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Ali Fitch
Singapore 70.3 Race Report / 2nd September 2007
I was really looking forward to this event for three reasons. I could find out where my level of fitness was, given my current heavy training load for Hawaii. There were 7 other Darwinite’s racing including hubby Stu, so it would be nice to have friendly faces from home around, enjoying the experience together. And I could try out my slick new 2XU race gear and Mizuno running shoes.☺
Swim
A beach start for a change so Stuey, Michelle from my Darwin Club, and I practiced the morning before to ensure we all knew how to avoid plastic bags, coconut heads, seaweed and steep drop-offs, in the poo-coloured water. Oh, and Stuey made us stand to attention and practice the Singapore national anthem, just to make sure it was “race like”, pretty funny.
A whistle blew signalling the start (yes whistle) and I managed to mix it up with one of the men’s pro packs. The 1st km felt like pretty hard work, with very choppy water, a breeze blowing towards the shore, and the current working against me, not to mention a few floating extras that we had encountered the day before. Needless to say, I drank a good couple of mouthfuls, yuk!
The 2nd km came a whole lot easier, and having grown up in the surf of Sydney’s Northern beaches the rough conditions really suited me. I was sandwiched between other “white cap” people and couldn’t find clear water. But I realised that I wouldn’t be swimming any faster on my own - despite the kicks to my mid section and punches on my back. The pace picked up with 400m to go and I exited as 3rd female, hot on the heels of second, and with a bunch of pro-blokes. Good start to the day.
Transition 1
Quickly on to my bike, just in time to see the pro-men disappearing out front. I was now in no-mans land. Not to worry, this is all good training.
Bike
My new bike position felt great straight away. I sat nicely forward on my seat and could get right over my handle bars.
The course went for 10km from transition 1, then linked up with 4 x 20km loops around a flat but technical course through Singapore CBD.
I worked the first 10km feeling pretty average, hoping that things would feel better once on the city loops. But I never did feel that good and found it quite a tough ride. I was waiting for periods of effortless riding but my legs were not being very cooperative.
I pushed hard for the first 70kms though and despite being a 4 lap course, there were so many twists and turns that I lost complete track of where I was actually riding. I was trying really hard to stay focussed and keep the power on regardless of what my body was telling me. At 20km to go I decided to back-off the pace a fraction, otherwise I was going to pay for it on the run leg. I was 3rd women off the bike, just behind 2nd with a 12 minute bike PB of 2hrs 17mins, yay yay - although the post race consensus was that the course was a couple km’s short.
Thanks Bikes to Fit Darwin for tuning Orbster (my race bike) so well, and getting me through on my new Vittoria tyres.☺
Transition 2
A fairly seamless transition, but I ran into trouble when my gel flask, filled with yummy double latte PowerBar gels, got lost somewhere. I grunted with frustration, and ran out onto the course thinking, “help, help, I need food”, feeling pretty wasted from the bike leg.
Run
The run felt really horrible for the first 8km. I just felt sapped of energy and unusually for me very hot and thirsty. I stopped at each aid station on the first lap to make sure that I got plenty of PowerBar drink, and sponged myself with cold water - ahhhh, such relief!
It wasn’t until I came back through transition after the first 10km lap and heard some “go Ali’s” that I started to get my running legs moving and could finally put some speed into my new Mizuno shoes (well speedier than the first lap). I was a little concerned with my run split at the end, 1:37, but was subsequently told by some gps- toting athletes that the course was probably 23km…..phew, that looks a bit better.
My race finished with a 4th place, a tough training day but a new Half Ironman PB by over 6 minutes at 4.23.03☺, a satisfying outcome given a very talented female field.
Thanks to friends from Darwin Triathlon Club for much support, in particular Daryl and Robyn Stanley, for sharing the 70.3 experience in Singapore, and congratulations to you all for super performances; that includes you too Stu-man♥.
Thanks to all my sponsors and supporters ●Northern Territory Institute of Sport ●Powerbar ●2XU ●Mizuno ●Vittoria ●Bikes to Fit ●Running Bare
Thanks also to Graeme Hannan and Nick Munting for your support, and your hard work in getting this new race up and going. A great location – I look forward to seeing you in Singapore next year.
And of course thanks again to super-coach Grant Giles at Aeromax Team for continuing to get those PB’s out of me … onwards and upwards till Hawaii☼
Till next race, train safe with a positive mind
Ali*
