It was time for our annual pilgrimage to Desaru, more for the mega social gathering & feasting with friends than for the race. Uncle Chan said that it might be the last time he was organizing the race in Desaru. Oh no, it was such a convenient place for Singaporeans to get our annual fix of a tough race, and be amply rewarded with seafood!
I was going to be conservative for the race. Very, very conservative. My real race was coming up the next weekend, and I needed to test my legs. I had to check if I could run properly, and if I could last 7hours.
The race began at 10am this year. So unlike other races where one had to wake up at some ungodly hour, Desaru was always a sleep-in luxury.
Swim - the sea was so much clearer and calmer this year compared to the washing-machine-tumble of the past 2 races. And the distance was more accurate. I must have drifted off, because I took 67min to finish the swim! Arrghh...
Bike - I started on the bike leg and 10km into the ride, I was wondering how I could possibly finish 3 loops of 30km. My legs were not awake yet and pedalling was tough. There was the same short ultra-killer slope, and then a long killer slope. In between, there were many many rolling hills. I took it easy, not pushing. Then I realised why my right abductors were always so tight after a ride. I had the bad habit of letting the bike free-wheel while bending my right knee to stretch my left leg. I then compared with the reverse combination, and realised that my right knee was not in a relaxed position. If I bent my left knee, my pedals would be in a 12 - 6 o'clock position. If I bent my right knee, the pedals resembled a 2 - 8 o'clock setting, thus straining my right quads unnecessarily. Aha! Anyway, the bike was only 82-83km instead of 90km. Perhaps to compensate for the slopes. 3:13h for the ride.
Run - it was super super hot during the run. So many people were walking and looking in agony. I jogged along. Oh no, cramp on my left abductor. I kept bending over to elbow the cramped spot to massage out the knots. I reminded myself to use Gino's running method. It must have worked, because after the race, my legs were not as stiff as in my other races. I walked-jogged, and spot Alber. Many friends were in the opposite direction and we called out to one another. Alber was walking so we walked a distance together. And somehow managed to prod each other on to the finishing line, and for once, we went through the ending point together. :) Run time: 2:30h?
Total race time: 7:10h
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