The TRI-Factor Series is a mass-participation multi-sports series consisting of three different events, that is, a Swim & AquaRun, a Run & RunSwim and a Triathlon.
Click here to view the TriFactor RunSwim 2019 photos.
The 2019 edition of the Run & RunSwim Challenge took place this morning, with several categories to cater to both runners and multi-sports athletes. There was a 21.1km run, a 10.5km run, as well as Long, Standard, Sprint and Freshman RunSwim categories.
Took part in the Freshman RunSwim
I participated in the Freshman RunSwim category, which was flagged off at 8:40am this morning.
Reached Race Site at 8am
I reached the race site, which was near East Coast Park Carpark F1, just after 8am. The first thing I did was to pick up my race kit, before heading over to set up my transition area.
Then after that, I hung around and chatted to some friends – while waiting out the time before my event was due to flag off.
Entering the Start Pen
At about 8:35am, the organisers were calling for those participating in the Freshman RunSwim category to come forward, which I did accordingly.
Prior to the flag off, there had been a short safety briefing, where the race organisers, from Orange Room Events, shared more on the race routes with us, as well as several other pointers that we should be taking note of, for instance, that it was mandatory to put on our swim caps when we begin our swim, or else we would get disqualified.
As well, the organisers also made some light jokes, for instance, about swimming with our shoes on! Apparently during the heat of the competition, some athletes might actually forget to remove their shoes before entering the water!
Time To Go
Then after that, the horn was blown and it was time for us to start our event.
The First 2.5km Run
I have to say that the first 2.5km run went well.
The run course was quite simple. We raced towards the Xtreme Skate Park at East Coast, where we made a u-turn and then ran straight towards the Bougainvillea Garden area, where we u-turned again and headed back to the race site, completing the first 2.5km loop.
During this run, I had been able to maintain a good pace towards the higher end of my Steady heart rate zone, because the weather was still cooling enough for us to do a decent run.
There had been two hydration points along the way, the first one serving cold water and the second one providing both water and energy gels, but I didn’t take anything at this stage, as I wasn’t feeling thirsty yet.
I finished my first run in just over 12 minutes, then I headed into the transition area to catch my breath and put on my swim cap and goggles in preparation for the swim.
The Swim
The swim didn’t go so well, though and my swim time was slower than I had originally been aiming for.
This was because the water was choppier than I had hoped, and the current was quite strong too, pushing me towards the rope during the outbound segment and pulling me away from the rope during the inbound section.
As a result, even though I had originally intended to use front crawl, I ended up doing breaststroke for the majority of the 200m distance, as this had helped me to feel more relaxed in the choppy sea. The last thing I wanted was to wind up having a panic attack in the middle of the sea!
I admit that I’d only felt comfortable enough to switch to front crawl in probably the last 25 metres of the swim, once I was approaching the end of the swim leg.
The Second 2.5km Run
Upon completing the swim, I walked to the transition area to catch my breath, take off my swim cap and goggles, and then put my running shoes back on, in preparation for the second run.
This run had felt significantly harder than the first one, though, because the sun had already come out. I think that my body was also feeling the fatigue from all of the running and swimming earlier.
So as a result, my pace in the second run leg was somewhat slower than the first one had been. I ended up completing the second run in just under 14 minutes.
The second 2.5km run route had been exactly the same as the first round, so this time I knew where to go already. So I was basically running on autopilot, with all my thoughts focused on the finish line.
I took a cup of water from one of the drink station along the way, in order to give me the fluids that I needed to keep on going.
It felt really good to see the Bougainvillea Garden u-turn point again – because this meant that I was nearing the finish line.
Finishing
With the finishing arch within my sight, I picked up the pace – to complete the Freshman RunSwim event.
There had been a couple of volunteers holding up a ribbon at the finishing line, and even though I know I may not have placed in the top few, I simply couldn’t say no to such a a great photo opportunity – of me breaking the tape! I guess that this is probably the closest that I can get to “winning” a race.
Finisher Entitlements
I collected my medal upon finishing, together with a banana and a bottle of water, to replenish my energy.
After that, I then hung round the race village as I caught my breath, while watching the Kids 1km Run category taking off, too. Those kids may be small, but some of them are fast!
And as well, I also caught up again with some of my friends who had also participated in various categories of the TRI-Factor Run & RunSwim Challenge.
Great Way To Begin The Sunday
As I slowly cycled back home after the event – with a brief stop at the Marine Cove McDonald’s along the way, I would say that it had been a great way to begin a lovely Sunday morning – with an energising workout.
Thank you to the TRI-Factor Series Singapore for the race slot.
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