Ride-a-ride the roads
A pocket full of gels
A-tishoo! a-tishoo!
We all fall down
Saturday, February 27, 2010
... we all fall down ...
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bintan training camp 2010
Who in their sound mind would pay money for pain and suffering?
30 odd triathletes did, all in the name of high volume training camp. This two-day event was held in Bintan, at the idyllic resort of Nirwana Gardens, organized by TriBob.
What we went through:
Sat morning: Upon disembarking from the ferry terminal at Bintan, we broke into three groups (by ability levels). I was in the red group, and the aim is to cover 100 odd km. Led by Kevin T, we set off at a good speed, in excess of 30 kph. HR was up in the 150 region. And this was what they called an easy endurance ride? Then we hit the first slope 4 km after we started. 40m increase elevation over 1 km. A few minor slopes until we turned into a new road. That was when the torture started. Over 7km, we ascended 50m and there were some big slopes. My quads were killing me, and I had to switch to the small chain ring. A short respite and rest at a small seaside village at 48k mark. It was relatively easy riding for the next 15k, and I rode at the front of the pack, experiencing drafting and group riding as it should be. It was on the next upslope at the 65k mark that I felt cramps on the right thighs. Immediately I slowed to stretch. Didn't want to drop out half way through the ride, as another lady had done. The price for controlling the cramps was to drop to the back of the pack. Heading to the resort meant covering the same slopes we passed through earlier. Turning into the road leading to the resort brought a stark reminder why I found the Bintan tri so tough. Two or three climbs that just took their toll. Last to roll in.
Sat afternoon: After checking in and lunch (and a short rest), it was time for open water swim. Did two loops of 400m to warm up and then it was team interval swimming of 300m. I did only two intervals. Water was a little choppy, and it had been a long while since my last OWS in Sept last year.
Sun morning: 3 sets of bike-run brick sessions. A 40k "steady pace" recovery ride. Depends on what is meant by steady pace. It was race pace for this old guy. 30kph or more on the straights. I tried my best to ride in the pack. But after 30k or so, with the hot sun, it was difficult to keep up and I ended up at the back again. It took substantial effort to catch up, riding at speeds of 33kph and up. Then the Nirwana slopes got me again. And I ended rolling in last again.
Immediately set out for a brick run and it was tough. Some participants had given up by then, but K told me that he would go with me on the second 10k bike ride. It was supposed to be race pace, but it was no different from the first ride. Then back to another 3km brick run. The white flag came out then, and I didn't do the last set of 7k bike and 1k run at all-out pace.
107k ride on Garmin connect.
I'd to say that the vast majority of participants were very fit. Finishing time of 5+ hours for 70.3, 3:45 for marathon, 1:30 for half marathon, etc. Even the ladies were formidable, easily besting some of the guys. Suffice to say that it is a humbling experience to be in the company of such athletes. What I appreciated was that most were very modest and unassuming. They would gladly share their experience and advice when asked.
All in all, a tremendous weekend, capping a 17-hour training week.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Baptism of fire at the deep end
It's with some reservation when we set out for our LNY ride yesterday with WL. You see, WL just started cycling and his first road ride was a 30k with us last Sat. And that was Changi coastal, which is easier than the Mandai route. So we made plans to accommodate him for a 40k and the rest would do 70k.
We kept our speed reasonable just to make sure that WL could keep up. At the Mandai Shell station, we had a decision to make - for WL to continue with the group or to head back to Bt Timah. Much to my surprise, he opted to continue with the group, and he hung in there for the entire way! Credos to WL. For the record, it took us about a year to reach 70k, and WL achieved this milestone in two rides. I think we have a potentially great endurance athlete here!
On the ride - a few interesting observations.
Some of us need therapy. The slightest provocation would spark off a speed fenzy. Not good.
AY and three other friends overtook us along the West Coast highway. They were on their 120k round-island ride. AY invited us to ride with them, but let's not kid ourselves. We'd be dropped less than 10km into the ride. Not there yet. But it was a cheap thrill just to follow in their draft for 500m or so. The excuse we had for not keeping up was to break for prata at our favorite shop along Clementi road. :)
We went up the Keppel viaduct again. One cyclist overtook us and we decided to ride his draft until he stopped. Didn't realize it then, but we were doing upwards of 30+ kph during that stretch. At the down-slope towards Keppel Road, we encountered strong winds.
Riding through Robinson Road and the CBD area was an experience in itself. Good thing the traffic was light.
Didn't really understand how the 2:53 ride would burn up 2,700 calories. That was more than 300 cal higher than the 125k ride last Sat.
Overall, another good ride.
We kept our speed reasonable just to make sure that WL could keep up. At the Mandai Shell station, we had a decision to make - for WL to continue with the group or to head back to Bt Timah. Much to my surprise, he opted to continue with the group, and he hung in there for the entire way! Credos to WL. For the record, it took us about a year to reach 70k, and WL achieved this milestone in two rides. I think we have a potentially great endurance athlete here!
On the ride - a few interesting observations.
Some of us need therapy. The slightest provocation would spark off a speed fenzy. Not good.
AY and three other friends overtook us along the West Coast highway. They were on their 120k round-island ride. AY invited us to ride with them, but let's not kid ourselves. We'd be dropped less than 10km into the ride. Not there yet. But it was a cheap thrill just to follow in their draft for 500m or so. The excuse we had for not keeping up was to break for prata at our favorite shop along Clementi road. :)
We went up the Keppel viaduct again. One cyclist overtook us and we decided to ride his draft until he stopped. Didn't realize it then, but we were doing upwards of 30+ kph during that stretch. At the down-slope towards Keppel Road, we encountered strong winds.
Riding through Robinson Road and the CBD area was an experience in itself. Good thing the traffic was light.
Didn't really understand how the 2:53 ride would burn up 2,700 calories. That was more than 300 cal higher than the 125k ride last Sat.
Overall, another good ride.
New Ironman 70.3 Japan
Just learnt about the new IM 70.3 Japan event slotted for September 19, 2010. This is the latest 70.3 event, after the recently announced Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific set in Phuket in Dec 2010.
Flights to Tokoname in Chiba prefecture in central Japan on ANA take about 10 hours (via Tokyo Narita). Registration opens in March.
Wondering how this race compares to Ironman Japan.... :)
Flights to Tokoname in Chiba prefecture in central Japan on ANA take about 10 hours (via Tokyo Narita). Registration opens in March.
Wondering how this race compares to Ironman Japan.... :)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Yet another milestone
Q: What's after a metric century? A: 120km.
That's what the three amigos (IN, PK and I) did this morning. We were in good and esteemed company - JN, SY, SC and WL (inaugural road ride). We covered the Changi Coastal route - 4 loops for 120, 3 loops for 100, etc).
Traffic - not vehicular, but the two-wheel varietal - was unusually heavy, this being the eve of the Lunar New Year. There would have been close to 150 bikes we saw. The most interesting was an elderly gentlemen who crept up on us, almost too silently. He gave a grin and passed us just like that! Then there were the eastside Joyriders, large and small groups, as well as solitary figures all grinding it out.
WL was outstanding and surpassed our expectations by keeping up with 25 to 26 kph. His fitness base is very good indeed. Everyone took turns to pull and we took many breaks to keep ourselves sane. The last leg was a little hard on the guys, as we came back at above 30 kph on the coastal stretch.
Everyone agreed that it was a tough ride. It took almost 4:40 riding time, and close to 6 hours overall including breaks, etc. Average speed 27.1 kph.
In terms of calories burnt, the ride took off 2,400 calories. This is even higher than a marathon.
Congratulations to all FOTR-ers!
PS: In terms of nutrition, the Infinit drink - supplemented with a cereal bar and a couple of chewies and S-caps - appeared to be working. I didn't bonk towards the end.
That's what the three amigos (IN, PK and I) did this morning. We were in good and esteemed company - JN, SY, SC and WL (inaugural road ride). We covered the Changi Coastal route - 4 loops for 120, 3 loops for 100, etc).
Traffic - not vehicular, but the two-wheel varietal - was unusually heavy, this being the eve of the Lunar New Year. There would have been close to 150 bikes we saw. The most interesting was an elderly gentlemen who crept up on us, almost too silently. He gave a grin and passed us just like that! Then there were the eastside Joyriders, large and small groups, as well as solitary figures all grinding it out.
WL was outstanding and surpassed our expectations by keeping up with 25 to 26 kph. His fitness base is very good indeed. Everyone took turns to pull and we took many breaks to keep ourselves sane. The last leg was a little hard on the guys, as we came back at above 30 kph on the coastal stretch.
Everyone agreed that it was a tough ride. It took almost 4:40 riding time, and close to 6 hours overall including breaks, etc. Average speed 27.1 kph.
In terms of calories burnt, the ride took off 2,400 calories. This is even higher than a marathon.
Congratulations to all FOTR-ers!
PS: In terms of nutrition, the Infinit drink - supplemented with a cereal bar and a couple of chewies and S-caps - appeared to be working. I didn't bonk towards the end.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Pain and gain?
The stationary bike session is right up there on top of the list of training that I dread. Sounds contradictory, given the notion of easy cycling on stationary bikes we see in the gym. The reason is that stationary bike sessions involve lots of spinning, high cadence and interval workouts. Although I have never been in a spin class, I can only imagine these would be similar.
Which is why I did not miss training on the bike trainer. The last time I did a stationary bike session was way back in July last year.
Today, it was 1 hour 45 minutes on the trainer. 20 min of one-legged pedaling and 30 min of high cadence spinning. I should add that I could not reach 120 cadence, even if I move to a lighter gear. Perhaps I should have gone to the smaller chain ring, but I was training on the race gear and stuck to it. Even 110 was tough, with HR reaching 160.
The main set was 30 min of hard ride with HR@155. It was exhausting.
The boys were somewhat perplexed at what Dad was doing, and wisely stayed away from the sweat and smell!
What's the upside of spinning on the trainer? Well, safety for one. No inconsiderate drivers to honk or startle me. No potholes, branches and traffic lights to worry about. No fear of falling off the bike. Best of all, easy access to drinks and food (courtesy of MBH!). Watching the TV helps. Most importantly, it provides an excellent workout, with hopefully the attendant benefits.
Which is why I did not miss training on the bike trainer. The last time I did a stationary bike session was way back in July last year.
Today, it was 1 hour 45 minutes on the trainer. 20 min of one-legged pedaling and 30 min of high cadence spinning. I should add that I could not reach 120 cadence, even if I move to a lighter gear. Perhaps I should have gone to the smaller chain ring, but I was training on the race gear and stuck to it. Even 110 was tough, with HR reaching 160.
The main set was 30 min of hard ride with HR@155. It was exhausting.
The boys were somewhat perplexed at what Dad was doing, and wisely stayed away from the sweat and smell!
What's the upside of spinning on the trainer? Well, safety for one. No inconsiderate drivers to honk or startle me. No potholes, branches and traffic lights to worry about. No fear of falling off the bike. Best of all, easy access to drinks and food (courtesy of MBH!). Watching the TV helps. Most importantly, it provides an excellent workout, with hopefully the attendant benefits.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Infinit nutrition
A few months back, coach introduced me to Infinit nutrition, a custom blended sports drink that eliminates gel, bars, salt and electrolyte tablets. It came by way of Mark Allen, who endorses Infinit.
A quick check of Infinit's website suggests that this product could be worth trying, especially for longer endurance events such as cycling where we don't necessarily want to fiddle with cereal bars, gels, etc. The problem is that the website does not accept credit cards from Singapore.
So I called the company and to my relief, they do make exceptions. And I placed an order. That was last month. The package came today.
Is Infinit really what it makes out to be? Can it live up to its hype? Nothing like trying out for myself.
A quick check of Infinit's website suggests that this product could be worth trying, especially for longer endurance events such as cycling where we don't necessarily want to fiddle with cereal bars, gels, etc. The problem is that the website does not accept credit cards from Singapore.
So I called the company and to my relief, they do make exceptions. And I placed an order. That was last month. The package came today.
Is Infinit really what it makes out to be? Can it live up to its hype? Nothing like trying out for myself.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Checking the boxes
I heard many experienced triathletes say that it is crucial to spend enough time in the saddle in order to surmount the 70.3 and full IMs. What's intimidating is to be able to run 21km after clocking 90km for the 70.3. Which is why we had been pushing up our mileage on the bike.
What's supposed to be a 100km ride last Sat was reduced to a big ZERO as I came down with a fever the night before. Good thing I was back on my feet (er ... butt) again on Sunday, doing a 40km ride with the FOTRers. Anxious to make up for lost time, I went out for a long ride this morning, but my legs were feeling the effects of Sunday's ride and I headed back home after two loops, settling for 70km.
For this morning's session, my objectives were (a) get used to extra weight from another two water bottles - discernible increase in weight, (b) nutrition on the bike - which worked out reasonably well (except that I have to figure out how to get the small electrolyte pills out); and (b) short brick run - which also turned out well. This being the first brick run, I'd expect some difficulty finding my legs. Surprisingly, I didn't. In fact, it felt good to use a different muscle group instead of the cycling muscles.
More brick sessions are likely. What else?
(1) 120 km rides x2
(2) ride in the morning sun
(3) brick session around lunch time
(4) run in the afternoon sun
(5) open water swims x2
What's supposed to be a 100km ride last Sat was reduced to a big ZERO as I came down with a fever the night before. Good thing I was back on my feet (er ... butt) again on Sunday, doing a 40km ride with the FOTRers. Anxious to make up for lost time, I went out for a long ride this morning, but my legs were feeling the effects of Sunday's ride and I headed back home after two loops, settling for 70km.
For this morning's session, my objectives were (a) get used to extra weight from another two water bottles - discernible increase in weight, (b) nutrition on the bike - which worked out reasonably well (except that I have to figure out how to get the small electrolyte pills out); and (b) short brick run - which also turned out well. This being the first brick run, I'd expect some difficulty finding my legs. Surprisingly, I didn't. In fact, it felt good to use a different muscle group instead of the cycling muscles.
More brick sessions are likely. What else?
(1) 120 km rides x2
(2) ride in the morning sun
(3) brick session around lunch time
(4) run in the afternoon sun
(5) open water swims x2
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ad-hoc swim lesson
Did I mention that MBH is taking swimming lessons? Yes, and I strongly support her.
Today, however, I took over her lesson with coach Gerald. Two for the price of one! That's a good deal.
Anyhow, coach Gerald prescribed several new drills to get better body balance with arms and legs, separately. What I really like are the 4- and 5-stroke swim that he had me practice. I'd read somewhere that it would be good to go to more strokes per breath, but what convinced me was that this would (a) allow me to better cope with OWS where others can bump into me or waves could disrupt my breathing, and (b) allow for faster swimming.
The 4-stroke swim was not too bad, but I struggled with the 5-stroke swim. Ran out of breath before the fifth stroke and had to quicken the last two strokes, which broke my rhythm.
Certainly need more practice.
Today, however, I took over her lesson with coach Gerald. Two for the price of one! That's a good deal.
Anyhow, coach Gerald prescribed several new drills to get better body balance with arms and legs, separately. What I really like are the 4- and 5-stroke swim that he had me practice. I'd read somewhere that it would be good to go to more strokes per breath, but what convinced me was that this would (a) allow me to better cope with OWS where others can bump into me or waves could disrupt my breathing, and (b) allow for faster swimming.
The 4-stroke swim was not too bad, but I struggled with the 5-stroke swim. Ran out of breath before the fifth stroke and had to quicken the last two strokes, which broke my rhythm.
Certainly need more practice.
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