My Ironman Race in Taupo, New Zealand

HI!

I’m finally getting down to a post report of the ironman race. I somehow think penning it down wont do justice to the experiences and emotions during my NZ trip, but I’m glad to be able to share snippets of it with all y’r.

Photos and videos: (Don’t know how to put pics and the you tube visual on the blog)

http://bernardtang.multiply.com/photos/album/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4GvalGTIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO2-M93sLqA

I grabbed someone else's link from YouTube but it give you a very good account on the race. You also get glimpse of the eventual winners Cameron Brown and Jo Lawn in this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrSOtfEUOM&mode=related&search=

Arriving in lake taupo from a 3.5hrs drive from Auckland, you are first met with the descent into the town of Taupo with the views of the water. The lake is beautiful, serene and inviting. The lake was created by one of the biggest explosion known on earth and is bigger than the size of Singapore. The perimeter is the lake is 160km and I believe there is a yearly event to commemorate this distance.

I arrived 2 days in taupo before the race and had to register that day. Big tentages have been set-up to house the registering, massage area, changing room for the swim-bike transition and the finishing area. After registration, I went to try out the wetsuit I rented from Auckland. BlueSeventy is the brand of wetsuit and I feel it is so much better than orca suits. It really feels like a skin. Touching the water for the first time was a mixture of prickly cold and clean freshness. The suit felt fine but I wasn’t used to the floating feeling with my CG being higher. I also did a warm-up run and bike. 20min swim, 20 min run and 20min bike.

That evening we had a carbo-loading party to attend. We had to pay $50 for lyn to join me for an array of guess what?? Carbs. Different types of bread, potato salads, lasagne, 2 types of pasta and tons of athletes around. The atmosphere is electric and I have never see so many fit and super-healthy people in one place! There was a maori performance and the introduction to the top 3 pros for women and men. It was also advised to newbie ironman athletes to not push it on the first try and just complete the ironman. If anyone was feeling good, the last 21k run would be good to push the body.

Friday started with a 9am meeting and the briefing was quite inaudible. I ended up having to have a personal chat with the organisers to confirm certain details; bike routes, where to place certain things, etc. Better safe than sorry. The better part of the day was spent with lunch and more warm-ups. I had to pop by the orca shop to get a head warmer for the swim as I experienced a little light-headness from the quick drops in temperature of the water and the head is the fastest place to feel any temperature change. Besides head warmers, I also got leg and arm warmers and also a wind-proof vest. All with the purpose of keeping my joints warm and chest from cold. The stuff cost alot. All means from the organisers to squeeze money from this event.

Lyn cooked a fantastic dinner and we slept by 10pm. Woke up slightly before 5am on race day. Swim starts at 7am. I ate a full breakfast and let go 3 times in the toilet at our accommodation and once more at the bike area. I had to drop by the bike area to pump up my bike. I was surprisingly not nervous. I had no expectations and wanted to just soak up the experience.

The swim was a water-start which means no run-in from land. There was another maori performance but I think all the athletes were focusing on their own race. A couple of choppers from the media were flying around. The swim start wasn’t as messy as I thought it would be. It helped that I positioned myself right in front. One comment about the swim… Kiwis are strong swimmers! Their stroke might not be the nicest but man they know how to bull-doze. I was pacing and drafting some dude but backed off after 1.2 to 1.5k. That guy was going too fast. Most probably a 50min pace. I didn’t want to come out of the swim exhausted and wanted a more stretched out swim. I let a couple of swimmers past by to recover my breathing. The swim was only a 1 lap of 3.8km. I found my pacer by the turnaround point and wanted to tail him as much as I could. This guy was also fast, but slower than the initial guy. Any thoughts of going any slower was banished by the thoughts of saving 30% energy just by drafting. Came out of the swim and had a 400m run to the bike area where I met rows of the bike bags. Shouted my number and went into the tent to change. Volunteers were there to help me strip out of the wetsuit, put on my bike gear, spray sun block and pack all my swim stuff. There was 1500+ athletes but more than 1800 volunteers for the event. Top-notch race.

My transition for both my swim and run was about 10mins. No point rushing… wanted to stretch before each start. The bike route started flat but faced a huge climb getting out of town, 4k from the bike start. 2 laps of 90km. It was still relatively early in the morning there was morning fog at ground level where you couldn’t see past 300m. I started off strong the 1st 45k. Going above 40 to 45kmh with a lot of ease as My body was cold and I just wanted to warm it up. The next 45km heading towards taupo town was a different story. Head winds are no friend to biking. Managed to complete my 1st round of 90km in 3hrs. Another 90 to go. I received my special needs bags at the 90k mark which I prepared the day before. You can basically out anything into the bag. I had some ginger snaps, a power bar and a gel. Eating bars in the early morning made my jaw hurt. The bars were practically frozen. I took a 10min break to pee, stretch and eat. Next pit stop was around the 120k mark at the support station. This time round, my pee was hurting!!! Dont know whether you've heard of the saying... peeing out knives. That was what I felt! Took 3mins to pee as I was on the aero position for so long. The next pee stop at around 150k was equally painful but at this support station, there was the introduction of Coke! Which tasted so good after blend powerade and water. Something about ice cold fizzy drink is pleasing to the mind when the body is being pushed to the limit. The last 45k was slow. A big contrast to my bike start. A combination of head winds, fatigue groin and many undulating rises on the road. Finished the bike in 6 and half hours. The bike really tire me out and I took my time in the bike to run changing tent.

The 2nd transition is located in a different area from the bike area (2km from the original start). I ate oranges, pretzels half a bar and fluids before my run. Started the run slow with the advise of other experienced athlete who advise to use the first 2km to slowly transfer the bike muscles into running muscles. However, my run never did take off. I somehow didn’t foresee preparing salt tablets for this race. I somehow thought power bars and gels were enough. Was I wrong. Within 30mins of the run, my calf muscles kept cramping up. So I decided to walk the uphills and trot the downhills. I was pretty much trot-walking the entire marathon. I planned for a 5:15 run but ended up a 6:47hrs run. An additional hour and a half! However, I made the best of it and really soaked in the fantastic views of the lake and support from the entire town. The run went into residential areas of taupo where a lot of residents were many were seating on their garden lawns and some BBQing and drinking beers. The finish of any race is a wonderful feeling. However, the ironman finish was was awesome. People patting on your back along the way, calling your name. Even those seated in cafes and bars were cheering. The whole town stopped for the ironman for that day. My face was of pure happiness and pride enter then finishing compound with the rows of grandstand crowds going wild and making so much noise. A big projection screen like those on NFL games was at the finish line and you could see yourself running towards the end tape.

I did the swim in 55mins which I only found out after the ironman. I didnt know I was going that fast. There was almost 1000 guys racing. I was number 70 out of the water, but ranked 900 in the run. Hehe!

It was a tremendous race and I still am feeling the moments of it which includes the soreness in my ankles and knees still. I would like to thank Calvin Tia who sponsored Sundog shades for my race. I would also like to extend my thanks to the National Youth Council(NYC) and the Triathlon Association of Singapore(TAS) for their support.

Phew... such a long report. Hope you guys have the patience to read it all. :)

I'm back!

I'm back from my NZ trip! ... and I'm officially now an ironman!

The 10 hrs flight back was long and uncomfortable and I could sleep a wink. I'll update a race report asap once I get some sleep.

Will be back....

Betcha havent seen this...

For those who havent travelled overseas to race in triathlons. This is the hassle you have to go through to transport your bike. I brought my bike and the bike luggage to SCH where Jerome, my favourite bike mechanic, did a fantastic job packing the bike. He also clean all my parts for me.

Apparently the customs at NZ are quite anal to having even a spot of soil brought to their island. They're afraid that people might bring some deadly virus or disease that might wipe their vegetation or population to ground zero.

I'm off to NZ and I might not have internet connection for almost 2 weeks. So... Adios Amigos!

The Day before...

I'll be leaving for New Zealand in a day's time. I'm all excited about the trip. It's gonna be my 1st time racing in the ironman and I'm also looking forward the relaxation after the race.

I tried on a wetsuit to swim on tuesday and wednesday and it felt really unusual. I tried swimming 1500m in the black skin and it didnt feel like a 2nd skin to me at all. I asked some others who have raced in wetsuits and they mentioned that I should be swimming fast in a wetsuit. However, I was clocking times that were 10-15% slower than my usual splits. I realised that the suit I borrowed is too big for me. Looks like I've to borrow it from the race venue at Lake Taupo. I hope they have a suit for my size... otherwise I'm screwed.

I have been following the advice and tapering 3 weeks prior to the race. However, due to the decrease in training time and mileage that I've been clocking in the recent months, I'm feeling a little sluggish. It doesnt help with all the chinese new year goodies lying around. I just pray that I can sleep well in NZ and I'll be forcing myself not to sleep during the plane ride there to overcome the jet lag.

I'm ready!

I believe I've put in enough effort into my training and creating my base foundation for my mileage for all the 3 disciplines of triathlon. Chinese New Year is just around the corner and I hope I do not over-eat and put on a couple of pounds. :)


I'm headed for a 2hr run tom. In the meantime, check out some of the stuff I've to do to get ready for the race!

Shades!

Light-weight, polarised and non-slip.

Hours and hours on the bike and run. I can emphasis how important shades are. Specs of dirt flying into your eye while cycling can knock you off literally and send you and the bike crashing.

I recently found this brand called SUNDOG (www.sundogeyewear.com) and they are AWESOME! I believe they are better than Oakleys and much cheaper! You can find a polarised shades anywhere, even at the petrol kiosk but there are different types of polarisation and SunDog does the best!







Next up is PowerBar Gels, Bars, Drink.

Triathlon is not a cheap sport!

Replenishing the body is absolutely crucial for endurance sports. You body cant go on hours and hours without fluid, salt and protein replenishment.

I thought I'd muck around and do up a shirt for this ironman. I will be a sporting achievement for me and I want to remember every single detail.

Wish me luck and GOOD LUCK to all ironman triathletes for the upcoming Langkawi and New Zealand ironman races!

A great Saturday Ride

I joined the Anza group for a 7am cycle. TheAnza group is the biggest cycling group in Singapore with sometimes more than 50 cyclists in the train.

I'm glad to see that my endurance training has even helped in the strength department as I was pulling along Chao Chu Kang at 41-45kmh speeds and it's good to know I can keep at this speed for a much longer period than usual.

I managed to clock 60km with Anza. Dropped the bike and went off for a 45mins run immediately. The transition from Bike to Run got the better of me. Couldnt seem to find my rhythm and was struggling till I was a slow trot.

However, I'm glad I managed to do a brick session. I'm feeling good and strong for the ironman race.

200km on the bike!

200K! and thats what the speedo says. I began cycling just before noon and got back home at around 8.30pm.

The non-stop cycling also included a quick pit-stop to roda link to fix my punctured back tyre and 4 stops at the toilet to fill up water.

The route was 9 rounds up and down east coast. From the fort road round-a-bout to the very tip of the road just beside safra golf course (or the old OSIM July tri u-turn for the bike route). A very straight forward route from 1 end to the other end.

It was slow and steady all the way. My Heart rate never went above 140 and my pace was slow. Around 30-32kmh for the 1st 2 hours, then dropping by 2kmh every 2 hours. I was cycling around 23-25kmh in the very last hour (730-830pm).

I also had the chance to practise eating on the bike. I brought along 6 or 7 bars, 2 gels and a packet of figs. As the hours go by and the body getting tired, I had to force myself to eat, otherwise I'd befacing a double-whammy of fatigue.

I'm glad I did the 200k because it will be a long long while before I attempt it again. This week will be the last week before I start tapering. I have 1 more session of long run before my taper.

Rest time

Fri: 4k swim
Sat: 27k Run
Sun: 40min bike, 20min run, 45min bike, 20min run

My Knees and ankles are sore and hurting... Think I need to give 'em some rest.

Awesome ride with Team Absolute

I had an awesome ride with Team Absolute! Of which I almost didnt make it. It gloomy clouds and the drizzle was on and off. I was contemplating going to cycle in the gym instead. But spinning in the gym is so BORING! No wind in your hair, no following the group and train going at insane speed.

I cycled from my home (near the Expo) and headed my way to the West Coast car park (near Fong Seng) where the Team Absolute guys meet on thurs 830pm. Left my home at 735 and had to stop for awhile to adjust my brakes as it kept making noises with my front wheel. "Damn it... I'm already rushing and dont want the absolute guys to leave before I arrive"

Sped thru ECP, down nicole highway, onto the west coast highway and reached the car park 820pm. Sweet! with plenty of time to spare!

However, my legs were burning from the relatively high speed and from the past few days of workout. "I wouldnt be able to keep up with the fast guys" I thought. I was plesantly surprised that I was able to keep up with Lippy and Diesel and even pull for quite a distance. This being the 1st TA ride I've joined for the past 3 months. "the long rides from the ironman training is definitely making me fitter I suppose"

Past the Raffles Marina back onto the AYE and Lippy decided to take over the pull I was maintaining at 42km/h and bump it up to 48km/h. Sheesh! Was I trying my hardest to just keep up. I was glad that in the train of 4 of us. No one else could maintain that 48km/h speed, everyone slowed down to sub 40km/h (just to catch our breath) when Lippy pulls off. We would slow down until Lippy decides to bump up the speed once more.

I was glad I made it to the TA ride. I also had to make my way all the way back home. In total: 100km. 26km to west coast car park, 49km for TA ride and another 26k back home. My legs are pumped and I still managed to catch the last 40mins of the 2hr Prison Break Special.

IronmanBernard

Past few days of hardcore training

Phew! Training has been intense the past few days and I've decided to give my body a break by declaring today (Wed 24 Jan) a rest day.

Summary since friday:

Fri (19Jan): 4k swim time trial; with 500m warmup & warm-down
Sat (20Jan): 24k run at Lower Pierce
Sun (21Jan): 160k bike at Batam with TriZen
Mon (22Jan): 1km swim; 5km run; 500m swim drills
Tues (23Jan): Morning - Gym. Evening run - 5min On 2min Off with the MR25 guys at Graveyard

My body is sore and aching severely... however I feel weird missing out a day of training. But I've decided to be smart and give my body time to recover and heal its wounds.

Here's a some pics from the Batam ride on Sunday.

After riding out of Batam town and waiting for all 21 cyclists to gather before the punishing hills and corssing of the 6 bridges.

It may look pretty... but the heat and the hills are a killer. Imagine 2 Mount Fabers, 3 Lower Pierce and 6 Mandai Roads and that's 1-way of the batam ride! Multiply that by 2!

IronmanBernard

Getting stronger and closer to my goal!

Looking forward to this weekend

I've been feeling strong and getting my strength back as I've been training everyday with a friday off. The most impt thing about my training is I've been listening to my body and training accordingly. No point training till the point of fatigue and falling ill which leads to a week or 2 or rest and recovery. I also have been taking care of myself with lots of water and regular food intake, plus stretches thoughout the day.

I've got a LSD run scheduled with the TriFam runners at 5am saturday. Plus I'm cycling 160k at batam this sunday with a group of triathletes from all walks but organised by the friendly people of TriZen.

The TriZen folks are a bunch of very friendly people. I enjoy riding with them as they are so organised and well-planned.

The sunday ride includes a driver to carry our bags and drinks and this driver will have to coordinate with all 3 groups of cyclists (groups of 7) to be sometimes behind the third group and at times be over take be in front of the 1st group for re-fueling purposes. Amazing huh? Must be an army-trained dude that's organising this. :)


Looking forward to burning my legs this weekend.

TriFam Run

Scheduled to run 23-27k with the TriFam group this morning. Set my alarm at 430am. Woke up and heard slight drizzling. I literally stood at the window looking out for 3 mins checking whether the rain was too heavy. I guess, in my heart, I hope that the rain would just pour so that I could tuck back into bed.

However, I decided I really needed the mileage for the run, so off I went to wash up and drove to Lower Pierce reservoir car park. I was the last to arrive, reaching at 505am. Almost 10 runners. I presume I was the slowest amongst the group. I was right! Doesnt help when there's Vivienne in the group. She's the fastest national marathoner in the country which a PB of 2:58 for a marathon. Insane speed... and she runs so light and swift. It a sight to watch her run.

Not easy starting the first 15mins at lower pierce. Legs are cold and the roads are HILLY! I did find my rhythm after 20mins. Keeping my heart rate at abt 140 and planning to keep it sub-150 the entire run.

Halfway mark at the end of Mandai road and I was feeling good. Took my gel and started my way back. The weather couldnt have been better. Super slight drizzle to keep the air cool but not too wet till the clothes are drenched. Plus, majority of the run was in darkness. Finishing the run at abt slightly past 7am.

Not a regret to sacrifice the sleep for the run. But it's time to catch some zzz...

Ride to Desaru

Meet up with some of the TriFam guys Sunday morning for a 160k ride to Desaru. It always feels weird to head to Desaru w/o my surf board.

Met at the Coronation SPC staion at 530am. I'm feeling all fired up after missing the 18k run on Saturday. It was my fault for staying up late, but I did make my word that I would be attending a surfer's birthday party. It was good fun and I did my own 5k run at the Botanics saturday evening.

I was feeling strong the 1st half of the ride but my legs started feeling weak after passing the 80k mark, which is abt 20k before the pit-stop. A sign of not enough training. Reached the pit-stop at the Desaru Pertonas station Happy and Exhausted. I replenished my water and snacked on some tau sah buns.

There was still a remaining 50+ km to the end-point which is the Pelangi jetty where the bum boat will bring us back to Changi Village. The ride to the end-point had rolling hills galore. Up and down times 100! and that was not the worst of it... Passing Sungei Ringgit town, the ride was mainly flat but BOY!.... beach-front winds were howling in your face and slowing you down. It was my 1st time experiencing such winds as Singapore rides are mainly windless.

The almost 1-hr bum-boat ride was a good break for my legs before I cycled another 15k back to home. [Check out the bikes being piled upin the boat. My bike is the 1st one.]

Exhuasted to the max... but feeling real good about the training. I cant wait to push my body past the 200k mark.

Bye Bye 2006. Hello 2007!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a great way to end 2006 and start 2007! I cycled 70k with TriFam on Saturday the 30th Dec. It was my 1st proper training since I fell ill from the marathon. It was enjoyable and I loved every minute of it! And it was good to feel the pain burning through my legs again!

I did a short run around the Botanic Gardens on NYE. At least I wont feel so guilty with all the eating and merry-making. I spent the last hour of 2006 watch Borat with at a close friend's house. The movie was hilarious! Even my parents dropped by for a while. Wonderful way to spend the time!

1 Jan 2007 started off really early. Waking up at 5am and driving to Tanjong Balau which is near desaru in Malaysia.







Me and ma Sis. Quicksilver Surf Champion!



I was taking part in my very 1st Surf Competition. Surfing is a good alternative to training in the ocean and building strength in the upper body and improve balance & Coordination.







Competition Briefing




There were slightly over 30 surfers taking part in the comp and it was a elimation process of heats of 4, with 2 proceeding to the next round. The waves were mushy and crap that day and many surfers had difficulty catching th right wave. Especially for heavier surfers like myself!



I am no where near good as the surf locals u see in Australia, Africa or Brazil but the Surf competion organiser, Ajil, put my name down for it and I decided to go for it to support the competition and also the local community there. I didnt win the competition but I had loads of FUN!









No. 1 Supporter for IronmanBernard.







It wont be anytime soon that a Singaporean can win in a Malaysia Surf Comp. Let me correct that. A Singaporean Male can win. My sista, Cheryl, has been placed TOP 3 many times and she just won the Quicksilver Surf Comp in Telok Champedek, Kuantan on 18 Dec 2006, appearing in almost 10 newspaper all over Malaysia. Way to go Sis!

Before and After my Heat:

Fellow Competitor, Didek, in my heat who is 12 years old. He beat me!

IronmanBernard
Happy New Year once again!

I ran 42.195km !

A Marathon!
That's what I did for fun over the weekend! It was a definitely a sense of joy and achievement I felt running to the finishing point. It was great hearing my name being announced 20 metres to the end point.

My summary for the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon
I slept at midnight and woke up at 5am. Not as much sleep as I should get but I so used to sleeping past midnight that it's difficult adjusting my sleep pattern. Jumped out of bed and walloped 2 bananas and head to the event start. Managed to offload twice in the toilet, which is a good thing... rather than in the middle of the run.

The event started a few minutes delay about 6:05 when it was scheduled for 6am. The first 10mins was a slow walk as it takes time for the crowd to just start moving. Bear in mind that slightly more than 30,000 signed up for the event but almost 10,000 are doing the full marathon and the rest are scheduled for the 21km and 10km run.

I felt strong in the 1st 30km going at about 4:30hr pace. I wasnt even running fast. just comfortable pace. I had a end-goal of completing my 1st marathon in 5hrs. Plus-minus since this is my 1st time attempting such a long run. I've only managed to run 25km 4 weeks prior to the marathon and was scheduled to increase the mileage to 32km but work commitments have been tough and I was struggling to juggle training with work.

I didnt experience a physical wall during the marathon but at the 37km mark, my legs just started slowing down tremendously. I had to stretch every kilometer after that so that my calves, thighs or hamstring wouldnt cram up and the reace would be over for me. I decided to slow down and jog/walk the rest of the way.

I maanage to complete the marathon in 5:15hr. Not a fantastic time but i'm happy I achieved what I managed to set out.... which is to complete the marathon before the ironman race on 3rd March 2007.

I have to complete another run which is at least marathon distance... preferbly at least 45-48km.

It's one day after the marathon and my legs are aching badly. I'm having difficultl walking up stairs. I should be fine by mid-week. My focus has to get back on track and into the training for the ironman. I will be focusing more on the bike and swim components since I've just completed the distance required for the ironman.

Wish me luck!

IronmanBernard

Official IronmanBernard Profile

Bernard Tang is a 30 year old Banker who can balance a successful career, a gruelling Ironman Triathlon training regime of 6 to 8 times a week and still have time for family and friends.

Bernard has noble plans to raise money for a Children’s organisation, MILK, and also to raise the awareness for the sport of triathlon. His love for triathlon started in 1997 when he was convinced by his teacher from his alumni, Temasek Junior College, to give the Navy Biathlon a try. Being a competitive swimmer from a young age of 4 years old, Bernard is used to the regime of training twice a day, 10 times a week, 52 weeks all year where he has swum competitively for school level, club level and inter-national level. Following a strict training regime has instilled discipline and the hunger to win always, which he has brought into the working world.

Bernard has almost 10 years experiences running 3 businesses which has since been successfully sold or liquidated before moving on to joining the banking industry. As a Private Banker currently, he feels it is no different to running a business where as an entrepreneur, he has managed front-office roles of sales and business development to back-office roles of training of staff and financial accounting.

Outside of work, Bernard is a popular guy who has many friends of all walks of life and diverse nationality and cultures. Having travelled to many countries for his businesses and having studied in the University of Auckland (New Zealand) in a student-exchange programme during his University days, Bernard finds it easy and a joy in striking a sincere conversation and making long-term friends. Coincidentally, the Ironman Triathlon he signed up for and is training for will be in Lake Taupo, New Zealand where the size of the lake is bigger than the size of Singapore!

Bernard is also a big practitioner and supporter of volunteer work. Having done both active work and find-raising for many organizations, for example; leading 40 hearing-impaired individuals on a canoe trip, building drainage and schools for developing countries, giving maths tuition to youths, raising funds for SPCA, Red-Cross, YMCA, MILK, Raleigh International, and several other worthy causes.


Bernard Tang
IronmanBernard
tangbernard@hotmail.com
http://ironmanbernard.blogspot.com

My FIRST MARATHON!!!

It's wednesday in the wee mornings and it's a few days away from the standard chartered marathon. A Full 42.2 km of non-stop running!

I have done a few half marathons before but Never a full marathon. My mission is just to complete it. I'm not even thinking of going hard. My furthest I've ran is 28 km and it was some weeks back. I'm gonna attack this marathon systematically and gradually so that:

1) I dont get injured
2) I can still walk the next day and even start my training for other parts of the triathlon

The most important is the proper rest and sufficient preparation for the race. Water belt, rehydration salts, Power Gels and my handy mp3 player to focus on the music instead of the pain.

Stay tune for the marathon update.




Frame of Mind: Keep on Cranking!

IronmanBernard