Eight for eight complete, Metafit savors sweet feat

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu-based Metafit Tri Team basked in the glow of another rewarding and gratifying campaign in the Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

And why not?

Since they were formed by Cebuano fitness guru Alan ‘Coach A’ G. Choachuy in 2011, Team Metafit boasts of a 100 percent finish rate in all eight Ironman races staged in the Queen City of the South.

Exactly a week ago, they pulled off the same feat.

All of 10 Metafit Tri bets passed the grueling race with flying colors during the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Philippines at the posh Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City.

“The Metafit Tri Team has been consistent in terms of accomplishment of all our entries for the past eight years. I’m very proud of their achievements knowing that most of our members are first timers every time we join an Ironman 70.3 race,” said Choachuy.

Team Metafit has always lived on their battlecry that is to ‘complete, not compete.”

But through the years, they kept on performing beyond expectations.    

This time around, team captain Fritz Co, Romulo Rosell and Jeff Herrera wrote Metafit’s most notable achievement for completing the full cycle of Ironman 70.3 Phl in Subic, Davao and Cebu.

“I feel happy, of course, to finish all three races,” said Co, who posted his best time of six hours and 54 minutes during the Cebu leg. “But what I value most is the experience, the challenging roads of the Davao bike leg, the extreme heat of Subic, the water currents of Mactan and headwinds of SRP Cebu.”      

Co shared that taking part in a punishing sports battle that covers 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21k run entails a lot of challenge, but knowing that you have pushed yourself to the limit while maintaining a healthy physical well-being makes it more fulfilling.

“What motivates me (to be in this kind of sport) is the process - from the preparation, training, making new friends, enjoying the views on a bike ride, competing against triathletes, pushing yourself to do better, and most importantly being physically fitter and healthier,” said Co.

Pressed on what is the key his success, Co said it’s “Discipline, self respect,  time management, and above all family support.”

Herrera echoed Co’s sentiment.

“I was motivated to join triathlon/Ironman for healthy lifestyle. This sport helped me realize the importance of being physically fit and healthy. It changed my whole being for the better,” said Herrera, who posted a personal best record in Ironman 70.3 Cebu with a time of six hours, 10 minutes and 11 seconds.

Herrera pointed out though that you must learn to endure all the slings and arrows that come your way if you want to gain a certain measure of success in this kind of sporting endeavor.

“You must maximize your time, set your priorities, have commitment in training and push your self to your limit. Everything will be hard at first before it gets easy,” said Herrera. “And when the time comes you cross the finish line, the feeling is awesome. It’s the moment you will cherish for the rest of your life.”

For Rosell, the Ironman 70.3 is a never ending challenge. He has already competed in the Ironman 70.3 for the eighth time since 2014, yet there is still that drive within him to do more.

“I’ve been joining this event since 2014 and it’s my eighth Ironman 70.3 already. This is my way of life, doing triathlon,” said Rosell. “But I still have an unfinished business in the Ironman 70.3 so I will continue to pursue that great challenge, a sub-5 finish. That’s my ultimate goal.”

Rosell trains his sights next on a full distance Ironman in Subic next year, a more rigorous mission charted over a 3.8K swim, 180k bike and 42k run.

Cheryl Tagra, the only rose among Metafit’s thorn who finished the lung-busting race in the individual category, also narrated her Ironman experience with great joy.

“I’m very happy for completing my first.IM race safely. All the trainings helped  me overcome the toughness of this race. It’s very tough and challenging but very exciting Looking forward to race again and improve my time,” said Tagra.

For Jodette Romaguera, she may have only took part in the swim stage of the relay event but the feeling is extremely delightful.

“There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself,” said Romaguera in sharing one of her favorite quotes. “Crossing the IM finish line for the first time is a fire starter to take the next level, keeping the flame inside mind and heart to burn brighter.”

For Coach A, the Ironman 70.3 is not only about endurance, physical strength and mental toughness. It is also a difficult test of one’s character as it provides the biggest stage in life’s real drama.

“For me, the Ironman 780.3 teaches us the real struggles in life. There are no shortcuts through pain, suffering and all the problem in life. As long as we move forward and don’t give up, we can all cross that finish line.”