Muldoon, Denevan conquer Ironman 70.3

Lily Muldoon and Michael Denevan are all smiles after completing the Ironman 70.3 in Langkawi, Malaysia last Saturday. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Lily Muldoon and Michael Denevan both finished in the Top 15 in their age groups in the Ironman 70.3 held last Saturday in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Muldoon secured an invitation to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Finland in August 2023 after finishing second in her division and ninth overall among the women with a time of 5 hours and 22 minutes.

In her very first half ironman, the 37-year-old Department of Public Health director and Commonwealth Health Center Emergency Department physician finished the 1.2-mile swim in 35:15, the 56-mile bike race in 2:57, and the 13.1-mile run in 1:43.

“We chose this race because the conditions in Langkawi were very similar to Saipan. The swim was in the warm ocean, the bike ride was hilly, and the run was humid,” said Muldoon, whose farthest triathlon before last weekend was the 2019 Tagaman on Saipan. 

“During the race it was raining most of the course, which was a benefit because we were not dealing with the heat, but the paths were soaked and we were running through large mud puddles and sand pits,” she said.

Of the three disciplines, Muldoon admitted that the bike portion was a real blast.

“The bike ride gave us a beautiful 56-mile tour of Langkawi island that included incredible views, smells of curry, many cheering locals, and at some points I had to dodge a cow and a monkey in the road!” said the bemedalled runner from Colorado.

Denevan, for his part, finished 15th in his age group and 89th out of all men with a time of 5 hours and 31 seconds in his very first triathlon.

His splits were 38:19 in the swim,  3:00 flat in the bike, and 1:45 in the run.

“I’m so happy to have competed in my first triathlon. Langkawi is a beautiful Island to host the Ironman competition and I really enjoyed biking and running through green rice fields, past ocean vistas, and over rolling hills. Training on Saipan really helped get us prepared!”

The 37-year-old California native said he wouldn’t have checked competing in a triathlon on his bucket list without Muldoon’s help. 

“I dedicate finishing the Langkawi Ironman 70.3 to my life partner and training partner, Lily Muldoon. She was both my biggest cheerleader and my source of inspiration. I got so much stronger just trying to keep up with Lily during our many run, bike, and swim sessions,” he said.

Denevan added that he and Muldoon are both so fortunate to live on Saipan where training for their first Ironman competition was both fun and challenging.  

“We spent many hours per week chasing fish at Pau Pau and Tanapag, biking all over the gorgeous northern roads, and running through lush jungles. Nothing could have prepared us better for racing in Langkawi!”

Muldoon couldn’t have agreed more and said having his significant other train with her was a
blessing. 

“Having a partner to train with daily kept me motivated and moving. In the early stormy mornings on Saipan, Michael and I would pump each other up, knowing we needed to stay on track to be ready for the half-ironman.”
She found time to train in between ER shifts and public health meetings with the help of personal trainer and mixed martial arts fighter Kelvin  Fitial.

“We trained approximately 10-15 hours per week. Kelvin made us circuit workouts twice weekly at 6am in Peace Park.

The genesis of Muldoon and Denevan getting into triathlon started when the former met Mick Ferris while she was the medical director for the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 back in June. 

“Mick Ferris was the CNMI National Triathlon Team coach for the Pacific Mini Games and lives in Australia. He provided a training program and tips on nutrition, hydration, and endurance,” said Muldoon.