Shanghai 70.3: Swim, Bike, Run (OR try not to die, bike, run)

This well designed sign says, "Iron body, iron mind, iron soul, test yourself in Chongming"

On October 21, 2018, I took on the challenge that I had been thinking about for years: Ironman 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). The race was held on the beautiful Chongming Island, which is near Shanghai. It took us about 3.5 hours to drive there from Suzhou. We stayed at a questionable "4-Star" hotel on the island with a small group of friends from SSIS. Myself, Dirk, and Mari were taking on the full 70.3, and Mark, Anwer, and Rachel were a relay team (Anwer on the bike).

I did my very first triathlon in May 2018 at SSIS, which was a very short triathlon (800m swim, 15k bike, and 5k run). It was a journey in itself to train myself up to the 800m swim. I know how to swim, but it was still work to be able to swim continuously and not feel like dying. This race was also the first time I rode our second hand purchased road bike. The bike course for the school triathlon goes around the bus parking lot, so it has many curves/turns, and it wasn't the best place to develop my confidence as a rider. Anyway, I finished that event. I was already signed up for Shanghai 70.3 by this stage, and it was a nice first experience at triathlon.

My second triathlon was the Dishui Lake event. I completed the Olympic Distance at this event (1.5k swim, 40k ride, and 10k run). The swim was very challenging for me at this event as the water was quite choppy. As I am still new to the whole swimming in open water and being able to watch where I am going, I spent a lot of time swimming the wrong direction and choking on water. I swallowed so much water in this event that I was quite ill when I came out of the water. But I was so relieved to get out of the water and get on the bike. Knowing the course was only 40k (24.4 miles) meant I could just bike as fast as I could and not worry too much about the 10k (6.1 miles) run waiting for me. The ride was also really nice because it was a huge road with a very smooth surface. No bumps, plenty of space, a great ride. The only hiccup on the bike was when I gracefully dropped my water bottle at about the 1 mile mark. When I got to the nutrition station, I grabbed a black water bottle because they informed us it would be "energy" drink, but it was actually coke, which made me almost puke. So I had to stop my bike and give back the coke and get a water instead. I made it to the run and suffered a very hot, unshaded running path. My run wasn't great, but I was happy to finish that event about a month before the scheduled 70.3.

Leading up to October 21st, my training had been okay. Our pursuit of fun always interferes with my training-like a weekend in Hong Kong and going to Taiwan for a week during peak training. I still felt pretty confident that I had trained well enough to be able to complete the three disciplines comfortably-not quickly but comfortably.


On race day, I was feeling nervous but excited.

Race Morning

This is the sign language we were told meant "I'm okay". We were also shown a palm in the air meant "I need assistance but plan to continue swimming", and a fist in the air meant "I am not okay". 

Unfortunately, I would spend much of the swim being "not okay". I jumped into the water in a very civilized and well-managed start. They were only letting three swimmers in the water at a time, and the pace was regulated by a pre-recorded beeping sound. I jumped into the water feet first and expected to touch the ground, but I did not. My body sank much lower than I expected, and when I came up to the surface, I realized I could not breath. I felt like my wetsuit was suffocating me, and I could not catch my breath. I tried to remain calm and relax. I tried to put my face in the water to begin my stroke, but I couldn't hold my breath for long enough. I kept sucking in water. I swam breaststroke with my head above the water, but I still could not catch my breath. I swam to a paddle board around the 100 m mark and started to take off my wetsuit. The support person there was confused and thought my wetsuit was unzipped and tried to zip it back up. We couldn't understand each other, but eventually he realized I was trying to take it off. He motioned for me to get on the paddle board because I was so frantic in the water trying to get it off. I wasn't sure if getting on the board would disqualify me. I eventually gave in so I could get my legs out of the wetsuit. I put the wetsuit on the board with no further words of communication-as it wouldn't have mattered-and I continued on my way. I was so hopeful that once the wetsuit was off, I'd be able to breathe again. I was wrong. I still couldn't hold my breath or even exhale a breath long enough to put my face in water. I realized I was going to have to swim breaststroke with my head above the water until I could get my breathing under control. I was telling myself positive mantras and using mindful breathing techniques, but nothing was working. I was feeling scared, upset, and angry that I trained my swimming so hard and was now basically just using the "don't drown" stroke to finish. I swam in this state for the first 1000 meters of the swim. At the turning point, I could finally put my face in for a short time and got a bit of forward momentum with my breaststroke. At this stage, I also began to become concerned that I would not make the 1 hour, 10 minute cutoff. Every person around me was doing breaststroke as well, but it all felt slow. For the last 600 meters, I did manage to do some freestyle. Not confidently, but I did make a lot of forward progress at this time. The problem then was that everyone around me was doing breaststroke and the risk of getting kicked in the face was high. As I reached the finish of the swim, I was so relieved to have lived though the experience, and I could barely climb the stairs to get out of the water.

I reached the transition area still not knowing how fast my swim was. Since I was so slow, the transition area was very calm when I arrived. Most of the bags were already gone, and I could EASILY find my bike. I got onto my bike and checked the time was 9:30. I heard someone near me at the start of the swim say 8:22, which meant I had made it under 1:10 for the swim. THANK GOODNESS. I was so worried all the training I did would be for nothing due to that disaster of a swim.

The bike ride went on without a hitch. All of the roads were closed, so it was very safe. It was a double lane road that was very smooth, with just a couple hidden bumps on some of the bridges. The support staff was so fabulous during the ride. I stopped to use the toilets twice during the ride. At one of stops, a police officer kindly held my bike while I peed, and I thought that was just the most beautiful thing. I asked for a banana at one station doing one of those cool, slow down, but not stop grabs. The volunteer kindly shouted, "DO YOU NEED MORE BANANA?" after I took the half she already gave me. So sweet. So kind. I got passed a lot on the bike because it was a two-loop ride. It didn't bother me though as I got to see some of the fastest cyclists fly by me. I tried to break the bike up into thirds (30k or 18.3 mile sections). My first 30k was tough because I was still recovering from the trauma of the swim. My knees were in pain, and I could feel some inner thigh soreness (thank you breaststroke!). The next 30k was much better (probably because this was after the police officer held my bike for me). Then the last 30k was just a matter of getting it done. I also saw Anwer twice on the other side of the road during the ride, which brought me a lot of joy.

I got to see Anwer's smiling face as I came into transition. I wanted to tell him about the swim debacle, but I didn't want him to worry (but I did want him to start looking for my wetsuit). So I just smiled. I hit the run nervous about how my legs would feel, but I was surprised at how well I felt (compared to the previous olympic distance event I did where my run was so slow). The run course was a beautiful 7k loop around the lake that just tried to kill me. I started the run and thought, ok, I'm going to run the first lap and see where I'm at. After I finished the first lap, I was ready to run the second, and before I knew it, I was able to run all three laps with only walking at the nutrition stations. I got to the finish line, turned around, and I saw my time was 6:51. YAY! I wanted to be under seven hours, and I did it. My final results showed a one hour swim, 3:30 on the bike, and 2:12 on the run. Add some transitions in there, and 6:51 was my final.

My emotions during the race went from: I'm never doing this again-->Well, I have to do this again to prove that I can swim.

I feel very humbled by this experience. I feel very grateful for this experience.

Thank you to everyone-near and far-that supported me on this journey. Thank you to my husband for embracing my early mornings, hangry feelings, pure exhaustion, and spending an enormous amount of money on the things that go along with this sport.

My ride home.

90s album cover

So many bags.

Gray Day

Some highlights and lowlights of the times:

Winter is over. Thank heavens. Look at this photo! Just another day ebiking around in the wind and chill. 

When you and your partner wander the grocery store and show up together with the same hazelnut chocolate bar. #nochocolateforlent

The fam and Megan came to visit for Chinese New Year, which deserves its own post because we went to a Chinese hospital. 

Anwer and I had a weekend getaway to Hangzhou. We ate a lot and napped a lot. 

Spring has sprung and Suzhou is in full bloom!

Weekend hike in SND.

 We are currently on spring break and are enjoying a staycation in Suzhou for the first time in awhile. We went to Lotus Island today and enjoyed seeing animals, flowers, and walking on dirt paths.

Relaxing in our hammock! 

The trouble with Suzhou and many parts of China, which you may have noticed in the above photos, is the constant gray! We are trying so hard to enjoy the things China has to offer, but when you scroll through photos of gray... you start to feel a bit gray. 

I hope you had the time of your life.

Holy smokes! Where have I been? Let me tell you.

1. The fall semester was a crazy wild ride. I have been working in my role as Head of Grade 7 for months now, but I had my first "emergency" during the Grade 7 Camp in September. A student had an accident and ran into a glass window that shattered and cut three of his fingers. YIKES! We headed to the hospital, for what I thought would be some stitches because I never saw the actual injury. Well, turns out he cut his tendons in all three fingers. All ended well, and no one was fired!

2. I finishes my MASTERS degree in December! Yay! No more Saturdays and Sundays holed up in Starbucks reading, reflecting, and writing papers!

3. We traveled to India for my best friend's wedding, and it was amazing! In proper Indian shaadi tradition, there were multiple events, glamorous outfits, and food that was to die for. It was a Woodstock reunion, which brought a lot of emotions.

I always talk about the island that we can't go back to. We've been back to Mussoorie several times since leaving, but it's never the same. Even when all of besties were gathered together for Doma's dinners and volleyball games, it just wasn't the same. Maybe it's because we all have more money now and know that we won't be freezing through winter. Who knows.

Bridesmaids and Bride looking fly

Bachelorette Party in a place called "Cyber Hub" 

Mother in-law sari wrapping the most beautiful Bengali bride of all time. 

Smyes all the way from the Mainland and HK

Muusoorie Winterline- PC Ingrid

 3. After the wedding, we headed to the Agonda, Goa with the Hong Kong party. It was definitely time for some relaxation after the week long wedding festivities. Our first and last trip to Goa had been December 2011-our first holiday together after my first semester at Woodstock.

It was still glorious, and Agonda delivered in all of the beach demands: clean, quiet, cheap, and fun activities. We played volleyball with a hodgepodge of abilities and ethnicities. I went on short jogs around the area. We took swims out to the rock, and we ate.

The only thing that continued to plague the trip was the currency crisis, which was a disease that followed us for the whole trip. Basically, India got ride of two major denominations of its currency, introduced a new bill, tried to make the turnover happen in one moth, and basically ran out of money for the over one billion people living in India. ATMs rarely had cash, and when they did, you were limited to how much you could take out. Foreigners were only allowed to exchange $70/week. It was  a pain. Especially when we were constantly traveling with other foreigners in Delhi who had no cash. I hope India sorts itself out soon! It was annoying for us as visitors, but I cannot imagine the effects this has had on local people who live in a cash for service world.

We did abs for 7 minutes. Because balance.

4. I have not been running much because my knee has still been bothering me a bit. I went to four different doctors and had an MRI done on both knees. The verdicts were mixed from surgery, to injections, to "stop running" recommendations. It hurts less now because I am not running. I did a little 200 m sprint during a PE class a couple days ago, and oofta, my knee was in pain the next day. I'm doing some pilate-yoga plan right now. I did some mixed martial arts training in December, and turned into the hulk-specifically the right side of my body. I'm hoping this yoga-pilates will help me get my body back together! I'm still doing my Monday night fitness class with staff, which always motivates me!

5. After I came home from India (about 6 pounds lighter because I got some serious food poisoning on my last day in Delhi), I was feeling lost and down about being back in China. I had just finished the best reunion of all time with my favorite people, and I was back in the land of gray and smog with no besties. Anwer was offered a job at my school for next semester (just before we left for the holiday), which means we have signed another two year contract. I am at the halfway point for my Suzhou life. I still don't speak Mandarin. It's all so terrible to think about. Suzhou is great in a lot of ways, but I am looking for something more soul-filling.

In my freed up time resulting from being Master-less, I hit the world of the internet and decided my next goal: an ironman triathlon (half distance-70.3)! There are a few races scheduled in China in the fall. We'll see if I can get it all sorted by then, but it's a nice goal to work towards. It'll keep me physically and mentally busy.

6. My parents, Briana, and Megan are scheduled to arrive in China in just a couple days! We're going on a little Chinese New Year tour, which is sure to be a wild ride! 

Worlds Collide: WWE Shanghai

WWF (as it was previously known) was a big deal back in the day. I remember anxiously waiting for Thursday night Smackdown and even more so for Friday morning debrief with my classmates. We could smell what The Rock was cooking, and we were ready to rumble.

It wasn't just a show you watched on Thursdays and Mondays (if you had satellite, which I did not!), it was a lifestyle. I had WWF pajama pants, a glow in the dark pillow that my grandma had crafted, a WWF soundtrack, and numerous other pieces of swag to show my allegiance to WWF.

My fave from back in the day!

When one of my besties began working for the WWE, it was too good to be true. She hooked my family up with some free tickets when WWE was in Minneapolis, and months later WWE was coming to Shanghai. Anwer, some friends, and I headed to Shanghai via bullet train for what was sure to be a cultural explosion.

Sure our seats were plenty far away, but that did not take away from the fun of it all. Here are some major takeaways from WWE Shanghai:

1. Chinese security and orderliness sucked some of the life out of what I imagine are true WWE fans. They kept telling the floor side people to sit down. How can people sit down when their superheroes are flying around the ring in front of them? It was very bizarre.

2. Watching wrestling on TV is a very different, dare I say, cooler experience. There was no commentating for us to hear, no backstage interviews, and a lot less of the other shenanigans you expect when you see WWE. And sadly, it seemed, maybe, less real in person. 

3. No wrestlers spoke in Mandarin to the audience, which I thought was a huge ball drop. I remember in the months leading up to the event, John Cena was doing some bits for his Chinese friends, but in real time, he did not even talk to his fans! I felt that most of the wrestlers were underprepared for their interactions with the Chinese audience. 

4. There are some senior citizens on the roster. Chris Jericho and The Big Show were wrestling when I was in the fifth grade. They are still running around that ring today! Part of me was proud that they could stand the test of time, and the other part of me was bored with their old slow bodies. I wanted to see more of the high flying tricks of Jeff Hardy and company.

5. My favorite performance/match was with the New Day, which reminded me a bit of the days of Rikishi and his crew. They had great dance moves, amazing crowd involvement, and there was a trombone. LOVED em. 

tjrwrestling.net

6. All of the cheering and chants were in English. This was strange to me, but I guess if you are a wrestling fan, you are familiar with the language. During a few very slow moving matches/smack talking sessions, there were even some "this is boring" chants, which I found very clever. 

Real time pic of John Cena and The Big Show

Iceland Part 1: South Iceland and Wedding fun in Reykjavik

Anwer and I were blessed to be invited to our dear friend Grace's wedding in July. We took full advantage of this opportunity and headed to Iceland for 9 days. We only took 4000 photos.

Upon arrival in Iceland, we picked up our new friend/Grace's college friend, Chante. We then went to pick up our rental car from Sad Cars. When we began researching Iceland in March, it was clear that it would be expensive, and I saw Sad Cars advertised on a few "budget" posts about Iceland. To be clear, do not go to Iceland if you are on a budget. After picking up our car from a car rental company that has no gas policy, we went straight to the petrol station as our car's gas light was on. Cool. This would be the beginning of not knowing how life works in Iceland, but we managed to get out with a few confused card swipes and an $80 gas bill.

The street we stayed on.

We stayed at an AirBnb in Reykjavik. It was perfect for our group of four. We picked up another one of Grace's friend, Julia. This would be our cheapest accommodation during our trip. I think we each paid about $90 for the three nights. We had a great welcome barbecue with the wedding friends and family on our first night. The group decided to travel South towards Vik on Friday to optimize travel opportunities and make our ring road adventure easier post wedding.



We saw our first waterfall!

Skogafoss

We went a bunch of majestic sites with scenery that would blow your mind.

Anwer wore a fabulous green jacket that allowed optimal camouflaging. 

Black beaches!

We followed Mama Hyun's advice and stopped where we saw buses and people. As you'll notice, we were not alone too much during our trip. 1.5 million people visited Iceland in the summer 2016.

Driving was pretty straightforward. No shoulders, lots of sheep wandering, and pure tourist driving--everywhere. 

We went to a glacier. And walked on it, for like one minute.

Iceland loves churches. This is the gorgeous one where the wedding was.

Horse everywhere. Even at the wedding.

View from the reception venue. Never ending sunset.