Project Eggbeaters

shaken, rattled but rolling

2007-03-21T20:33:00.000+08:00

More pix here.

It was the ride where every single thing went wrong, but we came out of it having had a blast anyway.

First off, we couldn't get our clothing right coz it was raining and cold and we were climbing. The anoraks came off and then got put on again. We just couldn't decide! Then shortly into the ride, I took a spill onto a rock. It was one of 'em really stupid spills where my back wheel washed out from a root, and I landed directly chest first (or pretty much hugging) this rock:

Grrr

My chest and ribs took a bit of a blow but in general I was alright. BUT my camera had taken a bash as well, so the entire LCD screen is buggered! I needed a couple of minutes to catch my breath so all was good. Still, the nerves were a little rattled after and my technical skills just went to pot. Obviously I was totally gutted about the cam though, seeing as it was a gift from all my best girls from my hen night. But I told myself I'd look into getting it repaired and it'd all be fine - It has a few new dings on it though.

Then there was that blasted section that freaked me out. It wasn't even very technical but my nerves were gone and I was being a wuss [insert chicken noises here]. Mo and Hubba totally knew where I was coming from though and were extremely patient - They wouldn't let me wuss out and said I needed to get over the fear to continue the ride. And I'm so glad I did really - Once I got down, I felt really bewildered and stupid. I knew deep inside I could have done it, but my body was totally rejecting the thought. Anyway, I felt a bit foolish once the deed was done and I didn't wuss out on any rideable segment on the rest of the trail.

Then there was the I LOST THE CAMERA moment. The husband wanted to get a shot of something and reached into my pocket to get it, when we realised it had gone! I abandoned my bike and retraced my steps. The boys did the same but on their steeds - They went all the way to the start of that section, but couldn't find it. So I told them to ride towards my bike and I'd join them in a bit... I walked it to the start of the section and RIGHT when I was going to give up, I saw my camera shimmering in a bush!!

I had one of 'em cartoon rub-eyes-blink-blink-am-i-imagining-things moments before picking it up and giving thanks. I guess in hindsight I'm overjoyed that I lost the camera, coz now I'm not that gutted about having cracked the LCD screen :)

Oh yeah, I stopped to pee in the bushes and accidentally got some on my shorts. Needless to say the wind was blowing cold enough to freeze it within a few minutes. Woopee. -_-

The rest of the ride was awesome. Epic. Friggin' monumental technical climbs against super strong winds. Descents so long my arms and wrists started to ache. Technical sections that were totally unrideable to me. Almost washed out a couple of times coz of the crazy winds blowing me out of the ruts...

And then there was that one long crazy section leading back down to the carpark that had me doing drops that were far more scary than that silly one I took ages to do before. I finished the ride on an absolute high, which was great stuff. The boys were totally psyched as well. The ride distance spanned only about 20km in total, but it was a black route and we took a good 4.5 hours to complete it. Ack!

download trail map here

So in summary:
- Took spill on rock
- Broke camera LCD screen
- Nerves rattled
- Freaked out on section
- Made myself complete section
- Lost camera
- Found camera but peed on shorts by accident
- Blistering cold winds + long climbs
- Longgass descent (8km)

Video later. Gotta get the Haggis on the hob...

'It is singletrack from the car park, curling steeply up through the forest to leave a (pleasant?) burning sensation in the legs as you hit wider bridle paths – some of them shared with other users – over more level ground in the forest. Bits are very dark, and very gnarly with lots of exposed roots and rocks and steep drops.'

Read more about Innerleithen here.

click to watch

red rider

2007-03-21T20:30:00.001+08:00

click here to watch movie

I was tired this morning - Hardly the feeling you want to get when you're all pumped up for a good weekend on the trail.

It was tough - I felt my body drag itself around, refusing to react to any form of caffeine or sugar. I guess it was to be expected since I worked myself hard every single day this week, but I refused to give in to the feeling 'coz we were finally making it to Peebles for our virgin ride at the 7stanes trail, Glentress.

The first part of the ride was pure climbing and when the husband asked me how I was feeling, I thought for a second before saying, 'I'm okay'.

Truth be told, I was telling myself a great big lie and that I felt far from it. But I figured self-denial would stave away any form of negative thought for the afternoon... At least long enough for us to get to the fun bits of the much-raved-about red route.

And I must say it worked. In no time at all we were at the mouth of the famous Spookywood Descent and all revved up to go!

Glentress is, without a doubt, the best trail I have ever ridden in the few years that I have been biking.. Lots of switchbacks and the like, but accompanied by a load of berms and moguls that made for extremely smooth riding.

Everytime you thought you were losing momentum all you had to do was put your weight into a turn, get onto a berm and off you'd go. It was fantastic! Definitely thought of the warriors and the wayngelas all the way through and knew they would be absolutely lovin' it if they were on the trail with us.. Especially Waynetta!

(Mate, you're such a free-rider at heart. You would so love what this trail has to offer.)

We did Spookywood twice coz it was just so thrilling - And I managed to keep up with the boys on the second attempt, hardly touching my brakes. Even caught some air a couple of times and absolutely loved it! I think the second ride gave me some confidence to bomb down other sections after - Grrrrreat!!

It was sad to think I wouldn't ride the trail again. Better get a lot of rest tonight... And I hope I'm alright for another long ride tomorrow!

download trail map here

More pix here.

all signed up

2006-12-18T18:16:00.001+08:00

The deed is done.

I'm $345 poorer.

This had better be good.

i'm back, baby!

2006-12-03T11:29:00.000+08:00

I didn't quite believe it when Dr Low had told me I'd be able to run another half marathon this year with no problem.

After the big morale basher that was last year's race, I had held off running for months. And even when I started racing again, running was far from fun. It was always the leg I'd dreaded the most and all sorts of investments were made in patella guards, knee braces, stability shoes and custom molded insoles. It was only in Krabi this October that I'd felt like my knee had some semblance of being normal again. Yet I felt the threatening creak only 4km into the half marathon this morning, with 17km to go - Freaky.

But like NT says, as long as it's just a creak and tendonitis hasn't set in, keep going. And coming from an Ironman who battles the same injury, I figured this have been the right advice to heed.

So on today's 21km run, I set myself a few simple and attainable goals:

1) Keep running and don't stop to walk.
2) Don't get injured.
3) Cross the line with a smile.
4) Run without music.
5) Finish with my friend.

Check, check, check, check and check.

I must say I felt great throughout the entire run. Fed myself at the right times, was blessed by great weather and didn't face a niggle of a cramp. I raced at adventure-race pace the entire way and didn't feel taxed, so from the waist up I felt great. But from waist down, things were a little dodgy. So I concentrated on opening up my stride and lessening the impact of the run - Get out of the race in one piece. It was really quite frustrating thinking about whether or not I ought to go faster but hesistating for fear of putting my knees out of alignment.

Running with was great fun too - We shared running tips, both physical and mental, and invented a game to wile away the kilometres. She egged me on with my knee and I egged her on with her cramps. Rock maintain. Heh.

coming in to finish

to many more runs!

Last year, I ran too hard for the first 16km, walked for about 5km before sprinting in for the last stretch. As a result, I crossed the line at 2hrs 35mins with a body so numbed by pain that I could hardly walk.

This year, I kept going all the way through and didn't stop to walk. The pace was slow but steady, with the goals clear in my head and a friend strong by my side. I crossed the line at 2hrs 45mins feeling absolutely fantastic and fresh as a daisy. And when the husband said he might go for a bike ride, I was even tempted at the thought. I must be getting somewhere!

Before the race, I'd made myself a promise: That if I could complete another half marathon without incurring another injury, I'd be in for Ironman 70.3 next September. That was the only condition I'd set myself. So needless to say, I'm in! There's no turning back now... And if I survive that, maybe a full marathon with Dad next year? Alright, so that's pretty ambitious but I guess we'll see!

12 out of 12 races have been completed for the year.

I'm out, dude.

Bring on, 2007.

collage for fun

2006-12-02T19:12:00.000+08:00

mtb ladies open

2006-11-30T09:59:00.000+08:00

indonesian pro-rider risa suseanty

mud pool!

kickass chica athena han

me with another indo-chick

me

Pictures courtesy of Foo Chen Khai @ Betterfeel

morning mudfest

2006-11-26T20:19:00.000+08:00

yeah baby!

So this morning's race was a complete mudfest - I lost my granny to the dreaded chain suck for most of the course and was left cranking heavy gears through the muck.

Tried my darndest to hang on to one of the Indonesian girls' tail but they were far too strong for me. Oww. The cranks were protesting so much that at one point, I almost thought I wasn't going to make it. But kept at it in my middle chain ring all the way and sooner than I thought, I was heading towards the finish line. Chain suck, sucks. Big time! I think the lesson I took home from today's race must have been that you should never slack off during a mountain bike race, coz you never know when your equipment is going to fail you and you'll lose whatever lead you have in the blink of an eye.

The ladies open course consisted of 3 loops of the mucky trail. The weekend warrior, which Wayne, Aaron and Derek took part in consisted of 2 loops, and the men's sport which Hubba and Seung did consisted of 4 loops. Oh yes the men's elite, which took part in was 6 loops. Ouch. Hubba and I came in 6th each in our categories, which was pretty cool. It was kinda sad that Angie didn't race though - Poor girl didn't race coz she had to rush off to work early. It was nice having ya around for a bit though, babe! Still think you could have raced... ;)

Here are some of my favourites from today:

crank it

woohoo wayne!

aaron finishes

andrew coasting a berm

wayne and angie

bike buds

little bike babe

with kickass risa

more pix here.

proton power

2006-11-19T21:22:00.000+08:00

mtbr worthy shot

Where do I even start?

That ride was long. Long and painful. Today's Presidential ride, sponsored by Proton, was just insane.I can't even begin to describe the pain and the joy involved in the ride. So here we go..

We started off this morning expexting the worst. Pat had warned us about the conditions we were going to ride in and to expect pain. The warriors, fresh from their 9 day race in Himachal, were a little more prepared mentally and physically. The Wayngelas and I decided to act as one another's support. So that's exactly what we did.

The ride was slated to span a distance of 60km offroad. With 650 riders participating, we knew we had our work cut out for us. We were given ride passports which we all carried with us to 4 checkpoints along the way.

All in all, I must say I quite liked the ride in Kajang today. It was so incredibly scenic that I swear I felt so overwhelmed by the environment that at times, I felt like it was interacting with me. On our last loop, I was spinning up a slow and agonising climb on my own when I heard a constant chirrup from some crickets. Towards the top of the climb, the crickets started going faster and I could have sworn they were spurring me on! Of course this was 40km into the ride so perhaps I was just getting tired...

Anyway, we all made it back in one piece. The warriors straggled past the finish line in their own time - way quicker than us of course - and the Wayngelas, Max and I finished the ride together... Angie having done around 10km more than us coz she was tricked into thinking there'd be some good downhill - and the rest of us just being lame! (Note: I managed to get a mee goreng in whilst waiting!)

Hubba did his usual crazyass thing and cheonged all the way, coming in 10th overall out of 650. Nuts.

I ache and the tan lines have gone haywire. It sure feels good though.

Lots of great videos and pictures to post but will do that tomorrow when I don't feel quite so battered!

PCC out.

Mtb; Under 50km
Time: 8am - 3.45pm

bottleneck pushing

shooting angie whilst riding

token 'me' shot

the couple that suffers together, stays together

owww

finished!

cheehan and huimin

the wayngelas

pei ling and nik

ling and max

hubba and i

ride buds

more here

Here's Ling's edit of the PCC ride:

click to watch

Also, more professional looking shots of the trail can be found at the Merciless Album.

And if you are really getting into it, check out Ling's cut of the warriors' bull moment on their 9-day Himachal ride: Video here!

caught between mud and tarmac

2006-11-10T07:37:00.000+08:00

So I can't reconcile the feeling I get when I'm on the saddle on the road, with the one I get when I'm out there on the trail.

When I get good on the road, I feel like crap on the trail. And when I finally start to feel good on the trail again, I'm shite on the road. What's with that?!

Still, I chased Lin down as best I could tonight and sucked every wheel possible. Even managed to power up and crank past a few dudes.

I need to get some serious work in.

Distance: 45.5km
Time: 1.37hrs
Max: 49.0km/hr
Avg: 28.9km/hr

all about the krabi race

2006-10-24T19:27:00.000+08:00

more pix here.

Friday
- Flight to Hat Yai
- Picked up and driven to Krabi by Anan, the best dude in the world
- Check into Rainforest lodging at Aonang
- Urban Challenge:

The husband and I picked up the wrong clue, thought we'd be ambitious and climbed up 1,273 steps at Aonang's Tiger Caves. We were given 20 minutes to search for a 1000 year old tree, but we took 20 minutes to get to the summit, a minute speaking to a monk and then another 15 to 20 minutes descending in the dark. By the time we'd gotten back to base camp, all the other teams were waiting. Needless to say we - and the only other team who followed us up - were the only ones who arrived back at base camp without having found the tree.

During the challenge, we were all told to memorize certain phrases in Thai, and by the end of it we all knew how to count to ten in the language. Another task was to go through the Krabi market in search for peculiar food items with 10 baht. Hubba and I bought this coconut dessert thing which looked unusual but thankfully, tasted like heaven.. The last little stretch was to make it to Bernie's, where dinner was served and prizes were presented. So ended our first challenge in Aonang... And we all gained our passports to enter Krabi heaven.

Saturday
- Breakfast: I cried over Love Actually.. again.
- Longtail boat to Railey beach
- Orienteering and navigation clinic
- Climbing at 1, 2, 3 wall
- Lunch @ Ya Ya restaurant
- Offroad hike around Railay
- Finally check in and chill out @ Railay Princess Resort
- Dinner and race briefing
- Short trek to The Last Bar
- Fire show
- Sleep

Sunday
- Breakfast
- Adventure Challenge:

This consisted of trail running, rock scrambling, caving, abseiling, swimming and a short sesh in a kayak. I was told the total distance was around 15km or so and I thought my knee was going to have a bit of a tough time but surprisingly it held up all the way. Each and every section in this race was pretty technical and I concentrated on making sure my foot fall was careful and deliberate so the knee wouldn't act up. Definitely had a blast! The husband and I were on top of the world when we crossed the finish line together and decided that we can make a great team, as long as the race is short and sweet. Got our clammy kit off and proceeded back to the waterfront to cheer the other teams as they streamed in. Go go go!

- Shower and clean up
- Lunch at Railay Princess
- Poolside/balcony nap
- Half hour Thai massage
- Sunset and Chang beer on Railay West
- Dinner and prize giving @ The Last Bar
- Fire show
- Cocktails and screening @ Cliff Bar
- Drinks with Goz and Mark

Monday
- Lie in
- Longtail boat to Aonang
- A great Thai lunch
- One hour Thai massage
- Half hour foot reflexology
- Drive to Hat Yai with Anan
- Dinner, ice-cream and tea @ airport
- Lots of reading
- Flight home

This was such a great trip and the husband and I have decided that we love Railay very much. We want to go back and climb up the 1,273 steps and have more time to take in the view. We want to go back with our loved ones and take them through the caves and trails (although I see much eye-rolling at this one, no?). We want to sip more cocktails and watch more sunsets. We want to climb more and gobble down more Thai food. We want to catch the Muay Thai show when they're not away for Ramadan. We want to soak up every single bit of Railay and its laid back culture before it changes with time...

Ahh well. A big fat thank you to Hai-Yen, Women Make a Difference and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for inviting us to be apart of this event and trip. There's no way we won't be at the next one, that's for sure! Definitely makes me want to sign up for another adventure race pronto, except I know we've just experienced paradise and it doesn't always feel that way! Sigh, oh well!

click to watch

the charity swim

2006-10-09T08:46:00.000+08:00

kaching for the children!

There was so much oil in the sea yesterday that the husband had to scrub me down with degreaser this afternoon. No kidding, it wasn't too pleasant. But other than the unpleasant condition of the seawater this morning, the charity swim this morning went pretty well!

Unlike the other challenges I've taken on this year, I wasn't aiming for anything specific - just to finish. In fact, I thought I'd try to enjoy it instead. And I guess I sort of did.... well, aside from swimming into a plank and getting hit in the head, and getting kicked in the left eye. Oof.

But I am pleased to say that the challenge to raise funds for children's cancer is completed. The fantastic monetary result ended up being a grand total of $3,750, which is just excellent guys. Thank you all, very very much. You have no idea how much this must mean to parents out there who have to face crazy dollar signs to care for their kids. Merci...

Here are some other pictures from the day... Cheers all.

my last real ride

2006-10-09T08:44:00.000+08:00

Saturday was my last real ride on Shadowfax. My second mountain bike. My steel steed. A very hard hardtail. And a very heavy friend.. Next week, I get a new steed and it's been ordered for so long that I kinda forgot that I'd have to say goodbye to the friend that I've got now. And heavy as he might be - especially when he crashes back down on me - I have to say he's served me well. I just pray his new owner rides him like the wind as he should be...

the disposable camera

2006-09-05T23:01:00.000+08:00

So it took ages to scan in, but thanks to Mummy's equipment, Chetz's company and Gor's comic relief, I managed to do it.

Here are some of my favourites from the album:

hubba trail running at kent ridge

running towards the swim

baby squid going by

it was near impossible to move an inch!

squidding in the water

abseiling off the sheares bridge

we had to fall into the water when the rope ran out

v
hubba bubba

the fear in my face before the fox

bonzai!

more pictures can be found here.

action asia

2006-09-05T22:59:00.000+08:00

more pictures here.

Yesterday came and went in a blur and when I woke up this morning, I couldn't believe it was over.

Thanks to the great people at CommsDNA and Subaru for making yesterday possible for us. I must say the race was everything I thought, but more. The route was as follows:

- Run loop around Mandai
- Mountain bike down Track 15 in the dark
- Bike drop near Zhenghua Park
- Trail run through One With Nature and Track 15
- Bike through BT in reverse
- Run to Hindehede Quarry, jump and swim, climb cargo net to safety
- Run back to BT carpark and bike through Rifle Range to Kent Ridge
- Trail run through Kent Ridge bike loop
- Bike to Pasir Panjang, through Keppel and to Marina South
- Swim in the sea
- Abseil from Sheares bridge into the sea x 3
- Tyrolean traverse back to shore
- Kayak from Sheares bridge near Fort Road to Clarke Quay
- Stop at Esplanade along the way and jump off bridge
- Kayak back to Sheares bridge near Fort Road
- Zip line aka flying fox into the sea from Sheares Bridge
- Run to paddle board station and paddle board to shore near Indoor Stadium
- Final cargo net, run to finish line

The total distance was 60km they said, but I guess it didn't feel too bad. Since the husband and I are of totally different strengths, we took it really easy to avoid any conflict. The first trail run was nowhere near as difficult or technical as Nomad, but it was enough to make the knee go creak. Biking BT in reverse is something I still find challenging, but you could tell this was everyone else's nemesis. Many contestants around us cramped up and walked through the course. You could tell they were definitely not enjoying themselves... yet.

I was fine galloping on one leg, but once we got to Marina South on our bikes and knew we weren't going to get cut off from any of the fun rope segments at the end, we did lots of walking between the stations. The husband and I were armed with a waterproof disposable camera, so we got had lots of fun like tourists and took lots of pictures. I felt really confident on the abseil segments, but once I hit the bridge jump I totally freezed up. The husband held my hand and counted me into the jump - It made the quarry jump at Ubin seem like nothing! As soon as I hit the water, I felt a total rush of adrenelin though!

Then, there was the 40m zipline into the sea.. As Hubba and I made it up the bridge for the final descent, my stomach started churning and nausea hit me... again. But this time, I knew it was fear. I was literally crapping myself. But he said there was nothing to be afraid of and I ought to enjoy myself. When I climbed over the bridge, I was totally gripped by fear. I guess it was because this time I knew I wasn't going to be in control. And when the safety dude told me to let go of the banister, I took a long while to respond. But when I finally did, I heard him yell, 'open your eyes'! So I did, and oh my it was fun. Whee! When I hit the water, I just thought: Dang, can I do that again?

Team Fangs ended up taking around 8.5 hours to finish, which is ages really! Team Angels a.k.a. Rina and Rebecca came in 1st in their category, and Team MingLing came in 3rd!! No surprises there, these superheros are fast and furious! =)

I am absolutely covered in abrasions and am totally sunburnt today. We also managed to lose my phone during the race so if you've been trying to ring me, there's a reason why I haven't been responding. Got the day off to recover today, so am going to hop down to town and get my new sim card later, so I'll be reachable by lunch if you need me guys - esp Germ and Jem, let the office know yeah?

Hmmm, I want to go whee again!

courtesy of ST Interactive

when the bones go crunch

2006-08-11T18:03:00.000+08:00

... you know you're gonna feel a whole lot better.

Really took the opportunity to stretch myself out this morning, pulling on every single muscle and lengthening my spine as much as poss. I could feel everything crunch from time to time and it really felt very good. I definitely feel a lot looser right now. Dr K's music never changes but I really love the calming effect it has on me. The one long track he uses somehow reminds me of the background music of The Sims though. I wonder where he got it from. Might just go up to him and see if I could get a copy. Teehee.

Decided to hop on the Tanita machine for the first time since June and the results were astounding. I've put on weight but fallen by 5%. That's just insane. But it does make me feel like I've gotten a result for working the hardest I ever have. Still, you can never tell with these machines... One day it likes you, another day it doesn't. Never trust a machine, I say. Haha.

photo evidence

2006-08-07T07:54:00.000+08:00

transition

casa shemboy

the leongs

jem t and carl

shem and hansel

mrs fang

sunday brick session

2006-08-06T23:40:00.000+08:00

Today's training was real nice. Shem hosted the crew once again and Casa Shem was like a big fat transition area. The driveway was littered with bikes, tools, cooler boxes, shoes, and all other tri paraphernalia - I honestly don't know how his parents put up with us. But they do and they're the bomb for it!

I took it easy on today's break session with the team. The husband and I were tempted to train together on the tandem but I knew a 60km bike ride was just not on the cards for me today, especially at his speed. Plus we hadn't even had a trial session to test out coordination and such, which would be oh-so-important at traffic light junctions, filter lanes and the like. The 'fast' crew consisted of myself, Lin, Jem T, Col aka Flyboy and Gretel. The others were labelled the 'deadly fast' crew. There is no room for 'slow' in the team, or so they say ;)

Lin, being an avid marathoner, gave me some running tips to help me run more efficiently and I immediately started panting less. Sadly, I started feeling the tendonitis niggle in my knee after two-ish ks and decided to turn around and head back. Lin and I ran right back to the welcoming cooler box and were glad to partake of its contents.

So I've spent three days this week on my road bike and have totally neglected my mountain bike. I feel kinda guilty about it but I must say I'm really starting to love being on my road bike - I hit 41km/hr on a flat for the first time today and felt rather chuffed about it. And I've just started giving my fellow teammates warning signals so that's good news too. It's all good, man.

Bike: 35km
Run: 4-5km
Bike Avg:25.5
Bike Max: 43.7
Energy: 784kcal

bonked

2006-08-05T11:43:00.000+08:00

I had a terrible time on the bike this morning.

Haven't bonked like that in awhile. My legs felt like lead. My toes were all numb. Jem fed me half a banana and gave me his bottle of electrolytes. But 50ks into the ride and I honestly hit a wall. I was moving at 16km/hr and feeling very miserable. The guys were fab for trying to wait up for me and I was so glad they turned off for a longer ride later on without me. Suffered all the way home but the husband did great in reviving me. Iced horlicks, cheese and chocolate toast (not on the same slice) and a couple of gummies later, I'm feeling alive again and ready to get some work done.

Distance: 65.62km
Time: 2:41:24
Avg: 24.4
Max: 46.4
Energy: 839

v blur

2006-08-04T17:43:00.000+08:00

courtesy of shape

better

2006-08-03T23:45:00.000+08:00

The ride home from work must have been a good warm-up, but I was still not feeling up to the ride at all tonight.

In fact, I must say I whinged a little and the husband did some soft encouraging to get me on the saddle. The rest of the team was riding, so I figured it'd be very unsporting not to show up last minute. The husband made me a coffee and put on some pumping tunes, and the next thing you knew, we were out on the road.

I am so glad I went.

My legs were tired from the weights this morning but somehow, I managed to push the pain out of my mind. Beef showed up and the ride was spent sucking his wheel. All I could think of was following his yellow ass - heh. Lin stuck to us too, so the train of three was fun and such a nice change from spending the long Tuas stretch trying to motivate myself to go faster. By the time we got back, I was just about to cramp and a good 100 plus was in order. Nice.

Distance: 61.3km
Time: 2:20:27
Avg: 27.0
Max: 47.9
Energy: 789kcal

I really enjoyed the ride tonight. I am feeling really good on the bike. I like this feeling =)

The company after at the kopitiam was even better. If you're reading this AAA peeps, I am lovin' you long time. Heh.

'Nite.

happy bike commute

2006-08-01T23:48:00.000+08:00

This morning, the husband and I finally cycled to work.

We've been talking about doing so even before we moved in together but somehow we never got ourselves together. So we decided to get our act together and give it a go this morning. The ride was short and an easy spin, and after parking the beauties in the pantry area, I hopped straight into yoga class. Can I just say, ouch. The weekend of cycling and running has left me incredibly tight and the downward dog position put such a strain on my hamstrings and ass. No doubt about it, this morning was a lot of work and it was not pleasant.

I had a strange dream last night and it was pretty upsetting, but in an enlightening way. Orite, over and out.

creaky me

2006-07-31T23:46:00.000+08:00

I am feeling absolutely exhausted from the weekend.

Funny how we wait all week long for the weekend, only to totally tire ourselves out playing.

Yesterday was pretty enjoyable, all except the failed video session with the sibs. Damn the cheap DVD player! Gretel got attacked by a monkey, which was a little surreal at the time, but quite a funny thought when I think about it now. Amazing how daring those little scratters are. I pretty much flung one down the the ground and it still came back for more. Freaks.

Run/Jog/Walk
Distance: 18km
Time: 2hrs
Energy: 659kcal

I intend to get plenty done today, so I'm outtie. Ciao.

max headroom

2006-07-31T08:47:00.000+08:00

I really pushed it hard tonight.

When J said to go fast on the sets, I decided it was time I tried to push the limits a bit. My knee was still buggered so I concentrated on moving my torso. At a few points during the swim, I felt like I was on the verge of cramping up. But my body seemed to welcome the feeling and nothing siezed up too bad. I feel really good tonight.

Distance: 3km
Time: 1.5hrs
Warm up: 600m
Sets: 2 x 1km
Warm down: 400m

Dinner time with Ga. Boy, I'm famished.

sore bum

2006-07-29T10:54:00.000+08:00

I really didn't feel like getting up this morning but when the husband gave me the easy way out, I found myself protesting.

Sick.

There were a lot of cyclists out on the road this morning from all sorts of teams. Met a couple of dudes from the Anza group and one of them reaffirmed the theory that I've been leaning toward: It doesn't matter how slow you're going, as long as you're out there riding and getting the distance in, you'll get better. It's no surprise that I'd really like to believe that, since I'm seriously crawling right now.

The plan was to try and get 80ks in but when someone mentioned teh tarik, I succumbed to temptation. Turned off and had a nice tall ice horlicks, and then proceeded to feel like a bit of a cop out. Woopsie. Hee. Meanwhile, the husband is making me feel guilty by heading on out to coastal and doing a grand ol' route of 130.

Sick.

Distance: 65.77km
Time: 2:32:02
Avg: 26.0km/hr
Max:46.9km/hr
Energy: 888kcal

Stretch time. Da glutes ain't happy.

Ps: I was a roadie this morning. Sick.

KR MTB Championships 2006

2006-07-24T14:22:00.000+08:00

krank it up

The bike race this morning was surely one to remember.

The plan was to ride and finish together, and Angie and I were determined to stick by each other throughout no matter what. And we sure did. I've always had this mental block with mountain bike races because of a one and only race I joined in KL, where I DNFed. So to say we actually completed it is accomplishment in itself to me... Even if I did feel like a bit of a crash test dummy throughout.

I'll keep this short 'coz I'm still feeling kinda woozy, but I basically endo-ed pretty badly at one of the drop-offs. I tried not to let my nerves get the better of me, but a mixture of fear and panic meant I took the drop with a slanted wheel and a last minute brake sent me flying over my handlebars and sideways onto the hard concrete. Got back on the bike and kept going but I was, needless to say, pretty darn rattled from the crash. Had a couple of minor falls here and there afterwards, simply thanks to my rattled nerves and unresponsive reflexes. I did a lot of boarding with the bike once again, skidding around and trying to maintain some balance.

But not once did Angie take off without me. Whenever I veered out of sight, she'd find a pocket in the shrubbery to wait up for her fallen friend. She knew I was in a bit of shock and I got a strict, 'Come on, Janice. Don't let it throw you off. You're doing great.' She even fed me Gatorade a coupla times to recover. Talk about showmanship... And just as planned, we made it to the finishline crossing it hand-in-hand. The plan was to share the 2nd spot but I felt this was just not right. Angie rode the course like a pro and was such a great competitor... So after some haggling with both her and the race directors, we had it sorted. Athena the Han took first place as expected, and was also declared national female champ of the year - It felt such an honour to be third next to two admirable female athletes.

Sorry babe, I know you insisted and wanted me to say it was so here but it just wouldn't be right! In principle we did share second place though and I honestly couldn't have done it without you. Here's to the next one! =)

champs!

negotiating a corner

right behind orangela

the ladies

cuties

dem boyz

the surly pugsly

sharing second

great job, guys

the great reward

pretty dinged up

close up #1

close up #2

tore my brand new shirt

helping to clear up

More pix here

photo evidence from angela

2006-07-17T23:09:00.000+08:00

Yay! Thanks again, babe!!

before the ride

all set

the first concrete hill

made it up

mun taking it nice and light

even steven

a good break

resting at echo valley

flopping like waynetta

being a complete pig after

yummmmm

running to finish

2006-07-17T21:57:00.000+08:00

final stretch

phew

Many thanks to dear o' Lianster's Matty for these very nice professional pictures. Apologies for the poor subject!

because..

2006-07-16T22:08:00.000+08:00

.. we girls can do it too

happy legs

2006-07-16T13:11:00.000+08:00

Today I ran my first proper 10km non-stop run - a first since my injury at the half marathon in December.

And it's July already... Has it really taken me more than half a year to come to terms with and learn how to manage the problem? Yes. And that's really sad. I should have bucked up a long time ago, but I sat on my arse in total denial and waited for the injury to go away instead of making a quick decision to take matters into my own hands. I only blame myself, really. Had I gotten over my pathetic state of self-pity and hit the gym a long time before my first race in May this year, things would be moving along a lot quicker than they have or are.

Having said that, I'm finally starting to feel like I'm making progress. They say injuries like mine never truly go away and it's all down to self-management. For the last few months, I've placed emphasis on strength training for this sole purpose. And today, I felt a result.

I pretty much flaked out during the OSIM... running, walking and striding whenever the tendonitis took over. My 10km run leg was a sad 1hr 15mins or so. So a realistic aim for today was just to try to run it all and come in before the clock hit 1hr10mins.

Distance: 10km
Official Time: 1hr4mins

For the first time ever in half a year, my legs held up all the way. I didn't feel the slightest bit of pain throughout, which was just fantastic. Was sort of forced to start off right next to the elite runners in the front (for fillming's sake) and when the horn blew, LA and I sprinted to the side to wait for the camera crew to get sorted. I'm sure we wasted a good minute or two faffing around before I was told I could go off without them. As a result, I've decided to use 1hr2mins as the basis for drafting out my training plan for the next 6 months.

I really was just over the moon about finding my pre-December legs again!

Hung around for a coupla hours after for interviews and stuff, and quickly felt the pain creep back and plague me when I was warmed down. So I guess it's not all gone - but it just reaffirmed the fact that what I've been doing to help the injury is working. And that's just great!

Results (time) might be crap but what I see and what I feel is just making me jump for joyyyyy! *boing*

Now for a quick rest before an easy 30km bike ride later. Happy legs, out.

new goal

2006-07-11T11:16:00.000+08:00

So taking my queue from the rest, I have now signed up for the Desaru Pengarang International Triathlon. It's a strange sprint:

Date : 10th September 2006
Time : 9.30am
Distance : 500m swim, 18km bike, 3km run
Registration: Friday 8th Sept 2006 from 11am - 7.30pm @ Desaru Golden Beach Hotel

Hubba will be attempting the half ironman, a distance I hope to attempt in a year or two.

Chris McCormack is going to be racing!!!!! HOW EXCITING IS THAT?!?!?!?!

stage completed

2006-07-06T23:35:00.000+08:00

Rest is oh so important, as I learnt tonight.

The last time I tried to attempt a road ride after a race, I had loaded up on weights a few days before. My legs felt like lead and my breathing was erratic. It was basically a no-go in every sense of the word.

Since last Sunday, I've not done anything to tax myself. I did a bit of yoga to stretch the muscles out but otherwise, I've been on a chill pill big time. So how I felt on tonight's ride was a good lesson learnt about what a body can do if you cut it enough slack.

As usual, I was right at the back of the pack. But I decided not to let this get to me. I had Chicane's Strong in Love playing deep inside my head - nope, no shuffle - and told my legs to keep at it. 's girlfriend Rebecca was there and her speed was astounding. Respect. But I reminded myself that it takes hard work to get there and since I haven't put any in, I should just shut it and ride.

I came out feeling fine. And hey, I'm feeling just a teeny bit less intimidated.

I'm gonna be just fine.

Distance: 43km
Time: 1hr33mins
Avg Spd: 28.0km/hr
Max Spd: 44.6km/hr

just a coupla shots from sportsphotox

the truth hurts

2006-07-06T15:44:00.000+08:00

So while all the AAA dudes have been talking about mounting their bikes today, I was keeping complete radio silence.

As much as I keep telling myself I need to start riding with TA more regularly, there's always this feeling of apprehension when Thursdays draw near. I come up with all sorts of excuses about why I shouldn't go. Compared to the android I have for a husband, I spin at snail's pace. So when I messaged the husband about my apprehension about joining the ride this evening, I was surprised at his response.

A: You don't wanna come?
J: I want to
A: But...
J: But what if you guys go nuts and fast and ... schtuff
A: You know e way back don't you?
J: Yeah..
A: Come on, girl!

He went on to lecture me about how he used to get dropped all the time and how he could barely hang on. And how group rides are good 'coz I'll never max out on my own. Think of it as a fast track to improvement, he said. Those who train the hardest, get there the hardest.

All words of wisdom.

And you haven't been training hard at all.

Ouch.

I'm your coach. I'll tell you when you're slacking.

Double ouch.

Alright, alright. So I guess I need to have some food in a bit so I've got enough energy at 8.30pm. Mummy.....

branded by triathlon

2006-07-05T20:08:00.000+08:00

A couple of friends pointed this out when they met me today, including a colleague... Talk about unglam.

can you see it?

the first of many to come

2006-07-03T18:27:00.000+08:00

This morning, the husband asked a very thought-provoking question.

On the scale of 1 to 10, how did you rank yesterday's race - with 10 being the most pain you've ever felt in your life?

I had a think about it carefully and decided it ranked a 5 or 6 on the pain scale. It definitely feels a bit of an anti-climax now that it's over and I can't help but ask myself: "Was that it?!"

I guess in hindsight I can't help but feel as if I ought to have done a lot better. But in a lot of ways, I suppose, yesterday's race was all about self discovery. I now know what to expect in a race that's part-endurance, part-speed. Prior to this, I was either doing little sprints or long drawn out races, where any speed above 'conversation' speed was considered too fast. I knew I wasn't supposed to be going 'balls to the wall' yesterday, as Hubba terms it, but I definitely felt a little bit more might have been better.

I must say I was pretty chuffed about the swim. Those few sessions with Trifam must have really helped - I was totally surprised when I got out of the water the same time as 2 athletes I respect greatly, but I proceeded to take ages in transition dealing with a stitch. Hubba and Hansel came up to me whilst I put on my shoes and helmet: Hubba gave me a mini pep talk and handed me a bottle to rehydrate with, while Hansel gave me a few words of encouragement. As I ran out of the transition area in my bike shoes, I could feel the patella tendonitis creeping in... Already?!?! I thought. Uh oh. Ignore it.

Once I clipped myself in, I was off. I usually try maintaining 29 to 30km/hr during a sprint, but I decided that would totally kill my legs this time for double the distance. So I was keeping a 27km/hr pace for a bit - But Aquaman aka Chi cheered me on with a 'Go Janice, pace yourself!' and my immediate thought was, you know what he's right. I'm not going to be able to run if I keep this up. I was definitely getting tired. The cross winds on the way back were crazy and I felt like I was being blown about quite a bit. My speed was dropping big time and by the 4th lap, I knew I was at the stage where I couldn't wait to get off the bike.

Less than 1km into the run and my knee totally acted up. Not fun. But I remembered Papa Smurf's advice about keeping a steady shuffle and not trying to go all out and ruin it. The strengthening I've been doing definitely helped, coz I managed to find a pace and get into a rhythm where the pain was definitely still noticeable but yet bearable. It was at this pace that I plodded along, not oblivious to the participants who passed me by. But a work contact once told me to live to race another day, so I stuck to the mantra as I contnued the run.

Stopped to stride quite a bit when the pain got a little overbearing.. I gave my ITB a good ol' stretch once or twice as well. That's when Shemboy passed me and I figured my time was getting a little ridiculous. I turned the last corner and decided to give the homerun a good enough shot. Hella Good came on and all hell - in my head - broke loose.

I upped the pace and ran the final 2.5km back to the finish line.

Like I said earlier, I'm definitely feel like I should have given it a bit more. I didn't suffer as much as before and I think that's where I feel like I've shortchanged the race.

Still, I guess you never really know in your first one and that's where you know you need to sign up for a second one. The husband's brought the challenge up to another level - The Half Ironman. I'm definitely feeling the itch, but I sure as hell know the run is where I need the most work. And a half marathon at the end of a triathlon is just a little bit much for my left patella to handle at this moment in time. But the gauntlet has definitely been laid down and I feel a sense of duty in taking it up... Let's just get a few more triathlons out of the way before I come to that, alright darling?

Speaking of the devil, the husband did very well on his race yesterday and came in 5th in 2:29:45 - a definite improvement on his time last year. He never fails to amaze me... And I always come out of the event feeling a hundred times prouder to be Mrs Fang than ever before.

my hero

A quick comment about the OSIM Singapore International Triathlon 2006: It was one of the friendliest races I've ever been in. I expected the participants to be all pro and unfriendly, but I've never met a more encouraging bunch. Everytime my knee acted up, some kind soul would come along and give me a few words of encouragement or a pat on the back to keep going. Really great stuff, and really renews my faith in my fellow sports and countrymen once again =)

Special thanks must go to Debs, Andrea and Sehsuan who helped capture moments that we would have otherwise been unable to capture on our own now that both the husband and I are racing the same race. Thanks, especially to Debs, for dragging herself out to watch the race in the blazing hot sun. I'm sorry but you've been branded by the triathlon!

from the organisers..

finito yet again

2006-07-03T16:05:00.000+08:00

I made it. The knees are doing okay but are blatantly not happy. Pooped. Nap time.

Time: 03:24

01

02

03

courtesy of sehsuan

Race report later.

jusst glide

2006-06-26T22:20:00.000+08:00

I felt like a fish tonight.

With the upcoming race on Sunday, the assigned sets were light. We were meant to take it easy and this was good news to me, since I've started to feel a little bunged up and like I'm definitely fighting off a bug. I took it super easy tonight but concentrated on my breathing and my stroke.

3 x 300m
4 x 200m

I must say it felt really good to get the heartrate going and the body moving somewhat, yet not do too much to feel tired. During the last 2 warm-down sets, I tucked my head as far down as possible, felt my ankles float up to the surface and worked on gliding whilst not kicking at all. And it worked. And it felt good.

Just call me Nemo with the ickle fin ;)

beautiful brunch

2006-06-25T12:48:00.000+08:00

bacon sarnie

pancakes

made by hubba

the wonder of tri clinics

2006-06-25T07:39:00.000+08:00

When I did my first mini triathlon a few years ago, there was nothing to follow.

I didn't know what brick training was or that your legs would feel like lead after pushing a heavy gear on a bike. I didn't know what was the order of a transition. I had a million things to change into to feel 'comfortable'. I biked the measley 10km with a very uncool hydration pack. I just did all the sorts of things you'd do if you really didn't have a clue.

dorky me

It's kinda fun to look back and laugh, really. I guess that's the sort of thing beginners do - Look silly and mess up. Or do they?

These days, almost anyone can look cool in a triathlon. Why? The sport has picked up like wildfire and everyone's talking about it. I would say I know a whole bunch of people who are doing it for the first time this year, and almost every single one of them is looking cool already for their debut at the start line. Swish bikes, fancy shoes and great tri suits for the transition... They sure as hell won't look as dorky as I did three years ago.

And what with the existence of tri clinics that have been held every single weekend before the upcoming OSIM Singapore International Triathlon 2006, there's no way these newbies will be as unprepared as I was either. Held by the Triathlon Association of Singapore, these clinics will teach you everything you need before you set foot into the water. From the right equipment to have, techniques to use in the open water, the best nutrition to have, to pre-race preparation, these clinics farm out great tips by experienced dudes who've raced a million times over.

Along with some of our friends, the husband and I thought we'd check out one of these clinics yesterday and get some practice in before the race next week. It was strange to think I was doing the equivalent of a sprint distance during a practice run, since I've only ever done sprints for all my previous 4 races. 800m in the sea, around 25km on the bike and 5km on the run, it felt good to be out there and feeling fine after a whole week of inactivity.

The smurfs were present for the clinic and so was Aquaman Chi, who I kept losing in the choppy waves. I was relieved to hear that Rina's body isn't back to normal after last weekend's adventure race either. So even though she was still pulling the same speed as Hubba, Shem, Foo and Jeremy, she was feeling as tired as I was. Power to her! *kowtows* Meanwhile, I was riding injured superhero Bernard's tail... We did Coastal and got back just in time to start the run. I was happy to find that my knee, although feeling unhappy, pulled through the 5km run. Think it might just hold up for the 10km I'll have to do next weekend.

After the good workout, the bunch of us set off for a nice BIG meal at the East Coast Lagoon food centre. Hokkien mee, bbq tau pok and yu char kway, bbq chicken wings and some ice-kachang... And that's just what I had ;) YUM. Ok, I'm getting hungry now.

Gotta go. Church time. After which, I've been promised some homemade pancakes, lovingly prepared by the husband. Ciao.

... and the mad weekend begins

2006-06-23T18:36:00.000+08:00

It's the end of the day but I feel I'm getting busier.

House blessing is happening tonight so we shall be hosting the pastor and our immediate family in The West Wing. Sure wish Raa and the Marmadillo were around.. Then off I shall scoot to Loof for Noe's Pink birthday party. And my throat ain't feeling too good. Ack. Then of course there's all the activity tomorrow. The OSIM tri clinic at East Coast, a drop-in at Andrew C's gelato opening at Ridgewood, a shoot in the home or something... And then there's Sunday and Mummy's birthday celebrations and Wenyi & Fab's engagement party.... Yipes!

I hope the health holds up.

my first nomad

2006-06-19T14:45:00.000+08:00

team slow smurf

Note: Wrote this report this morning before work and some in the train, so please excuse the rambling...Click on picture above for more pix.

When I was little, one of my many ambitions was to join the army. Don't ask me why - I just thought it'd be cool.. I guess I wanted to be a 'tough girl' and kick all the tough men's asses. Obviously, my family - especially my sister - thought this was a crazy idea.

This weekend's adventure race has made me feel the same way: I would not have made it in the army. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, both physically and mentally. I'm not even sure I'd do it again... I guess I really have to think about that.

My first proper adventure race - that's what the warriors are calling it at the moment as urban races in Singapore are not counted as real ones - was held yesterday in Hulu Langat, just outside Kuala Lumpur this weekend. I had been told it was going to be a tough one, so I had myself completely psyched up for torture. But I don't think it was enough. This adventure race was definitely in a totally different league altogether - The teams that competed were all seasoned. We turned up on Saturday for the race briefing and the other participants were intimidating to a newbie like me. The girls would look you right in the eye to 'check out the competition'. I guess they wanted to suss out if you'd be a tough nut to crack on the race route.

Meanwhile, Janice happily chomped on an ice-cream cone and looked highly un-menacing. Lose.

We were flagged off at around 8am on a mountain bike segment, so since we were essentially mountain bikers, the smurfs and I figured we'd try to gain as much lead time as we could by blasting it as much as possible. Unfortunately, Pei Ling wasn't feeling too good once we hit the trail and we had to stop and rest for a bit. But this was to be our saviour strategy - Just when we thought we were the very last team, we saw the lead team head backwards. They were followed closely by Hubba, Ming and Ken. We've gone the wrong way, they said. Turn back. We were saved. So since Pling was feeling better, we hurried along as best we could.

According to Nik, we were the first mixed team to reach the first checkpoint. I think we were riding offroad for about one and a half hours before we chucked our bikes back at the checkpoint, filled up our water bladders and proceeded on to the first team challenge. Using a piece of bamboo each, we had to pick a tennis ball up without touching it and carry it to a bucket. Tougher than it sounds when you're tired and antsy and you've all got different strengths, but we managed it after a few tries and were on our way.

It was a slow run back to the jungle and the trail running was a bit of a scramble. Let's just say running at BT is a luxury 'coz even though it's offroad, there's some sort of path to follow. The first jungle trail was still pretty accessible. You could still run along with care if you thought you could handle it. It took ages and we kept meeting with faster teams who were on their way back from the waterfall checkpoint, and they’d say ‘it’s about 25 minutes away’. When we finally got to the checkpoint, Hubba’s team was just on their way back downwards.

Like he’s done before, he broke out into a big grin when he saw me and let out a ‘hey wifey’, which lifted my spirits somewhat. He asked if I was alright and to be careful, and then he went on his way. The waterfall obstacle might not have looked as hard as it did, but it took us a decent amount of time to get to the top. The rocks were wet and slippery, so every little miss meant a good bashing on rocks. My upper body was screaming by the time I got to the top and I was happy to start running again. Except by the time we got back to the tarmac trail where the trail had begun, my left knee was at busting point.

There was pretty much no way we’d reach the 1.30pm cut off point at the abseil checkpoint. All teams who couldn’t make it might be allowed to do the abseil but not continue the race to complete the last 2 checkpoints. The choice was simple: Bail out right there and then and feel like losers, let the smurfs continue on without me and get disqualified anyway, or just do what we could.

To prevent too much frustration, I made it clear that I might not be able to run a lot of the way. My teammates were incredibly supportive – We’d finish as much as we could with our final point being the abseil, they said.

Along the way, I had a few moments of utter weakness where I pretty much lost my nerve. My knee felt like it was in shambles and climbing or descending – especially offroad – was a nightmare. Under the cover of my sunglasses, I started to whimper and sob. Tried to stifle it but I knew my cover was blown when Nik and Pling started upping the words of support and encouragement.

Then there was the jungle bashing trail, which really told me I was no GI Jane.

The off-cambering was tough on the knees, and there were clear drops to the right at times so you really had to be careful. The thorns, leaf burns and stings I got didn’t matter anymore. The leeches that latched on became my friends. It all just didn’t matter anymore.

All that mattered was getting to the point where it’d all be over.

But when we got to the abseil point, we were told the cut off time for the final abseil had been ten minutes before we arrived. We took 6 hours and about 40 minutes and were the 6th mixed team to come in, but we still DQed. Pants.

Team Slack (the husband, Ming and Ken) came in 3rd in the Men’s category, behind Charmaine's superhuman brother, Sam. Team Angels (Ling, Rina and Becks) came in first – Power to the girls =) Meanwhile….

I’m seriously contemplating adventure racing. Do I do it again, or do I leave it at the doorstep? I definitely enjoyed the first 3 hours of it till my knee started acting up – But I’m just wondering if I ought to be putting it through that kind of torture. Maybe I should just stick to triathlon. But then… where’s the outdoor fun in that? Hmmmmm…

I guess I’ll still think about it.

a case of mistaken identity

2006-06-15T16:54:00.000+08:00

So I got an MSN message from Sara P today that shocked the life out of me.

"Are you on a triathlon poster? I saw one on East Coast and it looked like you. It was weird, I was lying in pre coffee haze in the taxi - Then it was like this flash from Heaven and there you were for a brief second....Very alarming... But in a pleasant way of course (she said belatedly."

I was gobsmacked.

I can't remember doing any shoots for the OSIM Singapore International Triathlon, even though they've been supporting us thus far in other ways. So I emailed the contact I have with them, asking if any of my pictures have been used which I wasn't aware about.... and this is what I got back in my email:

"Hi Janice,

Would it be a compliment to say that you look like Wong Li Lin? Think your friend mistaken la. We didn't do any posters with your photo, only with Li Lin.

Cheers, x"

O_o

Talk about a case of mistaken identity.

smurf training

2006-06-14T21:18:00.000+08:00

all decked up and nowhere to go

I was all set tonight.

The Smurfs had called for a training run tonight equipped with our full load - Harness, helmet, climbing equipment, backpack, full water bladder, the works.. So as soon as I got back from work, I climbed into the gear and clipped everything in. But when I met them down at the void deck, Nik was nearly beside himself with laughter. They didn't mean to wear all the gear, rather just to run with the full load on our back and with our helmets on our heads.

I was the only fool decked out in all my gear, jingley jangling as I moved along. Bah! Took my slings and karabinas off and tucked them into my bag and just felt very silly indeedy. Ah well. We still got stared at for running along the canal in our helmets and backpacks (and I was still in my harness) but the good thing was that my knee didn't act up at all during the entire run - I shall attribute this to the fact that (1) I was using my insoles (2) I had my Phiten knee guard on (3) I warmed my leg up for 5 minutes before the run using the iPamper.

Distance: Just under 5km
Time: 30min
Load: 3kg

On a lighter note... Johnson Duck is just heaven after a workout.

recovery girl

2006-06-13T23:23:00.000+08:00

... That's my superhero name if I ever had one.

I ride at the back of the pack and provide the entertainment for weary superheros.

Hahah.. Okay I'm lame. We hadn't intended to do a road ride tonight but the husband was keen to try out his set up - and I was keen to do something. So suddenly we were on the road and on our way to join the TA ride. Hansel and Donald joined the ride too - Except the ride tonight turned out to be just a handful of us, including and another guy called Ken.

I knew I was in trouble right from the start. In my mind I was thinking: The smaller the ride, the more pressure on me to keep up - less leeway for slow pokes and riders who want to 'take it easy'. Thankfully, Justin had just come from another killer ride so he was out to 'recover'.

That's where li'l ol' me came in.

After the husband sped off with the others, Justin and I kept a nice pace at around 28km/hr all the way to the 2nd link and back, chatting all the while riding. He asked a lot of questions and me being me, I told a gazillion and one stories. Sometimes I feel like a friggin' old bag. But it was kinda nice really, especially since our only real form of personal contact has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on livejournal and never in real life - Geek girl that I am.

Anyway, on a separate note... What is up with my punctuation tonight!?

Distance: 50km

Alright, time to stretch..

self-sensing

2006-06-12T23:37:00.000+08:00

I'm feeling more and more confident in the water as the weeks roll by.

It makes me feel silly 'coz I'm only really in the pool once a week and it makes me think that if that's what one session can do, surely I ought to be doing more. I'm starting to feel like a canoe in the water. I glide along with much less effort and I don't feel like I'm dying as I try to keep up with the others. I like this. So tonight I decided to focus on one aspect of my stroke: Tucking my ear under my armpit when I reach ahead and rotate. The result? I seem to be gliding further and with less effort. The only downside is water is now getting clogged in my ears and is no doubt making my brain go soggy.

Ah well. Learning is a good thing.

The set entailed another 800m but I cramped up mid swim during the 1.6km time trial - Right in the middle of the pool. Had to cling on to the side very unglamly. So only managed 4 x 800m (3.2km) tonight, which I guess is alright for me.

Time for some quality time and laughter: Both of which I have been promised =)

naked eyes

2006-06-12T08:51:00.000+08:00

I'm not a big fan of contact lenses.. Or any eyewear for that matter. I've always been told that since the degree in both eyes is fairly low, I could go without glasses/lenses, except perhaps when feeling stressed or driving etc. So I walk around half blind most of the time and god knows how I manage going offroad and such without seriously busting myself up.

So when Johnson & Johnson said they were keen to let me and Hubba try out some of their lenses, I was a little skeptical. Would I finally find a pair of lenses that I'd actually like? I've tried them all.. Dailies, fortnightlies.. I just always felt like there was something in my eye and this bothered me no end. I'd rather walk around blind than feel have eye irritation. I asked for lenses that I didn't have to care for all that much - Low maintenance is key. The last time I got out of the 8 hour adventure race, I was so tired I didn't bother cleaning my lenses properly. I literally had to get the husband to help pry them out of my eyes and they were all dry and battered, they didn't look too good. I'm sure that didn't help with its shelf-life and in no time at all, the ocular cups were in the bin - shorter than the length of time it was said to have lasted.

The bottom line is I'm lazy and dirty.

We both picked up a month supply each of Acuvue Moist on Saturday from First.EyesImage.Com @ Far East Plaza. And I'm wearing them for the first time today - a trial run for Sunday's adventure race in Hulu Langat, Selangor. And so far, I feel naked as can be - ocular wise anyway.

In fact, I felt so naked that I washed my face with my eyes open at the gym this morning. Durh. Not very wise, Janice. I struggled with the dry water for awhile - But once I got some eyedrops in my eye, I was fine. Phew.

So the world is clear as day and I don't feel like I've got a perpetual bat in the cave. Nice! Guess I'll see how they go and give an update once again when the race is over!

Note: They may make my eyes feel good but it don't mean they make them look pretty! Check out the eyebags man!

the little things

2006-06-10T17:55:00.000+08:00

ickle puppies!

I totally fell in love with ickle baby things today.

The husband and I woke up early for our skills test in Yishun. As soon as I got there, I was distracted by the sight of two tiny pups playing in the sun - Was hardly listening to the refresher session they were giving before the test itself. In fact, the more I tried to listen, the more confused I got. So I decided to stick to the things I practiced on Thursday - They did scare us a little with the details of the race though... Fixed lines across waterfall sections yada yada.. It's going to be slippery and we need to be secure as we might slip and fall yada yada. Crikey!

After I'd proven my competency (yeahh, right), I made a beeline for the two pups who were now lazing under a van. As soon as I stooped down and they saw my face, their faces lit up and they came towards me for some babying. It was just too cute.

The husband and I were definitely in agreement that ickle things are adorable - But that's about all for now!

watch the drop

2006-06-08T23:43:00.000+08:00

So I really didn't want to miss the ride with TA (read: Beef) tonight, but the skills test is this Saturday. And rather than be overwhelmed by my fear of heights and freak out on the spot, I decided I needed a bit of practice to suck it up and enjoy the drop. And it was fun! Well, I was a ball of nerves the first time I climbed up the rickety ladder and secured myself to one of the ropes. But soon I was lapping it up - It really is mind over matter sometimes!

a father's love

2006-06-07T16:49:00.000+08:00

This video is about a father's love to his son and which pushed him to enter the triathlon games even though he's not an athlete....Imagine what God can do. Slow Smurf teammate Nik just sent this to us in the mail and it literally brought me to tears. I know I'm a sap but this is really what love's all about.

morning sesh

2006-06-06T10:14:00.000+08:00

This morning's workout was a nice way to start the day. Good slow warm-up, lots of stretching followed by much rep work on the lower and upper body and abdominals. I have decided that there's no point working on only my endurance when I can't power up to catch up with the others, be it on the saddle, in the water or on the road.

I need some new music to keep my psyched though. I'm listening to the same playlist over and over at the moment and although it still does the trick, I think it's going to need some changing soon. Anyone got any suggestions for tracks which might get me going? I need stuff that'll make me angry - And no, I'm not into Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson.

feeling good

2006-06-05T22:45:00.000+08:00

I pretty much felt like I struggled through the day today.

Woke up feeling like a truck had run over me - I had serious eye bags and even Aero said I looked like I hadn't been asleep for days. Didn't understand this though since I had slept pretty much 9 hours straight, which is really long for me. 3 cups of coffee throughout the day didn't help either (also a lot for me) and I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. Still, I was determined not to cop out of training tonight. An hour before leaving work, I started munching on a granola bar to get some energy in. Some news touched me greatly (shall blog about this separately as it totally deserves its own post) and the combination with sugar naturally perked me up abit.

So when I got to the pool I was in good spirits. Started to wonder if it was because what I've been working on has been getting me down somewhat (okay, that might be putting it mildly). Felt pretty heavy after the second set but figured if I slowed down or copped out on a set or two, that would have been it for me. I would have probably given up altogether. By set number 4, I was feeling good - very good. The strokes felt long. My arms felt strong. My hips seemed to be doing the work for me too. 100m into my last set, Hubba stopped me and asked me why I was still going whilst everyone had stopped. I have no idea why but I really felt like I wanted to finish it, just for the sake of it. But I stopped and felt good all the same.

Got some pretty bad abrasions under each armpit now, which stung like dilly-o when I had a shower. Boo.

But I feel good. Think I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight =)

5 x 400m
3 x 250m + 100m

feeling shot

2006-06-05T15:59:00.000+08:00

Even though I got a full 9 hours of sleep last night, my body is completely shot. Sleepy. As a result, I missed my morning workout and am now wondering if I'm going to survive the Trifam training tonight. I need to wake up!!!!

the husband

2006-06-01T11:18:00.000+08:00

coming in in new balance

lunchtime workout

2006-05-31T14:31:00.000+08:00

I'm starting to find workouts relaxing again.

Mosied over to the gym for an hour sesh over lunch with the full intention of doing a half hour run. Am definitely gettin' my groove back - Breathing was deep as I upped the speed, my entire body loosened up and my mind totally blanked out and focused on my heartbeat. Felt very calm and truly at peace with everything. 20 minutes later, my knee started to go 'err... Janice... stop please'... So I listened and worked on strengthening instead.

I'm starting to find workouts relaxing - and enjoyable - again.

cop out

2006-05-31T00:28:00.000+08:00

It kinda feels like a cop out to drive home after a bike ride.

But I guess it's either that or suffer the long journey home alone and out there on the road - something I'm definitely not ready for as yet. Tonight was a nice workout with sweet, friendly people. Joined Hansel, Andrea & Ee-Lyn for their Tuesday night ride to get my legs moving again after the race. Turns out they ride with quite a few of the Wheelsareturning peeps so I wasn't in unfamiliar territory. And after a couple of years of seeing Athena around the scene, I finally rode with her tonight. And boy, do I know why they call her 'Athena the Han' - Han, being her surname.

Totally alone on coastal, I felt the only way I'd keep the ride going was to catch up with whoever was in front of me. Fresh from her three day ride for the Bike 'n Blade, Athena was still super strong. We took turns shielding each other from the wind and kept a good speed, but to be honest, I felt rather sheepish whenever she took over as she'd pull us along at the very same speed but on her mountain bike with knobbies. WTF. I put Sttorm to shame tonight.

Still, it was fun. I don't know how far we went and I don't know what the stats are. But who gives :)

I wonder if I can get up early tomorrow morning..

sportsphotox

2006-05-30T15:58:00.000+08:00

first overseas feat

2006-05-28T22:18:00.000+08:00

more pix here.

After only a few days away for my first official overseas race, I'm glad to be home. The first thing I did when I got in was mosey over to the fridge, pour myself a glass of non-mineral ice water and chew on a cold raspberry vine. Luv it.

But the weekend was an absolute blast and that's the truth. Finally got our arses down to Bintan for the triathlon and took part in the best race I've taken part in thus far. Was glad that I managed to thank Bob personally for it, as it was an absolutely fab and mental experience... One I'm not going to forget for a long time yet.

The race was definitely just what I was expected. Tough. I took the swim leg wide to avoid the 250 or so pairs of arms and legs that populated the sea when the horn blew. But jellyfish were really part of the scenery so it was quite a hairy experience. I saw at least 20 bobbing creatures but had to stop short five times when some sprang up less than 30cm away from my body. I heard lots of cursing and swearing but fortunately, I wasn't one of the many persons who got stung. The current was unbelievably strong and I could hardly move at one point. Needless to say I was one of the last out of the swim. But oh well, I was safe so yay!

The sun had come out strong by the time I started my bike leg and boy was it a scorcher. The rest of the course was hills galore. Managed to gain back some time on the saddle and took time out to enjoy the scenery. It was gorgeous. I have never been on such a beautiful race course in my life and I figured I ought to enjoy it. So even though the run leg was torturous, I stopped focusing on the path and started looking around the golf course. My leg held up well too and I managed to finish with a sprint. This made me very happy! The iced sponges came in handy and I was plenty nourished at the end of the race - so I think Tribob really did a fantastic job. The Olympic in the afternoon was just awe-inspiring to watch - as expected. Winner ex-world champ Courtney Atkinson was just a whirling dervish... 18 mins out of the water, 59 mins on the bike and 36 mins on the run. *jaw drops* I was just gawping the entire time, really.

I must say a big fat thank you to Ee-Lyn for inviting us out on this trip and putting us up at her villa. It was amazing jumping into the pool after the race and chilling with friends after the long, hard day. Thanks, babe! And thanks for all the luck and best wishes everyone!

Tentative Results
Run: 0:25:32 (144)
T1: 0:01:24
Bike: 0:48:01 (107)
T2: 0:01:17
Run: 0:37:21 (138)
Cat Pos: 7
Gen Pos: 34

before you get on a ferry..

2006-05-26T09:31:00.000+08:00

love your bike..

pack it up well

jitterbugs

2006-05-25T22:02:00.000+08:00

I am getting a chronic case of pre-race day jitters.

My tummy's in a whirlwind, I'm a little bit high and my nerves are getting the better of me. I know this feeling is only temporary and it'll go away but I can't help but recognise it. It does make me feel different though. The husband says I ought to relish it 'coz it's not often I feel this way.

And you know?

He's right.

make-up time

2006-05-24T09:19:00.000+08:00

I was absolutely gutted when I couldn't make the ride last night.

When I heard it started at 9pm, I rushed straight home after work, shoved on my most work-friendly jersey, some capris and heels, filled my bottles, sorted out my gear, before plonking rhinosttorm in the back of Zippy and driving to the dinner venue. I was five minutes late - But fortunately so were the others. In fact, one of them arrived much, much later. So by the time we were waiting for our main course, it was pushing 9pm and there was just no way I was going to make it down to Changi in time - Zippy or none. I decided to throw in the towel and knock back a few more glasses of the vino everyone else was having, which was really quite yummy.

I did feel like quite a dummazz sitting at a dinner table in my jersey though, but Aero was the only one who seemed to notice. Everyone else - who played a role in persuading me to skip the ride - thought it was a funky dress of sorts. Is dri-fit really that fashionable?

I suppose the consolation is that I made it to the gym this morning for a painful spin class. My legs are definitely tired and climbing was an effort. But I tried to push my threshold 'coz I know that I probably shouldn't get complacent and I'll definitely be feeling the burn this Saturday. Still, I could have done better.

Oh well... At least I woke up, I guess! zzzzzzzzzz.........

finding janice

2006-05-22T21:43:00.000+08:00

So the swim this evening was supposed to be a recovery paddle to drain the lactic acid from my legs.

But the husband wanted to join trifam so we did our first session with them tonight. The assignment was 5 by 500m, which didn't sound all that bad except the speed was just nutso for me. Everytime they'd finished a set, I was only done with 300m. I figured I'd just press on till I was done with whatever I could manage. By my third set I definitely felt my stroke come back and I was screwdriving through the water quite nicely, I felt. But still, with quite a lot of effort. Tonight sure was a wake up call about how my body's going to feel in the water on Saturday. I sure as hell am not ready.

Worry worry worry.

Total: 1.6km

bring it on

2006-05-22T15:23:00.000+08:00

Yesterday morning's ride was a total failure.

With heavy thoughts in my head, my legs felt like an absolute ton of bricks. I had absolutely no will to ride. And with the pace picking up fast, I decided to do what would be best for the group - leave them be. I gave Hubba the signal to go ahead without me and went off on my own. Kept a good recovery pace for 25km and just had time to contemplate my thoughts.

Made up for the cop out this morning though. Got to the gym at 6.30am and did a good 45 minutes of weights training before hitting a spin challenge for an hour. The climbs were good and I totally felt the burn. I am feeling incredibly alive right now -- Think I'm all ready for the week. Bring it on!

up and at 'em ant

2006-05-19T07:59:00.001+08:00

Ever since I could remember, I shared a room with my sister. This went on for years and I didn't get my own room back till I hit my early 20s and was back in Singapore. So when I was told I needed to have a roommate in my term at boarding school, it wasn't much of a big deal.

Elaine was easily a nightmare roommate. She was messy, borrowed and lost your things whenever, and picked fights at you every so often out of boredom. But living with her was a good experience. We became great mates and she also taught me a great lesson in life that I will always love her for.

She taught me to lighten up really.

Believe it or not, I was always somewhat of a worry wart. I'd fuss over the littlest things, dwell on my emotions and get all upset if I felt my needs had not been met or throw a strop if I felt someone had stepped on my toes. I listened to the gloom and doom of the Smashing Pumpkins or Radiohead in the morning and I'd get all morose.

Elaine was totally different.

As soon as she got up, she'd whack on her favourite dance tracks - one of which was a really crazyass mix of Spice Girls' Wannabe. In my groggy haze, she'd grab her comb and sing in to it at me and in no time at all, a great big smile would break out on her tiny face.

It bugged me no end.... For awhile. Then the smile started to infect mine too :)

It started to get to me in a good way. And in a few months, I was jumping up and down and being silly in the mornings with her. Call it assimilation or whatever you will, but I started feeling like a happier person starting my day on a happy foot, rather than a self-indulgent suicidal one. She was blunt and blatant with me always and soon I also stopped sweatin' the small stuff and crying over spilled milk.

I did the same to my poor sister when I went home on vacations and she wanted to kill me

...

I managed to get up early and I'm heading to the gym. I guess it's no surprise then that the first track of the day is a pumped up house mix and I'm all set to go!

rest day, slack day

2006-05-18T00:50:00.000+08:00

I had all the good intentions of getting some gym time in on my work trip away from home. Gym gear was all packed, trainers worn onto the plane and everything. But what was the excuse? Well, the hotel gym is located across the river from the hotel and you have to get a shuttle boat service over, which is really not a big deal - except it decided to rain.

The thought of doing squats and lunges in my room and in a bathrobe didn't sound all that enticing. So I ended up having room service and sorted out some work instead. The computer can be so addictive when you're alone. Tomorrow is ram packed with activities so there's no way I can workout then either. So I guess these few days are considered 'rest' days.

Let's just hope I don't overeat on top of it!

hang on to that bit 'o rubber

2006-05-16T21:12:00.000+08:00

Just went for a ride and it felt amazing. With Way Out West's company, I was hot on the wheel of the green machine. Except I must say the climbing strategy I was imparted with doesn't work when you've only got the green machine to hang on to. In his aero dynamic position he is still way too strong and fast for ickle ol' me. Still, inspired by my newfound energy, I gave it all I had. Well, okay I think I had more but I copped out 'coz I got attacked my the hunger monster! Ultimate loser moment though... Here I was thinking I was pulling my average up to 30km/hr.. But when I got home I realised I was reading the distance! Doh!! Time for dinner!

Distance: 32.9km
Time: 1.5hrs
Max: 46km/hr
Avg: 25km/hr
Energy: 575kcal

decked out gym rat

2006-05-16T09:34:00.000+08:00

new balance girl

getting the right fit from new balance

2006-05-15T20:58:00.000+08:00

our visit to new balance

Tonight, the husband and I made a trip down to the New Balance store at ComTech to get kitted out with gear as the brand had decided to sponsor us for the upcoming Osim Triathlon. To be honest, Andrew and I weren't really sure what to expect in terms of what this sponsorship would entail. When we arrived, we met up with Joanne whom I'd been liaising with over the phone and we were then introduced to Daniel - a running enthusiast by nature and a total champion for New Balance's products.

my left foot's smaller than my right

sussing out the feet

Our feet were analysed before we were then fitted with a plethora of shoes that'd suit our feet. Unlike me and my pronating feet, Andrew wasn't as restricted by as many requirements and got some funky red race shoes.

trying out heaps of shoes

.. go running!

getting the right fit for your feet is important

I was a little more wary in selecting mine and made sure I tried them out as much as possible (i.e. going for several runs round the block in them) before deciding on a pair. Over the years, I've realised how important getting the right kind of shoes for your feet is. Gone are the days of choosing the funkiest colour or the coolest look - These days, I tend to run with the plainest shoes that cater to my pronating tendencies.

Of course I had no idea that I was flat footed till I saw a sports docter early this year. No one ever told me this when I had to go en pointe!! But somehow over the years, my feet morphed into these flat duck-like things. I'm just lucky they're not webbed as well or something. So after a lengthy chat with Daniel and a lot of fitting and testing, I selected a motion control shoe for flat footers that make me feel super snug when I've got my insoles in.

please tell me how an ex-dancer can have flat feet!?!

In the end, we left with a nice mass of gear. We each got a brand new pair of shoes, socks, a running top, running shorts, race belts and a race bag each. Andrew got naughty and bought himself an additional pair of GREEN casual shoes to add to his Hulk collection. Sigh.

dedicated to mummy

2006-05-15T17:27:00.000+08:00

try, try again

2006-05-15T16:04:00.000+08:00

angie, giving it some

Sometimes it isn't about how fast you're going or far you go but about how you go about doing it.

Hit the trail in the late morning today with the padwan. Her hardcore three days worth of biking meant her legs were shot, and my pathetic tight chest and chicken legs meant we took the pace quite easy. The motto for the ride? Try, and try again. Make it up every single tricky bit. There's one particular bit which I can never seem to nail on the trail. I must have made it up only five times ever in the past few years - But with the husband's wise technical words in my head, I attacked it head on and nailed it on the first go. Looked behind me and so did Angie. The both of us were on a complete high from our accomplishment after and the rest of the trail seemed a breeze.

The monitor lizards were out in full force today, lazing in the sun. There was a cool breeze blowing through the canopy and it felt like we were somewhere else completely. Put some speed into the flats and nearly bottomed out on some gravel - Yes, lots of video worthy moments actually - including one of Angie zooming right into a bush! Waha! Hit the nanka loop and confronted my fear of tackling the stairs and rooty bits without following someone else's line, so was feeling quite whooopy about that too.

It's definitely great fun riding on a Monday afternoon when the trail is dead and there's no one in your way (or you're not in someone else's way). We were like two kids on a roller coaster and I'm sure all the noise we made going down those slopes caused a stir in the trees and bushes.

By the time we got home, my legs actually felt refreshed. Again, again! Fun!

Here are some shots from the shutterbug's camera:

bt carpark

quick break

burning thighs

we made it up!

owww

random

pedal and paddle ubin

2006-05-14T08:51:00.000+08:00

courtesy of mingloid

up, up and away

2006-05-11T11:06:00.000+08:00

'Self-control is really nothing more than mind control... When you master your mind you master your life.' - Robert S. Sharma

It was tough getting up this morning. I was so tempted to stay under the covers and tell the husband to go in without me. But then I thought of Sharma's words and the whole thing about the procrastination becoming a pattern and how a bad habit can be such that you get too old to change your ways and the physical fitness goal.. (becomes) too unrealistic, I decided that something had to be done about lazy snoozer ol' me. So up I got and in I went. Ram gave me a few pointers today about strengthening my knee, so I'm determined to sort it out. Hasa!!

Okay, back to work.

nip it in the bud

2006-05-10T22:34:00.000+08:00

'When fear rears its ugly head, beat it down quickly. The best way to do that is to do the thing you fear.' - Robert S. Sharma

I've been slowly devouring the truths in Sharma's brilliant book. So many. So true. I have a feeling it will become a bible of sorts as the years go by. In a moment of weakness, I realized I was starting to have a great fear - for running. Everytime I run, I am afraid of feeling the pain sear through my knee. Everytime I run, I'm afraid of the little voice which gives up on the goals I only hope to achieve in the years to come.

I was afraid.

So it was time to face it head on. How? '.. attack your fears... If you fear public speaking, sign up to give twenty speeches.' My fear was running again. So it made sense... First, there's the upcoming adventure race in June, then the tri in July. With moral support and resolve from the two Gs at work, I sorted the paperwork out for a 10km run in July after the triathlon.

And with a sudden twist of fate, we're doing Bintan in two weeks! It'll be a good warm up for the other ones coming up. Clear water to cut through, a challenging bike leg and a gorgeous golf course to run through. I'm sure it will be an experience more than anything else and all I hope to do is finish.

courtesy of bintantriathlon.com

After we received confirmation of it all, I put my running shoes on and headed out the door. No hacking, no fear. I was on a total high. It's amazing what signing bits of paper can do and Sharma is so right about fear being a total state of mind. A negative part of your consciousness. I was running really very slowly but I didn't care. The important thing was that I was doing it and not obsessing about the fear of what my injury would do. Needless to say, I felt the pain 3km into the run and I had to talk myself out of it. It couldn't be ignored, however, so I listened to my body and slowed to a fast walk.

I finished the 5.8km loop in a miserable 55 minutes. But I didn't care - As far as I was concerned, I felt on top of the world again. I just love not being poorly. I love not having to stop to have a coughing fit. I really feel like new again.

Distance: 5.8km
Time: 55:19
Energy: 357kcal

SACA MTB XC Race 2

2006-05-09T12:21:00.000+08:00

courtesy of sehsuan

moving slowly

2006-05-08T19:35:00.000+08:00

Talk about feeling weak.

Tonight, I set off for a very slow and teeny jog to try to find my legs again. But 100m was all it took to set my lungs off and I had to slow myself down to a halt. I took to breathing exercises and working on my stability instead. I did some plies by the canal and concentrated on the fresh air and beauty of the sunset. Believe it or not, this was all it took to work up a sweat. But I took it as a good thing - How often do we really concentrate on the little steps it takes to run a mile, I thought.

So I haven't really found my legs, which is worrying. I don't intend to run myself to the ground this time - When I was feeling all down about inactivity recently, a mentor told me to live to race another day which I took as great advice. So I'm trying to get back to it as slowly as I had started. This is really going to be about starting from scratch ...

So here I am.

Scratching.

Come on, legs. You can do better than that =)

back to normal

2006-05-08T14:16:00.000+08:00

I am feeling more and more like I'm getting back to normal - Finally!

Bronchitis is really such a bummer. Had a really nice day outdoors yesterday - Attended the bike race in the morning. The husband was racing in the Men's Elite cat and I was helping out as a token timekeeper as usual.

My lungs are feeling much better now. I ended up going for some open water training yesterday afternoon, which was really good 'coz I felt pretty alright. Deciding to play it safe with the open water training this year, the husband and I thought we'd swim with other people so there'd be more eyes in the water. So we met Hansel & Andrea for a bit of practice. Managed to get at least 1.5km in without feeling too taxed.

Now all I need to do is add a 40km bike and a 10km run to that and I'll be all set for the race in July. Whee!

Meanwhile, I've agreed to be a slow smurf for the upcoming Perak adventure race. Double whee!

Time to ramp up the training... But don't worry. I'm listening to da body, as always ;)

race confirmed

2006-05-03T20:18:00.000+08:00

So after some chatting with the right people, I received my race confirmation via email this evening. This is it, no turning back. My first ever Olympic Distance. Yikes. Talk about intimidating... Now if I can only shake this bug before I start. TAS is sponsoring me this year, so I feel like there's even more pressure on me to NOT fail. Will I survive?

the race confirmation slip

lolly

2006-04-25T21:49:00.000+08:00

I really miss Lolly.. And I'm quite glad 'coz the fogies are coming over with some things tomorrow afternoon and they're bringing the li'l girl with them. They'll leave her here to keep me company whilst I'm on my medical leave. The thought of that is definitely cheering me up =)

honeymoon slideshow

2006-04-25T14:09:00.000+08:00

new goals

2006-04-20T09:04:00.000+08:00

Sometimes all it takes is just 30 minutes of self-discovery to get you back on track.

I've be feeling highly demoralised about running because of my unhappy knee. 2km has been a limit before pain sets in, so I was really unhappy about it and I kept thinking that I'd probably never get back to it ever. I was even starting to worry big time about the upcoming triathlon in July and whether or not I was going to be able to complete the full distance this year as I'd planned. Anyway, I was going through an old RW the other day when I came across a line that screamed out at me: If you are suffering from ITB syndrome, do not try to make up for lost distance by going further or harder. Spend the time trying to get back on track. I guess it kinda helped somewhat but I was still feeling impatient and booey. It made me feel worse reading Sue's posts about her recovery and training. Not blaming ya though, Sue! Just wanted to join you!

But having a husband who's keen on commuting together helps.

We got into town before eight today as he now has to be in at work earlier so I hit the gym for some low key strength training. And oh my... today's session was very telling, if anything. I now know just how weak my left knee. I watched it as I did my test exercises and boy did it quiver! But it gave me the resolve I needed to fix it again.

So yay! Plan is... Hit the gym every morning for at least 30 minutes to fix it. Slowly but surely... Strength will prevail! WAHA!

the tai-tai syndrome

2006-04-17T20:57:00.000+08:00

What does one do when the husband is out at an industry golf tournament and dinner thang?

Go shopping, right?

Decided I needed some me-time tonight. So after work, I hit the town with Jemmerson for a spot of evening shopping. How utterly poncy does that sound?! Oh my, I thought. I'm becoming a tai-tai wannabe or summat. With the help of birthday vouchers and such, I picked up a pair of yoga shoes from Nike, a jacket from Zara and a couple of going outie tops from some random shop - Decided I'd had enough and headed home. Except I didn't really feel like getting a train or queueing and spending unnecessary dollar on a cab.

So I took a nice deep breath and walked home under a starry night sky, leaving tai-tai-dom far behind me.

Update:
Hubba won the tournament?! Good grief. He's the biggest buaya... Waha!

no. 1 buaya

from angie

2006-04-17T13:55:00.000+08:00

These pictures were from last week - From Angie's camera =)

wayne and josh taking a break

coming out of the single track

obviously huffing and puffing

kena-ed some thorns

me, wayne and hansel

aaron and mistersexyarse

oof.

2006-04-14T18:31:00.000+08:00

before

I was back on the roads tonight for the first time with my road shoes and Look carbon pedals.

Felt a bit of an idiot at first 'coz I couldn't get used to the one-sided pedals and it didn't help that they were way too tight. Would have turtled it at a crossing if not for the strategic positioning of a friendly nearby lamp post. Thank goodness someone had an Alan key and adjustments could be made before the real ride began at Pasir Panjang.

I suffered quite a bit tonight. All I could think of was hanging on to Beef's wheel and boy, did I cling on for dear life. He pretty much babysat me whilst the others went nutso apeshit. But at one point I just couldn't hang on any longer at 38 and I slowly fell behind. I even let out a big sigh and he knew I'd had it. But he gave me quite a bit of encouragement and I pressed on, catching up with the resting pack further down the road.

My legs were burning. My back was screaming. I had no fuel left in my stomach and I felt like I was bonking. When I saw Hubba, he looked like he'd done himself in as well - The speed demon had ground himself to a halt.

I'm absolutely cream crackered.

Distance: 50.76km
Time: 1hr 59mins
Avg: 25.5km/hr
Max: 39.8km/hr

saturday in pictures

2006-04-10T20:52:00.000+08:00

excuse me..

2006-04-09T23:19:00.000+08:00

do i live in a bike shop?!

...

*hides*

she's still there

2006-04-08T14:58:00.001+08:00

There's something in all of us that makes us press on and not give up.

I call that li'l something my ickle monster. She disappears from time to time when I'm feeling weak and vulnerable, rearing an aggresive albeit ugly head that helps me past each threshold of pain. And everytime I feel weak with no pitbull, I wonder if she's off on holiday somewhere. Well, my li'l monster's been gone for awhile now. Four weeks of inactivity gave her a long enough break to party up big style somewhere obscure. Last week's bike ride made me wonder when she was going to come back from her 'leave', and part of me was wondering if she was going to come back at all.

She came back today.

I hit the trail mostly quite hard today. Cranking up every single up and accelerating on every single descent. It was awesome. I hit a ditch at one point and didn't stack it - thanking my lucky stars. My back wheel nearly slid out under me twice but I managed to regain control and keep on track. It was truly fun and a half. My chest was still heaving and my legs were definitely still working with a fair amount of effort. But somehow the whinger in me was nowhere to be found. Ickle monster was definitely back and cranking it something chronic. I liked the feeling. The rush. Wicked!

The ride chemistry was good today and everyone gave the trail a good pounding. We rode home in the pouring rain and I was definitely on a high, but a niggling sensation burned in my legs and I was sure I was about to cramp up. Lucky we got back in time and the Johnson Duck rescued ma aching body.

Cheers for the ride guys! Pictures later.

Distance: 30km
Avs: 12km/hr

from the weekend

2006-04-03T17:32:00.000+08:00

talking very unglamly to wayne

angie on the trail

sweaty bettys

hansel's virgin ride

the wedding slideshow

2006-03-29T17:40:00.000+08:00

rollin' rollin' rollin'

2006-03-04T09:34:00.000+08:00

Lots of rolling hills today... I tried to hang on Diesel's wheel but I totally ate his dust on the climbs. Soon, the flicker of rear lights faded in the distance again... But I did my absolut (punt intended) to catch up with the pack. Succeeded a coupla times and then I lost them again. But once again, they waited for the straggler that was me.

Tee hee.

I am the weakest link, goodbye.

Distance: 37km
Time: 1hr 50mins
Energy: 592kcal
Avg: 27.5km/hr

try

2006-02-28T12:38:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since I got up early and went for a run so this morning was fun.

It didn't take a lot to get up 'coz I think my body is still on show time so I got my kit on and headed out the door. Did a lot more stretching than normal beforehand as I'm that much more paranoid now. Did a very slow one to get the legs moving and to see how I felt... They felt alright, just a little strained I must say.

Man, I've got a lot of work to do.

the android

2006-02-27T23:46:00.000+08:00

standin' on the sidelines

2006-02-26T22:51:00.000+08:00

the new balance duathlon

I found out something about myself today.

I don't like being a spectator.

The whole time today, I felt jealous everytime I saw someone run in and out of transition. I wanted to be out there pushing the limits. I wanted to be out there having some fun. I wanted to race a fellow competitor back to the finish line. I wanted to let out some aggresion on the pavement.

But that was not to be. Due to the duo factor of nursing my bad knee and promising not to race till after the wedding (the whole bad tanline affair), I sat on the sidelines watching the husband and some friends race. Randall, whom I hadn't seen in a long while, did some pretty strong running with his friend Nick, who incidentally also knew Hubba. Andrea and Hansel also formed a team and ran a good race. Fellow injured matey Ee-lyn turned up to spectate as well and we bemoaned our bad legs and our itchiness to race.

I guess the only good consolation of the day was that Rachel was there to keep me company - and good company it was too. So much so that we didn't move much from our grassy patch during the race. Also bumped into Liz with her baby girl Skyla and I couldn't help but melt inside. Her little one is so incredibly cute. She was also there spectating, so I felt a little better... 'cept she's an elite triathlete and she's allowed to be picky in races.. And I'm not. Boo.

Ok, I'm still tired. I've been falling asleep every chance I get this weekend and I'm still tired. Didn't even make it to Pling's birthday barbie on Saturday. Pants. Mummy and Daddy are back though, so at least I got to have a nice bak ku teh dinner with them before getting a good night's rest.

I must say I'm very inspired to kick start training proper though. Just got word I've been roped into another adventure race in April and my teammates are.... erm... hardcore (to say the least)!! Shudder.

Ok.. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

with randall

with ee-lyn

hubba and mao

standin' on the sidelines with Rachel

survival

2006-02-25T00:20:00.000+08:00

When in doubt, ride.

I am now a survivor of TA's TTT, a.k.a Thursday Torture Training.

I've been on my feet all week because of the airshow and I guess I just started to feel like it was time to put myself through some proper training and to start pushing the limits once more. The way I see it, the tougher I am physically, the stronger I get emotionally and at work too. I don't crack as easy under the pressure and I seem to handle a whole lot more in terms of stress levels. So I decided to just go try riding with the group.

I must admit I felt pretty intimidated as I've heard so much about each of the riders - especially the really strong ones. Protein Shake, Diesel... I met them all tonight and it was nice to put faces to the (nick)names. And obviously, I had utmost respect for the group since I've heard so many awe-stricken words from my husband, the Android.

Anyway so the ride was pretty good. I thought all day about how much pain my body had been through in the past few days just standing around all day and running around for work. My lower back had felt really awful and my legs and feet were totally done in. So feeling a different sort of 'pain' in the saddle was somehow pretty good fun all of a sudden.

I must say it is pretty fun riding in a big group. I felt safe and like I was shielded from a lot. It was also really reassuring riding with a bunch of experienced riders - Don't ever go out there on your own! I was also extremely motivated and I kept pushing for as long as I could. Pretty much kept up with the pack till we came to the end of a loop somewhere in Tuas and started heading back to the West. My odometer says my top speed was 46km/hr or so but I figure that was probably on a downhill somewhere. I did push myself pretty hard at one point and I remember drafting the husband's wheel and going pretty fast (for me). Like a true coach, he kept looking back and making sure I was doing an alright job sitting on his wheel. And when he felt I was still alright, he'd push me that much harder so I managed to hit 41km/hr on a flat during one of the segments.

But once we completed the extra loop near the checkpoint and headed back (around 30ks into the ride?), I got dropped. We were on a gentle climb and my legs started feeling like lead. I felt like the dude in the Gatorade advert with the huge ball and chain attached to my rear wheel. Suddenly, I fell away from the pack and their blinking rear lights started to fade away in the distance. That was pretty demoralising... But Andrew was encouraging and lovely and he stayed with me throughout. He worked hard to get me back to the main pack and made my heart melt when he got in front of me to 'shield me from the wind'. Beef came looking for us and we spun our way towards the main pack, who'd all stopped to wait for the straggler that was me.

Woopsie.

All in all, a good ride. Ended it with a can of soya bean, a really sweet milo and a pau, and then home for a nice long snoooooze before work started all over again this morning. I did feel extremely energized at work this morning though!

Perhaps this is the start of a new cycle for me - pun intended.

Distance: 61km
Energy: 1082kcal
Time: 2hrs 18mins

blob

2006-02-18T00:12:00.000+08:00

So I haven't done any training whatsoever all week. In fact, the word 'training' can hardly be used when trying to describe the activities in the last month or so since I've hardly been pushing my limits at all.

As a result, I'm feeling really soft and weak. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm going to have to start from scratch once the wedding is over. The annoying thing about not training is this feeling of absolute haphazardness in my life at present. When I had some sort of schedule to stick to, I felt like I was in control. That's the most satisfying thing about it, I feel. Finishing a workout and knowing you completed what you set out to achieve. It felt normal. It felt good.

Now I'm just flailing around madly trying to get a grip on all sorts of nonsense. And while I feel that I'm handling everything alright, my body doesn't feel the same at all. I don't know if I'm making any sort of sense at all. Then of course there's the issue of my wedding dress being too big when I'm training... And I'm so afraid it's suddenly going to be too tight 'coz I've stopped.

PMS does not help. Cramps, hot flashes.. Raar.

Ah well. In all, it was an alright day. No real complaints here... 'cept for the fact that I'm fast becoming a soft ickle pile of mush.

*Wobble*

the problem with work events

2006-02-16T14:36:00.000+08:00

... They ruin the fun in organising one's own wedding.

In trying to keep everyone happy at work, you neglect what you've got to do at home.. For the biggest moment that is to mark the history of your life.

Now I know why so many friends I've known have taken time off work to sort their nuptials out.

from angie again

2006-02-13T17:58:00.000+08:00

zipping on by

coming out at echo valley

climb, climb up sunshine mountain..

down the stairs

up the rut

up, up and up

the hugeass bike and the android

careful of the roots

picking the wrong line completely

just me

andrew

Thanks for these, babe!

fear and the padwan

2006-02-12T16:45:00.000+08:00

When you're out on the trails, fear can be an incredibly debilitating thing.

I had no idea what was wrong with me yesterday, but half my ride was terrible. It all started when I was about to leave the house when I realised that my biking shoes were over at Andrew's. Ended up driving over to get them before rushing back down to BT. Thankfully, Hubba had gotten to there on time and I didn't leave Angie and Wayne waiting high and dry. Had prata for breakfast before we got to the trail for a spin.

On the very first slope entering the trail, I pulled a boo boo and picked the wrong line. Didn't make it up and had to turn round and have another go. Obviously, I made it the second time. But the boo boo didn't do much for my mental being. Suddenly, I felt a mess. I had this jittery feeling lodged inside my chest and every single up or down was weird. I was afraid. I started to pick the wrong lines, mess with my shifters and think about endo-ing. On one particularly challenging bit which I usually absolutely love, I did something I've never done before.

I stopped.

Angie was tearing up the trail and leaving us way behind. She bombed down the segment with Wayne hot on her heels. Andrew, on his single speed, tried to catch up whilst half waiting for his wife. I rode down half of the segment when my arms locked up and jammed on the brakes. I walked down the rest of the rest of the segment and wondered what on earth was going on with me that day. I was absolutely appalling.

My three ride companions were extremely supportive and encouraging. Perhaps I was having a bad day, perhaps it was all a mental thing, yada yada yada. I was so mad with myself at one point that I decided to just ride the heck out of the second bit.

And I did.

It felt really good. I cranked up the ups without stopping and let Shadow carry me through the downs, with some additional pedalling to pick up some speed. Channelling anger to the right place can really be so effective. The rest of the ride was great - Did some stairs without hesitation and a technical bit riddled by roots as well. I'd gotten over the fear.

I was back.

Meanwhile, Hubba is super duper impressed with Angela's 'newbie' skills. He says I wasn't exaggerating when I said she was a natural and he has never seen a newbie ride down the technical bits in BT ever before! He has thus delivered a message from the Jedi council that she is to become a padwan under my care, and it is now my responsibilty to ensure her continuance in the sport. I think Wayne's going to key in that since they're going again today anyway! What a pair! 'You've created a monster, you know,' said Andrew. And Wayne only knows this too well.

What fun!

she doesn't like her helmet

andrew and shadow

having a rest at echo valley

ok i look tiny

on orangela

sigh, i need height

droo giving angie some tips

*pant pant*

cycling up rifle range road

andrew and angela up front

angela and wayne

better than last week!

me and andrew

the vitamin research results

2006-02-10T09:34:00.000+08:00

Resting Heart Rate: 61
Ideal: Below 72

Resting Respiratory Rate: 9
Ideal: Under 7

Breathing Factor: 118
Not completely at rest during the test

Adrenal Factor: 112
Ideal: Greater than 100

Heart Factor: 112%
Ideal: Greater than 100%

Lung Factor: 93%
Ideal: Greater than 100%

Fitness Factor: 93
Ideal: Greater than 100

Metabolic Factor: 99
Usual: Between 100 and 120

Carbohydrate Factor: 83
Carbohydrate intake is interfering with energy production

Fat Burning Factor: 134
Optimal: Greater than or equal to 100

Energy Quotient: 115
Optimal: Greater than or equal to 100

Biological Age: 30
Lowest possible age

Fat Burning Heart Rate: 125bpm

Anaerobic Threshold Rate: 145bpm

pictures from angela

2006-02-08T22:00:00.000+08:00

These were taken over the weekend at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve...

sighhh

2006-02-08T18:37:00.000+08:00

Oh, I wish....

Courtesy of mtb.com forums

knobbly knees

2006-02-08T07:36:00.000+08:00

So I managed to get up this morning for my run and the goal was to finish a round-the-estate 6km route.

All I can say is running in the morning is near enough impossible when:

1. You haven't got any fuel.
2. You forget to down a good amount of water before you set off.
3. You suffer from a wobbly knee condition and you haven't gotten your in-soles made yet.

Ended up slowing down and doing some strengthening and stability exercises instead before a walk/run home. The total distance couldn't have been longer than 3km but I figured it wasn't worth pushing and hurting myself more.

I sure wish I'd trained up better for that half marathon. It makes me wonder if I'd still be facing this problem and suffering through this injury. Sometimes it makes me think I'm just using it as an excuse for a lot of things, but then I set off with full intent to whip myself into shape and the little joint down there just goes 'nooooooooooooo'.

Lesson du jour: It's not always about training hard, but training smart.

Sigh.

the slacker

2006-02-07T19:18:00.000+08:00

So it's Tuesday evening and I still haven't gotten a run in yet.

I meant to go after giving my tummy some time to digest my dinner last night but I ended up too swamped with wedding work to get round to it. Got to bed at a decent time and woke up at half six this morning for a run, only to hit the snooze button and end up merely dreaming about going for a run instead. Needless to say, I was slightly late for work from oversleeping.

Thankfully, the boss saw the funny side of it.

No training again this evening as well since a client meeting ran a little over and there're tactical things that need to get done before I leave for the day.

Okay, doesn't it sound like I'm just making excuses now?