Park qualifies again to chase Ironman dream
Veteran Timaru triathlete Reon Park produced an impressive outing at the full Cairns Ironman in Queensland at the weekend.
Park successfully qualified for the Kona Ironman World Championships in finishing 28th overall and winning the men’s 50 to 54 age category in a time of nine hours, nine minutes, 19 seconds.
He had to brave some tough conditions in the event which is a 3.8 kilometre swim, 180km bike ride, and a full marathon of 42.2km.
‘‘The swimming phase was choppy and rough and the winds were pretty strong and my timing took a hit,’’ he told The Timaru Herald.
With the temperature lingering around 26 degrees Celsius, Park faced the brunt of hot winds while cycling.
‘‘The heat wind was one of the worst that I had encountered and cycling against the wind makes it difficult.’’
Park was not disappointed to miss his target of a sub nine-hour finish.
‘‘I am happy with my performance, but the weather did not help and the timing took a slight beating.’’
With this performance, Park has qualified for the Kona Ironman World Championship event in Hawaii which is also a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, and 42.2km run.
He has been fixated on winning in Kona since his early 20s.
Park’s lifestyle is a cobweb as he juggles between his work, family and training.
Working fulltime for about 45 hours a week, Park also dedicates time to train for the races.
‘‘I train for about 18 to 22 hours a week split across swimming, biking and running. My family, friends and my two daughters are very supportive.’’
The triathlete further conditions his muscles with light weight training and calisthenics.
Park follows a simple balanced diet plan and fuels it up with proper hydration. He targets to get in 500 calories per hour during a race to replenish the continuous loss of energy.
Park and endurance sport are inseparable. He started off with short course Olympic distance triathlons in his early 20s, representing New Zealand and was fourth at the 1998 world championships.
He then transitioned to cycling.
‘‘I jumped to cycling at the age of 28 and solely focused on it for the next 18 years.’’
His cycling journey hit top gear when he set the age group world record (3 minutes and 19 seconds) in winning the 2009 world championship individual pursuit in the 35 to 39 years category.
In 2016, he also won bronze in the World Masters Time Trial Championship in Perth, Australia.
However, in 2018, Park followed his dream of being an Ironman contestant and opted to dedicate himself to this endurance sport.
His journey began on a high note as he went on to win his first Ironman race in 2018 in the 45-49 age category.
Cairns 2021 was his fifth Ironman event as he continues to eye victory in Hawaii.
It is to be seen if he can be third time lucky.
In 2018, he was inches away from victory, as a five-minute penalty curtailed a fairytale win, and he had to settle for second spot.
A year later Park slipped on a piece of ice and injured his foot. He dragged his injured foot for almost 38 kilometres and completed the race.
With Covid-19 playing spoilsport in 2020, Park now has a shot at redemption in 2021.
Park religiously follows his pre-race day rituals and tries to keep his feet off the ground as much as possible.
‘‘A day prior to the triathlon, I generally drop off my bike to the transition area as early in the day, so that I get enough rest to keep my body consistently going for over nine hours the next day. I try to rest well and get a good night’s sleep.’’