Take it too easy, take it too serious - Ironman Taiwan 70.3

Life had been too stressful in last 3 months, training was not on track, I did question myself whether I should do this race, but given that I have been doing triathlon for many years, I do keep myself training all years round, and the motivation from my team Sonic, to make myself no regret, I still give it a go. My G was training really hard for this race and keep motivate me, just take it easy and enjoy the surrounding, I will be fine. It became my belief.

Arriving Kenting under the beautiful weather. Chill, sunny and wind, very mild temperature just perfect for sports! Until we rode on the race course to realize how windy is that. We rode and swam the course before checkin the bike, unlike Ironman China, I felt relax under this atmosphere, beautiful weather and place, feel like in the holiday more than a pure race, I keep this feeling until the evening.

We finished the carboloading dinner at 7pm, back to room the pack up for race, I didn't take standard picture for my race kit and setup, it just my first time I don't really care. I realized that I did care when I go to bed after some stretching, I kept thinking of how the race would unfold, I couldn't sleep at all.

Alarm set at 4am, already up, heart rate at 55, 15beats higher...
G is in good shape, up and ready, she made cereal chocolate for my breakfast with some bread, we carried the heavy gear bag to TA, once we arrived I help her to pump up the tire, the shit happen! Why it was not inflating?! After a few trials I asked G to take the front wheel to bike mechanic tent for help and I worked on her rear wheel, it was 5:30am, 60mins to swim start, I did my quick setup and ran back to G bike and I couldnt see her front wheel! So she is still in bike tent, oh no, many ppls are trying to help and G was sodding, poor G she was hopeless, and the bike mechanic seems not able to find the root cause especially G is riding 650c that she already provided 3 spares....

That 60mins of stress really took her lot of energy, she even cannot put on the wetsuit, I tried to be with her, put on the wet suit and go to swim start.

Team sonic already there to get ready, G and I did a few stroke of swim and received encouragement from the team,  I asked G to claim down and just find her own space. Gun start, 800 ppls swimming together is spectacular, in the middle of the pack you will suffer from lot of scratch and kick, I just got hit on my nose by one of the strong break-stroke kick, he turned back and sorry but it could stop my nose bleeding, ok my teeth still here and this is an Ironman swim so keep going, 2 loops of 900m, 450m out and back, straight forward, crystal clear water we can see the bottom even at 300m away, some current, lot of splash by the wind, should not wear the wetsuit 1st lap took 21mins that's make sense, but didnt know why the swim finished at 44mins...maybe staying with very laid-back pack. Run up to T1 I saw Chiam and Larry in front of me, thanks for the cheer up from Raymond Angel and Fanny I hear you.
I was a bit confused at T1 as everything is in my bike bag and I gonna open it and put on everything bits by bits, I took it easy since it's a long day ahead.

90k bike ride start with my very dry mouth, dip some water couldn't help much, and a lot of wind alone the course, head wind cross wind but not tail wind...another shit happen when I looked at my garmin bike computer that I didn't reset, it was showing the time and distance I rode the day before...I lost a bit of sense of how long and how far I rode, I could only relied on the course making at every 20k, seeing G on the ride is the happy moment on the bike course, I felt bit of tired after 20k, nutrition plan went wrong from that point, first 45k loop was ok, just the wind can slow you down to 19km/h at some point, all in small chain ring, 2nd loop is a test, bar gel chocolate and finally realized that is the real meaning of Washing Down all this shit! I just had problem washing down with my dry mouth....Denis passed me, George passed me, and Gab passed me in last 10k, it was really tiring the last 10k, the wind keep blowing from difference directions, you need some effort even on going down, how difficult to make it back to TA, I couldn't see G in my 2nd lap but I did hope she still on the course, foot down, legs still fresh, mentally fatigue, bike mounted, put on my fuel belt, walk out the TA, heard a bit from Frederic, tried hard to response, I didn't know how to deal with that 21k all in a sudden.

The run is very straight forward just all the way run back to hotel finish line, I felt tried but I kept going, jogging, marching walking and repeat, G told me to enjoy the surrounding, but all the surrounding is just the same tree, same straight road, same slope, I did try to encourage some others but not responding much...i took everything available at aid station, water, sports drink, banana, even salts, my knee joint is ok, shin is ok, legs muscle are ok, but I felt really tiring, how difficult to make to half way, physically I didn't feel any pain, but it's torture for my mental, I couldnt enjoy the surrounding,    at some point I think of giving it up, just couldnt find the reason, as long as I can move I should keep going and finish it. Some said, you will find lot of space to think during the race, but I was numb, like a walking dead, how hard to reach 15k and saw G waving and taking pictures for me, realized that her race was ended by flat tyre, so sad as she well trained and prepared for this, and so shame on myself that unprepared but making it to finish, passing though the last village, not much people left on the course and the village was so quiet, after the village, see the mark on the ground 2.4k to turning point damn it! I walked and jogged that 2.4k like forever....how hard to cross the finish line, alone the run I didn't look at my watch, no point to know the time, it's just too ugly, it's a shame experience in my triathlon life,   I feel sorry to all my friends to cheer me, give me motivation and support.

I actually though I could finish it in 6:30hrs, it's not easy, it's too much I can take.

I hat off to all my team sonic in this race. Especially to podium finishers Andy Patrick (2nd in AG), Kenneth (11th in AG), Susana (5th in AG), and Eric (10th in AG)!!