100 pushups... week1 day 1

Been trying to get this program going, but unfortunately... on and off just like a traffic light! So, I decided to blog it down....

It interesting how something so simple can actually start an industry... the training program is laid out professionally in a nice looking suave table, with easy to follow instructions.. and what is this all about? 100 pushups! In 6 weeks that is! Anyway, I have decided to go for this.. and see if I can get there in 6 weeks...

Today.. Monday.. 1st day.. starting with column one of Week 3... would probably have to do Week 3's program for at least 2 weeks to move on to Week 4 and 5....

Day 1 rest 60 seconds between each SET (longer if required)

set 1 = 12
set 2 = 12
set 3 = 8
set 4 = 8
set 5 = 12

total : 52
Here we go!

Changi Coastal BLITZ..

This morning, Ronald and his gang couldn't make it, but the old regulars like TT, Samsung1 were there... Samsung1 brought along another friend this morning, Samsung2... who rides a hybrid... a Marin but the back triangle is more like a racer..

The morning route was to be on the inside all the way till NSRCC where we will head out to the coastal roads.. this morning were to be alittle different for me in terms of preparations.. I am left were 3 Hcut tabs which I decided to down it together with my Bcomplex. I took nothing else, except for my regular HB and HC tablets. Only difference, no usual coffee for me.

The morning ride started the usual, I was leading the pack, all the way until we reached NSRCC, there becuase of the timing, the 3 of them crossed the road faster than me, and I was left behind.. but the start of the coastal I was probably a good 1-2km behind, I wasn't too worried about that, afterall, they were on road bikes with 700C wheels... so I kept my speed between 29-31km/h.. realised that I was pretty strong this morning.... with only 7km to go, I could see samsung1 was lagging behind the 2 leaders, I surged ahead, but I didnt want to waste precious energy so I made sure that I didnt go beyond 35km/h... pretty soon Samsung1 was behind me as I kept my speed at around 32, could tell that he was exhausted, .... ET and Ss2 was about 1km ahead and I pounded my pedals and tried to close the gap, but my legs were screaming and I had to slow down... we finally met rendevous point, but alas! Bak Chor Mee was not available... instead it was the bee hoon and egg for me! I couldnt finish my portion, the lady was too generous! But I had my ice coffee anyway...

The ride back was one of the most amazing.... on the way back.. ET decided to take the outside road, while the rest of us wanted to go by the inside.... all the way back to NSRCC, Ss1 was hot on my wheel, I caught sight of ET, he was gone in 2 mins, surging so fast ahead...but I wasn't feeling faint at all, very strange feel... I was very careful to be really sensitive to any pain on my left knee, I would have to slow down as soon as I feel the pain... I hammered on the pedals for the whole stretch on the changi coastal, all 7km of it... 32-35km/h... Ss1 chasing me... he was very strong, on 2 occasions almost trying to take the lead... when we reached the road cross, he actually led for a short period of time! I was not perturb, taking care not to overexert myself! Back on the ECP, the race was on! Ss1 led all the way until we reached the "Paris-Roubaix" point, at the stage, I turbo blasted the short 700metre cobbled route, reaching up to about 47km/h.... from there I kept my speed at around 32-34km/h.... Ss1 still chased on... we briefly met at around the new skatepark area, I told him that I will heading out on the road, just before the hawker centre.. once I headed out to the road, lo and behold! ET was just up ahead...very unusual of him to slack.... I cruised on... 33... passed him... and then hammered on... 34.... 1-2-3-4km.. and I was still at 34.... wow... either the Hcut tablets were working or was it the combination of the coffee? I really dun know... I was also trying to be real sensitive about my legs.. my knee... gosh! No pain! Could this be the endorphins? watever it was... I really liked this state that I was in... is this the zone? I looked back... even Ss1 have given up the chase and he was coasting with ET... 3 mins passed... I turned... and wow! No one! I reached the carpark.. and took a look at my watch.... to my amazement.. 40mins 23 seconds.. I new Personal Best...

I am still pondering what was it that made this ride so exceptional ? I would like to think it was the training that I have done over the week.. but I have a slight suspicion that its due to the Hcut tablets that I took. Anyway, I will be getting some new supplies soon. That way, I can really tell if they are really that effective or not...

My 1st Bull Run..

Realising that I only have another 2 weeks to cut my timing about a minute, I knew I had to continue to run and diet as well. Right after Chinese New Year is probably the worst time of the year to go for an IPPT. But what to do, my birthday is coming and if I don't go for this round, I would have missed my last opportunity before I MR.

Anyway, the previous runs were just awful, I don't really feel that I am pushing myself really hard enough, becuase at the end of the run, I am not really out of breath.. all I can remember is the lethargy feeling that I have which causes me to not push that hard. Its very different when I am cyling..

Still... the evening run on the 1st day of the New Chinese Year was really good... I managed to save about 20 seconds off... I have been very conscious about my diet over the holiday period.. and was able to avoid all those sweet and preserved stuff..

Currently, I believe the strategy is to keep speed above 10.4km/h and then stepping it up to 11km/h for the last 1km or so... hopefully this can be achieved...

Finally.... 75kg....

Just days to the lunar new year, my weight has gone down to 75kg.... and this was after a bowl of nice bak chor mee and a mug full of ice kopi from my usual coastal pit stop!

I am feeling alot stronger now.. thanks to all that cross training...

Today's ride was unbelievably fast... I was able to bump up the TE factor above 4... and all of this.. during a bout of diahorrea... (too much of the mandarin oranges!!)

Very tired.. but satisfied.. CNY... have to control diet!! sigh!!

The worst week of my life...

It is with so much anguish that I am writing this log... all the weeks of preparation and the results just didnt tally... immediately there was so much accusation within.. am I really getting too old? Was I over confident?

Week after week, all that sacrifice of running and cross training.. but I missed incentive by a mere second... yes ... a mere second... when I passed the tape.. and when I saw the timing, I was shocked beyond believe... I was only 10th in position out of 115 runners, how could I have run so poorly? 13 mins 26 secs...

I was full of resolve.. I can still re-register for another test... I have 2 more months to go before my 40th birthday... so I really need to train alot harder...

13th Jan.. Chi-ing again at Ft Canning

Yesterday's run was invigorating... and I wanted to try Chi-ing this time with a different pair of shoes.. the Kayano 12.. .The 12's were my running shoes for the 10km which I did several months back... they're really nice... its feels hard.. but after awhile, you really appreciate the suspension that it provides...

In today's run, I realised that the 12 was more suited for the Heel-strike runner... for forefoot running, the cushioning that the 12 offers is SO sucky! One thing that I have found so far with Chi-running, is that I have not had any arch pain... quite amazing... in fact, I would have expected to have very tired calves.. but I have not experience that for the last 2 days.

Today, I actually shaved off 3 mins from my time, but the strange thing was that my HR did not increase... Hmmmm... I think I can actually run harder... still.. the total distance is about 3.17km so i think for the 2.4km on Friday, I can definitely afford to run harder...

The cushioning on the 12 is worse than my 11's... I have yet to try this on my new balance.. so I think I will do that on Thursday... to make up my mind on which pair I should do my IPPT on.

I really hope I do well to get that 200 bucks... I can't wait to try on those new Newtons!

12th Jan..Chi running at Fort Canning

The time was alittle pass 8pm in the evening, there was more than a slight breeze, it was excellent weather for a run. This Friday is to be my IPPT, and running has never been my forte.

This evening's objective was to try and do as much CHI as possible..the first 400 meters, towards Clemenceau Ave down Oxley Rise was alittle too fast, but again, I wasn't pushing it, instead, it was more like letting gravity taking over, most of it was downhill, so all i had to do was lean over, and let gravity take over, my feet were there in tandem to make sure that I dun fall over flat on my face, and they worked like a wheel with shoes! Rollin rolling rolling... my upper body was relaxed, noticably my arms. The lower legs felt stronger, I wasn't feeling any strain at all..maybe it was just too early in the run!

At Clemenceau Ave, DRATS! The lifting of ERP, meant that the cars will be pouring in to the district.. a good 3-4 mins was wasted waiting to cross the road..

Once at the foot of Ft. Canning, I began Chi-ing, and it was alot slower this time, my breathing was different as well, 1.2km later.. tried to revert back to the old form, but it didnt add to the comfort, and the weird thing was, my body actually went back to Chi-ing instinctively.. that brought a smile to my face!

Amazing thing, I ran all the way, no stopping... I felt strong... my legs didnt feel strained in any way.. it was pretty amazing... I realised that my lungs were stronger than I know it... and I pushed myself harder when the incline started... my average HR went up by 20bpm...

10th January 2009

It was just like any ordinary early Saturday morning. The heavens were kind enough not to have poured, afterall, we are still in the monsoon season in this side of the planet.
545am... and I am at the usual spot at the car-park. I had a rough night.. slept at 1am, and woke up hourly, and I just didnt feel rested. Many things were on my mind, my job status, my obsession with the R3, something which I can afford but just don't feel that I should get it now.

Morris was the second to arrive and then came Ronald. We limbered up, stretching, warming up, hoping to shake off whatever sleepiness there is in the system. Yew Fei was late, but it was okay, as long as someone is coming, we usually will wait.

I was still feeling slightly sore from the chin-up exercises that I did on Wednesday. Strange, that its taking so long to heal. I need to get myself ready for the IPPT on Friday, my absolute last chance of getting $200 from the Government. I'm pretty sure that with the running, I should be able to get it. But I have been training my chin-ups and my sit-ups.. better condition myself over the weekend!

The cool East Coast breeze whistled pass the helmet straps near my ears and instinctly I could feel my thighs cringing in fear as the volume of the whistle was a good indication of how hard the head wind would be. On monsoon Coastal rides, its almost certain that riders would be facing a strong headwind as they made their way to Changi Point, a good 25km away...

I was too familiar with this coastal ride, every nook and cranny, when to surge ahead and when to coast, I've even have a stretch which I have so fondly christianed the "Paris-Roubaix'' stage. Its a short 800-900 stretch of cobbled stone road, which is essential a park connector from Bedok. My aim was to hit 32-34 on this stretch.

Today's first leg was great for me. I was alot stronger compared to the 1st 2 rides that I had earlier this week. I realised that its essential to at least cycle 3 times a week. How am I going to achieve this if/when I should start working ? Sad.

On the actual Coastal rode, I actually overtook a roadie, my constant speed above 30km/h certainly was proving fomidable. I guess it was alittle too early, as there weren't any Tri guys or groupies.. I lost Ronald at the T-junction towards coastal.. surely I can't be that fast?

Of course not! Apparently Morris had a flat and it was Ronald to the rescue. I was unaware of that, and I continued to hammer on, keeping constant cadence... and trying not to lose speed... I was finding my balance point and at the same time the right pressure for the pedals, I realised that it was around 29-30km/h, 2nd smallest cog... it came effortlessly..

45 mins later. There I was at rendevous point. Not smashed to the point of no return, but the thighs were alittle stiff...

I ordered my favourite comfort food, my $3 bak chor mee with no fried wanton, no chilli, just tomato ketchup. Today, he decided to give me alittle more of the ketchup, everything was sweeter. Had my usual Ice coffee (the caffeine is really good for the ride back!) and the group finally arrived when I finished seeping up the last remaining drop of my pick-me-up'per.

Surprise surprise, ET and Kelvin showed up as well, they were on the way to Ubin, Ronald call them the TITUS gang. I would have joined them if it wasnt for the Mobilisation in the afternoon.

The ride back was phenomenon. It's probably got to do with the ice coffee. Because I merely took 44 mins to get back... The route back was more than 20km as well... as I was really sub-90 mins for the 40km... it was a PB... and on a mountain bike as well..

On hindsight, its got to be how the week's riding that helped. Sat was to be my 3rd ride.. and I certainly felt stronger. Like I said before, it would have to be at least 3 times a week to see any improvements.

8th Jan... Duo day!

Today was a special day... I actually did a 40km Non-stop (ok, at 20km mark, I had a rest of 3 mins and a bite off my trail-mix bar!), plus a 3km run in the evening! For the bike ride, I actually came back with a timing of 1hr 31mins! This must be some personal record of sort! Actually the strange thing was, after the rest, and that little bit of Trail-mix, I was able to do the Changi Coastal stretch (6.7km) at above 32km/h and at times around 37km/h it seems to me, that after the 20km, my body was warmed up ? I need to do more research on this.

I must say, that I was very pleased with my new performance enhancing gadget, a weight saving pair of pedals. I had a little trouble with it yesterday, can to change the cleats on my shoes to get it really working. They're the crank brothers Eggbeater pedals. They were a little creaky in the end, probably needs alittle lub.

On the way back, it was around 30 plus.. then I met this Ang-mo, who cut me at 33km/h... I sat on his wheel for awhile, I checked out his gearing configuration, he was alrady at max power gears, and it seems like he was already gasping, and he was wearing sandles... so i waited for my chance... I would sit on his wheel, and when the speedo reaches 2km left, I will let go!
And let go i did! My HR raced to above 180, 192 to be exact! Top speed was 47.5km/h! Incredible! still... it was impossible for me to complete that last 2km at above 45km/h... maybe I need to train just alittle more harder!

I came back home, had to pick the kids up, and quickly made myself a mixture of Red Bull and 7-up... that must have been it! Back at my mother's, I had a power nap... actually cannot nap properly.. no proper bed! So got up and decided to burn more calories!

Anyway, this has been exciting...

25th Dec 2008..

So what do you do on Christmas day? When the kids haven't arrive then.. it was always about Golf.. be it christmas or new year's, whatever the holidays.. but since the kids arrival.. no such luck. Leisure activities have to be short.. else it would be seen as a selfish act of self indulgence. Ronald had made an appointment to do riding at 6am.. but after the Christmas Eve party, no way.
I decided to go for a run instead.. and the best time was when the kids were taking their afternoon nap... and so there I was, plodding towards Mt Faber, hoping to make a round trip...
As usual, after at least a rest of 4-5 days, lethargy will be the greatest enemy.. still once on top of Mt. Faber, the scenario is stunning and the pace is picked up..
I did it with the footpod.. after recalibrating it at Pasir Ris Park, the darn thing is actually quite accurate. The GPS is really crappy, I wouldnt want to use it for registering my runs.. it requires so time to triangulate the satellites.

Fitness Toys for 2009...

Ah.. What would a new year be without dreaming about the toys to get?
On the bike scene... for the OCBC race.. I am eyeing... actually drooling (more like it!) for a Cervelo R3... its so Gobsmackingly gorgeous... the 07 and 08 and 09 models do not have any difference at all... in terms of design, so talk about great technology there! Team CSC (go google them to see just how fantastic they are!) stickers are no longer on the 09 models.. not that I am a fan of theirs... but unless I get job... there will only remain as a dream...

SHOES! Newton... or maybe a pair of Pearls? For 09, I am definitely going to give Chi running (or mid-sole running) a try. Saw some great testimony and even Daniel (Jodan) is apparently thrilled with it. It suppose to help overpronators like me... the Newton are the shoes made for mid-sole running and they don't come cheap.. mostly have to order from online as well... wonder whether chain reaction have them ?

Clothes, apparel... Dream cycling jersey would be the Super Groover Jersey 2007, by Pearl Izumi, these were going for US$44.. an unheard of price... but due to some unknown reasons Ee Tiong decided NOT to order for me. Right, thanks very much after all that help you have recieved from me! (NOT!)
Another SKINS compression 1/2 tights would do nicely... I am a firm believer on compression apparel.. its just that.. they are just so expensive! I would also love to get another pair of Pearl Izumi Cycling shorts.. totally great stuff!

OSIM Corporate Tri... 2008

The guys in the office had been talking about this tri thingy for a few years now... I believe it was back in 2006... back then I heard they formed 2 teams.. and I heard that thiam wah almost died of a heart attack doing the cycling bit.. in 2007.. they were again looking for participants.. but I wasn't too keen... I didn't have a bike then!

This year... was different.. the Kula came into my life in 13thJune 2008.. and it was a Friday too! It was suppose to be a father's day present for myself... a present to get me to start cycling..

I bought it also.. because I knew that Daniel had 2 bikes.. and so did Ronald.. I would not be short of cycling partners... I was wrong.. but that would be on another blog..

back to the tri..

Preparation was tough.. only 3 months to cut my timing down to <40mins..>, I spend several sessions on the slopes of Mt Faber and also started coastal riding. But 2 weeks before the competition, I had a very bad bout of flu and I was out of action for about a week. When I got back on the saddle, I felt alot weaker and my lungs just didnt had the capacity it use to.

I still remember race day. All of us were so hopeful, Alvin was a great swimmer and Catherine was a pretty good runner, so getting a top 10 finish was looking really good on the cards. We had a strategy to play fresh legs on the transitions, to hopefully shave precious time by providing fresh legs during the transition of the tags.. alas! We did not practise enough, and in actually wasted more time! Here's what happened... Alvin will cross the bridge where he will pass the tag to Catherine who will run to me to pass me the tag... I would be waiting for her at the beginning of the bike out area... unfortunately, the bike out area was very crowded, (the others were also adopting this same strategy!) and she missed me, and she actually ran up and down twice! The transition took a murderous 5 mins! when actually it should be a 1 minute affair... shame shame shame!