Xiamen 70.3

When it was announced that the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championships are to be held in Taupo, New Zealand, I thought I would give it a shot as it isn't too far or too expensive to get to. I chose Xiamen as my qualifying race as it offered 80 qualifying spots (30 for Kona and 50 for Taupo), a few more slots than average. Based on previous year's results, if I can come close to my PB, I should place somewhere between 10 to 15th place and there could be potentially 9 to 10 spots for my age group, so while it is still far from being guaranteed, I still stood a chance if the spots rolled down a few.

I haven't been to China before and my Chinese isn't that great. Usually I rely on my wife Li-Ann to translate but I am travelling alone this time. Ryan, whom I met through my former club Logan Tri Club made a last minute decision to tag along after closely missing out on a spot at Shanghai 3 weeks before. And it was good to have him as I made a few new friends through him. Xiamen is located in the Fujian province, which coincidentally is the same province where my ancestors came from. So you can kinda call it a trip to trace my roots.

I flew in via Singapore and had a reasonable overnight flight. There was a bit of delay getting our bikes off the plane in Xiamen but I made it just in time to attend the one and only briefing session for the day, as the airport was only 30 minutes away. I stayed at the International Seaside Hotel, it was the closest hotel and I was lucky to book early at a very good price. The room is very spacious and we had plenty of room to set both of our bikes up. The expo was a small affair and I was in and out within 15 minutes. That night I took a 10+ minute walk out for some dinner and came across JFC shopping mall with plenty of takeaway options. Ryan arrive later that night and we both were pretty tired from the travel, so it was an early night. 

I woke up early intending to do a practice swim but it seems there was no one swimming. The organizers fenced up transition area tightly so I had to do a long walk around it to get to and from the swim area. We then went for a short spin and along the way back, I noticed there were some people swimming. I guess I'm just too used to starting early. So I did a short swim and noticed the currents were pretty strong, hopefully it calms down a bit on race day. A local contact of Ryan's took us out for lunch and then a drive around the island, this gave us a bit of insight of the bike route. After that it was time to rack our bikes and we can't help noticing how long transition is, my Garmin recorded 500m to be exact. Apparently last year there were less rows, so it was even longer! We had to use bike and run gear bags, just like in an Ironman race. For dinner, we met up with a couple of guys Ryan met at breakfast and took a cab (save the legs!) to JFC mall for pizza before calling it another early night.

5.20am alarm went off. Our race only starts at 8.15am but transition closes at 7.30am. I actually brought a loaf of bread from Aldi with peanut butter and hazelnut spread, you would laugh but I'm glad I did as I did not have the chance to get any supermarkets. After setting up my bike in transition, I did my final toilet visit to the portaloos. They were squat types and unfortunately did not have any flush water. No wonder there wasn't a queue as not many wanted to use them. Then I had about 45 minutes of idle time sitting in the shade before my race start, while the opening ceremony was going on.

Swim 1.9km

Rolling swim start, the closest I could get was 7 minutes after the first swimmers went in. Swim course is triangular shaped, in a clockwise direction, buoys always on our right. This changed from last year when it was a point to point swim with the currents, so this year's swim would definitely be slower. There was barely any visibility in the water but the buoys were placed quite close, maybe less than 200m apart. There was a bit of petroleum smell, probably coming from the boats. Currents were pretty strong and in some parts, there was a bit of wave chop as well. Apart from a brief moment where I swam too inside and had to correct myself, I kept pretty close to a straight line. I was holding around the 1:45 per 100m pace up until the final straight back to shore, where the currents were pushing us away. I struggled a bit here but I think I still swam to my ability in those conditions. The swim felt long as well and true enough my Garmin recorded just over 2km. I clocked 35:23 with an average pace of 1:47 per 100m, a bit slower than what I do in training. Coming out of the water in 17th position in my age group.

Transition 1

Still getting used to my new wetsuit so I struggled a bit getting the zipper down. Luckily the transition is long and I just managed to get it down and pull off the sleeves just before I got into the change tent. Wetsuit came off without too much hassle. Wipe the feet down and put on the socks, grabbed my helmet and off I went. Put on the helmet as I ran along the bike racks, it became a foot race just getting to my bike. My AWA bib number had my bike placed very close to the exit. A guy went down at the mount line just before me, so I cautiously hopped on the bike as not to cause any accidents. Time taken 4:19.

Bike 90km

The bike course is shaped like an inverted T with the transition in the middle. It goes along the coast, heading north towards Wu Yuan bridge and turn around just after the bridge. We then return in the opposite direction on the same route before making a short detour with some gradual inclines, turnaround and then head further south before turning around and going back to transition. The brief moment of going under the tunnel before the end of each lap was pretty cool. Two lap course with some gentle inclines and false flats, the longest climb being up the bridge. Overall elevation of just under 400m so moderately hilly. Roads were smooth as silk and totally closed off, we had all 3 lanes to ourselves in most parts in each side of the road, so much so cyclists were passing each other on the inside frequently.

My power meter battery decided to die as I arrived in Xiamen. I knew I should have changed it before the trip but there was no indication of being low prior to this. While I don't mind racing without power data, I do rely on cadence measurement to get the gearing right. And with the many false flats and rolling hills on this course, there were many moments I was second guessing my gearing choice. 

The wind did pick up that day and while it wasn't gusty, it was constantly blowing and it did slow us down especially when there was a headwind. While I averaged 36kph for the first lap, I slowed down a little on the second lap, finishing with a bike split of 2:31:39 and overall average of 35.66kph. Garmin recorded 89.8kms, so pretty much spot on. Cycling continues to be my weakest leg and I came off the bike in 24th position while many of the top guys were posting 2:20+ bike splits.

Transition 2

To my pleasant surprise, the bike racks seemed relatively empty as I got in. On to a foot race again to the change tent. On hindsight, I should have kept my helmet on for a while longer so I did not have to hold onto it as I was running. Into the change tent, helmet off, shoes on and grab everything else on the go. Time taken 2:51.

Run 21.1km

Two lap run course, out and back along the coast. Mostly flat but there were a couple of deceptive inclines as well. Minimal shade and it got pretty hot. If we had started just after sunrise at around 6am, it would have been a totally different story. There were sponges at the aid stations and I made full use of them, though I have not learnt to stuff them under my suit just yet. Crowd control was very strict and the entire course was fenced up. So apart from the music blaring from the DJ on the middle part, it was pretty quiet out there. But there was the occasional cheer from athletes running in the opposite direction. I gave Ryan a cheer as well who was about 10 minutes ahead of me as I first saw him on the course.

I probably started off a bit too quick, carrying the leg turnover from the bike, clocking the first km in 4:11. I then dropped to 4:20 for the next two kms but even then it was still a struggle in the heat and I settled into 4:30 for the remaining of the first lap. Fatigue then started to kick in and my pace gradually dropped again to 4:35 and again past 4:40 in the final return. As I came to the final split between going left for the finish instead of turning right for the next lap, the remaining few hundred meters seemed to go on forever. Finally I can hear the announcements from the finish line, I didn't have much left in the tank for a sprint finish. Crossed the finish line with run split of 1:36:29 and overall finish time of 4:50:41. Garmin recorded 21.35km. I ran myself to 18th position and while I was happy with my race, the chances of getting a World Championship spot seemed unlikely.

Post race

Ryan finished just before me and hung the finish medal around my neck, which was really cool. We then hung out at the recovery area for our massage before heading back to the hotel to rest a bit. We then picked up our bikes and packed them up and soon it was time for the awards banquet and World Championship slot ceremony. The banquet was pretty posh but our minds were just on the slots. This is actually only my 2nd time attending the ceremony and it was pretty exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. Ryan took a well deserved slot in his age group and so did some of the ladies sitting at our table. When it got to my age group, there were 9 spots (2 Kona and 7 Taupo) but unfortunately 13th position took the last spot - I was 3 minutes behind! I waited until all slots went through the other age groups in case, there was a roll down but there were none. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed but nothing worth getting ever comes easy so I just have to keep on trying. 

Xiamen 70.3 is a really well organized race. Sure, there are some language barriers but these can be easily overcome and the organizers did an awesome job having bilingual volunteers in the key areas. Kudos to the organizing committee and volunteers! I don't have any more races planned for the rest of the year, will take a bit of a mental break and come back focused on my next qualifying race.

Ironman Cairns 2019

Cairns has always been one of my favourite courses, not surprisingly as it was where I achieved (and still remains) my PB of 10:15:10 in 2012. I knew it would be a hard ask to beat that now, with 7 sessions a week (2 x swim/bike/run plus 1 gym session) and peaking at just under 14 hours. With a young family, that's all I'm willing to commit - that's my choice, not an excuse. After our move to Annerley in early February, while my weekend solo training have remained relatively similar to previous builds albeit with adjustments to the routes obviously, I did the mid week intervals run with South Bank triathlon and squad swims at UQ. Having a bigger group to train with definitely helped pushed me further. So with a consistent build in the last few months, I thought I would give it a crack given the right conditions.

We arrived in Cairns on Friday and were greeted by plenty of rain. We stayed at Cairns Plaza Hotel, which was conveniently located on the run course. I did the race pack pick up while the family rested in the hotel. It rained buckets during the pasta party but it was nice to catch up with fellow Malaysian Mun Seng and other like minded people seated at our table. The next morning it showered intermittently and I was reluctant to take the bike out for a ride as I've wiped it down already (a clean bike is a fast bike... apparently). So the only pre race ride I did was the 1.5km along the Esplanade to the bike transfer drop off. For lunch, we met up with Li-Ann's relatives who are living in Cairns. Then, Li-Ann and Sebastian followed me on the shuttle bus to Palm Cove for the bike gear drop off, only to hide away from more rain. We had glimpse at the crashing waves and the palm trees being blown around by the wind. We can only hope that it would calm down for the race the next day. After that, was take away pizza for dinner before calling it an early night.

Race morning came and I surprisingly had a pretty decent night's sleep. Strolled down to the shuttle bus pick up spot and there were plenty of buses, so it was really a seamless process. I arrived at Palm Cove just before 6am and had plenty of time to get my bike set up. Only to realize that I left my phone on the bus, but nothing I could do at that stage (I did get my phone back after the race from the information booth). So just queued up for the toilets while I ate my breakfast. The queue was moving slowly and I got out of the toilet just as transition was about to close, as the 70.3 athletes were coming in from their swim. There was still a fair bit of time before my race start and I managed to get a warm up swim in and have a quiet moment to myself.

Swim 3.8km

It was a rolling start on the beach, the line did take a while to move and it wasn't until 8am before I actually started. The swim course is one lap, rectangular shaped in anti clockwise direction. The water was pretty choppy, though I reckon it was worse when I did in 2016. I reckoned I probably lined myself a bit further back as I found I was overtaking quite a few swimmers even towards the later stages of the swim. Water visibility wasn't great, I couldn't check my progress very well and had to actually look up at my watch when my arms were above the water. The swim did feel long and I thought I would be close to the 70 minute mark, if not slower. I was about to give up hopes of any PB that day but surprisingly, I came out in 1:06:10, only 3 minutes down on my swim in 2012 when it was held in the calm waters off Cairns pier. That also meant that I still had a fighting chance for a PB, so had to actually work for it. Garmin recorded 3,863m so pretty much spot on.

Transition 1

A couple of hundred meters into the change tent. I found that there weren't as many volunteers as there used to be - I had to catch the attention of one before ensuring my swim gear was packed away. Helmets were put on the bike this time, rather than in the change tent. I clipped mine over the aerobars rather than leaving it hang loose as I didn't want a repeat from Moreton Bay tri where my helmet fell off and broke its visor. My water bottle came off as I went over the first bump after the mount line but was told to stay put as a volunteer came running towards me with it, thank you kindly! Total transition time taken 3:41.

Bike 180km

There was a slight change to the bike course compared to previous years. It still remained as two laps to Port Douglas and back. But the turnaround at Port Douglas has been moved further south (and the other turnaround at Palm Cove just after we exit from transition), means we no longer go through the Port Douglas town. Which is a shame as this is a good spot for spectators to cheer from the cafe strip. However, this change did reduce the long stretches of single lane cycling and thus probably helped to reduce the drafting. What this also meant was there was proportionately less flatter sections and more climbing sections. Garmin recorded 1,480m of elevation - about 200m more than the previous course. I was clocking between 18 to 19 minutes per 10km at the start. A bit slower than what I should be clocking if I wanted to match my 2012 split (sub 18 minutes). It was even slower on the return southbound journey with the headwind. Still, if I could run around 3.5 hours, the PB was still within reach.

But the body started hitting a wall after the second Port Douglas turnaround. The winds started picking up. I was shifting into the small chainring for every little climb, whereas on the first lap I only did that on the big climb at Rex lookout. I thought things would get better after the Rex lookout descend as it was pretty much flat all the way back to Cairns. But it was also more exposed to the headwind. I was on survival mode from then on and pretty much soft pedalled the last 30kms. I had almost all of my nutrition (4 Clif Bars, 2 bananas, 5 out of 6 gels plus some salt tablets) so it wasn't a nutrition issue. I guess whilst I have done my long rides, I haven't done any specific Ironman efforts to be able to nail it during a race. I took a brief 2 minute toilet break at the 160km aid station, just to reset myself. That helped but only for about 5 minutes or so, then I continued to roll at a pedestrian pace back to Cairns. My bike split including the break was 5:53:03. Garmin recorded 178.5km and average power at a low 144 watts. Li-Ann caught sight of me as I rolling into transition, which gave me a bit of a relief as I was afraid that she would be worried because of my delay.

Transition 2

The run into the change tent was rather unpleasant on muddy grass. Thankfully I had another pair of socks to change into. Grabbed my visor, sunglasses and race number on the go. Time taken 2:08.

Run 42.2km

My legs felt heavy coming out of transition, which was quite abnormal as I'm usually sprinting to make up for lost time. But I soon settled into a rhythm, albeit a slower pace. Mentally I have given up the fight as the PB seemed no longer achievable. But I was in good spirits and soaked in the atmosphere and cheers from the crowd. The run course was changed slightly as well to 4 laps, instead of the 3 laps in previous years. This made it better to get the support from Li-Ann and Sebastian. And I took brief moments to exchange a few words each time I passed them. It rained intermittently throughout the run course and while this helped kept the body temperature cool, it made certain sections, especially on the boardwalk a bit slippery.

I felt comfortable throughout the run and was keeping it around the 5:30 pace per km. I ran through aid stations for most of the first two laps. It was only from the 18km onwards where I started walking through the aid stations. Even then I kept the walking very brief and there were only a couple of km splits where I was just under the 6 minute pace. As I got to the final 6km or so, I thought I'd might aim for a sub 4 hour marathon. So I dug a bit deeper and ran through the remaining aid stations.

Finally, as I approached the intersection for the finishing chute, Li-Ann and Seb was there and I gave them a hug and a kiss. Before I make my towards the arch with the crowd cheering and tears in my eyes. This was my 13th Ironman finish (4th one in Cairns) and it's no different - I still sob like a sod crossing the line! Overall finish time was 11:02:02, run split was 3:57:02 with Garmin recorded distance of 41.9km.

It wasn't the finish time I was hoping for but it was a finish nonetheless. And it validated my legacy spot for Kona in 2021. And I couldn't have done this without the support and sacrifice of my wife and son. Not just at this race itself or any other race but every day for the many years leading up to this and probably would be for years to come. Until I get sick of this selfish hobby of mine, which is unlikely. And to them it didn't matter whether I came in 10 hours or 17 hours. They were just happy that I was happy, doing something that truly love.

Thank you to everyone for your well wishes as well. 

Moreton Bay Triathlon 2019

I usually sign up for events way in advance, but the decision to do this race wasn't until a couple of weeks before. There were a few changes to my plans - first it was Port Mac 70.3, then it was an Olympic distance back in Malaysia (Malacca), then it was Kingscliff. I made several entry transfers (and flight changes as well) and by the way, NXSports who organizes Kingscliff had the best transfer policy - 100% credit to the next event! Moreton Bay tri is organized by the Event Crew, the same organizers as Queensland Triathlon Series. Held in Pelican Park, near Redcliffe, an easy 45 minutes drive from home. The event is also host to the Club Championships and doubles up as the Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU) Championships for the elites.

With the race site so close to home, my alarm was set to my daily wake up time of 4.40am. Got to the race site with plenty of time to pick up my race pack and rack my bike, only to be stopped from entering transition as the OTU race was in progress. It was at least a 20 minute wait and the queue was getting pretty long. I had a nice chat with Ian from Red Dog during the wait. There wasn't much room left on the bike racks (not individually numbered), many must have racked the day before. I quickly got my bike set up and joined the queue for the portaloos. Then, wasted no time to put my wetsuit on and only a couple minutes left before the swim start.

Swim 1.5km

Mine was the first wave for the non elite non drafting Olympic Distance. It was a beach start with two lap rectangular swim course. The winds were picking up by the minute and the water was getting choppier as well. The swim to the first buoy was the toughest as the waves kept pushing us in. I had to look backwards when I breathed to ensure I didn't cop mouthfuls of saltwater from the waves. Then a right turn and we swam parallel to shore which wasn't too bad. The swim back to shore was the easiest, though I wasn't sure if I was making full use of the surf. Another right turn to start the second lap. I almost missed the buoy, with it being yellow in colour and the sun in my eyes, my yellow goggles didn't help either. Had to correct myself and added a few extra meters but still better than cutting the course short. There was no right turn at the end of the second lap and we just rode the waves back to the beach. My Garmin timed 27:09 at the first timing mat with a distance of 1,573m,which included the short run from the beach. Not great, but okay given the conditions. Also it's my first swim in the wetsuit in about 7 months, so it took me a while to get used to it again.

Transition 1

Pulled the wetsuit off quickly (I won't forget to do this!), wiped the sand off my feet and slipped my socks on. About to put my helmet on, only to find, to my horror - my helmet is on the floor and next to it, was the visor split in half! Nothing I could do but to delicately put the pieces together and re-attach the magnets back to my helmet. And get on with the race. My pedals weren't in the correct position when I got to the mount line, so I had to reposition them before I got on. Total time taken 1:30.

Bike 40km

The bike course is 4 laps, with about 2/3 of each lap on the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge. And for those of you who ride along this bridge on the weekends, you would know that it is fast. That is, of course if the wind is blowing in the right direction. It was mostly head wind on the way out and tailwind on the way back. Before we end each lap, we climb a small incline just after the park and make our way back to the park before we start the next lap. There was converging traffic from cyclists of the later waves and other events, so we just had to be careful at this section of the course. By the time I started the 4th lap, it got really busy with kids and enticer distances starting the bike. I felt alright during the bike, my speed and power output was climbing steadily but I just did not have it in my legs to hammer it, balls to the wall. I finished the bike with a split of 1:07:40, averaging just over 36kph and 185 watts (NP 198). Again, not great but okay.

Transition 2

No dramas here. Just get in and out. Putting on the cap, sunnies and race belt on the go. Time taken 0:49.

Run 10km

Also 4 laps, on the footpaths along the park. I quite enjoyed the short lap and mentally, it went by quicker. And for the better, as the sun was getting brighter and temperatures were rising. It was nice to have my former club, Red Dog cheer me on as I ran past their tent. I carried over the cadence from the bike for the first km and clocked 4:05. The cadence dropped a bit after but surprisingly, the pace didn't. I was anticipating the decline as the kms go by but I was really happy that I was able to maintain the form. Apart from creeping up to 4:12 for the 3rd km, most of it were well under 4:10. Finally, I got to the finish line with a run split of 41:01 - an average pace of 4:07, my second best OD run which I was really happy with. Overall time was 2:18:10 and 9th in my age group.

Post race, I caught up with the Logan Tri Club crew at our tent for a chat. I've said this before but this would definitely be my last race in the LTC kit as I changed clubs after our house move. And no better race to do it than the Club Championships. I'll definitely consider doing this race again next year given the convenience. Overall I'm happy with my performance and there are a few things I have to work on. Next up, Ironman Cairns - only less than 2 months away!

Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast 2018

Coming into this race, I've had somewhat mixed feelings. On one hand, I was treating it as a lead up race to Ironman Malaysia, Langkawi in November and hence just had a pretty big training weekend just prior (135km bike and 24km run). Also, I continued commuting to work on two wheels 20+km each way during race week because I was too tight arsed to pay for bus fares, except for Friday as I had a massage appointment after work. On the other hand, with the revised bike course - two laps of the motorway as opposed to the previous year where we went into the valley for some hill work, it was a great opportunity to score a PB (I haven't had one for a few years now). Plus, I have been training well so I might as well give it a shot and see how far my legs can take me.

Mooloolaba is an easy 90 minute drive from home, which makes signing up for this race an easy decision (so much so that I've signed up for 2019 already)! The initial plan was to take Sebastian to SEA Life Underwater World but it was his nap time when we got there and by the time he woke up, there wasn't much time left. Still, he had fun playing at the beach and playground and I managed to get registration done while he was napping. AWA athletes had their bike racked closer to transition exit with AWA Gold being next to the Pros. My bike was a corner spot next to the mechanic tent so I had a bit more room. Dinner was a simple takeaway Domino's pizza for myself, sushi for Li-Ann and Macca's happy meal for Seb as we all had too much ice cream in the afternoon. We stayed at Twin Pines Motel, a convenient 400m walk from the esplanade where transition is. Basic but clean and spacious.

I've always been a light sleeper but I slept alright. It didn't help that it was pouring outside in the early hours of the morning. Transition area had big puddles everywhere when we got there in the morning. I had never biked without socks and I wasn't going to try it in a race, so I'll have to wear soaked socks throughout the race. Thankfully, my feet were okay and blister free - here's a plug for Steigen socks, they're awesome! Staying close by meant I was able to get most prepping done before leaving the motel - including multiple toilet visits! So after leaving my gear in transition, all I had to do was put on the wetsuit and head to the start line, no need for portaloo queues!

Swim 1.9km

Unlike last year's wave starts according to age groups, it was a rolling start this year. I was able to get pretty close to the front swimmers, only 2-3 minutes from the first release. The swim course is rectangular shaped - swim out, turn right towards north, short left turn, swim back towards south and then turn left back to shore. Water was pretty choppy, I actually had time before the race to do a warm up swim but the waves kept on crashing into the beach that I decided against it. I had to modify my breathing a bit by looking backwards as I breathed to avoid drinking water when the waves were coming in. Didn't dare to look up much to sight but the water was clear enough to see other swimmers under water, so just follow along. But once we got past the first turn buoy, we were swimming along the beach which was a bit better.

The surf lifesavers had different coloured vests from the turn buoys this time which helped, so I wasn't swimming towards them rather than the turn buoys. Because of the choppy conditions, I struggled to stick to anyone's feet for long periods but still I kept pretty much on course and was very close to touching each buoy. The final turn back to the beach was pretty fun riding the surf. I came out of the water in 32:07, not great but okay. About 50 seconds slower than last year. My Garmin recorded 1,869m which was pretty close. Average pace of 1:43 per 100m which is pretty much my pool swim times but should be better with a wetsuit on.

Transition 1

Somehow this year's transition did not feel as tight as last year. I wasn't trying to squeeze through anyone as I was running to my bike. Wetsuit took a while to remove especially over the ankle with the timing chip. But everything else went on pretty smooth... until I got to the mount line. It was pretty busy and with the wet road surface I decided not to do a fly mount just to be safe. Unclip one shoe, foot in, other foot in then clip back on. Time taken 2:57.

Bike 90km

Bike course is two laps, mostly on the motorway with some small inclines when going up and down bridges and then some twist and turns at the beginning of each lap when we're back in town. Some short but steep climbs in town as well but overall, a fast and flat course with good road surfaces and overall elevation of about 300m to 400m. With a course like that, there are likely to be large packs. A group of 3-4 cyclists passed me and soon after the TO came and handed the back cyclist a penalty. They were arguing and obviously slowed down and I had to inch my way between them to get through. The guy clearly wasn't happy but he did't need to be a prick about it. In fact, shortly after he zoomed past me and overtaking me from the left, nearly taking me out! Apart from that, it was pretty uneventful.

Throughout the bike course we had intermittent showers and at some stages it did get pretty heavy. Even when it wasn't raining, I got splattered on from the bikes in front as they cycle past. It was during this time I was glad to have a helmet with a visor on. Also, thankful that I reduced my tire pressure by about 10-15 psi than what I usually do. My average speed climbed up to about 37kph but it dropped towards 36kph when we got back into town. Second lap was no different and I am pleased to keep it fairly consistent. The winds played nice this year and each direction didn't feel too different. Historically it has always been a headwind on the way back. I was chasing a sub 2:30 bike split as I had never done one before, I thought I had it in the bag but the final few turns back into transition almost got me. Managed to scrape in 2:29:48! Average power was 187 watts and normalized power 205 watts, just right on the ball.

Transition 2

It was a bit disappointing to see so many bikes back on the racks but cycling has always been my weakest leg. I just have to make it up on the run. Rack bike, helmet off, shoes on and everything else - race bib, visor and sunglasses on the go! Time taken 1:46.

Run 21.1km

Run course is two laps, out and back from Mooloolaba to Alexandra Headland, partially on footpaths, partially on roads. Mostly flat with one long climb just after transition and we return to that climb on the way back, repeat on second lap. Total elapsed time was 3:06 after I left transition. I knew that unless I blew up, getting a PB was almost in hand. But let's aim higher for sub 4:40, which meant I had to push harder. The rain sort of stopped during the run and there was a bit of humidity coming off from the moisture off the ground. But temperatures were still pretty low, so it felt relatively cool. Still, I dunked my head with water each time I passed an aid station, which was about every 2km. I had a taste of the Isowhey electrolyte at the first station but it was too strong tasting for me. It was Coke from then on. And real Coke too! None of that fake cola stuff from Endura or other brands.

The legs felt alright though they weren't going as fast as last year when I was averaging 4:10 to 4:15 per km in the first couple of kms. But I was more consistent this year, maintaining around the 4:20 pace for most of the way, apart from the two climbs where I went into 4:30. Getting a shout out at the end of the first lap from Joel the announcer, former Reddog member like myself gave me a bit of a boost. Li-Ann and Seb was there too and so was Anthony and Greg from LTC. Trent and Rosie at the Reddog tent also cheered me as I ran past. And along the way, Kirstine, Philippe (who scored a 70.3 World Championship slot, massive congrats!) and Nathan out on course gave kudos. All these gestures while they may seem small, they definitely gave me a lift. And I sure needed that as I was very much in the hurt locker, chasing that sub 4:40 finish time.

Coming into the finisher chute, I knew I had it and was even more surprised with a finish time of 4:36:37, a half ironman PB by 7 minutes! Run split was 1:29:57 and the Garmin recorded 20.68km, so allowing for a couple of minutes for the 400-500m still gave me one of my best half ironman run splits and still a sub 4:40 finish!

Post race celebration was a pretty quiet affair. Li-Ann and Sebastian watched me finish but the poor kid was so tired that he fell asleep right after! I met them at the Good Bar for burger and beer before adjourning to Macca's again for a Happy Meal for Seb. I'm ever so grateful to have them as my support network, while Ironman is an individual sport, the journey definitely takes more than an individual and lots of sacrifices from their end as well. And big kudos to the volunteers, officials and crew for braving the rain for this ironically, not-so-sunny Sunshine Coast event. While the athletes can dry up and take a warm shower after finishing, they had to stay out there until the end including packing up.  It started pouring buckets again as I was picking my bike up from transition so the dry clothes that I changed into got soaked instantly!

So that's a wrap for my lead up race. If it was my mid term exam, I'd give myself an A. Sure, there is always room for improvement but I surpassed my own expectations and more. I'd just have to build on this confidence going into Ironman Malaysia in 2.5 months' time. And I'll see you next year, Sunny Coast - hopefully with more sunshine!

Noosa 80 event

Emphasis on the word - event. Organized by the Noosa Tri Club as a training event as roads weren't closed and normal traffic rules apply. We were however, given timing chips so everyone gave their best shot. Capped at 50 entries and T Rex tri club made up more than half the numbers. Entry fees were $50 and we were given a trucker's hat and a bandana, plus sausage sizzle and cakes at the end. What more could we ask for? The timing was just right - a month out from Sunshine Coast 70.3 and I haven't been to Noosa before, so it was a no brainer for me. I even tagged on a trip to the zoo in Beerwah with my son the day before, so maybe some brownie points for me!

We stayed in Noosaville, about 4km from Lions Park in Noosa Heads. As it was still in the middle of winter, it was still dark and cold cycling to the site. My back pack was strapped on too high and the tail of my aero helmet keep getting caught in the top strap as I look up, so pretty dangerous cycling for that 15-20 minutes but I got to the site safely. Got myself registered and racked my bike, took what seemed like an eternity to put the wetsuit on, listened to the final briefing and soon it was time to go.

2km swim

Deepwater start with two laps around one of the islands in the Noosa river canal. The last time I swam in my wetsuit was at Port Macquarie in early May and boy, did I struggle! I couldn't get my catch right and each stroke seemed like a fight against the water. Everyone else seemed to be getting further and further ahead. It was only on the second lap that I got into the rhythm. Finally out of the water in just over 30 minutes for 1850m recorded on the Garmin. Average pace of 1:37 per 100m, a tad bit faster than my long swims in the pool but could definitely be better.

60km bike

The short transition was a nice change compared to the bigger events that I'm used to. My helmet visor was all fogged up from the morning dew so I had to give it a bit of wipe before I hopped on the bike. And then, the fairing came off a bit as I put it on and I couldn't get it back in, so had to ride the whole distance that way. The bike course is shaped like a lollipop. We rode from Noosa Heads towards Ringtail State Forest and then making a loop around Cootharaba and Borean Point before tracing our way back. Being unfamiliar with the area and the small participant numbers, it was easy to get lost but the organizers did a great job putting up signage at the main intersections so it was all good.

As it was just before 7am when we started the ride, it was still pretty chilly. I foolishly decided to wear a sleeveless trisuit and I did shiver in some sections where the trees were covering the sunshine. My fingers did get a bit frozen and I had some difficulty pulling out my drink bottle. Also I've had some issues with my di2 not being able to change gears whilst in the big chainring, so I had to switch to the small chainring each time I wanted to change gears. Thankfully the course wasn't too hilly, about 200m elevation in total. I should really get it fixed though. Despite all these, I had a decent ride. It was only my 4th ride back on the tri ride since Port and I was stuck behind a car going slowly through the cafe strip in the final few kms, so an average speed of 34kph was pretty good in my books. Average power was just over 180 watts, which is in line with my racing efforts. Time was 1 hour 45 minutes for the 59km distance recorded on the Garmin.

18km run

Having not run off the bike since Port, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised. Legs were turning over well and keeping to an average pace around 4:15 per km. The course was the first few kms of the bike course and it was 3 laps. We had volunteers handing out water and electrolyte at each turnaround. While temperatures were still in their high teens or low twenties, the sun rays were out in full force and the heat was slowly kicking in. I was making good progress getting closer to the ones further ahead. Run distance was a bit short though and I finally got home in under 70 minutes for the 16.3km distance recorded on the Garmin. Overall time was 3 hours 26 minutes, which I was happy with.

A bit of a catch up with a couple of friends and then it was time to have some brunch with my wife and son before the drive home. I truly enjoyed the event and many thanks to Noosa tri club for putting up a well organized and friendly affair! Looking forward to Sunshine Coast 70.3 in about a month's time.

IM Australia, Port Macquarie 2018

My 12th Ironman finish and what I needed to be eligible to apply for the Kona Legacy program by the end of the year, just have to make sure I complete at least one Ironman each to remain eligible until I receive my Kona slot. This race has a lot of history, being one of the oldest at 33 years with the earlier years held in Forster Tuncurry up until the early 2000s. The choice to do this race wasn't an easy one. There was only one direct flight from Brisbane for $200+ per person each way on Fokker planes that could not fit in bikes. So we had to drive. On paper, it should take about 6.5 hours. But with the Pacific Highway upgrade roadworks and the stops we had to take before our toddler son gets too cranky, with each stops have to be at least 30-45 minutes so that he can have a bit of a play, the journey took much longer. We decided to break the drive, spending the night at Coffs Harbour on the way down and a night at Iluka on the way back. I'm glad we did. I can't thank my wife Li-Ann and son Sebastian enough for enduring this trip with me just so I can indulge in this silly (crazy?) hobby. The other choice was to do Cairns, which I did in the past two years so I wanted something different. Also, I was too afraid to descend down Matthew Flinders hill the last time I did Port 3 years ago and embarrassingly walked down instead (I was probably the only one who walked DOWN rather than UP the hill) plus I had a tubular puncture then that I couldn't fix and waited at the road side for about 45 minutes until I was given a spare wheel, so I wanted a bit of redemption on this course.

The training build leading up to this race was short, following the post Christmas/New Year holidays so it does the body and mind to slowly get back into things. I only started seriously into training in early February, so about a 3 months build. I took a different approach this time with a longer 4 week build (instead my usual 3) followed by a week's recovery. Even in one of the recovery weeks, I slotted in Kingy Olympic tri so although the weekend's volume was reduced, it was high intensity racing. But my body responded well to this new approach and I have to say, that I was feeling fitter than ever leading up to Port. After having been coached in my earlier years of Ironman racing, I'm enjoying the flexibility of doing my own thing now and still holding myself accountable. My weekly hours peaked at just under 13 hours with 7 sessions a week (2x swim, bike, run and 1 gym), I made sure each session counts and no junk miles. I owe it to myself and my family that time spent away from home training was as productive as it can be. Doing the longer miles towards late autumn helps too with the cooler temperature, so I was able to put in some solid sessions and feeling confident.

So onto the race, with no scheduled video briefing and welcome dinner (we were given vouchers instead to use at local restaurants) my time spent at the pre race events were minimal which I much prefer. I did a trial descend on Matthew Flinders hill not once but twice and I was relieved that I have conquered my fears, it didn't seem much of a fuss after all but I would be lying if I said I didn't have palpitations when I got to that intersection. Easy 10 minute swim on race morning eve, bike check in and then taking it easy for the rest of the day. Race morning came quickly, I was planning to walk to transition about 15-20 minutes from the motel but our son was already up so we all drove down together. It was a chilly morning but calm with barely any wind. The queue to the portaloos were long but there were plenty of them so we moved pretty quickly. A bit of stretching, put on the wetsuit, kissed Li-Ann and Seb goodbye for about 11 hours or so, and then line up for the rolling start. I was able to get as close to the fastest wave (sub 1 hour swim) as possible.

Swim 3.8km

Unlike previous years, the swim start and finish now are at the same location in Westport Park. Previously we had to walk about 500m towards the carpark closer to town and we had a bit of a downstream for a longer portion of the swim. This time it's more equal, in a rectangular shape in anti clockwise direction. While I enjoyed the still waters of Hastings River, I always found it difficult to sight the buoys with the many boats docked around the course. I almost swam into one after the first turn. Other than that I kept pretty close to the buoys. I had plenty of people around me but I did not stick to any specific feet for extended amount of time. Swimming underneath the bridge always freak me out a bit no matter how many times I do it, for fear of crashing into one of the pillars. The weir crossings at the 1.7km and 2.5km were nice breaks and check points to see how I was progressing. I had to be careful though not to trip myself or push anyone over while hurrying up and down the steps. Catching sight of the finishing flags was a bit of relief as I was getting bored of seeing nothing but water. My swim time was 1:03:18 which was a minute slower than the last time I swam this course but still a good swim for me. I have long given up chasing to clock a swim split under the hour and as the years go by, I become less and less of a swimmer (used to swim for club in my teens) so as long as I don't slow down significantly, I am happy. My Garmin recorded 3856m so it was pretty much spot on, pace was 1:39 per 100m, on par with my training splits.

Transition 1

It was great to see Li-Ann and Seb as I was running towards the change tents. I struggled a bit to find my wetsuit zipper and almost asked Li-Ann for help (could have risked a DQ for outside assistance!) but I found it in the end. Wetsuit came off without any trouble. Wipe down feet, socks on, 4 Clif bars into my pockets and put on helmet on the go. Volunteers in the change tent were great, pulled out all my bike gear and packed away all my swim gear swiftly. I was a bit wobbly trying to fly mount my bike, so I decided to be safe and unclipped one shoe before putting in the other. Time taken 3:11.

Bike 180.2km

Bike course is two laps along the coast from Port Macquarie heading south towards Camden Haven with two brief detours before heading back to Port. Roads are decent, not great. The hot mix surface can be rough and slow, it saps the energy out of you if you don't pace yourself well. Some areas can be a bit patchy with a few potholes. But all of this is expected and everyone's doing the same course. A few short steep hills with the infamous Matthew Flinders climb, about 8km before the end of each lap but we descend down this hill first. My Garmin Edge and 920xt recorded 1684m and 1162m elevation respectively, so you be the judge. We were really lucky to have perfect racing weather. Cool temperatures but very sunny. Light winds but it did pick up on the second lap. A bit of headwind on the way out, a bit of tailwind on the way back.

It took me a while to get my speed up during the first 10km. There were a few climbs coming out of transition and I was overly cautious on the descends especially with many other cyclists around me. So I didn't gain much speed on the descends either. On the second lap, when the pack thinned out a bit and I was more mentally prepared of the corners ahead, I was more confident. I was still nervous when I first approached the sharp turn on the adjoining road leading into Matthew Flinders, but it was over before I knew it so I definitely did better on the second lap, still relatively slow though. After the descend from Matthew Flinders, there were long stretches of flat roads where I could stay in aero position for extended periods of time, sitting up just to get my drink bottle. I don't have an aero bottle in between my aero bars and this has worked out well as it forces me to sit up every 15-20 minutes or so.

Climbing Matthew Flinders, thanks Brad for this picture

I paced myself conservatively, averaging 160 watts, which is 75% FTP for me. Average pace built up to just under 32kph by the end of the first lap but the wheels came off (not literally!) pretty much about 10km after the turnaround. While it was the complete bonk I felt in Busso, the body did feel a lot weaker. I was sitting up a lot more and I was getting more and more uncomfortable being in aero position, absorbing the vibrations from the road traveling from my hands all the way to my lower back. I was still eating well though. I alternated between having an Endura gel and a Clif bar at each aid station, finished 6 gels and 4 bars in total on the course. The weather was cool enough for me to keep to having a drink every 10km. I only had to change swap my bottle once for Isowhey that they provided, it sure has a very strong taste! Lots of people passed me on the second lap but I was still pushing consistently, albeit a bit slow. I decided to take a pee stop at the portaloo at the penalty box just after the 140km mark. It was 97 seconds well spent and I did feel a lot more comfortable after. Rolled on and soon it was the final big climb at Matthew Flinders, the crowds were amazing (no Elvis this year though)! Finally got back to transition with a 5:52:54 bike split, averaging just over 30kph. Average power dropped down to just under 150 watts.

Transition 2

Having done a short course race few weeks earlier, I wanted to run back to my bike rack even though I've handed my bike to the volunteers and I almost did! Luckily I was redirected to run straight towards the change tent. Again, volunteers were great. Unpacked my run gear and packed away my bike gear quickly. My movements weren't as quick as I would have liked but what's a few seconds lost. Socks off, new socks on, shoes on, belt on, sunglasses and visor on the go. Time taken 1:50.

Run 42.2km

Run course is 4 laps starting from transition, head east for about 2kms and turnaround before heading back past transition towards north past Settlement City. There's a gradual climb, which is part of the bike course just before the first turnaround but it moves quickly into downhill after that as well. Just have to grit your teeth and power up the climb and use the momentum to roll down the slope after. If there's something I would pick Port over the other races is the crowd support. You get more of that on the bike course and you get a whole lot more of that on the run course. There were no quiet zones that you had to dig deep on your own. Throughout the whole run course I felt being lifted by the crowd.

My legs seemed as though they turned on a switch the moment the run course started. Although I had to stop a couple of times at first to adjust the tongue of my shoes, they were powering through the first few kms. For the first lap I was clocking 4:30 to 4:45 per km. The long brick runs in my last two training weekends (20km and 15km respectively) definitely helped. Next lap I slowed down a bit to 4:45 to 5:00 per km but I wasn't too worried as it was expected. I was keen to catch my friend Nathan who passed me on the second lap of the bike and was about 15 minutes or so ahead when we started the run. I managed to pass him on the second lap and he encouraged me to push on. It's nice to do the same race as friends and club members, seeing them out on the course - Greg Z, Anthony, Shane, Philippe, Mel, Afrar, Trev, Ross, Greg S gives you more motivation. Supporting club members Helene and Brad and many others were great too, giving us the extra boost!

Once I passed Nathan, it felt that the rabbit chase is over. I started walking at the aid stations, I didn't prior to this. But I still kept the running effort pretty consistent albeit at a slower pace as the body gets more fatigued. The km splits from then on ranged from between 5:30 to 6:00 depending on whether there's an aid station or not. After the final turnaround, with less than 4kms to go, I decided that I wanted to beat my sister's sub 3:45 open marathon time at the recent KL Marathon. So I ran through the aid stations, grabbing the drinks on the go. This was also my first time getting the glow sticks denting my ego a bit, the marshalls were strict and didn't give us a choice. The downside of doing a late autumn race, it gets dark just after 5pm. But hey, it became a handy toy for my son after the race. Finally, could see the finishing marquee in sight, hearing the crowd cheering and clapping against the barricades, once again for my 12th Ironman finish, tears welled up in my eyes as I cross the line. And Li-Ann and Seb were waiting just at the side immediately after the arch. We had a few hugs and kisses before I was escorted to the recovery area. Finish time was 10:42:15 with a run split of 3:41:02. And despite finishing 15-20 minutes before Nathan, the sneaky bugger finished 45 seconds ahead of me, he must have started way later than I did. If only, if only, if only...

I placed 35th in my age group and 149th overall. While the finish time was a bit slower than I hoped, given that I was training well leading into this race and expected more, it was a finish that I needed and that's good enough. Coming in under 11 hours is still pretty decent in my books. There are many who helped me through this journey but top credits obviously goes to Li-Ann and Sebastian who made lots of sacrifices for me to get here. Logan Tri Club has been a great support network inside and outside training and on the race course as well. Mum and dad, and my siblings and brother in law, tracking me online and sending me well wishes leading up to the race, it's always a nice feeling that they are sending me love and keeping me safe even from so far away. And to everyone else sending me positive vibes through social network, thank you as they definitely kept me going when the going got tough.

Now for a bit of reduced (note not zero) training during the off season before building up again to Ironman Malaysia in November! Fun, fun, fun!

Kingscliff Triathlon 2018

Also known as Kingy Tri and held twice a year - March and late November/early December. I signed up for this race as part of the package along with the Tweed Coast Enduro and got 5% off, yay - I'll take the small wins! An easy 75 minute drive from home, just need to be up at 3.30am so that I get there in time before registration and transition closes, being held in New South Wales where daylight savings apply. The distance was meant to be the standard Olympic but there were some adjustments which I'll elaborate further. The timing fits well into my Ironman training too, coming off a long build for the past 4 weekends, it was nice to just to have a break and smash it out in 2+ hour race.

Lucky to have a corner spot on the bike rack - plenty of space to set up!

There were several distances raced that day, starting with the kids and enticers then the sprint and finally the Olympic distance. I was in the last wave too so I took my time to have a bit of breakfast, did some stretches and make that final visit to the toilet. The organizers changed the swim course this year. Historically, it was a point to point swim whereas this year due to change in tide direction, the swim started near transition instead. So I had even more time as I did not need to walk down to the swim start. Being in the last wave at 8.17am NSW daylight savings time, meant there was less of a queue at the toilets too.

Swim

I probably got a bit too relaxed and was still warming up when the announcer was calling out for all remaining participants to get to the start. But I got there in time with no dramas. When the horn blowed, the usual push and shove took place but it cleared after a couple of minutes as there probably about 30 or so participants in the wave. Water was extremely clear and just gorgeous. You could see schools of fish swimming underneath you. The swim course is shaped like a hook, swim most of it with the tide and a short u-turn back to shore. Then run back the remaining distance to transition. We were told that the swim distance would be 1350m instead of the standard 1500m, with a 400m run back to transition. I thought fair enough, the time to run 400m roughly makes up for the 150m. But it seemed the turnaround buoy was placed a bit too early and it was just under 1km when we finished the swim. I actually looked back just to make sure I didn't miss a turn. But the run back was a bit longer, about 700m. The organizers gave the option of putting shoes on after the swim, but most including myself were running barefoot. My time when I got to transition was 17:40. About 4 minutes quicker than last year's full swim.

Transition 1

Goggles and cap off. Brief wipe of the feet, socks on, helmet on and bike off. It wasn't too crowded at the bike mount line so I was able to hop on it without worrying of knocking someone over. It was then when I felt some tightness around my waist. You muppet! You forgot to remove your swimskin... AGAIN!

All savings from the reduced drag swimming with a swimskin probably lost ten folds by having it flapping on the bike!

Bike

4 laps of 10km on an L shaped course. Small incline in the middle, about 100m elevation in total. Sharp turn at the start of each lap which I still nervously brake and go wide around. Probably lose about 10 seconds each time I do it. But I am definitely more confident this time round going low on the aerobars even when there's a sudden gusts of wind coming from the coast. Maybe it has something to do with the disc, stabilizing the bike. It wasn't too windy but you do feel it especially when you had to work against it in some sections. The first couple of laps were pretty crowded with some of the sprint participants still on course. It was a non drafting race but in these situations, it's near impossible not to draft unintentionally. It wasn't until the final lap where I felt that I could actually ride on my own without having to overtake or being overtaken.  Road surface was fair but there are a few small pot holes you had to look out for. While I felt I was riding strong and consistently, I didn't have enough speed in me to really hammer all the way. I clocked just under 1:08 for the bike split, about 1.5 minutes quicker than last year. Average speed of just over 35kph and average power of just over 180 watts. Official time had me doing 1:09:56 including both transitions.

Transition 2

Shoes on and everything else - sunglasses, visor and race bib on the go. Wait, I forgot something - remove the swimskin! Turned around and tried removing it while I already had my shoes on. One side came out fine, the other I had to kick the shoe off and quickly put it back on after. Tossed the swimskin and hopefully it landed right back on my spot.

Run

The run, my favourite part!

I'm glad I took that time to get the swimskin off. While it wasn't hot to start with, it was getting hot on the run and my legs would have overheated. The run course is two laps of 5km, with a short but steep incline just after coming out of transition, followed by a fast downhill. The rest of the course is mostly flat and partly shaded. Mostly on concrete and footpaths, a bit of wooden boardwalk, a bit of grass with a very small section running on sand covered by carpet. The run is always my favourite part and that's where I usually make most of my gains. This time last year, I wasn't run fit as well so I knew I could improve on last year's time even more - after making some mental deductions for the shortened swim. My legs were probably still running on the cycling cadence and I clocked 4:04 for the first km. Thereafter it settled in the range of 4:15 to 4:25. I wasn't running as fast as I did for Robina tri in October but I kinda expected it based on my training. The great thing about doing an Olympic distance after all this Ironman training, is even though I was hurting, I knew there wasn't long more to go. Finally got to the finish line with a 42:36 run split and overall finish time of 2:10:13.

I finished 6th in my age group and I later found out that it was the Queensland State Championship (ironically held just across the border in New South Wales) and I was actually the first Tri Qld member in my age group! Probably with all the qualifying races held around this time (Mooloolaba last week and Wollongong this same weekend) for the World Championship later in Gold Coast in September, the field must have watered down a bit. But... I left early and missed the rare chance of standing on top of the podium. Will have to arrange to get my State Champion medal some other way.

The race organizers put on a great event!

Overall I'm pretty happy with my result. Adding another 5-6 minutes for the shortened swim would still give me a PB of 2-3 minutes. It was a fun outing too, being able to catch up with some tri minded friends before and after the race. I'll definitely do this race again if the timing is right. Things are shaping up well for IM Port Macquarie in 7 weeks time. One more build to go before the taper. Can't wait!

DNF at IMWA

The title says it all and most of you would have known by now that I didn't finish my race at Ironman Western Australia, Busselton last weekend. I was feeling great and was on PB pace for the first lap of the bike but it was as though I hit a wall immediately after the turnaround. My pace up until the half way point was an average of 34.5kph but I struggled to hold 25kph thereafter. I soft pedalled for the next 20km to see if I could push through. At one point I was even calculating if I could meet the cut off! But the body was weak and the mind was even weaker, I found a wooden hut where the timing mats were kept at the 110km mark and hid in the shade to see I would feel better after a few minutes rest. I didn't and shortly after caught the SAG wagon back to town.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I was really looking forward to this race. I signed up for it way in advance, whereas IM Cairns was more of a last minute thing. It was meant to be 12th finish and I would have been able to apply for the Kona Legacy program but looks like I would have to wait anther year now. What may have caused it? I don't know for sure. Having the swim cancelled and a delayed start, waiting on the beach under the sun for about 45 minutes didn't help but many others went through the same. I pulled out of the race before the bike course was shortened due to the bush fire further away but it may have caused the temperate to spike in the last hour or so of my ride. It was of no one's fault and the organizers did the best they could on that day as participants' safety was paramount. Conditions were definitely challenging to say the least and I congratulate all those who persevered through to finish that day. At Li-Ann's insistence, I'll  also be reviewing my race nutrition plan as I have over simplified it all these while and it's time to put some science to it.

Despite all this, I did have a great trip. Coming back to Perth is always nice, going to places that brought back lots of memories and great to see some new developments as well. And the time spent with family and meeting up with old friends was priceless. So it was definitely a trip worth while.

Pre race portrait shots by Paparazzi on The Run

What's next for 2018? I'm still undecided at the moment. While I have already signed up for IM Port Macquarie in May, we were given $200 discount off any full Ironman race within Australia and New Zealand for the cancelled swim and shortened bike course, no refunds for races already registered of course. This kind of makes me lean towards Cairns again and possibly defer my Port Mac entry to the following year. But I would also like to do IM Malaysia again and I'm not sure if I want to go through training for two Ironmans in a year again. Been doing that for the last 3 years.

I've got some thinking to do.

Springfield Duathlon 2017

I wasn't expecting to write another race report, just 6 weeks after Ironman Cairns. But I decided to do the Springfield Duathlon for a number of reasons. In the last few weeks, I have been building up my weekend ride and run distances, towards Ironman WA end of the year. Having a race like this after a training block gives a nice break to the monotony. Plus, I last did this race two years ago and was totally freaked out by the fast descends and sharp corners, so I was keen to see whether I have improved or not.

The event was held on the grounds of University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central about 40 minutes drive from home. Each year it was one of the coldest days to have this event and this year was no different. A crisp 4 degrees when I got to the car park but thankfully it warmed up to about 6-7 degrees when the race started. There was quite a long queue for race pack pick up and I was a bit worried that I'll miss the transition close time of 6.15am but looks like it wasn't strictly enforced. The race stickers were not very sticky and the one on my helmet actually came off during the bike. I still had some time for a last minute visit to the portaloo and a 5 minute warm up run before my wave start.

The sun could not have come up soon enough!

1st run 10km

The run course has changed from two years ago but maintained the same format. 4 laps of 2+km with a few hundred meters in and out of transition at the start and finish. Slight incline at the turnaround. Pretty straightforward. I actually like this new course, plenty of trees and nicer scenery. My run speed was not what it was two years ago, but I was able to keep a pretty consistent pace and still felt pretty comfortable by the end of it. First km was 3:53 with the excitement at the start but I settled into around 4:10 to 4:15 for the remaining. Timed 40:31 and it was about 500m short when I got to transition but here's how I made up for it!

Fumbled with my frozen fingers to get the helmet on and rushed my bike off the racks, got to the bike mount line and realised I still had my run shoes on! I laughed at myself and the officials were laughing with (or maybe at) me. Brought the bike back to the racks as I wasn't sure if I could just leave the bike at the mount line. Removed my run shoes and got back out again. I felt like a complete muppet, clearly I don't do enough duathlons - this is my 3rd one so far.

Caught in the act with two pairs of shoes on!

Bike 40km

The bike course stayed the same as last time. 6 laps - about 2kms of climbing, 2kms of descending, 2kms of flat, repeat. It was about 3-4kms too short the last time, so organizers extended the final turnaround by a few hundred meters. Clocked 39kms this time, not quite 40kms but close enough. Overall elevation of over 400m, so a pretty hilly course.

I was very nervous on the descends and cornering the last time. While I admit I was better this time round, I still have much to improve. I had a very modest average pace, just over 28kph and I still lost a lot of time on the downhills. My initial target was to beat my Olympic Distance triathlon PB but with a 1:24:42 bike split including transitions, that target went out of the window very quickly.

Transition 2 wasn't without drama either. As the bike racks weren't numbered and we could rack our bikes in any order just as long as they were according to age group, I had a bit of trouble looking for my spot. I made it harder by not bringing a towel to look out for as there was no swim and my run shoes must have got pushed around during the confusion in Transition 1, but I eventually found my spot.

2nd run 5km

The 2nd run goes through the same laps as the first run, just with two laps instead of four. Despite not doing any brick runs since the Ironman, my legs felt pretty good but it was only a 40km ride before anyway. I held between 4:10 to 4:20 pace and was able to pass a few competitors who were ahead of me after the bike. The 2nd run was about 150m longer and I clocked 21:41, giving overall time of 2:26:55. I was 6.5 minutes slower than the last time but so were most people with the bike being short the last time.

Digging deep to improve my position

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how my race went. Kudos to Triathlon Queensland, officials and volunteers for a well organized event. It was great way to dust off the cobwebs and kick off the new season. There were quite a number of Logan Tri Club members who did this race, whom I don't normally meet in the training sessions so it was nice getting to meet them. I'm looking forward to the next race - Sunshine Coast 70.3!

I need to get myself an LTC kit! Thanks Erika for the photo!