Who’s up for trying a triathlon?

THE RESURGENCE IN bicycling that’s gripping Thailand has found its natural extension in enthusiasm for triathlon competitions. Despite being a gruelling combination of cycling, swimming and long-distance running, the triple-sport has turned a surprising number of everyday people into devotees, including some very well-known personalities.

“It’s booming because more people are changing their attitudes about health and, most importantly, it’s a really challenging undertaking,” says Vijitr Sitinawin, secretary general of the Asian Triathlon Confederation and president of the Triathlon Thailand Federation. 

The triathlon actually arrived in Thailand more than 20 years ago, with handfuls of Thais joining foreign enthusiasts first along the shores of Pattaya and later in Phuket. The allure, like any individual sport, as opposed to team efforts, is in testing your personal boundaries. And stretching your stamina to the breaking point in three different disciplines is perhaps the ultimate test.

Navin “Tar” Yavapolkul was 98 kilograms overweight when he took up running. He entered half and full marathons before a knee injury forced him to switch to cycling. His knee better, he added swimming to the regimen and participated in the 2013 Sahaviriya Bangkok Triathlon. He only finished sixth in his age category, but he was hooked.

“I’ve been doing the half Ironman triathlon – 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run – but this year I’ll do the Challenge Roth, a full Ironman triathlon in Germany,” Tar says. “Thailand’s never had a full Ironman event, but Malaysia has one. 

“They differ in intensity. Half marathons are quite intense, but nothing like a 10km mini-marathon. The half marathon is tempo running, whereas the full marathon and full Ironman require real endurance.”

Tar gives an inkling of what rookies can expect. “At first I was bewildered by it all and took a long time changing from swimsuit to cycling gear and rubbing on my sunscreen. The first time it took me five minutes!”

Thailand isn’t famous for its swimmers, he points out, and swimming in a lake or the open sea is much harder than in a pool. “There are no marker lines to guide you, so you waste time swimming the wrong way. You need a good sense of navigation and look for the marker buoys, looking up from the water every five strokes.”

Then there’s the crowded start as everyone races into the water. The major competitions might put 1,000 competitors in the water. “When I first saw that, I was shocked. It looks like a shoal of fish.” 

Tar considers the Philippines ahead of Thailand in its triathlon events and the quality of athletes. “I did two half Ironman triathlons there and finished fourth in my group. My latest was in Cebu, the largest in the Asia-Pacific region at 70.3km [total distance for all three disciplines] and ranked ninth in my age group. It’s the qualifier for the World Championships being held on Australia’s Sunshine Coast and I’m happy to have a chance.”

Considering that she’s managing director of Nok Airlines, Sirinun “May” Jiradilok spends some serious time pounding the ground. A cyclist and runner for four years, she moved on to the Amarin Sprint Triathlon two years ago. 

“I was fascinated with vintage bikes and even sold them online, but then I started taking cycling seriously. I ride 10 to 15km around my house and do 50 or 70km at Ban Bueng or the Chulachomklao academy in Nakhon Nayok. After riding I also run 10km, a half marathon, and I expect to do a full marathon this year.

“As for the triathlon, I just wanted to challenge myself and I thought I could do it best in those three sports. You don’t ‘overdo’ any single sport. But I had a problem with the swimming, which I hadn’t done since I was a kid, and then only in pools. I’d never even swam in the sea before, dealing with the waves.” 

May also had a problem maintaining the right direction in the open water and sometimes collided with other competitors. “And a lot of swimmers got muscle cramps too, so it’s important to warm up first. Getting cramps in the water is very dangerous.”

Also hazardous are the stray swimmers zigzagging around, being shepherded back into place by race marshals on jet-skis. “I got elbowed in the face and felt dizzy for a while,” May laughs.

Kaittikhun “Noom” Yaowarat, an assistant vice president at RS, the entertainment firm, started running to shed excess weight and help him quit drinking. He was soon participating in marathons, and in 2014 entered the Amarin Outdoor Unlimited Internationals in Cha-Am and Hua Hin. Then came an Ironman event in Japan, and in August he’ll travel to Sweden for the Ironman Kalmar, another triathlon.

“I was mostly worried about the open-water swimming because I was used to the pool. In a lake it’s awful because you can’t gauge the depth or distance or direction. Usually you swim freestyle and switch to frog kicks to save your energy for the biking and running. I try to look for a swimmer of equal ability and follow him, similar to drafting while biking.”

For Noom, again, the buoys proved crucial. “I missed them the first time and swam way off course. Also, sometimes you get jostled around, and I’ve been hit by hands, arms and feet and once had my goggles knocked off. So you have to be ready for anything – swimming is the scariest part of the triathlon.”

Because of the mix of disciplines, triathlons are highly enjoyable, he says, despite the rigours. “And the transitions from swimming to cycling and from cycling to running are like a fun game. You change from swimsuit to cycling clothes and from riding shoes to running shoes.” 

You wonder what tune’s going through the head of 89 Chill FM DJ Krit “Ek” Krisanavarin when he’s doing the triathlon with his wife, Korrapin Puangpo, a musician formerly on the RS label. Their first outing was the Bangkok Dash Triathlon.

“Phi Ek and I weren’t interested at first because of our work schedules and we didn’t think we’d fit in,” says Korrapin. “But my cycling pals did triathlons and persuaded me to try. I swam in primary school, so that was okay. My problem was running, because it always gave me an upset stomach. My friends kept coaxing me, though, so I started running slowly and breathing deeply. That’s when we decided to try the Bangkok Dash.”

It was torture, she says. They were running in extreme heat and quickly felt exhausted. “But when I reached the finish line I was really happy that I’d finally been able to do it.” 

For Korrapin, every triathlon has its unique charm, depending on the atmosphere and the location. “And every triathlete has his or her own different skills.”

For his part, Ek went from recreational cycling to dedicated jaunts of up to 300km. “I wanted to challenge myself more, but I considered triathletes crazy. I found riding a bike exhausting enough, and those guys do three different sports!” 

“We were worried about even attempting it. You can’t practise three sports the same day. Plus, we had coaches telling us that, to be a real triathlete, you have to quit your regular job. In the end, though, finishing within the scheduled time makes all the effort worthwhile.”