And the sun still shines
Yes! I did it! Here's how it went.
10.00am - I left my house for East Cost Park where the race was held, just beside the East Coast Food Centre.
10.05am - On the way to the underpass, I felt the bicycle seat shift about halfway backwards. If there was a speech bubble above my head then, it would have said, "WHAT ON EARTH?!!!!"
I immediately turned around cycled home and grabbed the alan key from my desk to tighten the bolt after adjusting the seat. (Just before I left home earlier, I had this prompting to bring it along but decided that I wouldn't need it. A price I paid, for not listening to the prompting in my heart.)
10.10am - Left home AGAIN for East Coast Park. As I rode past the security guards at the entrance for the 3rd time in 10 min, I was wondering what they might have been thinking.
10.20am - I reached the race transition area and entered along the row of white tents. I kept wondering, "Do I need to register???" There was no sign at all. Only a counter that said INFORMATION. And then something really foul hit my nostrils with a vengeance. I looked up and there it was... A river of thick grey mud that extended all the way from the tents to the bike transition area - a whole 60m of earthworm playground. I swung the bike over my right shoulder and began the endless trudge through wasteland. I could here the "ooze" each time my now half-grey running shoes stepped in.
10.25am - After treading as gingerly as possible, I found my bike rack only to discover that some "champion" had conveniently plonked his bike and stuff at my rack. If you ever read this Mr 2384, that was very rude and inconsiderate of you. You deserved to be spanked! It was too much of an effort to move his stuff so I just took his rack instead. I laid out my stuff and started to run through in my mind the sequence of things I needed to do as I reached the bike transition area after the swim. The weather looked rather promising.
Taken at the beach as we were making out way to the swim start point.10.35am - Meiqi finally found me and somehow managed to sneak inside the transition area. Halfway down the bike lane, she lost her left slipper in the mud and I went over to help her. (Btw, meiqi has a rather amazing way of sneaking into places. The last time, she found her way into Tekong during my BMT parent's visitation weekend. Without a ticket. It's her gifting I tell you.)
10.40am - We join up with Huimei and walk over to the Swim Start Point.
10.45am - My bro and Eunice joins us.
10.50am - The wind starts to blow really strongly. The Swim Start stand falls over. The air filled inflatable start point arch bends backwards almost 90 degrees. The sea marshals seem to be calling people out of the sea.
Spectators braving the strong wind for some warm pop corn.
Just look at how the inflatable arch is bending backwards!11.00am - First drops of rain come down. The horizon is a gloomy portrait of dark stormy clouds.
11.10am - Rain gets heavier. We hurry to the food centre to take shelter. The race is stopped for the time being.
11.30am - My actual race start time. It is still pouring. And we are at the hawker centre eating carrot cake and orh luah. A lady comes over to advertise for some swim marathon and we end up 100K-ing her.
Taking shelter at the East Coast Food Centre11.45am - Rain subsides and there seems to be people gathering at the start point again. I walk over and do some warm up strokes in the sea. I'm somewhat thirsty by now and walk over to the bike transition area to find my water bottle.
12.05am - I meet Yong Howe and he says that the race has been converted to a shortened biathlon. Cycle and run only. I go look for a race official and find Alex. True enough, the organisers have cancelled the swim and halfed the distance of the swim and run as they need to open the roads by 3pm. The amended route is as such - Run from Swim Start point to bike area, cycle 2 loops (20km) followed by run 1 loop (5km).
12.15pm - I decide not to carry on. No point further dirtying the bike and shoes with all the mud and over such a short distance. Still can make it in time for Youth Service. I pack up and cycle home. Yong How's giving me a lift to Expo.
Yes, I did it! I made it all the way to the start point after one and a half months of preparation! Though it was a little of a bummer because due to the bad weather, I was glad I made it all the way. Am I disappointed? Not really, actually. I'm quite confident I would have completed the race. Many people asked about the money, whether got refund, so wasted etc. To me, it is a non-issue. It was all part of the "price" that I paid to prepare for this race. And I think I have already gained more than my money's worth in terms of the experience of training for the race, doing something that I enjoy, and also something that I can enjoy doing together with my brother. For once, I actually experienced a bond that I never did feel before with my bro. THAT is priceless. I learned much about preparing physically for such a race, about the equipment needed, about power gels and accelerate and about tri suits and tops and etc.
I kind of understood what it really meant that the journey mattered more than the end result. It really did. I know my being is different now, than it was 6 weeks ago. I have overcome certain mindsets and understood more about myself and my potential in God.
I shall live to race another day. And many others. Would anyone like to join me?
That's what walking in mud does to you. And the camera bag. Eeew.
Me and Daniel.
Me and Yong Howe.
Eunice, me, Meiqi and Huimei.
