Auld Lang Syne

As 2009 draws to a close, it is customary to review the past year and make new resolutions. I couldn't help but be reminded of the song Auld Lang Syne. My favorite rendition of this song is by Rebecca Pidgeon.

The literal meaning of “Auld Lang Syne” is “Old Long Since” or “Long, Long Ago.” But because the song is in old Scot, many words are unfamiliar to me. So I looked up the meaning and some commentary:

Should old acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
and days o' lang syne?”

Commentary: These lines ask whether one can forget the days that have gone by and the friends with whom those days have been spent.

The chorus:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Verses

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp (pint tankard)
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll take a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa (two) have run about the braes (hills),
And pou'd (pulled) the gowans (daisies) fine,
But we've wander'd monie (many) a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa (two) have paidl't (paddled) in the burn
Frae (from) morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid (broad) have roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere (friend),
And give us a hand o thine,
And we'll take a right guid-willie waught (goodwill drink),
For auld lang syne

It was amazing how the song speaks about running the braes (hills) and paddling in the burn from morning sun till dine (change paddle to pedal). How apt.

Here's a virtual right guid-willie waught (toast) to all my trusty fieres (friends)!

Paying for my indulgences

The last long run for the year, a 30 km effort with two 2km repeats at the end. Surprisingly it was easier to get up at 4 am in the morning for these long rides and runs than to leave the house in the evening. Guess I am more of a morning person.

Took the familiar route to Changi village, coastal road and the park connector. The last time was with TH and DA on the pre-SCSM training run in November. Nothing had changed over the past month, except that the public toilets at CV were now completed.

The key this morning was to keep HR below 150, and hopefully make a 7:00 pace. Succeeded for the most part until 20 km. Perhaps it was the sun, perhaps it was just all the indulgences of the past month and week coming back to haunt me, but it became progressively more difficult to keep the 7:00 pace at HR150.

The last part was two 2 km repeats at "fast" pace. HR went up to 170+ over this segment, but pace was only slightly better at 6:15 to 6:30.

Lesson for the day: less wine, eat wisely, and train more.

Tried the Skins compression tights for the first time. Any difference? To me, the Skins provide better support for the thighs (especially the region above the knees) compared to the 2XU tights. Perhaps this is due to the stitching / design. But overall, I thought the 2XU provided better compression.

Water, water everywhere ...

Never thought that it would be cooler to run in Singapore than in ADL. But the temperature reached 43 deg C on Wed, the day that my family and I returned to SIN.

Tuesday was a decent day for another 16km fartlek run (2km@HR155 and 1km@HR165) along my favorite Torrens River NE route, and I managed to squeeze in a short 8 km run on Wed morning round the oval for the last time.

Thursday was Christmas eve, but I was able to do a 15 km easy run that evening. It was fortuitous in some sense for it rained on and off most of this past week. HR was a little erratic, but I think it is just the HRM.

Christmas day run was another 16km fartlek (same workout as Tue's). I was quite pleasantly surprised to attain the same pace as in ADL, even with the higher humidity. Caveat - it was a cool evening run.

Boxing day was a ride with the 5 am gang, now nicknamed FOTR (Fellowship of the Ride). Good to be back feeling the sweat and humidity. It just didn't feel right to complete a long ride with a dry jersey. For more details about this ride, read post by thebesttaticanbe. I wasn't sure if my legs would be up to the challenge of Mandai and RRR after 55 km of running this week. But surprisingly, muscle memory pulled me through. And the legs felt better after the ride :)

Sunday was supposed to be a rainy day, but it rained only in the evening, spoiling my plans for a long run. Never mind ... enjoying the cool wet respite from the hot dry weather of ADL, and enjoying my favorite Asian food as well.

Would love to get back into the pool ... missing on the swim for the past three weeks.

The Fellowship of the Ride and Run

Never one for team sports (or any sports, for that matter), the most significant development this year was what I termed the Fellowship of the Ride and Run.

For different reasons, three of us in our small group bought bikes mid last year. Of course, it was only logical to ride together, first with SY and JN along the park connector, and earlier this year, to ride on the roads. It was the Tri-Factor ride that JN and I first ventured on the roads. Quite an experience that was. Our first encounter with the slopes of Thomson and our first tire puncture. That puncture was to be the first of many eventful landmarks in our Fellowship of the Ride together.

Yes, I am talking about our Sunday 5 am cycling fellowship. At one ride, the group had 11 cyclists (and that was the Thomson corner incident), but about four or five of us are the mainstay regulars.

Group riding taught me many valuable lessons. The main lesson was to look out for one another. It could simply by being responsible - calling out "car back!" to pointing out road hazards, to pulling the train, to waiting for one another. At our last ride, we said a short prayer before the ride, out of responsibility to our beloved ones back home - who might fear receiving an early morning call from her spouse's phone, but hearing someone other than the spouse's voice.

Riding is the most exciting of the three sports - but possibly the most hazardous. Recent news about another accomplished triathlete and friend who had a nasty fall reinforced this perspective. Yet, there's the lure of ever-faster speed and surmounting the next slope and the ensuing thrill of the downhill ride thereafter. Responsible riding. We ride, but being accountable to our loved ones, we ride responsibly and look out for one another. No heroics, please.

Then there's the breakfast fellowship. I recall the time when we had to shorten our ride on account of the heavy downpour, and had to make a beeline for my place. Wet though we might be, we had a hearty laugh at ourselves and a good breakfast. It was a good ride, even if we were a pathetic lot.

What do we talk about? All sort of things, from sharing riding tips, to fanciful flights of fantasy about future rides, to the latest gadgets and gears, and to common ministry work that we find ourselves committed to. Bike4COSI - our riding team for next year's OCBC cycle is one manifestation of this ministry work.

It's through these times that I feel that our group has grown closer and more intimate. Nothing like common adversity (and interests) to build bonds.

The same has to be said for the Fellowship of the Run. This year marked the launch of the running community at PMC. We had the privilege of encouraging fellow runners to run for a cause (run4COSI) and for some to achieve their running aspirations. Recently, TH and DA ran the SCSM together - the first for TH!

I had the chance to join them for a 32k long run in the lead up to SCSM, and on another occasion with DW on a 15km long run. It was these runs that allowed me to gain insights into their lives and aspirations. Yes, 3 to 4 hours of running together is a long time to talk and share.

Then there was the 9.5 hours painfest that was TNF. It was a journey of shared pain and joy with PK. Others may think we are nuts, but there're no words to express the grueling treks through rainforest and hills, through heat, humidity and rain, through sweat and tears. No, I stand corrected. The words are "Let's do it again!" --- the journey makes us sign up for two more endurance events next year - the 84km ultra and another go at TNF100 duo.

To the uninitiated, it may seem somewhat baffling and crazy for guys in their forties to don tights and sacrifice previous sleep to do the things we do. But I for one am glad that I did. For what appears to be craziness on the surface is actually a deeper spiritual work that is within us.

The Fellowship of the Ride and Run fosters accountability and discipline. We demonstrate commitment by showing up when we say we would. In so doing, we are accountable for one another in our faith journey. We demonstrate discipline in our riding, running and training. These are desirable traits to cultivate, to say the least.

In our fellowship, we confront and conquer our deepest fears. Perhaps not immediately, but we work at it, baby-steps at times, but slowly and surely we surmount our doubts and fears. Completing our first 42km, our first 60km ride, overcoming our fear of falling or that hill-that-is-our-Archilles-heel.

Perhaps more significantly there’s the issue of vulnerability. That inner vulnerable place within that we guard ever so jealously, through years of practice, not to reveal, is often brought to the altar of inadequacy when we put it all on the line. And we recognize and respect the deeper forces that are at work within us and among us.

Yes, it is this vulnerability that draws and binds us closer as brothers of the fellowship.

God willing, this fellowship may be part of the legacy we leave for our children.

If I had only three more days left ...

End of the year wind-down brought about a pensiveness that did not become of me. Perhaps it was the packing to return home after my one-month mini sabbatical, or perhaps it was simply a tinge of sadness to leave a wonderful city that had been good to my family and me.

After a 10km easy run at HR145 (first 5km under 7 min pace, and the next about 7:30 on account of the higher temperature), it was the ritual saunter with the kids at the Oval where the boys kicked ball and played in the playground. Incidentally, there was this rather bemusing sign at the entrance of the playground.


Watching flocks of birds up in the clear blue sky, with the background din of music from the river, observing the occasional runner doing intervals, dogs and their faithful owners bringing them out for walks, and soccer enthusiasts milling about, it was a good moment to savor.

If I had only three more days left, I would not have done anything different - woke up early to make breakfast for the boys, attended service to say hi to some friends, lunch at Mario's (pizza and latte), a short afternoon nap (I was tired from this week's more intensive training), time with the family, a nice jog, rounded up with a cozy dinner cooked by my beloved wife and a nice glass of Barossa wine.

A day well spent. A year well lived.

McLaren Vale recovery ride

It was only a recovery ride, but since this would be my last ride in Oz, I decided to squeeze in a ride at McLaren Vale while the family went sightseeing.

Picked up the trail at McLaren Vale town, the Coast to Vines trail that goes through wine country. This portion was the Shiraz trail. Living up to its name, the trail brought me through vine yards and wine cellars - up close and personal. Headed towards Willunga, a small village well known for its Saturday farmer's market, where our families spent many a happy morning.


The ride was flat and cut through several quiet roads. But it took the momentum away, having to stop to check for traffic. Nonetheless, it was a really scenic ride. Worked well for me as a recovery ride.

Wonder if I would have the chance to do a bike tour in the wine region - be it in McLaren or Barossa. Such wishful thinking. :)

Up-ing the ante

Longest and hardest Adelaide run to-date. Total of 20km, with 10km at HR145, and 5km at 150, 2.5km at 155 and last 2.5km at 160. Fourth consecutive day of running this week.

The temperature when I started off was cool at 16 deg C. Windy too, so I was glad to be in the sun. Headed upriver - which is my favorite route thus far. First km was slow to warm up (literally) and to get the clinks of out of the legs. Took a 100m (1 min) walk break every 5 km. Pace under 7 min per km, closer to 6:30.

Completed first 10 km in 1:15, in the city of Enfield (actually it is a suburb, and I know of another Enfield close to London, where my sister and her family live). Took a gel and had to scout around for a bin - the Australians are very particular about preserving their parks and trails - before heading back.

The next 5km back was good, actually. Pace was close to 6:30, and at times under as well. Later I realized that this was due to the slight decline. The 155 segment was good - mostly close to 6:00 as well - but the route was now undulating. The last 2.5km wasn't as bad as I thought, even though I was slower than expected - only 6:00 pace at HR160. But happy that this run was an improvement over the last run - better pace for comparable HR.

Legs felt better than expected; they're a little achy/painful the night before.



Side note: Encountered many friendly folks walking their dogs and children in prams. Also elderly folks walking or cycling. Great way to keep fit.

After thought: Checked out the weather forecast for Orlando in January. High of 22 deg, low of 7 deg C. Comparable weather. That's good news.

Further thought: At least two more long runs to go - back in the heat and humidity. :(

Heat wave!

Summer's finally here, with two consecutive days at 38 to 39 deg C. Stepping out of the air-conditioned office felt like stepping into a furnace. Every surface, wall and road radiated hot burning heat. Certainly not ideal weather to run.

However, I ran early morning on the first 38 deg day and late in the evening on the second to avoid the worst of the heat wave. Short runs - fartleks about 1:15 to 1:45 hours. The second session was long intervals - 2km at HR155, recover and then 1 km at HR165. Supposed to do this twice, but I did three sets instead for good measure. Able to come within the time targets, although HR was a wee bit higher than the 155 target.

Thu's rain brought much welcomed relief, bringing the temperature back down to the low 20s. Getting spoiled by this cool weather...

Anyway, did a short 7km recovery run around the Oval at HR145, ave pace 7:00.

Interview with Singapore's DecaIronman Dr Kua Harn Wei

Enrico recently interviewed Dr Kua Harn Wei on his philosophy, passion and achievements. Read on ...

Stalling on a climb

Many times I had wondered what would happen when stalling on a climb? Other than falling off, I mean.

Unfortunately I found that out for myself last Saturday. It was a very steep slope. But because it was short, I didn't shift to the smaller chainring. About 3/4 of the way up, my momentum slowed to a crawl and I knew I was going down. Fortunately, this was on a bike path and there was a clear bank on the right. There were shrubs and a fence on the left. So I chose to go down on the right.

Other than a dent in my ego, I was unhurt. Another episode in my riding adventures to laugh over. :)

Back to the ride. It was meant to be a recovery ride after the long hard hilly ride last weekend and after two hard runs. So I chose to go up Torrens river by the bank. Figured the bike path would be easy.

However, Adelaide is such a small city that pretty soon, I was heading up the hills (again!). It was a gradual climb (100m over 15km), except for certain steep sections! Went as far up the bike path as I could. The last part was closed for repair works. Great views even with the limited height.



40km easy ride. The legs felt tight and crampy, though. And my right butt's still sore.

Festivities

Tis the season to be jolly. Christmas is round the corner, and the festive spirit is in the air.

I couldn't help but notice this on my run yesterday evening. It was 6:30 pm when I started off (summer days in the southern hemisphere), and there was a big concert at the Torrens river. Further up, there was a Christmas display by the riverbank. Both events attracted hordes of people out to enjoy the cool Sunday evening.

Headed on the path westwards, as far as Adam St where the path was under construction. Covered 12km, fartlek-style.

That was the third fartlek run of the week. Yes, this week, I ran more than I biked. Partly training intensity was stepped up for the Jan race, and partly, I had to burn off all the excesses from the good food and wine consumed over the past two to three weeks. I had more fine dinners and great wines during this period than for the entire year.

Overall, 45km run and 40km bike. Coach has scheduled more higher intensity runs instead of long easy runs in view of my high mileage for TNF. Good to feel the burn of hard runs.

'em HILLS!

What was supposed to be a 60km ride through Adelaide Hills turned out to be a 85km crank-till-I-drop hard ride. Elevation gain of 1,917 m, highest elevation reached of 545m (Ashton). The good news, of course is that I completed the ride without the C monster. The bad news is ... well, more about that later.

Met up with Chris at Tusmore at 6 am and had to borrow his jacket as the temperature was only 12 degree C. Met up with first year undergrad Shawn, who's studying sports engineering. Headed up north for Gorge Road that runs along Torrens River heading east. Chris told me the climb wouldn't be too bad, a little steeper but not as sustained as Norton Summit. Yes, it was manageable for the first main climb to Kangaroo Creek Reservoir. I cranked it up on my favorite combo for as long as I could, and then on the small chain ring.

Headed towards Gumeracha by way of Mannum Road. Looked for a store to replenish water, but everything was closed so early in the morning. It was undulating from Gumeracha to Lobethal, but reaching 40 km with ups and downs was taking its toll on me. At one point, Shawn gave me a hand literally, but pushing me uphill. He's very strong and fast - disappearing downhill like a torpedo.

According to Chris, this would be the same route for the open stage ride in the Down Under Tour next January. We took a long break at Lobethal, and then it was decision time. To go back the same way or through Norton Summit. Either way would take another 40 km. I was astounded. I knew it was a tough climb to Norton, but what the heck, might as well do it.

As it turned out, there were about 4 main climbs, first to Lenswood, then to Basket Range, then to Ashton. Never had I surmounted so many slopes. By this time, I had gotten a better hang of climbing - HR was high, breathing was hard, but I treated it as a long walk uphill, just cranking along at 10 ~ 12 kph. I almost cramped up during one of the climbs and had to stop to stretch. Good thing I did, otherwise I would have a long long way to walk.

Chris and Shawn were really gracious, waiting for me ever so often. I had admitted earlier that Singaporean riders like me looked good, but couldn't ride. They were very patient with me, encouraging me all the way.

The last major climb to Ashton was tough. And I found it was a good time to be thankful for all the blessings I'd. I couldn't describe the elation I felt when I saw Chris and Shawn waiting at the end of that climb.

After catching my breath, it was time to descend 2 km to Norton Summit, and then all the way down.

By the time we reached Chris' home, it was past 10:30 am. 4 and a half hours (riding time of 4 hours), and a gigantic effort for me. Longest and hardest ride thus far.

See ride in Garmin connect.

View of Adelaide in background from Norton Summit

Oh. The bad news. I forgot completely the stroke mechanics I learnt earlier, and Chris and Shawn had to remind me. Pull and push, smooth circular motion. That is the key to improving on climbs. Back to basics for me.

Torrens River eastward 12k

It was time to head the other way, away from the sea. This path turned out to be much more interesting. A lot of undulating ground, wide paths and beautiful scenery.

At one stage, I had to cross the river on a swaying suspension bridge. No, I did not run across, just walked across, thank you.

Ran besides a bus-track - for buses on train tracks. Quite unusual. Many walkers out with their dogs and a few runners as well.

Would be interesting to see where this trail leads to. That'll have to wait for another day.

View run in Garmin connect.

Life in the Swim Lane

Swimming at the Adelaide Aquatic Center is a good experience on lane discipline. The 25m pool lanes were designated by swim speed - slow, medium and fast. All swimmers in the lane goes clockwise, sharing the lane. Even when there are four or five swimmers in each lane, somehow, there's no collision, fuss and problems. Swimmers automatically move up to a faster lane or down to a slower lane. Even if overtaking, swimmers do so quickly and on the lookout for others. It's that simple and that considerate.

A second good thing I learnt was how some swimmers would bring electrolyte drinks and leave them along the walkway. Hydrating even when swimming. Why didn't I think of that?

Yesterday's session: 50 laps
Last week's session: 40 laps

Up Adelaide Hills

Formidable though it seemed - at least from the morning's recce enroute to the cherry farm at Forrest Range - we were determined to give it a go.

Yes, we went up Norton Summit this afternoon, with Chris and Ben showing us the way. We met up with the two (LG friends of SY's) at Tusmore, and went by way of Magill. The climb started about 2 km into the ride, beginning from 80m and rising to 360m, a total ascent of about 270m over 7.5km. It was a sustained ride. The elevation chart showed a straight upward gradient.

It was an effort, especially for the first couple of km, but after getting into rythm, I was able to appreciate the view from up there and chatted with the others as well (short chats, mind you). HR averaged 165, with max of 170 for the climb. I thought I wouldn't be able to summit this, given the fact that we had yet to go up Mt Faber. Surprisingly, we made it almost to the top. Only hampered from the top most summit because part of the road was closed for a controlled burn.

The downhill ride was fun, but I kept braking as I wasn't so gutsy about descending.

View near summit; Chris and Ben chatting with another cyclist.


Shows the gradient of the climb up Norton Summit.

After regrouping, I thought we were going back to Tusmore, but instead, found myself in another long gradual climb. It was not as steep, and appeared deceptively easier. This second climb to Waterfall Gully was over 5 to 6 km covering 150m elevation. HR averaged 130 to 140. I didn't expect two climbs in one day, so was glad to be able to complete two in one session.

Well, for the record, Norton is supposedly the easiest hill around Adelaide. Waterfall Gully is not quite close enough to Mt Lofty to be much of a real climb. But it was a good workout. Felt that I could have gone up Norton a little faster, but then, wouldn't have been able to sustain the entire 7.5 km.

View ride in Garmin connect.

A big thank you to Chris and Ben for showing the way, and to SY for coming along on a heavy hybrid bike!

Fartlek round the Oval

For some reason, sports fields in Adelaide are often referred to as Ovals. The closest oval near to our apartment has a 2.2km track (better than bitumen) that provides a good place to train while the kids play in the field.

Last Thursday, I did a fartlek run (5 min at HR 160, 10 min at 150) x 2, and yesterday the same 3 times, bracketed by 15 min warm up and cool down. Yesterday's weather was a little cool (about 16 deg C), but it was sunny. Not many folks out on a Monday morning.

MBH commented that folks here seemed to be very fit and healthy, judging by the number of runners around the Oval. Indeed, our regard for the fitness of Australians in general have been high. One theory is that Australians love their sports and kids are encouraged to play sports from a very young age.

Is it any wonder that some of the top triathletes are Australians?

North Haven 58k bike ride

After a couple of hot days, the temperature dipped to a high of 21 deg C over the the weekend. Today's weather was better than Saturday's - no rain. So I headed out for a long ride that I recce'd a few days ago. It drizzled when I left the apartment, but soon cleared up for a sunny ride.

The ride through Adelaide city was uneventful, though there were a few traffic lights to negotiate. Traffic was light for Sunday afternoon. As I reached the Henley Beach, it was really bright and sunny. 12 km to HB. Went up north. The road along Military Road was nice and fast, especially along West Lakes. Good speed about 30 kph, at my favorite gear combination and high cadence.

Turning into the historic coastal Esplanade road, it was a little slower with many roundabouts and a big carnival. The last stretch Lady Gowrie Road was fast - easily above 30 kph, and at stretches, reaching about 40 kph. Wow, I thought I was getting better....

However, the truth hit home when I turned around. Immediately encountered strong headwinds. The strongest I'd ever experienced. The closest was along the Lakeshore in Chicago. Each strong gust of wind veered the bike off line. It took full focus just keeping the bike under control. Had to go slow... crawling at 15 to 20 kph. All 10+ km.

Decided to turn off earlier at Grange Road where the wind was a little better. Later I found out that it was a 37 kph SW wind. Sure took its toll on me.

After a gel break, I felt better and managed the last 15 km. Got a little lost on the way back, and took the river track back. A nice long ride. It had been a while since I went above 50 km.

30 minutes after getting home, it rained again. What a weekend. What an experience riding against strong headwinds. No wonder I didn't see many cyclists out this afternoon.

Lesson learnt - check weather conditions AND wind conditions before riding. :)

Torrens River 30k easy ride

Summer was definitely here. 30 deg C this afternoon, so I opted for an evening ride along Torrens River, heading west towards the sea. The paths in the City were well marked and paved. But those in the outskirts were narrow, windy and gently undulating.

Interestingly, I rode past woods, on paved road (due to construction), cemetery, wooden pathways and overhands, bridges, through residential suburbs, farms (yes, the smell of cow shit was undeniable) and finally, the beach (West Beach/Henley South Beach). Because of the narrow path, road condition and afternoon glare (riding towards the setting sun), the speed averaged only 19+ kph. A few short but steep inclines to keep things interesting.

Passed many other cyclists, mostly on mountain bikes, as well as runners. Most were friendly.

I didn't particularly like this route for biking, but would be a great route for running. :)

View ride in Garmin connect.

Torrens River easy 10k run

The feeling of running in a dry cool weather under a clear blue sky, along a picturesque river bank would best be described as ... uplifting. Yes, I ran an easy 10k this morning along the Torrens River in Adelaide, South Australia. And for the next month or so, my posts would be about running and cycling in Adelaide.

After a red-eye turbulent flight, settling into our apartment, grocery shopping, and orientating with the city, it was good to be out for an easy run. Chose the easiest route - head toward the river and run along it.

The cool air (15 deg) along with the sun made for an easy affair, HR about 140 to 150.

See run in Garmin connect.

Assembled the bike (took more time to dismantle and pack!) and all ready for an easy ride. Planning to ride toward the ocean, possibly on the weekend.

Training-wise, it'll be more running to prepare for the Jan marathon.

Now to find a swimming pool...

Mandai and Rifle Range Road

There's nothing like some nice slopes to get excited over, cycling-wise. Have not been up Sembawang Road since our first ride. Usually turn left into Seletar Reservoir, and since Jodan told us that going straight up is more challenging, we thought we'll check it out.

There are two long slopes. At the top of the first slope, we turned left into Mandai Avenue for the second long climb. Certainly longer than the reservoir route and yes, it was challenging! The other factor was the wind along Mandai Avenue. Somehow, I felt the crosswind today, especially with the 50mm wheels.

Towards Mandai Shell, AY and JN overtook PK and I on the fast sprint portion. JN would later overtake me on the incline towards Namly. He is really improving!

Next up was RRR. As usual, the first 1 km or so set the tone. It was tougher going up than coming back. Good workout!

Distance: 44km.

Total Immersion revisited

Read Terry's latest book on TI swimming while on the plane to Chengdu. It's an update, less wordy and covers more pointers such as imagining a track with shoulders on each rail (hence not crossing over), lowered arm and curled hand, etc. There's also a few chapters on TI for breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly style.

So what's theory without practice?

Today's swim session was mainly to put the latest TI tips to work. Slowed down considerably just to get the gliding motion back again. The key change was to hold my hand by the side (or in the latest TI terminology, tucked into the jeans pocket) so as to glide more. Another was to start counting strokes again (18 to 20 per 50m). With the slowdown, I had to resist the temptation to kick more. The most significant improvement was a better sense of balance.

The verdict? I was happy that I could cover 60 laps comfortably (HR would be in the 140s) and for the last few laps, I was happy to shave off 15 sec per lap just be increasing the pace.

Longest swim session todate. Good workout.

Conceivable and achievable

John Bingham in a recent RW article notes that the marathon has gained in popularity because it is increasingly conceivable and hence achievable. How true.

Having completed 7 marathons and a 50-k ultra, I find myself in a strange but familiar place of contemplation. The contemplation involves speculating on the possibility of completing 84k within 15 hours.

Why the familiarity, you may wonder? Just two years ago, when I laid hands on the Aviva 70.3 tee, I could not conceive how it was possible to cover such distances. And I told myself that it would be my goal to complete the distance, even though I couldn't swim a decent 300m. That was the point of conceivability (is this a word?). Now I work towards achieving that goal.

More recently, I accomplished another goal of running 50k before age 50. That was conceived after I completed my first marathon. So conceived, so achieved.

So naturally, the next step up is the 84k.

The contemplation involves examining calories from gels and cereal bars and electrolyte drinks, having learnt how ultra-athletes fuel themselves while on endurance races/training. I contemplate various race strategies and outcomes. I wonder if I can do it.

I vacillate between doubt and faith. But doubt appears to be receding (just like my hairline).

The point is this: 84k has become conceivable. And I am pondering the hows.

Races in 2010

As it turned out, TNF100 was my last race for 2009.

No SCSM for me this year, as I head off to Adelaide with the family for a month. Originally wanted to participate in the Adelaide triathlon, but that turned out to be once in two years.

So training for the Walt Disney marathon in January, and then the Aviva 70.3 in March.

Coach advises focusing on a few A races in 2010, and cutting down on events. So tentatively, here's my schedule of races for next year:

Jan: Walt Disney marathon
Mar: Aviva 70.3
May: Sundown 84km
Jul/Aug: Desaru long distance/Philippines 70.3
Oct: NF100 duo
Dec: Phuket 70.3?

The last race is still in the air as I could be headed for Tokyo for a short sabbatical. Then there's the Angko Wat bike rally and half marathon that I'd like to do as well.

Looks like 2010 will be a year of long distance events - 70.3s and ultras.

Update on Tokyo marathon

Out of 10 responses, 70% say go for Tokyo! Much appreciated to have overwhelming support from readers to run Tokyo. It is certainly the best race I'd taken part in.

Unfortunately, I'd to disappoint my good friend PG and forgo Tokyo next year. The reasons?
(1) It's too close to Aviva 70.3, and I'd really like to put in some serious training for my first attempt at that distance.
(2) To preserve matrinomial harmony and conserve goodwill for other races in 2010! :)

That said, I'm setting my sights on Tokyo in 2011. Perhaps can get a bigger contingent to go up together.

Sushi, sashimi, tenpayaki; run; sake with sushi, etc (in that order).

Midweek ride with JoyRiders

It was with a mixed sense of anticipation and apprehension that JN and I rode to LH to join the JoyRider Wed newbie ride this morning. We'd heard much about the group, how large and enthusiastic the group is, and how fast they ride. But promptings from Sharon and Jodan brought us there - just to see for ourselves.

The website notes that newbie rides are at about 27 kph. With some mileage in the bank, we thought we could meet that speed.

We were early arriving at LH, reaching there about 4:50 am. Only one other rider was there. Within minutes, more than 40 to 50 gathered, all with blinkers and all primed for the ride. Caught up with Sharon and Joyce, and got introduced to many others. A friendly bunch of guys.

As newbies, we suck to the rear. Riding in twos is something we are new at, so we tended to leave some distance between us and the front cyclists. The route was via Thomson and Upper Thomson Road, not our usual Old Thomson Road. Almost missed the Mandai/Seletar reservoir turning. Several did not turn, opting to go the easier (?) route.

As we were not going to do RRR, we thought we would push it a bit along this stretch and we did have a good workout. Joyce teased us for overtaking, but the truth was that we were pretty flat by the end of this stretch.

We were among the last to arrive at Mandai Shell, and with less than a couple of minutes rest, the train was rollin'.

Got caught behind a traffic light and we saw later that Sharon and another lady rider were waiting for us. Thanks, ladies!

We got back at 6:11 am. Couldn't believe how early we were done.

Overall, good ride. Ave speed: 27.7 kph, a tad faster than our usual.

We really appreciated how the seasoned riders took care of us, especially making sure that we were ok.

Riding in a big group posed different challenges. It was almost like a race where we had to look out for others constantly. To consider overtaking, and looking back to see if the path was clear. To have others overtake us. To slow down or speed up with the group, etc. What we couldn't see was the front pack... only at the start at LH and at Mandai Shell. Real speedsters they were!

When skin meets gravel

I suppose one of the perils of road cycling is having a close encounter of the unpleasant kind. We all don't wish it to happen - but they inevitably occur. Last Sunday, DB - a strong cyclist who is training for the Aviva 70.3 - had a freak accident while we were cycling down Woodlands.

We were having a good ride till then through the rolling slopes of Mandai and had a good break. Perhaps we were just a little too complacent and comfortable, conserving our energy for RRR. The traffic light changed to red as we were approaching, and we had to brake. But we weren't going very fast. Unfortunately, DB - taking the rear - braked too suddenly and hard and had a flip.

For a few moments our hearts were in our throat as we saw him motionless lying face down. He was bleeding from the brow and nose. He appeared dazed and didn't respond, possibly due to the concussion. We moved DB off the road to the shoulder island and called for an ambulance. By the time the ambulance came, DB was able to talk and respond.

Imagine our relief when we found out later when we got to the hospital that the scan showed no brain damage, and no broken bones. It was fortuitious that DB suffered only a fractured nose, cuts and two chipped teeth.

Unfortunately, that was not the first accident that our cycling group encountered. A few weeks ago, another accident occured when we were negotiating the turn from Old Thomson Road. Two cyclists had to brake suddenly, and one flipped. The good thing was that the rider was fine while the bike had to go to A&E.

What can we learn from these incidents? The main lesson is that our top priority must and always be safe riding. Guidelines for riding safe:

• Never go too fast and never take unnecessary risks.
• Stay alert at all times, especially late in the ride when fatigue sets in.
• Go to bed early when riding early the next morning.
• Don't drink the night before.
• Tell your group if you have difficulties before and during the ride.
• Be alert to the members condition/state of being while riding.

The second lesson is a technical one:

• Get the right helmut in terms of fit and robustness.
• Set the brake calipers a click or two wider.
• Aim for the cassette of the bike infront instead of the wheels.

Get well soon, DB!

TLog: Of perfume and sweat

The smell of perfume is unmistakle, especially when you don't expect it. There I was, doing my drills at the pool when the wiff of perfume caught my nose shen I rotated to breathe. And I smelt it before I could see the swimmer.

Talk about distraction. Perhaps I am just becoming more sensitive to olfactory stimulus?

I suppose we are more comfortable with the smell of sweat. The very next day, I was pedaling down coastal road when another cyclist overtook me. Usually, there weren't that many cyclists on the road at 6 am on a weekday. I decided to draft him, and came close enough to smell the sweat off him. I'll take sweat over perfume any time.

Anyhow, I increased my cadence to over 90 to build up to 30kph (at big chain ring and third largest rear gear), and went closer to 100 to overtake. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing that my speed could be achieved at that gear combination with high cadence. So the past high cadence sessions seemed to be working.

Then there's the smell of stale sweat that goes with gyms and workout machines. The handles and floor reeked of musty fetid sweat. That's me going back to the gym for weights training. Must have been months since I did weights, so started light with just three sets.

Misery loves company

find this mildly amusing that last week saw the largest number of visits and page views on this blog since its inception almost 18 months ago. 322 visits and 478 page views, more than double the weekly averages of 133 and 193 respectively.

The reason for the high traffic? My guess is that someone listed this blog on TriFam re: TNF100 race. Yes, my greatest disappointment for the year and the reason for the high traffic volume!

Do readers find comfort in misery? Or sadistic joy? :)

TLog: new focus

Now that TNF is over, this is a recovery week before restarting training with a different focus to prepare for next year's Aviva 70.3. The shift in focus will be more intense cycling and swimming workouts.

Mon: 24 lap easy swim
Tue: easy 5 k jog/walk
Wed: 41k bike ride focusing on cadence
Thu: rest
Fri: rest
Sat: 30 lap easy swim
Sun: 41k bike ride focusing on cadence

Essentially the same route for Wed and Sun - Changi coastal and Selarang, with minor variations. But Wed was on fifth cog while today's ride was on third largest cog. Average cadence went up to 89 cp 70. Speed fell about 1 to 2 kph while HR went up from 133 to 140 average. Good to feel the spin. Now to maintain 80 - 90 cadence while working to smaller gears. Hopefully speed will improve. :)

Great Eastern Women 10k 2009

I was more apprehensive about this run than last week's TNF race. Reason? MBH had been nursing an ITB injury sustained since the Singapore Bay Run in August, which got aggravated during the Yellow Ribbon Run in September. Consequently, her running had been sporadic at best. In fact, I advised her against running this morning, but MBH would not hear of it.

So after picking up EL, a member of our PMC running community, we promptly made our way to Raffles City. Along the way, we met up with PK and family - J would be running the 10k as well, and KL and wife. Met up with tekko and other supporters, some of whom I recognized as participants in last week's race.


More than 5,000 ladies started the 10k race. It was fun to see a sea of red heading down Nicoll Highway.

The finish line was outside City Hall, and us dutiful husbands lined up to catch our beloved wives coming back. By then, all the elite runners were back, and we observed that a high proportion of the top finishers were caucasians.

J came back in 1:07 - an excellent time. MBH completed her PB - 1:31:54. Congratulations to EL for finishing her first 10k race in a great time of 1:24! The nice weather - cool and and overcast - helped.

One gripe among the runners were the presence of male bandits. In fact, several officials tried to get them off the race, only to be ignored or told off. One bandit even said that he was just running by the side, so what's wrong with that? That got MBH really furious!

Personally, I think it is one thing to show morale support and encouragement for your loved ones, but another to blatantly flout the rules. Gate crashing without paying the registration fee is bad enough, but to gate crash an all-women event is unfathomable. I say, leave the ladies be. It is after all, an all ladies event.

Would you gate crash an all-women event?

New Italian beauty: Wilier Imperiale 2010

The latest bike from Wilier is inspired by a hybrid of the company's Tri-Crono time trial bike and popular Cento 1.

Some interesting features:

• Soft curvaceousness of the downtube, shaped with a modified beak to help clean the residual air coming off the rotation of the front wheel.
• Continuing compound curve along the sides of the headtube to also guide the air toward the rear of the frame. The top tube slopes away at a slight angle while tapering to a smaller cross-section, allowing the air from the headtube to smoothly flow through the legs and then to the rear.
• The chainstays and seatstays both have trailing stabilizers on the rear of the tubes.
• Asymmetric chainstays, oversized BB and integrated seatmast as in Cento 1.

Check out the beauty in the following reviews:

• bike radar
• road cycling
• competitive cyclist

Official website: http://imperiale.wilier.it/

We share

When we run, we are already so exposed, often nearly naked in our shorts and T-shirts, huffing and puffing, purified by the effort. Briefly removed from the defenses and secrets we maintain in so much of our lives, we feel less need to hide our private thoughts, loves, fears, and stresses. We share.

Amby Burfoot, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life

The long runs often bring to bear some of my deepest concerns and issues relating to family, friends and work. TNF100 race last Sat brought up many issues, not least because it was so darn long. But that was really my fault, which was the whole point.

As I rationalized, I used to have cramps in my hamstrings, quads and calves during previous endurance races (marathons and triathlons), but I spent time conditioning them through training. To that extent, I was glad that the cramps didn't occur in those muscles. It was the inner right thigh (abductors) that let me down last Sat, the muscles that I completely ignored for as long as I could remember. And for it to occur on my right leg, which is my weaker leg, is no surprise. Lesson learnt: to work on strengthening the abductors.

But what really upset me was to let my team-mate down. Unlike other races where we run as individuals, TNF100 was a team event. Our team time mattered. My good friend wouldn't abandon me mid-race, and I understood and appreciated that. Even so, I felt responsible for spoiling his race that he trained so hard for. Even more so, to disappoint his daughter when she learnt that her papi didn't get a finisher medal.

To add insult to injury, I was the companion to my friends who experienced trouble in previous long trail runs. I would have done the same for them again, anytime, but for it to happen to me during race day was .... well, a total let down.

In all honesty, I thought about quitting the race, but only momentarily. The most tempting moment was when realizing that I wouldn't be able to make the 9 hours cut-off time. But I knew that it meant a lot to finish what we started, even if it meant crawling back.

As I tell my kids, we must have the courage to finish what we start.

To my friend PK, thanks for sticking with me and pulling me through.

The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.

Baron De Coubertin, Founder of the Modern Olympic Games

TNF: The Day After

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do. Here I am, one day after the most grueling race and feeling rather amazed that the only sore muscle is my inner right thigh. A stark reminder of my nemesis at TNF.

Here are some snippets of the race that I didn't have the energy to pen down yesterday:

Mohan: On track to complete 24 marathons this year, and just a week ago, he completed the Beijing marathon. That's an average of 1 per fortnight. Should reach his target of 100 marathons next year. How do one train for 24 marathons in one year? I didn't get to ask Mohan that, but will do so the next time I see him.

FeetofFury: Nice to meet him at the BTVC, and rather surprised that he wasn't racing. He explained that he is targeting the marathon in Korea in a couple of weeks' time. He was so close to qualifying for Boston last year, and I wish him all the best in this year's attempt!

Catwoman: An icon in our local racing scene, she was almost unrecognizable with a toned-down costume. The bright blue head gear made her stand out. She had a walking stick to surmount BT hill. What a good idea. Also learnt that Spiderman had an injury and would be out of action for some time. No wonder we didn't see him for some time. But Catwoman was still flying the flag high - even though she just completed Borneo two weeks ago.

WD: You, my friend, was infamous. We heard your partner calling out your name as we gazed in amazement at the barren hill (you know which hill!), and we thought for a moment that you were waiting for her. Apparently not. Another source told me today that your partner was calling out your name as she approached the finish line. Perhaps you heard her then. She was also saying things like "this is a crazy race".

Runner on Hill 256: I was surprised he was running without hydration. And it was about noon, the hottest part of the day. He looked poached. Since my curiosity got the better of me, I asked, and he told me that his hydration was with his partner, who was way ahead. I was quite flabbergasted. I offered him the last swig of water in my bottle, which wasn't much, but that was the best I could do in that dire situation. Hope he got well hydrated at the Asrama waterpoint.

Runner in TNF100 black tee: Noticed him while agonizing through the toture-maze that was known as Hill 256. Dressed in The North Face 100 black event cotton tee, rather pale and slight of build, I would not have made him for a runner. Overtook him, but he caught up at the Asrama waterpoint. Then another runner gave him a pep-talk "don't walk or you won't make the checkpoint", and immediately he took off like an energizer rabbit. We were very impressed, to say the least. Unfortunately, we caught up with him at the BTVC checkpoint where he was awaiting extraction.

Runner with spray: One of the 100km solo runners passed us along Belukar track and seeing me limping, he offered me his spray. Take it, he said, I don't need it. Clearly he didn't need it. We saw him returning on his first lap while we were along RRR, and there he was, overtaking us on his second lap! Incredible! I politely declined and thanked him. I didn't take a good look at his tag, but my guess is he is the first runner up (Yeo Kim Hong).

One of many casualties: Just before BTVC checkpoint on the return leg, we found a runner sitting by the side. PK knew him - he was a regular in the armed forces. We'd seen him in the progressive runs, and he was a strong runner. What happened? Cramps! Another victim of the hot foul weather that succumbed to the C monster. We passed him again on the way out of the checkpoint, when he was heading for an early ride back.

Companion runners from BTVC: There was a kind of camaraderie among the stragglers, of whom I was a chief culprit. A gentleman, who told me, when we met along Gangsa track, that his mind told him to run, but his legs wouldn't cooperate and that he had a blister on his foot. He contemplated catching the shuttle after meeting up with his partner at the RR water station, but several minutes later, we were surprised when he ran past us. We cheered him on! Another team - a gentleman and lady (the gentleman was a real gentleman coz he was carrying more than his share of hydration for his partner) - who also passed us along Rifle Range Road. We also cheered them on. Clearly they were making a last burst of fire, just as we did from the BTVC. When we passed them (not intentional, mind you) 1 or 2 km before the finishing line, we knew that their last burst of fire, like mine, was inadequate. But they finished the race! That was our mutual shared objective, which we achieved.

Volunteers at waterpoints: Mostly youngsters who were helping out - a big thank you in case I didn't have the energy, or was too dazed to say that yesterday. I wasn't my usual cheerful self after hours out in the hot sun. But the one look that I managed to process - a look that vacillated between "crazy" and "pity". Yes, we were a little crazy back there.

To appreciate how challenging the route and slopes are, see photos.
Some interesting preliminary results:
Winner of 100 km solo event: Yun Yan Qiao, who finished two hours ahead of the runner up.
100 km solo: 21 finishers (out of 32)
100 km duo open: 126 teams (out of appr 180 teams)
100 km women: 14 teams
50 km duo: 277 teams
50 km women: 40 teams

Congratulations to friends in The Middle Aged, Hunk and Babe, Gray Matter and other co-sufferers!

Just for the record, team fanaticsrus finished in 125th position in the 100km duo open category with a time of 9:30.

Will be back next year to collect the finisher medal.

The North Face 100 km Duo

If there's one thing that I learnt about endurance races, it is this - many things could go wrong even with the best preparation. So what went wrong today? Lest I forget, I should first mention what went right.

First, our race strategy is fundamentally sound - run 8 min, walk 1 min and walk the inclines. Even Matt, the sweeper thought this was a sensible strategy for first timers. Next, it was really good to be at the end of the pack, so we had a good chance to talk to Matt, especially about his ultra races in Ghobi, Namibia, Antarctic! The man! It was also nice to catch up with Spiderwoman, Mohan and many others. Especially an honor to run with Shawn, our own Singaporean Kona Ironlady who just completed her race last weekend! Great to catch up with Alex and Eugene about their putrajaya race.

What didn't go right was, well, cramps. Plain and simple. Starting from 20 - 21 km mark, just as we went into the restricted area at Lor Asmara. I had been taking the electrolyte pills that worked for PK and coach, but in part the hot weather and heavy sweating meant that I was losing too much salt. I increased the frequency of ingestion, but when surmounting the barren Hill 256, another bout of cramping came in. The cramping episodes were dehabilitating - had to wait a few seconds for the cramps to pass. Too many slopes to climb in the hot blazing sun. We reached the first checkpoint within the time limit, but the damage had been done.

All the way back to Bt Timah Visitor Center, I struggled with cramps. At the checkpoint there, we were informed that we missed the CP cutoff, and if we were confident that we could complete. Sure, with another 12 km to go, but the question was when. We made a concerted effort to run the last stretch, with 2.5 hours to go, but the C monster came back to haunt me. The bottom line is that we didn't manage to make the 9 hour cut-off, and didn't get the finisher medal.

To add insult to injury, I accidentally deleted/reset the run from my garmin before downloading - so nothing to show whatsoever.

WD finished with plenty of time to spare, and heartiest congratulations to him! Alex finished in 7.5 hours, and he just raced putrajaya two weeks ago and the salomon 10k last weekend. Hope Eugene would be ok as his knee injury flared up about 10k into the race.

What did I learn? That TNF 100 is no respecter of persons - even the fit may not make it. And that we should respect the terrain, weather and distance. Definitely our preparation were inadequate.

What else can I say? We were glad that we didn't give up and take the shuttle bus back, although we had two or three opportunities. The most important is that I accomplished the ultra marathon goal I set two years ago.

Last but not least, this is the toughest race I'd ever done so far.

Honor roll: Salomon Comp XA, 2XU tights

TLog: a taper variation

Under any other circumstances, I would have gone out on the streets for my taper runs, after all, it had been two years since I last visited Macau. But being stuck in a conference and seeing the low lying mist (smog?), I decided to hit the treadmill instead.

Four Seasons hotel is only one year old, and like most new hotels in Macau, it is ostentatious and opulent. The most recent hotels are bigger, taller and louder than those built more than 2 years ago. Being away from the old Macau town has its advantages.

The gym at Four Seasons is huge. About 10 treadmills, half a dozen cycling machines and weights etc. The gym overlooks the adjacent Venetian hotel, Hyatt and the Hard Rock hotel (didn't realize they'd diversified).

Tue: 1k warm up, 3x1k at 6 min pace, 4 min recovery, 1k cool down
Wed: 10 k easy at HR 145

Could remember when was the last time I ran on the treadmill. It's boring, but fortunately, better treadmills have TV screens mounted on them. So that helped to pass time.

Traveling back to SIN today.

OCBC cycle 2010

Registered for the OCBC cycle 2010 40km challenge event.

Opted for the team category with JN, SY and PK under the team name of bike4COSI. :)

New cycling route and SCSM training run

This was a tricky week mainly because I had many guests in town for a symposium. Between hosting lunches, dinners, research seminars and of course the symposium, I had to juggle my schedule around. In reverse order, this was what I did this week:

Sun - a 44 km ride covering the same Mandai route as last week, with the addition of a detour to the end of Rifle Range Road. IN first suggested this a couple of weeks ago. Apparently TriBob uses this training route frequently; in fact, during our 36 km run last week, we saw a number of cyclists going up and down RRR.

From the BTVC, the road starting inclining, gradually at first and then increasing in gradient. The slope was not that bad, but it was the length of it that sapped our energy. In fact, I felt the burn in my quads (the left in particular), the first in many months since I'd felt that. Two nice declines, especially the last, where we reached a top speed of 48 kph. That meant that we had a tough first incline to negotiate on the way back. PK was very strong on RRR - overtook me and holding the lead to the end, and then putting a large lead on the way back. What would he do with a better bike?!

Great training route - the 3.5km long RRR. Was hesitant on the descent as I couldn't see very well in the early hours of the morning. And I didn't know the lay of the land too well.

Sat - a 22 km PMC run with DW and OPK. OPK ran just 5 km, and returned to PMC. The two of us slogged through the increasingly hot morning, at a modest pace of about 8 min/km. Took a couple of breaks, finishing in over 3 hours. This was the second in our training runs in the lead up to the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon for PMC running community

Fri - R&R

Thu - R&R

Wed - 8.5km trail run with increasing pace.

Tue - 30 lap easy swim

Mon - R&R

I guess the key question is how do my legs feel? They felt much better this week, even though I did 36k last Sat compared to the previous 30k. No pain in the right knee, which was a relief. Still some stiffness so I did a lot of stretches on the off days. The weekend workouts were good to burn off all the excess calories I took in during the week as a result of hosting lunches and dinners.

Nothing much to do except to taper for NF100 next Sat.

Tokyo marathon 2010

Received an email today informing that I was successful in my ballot for Tokyo marathon 2010. My good friend in Tokyo heeded my advice this year and registered as a Singaporean, and he was successful as well. Good for him!

We were to run TM together this year, but he chose to register using his Tokyo address, and no surprise, he was unsuccessful. That was a big let down for him. It was apparent that foreigners have a higher chance of being selected. In fact, it is rumored that all foreigners would be selected. How true, I do not know.

The problem is this: TM will be 3 weeks before the Aviva 70.3. And MBH is unconvinced that I should run TM again. Well, I have till Oct 30 to decide, after which the slot would be released to those on the waiting list.

What say you?

Enchanted forest

It was about 16+ km into our run when we entered the enchanted forest. At least that's what it appeared to be. Trees overhead, dimmed light, wet trails and above all, a mist that floated around us. It was the first time I'd seen such a scene, much less in the dense catchment area of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Of course there's a good explanation for it. It had been raining, first drizzle then a topical downpour. The trails were muddy and streams of water were gushing down the slopes. Dark thunder clouds overhead and dense foliage added to the effect. Viola.

We were on our last LSD run before NF100 in two weeks' time. Starting off at MR, the four of us (PK, WD, IN - whom we coerced to join us!) went anticlockwise, via Rifle Range Link/Road toward BTVC in a simulation of what we hoped would be the actual race route. We were doing our normal 8:1 run:walk + walk up every slope strategy, and managed to clock a decent 8 to 9 min/km pace for the first 10 km.

A pit stop at BTVC when the drizzle started, and the customary walk up BT summit. The climb up was much easier than the climb down, no thanks to MRK. It took us 50 minutes (incl the rest stop) to cover these 4 km.

The rain started pouring down heavily by the time we reached Meeting Point 3 at Zhenghua and Chestnut Ave. As usual, we picked up our spears heading toward the old biker course, on the lookout for vicious dogs. My defence was to go for the nose when attacked (just as I would a shark when diving) - at least in theory!

HR was below 160 most of the way except when summiting BT and toward Ganga loop. Fatigue started setting in on the return leg, and my pace slowed. I started shuffling my feet and tripped a few times before a tumble. Good thing I was not hurt. Reminded myself to pick up my feet thereafter.

A little lost at the Durian loop, and lost some time there. I tried the back to start navigation tool on my garmin, but both attempts simply resulted in the unit shutting down. I did not check whether the watch was on, and missed about 4 km of the journey back (hence the fly line on the map).

IN's ITB acted up, and we were gradually falling back. We eventually separated from the other two at the RR road, and brisk walked. At MR, we started a slow run again. Unfortunately, I missed a turn and we ended up at Lornie Road. We ran the last 3 km before a well deserved breakfast at the cafe.

Took us 6:45 to finish 37.5 km. Here's the breakdown:

first 10 km (MR to BTVC): 8 to 9 min/km
11 to 14 km (climb up and down BT summit): 50 min including rest stop at BTVC
15 to 18 km (Gangsa loop): about 8 to 10 pace due to heavy rain
19 to 27 km (back to BTVC): 9 to 12 pace
balance (back to MR): 10 to 13 pace - more walk than run due to ITB

View run in Garmin connect.

The positives:
Compression tights and electrolyte pills helped! So we are going to stick with what works.
Cool weather
No blisters despite wet shoes and socks. The blister guard helped, so did the injini socks.

The negatives:
How would our pace be affected by hot weather?
Long pit stops
Check points cut off

We only found out about the check point cut off times when we collected our race pack that afternoon. Need to work out a strategy ;|

Found out that our route on race day will bring us further north to Mandai and the famous hill 265. The good news is that hill 265 is no more a hill, just level ground.

Counting down to Oct 24!

Congratulations to friends who completed Putrajaya 70.3

AY and his friends completed the Putrajaya 70.3 race last weekend. AY came in at 6:13, an incredible time given that he only completed his OD in Bintan this year. Already, he and his friends have completed the Desaru long distance tri. So Putrajaya is their second 70.3!

The good news is that the waters are clean and calm. Pencilling in Putrajaya for next year!

TLog: preparing for another LSD trail run

Mon: rest
Tue: 1 hour easy trail run
Wed: 1 hour easy swim
Thu: rest
Fri: 6 k easy on-road run

Tomorrow: 36 km trail run. The last LSD before NF100.

The things that happen on our bike rides

Warning: this post is not intended to disparage anyone, but merely to take a good humored look at ourselves.

Strange things happen on our bike rides. It started with a wheel going into a drain grating, resulting in a puncture. It took four of us and half an hour to fix the problem. Which was to chuck the bike into the support van and look for someone who knew what to do.

Then not once, but twice, someone in our riding group fell when stopping at the end of our ride. And it happened almost at the very same spot. One moment, they were cruising along preparing to stop and next moment, they were on the ground. These two incidents didn't occur at the same time, but a few weeks apart.

And not to forget our rainy rides. The worst was the Changi coastal ride. It started just as we were going toward Selarang, and then it poured and we took cover. The rain abated and we started off, and it poured again. Finally we made a beeline for shelter, towels and coffee. We were called "pathetic" by a significant other.

How could we forget the time when a spoke broke and we spent 15 minutes trying to unstuck the wheel. Finally, somehow, we did, and J had to wobble for the next 25 km.

Not too long ago, a chain got derailed when climbing and shifting and it took 5 minutes to fix the problem. (Notice that we were getting better at fixing problems?)

Then this morning, it happened to me. We were doing good riding from Tampines towards Punggol. I felt a thud and something dropped off. I checked the lights, shifters, brakes and looked down a few times, but nothing seemed amissed. Several meters further on, when we came to a traffic light, I was slowing down and something felt totally wrong. Couldn't place it. Then IN told me that my pedal arm came off. Good thing it was lying just two feet away.

Apparently the nut came off (several km back, I felt a cranking sound at the traffic junction). We walked back to find the nut, but no luck in the poor light. That was the end of my ride. Took a taxi home and rejoined the gang at Simpang Bedok for breakfast and had a good laugh about it.

Wonder if anyone else had their pedal arms fall off? Or am I the only joker?

Primal

There's something primal about running among trees and dense foliage with a spear in one's hand. Minutes ago, we were told by two bikers that there were three dogs that loved chasing bikers and (less so) runners. So when WD picked up a bamboo stick, I thought that was a good idea and picked up a fallen branch (my makeshift spear). Then we entered this densely vegetated trail, almost fully covered overheard.

No, we didn't encounter any dogs, just a chicken running away from the sight of us mighty hunters.

The truth is that if I were a caveman depending on my hunting (and running) skills, I wouldn't last very long.

It was just a 15 km trail run from BTVC. The plan was to go via Hindhede loop - Diary Farm pass - Belukar track - Zhenghua Park - Gangsa track - u-turn point at 7.5km (hope to reach Gangsa loop), then back track via Belukar track and Lornie track to BTVC.

At Zhenghua Park, we decided not to go via Chestnut Drive, but rather the PCN toward Bt Panjang. That led us beside the BKE and we found an underpass beneath the BKE to cut across to the east side. We were at a farm, and took the northerly track which eventually led to Gangsa track. We managed to reach Gangsa loop, and had a breather at the expressway junction, marking 7.5 km.

The weather was hot and I wished I'd brought along a bottle of water to cool myself. On the way back, we took the longer Gangsa track - hence the dog episode.

Belukar track became quite familiar after a number of runs through it. It was "painful" to run in the open part of this track and we were relieved to get back into shade.

Right after passing the rifle range, I ran out of hydration, but it was only 2km more to go. BTVC was a welcome sight.

Even though this was only 15km (taking 2:30), I kinda struggled today. Attributed( conveniently) it to the weather and heat.

View in Garmin connect.

TLog: And here comes the haze

It was unmistakable - the first thing that hit me when I walked out the office this afternoon - the smell. Next, I saw it - the haze.

Good thing the morning was clear when I went for an easy 30 km ride. Easy saunter along PCN toward Changi V. Would have gone on the roads before dawn, but it was drizzling then and I popped back to bed. Worked on the pull motion, which was described as scrapping mud off the shoes. But I simply thought of it as flipping the feet. Felt the strain on the hip flexors. And yes, I could feel the increase in speed. Now to commit that to muscle memory.

Yesterday's 30 lap swim was another easy affair. It just felt good to be in the water again after one week. Corrected the tendency to over-rotate when on the right.

Coach planned a semi-recovery week in view of last week's 30k trail run and 30 kph ride(!). So all easy workouts this week :)

Hopefully the haze wouldn't get too bad ... Remember the bad haze was in 2006 when training for my first half marathon. Had to do a lot of treadmill running, which was really boring.

Recovery ride - that wasn't

Sunday riding group was down to just four of us. Couldn't let the gang down, could I? Of course not, even after a 30 km trail run yesterday. So at 4:58 am, I showed up with my bike at Duku Road, having decided to ride there instead of drive.

It was the same route as we did some weeks ago but did not complete due to heavy rain- down Mountbatten toward Fort Road, and then following the East Coast service road toward NSRCC. SY led this segment as he did the first time. It would have been the strain from yesterday, but the pace felt fast. I found out later that it was about our normal riding speed - 26 kph.

At NSRCC, I took over to pull. Perhaps it was the aero position or perhaps subconsciously I wanted to push myself, but the rest were to complain later that I went too fast. I couldn't tell the speed while riding as I didn't have a speedometer on the P2 (I couldn't tell even on the cento uno when riding in the morning). Note to myself- must do something about this. But it felt close to 30 kph. I didn't feel it was that fast as my HR (as I found out later) was between 140 and 150.

I was trying to keep my pace consistent, but as a newbie, I didn't do that very well at all. Sorry guys.

Over the last 2 km of the coastal road, I thought I would push it up a notch and it would be about then that we lost two of the group. PK was keeping pace with me throughout the entire coastal section, much to his credit. He's really improving by leaps and bounds, I thought to myself.

It was only at pit stop at the Changi Village temple that I realized that we lost half of our group. Needless to say, they gave me some grief for going too fast. I found out later that I averaged about 29 to 30 kph over this segment (with a top speed of 35 kph).

The third segment was thorugh Loyang and Selarang. As usual, I attacked Loyang Way (in my limited manner), but PK had some chain problem. The rest of the ride was uneventful, except the traffic at the PIE intersection, and I broke off from the group to head back home. 43 km.

Surprisingly, the legs felt better after the ride. It was a good recovery ride.

Overall ave speed: 24.5kph. Ave HR: 132

View ride in Garmin connect.

North Face 30k sufferfest run

We signed up for the 30 km progressive run some months ago, the idea was to evaluate our race strategy as well as to clock in a long trail run. Our goal was simple - to complete the 50 km race within the time limit of 9 hours. A modest goal given that we were new to trails and let's face it - the North Face 100 duo is a tough race.

The strategy - walk breaks of 1 min for every 8 min, and to walk up inclines to keep HR moderate. Endurance is the game, not speed. With my limited trail exposure, 30 km would be the longest trail run for me todate. Hooked up with my team-mate PK and WD - a kindred soul - and we started off in one of the last groups.



The same start point as the 20 km progressive run at Rifle Range carpark. We headed towards Bt Timah hill, climbed up Hindhede Road and come down on the north side towards Zhenghua Park. The decline was a combination of steep steps and rough steps cutting through tree trunks and roots, making it the slowest section of the run. The section towards Zhenghua was uneventful, except that the faster runners were already heading back. Passed Diary Farm Road and then Chestnut Avenue. A u-turn and back toward RR carpark where we had our first water point, making 10 km. By then, we were getting into the 8:1 grove. We took about 1:40 for the first 10 km, with average speed between 8 to 9 min/km (except for Bt Timah section), and ave HR about 150+.

We took our time at the water point - hydrated and even took a toilet break. Then it was time to head toward MacRtichie Reservoir via Rifle Range Link. For the first time, I covered all of RRR, going over BKE.

It was 15km when we reached the MR junction, and many 20km runners were heading back - including AY and his friends (good luck for Putrajaya!). The sun was out in full force by then, and the unshaded Golf Link took a lot out of me. I was lagging behind the other two by then, and HR was in the 160 - 170 range. MRK started acting up (good to have you around) and my friends noticed my limp.

Slowed down considerably and it was with great relief that we arrived at the MR cafe for another water break. 20 km in 3:15. Ice-cold isotonic drinks tasted real good just about then!

By then, we figured we were one of the last runners, and cramps were starting to get to us. I had some cramps at 26km, and to be honest, I was glad for inclines so that I could walk. Glad to see the waterpoint at the 24 km mark, and the helpers were all ready to pack up.

All through the last few km, all I could do was to keep the other two within my sight. It had been a long time since I did a long run (almost 4 months) and I sure suffered for it. Our pace had slowed to about 10 min/km towards the end. You know how it is - the km just going by without much recollection - all I could think of was to keep moving, either shuffling my feet or walk.

WD was strong over the last few km, and he went on ahead. Our spirits were uplifted over the last km, as we knew that the end was near, and we could then celebrate our achievement, however small it might be. And yes, we came in within 5 hours. Although it was only 30km, it felt more like 42.

View on Garmin connect

What did we learn from this sufferfest? Well, for one, agony and pain love company. “Shared pain is lessened; shared joy is increased." (Spider Robinson). Second, the walk breaks worked well and our overall strategy appears intact. What we need to do is to find a better balance between pace and endurance. Maybe a 7:1 or 6:1 ratio. Keep the C beast at bay. Next, more acclimatization training sessions under hot afternoon sun. Last but not least, to improve our power walk. Ideally, to do a 10 min/km pace brisk walk.

PS: Thanks for waiting for me, guys.

Group riding by Wild Cat

Found this informative article by Wild Cat on TriFam forum, reproduced with permission:

Why ride in a bunch (by Tanya Bosch)? Some do it to motivate themselves to get up and train, others do it for safety in numbers on the road or simply for social reasons. Many friendships have been forged while spinning away the kilometers. Some view bunch riding as a personal challenge: if only I can keep up with them going up this hill then I know I've really made it.

So how do you join a bunch? If you join on the road, keep on the back unless you have permission to move towards the front. Some bunches are groups of cyclists who are paying a coach and others are not keen to be responsible for a rider that they do not know.

Don't join a bunch unless they show some kind of support. Some will support slow riders by waiting at the top of long hills or having some kind of recognized short cut on the course. Others support faster riders by having some fast sections for them that don't break up the bunch too much.

There should also be some support for those suffering punctures or mechanical breakdowns when either the whole bunch stops or one or two people stop and help. Most bunches ride two abreast as it is safest to take up one lane of the road.

Accelerating
Accelerating away from lights and across lanes should be done in a more dignified manner than when you're on your own, so that other cyclists are not dropped.

Braking
Avoid braking as much as possible and give warning beforehand. When stopping for lights, do so gently without slamming the brakes on. The same goes for stopping pedaling suddenly, which can cause an accident.

Cornering
Give your partner plenty of room in the corner and keep level with them. Corner at a safe speed so that everyone behind can keep up and hold your wheel. If you find that you are continually "losing wheels" then it is time to do some cornering practise.

Downhill
If you are at the front of the bunch, keep pedaling down gentle gradients. If you don't everyone else will be putting on their brakes.

Half Wheeling
"Half-wheeling" is one rider always riding in front of his partner, which then puts the whole bunch out. It is essential that you keep level with your partner if at the front. Keep your handlebars level with the handlebars of the rider next to you, rather than your front wheel level with theirs. (add on by me: If I find the person next to me uncomfortable riding too close to the one in front, I may drop back so that I am level with him (rather than trying to force him to ride closer than he's comfortable with). Also worthy to note, some newer riders are not too used to other riders coming too close to them. Be sensitive about it.)

Sitting On
Keep reasonably close to the cyclist in front of your and again keep level e with your partner. If too much of a gap is left the bunch is always playing "catch up". Keep your head and eyes up. Don't watch the gap between bikes. Scanning ahead will give you early warning of changes.

Uphill
In some bunches everyone splits up and goes up at their own pace while other bunches try and stay together. If that is the case and you feel like dropping off, pull off quickly so that others don't get caught behind you. When climbing a hill and deciding to get out of the saddle, do it in one continuous flowing movement. Otherwise the wheel slows momentarily and can hit the wheel of the cyclists behind, causing a fall.

Warnings and hand signals
If you are riding well into the bunch, you won't be able to see very far ahead.
Hazards: the most common are glass, rubbish and potholes. Call them out. Hand signal is point of the finger.

Parked cars: "Car left" is the call and arm swings back and goes behind the back, i.e. pointing the direction the pack should move out from.

Slow rider: "Rider left" and same sign as above.

Lights or stopping: Elementary.

Car behind: "Car back" is the call and no hand signal.

Changing lanes: "Over" or "Wait" whichever safety dictates. Called by the person at the back and on the right.


These are the basics which I have skimmed from the writeup available from http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/anzac...20Etiquette.ppt


Other things to note
1. Be predictable in all actions. Maintain a steady line and avoid sudden hard braking or changing directions suddenly. Remember that there are riders following closely behind you.

2. Keeping to your line. Try as much as possible to stay on your line. Avoid changing from left to right to left to right as it irritates the riders behind you (and possibly in front of you too).

3. Do not cut in suddenly. This happens quite a bit on the Sat rides. Always be aware of who is behind you on the left side before cutting in. Look. Then if there is space, cut in gently, not in a sudden movement. As an illustration...

. . |a
. . |b
|x |c
. . |d

Rider a has passed a slower rider x. He has enough space to cut back into the leftmost lane without causing any problems. What happens then is rider b who is drafting directly behind rider a, or even rider c, who has overtaken rider x but not completely, then cuts back in left. Physics tells us no two space can be occupied at the same time. What happens now is rider x has to either do an emergency brake, or be run off the road.

If rider a moves back in, if you are rider b or c just continue at the same speed but do not cut back in immediately. Ensure you do not cause a danger to rider x. For this same reason, I do not move back in immediately to the leftmost lane even if I am in front as I know some people drafting me may try to follow me and cut back in immediately.

4. Stay to the left to allow others pass by safely from the right. Overtake on the right hand side. If overtaking on the left, make sure the rider in front of you knows (call out, "overtaking on left") and should be avoided as much as possible. It's the same principle as cars overtaking from the left side on roads.

5. Be smooth with turns in front of group. Avoid surges unless trying to break from the bunch. A group will travel faster when turns are completed smoothly.

6. Don't leave gaps when following wheels. A newer cyclist may find that it is not possible to keep too close to the wheel in front. I use the following method: imagine a string between you and the next cyclist. Keep to that distance. If you get too close to the cyclist in front, the string droops. If you drop too far from the cyclist in front, the string breaks. However do try to maintain a steady pace rather than a surge/brake kinda thing which does irritate the rider behind you. If someone is doing that to you, just leave more space between you and the person.

7. Keep to your line. Yes, I mentioned it before and will mention it again. If you are not comfortable cornering, slow down BEFORE the corner (try not to brake too much IN THE CORNER, unless you really have no choice). If you are the ride leader, slow down before the corner and don't accelerate immediately after the corner. This is not a criterium race.

8. Keep to your line. You do not have to overtake just because someone in front left a gap. There may be a reason. The person may not be comfortable with keeping the distance? The person may just want to smoothen out the ride? I tend to do this especially when the pace in front is too jerky, and you will find me catching back to the group on downhills. Understandably there will be times when the group will split into a faster and slower group. If that is so and there's a big gap that you want to close up, then look for a SAFE opportunity to do so, ensuring there are no traffic on the right before overtaking.

9. Try not to gain places when everyone is stopped at the lights. If you are behind someone, unless there's a good reason to overtake at this point, just stop behind the person.

10. Stop behind vehicles at lights. Do not try to squeeze in between cars and such. If you are a solo rider or just a very small group of two, three experienced riders, then go ahead and do it. Otherwise, in a big pack, just stop behind the last vehicle and take up the lane behind it. When the lights go green, it gives you a lot more space to startout, rather than being caught in between a car and the pavement/another car and less than an inch between to try and push off from stationary.

Another thing to note is that a car may find it difficult to pass cyclists (especially big packs). Once it does so, it will be pretty irritating to the car to have to overtake the cyclists all over again and may be less patient this time. So in order to be road-friendly, I'd suggest just stopping behind the last vehicle.

11. Running red lights. I admit, I'm guilty. Let's try to avoid this. And another point is even if the lights are green, do slow down at junctions.


Ride safe.