finally i'm back in the blogging world! haha, been really busy recently so i wasnt in the blogging mood much. anyway, a quick update is that i've been attached to the frigate RSS Supreme. quite a nice bunch of crew and officers (lest 1). i enjoyed working with them.
the shin is recovering well. it's been week 5 of my recovery and i did 5k yesterday with the team, then another 5k today with the ship crew for cohesion. obviously my cardio is a bit off now but i'm sure that with some hardwork and patience (important!) i'll get my form back by season.
it's been quite a year. so many things i am thankful for. God has really blessed me with much this year, especially in my athletic career. that's not to say that things have been all smooth sailing, but i choose to look at the positives rather than the negatives.
1) a wonderful first season with the bi team. it was really fun and amazing, and i look forward to the next one in about 3 months time.
2) my first foray into ironman (or rather, the half-ironman). suriving it was one thing. completing it with my friends is another. some of the most painful but also the most memorable 6 hours of my life.
3) running the fastest marathon of my life so far during sundown. only to have the timing chip screw it up for me. i'm still certain i did 3:20 something.
4) venturing into OD tri racing and also the hardest bike route ever at lake kenyir, then port dickson. ouch.
5) finally getting my COC (yay!)
6) doing a sub-5hr half ironman at desaru. granted the swim was probably about only 1.5k, but still.
7) winning my first (and very lucrative!) race. h20 biathlon.
8) PB for OD tri. 2:14 during trifactor and finishing 2nd overall.
9) committing myself into doing 1500m free for NUS. then finishing 20:55 when i was aiming about 21 mins. this was really really gratifying.
10) winning my second race, RP Bi.
11) learning about recovery. how much rest my body needs and what kind of training i respond better to. unfortunately some of this i had to learn the hard way.
12) being attached to the frigate and having a good VA. not too stressed and also quite a good learning experience.
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it's been a long year, and there's a longer one coming up ahead. i'll do a post on things i'll look forward to in 2010 tomorrow. time to go for a bike ride.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
perspective
it's all about how u choose to look at things.
half full or half empty.
it's your choice to be happy or miserable.
ok gtg and refill my fill up my half full water bottle.
half full or half empty.
it's your choice to be happy or miserable.
ok gtg and refill my fill up my half full water bottle.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
sea games
been watching the sea games swimming. pretty amazing. quah ting wen must be half-mermaid.
congrats to dinah for getting 3rd in the cycling individual time trial! all the ebst for the mass start tomorrow! kick them if they try to kick u! pretend it's a triathlon swim start!
maybe... just maybe... if i keep training and keep going at it hard enough... 2011?
we'll see...
PS: i did a 10 plus min jog on the grass today... after which i became breathless. HAHAHA. my run chui liao... from PB of 39:25 for 10k to nothing.
congrats to dinah for getting 3rd in the cycling individual time trial! all the ebst for the mass start tomorrow! kick them if they try to kick u! pretend it's a triathlon swim start!
maybe... just maybe... if i keep training and keep going at it hard enough... 2011?
we'll see...
PS: i did a 10 plus min jog on the grass today... after which i became breathless. HAHAHA. my run chui liao... from PB of 39:25 for 10k to nothing.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Plans for 2010
posting this cause i dunno what i want to talk about, but still feel like updating my blog.
races to kill at the present moment in the upcoming year.
1) IVP
2) Sing BI
3) Aviva Ironman 70.3 Triathlon Singapore
4) OSIM International Triathlon
5) Ironman Frankfurt
more to follow..........
races to kill at the present moment in the upcoming year.
1) IVP
2) Sing BI
3) Aviva Ironman 70.3 Triathlon Singapore
4) OSIM International Triathlon
5) Ironman Frankfurt
more to follow..........
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Brian Boyle - Iron Heart
60% blood loss. Heart moved across his chest. Pulverised organs and bones. 2 months of medically induced coma.
Fast forward 3 years.
Ironman finisher.
another proof that nothing is IMpossible
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Stan Chart 2009 - A Spectator's Perspective
this was the first time that i was watching a race rather than taking part in it. taking into account my long term goals next year, i decided not to run with a shin splint that is taking longer than usual to heal (probably cause i've still been running until last week).
i reached the race site just in time to see mok come into the last 200m. he finished with a time of 2:43. he was the top singaporean. considering this was his first marathon, it is an understatement to say that this was a good debut.
ashley was 8 mins behind him at 2:51 to finish second sinagporean. been hearing alot about how he'd been training. must have paid off.
saw the rest such as (in no particular order) junyang, bear bay, mark, baldwin, lucas, josh, zhixiang, eddy chun kiak, nicholas, elston, sanny and quite a few others finish. it looked so fun.
most importantly, i was down to watch the rubicon-huggs runners come in. saw uncle rodney, doing his umpteenth marathon. then there was just, my best friend for 15 years doing his first marathon. he only picked up running this year with the AHM, then decided to do the 42.2 today. he did about 5hours plus plus, which for a first timer doesnt really matter. first time just complete can already. my first marathon i cramped and walked the last 10km, so this was quite an achievement for him.
inside, i was feeling happy for everyone. some hit their PB's some didnt. but they finished, and the smiles on their sweaty faces meant it was all worth it. the time and effort spent training were all worth it.
obviously i felt sucky (understatement). the top 2 singaporean men were both uni students, which goes to show how the younger guys stepping up to the marathon distance are making quite an impact in the scene. a few months ago this was my dream too, to do a sub 3:10 to qualify for boston. never is easy to come to terms when there is a gap between what u want and what u can realistically get is too big to cross.
i just have to be patient and know that with the rest time i will come back stronger and faster. in the mean time, go mok and ashley. go boston (if u decide to go) and experience my dream for me. hope to join u guys one day. cheers.
i reached the race site just in time to see mok come into the last 200m. he finished with a time of 2:43. he was the top singaporean. considering this was his first marathon, it is an understatement to say that this was a good debut.
ashley was 8 mins behind him at 2:51 to finish second sinagporean. been hearing alot about how he'd been training. must have paid off.
saw the rest such as (in no particular order) junyang, bear bay, mark, baldwin, lucas, josh, zhixiang, eddy chun kiak, nicholas, elston, sanny and quite a few others finish. it looked so fun.
most importantly, i was down to watch the rubicon-huggs runners come in. saw uncle rodney, doing his umpteenth marathon. then there was just, my best friend for 15 years doing his first marathon. he only picked up running this year with the AHM, then decided to do the 42.2 today. he did about 5hours plus plus, which for a first timer doesnt really matter. first time just complete can already. my first marathon i cramped and walked the last 10km, so this was quite an achievement for him.
inside, i was feeling happy for everyone. some hit their PB's some didnt. but they finished, and the smiles on their sweaty faces meant it was all worth it. the time and effort spent training were all worth it.
obviously i felt sucky (understatement). the top 2 singaporean men were both uni students, which goes to show how the younger guys stepping up to the marathon distance are making quite an impact in the scene. a few months ago this was my dream too, to do a sub 3:10 to qualify for boston. never is easy to come to terms when there is a gap between what u want and what u can realistically get is too big to cross.
i just have to be patient and know that with the rest time i will come back stronger and faster. in the mean time, go mok and ashley. go boston (if u decide to go) and experience my dream for me. hope to join u guys one day. cheers.
Friday, December 4, 2009
I stayed up for 10 hours to watch the whole race and it was worth every single 600 mins
looks easy? looks are deceiving. 17 hours of racing compressed into a 1 hour plus show.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
mind made up
i've decided. i will not run stan chart this sunday.
reasons being:
1) dun want to worsen my shin splint into a stress fracture. let's take it easy now so that i can build my base for next season =)
2) minimal training. rather than do a sub-par marathon, i should be patient and then aim for another marathon where i can actually perform.
3) if i want to take this whole endurance sport thing seriously, then i should take the signals that my body is giving me seriously too.
4) next year's aviva, sing bi, ivp, and frankfurt.
cheers to me. i'm growing up. =D
i still want to thank my sponsors for stan chart. rubicon (a head hunting firm) and huggs (coffee and sandwich cafe) for the running top and shorts. sorry i will not be able to represent you all in the marathon. i will be there to support and wait for u guys to cross the finish line though!
now to find someone i can borrow a camera from..........
reasons being:
1) dun want to worsen my shin splint into a stress fracture. let's take it easy now so that i can build my base for next season =)
2) minimal training. rather than do a sub-par marathon, i should be patient and then aim for another marathon where i can actually perform.
3) if i want to take this whole endurance sport thing seriously, then i should take the signals that my body is giving me seriously too.
4) next year's aviva, sing bi, ivp, and frankfurt.
cheers to me. i'm growing up. =D
i still want to thank my sponsors for stan chart. rubicon (a head hunting firm) and huggs (coffee and sandwich cafe) for the running top and shorts. sorry i will not be able to represent you all in the marathon. i will be there to support and wait for u guys to cross the finish line though!
now to find someone i can borrow a camera from..........
Sunday, November 29, 2009
dream dream dream
why do i see myself crossing the finish line of stan chart overjoyed and in disbelief?
when i know almost for certain that it will not happen?
i maybe able to run, but im not sure whether my legs will hold up for 42km with minimal training.
my longest run so far is only 20km.
why?
but if i dun have this dream, then where will i be?
after all, isn't life about dreaming?
when i know almost for certain that it will not happen?
i maybe able to run, but im not sure whether my legs will hold up for 42km with minimal training.
my longest run so far is only 20km.
why?
but if i dun have this dream, then where will i be?
after all, isn't life about dreaming?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I dun watch American Football, but this is pretty amazing
| Play of the day: Grant's Kenneth Acker's amazing punt return touchdown |
Sunday, November 22, 2009
RP Bi
almost cant believe that it's been a year since this race happened last year. how time flies.
last year i took part in the relay team event and swam 400m while norms was my running partner for the 1.5k run. we got third that day.
this time i was in the individual category with josh and dex. there werent really any preps for this race, mainly cause it is so short (450m swim and 2.4km run - though we all agree that it was not 2.4km. way too short)
NUS was the only uni participating, alongside the other polys and this time, singapore sports school. scott ang was there. scay kid. he swims damn blooody fast, not to mention that he's representing singapore in the youth olympics next year.
JJ chartered a super duper nice van to take the team to RP. after a short warm up, we were soon up on the blocks to start.
my swim was stiff. i was still aching from gymming on thursday, so my back felt like a block of wood (or whatever is stiff). i saw the 2 swimmers from SSS gaining a ridiculous lead over all the rest of us. my only thoughs were just to keep pushing so that the deficit would not be too big out of the water.
finished the swim in 6:25 at third position (definitely not at my 100%). got out of the pool and headed to transition. one of the SSS kids was still at transition while scott was already running out. at that point i was about to put on my shoes when i noticed that the shades on the shoes were orange. it was josh's! (the perils of having the same shoes with same lock laces next to each other) i jumped into my own box to get into my shoes.
i realised that i had too many things in transition for such a short race. race belt, shoes, shades, singlet. wah lau. so i bit into my race belt and grabbed the singlet and ran off with my shades on my head. i had to change while running so as not to waste time.
scott had about 25s over me, and i had no choice but to push real hard on the run to catch him. at first it looked like i wouldnt be able to do it, until slowly but surely the gap between us closed that i knew i had a shot at this.
i told myself to keep up the ridiculously painful pace i was running, and soon after i passed scott to get into the lead. then we hit the slopes of the run course. wah lau. damn painful. but i knew that after the slopes it was just another 100m or so to the finish. so i kept going at it till finally near the end i saw that i had a comfortable lead and i could pose for the ending. it was a sign of thanksgiving to God at the finish line.
the night before i actually prayed for victory. it was the first time that i had made this kind of request. usually i just pray for a good race, but never to win. but the night before i realised that this was a race that i could win. so why not right?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,, present your request to God. - Philippians 4:6
my run time was 7:46, so total was 14:11.
josh came in 4th, while ZY won her race as well! orlanda, delphine and dex also took part and finished in good time. Nic and JJ got 2nd for the relay cat, with ben and zhan yuan finishing up the rest of our team's performance. thanks goes out to norms as well who drove all the way down to woodlands to support us!
another rewarding day for the team! the oldies certainly showed that we are no pushovers!
last year i took part in the relay team event and swam 400m while norms was my running partner for the 1.5k run. we got third that day.
this time i was in the individual category with josh and dex. there werent really any preps for this race, mainly cause it is so short (450m swim and 2.4km run - though we all agree that it was not 2.4km. way too short)
NUS was the only uni participating, alongside the other polys and this time, singapore sports school. scott ang was there. scay kid. he swims damn blooody fast, not to mention that he's representing singapore in the youth olympics next year.
JJ chartered a super duper nice van to take the team to RP. after a short warm up, we were soon up on the blocks to start.
my swim was stiff. i was still aching from gymming on thursday, so my back felt like a block of wood (or whatever is stiff). i saw the 2 swimmers from SSS gaining a ridiculous lead over all the rest of us. my only thoughs were just to keep pushing so that the deficit would not be too big out of the water.
finished the swim in 6:25 at third position (definitely not at my 100%). got out of the pool and headed to transition. one of the SSS kids was still at transition while scott was already running out. at that point i was about to put on my shoes when i noticed that the shades on the shoes were orange. it was josh's! (the perils of having the same shoes with same lock laces next to each other) i jumped into my own box to get into my shoes.
i realised that i had too many things in transition for such a short race. race belt, shoes, shades, singlet. wah lau. so i bit into my race belt and grabbed the singlet and ran off with my shades on my head. i had to change while running so as not to waste time.
scott had about 25s over me, and i had no choice but to push real hard on the run to catch him. at first it looked like i wouldnt be able to do it, until slowly but surely the gap between us closed that i knew i had a shot at this.
i told myself to keep up the ridiculously painful pace i was running, and soon after i passed scott to get into the lead. then we hit the slopes of the run course. wah lau. damn painful. but i knew that after the slopes it was just another 100m or so to the finish. so i kept going at it till finally near the end i saw that i had a comfortable lead and i could pose for the ending. it was a sign of thanksgiving to God at the finish line.
the night before i actually prayed for victory. it was the first time that i had made this kind of request. usually i just pray for a good race, but never to win. but the night before i realised that this was a race that i could win. so why not right?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,, present your request to God. - Philippians 4:6
my run time was 7:46, so total was 14:11.
josh came in 4th, while ZY won her race as well! orlanda, delphine and dex also took part and finished in good time. Nic and JJ got 2nd for the relay cat, with ben and zhan yuan finishing up the rest of our team's performance. thanks goes out to norms as well who drove all the way down to woodlands to support us!
another rewarding day for the team! the oldies certainly showed that we are no pushovers!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
HAHAHAHA DAMN FARNY!
"Unfriend" named word of 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – "Unfriend" has been named the word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary, chosen from a list of finalists with a tech-savvy bent.
Unfriend was defined as a verb that means to remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook.
"It has both currency and potential longevity," said Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford's U.S. dictionary program, in a statement.
"In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year."
Other words deemed finalists for 2009 by the dictionary's publisher, Britain's Oxford University Press, came from other technological trends, the economy, and political and current affairs.
In technology, there was "hashtag," which is the hash sign added to a word or phrase that lets Twitter users search for tweets similarly tagged; "intexticated" for when people are distracted by texting while driving, and "sexting," which is the sending of sexually explicit SMSes and pictures by cellphone.
Finalists from the economy included "freemium," meaning a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, and "funemployed," referring to people taking advantage of newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests.
In the political and current affairs section, finalists included "birther," meaning conspiracy theorists challenging President Barack Obama's U.S. birth certificate, and "choice mom," a person who chooses to be a single mother.
Novelty words making the shortlist were "deleb," meaning a dead celebrity, and "tramp stamp," referring to a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)
article taken from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091117/lf_nm_life/us_words_unfriend
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – "Unfriend" has been named the word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary, chosen from a list of finalists with a tech-savvy bent.
Unfriend was defined as a verb that means to remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook.
"It has both currency and potential longevity," said Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford's U.S. dictionary program, in a statement.
"In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year."
Other words deemed finalists for 2009 by the dictionary's publisher, Britain's Oxford University Press, came from other technological trends, the economy, and political and current affairs.
In technology, there was "hashtag," which is the hash sign added to a word or phrase that lets Twitter users search for tweets similarly tagged; "intexticated" for when people are distracted by texting while driving, and "sexting," which is the sending of sexually explicit SMSes and pictures by cellphone.
Finalists from the economy included "freemium," meaning a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, and "funemployed," referring to people taking advantage of newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests.
In the political and current affairs section, finalists included "birther," meaning conspiracy theorists challenging President Barack Obama's U.S. birth certificate, and "choice mom," a person who chooses to be a single mother.
Novelty words making the shortlist were "deleb," meaning a dead celebrity, and "tramp stamp," referring to a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)
article taken from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091117/lf_nm_life/us_words_unfriend
Sunday, November 15, 2009
my achilles heel
the dream: do a 3:10 for stan chart and qualify for boston marathon. (and probably be the youngest singaporean to run there)
the plan: run from hall to home this morning. total 30km.
the worry: shin splint on my left leg thats recovering.
the reality: shin splint didnt act up. BUT achilles tendon (i think. more or less) on my right leg protested against the exertions. after 18km when i reached ECP i couldnt run anymore from the pain. walking to find a bus stop to get home was the most painful walk i ever had. felt like screaming the whole way.
the remedy: iced it when i got home and it got better. now still really sore though.
the conclusion: thinking i should give up stan chart (im leaning towards giving it up) and lay off running for a month or so after RP Bi this weekend till everything shit thing in my legs recover. the bigger dream is still next year's Sing Bi and Aviva and Frankfurt.
the plan: run from hall to home this morning. total 30km.
the worry: shin splint on my left leg thats recovering.
the reality: shin splint didnt act up. BUT achilles tendon (i think. more or less) on my right leg protested against the exertions. after 18km when i reached ECP i couldnt run anymore from the pain. walking to find a bus stop to get home was the most painful walk i ever had. felt like screaming the whole way.
the remedy: iced it when i got home and it got better. now still really sore though.
the conclusion: thinking i should give up stan chart (im leaning towards giving it up) and lay off running for a month or so after RP Bi this weekend till everything shit thing in my legs recover. the bigger dream is still next year's Sing Bi and Aviva and Frankfurt.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
What Soft Drinks are Doing to Your Body
Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own.
Soft drinks are hard on your health
Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.
A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Why the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweet
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!
Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.
Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.
The health effects of diet soda
You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.
Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.
Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.
Carbonation depletes calcium
Beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.
Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.
Skip the soda and go for:
• Fresh water
Water is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.
On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.
• Fruit Juice
If you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.
• Tea
Tea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.
Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.
If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here. Drink up!
I hope you find the ways and means to avoid soft drinks. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
--Dr. Mao
article from http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/20270/what-soft-drinks-are-doing-to-your-body/
Soft drinks are hard on your health
Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.
A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Why the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweet
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!
Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.
Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.
The health effects of diet soda
You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.
Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.
Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.
Carbonation depletes calcium
Beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.
Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.
Skip the soda and go for:
• Fresh water
Water is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.
On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.
• Fruit Juice
If you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.
• Tea
Tea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.
Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.
If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here. Drink up!
I hope you find the ways and means to avoid soft drinks. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
--Dr. Mao
article from http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/20270/what-soft-drinks-are-doing-to-your-body/
Saturday, October 31, 2009
IVP Swimming 1500m
it's been a long journey, many ups and downs, which culminated on this one day.
did my warm ups, 600m free plus 8 x 100m on 1:50. the sports school pool was cold, but not as cold as i thought it'd be. must be getting fat, so got a bit of insulation.
i'll just skip to the race, cause thats the interesting part.
the horn went, and i plunged! i was in lane 2, b/w to shawn poon (lane 1) and johnson (lane 3). i decided beforehand that i would dedicate every 100m to people who have helped me in my journey thus far.
the first 100m was ridiculously fast. 1:14. this was for coach david, the man who must take the majority of the credit for my swimming successes thus far. i owe all that i can do in the pool to him.
second 100m was for jason. my companion in swim trainings and my neighbour and dinner partner in hall, and the occasional helpful advice.
third 100m was to JJ and mich. (they must come together in a pair u see) thanks for the encouragement and belief, and being great team mates.
fourth 100m went to nic and norms. the last min phone call this morning was very touching and encouraging. thanks for the support and comraderie from you 2.
fifth 100m was to zy and aldrich. thanks for your brilliant work last year that allowed me to develop my potential as an endurance athlete. pa thanks for the faith and trust, and zy for the undying support throughout, with the "go jon!"s before target sets.
was settling well (but uncomfortable. if it was comfortable then i'm not pushing myself) into a 1:23/100m pace now and was swimming neck to neck with shawn the whole time. then at the start of the 600m he picked up the pace. i couldnt match that and just maintained my own swim.
sixth 100m goes to weiming and sandy, our swimming captains. thanks for running the team with all the behind-the-scenes admin work (no thanks to ca-ca-ca-carson) and letting everyone else just having to worry about focussing on their own swims. thanks also for welcoming jason and i into the team with open arms and made us feel a part of this wonderful team of insanely fast people.
i started to zone out at this part, but the first 25m of the 7th 100m is for leon, who has been most forthcoming with his advice, experience and encouragement the whole time. really appreciate it man. the rest of the 7th 100m were to a few others who i drew inspiration from. they were just flashing through my mind already, not that they were not important =)
at this point i could no longer think so clearly anymore. my mental energies had to be devoted to keep pushing myself so as not to drop my pace. managed to keep up 1:23 to about 800m where i started to drop a bit of time to 1:25. this lasted till the 1100m mark, then the next 300m were at 1:26. i couldnt push even harder anymore as i had planned. last 100m i picked it back up a little to end it at 1:25. goodness, what a swim. i've never gone so hard so hard before. wonder what time i did.
looked up, saw at the end of my name were the numbers 20:55
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok that was what was going on inside my head, though i didnt show it. coming in 7th (not that i care bout my position) and splashing around and cheering as if i won would be really wierd, not to mention that i was in a bit of a shock when i saw it. but inside i was ecstatic. (on hindsight i should have just done it, who cares about the others anyway) my target was 21:02, which at first i thought would be a bit of a stretch. but this was just unbelievable.
thanks goes out to God for this swim. without Him again, i would not hve been able to do this.
i finally realized how hard i had exerted myself when my lats burned and ached so much that i couldnt stretch them at all. even doing lat pull downs at the gym didnt feel so bad. but the pain also told me that i had given my all on this given day today.
happy =)
on and end note, will take a short break from swimming now to focus on stan chart, then the aim for Bi IVP season in march is to do a sub 20. can hardly wait =D
did my warm ups, 600m free plus 8 x 100m on 1:50. the sports school pool was cold, but not as cold as i thought it'd be. must be getting fat, so got a bit of insulation.
i'll just skip to the race, cause thats the interesting part.
the horn went, and i plunged! i was in lane 2, b/w to shawn poon (lane 1) and johnson (lane 3). i decided beforehand that i would dedicate every 100m to people who have helped me in my journey thus far.
the first 100m was ridiculously fast. 1:14. this was for coach david, the man who must take the majority of the credit for my swimming successes thus far. i owe all that i can do in the pool to him.
second 100m was for jason. my companion in swim trainings and my neighbour and dinner partner in hall, and the occasional helpful advice.
third 100m was to JJ and mich. (they must come together in a pair u see) thanks for the encouragement and belief, and being great team mates.
fourth 100m went to nic and norms. the last min phone call this morning was very touching and encouraging. thanks for the support and comraderie from you 2.
fifth 100m was to zy and aldrich. thanks for your brilliant work last year that allowed me to develop my potential as an endurance athlete. pa thanks for the faith and trust, and zy for the undying support throughout, with the "go jon!"s before target sets.
was settling well (but uncomfortable. if it was comfortable then i'm not pushing myself) into a 1:23/100m pace now and was swimming neck to neck with shawn the whole time. then at the start of the 600m he picked up the pace. i couldnt match that and just maintained my own swim.
sixth 100m goes to weiming and sandy, our swimming captains. thanks for running the team with all the behind-the-scenes admin work (no thanks to ca-ca-ca-carson) and letting everyone else just having to worry about focussing on their own swims. thanks also for welcoming jason and i into the team with open arms and made us feel a part of this wonderful team of insanely fast people.
i started to zone out at this part, but the first 25m of the 7th 100m is for leon, who has been most forthcoming with his advice, experience and encouragement the whole time. really appreciate it man. the rest of the 7th 100m were to a few others who i drew inspiration from. they were just flashing through my mind already, not that they were not important =)
at this point i could no longer think so clearly anymore. my mental energies had to be devoted to keep pushing myself so as not to drop my pace. managed to keep up 1:23 to about 800m where i started to drop a bit of time to 1:25. this lasted till the 1100m mark, then the next 300m were at 1:26. i couldnt push even harder anymore as i had planned. last 100m i picked it back up a little to end it at 1:25. goodness, what a swim. i've never gone so hard so hard before. wonder what time i did.
looked up, saw at the end of my name were the numbers 20:55
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok that was what was going on inside my head, though i didnt show it. coming in 7th (not that i care bout my position) and splashing around and cheering as if i won would be really wierd, not to mention that i was in a bit of a shock when i saw it. but inside i was ecstatic. (on hindsight i should have just done it, who cares about the others anyway) my target was 21:02, which at first i thought would be a bit of a stretch. but this was just unbelievable.
thanks goes out to God for this swim. without Him again, i would not hve been able to do this.
i finally realized how hard i had exerted myself when my lats burned and ached so much that i couldnt stretch them at all. even doing lat pull downs at the gym didnt feel so bad. but the pain also told me that i had given my all on this given day today.
happy =)
on and end note, will take a short break from swimming now to focus on stan chart, then the aim for Bi IVP season in march is to do a sub 20. can hardly wait =D
touched
as if to prove my point on about the aquathlon FAMILY.
i just have to blog about this right after the call from norms using nic's phone.
he called to wish me for my 1500m swim later, and so did the rest of the team, could hear the rest of them over the phone too. (JJ i heard what u said!) i was really touched by this small but significant gesture.
thanks so much guys. your support means alot to me.
motivation and confidence +++!
i just have to blog about this right after the call from norms using nic's phone.
he called to wish me for my 1500m swim later, and so did the rest of the team, could hear the rest of them over the phone too. (JJ i heard what u said!) i was really touched by this small but significant gesture.
thanks so much guys. your support means alot to me.
motivation and confidence +++!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Irony
I had an unhealthy day by my standards. one whole packet of peanut dark choc m&m's during lecture. 1 scoop of ice cream after swim training. alot of curry for dinner. but heck it.
anyway, did a target 800m set during swim training today. i played it conservatively, and it showed when i came back with a time of 11:33 (1:19, 1:27, 1:28, 1:27, 1:28, 1:27, 1:28, 1:26) was quite disappointed with myself after that.
i was in my own little world for a while after that, cant really describe how unhappy i was with myself, for not pushing hard enough and o keep the pace.
then zy and christine were gonna do their 400m target. an idea popped into my head, asked coach whether i could do it with them, he said ok.
this time there was no mistake about it. i pushed myself hard, injecting hard 50m's in b/w the swim to make sure i kept the pace up. and partly cause i was fuelled by my own anger at myself for letting myself down previously.
i red lined through out the 400m, and when i finished, i came up to see a look of surprise on coach's face. i asked what the time was, and he told me 5:32.
a ray of sunshine shone in my mind. that was a PB for a 400m. i cant remember my splits, but i remember how hard i drove myself, and it was almost like i dared my body to fail on me throughout the swim, fuelled by the disappointment of the previous set.
i got my confidence was back.
lesson learnt: i need a long warm up this saturday, plus a bit of fast 100's as well. and i have to remember to keep pushing myself throughout the 1500m, inject the speed now and then to make sure i dun get too comfortable. if it feels easy then i must be going too slow.
this saturday. i will/must not let myself down during the race. i wun win, but i'll make sure that i damn near push myself hard enough to make it count.
anyway, did a target 800m set during swim training today. i played it conservatively, and it showed when i came back with a time of 11:33 (1:19, 1:27, 1:28, 1:27, 1:28, 1:27, 1:28, 1:26) was quite disappointed with myself after that.
i was in my own little world for a while after that, cant really describe how unhappy i was with myself, for not pushing hard enough and o keep the pace.
then zy and christine were gonna do their 400m target. an idea popped into my head, asked coach whether i could do it with them, he said ok.
this time there was no mistake about it. i pushed myself hard, injecting hard 50m's in b/w the swim to make sure i kept the pace up. and partly cause i was fuelled by my own anger at myself for letting myself down previously.
i red lined through out the 400m, and when i finished, i came up to see a look of surprise on coach's face. i asked what the time was, and he told me 5:32.
a ray of sunshine shone in my mind. that was a PB for a 400m. i cant remember my splits, but i remember how hard i drove myself, and it was almost like i dared my body to fail on me throughout the swim, fuelled by the disappointment of the previous set.
i got my confidence was back.
lesson learnt: i need a long warm up this saturday, plus a bit of fast 100's as well. and i have to remember to keep pushing myself throughout the 1500m, inject the speed now and then to make sure i dun get too comfortable. if it feels easy then i must be going too slow.
this saturday. i will/must not let myself down during the race. i wun win, but i'll make sure that i damn near push myself hard enough to make it count.
Brian Boyle's Story: Iron Heart
By Ashley Halsey
As the clock ticks down the final seconds before midnight in Lake Placid, Matthew Long's awkward stride carries him across the Ironman finish line. Less than four years earlier, he had been crushed by a bus in midtown Manhattan.
Born without arms and legs, Craig Dietz straps on a flipper to swim in a relay at the Pittsburgh Triathlon.
After four bouts with cancer and a heart transplant, Kyle Garlett is training to race Kona this year.
No mainstream sport in history so celebrates the triumphs of regular people who overcome adversity and beat awesome odds to compete. Triathlon has become every man's sport, and no challenge short of death keeps people from the starting line.
Behind the pros and age-group elite come the old and the ill, the disabled and the disfigured, and those who have met every challenge imaginable, who race for the joy of recovery from injury, disease and terrible loss, who race to celebrate shedding half their excess weight or recapturing fitness once thought forever lost.
Triathlon has become life in microcosm, a metaphor that gives truth to the wisdom passed from each generation to the next: work hard and you will be rewarded, have faith in yourself and you will excel; do not falter when an ill wind blows your way.
And so, they arrive at the starting line ready for the test, each athlete with a story made unique by his own motivation and perseverance, some with tales of achievement more startling than others.
There is no better story than Brian Boyle's.
There is more to it than was revealed by the spotlight NBC trained on him during the 2007 Ironman in Kona, more than the ESPN feature and more than he told Ellen DeGeneres last year.
In "Iron Heart," the story unfolds through Boyle's own eyes. Told with the help of award-winning writer Bill Katovsky, himself a two-time Kona finisher, it is riveting.
These are the things that Boyle did not know when his world came into blurred focus one day and he found himself in an intensive care unit bed. He did not remember driving toward home after a summer swim practice. He had no recollection of the massive dump truck that broadsided his Camaro, crushing it from the driver side like a tin can. No memory of being cut from the car or flown to the trauma center. And, pinned to the bed without the ability to move, speak or acknowledge that he was conscious, he had no way to find out.
"I'm alone in a white room and looking straight up at the ceiling. Bright lights shine all around me. My heart is beating fast. I try to raise my arms, then legs, but I can't move them. My head won't budge either. I can't blink or wiggle my fingers."
And then he realizes a priest is beside him, giving last rites.
Had he not been an 18-year-old state champion swimmer and body builder when the truck struck, Boyle would have died in the wreckage. In the aftermath, his ability to beat the odds could put every bookie out of business. Would brain function recover? Yes. Would he walk again? Yes. Would he swim again? Yes. Run? Yes. Bike? Yes.
Realize his dream of doing an Ironman? Yes.
The word "miracle" is overused these days, but when the full scope Boyle's dance with death is played out, the genuine miracle of his trip to Kona is underscored.
There's more to Iron Heart than just the miraculous. There's also a fair amount of triathlon insanity. What Boyle did three years after the accident was testament to triathlon's ability to put an exclamation point on resurrection. By any reasonable standard, it was just plain nuts.
The workouts that began as physical therapy had graduated to the weight room and led to a return to the pool. So, Boyle reckoned, why not an Ironman? Not a single triathlon on his resume or a race bike to his name, he sent Ironman an inquiry asking if he could race Kona. An NBC producer sent back this message: finish a 70.3 race and we'll give you a slot for the big dance. Boyle signs up for Steelhead and then realizes that:
"I'm grossly ill prepared and undertrained to do a triathlon, let alone a half-Ironman in two weeks.
Yes, two weeks to train.
"Yet what feverishly spurs me on is that vision of myself on life support in the ICU. If I had made it through that hell barely clinging to life, just how tough could a triathlon be in comparison?"
Two weeks later he manages the swim, wobbles off on his new bike and discovers life as a "back-of-the-packer" on the run. But he crosses the line in 7 hours and 13 minutes.
On to Kona, and this time he has a whopping two months to get ready!
That story - a 14:42:35 finish - was documented by the NBC camera crews who shadowed him throughout. But the story of Brian Boyle goes on. Last year he posted a 5:09.14 at the 70.3 championship in Clearwater. In July his 2:22:01 was good for an age-group ninth place at the New York City Triathlon.
Brian Boyle won legitimacy in triathlon as a survivor. Now he's winning it simply as an athlete. And his goal is to post a qualifying time for a return to Kona.
As the clock ticks down the final seconds before midnight in Lake Placid, Matthew Long's awkward stride carries him across the Ironman finish line. Less than four years earlier, he had been crushed by a bus in midtown Manhattan.
Born without arms and legs, Craig Dietz straps on a flipper to swim in a relay at the Pittsburgh Triathlon.
After four bouts with cancer and a heart transplant, Kyle Garlett is training to race Kona this year.
No mainstream sport in history so celebrates the triumphs of regular people who overcome adversity and beat awesome odds to compete. Triathlon has become every man's sport, and no challenge short of death keeps people from the starting line.
Behind the pros and age-group elite come the old and the ill, the disabled and the disfigured, and those who have met every challenge imaginable, who race for the joy of recovery from injury, disease and terrible loss, who race to celebrate shedding half their excess weight or recapturing fitness once thought forever lost.
Triathlon has become life in microcosm, a metaphor that gives truth to the wisdom passed from each generation to the next: work hard and you will be rewarded, have faith in yourself and you will excel; do not falter when an ill wind blows your way.
And so, they arrive at the starting line ready for the test, each athlete with a story made unique by his own motivation and perseverance, some with tales of achievement more startling than others.
There is no better story than Brian Boyle's.
There is more to it than was revealed by the spotlight NBC trained on him during the 2007 Ironman in Kona, more than the ESPN feature and more than he told Ellen DeGeneres last year.
In "Iron Heart," the story unfolds through Boyle's own eyes. Told with the help of award-winning writer Bill Katovsky, himself a two-time Kona finisher, it is riveting.
These are the things that Boyle did not know when his world came into blurred focus one day and he found himself in an intensive care unit bed. He did not remember driving toward home after a summer swim practice. He had no recollection of the massive dump truck that broadsided his Camaro, crushing it from the driver side like a tin can. No memory of being cut from the car or flown to the trauma center. And, pinned to the bed without the ability to move, speak or acknowledge that he was conscious, he had no way to find out.
"I'm alone in a white room and looking straight up at the ceiling. Bright lights shine all around me. My heart is beating fast. I try to raise my arms, then legs, but I can't move them. My head won't budge either. I can't blink or wiggle my fingers."
And then he realizes a priest is beside him, giving last rites.
Had he not been an 18-year-old state champion swimmer and body builder when the truck struck, Boyle would have died in the wreckage. In the aftermath, his ability to beat the odds could put every bookie out of business. Would brain function recover? Yes. Would he walk again? Yes. Would he swim again? Yes. Run? Yes. Bike? Yes.
Realize his dream of doing an Ironman? Yes.
The word "miracle" is overused these days, but when the full scope Boyle's dance with death is played out, the genuine miracle of his trip to Kona is underscored.
There's more to Iron Heart than just the miraculous. There's also a fair amount of triathlon insanity. What Boyle did three years after the accident was testament to triathlon's ability to put an exclamation point on resurrection. By any reasonable standard, it was just plain nuts.
The workouts that began as physical therapy had graduated to the weight room and led to a return to the pool. So, Boyle reckoned, why not an Ironman? Not a single triathlon on his resume or a race bike to his name, he sent Ironman an inquiry asking if he could race Kona. An NBC producer sent back this message: finish a 70.3 race and we'll give you a slot for the big dance. Boyle signs up for Steelhead and then realizes that:
"I'm grossly ill prepared and undertrained to do a triathlon, let alone a half-Ironman in two weeks.
Yes, two weeks to train.
"Yet what feverishly spurs me on is that vision of myself on life support in the ICU. If I had made it through that hell barely clinging to life, just how tough could a triathlon be in comparison?"
Two weeks later he manages the swim, wobbles off on his new bike and discovers life as a "back-of-the-packer" on the run. But he crosses the line in 7 hours and 13 minutes.
On to Kona, and this time he has a whopping two months to get ready!
That story - a 14:42:35 finish - was documented by the NBC camera crews who shadowed him throughout. But the story of Brian Boyle goes on. Last year he posted a 5:09.14 at the 70.3 championship in Clearwater. In July his 2:22:01 was good for an age-group ninth place at the New York City Triathlon.
Brian Boyle won legitimacy in triathlon as a survivor. Now he's winning it simply as an athlete. And his goal is to post a qualifying time for a return to Kona.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
desserts
with all the impending deadlines, i should be more stressed up than what i'm currently like now. now i know why. following article from shine on yahoo. out of these five foods, i eat 4 of them. no wonder i'm not stressed. (spinach the only one i dun eat on a regular basis)
hope everyone can find this info useful and help with the approaching exams!
Done right, noshing when your nerves are jangling can keep you calm and healthy. Munch your way mellow!
Spinach
Three cups of spinach supply 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that blunts stress's effects on the body by stopping blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
Stress Rx: Stuff fresh spinach into omelets and sandwiches to nix tension while you're on the party circuit.
Oranges
Healthy people who were exposed to cold viruses were more likely to get sick if they were under pressure, a study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh finds. Even a brief bout of tension can influence your immune system, but vitamin C in citrus bolsters your body's natural bug barricades, so you can stay well.
Stress Rx Having your whole family over for brunch? Pour OJ.
Chocolate
This treat's pacifying powers are all in your head. "Cocoa boosts your body's levels of neurochemicals, which act on parts of the brain to help produce a sense of happiness and relaxation," says Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.
Stress Rx: Drop some dark-chocolate squares in everyone's stocking, including your own!
Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and tuna can help quell anxiety. Test takers who consumed more of the healthy fats for three weeks halted a surge in stress hormones when they were faced with a tough quiz, according to a study in Diabetes & Metabolism.
Stress Rx: Increase your omega-3 intake: Reach for smoked-salmon canapés from the appetizer tray.
Oatmeal
Spoon up serenity! The B vitamins in oats stimulate production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain. Elisa Zied, R.D., author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips (Alpha Books), adds that your body digests oatmeal slowly, so you absorb the serotonin steadily.
Stress Rx: Have a bowl of oatmeal as a preshopping meal.
article from http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/5-stress-fighting-superfoods-527064/
hope everyone can find this info useful and help with the approaching exams!
Done right, noshing when your nerves are jangling can keep you calm and healthy. Munch your way mellow!
Spinach
Three cups of spinach supply 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that blunts stress's effects on the body by stopping blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
Stress Rx: Stuff fresh spinach into omelets and sandwiches to nix tension while you're on the party circuit.
Oranges
Healthy people who were exposed to cold viruses were more likely to get sick if they were under pressure, a study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh finds. Even a brief bout of tension can influence your immune system, but vitamin C in citrus bolsters your body's natural bug barricades, so you can stay well.
Stress Rx Having your whole family over for brunch? Pour OJ.
Chocolate
This treat's pacifying powers are all in your head. "Cocoa boosts your body's levels of neurochemicals, which act on parts of the brain to help produce a sense of happiness and relaxation," says Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.
Stress Rx: Drop some dark-chocolate squares in everyone's stocking, including your own!
Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and tuna can help quell anxiety. Test takers who consumed more of the healthy fats for three weeks halted a surge in stress hormones when they were faced with a tough quiz, according to a study in Diabetes & Metabolism.
Stress Rx: Increase your omega-3 intake: Reach for smoked-salmon canapés from the appetizer tray.
Oatmeal
Spoon up serenity! The B vitamins in oats stimulate production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain. Elisa Zied, R.D., author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips (Alpha Books), adds that your body digests oatmeal slowly, so you absorb the serotonin steadily.
Stress Rx: Have a bowl of oatmeal as a preshopping meal.
article from http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/5-stress-fighting-superfoods-527064/
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
shagggggg daze
woke up early this morning for the fam for the DSO caffiene-cycling test.
the nurse jabbed the needle into my arm 3 times. and still didnt managed to get enough blood. i think my blood likes to stay where it is, in my body.
o well, still continued with the fam. after an hour, my minds and my legs just didnt want to cycle anymore, so i stopped. uncharacteristically.
skipped food lecture, before going in and falling asleep for the remaining bit of the lect and the next lect too. like wth. might as well sleep in my room.
the highlight of the day was the run with zheng hong and mok. the plan was to do 10 x 2k's at 4:10/km pace. after 6 sets i had to stop and rest for one set. the two of them continued, till 9 sets into it we decided to stop (i did 8 sets). shagged le. not bad. 16k in 1 hour 6 mins around there. whew.....
God answered my prayer last night with the company for the run. I was starting to get sick of training alone, with my own personal targets and no one to be with me through this long and painful journey. thank You.
the nurse jabbed the needle into my arm 3 times. and still didnt managed to get enough blood. i think my blood likes to stay where it is, in my body.
o well, still continued with the fam. after an hour, my minds and my legs just didnt want to cycle anymore, so i stopped. uncharacteristically.
skipped food lecture, before going in and falling asleep for the remaining bit of the lect and the next lect too. like wth. might as well sleep in my room.
the highlight of the day was the run with zheng hong and mok. the plan was to do 10 x 2k's at 4:10/km pace. after 6 sets i had to stop and rest for one set. the two of them continued, till 9 sets into it we decided to stop (i did 8 sets). shagged le. not bad. 16k in 1 hour 6 mins around there. whew.....
God answered my prayer last night with the company for the run. I was starting to get sick of training alone, with my own personal targets and no one to be with me through this long and painful journey. thank You.
Monday, October 26, 2009
IVP swimming - 6 days
its less than a week away from my first serious swimming competition. my event 1500m free is on the first day, first event.
swim training today was tough, lots of fast sets. my right traps was aching a bit from i dunno why, and this slowed my target set a bit. 5:40. (2s slower than last week, but ave 1:25 per 100m) but at least the splits were better this time. not such a huge difference as per last week. now just need to work on lowering the times again.
the most sickening word in the world is 'almost'.
swim training today was tough, lots of fast sets. my right traps was aching a bit from i dunno why, and this slowed my target set a bit. 5:40. (2s slower than last week, but ave 1:25 per 100m) but at least the splits were better this time. not such a huge difference as per last week. now just need to work on lowering the times again.
the most sickening word in the world is 'almost'.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
nike human race + sports award night
i had some hopes for the nike human race. i wanted to use it as a gauge for my fitness for stan chart. a sub 40min 10k would put me on track for a 3:10 marathon. another thing was that i wanted my shin to survive the run, and that it would not act up in the midst of me pounding hard on the concrete.
both were achieved today!
started at a 3:55/km pace. at first i was worried that i might be going too fast and burn out later, but it felt so good that i decided to maintain the pace, and see how long i could last.
the course was generally flat and nice to run, despite two U-turns. was able to maintain the momentum all the way till the end. i had the option of finsihing with a sprint. but with too big a gap between me and the two runners in front, and no pressure from behind, i decided to stay the pace rather than go hard and risk injuring my shin again.
finished at 39:25. ranked 25 in sg men's. definitely an improvement from last year's 42min. i really gave it a good shot, considering that i was so shagged at the end i didnt hear audrey and brenda who were calling my name at the finish line!
elston, norms, dex and some of the others also ran today. it was a super worth it race! 20 bucks get t-shirt (though a very bad cutting), water bottle, and lots of freebies at the race site (one whole box of fruit bars!!!)
went back to school to swim a bit, do some drills and all, then waited till 3 to head for NUS sports award.
was quite boring really, but also quite inspiring with the vids and pics and quotes they showed. the canoeing lady's mis-pronounciation of the word 'fight' was definitely a highlight.
the finally it was time for our team to take the awards. felt really proud and happy with what we had achieved together. i can recall all the times where we looked around and we see really tired faces, panting and almost dying. how we gave it all during races in the verge of collaspe. we deserve this. even though i had been in the team for only a year, i felt very much part of the family! sorry though i went home early tonight! quite tired from today already...
i must say that all the training i'm doing now is to prep for next season. with some of the monsterous powerhouses having left us already, i'm gonna try and fill the huge shoes that they have left behind, and not give the other uni's an easy time. can't wait for march to come!
both were achieved today!
started at a 3:55/km pace. at first i was worried that i might be going too fast and burn out later, but it felt so good that i decided to maintain the pace, and see how long i could last.
the course was generally flat and nice to run, despite two U-turns. was able to maintain the momentum all the way till the end. i had the option of finsihing with a sprint. but with too big a gap between me and the two runners in front, and no pressure from behind, i decided to stay the pace rather than go hard and risk injuring my shin again.
finished at 39:25. ranked 25 in sg men's. definitely an improvement from last year's 42min. i really gave it a good shot, considering that i was so shagged at the end i didnt hear audrey and brenda who were calling my name at the finish line!
elston, norms, dex and some of the others also ran today. it was a super worth it race! 20 bucks get t-shirt (though a very bad cutting), water bottle, and lots of freebies at the race site (one whole box of fruit bars!!!)
went back to school to swim a bit, do some drills and all, then waited till 3 to head for NUS sports award.
was quite boring really, but also quite inspiring with the vids and pics and quotes they showed. the canoeing lady's mis-pronounciation of the word 'fight' was definitely a highlight.
the finally it was time for our team to take the awards. felt really proud and happy with what we had achieved together. i can recall all the times where we looked around and we see really tired faces, panting and almost dying. how we gave it all during races in the verge of collaspe. we deserve this. even though i had been in the team for only a year, i felt very much part of the family! sorry though i went home early tonight! quite tired from today already...
i must say that all the training i'm doing now is to prep for next season. with some of the monsterous powerhouses having left us already, i'm gonna try and fill the huge shoes that they have left behind, and not give the other uni's an easy time. can't wait for march to come!
Friday, October 23, 2009
like fishy in the watery
after a rub down by aunty rosa yesterday, i felt DAMN GOOD. previously i felt as knotted up as a pretzel.
swim training today was good. could keep with all the times without dying. target set 400 i managed to clock a 5:39 (1:21, 1:28, 1:28, 1:21) i did 5:46 the other day.
thats definitely a PB for a 400 after training!
now i just need to improve my splits, rather than have a 7 second difference in between 100s. my IVP target of 21:30 will depend on whether i can hold a 1:25/100m pace for 1500m.
another rub down next thursday is in order. it definitely helps!
today i got my red crocs slippers and xterra speedsuit! both are definitely worth the money! will post up photos over the weekend when i get my camera at home.
hope my shin will not be an isue during tomorrow's nike human race. i think i made a mistake by going for a morning run yesterday morning. =(
PS: i realise i may have under-caloried the past few weeks. i lost 1 kg. gonna eat more to bring it back to my ideal 67kg! yay, food!
swim training today was good. could keep with all the times without dying. target set 400 i managed to clock a 5:39 (1:21, 1:28, 1:28, 1:21) i did 5:46 the other day.
thats definitely a PB for a 400 after training!
now i just need to improve my splits, rather than have a 7 second difference in between 100s. my IVP target of 21:30 will depend on whether i can hold a 1:25/100m pace for 1500m.
another rub down next thursday is in order. it definitely helps!
today i got my red crocs slippers and xterra speedsuit! both are definitely worth the money! will post up photos over the weekend when i get my camera at home.
hope my shin will not be an isue during tomorrow's nike human race. i think i made a mistake by going for a morning run yesterday morning. =(
PS: i realise i may have under-caloried the past few weeks. i lost 1 kg. gonna eat more to bring it back to my ideal 67kg! yay, food!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
it's shocking when things like that happen.
i'm still in a bit of a shock now.
thinking of how things like that can happen to one of the best of us is certainly a snap back to the harsh reality of life.
all the things we do now seem so trivial and insignificant in the larger scheme of things.
Lord we need your grace.
i'm still in a bit of a shock now.
thinking of how things like that can happen to one of the best of us is certainly a snap back to the harsh reality of life.
all the things we do now seem so trivial and insignificant in the larger scheme of things.
Lord we need your grace.
Monday, October 19, 2009
welcome back coach, welcome back speed
as predicted. i swam alot better today now that coach david is back.
we did 3 x 200m target swim. 1st one was 2:48, and he commented that it was too slow (WHAT!?) so i went harder for the next two and came back at 2:41 and 2:40. felt very good. my confidence in my swim is back.
biked to boon's today to change my saddle originally. then i ended up changing my cockpit (which i have been wanting to do for the longest of time) bike now looks and feels even better. shioks.
suspect my hamster are fighting when im not looking. both of them have a bloody front right leg. shall keep monitoring and separate them again if things go downhill.
PS: i got an ugly singlet tan from being under the sun for most of the day. oNO!
we did 3 x 200m target swim. 1st one was 2:48, and he commented that it was too slow (WHAT!?) so i went harder for the next two and came back at 2:41 and 2:40. felt very good. my confidence in my swim is back.
biked to boon's today to change my saddle originally. then i ended up changing my cockpit (which i have been wanting to do for the longest of time) bike now looks and feels even better. shioks.
suspect my hamster are fighting when im not looking. both of them have a bloody front right leg. shall keep monitoring and separate them again if things go downhill.
PS: i got an ugly singlet tan from being under the sun for most of the day. oNO!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
back on concrete
did a run in the morning... 10 mins warmup, 10 mins hard, then it started raining (passing cloud).... so i hid at a busstop till it passed...
continued again, this time did 15 mins hard before reaching home and did some hip strengthening and core work...
made kebabs for the YA botanic garden outing, NICE! (will put up pic some time)
pigged out like mad at botanic gardens. roti JON, my own kebabs, pineapple tarts, alissa's BRILLIANT! brownies and josh's konyaku jellies.
had alot of fun with the doulos team, played alot of new (and old) games and generally had a great time of fellowship.
went back to hall and went to do groceries for the week.
then i felt like going for another run, so i did. 5 mins warm up then hard for 6.7km (i measured on mapmyrun.com) finished in 28mins. thats 4:10 min/km
not bad at all! best part was that during the run i felt really really good. I was breathing hard but enjying it at the same time. been a long time since i had that feeling.
yay. =D now to get back to my assignmentS.
continued again, this time did 15 mins hard before reaching home and did some hip strengthening and core work...
made kebabs for the YA botanic garden outing, NICE! (will put up pic some time)
pigged out like mad at botanic gardens. roti JON, my own kebabs, pineapple tarts, alissa's BRILLIANT! brownies and josh's konyaku jellies.
had alot of fun with the doulos team, played alot of new (and old) games and generally had a great time of fellowship.
went back to hall and went to do groceries for the week.
then i felt like going for another run, so i did. 5 mins warm up then hard for 6.7km (i measured on mapmyrun.com) finished in 28mins. thats 4:10 min/km
not bad at all! best part was that during the run i felt really really good. I was breathing hard but enjying it at the same time. been a long time since i had that feeling.
yay. =D now to get back to my assignmentS.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
after effects
hard to believe, but 2 weeks on, i still havent fully gotten my swim back to 100% after the one week layoff from my crash.
did a mini time trial today for my 1500m with the bi team today. 23:29.
not good enough, considering i swam a 23 min before about more than a month ago. by all accounts i should be even faster now.
i can feel expectations from people on my shoulders, and its hard to shake off.
half the trip home did ease it a little though. whats the point of risk in this world if it is only a board game.
did a mini time trial today for my 1500m with the bi team today. 23:29.
not good enough, considering i swam a 23 min before about more than a month ago. by all accounts i should be even faster now.
i can feel expectations from people on my shoulders, and its hard to shake off.
half the trip home did ease it a little though. whats the point of risk in this world if it is only a board game.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
fuelled by inspiration
went for my 2 hour 20 mins grass run today. somewhere at 1 hour plus into it i was fading. I contemplated giving up. Then 2 things happened.
First was I thought of Macca and his 'die die dun give up' spirit during Kona (see below post).
Second thing was that God provided me company in Chun Kiak. With him time passed by much more quickly, and made the rest of the run bearable.
Thank You.
PS: Apples rock.
First was I thought of Macca and his 'die die dun give up' spirit during Kona (see below post).
Second thing was that God provided me company in Chun Kiak. With him time passed by much more quickly, and made the rest of the run bearable.
Thank You.
PS: Apples rock.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Ironman World Championship
stayed up from 1am to 9am+++ this morning to watch the race in Kona, and it was worth it.
Seeing Macca surge up from the bike, then blazing out of T2. He was on time to catch Lieto (then in 1st place) until he faded and had to walk. Then came the defining moment, where after Crowie (who will eventually win) and Andreas Raelert overtook him, he had the choice to continue walking or try to run.
He chose to run.
You can see it on his face, as he was grimacing under the Hawaiian sun. Yet here was a man who wanted to keep going, no matter what. He could have so easily chosen to continue walking, but no, he grit his teeth and pushed himself to continue running, even though each step must have been painful. (post race pic showed that he had a humongous blister on his toe)
That is the kind of spirit that inspires. The one that says "I wun give up!" despite mounting odds and waning motivation. That is when one digs deep into oneself to find belief in himself to continue on.
This doesnt only apply to triathlons. It applies to everything we do.
Thanks Macca. You may have lost the race (4th is still pretty damn good), but you have won over many people who watch you and were inspired.
Seeing Macca surge up from the bike, then blazing out of T2. He was on time to catch Lieto (then in 1st place) until he faded and had to walk. Then came the defining moment, where after Crowie (who will eventually win) and Andreas Raelert overtook him, he had the choice to continue walking or try to run.
He chose to run.
You can see it on his face, as he was grimacing under the Hawaiian sun. Yet here was a man who wanted to keep going, no matter what. He could have so easily chosen to continue walking, but no, he grit his teeth and pushed himself to continue running, even though each step must have been painful. (post race pic showed that he had a humongous blister on his toe)
That is the kind of spirit that inspires. The one that says "I wun give up!" despite mounting odds and waning motivation. That is when one digs deep into oneself to find belief in himself to continue on.
This doesnt only apply to triathlons. It applies to everything we do.
Thanks Macca. You may have lost the race (4th is still pretty damn good), but you have won over many people who watch you and were inspired.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
i got my.... back!
yay! this morning's swim was good! managed to get most of my stroke back, though there are still some bits here and there that i have to fine tune and tweak here and there, but im aching in the right places at least! (thanks leon for helping me spot my stroke)
ok, tonight (or rather tomorrow morning SG time) will be kona!!! goodness, so exciting! go macca!
ok, tonight (or rather tomorrow morning SG time) will be kona!!! goodness, so exciting! go macca!
3-5-7, exhale...
got quite stresses up over my swim today.
i'm doing 1500m for IVP swimming. though im not expected to win against the pure swimmers, there are still expectations of myself.
1 week away from the pool and my stroke is VERY off. im not using the right muscles to pull, and as such i fatigue much quicker, and my speed drops.
but zy was right. i need to enjoy the process more than worying about the times. once i enjoy, eveything else would fall in place naturally.
i hope.
i'm doing 1500m for IVP swimming. though im not expected to win against the pure swimmers, there are still expectations of myself.
1 week away from the pool and my stroke is VERY off. im not using the right muscles to pull, and as such i fatigue much quicker, and my speed drops.
but zy was right. i need to enjoy the process more than worying about the times. once i enjoy, eveything else would fall in place naturally.
i hope.
Friday, October 9, 2009
fruitful
well, i actually got A BIT of work done today (as opposed to nothing at all), completed my study plans for SEP, and ran for 2 hours 10 mins on the grass.
During the run, people who were around the track were thinking that I was nuts. I know. Cause they said out were they were thinking. heh.
Kona and Franky are warming up to me! They dun run away from my hands so much nowadays. They actually climb onto it! so cute!
During the run, people who were around the track were thinking that I was nuts. I know. Cause they said out were they were thinking. heh.
Kona and Franky are warming up to me! They dun run away from my hands so much nowadays. They actually climb onto it! so cute!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
back in the water
finally back in the water today, i took a risk by swimming, without being completely healed from my abrasions from the crash last week.
not bad. the scabs got soggy and gross, but they didnt come out!
on the bad side, one week away from the water has made me horribly slow. i hit 6:20+ for 400m today. HORRIBLE!!!!! how to do 1500m for IVP like that... must get my stroke back and everything STAT!
not bad. the scabs got soggy and gross, but they didnt come out!
on the bad side, one week away from the water has made me horribly slow. i hit 6:20+ for 400m today. HORRIBLE!!!!! how to do 1500m for IVP like that... must get my stroke back and everything STAT!
here i come again
i conclude.
i'm a VS boy through and through. our 'tradition' of doing last min work is so damn bloody ingrained in me. it is only when the deadline is staring me in the face that i can get any work done at all.
this explains why today as a productive day.
ran 2 hours on the grass today. shioks. thanks to mok also who ran with me for an hour plus to keep me entertained and also shared some tips with me.greatly appreciated.
happy!
i'm a VS boy through and through. our 'tradition' of doing last min work is so damn bloody ingrained in me. it is only when the deadline is staring me in the face that i can get any work done at all.
this explains why today as a productive day.
ran 2 hours on the grass today. shioks. thanks to mok also who ran with me for an hour plus to keep me entertained and also shared some tips with me.greatly appreciated.
happy!
Monday, October 5, 2009
recovery
the abrasions are healing surprisingly fast. now i understand it when zy says that 'we' heal faster. kinda cause athletes have this super human kind of thing i guess.
shin splints not getting better by much. im still unable to run on concrete, and cant go fast on the grass. my run aerobic is down too, couldnt even maintain a hard effort for 20 mins the other day.
JIALAT.
my boston dream is slowly slipping away!
shin splints not getting better by much. im still unable to run on concrete, and cant go fast on the grass. my run aerobic is down too, couldnt even maintain a hard effort for 20 mins the other day.
JIALAT.
my boston dream is slowly slipping away!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
jialat....
shit... suddenly in an emo mood...... (maybe its cause the song 'Lonely' by Akon is playing right now)
a string of flings, almost-could-have-beens, mistakes and complicated interests has been the tale so far.
my life's been pretty constant so far cept for this one aspect, and honestly i dunno why. maybe im too 'niao', or too busy with my own things (but i've made time for others before.........).
anyway, anyone looking for a guy who can cook (jason can attest to this), financially independent (may not be for long, hahaha), sporty (TOO-sporty), lame (U HAVE BEEN WARNED!), and Christian (VERY IMPORTANT) can step forth.
just make sure you dun have a penis.
a string of flings, almost-could-have-beens, mistakes and complicated interests has been the tale so far.
my life's been pretty constant so far cept for this one aspect, and honestly i dunno why. maybe im too 'niao', or too busy with my own things (but i've made time for others before.........).
anyway, anyone looking for a guy who can cook (jason can attest to this), financially independent (may not be for long, hahaha), sporty (TOO-sporty), lame (U HAVE BEEN WARNED!), and Christian (VERY IMPORTANT) can step forth.
just make sure you dun have a penis.
Friday, October 2, 2009
random ramblings
think by now the whole world knows...(ok, hyperbooole....)
yup, i crashed again on the bike. this time at mount faber. 5 different patches of abrasions, plus 2 sprained (both) wrists. sian.
Swimming IVP in less than a month. i HAVE to heal quickly and get back into training!
i've been slacking in my work so far... somehow i dun have the motivation to get down on it. i really need a holiday break. ever since Jan 07 i have not had a holiday at all. NS and OCS in 07. attached to ship from Jan 08 to Aug 08. School started after that. ALL the holidays since then i have gone back for vacational attachment. I cant last too long like this.
yup, i crashed again on the bike. this time at mount faber. 5 different patches of abrasions, plus 2 sprained (both) wrists. sian.
Swimming IVP in less than a month. i HAVE to heal quickly and get back into training!
i've been slacking in my work so far... somehow i dun have the motivation to get down on it. i really need a holiday break. ever since Jan 07 i have not had a holiday at all. NS and OCS in 07. attached to ship from Jan 08 to Aug 08. School started after that. ALL the holidays since then i have gone back for vacational attachment. I cant last too long like this.
Friday, September 25, 2009
this is franky
this is kinda late. franky's been around for a week. he's the super humji one. whole day kenna bully (bitten) by kona. likes to squeals and makes alot of noise too. kinda like esther beh in that one respect.
grooming himself after getting bullied. i like his "pudding" colour.
unlike kona, he really likes to run. think he does 10k every night. thats like more than me.
grooming himself after getting bullied. i like his "pudding" colour.
unlike kona, he really likes to run. think he does 10k every night. thats like more than me.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
quikkk update
ok i know i havent been blogging of late... thats cause ive been kinda busy with trainings and mugging for all my mods that im lagging behind... (namely... all of them)
so whats new?
1) i got shin splints. so i cant run. so im swimming and cycling more now. plus gym. im officially putting it in as a proper workout to make up for the lack of running.
2) im super tired from swim training just now. im not a sprinter. so the sprints just now during training killed me.
3) kona bit franky. SIX times. i had to separate them. franky's currently on vacation with audrey now.
4) im getting broke. so im gonna do the cycling-caffeine trail for dso now to get some extra $$$.
ok a quick pic of kona before i go.
lazy bugger. hamster wheel not for lying down one!
so whats new?
1) i got shin splints. so i cant run. so im swimming and cycling more now. plus gym. im officially putting it in as a proper workout to make up for the lack of running.
2) im super tired from swim training just now. im not a sprinter. so the sprints just now during training killed me.
3) kona bit franky. SIX times. i had to separate them. franky's currently on vacation with audrey now.
4) im getting broke. so im gonna do the cycling-caffeine trail for dso now to get some extra $$$.
ok a quick pic of kona before i go.
lazy bugger. hamster wheel not for lying down one!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
the new tenant in D409
ok i know the pic is quite blur... thats cause im using my lousy hp cam to take this...
i named it after a place. no prize for guessing. but u guys can try just for fun =p
i named it after a place. no prize for guessing. but u guys can try just for fun =p
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Tri-factor Triathlon
been training for about a month for this... days of double (sometimes triple) trainings culminated on today...
started the swim fast, though the tidal stream was rather strong today, that i kept having to struggle against it. came out of the water 4th, time check, 26 mins 0_0.
i liked my transition. grab and go, then i wore my shoes on the bike while going at like 30km/h. then the quirk of the day happened. after the U-turn on my 1st loop, the marshaller directed me and an ang moh back onto the east coast service road, where we ended up cycling against the general bike traffic. we almost ended up on the ECP! the ang moh was cursing and swearing IDIOTS! at the marshallers, all of whom had absolutely no idea what the bike route was like. so i ended up not clocking my first loop on the timing chip mat.
i was averaging 35-38km/h on the bike, and it was really quite fun. despite some twists and turns, i kept up my pace throughout. there was NO FRIGGIN WAY i was gonna slack off after all the training i had put myself through...
i overtook a cervelo p4 at the end and did a nice T2 (would have been nicer though if i didnt break off my rear bottle cage when my leg crossed over and came down on it. again.) chiong to get my shoes on and went off for the 10km run. at this moment i was about 7th in my wave. i started doing this hunt-and-kill mode to run down those in front of me. in my mind i kinda of knew that besides the 3 monsters (willie and 2 others) in front, i was probably a better runner than the rest ahead.
however, my lack of run training showed, as i found it hard to get into a rythmn. and even when i did, i couldnt maintain it for long. but i told myself to hang on. anyway, it was only 10km, i've done alot worse before.
at the last stretch, i saw this ang moh who was looking quite good and was starting to gain on me. this gave me the kick i needed, and i upped the pace, and held it there, all the way to the finishing line. in this moment of paniking, i had forgotten to end the race nicely. my zip was down and my expression was shite. so unglam.
but this was what made my day. i had finished in 2 hrs 14 mins! in my wave i was 4th! later results would show that i'm 6th (there were 2 more guys in the later waves that were faster), but nonetheless i was very pleased! technically, i was the the 2nd local finisher, as 4 of the top 6 were foreigners. willie loo as usual bested me by 6 mins.
for those of u who have never been to a tri event before, i suggest u should do so at least once. the finish line scenes are amazing, and u see the spirit of "never give up" in the faces and body language of the people. not something u see everyday, and it is something that i find really beautiful.
telling myself, to just keep going, it is almost there, hang on, dun give up, others are catching up behind! put one foot in front of the other, hold on, hold on, HOLD ON!!!!!!! the pain now IS temporary, but the satisfaction that i get, after crossing the finish line, knowing that i've put in the effort, will be forever.
UPDATE at 2311: provisional results are out!
Pos.: 6th
Swim: 26:06 <18th> (horribly slow!)
Bike: 1:06:23 <15th> (yay! was aiming for 1 hr10 min!)
Run: 41:56 <8th> (surprise! it felt much slower! haha!)
Overall: 2:14:22
Rank: 6th
thank you once again Lord for the race. at the end of it, I was more busy thanking you then psoing for a finishing photo. unglam-ness be damned. You are WAAAAY more important.
started the swim fast, though the tidal stream was rather strong today, that i kept having to struggle against it. came out of the water 4th, time check, 26 mins 0_0.
i liked my transition. grab and go, then i wore my shoes on the bike while going at like 30km/h. then the quirk of the day happened. after the U-turn on my 1st loop, the marshaller directed me and an ang moh back onto the east coast service road, where we ended up cycling against the general bike traffic. we almost ended up on the ECP! the ang moh was cursing and swearing IDIOTS! at the marshallers, all of whom had absolutely no idea what the bike route was like. so i ended up not clocking my first loop on the timing chip mat.
i was averaging 35-38km/h on the bike, and it was really quite fun. despite some twists and turns, i kept up my pace throughout. there was NO FRIGGIN WAY i was gonna slack off after all the training i had put myself through...
i overtook a cervelo p4 at the end and did a nice T2 (would have been nicer though if i didnt break off my rear bottle cage when my leg crossed over and came down on it. again.) chiong to get my shoes on and went off for the 10km run. at this moment i was about 7th in my wave. i started doing this hunt-and-kill mode to run down those in front of me. in my mind i kinda of knew that besides the 3 monsters (willie and 2 others) in front, i was probably a better runner than the rest ahead.
however, my lack of run training showed, as i found it hard to get into a rythmn. and even when i did, i couldnt maintain it for long. but i told myself to hang on. anyway, it was only 10km, i've done alot worse before.
at the last stretch, i saw this ang moh who was looking quite good and was starting to gain on me. this gave me the kick i needed, and i upped the pace, and held it there, all the way to the finishing line. in this moment of paniking, i had forgotten to end the race nicely. my zip was down and my expression was shite. so unglam.
but this was what made my day. i had finished in 2 hrs 14 mins! in my wave i was 4th! later results would show that i'm 6th (there were 2 more guys in the later waves that were faster), but nonetheless i was very pleased! technically, i was the the 2nd local finisher, as 4 of the top 6 were foreigners. willie loo as usual bested me by 6 mins.
for those of u who have never been to a tri event before, i suggest u should do so at least once. the finish line scenes are amazing, and u see the spirit of "never give up" in the faces and body language of the people. not something u see everyday, and it is something that i find really beautiful.
telling myself, to just keep going, it is almost there, hang on, dun give up, others are catching up behind! put one foot in front of the other, hold on, hold on, HOLD ON!!!!!!! the pain now IS temporary, but the satisfaction that i get, after crossing the finish line, knowing that i've put in the effort, will be forever.
UPDATE at 2311: provisional results are out!
Pos.: 6th
Swim: 26:06 <18th> (horribly slow!)
Bike: 1:06:23 <15th> (yay! was aiming for 1 hr10 min!)
Run: 41:56 <8th> (surprise! it felt much slower! haha!)
Overall: 2:14:22
Rank: 6th
thank you once again Lord for the race. at the end of it, I was more busy thanking you then psoing for a finishing photo. unglam-ness be damned. You are WAAAAY more important.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
THE COOLEST SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN
so much so that i have watched it like 10 times or what...
AMAZING!
AMAZING!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
4 more days to Trifactor
so far........ my prep for trifactor this sunday has been pretty good, with the exception of the bout of fever and flu (1st time in 2 years!) that i had last week which disrupted my peak / brick training week...
my swim's never been stronger. 1.5km in 23mins (could have easily been 22mins)
bike strength is like desaru, maybe even stronger now with the new and upgraded DD.
run is now ironically my most apprehensive leg. i've been neglecting it a bit, but im x-ing my fingers that i'll be able to find my rythmn quickly once i get off the bike this sunday. on a good day i can hit 40 to 41 min for the 10k.
ok. it's all or nothing now this sunday. lets see if my training pays off.
PS: reality slapped me in the face today. after trifactor i cant take too long a break, still got stan chart to train for! boston is the dream! 3:10!
*BISH*
ok, reality slaps again. tomorrow got emotions mid term. time to get back to the notes.
my swim's never been stronger. 1.5km in 23mins (could have easily been 22mins)
bike strength is like desaru, maybe even stronger now with the new and upgraded DD.
run is now ironically my most apprehensive leg. i've been neglecting it a bit, but im x-ing my fingers that i'll be able to find my rythmn quickly once i get off the bike this sunday. on a good day i can hit 40 to 41 min for the 10k.
ok. it's all or nothing now this sunday. lets see if my training pays off.
PS: reality slapped me in the face today. after trifactor i cant take too long a break, still got stan chart to train for! boston is the dream! 3:10!
*BISH*
ok, reality slaps again. tomorrow got emotions mid term. time to get back to the notes.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
the straw that broke the horse's back
i had it. i stumbled upon it just now, and thats it. with everything telling me that i should not persist, i shall listen to what i feel is right. it is just a confirmation of what everyone suspected and has been telling me. and an affirmation that i have made the right choice. at first i thought i was being cruel, leading u on in a way. but looking back, wasnt it the same thing for u? i cannot turn a blind eye to it any longer. enough is enough.
im gonna move on. u better do too. for your own sake.
*********************************************************************
now to change the mood a bit.
i gonna be getting the orbea ora next week! yay! hopefully in time for tri factor!
and my macca tri suit just came in! so nice! though the fit is a bit on the looser side, but it's still damn nice!!!!!
im gonna move on. u better do too. for your own sake.
*********************************************************************
now to change the mood a bit.
i gonna be getting the orbea ora next week! yay! hopefully in time for tri factor!
and my macca tri suit just came in! so nice! though the fit is a bit on the looser side, but it's still damn nice!!!!!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
misquoting yoda
green gremlin with a laser stick said: " do or do not. there is no try."
jon ma says: " do, no do not. then u go and TRI."
jon ma says: " do, no do not. then u go and TRI."
Sunday, August 16, 2009
AHM
didnt have any aims for this race. in fact i didnt plan to take part at all. after the horrible experience last year i decided not to register for the AHM anymore. so i crashed just to run this time, hahaha...
serene wanted to hit a sub 1:45 - 1:40, so i decided to help pace her for the race. i like her attitude towards training and racing, so i was quite motivated to help a fellow triathlete.
slept for less than 2 hrs last night, before meeting serene at 0330 where she gave me a lift to city hall to meet the rest of TRF for warm up at 0400. gdness, it was like the longest warm up i have ever done. 3 to 4km run, stretching, plus strides. almost an hour leh. but i would feel the benefits later.
started the run my tripping on someone's legs and almost falling flat, but somehow i stumbled for 20m and stayed on my feet without a scratch! Someone must have been looking out for me.
serene's pace for the first few km were quite horridly fast. rather than pacing me, i was actually trying to keep up with her. the 1st km we did 5:29, 2km at 10 min plus. then from there it was a sheares bridge up slope to the 3km mark which we hit at 14 min plus! we went uphill faster than the first 2 km of flats!
we maintained this pace (about 4:50/km) for the rest of the way. we felt really good and at the 10km mark it was 49min. we were on target.
unfortunately, shit happened at about 12km. and a couple more times along the way. but the spirit of never giving up triumphed and we finished the 21km nonetheless. it was a good run, and the experience helped us become better athletes. rather than taking the easy way out and accepting a DNF, the bullish attitude and the will to complete pulled through. there's a beauty in how one will's oneself to the finish despite the many setbacks and difficulties. this determination and human spirit, is what i find so beautiful in our sport.
after the run the Tri 21 peeps met up for lunch and to surprise bear bay with a cake on his bday! the company, as usual, was great and we had a good time just chilling at suntec and citylink.
PS: finally handed over my title last night to shao qi, and tracce to rina. so proud of the pageant contestants and organizers. all the work (not that i did alot) paid off and the bash was a success! congrats and well done to all!
serene wanted to hit a sub 1:45 - 1:40, so i decided to help pace her for the race. i like her attitude towards training and racing, so i was quite motivated to help a fellow triathlete.
slept for less than 2 hrs last night, before meeting serene at 0330 where she gave me a lift to city hall to meet the rest of TRF for warm up at 0400. gdness, it was like the longest warm up i have ever done. 3 to 4km run, stretching, plus strides. almost an hour leh. but i would feel the benefits later.
started the run my tripping on someone's legs and almost falling flat, but somehow i stumbled for 20m and stayed on my feet without a scratch! Someone must have been looking out for me.
serene's pace for the first few km were quite horridly fast. rather than pacing me, i was actually trying to keep up with her. the 1st km we did 5:29, 2km at 10 min plus. then from there it was a sheares bridge up slope to the 3km mark which we hit at 14 min plus! we went uphill faster than the first 2 km of flats!
we maintained this pace (about 4:50/km) for the rest of the way. we felt really good and at the 10km mark it was 49min. we were on target.
unfortunately, shit happened at about 12km. and a couple more times along the way. but the spirit of never giving up triumphed and we finished the 21km nonetheless. it was a good run, and the experience helped us become better athletes. rather than taking the easy way out and accepting a DNF, the bullish attitude and the will to complete pulled through. there's a beauty in how one will's oneself to the finish despite the many setbacks and difficulties. this determination and human spirit, is what i find so beautiful in our sport.
after the run the Tri 21 peeps met up for lunch and to surprise bear bay with a cake on his bday! the company, as usual, was great and we had a good time just chilling at suntec and citylink.
PS: finally handed over my title last night to shao qi, and tracce to rina. so proud of the pageant contestants and organizers. all the work (not that i did alot) paid off and the bash was a success! congrats and well done to all!
Monday, August 10, 2009
21
our grand plans for this morning was washed down the drain by the weather, raining all the way in the morning till the afternoon.
so we went and watch UP instead and then headed back to my place for lunch.
thanks guys for the presents. i feel really eco-friendly now. hahahahaha.
so we went and watch UP instead and then headed back to my place for lunch.
thanks guys for the presents. i feel really eco-friendly now. hahahahaha.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
post desaru week
after having not running for 1 and half weeks, i did 21k at desaru. this week, i started accumulating mileage, and hit 45km this week. no wonder i died-ed today during adination run. (or was it having to go to the toilet halfway?)
anyway, good week, though im training quite alot even after desaru.i swam everyday this week. but my body feels up to it, so my recovery's not too bad.
got bike back from cycle craft today. and spent some money buying bike related stuff. $$$$$$ no more... =(
anyone up for the challenge of the world's hardest tongue twister? here it is...
Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watches switches. Which Swedish switched witch watch which Swiss Swatch watch witch?"
anyway, good week, though im training quite alot even after desaru.i swam everyday this week. but my body feels up to it, so my recovery's not too bad.
got bike back from cycle craft today. and spent some money buying bike related stuff. $$$$$$ no more... =(
anyone up for the challenge of the world's hardest tongue twister? here it is...
Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watches switches. Which Swedish switched witch watch which Swiss Swatch watch witch?"
Friday, August 7, 2009
base season resolution
every morning. 5km run. or bike.
joined team runfanatics at ngee ann poly today. was a gd track session. will be back for more!
joined team runfanatics at ngee ann poly today. was a gd track session. will be back for more!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Desaru Long D Tri Official Results
It's official
Swim: 26:50 - 1st in age roup (Definitely not 2k!)
Bike: 2:44:36 - 12th
Run: 1:43:33 - 10th (quite surprised, i thought i was slower than that. but still slow, crawling speed of more than 5min per k...)
Total: 4:54:59 - 9th in age group (sigh... why this year only got prize for top 6...)
aunty rosa almost killed me today. she's probably waiting for me to go to her a few more times to earn somemore $ before killing me.
Swim: 26:50 - 1st in age roup (Definitely not 2k!)
Bike: 2:44:36 - 12th
Run: 1:43:33 - 10th (quite surprised, i thought i was slower than that. but still slow, crawling speed of more than 5min per k...)
Total: 4:54:59 - 9th in age group (sigh... why this year only got prize for top 6...)
aunty rosa almost killed me today. she's probably waiting for me to go to her a few more times to earn somemore $ before killing me.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Desaru Long D Tri
I'll cut straight to the chase and get to the race.
The day started as per any usual race day. Had my muesli and cereal breakfast, then went with the rest to set up my transition area. did a bit of run and swim warm up. the south china sea was quite "wave-y", but the tidal stream was not too strong.
the swim start was one of the roughest i had ever been in. there were quite a number of strong swimmers, so even after the first turn, there were quite a number of other competitors fighting with me for postion. it was only till the end of the first loop of the swim that the crowd wore thinner, and i managed to find some room for myself. for the start of the second loop, i plunged right into a wave that was coming in. in my adrenaline, i had forgotten how shallow the coast was, and smacked my face and chest right into the sand. stupid boy. and it was so obvious as i had to stop and stand for a moment to adjust my goggles again. after another loop (definitely did not feel liek a 2k swim though), i came out of the swim among the lead pack, and ran a very LONG transition (250m!) to the bikes.
the start of the bike there was a small but steep slope to the road. i was trying to wear my shoes while attempting that slope. almost stopped and fell over. whew. i hit the bike hard. all the training i had done on the trainer helped alot. after 1hr 45mins on the trainer once, an almost 3hr ride was like nothing. i just kept pushing myself on the bike, telling myself to not give up on the up slopes, and then go insanely fast down, and put the hammer down on the flats. the fun part of this bike course was that it had so many u-turns, so it was always fun to be able to see your friends after the turn and give each other encouragement. about the end of the third loop i saw that it was about 3hr 12min (give or take) and i did a nice T2 and chucked my bike onto the rack while the back wheel was still spinning. it was then i thought that a sub-5hr was actually possible, barring any race-ending happenings. my speedo did fly off though, towards the end of the bike leg. gives me a good excuse to change speedo, which i have been wanting to do.
i had brought my newtons along for this race, and they did not have lock lace on them, so i had to take a short while to tie my laces. my legs felt a tad heavy (which was usual after a bike) so i just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. i was suffering also from the lack of training for 1 and a half weeks due to my tendonitis. to be frank i felt that i was just hanging on in the run. i tried to push, but everytime i did i could only last a short while. after about 16km i actaully felt empty and i was lucky to be near the 100plus aid station to refill. after two cups i could definitely feel the difference. i just hung on for the last bits of the run, my feet felt like they were on fire, i could barely feel them under that searing pain. at the finish line i could not do much to celebrate but just thank God for answering my prayers. time on my watch, 4:55:12.
before the race, i prayed. i didnt ask for podium, or to be in the top ten. i just prayed for a good race, one which i felt good in. prayed for safety, prayed for good weather. thank God for answering them, and for the timing that i had made. really, without Him all these would not have been possible.
the company, as usual, was fantastic. had alot of laughs and made great friends with coach david's friends. as usual, there was lots of camwhoring and joking. and the food for its RM pricing at the hotel was worth the money! thanks coach for organizing an unforgettable experience!
PS: more accurate (or not) timing to be up when the results come out. and photos as well.
PPS: well done to all our first timers! lala, QR, serene!
PPPS: haiz... just spent over $200 to get my bike serviced (it was making alot of wierd noises during the race) and getting a new speedo... gonna be broke... still need to get new helmet..... =(
The day started as per any usual race day. Had my muesli and cereal breakfast, then went with the rest to set up my transition area. did a bit of run and swim warm up. the south china sea was quite "wave-y", but the tidal stream was not too strong.
the swim start was one of the roughest i had ever been in. there were quite a number of strong swimmers, so even after the first turn, there were quite a number of other competitors fighting with me for postion. it was only till the end of the first loop of the swim that the crowd wore thinner, and i managed to find some room for myself. for the start of the second loop, i plunged right into a wave that was coming in. in my adrenaline, i had forgotten how shallow the coast was, and smacked my face and chest right into the sand. stupid boy. and it was so obvious as i had to stop and stand for a moment to adjust my goggles again. after another loop (definitely did not feel liek a 2k swim though), i came out of the swim among the lead pack, and ran a very LONG transition (250m!) to the bikes.
the start of the bike there was a small but steep slope to the road. i was trying to wear my shoes while attempting that slope. almost stopped and fell over. whew. i hit the bike hard. all the training i had done on the trainer helped alot. after 1hr 45mins on the trainer once, an almost 3hr ride was like nothing. i just kept pushing myself on the bike, telling myself to not give up on the up slopes, and then go insanely fast down, and put the hammer down on the flats. the fun part of this bike course was that it had so many u-turns, so it was always fun to be able to see your friends after the turn and give each other encouragement. about the end of the third loop i saw that it was about 3hr 12min (give or take) and i did a nice T2 and chucked my bike onto the rack while the back wheel was still spinning. it was then i thought that a sub-5hr was actually possible, barring any race-ending happenings. my speedo did fly off though, towards the end of the bike leg. gives me a good excuse to change speedo, which i have been wanting to do.
i had brought my newtons along for this race, and they did not have lock lace on them, so i had to take a short while to tie my laces. my legs felt a tad heavy (which was usual after a bike) so i just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. i was suffering also from the lack of training for 1 and a half weeks due to my tendonitis. to be frank i felt that i was just hanging on in the run. i tried to push, but everytime i did i could only last a short while. after about 16km i actaully felt empty and i was lucky to be near the 100plus aid station to refill. after two cups i could definitely feel the difference. i just hung on for the last bits of the run, my feet felt like they were on fire, i could barely feel them under that searing pain. at the finish line i could not do much to celebrate but just thank God for answering my prayers. time on my watch, 4:55:12.
before the race, i prayed. i didnt ask for podium, or to be in the top ten. i just prayed for a good race, one which i felt good in. prayed for safety, prayed for good weather. thank God for answering them, and for the timing that i had made. really, without Him all these would not have been possible.
the company, as usual, was fantastic. had alot of laughs and made great friends with coach david's friends. as usual, there was lots of camwhoring and joking. and the food for its RM pricing at the hotel was worth the money! thanks coach for organizing an unforgettable experience!
PS: more accurate (or not) timing to be up when the results come out. and photos as well.
PPS: well done to all our first timers! lala, QR, serene!
PPPS: haiz... just spent over $200 to get my bike serviced (it was making alot of wierd noises during the race) and getting a new speedo... gonna be broke... still need to get new helmet..... =(
Thursday, July 30, 2009
desaru: preview
im not gona lie and say that i have no expectations for desaru.
i do.
my swim has improved my quite a bit, and i've been doing some solid workouts on my trainer. only thing is my run where i ahvent been able to do much training due to my tendonitis.
i intend to go hard on the swim, set up a steady bike ride and then hang on for the run.
stay tuned for the race report next week.
i do.
my swim has improved my quite a bit, and i've been doing some solid workouts on my trainer. only thing is my run where i ahvent been able to do much training due to my tendonitis.
i intend to go hard on the swim, set up a steady bike ride and then hang on for the run.
stay tuned for the race report next week.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
23:44
thats the timing for a 1500m swim i did today. and i wasnt pushing too hard.
good. finally i see the effects of the training i did during the hoidays.
on an end note, i just got an e-bike today. and im calling her Beth. and i love her. vrrrooommmmmmmmmmmm!
thanks Mok!
good. finally i see the effects of the training i did during the hoidays.
on an end note, i just got an e-bike today. and im calling her Beth. and i love her. vrrrooommmmmmmmmmmm!
thanks Mok!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
a good piece of advice
"if you put in the passion that you have for your running and whatever into everything you'll do, you'll go far" - LTC Kelvin Lim, ex-CO RSS Valour
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Ultimate H2O Challenge! (400m swim 4km run)
i signed up for this race for $20, planning to just have fun. it was only after SP bi that i realise that i maybe able to win something here.
the day started slowly. i was sleepy and generally felt lazy. met up with josh and desmond and elston at NYP. i didnt feel like doing too long a warm up, so it was quite chillax all the way and just chatting around with people like jonathan perreira and sham.
the swim was done in quite a funny manner. as long as there was a free lane, they would get people to start swimming. so there were no wave starts, but just a as-and-when-you're-ready kind of thing.
started the swim slightly slower, before picking up the pace after 150m. josh was in the lane next to mine, and he was swimming quite well. came out of the water at about 6:01, (josh at 6:06) did a quick transition, and ran off. josh was right behind me and we went to attack the run route at a blitzing quick pace. it was a 2 loop run with 2 small up slopes and 1 big down slope.
josh overtook me after the up slopes, but it wasnt gonna opening up, so i maintained just behind him. at the downslope where we were beginning the 2nd loop, josh hit this girl who were trying to isue us the bands to mark that we have run 1 loop already. i overtook back and just kept going. by then i was panting like nobody business. i just told myself that its only 4k, almost same as 1 loop around simei.
i just kept going and going and finally finished at the track. for the first time i managed to match josh on the run! he came in just seconds behind. turned out he was feeling some pain in the leg due to his crash last time, so that was the reason he slowed a bit. but well done!
the results came out and i was first! josh second and devanthas third! shioks!
the prizes were amazing. i couldnt believe my ears when i heard them. as my FB status says: I finally made a profit from racing!
tri 21 models
tri 21 at h2o!
likes
happy
the podium
the day started slowly. i was sleepy and generally felt lazy. met up with josh and desmond and elston at NYP. i didnt feel like doing too long a warm up, so it was quite chillax all the way and just chatting around with people like jonathan perreira and sham.
the swim was done in quite a funny manner. as long as there was a free lane, they would get people to start swimming. so there were no wave starts, but just a as-and-when-you're-ready kind of thing.
started the swim slightly slower, before picking up the pace after 150m. josh was in the lane next to mine, and he was swimming quite well. came out of the water at about 6:01, (josh at 6:06) did a quick transition, and ran off. josh was right behind me and we went to attack the run route at a blitzing quick pace. it was a 2 loop run with 2 small up slopes and 1 big down slope.
josh overtook me after the up slopes, but it wasnt gonna opening up, so i maintained just behind him. at the downslope where we were beginning the 2nd loop, josh hit this girl who were trying to isue us the bands to mark that we have run 1 loop already. i overtook back and just kept going. by then i was panting like nobody business. i just told myself that its only 4k, almost same as 1 loop around simei.
i just kept going and going and finally finished at the track. for the first time i managed to match josh on the run! he came in just seconds behind. turned out he was feeling some pain in the leg due to his crash last time, so that was the reason he slowed a bit. but well done!
the results came out and i was first! josh second and devanthas third! shioks!
the prizes were amazing. i couldnt believe my ears when i heard them. as my FB status says: I finally made a profit from racing!
tri 21 models
tri 21 at h2o!
likes
happy
the podium
Thursday, July 16, 2009
to my dear IM friends
sometimes i still wonder, whether i made the right choice to hold back my ironman exposure for a year, and not doing switzerland with u guys. the camaradrie, fun, and brotherhood we had for the past year was amazing. going through all that pain, sweat, blood and joy together. to miss out on such a life changing event with u guys seems like a void in the middle of all this.
but no, i accept the fact that there are differing circumstances that we all encounter. i have other commitments and plans, and there really is no rush for me to embark on this ironman journey. even though there will now always be a gap of me not sharing this collective experience with you guys, i know that our bond is stronger than just an event alone. as much as i want to be in europe now with u guys, i know that our time will come. and when it does, it will be a day i will always remember.
im really really really proud and happy for u guys. seeing the photos just brings to mind what great friends i have, in the level of self sacrifice that we are capable of for one another. i see the human spirit at its best in you guys, at the moment where your physical bodies are at its worst state of exhaustion.
cant wait for u guys to get back.
patience, preserverance, and love.
but no, i accept the fact that there are differing circumstances that we all encounter. i have other commitments and plans, and there really is no rush for me to embark on this ironman journey. even though there will now always be a gap of me not sharing this collective experience with you guys, i know that our bond is stronger than just an event alone. as much as i want to be in europe now with u guys, i know that our time will come. and when it does, it will be a day i will always remember.
im really really really proud and happy for u guys. seeing the photos just brings to mind what great friends i have, in the level of self sacrifice that we are capable of for one another. i see the human spirit at its best in you guys, at the moment where your physical bodies are at its worst state of exhaustion.
cant wait for u guys to get back.
patience, preserverance, and love.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
PD results are out!
Rank 17th
Swim - 31:14 (aiyo.... junyang, where got 30s behind dan plews.....)
Bike: - 1:10:04 (i actually predicted this time!)
Run: - 40:56
Total - 2:23:06
ok not too bad... quite pleased with it cause this wasnt a high priority race for me... the swim could have been better had i not gotten lost, and i know my bike needs work... my run was good, but can still be even better. HAHA. trifactor, we'll see much better times!
Swim - 31:14 (aiyo.... junyang, where got 30s behind dan plews.....)
Bike: - 1:10:04 (i actually predicted this time!)
Run: - 40:56
Total - 2:23:06
ok not too bad... quite pleased with it cause this wasnt a high priority race for me... the swim could have been better had i not gotten lost, and i know my bike needs work... my run was good, but can still be even better. HAHA. trifactor, we'll see much better times!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Port Dickson Intl Tri 09
didnt really prepare for this race as well as i would have liked, but it was a B class race for me anyway, so not that important...
the ride up was about 5 hours. double decker, which meant our bikes were below while the rest of us were on top. and there were some last min withdrawals, which meant we had alot of room for the remaining 14 of us!
i spent most of the time on the bus in this position. shiokkksssssss!
after the 1st day of registration, carbo loading (YAY) and race briefing, we went to sleep quite early. (no poker cause nic wasnt around!)
next day sunday was race day! as usual, we had our pre race camwhoring!
the tri 21 suits make its first appearace in m'sia!
so that people can see who overtook them =D
the swim was quite good, with me leading the 2nd pack (the elites were all in the 1st pack). that was until me and the second guy got lost, and we had to chase all the way back to catch the pack. wasted my lead!!!!! anyway, junyang said i came out of the swim like 30 plus seconds after daniel plews. cool!!!!!! think i was 10th for the swim...
the bike was less than ideal. i was quick (39-40km/h) on the flats (but who isnt?) however the moment i hit the slopes i just died-ed, and i was quickly dropped by a number of people like this. josh caught up and overtook me. funny part was josh turned in too early and i managed to catch up with him again as we both entered T2.
see! i managed to do a good T2! leave the shoes on the bike!
josh and i started the run together (1st time!) until he got his rythmn and i could not keep up with his pace. for some reason, i took longer than usual to recover from the bike, and it was only like 3km plus into the run could i start to pick up the pace. after the U-turn, i revved it up somemore and managed to overtake more of the guys who overtook me on the bike. revenge!
finished in about 2hr 22-23mins. not too bad, considering i had a bad week of tapering before this. i managed to control myself to the post race milo truck. only 7 cups! (but in the end still stomachache)
zy (lake kenyir champ!) got 2nd this time round, but that was cause the lady who got first is an ITU triathlete!
the very shiok stopover, where we bought ALOT (read: elston) of snacks.
the company which made the race and trip great!
thanks josh for organizing!
the ride up was about 5 hours. double decker, which meant our bikes were below while the rest of us were on top. and there were some last min withdrawals, which meant we had alot of room for the remaining 14 of us!
i spent most of the time on the bus in this position. shiokkksssssss!
after the 1st day of registration, carbo loading (YAY) and race briefing, we went to sleep quite early. (no poker cause nic wasnt around!)
next day sunday was race day! as usual, we had our pre race camwhoring!
the tri 21 suits make its first appearace in m'sia!
so that people can see who overtook them =D
the swim was quite good, with me leading the 2nd pack (the elites were all in the 1st pack). that was until me and the second guy got lost, and we had to chase all the way back to catch the pack. wasted my lead!!!!! anyway, junyang said i came out of the swim like 30 plus seconds after daniel plews. cool!!!!!! think i was 10th for the swim...
the bike was less than ideal. i was quick (39-40km/h) on the flats (but who isnt?) however the moment i hit the slopes i just died-ed, and i was quickly dropped by a number of people like this. josh caught up and overtook me. funny part was josh turned in too early and i managed to catch up with him again as we both entered T2.
see! i managed to do a good T2! leave the shoes on the bike!
josh and i started the run together (1st time!) until he got his rythmn and i could not keep up with his pace. for some reason, i took longer than usual to recover from the bike, and it was only like 3km plus into the run could i start to pick up the pace. after the U-turn, i revved it up somemore and managed to overtake more of the guys who overtook me on the bike. revenge!
finished in about 2hr 22-23mins. not too bad, considering i had a bad week of tapering before this. i managed to control myself to the post race milo truck. only 7 cups! (but in the end still stomachache)
zy (lake kenyir champ!) got 2nd this time round, but that was cause the lady who got first is an ITU triathlete!
the very shiok stopover, where we bought ALOT (read: elston) of snacks.
the company which made the race and trip great!
thanks josh for organizing!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
its outta my hands
train train train train train
then this flu shit strikes
sometimes just a microbe can destroy hours worth of effort and sweat
hope that PD will still be a reality for me.
then this flu shit strikes
sometimes just a microbe can destroy hours worth of effort and sweat
hope that PD will still be a reality for me.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
where is my wife?
SP bi today was such a mess. i thought it was one of the most disorganised and poorly ran races that i have attended. i could only think of 2 positives. the actual act of racing itself, and the company. that is all.
spent over 7 hrs at SP. less than 1 hour racing, the rest of it was simply waiting. Josh and i were expecting to get our podium places, then the lousy organisers screwed it up such that Sam Soh (zy's friend) was announced first with a timing of 48+mins. Josh had done a 43 plus and myself a 45 to 46. so in truth it should have been josh 1st, myself 2nd, then sam 3rd.
dun get me wrong, im not trying to kick up a big hoohah here, but this was one of the few times that i could actually be on the podium, and the SP people messed it up for me. thanks a lot man. (NOT!)
anyway, onto the race itself, josh did fantastic on the swim, sticking with me the whole way. i came out of the water seconds before him, both of us went into T1 together, ran out together, before josh as usual killed me with his run. halfway through the run my legs simply wouldnt fire. wait, acutally throughout the whole race i wanted to push harder but i just couldnt. haiz. sian. but o well.
the girls did fantastic as well. 1st - zy, 2nd - mich, 3rd - chermaine, 5th - lala!
norman and JJ were second for the relay as well.
teamNUS came back trophy laden!
i thank God for me in being able to complete the race nonetheless. what i have is a gift that i am thankful for. whether i finish on the podium or i walk to the finish line, i am grateful for what God has blessed me with, the love for triathlons.
the company for the rest of the day was great. really thankful for the friends i have. some came down to see us even though they werent racing. i believe we really have something going on here in the team. and it's called family =D
evening was fun. despite QR's insistence to be emo more than anything else. HAHAHAHAHAHA. and i was really touched today. yay. care bear rocks. =p
now just some pictures to round off the post.
we are like twins in the racing scene
tri 21 previews our new suits to the world!
you will get your asses kicked by the names on these asses
teamNUS aquathalon at SP bi
my expert cam-whoring skills
the topic of the day, and the origin of this entry's title. courtesy of jiajie. =P
spent over 7 hrs at SP. less than 1 hour racing, the rest of it was simply waiting. Josh and i were expecting to get our podium places, then the lousy organisers screwed it up such that Sam Soh (zy's friend) was announced first with a timing of 48+mins. Josh had done a 43 plus and myself a 45 to 46. so in truth it should have been josh 1st, myself 2nd, then sam 3rd.
dun get me wrong, im not trying to kick up a big hoohah here, but this was one of the few times that i could actually be on the podium, and the SP people messed it up for me. thanks a lot man. (NOT!)
anyway, onto the race itself, josh did fantastic on the swim, sticking with me the whole way. i came out of the water seconds before him, both of us went into T1 together, ran out together, before josh as usual killed me with his run. halfway through the run my legs simply wouldnt fire. wait, acutally throughout the whole race i wanted to push harder but i just couldnt. haiz. sian. but o well.
the girls did fantastic as well. 1st - zy, 2nd - mich, 3rd - chermaine, 5th - lala!
norman and JJ were second for the relay as well.
teamNUS came back trophy laden!
i thank God for me in being able to complete the race nonetheless. what i have is a gift that i am thankful for. whether i finish on the podium or i walk to the finish line, i am grateful for what God has blessed me with, the love for triathlons.
the company for the rest of the day was great. really thankful for the friends i have. some came down to see us even though they werent racing. i believe we really have something going on here in the team. and it's called family =D
evening was fun. despite QR's insistence to be emo more than anything else. HAHAHAHAHAHA. and i was really touched today. yay. care bear rocks. =p
now just some pictures to round off the post.
we are like twins in the racing scene
tri 21 previews our new suits to the world!
you will get your asses kicked by the names on these asses
teamNUS aquathalon at SP bi
my expert cam-whoring skills
the topic of the day, and the origin of this entry's title. courtesy of jiajie. =P
Thursday, July 2, 2009
lazy to blog, but i must still log in my training
wednesday morning bike intervals, afternoon swim intervals
thursday rest (sailing)
thursday rest (sailing)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
untitled
today was suppose to be my rest day.
but with my insectosaurus-like appetite, i could not stop eating from morning all the way till 3 in the afternoon. as in non-stop-continuous eating. so i felt very bad, and went and do track in the evening. i went to SP track, cause it was next to the mrt so i could save on travelling time. it was actually quite a nice place there.
8 x 800m intervals and 4 x 400m intervals.
was pleased that i could more or less maintain my times around the same.
tomorrow i will have to change epaulets. (finally)
pray to Him who makes all things possible. and even though we dont see it, He's there. thats why it's called faith.
but with my insectosaurus-like appetite, i could not stop eating from morning all the way till 3 in the afternoon. as in non-stop-continuous eating. so i felt very bad, and went and do track in the evening. i went to SP track, cause it was next to the mrt so i could save on travelling time. it was actually quite a nice place there.
8 x 800m intervals and 4 x 400m intervals.
was pleased that i could more or less maintain my times around the same.
tomorrow i will have to change epaulets. (finally)
pray to Him who makes all things possible. and even though we dont see it, He's there. thats why it's called faith.
Monday, June 29, 2009
happppi
had a good weekend. sunday was spent meeting up with the tri 21 peeps for lunch and to collect our team tri suits from JJ. really nice suits man! wait till the next race we will wear it and kick ass together!
evening's transformers was alot of bang and booms. i enjoyed it, though it was quite a mindless show. not something i would pay to watch again. or to buy the dvd, for that matter.
west coast was soothing and enjoyable, and the night ended nicely.
took leave for today so i could go for arts camp beach games. woke up early in the morning to do hill intervals on the TH slope. died after 8 sets. then did core.
joined the OG for the games and sentosa. sadly the beach games was marred by the sudden rain fall. so anti climax. so went back to school for bi swim training. 8 x 200m on descending timings. then josh, ben, chermaine and i added in 8 x 100m descending just for kicks. dieded...
i binged today cause i didnt get to eat properly today. i had a chocolate bar, 3 subway cookies, 1 cinnamon bun, 1 snickers, 1 mr bean pancake and 1 mr ice cream. gain back all the fat (and more)
training for the past week:
monday: rest
tuesaday: afternoon 3.8km swim, evening 24km run
wednesday: rest
thursday: 1.5km paddle swim, 3 x 3.5km run intervals
friday: traumatic day. mentally tiring.
saturday: noon time gym, evening 21km hillslayer run
sunday: bike trainer intervals, flapping around in the pool
quite happy with the run mileage thisweek. 55.5km! pathetic bike though...
evening's transformers was alot of bang and booms. i enjoyed it, though it was quite a mindless show. not something i would pay to watch again. or to buy the dvd, for that matter.
west coast was soothing and enjoyable, and the night ended nicely.
took leave for today so i could go for arts camp beach games. woke up early in the morning to do hill intervals on the TH slope. died after 8 sets. then did core.
joined the OG for the games and sentosa. sadly the beach games was marred by the sudden rain fall. so anti climax. so went back to school for bi swim training. 8 x 200m on descending timings. then josh, ben, chermaine and i added in 8 x 100m descending just for kicks. dieded...
i binged today cause i didnt get to eat properly today. i had a chocolate bar, 3 subway cookies, 1 cinnamon bun, 1 snickers, 1 mr bean pancake and 1 mr ice cream. gain back all the fat (and more)
training for the past week:
monday: rest
tuesaday: afternoon 3.8km swim, evening 24km run
wednesday: rest
thursday: 1.5km paddle swim, 3 x 3.5km run intervals
friday: traumatic day. mentally tiring.
saturday: noon time gym, evening 21km hillslayer run
sunday: bike trainer intervals, flapping around in the pool
quite happy with the run mileage thisweek. 55.5km! pathetic bike though...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
trauMA
friday was a day that started out with so much promise, only to become such a huge let down
passed my lifesaving test, but after like what, 5 to 6 hours?! who the hell takes that long to do an examination?! stupid-old-piece-of-shit-retard-long-winded-crap-ass examiner ruined all my plans for the day. at least 3 to 4 hours could have been put to so much more better use.
rushed down to soon watt to collect my bike. only to find it not cleaned, and my bar tape had been changed to black. i said HALF-SERVICING and change BOTTLE CAGE. omygdness. then the cracking bad news. now i have no idea what to do, and my fate is in the hands of others. buce, buce, buce.........
had fire drill assessment at night. didnt pass. sigh... but at least things idnt look too bad... bit more practice and i should be able to pass soon.
crashed arts camp this morning. brought back lots of good memories.
halfway i disappeared to gym at the students gym at MPSH 3. not a bad gym i must say... then evening i went for my slope long run again. 21 plus km of PGP, vigilante, reverse mt faber, mt faber, faber loop, pepys rd, then science slope. returned dead.
ok thats it tired. gonna zZz and look forward to a better day tomorrow!
passed my lifesaving test, but after like what, 5 to 6 hours?! who the hell takes that long to do an examination?! stupid-old-piece-of-shit-retard-long-winded-crap-ass examiner ruined all my plans for the day. at least 3 to 4 hours could have been put to so much more better use.
rushed down to soon watt to collect my bike. only to find it not cleaned, and my bar tape had been changed to black. i said HALF-SERVICING and change BOTTLE CAGE. omygdness. then the cracking bad news. now i have no idea what to do, and my fate is in the hands of others. buce, buce, buce.........
had fire drill assessment at night. didnt pass. sigh... but at least things idnt look too bad... bit more practice and i should be able to pass soon.
crashed arts camp this morning. brought back lots of good memories.
halfway i disappeared to gym at the students gym at MPSH 3. not a bad gym i must say... then evening i went for my slope long run again. 21 plus km of PGP, vigilante, reverse mt faber, mt faber, faber loop, pepys rd, then science slope. returned dead.
ok thats it tired. gonna zZz and look forward to a better day tomorrow!
Friday, June 26, 2009
another day, another swim, another run
today was a good day in a i-got-to-do-almost-everything-i-wanted kind of way
1.5km swim with paddles
3 x 3.5km intervals on 20mins
shioks.
getting my bike back from boon's tomorrow, then for my ffdc assessment when ship returns.
o and yes my lifesaving BM test tomorrow morning.
1.5km swim with paddles
3 x 3.5km intervals on 20mins
shioks.
getting my bike back from boon's tomorrow, then for my ffdc assessment when ship returns.
o and yes my lifesaving BM test tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
the psycho returns
after resting and eating the whole day yesterday, i came back to training with a vengeance today.
swam 3.8km in the afternoon when there was nothing to do in base. i was still aching so my timings were horrible, so i took it as an easy way to do high mileage swimming
ate somemore. when onboard ship and there is nothing to do. u just feel like eating.
go home at 8 plus. there wasnt anyone to train with in school today so i got a lift home with comms o. i was pretty determined that i would run tonight, cause i felt like it.
when i reached home, i realised that i didnt bring my keys out!!! AHHHH!!! called dad, who said he'll be back in a while. after a good 40 mins later i got the keys from him and i could get back into the house.
by 2122, i was out of the house. i felt really really good and i just kept running. i didnt have a planned route and i kinda winged it. so i ran towards coastal, and just kept going and going. in the dark. i was the only runner at coastal tonight, and it was pretty cooling, so i just kept at it.
it was really fun, and i got to focus on my running form to try and improve my running economy. on the way back i bumped into these 3 kids who were obviously lost. i guided them on some options on how they could get back to seng kang. funny, how they actually ended up in the middle of the road. so poor things as well.
after 2 hours of running, i finally got home. and i felt really good. 24.5km in 2 hours. not bad. this was my sundown marathon pace. and although i felt a bit of aches here and there, i was quite happy with the run, just something i really needed to get out of my system. yay! (even though i came back at 2325) 4min 48 s /km.
along the way, i just could not help but thank God for giving me this joy i get when i run. shiokness-saurus rex.
ok gotta go zZz... gotta wake in 4 hrs time to get to work! o the things i sacrifice for training!
swam 3.8km in the afternoon when there was nothing to do in base. i was still aching so my timings were horrible, so i took it as an easy way to do high mileage swimming
ate somemore. when onboard ship and there is nothing to do. u just feel like eating.
go home at 8 plus. there wasnt anyone to train with in school today so i got a lift home with comms o. i was pretty determined that i would run tonight, cause i felt like it.
when i reached home, i realised that i didnt bring my keys out!!! AHHHH!!! called dad, who said he'll be back in a while. after a good 40 mins later i got the keys from him and i could get back into the house.
by 2122, i was out of the house. i felt really really good and i just kept running. i didnt have a planned route and i kinda winged it. so i ran towards coastal, and just kept going and going. in the dark. i was the only runner at coastal tonight, and it was pretty cooling, so i just kept at it.
it was really fun, and i got to focus on my running form to try and improve my running economy. on the way back i bumped into these 3 kids who were obviously lost. i guided them on some options on how they could get back to seng kang. funny, how they actually ended up in the middle of the road. so poor things as well.
after 2 hours of running, i finally got home. and i felt really good. 24.5km in 2 hours. not bad. this was my sundown marathon pace. and although i felt a bit of aches here and there, i was quite happy with the run, just something i really needed to get out of my system. yay! (even though i came back at 2325) 4min 48 s /km.
along the way, i just could not help but thank God for giving me this joy i get when i run. shiokness-saurus rex.
ok gotta go zZz... gotta wake in 4 hrs time to get to work! o the things i sacrifice for training!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
the psycho is psyched
my legs are gone from the bike yesterday
my arms are gone from the gym the day before.
i still went for lifesaving this morning.
and thanks to some grace, i had most of the day off and got to shop a little with lala and QR at key power, then lunch at garden slug.
went home and rested for a while.
and then i went out for a while. ran from simei to the bedok stadium track. did 2 by 1km intervals, then my legs gave up on me. so i focussed on torturing the only muscles that still wasnt aching on my body. after 5 mins, even those were gone. i truly died-ed.
cooked for dad for fathers day. cheese baked fusili, chicken breats, and minestrone soup. ended with a mango for dessert.
sorry all, not in a blog friendly mood. heh.
training for the week:
monday: rest
tuesday: 2km run (pathetic, i know. but right quad was injured.) core training.
wednesday: swim with bi team and then the swim team
thursday: 19km run with lots (and i do mean lots) of slopes
friday: gym, then lifesaving
saturday: 110km desaru ride
sunday: lifesaving, short track intervals, core and static
my run mileage this week is low due to the stupid injury that i got from dunno where. wait till i recover!
my arms are gone from the gym the day before.
i still went for lifesaving this morning.
and thanks to some grace, i had most of the day off and got to shop a little with lala and QR at key power, then lunch at garden slug.
went home and rested for a while.
and then i went out for a while. ran from simei to the bedok stadium track. did 2 by 1km intervals, then my legs gave up on me. so i focussed on torturing the only muscles that still wasnt aching on my body. after 5 mins, even those were gone. i truly died-ed.
cooked for dad for fathers day. cheese baked fusili, chicken breats, and minestrone soup. ended with a mango for dessert.
sorry all, not in a blog friendly mood. heh.
training for the week:
monday: rest
tuesday: 2km run (pathetic, i know. but right quad was injured.) core training.
wednesday: swim with bi team and then the swim team
thursday: 19km run with lots (and i do mean lots) of slopes
friday: gym, then lifesaving
saturday: 110km desaru ride
sunday: lifesaving, short track intervals, core and static
my run mileage this week is low due to the stupid injury that i got from dunno where. wait till i recover!
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