By Brandon Tung, SMU School of Accountancy
Standing on the starting line of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship is a surreal feeling. When I started racing triathlons four years ago, I could never have pictured myself alongside fellow competitors who are professional athletes (and my idols), and age group winners of various Ironman 70.3 races around the world. But that day, I lived the dream of taking part in this prestigious race, held in the picturesque ski resort of Mount Tremblant in Quebec, Canada.
![in race](https://blog.smu.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/in-race-e1422410766998.jpg)
With discipline and determination, Brandon’s months of training paid off when he completed the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Quebec, Canada.
The Ironman 70.3 is a long-distance triathlon, and the 70.3 stands for the number of miles covered in the race: a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.
My journey to qualify for this race began in December 2013, when I committed to a four-month training program for the Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya race held in April 2014. Having to juggle training, my internship at PwC, and school, often meant squeezing in hot mid-day runs in between classes and doing lengthy swims by night. Luckily with the SMU Aquathlon club to back me up, I was able to ride on their group training sessions and yet keep up a flexible schedule whenever I trained on my own.
There were moments during training when I thought that it was a long shot to qualify for the World Champs. At times, it felt easier to just hit the snooze button and forgo the training; at other times, I toyed with the idea of giving up when I hit the wall during my three hour long bike sessions. But somehow, I continued to press on and tried to focus on taking small steps toward my goal. I was rewarded for my hard work when I eventually won my age group (18-24) in Putrajaya and qualified for the world champs! Of course, that was the start of another three gruelling months of preparation for the ultimate race…
![DCIM100GOPRO](https://blog.smu.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/wearing-wetsuit-e1422411204791.jpg)
After months of preparation, Brandon was ready for the challenge of Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
The starter’s gun went off and I plunged into the cold and misty waters of Lake Tremblant. Swimming in the open water with a wet suit allowed me to overcome my anxiety in the chilly water and finish the 1.9km swim with a personal best time.
![cycling leg](https://blog.smu.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cycling-leg-e1422411975390.jpg)
With barely a hill to train in Singapore, it was quite a challenge during the undulating 90km bike course that ended with a series of steep climbs at Mount Tremblant. Following that, I started the 21km run with my legs nearly cramping. It was definitely a struggle to keep my composure but I reminded myself of the countless hours of training and support from everyone back in Singapore, and kept going.
![brandon_01](https://blog.smu.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/brandon_01.png)
As I tackled the final climb on the run, I soaked in the cheers from the crowd and sprinted toward the finishing line. Only a few minutes after the race did I realise that I achieved a personal best timing – an event that I will never forget; not only because of the race itself, but the journey that I took to get there.