Challenge Iskandar Puteri 2016 Half Distance Triathlon

Just 2 weeks ago I completed my first ever half marathon and was fairly pleased with my run progress as running has always been my nemesis. I'm a walker :P

And all that training was because just over the past weekend was another first. My first ever half distance triathlon (1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21km run) at the inaugural Challenge Family event, Challenge Iskandar Puteri.

Finally got to do a deep water start. Although never practised it, it has always been ok for me to thread water for long periods due to my water polo experience in the past.

Have done dive start, beach run start and this certainly was different. The swim felt long (2.2km reported by some) but had to keep telling myself to manage my pace, so as not to burn myself out for the other 2 disciplines next.

The bike leg was nice (and chill), with rain and strong winds throughout and on the 3rd loop setting the stage up for a cool run. But the 3T Orbis II carbon wheels held up very well in the wet. And I've over-fueled on the bike leg and was not hungry at all during the run, which is good to keep energy stored up.

Those energy bars I took by Clif Bar (Chocolate Chip flavor) are awesome... haha! There was one water station on the bike leg and provided PET bottles for me to refill my TorHans Aero 30 vertical BTA hydration bottle easily. I read online about the trick of biting the cover while using one hand to stuff the PET bottle in for refueling.

There were quite a lot of potholes and stones on the cycling road due to the construction on-going in Iskandar Puteri (formerly known as Nusajaya). Was a bit dangerous and a rider even lost his face in a bike crash.

However, the run leg next turned out to be absolutely brutal. The sun came out strong and evident after the race from my major sunburn.

Managed to maintained a steady pace up till 14km mark where I decided to do an alternate run-walk in the crazy heat, with simply not enough shade and water stations.

Many times I felt like I needed to stop just to sit under the shade but resisted the temptation!

Overall, am happy with my very first half distance triathlon time of 6 hours 51 mins.
Will I do it again? That's for sure!! :)

Official results can be found here.

*Note: Photos here were not taken by me. They belong to the respective photographers and all rights reserved by them.

Fueling strategy this race:
  Breakfast - 1 coffee, 2 granola bars and 1/2 Clif Bar
  Before Swim - 1/2 Clif Bar
  Bike - 2 gels, 2 Clif Bar
  Run - 2 gels