Separuh Orang Besi!!!

YAYY!!! Completed the Half IM last Sunday... finally... after 3 gruelling mths of tri-specific training... I've finished the half. The feeling was greeeaaat .. and i finished at a comfortable 6hrs 39mins. yayy!!

As advised, I went to the race area at around 5.30 am and it was buzzing with activities. Sooooo maaaaaanyyyyyyy Ang Moh there... it seems that really half of the participants were from overseas. First stop was the body marking area, and got myself inked up with : 0062 and the AVIVA chop on both arms. Next to the transition area, where I lay down my shoes and other stuff. Bike was already chked-in the day before, but had to wipe it down as it got wet from the overnight rain. oooo...I was sooooo nervous then. Talked to some of the more experienced triathletes there and got some useful tips.

At about 6.30am was the race briefing. After that, went to the starting area at the beach where some where already doing warmups, stretches. Went into the water myself after that for a quick swim.. brrr...cold....

We were chased out of the water at about 7am as the elites were going to start their race.... boy, they were really fast swimmer... Mine was the ladies wave, and as the saying goes, "ladies first". hehe....Finally it was time to start, counting down now.... Three, Two, One...and GO!!!! the marshall shouted.... and off I went, running into the waves.

The sea was calmer than the OSIM tri, but still got the kicks into the face, ribs, tummy...and all other areas. The ang moh were so onz...they were swimming above me at some parts....was like...how come suddenly so dark one??... haha... but anyways, the 2 lap swim was ok, and quite easy.

Took my time at T1.. about ten minutes or so to rest and prepare for the biking part. Cycling was ok ...for the first half..then almost wanted to die the second half. It was up across the AYE and the killer Benjamin Sheares Bridge almost made me gave up. Note to self in next races : BRING WATER AND POWERGELS DURING THE BIKING!!! haha...forgot to put my water bidon on the drinks cage, that i almost dehydrated flatly during the bike, Luckily managed to get a bidon with cold 100Plus at the last lap... phew... gotta thank the organisers for that.

Finally, T2.... took my time again.. and then the run. The run was surprisingly quite easy for, prob due to the 6 powergels i consumed along the way. Managed to run fully without stopping.. except for photo shots :) .. and finished in about 2hrs 20 mins. :) man... at the finishing line.. I was ...YES!!!!! YES!!!! YES!!!!! jumping for joy.. just simply happy.... until i took out my velcro strap for the champion chip... ouch... abrasions!!!! Note to self : use some padding next time..

So, yay!! now a half orang besi.. thinking back again, i think i'm getting hooked on triathlon-ing. The multisport part of it makes it really exciting and fun. Now, to move on to the next mission: to complete the Ironman Langkawi itself. Hopefully, i can manage it... man.. just dreaming of the eagle medal makes me feel giddy. :)

ok...gtg prepare the training plan for the IM in Feb next year...

to all.. happy living, and trudge on...

Preparing for the 1/2 Ironman - REPC...

The time has finally come, the AVIVA half Ironman is this coming Sunday itself... boy am I nervous. It's my second triathlon and also the second one in my series to complete the 3 tri's. Time has really flown by with days of endless training...and food :). Been tapering the past 2 weeks to relaxy and prep the body for the race, but caught a darn flu a few days ago and still reeling away from it slowly...

Went to the Race Entry Pack Collection yesterday, after the Training session in CGH. It's been aptly renamed to Race Expo.. to make it sound nicer.. or cheesier.. whichever you preferred. Held at Millenia Walk, it's really a much better place than the REPC for the Osim tri at Roxy Hotel (far far away). Firstly, hopped over to get my race pack... and I got Bib no ..... 0062 (can go buy 4D liao). The pack was huge...but have very little things inside, just a small microfibre towel, some vouchers, the usual bibs and stickers for the bikes and a PINK swimming cap. Trying to imagine myself now in my blue tri-suit and pink cap and ?green running shoes,..hahah.. Tim Gunn will so disapprove of me.

Here's the funny thing... they wanted to strap me with the unremovable racing entry bracelet yesterday before I can collect my timing chip.. I declined cos of eczema problems... but I otherwise, I can't collect my chip till Saturday, when they will finally strap me with it when I check in my bike... hmm... din knoe they had such a rule.

Well, anyways.. after that, my colleague and I headed down to chk out the other booths.. and I succumbed to an ugly green pair of Newton racers (which I tried later on and swore never to wear any other shoes for running again) Put me back another SGD 239, but was well worth it.

Then, off to the AVIVA booth..where I got a shoe bag, a water bottle and another towel. Here's where I got really silly. There was this simple health chk up booth next to the AVIVA booth. They were using the fingerprick device to chk cholesterol levels... and were using the "tak" finger pricker... I really hate those stuff (prefer needles).. When the guy was about to prick me.... I kept pulling my hand away.. cos I was superbly terrified.... hahah... so scared that when he did manage to prick me.. my fingers turned cold.. and almost no blood came out... arrrr.... hahahah in the end, had to prick me twice.. eeeeekkk... I was sooooooo scared..... err... but unfortunately, the results were so super skewed (in the words of my colleague while cross chking with the normal values, " I should start you with IV - intravenous - simvastatin now.. either that or you're dead .. hahahaha) okies.. all that for nothing but a hilariously good time :)

had fun at the REPC yesterday, albeit in a torturous way... well..time's up for now..gotta get back to work..

ciao.... will come up with race report.. after the race.. if I survive :)

trudge on... and live happy!!!