Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Reporting from Brazil (a few days before the race)

Day 0: Wednesday May 27th – Prior to the trip

My flight is late on Wednesday (actually it is early on Thursday but with the previous hours I end up going out of my house on Wednesday night) after a long day at the office and several coordinations.

On my way to the airport I pick up Walter, reporter from Terra, media that has decided to cover the campaign in Brazil as well as the whole peruvian group. Last minute borrowed wetsuit pick-up and arrival at the airport (the wetsuit I’ve been using is a surfing wetsuit and not specifically for swimming; besides it’s a little loose since I have lost some weight during this last few months and I end up feeling cold and dragging water).

Day 1: Thursday May 28th – Arrival at Floripa

Airport, counter, airport tax, passport control, etc. Finally, Lan’s flight and we wake up in Sao Paulo. Car rental and off to Florianopolis. It’s about an 8 to 10 hour drive. Exiting Sao Paulo is endless but once on the highway it gets much better except for a short part where the highway yields into a one-lane road. The road is pretty heavily loaded with trucks but we manage to drive by other cars going to Floripa and you can tell by looking at the bikes on the roofs or racks.

The driving is very long but we finally arrive at night. Posada Maria’s is the hostel where almost all the peruvian athletes are staying. It is at Canasvieiras beach and I strongly recommend it.

Pizza, pasta and good night.

Cold weather and occasional raining.

Day 2: Friday May 29th – Training and family arrival

Early awakening, breakfast and bike mounting (it travels dismounted in a box). It is cold but we head to the Ironman Expo (you can find all sorts of souvenirs as well as specialized articles for sports; this is also the place where you receive all the initial race kit) with our wetsuits ready for an early swimming. The beach is Jurere and is where we will be swimming the day of the race so we are introducing ourselves to it.

The ocean is as calm as a pool. Ideal temperature despite the sun is not shining yet. 6 peruvians get into the water. The idea is to swim about 1,500 meters but I get disoriented and lose my path, aided by a slight current, ending up in some other buoy. As I was alone, I got bored (to be honest I also got tired and was afraid of burning the strength I was surely going to need the day of the competition) and got back before everyone else. In the end, about 25 minutes and 900mt. The good thing is the new wetsuit is working very well although it feels rather tight. I have just decided I’ll use this one on Sunday.

Kit reception and rules review. The kit includes: control chip (must be attached to your ankle at all times), wrist identification and a few colored bags that you must hand in to the organization prior to the beginning of the race. Each bag is used to identify a leg of the race and what you don’t put in there is off the race. My number: 1125.

Lunch at a nearby beach called Ingleses and back to the hostel. In the afternoon we did about 40 minutes of cycling to test the tuning besides using it as a photo session and one last ride with some friends.

This night was Pasta Dinner for all the athletes and my family arrived (they did the same endless car trip from Sao Paulo to Florianopolis). Rebe, my mom, sister with boyfriend, my mother in law and my uncle Manuel Ricardo and aunt Pilar. I have the rooting assured for the day of the race.

The food was good, a pretty samba show and the feeling the race was very close. We all peruvian athletes went with our Ironman Team Peru shirt (donation thanks to Johann, other peruvian athlete) and one argentinian athlete liked it so we made the first, and classic, t-shirt exchange. This is part of the friendship that you can sense in this sport. Rather than being a competition against each other, it is a race with your own self.

Hostel and good night; on Saturday was planned an early cycling.

Day 3: Saturday May 30th – Check-In

Just one day away from the race and the day breaks with rain and cold weather so I decline from going out with my bike. A few of us stay at the hostel and when everyone else returned we decided to go for a short, 45 minute, run to activate our legs. Later I took my family to the Expo to check out the cool stuff besides getting acquainted with the finish line I’ll be crossing the very next day.

Later on came the bag filling for the competition. I made a list of what should go in each bag so the logistics were much easier after that. White bag for general stuff (kind of a backpack for your shoes, short & short you arrive at the transition site); black bag that you hand in empty and will be used to keep all your swimming stuff after you go out (wetsuit, goggles and swimming cap); blue bag for the cycling (helmet, gloves, clothes, pulsemeter, sunglasses, replacement tubes and some food); yellow bag for the running (shoes, clothes and podometer basically); and finally the green and red bags for “special needs” used to retrieve stuff at the middle of the cycling (56 miles) or the running (13 miles). This last ones are not mandatory but you typically put on some more food, warm clothes or additional replacement tubes for example. This is what I did.

This logistics is like a ceremony for every athlete because it’s very important to be sure everything is in the bags. This might help you be a little bit more relaxed the day of the race. In this case, the tips and help from more experienced triathletes comes in handy so thanks Eduardo for the help!

In the afternoon, bike check-in and bags hand in. It is still raining so it doesn’t look good for Sunday. I even have to cover my bike with plastic bags in order to avoid the rain to wet it, completely at least.

At night, after a few coordinations for the waking up next day, off to sleep early.

Sunday is going to be a very long day but I’ll tell you all about it on my next post!

Our goal: their future



Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pre-race thoughts (written a few days before the race day)

Just a few days away from the competition I’d like to share the feelings involved and what the campaign has left me until today. I’m posting this one very late although I had it written before and I thought I could post it from Florianopolis but the previous days went by so fast, and the internet access was not available, so just today, back in Lima again, I’m able to publish it.

It’s hard to explain what the feelings are these previous days without explaining first what I’ve gone through the last few months. Only with this thoughts in mind it’s easier to try to understand all the different feelings and sensations this campaign has left me.

Looking back, it’s amazing all that has happened this last few months. In terms of training what I remember the most is the early awakenings, the strict schedules, the food (although I lost more than 8 pounds during training!), the physical effort, the cold sea at 6am, etc. Because of my work (and sometimes just for fun and vacation) I have the opportunity to travel and, considering the dates when I started to train for triathlons (Paracas Half Ironman that I’ve already told you about in a previous post), I’ve trained in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Orlando, Miami, Montevideo, Madrid, Arequipa, Piura, Tumbes, Mancora, Cusco (although it was a failed attempt I’m counting it anyway) and of course Lima. 12 different cities in 6 different countries have to pay off the day of the race!! I remember the long training hours, specially on Saturdays (getting up at 4am to be back home at 2pm in some cases) but fortunately I shared the road and training with an excellent group of friends. This way the long days are much more enjoyable. By the way, thanks to Eduardo, Kike, Alfonso, Carlos and Paolo for the company, the tips and support during the training and for being always aware of the campaign. In the same way I’d like to thank Carlos’s parents, great support to all these amateur athletes on their way of fulfilling their dream of becoming an Ironman.

About the campaign, I’d have to be honest and let you know that when me and my wife were planning this campaign, we never thought it would be as big as I think it has become. We thought it was going to be a campaign among our friends and acquaintances and laughed thinking the media might be interested in it one day. Today, the balance is: 3 TV channel appearances, 4 cable TV appearances, 2 radio stations, 2 web sites, 3 magazines, 1 newspaper and a few blogs. Quite a lot for an idea that started only from our wish to help others in need. I think I’ve already commented this but you start with a campaign like this one thinking you will help others but in the end you are the most benefited from all this because of all you receive in exchange. Looking at this from perspective, in the end it’s always a win-win situation for everyone.

The amount raised has been increasing slowly but constantly. Today we are at 60.4% (about USD 23,000) and I’m sure with these next day’s donations we’ll get to around 80% of our initial goal (about USD 30,000). In the beginning, when I thought about not reaching this fund raising goal, the Ironman goal has never been questioned in my mind, I felt a little disappointed but then I soon realized that any amount, whether it was USD 1,000, USD 2,000 or USD 30,000, which is the amount I’m intending to reach, it’s a lot of money for this community and something they do not have today so the campaign’s intention hasn’t changed at all. It’s still a simple idea and the response of the people to a community that needs all our help.

Today, on my way to Brazil I keep thinking about my family, the children in the community and everyone that has helped me and the campaign reach the place where we are now. It is obvious this result it’s not only mine but of all of you that made the effort of helping out spreading the campaign, with your ideas, with your encouraging, your donations, etc. All of you have been and will continue being a part of this project and I hope you feel that way. Without you this project would no be as successful as I think it has been so feel good about it!!

I feel a mix of emotion and anxiety for the race day to come and to see “in the field” if the long training has been enough or not. I want to give out the amount raised, choose a project to invest in and finally see something tangible come out of my effort and your support.

It has been truly a live changing experience to train for this and associate it to a fund raising campaign for the needy. I truly believe that if everyone of us puts in practice all the small or big ideas that we might have, we’ll be doing our share and, little by little, we will do a great deal of good to this country and this world. Do it! You’ll experience something good and the response you’ll get is bigger than you can imagine.

This has helped me in the physical side but also in the personal side. In my case, it has allowed me to get closer to my family and the people I love, besides letting me know some spectacular persons. Now I know for sure that if I decide to do something, no matter how hard or impossible it may seem, with the right amount of effort, the consistency and dedication required, there’s no obstacle I’m not able to pass. I’m also absolutely positive that helping is easy. Very easy. You just have to decide it and act.

I’ll leave you with a video that shows what means to decide to do something and succeed. A true example for all of us.

I’d like to finish thanking everyone that has been supporting from the beginning of the project, also those that jumped in after, those who felt part of this, those who wished me the best, those who read this blog and anyone who might feel inspired by this to do something for other in need. To all of you, thanks for everything.
Our goal: their future