Race Report: Danao City Triathlon

Since it's off-season for windsurfing, I decided to venture into a new sport: TRIATHLON. This will still give me time to be with the water while at the same time learn new skills.

So after 5 weeks of training (and losing another 10lbs), the time has come for my first tri (pun intended).

There were supposed to be two categories: sprint distance (750m swim - 20k bike - 5k run) for the newbies and olympic (1.5k - 40k -10k) for the elites. However, for unknown reasons, only one distance was announced.


There was no turning back and even though my longest swim was just 250meters, I signed up and got no. 11.

There were around 35 triathletes who joined the event with all sorts of bikes. The best one I noticed was this very very very very cooooool folding bike with drop bars.

The swim leg was perfect, with buoys and ropes forming a triangle. Two marshals in outrigger boats are manning the corners for safety.

At 730AM, the gun fired and we started. As expected, the swim start in a triathlon is very chaotic, with arms and kicks all over the place. I made the mistake of fighting my way and lost most of my breaths in the process. I could no longer find my seemingly-elusive swimming rhythm.

I survived the swim leg with the help of the ropes and finally appeared on dry land after 22 minutes. I rushed immediately to the transition area.

After putting on the shoes, bike shorts, helmet, sunglasses and watch, I immediately proceeded to the bike start. You can't mount on the transition area, so you must run with your bike to the line. :-)

The bike leg was enjoyable with marshals manning the busy intersections and at the turning point. I just kept spinning and disregarded the stiffness at my neck, back and butt. After 1 hr and 9 minutes, I am back to the transition area.

The arm is already wasted on the 1km swim and the legs on the 30km bike. With nothing left, I now have to run 7.5km at past 9am under the scorching heat of the sun. This is the time when you realize that nobody is really asking you to do this. :-)

However, when you see the finish line, the feeling is beyond comprehension. It is as if your relationship with your body is renewed. I finished the event in 2 hrs and 23 minutes.
I will definitely do this again.