Last Entry for 2010

As other bloggers recount what they have achieve and experienced during the past year, I shall leave mine for you to read on your own.

It is a year worth forgetting.

I scored the most numbers of DNS, DNF and PW in a year.
Every single race that I took part in is a PW, despite my best effort.

Am glad that the year is finally over...

While we proceed to celebrate 2011, let me introduce you all to my new blog.
http://imwa2011.blogspot.com/

Whether this blog will cease remains to be seen.

Current plan is to blog everything in 2011 @ the new blog and revert back to this beloved blog in 2012. =)

Happy New Year to All!

P.S. Kindly do not mention this blog address in my new blog or Facebook. Thanks!

Day 343 - 25th December 2010

You guys should know by now what I have done on 15th December 2010.
I signed up for a 226k race.

Surprisingly, I dun feel nervous signing up.
Unlike how I approach my first IronMan 70.3 race.
This has probably to do with my lousy 2010 attitude.
Just like how I approach Tour de Bintan... Now I feel a sense of regret.
If I had trained, I probably won't have suffered as badly as I would.

If I look back on my races...
Sad to say, I din train for my runs. The most crucial discipline for a triathlon.
I have walked for most of my running / triathlon races.
A scene you dun see much for triathlon races...
Now I feel out of sorts...

The real game will start in February...
Wish me luck.

*****

After rain wash out my group run, I was very tempted to 'nua' the day away.

After numerous prompting by my wife, I managed to get my sorry ass out of the house.

Out of the door, the first thing I feel is that I dun seem to be wearing shoes!
The racers is so lightweight that one dun feel it at all.
Haha, now I can save more money...
I dun need Kayanos, now I dun need Newtons.
Just racers and lightweight trainers will do. =)

The run started off normal.
I started walking 1.5km into the run... Normal for me...
After a while, I realised that shuffling does better than walking.
It looks nicer during a race too. =D
If I walked during the 226k race and miss the cut-off time... I think it will be very hard to forgive myself...

I signed up for 5 marathons.
2 Sundown Marathons, 3 Singapore Marathons.
I DNS-ed 2 SCSMs, almost DNF the other SCSM.
Sundowns were more of non-major-incident races.
Suddenly I dun feel so proud on completing three marathons...
I could have done better.
But the marathon experience will help plenty for my 226k race.
I will be more prepared for contingencies.
Wish me luck...

CMI

"Those cmi will sign up and tell the whole world about it. Those that could quietly train" quoted from Facebook.

Time for me to keep quiet and train silently?

Day 348 - 20th December 2010

The numbers of days seems to be winding down much faster than I thought =(
Very soon, it will be a case of BSKL (Bo See Kan Liao!!!)

Action talks louder than words.
And I better put some action into my journey before I translate them into words here.

Been thinking a lot about the journey.
See race photos of past competitors always makes my heartbeat race a lot harder...
Especially the Finish Line Arch.

It seems like the number one fear for most competitors is getting through the Bike Leg.
Not so much about the distance but more of mechanical failure.
The distance is just too long and anything can literally happen.
Broken pedal and the poor competitor has to cycle to seek Bike Aid is just one of the many stories told.

Day 349 - Musings 19th December 2010

I never regret signing up for the Dream.

And 2011 looks like the perfect year to do it too.
I will be racing with a lot of first-timers just like me.

Knowing your competitors help the cause.
We have triathletes with good timings to the not-so-good timings, making it a fairly even playing field.

But needless to say, 1 year can make a lot of difference and I have to effect that change for myself too.
I need to be stronger and better, in order to complete the race.

Focus now is to make the cut-off time and nothing more.

*****

Got to know a few friends who din manage to register.
One of them have the registration close on her while she is registering!

I think the 4 hours registration closure caught a number of us by surprise.
I was prepared to wait till Friday to decide, but thanks to a timely Facebook posting, I got to know that the registrations slots are being taken up lightning fast.
When I completed my registration, it was 1h 24m since registration open and the registration capacity is already 85% full!!!!
It took another 3 hours for registration to close, which I guess is probably friends alerting friends about the frantic take up rate.

*****

I should have brought along my shoes for this trip.
I have lot of chances to run.
Someone suggested barefoot running.
Thank you hor, but I am not that adventurous.
Will run if I have Vibram Five Fingers, but sadly Trek Sports is not designed for flat footers like me. :(

Day 351 17th December 2010

I have been reminded that those of us who has been able to sign up for the race has a lot to be thankful for.

Registration closes in 4 hours means that any countries beyond India probably dun have a chance to sign up for the race, unless they stayed up / woke up to register.

I have a lot to be thankful for.
The ability to tri.
The support of my family and friends.

*****

Woke up at 4.
Mission mode.
Training is no longer an option, it is a means of survival.
Some may say it is too early, but for someone like me who has zero fitness base, it is never too early.

Out of the house at 5 (Dun ask me why :D), the legs feel good.
I think Compact Cranks is the factor.

Up and down Mandai slopes I went.
Reached Mandai Shell. Missed the presence of Kangaroo Glyn and Professor Charlie, who are always there. (Both of them have been re-assigned to other countries for work)

Got stopped at almost all the traffic lights.
Wonder when will JoyRiders catch up.

At Clementi Road, I feel really hungry.
Gosh, this has never happen before.
Hope I can last another 40km before I stopped for brekkie.
1km later, I decided to take a gel.
Gosh, the gel is too thick to swallow.
Could not stop coughing.

I am bushed.
The quads are hurting.
Gosh, I have a long way to go before I can declare myself fit and ready.

Up and down Clementi Road I went, the mind filled with thoughts of the Journey ahead.
Will I make it, will I falter?
Only time will tell...
Time, my greatest enemy...
Time, something that I do not have tons of it once work went into full swing...

Up West Coast Flyover.
The rear wheel does not seems right.
Stopped to check the bike...
Nothing wrong.
Hmm... I do need help with the front wheel though...
Something is rattling, brake pads is screeching... Will check them out another day.
A look behind, bike lights are blinking.
Someone has just caught up.
It will be a matter of time before I get overtaken.
OCBC Cycle, JR front runners...
Finally some familiar faces.
Sean and Kah Han. =)
Got to meet KC Ong too. =)

Sean is checking out the bike, after all the buzz I created on Facebook.
Sorry Sean, still the same old bike. =)
KH and KC must have slowed to wait for Queen Winnie, as Sean and I do not see them after riding ahead.
Sean did a detour from his usual route home, so that we could chat more. =p
Thanks for the company, Sean. =)

Parted company at Marymount Road and I continue my ride home.
On Lentor Avenue, I started wondering how long it will take for me to reach home.
Quads are pounding, glycogen tank is in the red zone...
My oh my, it will be a very long 4km...
Finally home, had my brekkie and a well-earned rest. =)

15th December 2010 Weigh in

Ironman

This is getting out of hand in the office... Grr...

My colleagues did not know I exercise till I came to office after Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore with a darkened complexion and a lighter shade across my forehead and cheeks.
Only then, did they know I exercise. =p

The tag "Ironman" has stayed with me ever since.
It was used sparsely till the above video made it to a lot of Facebook threads. =S
Now I get taunted every now and then : "I need to sleep at 7pm, so that I can wake up at 4am to train." =D
Gosh... hope the craze die down soon.

*****



Gosh... This gradient is only described as 8-14%!!!
I really cannot imagine the 20% gradient slopes that the Phuket Ironman 70.3 World Championship competitors has to face...

Musing 12th December 2010

Haiz... the river flow for 2 long hours.
Even Piriton and a sweater is not enough to stem the flow... Haiz...

Screw This!!!

Screw you, PI!!!

If you think you are such a great company, start sponsoring and organising marathons and impose cut-off times.
Else keep your bloody mouth shut!

If you are such an advocate of running, why do we not see any elite donning your shoes?

Why not make your voices heard in IAAF and have them sanction worldwide marathons.

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk!!!

Reality Check

While looking through the most recent race photos...
I had a flashback and a reality check.

2010 is really a bad year. Right down to December...

Started with NTU Bike Rally.
I could not keep up with the front pack.
Losing my way in Boon Lay just make things worse.
I missed the cut-off time for the 168km route, but did a lone ride to the Sembawang Park checkpoint nonetheless.
124km, I called it a day.
I am bushed, I have no energy or spirit to continue.
My longest distance to date...
33% off the required distance.

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore.
A race with minimal training.
I guess I have grown complacent, given that I completed it once before.
Not hard to guess that I suffered.
Suffered really badly for the race.

Tour de Bintan.
Another ride which will push me to the limits.
I wanna see how far I can go.
Sad to say, I din even made 65km for Day 1. Barely over 30% of the entire bike leg.
Reality check.

My training calendar looks dismal.
Most of the time, I just wanna sleep in.
Pre-dawn rides means that I may not have the energy to work through the day.
Most weekends are mostly spent in the office.

I hardly trained for any of my races.
After spending most of September and October weekends in the office, I am glad that I managed to get three rides in the second week of November 2010.

After spending another long weekend (3rd week of November) in the office, disaster struck!
Woke up with a backache.
It was so bad that I could only roll out of bed and could not stand up straight.
Went to a sinseh and things got slightly better, but I know I have to rest and not aggravate the back injury more.
Five days later, the backache struck again!
Worse still is that I had to get my back fixed before I go to work on a Saturday!
Till then, I still harbour some hope of doing a marathon. Or even a half marathon.

But I must have treated my body really bad, cos I had fever the very next day!
Any hope of even toeing the Start Point just got dashed when the temperature went up and down for the next two days.

With an entire year's of compalency, there is probably not a chance of me signing up for the Ultimate Race.

Musings 11th December 2010

Been feeling under the weather the whole week.
Really dunno what is wrong with me.
Every middle of the night, I woke up with a flowing river and a nasty cough.
Resorted to Chlorpheniramine and Seretide every single night just to get a night's sleep. =(
Waking up with sore shoulders and aching body, you just wanna sleep in.
Sorry, kids... Daddy really had to rest...

****
When I heard about the registration date, it was a rude shock...
A really rude shock...
There goes my 3 months to ponder...

Strangest 2 nights ever...

****
Night 1 :
I was ferried off to Australia with a bike case. Ferried off, cos I was in the cargo complex with the army guys. The guys are pushing kit bags, I am pushing a bike case. How cool is that. =D

Night 2 : At the race site, 30 minutes from race start.
Check-in my bike.
Now for the fun part. =D
Remember I mentioned bike case only? Cos that is the only thing that I travelled with.
No race gear whatsoever.
With time counting down, it was a mad dash through the race expo.
Water bottles, running shoes, running shorts, socks.
Set up my transition area to realise that I have no swim gear.
Race expo does not sells triathlon apparels nor goggles. =S
Race starts and I am standing at the Start Line in my T-shirt and Bermudas.
The Dream continues...

Spirit of the Marathon

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=591515381

The link above is to Mr Tey's Facebook Photo Album.
Mr Tey hails from Malaysia and is a marathoner who loves photography.
He loves to run with a DSLR too!
He usually takes a few thousand photos during every race.
Thanks to Mr Tey, we have memories from our races.

I think it is also appropriate to credit XuanJing for her many photos during my races!

Thanks, guys!

Scanning through the photos, I can capture the essence of the marathon.
Whether you finish a marathon within 4 hours or 8 hours, I have full respect for a marathoner...
It is never easy to run or walk a marathon distance...
There are runners who "condemn" plodders, but let just say that everyone is entitled to their own opinions...
I would always like to challenge these "fast" runners to do the event "Let's Take A Walk".
Maybe then will they appreciate the fact that walking a marathon distance may be more difficult than running it.
I have heard this similar phrase from a number of runners who tried the walking event.
"I would rather run 50km/100km than to walk the distance. =)

Ford Ironman World Championship 2010 Bike Count

An interesting comparison of the bike count over the past 3 years.
http://ironman360.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/ford-ironman-world-championship-2010-bike-count/

The list is ordered with 2010 numbers first, 2009 second, 2008 third.

Cervelo, Specialized and Argon has gather strength over the years, with Kuota falling from grace.

Cervelo numbers may have plateau-ed, but I am quite certain that S-Works numbers is probably going to increase again. No doubt that Macca, Cancellara, Contador and the Schleck Brothers playing a huge part in promoting the brand.

Cervelo: 468 (462) (415)
Specialized: 113 (93) (66)
Trek: 108 (90) (103)
Scott: 98 (109) (103)
Felt: 96 (92) (89)
Orbea: 82 (56) (68)
Kuota: 77 (85) (117)
Cannondale: 72 (68) (68)
QR: 62 (52) (79)
Argon: 58 (43) (less than 10)
Giant: 52 (40) (51)
Look: 48 (39) (48)
Kestrel: 46 (54) (35)
Guru: 40 (28) (27)
Ceepo: 28 (24) (less than 10)
Pinarello: 18 (26) (19)
Isaac: 18 (18) (26)
Stevens: 17 (15) (less than 10)
Ridley: 16 (12) (less than 10)
Litespeed: 14 (18) (35)
Colnago: 11 (12) (less than 10)
Storck: 11 (10) (less than 10)
PlanetX: 11 (8) (less than 10)
Fuji: 10 (6) (less than 10)
Blue: 9 (8) (less than 10)
BMC: 9 (6) (13)
Jamis: 7 (7) (less than 10)
Beyond Fabrications: 7 (12) (less than 10)
Cube: 7 (12) (13)
Focus: 6
Parlee: 6 (4) (less than 10)
Willier: 6 (4) (less than 10)
Griffen: 5 (7) (less than 10)
Elite: 5 (15) (less than 10)
Canyon: 4 (8) (less than 10)
Aegis: 4 (7) (less than 10)
Seven: 4
Time: 3 (3) (less than 10)
Javlin: 3
Serotta: 3 (11) (less than 10)
Linskey: 3
De Rosa: 2 (2) (less than 10)
BH: 2 (5) (less than 10)
Principia: 2
Louis Garneau: 1
Valdora: 1
Teschner: 1 (2) (less than 10)
Lemond: 1
Wave: 1
Softride: 1 (6) (less than 10)
Cheetah: 1 (3) (less than 10)

Post 5th December 2010

Am glad that I decide to miss the race, given the situation.
There is no way I am going to complete the race due to the non preparation, back ache and fever.

5th December spells the Pinnacle of the Racing Year.
Ironman Western Australia Busselton, Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3 Asia World Championship and the Marathon Singapore are all being held on the same day!
Each is a great challenge in its own right.
Each distance need to be respected.
Give it a snub and be prepare to suffer.

Am disappointed that I am missing all the action...
Was left with an empty feeling the night before the race.
While my friends are resting for their BIG race on Sunday...
I am left asking myself, what did I do to deserve this.

Start from the race close to home.

Singapore Marathon
==================
Did the Kid's Dash with Shannon, while Joanne did hers with Stella.
The race was delayed for 20 minutes due to incidents near the Finish Line.
The organisers were gracious enough to have a miniature SCMS medal for the kids this year, rather than those flimsy Sports Day kind I got during my Primary School Days. =D

Driving past AYE at 12:46pm, I sighted a lot of runners still on the stretch walking out from Marina Bay towards town.
7:45 hrs into the marathon with 6km to go... Now I dun feel so bad...

Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3 Asia World Championship
===================================================
I recognised 17 names hailing from Singapore.
I tried to go online whenever I can to check on my friends.
Got quite a scare when the IronmanLive.com website returns a lot of null timing.

On Monday, the full results are in and I started analysing results. =p
Finish timings are pretty spread out from 6 hours to 7 hrs.
It is a very technical course.
Full respects to all that finished the race.

I took a look at the last Singapore finisher.
Eliza Hoh Swim - 0:58:27 Bike - 4:22:43 Run - 2:59:41 Total - 8:28:00

Why aim for the last finisher when I could have take the median timing.
Well, it is the place to start for me...

Again, I dun feel so bad after all...
I played my cards right for the Half-Ironman.

The last Male friend Finisher finished in a time of 7 hours!
I feel so gutted...

Ironman Western Australia Busselton
====================================
This is my Dream Race.
This is the triathlon distance I fear the most.
Looking at the overall results does nothing to quell that fear.

Again, taking a look at the timing of the last Singapore finisher.
John Ng Swim - 01:30:03 Bike - 07:37:21 Run - 06:55:23 Total - 16:16:55

It tells me that I need to be on top of my game, if I wanna give Ironman a shot.
I do not have room for error.
Every second count...

Now I know that if I wanna do an Ironman, I would have to try the Bike Distance at 110% at least twice.
I cannot leave it to guess work anymore.
Have never felt comfortable cycling at distances beyond at 100km.

30km long runs has to be in the plans...
Again, I cannot leave anything up to chance.

That leaves the question on the swim...

Everything needs to be planned and executed.
Slack and u pay the ultimate price...

Looking at John timing, that seems no way I can complete the distance in 17 hours.
It cannot use a multiplying factor of 2, Sports dun work that way.
Fatigue always play a huge part...

I have only 3 months to put and execute a training plan...
Wish me luck....

================================
First 3 days did not start off well.

Monday - Woke up with a start at 6am.
Tuesday - Woke up at 2:30am, but felt fatigued. Strange, given that I have not done any exercise for a LONG time.
Wednesday - Woke up at 4:10am. The nose went running and I cannot stop the stream... Haiz... Excuses excuses excuses....