BIKE ARRIVED! Thanks Caesar from AIG for really moving the thing along. You know what guys, ALWAYS get travel insurance (and possibly never fly a certain airline that I did, or at least, check your baggage claim ticket and make sure it isn't tagged to some Wang Meihui chick).

Thanks mom also for the constant pestering. I knew you would do a good job, seeing how you always pestered me to clear my room. Ha! No seriously, probably racked up a huge handphone bill... but we'll make *ahem* pay for it!!!

So let me make this a fast one cos it's 11.30pm here. Yesterday I did a swim in the morning and a run in the arvo. After that had the Parade of Nations.. which was a truly wonderful experience. Me, lone ranger, hoisting our Singapore flag together with the placard... camera in the other hand... we walked down Alii Drive, which was lined with people cheering. Every couple of hundred metres or so there would be announcers calling out the country and giving itsby bits of info on the contingent. The spectators shouted "Go Singapore!" and "Good Luck!"... it was amazing, cos none of them were Singaporean, obviously. Ironman goose pimples. I can't imagine what it's going to be like on race day.

Well, after the parade, Larry invited me along to his super exclusive CEO Challenge welcome party at Paleo's across the street. I ate so much of the finger food at the start (thinking it was the only food they were serving) so by the time it came to the main course (caesar salad, teriyaki chicken with 'asian' noodles, apple strudel) I could barely stuff anything in my face anymore. Anyway was great meeting all those CEOs, esp one-arm Willie and Joe Friel! Yes!! THE author of the Triathletes' Training Bibile, the first triathlon book I ever bought even before I did my first race. How cool is that?? (And walking down the street just now he yelled out to me, wow!!) Came back and then WALA! Bike was waiting for me at the lobby. You cannot imagine the sense of relief that overcame me after that. Lugged it upstairs and then checked for damages, which there were none. THANK YOU GOD! Fixed it up and went to bed a happy girl.

This morning went for a really short swim.. gee, the swell was huge. Surfer's paradise, man. After that got 45minutes of active release (they set up tents at the swim area and work on athletes for free). Super shiok. Met up with Larry at about 11am and then we drove up to Hawi, which is the climb to the bike turnaround, and biked easy for an hour. Going up took 42 minutes, going down took 18. Go figure!

Came back and had the race briefing at our hotel's carpark. Nothing too exciting at all, just that former champ Peter Reid will be giving out water at one of the aid stations. Right, imagine stopping halfway through your race and asking for an autograph!!!

After the briefing, Larry, his parents, his brother and sister-in-law and I went to this palace just around the corner for this super duper exclusive VIP cocktail party. When they say cocktails, they mean cocktails. I wasn't even full after that. Good thing though, they had char siew paus, siew mai and guo tie. Hawaiian style, lah, so not so good. But beggars can't be choosers. ANYWAY. Did not know many people at the super crowded party... so anyway, still had a good time talking to the CEOs and also to the announcer... (i forgot his name, but he screams "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!" at the finish line of many, many Ironman races).

Well so the race is coming up really really really fast... I.. am... so... scared and excited and anxious ... and... and.. I don't know... Ironman goose pimples, basically. You have to be here to know what I'm talking about.

Tomorrow I do the annual underpants run at 8am down Alii Drive. Yes, the famed run where everyone runs a mile or so in their tightie whities, bras, undies, nipple stickers, boxers... what have you! Good pictures coming up I suspect!!!!!!!

Ok, bed calling. Very sleepy. Night!

My second day here in Kona. Finally got some internet connection provided for by Dell here at the King Kamehameha Hotel where I'm staying at.

Everything hasn't been going too well here. I checked in at 5.30am on Sunday morning at the United Airlines counter at Changi Airport Terminal 1. I was only allowed two pieces of luggage (but had three), so I had to repack my stuff. Ok, not too bad, managed to fit some stuff on my hand carry. So I proceded to board the plane... everything went ok. Got to Narita for my three hour transit.. yeah it was ok. Boarded the plane to Honolulu...flight was ok 'cept for some weirdo Jappo next to me who was totally inconsiderate (but that's another story which I have no space for).

Anyway, LANDED in Honolulu International Airport. As the passengers were, as usual, getting all kan cheong and trying to rush off the plane, I felt the plane move. Hm, unusual, I thought to myself. Never have I experienced a Boeing 777 rock as passengers got off. Must be an unstable Boeing. riiiiiight... so anyway, took the Wikiwiki bus to the immigration... rain was pouring pretty hard out. As we reached the entrance where you had to go down one level to the immigration, the escalotor was not working and the room below looked extremely dark. So I walked down the stairs, and lo and behold, the immigration area was pitch dark, with some little sources of light here and there. That was about 7.20am on Sunday, 15 Oct (gained a day going there). Then an announced from security came to tell us that there was an earthquake that resulted in an island-wide power shortage. Later, I found out it was a quake measuring 6.6 on the richter scale which rocked at 7.06am, and whose epicenter was just about 20km off the Ironman World Championship start line. The last time Hawaii experienced a power shortage due to a quake was way back in 1991. So yeah, this was pretty bad. Anyway, back to the immigration area. So we waited in the dark... I just stood there listening to my ipod and smsing friends and family. People around me started sitting down and even sleeping on the floor, but I found that sitting for six hours on the plane was enough of sitting for a day (stupid move). Lights finally came on at about 8:50am to the cheers of a few hundred people in the immigration area.

Got through immigration and went to the baggage claim area, where all our bags were laid out in the dark (the carousel was not moving due to the power shortage). I found my luggage bag pretty easily, because it's really one of a kind... but then I couldn't find my bike box. PANIC. No where to be found at all, so I approached the United Airlines staff for help. She checked my baggage claim ticket and found that my bike box had been tagged to a certain "Wang Meihui" only to Narita. My heart sank. What was I going to do? At that point, you can imagine how much I wanted to kill the lady who had checked me in (and I will, when I get back to Singapore). So, no bike. Lodged a report. Proceded to the interisland terminal where I was supposed to catch the Aloha Airlines flight to Kona. After A LOT of trouble I got to the terminal, but that is where the trouble started. It was packed, with queues reached outside the door. They weren't checking anyone in because they were waiting for security clearance. Plus, everything had to be done manually cos everything had no power. My flight was scheduled to leave at 9.55am, but obviously I missed that. Anyway. ... the next five hours was crazy.. standing around, sitting on my luggage, jostling with the crowd, fighting the stuffy atmosphere... finally they began boarding people according to destination, with Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and then FINALLY Kona. It was hell... I can't describe it here. But I finally got through and boarded the plane at 2pm. Reached Kona at about 3pm. There, I lodged another lost baggage report with Aloha Airlines. Waited waited waited for my luggage ... it finally came and I caught a Speedi Shuttle (which cost me a whopping 25USD for a 12km trip) to the hotel.

Finally settled in at the King Kamehameha (a super dodgy hotel but location, which is right at the start line, makes up for its crumminess)... took a much needed shower after travelling for more than a day... made a call to United Airlines in Singapore and complained like hell about my lost baggage, and the lady promised it would board the flight to Narita (but I will tell you more a little further down).... and then proceded to crash big time on my bed. DOOSH! I woke up at about 8.30pm and gave Larry Smith (remember, the CEO guy I met at Korea?) a call. He rented a car so we drove to the supermarket to get groceries. Came back, fixed myself a sandwich and then DOOSH, fell asleep again. Oh, before that, arranged with Larry to swim at 7am tomorrow.

So! Today. This morning, Larry and I got to the Kailua Pier at 7am for our swim. About a hundred triathletes were already there. I tell you, that was my first brush with Ironman goose pimples. It was just amazing seeing all these super-fit people going around (would make any Victoria's Secret model feel ashamed). They had bag check in and free gatorade plus free gatorade water bottles just for this swim practice. How awesome is that? So well... we checked in our stuff really quickly and went into the water. It was pretty cold but not too bad once you got started. Man... you ain't experienced choppy till you've swum at Kailua Pier. It usually is very calm, but somehow because of the earthquake.. everything is weird. It seriously felt like a washing machine. Bad. But I just told myself to relax and control my breathing and try not to swallow the water... the first few hundred metres had lane rope and a lot of buoys, so it was easy to navigate. But suddenly everything stopped and we were swimming along like a school of fish with about five others. A canoeist offered to follow us all the way and guide us, because obviously, we could not for the life of us see where to go. It was just us in the vast ocean. So we followed.. the water didn't get too choppy as we got further out, but there were quite big waves that made you flop here and there and didn't help with navigation. Lucky thing we had our fellow fish and the canoeist. The water is really blue and clear.. the sun was great... We swam and swam, stopped now and then to see where we where (each time finding out we were in the middle of nowhere). After what seemed like eternity, we reached the turn around buoy, which was in the middle of no where, and then headed back. Heading back is not too bad, because you just aim for this massive hotel... it was pretty easy going back, plus the waves took us home... by the time we actually reached the shore, we had swum for about an hour and half, longer than we wanted to. But I think at least now I'm mentally prepared for the swim.

Got out of the water and went to get registered at our hotel lobby. Signed our life away on indemnity forms and picked up our race kit. Then we went to the store at the lobby which was selling official Ironman World Champioinship merchandise. Shopped around.. then we went up to bathe and then we went for lunch at some sandwich place where we bumped into MICHELLIE JONES! Wow, she's looking relaxed. It's gonna be a battle between her and Natasha Badmann. Exciting.

So, bike didn't arrive today as told it would. So called mom, who did a good job bugging the UA office. She also got Standard Chartered and AIG in the act. So hopefully all this bugging will bring my bike here. If not, UA will have to pay for my lost bike and a lifetime of disappointment for missing the race, which is really going to cost them. By the way, my running shoes are also in the box, so that compunds the matter even more. In the end I borrowed Larry's men's size 9 shoes (27cm) for my women's size 8.5 (25.5cm) feet.

I went for a 50minute run at about 5pm, expecting hot weather. But the sky was dark and threatening to rain. Weather is really getting very weird. The run went well. I ran along the famed Alii Drive out and back, meeting a lot of triathletes on the way and even one dude who hi-fived me! Ironman goose pimples again. By the time I got back the sun had set.. showered and made my dinner (ham and cheese sandwich), doggie bagged it and went for a walk. The shops here close at 9pm which is fantastic!!! But but but as I was walking out it started to drizzle.. and then it rained. And then the guy at the store I was at told me to get back quick cos rain with 25mph winds and hail was expected. Rushed back and browsed at some of the shops at the hotel. Saw a pair of Nike women's air pegasus and was so tempted to buy, but held back. Larry's shoes did the job anyway.

So I am here now, at the hotel lobby with free internet connection. Praying for my bike box to arrive tomorrow. My first Ironman World Championship experience has been really interesting. I'm just trying to relax, enjoy the moment, and trust that God has everything planned out and is taking care for everything. Tomorrow will do a swim and run again, unless of course my bike arrives. It's Tuesday here tomorrow, race is on Saturday, so UA still have some time to save their asses. Gotta check my bike in on Friday.

Hope everyone is well at home, I'm ok here, but I could be better.

Phew! What a tiring, long but fulfilling day. Today was my last off day before I leave for Kona on Sunday morning, so I had to make full use of it. Oh before that, a bit about what I did on Monday and Tuesday. Ran on both days at the office gym... on Monday it was just 11km, but yesterday I did 18km on the treadmill, my longest run on a treadmill! Figured I didn't want to kill myself in the haze. Anyway, my target is to do a marathon on a treadmill one day. Heh!

So, back to today. Woke at 7:30am (yes, I'm a freak who wakes so early on an off day). Went for a short 3k swim at Safra Tampines then drove to Uncle Rob's place to get them Zipp 404s, the same pair I used to win my age group at Ironman Korea. I tell you, those wheels are fast and lucky. Jingxian won the 2005 SEA Games triathlon in them. Victoria Cambell won Desaru Half 2005 in them (I think). I won Ironman Korea 18-24 age group in them. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to win Kona, not even close, but I figure I'll need all the help and luck I can get!

Anyway, after that I came home cos my Dad needed to use the car. I took the MRT down to Raffles Place to the Standard Chartered office to get some stuff from Jo-Fo... chatted with her and Ai Kwei for a bit too. Such a nice bunch they are!

After that met the Loyster for lunch... his wonderful Hong Lim Curry Chicken Noodle idea kinda fell through because it was sold out by the time we got there. So, me being a pau fanatic, decided on Tiong Bahru pau. The Loyster, seemingly on a see-food diet, didn't complain (although I think he probably wanted to eat something else.....). Anyway he downed one big pau, one char siew pau, one tau sar pau, one lian yong pau, two char siew soh, two siew mai, and half a yam ball and half a ... whatever ball it was. National cyclist lah, what to do. Enormous appetite.
Next the Loyster gave me a lift to Beach Road where I collected some Powergels and Powerbars from the Polar/Powerbar office. Thanks so much for the support, Adrian!!
After that, Loyster and I proceded to (no prizes for guessing it right) CANELE where he had a Tiramisu and a Charlie Brown, and I a L'Amour ice cream. Also bought an assortment of 10 mini-cakes for me mum's birthday (which is on Oct 15, but we celebrated tonight). The great thing about it, other than her being so delighted with the spread, was that I got to try ten Canele cakes at a go!!!! Seriously, if I do not make it past the finish line at Kona.. I probably deserve it cos I ate too damn many cakes. Ok, but really... I'm going to finish..... but i digress. Let me continue with my day.
So, after gorging ourselves with those sweet little things, we walked across the street to UE Square Cold Storage in an attempt to burn off what we ate (which in fact we probably did, like, a mouthful of it). Loyster got some nicely packaged muesli. I wouldn't open it though, the packaging is way too nice.
We got back to the car, and with a huge load of stuff to carry, the Loyster decided to give me a lift home. Thank you thank you thank you!

Got home, lazed around for a bit then met Uncle Rob, Nick, Ai Ling,.. and some others.. at Nick's bike shop. Went riding for about 60+ km then came home... chowed down some hee pio soup.. and we cut the cakes!!!!!
Wah lau, sugar high, lah!

And so here I am, alert from all the sugar running through my veins... typing my blog... probably one kg heavier... counting down the days till I leave on a jetplane for Kailua-Kona....

This week flew by faster than any other. It's quite scary how fast Ironman Hawaii is approaching. Two weeks more and I'll be doing the race of my life!
I supposedly began my taper this week, but I have to admit I have hardly cut down, except for my longest run. Which actually I guess is ok, because the rest were just short sessions. Sunday after my long ride on Saturday, I swam 4k. Monday I ran 12k. Tuesday I ran 12k and swam 3k. Wednesday I ran about 27k. Thursday I ran 6k. And today I swam 5k. Tomorrow I will join the Cycleworx guys, for the first time, on the Kulai ride. Hopefully it's safe. (Actually I'm having second thoughts now.)
My brain isn't really functioning now cos I'm way too tired, so I shall stop here.