Known as one of the hottest races in the world, I signed up for this race as a package with Cebu that would be happening in August.
Training
Determined to do better this year, I started a 20 week training plan, consisting of a 4 week base, 8 week build and 8 week specialty. The training plans were from Trainer Road, and I rearranged the plan to fit my schedule.
Determined to do better this year, I started a 20 week training plan, consisting of a 4 week base, 8 week build and 8 week specialty. The training plans were from Trainer Road, and I rearranged the plan to fit my schedule.
The plan could peak to 10 hour a week, and consisted of 3 double training days. Basically in all 3 disciplines, one session would be vo2 max intervals, one tempo, and one endurance. For the bike though I did only 2 sessions a week.
I could feel the plan working and saw improvements across the disciplines. However after about 8 weeks, I saw a drastic drop in performance. Researching on the net, it seemed to be symptoms of overreaching so I took the next two weeks at a lower intensity and volume. I started getting a toothache though and fell sick about 5 weeks from race day.
I came into the race then unsure of my performance and without much confidence after a lousy Metasprint earlier. I couldn't seem to find the performance I was having earlier anymore. From an initial target of 6:30, I modified to 6:45, and with the expected heat, I felt anything sub 7 would be acceptable.
Travel
The excitement mounted and soon it was race week. Most of us took a Jetstar flight to Danang and we gathered at the airport together. Felt great going with such a big group! We were sent off by Jasper and Kelvin, thank you for the support!
It was a 2 hour 30 min flight and we touched down in Danang around 8:30pm. We anxiously waited for our bike boxes as we had heard the earlier flight had problems with the amount of bikes and 12 bikes didn't make it.
Sure enough a notice was pasted at the luggage belt. Most of our bikes didn't make it!
Many of the guys felt angry and anxious. We were supposed to assemble our bikes tonight and go for a reccee ride tomorrow. Now we don't even know when the bikes would arrive!
There was nothing else we could do so we headed to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency. This was the race hotel and we would soon discover it to be a great place.
My roommates Yuxuan, Fiona and Peilin had already checked in earlier, so Eddie and me headed straight to our room. It was a 3 bedroom suite and was great, with a wonderful seaview.
Eddie and me immediately ordered room service on arrival and listened to Yuxuan and Fiona's stories of their missing bikes. About an hour later,they received a call from the concierge. Their bikes had arrived! They went to collect it and Eddie and me helped them set up.
After chatting a bit more, we turned in for the night.
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| Beautiful sunrise view from our hotel room balcony |
Pre-race Day
The original plan was to collect our race packs at 9am and head for the swim orientation, and after that a bike recee.
However, Eddie and my bike hadn't arrived so Yuxuan and Fiona went off for a quick bike in the morning. We met them at breakfast and went to collect our race packs.
However, Eddie and my bike hadn't arrived so Yuxuan and Fiona went off for a quick bike in the morning. We met them at breakfast and went to collect our race packs.
Entering the IM village, the excitement started when they strapped the wrist tags on. There wasn't much to buy at the race expo but I bought 2 event T-shirts and a singlet as I had almost no clothes. Most of my clothes had been in the bikebox.
After the expo, Fiona, Yuxuan, Eddie and me headed to the beach for a sea swim.
We swam back to shore and swam out again, went back to shore and our rooms and went out for a quick run.
The heat in Danang was legendary, but out on the run we weren't feeling that bad and there was actually a cool breeze blowing in from the sea. We checked out the transition area, the run in and out and took some pictures. We then returned to our room, showered and went out for lunch.
Lunch was at Lotte Mart, seemingly the only shopping place in Danang. It was a hypermart with some shops...and the food wasn't very good.
After lunch, we returned to our hotel and took a nap before going to the race briefing later in the day.
Race brief forecasted temperatures of 37 degrees with a feel of 45 degrees. We were quietly hopeful though as that day even though sunny, had cool breezes of the sea.
After the brief, Roger told us the concierge had called and our bikes were at the airport! The helpful concierge wrote a memo in Vietnamese for us and we took a cab to the airport together. It was such a relief finally seeing our bikes!
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| Our bikes! |
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| finally reuntied |
Eddie and me headed straight to our room and I ordered room service as we set up our bikes. Yuxuan and Fiona helped and after we were done, Eddie and me went for a quick test ride around the hotel. We headed back to the room, showered, helped each other put on the race number tattoos and went to bed. Big day tomorrow!
Race Day
Eddie and me headed to check in our bikes at 4:30am. After laying out transition, we went back to our room for breakfast and headed back to the transition with our roommates.
Swim
Those who did the swim orientation the day before were a bit worried as there was substantial chop for the first 100m out. I heard though that early morning the waves would not be that strong. On race day, those that did a warm up swim provided buffet breakfast for jellyfish larvae and many of us had stings and itches. The swim course on race day was straightforward though, it wasn't as choppy as the day before and the first 100m were shallow.
We started in the 35-40min pen and it was a rolling start, releasing us 6 at a time. This kind of rolling start eliminates most of the washing machine effect, unless you start in the wrong pen and get overtaken by aggressive swimmers.
We ran out about 20M before the water got waist deep and I dived in. Water was choppy and I could feel a bit of panic rising. I reminded myself to just swim like yesterday, a slow and steady pace with deep breathing. The chop settled about 100M later and we reached the first turn buoy.
The buoys on the course were tiny and impossible to sight. I just drafted whoever was in front of me, and with the lane rope in sight, I hardly needed to sight. After the turn I saw Yuxuan on my 5 o'clock. We swam on and I don't remember making the next turn, after that another turn and it was the longest stretch back where I sighted Yuxuan again.
2 more turns and it was the home stretch back to shore. The choppy waves now helped us pushing us back to shore, all we needed to do was glide.
I saw Yuxuan again at my 5 o'clock and she was gaining fast! I picked up my pace too and suddenly there was this guy between us who was pushing me out away from the ropes.
Frustrated, I hopped over him and continued on. Yuxuan had gained on me though and I saw her stand up. I got 2 more strokes in before standing. I turned to her and asked, "You drafted me all the way?"
"No!!!" she retorted.
Chuckling, I ran off thru the waves. When I stood up, my watch had shown a swim time of 41mins. Unsure where the timing mat was, I didn't want to risk losing the swim time.
Yuxuan insists I purposely ran off to get a better time then her.
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| Bike assembled! |
Race Day
Eddie and me headed to check in our bikes at 4:30am. After laying out transition, we went back to our room for breakfast and headed back to the transition with our roommates.
Swim
Those who did the swim orientation the day before were a bit worried as there was substantial chop for the first 100m out. I heard though that early morning the waves would not be that strong. On race day, those that did a warm up swim provided buffet breakfast for jellyfish larvae and many of us had stings and itches. The swim course on race day was straightforward though, it wasn't as choppy as the day before and the first 100m were shallow.
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| Group pic before start |
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| Group cheer! |
We started in the 35-40min pen and it was a rolling start, releasing us 6 at a time. This kind of rolling start eliminates most of the washing machine effect, unless you start in the wrong pen and get overtaken by aggressive swimmers.
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| here we go! |
The buoys on the course were tiny and impossible to sight. I just drafted whoever was in front of me, and with the lane rope in sight, I hardly needed to sight. After the turn I saw Yuxuan on my 5 o'clock. We swam on and I don't remember making the next turn, after that another turn and it was the longest stretch back where I sighted Yuxuan again.
2 more turns and it was the home stretch back to shore. The choppy waves now helped us pushing us back to shore, all we needed to do was glide.
I saw Yuxuan again at my 5 o'clock and she was gaining fast! I picked up my pace too and suddenly there was this guy between us who was pushing me out away from the ropes.
Frustrated, I hopped over him and continued on. Yuxuan had gained on me though and I saw her stand up. I got 2 more strokes in before standing. I turned to her and asked, "You drafted me all the way?"
"No!!!" she retorted.
Chuckling, I ran off thru the waves. When I stood up, my watch had shown a swim time of 41mins. Unsure where the timing mat was, I didn't want to risk losing the swim time.
Yuxuan insists I purposely ran off to get a better time then her.
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| pleased with my swim time |
T1 was a long 600m run on uneven cobblestone which was very painful especially barefoot. I dried myself, wore my cycling shoes and helmet and off to the bike!
Bike
The roads in Danang are very smooth and the first 10km of the bike course was a nice scenic route along the famous China Beach. It was so scenic I wanted to stop and take pictures! The only elevation was a steep climb of 600m up a suspension bridge, one of 7 bridges in Danang. Most of the business came in the 2 loops after that battling winds from all sides.We then headed back to hotel, and passed it for another 6km to Uturn. That 6km was the most mental part,battling a strong headwind. However after the uturn, a nice tailwind meant you could hit 40kmh.
My plan was to maintain just 50% ftp for the first 30km. So I took my time and enjoyed the scenery along the way. I was overtaken by many people but maintained my power.
I soon reached the only climb of the course, a rather steep climb of about 600M. Downhill I was hit by crosswinds and slowed down. After the bridge we hit the roundabout and it was time to get down to business.
The next part was 2 loops along the coast where there were winds alternating between head, tail and side. I increased my power to 80% ftp and hunched in aero.
I was trying a new hydration plan where I only depended on my BTA and water points to fill up. The idea was to ride with as little weight as possible. My nutrition plan was one Bonkbreaker and 2 electrolyte tablets after the first 15mins, one GU gel and electrolytes after 45mins, and one Bonkbreaker and electrolytes the next 45min.
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| oops caught snacking |
Before I knew it I was done with the 2 loops and headed back over the bridge and back to hotel. Passing the hotel, the headwind was very strong and speed dropped. Keeping an eye on my power, I maintained about 80% ftp. A lady was drafting me though, everytime I slowed down she would overtake me but couldn't maintain and I would overtake her again. After the u-turn the headwind became tailwind and with 6km left only, it was now or never. I hit speeds up to 40kmh with the lady following close.
T2
Another run on cobblestones which was tough with cleats, as well as a loop around the transition. The bike in and run out shared the same narrow path though which meant some congestion. Frustrated with the flooring I took off my shoes and ran barefoot the rest of the way.
A quick spray of sunblock and Salonpas quick pain relief spray (spray for fun, I wasn't cramping or anything) and I was off!
Another run on cobblestones which was tough with cleats, as well as a loop around the transition. The bike in and run out shared the same narrow path though which meant some congestion. Frustrated with the flooring I took off my shoes and ran barefoot the rest of the way.
A quick spray of sunblock and Salonpas quick pain relief spray (spray for fun, I wasn't cramping or anything) and I was off!
Run
The run was a straightforward 10.5 km out and back, which was the same 10km of the first of the bike course. Shade was minimal and got less as the day wore on. Hydration and ice were adequate except one or two stations later in the day. Finish line would be a short run on the beach.
I took a chance using my On Cloud shoes which I bought the week before. Test runs had shown that it was light and comfortable and although I hadn't managed to run more than 10km in them, they felt good.
I started out too fast at a close to 6min pace. Forcing myself to slow down, I just relaxed and walked thru the water stations. After 5km, I started seeing people I knew coming back on the other side and cheered them on.
When I came out of transition I realised that I had dropped 2 of my gels. No choice but to use the ones provided, fortunately they were the same brand but different flavors. I came out of every water station with an ice sponge and a cold water bottle in my hand. However the sponges were huge and I couldn't put them under my hat. Soon I reached the uturn point and found I was doing pretty well. I stopped taking sponges and just took a bottle of water to drink and throw on myself. I increased my pace a bit but still conservatively.
At about the 16km mark, there was a Japanese lady in front of me. She was going at a good pace and I decided to follow her. We paced each other and encouraged each other , sometimes I would be in front of her,most times she would be in front.
At the 19km mark I started smiling to myself. 2 km to go, I was feeling fine and my pace was actually increasing. Thoughts of all my training came to mind. The hard swims till I teared behind my goggles, the 5am runs, the indoor bike trainer sessions where I almost puked...
And so I reached the turn into the hotel where I saw Jerlynn cheering me on. A few more turns and it was on to the sandy uneven beach, down the finishing chute, up the ramp and jump shot!
I am Triumphant!!
A big thank you to God for journey mercies. Twice on the bike course I almost hit the curb on the right and swerved. Thank Him for delivering our bikes in time and keeping the group safe.
Thank you to my wife for looking after the little one and the big one too, during my trainings and during the race.
Thank you to the Triumphy Wags group for standing in the sun and supporting us, even though twice I had to shout to get their attention lol. They are however getting really good at support and taking photos!
A big thank you to the Yellowfish squad, and the Triumphant family, for pushing me beyond what I believed I could.
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The run was a straightforward 10.5 km out and back, which was the same 10km of the first of the bike course. Shade was minimal and got less as the day wore on. Hydration and ice were adequate except one or two stations later in the day. Finish line would be a short run on the beach.
I took a chance using my On Cloud shoes which I bought the week before. Test runs had shown that it was light and comfortable and although I hadn't managed to run more than 10km in them, they felt good.
I started out too fast at a close to 6min pace. Forcing myself to slow down, I just relaxed and walked thru the water stations. After 5km, I started seeing people I knew coming back on the other side and cheered them on.When I came out of transition I realised that I had dropped 2 of my gels. No choice but to use the ones provided, fortunately they were the same brand but different flavors. I came out of every water station with an ice sponge and a cold water bottle in my hand. However the sponges were huge and I couldn't put them under my hat. Soon I reached the uturn point and found I was doing pretty well. I stopped taking sponges and just took a bottle of water to drink and throw on myself. I increased my pace a bit but still conservatively.
At about the 16km mark, there was a Japanese lady in front of me. She was going at a good pace and I decided to follow her. We paced each other and encouraged each other , sometimes I would be in front of her,most times she would be in front.
At the 19km mark I started smiling to myself. 2 km to go, I was feeling fine and my pace was actually increasing. Thoughts of all my training came to mind. The hard swims till I teared behind my goggles, the 5am runs, the indoor bike trainer sessions where I almost puked...
And so I reached the turn into the hotel where I saw Jerlynn cheering me on. A few more turns and it was on to the sandy uneven beach, down the finishing chute, up the ramp and jump shot!
I am Triumphant!!
A big thank you to God for journey mercies. Twice on the bike course I almost hit the curb on the right and swerved. Thank Him for delivering our bikes in time and keeping the group safe.
Thank you to my wife for looking after the little one and the big one too, during my trainings and during the race.
Thank you to the Triumphy Wags group for standing in the sun and supporting us, even though twice I had to shout to get their attention lol. They are however getting really good at support and taking photos!
A big thank you to the Yellowfish squad, and the Triumphant family, for pushing me beyond what I believed I could.
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| A PB of about one hour! |
I learned in this race that pacing was key, go out nice and easy, and aim for a negative split. Also try to reach race venue 2 days before as airlines cannot cope with large number of bike boxes.
All in all, a good race and a good course. This is will probably be one of the must do races of the region soon. I think we were lucky as race day while toasty, wasn't as hot as it could be, or as last year. This I would say is a recommended race!
All in all, a good race and a good course. This is will probably be one of the must do races of the region soon. I think we were lucky as race day while toasty, wasn't as hot as it could be, or as last year. This I would say is a recommended race!
Hi, my name is Tu and live in Danang. Very interesting your post! May I translate into Vietnamese and show to my friends as well?
ReplyDeleteThank for coming and hope to see you next year :)
Best
Tu