Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya 2015 - Against All Odds

My journey to triathlon started in September 2013 when I first did a mini in Cold Storage Singapore International Triathlon 2013. Fast forward to April 2015, I completed my first Ironman 70.3 in Putrajaya. So much thoughts going through my head and this would probably take me a few posts to complete my journal.

First the RACE.

Even though 8 hours was not a timing that I should boast about, but I was proud that in the midst of all that went wrong, I survived 8hrs of gruelling heat, pain and managed to cross the line :) Ironman is not a race against others, it's a race against self. More than the physical abilities, it was the mental struggles and odds that I had to fight with.

- 3 weeks before the race, one of my team mates met with a freak accident during a bike training. She had to undergo a spinal cord operation and is still undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital. Her husband had to forgo the race to take care of her.
- 1 week before the race, another friend was hit by a car during a taper ride. He suffered a shoulder blade fracture and had to give up on the race.
- 2 days before the race, my period came... Well, kind of expected, but I was hoping that the stress I was facing would delay it till after Sunday.
- My Garmin 910 went dead on the morning of the race! WHY??? Till today, I do not know... It was charged in the morning.
- Thinking that it was flat, we made a calculated risk to U-turn to pick up the charger for a quick charge in the car. We ended up with only 15mins to set up our transition, including pumping our tires.
- Garmin was at 58%. But when I reached the swim start, the battery was flat... I thought time to upgrade :( However, I charged it after the race....and it is WORKING now... Sigh, Murphy's Law.
- After the first turn out from the transition area, I hit my aero bottle and dropped it. Bottle broke and I can only rely on my electrolyte drink. Had to grab a bottle at every aid station for a quick drink.
- I wanted to avoid another female cyclist at an U-turn, I crashed into a metal barricade.
- Was careful not to push myself too hard on the bike so that I can save my legs for the run. Cramp hit on the first run loop... Time to relook on the diet.
- Many had warned me about the blazing sun... But it did not prepare me for how HOT it turned out to be... No shades, humid and HOT HOT HOT! I was burnt badly...

In the midst of the odds, there were much to be thankful for!

- Left with only 1 team mate, we had a smooth drive up to Putrajaya. No major jam at the customs.
- 2 people, 2 bikes. 1 car. Perfect combination.
- Period came but there was no cramps.
- I met Craig Alexander, the legend of Ironman. Scored a pic with him.

- Garmin 910 went dead and I remembered I had a friend who came as a supporter. Managed to see him at the swim start. He was an angel! Without hesitation, he willingly offered his Garmin 920 to me.
- On the first loop, someone saw me cramping and offered me his electrolyte drink. He mentioned that it was those that doctor prescribed for dehydrated patient. He was walking and I could see that he was also in pain. But he willingly gave me one and even advised me to sip it down slowly.
- On my second run loop, saw a guy walking. Asked if he was ok. He asked if I had a salt capsule. I gave him my 2nd last one.
- Medic and volunteers at the aid stations were very supportive and helpful.
- Made many new friends of the same passion.
- Last but not least, LOVE the finisher towel! Didn't expect that :)

 

Thank you Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya for a memorable first race. I've been "stamped" by the IM mark :)

 

 

Preparing For Your First Triathlon

Lately some people asked me how to prepare for their first triathlon. I am not an expert; but I thought I can share my own experience.

I participated in my first tri event in 2013. I signed up for Mini-tri in Cold Storage Singapore International Triathlon 2013. 200m Swim 10km Bike 2km Run.

 

As I had no prior open sea experience, I signed up for the Open Water Swim and Triathlon Practice Clinics by MetaSport. We were taught a little on open water comfort, exit and sighting, race pacing, pace and endurance skills. For Tri Practice Clinics, we did mini triathlon race repeats over short distances including transitions, coaching on multi discipline pacing and technique, including race preparation. These sessions were the best I could find to prepare me for the event. Of course, I googled and watched YouTube videos :)

 

If you are preparing for your first tri, these are some questions you will ask...

- What do I wear?

- What equipment do I need?

- How should I prepare for the race?

 

First of all, decide on the distances that you want to race in... Read more about How I Choose My Races in the earlier post.

 

Triathlon can be an expensive sports.... My advice would be not to invest heavily into this sports until you are ready to go further with it... For the first race, you can actually make do with a lot of "what you already have"...

 

What Do I Wear?

 

Wear something that can transit you from swim to cycle to run... My suggestion for ladies; wear your current swim wear. And if you have a cycling tights, you can wear it over your swim wear during the swim. After your swim, you can either cycling in your swim wear and tights or throw over your running tee and cycle. Make sure the running tee is dri-fit material so that it will not cling to your body.

 

 

A trisuit may not cheap... Do not jump into buying one if you are not going to wear it for a few races :)

 

As for the guys, you can just swim topless in your tights. Throw over a tee for bike and run... Simple :)

 

What Equipment Do I Need?

 

Swim:

- Goggles (Use existing goggles. Make sure it doesn't fog)

- Swimming Cap (You have to wear the one provided by the Organizer)

 

Bike

- Bike (If you are not ready to invest in a bike, you can always borrow from a friend or rent from a bike shop. Otherwise a budget friendly brand to consider would be Polygon or maybe Merida. Both give you a decent road bike without breaking your bank account too much. Visit Rodalink for Polygon and Hup Leong for Merida. Both are reliable bike shops. I have good experiences with both the shops. However, if you are ready to invest on something of a higher end, there are many options to suit every budget :))

- Helmet (This is a MUST. Again, the price ranges from below $50 to a few hundreds of dollars. You can also borrow or rent if you intend to borrow or rent a bike)

- Shoes (If you are not on cleats, then cycle in your running shoes. Otherwise use your current cycling shoes)

- Gloves (Optional. In fact it would be a waste of time to put them on during a race)

- Shades (Optional)

- Race belt (Optional. It's for displaying of your number bib during cycling and run. However, you can also pin the number bib directly unto your running tee. It's also not expensive if you decide to buy one)

 

Run

- Running Shoes (Use your current running shoes)

- Visor (Optional)

- Shades (Optional)

 

How Should I Prepare For The Race?

 

- Sign up for the clinics to prepare yourself. Especially the Open Water Swim and Transition Practice clinics.

 

Can I swim in other strokes; other than freestyle? Yes! Some breaststroke swimmers actually swim faster than the freestyle swimmers :) As there are no cut-off timings, work towards completing the course.

 

- Watch some useful YouTube videos on setting up your transition area. Search for "triathlon transition".

 

- Talk to someone that has done it before you.

 

- Go out and start moving :)

 

Have fun and Happy "tri"-ing! 

Great Eastern Women's Run 2014

This should have been a year-end post. A post to reflect on all that I have been through in 2014.

2014 was definitely a milestone for me.

- Participated in my first overseas cycling event
- Progressed from Mini to Sprint distance in Triathlon
- Participated in 10 sports events, out of which 4 from TRI-Factor series were racing slots I won from a contest.

1) OCBC Cycle Malaysia 2014: 30 January 2014
2) Aquathlon: 16 February 2014
3) MetaSprint Duathlon: 16 March 2014
4) OCBC Cycle Singapore 2014: 30 March 2014
5) MetaSprint Triathlon: 13 April 2014
6) TYR TRI-Factor Swim : 11 May 2014
7) TRI-Factor Bike : 8 June 2014
8) TRI-Factor Run : 3 August 2014
9) ZOOT TRI-Factor Tri : 7 September 2014
10) Ride for Rainbow: 3-4 October 2014

But the greatest achievement had to be the No.11 and last event for the year... Great Eastern Women's Run 2014!

I have always wanted to participate in a women's run but Shape run clashed with my schedule. When GEWR came along, I got excited. But the next question was to decide whether to run 10km or 21.1km half-marathon....

Well, to begin with, I shunned running during my basketball training days. Coach would get the team to run round Pandan Reservior, which is 6.3km. I would always cook up excuses like not well, stitches, or I would volunteer to walk with the last person :p

To cut the long story short, I signed up for 21.1km :)

Prior to that, I ran 10.5km in TRI-Factor Run. I did a 21.1km training run with my training buddies. I did frequent short distance runs like, 3km, 5km and 7km... The week leading towards the GEWR, I had my usual trainings and I was doing 100 storeys of stairs from Monday to Sunday! Yes!! The morning of the GEWR, I woke up at 3 a.m. to walk up and down my block. Purpose? To kill the legs before I run...

Anyway, the run was great! The early rain made the weather cooling. The hydration points were adequate. There were water, isotonic drink, gel and tiger balm rub given at 17km mark...

And most of all, it's WOMEN's run :)

Post race was totally awesome. Massage, hotdogs, Nando chicken, apples, banana, 100 plus, ice-cream, muffins.... all FREE!!

I totally love the Finisher Tee :) What's sweeter? It's ADIDAS :)

What surprised me even more was... I ran throughout the whole 21.1km :) 2h35min for my first half-marathon. I am HAPPY. Definitely a milestone for me. At 20km, I was still smiling :)

2014 was great! 2015; I will be embarking on a new journey :)

Ride for Rainbow 2014

Ride for Rainbow is a fundraising event organized by Club Rainbow (Singapore). Club Rainbow (Singapore) was set up in 1992 to provide a range of comprehensive support services for the families of children who suffer from major chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses. By working closely with KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), the National University Hospital (NUH) and the neonatal ward of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Club Rainbow presently helps more than 600 children and their families.

Children in Club Rainbow range from newborn babies and youths up to the age of 20 years. They require frequent visits to hospitals for treatment, complicated therapy and long-term medication. On the recommendation of their respective doctors, these children are referred to Club Rainbow for follow-up support. As a mother of 2 young children, I wanted to do my part for these children.

With a pledge of riding 100km, I managed to raise $2,870!! Thanks to all my generous friends :)

On 3 October 2014, Children's Day, more than 300 riders set out from Asia Square. Some were riding 60km, some 100km and some 140km. It was one of the most well-organized and sponsors supporter event I have participated.

There were free flow of Starbuck coffee to keep us awake. Bananas to keep us energized. Mineral water for hydration. Pizzas to fill us up before the ride. After the ride, there were Macdonald Sausage McMuffin as breakfast. Ice bath for muscle recovery. On the spot massage station to relieve the muscle aches...

The routes were well-planned. As it was not a race, every rider was riding responsibly and everyone doing their part for the charity event.

Did I mention that the jersey was very comfy and came in women's cut? Finishers received a New Balance sponsored jersey :)

Before we left Asia Square, my friends and I were already discussing about signing up for this event again next year.

Kudos to Club Rainbow for a well-organized fundraising event!