As the pros prepare for the second round of the T100 Triathlon World Tour in Singapore, Miami T100 fourth place finisher Paula Findlay details the extent to which the heat impacted the race in Florida.
Despite not starting until 5:00pm, the temperatures remained close to 30 degrees celsius throughout the women’s race, with humidity climbing up to a sweltering 90%.
Stating that it was well and truly a “war of attrition”, Findlay gives a glimpse into the race tactics we can expect to see the pros deploy when faced with the heat and humidity of South East Asia next month.
“I was not really looking forward to racing”
Having previously competed in Miami at this time of year, Findlay revealed that she was not looking forward to competing at the first stop of the T100 Tour.
“I was not really looking forward to going because I raced in Miami in early March back in 2021 and it did not go well, it was really early in the year and it was super humid and hot.
“I might have overlooked the heat and humidity prep required for a race in Florida, because it is hot no matter what time of day you are racing.
“We started at 5:00pm, so I thought the heat wouldn’t be as much of a factor as it was, but as the temperature dropped, the humidity was rising to almost 90%.”
“It meant it was more about survival”
Whilst mostly a burden, Findlay did point out that the temperature relieved some of the pressure associated with racing, as the day became much more about who could make it to the finish line.
“The temperature did take some of the pressure off, as it meant it was more about survival, and if you got to the end then you would be fine, from a results standpoint.
“It was a war of attrition getting to the finish line and I was more concerned with people’s well-being than actually trying to beat them at times.”
Focusing on just making it through the race, the Canadian saw her tactics pay off, as she finished in fourth without really going head-to-head with her competition.
“I felt a little dizzy at points, which worried me and forced me to slow down, take everything at the aid stations and cool down.
“I was never racing, I was just doing what I could to get to the finish line and then ended up being enough for fourth place.”
Opting out of the second stop of the tour in Singapore, Findlay will next race at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, which will be the first event of the brand new IRONMAN Pro Series.
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