IM Langkawi (Pre-race)

(24-26 Feb 2010)

I was totally unprepared for the race, having just touched down from New York the day before. 32hrs later, I was in the hot and humid island of Langkawi, less than ready to take on another IM challenge.

We deposited our bikes in a multi-purpose hall that the City Bayview Hotel had set up for guests. It was mind-boggling to see the array of bicycle transport cases. The Japanese had their usual huge contingent at IMLKW and with their tinkering culture, many brought interesting looking cases that had been self-constructed or modified! Most participants were just arriving in Langkawi today. Some of those who came earlier were already out on the roads for acclimatizing rides. There was an old beaten bike in the hall. On closer examination, however, we saw two IM-Kona stickers on its top-tube! We assembled our bicycles before heading out for a seafood dinner.

The next morning, many athletes donned their various IM finisher tees at the breakfast hall. I was going gaga over the IM-races and faces – IM France-Nice, IMWA, Korea, Japan, China. There was a full-time flight attendant from Europe, and several under-stated, weathered-looking veterans from Japan. We headed for the race registration at Seaview Hotel. The registration process was smooth, beginning with a simple medical check-up and declaration, followed by race pack collection. There were a few booths selling race merchandise, and a bicycle support tentage operated by Bike Boutique.

We rented a mini-van and drove along the bike course. It was daunting just staring at the rolling slopes through the windows. The killer slope where many cyclists pushed their bikes up was certainly going to be a challenge. *faint* That evening, we attended the carbo dinner at the jetty. The sight of the giant eagle adorning the Langkawi jetty greeted us. A magnificent monument, it was a reminder that we were fast approaching “the toughest show on earth” – the tagline for IM Langkawi.

I was apprehensive at not having tested my bike and new apparel. So I woke up early and took the bike to the road. I cycled to the jetty and back, then ran the same route. My new Under Armour Heatgear Compression long-sleeved top felt decent in the sweltering heat. *whew* A quick breakfast later, and we were at the race briefing. Last words of advice and caution and the last thing left to do was bike and gear check-in.

We waited until 5pm for the check-in as we did not want our gear to be baked unnecessarily under the sun. First a bike mechanic did a simple check on each bicycle, then we dropped off our Bike/ Run transition bags, racked our bikes, and we were done. The point of no return! Counting down to the race flag off….