What an incredible experience in Singapore!

Race recap and what's next

Singapore truly lived up to its reputation as a thrilling place to both visit and race. The city is full of energy, with a skyline that’s nothing short of spectacular, clean streets, lush gardens, and a rich cultural vibe. Honestly, my only regret is that we didn’t stay longer to explore more of what it has to offer. I’m certain I’ll be back at some point.

The Race: A Surprising Highlight
As for the race itself, finishing 4th exceeded all my expectations. It really reinforced that taking a T100 contract this year was the right decision. I thought I’d give you all a more in-depth look at how the race unfolded for me and the decisions I made along the way.

The conditions were, of course, hot (it is Singapore!), but I actually found them to be quite manageable, especially with a solid strategy and self-awareness. The humidity felt a bit more intense than Kona, but because the race was over in a shorter time, I felt the overall heat stress was lower.

Swim:
The swim was a crucial part of the race, especially when it came to managing the heat. We started at 2:15 pm, the peak heat of the day (the men started at 3:15 pm), and the water temperature hovered around 30-31°C. With no opportunity to cool off in the water, I knew I needed to listen closely to how my body felt and be ready to adjust my effort if needed.

I had a solid start, staying with the front group, and felt comfortable for the first lap. After about 1 km, we had a short Aussie exit, and that’s when the pace seemed to pick up. The surge in speed, combined with my elevated heart rate from the exit, made it hard to close the gap. Within about 100m, I could feel myself getting too warm. I decided not to push to reconnect and instead opted to swim solo to manage my core temperature.

I came into T1 in 7th place, 90 seconds behind Jess Learmonth, who was in first.

Bike:
I started the bike solo, which gave me a chance to settle into my own rhythm. Coming off the swim, I knew my heart rate was high, so I consciously avoided pushing too hard in the first lap, allowing it to calm down. The course’s hilly nature, combined with the 20m draft rule, meant the ride felt solo for most of us.

Cramping became an issue around lap 5 or 6, so I had to ease up a bit to avoid my quads locking up. After consuming a fair bit of sodium early on, I switched to just water for the rest of the ride to manage my hydration. By lap 9, the cramping eased, and I was able to finish strong.

I came off the bike in 5th place, 5 minutes down from the leader.

Run:
The run felt like IRONMAN pace from the start. From my runs earlier in the week, I knew that pushing too hard in the heat can feel fine for the first 10 minutes, but then it hits you hard. So, I intentionally started slower, knowing I could pick up the pace later.

The first two laps were pretty warm, but as the sun dipped behind the buildings during the final lap, the temperature dropped noticeably. I tried to pick up the pace to chase Lucy down, and the gap shrank to less than 30 seconds. Despite pushing hard, I couldn’t close it in time, but I still finished strong in 4th place, which I was thrilled with.

This race was a great way to kick off the T100 series and has given me a huge confidence boost heading into the rest of the season.

Looking Ahead:
Next up is a training block back home before heading to Australia. I’ll be racing IRONMAN Cairns on June 15th, so it’s time to focus on some longer IRONMAN training sessions in this next block. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

Thanks for reading!

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