Scenic Northern Twenty-O-Ten New Year Fun Run

Ho ho ho... Thank you Google Reader.
If not for Google Reader, I would have missed out on this run as I have not log on to SGRunners for ages.

Visit the Facebook Event for more information.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207322452313

Let's just pray that I will be able to attend the event.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Early Happy New Year, Everyone!!!

Haha, just an entry to note down my New Year Resolutions.

1) Hope that Shannon will get into the school of her (parents') choice.
2) Get my weight below 90kg
3) Complete a marathon below 7 hours

Cycling 13th December 2009

Wednesday, 9th December 2009 - 39.14km
Sunday, 13th December 2009 - 71.47km

Just when I thought I wanted to go for a blogging break, I am back to write this entry.

Cos... This is my avenue to vent my frustration!!!

Yes... Encountered some unpleasantries during this morning ride which literally spoilt my day.

Read On...

Waking up at 6am, I made my way to Mandai Shell to join the Breakfast Group.

I managed to catch the group just as they flowed out of Old Mandai Road. =)

Keke, looks like most of the riders are taking the shortcut today.

Reached Mandai Shell, we took a short break before we start on our way again.

For most of the journey, I was the last front quartet rider till Neo Tiew Road where the rest of the group caught up with me.

Another break at end of Lim Chu Kang Road and we are on our way again.

The pace was steady till we made a left turn into Jln Buroh.

Along Jln Buroh, it becomes a "Free-for-All'.

Pace stepped up a few notches and some riders got dropped.
I was glad I was able to keep pace with them during the first two flyover.
As a rider mentioned "Get dropped and you lost them forever".

Up the third and last flyover, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to keep up the tempo.
I did it! But I lost them on the straight after Merz Point. =(
Was saved by the next traffic light though. =D

At the Clementi Road-West Coast Road traffic junction, the pace went berserk.
I just keep pushing myself to keep pace.

Up West Coast Flyover we went and it was drafting time.
Single file is the order of the day.

A container truck went past and I saw a Raleigh rider dropped out of the draft and tried to draft the truck.
Crazy lor. U can probably take the truck's draft if the truck is starting off from a stationary position, not when the truck is travelling at probably 70-80kmh.

Raleigh joined the group and started to drop places.
Soon, Raleigh was riding rear, just behind me.

After another kilometer, Raleigh recovered and started to move up, but was unsuccessful.

He tried to squeeze in front of me and I allow him to do so.

Nearing Brani Gate, he dropped out of the draft and I sped up to cover the gap.

Suddenly, he wanted to squeeze into the draft again.

Always the gentleman, I allow him to do so. Again....
A decision which I truly regretted.

Less than 10 seconds into the draft , he sat up and rode hands free.
It is only then I realised that we are no longer in the draft.
WTF!!!!!

I pushed up my pace to try and re-join the pack.
The effort is futile.

The draft pace is 42kmh.
To have a chance of catching up, I would have to crank up my pace by at least 4kmh.
After a long draft ride, it is next to impossible.
I let out a LOUD yell!!!
My day is spoilt.

Riding slowly, I let Raleigh caught up with me.
When he did, I just told him "You spoilt my day"
To which he responded "What did I do?"
I told him "If you have no intention of staying in the draft, please do not cut in"
All I got was a disgusted look.

Stopping at the traffic junction before Amoy Street, the rider beside me queried
"Have you ever tried kicking down a HDB door and see if it will come off its hinges?"

"No..." I replied. "I dun think any of the HDB doors will ever give way, they are sturdy."

"Look at those powerful legs. =p" came the answer "A few weeks ago, I saw the yellow bike and the rear hydration system, I went... Oh no... You were riding in front and all of us are just trying to catch up!"

I was a bit confused, but at a later stage, I recalled the incident.
The day I was with a flat Garmin ForeRunner and a flat cyclometer. =p Oppss..... =p

Stopping by the Juice Bar, I happened to sit at the table beside the Raleigh rider.
Tried to catch his attention a couple of times, but he just ignored me.
Finally, I tap him on his shoulder and let him know why I think he should not have done what he did just now.

Again, came the disgusted look and a reply "Because I Can"

Having encountered such a lad... I decided to let the matter rest. No point teaching this young kid about cycling etiquette.
I do believe in karma...
What goes around comes around.

DARE TO DREAM

First and foremost, I am taking a hiatus from my training logs.
There probably won't be any more training logs till the end of the year.

This training log first started cos I wanna to do a SCSM Full Marathon and I wanna be sure I am committed to the cause.

Things has now come full circle after 3 long years...
I have finally completed what I have planned to do back in December 2006.

I have been through a lot these 3 years, made a lot of friends, learn a ton of stuff, a whole lot of life experiences beyond the Singapore Rat Race.

A few dreams were born and accomplished.

In fact, I have completed a lot more than what I have set out to do.
From dreaming to become a marathoner, I ended up becoming a biathlete, a triathlete and a Half-Ironman and finally a marathoner.

It was a roller coaster ride, but it is well worth it, that is when you sit back and start to savour all those precious moments...

I guess what we really need is to challenge ourselves.
Dare ourselves to do things that we thought is impossible.
Make the Impossible POSSIBLE.

DARE TO DREAM...

"Contestant XXX, Daniel Cheng from Singapore, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"

I guess all these started from the moment we logged into Facebook right after SCSM.
The first post that pops out in our News Feed is that of Kah Han's completion of his maiden Ironman in IMWA. Well done, bro!

It set a few minds spinning.

Some of us has started setting our target : IMWA 2010.

I know it won't be tough for STP, but it will be a tough target for me.

A target that I hope to accomplish.
I know I can do it.

It will take a lot of training...
No more slacking.
I cannot do an IM if I train like what I did for SCSM.

SCSM is definitely the turning point for me.
I did not cramped, blistered or hit the wall during Sundown, so I guess I did not really get to the savour the true spirit of a marathon.

Now that I have a Half-Ironman and two marathons in the bag, it is time to look ahead.
I have to start running.... I know I keep saying this, but if I were to LIVE THE DREAM, I have to Run Run Run...

Training will start.... but not now... =P
Remind me again, folks when 2010 is here... =)

Post SCSM

Haha... just an insight to what I did before, during and after the race.

I had the most no-no dinner the night before a major race.
I dun think anyone would have done that.
But that is just me. =p
My idea of carbo-loading is to have a huge mutton mutarbak with lots of curry.
Will it causes a stomach upset?
Think I know my body well enough.
Coffee and pre-race anxiety will always flush the system clean before the race.
Good old body. =D

Using the same tried and tested equipment for my Sundown Marathon, I was hoping that all will go well.
I was not disappointed.
2XU and K14 combined well for me to finish comfortably.

Starting 25 mins after the race start has its advantages.
There isn't the human crowd at any place of time to speak of.
Being a plodder, you are almost certain to have a wide berth of space from start to end.

During the race, I did not use any MP3 player.
This is a first for me for a major race.
I guess it kinda help...

For once, I did not look at the other side of the road for familiar faces.
Kinda too ashamed.
But the very few places where both sides of the marathon crossed path also help me to just look ahead. =D

I realised that I am doing exactly what I did at AHM.
No game plan before the race.
Strategise as the race proceed...
It kinda works...

38km....
This is becoming a very significant number for me.
This is the distance that almost broke me.
How did I feel when I "quitted"?
I feel shitty, but not totally down.
I guess that is a little part of the reason why I am able to continue.
I just felt that I should feel good that I have come so far...

Hitting the 40km mark, the spirits literally soar.
Any kinda of pain after that mark literally become insignificiant.

It is hard to describe the feeling when I turn round the corner and see the Finishing Straight.
You just wanna pump your hands in the air and say I did it.
I came 42km... Now it is just 195m more to go.

Crossing the Finish Line, you are elated, you are overjoyed.
You had that smile that tells you that it is a job well done.
Maybe not a good race in the eyes of other people, but hey I dun run the race for others, I ran the race for myself.
I completed the race and that is something that no one can take away from me.

This race literally wipe out any bad notion that I have about marathons, about running.
I guess this will be a turning point.
This has to be a turning point.
I have learned so so much during the race.

This is my most enjoyable race yet.
Not even Aviva IM 70.3 Singapore or Sundown Marathon can compare to this.
I am sure glad that I signed up for the race, even though initially it is just to complete some unfinished business.

I never ever thought that I will be able to say this.
But yeah, now I can finally believe that I can probably do a sub-7 or eventually a sub-6 hours for a marathon.
Any further than that, I shall leave it for the future to decide. =D

So yeah, SCSM 2009 will not be my last marathon... There will be more marathons to come for Jodan Daniel. =D

GAMBATTE!!!

P.S. All of the above comments are written while Jodan is still drunk. Drunk from Runner's High. =D

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

With a lack of training, I am not sure if I should attend the race.
Having pulled a 12-hour shift and reaching home at 2300 on the eve of the race, makes skipping the race even more tempting.

===========================================

Waking up after a 3hrs sleep, I prep for the marathon and made my way down for pick-up by Supcon! Thanks, mate!

After taking a huge dump, I reached the race site at 5:55am.
The race has started 25 mins ago.
Overheard someone mentioned that they are opening the Start Line till 6am for Full Marathoners.

Phew...

The announcer is commenting "Run your own race. Be back by cut-off time. Cut-off time is 1:30pm"

WHAT??? That sure is sneaky... So when did cut-off time comes into the picture?

Got into a comfortable pace really quick.
Atomic caught me while I am running passing the Start Line. The Half Marathon is starting soon... Phew Phew Phew...

Manage to hold the pace for 4km. Cool...
I guess the combined 240km ride over the past week really helps.

Things were looking cheery. I am still holding a good pace along Nicoll Highway.
I am waiting for the pain to kick in anytime after 8km, but it never came.
I dun feel hungry at all, thus I decided to hold back my gel intake till 10km.

Running into East Coast Road, I know what I am in for.
How I struggled through the very same stretch last week on a bike, I am doing this again today on my feet.

The thought of the in and out route of East Coast Park soon give way to the fun of overtaking and being overtaken by a few groups of runners.

This race I am not equipped with any MP3 player and being too "ashamed" to see who is running on the other side of the running route seems to help in keeping a good pace. =D

Was crossing the 18km mark, when someone shouted "Jodan"!
Haha, it is Tao. She is 6km ahead of me. =)
Keke... where is Yankee ah? =D
"Jia you jia you" came the encouragement.
Thanks, Tao!!!

When I was near National Sailing Center, I was surprised that the U-turn is further ahead.
Hmm... the full stretch to Car Park H is definitely longer than a kilometer.
Was relieved that the turning point was mid-way through the stretch.
As expected, there is no timing mat at this U-turn.
Haha... reliving the night of Sundown. You can cheat but you will know it yourself.

Saw the Polar van, so I knew that the Power Up Station is near.
But the station were nowhere near the car park...

Was glad to retrieve my power gel, given the fact that two years ago they ran out of Power gels for the plodders.

Just before I approached Car Park F2, I see the last marathon couple.
A RAV4 designated as Rear Escort stop behind them and asked if they wanna continue.
I think they replied "Yes" and the official came down to negotiate. =D
I cannot remember the actual time, probably 4 hours after marathon start.
So I guess the cut-off time is really in play.

Crossing the Half Marathon is where the fun really starts. =D

I did not do a PB for the distance, but I did not do a PW either.
And the timing is pretty close to my 1st HM timing of 3:15h.

The legs are still feeling good, which I still believe is due to the 240km bike ride. =D
Out of the blue, I worked out a new strategy.
If I can maintain a brisk walking pace of 10min/km, I can complete the marathon in 7 hours.

7 hours!!! That will better my last marathon timing by 2 hours.

With that thought in mind, it was party time. =D
I still can run, but every now and then I can feel a pull on the right calf if I run.

Kilometer after kilometer, I am achieving my target time even with the drink station and toilet breaks.
7hrs looks like a reality after 10km of brisk walking, lifting up the spirits. =)

30km is the location of the next timing mat.
Hmm... I guess it is a timing mat for every 10km?

At this point, I am starting to wonder how I will fare if I had done more bike rides prior to the race.
How would run training helps? 6hrs or less? =D=D=D=D

Ohh... another thing that did not came to bite me in the ass.
The knees did not pose a problem.
Haha... thanks to 2XU compression, I think it definitely helps.
For a plodder, any little bit of technology definitely work wonders. =)

Running towards Singapore Indoor Stadium, I was surprised to see both Kallang McDonalds and KFC are closed for business.
Hmm... does the event compensate them for the loss of business?
I never seen any fast food restaurants closed for business even for half a day, especially not on a Sunday.

Am pretty sure that there will not be a timing mat at the SIS U-turn point, prompted a group of 3 to cut across the road onto the other side to continue on their journey.

Was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the 35km timing mat is there!
Hopefully someone has told the 2 guys and 1 gal about the timing mat.
Would be a waste if they complete their marathon without crossing that timing mat.

BFF sms-ed me to congratulate me on completing the marathon.
Sorry to disappoint, I am plodding on. =D
Called BFF to chat, told her it will take only another 1.5 hours more.
I should be back by 7 hrs. =D

Crossing the 36km within 6hrs. COOL BANANAS!!!
6 more km.

Unfortunately, things started falling apart.....
Just at the KPE entrance, I saw the Rear Escort again on the opposite side of the road.
This time round, there is no negotiation.
A trio was entering the road towards the National Stadium Cooling Zone when the official requested them to go straight down towards Nicoll Highway.

I guess the plan is for the rear runners to complete the marathon, but they have to take a shortcut through Nicoll Highway and Republic Avenue.
Phew... I just made the cut. =D

Decided to take a breather at the bus stop.
My very first stop... =D

The eyes started to close...
Not too sure if it is the lack of sleep or fatigue...
Images of Sundown Marathon at Bedok Park started to drift in as I dozed off.

Fortunately, I woke up after 5 mins of rest.
Have to reset expectation to 7:30hrs. Should still be achievable.

Sadly things dun always turn out the ways you want it to be.
I started to prop up the lamp posts once every hundred meters or so. =S
Something I am definitely not used to, cos I never believe that propping up lamp posts work.
But right now, any little relief I can find, I will grab it.

Walking along Crawford Street, the Rear Escort drove past with Sweeper Bus 5 (SB5) in tow.
No way I am going up the bus...
I am only 4km away from the Finish. No way I am going to quit right here right now.
Strangely the passengers in the bus looks pretty cheerful. Not in pain or sad.
Maybe they are volunteers?

100m later, at the Crawford Road-Republic Avenue traffic junction, the resolve is broken.

There is no way I can complete this marathon....
Not too sure if it is the sight of Sweeper Bus 5 that broke the will to continue.
Hmmm... let's rephrase.
Sweeper Bus 5 is the reason I din wanna continue. =D

Close near yet so far. The truth is definitely hard to swallow.
The phrase "There is also another race" does not cut it.
Not after plodding through 38km...

Sitting down under the bridge, I waited for SB6 to pick me up.
The medical team gal came over to check on me.
Told her I am fine, just that the legs do not wanna continue.
She keep persuading me to continue.
Haha... the most ironic thing?
The other medical team guy came over and told me that SB6 should not be far behind. =S

Tried walking but keep giving up after a few steps.
The mind is willing? But the legs are broken?
All I can feel is needles at the sole of both feet.

After almost half an hour wait, the bus still did not materialise.
Taking a look around, none of the runners who were sitting with me were there anymore.
Even the guy who was lying down flat on the road for the past 10mins is moving on.
Kinda sad that I do not have the resolve to continue.
Seeing the guy walked up the slope and with more encouragement from the medical team gal, I decided to prod on...

Hey, this is not as bad as it seems!

Just then BFF called to check on my status.
She was surprised that I was still plodding on.
Her incentive?
If I complete this marathon, she will do the next SCSM Full Marathon with me. =D
Her words of encouragement helps plenty too.
Thanks, BFF!!!

As I am nearing the F1 pits, the phrase came to mind.
"Pain is temporary, Quitting lasts forever"
I am sure glad I din quit just now.
Oh wait, I did quit but SB6 was missing.
So no transport, must continue.
Anyway, it is definitely a blessing in disguise that SB6 went MIA.

Walking into the F1 straight, I am getting a bit anxious.
I cannot see the drink station ahead, although the sign is there.
Have they pack up and left? I truly need those last 2 cups of water to keep me going.
Phew, my anxiety are unfounded.
I am looking at the wrong side of the lanes.

Turning round the bend is the sign "2km to go".
I CAN DO IT!!!

Distance markers went missing after that, but it does not matter. =D

Walking down the Finishing Straight is definitely the sweetest moment.
4km ago, I would never had thought I would see the Finish Line.

The commentators are looking at every runner's bib and announcing their names as they run/walk past. =D

"Look at the concentration on Daniel's face. He is not looking left, not looking right, just straight ahead at the Finish Line." =d
I regret not High5-ing the two commentators.

Crossed the line in a time of 8:15:59h.
Way beyond the timing I have expected at 36km, but completion is definitely sweet. =)

A runner is taking off their Championchip at the Finish Line.
I guess he were not aware that it is a disposable Championchip.
Two of us are telling him that we are not required to return the chip, but he looked more confused, so we let him be.

Collecting the Finisher Tee and medal, I proceed to the Dr. Joint tent to have a muscle rub before proceeding to collect my belongings.

At the baggage tent, I commented to another finisher "Why do we sign up to torture ourselves?" =)
His reply "Yeah, and I did that 5 times. =)"
Just before he left, he left a word of caution "Be careful, running marathons is addictive." =D

Singapore Marathon Results

Page 603 of Page 631

12057 of 12085 Men's Open Full Marathon Finisher (Last 0.0023%)
10072 of 10094 Men's Singapore Full Marathon Finisher (Last 0.0022%)

Gun Start Time - 05:29:53
Chip Start Time - 05:57:18
Check Point 10km - 01:50:47
Check Point 21km - 03:51:11
Check Point 30km - 05:31:10
Check Point 32.5km - 06:00:25
Chip Finish Time - 08:15:56
Gun Finish Time - 08:43:21

IMWA 2009 Preview

Pretty surprising statistics...

Extracted from Official Ironman website.

This Saturday’s race has attracted yet another record field, with 1,307 individuals and 111 teams ready to take on a flat and fast Busselton course, topped off with expected temperatures of 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), and the potential for some howling headwinds throughout the day.

A third of this year’s field are international entrants, representing 40 nations. Leading the international charge is Singapore (102 entrants), closely followed by the US (83 entrants).

This year’s event will feature:

• Total Competitors : 1307

• 1,025 male and 282 female competitors

• 480 Ironman “first-timers”

• 918 Ironman Western Australia first-timers

• 22 local Busselton entrants

• 28 people lining up for their sixth Ironman Western Australia

Which means that most competitors will do IMWA only once?
Costs is the primary factor, I guess?

918 out of 1307 competitors mean the 70% of the field are IMWA first timers.

Ironman Austria 2010

Year after year, this is the fastest sign-up IM race.
So if you are really interested, grab the chance.

Extracted from Official IM website.
http://ironman.com/events/ironman/austria/50-charity-slots-available-on-december-11?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Gmail

Christmas is close and, as a special present for those who couldn't enter Ironman Austria 2010 in July, race organizers are offering another chance to sign up for the race. On December 11, 2009, registration will open again and there will be 50 slots available.

The 2010 event, which takes place on July 5, 2010, filled in just 26 minutes. The new round of slots will cost €450, of which €50 will be donated to charity.

Registration will open on www.ironmanaustria.com at 11 AM CET on December 11 and closes when all available entry slots have been sold.

Mum Mummy

Mum Mummy
Mum Mummy
Mummy Bring Me Dinosaur
Mum Mum Mummy Mummy Mum Mum Mummy
Mum Mum Mummy Mum Mummy

临时抱佛脚

In a feeble attempt to clock some mileage, I went out and clocked 240km on the bike over the long weekend.
It is a matter of a little too late?

I would like to use my current job as an excuse for not training for the marathon.
But is it really the case?

In a way, the current working environment does take some shine away from my cycling schedule.
My work rotation is such that While students are probably waking up and preparing to go to school, my work day has already started.
Work week is Monday to Saturday, so that is why I started to ride on Sunday. A day bookmarked as Family Day...

Weekday Rides are possible.
But I tends to wake up with a headache...
Wanted to blame the job again...
Brain draining...

Will it get better?
Well... work is never ending...
Will see how it goes.

But I will definitely switch up a gear when Aviva IM 70.3 is here.
I have paid too much money for that to go to waste.

Cycling 29th November 2009

Cycled directly to Mandai Shell.
I am still wondering how bad I will fare if I started off from Longhouse.

Along the route, an ang-moh overtook me.
We changed leads a couple of times.
At the BKE traffic junction, I rolled about 30m behind him and two other riders while waiting for the lights to change.
Somehow the three riders decided to just beat the traffic light and went ahead. =S

At the top of Mandai Hill, I wanted to roll down to Mandai Shell... But.....
I started to give chase... Finally overtook them just before the last bus stop. Yeah, sprint point won! =D Haha, cheap thrill.

Reached Mandai Shell at 7:05am.
Did a mini-loop.
Keep spotting riders in small groups, so I decided to turn back early to wait for the group.

The group turned up pretty soon.
Was chatting with Calvin, Adrian and gang.

Joyce rode up and announced "All's here" and rode past! =S

By the time I finished my drink and mounted up, only Adrian is there. =S

Together with an old guard, the 3 of us rode at a fast pace, hoping to catch the group, which was nowhere in sight.

Within a kilometer, it was only I, me and myself. =(

Decided to take the Lim Chu Kang Lane 3 shortcut.

Half way through the ride, a dog came biting at my heels.

Geez.... hopefully it is not the same dog that bit Kangaroo Glyn a few months ago.

Instintively, I started "barking" to confuse the dog. =D

Hardly have I left the dog in my wake, another dog came clipping at my heel as well.

WTF!!!

While I did my second round of "barking", a lorry full of workers drove past.

The workers looked pretty amused. O_0

I survived the ordeal and was glad to see that the exit is just right ahead.
Hmm.... the dogs must have made me rode at an incredibly fast pace. =D

Without anyone to catch, I decided to ride along Old Lim Chu Kang Road.
Hmm... a few slopes to conquer, but a lot quieter than the main road.
There are quite a number of teenagers on road bikes.
The adult trailing behind them looks like a coach? Future Kenneth Tans?

Caught Coach Blackie along Jurong West.
Coach has a flat and is using a pretty interesting pump to inflat his tire.
That has to be the coolest bike pump ever.
It is a CO2 inflator with a built-in pressure gauge and a backup hand pump all rolled into one.
The brand is Barbieri, but I am not able to find anything on the web. =/

Together with Blackie, we drafted a duo all the way to Jalan Buroh.
Blackie saw a container truck rode past and immediately took its draft. O_o

I must say that drafting behind a container truck is ultra cool, but also ultra risky.
Without Blackie for company, I am left to draft the duo alone.
Hmm... is it just me or I am suddenly feeling I am not welcome to take the draft?

Decided to ride ahead.
The duo caught up with me at the Merz Point.
I took their draft again.
This time round, the hostility is definitely there.
The guy I am drafting keep looking behind him.
Just outside a bus bay, he jammed on his brakes so hard that I am forced to veer into the empty bus bay to avoid colliding with him.
(I am sure Joyce will have tons of words for him if she is in the vicinity.)

I rode ahead and that was the last I saw of them.

Hmm... strangely for some reasons, I always feels that Caucasians dun like riders to draft them.
Either they are in a competitive mode, where drafting is not allowed... Or I really dunno what...
This is not the first time I encountered such problems, but this is definitely one with the most obvious move to shake me off their tails.

Along West Coast Flyover, the 7am pack overtook me.
Felt so bummed...

Was the last rider to ride into the Juice Bar, where I quickly settle down for my brekkie.
After a lengthy chit chat session, it was time to ride home. =)

Cycling 28th November 2009

Woke up with the thighs feeling very sng.

Nonetheless, I decided to go out for a recovery spin. =D

Rode down to Mandai Shell. Had hope to give FA a surprise.

Reached Mandai Shell at 7:05am. I am way too early.

The group probably won't arrive till 7:30am.

Decided to do the small Mandai loops.

Haha... got chance to do many "Mandai Hill Camp to Mandai Shell" roll.

Was doing a third loop when I spotted STP on the opposite side of the road.

Haha, that is a real surprise!!!

What happened when two lonesome riders meet? They ride together. =D

Did a big Mandai loop before proceeding to Longhouse for brekkie.

After a hearty breakfast, it is time to go home and bring the kids out for classes. =)

Cycling 27th November 2009

JoyRiders Holiday Rides are extremely long rides and today is no exception.

Estimated ride distance is 140km.

If I had done the full distance, I would have clocked 150km...
By riding straight to Mandai Shell (-20km) and bypassing Tuas (-20km), it is still my longest ride ever.

With this ride, all my dreams of ever taking part in an Ironman went down the drain...
Gone with the wind... Kaput...
I am not Ironman calibre.

There are people who won't train for a marathon.
But there is no way one can skip training and hope to complete an Ironman.

Cycling is my pet event, yet I struggled badly during the second half of the ride.
So many times, the temptation of flagging down a cab is there.

Here's the story...

Starting from my house at 7:05am, I have missed the 6:30am group and will probably get caught by the 7:00am group.

Plan is to ride straight to Mandai Shell and immediately onto the Kranji route, with that tiny hope of catching the 6:30am group.

Passing the Sembawang-Yishun traffic junction, I spotted 2 riders in the distance.
Tried as I might, I just could not close the gap.

Along Mandai Hill, I turned on the afterburners and went flying past the two riders.
The feeling of riding downhill at 47km/h is surreal...
I guess it is this kind of feeling that make riders give up their sleep to ride in the wee hours of the morning.

Spotted a latecomer at Mandai Shell and both of us started our chase together.
Lost the rider along Neo Tiew Road.
Proceed to ride through LCK Lane 3.
This stretch of road can really break a bike.
It add that Xterra feel to your ride.

Just as I am approaching Neo Tiew Road exit, the other JR rode out.
Tried to tally-ho but failed miserably.

Just before reaching Jln Buroh, I caught up with WaiJia and two other riders.
Woo hoo... I have finally caught up with the 6:30am group.
(It was at the Juice Bar that I got to know that the sweeper group spent a futile 20mins at Mandai Shell waiting for a new rider, which was actually riding ahead of them. =S)

Caught up with Ping Pong and Jes along Jln Buroh.
Ping Pong asked "7am group?"
Hehe, I answered "6:45am ride, solo ride. =D"

Saw a pack of 6 riders in front and started to give chase.
3 flyovers is enough to keep the gap constant between us.

When I got close enough during one of the traffic stop, my heart dropped.
One of the riders seems to be Stacy...
There is no way I can keep up with the lot.

Was dropped almost immediately after the light turns green.
Deja vu...

Along West Coast Flyover, Animal Matthew overtook me...
Haiz, the 7am group is here.

Rode directly to the Juice Bar and had my brekkie.

It wasn't long before the 2nd group of Tuas riders rode in.

Sang a b'day song for Calvin and soon we are on our way.

I rode ahead, as I know they will drop me along the way.

Everytime I rode into East Coast Service Road, it reminded me of Aviva IM 70.3.
Is that why it is my most memorable race?

The distance today felt extremely long.
It is to take me forever to reach CarPark E1 hawker center.
Car Park F2 seems to take forever...
Where is the entry to the park connector???

At the Changi Coastal traffic junction, I rode ahead while the two JR riders ahead of me waited for the rest of the group.

Within a few kms, I feel like throwing in the towel...
The headwind truly sucks...
I started to wonder how I even managed to complete 90km in a race...
I have only completed 75km and have stopped for brekkie.
Not enough mileage and the extremely hot weather seems to be the deciding factor.
I guess we were really blessed with good cloudy weather during the March race.
Would have been a total different story if the sun was out in full force on that day.

A shout from behind "Daniel, keep spinning!"
Geez, how did Joyce ever ride at this intensity day in day out.

The group soon disappear into the horizon and I am all alone...
Thoughts of quitting kept creeping in.
I am still a good 30km from home...
As my wife would always say, if you quit halfway, why even bother to start. =D
I persisted on...

Along Pasir Ris, I started yawning non-stop.
Geez... this must be the first time I yawned so much during a ride.
Decided to stop over at Elias Mall for coffee before continuing.

Felt much better after a rest, but the legs are weighing a ton each now...

Along West Camp Road, the entire torso started hurting...
Breathing became a chore...
Decided to take a break along Sungei Seletar.
I am about 3km from home but it has to be the longest 3km...
Am glad when I finally made it home.

Bintan Triathlon - No Go

Work related....

As long as I am working at my current workplace, Bintan Triathlon will be a No Go event for me. =(

Well, there will always be another Bintan Triathlon for me. =D

Which Primary School should Shannon attend?

Time to take down the poll.
Thanks for all the feedback.
Not too sure why, but the votes went from 28 to 14.

As far as I can recall, Northland tops the list with Pei Chun in 2nd place.
Northland is where we are intending to send Shannon after a long consideration.

But since Parents Volunteer Group is not an option, although I tried to sign up in early March, I will have to try my luck at balloting in Phase 2B.

This essentially put me out of Phase 2 for Pei Chun. =(
13 years is a long time for chauffeur services.

Cycling 22nd November 2009

After an entire week of non-exercise, I got permission to do a long ride on Sunday.

Left the house at 6:50am.
Was dismayed to find both cyclometer and watch are flat!!! =(
There is no way I can track my distance and time.....

After crossing under the BKE, was surprised to find that no riders have passed me yet.
Either I am early or I am late... There is no way to tell....

Decided to test out my theory of cruising from Mandai Hill Camp to Mandai Shell without pedalling for the 2nd time in as many weeks.
It truly works....
In fact, I still have some momentum left when I reach Mandai Shell... =D

There is an angmoh in JR jersey waiting, thus I checked if he is waiting for the 6:40am or 7am ride...
6:40am... Phew, I am early =D

The train soon arrive.
After a short brief, we rolled off in 2 packs.

Following the second pack, I find today's group more orderly than the last few rides...

We got stuck for a long time at the train crossing, thus all hope of tally-ho with the first pack has evaporated into the thin air.

Neo Tiew is pretty uneventful...
Everyone is riding in a single file. Great on all of u, mate...

Once out onto the Lim Chu Kang Road, I started to lead the group.
Intensity was high, but I cannot sustain the pace and was dropped mid-way through the stretch.

Last to roll in at the LCK re-grouping point. =S
After a quick water break, it is time to roll off again.

Along West Coast flyover, I started to draft other riders which rode past us and the whole group follow suit...
Suddenly, I heard Joyce called me out twice....
Turning back, I still see the group following closely, thus I continued pedalling. =p
At the traffic junction, Ping Pong told me to keep my pace consistent at 35kmh... Dun go beyond that.
Sorry, mate... No sense of speed today. =p

At the Clementi Road junction, Joyce lead the pack onto the second lane.
John and I were wondering "What happens to safety?"
The two of us decided to stay behind the long queue of trailers on the first lane.
When the light turns green, the group rolled off.
We never met up with the group again...
I just could not keep up.
John slowed to wait for me, but I waved him to go ahead...

Just before exiting onto Keppel Road, the 7am front quartet rode past me!!!
Boy, this guys are fast.
Hmm... probably not.
Today's 6:40am group is fast too, just that we spend lots of time waiting at the train crossing.

Proceed directly to Amoy Street Hawker Center for my One-Ton Noodles and MJ. =p

After brekkie, Ping Pong, John and I did a slow ride home.
Along the way, we encountered ultra strong headwind...
Geez, the strongest headwind I have encountered for a long time...

Cycling 14th November 2009

Woke up at 5am.
Rode down to pick up FA before proceeding to LH together.

4 merry gangsters made our way at a pretty good pace to CCK coffeeshop through Kranji for a hearty breakfast. =D

Cycling 13th November 2009

Woke up at 4am.
Rode down to Mandai Shell directly.

Spotted the train at the Yishun-Sembawang junction.
Kept pedalling and was ahead of them till I hit the end of the slope (End of barracks).
The entire peloton overtook me in a whiff.

Bringing up the rear is Evelyn and Looi.
Gosh, I am no match for someone 20 years my senior. =(

Rode into Mandai Shell with Joyce, who seems rather 'slow' today.

It was a steady paced ride till Clementi.
A ride I could not keep up with, right from the start. =(
It was literally just Joyce and me for most part of the ride with the peloton some distance in front.

At Dover Road, Joyce mentioned that she is tired.
I responded with "How not to feel tired if one ride six times a week!"
She exclaimed "Nice compliment, ah..." =D

Ivo and Looi has fallen back, so the quartet rode to West Coast Flyover.
At the flyover, it was back to Joyce and me again...

Ivo and Looi become specks in the horizon... =(

When we arrived at the Fuji Xerox Tower, only 4 riders were left.
Six of us proceed to the Juice Bar for a hearty breakfast before taking a slow ride home.

Cycling 8th November 2009

After 2 weeks of dormant inactivity, I decided to get the butt off the couch.
Was late for the 7:00 am LH ride.
Then I realised that it is for the better.... No more 7:00am ride for me.
Sped down to Mandai Shell to join the 6:40am gang...

Completed 9.4km in 18:08min at a pace of 31.5kmh. That is if my Polar can be trusted. =D
Anyway, he is what happened....
Just crossing the Sembawang traffic junction, I spotted a big group of riders.
Most of them are on MTBs.
Overtaking them was not difficult... It was fun... Somehow the 2 weeks of non-exercise was kind to me... It did not bit me hard in the butt... =p

After Old Mandai Road, I am left with the front two riders...
Silently, I made a move on the Pinarello rider while negotiating the slope. =D
It is tiring, but I managed to sneak past him. =p

It was just me and the front rider.
This one is a lot more trickier...
He is on a MTB, but he is no pushover.
I managed to overtake him before Mandai Lake Road.
When I turned back to check, he was in my draft! =D
Haha.... this guy is good...
How I prefer the pre-dawn rides where I can spot the draftee using our shadows. =D

It was a 2-way then 3-way tussle as the lead exchanged hands a couple of times.
Alas, good things never last long and I just could not keep up with both riders...
The ride is just crazy, but it is fun...

A check on the group as they rode in...
Hmm... all MTB are hard-tails with road wheels and slick tyres. The roadies are ...
These guys aren't to be trifled with. =D

While waiting for the JR train, the CWX riders rode in...
Haiz...
Somehow I just do not like the group...
A couple of riders rode in without helmets...
They think they are Special Forces or what...
Even Special Forces guys are smart enough to wear a half-head helmet...
One crack on the head and good luck to them... Is it worth it?
Which begs an answer to a question... Was the cyclist who died in Kranji many years ago , due to an aggressive bus driver, wearing a helmet?

Adrian rode in and was surprised to see me...
Hehe... yeah, I usually do not ride Sundays...
But right now, Sundays seems like the only good time to ride...

The group was split into two. I started right at the back of the first group.
Pace was good.
Along Kranji, spotted Kah Han and Winnie doing their secret training. =)
Wenrui rode alongside me on his motor bike!!!
Haha, we have a special sweeper today.

After Kranji Bridge, the two riders in front of me could not stay with the group, thus I stayed with them.
The one in front seems to be struggling...
I went forward to take a look at his gears...
That was when he started to throw me a disgusted look, even before I have uttered a single word...
I will leave it at that...
Tried to catch up with the rest of the group, but was blocked by 3-4 cars...
On a single lane road in Neo Tiew, there is nothing you can do then to hope that the cars break off soon.

Once the cars broke off at LCK Lane3, I tried my best to catch up...
But they are always a step ahead...
Was truly surprised that after climbing the last slope before the LCK exit, the group has totally disappeared from view...
Wow... did I really climbed that slowly...
Before the climb, I was just 100m behind...

Turning into LCK, it was time to do catch up...
The cogs are turning, but the pace and speed is not there.

I literally rode alone for almost the entire stretch of LCK.
Along the way, spotted WenRui and SL.
WenRui is doing pacing for SL! *Faint*
What kind of training regime is that???

John from the second group caught up with me and we raced each other for a short while.
Now you know how bad my fitness is... Even the 2nd group is too fast for me...

When the group saw me approaching, they started moving off.
Geez... how many times have that happened...
It must have been "Ah, Daniel our last rider is here, let's move off" =(

Caught up with the group at the next traffic junction.
Spoke to Peter. Told him that I will be turning off along Jurong West.
He looked puzzled cos after 2 traffic junctions, I am still riding forward.
When I turned at the intended traffic junction, I realised my mistake.
It is "Boon Lay Way"! =p
So close yet so far.... =D

Rode past Botanical Gardens, Mount Pleasant Road home.

A pleasant ride...

Crisis Mode!!!

Enuff said!!!

Thoughts....

Has been reminiscing for the past few days.

It still amaze me how I started my sporting life...

Haha... you guys must have seen this tagline once in a while, but to me everytime I think of it, it is from a different angle, thus everything felt so fresh. =)

This time around, it is more focused on friendship...
Without getting into running and triathlons, it is basically just work and family.
There was a time where I did wonder how people expand their social life when everything revolves around work and family.

Plunging into sports, I get to meet lots of people.
People from all walks of life.
I know people from races, organised weekly runs as well as readers from my own blog. =D

CBD was my favourite run. Always looking forward to the can of 100-Plus after the run. Thanks, bro.

Alas, when Novena Velocity Running Lab started organising their Tuesday runs, I jumped ship. =D
One, cos I dun need to pay ERP.
Two, it is nearer to home.
Three, I dun need to be wary of the large hat aunties who are still working at those unearthly hours. =D

All good things must come to an end and I have to forgo all organised runs when Joanne got preggie. =)

2008 is a blur to me...
I think it is just race after race after race...

2009... First half of the year was concentrated on training for my two major races.
Inevitably, it is due to the surge in morning rides that got me noticed among JR riders.
It was not meant to be a strategic move, but I started replacing runs with bike mileage.
Surprisingly, it truly helps...
Till date, RSR still cannot believe that a person can train for the Half-Ironman just by training on one discipline. =p
Not the best way to train, but I scrapped through...
Hopefully, next year will see some changes...

Got my first ever disciple when Kai contacted me for an orientation ride with JR.
Did another ride together before Kai disappeared with the wind. =D

Rode with Min for a Botanical Gardens Ride and she too disappeared with the wind right after that ride. =D

Oh well, the thoughts will end here....

3rd November 2009

Waking up at 1am, I tried my best to plonk back to sleep without success.
Still wide awake at 4am, I ponder on whether to go for the Tuesday ride.

Go and risk yawning the whole day.
Dun go and missed out on a wonderful ride.

With a morning date tomorrow, I decided to pass....
I guess Tuesday rides are just not meant to be. =p

Marathons

Marathons today has evolved from a premier event to a public event for the masses....

Some marathons globally does implement cut-off time and qualifying time, but in Singapore the organisers have yet to done so.

Sundown Marathon, the organisers has implicitly specified a cut-off time of 15 hours for the ultra-marathons, which means that full marathoners will have a cut-off time of 10 hours.

As for Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, most hard-cored marathoners are disappointed that no cut-off time is imposed.

Even then, most marathoners wanted the cut-off time to be in their comfort zone, which is typical Singaporean Selfish attitude.

5:30 hours
6:00 hours
6:30 hours - Ironman Cut-off time, if you maxed out your swim and run cut-off time.
7:00 hours - which one marathoner felt that if the organisers imposed such a "long" cut-off time, they are better off not having one.

A recent article in the New York Times "Plodders Have a Place, but Is It in a Marathon?" reveals a hairy situation that race organisers are facing.

It requires a huge budget to organise a marathon.
It becomes a delicate task of managing expectations.

Increase revenue means no cut-off time.
Cater to the elitists means raising the registration fees.

In fact, by reading the Editors' comments, one can really sense the pride that every marathoner felt in completing a marathon.

Excerpts from some of the comments :-

"I'm a 2:40 marathon runner and I am proud to toe the line with anyone who plans to complete 26.2 miles. I don't understand how these sub-5 hour runners are turning their noses up to the plodders and don't expect the same treatment from those finishing in 2:30. At the end of the day, we all cover the same course and get to enjoy our own experiences. Don't diminish other peoples achievements just because you want to keep the bragging rights for yourself. Congratulations to anyone that has finished or is training to finish 26.2 miles. You're all marathoners in my book."

"I can see why faster, more "elite" athletes may be frustrated with the slower athletes at some of these events, but given the current state of health of so many people in this country I think it is ridiculous to criticize people for participating in these athletic events. We should be encouraging more people to train and participate in races and make fitness a part of their routine."

"In my experience, runners welcome anyone who wants to put one foot in front of the other, mile after mile. I ran, I walked, I staggered--I will never be able to say to anyone, no matter what their finish time, that they didn't really "run" a marathon. If anyone thinks running 26.2 miles "not a big deal," please come join me for my next marathon."
Tish Hamilton - Executive Editor, Runner's World magazine

"If a more serious venue is desired, let them go to the ultramarathons or try an Ironman triathlon. No plodders there."

"Elitists exist in every sport and every realm, and I think they need to remember their achievements are only good in relation to the rest of us, and that there is more honor in being humble about their achievements than in trying to rub it in our collective faces."

A New Blog Layout

Simply sianz of my blog layout...
Had wanted to change it for eons, but cannot find the time to sit down and figure out how to re-do everything all over again.

Anyone can help?

3-column
A monthly calendar
A simpler "Roll of Honours"
A simpler Race Calendar

WordPress seems like a better place...
Easy to add widgets and plug-ins...
Time to migrate?

DNC

After being conned by the weather in the morning, I decided to go for an evening run.
800m into the run, I started breaking into cold sweat.
Not too sure what is happening, but I dun feel ill at all.
Decide to continue after some walking.
The situation did not improve at all.
Decided to call it a day.
Had wanted to walk the remaining 5km, but decided that turning back would be a better option.

While walking home, I started to run a self-diagnostic test.
Everthing seems ok....
Ohh... I did an un-holy thing soon after the run, but that was truly un-intentional.

Quitting is never easy... but you can always run another day...
I quit after 1.4km...
It had to be extremely hard for Burnz who had completed a full marathon distance and have to call it quits during TNF100.

Thoughts started to swing to IMWA again...
I got the green light...
Now is a matter of when...
Dare to Dream... I guess it is a Good Sign?

TNF and IM

Seen awe-inspiring moments these few weeks.

First it was Ironman Kona, where I literally sat in front of the computer watching the pros fight it out.

Last weekend, I viewed the many photos taken of The North Face 100 race.

It makes me start to wonder if when I can make those moments "MY MOMENTS"! =)

The fire has truly died after completing Aviva IM 70.3 Singapore and Sundown Marathon, but it has mysteriously re-ignited through those Kodak moments.

It just makes me wonder if I have what it takes to make it happen.

First and foremost, I will have to do more runs..... A mental barrier which I have to overcome.

I won't sign up for Ironman if I do not complete a sub-6 for a Full Marathon.

This is based on the same theory as to how I sign up for Aviva Ironman 70.3.

Cos if I maxed out on both Swim and Bike in the IM, I have only 6.5 hours to complete a marathon.

I shall call this Project 2020.... Sounds good eh.... =p

As for TNF100, I am pretty keen to do TNF50 Duo...

But I shall make my decision closer to registration date next year.
Haha... then next, I will have to find a partner. =D Haha.... Any takers?

Cycling 25th October 2009

Can still feel the lactic acid in the legs today.
That is the result of not exercising regularly and proceed to do a race. =p

After marking sure that the kids are okay, I proceed to Mandai Shell to join JR for the 7am ride.

I have just crossed the Sembawang-Mandai traffic junction when the group caught up with me.

The group just cycled past and I could not keep up with them. =(
Point to note : Do not join the 7am ride. =D Get up 20mins early and do the 6:40am ride instead.

Mandai Road has never felt so so so so so so l...o...n...g

Reached Mandai Shell and was chatting with L when I received a piece of juicy news. =)
L and DB are an item. =)
L mentioned that they actually posted it on their FaceBook. =)
Cool!!! It is always good for couples to be open about their relationship. =)
Hehe... I never thought of checking DB's FaceBook profile when she mentioned it to me a few weeks back.
I was just wondering who her boyfriend is. =D
I truly wish both of them the best. =)
Hope to hear their wedding bells in a few years' time. =)

Turning into Kranji, I had to shout my voice hoarse "SINGLE FILE!!!"
A few riders still ride in pairs.
It is a single lane road and it is definitely not a good idea to ride in pairs.
Even when L and I echo "Car back", these errant riders still won't budge.
Oh well....

I managed to hang on to the group till we crossed the Kranji Bridge.
Battling the slopes in Neo Tiew, I slowly lost ground.

Decided to take a shortcut through Lim Chu Kang Lane 3.

Riding through LCK Lane 3 for the first time in broad daylight, I count my lucky stars that I made it out alive during the previous encounter.

No wonder I wobbled so badly during that morning ride.
The road is in very bad condition...
Should I give LTA a call to re-surface the road?
The tarmac looks like it has not been surfaced for ages.

Riding past LCK Lane 1, I managed to spot the group riding out of Neo Tiew Road.
Catching them proves to be tricky though... The group just keep spinning away.

Whenever I caught up with the last rider, the rider turns out to be from another group. =(
Was pleasantly surprised that the whole group is waiting for me at the regroup point.
Thanks guys!!!

I must have sufficiently warmed up or they had cooled down too much cos I find the going slightly easier.
Third in the pack, I turned into Jalan Buroh SPC only to see the rest of the group rode past!!!

Hmm... why din they stop here today?
So far the group has always stopped here when we rode past here. =/

Proceed to chase the group...
Just when I thought I am closing the gap, the 2 subsequent flyovers proved to be my nemesis... =(

Geez... I have ridden this stretch a couple of times, but today's route really seems darn long.
It sure ain't fun when your pace is constantly between 33kmh to 40kmh....

Onto West Coast Flyover, I managed to catch sight of the group. (Or so I thought)
Although I managed to close the gap, it wasn't till the end of West Coast Flyover that I managed to overtake them.

Rode past Otto and Double-A (Anne and Alvin).

Continued at a steady pace towards Juice Bar.
The gang are almost done with their brekkie.

Quickly bought and consumed my sinful breakfast feast. =p
As I was laying down my chopsticks, the gang is ready to left...
Oh my, they are sure in a hurry...

Up C-One and started to chase after the group.
With many riders this morning, it wasn't hard to find someone who is going your way. =D

We have a dozen or more riders who are heading back to Longhouse. Cool!!!
Riding along Novena, we were greeted with a slight drizzle, prompting everyone to pick up pace.
All prefer to touch base before the sky open up on us. =D

Parted ways with the group along Marymount Road.
Up North, the roads are dry.
Hehe... my prayers are answered. =p

Took a slow steady ride home... The only relaxed ride I had done on the entire trip so far. =D

Hmm... it sure is an auspicious day today. I spotted close to a dozen wedding cars throughout my whole ride this morning.

...

In case you guys have been wondering what has been happening of late...

My new working schedule is hectic and erratic.
Thus there will be weeks where there will be no training logs at all... Cos no training mah. =D

It is inevitable. Work comes first.
I am glad that I have started to feel bored with doing too many races and I am enjoying the break.

2010 should see me doing only multi-sports races.
Even then, I am not anxious to sign up.
There is no telling which weekend I will be activated...

I am getting disillusioned with both the SGRunners and JoyRiders forum...
Sad to say... the jokers in SGRunners are finding it fun to create havoc in JoyRiders as well....

Blogging has taken a backseat...
Blog entries usually comes very late where I had forgotten most of the juicy stuff even though I tried to pen down my thoughts in point form right after training.

Had wanted to adopt the style of other bloggers.
Monday ...
Tuesday ...
Wednesday ...
...

But as BFF points out, BORN FREE has become so much of me, that I may just lose my own identity if I ever stopped blogging and change my form of blogging.

So yeah... BORN FREE is here to stay. =)

Nike Human Race 10K+

When the registration opens for the race, I was not enthusiastic to sign up at all.
But I was tempted to know what the hype is all about Nike branded race.
Clicking on the registration pages, I was ready to back out.
The organisers is none other than Hi-Velocity....
Somehow or rather, I still managed to complete the registration and paid the fees. =/

My race was left in jeopardy though as I was scheduled to work this Saturday.
It wasn't till Friday afternoon that I know that I am able to do the Nike Human Race after all. =)

Went down to the race together with my sister who will be doing the race with her friends.

Took me 4:30 mins to cross the Start Line...

First thought that came to mind.
This is a branded race.... Everyone is doing it cos it is N.I.K.E.!!!
Haha... naturally it attracts a lot of young adults.

There are quite a number of gate crashers.
Most of the gate crashers wore red. Mizuno, GE10K etc...
But there are some who stood out in the crowd in their blue, white and non-red singlets...
Wonder why the security din stop them from entering the race site at all???

It was a good start.
At 1.5km, I began running behind a gal.
Somehow, I still felt that gals tends to have a more constant pace.
I tried to pass her a few times, but found it hard. Pretty pretty hard...
So there we were, running like Craig and Andreas (in my dreams)... =D

Along National Stadium, there was a marshall who keeping calling out "Climb here, climb here"
While my pacer climb across the barrier, I continue on to see if the road and pavement will merge.
Ran all the way to the first water point, where I stopped and walked while drinking.
Haha... my nemesis...
Not motivated to run anymore...

It was made worse when you can see hordes of runners on the opposite side of the road and not seeing where the U-turn is.

While walking, I am thinkng what will be the race feedback in SGRunners.
Oh well, I dun really care.
It has been ages since I logged in and I din even subscribed to the thread, so there is no way I will know...
I will prefer to have the memories of SGRunners as I like it.
The camaraderie, the people I have known and met from the forum.

Nonetheless, I start forming in my mind the words that I will say if the comments are bad...
"If you ever hate walkers, DO NOT TAKE PART IN 10KM RACES."

Walked and ran to the second water point located at the 5km mark.
There were too few tables and volunteers.
I ended up behind the volunteers pouring the drinks myself.
I swear that I would have helped out with the water point if I did not have a schedule to meet today.
I need to be home by 10am.

Meet an army friend at the 6km water point and we continued our race walking from that point onwards.
He started his running journey during Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008...
He has lost more than 10kg since.
Hmm... sounds familiar? =)

Spend the next 4km catching up and walked across the Finish Line together. =)

Went to collect my drink.
While walking towards the Nike Booth, I wonder what are the other runners holding in their hands.
Geez, it is the Finisher's band.
Went back to the Finish Point to get it before proceeding home.

Nike Human Race 10K+ Results

Official Timing : 1h 34m 31s

Cycling 17th October 2009

Woke up early and make my way to Longhouse via Lentor Ave.
Caught up with JK Han and rode to LH together.

Reaching LH at 5:30am, the group is still hanging around.
With no honcho leading the pack... everyone waited for one another to take the lead.
Finally someone rode out at 5:38am and everyone followed.

Managed to follow the group all the way to Sembawang slopes.
Lost the group climbing the Mandai slope.
.....Just when I thought I could follow through.... =(
400m had never felt so long....=(

By the time I reached Mandai Shell, the group was long gone.
Guess everyone is rushing to do the 6:40am ride...

With a handful of riders, we make our way back to Longhouse.

I tried my best to shepherd the group together.
But with the erratic pace of the riders, I soon gave up.

Reached LH at 6:47am. The 6:40am group has already left.
Had my brekkie and joined the 7:00am group for the ride to the East.

Managed to hang on to the group till Jalan Kayu.
Turning into SengKang West Avenue, I lost the group.
I am physically tired after the hilly Yio Chu Kang terrain.
Was about to beat myself up when I realised that all the other riders are on a fresh pair of legs. =D

Took a shortcut through SengKang.
Proceed to turn right into Hougang for home. =)

Cycling 14th October 2009

While riding out from my house this morning, a Black Cat walked across my path....
Oh No!!! I better watch my steps today....

Took a slow ride to Mandai Shell.
5:22am. No one has arrived at Mandai Shell yet.
Proceed to do 2 short loops.

Along Woodlands Road, Victor and I took the lead.
Pace was 33kmh...
Gosh... my heart rate went into overdrive.
I have not ride at such intensity for such a long distance for quite a while.
Commented to Victor that Peter isn't here. Else he will definitely complain, cos it is a Wednesday. =D

While the group proceed towards Clementi, I turned off towards Bukit Timah.
Haha... the black cat stigma still lingers, so I was not too keen to go aero today.

Took Newton Road - Novena Road home.

It was meant to be a quiet ride home, till I encounter some drama along Ang Mo Kio Ave 6.

Missiles were launched and I felt something hitting my back.
Stopped to see what happened...

Geez.... 2 water bottles were lying in the middle of the road.
A taxi was speeding towards me... I was praying that he will miss my precious water bottles.

Phew... He managed to see the bottles and disaster was averted. =D

After retreiving my water bottles, I went back to check my bike.
Everything looks alright...

But when I started to ride off, something just dun feels right.
Geez, I got a flat...

Proceed to fixed the tire.
Haha... another tube changing training session.
15 mins...
Gotta to speed up next time.
Every second counts in a race. =D *Touch Wood*

Surprisingly, I was not able to inflate the tire much.
With a relatively flat tire, I proceed with cycle home.
A check when I reached home.... 30 psi!!!.
Gotta use a better bike pump for races in the future.

With limited time left, it is another rush to prep for work... =D

Question : Does anyone believe in the black cat theory?

...

Was having a chat with BFF and a question pops up : "Do we get attracted to a certain type of people of the opposite gender?"

Hmmm... I sure think so...
Haha... I never realise that. =)
But it always needs 2 hands to clap.
Getting along well with each other means that the other "half" have to be comfortable with your presence too. =)

Next question : "Will it leads to something more complex?"

Not a chance!
Why?
First, it needs 2 hands to clap.
Two, I have the essence of a wonderful marriage.
Three, I can be so direct with my comments that it will slice through you like a knife. (Friends says I am too blunt, too tactless.)

Last question : "Is it wrong for a married person to admire someone else?"

Interestingly, this is a question I have been asking my spouse occassionally.
Both of us agree that there is nothing wrong with admiring someone.

IM Kona 2009 Bike Count

Cervelo – 462
Scott – 109
Specialized – 93
Felt – 92
Trek – 90
Kuota – 85
Cannondale – 68
Orbea – 56
Kestrel – 54
QR – 52

Hehe... Time for me to fascinate myself with the figures again.

Cervelo - 462
Scott + Specialized + Felt + Trek + Kuota - 469

Ironman

While watching Ironman Kona "LIVE", I wonder out loud if I will be crazy enough to attempt a Full Ironman when the kids are older.

"Why not?" seems to be the unanimous answer.

Will I ever find the courage to do so?

Cycling 9th October 2009

As usual, I just could not get myself to make my way to Longhouse.
Proceed directly to Mandai Shell and took a breather while waiting for the group to appear.

Chatted with Winnie during the break before catching up with Adri along Woodlands Road.

This is Adri's first weekday ride and with a huge stroke of luck I was able to make it for the Clementi Loop. ;)

Adri overtook the first two riders, inevidently taking the lead and pulling the group. =D
We rode together till Hume Ave when hell broke loose.
I lose her in the fray, but having briefed her on the route the day before, I am certain she will catch up.

After UniSIM, I rode at a leisurely pace while waiting for Adri to catch up.
Being a hilly route to West Coast Road, we got separated several times.
Turning left into West Coast Road, Kah Han and I were the only rear group riders who
managed to clear the traffic junction in time.

Rode and chat together for a while before Kah Han decided to chase the group.

Adri managed to catch up along West Coast Flyover.
Winnie had a flat and both Winnie and Joyce requested Adri to proceed, although she offered to stay back to help.

We rode together to Fuji Xerox Towers to wait for the ladies to join us.
When the ladies did not appear after a few minutes, the group proceed on their way.

After sending the rest of the group home one by one, it was just Siew Yee and me.
When the chat is over, SY decided to push up the tempo after Prata Hill....
The pace hover around 35kmh.
Geez... 2 days ago, I could not even climb Prata Hill properly, forcing myself to make a detour to Lentor Avenue and today I got pushed so hard so fast. =D

Bid SY farewell at Sembawang-Yishun junction before proceeding home.

Cycling 7th October 2009

Leaving the house at 4:44am, I was hoping that I can still make it to LH in time. =p
Hit Jalan Lembah Thomson and saw the group riding past.

Stopped and checked to see if my guest is within the pack.
Not sighting her, I decided to take a water break.
A rider pulled up at the bus stop...

"Are you okay?", I asked.
Did not get a response.
Asked a second time, no response... So I just let it be.

When she rode past, the rider queried "Daniel?"
Looking through my foggy glasses, I could not make out who she was.

After my water break, I gave chase.
Haha... it was Jeslynda....
She is riding a road bike now...
A few weeks ago, she was just talking about getting a road bike in December....

Seeing her struggling on the bike, I decided to stay with her and gave her some pointers.
Very soon, the group rode out of sight...

By the time we reached Mandai Shell, the group has left.

After the warm up, Jes decided to give me some hard time along Bukit Timah.
Hitting 35kmh, she managed to maintain the speed for almost the entire stretch of Bukit Timah road.
As if that ain't enough, she hit 30kmh along the rolling stretches Lornie Road.
Where did the gal get the energy from?
Does boozing really helps?

Parting ways at LH, I made my way home...
Without company, the pace dropped to a horrendous 20kmh...
With little or no exercise for the past few months, I am not surprised by the lack of fitness...
Just a week of no exercise, the fitness dropped a couple of notches...Very obvious duing my bike rides....

When I could not climb Prata Hill comfortably, I abandoned all thoughts of conquering Sembawang slopes.
Took a right turn into Yio Chu Kang Road and took Lentor Avenue home.
Sembawang Hills will have to wait for another day. =D

IRONMAN KONA HAWAII 2009

Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles!
Brag for the rest of your life!

First time Kona competitors: 395

Female: 508 (27.4%)
Men: 1345 (72.6%)
Total number of competitors : 1853

There are 58 countries represented.

Friends...

Spend some private time while driving to ponder over some stuff...

Realise it is very silly of me to worry about lost acquaintances... =D
I will stop worrying about them and focus on the wonderful friends I had. =)

Sometimes, it is quite amazing how you made friends and how the friendship develops...

I guess it all boils down to chemistry and some fate....

Interesting, the few friends I am going to mention here are all ladies.

It is interesting to know how one of our friendship develops. =D
I started out without a good impression of her. (Of course she din know that initially.) =D
But as time goes by, we become best of friends.
She would be the one that I would turn to if I need a lady's opinion. =D

A very special friend whom I manage to finally meet up after many long years...
I was skeptical when we first "met". =D
But when I realised that she just need a listening ear... I was all ears. =D
We lost touch over the years and Sean brought us back together again. =D Haha, sounds like a scandal brewing eh... =D

The third lady...
We both agree that it is fate that brought us together as friends. =)

These three ladies... they do share a special link...
Maybe that is what has drawn me to them? =)

Running 27th September 2009

One of those rare moments...
Decided to go for a run after missing out on my morning bike and swim.

Settled into a pace pretty fast.
Managed to complete 4km with pushing my heart rate too high.
At my pace of 7:30min/km, I can't even catch up with an uncle pushing a bike...
Everything came undone when I chiong-ed up the slope...
Argh...

Run and walk to Bottle Tree where I took a break...
Was running back home after the break when I felt the urgency to turn back.
Haha... the last time I launch an airstrike during a run was before I joined SGRunners...

SGRunners.... a forum that left me with some good and bad memories.
The bad memories haunted me during this run...
I am curious to know the outcome...

After clearing the load, I dun seems to be able to run again...
The knees started to hurt...
I din encounter any problems during my AHM, so why now...
Could it be that my break was too long?

Did a long 4km walk to the nearest bus stop to board a bus home...

Cycling 26th September 2009

Waking up at 5am, it is a mad rush getting out of the house at 5:30am.
Training has become a luxury...
Hume Ave and Lornie Flyover has become Everest...
Even my favourite Mandai stretch is becoming a chore.

Reached Mandai Shell with plenty of time to spare.
Chatted with Siew Yee, rather than do extra loops. =p

The group rolled in. They are on their way pretty soon...
Looks like everyone is catching the 6:40am ride?

Waited for Calvin to roll in before proceeding on the way.
Rode with the guys till some of them got caught at the Bukit Panjang traffic junction.

Chatted with Matthew till he turned right at the fire station.

It was kinda of lonely ride back to LH.
Rolled in to LH, scanned for familiar faces, seen none and I am out again...
Did even stop to take a break. =D

Spotted a group of riders wearing similar jerseys riding ahead and decided to join them.
Must be a darn new outfit, cos I have never seen them before.
Turned out to be the BnB group riders.
Can imagine the camaraderie that was built during those 320km...
Was invited to join them for the ride to F1 race site, but had to turn them down as I need to be home by 8am.

Turned back at Mandai Shell.
All in all, a good ride.

Cycling 21st September 2009

With the need to gain back my fitness and given the limited opportunities to ride for these few weeks, I decided to try the long ride this morning.

Waking up at 2am, popping back to sleep at 4am, it was a struggle for me to get up at 5:45am to prep for the ride.
By the time I decided to roll out of the bed, it was already 6:15am!!!

It was a mad dash to LH to meet up with Adri for the ride.

The group is huge today.
Some of the hardcore riders really surprised me...
They did 150km+ at Desaru yesterday and is still present for the punishment this morning.

The pace was great today.
It was at a controlled pace all the way to Mandai Shell.
But due to the large number of riders, the group overflowed into the second lane at times...

Met up with Sandy, only to discover that Adri had rolled ahead with the front group!

Turning into Kranji, I could see the group about 400m ahead.
The gap never narrowed and I lost the group after the Neo Tiew bridge.

Hitting end of Lim Chu Kang, Chan-Kilo was waiting for us.
He mentioned that the group left about 5 minutes ago.

Going ahead and waiting for the group to catch up, I stopped at the Jln Buroh traffic junction.
(Definitely not the safest place to wait for riders)

After waiting for 5 minutes and no one turned up, I decided to turn left into Jln Buroh.

Cycled past SPC going towards Shell (or so I thought), before I realised that this SPC petrol kiosk is the one that the riders always stopped for drinks.... =S

The group was rolling off, my bottles are dry, so I proceed to fill up my bottle before I wait out for Adri whom I din see in the group that left.

Sam told me that the departing group was the one that skipped Tuas.

Tuas riders will be 30-40 mins apart.
ETA ? Another 10 more minutes.

A look at my watch told me that I have grossly under-estimated my distances.
I am in the middle of nowhere and I have 2 hrs before my next appoinmentt at 11am.
Was supposed to be home by 10am!!!
Superman can do that. I can't. =S

The group rolled in around 9am..
Croc Raymond was the last rider (which I am sure isn't) to ride in, 5 mins behind.
A check with him confirmed that the last rider was a tall gal in a Cervelo....
CHAM!!!

While the group rolled off at 9:15am , I am torn.
To wait for Adri? But I do not know how lost she is.
She has never been to this part of Singapore.
Or proceed ahead...
A call and a SMS din get any reply....
Rode off reluctantly with the last 3 riders, hoping that she could catch a cab home.
Sorry, Adri... Truly sorry.

I am still pretty lost myself, as I need to find the shortest route home now.
Hit Clementi and did a reverse Clementi route home.

Haha... when time is of the essence, you literally forget the pain....
Did a race pace ride home... =D
Good ride, Everyone!
Thanks!

Cycling 19th September 2009

Rushed down to LH...
Gotta clock the miles.

The group rode by.
It happened so fast, I dun even recall where I made the U-turn.
Had to be somewhere between LongHouse and Sin Ming Drive.

Again, I climbed Prata Hill quickly.
Christina and Stefano must be shaking their heads looking at this crazy climber.

Today, the entire pack overtook me after Prata Hill.
Hello... today is Saturday... this cannot be true!!!

I am catching fireflies again.
On a Saturday? That gotta be a first. =D

I am dead beat and we are only 3km into the ride.

Reached Mandai Shell and the group is gone.
Other than the Pinoy Brothers, only a handful of riders are there.

Peihua, Calvin, Jeslynda and Wilson rode in soon after.

Right at the turn into Woodlands Road, Joo Mong had a flat.
After passing him my spare tube, I had second thoughts...
This is his seven flat in as many weeks...

Another case to note, I am running low on spare tubes.
I am giving away more spare tubes than I am using....
Haiz.....
Sometimes I should really stop being a good Samaritan.

What really irks me at times is seeing riders who spends thousands of dollars on their bike but is too stingy to buy spare tubes.
(There is this competitor who has a flat during Tri-Factor Triathlon. Immediately, he whipped out his Pit Stop and started shouting out for spare tubes??? A Pit Stop is only good for one tube, if any of you have any doubt. Derek Too was the good Samaritan who gave him the spare tube.)

I guess this is uniquely Singapore.
The same had to go for Singapore drivers...
They can buy the biggest cars on the road, but will lament at the ERP, parking, fuel prices etc.

Not rushing for the 7am ride, we took a slow ride back to Longhouse.
Managed to see more things cos of the brighter daylight and the slow pace.

Had my brekkie before proceeding home.

Cycling 18th September 2009

Lamenting on the lack of fitness is enough motivation for me to make my way to Longhouse today.

Just as I was crossing the streets into LH, the group rode out so I hang on and rode with the front pack.

Climbing Prata Hill always seems much easier now, but I buang right after the climb.

Most of the riders overtook me after Prata Hill with the rest of the riders doing so after Sembawang slopes.

By the time we reached Old Mandai Road exit, the fireflies were far ahead.

Taking into account that Friday rides are not as demanding as Thursday, that explains how bad my fitness was. =D
I was practically riding alone from Old Mandai Road to Mandai Shell without spotting anyone ahead...

Reached Mandai Shell and the group started tearing down the streets again. =D
Din even have time for a water break...

Just under the KJE flyover, I was able to overtake the group who stopped during the red lights.
Hehe...sometimes it does helps to be a slow rider and the traffic lights changed in your favour. =D

6 riders in the front pack.
4 in CWX jerseys, while Rynn and I stood out in our JR jerseys. =D

By the time we hit the Rail Mall, only about 10 of us were left.
Most of the other riders must have been caught at the various traffic lights.

Caught up with Rynn before we split at the Clementi Flyover.

Along Bukit Timah Road, I went into sprint mode.
Managed to maintain 40kmh for 1km...
Aiyoh, I wasn't even halfway to the Eng Neo traffic light.
Again, I can sense and see another rider's in my draft.
It no longer surprised me... I just hope that I can draft other riders at 40kmh though. =d

Highlight to the rider that I am going straight towards Novena and was surprised the rider followed.
Turned out that Mike stayed at the Novena area. =D

After saying our byes, I proceed to U-turn at Newton and made my way home. =D

Tri Factor Triathlon Results

Swim 1.5km - 44m 41s 345/381 (90.55%)
T1 + Bike 36km + T2 - 1h 19m 24s 190/381 (49.9%)
Run 10km - 1h 23m 58s 367/381 (96.3%)
Overall - 3h 28m 02s 337/381 (88.5%)

337 out of 381 Tri-Factor Triathlon 2009 Olympic Distance Open Male Finishers

Haha.... the time spent in transition still sucks... Close to 9 mins. =D

Cycling 17th September 2009

Things that I forget...

Pump road tires
Went back to pump

Helmet
Went back to get...

Shades
Went back to retrieve

Water bottles
Sure buang, so die die have to go back and get....

Imagine how many times I had to make my way home...

Rear blinkers....
Heck lah.... Use one of my front lights as rear blinker lor....

Out along Mandai Road, I realised that I forgot
1) Halo Headband
2) Bike Pump
3) Bento box

No wonder my bike felt so light when I got out of the house. =D

Travelling along Yishun Ave 2, I am wondering if I will be late for the ride.

It turns out to be... Perfect timing... =D
I caught the group right at the junction again.
Once again I ride at the rear, trying to suck the second last rider's wheel.
It only lasted as long as the slope.
I lost the group after the slope.

The gap just got wider and wider.
Irregular rides has really robbed me of my fitness...
By the time I reach Mandai Hill Camp, I can only catch a glimpse of some rear blinkers in the horizon!!!

Almost crashed just before Mandai Shell when a rider cooling down u-turned back right across my lane.

Right after I rolled in, Joyce did a headcount and we rolled off again. =/
Time to rely on my drinking skill on the move...

While most of the riders turned towards Kranji, about 8 of us rode along Woodlands.
It was a steady ride all the way to Hume Ave where I ran out of breath conquering the slope.
Win already lor... first slope and I peng san already.
Deja vu....
The group started pedalling further and further away...
Turning into Bukit Timah Road, the group has disappeared...
Oh my my my... time to buck up and go for more rides...

Lightning flashes across the sky once again.
A weather forecast check this morning has indicated that rain will come only in the late morning...
Soon a drizzle approaches.

Took the short loop through Lornie Road.
Do not wish to get caught up in the thunderstorm as experienced recently.

By the time I hit Sembawang Road, the drizzle has passed...
Had plans to do a short Old Mandai Road loop, but shelved the plan.

Got home, cleaned my bike before chionging to work. =D

Tri Factor Triathlon

Having ride once for the past two weeks, I am certain I will suffer BIG time...

Woke up at 4am, I did everything slowly and time flies...
6am... I finally open my race pack and prep for the race.
Could it be a case of race overdoze... I can't be bothered to prep for races till the last minute.

Out of the house by 6:30am, I flew to the race site.
It was still very early (7:10am) when I get my race gear all laid out.

Met Edwin, Benjamin, Marcus, Croc Raymond, Kah Han and Winnie.
My race neighbour today is Roy, the winner of Hong Kah Endurance Challenge. =)
Nice meeting you again, mate. =)

Got questioned by the official about my the Road ID... =S

The race started exactly at 7:45am.
The race is heating up very fast.
After the first buoy, the weak swimmers were all left behind.
I was uncomfortable with the 5-minutes interval between waves and I was proven right.
Having survived the first round of kicking, I got one huge kick fest when the second wave overtook me.
Completed the first lap in 21mins.

Second swim lap...
I lost count of the number of waves that overtook me.
I just know that whenever part of an entire wave tries to overtake me, it become a kick fest.
Some swimmers are pure idiots. I am swimming beside the ropes and they insist on overtaking on the left when there is already not much space left.

Witness a breast stroker who was leading his wave. Impressive...
In fact, there was quite a number of very strong breast strokers today.

Completed the second lap in a total time of 44 mins.

Running to the transition point, I find it a wonderful relief that there is no overhead bridge to pass.

Insistent on not doing another horrendous transition timing, I stuff the entire Performance Bar and try to swallow it.
Roy looked at me in digust. =p

Together with Roy, we made our way out onto the East Coast Service Road to start our bike leg.
But I was no match for him. He reached the Service Road 20m ahead of me. =D

I targeted to keep pace with Roy. But I only managed as far the U-turn point at the National Sailing Center where I lost sight of him.

Learnt a few things during the bike leg...

One... it no longer matter which hand reach for the aerobars first. The fear of crashing must have played tricks on me. The fear is missing during the race

Two... retrieving and putting bottles from either the seat tube or the rear hydration system din prove a problem. During OSIM, I slowed to almost a standstill retrieving the bottle from the rear.... Again fear must have been at work.

Three... it actually helps a lot to ride half the race in aerobars and the other half upright.
Can someone confirmed this? We are using different sets of leg muscles riding in the two different positions.

It is thrilling to do sharp turns where you are 45 degree from the horizontal. =D
The sense of defying gravity and hope that the ground dun chew you up... =p

I managed to go Single Speed all the way. =D

My full water bottle Weight is adding much more weight than I hope.
1 AeroDrink, 3 water bottle provided me with approx 3liters of water for the whole journey.

Tried opening a Cough Drop with my teeth.
It worked perfectly previously, but I failed big time today.
Recalled Kam Meng mentioned that he had his meals on aerobars, so I decided to try it out.
Haha... cool stuff...
Essentially, both hands are free to truly have a meal. =D

Forced myself to stay aero while on the straights...

Got my first photo in aero position. Thanks, Fu Ling.
Nothing glamourous, just cheap thrill.
(U can kaypoh and check it out in FB. =D )

Made it back to transition point, lamenting that this triathlon is harder than OSIM triathlon for the simple fact that the crazy Desaru LD triathletes are taking part in this race too. =D

Off for my hardest part of the triathlon.
The legs felt weird today.
Never had this sensation before.
Must have been trying too hard to run after the bike, something which I had never really done before. =D

Turning out from the hawker center, I grimaced when I could not spot the water station in the far distance...
Cham.... the stomach is growling....

It was till we turning into the rear of the beach resort that I spotted the first water point.
Happily ate my gel and downed 2 cups of water. =D

Turning out from the resort, I was surprised when the U-turn point came up pretty fast.
Kudos to Tri-Factor for re-arranging the swim, bike and run legs so as not to make it look like another OSIM triathlon.

I gotta say that most of us enjoyed this race more than OSIM triathlon.

Making the U-turn with me were Edwin and Kah Han.
Oh boy, these two chaps are really fast....
Never mind, just 7.5km more to go. =D

Going for my second loop, Raphael caught up with me and he stopped by to chat before running off again. =D

Not wanting to suffer the same fate as OSIM triathlon, I dutifully took my 2nd gel at the water point before plodding on. =D

With less than a km to go, Kam Meng caught up.
He was so frustrated with his timing that he decided to walk with me for the rest of the journey.
I din realise that he is on his first run loop. =p
The poor chap has miscalculated his bike loops and went for 1 extra lap!
(Many riders clocked 36km, thinking they were 1 lap short.)
Nonetheless, Kam Meng did a 3:06 to finish the race!!!

Racing towards the finish line, I was hoping to complete the race in less than 3:28 as the seconds ticked down.
Sadly this was not to be and I only got myself to blame for walking too much. =D

Went over to the JR booth for some photos before scrambling home when I noticed the looming clouds overhead.

Aviva, here I come. =D

Cycling 4th September 2009

After hearing many accounts on how I lead the pack, it is about time Jodan recounts how he struggled to stay within sight of

the second last rider. =D

Waking up early, I am still adamant about cycling this morning.
The fire is just not there anymore.

Decided to change into cycling gear.
Ahh... the MT1118b felt good.
I guess I need to change into gear before I feel the groove. =D

Just as I cross the Sembawang-Yishun junction, the train sped past.
Taking up the rear, Kam Meng commented "Perfect timing!"

Haha... I gotta agree.
Can't ask for more... =D

Haha... I managed to tag with the group all the way to Mandai Shell.
Keke... but I took a huge discount. I din do Prata Hill nor Sembawang Hills. =p

Judging by the pace we are doing, I have serious doubts that Relax Friday will be back...
Riding rear, we lost the front and middle pack when they crossed the Bukit Panjang junction.

When the light turns green, I am surprised how badly I am faring today.
I am keeping pace with the rear pack, but only just.

They left me biting the dust the moment we hit Clementi...
I am struggling to keep the second last rider in sight.

Going up West Coast flyover, I tell myself to enjoy myself.

Reaching Fuji Xerox Towers, I am surprised to find only a handful of riders there.
The rest probably left early.

While the rest of the gang goes to the Juice Bar, I am left to ride alone back home.
Siew Yee caught up with me.
Staying in Sembawang, I had company all the way home. =)
Thanks, Siew Yee.

Cycling 31st August 2009

Woke up at 4:15am.

Instead of prepping for a ride, I went to kay-poh the "NUS Run" thread. =D
The thought of riding alone still sucks.

Received a SMS from Eugene asking me if I wanna ride. =)
Now that I do not have a reason to slack, I asked to meet him in 20 minutes time.
Trying as fast as I could, my pre-ride ritual still takes me a full 30 minutes.
To make things worse, I forgot my helmet and has to go back and get it.
Sorry, Eugene.

Having not ridden since 2 Thursdays ago, I really do not know what to expect.

I lost Eugene within the first slope.
Eugene's pace is still too fast for me. =9

I do learnt something though.
Now I understand why Eugene mentioned that I have no gears to play with anymore.
He is at his second largest gear, while I am using my second smallest gear.
He is still pulling away at a fast pace.
I need to improve on my cadence and not rely on purely raw power to ride fast.
I still have a lot to learn.

Eugene spend a lot of time free spinning waiting for me to catch up.
Sorry, mate.

I think we set another new record (for me) reaching Mandai Shell...
The average pace was kept in the 37-38 kmh for most of the distance.
No >40kmh though....
Hmmm... think I slack too much when I ride with JoyRiders, allowing me to clock 45kmh during the last stretch.
Dun have such luxury riding with sifu.

Without pausing for a drink we turned right towards Kranji.
I wanna see how long I can last without stopping for a drink.

Into Kranji, I lost sifu again...
Everytime I hit a upslope, I will just falter....

Turning left into Kranji Loop, I slowed down to execute the 90 degree turn.
Images of Sotong's crash and my near crash 3 weeks ago was enough to stop me from going fast round a bend.
It is not worth the risk.

I trailed behind sifu most of the time.
Out onto the three-lane Lim Chu Kang Road, I went down on my aerobars, hoping to replicate the full distance I did with the Saturday gang.
Alas the legs are too tired and I gave up hardly 1km into the straight.
Body was relaxed (good sign), although I think I need to adjust my aerobars.
The hands felt cramped at the front.
Switched between normal riding style and aerobars, enjoying the moment.
I may not have the luxury to do any long weekday rides anymore.
*Pray for the best, prepared for the worst*

Took Old Choa Chu Kang Road > Bricklands Road > Woodlands Road > Mandai Road home.
Good weather warrants a great ride.
Thanks, Eugene.

1001 ways to run a Half-Marathon

My own observations... dun take my word for it

1) Run forefoot up the slopes.
This method worked wonders.
The logic behind this method is to have as little contact with the road as possible.
On an upslope, you will spend more time on the ground if you heel strike. Logical?
But I think you need to use racers or Newtons for this to work.

2) Draft...
Using this method, I find that I can run at a higher pace with less effort.
The heart rate is kept within normal range too!
The only problem is to find the right pacer.
For drafting to be effective, you have to find someone about the same height as you.
The army boys provided plenty of choices. Most of their pace is quite consistent too.

3) Chase time-distance targets.
This is the first time I did run against time targets.
It works well for me.

Haha... no 1001 ways... Just 3 ways which I think help me with my half marathon.
But I think these are the most effective methods during the whole race. =)