What a weekend!!!!
This year....I didn't have to drive all the way up North by myself.....well, at least not all the way.
Thankfully....Mr. Anonymous drove most of it....especially since he deemed my driving as "dangerous" and very "female".
Okkaayyyyy......
Oh well....at least " dangerous female" gets to enjoy the view while someone else frets about overtaking the really slow tanker in the front.
We took the coastal road up...which took us a whole lot longer than the alternative trunk road.
The whole journey took us almost 8 hours.
It is amazing I didn't incur any sacral sores at the end of the trip.
* Thanks to Yap for the picture of my dirty car. Gosh I LOVE this car....the memories of all the adventures I've had with 'em.
I was still praying for rain on race day......but I bet someone else prayed a whole lot harder than I did...coz it was bright and sunny that morning.
Dang!!!
Photo-log, before the race started....
* Tobias all set at transition....
* Photo thanks to Tey-da-man......
At body marking......yay to participant 610!!!
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With Eldred.....first OD....totally kicked my perky behind!!!!
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With Yimmy (first tri!!!!) and Henry....
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With super-gal Hsing Ling.....
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With Mr. Anonymous......who's competing in the Terengganu Closed Category.....
* Ready to test out the water.....and to pee....but pretend you didn't read the micturition part.
* Photo by TK and A-bou.....camwhoring at the lake
The race started right on time...8am.
Stayed at the back.....(coz I always do and I figured better not to break tradition)
Breaststroked all the way.
(I'm sorry to all those I've kicked......and I forgive those who kicked me back.....)
I really like swimming in the lake as compared to the sea.
The lingering taste of sea water on my tongue....erm, well....I just don't like it despite having many trials of open water swimming.
The swim was 2 loops of 750m (or less....most likely less) in the lake.
I got blocked many times....so I guess next time, I'd swim more to the edge of all the other swimmers....
The second loop was easier.....I guess that's because everyone was more spaced out and the faster swimmers were already on their bikes.
Got out of water....glanced at my watch...39 minutes. Slower than last year.
Oh well....
Got to transition....as always most bikes around me were already gone.
This time around, took my time with the socks and the shoes....my sunnies, helmut and gloves....stuff the energy gels into back pocket of tri suit.
Honestly, no point trying to rush through transition at this race.....especially since I already planned to be pushing Tobias up the steep hills.
Pushed Tobias out from T1.....rode for about 500m.....and then pushed up first steep slope.
(thankfully I wasn't the only idiot who pushed!!!!)
After that....was a steep downhill....and rode up the second hill with the momentum I gained downhill.
Honestly....I thought the turnaround was a bit too quick.
Perhaps the cycling leg was a tad under-distanced.
(but then someone said it was exactly 40km.....)
It started to get really really warm and sunny during the ride back to transition.
And I knew the worst was beckoning......the long, steep hill climb before entering the resort area.
And lo and behold....the hill loomed into view.
....the never ending steepness......
....the bunch of cyclists pushing their (much lighter) bikes up that hill in front of me.....
Could I cycle up even if I'm on my lightest gears?!?!
Well...I wasn't very keen to find out.
And since misery loves company....I got off Tobias and pushed....along with the 5-6 people ahead of me.
Walking up that steepness was hard work.....let alone walking up and pushing Tobias at the same time.
Definitely no fun.
And out of no where, came Yimmy, pedaling furiously up the hill.
Woah......way to go Pooky!!!!!
Tobias hung his head in shame.....but I pretended not to see it and kept on pushing.
The rest of the way until transition was alright.
I can't wait to start my run leg and get myself outta this sun!!!
At transition, told Tobias to be good....grab the camera....and off I went.
Photo-log for the run leg:
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Ran into Yimmy.....donning his sarong. He was kinda tired from cycling up those hills (don't blame him) so got him to pose for the camera.
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Desperate for cold water.....was thankful to see many water stations.....(but only ONE with isotonic)
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Finally caught up with Malcolm (who overtooked me earlier on on the bike leg)....apparently he fell while climbing one of the many hills towards the later parts of the bike leg. Superficial wounds over the shoulder, elbow and knee.
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Bump into Woon.....met his at this very race, exactly one year ago!!!!How time flies!!!!!
* The sun was blazing....the heat was unbearable.....but funny enough, the run felt easier than it did last year and I didn't feel that beaten up!
And of course, despite the crappy external factors of race that I can't control....camwhoring is a definitely must!!!!
* Thanks to Yap for this lovely photo as we ran past the dam...here with Woon, Yimmy and yours truly.
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With Yimmy and Yap.....
Did the most logical thing during the run leg....run the downhills and the non inclines....walk every perceived hill.
Running past the dam was really special. The view was fantastic and it also meant that we were almost done with the race!
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Of course this picture does the view no justice......
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The heat was really slowing us down.
I was still plenty ahead of last year's timing......and I figured I could do with a walk with the boys.....and get them to run every now and then.
Despite the heat and the profuse sweating.....I'm very thankful that I didn't cramp.
Since we ran/walked most of the supposed 10km distance together....we decided we'd finish the race together as well.
So slogged along until we saw the finish line.
I swear...best feeling ever running together to the finish line!!!!
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We're done!!!
Crossed the line.....
I forgot to pause my watch.
But according to Yimmy....we completed in 3:38.
Way better than my last year's 3:55!!!!!
....and I still got to push Tobias.
Great job to Yap and Yimmy!!!!
(especially enduring my talking of nonsense part.....)
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Mr. Anonymous ended up with 2nd place in the Terengganu Close category!(which was actually a mistake...he got 3rd place.....long story)
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Alp and Yvonne....
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Mr. Anonymous and his (initial) prize....At least I know who'd be buying dinner later that night.....
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Winnie got 7th placing......great job!!!! I'm also expecting a BBQ at her place after Lent!
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My sunscreen absolutely failed at doing its job.....I ended up with a mighty obvious tan line.....(thankfully it's kinda fading at the time of blogging)
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The view from my room at Kenyir Lake Resort.......My advice is to go early....and get a really good room before the crowd comes....
Or come really really late....get a crap room....complaint to front desk...like, a 101 times.....and get yourself upgraded from Garden View to Lake View room.
Erm....guess which category we fell in?
Anyway since I was kinda stressed out with studying and shit.....decided it would be great to take a day off on Monday to sorta chill.
So....we ended up at Cherating beach....again.
The sea was pretty rough on Monday morning.....so it was mostly relaxing at the (tiny!!!) pool and killing time lying on the hammock, feeling the sea breeze caressing my super (ouch) sunburnt face.
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No...I wasn't very keen to return to work the next day.....Now...back to reality....and some skin peeling.
What were you saying about the pathophysiology of tendon healing?!?!?!
Later!!!
* Ms. Elsa doing her pose.....
* Fun with the boa feathers...
* Class in session
* Yours truly....Unaizah.....Elsa.....16 freakin years!!!!!
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