Bintan Triathlon 2009: first OD

"Triumphant but humbled" is how I sum up the 2009 Bintan triathlon. An accomplishment in that I attempted and finished my first OD triathlon. But I was humbled by the undulating terrain and slopes of the Bintan bike course.

So let's start from the top.

As with all TriBob events, the organization cannot be faulted. Transport was arranged for participants from other hotels, including logistics for the bike. Race pack collection was smooth and the race briefing was well attended. Only grouse I had was that there were only XL shirt left by the time I collected my kit on the race day.

The race wrist tag was an ID band, with name, blood type, allergies and emergency contact. Nice.

My front tire required air, and good thing Bike Haus was there. I ended up replacing the front tube. There was still sufficient time to set up and for my pre race routine. My family and friends turned up just as I was going out for the bike out routine. It was good to have them present.

After the swim warmup, I caught up with PK, who's been a volunteer medical doctor for a number of years now. Also met IN and his family. Then caught up with Alex, who's doing his first OD as well.

The swim. Started back of the pack on the right to avoid the crowd. About 400 male participants threshing and churning the clear waters off Nirwana Garden resort. The water was supposed to be clear, but with all the folks stirring up the waters, it was less than clear. But still, the best waters I'd swum in so far. At least clear enough that I could see jelly fish and avoid them! Got a light sting on the face, but it didn't bother me.

A U-shape loop around a catamaran, to a beach turn. Then retracing back to the start point. Drafted off a few swimmers along the way. Mostly front crawl except for the second to last segment where we swam against the current. Perhaps it was my lack of practice, but I got a slight cramp while doing the breast stroke. Not good.

But to my pleasant surprise, I finished the swim leg under 37 min. Average about 1:12 per lap, which is good for me. But looking back, I could see a small number of swimmers. What a fast field!

At the transition, my family and friends were there to support and cheer me on! Had to smile for the cameras.

The bike start was a little rough, as I couldn't cleat on quickly enough. Good thing the rain had stopped by then, and the roads were dry. Felt strong for the first 10 km. And then the slopes started haunting me.

Even though my average speed on the 40 km bike ride was 24.7 km/h, it took more than 1 hour and 37 min. During the last 10 to 15 km, I was struggling and wondering where the end line was. Although I had two intensive training sessions at Kent Ridge, I was not ready to take on 40 km of slopes and more slopes. Yes, I tackled the first few km well, going fast on the down slopes and pushing on the up slopes, and even overtaking a few. But by the time I reached the technical slopes at 20 km, I was struggling. All the way back to Nirwana Gardens. It didn't help that the female and relay participants who started 20 min later started overtaking me. :(

The bike route took us past a small village. The villagers were out, and I noticed the children and waved at them. Their smiles eased my agony somewhat. About then, I wished I hadn't forgotten my gel pack as my energy level was sapping.

For future reference, I ought to mention the cobble stones at the NG entrance. I was going through with speed and could feel the grip slipping. Good thing it wasn't wet. No wonder we were warned about this part. Speed humps - a few of these. The first speed hump I almost flew out of my seat. I was going too fast. Watch out for speed hump just after a left run. Make sure to go straight across rather than at an angle.

One more note for future reference: The approach at the finish line is a decline and too many went too fast and crashed.

The ride took its toll. Right off the run, I felt cramps on the quads. Then cramps on the hamstrings. On and off for about 4 km, and I had to stop many times to stretch. The good news was that on the second 5 km loop, all the cramps were gone, and I put in a better last 2 km. By then the sun was setting, and the second loop felt easier.

A note of thanks and gratitude to the race crew on the run route. They were really encouraging and cheering us on! Well appreciated by BFG.

What I really appreciated was my family (MBH, D and E) and friends who were there to cheer and support me! Each time I saw them, I had to smile and wave. They kept me going!

Time for some pictures and to ravel in the carnival like atmosphere. Over at the medical tent, my good friend PK was having a busy day. Many jelly fish sting cases, bike crashes, and dehydration. Thank God I didn't have to go into the medical tent.


So here are the timings:
Swim:- 36:51
T1:- 1:36
Bike:- 1:37:19
T2:- 1:35
Run:- 1:17:36 (first loop - 39:37, second loop - 37:48)
total:- 3:34:59

Position
age category: 35 / 52
men category: 395 / 434
overall: 486 / 552


How did it feel to complete an OD triathlon? It was certainly a sense of achievement. It didn't feel as tough as running 42 km, but my legs felt as if they had. Must be the bike terrain. I felt happy about the swim and not so happy with the bike.

Next year, I hope to be back to redeem myself. And best of all, D and E said that they would like to attempt the kids tri next year. So it'll be fun come 2010.

Honor roll: Cannondale six13, Lake CX 210, Saucony Type A2, 2XU endurance tri suit