Start of new training regime

I am revving to start the new regime tomorrow. The past few days had been a gradual warm up to the routine. Can sense that coach is slowly but surely pushing up the tempo. My mind is all excited, but my heart is worried to know if I can take the sudden surge: double century ride + 5km run tomorrow, 28km + 12km run on Friday AND Sunday. We will see how it will turn out by Sunday. Frankly, I think I will be all beaten up and bruised beyond recognition.

I dont foresee the ride to be an issue. It is what happens on Friday onwards that I am curious about. How is the body going to respond? How is the mind going to be like?

Swim today was alright - painful still (when is swimming never a pain, really?), but bearable. Did 2x400m, 4x200m, 6x100m and 10x50m. All sets were under 59s per 50m, while the 50m "sprints" were done under 53s, with about 1min breather in between - suppose to be 30s breathers only but I had to rest my hands or fail the swim totally? It is slowly getting better than last year. And I really think it would be a very slow improvement, sadly. A price I had to pay now for not doing more when I was swimming with the team when I was younger. And it is this same reason that I am now pushing my 2 girls to swim more now - or risk ending up like me with poor swim form.

Nonetheless, time to rest for the big ride tomorrow...

Wet Bike Session

Did another century ride in the evening today. But it did not go very well because my intended heart rates were not met. I had to be very cautious because of the wet roads. These few weeks it has been raining in the afternoon. First the swim on Monday, and now my bike session.

I did not have the choice as I did not want to risk any freak accidents with the wet roads. Once was enough, with the newly pathed road at Neo Tiew - I was cornering on my aerobars and the next thing I know, the wheels slid off the tarmac and I was sent crashing to the ground. Good thing was that there were not other vehicles behind me. I have to thank God for his protection over me then.

And with wet roads come poor stopping distance. I couldnt go faster because I know I cant stop fast as well. There were so many hurdles that it frustrated me but there was nothing I could do. I had the opportunity to hit higher speeds only towards the end, of about 15km and that was it. Sigh... Till another ride another day...

Races I want to do in my lifetime

When I started on triathlons, I thought completing the OD was enough. But as can be seen, I have ventured into ironman distance triathlons. The human spirit is not giving up yet. There are yet other races that I will want to do in the future. Not competitively, but to experience the physical and mental demands of these challenges, and best yet, to meet other athletes of the same mindset.

2 such races that come to my mind are:

1) Racing the Planet

The ultimate aim for this for myself is to complete the crossing of Antarctica. But in order to do this, I will have to complete 2 others of the remaining 3 crossings. So, if I were to do the 2 of the 3, I might as well do the 4th as well?

What is holding me back on this is my job -inability to take leave during the scheduled times - as well as it is not sanctioned by my wife. If I am financially able, I will quit my job and pursue my dreams and in the mean time, convince my wife that I will need her support in this chase.

2) The Norseman Triathlon

It is supposedly the world's hardest ironman distance triathlon. I suppose that since I might not be able to qualify for Kona Championships, as much as I would want to, I will like to try the next best thing - the Norseman.

So often we have heard, that it is only through the toughest situation, that the true character of the person emerges. I can say that I know myself very well. But all this while, are in the best of circumstance, besides those I faced during the tough times of sleep deprived days in army while I was much younger.

I enjoy the freedom to choose the path that few have gotten on. I enjoy the times that I race myself to the end. I enjoy the times I can push myself beyond the limits. All these times, I have no one to breathe over my back and not a care in the world how they look at me. In my mind, I know, that I have done things that not many can do in their lives. And I enjoy these moments as well as achievements.

Flexibility

No, I have not gotten myself into Yoga, nor Pilate's, although I know they would do me good to do these stretching exercises to prepare my muscles for the training sessions.

It was flexibility in terms of moving the training sessions around. The rain came in the mid afternoon and lasted till early evening. My coach had wanted me to do a swim and I did not want to do it too late in the evening because I already had my dinner by the time the rain had stopped. Which eventually means that I will not be able to get out of the pool in time for it to be closed for the day.

I wanted to call it a day. Well, it was due to rain right? That was the lazy bit of me speaking but the inner voice reminded me that I could do other routines. Swop with the not so intense sessions and see if the week's sessions will still be alright? Grudgingly I thought through and figured that I could do my Wednesday's run with today's swim. After all, the swim will not be that heavy for Thursday's session.

I recall the many times in the past before I started the training sessions with Craig, how often this had happened, that I would cancel my training sessions and end up with very little miles per week, how much I had suffered during races thereafter.

I have gotten smarter with training and all of it is due to my coach.

Left to do my 4 sets of 4km at 9pm and completed before 11pm.
1st 4km 24:07 5:57min/km
2nd 4km 23:55 5:55min/km
3rd 4km 23:07 5:41min/km
4th 4km 21:19 5:23min/km

It was suppose to be an increasing HR session with each lap of 4km. And it felt great doing them, all the way till the last 4km when I was suppose to hit 155. It was bearable but it still took a while to push the HR up to that level. I think it was the fatigue that had set in - my coach mentioned before that when the body is tired, it is difficult to raise the HR.

I suspect that the fatigue set in because I did not take in any gels at all. I had planned it that way because I know I carbed up a lot during dinner. Had my fluids with me and was hydrated, but not in terms of gels. Rolled my muscles over my favourite bottle as form of massage thereafter and looking forward to the session tomorrow.

Rest!

Was ordered to rest, after a week of "recovery" sessions. It was a good time with my family! When I was told to rest for the day, I sure was looking forward to it. Had planned to do so many things with the family but we were simply limited by the time.

This coming week's training is going to be quite an eye popper. If I live to tell my experience, the act of going through the sessions will be an achievement in itself. I have never seen such a programme before and I dont have much confidence going through them - then again, this is only my second IM preparation, I suppose this is quite common for other athletes?

I have 6 weeks to go before 2 weeks of absence due to reservist training. And thereafter will be only 2 weeks of training before tapering for Japan. I think coach wants to pump me up and strengthen whatever muscles need to be done during these 6 weeks so that my confidence can be boosted in time. I think the time has come for the real stuff and base training is history.

Honeymoon training is over. Here are the real toughies...

Jelly Fish!

The ride to Sentosa for a swim was pretty uneventful. 30km and 2 loops at Faber. Rode into Sentosa with Aristole. As for the loops, I start at Morse Road - I am chicken, I dare not take the other entrance. Heard it is worse pain. Another time maybe...

Anyway, whole bunch of ironman triathletes, hestitated while we watched Matt took the first plunge. All stood there and smiled gleefully, knowing too well that swim torture was coming up. 2/3s into the warm up lap, I felt stings across my foot. Then came pain under armpits. The next thing I knew, there was pain on the ear lope, small parts of the face and searing pain across forearm near my watch. And I knew this was no sea lice. It was just too big a patch at too many places. I cant imagine if I had not worn a tri suit and just a pair of swimming trunks!

I suspect that it was a school of jellies. So instead of stopping and return to shore, I went on ahead at a faster pace so that I can get out of the area faster. Matt was in pain on shore - the price the leader of the band had to pay. He had streaks across his face, his neck and part of his underarm too. He had headache and had to be sent to hospital. Well, I saw him in the hospital and I think he should be fine?

I continued on my training. It was suppose to be 120km after the swim, as coach had prescribed. Did 4 more times at Faber but the scorching heat at 1pm was unbearable. I was getting hit BIG time. By then, I had already covered 65km. BUT, if I include my morning 30km, that would be 95km! So I did a further 20km so that I can get myself off the sun and called it a day - well, it is quite CLOSE to 120km? I know. I cheated. But the sun took a huge toll on me. There will be plenty of opportunities for more. There will be another time.

A close shave, yet again..

Woes of training...

Today was a century ride. 10km warm up, 4 sets of 20km and short spins in between. Heading towards West Coast Highway. Yes, the traffic is heavy. Yes, there are loads of huge container trucks. But its the rush hour and it is unavoidable since I can only bike during that period after work.

Anyhow, the private bus nudged its nose out of its exit into the main lane, knowing well that I was already on the way. I was just 10m away! I swerved out to the right to avoid being clipped by his right. The best part was: after he caught up with me, he gestured some funny gesture. I was so pissed that I gave him a piece of my mind - yes, the universal language.

I will have to keep on riding safe. But sometimes, being safe is not within my control. It takes all road users to bear in mind the safety of others. I have become more mindful of cyclists now while driving more than ever, because I am now a cyclist myself. Perhaps, we should put all drivers on the roads on bikes, in order for them to truly appreciate what cyclists face. Perhaps, before drivers can obtain their license, they should cycle for 100hrs on the public roads first... Wishful thinking I suppose. But dont we all learn from experience? Ha ha...

Swim Training Incomplete!

Afternoon was a washout. If only there were some indoor pool to overcome this problem in the country. Considering that this is the tropics, maybe indoor pools will make some sense?

Anyhow, I had to shorten my swim because I had to be back home on time. In the end, I made

1) 400m warm up

2) 200m kicks

3) 500m at roughly 58s per 50m

This was like only half of what I was suppose to do! But like all triathletes always say, there will be another day. Act of God.

That said, this was a "recovery swim". For the past few days, my coach had been putting me on recovery exercises. The intense stuff had yet to restart because of the Sunday 70.3 race. And I think the rest is good though. I can still feel the strain in the pool. I really want to improve further.

It is strange what triathlon does to me? It just makes me more determined to do more and better? Somehow there is an invisible driving force that makes me yearn for more. I dont know why. Perhaps someday I will find out...

Cyclists in Singapore

I have wanted to pen this for a while. Now that my buddy, Matt, wrote a tribute to a fellow cyclist who just passed away due to an accident by a drunk driver, I feel compelled to voice my anger at the drivers out there.

This year, ever since I started on my training for ironman Japan, I have spent more hours on the roads per week - minimum of 250km and high of 320km - in Singapore.

I have 3 dependents, including 2 young girls turning 10 and 8 years old. My wife tells me that she worries all the time when I go out to ride. I also presume that she will rather that I leave her to ferry the kids/run the errands and I ride in the daytime on weekends, than risk me riding at night. I always tell her that I have 2 basic principles while I ride on the road:

1) I will never be faster than a vehicle at any traffic junctions and

2) I will remember that I am always on the losing end in an accident.

I ride safe as much as possible. Defensively even. I have been taught to ride outside the double yellow line so that it will force the drivers to give more allowance to us riders. I change my light batteries when they even show faint sign of power drain. I have 2 bright rear lights and 1 front one that blink furiously at night.

And because I spend so much time on the roads, I get to see more callous drivers on the road. Buses that zip pass me within 10 inches of my shoulder, drivers who intentionally come close behind and blasting their horn, cars that turn at the traffic junction with no regard for traffic going straight in the opposite direction, vehicles that exit without looking at oncoming traffic. These were really close shaves and I suppose with my 2 basic principles, they have kept me on the look out for errant drivers who do not regard the safety of other road users, like ourselves. Whether they underestimate the speed that we go, or totally cannot care less attitude, it still boils down to one outcome - destruction of property and worse, life. Life of a son, a father and a spouse.

Frankly, what do I attribute drivers reckless actions to? Is it because they really think their time is worth everything in the world and they deserve the usage of the road because they are in a hurry? Or perhaps, at the back of their heads, any accident with a motorcyclist or cyclist, the onus is on the unfortunate soul out there? After all, they are protected, snugged, in the shell of the vehicle.

I will attribute it to the lack of consideration for others that this selfish behaviour wrecks havoc in the society. Singapore has become an affluent society. So much so that the prosperity has gone too far ahead of social etiquette, for the latter to catch up.

How many times have Singaporeans gone to a developing country and commented that the country is filthy? That their residents spit everywhere? That the toilets are filthy? About the absence of toilet doors? And yet not seen the poor table manners of leaving their scraps of food on the table ("why clean up? we have the cleaners!") with their unreturned crockery? Speeding within the petrol kiosk and glaring at you because he had to slam on his brakes to avoid your car? Using the supermarket trolleys as their own to bring their groceries home and fail to return them - because it is just too far to do the return trip?

The list can go on. And I am pretty sure we all have our fair share of stories.

Singaporeans are use to "fines". And the moment the nanny state does not specify a "fine" for a socially unacceptable behaviour, it becomes a free for all world. There have been very "wise" debates about banning cyclists on the roads, because "we do not pay road tax". That there should be dedicated "cycling" lane. All with the good intention of solving the problem. BUT if all of us take a step back and look at the situation, all these problems can be resolved, IF the attitude of giving way is innate in our minds. There will not be a need for more rules any more. Social responsibility, civic mindedness will be the outcome of selfless mindsets. This will be the key to not just road safety, probably to progress of a more gracious society.

I am not just a cyclist and a triathlete. I am a driver too.

Night Run

This was a "recovery run". And just like last night's "recovery ride", it was not much of a relaxed 13km. My coach told me to do a relaxed 15km, but I shortened it as I started late, almost 2200. Reached home past 2300.

For the past few months, I have been running in the heat, 3-4pm onwards. On weekends at times, I run at 2pm after my bike. It has been a while since I did a night run. I have forgotten how cool it is to run at night till tonight. And I suppose this had a huge impact because it did not feel tiring. Which also explains why the "recovery run" did not take place?

I am still fine tuning my run. My coach told me to reduce my cadence to 85, do a longer stride by staying in the air for a longer time. He made it sound so easy. I am not Michael Jordan. How do I "stay in the air"? Anyway, I tried it. I suppose it turned out fine? Considering that I hit about 6.6km (or was it 6.8km I cant remember my biking distance, regardless anyway) in 39:28 before I made a uturn home and touched home in 40:34 for the return leg. Works out to be an average of 6:09/km - so my Polar software told me, 1:20:09 in all. It was a different feel tonight with the slower cadence. Heart rate averaged 142 and 145 for both halves. And it did not seem very strenuous on the lungs.

I was afraid my left knee would give me problems with the so called increase in stride, as it had been for the past month. It did complain slightly but nothing that warrants a stop. So that was a good thing.

The shoes, however, tonight I thought gave me problems. The left insole of my Nike Free 3.0 kept slipping out. But I again I have to say the shoes felt really light. It felt good running.

Tri with a Cause

When I started training for Ironman Western Australia, I wanted to do it with another meaning. Wanted to raise funds for some organisation. But I did not know how. Who do I go to? What am I suppose to do? This will be a new learning curve which I am willing to undertake.

But what held me back was this: if this gets into the ears of my employer, what are they going to think of it? That I am too free and able to train for an Ironman triathlon? That I have so much free time to do it? I did not want to have the tongues wagging and save myself some trouble. So I shelved the idea.

Now that Ironman Japan is looming in a few months time, I thought of how fortunate I am to be able bodied and compete in such a gruelling race, probably one of the toughest endurance races in the world, besides the ultra-ironman, and the deca-ironman, and God knows what else there are out there, I thought of raising funds for the needy students.

I have heard of students in my school, so needy till they had no pocket money for their meals, that they depended on their classmates charitable moments. So needy that at the age of 17 and 18, they had to gain employment as private tutors to primary school students, so that they can help to make ends meet, not just for themselves, but for their homes.

Frankly, I still do not know where to start. I have never done this before. Hopefully I will be able to find the time one of these days to start asking around before my next ironman comes along. Let me return to the society what I have received so far. And perhaps give a chance to the needy to feel love and appreciated by others who are more fortunate.

Speed Bike Session

Needed to work late. So instead of a 60km recovery ride in the evening, decided that I should go ride with the Eastern Night Riders - also known as ENR, a group in Triathlon Family Forum. Usually a 2 loop ride at Changi Coastal, distance of total 30km, fast and furious pace - well, at least to me. To some of them, it is a casual ride.

Last night, only a couple of familiar faces. Couple of them decided to do a run instead. And some still recovering at home. My hamstrings were achy but I suppose I can do some ride and not total rest. After all, my coach always says, spinning on the bike helps with recovery.

There were only 3 of us doing the loop at the start. Aristol, Mervyn and myself. Ok, these blokes are really fast and experienced chaps. I am the baby of the lot. I only joined them in early 2009. Back then, I was really struggling to stay with the pack during the sessions. Of late, I have managed to keep up with them and helped to pull the pack too. So I guess I have improved.

It was quite an adventure. The later pack overtook us because we stopped after a small incident at the end of the 1st loop. We started to give chase and caught up with them at the U turn half way through the 2nd loop. Thereafter we were all on par.

Maximum speed was 44kph and cruising about 37-40kph. On average, base on my speedo, I did 35kph for the full 30km. Well, just a tad slower than my previous ride with them - 36kph. In any case, enjoyed the company. As always it was a talking session while spinning back to the car park. Did not join them for supper because had dinner appointment with Colin, an old buddy I know very well from the Volvo forum.

Well, the hamstrings soreness had subsided by a lot after the 1st lap and today it seemed to be getting better. A few more days and I will be ready for greater intensity training - so said my coach.

Work & Tri

It might be a display of determination. It might even be lookout for a more athletic physique. It could also be a showcase of man-ism. But downright within me, being able to tri is about being in control of my own life.

To those who are not in the scene, will think that people who do the Ironman are people with muscles for brains. It is something that is physically demanding and does not require much thinking. I agree on the former, and will dispute the latter. I believe that doing the Ironman goes beyond training all the time? Blind training will only lead you a certain level of performance, well, think of how far the blind can lead the blind without familiarisation of the environment? Nutrition, equipment, knowing how much the body should be pushed at each discipline, they all contribute to the performance of a triathlete.

Think of it, how many times have we heard this, "I bonked at 100km of the ride", or "I got off the bike with jelly legs", "It should have been a 42km walkathon". I am no guru and no expert, therefore in no position to ridicule, if I were deemed to be doing so - after all, I have only done but one Ironman? What I am saying is, I have come to conclude that the whole endurance race is a science, and that every lesson we learn from our trainings and races, all need to be pieced together in a jig saw puzzle, to show its completeness.

Somehow, I have digressed from the objective of the post. So, again, why do I enjoy myself in this, now that I am probably half way through my life? Mid life crisis? Maybe. I guess one of the reason is because I am tired of the corporate rat race - although I believe I was never in one to start with. I dont think I am cut out for this. Why? My personality just doesnt permit me to suck up to people. My conscience pricks me so hard that I cannot bring myself to backstab or bad mouth others. However, the twist in life is this: it is these very people, who will move along fast in the ladder. I have concluded, that since I cant play the game, I will not get myself involved in it.

My MBA classmate was a GM in company before and he left his company because of his "principles". And he said,"In whatever backstabbing that you do, it will always come back to haunt you one of these days." Retribution? Perhaps. However, I like to think of it as "what goes around comes around". It is indeed a wise saying. Clichéd maybe, but nonetheless very wise.

What does this have to do with my liking tri so much? In my trainings, I find no need to please anybody. There is no boss to report to. There is no imposed deadline - fail and get fired. There is no performance bonus to fight for. Admittedly, some do get a kick out of such achievements, but it is not my cup of tea.

I find the isolation during trainings very peaceful. It gives me time to be away from the noise in life? Even being a couch potato does not move you away from the influx of media information and keeps your mind active constantly. Furthermore, how much I want to train is pre-determined by myself. The constant voice may be there to remind me: if you do not train, you may not complete the race. But I also have the choice: to hell with it, I shall take a break today! And there will not be any dramatic consequence in the choices that I make. At least, not in terms of life and death. It is probably a DNF or DNS at the very most? And that's about it. But in the job, "to hell with it" will be the last thing it can be muttered without creating a furore in the office.

Alright, probably I am just not cut out to be a corporate person. A simple man with simple wants. 3 square meals, ample savings till my deathbed, (if possible) a good education for my children, an enriched lifestyle for the family. How many times have we asked ourselves this question: what is the meaning of life? Is it about people pleasing, high income, massive house? Or is it about leading a life with meaning? What then defines "life with meaning"?

To each their own, "meaningful life". I choose not going against my conscience at work, happiness at home, a good health for long time to come. A simple lifestyle with rich experiences to pass down the generation.

AVIVA 70.3 21 March 2010

After having spent 1 week in Tokyo with no proper loading, no proper tapering, and LOADS of tiresome walking, today was 70.3 race. No doubt, it is not my A race. But it is still a race? Nope, not for Clearwater qualification, and definitely not for the podium. It is the sense of achievement that I am gunning for.

After having done AVIVA 70.3 and Desaru half ironman distance in 2009, somehow I got into the race with no butterflies in the stomach. Well, yes, I had LOADS of butterflies at IMWA, and kept asking myself why I was doing it? Not at this year's AVIVA. I think with no pressure on myself for a good time made it a more relaxed race.

Woke up at 5am to have a light brekky. Left for race site at about 6am. Had checked in the bike the day before and since the weather was cool, I did not release the air in the tyres. Tyres were fine. Did some final checks and all were fine. Did a short warm up swim and saw the pros start off. They were flying through! My my!

I swam a 43:56. Which I thought was nothing fantastic? I was hoping for a 40min swim and in fact, my buddy, Matt, said the same thing! Alright, I did not know the timing during the race so the disappointment only came in after I checked the results.

Bike was a stupendous 2:43:52! I did not expect to hit under 2:45? But I knew I was gaining new grounds during the ride itself. I was cruising 35-36kph for quite a fair bit of distance, some parts 40kph and downhills at 50+kph. Again I did not know my time until the race was over. My coach told me to get protection - not to draft - from groups who are of the same pace? So this was what I did. Everytime they went ahead, I picked up pace to stick with them. This is to maintain the motivation to keep the speed up. So the strategy worked real fine!

I got off the bike and my legs were not the usual running legs. And I knew I was off to not a good start. I tried to stick to my usual cadence and after a while I just stopped counting in my head because I was too tired to do so. The sun was scorching hot. But hey! I train in the heat so I should be able to sustain it? It did not turn out to be so, especially after a 90km bike? The body just does not function normally any more. At least, I was not running the way I was in 2009 AVIVA? So that must be a good sign. In the end, I clocked 2:16:16. It was a 3min improvement over last year but my bike was an almost 10min improvement and the swim was a 4min improvement.

The overall time of 5:49:53 was very satisfactory, despite it being 4min away from my target time. It is satisfactory by my standards. Perhaps not by others, but its not their race - it is mine! In my age group, I am ranked 92 out of 297, including the female athletes. Among the men, I am ranked 78 out of 254. Of the 397 Singaporeans who took part, I was number 54. Not sure if the numbers include those who did not start in the race though. It is a HUGE improvement over 2009. And I am not quite sure if I will be able to improve much significantly more? The plateau seems to be nearing now. I can only train, wait and see.

Lesson learnt from today? Bring a damn cloth to wipe feet at T1! This is probably one of the 1st few lessons a triathlete learns? But it sure took me a couple of races to sink this into my numb skull!

Alright, it is time to rest and relax now. Routine will start again in a day's time...

SAFRA Biathlon 2010 Update

Estimation was about right. Did a 31min swim and a 58min run. That means my silly transition was 2 min long because I timed my run to be 56min. Well, I suppose this is good? It only means I can improve next year! IF I reduce my transition as well as not get jostled to death at swim start.

I am wondering when I will reach a plateau in my timings. I suppose there is this much anybody can improve after a while? And to improve further will require training to be redefined. Perhaps, more intervals, more tempo runs, more fast sets of swim, etc. It is such a commitment to training and I suppose for age groupers like myself, it will mean more sacrifices to family time, rest time and all. I think I have already sacrificed much of my weekends training and anything more will result in a family breakdown. Despite an understanding wife and independent children, I am not about to let my children grow up without me seeing much of their growth.

Just when is enough, enough? For me? A long run and a long bike over the weekend is all I can do. Anything more will mean having Ironman training take over my life - and I do not think it is worth much. Yes, the achievement will mean something personal to me. BUT it will also mean it is a tunnel vision of selfishness. Nope, family will still have to be top priority, although right now it just does not seem so? I can only do my best.

Back from Tokyo

There are holidays and there are holidays. This trip was not quite my type of holiday. My wife, my kids and myself, basically made up our minds that this will be the last time we will do this.

Imagine, 2 days in Disneyland, 1 day in Disneysea. The 1st day, we spent 110 minutes waiting for Space Mountain ride and we thought it was crazy. On the 2nd day, Disneysea was REALLY crowded! The 3rd day at Disneysea, we spent 200min waiting for Splash Mountain ride! And in order not to waste time going back to the hotel, we hung around the theme parks and walked the whole time. We walked till the legs were aching. In the mornings, in order to avoid the crowd, so we had to force ourselves to wake up. So by the end of the 3 days with Disney, we were dead dead tired.

The only good thing was this: Fast Pass. Even then, there are limited number of rides per time slot. And for the popular rides, the Fast Pass runs out very very fast. And every Fast Pass we get, we will have to wait another 2 hours to get another Fast Pass for another ride. In the end, we managed 3 Fast Passes for 3 different rides. And because we did not want to queue for too many rides, we missed many good rides. And for those hitting Tokyo Disneyland, avoid Monsters Inc and Buzzlightyear rides if you are looking for thrills and spills. These are meant for young children, no matter how popular they seem.

Well, the kids had their share of Disney. They had fun, no doubt. And now they have some bragging rights about their experience there. But the idea of having to wait in the queue for 3 hours plus is just not my type of relaxing holiday. It just gets too tiring. In all my holidays, they have been fly-drive ones. My wife and myself just dont like to rush through. This is the main reason why we dont do packaged tours too. They may be cheaper, but hell, we get to dictate what we want to do!

Make no mistake. Tokyo is a nice city. The culture, the people, the service standards are great! But urban holidays are just not our cup of tea. Having been brought up in city Singapore, built up areas just do not appeal to my wife and myself. On the first day at Shinjuku, we found ourselves in Meiji Shrine, also known as the Yoyogi Park. It was a park with trees and much peace. And we liked it there! So we have all concurred, we are back to our type of holidays - rural sight seeing, architectural and historical visits are more meaningful to us, even our kids.

I will be heading to Japan again in June - but for a different reason - for my 2nd Ironman race. There is no leisure this time but I am assured of an even more tiring experience. But I sure am looking forward to it!

Brick Training

I will be leaving for Tokyo with family tonight. And coach gave me an appetizer before I leave.

Was tasked to bike 70km:

30km on small chain ring, cadence 105

10km on big chain ring, HR 130

3km spin at 105

10km on big chain ring HR 135

3km spin at 105

10km on big chain ring HR 140

spin 3km at 105

Everything went fine. But must say that the 1st 30km was really really slow. It was with a purpose, to loosen my legs from yesterday's biathlon and ready for the run after the bike.

Was tasked to run:

7km at HR 135 - 140

1km walk

7km at HR 140 - 150

1km walk

7km at HR 150 - 160

1km walk

Did the 1st 7km in 46:09, 2nd 7km in 43:28 and the last 7km in 39:59. The last 7km was sheer will power. Had to force my cadence to be maintained at 90, otherwise HR may drop. In fact, managed to hold 93 for 1st 4km but the last 3km was mind over body. So often, quit floated into my mind. Body was complaining but the grit said to go on.

Somehow, recently, "quitting" keeps coming into my head. Perhaps due to lack of rest and body is complaining? I do not know what the reason is. Next Sunday is AVIVA70.3. I am probably not ready to do a PB, but I can always try. It should still be better than last year's 70.3, but you never know...

In the mean time... IT IS A WELL DESERVED HOLIDAY! A treat for my wife and kids for being away so often on training for the past 8 months.

Training Equipment

Now, I am no guru in reviewing equipment. I can only comment on those that I tried and whether they worked for me. I think most of the triathletes will know this: a man's meat can be another's poison.
Swim gear
I have only tried Zoot ultra trisuit, Zoot tri shorts, 2XU tri top and Ironman trisuit. Of which, the last is the crappiest. It has absolutely no padding - I suppose the M Dot logo took most of the money? - so as to cut cost? I don't know. It is just a guess. Otherwise, all the rest works just the same. So no complaints.

As for goggles, I am using the VIEW - somehow sold in ARENA shops here - looks like diving mask but its great as it is not claustrophobic. Provides a lot of vision.

Running shoes

I have tried ASICS DS Trainer, Nimbus and Kayano. Both Nimbus and Kayano are heavy cushion shoe, so much so that they really weight a lot. As mentioned in another post, I attributed my MCL strain to the shoes, after having read about how unnatural thick cushion shoe is for running. Well, after so many years of research, the heel strike is now considered as passe and wrong way to run. Frankly, I am quite sceptical with all the research. But what the hell, I have no choice, but to go with the flow isn't it?

Ever since the injury, I have worn out 2 pairs of Newtons - one a racer, and the other the stability model. And wanting to play it safe, I retired them after 500km each. Now I am training on my 2nd pair of Newton stability and a new one is being kept in the store waiting to be used for my IMJ 2010. Somehow, I liked the Newtons very much. The midsole/forefoot strike keeps my cadence up and knee pain free. Having said that, I do keep my stride short, but a higher cadence. Short stride so that legs are not stretched out too far from my CG, while I suppose the higher cadence will keep the speed up?

I tried to squeeze in a few more km into my Newton racer but realised that it was a mistake? Somehow the cushion had hardened and I got some discomfort in my knees. Well, they are costly here but nothing is more costly than my knees. Perhaps it was all in the mind. But what if it were not? So I rather err than to have knee problems, from now on, I just stick to 500km retirement for all my shoes.

Anyway, I do average cadence of 88-90 per minute. I had done 100 before but that was really fast and not possible to sustain for too long a distance? With 88, my speed, as according to my Polar HRM, will be in the range of 9.7kph-10.3kph. With increase to 90 will keep me above 10kph quite regularly. At 100, I will be hitting sub 5min/km and average in a 10km run I did was about 5:15/km. If only I can sustain this cadence over 42km... Darn!

Recently, I included a pair of NIKE Free 3.0 in my shoe cabinet and absolutely love the "free" feel. They are so light and provides a bare foot running sensation. The cushion is so minimal that when I wore them for a 24km run, I returned home with my ankles feeling very very sore. I guess I need to let my legs get use to the less restricted feel and slowly increase the mileage with the Free. However, I do not think that the shoes will be able to sustain very high mileage. After having done less than 80km, wear is already starting to show. I predict that it will not go beyond 300km.

I have a pair of AVIA Lites too. Not exactly my favourite. The shoe is very stiff and does not flex very much. I am not sure whether they are suppose to be good in this way. My limited knowledge says that running shoes have to bend easily? Perhaps, somebody can enlighten me?

Bike

I ride a Cervelo Soloist carbon, 2009 model. Running MAVIC Aksium training wheels, and a pair of 2009 ZIPP 808s clinchersas race wheels. Overall, no problems with the bike. It has served me well. And with IMJ looming, I suppose a road bike will be better than a tri bike.

But in any case, I would love to change to a Cervelo P3C. It is not a matter that it is a "faster" bike, it is just a personal preference. Speaking of "fast" bike, I somehow have concocted that it is all plain rubbish. Age grouper participants are not pros. The wind dynamics on the bike seriously, I doubt has much impact on our timings. End of the day, it is the rider and the amount of training put into riding that powers the rider to T2. Also, the rider himself catches more wind than the bike!

I was in a bike shop and the owner asked me,"When are you getting a faster bike?" In my heart, I snorted at his question. As what one of my experienced biking buddy would say, "Just buy a bike with a colour you like, fits you, fits your budget, that would be sufficient. Nothing else really matters." And after having spent money on 2 previous bikes, I really buy into what he said.

I have given up on keeping weight of bike down? With 5 water bottles, 1.8kg ZIPPS or 1.9kg MAVICs, aluminium handlebar and aerobars, the bike is really heavy during my trainings. During races, the bike will go a tad lighter with fewer water bottles. So might as well...

Nepal December 2007

Went on a trekking journey to Annapurna Base Camp. Spent 2 weeks there. Had an upheaval at home because wife did not sanction the trip. Alright, it will be the last time I was ever going to do it. Although, I would love to try going up Mt Everest Base Camp...

It was an unforgettable experience I must say. The scenery was fantastic. But many times, I was just too tired to be taking them all in at the same time. While ascending to over 4000m, the air got thinner. Breathing was getting short. Steps got shorter and slower. I just cannot imagine if I had to ascend any higher than 4132m. What made matters worse was that I had a cough before the trip and I never recovered. At night, the throat kept me up - as well as my cousin who was my roommate. Poor chap had little rest too.

A scene that will stuck with me for a long time to come? This Nepalese boy lugged a gas tank on his back, probably on his way back home, did not take the beaten tracks, but bashed through the forest, walked the same distance if not more than what we did. He was no more than 15years old I believe. If you have seen them carrying their stuff, you will know that the items are held in a strap that is hinged on their forehead. Apparently, they use the strength of their necks to support the weight. Well, we had porters too - and the gas tank should be in the region of 25kg?


Another time, we were walking up this little hill. At the top of the hill was a home. As we ascend the hill, a group of children were returning home. A girl no older than 10 yrs old, carried a sack of rice - 10kg - up the same slope. We were panting as we moved up? She hardly broke into sweat.

I came back from the trip, having lost 8kg. Body was sagging because of muscle loss. Strangely, it was from then, I decided to stick to a training regime so that I can sustain the weight loss. And history reveals, I have been at it ever since. So I guess the upheaval at home was worth every cent? It lead me to a hyperactive lifestyle that kept me healthy. As my intelligent and sensible wife says, to the other extreme.

SAFRA Biathlon 2010

13 March 2010
2nd biathlon since I started on my tri journey. Made another mistake of going too near the ropes. Just what was going through my head? This is a newbie mistake. We all know that we have to avoid the ropes! Had to jostle and wait for space. Good thing after the turn, there was lots of space. Didnt manage to find anybody's feet to sit on, so had to journey on my own. I do not have the timings yet, but I do not think it is very good a swim for myself - probably a 32min?

Transition was not more 2 minutes I guess. The run was alright. Started with stomach cramps probably from too much gulping of sea water. Settled only after 3-4km. My coach Craig had told me to try to keep my heart rate down to 150. But it just would not go down. After the 1st loop of 5km, I picked up my cadence and started to go beyond 160 heart rate. Base on my watch, I did a 56:45 10km run. I suppose I could have gone faster if I had picked up my pace early, but hey, I am training for Ironman, this is not my A race this year. This will have to do?

I think I felt strong with the pace still. With proper carb, I should be able to sustain the pace for another 10km. So my guess is that I should be whipping a 2hr 10min run for AVIVA 70.3 next week - I hope?

Seriously, running has not been my strength. Then again, nothing that I am doing now were ever my strengths. Been active when I was in army, but never athletic with personal goals? Started tri in mid 2008. My journey has been almost 2 years. From a 10km run with 1h 10min timing to a sub 1hr; from a run hater to what I have done today, I believe it is good enough for myself. It is the desire to achieve more while I am still able, injury free, that is pushing myself beyond. The motivation is: YES I CAN - ha ha ha...

And frankly, secretly, getting a leaner body (compared to the past) that is more athletic looking is a bonus - kek kek.

Training for Ironman Japan 2010

While preparing for my Ironman Western Australia (IMWA), I already had set my eyes on Ironman Japan (IMJ) 2010. I had hesitated and had only wanted to register after IMWA because I wanted to find out what frame of mind I would be in after the 1st Iroman. It turned out to be a very good experience and the masochistic sense in me desired more pain.

The race is set to be on 13 June 2010. It has a cut off timing of 15hours. Compared to the rest of the IMs in the world, this is 2 hours shorter, except for Nice (France), which has a cut off of 16hours. This is going to be a big risk because if anything fouls up, I will be stuck with DNF (Did Not Finish) and it is something I will not want to be stigmatised with. A stigma not by labelled by others, but by myself.

To make matters worse, the bike leg has some formidable climbs. Even the run leg is rumoured to be not any easier. As such, I started my training on 9 January 2010, shortly after taking a break for 1month from IMWA's race. I have started hill trainings, both on the bike, as well as on the run. This time, I am making sure I am totally ready and race what I plan to do. Equipment will be checked and none of the incidents at IMWA should take place any more.

I am all psyched up to take on this new challenge. I have never trained on hills. And I started on them. I have never liked intervals. Yet, my coach, Craig "Fox" Holland, had me started on them. It has been a new journey, and frankly, I liked it. Not that I liked the pain, but the new training has put my fitness on a different level as compared to IMWA. I am feeling stronger and perhaps faster as compared to the 1st Ironman.

As I compared my initial training programme for IMWA and IMJ, the mileage I am hitting now is the mileage I was hitting at the end of IMWA. This is a good sign indeed! Having said that, I believe Craig is putting me on a programme that ensures I will not be injured in the long run.

It will be a dream come true if one day I will be qualify for a championship, be it the Clearwater 70.3 or Kona Ironman. But before that, I will have to ensure that I remain injury free, sustain the motivation, and as Craig said,"Continually chip off the timings." I am not a professional and have family and career to look after. It will take some time to be able to qualify for the championships. I am an eager beaver and yearn to see that day loom fast in the horizon. However, like I have learnt before in my Ironman preparation, I will learn to be patient.

This race, I will be on my own. My family will not be there to support me. In fact, there will not be many Singaporeans who will be travelling to this race. I will be alone with a small group of Ironman. It will not be easy but I will have to learn to live with it.

Well, Tri-4-Life. How apt! It is like a marriage vow, till death do us part.

Hotstuff Hot Event Issue 62 (May 2007)

VOLVO WARS

Think track racing and the likes of Exige, Carreras and 911s come to mind, with their immaculate cornering ability at insane speeds exceeding 150km/h. Not forgetting the highly modified Civics and Skylines, with their exhaust the size of an anti-tank weapon, sounding off their presence a mile away, as well as the air scoop that was ever ready to feed the huge snail-like forced induction piece of art. If not for the regulations by our local LTA and TP, the streets will be lighted by little 4-wheeled mobile discos as well.

Think ‘tow-kay’ (Hokkien for ‘businessmen’) cars and the stately images of the Mercs, Camrys and Volvos are envisioned. Tracking such cars is unthinkable and brings shock to any of the fervent die-hard trackkies. Picturing senior executives dashing through a 90 degree corner at break neck speed is synonymous to getting Gordon Ramsay to stop using the F-word.

Volvos have been around for a long time. Since 1927 to be exact. I remember them to be the huge straight-lined armoured vehicles that plough the streets of Singapore. Two decades ago, we saw models of 240s, 740s and gradually 940 and 960, before evolving to the current S40s, S60s and S80s. We recognised that this ‘tank’ ability made the cars very safe to the passengers in it, in the event of an accident, prior the advancement to Side-Impact Protection System (SIPS) and airbags.

On the bright and sunny 23^rd February 2008, the princely cars that exceed the legitimate weight limit of many of the multi-storey carparks in Singapore, took on the infamous Formua 1 tracks at Sepang. Aghast? Well, you are not alone! Who would have expected these 2-Exiges equivalent ‘tanks’ to go fast, let alone take on the many bends and straights? I am sure I overheard the mentors from Traction Circle Club (TCC) murmuring among themselves, “These tanks will damage the tarmac with their belt tracks! Perhaps we should ban them?...”

Of course, in the eventuality, 27 Volvos made it. The convoy up north in itself was a sight! Dancing and sashaying through the traffic of the North-South Highway was like an ice-skater cutting through the rink, with so much grace and daintiness that we forget the manliness of the rides. Perhaps, the on-looking drivers would have thought that the two countries were at war – with so many Singapore ‘tanks’!

Upon reaching the track, we were greeted by the boasting of straight-through exhaust rumbles, as well as the turbo boosts from induction cars, reminding us grimly that we are in the wrong place. But despite the ego badgering salute, we put on brave fronts, refuse to be defeated by the strange stares and murmurs accompanied by fingers pointing.

During the safety briefing, upon realising that it was not only the club’s first tracking experience, but also every driver’s virgin trip on the speed tarmac, the smiles on the safety officers’ faces slowly drained away, taking away the blood from their faces as well. In the whiteness and expressionless faces, we saw fear and heard the raging panic alarm bells ringing in their heads, and simultaneously, flipping the imaginary safety code manual and frantically trying to remember each and every procedure in times of emergency.

The drivers all had but 1 lesson learnt – that there are so many tricks that there is no way we can process all of it while driving. Following the mentor’s line during the orientation leg was by far easier than we thought. But the moment we were left to fend for ourselves, the line disappeared and fighting each turn with the wheel was a mind-blowing experience. While the track screamed ‘SLOW DOWN!’, the cars were still hurtling through the bend and the eventuality of beaching the car on the pebble strewn run-offs became inevitable. The hurt ego screamed through the helmets and shouted at the whole world: ‘WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!’ Sheepishly, engaging the first gear and the car was out of the beach and on emerged on the runway again. All forgotten, till the next landing.

All in all, the tracking experience was a refreshing experience for all of us. And we understood the need to allow fast cars in the safe realm of the track – to keep the speed demons away from the streets and keep the other road users safe.

The Volvo enthusiasts club has gone against all odds, defied all common sense and logic, and completed the 3 hour track session at Sepang, emerging victorious and able to heave a sigh of relief. With this, we bring bad news to the track fanatics: Volvos will be back!

And to all who drive stately cars, we have the message for you: If Volvos can track, so can you!

Torque Feature July 2007

Asia Pacific Rally Championship: Rally of Canberra, 31 May – 02 June 2007

The small red dot has been placed in the world map for many reasons. From an influential economic island to the multiple holder of several Guinness Book of World Records, from life-science hub to education-hopeful hub. It is no less surprising then that the country has been represented in the Motor Sports scene.

Introduced by Motor Image Group, the Subaru distributor in Singapore and 7 other key Asian markets, the company built 2 Group N cars, namely the Impreza WRX STi, to compete in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

The APRC is held at 7 locations: France, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, running from April till November 2007. Motor Image has sent 2 teams, comprising of driver Cody Crocker and his co-driver Ben Atkinson, both from New Zealand, and, Rifat Sungkar and Herkusuma, both from Indonesia.

Co-driver Motor Image Team Ben Atkinson

Ben started out as a driver for a few years during his early teenage years. But moved on to allow his older brother to take over the driving and himself continued by being his co-driver. He turned professional in 2001 and is currently 29 years old. He has been working with Cody Crocker since 2006.

Driver Motor Image Team Cody Crocker

The Australian professional driver started on his first rally in the year 1989 and is now 35 years old. The winner of Australian Rally Champion from 2003 to 2005, APRC in 2006 and numerous other titles, stretching as far back as 1994, started driving as young as 12 years old around his parents’ property.

Proficient as he is, he constantly checks himself to remain humble. After all, arrogance and confidence in racing is a fine dividing line (can’t say there is a ‘line’ in Singapore context; to Men in White, it is just ‘fine’). A piece of friendly advice to drivers out there, young and old, experience or not, be it rally or simple road driving, never allow yourself get over the idea that you are always in charge. Your skills are worthless without a trusted machine. All it takes is a nut falling out of place, a rock digging into the tyre and tearing it whilst you make a simple turn, will be enough to get you ‘wrapped around a tree’ (a phenomenon that results from high speed and low control impact with a firm tree trunk)

Rally Drivers Wannabes, Hear This Out!

Many of the STI tuned WRX drivers or drifting Skylines out there may not agree with me, but the induction sound from open-pod kits, rumblings from performance mufflers, chuffing blow-off valves, tyres-screeching, dust-generating skills on tarmac may not be sufficient to bring you on off-road courses.

The dirt road, mud or gravel, will pit your skills to the test, so much so that any form of arrogance will send you off the course, into the ravine or dangling from the top of the tree. Liken this imagery to the face off between Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson (now, now, admit it; you have seen the movie Cars multiple times).

Thinking of becoming a professional rally driver? If you are reading this article, forget it. Leave it to your next generation to do it for you. It just is too late! And instead, save the money for your child to burn… oops, I meant to learn. You should in the mean time, drive around the island slowly to avoid the Men In White.

Experience Counts

Yes, corners ought to be rushed through whenever possible. Yes, the rush is undeniable when the car jumps 5 metres off the crest and lands 20 metres down the trough. Yes, time is the factor in the race. All these added up, determines whether you a position ahead or not.

To this, the Australian driver advises: you may gain time if the corner was taken right with the extra haste. But, the consequences of miscalculated handling will be a very dear price to pay. It must not be forgotten that the terrain is changing all the time. Perhaps, with rain and the multiple cars going through the same route, certain sections form mud pools – the aquaplaning of the tyre may not be suited for the same speed as per dry. Or perhaps, more pebbles were strewn in the way of a normally clean section, making the drive rougher and drifting harder to steer.

In the end, it may just pay off to be safe than sorry. Slow down in critical areas and make up in other more familiar ones. Like in all sports, it is all about learning from experiences. What you would have done five years ago does not mean it will be done now, as you could have become wiser.

Rally Experience/Media Shakedown

Of course, no media coverage of the event is complete without the actual experience. The media shakedown encompassed a trip down the dirt path, with the lean, mean machines, going at break neck speeds, through troughs, crests and tight corners. It is only through this experience in Australia that I truly appreciated the backfires from the mufflers, the insanely loud roar of the 250 brake horse powered engines, and the screeching of the sports ceramic braking system that sounds off even with the slightest of depression of the brake pedal.

The acceleration to 160km/h was within a few seconds during the start of the journey. Some corners were taken in at 140km/h. And all these while, my body hardly shifted in the snuggle of the bucket seat. And together with the 4 point safety harness, I was held tightly against the backrest. Only allowing my head, connected by my frail neck, to bounce and toss like a doll in the 1 min 40 seconds of adrenaline rush, heart thumping experience of a life time. (I wanted to add in hair raising, but I remembered that they were all contained in the brain squishing instrument, otherwise also known as the safety helmet.)

Occasionally, I see the accredited media cameramen taking a shot of the journey. During those times, I feebly attempted to remain cool and composed, as well as flicker a weak smile to break through my plastered mask of the face. Although I get the inkling feeling that my picture will not be shown, it sure was well worth the effort to think that my picture may be circulated in print somewhere out there. A lame shot at temporal fame, I figured, but at the least I tried to look my best.

Pace Notes

In essence, pace notes serves as a means of communication between the co-driver and the driver. The role of the co-driver is to inform the driver what is to be next expected. The driver ensures that he gets through the corners at the shortest possible time and yet with the safest execution. The relationship between the co-driver and driver is likened to husband and wife – binding, trusting and with constant communication.

Reconnaissance or ‘recce’ is done two days prior the race. Only two reconnaissances are allowed for each stage. The first one travelling at a steady speed of perhaps 80km/h on the average to facilitate the taking down of pace notes while the second round will be at a higher speed so as to tidy up the pace notes. Thus, competitors who have gone through the routes in previous competitions would have the added advantage as the reconnaissance will serve as ‘fine-tuning’ of pace notes.

The driver will call out the details while the co-driver takes down in the book. For every turn, there is a dial on the dashboard where he can note the amount of turn required. Distances are measured via a meter but not necessarily followed during the competition. It will have to be estimated by the driver because the change in corners and terrain is too fast for his eyes to roam around. Seriously, hurtling down slope at 160km/h with an immediate u-turn ahead, will not allow the driver to lose his concentration, otherwise, there will be no fairy tale conclusion!

The pace notes also serve as a visualisation of what action is to be taken – whether there is enough distance to go flat out or keep the vehicle at low gear because caution is needed, lest they risk nicking a boulder that could send them turn turtle several hundred meters down a slope.

Pace notes are written in short hand but large handwritings to facilitate easy identification of the words in the midst of the head bobbing journey down the stages. In addition, they are also written in such that a page covers one kilometre worth of details. Different drivers will have different ways of noting the details and just the same, different co-drivers will have different ways to write the pace notes. Thus, it will be virtually impossible to attempt to find similar pace notes, as well as a standard.

Preparations for the route do not end here. Video footages of the journey are studied in detail after the reconnaissance, so as to have a summary of the crucial areas of a stage. In this way, it gives the drivers a better visualisation of the route. It is also possible to name a crucial point after a mistake committed by other drivers so as to serve as a reminder to take precaution and not to commit similar blunders. Having said this, such summaries are seldom taken seriously by many competitors. Perhaps, this is what sets apart the winners from the subsequent positions.

An example taken off the shakedown: 50 7R 120 9L 80 9LR

This means 50 metres away there is a crest, take a 7 right, drive 120 metres (which means flat out since the distance is quite long), followed by 9 left, 80 metres on, there is another crest, 9 left through right. ‘Through’ in this case means for a distance of about 30 metres.

There are other symbols to denote ‘caution’ and sometimes to even stress ‘slow’, it is written down in short form or symbolically too. Underlining a few details at the same time serves as a reminder to call them out loud.

The works of writing pace notes is a non conforming and non standard art, which is the very reason as mentioned earlier, not only varies between co-drivers, but also is the means of how efficient communication is made between driver and co-driver. This dependence on each other makes the sport become a team game and not solely based on the skills of the driver.

Results of third leg of APRC, Rally of Canberra:

First	Cody Crocker	Subaru
Second	Katsuhiku Taguchi	Mitubishi
Third	Jussi Valimaki	Mitubishi
Fourth	Rifat Sungkar	Subaru
Fifth	V R Baren Jumar	Mitsubishi
Sixth	Brian Green	Misubishi