Within the MANHART Performance team, we are all about supporting performance for our worldwide clients. With the same theme, we decided to support our ex-colleague Adam Radkowski with his challenge of taking on the Ironman 70.3 Alcúdia in Mallorca on May 13. You can read his wonderful in-depth story below:
Life is what happens while we make plans and it happened to me when I had to cancel my registration for the Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote in March 2023, despite being registered since 2022.
As part of my preparations for Lanzarote, especially for the challenging hill climbs on the bike course and the run, I knew that shedding some excess body fat would greatly benefit my performance in the race.
Unfortunately, circumstances in early 2023 disrupted my training and affected my mindset. To make matters worse, I experienced a bout of lumbago just weeks before the targeted event. However, no matter how hard we try, we cannot change the facts. Instead, we can set new goals and stay focused.
During my lumbago episode, I made a conscious decision to manage the pain without relying on medication. I believe that we learn and grow from both physical and psychological pain, and by facing it head-on, we can avoid finding ourselves in similar situations repeatedly. Consequently, my mission to reduce body fat was put on hold due to the absence of physical activity.
After establishing new routines to alleviate suffering and prevent future lumbago episodes, I slowly started incorporating more elements into my interdisciplinary training plan. In the meantime, I set a new goal for myself: Ironman 70.3 Alcúdia in Mallorca on May 13, 2023.
This helped me stay on track and maintain a sharp focus. There was only one way forward, the challenging one. To efficiently use my time and maximize the benefits toward my goal, I needed to harness all available potential. That’s why I integrated purposeful nutrition into my life and training.
The challenge was twofold: reducing body fat while not sacrificing performance, and even improving performance to rise above my previous achievements like a phoenix from the ashes. Up until one week before the event in Mallorca, amidst ups and downs, I managed to lose 7.5% of body fat in four months. This amounted to a loss of 7.55 kg of pure fat from my original body weight.
Starting at 184 cm with 90 kg and 17.5% body fat, I transformed my body measurements to 82 kg with 10% body fat without losing any muscle mass or performance. I was ready to race. Let’s get ready to rumble.
In fact, performance training and nutrition have biochemical effects on factors such as maximum lactate production rate and oxygen uptake, also known as VO2max. A periodic carbohydrate intake is a proven and tested method for optimizing these factors.
On race day, I was focused and relaxed. I woke up early at 5am, followed my morning routine, had a small snack, and walked to the transition zone to check my bike, remove the rain cover, and set up my drinks and nutrition according to my plan.
There’s always a sense of tension, a spirit that accompanies any event. The moment of truth is signalled by the countdown to the start. All the time and effort invested will be accounted for in the upcoming hours of enjoyment—yes, enjoyment.
In truth, it doesn’t matter what we set out to accomplish or pursue, for the outcome of any endeavour is already predetermined by all our actions prior to its commencement. Therefore, the most optimal course of action is to observe ourselves and relish every single moment of our creation.
The swim start, the first task in a triathlon competition, was filled with positive energy, lively music, and even some beachside dancing in neoprene suits.
I positioned myself in the 40-minute starting block. However, during the initial few hundred meters in the water, I encountered a lot of congestion. Arms and legs were in my face, other athletes were swimming across my path, and the ocean swells grew larger. These challenges had to be overcome.
Due to a childhood trauma I experienced when I nearly drowned in a quarry pond as a non-swimmer at the age of three, the swim conditions held a significant role for me in terms of potential panic attacks. However, by calming my mind and finding effective solutions, I managed to complete the swim even five minutes faster than the previous year. Surprisingly, the first 1.9km, which had been the most challenging part of the day, didn’t feel as difficult as it had the year before.
After changing into my cycling gear in the transition zone, I quickly made up some time during T1 and got ready to hop on my bike.
Once on the bike, I immediately felt a surge of adrenaline, causing my heart rate to rise slightly higher than expected at a specific power output. Realizing this, I made a conscious effort to calm my mind. Through focused breathing and mental balancing techniques during the initial kilometres, I was able to regain my composure and get back into the rhythm.
Despite the forecast of rain and the wet conditions from the previous day, the clouds held back any downpour during the bike split. Only the descent section was wet, as the winding route passed through mountainous forest areas. To mitigate any risks, I decided to ease off on the speed and prioritize safety.
Throughout the entire bike split, I was delighted with the gear ratio changes I had made. It allowed me to always find the perfect gear at the optimal cadence, maximizing my preferred power output. These small adjustments can make a significant difference and even conserve energy for the half marathon, the final part of the triathlon.
In the end, I missed my target time for the 90km bike course with 930 meters of ascent by just four minutes. I returned to the transition zone after completing the bike split in 2 hours and 39 minutes, averaging a speed of 34.48km/h. I ranked 77th out of 3079 competitors.
After changing my shoes, hydrating, and adjusting my bib, I headed out of T2 and onto the run course towards the finish line.
The flat 21.1km run consisted of three laps of 7km each, marking the final stretch before crossing the finish line. However, after the first few kilometres, I started experiencing increased pain in my upper abdominal muscles, which had already started during the bike ride. Despite my best efforts, the discomfort persisted throughout the run, compounded by a slight nausea that likely resulted from insufficient water consumption on the bike. I persevered, and after 1 hour and 48 minutes, I completed the half marathon.
Sometimes, we have to bear burdens, endure pain, and push our limits. It is through these challenges that we become better—not necessarily better than the person who finishes ahead of us, but definitely better than we were the day before. This is the true essence of growth and development. The greatest use of time and space.
And so, I improved, leaving 113km behind me and crossing the finish line after a total of 5 hours and 29 minutes, shaving off an impressive 49 minutes from my previous years’ time.
When it comes to performance, it becomes evident across various domains that even minor adjustments in technology and our perception can play a substantial role in shaping our experience and outcomes. This holds true not only in the realm of competitive sports but also in the automotive sector, which I am quite familiar with. That’s why I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have MANHART Performance as a formidable and enthusiastic partner, both in terms of design and performance.
I am immensely grateful to everyone who supported and inspired me, providing me with knowledge, positive energy, and the tools necessary to embark on a fresh start.
A special thanks to MANHART, my exceptional performance partner, and Javi Cardona for his unwavering support in both training and mindset.
You can follow Adam’s journey via his Instagram channel; http://www.instagram.com/adamsbodyshape
