Interview with TriRacer Club President, Laura Moeller, on the Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Age Group Championship Race
TriRacers of Iowa President Laura Moeller recently returned from the 2022 World Triathlon Age-Group Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and we wanted to hear more about it! In this short Q&A, learn about how Laura qualified, swimming with Jellyfish, and what’s next for her in 2023!
How did you qualify for the event?
I qualified based on my performance at the 2021 Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee. Traditionally, I believe about the top 18 in each age group can qualify for Worlds from a National Championship race, however there are roll downs (if the top 18 finishers do not all wish to go to worlds they roll down to the next person in line, the 19th, if that person doesn’t want to go, they roll down to the next person, the 20th etc. etc.) and I was offered a roll down spot in the middle of the year.
What was the race venue like? Was it flat? Or did it have rolling hills? What was the temperature like this time of year?
My husband and I have practiced open water swimming on vacations in oceans before, but this was my first race in salt water (the ocean). I’m used to fresh water swims and everything that comes with those: mud, sticks, snakes, goose turds, fish, etc. but not the salt water.
I don’t love the salt in my eyes and mouth. This was my first time contending in a triathlon with jellyfish, too. A lot of the athletes were really stressed in the days leading up to this race about those jellyfish. I saw lots of jellyfish during the race, but fortunately was not stung. The water was warm, not close to wetsuit legal. On the contrary, it was a few degrees away from the rules requiring it to have been shortened for our safety.
Both the bike and the run were very flat. It was hot! I never checked my phone for the actual air temp that day, some athlete’s Garmin’s registered upper 90s to 100 (degrees F), I believe it was actually only in the upper 80s for real, though. They did have air conditioned ambulances set up throughout the bike and run course at some strategic points to be cooling facilities for overheating athletes. I don’t think I saw anyone going in those, though. We did make good use of the icy cold sponges they handed out at the run aid stations, though. It was very dry, low humidity (desert).
Since it was quite hot, how did you prepare your nutrition leading into the race?
I prep for hot races by pushing my electrolytes and fluids for a few days ahead of the race. I was eating Basesalt and drinking lots of liquids for a few days as we scoped the venue out, took care of bike check-in, etc. It was a little tougher in another country to buy your favorite sports drinks. Some were available from vendors in the race village/vendor fair, however prices were jacked up for everything there (e.g. we paid the equivalent of $50 for a small bottle of sunblock from one of these vendors the day ahead of the race).
What was the best part about the race?
Despite my worries about contending with the jellyfish and the salt water, the swim was actually lovely. It wasn’t too choppy, the course was easy to follow, the water felt great! Visibility was pretty good in the water and we had decent spacing around the other athletes (despite a mass start with my age group). I’m a strong swimmer and I expected to make some solid gains on the swim, which I did. I always enjoy passing not only quite a few folks in my own age group, but catching up to previous wave(s) and passing some of them, too. I knew I’d nailed my swim as I exited the water. I was happy with my pace and efficiency. Although I saw a lot of them out there, I was thankful I hadn’t gotten any jellyfish stings!
It was a long run from the water to transition though, over 500 meters (mostly carpeted thankfully). Either a U.S spectator or team staff had called out as I passed that I was “approximately 12th (in my age group)” as I ran from the water’s edge to transition. I was very happy with that.
What was the most challenging in this race knowing heat would be a factor?
For me, it’s a challenge to adequately pace myself, pushing on the bike, yet holding enough back so I have something left in the tank for the run. I’ve seen a lot of triathletes blow up on these hot runs and really suffer. My coach had told me to dial back my bike pace in this heat, push but not too hard. I did listen to her and I was passed more on the bike than I’m comfortable with.
The run on triathlons is always the most challenging for me. I came from a stronger swimming and cycling background and have only developed my running as a middle aged adult. Especially at this level, I’m always competing with some really gifted runners who are used to making up lost time on the run leg. However, I did sustain effort throughout the whole run, too. My average run pace was a good 30 seconds/mile slower than I’d hoped for, but I was steady and consistent, never walked and kept knocking off the miles. I passed some really tough Team USA ladies in the last couple miles who were struggling/walking at that point while I still felt strong.
You’ve raced the 70.3 IM World Championships in St. George Utah and the 2022 World Triathlon Age-Group Championships in Abu Dhabi, do you have your sites set on a 140.6 in Kona? What’s next in 2023?
Yes, I do hope to race in Kona some day. I used to think the only way I’d ever get to punch my ticket to a world championship in Kona would be to legacy in, but who knows, we’ll see. However, World Championships are evolving (as you know with the recent announcement the Ironman championship will now continue to be split between the men’s and women’s races and alternate years in Kona vs. held somewhere else). So even if I do qualify for another long course World Championship (this time in the 140.6 distance), it may wind up not being held in Kona at all.
I didn’t expect to qualify for the World Championship Ironman 70.3 race in St. George, UT in 2021. I was even more shocked when I qualified via roll down for this race in Abu Dhabi. Never say never! I actually wasn’t too far off the Kona roll down spots when I finished in 9th place in my age group in Ironman Des Moines in 2022. So we’ll see.
I have two full Ironman’s (IM TX again and IM WI) on the race agenda for 2023, plus we plan to race a bunch of shorter races, including returning to Milwaukee for the next Olympic distance Age Group National Championship in August 2023.