IronMan 2008 ~ TRISTUPE.COM

Thursday, March 08, 2007

IronMan 2008

10 days to KL International Marathon.

I'm not prepared. While someone need at least 3 months to recondition themselves to run a decent Marathon, i did not do it.

Using Ryan as an excuse would be too easy eventhough that is the truth.

The Big Boss

I finished the race last year, my first marathon in 5 hours 55 minutes. Just 5 minutes shy of the qualifying time.

The longest distance i ever ran this year since Ryan came around was 10km; in the gym's treadmill.

I know i am not ready for this race, but i'm determined to give myself a shock as the run up for IronMan 2008.

I did not put on any weight, but infact lost some even due to inactivities. Must be muscle mass. T-shirt previously tight around my arms are suprisingly loose now. Pants still the same, meaning i've not produced any 6 packs, or 2 packs as yet, if any.

I now weigh a good 80kg. That is 176lb of lard and meat on a short 176cm frame.

Image taken from PigMan Tri

Recalling back the years when i first entered my first tri race in PD, i did a sub 3 hours race, a 2:45 to be exact, the feeling was great. I was on my old trusty bike and yet i didn't do any worse than the racer next to me.

Year 1992 Le Run helped me complete my first Tri in 2005

Year 1992 Colnago will help me complete my first IronMan in 2008

So, am i ready for IronMan Langkawi 2008 which will take place exactly 351 days, 10 Hours, 58 Minutes and 40 seconds from the end of this sentence?

Technically i've completed what the IronMan website called the IronMan 70.3 twice. It is non other than the half IronMan Distance race. In Malaysia, we know it as the Desaru Long Distance Triathlon.

Infact, if we may compare, the IronMan70.3 requires one to swim only 1.9km but Mr. Chan made us do a 2km swim. So, in retrospect, those doing Desaru Long Distance Tri are 100meters better than the IronMan70.3.

Although doing 2 half IronMan distance doesn't make me a full IronMan as yet, and record shows that i did an average of 7Hours 41 MInutes for the half distance, double the distance, it would had taken me a 15hours 21 minutes duration to complete the 3.8km swim, 180 bike and 42km run. THEORECTICALLY.

Well, if my body could maintain a constant energy output throughout, i bet i could do it in sub 16 hours. In reality, it would be a 17 hours race, or more, for me. I just want to complete it next year. Complete it in the stipulated maximum time. 17 Hours.

This year too, i have to selectively choose the race i could enter. Not because i do not want to take part, but more of budget planning. It is not cheap to enter races in Malaysia. On average, it would cost me a good RM70 for entry fee. Lets not forget the logistics part. In all, one weekend of racing could cost anything from RM 180 to RM400, depending on the location.

More so if i enter any adventure races as the fee per individual after dividing it against your team mate could work out to be at least RM150 each on average.

Glory were the year in 2005 when all major races seems to have my name in it. Come 2006, the frequencies get lesser. The hunger is there, the wallet says otherwise.

I need to brush up on my swim. No more breaststroking in the sea. Got to start doing freestyle. Total Immersion video should be able to guide me.

I need to ride more on the bike. Now that i have a road bike that weigh 9kg, i have no excuse not to, gears is the easiest excuse to not be in a race.

I need to run more on the road, not just in the gym. KLIM is the way to start the year's preparation for IronMan 2008, even should i crawl to the finish line.

I need to save up more. So i could pay the entry fee and bring my family over to Langkawi to witness history being written in the Lim's family.

I need more courage, as the one i have in store are just enough to last half the distance.

I need to have faith, as friends that raced it could finished it, If a 110kg Bear and a 42kg Doc could finish the race, so could i, no matter how painful.