Sunday, September 18, 2005

Desaru International Triathlon

Another crazy weekend...

Spend all day in the Lear's laboratory...hehe...the whole week...been doing synthetic work all the time since I started my rotation at Dr Martin Lear's lab...sooooo busy!!!

Went for a swim early in the morning on Thur since I know Santosh won't come in so early and I can't get into the lab w/o his transponder....hehe...swam 1k only....haven't swam for so long...gotta swim at least once b4 the triathlon :P

Fri nite I worked at JRP...till 10pm...got home at almost 11pm...packed up my stuff for the triathlon in Desaru and the overnight camp at Ubin...slept at abt 11.45pm...

3.30am....the alarm started ringing!!! Ah...gotta wake so damn early...TLR coming to pick me up at 4am...I slept most of the way in the car...was damn shack...
We took abt 2.5hrs to get to Desaru even though it was a slow drive...no jam at that time of the day :D

Had buffet bfast at the hotel...RM21...din really eat much 'cos can't be way too full before the swim which will start in 2.5hrs time!! Was really tempted to eat the nasi lemak...but spicy food and race just dun go together :(

After bfast, TLR and his parents, Fd and I went to the beach to rest...TLR must be damn shacked liao...wake up so early and been up driving all the way...nvm...he still have at least 3-4hrs of rest, after I start swimming, before he has to run...hehe

At abt 9am, I decided to go change into my swimming costume...then ard 9.15am we went for the briefing at the swim start...the guy who was supposed to brief us was just shouting w/o any loudspeaker...he kept asking us to keep quiet...wah lau...use loudspeaker lah :P

Anyway, I'm supposed to swim clockwise x 2 laps...that's 2km altogether...Vicky was there as usual...said hi to her...and when I turned to walk away...had a video cam in my face...hehe...said hi to the video cam...wonder if I was on tv??!!

At 10am, the race was started off...wah...so many ppl...how to swim...the first 2-300m was spent trying to "siam" ppl...but after the first turning...the swim was a lot more pleasant...still got some irritating ppl who will keep touching ur feet as the swim...touch once not enough meh...think I must have kicked some of those ppl when I tried to kick hard so that I can open up our distance...hehe...too bad :P

Oh did I mentioned that the water there was so much nicer than the water here...be it Sentosa or ECP...I can actually see the seabed abt 100-200m out into the sea!!
When I first saw the seabed on my way back during the first lap...I thought I must be pretty near liao...but I was wrong!!! Haha...

Anyway, my first lap was a more relaxed swim...the second lap I started to speed up...it's easier to swim then as all the participants have spread out...
Tried to sprint all the way during the last 200m...wah...damn shack...came out of the water...TLR was there cheering on...
I still had to run another 100-200m to the transition area...and the path is not even carpetted...but somehow it's not as bad as the NUS tri one...hehe...had a very nice, powerful shower on my way to the transition area...saw Fd there taking photo :D

Reached the transition area...passed the pink rubber band to Uncle Johari...and off he went!! Hmm...I'm rather blind now...where's Fd and TLR?...decided to walk back and see I'll find them or not...had another shower...hehe...but cannot find Fd or TLR...so walk back to transition area...showered again!! So nice!! Found them at the grass patch near the transition area lah...

Put on my shades...hehe...not blind liao...then put on my t-shirt...hang ard...take photos ;) Then we went to the road side to wait for our cyclist, Uncle Jo...
He finished his first lap in approx 45 mins...then I went off for a shower in TLR's fren's (hehe...forgot his name liao) room :)
Wah...the rooms here are difficult to find leh...spent abt 5-10 mins walking ard looking for the room...hehe...somehow I missed it...ended up asking one of the staff there where it is when I was already very near...hehe...so paiseh :P

Had a quick shower...then I was back out waiting for Uncle Jo to finish his second lap...chat with some of the Singaporean supporters while waiting...
The commentator was pretty "naughty"...keep telling the participants they have a long way to go...wah...discouraging leh...but there was this Jap gal who felt like she was gg to faint when she finished the second round...the commentator actually stopped to help that gal...in the end, she still managed to finish the 3rd lap...dunno wat happened during her run as I left early...

After Uncle Jo passed by...I went to check out the Brooks apparel...bought a nice purple ladies top for S$16 :D
Then I went back to the grass patch to stone...hehe...expecting Uncle Jo to be back in abt 30 mins...but there was no sign of him after 45 min!! Wat happened??!! He had a very bad cramp...think he took almost 1hr30mins to finish the last lap...he must have drank too much plain water...
With the scorching sun and no isotonic drinks provided...wah...he must have suffered badly in his last lap...

Off went TLR for his second half marathon in a week...hehe...the last one is on Sun...so it's within 7 days :P
He have to go 2 laps of approximately 10km...in the scorching sun...very very different from AHM hor...
Fd and I went to wait for him and passed him a bottle of water...Fd was wondering whether the bottle will ever come back...well...we learnt that if u want back ur bottle...gotta jog with the person till he finish drinking...otherwise...forget it...hehe


Check it out...proof of Fd passing water to TLR...hehe


After that, I really had to leave liao...gotta get to Changi Jetty by 5pm as I'm gg for an overnight camp with my YEP team mates at Pulau Ubin...
Went to check with the hotel staff whether there are any shuttle buses to the ferry terminal...alas...the bus has left...ferry is at 3.30pm and it's 2.40pm now...gotta get TLR's parents to fetch me to the ferry terminal...the staff said...just drive straight down to the Petronas station, turn left...another 10km...then u'll see the sign...doesn't sound too far lah hor...

Wah I was wrong!!! Firstly, the straight road to Petronas was pretty far liao...took quite long partly because a lot of ppl still running...saw TLR on his way back!! hehe
Then after the 10km...we saw the sign...it says it's another 10 plus km to Tg Belungkor where the ferry terminal is!!! wah...jialat...
Finally we got there at 3.20pm....phew...managed to buy my ticket...said bye to Uncle and aunty...so paiseh...make them drive me out so far...then I boarded the ferry...

The ferry ride was only abt 30 mins...quite fast hor...but Changi Ferry Terminal is so isolated...only got those Mercedes taxis waiting there...luckily I brought along my streetdirectory...I walked along Changi Coast Road...under the scorching sun...wah liao...damn hot...carrying so many things somemore!!! Wonder how far I walked before I found the first bus stop...took a bus down 2-3 stops...then walked again to Changi village...shack man..

Finally I met up with my YEP team mates...

(to be continued...Overnight camp at Ubin)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey "poster gal" ,

nice report...waiting patiently for part 2...

:)

Anonymous said...

me waiting for part 2 too, dun take one year to write hor.

kops21 said...

aiyah..u must have miss KL penguin...;)

penguin said...

tiwazz, cheow12: nothing much to write after my swim lah...gotta ask Uncle Jo and TLR wat happened during their cycling and running leg respectively...i only see them when they pass the starting/finishing line :P

penguin said...

kops21: looks like I saw him...after he decided to quit...hehe

Fd said...

another long entry. heehhe but v interesting to read! keep them coming penguin!

ehehheeh yeah i think u slept almost thruout the whole journey there, can see u seems to be tired. didnt get to talk to u much also, n u deserved d rest im sure cos u r first to start the race mah..

d nasi lemak sambal was nice leh but i also dun dare take too much. later need to go toilet during photo-taking how? then i will miss all the great and precious moments of penguin reaching shore etc2..

i purposely was waiting for u at the nice shower point. it looks gd hor. n sure feels gd too. i ask tlr to wait for u at the shore n when he see u, he is supposed to call me to standby my camera. hehhee n he did.. so there u go, ur pics. ehhehe

glad u reach changi on time. lucky u, reach the ferry terminal on the dot to get the tickets! hehhee..
n i think i know which part of changi u r talking abt. it's very hard to get to the bus-stop there ryt?!