Reflections on Bahrain and looking forward to Muscat.
In the run up to Bahrain 70.3 the main topic of conversation on the social media channels seemed to be “have you seen the weather forecast for the weekend?, Its going to be really windy”. It’s always windy in Bahrain on race day! Well what’s new. Whether it’s the 70.3, the half marathon or the Bahrain marathon relay the wind always seems to blow! This generally does produce a fast bike split and overall quick times.
From a logistics perspective Bahrain was a really easy race. There is plenty of accommodation within 30 minutes’ walk of the start/finish and with everything in a very compact area. As has been the trend at regional events over the past 18 months there was no Ironman merch which was easy on the wallet. The swim was in a sheltered bay and athletes were permitted swim practice on the morning before the event.
I did test out the new Blue70 Reaction 2022 full suit for the event. This is a significant upgrade on the previous model and incorporates some of the features of the top of the range, but much pricier Helix. A key feature is the thinness of the arms and legs making for a quick exit in T1 on race day. According to John Duquette, CEO of Blue70 the Reaction is the most versatile training and racing suit in the range. I would agree. Swim entry and exit was via a set of stairs which was a little unusual.
Onto the bike course which is fast and flat with the wind behind all the way down to the F1 circuit in the south of the Island. The return was a bit of a slog into the headwind but still happy with the time. This year the weather was kind and remained well overcast and cool for most of the event. Absolutely loved the run course which was four laps on 5km with plenty of opportunities to see supporters and fellow athetes and give your teammates some well chosen words of encouragement. Run strategy: STEALTH Caffeine Gels after 3, 8, 13 and 18km does the trick.
Bahrain hospitality was excellent and the event was very well organized. So with Dubai 70.3 disappearing like a mirage it seemed rude not to sign up for Muscat. Very much looking forward to this race. We have attended the first two editions as Nutrition Sponsor but never had the pleasure of racing the course. At the time of writing this the weather looks perfect for the weekend with a high of 24 and a low of 21. From what I can remember the swim entry and exit is quite shallow and definitely wet suit. The bike course is fast with a couple of good climbs in it and run is adjacent to the ocean. There looks like great participation from regional triathletes so it has all the making of a great day.
Good luck to everybody in TriDubai!
By David Hunt