How I Choose My Races

There are so many races held in Singapore; almost one every weekend. Swim, bike or run....there's something for everyone. Man, woman, children or senior citizens; if you can move it, there's a race for you...:)

The first race I participated was Cold Storage Triathlon 2013. And my number bib? 2013 :)

I participated in the mini-tri category (for beginners). My greatest fear was swimming in the sea! I never liked swimming in the sea and going for a cruise is not exactly a holiday for me. I had to overcome my fear of swimming in murky water and the feeling of "nothingness" under my feet... But thank God I completed the race.

Races are addictive! Shortly, I signed up for OCBC Cycle Malaysia 2014; the Challenge category (48km). 5 of us drove up to Kuala Lumpur in 2 cars. The fun about OCBC Cycle event is that you get to cycle on closed roads :) And the thrill of doing it overseas!!!

The rest is history... When I came back to Singapore, I signed up for New Moon khcycle MetaSprint Series which comprises of 3 events. They are Aquathlon (Swim, Bike), Duathlon (Run, Bike, Run) and Triathlon (Swim, Bike, Run).

OCBC Cycle Singapore 2014 took place over the 28-30 March weekend. The best part of the event was the chance to cycle on Sheares Bridge, which was otherwise closed to cyclists. As the registration fee was high, my friends and I signed up for the Community Ride (27km).

I have 4 more races lined up for the year; Tri-Factor Series. This time I took up the challenge to participate in the Sprint category. Swim in May. Bike in June. Run in August. Tri in September. (pant! pant!)

With so many choices, how do I decide which race to sign up for? (in order of importance)

1) Registration Fee - How do I measure whether the race is worth what I am paying for?

2) Content of Race Pack - What brand of jersey or tee are they giving me? dri-fit or cotton? any other stuff like free towel? free bag? free food? Usually you can guess from the list of sponsors. Of course the more the merrier :)

3) Category - Is the distance manageable for me?

4) Reviews - What do people say about the past event? was it well-organized?

5) Friends - Any friends joining me for the race?

6) Route - Is it a new route that I have never tried before?

There are many races lined up in 2014. Here is a list of them.

There's always something for everyone. Choose something that you are comfortable to start with. It's not about winning. It's about getting started.