What is it about freshly laundered sheets and clothing? What is it about changing your sheets and folding your clothes? The fresh scent? How everything is clean and straightened out?

Whatever it is, it's getting to me now. Nice, clean sheets... clothes folded and stacked... nujazz beats blastin... back from a 100k ride in the burnin' sun... ac runnin'... smoked salmon sandwich and iced milk tea... my soul is at peace.

Went to Haji Lane for a walkabout with Poo-poo in the arvo. Had a snack at a neighbouring street - me, gado gado and kopi ice, he, mee soto and teh. Yum. Popped by Pluck, a friend's shop, and picked up some shades...

The past week has been crazy.

Ten stories in five days of work (including returning on an off day). Running around chasing down interviewees and fixing up meetings. Soaking in tons of sun at the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Singapore leg at Siloso Beach, Sentosa. The laundered pile in my room has been collecting at one corner, while the laundry pile has been collecting in another. No time for anything. Oh wait, I did catch Pirates of the Caribbean. Got seasick watching the confusing flick. Listening to a ton of CDs I bought recently, John Mayer, Michael Buble, some nujazz,... Wanted to check out Stephane Pompougnac at Zouk last Friday but was just too tired and busy. Thanks to Dad for lending me the car on a few days, made my job a lot easier.

Took it easy with the training though. My left ITB was tight the whole week from the Duathlon, which has never happened to me even after an Ironman. Must have overworked it somehow. Did two short 2-3k swims, one short 8k run, one 45min swim-20min run brick at Sentosa, and one 70k bike-20min run brick with the national squad. Everything was slow and easy... ITB started feeling better after Saturday's swim-run. It's all good now though. Picking up again this week. Have ditched the treadmill for a couple lunchtime runs in the sun, mixing it up with some hillwork and trail. Also rode 65k this morning at coastal, alternating between pushing big gears and spinning. Trying to sleep earlier and eat healthier too (more tuna and egg breakfast rolls and chicken wellington turnovers from Spinelli's).

I've realised that I have a knack for shooting my mouth off at the wrong times. Sorry to anyone I've offended (not that there's been anything grave, but just to be sure..) Will try to keep a leash on my tongue from now on. Also just found out that the reason why I thought the camera in my Nokia E65 sucked was because the settings were at low quality. Duh. Anyway, here's some snapshots of my life from the past week -- in high quality.

Oakley City Duathlon pictures, thanks to Lim Ai Li. Yeah, you can tell from my face how hot it was out there.

The weekend's Oakley City Duathlon was my first short course race in almost a year. It was a painful experience (I dare say worse than doing an Ironman) but a good wake up call for me. Was fifth overall in the women's. Bad result, bad time. Bad bad bad.

The couple of weeks leading up to the race I had been feeling tired and unmotivated to train. Perhaps it was work or the weather, but I could feel my body was not in the best of conditions. Still, I told myself to think positive, that anything could happen on race day. Frequent late nights, letting loose and a healthy dose of alcohol over the past month certainly wasn't going to play out in my favour.

Anyway, woke up early on Sunday and J drove over to send me to the race site. He stayed on for the whole race and then waitied till I finished doing my interviews, brought me for lunch, sent me to work and picked me up after and sent me back again. I couldn't have done it without you, J.

Ok, back to the race. So I woke up bright and early... you know how you can feel it if it's your day? Well certainly didn't feel anything of that sort. Still, anything could happen, right? Made our way down to the race site.. did the usual transition area set up, yakked with loads of people, did my warm up...

And the race was off. The first few steps were a clear indication it was going to be a long day ahead. Kimberley set the pace and within a kilometer from the start a pack of four had formed in front, with Kimberley, Wang Dan, and another two girls. Alisa and I ran together pretty much for the first lap, but I just wasn't feeling it and she dropped me like a hot potato really easily on the second. I never felt so crap on a 10k before. On the second lap of the run I decided to think "enjoy myself" instead of "SEA Games slot".

Was glad to be on the bike. The course was really narrow, crowded with inconsiderate cyclists and dangerous. Spun my legs out on the first lap and felt much better on the following laps. Spent a good deal of energy shouting at people to move to the left. Some people latched onto my wheel at times, all but one time (I don't mind pulling good friends along) I told them to get lost. The winds were kinda weird, cross-wind mostly. I had a close call on the final lap, with my wheel almost getting caught in the drain cover. Two bottles of water in the scorching 34-degree C heat didn't last me long. I think I needed wayyyy more fluid for the whole race. Well, the bike was largely uneventful, couldn't tell where the leaders were, couldn't tell who was coming for me, just kept my head down and cranked.

Spun out for the last kilometer of the bike... headed in for the final run, which I knew was going to be hot and painful. The bike passed surprisingly easily though, I think I should've pushed harder. Was on the small chainring the whole way. Anyway, the final run.. yes, hot. Hot hot hot hot hot. I merely survived it. Wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be but certainly I've felt better running the marathon after an Ironman than running that 5k. Decided I wasn't going to kill myself so just jogged to the finish.

So a very disappointing race, which actually came as no surprise. But, like I said earlier, at least now I know what I need to work on till the next trial. If anything, it can only get better from here.

1. Cut down runs on treadmills. It killed my running form.
2. Start trackwork and hill repeats.
3. Run in the heat more. My body is not built for the heat, so as least I have to try to get used to it. Adaptation, they call it.
4. Do more bikes in the week -- short but sharp -- to build speed.
5. Do more brick sessions. I only did one brick sesh for this race, and never did any while training for Ironmans. But I think it's vital for short course races, cos there really is no time to recover.
6. Adjust bike position. Saddle was a bit too far back I feel.
7. Switch from Ironman mode to short course mode for now.

Oh well, I have... just about six weeks till the next trial on July 8. I shall take this week off/easy, and build up from next week. Work is not going to let me have my way, but I sure will try as hard as hell to get in tip-top shape. Better to die trying than not try at all.

Good job to everyone who raced the Du on Sunday.

Racing season is here...

Thanks Nike!

And Uncle Rob!

Yesterday was a day to live for.

The day started out with not much promise, but ended with me feeling thoroughly exhausted but extremely satisfied. F1 is coming to town, and I was there, at the press conference, at that historical moment when it was announced. I haven't had such an adrenaline rush since the IOC came here in 2005. Forgive me, but if you're not a journalist or have no ambitions to be one, you will perhaps never understand.

And it's amazing how He plans our lives. How you only realise years later why He had planned such a thing for you years before. It goes back a long way for me. I played netball, for the school and then the national U19 team. At that time, we had a lot of our netball functions at Hard Rock Cafe. While waiting for my A level results, I part-timed at Hard Rock Cafe and made many friends there. The pay was crap, but I worked only because the environment was so fun. Seven years on, I understand why He put me there. It all came to me yesterday... the connection? Go figure. Let me just say, He works in wonderous ways.

As I did my Saturday morning 110km ride on four hours of sleep today, I was charged up by all the adrenaline from yesterday, still rushing through my veins. But, like I said earlier, you probably will never understand.

On another note, something you might understand and empathise with me: favouritism. Screw meritocracy. Fairness is a fallacy. Impartiality? A load of bull. The more they do this to me, the more determined I am to rise above... this is me: if you want me to make a cup of coffee, I'll make sure I make the best damn cup of coffee. As some people have told me before, no one is down trodden forever. Watch out.

Ok, I'm starting to sound schizo. Better end here.

On Sunday, I went for my usual after-Church swim at the Bukit Timah pool. Like everytime, I'd walk in, present my ticket at the gate for the familiar lifeguards to tear (it's run a bit different there...)... a short "Hi" and "Thanks" and I'd proceed to do my workout. On finishing up and leaving, I'd say the usual "Bye" and "Thanks" at the gate.

This Sunday was a bit different.

Finished my workout, bathed.. walked towards the exit. Decked out in my Sunday-not-so-best and my ever-present white Stussy shades, After I said "Bye", one of the lifeguards replied likewise, but added: "You are very cold".

"What??" I said, shocked.
"You have a very cold personality," he answered.
Then I smiled and replied: "How do you expect me to be warm to someone I don't even know? I don't even know you."
He smiled back, then for good measure I added: "By the way, the lane I was swimming in had shit floating in it."
"What?" he asked.
"Not really shit, just stuff that looked like disintegrated shit," I answered.
With a bigger smile he said: "Oh. Thanks for the feedback!"
"You're welcome," I said, and left.

I guess hiding behind my shades, which I wear to: 1. hide my tired eyes, 2. protect me from the sun, I look unapproachable. Friends have told me this before, that when I don't smile I look angry. For the record, I can't help it! I have my dad's frown (at least that's what my mom calls it). My face naturally frowns if I'm not concentrating or not smiling... but really I'm not frowning!!!!

Ok, you don't believe me. But, really!!!

This week has been pretty good. Spent most of my time at the Singapore Indoor Stadium instead of the office. The Aviva Open Singapore has been going on the whole week, with most of the world's top 30 players here. I'm pretty sad that Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann and Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat got knocked out. Oh well, Ronald's still in the draw and will be playing the semis later against Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana, so please go down and support him (about 5pm) if you can.

This morning I decided to do some different training instead of the usual ride with Cycleworx. Met Joe, Duane, Pete and Eugene at the Polar office at Boon Tat for a li'l brick sesh to prepare for the Oakley City Duathlon in a couple of weeks' time. They had initially planned on a 10k run, 40ish-k bike and 5k run,... but 'cept for Joe and I, everyone else was late. Because a couple of us had to work later, we cut short everything. Ended up doing approx an 8k run, 30k bike and 3ish-k run. But I rode there and back, so really it was a bike-run-bike-run-bike sesh for me. Really enjoyed myself, the guys are a great bunch. We interspersed efforts with good conversation... so it was all good.

Returned home nice and tired... and fixed myself one of my favourite meals..

My post-ride heaven... smoked salmon sandwich with milo-bing.