Lessons Learned from Three Unsuccessful Attempts at Ironman Wales
2012: How did I start?
In 2012, I decided to rekindle my passion for sports, and by the end of the year, I had successfully completed the Bucharest Marathon in an impressive 4 hours and 15 minutes. This was quite an achievement, considering I had only trained for about two months. Undoubtedly, my five years of professional rugby experience played a significant role in my performance.
As an ambitious individual, I was curious to explore what challenges lay beyond marathons. My search led me to triathlons, and I found inspiration in Andrei Rosu, who had recently completed Ironman Wales (2012). This beautiful sport captivated me, and I decided to take on Ironman Wales in 2013.
2013: Ironman Wales
However, I faced a major obstacle — I didn’t know how to swim or ride a bike. Undeterred, I began training at the start of 2013. It wasn’t until after I signed up for Ironman Wales that I discovered it was one of the most difficult events in the Ironman circuit.
Despite the challenge, I reminded myself of my accomplishments: completing a marathon in 4 hours and 15 minutes and playing rugby professionally for five years. So, I asked myself, what would Richard Branson do?
“Screw It, Let’s Do It!”.
In September, I embarked on a transformative journey. Having learned to swim and cycle, I traveled to the picturesque town of Tenby, Wales, eager to participate in my very first triathlon. Reflecting on that experience, I’m still amazed at how I managed to complete the swimming course in 2 hours and 5 minutes and cover nearly 90km of cycling. Despite the challenges, the entire experience was incredibly rewarding and had a profound impact on my life.
Following my Ironman attempt, within a month, I discovered a tumor behind my left eye. Thankfully, after urgent surgery, my eyesight was preserved. Despite the disappointment of not becoming an “Ironman” that year, I remained determined and signed up for a second attempt to prove my mettle.
In 2014, I participated in the Abu Dhabi Triathlon, which covered half the distance of an Ironman race. Despite the scorching 38°C heat, I was elated to complete my first-ever triathlon in March. This experience reinforced my belief that setting ambitious goals can make seemingly smaller ones feel more achievable. 2014: Abu Dhabi Triathlon (Half Ironman Distance)
I think that “Setting high goals makes the smaller ones look easy!”
After that, I participated in several Olympic distance triathlons and attended a triathlon training camp to deepen my understanding of this fascinating sport. In September 2014, I returned to Ironman Wales, better prepared than ever before. However, I underestimated the challenge that awaited me in Tenby.
2014: Ironman Wales
During the technical briefing on Saturday, the announcer aptly described Ironman Wales, saying, “There are tough Ironman competitions, very tough ones, extreme ones, and then… there’s Ironman Wales.”
I woke up at 4 AM, plunged into the water, and began swimming. However, after 45 minutes, I had to yell “STOP” as the rough ocean overwhelmed me. I later learned that professionals typically took 10 minutes longer than usual, while experienced amateurs added 20–25 minutes to their completion times, resulting in an overall 25% increase.
2014: Ironman distances on myself
It’s important to note that I had only learned to swim a year prior — not an excuse, but a fact. Undaunted, two weeks later, I decided to test my limits and successfully completed the Ironman distances in 13 hours and 47 minutes.
2015: Ironman Wales
In 2015, I signed up for Ironman Wales once again, determined to enhance my swimming abilities. One of the best decisions I made during this time was to hire an Ironman coach, Mihai Baractaru, who holds the distinction of being the first Romanian athlete to qualify for Ironman Kona.
Under Mihai’s guidance, I significantly improved my swimming technique and cycling speed. This time, I returned to Tenby with a newfound respect for the race and felt much better prepared for the course.
The siren blared, signaling the start of my third Ironman Wales attempt. Feeling confident, I completed the swim in 1 hour and 55 minutes, quickly put on my sneakers, and ran 1km to the transition area. I swiftly changed and began the bike course.
I felt I was cycling at a good pace, overtaking 10 cyclists during the first 60km on flat terrain. My speed ranged from 33–35 km/h on flat ground but slowed to 13 km/h on small hills, 7 km/h on larger ones, and 5 km/h on one particularly steep climb. A fellow competitor even dismounted and pushed their bike, ultimately finishing ahead of me. In summary, over 65% of the bike course consisted of uphill terrain.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan, and I knew I was about 15 minutes from the final cut-off. However, after cycling 133km, a race official stopped me, saying I had missed the cut-off. I still had nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the remaining 47km, and I was surprised to be halted (I later found out other cyclists were stopped after me).
I felt frustrated, as I had entered the water 15 minutes late during the swimming portion, giving me an extra 15 minutes. The race official was unaware of this, and upon speaking with the supervisor, they confirmed I should have had that extra time. While it’s unclear if I would have completed the race, I’m confident I could have covered at least another 20–30 km.
In spite of these setbacks, I remained positive and gained valuable knowledge about this incredible sport. I resolved to come back in 2017, better prepared and 15 kg lighter. These experiences not only deepened my appreciation for the sport but also introduced me to a new lifestyle. Through this journey, I learned about nutrition, life, time management, and, most importantly, had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people.
