I showed up prepared.
One good sleep prior race day, up at 4:30am, had a slice of brown bread, arrived at transition for the setup at 5:30am, 15mins get everything ready, gently move to the beach for gentle warm up and wait for the rolling start. YingHo and I queued in the 36-40m zone. The course was a rectangle shape course, 400m swim out and right turn for 700m journey, 300m back to the shore then 400m back to last turning bouy then 100m to swim finish. Rope line up all the way so you won’t swim off course if you sight wrongly. Easy!
Swim
Beep start, one two running into the water and one two dolphins dive starting the swim, oh damn I was in 36-40mins zone why there are so many breakstroke on the front?? I had to swim over a few osculates from time to time, funny enough I saw some people holding the rope and checking the Garmin...no good feet to follow but just keep passing people, more kicking in last 200m, exit the swim at 34’57” PB swim split perfect!
T1
They built the transition on top of the beach so just very close to the swim exit and I didn’t even have time to take off the swim skin, put on cream, gloves and helmet then off to go!
Bike
It was a bit of rain along the course, people were all very gentle in the first 5km before the climb, ah! My last ride here was 2011, let’s see how I go! Yeah the first climb formed by a few 8% slope with a few short shoulder in between, then a few rolling towards Layan Resort where the yellow flag zone, the road surface is very smooth with the wet floor, I decided to walk down the short slope, walking with bike shoes is equally slippery! And I heard a series of sound from the guys behind fallen off the bikes....multiple!! Just a short walk then I started riding again towards Naithon and started the last climb to finished that 20k Phuket hill segments! Safe! The first 30km took me 1:15hrs so the bike split won’t be great but I still tried to make it 3hrs, unfortunately rest of the segments are 1-3% false flat and some rolling terrains you would fully utilized all the gears! I even spent a minute at 75k pit stop to stretch my back and refill some water, in 85km we had to stop in the big roundabout for the traffic, but it didn’t bother me too much. So made it home in 3:10hrs eventually. Nutrition plan went ok, keep sipping hammer nutrition and two gel every 45mins, BonkBreaker apple pie in 2:30hrs, and 2 hammer solid in between.
T2
It was a bit of queuing once dismounted, the transition ground are all soaking wet and I put my running shoes inside the bag, spent 2mins extra to dry my feet and put on socks
Run
Feeling ok in the beginning but not very fresh, compared to PuYaMa in April. 2-3km later I picked up some pace, cloudy weather, little rain drop - perfect!
the run course was kind of easy, the longest stretch is 3km then turn around, you wouldn’t feel like running forever but the bike course already killed my legs, i was still ok when I saw G cheering me at 8km point then I started struggling after 12-13k and need a lot of mental focus to keep myself not doing the zombie walk, indeed there was lot of people already in the zombie mode, Idy caught me in last 4km she kept me running! It’s not the race for PB just try not to be too ugly, 2:20hrs run split same as my best 70.3 record, finish at 6:20hrs oh my god it’s over! I actually couldn’t run any faster at the end...
It’s not the best time but it’s not ugly, with the volume and load I’ve been trained, that’s the best I’ve given in. I’m glad with the result and have no regret at all.
Thanks my super G supporting me as always, thanks all my friends cheering and supporting me virtually and physically, who been training with me, giving me a little push, all appreciated!
I find my inner soul though training and racing, sometime you have a great day and bad day, and you’d treasure everything more! Now officially closing my triathlon season of 2017! Love you all!
#whywetri
#thisishardcore
#teamsonictriathlete
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