Why tri? (II)

Start of Tri-Relationship

Flashback 2009...

During the period of rest, I was doing simple runs. Spent money on shoes. Researched and read up. Had to find out why I had the MCL strain. Realised that it could have been the heavy ASICS that I have been using. They may be the top of the line, but the thick cushion was just not working out. New research has it that it is distorting the bodily natural running posture. And that could have contributed to my strained MCL.

In came Newton's shoes. Forefoot running. Liked it instantly as the cadence was immediately increased. Well, it could might as well be psychological? But I thought I was running faster than my stamina can catch up.

Any case, I could not stop leading my new found active life style.

7 March 2009, I did my 1st biathlon since army days. Completed in 1hr 35min. Pretty reasonable considering that I did my run in about 1hour I believe?

Then the new idea came. Let me try the AVIVA 70.3. My appetite took a turn and got me really greedy. By then, I had recovered from my injury and was taking on 10km quite easily - not fast, mind you - but could be sustained in a simple pace. Did go on to 12km, 15km, 18km, 20km eventually.

22 March 2009 came and I did it in 6hrs 17min. Decent by my standards. But I knew something was wrong. I did my bike in under 3hours but I was suffering during my run. My wife said, I was going so slowly that I looked as if I was a foot in the grave. And I totally agree. I was badgering myself - why am I doing this? I am TOTALLY not fit at all!

It was only a while later that I realise. Nutrition is a science that needs time to be understood. That if the body is starved of energy, there is really nothing left for the body to burn on. It is like a car running on empty tank. How far can the car go? No where, really. But that for another post.

31 June 2009 I did my 2nd marathon in my life - Sundown. It started at midnight, while the ultramarathoners started at 8pm. Akin to Cinderalla, midnight was when my NIGHTMARE started. I was off to a great start. In my mind, I wanted to do a good 30km and just complete the rest thereafter. The "great" started ended in a totally fatigued last 6km walk, with mere shuffle of the feet even earlier before the walk, along the way. Yes, I had trained for 28km - not the advised mileage by the way. But it never prepared me for the route of overhead bridges and ever stretching slopes. I completed it in 5hrs 50min. I spend more than 2.5 hours on the last 12km of the route.

By the time I signed up for the Sundown Marathon, I had already clicked on registration for the ultimate goal for the year and probably my life - IRONMAN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Yes, I do not know what took over me. But it must have been a moment of zest and insanity that gripped and paralysed the thinking part of the brain to register for the event. I had no choice to start whipping my body into shape.

But the Sundown Marathon shook me up. I tried cycling 1 week later and could not manage even 25kph on Coastal. It was then that I realised that I will need a coach. A cheap alternative will be an online coach. And I did just that. I found my lifesaver through one of the guys from our local triathlon forum.