New Year Eve

Never like crowds, Never like countdowns, what meaning is there.....??
the calender just skips a number, like what it does for the seconds number everyday.

Had my new year eve in a very simple manner...
1. Work..as usual...had lunch with all the temps in the company...
Lunch was good, with curry fish head from Amoy street....delicious it is...

2. Knock off 3pm sharp...left to peninsular to grap a jersey for JOEL....

3. Went home, fixed up my ZIPP wheels on my bike, bring my bike for a good new year spin, a fast ride with my good bunch of training mates...

4. Went dinner with family, had ORGANIC FOOD = Not very nice food...but well, it still taste ok, and it is suppose to be happy...

5. Blogging now, don't know what else to do....looking forward to the ride tomorrow...

2008.......

What is 2008 going to bring...??

i am going to try to do the following, one at a time..

1. A student that excels in my studies....4HDs...(High Distinctions)
2. Disciplined Triathelete, training and preparing well for all races.
a. A sub 5 marathon
b. A sub 15 hours ironman Australia
c. A sub 2 hours biathlon
d. A sub 6 h 15min half ironman
4. Chairman of SIM triathelete club
5. Finding a good part time job, to support all my goals and trainings...and my school fees.
6. A good boyfriend, a good brother, and a good son...(managing time wisely....)

Events for Year 2007

365 days have zoom pass at a very fast rate.

Indeed 2007 have been a very eventful year for me.

It marks the year of great change, first, i quitted my job, left the navy and start off a new life....

1. Re-entering classroom to get my degree.
It was a tough decision to leave a comfortable zone and stepping into the unknown. Have completed one semester with rather satisfying results, something to be very proud off.

2. Joining Student Council in RMIT-SIM
Was recognise as a fast designer from the start. Did many design works during the annual bash, which includes tickets, stage passes, banners, posters, vouchers etc...

3. Join the ENR group for regular training.
Always thought doing 30km/h on average was an achievement, until people started to zoom pass me that i realise that i am too slow.
Very thankful for the people that encourage and motivate me in my triathlon journey. The ENRs aka the Eastern Night Riders, is a close bunch of triatheletes, who seeks to out perform and always challenging themselves, in speed, in strength, and in timing.
I am definitely inspired by many of the ironman stories, and aspire to me one in 2008. I believed that obstacles are steps to get you further. I am going to push myself....to be what i want to be...

4. Completed my first Half ironman...my first duathlon...my third marathon....
May seems like a small achievement to the group of veteran atheletics, but to me, i always learn new lessons in races, know myself better. The timing wasn't perfect, but is what i can expect for the little training that i put in.

5. Many friends, many blessings, many encouragement
During my 5 years in the navy, i have definitely been very bless with good pals, friends, superiors, and buddies. Life wouldn't be that smooth without these good people around.

6. God is good...what is there more to say.....

LINE UP for 2008

Events that i will be taking part in Year 2008

1. Singapore Biathlon (1.5km Swim, 10km Run)
2. Sundown Marathon (42.195km Run)
3. Desaru Long Distance Triathlon
4. 70.3 Ironman Singapore (1.9km Swim, 90km Bike, 21.1km Run)
5. Fuji Xerox Open water Swim (5km Swim)
6. Ironman Western Australia (3.8km Swim, 180km Bike, 42.195km Run)

work work work

Completed exams and jumped straight to work the following week....

am working Great Eastern....as an admin guy.....so not much brain work involved. Have completed 3 weeks already, and yah 7 more to go before i head back to school...life have been rather boring, with not much activities, just more runs for my marathon....

Got myself into an unwanted flu just 2 daes back and that really bring my prep for the marathon down a bit....still feeling very heavy on the lungs not sure if i can complete the run this time round...but am definitely sure about the ending point...straight to pan pacific hotel...

well well....will give more details of the run and hopefully can do 1hour better than my last year timing...just SUB 6 would do...haha...

List of Top 10 things that i want to buy

1. Crumpler bag
2. Cervelo p3c
3. Polar 725x
4. Hed 2008 handle bar
5. A disc wheel
6. Nokia E61i
7. Lenovo Laptop
8. A new wallet, Braun Buffel
9. A new CAR, Honda Jazz would do...
10. A new house, a HDB Flat would do...

Boring, bored, Boredom...

had my rest, played my game against myself, went for a jog but rained in the end, had mcdonalds at 2am...and yah...now filling up some text on the blog...

exciting isn't it....yawn....

Exams are over.....! HMT

Had my last paper today, "History of Management Thought" better to jot down some names before i totally forget about them...
1. Federick Taylor
2. Henri Fayol
3. Kurt Lewin
4. Rensis Likert
5. Willians Given
6. Douglas McGregor
7. Peter Frucker
8. Michael Porter
9. Adam Smith
10. Max Weber
11. Gilbreths
12. Hawthorne

Enough of this dozen names,....lots of it the past 2 days.
Gonna start work on Monday, had my contract signed, and misery begins on mondae....

Sigh.....

Had a bad start for this week, with a very tough exam.....

put in a lot of effort, follow the lecturer's guidance but like what i told my friend. "even if i put in another week of studying, the outcome will not be any different", it was really tough..

the rain, plus my lack of training, has got my stamina at a real low level,....got to start to run before D-Day arrives....

Asics Gel Evolution

Was using the New Balance 1211, more for runners who over-pronates, i.e. flat foot. Had bruised toe nail for my first half-marathon, and lost my big toe nail (was in a pair of adidas that was too small for my feet). Went to the new balance tech centre to get the 1211, and there was soooo much room at the forefoot area, and good support for my feet. Bought it and completed 2 marathons in it, with no more bruised toes..!

Went to the Running lab in funan and got myself attracted to a pair of asics, after fitting and doing some run, decide to buy it. It is now my racing shoes, and the comfort level increase after putting in the in-soles which is more expensive than the shoes itself..

Completed an ironman with it...didn't really run in it, but it makes the strolling plus jogging of the half marathon less painful.... It will be my race shoe for the coming standard charted marathon and hope i can have a pain-free run and achieve a good timing for the run..

Reviews of the shoe: Comfortable and well cushioned. Provide very sturdy stability for over pronators. A good shoe worth the price.

Distances for this week(15-21 Oct)

Monday - 2km
Tuesday - Rain the whole day, ENR cancelled due to foul weather
Wednesday - Rain + Study for exam
Thursday - 7km run + 1 km walk(bedok reservoir loop)
Friday - 9km run(AM) + 30km Bike(PM)
Saturday - Study for exam
Sunday - 15km (TBC)

Total mileage: 32km

Distances for this week (8-14 Oct)

Monday - 0km
Tuesday - 5km, 40km bike
Wedsday - 7km
Thursday - 3km
Friday - 12km
Saturday - TBC
Sunday - TBC

Distance for this week (1-7 Oct)

Mon: 3km
Tues: 2km run, 35km bike
Wed: 3km
Thurs: 3km
Fri: 3km
Sat: Rest Day
Sun: Planning a 8km run

Total: 22km run (need to add more kms before SCSM)

BSKL!

3km run to test the $300 insoles

Finally told myself not to nap, but instead head out the dusty road for a short run to test out my new insoles....(customised in soles that cost a BOMB..near S$300).....went out with insoles in my ASICS Gel Evolution, feels really comfortable for the first km, as it went on, began to feel pain in my lower back, so drop my pace a little.....and went real slow for the last km..

i am very sure that my gait and my running posture was altered in quite a huge manner..so...got to run more to get use to it.....only left with 62 days more to D-day...so got to add more mileages..

longest that i have done so far was a 8km since 70.3...so...run and run and run...

trying to keep awake

Attend class today, and the module name is, " History of Management thought". It is a boring module, but the worse thing that can happen is, they have gotten a real boring and bad lecturer to teach.

Let me share some of the classic statements he'd made in class:
"i think many of you did not attend my class, if not why am i receiving so many emails with the repeating questions asking about the same thing". Just because many still don't understand what you trying to tell in class. Put it in plain, the stuff u say is of no value at all.

"i cannot help you out with the project, if i help you all, i am kelong(which means bias)"
Many a times, as students, it would be really good, if we are keen to learn, at the same time which to realise our mistakes as a project may determine a guy from failing or passing. Yes, you may be a PHD man, but that doesn't means everyone aspire to be like you and want to be like you.

"A lot of people ask me what is the difference between approaches and theories". and he just say, approaches are like aeroplanes, approach from the east and west, so they are usually very broad in nature. Where theories are like thoughts of thinkers, something more specific.
I am quite sure my youngest cousin can give me the definitions of both words better than him when he reads from the dictionary..

well, enough about this guy who never fails to spoil my day.

something about my bike.......

Details of my race bike;
1. Frame: Cervelo P2 Carbon
2. Front derailer: Dura Ace 10 speed
3. Rear derailer: Dura Ace 10 speed
4. Brakes: Dura Ace
5. Crankset: Dura Ace 10 speed
6. Chainring: Rotor Q-rings
7. Cassette: Dura Ace 10 speed
8. BB: Dura Ace
9. Base Bar: Easton Delta Force
10. Aero Bar: Profile Design T2+ Cobra
11. Brake levers: Profile Design QRS carbon levers
12. Shifters: Dura Ace bar end shifters 10 speed
13. Saddle: San Marco Aspide
14. Pedal: Look KEO sprint
15. Hydration: Xlab rear hydration
16. Stem: Pro 110mm stem
17. Comp: Cateye Micro wireless
18. Wheels: Zipp 606s Clinchers (Race wheels)
Ksyrium Equipp (training wheels)
19. Tires: Continental
20. Skewers: Zipp Titanium skewers

a long long day

it was raining when i woke up....and the rain just continue to fall....

did a 3km run at noon.....got to start training for the marathon end of the year...
it is just the start....got to get more and more miles into the training...

Pictures from Ironman 70.3

2nd September 2007

After the 1.9km swim...i still can run, i was surprised too...good cheering from the crowd.....

Now on the bike....me just started at east coast on the 90km ride....

wah....running 21.1km was not easy....but...got to finish what i've started....didn't train myself hard for the run..and so i suffered.....

I still finished it in the end, 7hours36mins.....it was not my intended completion time...but still...i met the cut-off time of 8h30min...and yah...

i am an ironman!

How it all started?

It all began in 2005, i was attending a course at SAFTI, NJOC (Naval Junior Officers Course) then i was encouraged by my friend to join the SAFRA Army Half Marathon. So i went on to try the distance, i completed it with 70% jogging and 30% walking, i was rather slow but the feeling of completing a race, even knowing that you are not the top runners, feels really good.

Then i told myself, that running is a good way to burn some fats that i have accumulated while i was onboard ship. With all the supper, and the irregular sleeping weight, (forgot to mention the many beer sessions i had), i put on quite a bit of weight, so I decide to join 1-2 races a year just to keep my weight at a constant level.

below are the events.....

Aug 2005, SAFRA Army Half Marathon (21.1km run)
Dec 2005, Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon (42.195km)
Jul 2006, OSIM Internation Triathlon, Sprint Category (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run)
Oct 2006, New Balance Real Run, Sentosa X terrain run (10km)
Dec 2006, Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon (42.195km)
May 2007, Oakley City Duathlon (10km run, 40km bike, 5km run)
July 2007, OSIM Internation Triathlon, Olympic Distance (DNS due to foul weather)
Sep 2007, AVIVA Singapore Ironman 70.3 (1.9km swim, 90km, 21.1km run)

Got to thank all my friends especially my girlfriend, who have supported me through event after event and bearing the sun and rain to give me support through....(not forgetting joining me in the 10km real run in 06)

More will come, as i lose weight, i will be faster, and i will push myself to another higher level.