Pinoy Aquaman Macarine’s goals: Finish full Ironman race, New York marathon

Pinoy Aquaman Ingemar Macarine, who has just completed an open water swim across Lake Michigan, plans to finish a full Ironman race in the future. | Ingemar Macarine FB

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After finishing his 36th successful long-distance open water swim, “Pinoy Aquaman” Ingemar Macarine plans to conquer a whole different sport as one of his ultimate goals.

The 46-year-old Bohol-based Associate Provincial Prosecutor recently finished the five-kilometer open water swim on the icy waters of Lake Michigan for 2 hours and 57 minutes. 

However, the Surigao-born long-distance swimmer known for his treacherous crossing of Alcatraz Island to mainland San Francisco wants to finish a full-distance Ironman triathlon. 

In an interview with CDN Digital, Macarine said that one of his ultimate goals in his athletic career is to finish a full Ironman race which features a grueling 2.4-mile swim (3.9K), 112-mile bike (180.2K), and 26.2-mile run (42.2K).

“I’m planning to do one full ironman race sometime in the future. And also run the New York marathon in the next two years,” said Macarine. 

However, he said that his ultimate dream would be to swim across the English Channel, which he failed twice. 

Not known by many, Macarine has a completely different resume in sports. One of his silent accomplishments is being a multiple-time Ironman 70.3 triathlon finisher. 

He is a four-time Ironman 70.3 finisher in Cebu in 2013, 2014, and 2015 (bike relay). He raced twice in 2015 by finishing the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 race in Cambridge, Maryland, United States. 

To add more, Macarine is also a two-time ultramarathoner (50k) finisher and finished over a dozen full-marathon (42k) and half marathon (21k) races. 

Before his swim in Lake Michigan, Macarine finished a half marathon (21k) in the Shoreline Half Marathon earlier this month in Hamlin, New York.

Pinoy Aquaman: Healthy diet and exercise

Macarine is keeping no secret about his vigor and longevity in his chosen sports. He said that he maintained a healthy diet and regular exercise to keep himself fit for long-distance swims and other sports. 

It may sound cliche, but Macarine believed it worked for him efficiently. 

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Macarine transitioned to being Vegan and recently added fish as his source of protein. In addition, he also disciplined himself by exercising at home during the lockdowns. 

“I stopped eating pork, beef, and chicken in 2017. But during the pandemic, I only ate fruits and vegetables. No exception. But for the last few months, I started eating seafood again. I’m a pescatarian now. Fruits, vegetables, and seafood only. No other meat. I need a good source of protein because before, I felt lethargic after hard training,” said Macarine. 

“I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I sleep 8 hours daily; I eat whole foods only—no processed food. I train daily. I have maintained a zero alcohol life for five years now. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. And only water. No soft drinks for me. Coffee and tea are my favorites,” he said. 

He said that he wanted to live healthier as he grew older. 

“I have to manage my time since I’m now a prosecutor of the Department of Justice. I have a full schedule. The challenge is to balance my work schedule. But I still exercise daily,” said Macarine.

With that in mind, Macarine won’t stop at 36 successful open water swims. He is planning for more. In fact, he is planning to cross the open seas in Masbate, Leyte, and Dipolog.

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