Date : 7th August 2022
Venue : Mactan Newtown, Cebu
Distance : 1.9km Swim, 90km Bike, 21km Run
BIB No. : 437
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| CCLEX Cebu |
IronMan 70.3 Cebu is defer from 2020 till now. 70.3 sound easy and relax to complete but my body being relax for 2 years since Covid-19 Pandemic. My weight is 74.5kg from +/- 71kg 🫣 OMG
A very drama Tri race for me, we received an email during April from IronMan PH say that no more deferring for the race. We need go for the 70.3 race in August but Malaysia International border yet to fully open, what will be the traveling barrier, term and condition for vaccination and insurance are still unknown. Air Asia no more direct flight to Cebu. We spend weeks to search for information from flight to hotel to logistic. Finally we decide to book via Cebu Pacific airline which transit from Manila to Cebu.
4 months to go for the 70.3 without any training. My last cycling was last December Audax pink ride for 200km. My bike was full with dust remain untouched hanging on the bike rack since then. My others activities was so fully occupied on most of the weekend. I decided to train hard on the last 2 month.
I went for some jog to train my leg before my June Mt KK. Everything seem great till I come down from summit, I slipped and knock my right knee on the way to participate "Via Ferrta" in Mt KK. I still manage to complete the via Ferrta and run down from the summit on the same day. But then my knee start to feel the pain after body was cooling down. I hope the pain will go away after a week but that pain remain there for a month.
2 weeks before the race, I suppose to run Twin city Full Marathon as a training for 70.3 for my run leg but due to my knee are still pain therefore I decide to DNS this event. To avoid further injury to my knee. This is where I start to panic due to insufficient of mileage for running. Two weeks before 70.3, I went to park and run for 16km in 2.30hrs time. OK. I very confidence that I can complete my run leg in sub 3hrs. I start to clean my Cervelo P5 sixth and preparing for the race. Holly shit, Di2 was not functioning due to the battery give way. I try to called few bicycle shop and they never carry stock. So I give up and decide to use my 12 years old Kuota to go for Cebu 70.3.
One weeks before race, or so call my last training for bike (aka my only bike training) with my BFF Jhin to cycle Bestari Jaya to Sekinchan for 100km ride. On Sunday morning. Monday go for my 2km swim (aka my only swim training) for this IronMan 70.3. Tuesday go for some happy hours and then Wednesday mid night is the flight to Cebu. Collected bike bag from Albert on Wednesday morning. Bring my rear HED Tri spoke to service but then decide upgrade to ceramic bearing. Back home 4pm to pack bike and get ready for midnight flight to Manila. Everything was so last minutes and full of drama.
Alright, that is pre race drama. Now more to the journey to Cebu. Bike check in to KLIA and flight to Cebu transit via Manila was smooth. We have prebook a van to transport our bike to Airbnb. Set up bike immediate and cycle to Mactan New Town for lunch. There is a Lechon festival during the week in Mactan. We start to order all kind of Pork dishes and of course beer to cool down the body. Cebu weather is almost same like Malaysia by the humidity is high, you will sweat in just 1 minutes under the sun.
After lepak for almost 2 hours, we walk to event booth to collect race bib and start shopping for IronMan merchandise but not much choices as the actual merchandise is still otw to Cebu. So what to do? Ask usual. Happy hour start, we start to order some beer and Korean style fried chicken to cool down body. After 2 hours or chit chat and drinking we then decide to buy carton of beer and drink in the condo.Wine, beer, chocolate, pork sausage, cone beef till 10pm then we call it a day.
Day 2, wake up 0830 for a bike recce, we plane to cycle till CCLEX but is block for all traffic. So we just enjoy the 22km recce. Go back shower and rest and Regroup for lunch at Lechon Village again. We proceed to Shangri-la for Kah Yi to check in. They we proceed to the beach to test swim. The storm is coming and go for few round. We manage to clock 1km swim before the sunset. They decide to stay in Shang for dinner and drink. So we lepak at THE BEACH bar for drink and snack, chit chat till 11pm.
Day 3, we have a great sleep till 11am. As usual I will cook for breakfast, red been, corn beef with egg will be the best Philippine breakfast.. Regroup for lunch in Lechon Village. Proceed to transition area for bike check in and have a feel for the swim start. Many complain that water is shallow and many coral cutting the feet. Water looks clean and organizer say will clean up the beach for tomorrow race.
When in to expo for a final shopping, hope to get some great stuff. No many choice this year, so i just grab an IronMan cap and a 70.3 shirt. Then we proceed to Korean chicken for rest and chit chat before heading back home for early rest. Can't sleep so early, so watch some movie and wait till 11pm. Go to bed but turning left and right till 1am OMG. I only left 2 hrs to sleep. We plan to reach transition by 5am
Race day
Alarm ring at 3.45am. Immediate go down to boil water for hard boiled egg. Then boil water again for cub noodles. Leaving the house by 4.30am to transition. The road is blocked and all local supporter "bang and dancer" already filled up the road to support all participant.
Pre race Symptom, stomach feel uneasy after bike and gear set up. I was looking for the portable toilet but is too disgusting to do your business there. So I walk 300meter to Savoy Hotel to finish by business ;) walk towards bag drop and realize I forget to apply anti fog to my goggle. Luckily our Penang team pass me the anti fog before dropping the bag. KUDOS to our Penang Tri kakis.
Swim Leg ; 47mins
Heart beat start to increase while walking to the swim start point. Looking at the camp sea let me feel more relax. Star to do some warm up and q up. I'm selected for white cap which is 45 and above category swim speed. I need to go in-front else will be many white cap in-front of me.The gas siren blast sharp on 6.30am to let go CEO swim. Then dot dot dot dot tu (5 sec interval) for 3 by 3 participant going in to the swim. From blue to pink then violet, orange then finally white cap category. Yes IronMan 70.3 challenge is start now. Stand by my watch and click once I cross the timing line. First 100meter slow swim to warm up, then turn left for the 775 meter conformable swim, the water is shallow. Can enjoy snorkeling all the way. Passing Shanghai-la and need to kick for another 200 meter for the right turn. Then start to swim in to the blue. I feel more comfortable swimming in the blue, may be due to less distraction from the sandy bottom creatures and also less wave. Swim smoothly for the 825meter then turn right for the last 150 meter. A freestyle is side by side with me finish the 100 meter.
Walk up and re hydrate with water and gatorade drink then walk to the transition. Sit down and make sure not in panic blur mode. Clean my feet, wear socks, wear shoe, apply sunblock, wear glove, buckle up helmet. Cross check bla bla bla. Let's rock, push the bike out, clit the shoe and let's roll for the 90km bike leg. The starting line from Mactan New Town towards CCLEX 12km Road is full with local supporter. Is so cheering and supporter alone the way make me aero position all the way. The moment I feel tired and change position I hear someone keep cheering for all participant. Is like an unstoppable situation. You need to keep paddling, keep performed and squeeze out all the juice that you have from the muscle. The 1st 12km I have Ave 30.3km/hr, this is amazing speed for me. Decided to keep the momentum to reduce my bike leg timing. Was plan for 3.30hrs for a easy ride, but now I'm so urge to perform my best timing. Approaching CCLEX water station, grab a bottle or water and a bottle of Gatorade. Seep some water and splash the cool water to my body, I feel so refresh and energetic after drinking the gatorade. Maintaining 30km/hr in aero position till reaching the climbing of 145meter tall suspension bridge. I plan for 4 section to cycle up. Medium pace, up saddle, relax pace, hard paddle to finish the climb then aero all the way with my smiling face on the TT bar, paddling hard to reach 56km. /hr to enjoy the downhill. Follow by few km till reach the u turn then water station to refill my water and gatorade again. Taking my 1st salt stick and one sip of power gel. Keep pedal till reach the bridge climb, plan for 3 section, medium pace, up saddle then relax and hard finish the climb and pedal hard down hill. Manage to get about 58km/h then aero for the next few km till u turn again. REPEAT the same strategy for another two more loops. So 76km done after CCLEX, now the balance is flat like my chest all the way back with full of supporter cheering on you. DONALD YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT. paddle and paddle with aero position and finally see the McD sign. Yes is Mactan new town. The bike finishing is just 1.5km away. Enjoying the last 1.5km with smile till the line. Unclit safety and push bike in to transition.
Run Leg ; 3.03hrs
Sit down and transition, hydrate with water, change sock, wear running shoe, apply sunblock, hat on, bib on, shade on, arm sleeve in my pocket and ready to go. Walk our from transition and start to slow jog. The heat and humidity in Cebu is no joke. My heart beat hike to 180bpm in just 50meter run. So walk to cold down and run again. It same, I start to worry my body. Decided to do a fast walk till reach 1.5km the first water station. Splash with ice water, drink some water then jog again. 180bpm again. Shit, it's going to spoil my sub7 planing. So I keep monitoring my heart beat and try jog run jog run. Manage to clock only 7.5km for the 1st hours. Then knee start to feel some pain, right feet start to feel pain, left toe feel blister (forget to wear Injinji socks) So much of forgetting drama for this race. (the symptom on never race in a long period) Need to push a bit more to clock sub 2.45hrs for my run leg. Is 2hrs now and watch show only 14km. No hope already for me to run balance 7km in 45 mins. Rain start heavily, temperature and humidity drop. I feel so nice and comfortable to run in the rain, so start to keep up and ready to chase some time. But then running with a wet ultra shoe is so heavy and many uneven road surface cover with rain water in the village road. So need to pay extra careful during run so that not injury my feet. 19km mark is just in-front, I'm so much with spirit to have a non stop jog back the last 2km and plan to overtake at least 10 more participant. 1,2 and 3..... 4 then 5 then 6,7, 8 all the way till the last 500meter in Mactan Newtown. Walk for 100meter to recover my energy and last push 9,10,11 and 12 participant I manage to overtake before I cross the finishing line. DONALD Goh from Underdog announce and look at my timing, oh oh oh is 7.14hrs. What to do, no training leh. OK lah. Another 70.3 medal in the pocket for Collection.
Post race
Collect bag from bag drop, walk to the shower to clean up body, change to my Croc shoe and q up in the lunch area. LECHON lunch is waiting and a bottle of beer with a fresh coconut. Can't find anyone that I know so I sit at the roadside myself to enjoy the lunch. Cant eat much as usual after the race, so pack the balance in the bag and walk to transition area to collect bike and race gear. Take my sweet time to keep the soaking wet shoe, suit and gear nicely in my bag. Check out the bike with smiling pic and go to Savoy Hotel to meet others.
After an hour of drinking in Savoy, Jhin and me decide to buy red wine and Jollibee back home to enjoy. Then have a early sleep to enjoy next day 10am city tour. When back home, wash up and clean my gear while enjoying dinner and drink.
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