Called to Action by Kristin Armstrong

Every now and then, an article jumped out at me and tugged at my heartstrings. This article "Called to Action" by one my favorite writer Kristin Armstrong is one.

There is an underlying purpose and meaning behind my training, always. It isn't about the next race or the next workout. It's about fitness and fortitude for the next test around the corner that I cannot see. Everyone will face a challenging experience, whether we want to acknowledge its inevitability or not—the doctor calls to say he needs to discuss the test results in person, or a police officer has news at the front door, or you find a lump in your breast, or you lose your job, or your child is diagnosed with something, or your spouse walks out the door. When my next moment comes, I want to be strong and centered enough to handle it with some measure of grace. But perhaps even more importantly, I want to be fast enough to be first on the scene when a loved one needs me, and I want to be fit enough to help carry their load for as long as it takes to reach the other side.

Read more.

Fortitude. Such an obscure word these days. But fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues since the time of Plato (the others being prudence, justice and temperance). Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. Fortitude is the word to describe the early Christians willing to give their lives rather than to renounce their faith. Fortitude is what enables our migrant forefathers to cope with poverty and losses. They persevered with courage and determination.

Running fosters fortitude. Fortitude to break the one minute mile, to go sub-3 (or sub-5 in my case), to head out with our sneakers regardless of fatigue or mood. And of course, fortitude for the next test round the corner, whatever that may be.

Aviva 70.3 Singapore: registered

Thanks to Jodan who alerted me about registration for the Aviva 70.3, I checked and found out that the deadline for super early bird is end Jun. So I duly signed up in faith!

Age categorization is wrt end Dec 2010. So that puts me in the 50+ age group. That means starting in wave 3 and getting overtaken by all the younger guys, but at least it won't be so lonely towards the end.

Open water swim: articles from 220Triathlon

Cold water, lack of visibility, waves, current, no rests at the end of the pool, no lane discipline with arms everywhere, not to mention marine life (jelly fish!) and depth…

I have to admit that open water swimming without visibility is a fear that I had to overcome. So it is always good to read up more and of course to practice OWS.

Here are some tips/advice I found useful.

Introduction to Open Water Swim part 1:
Cold water shock
The process of jumping into cold water makes us tense up, resulting in very shallow breathing, so entering the water gradually is essential. However, once over the initial immersion, many new open-water swimmers then struggle to put their face in cold water. Again, this needs to be done gradually to build confidence. (Some of the larger open-water swim masks can help beginners as more of the face is covered. You may find this aids confidence levels.)

Once in the water we need to allow ourselves some time to overcome the shallow breathing reaction to the cold. So it's a good idea to adopt a warm-up or acclimatisation routine that can be practised in training and also used in the warm time prior to a swim start. Typically, it should involve some easy swimming, working solely on breathing exhalation and rhythm to counter the body's reaction.

Try to swim with a breathing pattern of three, four and even six strokes per breath for around 3-5mins. Then roll over on your back and take some large, controlled breaths. The next part of any warm-up will focus on your stroke. We'd suggest some basic drills, followed by a series of short, increasing-pace swims of 20-30secs, focusing on stroke length and breathing. Finish with around 2-3mins of steady, recovery swimming and stretching.

Goggles
Choose a pair of goggles or swim mask that fits. To ensure a good seal, gently press the goggles/mask to the face without the strap. If you can look down and they stay on through suction alone, then they're likely to remain leak free.

Don't use goggles with small sockets for open water because they'll inhibit your vision. (If only I can find larger goggles with prescription lenses!)

If you find sighting difficult or have a claustrophobic tendency when in open water, try an open-water swim mask. Again, ensure the mask is a good fit because if they leak, you end up with a lot of water in there.

Once you've found a type you're happy with, buy a second, back-up pair and take them with you to your races. Also, consider buying a smoked or tinted pair for swimming in very sunny conditions – but don't use these in dull conditions.

Don't use old goggles – they will fog up.

When in the water, a little spit goes a long way to help keeping the lens from fogging – although most decent types have an anti-fog coating.

Straps under the hat or over? Pro for under: goggles more protected. Con: if you do get knocked, they may be harder to adjust. Personally, I have them over so I can reposition them more easily.

Introduction to Open Water Swim part 2
Sight like a Croc
This should be practised so that the act of sighting is incorporated into your stroke and disrupts you and your momentum as little as possible. The most common error is to confuse sighting with breathing - if you look up and forward and try to take a breath at the same time, your legs are going to sink, which will stop you dead in the water.

Instead, try looking forward by only slightly raising your head so only your eyes are above the water. This way you can keep exhaling beneath the surface and your body remains flat with your legs up. Then you inhale as you normally would by putting your head back in the water and rolling to the side on the next stroke. Sighting like this is referred to as the crocodile technique as only your eyes peak out above the surface.

Sometimes the initial sight gives you only a rough idea of where you're headed, so practising taking two sights on successive strokes is useful. The second sighting allows you to hone in on the point you're looking for. It's equally important to not lift your head up too far or for too long. You need to keep the swim rhythm to ensure your momentum is maintained. After sighting, make small adjustments to your stroke; otherwise you'll end up zig zagging.

Turning technique
If the turn is very sharp, there are two ways to change direction fast, the first of which is the sweep turn. Use the arm that's closest to the inside of the turn as a pivot by keeping it straight and deep through the underwater phase of the stroke. Then, with the arm that's on the outside, take wide, 'sweeping' strokes to push you round the turn.

Secondly, there's the roll turn, where you roll onto your back mid turn before turning 90º as you roll back onto your front. In effect, it's like doing one stroke of backstroke to cause a complete change of direction.

Introduction to Open Water Swim part 3
Water start: most people will begin by treading water near each other in a vertical position. The trouble with doing this is that when the starter pistol fires and everyone moves into a horizontal position to start swimming, you end up fighting for space with everyone else.

Shore start:
The dolphin technique
1 Running into the water: as the water becomes deeper, prepare to dive forward with both arms.
2 First dolphin dive: launch forward and dive into the water, aiming to go as long as possible.
3 Underwater phase: in waves you should plan to time this so that you dive below the oncoming wave.
4 Placing your hands on the bottom, push up to help plant your feet and prepare for the next dive.
5 Now bend your knees and launch yourself forward for the second dolphin dive.
6 Repeat the sequence until the water is mid-thigh or so, then it's more efficient to swim.

Pacing
For novice swimmers this fast-start pacing plan may not be the best approach - it's actually much better to go steady and to focus on breathing and rhythm. This way you'll finish the swim more strongly by not having swum anaerobically at the start.

After the start you need to swim at a sustainable pace. Most triathletes have real problems with knowing how fast they're swimming, especially when there's no clock or turn after each 25/50m. It's therefore very important to know your limits - using the pace clock or a watch to measure your swim workouts in training will pay dividends when converting to open water.

A great workout if you're racing 1,500m in open water is to swim a 10-12 x 100m with a 10sec rest between each 100m. Note the start and finish times and deduct the rest intervals (10-12 x 10 secs). Aim to swim at an even pace. You'll probably notice that the first five or six are relatively easy but then it becomes increasingly difficult to hold pace. If that's the case you know you're swimming too fast, so you should adjust your pace the next time you do it. When it comes to the race, use your experience from these workouts to ensure you don't set off too fast, only to fade later.

Parting advice: a tight, anxious swimmer is also a slow swimmer. So keep calm, stay relaxed, remain in control and you'll swim better than ever this season.

Master the Middle by Mark McKay

Have been thumbing through a few triathlon magazines over the past months. 220Triathlon, a British publication, provides very good training tips.

In the typical British understated way, the Ironman is referred to as long distance triathlon and the 70.3 is the middle distance. Here's an abstract of the article from Mark McKay on how to deal with the cycling leg of 70.3:

1. Strength and endurance
Goal is to develop body's efficiency by training it to cope with longer sustained efforts. Utilize a greater amount of body fat as fuel, and have strength for the run. Training periods of about three quarters of the total estimated race time. E.g. total race time is 6 hours, train 4.5 hours - either all on the bike or 3 hour bike plus 90 min run.

2. Core Strength
Need to build up core strength to hold the body together for 6 hours or more. Do planks.

3. Fuel ability

4. Recovery time

5. Equipment/bike position
Comfort over speed and aerodynamics. Important that shoulders, neck and back aren't too sore for the run (I got that problem at the Bintan OD!). Raise bars and drop saddle height.

Race Ready in 16 weeks

Week 1: Adjust bike position in preparation for increased training distances.

Week 2: Complete up to 3x2hr rides at non-burn pace - know this pace!

Week 3: Add an extra 30 min onto rides

Week 4: Do a 3hr ride non-stop if possible.

Week 5: Ride for up to 2hrs in the racing position.

Week 6: Review bike position, taking any aches/pains into consideration.

Week 7: Complete a 3 and 3.5hr ride non-stop.

Week 8: Practice the racing position for 2x90min in a session.

Week 9: Complete a 3 and 4 hr ride with a stop.

Week 10: Complete a 3 and 4 hr ride non-stop.

Week 11: Complete 2x4hr rides non-stop.

Week 12: Easy week with reduced distances.

Week 13 and 14: Shorter, faster rides.

Week 15 and 16: You're now race ready.

Runner's World Marathon Challenge

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BFG Rave Runs: Fartlek in Stockholm

Fartlek, as readers know, is speedplay in Swedish. What better place to do a fartlek run than in Stockholm Sweden!

Headed due east this morning, toward Ladugårdsgärdet, a part of the 27sq km Ekoparken, the world’s first national park within a city. Just 2 to 3 km from Gamla Stan (old town), it was quite startling to run into vast open spaces and woods (pine trees?) under a clear blue sky. There were many stately houses at Nobelparken (Nobel prize winners get to live here?) and ran past the PRC embassy.

An old poster from the Stockholm marathon was left on a lamp-post, a reminder that this is part of the marathon route. Some day, perhaps?

Over to the north was the Kaknastornet, the tallest building in the city. This is the automatic operations centre for radio and TV broadcasting in Sweden, that opened in 1967 and provides what is termed the best view of Stockholm. Since I didn't have my camera phone with me, this pix (aerial view from the east) will have to do:


Crossed the short bridge into Djurgården, this time I ran due west along the unpaved footpath besides the waterway. The crunch of gravel beneath the shoes was the only sound along this stretch, and I was glad for the occasional runner out there with me.

Today's training called for 3 sets of 10 min fast-paced run with HR above 150, followed by 3 min recovery. Basically a mile-repeat training.

Completed the third set just at the bridge heading back toward the whart, and took a slow 2 km warm down back to the hotel.

At a traffic junction, a lady cyclist pulled up beside me. She's riding a Cervelo P2 - exact color scheme as mine. Nice! (I mean the bike, not the biker.)

Noticed a few walkers and skaters out there, with Nordic inline skates and ski poles. Stockholm has a good network of cycling lanes, even in the town center. From my limited observation, I see good discipline amongst cyclists. Something to emulate, Singapore!

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Today, there's a marathon over at Kustmaran, a remote town in Sweden. Last Sat, there was the Midnight Sun marathon at Tromso Finland. Yes, I'd checked these out for some future reference! ;)

Enjoyed the tremendous weather, fresh air, cool evenings and long days.

BFG Rave Runs: Stockholm

Jun 25, 8 am Stockholm (Sweden).

Established back in the 13th century, Stockholm means the town in between the bridges. This is because Stockholm is built on waterways. So it is of little surprise that I explored the old town waterfront starting from the Gustav Adolfs Torg near to the Royal Palace.

Ran past the National Museum into the islands of Skepps Holmen, which was formerly a naval yard and base. Now the islands are host for a number of museum. Nice view of the Royal Palace from the western shores.





Continued east along the pier and turned into the larger island of Djurgården. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, old stately houses and yatches. It is Stockholmers' favorite recreation areas and tourist destination.

This is a pretty and scenic island. Manicured lawns, cool shades under the majestic trees, undulating terrain (good training for NF100), and the cool 21 deg C weather, clear blue sky just made the run seem easy. A marked contrast from barely a week ago, from the third world to the first, from newly carved dirt tracks to medieval cobbled stones.

At the 7 km mark, I turned back and headed back to the Scandic Sergel Plaza hotel for a 11 km aerobic run. A very pleasant run.

HR ave 146. Pace ave: 7 min/k. Mizuno Rider 12


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Wilier Cento Uno 2009: More reviews

Reviews on Wilier Centro Uno (2009)

Road Cycling UK
Competitive Cyclist
Pro Cycling
Cadence Cycling
Bike Radar

COSI recce and aerobic runs

Ever wondered how it is like to plan, organize and execute a race? Occassionally, not often, I wonder. But for a small race for the COSI children, out in the somewhat remote rural farmland of Cambodia, there are challenges that are - shall we say - quite unique.

The race route, for one. The only recollection I had was the 8 km run I did with Vuthy last August. So needless to say, I had to do a recce run on Jun 15 (Mon), prior to the rehearsal day. My memory failed me yet again, and I went north (see map below), instead of west. I explored a fork due west into a village, but there were just too many dogs. Dogs would run out and bark at strangers (that's me). But the good thing was that they didn't chase me. I was holding on to my water bottle just in case.

On the way back, I went due west, and took a left turn due south around another village. This took me all around the COSI compound and through the school field. But the path becamse just a narrow footpath, unsuitable for running.

In any case, we decided on a simple 1 km and 2 km route, out and back with mid points at 500m and 1 km.

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Aerobic runs on June 16 (7k) and 20 (10k). For the June 16 run, I was joined by about half a dozen COSI youths and children, TH, Faith, WL, and later with RN and HY. This time, we took the westerly route. Also the run was for familiarization for the team.

The 10k run on Jun 16 was just for me. Needed to get the body going after some days of relative inactivity. Slow easy aerobic run to yet another village and back.

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Running on dirt tracks is nice for a change. But need to be careful not to shuffle the feet. That could lead to tripping over uneven surfaces. Encountered that on the return leg.

While on the subject of race organization, what do we do when we don't have timing chips and mats? How do we capture the positions and also ensure that runners do not skip the mid point? Steph, our race director and Candy, deputy race director, had a brillant system figured out that works like a charm, all without the aid of modern day technology. How can we quickly compute the scores of six different houses (dorms) based on the race positions of their children? What is a fair system?

All I can say, without divulging too much of Steph's trade secret is that the system involved positions rather than timing, stick-on tags, colour stickers and great organization!

Does anyone out there need a race director?

run4COSI 2009

Jun 18, 2009; 5:45 am

The children orphanage at COSI, Cambodia, was abuzz with activity early this morning. The 136 children were rehearsing for the inaugural run4COSI event, a fund raising run to sponsor graduating children to pursue higher education under PCOSIIP. The team from Pentecost Methodist Church was helping with the deployment of road marshals, tag coordinators and medical teams.


The first group to flag off at 6:30 am was for children aged 12 and under. After a short prayer, the children sprinted off, some with shoes, but most without - just running barefooted or in their flip flops.

It is said that there's nothing purer than to see young children run. For the one kilometer they cover, it was pure joy all the way. TH, the lead runner for this group testified that it was an all-out dash for him, and he could just barely keep ahead of the children.



The second group of older children - running two km - flagged off shortly after the first group returned. A much larger group, one could see the competitive spirit within them. HY, the lead runner for the second group was glad that he kept fit from his IPPT and marathon training, for the kids were really fast.


As the sweeper for the second group, I was pleasantly surprised to see a few shoes discarded on the side of the dirt track. The kids just decided that it was faster to run barefooted. (The house parents picked up the shoes after the race!)

There were only a few small puddles of water from the rain the night before. The rain sufficiently cooled down the temperature, but not so much as to render the dirt track wet and difficult to run. It was a really pleasant morning for a run.

At the finish line, kids had gathered to cheer and welcome their returning friends. It was heart warming.

All the kids had a big smile on their faces. To most, this was their first experience at a running event, and I'd bet not their last.



Narak, a new boy who entered the orphanage just a few months ago, was beaming from ear-to-ear. He had come in third (or fourth), and he's only 9 years old. Who knows, he could be groomed to become a good runner. Narak is now a sponsored child (by MBH and yours truly). Pix of Narak crossing the finish line below

The smiles were out again in the afternoon, when the results of the trial run were announced after the PCOSIIP awards ceremony. The top five boys and girls in the two categories received prizes. The top boy house (dorm) and the top girl house, as well as the overall top house were announced. Instead of medals, the prizes were edible goodies/snacks. And it was clear which was more valued by these kids.

Special thanks to race director SS, staff of COSI and the young adult team from PMC.

I think this is the start of a running tradition.

TLog: Using core muscles

An article by Mark Allen in the Triathlete magazine reminded me to use the core muscles by rotating on the swim. This is something that I have neglected in the past months. So for the last two swim sessions, I refocused on rotating into the water, stretching out and pulling back at the same time. Glide just for a sec. This worked well on the steady swim main set.

pull: 0.53, 0.54, 0.54, 0.56
5x100m: 2.04, 2.08, 2.07, 2.10, 2.11 (ave: 2.08)
3x200m: 4.33, 4.35, 4.41 (ave: 4.36)

A quick comparison of time shows that I was better at the 200m intervals in spite of slower turnover. The 100m sets were a touch slower, but I felt stronger for the 200m sets.

Three swim sessions consecutively. I was feeling the strain. Which was my excuse for goofing off this morning... did only two bike loops at NUS instead of three.

To answer my own question: When will the slopes get easier? Answer: When I have done enough. So ... still need to climb more slopes.

TLog: Swim, swim, bike, swim, bike

Three swim sessions this week in view of my travel next week. Where I'm headed is no place to swim or bike. Just run.

Yesterday's swim: 2.2 km
pull: 0.57, 0.53, 0.55, 0.55 (yeah, all four laps under 1 min)
6x100m: 2.00, 2.01, 2.05, 2.10, 2.08, 2.08 (ave: 2.053)
3x200m: 4.50, 4.48, 4.45 (ave: 4.476)

Today's swim: 1.5 km
After warmup, straight into main set of 2x500m sets with 3 min recovery; followed by cool down. All done within 45 minutes.
1.05, 1.05, 1.07, 1.08, 1.10, 1.08, 1.07, 1.06, 1.07, 1.06 (ave 1.069)
(3 min recovery)
1.04, 1.06, 1.08, 1.11, 1.10, 1.10, 1.10, 1.11, 1.09, 1.11 (ave 1.089)

Evening bike session: 8 sets of 6 min hard spin, followed by 3 min recovery. Done on the P2. Need to get used to the aero position.

Tomorrow's swim: Another 2.2 km, repeat of Tue's session. Friday will be another bike workout at NUS.

Bike routes: Mandai loop

Found this on Joyriders, a newbie ride of 34 km. Looks doable.


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This is the longer route, 70 km (!):

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Tri Factor friendly fun ride

6 am. Longhouse. Sounds familiar? Only to regular roadies. This is a popular starting point for riders. Every day of the week. Mostly early mornings like 5 am.

JN and I joined the Tri Factor friendly fun ride in preparation for the Tri Bike event the following Sunday. More than 20 riders gathered, and a good number of friendly Tri Factor staff. The lead rider was Alex, accompanied by two vans and a couple of motorbikes, usually stationed at crucial turn points.

Single file ride north along Upper Thomson, turning into Yio Chu Kang Road. The earlier part comprised some rolling terrain, which was gentle compared to Bintan.

We turned into Buangkok, Seng Kang and the mid way point was Punggol MRT station. Unfortunately, at one of the stops in Seng Kang, JN rode into a grating and punctured his front tire. Good thing I had my spare tube with me, and helped him to change. We weren't sure about using the gas canister, so JN got a ride in the sweeper van. He got his tire pumped up at the mid point and a valuable lesson in fixing a puncture!

The ride in Seng Kang and Punggol was not really interesting, just too many traffic lights. However, the organizers arranged for a massage at the mid point. That was a real treat. I declined the massage. 16 km is too short to get spoiled with a massage!

Traffic got heavier on the way back, and a couple of times, I wasn't too happy with the bus passing so close. Any way, it was a fun ride. Nothing too strenuous. Just a pleasant ride. Total distance: 31 km.

Next time, I wanna do Mandai!


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Cervelo P2 2009

Speaking of bikes, I ordered the Cervelo P2 with dura-ace components today. This is how it looks like (not exactly the same, but the idea's the same):



Size: 51
Top tube: 53.5 cm (51 cm for 78 degree seat tube angle)
head tube: 9 cm (current head tube 11.5 cm, so need more spacers)
Fork: Funda Pro
Seatpost: Cervélo aero carbon
Headset:Cane Creek Alloy
Handlebar and aero bar: Vision
Components: Shimano dura-ace front and rear deraileurs DA 7800 10-sp
Crank set: FSA SLK Light Mega Exo
Saddle: Fizik ArioneTri 2 (wing flex)
Wheels: Easton circuit
Tires: Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick 23mm

TLog: Steady swim intervals

Today's session is on steady swim intervals. 5x100m and 3x200m with 1 min recovery.

First 100m went too fast, even though I tried to slow down. The other intervals were better. I can't count. Did 6x100m instead.

4x50m pull: 0.57, 0.56, 0.58, 0.58 (ave: 0.573)
6x100m: 2.03, 2.15, 2.19, 2.21, 2.18, 2.18 (ave: 2.157)
3x200m: 4.47, 4.41, 4.48 (ave: 4.453)

This session was at the 50m lap pool. So the timings are more indicative. Too many turns on the 25m lap pool, so a little more subjective.

Practiced sighting for last 200m. Tried something new, which is to start looking up before the right arm pull and to keep eyes low above water to minimize disruption.

Total: 42 laps

Just realized that total swim distance for 5 months this year is 3 times that of 2008. On reflection, I am happy that
(a) front crawl is more decent now
(b) can swim continously for 30 laps (1.5 km)
(c) can sight in open water
(d) can do bilateral breathing
(e) not so worried about OWS

Now the primary focus is to improve my biking.

TLog: swim repeats and fast ride on trainer

Surprisingly, the only reminder of Sun morning's run was MRK, an affirmation of the move to tris instead of only runs.

Back to training for the next event, which is the OSIM triathlon on Aug 2. Two months, but effectively, only 5 weeks due to travel commitments in Jun and Jul.

Tue: Swim 40 laps
pull: 1.02, 0.56, 0.54, 1.02
6x100m: 2.05, 2.05, 2.08, 2.11, 2.12, 2.12 (ave: 2.088)
6x50m: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.03, 1.02, 1.03 (ave: 1.023)

Wed: Bike trainer
10 reps of 5 min hard spinning with 3 min recovery. HR went up to 150+ on hard spins, but I goofed a little. Should go up to 170 and on higher cadence. Needs more work.

Bike tires - Continental GP Attack and Force

New wheels need new tires. Opted for Continental GP Attack and Force. This is from the manufacturer's website:

Front and rear tires have different tasks. Steering and braking forces are transmitted on the front, Whilst the rear transmits the driving forces and bears the majority of the cyclist's weight. Subsequently, the two tires in the Continental tire positioning system (TPS) have been designed differently.

The tread compound of the GP Attack (front) is designed for excellent grip, both on dry and wet roads. The GP Attack provides good cornering stability when heading down hot mountain roads in the summer, and holds the road superbly when racing along rainy stretches in the autumn. With a width of 22mm, sharp corners are a breeze and this narrower dimension also keeps air resistance and weight down to a minimum.

On the rear wheel, GP Force guarantees superior power transmission. 24mm wide, consisting of an ultra fine nylon fabric and protected from punctures by a double breaker belt under the tread, it embodies the strength of Continental racing tires.

The GP Force is constructed for high mileage performance. Traction and cornering behaviour remainS stable for thousands of racing kilometres.

GP Attack: 3 plies/ 330 tpi + Vectran Single Breaker/ foldable/ Black Chili Compound
GP Force: 3 plies/ 330 tpi + Vectran Single Breaker/ foldable/ Black Chili Compound

This is how my Cannondale six13 looks like with Shimano dura-ace wheels and continental GP attack and force tires: