The 13hrs flight finally touched down in Zurich Airport. Our adventure of a lifetime begins! Honestly, by that time, I was looking forward more to the travelling post-Ironman compared to the Ironman. I had dedicated weeks of training for this event even through my examinations, and up until 2 weeks before we departed Singapore, I was feeling the effects of over-training...I knew completing the Ironman was no longer a problem, it was the timing and the feel good factor after the race that took centre stage now...
When we exited the arrival gates, we were greeted by Michelle's uncle and aunt. Uncle Paul and Aunt Pauline (not her real name, but I thought it sounds cool as she does not have an English name) were real gems! We were treated to the highest level of hospitality that made us thank them so much until they got pissed (not literally). =] Uncle Paul's cooking was the ultimate killer concept, and we enjoyed every single meal we had at their restaurant, Chang Cheng Chinese Restaurant.
Mellingen, where Chang Cheng Chinese Restaurant is located =]
After lunch, we got down to business and started setting up the stealth weapons. With the help of Lemin, we managed to settle things pretty quickly. By evening, Jason, Melvin and I were on our bicycles ready for the first test on the roads. Jiajie decided to give it a miss as he wanted to rest. The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, my arrector pili muscles contracted. The weather was so cool that I really doubted my ability to race through it. We got onto our bikes and took a spin around the town of Mellingen.
Setting up my Radon
As promised, friends... =]
Cycling around Switzerland was a joy. You are greeted with postcard scenery everywhere you turn! It sometimes take the pain away from the climb you are undergoing. After about 20mins, I decided to head back as my hands and ears were almost numb from the cold. As I was turning into the restaurant, I mis-judged the curb (I suspect it is due to the cold making my brain freeze) and fell from my bike. Thankfully, I was not seriously hurt and my bike was ok. I was really frustrated, but the weather remained my top concern.
Day 2 in Mellingen
The following days, we toured the city of Zurich and Mellingen. Everything was done by walking, and by the end of everyday, my legs were super tired. We made a trip down to the race site to check it out and to collect our race packs. As we were among the first few to collect our packs, we chatted up the race referees and tried to gather as much information about the course and weather forecast as possible.
A friendly race referee and usNicolas joined us the next day from Munich, Germany. The 5 of us then made our way to lake Zurich for our wetsuit swim. As I took off my shirt, the cold wind immediately hit me and I was shivering like crazy even after I had my wetsuit on. As I plunged into the lake, icy cold water entered my wetsuit and for a moment send shockwaves through my body. I swam to generate heat through my body and slowly got used to the water.
Nicolas joining us from Munich, Germany
Wetsuit swim at ZurichseeZurich is a very beautiful city. I find it the perfect city where everything is prim and proper, orderly and clean. We frequently visited the Apple store for free internet usage and MacDonalds for free toilets as toilets in Zurich can cost up to S$2 per entry!
A typical street in Zurich
Travelling to Zurich from Mellingen costs around S$30 per return ticket! Therefore, we normally spend the day in Zurich, returning to Mellingen at night for dinner, wine and ice-cream =]
Zurich Main station
We also spent our days before the Ironman doing a slow 20min run around the town of Mellingen which took us along the river, through farms and stables. It was really a very pretty and peaceful experience. Life is really pretty serene in Mellingen. Also, we did another short bike ride as Nicolas and Jiajie needed to test out their bikes. The weather was now getting better each day. It was starting to feel more and more like how summer should feel =]
