Cervantes - Jurien Bay trip

We were fortunate to have a 5 day weekend, as Easter coincides with Anzac day this year. Usually this is an opportunity for me to log some mega training miles. But seeing that it is off season for me and a long time more before my next major race, a short getaway was a good idea.

We decided to take a trip up north, spending just one night in Cervantes on Easter Saturday. A change from our usual trip down the South West. The journey only took us just over 2 hours, thanks to the newly built Indian Ocean Drive. Our first tourist stop was Lake Thetis, where the stromatolites were. We could have walked the 1.5km loop around the lake, but as it was pretty hot and we needed to get to erm... to the washroom urgently, we didn't stay long.

We checked into Windbreak B&B, a nice cosy bed and breakfast owned by an English couple. Our room had the beautiful view of the garden, and behind it was their vegetable farm and the chooks pen. After getting settled, we visited the Lobster Shack, where they had audio tours of the lobster factory, which took us about 30 minutes.

We then took a stroll along the beaches of Cervantes and stopping at Thirsty Point for some sun bathing. Dinner was at the local Seabreeze Cafe, which was pretty busy with all the Easter visitors. We waited over 45 minutes before we got our pizzas.

The next day, we had a full breakfast of wheatbix, cereal, muesli, yoghurt, toast, eggs and passionfruit muffins - all prepared by the lovely Windbreak proprietors. Upon their recommendation, we went to Hangover Bay for a short dip in the cool water. The beach was really quiet unlike the ones in Perth, but had a bit too much kelp for my liking.

We were given Easter eggs upon our check out, which was pretty cute. We then headed further north for about 25 minutes, arriving at Jurien Bay. It rained quite a bit but only for a while. Once it cleared, we got into our swim gear again, and had a short swim near the Jurien Bay jetty.

Lunch was hamburger, wedges and a very heavy jaffa thickshake at the Jetty Cafe. We then began our journey back to Perth, but not before stopping by the Pinnacles. We both have visited the Pinnacles before during our early years in Perth, but it seemed there was a new discovery centre and for only $11 entry per vehicle, we decided to pay another visit.

And to round up our trip, of course, we had to take pictures of some of the erm... more interesting looking pinnacles hehe.

I have a couple more days before I get back to work. I supposed we could have spent a longer time away, but one night away is enough for us, as we're both pretty busy with our own agenda. Besides, I can't be NOT training for all 5 days right?

Sunday night dinner at the tavern

Ruby's Restaurant at Roundhouse Tavern which is less than 5 minutes walk away from our place. We wanted to have eat out for dinner for a change, and after going through our Entertainment Book (thoroughly I might add!), Ruby's was our pick!

Scotch fillet and seafood platter were our hearty choices, which were delightfully tasty. A quiet, family friendly environment and with our buy one free one Entertainment Book voucher, the place was a sure winner!

Sluggish weekend

I pretty much struggled for most of my training sessions this week. It might have been due to the slow recovery from the blood donation on the previous Sunday.

The week started with the BYL Monday morning social ride. However, Bill and myself were the only ones who turned up. We took a slightly extended route, passing by quite a bit of the ocean on Cottesloe Beach. Since there were only two of us, we chatted quite a bit, about triathlon and life in general. We didn't stop for coffee, so I was able to get to work early for a change.

My sluggishness was evident in both Tuesday and Thursday swim sessions. I struggled to maintain an average of 45 seconds for each 50m, especially when we got to the longer sets. Wednesday's short run was probably the only session which I was able to give my best. I did 8.7km in 36:34 averaging 4:13 per km.

On the weekend, I swapped my bike and run days as the UCI World Cycling Tour had the time trial event in the city. Many roads were cloased. So I did my run on Saturday instead. I started with a good pace of around 4:17 per km, but somehow I just didn't have the energy to keep it up. Slowed down to a 4:30 to 4:32 per km pace. Finally finishing the 13km run just under 58 minutes, averaging 4:28 per km.

On Sunday morning, it turned out that I wasn't the only one who decided to ride that day. The roads were packed with cyclists and many triathletes who I assumed would be preparing for Busselton 70.3 in 3 weeks away. Towards the later stages of my ride, they were seen doing their brick runs. The winds were pretty calm and there were clouds. But it felt pretty humid and I'm wondering if there is a corelation between humidity and air resistance, as it sure felt tougher riding through the air despite low winds. I averaged the 80km ride in 29.6kph, pretty satisfied but expected a bit more in the calm conditions.

Looking forward to feeling stronger in the coming week.

Windy weekend

The warm weather took a sudden turn on Thursday, with a few showers in the morning and the maximum temperature dropped to the high 20s for a couple of days. Along with the cooler weather, came the strong winds. And it stayed on throughout the weekend.

Saturday's winds were blowing at about 30kph. I anticipated a slower ride. There were some stretches where I could barely pedal above 25kph. But there was tailwind at the end of my ride and I managed to complete the 80km distance just below 29kph.

Sunday, it seemed like the wind got fiercer. I could hear it blowing from my bathroom as I got ready for my run. Yes, it was my first run in 3 weeks, haven't ran since Singapore Ironman 70.3, which by the way entries for next year's race have already opened for those interested.

The initial plan was just to do an easy 13km run, to test the legs after the short hiatus. I did the first 4.35km loop in 18:40. But my competitive side soon got the better of me and not only was I trying to negative split each loop but I was also aiming for a reasonably fast finish time. It got a bit difficult later on as gusts were blowing at nearly 40kph.

In the end, I managed to do what I set out for. Finishing the second and third loop in 18:32 and 18:20 respectively, completing the 13km distance in 55:32, averaging 4:17 per km. And I was glad my legs felt okay after that, not that sore.

Later in the morning, I had a blood donation appointment. It was for plasma donation and the place was pretty busy. I waited nearly 40 minutes before it was my turn. Unfortunately the procedure was cut short as my arm was beginning to bruise. I donated only 1/3 of the 600g of plasma required. As the procedure wasn't complete, I wasn't able to get back any of the 500ml of blood cells that was pumped out.

Feeling a bit lighted headed at the moment. It's a good thing tomorrow is an easy training day!

It's all in the plan

Ever wondered if everything that happens in your life is all planned out? Either by fate or by some unknown force above us?

Li-Ann and I watched The Adjustment Bureau on the weekend. The movie was about a politician played by Matt Damon, who falls in love with a dancer played by Emily Blunt, but mysterious forces are keeping them apart, as it wasn't according to their life plan.

A pretty cool movie with an entertaining concept. Also made me wondered if my life was planned out for me to be a triathlete. But I can certainly relate to the fact that we make choices in our everyday life, that would change how our life pans out in the future.

One of the major life changing choices I made was the decision to study in Perth. 8 years on and I'm still in Perth, with my beautiful future wife, making a reasonable living for myself, as well as fitting in a minimum training regime for long distance triathlon in a very conducive environment.

We had quite an activity filled weekend. A friend's birthday celebration dinner on Saturday followed by a visit to a bar in East Perth. The Deville's Pad was quite a unusual experience, with the ghastly decor and alternative crowd. One of the rare late nights I had, as I didn't need to run the next morning, still laying off running for another week.

Although I did an 80km ride the morning before, in pretty windy conditions. Was satisfied that I managed a reasonable pace of 29.2kph. Looking forward to start running next weekend.

Solemn news

A week has passed since Singapore Ironman 70.3. During the week, I did one swim session, a morning spin on the trainer and one strength workout. On Saturday I did an 80km ride in pretty windy conditions, was happy that I was able to average 29.0kph. There was quite a lot of cyclists traffic and some stretches of roadworks along the shared path along the freeway. Thankfully, no one got hurt.

Back home in Malaysia however, someone wasn't so lucky. A cyclist was riding on Maju Expressway (MEX) on his own, in a bid to catch up with the main group that left earlier. He was fatally hit from behind by a swerving car.

Mr Yeoh PK, I have not met you and I do not know you. But I I pray that you rest in peace. My condolences to your family and I wish them the strength in this difficult time.

Singapore Ironman 70.3 - The catch up race

The decision to do this race was largely influenced by the 2 for 1 deal by Jetstar, which I purchased the tickets more than a year ago. To be honest, following that, I regretted my decision slightly. The entry fee was higher than any half Ironman race in Australia, and the Aussie dollar was low at the time when I paid. Also, it clashed with the half Ironman in Auckland, which I could have done and visited my sister at the same time.

Anyway, what's done is done. And I'm glad to say I have no regrets doing this race at all! The last time I've been to Singapore was more than 7 years ago, and although we didn't do much sightseeing, the trip gave myself and Li-Ann the opportunity to meet up with our families, relatives and friends.

After 5 days of holiday with my parents and brother in Perth, we were set to depart for Singapore on Thursday night. No doubt I was on holiday but I didn't get much rest either with all the sightseeing. We arrived in Singapore in the wee hours of Friday morning and caught a cab to Serangoon where Li-Ann's sister stays. I had a bit of rest but not much as I got myself a haircut after breakfast with Li-Ann's other sister, and I assembled the bike.

Soon it was time for the race kit collection and carbo loading dinner cum race briefing at Suntec Exhibition Centre. The were not many stalls at the expo and thankfully, I controlled myself and didn't spend a single cent. I was glad to have finally met Enrico and Matt. Also caught up with a friend from Facebook, Chee Siong who would be doing his first half Iron distance race. The briefing was pretty standard, I didn't pay much attention as I was dead tired. The food was pretty good but we joined Li-Ann's sister for supper later, so you can say I was getting over loaded in carbo hehe.

Saturday morning, I did a few laps around the apartment just to see that the bike was in good mechanical order. We then went for an early bike check-in as we were meeting some friends later that day. This was the first time I've checked in my bike so early, I normally leave it to the last hour! And a good thing too, as it rained heavily later in the afternoon. Luckily, I covered the headset and saddle with plastic bags.

Race day morning, a late start time of 8.20am for my age group allowed me to leave a lot of the preparation at the race venue. Still, I got up just before 6am and we caught a cab to East Coast Park, the transition area was already bustling. After getting my bike ready, I met up with Richard and Hamsul, another Facebook friend from Brunei while doing my stretches. Both of them have registered for Ironman New Zealand in March 2012, which sold out in just under 2 days!

The 1.9km swim was a two loop course starting on dry land with a short run on the beach in between the loops. It was a staggered start according to age groups, mine starting 20 minutes after the PROs. As I lined up for my start, I noticed Wille Loo, winner of my age group last year (who also successfully defended his title this year with a blistering time of 4:24) lining himself right in front. I too wanted a good swim, so I placed myself in the front row.

The horn went, and we raced into the water. The clobbering from other competitors didn't quite bother me, I'm pretty used to it already. Visibility was pretty poor, I could barely see passed my elbows. I didn't think it was very choppy but we did catch up with the participants from the earlier start, causing a bit of congestion. My watch strap played up a few times, and I had to readjust it to put it back in place. As I came up for my second lap, I was shocked to see I was over 19 minutes! Still, I stayed positive as I reckoned everyone would be in the same boat of doing a slow swim. I finished the swim in 39:51, about 10 minutes slower than I hoped. I thought that my sub 5 hour target was gone but stayed positive to get as close to it as possible.

Did a quick but calm transition of just under 3 minutes. I kept my shoes clipped on the bike but didn't risk doing a fly mount. I enjoyed the fast and flat bike course with minimal winds entirely. The 90km distance spanned over 3 laps, mostly shaded by trees and there was an overcast as well. It was very wide except for the few kilometers in and out of transition. What bothered me was the rampant drafting amongst the competitors and the lack of marshaling. Still, I was doing my own race and what others do shouldn't impact my own performance.

I did a rookie error of setting my gear one level too light on the first lap and I lost a bit of power (and time!) But I changed gears halfway through and my speed increased significantly. Also, the Rock Tape I stuck on my legs was beginning to peel, I had to slow down a bit to remove them. I finished the bike course in 2:34:09 averaging over 35kph, I was ecstatic! Although according to my speedometer, it was about 88.5km, anyone else had the similar reading?

I wasn't able to slip off my bike shoes as I rode into the finish, hence I had to run into transition with my bike shoes. Quickly changed shoes while Li-Ann cheered me on at the side of the transition gates. My time for T2 was just over 1 minute. I looked at my watch, and I might be able to clock under 5 hours after all, thanks to the quick bike!

I maintained a high cadence and good form at the start of the run, which is two lap course totaling 21.1km. And just as I was about to slow down, a senior participant caught up with me. A supporter mentioned to him that he was 75 seconds down from this closest age group competitor, I'm assuming he was on the pace for a podium placing. So I gestured him to follow me. We paced each other for about 3-4km where he slowed down after one of the drinks station, and I continued. 3rd place female, Michelle Wu passed us somewhere before that.

I was glad that the run was mostly shaded as well. I grabbed the sponges and 100Plus cups from the stations without stopping. But just after the first lap, my stomach felt slightly bloated and I was getting a stitch. I slowed down, but I told myself to keep going. I was still able to maintain a 5 minute per km pace, but the chances of finishing under 5 hours looked grim. I started walking for a few steps each time I passed the drinks stations.

Reaching the final turn into the finish, although it was passed 5 hours, I could still make it before the minute changes. I sprinted through the finishing lane, crossing the line with the person in front of me. I finished with a run time of 1:42:49, an overall finish time of 5:00:48, darn that 48 seconds!

It rained just after I had my post race massage. I met John Cooke and Enrico, and confirmed with them that everyone had a slow swim including the PROs.

It took us a while, more than an hour to call a cab back to Serangoon after that. With a race turnout of 1700 participants, I was not surprised. It is definitely more convenient logistically if you have your own transport. For dinner that night, I met up with my cousins and their kids, which was great especially that was the first time I saw the latest newborn to our family. Also, thanks for the treat!

Some special mention, my darling fiance Li-Ann for being ever so patient and supportive, joining me on this ra-cation (race vacation, a term coined by Li-Ann herself haha) and depriving herself of sleep, waking up early on race day and having to endure the long wait to get back after the race, while I was already on adrenaline high. I love you!

I can't thank her sisters enough for making our stay a lot more convenient and comfortable, and saved us a lot in costs too. Muchas gracias!

P/S - A few posts ago here, I mentioned a surprise for the race. Did anyone guess what the surprise was? Hint - it probably helped me a lot on the bike, though I'd like to think that much of it was attributed to my legs instead!