Speedidida, speedididum....

Nothing feels more alive... than the cool early morning breeze against your face as you cycling against the breeze. The sun has yet to rise.. and already some of those early birds and chirping and flying around.. as if to wake to sun up..

Another morning, another chance to cycle and add the kilometres to my cycling log. As the kilometres begin to pile on my odometer, I could feel a sense of pride and joy, simultaneously, as my legs pounded on my pedals to spin the crank... revolution after revolution, as I strain my ears to hear the sound of my whirling wheels and the wind against the straps on my helmet.

Down the stretch of Cecil street.. it was quiet but brightly lit. In the afternoons, the street will be feel with hundreds of people walking around and cars and buses zipping by.. but at 5am in the morning... I have the road all to myself... pass Cecil street and towards the Esplanade, a quick glance to my right, and I am always capivated by the sight of the Singapore river... 20 revolutions of my pedals and I see myself entering Nicholl highway... here is where my turbo boosters come alive.. keep my head low.. shoulders still... I imagined my legs to be large and animated pistons as I powered across the Medeka bridge.... stride for stride.. the wind starts to howl pass my ears as I start to pick up speed...

Its been a couple of months, cycling down this stretch.. but it never fails to bring so much joy. I believe only a joy that can only be enjoyed while we are still capable to cycle... I dredge to think what would have happen to me as age starts to claim my abilities.. times when I think about those thoughts, all the more I find myself, wanting to be stronger and healthier... I guess, there will come a time, when I am no longer able to spin the crank like I am spinning em now.. but as long as I try them now... at least when the time comes to relinguish my capabilities, I still have my memories...

Iran.. again... hahaha

Iran.. more aptly.... I ran.... I really hate running now. I hate it, when I start the slow jogging.. and I hate it when the pace seems to quicken by itself.. I hate the feeling that legs pounding the tarmac.. I hate it, absolutely loathe it, it irks me... I want to stop running and just go home...

this evening, it was slightly different.. we were late for ballet class, 15 mins late.. and I knew I have to complete my run in less than 40 mins. Perhaps that would help me put some life into those dead steps of mine...

Not having enough time to do my usual stretching left me wondering if I will actually cramp up... I was apprehensive, therefore, I was delibrate in my slow jog. I watched the foot pod anxiously, not wanted to go overly fast and thus destroy the chance of completing this run....

Its been several months now. And I have not been able to get back to the times when I could actually love or like running... I remember.. not too long again, completely this route was not a problem.. yet today, strong as I was.. I still surrendered to the gradient of the slope. I just could not plod on... it was too exhausting.. too hard... I wanted and I did.. gave up.... it's just so darn hard! The slope gets steeper, the feet gets heavier, the knees protest, the heart screams and pounds like mad.. the mind gets muddled and age catches up and wraps its tentacles so tightly around your will.. that I slow down to a trot.. and then to a walk... a stroll... body agrees with that... body likes that and begs the mind to continue strolling like that...

Like a drill sergent, sneaking from behind on unwary trainee soldiers, the mind send turbo messages to the legs... it fires for a while.. but the stroll was just so much more comfortable.. less lift threatening... and I strolled again....

I hate running.. someone suggested golf... HAH! I was the club's champion... and I have a gold medallion to prove that.. and golf is not much easier.. may be easier on the legs.. but definitely not on the mind, if you were golf with those wolves and vultures that I used to golf with... enuff said... I just couldnt understand why i am still doing this... I am sad.. that the passion for running has died... I really really cannot go on...

I tell myself.. that this year.. will be my last year for wanting to run... as I am spending more and more of my time riding.... and I love riding.. riding doesnt hurt me like running does... yet... I will try only 2 events this year then....

The Army half marathon and the Stand Chart half marathon... and after that... I will retire.. truly retire...

The hardest run...

Do you know actually know when you are going to have the hardest run ? I can't really tell.. because.. every darn run seems to be the hardest?!?! The last couple of runs have been horrendous.. is it my age? And is it my bulge?

Its really getting harder and harder to run.. I can almost sense the disgust and the contempt of my body.. when it came to preparing for the run.. and during the run.. it was most chaotic, between the legs, lungs, brain and heart.

pushing 40... int

pushing 40 has a new meaning to me...
and that new meaning comes in the form of stretching and warmups.
I remembered not too long ago, how I could just hop on my bicycle and ride all day, or hang on to my badminton or squash racket and swing all day long.. hour after hour.. such was the pleasure, power and joy of youth.

But at 40.. the body in general has lost so much of its suppleness, its strength and stamina.. or has it?

Incorrectly, many middle aged men feel that they have come of age and that so many times, a little muscle strain here or a little muscle cramp there, the pain itself was amplified by the psychology of the man, where his psyched into believing that perhaps its time to slow down.

For the last couple of months, and since turning 40, it has indeed been harder. But as I looked back at my achievement, I know for a fact, that I am fitter than I ever was, and I am stronger and alot faster on my feet and on my bike.

Its not difficult to understand, that with age, it takes alittle bit more effort to hone our bodies to fitness peak. But its a worthwhile task. I enjoy training hard. I enjoy stretching and warming up, getting myself ready, either for a ride or a run. Regular stretching allows oneself to be in-tune with the limits of his muscles, his limbs and his body. Stretching should be done with a little being of meditation, alot like yoga.. and stretching is the only way for the old men to feel young again!

As with fitness level, all it takes is consistency. Fitness is like a shy lover, you need to court it with all your passion and you must be fiercely protective of her, if you lose sight of her just for a moment, its take plenty of efforts to have her back again, but being persistent, is key to win her back.

Really a piece of crap.... (?)

The watchshop guy confirmed that its actually a good brand.. and its product is actually not bad.. but the watch on his wrist was a polar... maybe he talks like that because he needs to sell more of this crap....
The experience that I had with the Suunto had nothing been really lousy... except for making a good friend out of the person whom I bought it from... the HRM belt broke just 2 weeks after I started to use it. I tried epoxy-ing it, and the other side gave way... I gave up... and after 3 months, Daniel told me that someone's letting go the accessories... I picked it up, and continued using it. The footpod is really accurate. But the GPS is not that good, can't go to places where there are too many trees and it sucks batteries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The PC Pod is CRAP to use! Hardly ever get it connected if at all!
Would I recommend this piece of crap to anyone? NEVER! DUN BUY A SUUNTO!! I am trapped. Got 2 Heart straps, one GPS, one FootPod (that really works well!) and a PC pod (good for nothing!). I guess I will use this until, the darn thing dies or malfunction... maybe it never will? I dun really care anymore. To me, its just something that gives me information that I value for the time being...
And the cost of the strap? $69... its a small price to pay considering that I would probably need to fork on up to 3 or 4 times that amount to get another watch and with the same types of peripherals. Anyway, the strap looks alot more sturdier...
Actually not trying to fault Suunto for the rubber strap, but I had a Timex that also broke. (Rubber strap)...Hopefully, this new strap can live afew more year... or should I be hoping that the watch can live afew more years?

OCBC CYCLES... part 2...

Its such a surreal feelng, to be writing about an event of which one of the stars of that event is no longer around. Its been almost 3 days already... and I just can't take my mind off her. There has been some progress with the claims. Hopefully, my need for speed is met again.... anyway, I owe it to her, that I should write how she became a part of one of the biggest event of my life.

The day started early. I met up with Kuen, and we were looking sharp in our jerseys. I was pleased that the colors suit her colors. We were a matching pair. At 545am, we were already whizzing pass Cecil street and moving towards Fullerton. The streets were empty and at the Fullerton bridge, the road block was already up, with our jerseys on, the police had no problem identifying us as participants... we cut through the road block and then did a turn into Raffles Boulevard. The 50km participants were alrady there.. getting ready to start... we reached our destination and were rewarded with some 100 plus... I messaged the rest of the gang, that we were at the Neutral Services booth... one by one, we met up... lo and behold, Mr TC Teochew came along.. and all the time, he chattered about how good his son was, he very clever and hardworking very kind to join him at the cycles, doing well at the university, and that he is going to Australia for fishing for 14 days.. yada yada yada... the fact that he was yapping so much about himself, was perhaps he was sore that he couldn't get a road bike like me and Ee Tiong.. he was still adamant about the mountain bike.. look.. I love mountain biking.. and I am a cyclist at heart.. give me rolling hills, and give me offroad.. just give me the right bike... and there my heart will be... he just dun get that!

Time came (and I was so glad), that I had to move to my line.. together with Ee Tiong we went to our respective starting lines... the adrenaline was pumping, and it was getting to be brighter now... it looked as if it was going to be warm too... there were thousands upon thousands of people. We waited.. chatted nervously, and scouted around to see who may be the trouble makers... least of our worries actually... the time came.. everyone jockeyed their bikes to the front, there so many people, you could feel the electrifying aura around... Joel started appearing on my left... hah! Fate had to be so cruel.. TC Teochew will get to see my poweress! air horn blew.. and off we went.. my starting group was cool, everyone was very considerate.. 5 metres ahead, I could see TC ahead, he flicked the GD post, to get a better leverage, but that didn't matter at all, in 2 shakes of salt, I was up ahead and doing 30 plus.. no one tried to do any crazy stunts, they stayed their line and knew their limits... once out of the F1 area and onto Raffles Boulevard, things got pretty wild, but still manageable... on Clifford road nearer the U-turn, several water bottles on the road, but I manage to steer clear out of trouble and remain on the left and outside.. I kept my speed at around 30... around the Uie, it was about 22.. then up to about 35.. I sprinted abit to get back to Raffles boulevard... there, it began to become abit of wild party, some folks didnt like being cut, and would actually fight back... and then there was that sandy left turn back to Nicoll highway, that was narrow and some fatty on a cervelo was really close and was shouting at me, I was keeping my line.. I didnt really know what all his shouting was for... he and his frens start to sprint ahead.. I thought it was to soon for me to turn on my juice.. so I just mainted at around 34.... after the Uie at Nicoll some groups started to pull away, and I tried following them, the crazy fat Cervelo guy had a mini group with him, I drafted them for awhile, they were going too fast, I ended up being alone, the front group was way ahead and the behind group was way behind.. with no one to pull me along, I was hammering it up the gentle slope at Nicoll... I completed Nicoll at an average of 34... that was pretty neat! I eased off abit at Guillemard as I made the right turn towards Tanjung Rhu... once I hit the straights.. I started hammering again, 34-35... it was quick and easy.. My GAL was having fun and so was I... I felt faint... and soon.. Ee Tiong caught up with me.. and he was urging me... faster faster...

in 10 seconds he was up ahead... a quick glance at my comps, and it was only 12 kilos down so far.. still too early for the turbo... time for a swig at the bottles... and the cool, orangy elixir brought some relief to the already warm morning. At the straights towards the service roads, I turn on the turbo... 38... cut about 15 riders.... made a fast but smooth left turn into the service roads... my GAL just loved to carve... she carved silently and efficient, the wheelset spinning in perfect unison.. as both rider and bicycle became one unit, cutting through air, leaning into the curve as the centripetal force sent both into the tangent of the curve... once on the straights.. turbo again... 38... I didnt want to raise it to 40.. not yet becuase at the speed it will expend my reserves very very quickly.... once on the service road.. it was a very strange feeling... it was as if I have done this a thousand million times, it became so familiar.. every thing, the buzz on the road, as rubber tires rolled on rough tarmac, the shadows of the trees, the speed stripes... the blurring or the curbs, white black white black... I concentrated only on one thing... the sound of my breathing.. a quick glance at my HRM, my suunto T3.. 183... optimal.. I am definitely at my race pace now... the east coast will be the biggest obstacle.. I had to maintain as high a speed as possible... I hammered on... remember Lance Armstrong's technics... I kept my shoulders very still and just focused on hammer my legs.. it was strange too, that my knees were holding up so well... left right left right.. pound pound pound... left right left right.. pound pound pound... Carl's junior... speed hump.. speed stripes... Road safety park... chalets... Macdonalds, bowling alley... tennis centre...it was a straight but punishing road, as the surface was not smooth... met up with crazy fat cervelo guy and his group, they were crushed, I zipped past them, not an aggressive in your face kinda pass, more like a ha-ha-ha-you-bonked! kinda pass. As I was reaching the hawker centre, I was familiar with the slope... I pounded harder... 37... I did the slope and at the down slope.. I took another swig.. but this time there was no relief... that was when I realised that I was depliting my energy quite rapidly... suddenly, I felt my first pang of fear... fortunately, adrenalin pushed it aside... there was some riders bunched up... a quick hammer session.. and they were left behind.. the stiff BB on my Gal was amazing.. no wasted energy.. every stride was efficiently translated into forward motion... there will be another slope up.. this will be a longer and steeper slope.. here I remembered what Kuen had advised me.. when you take them out.. take them out fast, far and long... I turn my turbo on.. 40... and I blasted the slope... I left Ee Tiong behind... coming down the slope.. the comps registered 42... I was fast... but without sacrifice.. by then I was pretty exhausted.. 24km already.. wow.. less than half to go!

Up ahead was the final Uie.. I pounded for a while to maintain speed above 30.... made the Uie at around 26... and then hammer it up... again.. caught up with several riders.. and pounded away... as I was reaching the Yacht club, I had to regroup my strength... Ee Tiong suddenly came from behind... faster faster he urged me... I was hurting.. and I decided to stay behind... I watched him as he approached that short steep slope, strange... he stopped pedalling! I wouldnt do that.. you dun stop pedalling moments before you enter a slope! I started hammering again, 34... 35.. I passed him on the way up the slope.. and as I came down, I was doing 43... there was to be a gradual slope again past the sunset boulevard bar... I had to maintain smart gear changes to continue at an optimal speed.... Ee Tiong was left.. far behind.. could tell he was exhausted. Past the gradual slope..on the way down.. drinking time... towards the hawker centre, up the slope, down the slope, past the water skii lagoon.. back on the east coast parkway cycling track... usually we would turn left.. but this time we had to go up the slope... and there were a bunch of mountain bikers slow poking on the left, so I took the right... suddenly, there was road compression right in front of it.. crap... immediately, i loosen my grip on my handle bars, my front wheel jacked violently up... but my rear wheel absorbed it well, I was standing up by this time, so my body took most of the shock! I shouted to the jokers on my left to "stay your line"".. meaning dont sway too much... and they were obedient enough, I powered past them.. 44... and then i continued going at that pace... upon nearing the futsal place.. I slowed down.. 30... 29.. omigosh.. I was going flat! I had to engage mind power now..manage to only bump it up to 32... I was slowing down for sure... I just continued to focus on my breathing, I didnt really feel the lactic burn, so i forced up the pace. The tarmac below me blurred as I bowed to watch the cyclical movements of my thighs, my SIDIéd feet. Left right, left right, pump pump pump... suddenly I was using the term pump instead of pound... scary.. even the vocabulary that I used was showing signs of weakness! Once pass Carl's Junior, I know, the East Coast leg was drawing to a close, that probably released some endorphins, becuase my speed started to increased, could be the elixir taking it effect too. Down that stretch towards the sandy right turn, I slowed down again, that turning is treacherous! I stop pounding, and instead drank a little bit. The bike carved a nice line and I am back on the straights, up ahead, another slow peloton. I cut them on the right, this was where I met Mr SEVEN and his leather Brooks seat. He looked like a strong rider. And his cadence was smooth and effortless. I passed him and carved a beautiful arc back onto Tanjung Rhu bend, en route to Stadium for the U-turn... he started to draft me. Now I had a puller on my tail! I was surprise that fat cervelo guy didnt catch up as I was really slowing down, I tried really hard to keep up the speed. But I had to keep up the speed, there was the crawford tunnel up ahead and that need alot of energy. I was really glad that kuen and I had done the practise runs, it really helped with the gear changing strategies.

At the stadium Uie, I was surprised that they temporary close the bus terminal! Making it alot easier to do the Uie, 27 on a Uie.. somehow, more endorphins, and I surged ahead, taking out more riders. On the straight, it was a good couple of hundreds of metres before a left turn towards a short stretch on the Nicholl to go back under the Mederka bridge. Somehow, the endorphins didn't last long, and on Nicholl turning into the stretch towards under the Mederka Bridge I was really really tired. The sun was up and the heat was getting to me. I triggered my mind for happy thoughts, hoping that they will give me some strength. Under the bridge the roads were pretty sandy and suddenly there were many riders?! There was this guy, he started to chase me, and it was hard for me to shake him off, I wanted to break free so that when I reach the left turn to Sims Drive, I would have space, as the surface at the part is really bad with plenty of that dried up concrete. I couldn't shake him and also I was getting so tired. A quick check at the speedo and I had about less than 7km more, wow, I actually completed 33km alrady... back on Sims, the roads were alive with traffic, but of course we were riding on a closed road, so we were riding alongside the buses and cars, and it felt good.

By that time, the sun was already up and the heat was getting to me. My legs were tired and honestly, I was eagerly waiting for this race to finish! The turn back to the F1 pits were quick and trecherous.. its all a blur to me now.. but all I can remember is that really really tight 90 degrees corner.. and the amazing last couple of hundred metres.. that dash was really fun.. had a guy who was egging me and sprinting with me... we high five'd each other when we crossed the finish line... It was pretty amazing.. to actually have to wait all these years for this experience..

And God took her away... too soon and too tragic.

After an initial and intense love affair that started on the 12th February, its suddenly and abruptly ended on the 28th Feb. Just one day shy of my 40th Birthday.

She was so beautiful when I first laid my eyes on her. There was no lust, there was no craving, it was a very communicative kind of love affair. The ones that would usually last. I wanted lightness, stiffness and speed, she was all that and more. I was strong, but she made me stronger, and she wanted to be brought to places and go the distance, and I relented to all her requests... together, I felt unequivocally invincible, the world was our oyster, together, the world seemed so small, together, we will no longer be... God took her away. May her soul rest in peace.

It happened all so suddenly... after a blistering ride back from Changi Point to NSRCC ( averaging 33km/h), I slowed down once I connected to the cycling path at NSRCC. I had to do that, because the rest of the group was so far behind... my speed was down to 26, easy for them to catch up with me, it was also time to load up on my electrolytes, took a swagger on my 'secret formula' and watched the joggers whizzing pass me, ah.. Chia Wee boon was jogging, so nice to see him back in singapore again! as I approached the winding bend, I saw a large peloton of cyclists, i slow down even more, and decided to go to the left hand side... as I went down the bend, there 4-6 errant riders from the peloton, coming onto the left hand side of the road, 2 cyclists especially fast, one of them came to close.. and he killed my darling.

It was a sickening 'çrack' sound, the sound you hear when someone breaks his bones. The cervelo guy took a tumble, I was ok, but I decided to go lie on the grass. I looked at my bike. Amazing. Nothing was broken. No major scratches and no major breaks, even my fork was intact. I was furious at the duo.. as cyclists they did the worst thing ever, negotiating a curve and going into the wrong lane and worst! Clipping at another cyclist. His friends sheepishly admitted that they were going too fast.

I picked her up, she seemed alright. I went all the way back to the redenvous point. About 15 km more. On the ride back, it was usual. Her lightness and stiffness was still evident. On the speed humps and even on the speed stripes, I couldn't feel that her life was actually ebbing away. She took a hard blow on the head. And her neck has been cracked. But my darling, didnt knew how to fail me, least of all, she just wanted me to reach my destination safely. She held up. on the way back, I cursed the rider that hit us, then a voice in me told me to be thankful that I am still in 1 piece and that nothing serious had happened.

Upon arrival, I was still the first to reach the carpark. The rest were still catching up. I related the whole scene to the guys when they finally came. And it was Ronald who saw the death marks on my darling. The crack stretched from one end to the other. She's a goner. I was furious, but there was nothing that could be done.

In the afternoon, I brought her in. And there is only but a sliver of hope that I can get my warranty claimed. I do hope that God will give her back to me. All day long, I felt as if a huge part of me had died. Indeed it had. I'm still strugling to get on my feet again.. I stil have my Titus and she's another favourite of mine.. but its just not the same anymore... its will never be the same again either... Good bye, Gal. It was absolutely brilliant, while it lasted. I thank God, that He provided all the wonderful times we have had. The training, the safe long rides that we had. I have learnt the finer points of how to handle a high percision engineered machine. Although it left a bitter taste in the seperation, but it has also heightened my senses and my cravings for highly engineered machines. May you rest in peace.