Ironman Western Australia 2022

I wasn't planning on racing Busselton again this year but after failing to achieve my sub 10 hour target by almost an hour last year, I'd thought I give it another crack. Preparations were far from ideal. I rolled my ankle in late January and it hasn't been the same since. I sort of recovered but it flared up again in mid September and I had to take another two weeks off running. It was a balance after that to ramp up my run mileage to where I wanted it to be but avoiding further injury at the same time. But overall training was mostly consistent apart from some brief interruptions (catching COVID in April, bike fall in July, Brisbane floods etc.). I decided to do it alone this time, without a coach. Sebastian has started prep, so I try to be more involved in his daily activities and my office workload has increased tremendously with double the number of clients I had last year. So having that extra flexibility eases the pressure a bit. My weekly regime consists of 3 morning squad swims (Mon, Wed, Fri), 2 mid week morning runs (Tue speed and Thu tempo), 2 mid week afternoon indoor rides (Tue and Thu). I purchased a smart trainer in July and it was fun doing the virtual rides in various courses around the world, some fictitious ones.  All weekday sessions were approximately an hour each. Weekend long rides increased by 15km after every 3 of each distance. And the ramp up in weekend long run from 20km increasing 2km each week to 32km as mentioned above. Prior to that I did 3 weeks at each distance as well before increasing 2km to the next. And I throw in a recovery week after every 3-4 weeks or so where I only did 1 session of each discipline. It wasn't a very scientific plan but it was simple and easy to follow. 

Pre race

Fast forward to race week, my wife Li-Ann had a job interview which meant that I was traveling alone instead of with the family. Thankfully Virgin gave full credits for their flight cancellation. My friend  living in Perth, Zhen was kind enough to host me for the few days. I was getting spoiled with his mum cooking dinner each night and I didn't even had to to do the dishes. Zhen and a few of his mates were racing the 70.3 and I helped take his bike down on Friday as I had the space. I did a brief spin on Layman Road and got nearly blown off my bike with the strong wind. This is going to tough on race day, I thought to myself. I bumped into a group of Malaysians after dinner, one of them I used to play water polo with. We had a good chat. Saturday, I didn't even bother doing a practice swim as I didn't want to get my wetsuit wet. Other than a short visit to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory and bike and gear check in, I spent most of the day just chilling in my motel room. 

Race morning came. 4.30am alarm went off. Sunscreen and Vaseline on, Suited up and took the easy 10-15 stroll to the race site, munching on my peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches. When suddenly a drop of bird poo fell and left a fair bit of stain on my left shoulder and pants. Today could just be my lucky day! Placed the helmet on the bike, clipped in the bike shoes and queued for the toilet. Gave Li-Ann and Sebastian a call once I had my wetsuit on and then it was time to hand in my street gear bag and head towards the start. Managed to squeeze in a few minutes of warm up swim. Water was fresh but pretty comfortable.

Swim 3.8km

Two laps along the beach, both in anti clockwise direction. First big lap that went under the jetty, a brief run onto the beach and then back into water for the second smaller lap, all done on the left western side of the jetty. Swim was pretty uneventful. I was only able to find some feet to draft off for a brief moment, so I swam mostly on my own but wasn't too far from other swimmers at my sides. There was a slight current coming from the east but overall it was a pretty calm swim. The second lap was a bit more crowded with some of the slower swimmers were on their first lap. I came out in 1:05:02, my Garmin which usually understates distances recorded 3,816m at 1:42 per 100m pace. A pretty standard swim for me. Obviously a bit closer to the hour would be better but satisfied with this time.

Transition 1

A short run up and down the steps. Into the change tent. Wetsuit off without too much hassle. Swim cap and goggles off. Poured out everything from the bike gear bag. Put wetsuit, swim cap and goggles back in. Socks on and grabbed my nutrition (2 Clif bars and 2 bananas) and tucked them into my rear pockets as I was running to my bike. Took a few more seconds than needed to put my helmet on and tuck my ears underneath so that I would be comfortable. Had a couple of bikes around me at the mount line but got on and rode away without too much trouble. Time taken 4:18 and total distance was about 500m.

Bike 180km

Two laps shaped like a tree branch (as opposed to last year's 3 laps), out and back at each straight line so you can see cyclists at the opposite direction all the time. Overall drafting wasn't too bad, at least from my experience. In fact, some sections were pretty lonely with the nearest cyclist being outside of sight. There was one tight turnaround at the western Tuart Drive side, which I had to unclip on both laps just so I didn't fall off. With less than 200m for the entire course, it is as flat as it gets. Very windy. Mostly headwind on the way out and tailwind on the way back. But there were many sections of cross wind and given I only weigh 60kgs, I had to switch to the side bars a few times to avoid getting blown off my bike. Given the strong wind, I wasn't expecting a fast bike split. I kept my patience and stuck to my power numbers (170+ watts) and ignored the speed readings. Surprisingly I rode a pretty decent pace and after clocking the first lap at 2:34, I thought I could be in a for PB bike split.

 Last year I had stomach issues, with forcing myself to eat too much too early. This year, I've reduced the number of Clif Bars from 4 to 2 and alternated between solids and gels at each aid station. I've also practised taking Clif Bars on the go in my long rides, so I guess this helped too. The overcast weather also put less stress on the body. I had two water bottles and I didn't need to top them up. While my pace did slow down at the second lap as the legs were starting the fatigue, I still felt strong at the bike finish. Bike split was 5:12:29, not only was it an Ironman bike PB by 11 minutes, I was in the chance to give that elusive sub 10 hour finish a crack! Bike distance recorded was 179.68km, so pretty spot on. Average power 168 watts, average HR 142 bpm. Nutrition taken - 2 Clif Bars, 2 bananas, 4 gels, just under 2 bottles of Infinit Go Far.

Transition 2

There were no bike catchers, so we had to rack our bikes ourselves. Helmet off and I made sure it sat nicely on my saddle before I left. I've had the urge the pee around midway through the bike but was able to supress it. So straight to the portaloo I went after racking my bike and it took me ages to clear it all. I still took the time to flush and wash my hands with soap. Poured out everything from the run gear bag. Swapped to a fresh pair of socks. Run shoes on, grabbed everything else - race belt, sunglasses and run visor and put them on the go. Time taken 5:02.

Run 42.2km

Four laps out and back along the foreshore. Plenty of crowd support. In the main race venue and local residents towards the quieter eastern side. The sun still stayed behind the clouds and temperatures stayed cool within the mid 20s. Still windy though. My legs felt good and the ankle felt fine. Leg turnover was just over 160 which is my standard long run cadence. Trevor and Jason from BYL (a group I used to train with when I used to live in Perth) were giving high fives. Got caught in the excitement from the crown coming out of transition and did the first couple of kms in just over 4:30 per km pace, which was a bit too quick. Settled into around the 4:50 pace after that, which is my long run pace. For the first two laps I took only coke from the aid stations but did not stop to walk. I clocked 1:41 at the halfway mark and was well within the pace to achieve that sub 10 hour finish.

But the body was getting fatigued and it was crying for a bit of a break. Thereafter I stopped to walk at each aid station and started to take in some water melon as well. At the end of the third lap, I was still on target but it was getting tight. The stomach started churning and I could feel myself starting to retch each time I take a sip of coke or swallow some water melon. I then switched to just drinking water and that helped settle the stomach a bit. The sub 10 hour finish is gone now. I could only cut my losses and get to the finish without passing out. I continued at around 5:30 to 5:50 pace, depending on whether I was walking the aid stations or not. The last 2kms, I decided to skip that last aid station and push through to the finish. 

The turnaround to the finish was a little bit further ahead after the 42km marker but it seemed like a mile away! Finally I got to the red carpet and soaked every bit of energy from the roaring crowd. Gave the announcer Pete Murray a high five as he called out - Kevin Siah from Malaysia, you're an Ironman! I crossed the finishing arch with plenty of emotions, my 15th Ironman finish, 5th one in Busselton. Overall finish time 10:03:32, placed 25th in M35-39 and 146th overall. No sub 10 hour finish but I beat my PB from 10 years ago by 12 minutes. Run split was 3:36:39, not my fastest but it was definitely up there. Distance recorded 42.48km and average HR 160 bpm.

Post race

I was a crying mess when I phoned Li-Ann and Sebastian after the finish. I could not have done it without their sacrifice. I was more calm when I rang mum and dad after. I took the long walk back to the motel, legs were sore but mostly okay and the ankle felt fine. The stomach still had issues and I went to bed pretty much immediately after I had a shower. Only to wake up in the middle of night hungry when I knew my stomach was feeling better.

With Kona for men's now moved to 2024 and I was slotted to head there under the Legacy program, I don't have a big race planned yet for next year. I'm not sure if I want to attempt a sub 10 hour finish again so soon or ever as this one took a fair bit out of me. Let's see how the year goes.

Desaru Coast 70.3 2022

Where do I start? From an event that I signed up almost 3 years ago that I reluctantly decided to go ahead with due to travel and busy work commitments, to one that I am really glad I raced and in fact looking forward to doing it again next year, if the timing is right. Desaru has hosted a half ironman distance for many years but this would be the first time under the Ironman brand, I last did this event 10 years ago. The journey started with a Wednesday night flight from Brisbane via Singapore, which I only slept about 2+ hours during the flight. I did this trip without Li-Ann or Sebastian, as Sebastian had school. But it was good to be home after having not returned for more than 2 years. Did an easy run with some short efforts at my old stomping ground Subang Ria lake in the afternoon. Was initially planning to get a massage but decided against it to avoid catching COVID. So a quiet dinner with mum and dad at home and I went to bed really early that night. 

Friday morning, I did a swim with some short intervals at the Club, it was one of the few pools that opened early enough at 7am for public swimming. More hawker food breakfast before we made our journey to Desaru, about 4 hours drive from home. My brother in law Gary was racing too and we took his bike along as there were no space in their car with the kids seats. Race expo was like a reunion gathering, so many friends I've not met for the last two years and for these guys who only started racing again this year, it was the first M dot event since 2019. Desaru have changed a lot since I last came here 10 years ago. There are a lot more restaurants and shops. We stayed in Lotus resort, which was about 3kms away from the race site. Organizers provided shuttle buses but my dad chauffeured us back and forth, really getting spoiled. Dinner with the family, including meeting one of my nephews for the first time. Saturday I spent most of the day in the room, catching up on work. I misread the event schedule and thought the bike check in closes at 5pm when in fact that was for the athlete check in and bike racking closes at 8pm instead. We didn't need to cycle there under the scorching sun if I had known but I guess an early racking allowed us an early dinner, which mum cooked using limited appliances - microwave, rice pot and steamer pot as there wasn't a stove. Did I say again we got really spoiled?

Race morning - 4.30am alarm, first toilet visit, sunscreen on and get dressed. Transition area was very well lit. They had an unusual rule to place nothing but the run shoes on the floor, everything else were to be placed in a green transition bag given to us, to be hooked next to our bikes. There were many empty spots and my bike rack only had one bike next to mine. There must have been many deferrals or transfers. Got the bike set up, munched down on my bread rolls, bananas and Clif Bar, lined up for the portaloo - thankfully only a short queue and then made our way to the swim start.  

1.9km swim 

7.05am rolling start. I squeezed my way through as much as I can towards the front and I was only a minute or so away from the first ones who entered the water. Swim course was one lap triangular shaped in clockwise direction. Desaru waters can get pretty choppy but wasn't too bad for this race. There were some currents though. My swim split was significantly slower going out, very fast after the right turn and then somewhat closer to my usual pace on the way back. One feedback I would like to give was to not have the kayaks too close to the swim buoys. There were several occasions where I nearly swam right into them. As we got close the first turn buoy, I felt like we were attacked by a swarm of sea bugs. They didn't sting but it felt like getting hit by plastic bullets. This attack continued for a fair bit after we made the right turn and it only cleared on the return leg back towards the shore. I was told by others that they could be shrimp.

The waves and the minimal sight buoys made it hard to see if I was swimming straight. In the end I gave up looking for the final finish buoy and just aimed to swim towards shore. I wore a swimskin over my trisuit and was beginning to feel pretty warm, I just hoped that my core temperature did not rise too much before I started my bike. About a couple of hundred meters from the beach, I stopped kicking and emptied my bladder. Crossed the first timing mat in 36:45, a bit slower than my usual swim time but comparatively seemed to be where it should be. Although a couple of minutes quicker would have put me in a better position. My Garmin which normally understates the distance, recorded 1,938m for the swim. I was 11th in M35-39 age group at this stage.

Transition 1

Bloody long. It was about 300-400m from the beach to the bike racks. And then another 300-400m from the bike racks to the mount line. It was carpeted but some of the surface was still pretty rough. Plus a sharp downhill as we pushed our bikes out. Official time had me clocking 2:45 as we left the bike racks, my Garmin recorded 4:01 up until the mount line.

90km bike 

We came to long gradual climb just a few hundred meters from the mount line. But nothing that needed shifting into the small chainring. We head out for about 10kms up to roundabout and turn left for a short detour before u-turning to the same roundabout and head out again for about 20kms. We return on the same route and make a second lap through the same roundabout. The roads seemed to have been recently resurfaced, making it a fast and smooth. There were some rolling hills but nothing too steep. Overall elevation was just under 400m on my Garmin. There was a bit of headwind on the way out but not too extreme, in fact felt like a normal breezy day in Brisbane. We were very lucky with the weather, it was overcast throughout and it started drizzling halfway through the first lap, which helped keep us cool.

I rode conservatively on the way out, was averaging just over 180 watts and just over 34kph. On the way back with the tailwind, I overtook a few more. And then just as we started the second lap, I noticed the few cyclists in front were not getting further way so I decided to make a go for it. Having more cyclists now on the course, some on their first lap - whilst it be more distracting, it also allowed me to leap frog ahead easier. I was riding at lower efforts but clocking higher speeds. On the final lap back with the tailwind, I knew doing a sub 2:30 bike split (36kph) was in the bag. And I started focusing on loosening up posture and getting ready for the run. There was only one cyclist who passed me and I did not overtake back, but we actually finished together with me just dismounting right behind him. My Garmin clocked 2:28:47 for 90.2km, average speed 36.4kph and average power 184 watts. But that bloody timing mat was just before the bike racks, instead of the mount line, giving me an official time of 2:31:03. I went up to 6th in M35-39 at this stage. I had 3 Endura gels and 400ml of Infinit Go Far.

Transition 2

Long run in along the carpeted rough surface, including pushing the bike up that same steep hill. It was good to see there were only a few bikes in transition. Put on my shoes but my helmet fell off the bike as I was pulling out my gear from the transition bag. After the race I noticed there was a small crack on the the visor and this is my second set! Running out of transition whilst putting the race belt, visor and sunglasses on and doing a bit of the YMCA dance as the music was playing. Official time had me clocking 1:57, with my Garmin adding about a minute from the dismount line.

21.1km run

I wasn't expecting a fast run given the tropical heat and apparently a pretty hilly course (I didn't get a chance to see it pre race). But the cheers and support from family and friends always gave me an extra boost. Special mention to the RC Coaching team for the high fives at the start and end of each lap. It was a 3 lap course, with the first 2kms of two way traffic and 4kms of looping around the park. There were a few punchy hills and it was mostly shaded. Again, the weather was very kind to us with mostly overcast.

I started again at a conservative pace, just under 5 minutes per km. The first lap was pretty lonely, especially on the loop. The second and third lap were much better and I picked up the pace as well. I pretty much had the same routine at each aid station, sip of cold water and the rest down my head and legs, a big gulp of Coke, another sip of cold water and pouring the rest over me again. Starting the 3rd lap, I noticed leading Malaysian Teh Kuok Yuen was about 10 minutes ahead. Little did I know that he was struggling with cramps and I finished just under a minute behind him. 

Running into the finisher chute, the music, the cheers from the crowd and seeing my family waving at me. I couldn't help but to feel emotional. Gee, I'm such a cry baby - I used to only cry at full ironman finishes. Crossing the finish line with tears in eyes, fist pumped into the air, giving race director CG Lim a hug after I crossed. I finished in 4:54:11, run split of 1:41:42 for 21.2km recorded on the Garmin with 130m elevation gain. I was 18th overall and 6th in M35-39 age group.

Post race

Briefly caught up with Kuok Yuen and shortly after the 3rd and 4th Malaysians came through. We each were interviewed on how our race went. Reunited with the family and it seemed that my poor parents had a big day too, chasing after my nephews. It wasn't long until Gary finished too and we then had some lunch. Then it was bike check out and the sun was out as we cycled back while the rest of the family drove back to the hotel. Gary and I attended the World Championships roll down ceremony later that afternoon. Whilst initially I wasn't planning to go, it would be in Finland next year but I then became tempted knowing I am unlikely to place this high in my age group again. I even rang Li-Ann to get the green light. But alas, there were only 3 spots in my age group and the last spot was taken by 4th place. Try again next time I guess! 

Signing off, I am very happy I made this trip. I am pleased with my race performance and ticked off a few boxes - sub 5 hours finish and 2nd place Malaysian, 6th place in M35-39 was unexpected. But what was more special was catching up with family and friends, getting spoiled by mum and dad, spending time with my nephews. This is why I enjoy racing in Malaysia so much. Hopefully I get to do this race again next year!

Cairns 70.3 2022

It's been a while since I wrote one of these. I was evidently disappointed with my race at IM Busso in December. Then I sprained my ankle late January, which took forever to recover. Even now it's still not a 100%. I've signed up for this race last year - having done the full distance on this course many times and it is one of my favourite race courses. But it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I decided to go ahead with it. Li-Ann and Sebastian were away for two weeks and conveniently, a work travel to Cairns was planned for the week leading up to the race. So I had my flights paid for, which was handy.

The temperature difference between Brisbane and Cairns was pretty significant during the week. It wasn't until Friday that it started to cool off a bit in Cairns. Once my work week was done, I checked into Caravella Backpackers, about 1.5km from the race precinct. I had my own private room, it was pretty decent with ensuite but boy, it was really quiet. I guess the backpacker crowd hasn't quite returned to Cairns yet post pandemic. Saturday morning, I picked up my race pack, dropped off my bike at the transfer service. Had a haircut at the local barber. Chilled for a while, met a relative for lunch (thanks for lunch!) and then onto the shuttle bus to Palm Cove to rack our bikes. Only to find out that our bikes were already racked and 70.3 athletes were only to bring our bike gear bags the next morning. Could have saved the trip! Anyway, it was useful to listen to the transition briefing as I've never done the 70.3 distance here before. Back to Cairns, takeaway pizza from Dominos for dinner. Then an early night.

Race morning

3.30am alarm went off. First toilet visit. Suit up and then easy stroll to catch the shuttle bus to Palm Cove. There was a bit of chatter in the bus but most, like myself, were quiet. I was trying to catch more shut eye. Got told off by the athlete next to me as I was setting up my transition as apparently I was standing too close to his helmet hanging by his saddle. Mate, we are all trying to set up in very tight spaces here, you don't have to be a dick. If you're so concerned about your helmet, maybe just wait until I leave and you can put it back on. Sheesh. 

Once set up, I went away to eat my breakfast. I may have eaten 2 slices of toast too many as I had a bit of acid reflux for a fair bit of the bike later. Queued up for the portaloos, it didn't take too long. Put on the wetsuit and headed to the swim start. I was able to warm up a bit in the water for a few minutes... and release more excess water. There were some waves but definitely one of the calmest conditions I've had in Palm Cove. Lined up, turned on the GPS and put some spit into the goggles. 10 deep breaths. 

1.9km swim

Rolling swim start at 6.35am, it was about 7 minutes past the horn when I ran from the start line, heading into the water. The swim course is rectangular shaped, swim south for a bit, then turn left out into the ocean and left again with tide assistance for most of the course before a final left turn back to the beach. The full Ironman athletes would have to go through it twice, so their tide assistance gets balanced out. I was swimming mostly by myself when we went against the tide but on the way back I had some company to draft off. One last bit of releasing excess water - I had to stop kicking for a bit to do this, before I get onto the beach. Time clocked was 31:51 with 1,812m recorded on the Garmin, which usually understates the distance. I was pretty happy with the time, I guess the tide assistance helped. But looking at the results after, I was relatively slower compared with my peers. I didn't have any wetsuit practice since Busso last year, so would definitely get more of that in before my next wetsuit race. 31st in M35-39 at this stage.

Transition 1

A bit of running through some rough sand and grass. Also had to watch out for some root branches and drain curbs. Somewhat disappointed that many of the bikes on my rack were already gone, but such is a rolling swim start. Wetsuit off, wipe the sand off my feet, socks on, helmet on. Would have liked to just grab the bike and go but had to pack the wetsuit and swim gear into bike gear bag first as well made sure it was tied securely so that nothing fell out. It was a fair bit to run to the bike mount line too. It was pretty crowded there but I got on without too much drama. It did take me a while to strap my shoes in though. The straps on the Bont Riot Tr+ shoes are very short and tend to come of the buckle easily. Trying to get them back in whilst pedaling proved to be pretty challenging! I lost a lot of time here. Total T1 time 3:34.

90km bike

One lap bike course, starting from Palm Cove, heading north for 30kms and then all the way back to Cairns. With one big climb at the Rex lookout in both directions but plenty of rolling hills in between until we get closer to the city where it was mostly flat. Full Ironman athletes had to do two laps between Palm Cove and Port Douglas and twice the climb at Rex. I felt fairly comfortable on the bike, was building my pace up well past 36kph with the tailwind of course. It would help though to know the course a bit better, so I could just let loose when descending on the corners and not have to brake a bit prior. The road surface was also pretty coarse and I would definitely reduce the tire pressure (I was at 100psi for 25mm tires) the next time. Cairns has one of the most gorgeous bike courses out there, definitely a must do if you haven't done it before. 

With the rolling hills, there were some sections where everyone got bunched up, but overall I didn't see any blatant drafting, at least for me anyway. I thought I was able to get an average of 36kph with a 2:30 bike split. But the hills plus the rough road surfaces made it challenging and when we got closer to the city, although it was mostly flat, it was more exposed to the headwind. So glad I was only doing the half. I then revised my target to a 35kph average (just under 2:35) but eventually I got to the end in 2:37:24, thanks to Garmin recording it as 91.13km. Elevation gain was 450-460m. Average speed was 34.7kph, average power was 179 watts - a little bit lower than my usual race output but not too far off. I gained another 4 spots to 27th in my age group at this stage. Nutrition taken was 2 SIS gels and about 400mls of Infinit Go Far. 

Transition 2

Did a pretty good dismount, legs did feel a bit tight running the bike to the racks. I overshot by a bit and had to back track. Racked my bike, untied run gear bag and let everything fall out. I don't know why but I took the time to pack my helmet into the run gear bag and placed it neatly on the grass. Slipped the shoes on and grabbed everything else (sunglasses, race belt and run visor) and go, putting them on as I ran out of transition. Time taken 2:41.

Run 21.1km

Run course was 2 laps, first going around the marina and then out along the esplanade towards the airport and back. Full Ironman athletes would have to do 4 laps. Virtually flat and pretty shaded when we were running through the park. I always loved the run. The atmosphere was electrifying, crowds were cheering from the restaurants and club tents. I felt fairly comfortable and was holding around the 4:30 per km pace. Not as fast as I was before but given my dodgy ankle, I was pleasantly surprised. I held this pace until about 7km mark, which was somewhere in between the first turnaround and on the way back towards the end of the first lap. I caught up with my friend Nathan ahead and decided to run with him for a bit. The pace slowed but it was more pleasant having some company. We ran together until just before the final turnaround where he said he needed to take a break, so I pushed on. 

My pace didn't get much faster after though. My ankle was beginning to hurt. Again, so glad I was only doing the half. The last few hundred meters was bit of a hobble, hang in there, don't fall apart! Got to the finisher chute and was able to do a bit of a dance before I crossed the finish line. Announcer Pete Murray saw my Malaysian flag on the screen and promoted the upcoming Desaru Coast 70.3. I asked if he would be there and he said he would. Run split was 1:39:06 with distance recorded as 21.23km. Average HR was 148bpm and the max temperature recorded was 27 degrees Celcius. I ran myself into 22nd position in my age group (128th out of 1,434 overall) with total finish time of 4:54:37. About 25 minutes slower than my PB from Sunshine Coast 70.3 last year but in my current form and the more challenging course, I guess clocking sub 5 hours is nothing to be ashamed of.

Post race

Felt pretty sore but generally okay. Had a chat with another South Bank tri club member in the recovery area and then bumped into Nathan again while waiting for the massage. After picking up my bike, I went back and cleaned up and didn't come back out until later in the afternoon to cheer the full Ironman athletes. It definitely did ignite some fire for my next Ironman race but let's see how this ankle holds up as I increase the training load in the coming weeks. I had another day of work in Cairns before flying back to Brisbane. Getting back into the routine again now, next up Desaru Coast 70.3 - see you there Pete!