Laura Philipp’s amazing year would nearly be overlooked as she peaked in races that received less attention, but it’s definitely her name that you’ll find when searching for the Ironman 70.3 and Ironman World Record holder. Kat Matthews and Nicola Spirig may have stolen Philipp’s thunder with their highly successful Sub8 attempt, on that same day Philipp noted the fastest Ironman time ever, without the help of pacers she finished in 8:18:20 hours at Ironman Hamburg. What does that race have in common with her Ironman 70.3 world-record race? The period of the month that it was in, Philipp explains.
“Is there anything that my races in Dubai and Hamburg had in common?”, Philipp writes. “Yes… I was in the first half of my menstrual cycle in both races, which is physiologically the perfect time to perform at peak levels. I was also able to set a new Ironman world best time in both races over different distances. A coincidence? Not in my opinion.”
“A healthy body with a natural cycle (!) is a strong body”, Philipp continues to explain her point of view. “It further encourages me in my approach to adjust my training to my cycle and to train like a woman, not like a small man! Thank you Coach Philipp Seipp for supporting me to get the best out of my female physiology”, she concludes.
Philipp had two record races this year, but unfortunately for the German athlete, she missed the Ironman World Championship in St. George, a race that – of course – received most attention. That’s a shame, because Philipp currently proves to be one of the best female triathletes out there. During Ironman 70.3 Dubai – where Philipp ran to a 70.3 world record – she even outran Swiss’ Daniela Ryf. It hasn’t happened in 2022 yet, but triathlon fans can be excited about Kona, where hopefully all of these fast women will toe the line in the same race.
