Bintan training camp 2010

Who in their sound mind would pay money for pain and suffering?

30 odd triathletes did, all in the name of high volume training camp. This two-day event was held in Bintan, at the idyllic resort of Nirwana Gardens, organized by TriBob.

What we went through:
Sat morning: Upon disembarking from the ferry terminal at Bintan, we broke into three groups (by ability levels). I was in the red group, and the aim is to cover 100 odd km. Led by Kevin T, we set off at a good speed, in excess of 30 kph. HR was up in the 150 region. And this was what they called an easy endurance ride? Then we hit the first slope 4 km after we started. 40m increase elevation over 1 km. A few minor slopes until we turned into a new road. That was when the torture started. Over 7km, we ascended 50m and there were some big slopes. My quads were killing me, and I had to switch to the small chain ring. A short respite and rest at a small seaside village at 48k mark. It was relatively easy riding for the next 15k, and I rode at the front of the pack, experiencing drafting and group riding as it should be. It was on the next upslope at the 65k mark that I felt cramps on the right thighs. Immediately I slowed to stretch. Didn't want to drop out half way through the ride, as another lady had done. The price for controlling the cramps was to drop to the back of the pack. Heading to the resort meant covering the same slopes we passed through earlier. Turning into the road leading to the resort brought a stark reminder why I found the Bintan tri so tough. Two or three climbs that just took their toll. Last to roll in.

Sat afternoon: After checking in and lunch (and a short rest), it was time for open water swim. Did two loops of 400m to warm up and then it was team interval swimming of 300m. I did only two intervals. Water was a little choppy, and it had been a long while since my last OWS in Sept last year.

Sun morning: 3 sets of bike-run brick sessions. A 40k "steady pace" recovery ride. Depends on what is meant by steady pace. It was race pace for this old guy. 30kph or more on the straights. I tried my best to ride in the pack. But after 30k or so, with the hot sun, it was difficult to keep up and I ended up at the back again. It took substantial effort to catch up, riding at speeds of 33kph and up. Then the Nirwana slopes got me again. And I ended rolling in last again.

Immediately set out for a brick run and it was tough. Some participants had given up by then, but K told me that he would go with me on the second 10k bike ride. It was supposed to be race pace, but it was no different from the first ride. Then back to another 3km brick run. The white flag came out then, and I didn't do the last set of 7k bike and 1k run at all-out pace.

107k ride on Garmin connect.

I'd to say that the vast majority of participants were very fit. Finishing time of 5+ hours for 70.3, 3:45 for marathon, 1:30 for half marathon, etc. Even the ladies were formidable, easily besting some of the guys. Suffice to say that it is a humbling experience to be in the company of such athletes. What I appreciated was that most were very modest and unassuming. They would gladly share their experience and advice when asked.

All in all, a tremendous weekend, capping a 17-hour training week.

TriBob Bintan Pre-Race Talk

TriBob organized a talk this evening to brief participants on the race course as well as how to train the remaining 4 weeks. Held at Brewersk Riverside Point by the race director and head coach, I found the talk very informative.

The swim route is a two-lap U-shape course, with a turnaround at the beach. Wide starting line of 15m, and only two waves: Women and Men, 20 minutes apart. Should be calm until the first turn where waters open up to the sea. So it'll be 2 left turns, U-turn at the beach, and then 2 right turns.

The transition will be carpeted with ample space between rows. As with the sprint tri transition, the swim in entrance will be the run out exit. And the bike out and bike in point is the same to equalize transition distance.

Two interesting tips I learnt on transition (the fourth discipline): Sprinkle talcum powder in shoes to help dry feet. Wipe feet on small towel on ground while securing helmet. Do two things at the same time. Also use helium balloon (Brent gave me the same tip last week) or brightly colored objects to identify bike.

Bike route will be one lap through undulating hills. Tip: strength train at Mt Faber or South Bouna Vista. Watch out for speed bumps. Go straight through if road is wet to avoid skidding. Some roundabouts and cobbestone stretches to watch out for. Take along two water bottles. Pace for negative split. Hydrate even if it rains.

The one point I am not sure about is to go aero.

Run route will be two laps around Nirvana Gardens. Couple of slopes and partly shaded. Sand path - but should be packed down. Water points every 1.5 km. Ice sponges will be provided. :) Use sponges to cool hands, neck, head.

Credos to TriBob for such thoughtfulness.

Tribob Sprint Triathlon 2009: A first of more to come?

Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle? Initially, the pieces appear so random, but persevere long enough, you'll find that the pieces fit together to form a cohesive picture. There's usually the eureka moment, when you start to see the big picture and at that moment, all the frustration and hours appear insignificant to the joy of accomplishment.

That's how I felt this morning after completing the TriBob sprint triathlon at Changi. The few followers of this blog would realize that about 8 months ago, I decided that I wanted to go into triathloning. The initial months of frustration in learning how to swim, the steep learning curve in two new sports, and the money spent on equipment, bike, shoes, goggles, etc and not to forget MRK that continues to plague me.... they seemed trivial as I left the festivities. In its place, I was basking in the afterglow of stringing together a 750m swim, a 20 km bike and a 5 km run.

No, my work is not quite done yet. For in 5 weeks' time, I have to be ready to take on the Olympic distance triathlon event - double the distance and without doubt, more than double the pain. But before I embark on the next phase of training, here's my brief race report.

Coach called me last night to brief me on pre-race routine. Great tips - such as checking out the entry and exit points, transition rehearsal, etc. All that I did faithfully. Got to the site early (a short bike from Changi Village hotel), surveyed how the other participants set up their helmets, shoes, etc. Mentally rehearsed the order of equipment change, and then went out to check the points of entry/exit. Then went to the water and leisurely swam out 50 m or so towards the first buoy and then back. Water was not choppy, and I decided to do another short warm up swim, at the finishing end. Unlike Sentosa, I felt comfortable in the water.

As in the aquathlon, we self-seeded and again, I chose the last wave - men friendly. At the pen, coach found me and offered words of encouragement. Then it was off into the water.

I took my time getting in, staying to the rear and far side. Even so, a lot of bumping and bodies to negotiate. I was just glad to avoid the first danger zone without incident - not getting kicked in the face or man handled. Some one tried to swim across my legs - that was about it. It was a triangular course, two left turns (lines on the left, which was why I had to switch to bilateral breathing). The first turn was tight and crowded and lots of bumping there. There was a slight left to right current, which helped a bit. The second turn was less crowded and before too long, could see the beach bottom. Good thing I went out earlier to check it out, so I knew that the water was shallow and there was still quite a distance to go.

When I exited the water, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the swim leg took less than 18 minutes. I took 22 minutes in the aquathlon.

Long way to the transition area, but that is another danger zone. The transition area was covered with large sheets, but there was a smooth sheet and with water, it became a nice slide for me. Just a bruised ego. No harm done physically.

The T1 transition went smoothly, and off through the exit to the road. Here's another danger zone. Just as I mounted, two cyclist crashed behind me. I didn't see what happened, and didn't stay to find out. Took some time to get cadence up and then shifted in to race gear.

It was probably all the speedwork sessions, but I found myself pulling in excess of 32 km/hour in the first 2 to 3 km. Overtook many others, some of whom were on mountain bikes. Reminded me of me last year. Surprisingly, I overtook a few tri bikes as well. Hhhmm...

The return leg was a little easier as I wanted to keep some reserve in those legs. I tried to pick up the pace on the last 5 km. Passed many female competitors, who had a 5 min head start. At the dismounting zone, another cyclist crashed. Probably not familiar with the cycling shoes and cleats. Another danger zone.

Time check. Almost one hour, so took 40 min on the bike segment. Later I found out that the average speed was almost 30 kph.

Silly me missed my bike row, and wasted a few seconds reversing track. Out of T2 for the run. Lots of spectators and supporters cheering.

Having been through the Changi Beach Park many times, both on runs and on the bike, this segment was not very eventful. Except that I couldn't bring my pace up. Perhaps I went out too hard on the bike leg. Many others were ambling along, and I passed a number here.

No danger zones during the run leg. I passed the father-son team (ala team Hoyt) and clapped and gave them thumbs up. After the first 2.5 lap, I reached for my favorite Peet's chocolate covered expresso beans only to discover that the hot sun had melted and fused them all together. So settled for the Accelerade gel pack.

Unlike the aquathlon, I was quite the unfriendly competitor this time. Spoke to no one (coz I recognized no one). I was also glad for the shade as the temp was starting to soar.

The finish line - about 1:32 by my Timex watch.

A pretty lady offered me a red bull, and of course, I gratefully accepted. The sun was out in force by then, so it was a hot ride back to the hotel.

Coach thought it was a solid first effort, and was pretty pleased.

So am I. :)

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera along, so here's what I have.


Here's the provisional result:
swim: 18:30
T1: 1:54
bike: 39:20
T2: 2:02
run: 30:08
total: 1:31:54

position: 338/746 (45.3%)
swim: 372/746 (49.5%)
bike: 321/746 (43.0%)
run: 259/746 (34.7%)

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

TriBob Sprint Aquathlon 2009

Well, all the months of swim drills and training have a focal point - the sprint aquathlon event organized by TriBob. 750 m swim and 5 km run in the idyllic isle of Sentosa.

Upon reaching Tanjong Beach before 7 am (to avoid road closure along ECP due to OCBC cycle), I anxiously looked at the swim course. It appeared longer than I remembered. And the turn-in point is closer to the start point than what was indicated in the map. My heart sank for a few minutes and doubts started to creep in. Talking with some other early birds - one of whom is a seasoned triathlete - helped.

Next, set up my stuff in the transition area. The designated area is smallish. My concern was the limited space between rows for changing. Especially with my big butt and limited flexibility.

As I was early, I sat down and tried to relax. The beautiful morning and sunrise helped. With the arrival of more participants and supporters (bf, gf, children, etc), and with the MC and music, an aura of excitement and anticipation permeated the atmosphere. There were about 1,000 participants who registered for this event.

The men friendly wave was scheduled for 9:10 am, which meant that I had lots of time. So I went into the water to warm up. Swam some, practiced sighting and then walked over to the start point to witness the start of the mini wave.

Met up with a friendly first-timer, WK, who is an avid trekker. We both lined up at the rear of the crowd. To our surprise, there's a fair size crowd for the men friendly wave. So there are many beginners after all.

So the swim. Good news is that I still have my full set of teeth, no bruised eyes and no scratches. Bumped into a number of other swimmers, even though I kept a wary eye out for breast strokers. Not unexpectedly, my direction was off, and had to make many adjustments. I had to break into breast stroke a couple of times due to the congestion. The crowd and frequent sighting also made it difficult to get into my usual rhythm. I did manage to get into some rhythm midway through the lagoon.

The U-turn point at the beach was about 400m, and I took my time to walk. Noticed that there were not many swimmers behind me. Although on the way back, I passed a few female swimmers (they started 10 min before the men friendly wave). The return leg was not as crowded, since I was one of the laggards. I stayed too close to the right markers, so a friendly lifeguard pointed me to turn left. I didn't drink that much water, but was woozy only a couple of times. That's good.

It was good to see the finishing point for the swim. My guess is that I was one of the last few to exit the water. Anyway, no hurry and I took my time. I glanced at my watch and was rather surprised that it read 21+ min. I thought I would be slower than that, with the disruptions and all.

On to the transition. My bib tore free of the safety pin and I had to re-pin. Kinda regretted not using my race belt, but never mind. Exchanged a few words with another competitor beside me, and what I said was that the swim was terrible. I didn't really meant it.

The run. Started off fast and with HR racing, I decided to slow down. Many other racers were returning, but hey, I am an old guy. Nothing very eventful, except that the marshals and supporter manning the water points were really encouraging. Appreciated that. So much so that I stopped at all the water points to drink a cup of isotonic and a cup of water. Just not used to having that saltish taste in the mouth.

The sun was out in full blaze, but the run route was in the shade. And flat! No wonder they say this is a friendly course.

Caught up with WK after the turnaround. Chatted some. Then saw a familiar lady who attended the Trizen swim session in Jan. Chatted some more. When I saw the lagoon, I speeded up. But where's the end point? My bad. This is the Palawan beach, not the Tanjong beach. Mistake. I was panting hard. Entering the last 200 m, with the many supporters cheering, I managed to end strong.

Glanced at the watch again, and it read 30 min. A second surprise of the morning. I thought I took longer, what with the chats and everything. Overall, 53:53 (my unofficial time). Better than my anticipated 60 min. And surprise, surprise, I wasn't the last finisher.

The official results:
swim 21:40
T1 02:17
run 29:48
overall 53:46
Finished 96/143 in 40-49 category, 373/475 in all men category.

I suspect that the course is shorter than stipulated. But it did not matter. I completed my first aquathlon.

What's the feeling like after the race? Interestingly, the main feeling on the drive home was that this was a short event. Before I realized it, the race was over. And after all the months of swimming! Perhaps it is because I am used to longer event such as the marathon, but an hour seems very short.

Could I have swam a few hundred metres more and ran a few km more? Probably. I guess that's good news. I am now looking forward to the Bintan OD event in May. But before that, a sprint triathlon in April to go through the paces.

PS: trekking in Nepal sounds like fun.

E-brief TriBob sprint aquathlon

Received the briefing for Sunday's aquathlon through email yesterday. There will be both the mini and sprint swim-run.

What's new is the wave starts, categorized by ability. There's the men competitive group, men fit group and men friendly group. The criteria is swim time, being 15 min, 20 min and more than 20 min. By my last swim today, 15 laps (750m) took me 21 min. So I am firmly in the men friendly wave, for slow swimmers and breast strokers.

The men friendly wave starts off after the women's wave. For some strange reason, there's only one women wave. Either they are all pretty good, or there are very few of them. We'll see.

I also don't understand why there's no men veteran group. But it makes no difference, since either way, I'm in the last group! :)

TriBob Sprint series 2009

Received the participation cert for the TriBob sprint duathlon in Mayl this year. At the back was information for 2009:

Sprint aquathlon@Sentosa  Feb 22

Sprint duathlon@Mandai Mar 15

Sprint triathlon@Changi Apr 19

Registration opens Nov 1. Will have to miss the sprint duathlon, but the sprint aquathlon and triathlon look tempting... ok, back to swim drills.