Singapore 70.3 2007

Report by Chris Wilcock

(Is there really a faster triathletes inside me and trying to get out - I'm starting to wonder?!)

Well, I've just got back from Singapore and have had time to reflect on the inaugural 70.3. Plenty of positives, just a couple of negatives so here goes...

The Build

As an MTC member in exile in Taiwan, I'm acclimatizing slowly but, strangely, both Taiwan (current home) and Singapore (race venue) resemble Manchester - it rains a lot here as well!!

Anyway, been out here nearly 2 years and managed a few races, bit not the depth and quality of back home, so when they announced a 70.3 in Singapore in early September, I signed up.

Training wasn't perfect - when is it? I work between 50 and 60 hours a week. My wife is pregnant. We've had a trip back to England, and so on. And I can't seem to muster any real enthusiasm for swimming!! But, I enjoy training so tried to do what was required which, in most cases, was okay. On a couple of the longer bricks, I faded badly on the run, never quite feeling like I had bonked. Later analysis suggested it was dehydration probably. It's been pretty hot in Taiwan over July and August, similar to Singapore maybe not as humid.

The Trip

We (me, Mrs W and Alexander - 3 and just starting to enjoy "Daddy racing") left Taiwan on Thursday (race day was Sunday). The flight is 4 hours - we were in the hotel by 8. We'd decided to stay at the "event" hotel which was dead handy - race briefing, race morning bus pick-up, T2 and finish area was just over the road. The hotel was also very posh and littered with A-type, very fit looking athletes. Yikes!!

After breakfast the next morning we decided to go to the zoo. Standing out side the front door of the hotel, waiting for a taxi, and all these bling bikes with rear discs and aero-helmetted types were buzzing around. Not quite the Sherborne camp site or the B & B near Rutland, I thought.

Friday morning we went to the Zoo and chilled. Rest of Friday was more of the same - chilling, race registration in the shopping centre about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Got a reasonable goody bag including a sleeveless Orca bike top - nice.

Late afternoon was the race briefing. Usual stuff but what seemed like an inordinate stress on the "No Littering" rule - typical Singapore!! God knows what they would have done if you had thrown some chewing gum away, outside the litter zone - WW3 perhaps. A bit of pasta in the evening. In bed by 10. Slept crap - bloody hotels and strange beds.

Saturday morning was some easy stuff in the hotel gym - a few little sprints etc. Keeping the leg muscles moving after two days and a flight. Ended up sat on the gym bike next to the race referee who got chatting. Enjoy the race, he said. It'll probably be a draft-fest on the bike, he said (it being a 4-lap loop). I'll be concentrating on the Elites, he said. You AGers can just do what you want, he said!!

That afternoon, I got the bike checked over and then dropped it off with my run bag. They took the bikes over to T1 if you wanted (I did) and the run bag would be waiting for you in T2. It was all getting close.

Had dinner in the hotel.

Slept crap.

Race Day.

Got up at 05:15. My bus transfer was at 06:00. Had a light breakfast - PowerBar Harvest, a banana and some water. Slipped on the trusty MTC tri suit then went over to Start/T1. The race was slightly unusual in that it had a split transition. The race start , swim and T1 were over on the East Coast (Parkway). It was a sea swim, it looked a bit choppy but dry (the prevailing weather, not the sea!!) - a thankful reprieve after the last race I did in Singapore in late July, which got a bit washed out by a storm.

The Swim

The course comprised a 250m swim out to the first marker, a left anti-clockwise turn and then a long drag to the next marker, then left turn, 250m then left again and back in.

The Elites went off at 7:15, my AG at 7:40. The sea was choppy and sighting was difficult as markers were limited, but I struggled along. Maybe the sea was choppier than I thought? There were people in the earlier AG waves giving up in the first 250m stretch.

Did I say I didn't like swimming!! There were about 200 in my wave. The Elites were just finishing (in 25 mins or so!!) as our gun went off.

I plodded along, so to speak. I ditched any attempt at bilateral breathing, as so often happens with me on race day. I knew I could do the distance, just not quickly.

Out in 43 mins and some seconds. Bit of a run to T1, got my bike gear sorted then out with a 3 minute transition, or thereabouts.

The Bike

The first 10k or so of the bike was along the East Coast service road back into town, then you picked up a 4-lap loop around the central district of Singapore and through the T2 area 4 times. Support was fairly limited out on the main loop although there was plenty of support building in and around the Finish area/stadium, rather grandly titled "Champs Arena".

There was one aid station on the bike course effectively at 26, 46, 66 and 86k. It supplied water and PowerBAr stuff and was the designated (and only) place to drop your empty bidons, gel wrappers etc, at the risk of incurring the Littering penalty for transgressing. I saw plenty of wrappers and litter out on the course, very few race marshals.

As well, I saw very little evidence of drafting part from one group of pro's who came steaming past in an obvious train - a bit disappointing to say the least.

The race course was fairly flat and quick and I think I went off a bit quick, with all the race adrenaline pumping. I was aiming to hold around 200W NP. By the end of lap 2 of the 4, my AP was up at around 210, which meant my NP was higher, so I backed off a bit, spent more time off the aero bars etc. I took in all my gels, some water, PowerBar Endurance (as I had been training with) and half a PowerBar Endurance bar, banana flavour, but that was a struggle.

Anyway, in off the bike in 2:41. Quite pleased.

In to T2, on with the run shoes, hat etc. Another 3 minute or so transition and out on to the run.

The Run

T2 was under the seats/grandstand of the Champs Arena, so you came out where the finish area/chute was, then headed off for a short (1.5k) loop before coming back to this area, running round past the finish chute and out on to a longer (9k ish) loop. So, you did the little loop 3 times and the long loop twice. This meant you actually came through the majority of the support and the finish area 5 times, which was good for morale.

The run course was well shaded and, in parts, quite pleasant through a park, alongside the river.

However, normally, running is my favourite bit. I say "normally" because it was pretty obvious early on that I was struggling. I felt bloated, like I wanted to be sick, and was full of trapped wind. I put it down to the bike nutrition, and undigested food, but the first long lap of the run was a real struggle. Plenty of run/walk going on, above and beyond the planned 9min run/1 min walk strategy that I had decided to adopt at the start given my training experiences as mentioned. I saw my coach (tri coach, not the bus home - even though the latter might have been more welcome the way I was running!!) on the early stages of my lap 1 (his lap 2). I even had to stop and try and crap at one stage (in a proper toilet, I hasten to add) but nothing doing.

Anyway, I managed to pick things up on lap 2 , spurred on by a quick kiss (from my son) as I passed through the finish area at the end of long lap 1 and out again for lap 2 but still ended up with a rubbish run time of 2:10. Given that I can run a half marathon in under 1h 40, I was disappointed.

The heavens opened as I had about 1k to go and as I finished it was teeming down. My son now just loves running over the finish line with me, so I gathered him in with about 200m to go and we both ran over the line in the pouring rain - should make for a great photo!! Got the medal. Got wet.

Saw coach again in the finish/recovery area - he reckoned the run was long. Closer to 23k?

Back to the hotel, packed the bike away, had a long shower, and then later went out for tapas and some wine. In bed before 10. Left the hotel Monday mid-morning, back in Taiwan for dinner Monday evening.

What Next?

Still thinking. I was 41st in my AG (M40-44) out of 153 AG finishers, so slightly better than MOP. I'm getting older, but know deep down I don't train as effectively as I can, so know I can race quicker. Another IM is probably out of the question for a year or two, and there aren't many 70.3 distance races in this part of the world - Singapore was the first WTC one.

Taipei city marathon on 16 December, perhaps? I shall enter it this week and train for it, but whether I run it or not depends on the timing of new baby, which is due in "early December". Back at the hospital this Friday for another scan.

Deep down, I had hoped to beat 5h30 and I know I can. I know my run is way better than that performance, and I know I can shave time off the swim and bike. Next year maybe I'll try another half-distance as my A race as we get settled with the baby, but I'd like to go back to Singapore and do that race again. For a first-time event, it was very well run. My only disappointments were personal ones.

Still, it's all relative. I'm healthy and enjoying Asia. My wife is well, baby No.2 (with her) is well on the way. All is rosy in the garden, if only Man United could start playing again!!

Back to main results page