Let The Good Times Roll!

Like a little kid, excited for his first swim, I dived into the Indian Ocean while its waves lapped gently on the beach for a short warm up. Temperature was 21.5 degrees. And the announcement was "wetsuits are optional". Yeah right. Out of the 1400 participants, there was only 1 in swimming trunks whom I saw before I jumped in for the swim.


And I thought I was mad to take part in this physically demanding and mind grueling endurance race of 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km run.


It was 5th December 2010. The start to my second ironman triathlon in my life.


4th December was a leisure day. Bumping around with the family for a good part of the day and had my last heavy meal during lunch. Dinner was just watermelon and water. Slept at 9pm. Soundly like a baby. Never woke up till the alarm went off at 3am.


I had done the same thing last year. Keeping the stomach empty after lunch before the huge race. So as to give the stomach time to enjoy the last bits of solid food, digest and purge out everything by the next day. Race day had to be picture perfect and nothing sloshing in the stomach.


0415 and I was at the race start, preping my bike. Going through my mind what needed to be done during transition. There was something new this year. I bought a pair of arm warmers just the day before coz it was raining and was cold.


The cool water was up to my calves. Not much of the cold like last year definitely. It was a beach start as usual.


0545 and bang! The gun went off. The pros had started 15min earlier and they were no where to be found. I found myself somewhere in the middle of all the swimmers, nearer the front than I had wanted. Not because I was gung ho or competitive swimmer but because the rest of the participants were still standing on the beach and looking at the water hesitantly. I know that feeling. The feeling of fear creeping up and the butterflies in the stomach. But the thing was, the moment you start swimming, moving away from people, elbowing the next swimmer, kicking the face of the swimmer behind, etc., every fear just dissipated and whatever happened in training, happened there and then.


It was about 10min later that I found a pair of legs to draft on. The jetty had been under construction since last year, and it was still this year. Water was dull and visibility was a good way down to the sea bed. As usual, I was looking out for the sea creatures. But none was in sight. Probably jolted off the coast by the 1400 black seals on the surface - minus 1 in a triangle underwear.


Neck felt the stinging effect of chaffing about 1km out - midway of the distance of the jetty. Tilted head downwards to let the cold water run through, but soothing last mere seconds. I ploughed ahead still. Even had to drain the sea water from my goggles 2-3 times in case I get out of the water with swollen eyes. As I got near the end of the jetty - also the half way mark as well the turnaround point - I saw many swimmers jostling near the buoy. I tried my best to move slightly outwards so that I wont be caught in the bottleneck.


The swim back was surprisingly choppy. The current was pushing me nearer and nearer the jetty and I even hit the ropes. And worse of all, I lost my happy feet in front of me. I was on my own again for a good 400m before I chose another pair of happy feet. In fact, throughout the whole swim, I jumped from one to another coz some were too fast, while some were too slow. Some just appeared in front of me. Just my good fortune that this year I managed to find pairs of legs that move at the same pace as me.


And as it turned out - I found out after the race from Coach - the waves were indeed stronger on the return leg. I emerged from the water in 1:10:44. Well, this was the same swim time I did in the pool. Which means either (1) the wetsuit did help me to overcome the tide or (2) I was not swimming hard at all for the whole thing - wrong pairs of happy feet probably. Regardless, it was the timing that I had wanted to achieve. And compared to last year, this was a 11min improvement.


T1 was a hefty 5:56 long. What held me up was probably the arm warmers. Took me a while to push them up to an acceptable position. Without the warmers I could have done a min lesser perhaps? But they did come in handy. The wind was chilly on the bike leg. Temperature was much lower than last year and the skies were overcast. Through the forested part, my 2nd and 3rd loops had very light drizzle.

The bike leg was 3 loops of 60km, in sort of a capital I shape with the bottom horizontal shorter than the upper horizontal. The roads were very very rough and through it all, I was averaging about 31-32 kph only. The usual return route of about 5km met winds that would depress many. No where in Singapore will we be able to train with such an element. Winds were strong but not as strong as last year definitely. In fact, all the elements were not at full force, including the heat on the run, unlike 2009s race.

I managed to push through the wind at about 30kph at this part on the 1st loop, 28kph on the 2nd loop and 26-27kph on the 3rd loop. The winds just got stronger and stronger. Of course, my silly legs got more and more tired as well.

What I was most surprised was this: the usual stomachache and high heart rate after the swim? They were not there. My heart rate was unusually normal out of the swim. And I got the feeling I was off to a good start. I would most likely be riding the way I would have been training. And that was good...


Tried to pee couple of times but only managed one short flush. It was better than nought? Hydration not at its max compared with Chrissie Wellington's 6 times on the bike?


Nutrition was clock work. Each biden lasted 2 hours and that was followed. I only had 2 extra bidens on water from the aid station plus half a cookie. Carbohydrates were getting in an ingested for sure but I think the water was just not up to mark.


5:53:01 was the time I spent on the bike. Not too shabby for myself I must say! Thats above 30kph on average. As I neared the end point of the ride, I forgot to take off the shoes and gloves - 2 which I practiced during training. Spent some seconds to rip off the shoes. Just some seconds though.


T2 was 3:31.

Sun blocked applied, socks and shoes on, visor on and I was off. I was heading off to a great start. I felt good on the run. Legs felt light and healthy. Explained the cheeky kisses to my family as I went off - as seen in the picture above.


But good times were not to last. 4km to be exact. Legs started to fade and strides got smaller and smaller. Still managed a decent cadence though.

4 loops of 10.5km. By the 2nd, I told my wife as I passed her, I said: I am dying. I just could not pick up pace till the last 2-3km when my HR went up to the prescribed level. For a good 2.5loops of the run, the watch was beeping slowly, as if I were doing it a disservice for running at such a pace. The above picture tells it - no more smiles, no more cheeky faces. It was plain fatigue dragging me down.


It was strange that I managed a 1:10 average per loop. 4:44:29 was the time I took for the run. Not quite as well as I had wanted to do - 4:30 - but this will have to do?


I had my own fuel belt and relied heavily on it. I only took water from some stations and had to pee once on the 2nd loop compared to the 5 times I did last year on the run. That saved me some time. It was a 5min break? Or less?


But I did many times of 10s break to stretch my thighs. They were tightening up and losing its sensation. Many times I felt my lower left calf tightening up and thought I was in for a rough time if they lock up. Fortunately, they held on to the end.

Jubilation came as I collected my red rubber band - to signify to the marshalls that I am on the way INTO the chute and not continuing parallel to it - to continue on another loop. I had paid my dues of 3 black rubber bands and I was screaming with joy to get the last one for the return. Red WAS my favourite colour for that time.


And indeed, the joy of entering the chute was immense. This time, I took the time to hi-5 all the people standing near the chute right from the tip. And all the supporters who didnt mind the sweaty hands stuck theirs out gamely too.


I told my wife that this time, if I were to be on target, I would flex my arms below the clock - just as Craig Alexander had done in 2009.


11:57:42.


And flex I did.

During the run, there was a slogan written for the runners that went something like this: If you cant endure the pain, disappointment will be for another 12 months.


And this was exactly how I felt last year when I finished the race. The brake rub for a good 90km during the ride that resulted in very tired legs and slow speed, made me entered the chute knowing that it would not be a timing that would reflect of how much I had trained.


This year was different. There were no hiccups. Swim went smoothly. Mechanically, the bike held up. The run was just poor running legs and attributed to nobody but my not so athletic body. And it was the best race I could have possibly trained for in the year.


I was anticipating a 12 hr timing something like 1:15, 6, 4:45. But I got more than what I had wanted - a sub 12hour race. And that was good!


Compared to the 42 Singaporeans, I was 5th out of the swim, 5th out of the bike and 8th through the chute. It was unimaginable, however, that I was ranked 705 in the field. And that was not even the 50th percentile! A comfort for myself was: I was the 3rd Singaporean in my age group (of 12 Singaporeans) to complete. And 161 in my age group of 275 participants - also not even 50th percentile.


I wanted to be above 50th percentile but it was not meant to be. The rest of the field were still very much faster than me and my fellow Singaporeans. I think we have much to grow in sports. Perhaps one day it will get better. Not through me of course, but through other sportsmen and sportswomen, who are willing to forgo the material wealth - though now the country seem to be rewarding the golds, silvers and bronzes obtained in sporting games - and put the country on the world map of influence.