HELP! Race against time for Yvan

Dear all my friends,

My friend a caucasian Yvan C from my Triathlon club in Hong Kong is suffering in Acute Leukaemia (kind of Blood cancer?) He is a father of 2 (aged 6 and 10), a good husband of a Chinese wife is looking for compatible bone marrow to transplant! This is quite easy to help:
- Yvan will need a bone marrow transplant before end Aug. The donor must be found before end June to allow Yvan to be prepared for the operation.
- Two main priorities: finding someone in HK + finding someone in the caucasion community as the likelihood of compatibility is 10 times higher than with Asians.

Yvan at the local newspaper SCMP on 9th June 2012' with our handmade photo ablum!

ACT NOW, you may help a lovely family! Yvan have been training with me in the local Triathlon Club, we have been doing race together in Hong Kong and China. And now he is facing a big challenge like Triathlon race, which needs lots of our supports on the side and even give him a boost! Lets do somthing little TODAY and register in any centre in Red Cross in Hong Kong!

I did it yesterday during lunch time, and is my first time in Red Cross to give out my blood! If you know me well, you will know I'm the person who scare blood / injection deeply, not to mention i never donate my blood and try to avoid any heath test in relate to blood. But today i did one things which scare myself, i walk to the Red cross and registered a Bone Marrow Donor! When is yours?

Gigi first time to give our blood in Public which scare herself today!

4th Sahaviriya Bangkok Triathlon 2012

Back home in one piece, no cat fish, no 2meter lizard, no snake, no crocodile and with a fastest PB in Swim! But the most important is the realization of myself and where i am and where i could be.

No race can be as pink as Bangkok Triathlon

I sign up this race quite late due to my uncertainty of the Chao Phraya River water quality and others fear of fish! Yes, i'm scare of fish, the most beautiful one from the coral to the one in the river. I was born not eating fish as well until i met Charles to try my fist bite of Salmon and like it raw with lots of washabi. Until today, i only eat Salmon and Grouper (Sea fish only!) And yes, everyone knew this is Chao Phraya River in Bangkok where most of the daily live happen, washing, cheaning, the toilet pipes all going down there. And with the news of flooding last year in Bangkok, Crocodile from farm is escaped. I could almost die there. And thinking the mass swim start will scare away the fish there. And because i have to suck in some mileage and theres no way i can earn this mileage while I'm travel as part of the training, all i have to do is sucked in no matter what and there i'm here.

The swim (From 1.8km cut short to 1.5km) Time: 00:25:03 ( 84/ 176)
The swim was told from the race organiser yesterday will be FAST, we all expecting it will be like white water rafting as we were told the current from north of the river will be pushing down stream, so be ware to swim towards right hand side or otherwise you will hardly back on the swim IN and will arrive Pattaya after. We were warn to arrive the pier at 05:25 to get on a big boat to the upper bridge side for the dive in swim start, yes it is still dark (We wake up at 3:45am this morning) and swim towards the Rama 8 bridge where the swim out! Swimmers is diving in the water in groups and is quite chaotic and mess. Once i jump in, i realise the swim is not that easy as we thought before. No buoyancy and is quite choppy, i have to make my turn in 180 degree on both side to catch the breath. And the water is absolutely murky, i couln't see either my hands in the water nor the feet/ people in front of me. After 5 mins, i really want to withdraw the race and started few breast storke. No good on me, want to give up. And told myself to calm down and just keep swimming. Once i found my rythem, it become much better and just aim to the Rama 8 bridge. The swim feel likes to an hours and when i get out the T1, i saw Johnny and i knew my swim is quite bad.

The Bike (55km / 2 loops) Time: 1:48:17 ( 114/ 167)
Bike is on the express way at the north Bangkok, completely flat. One way out is around 13.75km with completely no shade, no tree and over looking the city and top of the building. Is completely boring as hell. All you have to sucked in by yourself, keep pedaling and keep pedaling giving all out you can.I must admitted this is the most serious ride i have done so far.

The Run (10 km / 4 loops) Time: 00:56:29 (40/ 161)
After hammering myself on the express highway, i have not much left. When i'm at T2, realising most of the girls is out on the run course:( I was really into the half marathon race pace and have no clue running on a 10km race should spin myself faster until i warmed up for around 4km, i can back to my robot pace! At around 6.5 km where i pass Charles, i ran with him for about 20m and slightly push his back for a support and say "Charles, keep it up" i can see hs is suffer, running under the heat is somthings he worried:-(  The weather is Hot, sun is shinning right above our head, surely everyone is suffer. I saw the local thai people suffer too, they cannot run with the heat. I notice even the Pro like Laura Walsh will stop for every water station and so do i. Come back the run time is not what i expected. My target for running a 10km in a Olympic distance race is set 52min. still a long way to go......And it seems like hard to reach under 50min.

Overall finish time: 03:12:25 ( 69/156)(F30-39Ag: 5/8) 
Cross the line and the race offical is helping everyone with medal and take out teh chips work. But water is not enough, i see some of the non official is helping to purchase the water from 7-11 to fill up the bucket for finisher. I see John is cheering for us and Frederic is sitting on the side, looks tired. And now we are all waiting for Charles, not so long he come back with a smile:) Proud of him to finish the race and surely for the run!!!

Some surprise to home:)

There have two categories of award, one for overall female and one for Asian categories, i guess they would like to encourage more asian people to join the race. And was awarded to the Champ of Asian categories, a little surprise when i see the result:)

The best moment with my best best friendsssss, love you all:)

And the best moment to share with my friends which they have supported me through all these year!

69

16

GI WAI GIGI WONG

CHN

F 30-39

5

00:25:03

84

00:01:43

01:48:17

114

00:00:53

00:56:29

40

03:12:25