Bali, Indonesia Generic Events 90F / 32C Sunny

Total Time = 5h 06m Overall Rank = 158/158 Age Group = F 30-34 Age Group Rank = 6/6

WARNING/AWAS! THERE HAS BEEN REPEATED SERIOUS DISREGARD FOR ATHLETE SAFETY AND NEEDS ON THIS COURSE IN PRIOR YEARS WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AND RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ATHLETES INJURED OR UNABLE TO FINISH THE RACE. TAKE CAUTION IN SIGNING UP FOR THIS RACE UNTIL ORGANISERS HAVE PUBLISHED SPECIFIC AND DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT CORRECTING THESE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS.

The world's best tri deserves the world's best (or at least longest) RR. There is simply no better triathlon experience in existence. Athletes come from all over the world and bond closely during three days of organized activities that the RDs and ROs take part in. What race offers three days of included festivities, activities and personal access to everyone, including the pros and head honchos? If you have a question or problem, you go directly to the top and they will take care of it. Every aspect of this triathlon, down to the goody bags with water bottles/plenty of Gu/athletic rub/more!, was phenomenal.

I wasn't certain I was going to be able to do the tri at all--I'm essentially untrained (this was the last race I did, last year!) and suffered a nasty tropical virus the days before that involved BAD tummy problems, rashes, and my skin coming off in wads. That's not to mention just having made a big move across the world and having had the most turbulent, stressful year of my life. Thankfully, I was better enough for the pre-race activities ...

The first activity Friday morning was a group ride of the course (I did not partake, although there were several turnarounds for those who didn't want to do the whole course) led by Luke McKenzie (3-time Ironman champ) and his SO Amanda Balding (China 70.3 champ), both friends of mine of course :).

Then, the bike blessing. First, we were wrapped in sarongs and sacred sashes.


LUKE MCKENZIE BEING DRESSED FOR THE BIKE BLESSING.

Holy women decorated the bikes with woven banana-leaf offerings and chanted over each one. (If you saw this bike course, you'd have your bike blessed, too). We then sat in a group while a Balinese priest performed rituals, ringing bells, blessing offerings, and leading us to meditate with palms pressed together over the forehead and OMMMMMS.


BALINESE PRIEST DOING OFFERINGS AND RITUALS FOR THE ATHLETES.


ME DOING THE GROUP MEDITATION.

The priest then came and blessed each of us individually, sprinkling us with holy water and pressing rice grains to our foreheads and necks.


PRIEST BLESSING ATHLETES.


GROUP SHOT AFTER BIKE/ATHLETE BLESSING. THAT'S ME AND AMANDA BALDING AT THE TOP LEFT.


ME WITH MY PERSONAL OFFERING.

Then I checked into a hotel near the race site--we're talking a gorgeous resort with lap-sized pools, inclusive of massive awesome breakfast buffet and spa offering $10 massages--for $60/night. (I did, however, pass on the colonic hydrotherapy. I'd pretty much had enough of that during my illness before the tri). It was so beautiful I have decided I'm getting married at this resort, and of course you are invited! Oh--any volunteers to be the groom? I'm taking offers! Tri and wedding all in one!


VIEW FROM MY SPACIOUS HOTEL BALCONY

The next activity that afternoon was a group swim at the race beach you see in the photos above--I drafted off Luke's feet for approximately 3 seconds before he zoomed off. :)

Friday evening was a poolside cocktail/hors d'oeuvres party. The pool was covered in floating lanterns and trees cheerfully sporting lit globes.


POOLSIDE COCKTAIL PARTY--COUPLE IS LUKE AND AMANDA.


LUKE--READ HIS ATHLETE NAME TAG CLOSELY. :)


LUKE TOOK THIS PIC OF ASHLEY (one of the ROs), AND AMANDA AND I BEING SLUTTY.

Earlier that day at the bike blessing I'd introduced myself to a good-looking fellow who had this super-tricked-out tri bike. He, Luke and I chatted while I looked closely at his full name on the tag ... Richard Sam Bera ... that sounds familiar ... "Wow, are you related to that famous swimmer?" I asked.

Richard looked confused for a moment, then I clapped him on the shoulders and exclaimed, "Oh my God ... you ARE that famous swimmer!" He and Luke burst out laughing while I looked sheepish. Richard was Indonesia's top athlete for many years, swimming in 3 Olympics. What's worse is that he knows my brother and sister really well. What's worse than that is that I trained with the Indonesian national team for several years. Excellent work, Yanti! Richard now does tris and owns FHM magazine Asia ... and is considering starting Triathlete Magazine Asia. Robb, one of the RDs, came up to us and mentioned that Bali was considering becoming a 70.3 franchise ... let your ears perk up :) ...


WITH OLYMPIC STAR SWIMMER RICHARD SAM BERA.

Afterwards I went to dinner with RDs/ROs. :) It was an exquisite fresh seafood meal, one of the best meals I've had in my life, where Brennan (RD) and I picked out the jumbo prawns and red snapper from tanks. We sat at a table on the beach, entertained by roving bands, gorging ourselves on fresh seafood and fruit, and there were fireworks!!!

The next day, Saturday, featured a group run, which I refused to waddle in (and it was at 8 a.m., I mean, really). I did go and have a complete bike cleaning and tune-up with the onsite mechanics ... total $11, including a very nice tip!

That evening was the pre-race briefing, during which the RDs explained the entire race and course and personally fielded questions from the athletes, and made it clear they were available afterward for more. Then we had the pre-race banquet, with TONS OF REALLY GOOD FOOD of both Western and Eastern offerings. The tables were laid with linens, silverware and wine glasses for water, and there were also fresh-squeezed fruit juices and sodas available.


ATHLETES AT PRE-RACE BANQUET


ONE OF TWO VERY LONG, SUMPTUOUS BUFFET LAYOUTS

My sister came to the pre-race banquet and enjoyed a lot of back-slapping and good-lucks on my behalf as people mistook me for her :) ... she is the WORLD'S BEST SHERPA and did absolutely EVERYTHING for me (including packing up my transition spot after the race). TROOPER! SUPER SHERPA! She also told lots of people about BT!


MY SISTER TINA AND I ON THE RACE BEACH AT SUNSET

Then it was back to the hotel for race prep. My sister arranged for us to have a massage together to prepare and relax. (Sorry, no pics of that. ;)) She then helped me with every part of race prep, including mixing up endless bottles of Pocari Sweat, the unusually disgusting Asian version of Gatorade--it's every bit as good as it sounds. To make me feel better about the swill, she made up a little song and dance while she shook up the bottles ... "It's a Pocari Sweat Martini ... a Pocari Sweat Martini!!"


TINA SHAKING UP BOTTLES OF (BLECH) POCARI SWEAT FOR ME.

Race day dawns. Even here we get up at the azz crack of stupid o'clock, in the dark. I eat PB/banana and coffee which Tina brought me, she rubs me down with sunblock and schleps all my stuff down to her car. She sneaks into transition with me and helps me set it all up.

Pics of me in the transition area--do I look nervous to you???





She then drives me from transition to the race start (yes, start/T was that far apart! They had shuttles but Tina Sherpa was my personal chauffeur that day.)


I start putting on my speedsuit, and look pensively at the swim. What, you thought I wouldn't include an assatar?!





I enter the water to get used to the temperature and stroke a bit to warm up. (Stroking in the water. Not other athletes. Well, okay, I did a bit of that too ;)).


TRADITIONAL FISHERMEN LOOK ON AS ATHLETES WARM UP.

Every RD, RO, and pro triathlete personally came up to me to wish me luck. Again--what other race would that happen in?!

As the race draws near, I think I'm going to lose my cookies.


I'M ABOUT TO LOSE IT AS ROB AND WENDY FROM SHANGHAI LOOK ON AND LAUGH.

We all line up for the mass start and here's the countdown--10,9,8 ... BOOM! Two hundred athletes run for the water. Of course I lose a lot of time waddling down into the water.