Deadly Mind Games

Weary Soul. Back of the Pack. Saddle Sore. Breathlessness...
That's about sum up my day... The Beginning of my Day...

Waking up, I dread cycling...
I am not sure if I will be able to ride in the morning and complete the day on a high...

I woke up early, but I wait till the last possible minute before I kick myself out of the house.

With the thigh muscles still tingling since Sunday and the soreness of the sit bones , it was a start of an unpleansant ride.
Oh my... should I or shouldn't I revert back to my old saddle?
I love my new saddle, but the run-in period is way too long...
Too long cos I have not been riding a lot?
An extremely soft saddle may not be an entirely bad thing right now...

I was pretty cheerful along Lentor Avenue...
(How fast the mood swing is, right?)
I was dreaming the Ironman Dream...
Gosh, I am an extremely good dreamer.
If Ben can do it, so can I...
But I have only 1 year to prepare if I wanna do IMWA 2011...
But I won't have the benefit of the bootcamp, nor the time , nor the youth and vitality that Ben has...
(I know... it is all excuses... =p)

Took the Ang Mo Kio route to LongHouse.
Just as I am coming out from Sin Ming Drive, the group was rolling off.
I just did a right turn and follow suit.

Ohh... how I hate these CWX riders.
Stop doing your "brotherly love" things in a peloton...
U guys really think you guys are that pro meh....
For goodness sake, u guys wanna crash, go ahead, dun bring down the whole group with you!!!

Up till SICC Road, the group is pedalling at an extremely slow pace...
I tried to check my watch, but it proves to be difficult...
But most of us are free-spinning...

I rubbed my eyes and did a double-take when I saw who the lead riders are...

I could not stand the pace anymore and decided to surge in front of the whole pack... Ignoring Joyce call out... =D

Needless to say, the whole group overtook me and I got a stern lecture from Joyce for breaking away from the peloton and failing to stay ahead of the group...

What is becoming common about my group rides is that the last I will see the group is at Prata Hill...
That is just 4km into a 37km Mandai Loop Ride... Haiz...
So much for my Ironman Dreams...
One thing is for sure, I am at Ground Zero.
Back to Square One.
All I can do now is up...
I need to be able to follow the peloton for long distances...
But I wonder when I will be able to do that?
6 months, 12 months, Never... ???

I feel a need to quit my job...
To find a new job, so that I can ride...
Sounds so wrong...
Plus the fact that I love my current job, just that I hate the office politics that comes with it...
It sucks when your colleagues try to squirrel themselves out from their working schedules and their reponsibilites..
It sucks when you have to work 6-7 work-day weeks for 5 consecutive weeks.
There is no way I am going for Week 6. It is just hilarious, absolutely crazy that my other colleagues are enjoying the Public Holidays, the long weekends and I am on Buona Vista Hill slogging away...

Pushing on a ride before a working Sunday has took a beating out of me...

I literally lost the fire to exercise while in my current job...
Quit the job? Nah... The job still has a lot to offer me... I still have a lot to learn...
It is just one of those things... U cannot have the best of both worlds.

I defintely do not wanna slip into mild depression again.
I will choose stress over depression... Anytime...
Unfortunately, I do not have the aptitude to be a banker...
Else I will work a few crazy years as a banker and spend the rest of my career being the normal guy.
Haha... Dreaming again...

I have been raving about how good my wheels are for climbing, but since I stated the "facts" to the group, it has lost its magic...
The only thing I felt when I climb slopes is puking....

I am starting to find the sense of blogging...
*Sorry for the many rojak blog entries recently, just dunno how to sort out all my thoughts in a decent way. Get marked by a teacher, sure kena graded "F"*
How dramatically my life has changed over the past 4 years...
In fact, how much my life has changed as an adult...
These 4 years must have been more exciting though, as I get to interact with more people.
People you are sure that do not approach you armed with knives (to stab you in the back)...
That is the beauty of sports...
To get you away from the buzz of working life...
This blog chronicles my life through friendship, running and ultimately triathlons.

How fast your social circle expanded dramatically.
How you can make good friends and lost them overnight.
How you can go from knee pain running to pain free running.
How you start at the back of the pack to be in the middle of the pack...
How you start a wardrobe void of Dry-Fit tees (cos they are only worn by pros) to a wardrobe void of cotton tees. =D
Even cotton undies are losing their appeal. =D
How you start with a "cheap" aluminium bike to having a "cheap" aluminium bike with expensive wheels... =D
How I manage to find a BFF in the midst of this entire chaotic but organised mess.
How your conception that triathlons is only for the elites...
The thought of how crazy is an Ironman (limited to Supermen to SuperWomen) to an Ironman race that is do-able if one train for it.
To run from Yishun Ring Road Loop to running a marathon.
From Running to Biathlons, to Sprint Triathlons, to Olympic Distance Triathlons to Ironman 70.3.
I still remember how apprehensive I was when I took part in my first Sprint Triathlon. =D

Enough diversion. Back to the ride. =D

It was a lonely ride all the way to Mandai Shell.
As the group see me approaching, they pull out.
Chasing them is futile, they are just too fast.

Derrick pull up alongside me and we rode together while chatting.
Haha... thought his bike is a Made in Taiwan "no brand" bike till I saw the small logo on the seat post.
Haha, 有眼不知泰山...
It is a Black on Black Pinarello.
Not sure what model it is, but it has a bull dog stem...
Cannot find it on the official Pinarello website.
Anyone care to tell me what the model is?

Took a shortcut throught Chancery Lane...
Haha, brought back memories...
The previous and only time I rode through this shortcut was with Baoying and she was relating about cyclometer signal loss in Chancery Lane. Spooky...
The friendship you cultivated through riding...

We took our leave at Marymount Road and I took a slow ride home. =)

Gephyrophobia

An interesting problem that I faced during my younger days. =D

Seeing wooden pedestrian bridges always bring back memories.
Memories that when you think about it, you find it funny silly interesting indescribable.

Cycling 26th September 2010

After another 14 hour weekend workday... It is just another couple hours of rest before I need to say hello to my office desk and chair...

What sucks though is when I called home and Stella picked up the phone...
"Daddy, where are you?" "Daddy, are you coming home yet?"
The feeling sucks... It really does...
When I got home, Stella first question was "Why are you back home so late?"
A knife pierced into the heart...

*****
I always take it as compliments when my friends or colleagues said these. =)

"I can never understand how a fat person like you complete a marathon"
"I can never understand how a fat person like you complete a (Half)-Ironman"

*_*

Had a conversation with wifee and we both think that it is a good thing if I cycle before I go to work.

One : I get my workout.
Two : Leaving the house is less painful. Cos the kids will probably be up for an hour or so and I would be reporting for work.

Reached TN at 5:20am. The group was long gone.
Hehe... this is good. I will be doing less laps today. Opps....

Did a solo Mandai Loop and felt good.
At least the group won't be waiting for snail me...

I have seen how strong the group has grown, both in speed and endurance.
I must admit I am nowhere near their pace right now.

I may be a hindrance to their Tour de Bintan conquest.
But I have 3 weeks to prepare.
Better late than never.

Climbing Seletar Flyover, the system almost shut down!
Instead of endorphins, the signal the brain received was "I WANNA SLEEP!!!"
Geez, a real bad sign...

Managed to complete the loop without a hitch.

New brake pads, new tights, new jersey.
All these will need to be run-in before the TdB.

Especially the brake pads... Gave me a scare when I applied the brakes this morning!
Never knew such a small item need to be run-in too... =p

Onto Rifle Range Road (RRR), the sacred training ground for cyclists and runners.
Heard much about it. But have never experienced it.

Today will be my RRR virgin ride.

Half way along the course, I spotted Chek, Sean, Andrew and a few other FOTR Riders whom I have yet to get acquainted with. (Sorry, guys!)

Hmm... the slopes does not feel so bad leh... It is just a matter of endurance... Knowing where each peak is helps plenty.
That is , at least there is a visible peak to every slope. =D

Ohh... I gotta confess that I free-spin A LOT along the entire ride this morning!!!
I just cannot help it...
I even free spin along most of Mandai....
The legs just refuse to co-operate this morning... Haiz....
One of the long free-spinning session I had done in a long long time...

Another interesting feedback about Adamo Breakaway.
Very comfy around the groin area, as there is no longer this cramped feeling.
The seat is not as cushy, as compared to my stock Cervelo saddle or my Fi:zik saddle.
The sit bones hurts plenty when I went to sleep!!! Mainly soreness, no abrasion. Should be a good sign ;) )
The sit bones does not hurt as much on Monday.
The new tights needs some getting used to.
With a small padding as compared to all my other tights, it took a few adjustments before I get it into a comfy position without causing irritation.

Back to RRR.

I knew it is a 6km route (3 in 3 out), but the ending never seems to come.

I am glad that I change brake pads recently as the brakes was used plenty this morning due to the many turns along the route.
I am never a fan of slopes... They only cause accidents.
One can only ride without using brakes along such a curvy route if you are doing Tour de France.

Riding down the last slope, I was ultra tempted to use the brakes, which is my usual practice...
But somehow I managed to keep my hands off the brakes.
It is exhilarating!
Haha, my brain took the joy out of it somewhat...
It reminded me on the way down that for every downslope, there is an upslope. DARN IT!!!

Took an extended break at the end point before the ride back towards Bukit Timah Road.
While climbing the slope, the heart rate shot up so high and I was coughing so badly that the phlegm got caught in my throat causing me respitorary problems.
It do not have much choice, but to come down and push the bike.
"There is no shame in pushing a bike up a slope. It has to happen one day and today is the day"

Chek was flying down the slope and got a shock when he saw me pushing the bike.
He got off his aero position and stopped (on the downslope!) to check if I am alright. Thanks, Chek!

Near the top, I felt much better and got on the bike and started pedaling again.
The return trip felt much easier.

Two "siong" slopes I can identify for RRR.
Route in : The slope before the Electronic Gun Range Road / The hidden car park.
Route out : Needless to say, the last slope... That is the first slope out...

As long as I can conquer these slopes, I will do fine.
The rest of the route are just rolling slopes...

If Bintan slopes are as rolling as Mandai or RRR, I think I will survive...
Hopefully, I can meet the first cut-off time..
Something that my mind has thrown out the window along Mandai Road...
"You won't survive 40km in Bintan", it told me about 15km back.

Haha... most of us ain't afraid of Tri-Factor Triathlon or The North Face 100 (TNF100), but we are all aware about what Bintan can throw at us, especially after the recce ride did by our courageous scouts during the Bintan Training Camp.

Since I did not have a chance to go for the Bintan Training Camp, RRR will be a reality check for me.
It is telling me that I will survive TdB...

The mind does work wonders, yeah?
One moment, it is telling you to go and sleep. That you will fail...
Next moment, I can retract its statement and tell you that you will survive the ordeal...

At the end of the first lap, I am ready to call it a day.
But there is no one at the RRR entrance!
Taking a break alone will be embarrassing.

Bo pian, took a slow painful ride into RRR. Again...

While climbing one of the slopes, the saddle nose felt extremely high. Dun tell me that the saddle has shifted again...
My fears were unfounded though, when I stopped to check at the end of the route.
One thing I love about the Adamo Breakaway is the ability to sit on the nose and ride without feeling discomfort.
The width is broader, given its two noses.
With the current model, the rails is just underneath the noses, so the noses dun flex when you sit on them.

I skipped the last slope and make my U-turn back.
No pride lost here. I am out of rides and runs for too long...
Plus I have this asthma tingy that I have to deal with.
When I am back to full strength, I shall tackle it again.

End of the second lap, I am ready to call it a day again.
Especially since Andrew and the other FOTR riders are resting there. =p
Spent the time admiring the Di-2s and Trek Speed Concept...
My nose tells me that we will see a Trek Speed Concept Di-2 very soon. Super pa-cham... =D
As the 2 FOTR riders took their leave and Sean and Andrew decided to do one more lap, I am left with no choice but to conquer the slopes again.

Just as I near the last slope, I saw Michelle...
Secret training for TNF100, I guess. ;)

Not far back was Kia Liang, YellowFish David and Gia Yee.
Both KL and GY shouted "Secret training!" =p
They are doing the YellowFish Training Trail Run for TNF100.

Did a U-turn before the last slope and rode alongside GY.
A while later, GY commented "U go ahead leh, dun let me hold you back"
"No no... you are the reason that I can slack =D" I replied.
GY : Haha, feel so shiok having an escort rider, machiam lead runner.
Jodan : You are what... You did one more lap than them... So the rest of the group are a full lap behind you. =D
GY : Haha...
When we were nearing the group, I commented "Unfortunately, no one wanna take photos of the lead runner =D"
Next thing I knew, YF David was shooting us. =D



After a short break, the YellowFish group U-turned back toward MacRitchie Reservoir and I continued on my way.
End of the third lap, Andrew took his leave and Sean decided to go for a sixth lap...*Faint*
Okie, time check. I have time for one more lap before I really have to call it a day.

Climbing the slopes, I saw a rider riding along an upper slope...
Ahh... this is supposedly how riding in overseas mountainous terrains look like... Nice...
Seriously did not know that we have this right in our own backyard.

Haha... this is so classic.
Plan for 1 lap, finally did 4.
(Psst... the night before, I was still dreaming 5. That is why it is call a dream... Dream Mandai 5, Dream RRR 5... There has to be a connection with 5 somewhere.... Hmm.... )

Waited for Chek to inform him that I will be leaving soon.
Din get to see him, so I SMS-ed him.
Adjourned to Sixth Avenue for brekkie.
Met Ivan on the way out.
Haha... Ivan is seriously doing some secret training. Din spot him at RRR although he was there!!! Ninja-style. =D

Did a extremely fast transition to office.
So fast that I wore my cycling shoes to drive!!!
Kinda dangerous as the cleats will get stuck underneath the car pedals at times.

Weigh-In 25th September 2010

As Ben said it, be frank about it.
Get your friends to help.

So I shall be posting my monthly weigh-in.

Dear readers, you guys play a part too.
Do send me a SMS or comment post if I "forgot" about the monthly weigh-in post. ;)
Thanks!

Ben Does Life

Always that little something that tells you that life is not as tough as it looks.

I am going to borrow the weight meter from Ben's blog =p

Musings

I am absolutely glad that I din sign up for IMWA 2010.
It will be a lot of hard earned money down the drain.
Having said that, I am not sure if I will ever sign up for an Ironman race when I am still in my current job.

Now is Saturday, 18th September 2010 2200hrs.
In 6 hours time, I will be in my office.
Just another day at work. Hahaha... 苦笑...

Having burnt all weekends and public holiday for the past few weeks with many more weeks to come, I am ill prepared for TdB...
Wish me luck, guys...

I know I should not be complaining in my blog, but trying to let you guys know the dire straits I am in right now.

I finally understood why one of my fellow SGRunners, an ex-colleague resorted to buying all his race slots instead of signing up.
The reason he told me is simple. Things are very dynamic. More dynamic than anyone can handle...
I am already glad that I have sign up very few races this year.
Have to be even more selective next year if things continue the way it is.
One day, I MAY just resort to do what my ex-colleague does...

I also understood why my friend was so glad when her busy dad quit her job to be a full-time stock trader.
At work while the kids are sleeping and back home just before the kids turn in for the night is not how I wish to live my life, spent my weekends. =(

Good night, guys...
Time to rest...

Army Half Marathon

How different!!!
2009 PB (First and only time I did sub-3)
2010 PW (Beating even my HIM PW) =D

Happen to find the AHM 2009 RunPix details in my computer.
Of interest You passed 300 runners, 42 runners passed you. =D

http://trainingstartsnow.blogspot.com/2009/08/army-half-marathon-2009.html

Kinda glad that I blog... Cos it remind you of both the good and bad memories.

Will push you to try to do better next time, cos you know you been there before.

Army Half Marathon 2010 Results

Gun Time : 3h:59m:47s (The 4hr mark I tried to beat over the last 100m) =D
Nett Time : 3h:48m:5s

All the interesting statistics...
When I hit the WALL, I no longer care how many runners are behind me.
It is just a matter of crossing the FINISH line...

Entire field : 185 runners behind
Mens category : 140 runners behind
Age Division category : 36 runners behind

Over the last 10km
I passed 11 runners, 1862 runners past me. =D

I can relate to 1862, it sure ain't fun to see the runners walking and running past you.

Average pace - 10m49s/km (Not too bad, considering the state I am in for the last 7km)

On reflection, this year is a crazy year for me.
Personal Worst after Personal Worst.
And I thought I had already clocked all my Personal Worst over the past 3 years.

Then again... who goes to OCBC Cycle, barely 3 hours after knocking off from work?
Who goes for YellowFish Open Water Swim right after work?
Lack of sleep is probably my biggest enemy for this year's AHM.

Am I disappointed? Slightly... I din intend to race to clock PW lor...
Am I glad? How to be happy when you clock a PW. But under the circumstances, finishing the race is better than a DNS or a DNF...

Will start picking up the pieces and move on from here.

Army Half Marathon 2010

48 hours prior to AHM, 30 hours were spent in the office.
Physically and mentally tired, I am not in a good shape to do the run.
Strangely enough, the thought of DNS never cross my mind. Not even once. =)

Supcon picked me up at 4:05am...
Sorry for keeping you waiting.

We proceed to pick up Matthew and his friend.
Haha... it turned out that his friend is Fang Jie!!! =D
Small world, small world indeed. =D

Meet ST at the car park, but could not recognise her till I walk almost right up to her.
Not sure what is wrong with me today, but my vision is really bad this morning.

While chatting with Supcon on the way to the race site, I realised that I am going to suffer today!!!
Why?
Ever wonder why I did well during last week's Yellow Ribbon Prison Run, even though I have not run nor train much for the last 3 months?
I took steroids. Yes, you heard right!
I would have been disqualified if I were a podium finisher.
The steroids I took actually numb the nervous system.
It was for my cough.
Ever feel the need to cough, but you could not cough?
Yes, that is what is happening to me.
My throat is ticklish, but even if I tried my hardest, I just could not cough when I am on steroids. Scary...
Scarier still, I can actually feel saliva flowing down my throat...
Again, the thought did not frighten me. I am all ready to go go go...

Met BFF and we proceed to the Start Point together.
I was late and by the time we were on Esplanade Drive, the race were already underway.
We could see the runners on the other side of the road liao!!!
Plan today is to keep BFF in sight, but sadly I lost her after 1km! =(
Her pace of 7min/km is way too fast for me.

Coughing get unusually bad along Robinson Road...
I shld have save 1 tablet of steroid for today's race...

4km and we are on Marina Bay Sands.
Wahaha.... completing 4km is getting really easy now.
Nothing to daunting...
The upslope is a bit tough, but nothing to difficult to conquer.
Running up, I switched to forefoot automatically.
I am glad for my new running form. =)

While admiring Marina Bay Sands, John called out to me.
It is his first 21km.
He was told to start running by his doctor to lose weight and take the pain off his knees. Good on ya, mate.
Turned out his younger brother is my colleague!!!
Gosh, what a small world!

We walked together for the next 3km till the Sheares Bridge downslope.

While walking up Sheares Bridge, I noticed that the lane closure has been reduced to 2 lanes.
Last year, we have the luxury of 4 lanes.
I din encounter any human jams, so that is fine with me. =)

Keke, going down Sheares Bridge is probably the easiest part of the whole run. =D
Again forefoot running is taking care of my knees. =)

Turning into Fort Road, I am starting to regret wearing Asics Kayano today!
Screw the shoe manufacturers...
All their marketing does not help runners at all.
Just a scam for them to make money...

One day, Jodan should come out with his own branding. =D

Injinji socks... Never owned a pair, but already enjoying the benefits of a WrightSocks-Injinji socks combi.

Boosters... probably one of the best buys for 2010.
These compression sleeves really saved my calves.

Newtons... I wanted to save the shoes for SCSM... Shld have worn NB904...
21km only leh, dun need for Kayanos...

No pain on the knees, but the ankle felt really weird this morning.
Sat down to tie the shoelaces again.
Once I started running again, the calves seized up big time...
It is as if someone just inserted two pieces of metal into the calves. Ouch...
Booster, Booster do your magic...
Keke, that is how much faith I had in Booster.
It works, it works darn well.
The compression feeling is so surreal...
From the side of the calves. Ahh... like someone giving me a massage. Cool!!!

When is someone going to market compression sleeves for the thighs...
I truly need that.
Took the Salonpas spray on the thighs today. =)
Let's see how's Jimmy's recommendation works. =)

Love the orange drummers along the route.
Well done, guys!

Saw Hwee Peng just before the U-turn.
After the U-turn I saw a lovely couple on the other side.
So sweet... Hope that I will be able to do AHM with Mrs Jodan one day. =)
Turned out the lovely couple is Mr and Mrs BFG!!!
Good to see ya, boss!
Sorry if my handshake dun feel sincere... my hands are a bit swollen at that stage...
Not much feeling in them anymore.

Keke... Now the gameplan starts...
Sorry BFG, but Mrs BFG becomes part of the gameplan...
The plan is to keep Mr and Mrs BFG from overtaking me as long as possible.
I dunno Mrs BFG's pace, nor if they have started the race on time or not.
But the fact that they are behind me is something for me to look forward to.

Took my second gel at 14km.
Everything seems on track...
Gels at every 7km has always worked for me, so I dun see any issues here.
Or so I thought...
500m later, I hit the WALL....
WHAM WHAM WHAM...
Wow, this gotta sucks....
Ever imagine a car running out of petrol?
That is what happen to me...
The car is fine, but the tank is EMPTY....
I am literally running on fumes...
Walking becomes a huge problem...
I walked and stopped every 20-30 steps.

The WALL strives to demoralise and I must admit it has done its job darn well...
Got me really emo...
A runner wearing the OSIM Triathlon T-shirt ran past.
At the back of the shirt wrote "I'm a Triathlete"
"SO WHAT!!!!" my mind screamed...
"SO WHAT if Jodan is a triathlete? He cannot even finish his HM", it sneers...
"SO WHAT if Jodan has done x HMs, x marathons, x HIMs? He is still suffering right now." it laughs...

Took 2 bananas and Salonpas on the thighs and calves at the next stop.
Experience tells me that it will take a while for the gel and bananas to take effect.
Please dun make me wait too long...
The empty tank feeling really sucks...
Dunno how long I can continue at this stage.
Throwing in the towel was far from my mind though...
If I can complete the last 6km of SCSM 2009, I can do it.
For goodness sakes, this is just 21km...

Mr and Mrs BFG overtook me at 16km...
They were running on the 3rd lane, so I guess they din noticed me. =)
Cool, BFG is pacing his Mrs...
Looks like they are doing a walk-run strategy...
Again, I thought how nice if Mrs Jodan can do AHM with me in the future. =)

The tank started to fill at 18km...
Tried to run, but the legs are already done for...
Aches are everywhere.
Best strategy now is to walk....

Noticed that the 19km distance marker is way off...
At least 500m short...
20km distance marker is spot on though....

Saw the Fun Run 5km runners.
Tried my best to spot my sister but did not see her.
Tried running again...
Haha, my sister appeared right after I started running.
"I thought you are going to finish the race before we start?" she said.
Opps... so much for my bragging...

The last km is probably the longest...
I usually run the last km, but today I really couldn't no matter how hard I tried.
Looking up at the clock, the 21km timer is clicking 3:59:xx...
Time to beat the Gun time of 4 hrs. =)

Completed the run and proceed to get my Finisher's medal and 2 cans of 100-Plus.
Proceed to the Bag Collection.
The guys spotted me and they got my bag ready even before I reached the table.
Thanks, guys.

Changed into Crocs and a new T-shirt before meeting the Merry Gangsters for brekkie. =)

Base

Keke...Time to post bo-liao stuff again.

At times, I am dejected when I was not able to keep up with the JoyRiders or FOTR.
But as the guys always told me, that my base is there, it is just a matter of training and getting back.
Thanks, guys.

At times, I really wonder about this "base" stuff.
I have clocked good running times during my NSF days.
Shouldn't that had been a base for me?
Apparently not.
It is tough when you only run every 3 months during Army Remedial Training, rest the next 3 months and started the whole cycle again.
The cycle dragged for 10 years.
For that 10 years, I can only see a gradual decline in my running speed.

It is only when I MR-ed did I started running. =D
Jodan's Theory :
When Army forced you to run, it is Suffering. So when you dun run, u dun suffer. When Army cannot force you to run anymore, it is Enjoyment. You enjoy the Endorphins, you enjoy the feeling of perspiration on your skin, you enjoy the sight of the eye candy around you (Opps!!!), you enjoy feeling the PAIN. =D

Did my base started there?
I am not too sure.
What I discovered from my training logs is that I am doing sub-7min/km pace when I first started running.
It went on for a few months and suddenly sub-7min/km just disappeared into the thin air. I have yet to clock another sub-hour timing for 8km since then.
So the theory of base never sticks...

When I joined JoyRiders, it is a whole new experience from me.
From being left in the cold, I slowly crawled my way up to the stage where I am able to keep up with the group for longer distances before I lose them.
I still lose them no doubt, but every ride is a challenge.
A challenge to keep up. =)
I guess the many morning rides is where I really build my base.
The body dun forget, it is just a matter of getting back.

The current job is throwing a HUGE spanner in the works.
But now is the time I hope I can get back.
I will have to work my way around it.
I have to find a way, I need to find the WAY...

Keke... for the benefit of my kind reader, KL.
Here is how I trained. Based on my mentors, Eugene and Blackie.

Two simple rules.
Small chainrings is to build up your cadence.
Big chainrings are for power.

Riders tends to use the Big, more so for runners.
Small is usually forgotten.
Training in Small will train your cadence.
The body dun forget, so when you are used to the cadence even if you switch to Big you will unconsciously try to push yourself up to the cadence level that you are so used to. All this translate into speed.

And yes, for the most part of last year, I am using the small chainrings for training rides.
I only switch to big chainrings during races.

A quick efficient way to build a base. =)

Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 8km

Rated the best race of 2009.
So when race registration started, it did not take much coaxing for me to click on the "Submit Registration" button.

Pulling a 12-hour weekend shift, a day before the run did not help.
Not when you are working 6-day weeks for consecutive weeks.

Plonked off to bed at 10pm, woke up at 4am to snooze the alarm and finally awake at 6:50am!

The sky is extremely dark for 7am. It is still drizzling.
Haiz... money down the drain again...

How much money am I going to waste in races this year?
Races that I sign up yet did not turn up.

With my wife's urging me on, I finally decided to go for the race.

Left the house at 8am!
Race starts at 7:45am
How cool is that? =d

Parked at Loyang.
It helps to know the territory well. =d
Jogged over to the race route.

The policewoman was amused to see me coming from another direction, but she did not stop me. =D
I had the official running vest on, running bib plus yellow shoelaces. =p
No way I can be labelled a bandit runner. =D

Loyang Way is a slope.
Keke, while others walked, I slowly ran up the long but gentle slope.

Cannot comment much about the route, except that it is undulating.
Good training ground for runners and riders in the East.
The estate is kinda confusing though. Too many turns.
I am surprised that I never even bothered to recce this area when I am working nearby for 3 years.

Turning left into Tanah Merah Besar Road, I am pleasantly surprised to see the large number of runners ahead!!!
Lot of leisure runners today, just like a normal race in Singapore should be...

Running in the rain means my glasses will keep fogging, adding a mystic scene to my run. =D

Interesting encounters during the run.

Boy A : "Where is the gal in orange shoes ah?"
Boy B : "Ahead in the crowd"
Boy A : "Let chase after her (as pacer, I presume)"
Keke, always the case. Somehow we always find someone who is running at our pace and tends to follow him/her as long as we can.

Boy Z : "If Apple were to produce a movie, what will Apple name the movie?"
(Answer at the end of the post)

It is amazing how close the private condominiums and bungalows are built next to the prison.

Turning into the prison walls, I am pleasantly surprised to see that we are at an elevated area.

Wow, Michael Scofield will have a hard time escaping from this prison...

Was surprised to the HDB blocks across the walls before I realised that they were actually prison blocks!!!

Highlight of the event site?
A scene from Prison Break.
A prison van was stuck in the middle of the field =D
Is that being done on purpose?

Still running mid-foot.
With the legs slightly bent most of the time, landing on the whole of your foot, there isn't much impact on the knees. Minimal chance of bad knees.
Cool...
It is not about how much running you did.
It is about running form.
Running form is not something that can be changed overnight.
I must confess that I do not run alot.
I am pretty lucky that I managed to change my running form during a very short span of time.
One has to be conscious and conscientious when changing your running form.
Keep focusing on your strides...
Must also highlight that Newton shoes help plenty in the transformation.

Although I am wearing my Kayanos for today's run, the heavy heel portion of the shoes did not pose any problems.

Running towards the Finish, the clock was showing 1:29:xx...
Interesting!!!
I am doing a comfy run @ a comfy pace.
I should be taking about an hour for 8km. (1:05hr meant a 8min/km pace =p )
Nice!!!

Met Tian Mi Mi Tao and Yankee. Chatted while proceeding to fill our stomachs with cups of Milo. =D

Bid them farewell and proceed to collect my goodie bag.

It is time to find some shelter to stop the shivering...
Met Eliza and Kayano.

After a while, left the place glad that I had completed my first run since SunDown Marathon.

A : iScared