Like most triathletes, I'm used to doing things myself. I'm not just talking just about swimming, biking and running but also the logistics of participating in races. This covers everything from travel,
accomodations, nutrition, schedule, registration, etc., etc., etc. Organization is really the 4th discipline of being a triathlete. That said, looking at everything that needs to be done to participate in a triathlon in a country like China is starting to overwhelm me. Instead of getting shorter, my to-do list is getting longer and longer as we get closer to the race. With all of this in mind, particularly the unknowns of dealing with a debut race in a foreign country, I decided to look at alternatives to the do-it-yourself travel that I am accustom. In short, I have been very happy with what is available.
I speaking specifically about the Ironman China travel package by Endurance Sports Travel. I found them via a link from the Ironman China web site. I had an email exchange with EST's Ken Glah, and there are a number of reasons I think I will let them arrange my travel for this race. Among them:
1. Ken Glah. For those of you who don't know, Ken is an extremely accomplished triathlete and there are probably very few people in the world who know as much about the logistics of participating in foreign triathlons as Ken.
2. Strength in numbers. I've heard of people showing up in China (and other countries) only to find out that their hotel reservation had been sold to someone else who was willing to pay a higher price. I like the feeling of having someone watching my back. If something does go wrong, there is an organization there to help me.
3. Comradery. Ken is planning on setting up a schedule of group swim, bike and run sessions to see sections of the
course. While you don't need to be part of a group package to do these it will be much easier to do so as part of one.
4.
The little things. Endurance Sports will be providing CO2 cartridges to group members (remember you can't fly with them). While $10 of C02 is no reason to book through a package it is indicative of the myriad of details and benefits of working with a travel packager experienced in triathlon. They will also have a bike mechanic available for group members and are setting up an area near the finish for non-competing friends/families. Together these little touches should reduce the little stresses that can add up on race week.
On a related note, my knee pain is not going away. With the race less than 4 months away I'm becoming pretty concerned. I'm able to swim and do light biking but the running and long rides are out for now. I'm seeing a knee specialist this week. I've completed 5 Ironman races in my life and with each of them there was a time while training that an injury made me wonder if I would actually be able to compete in that race. But each time I was able to heal in time and I'm hoping for the same here.