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? =)