Marc recently overcame more than one challenge at Challenge Beijing. When you’re up against elite competition, everything has to fall into place. But losing your bike? That’s not the kind of puzzle you plan for.
Marc "The Shark" finished 2nd place finish at Challenge Beijing. As he recalls, "It was an incredible race but has my mind all over the place!" Marc faced the usual challenges at a Tri of this magnitude, but also had a few other things to deal with. Read on to learn how Marc adapted to produce an impressive performance against the odds.
Marc: On one hand, I feel like I missed a great opportunity for the win, but on the other, I’m proud of snagging 2nd place against some of the world's best—while riding a rental bike. Honestly, I lean more towards feeling like I missed out because I was so good about not letting that lost bike mess with my head. I gave it everything I had, with zero self-imposed barriers, and that’s exactly what I want "the Shark" to stand for. At the same time, I’m pretty stoked about another podium and a swim-bike-run I can be proud of. The last few months have been tough, so this felt like a solid step back into race form. With a small field of six, anything could have happened, and I knew it’d likely be five of us sticking together out of the swim, with Fred Funk eventually rocketing past up to us on the bike. I had a good start, led to the first buoy, and after about 500 meters decided to play it smart and let someone else take over. Henry moved up, and we split a bit by the end of the swim, but by the time we hit the end of the 700-meter run to transition, we were all back together. I exited the water 5th but rolled out of T1 in 1st. Considering I hadn’t touched the rental bike until race day, I didn’t go crazy right off the bat. But I could tell the legs were good, I followed the early moves pretty easily. We dropped one guy, and for the first lap, the four of us stayed together. Fred did what Fred does when he caught our group. He came through and broke things up, but I managed to keep the gap within reach—about 1:25 to Freddie and 35 seconds to Aaron Royal and Kyle Smith. Honestly, I was so relieved to get off that bike! On the 10k, Henry and I traded off leading. We caught Aaron, then Freddie, and by 5k, we reeled in Kyle. I put it a few surges but nothing crazy. Kyle and I were side-by-side until the last 1k when he surged, and I just didn’t have an answer. I kicked hard enough to drop Henry but couldn’t quite close on Kyle. I laid down the fastest run of the day with a 30:22 but didn't have the strength on the last 1k. It’s one of those races that leaves me with mixed emotions—frustration for what could’ve been, but pride for what I delivered. This was a solid step forward, and I’m pumped for what’s next.
Lessons From Challenge Beijing:
Control What You Can Control: Instead of letting the lost bike derail me, I focused on what I could control—my mindset, my nutrition (thankfully I had all of this with me as a carry-on), and making the best of the situation with a rental bike. It’s impossible to maintain a positive attitude 100% of the time, but we always have a choice in how we react and frame a situation. Focusing on what you can control makes all the difference.
Find What Works for You: I like to imagine the feelings and emotions I’d have after overcoming something and not letting an obstacle stand in my way. This could be as simple as getting through a stressful day at work, handling a wavy swim, or racing without my own bike. Trust me, the feeling of even trying is so much better than letting a challenge stop you.
Don’t Count Yourself Out Before the Race Even Starts: Sometimes, we limit ourselves before we even get to the start line. Don’t. Show up, give it your all, and leave everything out there. For me, this is my livelihood, and there are no prizes, salary, or sponsorship opportunities for losing to tough luck situations—so the only way is to give it everything you’ve got.
Marc 🦈
Marc's Fueling Strategy
Travel Snacks:
Single-serve Pillar Performance
Whatever I can get at the lounges
Race Day Nutrition:
Pre-Race:
½ cup of Precision Hydration 1500 (immediately upon waking)
Rice with 2 x eggs
1 piece of toast with jam
Working on a bottle of Skratch Labs hydration mix + Precision Carb Only until race
20 minutes before the race: Precision Hydration 30g gel
On the bike: 750mL bottle containing:
1 scoop of Precision Hydration carb-only mix
1 scoop of Skratch Labs mix
Additional:
1 Precision Hydration gel Total carbs: 140g (consumed approximately 120g)
On the run: 1 Precision Hydration Gel with caffeine
