It's going to be an interesting race...
I'm now one week out from the Singapore70.3 and I have to say that I don't really know what to expect about this race.
The main reason is because the prep for this race has been so different from the Taiwan70.3. This has been due to the unseasonably cold weather that we are experiencing in Hk. Usually by the time March comes around, the temperature should be between low 20s to mid-20s. This year, we are still hovering in the low 10s to mid-10s range. Strangely enough, this makes cycling training a bit tricky. It really is freezing on the bike in Tung Chung and the winter winds are really ferocious. I thought the summer headwinds were tough but the winter headwinds have been something else! As a result, I haven't had much road time with the bikes. My bike training has been predominantly on the trainer. Apparently this is how some of the top pros train but frankly, I'm not sure if it will work for me! This is completely different from my prep for the Taiwan70.3 as I got in at least one long ride a week.
Originally, my plan was to ride Shrek for the Singapore70.3 as it is the perfect TT course given that it is flat. But as I haven't had much time on the bike outdoors and him being a new bike means that my bike handling still isn't up to scratch. By bike handling, I mean the small but important things of being able to eat and drink on the bike, corner, u-turn, etc. The conclusion I reached last week was that I would ride Blackie for this race, as I am super comfortable on him.
Another knock-on effect of the cold weather is that I haven't been able to train in my new race kit. This might seem to be a small thing but it's important because you never know whether and if so, where it will cause chafing until you've got a few sessions in the kit. When preparing for the Taiwan70.3, I trained in my race kit whenever I could.
Finally, I've always had a rule that I should avoid going from training in a cold climate to doing a "hot" race. Now I am doing precisely that and fear that I will melt into a big puddle of water before I get to the finish line!
So yeah, I think next Sunday's race is going to be an interesting one. Not sure what to expect but since it's supposed to be a race for "gaining experience", I suppose there is no harm in experimenting a little in the training for it...
Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.