Sleep

These few weeks has been pretty bad.
I probably sleep only 3-4 hours a day.
Have not been able to sleep much.
At times, I do feel tired, but the mind just refuses to rest.

The throat infection is threaten to make a comeback, but this time around I am more prepared .
Lozenges and Listerine help plenty, but the throat still feels uncomfortable.

R advises that it is probably due to lack of sleep and antioxidants.
Hmm, I think I will have to agree with her.
Okay, better catch more sleep and eat more fruits.
Hopefully I feel much better this Saturday.

Hope to do a run tomorrow after rain cancelled my run this morning.

No Need for Speed

extracted from John Bingham

I AM A RUNNER because my runs have names. I do tempo runs and threshold runs and fartlek runs. I do long, slow runs and track workouts. My runs are defined, even if my abs are not.

I AM A RUNNER because my shoes are training equipment, not a fashion statement. The best shoe for me is the one that makes me a better runner. I choose the shoe that goes with my running mechanics, not my running outfit.

I AM A RUNNER because I don't have running outfits. I have technical shirts and shorts and socks. I have apparel that enhances the experience of running by allowing me to run comfortably. I can say "Coolmax" and "Gore-Tex" in the same sentence and know which does what.

I AM A RUNNER because I know what effort feels like, and I embrace it. I know when I'm pushing the limits of my comfort and why I'm doing it. I know that heavy breathing and an accelerated heart rate--things I once avoided--are necessary if I want to be a better runner.

I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I've done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won't have to scream in pain later on.

I AM A RUNNER because I am willing to lay it all on the line. I know that every finish line has the potential to lift my spirits to new highs or devastate me, yet I line up anyway.

I AM A RUNNER because I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them.

I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.

I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.

Waddle on, friends.

New Balance Real Run Official Results

I am placed 2343 out of 2441 Men's Open Finishers.
That places me among the last 4% of the runners to complete the race.

Chip Time : 02:05:30 hours
Gun Start : 02:09:46 hours

New Balance Real Run 2007

Picked up Roonz at 5.45am and we proceed to Changi Exhibition Center (CEC).
Had planned to reach there within half an hour but somehow the actual journey took almost an hour.
While driving from Tanah Merah Flyover to CEC, we were surprised how long this stretch of road is.
I really take my hats off to those Demoralising Run runners.
Even the distance from the 15km U-turn point to the entrance to CEC looks pretty far and boring.
Turning right off the main road , I finally got the chance to see the never ending stretch of asphalt leading up to CEC.
It is a good 2 km stretch of road flanked by bare patches of land.
This road is going to be a mental challenge for us on the return leg.

Met up with AerosolCan, Sotong and Asturias105.
Got the SportsBean from AerosolCan. Thanks, bro!!!

Started the race armed to the teeth.
Visor, shades, Phiten, waist pouch, SportsBean, phone cum MP3 player, race belt, knee guard and Road ID.
Boy, I think I am damn kiasu and a bit too flashy.

While we proceed to the start line, I notice a few more familiar faces.
Gugugaga, ST, EdwinChiam, IpSum2.4l (dormant SGRunner and ex-army mate), Alan(ex-colleague). Quite surprised to see them among the huge crowd.

The gun goes off and we crossed the mat a good 3 minutes later.
Do not know what happen after that, cos I literally lost all the guys.
Manage to catch up with ST and we ran together for most of the next 5km.
Luckily for ST's company, the never-ending 2km stretch to the main road is a lot more bearable.
Did a comfortable sub-7 min/km pace. Think the 11km run on Thursday helps a lot. =)

Took a pee-break at 5km and never got the chance to catch up with ST anymore.
At this time, things were still looking good and I thought that I might have a chance to better my 1:17 10km timing.
Turnaround at 6km and things start to fall apart.
The heat is starting to get the better of me.
I guess my usual runs are usually in the early morning, thus I am not acclimatised to the hot weather.
Started listening to my MP3. The music help for a while. But I am feeling really bad. I decided to walk to the next water point.
Whilst run-walk to the water point, I recall that I had SportsBean in the waist pouch! (how could I have forgotten!!!) and quickly pop 2 into my mouth.
I knew the effect would not be immediate. So just eat and enjoy the taste.
Hmm, tasted like ordinary candy, but I guess it is the high sugar content that makes the difference? Okay okay, SportsBean tells me that it has carbs, electrolytes and vitamins too. =)

Took 2 full cups of 100 plus at the water station and feel much better liao.

Keep popping SportsBean along the way and before I knew it, I had reached the trail.

I kissed my best 10km timing good-bye.
Well, it wasn't all that bad.
Today I have pee-breaks and water breaks, while Thursday was pure running.
Anyway, my watch tells me that my 10km timing is 1:18:57. It is still a good half-minute pace faster than my last official timing @ Saucony Passion Run. =)

The trail is merely a park connector running path which leads to the sand.
At the sand, I tried running at the top side of the beach which is fairly flat, but gave up after a while.
The chances of twisting my ankles is pretty high for me.
Resort to walking the entire stretch.
Once out of the sand, the next challenge is the 2km home run.

This stretch is where we are running eastwards as you can see from the map.
The sun is right in front of you.
Without my shades on, the route ahead looks like a mirage.
Pulled my visor really low. Nice.....shielded my eyes totally from the sun.

Had wanted to run to the finish after the last water point, but found the going is tough.
The stretch just never seems to end.
Caught up with Alan and urge him to run the final stretch together.
He is totally beaten up by the sun, thus I decided to push myself through the last 400m.

Recalling what happened at NIE Biathlon, where I slacked too much during the run, I promised myself that I would do my best for these last 400m.
With some healthy competition from a guy who has been with me for most of the last 2km, I went on to finish the distance with the timing board showing 2:09:xx
Felt very satisfied with my run. =)
After draining 2 can of 100 plus, I proceeded to the air-conditioned CEC.

Exchange my championchip for my goodie bag. Wow, no queue.

Proceed to met the SGRunners and got to meet a few of them for the first time in person.
Stayed for the lucky draw but wasn't lucky enough to win any prizes. =p

Great organisation for the race with adequate water points, no queues at the either the goodie bag collection or baggage collection points.
They are thoughtful enough to set up a water point 1km from the finishing line, in the middle of the 2km home run stretch.

Will probably be back next year if it is being held in the same venue. =)

Cannot get enough of Kona

Watched the Kona video with Stella.
Very surprised that Stella loves it.
She is hardly the type that can sit still when watching a video.
But while I was playing the part where Chrisse Wellington is 3 miles from the finishing line, she watch without making any sound or movement.
Prefectly still. Amazing for a one-year-old.

Things you notice about Chrisse.
She has that smile on her face for most of the run which is something that the commentators are not accustomed to.
She grabbed a British flag 2 miles from the finish, cos she is afraid there won't be any Brits near the finishing line.
Her tri top is bought 2 weeks before the race out from her own pocket.
She is wearing a tri bottom that none of the commentators can made out the brand.
They weren't even sure if she is wearing a tri-bottom or running shorts.
She is wearing training shoes to run.
She is not wearing a visor, which is uncommon in for IM Kona.
Her outfit looks so old school that the commentator can't help passing a comment about it.
To them, she looks like a normal triathlete, not a pro athlete.
Basically she is does not have any sponsorship at all except for TBB.
But I guess all that is about to change.

First thing, I guess will be her bike. She is using a Cervelo P2C. The reason that TBB gives is that they feel that the bike is right for her... What bull..... I rather they dun reponse , than lie about it. We shall see if she get a P3C next year.
She will probably be plastered with logos on her tri apparels next year.
She will be the one everyone wants to beat come Kona 2008.

Kona 2007 Bike Count

Top 10 Bikes

1. Cervelo 344
T2. Kuota 128
T2. Trek 128
4. Scott 89
5. Cannondale 75
6. Orbea 71
T7. Felt 66
T7. Kestrel 66
T9. Specialized 61
T9. Litespeed 61

From more statistics, here is the link.

Cervelo's next year target is to have more bikes at Kona than the combined total of the 2nd to 4th place bike manufacturers.

Weekend is finally HERE!!!

Wow, have not had such hectic work schedules for quite a while.

I am letting the cat out of the bag now. My company has been acquired in February 2007.
We are going through all sorts of migrations right now.
Once in a while, I was asked stuff that I do not even hear about.
Sometimes I feel that I am getting very hostile.
Especially when you are spending long hours doing migration, user support, conference calls etc.
And some requests are like "I need this done last week".
(Bloody hell, it has been a long time since I last heard this sentence.)

These few days, all my postings and forum surfing are during user support where I have to wait for PC to reboot, iPAQs to get hard reset etc.
At night, I eat my dinner and blog while I attend conference calls.
By the time I finish my conference calls, my kids are already going to bed.

I guess that explains why I am still having these shoulder and neck aches.
Thanks, Lao Po for getting me the Tiger Balm Neck and Shoulder Rub. It really works!!!
(Have to apply regularly though, cos the effect will wear off)
I probably could not sleep these 2 weeks as my mind is too active?
The only danger is that I feel like sleeping when i run.
When I stop at traffic lights, I am so afraid that I might just doze off there and then.

Hopefully the coming weeks will be much better.
And my colleagues better get into the culture of following the process, rather than "Why should we do this and why should we do that? We got you...."

Rojak - Upsized!

Woke up at 4.30am.
Felt very tired, cos I slept very late last night.
Laze about the house, but finally pick up those lazy bones and went for a run.

The first km is the most interesting.
First time ever, that I felt like sleeping during a run.
Can feel my eyes closing while I run.
I fear I might just stop and sleep right there by the roadside.

I decide to break the monotony of running the Yishun Ring Road Route.
Thus I make a left turn into Chong Pang.
From then on, it is just running without a fixed target location.
I run in whichever direction I feel like.
It took me to Sembawang Road, of which I did most of the running on the road.
Must say that it feels quite shiok doing sightseeing while running.
Did not bring along my Ez-Link card, else I would have run to Admirality or Woodlands and take a train home.
Now I can understand why Taz like to bring along an Ez-Link card and just run.
I will like to do that sometime.
Maybe one of these days, I may be able to run all the way to Choa Chu Kang, Loyang, Raffles Place etc. :)

As I run along Sembawang Ave towards Simpang Kiri Park Connector, I took a look at the time and realise that I would not make it to work on time if I ran all the way to Sembawang Beach.
Took a shortcut by running through the new path to Simpang Kiri Park Connector.

Around 8km, I felt my lips getting very dry. Decided to make a pit stop @ Taste of Thailand coffeeshop before I continue on my way.
9km gone and I realise that I am not perspiring anymore.
I recall that it could be dangerous as the body core would probably start heating up.
Now I am torn between the decision of walking home or continue running.

Decide to do another pit stop @ Yishun MRT.
Now I am definitely regret not bringing my Ez-Link card.
I could have easily ask for someone for a dollar and take the train home , but somehow I did not do so.
Was glad that I make it home safely. Phew...

I am glad that I have completed my 2nd lone >10km Run.

Shaved a few minutes off my official 10km timing. Really hope I can keep it that way. :)

Stupid or Lazy?

Up to my neck with work due to server migration.

But what I do not expect is how un-cooperative my colleagues are.

An email was send last Friday detailing step by step what to do after the server migration.
They complained that it is too "chim" to understand.
I wrote a summary highlighting the important points and send it to them.
Come post migration, they will call me from their desk to help them.
They treat me as if I am a coffee boy.

Just imagine I have to do the migration for 70% of the colleagues.
Thus I ask some of them why they did not do the migration themselves.
Their answer? We got you mah, why do we need to do it ourselves?
Win already lor!!!

There were other emails sent detailing what needs to be done for other issues.

Some of the emails goes like that.

If you are case (1) , do this
If you are case (2) , do that.
or
If you do not need this. Ignore this email.

Some of them (about 7 of them) would call me over to ask these questions.
So I am case (1), should I do this?
or
I do not need this, so should I ignore this email?

What can i say?
I guess this simple gesture tell a lot about their personality.
They are insecure.

What are your thoughts?
An interesting look at these guys, they are either in managerial or supervisory positions.
So one should always be super cautious when climbing to the top???

Good vs Evil Part 2

Never expected to have a rematch of good vs evil so fast.

Wifee came back early. So I was planning to go for a run.

Good : Good weather for a run
Evil : But you ran this morning!!!
Good : Yeah, but I need to increase my mileage.
Evil : For what?
Good : Hmm....
Evil : You need to rest. You hardly slept last night. Plus you complain about left knee pain in the afternoon. Remember?
Good : Maybe I will try to do interval training.
Evil : What if you injured yourself? Then you can kiss NBRR goodbye.
Good : Hmm....
Evil : Go and rest.... you need it!!!

This time round, Evil won. So I am now here typing this entry.

Score : Good (1) - Evil (1)

N.B. I have amended the Exercise Ticker.
Week now starts from Sunday.
I should be counting down to the day before SCSM which falls on Saturday.
Hehe, now I dun feel so guilty. I did some mileage every week.
Downside though, some of those weeks consist of 1 run only!!!

Good vs Evil

Sometimes it is interesting to note how your good half and evil half fight against each other.

Listen to what they have to say.

Good : Nice weather for a morning run.

Evil : But the pavement is so wet! You will dirty your ultra clean pair of shoes.

Good : Well, I could always wear the Vomeros, saving the Triax for NBRR this weekend. :)

Evil : But can you come back in one hour's time? You are very slow, you know.

Good : Well, I could always go for a shorter route.

Today, good triumphs over evil. :D
Put on my Vomeros and went for a 5km Run.

I am glad that I choose to run a shorter route today.
I guess I am getting bored with the Yishun Ring Road Route.

Had a pretty good run, without any walk break.
It looks like I am able to maintain a 6min/km pace, but the Garmin Data shows that I maintain that pace for the first km only.
Never mind, I know I can do it in the near future. :)

Open Water Swim

Hehe, after completing the biathlon last Saturday, I finally convinced myself that I am ready for Fuji Xerox Open Water Swim.
Had wanted to take part in this year's Open Water Swim, but did not take up the challenge as I have my doubts.
1 km is too short, while 3km and 5km are too much of a challenge.
Only when I finish the 1.5km distance last Saturday did I feel that I am ready for a 3km swim.
Someone remember to jio me for next year's Open Water Swim, okay. :D

Heng Arh.....

Had wanted to go for a run this evening.
Being a skiver, I convince myself to do the run tomorrow morning. :p

Why having dinner, we heard the thunder and a heavy downpour came soon after.

Phew, if I had gone for the run and got caught at Simpang Kiri Park connector.....it will be disastrous. :p

NIE Biathlon

Caught a healthy dose of IM Kona finish before I prep for the race.
Somehow, I find it very touching to see the world champions cross the finish line.
Macca has tried for 6 years to become a world champion.
Chrisse Wellington is all smiles for the last few miles and her look is that of dis-belief.
I can understand it. 2nd Ironman, Kona rookie and she is now a world champion.

Went with Austrias105 to the race together.
Weather looks great when we arrive around 7am.

Went to collect our championchip and bib.
Despite the small turnout, the collection was in a mess.
They split the collection queue using surnames and we were not informed about it.
So I happily queued for 10 minutes only to be notified that I have joined the wrong queue.
Why make the distinction when the crowd is so small???

After setting up transition, met up with Bananaman30.
While we were conversing, I (the only one facing west) saw the dark clouds in the distance.
Told the guys about it.
Most of us were hoping for the clouds to change direction.
But the clouds have other plans.
So I was hoping that the thunderstorm pass by our location before the race.

15minutes to flag off, thunder could be heard in the distance.
Soon the heavy rain follows.
It was announced that the flag-off for the Olympic Distance will be postponed.
The Sprint Distance which has already started 30minutes earlier was not stopped.

As we hide under the shelter, it was announced that this poor Sprint Distance competitor lost his entire transition stuff.
Hmm, either he forgot his transition spot or some kind soul thought that the race could be cancelled and brought his stuff to place under the shelter away from the rain.
The other interesting sighting was this guy running out of transition area with his googles and swim cap still on.
Luckily a kind helper ran out from under the shelter and got the swim gear from him.

About 15 minutes later, the rain stopped and we commence the race.
Mr C. Kunalan flag-off the race.
It is a 2 x 750m swim loop.
Hehe, dunno if it is a SGRunners' culture, but I feel the need to be the last to enter the water.
The first 250m out was a bit demoralising, cos u keep wondering when are you going to reach the buoy.
After that, I just try to concentrate on my strokes, making sure I expend as little energy as possible.
On the swim in to shore, I notice that I am going nowhere with my breast stroke thus I switch to freestyle. I am surprised how good it feels.
I cover the distance faster without feeling "chuan".
During the 2nd loop, I swim about 3-4 shoulder lengths away from the swim line.
No point getting karate chops from the swimmers from the 2nd flag off.

Was out of the sea after 40minutes. Pretty surprising timing. Austrias105 also felt that the distance is shorter than the stipulated 1.5km.

Did my transition slowly and I am noticed these 2 chaps who did the transition even slower. They just take their time to change, drink and chit-chat. Win already lor.

The run is a 2 x 5km loop.

While on the run, meet Bug, Freddie and Cookie

I am really not good at my run. Did my run-walk strategy less than a km into my run.
I realise the reason much later in the race. I am running at a much faster pace.
I tried to slow down, but it seems so hard to control my pace during a race.

About 2km into the run, a chap Andy slowed down and ask me to follow his pace.
We did the run together for about 1.5km before I ask him to carry on , not wanting to slow down his pace. Thanks, Andy.

Hi-Five with Trencen and BananaMan30 along the way.

One thing I notice during the race is that ladies will nudge you on, while most of the guys have that focused look.

When I turned around at the 7.5km mark, there were only 2 guys behind me.

I started to wonder what happened to the ladies? Then I recall that there were only 11 of them and they have already overtook me!!!

1 km from the finish, an uncle who looks to be in his 50s overtook me.

Thought I have a chance to finish 2nd last, cos the other chap was like 1.5km behind me during the turn-around point.

About 200m from the finish point, there is a water point and this lady do not know if she wants to take my photo or not.
Thus I posed for her with 2 victory signs and somehow got a good laugh from all the 3 ladies there.
Hmm, I was taught to look good even when you are in second last position mah.

It was at this point that the last chap overtook me.
He just kept sprinting to the finish line.

I had wanted to keep pace with him, but found my HR going up pretty quickly, thus I slowed down and finish my race slowly and comfortably.

Took me around 1:50:40 for the entire race.
I have officially completed the race in "first" place. :D
Dun really care about the timing, as I have earned my entry pass to Singapore Biathlon 2008! Hurray!!!

Met up with Crudestar and we chat for a while, before she has to dash off for her classes.

Manage to locate Ah_Ray while he is at the transition point, waiting for his relay partner. Chat for a while and wish him good luck as he dashes off after the transition.

After the event, Austrias105 and I made our way to Novena Velocity to collect our NBRR Race Pack.
The queue is very short , thus we got our championchip and bib in no time at all.

Met Atomic and Sywog.
Hmm interesting... The 3 First Tri Club members from the SGRunners meeting at the same place at the same time. What a co-incidence.

Got a PowerBar visor from Athlete Circle.
Dun really fancy the visor as I hate to advertise for companies, unless they are paying me to do it.
But I really needs it for the run, given the reviews and advice of those who did the training run last week.

NBRR, here I come!!!

3 hours to Swim Start

Been awake since 3+.
Have not been able to sleep since then. Keep tossing around in bed till I gave up and got up.

I have not been thinking about the race much.
But my body is reacting otherwise.

Shoulder aches starts late Thursday night and has not let up ever since.
Worse still, the tension is getting tighter and tighter. Yoko Yoko does not help. Should have got the Tiger Balm Shoulder Rub...... Argh....

Stomach aches came early last night. Got stuck in there for half an hour.

Butterflies is fluttering at warp speed in my tummy right now.

Hopefully I don't get affected by the lack of sleep.

Somehow, it is always very tough to sleep much on race day.

Maybe I am getting all the jitters cos I am a rookie. :)

D-1

Not too sure if it is work stress or race stress , but I am having aching shoulders for the past 24 hours. The pain just won't go away.

Anyway a checklist.

I realise that I seriously need a checklist for my races.

I keep forgetting one item or the other. Luckily, i start packing on Monday night.

Can you believe I forgot to pack my shoes till now. :d

Please help me out.

For the event
==========
Tri-top
Tri-bottom

Shoes
Socks
Road ID
Knee guard
Extra pair of tri-bottom

Watch
Shades
Race belt
PowerGel
Towel

2 pairs of googles
Spectacles

Post- event
========
T-shirt
Shorts
Slippers

The Magical World of Ironman Kona 2007

For anyone who does not seems to have enough of the recent Ironman Hawaii Kona 2007, here is your chance to capture every single moment of it.

http://ironman.edgeboss.net/wmedia/ironman/rebroadcast.wvx

BE WARNED : Be prepared to sit in front of the screen for 19 hours to capture every single moment.

Here is a very nice write up by one of the triathlete, Elizabeth Fedofsky who completed the race.

Crossing the line

At last read, there are 2 watches and 1 pair of shades which the volunteers give/loan to the competitors during the race without a second thought. It really amazed me.
Looking at the end of the race, you can easily be overwhelmed by the crowd.
At midnight, one would expect the crowd to be small.
But this is Ironman Kona, and magic does happen. he crowd is huge!!!
They cheer as loud for every single competitor as they did for the champions.

Get those pop corn out and enjoy the show!!!

Off topic : Can any kind soul loan me a copy of Runners World October issue? Thanks :)

Dilemma

Had not been running for the past 10 days and in 2 days' time, I will be doing my OD Biathlon.
Not too sure if it is a good idea.
But I am afraid that I may aggravate my throat infection. It is on the road to recovery, but I can still feel the mild irritation once in a while.
Had got on the bike trainer for an hour on Monday. Intended to do the same this evening, after missing my reveille this morning.

Any advice? Run or Bike?

Hmm, maybe the weather may decide for me.... :p

CrossRoads

Never expected that I may hit the crossroads in the 2nd year running.
This can really put anyone down.
Keeping my fingers crossed.

Lala has offered me some good advice.
But the road ahead is so uncertain.
If I stayed on, it may be a good thing. But the lines is not always so visibly drawn.

What should I do???

Listerine

After medicine and rest did not help my throat infection, I decide to listen to Eng's recommendation and gurgle on Listerine.
Must say it is pure comfort, although it only last an hour or so.
It really helps, as medicine actually make my throat felt worse.
Wonder how come painkiller does not kill pain....

Although instructions mentioned to use Listerine only twice a day, I could not bear with the discomfort, so I did it 3 times a day. Hope the tables do not turn on me.

BTW Eng, have I meet you before? :)

Do you fear death?

This question finally pop up in the Sunday Times.
This student is asking if it is normal to fear death.

I guess most people tends to ignore the question.
But after the reported deaths during races, is it safe to ignore the question anymore?

What we can really do is to know our limits and don't try to surpass it.
You can win once, twice. But there is no guarantee that you will win everytime.

So continue exercising , but do it safely.

Shiok

After spending more than a week of non-exercising, I decided to get on the bike trainer.
Spend some moments moving the gears to the living room, so that I can watch "Shooter" while I bike.

Must say that it is pretty shiok. Good entertaining movie, it really makes you forget the toughness while you bike.
Definitely beat biking from a corner of the balcony.

More Ramblings

The idea to sign up for Singapore Biathlon was started 2 years ago as a challenge to myself. :)
1) To see if I can complete an endurance event
2) To lose weight

Signed up for SAFRA Biathlon 2006 and 2007 and completed the necessary time trials, but DNF and DNS for the respective races.
Fast forward to this weekend.
This will be my chance to finally complete an Olympic Distance Biathlon.

*-*

I notice a strange co-incidence.

Whenever my mileage goes beyond 25km for a given week, the following week will be 0km....

(Weeks to SCSM)
Week 14 - 34.46km
Week 13 - 0km

Week 8 - 25.62km
Week 7 - 0km

Hmm, does more mileage reduce my body immunity?
Am I really that unfit?

Biathlon and Triathlon

Just realised that I am given the chance over the next few weeks to complete what I have set out to do this year.

I missed out on SAFRA Biathlon and OSIM Triathlon earlier this year , but NIE Biathlon and OSIM Corporate Triathlon is now here.

Hopefully, I will be able to complete both events. :)

With only 78 participants in the Olympic Distance category of the NIE Biathlon, I can safely assume that I shall be coming in "first" place. :)
No worries. A finish is what matters the most. :D

Wish me luck!!!

P.S. I got a nice bib number for my NIE Biathlon. MO13 :)

Tour de ECP-Marina South

A photo taken at the Marina South Jetty.

What is interesting about this photo is that among the three of my kakis, they have completed the entire suite of triathlons available on this planet in 2007 itself.

Mini, Sprint, Olympic, IronGirl, Half-Ironman and IronMan.

Amazing bunch of kakis hor!!!

Sunday Morning Run

Had wanted to do a NBRR Training Run this Sunday , till Aerosolcan tempted me with the BG Run. Sounds good.

Had hope that my throat infection get better today, but it only got worse.

No matter, till wanted to do the run. But after an advice from MHA, I think I better heed her warning.

Hopefully I won't DNF at NIE Biathlon in six days' time.

Snake is ...

Was teaching Shannon some chinese terms.

Snake is 蛇. "velo", Shannon instinctively complete the sentence.

Haha, so much for assisting Shannon with her words.

We tends to help Shannon with her words by giving her the first syllabus.

SportTracks

Davtse posted this SportTracks website on SGRunners forum.

The website proclaimed itself as the best GPS-enabled exercise logbook software in the world.

Normally I won't bother about this statement, as every software will say that they are the best in the industry.

But I am really bowled over by what this 2MB software can really do!!!

As we all know, data is basically just a string of 0s and 1s , if we do not know how to make full use of it.

Turn it into something useful, we have real information on our hands.

Look at what Nike has done for its Nike+ iPod Sports Kit.
It basically reports what is your pace and distance.
They try to include the MapIt feature which allows you to map your runs.
But a map without a link to the actual distance, it does not really serve its purpose.
*Side track*
Nike+ has a sloooooow flash-based website.
A dongle that need another instrument (iPod nano) attached.
An iPod that does not know how to sleep properly, resulting in a useless device which I cannot bring on runs.
The Nike+ sensor needs an accessory so that it can be used on different pairs of shoes.
So now, I relegated the Nike+ to just runs where I will be running in my Baby Triax where I can house the sensor underneath the insole.

This is where a GPS device comes in.
It notes where you are at any given distance.
I would have gotten my Garmin ForeRunner earlier in the year, if not for its high retail price.
Still a device is only good at containing data.

The trick is how one can use this data efficiently.
Kudos to the developement team of SportTracks.
They are not only able to churn out useful graphs for you to analyse, they have add healthy input functions like equipment used, your current weight etc.

Cool Running and RunningAhead does have fields for your current weight, but I never bother to input anything into these fields.
Simple reason, it serve no purpose.

But SportTracks, they took it a step further. They plot your weight against the date. So if you are losing weight, the chart tells you so.
Motivational? I would say so.

A lot of other features are related to the runs.
It does splits of 1km.
It shows your negative and positive splits.
It shows which part of your runs that you are walking, doing a slow run or a normal run based on your pace.
There are a lot more useful information, you can surf their website and check out their features and screenshots.

It is definitely any runners' dream to have such information at their fingertips and SportTracks and have done just that.

End Note : You won't believe that I am writing this review after just an hour of messing around with this SportTracks application.

Getting on the Bike

There are many times during the early morning when I felt like bring Cervelo for a ride round the neighbourhood.

Keke, this way my family won't know cos I would have been back before they woke up. :p

But the fear of getting injured always push that thought to the back of my mind.

I do not wish to get injured again. I wanna be a certified as a triathlete before the year ended. :)

Sometimes I feel that it is a blessing that one can become a triathlete.
Not everyone can do all three sports. Those who can may not take it up as it is an endurance sport.

For the moment, I would savour my biking trips with the guys.

Maybe we could do another Tour de Singapore come 27th October. :)

Viral Infection

Went to see doc. Was thought that my throat infection is a virus.

Blur me, din know that one can get throat infection through a virus.
But that explains it, as I did not take any fried food or anything heaty.
Drinking 3+ litres of water daily should have easily help too.

Hope that I would get better come Sunday.
This Sunday, I would be doing my third ever LSD with the guys. :)

Come to think of it, I have never done a LSD on my own before.

Should start a 400-day plan for my first marathon liao.

Throat Infection

After 1 day of fighting against the infection, it still won't go away.
In fact, it got a lot worse.
Now I can feel the pain everytime I swallow saliva.

Tried these methods and none of them work.

Gurgle salt water
Drink salt water
Suck on Strepsil (Blackcurrant) - Pain Relief
Drink pure honey

Still wanted to go for a run this morning.
Took out my running tights , but decide against it.
No point getting myself injured for one morning run, I have 4 races coming up soon.

Will go and get some antibotics later

Co-incidence?

Do you believe that it is a co-incidence that when I wanted to go for my mid-week run , my 2 girls prevented me from going.
Soon after , I had the throat infection.
Would things had be worse if I had gone for the run on Wednesday?

I also believe that things happen for a reason.
This seems to be another one of them.

Maybe I am thinking too much.....

My Little Angels

Got Woken up by my 2 little angels Wednesday morning @ 4.30am.
Intend to go for a run after putting them back to sleep.
Was about to climb out of bed to prep for my run, when I realise that my little angel is still wide awake.
No choice, tried to make her sleep and by the time I succeed, I am sound asleep myself.

Woke up this morning fighting with the snooze button.
In the end, I lose the battle.
I am not too sure why I felt so tired.
I thought the body aches that started last night was due to fatigue and I would feel better this morning.
But after having breakfast, I realise that I am getting a throat infection.
No wonder the body is reacting this way.
Right now , I am brewing all sort on concoctions to get rid of this throat infection.
Hopefully I will be well enough for a run tomorrow morning.

I seriously doubt that I can perform well at the NIE Biathlon next weekend.

Northern Run - 7th October 2007

Hehe, I am going to be a "snooze" champion.
After snoozing for 2-3 times, I finally woke up at 6am.
Quickly wash up and gulped down a piece a bread and coffee before I proceed to Yishun Stadium to meet the guys for the Northern Run.

Met Dasher, Supcon and Hophlng for the first time.
Together with JamesSoh and SealBoon, we start our run @ 6.40am.
Dasher is leading the pack while James act as a sweeper.
While running down Lentor Avenue, we were spotted by Roonz who is making her way to the Fuji Xerox Open Water Swim.
The first 3.55km to the Lentor Ave-Yio Chu Kang Road junction was pretty fast pace. 6:11 min/km according to Garmin ForeRunner.
I am surprised that I manage to keep up without falling behind too much.
After a short break under the MRT track, we proceed on.
I started to slow down quite a bit and pretty soon, the group disappear from sight.
Once in a while, I am able to spot James waiting at the junctions for me before proceeding on.
Catch up with the group at the Jalan Kayu Prata shop where Dasher treat up to some 100-Plus.

Instead of running through the camp, we skirted round the camp taking us on a slightly longer route.
About 1.5km later, I lose the group again.
Proceed along Seletar Club Road till I hit upon Lower Seletar Reservoir.
From there I could see 3 runners (Dasher, SealBoon and Hophlng) sprinting across Yishun Dam. (Yes, from afar you can see them running across pretty quickly.)

That puts them about 800m in front of me.
Not long after I could make out 2 more runners (James and Supcon) running across as well.

While doing my walk-run across Yishun Dam, I spot the guys waiting at the Pump Station.
Tried to run after them, but realise that I am low on fuel.

By the time I reached the pump station, I could hardly run.
Worse still, my stomach starts growling.
Tried to start running again and I notice my heart beat increasing fairly quickly.
Decided to walk the rest of the distance back to the stadium.
I start to wonder if 13km is a psychological barrier or my body is not conditioned to take that distance yet.
Without my iPod or SE k800i, I have no music to block out any thoughts.
Top on my list is Gu Gel! I left a stick of Gu Gel @ home.
I consider myself lucky that I know it is about another 3 km back to the stadium. Else this will be a demoralising finish for me.
I am just hoping the guys make extra loops somewhere in Yishun, so that I won't feel so bad.

I got to the stage whereby I had to stand and rest for 5 seconds every few hundred meters.
After walking for about 2.5km, I finally spotted the HDB blocks at the junction of Yishun Ave 1 and Yishun Ave 4.
That really boost my morale. I start singing and finally found some last ounce of strength to walk-jog back to the Stadium.

Saw the guys waiting for me at the stadium. Feels really bad about it.
But the guys have only words of encouragement when I finally completed the run. Thanks, guys!
Proceed to Khatib City for breakfast.

Am glad to have complete my first ever LSD.

ECP - Marina Bay South

Went with Roonz for the OSIM Training Clinic.
She has the intention of doing just the bike leg , while I was comptemplating the swim and bike leg.
Reached Carpark F2 and meet up with Lala and Gentle.
An impromptu decision was reached to cycle to Mount Faber.
Gentle has intended to do loops in MF and Lala seconded that idea.
Me and Roonz decided that we shall wait patiently for the 2 chaps, while doing our loops on flatter terrain.

After making sure that we did not see anyone familiar at the clinic, we proceed on our road trip.
I will be using my TNF hydration pack for the very first time.

Lala lead the pack while Gentle act as sweeper.
Proceed towards Fort Road and onto Mountbatten Road.
I am nervous but excited. I follow the general rule of taking up 1/3 of the lane. It works fine for me.
Somewhere along the route, Lala decide that we should proceed to Marina South instead.
Stopped at Marina South for some photos before proceeding back to ECP.
Somehow after hitting back to ECP, Gentle and Lala become super slackers.
I shift my gears to the largest combination possible and I am still unable fall back to their position.
Reach CarPark F2 and the trainees @ OSIM Tri Clinic are doing Transition 2.
Just nice, I have completely drained my hydration pack.
The hydration pack is truly a life saver. Paid an expensive lesson to know its value.
Lala's visa expired and rush off while Roonz, Gentle and I chatted for a while before we proceed home.

Yishun Rojak Run

Woke up at 5.15am today.
Kept pressing the snooze button and before I know it, it is time to prep for work.
Maybe I should start a snooze competition to see who can snooze the highest number of times in a week.
Thus I promise myself that no matter what I will definitely run tonight.

Luckily the weather is fine when I am back from work. :)
Intended to go do a Simpang Kiri Park Connector Run but end up turning left into Yishun Ave 7. Was a pretty good and relaxing run, although the exhaust fumes along Sembawang Road can be damn irritating.

Reached home after about 8km and realise that I have some juice left, thus proceed to do a loop round my block.
Realise that my dehydration after 8km could be either mental or I could have physically outgrown that distance. Either way, i am glad that I dun feel dehydrated anymore.

Running in Vomeros seems quite okay.
Had wanted to save my only pair of WrightSocks for this Sunday's Northern Run and I ended up with blisters on my small left toe. :(
Guess it will either be toe socks or WrightSocks for runs from this moment on.

Super Slacker

Woke up intending to do a Yishun Ring Road Run, but somehow never manage to convince myself to step out of the house.
With less than an hour before I need to prep for work, I decide to step onto the bike trainer.
Super boring as I am still stuck in the far corner of the balcony, unable to hear a single word from the TV. Did around 5 mins before I call it a day.

How do one expect me to fare at the upcoming races?
Really have to buck up.
Someone please motivate me.