I miss Busselton...
I wanna experience other Ironman races.
But the vibrancy and awesome experience I had during the race made me wanna do it all over again.
I never get to visit the Busselton Jetty...
Before the race, the guys did not wanna walk it cos it will remind them how long the swim is.
After the race, the guys did not wanna walk it cos we already swam around it.
Plus Jodan Daniel walks funny... He will take double the time to complete the distance. Duh...
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My experiences?
I have lots of self doubts before the race.
226k the number is daunting enough.
I did not have enough training.
How I am going to go through 17hrs of sheer physical activity is any people's guess.
I have send out SOS several times.
Sorry to make you guys worry about me.
My wonderful friends have responded with comforting words.
Thanks, guys.
3 weeks before the race, I did have some awakening.
I have been beating myself up for not training enough.
To me, training for an Ironman meant training every day.
Once in the morning, once at night.
I know who poison me with those words, but those words stuck. It stuck hard.
Nah... Ironman training does not have to be that tough.
It meant training to ensure that you can handle the distance.
I did exactly what I did for my first IM70.3.
Do at least 70% of each discipline at least once.
I am lucky to have FOTR to help me all the way.
I am lucky to have all the close acquaintances to confide in about my worst fears.
Newton 30k marks the last LSD I had prior to IMWA.
Having done that, I make sure that I get comfy with my aerobars position.
Not a cycling posture that I like but I need to get used to.
Rides were done tweaking every millimeter of the aero position.
It does not really matter in the end, but well who knows about it beforehand.
YP and SE dragged me for my first wetsuit swim.
I lost 2kg on that very swim.
I hit 100kg on the scale...
I was over the moon.
I looked forward to my second wetsuit swim.
The wetsuit feels a lot easier to put on and I feel more comfortable swimming in it.
I lost another kg after the race.
So officially I lost 3kg in 2011.
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Who would have thought how different things can get in 5 years.
I just complete my reservist cycle and I am at a loss.
My bi-annual remedial training will never happen again.
I will become a couch potato if I do not do something.
I am out of breath following Shannon around the playground.
The rest of the story I have repeated too many times.
So I keep it short.
I ran my first SCSM 10k.
I found out about SGRunners and TriFam.
I admire those who did the inaugural Aviva IM 70.3 Singapore.
I took me another 2 years before I pluck the courage to did my first one.
Seeing my friends complete their first IMs in Busselton last year, I am tempted.
I took the plunge in 15th December 2010.
It followed with a year of anxiety and training.
Come 4th December 2011, the deed is done.
During the swim, I keep praying that I do not DNF during the swim.
During the last 10km on the bike, I prayed that I do not have a flat tire.
Only when I enter T2 did I feel relieved.
How I know I am going to PB the marathon is anybody's guess.
I guess it is the only way I can complete the race within the cut-off time?
I guess it is the only way I can return a 100% scorecard to all the clubs I belong to, especially FOTR.
It will be devastating if I fail now.
Mental Will makes me tough it through the 42.195km, I guess.
So how do I feel after I did the Ironman?
Contrary to popular belief about elation, I feel relieved.
The only thing I really wanted to do is sleep.
Which is what I did very well after a good shower. =)
Just like Aviva IM 70.3 Singapore, I do not feel anything special after IMWA.
It just feels like any other triathlon. An extremely long triathlon, but a traithlon nonetheless.
Life is back to normal as we speak. =)
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