ULTRAMAN 5: INFINITRIMAN SPAIN
Ultraman InfititriMan Spain 2023
10km swim/420km bike/84km run
The secrete to finish it is to learn to get up when you are down. I have done more than 100 races along the last 10 years and for the first time I went down and didn't get up in time to complete the whole race. I have been sick in races before and always managed to finish it. This time was different, I couldn't feel my body during the swim and I had to give it up after less than 30min in the water. It was an huge fight with my ego to accept it. We train so hard, we make so many sacrificies to be at the start line and suddenly for no reason you get so sick that you can not performance in the way you trainned for and expected to. I always thought about how I would feel when this day came and if I would be able to carry on after it. How I would manage to get up not feeling like a looser?
The first thing I did: I cried like a baby, tried to make my body feel better, tried to understand the message my body was sending to me. Second thing, I spoke to people who knew me well and loved me. Tried to find confort in their words. I looked for unconditional love, friends and family who loved me for who I am and not for the results I get. I started to feel good by the end of the first day. So the third thing I did was to plan a new strategy for the next 2 days of race. I have no body strenght after being sick for 2 days so I decided to start the second day bike ride (275km) and see how I would feel. The main thing for me was to be at the start line with the other athletes. I managed to ride a 1/3 of the course and decided to rest, have sometime with my crew. By the third day I was feeling myself again, strong and happy. Running is my element, is where I feel at home! So I decided to push my self as hard as I could and see how far I could go. It was amazing, no ego, no regrets, I wasn't sick anymore, I was just happy and grateful to be there! The running course was amazing and I felt so connected to the nature. I did half of the course, 42km, and I could have done even more but I decided to not push my body further. At the end of the day I managed to do my best marathon ever and that was my goal! I finished it happy. This is what matters and I stayed at the finish line waiting for the other athletes to finish so we could all celebrate together.
This is Ultraman, is not about who finishes first but it is about how open you are to learning what needs to be learned. I left Spain with my heart full of gratitude and feeling stronger as ever. A better person and a more mature athlete so I can call myself a winner!