Paredes survives ‘toughest’ triathlon for flag, family

MANILA, Philippines - Triathlete Omar Paredes, the first Filipino finisher of the Iskalar Norseman Xtreme, said he found strength to finish the grueling endurance race in the wilds of Western Norway in the fact that he was doing this not just for himself.

Carrying the hopes of his nation, family and supporters, Team Herbalife stalwart Paredes bucked tremendous odds under extreme conditions and successfully negotiated the 4K swim in 13 degrees water to the remote Eidfjord, 180K bike over five mountain passes in Hardangervidda and a 42K run to the top of Mount Gaustoppen.

He crossed the finish line after 16 hours, making it inside the elite 160 who were awarded with the prestigious black “Survivor” T-shirt. He held a Philippine flag as he completed his mission.

“Goal ko talaga is to finish. Kahit na laspag na ako, tatapusin ko. Kinunan ko ng lakas ng loob ang pamilya ko, sponsors. Dala ko rin ang Philippines so hindi lang ako ito, sabi ko laban, hindi ako pumayag na bumigay hanggang makarating sa finish line  (My goal is to finish the race. I drew strength from my family, my sponsors and the fact that I was carrying the Philippines; that inspired me to push harder to the finish),” Paredes said during a presscon hosted by Herbalife.

Paredes, who was accompanied by his wife, Laarni, said he overcame a drop in blood sugar level and a painful calf before pulling it off.

“It was tough, brutal, ” said the 37-year-old triathlete and coach, a seven-time finisher in full-distance Ironman races.

Paredes got a slot in the 250-man field through a lottery and raced as an age-grouper. To prepare, he trained on the hilly roads of Laguna, Tagaytay, Rizal and Infanta, Quezon.

“Even from the start, the biggest challenge for me was cold weather. I live in Los Baños, Laguna, the land of hot springs. The water in Norseman was as cold as water right out of a freezer. To prepare for this, my wife and I stayed at Eidfjord for two weeks before the race so I can somehow acclimatize,” he said.

He added that Herbalife was part of his preparations.

“I don’t think I could survive the race without Herbalife. During race day, you have to sustain your energy and you need to eat; you need to replenish a lot of energy. I think I drank about four servings of the Herbalife F1 Shake with Herbalife 24 Prolong. I had two on the bike and two during the run. I also took some NRG to boost my energy,” he said.

Paredes expressed interest in doing the Swissman Xtreme Triathlon and Celtman! Extreme Scottish Triathlon next.

Asked for advice to other triathletes who might take the Norseman Xtreme challenge, Paredes said: “With will, determination, proper preparation, and proper nutrition, you can also conquer the race.”