Race Report: AsiaTRI Free Entry Winner on his XTerra Phuket Experience

Singapore-based Filipino Ally Laurente won a Free Entry to XTerra Phuket through AsiaTRI’s Race Slot Giveaway contest.  He recalls his race experience through his own race report:

It was March 1 when I saw my teammates share the AsiaTRI’s Free Slot contest “Win a FREE XTerra Phuket”.  Nothing to lose,  so I tried my luck. On March 15, I  received an email from AsiaTRI that I have won the Free Slot to the XTerra Phuket and I said to myself “No way”!! as I can’t believe that I had won. When I got the confirmation email from the organizer, I immediately booked a ticket and  hotel accomodations.  I also immediately shift my training from TT bike to Mountain Bike as I didn’t rode my MTB for months now.

This is my very first XTerra race and my ultimate goal for any race is to finish safely as I have Ironman Vietnam 70.3 next month.  Safety first as I don’t wanna get injured.   When I reached the hotel, I heard from other participants that the MTB trail is very technical with lots of technical downhill so I’m a bit worried as I’m not a technical rider.

The swim was fun, I even posed to the photographers before I jumped the water ;-). I started slow as usual and pick up the pace slowly as I swam along. Swim was two loops with 750 meters per loop. It was a very nice swim and clocked 41 minutes (I’m not a fast swimmer). I looked back and it’s only few swimmers left in the water. When I ran to the transition area to get my bike, I told to myself that “this is it, my favourite part of the race”. I  immediately managed to overtake some riders during the ride especially on the first few uphill. The mountain bike trail was indeed very challenging, steep downhill sections with roots, I pushed the bike to the uphill area around 9KM. When I reached to the 2^nd transition, there were lots of bike already and it means that a lot of participants already completed their bike leg and started their run. So I immediately put my running shoes on, drank  lots of water and started my run. I paced around 6:20 per KM, passed 3 standard participants around at around the 3KM mark. After almost 6KM, I felt pain on my left knee so I have run-walk and got passed by others. My left knee was very painful specially walking downhill. It was very hard in the last few kilometres as most of the sections are downhill. Rain started to shower at 8KM. I looked back and saw some participants rushing so I started to run like there are no pain in my left knee. I have finally reached the finish line and felt very happy when the staff gave the XTerra medal. I am now an XTerra finisher!!!

Big thanks to AsiaTRI for the Free Slot and sensational pictures. Special thanks also to the organiser AMA Events for the awesome, epic and very challenging race. It was a very well organised event. I will join again next year!!!

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