six degrees of freedom

the funnest 600 calories you ever burnt!

2007-12-24T14:25:00.000+08:00

soon end of 2007 will come around.. and 2008 will be begin.

to mark the begining of a new year, and accelerate our year end goal of losing weight (who in the developed and parts of developing world is not actively or hoping to lose weight) i am organising a fun but calorie burning event.

29th dec 5pm
botanic gardens

one of my fav run

2007-10-27T17:35:00.000+08:00

mt faber
Find more Runs in Singapore, Singapore

transition... post race... looking ahead

2007-10-12T14:25:00.000+08:00

this is the end of season for me...
what does one do when there is nothing to look forward or train for?

1. sign up for another race! especially if the last big race was a disappointment.
2. review the past performance and evaluate the long term goals and plan how to get there. goals like racing till you are 70 needs more long term perspective.
3. do all the things that you never get to do when training, meet up with loved ones, sleep in a little, read more, clean up your house or workstation that you have be procasinating not to!
4. eat!!! all the junk food that you have promnised to reward yourself with. (in which you might regret later ;( )

there are many things to do.. and you might want to do many other things like even trying a new sport but the most important thing to remember is that you should plan and plan with achievable goals.
if your long term goal is to run till 70 then you might want to plan strengthening exercises for the coming season or this transtion period instead of being the best frisbee player for the coming season.

things to think about;
1. what are your long term goals
2. what would you have done differently for this season that you could do for this coming season
3. what are your areas of weakness, strength and interest? and areas of personal growth, can this plan accomodate or take note of all of these
4. do you have the resources to achieve them for the coming season or in the next few years
5. are you having fun or should you do something really different or have a more fun goal

just some thoughts ....

Taper week for 70.3 or any other big races

2007-08-28T13:44:00.000+08:00

This is really a time of anxiety and rest.
You are supposed to rest and allow your body to recharge and be ready for the big day.

Yet

You feel so anxious about it, and you start to worry about things especially training that you could have done and started to wonder whether you can sneak in the one last training that will help your big day.

What should you do?
1. Reduce distance in your training. It is really tough as your body is so used to training, the reduced stress seems surreal and unfilled. You can do more but you need to hold back! Depending on the distance of the event, you should reduce 50% or more from the usual workload. BUT maintain intensity, in another word, do the reduced distance at race pace. You want your body to get use the pace and not slack.
2. Do not eat too much! Most of us tend to overeat in anticipation of the big day. Your body can only process so much. With the reduced workload, the extra that you stored from eating will just be converted to fats. And this is the least preferred fuel that your body would like to use for race day.
3. Write up your race plan. You should always have a plan or strategy on how you want to race the course. If there are hills, what sort of gear ratio you would be using or how would you be running it etc. include in your plan; pre-race meals, warm up, hydration and nutrition strategy, pace that you would want to do and even cool down. Have a plan when things don’t go the way you planned, what adjustments would you be making for it.
4. Check and tune up your equipment. Never use anything on race day that you have used before; bike, goggles and attire. Clean your bike and if you have the time and money, send to bike shop for tuning before the race. The bike needs more love and care before it. You want to be sure of your equipment and DNF (did not finish) because of some mechanical fault that could be prevented.
5. Stretch and do all you can to prevent injuries just before race. You won’t want to toe on the starting line knowing that you have pain or nor there. Use heat and ice treatment. See a therapist or go for a relaxing massage. You can even beg your team mates or friends to give you one. But do it 3 days before the race to allow your body enough time to recover from all the kneading of your sore muscles.
6. Check out the race course. Visualize and make the changes you need for your race like a longer run from the swim to T1 or transition 1 area. Check all the drinks points and what they serving and make sure you have no problem with them. It would be imperative that you go for race briefing especially for the races that you have not taken part in before.
7. make plans for post race like transport etc. you won’t want your experience to be marred by being miserable and tired at the finishing line waiting to get home to wash up and refuel.
8. Thank all who have helped you to come this far! They deserve it!

osim tri last weekend.. another way to look at it ...

2007-07-31T12:54:00.000+08:00

Last weekend was the Osim International Triathlon race.

It was raining cats and dogs for the 2 days but at least the sat’s race went on smoothly except for the rain started at the tail end of the bike segment.

Sunday’s race was a wash out for the age groupers as all of them did not get to do the whole distance of the race (1.5km swim/40km bike/10km run)

The organizers had to stopped the race midway due to thunder and lighting. The race was then modified to a dualthlon of bike and run after the weather has cleared.

It was a heart breaking moments for a lot of the first timers and also for many who has trained hard for the race.

Next time then…

But this is not the first time that a race has been cancelled or changed due to weather.

Last year’s ironman in New Zealand and Korea has to be modified to a shorten bike and run of 90km bike and 21km run instead of the 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km run. It was really frustrating for many who had trained and spent all these money to do the race (US$300 at least for entry fees and excluding all the travel expensese and accomodation) and yet unable to call themselves ironman despite of all that they have done.

Well, this is life.

There are things you can prepared and there are things that we can’t.

But we certainly can change the way we see it.

For some of my students, they were happy to have it shorten so that they can race it a lot harder.

For some of them, it was like a second chance that they can train harder to do a better one next year with their own bike rather than borrowed equipement.

And some, it was just great that it was not hot!

there is a bright spot to all things but the question is can you see it?

it is fun as long as you do all you can to prepare for it

2007-07-24T13:27:00.000+08:00

The Port Dickson triathlon race 2007 was marred by a very sad incident. It was reported that there was a 55 year-old cyclist from KL who drowned during the race on Sunday 22nd july. It is just one accident too many. The sea was calm and it was just before the rain. He was at the last wave of the start where there will be no one swimming over him if he has started from the end of the pack.

I saying this especially from the position as a coach; in the sea when you render unconscious, the chances of survive is 1:1, on land your chances go up to 100:1. you need to and have to do all you can to prepare you to swim in the sea. The confidence to be splashing around with 500 other anxious athletes pumped full of anxious energy at the start, the ability not to panic when the sea is choppy and after a few mouthful of sea water and technical ability to swim straight and read the waves. In the bike leg, the most that could have happened to you is to accident, and the run leg, dehydration.

I would like for everyone who wants to swim in open sea for whatever reasons, to do all that they can before they do it in race or alone.

You can be gung-ho for bike leg, at most you get into situations and come out with some scrapes and bruises. worse case hit by vehicle.

Or run with some leg injury and long term damage to your body.

But swim, it is matter of minutes when you drink too much and started to struggle and sink. when you start to sink and stop breathing, you could be unconscious and all maybe over.

Triathlon is very safe and fun, like diving, you just need to be prepared and trained for it.

please take lessons, swim in pairs or groups, have an experienced coach or mentor to work with you. if there is any money or time you should invest into triathlon, it is safety and comfort.

see you at the next race!

Not all massages are beneficial

2007-07-03T13:16:00.001+08:00

When was the last time you feel tired and achy?
And what came into your mind?
Maybe a massage can help to rejuvenate those tired achy muscles?

I was thinking along those lines too.
Has been increasing my intensity and volume in my training in preparation for 70.3 Half ironman race in September.
And my body was protesting a little.
So I booked for a massage to accelerate recovery.

The massage was a basic deep tissue whole body massage.
The session was ok but at the end of the session I felt slight headache coming on.
For the next 1 hour it just got worse!
My head was tightening and tightening. It makes walking around uncomfortable.
Tried to remedy the situation with some hot honey ginger tea but to no avail.

Had to go home on my off day and cancelled my swim coaching.
Slopped in front of the television but even watching telly was a pain.
Had a simple dinner of soup and bread but a cocktail of vitamins and garlic pill before I went to bed at 8pm.

The headache did not let up and tossed around like salad before falling asleep.

Got up at 8am and felt great!

I think the flu virus was incubating in me for a while (hope I did not get it from anyone …) and the massage just created a super highway for them to travel to the rest of my body. The virus that will take a few days to act it, did it in an hour.

So the moral of the story, if you are feeling under the weather, rest but no massge!

establishing your pace for training for the dwim discipline

2007-05-24T09:09:00.001+08:00

when you are driving on the expressway, you drive just below or just above the speed limit of 80km/hr or 90km/hr.
when you are driving around the car park looking for a parking lot, you drive at snail pace of 20km/hr or less to avoid hitting anyone walking around the car park.

when you are out running with your friends socially around the park, you run at an easy pace to chat.
when you are running in a race, you run till you feel like throwing up.

you drive at different pace for different reasons, and you run at different pace for different reasons.

unlike the car, apart for purpose, your ability to run at different pace is dependent on your physical ability and limitations.
to run as fast as possible for any distance you need to train for that distance.
but there is a magic pace that you have now that you can vary your training for any distance from that. it is the latact threshold we are looking at.

for swim
3x300m at maximun effort with 30 secs or less rest in between. there should not be more than 15 secs difference from the 1st set to the 3rd set.

for bike
2x5km at maximun effort with 30secs rest. note the temperature, wind condition and terrain for testing.

for run
2.4km as fast as you can.
note conditions

will use these values to give you your pace for training for sprint, OD, half ironman triathlon training.

advantage of being in a team with a coach

2007-05-23T10:57:00.000+08:00

when i started doing triathlon, there is no triathlon team nor coach. all i did was to train with people who are better in the different disciplines. i will try to swim with the swimmers, run with the runners and bike with the cyclists.
i will read all about triathlon from the one and only triathlete magazine, read Dave Scott training bible and just talk to people. anyone who has something to tell me about triathlon i will listen.

and i did this in the midst of my university education while working part time as home tutor for my allowance.

it was 20 years ago.

in the school that i coached, we persuade athletes to come for training, we provide coaching, training program beyond the training sessions, run camp and give talks on areas concerning the sports like nutrition and injury. we try to be comprehensive and encouraging.
even managed to get school to sponsor entry fees for races and attire.

most people will complained that motivation is the reason why they are not training...

there is a team who will train with you regularly that you need not travel afar for, just walk down to the pool or track in school.
and there is a coach who will correct your techique that you did not spend money for. most private sessions are $80 - $120 for techique correction.

but there are still others who complained that they can't do the sports because they have no time nor money for the expensive cool gear. can you give up some social life for training or use functional but not too cool gear?

granted you might not be interested, then there is no point is trying.
but if you are keen, what is the real reason for not benefitting from the training?

are we making things more complicated or it is really advancement

2007-05-22T14:58:00.000+08:00

Last month I bought a pair of running socks for $15. I remember the first pair of $1.50 socks I ran with was some white thin cotton stuff that I wore with my white canvas school shoes. It was really thin and with nothing fancy. I wear the same socks for everything including a kick around with my plastic soccer ball on the void deck.

20 years later, I have socks for cycling, walking, being comfortable with my street shoes and of course running.

And some of those socks were meant for flatter racing shoes, to the thicker ones for my more cushioned shoes. there are those with left and right differeniated cutting, and those with more material to creat a soft landing in the forefoot and heel. and even those who gives support to the arch.

and some with funky design and match your personality (i have a pair with shark motif)

Have we made our live more complicated or it is really advancement?

But I feel that there is really an improvement in comfortable, even though even so slightly…

you can read a runing shoes only review at
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-320--11862-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Extra%20NL-_-2007_05_22-_-training-_-REVIEW%3a%20Best%20Socks%20for%20Every%20Occasion

BTW i bought the nike one in the review :)

top 10 excuses

2007-04-25T21:20:00.000+08:00

everytime i have a session, my clients, students or friends will come up with some genuine reasons, excuses for not being able to perform well at training or simply can't do all the sets.

but i must give it to them that they show and they are trying at times i wish they will try a little more...

top 10 excuses
1. hormonal imbalance so i can't run
(i dont know men can have hormonal imbalance like women pre menstral)

2. she needs me to keep her company so i am not going to do your training set
(i think she is emo and want to run alone and maybe she does not even want your company?)

3. i ran yesterday so today i am walking
(wow counting the number of steps you are running? maybe should think about burning more with extra workout?)

4. i ate less than 30min before workout as i have no time for lunch.
(humm you forgot that there is training in 30mins? and you have time to sms me and msn but no time to eat?)

5. my shoes are old, i can't run in them
(should be have bought new ones 1 month ago, the excuse is getting too used)

6. i feel sick today, i cant do the hard sets hard but i can do everything else.
(you must be quite well to do all the workouts, what is increased of 10% effort? or maybe you are so sick like having viral fever that you should stay home and rest and not come to infect all of us!)

7. my goldfish died, i am sad
(so you cant run?)

8. i got to reserve energy to eat at the buffet later
(you should workout harder to eat more later!)

9. too much school work to do so very tired
(think exercise can energise you, try it)

10. i just dont feel like working out
(amazing that you come, then you are really trying.. just try?)

how much do you really lose during a workout?

2007-04-23T15:42:00.000+08:00

the TP performed below expectation for their IVP (inter varisty poly) race in late march due to dehydration. everyone complained that it was way too hot during the run.

heat and humidity is a very real problem in our climate. the langkawi ironman race that was completed recently seen more than 25% dropout, which is very high for an ironman race as most of the athletes came very prepared and most of them are suckers for pain. even they admit defeat in the face of 39 degrees heat and almost 100% humidity.

for the team who race under 1 hour, dehydration is not such a big problem yet as the chances of them getting heat stroke and other heat related conditions are low. but their performance can be severely compromised.
a loss of 3% of body weight can impaired performance of up to 10%.

as a test and preparation for the april national school events that will be held at 2pm, we conducted a almost mid day workout to monitor the amount of water lose and plan hydration and nutrition strategy accordingly.

in teh 5km or 30min run on the track at 11am, all the athletes lose 500g to 4kg of body weight. all the athletes go to toilet before they weigh themselves in the gym, and fill up their water bottle with knowledge of how much they drink during the run. after the run, they did not change out of their wet sweaty clothing (that may account for the little difference in the body as we did not account for the the heavier soiled gear we are in) and weigh themselves again on the same scale.

the difference in weight + water consumed = total water loss

some of the athlets lose only 500g or less, some lose 4kg but most lost more than 2% of body weight. taking into consideration that this test only account for 30mins of heavy workout and some may not workout as hard, the loss in 1 hour would be around 2 times or more what we witness.

all of us are individual and our body respond differently but one thing for sure, all of us drink way too little before, during or after. and we dont replenish enough electroyles or suitable carolies for our training and racing needs.

do you know how much you hydration and nutrition you actually need?

birthday surprise from TP team...

2007-03-08T00:06:00.000+08:00

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surprise birthday celebration by TP team. with the most embrassing singing of birthday song in our regular dinner joint at some coffee shop, the cannot blow off candle and the biggest birthday card that is a challenge for me to bring home on my bike...

but thanks!
it was a surprise!!!

next time do remember to take pictures with me...

one of my many housewarming

2007-02-26T16:55:00.000+08:00

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post cny special at Botanic Gardens

2007-02-25T22:02:00.001+08:00

it was great to see Eric the Viking, Mrs Subaru Leong, wan wan and in pain Fata for the first post cny special at Botanic Gardens on the bright but not too hot Saturday morning.

it was an easy walk with some short hills sprints session.

Great time for the gang to catch up and make a dent in the calorie inflation over cny. even though it might only be a dent i am sure it is only the start of the multi dimension attack of the love handles and journey towards good health.

it was a good 1hr 10min of walk with spurts of sprints and finished off with some drills.

Nothing too strenuous.

i think some were motivated by the shocking sight of their reflection in the mirror after the expected raise of the bak kwa, pineapple tarts index rather than the prospect of walking in the only other rain forest in Singapore.

Hope to see all of you soon again for more calorie burning and bonding workouts.

my journey of healing

2007-02-07T22:54:00.000+08:00

it really be frustrating to wait it out.
to rest and do all that you can to recover from an injury that do not essentially stop you from doing what you want but just not at 100% condition.

part of my regime in my road of recovery for the next 2 weeks;
beside asbtaining from running and biking is to take anti - inflammantory even when i experience no pain just to make sure that the deep muscle are completely healed.
see my therapist twice a week for deep tissue massage.

i hate the pain from the massage.

what is the point of suffering all these pain during massage, aren't massage suppose to make you feel good?
not this type of massage...
deep issue massage aimed to break down the scars in the muscle. these scares are not the superficial ones that you sustain after you trip but rather it your tissue that harden after injury or during healing like a hamstring strain. it is inelastic and will decrease the flexibility of your muscle.
the breaking down of the scars will cause new scars to form. this is when you must make sure you stretch and increase the elasticity of the muscle so that the new scares will become 'better' scars. inflammation may occurred during the process.

the repeat action hopefully will help your muscle to regain its former ability.

all the best to me for the next 4 sessions...

my journey to recovery...

2007-02-03T23:51:00.000+08:00

i am injured.
this is not news but for the first time i am going to work at it systematically.

with the amount of abuse my body has been subjected in the last 20+ years with all my races and lack of rest, it is now screaming for attention.

my hamstring strain that i sustained when i was 15 is still haunting me this very day. due to the reduce muscle flexibility there, my right has been compensating. it has overworked and now it is protesting. my gluteus medius (the top bits of my butt that joined the lower back) is tight and and my lliopsoas muscle in front of my hips and at the groin area is under a lot of strain to level my hips. unsure whether this or it is the symptoms of the tightness in my trapezius muscle (upper back).

long story short, i need to undo all these tightness especially for my back and strengthen my stability muscle.
that i will need time, help from physio therapist, sports doctor, money and discipline to do it.

will update on my progress.

for now, no running and biking for the next 2 weeks.
stretch and use heat pack daily.
see my therapist twice for trigger point release of the painful knots.

and swim.

i hope to be be ready for strengthening by mid Feb!

many of you have set up goals for 2006 ...

2006-12-27T00:42:00.000+08:00

and some of you have achieved all of it, some of you have gotten somewhere with it.
you may feel dishearten by your lack of progress.

BUT

if you have not even attempted at these goals, you will probably not done anything about it.
think of them as steps that lead towards your dream goal.
you are making progress!
but maybe should attempt a little more in 2007.

the ways that will help you stick to your goals and the game plan are;
1. write them down! only 5% of the people write down their goals. it seems unreal if you only talk about it. writing them down is a sign of commitment. you are annoucing to your family and friends and even team mates your intention. they will remind you about your commitement and it will be an incentive for you to work at it.

2. have a plan.
all of us want to do many things or rather wish to do many things. they are dreams until we do something about it. until we act upon it, it is just wishful thinking.

3. get a training partner
it is hard to get out to train at the end of the day when you are tired, hard to get out of your warm bed early in the morning especially when the weather is wet and when your favourite program will be on in an hour. if your training partner is committed to the same goals as you, it would take a smaller ego to call it quits and go eat an early dinner.

bonus
a community who understand your goals and go on the same journey and dinner break and any other fun social stuff with you.

gift registry for Poonie's pad

2006-12-05T23:01:00.000+08:00

dear friends the long awaited moment of my sign of independence (moving out of parents' place to my own flat) has finally arrived!
thanks for all your well wishes and concern.

since some of you have asked what you can contribute to my new pad to celebrate this next phase of my life.
as a ENTJ personality (it is my persoanlity results from the mayer-briggs personality test and it pointed that I am a very difficult person to buy gifts for, only want specific useful things), i have compiled some items that i would be buying for my pad.

kitchen
1. microwave but must be of 23L or smaller as my designated space is only 500mm.
2. pasta pot, frying pan and for vitroceremic hob
3. knives for cutting fruits, cleaver for meat and paring knife for small everything else
4. rice cooker
5. roasting pan for oven
6. small deep fryer
7. wine glasses

living room
1. standing box fan
2. vacuum cleaner
3. DVD player that can play MP3 and Div-x DVD

bedroom
1. white, yellow, blue, grey or black bath towel

i will update when i think of something else.
please put down on comments if you are getting anything for me.
sorry to be shameless as i rather not have something that i dont have a use for.

thanks for reading.
details of my housewarming would be sent out to all of you.

my 2nd marathon

2006-12-04T09:49:00.000+08:00

can't believe that this is only my 2nd marathon and my 3rd if i include my ironman.
this time round it is so different; i am running with an almost recovered but more like managed injury, little training due to haze and bronchitis and distraction from my house renovation.

controlled and managed at 21-22 min for every 3km including 2 mins or more of walking (where the water points are), taking in 100+ isotonic drink at every 3km, ingested 8 packets of gel (100 calories each) and stretched every hour for 3mins or more to reduce the strain on my ITB, hip flexors and shoulders.

did everything the same as all my raes, ate power bar for breakfast (230 calories) and drank some jucie. i used to drink coffee in the morning of the race but with all the caffine in the gel (1 to 2 shot of expresso quantity in each pack of gel) i already have my high.
with all the carbo loading (without the depletion) , isotonic drinks (it contains sugar) and gels, i am getting about 1200 calories on the road and have another 1hr+ store of fuel in my body, i should be ok.

the race was almost perfect with great weather and God answered prayers on the timing for the rain :0 )
i prayed for rain to come late morning so all of us would not be caught in the steamroom type of condition with the water turned into by hot sun.
no cramps or debilating pain that reduce me to walk.
only take 1 toilet stop and did not feel hungry the whole way.
despite of all my efforts my legs still gave up on me in the last 5km where my average speed was more than 22min.

and the atmosphere has really improved with many cheering for not only their friends and family. i felt encouraged by many runners and supporters along the way.

5:12hr is still a pathetic time despite of all the above reasons.

but i am still happy about it.

and i am sure there are many out there who felt great about the race despite of performance.
you know when you see the many smiling faces who limp today around town.

congrats to all who raced in Standard Chartered Marathon, 1/2 marathon and 10km!

2006-12-04T09:34:00.000+08:00

all of you are winners!

congrats to the 1st timers for 1/2 marathon;
HT and DT, the Tans had done it!

and my former vice captain who did a faster more impressive timing of 1:56hr!

congrates to faster 10km time
wan, allan (for 10mins improvement from 2005!)
and Miss Ng

and to my TP team who finished the race and special note to all the first timers who competed in their ever first 10km and 1/2 marathon!
well done!
especially to the girls who sticked it out through all the training :)

now is the time to evaluate and look ahead to 2007...

6 Degrees of Freedom is....

2006-11-29T08:49:00.000+08:00

6 planes of movements

Up,

Diagonal Diagonal

Left Right

Down

Be what God intended you to be
push the boundaries

6 Degrees of Freedom

gift of the season...

2006-11-27T17:06:00.000+08:00

i hate buying gifts because first i have no money so even though i know my friends would love this PS3 or beautiful dress, i can't afford them.
there are other cheaper nice items that i can afford but very often they are too impractical for me. yes my iNtutive and Thinking personality is surfacing.

i need to get some practical gifts that the receiver can use and will appreciate its features.

what is a race belt?

well it is just a elastic belt that you pin your race tag or number on. it is light and comfortable. if you ever struggle with number tags coming off when you are racing or at the starting line, or safety pins poking into you, you will appreciate the simplicity of it.

it is a must have for fast transitions for triathletes!

hope you will find it as useful as i did...

my gift to all of you...

New toy that will help you run faster

2006-11-27T16:15:00.000+08:00

You have bought the latest heart rate monitor that can tell you your heart when you are working out, the percentage of your effort compared to your comatose state, the distance that you have ran, the temperature that you running in now and even the attitude that you have climbed, the latest running shoes that was customized to the shape of your feet and running style and the latest running attire that will wick away sweat and keep you cool, you think there is nothing else I can buy to improve my running..

and you are wrong!

guess what this little gadget can do for you...

this clip like gadget is a metronome.
it help you to keep the cadence of your walking constantly high.
try this next time you are out running; count the number of steps you take in a minute of running normally by counting just your right or left foot.
if you take 180 steps per minute, you should be count 90 right steps.

the point of this exercise is to help you to run like the champions.
mimic the way they run, the fast smooth strides.
champion runners who specialized on distance longer than 1500m run with cadence of 180 average. Mortal runners like us has very erratic pacing and cadence, run at 150 or less and we get slower when we are tired.

there has been a lot of talk and discussion on Chi Running. I am at least convinced that the faster turnover or cadence will reduce stress on knees and ankles with less time on the feet and possible mid foot strike instead of heel strike.

if you can keep your cadence up, all you need is to increase strength to increase stride length.
not unlike swimming, where better form translate to more efficiency swimming.

Personality and training

2006-10-20T12:08:00.000+08:00

Most of us would have taken some type of personality test in some point of our life.
some would claim that your favourite colour will indicate what sort of person you are and what spouse would be suitable for you to live together till the end of your lives.
And there are others which are more 'professional' that tell you how you would likely to respond to a situation after analyzing your answers to the 300+ questions.

knowing your personality can help you to see your weakness and strength in different situations but how can knowing that you are an intuitive person help you in your training or pursuit of excellence?

just a thought...
an extrovert would enjoy the company of people and be energize by them so training cannot be a solitude pursuit but rather a community sweating and yet having fun together.
an introvert may find long runs wonderful way of getting and being alone with your thoughts.

a feeling person likes to run outdoor to enjoy all natural or even the urban environment can offer but a thinking person rather focus on data from heart rate monitor, every KM time splits to track performance.

with self knowledge you can find a training program, a coach whose style you enjoy working and even a routine that nurture and allow your preference to dominate that eventually will better help you achieve your goals.

so what personality are you?
having fun working out yet?

Picasa Web Albums - py - cambodia 2006 1

2006-10-10T10:01:00.000+08:00

Picasa Web Albums - py - cambodia 2006 1

Where was the slavedriver the last 3 weeks?!!

2006-10-10T09:44:00.000+08:00

I was away in Malacca for Methodist Youth workers retreat (26-28 Sept). It was quite a retreat into the shopping mall and hotel seminar room..
the director of youth ministries in the Singapore Methodist church got a heart attack there! He is only in his forties. According to his team, his mantra in life is 'whether you eat or not, you will die and end up in the arms of your Father...'

just a reminder that there are many ways to go and you will still end up going to the same place but would you want to go before your time?

then I am away for holiday in Cambodia's Siem Reap and visited the world heritage site Angkor Wat in the ancient city of Angkor. Photos were uploaded at http://picasaweb.google.com/py.slavedriver/Cambodia20061
according to our very knowledgeable guide So Paal, Cambodians in the golden age 10-14 century were much bigger and very much the size of the Americans today as they have a lot more food and meat.
with all these fast food and high calorie food, our next generation may stand shoulder to shoulder with the Americans in American Football..

this week, I will be away for 3 days to run a triathlon running camp in the hippest spot in Singapore! Just meters away from the latest and likely to be the hottest shopping mall in Singapore Vivo city, on the hippest beach in Singapore... SENTOSA!

but training schedule would resume next week.
all things back to normal but hope that the PSI will stay normally good too...

Can you really teach old dog new tricks?

2006-10-02T14:07:00.000+08:00

I believe you can and I think u believe u can too and that is why...
u are taking up a new sport, engage in a new regime of getting fit and getting faster or more efficient in whatever sport u chose.

I have 'graduated' one student in my one-on-one swim class recently. It was with great joy that I tell her to give me a call only once a while when she think she needs some 'fine tuning' in her strokes.

FATA will be 'graduating' soon... I really think so and feel so. Last Saturday at the NUSS pool, he swam a very 'beautiful and relax' lap and promptly hurt his hand without noticing he is at the end of the pool. So much for being focus!
although it was only 1 beautiful lap but if u can swim 1 beautiful lap, u can swim 2 and eventually 30 and more beautiful laps!

it is hard work to change your strokes or form. Just think about it, It is unlearning something that is a habit and natural for you for the last 10 years or more and learning new ways of making your body move and eventually acquire it as habit and the way u move.
time and dedication is needed!

FATA's 2 months+ effort of just unlearning and learning the new strokes is slowly paying off.

graduation date scheduled for Nov.

charge ahead with the new GI diet!

2006-09-25T13:00:00.000+08:00

FATA is now on the quest to lose some weight so that he can go skydiving in NZ by dec.
the plan is to excerise more, eat less, eat better and eat low GI.

the plan seems no different from the others that we all embarked in one point of time or another. most of us would have tried the high carb diet, the 40/30/30, the spa treatment of wrapping and steaming, the colon cleansing detox, high protein diet, the partial high protein diet, the meal replacement diet or even that 'just don't eat' diet.

maybe the low GI diet can work.
the theory is that if you eat food that will help you to feel full longer and take more effort to metobolise, you would need less food.
thus IN THE LONG RUN, you would be burning more calories as your excerise will keep your calorie needs high but you will not be taking in more calories and in fact less. you will lose weight and adopt a new lifestyle.
there should be no 'i am not on diet now' but rather the new mantra will be 'i am eating better, healthier now'.

i think it can work because it is a change of lifestyle and not just a diet plan.

are you swapping apple for watermelon?

i will be away...

2006-09-22T12:34:00.001+08:00

i will be away for a working retreat on 26-28 sept (tues to thurs) and on holiday in Cambonia on 3rd to 6th Oct (tues to fri).
there will be no whiskey session for 2 weeks but the saturday swim session is still on.

stay with your low GI diet, exercise, drink lots of water and smile!

Injuries.. Most of us will have it some point in our training career

2006-09-22T12:21:00.000+08:00

Injuries...
most of us will sustain some form of injury throughout our athletic career or our attempts to be more active.
coming from a more sedentary lifestyle or even from a different sport, you would often find yourself needing some form of physical adaptation as you try out a new sport or even moving into another of fitness and activity.
it is important to be prudent (like all good accountants!) and at the same time be adventurous (like all good entrepreneur) to try out new methods of training, strengthening, diet and even recovery.

I have moved into a new age group for racing and will be moving into another age group in 2 years time.
it is not surprising that I will be some injury or needing some fine tuning or healing once a while...
injury sustained from pushing my body without due care for the last 20 years or less (if I take my Chinese martial art career into consideration, playing badminton in school and triathlon later in my life)
injury from being impatience with mileage, from reduced rest, ignoring little pain and tingle and simply thinking that I can recover like when I am 20.

in order to walk the talk and do what I preach with my tight ITB and rounded shoulders...

I am cutting back in mileage, seeing doctor, visiting therapist, stretching on the same frequencies as my meals (that is a quite a lot since I like to eat abt 6 times a day...), taking medication and starting a pilates program.

and praying and working towards racing for the next 30 years or so like my friends in the 60+ 70+ age group for ironman.

A word on zone training

2006-09-14T15:03:00.000+08:00

Formula for working out your zones for training;

Zone range = percentage of zone x (Maximum heart rate for that sport Â resting heart rate) + resting heart rate.

Example;
Zone 1 is 60% and under
Resting heart rate is 65.
Maximum heart rate is 185

Zone 1 = 60% of (185-65) + 65
= 137

There are many theories for what zones you should be training in and what percentage values should be used for the different zones but I am using values of
Zone 1 60% and below Â recovery, warm up and cool down
Zone 2 60-70% - aerobic with fat burning effect
Zone 3 70-80% anaerobicic with lactate threshold effort
Zone 4 80-90% - hard effort that is flirting with the red line of threshold effort
Zone 5 90% and above Â the range that your body will be screaming and should not be able to stay too long. Maximum effort or very hard

Take note that the maximum heart rate for each sport is different and it require at least 20 min of hard effort before your heart can hit its maximum.

Post race recovery

2006-09-14T14:41:00.000+08:00

After a long race or hard workout, most of us mortal would experience fatigue, soreness and general lethagy. Very often we rest till we feel better or when our muscle soreness disappeared before we start training again.

but are we really ready to exert ourselves?

4 days after my 1/2 ironman race, my muscle ache has almost disappeared and am feeling fine.
I did the polar heart rate monitor's build in test for fitness called ownIndex. With all my training for the rest and the 4 days of almost do nothing but act like the sidelined coach, I would like to think that the result would be starling...
and with the extra sleep and food that I had over the last 4 days...

my pre training for the race in June was 52, and today after months of training and being rested, I am at 51!. I should be at 53 if not 54.
all of you would tell me it is only 2-4% points...

30 min later, my students commented that I looked tired! Looking tired after doing nothing for the whole day except eat and surf net.
the nail to the coffin to confirm it all!

maybe the race take more out of me than I wanted to admit. Our normal indicators of recovery like heart rate (I am at my lowest at 46-50 resting when I really sit down for 5min and it is my lowest ever since ironman) and physical symptoms of soreness cannot be accurate indicators of recovery.

do you whether you are ready to train again?

Banishing my demon of DNF Desaru Half IM!

2006-09-13T10:23:00.000+08:00

Lessons learnt;
1. Enjoy the process of training. It is just too long to be boring or painful to be training for months!

2. Eat well not just before the race, you are simply too nervous to eat just before it!

3. carbo load with simple and compact carbo like soft drinks and sweets. The complex stuff like fruits and brown rice will just give you the runs. You will be spending more time on the throne than training. Time to drink up!

4. Have a plan even if it is a simple plan. There are just too many things to worry on race day and for an oversea race, the logistic is simply to daunting. A plan will simplify things and make sure you would not leave out inconspicuous but important item like toothbrush and hydration salts.

5. Book early! To avoid sleeping in a room with 7 others and 8 bikes for a room for 2

6. sunblock, sunblock and more sunblock to avoid looking like cooked lobster after 7 hrs or so in the sun. 15mins of marinating yourself before you are being based in the sun.

7. Don't trust the brochure! There maybe 7 water points but not 7 isotonic drinks station. BYO as much as you can.

8. Have friends who understand the madness of you pushing your limits for 2km swim in choppy sea with 1m surf/ 90km of almost no shade hilly bike ride that will put you out there at the hottest part of the day/ 21km run or rather walk/jog with cramps from the start till the end. Because you need them to motivate you when things are not going too well like running a slow half marathon, eating at strange hours with you and called in carbo loading and being crappy because you just did not have enough rest from all these training.

9. You can eat 5000 or more calories after the race since you did not have lunch and you burnt 500 calories per hour. But you can't really eat so just plan to drink and drink...

10. Try and try and try and for me.. Try again. Finished the race on my 4th try. You just have to try another time.

thanks for reading!

new way of looking at training

2006-09-12T17:44:00.000+08:00

is great to see so many of you working out and feeling great about it!
But it is important to stick to your goals and thus follow the plan for working out or training.

There are many ways to look at your training;
number of meters you swam, kilometers you run etc; essentially mileage
number of calories you burn; indicate how much you potentially able to lose
intensity; how hard you go
And overview whether this session helps to achieve the goals you set out to accomplish for the program

Some of you have been clocking in the miles or kilometers in your running, but at what intensity and what purpose were you running for?
What did that session help you to achieve?
Is it a long run that will increase your endurance or speed workout that increase your leg speed or recovery run to prepare you for the longer distance this weekend?

There is another way to look at training sessions.
Rate the intensity 1 to 10 with 10 the hardest where you can only do 1 session in a week and 1 being the walk in the park.
Multiple it with the time for the session.
Example; Tuesday whiskey session is 8 for some of you so it is 8units for Tuesday workout. And Thursday run is 5 but you ran 2 hrs so 10 units.

The idea is to keep the session capped at 30 or so for the week.
Another way is to log the time your heart rate at different zone or level.

What is your rating for the week?

2.4km time trial at whiskey 050906

2006-09-07T10:55:00.000+08:00

weather was cool and not too humid, and there was a good crowd and atmosphere to get us going...

Tim; 9:36
PB (personal best)

FATA; 17:17
big improvement from his may 19min+ in May!

keng; 12:38
great time but she still got strength to yell at me at last round...

WS; 13min+
can improve la!

eileen; 18min+
must be the pastoral sermon on her new MP3 player...

Pea; 16min +
1 decade and slower only by 1min.. ok wat...

well done people!!!
faster times to come especially for end of the year big bash at standard chartered!

will do this again.. 1 or 2 months time. this will serve as guide for your interval training for your standard chartered run end of the year.

The scoobies outing cum birthday celebration..

2006-09-04T10:15:00.000+08:00

Reasons for eating at Sunset Grill all the way out in Seletar...

1. We can all enjoy the famous Jerry's ribs and beer batter mushroom in the name of birthday celebrations for DT and JC - fulfilling our cravings.

2. Opportunity to have a scoobies convoy winding down pseduo UK roads like Paddington all the way in Seletar - fulfilling the boys' fantasy.

3. To feel motivated (or guilty depend which perspective you hold) to work out more after the 3000 calorie meal - achieving my motivation strategy

the next outing will be wan's real house warming...

4 more months to end of 2007, where are you in your new year resolutions?

2006-08-31T17:03:00.000+08:00

the year is soon coming to an end. i have spoken to many of you regarding your goals.
just a reminder to evaluate them.

some pointers;
1. to lose 1 kg, you need to burn 7700 calories. and if each session you burn 1000 calories, you will need 8 sessions and that is providing you hold everything else constant. no snacking extra after workout. with the celebratory dinner after, you need to do extra to make up for additional.

2. an extra chicken rice meal or wanton mee dry can increase your intake by 900 calories. so chose wisely! not nice don't eat. there are always better ones 10 mins drive away.

3. run slow and run fast, work done is the same if distance the same but the body will perceive it differently. you get more benefits from running faster. and your heart in the long run will thank you. you will get more after exercise burning effect from hard workout.

4. run hard or run easy, your knees and ankle still carry the same load and suffer the same total amount of stress.

so where are you now? fitness, injury and health?

New Year Day Run 2007

2006-08-28T14:41:00.000+08:00

we should always look ahead ...
so i would like to ask for suggestions for NEW Year day run.

1. where can we host it? ECP, Mt Faber, some obsure park that we have never been to?
2. timing? new year day evening run stead of eve so that we start the year right with a run under our belt?
3. theme? first shot at our resolution run? at least you enter the year with negative calories...
4. goodie bag? tee shirt or race belt or a goodie bag of goodies (please suggest!)
5. program (most important since it is regarding food)

The AHM run...

2006-08-28T14:08:00.000+08:00

It is always exciting to go for a race, the people the excitement in the air and sheer opportunity to push your limits.

AHM 2006 or Army Half marathon take us out from Esplanade to the shears Bridge to ECP, turn around into Nicole highway and town, before coming back from north bridge road ending at the Padang.

For the competitive 21 km or half marathon race, the race route compared to previous years' has more variety but for once we need to stop for traffic! Unless of course you are in the leading pack and escorted by police, you would need to stop at traffic junction and any other entrance or exits of traffic. You could be stopped up to more than 10 times if you are unlucky to be caught every junction.

lots of the runners seems frustrated by it and lots of the motorists too!
one passenger stepped out of the car and complained to the Marshals who was holding up the traffic for the runners 'I got a plane to catch, can we move it!"
I can understand his frustration but as a runner who has trained for this race, my mind was screaming 'I trained months for this race, and many of us here too so just wait a while or get out earlier to catch your flight!'

think the runners would be more concern about their timing than the scenery they can get along the way. By the way, there are not much of scenery but lots of buildings and 'instant trees'. I think I would appreciate the greenery in ECP more and less stress from all these distressed motorists!

it was just exhilarating to finish the race, met so many people who have that simile on their face of a race well run.

another complain though.. There were no water stations at the end point! There were lots of stall selling refreshment but no free cold water, there were Milo vans filled with sweet milky wholesome goodness but no cold water station or NEW water samples available.
we could have broken the NUS record of the drinking a van of Milo in 29min flat from the intensity the runners drank up the milo.

it was a great race apart from these complaints!

BTW, I ran 2.12hr (not very good, I did that years ago but I was also years younger with no injuries) and feeling strong!

can even go work after...

scones.. they are not really healthy

2006-08-25T10:30:00.000+08:00

instead of my monster workout, i baked scones.
not my usual entry but just want to share about my scones making effort which falls into our 'exercise and eat' theme.

look ok but taste bland.
the recipe does not include sugar.

according to some authority, it is the perfect carriage for all the wonderful jam, chocolate sauce and whatever and just like the ones served in hotels. now maybe i need to go shopping for the wonderful stuff to eat my scones with...

Running shoes and running routes

2006-08-21T10:19:00.000+08:00

Many of the articles on the net claimed that you should change your running shoes every 500miles, that is 800km in metric.
but I find that I need to change every 500km or so before I feel the midsole giving way.

maybe the discrepancies could be due to the running surface.
the Bay Run is a great run but the concrete pavement is hard on the knees. After 5km in esplanade Park, my shin felt real sore and my knees were starting to protest.
I started running a lot more on the grass and it was much better. But after 10km or 2 laps, I gave up. It was just no fun,

for all of you who do the Bay run regularly, please take care of your knee and try to get more supportive shoes.

and change your shoes regularly. it is money better spent on new shoes then on visits to the doctors or physio.

chef at work!

2006-08-19T22:29:00.000+08:00

it is a bit late but still would like to thank FATA for cooking up a storm on 9th aug redemption party!

there will be more parties to come by but the redemption program will now be left to the hands of FATA to adminster. i am not going to accept any explanation or appeals from all quaters.. phew..

and the award goes to...

2006-08-19T22:15:00.000+08:00

stylo mylo award - FATA! our residential chef

on the ball award - Mrs Scooby Ng, she suddenly run, swim and do hip hop...

most potential award - the viking! small heart but can ramp up heart rate to 190+ at the final stage and maintain 180 at the harder bits. imagine the potential after he lose some weight and gain more strength. armstrong also only doing that much only...

Tentative menu for 100 credits redemption

2006-08-07T10:46:00.000+08:00

Appetizer

1) mozzarella and tomato

2) Green Salad

3) Cold soba in spicy Szechuan Spicy Sesame sauce and roasted peanuts. (An altered version from Xi yan)

Main course

1) Roast pork belly with rosemary and Alio

2) Duck with herb de Provence (grilled over open fire)

3) Seafood in pomodoro soup served with crostini

4) Gnocchi in crab meat sauce

Dessert

1) mini pancakes with Irish cream and chocolate fudge

ThatÂs the menu so farÂ..

Enough for a 100 credit redemption?

awards night on 9th aug at the Margate

2006-08-06T21:51:00.000+08:00

3 awards will be up for grabs for six degrees of freedom clients, trainees and supporters.

1. most on the ball-la
without pushing or nagging.. who train and race

2. most stylo
with the latest gear and look the part of top athlete... if not good but must at least look good!

3. most improved
in all ways; attitude, timing, style...

FATA credits redemption system..

2006-08-05T20:31:00.000+08:00

Since this program is structured in my universe...
it should goes by my rules..

like all good dictator, I will bestow whatever credits I deem fit no matter how unreasonable they seems to be to my subjects..

so I think some still need to work harder, some can redeem fully but there are still room to improve.

the final standings will be revealed on 9th Aug at the Margate.

Ben and Jerry is our reward...

2006-08-05T20:20:00.000+08:00

who said we cannot slack a little at our quest to be healthier...

especially when there are 4 others to share the damage with...

see all of you for the FATA rewards redemption on 9th Aug at the Margate.

the viking is back with a vengence!

2006-07-31T09:09:00.000+08:00

eric the viking is back!
38:10min for 5km. a much better performance than 2005 West coast park run!
no ache no pain.
but also no Esso bear this year.

now he can start working towards his 10km goal but first...

AHM or SBR or simply army half marathon 10km fun run on 27th Aug.

eileen has done it!

2006-07-30T21:36:00.000+08:00

The skies were grey and gloomy. The waters were choppy and swirling.
And she still made it! She swam in the 2nd hippest beach in singapore .. all 800m of it ...
swimming directly into the turbulent waves.. overcoming her fear of being drowned, eaten by sharkes, stung by jelly fish or even stepping on stone fish..

She bravely swam into the rather dark sea .. bobbing with the waves... it was a bit stormy with bits of dark clouds from the rain.
a bit of whining but she stroke and kicked her way from KM8 to the coconut tree and the end and back.

And when she was done.. the skies had cleared, the sun was shining and all was well!

new challengers to twin tower

2006-07-28T16:28:00.000+08:00

last week twin tower welcome another 3 new challengers.
wan, eileen and DT along with the Viking came to overcome the 'many steps, butt burning' twin tower in the southern most point of singapore.

they came and they conquered!

more are showing up for the session at the hippest beach in singapore
please come and join us!

and Scooby Leong (mrs) went the extra mile...
and did the extra challenge!
she completed her virgin swim in the sea with some of the TP students at the 2nd hippest beach in singapore (tanjong beach)!
she swam 500m!

well done madam!

What coldplay concert got to do with your knee injury?

2006-07-21T09:25:00.000+08:00

This is the 6 million dollar question that FATA had to answer last week.

after training arduously for Osim tri, surviving it without injury...
his knee gave in finally and it is not from running downhill, biking up Mt Faber the don't know how many times times or kicking off sharks or jelly fish in the sea
BUT

from standing and jumping during the 2 hours Coldplay one night only concert in Singapore.

and this injury lasted more than 2 weeks.
well could have recovered earlier if you don't bike and walk too much after but..
how can going to a concert give me knee problem!

just a reminder anything that resemble the activity can aggravate even if it is just going to a concert. Unless it is a classic music concert where everyone is expected only to stand for ovation at the end...

my swim only clients...

2006-07-09T19:58:00.000+08:00

i am proud to annouce that my 2 swim only students are looking more 'stylo' after each swim session.

when they first started, they have problem swimming more than 10m without grasping but now they look rather good swimming 50m and turning to breathe (the those pictures you see of the champion swimmer looking through their goggles as they take a breathe)

just word encouragement to the other one who do not have the time to practice that much...
but did brillantly at Osim mini...

resolving the FATA's paradox

2006-07-09T19:37:00.001+08:00

Fata would have earn 500 credits for his heroic effort for finishing Osim Tri (he was in some much pain for 5 days!)

he cannot earn credits to cook for himself right?
to resolve this paradox..
i will give Fata a special reward; special session with me before a race instead of a cook out.
and he will cook for the love of cooking and joy of entertaining and bringing joy to his friends' life.

updates on FATA's credits

2006-07-09T19:07:00.000+08:00

the accountant was right..
there is no way that people will honour the Poach Coon's credit system since the whole world will just show up for FATA's BBQ out anyway.
what i am thinking about, it is FATA's cook out!

but i should at least try to enforce it in Poach Coon's universe;
Eric; 3 thursday sessions (3x10) , run with allan at race (1x 20 for extra hot weather) and 2 saturday sessions (2x20) = 90
wan; 2 tuesday (2x15) and 1 saturday (1x20) = 50

my swimming only group
HT; 1 saturday (1x20) and 1 min sprint (1x30) = 50
' Cher ng; 3 swimming sessions (3x 10) = 30

only Eric almost made it for the 100 Fata credit..
the rest..
well...

it is honour system so at least you know that you are eating the Poulet au Riesling - Chicken in White Wine Cream Sauce with Mushrooms that you did not earn... (sorry in Fata's cookout there is no chicken wing).

FATA did it!

2006-07-03T22:23:00.000+08:00

all the months of training, preparation and sacrifices that Dixie made...
FATA did it !
he completed the olympic distance triathlon on 2nd july 2006! he is now officially a finisher in Osim triathlon.

and he just have to do it under the most extreme conditions of headwind, choppy sea and of course very unforgiving weather(1130am to 3pm!). threw up most of the gel and water. dehydrated and with no extra fuel on him, he soldier on...

with some help from his good friend (the one with bigger body but small heart) and his fan club (all the beautiful ladies sipping sugar cane drinks by the side...)

it was a long journey from where he started, when he only workout twice a week and have not even bike more than 20km without an ice cream break to work himself up to 4 training sessions a week with 70km unduling hills ride in Desaru, 2km swim in the pool and those terrible gut spilling 6x800m run intervals.

it was a long journey with help from many quaters but you made it!
you are the man!!

The big challenge this weekend.. OSIM TRI!

2006-06-28T12:57:00.000+08:00

To all my friends who will be embarking in this challenge this weekend at ECP... All the best!
some of you have come a very long way to be able to stand at the starting line of this race.

savour the moment.

no matter what happen, what time or performance you are still the winner because you have given 100% of the time and resources available to be train and prepare for it. it is your 100% effort even though you only train less than 10 sessions but it is still your 10 sessions that you have crave out time from your schedule and life to devote to this race.

for all your illness and injury, and lack of training, you are still going to give your best shot this weekend!

see you at the finish line.

saturday ECP am session

2006-06-20T17:08:00.000+08:00

the Viking is back!
completed 7km walk/jog under 1 hr and still smiling!

and introducing our new member for the saturday morning session HT. she provide motivation and breakfast (most impt) and other forms of hospitality (like showers facilties).

all looking fit and happy..
and waiting for more to join us...

FATA's successful dress rehearsal for OSIM 06!

2006-06-20T16:51:00.000+08:00

17th June 2006, FATA walk/jogged 10km or rather 2 x5km at ECP at 5.20pm. He was discipline and stick to his plan of walking and jogging the whole 10km even when there are pretty girls, trying to act cool guys around..

and he finished the distance in 1:28hr without hyperventitlating at the end!
drank only 2 cans of 100plus and could even go for wedding dinner after.

well done!
now just need to make sure will be no more distraction then that afternoon...

Royalty program - earning of FATA's credit

2006-06-20T16:43:00.000+08:00

Tuesday speed session worth 15 credits,
Thursday Run by the Bay without drills 1hr session 10 credits
Saturaday longer endurance session without drills 15 credits but with drills 25!
(last 20min of drills hardest to earn....)

100 credits and you will earn a chef on demand session with FATA!
Only the exqusite skills and taste of the chef, ingrients not included..
Rather you bring and he will whip it up!

Next possible chef on demand session...
Miss Keng's Multi venue house warming late July...
BTW, the fastest value of time session that you can earn your first 15 credits... Tuesday 7pm at former SMU track.

eric has signed up for SBR : shears bridge run 27th Aug

2006-06-13T12:45:00.000+08:00

who will be signing up for the SBR? there are 3 distances for SBR; 21km fun and competitive, 10km and 5km fun run.
it is quite a carnival with lots of people who just want to get up and do it..
but also lots of disgrunlted army boys.

but generally well organised with lots of water points and cheerleaders along the way.. there will certainly be macho army boys and v cool madam egging you on at 530am! you will be greeted with sprays of cool water and music like 'eye of the tiger' (a bit cheesy but will still do the job).

hope all of you can do the 10km fun run ...
dress rehearsal for standard chartered.

our date on thursday by the Bay

2006-06-12T00:22:00.000+08:00

it has been really hard for some of you to do 2 sessions a week and the weekday session is really a struggle for most of you.

for the next 2 weeks, we will have a special 7pm on thursday - our date on the Bay Special to help you jump start your workout regieme. the workout is essentially meeting at the War Memorial and run or walk along the coast for 30mins before turning back.

no pressure on how fast you walk or run but my advice is to go out there slower and come back with negative spilt. it would be more exciting this way and motivating since you can always look forward to the cold drinks that you can get from the stalls nearby.

it is perfect for those who are looking for something not too streneous and yet break a sweat before they hit the weekend's workouts. and for those workacholics, you can always go back for part 2 workout after the session.
something for everyone!

make time for our date!

PS. the sunset will almost make up for the pain for rushing out of the office...

earn allan's credit through Poach Coon's workout

2006-06-11T23:53:00.000+08:00

it was another successful makan session by Chef Lim! the menu was benefitting to Wan's Cairhill Farewell with highlights like asparagus with Miso Sauce, 4 mushroom pasta, spicy meatball with some funky mushroom, ribeye steak, lamb kebab and 2 types of to die for dessert (apple strudle and awefully chocolate cake)!. the drinks were so appropriate for this tapas theme pool side party; sangria and red wine.

the scoubys almost could not make it but they came at the end.
i am sure they would have regretted.

if you think that this is just eating and chilling club, you are so wrong. we promote healthy living or rather 'not for looking with better body shape but for longer expiry date'.

after tasting Chef Lim's cooking, the audience were suitably impressed and hence the new membership program was launched. the earn chef Lim's credit through Poach Coon workout's was introduced to the yet to be convinced audience (namly the scouby Leongs). for every session you have with Poach COon, you earn 1 chef Lim's dish at the next cook out. average cookout is 6 dishes, so for the complete experience do sign up and complete 6 Poach Coon's workout.

Btw, the next cook out will be end July, and there are more than 6 weekends away...

these workouts sounded so good on magazine...

2006-03-22T13:23:00.000+08:00

Many of us have read about speedwork and how it can help us improve our running form and timings.

Tuesday's sessions are speed workouts to prepare all of you to run 5km faster and more efficently. Of course the sessions also stress your muscles to work harder without breaking down and push your body to use more oxygen with the increased stress.

The usual sets are 5x 800m with the first and last set slower but the middle 3 sets at ideal 2.4km pace. Total mileage, including warm up etc is about 5km.

Most of you should feel that the workouts are hard while you are at it but you recover quite fast from it once you stop. It should also not be draining that you cannot function at your full capacity after that.

It is hard workout but it will deliever what magazines and books promised; speed and efficiency. It is not for the.. 'remember remember the 5th of march...' event although i do feel that i needed to express my love in some tangible ways after the feasting.

Hang in there!

Thank you for a wonderful birthday surprise!

2006-03-22T12:56:00.000+08:00

Chef Lim and company almost outdid the present they gave me last year; ironman entry fees. This year they made my other fantasy come true- my very own BBQ (with only the most wonderful food and lovingly cooked by Chef Lim) in one of the prettiest park in Singapore. I enjoyed the company of my close friends (whom Allan invited secretly), my clients (my very good friends now!)and my TP team (past and present) in the beautiful sunset.

Thanks to Allan, Dixie and Wee San for cooking since 745am, for Eric and Pat for coming early to help set-up, SY, Merv, SM for being there, Wan for being the thick of all the conspiracy and my TP team to have come all the way from the East...
hope i have not missed out anyone.

Thanks again for being there to help me usher in my 37th year of existence into this world. you have made a difference in my life and i hope i have in some small ways for you too.

And thank God for being my Father, teacher, helper and friend, without whom life would be meaningless and purposeless.

pat is back!

2006-02-20T22:49:00.000+08:00

last saturday, our friend Pat finally came back to join us in ECP!
although there was only eric and pat, we had a wonderful swaety huffing and puffing time running, walking and simply surviving the 2x5km.

eric did an exceptional job of running 2.5km at almost 6.15min/km pace! he was sentsational and pushed to the limits. but after that.. well it kind of taken its toll on him and he could only summon effort for the 5min run/2min walk routine.

nonetheless it was a milestone for both of them, to have come and workout and pressed on!

theory of conservatism

2006-02-15T23:09:00.000+08:00

last saturday in sentosa i was confronted with the theory of conservatism.

the 3 accountants E, SP and WS showed me how this theory worked...

you know that you can run another 20mins but that mean you would collapse doing it so you hold back down... but knowing that you can do it! but do it when it is most needed.

last day had a few drinks so today must workout under capacity, conserve till the most appropriate occasion... next workout!

better not push so hard, you never know what drills you are going to do next... conserve!

well, no matter what you make of it..
and what philosophy you subscribed to...

they all did the workout; ran 8km with 3km tempo and 1km anerobic...
well done people!

valentine at Labordor Park

2006-02-15T22:47:00.000+08:00

last week on strait times, a journalist commented that singaporeans were not romantic. but today at Labordor Park valentine special workout, she was proven wrong!

there were couples, families everywhere in this 6.8ha 'the only rocky sea-cliff on the main island of Singapore that is accessible to the public for recreation' park bbqing and having their own valentine special. allan and dix gave out awards for the most enthus, most eleborate, most convenient... they came with own gas canister and pit, take away and just bbq off the back of their car...

the 3 of us who managed a run round the park, onto the jetty, climb up the aerial stairs (disturbed a couple at the most scenic spot off the stair in their special ikea foldable table and valentine speical table setting) and hill workout (disturbing more people with our grunts and huffing) had a jolly good time sweating out.

we enjoyed the breeze, the view, the drinks and snacks (courtesy of wan) before proceeding to a sumpteous dinner with those who did not make to the park...

really we are living out the carlsburg ad, drink with a world of friends.. we workout, drink and eat with a world of friends..

who said valentine are for couples...

CNY special - tree top walk!

2006-02-01T22:20:00.000+08:00

2006 CNY special was held on the 3rd day of chinese new year in MacRitchie.
it was our 2nd attempt to get up to the HSBC tree top walk. our first attempt at 2005 Deepavali ended with us looking very disappointed that the 200m deep queue to walk across less than 100m suspended bridge aka tree top walk.

it was a heroic attempt by the gang who managed to meet up at MacRitchie by 830am (ok it is a bit of ++ and -- ) after all the feasting at Club Punggol, dihorrae and attempts to bring their other halfs!
Dix's legs were still sleeping at the end of the walk..

but nontheless, the gang walked, huff and puff up the trail at some sections, burnt off some calories from all the pineapple tarts and many other goodies, and reduce the total damage from CNY celebration.

it was a great day to be out and thanks everyone and God for being there!

i bluff you...

2006-01-29T22:17:00.000+08:00

there are 2 ways to prepare for a longish race. first approach; you overdo the distance in your training but at a easier pace so that you can be sure that you can complete the distance on the race day. second and more popular approach is to train at the pace you want to race in for up to 90% of the race distance and just do it all the way on race day.

which method is more suitable in the preparation for the race?
time and resources are criteria you can look at but also motivation.

well last sat...
it was a little different, it was my bluff...
i perscribed method 2 but i changed my mind to method 1...

eric well done!
you run/jog/walk 11KM in sentosa!

it was not too hard i think since he can still look so cool in his shades and wan hardly broke a sweat ...

The Viking’s ground breaking workout

2006-01-18T13:58:00.000+08:00

this year ... new adventure... new routine

When was the last time someone made the remark.." siao, get up so early to go biking!'?

The first one who got on this 'siao' list was Eric.

He made it to the landmark workout that start at 6.30am on 17th Jan 2006.

His coach was lost and came a bit late but nonetheless the athlete came on time for a workout at 630am.

Who is next on this 'siao' list?

Time trial results

2006-01-18T13:57:00.000+08:00

To ascertain accurate training times and workout sets, you would need to do a time trial of differing distances for the different race distances that you are looking at.

time trial results on 13th Jan 2006 SMU 7pm

2.4km (6 laps on track)

Wan - 12.36min (400m splits at 2.0, 2.08, 2.08, .. 2.0)

1.6km (4 laps on track)

Eric Chang - 10.32 min (400min splits at 2.18, 2.45, 2.50, 2.40)

Do try to run the splits evenly but the first one is usually a bit faster than the rest since you are starting fresh. Any workout longer than 2 min and less than 1hr is a mix of aerobic (burn fats and oxygen) and anaerobic effort (burn glycogen and oxygen). You want to get your body to burn fats and spare the glycogen for spurts.

The Last Chance To Keep Your New Year Resolution Run 2005

2006-01-18T12:26:00.000+08:00

It was a dark and stormy evening… and many runners were huddled under umbrellas at East Coast’s Car Park B1 looking balefully at the pouring rain.

it has been raining and raining..and just when we thought the rain would stop...it poured again!
Some of were taking shelter in the very new Forrester
or in the van comboor just in the bus stop

Most of the runners if not all had showed up to support the run and pray for the rain to stop.We are all decked out in our latest run gear and some even rain gear with no where to go

We got all the logistics settled with drinks stand at 2.5km mark (my foldable table and chair and bottles and bottles of 1.5l of mineral water and isotonic drinks) and also at the finishing point. My trusty students and graduates were on hand to dispense the life giving liquid to the Last Run Runners.

After delaying the start from 530pm to 6pm, the skies begin to clear and the rain slowed down to a drizzle.
Finally we could run! We were off for the 5km, 10km and (for those with big egos but even bigger lungs) more than 10km run!

Some were really lost at the 2.5km mark and ran extra, some were so energized with the prospect of going into the new year with resolutions resolved and deficit calories they ran extra. Some simply enjoy running in this rainy weather.

The 15 or so runners were treated water, 100+, and smoked salmon and peanut butter banana sandwich at the end point and lots of funny stories about how they missed the drinks stand (sorry guys, I should have made my student wear bright pink in future)

But the biggest reward is the satisfaction of finishing the run ...and not forgetting the hard to forget BBQ organized my our resident chef A Lim'wow this BBQ has no chicken wings!''the sausages melt in your mouth!'

Now to another year, but not just any year but a new year of new expectations, exciting beginnings and another year of adventure.

Updates on 'Last run for 2005'!

2005-12-13T00:36:00.000+08:00

17 runners has signed up for the 'last run of 2005' car park run!
the dry fit tee is being printed in JB as we speak!

if there anymore last minute entry, I might not have tee for them but they are most welcome to join us. I just to know the numbers for catering purposes (how many cans of 100+ must I get, and how much water so that everyone would not be dehyrated before we start our new year's celebration.

Ironman 2005 IMWA

2005-12-07T13:45:00.000+08:00

Ironman 2005
IMWA

I have always wanted to do an Ironman distance race since I started doing triathlons in 1990. The video footage that I got to see of Kona, Hawaii (the birth place of triathlon and now the official race site of world Iron championship) and the race report and the sheer distance of the race scared me off.

To swim 3.8km in the open sea, bike 180km with strong winds and heat and finally run a marathon was just daunting. I figured that I could always do it when I got older, when I had more experience and hopefully more money. I waited. Maybe I was just too scared to try to do it.

To celebrate my 36th birthday, my friends and clients came together and decided to give me a present, a kick-start to my Ironman dream. They passed the hat around (instigated by FATA) and collected about half of my entry fees and got the first millionaire among us to donate his air miles.

I was nursing an ITB and piformis muscle injury then. I was really unsure about training for the Ironman. Seeking treatment and doing all that I could, the injury was soon under control. In July, I signed up in July for the race. Along with it, I got into an online coaching program, told the people around me about it and committed myself to the training.

Getting to the starting line was hard. It was a daily struggle to fit everything in my schedule while being a youth pastor, coach, friend, daughter and Ironman triathlete wannabe. It was a daily struggle to get enough done at work so that I could train earlier, to train despite the weather, to work my diet and sleep hours into my training schedule.

You never race alone. Even the juggling around my training schedule would not have been successful if I were to do it alone. Friends helped ‘taxi’ me to and forth from bike training, students came to train with me before dawn, friends bought me meals and nagged me to make sure that I was training and resting.

By September, which was less than 3 months from the race, I was only done 80% of the workout and could hardly complete it as prescribed. I was really getting worried about the coming race. With my DNF (did not finish) due to a strain on my foot in Desaru Half Ironman in mid September, I was WORRIED. Then I was down with flu the week after and could only wait out my injury again.

Two months away from the race, I only have 4 weeks before the mandatory taper. I did all I could; 1 long bike of 130km with numerous stops, 21km long run and my longest 80km easy bike with 20km run. With that, I started my taper and countdown to IMWA.

I prepared for my race, emotional, physical and logistical. It went ok, and I got to the race with a borrowed bike box from Bike Butler, free accommodation in Perth, and a friend who traveled all the way there to support me (and who had to endure all the unpleasantness of traveling with not-too-friendly and gregarious athletes).

Race check in
I got down to Perth with my Singaporean friends, Esther and Sam, who did all the driving. However it was not too smooth sailing. We got the address of our accommodation wrong and unknowingly booked for rooms with shared toilets and showers. But the excitement of the race and the shopping at the expo got the better of us. Singapore will be proud of us. Between the 3 of us, we bought new race gear, back up warm gear food, wetsuit and even merchandise of the race.

At the carbo dinner, we met another triathlete from Gold Coast. Sharon is a 60-year-old cab driver, grandmother of 4 and 7th Ironman veteran who was sharing with us tips on nutrition and mental strategies for the race. Going to Ironman is also a very humbling experience. Back in Singapore, you were branded as mad. But here in Australia, the senior citizens made you look like a whim.

More nerves went in with all the preparation of the bike and gear for race day. It was 35 degrees in Perth, but it certainly did not feel like it here in the southern region of WA! It was 15 degrees in the morning and going to pee at night was a tough decision! We bought arm and leg warmers, wore beanie or lookalike most of the day and thought about what other cold weather gear we could use. Trash bags were certainly one of our more creative ideas.

The night before, we had cooked dinner at our trailer and had Mike and his family over for a simple meal of grilled meat with pita bread and salad. Then it started to raining at 8pm. Lightning and thunder accompanied the rain through the night. At 4am, there seemed to be no letting up, and the thought of the rain changing from triathlon to dualthlon (biathlon?) was constantly flashing across my mind.

The next day, when we got to the race site, the thunderstorm had persisted. Everyone was just anxious, but we still went ahead to prepare for the race. I also started preparing my bike, pumping up tires, checked in all my bags for different transitions. I then changed into my wetsuit. The race was delay for a half hour before the organizer that the race would go on! Yes!

It was cold! Even in my 5mm wetsuit, I was shivering uncontrollably. I could not wait for the final call to start. The town of Busselton tried to be the best host for the event by arranging for their flying club to perform aerial display, but all I could think of was the long long day ahead.

The swim was a swim around the longest wooden jetty in the world. The water was clear and calm during our training swim so we were just hoping for the best.

The gun went off, and we started our swim. The sea was choppy and many a times I was smashed by the waves and was swept a few meters off course. But the sea was really clear and I could see schools of fish swimming under me as I went around the jetty. It was a tough swim, but I got out ok at 1:28hr. I was feeling thirsty and worrying about my bike.

The first easy and short portion was then over. Next came the bike… The long bike ride… The volunteers were great at the changing marquee. They helped you pack and calmed you down.

The bike course was 3 laps of 60km on the freeway and highway around the town. There were cross wind, head wind and a bit of tailwind. We were leaning into the wind at some sections and grasping the handlebar with our lives to steer straight. I remembered Terry’s incident last year where he was swept off his bike when he took his hands off to drink, so I was extra careful and stopped completely to refill my jet stream (drinking system on the handlebar so that I didn’t need to take my hands off to drink).

Singaporean should never complain about our roads. It is baby smooth compared to the roads in OZ! The vibration was so bad that my speedometer could not read the magnet on my wheels accurately for quite a distance. I could feel a headache coming on.

The sun was out(???), and it was really one of the most beautiful day. However, the wind never left us. For most of the way, we had headwind and crosswind. I only felt the tailwind for less than 30km of the course. Coastal wind was nothing in comparison.

The aid stations were great, and my recovery plan was executed without a flaw. I peed 6 times in the portable, drank at least 4L of fluids, ate 8 powergel and 2 huge NZAC cookies. I stretched and aired my feet every opportunity I had. That would be at least 30mins of my race time spent on recovery, but you could never not take those times into consideration.

I got back without any foot or back pain in 7:01hrs and was dying to get to the run.
The transition was great. The volunteers helped me to whip down and put lots of sun block on me.

The run was a 2 lapper by the coast that runs into some residential area. By the time I was running, the sun was slowly setting. The orange hue over the sea was truly God’s doing, and then it started getting tougher by the minute.

I could still run but my foot was hurting. It hurt with the pounding from the run. I tried walking but I did not want to. I could still lift my legs to run but it was just the pressure place on my foot that was stopping me.

My remedy was to take off my shoes to walk on the road. That put different pressure points on my feet every time I came to the aid stations. I ate and drank lots since there was one aid station every 2km for the 42km course. I wobbled, and hobbled and jogged and walked my way back.

And the supporters for the whole race were great! Through the bike and run course, the strangers would look for your name from your race number and locate it on the list of competitors and they would shout, “498, Pek Ya Poon from Singapore ! GO Go!”

It was so encouraging to have these supporters especially when you knew that the winners had longed cross the line and gone off to clean up and rest. These people had never met you and would never after this race. They were there from 6am till late to cheer not just those who won, but also those who were just there to finish the race.

My last 1km was simply magical. It was dark, and I was running in my two-piece (I was really getting quite cold by then) and holding a glow stick. I had some pain, but I found strength to power home.

I am so thankful to God for sending friends to support me, people to cheer me on and for keeping me injury free to finish the race, and I enjoyed it! As I approached the chute, I could hear my name, and the crowds were cheering me on my last 200m. There were lights and music and kids wanting to high five you all the way in. I was only a finisher (I was 480 in the field of about 650 finishers), but they were there because they saw all of us as winners, and not just the first one who crossed the line.

"I want God, not my idea of God; I want my neighbour, not my idea of my neighbour; I want myself, not my idea of myself." C S Lewis

Ironman is one of the most grueling events in sports, and I think this is a claim that few will dispute. Yet it is one event that you can say everyone is a winner. Anyone, who steps on the starting line, has already has won 90% of his or her race. Preparation is harder than the race. Like all things you see, the finish is the result of much more work before it.

I want know the real me and the race was a channel for me to be pushed not just to my physical limits but a test of my patience as well. The preparation and the race show me things about God. It was a great experience and journey of self discovery and that I cannot be more thankful for.

Last Run of 2005

2005-12-06T12:20:00.000+08:00

“ Last chance to meet your New Year resolution”
FUN RUN!

presented by

Sixdegreesoffreedom.com*

Date: 31st Dec 2005

Distance: 5km, 10km, or whatever you like!
Starting Point: car park B1, East Coast Park
Flag off time: 5.30pm.

Come at your own risk of losing hundreds of calories and having loads of fun!

Registration

There is no age or gender category for the run.
Registration fees are $10 for 10km, $15 for 5km (for those who are looking at value for money, you should know what to do…), $20 for any other distance (for the one person who is doing the 21km, I have made special arrangements for glow stick and chaperon)
Please note there are no safety marshalls or insurance coverage as this is not an offical race.

Please fill up the form on the next page and email to me.
I need to know who is coming and the t-shirt size to facilitate printing of it. Please send in the entries as soon as possible as I need 20 days to print the tee. You can always pay me on that day…

Course description
It is a 2 lapper for the 10km and 1 lapper for the 5km. Any other distance will be in the multiples of the 5km loop.

It is flat course route. We start at car park B1 and goes towards eastward to Big Splash. There will be volunteers who will give out water and isotonic at the turn around point. These are volunteers, so please be patient with them.

==================================================================

“ Last chance to meet your New Year resolution”
FUN RUN!
Registration form
(please email completed form to poonpymy@pacific.net.sg)

Name

Email address

Handphone

How else to contact you?

What do you actually do for a living?
(for documentation purpose)

Medical conditions; any allergies, heart condition or respiratory condition?

Blood type

Categories

10km

5km

Any other distance? Please state

nickname

Tee shirt size (largest XXXL which is for 47cm chest, smallest XS)

I ________________________________ of NRIC no. ___________________________ will not hold the organizers of the “last chance to meet your New Year resolution run" responsible for any accident or mishap that might occur during the event on 31st Dec 2005 at B1 car park at East Coast Park from 530pm to 9pm.

_______________________ __________________
Signature date

Official use
Paid unpaid
Tee size

NEW YEAR's EVE ECP run

2005-11-19T16:31:00.000+08:00

this is a special race/event for all my clients who did not managed to sign up for the 1/4 marathon for Singapore marathon, for my friends who never attempted to do even a 5km walk/run in their life (except for the singaporeans who did 2.4km for their fitness tests yonks ago) and for my family and friends who just want to have deficit in calories before going for more festive cheer ...

six degrees of freedom present...

welcome 2006 East Coast Park (B1) car park run
more information will be given soon...
watch out for it on this space!

how much preparation do you need to run, walk or simply to finish 10km?

able to run/walk 8.5km is a really good indicator that you can finish the route in style.
and eligible for the
most wayang
most stylo
Just in time category

and today, Eric did his first 8.5km run/walk in Sentosa...
it was a tough effort and it showed...