Keszthely „half ironman” Triathlon in Hungary

Right after Ironman Texas I flew to Budapest, Hungary. I found it hard to train in the capital city so I decided to stay at Lake Balaton, which is also called the Sea of Hungary. The recovery went well, and I was getting ready to compete at the Keszthely Triathlon.

The 1.2-mile swim course was in the famous Lake Balaton, which was hardly 62 degrees but fortunately everyone was allowed to swim in a wetsuit. I had a good swim but I knew there were some faster swimmers in front of me.

Picture Gallery: Swim

On the bike I felt good and enjoyed the smooth ride. The 56-mile bike course lead through the urban parts of Keszthely, and then went around the beautiful rural neighborhood of Lake Balaton.

Picture Gallery: Bike

The 13.1-mile run course took part on the scenic streets of the city, and we turned around at the historic Festetics-kastely (Festetics Palace), which was built in the 18th century. I started the run in 4^th position but Croatian Triathlete, Dejan Patrcevic was right behind me. We ran together for 2 miles then I slowly started to realize that my legs did not fully recover from the full-distance Ironman I did just two weeks earlier. Although I slowed down a bit, it was great to see that everyone was cheering for me! I finished 5^th and was happy to cross the finish line at the very first Keszthely Triathlon in Hungary!

Picture Gallery: Run and Finish

After the race I came back to Arizona to continue my prep for the summer. I’m going to spend a couple of months in Flagstaff and my next race is Ironman Lake Placid in July. I’m very excited and happy to represent my sponsors all around the World! I’m proud to be powered by Pita Jungle! It is very convenient that my favorite restaurant has so many locations in Arizona and California. I can’t wait to visit the Flagstaff location!

Thanks to Destination Kona I don’t have to worry about any triathlon apparel. I can drive back to Phoenix anytime and gear up at both locations (North Scottsdale & Hayden Rd).

ZOOT is my number one racing and training gear sponsor! My favorite ZOOT shoes are the Ultra Race 4.0!

SWIFTCARBON Neurogen is my ultimate race machine! And my favorite bars & wheels come from 3T !!

I couldn’t train & race without my exclusive nutrition sponsor, Ignite Naturals!

Special thank you to Southwest Realty and Property Management, Arizona!

Thanks to all of my partners for their support:

SHIMANO, ISM, SPIUK, XTERRA WETSUITS, CONTINENTAL, DC RANCH VILLAGE HEALTH CLUB AND SPA