Puyuma Triathlon: The Legacy and Race Guide of Taitung's Classic Event at Living Water Lake

Coach’s Opening: That “Wave-Free, Mirror-Like” Lake Changed Many People’s First Triathlon Memories

Leading teams for fifteen years, I’ve seen too many stories by the shores of Taitung’s Living Water Lake.

One year in March, I stood on the bank of Living Water Lake with Xiao Lin, a 42-year-old student who had learned to lift his head to breathe less than six months prior. He’d barely slept the night before, asking me repeatedly, “Coach, what if I get a cramp halfway through the swim?” I pointed at the lake’s surface, calm as a mirror, and told him, “Look at that water—there isn’t even a ripple. What you’re fighting today isn’t the sea; it’s your own breathing rhythm.”

That day, after he finished the 1,500 meters and climbed ashore, his legs were shaking—not from exhaustion, but from emotion. He later told me it was the first time in his life he felt he had “done something he thought he could never do.”

This is the magic of the Puyuma Triathlon and the Living Water Lake venue. It’s one of Taiwan’s longest-standing local triathlon events, offering all three distances in a single edition: 226 Ironman, 113 Half, and 51.5 Standard. It’s the cradle of countless Taiwanese triathletes’ “first triathlon,” and the home turf where veterans return every year to chase PBs (personal bests). In this long article, I want to break down this race’s course, atmosphere, and race-prep strategy from start to finish through the eyes of an old coach.

Whether you’re planning to tackle your first 51.5 this year or aiming to break through your ceiling at 113, this article is written for you.

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1. First, Get to Know This Race: The Legacy of Puyuma and Living Water Lake

Race Positioning and Scale

The Puyuma Triathlon is co-organized by the Taitung County Government and the local Urban-Rural Life Sports Association, and in recent years has been held annually in late March at Living Water Lake in Taitung City’s Forest Park. For 2026, for example, the race takes place over two days, March 28–29, with approximately 3,366 triathletes registered. Add in family and friends, and the influx into Taitung City is estimated at five to six thousand people.

Its distance design is comprehensive, covering four challenges in a single event:

Category	Swim	Bike	Run	Suitable For
226 Ironman	3.8 km	180 km	42.2 km (Full Marathon)	Experienced triathletes, those chasing the ultimate milestone
113 Half	1.9 km	90 km	21.1 km (Half Marathon)	Those with one to two years of experience looking to move up
51.5 Standard	1.5 km	40 km	10 km	First-timers, those aiming for a steady finish
Youth Category	Adjusted by age group	Adjusted by age group	Adjusted by age group	Cultivating new talent, family participation

In terms of race scheduling, the 226 and 113 are usually held on the first day (226 starts at 6:00 AM, 113 at 7:45 AM), while the 51.5 Standard is on the second morning, giving each group of athletes its own spotlight.

Why Living Water Lake Is a “First-Triathlon Paradise”

I often tell my students that when choosing your first triathlon, the nature of the swim venue determines about 60% of your psychological stress. And Living Water Lake is arguably the most beginner-friendly open-water venue in all of Taiwan, for three reasons:

• Freshwater, no waves, no undertow: Living Water Lake is a man-made lake fed by underground springs. Its surface is so calm that locals call it “wave-free, mirror-like.” There’s none of the swell, rip currents, or salty water stinging your throat that terrify people in ocean swims.
• Clear sightlines, easy navigation: Because it’s an enclosed lake, the buoys and turnaround points are clearly visible, unlike the open sea where waves can block your view and cause you to drift off course.
• A long history of hosting triathlons: Living Water Lake has hosted national triathlon events, dragon boat races, and other major water activities for years. The lifeguard setup, race flow, and transition area configuration are all mature and well-established, offering a huge sense of security for newcomers.

For a first-timer who’s afraid of the water, the simple fact that “today I don’t have to battle the ocean” already wins you half the battle.

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2. Concepts and Scientific Foundations: Triathlon Isn’t Three Sports; It’s One Sport

“Continuity” Is the Essence of Triathlon

The biggest misconception many beginners have is breaking triathlon into three separate disciplines—swim, bike, run—and training each in isolation. But true triathlon ability lies in the two transitions and in movement economy under fatigue.

The analogy I often use: running 10 km on its own is a completely different thing from riding 40 km and then running 10 km. In the first 1 to 2 km after getting off the bike, your legs feel like lead, your quads are stiff, and your cadence is all over the place. That’s the infamous “brick legs” feeling. It’s not a lack of fitness; it’s that your body hasn’t yet learned to switch muscle recruitment patterns between cycling and running.

That’s why triathlon training has a core tool called Brick Training: stringing a bike ride and a run together so your body gets used to the transition. It’s the most overlooked yet highest-return workout for first-timers.

Pacing and Intensity: Don’t Fool Yourself with “Feelings”

Triathlon is an endurance sport, and most finishers who lose on race day lose because they “went out too fast.” Physiologically, when your intensity exceeds your lactate threshold (roughly in the 85–90% of max heart rate range), your body accelerates the buildup of metabolic byproducts and speeds up glycogen depletion. A late-race collapse is almost inevitable.

For intensity zones, I have my athletes use a dual-track system combining heart rate and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion, on a 1–10 scale):

Intensity Zone	Approximate Heart Rate (% of Max HR)	RPE	Race Application
Easy Aerobic	60–70%	3–4	Long-distance base building, recovery
Marathon Pace	70–80%	5–6	Main pace for the 51.5 run leg
Tempo/Threshold	80–88%	7–8	113 bike cruising, intervals
High Intensity	Above 88%	9–10	Short intervals, final sprint

A special note: The percentages above are “general principles.” Everyone’s max heart rate and threshold are different; the most accurate way is to get tested. Treat the heart rate numbers as a reference—your perceived exertion and pace are what you can truly control on race day.

Heat and Hydration: March in Taitung Isn’t as Cool as You Think

Many people assume eastern Taiwan is cool in March, but race-day afternoons often bring strong sun. Combined with limited shade around Living Water Lake, heat and dehydration are the invisible killers of late-race pace for 113 and 226 athletes.

In endurance sports, hourly fluid loss can range from 500 to 1,000 ml or more, depending on the individual and air temperature; sweating also depletes electrolytes like sodium. General fueling guidelines: aim for roughly 400 to 800 ml of fluid per hour, supplement electrolytes based on how salty your sweat is, and take in carbohydrates depending on event duration (a common recommendation for long endurance events is 30 to 90 grams of carbs per hour). These are all ranges—the actual numbers are something you have to dial in during training by “practicing your fueling.”

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3. Course Breakdown and Race-Day Strategy: Step by Step

Swim Leg: Rhythm Management at Living Water Lake

Living Water Lake may be friendly, but don’t let your guard down. When the starting horn sounds and several hundred people hit the water at once, the “washing machine” jostling and kicking can be a huge psychological shock for beginners.

My race-day advice:

• Starting position: First-timers should line up at the back or the outer edges of the pack. Better to swim a few extra meters than to panic from being boxed in from the start.
• Slow down for the first 200 meters: A lot of people get an adrenaline surge the moment they hit the water, and their heart rate spikes to a 9 on the effort scale, ruining their breathing rhythm. Deliberately hold back for the first 200 meters and find your breathing rhythm; the rest of the swim will go much smoother.
• Sighting: Look up at the buoy every 6 to 10 strokes. The surface of Living Water Lake is calm, making sighting far easier than in ocean swimming—use that advantage.
• Gear: March water temperatures are on the cooler side, so most athletes wear a wetsuit (per race regulations). It also provides buoyancy, which is great psychological and physical support for weaker swimmers.

Transition 1 (T1): Don’t Waste Your Training Here

I’ve seen too many people who train well in all three disciplines fall apart in transition, fumbling around for three or four minutes. Transitions are “free time”—master them, and you’re essentially earning free seconds.

My T1 SOP for first-timers:

1. Unzip your wetsuit while running in from the water.
2. At your spot, strip the wetsuit, put on your helmet (helmet on and chin strap buckled before touching your bike—it’s a rule and a safety measure).
3. Put on socks and cycling shoes (for your first tri, flat pedals or easy-on/off shoes are fine; don’t risk a fall here just to use clipless pedals).
4. Walk your bike to the mount line before getting on, and follow the marked lanes.

Bike Leg: Rhythm and Wind on the Puyuma Course

The bike leg unfolds along Taitung’s roads. Overall, the terrain isn’t severely hilly, but the eastern wind is the wildcard. The 2025 race saw significant headwinds, and quite a few athletes got “schooled” by the wind on the return leg.

Key strategies:

• Stay conservative in the first half: Keep your power or perceived exertion in a zone where you can still “speak in full sentences.” If you blow up on the bike, the run is guaranteed to collapse.
• Don’t fight the headwind with raw power: When you hit a headwind, shift to an easier gear and maintain your cadence (a common cruising cadence falls in the 80–90 rpm range). Protect your legs for the run.
• Make fueling time-based, not feeling-based: For example, take a sip of sports drink every 15–20 minutes and an energy gel or bar every 40–45 minutes. Long-distance athletes especially need to get enough carbs in during the bike leg, because your gut absorbs less efficiently during the run.

Transition 2 (T2) and the Run Leg: Fighting “Brick Legs”

The run after the bike is the most honest part of the entire race. Every shortcut you took or surge you made on the bike will come back to collect its debt here.

• Deliberately start slow: For the first kilometer, run 15–30 seconds slower than your target pace to “wake up” your legs. Let your cadence return first, and the speed will follow.
• Increase cadence, shorten stride: When your legs feel like bricks, taking long, hard strides is the worst thing you can do. Short, quick steps (aiming toward 175–185 steps per minute) are actually more economical.
• Aid station strategy: The aid stations on the Living Water Lake course are your friends. In hot weather, besides drinking, grab a sponge or pour water over your head and neck to cool down—controlling your core temperature often helps your late-race pace more than an extra sip of water.

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4. Sample Training Plans for Different Distances

Below are the training frameworks I actually use with my athletes. These are examples, not gospel—adjust them to your base fitness, injury history, and daily schedule. I’ll give one “representative training week” for each of the three distances.

51.5 Standard: A Key Week in a 12-Week Plan (Week 8 Example)

Day	Training Content	Focus
Mon	Rest or stretching, foam rolling	Recovery is part of training
Tue	Swim 60 min (technique + short intervals)	Bilateral breathing, sighting practice
Wed	Run 40 min (including 15 min at marathon pace)	Building run feel
Thu	Bike 75 min (aerobic focus, with 3 tempo segments)	Cruising ability
Fri	Swim 45 min technique + 20 min core work	Body stability
Sat	Brick: Bike 60 min + Run 20 min	Transition adaptation (most important session of the week)
Sun	Long run 60–70 min, easy aerobic	Aerobic base

113 Half: Principles for Allocating Weekly Training Volume

The key to the 113 is “volume” and “fueling rehearsal.” Looking at total weekly training volume across the three disciplines, a common allocation puts the most hours into cycling (it takes up the most race time), swimming maintains technique and feel, and running focuses on “being able to run while fatigued.”

• Swim: 2–3 sessions per week, totaling roughly 5,000–8,000 meters, focusing on efficiency rather than huge volume.
• Bike: 2–3 sessions per week, including 1 long ride (gradually building to 90 km or more) and 1 tempo or interval session.
• Run: 2–3 sessions per week, including 1 long run (gradually building to 16–18 km).
• Brick: Schedule a bike-to-run transition every 1–2 weeks, following a long ride with a 20–40 minute run while rehearsing your race fueling.

51.5 Standard: Full 12-Week Periodization (Macro View)

I gave you a one-week snapshot above; here’s the full 12-week “periodization” skeleton so you can see how training builds layer by layer. The core logic of periodization is simple: build the aerobic base first, then add intensity, and finally taper. The failure of most beginners is reversing this order—hammering intensity from day one without a solid base, leading to injury or burnout.

Week	Periodization Phase	Training Focus	Weekly Training Hours (Reference)
Weeks 1–3	Base Phase	Build aerobic fitness in all three sports; develop the ability to “swim continuously without stopping”	4–6 hours
Weeks 4–6	Advanced Base	Gradually extend individual session durations; introduce the first Brick	5–7 hours
Weeks 7–9	Intensity Phase	Add tempo runs and bike intervals; make Bricks a regular part of the schedule	6–8 hours
Weeks 10–11	Peak Phase	Race-intensity simulations, full fueling rehearsals, longest training sessions fall here	6–8 hours
Week 12	Taper	Significantly reduce volume, retain a little intensity, sleep and eat well	3–4 hours

You’ll notice that training hours don’t just keep climbing; after the peak phase, they deliberately come down. This “taper” isn’t laziness—it’s letting your body “absorb” all the accumulated training into genuine fitness. I often tell my athletes: Training is the stimulus; rest is where you get stronger. An athlete who trains hard but never recovers properly stays in a perpetual state of fatigue and can’t deliver their true performance on race day.

Fueling in Practice: Turning “What to Eat and When” into a Chart

Fueling is the part beginners find most daunting and veterans obsess over most. Here’s a sample fueling timeline I give to 51.5 and 113 athletes. Again, these are ranges and examples—you must rehearse and fine-tune your own version during training.

Time Point	Fueling Content (Example)	Purpose
2–3 hours before race	Easy-to-digest breakfast (rice ball, toast, banana, etc.)	Top off glycogen, avoid racing on empty
15 minutes before race	A small sip of sports drink or gel	Stabilize blood sugar
Swim leg	None	Focus on breathing and sighting
Bike leg	Sip of sports drink every 15–20 min, energy gel/bar every 40 min	Fuel while riding, while the gut can still absorb
Run leg	Water/electrolytes at aid stations; pour water over head in heat	Maintain pace, control core temperature
30–60 min after finish	Carbs plus protein (a common ratio is about 3:1 to 4:1)	Restore glycogen, repair muscle

For long endurance events, a common general recommendation for carbohydrate intake is 30 to 90 grams per hour; the longer and harder the event, the closer to the upper end you need to be. But your gut’s absorption capacity can be “trained”—if you never practice fueling in training and then try to force down a bunch of gels on race day, your stomach is likely to go on strike. That’s why I insist my athletes practice their fueling during long training sessions.

226 Ironman: Don’t Underestimate the Ability to “Keep Moving for Hours”

The 226 is a completely different beast. It tests not just fitness, but fueling, psychology, and problem-solving over ten-plus hours of continuous movement. I have only a few core reminders for athletes taking on the 226:

• Your longest training sessions don’t need to actually cover the full 180 km bike or 42 km run, but you do need to accumulate enough experience of “being in a state of sustained exercise for long periods.”
• The gut is the first thing to break for many 226 athletes—your fueling plan must be rehearsed over and over in training until it’s second nature.
• Learn to handle small problems: flat tires, dropped chains, cramps, low moods—no 226 goes perfectly smoothly. The ones who finish are the ones who can calmly solve problems.

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5. Common Mistakes and Fixes: The Pitfalls I’ve Seen Most in 15 Years of Coaching

Mistake 1: Swimming Out Too Fast, Blowing Up Your Heart Rate

Symptom: The horn sounds, adrenaline surges, you sprint the first 100 meters, then your breathing falls apart and you start swallowing water in a panic.
Fix: Do “race-start rehearsals” at Living Water Lake (or any open water) before race day, practicing deliberately slowing down for the first 200 meters. Control your heart rate, and you’ll have plenty left to swim the rest.

Mistake 2: Using New Gear for the First Time on Race Day

Symptom: New trisuit, new cycling shoes, new fuel—all saved for their “maiden voyage” on race day, resulting in chafing and stomach issues.
Fix: “Nothing new on race day”—never use anything on race day that you haven’t tested in training. This is an iron rule in the triathlon world.

Mistake 3: Overexerting on the Bike, Walking the Entire Run

Symptom: Racing others on the bike, accelerating whenever someone passes you out of pride, and then your legs are shot the moment you get off at T2.
Fix: Use a perceived exertion/power ceiling to restrain yourself on the bike, treating “being able to hold a conversation” as your ceiling for the first half. Triathlons are won in the second half.

Mistake 4: Neglecting Fueling and Electrolytes, Cramping and Slowing Late

Symptom: Only drinking water without electrolytes, or drinking plain water all day, then your calves and quads start cramping one after another in the later stages.
Fix: Make fueling “time-based and number-based,” and rehearse it in long training sessions. Cramping has complex causes (fatigue, electrolytes, overly aggressive pacing all play a role); there’s no single magic bullet. The key is developing your own fueling rhythm in training.

Mistake 5: Not Practicing Transitions, Giving Away Minutes for Free

Symptom: Fumbling around in T1 and T2, can’t find your gear, can’t get your helmet buckled.
Fix: Rehearse your transition routine 5–10 times at home before race day, and keep your gear placement fixed. Transitions are “free seconds you get just by practicing.”

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6. Race Week and Race Day: Local Taitung Practical Tips

Race Week: Tapering Isn’t Lying Flat

What you want in race week is to taper—reduce training “volume” while retaining a bit of “intensity stimulus” to keep your body sharp. A common approach is to gradually cut training hours while sprinkling in a few short bursts at race pace so your muscles remember what “fast” feels like, rather than resting completely all week.

At the same time, load up on carbs in the days before the race (a common pre-race strategy is to increase the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet over the final 1–3 days), and get plenty of sleep. This matters more than squeezing in one more workout.

Local Taitung Food and Eating-Out Tips

Taitung’s dining scene is actually quite triathlete-friendly. The night before the race, I usually advise my athletes:

• Choose familiar, easy-to-digest foods: Rice, noodles, sweet potatoes, and other easily absorbed carbs as the mainstay. Avoid anything too oily, too spicy, too cold/raw, or new ingredients you’ve never eaten before, to prevent stomach issues on race day.
• Sample Taitung’s famous foods in moderation: Fried foods, spicy dishes, and dairy are all best avoided the night before the race. Save the celebration feast for after.
• Arrive early and acclimate: If you’re traveling from western or northern Taiwan (many people take the train or drive), I recommend arriving in Taitung at least a day early so your body can recover from the journey, and so you can visit Living Water Lake to check out the venue and walk the transition area flow.

Race Day Routine Recommendations

• Wake up early, get to the venue early, and leave time for finding your transition spot, pumping tires, and using the restroom (there will always be a line).
• Eat an easy-to-digest breakfast 2–3 hours before the start, and top up with easily absorbed carbs right before the gun as needed.
• Checklist: goggles, swim cap, wetsuit, helmet, cycling shoes, running shoes, race number belt, fuel, sunscreen—check off each item on a list; don’t rely on memory.

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7. Triathlon Psychology: Your Final Opponent Is Yourself

In 15 years of coaching, I’ve come to believe one thing more and more: in the later stages of a race, fitness accounts for only half; the other half is all mental. Especially in the 113 and 226, when you’ve been out on the course for four, five hours or more, that voice in your head telling you to “just walk” or “you’re not going to place anyway” is harder to fight than any muscle soreness.

Here are a few mental tools I actually teach my athletes:

• Chunking: Don’t think “15 km to go”—that’s terrifying. Change it to “just get to the next aid station.” Cut the enormous pain into small segments, and you’ll find yourself getting through it station by station.
• Give yourself a mantra: Many veteran finishers repeat a single phrase in their heads during the late stages. It could be “light, quick, steady,” or “one more step.” It sounds cheesy, but in your darkest moment, that phrase really can hold you together.
• Pre-mortem: Before race day, think through “what I’ll do if I get kicked in the swim, if I hit a headwind on the bike, if I cramp on the run.” When something bad actually happens, you won’t panic, because you’ve already rehearsed it.
• Use the crowd: The cheering crowds along the Living Water Lake course are your resource. When you pass people, look up, wave, smile—this physical action feeds back to improve your mood and posture. It sounds mystical, but many athletes have experienced it.

One year, a female athlete attempting her first 113 texted me at the 15 km mark of the run, her mindset nearly shattered (she was wearing a watch that could send messages). I replied with just three words: “Chunk it down.” She finished, and later told me those three words saved her. Mental preparation, just like swimming, cycling, and running, is something you can train.

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8. FAQ: The Questions My Athletes Ask Me Most

Q1: I can’t swim. Can I still sign up for the 51.5?

Let’s define “can’t swim” first. If you can’t breathe properly at all and sink the moment you get in the water, then please spend time learning to swim first—don’t use a race as the place to learn. But if you can swim slowly and continuously for a stretch, just not fast or with pretty form—then Living Water Lake is the best place in all of Taiwan for you to complete your first triathlon. The waveless freshwater and the buoyancy of a wetsuit will give you tremendous support. Set your goal as “safely finishing 1,500 meters,” no matter how slow you go.

Q2: Do I need to buy an expensive time trial (TT) bike?

Absolutely not for your first triathlon. A road bike in good condition and properly fitted to you is more than enough. “Proper fit” matters a hundred times more than “expensive.” A well-fitted entry-level road bike that’s comfortable to ride beats a high-end race machine with the wrong geometry. Once you’re sure you want to commit long-term and chase results, then you can think about upgrading to aero gear.

Q3: Is Taitung actually cold in March? What’s the water temperature like?

It’s on the cooler side at the early-morning start, and the water temperature usually calls for a wetsuit. But when the sun comes out at midday, it warms up, and for later finishers, “heat and sun exposure” are actually the bigger concern. My advice: bring a wetsuit for the swim and sunscreen for the run—cover both ends. Actual conditions vary every year, so be sure to check the race announcements and weather forecast before you go.

Q4: I’m busy with work and can’t train much each week. Can I still finish?

Yes, but you have to train smart. If time is limited, prioritize your resources on: peace of mind in the swim (to avoid panic on race day), Brick transition adaptation (to avoid brick-leg collapse), and one sufficiently long training session (to build confidence). Instead of doing short, aimless workouts every time, complete 3–4 purposeful sessions each week. Quality beats quantity.

Q5: What’s safe to eat the night before the race in Taitung?

Stick to familiar, easy-to-digest carbs (rice, noodles, sweet potatoes are all good), and avoid anything too oily, too spicy, too cold/raw, or new ingredients you’ve never tried. Taitung’s food is tempting, but save the fried stuff and spicy dishes for the celebration. The goal the night before is “don’t mess up,” not “feast.”

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9. Actionable Advice for Athletes at Different Levels

If This Is Your “First Triathlon Ever”

• Choosing the 51.5 and choosing Living Water Lake—you’ve made the right call. This is one of the friendliest first-triathlon venues in all of Taiwan.
• Set your goal as “finish safely, finish smiling.” Don’t worry about placing or time.
• Your top priorities should be peace of mind in the swim and Brick transition adaptation—these offer the highest return on investment.
• Find some open water or a pool and build up to “swimming 1,500 meters without stopping,” and you’ve secured 80% of your finish.

If You’re an Intermediate Looking to Move Up from 51.5 to 113

• Shift your training focus from “can I finish” to “precision in pacing and fueling.”
• You absolutely must practice long-ride-to-run Bricks, and rehearse your full race fueling within them.
• Learn to ride by power or a steady perceived-exertion cruise. Stop racing on adrenaline.

If You’re a Veteran Chasing a PB or Taking on the 226

• What you need is detail optimization: transition times, fueling formulas, and a segment-by-segment pacing plan for the course.
• Do specific preparation for the potential headwinds in eastern Taiwan, practicing “maintaining cadence into the wind while protecting your legs” on the bike.
• For the 226, treat fueling and problem-solving as standalone training disciplines. That’s the real threshold for finishing.

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10. Real-Life Case Studies: Three Athletes, Three Puyuma Stories

I’ve covered a lot of theory. Finally, I want to use three (fictionalized) athlete stories to show you how people from different starting points found their rhythm at Living Water Lake. These scenarios are composite reconstructions based on my years of coaching experience, but every struggle described is real.

Case 1: A Water-Fearing Middle-Aged Office Worker—The Key Was “Breaking Down the Fear”

That’s Xiao Lin from earlier—42 years old, sedentary job, decent cardio base (he had a running habit), but extremely afraid of the water. His bottleneck was entirely in the swim; the moment he got in the water, he’d tense up, hold his breath, and lose his breathing rhythm.

My prescription wasn’t “swim more,” but “break the fear down into smaller pieces first”: Phase one was just practicing “putting your face in the water and exhaling without panicking.” Phase two was “holding a kickboard and flutter-kicking across.” Phase three was continuous breathing. It took us nearly two months before he could swim 200 meters nonstop, then we built up to 1,500. On race day, he chose to start at the back of the pack and deliberately went extra slow for the first 200 meters. He finished cleanly. His success wasn’t a physical breakthrough; it was a psychological one. For people afraid of water, the waveless environment of Living Water Lake is the perfect stage.

Case 2: A Runner Moving Up to 113—The Key Was “Fueling Rehearsal”

The second athlete was A-Zhe, an experienced runner with a strong marathon background who wanted to move up from 51.5 to 113. His fitness wasn’t the issue. The problems were an inability to control his output on the bike (runners often have the habit of “always wanting to push the pace”) and a too-casual approach to fueling (marathon runners rarely fuel for that long).

The most important thing I had him do was treat every long-ride-to-run Brick as a “fueling dress rehearsal”—strictly eating on schedule, logging his gut reactions, and adjusting his formula. Over three months, he not only learned to cruise on the bike, but also found the fueling combination his stomach could handle. The day he finished his 113, he told me, “So triathlon isn’t about who’s fittest; it’s about who makes the fewest mistakes.”—I’d like to pass that sentence on to everyone looking to move up in distance.

Case 3: A Veteran Chasing the 226—The Key Was “Problem-Solving”

The third athlete was Da-Wei, a veteran of five or six years chasing his 226 dream. His fitness and experience were sufficient, but the 226 is another level entirely. My training focus for him had only one keyword: “troubleshooting.”

I had him “deliberately create small problems” during long training sessions to practice responding: simulating a flat tire and changing it, simulating a Plan B when he couldn’t stomach his fuel, simulating his mental mantra for low moments. Because no 226 goes smoothly—the ones who can calmly solve problems are the ones who cross the finish line. The day he finished, he sat collapsed at the finish line for ten minutes, then smiled and said, “I had a flat tire in the middle, but I wasn’t panicked at all, because we’d practiced it.” That’s exactly the result I wanted.

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11. Pre-Race Gear Checklist: Check It Off, Don’t Rely on Memory

Finally, here’s a checklist you can copy directly. I strongly recommend you check off each item the night before the race. The worst thing in a triathlon is arriving at the venue and realizing you forgot something.

Swim Leg

• Goggles (bring a spare pair), swim cap (race-provided cap)
• Wetsuit, anti-chafe balm (neck and armpits)

Bike Leg

• Bike (check brakes, shifting, and tire pressure before race day)
• Helmet (mandatory, chin strap must buckle properly), cycling shoes, sunglasses
• Fuel (energy gels/bars), water bottles, spare tube and pump tools

Run Leg

• Running shoes, race number belt, hat or visor, sunscreen

General

• Trisuit or separate kit, towel, flip-flops
• Personal ID, race confirmation, timing chip (per race regulations)
• Pre-race meal, electrolytes, small first-aid kit (band-aids, kinesiology tape)

Don’t forget: All gear you’ll use on race day—especially the trisuit, cycling shoes, and fuel—must have been tested in training. Race day is not a maiden voyage.

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Conclusion: Back to That Wave-Free, Mirror-Like Lake

I love bringing athletes to race at Living Water Lake, not just because it’s friendly, but because it has an atmosphere that’s hard to put into words. In the early morning, the lake’s surface reflects the Central Mountain Range, the shore is packed with cheering families, and at the finish line there are always people crying, laughing, collapsing on the ground, and then getting up to hug their teammates.

That Xiao Lin, who was so scared he couldn’t sleep at first, later became a regular on our team. Now he returns to Taitung every March. He says Living Water Lake is where his “triathlon life began.”

The reason Puyuma and Living Water Lake are long-standing local classics isn’t just the great course and friendly venue—it’s because they carry the memories of so many people “proving themselves for the first time.” If you’re hesitating about taking that first step, I’d sincerely tell you: come to Living Water Lake. Do your training, practice your fueling, steady your mind—and for the rest, that wave-free, mirror-like lake will give you the answer.

See you at the finish line.

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This article is educational content and cannot replace individual assessment by a physician, physical therapist, or nutritionist. Please adjust your actual training and fueling plans according to your personal health condition, injury history, and professional evaluation.

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References

• 2026 Puyuma Triathlon | Sports Note: https://running.biji.co/index.php?q=competition&act=info&cid=12803
• 2026 Puyuma Triathlon | Taitung Tourism Website: https://tour.taitung.gov.tw/zh-tw/event-calendar/details/6257
• “2026 Puyuma Triathlon” Kicks Off This Weekend, 3,366 Triathletes Gather in Taitung | United Daily News: https://udn.com/news/story/7328/9403720
• 2025 Puyuma Triathlon | A Battle of Willpower in the Headwind | Don1Don: https://www.don1don.com/archives/222824/
• Taitung Living Water Lake: A Vast, Wave-Free Man-Made Lake | Taitung Made: https://www.zztaitung.com/9725/flowinglake
• Forest Park, Living Water Lake, Pipahu Lake, Egret Lake | Taitung City Office: https://www.taitungcity.gov.tw/article/森林公園、活水湖、琵琶湖、鷺鷥湖

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