Ironman Switzerland Team Send-Off

Tonight, we had a send-off of our team of Ironman participants at Terminal 3, Changi International Airport. I was utterly surprised to see more familiar faces at our informal gathering. The team was decked in specially printed cotton tees with the words ‘Ironman Switzerland’. The usual suspects included: Roger, David, Khina, Edward, Reeves, Aristol, Jerry and Danny. We should see some serious action on the ride and run this year, as my training mates are primed and ready. Tune in to IronmanLive.com for a real-time commentary and results. With the Athlete Tracking function, you can a blow-by-blow account of each athlete’s performance including split-times.

I was, somewhat, disappointed as I would have enjoyed racing in this event, as I have not done it yet. With my duties at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, I could not take this trip let alone train for it without interruption from my obligations.

Getting ready for a trip such as this, with the main event being a 226km triathlon race, demands thorough preparation. The most debilitating item that you would have to transport would be the bike-case. With excess baggage being a luxury afforded only by those with gold card (frequent flyer) status, a bike case poses a huge liability with its expensive burden. Even carbon frames and wheels still weigh significantly in their dismantled state. Rule of thumb: first in, last out.

Having a list of things to bring is critical. A missing item can easily upset your equilibrium, as sourcing for it can be a hassle. The prepared athlete leaves nothing to chance, opting to bring their own nutritional system on their trip. I recall I could not buy Gatorade on one race and paid for my carelessness with the official sports drink. I did not agree with its concentration and paid for it with gastrointestinal (GI) issues, which drained my energy before the marathon. Ensure that you have more than enough for your race, plus additional for the days leading to the race.

Bring along your tools for assembling your bike; have spare tubes or tyres, and a mini-pump. Gas canisters are banned on airlines so get them early at the race-exposition. Ensure you have your race-helmet (hand-carry them if you must), race-belt, shades, bike shoes/cleats, and running shoes. Bring warm attire like arm-warmers and compression tights if you are racing in cold weather. You can toss them aside if the temperature rises. A wetsuit is a must if the water is within specifications, as you may risk hypothermia if are not used to the cold water. Swimmers who emerge from the swim leg of Escape from Alcatraz without a wetsuit have been known to risk plunging body temperatures. A friend was fished out of the drink in Ironman Frankfurt when he swam sans wetsuit. His body temperature plunged by five precious degrees; fortunately, he recovered and is well now.

The little things do matter, too: drinking tube for a drop bottle, Vaseline (anti-chaffing), cable-tie, masking-tape, Ziploc bag, chain lubricant, and rags to clean your post-race bike as well as to degrease the crusty chain.

We wish the Eastern Night Riders (ENR) the very best for the weekend. May they race safe and well!


Photo credit: Lee Junior