Story by Les Tan. Pictures by Lai Jun Wei.
It was the night before the Singapore Sprint Series duathlon at Mandai Road and I couldn’t sleep. It was one of those nights where you toss and turn, partly because of noise, and partly because you were afraid you couldn’t get up in time to get to the race venue.
When I “awoke” at 5:45 a.m., I felt tired already. There was a 3km-15km-3km duathlon waiting for me and I didn’t feel like going. The only thing dragging me out of the house was the promise to a friend to pick him up at 6:30 p.m..
When we got to Mandai Road, the place filled the senses, dispelling the weariness. Mandai Road is one of the most beautiful roads in Singapore, lined with magnificent trees that provide a shady canopy over a winding road that looks out across the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The place has lost some of its charm since road development crept in and swallowed part of it up, but nonetheless, there is enough left of it for to stir the urban-weary dweller.
The event started 8:30 a.m., and my friend and I started at the back of the pack. The first 2km was shaded and undulating. With no pedestrian traffic, it was all ours. No inline skaters, no kids on bikes and no parents with prams, unlike East Coast Park. Just brilliant.
The last 1km back to the transition area was on the exposed edge of the reservoir. The sun beat down and the cold water I had doused myself with at the water stop 400m back started to dry up quickly.
I got a bike transition slot right at the bike exit, so it meant an extra 150m jog to get to it. Never having bought bike shoes all these years, the only thing fast about my times is the transition. I put my helmet on and got going. I started wondering why the helmet was so tight and if it was possible to put on weight around my temples when I remembered I had lent my son the helmet and did not reconfigure the straps.
I spent the next 5km choking the life out of myself while trying not to pass out on the bike. You could just see the headline: “Participant passes out at duathlon. Helmet was too tight. Idiot.” I got off at the end of the first loop, readjusted the straps, and remembered what it felt like to breath normally again.
The undulating bike route gave me time to coast the downhill bits while I took in the other participants. There were mountain bikes on the course but at only 15km, I figured the riders wouldn’t suffer too much. The sharp U-turns at both ends of the bike route were manageable only if you slowed right down and took the correct line. Some who were not used to the sharp turns had to disengaging their bike shoes to prevent crashes. A guy, in a voice that sounded more like a demand than a request, yelled “Slow down!!” at every rider approaching the U-turn at the transition area.
Finishing the bike, I caught up with my friend at his transition area and we started back out on the final run. The first 500km was along the exposed path. The sun beat down from a cloudless sky. I felt like stopping. I made it to shade, then trundled along until the water point at the 2km mark, happy for water and an isotonic drink. Then it was down that final 1km stretch of unrelenting heat. I again felt like stopping.
Crossing the finish line with the elegance of an elephant walking down stairs, I craved water. The banana tasted really good. I was actually hungry.
With heart still pumping, skin drenched in sweat, I spied those who had finished already. Friends huddled in groups, exchanging notes. One thing about endurance events, everybody’s happy at the end. No losers, just winners.
I enjoyed the time out. I enjoyed seeing the waters of the reservoir. I enjoyed seeing the trees along the route. I enjoyed pouring cold water on my head to cool off. I enjoyed the sun blazing down on us. I enjoyed seeing people run and bike faster than me.
It’s a bit hard to find a nice event these days. I took part in my first Bintan Triathlon in 2006 and after that, swimming in the sea off East Coast Park was no fun any more. The waters off Bintan are clean and clear while the waters off East Coast Park are cloudy and dirty. With the number of ships visible from shore, you can only wonder what kind of garbage they throw into the sea. You see some of it on the beach at East Coast Park.
I had stopped taking part in the Singapore International Triathlon (also known as the osim triathlon) because the event had become too crowded. The four-loop bike route had become boring and the transition area at East Coast Park was also a mud bowl with the rain the last time I was there.
With more events and higher prices, you also have to decide which to go for. In 2003, the Singapore International Triathlon cost around $60. In 2006, the price was $85. In 2007, it was $99. This year, an early bird sign up is $95, while the normal rate is $125. The Singapore Biathlon sees a similar pattern. In 2006, the registration price was $30 for non-members. This year, it’s $48.
That’s life, I guess. Prices go up. So you make your own choices, decide what gives you the best time, the most fun, the most memorable course.
I had to make a choice too. I’ll see you at the Singapore Sprint Series triathlon on June 15 at Changi Beach Park. New route, less people. What more could you ask for?
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The bottom picture is beautiful, Jun Wei.