Enter the enthralling world of Jeff Lau as he and his father defy the ordinary by conquering an astonishing challenge: 20 Ironman in 30 days and 20 marathons in 20 days. In this exclusive interview, Jeff unravels the remarkable story behind this unparalleled accomplishment.
The jubilant celebration of their achievement resonates with the warmth of family and friends coming together to mark this milestone. But beneath the surface, it’s a narrative of personal growth and unwavering determination that shines through.
Jeff doesn’t hold back when discussing the intense physical and emotional struggles they faced during this epic undertaking. He takes us through the highs and lows, emphasizing the importance of mental fortitude in achieving the impossible.
How do you and your father plan to celebrate these accomplishments?
We celebrated with close friends and family, gathering over the food and drinks that we missed so much during our month-long race.
Can you share what initially inspired you and your father to embark on this incredible journey together?
I have been doing ultra races for 10 years now, and to mark that special occasion, I wanted to do something special, if not something I thought to be impossible for myself.
I initially signed up for the Double Deca Continuous run alone, but when I saw that they had a 20 marathon in 20 days category without the swim event as my dad doesn’t swim, I thought to ask my dad if he’d like to join me.
He had just retired in May 2023, and I thought it would be a good experience to share with my father. I was really surprised when he agreed!
Can you share your initial thoughts and emotions now that you’ve accomplished this extraordinary feat?
When I first signed up for this, I believed it to be mission impossible because I’m not a confident swimmer or cyclist. In fact, these two sports, in particular, are very challenging for me and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete it within the cut-off time.
However, I was reminded of how Under Armour is constantly supporting all athletes to “Push Our Limits” and striving to be better at whatever you set your mind on. With this mindset in mind, I was able to complete the race despite my initial concerns. As for emotions, I have to be very honest and share that I had emotional breakdowns very frequently.
The race was incredibly challenging physically, but also mentally, and the physical exhaustion and minimal sleep we had probably added to the mental strain too. I had a lot of self-doubt over the course of the race, but having persevered through the difficult moments and pushed through those self-imposed barriers and doubts, I ended up feeling so proud of what I was able to accomplish when I finally finished the race.
How did you and your father train to ensure you’re both physically and mentally ready for the challenge?
In the lead-up to the race, we trained quite separately as I was very busy with my work. My dad trained mostly in the gym with a treadmill, while I tried to focus my time and attention on improving my stamina and proficiency in swimming and cycling.
Despite my hectic schedule, I did my best to set aside time to cycle 100km every weekend and swim twice a week to prepare myself for the race. Having the right gear was also crucial for me and for that, I have Under Armour to thank for their support as they’ve ensured that I am well-equipped to take on the various training challenges that come my way.
Could you take us through some of the most memorable moments you experienced during the race?
The most memorable moment for me was after I had finished the cycling event. I had gone to store my bicycle and the race director came with me, sharing that they were all worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish within the given time, but he was so proud and happy for me for pushing myself to the very end and finishing before the cut-off time.
It was a really heartwarming memory for me because even if we are technically competing by ourselves, it is our support system and moments like this that help us stay on course and feel motivated to keep going even when things are hard. I was more determined than ever to complete this race not just for myself, but also to bring this honour back to my family, the people who have supported me, and of course my country as well.
Throughout the race, did you have a strategy for organising your gear during transitions to optimise your performance?
Running shoes were quite important to me when I was preparing for the race because, at the end of the day, our feet go through a lot from cycling to running. In anticipation of this, both my father and I wore Under Armour running shoes because we find them to be lightweight, breathable, and most importantly comfortable given the cushioning technology.
Ahead of the race, I made sure to prepare two pairs of shoes – one that was my normal size and another that was a few sizes bigger. As expected, once the cycling event had finished, my feet were swollen so I had to wear a larger pair of shoes while my feet recovered and returned back to their normal size. I was grateful for that planning and strategy as it would have been even more challenging if I had to run in tight shoes.
Balancing physical and mental endurance is crucial in events like this. How did you maintain your focus and motivation throughout the various stages of the race?
At the worst of times, I would tell myself that if I didn’t complete this race, I knew I would make myself come back to finish it one day. So to make things easier for my future self, I might as well complete it now!
On a more serious note, no matter how difficult or demotivated I became, I tried to remind myself of why I was in this race to begin with and that would help me refocus myself. I joined the race for a number of reasons – pushing myself to do the impossible to celebrate how far I’d come in my ultra race journey, test my physical and mental strength, and run for charity.
I think it was important for me to look beyond the physical and mental challenges that I was experiencing at the moment and focus instead on the positive things that have brought me to where I am. Similar to how Under Armour has pushed the limits in the field of sports performance, I too wanted to achieve the goal and level of performance that I had set my mind on.
The journey was undertaken with your father. What role did your father’s support play in your success? How did participating in this impact your overall race experience?
My father’s support was incredibly important to my state of mind and morale throughout the race and I could not be more grateful for him. I started the race first, with the swimming event, and he would prepare all my meals for me so that I could re-energise myself with home-cooked flavours and food.
Even after he had started his own race, he would still prepare local dishes for me after his run every day. Despite the fact that it was simple food, it felt like absolute heaven to me. It was these small acts of thoughtfulness and paternal love that powered me through a very difficult mental and emotional race.
Beyond the food, I think having him with me and experiencing this journey together was something I will forever cherish. Not many people are able to have the experience of joining such a challenging physical race with their dad and I am grateful that I have been able to have that.
Completing an ultra-marathon race is an accomplishment that only a few can relate to. What message would you like to share with others who might be scared to start the sport?
Start slowly. People don’t just wake up one day ready to do an ultra-marathon. It takes time, preparation, and perseverance that you can build with baby steps. Try out different sports and see which you like most – make that your hobby. Walk 30 minutes every day, join gym classes with an instructor, or even go to the mall to bowl.
You’re never too young or old to do a sport, it is all about being willing to try and invest in helping yourself grow. My father is not a sports person and he was able to complete 20 marathons in 20 days. If anything, I hope that this encourages more people to devote themselves to pushing their limits too.
