Ironman 70.3 Colombo 2018

Bike Check in

Race Day
I didn’t get to sleep at all the night before the race. I don’t know if it was anxiety or the noise from the live bands on the lively streets around my hotel. I went to the transition early with Fariz and finished everything I needed to do in a few minutes. I still have 45 minutes to kill while waiting for the swim start. I then had a sudden urge for the call of nature, the number 2. I ran to Shangri-La Hotel opposite the transition area and I poop FOUR times!

Swim

I made it to the starting corral with 15 minutes to spare and lined up among some of the Doha contingents. Everyone was cheerful and excited to get the race going. The swim course was a one lap anti-clockwise along Galle Face Green. The water was not as rough as the conditions in Hikkaduwa where I had a great family vacation last year or South Africa, but you can feel the current along the way. It was especially harder on the way back as we swam closer to the beach where the surf breaks. Typical Syafei, I took it easy on the swim with a goal to finish the swim in the low 40 minutes. An average World Championship qualifier would swim around 35 min . The water was warm and the conditions were nothing out of ordinary but I was hardly moving. I remained calm and focused on the turn buoys. Once I passed the last turn buoy, I tried to swim with more intent from one kayak to the next, but It took so long to get to one kayak to another. I became anxious and tried to increase my stroke rate. I got tired. I could see the swim exit arch, small, far in the horizon. I alternated breaststroke and front crawl until finally made it to the beach in 47:26, one of my slowest 70.3 swims. I could make up a five minutes deficits on the run but 12 minutes? Impossible. I was 44th in my AG.  

Bike
I was angry and grumpy. But I know it wont do me any good. I ran through now desolated transition area and quickly collected my bike and switched on the hunting mode. I have been working on my bike quite a bit and it shows on race day.  The bike course was a three lap along the coastal road of Colombo passing through the Gall Face promenade, the port area and the CBD. It was dead flat but windy. Suitable for us coming from places like Qatar. I love cycling in loops, you could see your team mates (and competitors) and determine your position relative to each turn around. In my case, it was my old mate from Doha Bay Running Club (DBRC), Tony Salter. We started triathlon about the same time. I may be marginally better in swimming, but Tony is a lot stronger cyclist and runner. My goal was not to be overtaken on the bike by Tony. I saw Tony after the first turn around near the Port and he was around 5 minutes back. I knew he would be eating on my lead if i continue cycling on my current effort (which already harder than I should). Though I am not actually racing him (he is in 50-54 AG) but having someone to mark and pace with really help me to push harder. By second lap, not only I managed to hold on to my position, but I somehow extended my lead. Something is not right with Tony. I later found out that Tony was DNF because of severe GI problem. I continued with the same effort, and actually enjoying myself. The crowd along the bike course was fantastic and I cant believe I was cycling in the heart of bustling Colombo, totally closed from traffic. Cycling here on any other day must be impossible. I made it into T2 in 2:50:50, making up 16 places in my AG    

Run

As always, I was so eager to start the run without knowing what I was getting myself into. I could feel the effect of the heat and humidity as soon as I started the run. I had to adjust my pace and expectation accordingly, but then the conditions didn’t seem to affect Ling Choo Er (Lingultragal on Instagram) as she went past me to start her second lap. Then I saw Gerda making her way down from the Galle Face Hotel turnaround as I am making my way up. I was impressed with how much she has improved over the past 2 years. She was known for her swim, but I didn’t know she could ride as well. Clearly a podium material If she could back her swim bike effort with a solid run.

There were many spectators and photographers along the sea front promenade and I tried as much as possible not to get carried away. I managed to stick to my pace but I make sure I didn’t slouch and look good for the camera. Then I heard a loud ‘Go P.E go P.E’ cheer. The voice was so familiar. It was none other than Kak Diba. She was seating with Hesham Shariff’s wife. If it was hot for us it must be as hot for them. I salute all those spectators for coming out in drove supporting us all day.

The run was on a two-lap course along Galle Face green to the top to the port at the bottom which includes running along a wave breaker wall (aka wall of death, more of it later) all out in the open without a shade. I saw many struggling runners as we ran on the opposite direction. That include our top triathlete Aday and super-fast runners, like Ferhat. Running on the opposite direction, Qatar’s top national athlete, Ebrahim warned me not to push on my first lap. I heeded his advice and shorten my strides while maintaining my cadence. That stretch along ‘The Wall’ was a killer. We were fully exposed by the sun and reflected by the wall. The wall also blocked all the breeze coming from the sea. It was like running in a convection oven. Everyone seems to suffer. Including me. By the second lap, I was running no faster than a 90 year old on walking frame. The memory from 70.0 Subic Bay in 2016 came back haunting me, but I vowed not to submit to the calling to surrender and walk this time. I first saw Ferhat, followed by Gerda and Francis Morrissey aka Franco went past me from the opposite direction as I was about to reach the top of the turn at Galle Face Hotel. They must be around  2-300m only. I was surprised to see Franco was that close. He was 30 minutes faster when we last raced together in Bahrain in 2016. I used them as baits as they were getting bigger and bigger in my view. I told them to follow me as I make the pass, but clearly the weather affected them much more than it did to me. 

It was tough, but the crowd and team mates make it a bit easier

The run in 70.3 Colombo may be the hardest ever, even though it was dead flat. I only survived because of the support and cheer I received from our supporters and my fellow Doha contingent while we in it together read Suffer Bejemaah. The emotion got the better of me once I crossed the finish line. I was so glad it was over. It was such a relief.

The aftermath

It was probably the hardest race I ever did. I wasn’t even embarrassed to admit that I cried after the race while lining up for the post-race massage. I fought and found the inner strength I didn’t know existed. To put it in perspective, I remember how my buddy, Dave Walsh described it when I told him I wanted to register my wife to race Colombo next year, “Nobody should be put in that situation and experience the torture like we did”. 

Post Race

I never dreamed to finish the race in the top 20 of my AG, knowing how competitive the men 40-44 AG was, now that I finished 15^th I thought I would try my luck at the roll down. My AG had 4 slots to the World Championship, Olivier Godart the winner refused his slot but the slot only rolled down to 6^th place. Anyway, It gave me hope and renewed self-belief that I could play with the big boys in my AG.     

I will miss the hospitality of the Sri Lankans for sure but I don’t think I would come back so soon to race here. On second thought, I did not manage to dine at their famous, Asia’s top 50 Ministry of Crab restaurant. Apparently one needs to book a week in advance to sample their God knows ever so popular crustacean dishes. Maybe it will be a good enough reason for me to come back.

Results:

Swim: 47:26 (44^th)
Bike: 2:50:50 (28^th)
Run: 2:06:17 (15^th)
Total: 5:48:26
Category Rank: 15^th of 82
Overall Rank: 169^th of 672

Some of Triclub Doha Contingent

My Doha buddies

MAD Triathlon family

With Doha's Spanish Mafia