KUALA LUMPUR: Popular TV host, singer and actor Alif Satar challenged himself physically by taking on the gruelling Ironman race for the first time yesterday at Pantai Cenang on Langkawi Island.
In a post earlier today on his Instagram account, the hunky 28-year-old Big Stage host enthusiastically described his experience.
“Woke up this morning all cramped up and aching. This whole triathlon journey has been unreal. Had to swim in the open sea for 1.9km (in my heart I was praying that there were no jellyfish around) then hop on a bike to cycle 90km all around beautiful Langkawi (like peddling from KL- PD). After that had to run 21km in the hot sun, all the while thinking about the race against time, my mental state was in shreds,” he wrote.
Alif added that he really felt like a kid in kindergarten after seeing the pro athletes overtaking him easily.
“I told my wife that I’d try to finish at 1pm, but when the time came I realised I still had 7km left to run to the finishing line. But the cheering crowd along the streets of Cenang really motivated me to carry on running. When I reached the hotel area, and when I saw my family and friends cheering me on, the pains and aches went away,” he wrote.
The father of two and Sesungguhnya Aku singer also confessed that he had never swam in the open sea or ran a distance of more than 10km before this.
He further wrote: “But to finish my first 70.3 Ironman under 7 hours, I’m happy. To be honest, this sport is about you pushing your mental strength, and you just want to finish it. Even to finish it, is already satisfying. Much respect to my fellow friends who finished their 70.3 and full Ironman.”
Aliff ended his post with a question aimed at the reader: “ PS, when’s your turn then?”
The Ironman 70.3 is also dubbed the Half Ironman, which covers half the distance of the actual annual triathlon race.
In an earlier post Aliff revealed his time for the various challenges: 1.9km swim in 34 minutes, 90km cycling in 3 hours and 5 minutes; and 21km run in 2 hours and 53 minutes.