8 runs in 9 days.
Nah... that is not what I am going to write about.
Rather it is more of what happened lately.
First, I took the advice of blogging less and exercising more.
This helps as I do not face a back log of blog entries to fill. Lesser stress. :p
In November 2013, I got into such bad respiratory illness that I had to undergo 5 rounds of antibiotics that it finally cleared.
Then came the Rapha Festive 500 Challenge. The first real challenge that I am doing on Strava.
Of all the previous Strava Challenges that I have signed up, I have never complete any. :-(
What entice me more for this challenge is the coveted woven Rapha badge.
Without any training going into the challenge, I think it is pure perseverance that I managed to complete the challenge.
What really helped and made the whole challenge a wonderful experience is :-
1) Tires 23 Front 25 Rear. After my epic year of punctures and numerous suggestions that I swap to a 25, I dutifully did it. (Check online first to make sure your frame can take a 25.)
One can never imagine the comfort of a 25!!! Save my butt and thighs...
Moreover, there is no loss of speed.
If u read cycling articles lately, a lot of pro teams are switching to 23/25 too!
Having used Continential tires all my life, I decided to try out German technology Schwalbe and it did not disappoint. ;-)
2) Cycling partner helps. LG was my unlikely partner for two of the rides. I have never rode with her before but since both of us are keen to complete the challenge, it is game on!
SE accommodate me for a ride too! Thanks, boss!
For the record, I makan every 40km during the entire challenge and both LG and SE went along with me. Thanks, guys!
3) MaxiFuel Electro Tabs. I have always used Endurox, Clif Shot Electrolytes and Gatorade for my drinks but none of the supplements has as much effect as MaxiFuel.
4) Go Pro. It gives me a sense of security when I cycle. After Freddie's Loyang incident in July 2012, I have never venture onto Loyang till I got the GoPro. Some say it is a false sense of security, but I beg to differ.
5) 50-30. The climbing combination. But to me, it is the best combi that I can ask for. I can understand why I suffered so much for the past few years.
I started with 53-23 -> 53-25 -> 50-25 before I got the 30 from IN and never looked back.
After the Challenge, I was hoping to keep up the momentum, but things dun always work out.
It was back to a ride a week. :-(
Worse was to come during January 2014 to mid-February 2014.
The night was so cold that my nose started dripping when night falls.
I had to rely on Piriton to sleep.
10th February 2014. The day my running craze started.
I was feeling full during lunch time so I decided to put on my running gear!
Turned out it was the same day that the weather has turned warm, but I like it aplenty! :-)
A week later, I started evaluating what had happened.
Turned out, Strava was the greatest motivator. As long as you do not sign up for the wrong challenge. Lol.
I have always set Garmin Auto-Pause to 'Off'. I felt that it give a athletes a false sense of accomplishment.
Much like why I am never keen to get a cyclometer anymore.
A race simply does not give you time to pause.
Strava simply termed total as moving time.
Haha, spin it any way you want, but it help motivate me. :p
I have since use RunKeeper and Garmin as my backup.
I have always been a number guy. But since the last week, I forgo the numbers game.
No more 4 x 10km equals 40km.
10 x 4km will give you the same outcome but at 2.5 times the effort.
In fact, running a shorter distance, I have fuel in my tank and legs after the run.
I used to think that I should run till I am exhausted. This usually happens at the three-quarter stage of my run. I literally have to drag myself the last 1-2 km home.
It probably turns me off running.
This past week I was filled with endorphins that I was not able to sleep.
The thighs are not sore after a run, so there is literally zero downtime.
I turned off the 4am alarm clocks and let the body clock dictate.
Results dun lie. It has worked wonders.
Ohhh.... And the number crunching game has taken a break for now too.
Ohhh.... If anyone is wondering, I have only signed up for the MetaSprint Series this year.
So I am not training for any significant races. Purely due to work commitments than anything else.
In fact, I missed last weekend's MetaSprint Aquathlon due to work.
2013 I have miss so many races and I am not keen to throw money into the drain anymore.
Chapter 0.
Undoubtedly, this has also help to get me back into the fray.
There has been many offline chats about the current state of affairs that we realised that a separate group is warranted.
It is awesome to see many pioneers coming back to ride. :-)
Okay, time to sleep. :-)