SWEET CHARITY TRI-ATHLONGGGGGGG

BAYWATCH 2002

Did you catch Baywatch at Changi Beach Carpark, No. 4 on that sunny Saturday of 12 January 2002? Starring Team Absolut-ees, me (Sandman), Yap and the illusive Spiderman competing against other hot bods and babes in this charity event to raise funds for Rainbow Centre.

We (i.e. my runner, Ai-Lin, Absolutee Ling Legstrong and Sandman (-> me)) were at the registration booth at 10.30 am for an early registration, along with the swarms of men and women in yellow (i.e. the marshals) –the organizers sure came in full force. Even Uncle Sam’s Taskforce was there in numbers to control traffic. At 11.30 am, the Race Director of Triathlon Association of Singapore (TAS) conducted a race briefing. It was then that I started to observe the athletes around me. If I were to give them group nicknames, they would be classified as :-

 The Athletes came in a wide range of ages - both male and female. The youngest athlete must have been a little boy who completed the swimming leg for a relay team. There were a couple of older folks who have maintained bodies-to-die-for - at their age.

TEAM ABSOLUT

The result of a mental block - I had to borrow the good name of Team Absolut for my relay team:-

Soon Kiang – De Swimmer – An SQ pilot, ex-Commando and avid bi-athlete introduced by Ai-Lin for this event!!! Sporting and easy-going fella - took time out in between flight schedules to join in this event!!!!!! Even zipped off at the end of the race to pilot a flight to KL!!! Now, that’s true dedication!!!

Sandman –De Biker – Dat’s me!!! 

Ai-Lin – De Runner - A full-time personal trainer and massage therapist. A true-blue fitness guru. If you want a good fitness programme or you have any sports-related injury, she’s the wo-man!!! I met her back in round about 1990.

TEAM NO EXCUSE

Absolutee Yap rounded up a solid team called “No Excuse”, a name given so that its members had no excuse not to pull out of the race. Comprised of himself and a couple :-

Rina – De Swimmer – Member of FUBAR fame (Adventure Quest taken part in by Absolutees Beykha and Ling Legstrong) and runner up for Lara Croft Competition, this Amazonian bi-athlete can kick Zena’s butt any time. Met her through Ling Legstrong during the Adventure Quest in 2001 and introduced Yap to her!

Giddyap – De Biker – Absolutee. Check out his profile in the Team Absolut website (soon).

Walter –De Runner - Tall German Dude, also Rina’s boi-frend!!! Sorry gals, he’s taken!!! Ex-marathon runner back in Germany!!!

MEN’S UNDER 30 INDIVIDUAL

Spiderman – De Swimmer, Biker and Runner - Absolutee. 

THE RACE COURSE

The whole course of 115 km comprised of a 2 km swim, 92 km bike and 21 km run. Each relay team had to complete each leg within a cut-off time, and the baton was a silly looking rubber band.

2 km swim  - Swimmers were flagged off from Changi beach at 12 pm. They had to complete 3 laps in a triangle formation around two buoys and the beach. From the very start, the water condition was very choppy with waves of up to 1 metre high, plus the added gusty strong winds.

92 km bike – The route was mostly flat. I rode off from the Changi carpark, got onto Nicoll Drive heading in the direction of Changi Coastal Road, turned at the half-way point before hitting the Changi Naval Base and headed back to the carpark. It took four laps to complete the distance. 

21 km run  - Runners started at roughly the same point and almost followed the same route as the bikers, except they ran on the joggers path alongside the beach until they hit the newly built road parallel to the coastal road. They then make a u-turn at a marked lamppost along the Changi coastal road, and head back to the start point. This goes on for 2 laps under the blazing sun.

UNEXPECTED RESULTS

Our teams were pleasantly surprised by our better than average results. For the open relay category, out of 24 relay teams :-

TEAM NO EXCUSE came in 5^th overall with a total time of 5 hrs, 40 min, 39 secs :-

TEAM ABSOLUT came in 2 positions behind in 7^th overall with a total time of 5 hrs, 53 mins, 29 secs :-

Even our individual timings lost out to some of the top placings for the individual triathletes. Absolutee Spiderman clinched the 4^th position overall for the Men’s Under 30 Individual Category out of 33 other male triathletes with an amazing 5 hrs, 20 mins, 17 secs, faster than the individual timings for both our teams :-

LAST WORDS

Considering that some of our teammates were total strangers and only met up about a week back before the race and that we had zero group training sessions, I think we did pretty well. The most important thing was to have fun and to suffer for a good cause.

I would like to thank the following supporters :-

Chris (Yap’s wife) - Brought 3 magazines along and a chair for an afternoon nap – and of course, provider of food and drinks!!! Can’t wait to see the photos she took!!!