I couldn’t believe I was standing at the boarding gate ready to fly up to Nanjing in China for the Asian Triathlon Championships.  It only seemed like yesterday when I was planning my race schedule at the beginning of the year.  Although I have lived in Hong Kong for almost seven years, this was only my fourth trip to China and I don’t really count any of those (a one-day work trip to Shanghai and the other two weekend golf trips to Lotus Hills).  I had heard a mixture of good and bad when it came to racing in China so I was keen to experience it for myself.  Friends who have competed in numerous races over the border had told me of amazing scenery and friendly people but from others it had been horror stories.  Everything from terrible food, bad pollution, complete disorganization and no-where to train before the race so I had mentally prepared for everything. What made this event even more testing for the organizers was the very fact it was the Asian Championships so most of the athletes would be on edge and under huge pressure to perform.  

As the bikes boxes came along the conveyor belt in Nanjing airport there was a sigh of relief, things were going well as we had all the luggage and were 30minutes ahead of schedule.  Now we just had to hope the bus was ready to take us to Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province where the race was to be held.  Originally, we had to been told to expect a 3-4hrs bus trip however most of the Hong Kong team had travelled the day before and called to let us know that it had taken them 6hrs!    Luckily, that had given us time to prepare supplies for the trip, as hungry athletes don’t provide great company, as I am sure you know.  After a slight false start, where we managed to get 20minutes from the airport only to be turned back to wait for the Macao team to arrive an hour later we were finally on our way. As we cruised down the expressway, I was surprised to see the scenery was really green with many little farms dotted between the fields which reminded me a bit of Vietnam.  It amazed me to see all the old trucks and farm vehicles chugging down the road piled high with bricks.  Each one was perfectly stacked in a precise manner so they could load the absolute maximum on the back without the risk of losing any en route. This was obviously an art which had developed over the years and been passed down through generations.  

I managed to doze off a couple of times during the journey only to be woken by the screeching of brakes and a violent swerve across the road as we dodged to miss another vehicle or person trying to cross the expressway.  No wonder road accidents are high as the locals don’t seem to have any concept of looking where they are going, which can make for some interesting driving!  I soon worked out it was best not to look and stuck my head back into my book.  We finally arrived at the hotel on the edge of Najjing about 9pm so I was glad to unpack my bike and pile into bed after a long day.

We were up early the next morning for a light jog after spending the previous day stuck on the bus.  I was keen to get out and explore the area, as we couldn’t see much when we arrived the night before.  Cookie, my boyfriend who was competing in the age-group race came with me as we headed out to find the course.  The town was bustling with activity even though it was only 7am and the crowds had already gathered on the corner of the bike/run course.  They were holding the National Duathlon Championships as a warm-up for the triathlon the following day.  We were both blown away with the genuine excitement of the locals at the prospect of the race and they were already fighting for the best positions despite the course offering 8km of prime viewing round the lake.  We managed to squeeze through the crowds and were allowed on the course for our jog.  It certainly made me sit back and think about how these people could be so happy with so little and yet we are often the first to whinge and complain at the slightest thing.  Everywhere we went there were huge smiles, which immediately made me feel good and even more determined to put in a good performance.  My legs were feeling fresh and after a few drills and sprints we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.  

Although the food selection was interesting by western standards, it was good and they always provided plenty of bread and rice.  I was a little careful before the race and had also taken things like tuna, cereal, soups and energy bars so I could pick and choose to make sure I kept my stomach happy.  After a light snooze and a massage, it was time to ride down to the start area for a swim, ride and to also check out the transition area so I knew exactly what I would be doing the next day.  I always make sure I spend as much time as possible before an important race familiarizing myself with the lay out of the course.  This hopefully avoids any mistakes on the day and helps me with visualization when I have actually seen the course.  The race centre, finish area and transitions were all inside the park gates at the end of the lake.  The organizers had done an amazing job with the layout and there were huge inflatable finish banners, plenty of distance markers and lots of crowd control as they would charging people to enter the following day. We drew a huge crowd as we did our swim practise and I would love to know what they must think of all these crazy foreigners running around in their swimmers!

With all the training for the day over, it was simply a case of preparing everything for the big day, some stretching and trying to relax.  I find it a huge help when Cookie travels with me especially for big races as he provides a calming influence and helps me work through potential scenarios on race day.  As with most races, it is not solely about physical ability and fitness, although this helps!  Strategy and mental strength are just as important, many races have been lost though strategic errors or a lack of mental strength at just the wrong moment.  For the first time, I had made the Asian Championships my big goal for the season and was keen to earn further ITU points to improve my world ranking.  (ITU Points will be used to determine Olympic qualification for Athens in 2004, you need to finish in the top 15 and within 8% of the winners time or 5% for men in order to win them.) This meant I had put the pressure on myself, all the training was done, I was fit and healthy so there would be no excuses the next day.

As we arrived at the race site, I couldn’t believe how many spectators were there, it was rumoured there were over 10,000 watching.  I can believe this, as they were three people deep round most of the course and at least 10 deep near the start and finish area.  There was an incredible atmosphere, which really made the race feel special and you felt you had to do the performance of your life to justify all the excitement!    Before I knew it we were off and the lake was full of thrashing arms and legs, spectators saw fish leaping out of the water just in front of the lead group, not the normal Sunday morning for them.  I was just behind a girl from China after the first turn and was working hard to hang in there but was sure this was my best swim performance to date.  I have been working really hard on my swim for the last two month’s, as it is crucial in draft legal races, where you can ride as a group on the bike.  If you can’t swim with the best then your race is almost over before you even get on the bike, as you will have no one to ride with.  As we came out of the water my heart rate must have been through the roof but it was time to dig deep. Having worked hard to stay in touch in the swim, I didn’t want to lose people through a lousy transition.  To my surprise, I was the first of our group out onto the bike and was soon flying through the screaming crowds.  I was soon able to catch another competitor from China up ahead and worked with her and my team-mate, Nicole.  There was a huge pack of girls from China & Japan about a minute ahead and I knew it was crucial not to lose touch with them before the run.  After two laps, it became clear that we were starting to slow down so I managed to break away and decided to chase the lead group on my own.  While this would no doubt tire my legs more than riding with the other two, I felt I couldn’t afford to loose anymore time if I wanted to ensure I was within the 8% time limit.  

As I jumped off the bike, my legs felt like lead but this is where the mental part comes into play as I told myself I felt awesome!  As I headed back out onto the course, I was told there were fourteen girls who had left transition 2minutes ahead so I set out to try and run some of them down.  During the first kilometre, I was still trying to find my rhythm but the cheers from the crowd were amazing and driving me forward.  After 2km I was able to see some of the runners ahead, giving me encouragement to push a little harder.  As I drew close, the crowds were going wild and although I couldn’t understand the language they gave me the feeling they were willing me on as the underdog having seen me ride most of the bike on my own, unlike the girls ahead.  I slowly pulled my way past five girls and I still had one in sight from China however she kept looking back and just upping the tempo enough to keep ahead.  As we came back in to the park with 1km to go, I kept surging but just couldn’t quite get to her and had almost settled for 9 th spot when the cheering got to me again and managed to sum up the energy to sprint for the line.  What I didn’t realize in all the excitement was that we still had about 300m to go so not daring to look back in case I tripped, it meant the longest sprint to the line I’ve ever had!    As I broke the tape I was ready to collapse but at least I would have a broad smile all over my face.

The age-group race started 2hours after the Elite Women’s race and it was nice to be able to soak up the atmosphere and cheer them on.  I have never been asked to sign so many autographs, from clothes and hats to postcards and scraps of paper with everything greeted with their huge infectious smiles.  Cookie managed a personal best and came 10 th in his age group so it wasn’t just me to have a good day in our household.  Andy Patrick & Robert Eadie won their age-group with Andrew Wright coming 2 nd in the Junior section and Daniel Lee finishing 4 th Elite male in a career best, so it was a good day for the Hong Kong team.  

The Chinese certainly know how to finish off a great race and they organized what I can only describe as a Triathlon Academy Awards show at the local TV station.  The show was broadcast live to millions of families across the province and later also shown on other stations such as CCTV2.  You could see the local people had been practicing for month’s to ensure each of their acts was just perfect.  We are still trying to decide whether the Aerobic Grannies or the 6-year-old ballroom dancers were the act of the night………. Needless to say, I would not hesitate to recommend racing in China whether it be a triathlon, run or Adventure race. I will definitely be planning a return trip to China, not to mention training hard to ensure I make the team for the Asian Championships in India next year.  This is another country I have always wanted to visit and having the opportunity to race and experience the diverse cultures in Asia is something that I could never of dreamed of when I left England 7years ago.