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What started out as a tune-up race for the World Championships, Kapuso athlete and content creator Aira Lopez was in for a surprise when she joined the most recent Ironman race in Cebu, describing it as the “hardest race I've ever done.”

An Ironman race is a long-distance triathlon that consists of a 2.4-mile (3.8 km) swim, a 112-mile (180 km) bike ride, and a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run. Athletes need to finish the entire course within 17 hours.

On Instagram, Aira shared a few snaps of her Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu race, noting how different it is from the first two she did before.

“My 3rd time racing in Cebu, but this one felt so different. Registered last minute for @ironman70.3lapulapu as a tune-up race for the World Championships next month. Little did I know, this would be the hardest race I've ever done,” Aira shared.

Aira described the swim leg of the race as brutal with strong winds and huge waves battering them. The Kapuso athlete revealed that she drank a lot of saltwater because of this.

“Good call by the organizers to cut the swim to 1km before the gun went off. Sadly, a lot of athletes had to be rescued, and DNF'd (Did not finish),” Aira shared.

Aira added that the smile on her face in the photo was her being so happy to be out of the water. The Kapuso athlete shared that the experience brought her back to her first 70.3 race in Subic, where she also DNF'd because of the water conditions.

“That experience taught me that a DNF doesn't make you any less of an athlete. You showed up, you tried, and you fought through it. You'll come back stronger. I know because I did,” Aira said.

Like the swim event, Aira also struggled with the bike event due to the strong winds, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) elevation. She admitted that the shaking of her cockpit at the time scared her, and though that she would crash.

While Aira “felt fresh” during the run event, she made the mistake of running in brand-new shoes and reminded everyone not to do the same.

“But somehow, I didn't mind the pain anymore. Maybe that's what I love most about triathlon. It makes me realize how strong I can be when I'm tired, uncomfortable, scared, and everything is telling me to stop. The pain is temporary, but crossing that finish line makes everything worth it,” Aira said.

She added that while the Cebu leg of the triathlon race was hard, it's something that she will never forget.

“Thank you, Cebu, for always showing up with the loudest crowd and the best energy. Every cheer pushed me a little closer to the finish,” Aira ended her post.

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A post shared by Aira Lopez (@ranglopez)

FIND OUT WHICH CELEBRITIES COMPETED IN MARATHONS AND TRIATHLONS IN THIS GALLERY: