- Soaked after Jurassic Park ride. Will this count for my swim today? -

- We’re having a great time. First time of the kids here. Last time the hubby and I were here was when we ran Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in 2009. I had not so fond memories of the marathon passing by East Coast Park earlier this morning! -

There’s a place for me here in Sentosa…

We’re having a great time, but training doesn’t stop while I’m here. I plan to run and swim tomorrow.

Coach Andy had me do extra workouts before leaving Manila. For example, he had me bike for three consecutive days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Oooh, wait, gotta tell you about Thursday. Coach Andy called it the “CBW”. I innocently asked what the three initials meant thinking it was some technical term in biking. Ya know, like Yasso 800 or Tempo run. My knees buckled when I later learned that CBW stands for: “Character Building Workout.” YIKES.  After two hours on the bike trainer grunting and groveling staring down at a pool of sweat by my feet as if I had dunked myself with a bucket of water, I sure felt like, um, a woman of character.

Andy also had me swim twice and, not surprisingly, I ended both sessions feeling like I had walked a marathon using my arms and hands!  I only ran once the past week and that was after a bike ride. Andy must know me well because he saved the best (and my favorite workout) for last…and for this trip!

Like I always say, I love traveling. And, I love running even more. To combine both of my passions always makes me insanely happy. So, for tomorrow, my program requires me to run 15k around Sentosa. The pace? As commanded by the Coach, he says: “Run like you stole something.” He’s hilarious isn’t he?  He makes me want to laugh and cry every time he sends me his program for the week!

Anyway, robber pace or not, humid or cool, tired or well-rested, I’m looking forward to running around Sentosa tomorrow, then jumping into the pool for a swim.  Hey, a vacation just isn’t complete with some sort of training, right?

Enjoy the weekend guys. I surely will!

- John Bingham

Woohoo! I finished Tri United 1 yesterday! It was a 1k swim – 30k bike – 7k run, a distance that may seem short to experienced triathletes, but daunting to this newbie.  I’m writing to you now so that’s proof that I survived it.  Even better, I actually had fun!

I hesitatingly showed up for the women’s race yesterday all nervous and jittery. Quite honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing there.  I knew I didn’t have enough training.  I wanted to stay home with the kids for the weekend.  And, every time I thought of the swim and bike, my stomach churned. But, surprisingly, when I looked out at the sea in Laiya, I felt a certain calmness.  All of a sudden, I felt I made the right decision in showing up for the race and facing my fears.  Just like my first 5k way back in 2007, I knew I was at the right place.

RACE BRIEFING

The women’s race was at 2:30pm Saturday while the men would race Sunday morning (earlier this morning). We were 42 participants in the women’s race.

The course was friendly for beginners like me. It was 2 loops each for the swim, bike, and run. So, we pretty much knew what to expect for each of the 2nd loops.

- Host during the race briefing for the women’s race -

– Female triathletes during the brieifing. That’s Lods Yapson of Team Secondwind in the Sun Broadband shirt. Hey, Sun Broadband, I like! hah! -

- Unilab GM Clinton Hess during the briefing. In the back, my teammates Jake and Paolo are busy with more important matters: packing their baon -

- My teammates Bic, Adel, Mike, and Clint during the briefing -

THE RACE

It was my first open water swim triathlon. The only time I ever swam in open water before this race was at The Next Step Tri Camp last year. To say that I was nervous was an understatement.

Swimming out towards the buoy was tough as we went against the current. It kinda freaked me out that I couldn’t see anything at the bottom.  I don’t know how many times I stopped to hang on to the buoy just to find my way. But, heading back towards the shore, as my Coach had advised, I pulled hard and swam at a good pace. That’s exactly what I did.  Before I knew it, I was out of the water telling my teammates how much fun it was.

We ran 300m from the swim to the transition area. I calmly wore my bike shoes, helmet, shades, race bib, and hydrated, then off I went on the bike. Oh boy, I could use a lot more training on the bike. This was the point where I felt everyone was just overtaking me and I felt frustrated about wanting to go faster but not being able to.  Lots of newbie tales here: there was a time I almost bumped the race signage, or the time I u-turned beyond the u-turn portion to avoid hurting the spectators, or the time I yelled at men on motorcycles ogling at all of us women: “Lumayo kayo sa akin! Babanggain ko kayo!”

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the transition area and dismounted without crashing (one of my nightmares). The first few kilometers of the run were difficult. I wanted to push harder, but my legs felt heavy off the bike. (That’s what I get for not doing any brick sessions!) By the 2nd loop, I felt much better and I went at a slightly faster clip to finish the race.

- Heading towards the finish. Photo courtesy of Gica Limjoco -

THE END

I’m such a newbie. I didn’t even get my time. I guess I was just ecstatic about finishing. And, to tell you the truth, that’s really all that mattered to me at that point.

How many times have we said that, when it comes to your first marathon, the only goal is to finish? Well, for my first serious triathlon, it was exactly the same. The goal was to enjoy the journey and to finish with a smile on my face, and that’s exactly what I did.  I just had a grand time all throughout the race!

Uh oh, guys, I think I’m hooked.

Thanks so much to Coach Patrick Joson for teaching me the basics of biking and chasing after me when I was learning how to ride with cleats, Coach Andy Leuterio for taking me out for interval rides, Coach Martin Carandang for teaching me how to swim even if I take too long in between laps, Team Berlin and Team Kalyo (that’s just you and me, Ton) for our always fun runs, and to Team Unilab Active Health for the camaraderie and support.  This is only the beginning.

- with good friend and 2nd Place finisher for her age category, Bic -

– Teammate Ani de Leon, wins in her age category just 4 months after giving birth -

- with teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. They all stayed overnight for the men’s race the day after (today), but I rushed home after the race to be with the kiddos -

Tomorrow is the big day: Tri United 1 at Laiya, Batangas. It feels like my first triathlon since I’ve really only done two mini sprints way back in 2008 and 2009.

Oh God, this is the first time I’m joining a triathlon in open water, first time I’m going out of town for a triathlon, and the first time I’m going to swim and bike for what seems like such a long distance! Last year, I would never have dreamed of swimming and biking this much!

If you sense the panic in my voice, please take pity on me and, should you have a short recess from solving the more weighty problems of the world, perhaps you could accede to one or more of my humble requests:

1. Please don’t let any sea creatures sting me — be it jellyfish or sea ticks. It will be quite difficult for me to employ my own TBR swim-scratch-gasp-swim(R) technique during a race.
2. Please help me make sure I prepare everything properly in the transition area. You know how often I’ve forgotten underwear, toiletries, or even my own surname after receiving epidural for two kids. Just this once, help me leave nothing behind.
3. Keep me and all other participants safe during the bike ride. Yes, needless to say, you may also keep them safe from me and my not-so-perfect biking skills.
4. Guide me as I attempt to drink from the bottle during the ride. I know, I know, you only help those who’ve helped themselves. Promise, I’ve practiced this the past couple of weeks, but I’ve come to the sad conclusion that I must’ve been absent when you blessed humanity with balance and maneuvering skills.
5. Please spare me from any technical difficulties on the bike. I’ve watched so many youtube videos on “how to change a flat tire” but unless my repair kit has a magical caucasian genie triathlete that pops out and does everything for me, I don’t think I’m ready to change it myself yet. I promise to learn before Ironman 70.3.
6. Brick? Oh boy, I didn’t have any brick training during my past 3 weeks of mishmash triathlon training. Please Lord, don’t make me wobble like a duck when I hop out of the bike and attempt to run.
7. Allow me to have a strong and safe run since, this time, it comes after a 1km swim and 30km bike ride. You know I haven’t done anything like this in my entire life, so send some angels to make things a bit easier. If they’re busy doing some good in the world, then second or third or fourth wind would be much appreciated if and when I tire out.
8. Last but not the least, please let me have fun even if none of the prayers above are answered. Remind me that the first race is always about enjoying the experience. I can worry about time and a better performance at the next race, right?

Yours Truly,

The-Bull-Runner-Who-Is-Going-Nuts-Thinking-About-The-Swim-&-Bike-Tomorrow

Oh, Ton Gatmaitan, I hope you like the last line.

Click HERE to read the full interview.

Olivier Bernhard is a professional triathlete from Switzerland, three-time duathlon World Champion, and six time Ironman Champion. He will be coming to Manila in January to provide the following camps for triathletes of various levels:

• Basic Tri Camp: Jan 12 to 15, 2012 in Subic
• Advanced Tri Camp: Jan 19 to 22, 2012 in Subic
• Coach the Coach: Jan 18, 2012

For more info, click HERE or email customercare@chrissports.co.cc.

To register, click HERE to download the registration form.

- Ladies, who wants to stand beside J-Lo in a race? Er, not me!-

- I thought she would’ve worn something sexier -

J-Lo, who gave birth to her twins only 6 mos. ago, finished the sprint triathlon—1/2 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run—with a time of 2:23:38. On Chelsea Lately (new show on ETC), I laughed out loud when the host said that J-Lo crossed the finish line with her butt following a few seconds behind her!

Well, I’m not a big fan of J-Lo, but she deserves a big congratulations for finishing—same goes to her butt!

- Lance Armstrong’s BFF, Matthew McCounagHEY…hey…hey. Now, he’s the one I’d like to be running alongside with during a race -

* Photos courtesy of Bitten & Bound

I was 8th out of 17 women. Not bad for a first timer who was enjoying herself throughout the race. It felt good to know that the 1st and 2nd placers were teenagers—no way I could outpace these kids on land or in the pool.

If I were to grade myself, here’s how I think I did against the competition:

1) Swim: B. I believe I swam well but my pauses in between each lap ate up a good chunk of my time. I’m pretty optimistic about the swim portion though. Before the tri, it took me 37 minutes (with long breaks) for 650m. This morning, I swam 750m in 32 mins (yes, still with breaks). It’s not a great time, but there’s improvement. Of course, I’m still pathetic compared to Ani de Leon who swam 1.9k in 35.36…phew.

2) Bike: C (or maybe even D). I want to hit myself on the head for the bike portion. I relaxed here. During the race, you could have put a sun hat on my head, a basket on my bike, and asked me to whistle and I would’ve looked like Mary Poppins on wheels. Note to self: Slowly introduce to hubby the idea of buying a new roadie for myself. Target time: 1 month. Do wives get presents during Halloween?

3) Run: A: I placed 4th in running, but I know I could’ve gone faster. I’m over a minute away from the fastest runner, but just seconds away from 2nd and 3rd (Carolyn that’s you…hehe. Congrats for placing 4th!)

Congratulations to Harry Tan who placed 2nd in the men’s mini-sprint for his 1st triathlon! Sounds like someone is ready for the Sprint.  Congrats also to Dedette, Ting, and Me-Anne! We did it!

I came, I swam, biked and ran, and…I conquered! As I type these words in the comfort of my own home, I can’t even believe I had just finished my first triathlon early this morning. Was that really me? You mean I managed to finish the race without drowning or clinging on to the lane lines for dear life? Before I get philosophical here, allow me to share the juicy race details:

{ CHECK IN }

I was a bundle of nerves—uhm, I was like that all week—when we arrived at 6:05 a.m. for check in. “Let’s go. I think I’m late.” I told my hubby over a hundred times. Of course, we weren’t that late but, being the newbie that I am, I disliked the fact that tardiness was adding to my stress. I picked up my race kit, got bodymarked, stickered my bike and helmet, parked my bike, (all with Marga’s guidance) and discovered that everything was less complicated than I imagined. Before I knew it, we were at the pool waiting for the race to start.

- What would have I done without Marga?! Let’s go, Team BWK! Banggi, start training. -

- Iron lady, Ani de Leon. Bow bow bow. -

{ SWIM – 350m, DLSZ pool }

This was the portion I was most concerned about, but as all 13 of us mini-sprint women (maybe 15 since two arrived late) were waiting for the go signal, I was surprisingly excited and psyched up. It must’ve been the crowds, the friends cheering me on, the feeling of being in a real competition that made me forget, albeit temporarily, about the long, arduous swim (at least, in my standards) that was about to commence.

- Trying to stay calm -

– Last photo with Marga in case I drowned -

- Waiting for the race to start -

So, I swam at a modest pace, not too fast, not too slow. I was kicked quite a number of times, but thankfully not in the head. It was a struggle to stay relaxed while seeing all the swimmers pass you by, but I knew that if I wanted to finish, I had to pace myself. After lap 3, I believe I paused at the end of every 50m lap to catch my breath and foolishly waste some seconds glancing at the hubby or smiling at friends. Let’s just say those pauses at the pool were both physical and emotional requirements to survive the grueling swim. By the last lap, I just swam away with only one thought in mind “Just get it over with.”

- I didn’t drown! Woohoo! -

{ TRANSITION 1 }

I climbed out of the pool to realize that my slippers were at the other end of the pool. I yelled to my hubby “Slippers!” and instantly he dashed out to get them. (See, that’s the reason why hubby’s been running 3x a week; it was really to be quick and nimble when he acts as my support.) Hubby ran with me towards the transition area and watched me get ready for the bike. It was quick; again, less complicated than I thought.

- Smooth and easy transition. Thank God for the trisuit -

{ BIKE – 12k, Ocho Ocho Loop, Ayala Alabang }

The day before the race, Annie had lent me her roadbike, but after encountering problems with it, I decided to go for the safer but slower alternative, my hubby’s mountainbike. I biked the Ocho Ocho loop just the day before the race (yesterday) so I was pretty confident about not losing my way; however, I was very concerned about my speed. I knew I would be moving at turtle’s pace.

As I mounted the bike, I was with two other people, but when I made my way out to University Ave. towards Country Club Drive, it was like everyone disappeared except for one man in front of me who was biking at a leisurely pace. A few minutes after, some athletes—Harry Tan and a couple of other guys—passed us by and it confirmed the fact that I was going very slow; I felt like I was stuck in a slow mo movie. Yawn. By the time we reached Cuenca, the man who I initially found super slow increased his speed and, before I knew it, he was nowhere in sight. I was biking alone! Double yawn. I didn’t even feel like I was in a race. Pretty soon, I reached the finish line and boy was I eager to get off the bike.

{ TRANSITION 2 }

Parked the bike. Removed the helmet. Drank a bit of Rush. And, much to Annie’s horror (she advised me against this early on but my OC-ness got the better of me), I stopped to re-tie my laces. She’ll be glad to learn though that I only tightened one of them.

I was expecting to walk out of the transition area like Daisy Duck or, if you want someone more relevant, Erap, but I was surprised to find myself jogging out of there in my regular running form.

{ RUN – 3.4k, Ayala Alabang }

Now for my favorite part: the run. I ran in complete comfort as if I had just started a race; the swim and bike portions had been erased from my body’s memory. For the first time, I ran without my Garmin but with my hubby’s water resistant timex. And, being the runner that I am, I only remembered to start the timer in this portion!

We were to run two big loops around the area and I felt strong all the way. It was only here that I felt I was doing well. I was outpacing people, even men, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Time passed by quickly here; well, it was just 3.4 km after all. According to my timex, I finished the 3.4k run in 16.39 min so my ave. pace was a little below 5 min/km.

As I neared the finish line, Annie came by for support and paced me until the end. She was so serious that I wanted to laugh out loud but she even shouted “Sprint. Sprint” and so I did. Hubby was at the finish line waiting for me. He says he stuck out his hand waiting for me to high-five him, but I didn’t even see! I was just probably in awe over my finish.

- I did it! -

- With Annie who showed up to watch and support. Thanks Annie! -

{ WHAT’S NEXT? }

Can I be honest with you? I ended the race thinking: Was that it? Did I really finish my first triathlon? Why doesn’t it feel like it? Why am I not doing cartwheels and celebrating?

I’m still unsure exactly why. But, my best guess is that I’m a runner and I’m a masochist. Hah! I like ending a race drenched in sweat with my legs and feet tight and tired and the rest of my body yearning for a massage. At the end of this mini sprint, I didn’t feel weary and worn out; I felt like running more. (No, not quite ready for a sprint tri. That’s where I’ll definitely drown.)

So, running more is what I’ll be doing. For the next few months, I’ll be training for my half marathon. Exact details of which I’ll share with you in due time.

The triathlon was just something I had to try for pure fun and I’ll probably give it another go in the future. But, for now, I shall resume training with my one and only love: running.

- Triathlon mommies: Bunny, Me-Anne, TBR, Caroline, Dedette, and Ting. Mommy Power! -

- Foreignrunner after his 1st sprint tri. Congrats! You had no reason to worry -

- Athletic couple, Maui and Coach Ige Lopez, with their friend. -

– Finally, a photo with the famous Drew A. I waited in line for this photo. Daming fans. -

BIG BIG THANK YOU TO…
Marga for introducing the trisuit, staying calm during the race and guiding me.
Annie for showing up and pacing me.
Jamike Lopa for lending me his race belt.
Mark Parco for providing last minute race belts.
And, of course, to the hubby who woke up in the wee hours of the morning just to transport the bike, wait, watch, take photos, run for my slippers, and more—all this on an empty stomach!

For two weeks, I pondered over this issue, surfed the net, and asked several friends exactly what should be worn to a mini-sprint. Marga advised me to purchase a tri suit and achieve that “Lara Croft” feeling (with the option of pouting my lips just like Angie).  Mary Anne told me she was sticking to a bathing suit with leggings and pulling a singlet on top of it for the bike and run.  Annie lent me her Speedo long sleeve rashguard with matching teeny-weeny biking shorts (which did end up looking too tiny for my not-so-size-0 body).

Aaah, so many options, so little time!  Early this week, I surrendered to the idea that no one really cares what one wears because they are too busy doing their own thing.  Wear what is comfortable and easy during transitions. One that doesn’t need to be squeezed into, pulled down, or yanked up all the time. So, I opted to purchase the tri suit: the most convenient option but not necessarily the cheapest one. I never knew tri suits cost so much:

Speedo Bodyskin, Speedo BHS……….P13,000++
Orca tri suit, Bike King BHS……….P5,000
Epic tri suit, ROX BHS……….P2,500

Do you have to ask what I ended up buying?  Last Monday, I dropped by ROX (yes, on that stormy evening) to make the big Epic tri suit purchase. I liked the material (available at Bloomingdale’s store in Shang) and it fit well, like second skin. One wouldn’t even know this was locally manufactured. I was slightly concerned about the color (I wanted a black one to make me look 10lbs. lighter) but settled on the only one available, a grey/aqua/white design. 

Buying the tri suit was quite an adventure. I love ROX and all (it’s my new favorite store in Manila) but that night was terrible. I was alone in the dressing room when a blackout occurred. When I tried to pay with my card, they couldn’t process it due to the blackout so I had to part with my cash.  They did not allow for a 10% discount from my Nike+ Human Race participation; in fact, the cashier had no idea about it.  Last but not the least, it took them more than 5 mins to look for my umbrella which I left at the door (they had apparently used it at the 2/F! What?!)  

Oh well, I’m not complaining. I’m happy with my tri suit. I took it for a 650m swim test yesterday and it passed with flying colors. My only prayer is that I don’t have to run to the little girl’s room too often on race day—zipping in and out of that thing alone is a wannabe triathlete’s worst nightmare.

I hardly had any sleep as I burned the midnight oil hoping to get a lot of work done to free up my load this week. I was still dreaming about my awesome weekend: ran 10k with Annie on Saturday then biked 11k/ ran 4k alone on Sunday and I could hardly believe it was Monday again.

My plan for this week was to run, run, and run while squeezing in a couple of swims for the upcoming triathlon this Sunday. If there’s extra time, I was also hoping to take a Bikram session and spend a day at the gym.  But, with the way things were going early this morning, I doubt if I’ll even have energy to keep my eyelids from falling the next few days. My deadlines are tight and I’ve got a lot of other tasks to accomplish while juggling the most demanding job of all: mommyhood. 

Ah, such is life. One just learns to roll with the punches, to give 100% at every task even when weary and spent, and to pray to the high heavens that—despite the lack of training and sleep—one will survive the triathlon that one was crazy enough to sign up for. Gulp.