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Become a Samoan Warrior
This article could have been called “I Didn’t Qualify For Sunshine Coast(70.3 World Championships), So I’m Cracking the Sad’s and Going To Samoa.” I could have quite easily headed into this race-slash-destination-slash-vacation in the wrong mindset and gotten something completely different out of it, but instead came away with an amazing experience and adventure, which I’ll have trouble trying to top.
My yearly holiday consists of me usually not wanting to take time off training so the next best thing for me to do is head away somewhere to a holiday destination for a race. My most recent escapes have seen me stay within Australia, or head overseas to New Zealand and the local Pacific and Asia region, so I found my next race on the list to be the 2016 Samoan Warrior Race. It fitted in perfectly as my next challenge.
The race was originally scheduled to be held in the Samoan capital of Apia. This was changed leading into the race and was glad when I saw this small but crowded city, may not have been the best place to hold a half iron distance race, especially a 90km bike ride. Although I was going into the race blind, I was happy with the fact that the race was going to be moved to a different part of the island.
The race was held on the southern part of the main island in a small area known as Lalomanu. There’s a small fale resort is and not much else. The race would stretch about 30km either side of Lalomanu with the resort being the main transition and staging area for the swim and runs.
fale
ˈfɑːleɪ/ noun
1. a Samoan house with open sides and a thatched roof.
Lets Get This Out Of The Way Early…Road Conditions
There were some rough patches and I suffered two punctures, but have to say this was due to my bad riding and a little bad luck. I was the only one to come out of the race with a puncture so it gives a good indication of the road conditions. Probably don’t take racing tyres, just to be safe.
Getting There and Lead Up
Flights from Australia were easy enough to find and book. Unfortunately there were no direct flights from Melbourne which was a little annoying and meant a day dedicated to flying to Samoa, but with only 7 hours on a plane this was far from an issue.
My arrival into Samoa saw the heat and humidity hit me. My training into the lead up of this race had me doing daily session in a sauna before my bike and run training, but the cool Melbourne Winter saw me a little less prepared for the heat than what I had hoped for.
Arriving at night, I had no real idea of what I had arrived to an by the next day felt a little intimidated when I took my first walk through the capital. I did stand out walking around the streets, but after a few minutes it was far from intimidating. The people of Samoa are friendly and relaxed and very welcoming. In my little time in the country I had countless invitations to visit with the locals and spend time with them.
I had arrived just before registration and quickly got my hire car and headed to the south coast to where the race would be held. When you pick up your hire car in Samoa, everyone I know, got the same warning as I did.
“Don’t park under and coconut trees”.
Ah yeah, I thought, they would cause a lot of damage. With my warning in toe, I took to the streets and drove down to the small village of Lalomanu, which was about 60km from the capital. Driving in Samoa, is an easy way to get around. Not all of the roads are surfaced properly and some do get a little narrow. There is a 60km speed limit that spreads across the island. There are not very many roads, so you won’t get lost but make sure you have data access for your mobile, just in case you need to work out where you are. The island is also too small to loose cell coverage so you will be able to get to where you need without any problems.
The Race Day
I usually don’t sleep the night before a big race. I’d been training hard and was ready for the day ahead. I was well rested even with only a few hours the night before. I headed to the start line and took up a spot in small transition area. The race had both a half iron distance race, an Olympic distance race and teams events. The field was small and had a nice chair waiting for me in transition and I set up for the day ahead.
As I walked to the beach for the race briefing I was concerned that the sun hadn’t yet risen. Water safety was on hand but still wondered how they would see us if we got into trouble. As we waited for the start, the sun just started to rise giving me a little more comfort, as we had a lot more light, but remember there was no colour and everything seemed to be in black and white.
My swim is my strongest leg, but I was more at ease with there being more light on the course. Two young Samoan boys hit the water fast and I took off after them both, only one remained in front as we headed into the second kilometer of the swim. I was waiting for him to slow, but that never happened. I was smashed in the swim leg by a 12 year old. Full credit to him, he did an amazing job though and got his relay team off to a great start.
I was out of the water feeling fresh and knew I was feeling good for the ride ahead. The roads were quiet, and although open to traffic, cars were rarely on the course. The bike leg was a three lap course along a number of small beach resorts and villages. The final leg was a little different with a 3km hill climb. Not a real issue for most, but the hill climb meant a slow down in pace and this is when I started to really feel the heat. Without the cooling wind blowing over me from my ride the temperature rose, but the long down hill was a nice relief.
I rode strong for the final few kilometers and transition was a breeze. I set out on the run leg with gas in the tank but the temperature was taking its toll. A half marathon would not have been easy in normal circumstances, but after the 9km mark my body started to disagree with brains ability to keep running. My pace slowed and was grateful for the aid stations at every one kilometer mark. I think for my next attempt, I will be taking my shoes off and jumping into the cool ocean, which only happened to be a few meters away at some points.
The run leg consisted of seven laps of a three kilometer course. Yes, ouch! It did mean that we were close to transition, close to aid stations and all competitors were able to encourage each other as the temperature and humidity rose…and it did. I am sure you could have seen the relief on my face as I crossed the finish line.
As An Experience
You could go to an overseas event and be lost in the crowd of hundred or thousands of other competitors. I won’t argue with you, branded races do an amazing job of making you feel like a pro for the day. But, races like Samoa, are something different, something you won’t get everyday. I was able to speak with a majority of the other competitors and get to know them intimately.
The following week did not disappoint either with the Pacific Ocean Challenge and Samoa Swim Series. I felt like I became part of something, instead of simply a competitor.
I don’t think you would have many chances left to enjoy a race like this. You almost feel like you are part of something special, or a secret club, that no one else knows about.
I am going back for the Samoan Warrior Honor Role in 2017
For more details about the Warrior Race, go to the following link: http://www.samoaevents.com/warrior-race.html
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