Ironman 70.3 Singapore - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

The first part of the swim was quite good but we very quickly came up upon the slower swimmers from the waves in front. In places there were two people side by side doing breastroke which was somewhat annoying but overall I managed to stay out of trouble. There was also quite a strong current which made rounding some of the bouys a little tricky. Definitely not a swim for someone who is nervous in OWS.

Going to buy some new goggles as these ones always seem to leak in one eye!

Quite a long transition due to the size of the area. They had boards set up on the ground in case it rained and got muddy but this was actually a bit tricky as it was slippery and meant that the slower people blocked the way.

All good.

So even though the bike would be the strongest one of the three at the moment I made a conscious decision to take it easy. I'd read too much about how the bike really impacts upon the run and I think it was the right thing to do. Having the three loops plus the little 'hill' made it easier to mentally break the course up and I worked harder on the straight sections with the mental promise of resting up the hill or at the hydration station.
Was really happy with the purchase of the water bottle for between the aerobars. Made a big difference being able to constantly sip and it also meant that when I lost a bottle it didn't impact as much. Had a gel each loop and switched to water for the last 15kms to try and clear my stomach before the run.

Now that I've done one maybe I can push a little harder on the bike without compromising the run but I will need to do some more long bricks to fully check that out.

More like hobbling with the bike than running. Was very tight through the groin when I first jumped off and was wondering how long the half marathon was going to feel. Luckily it loosened up when I started the run.

Think I'm going to buy one of those saddles with the cut out middle section and see if that doesn't relieve some of the pressure in the nether regions :)

Started the first lap well and ran the first 10kms in 55 minutes. Was pausing at all of the aid stations to sip some water or use the sponges so I was actually running faster than 5:30mins/km which I was happy with. Really started to feel good around 12kms as I'd gotten rid of the stitches by then. Started to slow down about 16kms and as this was only the third time I'd run 21kms before I think that more than anything I couldn't stay mentally focused. I had the goal of going under 2 hours which I achieved if you take out the time I spent kissing my wife and the kids (although secretly I really enjoyed the break). Picked up for the last 1.5kms and actually felt quite physically good which is why I think that I probably didn't push myself hard enough.

Next time the aim would be to run 1:45 so I'll train with that goal in mind and use the experience of this time to push myself harder during the run itsel.

Hobbled to the sea and had a swim. Was super hot by this stage as was coming up on 2pm so needed a cool down rather than a warm down.


Mental toughness on the run


I think they had copped some criticism in the past regarding route and organisation. IMO they responded well and everything ran really smoothly on the day. Baggage drop off was excellent, transition check in and briefings all smooth and the course was well marshalled and signed.