Tick Tock Tick Tock...

Met my wife's gynaecologist at Borders in the afternoon today. My older girl was in the queue waiting for her turn to pay for the books both of us bought. The lady doctor looked her usual self 10 years ago. Nothing much had changed. But it has been 10 years since she delivered my older girl and 8 years since my younger one.


I could still remember the day we had to induce Nicole out of the warm grasp of the womb. She was getting too big and the doc said it would be advisable for her to come out. Induced at 5pm. Waited till the next day 5pm because the dilation was just too little and would not go any more. In the end, it was a Cesarean delivery.


Yes, it has been 10 years since I saw Nicole as a tiny baby, all wrinkled up. You know, new borns are not exactly the most pleasant of things to look at. Those pictures that you see, they have been cleaned up thoroughly before the photographs are being taken. The first thing that came to my mind was: oh my, what an ugly baby! Since then, I have learnt.


Time really passed so fast. From learning to crawl, progressing to walk and run. Now she is a pompous, grumpy primary 4 kid, who showed her emotions freely, with no regard. Alright, this is an exaggeration. She is quite cheerful and considerate. Just need to be taught a few manners here and there. Needless to say, my wife and myself are 10 years older since then. But still as happy and optimistic as ever. We havent really changed much, besides the haywire physical bodies and my much simmered down temper.

***

Brought my disc wheel out for a 120km ride. Whatever that people had mentioned, about it taking harder to take off, it is true. The acceleration is slow. But the moment you whisk it up to speed, it just goes on. However, I do think there is a certain terminal velocity achieved. Not really sure, maybe it is just my feeble and untrained legs that is the cause?


Somehow, after 50km, my legs started to feel fatigue. I think it is because of the 12-23 cassette I have put in. Silly me. I should have just gone for the usual 12-25 which I have been using for my training wheels as well as my 808s. I think it will be good though to continue training on the 23T? So that I will be able to strengthen my legs further. Will be getting the 11-23 for my training wheels. Hopefully there will be sufficient time over the next 3 months to get my legs into action for WA.


Didnt like the attention the disc wheel was getting me. Cyclists were turning their heads and looking. Yup, I passed couple of groups and they didnt want to try to race me - thank goodness! And I did not have to live up to the expectations of disc wheels. At the Keppel Flyover, I was cruising at over 42kph at some stretches. It was simply awesome!


But of course, my run was affected because of the gear change. Partly because of the hot weather as well. Running from 1030 to 1200 was not exactly the best thing to do? The 16km was split into 3km and 13km. First 3km I was doing 5:58 pace, while the 13 was a 5:57 pace. However, the HR was really shooting up towards the end of the run. Even right from the start, I was suppose to start low but HR was going beyond the planned session. Had to slow down so as not to go over by too much. I had to douse myself with so much water that my shoes were wet. Visited the kiosks 3 times to top up my empty fuel bottles, both for cooling myself and for drinking. Weather was HOT HOT HOT!

Oops... I did it again...

Yup, I spent money. Yet again... Bought a ZIPP disc clincher 900 and with a 12-23 cassette. It should be last piece of equipment I will be getting for the bike. It is with the hope that with this little aid, I can go slightly faster in the ironman at the end of the year.

It is not a new piece, but lightly used. In any case, I dont think many people will ride the disc wheel on a regular basis? It is probably too much risk to be put out there for training purposes? Am preparing to try it out on Saturday morning on a 120km ride. Will see how it feels out there and hopefully, it will push the speed up a notch, with less energy sapped from my legs on the run. Will be doing a 16km thereafter on Saturday as well. Cross my fingers...

Did some basic research earlier and had found that there is another alternative to the disc - wheel covers. But realised that it was too much of a hassle because it will include removing the cassette at everytime the covers are installed or removed. Also, it is advised against using the covers for training purposes. It is a very much cheaper alternative I must say? But weighing the fact that I will be doing a few more times of IMWA, I thought I might as well own it instead.

Now that I have gotten whatever that I can get my hands on on instruments of speed, it is back to basics. Train, train and train.

***

Completed 3 sets of 3km at night. I am really working on overdrive at work. Because of the project I am heading, I have to put in more hours. But it is all coming to an end soon. I cant wait to get my life back. With increasing HR, eased in the pace at every set, with average pace of 6:23, 6:02 and 5:34 with a last km warm down. Not exactly considered as fast intervals because the HR were IM pace, I think?

Losing my swim session tomorrow because of work. Oh well, such is life.

Endurance Training

Ironman training has been about taking bits of trainnig everyday. For me, occasionally I have a day off in a week. The bite size form of training provides me with the ability to recover in time for another session the next day and the next and the next. Coach does not believe in trashing the body at every session. And I think it makes perfect sense. Ironman triathlon is about endurance, to last the full race and not breaking down at any one leg.


Somehow, I draw this as a parallel to many aspects in life. My children gets by with just doing their school homework. I am only too glad that I need not push them to sit down to complete their assignments. They will do them themselves and finish them in time to be submitted to their teachers. However, as we all know that in Singapore, primary school students dont just get by with doing the minimal. In order to be ranked higher in the percentile, they have to work on extra assignments. So my kids have their fair share of assignments but have not been too overzealous. Partly the parents fault, because we would want them to have a more fulfilling life in play as well.


Last night, they got another "gentle" reminder that they need to follow through with their assessment book. And today, my older girl did just that. But in her enthusiasm, she got herself really tired out by the end of the day. I noticed that this has been a prevalent situation. Everytime I serve a "gentle" notice, she goes full steam ahead for a couple of days. Thereafter, the fire in her just died and all faded away again.


Some students also prefer to work last minute for the examinations. But I do find that after the examinations, there is a tendency that they will forget quite a fair bit of what they have learnt, which no doubt will return thereafter with a bit of revision. Still, it takes time and effort to relook the content again.


However, if my kids and students were to perhaps follow the ironman training, of taking in things in bite size, perhaps they might be able to last longer with their assessments, as well as channel more of the knowledge into long term memory? Over time, perhaps there can be some improvement in their grades as well as discipline? Perhaps, this strategy could be useful, not just in ironman training, nor just studying skills, but work as well. There is a limit anybody can do in a day, no matter how much we push ourselves. But when the body shuts down, the mind stops being alert, productivity will diminish. Law of diminishing returns applies, I am sure.

***

On Tuesday, I did my swim at Ang Mo Kio pool. TPY is closed for YOG, Bishan is overcrowded. AMK is cool. Small and quiet and empty. Found a treasure in the heartlands.


Did my normal warm up of 400m and 400m kicks and proceeded to the main sets of 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m and 50m. Followed by appetiser of 10x50m with 10push ups at every 50m. Pulling myself out of the pool after the main set, and jumping back for the next lap was really tiring. But it sure breaks the monotony of lapping. Today, my chest is aching from the 100 push ups done...


Yesterday, I did a leisure 8km run early in the evening. Didnt push too hard and ran at an average of 5:36/km. I had another bike session later that night on the trainer. Yes, while watching Glee (again) and bits of the crap Wipeout game show. 1.5hours on the saddle. Yes, a simple double session. Still sufficient time for me to recover for my 3km intervals later in the evening...


Bite size...