Ironman Zurich 2009: My Story

This is about a month overdue but with the long trip that came after and the hectic week that just passed... there wasn't really much I could do or blog about. I was supposed to be at the pool this morning but I couldn't seem to get myself out of bed. I was up pretty late last night writing my "account" of the TH saga that is currently unfolding. Sorry Jon... I tried to wake up... I honestly did :) Anyway, before I commence on my readings or any of that other crap I am supposed to do before sunset today, I decided that I would like to write about my inaugural Ironman experience in Zurich a month back.

When Jiajie first proposed the idea of completing our first Ironman before the year is out, I told him to get a life and stop dreaming. We were only just noobs in the wonderful world of Triathlon and my only dream thus far was doing a BP in the Half-Ironman category. Completing an Ironman is for most a natural progression from the Half Ironman races. However, training for one is whole different ball-game altogether. Anyway, JJ successfully talked me into it. Norms, Melvin and Nic soon got won over by the very idea that we would be "Ironmen" in every sense of the word by the start of our third semester. 

Ask any endurance athlete out there and they'll tell you that most of the fun (and pain...) lies in training for the event. The event itself serves, in my humble opinion, as a mere "epilogue" to the journey and the events leading up to it. My story and experience isn't any different. Sure enough, there were times when tempers flew, bikes crashed and friendships were tested. But nobody mentioned that the journey would be smooth sailing all the time right? 

Time flies and before either of us knew what was going on, school was out and viola, the 5 of us stood staring, mouth agape at the clear, icy waters of Zurich-see. I remembered looking at the vast lake and just telling myself... crap the water is cold... damn freaking cold...

The calm before the storm

"The Island" is where we'd be running out of the water and back in again for our 2nd swim leg

The 5 of us before the bike check-in

The couple of days between touching down in Zurich and that Sunday morning which will remain in my mind for a long time to come passed by like a blur. We had so many things to do in so little time. Setting up the bike, figuring out the competition route, prepping for the return journey of the bike boxes... 

Before long, the 12th of July dawned before us. We arose really early that day and headed down to wait for the cabs which Michelle's aunt had so kindly booked for us the night before. One of the cabs came really late and that did worry us quite a bit. Xiu Qiung was pretty darn amazing with her German prowess and very soon we were on our merry way to the race site. (She talked us out of a fare surcharge too...)

Me late and changing out into my race attire

Last minute tweaks to the bike

Team Singapore! (Half of it anyway...)

Holding area on the beach 

I shall skip the dreadfully boring parts about me changing out, forgetting to bring my sunglasses, queueing for a ridiculously long time at the washroom etc. After changing out and running through my pre-race rituals, we took one last photograph with the National flag and made our way to the beach. The walk there took forever and the 5 of us occupied ourselves with prayers, race plans and nervous laughter. We gathered at the beach front where we had our final race briefing and last photos taken of us. By then, I was trembling with excitement and despite my somewhat calm appearance, I was a nervous wreck inside. This was a 13 hour race where almost anything could go wrong. I just hoped my training would pay off. 

As soon as the 5 minute to race bell sounded, all the competitors proceeded to make our way through the water to the start-line. The 5 of us held back and decided to stay towards the right hand side of the course. We simply didn't want to be in the way of others when the gun goes off. I vaguely remember screaming out to JJ and Nic as the gun went off, "Damn it! I can't believe I am actually doing it!." Nic laughed and JJ shouted back too, unable to contain his glee :). Melvin broke off first and made his way through the crowd of swimmers towards the front. JJ stayed with Norms and Nic and I paired off as we swam onwards. To our pleasant surprise, the 2200 people, or at least the ones around us, were rather polite. There wasn't much shoving, pushing or grabbing going about. Everybody did their own stuff and swam their own race. The swim was rather uneventful. The water was cold, really cold however visibility was pretty good. Nic and I kept in touch through diving hand signals and I am really glad to have someone stick by me through the otherwise really lonely 3.8 km swim.

Swimming out to the start point

Me going at it on my bike

Norms and I making our way to the end

After completing the two arduous loops, Nic and I got out and made our way to the transition area. We changed out and I decided to don my cycling jersey over my tri-gear. We took a really long time during the transition cause the intent was to wait for Norms and JJ before heading out on the bike leg. JJ and Norms appeared after a while and as the 2 of them wanted to use the washroom before heading out on to the course, Nic and I decided to make a move first. The initial stage of the bike leg was really goo. The crowd was screaming as the cyclist made their way out of the transition area and zoomed off into the unknowns. I knew that the first 30 km of the bike leg would be pretty good, however the remaining 60 km of the 90 km loop will be quite a challenge. I managed to stay with Nic all the way till the foot of "The Beast". I wanted to take a longer break before making my ascent so Nic and I parted ways there. 

The climb up this Hill was really painful. I hadn't done much hill training was paying for that right then. My ascent was mightily slow but the awesome energy of the crowd coupled with the beautiful scenery made all that pain worthwhile. I can't put down in words really just awesome the entire bike leg was. Sure, there were painful bits but the ride was largely just one giant awesome experience. 

The weather was really good too. The extra clothing was crucial for me and I hate to think how the race might have turned out had I not brought the clothes along. As it is, I did forget to pack my sunglasses into my race bag that morning and the cold weather and dry air did cause my eyes to smart. I have to admit... that was a good lesson to be more careful the next time I pack my racing attire.  Anyway, the intermittent rain did help moisten the air and the smarting stopped after a while. 

JJ and Norms soon caught up with me and the three of us chugged along the race course together. The three of us wore the same OCBC cycling jersey and that helped the crowd "recognized" the Singapore group:) Without a doubt, all 5 of us would agree that that ride that morning along the streets and country side of Zurich would be a ride for us to remember in a long time to come. 

Returning after the bike leg

Norms and I starting out on the run

As with all good thing, the 180 km bike ride soon drew to an end. By this time, JJ had too broken off and sped ahead. Norms and I entered the transition area together and returned out bikes. Norms transited pretty fast whilst I stayed behind for a bit just to loosen up and down a Power Bar. I remember Lemin and Xiu Qing cheering me on as I left the transition area to begin my assault on the run leg. The support from the crowd and more importantly from my friends and family members was what kept me going. I met up with Norms and JJ pretty early during the run leg. We agreed that we'd be keeping rather different paces and it would be best for us to split up and do our runs on our own. 

Meeting my parents along the run; giving my dad a hi-5

The run went really well for me that day. The weather was excellent and I was in really good spirits. I stuck pretty firmly to my race plan. Run at a steady pace, hydrate at every station, and maintain my pre determined paces for the different sections of my run leg. I did start out the run with my pockets loaded with race gels and all but I realized that the aid stations and water points more than adequately covered my race nutritional needs. I abandoned my powergels the next time I crossed the transition area in favour of the really nice tasting stuff handed out at the aid stations. I kept keeping that image of me crossing the finishing line in good time on my head as I ran along the route. There were numerous times where I felt like slowing down or taking a short break, but I just told myself to hold on... as Nic can testify... "head to that lampost 20 metres down". The run is nothing but a mental game and all you have to do is to trick yourself into giving that little bit more. 

I managed to meet up with Nic sometime later on the run course and that gave me the added incentive to run much better. By then, we were somewhere along the 30 plus km mark, I think, and I was starting to get a bit fatigued mentally. Running with Nic most definitely kept my morale high. We chatted a bit and kept each other going. At the 38 (not too sure here...) km mark, Nic told me to go ahead and try and go below the 14 hour mark. I was a bit hesitant at first but after much encouragement, I decided to run off and make that time. I vaguely remember keeping my eye on the main clock tower in Zurich and running hard like there were no tomorrow. The thundering applause and the surge in the number of people by the streets indicated to me that I was near the end. As I entered the finish area, I took the flag from Lemin and jogged through the crowd and onto the final 5om stretch. The cheering crowd, the announcing of my name as I entered the area, my parents cheering me on as I ran past... Words fail to do justice to the whole experience. 

As I crossed the finishing line, I could feel the surge of adrenaline come to an end. What surged next was the rush of pain from my legs to my head. I kinda folded and dropped to my knees in what we would define as agony. My mum would later tell me that when she witnessed me going down on my knees, all she did was turn to my dad and ask him since when had I become so religious. On hind sight... I think it did look like I was praying. I think most Ironmen, when they kneel at the end of that long race, do it out of pain rather that piety :) Just an opinion here. 

Finishing moment

I always wanted to have a medal worthy of this pic. I kinda guess an Ironman medal would now make the cut:)

Being helped out after my silent "prayer"

Loved ones (Lest my Dad)

The best family one could ever ask for.

In conclusion, the race was just one super-duper awesome life-changing experience that I would never trade for anything in the world. There's a lot of stuff I want to write about the race in this post but I can't seem to decide which of it should go up and which shouldn't... anyway it was an such an awesome experience and I don't think a post would justify it... so just take my word for it... Till the next race! :P