Rapha Festive 500 Challenge 2013

Limits Redefined!

6 Days. 516.6km. 20h54m32s.

'Everyday should be a Rapha 500 Day!' - Sean C.

*** Rapha Festive 500 Challenge is a Strava event which challenges riders to ride 500km in 8 days (X'mas Eve to New Year Eve). 

A great and wonderful thanks to my wife and family for supporting me through these few days. :-)

This is the 2nd craziest endurance event that I have ever take part in. :-)

Thanks to Charles for egging me to take on this challenge. :-)

Given the recent spate of events, it was never in my wildest dreams that I would be able to complete the challenge.

I fell sick in mid-November and went through 5 full courses of antibiotics in a month.

To be able to ride in December was a real bonus. In fact, riding seems to help me recover faster. O_o

Determined not to increase my 2013 punctures tally, I decided to use brand new tyres for the challenge.  

Having a few friends suggesting that I use 25cc tyres, I decide to give it a go. 23cc Front, 25cc Rear. :-)

Two of the eight mornings where I would not be able to ride due to work commitments makes the whole challenge a lot more interesting. 

Day 1 

Solo Ride in Seletar West Link. Terrible ride. That was when I realised that after 7 years of endurance events, I still have a lot to learn about nutrition.

Day 2

Got recalled back to office in the wee hours of the morning. But amazingly still got a chance to ride. ;-)

Great to have a cycling partner doing a long ride together. ;-)

Day 3

Did a Mandai Loop to join the JR 5am ride. 

Reached LH at 5:03am and there was not a single soul in sight!

Saw a pair of blinkers along Prata Hill and started chasing all the way to Mandai Shell. 

Broke away along Bukit Timah and did a pit stop at Sembawang Hill Hawker Center before doing another Seletar West Link. ;-)

Day 4

Chapter 0 Ride. A very comfortable paced ride which I enjoyed tremendously. :-)

After brekkie, SE and I decided to clock extra mileage and proceed to Changi Village for brekkie #2. \o_o/

Thanks, SE for the pull during the ride! I would not have survived otherwise. :p

Riding alone later was horrible... I was toasted. Feels like lying on a bench and go to sleep before continuing the ride home. :p

Day 5

Was so excited that I could not sleep well.

The body was so energised. The legs was tingling with excitment. Left home with blood shot eyes!

The ride to Mandai Shell was scary. My mind keep drifting. It was extremely hard to keep my concentration of the roads. I have to make a decision whether to call off the ride.

Surprisingly, I learn another new thing today. 

Holding water in the mouth while riding helps concentration. O_o

Did a enjoyable Round Island Ride with my cycling partner with 4 pit stops for food and/or drinks. :-p

#Festive500

Acronym

Just got my HSR.

On the whole, it looks okay.
But there are stuff like FLD and RA which kinda freak me.

Googled and remedies for both situations point to losing weight.
Will got for a USS and see what the review says.

At this rate I am going, I am just have to kiss my SCMS good bye. :(

1st September 2013 Army Half Marathon

Hitched a ride from Grumpi. Thanks, mate.

We arrived 35mins before the race start, but was unprepared for the traffic jam.
After numerous stops to look for alternate parking, we finally fall back to the usual Shaw Tower location.

Reached Race Start with 10minutes to spare.
After a few candid shots with Vinod, Daniel and Grumpi, we proceed with the crowd towards the Start Line.
It was not long before I lost both Daniel and Grumpi.

After crossing the Marina Barrage, there was a 200m stretch in total darkness.
Gosh, this is so dangerous.

When we hit the Tanjong Rhu bottleneck, I wanted to turn right, but I can see a lot of runners being shepherded back.
After one unsuccessful attempt, I decided to just blast my headset and totally ignore the marshal.

After a kilometer, Grumpi and Uncle Low overtook me and both were shocked to see me.
I was never the faster runner, but here I was ahead of them! ;p

At the 9km mark, I noted a runner in FOTR jersey. It is SE! Hi, boss!
He was looking down at his watch. Within seconds, I realised why.
My Garmin buzzed 9km. Lol.

Out onto Stadium Crescent, my hands and feet felt very bloated.
Again, this never happened at 21km. I usually get them during the marathon.

The non-training is hitting hard.
 I literally pushed my body after 13km... It did not even wanted to walk.

Turning off Nicoll Highway, I can see the 10km crowd.
Haha, but by the time I went up and down Republic Avenue, the crowd has cleared.
Yes, I am that slow.

The 17-19km stretch was the worst.
The F1 track....
Realised from other runners that it was the toughest stretch of the half marathon too!

Completed the half marathon in 3:41h. Minutes before Vinod, the power walker. :p
Hitched a ride from Grumpi again back home.
Thanks, mate

18th August 2013 Tri Factor Triathlon

Having not train for this race, I know I am in for a tough day.
Plus the fact that I am recovering from a bout of flu makes the whole thing worse.

As usual, the swim was horrendous. We were constantly fighting the currents.
But what I was not prepared for was the swim time.
55mins! That is my 1.9km swim timing.
I become realistic with myself.
Either the non-training is affecting the timing or the flu recovery is.

My ride feels normal but I am noticing that I am being overtaken more than I overtook cyclists.
Given that the ride distance is only 36km and I took 1:26h, it is a 25kmh.
Probably my worst ever recorded 40km split timing.

Onto the run, I could hardly run.
This is definitely due to the fact that I din train.
After 2 km, I noticed that I was not perspiring!
Alarm bells start ringing.
I started consuming more water than I should and ended up with hyponatraemia.
My hands and feet are swollen. Definitely not something that I have encountered during a 10km run!
Still I was not perspiring.
Reality check. 1:40h is impossible now.
Reality? 2:05h.

Feeling? Total loss of interest in exercise. :(
Why? 我不知道

9th August 2013 National Day Ride

After exercising once (Cycle 15km) over the past 2 months, clocking a metric century ride has to be a crazy feat.

Rode out at 5pm, hoping to catch the train at Mandai Shell.
After numerous mini loops,  the train is nowhere to be seen.
Took out the mobile and check. Clockwise loop with Tuas.
Hmm... how to do clockwise with Tuas and end up at Kith?

The JR train rode by and I made a U-turn and hope to join them.
Alas, the train is no where to be seen.

Did a few more mini loops and the Steady JR train rode by.
Tagged along but got expelled by Joyce to the rear of the train for not wearing JR jersey.

Did Tuas non hockey stick loop and stopped at SPC Jalan Buroh for  refill while the train sped on.

Come home via Clementi feeling strong. :)

8th July 2013 Thoughts

Doc say no cycling or swimming for a month.

*****

If the quadruple punctures does not made sense, Sunday's unpleasant episode really takes the cake.

There goes my dream of a 2nd Ironman.

There is more to life than just dreaming of Ironman....

Anyway, I have already reached my goal...

*****

Time to start running...

4th July 2013 Cycling

After my week of standby duty, I have no more reason to skive.
Going out I met the JR train.
Hang with them all the way to Mandai Shell.
While most of them goes to Kranji, I stick ard with 4 unfamiliar faces waiting for the Newbies.
After 4 minutes (05:34), we weren't sure if they are coming so we went off.

Along Upper Bukit Timah Road, I hit a bump and my bottle fell between my frame and leg.
Grasping the bottle with my calf, I slowed down and came to a stop.
While putting the bottle back, I realised the rear tire is flat.
Bummer.
That is my third flat in as many months.
Changed my tube and was ready to roll off when I noticed my front tire is flat too!
OMG!
With a dejected mood, I had no choice but to call a cab.
A first in my 7 years of cycling.

*****

不服气, I decided to find out the cause of the punctures.
Ran my finger through the tires again and found no sharp objects.
Did a visual inspection 4 times (Top,Down, Left, Right) round each tube and was astounded not to be able to spot the punctures on either tube!
Did a water test and was even more astonished.
The incisions were so fine, they seems to be made by a scapel.
And one each tube were two incisions. Top and bottom of the tube!
I have never seen any object being able to puncture a tube through its top and bottom.
And to have it happened to both tires makes the odds incredible.

Considering all possibilities, I had only one conclusion.
Concentina wire, anyone?

29th June 2013 Musings

Just realised that the KCR has done me a lot of good then just riding.
Having feel good for the entire 160km.

A greater than 125km distance which I have not done since IMWA, it is absolutely a thrill to feel this good after a century mile!
Not only that, I gave me confidence that I can tackle hills and still feel good after the entire distance.

What does that means?
It gave me the confidence to do more century rides.
It gave me the confidence to pursue my Dream again. :)
Still undecided on the venue, but I have a rough idea what I wanna do now. :)

24th June 2013 Running

With the current haze situation, it is a good excuse for me to stop exercising. 

Couch potato mentality.

But given that I had 2 hours to spare while waiting to pick up items from Sam, I decided to put it to good use.

Went to East Coast for a run. Turn around at the Cable Ski Park. 

Had no idea what will be the distance, so just run. :p

The initial start was horrible, as you can taste the woody smell in the air.

You try to keep your HR low, but you know it is impossible.

You try not to breate through your mouth, but you know it is impossible.

After a while, you realise that it is all in the mind.

Imagine I am running pass the lava fields, running pass a construction site, problem solved.

But you can really feel your sweat being coated with another layer of fine dust. 

Running east, the haze looks a lot better.

When I made the U-turn at the Cable Ski Park, I cannot made out the CBD buildings. Gosh, the haze is really bad in the west.

Completed my run, washed up and proceed to Sam's place to collect the goods. ;)

Tri Factor Bike 2013

Put the alarm clock on 15 minutes Snooze and ended up sleeping an extra hour!!!

Reached Changi Coastal at 6:50am. Car Park 6 and 7 were already full. =(
Park at Car Park 5 and cycled to the Race Site.

Going into the Race Pen at 0720, we were then informed that the 80km Invitational Cyclists will be flagged off at 0730! All 60km cyclists will be flagged off at 0745.
I am pretty disappointed with the race organisation this year.
After organising the race for 3 years, they forgotten to add the race timing in the race booklet!
And when we checked online, they mentioned that all 60km will flagged off together at 0730.
So imagine some cyclists frustration when the group got flagged off, the organisers are getting the 6xx riders to stay back.

I started to pick up the pace right after the Start looking for a group/person to draft.
Decided to sprint off myself and got a train behind me for the next 2km. =D

Started to fade right after the U-turn and noticed the wind picked up significantly.
Judging by the wind, it looked like cross wind, but the pace is still bearable.

At the 10km mark was when it started to hurt....
I could barely maintain 20kmh...
Tried to draft anyone and everyone, but it does not work.
The diagonal crosswind meant that I am fighting to keep the bike upright and moving the bike forward.
This is practically how things played out for the next 5km.
Right after the 15km U-turn, I managed to speed up. Had a tail with me. ;)
Managed to find a duo and followed them till the 20km mark.

Right after the U-turn, I struggled again and ask my tail to follow the duo.
Turned out the tail is Andrew! :D
Christina rode past and follow the trio.
Hehe, if Christina is following the trio, it meant that I had drafted the right pack. ;)
Shouted out to BFF who was running on the PCN. ;)

This is practically how things played out for the remaining part of the race.
Struggled for the first 5km.
Looked for group/person to draft for the remaining 5km.
Or practically pulling a train when I cannot find a comfortable pace. :)

Finished 30km right on the hour mark. I am on course to do a 2hr ride if I can do 25kmh for the first 5km and 35kmh for the second 5km.
Slim chances, but there is hope if I can find a good group

Things got awry at the 40km mark.
I started to brake before the U-turn.
The brakes ain't working! The barriers are closing... Panic sets in.
Luckily there is no one behind me and I brake early giving me lots of time for the bike to slow down on its own accord. Phew!

During the last lap, the cyclometer started to stress me out big time again.
I know I am extremely close to the 2hr mark.
Did exactly what I did in Kuantan. Took out the cyclometer and threw it away.... into my pocket.

Crossed the Finish Line in 2hrs. :)

Kuantan Century Ride Post-Mortem

Probably the first time I looked at what I had done to complete a race/ride.

Having learnt from KCR 2012 and CRM 2012, I had to pull all stops to prevent a repeat of KCR 2012 failure.

I have never let it known, but KCR 2012 hurt me badly emotionally.
It broke me mentally.

I had thought that climbing onto the broom bus is the smart thing to do when I had ran out of water, time, energy and willpower to complete the remaining 50km.
But I got hit in the gut when I see many cyclists refusing to hop onto the train and tough it out.
What really took the cake was to see how badly Judy is suffering yet she is hanging on refusing to hop on.
So much for an Ironman's willpower.

After months of low volume training, I ramped up my training in May.
750km of riding, I am still uncertain if I can handle it.
That is till I open my training log.
I had opened a treasure chest!
Stored within are all the proof that I need. There is hope.

For my first IM70.3, I ramped up training so much that I did 900+km the month before the race.
2000+km over 3 months!

For my first IM, I never felt that I had trained much, but the training log tells another story.
I did pay my dues  from May to October. The month of November I did only 140km of cycling.
Tapering? Go figure...

When the group went for pre-CRM 2012 dinner, I was the wet blanket.
Being the only rider to skip the dinner.

I had to do that. Cos of the pre-KCR 2012 dinner, I had the runs before the race.
The entire group waited for me for almost half an hour before I appeared.
In fact, I was dehydrated even before the race started!

I was determined to not let that happen again.
Jason understood and rally-ed the guys together.
We went to a nearby kopi-tiam to have a simple dinner.

Bike wise, I took the bike apart and throughly cleaned every crevice.
Not a fan of chain cleaning, I took extra effort to make the chain sparkle after feeling the difference after a recent chain clean. ;)

During KCR2012, the volunteers had bought all the mineral water from the provision shops across the highway when CP3 ran out of water.
John just revealed 2 weeks ago that he bought Coke from the same provision shop during KCR2012.
Why didn't I think of that.

====

Race day, the Malaysian food does not really agree with me.
Although I still had the runs, I was glad it all came after the race!!! Phew!!!

When I realised that the race will be done in a clockwise fashion, I figured how to let it worked to my advantage.

I started out with 2 full bottles, leading to Rob asking me during the ride why I had two empty bottles in the rear hydration system. ;) Plan is to fill the 2 bottles in CP1. Just in case of water depletion in CP2 or/and CP3.

The much feared coastal winds was there, but I figured that being fresh early in the ride, I could easily hide from the wind in the peloton and that is exactly what I did. :)

Arrived in CP1 with Jason, Greg, John and Alice is good. A morale booster.
Last year, I practically lost the group for both CRs even before CP1!!!

Managing to overtake Jason and Greg en-route to CP2 lift my spirits high.
80km, 2:50h... That is almost race pace... I have 5 hours to clear another 80km. All is good.

The hills, the feared hills.
My HR went into overdrive and I took a breather at KOM2.
But the amazing part is that there is no complaints from the thighs.
The secret weapon seems to work.

Seeing water, Jason, Greg, John and Alice at CP3... You cannot describe the joy I felt.
Mis-interpreting the race map, I took a huge beating on my morale when I am out on the expressway.
But I feel good enough to shoulder on.

Hitting CP4 and seeing Greg and Jason.... Oh my....
Amazing amazing is that I feel nothing from the thighs. Yes, nothing!!!
They behaved well even through those punishing hills.

What could have helped?
The 12-30 cassette?
The sparkling clean chain?
The compact crank?
All of the above?
I had a feeling that all the mechanical components made a difference.

There were a lot of complaints about the heat.
Strange to say, not once during the ride, did I ever felt that heat was a factor.
No engine overheat, no cramps....

I can only tell you that this is probably the most enjoyable CR that I have ever participated. ;)

8th June 2013 Cycling

5 days of skiving and I am back riding again.
The legs felt good.
Is distance cycling really required to make the legs felt this fresh after some time off.
Reaching Mandai Shell at 0530, there is no cyclist there.
Given that Judy posted a FB comment that weather looks bad, I am only partly surprised that John and family did not turn up.

After 11 minutes of wait, I decided to do loops while waiting for the group if they turned up.
There are always a slight chance that the group has decided to skip Mandai Shell.

After only one loop, the group arrived!
Turned out they start the ride late.
Right after the U-turn, the pace picked up tremendously.
Drafting close, I managed to keep up with the group.
Surprisingly, the heart rate is in check!!!

Climbing the feared Mandai slope just past the zoo, not only was I able to keep pace, I feel good enough to overtake the leaders!!!
Right after the climb, Sean stepped on the accelerator.
That was when my HR went into the red zone.
Sean sensed that I am struggling.
He proceed to let me into his draft.
I only managed to hang on till Old Mandai Road Flyover.

Did not see Sam nor KO when the group overtook me, so I guess they are behind...
To have Sam being dropped tells u a lot about the pace... ;)

We spinned at Yishun Ave waiting for the guys to turn up.
Ended up waiting at the turn before Seletar West Link for the 3 guys. ;)

Speed with group for part of the Seletar West Link before getting dropped. ;D
When news that the Ride Leader had a flat, the group stopped at Punggol waiting for them.
Ended up waiting for half an hour for Sam and Mike to turn up.
They have a blown tube ride after the change. ;D

Rode with the group before peeling off at SengKang.
Rode around in Punggol before stopping at Yishun Ave 4 for brekkie.
Fueled, I decided to loop Seletar West Link before riding home. ;p

Kuantan Century Ride 2013

Signed up for the race purely to complete what I was unable to do so last year.

When I heard that the route is reversed this year, my plan is simple.
Whack the first 80km and accumulate enough time to handle the last 80km of hills.

I am determined to pull out all stops to prevent a repeat of last year's dis-appointment.
Extremely careful with race preparation and pre-race dinner. :)

A 7km warm up ride to IIUM to start the Ride Proper.
Flag off is at 0730h, which everyone agree is pretty late.
We tried to keep the group compact but with so many cyclists cutting in and out of our group, we got separated.
I stayed with John and Alice and we managed to find a comfortable group to draft all the way  to Check Point 1.
I pulled a guy for 5km out of CP1 before we hit the highway.
After 5km of riding alone, I managed to draft a group all the way to CP2.
Hitting the hills, I got extremely stressed out by the cyclometer's readings.
Proceed to make the best decision of the day. Threw the cyclometer away... into my pocket.
Completed the 2 back to back KOMs and reached CP3 a happy man.
Remember the route wrongly and find the route extremely short when we hit the expressway.
Turned out we had 25km of Cat 3 rolling hills and a Cat 5 climb to conquer before we hit the turn back towards Kuantan.
Again, I thought the last 20km is flat, how wrong could I be.
Not only were there rolling hills, 40 degree weather, there was a headwind to content with.
Rolled into IIUM a joyful rider.
After a short break, we rode back to the hotel after Stephen and Julian failed to hitch a ride. Lol

31st May 2013 Cycling

Did the last ride of the month before going North to Kuantan.
Met Charles and Michelle along Mandai Road and they tempted me to go Clementi with them.

Decided to take it really easy and did Newton with brekkie thrown in. ;)

26th May 2013 Cycling

With a grand plan in place, I joined FOTR for their Ride.
Unlike last week, today's group is truly small.
Probably the Vesak Day Ride and Saturday's Ride is enough for the chiongsters. ;)

Going into Neo Tiew Road led by Tze Wee, the pace is fast and the group is extremely compact.
Finally understood why the ladies ask me to steer clear of SC.
Whenever there is wheel overlapping, SC will tends to drift towards the middle.
There are a few moments which is really hair raising where handlebars almost touched.

Once again, I lose them at the last Neo Tiew slope.

The only consolation is that I managed to see the tail lights of the group till the last 2km of Lim Chu Kang Road.

After a short breather, we proceed to Tuas.
Led by Tze Wee, we completed the Hockey Stick on double quick time.

After a stop over at SPC Jalan Buroh, we proceed to West Coast Highway.
Not able to keep up at Clementi Flyover, I lost sight of the group at Keppel Viaduct.

Was surprised to see Stephen mid way.
Stopped to check on him and he show me his phone. OUCH!!!
His phone was crushed till the screen was popped.
The phone has dislodged from the handlebar bracket and got ran over by trucks and trailers on an unusually busy Sunday.

Rode with the group to River Valley before proceeding home.

23rd May 2013 Musings

So worried about the Standby Duty that I decided to forego this morning's Ride.

I am worried about this years' guys who are attempting IMWA.

A few are getting injured now.
A few are going very hard during training.
It is probably too early to pack high-intensity or high-volume training for the race.
Not too sure how to break it to them.
I am sure some of the other folks noticed it too.

22nd May 2013 Cycling

Reaching Mandai Shell, the train has not pull off yet.
Decided to wait with Joyce for the Newbies to pull in and join them.
As I need to be in office early, I had to skip Newton Drink Stall.

The pace was surprisingly smooth.
There were a lot of ang-mohs in the group today and they were controlling the pace awesomely.
I had a wonderful ride to Newton where I peeled off for home.

The ride feel extra silky today.
Not too sure if it is because of the loads of training I had been doing recently or the fact that I took a long time to clean the chain over the weekend. Lol.
Could be a combination of both? Should be doing both tasks more often in order to enjoy my ride more. :)

21st May 2013 Running

Dark clouds are looming.

Everyone is certain that it is going to rain.

NEA is telling me that there are scattered clouds/showers in Singapore.

I took my chances and had a hot sweaty 6.5km run. :)

Happy! :)

20th May 2013 Cycling

Out of the house at 4:47am, it is too late to make it to LH.
Went to Mandai Shell, hoping to catch the train there.
There was an Indian walking in the middle of the road talking to trees.
I decided to do loops and skip Mandai Shell.
When the train did not arrive at 5:40, I decided to do Old Mandai Road loops till the traffic seems too heavy at 6:30.
Turn right home after completing 35km. :)

19th May 2013 Cycling

Received a message from Rynn on Saturday.

We decided to meet at LH for the 5am FOTR Ride.

Lol... Looking at the FB postings, you would have thought there will be 5 riders, but 20+ riders turned up.

Tze Wee led the group with Ek Guan and Greg breaking the pace once in a while.

Overall, I must said that Tze Wee lead a very steady pace throughout the entire ride.

I managed to hang on during Prata Hill but lost them up Sembawang.

Managed to reach Mandai Shell just seconds behind Stephen and his friend. =p

Ek Guan led the pace through Neo Tiew and I lost the group again at the last slope.

I felt a lot better today as I was able to see the tail lights all the way to Jalan Bahar. ;)

Pulling into SPC Jalan Buroh, I told Ek Guan that I will wait for the riders to ride in before going for a break.

Turned out all of them are not stopping for a break, so back goes the helmet and on with the ride.

It got dropped along the way all the way to town but somehow managed to re-join the group. =p

We bid the others farewell at FujiXerox Towers and I rode with Rynn home.

18th May 2013 Cycling

Realisng that I won't make it in time to LH or Causurina, I decided to wait outside Yishun Camp for the train.
5:20 past and there were nowhere in sight.
Hmm... there cannot be that late leh....
Was about to do my own ride when the train came at 4:22.
Hopped onto the train towards Gambas and Admiralty.
Along Seletar West Link, I tagged behind Sean for quite a while.
Gosh, another sandbagger. The titanium man has not lost any of his speed too.
When Sean slowed, I try to catch the passing Joseph.
Joe's speed is just too fast for me to hang on to.
After Punggol, I proceed towards Jalan Kayu to have prata and tea, with the intention of joining ASG for their morning ride.
After waiting till 7:40 and not a single rider turning up, I peel off for home.

17th May 2013 Cycling

Riding to Mandai, the thighs were feeling extremely sore.
Must have been the standing pedalling...

While riding to Mandai, Train JRT lead by Stefano overtook me.
These guys are just getting faster and faster.

When the first train overtook me, I was surprised to see Rynn in the pack.
Wow, not only has pregnancy not rob her of her speed, she seems to be getting better.

Reached Mandai and waited for the Newbies to ride in before following them to Newton.
Spencer won't be stopping at Newton, thus I decided to give it a miss too.

Was glad that Spencer was feeling tired today.
It was a relaxed ride for the both of us behind I peeled off at Yishun.

15th May 2013 Cycling

Meet the train at LH. The first train past by at 5:23. 5:23? What pace r they doing? Or they left LH early?

Second and third train rolled in. A lot of FOTR among the riders. :)
Was about to rolled off with the third train when someone behind me said "Newbies"
It is Spencer, my company home.
We waited for the newbies and rolled off.
Lights were turning amber after KJE and the train rode through.
As u all know, I had this 3 second rule and there is no way I can pass the junction within the 3 seconds.

A rider behind me rode through 5 seconds after the lights turn red, in between 2 vehicles!!! 

I did had a word with the ride leader, Spencer later.

Did a sprint at Bukit Timah. It was shiok. =p

After brekkie at Newton, we proceed to home.

While riding in OUTR, I rode a whole row of broken bottles.

As it was clear glass, I din notice it till I rode through.

Hissing sound came but I was still able to ride normally...

Decided to stop and check. I was horrified to see how deep the cut is.

There is no way I can repair this. I decided to push my bike 1.5km to the main road and try to flag down a cab.

After 10 minutes, Spencer rode back looking for me.

He has reached the main road and waited 4 minutes for me.

Knowing that there is no way I can be that slow he rode back.

When he saw my tire, he mentioned "$2".

Oh yeah, why din I think of that!!!

He was surprised how fast I was able to remove the tire.

Haha, my tire training for IMWA helps! ;)

After inserting the $2, I proceed to pump up the tire. Can see the tube popping through the gap.

The hole is too big for a $2. In went another $2. ;) 

It was 4km standing pedalling home as I can bear to know what will happen if I rest my weight on the injured tire.

My thighs were throbbing for 10 minutes after I reached home. Haha, what an experience. 

Expensive ride. Lol... 

You can still see the thread in the middle of the tire.

11th May 2013 Cycling

While riding towards Mandai, met John and family U-turning at Mandai Hill Camp.
Waited for 2 mins and the group rolled in.
I was unable to maintain the pace up Woodlands Road and enter Neo Tiew at the back of the pack.
I was literally hanging on by a thread even though the pace does not seems that bad.
The major disadvantage of being in the back of the pack is that you regularly need to surge to get back into the group after any major turn.

Managed to hang on till the last climb which I literally gave up.

Calvin is there to sweep me.

Turning out onto Old Lim Chu Kang Road, he still refuse to join the group, insistent on sweeping me.

Onto Lim Chu Kang, I am running out of breath, so I told Calvin that I am going to catch his draft.

What happened next was unexpected.

Calvin went down onto his dropbars and sped up.

I can only hang on...

Looking up once in a while, I can see that we are closing in on two riders.

Kelvin hopped onto the 'broom' train and we completed LCK in Strava PR timing.

Oh... did I mentioned that I did Neo Tiew in Strava PR timing too?

If someone say that today's pace is blistering to prepare for Sean's return, facts dun lie.

Got triple confirmation that we are not stopping at SPC Jalan Buroh.

Surprisingly, I have more water left this time and it isn't even isotonic!

Pace was extremely gentle all the way to SBV.

Once on SBV, I could not see the group within a minute.

Ride my own pace, somehow SBV felt good.

Not seeing the guys in Kent Ridge, I went exploring and got lost.
Haha.... Thomas's name will probably will come to mind. ;p
Managed to get out onto Pasir Panjang Road and was lost again.
Kelvin shouted out to me. After disucussion, I realised that the actual route is to exit Clementi Road and wait at 7-Eleven. Oh no, that meant I have only half a bottle of water to Tiong Bahru.
(Haha, I need to use Google Maps to locate where the 7-Eleven they are referring to right now. Speaking of which, I would have missed them even if I were to exit Clementi Road)

While the group took Keppel Highway, I told them I would meet them at Tiong Bahru Market.
I went back to SBV and I must say that I am enjoying myself.
Hitting North Buona Vista Road, I am totally lost.
Turn right to CommonWealth Ave, I rode and took my time to figure out how to reach TBM.
Managed to reach TBM about the same time they guys reached. :)

The guys took a long time to chow. It was only later that I realised that they were waiting for the video shoot.
After the video shoot, I followed Kelvin and Mike to Marymount Road before I bid them farewell and continue on my way home via Thomson Road.

9th May 2013 Running

Missed today's Ride but make it up with a run.

Stamina is a lot better and it felt nice to feel the perspiration on the skin.
Three of us manage to stick together for the whole run.
Thanks, guys. :)
Chat a lot about all our different views of running.

Tested out Runkeeper on Pebble and must admit that both Pebble and Runkeeper did a good job of integrating the application to the watch.

Once the Pebble is connected to the phone, Runkeeper will start showing the Actual Time | Actual Distance | Average Pace when you click 'Start Activity'
The details will disappear once you end your Runkeeper activity.
I had wish that it will keep the screen on for a while longer but I guess the common sense is that users will wanna view the finer details on the phone rather than the watch.

Overall it is a wonderful piece of technology. :)

7th May 2013 Running

A simple run where 80% of the run, a colleague insisted on tagging along the plodder.
Thanks, mate!

Love the feel of heat and sweat on my skin.
Hope the momentum will last

7th May 2013 Cycling

Woke up at 4:30am and try to find reasons not to cycle.
Found none and in fact found a few reasons why I should cycle and out the door I went.
Reached Mandai Shell at 5:33am but the group was long gone.
Spend the time to clear my head.
Reached Newton at 6:10am, the group was almost done with brekkie and I joined them on the ride home. =)
Feeling stronger. Kuantan Century Ride has some hope. =P

4th May 2013 Cycling

You will never regret running / cycling

I waited till the last possible moment to make sure that the rain is headed west before I headed towards Mandai Shell.

Reaching Mandai Shell at 0532, I am glad that I rode. The roads were dry except for Mandai Shell which has seen a drizzle.

Waited 5 minutes and I can feel the rain coming down. Started to make a U-turn only to see the train arriving.

Turned back and joined the ride towards West.
Along a short stretch of Neo Tiew Road, it was raining.
Was glad that I managed to hang onto the group till end of Neo Tiew Road.
Pulled the group till start of LCK.
I simply do not have the fitness nor the stamina to sprint with the folks.
Re-group at end of LCK before proceeding to SPC Jalan Buroh.
Only Garry and I made it thru the Boon Lay traffic junction, so we stopped at SPC and got the guys 6 1.5L of isotonic drinks.
10 mins past and no sight of the guys.
We got really worried.
Both of us tried calling a few guys but none of them pick up the calls.
It was a good 40mins later when YP responded.
Only then did we realised that the group has passed the station without stopping.
Gave away the unopened bottles to some lucky Indian workers before proceeding on our way.
Over-hydrated, I decided to cut my ride short and return home via Clementi.
Reached home before 9.
While washing the bike, I realised I was extremely lucky today.

Could have a blowout but Conti GP4000S is really badass tire.
Survived the trip with the glass deeply embedded into the tire.

2nd May 2013 Running

2013 is a year for sporting hiatus.

Long term events such as Ipoh Century Ride, Bike and Blade and Singapore Biathlon are all taking a break this year.

*****

Will probably start tweeting more. Not serious enough to make it to Facebook, but reason enough to tweet.
Hehe... 17 tweets since 2008 tells you a lot about my tweeting prowess. =D

*****

With the photo from 2 decades ago flashing back ever so often, it is high time I did a change.
Picked up the running shoes and went for a noon run.
Completed 7.4km and feeling good. =)

1st May 2013 Cycling

Posting the dated photos took a lot of friends by surprise and also served for a nice conversation during cycling. ;)

*****

Reached Mandai Shell early and did two mini loops before the group arrived.
I was surprised that I could tag along the entire Neo Tiew distance again.
Lost them along Lim Chu Kang Road, but the numerous red lights along Jalan Bahar helped me join back with the group.
Had wanted to chicken out of the Hockey Stick but I am glad I went along.
In fact, most of us are there for the first time. The stretch looks never ending.

After a rest at Jalan Buroh SPC, the group sped off.
I lost them at the first climb and was never able to make up the distance.

By the time we hit Mercs, it was just me and Chris.
Chris was also peeling off before brekkie.
He was planning to go back via Alexandra and when we realised that we are fellow Yishunians, he decided to follow me back via Clementi.
It was very nice of Chris to keep waiting for me after the numerous climbs. Thanks, Chris.

Meet Kah Han, Winnie, Kam Meng and Benjamin Seetoh (Fellow Victorian) who I had difficulty recognising in helmet and shades.
Bid Chris farewell at Yishun Ave 2 before proceeding home.
Reached home at 9am sharp to bring the kids out for brekkie

OCBC Cycle 2013

Feel disgusted by the reflection in the mirror.
Really need to do something about it.

***
Given a partial reimbursement by my company, I decided to take part in this year's OCBC Cycle.
Got to the race site at 0555hr, but was held up so far back from the Start Line that I could not see where it is nor even hear the blaring music if any.

Not even sure if the race starts on time, but by the time I crossed the Start Line, it was 0635hr.
With the huge crowd and knowing that cyclists will just switch lanes without looking, I was very cautious when overtaking before I hit ECP.

Cycling up Benjamin Sheares Bridge, there were already a few cyclists pushing their bikes up.
When I reached peak, the front group was already returning!!!
"Bikes coming, bikes coming!" I shouted. (Cos some cyclists has crossed the cones onto the oncoming lanes)
Got a "Thank You" gesture from one of the young cyclists.

Going down Benjamin Sheares Bridge was fun and hairy.
I keep applying brakes going down as the roads were crowded and I am not sure of the handling skills of the cyclists in front of me.
I missed the Kuantan downslope where I could freewheel down the slope without braking.

Was really disappointed to see stretches of ECP being split into two. Incoming and Outgoing.
Haiz.... It is unlike the full 4-laned ECP I used to ride along 2 years ago (or was it 3).

Between Fort Road and Marine Parade, we had the full 4 lanes and I went full throttle on the road shoulder.
The joy was short-lived.
We were back to 2-laned roads after a short 2km.

I truly did not enjoy the entire stretch to Xilin Ave.
Feel cheated of my additional 2 lanes.
I guess the lack of company played a huge part too.

Along East Coast Park Service Road, the rain came out thick and fast!
I see a couple of cyclists slowing down to put on rain jackets. They came prepared!
I entered the Aid Station to grab a bottle of 100-Plus.
I was very confused to see the sign showing 42km Turn Right for Lap 2.
Exiting East Coast Park Service Road onto ECP, the rain was gone!
Nice shower indeed.

Along Car Park E2, we gotta turn into ECP Service Road again. :/
Before exiting Fort Road, I see the Lap 2 sign!
I am truly confused. Given that I make the Xilin U-turn at 22km, I do not truly see the need to do a possible 4km loop, but I went nonetheless.
Smacked right into the Community Ride cyclists!
Onto the 4-laned expressway, I was thrilled cycling on the shoulder again.
Turning back onto the ECP Service Road was a superb hairy one laned hairpin turn!
Planned to do a 3 loop but give up the thought when I saw the timing stands at the U-turn point.
I do not plan to DQ-ed.

Cycling up Benjamin Sheares Bridge, hordes of cyclists were either pushing their bikes or waiting for their friends along the incline.
Some were even enjoying the scenery and taking pictures. Lol.
On the opposite downslope, the marshalls were assisting a girl who has fallen off her bike and bleeding from the lips. Ouch...
100m behind her, a little girl (is she even allowed onto this stretch of the cycling route) and her mum were speeding down.
"Slow Down, Slow Down" was all I could say.
No sound is good news I guess.

Reached the Finish Line clocking 42.94km in 1:40h.
Disappointed, but given my current fitness... What can I say...

Meet up with other cyclists from my company and gathered for a few photos before I proceed to walk around to look for familiar faces.
Finding none, I decided to cycle home.

3km from home,  the rain came and I reached home throughly drenched.
Had a quick nap and wake up refreshed to continue my day. ;)

25th April 2013 Musings

I keep throwing away good riding days and still feel lethargic after more sleep.
Motivation is really not there.
Not even the threat of failing Kuantan again is enough to push me out of the house.
What is wrong with me!!!

I need another DREAM to accomplish... But what will that be???

13th April 2013 Cycling

Joined FOTR for a ride.
Managed to keep up with the group along Neo Tiew, a good ride for me.
Was not able to stay on the pace during Lim Chu Kang.

I started to cough... Maybe due to the haze?
Turn left onto Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Mike and Ek Guan slowed down for me numerous time.
Climbing the slope outside GSB, I started hyperventaliting!!!
Mucus formed blocking my nostrils, my throat started seizing it.
It is scary.

Along Bukit Batok Road, I tried getting Mike and Ek Guan to go ahead without me, but they insisted silently on staying with me. Thanks, guys!

I really could not keep up even at the snail pace we are going, thus I got them to go ahead at Mandai Road while I rest at the bus stop.
Have enough mucus to fill up two tissue papers! Eeks...
Mucus which I would have wipe away easily during a race but somehow not able to do so during a leisure ride. Hmm....

I struggled through the entire stretch of Mandai Road, obviously through the lack of fitness... =(

21st April 2013 MetaSprint Triathlon

Garmin played me out this morning, so I shall have to rely on the official results. :-/

Total Time - 02:07:16
Swim - 00:24:59
Bike - 00:44:12
Run - 00:50:32

+++

As age progresses, your race starts later.
I have to stop looking at the wrong category when I browse through the Race Briefing. O_o

Wore a black wrist band for the race.

The whole area is in a mess.
There was no indication how to get to the transition area.
Everyone is asking the same question and the officials and security cannot seems to be bothered.
I ended up shouting at the security who pointed northwards to me after he ignored my "Excuse Me" for at least 10 times.
It was a huge loop to transition, and a whole loop back to the Swim Start.
If that is not enough, all of us learnt later that the race course is just as messy around the transition area.
It does not help that the transition map was not in the Race Briefing Notes at all!!!

Race start on time at 9:30am.
Swimming out to the first buoy is easy. I am skeptical.
Turning the buoy, my fear was right!
The current helping us for the first 250m is now working against us.
If that is not bad enough, the last 250m, swimming freestyle diagonally brings us hitting the lane rope than breaststroke.
I got to be realistic now. Without much training, I got overtaken by numerous swimmers. I just cannot hold my own.

Onto the bike, it is pretty much the same thing.
I got overtaken by cyclists who I could have passed easily 2 years ago.

I walked a lot on the run and finished the Tri Series happily.
Happy that despite the messy area, the organisation is still great.

I have already signed up for the 2014 Series. \o_o/

7th April 2013 Musings

My body has never taken well to quirky weather.
Needless to say, the recent weather conditions has ravaged my body.
Hoping to get well soon and hope to get the show on the road.

****

A couple of shout-outs and I finally got a response that both of us are comfortable with.

Instead of focusing on March events that depends heavily on the weather conditions. We decided to make plans for an event giving us a 14 month window.

Good for both of us who are starting out with zero base.

What has triggered the 'passion' again, u might ask?
I won't call this passion but as a way of keep my weight in check.
Seeing my weight propel to 112kg is a rude wake up call.
I have not even see 11x before I start exercising!

If I wanna attribute it to the CNY snacks, I dun think it is fair.
The amount of CNY snacks taken has been decreasing over the years. No reason for a 10kg gain.

The diet? You guys know I have never been a fan of dieting.
But I must admit that over the past half year, I got pretty careless with my lunch and this has since been rectified.

I guess the alarm bells did not sound loud due to the fact that I am still able to fit into my working pants.
But instead of the belt buckle pointing East, it is pointing South-East! (I shall cease elaborating. U get the picture. )

Tried on the only long-sleeved cycling jersey that I owned, I realised I could not even fit into the arm sleeves. :(
Tri-shorts rolling off your paunch is another horrific experience.

I do missed the camaraderie that was forged in 2011, all of us with the purpose of taking part in our virgin race.
Having done that, most of us started making up for the lost time to our families in 2012.

With a huge group of friends doing IMWA this year, I find that it is good for me to piggyback on their training to train for the March event but I am really worried that most of them are over-zealous in their goals.
I fear for them and I fear for myself.

With the clock ticking, let's us see what happens in June.

5th April 2012 Musings

Wanted to start April on a fresh page, but alas it has all come to nought.

Monday was a good morning to ride, but I always try to defer riding on Monday and that was exactly what I did! :(

Tuesday to Thursday, the weather and haze got the better of me and my body is too sore to even contemplate cycling. :(

Should have taken a good advice by YP. Plan to train everyday, cos things will always crop up.
Very true.

*****

Bought a bike for Shannon and tried to teach her to ride.
Being a parent, I guess you always like to be cautious.
Suggested to my wife about getting a helmet, elbow guards and knee guards for her.
Guess I was being over-protective.

I still remember vividly when this kid falls from his bike in the CC when I was in Primary School.
This incident effectively ended any effort for me to learn to cycle as my mum cannot bear to see me getting hurt.

After our 'O' Levels, my primary school class had a gathering.
I was the only guy who din know how to cycle and was assigned for Bag Duty.
Luckily for me, my classmate KeZhong always believe that we all should have a chance to learn cycling and spend the next 2 hours coaching me.

I got my mum to thank for sending me to Swim Class and KeZhong for teaching me to cycle.
Without them, I would have had the chance to take part in triathlons, much less an Ironman!

30th March 2013 Musings

Perfect morning for cycling.
But with 2 pretty stuffed nostrils, it is really easy for me to abandon the ride even though I was up bright and early at 3am. :(
Darn the haze.

27th March 2013 Cycling

Managed to catch the JR 3rd Newbie train along Woodlands Road after a long chase.
Lost the group at Hume Ave but managed to catch them again at Bukit Timah.
That is where I see that Marcus Pang still have not grown up.
Someone in the pack broke loose and to chase the pack,  Marcus chose to ride in the middle of the second car lane.
Previously, I let him off when he choose to cut right in front of the bus causing the poor bus to e-brake.
The bus cannot advance causing the whole train to go in front of the bus.
This really reflect badly on the JR group,  especially so cos of an immature Ride Leader.
But today's action is totally unwarranted.
Riding rear, u wonder how long he is going to stay in the second lane.
It is a good 20 seconds before he veer back into the group.
20 seconds too long...

Took a lone ride home after stopping for a cuppa at Newton.

Strava Premium

Hehe, some of you know that I have been uploading my training logs religiously to Strava.

It is good to get kudos from friends. =p

Recently, Strava is offering a Strava Premium Free 1 month Trial which is expiring tomorrow, 27th March 2013.

Decided to sign up for the trial.
The catch is that you need to cancel the trial before the month is up or you will be paying an annual fee of USD59 / UKP36 once the trial is over.

It offer the additional features of showing your Suffer Score based on your HR and Estimated Power Analysis.

Sad to say, I only started wearing my HRM for the past few rides after reading an article by Mark Allen.
I have never understood the reason behind using a HRM for training till I read his article.

Thus I am not able to see most of my Suffer Score for the previous rides. Especially those of IMWA 2011. =(

But looking back at MetaSprint Duathlon 2013, I noticed that I have maxed out my HR Zone for both the bike and runs.
There is nothing more that I can give for that race.

It also shows that I have been taking it too easy for my morning rides. =p

Interesting stuff but not sure if it is worth the money to sign up long term, just for 2 extra features....

Having said that, if I do not train, it will be more money down the long kang...

The 'Accidental' Diver

Umizaru - A good movie about divers

*****

I got my PADI Open Water Diver Certification a decade ago.

Having seen WK's video posted by CL, it brought back memories.

Circumstances surrounding WK's demise can be puzzling but as a diver I can understand the danger spots after watching the video.

If my memories served me right, here is the account of the 'Accidental' Diver.

Jo went for her PADI Certification and did not pass the test as she had panic attacks underwater. 

The divemaster suggested that I join her and I readily agree. O_o

Had one/two theory lessons before proceeding for 2 or 4 practical lessons at the Outram pool.

The first pool lesson was a culture shock as you have to learn to breathe in and out through your regulator.

It is something that do not come naturally to any of us.

You start getting comfortable with it and all the certification drills gets easier.

Being Jo's buddy, she is definitely more relaxed as noted by the Dive Master. Lol.

Night to Mersing. Our bus went to the wrong jetty and it was a sprint to the correct jetty as the boat cannot wait too long! Got there in the nick of time and we were on the boat in a blur. 

I am not a guy who got  seasick easily but the 5 hours ride to Puala Aur got most of us wanting to throw out. 

I got to know the wonder of Peppermint Medicated Oil. Lol

I do not have much recollection about the accommodation and food.

The first dive was going down a rope which was set out in an L shape.

Depth was 10m (likely) or 20m.

Buddies were at either side of the rope at Sea Bottom.

I recall that we were instructed not to look up in case of panic attacks.

After completing the drills, I looked up and was in awe.

I am really here. Tons of water above me and I am here, kneeling at the Sea Bottom.

This is way cooler than staring up from the 4.5m Deep Pool which I have the luxury of diving in every week during my school days. :)

The 4.5m weekly dives probably explains my lack of anxiety during the Open Water Dives.

(Those were the days. I seriously dun think it will be allowed in today's schools anymore)

We went to a site near the rocks where there were scores of boats around. 

There were a school of fish swimming in circles and the view was stunning.

Swam right into the middle of them and see them swimming around you is priceless. 

Tried to touch the fishes but they just swim around you without breaking formation.

I recall going to Dayang on the second day.

Having helped out in the boat throughout the course, the DiveMaster deemed it fit for me to go into the water first on our last dive instead of one of his Diving Instructors.

There was two ways to enter the water.

The Giant Step Entry or the Seated Entry.

Seated Entry is more hazardous as you lost orientation momentarily during entry. Worst still if you got your regulator knocked out of your mouth. 

But a head count will be conducted before descent.

At Dayang, I entered the water and immediately got swept almost 5-10m away from the boat. Got 'scolded' for swimming away without instructions. 

It was much later that DM realised that I was trying to keep up as the boat got swept around by the currents.

He dropped a rope. I hung onto the rope and was immediately pulled along by the boat.

My immediate task was to ensure that all the trainees hang onto the rope.

After a headcount, we were reminded again to watch out for trigger fish before we made our descent and began our guided dive.

The corals and fishes were stunning.

It was a wonderful experience. 

Hehe, I do have a little difficulty swimming though as Jo was grabbing onto me too tightly and there was no way I could tell her to loosen.

There came a stage where I could hardly move that I have to shake her hand loose and I hold onto her instead. Lol.

Too soon, we have to make our ascent and were given the congratulatory message that all of us have passed the test. :)

I recall that there were two other boats in close proximity and they will be called upon and all dives abandoned if any of the trainees of either boat got into trouble.

This conclude the account of the 'Accidental' Diver

24th March 2013 MetaSprint Duathlon

Losing on e bike to SW is a hard pill to swallow. It hits at your confidence many times over.
Today's race has me thinking if I still have it in me to complete another Ironman.
Then I realised that I got another more urgent item on hand!
June's Kuantan Century Ride!
I am running out of time training for the ride!
The Ironman fate shall result from KCR.

****

As the race starts at 9am, I took my time to wake up, had brekkie and prep C-One for the ride.
Took a relaxed ride to the race but got kan cheong when I could not find the transition point and keep circling around the estate.
After riding Alize for so long, I can really feel the loss of power transfer on C-One.

Set up my transition with 15 mins to spare. The race started with me right behind the pack. Within 400m, I know I am blowing it at a pace I am not comfortable with.
Took a cup of plain water at the 1km mark and realised the fatal mistake!
That is the only water point for the entire race!!!
Met Alex, Sotong and Tekko during the race.
Thanks guys! So glad to see familiar faces! :)
Reaching T1, I glupped down half a bottle of water before starting the ride.
The ride was becoming embarrassing.
My strongest discipline and I am getting passed by cyclists in all shapes and sizes and in all sorts of bikes.
Really hope the embarrassment will end soon. It does not help to see SW zooming past me.
Dan keep shouting out encouragements but even he is pulling away fast. *Dig hole and hide*
After T2, it was a painful walk to finish the race. I gulped down 3 cups of isotonic drinks at the 1 km mark but that is hardly enough to replenished whatever fluid I had lost.
Finished the race in 1:44hr.
Took a slow ride home and realised that I won't have enough energy to make it home.
Stopped over at Jalan Kayu for my lunch before proceeding home.

22 March 2013 Cycling

Did a Newton Ride. Stopped over at Newton for brekkie.
Joyce was always so excited to see me. Realised that I am one of the 'Old Guards' still cycling with JR.
On e way home, Spencer and I stopped over at Casuarina for more breakfast before heading home. (I am not the hungry one. ;) )

17th March 2013 Swimming

While accompanying my daughter for her swim class, I took the chance to do an easy 1.2km swim.
Kept the HR low till two swimmers came alongside me.
Did okay and did a 50m sprint at the end. =p

***

Had a dream...
First half of the dream, I dreamt that I was taking part in a race and someone was taking my photos.
I was as slim as can be.
Second half of the dream, I was bodygliding myself while putting on my wetsuit while the race was waving off the competitors in waves. Lol...

17th March 2013 Musings

As boss has mentioned in his blog before, we should all train more and blog less.
Indeed, I find it more beneficial to do so.
Do not need to stress about writing about all the cycling but only blog occasionally. =p

After 3 rides in January and February 2013, I decided to start riding again.
Time to lose some serious weight. Which I have not been successful so far.
Oh well, history tells me that the weight won't decline so fast.
But I am already making a little progress. Hovering around 108 now, instead of the fearful 110.7kg

1st March 2013. 41km

3rd March 2013. Was cycling alone along Seletar West Link and Mandai after missing the FOTR train. Chanced upon another lone cyclist along Mandai Road whom we keep overtaking each other and decided to chat with him. Turns out he is going to NTU Bike Rally. NTU Bike Rally? Didn't that happened yesterday??? I was aware that it was initially slated for 23rd February 2013, which is a Saturday, and was aware that it was postponed till a week later, but I was caught totally wrong footed about the change in day!
Realising that he has 25 mins to reach NTU from Mandai Shell and is attempting to ride there via Neo Tiew, I advised him on taking Tengah Road as a faster alternative. He looked confused but he understood my directions.
Bid him farewell and U-turn back at Mandai Shell.
After 1km, I decided to tag along to guide him along the way. After all, I do not have any concrete cycling plan for the day.
While he joined the group at Tengah-LCK junction, I decided to ride to NTU to start my ride there. =p
Team Bandung is the sweeper team for NTU Bike Rally.
Some unpleasant sights of selfish riders along the way.
A group of 4 'more experienced' riders were hogging the single lane along Old LCK even though I shouted out about vehicles coming from the rear.
Bike Crew were flouting traffic rules when they should be the one setting the good examples.
Cyclists riding on the second and third lane of Mandai Ave got me shouting at the top of my lungs the entire stretch.
Decided it is not worth getting myself so agitated, I decided to turn left at Yishun Ave 2 instead of the planned Seletar West Link.

4th March 2013. I could not stand up straight. The lower back was hurting...

5th March 2013. 以毒攻毒. While I cannot stand up straight, the pain seems to have miraculously disappear once I am not the bike. But I can really feel the tail bone...

6th March 2013. I have problem getting out of bed. Ultimately managed to roll out of bed. :( I have trouble taking deep breath, cough or sneeze which will cause me to double over. :(( I felt like I have aged 10 years overnight.

7th March 2013. The pain seems to have miraculously disappeared! I feel 10 years younger!

8th March 2013. Took my chance on the bike again and survived. =D

9th March 2013. Pure laziness made me sleep thru a wonderful morning.

10th March 2013. Unable to ride due to work. =(

13th to 16th March 2013. My most productive streak yet. =D
Day 1 : Usual JR Newton 41km plus 2 loops of Old Mandai Road

Day 2 : Usual JR Newton 41km plus 1 loop of Old Mandai Road

Day 3 : Usual JR Newton 41km. Decided against doing junk miles.

Day 4 : Joined FOTR along Yishun Dam. Got lost with Kelvin Ong and Jonathan after getting dropped. I did about 20km shorter than the rest of the gang. =p

Day 5 : Probably won't happen.... Am blogging now at 1:30am while getting hit by insomnia...

Reflections

I realised a lot of us wrote about our race experience but few of us wrote about how we got there.

I could have wrote about Year 2011 training, but decided to share everything with you. ;)

The Year was 2006. I signed up for SCSM 10k on a whim.
Completed the race with Runner's High.

Did a search online about Runners in Singapore chanced upon Tigger's blog.
Found out about SGRunners.com.
Got a know a lot of runners.
Went for group runs after work.

2008 I joined Joyriders.
With a road bike, MTB helmet, MTB pedals, T-shirt, running shorts, running shoes and a hydration pack, I introduced myself to Joyce.
She looked on in amusement and asked "You are going Adventure Racing?"
Nonetheless, she took me under her wings and with her guidance, my cycling improved tremendously.

One thing lead to another and I dip my toes into triathlons.

Having missed the first two editions of Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore, I plucked up my courage and signed up for March 2009 Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore a week before the race!

Come Race Day, I was surprised when I did not feel any anxiety.
Hmm... 4 months of cycling has come down to this.
Ohh... Cycling was the only exercise I did for 4 months prior to SHIM.
So if you asked me if it is possible to complete a Half Ironman training on solely one discipline, the answer is Yes, but do not expect a good timing.
I complete the race in 8:05h. There was no elation when I crossed the Finish Line.
My only thought is "I completed yet another training day."

Completing a major milestone, I start out on a Journey of Discovery.
For a 105kg Clydesdale, I can offer you a lot of perspective about what is possible about training.
I ran a marathon in lightweight trainers.
I switched from a heel striker to a mid foot runner.

Signed up for Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore 2010.
Completed the race and improved my timing by 3 minutes.
8:02h x 2 = 16:04h, right?
I have more than 1 hour to spare if I sign up for an Ironman.
If only things were that simple.

By December 2010, I have completed 2 3km Open Water Swim, completed 3 historic Metric Century Rides and 3 Full Marathons.

Game Plan for 15 December 2010?
IMWA Registration for the past 3 years closed during August 2007, July 2008 and May 2009.
I shall wait till 1st January 2011 to decide.
Logging in to Facebook on 15 December 2010 @ 8:30am, the first post I saw was Kristal "83% Full!"
"You gotta to be kidding me", I thought.
4 minutes later, it was 85% Full.
Sheesh, there goes my 2 weeks revised to 3 days signing up grand plan.
I quickly call up the Registration Page and fill in all the necessary information.
Then came the most difficult part of any race.
My mouse pointer hovered over the "Confirm" button for several excruciating long minutes fighting my inner demons before I committed myself to the craziest race of my life.

The race was sold out in 4 hours.
Within the next few weeks, I came to know that a lot of my friends have signed up for the race too!!!

BFG, Sean, YP, Ivan, Chris, Michelle, Kristal, Kia Liang, Andrew, Brian, GiaYee, Donna, Daniel, Gerald, Ewin and many more.

Many important lessons were learnt in the early months of 2011.
Cycling were the most memorable ones.
Two prior 100km rides where I suffered severe abdomen pains during the ride (Found out in 2011 that it is due to the lack of core muscle strength which is required for long distance cycling) and one 124km ride where I literally passed out for the next 3 hours when reaching home after DNF-ing NTU Bike Rally (whose route happened to pass by my house) were all I had on my resume.
First Desaru Ride was 135km. I had no idea how I would fare.
Not surprisngly, fatigue sets in around the 90km mark.
For the ride home, I had the reassuring hand of Eugene who literally pushes me up every single slope.

Souvenirs hunters are advised to purchase your items early.

Examine and tighten any possible bolts and screws on your equipment.

Do not be to adventurous with your food intake before the race.

Go easy on your training.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday, we did our first swim.
Honestly speaking, a few of us feel like giving up the race right there and then.
Even with the wetsuit on, your hands and feet went numb with seconds.
We are simply not used to the weather condition.
Went really easy on our swim. 400m-800m.

On Friday, the water was choppy and we went for a dip.
The cold water did not affect us as much as it does on Thursday.

On Saturday, we got really comfortable with the water.

We did 40km ride just to get a feel of the bike condition.
We drive through the entire 60km bike loop to know what we are up against.

Burnout is very true during training.
You are not used to the mileage clocked.
And within six months, the swim, bike and run mileage just accelerate north!

Loneliness is your friend.
You trained to live with Mr Lonely.
Non-drafting discipline happened during group rides.
You are alone with your thoughts for the swim and bike leg during the Ironman Race.

I have friends who took seasickness pills before the race.
Yes, you can get seasick while swimming.

Out of the water, I dedicated my swim to all those who are tracking and supporting me.
"Hi there, I finally got myself onto the scorecard! I will 'try' to complete all the blanks within the next 15 hours!"

In the transition tent, the volunteers swarmed at you and bombarded you with questions.
I am truly not used to be the center of attention. =D
Two volunteers stripped off my wetsuit with a quick pull.

Having been briefed by friends who did Ironman Zurich, I understand that it was fine to change in the transition tent. I was relieved to see that they split up the male and female transition area.
What I was not ready for was to see a high school female student volunteer.
I struggled for a while but decided that I am not going to wear a pair of wet tri-shorts for my bike leg.
The distance is just too intimidating to feel uncomfortable right at the start.

Out onto the bike route, I was surprised that I manage to start off the bike leg on a good spin.
Making a right turn out of town, I am awed and impressed by the professional attitude of the competitors overtaking me immediately after the turn.
Luke Mckenzie and a string of pro athletes were right behind me where I slowed down tremendously to make the right turn, yet there were not a single shout during the interval!
What is so unreal about the little episode?
1. I am riding with the pros! Quick, name me another race where amateurs can race together with the pros.
2. Unlike IM 70.3 and other shorter distance triathlons where shouts and snares at slower competitors were common, I heard none during the race!

Reaching the end of my bike leg, I overheard on the P.A. system that Luke McKenzie just completed the race in 10th place.
Time check on the Official Timer : 9:08h.
Hehe, I managed to complete my bike leg before they reset the Official Timer to Age Grouper Clock.

Dismounting the bike, a bike catcher was there to handle my bike.
Hehe, 2 seconds worth of feeling like a pro. =D

1:48h Swim
6:48h Bike

I completed Part 2 of the Play in less than 9 hours.
Approx 12 minutes for T1, Estimated 12 minutes for T2.
That gives me 8 hours to complete the marathon.
Given my Marathon Personal Best is 8:12h, I am sure that I will beat the clock.
It ain't over till it is over.
3:38h for IM70.3 2011 == 7:16h for IM 2011?
Yes, I was thinking that extrapolating the results help. =p
Who was I kidding? What do I have to lose by hoping. ;P
That is where my military training kicks in.
If I can out-run guys in clean fatigues during SOC, I am absolutely positive that I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS!
This race is turning into a very mental game.
70% Mental 30% Physical.

Was there a sliver of doubt that I am not going to complete the race within 17 hours?
Sliver? You gotta kidding me.
The load is enough to crush me.
But I won't let it defeat me.

My thoughts during the race?
I am well and truly humbled by all the Ironman Finishers who have crossed the Finish Line before me. I have finally understood the arduous journey travelled just to make it to the Finish Line.

Collecting my orange wrist band, I get myself ready for the happiest 200m of my race!
Making a right turn, the path feels so magical!
The IM carpet to the Finish Line, the awesome crowd, the brightly lit route, the whole scene literally took my breath away.
From deep within, I found energy to make the run home.

2013 Week 0 - January 1 to January 6

January 5th
Had my first run of 2013. With Wifey! The second time that we are running together! It was a crazy few days of school re-opening and there are some spare time before we need to pick up the girls.
Took the chance to do a short 5km run. =)

January 6th
Wifey was enthusiastic about running, thus we did a short 4.5km run before dinner.
It was extremely fun to run together with spouse. =)

January 7th
Sending the kids to Swim Class, we took turns to do a few laps before picking the girls. =)
I must say that FR910XT does not favour swimmers doing mixed swimming style within a lap nor non-freestyle swimmers for that matter.
Lap 1 - 24.3
Lap 2 - 40.1
Lap 3 - 1:31.8
Lap 4 - 1:07.8
Lap 5 - 25.5
Lap 6 - 1:03.6
Lap 7 - 28.6
Lap 8 - 1:25.4
Lap 9 - 1:29.3
Lap 10 - 49.5

Lap 11 - 54.6

Lap 12 - 1:27.7

Lap 13 - 1:07.4

Lap 14 - 1:13.0

Lap 15 - 27.5

Lap 16 - 56.8

Lap 17 - 1:29.7

Lap 18 - 1:28.3

Lap 19 - 1:35.9

I must have been an world class swimmer at times. ;)

It should read -

I have been very inconsistent with my pace as seen from the timing.
I am trying to re-discover the days before IMWA where I could do 60 laps of freestyle non-stop.

26th February 2013 Running

Knowing that my weight is escalating out of control, I decided it is time to make some changes.

Did my first lunchtime run of 2013 in cooling weather.

Discovered a new running trail in BG RainForest Walk.

18th February 2013 Reality Strikes

Weigh in 108.7kg!
BMI Obese Class 2!

Update on 26th Feb : 110.7kg!!!

This is terrible.

Something need to be done and soon...

20th January 2013 MegaTri 2013

My first race of 2013.
I am a little hesitant knowing that I have not trained at all for the race.
Hope to complete within 7.5 hours.

It was drizzling for a few days now.
The sky was clear on race day, but I know the weather will not stay that way for long.

During the 4-loop 750m swim, the dark clouds started rolling in from the sea.
Out of the water, it was starting to drizzle.

Ride was slow and I keep feeling the need to pee even though my water intake was significantly lower than other races.
Getting in and out of the tri suit was a pain.
But it was how I struggled for the numerous times during the race.
Pee every 2 loops of the bike and every half loop on the run.

4 loops of swim, 6 loops of bike and 2 loops of the run.
It is easy to go insane under the weather condition.

Completed my 3km Swim, 80km Bike and 20km Run in 9 hours!
I did the same time for my 3km Swim, 102km Bike and 27km Run back in 2011!!!

Faintz

24th February 2013 MetaSprint Aquathlon 2013

My 2nd Race of the Year, my first sprint race for quite a while.

Met Daniel Gan and we chatted till our race start at 9:15am.

The swim was surprisingly nice at Palawan Beach.
Tagged along with a fellow competitor in IMM tri-top.

The last 50m swim was a literal sprint for three of us. =D
Took my time at the transition and started well on the run.

But fatigue soon sets in and I started walking.
Sotong encourages me to follow him but I was unable to keep up after the water point at the U-turn.

Completed the race in 1:02:48.

Should have listen to Daniel and aimed for sub-hour.

Will definitely sign up for next year's race. =)

29th December 2012 Cycling

Reaching Mandai Shell, I posted on FB mentioning that I hope the guys pass by here. =p

Jason did not post any bike route, but I have a gut feeling that they will go directly to Seletar West Link, till I saw Garry post about Mandai. =D

At 5:45am, I told myself "Time to scoot", when I saw the lights and familiar jerseys coming in.

I was elated. Turned out to be Garry, Alvin, Ek Guan and a cousin riding.

Soon after, Stephen rode in.

He saw Shell and thought it was Shell Mandai. =p

He decided to give chase. =D

Along the way to Adam Road Hawker Center, I shared my IMWA experience with Garry and Ek Guan.

Had a good brekkie before we peel off for home.