Challenge Taiwan 2019

Challenge Taiwan was my first triathlon race - Olympic distance, comprised of 1.5km swim 🏊🏼‍♀️+ 40km bike 🚲and 10km run🏃🏾‍♀️. The experience was epic.

Being my first race I was nervous as hell. I overcame such anxiety by reminding myself that this is only a long training session, as my ultimate goal is the Ironman race 4 months away in Copenhagen 💛. 

Despite adequately preparing for the race by months of training, days of carb loading 🍚🍞, testing nutrition supplementation required, reenacting transition procedures in my head before I sleep💭, waking up at 03:00 on the day 😴... there will be unforeseeable obstacles ahead and it is completely in your hands whether to fight or flight. At 06:10 I thought I had 10 minutes to spare. As I approached the starting line I could not see other participants of the same group. The event marshal casually announced that my group has left at 06:00. 🤯I scrambled hastily through the crowd, jumped into the lake and swam like a maniac. I did not enjoy such unprepared frantic feeling but life has its funny ways and we just have to keep swimming!

I’m not the biggest fan of swimming, my sighting skills require improvement. Swimming in a wetsuit aided floatation but strained my shoulders. Perhaps it would help if I invested in the new deBoer wetsuit 🤫😝?   At last the swimming arm is over, I was in utter joy running barefoot for 850 metres towards T1. That part was surprisingly fun.

Okay gel time! The bike part was also enjoyable. I love exploring places on the bike, and I’m glad that Argon18 and I have lately become acquainted. I think I’m ready for my own road bike 🙃. The most wonderful thing during the race was that i couldn’t stop smiling during the 10km run. it was T O U G H without any shade under the scorching sun. I thought my feet were bundled up like Chinese ladies back in the day.  I couldn’t feel my legs, but it was euphoric. Am I a masochist? Was I high from all the endorphins firing out of my system? 

Halfway into the run I finally saw my coach and we high-fived. His support means a lot to me @wsw_jimmy. I would also like to take the chance to thank @frankie_s for supporting me during my journey. I’m grateful to have met a fellow dietitian who also has great passion in triathlon. May we continue to do our best in the upcoming competitions! Many thanks to my brother @henryshek, who joins my training once in a while. Training with you (or life really) is so much more fun. The last person I would like to thank is Him. Oftentimes in life I am distracted with other things, but race time felt precious as I had hours to meditate, sing praises in my and thank Him for such a beautiful world. When I was tired and sought His strength. Thank you for giving my the ability to run, bike, swim, for a healthy body to undergo such intense endurance training. With you I am unafraid! Thank you for keeping me safe. I know I have been heard, for after the race, a hailo appeared before my eyes. I have never experienced such a spectacular moment. I will continue to explore my life with you!

Coming first in my age group, second overall in women was a surprise, a bonus because I am happy wherever I’m placed, as long as I gave it my all. I will never stop improving and I will continue to find balance in my life through triathlon.

How do you find balance in your life? 

tee xo.