10 Lessons from the Ironman World Championship in Kona

Lesson 1 (to improve): give yourself more time than you think you need. I landed five days before race day. Five days is enough only if everything goes to plan, and in Kona many things did not.

Lesson 2 (to improve): check that your tools fit your new setup. On a training ride up the famous climb I had a puncture, and discovered that the repair kit that worked on my old bike did not work on the new one. I rode 15 km back to the car in the midday heat.

Lesson 3 (to improve): study the critical section until you know it by heart. The Kona climb is about 30 km, with strong winds from every direction. I would have ridden it several more times.

Lesson 4 (to keep): train for the exact conditions you will face. The Kona sea is known for currents on the way back to shore. I had trained for that pattern, so when the current hit I adjusted my stroke, saved energy and came out in 1:23.

Lesson 5 (to keep): use the first ten minutes to settle in before you judge anything.

Lesson 6 (to improve, and the most important): slow down early, even when you feel great. My heart rate was high and my power was 162 watts against a plan of 155. I felt excellent, and that is exactly why I made the first critical decision of the race: slow down, now. After an hour every number was back on plan.

Lesson 7 (to keep): let the plan, not your feelings, run the race. In the last third of the ride I understood how much that early decision had saved me. I finished the bike in 5:51, feeling strong.

Lesson 8 (to keep): prepare most for the final stage. An Ironman ends with a marathon after many hours of effort, so that is what I prepared for most.

Lesson 9 (to keep): train in conditions as hard as race day, or harder. Living and training in the heat and humidity of the Philippines meant that Kona weather felt manageable. Everything depended on me, my legs and my fatigue.

Lesson 10 (to improve): do not change goals in the middle of the race. Around kilometre 30 I realised I could run the marathon in under four hours, a childhood dream. I broke this lesson and pushed anyway. Every extra watt hurt. With one kilometre to go the clock showed 3:57. I crossed the line with a 3:58 marathon and 11:24 overall, a personal best.

Most of these lessons are about pacing and planning. Start the important project below your maximum, even when you feel great. Rehearse the hardest part before the day it counts. Prepare most for the final stretch, because that is where results are decided. And when you do change goals mid-way, do it knowingly, with a clear view of the cost.

You also need some luck. No puncture, no accident, nothing that should not happen. Preparation does not guarantee the day, but it lets you take full advantage when things come together.