| Aug 25, 2006. Friday |
| BOY am I stuffed! Just got back from the awesome
carbo-loading party at the Jeju International Convention Centre. Thank
god I didn't miss it. It was like a huge wedding dinner with tables
for 10 everywhere.. I was seated right in front of the stage with some
Standard Chartered bosses (Chris and Mike), CEOs taking part in the
CEO challenge, and pro triathlete Paul from the US. Damn, dinner was
a huge spread, pity i wasn't too hungry, so started feeling full really
fast. They played a few videos on Jeju and on SC at the start of the
night.. we ate.. and mingled.. and then this Korean band "Common Ground"
came on.. wow, they were hilarious and actually pretty good at the same
time. Probably better than any local outfit I reckon! Anyway after that
the Nations Challenge participants were hauled outside.. where 1000
Standard Chartered branch managers were gathered to cheer us on. The
SC branch managers conference is being held in conjunction with SC Ironman
Korea. Awesome feeling... they were cheering, fireworks goin off....
man, yes, celebrity for a moment!
And speaking abot celebrity, today was the ESPN international shoot.
It was really fun... and the show's coming out all over the world and
in Singapore early October. First Eric Begley, a producer of the show,
interviewed me.. the room was totally dark and they were taking a tight
shot of my face. Then the camera guy proceeded to take cutaways of my
face, and I repeated some phrases... you will know when it comes out!..
Next, I stripped down to my swim gear and stood on this stage, set up
against a white backdrop. They turned off all the lights except for
some here and there, so that only my silouhette would be cast on camera...
bloody hell, it was a bloody cool effect. And, urm, wasn't very flattering
cos you could see my figure, and i mean YOU COULD SEE MY FIGURE. So
i was doing all sorts of poses... and then they turned on the lights
and took more shots of me posing.... tomorrow, they'll also be tracking
me during the race... so CHIN UP throughout the race for me, with my
best smile on show!!! even though it's gonna hurt like hell.
I did the swim again this morning, one loop, 2k... and it was much
better than yesterday. We also hopped on a coach and checked out the
bike route.. and boy, is it hilly. Most of the route is rolling hills..
with some killer climbs after the 107km mark.... but i'm looking forward
to it cos I love hills!
This whole Ironman experience is becoming one of the best experience
of my 24 years on earth. I'm already thinking about when my next one
should be... but yes I know.... hold up little lady... i'm not even
at the start line..
Tomorrow I'm goin to attend the race briefing at 9am, then will pack
my gear bags and check it in together with my bike. It's a little different
with Ironmans.. you gotta check in your gear the day before, put all
your T1 and T2 stuff in the bags provided... also pack 2 special needs
bags for halfway on the bike and run courses..
Thanks for all your prayers and donations! My fundraising effort
has reach US$1202.84.. thanks so much, everyone!
|
| Aug 24, 2006. Thursday |
| Today was my second day in Jeju. I woke up early
this morning, had breakfast in my bedroom, and headed out to Jungman
Beach where the swim would be. It's a 10-15min walk from my hotel, really
a long descent down a flight of stairs to the shores! Made it there
at 7am, the same time the race is going to start on Sunday. There were
a few people there already, so I was happy, because IÂ was kinda afraid
of being the only one in the vast Pacific Ocean! I put on my wetsuit
(thanks alisa for the loan!) on the sand, and that was a good workout
already, and this lovely Korean lady helped me zip up. Went into the
water -- the lane ropes were all up already -- and did one lap of the
swim, which is 2k (so it's 2 laps on race day). Just went at a very
easy pace... the water is totally clear and you can see the seabed.
It got kinda scary after a while, because I was alone.. the Korean lady
and her partner were a distance behind, and another guy was in front
of me but i couldn't see him. So i just swam and swam.. the water wasn't
that cold at all and you probably could swim without a wetsuit, but
I figure I'm still going to use one to save some energy. The water is
actually pretty nice, but the current as you went out becomes quite
strong.. I found myself getting pulled towards the lane rope on my way
out, and drifting from it on my way back. I'll be trying the swim course
again tomorrow.
I bumped into Larry Smith, President of Smith Chevrolet (something
like that, u know, chevy cars..) in the USA, who will be taking part
in the CEO challenge. We walked back to the hotel together and he gave
me tips on my first race. He's 53, started running in his 40s, and started
triathlons in 1999. We arranged to go pick up our race kits together
-- he knew the way and i didn't -- and out of the hundreds of rooms
at the hotel, it turns out, he was right next to mine!
Anyway so I got back to my room, took a shower, hung my gear out
to dry, and proceeded to my bed, where i totally dozed off until Larry
came knocking at my door an hour later. Five minutes later i was all
geared up and we rode to the Jeju World Cup Stadium (built just for
the 2002 World Cup), a 10km ride away, to collect our race kits.
Uncle Rob, the Zipp wheels are fantastic! It was rolling hills all
the way there and the bike was zipping up and down... too bad my legs
felt bit heavy! Anyway, collected the kit and hung out at the expo for
awhile, although there was hardly anything on sale... so we rode back.
Got back to my room, showered again, and had a tuna sandwich before
proceeding to the bed for another nap! Don't know why I'm so sleepy....
after about 3h i woke up and went out walkin.... got groceries and melon
ice cream (!!yum!!) and walked back.... taking photos along the way..
Had another sandwich for dinner -- this time ham and cheese -- and
then headed downstairs to the business centre, where I'm typing this
now!
So yes, that was my very eventful second day in Jeju. Tomorrow morn
I'll be swimming at 7am again, before heading to the neighbouring Shilla
Hotel for my ESPN International interview at 915am. That's gonna take
an hour and a half... probably will ride to the world cup stadium again
just to buy some stuff from the expo... and i think i'll give the carboloading
dinner at the Jeju International Convention Centre a miss, cos it's
pretty darn far away, and I'm not a big fan of carbs! I'll do me loading
in the comfort of me room.. which, by the way, is bloody awesome....!!!!!
Tomorrow a bunch of Singaporeans will arrive and maybe I'll meet
up with them, although they're staying at Hana Hotel....
Anyway I hope everyone is fine at home. I'm getting really nervous,
so please pray for me! Anything, call Lotte Hotel and ask for room 1107.....
|
| Aug 23, 2006. Wednesday |
| Greetings from Gimpo Airport in Korea! Am currently
in transit, waiting for my domestic flight to Jeju Island. I arrived
in Incheon Int'l Airport at 7am (6am Singapore time) this morning and
took a 45-min shuttle to this airport. I totally crashed on the plane
and I'm still really tired now. Can't wait to get to the spankin' Lotte
Hotel and get a good sleep in. Mom tells me the place is haunted...
something to lift my spirits there, eh? heh. Had a green tea dunkin
donut, can you believe it. And it wasn't really a donut.. tasted more
like a glutinous rice texture. Very yummy. Maybe i will tah-pow back
to Chingkapore on my way back! Place your orders, quick!
Well anyway, this is it. I'm here.. that much nearer to my dream....
thanks everyone back home for your support and your smses (although
my phone doesn't work here, but I've bought a calling card). Miss the
dudes at work if you're reading this!! I mean I miss the dudes, not
the work. ;)
Koreans are pretty darn friendly people! And they're pretty good
at speaking English, so it isn't hard to get around here. I heard 11
Singaporeans will be doing the race, including Adrian Mok and myself
in the Nations Challenge... hopefully I will bump into them during the
week.
Well nothing much for now, but hopefully I'll get an Internet connection
at Jeju and I'll update you more there!
In the meantime, pray for me!
|
| Aug 20, 2006. Sunday |
| I could've been $500 richer today, had I run five seconds faster. Got
4th in the New Balance Real Run (10k)at Sentosa. How suay is that? Ah
never, that's the way the cookie crumbles... especially the really buttery
ones.. but i digress! We did, however, win the media event. The Straits
Times team made up of Alan Grant, Alan (another one) and myself got $300
NB vouchers each. We'll be splitting it up with the other folks who ran
for SPH. So, leaving on a jetplane tomorrow evening. National distance coach, Ghana, who is also a passenger relations officer with SIA, has arranged everything nice nice for me for my flight. Thank you so much, Ghana! Training... I did a 93km solo bike yesterday, since all my Cycleworx buddies went to Fraser Hill for a race. I felt so strong. 50% last week, 25% this week. It's all good! Got me Zipp wheels from Uncle Robs (thanks!!), got me grub from Tierney's and Jason's (heard Jeju is bloody ex so i stocked up), got new goggs from Queensway, got me moolah changed at Paragon... now, I gotta pack! Oh, and the good people at Standard Chartered have put me up at Lotte Hotel at Jeju Island. Hell, that hotel looks like a dream. Go google it and find out. Righto, off to bed! Thanks for all the emails I've been getting! |
| Aug 16, 2006. Wednesday |
| My itinerary has changed! Here it is:
|
| Aug 14, 2006. Monday |
| 13 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got my itinerary today, leaving at 1am next
Wednesday, 23rd of August. Will arrive at Jeju Island later in the day
at about noon, so will have a few days to check the course out and soak
up the atmosphere!
|
| Aug 12, 2006. Saturday |
| Today I could feel the F4:13 difference. I ran 17k yesterday and
worked till 11ish last night, had four hours of sleep and woke up at
5am for my Saturday morning long ride with the Cycleworx bunch. Thought
I'd feel like crap, but I had a pretty good ride. As I was saying, the
new bike really makes a difference. It's a darn smooth ride, thanks
to the ONDA fork and rear stays. It's bloody responsive. I could feel
it on the climbs and when accelerating. And I find it easier to hold
high speeds with the bike. You could say my training has been paying
off, but I believe the bike is contributing to the awesome feeling too.
Rode 125k today, as Gino said, three weeks out, cut down mileage by
25%. Funny how after riding 160, 150k, 125 feels short.
|
| Aug 10, 2006. Thursday |
| Rest day! Listened to my body. Was feeling tired the whole week... struggled through a 13k run on Tuesday, had a lung-bursting National Day 90k ride yesterday, and a good rest day today. My new bike is awesome! Too bad my legs were just feeling totally energy-less so couldn't feel the full effect of the F4:13... but still, awesome bike!!! My fund raising effort is going really well too, thanks to Cyrus, Uncle Ray, Charles, Ser Luck, Jac.. and an anonymous person for all your donations! Have collected US$742.19 so far! Every cent is going to inspire me to the finish line....! Wow, 17 days to go to my dream.. can't wait..
|
| Aug 7, 2006. Monday |
| Happy birthday Kor Kor, if you are reading this!
|
| Aug 5, 2006. Saturday |
| 150! Just as I said I would do. Oh alright, it was 148.?? But hell it's close enough. I was pretty damn tired before I started the ride though, so was happy not to get dropped. Managed to whack it at Mandai too! But then I suffered after that -- lornie and farrer was tough, plus headwind... Thanks though to Gino who stuck with me throughout and gave me useful tips! We took a looong way to the National Stadium, where Gino had arranged an 11am massage for me. Good to be a guinea pig sometimes, yah? :) Funny how after you do just one super long ride, the next time it doesn't seem as long anymore. Oh and the bike.. my orbea orca.. is truly falling apart. I do believe after today, the next time I ride it, it will mos def split into two. Cycling home from SSC the bike was creaking quite a bit. *sob* goodbye orca, hello F4:13!! There is actually a new model - F3:13 - for 2007, with stock getting in in about a month's time. Thought it would be quite cool to get that frame, since it is my birthdate (March 13.. remember that..) but I think the F4:13 is still cooler. Can't wait!!! Don't have to work tomorrow -- yaye!!
|
| Aug 4, 2006. Friday |
| Been a pretty ok week. I was happy with some of the stories I wrote, and I'm happier with the form I'm in. Did a few sessions only this week, but upped the mileage. Had a 14k run, a 32k run, a 5k swim and an easy 6.5k jog, and two days of rest! Tomorrow's gonna be my last long ride, hopefully about 150km again. Next week I will begin my taper - sounding as though I had a massive build up, I know - so things are really moving along fast! Before I know it, I'll be at the finish line... Oh, damn it, there isn't anymore pink F4:13s. I'm getting the 2007 model in Illes Baleares team colours. Thanks to Ah Hock for rushing it in from Australia for me! The frame will be arriving next week, either thursday or friday. SOOO EXCITING!!
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