Ironman 70.3 Mallorca 2014 Race Recap

It's early morning in the Bay of Alcudia, Mallorca. The wind is calm and the sun has just risen, quickly warming up the air. I'm walking towards the shoreline, barefoot on the white sandy beach that stretches about as far south I can see. What a beautiful view. But I'm not here for the view.

There are thousands of black figures all around me as the biggest Ironman 70.3 race in the world is about to get started. Soon the mirror smooth surface of the clear blue Mediterranean waters will turn white as each age group at their turn runs to the sea. Most are here to try if they can finish, some even doing their first triathlon. I'm here to race!

Race Season 2014 Start. Ready. Get Set. Go!

White beach, turquoise sea, palm trees and the mountains. It's Ironman 70.3 Mallorca!

Follow tomorrow's race here:

http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/detail.aspx?race=mallorca70.3&y=2014#axzz31EnxC6Io

My race starts at 8:15 CET in the fourth wave of the day. You can track me here:

http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/athlete-tracker.aspx?race=mallorca70.3&y=2014#axzz31EnxC6Io

Saucony Running Shoes

After last season I started looking for a new running shoe brand for me to race and train in. I felt that Asics, that I used to wear, were starting to fall behind of the positive trend we are now seeing on the running shoe market. Shoes are being stripped down from unnecessary stability and pronation control features with the idea that the foot itself can do a better job at it.

While I liked the Hyperspeed 5 racing shoe, I failed to find a good shoe for everyday training in Asics' otherwise impressive lineup of shoes. First of all they all seemed to have an overly steep heel-to-toe drop of 12mm, which interfered with my gait, steering me towards heel striking. Second, the shoes were quite heavy and ridiculously expensive, at least here in Finland.

I had read good reviews about Saucony's shoes and really liked their designs so I decided to give them a go. I bought a pair of Kinvara 4 New York Marathon special editions and haven't looked back.