600 warm up
5 sets of 2x 200 on 3.25, 1x 100 on 2.00
200 easy
10x 50 kick 50 pull
100 cool down
Total = 4.4k

The set was:
800m warm up
5x 400m on 5sec rest (averaged 6.46 per rep)
200m easy
10x 50m (25m sprint, 25m easy)
200m easy
= 3.7k

I was feeling strong, but perhaps more impressive to me was the dash I made from changing room to the pool. Plunged in and thrashed my arms around like crazy. Wasn’t so bad after the first 100m or so!

I feel really blessed to have stumbled into this swim squad. Not only does it have sessions six days a week at 7am (I’m a morning person), but it also has strong swimmers and fun members. All good!

Got in on Tuesday at 1.30am, slept in, went for a 3k swim, visited my niece Gaby at me bro’s place, then caught up with the Boss over dinner.

Wednesday I was tired; went for an easy 60min trail run at the Tampines MTB park next to home, chilled and worked from home, then went for Tvoon and Rteng’s wedding at Four Seasons. It was one of the best weddings I’ve attended, because the food was good, the company was excellent, and there wasn’t the usual wedding crap.

Thursday I was still tired as I only got home at 1am after the wedding. Went for an easy 75min spin to Coastal on my Pista, to make space in the tummy for a lunch at Aunty Amy’s and dinner at Aunty Gek’s. Assam fish, stir-fried broccoli, sambal prawns, chicken soup, kueh pie tee, fish head bee hoon… damn I’m salivating at the thought already. Finished off the night at Uncle Choon’s, where Aunty Shirley so kindly gave me a slab of her amazing Kueh Lapis. It’s the bomb.

Carbed up, Friday started well with a 17k run, with breakfast with John at Bedok sandwiched between. In the arvo I made my first trip to MBS (can anyone say suah koo?) and took the Singapore River Cruise. The only other time I’ve done that is in primary school, and boy has the scenery on the stone-walled banks changed since then. That night, we had an early reunion dinner; mom made popiah and we also had steamboat. Nom nom nom.

Saturday began with a 3k swim with the bro at Safra Tampines. Then we met up with the other bro for lunch at Alkaff Mansion (as described in an earlier post). I threw my Pista in the boot, and got my lil bro to drop me off at Cycleworx, where I hung out, had lunch with Shooter and Spotter, and washed me bike. Then the skies started turning moody, as it had for the past two days, but that didn’t stop my ride with ZQ. The heavy rain pierced our skin, but it did nothing to dampen our spirits… we had planned to ride just a little loop, but decided instead to ride a bigger Mandai-Kranji-Neo Tiew-Lim Chu Kang-Boon Lay loop. The pace was easy and the conversation was good - catching up after 12 years, how can it not be? - and before I knew it we were in Clementi tucking into sambal stingray and kang kong. Belly happy, I rode home on nice empty streets… sweet.

The return flight was 5.30am Sunday morning, so after getting home from the ride, showering, hanging out with family, packing… I pretty much got three hours of sleep before heading to the airport. I was tired, but it was a memorable and fulfilling trip.

My brother and sis-in-law suggested we have lunch at the restaurant on Saturday. Serene and green, the mansion - a ’20s era former holiday home of rich Yemeni spice traders - on Telok Blangah Hill is great when you want to get away from the usual crowd. It kinda feels like you’ve left the country when you’re up there.

The menu features Tuscan dishes. We had spinach salad, pan-fried mozzarella cheese wrapped in prosciutto, cream of tomato soup, squid ink linguini, tiramisu and affogato.. All delicious but a tad pricey. However, for the ambience, it’s worth the price.

I’d go back again, probably for dinner, and stay on to enjoy what looks like a very chilled bar area. Or perhaps maybe a weekday lunch - they do a reasonably priced set lunch.

Alkaff Mansion
10 Telok Blangah Green
6510-3068

There was no chance to be alone, and though I’m a little tired now from all that activity, it was great. Being surrounded by fantastic folks made me think of this very apt verse, and reminded me of how blessed I am.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.