First race of 2010

Coach and us

Lookin like a gangsta'

Darling fishes (photos courtesy of Jiayee)

It's been a year since I did my last open water swim but I grew up spending most of my life at sea so I was really looking forward to it. This year, I told myself that i'd do more body conditioning and less races. More run focussed and core conditioning. Next year, we race. (Yeah we = me and me). So this year, I just maintained my running a couple of times a week and swam at least once a week.

The thing about racing without the pressure of performing, allows you to really have fun.

Not that racing's not fun to begin with but this time round, you can really do silly things and not beat yourself up when you don't finish within a certain time target.

Of course the best part of the race was the big reunion with my swim mates. My old friends that went thru blood sweat and tears a couple of years ago while training together for half ironmans and ultra-endurance races.

The water was calm and the tide was at it's highest of the day so there were no currents (at least for our start) so that made the swim nice. I found my space and avoided being beaten up in the water.

Not swimming the way I did while training for races last year left me struggling a little to stay focussed but nontheless I enjoyed every moment of it. The sea bugs stinging you, the salty taste in your mouth.

The run was fun but I hadn't trained much on that aspect yet so I told myself to just finish it. And my icing on the cake came when an old swim mate o'mine came by the last 1km and pulled me along and encouraged me to keep pace, eventually both of us ended up sprinting thru the finish line.

I'm sure I would have taken my own sweet time and even walked across it instead.. After all, I told myself "no pressure on this one" but it's still great to finish with someone next to you, giving your very best!

I heart all of you yellowfish people, those who raced and thosed who just supported.. Really very very much. And Chingx, thanks for selling the slot to me. Sorry I made you look alot slower on paper!!!! hahha. xoxo.