Ironman Western Australia 2009 (Bernard Tay)

Thanks so much for your support and emails! I just got back from Perth today and my bike has arrived home in one piece. Here is just some thoughts about my race for those who might be interested to take up the challenge in subsequent year(s).

I must say I agree with Boon Pin's statement, but unfortunately it was not me doing the killing, this year I got killed! Mainly because of the scortching heat.

In the swim this year I was tangled up with some violent swimmers during the swim leg and got my goggles and cap knocked off twice, as you all know, the Ausies are huge, so when they grab your shoulder or ankle you're put into an immediate reverse gear. Besides the crowd, the water in Busselton was around 20 degrees at the shore and around 15 degrees at the turn around. This proved to be a little concern when I entered transition as my fingers were numb, making it diffcult in putting on my gloves and attire for the bike leg.

The bike leg was pretty smooth sailing apart from the fact that temperatures rose to a high of 34 degrees and wind speed picked up to around 20-30kph. So for those intending to use a disc wheel or anything more then 60mm, hmmm... might want to think twice. Last year I was pushed around with my Hed3c's so this year I brought along a conventional 50mm wheel. I felt that it was a good choice and it paid off espicially on the 3rd loop of the bike when the wind speed picked up a great deal. All in all, I felt great on the bike and was pretty happy to pass some guys on P4C's and disc wheels.

The run in WA is one of the things I enjoyed the most. The scenic view of the ocean and amazing shore line helps to take away the pain of running a 42k after 6+hrs of hard work. The wind during the run can be a significant factor espicially on the out lap (when you are dead tired), however, whatever you get, you get back on the return so it makes for a really fast and fun run. Besides the haze-free and fresh air definitely helps a great deal in making the run just that bit more enjoyable.

All in all the race support (supporters, aid stations, transitions, logistics) can be described with the words of Patrick Vernay, the champion in 2007 and 2009 as "nothing to complain about". Superbly positioned aid stations providing water, electrolytes, coke, cookies, bananas, jelly beans, more water, more bananas, more electrolytes, more coke; stretching over a 50meters long provided more then adequate race support. Sometimes it makes me wonder, am I in an Ironman, or buffetman? During the bike, aid stations were so frequent and ease of getting bidons were so easy that you basically need to carry only 1 water bottle if your plan is to reload every aid station. In addition, the post race tent feels more like the comex expo(size wise), with everything from massage, to places to drink, sit around and off course a buffet table with unlimited drinks and alcohol for the daring.

The cumulation of all these makes WA on of the most enjoyable races I've had, even though I expected a much faster timing this year. For all those who are looking to do it, all I can say is " READY GO!"

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (Reese)

I did make a comeback & achieved my best PB this year which is 4:37 timing. I was actually target-ting at 4:30.

At starting I was happily tailing Ivan, which was doing quite a fast pace until I saw Team FatBird pacers with 4:30 bib at Nicoll highway mark.
& Tats where I decide to pace with them.

I was doing well until at 35km mark tats where my legs really hurt & I had to give up pacing them. But I was still pushing hard until I had to switch to a force march & jog strategy until Finishing.

I must say this is far best my Run in term of Pace. The Pacers are doing a marvellous job. They were indeed very consistence throughout my entire run with them.

Up till now I am still nursing my painful sore muscle. No pain! No gain!

I believe my training plan was on scheduled until the Nov evening Rain came early this year, which cause havoc on my plan (although it’s a lousy excuse).

Looking forward the next Race with Crazy2tri!

Keep going Crazy2Tri!

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (Michael Tan)

I run the 1st 30k (3.20), David Tan overtook me as I jog the next 4k, overtook Ivan as I heave, limp the next 8k and then pretend to run the rest of the 200m like I had ran the whole 42k to came in at 5.12.

When I finally finished I wasn’t feeling good, I felt like fainting understand that I maybe dehydrated…I thought I’ve drank quite a bit of water along the way...not sure what happened?

Whatever the case, I’m having mixed feeling right now. No post marathon pain at all, I reckon yesterday massage definitely help and matter of fact felt like going for a recovery run later…this kind of make me feel a little guilty for not pushing hard enough…Yes, I missed my sub 5 hrs target again….x$%2@

Like Terence, I also did not manage to put in my planned weekday mileage…too busy at the bar drinking…and so my thought on this is not more frequent short runs vs the less frequent long run. With our base, most of us can complete a 5 hour marathon but to do a PB…you better run and run and more run.

My SCB timing:
2005 – 6.59
2006 – 5.16
2007 – 5.06
2008 – DNS
2009 – 5.12

So what are we doing next?

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (David Tan)

as with the most of you all, there was not much training due to work but the usual 11 to 12km jog once a week. Longest run was 30km in Oct. But what i find that did work for me was to take it very easy the first 30km. I was going like 8-9.5max for the first 30km and then increase the speed to to 10-10.5km. I opted for this strategy and even follow the 5:15hr pacers. After the 30km that was when i caught up with the rest. The last 36-42km was quite torturous actually. Ate 3 gels (two accel gels and 1 4xsodium power gel) and I banana in total. No salt tablets were further consumed. Legs aching but i expected it. Maybe next race I will take out my compression tights and give it a try during the run. Seems to be the fashion :)

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (Terence)

This year, I came in at 4h48min and was 25 min off my previous year’s pace and 17 mins slower than my 2007’s. At 20km, I was exactly 2 hour into the race – faster than my last year’s split. After 25km, my legs started to feel crampy and tight. After exiting East Coast Parkway at 30km, I was struggling and my speed dropped to 8kph. Slightly later, I saw Jeff passing me and he was looking strong and steady pushing Yuan Ping along. At 32km (Stadium drive), I decided to take off my shoes and ran the rest with just my socks – it was a relief (I fell in love running barefoot but my soles can’t last more than 10k). In fact, at around 25k, a barefoot runner overtook me with steady pace (I want to do that one day - run a marathon barefoot!). Somewhere around Geylang, David Tan passed me.

On hindsight, I may have pushed too hard in my first half, causing too much lactic to build up. Though I clocked 1-2 more long run this year, overall I did less weekday runs. I am trying to learn from the experts here in this forum if it’s better to do more frequent short run e.g 10k five times a week versus 10+10+30k. Which is better? Any advice will be appreciated.

Terence

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (Boon Pin)

What a day this was!

It started for me at 3.30am. But in my haste to pick up Yuan Ping, I forgot my salt tablets. Thank goodness Jeffrey had some to spare.

At 5.15am, we went off to meet him at the Esplanade. The crowd was so thick, we tried going by a less congested passageway, only to discover it led to lots of steps. Thanks to kindness of some guys behind us, they helped carry the wheelchair up the stairs. :)

After the race started, as expected, we were kind of hemmed in by the sheer number of runners, especially in the Shenton area. By the time we got to Nicoll Highway, there was a young boy who decided to help us by shouting out "Coming through!" to help us clear a path. If I remember correctly, his name is Raymond Goh.

It was also very sweet that there were so many runners along the way who broke out in a round of applause when they say Jeffrey pushing Yuan Ping through the hordes. Raymond who suffered from cramps at East Coast Park dropped out of the picture but there were others who magically appeared to take over!

Deep, heartfelt thanks to Jeffrey who blazed a path pushing Yuan Ping 99 per cent of the time to a 4hrs 44min-finish (2 minutes faster than her 2007 timing). Without him, today would not have been possible. Though we had both said it would be a let's-not-worry-about-timing race, when we got to Nicoll Highway, he sensed a good opportunity to finish well when we checked the time.

By the time we hit the F2 carpark, I excused myself to go to the toilet. When I came out, I tried to catch up with him and Yuan Ping but even before I could get to the U-turn up ahead, he was already on the return leg, so I skipped across the lane to rejoin them. By doing so, I in effect DQ-ed myself by skipping the U-turn point, bringing dishonour to Crazy2Tri.

Shortly after, I stopped to help some newbie who lay on the path writhing in pain from cramps. After he recovered, I left him to try to catch up with Jeffrey and Yuan Ping but they had disappeared. Then I decided to do something about my tummy which was starting to churn so I went to the toilet. After I emerged, I spent the rest of the East Coast Park stretch trying to regain lost ground but they were long gone!

I met up with Ivan and his friend at the 30km mark. And then, my body started to punish me for not clocking up sufficient mileage. I guess I had hit the wall and it took a lot of doing just focusing on putting one leg in front of the other. By that time, I knew it was useless to try catching up with Yuan Ping and Jeffrey. I became very demoralised.

At the National Stadium, I contemplated joining the 21km lot of runners to shorten my suffering. Then I thought "just finish it" but at that point, walking seemed the only bearable thing to do. When I got to PA opposite the National Stadium, I got passed by the 5hr-Team FatBird pacers. I asked whether they would mind if I tompang them and they welcomed me.

Because of them, I was able to get to the finish line. After I finished, I looked down and noticed two streaks of red running down my tee. At first, I thought "how come the printing is so lousy that the colour ran within one race?" Then I realised it was blood. I looked like a horror movie except the blood was from my nipples. Ivan afterwards said something very R(A) about that but because you guys are family types, I will refrain from repeating what he said. :p

Ivan also joked that he did not clock enough mileage and had relied on his base to pull him through. As for me, I think I relied on my base too – from 5 years ago!

Lessons learnt:

1. Jeffrey's short but consistent 1hr/1hr+ running training is one possible option for those of us who don't have the luxury of time to train and train.

2. Running barefoot is not as shocking as it may seem to many. We saw at least one barefoot runner who was able to finish in a very good time.

3. For those already thinking about next year's marathon, what I found very useful was tapping on the collective strength of the pacers. I also discovered that they are very scientific with their pacing so following them is a good way to achieve the timing you want. They are on Facebook as Team FatBird.

While I suffered on the course today, what was very gratifying for me afterwards was meeting the Crazy2Tri gang and exchanging war stories. Terence, Reese (who has put his injuries behind him and made a remarkable comeback!), Macca, Mark, Ivan. We met Shawn Kona at the start of the race, Joe and David Tan and Chua along the course but not after. Enrico, whom you all know, had a great finish with 3hrs 36mins, if I remember correctly. He says he kept up with Dex all the way to the 28km mark then could not keep up with the young man. So Dex must have had an enviable finish time too!

More than the actual race day stories we swapped, what I really enjoyed was the comaraderie. We're all a few years older and our bodies may be a little more subject to wear and tear but how blessed we are to be able to take part in all these crazy adventures together.

Long may they continue.

BP

Ironman China account by Reese

The Swim;-
As this is my 2nd Ironman Race & to have such a strong current in the big China river, it really worry me ( I tot IM Race always have a nice calm swim course). Was still pondering which direction to head out when i see everybody dashing into the murky river. Upon reaching the inner loop of the 3rd buoy i was kind of struggling & feeling tired. Somehow i saw quite a number of swimmers walking along the shoreline. I then headed to the shoreline & decided to walk & got a few bad cuts from the rocks. When i got into the 2nd loop of the swim this safety boat came beside me & checked whether i was doing ok & actually telling me to head to the shoreline. Eventually I managed to clear the swim with exhausted body walking up to the Transition Area.

The Bike:-
I was very excited to head out to the bike route after my swim. And i was pedalling hard to battle with the head wind, gradual long climb & heat. After pedalling for 25km i was kind of feeling not rite on my quad(cramp seem to start coming in). Oh shit, not now! When i was at 30km aid station, Chris McCormick aka Macca & a few pros were zooming passed me. Wow, these boys were fast! Ah, at this point of time i started to get cramp. Damn, 150km to go & i had my cramped now. How to survive! Furthermore, i didn't carry any salt tablets with me at all. I had never experience this kind of bad muscle cramp in my training or even in my Langkawi Ironman race. I was cursing left,right,up,down all over as i am going to pay a high price for this( I doubt i can complete this time). Not long after what a relieve to hear someone behind calling my name. My saviour, I was so happy to see Mark as i desperately asking Mark for salt tablets. Thank you Mark of his kind soul for sparing 2 of his salt tablets to me.

Anyway it lasted me only for an hour & i started to get cramp again. When Shawn kona Ann Leong caught up with me i again asked for salt tablets. Thank you another kind soul Crazy2tri for sparing her salt tablets. The rest of the journey was just struggling, suffering, groaning with pain, stopping & resting. I was checking the time on & off to see whether i can make it as the bike cut off time was getting nearer.

After some calculation i was thinking i might not be able to make it in time but my mind was telling me i have to give all out & give my best so that even if i dont make it i would not live to regret. Without hesitation, i was sprinting the last 20km bearing the pain & throwing all the water bottles away so as to lighten the load (somehow psychologically it work). I came in just before the bike time cut off.

The Run:
The Race official came into the transition tent & asked whether am i going to continue the run. Of course i told him & i am gonna to make it to the finishing line. I remembered by the time i started to run it was 1745hr. I was full of confident as i was heading out to the run route. I was wrong, both of my legs just felt so heavy & simply just want to walk only. & i know if i were to walk all the way i definitely wont be able to make it. Along the way some of the crazy2tri was passing me salt tablets. Thank you once again.

When i was running my second loop i became the last runner at 30km mark. i checked my time & i was wondering again if i can make it. But when you have come this far it is really mind over body. My mental was telling yes you can make it. I tell myself you can do it & just continue to run, run, run as i was telling & pushing myself.

At the swim transition route, I was asking the Race official how far was i from the finishing line.
7.5km & my clock show 2315hr.

With great determination i pushed myself again & so happy to see Logan & David Chua came to me & encouraged me to push on near the finishing line. Finally i crossed the finishing line with 13 minutes left cut off time.

Having heard enough of the tough condition of China Ironman. I just want to Thank you our chief, Ching Hong for getting into this really Crazy2tri China Ironman Race.

I remembered when i finished my Ironman Langakwi somehow i was still feeling strong & energetic but Ironman China i was left with no energy & limping just to get back to the hotel & dumped everything aside. It was indeed a tough memorable IM Race.

In conclusion, developing the right pace is one of the most important lessons i must learn and also to carry plenty of sodium.

I am proud of myself to have completed, and i cant wait for my next IM Race. That is IMWA 2010. And i am hoping more Crazy2Tri kakis can join in this Race & have fun togehter.

Once again Thanks Boon Pin for updating such a exciting Ironman C2T report back home.
It's even better than tracking in ironmanlive.com.

Reese

Ironman China account by Shawn

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!!

One fine day, Lily and I were out for a run. We were panting quite a bit and Lily suddenly said: how did we manage to do the 42km run and worse still after a 180km bike ride? I told Lily that's the last one I intend to do - I never want to take part in any Ironman race ever again! But never say never. Another Ironman race was in the offing at the end of the year. Maybe I would change my mind long before then. Give me enough time to train and perhaps I would do just one more before my 50 years run out.

Then we began talking about taking part the Ultra Marathon 84km. Let’s do our training in secret until we are ready, I said silently, and then we will make a surprise announcement to the group. Lily laughed in agreement.

One Saturday several weeks later when I was called back to work Lily joined The Crazies for a bike ride in Desaru. Lily and Joe were encouraged by Ching Hong to join the group attempting the Ironman in China. Joe told Lily, if you jump, I jump. He remembered Jack saying that to Rose in the movie Titanic. Just like Jack and without hesitation, Lily said to Joe: lets jump together.

After the Desaru bike ride, Lily told me that she had promised to jump with Joe to attempt the Ironman Race in China. So what about me? I would not be able to train for the China Race in April in such a short time. Then I thought that even if I am not able to do this China Ironman, I could at least join the group to train. If I am ready for Haikou, it will be awesome and if not, too bad. At least I have trained for it. I started my training on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year.

As intense training would have it, I suddenly found myself en route to Haikou, China.

Our arrival in China was as chaotic as expected, with hundreds of competitors from all over the world checking in and we getting settled down and deciding where to eat. After dinner, it was decided we would go for a swim trial first thing in the morning.

My Ironman China journey starts here:-

The Swim
As usual, being a breaststroker, I always prefer to stay behind the strong swimmers. I never want to risk being pushed under by them in their excitement to get ahead in the race. I tried to swim according to the flow of the currents, but this one was particularly strong.

And like the rest of us, it was a real struggle for me and very disheartening. Time was running out. I got to the 2nd buoy. It was such a relief as I was finally breathing ok and got my momentum back. I asked the guy on the kayak where I was supposed to go. Just after the 3rd buoy, a swim marshall saw me struggling and he told me to swim towards the shore and go from there.

When I completed my second lap (time 2:02 hrs according to my watch), I was asked to do another lap. I told the marshal that I have done my two laps and he told me to go up the slope which means that I did not pass the “timer”, (it was my mistake) and that was also the reason why my swim time was not recorded immediately.

The Bike
I looked at my bike, took a deep breath and started pedaling hoping my muscles would quickly adapt to it. It was a slow start. After what seemed like a long time, I realised I had clocked only 10km. Another 170 km to go! Well, what choice do I have, the race is on, so just go on. After 30km mark, I looked across the road and there I saw Bernard Tay. Wow!!! He had already made a u-turn. Next person I saw was Ching Hong. He was very encouraging; he shouted: “Hey Shawn, I am very proud of you”. Next I saw David, Terrence, Andrew, Joe and Danny. Then Mark, who suddenly overtook me with a cheerful shout.

When I cycled into the village the road was lined with cheering fans encouraging us with the words “Jia You, Jia You” ( Go!! Go!! Go!! ) - and I was only on my 1st lap. I really did not have much You to Jia!

The sun was burning hot and I was becoming very dehydrated as well. My feet felt like lead; it was getting tougher and tougher. At times I felt I wasn't even moving. At the end of my first loop, I saw Logan and David Chua who as usual gave me more support.

Now I am on to my 2nd loop. I remember that Lily sent a message from Singapore to all the Crazies to enjoy the race, and the natural beauty of Haikou. I tried to enjoy the race and lovely scenery but to me at that time, all I could feel was the heat, the exhausting dehydration, the pain in my back and worst of all, TIME was running out. This time I was not competing with any competitors but instead I was competing against TIME.

The Run
Despite the pain, I was on cloud 9 when I started my run. The final leg. It was important to pace myself. Then I saw Ching Hong and Terrence were enjoying their breeze walking. How I wish I can walk like them but time is not on my side! I couldn't afford to waste even a seond - with another 7 hours to go. I could not be sure what will happen to me after the 20km or 30km mark.

I just carried on. At least I could stop at every water station to hydrate and cool myself with the icy water. I felt very refreshed after every station. The run continued. Each time C2T members by-passed me, the encouragement from them was heart- warming.

Ching Hong: I am so proud of you!
Andrew: Here you go Kona!
David Tan: Press on Shawn, you can make it.
Edwin: Shawn well done!
Mark: Shawn you are only 2km away from me, go on!
Terrence: Wow !! Shawn!
Danny: Well done!
Joe: Just another 1 ½ km to U-turn
Reese : Despite his cramps, he was still very encouraging – go on Shawn do not wait for me.

Summary: Very tough race, almost swept away during the swim, blisters on both my feet, bike was grueling and with the entire race was the toughest race for me so far.

Finally, I want to thank all you Crazies who have given so much encouragement. Last but not least, special thanks to Andrew who was willing to swim, bike and run with me to ensure that I qualified for Kona slot.

Ironman 70.3 China account by Logan

My race report on swim leg 70.3 IM CHina:

On Race day19 April, Reese woke me before leaving to transition area, it was around 0520 Hrs. Blessed him to have a good race. Went about doing my toiletries and breakfast. 0630 hrs got onto the bus from Royal Spa Hotel to transition site. I have registered for 70.3 IM and I am only allowed into the transition after 0715 Hrs.

The sky was clear and it was beautiful day to start a race not knowing what to expect later in the day. I met and wished our IM kakis from outside the transition site. I saw our strong crazy2tri contenders making their way to the race start: Andrew, Reese, Joe, Mark and Edwin.

0715 hrs, IM China Race started with colourful brief fireworks. Sharon and I watched in awe when a large group of swimmers were swept away just after 250 meters mark from start. I knew it was the current coming from 500 meter buoy to me. I was at 2 o'clock to the 500 meter triangular red buoy. I got very worried for our C2T IMs as there were many swimmers not moving for at least 20 minutes not able to get near the 500 meter buoy. Even the Pros were struggling but they were strong. 40 minutes passed, most of them gave in to
the current and bypass the first point. The next worst point was after passing the 2nd buoy. Many swimmers got pushed further away to the shore 200 meters away from the third floating buoy.

I got back to the transition to prepare myself with full of doubts if I am able to do one loop of swim. Time check was 0815 hrs and the sun was bright and felt the heat coming on. Reminded me of Thailand trip during my NS. I decided not to wear the wet suit since the current is so strong and weather is sensational.

0830 hrs made my way with Sharon to the start point. Got into the water and it was cool. It was around 23 degrees. Did some strokes to warm myself up. Still not knowing what to expect. Planned to head off course towards the floating boat far towards the right . And so did the rest of the participants.

0900 Hrs, Race started. I took the course as planned. I hit the first boat at 200 meters from start. headed for the second boat got swept away towards my left. Saw the first buoy 200 metes away, headed for it. Time check was 0930 hrs still trying to reach the first buoy. 0940 Hrs closer to the same buoy at least 150 meters to go. I looked around briefly could see a few heads heading in the same direction as I was. I cannot see anyone else. I
didn't feel right to bypass the buoy so I kept on going.

0945 hrs the refrees on a water scooter came infront of us and asked to carry on with the swim to the next buoy. It took me only 5 minutes to reach the second buoy, . I was not even swimming. I was trying to get back my breadth and was too tired to swim on. I saw swimmers getting up to the finish and running up to the transition. I realised I was out of time. I perservered and swam hard as I got only 10 minutes before cut off. I reached the the 3 buoy but was never able to move near the last turning buoy. I was in the same situation as I was at the 300 meter spot...fighting current. I saw the last few swimmers heading to shore full of rocks.

1015 Hrs - Finally, I realised I run out of time when I saw the safety boat stopping infront me. The refree signal me to stop and pulled me up to the boat.

lesson learned - Never fight the current and its ok to miss the buoys if you cannot reach it. Always keep watch of where the larger group are heading, which is usually not easy......

Well, I felt dissapointed not completing. However, I will always treasure the experience swimming in the lake in China. The water is fresh and drinkable....nothing happen to me so far...hehehehe

Ironman China account by Joe Chua

China Ironman indeed much tougher than Langkawi Ironman.Or maybe i'm not prepare for this race as i train seriously after i registered which was 3 mths before the race.

Swim:
Before race i was undecide wheather to wear wetsuit,reason because i'm a breast stroker,can't do leg kicking underneath water(wetsuit keep body buocy). Wake up 4.30am immediately look out the sky from hotel room,"ho sei liao", see full of starsall over,guess should be warmth weather,so decided no wetsuit! First loop swim was horrible,eventhough i sight every stroke also disorientated,swimmers everywhere,all sweep away by strong current. From 4th buoy to the beach most terrible! after kicking for so long"eh...how come i'm still swimming at th same spot?? 2nd loop i tell myself better swim smart,take short cut,if not i'm sure exceed swim time, so i miss 3rd and 4th buoy,manage to complete 1hr 29mins,haha..my PB!Think i swim only 3.6km.

Bike:
First loop (90km) was ok for me,hydrate myself,1 salt table/hr,1 small banana every aid station. But jus after transition for 2nd loop my right leg cramp up,guess due to hot weather, so add to 2 saltstick/hr. From transition area to U-turn point was my worst ever hit,the extreme hot weather and strong headwind force me down to average 20km/h.Every aid station(Orange tent every 15km apart) i will stop and volunteers will bath me with ice water in order to cool down my body temperature. Every aid station is my target to push me to carry on and not to give up for this race,i read my speedometer every 15km,105km...next 120km..next 135km..on and on always looking far ahead for orange tent. Tailwind from Shi Shan village to bike end 'si bei song!', most of the time can even reach 35-40km/hr.

Run:
Walau, so hot how to run?Caculated i still have 8 hrs for run,so no hurry,take my time,anyway i can't do my PB also.Same plan,bath with ice water every aid station.First 10km realised have blisters on both legs and groin below,walk like 'tao lump par',so just walk and bear with it.The support cheer from volunteers was fanastic,they even request to take pictures with me and ask for my signature on their notebook!Wow...make me feel like i'm a super stars!At that moment pain and suffer is nothing man.. Andrew and Edwin catch up with me at about 20km mark and keep me accompany,3 of us decided to stick to Andrew plan, run 10 lamp post and walk 5 lamp post, in order to reach finishing line on time. At about 35km, so happy to see Mark catch up with us (his 1st Ironman). We knew we are on time, chit-chat all the way,waving to the volunteers and audience,'sie sie','jia you','ni hao'...just like F4 from taiwan. Think we are more famous than them... 4 of us finished the same timing,16.20.59,we feel good at finishing line,we made it!!!!

Summary:
China Ironman toughshit! 40% DNF,i'm glad i can completed.Thank to our chief, coach, and all crazy2tri members, the motivation, encouragement and support from you guys made me finished it! if not i will never complete this Ironman alone.

Here's Bernard with Charlotte Paul outside the race expo on Day -2.

Read Charlotte's race report here : http://charlottepaul.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-ironman-china-report.html

Some extracts :

• I was hungry for the win, and determined to go after it!
• Getting around the buoys was a mission- battling the current was mission impossible for some.
• I chose to wear a non- aero helmet and am very glad of that decision.
• I was taking almost 2gs of sodium per hour, and made sure I had my High5 gels in small amounts
• I crossed the line 1st female, 5th overall, and my 3:35 run was the fastest of the day- men included- and broke the course record.

Ironman China account by Edwin

For the Swim:-
I was totally lost and disoriented in my swim. I did not clear the 1st buoy, and only to realise that the current was sweeping me off my general direction and heading me towards the 2nd.
The 3rd buoy was a pure luck it was purely river current that does the work. Also the canoeist was calling us to turn immediately to head for shore. From 3rd to 4th buoy, was the toughest journey. It was like swimming in endless pool until I realise that people are walking faster the I could swim...So walk lah!
For 2nd loop, smarter this time...just swim up stream and let the current do all the works. Again upon returning back to shore, it was like swimming in endless pool. Increase my cadence and managed to clear it..

For Bike:-
Initial 10 km was bad. My muscle had cramps. This tells me that I need to do bricks. Then it was ok thereafter, but the head winds took a toll on me. I am not too particular about the hills as it is doable even without compact cranks. I should not have change to compact crack and stick to my Q-ring.

For Run:-
I still have the energy left after my bike as I did conserve it, and pace myself well agaisnt the heat. But I was simply too sleepy to run and decided to seek the company Andrew, so that the journey isn't as boring. Then we caught up with Joe. That was were we decide to end together with Mark.

So in summary..this was indeed a tougher course.
For me the difficulties comes from :-
1st) Strong river current.
2nd) Long headwinds for the bike portion.
3rd) The heat is unbearable hot even for a seasoned every weekend Desaru like myself.
4th) The lack of sleep...this is the most important.

I will train harder and be more prepared to overcome all these 4 obstacles in my next Ironman race. I am glad that I did not DNF and am also glad to have the company of Andrew, Joe and Mark for the grand ending..

So should we do PutraJaya or Desaru Long Distance, or both.
And where is the next nearest Ironman?

Ironman China account by Mark

Friday - test swim

First time swimming in river, experience was totally new to me. 1st time swim against such strong current ! Panic after swim.

Race day :
Swim
Manage to reach 1st bouy no matter how hard i try cannot reach 2nd bouy (only 2m away yet just cannot reach) also got sweep away by strong currents at 4th n 5th bouy. saw them walking on river bank quickly swim to bank and started walking too. 2nd loop wanted to give up. But thank GOD i tried. managed to make it.

Bike :
Basically it is the head wind and that is the most difficult part. Only abt 8 hills total. Felt climb like ntu and mt.faber not that critical.

Run :
Could not run for 1st 2km than slowly get into the run rhythm. manage to scrap thru.

Thank all crazy2tri guys for all the on-site and on-line encouragement. Especially for Andrew,Edwin,Joe for waiting for me in the run to the finished line. I am now a IRONMAN !

Cheers !

Ironman China account by Sharon

China 70.3 was the toughest race ever for me and i am deeply humbled by and am full of respect for the tremendous superhuman physical and mental determination it took for all IM participants to complete the race in such difficult conditions

My swim was a disaster in a murky endless pool that almost got the better of me. Logan and I swam without wetsuit as the race started at 9am and it was getting hotter by the minute. It was a struggle to reach the 2nd buoy and after some endless 20min of struggling againt the current, the swim race marshall on ski boat came over to tell the rest of us stragglers to skip the bouy and follow the flow of the current and head for the 3rd one instead. The strong current kept pushing us downstream away from the 3rd, 4th, 5th buoys and we were again battling the currents from the 2nd last buoy to reach the shore. Disgusted by how long it took for me to finish the swim (1.10), I think i kinda mentally gave up on the rest of the race and kinda plodded my way through the bike and run legs.

On the bike course, the headwinds along the highway took its toll on me and reduced my pace to that of a leisure ride. the C2T chaps I saw in the opposite direction along the way later said how come i was doing a leisurely tour de hainan bike ride during the race haha...
the searingly hot weather made me change my game plan of stopping only at the 60km aid station mark. I decided to stop at the aid stations at approx every 30km to top up my camelbak and bottle. Despite the constant hydration and salt tablet intake, heading up the steepest slope on the course almost made me cramp up but thankfully it was arrested by another quick popping of a salt tablet. By the time i crawled my way to the bike finish, i had taken about 5hr in total already for swim+ bike. This meant that I had 3h to run the 21km before the 8h cut-off. But i was feeling horribly hot, headachy and exhausted. Met Bernard at the transition area only to learn he'd DNF cos of a stress fracture :(

This bad news further lowered my morale and I decided to pretty much just walk the entire 21km. Tried to run abit initially but the intense heat at 2pm just sapped away all my energy and raised my HR to an abnormally high level each time i tried to do a slow jog. Many IM participants were already on the run course and along the way I met David, Ching Hong, Terence, Ser Luck, Enrico, Jeffrey heading in the opposite direction. It took me nearly 4hrs to finish my 21k walk and when i got to the 70.3 finish line, it was closed already as I'd expected earlier, which meant my run time (3.45) and approx total time (8.45) wasn't recorded in the official results, resulting in a DNF. Thots of giving up crossed my mind several times during the race but i decided to just perservere to the end :)

Hearty congratulations to all C2T IMers esp Danny (1st IM) and Kona qualifier Shawn who took part in the race. The unique coconut husk medal is really something hard earned and one that you can all be very very proud off! :)

Ironman China account by Jeffrey

I remembered writing a long race report for IM Port Mac. However, for this race....it was so... hot that I could barely remember the details:

Swim: struggled on lap 1...got pulled by another swimmer cos I think he’s trying to hang on to something as he’s being drifted away...ha ha. Lap 2...swam smarter...head against strong current and it took me downstream to pass the buoy....barely need to swim on the downstream...

Bike: Started bike with a bad cut on the toe...very uncomfortable. My bike pace picked up after 10km of muscle loosen up...and had a decent ride

Run: Unforgettable...only this to descirbe “i think my brain is ready to eat L”...running is zero shade at 42C is an emotional roller coaster....wanting to walk cos its just so painful..devil says ‘give up lah...so hot...worth it meh??....but i’ve never given up in any race before and told myself this should not be the one...even if i need to walk...i’ll walk to complete

Volunteers: fantastic! Kept shouting jia you jia you...best part about aid stn is when i just stood next to the pale...volunteers will shower you with the ice cold water...enough to last me through the next stn

Organizer: they still need to improve on their plannings and venue selection

Verdict: don’t think I’ll race China again...but then you’ll never know J

Ironman China account by Andrew

Ironman China has all the right ingredients for a tough Ironman race.

Swim against the current of at least 2km/h, which feels like an endless pool. Plus swiming in China 'Long Kang' river that has the colour of 'Teh Tarik' and foam by the river bed.

Bike in a endless headwind tunnel for at least 35km along the highway in each of the 2 loops. I worn the wrong bike shoes that I suffered from a swelling toe.

Run in zero shades with the Sun blazing at 41 deg celsius.

IM race is always tough shit. It is whether you enjoy the pain or suffer the pain. IM China, you are more likely to suffer the pain.

The plus side, supportive students to cheer you, run thru old town, good aid stations, students asking for your photos and autographs, ok hotel.

You can relive my moments on the bike leg :

Check out this Garmin Connect activity:
IM China - Hainan

Ironman China account by Ching Hong

What an experience it was for all of us. We thought Langkawi was the toughest Asian IM, but Hainan took the honours this year. Many pros even commented their internal organs were cooked by the heat. But i am so so so so glad all of us finished. And so so so happy we have a Kona qualifier in Shawn - so proud of her.

Swim
As for my swim time, guys, the current was so strong on first loop, many of us drifted off course - i was so dis-oriented, but managed to find way back to beach and started second loop - this time round, smarter - stayed closed to the small loop and the ropes - but at buoy 3 turning, following a whole bunch of swimmers who were all attempting to navigate the current -- i missed buoy 4 =) and that is why i had a shorter second timing. So, not because of my swim training - and i did breast-stroke as i lost confidence in strong current - swam front crawl in down-stream, and breast-stroke upstream - all in wet-suit.

Bike
great setup done by Melvyn - Bike Butler - felt comfortable on aero without strain on elbows, shoulders, and neck - did 3hr 10 mins in 90km (where the transistion turnaround) - very happy - but second loop - boy, the heat and the headwind - many times wanted to just quit - so every aid station - one bottle for drinking - one for pouring down from head to toe

Run (or walk)

Heat at about 4pm was amazing - so walk first 3km with couple of new found friends - blisters started appearing in my sole - and felt pain - started to bleed at one corner of toes - i think i was soaked thru in trying to cool down - worried about heat stroke - and got my whole shoes and socks drenched. Looking at the time, if i walk at 5km in one hour - i could still make it by 11pm - so even though i tried to run - my blistered feet hurt too much to endure - and decided to walk -

Finish
beautiful end - lovely run chute - and so so so so glad to finish - David Chua and Logan were great help ushering me in, and Terence was an angel to bring me to medical tent to attend to my two feet - and got me ice-cream !!

No more
Famous last word - okay guys - what's next on the torture menu ?

Celebration
will organise a time for us to celebrate - keep out for this

Ironman China account by Terence Ng

We in Hainan got the full package. A Singaporean would say it's a good deal. Because we have the heat (44 deg C), hills, headwind, cross-wind, river current (2km/h), expressway, villages, blisters, cuts (from river bed rocks), etc.

Good :
- great volunteers and supporters (Jiao yu, jiao yu but where is the yu?)
- great race courses with good smooth road. Cycling through the two villages and the short interaction with the villagers were an experience. I don't know who were more amazed at who. The last 4km of the run route was great going into the town center, catching a glimpse of a wayang backstage, very old shop houses before the finish at the city park
- hotel : decent hotel rooms and service. I thought the carbo and award events were quite nice in the hotel lawn. Good to have the award during lunch. Better still that our Shawn is on the stage receiving a prize.

Bad :
- heat : felt like a giant hair dryer blowing hot air at you from the front. To be aero is divine.
- river swim : for average swimmers, it's another new experience. It's like the "Endless" pool.
- Very lonely esp on bike : course very stretched out (2-loops) with 300+ participants.
- Logistic : hotel was 20 min drive from transition area. Never seen a shuttle bus jam packed with bikes and humans.
- Expensive mechandise by K-swiss. Cotton t-shirt that cost US$30.

Ugly :
- Hainan chicken rice. Better stick to Singapore Hainan chicken rice.

Crazy2tri in Ironman China

16 Apr, Thur 11am. Budget terminal.


5.40pm : At the IM Hospitality desk at the Haikou Airport. Cost RMB60 to get our bike to the hotel. We then hopped on a cab.


8.30pm : Having our dinner at a food court in Min Chu Shopping centre in the heart of Haikou city

9.30pm : Shopping at supermart. We emptied the mineral water shelf.


Somewhere on the centre and top of the notice board is a chart of tide and current rate against the time of the day.


17 Apr, 8am. Cloudy : We took a shuttle bus to the transition area (TA) which is about 20 min away. Put on our wet suite and tried out the swim. Joe and Danny (our breast-stroker) decided to swim without wet suite.


Crown Spa & Resort is a pretty decent hotel

The race expo was quite small in scale and the K-Swiss mechandise was a bit over-priced. :-(


Bernard picked the right person to have a picture with. Charlotte Paul went on to win the women pro div and clocked the fastest marathon split, beating all the men.


17 Apr, 2pm. Going for a tour of the open market in town center. The pan-fried toufu looks nice but it was not worth the risk. Maybe after the race.



17 Apr, 5pm. Going for a short ride to make sure the bike works... David got a flat from that.



18 Apr, 2pm. It has been raining all night and stopped after lunch. Checking in our bikes.



20 Apr, 2pm. Award lunch. C2T Shawn is a Kona qualifier !! She won her age-group. We are so proud of you, way to go, Shawn.