WEAK - sums up yesterday's shortest 8km CBD run..... The continuos loading of calories during this festive seasons, low mileage, minimum intensity training ended up me chasing the group like a mad dog..... Still managed to chase a bit on the first half with just little gap with the front group... but I went into my own world on the 2nd half - slow and steady OTOT I'm the last to be back...LOL!!!! I'll get there...One Fine Day......

The Osim USqueez.....She..is one the new member in my family... I'm not a fans of this but as the saying goes..."too much $ and not knowing how to spend??"..Ha..how I wish... It just happen that a massager is one of the item that I can put under flexi medical benefits under the company policy :) So...with the year ending and have plenty of it left....why not :)

The review did sounds like too good to be true to me... Went for a quick run a soak in the two feet immediately after shower....Hmm...... it wasn't bad at all, not fantastic though...I still prefer human touch..hahah..... But I soon realized there is this 'warmer' that I can activate it. Suppose to help in relaxing the muscle...etc... Now...that is a lot better..... It's soooo comfy I almost felt asleep...Amazing how that warmer can make such a huge difference..... It suppose to help in releasing lactic acid too!!! Hmm...Maybe I should squeeze in a long run to build up lactic acid and try it out??????

Having a bad hair day...(literally a bad hair day) can really ruin your day even for weeks. I'm one of the victim back in those days. I have been going to this salon for years and always requested for that one stylist and she never fails to give me a good hair cut until one fine day, I was told that she has left SG and will never be back. Sad..... for the next 1 year or so, I have been hunting around trying out different salon, none of them can give me the same "feeling good" cut.

Until early 2008, I went back to this same old salon at Tampines, but didn't request for anyone specific. Then..came this new stylist....suprised me with his attentiveness and professionalism. I found the long lost 'feeling good' cut. He's the ONE!!! Haha... sounds like finding the right man.. which is indeed....the right man for my hair..:P So then, I became one of his regular until one day, I was told that he has moved to Chinatown branch. Not a very easy accessible location for me but..I take no risk of leaving my hair to an unknown pair of hands. I hunt him down all the way to Chinatown. 4 month later, I had another shock and was told that Chinatown branch was shutdown...He has moved to Jurong East!! Ok...now that's really a bit far for me to travel all the way there for a haircut. It took me a week...to decide if I should just try out a new pair of hand within walking distance from office or should I stick to him since he never fail to give me a good cut. To cut the story short, I ended up at Jurong East...sit in there for 3.5 hours.... we both are so pleased with the results. I think he had a sense of satisfaction more than I do seeing the 'changes' he has done on my hair......

Last week was a bad week at work, this week.....a good hair day makes a good work day... :)

Pure laziness is probably the right word to describe why this blog has gone quiet for some time. From falling ill the week before SCM to running the half mara to a drastic change of management at work to catching up on a super long Korean show...that probably sum up to what I've been up to in the past couple of weeks.

Swim class on the other hand was supposedly a tapering session last week but it ended up not physically but a pretty 'mental' session.

4 x 50m warm up
4 x 50m kicking drill
20 x 50m pull buoy & paddle
This sounds like the usual stuff but after a few laps, I'm asked to practice the elbow exit as well. Ok..noted..that's pointer no. 1. Few more laps, here comes pointer no. 2 - left hand be straight. Ok..so my left hand looks like I'm pointing to the inner side instead of going straight. Noted. So...for the few laps, I tried to be as conscious as I can to remind myself on elbow exit - left hand straight, elbow exit left hand straight...

I got stopped again after a while. Here comes the last one. Leg close up and streamline the body to a straight line. Sounds easy but not so. Elbow exit -left hand straight - keep the leg close. It got a little messy and the toes starts to show some symptoms of getting cramp. 20 laps done. My mind is still repeating the elbow exit left hand straight close the leg.

Last one - similar to the previous but without pullbuoy & paddle. 10 x 50m
JIT to call it a day........ No arms breaking session, just a lot of 'theories' to absorb..haha....

Still loading on lots and lots of vit-c in the last few days, I finally made my way to CBD after 3 weeks of absence. Today's menu is simple and nice. Just good enough to keep the leg fresh and not to worn out that semi-functioning body.

The fast one disappear in no time, I try to stick as closely as possible to burnz and chengnai. All 3 of us, can't wait to get it done and call it a day...Once sick and out of action, all will have to start from ground zero, like it or not :) Just too bad that it happen at this time of the year....Oh well...anyway, the run got more chatty on the 2nd half which obviously makes the run more relaxing.

All the best to all 21k, 42k, IMWA heroes!!!!

Honey, Aloe Vera, Strepsils, Pi Pa Gao, Clarinase has been my company since last Thurs but sadly, it didn't help much on my condition. Nose block, sore throat and on the way to loosing my voice. 12 more days to the next race....I think I should just aim for completion and think no more :(

It was abt 20mins cab ride from Hualien City to Taroko Gorge/Aborigin house where we are supposed to for a night and walk to race site the next day... I'm mentally prepared of the condition there but thankfully it wasn't that bad afterall. At least, rooms and toilets are clean with warm shower. It does reminds me of the days where we camp along with roaches and toads at Pulau Ubin under the atap house, does look similar in a way but much much much cleaner. At least, I managed to sleep well...Yah...me and regina were on bed, nothing to do at 730pm. All we get was that little 7-11 abt 10-15mins walk away. We slept till......5am :)

Was a good 1.7km walk to the race site. Started at 7am sharp for a 5km run before we head back to the Gorge....The drama begins...Up and up and up....and UP again..... It wasn't that bad at the start because everything look so refreshing with mountains at one side, rivers and waterfalls on the other with shaded route most of the time. Sight seeing cum run, that's my idea of doing overseas run :)

But after a while, when the legs are really feeling 'it' and it's still going up... it felt like forever to reach 10k mark. Suprisingly looking at the watch, it was abt the same as my 'standard pace'. Mentally prepared although the legs are not, it's still a few more kms to climb before reaching the u-turn point at 14k mark. Would have climbed for 8-9km by then :) So so glad to be able to turn back and down slopes all the way... No regret of not doing full...haha...Did managed to go slightly faster conservatively though...that poor knee has not be too good lately... kiang is enough, no need to be keh kiang...:P And then, I suddenly heard siren from the back... guess what..... the two kenyan elite for full marathon (started on the same time as half marathoners) is overtaking me in our last 4km!!!! haha..bugger....

Completed within cut off time. 21k on such terrain..is just nice and good enough for me :)

So how did my 10D9N of eat,sleep,shop and a 21k run goes?? Not having to work and slept till 8+ everyday is a sure good thingie :)

A bit of a shock though as we make our way to Hualien upon arrival in Taipei on the same day, we were greeted by 3 earthquakes tremors. Well.. it was more than that, just a matter of whether you felt it or not. The first, while I'm at the hotel lobby. Nobody felt it except me. The 2nd, it was during our 'carbo-loading' session at the night market when all of us thought there's a big truck passing by. And the last one...... it was at 3am when myself and Regina was shaken by the tremors. I amazed by myself...I knew it was the tremors when our beds started to shake and hearing noises on the windows. And I still continue to lie comfortably on the bed while Regina was sitting on her bed looking at me. I just told her "Ya, it's shaking, it's shaking". "Shall we get down to the lobby?", she asked. Hmmm.... I told her to check out the window and see if there's anyone out there. She said none. Ok..then it shd be ok. I rmbr Peter Foo once said, if it's less than 10secs, it's ok..more than that, then be prepared :) So...I was back to sleep again, though was still pondering abt the matter. We're on 11th floor. 12th is the higher. If anything should happen, we won't be hit as bad as those on the lower floors?? Apparently, it's just part and parcels of the life at Hualien to have earthquakes :(

So that ends our adventure at Hualien City, of course with some nice local foodies before we head out to our 1night stay at an aborigin house, within walking distance to Taroko Gorge...............

Am just so glad that I'm going only for the half...... Even so... it's double of what Bt Timah hill has to offer....:) And the other 3 going for the full, they just completed their TNF 100 last week...Super Hero!!!!

A little drama again during swim class. It was already getting real dark with roaring thunder. I contemplated for a good 10 mins before decided to get change. Coach immediately summon us the appetizer for the day. Last week was endurance, this week is gonna be speed....^_____^

15 x 100m (15sec rest) interval speed

So there I go, panting like nobody business after every 100m. So sorry for those who spoke to me in the midst of that precious 15sec rest. I need it big time to catch my breath and couldn't response much :P On my 8th set, I have a real quick chat with Lala. We were about to start the next 50m one after another. Suddenly it rains, I did saw a flash of lights while catching my breath, but didn't think too much of it, just go as fast as I could to finish that 50m. The rain gets heavier within that few seconds and to my suprise, the pool is empty!! everyone was already out by the time I finish that 1 lap. Looked behind. Lala is no where to be found! I thought he's following me behind?!?!

Ok..nevermind..quickly pack and go to the shelter. It was already pouring, loud thunder. Coach happily 'kiao kah' sitting there sipping his drink and say wait 15mins. Uhh.... so...we're supposed to stand there, in swim gear, all wet and cold and wait for 15 mins? Ok ok...thank goodness he change his mind in less than a minute. Class cancel :) Lala immediatley came to me. He said he shouted at me a few times from behind and ask me to get out of the water asap..He saw lightning at the traffic light just outside where the pool is. So while he get out from the middle of the pool, I seriously did not hear a single word... That explains why Lala is 'missing'.......

So, ended up didn't finish the appetizer........... Unintentionally DNF again...haha.....

Duhzzz....The weekend flew by just like that!! Nevermind...nevermind...Patient I will be. Just 2.5 days of work week....I'll be in the world of eat, sleep, shop and a 21k run :) Yayyyy!! Someone asked, fly all the way there to run 21k only? NO!!! The run is to complement the eat, sleep and shop, not the other way round :)

Anyway, yesterday GE run was great with good weather, good route. Nothing fantabulous on the timing and nothing worth to talk about but it was a good run, good enough for a morning get together workout. Very strangely, I started to have a soreness in the middle of hte night on the hamstring and hips. Soreness to an extent it work me up from sleep. And guess what, while I try to stretch a little, it cramp on me BIG TIME!! Ya...CRAMP! Was screaming on my bed in the middle of the night! Thank God it only lasted 10-15 seconds but it was just terrible. Threaten on me again this morning. I applied deep heat like no tomorrow..haha.. Don't understand why...didn't push hard during GE and it was a distance that I'm comfortable of....**Scratch head***

Was feeling giddy and headache the entire day. Needless to say, it was a struggle to drag myself to CBD run after work. But if I'm able to go thru that moment of struggle, I'm sure I'll feel good after that.

Skipped the stairs training to save the poor knee, it turn out to be a good short 8km session. Conversation pace, no lung bursting, gossipping all the way with LT on the first half :) Topics for the night - North Face Ultra. All the siao lang, curse and swear not to do it again right after the event but swallowed back their own words the very next day. Including JC!!!!! Someone try to jio me as partner.... haha.... ask me again when registration starts next year.....:)

Last week was another torturing session from Seamonsta. At the end of the day, Lala declared that Lane 2 are all snakes. I don't think anyone of us completed the entire menu on that night.

15 x 100m with paddle

The thing abt using a paddle (at least this applies to me), is like running using ankle weights doing tempo run. Probably can glide more with the paddle but the pulling part, requires more strength than usual. The worst part, I think the strength I had between my left and right arms is getting wider and wider. At the end of the day, my right arms is still feeling ok while the left, is almost a gone case. So...15 x 100m with paddle 80% effort, I couldn't pull all the way for the last few laps. Coach pointed to me and I happily acknowledge and agreed cuz it's way too obvious...

Then...the next dish is presented to us..***Almost fainted*** Sure gone case..mind weak, arms weak, everything weak. (10 x 50m with 15sec rib) x 2 all out effort. Imagine doing sprint work after doing loops at Mount Faber...:) Coach already commented that he don't think we can complete 2 sets of it. So... go for 1 set and call it a day. Still...... I think none of us in Lane 2 completed even the 1st set. Some did a few 50ms and declare 'end of the day'. Some took > 15sec rib. Me......declare end of it after 4 x 50m with aching arms till today.......

It was a very unique experience over the weekend supporting the NorthFace 50/100km runners this morning. It was event where I put in quite a fair bit of planning and discussion with LT who's leading the unofficial support crew. It's an event where I actually felt gan cheong being a supporters. hahaha....Needless to say, I had some 1st-time experience myself.

I was already awake by 3am and it took me 3 trips loading all the stuff to the car. LT say I'm like bringing the whole market out. Hmm....I'm not only supporting the runners, I have snacks, tid-bits to support the supporters too :) I left home at 4am to meet LT,Tiwazz,Charlotte. First time going up BT hill. Many had warn up abt the steep slope up. I'm mentally prepared. JC also warned that it's pitch dark in there, can't even see your hand and make sure I have a good torchlight.
Maybe is the darkness, I can't see what's in front of me. Just feeling the slopes getting steeper and steeper as we venture up. Barely 10mins of walking up, I sweat a bucket!!! And btw, going down the slopes is not easy either.

It's a long day ahead, but time passed by pretty quickly having to move from one point to another and having the company of Eddy from Safra together with LT and the rest, it wasn't too bad afterall. As much as I wanted to give the support to the 50km buddies, it seems a little impossible since the flag off time for 100k and 50k is 3 hours difference. So sorry guys... Though am glad that I can at least spot two teams from TooFam and offered them some goodies along the way. Stuck/Lionel at BT still looking good and strong, Tao/Yankee at ZhengHua.

By the time the 100k venture on the 2nd loop, the unfamiliar face become familiar to me by now. It bring me such a great contentment seeing how relief the runners are just by offering them a piece of watermelon and two grapes. Yes, as simple as that, I'm happy that it can bring them some temporary relief under such scorching hot weather. We are runners too, the agony, the pain, the mental blockage and the need........we understand.

Was back at Macritche, the day ended slightly before 7pm. It has been a loonggg 16hours for me. It's nothing compare to the 100km runners, I know :) Am just thankful and glad that everyone came back without any major problem or injury. And the rest of the TooFam....am proud of everyone. Those who DNF, I think they are already a champion of even attempting such tough event. So, well done everyone.... Go rest well, and eat whatever you want now!!! :)

One of those mornings where I really need to get the lazy butt out of the house for a morning workout. Was a challenging-yet-I-like kind of route round NUS-NUH on a Sunday morning. As always, engine will usually take very long to warm up in the morning. In addition to that 10mins downpour break, the engine is even harder to kick start again.

Up Vigilante Dr into Kent Ridge park, it was my first time doing the loop there. Ok..not as bad as I thought, milder than MF loop for sure. Everyone tapering for NF and after the grueling training week after week (except me :), I think they deserve an enjoyable relax/slacking run this morning lah... No need to be too serious for the day..hahaha...Run/jog/walk/chat along the way, we completed the 15km, good enough to keep the muscle working but I think I had a new found discomfort on the hip. First it was PF, then ITB, now the hip...Very "good" indeed, not that I'm hitting super high mileage!!!! ....I shall keep it under monitoring for now.....

Time flies....really... Still in a bit of denial that 2009 is ending real soon.... Anyway, it was also a start of a new term with Seamonstas and lo and behold, I make myself a fool during the 1st class of the new term...

20 laps with paddle and pull buoy was the 1st set of instruction. Still couldn't maintain the right body position throughout the 20 laps, I found myself swinging left and right too much at some point. Nevermind, that's not the highlight of the day. Then while I was releasing some tension on the fingers after that 20 laps with paddles, coach came and say 5 x 200m with 30s, 25s, 20s, 15s rest in between. It took me more than a minute to understand that and I'm still 50% unclear of the instruction. For whatever reason, I keep thinking about that "2km break into 4 sets" that we did few weeks back. So, here's what I conclude:-

His instruction of 5 x 200m with 30s,25s,20s and 15s rest in between means :

(1 x 200m with 30s rest) x 5 plus
(1 x 200m with 25s rest) x 5 plus
(1 x 200m with 20s rest) x 5 plus
(1x 200m with 15s rest) x 5

And throughout all this laps, I'm like.... "that would end up doing 4km!!!!!" IMPOSSIBLE. I knew my formula is definitely wrong but just couldn't make it right!!! Madness!! By the 3rd set (would have covered > 3k by that time) where my arms just couldn't take it anymore, I took a longer break and quickly check with Lala if my calculation is correct. His calculation ended up with 2k and commented how did I end up wtih a 4km. He said jokingly"u think we're running ah? how can it be 4km". Regardless, I think I had enough for the day, no point moving on cuz I can feel that I'm just floating out there to survive, no longer swimming anymore. Drained.....

Still very disturbed by it until I FINALLY figure out in the shower room!!! 5 x 200m with 30,25,20,15s rest. That's it. I should be doing this:

1 x 200 with 30s
1 x 200 with 25s
1 x 200 with 20s...etc.

This would sum up to 1km. Together with the 1st 20 laps, we shd be doing just 2k for that night!!! GOSH!!!! I'm doing 50% more of what was intended to!!!!! $&*#^%(*&^#%(& JOKER!!!!!!!!! Good thing though, I ended up with a good sore on the flabby arms the next day...:)

So, it took me almost an hour to figure out why I felt giddy while I'm at the pool. Yep, I was on the 4th storey when the tremor occurred. Was wondering why am I feeling giddy suddenly and in fact, the giddiness comes and go a couple times. It was only after the shower, I had an sms asking me if I'm still at Suntec and do I feel it. I said I don't feel anything - must be an earthquake somewhere was my reaction. It was confirmed as I was heading down to the lobby seeing office staff being evacuated....

At a glance.......

I was sick for 4 days last week and needless to say, mileage went down south to zero, nothing. During the 2 days mc, I glued myself to the TV watching TVB series and I ended up feeling even sicker the next day because of the number of hours I spent on the TV that lasted me till 3.30am. Serve me right. Luckily I'm not based in HK, will probably go insane with all the sleepless night.

Then, I'm finally back to swim class after 2 week of silence. I'm prepared to get hammered, drown. Did a 10 x 50m pull buoy with paddle and 10 x 50m with pull buoy. The day ended with a highlight of 15 x 100m which almost killed me towards the end. Supposedly to go at 80% effort, after the 10th lap, coach asked if I'm at the right effort level. I pondered and think I'm not quite there cuz I'm not panting as hard as I should. Very conservative considering the 2 week absense and aftraid I won't be able to last for 15 sets. He said I doesn't look like I'm swimming, so relax!!! ALAMAK!!!! He asked me to use some strength during the hand entry and compress certain part of the body (sorry..dunno how to explain well here) to increase the heart rate. And so, I started the 11th set reflecting on his instruction. At the end of 12th lap, he finally came to me and say "That's the way, now you're swimming, don't know what you're doing just now" ^__________^ Sweat lah...panting like no tomorrow now. 15 set I'm finally done. Another swimmer completed abt the same time as me happily announce that we've done 2.7k on that day....Now my arms is protesting...I'm done for the day......

So, the provisional results is out this morning:-

Swim 47:31min

Bike (cyclometer say 36.5k): 1:35:42hr

Run : 1:15:19hr

Total: 3:38:31hr

Great!!! I thought I took more than 3:40hr initially and I didn't get a PW for 10k afterall...:) Let me officially declare...that I am...stress free now.....:)

Post race damage - stiff neck, abrasion on both arms.....

13 Sept - marked my first Olympic Distance Triathlon event...It was the first event that drive me anxious the entire week, mainly due to some bad experience during the last Osim sprint event. I was praying for good weather, praying that I'll be able to get out of the swim safely.

Miraculously, I was getting calmer as days passes. As I made my way to get the body marking done and setup the bike at transition, I had a peep at the swim layout. Nothing can described how thankful I was seeing the calm sea and the setup itself, is so much better than Osim. 200m out shore, 350m parallel to shore and 200m back. That 350m parallel is a lot nearer to shore than I expect it to be (again..in comparison with Osim which is way way out). I felt a lot more in peace..no more feeling gan cheong. Was chatting a long with Roonz, Charmaine and Gen as we do some dipping and testing the water.

9:50am, 2 laps of 750m, I started at the back of the pack, remained calm as I move along. The aggresive man has all gone in the earlier waves, so I'm safe from getting hit (again..from Osim). The first 200m out shore was not bad at all, very soon turned into the 350m that seems to take forever to reach. Still feeling good although I did went 'holland', zig zagging a few times. Reach the next buoy finally and was supposed to turn left back to shore. There is this smaller green buiy with rope tied to it. I wasn't thinking properly and was wondering what to do with it. It's sort of blocking my way. It was floating, it wasn't low either. Silly me.....held on to the rope and swim underneath it which of course, requires some efforts and stunt underneath water. Yah...I'm such a joker!!! Obviously causing the heart rate to shoot up unnecessarily..bugger!!! 1 loop done...Still feeling good...Great....Time checked: 22mins

2nd loop - Saw this small white buoy and rope floating out of no where, I thought I went holland again. Stronger waves this time round and I think I zig zag again. Froggie not fast enough, so gotta stick to front crawl with very frequent sighting which is rather disturbing. Here comes the green buoy again. What am I going to do this time?? I'm out of my mind again. Thread water for a good 10 seconds I think...before I realized I can actually swim over it!! Joker right??!?! Finally 1.5k done. Time checked: 47mins. Haa....not fast but a lot better than what I expect. Still feeling fresh and make my way to transition

Bike - 6 laps of 6.6km. Warming up in the first 2 laps momentum is up by the time I start the 3rd lap. Very strong wind on the 4th lap and it started to rain on the 5th. The wind did slow me down a little but the rain was a welcome gift. It wasn't pouring heavily, just good enough to soothe the burning hot skin. Not much of a drama during bike which is good...6 laps done! Time checked: 1:3xhr

Run - 2 laps of 5km. Hmm...Mentally prepared, this is going to be tough. Took me close to half an hour before I can find my legs. Then Mr.Headache greeted me under the hot sun. No cold water at water point, it took forever to reach the next water point, found out they only give out plain water :( Walk and jog all the way till the 2nd lap until about the last 1km. As usual, enery naturally flows in nearing the end point. 100m towards finishing point, I think that's the moment I enjoyed the most...like what Xiao Di says..it's exhausting and frustrating but the ending is going to be sweet... you wouldn't regret doing it...

A bit overwhelmed that I can complete this distance, I forgot to stop my watch.... I think I had a worst 10km record..Overall timing should be around 3:4xhr

But...provisional results out today..I had a little suprised....

TBC

This...is what I see during my free time - by the window side of my office. Checking out on different kind of swimmers :) From novice, to intermediate, to expert. From froggie, to front crawl to butterflies to all sort of stunts....I wonder how I'd look like from a top angle like this......

It is one of the most well organized race I've participated in. From route - marshall - supporters - post race carnival. Even the weather is superb! Except for the ups and down terrain which can be a nuisance for some. I kinda like it though- probably because I'm in the short fun run non-competitive cat. Also happen to be my first time doing a 5km.

Such a unique race route that I'm sure none of us would be going there and would not want to be there for no reason. Very soon, I was marshalled to enter the prison compound towards the finishing point. The post race carnival field is huge!!! It's another highlight of this event. So much goodies/souveniers/food!!! Let's see... from the goodies, we have a Finisher paper weight, cap, towel, paper fan, vouchers. And the free food.......Anderson ice-cream, banana,orange,drinks,polar cakes/puff andddd unlimited supply of self service MILO VAN!!!!

Too bad gotta rush off and missed the gaming booth and lucky draw. And having to see so many familiar faces is another layer of icing on the cake :)

**Oh...did I forgot to say this is the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run? A run to show our supports to the ex-offenders and giving them a second chance to start afresh, conveying the message that what matters most is not about the fall, but how one gets up that counts. How nice is that........

Over dosage on endorphin again during Tues CBD short but high intensity run, had a hard time getting to bed and all I could think of while tossing around is what to eat for breakie the next day. So as expected, didn’t get to sleep on my usual sleeping hour, I was depriving for more the next day. Body also feeling tired from CBD run.

And so….it was Trifactor time trial in the evening at Queenstown pool to qualify for the tri event. Heart rate unnecessary gone up because we almost lost our way and the navigator sitting next to me admit that she is slow in navigating the map :(. We registered, get the swim cap and I was so “LUCKY” to be put on a lane with 6 big size aggressive man, 1 aggressive ang moh lady and 1 gentleman. That is nine of us in 1 lane to cover 1.5k within 45mins. Actually, was hoping that it is 40mins so my chances of failing is higher…..:)

Off we went, it kind of simulate a mild open water condition. The aggressive man!!!!! Created turbulence in the water as soon as they jump in!!! These swimmers doesn’t look like amateur to me, why are they in a TT I wonder. And for goodness sake, why can’t they just follow simple swimming etiquette and rules. As simple as swim in counter clock wise, overtaking on the left. Ya… I got hit hard on the head, I got block by ppl who swim blindly and crash on me, I got ppl overtaking me on my RIGHT with just a space as big as my arm size. So freaking irritated, I think I shouted to two of them then switch to froggie and give a good kick when I'm being 'attacked' by them. Don’t they know swimming blindly crashing on ppl will break their momentum too??? These ppl should be DQ of not following rules!!!! Sigh…reminds me that open water condition will not be anything better than this. The only gentleman, who is about my pace (he finished 2 laps ahead of me), ask me to “hang on we’re almost there “ when I catch a few sec breathe at the end of the lap.

Kick hard from the wall to save a few seconds, XZ said. That would save a min or two over 30 laps. Sadly, the other side of the pool is so deep I gotta tip toe to touch the ground. Difficult to kick, I only managed to do the hard kicking on one side of the pool…..The most relaxing part was during the last 8 laps or so where the aggressive completes their laps..Just a couple of us remains… I finally managed to do some decent laps…..Very soon….left me and gentleman. I didn’t bother to go fast as I reckon I still have time to meet the 45mins. Gentleman finished, I have 2 more laps to go.

Ya..I’m the last to finish in the group but can’t be bothered about it at all…I passed the time trial… Time taken 43m 25s

As far as possible, I will never ever going to take consecutive leave without any proper plan. Never again!!! The first two day did went pretty well having completed a list of errands that I need to settled. Come the third day I'm bored to death. With the wet weather day in day out, I don't have much of an options too. For once, I'm just so glad to be back at work!!!!

To make sure I keep my sanity instead of rotting at home, I did a mini biathlon session in the late afternoon. Much to my suprise, the parking at the sports hall is full!!! These ppl no need to work? Thankfully, the pool was pretty empty I managed to clock in some decent laps without much of a disturbance except for this man whom I reckon he's trying to overtake me....haha..

30 laps followed by a few more with paddles - still trying to get used to it, I'm off to the track next door. Maybe it's the 10mins transition, the legs is still functioning alright. 15 laps before I call it a day - Sanity still intact :)

~~~~

For the past 2 weeks, there's quite a fair bit of varieties given during swim class. So much so that I tend to forget what I've done. I think all in all, my observation tells me that coach will come out with a 2.5k swim on each session - with various combinations of drills. All I could remember is, I'll definitely go home with a breaking arms and a hungry stomach. Next time...I'll make sure I quickly pen down to keep track.....

The wet and slippery day caused many riders/runners out there to abort their training plan. And yours truly me, had such a good Talk-Cock-Sing-Song (TCSS), laugh till cry session at brokie's house the day before, overslept and woke up pretty late.

I ended up in the gym and had the most moring workout in life. Alone spinning in the class for an hour with no music, no magazine, nothing!! Followed by yet another boring treaddy.....Lazed around for a while and decided to do a 'marathon'. Ya...a movie marathon!!!

I'm such an addict to HK TVB drama. That's one of those things that can make me stay awake beyond my sleeping hours. Yesterday itself was considered mild. I spent 6.5 hours on it :)

To cut the story short, AHM went out pretty ok, not a fantastic awesome run to me. Nothing to complain about except my pure laziness. Yeah… not putting in effort to an extent that I surprise myself and JC with a PW record…LOL!!!!!! Oh well… doesn’t matter….

So the day after AHM, was rather tense all over…hmm…must be not enough post run stretch. I wasn’t on a good appetite and was pretty quite in the office, I decided to jump to the pool during lunch to get some ‘aqua therapy’. Oh man!! It works wonders. 30mins and I’m all ‘loosen’ up!! Then again, doing a lunch swim did causes some inconveniences to me, especially to female I reckon.

First, the swim cap will NOT keep my hair dry. It will still be damp. Gotta spent extra time to tame the mess after that.
Second, the sun is really doing me no justice. I had ugly tanned line on the face. Forehead itself ended up having 2 shade because top half is covered by swim cap. Not forgetting the goggles mark. Not a problem if it’s a non-working day.
Next, the make-up.
Finally, rule of the thumb for lunch swim, must apply sun block to the already ‘not-so-young-and-beautiful-skin’ of moi…..

Hmm….. need to evaluate again if I shd just stick to lunch gym instead.

And then it was spin class at night. Something is terribly wrong with me... I sweat a bucket!! Definitely not the usual me having sweat dripping out non-stop throughout. Luv it though…Ram was such a motivator. The class only last about 50min instead of the usual 60min but it was just awesome! Yet another real good detox session…..! Maybe too much of an endorphin kick…I couldn’t sleep well the entire night………

So miserable now!!! Because why?? Because I'm deprived of my afternoon nap. Making thing worst, it was raining pretty heavy...perfect hour for a nap. I need to endure....... I have to, else I'll surely suffer later on.

Having to wake up at 3am tomorrow would means that I'll have to sleep real early tonight. Well, I can choose not too but....I really dun wanna be a walking zombie tomorrow at the padang. Tomorrow will be my 2nd AHM, the last one being 2 years ago. Theoritically, I should be able to run better than what I can 2 years ago but but but....anything can happen. When something goes wrong, everything will go wrong. So, I pray that we all will have a good time, good weather, good and enjoyable run, all soaking well into the atmosphere....

Being AHM week, (actually trying to come out with excuses), I had very low run mileage - not that it's high on non-ahm week in the first place. Tues CBD was a short, sharp and sweet. Some deem as easy easy. Controlled hard should be the right word for me. Since I won't be running that much this week, I might as well put in some decent effort for a short workaround. Swim session is the highlight of the week. 3 session in total.

Coach immediately summon his instruction to me before I even get a chance to warm up.

10 x 50m fist stroke - can't stop feeling like a superman
10 x 50m pull buoy - doesn't know how am I supposed to feel using a pull buoy. what's the purpose of this. Wobbly, couldn't get myself stabilized. Gotta ask Benson to explain a little to me..haha..coach too busy giving instruction to the rest. It took me close to 6 laps before I can 'sail' smoothly with it. Ahh.......now I know the purpose of it..haha.....
1 x 300m slow and steady
6 x 200m 10sec rest

A bit overwhelmed at the end of the session. Coach didn't give any negative remark, so I take it as a good sign..........IF and only IF....I can put all this into good use during open water....... I wish, I hope, I pray...........

Everything was a bit out of the norm today. For some reason, body clock automatically wake up at 4am, not feeling tired, not wanting to laze around the bed. Feeling pretty fresh indeed. Got an sms to wake me up at 430am but I'm almost ready to leave home.

Reached Casuarina at 515, I'm all prepared for the 60-65k ride. That will be my longest ride in my entire life IF I succeed and be back in 1 piece. Ya, mentally prepared for slopes, not sure about the legs though...5.35, the 4 of us started our journey. I think I'm doing pretty ok on flats but not too well on the slopes for sure. First half was ok, second half...haha....I dropped till........**drum roll*** 9kmph on uphill...LOL!!!! Legs need a lot more power x 100 siah!!! The downslope did gave me some real shiokness of 42kmph though.

Anyway, the suaku me, never been to those places that we rode past this morning. Secluded, ulu, remote area. I can't think of any reason why would I want to go to such places apart from biking. Let me recall...Mandai, Kranji, Neo Tiew, Lim Chu Kang.... hmm...around that vicinity..forgotten!

Back to Casurina abt 830, I'm contented to have completed the distance (cheaptrill I know). And the best thing, I'm not as phobic as before riding on roads...Yay!! And the legs... still doing well, not as bad as I thought. But again..I must say.... the slopes.....is really 'something' :) Good company good ride.....

After taking 1 day off recovering from Osim drainage, things kick start again as per norm with CBD run, 'unintended' pump after 1 month of absense, swim and more swim. Already going for lighter weight so that i won't ache too much for swim class the following day, I still ended up pretty sore and jelly on the legs which is quite a nice feeling..haha..But thankfully...my arms is still good.

Swim menu was smack right on my face after warm up laps. 5 x 400m with 20sec rest. So 'kind' of coach to give that 20sec rest. Hardly enough for me to take 5 deep breathe. Talking abt fellow students in the class, I wonder how one can boast about completing an ironman twice and going for the third, YET never fails to complain that coach didn't give enough time to rest, training sets is too long, too shiong, always end up with "OMG" after every 2-3 laps. Seeing from top to bottom, left right upside down, couldn't help it but really can't see a single ironman spirit in him/her. Oh well...should not judge a book by its look.....Nevermind.....

Since this morning, I think I’ve been asked at least 3 times if not 4 times on how was my Osim Sprint.

So before I need to retype it over and over in msn, I shall just pen it down here.

Swim – 750m
I thought this should not be that difficult considering the amount of time I spent in the water in recent months. But regardless of what, you will never get too prepared for an open water swim. Anything can happen, things that can’t be trained – these…can only be reacted based on experience, which obviously, I don’t have much of it :)

So there I go, ‘jumping’ into the crashing waves together with ~100 more ladies in our waves. Choppy big waves is all I see. Thankfully, I wasn’t panicking. Not much of a chance to do front crawl, I thought I can switch to that after the first turning when we’re swimming parallel to the shore. How wrong can that be!! The sea condition never gets calmer. Making thing worst, those men that starts 5 mins later is starting to catch up. These aggressive men!! Irritating!! I got whack on the leg, on the head!!! Tried switching to front crawl to speed up a little, the waves smack right on my face. And all I could see is the big waves coming towards me and the sky. Couldn’t tell if I’m moving, couldn’t tell if I’m heading to the right direction. Gave up…back to breast stroke. Oh…and did I mentioned I spent so much energy in BS not only to swim but to kick away those ppl behind trying to ‘grab’ my legs! Ya..I still think I’m not garang enough. Next time I will…**hmph***

What was I thinking throughout the swim: luckily never sign up for OD distance, get out of the swim asap!

Bike – 20km
Way too much energy used up unnecessarily during swim which was totally unexpected. Half sianzz…. Started the bike slowly to recompose myself..Got a little better on the 2nd and 3rd loop. Bike leg not as cramped as I thought it would be. But the mind is simply no longer into competitive mode. Really a bit drained from the swim. Can’t imagine it is tougher than a 40 laps in pool. Just strolling along to finish the 3 loops.

Run – 5km
Disastrous. Toughest, slowest 5km run I’ve ever run. Couldn’t find the legs. Heavy legs, muscles is stiff!! Run, jog, walk and struggle to the finish.

First Sprint distance…..Completed

***Oh...In actual fact... I actually broke the thumb of rule of not to try anything new on race day :) I had the saddle changed and race day was the first time using it. Haha..I'm prepared for any outcome. It turned out to be quite well...still need a bit more time in getting used to it but overall feeling is so much better than the previous one :)

Another highlight of the week has to be Jee Wong musical concert at Balestier church. It wasn’t as captivating as I would expect it to be when I first heard him going thru the rehearsal together with One Heart Ministries.

Then on the actual concert, I would have to agree that he is really an awesome, inspiring pianist. A truly gifted pianist….. simply MESMERIZING.

So needless to say, last week was a whole lot of agendas lining up with boss in town. Thankfully the carbo load session on Thursday was cancelled last minute, I managed to clock in some decent mileage.

Highlight of the week has to be the swim and bike session. Oh well….milestone for me, ‘easy easy’ for many…J After 4 laps of warm up, coach make me swim 5 x 300m with 20secs rest. As I would have expected, I lost a bit of a form and momentum at the end of the 5th sets. My arms are going to break anytime….:) Rested a while and thought I can OTOT cool down and call it a day.. Coach asked “rest enough already?” ^_____^ 10 x 50m faster pace but rest longer after each sets. So there I go, use up whatever remaining energy I have to complete the 10 laps. My arms must be soooo thankful to me…:)

On the bike, I wonder how on earth can someone maintained a 30-40~kph as a ‘normal’ speed. Their leg muscles must be so….’power’?? For the 1st time, I hit the digit 3 over the weekend and I can barely maintain that for…..5 minutes…hahahahaa…… And I think that happens when I was overtake by someone and I was trying to give a chase on him/her. I lost the motivation to chase when he/her make a u-turn and I decided to head straight up…:)

So....after Monday's gym session, I have this nice aching feeling on the quads the next day....

On Tuesday I indulged on Merchant Court super yumilicious durian paste with boss sitting next to me keep saying it smell awful and give me the weird look while I'm showing her how satisfied I was on every single sip of the durian. Simply heavenly. FULL STOP.

On Wednesday, of what supposedly to be a swim/run session, it turn into....YET another carbo loading session. Then...of what supposedly to be a simple meal turn out to be......a rather heavy meal &^%&^$#&^*&%*$%. Guilty strike....I squeeze in an hour run at quite an odd hours at night...

Today.... supposed to be another carbo load session.....which I think might be cancel **fingers toes crossed** I want that long long run and long long swim... "long" in my context by the way :)

In anticipation of this week's 2 carbo loading session and the likelihood of missing 2-3 days of workout, it was a good 2 hour session at gym yesterday. IF and only IF....compensation can work in such way :)

- 4.3k warmup on treddy
- 800m x 4
- 1 hour spin
- 1k cool down

Dead hungry after that....and couldn't sleep well....:(

Indulging on Mechant Court durian paste tonight......muahahahah........

Brick training is freaking tiring!! Ok..considering I'm not that seasoned at all, in addition to starting late with the heat right on me..... it was a bit of a struggle at the end but nevertheless, at least achiving what I have set it out to be.....

Coastal Road was full of cyclist in the morning and saw some familiar faces ninja-ing...probably ninja-ing for Desaru...

My verdict for the day.... fast cadence easy gear (actually not by choice cuz leg a bit sng in the morning) = fresher leg for the run.... :)

********

Time of the quarter again....Boss in town....... more calories to be consumed.....................

I was being forwarded a link to a blog -> http://back2bbgs.blogspot.com/

I knew what to expect in this link but it gets a little emotional as I browse thru page after page.

If you have been KL and know where is Pavilion at Bukit Bintang, that is where I grew up, educated, that is where I spent my childhood days. Mon-Fri from Primary to Secondary school a total of 11 years. Whichever corner that you have stepped on at Pavilion could be my classroom, toilet, netball field :)

Another building developing next to it ( I think) was also my childhood ground...There's where church is from day 1 since my dad brought me to church until I leave the country when I step into the work force....


Facing the main road of Jalan Bukit Bintang, is our main wing.....

It has now vanished and become this......

BBGS – Bukit Bintang Girls School was a well known, premier girls school at that time with its superb location within the Golden Triangle vicinity. Browsing thru the blog, I'm seeing how my ex-headmistress and ex-teachers looks like when they are smiling at the camera yet they are always serious, fierce during those days.... I see how some students dressed in blue school uniform like not too long ago, now an adult in their 30s and 40s.........including yours truly me :)

School songs, school motto, chorus speaking, netball, class & toilet cleanliness shield, flower arrangement shield....all suddenly flashes across my mind. It amazed me how my then seniors can recall what class they were in. Honestly, I've forgotten the name of my class... A4 or A3 I think. Now come to think of it, not keeping the school album may be one of my regrets....:P I can't even rmbr if I still have those photos with me.....

I haven't got a chance to visit Pavilion yet during my last return. Dad just drove us around and orientate me and my sis in the car..... Next time......die die must go Pavilion...

Last week I was given a task by coach to do this:

6 x 50m -> slowly targeting to stretch and pull
10 x 100m -> not too fast until cannot last the distance and not too slow till I’m out of form. 20sec rest in between.

Amazingly such a simple instruction do makes a difference. Logically you would have agree that go slow last longer, go fast pant like mad. Silly me always wondering what went wrong, why am I panting like a dog after every lap when I’m on my own at the pool, gotta switch to BS to calm myself down…… It is indeed…..my stupidity…. Brainless creature....

The results of not having lunch till almost 3pm got me and JC starving like crazy. Famous for roast duck, he ordered half a duck before I got a chance to question if we can ever finish that. So we ended up having half a duck, 1 bowl of peanut lotus root soup and fish slice with kailan & rice of course.... A bit of over indulgence I think, yet we bought another packet of grapes and munch on the way back.... That in all, lasted me till bed time...

This morning, a die die must get up and meet the rest at MR. Had a lot of chit chat and walk break in between. All in all about a 2 hours walk/jog/run for xxkm... Can't remember when was the last time I visited MR. Maybe it's last year, maybe is early this year. My legs and lungs seems to have a bit of a shock from the terrain. Almost falling asleep while having breakfast...I'm totally switched off for a good 2 hours......

I came across this FB entries from Boon that says ""it's better to go to a funeral than a party, because it can help you understand the brevity of life and have some self-introspection"

Very true indeed. At least to me, funeral was probably one occasion that remind me to live life to fullest, treasure people around us andddd again have some self-introspection. Not that I like to attend funeral in the first place.

Another Jurong youth passed away suddenly, news from JC this morning. Sudden death - definitely not something that you can accept, what's more if he/she is in such young age - 20s, full of potential.... This is the time where we need to believe that God has a will and His way is the best.......

Swim 22 laps in this Olympic size pool having 2 lane by myself!!!! Wohoo….Ok..it wasn’t a continuous swim..there are a few seconds rest here and there. And then it was chit chatting under the moon….then another lap or two before we adventure out to find food!! The 3 of us, finding food from Adam Food Center (closed) to Commonwealth market (missed out the u-turn – almost ended up at AYE) and FINALLY we managed to get real food at ABC market. Input > Output. I still couldn’t understand the logic behind why can I eat so much after swim but I can’t get myself to swallow food after run??

I set my alarm at 4.30am, it did went off. But what's new.....the moment I'm awake it's 6am. Bohoo!!! Too late to join the crazy one at mandai... I slacked underneath the blanket, struggling to get myself up and do what was initially intended.

Should I drive there or bike from home. I reckon that since I'm not rushing for time,I should practice loading up the bike to the car and see if it can be done with/without taking off one wheel and how much effort is required. Pretty impressed with myself indeed....from preparation to fully loaded in, it take me no more than 10mins...No need to detach wheel at all...Cool!!!!

And so, I started off at Changi CP2. Nice weather, min traffic, cyclist more than cars along the whole stretch. Nice.... Just slightly less than 2 hrs of riding session, happy that I did have a few breakthrough.... Really..nothing can beat putting theory into practice. I finally have a slightly better understanding on how each gear combination works. In actual fact, how I felt in each combination.

Then, while I was playing around with the gear, I'm playing with speed and cadence as well. Warm up, get into rhythm, speed up and spin, repeat and repeat....Covering close to 40km...very cheapthrill I know..In a way, good thing I didn't join the mandai gang for 50km hilly route. My legs may have gone 'dead' by the end of that. And I juz knew that they extended to 70+km...PHEWwwwwwwww!!!!! The best of all, I have no sore shoulders and saddle, no numb palm and thumb! LT & Jodan tips helps!!!! :)

If you are driving a white car, having such a ‘great’ driving/parking skill, bump into this blue Fit and not having the courtesy to even apologize and continue to act blur, you are such a hypocrite!!! *****hmph******


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was 2 weeks consecutive that me and WC did the NUS run. I was kind of irritated and a little stress at work. A bit drained off after work and was dragging myself to the run actually. On the other hand, I reckon that I really need the workout to ‘detox’ the irritation. I know cuz I experienced it before. Just too tired physically and mentally, dun even need to talk about workout. But once you drag yourself out there, 5-10mins down the road, u’ll be totally recharge when the endorphin start to kick in. Of course, there are days that it just doesn’t turn out that way :)

So anyway, we started off few mins b4 7. Maybe, most likely is all this frustration, I’m into my own ‘mode’ not long after. Not thinking anything, just run...Humming along Liu Li Yang’s song in “The Ultimatum”, the tempo was perfect for me to get into rhythm. The song keep repeating and repeating by itself as I surge thru hills after hills.



Detox session over around 8.30pm. Has to be one of those good run that I've had. Satisfying evening.........

Planning for a holiday destination does require a fair bit of coordination here and there. A bit of luck too. The list can go from finding a date that you can go on leave, if the destination is too hot/cold for comfort at that time, any budget constraint, is your travelling partner available at the same time and the list goes on……

And if you’re first time travelling with another person, you may also start to worry if you can get along with him/her throughout that trip. Will there be any conflict of interest, what’s their eating/sleeping/shopping style like

So ya…here am I looking at many many options that suit my pocket, leave approval, destination, weather, safety………

Yesterday I had my first attempt swimming at ECP. Abandone the idea of biking because the bed is just too tempting, I ended up joining the gang for the swim although slightly late. Swam out shore at Bedok jetty to meet the two man having their rest after the first lap while waiting for the other couple. The moment I landed my feet, that feeling is kinda disgusting. Let's see.....I think it's like.....stepping on tau suan dessert??? Couldn't bother and dun want to know what's underneath, I just ignore the feeling.

We swam back to start point and I couldn't help but unknowingly keep swimming closer and closer to shore. LT keep asking me to get out, it's too shallow for comfort. Soon my feet is hitting this huge metal thingie underneath. A little bit panic but staying calm and quickly get myself out there. Good overall experience, didn't expect myself to be that calm out there compare to my last sentosa swim :)

Followed by the run....oh well..... it's just one of those unexplainable days of the bad running day....pace is slow, breathing is tough, legs is heavy, not perspiring throughout the 5-6km. Don't think it is anything related to the swim. Nevermind...get it done and all I want is Redstar Dim Sum.

I have been busy being a tour guide and driver in the last few days. I am even busier when I get back to work. Squeezing in swim/bike/run for as much as I can....I will continue to get busy for the rest of the week.......

I am a buzy woman......:)

It was an unexpected weekend. Everything that was being planned for did not take place at all. Firstly, it was the new found pain at the other side of knee that did NOT happen after Sundown but 5 days later. The results? I can't lift up my leg as much as I wanted to, I have to climb stairs in a certain angel to avoid the pain. So there it goes, wave good bye to my plan to bike on Sat evening and MR on Sunday morning. Thank God, this morning was a lot better.

Inpromptu plan, we went for a 9pm show at GV Marina and by the time I reached home, it was midnight. I'm really not 'cut' to sleep late, regardless of how many hours I slept in. Just not 'me' to sleep at such hour. I felt lethargic the entire day despite the 8-9 hours!!! I would be all fine and charged up if that 8-9 hours is between 11-7am. Wondering how on earth did I survive Sundown..........

I thought I have completed a whole lot of stuff but it's barely half a day. Another slow, draggy afternoon to go :(

On a side note, I'm recovering well from the sleepless night & soreness and thankfully, my knee and itb reacted pretty alright **fingers toes crossed**. I really hope I don't have short term memory. I was just being tempted to take up yet another challenge.....:P

As how things turn out unexpectedly, I ended up with no aim while standing at the starting line waiting for gun off. Totally different from the mentality I have when I first signed up. Mental strength was up and down throughout the journey. Physical strength...hmm.....that just translate to how much training mileage I've put in. However, with the various personal support along the second 21km, it was simply encouraging. Red bull and home made barley. Oh..and safra sng pao.... Heavenly!! Thanks to all the buddy... Let me try to recall..... XZ, terence, tiwazz, charlette, Ronnie, Bee, Fd, Ripley, Buay, Piglet, Regina, Stuck, Tekko, TeamFatBird....

Had my first cramp in history at 38km. I dropped from jogging to strolling speed. All the other ache have set in by this time. From shoulder to back to abs to knee to hamstring to calves and even toes. Ok..that is not to say that marathon will give you all this agony. This is really a show of lack of training...haha.....I thought if I could push a little, I can complete the remaining 4km in half an hour. I ended up taking an hour to complete the 4.x kms..So near yet so far... Finally crossed the finish line before sunrise..... This.....will not be my last marathon BUT the last for Sundown. I hope I won't have short term memory. Please remind me if I do....:)

The day before Sundown....

I wasn't thinking too much abt it the entire week probably the mind was all occupied for that 1 week course in Sydney and I'm more anxious about the exam on Friday more than anything else. Haven't been sitting in an exam for donkey years, I wonder how will I fair. All I want was a pass and get it certified. I don't need "A's" :)

Sundown....
I woke up at 2.30am Singapore time to catch the earliest flight back so that I can have as much rest as possible in the afternoon before the long night ahead. 7 hours in the flight, I was snoozing on and off with a conscious mind. No good at all.

I was home by 3.30pm and try to get myself into deep sleep. Tired but couldn't get the mind off from wondering around. So again, I slept with a conscious mind a few minutes here and there.
Meal at 6.30 and off I go at 10.30pm.......

Time: 2:10am

My all time favourite, trusted carrier SQ, was delayed for 2 hours!!!! For the FIRST time in all my years of travelling in SQ :( Upset, pissed, tired, SLEEEEPPPPYYYYY..... Argh!!!!

***fingers and toes crossed*** I'm hoping to board in 20mins time.....

I'm immediately in dreamworld as soon as my head hit my dearest pillow. 2:02AM!!!! The phone rang!!! Goodness.... jump up right from bed as if the building is going to collapse.

+01961211!!!!! ^%$@*&$%&*@#^%$ I didn't pick up and shut off my phone. Where did this odd number came from! ***angry angry**** It's amazing what the Internet can do nowadays.
From my anaylsis on Google results, this is very likely a sales scam from either India or China. Wait till they call me again in day time, I'm sure going to 'play' with them :P

Flying off tomorrow, haven't pack a single thing yet. Oh and I have this stack of reading material that I need to complete before the trip. Gotta take a quiz in day 1 of the course. 32 hours of Uni level course as per the introduction. The moment I start reading, either my mind start to wonder around or I'm falling asleep.... Very good indeed.................. Shall see how am I surviving next week....

During the last swim class, coach gave me a few tips and instructing me to think of how to achieve that kind of body alignment that he wants to see. It did take me quite a fair bit of conscious effort to achieve that straight body line, hairline at water surface. Needless to say, it is the most tiring session ever since I started with him. I could feel soreness on my arms. I could feel heat generated out of the body while swimming.

Now, 3 days later.... My arms are still not as fresh. Is that what you call as Delayed OnSet Muscle Soreness (DOMS)???????

Let's see... This week was not much but slightly better than last week. Things are quite within control now and slowly seeing things falling in place nicely.

Have also completed the 4+ hr night run until midnight over the weekend with the beloved Toofam. Tired for sure but the legs suprisingly are holding up quite well with yoko yoko and pattstrap working hand in hand despite someone commented never seen me running in such slow pace before...haha... My thoughts was like... wait till you see a brisk walker overtake me...:)

Still busy preparing to welcome the arrival of my new family member, getting all the necessaries done. Interesting though.... Next weekend bizness trip again.... Some tempting hills round the hotel vicinity that I've missed during the last trip and for sure I wanna to give it a try this time round. By the time I touch down to SG a week later...It's 8 hours to SunDown!!! Hahahaa....Niceeeeee...... wonder how that night will turn up. I should probably wear a compression tights for that 7 hours flight to make sure the two legs are still alive at mid night. Anyway...whatever will be..will be.......

Oopss…….seems to have gone a bit rusty in here.

No doubt, laziness is one of the many many excuses that I can think of. But really….. it has been real busy in the last few weeks. Weeks after weeks, I can’t recall the xx things that I’ve done apart from the daily business at work. Home is more of a shower & bed time place in the last 2 weeks. Anyway, the real big thing that happen is….I’m going to have a new member added to the family real soon! Things that was planned for years and finally with God’s blessing, this has finally materialized. Life will/may/possible never be the same in all aspect – good or bad whatever…haa…. No! I am NOT pregnant!!!

~~~~~

On the other hand, I’ve completed by 6th lesson with Seamonsta. A few more to go and I’ll be ready for the next challenge, **hopefully**. Coach commented that my ‘wu-kung’ is the strongest in the class which is of course nice to hear but I think there’s still a long way from being competent. He gave a thumbs up on one of my drills but immediately warned me about my ear plug and nose clip. Nose clip (which I only need to use when breathing on my weaker side) will slow me down a lot he said. Ear plug – rely too much, I’ll DNF if it drops out during open water event. I did thought of it way back but thought I shd just put them on and get the stroke right first and not let those ‘water getting in’ affect me. Ok… I guess it’s time to take them off and learn to adapt to water getting in to the nose & ear ^____^


~~~~

2 more weeks to SD…… What will be…will be……. Positive mentality is more important than anything else at this point…….

My legs is a bit sng after Tues run for whatever reason. The so call recovery, relaxing swim on Wednesday didn’t help much to release the sore. And happen that this week coach is not around, so no class on Thurs, I decided to join the gang to get a taste of NUS slopes once again……with the semi-sore legs….

Actually felt rather lethargic towards end of the day, decided to gulp down a can of…Red Bull…haha…Yawn….yawn……still feeling sleepy while making our way to Sing Poly. Thankfully, the momentum was up without much of a problem today… Countless slopes, not as tough as my first time conquering them but still….requires a little bit of effort…Good….just enough to feel yourself burning from inside…I like….

As usual, I was at the last pack saving some energy making my way up and down and make sure I still have fuel left for me to get back to start point. I was supposed to decide if I want to do a 14km or 11-12km. I’m comtemplating…should I, should I not. I better not waste brain cell, I thought. Wherever he goes, I go. So..the decision is him..not me..hahaha…. And so..we chosen the 11-12km, considering a) it’s already 1.20 hr since we started (excuses) b)it’s a hilly route(so what?) and c) we run slower and take longer to shower, so we better be back early before the rest (more excuses)…haha

Anyway, we were back to start point by 1.40hr which is really good enough for me for a weekday hilly run………. I like……

Yesterday CBD was a bit mental. It was pretty ok at the start and I managed to get into good momentum upon reaching Esplanade. The pack is getting faster and faster, left a few of us at the back of the pack J Good..when I don’t see them, I won’t chase till lung burst. All the way to Kallang Stadium u-turning at Tanjung Rhu bridge. 6.5k done. Now that’s a bit mental thinking of the long way back and the endless F1 track. Many….many wanted take the shortest route back as far as possible but doesn’t seem to have much options left. It all work out to be about the same distance..haha….bite the bullet and just move the legs lah….

Reaching F1, walked a while with Burnz and when the pack start to run, we tag along behind taking yet another short walking break along Esplanade….. So near yet so far, I can’t wait to finish the run. 13km is about the same as what we did for FC and MF depending on how many loops we’re doing but why is this route felt never ending?? Finally… reaching lau pa sat, morale is getting higher, slowly make our way back and I’m just glad to finish this run….. Got home, showered. I dozed off completely, 2 minutes upon hitting my head against the pillow……Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The week came to an end unknowingly....and we're back to Monday blues........

It was the long awaited weekend and the last thing you want to happen is to fall sick on that day.... So disappointing having to rot at home on a public holiday :( Then again, it's probably that 1 day rest of doing nothing recovers you from mental and physical exhaustion... I'm all recharged by Saturday.

Alarm rang at 5.10am on Sunday but snooze till 6.30..haha.....Managed to clocked 2.45hr run and gotta stop when it starts to pour. I thought I could go on for a longer while more....but too bad. I haven't reach that 'hard core' level to run in the rain.. It was also Boon & Rachel's wedding, the most chiong hei couple I've seen. Even the church wedding ceremony and dinner program was rather.....looonngggggggg :) But I kinda like the church wedding... something different from the usual church ceremony we had in the past. Dinner time...not much appetite to eat....stop at the 5th dish, went home and zzzzzz....................

Next..................The Raft (Rough) Race……………

Still sandy and wet from top to toe…..we proceed to the beach for another challenging task.

My first reaction...the wave was rather high...definitely not the norm that we can see in SG. I keep asking our co-host, are you sure? is it safe to go out there? Regardless, this is such a dynamic group, all are ready for the challenge.

Each group is given with these equipment:

You are supposed to built a raft and paddle it out in the sea until we reach the stretch of buoy. Raise the paddle high up once we reach. The first to reach is the winner.
And so.....we started to assemble.....End results:

Final check and we're ready to go:

The waves was real high....I was just wondering if Bintan Tri is starting right at this spot!! It's going to be tough.

We both paddle hard with all our strength but co-host came right to my back and say..."you guys are not moving" I'm pushing you at the back. First step further we're toss back 3 step by the waves... One after another, the waves happily covered us like a blanket. And before I could open my eyes and make sure I can sight and not sting by the salt water, we're hit again by the next waves and it goes on and on......

Picture speaks a thousand words..... 1st round...mission failed. Wave is too rough and we were called back for safety reason. KY asked if we could go for the 2nd round. The safety guard was rather suprise that we all wanna go all out again.....

2nd attempt.....fail AGAIN!!!! Although we do have a winning team that make all effort to go all out!!

Such an eventful day ended with a BBQ dinner, another few hours of laughing session playing taboo and posting with these random crazy shots.....

All stress out by boss's expressions.........

that all turned up insane for this shot......

It was only a short weekend getaway but I felt as if I’ve been away for long….. Catching up on personal/work emails, forums and some blogs that I’ve been following, which they all are part of my routine over the weekend…It was also probably because the trip was all full of activities, I hardly have time to think of anything. When I got back, it was like having to switch my mind back to the reality......

Anyway, the 2D1N team building trip to Bintan turn out to be soooooo much fun!! Much more than what I anticipated. Although am part of the organizing committee, I have no idea what the ‘surprise game’ that my admin and my boss had in mind for the rest of the 8 of us (in 4 teams).





We were told to bring swim attire, sandals, extra cloth and running shoe cuz we’re going to get wet, dirty and murky. Boss gave a briefing to everyone and showing us the presentation, it turn out to be……………”The Quest Technical Support Amazing Race” around Bintan lagoon. Find your clue, complete the challenge, solve the puzzle, try your luck in order to get to the next stage.

Boss, our host for the day gathered us at the lobby. We were to go to the “Adventure Golf” as our 1st stop. Where is the adventure golf?? “You got to find. Good luck and see you there” is all she said. 5-4-3-2-1 we ran as hard as we could. It was barely 50m from the lobby and my team happen to be the first to arrive..haha….

The challenge began……………….

Stage #1
4 mini golf holes. I handed the golf stick to my trusted partner (KY) to do the job. Done~!

Next Clue: Where did Susie O’niell do her training?
“Who is Susie O’niell?”
We both look at boss our host “Who is Susie O’niell?”
Boss: “You don’t know?? Hmm…she took part in the Olympics”
Me: The pool?
Boos: I think you’re right
Me: Aiyah…..should have said Michael Phelps!!!!

We were the 2nd group that got out of the adventure golf. Another one coming very closely to us. Searching high and low, running all over the resort to find the pool. We reached, but nothing was in sight…It was quiet although we did get some stares from the stranger. KY check with some crews around if there’s another pool somewhere. There’s another up there… Oh man…gotta climb and jump over the drain to get there fast!!
Found it! We were the last to reach :( Nevermind….it’s just the 2nd stage.

Stage #2
Challenge: Lots of colorful balls with alphabet floating in the pool. You are supposed to find the alphabet to make out “Quest Technical Support”.
Me & KY jump straight into the pool together with the rest of the team to grab our alphabet.

Completed. Our next clue: Where did Leonardo DiCaprio shot his famous movie
Me & KY: Titanic!!!!! Oh!! The beach!!!

Getting tired man!! Ran another few hundreds meter to the beach. We were the 3rd to arrive

Stage #3 (a)
Challenge: Fill that bucket of water with the towel provided

Done! 3rd or 4th to complete I think…..

After everyone bucket is filled up, adjourn to another starting a few steps ahead. You see a squarish area with taping around it. The next clue is hidden underneath the sand. You are supposed to find it.
This is tough! The weather is hot.

Stage #3
I think we took like 5-10 mins digging in to the sand. We were all coated with sand by now….I noticed the first two groups who got their clue is all by the side. And so I move to the side to start digging the sand. Lo and behold!!
Clue: Where do you usually use a cue --à Billard room!!!

We reached the billard room with 2 other groups together.

Stage #4
Challenge: Solve the puzzle on a piece of paper and answer 5 questions related to Quest to test how well you know about YOUR company.

Poor pool table by the time we left (3rd team to leave), are all filled with water from our wet shirt and sands……. Host ask us to get back to start point and boss will be there to meet us.
Yay!! Mission completed.

Results will be announce during the night BBQ session......

Rested 15mins, rinse, change partner and we're all set to go for another race..............................

As far as I can recall, this 2-3 weeks is the most horrible week at work for 2009. Expected since it’s quarter end but still certain thing irritates you so much…Sigh…nevermind… Oh...apart from work, I'm also getting very.......very irritated indeed with some postings and comments in the forum lately. Not that these people had my respect in the first place, but they are really degrading themselves in my humble opinion.

Anyway, no cbd but still managed clock a decent mileage after work for 2 hours. And I think I did found ‘my pace’ finally….after several attempt. A pace that I can last long, a pace that I can switch off and go auto pilot and most importantly not hurting the poor knee. Great……

Some shuffling on this week workout schedule since there’s quite a fair bit of happening around. Boss in town, out of town over weekend, dinner appt (ya…they are alllllll related to food)…hmm……I’ll squeeze out some time here and there.

Since the change of management in Planet Fitness , now named as True Fitness, people over there have been getting rather aggressive persuading potential and even existing customer to extend their membership even though their expiry is like 1.5 years down the road. Me……is one of the victim. Interior designed changed…..now more like a disco with a DJ station and a special room for special pass holder to get a massage. Unfortunately, none of this impressed me. Not at all. IF there’s one thing that they should change, it has to be the toilet facilities!!!! The toilet flush is sooo pathetic as usual, the shower curtain looks rather disgusting. And yeah….the shower…. Big time CMI.

On the other hand, they do bring in a lot of new machines – which I hardly use. Anyway, rather disappointed, guilty, unhappy about the super hot Sunday run, instead of going spin class, I decided to hop on to their new treadmill with built-in TV&stereo after pump class. Km after km, watching channel 8/U it did managed to distract my attention quite a bit. One hour is up…I’m done for the day… The moment I step down, there this mild giddiness and suddenly felt like all energy is drained off. Strange…. Maybe the TV positioning too close to me? Maybe it’s just a typical treadmill effect… Nevermind…rested a while, all is good. Conclusion………….IF I have a choice, I would prefer to stick to nature :)

After weeks of waiting, it’s finally here. I was told not once, not twice but 3 times that the first few sessions is going to be…..boring. Ok! Got it! Mentally prepared.

Oh yes…..Finally…… after much hesitation and the fickle minded me…decided to have an official coach.

So there we go, the 7 of us started the first session. Once again we’re warned…the first few sessions will be cold and boring… Hmm…. I haven’t been coach on any discipline at all. Never ever..So, it was a pretty new experience to me. Listening to his theory, demo and it’s our turn to do it… Uhm….Not as boring as I would have thought ….It was ok… Just that like every student, they can’t wait to see the fruit of their labor. So, patience and doing it right is all I need…..:) The next moment I look at the clock, it was 45mins done. 15 more to go…that's fast.....

End of Quarter......I hated it most, especially at this downtime, everyone is trying to meet their quota...bugging and making noises everywhere. So tempted to put up a big big "LEAVE ME ALONE" signage...


Regardless, I was still able to make it to CBD yesterday. Very much in need of that endorphin kick once again. Although the menu was not very appetizing but having good company at times will do wonders. I have no intention to do the planned 4x stairs climb so was prepared to do extra loop around SG river alone..... I would go for stairs at times on my own but consecutively 30 storey x 4 is not my cup of tea at all. Somehow.....more and more is saying they wanted to skip the stairs and happily agreed to do the loops with me. So the 4 of us ended up doing 1 extra...extended loop. Longer than what I intend to...Kena cheated!!!

Anyway, I kind of like the pacing yesterday. Definitely not something that I can maintain for long distance but endorphin is kicking high in the air!! As usual....I slept like a pig....don't even remember my alarm went off at 6+. Body clock woke me up...!!

So over the weekend, I was supposed to catch him in action at ECP. For those who doesn't know him, he is like......hmm....David Beckham? Tiger Woods? but in the context of a triathlete :)

The plan to do my LSD on Saturday night so that I can be at ECP to catch him and the rest was totally ruined when it pours with lightning all over. Nevermind I thought, sleep earlier and I'll do a wee hour run on Sunday.

Sunday came, woke up, changed ready to go......it rain AGAIN!!! $&%@&#$%&*@# That's baadddddd.. There goes my plan again!!! What now?? back to the bed..... Next moment it was 930. Suprisingly the weather is still good. Too good not to head out. I know I'm going to feel so guilty if I don't and wasted yet another Sunday. It was 10:15 when I started but felt as if it was 7am..Niceee.... Yeah..first time starting to run at this hour. I reckon I'll finish before 1pm the latest. Hopefully the good weather will last. Last minute change of route due to the starting time - which happen to be a blessings in disguise. Incorporated some loops and humps throughout that 2.5 hours. Mainly around Selarang Camp, Loyang, Netheveron Road and PR. It was peaceful, quiet, serene throughout. Luv it!!! Yah...I ended up clocking the highest mileage I've ever done in monnnttthhhhhhhhhssss...Yay!

Can't believe it's coming to the end of work week again!!!! Busy busy busy is all I can say for the first half of this week.

Mon - Work was alright, only managed to squeeze in 30mins gym. Thereafter went to visit the cute little xiao niu.
Tues - CBD Fort Canning 3 loops
Wed - Trying to do two sides breathing on front crawl. Ha...Need A LOT A LOT MORE practice. Back to work after swim.

Today.....it has been none stop since 8 hours ago....Am so glad is settling well as end of the day approach and not jeopardizing my workout plan..... Yay!!!It's Friday tomorrow!!!!

Duathlon Extended Version

Why extended? Because instead of a run-bike-run, I did a bike-run-bike-run-bike…haha which I believe many, in fact majority is doing the same. Start point at seletar/mandai was not easily accessible by me (for sure), so with Jodan giving me a ‘no problem’ signal, we rode to the start point together from Yishun. I’m getting better but somehow I am still getting tense up when riding alongside with the traffic…sigh…..

First ever duathlon race, quickly setup my stuff at the transition area asking Jodan to help me check if I have everything in place properly. Spotted my all time favourite supporters - LT & Joanna!! Looking for more familiar faces, chit-chatting...Ready To Go......

Run – 3km
Was it the downslope at the start or if I’ve warmed up from the earlier ride, the starting pace was moderately hard to my standard. But given the short distance, I should be able to maintain throughout. Somehow, it felt shorter than 3km to me… Without long, the ‘run-in’ section is already within sight.

T1 – run/bike
My bike location was near the bike-out area, also mean that I’ll have to run quite a fair bit from the run-in section to get my bike. Was panting a little so better take this transition to catch up my breath.

Bike – 15km
All I was aiming for on the bike leg is no crash, no puncture, no slippery ground regardless of how long that will take me to complete. There was a little disruption at the start for a few seconds but thereafter, it was all ok. 1st lap of the bike, hearing a lot of “On your right on your right” with people zooming past me. How many mountain bike overtook me?? Maannnnnnnnyyyyyyyyy…. LOL!!! Doesn’t matter to me anyway. Undulating terrain along Mandai…..up and down...I’m mentally prepared. Just before reaching the 1st u-turn point, I guess that’s the steepest slopes. While I was happily enjoying that moment of “I can fly” on the downslope, it’s time to tap on the break and prepare for the u-turn. And guess what? It’s the same steepest slopes that I’m going to climb now. Argh…….. this same slope, I hit my highest speed of 39kph and the lowest speed of……11kph..haha…crawling up.....
2 loops done..Yay!! No crash!!!!!!

T2 – bike/run
Took my own sweet time chatting with LT & Joanna while at transition. My first comment, how on earth do they manage to do 90km on desaru rolling hills!!!! Ok..I’m unfit to do that at this current state. Full stop :)

Run – 3km
Easy easy baby steps…… enjoying the atmosphere at the reservoir, unknowingly the speed increase as I approach the finish line…as usual for everyone I guess… got people cheering clapping, no matter how tired must act a bit and finish strong….haha…..

Oh..and the most fulfilling thing about this race....it's painfree. My knee is holding up real well this time round :)

Picture speaks a thousand words.......(courtesy of LT)

**Forwaded from my boss.....

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't DisguiseYour Voice. !

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions,Switch to Espresso.

5. On all your cheque stubs, write ' For Marijuana'

6. Skip down the street Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat,with a serious face.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.

11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Car Park, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

Now, does this make you SMILE?????? This is Called .. ............... ..... THERAPY

"Stole" some training tips from MF Safra (minus the intensity, speed and duration..haha), I tried out another short and sweet sessiong to break some boredem in the routine. (2.2k + 18 storey stairs) x 3. Why 2.2? Because that's the smallest loop around neighbourhood. Why 18? because that's the highest I can find around my start/end point. It ended up a suprise when each sets get easier as time goes.

Funny though during one of the sets when I reached the 18th floor, I was walking along the corridor towards the lift, passed by a few units. There's this unit along the corridor with windows open wide. Late night, windy and quiet, this long hair lady in pyjamas was standing right at the window facing out and not moving at all. Ya, she's just staring outside. BUT it really did freaks me out!! Almost scream my lungs out! I think she had a shock seeing me too....

Had a 2 seconds of panic attack again yesterday evening. Was riding along the park at quite an odd hours to ahem (copyright of someone's term)....'keep the leg fresh' for Sunday. Nice cooling evening with serene surrounding I was cruising happily until crossing a bridge. There's this 2 cats which I spotted them earlier on, lying happily right in front of me. By the time I saw one of them, it's kinda late for me to tap on the break cuz my hands are in the middle of the handlebar. So I have no choice but to swing it to the other side. And to my horror the other cat is just at the other side!!! So that split of 2 seconds I'm riding right in the middle of two cats in the dark with minimum lightning. If only I'm in pilot mode (which I hope will not happen during biking), I would have either ran over them, or crash my bike on the bridge divider, plunging myself into the river ^_____^

I was rather disturbed lately on the fact that the knee problem is back recently. Didn’t stop me entirely from physical activity, just some discomfort here and there.

However, this incident taught me to see things in a different perspective. In everything, count your blessings and give thanks to God. In the last couple of run, I am force to start slow, so slow that I shouldn’t be out there. Sometimes, I even have to start off limping a few steps before the knee finally settled down and ready to go for a slow jog. Also as a result, one side of the leg felt so light, another side of the leg felt so heavy because I’m trying to adjust the way I land my feet…etc. Just yesterday, my left leg felt so numb probably because the knee strap is too tight or I’m just overly controlling the landing. With all that taking place in the first half an hour or so, what amazed me was the outcome of the run. The second half always seems to be lighter, faster and stronger when the body is properly warmed up, breathing under control, knee settled down. Felt so good that I dun mind the first half an hour struggling…haha…I call this…… Blessings In Disguise

Sometimes, we ought to look things at a different perspective. At some point, we even need to learn thru the hard way. Why you? I don’t know. Only God knows. You may ended up having a real bad cramp in the middle of a marathon despite the months of effort and all of a sudden, it is no longer a reality to achieve a PB. You could be at the top of the career ladder and suddenly everything is down the drain. You may be in tip top condition and suddenly being told that you can’t run anymore…..Yes, that’s life. But does that matter? Maybe, maybe not. But ultimately, you’ll be groomed, polished and end up being a stronger, wiser person inside out. Friends out there struggling with life, career, health, relationship…..Stay Strong…..