After completing Ironman Florida last year, I got hooked on the idea of November triathlons in warm climates. When Ottawa’s weather starts turning miserable, there’s nothing better than escaping the slush and freezing rain for a week of sunshine. I had heard great things about Ironman Cozumel in Mexico, and this year, it was my turn. Tara would join me for five days of vacation in an all-inclusive beach resort on Cozumel Island, off Mexico’s east coast.
Travelling South
As usual, getting to a triathlon from Ottawa was a stressful struggle. There’s never a direct flight anywhere from our small capital city, and Cozumel was no exception. Traveling with a bike box and gear for a full week on a multi-leg journey is exhausting, but luckily, everything arrived safely in Cancun. From there, the adventure continued: an hour-long taxi ride to the coast, a ten-minute walk over cobblestones, a 40-minute ferry ride, and another short drive to our final destination.
Getting ready for the race
Bike Course Reckon and Testing the Waters
On our second day, we rented a road bike for Tara (highly recommend Sombrero Rentals!) and set off to explore the area. The Ironman bike course is essentially a 60km loop along Cozumel’s main road, which racers complete three times. Conveniently, our hotel was right on the route. After a long, luxurious breakfast, we started our scouting ride under the scorching sun.
The road conditions were surprisingly good, with smooth pavement and respectful drivers — a stark contrast to Ontario’s pothole-ridden streets and impatient motorists. After about 15km, we reached the island’s southern tip, greeted by breathtaking ocean views, deserted beaches, and the occasional touristy beach bar likely selling overpriced coconut drinks. A large portion of the road was paralleled by a wide, separated bike path, making the ride even more enjoyable. The final dozen kilometers got a bit sketchy, with increasing traffic and rougher asphalt, but overall, the course seemed fantastic for race day.
But what about the water? Our hotel had a small beach, and despite being close to the cruise ship terminal, it provided just enough space for some swim loops. Coming from Ottawa, where all my swim training happens in a 25-meter, freshwater, indoor pool, jumping into salty, open water in the Gulf of Mexico was a wake-up call — especially with waves constantly trying to redirect my course. This would be my second ocean swim triathlon after Ironman Florida, but my first without a wetsuit, as the warm water made them illegal under Ironman rules. No wetsuit meant no extra buoyancy, which in turn meant I had to rely on actual swimming skills; which I surely was lacking.
Preparing for Race Day
One day prior to the race was all about getting ready. Ironman Cozumel features quite the unique course setup. The swim start is located about half-way between the overall finish line and T1, meaning that this would be a point-to-point swim. 3.8 kilometers south along the coast. T2 was in town, close to the finish line. It took me a while to figure out how to best organize the pre-race logistics, but decided to first take my T2 bag (with all the gear I’d need for the run) and cycle 3km to town. Interestingly, every bag was meticulously checked for the type of running shoe you’d bring, since some models are banned for Ironman races.
Ironman Cozumel has a unique setup. The swim starts about halfway between the main finish line and T1, making it a point-to-point swim — 3.8km straight down the coast. T2 was in town, near the finish line. Sorting out the logistics was a bit of a puzzle, but I decided to first ride 3km into town to drop off my T2 bag (containing all my run gear). Ironman staff meticulously inspected every runner’s shoes, as certain models are banned.I then cycled back south all the way to the swim finish and T2, to check-in my bike. A very nice transition area, mainly in the shade, covered by trees. I setup my bike before double-checking the swim exit, and memorizing tomorrow’s way from the water to my race machine. After a bit of a stressful discussion whether we were allowed to check-in the morning bags on race day (the virtual race briefing explicitly stated ‘yes’, while the local race organizers all said ‘no’) I decided to take a chance and try in the morning.
First run in three months
Leaving transition without my bicycle, I decided to test my legs with a short 5km jog back to the hotel. Due to an annoying medical issue, I hadn’t run at all for the past three months. All my training had been on the bike, with zero miles in my running shoes. To my surprise, I could actually run without pain — a huge confidence boost for tomorrow. I knew my marathon wouldn’t be fast, but at least now I had hope of finishing without needing crutches.
It’s Race Day!
It was way before sunrise when I left my room for breakfast with some of the other athletes. Our hotel opened their buffet early this morning, to accommodate for the race. An hour later I took a seat in one of the shuttle buses that would get everyone to T1, which was a 25-minute drive away. Many athletes had their morning bags with them. As expected, checking in morning bags was no issue, despite yesterday’s drama. I prepped my bike, panicked for ten minutes after losing my swim goggles in the dark (found them!), and coated myself in Vaseline to prevent chafing before stepping into my swimsuit.
Another shuttle took us to the swim start. Everything was organized perfectly, and even the athlete lineup to the swim start was spacious and calm. As an average swimmer I seeded myself around the 2min/km pace group which was far enough away from the water that for the longest time I did not even see the ocean. It took at least 30 minutes after the pros started their race until it was my term to jump into the water. The race was officially on!
Swimming Into the Sunrise
In the past, I’ve had some horrible swim starts. Ironman Lake Placid and Half-Ironman Musselman had me almost panicking in the water during the first ten minutes of swimming. I was quite concerned the same would happen today, given that this was an ocean swim, without having any wetsuit-related buoyancy, and choppy waters but somehow, this time, everything clicked. The water was warm and crystal clear. Thanks to my recent eye laser surgery, I could actually see where I was going—a novelty! The surface was much calmer compared to the days before. All factors that likely contributed to me feeling much more relaxed. So I just kept swimming, parallel to the coast, trying to keep a straight line.
Time flew by. The water was so clear, and relatively shallow, which allowed me to see all the fish around me, other swimmers in the distance, and scuba divers on the ocean floor. It legitimately felt like swimming in a large aquarium. After the first kilometer the current picked up noticeably and I enjoyed being in the water more than in any previous Ironman races. Occasionally I got some swimmers crossing my path, or passing, or slowing down, but overall, there wasn’t too much chaos in the water. Soon enough the finish line was in sight, and I exited the ocean after just 70 minutes.
Fighting the Wind on the Bike
The best part about racing in the Caribbean? No post-swim hypothermia. Instead of shivering through the first few kilometers, I enjoyed the warmth as my wet tri-suit kept me cool. I was in a great mood. The swim had felt so good, I knew the route ahead of me, and I couldn’t wait to conquer those three loops around the island.
For the first kilometers I was going surprisingly fast. Without pedaling too hard I was able to push my bike close and sometimes over 40km/h. I may be an average swimmer, but I am a strong cyclist, and that combination always results in passing dozens and dozens of others during the first couple of hours on the bikes. The only ones who passed me was a peloton of professional athletes who were already riding on their second loop when I just finished my swim fifteen minutes ago. There was no way I’d keep up with anyone of them and all I could do is wonder why they were not given any penalties for drafting like it was the Tour de France.
When I arrived at the southern end of the island, turning west, the fun started fading away. A very strong headwind slowed me down dramatically. Still on the first loop my legs felt fresh, and I just decided to push a bit harder. I had Clif bars to eat, diluted Tailwind powder in my water bottles, and every 15km or so I was able to grab additional bottles filled with some endurance formula to keep me hydrated. The ocean views were spectacular.The windiest section lasted about 25 kilometers before the round turned north, followed by another turn back into town. After 60km the first loop was done, and I was looking forward to the second one; knowing that it would start with some easy, tailwind-supported miles.
What makes this route spectacular is the ocean, beaches, and Caribbean landscapes. The course itself is rather simple; not technical at all, very flat, plenty of straight roads, not too many spectators except for the short part through town. For someone like me, who enjoys going up and down hills, the route profile was exhaustingly boring. There’s never a section where you would go out of your saddle, never a section where you’d be able to coast and rest your legs for a bit. It’s pedaling for 5-6 hours with no break, staying in a crunched aero-position for almost all the time. At about half-way through, fighting the ever-stronger headwind around the 90 kilometers mark, I didn’t really look forward to another round.
But as always, you push through it. I still was passing other cyclists, realizing that everyone is struggling. I saw a couple of folks fixing their flat tires at the roadside, but much less than I expected, and even less than I was used to from other races. I passed my hotel on each loop and was happy seeing Tara cheering for me and the other cyclists, while probably having free cocktails from the all-inclusive beach bar.
It took me 5.5 hours to finish 180km on the bike, about 15 minutes longer than last year in Florida. Cozumel had much less elevation, but much, much more wind.
A Marathon Without Training
Almost seven hours into the race I still had the biggest challenge ahead of me: completing a full marathon after not having run at all for the past three months. But I was confident: with enough running experience over the past years the distance itself didn’t scare me anymore. And technically had more than nine hours before the finish line would close – which should be sufficient even for walking those 42 kilometers.
In the changing tent I took some time to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. This was the fifth time doing an Ironman already, and the transition from bike to run is always special to me. The biggest piece of the race is behind you, and compared to what you’ve done so far, what is ahead weirdly enough seems manageable.
Stepping out of the tent I felt better than in my last two races. I picked up an easy running pace, without feeling any pain. The sun was burning, and for some reason the wind wasn’t present on the running course, but I kept moving forward in a running motion. In contrast to the bike part, the running section was packed with spectators. The course went north through town, with an ocean view to the left, and plenty of restaurants and tourist shops on the right. It was an out-and-back loop that we had to complete a total of three times.
Given the lack of training, I kept my pace very conservative, and did walking breaks at every single water station. Nutrition on the run has always been my weak spot, so I tried to get enough fluids down, while at the same time taking in as many calories as possible at this time of the race. I brought Maurten gels with me and added cola about every two kilometers.
The sun started setting on my second loop, and while my mind was still in a good place, my body really started hurting. More and more athletes were passing me. The walking breaks got longer; the running sections shorter. But with each additional kilometer on my watch, the remaining distance became more and more achievable. When I crossed the half marathon, I knew that I’d be able to make it. When there were only ten kilometers left, I knew that I would even be able to make it in a time close to five hours – much faster than I’d planned for.
The second half of the final loop felt so good! It was completely dark now, but still plenty of runners on the course. The atmosphere coming back into town was filled with cheering, music, supportive volunteers and just overall very good vibes. Crossing the finish line of my fifth Ironman competition was just as overwhelming as the very first in Mont-Tremblant five years ago. It just took a bit longer: with a 5-hour marathon I ended up finishing after 12 hours and 19 minutes total.
Complete Exhaustion
The first thing I was looking for was a chair to sit. Just sit, inhale the finish line atmosphere, watch other athletes fighting their own struggles, and trying to realize what happened over the past twelve hours. Today’s triathlon activity started during sunrise and finished way after the sun had set. My stomach wasn’t functioning, but I forced some urgently needed solid food down my throat while chatting with some fellow finishers. The longer I sat, the more exhaustion came over me. When I left the finish area, Tara was already waiting for me and thankfully was able to grab my bike from the transition area. I felt quite nauseous, couldn’t talk too much, and needed more time sitting down. It took a while until my body agreed to movement again.
It was shortly before midnight when we made our way back to the hotel; Tara carrying some of my bags, and myself sitting on my bike, carefully pedaling those 3 kilometers back to the hotel. When I arrived, the ‘regular’ guests who stayed up late, sitting in the outdoor lounge would cheer and clap for every triathlete making their way back to their rooms. What a sweet welcome!
Post-race vacationing
We had two additional days booked in the resort before our departure back home to Canada. Never before had I enjoyed a hotel as much as after completing an Ironman. Every muscle hurt, my legs hardly moved, and my body craved all the calories. Two days of eating, chilling on the beach, and having cocktails at the pool was just what I needed. What an ending to a great season of running and cycling and swimming.
Nachbetrachtung
Ironman Cozumel was a bucket list race for me, and it did not disappoint. I will likely come back to the Island, maybe even next year already! Here’s in a nutshell what made this race so special:
- Very fast swim with the current, in warm and crystal-clear water
- Beautiful bike course along the ocean
- Great location to visit in November, especially when you combine it with some vacation days pre- and post-race
Some things to keep in mind that may be different from other races:
- With two transition zones and a point-to-point swim this race is logistically slightly more complicated
- Nutrition on course is a bit spare. I did not see any gels, or even more substantial food options on the run course.
- The bike course is very flat, but can be extremely windy!
