was second place last year, he was looking strong and he confirms my idea that the first place was ahead of us, a guy from Argentina, that I think was having breakfast with Oscar Galindez, it was in this 3rd mile that Chris left me.

I was not sure if he pushed the pace or I was slowing down, so after checking the split in 7:30 I knew I will soon start to pay that 2:22 Bike split in that kind of heat. The next 2 miles were hard but I think that realizing that I was running in 10 or 12th place overall helped a lot. But after mile 5 the real crisis started, I couldn't drink water, I had some abdominal pain and the Gatorade made me feel like trowing up, so I had to walk at the aid station in mile 6, bad choice because there was Paola waiting for me, she shouted as loud as she could "keep running! keep running!" so I had to run again, then I had to walk two more times and after mile 10 is when I started to feel good again, I pushed the pace again and there I see Chris Davy, he was not running as he left me, you could see he was in bad shape and maybe in the middle of he's own crisis, so I got behind him, trying no to alert him with my presence and I matched his footsteps, I knew that no one was closing on me, so I rested there for a couple of minutes, trying to prepare for the battle for second place, so after the marker of mile 12, I attacked, running as fast as I could for what seemed like an eternity, later I knew that from the marker of mile 13 there was another 2 miles left!!!! so as my friend Erich said in his Blogspot, it was the Cancun Ironman 72.8.

At the end I feel very happy with my second place, because this might be the hardest race I've ever done. Next time that I wish for a hot race, I will think twice......

It's been a Fast and Crazy 2009

After the Hawaii Ironman 70.3 last May I knew that something had changed in my view of Life.

Now..... after reading my last blog I realize that the change of perspective of "everything" started almost 3 years ago, and maybe a couple more. I was just coming out of a dark stage in my life and at the same time I was starting to take Triathlon more seriously, it was October 2005 and I went to the ITU World Championships in Honolulu, and after that, in December I went to Australia to train & race for almost 3 months, it was in Melbourne where I found out that the 70.3 Distance was better for me, and specially I liked it much more than the Olympic Distance. I returned to Mexico to find out that things could get worse than they were before, so I was forced to quit training like in those last 10 months, then......... Again I found the way out to much brighter and new life, but in those 3 years (2006, 2007, and 2008) I almost didn't train, at least not for more than 4 months straight, so.......while I was enjoying life again as it is supposed to be, I forgot about my passion "Triathlon" and it was in November while I was in California with my wife Paola where I think that the real "change" began, and I mean the one that has to do with this Blog haha! (I see that I entered existentialism waters ) anyway, after that trip to L.A. I started training again with a new energy, and I remembered that last race in Torquay, Australia, so I signed for the Lonestar Half Ironman in Galveston TX, I shed 11 kilos that I gained of the Dolce Vita, that's 24 pounds! and went on to a PR of 4:34 in that distance.

After that race I planned my 2009 racing season with most of the races being Olympic Distance in Mexico and finishing up with Ironman Cancun 70.3 in September, it's funny how things never come out the way you planned, but it really depends on your point of view or attitude if the change in the outcome is for good or bad.

2 months later I was racing the Hawaii Ironman 70.3 and earning a Clearwater slot, another month and I was getting a 4th place overall finish in Half Ironman race in Alchichica, Mexico. (missing the 3rd by 56 seconds) Then...in August I raced The Xterra Mexico Global Tour without much expectations, I was more than happy of placing 2nd and earning a slot for Maui, so as soon as we were back in home, we started planning our trip back to Hawaii. Time went by, some 10k races, a PR of 38:30, and a Half Marathon in 1:28 at 158bpm so I decided not to go to Maui and focus in the 70.3 distance and Clearwater.

About those Olympic races, none........ Why do races that I've done over and over again since 1995? Why not go to new places? new races in the distance that I like so much, why not even change place to live? I mean...... If I am thinking different, why not really different? I am about to be 40 and I never felt so good in my life, so instead of thinking what I would like to do, I will better do stuff and write about it in my new 2009 blogspot and website.

I don't want to sound to deep or like Scott Tinley, but I really think that in life we have to do more and dream less, this way our dreams will come true.

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii and a new perspective.

I've just came back from Hawaii, and let me say that I Love Kona!

This was not my first time in the Big Island, I was there in 2005, I went to race the ITU World Champioships in Honolulu, and just the next week it was the WTC Ironman World Championship in Kona, sooooo obviously I went to the Big Island.
I saw Faris Al Sultan and Natascha Badman win that year.
I had a Great time, swimming the course and riding almost daily the Queen K just up to Waikoloa.
But this time, everything was different, Starting from the fact that riding from Waikoloa up to Hawi is where you really get to feel the mystique of this route, is where it gets interesting.
Paola and I, had the greatest trip of our life.
After the Lonestar Half Ironman Distance Triathlon in Galveston last april, where I pulled out a 4:34 pr, I was a little afraid of not having that same accomplishment feeling since I knew that this course was going to be much harder (Slower) so a 4:33 was just out of the question.
Anyway, after what may be the thoughest triathlon I ever did, surely is by far the most gratifying of all.
As the race Director told us in the Race Meeting, the race was tough, and the run course was HELL!

Everybody laughed when he said:
"Guys, tomorrow the run leg is gonna be tough, please don't look at your watches, because you just won't be able to run at the pace you are used to, you better take everything you can at the aid stations, and just worry about keep moving forward, as long as you are moving forward, that means you are doing ok"
The race started at the beautiful Hapuna Beach, the swim start was very violent, I got hit right in the face with an elbow in the first 50 meters, and I thought the like in other races after 200 meters you were able to swim at your own pace, well.... this didn't happened, the whole swim course was like a start, very fast and very violent and crowded.


After a 31minute swim I had to run uphill to T1, and then to the Queen K southbound to Mauna-Lani for about 4 miles to turnaround and then head north to Hawi, in that turnaround I was able to see how far ahead of me was John Flanagan who exited the water almost 2 Minutes ahead of Craig Alexander, Luke Mckenzie, Chris Lieto and the swim specialist Benjamin Sanson (who swim without a speedsuit)
They were almost 8 minutes ahead already, but after those monsters I saw that there were not to many better swimmers than me, so I thought I would be able to pass some in the next 56 miles, my pace was very good and I was feeling great, I tryed not to pedal to hard because even I was one of the guys that laughed at the race director comments, I was also a little worried about the run course (it was closed to public before the race) so I paced myself, and also I was able to pass a lot of guys in front of me. (much less than the ones the passed me)
Just a couple of miles from the turnaround at Hawi I saw Chris Lieto SMOKIN the bike Leg, I couldn't believe how ahead he was from Craig, Luke, and Chris, and at the turnaround I saw that I was in a great position, less than 10 minutes behind Benjamin Sanson.

I was so happy that I really had to fight against the will to speed up and then blow-up in the run. I got to T2 in 2:32 and started to run, I thought I was going easy but the first mile was 6:59, second 6:58, third 7:00 Minutes!!! And I was like "WOW!!! Maybe I can run the whole 13 miles like this" haha and then the miles started to get longer haha! 7:20, 7:40, and then the words of the race organizer came into my mind at the same time I got to the Really Tough Parts of the Golf Course, I wondered how much horsepower those little Golf cars have, to be able to Literally "climb" those pathways with 2 or 3 Usually Heavy guys with their golf equipment.
It was hard but I wasn't suffering, because that's what I LOVE to do, and the whole place was really beautiful!

But then in mile 10......... I entered the one and only HELL!!!!!

It was a lonely black little road outside the Hotel Complex in the middle of a Lava Field, It really felt like running inside a Sauna, the heat that was coming from the pavement and the lava fields, was amazing, I looked at my Polar and it said it was 41 Degrees Celsius, that's more than 105 Fahrenheit!!!!! Luckily I was able to get out in one piece and still running, the last mile was easy, coming back from hell and entering again those views of the Golf course, the Sea, the palm trees, everything, I was happier than ever, so I finished with a big smile in 1:41 for a total of 4:50, enough for a 66th Overall place (and qualification to Clearwater) in my point of view, far way better than a 4:34 pr.
The following days I was riding the Queen K with my new friend Ben Sanson, both powered by the energy of Madame Pele all the way to Hawi to later have a swim at the KCAC Kona Community Aquatic Center and then a well deserved cup of Coffee & Snack at the Great Lava Java.
So now I can say I'm addicted to Ironman, to Kona, to Kona Coffee and of course to the ALOHA WAY!!!! It's like having a whole new perspective of everything, this race and place was like an eye opener of a new stage in my life.

Jano Soto

p.s. Craig won the race SMOKIN the run in an incredible 1:17 In that course! and Belinda Granger took the lead early on the bike to the finish line.