Spooked by two consecutive events that took place last week, I decided to take a break from cycling for a month.
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Spent 1.11h completing 27km on the trainer on Saturday.
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Reaching the race site at 7:34am, I have 11 minutes to get everything setup, body marked and be at the Start Line.
I guess I am so used to setting up transition that I set it up within 3 minutes, had a chat with Richard, body marked and was at the Start Line with 3-4 minutes to spare. Lol
After observing a minute of silence, the race started.
It is a new swim course with a 60 degree swim in the south-west direction out, swim east and a 60 degree swim in the north-west direction.
With the tides coming in at a 45 degree north west direction, it was a horrible swim.
It is especially bad if you are swimming alone.
You are fighting against the current for the entire swim! The angle of the tide meant that there is no advantage at all!
The second loop is a lot better cos there was swimmers to shield you from the currents.
Onto the bike leg, I did not feel strong.
Lack of training is evident. Going down into aero position is easy, but the aerobars' angle is all wrong!
Hmm... it did not feel all that bad on the bike trainer yesterday...
With the same stem and handlebars on both bikes, it just does not make sense.
And I have set the seat too low to the extent that I felt awkward in aero position.
I probably spent 15 seconds in aero position during the bike leg.
Doing mindless loops, I have to keep checking my watch to make sure that I am not doing too many or too little loops. Not surprising that Kam Meng did extra in 2009 and Andrew Lee did extra today!
With a apparent lack of race crew, non competitors are riding on the race course with no one to chase them out.
It get frustrating when these cyclists do not try to keep to the left!!!
The turn out onto the ECP Service Road proves to be a danger spot every year.
The organisers did okay, but the competitors always try to gain a few seconds in these extreme dangerous conditions.
A cyclist crashed into the barrier about 30m behind me.
On another loop, there was a cyclist lying on the road with blood coming out from his nose.
He could have scrapped his bike on the kerb trying to make a tight turn.
It bugged me when a cyclist shouted "On your right!" when I am making the right turn out onto the ECP Service Road.
Two kudos need mentioning.
The turn into the park at National Sailing Center was huge and a tree with overhanging branches were on the race course were trimmed nicely.
With large number of friends overtaking me during the bike leg, I know my bike timing could be pretty bad.
Onto the run leg, the legs just won't fire.
The thighs are extremely tight and I could feel Achilles tendon hurting.
First time I felt pain in my Achilles tendon... What is wrong?
The sand can be felt swimming in my shoes. Haiz...
It is good to see so many familiar faces on the run.
Sandy invited me to sit down and have a drink. Lol.
Nice to see Jacq. After what she has gone through for the past 2 years, it is amazing to see her running again.
Was surprised to see Andrew coming up from behind me. He told me he could have done an extra bike loop. Haha, that make sense now. Lol.
Ended the race feeling flat.
With more and more races popping up on the race calendar and logistics being stretched to the max resulting in lax security on the bike course, I truly wonder if I will be doing another triathlon in Singapore...
It is certainly ain't fun...
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Overheard an interesting conversation during the race.
Dun have a clue what it meant...
Guy : I am not sexually attracted to you.
Gal : Yeah, I know. That's scary.
Me : ?!?!
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