Race Report PD triathlon

Thank you Ishal, Ivie and Lynn for the wonderful pictures.

PD triathlon. Hmmmn. Last year PD was a bunch of firsts for me in more ways than one. But the notables were it was my first race on George, my trusty P2C and the first sport event/race I EVER won. Well of course I wanted to repeat this year...but I wanted to go one better and get overall...yes call me greedy if you like...I prefer motivated, focused...not willing to settle and prepared to work harder to just keep trying to improve and be the best I can be at this wonderful sport. So take your pick...but greedy? It’s never about that. So I drove down on Saturday morning with newly landed tri-GUY, Jens from Germany. Staying at the Tan household next to Avillion, races in PD with a house full of good friends is always a sure fire recipe for FUN. Last year I know I approached races and training rather intensely...obsessed and consumed are words that would best describe my attitude. It didn’t make for a very pleasant Emma a lot of the time and come January this year I decided enough was enough...it didn’t make me feel very good when I heard people were too scared to say “Hi” or were scared of me!!!
BUT, while I now approach races with a lot more calm, I do however maintain a game face for race day...especially when a race enfolds leaving me with a with a mountain to climb. A training day for me...there is no real let up in the schedule, and I know it is a distance that is not in my favour (read: short drafting bike and short run), but as always I want to do well. SO, after a short swim at home, a test ride with Jens and Wong in PD, a carbo dinner, Uncle Chan’s infamous race briefing we went back to the house.
Checked George over and then I was first in bed. Sharing a room with I thought Bee, I put my iPod on to lull me to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and looked over and saw no one in the bed??? That means 2 people were sleeping on the sofa. I found out that Meng came up and it was so dark he was too scared to come in, for fear of waking me up!!! Damn...I thought I wasn’t scary anymore :P

Anyway we found out much later the reason he didn’t venture in...he thought he was sharing a double with me...hence the reason young smiling Meng was scared...we all know how much of a MAN EATER Emma IS!!!
I was really positive when I went to bed. Felt GOOD. Had a cool text message of motivation from a friend and thought YES I can do this....Here is how it played out...
Race DAY
IPod on, coffee brewed (I bought my own cafeteire this time) and will now continue to do so. We rode down to transition with light rain in the air. Damn, hope the roads dry up...the bike is potentially a fast course...but each year seems to witness some nasty crashes.
Numbered up, bike checked in, down on the beach awaiting the wave start. I had a little swim and it was choppy. Felt ok though but got rather cold hanging about for the wave so resorted to jumping up and down and contemplated going for a jog (but didn’t).
Swim: It felt long. It was bloody LONG. I must now apologise for my language upon seeing my watch say 37minutes. SORRY. I know it was tough conditions but at the time I didn’t realise that the other girls had just as tougher time of it unless as Yip so wisely put it..."you were a fish".

Always the slowest or one of the slowest I just thought @#$&!! Yet again I have to play catch up. Now when I think back I believe I was the 6th girl out the water, out of maybe 70-80 girls that is not so bad. (Then again I may be wrong...let’s wait for the official results).

See...I even hid my head in shame!!!

Bike: I usually catch girls quickly. I hammered my bike. I had to, and NOBODY drafted me. Now this could be because I was so slow in the swim OR that I was too strong to draft off - you choose. I started to get worried when near the turnaround I saw girls coming back. Man was I in trouble. They were in a pack and I counted 4 girls...Rachael in the other age group must have been in a pack with the lead guys and I missed her. 3K towards the end of the bike and I finally over took 2 girls – at last!!!
Ride time: 1hr4min:30sec (that 60min bike is getting closer :P)

I Simply LOVE this picture...thanks IVIE...I also love my bike but you know that

Run: My run has been steadily improving over the past few weeks. Straight off the bike and I seem to be finding my run legs straight away. No discomfort other than what you would expect when trying to run people down and not blow up. I posted a negative spilt as I also did on the bike. Overtook one girl before the turnaround and as I approached the turn I saw number one girl coming back. Oh crap. She didn’t look quick but you never know if someone is just taking it easy. I finally overtook her with about 4k to go.
Came home first in age group with a PB 10k tri run time of 44min on the nose; it wasn’t good enough for 1st overall and I was still beating myself up about THAT swim until late in the evening.

Went for a light 4k jog after to clear my head and loosen up...felt really good and ready for more, then mingled around and chatted with friends. I heard EVERYONE one of your well wishes throughout the race. I know I didn’t respond but I do hear you and despite what you may think I do SEE you. And it ALWAYS helps and is appreciated. Thanks. And thank YOU for all the photos that are coming through. Making the effort to snap a picture and then email or tag me and others on facebook is a very kind deed.

After the awards we went for a large lucnh with an even larger crowd. It was great to sit down with some of the other guys I don’t train with and have a chat – super rowdy fun!
Then it was home...dropped Jens off and straight to TBB. YES I hoped on the turbo for 60mins and tried to jolt myself out of my black swim mood. I think the beer later in the evening did a better job though!
Next race...Duathlon on July 26th. Putrajaya off so I am hopping on the bus for some dry racing only...can’t WAIT.
Final words: Thanks to Mr Chan for a super organised race, Randy and Ivie for organising the house and as for those Avia BOLTS...I am still LOVING THEM!!!
Oh gosh...I just realised this is two pages long...oh well...old habits die hard and all that. E.

OH WAIT A MINUTE....THERE WERE NO JELLYFISH STINGS...RESULT!!!