My Penghu IRONMAN 226 Journal - Part 1: The Preparation

Background

I'm a web software engineer. Because of work I sit for long hours, and when stressed I eat badly. When I first picked up triathlon, I peaked at 96kg and wasn't particularly fit — I couldn't swim more than 25 meters, and 3km of running left me gasping. I served in the Ministry of National Defense during military service, so I never had a chance to train hard. But four years ago, my former manager dragged me into a triathlon info session, and from then on, triathlon changed my life:

1. My weight started dropping — I've lost over 16kg cumulatively
2. Found a girlfriend
3. Found a way to reset and recover
4. Long training sessions made me more patient and focused
5. I face challenges with a positive attitude
6. I've learned to break down big life goals and execute on them
7. More confidence
8. And a thinner wallet

Context

Rumor has it that IRONMAN PENGHU 226 might be the last one ever — afterwards, racing IRONMAN 226 might mean flying overseas, which feels like a shame. With about 200-something days until the race, human nature is to find excuses and put off hard goals to stay in the comfort zone. But I'd reached a stage in life where, if I didn't race this one, I might never have time to do it. The only choice was to push myself out there and experience the ultimate suffering.

But within a month of starting training after registering, I realized: this kind of training volume is brutally hard!!!

Balancing training, work, life, and girlfriend was the challenge. Skipping this race meant probably never doing it. Under-training and grinding through could mean lifelong injury — no wonder people say "226 once is enough."

What is the 226 Iron Distance Triathlon

The Iron Distance Triathlon, also called "Big Iron", consists of three sports: 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42km run, all in a single day with a 17-hour cutoff. IRONMAN Penghu 226 is a notoriously difficult race — Penghu's open water swim, strong winds, and intense sun exposure add extra challenge.

Cutoff Times

Swim: 2 hours 20 minutes after race start Bike: 10 hours 30 minutes after race start Run: 17 hours after race start

My Race History

• 2019 One-Day Taipei to Kaohsiung
• 2019 CT-515 4:30 04:08:33
• 2020 Chongyue Wuling Hill Climb - Decided to lose weight, 6 hours 50 minutes
• Mt. Fuji Hill Climb
• Central Mountain Range Ultimate Challenge
• 2020 IRONMAN Taitung 70.3 07:23:45
• 2021 IRONMAN Kenting 70.3 07:52:59 (left ankle injury)

Estimated Finish Goal

Once I decided to race, I had to estimate how long it would take. Worst case, I'd come back in 14-16 hours, so I went ahead and registered.

Open water swim 3.8 km => estimated under 2 hours

Bike 180 km => 28 km/h, 180 km / 28 km/h = 6.4 ~ 7 hours (controlling power around 120W)

16 hours - 2 hours swim - 7 hours bike = 7 hours remaining Run 42 km / 7 => 6 km/h (worst case 10 min/km, still finishing)

Weaknesses

Identifying my weaknesses based on past races

1. Not enough muscular endurance — past Olympic and Half Iron races left my inner thighs in agony.
2. Overweight, made worse by the pandemic. Excess weight hurts performance.
3. Not enough endurance training under direct sun.
4. Poor sighting in the water.

Targeted Improvements

1. Strict daily diet control, target 75kg. => 85 > 79
2. Added strength training to weekly schedule, gradually increasing intensity.
3. Pool sessions starting at 2000m and ramping to 3000m, plus open water training every two weeks (at least one 3000m wetsuit swim).
4. Schedule training under direct sun so the body adapts to harsh conditions.

My Weekly Schedule

1. Pre-reopening (with mask): 8km x 2; post-reopening: 10km ~ 25km x 3
2. Strength training x 1 hour
3. Swim 3000m x 2
4. Bike: outdoor 100km x 1 + indoor Zwift 1 hour at 160W+

Bike Setup Adjustments

• Profile Design Sonic Ergo 50a (100+ adjustable positions) aerobars
• Profile Design Aerobar Bracket Riser Kit 30mm spacers
• Profile Design Kona Saddle, softer
• Giant PowerPro dual-sided power meter, 2nd gen
• Full bike service one month before the race (cables, chain, tires replaced)

To avoid injury, I started building training volume around 200 days before race day

• Run training: ~1000 km accumulated
• Swim training: ~140 km accumulated (open water x 2)
• Bike training: ~2000 km accumulated P.S. The hardest part of this volume isn't muscle tears — it's the tendons, joints, ligaments, and ankles all complaining at you.

To avoid cramping, I scheduled multiple brick training sessions

• Swim 3000m, brick run 20km
• Bike 100km, brick run 10km
• Run 10km, brick swim 2500m

30 Days Before Race

The 30-day countdown is usually called "Big Date" — I did a two-day, two-discipline distance simulation. Because past training had pushed me into injury, I scaled back volume in the final month to avoid pre-race injury.

Race Nutrition Strategy

Previously I used SIS energy products. For this race, considering carb intake, I switched to 226ers race day products. The taste isn't as easy to swallow as SIS — it's very rich and you need to chase it with plenty of water — but each pack has 70g+ of carbs, BCAA, and other nutrients, equivalent to a piece of bread. I tested it skipping dinner and the nutrition was so adequate I wasn't even hungry.

1. Eat 150g of carbs before entering the water
2. Eat 80g of carbs after exiting the water, or one Uni-President bread
3. Eat 80g+ of carbs every hour after that, until the finish P.S. The biggest difference between 226 and 113 is the special needs bag stations at bike 90km and run 10km — you can stash medication, supplies, and clothes there, so you don't have to carry too much on your body or bike.

Kit

Due to pandemic supply issues, domestic vendors only had odd-size tri suits left, and the patterns didn't suit me. I ended up ordering a UK dhb tri suit from Wiggle — it arrived in about 5 days.

Course Notes

Swim

• Waves -> wear a wetsuit. If waves are big and head-on, swim breaststroke; otherwise freestyle.
• Penghu waters still have lots of jellyfish — someone got stung on race day. To be safe, wear a full wetsuit to avoid jellyfish stings.

Bike

• Roads aren't closed. Each intersection has marshals and police, but watch out for vehicles.
• Cross-sea bridge crosswinds -> lower your center of gravity.
• Headwind -> install aerobars.
• Hot weather, sun exposure -> sunscreen, running cap.
• Don't get carried away — going over your target wattage will cost you on the run.

Run

• Make sure to collect every wristband.

Travel

• Taxi to Songshan Airport, direct flight to Penghu
• If bringing your bike on the plane, call the airline in advance to register

Final Thoughts

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! I'm just an ordinary office worker. If I can take on Penghu IRONMAN 226 and finish, you definitely can too.

Gear Checklist

1. Inner tubes x 2
2. Tire levers x 1
3. Tri suit x 2
4. Cycling shoes x 1
5. 226ers race day gels x 16
6. 226ers race day energy bars x 4
7. 226ers race day drink mix x 2
8. Helmet x 1
9. Running cap x 1
10. Goggles x 2
11. Wetsuit x 1
12. Running shoes x 1
13. Socks x 2
14. Salt tablets x 1 box
15. Running backpack x 1
16. Bike water bottle x 1
17. Sleep aid x 2
18. Casual clothes x 2 sets
19. Charging cable x 1
20. Sunscreen x 1
21. Xiaomi pump x 1
22. Portable pump
23. Purple Mentos x 3
24. Windbreaker x 1
25. Plastic bags x 2
26. Bike repair tools x 1
27. Slippers
28. Panadol (without Ibuprofen)

Transition Bag Setup

Transition Bag - Bike

1. Socks x 1
2. Mineral water x 1
3. Sports drink x 1
4. Sunscreen
5. Plastic bags (for trash)
6. Muscle relief spray
7. Bread x 1

Tri Bag on the Bike

1. Purple Mentos x 1
2. Race day drink mix x 1 pack
3. 226ers race day gels x 4
4. 226ers race day energy bars x 2

Bike Special Needs Bag

1. 226ers race day gels x 4
2. 226ers race day energy bars x 2
3. Race day drink mix x 1 pack
4. Bread x 2

Transition Bag - Running

1. Race day drink mix x 1 pack
2. Large mineral water x 1
3. Sports drink x 1
4. Plastic bags (for trash)
5. Salonpas spray
6. Bread x 1

Run Special Needs Bag

1. 226ers race day gels x 5
2. 226ers race day energy bars x 1
3. Bread x 2

Extra Notes

1. Since many people's biggest triathlon barrier is swimming, here are open water training spots in northern Taiwan

• Taipei - Muzha Incinerator - indoor standard pool, one shallow end and one ~2.5m deep end.
• Keelung - Heping Island - saltwater pool, ~2.5m deep, fenced in with lifeguards. Relatively safe — bring a tow float if nervous. Only NT$80, great value.
• Keelung - Waimu Mountain - open water, lots of jellyfish. Wear a wetsuit or use a tow float, and find a buddy.

Series Articles

• A Software Engineer's IRONMAN PENGHU 226 Journal - Part 1: The Preparation
• A Software Engineer's IRONMAN PENGHU 226 Journal - Part 2: The Preparation

References

2016 IRONMAN Taiwan Course Analysis Part 1: Bike Route 2016 IRONMAN TAIWAN Course Analysis (Part 2): Swim/Run Why is Penghu IRONMAN's Open Water Swim So Hard? Three Open Water Swim Tips Before Race Day! Love and Endurance Showdown - Penghu IRONMAN 226 Race Mindset IRONMAN Taiwan: My First 226 Journal