my TRIals in life

Happy birthday Dad!

2012-02-09T20:47:00.004+08:00

My dad will celebrate his 57th birthday tomorrow. He taught me everything I knew and has provided me with all that I needed to be who I am today. Dad has always been health conscious and loves running. And since I've started this triathlon madness, he has been really supportive all the way.

I love you, dad. Here's to wishing you a very happy birthday!

A very early Valentine's day celebration

2012-02-06T19:46:00.004+08:00

In an attempt to avoid the crowd and overpriced meals, Li-Ann and I decided to have our Valentine's Day dinner about 10 days early - last night. We initially wanted to celebrate it on Chap Goh Meh (15th night of the Chinese New Year), which is the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day. But most restaurants close on Monday.

We went to Chimes, which is the flagship restaurant of Hotel Northbridge. I'm surprised we didn't come to this place sooner! It was pretty quiet but in a nice way. The place is located at the corner of Brisbane and Lake Streets, so a bit further from the busy spots of Northbridge. First things that won me over were the complimentary bread rolls... yes, the accountant in me was impressed! No need for entrees then ;)

We ordered the sirloin steak and chicken breast. The portions were pretty large and both dishes were cooked perfectly. Li-Ann really enjoyed her chicken, normally I always have her leftovers but there weren't much this time! Most of the mains are under $30, which is very rare in Perth restaurants nowadays. We would definitely be making another trip here again!

Speaking of Northbridge, my go-to triathlon shop, Runner's World would be closing down at the end of this month. It would indeed be a real loss to the Perth triathlon community. Having been in operation for over 30 years, as they say, it is truly the end of an era. I dropped in sometime last week to have a chat with Phil and bid farewell and best wishes. Now, I need to find someone else to bug with my bike mechanical queries, with the hope that I would charged nearly as reasonable as Phil did.

This weekend

2012-01-29T21:01:00.002+08:00

It was forecasted to be a real scorcher. So much so that my wife asked me to skip the ride in the hills on Saturday or at least have it swapped, in fear of potential bush fire risk. I was disobedient, but I woke up at 4am to have an early start. The heat turned out to be not that bad and there was even a slight drizzle.

Because of the ride, I missed the TV coverage of Ironman WA 2011, it was at 6am. The repeats are all at inconvenient times - Friday 10.30am, Thursday 9am when I'm at work and Sunday 3am! I know that Ironman isn't exactly mainstream sport but some of these times are ridiculous! Good thing Dennis offered to have it taped and to give me a copy. Thanks Dennis!

I did re-watch the coverage of Kona though. I've watched it a couple of times already and still, I get goosebumps watching the finishers crossing the finish line.

Sunday was a really windy day. There were times when I was nearly blown off my bike with the aerobars. The City of Perth tri was on, and it must have been tough for those competing especially with the strong easterly winds on Mounts Bay road. A special mention to Steve and Adele from Team BYL who won their age groups respectively - congratulations! What a power couple!

Four weeks into the year 2012... four weeks into my training program for Challenge Cairns!

A few days of fun

2012-01-26T14:01:00.008+08:00

The week started with a social ride with Sal and Nat on Monday morning. Then in the evening, I received an invite from Kiez - she had a mini Chinese New Year open house. Lots of great home cooked food - felt like I was in Malaysia again! After dinner, we played a few rounds of black jack... you can't celebrate Chinese New Year without gambling right? But the stakes were pretty small starting with 50c and I ended up with a loss of A$1 haha. Thanks Kiez and family for the invite!

Tuesday morning, instead of the usual BYL interval runs, I did the ATTA Time Trial in King's Park. The distance was 17km - 5 laps up and down Lovekin Drive, so it was a rolling hills course. I'm getting used to using the big crank while going at high speed now. I was aiming for 34 minutes (average 30kph) but I pleasantly surprised myself with a 31:33 (average 32.1kph) I guess I prefer a hillier course than a flat, open course exposed to the winds. Although I still have to improve on my bike handling skills around the U-turns.

Wednesday I joined a group for a ride led by Jason, a fellow team BYL member. It was like going into the unknown - the moment the ride started, these guns were clocking above 45kph! I got dropped less than 15 minutes into the ride, luckily one of them stayed back with me for the rest of the ride. Thanks mate and sorry for holding you back!

Thursday is Australia Day, and what do triathletes get up to on a public holiday? Extra training! It wasn't on my program, but I decided to join in a fun and unofficial triathlon of 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run at Sorrento Beach organized by my good friend and IMWA cycling buddy, Dennis. It was not meant to be a race too, but as usual, sometimes the competitive side takes over. I kept to my pace though, without getting to the red line and paced the run with a guy named Ray, who was doing his first triathlon that day. Thanks Dennis for organizing, we all had a fun day out!

*Pictures from Dennis' Facebook page*

The mercury has risen to an average of 40 degrees maximum for the past few days and looks like it will stay that way for at least until mid next week. Staying hydrated and avoiding overheating will be key for my rides this weekend.

Enter the Dragon

2012-01-22T20:56:00.005+08:00

No, not the Bruce Lee movie... but tomorrow marks the first day of the Chinese New Year... and it would be the year of the Dragon.

I've lost count as to how many times I've spent Chinese New Year away from home. So much so, that I tend to forget how it actually felt celebrating it at home. Li-Ann's gone back home too... but my good friend here in Perth, Eric together with his brother and sister in law did a splendid job organizing an open house today, to usher in the year of the Dragon.

Photo courtesy of Eric. This massive yee sang tasted proportionately good to it's size!

Thanks for the invite, guys! With the big feast, I've been given a taste of home - not just the food and feeling of together-ness, which is what Chinese New Year is all about.

Here's to wishing all my family, friends and their families a very happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the Dragon bring you good health, good luck and prosperity! Kiong hee huat zhai!

Hot stuff

2012-01-16T20:23:00.001+08:00

Li-Ann and I watched Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows last night. We met friends of hers in the cinema, who coincidentally were seated next to us. It was the first time I was introduced as Li-Ann’s husband. Something to get used to, but I’m sure soon it would not feel so awkward anymore. The movie itself was entertaining, though I find the first one more mysterious. We also felt that they overdid the slow-mo action sequences. But still a fun movie to watch, no regrets!

The past week was a bit of a scorcher. Temperatures were around the mid 30s, not the hottest Perth has seen but hot enough to make you sweat buckets. I haven’t had any afternoon sessions under the sun during the week but I was out there for riding on both Saturday and Sunday. Coach Bill has up the ante for my cycling in this training program. I’m riding 4-5 times a week and my bike now sleeps in the car. Sunday’s ride incorporated some mini sets with the big crank. I’ve always been a spinner on the bike due to low power output and my small built, but I’m glad to have a feel of riding with the heavy gear. I think I can get used to pushing the big gears from time to time and hopefully, it will translate to quicker bike splits in races to come.

Week 1

2012-01-08T10:52:00.004+08:00

*Newton Run photo credit - Rozmi Yunus*

So it's been a week since I got back to Perth. It didn't take long to get into the routine of things - work, training, house chores etc. I've started my first week of training from Bill, I have exactly 22 weeks including this one, to Cairns.

This first week was... okay. I swam with the UWA masters squad twice, they had a new coach and her program was rather interesting. Lots of walking in the pool in between sets as active recovery. I felt good for the 90 minute ride in King's Park on Friday. But come Saturday, I didn't have much strength to fight the westerly winds on Mounts Bay road towards the end stages of my 2.5 hour ride.

Sunday morning's 60 hour run started off well at about 4:20 per km pace. But that only lasted until halfway and I dropped to 4:30, averaging 4:25 overall. I guess I haven't fully recovered yet, both from the Ironman and Newton run last weekend. However, despite not being able to give my 100% in terms of speed for this week's training, I'm pretty happy with how I pulled up. Looking forward to the weeks to come.

01.01.12

2012-01-01T13:13:00.004+08:00

Newton 25km run with my dad and sis. I'm glad to have survived the hills and to finish strongly in 21st position overall with a time of 1:53:46 - not my fastest but a great start to get back into full training mode. It was nice to catch up with fellow like minded people in the local running/tri community. A special mention to Chan Jun Shen for a blazing fast time of 1:45, truly a champ in the making.

With the year 2011 just gone and my holidays coming to an end (I'm flying back to Perth tonight), I want to wish everyone a very happy new year! I am very grateful for the support of my loving family, wonderful wife (yes, it hasn't really sunk in yet - that she's now my wife!), friends I can count on, a decent job and good health that allows me to do what I enjoy doing (no prizes for guessing what it is haha)

I don't usually make new year resolutions but each year I aim to strike a balance between devoting time and passion to this sport, and ensuring that I do not allow things which are far more important in my life, dear ones - my friends and family, to take a backseat.

That... I have to admit is an ongoing process.

Here's to 2012!

Changed relationship status

2011-12-27T17:56:00.013+08:00

Home sweet home

2011-12-18T12:11:00.011+08:00

Belated 29th wedding anniversary for my parents at Frontera Bar & Grill in Jaya One

Early Christmas party at Bee's Hive

Social ride followed by Richard's birthday celebration - thanks Richard for inviting me, lending me your bike and the pictures!

More pictures from Busselton

2011-12-10T20:54:00.001+08:00

*courtesy of Li-Ann, Dennis, Breakyourlimits Facebook page and Finisherpix*

New and improved race expo and athlete services

Wetsuit swim practice

Bike check-in, the organizers actually wanted a picture of the bike by itself

Ice cream at the local gelato shop, obviously a big supporter of the Ironman event

Slightly disappointed with the swim

It was a long ride, couldn't wait to get off the bike

Feeling fresh on the run, the only discipline that surpassed my target

The next morning, the Malaysian contingent (3 of us are based in Perth)

Ironman Western Australia 2011 - One for the books

2011-12-07T20:52:00.001+08:00

*Pictures courtesy of Li-Ann, Breakyourlimits Facebook page and Finisherpix*

This race is my 4th Ironman event. My best result was actually from my first Ironman race in 2009 in Langkawi, Malaysia where I finished in 11 hours 15 minutes. Since then, I have been desperately trying to improve on that result and break the elusive 11 hours… but without success.

Tired of this, I decided to take on the coaching of none other than Bill Scanlan, top 10 in Ironman France this year and have raced in the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii before.When I first started, I told Bill my goal was to go under 11 hours. Bill, however believed that I should aim for 10:30. I, on the other hand was apprehensive at that target, which seemed lofty at that time.

On Sunday, 4 December 2011… I crossed the finish line in the centre of Busselton town centre in 10:24:38 – more than 70 minutes quicker than last year, knocking off 50 minutes from my PB. I was ecstatic! So here’s my detailed account of the event. Have a cuppa and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed racing and writing about it.

Pre race

Myself and Richard, who touched down from Malaysia earlier in the morning, drove down to Busselton on Friday. It’s no secret that there is a bit of competition between the two of us, our conversation topics in the car ranged from fantasizing about the latest bikes to psyching each other out for Sunday’s big race haha. We arrived in Busselton around midday, checked in to Amaroo Motel, then straight to collect our race packs from the race expo. I like this year’s setup much better, although I didn’t buy any merchandise apart from a $10 timing band from the Blueseventy stall as the ones provided tend to cut into my ankles. I bumped into Nat and Lisa from Breakyourlimits, as well as Chris, a friend of Li-Ann’s, all are doing their first Ironman race.

We did an easy 30 minute ride and Li-Ann arrived later, she took a bus from Mandurah where she attended a conference. Soon, it was time for the welcome dinner. Honestly, I preferred last year’s both in the setup and the formalities. Although this year's briefing was more informative and more comprehensive. We met my cycling buddies, Sam and Dennis there. The next morning, we did a wetsuit swim at the jetty. The currents were pretty strong but manageable. For the rest of the day, I didn't do much and managed to take a couple of naps. I had an early bike check-in as it was according to race numbers, mine was the first slot at 11am but not everyone followed their designated times.

Race morning

Surprisingly I had a good night’s sleep. I was either tired or just relaxed. We got to transition at 4.45am, pumped up my tires and did some stretches. I then felt the urge to visit the toilet, so I queued up with a bit of panic as the race was about to start at 5.45am… and I still had my wetsuit to put on! I made it with about 5 minutes left to spare. Exchanged many hugs and kisses with Li-Ann for good luck, and it was time to go!

Swim 3.8km – target 1 hour

I lined up somewhere near the front, close to the jetty and then I noticed Sam even further in front. On hindsight I should have stuck to him, he did the swim in a very swift 58:45, but I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up. The gun went off and to my surprise, there wasn’t much congestion. I kept close to the jetty and tried to find a good pair of feet to draft. I kept to the same 1-2 swimmers for most of the way down. Reached the turnaround after the jetty in just over 30 minutes, I told myself not to panic as quite often the currents are more favourable on the way back.

But I couldn’t be more wrong. As I turned back to the other side of the jetty, what seemed like a relatively calm weather in the morning really wasn’t reflected in the currents. We were pushed further and further away from the jetty. I stuck to one swimmer and then I noticed he was swimming alone, I was worried that I was going off course, so I stopped a couple of times to re-position myself. The choppy waters pushed my swim cap upwards, and I was worried that it would be washed away, so I kept pulling it down. That affected my goggles, which allowed water to enter, so I had to adjust them too. As I got to the floating buoy closest to shore, it was already past 55 minutes, and I had another 500m to go. I knew that it will be unlikely to break 1 hour for the swim.

Finally, I crossed the first timing mat in 1:02:33, I shrugged my shoulders as I passed Li-Ann cheering from the side, indicating my disappointment but would make up for it as the race unfolds. The one hour swim still remains elusive. One consolation was I came out about the same time as Viv Oldfield, formerly my podiatrist, who swam 56-58 minutes for the last two years.

Bike 180km – target 5 hours 35 minutes

I managed to take a minute off transition from last year. And yes, I remembered to remove my swim cap this time! I decided to put on my bike shoes in the change tent, rather than balancing myself while strapping them on the bike. The weather was warmer this year, hence I wasn’t freezing as I rode out and there weren’t any cramps or tightness in core area, so that was good. I soon got into a comfortable pace and felt strong to enough to attack the headwinds as we rode out. For some reason, Viv and myself kept taking turns at overtaking each other… inadvertently and legally of course!

I overtook Sam just before the first Tuart Drive turnaround, which is just after 30km. Sandy from Breakyourlimits overtook me after that, followed by Tom on our return journey back at Layman Road. The two of them are such strong cyclists, and they rode exceptionally well that day, they got further and further away from me as the ride progressed. I did the first lap in 1:47, much quicker than I planned for. But I think I paid for it later on. I felt weaker on the later stages of the second lap, but it was great to see the Ray and the Breakyourlimits support crew, who came all the way from Perth, cheering us at the Tuart Drive turnarounds. That did give me a bit of a boost, thanks guys!

My second lap was about 1:50, but as I started my third and final lap I was running on empty. I have taken nearly all my gels and even started asking for coke from the aid stations. The headwinds started to pick up and I felt a bit miserable, I wondered if I could actually finish the race! But I reminded myself to be patient and this will pass. I took it easy – spin and roll, spin and roll. I got to the special needs and asked for my vegemite sandwich. I decided to have it on the go but as I still needed to steer the bike with one hand, I had to gobble the whole thing down and flush it with my drink later. Good thing I have a wide jaw!

I felt a bit better after eating but that only lasted about 20 or so minutes. I noticed Richard was getting nearer and nearer after each turnaround, and so was Sam. Richard passed me just after the final turnaround, with less than 15kms left to go. I expected Sam to do the same. My goal now was to just get back to transition! It started raining a bit, but not much. I sneaked into transition just before Sam, taking more than 2 hours for the final lap, completing the whole ride in 5:39:01.

Run 42.2km – target 3 hours 42 minutes

The run target was calculated based on a 5 minute/km pace plus 1 minute walk for every 2km. That’s only in theory of course and as the aid stations are about 1.75km apart and in order to get my nutrition in properly, I had to walk through the stations. So some adjustment to the pace is required. My legs felt fresh as I started the run, probably because I took it easy for most of the 2nd half of the bike. My race number snapped off on one side as I got off the bike, so I had to tuck them into my race belt, otherwise it would have been flapping around. I was slightly concerned that I would be penalized for this, but that would have been really over zealous for the organizers to do so.

I ran strongly for the first lap – clocking under 10 minutes for most of the 2km markers, even 9:30 for some. After the first lap, Bill gave me some words of encouragement and further down the road, the Breakyourlimits support crew were already there - more boost! Towards the end of my second lap, I was beginning to feel a bit hungry. I started taking watermelons at the aid station, in addition to coke, Gatorade and water. The rain was totally gone and it started becoming a bit hot, but luckily it wasn’t nearly as hot as the days before.

I gave Li-Ann a peck/kiss as I ran past the Equinox Café on my third lap. That spurred me on! And I continued to draw the positive energy from the crowd – doing a bit of a dance move as I ran past the supporters who blasted music from their boombox and were dressed in all sorts fancy costume. There were some who were nice enough to spray us with their garden hose. I called out to fellow participants I saw on the course whom I knew – Nat, Fiona, John Cooke. Last year’s overall winner, Courtney Ogden who has been bogged with injuries, walked the entire marathon. I called him a true champion, a lesser individual would have pulled out.

On the fourth and final lap, I noticed my pace was slowing down but I have been surpassing my targets for the first 3 laps, so I wasn’t overly concerned. There was even a point where I was clocking 6 minute/km pace. I just need to reach the finish line in one piece! Just 2kms more to go, I looked at my watch and I knew I could give 10:25 a crack. So I skipped the last aid station, even yelled from behind for those stopping for drinks/food to let me pass (sorry!) Took the orange wristband, as the final wristband to take and got to the finishing chute. I missed out giving high fives out to Steve, Adele and Shao from Breakyourlimits, cheering at the side (sorry again!) Li-Ann passed me the Malaysian flag… and I crossed the finishing line, waving the flag proudly above my head with plenty of emotions, that I cannot describe! The clock on the finishing arch showed 10:24:38, my run time was 3:37:15, I finished 9th in my age group and 155th overall out of 1,360 participants.

Acknowledgements

Bill was nearby as I came out from the finishing area and I gave him a big hug. Thanks mate, for your coaching and guidance. You were spot on when you said I should aim for 10:30, thanks for believing in my capabilities. I have been injury/illness free since taking up your coaching. You are a true mentor and a good friend!

My family was tracking me online all the way from Malaysia. Dad was posting up my splits on Facebook and sis wrote a blog post specially dedicated to my race, which is very heartfelt. I’m very lucky to have the support of my family in this sport and in life. I love you very much!

Richard didn’t get the race he wanted. He had stomach issues on most of the run. However, 5:16 is a killer of a bike leg and to call his overall time of 10:53 minutes respectable, is a massive understatement! Don’t worry my friend, you’ll be back hungrier for more!

My training buddies Sam and Dennis, as well as the rest of the Breakyourlimits crew, be it the Monday social rides, Tuesday interval runs, Thursday King’s Park rides and/or the fun loving bunch at the BYL camp. You guys made my Ironman journey this year a whole lot enjoyable, and if there is such a thing... easier! Thanks guys!

My wonderful fiancé Li-Ann, who had a super busy couple of months before and after this race, travelling to the States and at the time of writing this post, is currently in Shanghai for another conference. Despite that, there were no end to her smiles as she supported me for this race. Thank you for being so understanding, for enduring the long hours I was out training and when I’m back home, I’m either icing myself for recovery or looking at bikes on the internet. I love you!

To all well wishes – one way or another, via Facebook, SMS, Whatsapp, blog comments… you know who you are! Thanks for your support throughout this journey. This is why my passion for this sport keeps on going, because of this great support network! It makes it all worthwhile!

And… as a bit of an announcement, I managed to sign up for next year’s race, which was sold out in less than 70 minutes. I have to say, the process of signing is nearly as stressful as doing the race! See you there!

This is it...

2011-11-27T20:04:00.001+08:00

Taper week used to always make me feel a bit uneasy. With the significantly lighter workload, one can feel really anxious as to whether any more hard sessions should be squeezed in just to make us feel a bit more confident, better in our minds. I admit that I have been compulsively checking my weight this week, glad to see that I'm still keeping under 60kgs despite not cranking up the long training hours. But I also have faith in the training plan that Bill has set out for me, so I stuck to it and didn't do anything extra, as that can be counter productive.

The taper did make me feel a lot fresher. Saturday's long ride was only 2.5 hours. I rode from UWA to Shelley Reserve and back, and did a loop in Dalkeith towards Christchurch Grammar School. I had my race wheels, including the rear disc on, and I tested the aero helmet. I probably looked like an idiot riding in these on the road, but I had to test them out to put my mind on ease. I met a few familiar faces on the ride, including Bill himself (twice) and John Cooke who was already doing his brick run on Mounts Bay road. The winds were reasonably strong and despite having to slow down at the many U-turns and tight corners, I still managed the same average pace as I would if I have ridden on the freeway path.

On Sunday, I had a 70 minute run on the program. I was planning to do a 4:30 average pace but the moment I started, I felt I had it in me to drop it down to 4:20. After the first 4.35km lap around the neighbourhood, I surprised how well my legs were holding up, so I pushed a bit harder but not crossing the red zone. In the end, I covered 16.35km, an average of 4:17 pace. Pretty satisfied with myself :) And I guess the magpies must have really missed me not going back to the freeway bike path, as this one in our neighbourhood came swooping down on me on each lap! I think my heart rate went up 10 beats each time I pass by that particular place.

The bike's been sent to Phil at Runner's World for a service. And I had a full body massage at Central Tafe massage clinic. Li-Ann's back from her trip to the USA, she has pretty much gotten over her jet lag. I get to eat a decent home cooked meal this weekend. We also attended a house warming with our friends, there were plenty of food, so my stomach is well taken care of, and there were plenty of laughter too, good for my soul.

Not long now, everyone... I'm as ready as I ever could be. My next blog post shall be the race report. Let's hope it'll be a good one! ;)

The final countdown

2011-11-20T11:25:00.001+08:00

It's two weeks time to race day. I did my final week of hard work and now it's time to taper. I couldn't have asked for a better finish to the big training load.

I felt strong on Saturday's 5 hour ride, of course the tailwind on the way back helped. I had my first encounter with a snake right in the middle of the freeway bike path. Luckily the cyclist in front threw some pebbles to get it moving out of the way. I was attacked by a magpie again on the way back, I was in aero position and it pecked my back this time, instead of my helmet. Fortunately, there weren't any scratches or wounds. Well, it would be a while before I pay another visit to the freeway bike path, so there won't be any more standoffs with magpies for some time (or so I thought...)

I was surprised with how my legs held up for the 30 minute brick run. I ran along Mounts Bay Road foreshore, passing the Swan Brewery towards UWA Boatshed and back. I think it has been more than 6 months since I last ran on that path and it was good to bring back some memories, as it used to be my ONLY running route. I did 6.8km with an average pace of 4:25.

On Sunday morning, I had a run of 1 hour 55 minutes in the books. I started off well, just under 4:30 pace. With about 35 minutes left to go, I slowed down to a 5 minute pace jog. Ended up logging 25.1km, which was part of my initial plan to do at least 25kms. The magpies wouldn't give me a break, I had one swooping down on me towards the final few minutes of my run. This is the first time I've experienced a magpie attack in our neighbourhood.

To say that I'm better prepared than last year is a bit of an understatement. With Bill's guidance, I've been training injury free. I have logged over 300kms of riding for 4 weeks of my training, with many weeks in excess of 270kms. Last year I only did a couple of weeks of riding over 200kms. Last year I was bogged down with shin splints and could barely do any running, I was only running one hour per week, even in the final weeks leading up to the race. Whereas this year, I've clocked over 40kms every week apart from the easy weeks, with a few in the 50s and one just over 60km.

Of course all this doesn't count as what matters is how I pull up on race day. The next two weeks of taper will be crucial, to keep myself healthy, eating right and getting as much recovery as possible. Good luck everyone!

Long week

2011-11-13T20:07:00.001+08:00

It's been less than a week since Li-Ann has arrived in Washington DC. She will be spending about another two weeks in the States, including a trip to New York. I have to say, that the time difference has made it a bit difficult for us to communicate. At the moment, we are updating each other through Facebook messages, and quite often there is a lag before one of us would receive the message and reply.

My days have become longer as I now have too cook my own dinner. Of course, Li-Ann does much more than feed me, but it's one of the things I take for granted while she's around. I'm so used to coming home from work, have a shower and dinner is all prepared for me. I guess I'm really lucky that way. So the past few meals have been sausages and pasta if I could be bothered to cook. On other occasions, I have succumbed to take-away.

This week is also my last long week of training. I did a 6 hour ride on Saturday, Sam and Dennis kept me company for 5 hours on the Freeway, and then I headed back out and did a loop around the Shelley reserve. The weather was favourable, southerly winds made it easier on our way back and the headwinds were pretty gentle earlier in the morning when we were heading out. I clocked 183.9km, average pace of 30.6kph, that's a training PB for me.

On Sunday, the plan was to do a 2.5 hour run. You guessed it, it didn't go according to plan! I started off well, running consistently at 4:38 pace for up to about 1 hour 20 minutes, when suddenly I felt weak and slowed down to a jog. To make matters worse, about 10 minutes after that, I had some pretty severe stitches that even jogging was a big struggle, so I decided to stop. I did 19.7km in 1 hour 32 minutes.

But I was keen to make up the hours in the afternoon. After taking a few naps during the day, I felt refreshed and was able to run at a quicker pace. I did 13km in 56:31, an average pace of 4:21. This brings total running mileage this week to just under 57km. I'm looking forward to when it drops to 40s next week! Only 3 weeks out from Ironman WA, train safe and rest well everyone!

BYL training camp

2011-11-07T20:35:00.012+08:00

This is the 5th BYL camp organized, but the first ever that I've attended.

To be honest, after clocking two rides over 70km each and a long run just over 29km, I wasn't sure how my legs will pull up for another weekend of big training. But I was looking forward to the fun in Busselton.

And I wasn't disappointed.

Our first session was a swim at the Busselton jetty. We did a few practice swim starts and a short run up the beach. I tried out my new wetsuit Orca Apex 2, which I got for a steal from the clearance section of the Orca website. It felt a bit hot inside, but it will definitely make me feel a lot more comfortable when I get to the bike. Plus, with sleeves, it's meant to make me swim faster than my old sleeveless one... but that has yet to be tested.

Then, onto the ride for a lap of the race bike course. We were asked to do a couple of race efforts at Ironman pace but I'm pretty sure many in the group did faster than that! I had trouble keeping up but we re-grouped after each set.

In the afternoon, we did a 20km run in the trails of Cowaramup. It was probably a mistake to start off with the fast guns in the likes of Bill, Tom and Steve. I found myself slowing down to a jog just after 35 minutes but managed to finish in one piece.

The next day, we did a long ride from Busselton to Margaret River, via Dunsborough. Really glad that I was riding in good company, I barely did any work and they pulled me through most of the ride. Thanks guys! We rode for just over 5 hours, and because I drafted most of the ride, my legs were pretty fresh for the 20 minute brick run after.

Our camp ended with a fun game of ultimate frisbee, which I managed to score a goal... surprising myself more than anyone else! In between all these sessions, we shared plenty of laughs and had loads of fun.

Many thanks to Bill and Ray for their time and organizing this camp. Zoe and Tegan, who did the pilates and stretch sessions in between our big workouts. Though it was excrutiatingly painful, it definitely helped me recover quicker. And it was just great to have everyone there, great company! Thank you all!

*Photos taken from the BYL Facebook page*

Cairns bound

2011-10-30T16:36:00.003+08:00

*Picture taken from official Challenge Cairns website*

I have flirted with the idea of doing this race for quite a while. And then, after my DNF episode in Desaru, I was keen to race Desaru again but I had to re-think my racing options for next year, as travelling twice in a year would cost me a bit more.

But after much deliberation, I rationalized with myself that I intend Cairns sometime in the future anyway, so I might as well do it next year when the costs are lower, as it is more likely than not that the entry fees as well as logistical costs will increase again in the following year. Plus, I think two years of doing Ironman Western Australia back to back is enough for me.

I signed up yesterday, two days before the early bird entry ends at 5pm Cairns time, 31 October. I was pretty much pumped up after a good 4 hour ride and good 13 minute brick run. I like the fact that what I see is what I pay, no additional admin fee, processing fee etc. With the starting point in a tiny suburb of Yorkey's Knob, I've also secured 3 night's accommodation, less than 1 km away from the swim start, without having to put down a deposit.

Okay, so I better not get too carried away. Ironman Western Australia is only 5 weeks away, so I should be channeling my energy and focus towards this race first.

On a side note, Li-Ann and I attended a barbecue and picnic event in Burswood park, with guests of honour none other than our Malaysian Prime Minister and his wife, who are in Perth for CHOGM. But after two hours, they were still not there. We had our nasi lemak and BBQ meat already, and had to get going. We might have just missed them on our way out.

Li-Ann is scheduled to leave for a 3.5 weeks conference trip to Washington DC, with a stopover in Sydney. We have been keeping ourselves glued to the TV for news on the recent grounding of the Qantas fleet worldwide, hoping that this would be resolved before her flight in two days time.

ER

2011-10-28T09:46:00.003+08:00

HELP ME! I heard someone yell as I was being wheeled in on a hospital bed through the aisles of the emergency ward of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Around me were patients with oxygen masks, some unconscious, some seemed to be in a lot of pain. But the medical staff seemed calm, almost immune to the situation.

This was on Monday evening. I experienced some soreness around my left rib area during the weekend, I thought it might have been due to gym work I did on Friday night. But on Monday it became unbearable, I felt pain in each deep breath I took, and every step when my foot hits the ground. I left work early to visit a clinic, but I guessed I wasn't early enough as most of the clinics were already closed. Li-Ann brought me to the UWA medical centre and the receptionist suggested that we tried the emergency centre at the hospital.

There was quite a queue at the hospital. I expected a long wait before I could see the doctor. But when I described the pain to the front desk, they were worried if it was anything related to my heart. So I was asked to enter immediately! When I went in, I was told to lie on the bed so I can be wheeled to my designated examination room. I felt really embarrassed at all the attention I was getting!

In the examination room, a nurse asked me a lot of questions - where the pain is, how painful, any allergies, family medical history etc. She then performed an ECG and the results were okay. A doctor then came and asked me the same questions. She was concerned if it could be due to Pneumothorax (collapsing of the lung) so she prescribed me to get an X ray, which was done shortly after. Anyway, after all the drama, it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my heart or lung, or even my ribs for that matter - which I was initially most concerned about. I thought I might have cracked a rib!

I probably pulled a muscle or had a muscle knot. I rested the next day and did no training at all. Luckily I have an easy program this week, so I'm not missing out on much. And glad that I was much better the following day and could even do a 50 minute run.

Today, which is the CHOGM public holiday or a replacement Queen's Birthday holiday, her Royal Highness is also in town and there is a lot going on in Perth these few days. The police are busy patrolling the streets and helicopters are flashing bright lights from the sky. Anyway, any public holiday is most welcomed! More time to train, and more importantly, more time to rest. I'm all well and feeling no pain at all. Thank you all for the well wishes!

Man vs wild

2011-10-23T21:14:00.004+08:00

Well, not really. But cycling on the freeway south bike paths, you can encounter some wild life. I've heard of people seeing some snakes on their rides, I've been fortunate enough not to experience that. However, today's long ride with Sam and Dennis, we were attacked by magpies in both our outward and return journeys. It seemed to be getting more rampant, as this is a common discussion amongst cyclists who ride this route.

Then, on the way back we rode through a swarm of bees. I went down really low on my bike, luckily I didn't get stung. I supposed in a way, we were intruding their natural habitat (I'd like to think that cyclists' natural habitat is in their cosy homes, and not on the bike paths!). The magpies could be protecting their young, while the bees could be just collecting nectar.

The people of Perth were again shocked by the tragic news of an American man who was killed by a shark while diving at Rottnest Island. This is the third shark attack in 7 weeks. Our deepest sympathy to the victim's family for their loss. I sure hope when we swim around the Busselton Jetty in about 5 weeks time, there won't be any sharks around.

I had a big training load this week. The easy program next week is most welcomed, as I felt a bit tired in some of the longer sessions this week. The last 30 minutes of my 2 hour long run yesterday, I could only manage a 5 minute pace but the faster pace of 4:30 at the start giving an overall average of 4:36. The 1500m swim time trial I did on Friday, I was hoping more of a 22 to 22:30 (average 1:28-1:30 per 100m), but I did 22:50 instead (average 1:31-1:32).

Looking forward to the easy week!

Life

2011-10-16T17:23:00.001+08:00

This week, however is not all is bliss and joy. A close friend of ours had her grandmother passing away of old age. Reading what my friend wrote about her, she sounds like an amazing lady and there would be many wonderful memories to be remembered by.

And then a prominent figure in the cycling and running scene in Malaysia, passed away after collapsing during his morning run. Affectionately known as TSB, short for Tuan Senang Besar (Le Big Easy) because of his size was an advocate to raise awareness amongst Malaysians about cycling and running, and how things can be improved for cyclists, runners and motorists who share the roads.

I do now know my friend's grandmother or TSB personally. But they are both great people and their passing has touched me in some way. Their deaths will be mourned, but their lives will also be celebrated on how they have touched others, in one way or another.

Rest in peace...

Wedding (no, not ours!)

2011-10-16T16:59:00.006+08:00

Li-Ann and I were very honoured to be amongst the guests of our friends, Jasmine and Michael's wedding this weekend. The morning reception was at Araluen Botanic Park. The weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. Dinner was at Red Herring in East Fremantle, with a gorgeous ambience overlooking the Swan River. I've always cycled past the restaurant but this was my first time dining there.

Congratulations, Jasmine and Michael! Our best wishes for the both of you as new life begins as a married couple.

And it begins...

2011-10-09T15:46:00.011+08:00

The first week of October is always the hardest. It is the beginning of the few weeks (usually 5 to 6) where we rack up some mega miles, getting sun kissed tan and spending the remaining hours of our days in zombie like expressions. But looking at my training plan for the next couple of weeks, the weekly hours have still been kept to a manageable load of just over 16 hours. Then again... I may be wrong, as I have yet to receive the plans for the weeks after that.

I turned 28 on Friday, only 2 more years before I reach the big THREE-OH. That also means moving up to the next age group in triathlon-speak. As I clearly enjoy my meat, Li-Ann and I had my birthday dinner at Fibber McGee's Leederville - Irish dry aged steak with Guiness, of course.

What's a birthday without a cake? As there were only two of us, and we were pretty full from dinner, a slice of honeycrunch mousse cake from Exomod Mount Lawley was to be shared between us, along with a cup of coffee for Li-Ann and white hot chocolate for me.

My ride on Saturday started unusually late at 9.30am. I joined Sam and Dennis for a 5 hour ride, and they had a special program which includes a 1 hour swim before and 2 hour run after! I just did the ride. I wasn't sure how I would pull up as my longest ride this year was 4.5 hours before Desaru and that seemed so long ago. But it turns out, I managed alright - 154.2km, average pace 31kph, which is my best training effort so far for a long ride.

It was nice seeing some familiar faces on the freeway south shared paths, they were all on their way back whereas we just started! Though, the magpie attack on the way back from Mandurah wasn't much fun. Thank god for helmets! And I found out later that this has been quite a regular occurrence. Looks like inconsiderate vehicle drivers aren't the only ones who do not welcome us on their roads.

Sunday morning, I tuned into the live streaming of the Kona Ironman World Championships the moment I woke up. I watched Craig Crowie Alexander dominated the field to his 3rd win (which I won a A$10 bet with Li-Ann for hehe) and breaking the course record. There wasn't the excitement of a duel between 1st and 2nd like last year, but breaking the course record by such a narrow margin - a race against the clock made up for it. Chrissie Wellington had to fight off Mirinda Rinnie Carfrae breathing down her neck towards the last mile before claiming her 4th win.

I then set off for my long run, feeling a bit motivated from all the adrenaline of the World Champs coverage. Perhaps too motivated, and probably started off a bit too quickly. I was maintaining a 4:20 pace for about 40 minutes and then I started to fade. I slowed down to a 4:30 and eventually a 4:50 pace. Did 21.8km in 1 hour 40 minutes, an overall average of 4:35 pace. Oh well, we all have our off days and I was just glad to get the mileage in.

Old haunts

2011-10-02T11:06:00.004+08:00

No, this has nothing to do with retro horror movies.

I had a do-as-you-like training this week. It would have been a lot more welcomed if I actually finished the race the previous weekend. Instead, I felt a bit sluggish and neurotically checking the scales regularly to see if I have gained any weight with the light training load, as I haven't been cutting back on my eating.

But taking a break is always good, both for the mind and the body. I re-visited the UWA swim squad on Tuesday night and did 1 hour swim session, covering 3km with a main set of 6 x 200m on 3:15. Everyone was asking where I've been, I guess I did leave abruptly without bidding farewell the last time.

I planned for a 60-70 minute run on Friday morning and I tried on my new pair of Asics GT-2150. They felt a bit stiff, still needs some breaking into. Halfway through I felt blisters developing on my left foot and decided to stop after 13km - 3 x 4.35km loop around my neighbourhood, which is my usual weekday runs before I started Bill's program. Clocked just under 55 minutes, average 4:14 per km pace. Still not quite there yet.

Saturday I did a 3 hour ride from UWA towards Point Walter and Left Bank. Haven't rode there for quite a while. The weather was forecasted to be pretty windy but I think it settled down later in the morning. I did a loop of the Shelley Reserve before returning to UWA. Clocked just under 30kph average.

I did try out something new though. I joined some of the North Coast Tri Club guys for an ocean swim at Sorrento Beach. This is probably one of the rare times where I swim in the open water, other than in races. Bradley Hosking's squad was doing their training there as well. My sighting in the open water still needs a lot of work. I stopped many times to ensure I wasn't swimming too far off the main group. The currents pushed me into the shore a few times too. I copped some stingers but they were pretty minor. Swam just over 40 minutes, probably did about 2km.

Bill's back from France today, he'll be joining us for our social group tomorrow. Can't wait to get my program for the coming weeks and get back into it!

Desaru 116 triathlon - my first DNF

2011-09-26T18:17:00.004+08:00

*Picture courtesy of Paul Lee*

I haven't had a lot of luck with Desaru. Two years ago, I suffered bad cramps when I started the run and I walked/jogged to a 2:11 half marathon split to finish in 5:33 overall. This year, just after 30km on the bike, the rear brakes were rubbing against my wheel. I got off, had it re-aligned and got back on with the ride. I lost two minutes.

At the 50km mark, it happened again. Never mind, I'll just re-align it again. Another 2 minutes lost. It seemed that my efforts were futile, as just 10 minutes later, I heard the same screeching sound of brakes rubbing against the wheel and I could barely pedal. I was devastated. I'm sure nearly half of the competitors cycling that day could hear my screams and swears from the roadside, and I nearly did a Normann Stadler by chucking my bike onto the dirt in despair.

It's always a difficult decision to pull out from a race. Especially so when you have travelled from far, it seemed like the trip was a total waste. More heartaching was that I have literally squandered an opportunity to be amongst the prize winners in my age group, after looking at the results the next day.

However, this is, after all, a test race for my preparations for Ironman Western Australia in 10 weeks time. And I will treat it as such, and take away as much as possible, from this learning experience.

A few things indicated that my preparations were in the right direction. I felt strong riding on the undulating hills on the course. My average speed was well above what I expected. No doubt I had about another 37km to go, but I reckon I should be able to maintain that pace for another hour or so. The hill workouts that Bill prescribed did a lot more than just develop more mass on my very flat bum (per Li-Ann's observation haha). I paced a few friends on the run and I felt really comfortable with the rhythm. Sure I had a reasonably fresh pair of legs after having a free ride on the ambulance for about 30 minutes. But I also think the brick workouts are working well.

One thing to work on. I need to improve my sighting in the open water. I was swimming with the lead pack, and when I felt comfortable, I upped the pace and actually took the lead, swimming on my own. But just after the first lap, I got totally lost and went way of course, losing my lead altogether.

One thing to keep in mind. I must take time to assemble my bike and test ride it... PROPERLY. This story would have been very different if I didn't assemble my bike hastily, in a tired state (from travelling) outside the hotel reception while waiting for my room mates to arrive. I could have used that time to rest and assemble my bike in the comfort of our hotel room. Also, since I have rested, I would have been able to do more than just a short spin around the hotel carpark.

I'm sure there are lots more to be taken away from this experience. And there's no point ruminating about what could have been. I did after all, have a good time with friends in my home country. Now, I need to re-focus my thoughts and energy on Ironman Western Australia, which is the main goal of all the training in the past few months, and months to come anyway.

Having said that, I'm pretty keen to return next year.

I have some unfinished business with the Desaru demons that I want to settle.

The Fat Boy Challenge: A race report of a different kind

2011-09-18T11:12:00.008+08:00

It's no secret that I'll be racing the Desaru 116 triathlon in about a week's time. It would be a good test of my Ironman preparations so far, just 10 weeks before Ironman Western Australia. Taking on the Fat Boy Challenge is probably one of the most foolish things I have ever done, especially just a week out from this race.

If you recall from my post a couple of months ago about Novembar, a quaint lunch bar, operated by a creative (and borderline maniac) proprietor Minh Van. Li-Ann's friends organized a dinner get-together on Thursday night, with one of them taking up the Fat Boy Challenge. I've been wanting to give this challenge a shot anyway, so I decided to join in too.

The Fat Boy Challenge is a 1.3kg burger consisting of 2 burger buns, 7 beef patties, 3 slices of cheese, 1 egg, 1 bacon and cooked onions. Normally priced at $28.50 on the menu, but if you take up the challenge, you only pay $1 for every minute you take to complete the burger. With the condition that you MUST finish the burger.

Because we had a large group and there was only one chef (Minh himself), it took a while before our burgers were served. As the others were getting their burgers brought to their table, I was beginning to feel nervous. Even the triple cheeseburger (3 beef patties, 3 slices of cheese) looked enormous, I wasn't sure if I could finish my Fat Boy!

I did a mistake by starting too quickly, both from the hunger and also the eagerness to set a good time. As it was physically impossible to eat the burger as a whole, I attacked it patty by patty. The patties are actually made from scratch, so they were stuffed with fillings, not your typical frozen thin ones.

I was averaging about 1 minute per patty up until the 4th patty, when I started experiencing some heart burn. And then, it got harder to down the patties once my stomach began to fill up. By the 6th patty, I think I hit the wall. So, I drank some water to wash it down before taking the last patty. It took me nearly 3 minutes to finish the last patty with the bun. My total time was 15 minutes and 15 seconds, hence I needed to pay $15.25. And to think the quickest time on the leaderboard to date is 6:21!

Surprisingly, my stomach held up quite well that night. The 70 minute run session I had the next morning though, wasn't a pretty sight! But I recovered well the next morning, posting my first ride in the hills under 3 hours with a 2 minute PB on the Mundaring Weir climb.

I'll be leaving for Desaru this coming Thursday night and arriving in Singapore on Friday morning. Next post shall be my Desaru race report!

A few places...

2011-09-11T15:35:00.007+08:00

...we went to for the past couple of weekends.

The Rosemount Hotel in North Perth, great food (especially the rump steak!), reasonable prices. Every main meal on the menu was under $25. Our only gripe was you could only eat outdoors, which is not smoke free.

Saigon Cafe in Northbridge, we normally have our Vietnamese at Dao Vien, next to my local tri shop Runners World. But as it was closed, we reluctantly went to Saigon, as the last time we were there, the food wasn't quite to our liking. But I'm glad we visited them again, as we enjoyed our meal very much this time. I guess sometimes, we need to give second chances.

Oh, and I've FINALLY got my car back. After patiently (yes, I think I have been pretty patient) waiting for 8 weeks. But you can be very sure I won't be renewing my insurance with AAMI next time!

Lake Gwelup 10km run

2011-09-04T11:27:00.004+08:00

This run was not on my program originally. I swapped it with the Freo Fun Run the following week, as it is much closer and the entry fees were much cheaper too. Also, I didn't fancy running through the railway lines in Fremantle. So I thought I chose the softer option.

I was wrong.

When I started my warmup at the foot paths at Lake Gwelup, the race marshalls have already lined up the course with the orange cones. I noticed the course went off the paths and into the grass and gravel. Not my preference, but we can't always stick to things we're comfortable with.

I actually felt pretty good in the warmup. The 4.5 hour ride in the hills the day before didn't seem to affect my legs that much when I did the short 30 second bursts of sprints. And because the place was only 10 minutes away, I had plenty of time to stretch, relax and get myself ready. I thought to myself, I might do a good run after all.

I was wrong again.

I probably only felt good for the first 10 minutes of the race. After that, there some twists and turns in the course, and we also came to a short climb of about 500m. The run was a 2 lap course, so I took a mental note to prepare myself when we return to that climb on the 2nd lap.

Mitch Cleasby, who pipped me at the finish line at Perth Half Marathon 4 weeks ago, overtook me just after the 4km mark. It was then where it felt like my body surrendered whatever strength it has left, leaving me to run in survival mode for the rest of the run. When I passed the halfway point, the finish clock was showing 20:30 something. I'm already 45 seconds slower than I was at the halfway point at Lake Joondalup where I did my 10km PB.

My pace slowed down even more after that, probably about 10 seconds per km. I've already taken this to be a training run. A couple more runners overtook me, then an older participant stayed with me until the last km. With the finishing in sight, suddenly my legs felt a sudden surge of energy and I picked up my pace, finishing with a bit of a sprint. I crossed the finish line in 41:53, more than 2 minutes slower than Lake Joondalup run, and with an average pace of 2-3 seconds slower per km than Perth Half Marathon.

Slightly disappointed that I wasn't able to give my best. But I guess we can't be at our best all the time. So I just have to be contented with another good hard running session in the bag.

Follow the herd

2011-08-28T20:41:00.006+08:00

I had a good week of training, felt strong for most of the sessions. I finished the week with a back to back ride weekend - 4.5 hour ride on Saturday, starting at the eastern hills which took me about 3 hours, and I made up the remaining 1.5 with a ride along the river. On Sunday, while the most of Perth community were out running the City to Surf, over 42,000 runners to be exact, I did a 2 hour ride on Freeway South. The weather was calm and cool, with slight overcast. I truly enjoyed my ride and I'm sure those who ran this morning did some pretty fast times. Well done to all those who competed, and congratulations to those who achieved their PBs!

Entries opened today for the inaugural Ironman Asia Pacific Championship to be held at Melbourne in late March next year, offering 75 qualifying slots for Kona, more than 25 from the usual Ironman events. The event was sold out in a record time of just over 5 minutes! It seems like it is the norm now, with Ironman events selling out on the same day and interested participants have to commit themselves a year in advance. With more and more people taking up this sport, the natural laws of supply and demand dictate increasing entry fees. This particular race is more than 20% dearer than Ironman Western Australia.

Congratulations to those who managed to secure a spot and having the courage to make the commitment, especially for those entering their first Ironman event. I didn't join the bandwagon, in contrast to the title of this post. A couple of reasons, as I think 3.5 months will probably be not enough for me to recover from Ironman Western Australia to be at my racing best. Another reason as I'm pretty keen to try Challenge Cairns, an Iron distance event outside the Ironman series. The timing will be perfect, a few weeks before our wedding and it will be a good race to do before I take a break from endurance events and start looking at other things in life (but I make no promises, so don't hold me onto anything! Haha)

The odd thing is... despite offering the same distance and similar experience, the entries for Challenge Cairns are really trickling. The race would not offer any qualifying spots for the Ironman World Championship but I'm sure the event organization is top notch and the satisfaction of completing the race is just as great. Anyone keen to join me?

On the lighter side, I have relatives over for the week. My cousin, his wife, his daughter, my aunty and uncle are here to visit. We went to Fremantle today, which was nice as it's been a while since Li-Ann and I have been there. And even a longer time since we did the touristy stuff like visiting the markets and having fish and chips by the harbour.

Confessions of a shopaholic

2011-08-21T20:24:00.006+08:00

Well not quite... but in the past few weeks, I have made quite a few purchases off the internet, which somehow always make me go on guilt trips whenever these purchases are triathlon related. Nevertheless, I take comfort in convincing myself that these few items are essentials for the average triathlete.

Another pair of Asics GT-2150s. I'm currently already using a pair as my trainers. These have served me well and provided great arch support. I normally change my trainers once a year but with the increased weekly mileage, my current pair are wearing out soon. I would have loved to upgrade to the newer 2160 model, but these were going at a clearance price on Start Fitness, which also prompted the pre-emptive purchase. The red colour is less striking than my current lime green ones though.

Shimano TR51 triathlon bike shoes. Got them pre-used at a steal price from the TriWa forum. My current and only pair of bike shoes, the TR30s have been through thick and thin throughout my triathlon journey. But it is time to let them go. Also, these blue babies match the colour of my bike haha.

Nothing extra exciting have been happening since the Perth Half Marathon, hence the one week lapse in my blog posting. Li-Ann and I watched the final instalment of the Harry Potter mini series in the cinemas today. We have been playing catch up with the previous three episodes by watching them on DVD. I've watched all the Harry Potter movies, but mainly for entertainment value. I find myself asking Li-Ann, who has read all the books, a lot of questions after each movie.

We ended the weekend with dinner at Mille Cafe, $9.95 pizza specials! We had to take away most of the pizza and I have to say, when it comes to pizza, we pledge our loyalty to Little Caesars! Although, the apple cake we had for dessert was pretty good.

Perth Half Marathon 2011

2011-08-08T19:45:00.011+08:00

Somehow, this race wasn't included in my original preparations for Ironman Western Australia at the end of the year. However, when I signed up with Bill's coaching, I had a guess that he would have me racing this event. If I had known earlier, I would have signed up before the early bird entry ends and save myself $5! Haha, yes I am an accountant after all, every penny counts!

I have been feeling pretty good with my running sessions lately. And by clocking a 4:10 per km average at my most recent 1.5 hour long run, I set myself a challenge to try to run sub 87 minutes at this race, which is 4:07 per km. My previous best was at the same race last year, 1:28:33. Last year, I did an 80km ride the day before. Whereas this year, I did a 4 hour ride (which ended up being 4:12 because of the nasty northerly winds on the way back!) on the eve of the race. So it will be interesting to see how my legs hold up.

I slept like a log the night before, after a hearty meal at Catalano's Cafe. Didn't have too much sweet stuff this year for dessert, as they gave both myself and Li-Ann stomach upsets towards the end of last year's run.

Race morning, I got to the WA Marathon clubrooms at 7.30am, but all the parking spots were already taken up. This year's turnout was over 740 runners for the half marathon event alone. Parked a bit further, no worries, I did a warm up jog to the club rooms. Caught up with the guys from Break Your Limits, it's nice meeting up with people you know before the race to calm your nerves. Other people I met were Dennis Tan and John Cooke from North Coast Tri Club. We left it to the last minute before doing a warm up jog, after which Sam, my riding partner appeared, catching me by surprise. Sam and I then walked to the starting line, making it just in time, less than 1 minute before the 8.00am start! Yes, you can tell I'm much more relaxed this year!

The start was a bit crowded, I got a bit worried that my pace will be affected but I crossed the 1st km marker in 4:03, and the 2nd in 3:59 so I was doing well ahead of target. I was pacing with whom I thought was Nera Jerab, WA's state champion for the Perth Marathon, and as I soon dropped her off, I tought to myself that I was doing pretty alright! Later, I found out at the turnaround point at the Narrows Bridge, that Nera was away ahead of me and would eventually be the women's champion in a blitzing 1:23:38 (no surprises here!), and the girl I dropped off was her sister Visnja, who actually finished 17 seconds after me.

The km markers were a bit inconsistent, but overall I was averaging just under 4:07 per km pace. I got to the 10km mark at 41:02 and were beginning to overtake some of the runners in front of me. Our BYL Man of Mystery, Shao (Wuzza) Wu was taking pictures at the South Perth foreshore, cheering us on, so I was feeling pretty good.

But it soon came undone from 12km onwards. I was beginning to feel some minor side stitches and it didn't help that despite the weather being generally calm, any slight headwind will tend to affect your mind and body when you're starting to suffer. Also, the absence of km markers from the 13th km onwards made it a bit difficult to estimate if I was on track. Plus, on this part of the course, we had to to go through some short, but pretty steep hills at the East Perth foreshore, which will throw off your leg cadence out of whack. Here's where I constantly needed to tell myself, to just keep the momentum going!

The last few kms, I was inching closer and closer to veteran runner, Mitch Cleasby. We got the finishing chute together and I started sprinting. But, the crafty Mitch wasn't going to let me overtake him, so he picked up his cadence and left me in his wake. I finished a second behind him in 1:27:32, a minute off last year's PB, in 58th place overall, as Mr BYL himself, Ray Lampard, one of the race emcees, commentated my finish. I guess, despite being a bit off target, I really can't complain as it is still a new PB.

Caught up with the other guys after the race, most of them did their PBs that day, indicating a combination of great racing conditions and effective training programs, which are really paying off. A good day out.

*Pictures courtesy of Lena Inkson and Dash Photography*

Stormy week

2011-07-31T20:12:00.003+08:00

It was actually alright for the first half of the week, and really started on Wednesday afternoon when I did my 45 minute easy run after work. It started to drizzle as I started my run and the clouds were all black. There was a bit of lightning too but they seemed quite a distance away. As a cyclist overtook me at one of the intersections, he said "I thought I was the crazy one riding home in this weather!"

Well, as it turned out, there were many other crazies running that evening too. John Cooke was one of them as he posted on his blog here. The downpour really came on my return journey from Burswood. It was not only wet but the winds were strong too, such that the rain were hitting me diagonally and hard! And my glasses were all fogged up, I could barely see beyond a few metres in front of me. Thank god I got home safely that night.

I didn't have further altercations with the weather for the next couple of days. In fact, it was clear when I did my long run on Friday morning. Managed 21.6km for the 90 minutes, an average pace of 4:10 per km. My best effort so far... and looking forward to attempting another PB at the Perth Half Marathon next weekend.

Saturday's ride in the hills was when the skies opened again. Although I must say I was pretty lucky, when it really poured, coincidentally I was near sheltered areas. The first was at the toilets at Mundaring Weir dam, the second when I was making my journey back at the Windan Bridge at East Perth. But most of the paths were flooded at East Perth, forcing me to make a bit of a detour and I found myself cycling along playgrounds and boardwalks.

I had another ride on Sunday morning, this time along the Swan River. Although it didn't rain as much, I think the winds got stronger. Or it could be the impression from the waves crashing onto the Freeway South bike paths. I could barely go down on my aerobars without risking being blown away. On my return journey, I even struggled to maintain riding on the outer lane as the winds kept pushing me in.

Previously I would probably be cursing the weather throughout these sessions. But somehow I've learnt to accept these things and take them as deposits into my memory bank to draw upon if it gets tough on race day. As John Cooke aptly quoted from Macca's I'm Here to Win book, EMBRACE THE SUCK!

Alien robots and monster burgers

2011-07-24T20:30:00.004+08:00

I had an easy week of training this week. And with the extra time, I could run a few house chores, do my tax returns and go to the movies, which we haven't been doing for quite some time. And yes, you guessed it, Transformers 3 was what we picked. But we couldn't justify the extra dollars to watch it in 3D and both Innaloo and Morley only had one session a day for the 2D screening.

Anyway, we picked the Morley one despite being slightly further from us as the one in Innaloo was showing at 9.30pm, and being the earlybirds we are, we probably would fall asleep partway! The movie was fun and entertaining. I wasn't expecting much from the plot, so I couldn't be disappointed. Although, I'm not a huge Megan Fox fan, but the new girl in this sequel somehow lack the feist of her predecessor.

After the movie, we had dinner at a tiny lunch bar, Novembar, which is famous for their interesting and querky burgers. I had a classic steak burger with the lot while Li-Ann had the star burger. My steak was really tender and Li-Ann really enjoyed the beef patty and her sesame seed bun. And for dessert, we ordered the fried ice cream burger, which was absolutely yummy!

The standard burgers are quite cheap, most of them being $10 or under. But there are crazy ones as well, including the Fat Boy burger, which makes up 7 patties and cheese, $28.50 on the menu. Or you can take up the Fat Boy challenge and pay $1 for every minute you take to finish the burger, with the condition that you MUST finish it. I think I might try that the next time. The current winner sits at 6.5 minutes, with the winner out of the first 1000 participants takes home $3,000 cash. Only 40 or so people have taken part.

And if you are REALLY hardcore, there is a 100 patty burger, but be prepared to pay something in the hundreds for that. You can read more about this place on Urbanspoon and Cam and Chris' Burger Odyssey.

Now, back to a hard week of training and perhaps I can reward myself with a Fat Boy burger haha.

Lake Joondalup 10km Run

2011-07-17T12:00:00.007+08:00

Another 10km race in my program, as Bill's way of making me run hard and not to slack off after a pretty tough training week. I heard that it was a fast course and a PB is pretty much guaranteed. As much as I wanted another PB and possibly crack the sub 40 minute mark, I was a bit doubtful. My quads felt tight the whole day yesterday after a 4 hour ride.

On a whim, we decided to eat out for dinner last night. I thought it would be a good idea to get some carbo in before the run, I'm preparing like it was an Ironman race haha. We went to good ol' Fratelli in Sorrento. We did not have a booking but as we were early, we just managed to get ourselves a table before it was all booked out.

Service was really quick, the food was ready within 5 minutes from ordering! Very tasty, I had the chicken fetuccine and Li-Ann had the seafood risotto. As always, we swapped plates halfway through. Due to the quick service, we were barely in the restaurant for more than 30 minutes. We then had dessert at San Churro at Hillarys Boat Harbour. Unfortunately, our black forrest trifle was a bit of a letdown.

Race day morning, I got the Lake Joondalup by 7.15am for the 8am start. Organized by the WA Marathon Club, it was a two lap 5km course. I didn't feel fantastic during the warm up. My quads were still tight, and my breathing was a bit laboured. I had chaffing from yesterday's ride and I felt it while doing some short sprints.

I met Dennis Tan from North Coast Tri Club and Steve Gleeson from Break Your Limits. Both got their PBs, well done! I could not find any toilets for the pre race leak, so I followed some other guys who went to the bushes. Not sure where the ladies went!

Race start, I got caught up in the surge of the other runners, clocked the first km in 3:53, but the second km in 4:06. I guessed the 1st marker was probably a bit short then. There was a slight slope down just before the 2.5km turnaround, meaning an elevation after it. It annoyed me a bit, as I expected a TOTALLY FLAT course but really, I shouldn't be complaining at all.

The was a bit of wind too, but wasn't too challenging. Throughout the first lap, there were kids no taller than my chest, who were keeping up with my sub 4 minute per km pace, some even faster! Gosh, they can really run! As I made the 5km turnaround, the the finisher clock showed just over 19:40 something, I thought to myself, if I can maintain the pace, sub 40 is mine!

I didn't negative split for the second lap but I kept the km splits under 4 minutes. Reached the finish in 39:43, a PB by over 40 seconds! And I broke 40 minutes for 10km, something which I never thought I could. Definitely breaking my limits! I guess the interval runs really help.

Looking forward to an easy week of training...

The day my car was stolen

2011-07-10T14:27:00.003+08:00

These things happen. However, I always thought that they would not happen to me. Well it did. Maybe it was just bad luck. Maybe it was poor judgement. Maybe a combination of both.

I went for a swim at Balga Leisurepark on Tuesday night. I placed my bag in the changeroom. It only contained my clothes, access card to the pool and my bunch of keys, which consist of car keys, house keys and office keys.

I started swimming at 6.20pm. About 55 minutes later, I returned to the changeroom with my bag wide opened, clothes thrown to the side. My first thought of relief was luckily I did not bring my wallet or phone with me. But that relief quickly changed to panic when I could not locate my keys! I quickly reported the incident to the staff at the front desk. The shift manager escorted me to where my car was located and true enough, my car was gone!

The receptionist was quick to contact the police and after finalising the report, I used the front desk phone to call Li-Ann to pick me up. Once we reached home, I started calling all my credit card companies and banks to cancel the cards. Murphy's Law... normally I leave my wallet at home when I swim, but I left it in the car this time as I wanted to fill up the tank after the swim.

Nothing much we could do after that, but at about 9.20pm, I received a call from the police saying they found the car and the culprits caught. According to the front desk staff, they are mostly likely a group of teenagers who have been banned from the centre for previous misconduct and it seems vehicle vandalism is pretty frequent. So I don't think I'll be swimming there again!

My car is still with the police at the moment for further investigation. It has been a bit inconvenient for the past few days, but Li-Ann is very supportive, sending me to work and all. To be honest, I rather have the car be written off as it is insured, and we could get a new one. God knows what they have done to it.

Another first for me, I did a 20km bike time trial hosted by the Australian Time Trial Association at Champion Lakes. It was quite a drive, about 45 minutes away. I found it really hard. The winds were blowing strongly, with gusts knocking me off balance a few times. And there were some tight corners which I slowed down a lot due to my poor handling. I thought I could achieve an average pace of 35kph but after the first of four laps, I knew there was no way I could clock that in those conditions. Hence, finishing in 36:54, averaging 32.5kph. Can't complain.

Scenic rides

2011-07-03T14:38:00.006+08:00

I've cycled a total of 267km this week. I think that's a personal record for me, although it's a measly figure compared to many others, including some of you who read this blog. Still, it gives me quite a satisfaction and I know this record would soon be broken.

Saturday's ride was probably one of the last few rides in the hills. All but one of the Cyclebespoke people didn't show up. Shaun, the only one who came, said we're probably the only ones brave enough to ride in the rain and wind. He also said, he could think of another word other than brave... we both knew what the word, and chuckled quietly to ourselves.

It's a good thing Shaun came, as even though this would be my third time riding this route, I'm still unsure of the way. Shaun brought me up to Mundaring, where we bade farewell and I continued to Mundaring Weir. One upside of riding alone is you can take your time, riding at your own pace, taking a toilet break and... something I've been wanting to do in prior rides, getting a picture of the beautiful Mundaring Weir dam.

The next morning, I had another 3 hour ride in the program but this time on a flatter course. I started from the city and did a loop around Shelley Reserve. It was so peaceful and quiet, and the view was just gorgeous. Any photo taken would not do justice to the experience, hence, I didn't take any hehe. I then rode to the Left Bank, East Fremantle and made another loop at Shelley before heading back to the city.

Normally, my legs are pretty shattered towards the last few kms if I have longish rides back to back. But they held up pretty well this morning. Must have been the big feast of a dinner Li-Ann and I had the night before at Little Caesars.

And look what my parents got for me for an early birthday present... thanks mum and dad! I love you!

Two great coaches

2011-06-27T18:46:00.005+08:00

As some of you might have already guessed, when I mentioned previously that I started a new training program, it is actually a coached program, under a great mentor, Bill Scanlan. Bill did a top notch race performance at Ironman France over the weekend, finishing 10th overall! He gained 38 places after the swim. I feel really proud to have him as a coach, and I'm already feeling the improvement after doing his program for about 4 weeks now.

The other person I want to mention is my dad, who I would say, is like my life coach. Until today, although I've already been working for 6 years and achieved my own financial independence, whenever I have difficulties making decisions, no matter how major or how petty, dad always point me to the right direction. Fathers Day was celebrated all over the world (except Perth) two weekends ago, here's a happy belated father's day, dad!

Dad ran the full marathon distance at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon yesterday. Despite stomach aches in the early stages of the run (including a portaloo visit), and cramps towards the last 10kms of the run, forcing him to resort to run-walk those last few kms, he finished just 6 minutes off his personal best. Cramps had always been a problem to dad in the full marathon, but that doesn't stop him. Instead, it fuels him even more to improve the following year!

Well done and congrats to both!

*picture courtesy of Mr Tey*

5 years anniversary

2011-06-23T21:38:00.007+08:00

A last minute gift for my darling fiance

We ate at Boulevard Restaurant, Hillarys Boat Harbour but were somehow disappointed with the food quality

Hence, the dessert pizza at Little Caesar's... never fail to satisfy

One of the last few anniversaries before we become a married couple!

Love you, darling...

More pictures from Perth Marathon

2011-06-19T18:09:00.009+08:00

Courtesy of Tom Kroyer from the Break Your Limits Facebook page.

Nat coming to the changeover

As fast as my legs can take me

Paul finishing the run for us

A good Sunday

Perth Marathon Relay

2011-06-19T14:56:00.006+08:00

Perth Marathon, organized by the WA Marathon Club, in it's 33rd year of running this year. I did the full distance for 2007 (my first marathon) up to 2009 (marathon PB), skipping it in 2010. Now I'm back at this familiar event, doing the relay instead. Our team was Break Your Limits Foursome with myself, Nat, Dave and Paul. And our race number was 69! I wanted to crack a joke about it this morning, but it was probably a bit too early for that hehe.

The weather was pretty clear and still, which was great, as it was nothing like that for most of the week. It was also nice to meet Dennis Tan of North Coast Tri Club in person, after corresponding for a while via Facebook. Dennis wasn't running that morning, but he came with a portable radio to cheer the runners, what a nice guy! Thanks Dennis for the picture tag!

I was to run the third leg, a distance of 14.4km. I was targeting anything under an hour, a pace of 4:10 per km. I had quite a hard week of training, including 1.5 hour run during the week and a 3 hour bike ride yesterday in some pretty wet and windy conditions. Plus, we had quite a late night, with our friend, Shirley's birthday dinner, treating us to a delicious feast of Korean BBQ. Lots of meat for protein, but hopefully won't give me any problems with digestion for the run.

I brought Li-Ann along as I needed her for my transport, being my start and finish points were at different locations. I anticipated that my relay changeover will occur about 1 hour 45 minutes after the race start, which started at 8am. Hence, we had plenty of time. We had our second breakfast at Prinz of Vienna, an almond croissant and a cinnamon scroll of massive portions! Add these to a thick and super sweet, tall glass of hot chocolate... I hope my stomach holds up!

Fortunately, I managed to visit the toilet again before I start, so it was all good. A handful of relay teams went passed as I was waiting for Nat for the changeover. Nat too did a PB for her 12.5km run, awesome! The first few km markers were probably under distance, as I was clocking under 4 minutes for them.

But I soon get settled in, overtaking some more of the relay runners. One runner overtook me just before we got into halfway of the distance, but I kept him in sight, about less than 100m away. I was averaging between 4-4:10 most of the way, reminiscing this familiar course but with a lot more in the tank and with much less pain! Also, there was slight tailwind, which was very handy!

I didn't catch up to that runner in front, but I finished in 58:44 as I passed the wristband to Paul. A pace of 4:05 per km, very happy with that!

Paul beat our car back to the finish. There was a lot of congestion at the Burswood complex as the Dalai Lama was having an event there. We met up with the other Break Your Limits people before dropping Paul back at his car and then, heading home.

I have an easy week of training on the program next week, which is most welcomed!

Lake Monger 10km Run

2011-06-12T11:06:00.006+08:00

The last time I did a 10km race was probably more than 5 years ago, when I ran about 44 minutes. It was the Asics Bridges run. I did continue running the distance in my training, and if my memory doesn't fail me, my best time was just under 42 minutes. But even then, the last time I did a 10km training run was also nearly two years ago.

Hence, coming into this race, I did not have any set expectations. I had quite a full session this week, with a 3 hour ride in the hills the day before, and I would have logged nearly 48kms in running mileage after the race. The last time I ran more than 40km was nearly 1.5 years ago, as I did not clock in the long miles during my preparation for last year's Ironman Western Australia due to injury.

Having said that, I was feeling pretty good. And judging by my current fitness, I was targeting for any time under 41 minutes. I felt relaxed at the start of the race. The good thing of having done much longer races before, a short one like this may feel like a walk in the park (but the pain I felt later while actually running is VERY different!)

It was organized by the WA Marathon Club, a small local race, three loops around Lake Monger. The turnout was probably just over 100 people. The course is flat, but it was pretty windy. Luckily, we were sheltered by trees most of the time. I probably started a bit too quickly, and I struggled a bit with my breathing. I was surprised when my watch showed 3:54 at the first km marker, but it later showed 4:17 for my 2nd km split. Hence, I knew the markers will be slightly inconsistent.

Finally got into the groove after the first lap. There was a guy who was like, 3 times my size, Ipod in one hand, wearing cotton T-shirt, bermudas and gym trainers and he was running alongside with me up until the second lap. My ego was yelling at me, "No Way I'm losing to this guy!" So just after we got into the 3rd lap, I turned up the pace and he dropped off.

Redlined for the last 2km and sprinted home to a new 10km PB of 40:26. Pretty stoked with that! There wasn't any fanfare at the finish. There weren't enough water cups even after 45 minutes. I wasn't sure if there were prizes, but I didn't care. I did a good run and I'm happy with my time.

Now to get something to eat...

Something different

2011-06-06T10:39:00.003+08:00

Many of you would know, that I am someone who is very resistant to change,and lead a structured, regimented life. Especially when it comes to my triathlon training. I ride and run the same routes, I do the same workouts from week to week.

So it was good to have a bit of a mix this week, as I started on a new training program, in preparation for Ironman Western Australia in about 6 months time.

Monday morning, we all met for the BYL group ride, but as it was raining cats and dogs, we decided to skip the ride, and head straight for coffee. It was also Bill's last day before he flew to France. So it was nice just taking our time, having a chat.

Tuesday morning, it was still very wet. I joined the BYL group run, we did an interval session at the park near Mount Hospital. We did 2x 2km, 2x 1km and 1x 2km with 90 seconds rest in between the 2kms and 30 seconds rest in between the 1kms. I'm not used to running intervals at all, I started off okay and got a bit quicker in middle sets but I started losing steam towards the end. My splits were 8:27, 8:17, 4:07, 4:16 and 8:46.

In the afternoon, I did a 50 minute swim session. Started with 10 x 100m warm up, then did 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m with pull buoy and paddles on 1:35/100m cycles. Finished up with 8 x 50m alternating butterfly and backstroke.

Wednesday morning, I'm glad I had an indoor wind trainer session while it poured again outside. Did 20 x 1 minute on the big gear with cadence about 65rpm, 1 minute rest in between each. All in, a 65 minute session including warm up and cool down. My fingers hurt just as much as my legs from switching gears every minute.

I did an easy 40 minute run after work. It was getting dark as I started about 5.10pm, ran on the shared path along Graham Farmer Freeway from East Perth until the Great Eastern Highway and turned back. The skies opened in the last 10 minutes and I was drenched! Even took me a while get clear visibility before I started driving home. Did about 8km, nice relaxing pace.

A longish 70 minute run was on the program on Thursday morning. Still feeling a bit sore from the hard Tuesday interval run and the 40 minute run the evening before. I don't usually run one day after another, let along 3 days in a row! Managed 16.25km at a steady 4:18 per km pace. In the afternoon, I did a recovery 50 swim session, did some kicking and light pull buoy sets.

Friday morning, another 50 minute swim session. The usual warm up, then I did 8 x 200m with pull buoy and paddles on 3:10 intervals. Again, finishing with 8 x 50m alternating butterfly and backstroke. It was relieving to know that I've only single session training days for the rest of the week.

Saturday, myself and Sam joined the Cycles Bespoke for a ride into the hills. Sam and I looked a bit out of place with our tri bikes. It was very cold that morning, about 7 degrees. We rode into Darlington, coming to a very steep climb, I was averaging about 9kph. We then regrouped at John Forest National Park and were told that the worst was over.

It was, but from then on, the roads were a bit rough and my whole bike frame was shaking. But it was a nice, peaceful feeling riding in the woods, a kangaroo crossed right in front of us at one point. Descending the hills was a bit scary, I tapped on the brakes slightly, my maximum speed was only 58kph. The whole ride was about 55km, Sam and I decided to do another 45km around the South Perth foreshore.

Sunday morning, another ride was on the cards, this time for 2.5 hours. I tried keeping close to 30kph but with the fatigued legs and the moderately strong winds, I finished with an average of exactly 29.0kph.

So that wraps up my first week under a training program. Total training hours of 12.5, may not seem much to many. But considering I'm only used to 8-9 hours before this, and only hit 13-14 hours once or twice during my peak Ironman training, I'm pretty satisfied. Helps me sleep better at night too...

Motivation

2011-05-29T10:36:00.005+08:00

It seems I've been starting my blog posts with pictures of food lately. These were taken from Basement on Broadway, the local pub located near UWA. We have always wanted to try it out while we were staying in that area, but never got the chance to.

A hearty meal after my bike ride yesterday. We got there early and had to wait for the kitchen to be set up. Coming to the end of May now, gee where has the year gone! Another reason for dining out more frequently recently is to use up the discounts in our Entertainment book. We just got the new one, as we do every year, which starts in June.

I have been feeling really motivated lately in my training, which is a good thing. But at the same time, there is a slightly uneasy feeling if I can maintain this motivation until end of the year for Ironman Western Australia. All my 13km runs for the past two weeks were averaged between 4:10 to 4:14 per km. With the slowest one being this morning, when I took it easy in the middle as the headwinds got a bit too strong and I couldn't be bothered pushing through it.

I started doing my own swims at Balga Leisurepark. Without a swim squad or a given program, I had to use my own creative mind (or rather, lack of it hehe) to come up with my own sets. My usual warm ups are 10 x 100m on 1:35. Main set is usually a 2km set, consisting of reps of 100m to 400m. Finishing with some sprints of 10 x 50m, adding in some butterfly and backstroke for variety. All in all, 3.5km in 1 hour for each sessions. This afternoon, I'll be joining Sam for a swim, following his program.

The morning rides are beginning to feel really cold. I've been donning long sleeves and gloves, but still find myself shivering. The winds have calmed down a bit though. Have been able to clock above 29.5kph for the past couple of 80km rides. After a solid weekend workout, I'm looking forward to an easy day tomorrow and start cranking it up again middle of the week.

Some balance

2011-05-22T16:42:00.002+08:00

This was taken the previous weekend but I didn't get around posting it up. It was from V Burger Bar in Victoria Park. The burgers were really fresh and you could see the kitchen staff tenderizing the meat patties in front of you. Worth a try!

We had friends over for the weekend, two couples. An episode on How I Met Your Mother depicted that couples need couple friends. It was nice having them around, as we rarely have guests over. The bulk of our conversation mainly consists of us poking fun at our own partners, highlighting their eccentricities.

Today, after my 80km ride, we went to watch Li-Ann's friend perform. Her band, OWLS was the opening act for WA Music Industry Festival in Northbridge. Their band was only put together for a few months, they performed all original songs, impressive stuff.

It's nice to have something else other than swim, bike or run during the weekend. Good to have some balance, something which many triathletes, including myself struggle to do most of the time. But I'll try to get better.

Buckeyeoutdoors, my online training log is finally up. But I had to create a new account, which means all my previous data since mid 2007 are all gone! Well, nothing I can do about it, except to start fresh. Also, I'm having troubles getting the training log html scripts onto my blog sidebar. Anyone else having this problem or have solved this problem, care to share?

Training updates

2011-05-16T20:45:00.004+08:00

It seemed quite a while since I last posted anything on my training. I came down with a cold the previous weekend but I'm glad I recovered pretty quickly. I'm fine and healthy now. All but one of the last 5 runs I did were under 55 minutes for my 13km route, averaging 4:10 - 4:14 per km. Getting pretty close to where I was mid last year, when I was in my peak of running fitness.

Yesterday, I did my first ride on the Freeway South past Mount Henry bridge. So many years of cycling in Perth, but I have always stuck to the same route. Sam Goh was my training company for the ride, it was nice riding with someone for a change. We rode on the path until somewhere past Baldivis and back. We did 110km in total, it was cruisy on the way out, but the 20kph headwinds on the return trip were pretty challenging. Still, we averaged just over 30kph, a solid ride nonetheless.

I'm near finishing my multi passes for the swim squad at UWA and considering doing my own swims at the pools nearer to home, like Balga Leisurepark or Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre. Swimming on my own also gives me more flexibility and I wouldn't have to wait for my sessions to start at 7pm as I did previously. However, the camaraderie of squad members will be missed.

The recent news of the cancellation of Ironman China brought a lot of angst and frustration for those who were meant to be racing it in 2 weeks' time. But, at the same time the additional 25 Kona spots allocated to Ironman Korea created a bit of excitement to those dreaming of qualifying for the world championships, including myself. But after having the weekend to think clearly, I decided against jumping on the bandwagon of signing up. 6 weeks is not enough to prepare for an Ironman and even then, I'm not up to the mark to challenge for the qualifying spots.

I'll just continue with my training and stick to my plan to prepare for Ironman Western Australia at the end of the year.

Triathlon portal

2011-05-14T09:58:00.005+08:00

Move over Slowtwitch and Everymantri, there's a new kid on the block! BeyondTransition.com recently launched a few days ago, is your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about triathlon, recent and upcoming races.

Designed by triathletes, for triathletes. Hence, you can be sure that every single detail is taken into account from a triathlete's perspective when it comes to planning your next race. The blog features some interesting articles, mostly written by Emma Bishop, a kick-ass triathlete herself, residing in Malaysia. Do have a read and you'll find some really inspiring stories and interviews.

What I especially like is the Races page, which gives you a snapshot summary of information for your next race without having to go through the novel of pages of the athletes guide usually given by the race organizers.

BeyondTransition.com is the brainchild of Denis Oakley, also a passionate triathlete, known for his loud humour, impressive gadgets and overall nice guy. Do have a look and I promise, soon it'll be one of your regular sites to visit!

*pictures courtesy of BeyondTransition.com*

Triple celebration

2011-05-08T09:18:00.005+08:00

My two younger siblings' birthdays this month... little brother's yesterday and little sister's this coming Wednesday. Keith is now just one year away from becoming 18, the legal age for drinking hehe. And well, Karen will be turning a quarter century old haha. One so grown up and the other... erm growing old, haha.

Okay, jokes aside, here's to wishing you both very happy birthdays! Looking forward to seeing both of you end of the year.

Today is Mother's Day. I have spent the last 8 years away from mom on this day, where we give thanks for bringing us to this world, and all the lovely things our mothers have done for us throughout our lives.

Happy mother's day, mom! Nothing can repay the love and kindness you have showered me, I love you!

Oh, one more thing deserving a mention. It was the Busselton Ironman 70.3 yesterday, and there were some great performances from Team BYL. Great job, guys!

Pump it up!

2011-05-01T09:49:00.004+08:00

I've been a regular gym go-er during my college and uni days. Even during my teens, I did quite a bit of weight training, perhaps mainly due to vanity and body image consciousness. I actually think I could have been a bit taller now, if I left the weights until I was a bit older.

And then, I started getting into long distance triathlon more than 3 years ago, and I could barely find the time to make my gym membership worthwhile. Still, I devote a once a week 45 minute session to strength training as I realize how important it is to endurance athletes.

Li-Ann has been hassling me to get a set of weights as I have been using my own body weight for my weekly strength training sessions all these while. Maybe because I'm starting to look less macho with all the muscle catabolism from the endurance training hehe, perhaps it is time to bulk up a bit.

After searching for quite a while, we finally found something suitable and reasonably priced - a 20kg Spalding bodypump weight set. I used it for my strength training session on Friday and I have been feeling sore since... in a good way. So I guess it must be pretty effective. Hopefully this will make stronger and faster, as after all, isn't that our ultimate goal?

On another note but still related, Buckeyeoutdoors, my online training journal has been down for nearly a week due to a server crash caused by storm damage. The site administrator promised it would be up by next weekend, but there is no assurance that any data stored before this could be recovered. I've started using Buckeyeoutdoors since my preparations for my first marathon in 2007. Losing all that data will be like losing a significant portion of my memories. Let's hope for the best.

Cervantes - Jurien Bay trip

2011-04-25T10:59:00.022+08:00

We were fortunate to have a 5 day weekend, as Easter coincides with Anzac day this year. Usually this is an opportunity for me to log some mega training miles. But seeing that it is off season for me and a long time more before my next major race, a short getaway was a good idea.

We decided to take a trip up north, spending just one night in Cervantes on Easter Saturday. A change from our usual trip down the South West. The journey only took us just over 2 hours, thanks to the newly built Indian Ocean Drive. Our first tourist stop was Lake Thetis, where the stromatolites were. We could have walked the 1.5km loop around the lake, but as it was pretty hot and we needed to get to erm... to the washroom urgently, we didn't stay long.

We checked into Windbreak B&B, a nice cosy bed and breakfast owned by an English couple. Our room had the beautiful view of the garden, and behind it was their vegetable farm and the chooks pen. After getting settled, we visited the Lobster Shack, where they had audio tours of the lobster factory, which took us about 30 minutes.

We then took a stroll along the beaches of Cervantes and stopping at Thirsty Point for some sun bathing. Dinner was at the local Seabreeze Cafe, which was pretty busy with all the Easter visitors. We waited over 45 minutes before we got our pizzas.

The next day, we had a full breakfast of wheatbix, cereal, muesli, yoghurt, toast, eggs and passionfruit muffins - all prepared by the lovely Windbreak proprietors. Upon their recommendation, we went to Hangover Bay for a short dip in the cool water. The beach was really quiet unlike the ones in Perth, but had a bit too much kelp for my liking.

We were given Easter eggs upon our check out, which was pretty cute. We then headed further north for about 25 minutes, arriving at Jurien Bay. It rained quite a bit but only for a while. Once it cleared, we got into our swim gear again, and had a short swim near the Jurien Bay jetty.

Lunch was hamburger, wedges and a very heavy jaffa thickshake at the Jetty Cafe. We then began our journey back to Perth, but not before stopping by the Pinnacles. We both have visited the Pinnacles before during our early years in Perth, but it seemed there was a new discovery centre and for only $11 entry per vehicle, we decided to pay another visit.

And to round up our trip, of course, we had to take pictures of some of the erm... more interesting looking pinnacles hehe.

I have a couple more days before I get back to work. I supposed we could have spent a longer time away, but one night away is enough for us, as we're both pretty busy with our own agenda. Besides, I can't be NOT training for all 5 days right?

Sunday night dinner at the tavern

2011-04-20T21:08:00.004+08:00

Ruby's Restaurant at Roundhouse Tavern which is less than 5 minutes walk away from our place. We wanted to have eat out for dinner for a change, and after going through our Entertainment Book (thoroughly I might add!), Ruby's was our pick!

Scotch fillet and seafood platter were our hearty choices, which were delightfully tasty. A quiet, family friendly environment and with our buy one free one Entertainment Book voucher, the place was a sure winner!

Sluggish weekend

2011-04-17T14:10:00.003+08:00

I pretty much struggled for most of my training sessions this week. It might have been due to the slow recovery from the blood donation on the previous Sunday.

The week started with the BYL Monday morning social ride. However, Bill and myself were the only ones who turned up. We took a slightly extended route, passing by quite a bit of the ocean on Cottesloe Beach. Since there were only two of us, we chatted quite a bit, about triathlon and life in general. We didn't stop for coffee, so I was able to get to work early for a change.

My sluggishness was evident in both Tuesday and Thursday swim sessions. I struggled to maintain an average of 45 seconds for each 50m, especially when we got to the longer sets. Wednesday's short run was probably the only session which I was able to give my best. I did 8.7km in 36:34 averaging 4:13 per km.

On the weekend, I swapped my bike and run days as the UCI World Cycling Tour had the time trial event in the city. Many roads were cloased. So I did my run on Saturday instead. I started with a good pace of around 4:17 per km, but somehow I just didn't have the energy to keep it up. Slowed down to a 4:30 to 4:32 per km pace. Finally finishing the 13km run just under 58 minutes, averaging 4:28 per km.

On Sunday morning, it turned out that I wasn't the only one who decided to ride that day. The roads were packed with cyclists and many triathletes who I assumed would be preparing for Busselton 70.3 in 3 weeks away. Towards the later stages of my ride, they were seen doing their brick runs. The winds were pretty calm and there were clouds. But it felt pretty humid and I'm wondering if there is a corelation between humidity and air resistance, as it sure felt tougher riding through the air despite low winds. I averaged the 80km ride in 29.6kph, pretty satisfied but expected a bit more in the calm conditions.

Looking forward to feeling stronger in the coming week.

Windy weekend

2011-04-10T15:01:00.003+08:00

The warm weather took a sudden turn on Thursday, with a few showers in the morning and the maximum temperature dropped to the high 20s for a couple of days. Along with the cooler weather, came the strong winds. And it stayed on throughout the weekend.

Saturday's winds were blowing at about 30kph. I anticipated a slower ride. There were some stretches where I could barely pedal above 25kph. But there was tailwind at the end of my ride and I managed to complete the 80km distance just below 29kph.

Sunday, it seemed like the wind got fiercer. I could hear it blowing from my bathroom as I got ready for my run. Yes, it was my first run in 3 weeks, haven't ran since Singapore Ironman 70.3, which by the way entries for next year's race have already opened for those interested.

The initial plan was just to do an easy 13km run, to test the legs after the short hiatus. I did the first 4.35km loop in 18:40. But my competitive side soon got the better of me and not only was I trying to negative split each loop but I was also aiming for a reasonably fast finish time. It got a bit difficult later on as gusts were blowing at nearly 40kph.

In the end, I managed to do what I set out for. Finishing the second and third loop in 18:32 and 18:20 respectively, completing the 13km distance in 55:32, averaging 4:17 per km. And I was glad my legs felt okay after that, not that sore.

Later in the morning, I had a blood donation appointment. It was for plasma donation and the place was pretty busy. I waited nearly 40 minutes before it was my turn. Unfortunately the procedure was cut short as my arm was beginning to bruise. I donated only 1/3 of the 600g of plasma required. As the procedure wasn't complete, I wasn't able to get back any of the 500ml of blood cells that was pumped out.

Feeling a bit lighted headed at the moment. It's a good thing tomorrow is an easy training day!

It's all in the plan

2011-04-04T20:31:00.004+08:00

Ever wondered if everything that happens in your life is all planned out? Either by fate or by some unknown force above us?

Li-Ann and I watched The Adjustment Bureau on the weekend. The movie was about a politician played by Matt Damon, who falls in love with a dancer played by Emily Blunt, but mysterious forces are keeping them apart, as it wasn't according to their life plan.

A pretty cool movie with an entertaining concept. Also made me wondered if my life was planned out for me to be a triathlete. But I can certainly relate to the fact that we make choices in our everyday life, that would change how our life pans out in the future.

One of the major life changing choices I made was the decision to study in Perth. 8 years on and I'm still in Perth, with my beautiful future wife, making a reasonable living for myself, as well as fitting in a minimum training regime for long distance triathlon in a very conducive environment.

We had quite an activity filled weekend. A friend's birthday celebration dinner on Saturday followed by a visit to a bar in East Perth. The Deville's Pad was quite a unusual experience, with the ghastly decor and alternative crowd. One of the rare late nights I had, as I didn't need to run the next morning, still laying off running for another week.

Although I did an 80km ride the morning before, in pretty windy conditions. Was satisfied that I managed a reasonable pace of 29.2kph. Looking forward to start running next weekend.

Solemn news

2011-03-27T10:14:00.003+08:00

A week has passed since Singapore Ironman 70.3. During the week, I did one swim session, a morning spin on the trainer and one strength workout. On Saturday I did an 80km ride in pretty windy conditions, was happy that I was able to average 29.0kph. There was quite a lot of cyclists traffic and some stretches of roadworks along the shared path along the freeway. Thankfully, no one got hurt.

Back home in Malaysia however, someone wasn't so lucky. A cyclist was riding on Maju Expressway (MEX) on his own, in a bid to catch up with the main group that left earlier. He was fatally hit from behind by a swerving car.

Mr Yeoh PK, I have not met you and I do not know you. But I I pray that you rest in peace. My condolences to your family and I wish them the strength in this difficult time.

Singapore Ironman 70.3 - The catch up race

2011-03-22T15:37:00.013+08:00

The decision to do this race was largely influenced by the 2 for 1 deal by Jetstar, which I purchased the tickets more than a year ago. To be honest, following that, I regretted my decision slightly. The entry fee was higher than any half Ironman race in Australia, and the Aussie dollar was low at the time when I paid. Also, it clashed with the half Ironman in Auckland, which I could have done and visited my sister at the same time.

Anyway, what's done is done. And I'm glad to say I have no regrets doing this race at all! The last time I've been to Singapore was more than 7 years ago, and although we didn't do much sightseeing, the trip gave myself and Li-Ann the opportunity to meet up with our families, relatives and friends.

After 5 days of holiday with my parents and brother in Perth, we were set to depart for Singapore on Thursday night. No doubt I was on holiday but I didn't get much rest either with all the sightseeing. We arrived in Singapore in the wee hours of Friday morning and caught a cab to Serangoon where Li-Ann's sister stays. I had a bit of rest but not much as I got myself a haircut after breakfast with Li-Ann's other sister, and I assembled the bike.

Soon it was time for the race kit collection and carbo loading dinner cum race briefing at Suntec Exhibition Centre. The were not many stalls at the expo and thankfully, I controlled myself and didn't spend a single cent. I was glad to have finally met Enrico and Matt. Also caught up with a friend from Facebook, Chee Siong who would be doing his first half Iron distance race. The briefing was pretty standard, I didn't pay much attention as I was dead tired. The food was pretty good but we joined Li-Ann's sister for supper later, so you can say I was getting over loaded in carbo hehe.

Saturday morning, I did a few laps around the apartment just to see that the bike was in good mechanical order. We then went for an early bike check-in as we were meeting some friends later that day. This was the first time I've checked in my bike so early, I normally leave it to the last hour! And a good thing too, as it rained heavily later in the afternoon. Luckily, I covered the headset and saddle with plastic bags.

Race day morning, a late start time of 8.20am for my age group allowed me to leave a lot of the preparation at the race venue. Still, I got up just before 6am and we caught a cab to East Coast Park, the transition area was already bustling. After getting my bike ready, I met up with Richard and Hamsul, another Facebook friend from Brunei while doing my stretches. Both of them have registered for Ironman New Zealand in March 2012, which sold out in just under 2 days!

The 1.9km swim was a two loop course starting on dry land with a short run on the beach in between the loops. It was a staggered start according to age groups, mine starting 20 minutes after the PROs. As I lined up for my start, I noticed Wille Loo, winner of my age group last year (who also successfully defended his title this year with a blistering time of 4:24) lining himself right in front. I too wanted a good swim, so I placed myself in the front row.

The horn went, and we raced into the water. The clobbering from other competitors didn't quite bother me, I'm pretty used to it already. Visibility was pretty poor, I could barely see passed my elbows. I didn't think it was very choppy but we did catch up with the participants from the earlier start, causing a bit of congestion. My watch strap played up a few times, and I had to readjust it to put it back in place. As I came up for my second lap, I was shocked to see I was over 19 minutes! Still, I stayed positive as I reckoned everyone would be in the same boat of doing a slow swim. I finished the swim in 39:51, about 10 minutes slower than I hoped. I thought that my sub 5 hour target was gone but stayed positive to get as close to it as possible.

Did a quick but calm transition of just under 3 minutes. I kept my shoes clipped on the bike but didn't risk doing a fly mount. I enjoyed the fast and flat bike course with minimal winds entirely. The 90km distance spanned over 3 laps, mostly shaded by trees and there was an overcast as well. It was very wide except for the few kilometers in and out of transition. What bothered me was the rampant drafting amongst the competitors and the lack of marshaling. Still, I was doing my own race and what others do shouldn't impact my own performance.

I did a rookie error of setting my gear one level too light on the first lap and I lost a bit of power (and time!) But I changed gears halfway through and my speed increased significantly. Also, the Rock Tape I stuck on my legs was beginning to peel, I had to slow down a bit to remove them. I finished the bike course in 2:34:09 averaging over 35kph, I was ecstatic! Although according to my speedometer, it was about 88.5km, anyone else had the similar reading?

I wasn't able to slip off my bike shoes as I rode into the finish, hence I had to run into transition with my bike shoes. Quickly changed shoes while Li-Ann cheered me on at the side of the transition gates. My time for T2 was just over 1 minute. I looked at my watch, and I might be able to clock under 5 hours after all, thanks to the quick bike!

I maintained a high cadence and good form at the start of the run, which is two lap course totaling 21.1km. And just as I was about to slow down, a senior participant caught up with me. A supporter mentioned to him that he was 75 seconds down from this closest age group competitor, I'm assuming he was on the pace for a podium placing. So I gestured him to follow me. We paced each other for about 3-4km where he slowed down after one of the drinks station, and I continued. 3rd place female, Michelle Wu passed us somewhere before that.

I was glad that the run was mostly shaded as well. I grabbed the sponges and 100Plus cups from the stations without stopping. But just after the first lap, my stomach felt slightly bloated and I was getting a stitch. I slowed down, but I told myself to keep going. I was still able to maintain a 5 minute per km pace, but the chances of finishing under 5 hours looked grim. I started walking for a few steps each time I passed the drinks stations.

Reaching the final turn into the finish, although it was passed 5 hours, I could still make it before the minute changes. I sprinted through the finishing lane, crossing the line with the person in front of me. I finished with a run time of 1:42:49, an overall finish time of 5:00:48, darn that 48 seconds!

It rained just after I had my post race massage. I met John Cooke and Enrico, and confirmed with them that everyone had a slow swim including the PROs.

It took us a while, more than an hour to call a cab back to Serangoon after that. With a race turnout of 1700 participants, I was not surprised. It is definitely more convenient logistically if you have your own transport. For dinner that night, I met up with my cousins and their kids, which was great especially that was the first time I saw the latest newborn to our family. Also, thanks for the treat!

Some special mention, my darling fiance Li-Ann for being ever so patient and supportive, joining me on this ra-cation (race vacation, a term coined by Li-Ann herself haha) and depriving herself of sleep, waking up early on race day and having to endure the long wait to get back after the race, while I was already on adrenaline high. I love you!

I can't thank her sisters enough for making our stay a lot more convenient and comfortable, and saved us a lot in costs too. Muchas gracias!

P/S - A few posts ago here, I mentioned a surprise for the race. Did anyone guess what the surprise was? Hint - it probably helped me a lot on the bike, though I'd like to think that much of it was attributed to my legs instead!

Family visit to Perth

2011-03-16T19:08:00.025+08:00

Sculptures by the sea, Cottesloe Beach

Down South trip - Mandurah - Busselton - Canal Rocks, Yallingup - Margaret River

Li-Ann's birthday dinner in Catalanos Cafe, Victoria Park followed by South Perth foreshore then almond tart baked by Li-Ann herself

King's Park, Perth City and Burswood

Off to Singapore tomorrow, next post will be Ironman 70.3 race report!

Be-earlied birthday celebration...

2011-03-10T21:33:00.008+08:00

... for my darling fiance. We would still be celebrating on the actual day with my parents and my brother when they are here next week. But we thought it would be nice to have a quiet dinner to ourselves.

We ate at Fratelli in Sorrento. Incidentally it was also the $12.99 specials night... the joys of eating out on a Wednesday! There was quite a variety to choose from for the specials, and frankly, they seem more appetizing than the full priced menu!

We ordered the chicken risotto and grilled chicken tenderloins. Really tasty, portions weren't too large, so they didn't leave us feeling sick in the stomach.

In fact, we stopped by Hillarys Boat Harbour later for coffee at San Churros.

Looking forward to the holiday next week!

Three day weekend

2011-03-07T11:58:00.006+08:00

Western Australian Labour day weekend, most triathletes would jump at this opportunity to throw in a mega training weekend. I didn't do anything crazy as it is just two weeks away from Singapore 70.3. On Saturday morning, I did an 80km ride in relatively cooler and calmer conditions. Clocked an average of 30kph, my first time this year. Proceeded by 4 rounds of 1km each around John Oldham Park. My legs must have felt pretty fresh, was able to average 4:40 per km.

Sunday, a longish run of 17.4km (4 neighbourhood loops of 4.35km) was on the cards. However, my darling fiance was keen for a run as well, so we headed out for a 4km run to Stirling Gardens and back. It was indeed a refreshing change than doing my usual route. I did a 9.7km run straight after, didn't turn on my stop watch, but I was averaging about 4:30 per km. That made 17.7km for Sunday's run and 34.7km total running mileage for the week.

Monday morning, I joined the team BYL social group ride. An extended version, as most of us didn't need to work that day. We went through Freeway South and did the Shelley Bridge loop. It was an eye opener for me, as it was my first time doing that route. Pretty scenic, although I was admiring Bill's brand new Scott Plasma Premium for most of the ride hehe. We stopped by Cimbalino in Dalkeith for breakfast, and ending back at the gym just under 52km, averaging 26.3kph.

I'm feeling pretty good about myself and my preparations for the race in two week's time. My parents and my brother will be here next weekend for holiday, I'm taking the week off. So it would be a nice recovery, and I should be fresh as a daisy for the race!

Oh... and I have a surprise in store for the race as well. It's a four letter word surprise. Those of you competing, will see you there! ;)

Broken by the heat

2011-02-28T11:41:00.004+08:00

Ironically, I wrote about pacing in my previous post and how I would ensure that I paced myself well to finish what I intended to complete. Somehow, my weekend training fell a bit short on what I planned, partly due to pacing but mostly due to the heat.

We probably had one the hottest summer in history, with the lowest maximum being at 29 degrees and had a record 59 days of temperatures over 30 degrees. The weekend just past however, had the mercury rose to about 38-39 degrees. When I did my 100km ride on Saturday morning, I could feel the sun piercing through my skin and I was sweating all over throughout the ride. One tiny advantage was the winds were pretty calm, blowing at about 10kph.

I averaged 29.3kph for the ride. I debated a bit on whether I should do a brick run in the heat, finally I forced myself to do a light jog for about 10 minutes, 2 rounds around John Oldham Park where I parked my car. Li-Ann and I spent the rest of the afternoon in Dome Cafe, Rendezvous Observation City Hotel in Scarborough.

Sunday morning, I had a bit of a sleep in after watching Inception on DVD the night before. Great movie, though I had a bit of trouble following the script. Entertaining, nontheless. I started my run at about 8am under the sun. The plan was to do a long run around my neighbourhood of at least 17.4km (4 rounds) and possibly extend it to 21.7km (5 rounds).

Well, the result was pretty disappointing, as once I completed the 2nd round, I gave up. The combination of the heat and my weak mind won me over that morning. Averaged about 4:30 per km pace for the 8.7km run. We stayed indoors for the rest of the day with the air cond on. But I brought myself to do another 2 rounds later in the evening, at much better pace of 4:23 per km.

Another week of high temperatures to come. Let's see if I finally log in a long run next weekend. I plan to reduce my ride back to 80km, hope that would help.

On pacing

2011-02-23T15:54:00.003+08:00

I did another 13km run this morning. My fifth and fastest one this year, so far. I clocked 56:52, negative splitting each 4.35km loop - 19:13, 19:05 and 18:33. Average pace was 4:23 per km, still a far cry from my 4:10 efforts mid last year, but I'm still pretty happy with the progress.

I'm re-learning how to pace myself. Training Bible Joe Friel wrote about pacing here. Previously, I would run my lungs out at the start of my runs, hoping to sustain the pace until the finish. More often than not, I find myself burning out towards the second part of the run.

In my running races, I rarely negative split. My personal best for the standalone marathon is 3:12:40, an average of 4:35 per km, but I paced 5 minutes per km for the last 12km. In long distance triathlons, I find myself racing off the bike, caught up with the adrenaline and trying to make up for lost time on the bike. Only to find myself taking long walk breaks on the second part of the marathon leg, where the REAL race begins.

I guess I am slowly beginning to realise that being a long distance triathlete, I do not need to run fast, but I do need to run steadily off the bike. Bill Scanlan wrote an article relating to this, here. I have coerced myself to do a brick run after my long ride for the past four sessions. No doubt some of them were shorter than planned and all of them were at a much slower pace than what I normally run the same distance at. But they have all been done at a steady pace.

And that would be my strategy for the run leg at upcoming Singapore Ironman 70.3. I would need to keep my anxiety in check once I get off the bike, stay disciplined, pace myself well and see myself running steadily towards the finish.

I'll start the run the way I'll finish it.

Being soft

2011-02-20T10:19:00.004+08:00

Li-Ann is away in Melbourne for the weekend. I thought this would be a good opportunity to up my mileage without feeling too guilty of spending less time together.

Saturday morning, I did a 100km ride. The winds were somewhat moderate, but were still pretty challenging in some areas. The sun was out too, with temperatures around low to mid 30s. I clocked an average of 29.1kph for the ride. Planned to do a 6km brick run, but instead, settled for 3 loops of the park reserve at the Mounts Bay road Narrows Bridge intersection. I took approximately 5 minutes per loop, which I assumed was 1km each.

Sunday morning, the plan was to do 5 loops of 4.35km around my neighbourhood, totaling 21.7km. I have done three 13km runs since the start of the year, all of which I was able to hold a comfortable pace of 4:30 per km. I started the first and second loop quite well, 19:39 and 19:32 respectively. It was pretty windy but there was an overcast, which protected me from the sun and kept me cool.

But in the middle of the third loop, fatigue started to set in. My form was getting sloppy and I felt hungry, as I did not have anything to eat prior to the run. Slogged to finish the third loop in 20:20 and decided to call it quits. Completed the 13km run in 59:31 (average 4:35 per km).

Another 13km run instead of bringing it up to 21km. Slightly disappointed but better to err on the side of caution. Running with poor form could risk an injury, and being four weeks away from Ironman 70.3 Singapore, that's the last thing I need right now. Still, pretty satisfied with this week's running mileage of 29km, just shy of 30!

Belated Valentine's Day dinner

2011-02-18T21:55:00.006+08:00

Of all the years of being together (over 4.5 years now) Li-Ann and I have only been physically together for two Valentine's Day, that includes this year. I noticed plenty of people in the city, mostly men, in the city clutching on to their bouquet of flowers for their loved ones. I only got Li-Ann a card.

We thought of going out for dinner on the weekend before Valentine's Day but decided against it, as we reckoned that most places will be packed with people having early celebrations. So we made arrangements at a place nearby, Bada Bing Cafe in Woodlands, overlooking the Jackadder Lake, specifically on Wednesday night, as they had a live band performance.

To be honest, the live band performance was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, the singing couple were nice, but they needed a bit more energy, in our opinion. The food? Really tasty, we ordered the chicken breast and pork cutlet.

Here's to many Valentine's day to come :)

Wasted...

2011-02-13T16:24:00.003+08:00

...not from alcohol consumption though, sorry if I have disappointed you, haha. It was primarily from this weekend's training and jostling with the strong winds. I swapped my bike and run days as it was forecasted to have over 30kph of winds on Saturday (yes, I'm soft that way) and I heard gusts were over 50kph.

The 13km run I did on Saturday felt pretty good, again I didn't push myself too hard but I held a firm, controlled pace. I was able to negative split each 4.35km loop. I supposed as the distance progressed, my legs warmed up and even the controlled pace started increasing in speed. I clocked 19:27, 19:12 and 18:53, totalling 57:32 (average 4:26 per km).

Sunday morning, the winds were just a tad bit calmer but not doubt still strong, at about 27kph. I planned a 100km ride, increasing the distance slightly from last week to build up my endurance. I experimented with my cleat adjustment, pushing it all the way to the back, and it felt good! I finished the 98.58km ride in 3:29:09, averaging 28.3kph. Was meant to do a 6km brick run, but couldn't be bothered. In the end, I jogged around the carpark for about 12 minutes.

Feeling pretty tired and sore now, which means I did put in quite an effort, despite the average times. I can't imagine how it was like just a few months ago when I did 5+ hour rides training for the Ironman.

Just a shout out to my dad, who's 56 years young as off Thursday, a very happy birthday! Wishing you all the best in your undertakings, a great year ahead and may your (annual) marathon this year be cramp-free and completely enjoyable!

No sense of time

2011-02-09T11:31:00.004+08:00

I consider myself a minimalist when it comes to training with gadgets. I do not use a heart rate monitor, GPS or a power meter. I've only recently bought myself a cycle computer with cadence, which I use only when I'm spinning on the wind trainer.

But I am a numbers geek when it comes to calculating my pace and training times. When cycling, I find myself tracking the distance against the elapsed time so that I can calculate my average speed, I do this every 10 minutes or so. When running, I glance at my watch nearly every 5 minutes. I call those my checkpoints, I have 6 checkpoints even on my 4.35km training loop! And I track my times at each checkpoint to the second, knowing that if I slow down on one, I need to increase the pace on the next to make the time. I even have checkpoints for swallowing saliva as it builds up in my mouth, which I normally do at about every 10 minutes!

However, lately I have been more carefree in terms of tracking time, especially with running. This has partly to do with the fact that I'm still easing into my runs and not wanting to put any undue pressure. The past few runs I did without the stopwatch but I did check the time before I start, and I did catch myself glancing occasionally at my watch to check how I was going.

Well, I cannot get rid of my watch completely when I run, it's just very unnatural for me. But I have to say, the past few runs without the stopwatch have been somewhat liberating for me!

Chinese New Year goodies

2011-02-06T10:36:00.004+08:00

A bit belated, but here's to wishing all my family, friends and blog readers a very happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the rabbit hop you to good wealth and prosperity!

Chinese New Year isn't exactly the season to be buying gifts. But I got myself a couple of items from Wiggle. A pair of Shimano 105 PD-5700 pedals. My current Look Keo Classics are beginning to wear out, and I suspect that the constant sideway foot movement on the pedals is one of the causes of my soreness. Have yet to install them yet, I thought I had the tools to change the cleats, but looks like the standard screwdriver just wouldn't do. Will drop by the bike shop later.

I also got myself a new floor pump, as the one I have now requires an adaptor for the presta head. I have placed the current one for sale, if anyone is interested. Willing to sell it cheap or for trade with some inner tubes.

I caught up with the ex-KPMG boys on Friday night for a drink. It was nice catching up, but I didn't stay long. I was a bit tipsy just after one glass of draft beer. I think it was because I had an empty stomach.

Saturday morning, I woke up to really strong winds, somewhat above 30kph. I expected that, so I was anticipating a slow ride. It turned out to be even slower than I hoped for, I completed the 82km ride with an average of 27.5kph. I then did a brick run, didn't push myself too hard. Completed 6km in just under 28 minutes (4:40 per km average).

In the evening, one of our friends played host for a Chinese New Year get-together dinner. There were lots of food with to-die-for dessert - pecan pie and banoffee pie! We played a few rounds of Monopoly Deal before I called it a night just after midnight. I woke up this morning, only to shelf my plan to do a 13km run. So I did some weeding instead. Maybe I'll run later in the afternoon.

Darling fiance comes back tomorrow :)

A week to myself

2011-01-30T10:24:00.004+08:00

My darling fiance left this morning for Malaysia for Chinese New Year. She'll be back next Monday.

It was a good thing that I did my ride on Australia Day public holiday on Wednesday. This gives us more time to spend with each other before she flew. I did an 8.7km run on Saturday morning, went alright for the first loop but somehow still couldn't hold the pace. Dropped the pace a bit at the start of the second loop but was able to increase the speed towards the finishing. Clocked 38:16 averaging 4:24 per km. Still far off my best, but slowly getting there.

We then had brunch with our friends, Jon and Angie at their new home in Burswood. It was nice seeing their lovely house and meeting up with others, May and Jason. In the evening, we watched a movie, The Fighter. It was pretty good and I had goosebumps each time they boxed. Christian Bale gave a stellar performance as the crack addicted coach/brother.

For dinner, we visited Little Caesars again, it was still early 6pm, hence it wasn't too crowded. We decided to try something new this time - greek lamb. Not as rich as white rock's roast and very easy on the palate.

After sending Li-Ann off to the airport early this morning, I took a nap before spinning 30 minutes on the wind trainer. The initial plan was to do another bike ride but with the weather warnings of Cyclone Bianca, I stayed indoors. Eventually the cyclone didn't come through Perth at all, but it was still pretty windy outside.

I maintained an average of 100rpm with sprints of above 110rpm for the last minute. Then I did a 4.35km run and managed to run at 4:10 per km pace. I'm glad that I can start running with reasonable speed, the key now is to maintain it for longer distances.

Aussie Brick

2011-01-27T13:54:00.005+08:00

It was Australia Day yesterday. I took opportunity of the public holiday to do a brick session, seeing that it might rain this weekend. I've been slightly down with a bout of phlegmy throat and cough since last weekend. Did an 80km ride with an average of 29.0kph, the slower pace might be caused me feeling a bit weak from the sickness. The weather was pretty mild, with some moderate winds in some areas.

There was still quite a lot of traffic on the road, people flocking to the foreshore for barbecues and picnics. The Australia Day triathlon was on too, causing a bit of congestion as I rode through Point Walter. The race was finished as I got there but participants were starting to leave. Good to know that Scott Thomson from BreakYourLimits won the race.

After the ride, I was hesitant as to whether to stick to my plan of doing a brick run. Eventually I got myself to a jog about 3kms out along Hackett Drive and Mounts Bay Road. I stopped at the turnaround and started walking for about a minute before jogging back until the last 700 metres where I stopped to walk again. Altogether I probably jogged about 5kms in just over 25 minutes. I didn't turn on my stopwatch, which means I wasn't in the mood. My pace was pretty inconsistent but I guess it's not a bad start.

That evening, we watched the fireworks at the riverside in the city. We parked at Royal Street in East Perth and took a walk down. It was one of the colder nights of all the Australia Days I've had over here. Despite being repetitive and after seeing it nearly every year, it was still a nice 30 minute sight.

First run for the year

2011-01-23T16:18:00.006+08:00

After battling with the discomfort around the inside of my left foot and the uncertainty as to when I should start running, on Sunday morning I've finally decided give it go. This was my first run since Ironman Western Australia. Surprisingly I could barely feel the discomfort while running and I was trotting along quite nicely.

But after having not ran for 7 weeks, the lack of running fitness affected me significantly, and I slowed down considerably halfway through the first loop (I was meant to do two!) around my neighbourhood. Slightly disappointed, I stopped after the first loop but as I was walking back home, I thought that I should just jog another loop anyway.

So I did. It didn't feel as stressful as when I'm trying to make certain timing. Did 8.7km in total in just under 40 minutes, which I would normally have done in about 36 minutes. I ran with the new Asics GT 2150, for the first time as well, they didn't feel as responsive as I hoped them to be, but I guess I have yet to break into them properly yet.

So that was my first run training for the year. It didn't feel great but I'm looking forward to better sessions ahead. Just like my cycling when it started off pretty crappy but steadily progressed. And yesterday's 80km ride was a sign that I'm in the right direction, averaging at 29.7kph. Although the moderately calm weather did help.

On the domestic front but still triathlon related, I caught ONE HD's coverage of Ironman Western Australia 2010 and was delightfully suprised that I was captured not once, but twice! Each about 1.5 seconds and one of it crossing the finishing line with the Malaysia flag!

This afternoon, I spent A$80 on sporting gear at Harbour Town this evening. But none of my own. Got my lovely fiance a pair of Saucony running shoes and Skins compression tank top for my little sister, which were only A$30 in Jim Kidd. I was meant to get these items from Wiggle online as I have a GBP5 gift voucher to be used by middle of next week.

Hmm... does this mean something for myself then? A pair of Shimano 105 pedals perhaps?

Group ride

2011-01-19T11:23:00.007+08:00

Being a long distance triathlete, one can become quite anti social - spending hours on the bike and long runs alone. I for one, rarely ride in a group in Perth for the following reasons:

1. I find it extremely difficult pulling myself out of bed before sunrise, as most group rides start 6am;
2. Most groups are too fast for my pace. I did one ride with the people from TBE Nedlands bike shop and was dropped off halfway through the ride;
3. Being a triathlete, somehow the whole idea of drafting doesn't quite sit well with me.

However, lately I have been finding it difficult to get into the training gear, so I thought that training in a group will be just the thing to get myself motivated again. And what better way to do it with Monday morning social rides with Team Break Your Limits (BYL). To be honest I was quite sceptical at first, as quite often, most social rides turn into competitive ego jostling races!

But I was assured by Bill, one of the main guys there, that wasn't the case. And they even had novices joining them. Also, my friend Shao, who swims with me, is also part of the group, so it helps having familiar people there. So on Monday morning 6am, I turned up at BYL headquarters/gym in West Perth. Bill and Shao introduced me to everyone else. I noticed that I was the only one without shaved legs and the guys had shinier legs than the girls!

We rode through Dalkeith and did a small loop around Cottesloe Beach, which was nice as I haven't rode through there before. The pace was comfortable but as I rarely ride in a group, I got a bit uncomfortable staying so close to the other cyclists. Also my bike handling skills are still pretty poor and I found myself slowing down a lot around the corners, so I stayed back just so no one would collide into me!

We stopped by Cimbalino in Dalkeith for coffee and just chatted among ourselves, where some of us parted ways and the remaining of us returned to BYL gym. We covered about 35kms and averaged just under 26kph. I actually felt pretty good from the ride and I was feeling fresh for the rest of the day. Looks like this is one ride which I would keep to my weekly routine, and hopefully I can pick up some pointers on bike handling along the way!

Weekend enjoyment

2011-01-16T11:16:00.006+08:00

In a blink of an eye, and it has already been almost two weeks since we've been back in Perth since our holidays. That also means that we are already halfway through the first month of the year 2011.

Training wise, this week went much better than the previous week. I felt more power in my strokes for Tuesday's and Thursday's swim sessions. The two spinning sessions I did during the week felt good, I managed to keep between 95-100rpm and hitting above 110rpm during the last 1 minute of sprints.

Saturday's bike ride was much more enjoyable than last week. Partly because it was about 10 degrees cooler and winds were 5kph lower. There was still some fatigue but only towards the last few kms of the ride, when riding against the headwind. My new cyclecomputer has a wired cadence now, but I only use the cadence mode for my spinning sessions. When I checked that I was clocking just under 110rpm for the ride, I was pretty shocked. Maybe it's time to pull bigger gears, adding more power.

Just after Canning Bridge, I bumped into (not literally) John Cooke who was just finishing his ride after an arduous ride in the hills. He's training for Ironman Lanzarote, which is infamous for it's hilly course. We chatted and rode alongside for about 5km up until the Narrows Bridge where I bid him farewell and continued the last few kms of my ride. I completed the ride the 80+ km ride with an average 29.0kph, not that fast but pretty happy with the effort as it is heading in the right direction.

That evening, darling and I had dinner at Tony's Spaghetti Bar in Scarborough, a place we've been wanting to try out for some time. It's a little take away with a few tables and chairs for those wishing to dine in. All pastas were $15 and under, with meat and seafood dishes being between $15-$20.

Very satisfied with the meal, good value, the portions were quite large and despite taking away more than half of Li-Ann's linguine, I was still left with a bloated stomach. After dinner, we had a nice walk by the sunset at Scarborough Beach.

I weighed myself this morning, and I'm happy that I'm back at my pre holiday weight! :) And I haven't even started running yet.

Not quite there yet

2011-01-09T14:07:00.003+08:00

It's been 6 days since I've been back in Perth. Things started out pretty well. I was motivated at work despite just returning from a 2.5 weeks holiday. Thursday's swim session was great, I felt strong and I was even clocking faster times than I did before the holidays. The 2 hour swim sessions with my brother's squad back home must have helped.

I haven't started running and would probably avoid it for another two weeks. The soreness on the navicular area on my left foot, which I have had for more than a year now, somehow became aggravated after Ironman Western Australia. It was always there but it didn't affect my running before this. I saw a sports doctor in Malaysia, Dr Aston who reckons it is due to my flat feet (again!) and weak feet muscles. So I have been doing the recommended feet exercises diligently, hope it will heal soon.

In the meantime, I did some spinning sessions on the wind trainer and I'm glad that I was able to sustain my high cadence. Thought it would be good to put my legs to the test for an 80km ride on Sunday. Sadly, I was disappointed with the results. No doubt that it was a scorcher at 35 degrees with strong winds blowing at 22kph, but mainly I haven't found my fitness yet and I pretty much gave up for the second half of the ride, and decided to just enjoy the scenery at a leisurely pace. I averaged 27.6kph for the entire ride.

Though I'm not entirely pleased with this outcome, I'm not going to be overly anxious. My next race is the Aviva Singapore Ironman 70.3, which is a good two months away. There is still time, but I have to log in my training consistently to get back into form.

Fozz and Natasha's wedding in Ipoh

2011-01-04T16:10:00.012+08:00

Thanks for Chee Minh and Renee for the photos. Li-Ann and I are back in Perth now, starting in the office tomorrow.

Coming to a close

2010-12-31T10:58:00.003+08:00

In about 13 hours time, we bid farewell to year 2010 and welcome the new year of 2011. That also means my year end holidays are about to end... a bit too quick if you ask me, haha.

This year really flew past and looking back in review, despite having some ups and downs, I wouldn't have it any other way!

I did two Ironman races in a span of just over 9 months this year, both of which I wasn't able to clock a personal best, let alone meet my 11 hour target. However, I achieved a personal best by 7 minutes in an Olympic distance triathlon in Port Dickson and I was over the moon when I completed the Perth Half Marathon in 1:28:33, I never thought it was possible for me to go under 90 minutes.

My relationship with darling Li-Ann took a step further when we got engaged at the end of October. We spent a fair bit of these holidays getting some wedding preparations done, and I must say, despite being a bit anxious of what lies ahead of us, I'm really excited!

Being away from home and being mostly pre-occupied with my passion (obsession?) with triathlon and Ironman races, I try my best to keep in touch with family and friends. I admit, that I still need to work on this and would rethink my priorities for the coming year.

We will be away in Ipoh, 2+ hours drive from Kuala Lumpur, for the next 3 days to attend our friend, Tasha's wedding. Our SLB gang from Perth will be there as well. In the meantime, happy new year everyone!

Season's greetings...

2010-12-24T14:20:00.002+08:00

Here's to wishing all readers of my blog a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

It's the festive season and I'm currently 2kgs heavier, 2% higher in body fat and 20bpm increase in my resting heart rate. But this won't stay for long, I assure you when year 2011 comes, I'll be back!

IMWA celebratory dinner

2010-12-23T09:00:00.006+08:00

Finger licking good at Fatty Crab, Taman Megah

Certificate presentation by Ironman mentor and Kona finisher, Sofian. Thanks Richard for printing and laminating the certificate!

Only 3 of us from this group will be competing next year

From my previous post, I mentioned that I was down with a bout of shingles. Well, I've finished my medication and glad to say that I'm recovering well, with the marks subsiding, slowly but surely.

Been busy getting some of our wedding preparations done in the past few days, trying to make full use of our time here in Malaysia. We have more or less decided on a venue and now looking for a photographer for the reception.

I've got shingles!

2010-12-18T17:28:00.006+08:00

Just above my belly button on the right side of my body, across my back and ends just before my spine. Felt some itchiness since Monday and I thought it was bed bugs. As I arrived home, mum rushed me to the clinic the moment I showed her my rashes. Well, the good news is at least our bed doesn't have any bugs.

Apart from the itching sensation on my body and the slightly uncomfortable turbulent flight back to Malaysia, it's good to be home. Caught up with high school friends and would be visiting relatives later.

More IMWA 2010 pictures

2010-12-14T22:54:00.017+08:00

*Thanks to Richard/Claris, Sofian/Tip, Dennis Tan*

Swim Exit - Aiya, missed out on 1 hour by 1 minute 15 seconds!

Bike turnaround at transition - Oops, forgot to suck in tummy!

On the run - Oh no, Richard is coming closer and closer!

Emotionally charged towards the finishing

Post race open house feast

Watching the beer mile run with Rebekah Keat, women's 1st runner up

At the awards night

P.S. - I'll be away for holidays in Malaysia for 2.5 weeks, my flight from Perth departs this Friday morning.

P.P.S. - After much deliberation, I've signed up for Ironman Western Australia 2011. Entries were at 65% capacity even less than an hour since it's opening. No thanks to daylight savings favouring people in the eastern states. It's Ironman WESTERN Australia for goodness sake! Luckily I decided to check it in the morning before I left for the office, otherwise I would have missed out. Hope my friends were able to get in.

Busselton Ironman Western Australia 2010

2010-12-10T14:28:00.033+08:00

Many of you would have known by now that I fell short of achieving a PB for this race, let alone meeting my target of 11 hours. Nevertheless, it is one experience which I truly enjoyed, along with the company of friends competing all the way from Malaysia. Hence, I'll stop beating myself up over my result (I didn't do that for long really) and give you my full account of the experience, as positively as I can hehe. Take heed that it's a LOONNNGGG one.

PRE RACE JOURNEY

I woke up on 7am Friday morning to the noise at my front door. Richard, Sofian and their wives, Claris and Tip just arrived from the airport. We chatted a bit before starting our trip, first dropping by Subiaco markets to pick up some fruits and have breakfast. I had to collect my Timex watch too, which I had to replace for battery and waterproof seal. Unfortunately it wasn't ready, so my trusty old Casio Phys (which is more oftenly used by Li-Ann now) will have to do for the race.

We then headed straight to Busselton, arriving at about 1pm. Checked in to our respective accommodation, I was staying at my usual place Amaroo Motel, whilst the rest at Gale Street Villas just a few hundred metres away. We bumped into Ezer at the reception, who was about to go out for lunch with his mum. Arif and Senn then joined us, and we proceeded to Signal Park for our registration. I was delighted with the efficient process, no queue at all. Also took note of a banner depicting the new 12m drafting zone rule, which seemed pretty long.

The finishing chute in the middle of Busselton Town on Queen Street had already been set up. On Sunday, we would actually be running right next to the finishing chute for 3 times before we go through it at the end of our race. Might be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you are feeling on that day haha.

A quick lunch at an Asian take-away (thanks Sofian for the treat!) and we were all set for a test ride on the course. We cycled for about an hour at an easy pace and noted the strong winds, but pretty manageable.

That night, we attended the welcome dinner at Barnard Park. It was in air conditioned tents. It was a great experience. The food was pretty good with plenty of pasta. There were big screens showing video clips of past Kona races. Mike Riley, the voice of Ironman was a good host and the talk by John MacLean, the first wheelchair athlete to compete at Kona was truly inspirational. I also enjoyed the interviews with the pro triathletes, who all have their own sense of humour. The mandatory race briefing though, I wished that it was a bit more informative. The pretty girl on the screen was not bad to look at, but she made a lot of references to the athletes' guide. There was no description about the race course at all, I supposed it was assumed that we all understood it from the athletes' guide.

RACE EVE

Had a good night's sleep following the tiring trip, woke up fresh on Saturday morning, ready for a quick swim at the Busselton jetty. Richard, Sofian and myself went together and we met Ezer there. I probably made a mistake of not applying vaseline around my neck and my erm... chest area. And I experienced some slight chaffing from the wetsuit, it is more likely the salt water as I don't get this problem testing it in the pool. The water was reasonably cold but a lot warmer than when I did the half Ironman in May last year.

After the quick swim, I headed back for breakfast and noticed that I left my goggles and cap at the washroom. Luckily it was still there when I returned, thought I might as well visit the expo to see if there were any good deals (a dangerous thing to do, especially when Li-Ann is not around!). Fortunately, nothing tickled my fancy, there were a lot of Ironman branded merchandise and some K-Swiss products. The only thing I got was a $30 Ryder sunglasses and it was from unofficially setup shop in town. *phew*

I rested most of the morning before joining the rest for lunch at their villa. Many thanks to the ladies - Claris, Tip and Melissa (Claris' cousin from Brisbane who's also competing), for getting the groceries and cooking up such a wonderful meal!

After lunch, I got my bike and race gear ready. There was no race T-shirt given in our race bag (we Malaysians love our T-shirts!) but I was pleased to see the organizers gave us individually numbered swim caps and named running bibs. The Ironman branded fuel belt was also a delightful surprise.

I probably spent too long setting up the bike and I got to the transition area about 15 minutes prior to closing. That's where I saw Arif running out, who later told me that Senn forgot to number her helmet and he was rushing to get the number sticker. My bike was placed opposite Carle, who sold me the Spiuk helmet and also competed at Kona this year. He teased me about my 80mm clinchers, saying that a guy my size would be blown off straightaway with these wheels.

After rushing through the bike check in and race bag drop off, I could relax a bit. I chatted with Li-Ann on the phone, shaved my legs (yes, it has become a race ritual!) and got ready for dinner. I went over again for dinner, a delicious meal with chicken curry, thanks ladies! After dinner, I went back and put on some Rock Tape, samples which I got, recommended by Sofian and got ready for bed.

THE BIG RACE

Got up at 3.40am with a surprisingly good night's sleep. 9pm is an early time to go to bed even for my standards. Had 2 bowls of Nutrigrain cereal and a banana, managed to put on my contact lenses with ease (getting easier with practice) and a quick visit to the toilet. Got to the race site at 4.15am, again no long queues to get marked. Only our category letter (mine was B) was marked on our right calf. That's where I saw Viv my podiatrist and Phil my bike mechanic who was there on mechanical support.

The weather was calm and cool, a perfect day for a PB unlike last year's scorching 38 degrees. I met Pete Jacobs, the pre race favourite and wished him good luck. My tires were pumped from the evening before, so all I had to do was remove the plastic bags covering the handlebars, saddle and shoes. I then downed a Powerbar Performance Bar, did my stretches, applied sunscreen. One last visit to the toilet where I met Shao who swims in the same squad as I. It was time to get into my wetsuit and line up for the 5.45am start. Thanks Sofian for supplying me with vaseline at the last minute!

3.8km swim, target 1 hour

The swim is out and back, around the Busselton Jetty, water temperature was 21 degrees. With nearing 1400 competitors starting at the same time, the swim was going to be chaos. But this was reduced with the start line being spreaded quite long. There was some contact here and there for the first few hundred metres where I had to fight for my space, but soon after I was swimming normally. A rookie mistake I made - not clearing up my goggles before I started. I was swimming with poor visibility with fogged up goggles for the first half of the out lap until someone knocked my goggles out a bit and let some water wash them clear.

And then I could see! I managed to find a few people to draft behind but I probably made a mistake of keep on changing persons that led me to lose time. I didn't check my time at the turnaround point, but about few hundred metres after that, it seemed my watch was showing 31 minutes. It looked like I was going to be on target then, but little did I know that there were currents pushing us out. As we neared the shore and the water became shallower, my watch showed 50 minutes, I thought I had it in the bag. But it took us a while before we actually got to the finish and I crossed the first timing mat at 1:01:15, just off my target. Slightly disappointed but nothing I could do about it, I was keeping positive for the remainder of the race.

Transition 1

I had some slight cramps around my calves and at my abdominal muscles. It could have been the cold water. It took me a while to remove the wetsuit and get it into the race bag. But the volunteers were very helpful, as soon as I got all my gear on (sunglasses, helmet, race belt, Injinji toe sock - I marked them L and R this time to avoid wearing them on the opposite sides like I did in Langkawi early this year!) they chased me off and said they'll sort out my bag. Got my bike off the racks without much problems. I didn't do the fly mount but the rubber bands tieing my shoes did make it easier for me to slip into them. T1 time was 5:04.

180.2km bike, target 5 hours 50 minutes

The bike course is fast and flat on a capital-I shaped course, over 3 laps. It was pretty open to winds in some areas, but it started off pretty calm that morning. The tightness around my abdominal muscles took a while to go away, and then only I could go on to full aero position. Someone yelled at me (or at least I thought it was at me) See you later when we get back! I think that was Viv who's a good swimmer and great cyclist, I usually beat him on the run. But he was flying that day and finished with a 10:40 overall!

Somehow with the legs spinning and in an aero position, made it difficult to pee while cyling, although I had a strong urge. It was only until the 2nd lap that I was able to release erm... excess water but not fully. I stuck to the plan of maintaining an average of 31kph. I was surprised that Shao only passed after I stopped for the first special needs stop, which was at 90km. I was even more surprised when I passed him soon after that.

Throughout the ride, Sam a friend of Eric's was out on the course cheering me each time I passed him. So were Tip and Claris at the end of each bike lap. Thank you all for the support! It really did spur me on. I was probably overly cautious at all the turns and corners, going wide and letting others pass. At the narrow turnaround at Tuart Drive west side, I intentionally unclipped one foot each time just to balance myself. Yes, I need a lot of work on my bike handling. After each turns, I could see Richard slowly catching up with me.

I left remaining 2 mini muffins at the final special needs stop. There were 8 of them but I could only managed 3 in my mouth on each of the stop. On the last return lap to transition, the winds picked up and I slowed down my pace. But I was still on track to meeting my target. I finished my ride in 5:50:56.

Transition 2

Now here's a funny story. After I removed my helmet and placed on running visor, I felt something smooth on my head. You guessed it, I had my swim cap on for the entire ride! Luckily the weather was cool, otherwise I would have passed out. And imagined if I didn't intend to use a running visor, I wouldn't have noticed it and ran out with it! Time for T2 was 1:54.

42.2km run, target 3 hours 50 minutes

The run is made of 4 laps along Geographe Bay by the water. The first part out actually takes us running next to the finishing chute. Hence, the crowd cheering there was really uplifting. After turning around that short lap next to the finishing chute, Shao was closing in and soon after, so was Richard. When we got to the first marker of 2km and shortly after the first aid station, I was well ahead of my planned time. I walked for about a minute as planned as I got through the aid station.

Just after 3km, Shao overtook me and beckoned for me to follow him. But he was flying and there was no way I could match that pace. Two of the aid stations weren't placed consistently, leaving only 1km gap between one and 3km gap between another. But I was still feeling alright then, so no worries. I was still ahead of schedule after the turnaround point, so I dropped by the first public toilet I saw. I felt slightly bloated around my stomach and just above groin area, and it was a great relief to release all the excess water.

I finished the first lap in 55 minutes, 2 minutes ahead of schedule. Local hero Courtney Ogden was about to win the race then, beating all the other favourites. On the 2nd lap, the bloated feeling got worse and I felt a bit dizzy. I slowed down and finished 65 minutes and even walked for a couple of minutes while starting the 3rd lap. But it didn't end there, after I passed the first aid station, the dizziness worsened and that's when I gave up and started walking. I was not mentally strong enough to fight through this discomfort. It didn't help that Richard was reducing my lead by a minute after each turnaround! I couldn't cope with the pressure!

Hence, I walked and walked and... walked. Richard soon overtook me. It was until halfway through the third lap where I felt better and started running again. But it was more like I ran one km and walked for two after that. I finished the third lap in 1 hour 25 minutes. I met Arif as I started my last lap and he said he had cramps all over. We chatted a while before I moved on with quicker, bigger steps but still walking.

After a while, I felt better and wanted to finish the race with a respectable time. So I started running more, my walk breaks became shorter. John Cooke passed me as he was running consistently, but I overtook him again towards the last two kms. I stopped for about a minute while waiting for my Malaysian flag in my special needs bag.

But it was worth it, I carried it flying high as I ran through the finishing chute. The loud roaring cheers from the crowd brought out some emotions, and Sam was amongst them. I gave a roar as I crossed the finishing line but as emotional as I was, the tears didn't come out of my eyes. Maybe my body ran out of water haha. I finished with run time of 4:36:27 and total race time of 11:35:36, my slowest time in 3 Ironmans by just over 2 minutes.

POST RACE

The athlete recovery area was very well managed. It was canteen style with plenty of seats and had good food. The post race massage was a bit of a disappointment though with the therapist only massaging the back part of my legs and not the front, in no more than 5 minutes. Shortly after, I met Ahmad Fathi from Brunei, who did a great race just under 12 hours.

I stayed on to cheer our remaining Malaysian athletes. Sofian did a massive PB by more than 2 hours and his previous best was nearly 20 years ago! I had a good night's sleep that night. The next day, the ladies again put up a splendid meal and we had everyone over including Miro who stays in Malacca with limited training facilities but beat all of us with a finish time of 10:53!

Richard convinced me to stay another night at their villa. We watched the beer mile race and the hair shaving of overnight celebrity Gi Singh, who was doing it for charity. Later that night, I attended the awards banquet which I had never done before. It was great watching snippets of the race that took place the day before. Inspiring moments included the women's champion, Kate Bevilaqua, another local, crawling past the finish line and the oldest competitor Yutaka Kojima finishing in 13:52 at 75 years old (young)! That was when I finally met Denis whom I think was a bit drunk that night haha.

In the morning, Melissa made pancakes for everyone (thanks!) which was a great breakfast meal before I made my journey back to Perth.

REFLECTIONS AND CLOSING COMMENTS

Firstly it was great having a group of friends here competing and the support crew of Tip and Claris, which made a whole lot of difference. Thank you for the wonderful meals and great racing experience!

Darling Li-Ann whom I know was feeling all guilty being away in India, I know you would have been here if you could, so don't feel guilty! Your never ending support throughout my training regime and tolerance to my constant ramblings of Ironman topics in the past few months was invaluable. I love you!

My family at home nearly had heart attacks when my split times for the second part of the run took unusually long to be updated online. It is the support and encouragement of my loving family which made me become an Ironman, three times now. Thank you.

Also thank you to friends like Keat Seong, Yip, Frank, Emma, Paul Lee, Ray Ng, Ray Hee, Mich, Jenn, Meng, Matt, Fong, Reita, Lee, Enrico (who I didn't get to meet), Uncle Peter, Eric and others (sorry I couldn't mention everybody but you know who you are!) who have been giving me encouraging words all these while

When I gave up and started walking during the run, I was considering taking a break from Ironman races for a while. I supposed doing two Ironmans in just over 9 months is a bit too much for my mental state (more so than my physical state) to handle. I couldn't push myself when it got tough. And that was still my decision in the past few days.

But with the registration for next year's race opening next Wednesday, temptations start to grow and I'm also keen to redeem myself next year. This also happens to be the most convenient Ironman race for me. I have to decide quick as entries are likely to sell out fast!

*Pictures courtesy of Claris and Finisherpix*

All systems go!

2010-11-29T15:03:00.006+08:00

Only 5 sleeps left to Ironman Western Australia, which would be my third Ironman. They say that third time is the charm, and I would like to break the 11 hour barrier this time round.

My hopes of achieving that target nearly went up in smoke when I was down with peroneal tendonitis on my left foot in late August, which led to shin splints on my right due to additional stress to make up for the recovering left foot. Since then, my running has been pretty inconsistent. I was off and on running on dry land, clocking no more than 13km a week, and substituting them with strength exercises and aqua running in the pool. However, these substitute sessions did help me focus more on technique and proper form. And I'm happy to say that althought the swell from the shin splint is still visible, it doesn't cause any problems while running and I should be able to give my best on race day.

Cycling wise, I have definitely logged in a lot more miles this time round compared to my last Ironman training. I did six 120km rides, one more than last time. This time I did two 150km rides, four 160km rides and one 200km ride. Previously I only did four 160km rides. As for swimming, nothing has changed much. Although with the weekly strength training sessions, I do feel stronger and with a wetsuit swim, I'm hoping to come out of the water under an hour this time.

I've sent the bike for a service with Phil at Runners World. I've started packing for my trip, ticking off my checklist as I go. This is the first time I'm making a list, I usually do them mentally. This is also the first time that I'll be racing an Ironman without Li-Ann by my side. But I'll have her strongly in my mind and my heart, fueling me throughout the race. Li-Ann is actually doing much better in India now. She has also checked in to a new hotel, with internet access, so it makes our communication easier.

I have experienced hot and humid conditions for my first two Ironman races in Langkawi, Malaysia. Traditionally, Busselton is scorching hot at this time of the year. But it's forecasted to have heavy rain and strong winds. But that may change. Whatever it is, we'll be all facing the same conditions, so no one is particularly disadvantaged.

I sign off this post with a music video, which I find humourous but inspirational as well (to me anyway). There are many elements of the race that are out of control. We should focus on those within our control and react as positively as possible to whatever we may encounter on that day.

Track my progress on race day this Sunday on Ironman.com, my bib number is lucky 183!

Test, test...

2010-11-27T17:28:00.003+08:00

7 days out from Ironman Western Australia and I can't help contain the excitement (with a bit of anxiety). And I'm sure I'm not the only one!

For Thursday's swim session, I did the warmup with my Ironman Instinct wetsuit. Swimming with it didn't require much getting used to. It was putting it on and taking it off which was the problem. Would probably try it again next week for another swim session and practise taking it off. Otherwise whatever time savings from the wetsuit swim will be wasted in a slow transition.

Saturday's bike ride was meant to be a short 80km distance. But as I had to cut short last week's ride due to bee sting, I decided to do another 120km ride. Probably shouldn't have done such a long distance, but I reckon I have enough time to recover before the race. I tried out the Spiuk Krono helmet again, this time with a haircut, it didn't feel as hot as the last time.

Also, I had my 80mm clinchers. And the winds were pretty fierce this morning, blowing at 25kph, which was a good test to see whether I would be able to handle the front wheel with such winds (could be stronger) in Busselton. It took me a while to get used to them. The last time I rode with them was four months ago at Port Dickson triathlon. I was hesitant to go down on my aerobars, especially in narrow paths. But soon got the hang of it, and I'm now confident I would be able to use them at Busselton.

I was overly cautious around the corners and the downslopes. The last thing I wanted was to have a crash just a week before the race. My average speed for the 120km distance was 28.5kph. Not great, but given the strong winds and I'm not meant to kill my legs, pretty happy with the result.

Throughout the ride, I met many on triathlon bikes, most likely doing their last few miles before the big race. We exchanged nods of acknowledgement, which gave me some sort of cosy feeling of togetherness. After the ride, I practised mounting the bike with the shoes clipped on, with rubber bands to keep the shoes in place. I should have done this long ago! Made it so much easier!

Li-Ann is away in India for a conference followed by a workshop. My poor darling have been down with fever and purging since Friday (she only arrived on Thursday). And somehow, I'm unable to get through to her mobile, and she's unable to get online. Text messages are our only way of communication for the moment. She has seen a doctor though and was given antibiotics. She did say she was feeling better. So I'm slightly more relieved.

Coffee bee

2010-11-21T15:24:00.008+08:00

Whoosh! This weekend sure did fly past.

I decided to swap my ride and run, as I made an appointment at the student massage clinic at Central Tafe, Mt Lawley on Saturday morning. Just prior to the appointment, I did a 13km run, testing out my Orca 226 race suit and the Saucony Fastwitch 4 racers. Was pleasantly surprised with the result, clocking 54:23, an average of 4:11 per km.

The massage was pretty good, the young girl helped release all the tight areas on my lower legs. My only criticism was I wished she applied more pressure and she made full use of the 45 minutes as stipulated. But for $30, I guess I can't complain much, as it is a lot cheaper than elsewhere.

While waiting for me, Li-Ann wrote thank you cards for the participants for her experiment. Then, we had a big bowl of hot chocolate at Crown Cafii, East Perth before joining our friends for dim sum at Dragon Palace, Northbridge. And then for dinner, Li-Ann's family friend invited us over. They had relatives visiting from Italy and they made us traditional Italian lasagne. Yummilicous!

Extremely satisfied from dinner the night before, on Sunday I set out for my final 120km ride before Ironman Western Australia. It was the Great Bike Ride day, and there were over 4000 cyclists riding around the Swan River. I stayed at home until about 8.30am just to wait for the crowd to clear. But as I was feeling pretty drowsy by then, so we dropped by Cranked Cafe in Leederville for a cuppa, to wake me up.

And then the weather seemed a bit temperamental, so I waited again until it calmed down. Finally started my ride at 10am. It was pretty humid with the clouds and the intermittent showers, and I was sweating profusely just minutes into the ride.

Well, I didn't ride for long and just before 50km, I felt a sharp pain went through my right wrist. I briefly glanced at it, and there it was, a sizable bumblebee stuck to my wrist, with its sting pierced through my skin. I quickly flicked the bee away but I had to continue riding until I could stop safely. The sting wasn't pierced too deeply and I could easily remove it.

I wasn't sure if I could continue riding. So I called Li-Ann to pick me up, just in case I had an allergic reaction. This is the first time I was stung by a bee! We went to the chemist straightaway, and thankfully after taking a tablet of antihistamine, the swelling and the redness subsided. It's totally gone now, as I'm typing this.

What an adventure, let's hope next weekend is a little bit less stressful.

Wind down

2010-11-14T15:16:00.005+08:00

3 weeks off from Ironman Western Australia, and the shorter ride on Saturday was most welcomed. I decided to give the Spiuk Kronos helmet a try and it turned out pretty comfortable. My forehead started sweating in the beginning of the ride, but after a while, with the slight breeze, it felt pretty cool and I took no notice of it.

The helmet didn't cover my ears as much as the Bell Meteor, which is good as I'm more alert to my surroundings. It's difficult to tell whether it made me cycle faster but it did feel easier riding into the headwinds as compared to a normal road helmet. One thing for sure though, many people including cyclists and pedestrians gave way to me yesterday. Probably because the helmet shell is much larger and longer, making me look more intimidating haha.

I completed the 120km ride in 4 hours 5 minutes, averaging 29.4kph. There were some moderate winds, strong enough to give a bit of challenge but generally pretty mild compared to the previous rides I had.

Sunday morning, the plan was to do a 21.6km run (5 loops of 4.35km). I donned a pair of cheap compression leggings bought off a Korean website, G Market, just to try them out. They served their basic purpose, but they were no 2XUs or Skins. I started off the first two loops pretty well, just under 19 minutes (4:23 per km) but by the third loop, my right shin felt tight and I felt a bit fatigued. So I called off the run after the third loop, finishing it just under 19.5 minutes (4:30 per km) and completing 13km in total in 57:22 (average 4:25 per km).

Slightly disappointed that I couldn't do my planned distance but I supposed being aware of my body signals and being cautious was probably the wise thing to do. I'll probably run in the pool next weekend just to play it safe.

I wore my Asics GT 2140 trainers for the run, which I suspect was one of the reasons for causing the shin tightness. I've had these shoes since Christmas last year and they have well worn out. So, later that morning, as Li-Ann and I did Sunday shopping at Westfield Innaloo, which was open for Sunday Telethon, I got myself these!

An updated version of my current trainers, the GT 2150. And at 25% off, I couldn't resist! And I had Rebel Sport season pass $20 voucher and a Westfield gift card, which made it all worth it. Though I probably won't be able to test them prior to the race. I still have only 1-2 runs left to do, and I have yet to test out my race shoes.

Running form

2010-11-08T14:56:00.004+08:00

I told a small lie when I mentioned the previous weekend was the last hard weekend. There is still a full four weeks before Ironman Western Australia, and I must admit I gave in to pressure after reading about fellow participants logging in their long miles on their blog writings and Facebook status updates. It also helped that Li-Ann was entertaining some visitors, friends of her mum on Saturday. So I took this opportunity to clock another 5 hour plus ride.

Once again, the weather forecast played me for a fool. It was supposed to be mild in the morning, with 8kph winds and only meant to be pick up in the afternoon. It was pretty calm, but the winds got strong at about 9.30am. It wasn't long until I could hear the them rushing through my ears.

A slight misfortune, a piece of nail busted my rear tyre just after 2/3 of my ride. And I had problems getting air into the new tube from the hand pump. Hence, I was riding with a soft tyre for the remaining of the ride. Also, I rode to meet my helmet seller and I rode home through the traffic, which slowed my pace considerably. I completed 148.3km in 5 hours 21 minutes, a leisure pace of 27.7kph.

On Sunday, for my 13km run, I decided to use my current Saucony Fastwitch 3 instead of the Asics GT 2150. I also opted not to use my orthotics. The Asics have long worn out, and I'm beginning to think that prolonged use of the orthotics is starting to result in over correction in my running gait.

The impact from wearing the lower profile racers needed a bit of getting used to, but soon I was enjoying their lightness. I ran hard but not crazy, paying attention to my running form and being wary not to overstride, by ensuring my foot lands no further in front than my nose. I read an article from Ironguides coach Shem Leong here which made a lot of sense. Also, the aqua running sessions early last month did help me practise good running form such as tall posture and mid foot landing.

The end result? 13km run in 55:11 (average 4:15 per km) still about 1.5 minutes off my best, but pretty satisfied with the effort. And I ran pain free this time. Though the swell on my right shin is stinging now, I reckon it will pass within a few days. This has definitely put my confidence back, that I should be able to run the marathon leg of the race without too much problems.

I'll try a 21km run next weekend.

Oops.. I did it again!

2010-11-06T16:13:00.006+08:00

After I got my bike in August last year, I remember telling myself that I wouldn't be spending any more on tri gear and equipment.

Then came the 80mm clincher race wheels I bought for Ironman Langkawi. And shortly after the race, I got myself a new tri suit to be worn for Ironman WA.

This time round, keeping in mind that I should also be saving for wedding preparations. Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking. TA-DA!

Spiuk Kronos, RRP US$229, I justified my purchase by getting it 2nd hand from the Triwa forum for slightly above half the price.

And, I'm also putting up my current Bell Meteor II for sale too. No point having two aero helmets, right?

31.10.10

2010-11-01T20:56:00.003+08:00

A date to remember...

No longer my girlfriend...

She's now my fiancee :)

Last hard weekend

2010-10-30T19:52:00.004+08:00

For the bike anyway. But before I get to that, an update on my running.

I have been doing aqua running for two weekends and avoiding running on dry land for nearly three weeks. The swollen area on my right shin still hurts if applied any pressure, but the pain is virtually non existent as I walk briskly or even quick stepping down the stairs. So, I decided to give it a go on Friday morning. My usual 13km route, 3 x 4.35 loop. I started off at a reasonably conservative pace. Was pretty happy with the first loop, 18:47. But the moment I started the second loop, the right leg felt really tight, so I slowed it down, 19:34. As it eased off, I picked up the pace a bit and finished the last loop in 18:57, giving total time of 57:14, averaging 4:24 per km.

There was no pain during the run, but the swell might have gotten more inflamed. Perhaps I should slow down the pace. After all, I'm intending to run at a 5 minute per km pace (with 1 minute of walking after every 2km) during the marathon leg at Ironman Western Australia anyway. I'll reassess the right shin throughout this week, if it's still not ready, I might go back to aqua running.

Now, on to the bike. With Li-Ann away, I planned a 200km ride on Saturday, one that I could do with as many breaks I needed to take, with no worries of speed, and not having to feel guilty of spending too long a time away from darling. I've been wanting to do this for quite while, but never had the confidence or the patience.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, I had to choose this day when the winds were blowing above 20kph. I started my ride at 7.30am (I like my sleep haha). Despite not having any target pace in mind, it was nice to be able to keep an average of 28.5kph, but only until my first pit-stop in Hungry Jack's South Perth, at the 124km mark. The winds toned down after that but somehow there was no clear direction as to where it was blowing from. So there seemed to be a tussle whichever way I was riding. I became tired and decided to take a short rest under the trees at the 162km mark. By then, the pace had dropped to 28.1kph.

15km after that, I dropped by the IGA Supermarket to get myself some refills. The cheapest option was a 3L bottle of apple juice, which I drank some of it and ate a Powerbar Performance bar. Even after filling up my water bottle, there was still plenty left. It took me a while to finish it, as I didn't want it to go to waste. I probably drank enough apple juice to last me for the rest of my ride, as I didn't drink anything probably until the last 10km. And I probably had enough sugar in my system to keep my head spinning for the rest of the day. But luckily I was on the bike, so my legs did the spinning haha.

Managed to do a short sprint towards the end, despite riding straight into headwinds. Finally got to my car at 3.30pm, 8 hours from when I started. Total ride time was 7:07:18 for 200.4km, an average of 28.1kph.

This probably sounds cliche, but throughout my ride, there were so many times I wanted to cut it short. But having Li-Ann in my thoughts and mind, kept me going. Ironically though, when she's around, there are times when my rides are cut short so that I could see her earlier haha. Can't wait for her to be back tomorrow!

Old and new

2010-10-24T10:30:00.004+08:00

I had quite an eventful weekend. Li-Ann's away in Shanghai for holiday trip with her family. But I had the company of my cousin, her 6 month old daughter and her in-laws, who are here for their first visit to Perth.

I attended a farewell dinner for my former divisional partner at KPMG. He was leaving after having worked at KPMG since he was a grad. It was nice catching up with everyone again. Most of them at the dinner have already left KPMG. Those who are still with KPMG claimed that we all look a lot happier, hahhah.

Saturday's bike ride was pretty dramatic. First, my cycle computer bounced out less than 10kms into the ride. Then, it showed signs of dying, with the battery indicator flashing, despite having replaced the battery only 3 months ago. About a couple of hours later, it froze and that was the end of it. It didn't help that I modified my route slightly, but I estimated it was still 160km and I took about 5 hour 40 minutes, which is just above 28kph average.

I bought a new battery from the watch repair shop in Subiaco markets. But I noticed the plastic sensor attached to my bike fork is starting to give way too. Maybe it's time to get a new cyclecomputer. This time, one with cadence sensor. I like my current Specialized one because it gives a triple display (elapsed time, current speed and trip distance) in one screen. Any recommendations of one that does the same?

Sunday morning, I did another session of aqua running. Covered 2km in 1 hour. This time a lot less awkward and there was less chaffing on the feet. Feeling pretty confident on the recovery of my sore right shin, and should be able to start running on land in a week's time.

Aqua running it is...

2010-10-17T17:42:00.007+08:00

The run I did on Monday left some tightness around my shins and caused the swell on the right shin to hurt a bit more. So I decided to be really cautious and did some aqua running instead at Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre on Saturday morning. I swapped my bike ride to Sunday as it was forecasted to have winds blowing in the mid 20s kph. Yes, despite having done two Ironmans, I can be quite a wuss. As Keat Seong puts it, IRON PUSSY!

Aqua running was quite an experience. It really tested my patience. There were so many times I was just tempted to swim, but I kept to the plan. One side of the pool was actually too deep, the water was reaching my chin. Maybe I should have just done it at the shallow end. I did sets of 100m in intervals of 3 minutes, but I barely had any rest in between, it was that slow! I did 2kms in about 1 hour. Partway through, I had to change lanes because the senior citizens water aerobics class was on, hahhah.

Usually after my long rides on Saturdays, I'm pretty much spent for the rest of the weekend. So for a change, Li-Ann and I went out for lunch at Betty's Cafe, Innaloo. It was pretty quiet that day, apart from the kids party behind us, I'm guessing they are about 8 years old, were quite entertaining.

Famous for their milkshakes

The small wedges was huge!

The Big Betty. Their burgers were alright, though I must say Grill'D is better.

Sunday morning, I did my 160km ride in conditions which were forecasted to have winds between 6kph and 11kph. I can assure you, that DID not happen! Though it was calmer from last week, but it picked up at noon and the flags on Mounts Bay Road were being blown at a full horizontal.

Throughout the ride, there seemed to be plenty of fruit flies, hitting my arms and face, some even got into my mouth! But no major dramas. I averaged the ride in 29.1kph average. Wished it could have been faster, but at least that's another 5+ hour ride above 29kph.

My weapon for Ironman Western Australia

2010-10-13T20:05:00.007+08:00

Saucony Fastwitch 4 in new Vizi Pro colour. They look like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, hahhah. My current Fastwitch 3 has been seving me well in all my races, so I decided to stick to what works well for me so far.

As Wiggle (which is one of my favourite websites now) gave free shipping for baskets above A$83 (which means the shoes cost less than that), I added in a pair of Speedo swimming paddles as my current pair has broken.

The rubber straps were too long, so I had to make several additional loops.

All at Li-Ann's expense as my birthday gifts. Thanks, darling! Love you!

Things are starting to look up

2010-10-11T10:39:00.003+08:00

My wounds from the fall have all dried up, so I've been back in the swimming pool. It felt a bit awkward initially, and I've lost the natural feel of the water. But after a few sets, I was able to get back into the strokes quite comfortably.

On Saturday morning, I did another 160km ride. The winds were still pretty strong, but not as bad as last week. Though it was pretty sunny, and temperatures were at 31 degrees at it's highest. I completed the ride with an average of 29.0kph, pretty satisfied with that effort.

Sunday morning, I watched the last few nail biting hours of the live streaming of Kona Ironman Championships. I was a bit disappointed that Craig Alexander a.k.a. Crowie failed to defend his title. Sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of Chris McCormack a.k.a. Macca. But he deserves full credit for winning, given his stellar performance and how he skillfully outwitted Andreas Raelart towards the finishing.

For the women's race, I couldn't be any happier for Mirinda Carfrae for winning and pulling off a record fast marathon split. If only Chrissie Wellington was in the mix, it would have been a great showdown, and if Mirinda beat Chrissie, it would have been a whole lot sweeter!

I was pretty pumped up after watching the pro race of the Championships, but the windy and occasionally wet weather kept me indoors instead of going out for a run. So I made it a recovery day.

Monday morning, I did my first run in 3 weeks. I started off conservatively, as my right shin is still slightly swollen. Completed 13km in 56:45, an average of 4:22 per km. Way off from what I used to be clocking, but pretty happy that I was able to run a decent pace without much pain.

I'm going to stick to one run per week plan now for the remaining weeks leading up to Ironman Western Australia, to allow adequate recovery time from the damage caused by each run session. Hope this plan works.

27 tomorrow

2010-10-06T22:05:00.006+08:00

Early celebration over the weekend at Beethoven's. Massive portions of meat. Ordered the pork shank and lamb rack. And not the forget the half pint of German beer.

Survival

2010-10-03T08:29:00.003+08:00

I was wrong when I said that Monday's fall would not affect my training. The laceration wounds were pretty exposed and I skipped all swim sessions for the week to avoid them getting infected. Also, it hurts each time they got in contact with the fabric of my clothes. And at the end of each day, I find them sticking to the fabric - not a pretty sight!

I did spinning each day and strength exercises on alternate days. After training indoors for the whole week, I was itching to do some real training outside. Also, I was getting more and more cranky each day!

Saturday morning came, and the winds were fierce. Great, not exactly the type of conditions to be starting my recovery ride. But it was pretty cloudy, without much sun, so that helped a bit.

It was quite an eventful ride, with honey bees flying pass on Burke Drive, towards Point Walter, on BOTH journeys. One actually landed on my thigh, I quickly flicked it away. Luckily, I wasn't stung. Then on one of bike paths near the Canning River in Applecross, I had to stop for a family of crossing ducks.

It didn't end here. On the way to my pit-stop, I came across a traffic light at the T-junction. It was a red light, and I was going straight. Given that I was cycling on the bike path at the side of the road, and I wasn't obstructing any traffic, I kept on going.

Just my luck, the car that stopped at the front of the traffic light was a police car. He pulled me over soon after that and took down my details, but let me off with a warning. Phew. He was really nice about it though. He said he understands that we often get into the zone while training, but that doesn't preclude us from abiding traffic rules.

Having gone through all these, I'm glad I survived the 160km ride. Though at a pretty slow pace of 28.4kph average. But taking into account that I almost felt like giving up after riding only 30km, I guess I should give myself a pat on the back.

The wounds are healing, albeit slowly. Hope to get some swimming done next week.

What a weekend!

2010-09-27T13:22:00.010+08:00

We have a three day weekend, with Queen's Birthday public holiday on Monday. WA is the only state in Australia to have it now, and not in the middle of June with the rest of the country, as it coincides with WA Foundation Day. Also, it was the AFL Grand Final weekend, which resulted in a historic draw, only to have a rematch the following week.

I started the weekend with a plan to do a 160km ride on Saturday. There were moderate winds, and it was pretty sunny that day. I averaged 30kph for most of the ride. Took a pit-stop at about 113km, triple cheesburger stunner meal for only $6.95 at Hungry Jacks!

I helped myself with the unlimited refills of soft drink. Probably wasn't a good idea, as I felt a bit bloated after that. I continued my ride, the winds had picked up a bit and the sun was getting hot. My eyes kept on tearing from the glare. I had to stop a few times to wash my face. When I got near UWA, I decided to call it quits and skipped the small loop near Dalkeith. I clocked 152.7km, averaging 29.7kph. I noted to myself to put on my sunnies for my next long ride.

Sunday, I did no training but did some weeding near the small patch of green at our driveway. Li-Ann did quite a bit of uni assignments marking. We did get out of the house eventually. In the afternoon, we had a stroll at Trigg Beach, about 10 minutes drive away. The winds were howling, I was glad I wasn't out cycling that day.

I decided to ride again on Monday morning, as I'm still avoiding running for my shin to recover. The plan was to ride 100km, making the weekend's mileage of 250km. This time I had my sunnies on. The wind was much stronger, along with slightly tired legs, I aimed for an average of 29kph.

Here's where it happened. After cycling for about 1.5 hours, at the infamous slopes of Point Walter, I was tailing an SUV attached with a boat trailer behind, where I hit a road bump. My bike handling is pretty average but I'm normally able to control this bend. My sweaty hands must have slipped off the bars. Down I tumbled and bike skidded along.

I suffered lacerations on my left shoulder, left hip, right knee and both my palms.

My poor bike, suffered scratches on the left gear shift and left brake lever.

I called Li-Ann for rescue. I was feeling really frustrated and seriously contemplated withdrawing from Ironman WA. But as we drove home, and I calmed down, I decided that this was a minor setback. In fact, it would have minimal impact on my training, nothing's broken. Thank God for helmets! Although I was screaming like a baby when I was taking my shower after that.

Looking forward to better week's ahead.

Not ideal

2010-09-23T14:29:00.003+08:00

The shin soreness from Sunday's run has taken for the worse and now there is a sizable swell on the lower part of my right shin, just above my inner ankle. It hurts each time my foot lands with impact i.e. walking down steps. So running is definitely out of the question.

To say I'm frustrated, is quite an understatement. I don't know what went wrong. I managed my left foot injury pretty well, I believe. I eased into running. Only running once a week. Progressing from 6.7km to 9.7km to 13km. I haven't even ran more than an hour in one session!

The sub 11 hour target at Ironman WA this December seems a bit shaky at the moment. And if you know me well, there is no race I would compete in without giving my best. I even had a look at the withdrawal policy and sad to say, only $350 (about 50%) would be refunded for withdrawals prior to 1 October.

So on monetary grounds, me being an accountant and all, I would still continue with the race. It doesn't hurt when I cycle or swim (it does slightly if I kick off the wall in a wrong angle, but there are no walls in the open water, right?). And I'm still feeling pretty fit, cardiovascular wise.

I took a day off yesterday and made some appointments. I first saw an occupational therapist in Health Central, Mount Hawthorn, courtesy of a complimentary session from a text message. Fortunately, it was confirmed that I do not have a stress fracture. And the swell is likely to have resulted from overstressing on my right leg since I was recovering from the injury on my left foot. I was prescribed a tube of Traumeel anti inflammatory gel and a bottle of magnesium for muscle recovery.

Then, I paid a visit to UWA Podiatry Clinic. It was quite an interesting experience actually, the young student podiatrist fiddled with my feet and went away to refer to his lecturer every now and then. I spent about 1.5 hour there but was given needling treatment to loosen the muscles around my shin.

I'll avoid running for a couple of weeks. Despite this setback, I'm still feeling a bit optimistic (maybe deluded?) that I can still pull off a sub 4 hour marathon split on race day and achieve that sub 11 hour target after all. Even with a 3 week running layoff, I still have 7-8 weeks to get my running legs back into action. After all, isn't the marathon leg of the Ironman mainly shuffling anyway?

Windy

2010-09-19T13:05:00.003+08:00

After having auditors in the office for the past two weeks, the weekend was very much welcomed.

On Saturday, I did another 120km ride. The winds were pretty strong, just above 20kph. Fortunately though, it was blowing in my favour towards the last 10kms. There were quite a few tri bikes on the course, one of which I kept on meeting. He (or she? I couldn't tell as the cyclist was all covered up with winter gear) was riding a red Felt B2, the new 2010 version.

I completed the ride with an average of 29.4kph. Pretty satisfied, considering the strong winds. I have became comfortable with the distance, so I thought next week I should up the ante and start riding 160kms.

Sunday morning, I did my second run for the week. I did 13km, the first time in 5 weeks. Held it pretty well, finishing in 54:50 (average 4:13 per km). Not my best, but still happy with the decent effort. My left foot is much better now. Although, other problems seem to be manifesting elsewhere - my right shin is feeling a bit sore. So I'll probably take it easy before logging in the long runs.

Raya Weekend

2010-09-13T16:07:00.007+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya to all my Muslim friends, and happy holidays to all those back home. I admit I'm a tad bit envious of not getting the public holidays and the festive atmosphere here.

Darling's parents were here to visit for 5 days. I'm happy to say that I did not compromise much on my training plans (although I did make some adjustments). Which is good, because we tend to overeat when we have visitors hahhah.

We took a drive to Wave Rock on Saturday morning. It was about 4.5 hours drive each way, making that about 720km in that one day. Some might say it's not worth the long drive to see a huge rock. But it was indeed a fun experience. The drive there is a lot more pleasant than driving down south to Margaret River, in my opinion. There was more scenery, and you pass by a town every 100km, making the drive less taxing on the mind.

I postponed my 120km ride to Sunday morning. But the weather wasn't looking too good. It poured a bit, so I did some groceries while waiting for the rain to stop. It did, but the winds didn't. They were blowing at about 25kph. I completed the ride in a relatively slow pace of 28.7kph average.

This morning, I did a 9.75km run, finishing in 40:53 (average 4:12 per km). Still a bit far off from my sub 4:10 average, which I was consistently clocking about 1.5 months ago. But pretty happy with the progress since the foot injury.

Would try a 13km run sometime this week, and progressively build my mileage for my Ironman WA preparations. There is still time...