As I know Eugene Lim, alongside our running group of Lim Thow Wee, Dr Benny Goh, Dr Ben Tan, Daniel Ling and myself plus others, he used to train diligently and work hard throughout the year doing a proper periodisation training. I am happy in my capacity as his running coach I was was able to tune him up for running before most of the triathlon races.
Eugene as I know him is a person who is not proud. Hallmark of humility is seen in him. He is caring towards his fellow mates. He doesn't shirk from training. Even though, he finishes a run, he usually waits for the last person to come back. He has alot of consideration in him for others. He is a person who thinks on others before self. If he is not as fast as another person, he would surrender his place for the better person to run in the team against others.
Having said that, it is good to find out about Eugene in an interview form. I have selected for him to answer some questions which we would find valuable,
What is the race you called?
Bintan Triathlon is an annual triathlon event, set in the backdrop of the beautiful Indonesian island of Bintan. The race of the Sprint and Olympic Distance event was held on 22nd May 2010, Saturday. The Sprint distance involves a 750m sea swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run while the Olympic distance involves a 1.5km sea swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run. The race organizing company, Tribob, is a company specializing in multi-sports event as well as training for many local triathletes. Bintan Triathlon 2010 is in its 6th year running and had tremendous success in the past.
What are the different demands in this sport?
It’s never easy to excel in 1 sport, let alone 3 sports. Triathlon is not just swim, bike and run. It’s doing one after the other! Each sport requires a different muscle group and puts different demands on one’s body. The issue here is balance. Everybody has the same 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Therefore to be in triathlon, it’s inevitable that we have double or even triple trainings a day and that definitely put a strain on our body. Not forgetting that most triathletes are not professionals, we do not have the luxury of training in the morning and resting for most of the day before a second training session. We need to juggle work, family, life, schoolwork, projects and trainings. I would say one thing that I am super proud of being a triathlete is my capability to manage my time effectively.
Since all 3 sports place demands on different parts of the body, a triathlete have to know his strengths and weaknesses and work on them. Swimming requires efficient strokes and upper body strength, running and cycling need lower body strength and aerobic capabilities. Of course, they are not mutually exclusive. Once again, I emphasis balance. Pure swimmers focus on build and strength but that would probably end up with heavier upper body which is not exactly ideal for running and cycling. Ultimately, we need to know what we are aiming for and attain the balance we seek.
Personally, I faced a lot of pressure coming into the race because I was 2nd last year in my age group. Moreover, I had a very bad crash on a training bike ride just 4 weeks before the race. I lost a tooth and require several stitches on my face and arm with severe swelling. That rules me out of any physical activity for the next 2 week. It is no exaggeration to say that contrary to my peak condition in entering the race in 2009, I was at an almost all-time low entering the race this year. However, I refused to give up although I was dismoralised at some point of time. I bought a bike trainer and trained at home. I also remembered what Mr Rameshon taught me during training: visualization. I watched motivating videos of sportsmen and read biography of Olympic successes and world champions. I would say my road to preparation for this race is not smooth sailing but I pulled through.
What was your position in the event?
I was 1st in the Olympic Distance (1.5km open water swim, 40km bike, 10km run) Male Age Group (18 – 24) with a timing of 2 hour 34 minutes.
What about your friend's position?
I went to Bintan with Team SMU (Singapore Management University) representing the Aquathlon Club. We swept up the top 5 position for Olympic Distance Male Age Group (18 – 24) with Xuan Sheng 2nd, Lionel Wong 3rd, Jeremy Say 4th and Dennis Chong 5th. In the Team Relay Olympic Distance, Nga Teng (swimmer), Lester (cyclist) and Brendan fought hard for 2nd place overall. In the Sprint category, Benjamin Lau was 1st overall and for age group (16 – 29) while Xander Huang was 3rd in age group (16 – 29). It was a fantastic weekend for sporting excellence of SMU!
Can you give me the split of the whole thing?
I had a personal best on my 1.5km swim (27 minutes) and 40km bike (1 hour 11 minutes). My run split was 53 minutes.
Who is your role model?
There are quite a few. Just to name some:
Ashley Liew. He’s my team captain and a dear friend. Ashley is an amazing athlete who practically works his way up to where he is today. Just to name some of his achievements, he was 2nd in last year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Local category and 1st in my age group for Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore. He encourages the team with his own example. He trains very hard and despite of all the mishaps he had recently, he didn’t quit easily.
Lance Armstrong. 7 times winner of Tour de France, the toughest bike race in the world. He suffered from cancer and after he was cured, he faced an almost impossible task of returning to professional cycling. He did the impossible by winning Tour de France not just once but 7 times. Amazing I must say.
Nelson Mandela. He’s not a sportsman but he is a politician. Nelson Mandela inspires me in ways I would say no sportsman can do so. He was the president of post apartheid South Africa and the number of problems he faced was never ending. He never gave up despite threats on his life and he single handedly raised South Africa from the ashes.
Besides role models, I would also like to point out some people who are crucial to me doing triathlon. First, my parents are very supportive mentally and financially. Gears required for triathlon and race fees are not cheap but they are willing to support me without asking anything in return. Secondly, my girlfriend Yimei had been pivotal in my trainings. Most girlfriends would whine about their boyfriends spending little time with them because of trainings. Yimei did the direct opposite and joined me in trainings. Now she is also a triathlete and it’s good that we see each other during trainings and not neglect each other. Her support for me at races gave me huge boosts too!
What made you to take up this sport?
I wanted to do something different about my life. It was monotonous and dull. I started running initially and although I’m above average, I’m not the best. However, I realize that I can swim and cycle rather well too. Therefore I took up triathlon.
Time management, patience, hard work, diligence and perseverance are some points triathlon taught me.
Is this your first victory?
Yes. This is my 1st victory in my sporting career.
My other successes include 2nd in Bintan Triathlon Olympic Distance Age Group (18 – 24) and 8th in Age Group (18 – 24) in Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore 2010.
What advice would u give to pp who want to take up triathlon?
Don’t give yourself too much pressure at the start. Build up a very strong base in all 3 sports and you would improve tremendously with some fine tuning in the later stages
What advice would u give to those who want to balance studies and triathlon?
Always have a timetable to plan your time. You can’t possible be the best in both. To be a student triathlete, you need to sacrifice. Almost all elite athletes have done so. It is these sacrifices that make you different from others.
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