My new ride! Pinarello Paris carbon in Rochelle Gilmore's custom colours!

Don't drool, go get your own at www.cycleworx.com!

Can you hear me? Good, because I lost my voice. I've got a sore throat and have been coughing and sniffing. Been slapped with a two day MC by the doctor today. It really screws everything up.. work and training.. damn. Next week was supposed to be my biggest week but I guess I will have to alter my schedule. Thank goodness I did a 161k bike yesterday as planned. Suppose I'll have to take the next couple of days off.. : (

A funny incident happened at the doctor's just now. So he did the usual stethoscope (spelling?) listen-to-my-heart thing. But it took extra long.. like, a couple of minutes longer than usual. Then, after poking around he asked me for my hand. I need to take your pulse, he said. So he puts his fingers on my wrist,.. and then he goes, "You have a very low heartrate. 42 beats per minute.". And I'm like, ok, tell me something new. And he goes, have you ever taken an ECG? And I tell him yes, the SSC sent me for one before. Then I go on to enlighten him that well-trained athletes have low resting heart rates. Thank God I wasn't lying down, cos then my heart rate would be even lower and he'd think I was dead. And then I tell him a friend had a 38beats/min heartrate, and he has this surprised look on his face. Geez, dude, go see Lance Armstrong. He must be a dead man walking then.

Well, I'm so sad that I'm sick I'm going to stop here.

Oh, wait. I've got a new bike!!!!! A Pinarello Paris Carbon 46HM3K in Rochelle Gilmore's custom colours. Supposedly only one in the region. Lucky me.

Man, this has been a great week.

I got up early this morning - very determined I tell you, I would not let myself press the snooze button more than once - for a 5am ride. As I said in my previous post, I didn't get my desired Wednesday off, so I missed the Cycleworx ride last night. So, to make up for that, i rode the exact route - all alone - this morning!

Problem was, it was raining cats, dogs and probably mice when I woke up. But then I'm all-weather (yeah, like Nippon paint aye?), so I ate some toast and threw on my clothes and left! Boy, it was freezing cold for the first five minutes, and I was crying inside for my just-washed-and-polished bike was getting soaked. Boo hoo. But the ride went well... except for Dunearn Road where all them Nanyang Girls High, Raffles Girls' Primary, NJC and ACS Barker kids were going to school. Stupidly I passed that stretch at about 7.15am, just when school was starting. You can imagine the jam. Weaved my way through the mess of cars... and then when I got to Sims Avenue it was pouring rain again. And headwind. But it was all good, before I knew it I was home, 81k done... with the whole wonderful day-off ahead of me! Whee!

Yesterday I swam 4k during lunch... 2k moderate, 9x(100m hard, 100m easy), 200m cool down... the pool was nice and empty. Yaye!

Am really looking forward to next week, which will be my biggest training week but the last one before I begin my three week taper. Can't wait to feel them legs burning... aaahh...

When I got my weekly work schedule on Saturday, I was really pissed.

I had requested for every Wednesday off, specially to do my long runs. Because I figured that gives me a good three days after my last long bike, and a good two days before my next long bike. I also figured I wouldn't be able to find the time on others days to run for three to four hours, considering my tight and unpredictable work schedule.

Rookie reporters don't have it easy, I presume.

So last night I decided that I would try to do my three-and-a-half hour run at 6am this morning, starting from the office all the way to the Zoo.

The signs were not looking good though.

I woke at 5am feeling like I needed three more hours of sleep. Somehow I managed to haul myself out of bed.
Had a quick bite, changed and hopped into a cab.
In the cab I realised I had taken two non-matching socks, and that I had left my handphone at home.
Got to the office at 5.50am and found that the gym was closed, so I couldn't put my shower stuff in the lockers. I ended up hiding it in another toilet.
Started my run at 6.10am feeling like I was sleepwalking.

Not good. Three-and-a-half hours seemed like it was going to be an eternity.

But as I ran and as my thoughts drifted, I felt better and better. The fresh morning air awoke my senses. The serenity of the route relieved me of works' stresses and calmed my soul. My body moved effortlessly.

Had a couple of quick stops for water at Lower Peirce carpark and the Zoo toilet, and 100Plus at a Sembawang coffeeshop.

Before I knew it, I was back at the office.
37km done and it wasn't even 10am yet. Sweet!

After work, I went for an easy 2k swim then met up with the AAA peeps for dinner.

I wish everyday could be like today.

I wish I could say TGIF, but I'm working on both Satuday and Sunday. But there are a few things I was thankful for today:
1. Good weather
2. Good swim
I did, however, spend most of the day with a nagging headache. A can of coke light and a 4k swim seemed to cure though. Ran off (with permission) at about 6.30pm after writing my first story... went to the Bukit Timah pool where the AAA peeps were training, did a nice 4k (2k moderate, 5x(200m hard, 200m easy)) swim, ran out of the pool and rushed back to work by 8.30pm to write another story. At the end of it all, I was hungry, tired, but thoroughly satisfied with my day. Sometimes I love my job and sometimes I hate it. Today I experienced both.

So, anyway, it's Saturday tomorrow again... long ride day, yaye! Goodnight.

The following was taken from The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel, the first triathlon book I bought even before I became a triathlete. I had the pleasure and good fortune of meeting Joe and his son, Dirk, at Kona last year. They are a friendly bunch! Anyway, here it goes:

A few years ago, the story goes, scientists at the National Aeroautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an interest in the bumblebee. The lab folks reckoned that the little insect held some secrets of flight that may provide answers to questions about operating in space. After all, they asked, how could such small wings produce efficient lift for a relatively large and hairy torso? And how could a round body and flight position that violated many principles of aerodynamics move so effectively through the air? Indeed, there was much to learn from the little hummer.

So the scientists set about studying the bumblebee to discover its flying secrets. As scientists always do, they hypothesized about, scrutinized, examined, dissected, measured, timed, filmed, observed, compared, quantified, thought about and debated the bumblebee. After weeks of study, they came to one conclusion: Bumblebees are not capable of flight.

Fortunately, no one told the bumblebee. The silly insects go right on believing that flight is normal for them despite what the best minds in the scientific world know as fact.

We can learn a lot from the bumblebee. The single most critical piece of the multisport puzzle is believing in yourself and your capacity to succeed. "If you think you can or think you can't," automobile manufacturer Henry Ford said, "you're probably right." The bumblebee thinks it can fly. Actually, the thought of anything else never even crosses its tiny mind. It just keeps on flying.

Tonight, I was the bumblebee. Legs burning, lungs bursting, mind tired, but I pressed on... the rain came down hard and I struggled to see. But I believed I could fly and I did... WHOOSH! Down Bukit Timah, whacking it, thrashing the legs... ooh yeah felt so good. 83k on the saddle, over and out.

Were you a bumblebee today?

Rain, feel it on my finger tips, hear it on my window pane...and, as Madonna put it, the rain indeed washed away my sorrow and took away my pain today -- in the swimming pool, that is. Cool weather and a slight drizzle made for excellent weather for a swim at the Bukit Timah pool, and I stroked my way to a comfortable 5k (4k easy, 10x50m efforts, 500m cool down). The swim also woke me up from the drowsiness I had suffered from since the morn, due to a late football-watching night the day before. Not that I enjoy watching Liverpool v Watford -- it was for work. I woke at 10.15am (officially, that is. I actually woke a few times before but there was this magnetism between me and my bed, somehow, and I slumped back under the sheets a couple of times). Had two warm slices of toast with PB&K (I'm patenting that, peanut butter & kaya), took a bath, got changed and left with me family to church for 11am service. Still drowsy. But I managed to keep awake during the sermon. :)

After church, I tagged along with me bro and his gf, bee li, to Jalan Besar, where they bought a kitchen sink and a tap for her new flat. Nothing too exciting there. We then met up with mom and dad and my l'il bro for zhi-char lunch just around the corner from church. Nothing too exciting there either. After that my bro dropped me off for my swim, before which bruised 'n bandaged shemmo swung by to pick up his get-well-soon pack which i put together for his (probably) week-long lay-off (enjoy!). Then I went off for my swim. Nothing too exciting there too.

And so I took the train home and went for a mini tour of the newly-renovated White Sands mall. Definitely nothing exciting there, cept for Ben & Jerry's, where I bought a Mango-Lime sorbet. Came home, put on a nice CD and did my laundry, and had a tuna sandwich with veggie chips. Ironically, that was the perfect end to my boring, rainy day. I love doing my laundry and munching on my tuna sandwiches and my veggie chips. I like simple, I like no-fuss. I like the smell of fresh laundered clothing and the somehow therepeutic effect of folding clothes. Perhaps it just makes me feel like I'm putting things in order, straightening things out and making a fresh start to the week. Perhaps I'm just a bit off-kilter. Heh.

By the way, did I mention that all the flights to Langkawi had been pretty much sold out, and I had to choose between $563 for economy class or $548 for first class?

Guess which I chose.

Today's magic number is 153... kilometres.

That's what I rode today, on the wet 'n slick roads in fantastically cool (and at times freezing) weather. Woke up not feeling very optimistic about having anyone to cycle with as I gazed out the window. It was drizzling and I thought the Cycleworx guys never rode on wet roads, much less in the rain...so I looked out the window again and again, and again and again. I must've done it ten times in like, ten minutes. I guess a bit part of me wanted to get back under the sheets, but a BIG part of me wanted to get out there and ride. After all, today was supposed to be 140km bike day according to my Ironman Langkawi training plan. So after stuffing my face with three yam buns (and yes, gazing out the window again), I sleepily hopped on my bike and headed for the usual meeting place. All the way there I was preparing myself for a lonely ride, planning my route, preparing myself for a lonely ride... and then I reached.

Got my usual kopi-bing and isotonic drink from Longhouse, still feeling like I was not going to see a soul. But then, Samson appeared, coming from the direction of the bikeshop. Happy, happy, joy, joy. He then told me there were a couple of people and yusoff and mulan there. Even more joy. The ride was on, yaye!

Lets see, there was yusoff, mulan, saiful, sotong, steady eddie, joncheeton, andrew, samson, joe and i, and then kale, lai, benard, ah fei, hakim, xxx and xxx (i forgot their names) appeared at Mt Faber. So it was a pretty decent group, which totally surprised me. Anyway, the ride was great, I tried to be out in front more and slack less. We did the usual loop, and it was about 107k by the time we got back to the shop. I then took a (very) long way home to make it 153k. T'was gooood.

Yesterday, I went for a swim at lunch and had to be hauled out of the pool by the lifeguard because of the rain. I tried to pretend I didn't hear his whistle...haha, but that only worked for a couple of laps. Only managed 2k in the end and was pretty pissed with that, so I decided to run after work. Hann Sern came to the office and we ran for an hour on the treadmill. Fun!

Here's a shoutout to Shemmo, who fell during his ride today. Take care, dude.

Alright, gotta go to work :(

There are people who love to talk. I mean, really, really love to talk. Not just talking per say, but constructing sentences with a dash of wit and a dollop of sarcasm thrown in just to prove... I have no idea what they're trying to prove. Their superior grasp of the English language, their superiority complex (which actually works the other way), or their plain ignorance for another human's feelings?? Beats me. They talk, and when people utter about them, they hit back. It doesn't help that other people are talking about them -- in a bad way. Mutual friends, that is. And what do you do? You put in a good word or two, or even whole paragraphs, trying to salvage their reputations. You mean well, because you still value their friendship (despite their inability to keep silent). And then, out of the blue, you hit a bump. And then you start questioning yourself why you even bothered, for perhaps what others are saying about them is just the plain bloody truth. Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.

If you are lost, then let me fill you in on the usual mundane life of mine. I spent my day off lazing at home, surfing the net, sleeping, then waking up to ride with the Cycleworx gang in the evening. It was gooood today, about 25 of us tearing through the streets and winding in between cars and drafting trucks... like a Harley gang, just that we're on Pinarellos. 83km later, my legs are fried and I feel so good.

If you're still lost.... I can't help you.

Heartrates heightened. Sweat-drenched singlet, shorts, socks and shoes. Furious feet treading lightly and effortlessly on the tarmac. Conversations flowing as time ticks away on the 2.5 hour journey.

And then, I fall.

Tripping over a root (or branch, too dark couldn't tell), I tumble in slow motion. The two seconds felt like an eternity. Gradually I hit the soil, knees first, then hands, my visored head barely missing the lamppost. Thankfully, I just had some grazes on my right leg. No problems, the journey continued.

And so we ran from MacRitchie all the way to Mandai and back, nearly reaching the Zoo. Two crazy triathletes running in the still of the night. Estimated around 26, 27km. It was good - good pace, good weather, good company, good conversation. I'm definitely looking forward to the next run.

My legs feel terrificly tired. The best thing? There isn't work tomorrow.

No, I did not train on Wednesday. I am sane after all. I took a break that day, also because I had to go back to work too. Legs felt like lead, worse than after riding 100k. Weird, huh?

But then I trained double yesterday. A 3k swim in the morn with 5x200m efforts thrown in, then I worked from home on my day off (yes, I'm the yes man!), and met up with Hann Sern and Andrea in the evening for an easy 9k jog and 1k swim. It was great hanging out with them! We had fish soup near me place, and boy, did it go down well after that cold, rainy night.

Today I only ran 12k on the treadmill with 25 minutes hard smack in the middle of the hour-long run. I felt pretty good. Legs actually feel so much better after running. Tomorrow it's the usual 630am Cycleworx ride.

I'm starting to realise my diary is more of a training log. There is hardly anything else to write about because there is nothing else going on in my life other than work and training. I don't watch TV, so I can't talk about that either.
I was reading a friend's blog yesterday, she's studying in Switzerland or Italy or France or what have you. Her blog was filled with really nice pictures of European architecture... nice ang moh food... great weather... good lookin' blokes... man, she is living the life. I wish I could go overseas to work for a few years. Some fresh air would do me good. Hopefully, that is what the guy up there has planned for me in the near future... I've learnt not to push your luck, just take things in your stride. Shit happens? Tahan, lah. Then you will know (and appreciate) when something good does take place.
In the meantime, I will just pray hard and keep me fingers crossed. Anyone want to offer me a gig overseas?? I'll do your laundry for free.

How far can your body go?

That is exactly what I'm trying to find out about my own body. I woke up today at 715am with achey-breakey legs (smelling of yoko-yoko applied the night before). My ITBs were so tight I had trouble getting out of bed. First thought: go back to bed. Second thought: go back to bed. Third thought: GET YOUR FAT ASS OUTTA BED AND GO RIDE IF YOU WANNA GET TO KONA AGAIN! Right. So body listened to head and I got out of bed. Ouch ouch ouch. Washed up, changed into my cycling gear, gobbled a kelloggs nutri grain cereal bar and got out of the house by 745am. Ouch ouch ouch. Started regretting cycling, looked at the sky, and swore that if it started drizzling I'd turn back.

Damn, no rain.

Got to Longhouse at 830am and the Cycleworx guys were all there already. I had my usual Kopi-bing... chatted a bit.. and off we went. Pre-ride warning to the guys: I was gonna get dropped early. Or so I thought. Started off slowly, spinning... by the time we got to Upper Peirce it shot up to 40km/h, no thanks to Nick Swallow. After that it was just insane. Mandai - dead. Kranji - dead. Neo Tiew - dead and fallen over. Lim Chu Kang - ahhh!!. Still I hung on, surprisingly. We kept hovering around 40km/h it was crazy. A bunch had already dropped off, starting from Mandai. But I told myself if I got dropped it'd be even more painful.. so I stuck.. stuck stuck stuck.. Jalan Bahar, West Coast, Gap... stuck like glue. Before I knew it, the ride was over. Meter read 85k and my legs felt soo much better than when I got out of bed. Went to Cycleworx to give my bike a good wash and polish, then came home.

100km done! And today was the fastest and hardest ride of the week.

So, I'm still alive. Last rest day was Christmas Day. Possibly will take a rest tomorrow, unless I want to see how much further I can go. Here's what the training has been since Christmas' piggin-out day:

Tuesday, Dec 26: 18km run
Wednesday: 12km tempo run
Thursday: 3km swim with intervals, 10km tempo run
Friday: 3km swim with intervals
Saturday: 115km ride
Sunday: 43.2km trail run
Monday: 115km ride
Tuesday: 100km ride
Wednesday, Jan 3: ???

What a way to usher in the New Year - I rode another 115k today! I woke up at 5.15am, pressed the snooze button and then woke up again at 5:50am, only to end up rushing to leave the house for the Sly Ride at Dempsey. It was all good though, reached Dempsey just in time and then did the ride. It was amazing, huuuge peloton, but I think we were going so slow it was dangerous. Anyway, Ah Fei, Ernest and I broke off near Orchard Boulevard and headed down to Longhouse for the 830am Thomson ride. Take note: don't ever believe a soul when they say it's going to be a recovery ride. Damn, just when I thought I could have a nice New Year's Day joyride, we ended going between 35-40+km/h all the way. I could only keep up with the second pack... but it was tough enough! Surprisingly I could still move despite yesterday's run.. which is a thoroughly good sign. We ended at Prata Cafe (by then my meter read 95k)... had a good time hanging out with the Cycleworx bunch for about an hour. Decided I was falling asleep so I cycled home... scrubbed myself clean and am now lying in bed.

Perfect.

Probably will be catching Borat later with the Cycleworx guys... unless I oversleep.. which is highly possible... right, Ah Fei just smsed me. The show's at 5.

Tomorrow another ride.. probably shorter... but then again.. I think we are heading East... anyway my bike is sooo dirty it needs a bloody good wash down.

Ok, the z-monster is attacking me. Falling...asleep..now...