Virtuoso

This man is a genius. There were four world records broken yesterday at the FINA World Swimming Championships held at Melbourne, but my hat goes off to this man. When everyone thought Ian Thorpe's 1:44.06 world record mark for 200m freestyle would be on for quite some time... this American lad lowered the mark by .20 seconds being the first man to go below 1:44. And Michael Phelps just made it looked so easy, his strokes were immaculate, no white water splash. How do you like that? The first major swim meet since Thorpe's retirement... and there goes his world record. The poor guy must be feeling really uneasy at the spectators seat.

Watching Phelps swim and the world records tumble yesterday at the Susie O' Neill pool, I can somehow relate to the emotions and jubilation that goes through these swimmers when they are literally 'top of the world'. They have done the IMPOSSIBLE.

I myself have never broken any records... only my own personal ones. Going into this Sunday's Point Walter OD triathlon, achieving another PB seems almost impossible. The conditions for my last OD race was almost perfect and I was also in more than perfect form. I now have a slight weird feeling on my right knee and left ankle that goes away after running a while but comes back after I finish running.

I clocked 36:06.64 for my 8.5km run this morning, sub 4:15 average. My second fastest time EVER. That was with 6 hours sleep too. With this sort of results, I TOO want to do the IMPOSSIBLE. I want to break my OWN 'world record'.

Point Walter OD tri in 4 days... BRING IT ON!

Half past six

Corporate Teams triathlon at Bather's Beach, Fremantle. 230m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run.

Would have liked to do the whole distance but due to problems in sorting out the logistics, I was allocated to do the swim and bike only. Ya I had fake hopes for a moment when my original runner wasn't able to make it... team coordinator actually said I could do the whole thing myself but she checked with the event organizer and was told that I would be disqualified. So got myself another runner.

One funny thing happened the day before. My bike tyre decided to burst... I panicked as for the bike shops here, you have to booked few days in advance to even change a tube. The shop was pretty busy, I told the guy that I had a race the next day, he said he'll do his best, but no promises.

So I left my bike there... went to the office to do my CA assignment. Called up the shop about 4pm, found out my bike was ready and rushed back as it closes at 4.30pm.

Anyway, Li-Ann came with me, opened her eyes to my world of triathlon... hahhah. We left at 5.45 am as bikes need to be checked in by 6.15 am. Daylight savings end today, so I actually had an additional hour of sleep.

My wave starts at only 7.35 am. Met a few colleagues, exchanged some greetings... did my own stretches, ate my Powerbar (it's really yummy, this Triple Threat, thanks sis!)

The earlier waves started at 7 am. They were the ones doing the full distance. I got confused when the emcee started mentioning about cyclists have to be ready for their swimmers... I panicked! Thought my wave started without me! So I quickly put on my tri-suit, Li-Ann was helping me get ready... the poor thing, she must have been so lost. My goggles case got ripped in the haste... hurriedly bid Li-Ann farewell...

When I rushed there, found out that my wave haven't started yet. Should have trusted my instincts and know that the organizers won't change their wave starts without informing the participants properly.

Anyway, Li-Ann was there this time for the REAL start. The water was cold, but having the tri suit on did help. As usual the swim was congested at the beginning... but I managed to come in among the first few ones... was behing some navy people... oh well...

Into transition, cyclists were waiting for the swimmers... while yours truly had to put on his shoes and helmet. The transitions for this race are quite long which is quite annoying. The run between the swim and the bike is about 400m and the distance between the bike transition and mounting could be a good 200m.

The bike ride was equally annoying... as it is a team event, those doing the full distance are x3 the number of people! So overtaking was quite difficult... I stayed on the right side of the road most of the times... until either I could hear elite cyclists coming from the back, then I had to move left.

Clocked 20:14 for 10.18 kms, average 30.1 kph. Not as fast as I hoped it to be... but was an improvement compared to last year when I always miss the 30 kph mark.

Anyway, I kind of felt I raced half heartedly for this race. Would look forward to this coming Sunday's Point Walter OD! If my legs don't fail me... lately my knees have been acting up... I hope my old injury didn't come back to haunt me... Li-Ann got me a bottle of glucosamine, being the worrysome and caring girlfriend she is... Love you!

Triathlon aside... it was quite a pak-tor day after that. Li-Ann and I went to have breakfast in Cottesloe. I had chocolate milkshake and she had her chai latte. We shared a salmon bagel with avocado. Then, we adjourned to the Cottesloe beach for some sun tanning.

After that, I ACTUALLY WENT SHOPPING! We went to Harbour Town, which is a shopping complex but all factory outlet stores. Got myself a Fossil wallet for AUD28 and Roger David suit and pants for AUD130. It's pretty hard finding clothes that fit for Asian size here. But I get lots of compliments saying I'm very slim hahhah.

Well, all that done... as if like I'm on holiday. I still have my CA assignment due tonight... but pretty much completed. Now left some word count editting to do.

*Edit* I have just completed my assignment. Supposed to submit it online... but the CA website always having problems. Just sent it through e-mail. And tried submitting online too. The website works now but just that it is after the deadline and showed a 'fail' status. Hope they received the one via e-mail before deadline.

Photos

Tomorrow would mark 9 months of Li-Ann and I being together... happy 9 months to us!

I have also decided to put up the sparse collection of photos taken from my camera phone on Li-Ann's birthday... as I don't know when I would be able to get hold of the other pictures from other friend's camera.

Li-Ann may object though... that I'm putting up her 'not dressed-up and bespectacled' pictures. Hahhah.

Honestly, hon... you still look fine...

Battle of the cakes... guess which one won? Hahhah...

"I wish for a knife to cut these 2 cakes..."

"Got my wish... muahhahhah!"

"My half priced steak is bigger than yours..."

"So what? Mine is more colourful! :P"

Hmm... shouldn't have used flash for the last two pictures.

Been pretty flat out at the moment. CA assignment due this Sunday, same day as my corporate triathlon. A manager at work actually offered to go through the assignment with us tomorrow morning before work at 7.30am. I would have my swimming session though... which one should I sacrifice...?

Hehheh, I suppose I can always ask my work mates for their notes... Hahhah... I guess you all can tell where my priorities are...

Happy birthday, darling...

It was Li-Ann's 22nd yesterday. I left work a bit early and bought a Mocha torte cake from Miss Maud's. She was having ISS (International Student Service) meeting at uni. When I brought the cake there, little that I know that the ISS committee members also had another cake organised. So we had TWO birthday cakes... Hahhah, proud to say mine was more popular.

For dinner, we ate at Reflections in South Perth. It had half price on selected steaks from Monday to Thursday. For entree, we had stuffed mushrooms with parmesan cheese. For mains, I ordered the fillet mignon which was outside the half price selection. Li-Ann wanted to have the lamb shank but they don't have that anymore. So, she had the potterhouse which was on half price.

We were actually waiting impatiently for the meal. Maybe for such restaurants, it is common take a bit of time so that patrons can enjoy the ambience, but we had to attend friends' after-convocation ceremony after that. So we kind of hurried the chef a bit.

Turns out... Li-Ann's half priced steak has a bigger portion than mine! But she assured me that mine was a better part of the meat... Oh well, meat is still meat to me!

Pictures to follow... now I only use my phone camera which is clearer than my digital camera but too bad has less memory. Would post them up once I get the pictures from other friends' cameras.

Corporate teams triathlon... corporate teams politics

Race format is 250m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run at Bather's Beach, Fremantle... 20km from Perth on 25th March. Corporate team members do the whole 3 legs, starting together with their times combined. Tri-it team members do a leg each. Was looking forward to this race, although the short distance is not really my preference, but it's a good opportunity to mingle with colleagues outside work and also show off my "skills" a bit.

I was the second fastest finisher from my firm last year, clocking 40 minutes while the first was 35 minutes. The first guy is away on secondment and I was looking forward to being the fastest finisher this time and going below 40 minutes (possibly 37 minutes with my tri-suit).

BUT... I was just told that there were no spare corporate teams so I have to do the tri-it teams instead. I would be doing the both swim AND the bike legs, teaming with one of the audit partners... also named Kevin from South African (no, he's not black). I have nothing against him. I don't even know him well enough. But I have checked the results for a running event our firm joined last year (which I registered but didn't turn up due to THE injury). He did 57 minutes for 12km. Not bad actually. Hehheh.

But I'm quite disappointed because I can't do the whole thing by myself (yes, I'm selfish)... considering that I do better at the run leg compared to the bike.

I have just taken a look the teams list. I'm not sure what's the reason behind me being left out from the full distance list.

Maybe the person wanted to give others a chance to do it since I did it last year.

Maybe the person assumed that I was slower than the others just because I'm Asian.

Maybe the person gave her closer friends priority as most of the people chosen were in her division.

Well, I won't be a sour grape. I'll do my best for the swim and bike. I have another OD the week after anyway. So it could be a blessing in disguise.

Boy meets girl

As agreed, Li-Ann and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Chap Goh Meh, Chinese Valentine's. We went to the revolving restaurant in the Perth City, C Restaurant in The Sky, Level 33 on St Martin's Tower.

The waiters were mostly French. I had the venison, Li-Ann had the grilled baramundi.

Won't write much as pictures tell more than a thousand words.

The fish and the deer...

The boy and the deer...

The fish and the girl...

After the main course we wanted to have some dessert. Took a look at the menu, and figured that Greco restaurant near our place had better cakes and at cheaper prices too.

The cake near our place...

They say that Valentine's Day is sort of like the first date. The boy tries his best to impress and the girl adores being pampered like a queen. It's like playing running and chasing all over again.

If Li-Ann were to keep on running, I wouldn't mind having to keep on re-chasing her. Valentine's Day or not...