22.03.09

Race Day.

It's crucial to start and finish well on race day but the journey and training leading up to it wins by miles in terms of importance. This year, I crossed the finish line happier than when I raced the same distance 6 months ago. I grinned till all my gums were exposed (but i didn't really care) as I approached the finish. I was just happy to have raced the best that I could and focus as hard as I could with whatever my energy my body could usher out. I was a little short from my targeted timing which i kept to a conservertive level but am satisfied nontheless. I'm not complaining because I was very lucky to avoid mishaps by thumb tack saboteurs and painful jellyfish stings which caused many to withdraw from the race.

Before the race, most people including me, start to feel pains and aches in different parts of our body. We start to complain about not getting enough rest or worry uneccessarily about inedequate training hours. But when the start gun sounds, we become a 100% race machine and all the little things that bothered us, dissappears.

This year, we got there early and good. There was lightning in the horizon which threaten the race committee to consider cancelling the swim leg of the race. That's 1.9km of swim. It would have been a real waste if that had happened. And to me, it's not favarouble because that is the leg of the race where I can create a little distance between me and some of the other competitors. I'm not rocket ship fast but it's one of my favourite legs of the race anyhow. This year, the swim seemed a little tougher. There seemed to be more current and we had to fight some rolling waves on the way back towards shore. It felt like it was taking forever for me to reach the last buoy but soon I was done. My start was not as smooth as i'd like it to be. For some reason, I positioned myself in the middle of the pack - something which I never do. I've always been a believer in starting on the outside line, where I may swim a little more distance but at least my path is clear from elbows and feet. But moving on...

Off to the bike leg..

I dunno why, but I just couldn't get into the groove of things. Of the whole race, this seemed to be the toughest for me this year. It was excellent seeing a familiar face on the route though. As I approached the first hill, I saw a familiar looking man sitting among the bushes with a camera.. it was my HUBBY.... YAY.. He's been my rock and my pillar of support. He didn't have to sit in the sun but he did. Just to capture pretty picutres of me and my friends pedaling fiercely down the Shears Bridge. Wow.. thanks terence. Anyway.. of all the 3 disciplines, my bike has supposedly improved the most. The last time I rode with coach and gang, we clocked 100km in just over 3hrs. That's a lot more distance than our race which was 91.1km. Drafting or not, my timing shouldn't have been that bad. I'm a little disappointed about the bike leg. I felt sluggish approaching the hills. I can be a real grandma while cycling on the straights sometimes but I just felt tired. For some reason I couldn't power up. My muscles felt cold. And i think i know why. Due to some overtrainig and fatigue, I was forced to stop training too early. Tapering too early definitely had some disadvantages for me. Now i know. Now i learn. I'm a little suspicious as well when I noticed that my front breaks were not aligned. One side was rubbing against the wheel. Oh well. Race is over now and I can only learn from experience.

I remember approaching the last u-turn before heading back East to the transition site, becoming very mental. I was just praying and singing hymms and trying to enjoy the race. There were moments when I aksed myself why I was doing this and that I should give up Triathlons altogether after this and have another baby. hehe.. short lived thought. Pain fades with time. And my pain faded off in 5 minutes. Soon, the ride was over and It was time to approach my "hardest" hurdle.

The run.

This year, the run leg felt shorter than the last even though it's still 21.1km. Nothing changed except for that little ramp we were made to run up. I found myself breaking the run into segments, using landmarks to motivate myself from one point to another. Soon i was halfway through and I just kept telling myself that as long as i keep running.. even if I jog, i'll be fine. Just Keep Moving. And that worked. Towards the end however, I started to cramp up. Disappointed that i couldn't run hard and fast for the last 4km i trudgged on and prayed again. I just kept talking to God and remembering that this race is done to Glorify God. That I am able to do all this because of Him. That my very existance let alone conquering this race was not possible without God's Grace. I carried on. Towards the last u-turn, a dear friend adviced me to pour cold water on my cramps. AMEN. it worked. hahahah seeing Sandy was like seeing and angel. (: Finally it was time to sprint to the finish... and all cramps were gone and forgotten. The feeling made you feel like you could fly. I guess you really can do anything if you put your mind to it. I managed to shave off half hour from last year's timing but even with the disappointment of my bike timing, I'm still satisfied. It seems like heaps of improvment but i'm staying grounded about it because i'm still relatively new to the sport. Learning curve will be steep now. The better you are, the less obvious the improvements in timings.. Coach always reminds me that with endurance racing, you've got to be patient. With the Grace of God of course who also blesses me with such wonderful family members and friends that make this painful sport fun. Sandy, Jacq, Carol, Wung Yew, Lynn, Leader, Commando, Jiayee, Liping, Lixia, George and all those other inspirational persons whom I falied to mention.. Your training time and dedication spurs me to go on.. Thank you for all your support.. Here's to another Year of self-inflicted pain. Muahahaha..