11th December 2012 Musings

Have not been posting for a while.
Have not been training...
Was under the weather for most part of the last two weeks which includes some holidaying.

A lot of thoughts were going through my mind.
I was glad that I was not doing IMWA this year given the health conditions.
Am glad that I completed the ultimate experience in 2011.

****

9th December 2012 - IMWA 2012

Pretty excited for my friends who are doing IMWA.
A lot of first timers and some old timers.
I have faith that most of them will come in before 15 hours.
A handful before 16 hours.

When evening rolls by, I got 2 bitter news. 2 of my friends pulled out of the race due to flu.
Rest well, bros.

Tracking friends is fun but not when the clock hits 10pm.
I still have 4 friends on the course and it seems like they still have 8km to go!

Of the four, Samuel gave us the "keep you on the edge of the chair" experience.
He was pulled out from the race last year after he vomited on the 3.8km swim completion.

This year, he finished the swim in 2:19:05!!!
If that has not raised your heart rate yet, he did a 8:05:33 for his bike!!!
He need all the mental strength to push him through the race...
A 6:11 run saw him completed the race with 8 minutes to spare.
Congratulations, Samuel!

A friend finished on the wrong side of the clock and felt extremely gutted.
I feel partly responsible for encouraging him to take part in the race when he contacted me last year.
Did my best to comfort him. Hope that is enough.
It was a hard day with choppy waters and hot weather.
He experience stomach discomfort and cramps 4 km into the run.
He still went on to complete the Ironman Distance which takes a lot of courage and mental toughness.
All the best, bro. Rest well and plan for your next race.

*****

In truth, I never felt anything after completing IMWA 2011.
To me it is just another triathlon, albeit an extremely long distance one.
Yes, I keep talking about IM. But in my heart, I felt that everyone can do it.
Why? Cos all my friends completed the race. Only Esther ended up on the wrong side of the clock by a mere 4 minutes.
IMWA 2012 put a lot of things into perspective.
Tracking my friends told me that not everyone can have a good outing.
It takes a lot of perseverance to complete the race.
A lot of things can go wrong and I have an extremely lucky day.
Will I attempt another IM again.
I most probably would.
But I have not really keen to do so, mainly due to the costs involved.
Secondarily will be the training time which meant a lot of family time will be robbed.
When it comes, it will come...

24th November 2012 Running

The run is too embarrassing to post in my training log.

First 1km feels fine.
500m later, I feel like sxxx.
2km down, I can still run, but my body just refuse to.

This book helps plenty.
This book make me realise that even the great Jeff went through the same sxxxxy feeling I get once in a while. =)

It is just one of those days....
Days where you feel good and bad at the same time.

The dusk skyline looks awesome.
But the air feels awful.

Oh well, till another day. =)

22nd December 2012 Cycling

I really wanna thank my 3 mentors for watching over my training (logs).
It is really hearty to get those hi-fives. :)

****

Out of the house at 5:20, I am at least 5km behind the train.

Rode hard to Mandai Shell and was contemplating what route to do along the way.
Was surprised to see Spencer.
He mentioned that he has been waiting for Mike Tan for the past 5 mins.
We decided to ride ahead after I confirmed that I din past anyone along the way.
Haha, both of us had intended to do a Mandai Loop and called it a day, had we not seen each other. ;p

I took the lead and rode hard.
Thighs are burning. Been a long time since I had such a sensation.

Reached Newton to find Mike drinking coffee with the gang!
Spencer could have missed him while pulling into Mandai Shell.

After brekkie, I had Spencer for company all the way to Mandai-Sembawang before peeling off for home.
Thanks, Spencer!

14th November 2012 Running

Collectively, I sleep 9 hours for the past 2 nights.
I was so tired while putting the kids to sleep that I could not string the alphabets song together.
No wonder I was totally un-enthusiastic about cycling this morning.

******

Start my run at 6:30am.
During the first km, my eyes keep closing. I am really that sleepy.
Second km, I am slightly awake.
Third km, I am feeling good.
I find I am running at a better pace as compared to my previous runs.
This is the route I like.
No traffic lights. 1 loop, that is it! =)
Shaved another minute off my timing. Yipee!
Hopefully the timing will not plateau too early.

*******

I just cannot make sense of my pace.
When I first started running, I am doing sub-7 min/km pace consistently for a few months.
Those were the days before Garmin and I am doing a 6 km route.
Take the total time divided by the distance. This includes traffic light stops.

Then my timing just deteriorate. I start doing 8:30 min/km pace.
During all my races, I am doing 8 min/km pace.

Last year, I start doing 9 min/km pace both for runs and races.
Last year's pace make sense as I started to control my heart rate to do a consistent pace.

These few runs, I have to run regularly to bring down the pace, but the distance is a lot shorter.
But will I ever see light of sub-7 min/km pace again?

13th November 2012 Musings

With 4 hours of sleep, I was contemplating whether to ride.
Decided to do the FOTR Deepavali Ride sans the Hockey Stick.
Plan was to catch them along Jalan Buroh.

I had never like the Hockey Stick although I had never rode that stretch before. (Driving in that area is already a mystery to me)
The bad feeling lingers.
Maybe today is just not the day for a mystery ride.
May just ride there one day.

Added an extra bottle in case this turns out to be a solo ride. Was about to step out of the house when I hear the all too familiar sound outside the window!

Gosh,  this really looks like a sign for me not to cycle today. The timing could not be any closer.
I shall not tempt fate today.

11th November 2012 Swimming

Finally took FR910XT for a swim.
The laps came up to exactly 1000m.
Somehow I do not trust the watch when it tells me that I completed my swim in 23:17 min.
A look at the laps proves a bit unbelievable.
There is no way I can do 27seconds or 38seconds for 50m!
I will take the elapsed time of 24:52 as the official time!
The only reason I can think of for such incredible timing is that I change stroke mid way into the lap.
But then again, some of the stroke counts dun make sense too.
Oh well, next time I will probably stick to a single swim stroke and see how things go.

10th November 2012 Running

Was sifting through and clearing my FB messages.

This is what I found. Sweet memories.
Bintan Triathlon 2008

I also just realised why I feared Tour de Bintan!
I went to TdB with an alu bike, normal cranks and 3 bottles of plain water!!!
Not so much about the bike, but 3 bottles of plain water? No salt tablets, no electrolytes (Gosh, din even know about such stuff till 2011. Really a super noob.)

Reading back on messages dated 2009 to 2011, it was really awful.
I am literally working most weekends and public holidays.
Glad those days are over.

 ****

Felt the urge to do a run so off I went.
Again, the first km was tough.
But once past that, things got better although the second km always meant a gentle climb.
I can feel the pace a little faster than yesterday but that does not necessary translate into better timing.
Was so disappointed when I saw 34.58 on the watch.
Only when I brought up yesterday's timing did I gain some relief...
I was half a minute quicker. Phew...

10th November 2012 Cycling

Ending the 90mins (over the) air support at 4:30am, it was time to prep for the ride.

Out of the house at 4:50am, I proceed to do a Old Mandai Road loop and a mini Mandai loop before joining the group at Mandai Shell.

Pace was good with slight amendments to the route.
We rode to Admiralty via Riverside Road.

Along Sembawang Road, Kitten Mandai got dropped, but John is there to sweep her.

Along Seletar West Link, the lead rider step on the accelerator and the stragglers got stranded.

Although I thought I was bonking, I managed to find enough energy to pull Karen and Valerie.
Maybe it is a guy's thing? I probably dun wanna look bad in front of the gals? ;p

Pace was quick all the way to Loyang Shell where I decided to U-turn and ride home vis Punggol Park. ;)

Happy distance meant not trying to do more distance than what my body can handle.

Happy morning meant that I still made it in time to have brekkie with my family. :)

9th November 2012 Brick Training #2

Out of the house at 5:05am, I hit the Mandai slopes at 5:16am.
The train is nowhere to be seen.
Extrapolating my timing, I should reach Mandai Shell at 5:28am-5:30am
There is no reason for me to miss the train, unless...

Reaching Mandai Shell at 5:28am, the train rolled in soon after.
Mike asked me if I wanna follow him for tomorrow's ride reece and I obliged.
There may be some changes to the route tomorrow.
Instead of crossing into Admiralty Road via Woodlands Road, we may travel via Woodlands Center Road.
Instead of passing through Yishun, we may go along Sembawang Road to avoid the bizarre traffic lights along the route. =)

Reaching home before 6:30am and clocking less than 30km on the bike, I decided to go for a run. =)
First km was tough, but as the distance grows, the endorphins kicked in.
Happy feeling kicked in, speed picked up slightly, run distance seems shorter.
I may be able to go on for another 2km, but decided that I have to let the feeling stay positive, thus I stick on my orignial plan. =)

Proceed for a well earned brekkie, before returning home. =)

6th November 2012 Cycling

Trying to motivate Daniel to cycle, Gerald and I keep sending him messages daily to entice him to cycle.

***

Reaching Sembawang-Mandai traffic junction, I was surprised to see the train coming up Sembawang slopes!
Must be the JRT and I wasn't wrong!
Again, I got sucked in and spit out in quick succession.

Reached Mandai Shell only to realise that there is a second train coming in.
While the cyclists are contemplating whether to continue or turn back due to the impending rain report, I rode ahead with the Newbies United (NU).

Cycling in the middle of the pack was scary.
The cyclists keep swaying left and right.
I decided to let the riders go ahead after Bukit Panjang.

Was surprised to see Lizzie trailing after the group.
She prompted me to go ahead, but I decided to stay with her.
Turned out she has an impending flu.
Rode and chat with her till she turned off at Stevens Road.

Joined the group at Newton for brekkie before proceeding home with Spencer.
Thanks, mate!

3rd November 2012 Brick Training #1

Possibly my first solo ever brick training. Lol

******

All ready to leave for the ride, a look at the phone gave me a mild hear attack.
Showers?
Quickly log on to NEA and my fear as unwarranted.

Climbing Mandai Road at 5:18am, I am all ready to be sucked into the FOTR slipstream anytime now.
Reached Mandai Shell and less than a minute later, the train pulled in.

Along Neo Tiew Road, I hanged on desperately onto the lead rider.
It was so much easier to draft someone than to do it alone.
Out onto the main road, I asked the group to go ahead repeatedly but no one is listening. I ended up keeping tag with the guys.  Thanks, guys!

Reaching Lim Chu Kang Straight, all hell broke loose as Ivan lead the charge!

I could not keep up and BFG fall back to lead me. Thanks, Boss!

We picked up Theo and BFG stayed with him while I picked up my pace slightly.
Boss is not going to leave anyone behind.

While waiting at the Bukit Batok traffic junction,  Boss rolled in with an unexpected guest, Dennis!

Dennis was five minutes late and have chased the group all the way.
Given the fast pace of the extremely small group this morning, Dennis's achievement is notable.

Travelling via Woodlands Road and Mandai Road, I bid the group farewell along Yishun Avenue 1. Thanks for the ride,  guys.

Reaching home, my family were still sound asleep.

I decided to go for a run.
This is probably the first time I did a solo brick training!
Hard to imagine hearing that from a triathlete hor? =p

Pace wasn't fantastic but I am happy.
Past a gal along Sembawang Road.
It wasn't till we exchanged greetings did I notice her.
Confirmed with her later via Facebook that she was indeed Amanda.
Active Yishun runner whom I am met for the first time. =)

Complete the Yishun-Sembawang mini loop and rewarded myself to a hearty brekkie before continuing on my family duties. =)

1st November 2012 Cycling

Out of the house at 5am, I had time to do Old Mandai Road and hopefully join the group along Sembawang Road.
Hitting Sembawang Road at 5:15am, I am pretty sure that I have missed the group.
The only puzzle is why I did not past any riders on Old Mandai Road.

While climbing Mandai Road, Gerald overtook me and told me the group is behind.
I got chewed and spit out from the group during the climb!

While waiting for the light to turn green, Aaron introduces himself.
First question he asked "Are you a triathlete?" (Looking at my rear hydration system)
Keke, this is new to me. =D

He just got back to cycling, so did I, thus we decided to take it easy.
He started doing triathlons this year and is targeting to qualify for Kona within 3 years. Wow!
His knowledge of the three disciplines is good, I wish him luck!

Reaching Newton, NU were wondering what happen to Aaron.
Aaron introduce me to the group. =)

Long after the group has left, Aaron and I sat down and chat before it was time for us to leave for home. ;)

28th October 2012 King of The Road

Took the first MRT train from Yishun, followed by the first MRT train from Marina Bay and was able to reach BayFront MRT at 6:50am!

Reach Race Site at 7:00am and it was another 1km walk to The Start Line.

At 7:15am sharp, the race was flagged off.
Then came the first disappointment.
The race start was broken down into multiple waves.
I ended up in the last wave, Wave 3 although I am pretty sure I ain't that late.
Wave 3 was flagged off at 7:45am.

The pace was fabulous at the start, I did not get the urge to follow other runners' pace.
Hitting Esplanade Drive, it was not hard to realise that this is a race with high profits.
There weren't any full road closure except for Republic Avenue which has pretty low car volume, especially on weekends.

Crossing the Floating Bay Bridge to F1 Pit, the route was extremely narrow...
The bridge was split into two halves for the incoming runners.

I was not able to run on the bridge and I began to realise why!!!
I have hit the wall of walkers from the earlier wave!
I ended up running round the cones to get pass the wall.

F1 was set up for SKC(Singapore Karting Championship) and the runners have only half a car lane to run on.
The wall of walkers is still omni-present and I began part of them...

7km, the hydration station is closed.
8km, there is no hydration station.
This is not looking any better.
A lot of runners are reduced to a walk, due to the sheer heat and the lack of water.

9km, we have only plain water.
10km, there is a hydration tent but no hydration station set up.
11km, we have only plain water.


Dear Organisers, if there is any intention to have water points at every kilometer, kindly ensure that they are stocked up.

The above hydration stations are critical as these stretches of the race route has pratically no shade.

Running past the 12km mark, the organisers has set a blockage for late runners to U-turn at the 10km mark.
It is a bit un-just for some runners as they have pushed back the Start Time by half an hour.

A Volvo and a Truck start barging their way along Nicoll Highway and the runners have to make way for them... Very very unprofessionally done.

Distance markers were okay till 9km.
I saw the 10km marker on ground level, while I overheard runners not seeing the 10km marker.
11km marker is facing the wrong direction.
12km distance marker is non-existent.
13km marker is the last distance marker I saw and it is 500m short.

Running into Gardens by the Bay, we hit a dirt road.
A couple of runners started chionging, thinking that the Finish Line is near.
The end is anywhere but near. It was at least another 1.2km and the Finish Line is well hidden around a bend.

End the run with a slow jog to the Finish Line.
Collected the drinks, medal and made my way home.

26th October 2012 Cycling

I was still struggling up Mandai Road feeling good when Law called out to me.
I got sucked into the group and was elated to be able to hang on with the group all the way to Mandai Shell, where we pick up the Mandai Kittens.

Cycling along Kranji Way, I did a U-turn when the riders behind me did not appear under my radar.
Turned out it was Chek, BFG and Jason behind caught by the traffic light, not some mechanical failure.
First word I uttered was 'Uh-oh'.
I am stuck in no-man's land.
There is no way I can keep up with the trio as they chase the group.
It was not surprising when I was dropped after the bridge.

Caught up with the group at the end of Lim Chu Kang and we proceed to do a NTU Loop before turning back towards Sungei Tengah Road.
Yongwei has a flat and I stayed with him before we proceed on.
The sunrise was awesome! The sun rays peering out from behind the clouds.
The angle of the shot was blocked by lampposts, thus I thought I could get a better shot at Bricklands Road.
My regret for this ride was not taking the shot when I had the chance at Sungei Tengah. =(
Yongwei has rode with the group before on this route and is able to guide us to the next pit stop.

Took Jurong Town Hall Road and it wasn't long before we hit Jalan Buroh.
Some of us are left smelling fumes along West Coast Highway.
Chairman Albert stayed back to round up the stragglers.
Thanks, Albert!

After a pit stop at Fuji Xerox Tower, it was time for a scenic ride through Gardens By the Bay towards our makan point at Kampong Arang.

After brekkie, I decided to take the safer route home via the PCN.
Having not rode for so long, I horribly mis-calculated the distance!!!

It was at Changi Coastal Road when I realised that home via Novena is probably 30km shorter?!?! *Faintz*

My legs were already cramping along East Coast Road, but I was too proud to say out loud.
After bidding farewell to Dennis, BFG and Anne, I took a break along CCR.
Was caught slacking by Daniel Cheng who is doing his secret training. =P

Forced myself to take another break at the end of Punggol Park before continuing on the final stretch home via normal roads.

21st October 2012 Nike Run SG 10K

My colleagues think that I am 'crazy'.
But I had done crazier things before, so this should be fine. =)

Arriving at the race site at 7:20, I can see the first batch of runners running past.
Quickly made my way to the Start Point (which requires at huge detour), as it was noted in the Race Guide that they are closing the road officially at 7:35am. (ie. 5 minutes after 2nd Race Start)

The Guest-of-Honour and the runners were kept waiting till 7:55am before the race got flagged off.

Right at the 1km mark, a lot of runners ran into Suntec City to make use of the toliet facilities there, including me, whom opt not to queue at the Race Start port-a-loos so as not to miss the Race Start.

My first 2km was great. I was able to keep my pacing flat without any accelerated heart rate.

Lots of 'Beethovens' to keep me motivated. =p
This race seems to be targeted at teenagers and young working adults.
It is really hard to find a MAMIL in the crowd.

At the 5km mark, the sleep depreviated body decided to work at 60-70% capacity.
My pace slowed tremendously.
By the time I reached the F1 Pit, I knew I won't be doing a 1:20 nor 1:30 run.
I am still glad I am here for the run, amazed at how the body cope with the battered body.

Looking across the Singapore River, I can see Gardens By The Bay.
It looks strangely like a shot from a sci-fi movie.

On your left is the Habitats, On your right are the Space Pods.

The run ends with a lap round the Marina Bay Sands.
The race was well organised without major hiccups.
Collected my Finisher Tee, had 3 sng baos before taking the ever-growing confusing MRT home.

20th October 2012 Cycling

Woke up without the assistance of the alarm clock only meant one thing.
There is no escape.

Reached Mandai Shell at 5:30am and was pleasantly surprised that John and the Kittens were there.
We waited till around 5:40-5:45 before the FOTR train rolled in.

Sam is flying on Sunday. Thus he won't miss the ride even with a hangover!
He woke up late but was able to join the group via CAB! Lol!

The pace was awesome.
It was a tourist pace with a visit to the Zoo, Gardens by the Bay and Mount Faber.
Strangely, YP and Tze Wee did not take the lead.
Dennis and Mike were pulling almost the entire day, which Dennis is glad for.
As Dennis mentioned, if the docs took over the reins, the whole group will be shattered. ;p

I lost the group on West Coast Highway but was lucky to catch up with them after the Highway where the group were slowed by two traffic lights.

We climbed Pepys Road, I skipped Mount Faber and we proceed to Tiong Bahru for brekkie before heading for home.

17th October 2012 Cycling

Waking up early, I took my time to prepare.
2 months without cycling, I decided to go solo.

Rode to Yishun Dam and do a lap of Seletar West Link.
Gosh, every road I came across looks awfully long.
Clocking 15km, I took a breather and sat down to enjoy the scenery.
This is what cyclists wake up early to do... To catch the sunrise. Lol

24km done...

Kona 2012 Bike Count

Bikes

Cervelo: 483
Trek: 211
Specialized: 170
Felt: 115
Cannondale: 86
Scott: 85
QR: 78
Argon18: 71
Giant: 64
Kestrel: 46
Orbea: 43
Kuota: 42
Ceepo: 37
BMC: 33
Look: 31
Guru: 28
Blue: 27
Fuji: 21
Ridley: 17
Cube: 17
PlanetX: 16
Litespeed: 11
Willier: 11
Storck: 10
Serotta: 9
Pinarello: 8
Parlee: 8
Canyon: 6
Colnago: 6
Stevens: 6
Elite: 6
Griffin: 5
BH: 5
Seven: 5
Teschner: 5
Beyond 4
Isaac: 3
Calfee: 3
Louis Garneau: 3
Jamis: 2
Cheetah: 2
Time: 2
Principia: 1
Bianchi: 1
Merlin: 1
Softride: 1
Aegis: 1
DeRosa:1
Lemond: 1

Wheels
Zipp: 2041
Hed: 248
Mavic: 154
Bontrager: 133
Reynolds: 126
Easton: 94
Xentis: 81
Shimano/PRO: 83
ENVE: 100
SRAM: 57
FFWD: 44
Flashpoint: 17
Rolf Prima: 16
Lightweight: 43
Corima: 37
Lightweight: 43
Campagnolo: 35
Profile Design: 24
Planet X: 26
Beyond: 2
Ceepo: 6
Spinergy: 16
Specialized Roval: 12
American Classic: 13
Token: 8
Blackwell: 4
Nimble: 6
Madfiber: 10
Oval: 7
Vision: 10
Gray: 6

Saddles
Fi’zi:k: 507
ISM: 403
Selle Italia: 245
Specialized: 215
Cobb: 149
OE Spec’d: 97
Selle San Marco: 47
Prologo: 80
Bontrager: 51
SMP: 53
Profile Design: 32
Terry: 39
Serfas: 16
Blackwell: 4
Koobi: 4
Planet X: 5
Ritchey: 3
Velo: 3
Forte: 3
WTB: 4
Vision: 13
SQLab: 6
Other: 17
Unknown: 9
SR: 2

Aero Bars
Profile Design: 551
Vision: 346
Bontrager: 185
3T: 171
Zipp: 120
PRO: 75
Specialized: 72
Syntace: 71
Easton: 62
Felt Devox: 54
Hed: 49
Argon18: 42
Giant: 39
Other: 29
OVAL: 28
Blue: 24
Deda: 18
Planetx: 14
USE: 7
Xentis: 6
CKT: 6
Ritchey: 6
Storck: 6

Drop Handle Bars:
Shimano: 1424
SRAM: 505
Campagnolo: 55
Other: 2

Power Meters
Quarq: 191
CycleOps PowerTap: 168
SRM: 152
Power2Max: 35
LookKEO 4
Ergomo: 3

Pedals
LOOK: 776
Shimano: 642
Speedplay: 396
TIME: 74
Other: 59

Front Hydration Systems
Profile: 732
XLAB: 128
Speedfil:** 124
Torhans: 111
Zip Tied Cages (to aerobar) 109
Jet Stream: 32
Specialized Shiv bladder: 32
Shimano: 6
Nathan: 2

Rear Hydration Systems
XLAB: 527
Profile: 157
Beaker Concept: 96
Zip Tied: 58
Shimano: 4

Helmets
Rudy Project: 354
Louis Garneau: 232
Giro:* 177
Lazer: 119
Specialized: 43
Met: 18
Las: 17
Limar: 15
Spiuk: 13
Ekoi: 8
Bontrager: 7
Scott: 6
OGK: 6
POC: 4

Running Shoes
Asics: 300
Saucony: 245
Newton: 201
Brooks: 181
Kswiss: 169
Nike: 118
Mizuno: 107
Zoot: 94
Adidas: 91
New Balance: 48
On: 23
Hoka One One: 23
Pearl Izumi: 19
Woolf: 16
Other: 15
Sketchers: 8
Puma: 5
Merrell: 5
Ecco: 5
Avia: 5
Innovate: 4
Karhu: 2
Vibram: 1
Under Armour: 1
Croc: 1
Altra: 1

13th October 2012 The North Face 100 25km

I have been shying away from training.
I need my beauty sleep. Lol.

I almost din start today's race.
My right heel hurts badly on Thursday and I am not sure why.
There seems to be an extra piece of bone which should not be there???
Luckily the problem went away on Friday, but re-surface during the early part of the run!!!
Am glad to finish the race with no major injuries.

****
Was extremely lucky to get a MR parking lot.
Made my way to the Start Point.
Meet up with a few friends and soon it is time to start the race.
It had been a long time since I had butterflies in my tummy prior to the race.
Must have been the lack of training... =p

FJ took off immediately. Haha, we are too slow for him. =p
It was a nice pace to the edge of the forest where Sandy went ahead. =)

Although there were lots of runners, there is a quiet calm in the forest, except the sound of footsteps.
Trail running is therapeutic. Why did I do that more often?
The pain in the right heel surfaced at this very moment to protest. )=
It is amazing to see Michelle zooming past the whole pack within minutes.

I feel extremely comfortable running in MR, it was as though I have ran here all my life.
Heading out onto Rifle Range Road, I was at a loss.
I cycled along this route a couple of times, but this is the first time I am running on it.

We went off road after 1.5km.
We still can see the roads while running along the edge of the vegetation.
Hehe, this looks a lot like Army Days.
Stayed close to civilisation without beginning seen.
I love it. I should have probably signed on... =P

Soon we hit the railway tracks.
Gosh, it was fun but demoralising at the same time.
You can see the runners in front of you

I could barely run right now.
Having not train for this race, it is tough.

On the open fields leading back to RRR, my hands got very swollen.
Too much water intake?
A guy ran past and ask "Are you alright?"
Thought he was asking the two gals I am overtaking, I ignored him.
He repeated the question thrice, before I ask him if he was asking me. =p
I told him I am alright, and asked him if I really looked that awful.

Reaching the end of RRR, I took a look at my time.
6km more to go than 1 hour to spare.
Completely do-able. I will meet the cut-off time.

For some weird reason (swollen limbs?), I decided to skip my gel intake at 18km.
This has dire straits when I hit the SICC Golf Course.
I am completely flat.
It is like a replay of Singapore Marathon 2009 36km.
I could no longer walk.
I had to summon my legs to put one foot in front of the other.
I got realistic of my timing.
I have ran out of time.
Oh well, at least I managed to do TNF which I never had to chance to partner up during the previous editions.
At least I did not sabo any partner today...

The last 3 kilometers seems to last forever.
Knowing that there is 400m to go did not brought on any extra strength.
I practically walk over the Finish Line.
Took lunch and make my way home.

4th October 2012 Thoughts

Been a long while since I exercise.

I tried to make a comeback in mid-August.
But an incident caused me to take another long break.

My races became my training. (Not unusual)
Not even an OD Triathlon or 21km Run in September 2012 will force me out of hibernation.

Tried to run again and came down with a flu which took me out for another week. =(
Just when I decided to run when I started recovering, I got a thick chunk of skin taken off the sole of my feet.
Now I can only tread with caution and hope for the best for next week's TNF race.
My first TNF race cause I dun longer need to find a partner as they accept individual sign-up. ;)
Haha, my notoriety for running must have been well known. =D

I DNS my first race last Sunday, Mizuno Wave Run 16km.
Yes, the distance scares me, especially when I wonder if I can cope with it after my flu.
After 3 successful rounds of diarrhea, the sign is clear enough that I am not ready for the race. Lol...

Was surprised when my Primary School teacher asked me during our introductions "How do you keep fit?"
I am not even aware that I look anything but fit.
But been the kind teacher as she always is, she assured me that I am. =) Thanks, Ms Ho! =p

Attended the wedding of Nick and Baoying.
Met a lot of old friends.
Made me realised how long I have not been riding. Lol.
Four tables of cyclists and I knew about 80% of them.
The cycling community is truly small.
Mixed reactions about cycling during the wedding dinner.
A few of us had toned down on exercise this year after the Big Show last December.
Some has kept the level of training intensity up.
Congratulations, Nick and Baoying! =)

Oh.... Run'er will be attending Boston Marathon 2013.
Congratulations, Roonz! =)

16th September 2012 Running

Getting sloppy in my training.
Getting even sloppier in my blogging.

***
It is hard to say anything when a sub-4 runner is dispensing advice to his listeners.
But I do have to say here that I truly dun recommend going from Kinsei to VFF.
These shoes are absolute polar opposites.
Even more so, not to start on VFF with a 10km run...

***'

The legs were gunning for a run so off I went.
Intended to do 4km after a whole month without any exercise.
But legs were feeling good and I went off for a 12km run instead.
Decided to visit the only hills in Yishun @ Yishun Park.
It has been a few years since I last visited it and was surprised by the changes.
New tracks, closed tracks. New exercise corner, closed exercise corners.

What make me sad is how much of the greenery in the entire Yishun has disappeared.
5 BTOs I read from the papers, but it felt a lot more.
Cars and Train overcrowding is expected by 2015 cos the road infrastructure has not kept up with the vertical expansion...

9th September 2012 Army Half Marathon

Reality Check : After the race, TNF50 is going to be a bitch of a race. I have a month to make amends.

As per every AHM, I tried to see if I can take NightRider to the race site.
Finally for the first time, the bus operator has indicated on their website that such a possibility is not available.

Took my time to prepare for the race.
Reached Shaw Towers and was surprised to see the Car Park deserted!!!
This is usually the second busiest car park when it comes to foot races.

Reached the race site 5 minutes late and was surprised to see that the crowd has thinned tremendously.
Something new again....
With that many runners, how did the Start Line cleared so fast???

Things always goes wrong even when you have make all the checks.
Walking to the race site, I have tested my earphones to ensure that they are working...
Once I cross the Start Line and tried to play my songs, the earphones ain't working.
Ouch!!!
Spend nervous minutes trying to get the earphones to work.

Meet Sebastian with his friend Gordon along Shenton Way.
Pace is 8min/km. I am targetting a overall 10min/km pace, so this will do. =)
I have lots of miles to average out my pace. =p

One day, I will make 8min/km my average pace.
The day will come, the question is when? ;p

We have done 2km and the first water point is nowhere in sight.
Darn... I am getting thirsty sia...
Was glad to see the water point turning off Shenton Way.

First time I set my eyes on Garden by the Bay, I am hugely disappointed.
The "Garden" looks so artificial.
I carve for a natural garden, but I guess our economy, in their pursuit of excellence, cannot afford one.

Running along the river, I was surprised to see blinking lights on the other side of the river!
Wah...
After a while, it finally occurred to me that those blinking lights could be caused by runners running into the path of the street lights. Lol.
Reaching the other side of the river, I was surprised to see that the street lamps are 3 meters tall and they are all on the further side of the river.
So how did the blinking light phenomenon comes about?
Well, I will probably have to figure it out another day.

Sebastian overtook me along the Garden.
Well done, mate! That was the last I saw of him for the entire race.

Hitting Tanjong Rhu, I was surprised to see that the whole path came to a standstill.
Is there a casualty ahead? Are they blocking the area to allow the emergency team to work?
Turned out, this is the first bottleneck of the race!
The bottleneck has made everyone so frustrated that some runners are quitting the race right there and then.
Problem is, there is no way out of the situation as we are under Benjamin Sheares Bridge and the runners won't be able to get a taxi till they hit Tanjong Rhu Estate, which is on the other side of the bottleneck.

At the 8km mark, I took out a gel and hesitated.
I dun feel hungry.
13km during my first AHM was when I hit the wall.
I put back the gel and see if I can take on 21km without any gel.

Caught Liz after Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Hehe, she has been my target and I am glad I managed to catch up.

Took my first banana. Stuffed half the banana into my mouth and almost choked.
Haha... Thoughts of the banana stuff during the IMWA Bike Leg can back to mind as I laughed at myself silly. The runners around me must be wondering what is happening to the guy choking on the banana.

After Stadium Walk, I play tag with a yellow Adidas running top babe till I lost her at the second bottleneck of the race along Kallang Riverside Park.

Took the second banana and queued for the isotonic drink.
Haiz... With 10km joining us along the route, it is jam jam jam everywhere.

Have a idea not to do AHM 2013. But I know my memory is short and I will probably sign up again next year. Lol.

With 3km to go, my legs could not fire anymore.
I do not feel hungry, but the legs just won't fire.
It is going to be a tough day.
At 19km, mark, I took a look at my watch, I was amused....
2:56 on the clock. Which mean will probably do sub 3:30.
PW is not on the list. That brighten my mood slightly.

Was surprised to see the banana availability at the F1 Pit.
Looking up at the Helix Bridge, I can see that the 5km runners are merging...
More jam...

At the Esplanade, I was surprised yet happy to see Liz overtook me.
Her pace is super consistent.
That is why I always mentioned I prefer to run at ladies pace. Their pacing are so consistent, they beats the guys in the end.
I tried to chase after her, but the legs could not respond to the challenge.

Met my family doctor 100m from the Finish.
Dr Woon had suffered cramps 3km from the Line and almost got stretchered off the course.
Walked with Dr Woon to the Finish. =)

Pretty interesting to note my pace for the race.
First 10km was slower than the next 8km.
But my inadequate training truly shows during the last 3km where I only managed a 3.4km/h pace!!!

26th August 2012 Tri Factor Triathlon

Spooked by two consecutive events that took place last week, I decided to take a break from cycling for a month.

***

Spent 1.11h completing 27km on the trainer on Saturday.

***

Reaching the race site at 7:34am, I have 11 minutes to get everything setup, body marked and be at the Start Line.

I guess I am so used to setting up transition that I set it up within 3 minutes, had a chat with Richard, body marked and was at the Start Line with 3-4 minutes to spare. Lol

After observing a minute of silence, the race started.
It is a new swim course with a 60 degree swim in the south-west direction out, swim east and a 60 degree swim in the north-west direction.
With the tides coming in at a 45 degree north west direction, it was a horrible swim.
It is especially bad if you are swimming alone.
You are fighting against the current for the entire swim! The angle of the tide meant that there is no advantage at all!
The second loop is a lot better cos there was swimmers to shield you from the currents.

Onto the bike leg, I did not feel strong.
Lack of training is evident. Going down into aero position is easy, but the aerobars' angle is all wrong!
Hmm... it did not feel all that bad on the bike trainer yesterday...
With the same stem and handlebars on both bikes, it just does not make sense.
And I have set the seat too low to the extent that I felt awkward in aero position.
I probably spent 15 seconds in aero position during the bike leg.

Doing mindless loops, I have to keep checking my watch to make sure that I am not doing too many or too little loops. Not surprising that Kam Meng did extra in 2009 and Andrew Lee did extra today!

With a apparent lack of race crew, non competitors are riding on the race course with no one to chase them out.
It get frustrating when these cyclists do not try to keep to the left!!!

The turn out onto the ECP Service Road proves to be a danger spot every year.
The organisers did okay, but the competitors always try to gain a few seconds in these extreme dangerous conditions.
 A cyclist crashed into the barrier about 30m behind me.
On another loop, there was a cyclist lying on the road with blood coming out from his nose.
He could have scrapped his bike on the kerb trying to make a tight turn.
It bugged me when a cyclist shouted "On your right!" when I am making the right turn out onto the ECP Service Road.
Two kudos need mentioning.
The turn into the park at National Sailing Center was huge and a tree with overhanging branches were on the race course were trimmed nicely.
With large number of friends overtaking me during the bike leg, I know my bike timing could be pretty bad.

Onto the run leg, the legs just won't fire.
The thighs are extremely tight and I could feel Achilles tendon hurting.
First time I felt pain in my Achilles tendon... What is wrong?
The sand can be felt swimming in my shoes. Haiz...

It is good to see so many familiar faces on the run.
Sandy invited me to sit down and have a drink. Lol.
Nice to see Jacq. After what she has gone through for the past 2 years, it is amazing to see her running again.
Was surprised to see Andrew coming up from behind me. He told me he could have done an extra bike loop. Haha, that make sense now. Lol.

Ended the race feeling flat.

With more and more races popping up on the race calendar and logistics being stretched to the max resulting in lax security on the bike course, I truly wonder if I will be doing another triathlon in Singapore...
It is certainly ain't fun...

***

Overheard an interesting conversation during the race.
Dun have a clue what it meant...

Guy : I am not sexually attracted to you.
Gal : Yeah, I know. That's scary.

Me : ?!?!

18th August 2012 Cycling

Having snooze twice, I only managed to wake up at 5:50am.
With the 5am train gone, 6am train an impossibility, I decided to take the 7am train.

Had brekkie with my mum before I proceed to Punggol Islands, hoping to hop onto the train.
There were nowhere in sight, thus I rode ASG usual 30km loop, stopping to take photos along the way. Lol.

The place has really changed too much.
Western Avenue does not exist anymore and I am unable to find a way to Piccadilly.
Not sure if Sunset Grill and Pub is in Seletar anymore.

After 2 hours ride, I am happily back home. =)

17th August 2012 Cycling

Not aware that I rode out at 5:09am this morning, I did a mini time trial to Mandai Shell, hoping to catch the second train.
After about 8 riders rode past, Nick rode up alongside and we chat all the way to Mandai Shell.
Met Jason and Chek at Mandai Shell. =)

Impatient to wait for the 2nd train, I decide to rode ahead, do Ulu Pandan and join Newbies United at Newton Hawker Center for brekkie.

Just as I rode out, Gerald past me!
We rode together and I told him of my plans.
After Bukit Panjang, I realised that Nick had followed us and I dropped back to accompany him.

When I notice Gerald riding towards the Clementi Flyover, I bid Nick farewell and rode towards Ulu Pandan.

Things went according to plan and we pulled in to Newton Hawker Center just as Joyce and Daphne rolled in. ;)
After a drink, we proceed towards Cairnhill, doing a U-turn at Park Mall.
With both of us wanting to clock more mileage, we rode to Tyersall Ave and Dunearn Road.
Gerald almost got hit by a car zooming out of Plymouth Ave.
Damn these drivers for not attempting to stop while coming out of these side roads.

With Gerald needing to clock more mileage, I had company all the way to Mandai-Sembawang where he proceed to do a Mandai Loop while I peel off towards home.
Thanks, bro!

16th August 2012 Cycling

4 hours of Deep Sleep, I am prepared to roar. Lol.

Leaving the house at 5:13am, I am confident of meeting the train.

No rider in sight all the way to Mandai Shell. =(

Decided to try clocking some achievement on Strava. =p

Met a NU rider along Woodlands Road. He had a stiff neck, so he is riding at a snail's pace.
Bid him farewell after riding together for a while and tried catching the train.

It was a Solo Ride all the way to Newton Hawker Center.
Only Ore is there.
Had a chat and drink before riding home. :)

15th August 2012 Musings

With 4 hours of sleep, I have the will but not the courage to do a bike ride.
Let me condition this body to withstand the rigours of the day with 4 hours of deep sleep first.

My legs have been aching for days and I feel happy.
I decided not to put on the compression clothing so that I can feel the ache.
I guess it did help to motivate me a bit to do some exercise hopefully on a daily basis. ;)

14th August 2012 Cycling

Working the early shift, I decided to do a short ride today.

I realised that the more I contemplate doing the JR Normal Loop before joining the main group at 5am, the more de-motivated I get.
I just do not have the energy.

Leaving the house at 4:45am, I managed to reach SICC at 5.05am.
The train should be coming through the station soon, so I did a U-turn.
Just as I made my turn, I can spot the train's headlights less than 300m away.

 I have not even had the chance to reach the multiple petrol kiosks before Prata Hill before I was left staring at the tail lights. =(

After Prata Hill, Gerald called out to me!
Haha, Gerald is hard at work training for IMWA after completing Challenge Roth!!!
Chat for a bit before I got dropped by Gerald after SLE.
He got a train to catch! Lol! =D

The second train zoomed past at the Mandai slopes.
Gosh... that says a lot about my current state of fitness.
Cannot even keep up with the second train!!!
It will take a lot of hard work for me to be riding with the second train again.

Did a U-turn at Mandai Shell and rode happily home. =)

#Ireallyhopethiswonderfulfeelingwilllastforever

13th August 2012 Running

Feeling full of energy, I decided to go for a mid-day run.

#Ireallyhopethiswonderfulfeelingwilllastforever

Again, I am glad that my colleagues are not following.
I truly enjoy the me-time.

It really take a little craziness to be all dressed in black running in the hot afternoon sun.
True to my form, I tried another route back to office via Farrer Road.

In fact, it was a good decision.
There were plenty of shade and wind, as compared to Botanical Gardens which has shade but truly humid as there isn't much breeze to talk about.

11th August 2012 Cycling

A totally unexpected metric century ride! =)

Knowing how badly I remember details, I read the entire thread before leaving the house.

Riding out at 5.15am, I managed to catch the train just before they hit the Mandai-Sembawang traffic junction. =)

Pace towards Mandai Shell was fast!

Kenneth, Brian and I had a hard time keeping up and got dropped.

Pace towards Yishun Dam were a bit more bearable.

Onto Punggol Islands, I was telling Wee Liam that it seems like everyone is waiting for someone to make the move.

Greg started the move just before the bridge and I got dropped. Again. =(

Once the regroup is complete, we continue our ride.

Along Punggol Drive, there was three cars which were trying to make a pass.

I shouted out to the group, but the front pack still went in front of the vehicles. =(

"Just let the cars go!" I commented, 5 of us slowed to let the cars passed.

Pace to Loyang Shell was fabulous, greatly helped by the traffic lights. ;p

After topping up my drinks, I bid farewell to the group and rode back towards Punggol.

Called home and my wife assured me that I could ride longer.

Decided to go exploring. =p

Rode the entire Park Connector Network in the North-East! Lol!

I was surprised that I can keep an average speed of 25kmh as the sun is keeping the residents away.

I was very lucky to miss the walkathon crowd which would have meant a lot of threading through human traffic.

Stopped at Jalan Kayu for brekkie before proceeding home. =)

10th August 2012 Cycling

Out of the house at 5:14am, I am pretty sure I will be able to catch the NU train. ;)

Just as I reached the Sembawang-Mandai traffic junction, the NU train zoomed past.
I managed to overtake the last 2 riders during the climb and start setting my sight on the lone rider.

Hmm... she looks a lot like Viv, but it is a rarity for her to be doing weekday rides now.
Past the rider before Old Mandai Road, it is Viv!
Called out to Viv and she returned my greetings.

Stopped at the Old Mandai Road traffic junction.
Was surprised that 'Viv' turned out to be Evie!!! =P
It is kinda weird to find Evie getting dropped!

After talking to Evie for a bit and find her getting pretty distracted, I decided to let her draft me all the way to Mandai Shell. ;)

Caught Joyce at Mandai Hill Camp and we proceed to Mandai Shell together.
Joyce got the group to break into two.
Evie and I stayed in group two.

At the Jalan Anak Bukit traffic junction, Joyce realised that her shifter cable has snapped!
Haha, she will be riding a fixie all the way to Newton Hawker Center.
I rode alongside Joyce and we dictate the pace to NHC. ;p

All of us has a nice introduction and hearty chat before we parted company. =)

9th August 2012 Cycling

After turning off 2 sets of alarms and going back to sleep, I am thrilled that I manage to ride this morning! =)

Hitting out at 5:15am, I reached Mandai Shell at 5:37am.
I really do not have a clue if I had missed the train.

Knowing that the train dun stop here, I continue on my way hoping that the train will catch up. =p

Rode all the way to Lim Chu Kang Road and only 2 riders past me.
Hmm... where are all the riders?
Truly weird that not many ppl are out cycling on such a nice morning.

Reach SPC Jalan Buroh at 6:38am.
Hmm... The guys probably completed their pit stop and rode off.
Did a check with the cashiers, no riders has stopped by yet.
Hmm...

Spotted Gynis and Maya riding past.
(It did not occurred to me that they had followed the train and peel off till I read the afternoon FB post!)
Rode off at 7:00am, I was truly surprised to see them along West Coast Highway given their head start.
Hehe, they are probably going for their usual hill training. =)
Was surprised when they peeled off at West Coast McD!

It hits me hard to realised that the train will have to do 40kmh to reach SPC Jln Buroh at 6:30am.
WPE, my mathematics failed BIG time.
With the train behind me, I have some time to spare.
Will proceed to do some hill climbs.
Something that I have longed to do, but never had the chance.
Why? Cos everytime I reach Pepys Road, the train has completed their climbs!!!
Yes, that is how slow I am!!!

I was surprised to hit Pepys Road first!
I must have missed Morse Road.
Oh well, let me finish this climb before I ride back to Morse Road.
Hmm... the climb is not as scary as the guys mentioned.
Feels a lot like Rifle Range Road, except the climb is longer.
Took my first gel at The Peak.

Gosh, my descent is definitely slower than the climb.
My rear brakes are screeching insanely, thus I relied on my front brakes the entire way down.
My left calf is aching like mad just pressing down on the pedal.
Hope I dun cramp up!!!
I never once released the brakes till I was on the straight stretch before the entrance.

Cycling back the way I came, I decided to stop at the SPC station to ask for directions.
I was acutely aware that I did not see Morse Road nor the church.

The pump assistant mentioned that I was in the wrong place!
This is Pasir Panjang! Mount Faber is further up the road!
Thanked the kind samaritan and joined up with the group which just rode past me.
Turned out to be Dave Lem and Michael Yong's group!!!
Long time no see, bros! =)

They are doing Mount Faber.
Cool! I have company!
Again, I braked all the way during the descent.
Left calf almost seized up due to the longer ride down.
The guys must have been amused how a beefy rider is being pulled down so slowly by gravity.

While the guys turned back towards West Coast Road, I continued on towards Changi Village hoping to catch the group there and have brekkie together.

Met Electronic Kang along Shenton Way and have a nice chat till he peeled off towards Guillemard Road.

Spotted YellowFish David and Ser Luck along East Coast.
Had my second gel, topped up my water at Car Park F2 before proceeding on.

Strangely, I am seeing huge amount of riders doing the reverse route today. Why?

Reached Changi Village at 9:46am. Did not realised there are so many coffeeshop in the vicinity!
Did not spot any of the group at any of the coffeeshop...
Hmm....
A check on FB and I got a shock!
I mis-read the distance.
It is 106km, not 130km!!!
My calculation has been wrong again!!!
106km meant a <4 hrs="hrs" p="p" ride="ride">The guys would have reached here before 9am, had brekkie and would have been long gone by then! =(

As it would look embarrassing for a solo rider to have brekkie alone in an area jam packed with cyclists, I decided to have my brekkie at Pasir Ris.

Saw a huge group of Entro Riders along Pasir Ris.
While waiting at opposite ends of the traffic junction outside Downtown East, I spotted a IMWA gal in the Entro group.
Wearing my IM jersey, we were both trying to figure out who the other party is? =)
We returned a smile and continue on our way.

Stopped at Elias Mall for brekkie before continuing on my way home.
While riding along Pasir Ris Dr 12, it hit upon me that I could try to see if I can ride thru Pasir Ris Farmway home!
Ahh... I vividly remember that there is a bridge spanning across Lorong Halus...
Reached Lorong Halus Wetlands and ride through Punggol Park and Punggol Islands on my way home! =)

First Pepys Climb, First Morse Climb, First Round Island Ride of 2012, Scenic Last 20km Ride Home. Simply Awesome Ride! ;D

4th August 2012 Musings

After 2 days of riding, I was not able to beat the alarm clock on Thursday.
I could have, except that my 5 minute snooze become 90 minutes!

Friday, working the morning shift meant I have to wake up an hour early if I wanna ride.
I tried my best. =p

Had this tenderness in my lower back.
Felt it on Friday evening and my body reminded me about it moments ago when I was preparing to ride!
I wanna try, but I recall Sam's issue when he rode without a 100% back.
Enforced break. Lol...
As if I need another reminder, two sneezes is enough to settle the issue.

****

I shall take it as a compliment, right? =D

It is like 11 out of 10 could not believe that I CAN DO THIS! =D

When Gerald and I were talking to Richard on Wednesday morning, he thought we were talking about Busselton Half!

This is like the nth time this year that friends ask if I was talking about 70.3. =D

The funny thing about this is that the more you dun wish to talk about it, the more it will crept into conversations.
But I guess that is what triathletes does when they meet for the first time?
Yeah, SC. I could not believe that 9 months later, I am still talking about it. =S

1st August 2012 Cycling

Starting out at 5:10am, I managed to catch the Newbies United train along the Mandai-Sembawang traffic junction.
Followed the nicely paced group all the way to Mandai Shell.
The red-jerseyed rider is still doing his stuff, riding out of formation.
I noticed that he is not using his brakes and thus when the speed slowed down, he will shift outwards.
Haiz...

Out of Mandai Shell, things went out of control!
The ride leaders are going at 36kmh!
The riders behind have a tough time catching up.
Then the group did the infamous bicycle dancing similar to what I have heard at Ipoh.
I have given them the benefit of the doubt, now I experiencing first hand how chaotic these riders can be.
Haiz...

Richard had some issues and pulled over to the side of the road.
When I realised that he may be needing help, I went over to take a look.
Turned out his handlebars is loose.
After fixing up the handlebars, we proceed on the ride.
Caught Gerald and Freddie along the way. =)

Along Bukit Timah Road, Gerald was drafting a steel cyclist and I followed suit.
Decided to cruise near a red traffic light and I lost the group!
Gosh, slow down once and they are gone forever! =S

Finally caught up with Gerald and Richard at Newton Hawker Center.
Had a drink before proceeding home via Gymkhana Road. =D

31st July 2012 Cycling

What I hated most every morning? Weighing myself.
A grim reminder that I have much weight to lose.

***

A bike is like a car, it definitely needs servicing.
It felt so much better than it was for the past few months.

Riding along Mandai Road, the first thing that I noticed distinctively is the absence of Mr Stubbles.
They have been an annoyance whenever I place my hands the handlebars.
I truly appreciate how OwlEye provide different kinds of attachments at a reasonable price.

Today, I was not expecting to be passed. ;)
Reached Mandai Shell at 5:20am and did a mini loop.
Halfway through the loop, the fast train literally zoom past sans the sonic boom.

Completed the mini loop at 5:27am.
Waited for 2 minutes and was surprised when the 2nd train did not arrive.
Did another mini loop.
Dun tell me there is no 2nd train today.
My plans are in disarray. I got no train today.
Halfway through the loop, the 2nd train came!
Hooked onto to the train happily.

Along Woodlands Road, the few of us riding at the rear of the peloton got a mild heart attack when a red jerseyed JR veered out onto the 2nd lane followed by the rider behind him.
The van almost hit them head-on.

At the traffic light, I rode forward to give them a piece of my mind.
Was surprised to see Joyce already lecturing them.
Joyce ordered the rider to ride rear and the rider meekly followed instructions.

While we stopped at Newton Hawker Center for a drink, Joyce continued on home as she has a plane to catch.
I decided to do an Orchard Loop before riding home. ;)

25th July 2012 Cycling

Leaving the house early, I decided to do a Old Mandai loop.
Was caught by the fast train going up the slope.
Who is leading the pack? Eugene. =)
Lost them all even before we hit Old Mandai Road. Lol...

Rest with Chek at Mandai Shell for a bit waiting for the 2nd group, which never appear?
Rode off at 5:30am.
Riding along Woodlands Road, I was surprised to see that Woodlands Road is not entirely flat!
Why am I able to see the gradient today after 5 years of riding, I got no idea!!!
My energy came in spasms today.
One moment, I am feeling downright tired.
Next moment I will be dashing up a slope?!?!?!

Hitting Newton Food Center and not seeing any NU riders, I decided to take a little tour around town. ;)
Meet up with KH and Winnie along Little India and we cycled together till they peel off along Mandai Road.

Contiune on a nice pace home. =)

23rd July 2012 Musings

Century Ride Malaysia (CRM), Ipoh results are out.
Official cut-off time is 8 hours.
My official timing is 8:04:56h.
That triggers a spate of memories and thoughts.
The lady who missed Ironman Kona 2011 by 4 seconds.
Esther who missed IMWA 2011 by 4 minutes.
We all ended up on the wrong side of the clock.
How does it affect me?
Hmm... strangely nothing.
I am grateful that the organisers allow me to collect my precious medal.
My thoughts are similar to the Kona lady.
The timing does not matter as long as you have the medal. =p

I do remember what I said in IMWA.
If those seconds matters, I am in deep shit.
I am just grateful that this is not a race per se.

Where could I have save those 4 minutes?
Plenty!!!
Instead of filling up bidons, they should have swapp-able bidons.
The two breaks that I had to help FOTR and JR with their wheels.
The chain dropping.
The break that I took around 135km.
The traffic lights thgat I stopped at riding into town.
Of all the breaks that I had, the one was the JR was the most beneficial.
I was really suffering then and that pit stop really freshen me up!

Other than Jeremy, all the FOTR and JR riders that I know finish within 7 hours!
You guys are awesome.

Right now, I am looking forward to Trengganu Century Ride.
The only problem is that with the Race Day on 16th September, there isn't much details yet.
No cut-off time, no race map.
Last check, only 91 riders signed up.
Most Singaporeans are waiting for more details before signing up, I guess.

*****

Got a shock today when I chart my weight.
I have stepped into O Class 2!
How did it happen?
I gain quite a fair bit of weight after IMWA.
In fact, I guess I have always been gaining weight, just that exercise negates the weigh gain.
Without exercise, the weight just crept up north.

Strangely enough, I am stil wearing the same pants that I have wore 8 months ago.
Five years ago, I was 4 inches larger.
I managed to drop to my current size along the way, only to gain another 2 inches.
I lose those 2 inches during the IMWA journey.
How did I gain so much weight while keeping to the same pant size???

I did become very conscious of my weight a few weeks ago.
This current weight classification really tip the scales.
I do have a truly safe weight losing plan.
Gotta execute it soon. No, immediately!!!

Century Ride Malaysia 2012 (Ipoh, Perak)

The Short -
Completed my First Official Century Ride! Yeah!

****

Watching Ironman Kona 2010 and 2011 the day before the race help plenty. =p
Two great phrases that carry me through the race.

P 4:13  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Your greatest enemy is self doubt.

The dinner had to be reserved two months in advance.
Gotta show you the popularity of the dinner venue.
I din wanna risk it, thus I opt out of it. =(
It could be mental, but the food intake the day before the race is one factor which helps me during the ride. =)

****

The Long -

Best thing that happened to me during the ride?
My Garmin screwed up!
First I am riding without any speed indicator.
Last quarter of the ride, I was riding without the current time of the day when the Garmin shuts down!
I am literally riding blind! =)

The Race Start is at our doorstep. =)
Given that the race has more than 1800 riders as compared to 700 at Kuantan, I was expecting a chaotic start.
All went well as we pratically cleat-walk our bikes to the Start Point.
Without a ceremonial ride around town, the riders broke into their own group relatively fast.

We managed to tag along in a good pack till I shamelessly left the group after leaving town.
I cannot climb hills and the guys will overtake me eventually.
Rather than staying with the group, it is better for me to punch ahead and let the group overtake me on the hills.

Rode with Ping from Lizards, whom I drafted in order to breach the gap of the peloton ahead of me. Thanks, Ping!
Ping eventually dropped me at the first slope we came up to. Lol.

That was when I had time to finally take a look at my speedometer and was surprised to see it 'dead'. Speed shows 0.00kmh
Having sync it successfully with my speed/cadence sensor and getting GPS locked-on before I join the group, that was the last thing I have expected.
With only time, I can only guess-timate my pace. Probably in the high 20s?
(Later during dinner, we found out that most Garmin 310XTs faced the same problem during the race, while the Garmin Edges escaped unscathed.)

While climbing one 10% slope, I was surprised when Rynn shouted out to me!
It was on the same slope that Maya-A380 and the entire FOTR group overtook me.
(Pardon if I remember wrongly, my memory got clouded over the distance. Lol.)

Stopped and U-turned when I saw WL and KO at the roadside.
It helped cos I learnt how to use the bike pump at a later stage. ;)
KO's rear wheel is leaking again.

Saw 3 JoyRiders fixing a flat.
Took the opportunity to take a break. =p
After going through two tubes,
- the stem of the first one was too short!
- the second tube punctured when we hit 100 psi.
Looking at the first punctured tube, we noticed that the puncture occured at a spoke point.
Turned out the entire rim tape is koyak!!!
There were three spoke locations which has fallen apart!
We can fix one spoke point with the patch kit that TL carry.
But that proves futile.
After struggling for all those fifteen minutes, we have to call it quits. =(

There was a dad suppporting his teenage son.
Much was I appreciate the support the dad gives, I just cannot condone the fact that the son cheated during the ride.
What values does the dad impart to the son?
How the son cheated you wonder?
The son was hanging onto the winded-down window with the dad driving the car along.

Saw three guys unloading their bikes along the bike route.

At the end of the day, does the Finisher Medal meant any value to those that cheated?

I will only end my race cos of a mechanical failure.
During parts of the race, I did hope feebly for a mechanical failure.

Crossing the 2nd Checkpoint, while descending a slope, I was surprised that my chain dropped!!!
I have K-Edge Chain Catcher installed. That is the last thing I expect to happen.
Went to the nearest shade to fix back the chain.
The chain could not move past up the aluminium chain catcher. =(
I was getting really frustrated... Is this how the race going to end?
Cos of a mechanical failure? =(
Decided to take a break and out came Salonpas.
After 5 minutes passed, my mind cleared and I tried to move the chain catcher.
It moved! I am able to re-position the chain and back onto the race I went. Yipee! =D

Crossing the 100km mark was probably the hardest part of the entire ride.
"I am dying out here" I heard myself talking.
Without a single rider in front or behind you, fears of being mugged are becoming a reality.
Was so glad when I finally see a rider ahead of me when nearing Checkpoint 3.

The volunteers are awesome and water and 100-Plus are aplenty.
Definitely a far cry from Kuantan Support.

Although I know it is totally un-necessary, I still decide to rode with a full tank. ;)
Weight training, I told myself. =D

Checkpoint 3 to 4 is pretty uneventful.
I was looking to the next water point 25km away.
That is why I say ignorance is bliss.
The 25km is actually 30km and I completed it unknowingly.
The Mount Faber climb never materialise.
Stopped once to apply tons on Salonpas on literally every part of my body. =p
Twice on the climbs I got cramps attack but I spin in the lowest gear and it went away.

I learnt a lot during the ride.
All these precious lessons will help me in my future rides.

Reached Checkpoint 4.
Finally meet up with the NeilPryde car whom I have noticed since CheckPoint 2.
Andrew and gang from Velocipede Works, KL were the people behind the wheel. =D
Had a quick chat before we continue on the next 14km...
We were warned that there is a small climb, a flyover.
We were also warned of the many many traffic lights.
(I learnt later that the earlier riders get full police support during the traffic junctions!)
The 14km turned out to be 18km and I was truly surprised when I see the Finish Line!

Haha, it is an epic feeling, but just like my IMWA Finish, the question immediately pops up "This is it?"
I guess you always get that feeling cos you are having too much fun. =D

Collect my Finisher Medal and proceed to have a good rest and dinner. =)

Looking forward to Ipoh Century Ride 2013! =D

13th July 2012 Cycling

Last ditch effort to deposit some miles into the bank.

Was surprised when I reached Mandai Hill Camp and the JR are nowhere in sight.
Things are better left unspoken, cos less than 5 seconds later, the fast group overtook me! =D

I carried onto Woodlands Road without stopping at Mandai Shell.
The group will catch me anyway.
Road with a small group of 4 all the way towards Clementi.

The rain started coming down hard and I decided to make a detour at Ulu Pandan Road.
Hitting Sixth Avenue, the rain all but disappear.
The roads are dry here.
Decided to ride to Tanglin and onto Newton Food Center for a breather.

Met up with the Newbies United (NU) riders.
After a cup of coffee, we continue on our journey.
I have a hard time keeping up with them.
 Took a peek at my cyclometer. 33kmh!!!
This new age of newbies are frightening fast!

Completed 45km. Better than nothing at all...

12th July 2012 Musings

I am acutely aware that I have little miles in the bank.
Yet I am unable to peel myself off the bed.
I will be in for a lot of pain this weekend. =(

9th July 2012 Running

After some nice previous runs, I was surprised that my speed dropped dramatically.
Could it be the humid weather or was it the warm Tee?

On the way back, we came across two stranded ladies looking for directions.
Although I do not have a clue either, given the numerous car park areas available throughout the park, I tried my best to help them.
Just after I went to the nearest signpost and tried to guide the ladies in the general direction, a NPB golfcart drove past.
I let out a shout, stopping everyone within a 50meter radius in their tracks. Lol.
With much reluctance, they finally gave the two ladies a lift to their car. =)

Continue on my run with a bounce in the stride. ;)

7th July 2012 Cycling

Joined the NeilPryde ASG Team for a short ride today.
Other than the organisers, I knew no one there. =p
Dogma2, Tarmac SL3, wow... the attendees are no newcomers!

Onto Punggol Islands, the speed picked up dramatically.
I lost the peloton and only caught up with them at the traffic light. =p
Managed to keep up with them till the U-turn where the group slow down but the gap was too huge for me to close. =(

Was surprised when I was the first one to reach back OCC.
Turned out the group went for another 8km along Seletar Drive.
Cool! I will need to explore the area soon to get myself familiarise. ;)

After a hearty Subway brunch, I proceed home. =)

4th July 2012 Running

I run not because I want to, but because I need to. =(

******

The darken sky did not stop me from going to BG for a run.
It turned out to be the best afternoon run to date.
I truly prefer to be a lone runner.

Reaching BG MRT, I took a left turn and went back via Tyersall Road - Ridley Park. =)

3rd July 2012 Cycling

1st July 2012 - Did a simple 2.5km Run under 17:00 mins. Happy. Been a long time since I clock below 18mins for 2.4km. =p

========

Out at 4:55am, I hope to complete at least one mini Mandai Loop.
Reached Mandai Shell with no one in sight.
Did a short Mandai Loop only to catch sight of the fast train outside Mandai Hill Camp.

Reached Mandai Shell @ 5:25am!
Insane! That is 16km in 25mins!
The train is reaching lightspeed!
Meet Sean, who gave me some well-needed advice. Thanks, bro! =)

Waited for the 2nd train.
Half the train went Mandai, while I followed the train along Woodlands Road.
Turned out there was no Clementi riders!
All the left turners are from Newbies United. Lol.
Swept Spencer while the group rides ahead.
Spencer is having ITB and is riding using only his lightest gear.
Gosh... not sure if that is the best thing to do if u hv ITB.
I guess as a Sports Coach, he should know better.

Met the group at Newton Hawker Center for a drink before we peeled off for home.

1st July 2012 Musings

I am coming to terms with my sedentary lifestyle.
The alarm clock is still set to go off at 4am every morning, but even if I dun make it out of bed or bed, I am cool with it.
Exercise should be a pleasure to do NOT pressure to do.

Saturday morning, din hear the alarm go off. Found my son sleeping on my alarm clock!!!
Sunday morning, turn off the alarm, looked at the incoming SMS and the next thing I know, it is 6:15am! OMG!

====

In 2006, it all started with a simple cause. To keep fit.
I enjoyed every run, although it is just a weekly run.

In the following 4 years, I probably sign up for almost all the races available on the Race Calendar! Be it a swim, bike or run, or a combination of two/three disciplines.

By 2010, I was pretty much "burnt out".
But I still went ahead to sign up for the BIGGEST race of my life.

Thanks to the ever positive encouragement from my peers, we manage to suck it up and complete the penultimate race.

I always thought life will stay the same after WA.
That I will be back to riding as usual after the race.
But it does not really felt that way.
A lot of people looked at you in a different light.
I truly hate to hear the phrase "Ah, this (event/race) is "chicken feet" for you.
IT IS NOT!!! Without training, nothing comes easy.
After my spectacular failure at Kuantan, I thought it would have motivate me to train hard for Ipoh.
Sadly it did not.
I valued my sleep more this year as compared to the last five years.
Somehow I just do not wanna be caught yawning while working, although I know it is a pretty normal thing that everyone does.
Kinda hate the thought of drowning myself in coffee just to make it through the day.
I know I will get used to it after a short period of time.
In 2008, my body took less than 2 weeks to get used to the morning rides without requiring further caffeine intake for the rest of the day.
Fast forward 4 years, it is a lot harder...
Having said that, I have no reason to skip weekend rides.
But I do notice one important aspect of the whole exercise lifestyle missing.

MOTIVATION.
I have no motivation to step out of the house.
I pen all these thoughts down to see if it will motivate me to go out and exercise.
I am seeing that it is not helping as of now.

26th June 2012 - Cycling

The quirky weather robbed me of a run last week.
Resort to simple gym workout. That was all I did last week! =(

*****
It is really tough getting out of the house.
For most of my mornings this year, I have been waking up at 4am, had brekkie and plonked right back to bed.
Got to do something about the motivation department, I guess. =(

In recent days, some events has inspired me.
1) Rachel See's comment about her legs feeling sore everyday.
2) A recent blog entry by Vijch GK where he mentioned about IM Finishers being an inspiration to others.
3) David Goggins's interview where he live not to regret a day.

*****
Woke up at 3:30am and plonked back to bed after brekkie and reading the papers.
"Dun live to regret the day", the phrase kept ringing in my mind.
I decided that there is no more reason for me to 'nua' at home.
Prep and out of the house well before 5am.

The peloton (which turned out to be the front pack) caught up along Mandai Shell and I gave chase with 3 other riders.
I think my HR was in the 100% zone for a few minutes before my heart and legs decided to slow.

Reached Mandai Shell to find that the front pack has left.
Was surprised to see the peloton rolling in!
Wow, a huge group!
Decided to tag along with the Newbies.

With Daphne in the lead, Aik sweeping, we did a nice ride to LongHouse.
Stopover for coffee before proceeding home. =)

*****
Hehe, it is still very hard for ppl to accept that I have completed 226k. =D
When Daphne told the group that I did the IM, the guys were looking at each other.
"Aviva HIM?", Ivan commented.
"Western Australia", I replied.
"Oh, okay"
"How long is the swim? 2km?" "3.8km"
"Bike 100km?" "180km followed by a full marathon"
"Oh, wow"

17th June 2012 Mizuno Passion Mount Faber Run

13th June 2012 - 5km Run

14th June 2012 - 5km Run
15th June 2012 -  Too shag to run. =p
16th June 2012 - Back in office at 4am. How cool is life. =)

***

Arrived at race site nice and early.
Was surprised by the low turnout for the race.
No wonder the Mizuno Wave Duo is still available on Race Kit Collection. =p
But with so many races to choose from the race calendar, I am not surprised that athletes are being more selective. =)

The race start off well with the AETOS blocking off road lanes for the runners.
Rather than the messy co-ordination I experienced a few years ago, it was a lot more well managed this year.

When we hit Morse Road, the runners has already stretch out into manageable packs.
Everyone has lot of space to run.
Walk and run up Morse Road.
Simply running 50m meant overtaking 20+ runners. =)

I was reaching the peak of the hill when the the horrific memory came to mind.
((The last time I ran Mizuno Mount Faber Run, I had a cup of water which taste sweet.
There was a piece of consumed chewing gum in the cup!!! Eeeks!!!
If my memory din not fail me, they ran out of cups during that run and re-uses the cups!!!
At least that is what I gather after I saw a volunteer picking up the cups after the drink station.
For everyone's benefit, I crushed that cup so that it can no longer be re-used.))

First drink station at 3km.
Second drink station at 6km.
Distance is a bit too far apart for the drink station.
But after a disappointing water-only first drink station, we had 100-Plus as a reward for completing our climb. Lol.
Will there be a third drink station?
Turned out the third drink station is at 7km!
Given the tightness of the running route, we cannot really blame them.
There isn't much locations to set up drink stations.

Although we were stopped at all the major road junctions, no runners felt agitated.
We were out for a leisurely Sunday Morning Run. =)

Completed the run in 1:21 which surprised me. =)
This is my flat course 10km run timing. =)

12th June 2012 Cycling

Got out of the house at 5:09am.
Am really terrified of straight roads that I took the pavement to the next cross junction.

Gosh, the legs are really feeling the effect of Sunday's ride.
A Cannondale overtook me with ease.
I tried my best to keep him in my sights, but it was tough.

Reached Mandai Shell at 5:31am.
Was surprised to see BFG, Greg, Mike, Kenneth and Gerald rolling in.
The guys are planning to do Lorong Sensuai today.
I have no idea where it is, just that it is near the Bukit Timah Fire Station, home of the Cycling Group FS7.

Decided to drop back to inform the trailing JRs that some of us are going to do some hills training near the Fire Station. The hill climb is not on the agenda. ;)
Irregardless, a few riders still follow Mike before turning left towards Bukit Timah. ;p

I can feel the tension in Greg before the climb.
He was careful to set the correct gears before the climb.
I switched to the largest set of gears available and started climbing.
This looks a lot better than the Mount Faber slope, just longer.
I am ready to give up after 100m.
Is it true that the climb is 400m? It looks a lot shorter.
I persisted for another 200m before jumping off the bike.
The heart is ready to pop out from my mouth.
I will attempt to go all the way the next time round.

While the guys roll down the hill smoothly, I maintain a tight grip on my brakes.
The moment I loosen the grip on the brakes, I froze and jumped off the bike.
Took me a moment before I discovered how to roll off the slope again.
Just have to let go of the brakes initially and apply them once the bike start rolling.

This is for your entertainment. =)
I go down the slope slower than I can climb! >o<

Lorong Sesuai 0.4km 42m 5.2km/h
Bukit Batok 0.4km 53m 4.5km/h


The guys have to wait quite a while for me to reach the bottom.
Thanks, guys!
While BFG rode another 20+km home via Clementi, Mike, Greg, Kenneth and I took Bukit Timah, Mount Pleasant Road home. =)

Thanks for the ride, guys!

10th June 2012 Tri Factor Bike 60km

OMG! I cannot fit into the long sleeved jersey that I wore during IMWA!!!
The jersey that fit so nicely only 6 months ago. =(

Luckily the larger sized FOTR jersey still fits snugly.

***

With only 4 of us (BFG, Sam, Peter and me) taking part in the 60km Ride, our plan was to stick together for the first few loops.

When the horn sounds, the group were out in a flash.
Sam took the lead and waited for us to hook up.
I tried to, but there were 2 OCBC cyclists drafting him.
They hang on so tight that there were no way to shake them loose.

I could not hang on with the group which just keep on spinning faster and faster.
I am recording an average of 38kmh for the first 5km! Faintz...
At the U-turn, I can see that BFG and Peter are not too far behind.

I feel the hunger pangs at the 6km mark and quickly chomp down one gel.
Months of non-exercise and a bigger appetite meant that I get hungry easier. Just that I never realised that it would be that early!!!

At the 11km mark, BFG rode past and ask me to draft him.
The selfless leader rode in the lead for the remaining part of the race.

At the third U-turn, I was surprised when BFG slowed down tremendously.
Unclipping one shoe, then the next!
This happen at all the U-turns that eventually I just pull ahead before the U-turn to make the U-turn earlier.
The few times that I tried to take the lead, I am simply too slow. =(
I just cannot go beyond 31kmh.
BFG seems to have the speed programmed into his legs.
He just kept going at the same pace throughout.

We traded palce with Iaan a couple of times.
Gosh. The older they are the better they are!
Then I realised that BFG is much older than me and he doing all the hard work.
I really need to dig a hole and hide. =(

Was drafting BFG when something tell me to look left.
It was Adri running along CCR in striking blue top and shorts.
Dangerous Distraction. =D
Will shout out to her when we past her the next round.
Just that I forgot that she can do 2.5km in 12 mins or less while we need about 20 min to clear 12km. LOL! =D

At 30km, I am ready to call it a day.
Tired is me. No wonder I failed so badly at Kuantan Century Ride.
I just do not have the stamina. =(
1 month to go till CCM. Hope something happen soon.
I won't stress myself anymore, just see how things go.

By the 45km, I am feeling a tinge of regret.
The race is about to end soon.
I am having too much fun.
Can we go longer? =p
I plead with BFG to go ahead.
But he would not have any of it.
Had my 2nd gel and finish the bottle of electrolytes.
Once I am done, we picked up speed again.
Thanks, Dear Leader! =)

We finished the race on a high note.
Had a hearty brunch before procceding home. =)

***

Just realised that Kristen Koh is the 2009 Female Overall TRI-FACTOR Series Champion!
Gutsy gal!

***

Did a simple 1.6km run on 3rd June 2012
Did another 6km run on 5th June 2012. =)