The K-Swiss ITU Triathlon HK

After my first olympic distance triathlon race.. I have to say: "I'm keeping my day job". Granted in this sport/hobby, it takes a lot of effort to be above average. One thing I love about triathlon is the fact that even though I won't ever be great, it is very challenging and there is a lot of room for improvement when you suck at one, two, or even all three of the 3 disciplines.

My #1 sucky discipline is swimming. Just to give you an idea about this..
* I failed swimming class in grade school at the local Y.
* I almost drowed in a river after a workout in college.
* My splashes were so high that sometimes it would hit the ceiling of an indoor pool.
* I never swam more than 100m prior 2010
* Swim #1 - 750m swim duathlon but cut it short to 500m [29:00]
* Swim #2 - 500m run 500m [16:37], [20:01]
* Swim #3 - 750m swim (sprint tri) [28:43]

With four month of swimming consistently, this 1500m swim took me a little around 50 minutes. I know - I know, that time really sucks! But, in terms of improving - I would say I'm overall happy with the time. Just to give you a ratio my first swim took around 5:40 per 100m, I've trimmed it down to 3:30 per 100m. I will be thrilled if I can get it down to 2:30 per 100m by next year.

I had a major cramp in both of my legs with around 200m left on the swim. First it was my right leg, then my left. And this cramp is the type that is so painful, HELP! I'm drowing and have no usable legs! Have no mercy Poseidon? I hurt so much that I was shaking the living daylights out of my left leg and hoping to just clear the deck. Another issue I have is going off course. I look up but obviously not enough... I also seem to lose bearing and swim away from the line of swimmers (not good) to a point where I was stopped by a kayaker official. No need to blog about my mediocre bike/run... Ok, I'm done complaining. T1 seems to be my only chance to make up time!

Ok, so the result for my swim was a pathetic 90/92 :( [0:50:07] Boo hoo! - Yo #89, #91, #92 - how about getting some swimming lessons? Really... you suck! lol

---
So, here is the scorecard. Well, watch out Phuket Thailand - I'm after you on the hills DannyBoy...

Overall Male 35-39
[00:50:07] Swim 90/91
[00:07:30] T1 34/92
[01:19:09] Bike 75/92
[00:04:38] T2 87/92
[00:47:11] Run 44/92

[03:08:33] Tot 78/92

Overall Male
[00:50:07] Swim 388/409
[00:07:30] T1 139/410
[01:19:09] Bike 287/410
[00:04:38] T2 363/410
[00:47:11] Run 165/410

[03:08:33] Tot 309/410

Overall Male/Female
[00:50:07] Swim 444/471
[00:07:30] T1 153/472
[01:19:09] Bike 317/472
[00:04:38] T2 409/472
[00:47:11] Run 182/472

[03:08:33] Tot 350/472

Fear not JoggerJoel fans! I will improve~

Moontrekker

Moontrekker is a charity endurance competition race at night to complete against the minds, hearts, and legs of Hong Kong adventurers through the sleepy Po Lam Zen Monastery in Tai Tong Tsai and leads hikers up Hong Kong second highest peak on Lantau (934m)

Somehow I lost time at home and had only 15 minutes to catch the ferry at 7:30. When I called my friend he said the ferry was already undocking. OMG! Luckily, there was a special ferry 5 minutes later to bring most of the runners to Mui Wo.

Once I arrived, we waited for about an hour for the start of the race 9:20pm. Usually, I like to be close to the front, but for fun.. I thought I would try the back and video the crowd before it became pitch dark.

Unfortunately, my Garmin watch acted up in the race around 3km and I lost a 5km of history. Adding insult to injury, my light became dim 30 minutes into the race which gave me a very very low lumin (I'd say around 5-10). I tripped over a rock, did a barrel roll and hit my head on a small rock giving me a lump on right parietal ridge area. I think the light issue really became a significant crutch on my trail run. Well, that's part of the race! Unexpectedly, I came too close to the edge and actually fell again and my camelpack hose came off. Remind you my stinking light was on 'dim' mode and the spout became very difficult to find in the overgrown bush. I would say I easily spent 3-5 minutes searching for it. Ok, Chi Ma Wan pensisular was very friendly to this trailrunner that night.

Once out of the peninsular, the hike began. It was a relief to see the first checkpoint and refill water. I forgot to mention that the missing spout cause around 200ml of lost water :(. I had an extra battery, so I popped it in.. giving me another 30 minutes of bright light.

Once I arrived at Tung Chung Road (checkpoint 4), I felt pretty good and there was substainial incline for the next 5km. I was able to pass around a half dozen runners going up to Lantau Peak. I really felt I was cruising up the steep 400 incline at a decent rate. It took me around 23 minutes whereas when I first did Lantau back in April, it took me more than twice as long: 43 minutes. Once I arrived at the top, I somehow went down the wrong way and found myself slidding down from one ledge to another. Luckily, I criss-crossed to the left and was able to get back on the footpath.

While decending, the wind was quite strong and the rocks quite slippery. Given the fact that I had around 3km left to go, I took it real easy and slow. It took longer to go down the Lantau Peak than it did to go up.

My time was 6:21, Here is a video of the run from the starting point into Chi Ma Wan peninsular:

Lantau2Peaks 21.1km

To end my 4th running event with ActionAsiaEvents for 2010, this run was super hard on the quadriceps. Todays race was very slippery and hilly with a cool blustery wind with low visibility at the top of Lantau and Sunset Peak in Hong Kong. I saw, including myself, people having a few slips. We came in 5th out of 12 team-of-4


Note to self: Rock + Knee = MAJOR HURT. This race was a way for our team to prepare for the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km death march in November. We finished the race as 'planned' before 4:00. Actually 3:57. I hope that we will be more strong on race day. A big thanks to the race coordinator for another successful event.





Ok, Here is a really 'quick-edit' compilation video of the race:

Morning cycling training on north Lantau

26th Thaiquain 10k

Hong Kong had a tropical depression on Friday which moved the thick smog out but cleared in blazzing, hot and humid weather for Sunday's hilly race. Thaiquain starting point is the same as Oxfam Trailwalker 100km which I will participate in November.

Morning Start:
Sai Kung is not the easiest to go. But it only required 2 transfer from mini-bus to the double decker bus. Another note about early starts - make sure you eat at home otherwise, it's egg salad sandwich from 7/11. The bus ride took 1.5 hours with about an hour to spare to collect my packet

From 26th Thaiquain 10k

I recently bought a few gadgets which I would like to share with my viewers before I begin:
1. Vibram Five Fingers KSO

From 26th Thaiquain 10k

This is the first race that I ran with VFFs. In training I've ran with them less than 6 times varying between 1km to 10km. It's hard to say if I would have had a better time. I notice a little heat building up and my forefoot feeling ready to start blistering. I wouldn't recommend running anything more than 10k in the hot, humid Hong Kong with them because the sweat runs down your legs and into the shoes making it quite wet; hence the start of a blister? Some people report very sore calves running in VFF. I don't seem to have that problem; however the following morning I feel a little sore all over.







2. Action Camera:


26thThaiquain10k "OntheRun" Pictures

3. Cyling jersey














I find that runners like to run in baggy outfits. I am not sure why this is the case especially in Hong Kong. I would think that this would create more rash. For myself, since I having began to cycle more; I am wearing cycling jersey. The zipper provides open access to the chest when it gets hot. The tight jersey is "aerodynamic" for the speedy downhills :) Also, for longer runs; there are pockets in the back to provide easy access to energy GU.

4. 2XU Compression short pants
















Now for the race route:


Race Split:
1 00:04:10 1.00 04:10 <--- I need to get to the front... too much congestion!
2 00:04:56 1.00 04:56 <--- What happened? Oh right - gravity and hill
3 00:04:30 1.00 04:30
4 00:04:26 1.00 04:26
5 00:04:38 1.00 04:38

6 00:04:31 1.00 04:31
7 00:04:42 1.00 04:42
8 00:04:42 1.00 04:42
9 00:04:45 1.00 04:45
10 00:04:10 1.00 04:10
11 00:00:34 0.13 04:16

A semi-decent beginning to the race season..

1 1 1 MB 2005 FELBABEL, Erich 0:37:11 0:37:06 0:18:47 0:18:25

2 2 1 MC 3039 NG Kam Tai 吳金帶 0:38:05 0:38:02 0:19:49 0:18:16
3 3 1 MD 4023 KAM Wing Keung 金永強 0:38:46 0:38:44 0:19:50 0:18:57
4 4 1 MA 1007 CHAN Hon Man Alfred 陳翰文 0:38:54 0:38:50 0:20:13 0:18:41
5 5 2 MB 2018 CHAN Ka Chun, Eric 陳家俊 0:38:59 0:38:57 0:20:12 0:18:47
...
67 66 14 MD 4037 Dwyfor EVANS 0:45:01 0:44:56 0:22:36 0:22:25

70 69 17 ME 5089 CHAN Chau 陳 就 0:45:12 0:44:58 0:23:07 0:22:05
68 67 5 MF 6054 CHEUNG Kwok Ming 張國明 0:45:03 0:44:59 0:23:03 0:22:01
69 68 16 ME 5091 LEE Chau Ning 利就寧 0:45:09 0:44:59 0:23:26 0:21:44
74 73 15 MC 3018 LEE Kin Wai 李健偉 0:45:26 0:45:05 0:22:58 0:22:29
71 70 13 MC 3042 WONG Pui Yuen 黃沛源 0:45:22 0:45:07 0:23:37 0:21:46
81 80 21 MB 2057 FONG Chun Wing 方俊穎 0:45:41 0:45:09 0:23:49 0:21:53
73 72 14 MC 3104 CHOY Kai Man Tenny 蔡啟文 0:45:25 0:45:14 0:23:22 0:22:04
78 77 18 ME 5084 CHUI Chi Lap 徐自立 0:45:36 0:45:15 0:23:20 0:22:16
72 71 6 MF 6163 POON Pak Sun 潘百新 0:45:24 0:45:21 0:22:47 0:22:37
79 78 16 MC 3075 LEUNG Tsz Kong 梁子江 0:45:36 0:45:22 0:23:13 0:22:23
76 75 7 MF 6052 CHAU Yun Tung 周潤桐 0:45:33 0:45:25 0:23:33 0:22:00
77 76 8 MF 6031 WONG Chi Kuen Johnson 黃志權 0:45:34 0:45:26 0:23:11 0:22:24
75 74 20 MB 2085 LEE Siu Hong 李紹康 0:45:32 0:45:27 0:23:16 0:22:17
83 82 16 MD 4009 CHAN Hon Man 陳漢文 0:45:44 0:45:31 0:23:19 0:22:25
80 79 19 ME 5048 TAM Ping Hung Simon 譚炳雄 0:45:39 0:45:34 0:23:04 0:22:35
82 81 15 MD 4063 LEE Ying Ho 李英豪 0:45:43 0:45:34 0:23:09 0:22:35
84 83 1 MG 7009 CHAN Kwai Tim 陳貴添 0:45:46 0:45:39 0:23:14 0:22:32
90 87 22 MB 2060 NGAN Chiu Wik 顏昭域 0:46:11 0:45:40 0:24:07 0:22:05
86 84 20 ME 5122 Victor YUEN 0:45:51 0:45:44 0:23:45 0:22:07
85 2 2 WC 331 CHEUNG Chui Fong Kitty 張翠芳 0:45:50 0:45:46 0:23:04 0:22:47
88 85 9 MF 6029 YIP Kei Fu 葉基虎 0:45:58 0:45:53 0:23:18 0:22:41
87 3 1 WD 440 CHONG Miu Ying May 咗 莊妙英 0:45:58 0:45:54 0:23:43 0:22:15
89 86 17 MC 3066 KUT Yip Ming 吉業明 0:46:05 0:45:57 0:23:13 0:22:53
93 90 19 MC 3052 Joel LABELLE 0:46:18 0:46:03 0:23:07 0:23:12
...
690 601 167 MF 6112 TANG Siu Hung 鄧肇雄 1:28:57 1:28:32 0:42:06 0:46:51

691 90 18 WE 510 LEUNG Oi Yee 梁靄儀 1:31:50 1:31:27 0:44:09 0:47:42




At the end of the race, there was RedBull. Here is a tip: Don't drink it without plenty after race hydration. Your pee will turn dark red for about 2-3 restroom stops.