Singapore Sprint Triathlon Relay

The MetaSprint Series Singapore Triathlon was the main reason I was in Singapore last week. My cousins, friends and I fielded 4 teams and we did reasonably well - out of 25 teams, we finished as follows, Team We Try Harder 12th 1:27:47 San 14:55 Nabil 38:30 Soorya 30:28; Team weddingsmalaysia 16th 1:34:57 Kris 16:46 Bunny 40:22 Lee Kuen 33:43; Team New Friends 19th 1:38:45 Siew Yoong 26:24 Nigel 42:14 Katherine 26:22; Team Hiplist 21st 1:45:14 Chin Lai 20:28 Kok Ang 42:21 Ai Ling 38:40 - a pretty satisfying result considering we are amateurs and just competed with the aim of finishing the race.

This was my second attempt at a sprint triathlon relay, the first being in Bali last June, and was therefore less daunting. Although I swim regularly, doing so in the sea is vastly different from the more secure surrounds of a pool. It challenges me to perform out of my comfort zone. Committing to such a race also gives me something to look forward to and acts as a catalyst for me to train and keep in shape. It requires discipline to a certain extent as I don't want to let my team-mates down, seeing that swimming is the first leg of the race. It is always a thrill if I am able to give them a good start. In Bali, I was 12th out of the water, this time I was 9th. Although I was competing against different swimmers, I am still pleased. The Singapore swim leg was also longer, 750m against 500m in Bali, and my average swim time also improved. Always good to know that the hard work put in has paid off.

The best part of the experience though is the camaraderie amongst the twelve of us. We hung out at dinner on the eve of the race, we encouraged each other, we shared in the enthusiasm, we cheered each other on, we patted each other on the back for a job well done. Moments like these are what such races are about for me. I certainly look forward to more races in the future. Who knows, a move up to the Olympic distance perhaps?

Photo of all of us after the race in Changi, Singapore.