Carlos Platier Luna

Carlos, it's great to have you here, and we're naturally very curious to hear how you experienced your first full triathlon. First of all: how are you feeling a few days after the race?

Great! I've been on cloud nine all week since achieving my goal!
That goal was to finish a full triathlon with a final time under 9 hours. I succeeded, and how!

Starting in January (2025, ed.), I trained hard, did several short triathlons, and swam a total of 260 km, cycled 8834 km, and ran 1816 km. In total, the preparation amounted to 10,910 km and 522:21 hours. This resulted in a finishing time of 8:42:51 for the entire triathlon in Almere. And I'm secretly quite proud of that!

How did your triathlon dream begin?

A year and a half ago, my goal was to train hard for a marathon so I could run it in under 3 hours. I was so fanatical that I injured myself, and then Bart from Merida suggested I try cycling. I was allowed to try out a Merida REACTO road bike, and after 10 weeks of not running but cycling, I ran a very fast 10 kilometers. This made me realize that cycling is really good for your basic fitness, but also that triathlon might be a great sport for me. In December, I thought, I want to do a full triathlon right away. And then I'll go for it completely. Fortunately, Bart came up with the Merida TIME WARP, Merida's triathlon bike, almost immediately. This is a specialized bike that makes you even faster when you're cycling on your own rather than in a group. Thanks to the collaboration with Stappenbelt.bike in Zwolle, we customized the bike completely, with plenty of options for carrying my own food and drinks along the way.

Which MERIDA bike best suited your goals?

The Merida TIME WARP is the perfect bike for the flat, fast cycling course in Almere. I really recommend buying a time trial bike to anyone who wants to achieve a seriously fast time in a triathlon. It's all about wattage versus aerodynamics, so with the same effort, you can go much faster on a triathlon or time trial bike than on a regular road bike. However, during the long weeks of training, it was also a relief to do some training and recovery rides on a regular road bike; the comfort on my Reacto road bike is definitely higher than on the time trial bike. So, if possible, it is ideal to have both bikes in the long preparation for a full triathlon.

What are the advantages of the Time Warp, a real time trial/triathlon bike?

The Time Warp rides superbly. I'm so much faster on it than on a regular road bike. You can reach higher speeds with less power, and you can adjust your posture to suit your personal goals and body type. The only thing I've changed on my Time Warp Limited is the handlebar, so I can tilt it more and gain even more aerodynamic advantage.

In addition, when you look at the price, the Merida Time Warp really stands out in terms of its excellent value for money compared to many of its competitors. For less money, you get a better bike: a top-quality frame, developed by industry experts and, of course, extensively tested with German precision. For an equivalent bike, you have to pay a lot more for other brands.

What was the most difficult part or at what moments in the race did you really struggle?

I found the swimming the most difficult. I have only been practicing this sport for a relatively short time and with a mass start in a triathlon, it is really chaotic. You end up in a kind of washing machine and at a buoy I was hit so hard by someone that my goggles came off. I had to put them back on quickly and regain my rhythm, which is quite difficult. After a difficult start, I decided to let go of my swimming goals and just make the best of it. That worked, because in the end my swim time wasn't too bad!

In addition, nutrition is really the fourth discipline in triathlon. During my training, I worked towards a carbohydrate intake of 120 grams per hour. But during cycling, this is quite difficult, because you have to keep eating. Once I started the running part, I was really happy with the strategy. After 10 or 11 kilometers, all the aches and pains went away and I felt great, until 32 km. Then I hit the wall and had a really hard time getting to the finish line.

How important were the supporters?

Having lots of supporters lining the route really helped me, especially because the running course consisted of several laps. You really look forward to the moment when you see the supporters, and somehow you recognize familiar voices amid all the noise. Especially halfway through and towards the end of the running part, it's nice to have some distraction and see familiar faces. That really motivates you to give it your all until the finish line, despite the pain. So, once again, thank you to all the supporters.

Um, do you also need to pee during such a long race?

I had to on the bike, but I couldn't. There are various options and there are also plenty of toilets along the course, but this does take time, of course. After cycling, when I picked up my bag in the transition area, I was able to go while sitting on the ground, and then I could immediately throw a bottle of water over myself because there was an official standing close by, so I was also afraid that I might get a penalty if they saw me ‘public urinating’... So yes, from now on, always an extra bottle of water in the transition bag! During the run, it was a real relief to have gotten rid of that...

What tips do you have for anyone who wants to try a triathlon?

First of all, start slowly. There's no point in getting injured, so make sure you build up your training properly. For example, try practicing one sport every day at first, and if necessary, seek professional advice from a trainer or training plan. Before your first competition, be sure to do a few so-called ‘brick workouts’, where you go straight from cycling to running, just like in a competition. And don't forget to test how it feels to get out of the pool as quickly as possible and go for a jog. It feels really strange the first few times!

If you are really ambitious and aiming for a fast time, I would definitely recommend purchasing a time trial bike, although a road bike offers much more comfort, even during training. A clip-on handlebar on your road bike is therefore a good alternative to start with. And above all, enjoy every training session and just sign up for that race, because then you'll have that extra incentive!