Only You

It take 2 hands to clap

I need and am trying to be a better. You need to learn to control your temper.

2011 Season Review

Now that all the racing is done and dusted, I finally have time to sit down and look at my season so far, and update my very inactive blog once again.

For the benefit of those who missed it, you can read my mid-season review here---> Eternal Sunshine of the Clueless Mind: mid season review

Did quite a few races after IVP, so i shall focus on the more important ones. The main month was July, where I raced 4 races over 4 weekends. Lesson learnt: I can't handle that kind of physical load unless I was in a better condition. Anyway, these are the highlights for the rest of the year...

First up was Port Dickson International Triathlon, where I had the one of the best swims in the field, biked in a group of 4, and held on to my top 10 position on the run, overtaking Barry Lee in a sprint finish. This race gave me much confidence in my abilities and I had to dig so deep during that last part on the run. That effort gave me RM400 as a reward. =)


First pack swim


All that transition training paying off. Ready to rock the run after rollin' the bike.


I can't even describe how deep i had to dig and how much this hurt. But it made me RM100 richer =D

Next up was OSIM Tri. After fading to third the year before due to shin splints, I was in it this year to win my age group. And win it I did =D


wondering why I wasn't wearing my oakleys? THEY WERE STOLEN!


running off the bike with 10 mins lead


Sharing the podium with Team SW Orbea teammate Henry!


The gf who came down to support =)

Trifactor Triathlon. I was aiming to win the series overall this year. I got 3rd for the swim, and a good run. But I encountered a technical during the bike race and that cost me valuable points that would relegate me out of the running for the series title. So I was determined to make my impact on the triathlon race.


I look like spiderman


One for the sponsors. Orbea, Easton and Orca!


Finishing first in the first wave meant that I was the first finisher back! Awesome feeling.


3rd overall in the triathlon

SUNIG Aquathlon
Finished 2nd individual and the team got 2nd as well, beaten by NTU for the team title. Had a good swim, and held the lead till 1km to go where LuKai from NTU blitzed past me. Still, I was happy with my own personal performance in this race.


Stupid idea to make all of us wear a personal flotation device


Look Ma! is flying!

After these there was an Individual Time Trial where I came in 10th with a good time and a good performance, and Swimming IVP, where I hit a PB of 20:15 for 1500m freestyle. A bit disappointed with that time as I knew I could hit below 20 minutes, but I started too fast and ended up swimming in stitches.

Last race of the season; Team Time Trial. We rode an average of 41.5kph over 36km. It hurt, but we got 3rd in the Sports Category.


Well done boys

Thanks goes out to my sponsor, Soon Watt (Vic, Mave, Daryl, Ahmad, Bob), for the support throughout my season and allowed me to train and race to the best of my abilities while helping me take care of my equipment. As well as the boys in the team for the rides and fun.
Thanks to Coach David Tay, for advicing me and torturing me in the swimming pool. Also to the NUS Aquathlon Team for being fantastic teammates who stuck together through all the sweat and blood.
Thanks to Khoonnie the girlfriend, whose support and advice has certainly brightened my season. I love you.

All in all, it has been a good year. Topped my age group, and consistently finished in the top 10 or podium. Managed to identify certain weaknesses too, so that's something I will be working on for next season.
Till next year, train hard, train smart, train safe. See you all out on the race course next year ;)

Part 2

I like to push my own limits. Its awesome when I find out what I'm capable of and I love it. Its one of the reasons why I love doing Tri so much.

Sometimes I like to push others' limits too. They find out things about themselves they never knew.

But a reminder to self. Don't push others' limits too far. Getting mad at myself is very different from getting others mad. I have a tendency to do that and I need discernment.

On a learning curve.

Lessons

Today I learnt another lesson in this relationship. And probably something I knew all along but I had too much pride to admit to.

In things that involve 2 people, there is double the number of things to be respected, things that are important to the other person.

Roger.
Over and out.

Best Birthday Ever

That was what I said the night before my birthday itself. And that prediction came through.

I planned two meet ups. Lunch at Clarke Quay with the KPC young adults who could make it, and dinner at Pepperoni's with the bi/swim teams. And through it all, I had my gf with me.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to wish me a birthday greeting, and those who wante but couldnt make the meet ups, and those who did. The pizzas at Pepperoni's were AWESOME. Khoonnie, my gf for spending the whole day with me, and conjuring up a cake from out of nowhere. You were a large reason why the prediction came true.

Thank God for bringing me through 23 years of life, and looking back from 10 Aug 2010, to 10 Aug 2011, it has been the most amazing year. 4 and a half months in NOLA. Meeting Khoonnie in school. Quite a few athletic achievements in races. It has been quite a year.

Now as I move on to another stage, I hope it will be another fruitful year ahead, full of fun, joy, laughter, love and fighting through tough times, with my gf and friends by me. <3

lately, thursdays have been awesome

this time, i'm afraid of failing

crunch time

im struggling to stay afloat here. you're keeping me sane.

teevee wisdom

nostalgic workout

missed running with the varsity sports group from NOLA today, so I did a workout that we often did in Audubon Park just opposite my college in NOLA.



1 mile warm up
1 mile hard
1 mile easy
3/4 mile hard
3/4 mile easy
1/2 mile hard
1/2 mile easy
1/4 mile hard
1/4 miles easy
220 hard
220 easy
cool down



thanks jenny and the VSNOLA running group.

Run hard, Live easy!

I half-expected this. But I told you about how I saw them nonetheless because I wanted to be as open as you were to me.

Have faith in me.

revenge!

tee hee



nice nail polish
*photo edited on threat of death*

W31RD05

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual W31RDN355 and call it love.
~Author Unknown

Wonderwall

the greatest gift

i can give is my time. not money, not anything else. just time. even if it means just 2 semesters.

The moral behind the mtv...

Go to 3:00. The clean shaven guy with neat short hair trumps the hairy guy with a messy mane anytime.

Hobbesian wisdom

Calvin: "Hey, Hobbes... Hobbes!"


"It's bedtime."

Hobbes: "Ooh, I wouldnt have wanted to sleep through that."

Calvin: "I wonder why we dream when we sleep."

"Do our bodies get bored? I wonder why we don't just plain sleep."

Hobbes: "I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night."

Calvin: "Hey, Yeah!"


"Well, I'll see you in a few minutes, ol' buddy!"

Hobbes: "I'll be there!"

ZzZz... ZzZz...

Guess Who's Back?

Finally!

mid season review

Well, this has been kinda overdue, considering I usually do it after the IVP season. Guess I've been too busy mugging for exams to do it.

Had a pretty good first half season. Started a little rocky with me having to get back used to swimming in a 50m pool (compared with the short course ones in the States), plus running in the heat and humidity.

My focus this year was to race mostly the short-course circuits, doing mostly OD races, after all the LongD races I did last year.

My first race SingBi. For me it ws kinda a revenge race cause I got jelly-fish-ed last year. This was a chance for me to whow what I could do this time. Had to race under Lincoln's name though cause my race registration was screwed up. I got to rock my bright green speedos and top this year!
Finished 7th



3 lao jiaos

Represented Soon Watt for OCBC cycl60km next. The whole aim was to finish without crashing. I achieved that (can't say the same for Mave and Tek though) and I was pretty pleased with the performance. My time-trialling skills brought all the small packs back together into the peloton. Alot of people got me to thank for.


Next was the SMU-organised Waikiki sprint (750m swim 5k run)
came in 2nd after getting my ass handed to me by NTU's Henry on the swim, then putting more time into me in the run. Gave me a very good idea what the competition was for this season.


Then was the one race that I was aiming to ace for this part of the season. I trained specifically for this by running the NUS BI run route over and over again for weeks. I put in more hours on the swim as well, and I stayed off the bike almost totally for this period of time. I had a fantastic PB 800m swim, then managed to hold Mok off for most of the run till bout 1k+ to go. It almost ended in a sprint finish with Henry but the lead from my swim and the run training all paid off as I crossed the line 4s ahead of him. Once again we won the Overall Tertiary title for the countless year running. I clinched second, behind Mok, but in what I like to call "Best of the Rest".  Heh =p






but I think of all the things I won this year, the best one did not invlove any crossing of a finish line of any sorts.

see you in 2 days

k-3

come on jon hang in there just 3 more days.

celebrate father's what?

a friend shared this on facebook today

God created men, called them to be fathers and charged them to lead a family. Families are destroyed because men fail to lead as a father. Conviction of the day: "Created as a male, chose to be a man, called to be a father, charged to leave a legacy."

looking back on the past 22 years plus, i never saw my dad as an example to follow. in fact, there were never much highlights. or rather, positive highlights. all i remember were the negative ones. the beatings, the abuses, the unreasonable-ness, the quarrels with my mum, the bad decisions, especially the ones which got my family into debt, and the once-in-a-blue-moon-but-too-little-too-late moments of regrets that he showed.

dont get me wrong, it is not so much of hatred, but rather disappointment that i have with regards to him. our relationship could have been so much more, and i would be so much closer to my parents, just like what other kids have, such as just and uncle rodney. but i feel i never had much of a family bond to being with, partly thanks to the lack of a role model.

when i saw that facebook post, it reminded me of a duty that men, husbands or fathers, should perform. and my dad barely did any of that.

there is though, one think i learned from him. he showed me how not to be a man, and rest assured that i will do much better as one.

putting in on the line

taking a hugeass gamble with my special sem.

its 'do-or-die'.

and the thing is, i still need one more mod, otherwise it's all useless.

perhaps, the greatest gamble of my academic life (and that's saying something, considering i did only 6 subjects for my O'levels)

whatever happens, just be by my side.

you said, "toss away your fears and mine, for my sake"

ok

happily ever after

marianne lee (now NEE!) and samuel got married over the weekend. i've been to quite a number of weddings, but this was probably the most touching and "awwwwwwwh" wedding i have ever been too.

maybe it was cause i've known marianne since we were kids when she, bryan, just, m.hui and i took swimming lessons together. and i think the rest of the kpc kias all felt it with me, seeing one of us who grew up together (ok i didnt know her for as long as the rest, but long enough) committing her life with her other half just made it really special.

the fact that the 2 of them made the wedding totally their own helped too. they followed the formalities and all, but along the way they had those little bits where they spoke to each other, joked and laughed in their usual way, with no attempt to hide their unique personalities. they were just being themselves, and that made the occasion all the more beautiful.

i pray for those two all the best. thanks for sharing your joy with all of us!

PS: gonna try and get a nice photo to put on this post as soon as i can find one

the song is self-explanatory

9 more days

3 words

i

miss

you


yea im old school like that

yesterday i watched this clip of armageddon on youtube





the last part where bruce willis says goodbye to liv tyler made me tear

its been a long time since i felt that way. besides that one time where i made you our promise, my tear ducts have been relatively inactive.

i used to feel alot. almost every single little thing, and i would get affected by it. but heartbreaks and disappointments one after another, i started to desensitize myself over things. slowly, i built up my walls, and hid myself behind them. there was no point for me to show that was 'soft' in this world. my background have made me had to work/fight for what i wanted, and i couldnt show a weakness, not to those out of my closest circle anyway.

but yesterday i realised that with you, some of those walls have come down. and im starting to feel more once again. whether its a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but so far, things that have come with you tend to be good.

missing you already

send offs

i sent 2 people off at the airport today, on 2 separate occasions.

i love them both, though in different ways.

siz, have a good time in aust, doing and learning something you love, and serving the One who loves.

babe, whatever i can say has been said. you'll be on my mind. one day i wont have to bid farewell inconspicuously.

till i see you and you again.

sweden-1

have a safe flight,
have fun,
bite your kor,
shop nice stuff,
take awesome photos,
see europe,
be careful too,
and then come back to me when you're done

i'll be praying for you =)

lesson learnt

c'mon jon learn to prioritise. in 2 days time you'll regret that 45 mins swim.



"i'm gonna get your heart racing if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight. let you rest your head on me if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight."

updated: it scares you to open yourself to me the way you have. you're not alone. but im holding it together for us both

my super lifesaver

over the weekend i watched the gf for her lifesaving competition, and she not only won, but set the new meet and (i think) national record for the toughest event, the super lifesaver.




being supportive. literally.


reward for my champion =)

childhood dreams

i loved dumbo when i was a kid, so this photo speaks quite a bit to me

midweek

nothing but you. couldnt have spent the day any better.

the way you hold my face, my arm, my hand. and i return the favour.

more than 6, love.

if i have to wait another 24 hours, so be it, cause...

i can dream

But reality is so much better

Pizza, macaroons and tea.

http://klch.tumblr.com/post/5766848189

ippt wy 2011

sit ups - 43
chin ups - 12
shuttle run - 9.9
SBJ - 234 (ARGH, 4 points)
2.4k run - 8:24

woohoo new pb on the run average 3:30/km. awesome job today jon.

dear microsoft,

now that you have bought over skype, can you make it possible for people to touch through the screens?

yours sincerely,
jon

freedom's last day

yesterday was my last day of freedom before i go back to base.

i couldnt have spent it any better.

love

hugs are awesome

where the road goes...

we made it through one semester.

this has probably been the best semester i have ever had in NUS. needless to say, you were one big reason for it.

we weathered the toughest part of the school term. i saw you at your lows, and i tried my best to be there for you.

now im hoping that i will have two more awesome semesters like this one. or even awesome-r.

honestly im a little apprehensive. blame my lack of discipline the past 2 years to not have worked harder. this sem your constant presence in the libraries and study areas have made me study much more than i used to. thank you

last night, as we were by ourselves (with a drunk guy sleeping on the table nearby) and everything else drowned out, it felt just right.

now we wait for the exam results. but wherever the road goes, as long as you're by my side, it should be good.

<3

We

You made me smile, made me laugh, made me appreciate you for who you are.

The way you make my heart sing.

I was looking for someone I could love, and you were willing to let me do so.

Put yourself in my hands, trusting me, your wonderwall.

And you understood me, take me for who I am, flaws and all.

I feel very blessed.

1

a whole month of awesome. many more to go.

now this is what i call budding romance

1000 words, and more

I'm Clueless

But you are the sunshine of my mind

XTERRA Wetsuits

Really happy to have Xterra Wetsuits as a partner of mine for my 2011 season. Now lemme tell you guys more about it!

Last year I was looking to buy a speedsuit to use for my races. I figured that over a long distance swim, the speed advantage of a speedsuit would be multiplied several times over. So I looked at the market, and there were sooo many options to choose from. My biggest problem was the sizing. Most companies offered their suits in the generic small medium large sizes, which gave me quite a headache as I'm considered tall for my weight, and I always found myself in between small and medium sizes.

Then I came upon Xterra's website (http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/), and was pleasantly surprised when I found that they offered their suits for those of us in between (small long, medium large, etc.) I emailed them for help regarding shipping to Singapore, and before I knew it, I got my speedsuit in the mail.

My first impression with the suit was awesome. It fit perfectly, and was flexible and I was able to put it on without too much hassle. One feature that I really liked was the breakaway zipper. Rather than having a string tied to the zip (which most companies use), all I had to do was lift it up, and I could open the suit up from behind. No more fiddling and trying to find a string while running towards transition!

I used to own a wetsuit whose brand also features an "X" in its name (go figure), and I hated swimming in it. The shoulders were too thick and inflexible, and I got tired swimming in it really quickly. When I got the chance, I purchased a Vortex 3 Fullsuit Wetsuit for my race in Clearwater, Florida, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. The difference was instantly noticeable, as the really flexible shoulder section made me enjoy swimming in a wetsuit. I stopped getting tired really quickly during the swim, and came out of the 1.9km swim during the race in 30mins, a new PB!

Even though my speedsuit (Velocity 0.02) is now deemed illegal for WTC races, I still use it in the ones where it is not banned. However, I am looking forward to getting my hands on the new Velocity-M, now WTC-legal! It debuted during the Ironman World Champs last year in Kona, and if my past experiences with Xterra are any indication, this new swimskin should be awesomely wicked fast!

Read more about the Xterra Advantage here: http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/products/#advantage

For those who need a wetsuit or swimskin to kick off their 2011 season, use the coupon code SA-JMA when making your orders! This will give you the suits at the following great prices!


-Vortex 3 Sleeveless USD$139 (u/p $300)
-Vortex 3 Full USD$189 (u/p $400)
-Vector Pro X Sleeveless USD$199 (u/p $400)
-Vector Pro X Full USD$299 (u/p $600)
-Vendetta USD$500 (u/p $750)
http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/products/mens/wetsuits/




First out of the water at OSIM Tri 2010 in my Velocity 0.02, all smiles!

NOLA I MISS YOU

Its been about a month since I got back to Singapore. But more significantly, its been that amount of time since I left New Orleans. And freaking hell I miss it.

Woke up one morning thinking that I'll do a 3 miler along the St Charles streetcar track. Then I realised that I was back in Singapore.

I miss the friendly strangers in the Crescent City, how you can strike up a conversation with people around.

I miss the St Car, going down the GORGEOUS St Charles, with the really nice architecture houses. Heck, I even miss the hugeass potholes.

I miss the beautiful campus of Tulane.

I miss Walmart. It has like, everything. And Whole Foods, one of my favourite haunts with its wide variety of food, the pizzas, the baked goods, all from wholesome ingredients!

I miss Magazine St. Away from the big malls and conventional shops, and a whole street that goes on for really really long of shop houses, each unique and different in their own way.

I miss going to the Lakeside, just watching the water on a nice sunny day...

I miss the French Quarter, how it comes alive at night, and the live jazz music there.

I miss watching the Saints games, at least during normal waking hours.

I'm gonna be missing a whole host of races. The Mardi Gras Marathon, the Crescent City Classic, the Pelicanman (no chance to defend my title), Barathon, The NOLA 70.3 IM.

I'm also gonna miss the Mardi Gras itself!!!

But most of all, I miss my friends. Those from the Papillon Apartment, the Chuangs, Diego my cycling buddy, the TU cycling team, the classmates I was just starting to get to know, and of course, the Varsity Sports crew!

And packing is just the easiest part..

After hours of dumping, packing and cleaning, I am finally ready to move out of my apartment. Looking back, its been 4 of the best months I have ever had. Sure, I stupidly took THREE Level 600 (grauate level) classes, one supremely boring Philosophy class, and the worst ever cinema class, and the workload kinda killed me. BUT, I did everything I wanted to do here in the states, and I got more than what I bargained for, in the most positive of way.



I must admit, when I first got told that I was going to be sent to New Orleans for exchange, I was a little apprehensive. However, since I cant refuse the offer from my school in the choice of destination for my exchange, I decided to look on the bright side. The first day I got to New Orleans, it was storming. In fact, it stormed for the first two days I was there. And when the rained cleared up, it was hot, and humid. I was thinking "Aw crap, I came halfway around the world to get the same type of weather as Singapore."



But I soon got to experience the side of NOLA that most people who have not lived here get to know. The people, culture, and attitude of the city is amazing. Out of all the American cities I have visited so far (I have been to quite a number), the people in New Orleans are by far the most friendly and welcoming (with maybe the exception of Hawaii. But then again, its Hawaii) I never fail to get a smile and a greeting from people around, or on the streets. At first I was not really used to it, cause in Singapore people mostly keep to themselves, though I must say I like the attitude of the people here alot more.



And as the title of this note says, packing really is the easy part. Because I have got to know so many good friends here, and saying goodbye is the most painful and difficult bit. Within this short 4.5 months away from home, I really feel that I have taken root here in NOLA. They have all been so friendly and helpful to me, especially since I can't drive (I do walk alot though hahaha) and even though most of them were 'training partners' to me at first, they have become SOOOOOO much more. Mark Berger, Jessica (CONGRATS again!) Nic, Stacy, Dominic, Carolyn, Adam,Ann Elise, Lanie, Doug, Jenni, Mark Carter, Chrishelle, Carolina, Ashley, Gary, Nell, Fergus, Myles, Ryan (did i get everyone?) Thank YouS and I am going to miss you all on tuesday, thursday and saturdays!


farewell dinner at louisiana pizza kitchen


carolina and chrishelle after their beer mile


jessica and nick, BEFORE their beer mile


the lovebirds. definitely AFTER the beers


carolyn, jessica and i before ole man river half


hi ashley! one of our long saturday runs


mark, me, chrishelle, adam.


jenni! coach and friend!


lanie! schoolmate and running partner!


post ole man river


stacy. giving everyone else a chance by not running the race

these are the folks who made long runs and intervals really fun, and nothing better than hanging out after runs on thursdays!



then there are the people i ride with. at the pelicanman duathlon i got to know diego and friends. i then rode almost every week with diego, really such a kickass cyclist, and sometimes with steve who we both call a 'machine'.

long rides into the headwind, and avoiding stupid ass dogs, then running off the bike made up my sundays, then we would catch the saints games on tv at kona club or diego's place. thanks bro for everything.



of course, Tulane cycling, another fun group who i looked forward to ridin with on fridays and saturdays. rides into the headwind on the levee along the missisipi wiver, and the city rides where we explored the cresent city on our bikes. Jordan, Mike, Ric, Doug, Allie, Carlo, Alex, Randy. wishing u guys an awesome season ahead, with gatorade!





my sociology of education class gave me a chance to give back to the city as well. I tutored Tahj and Jariell on wednesdays on reading. It was a pleasure and I loved this two kids. Unfortunately on the lst day Tahj was too hyper and I didnt manage to get a photo with him. But here's the lovable Jariell


wishing her a future as bright as her smile!

then there are those who lived in the papillion with me. my best friend there, and my companion on tues and thurs morning 730am shuttle rides to school, katie! im really gonna miss hanging out with her!!! The others from the apartment include Pete (England), Carly (Ireland), Virginia, Carmen (both from Spain) and Franziska (Germany)


katie!

my classmates! Max (thanks for being my guide in NYC dude), Beau, Samantha, Miles, Chloe, Ellyn, Margot, Sabrina, Mia, Tina, Schuyler, Moira, Julie, Jilian, Gwen,Hank... (i definitely missed out some, but u all know who u are!)



then there is a family, not from NOLA, but still who have welcomed me and made me feel at home in Atlanta and Maryland. The Chuangs! Saying hi to Christine in the NUS pool was one of the best things I have done all year, and maybe my life.


thanksgiving at the chuangs'


christine and way joe here in NOLA with hand grenades!

Last but not least, my HK roomates Juno and (Gemma u spend so much time up here anyway) thanks for the company and friendship! hope i get to go back to HK soon to visit u guys


juno and gemma!

Thank you everyone for makin my experience in NOLA. Im gonna miss watching Saints games during normal daytime hours (im gonna have to wake up in the middle of the night to watch them in singapore), the street car, the buildings, the people, the food, the knowing that there is always something happening in New Orleans. I will come back one day, whether it be vacation or something else, but I will. And If anyone of u come to Singapore, do lemme know!