Your Hands Shaped This Doll...

A train ride to remember

2011-05-23T22:42:00.004+08:00

The highlight this week was definitely the travelling to and fro via railway to Ooty. We arrived at the railway station on Thursday at 10pm to catch our 7-hour train ride to Mettupalayam. Throngs of local families laid all around the station waiting for their trains to arrive. We were fortunate to get tickets for our trip having been on the waiting list right up to the moment we left the hostel for the railway station.

After an uneventful train ride through the night, we arrived at our destination the next morning.

Ooty was a 3-hour bus ride up from Mettupalayam and the further we went up, the cooler it became. What a refuge from the heat wave back in Vellore!

We spent most of our time in Ooty sightseeing and enjoying the weather.

Chocolate shop

115th Flower Festival

'New Zealand' looking place

Check out the litter on the ground!

Meditation gives you wings...

My Havaianas snapped but I got it fixed with some rafia =]

Rose Garden

Before long, we are on our way back to Vellore. This time, only 2 tickets were confirmed and having no choice but to return for posting the next day, we bought 4 general class tickets. Travelling in general class is strongly discouraged by many online websites and travel books, and we are about to find out why.

At the second stop, the 2 girls went over to the guys who had the 2 tickets in third class, leaving Anna and I to rough it out for the next 6-hours. It is really amazing to see how the locals manage to find even the tiniest of spaces to sit or lie down. Some even improvised a hammock from their saris to coo their babies to sleep. It was really an eye-opening experience =]

Public humiliation at its best

Time seems to fly by and soon we arrived at our destination; we survived the train ride and are proud of it!

The Heart

2011-05-18T21:21:00.002+08:00

Heart: A hollow muscular organ which by contracting rhythmically keeps up the circulation of the blood; the seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately; the inmost or most central part of a thing; the most important or vital part.

The heart is a very mysterious thing. Being attached to Cardiothoracic Surgery this week, I came face to face with it beating inside a human chest for the very first time. That moment, everything around me seemed less important compared to the perfect synchrony of the dual pulsation made by that muscular machine. The heart is an engineering marvel; it promises you what no other thing can – beating for every single second of your life from the moment you were born till the moment you breathe your last. The heart never fails to amaze me in that it NEVER rests!

However, this loyalty comes at a price. The heart can take years of insult without flinching because it was engineered with reserves. It learns to deal and cope with the numerous atrocities we commit against it until it is too late. I have seen patients with hearts encased in fats and wonder how do us humans treat our bodies? It boils down to one simple truth: we took it for granted.

As with many things, once you start taking something for granted, you stop working at it. When that happens, everything goes downhill from then. Is it any wonder then that matters of the heart also suffer the same fate when we take the relationships we have for granted?

I have learnt something today. Whether be it the heart as an organ or the heart as the other definitions stated above, one must never take it for granted.

My virgin local railway experience

2011-05-16T20:06:00.006+08:00

I set off by foot from my hotel at Chennai to Egmore railway station on the suggestion of the counter staff when I asked how do I get to Chennai airport other than by auto-rickshaw. 3 hours to Anna’s arrival and I was not going to be late for it.

Before long, I was at the station. The walk there took about 5mins as estimated by my information provider. However, chaos ensued as I was the only Chinese person in the ticketing queue. Every local acted like I did not exist, even the ticketing agent! Even though it was my turn to purchase a ticket, everyone else leapfrogged me and got their tickets. I was seriously pissed. I pushed and shoved the locals to get out of that hell hole and after asking around, realized that I was in the wrong queue!

Ticketing hell hole

The railway system is similar to Singapore's MRT

Gosh. I then made my way in search of the right ticketing counter. That was when I met Prabu, a friendly local who was going to the beach with his girlfriend/wife. We both needed tickets for the same platform albeit our trains travel opposite to one another. He brought me to the counter and even helped me foot the extra 1 Rupee for my 6 Rupees ticket as I only had 5 Rupees spare change with me. He told me to ask around for help in Chennai as the locals are very helpful. This was very true! After spending a week here in India, I have come to realize that as long as you ask, there will be someone who will help you. Everyone here is very friendly and helpful (except for those buying railway tickets!)

For the brief 10 stations journey on my virgin railway ride, I felt like I somehow got the stamp of approval from the locals in the same cabin as I was. I was living India.

I have made it to my destination!

Things in context

2011-05-14T19:31:00.001+08:00

I love ice-cream. All kinds of them…Today, after a hot day of travelling, I bought a popsicle while waiting for the bus to arrive. A little local boy saw me and started pestering me. I thought he was begging, hence I passed him whatever coins I had with me. This did not satisfy him; he kept at it, refusing to let me enjoy my popsicle. I chose to ignore him at first, but afterwards, I realized he was pointing to my popsicle and the ice-cream stand.

Therefore, to test my hypothesis that he was like me, an ice-cream fanatic, I took him to the ice-cream stand and got him a popsicle at S$0.30. He was finally satisfied.

It is so ironic that the same S$0.30 that some people would die trying to save could make the day a little better for that little boy. I have no idea whether it made his day, but if I could just make him happy during the time he ate his popsicle, I think that it is a good thing…

Ugly tourist

2011-05-14T12:27:00.000+08:00

Since when did travelling become an activity like visiting a zoo where the tourist pays and expects to ‘experience’ something? The tourist adopts a condescending attitude in his interaction with the locals, often oblivious to the numerous insults spoken behind his back (or into his face) in their native tongues. He sees travelling as a service industry – I pay for it, I deserve it.

Since when did saving S$0.30 become of utmost importance that people make enemies out of possible friends? In my opinion, the art of bargaining entails a clause stating that both parties should benefit from the deal. S$0.30 might not mean much to us, but it straddles between the ‘hungry’ and ‘full’ line for some locals. More often than not, the ugly tourist benefits, and the local, in order to minimize his losses, strikes a disadvantageous deal. He has no choice, and the ugly tourist often forces this hand. I like the way Bernard views this issue, “I don’t mind paying that extra bit because it doesn’t amount to much when you convert it back and you make the provider of services happy, adding further to the global positive experience of the whole trip.”

No doubt, tourism has evolved over the years into a sort of service industry. People will do all sorts of things to never experience hunger ever again. Hence if they know that ignorant fools from abroad are coming to throw money at them for something they wish to ‘experience’, they will lap at it. There is however a substantial population of backpackers who have managed to preserve the loss art of travelling. They do not pay for experiences, but often get them via communication, genuinity in interaction and love.

I strive to hold myself to the higher standard of a traveler. The traveler knows that he is but a passer-by in a native land and views the locals as fellow human beings; as equals. He immerses himself into the heartbeat of the native land and connects with its life source. The tourist, high up in his ivory tower, often misses out on this aspect. Even if he claims to have experienced some semblance of an immersion, it might not be as authentic as the cash he paid to ‘experience’ it. Hence, the tourist usually returns back home thinking that the trip was ‘nothing much’. The traveler’s experience can never be bought with any currency in the world. He has with him the arsenal of human interactions and connections. He often returns home a humbled person...

"There are no strangers, just friends we haven't met" - Professor Low Cheng Hock

Unexpected...

2011-05-13T17:06:00.000+08:00

Riding to the hospital is becoming more and more of a routine for me nowadays. However, this morning was something different. I came across a road block on the route I usually travel on. It was a no go. I then asked the officer which way I could take to get to the hospital, he mumbled something in a language I did not understand (thankfully he gestured too). I figured that there must be a detour from the other side and hence decided to explore a new route to get to CMC from Modale. I turned my bicycle around and rode off in the opposite direction, praying hard that I will eventually arrive at CMC somehow.

The new route has less traffic and the road was smoother. It was like a small winding lane where stallholders are busy setting up their businesses flanking the lane. I rode until I saw something familiar then took a turn unto the main road. I had successfully detoured the road block after about 10-15mins of ‘gut instinct’ navigation. It was a wonderful experience having learnt a new route.

I joined my team at the wards where we completed rounds and proceeded to the clinics. All I wanted to do today was to leave after the morning clinics as I wanted to rest before travelling to Chennai later in the day. Somehow, whenever you wish for time to pass faster it slows down; whenever you wish for time to slow down it passes faster. Time seems to be our eternal enemy…

I thank God that I stayed until the end of morning clinics for I had on several occasion felt like leaving halfway. I left today a humbled person for the patients that came in taught me so much and impacted me in so many ways…

The first case was this man who has bladder exstrophy. Prior to today, I have never heard of such a condition before! Apparently, it is quite rare. There is reading up to do tonight…

The next case was this 12 year-old boy suffering from end-stage renal failure awaiting renal transplant. He looked jaded and frail in his dirty clothes, but his eyes and actions told a different story. He was a fighter. He is fighting to live. I later learnt that Dr Ravi has put that boy’s medication on the department’s tab because he is too poor to afford medication. At that moment, it occurred to me that this boy could very well have been fighting all his life – he has got the survival instinct.

I have always felt that modern human beings have lost the edge. We have lost our animal instincts; the most basic primordial instinct needed for survival. Throw a businessman into the middle of a jungle and I bet you he will not survive. We have been too accustomed to the comforts of life – air conditioners, computers, television, mobile phones, cars and the list goes on. Without these inventions, I firmly believe that many of us find it hard to ‘survive’. However, think about it, are all these necessary for survival? I like what Tyler Durden says about such things in Fight Club,

“The things you own end up owning you.”

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

Human beings are being caught in this viscous cycle of consumerism. We are always on the prowl for the latest, the best. We feel that owning such things define who we are, but do they? Society defines a man to be beautiful when he has status, possessions, and achievements. Now, strip him of all his statuses, possessions, and achievements, is he still beautiful? Does his nakedness, his core still reflect that beauty? Many times the answer is a resounding no, because more often than not we focus too much on the outer man. We heap tons and tons of resources building thick walls on the outside and neglect fortifying the inside. At the end of the day, everyone is just an actor involved in a play called life; everyone is living a double life; everyone has a façade. Are we truly living then?

The next patient who came in presented with a recurrence of his Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When his mother was told the news, she fought hard to hold back her tears, appearing strong for her son who seems to have given up the fight. He appeared nonchalant.

How many of us fail to give thanks for the greatest gift of all every day? The gift of life. We let ourselves be caught up in the rat race, often pushing our bodies beyond what they were created for. Even robots and machines need rest! I find myself to have also at times taken this gift for granted. It is time to cherish what is important and see things with an eternal perspective.

Lastly, there was this 14 year-old boy with a new presentation of a left scrotal mass that has been there for 10 years. I was told to examine him, and I carried out the inguinal hernia CEX. I have never successfully reduced and occluded the deep ring preventing the hernia from re-forming. Today, it worked like what was described in the textbooks! When I removed my finger and told him to cough, the hernia re-emerged confirming my diagnosis of an indirect hernia probably secondary to a patent processus vaginalis. He was listed for a herniotomy =]

Learning here in CMC is a new adventure every day for me. Like a child receiving a Kinder Surprise egg, I find myself not knowing what I will get in a day at the hospital, and I like that feeling…

Paediatric Surgery

2011-05-12T21:21:00.000+08:00

I realised something interesting this morning...that I took as fast as the local bus on my bicycle to the hospital. Perhaps it was the early morning traffic where the number of vehicles on the road was significantly lesser compared to the afternoons and evenings. Maybe it could be due to the fact that the bus has to stop at every stop while I rode on. Well...

As I reached the ward, Dr Ravi told me to grab a chair from the nurse counter. I pulled one and was unaware that a computer wire was around one of its legs; the CPU crashed onto the ground and the screen turned hazy. I was at a loss for words. There I was standing stunned in the middle of my team with the senior doctors present. I am so screwed, or so I thought. What came next was a reaction that totally took me by surprise.

"Nice work Norman, I always wanted to do that, seems like you did it for me."

"Great! Now we can get a new computer!"

There was a buzz and soon the attention was taken off me and diverted to the computer. It was really a funny experience I must say. Everyone here is super friendly and willing to teach. Ward rounds are a joy as the doctors explain each case and you really learn a lot from them. One thing I realised today at rounds was that sometimes in life when there is no one the patients can place their hope on, including the doctors, they turn to God (as this is Christian Medical College hospital). I see bibles on beds, people praying in the Chapel and I come to the conclusion that at one's most desperate hour, one will seek a higher power or being for hope.

After rounds, I went to the Operating Theatre where I spent the next 8hrs of my day. As there was only two doctors present in my team today, I was 'hired' for the day. The most memorable surgery I encountered today was this 14 year-old girl who presented with a pancreatic pseudocyst from pancreatitis secondary to gallstones. She was scheduled for a cholecystectomy and pseudocystojejunostomy. I had no idea what the latter was and hence was pretty excited to see it. Apparently, Dr Ravi was going to surgically connect the pancreatic pseudocyst to the jejunum so that the contents of the pseudocyst can drain into the bowel. A Roux-en-Y anastomosis was performed. I was particularly impressed with the skills of the surgeons here. They operate with confidence and have very sleek handling of their equipment. The best part of the surgery was witnessing the two anastomoses being sutured to perfection (such a procedure is usually done using high-tech staple guns in Singapore). One of the main reasons why I chose to do an elective here in India is because I wanted to see how Medicine is being practised in its most fundamental form - no frills. After that operation today, I knew I was in the right place. I always leave the OT learning something new =]

After leaving the OT, I had an early dinner, went to the Chapel and then cycled back to the hostel to settle my laundry before I leave for Chennai tomorrow. The weekend beckons and so the fun begins!

Coincidence? I don't think so...

2011-05-11T23:42:00.001+08:00

I am barely into the Preface of Fearfully and Wonderfully Made but I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is by no mere coincidence that I have brought this book up to read in India.

3 years ago, Jesselyn bought me In His Image and after reading it, I was on the prowl for its prequel - Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. The search for that book took quite a while as major bookstores in Singapore did not have stock. I managed to acquire a copy after about a year of persistent trying.

It might come as a surprise to many why I am only reading the book now and not back then when I bought it. I do not know the reasons too, but I can be pretty certain that schoolwork played a major factor. As the months and years pass by, it laid in the midst of my ever increasing 'to read' section of my bookshelf.

Last week, while packing for my trip, I decided to clear some books from that section, and Fearfully and Wonderfully Made caught my eye. It was like the other 20-odd books were not even there. My eyes were only focused on it. Little did I know, the series of events that unfolded would sweep me off my feet...

On Monday, during the welcome speech, I caught a glimpse of a familiar name in the background, Paul Brand. He was the co-author of both Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image!

Paul Brand's Medal in Orthopaedics

It was then that I realised that I could very well be doing an elective in the very hospital that Paul Brand worked in and served. It was as if I was tracing his steps in history. Prior to making it here, the word Vellore was just another name of a city to me. It was just a word. However, reading it in a book and being here at the moment of reading somehow gave me an invisble connection to Vellore. I felt like I had all along been destined to be here some point in my life - now.

A few pages more revealed that in India where less than 3% of the population claims to be Christian, nearly a fifth of all medical work is performed by Christian doctors and nurses. This is the ideal place for me to experience first hand about missions! This tied in perfectly to what happened on Sunday...

After my practical paper, Weihao and my discipleship group met at my place for our monthly session. If given the choice, I will very much not like to have the session and just have some down time before my evening flight. However, a commitment was made to one another at the very start that attendance for each session was imperative. Therefore, I denied the flesh as it was the right thing to do. During the session, we discussed about spiritual gifts and uncovering them. At the end of the session, we also shared about how we are going to make use of the 1-month before the next session to better identify our individual gifts and areas of ministry. My specific task is to share the gospel with someone in India, preferably through the healthcare system.

As I flipped through the pages, the words that I read resonated so strongly with ideals and beliefs that I have held on to for the longest time. The words rekindled the ember that was almost extinguished in my heart into a raging fire that is burning brighter than ever. It reminded me the reason why I chose Medicine - to uncover the greatness of God through the study of His greatest work, the human body.

Paul Brand wrote, "I have come to realize that every patient of mine, every newborn baby, in every cell of its body, has a basic knowledge of how to survive and how to heal, that exceeds anything that I shall ever know. That knowledge is the gift of God, who has made our bodies more perfectly than we could ever have devised."

When one coincidence occurs, you can label it as such; when two coincidences occur, you can attribute it to good fortune; when three or more coincidences occur, you must be severely devoid of spiritual belief if you are still adamant on it being down to 'good luck'! Therefore, here I am believing firmly that whatever reasons I have being here, God has plans intended for me to grow and mature in faith. Coincidence? I don't think so...

Cycling in Vellore, India

2011-05-11T20:24:00.006+08:00

Today, I cycled to the hospital on my rented bicycle. The journey was nothing short of amazing as I find myself falling more and more in love with 'Incredible India'. The lack of orderliness, numerous pot-holes in the road, pedestrians walking like they have a stake in the road's ownership and the unceasing beeping, clinking and honking all culminated in my authentic experience of what it was like to travel like a local.

Throughout my journey, I got responses as varied as weird stares, amused smiles, delightful waving and approving nods from the locals. Many people think I am pretty crazy getting a bicycle (or two-wheeler as they term it here) to travel over here in Vellore but some are quite supportive like Ms Sheela from the Dean's Office. My mother was pretty indifferent, probably due to the numerous things I have done over the years that have numbed her fears, all she said was "be careful".

Cycling here is very enjoyable for me as the traffic flowed like fluid; it moves around you, but never at you. I felt like a fish back in the ocean weaving in and out of traffic, meandering around other two-wheelers and pedestrians; I was in my element.

Another reason why I wanted to travel on the bicycle is so that I can better recognise the roads and places. I always believe that there is no better way to travel and discover a place then walking the ground personally. It is through such first-hand experiences that you connect with the people and become incorporated into their way of life. It is only through such means that one can truly be immersed in culture - you eat, shop, travel and do everything like the locals.

After the ride in the morning, I was even more convinced that I needed to buy a bicycle. Therefore, I rode to the rental shop to meet the boss during lunchtime. He was pleasantly surprised at my offer to buy a bicycle and quoted me 1500 Rupees for a very decent secondhand bicycle. That bicycle looked pretty new compared to the one I rented before and I immediately agreed. I took the bicycle for a spin to make sure that the chain did not keep falling out like what happened on the previous bicycle. It was a smooth criminal; each stroke of the pedal felt as smooth as butter between tongue and palate. I went back, borrowed some tools to true the handlebar to the front wheel as it was pretty off and paid the boss. I was the proud owner of a two-wheeler! Words could not adequately describe how happy I was as I made my way back to the hospital for lunch. I intend to donate the two-wheeler to Modale International Student Hostel when I leave so that if future batches of students ever need a bicycle, it is available! =]

I had the same thing as yesterday, Chicken Briyani, as I wanted to spend some time in the Chapel after lunch.

I found an empty seat in the packed restaurant and asked for permission to occupy it. The man then asked where I was from and we started a lunchtime conversation. His name was Daal and he used to work as a non-medical researcher in Cardiothoracic Surgery. He also shared that he graduated with a degree in English Literature and was currently teaching English. This explains why his English was so fluent and why we managed to even go beyond the superficial formalities of a brief conversation. Daal left after his meal and I went to get another Pepsi and 1L bottle of water as I was seriously dehydrated from the heat. Cool Pepsi never tasted so good! The weather here is so hot that even if you refrigerate drinks, they will never be ice-cold...

Incredible India

2011-05-10T22:28:00.001+08:00

10:15pm India time. I am finally here. She was there fanning herself furiously when I stepped out onto the Indian tarmac. I was hit by a wave of warm breeze, but nothing else mattered at that moment...

Modale International Student Hostel was a good 3-hour drive out of Chennai, we looked for our driver and was on the road in a matter of minutes. India has its own sense of rustic charm. On the plane looking down, I noticed that the amount of lighted areas were few and far apart compared to the intensely bright skyline of Singapore; I was living in a country of excesses...

Time seems to pass by faster when you are enjoying every moment of it, and before I knew it I have arrived at my accomodation for the next 1-month. I was pleasantly surprised at its level of cleanliness and safety. In my opinion, it is a 3-star accomodation. I proceeded to unpack my backpack and got ready for bed as it was almost 2am!

Army standard layout =]

I woke up at 5.30am and the sun was already peeking through the clouds. A new day beckons and my medical experience in Vellore, India is about to begin. We took breakfast at the nearby canteen and then a short tour around the vicinity before heading to meet Ms Sheela for my posting throughout the 1-month here.

Al-fresco dining at the canteen

Free shuttle bus to Christian Medical College from our accomodation area

Anna decided that I should learn how to take the public transport to the hospital, hence we hopped onto bus 2. By some strange stroke of fortune, we managed to get seats on the local bus, something which she claims as being very rare. The ride was around 15-20mins and cost less than S$0.30!

On board the local bus

After arriving at the hospital, I was orientated to the grounds and attached to my team in Paediatric Surgery. Monday was clinics day and so I spent the morning in clinics. The clinic had a spartan set up and it resonated with me. I simply love the unassuming-ness of it all. It was basic. It was sufficient.

Dr Ravi, the person I was attached to, was very friendly and always tries to make every case a learning experience. I learnt so much in the brief 2-hours I was in his clinic. Before long, it was lunch time. Anna and I decided to explore the surrounding area around the hospital since we had almost 3-hours of free time before exit rounds. After walking through various lanes and streets, we stumbled upon a local food place. Seeing that many locals were eating there, I figured that the food must be pretty good. We entered, ordered and ate. It was delicious! What a benchmark to set on my very first proper Indian meal (breakfast was omelette). Gastroenteritis was a concern no doubt, but I personally believe that every food-seller has a moral and social obligation to uphold and I was contented with this. So far, I have not been proven wrong =]

My first Indian meal

After lunch, we continued our exploration of the area until we could not take the heat any longer, retreating to the chapel inside the hospital to cool down before exit rounds. Exit rounds was concise and every case was an eye-opening learning experience for me. After 45-minutes, my first day in the hospital ended. It was a relaxed pace, enriching learning experience which has whetted my appetite for what is going to happen in the next few days.

Seeing that the hospital was pretty near our accomodation, I decided to purchase a secondhand bicycle to commute between the two. This set the stage for our quest for the old bicycle. Getting around in Vellore is the same as everywhere else - you ask for directions.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7

After a long search, we finally found our shop and I rented the old bicycle pending a possible purchase when the boss returns from his business trip. We then got onto the bicycle and made our way back to Modale. Cycling in Vellore is an absolute pleasure. There is a sense of ordered chaos about how things flow and operate; people somehow can read one anothers' minds and everything moves with the precision of a highly-complexed timepiece.

Orderliness in chaos

After washing up, Anna took me to Darling restaurant for dinner. It was situated on a roof-top with a pretty city view to enjoy with the food. The meal was nothing short of delicious, coupled by the ambience and company, what more could a man ask for? We were both pretty stoned after the meal, reclining back into our seats and enjoying the warm breeze of India typical in this time of the year. Relaxation was the theme of the night.

Pasta and Naan with butter chicken gravy

My old bicycle

Like candles that guide my path...

2011-05-07T11:42:00.000+08:00

I guess this academic year has finally taken its toll on me; I am feeling pretty restless and quite jaded before my final paper tomorrow, I just wish it to be over as soon as possible. There are so many thoughts wrestling for dominance in my mind that I find it hard to carry out my final revision for tomorrow. The only thing that I am looking forward to is my trip to India, but even that is filled with its own set of issues. Perhaps I am thinking too much, only time will tell.

It is important to surround yourself with friends who resonate and connect with you as Coach David always say. I find that to be very true. They are like the candles that light up my path in this dark world; the guiding lights that I use to orientate myself whenever I am lost. Thank you for your call; thank you for making the effort to come down and catch up; thank you for your love, care and concern; thank you brother.

Aal izz well (all is well), aal izz well.

To love.

2011-04-26T23:43:00.000+08:00

To love is a beautiful, mysterious event; do not miss it.
Be neither too cautious nor too absorbed.
Too many of us reason with our hearts and experience with our heads.
It cannot be so.
The heart knows no logic beyond need and desire;
the head has no senses except the common and the pragmatic.
Neither, frankly, is useful in love anyway.
Rely on your sixth sense, that little voice within.
There is no preparation for or protection from the joy and pain of relationships.
They are inseparable twins. One follows another.
And make no mistake, love is not gay abandon;
it is to be courageous, to take risks and be disciplined. - Author Unknown

C. S. Lewis: Love your neighbour...

2011-04-19T09:00:00.001+08:00

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare...There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal...But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours...Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.

Haruki Murakami: On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning

2011-04-17T22:31:00.001+08:00

One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harujuku neighborhood, I walked past the 100% perfect girl.

Tell you the truth, she's not that good-looking. She doesn't stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep. She isn't young, either - must be near thirty, not even close to a "girl," properly speaking. But still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me. The moment I see her, there's a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert.

Maybe you have your own particular favorite type of girl - one with slim ankles, say, or big eyes, or graceful fingers, or you're drawn for no good reason to girls who take their time with every meal. I have my own preferences, of course. Sometimes in a restaurant I'll catch myself staring at the girl at the next table to mine because I like the shape of her nose.

But no one can insist that his 100% perfect girl correspond to some preconceived type. Much as I like noses, I can't recall the shape of hers - or even if she had one. All I can remember for sure is that she was no great beauty. It's weird.

"Yesterday on the street I passed the 100% girl," I tell someone.

"Yeah?" he says. "Good-looking?"

"Not really."

"Your favorite type, then?"

"I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything about her - the shape of her eyes or the size of her breasts."

"Strange."

"Yeah. Strange."

"So anyhow," he says, already bored, "what did you do? Talk to her? Follow her?"

"Nah. Just passed her on the street."

She's walking east to west, and I west to east. It's a really nice April morning.

Wish I could talk to her. Half an hour would be plenty: just ask her about herself, tell her about myself, and - what I'd really like to do - explain to her the complexities of fate that have led to our passing each other on a side street in Harajuku on a beautiful April morning in 1981. This was something sure to be crammed full of warm secrets, like an antique clock build when peace filled the world.

After talking, we'd have lunch somewhere, maybe see a Woody Allen movie, stop by a hotel bar for cocktails. With any kind of luck, we might end up in bed.

Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.

Now the distance between us has narrowed to fifteen yards.

How can I approach her? What should I say?

"Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation?"

Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman.

"Pardon me, but would you happen to know if there is an all-night cleaners in the neighborhood?"

No, this is just as ridiculous. I'm not carrying any laundry, for one thing. Who's going to buy a line like that?

Maybe the simple truth would do. "Good morning. You are the 100% perfect girl for me."

No, she wouldn't believe it. Or even if she did, she might not want to talk to me. Sorry, she could say, I might be the 100% perfect girl for you, but you're not the 100% boy for me. It could happen. And if I found myself in that situation,
I'd probably go to pieces. I'd never recover from the shock. I'm thirty-two, and that's what growing older is all about.

We pass in front of a flower shop. A small, warm air mass touches my skin. The asphalt is damp, and I catch the scent of roses. I can't bring myself to speak to her. She wears a white sweater, and in her right hand she holds a crisp white envelope lacking only a stamp. So: She's written somebody a letter, maybe spent the whole night writing, to judge from the sleepy look in her eyes. The envelope could contain every secret she's ever had.

I take a few more strides and turn: She's lost in the crowd.

Now, of course, I know exactly what I should have said to her. It would have been a long speech, though, far too long for me to have delivered it properly. The ideas I come up with are never very practical.

Oh, well. It would have started "Once upon a time" and ended "A sad story, don't you think?"

Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.

One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.

"This is amazing," he said. "I've been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you're the 100% perfect girl for me."

"And you," she said to him, "are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I'd pictured you in every detail. It's like a dream."

They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore.

They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It's a miracle, a cosmic miracle.

As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one's dreams to come true so easily?

And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, "Let's test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other's 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we'll marry then and there. What do you think?"

"Yes," she said, "that is exactly what we should do."

And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.

The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other's 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.

One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season's terrible inluenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence's piggy bank.

They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.

Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.

One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:

She is the 100% perfect girl for me.

He is the 100% perfect boy for me.

But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fouteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. Forever.

A sad story, don't you think?

Yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her.

Rush not, young one...

2011-04-14T07:57:00.012+08:00

One reason why I enjoy running so much, or doing endurance sports for that matter, is because it attunes me to that still small voice of God. This morning, I learnt something new.

In the past few weeks, I have been struggling with the issue of impatience. I found great difficulty in fully surrendering this issue to God even though I chose to believe I have done so. This was not something new to me, I have been a pretty impatient chap all my life. Whatever I set out to do, I will get it done as soon as possible. Many times at the end, I question myself whether what I did was right. I went ahead doing things before thinking about the consequences and inevitably it led to many bad decisions. It is not right to say that I had not at least gleaned some lessons from all my past experiences, but I think I still have a long way to go and God is still moulding me.

I set out to do 16km this morning with a background of 3 10km runs 2 weeks ago and a 12km run a month ago. I thought I was able to handle the distance, but I thought wrong. At the 8km U-turn point, I was feeling really good. I was truly surprised at my level of fitness! However, it was not meant to be when at the 11km mark my right knee started to hurt. I have not experienced such pain before and attributed it to my right ilio-tibial band (ITB). Throughout my years of running, I have never strained my ITB before; when it acted up this morning, I decided to take it easy for the remaining 5km. The first thing that came into my mind then was 'learn to walk before you run'.

How apt. I have been trying to 'run' in my day to day life before I had fully mastered how to 'walk'! I stopped to stretch my ITB and tried to continue albeit at a slower pace. After 1km, it acted up again. This time I decided to walk instead. During that short walk, many thoughts jostled for attention in my mind. However, I was only interested with what God was trying to teach me. I finished the 16km run with a slow jog in the last 2km.

My conclusion at the end is that His plans are always greater and better than what we think is best for us. Therefore, is it not better if we left everything in His hands and let Him map out everything for us in due time?

'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.' - Isaiah 55:8-9

Therefore, I am to focus on my 'walking' before thinking about 'running'.

'But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.' - Galatians 5:16

'...so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.' - Colossians 1:10

'...holding fast to the Word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.' - Philippians 2:16

This summarises everything: 'but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.' - Isaiah 40:31

You reap what you sow..

2010-11-14T05:25:00.003+08:00

I did the toughest race of my life today..It was humbling and at the same time enlightening. Being in the youngest age-group in this event means that we are in the last wave. This also means that we have the most disadvantageous cut-off timing: 1hr for the swim and 3hrs for the bike.

In the build up to the World Championships, I hardly spent any time in the pool. Bike and run trainings were also minimal. I went into the competition with the mentality of just completing it. However, I did set myself 5hr 45mins to complete it. This was the timing of my first ever 70.3 Half-Ironman in Singapore last year.

Having not done much swim training and this being a wetsuit swim in cold waters, I was quite worried about the swim leg. I made it a point to warm up in the cold waters before the wave start and my body slowly aclimatized. The gun went off and everyone made a dash for the waters. I stayed behind, knowing my limits. It was a very choppy swim and I struggled a lot. I am thankful for the canoeist who stayed by my side throughout almost half of the swim. The thought of taking more than 1hr in the swim caused me to push myself harder. I did not want my day to end before it had even started. I did not come all the way here to swim! I was last out of the waters in my group and managed 46mins for the swim leg.

The swim took a lot of out me and I struggled on the bike in the first few miles. I was alone and the headwind was insane. I had 3hrs 10mins to make it back before being disqualified. It was the most pressurizing bike ride I have ever done. I was averaging 28km/h in the first few miles and this was not good. I was not going to make the cut-off time for the bike at this rate. I grinded hard to put one leg ahead of another, churning the gears as my legs burned from the swim. After 20km into the bike leg, I managed to find my legs and I was averaging around 33-34km/h. I then bummed into Jocelyn 10km from the finish and we completed the bike leg together. I completed the bike leg in 2hrs 53mins.

Knowing that the cut-off time for the run is 3hrs, I knew that there was nothing between me and the finishing line. Jocelyn and I decided to run together. However, we lost each other in transition and I ended up waiting almost 15mins for her as I see Jon Ma charging down for his 2nd and final lap of the run. The temptation to go ahead alone and make my target time was great, but in the end I chose to wait. Seeing no sign of Jocelyn after all this time, I went ahead realising that there was no way I can complete the race in my target time of 5hr 45mins.

Throughout the run, I kept my eyes peeled for Jocelyn, hoping that she is already on the course running. I finally spotted her 8km to the end. By then, she was already 3km from the finish. I was finally relieved. I increased my pace and completed the run in 2hr 14mins (including the waiting time).

I do not regret the time wasted waiting for Jocelyn as I learnt that triathlon is more than just an individual sport. This was something that I was reminded again in this trip. Professionals like Julie Dibens and Michael Raelert chatted to us without airs. Everybody treated everybody like family. I did not want to sacrifice that for personal gain.

I do not deny that I am very disappointed with my showing at the World Championships, but I believe that the lessons learnt here will serve me well in the future races. You reap what you sow, and I have no excuses for that. This is the toughest race I have ever done and I hope never to feel like that again.

I am very thankful to everyone who has encouraged me and who have believed in me. Thank you so much for your love, care and concern. I will come back stronger. Promise.

Getting it off my chest

2010-11-05T16:12:00.007+08:00

Clearwater, Florida. Ironman 70.3 World Championship. I never for once took this opportunity to participate in the above-mentioned race for granted. I never believed in going there just to complete the race. I even set targets for myself to smash at the event. It was to be a personal best, all out, flat out race for me...

However, things never turn out the way you want them to. 2 back-to-back bike incidents put me off running for 2 months. On top of that, ever since Ironman Switzerland, I have never really gotten back the feeling of what it means to swim, cycle and run. I could not find the reason to continue doing what I used to love most. There are times however that I battle this mindset and take myself out in the course of training. I was fighting both the body and the mind. It was tiring. There are occasions when I get a glimpse of what training is supposed to be like, but those days are few and far between.

Words cannot describe the disappointment I feel when I go out for an intended 90km bike ride and stop short at 30km because I just simply cannot will myself to carry on. It is not out of physical exhaustion, but I was mentally dead. Each day that passes draws me nearer to the race; each day passes with me losing the meaning of this sport.

I cannot understand how people like Joshua Li or Jonathan Ma sustain that fire within to keep pressing forward to greater heights. What drives them? People like Ling Er who came back from a broken femur to win Ironman 70.3 Philippines and subsequently qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. What drove her?

Perhaps the only reason why I am still trying so hard to train and race amidst all this shit going through my mind is this: ego. Ego can sustain your drive for a while, but in the long run you lose yourself and become someone you yourself cannot recognize.

I started to reflect on this recently and posed myself some hard questions. If I stop doing triathlons or stop training, will I still be me; will I still be Norman? Will my friends view me differently? Who am I, actually?

To be very honest, I have no answers to the questions myself. All I can do is to keep asking more questions and let time reveal the answers to me. I have no idea how I will perform at the race next Saturday. I have no idea how I want to race. I do not know what I will learn from this experience or how it will shape the way I decide about things in the future, but I guess for now I have to put my ego down and wake up to the fact that probably the best I can do there is to complete the race.

I am sorry to all who has put your faith in me.

Basic sciences for today!

2010-11-03T21:44:00.000+08:00

Here are more from Fake Science. Enjoy!

How the dinosaurs died

Inside your 100plus!

Demystifying solar power

The process of oil mining

Composition of the sun

Medical facts...or not!

2010-11-02T20:34:00.002+08:00

This are some interesting stuff I got from Fake Science. Enjoy! =]

The 'real' food pyramid

'Truth' about earwax

Brain freeze 'facts'

Understanding artherosclerosis

Closer to the edge

2010-10-28T22:38:00.004+08:00

Pain is pleasure; I discovered that today. Many times we fear the unknown, fear what is beyond that burning sensation in our thighs or calves when we cycle or run. I was always one who never really ventured beyond that barrier. I was cautious.

However, there are times when we throw caution to the wind and embrace the pain like it is a form of suicide. Escapism. Like what Lance Armstrong said: "All endurance athletes are running away from something". When we undertake such an act, sometimes we might even surprise ourselves.

1. You discover that after crossing over the pain barrier, there is no more pain. As the saying goes: "Numbness is Ironman foreplay".
2. You discover your true limit. You are pushed to the edge by yourself (if you have the guts to reach that stage).
3. You come out a happier person. Endorphins?
4. Add on new things as you experience them =]

So go ahead, push yourself to the edge, test how brave you are.

Belief.

2010-10-26T23:04:00.004+08:00

Belief is a dangerous thing.

It has the potential to falsify everything the world once hold to be true. However, not many stand by their beliefs; they let the world dictate it for them. Those who stand by theirs are seen as radicals, whom few can relate to or understand.

Do you have to balls to stand by your belief no matter what?

Simple joys in life

2010-10-14T16:30:00.003+08:00

He chased the darkness down until the goblet of fire rose from within the abyss to bleach the navy blue canvas cerulean.

K.O.M. Ipoh 2010

2010-10-11T22:43:00.005+08:00

I completed what I set out to do. I conquered Cameron Highlands!

My plan was simple, to ride up the entire way without dismounting =] I saw this race as more of a gauge of my cycling and as a really good form of training. It was an insane experience, I have never been so familiar with the lowest 3 gears of my bike until the race! However, if this race is still on next year, I will definitely be back there again.

I have learnt quite abit about myself while slogging my way up; there is still much more work to be done for my cycling. However, the greatest take-away I had was in fact something I knew all along:

If you’re going through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill

Tough times do not last, tough people do. No matter how hard the journey is, as long as you strive on, you keep moving ahead no matter how slow, you will get there. You will get to your destination.

Dream. Believe. Do.

Bikes behind where I was sitting =]

I hope I survive this...

2010-10-05T21:22:00.002+08:00

Sweet dreams are made of these

2010-10-02T17:48:00.003+08:00

The choice is yours...

2010-09-29T19:36:00.003+08:00

Every morning you have two choices: continue your sleep with dreaming, or wake up and chase your dreams.

Today, I did the chasing, and boy did it feel good.

Words of wisdom

2010-09-25T19:39:00.002+08:00

"Seize this chance, rejoice in it and let no power or persuasion deter you in your task." – Chariots of Fire

What you can do, or think you do, begin it. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

How true.

From now till then...

2010-05-06T22:17:00.000+08:00

...good-bye this space.

All of me

2010-03-28T16:15:00.006+08:00

This was the tune that kept playing over and over in my mind today while conquering hills after hills...

The uphill crazy course of NUS biathlon this year really gave me the opportunity to test my courage. Was I brave enough to conquer the hills or let them overcome me instead? As I ran up with burning legs and laboured breathing, each breath trying to take in more oxygen than my lungs permitted, I found my answer...

I felt really renewed after running through this tough course, and it really took all of me =]

These guys are soooo creative!

2010-03-26T09:00:00.002+08:00

'Lady Gaga' feat. 'Beyonce' - Telephone parody

'Ke$ha' - Tik Tok parody

'Adam Lambert' - What Do You Want From Me parody

A blessing...

2010-03-21T21:43:00.007+08:00

My main race in a series of 5 races in 5 weeks was finally here.. I could still remember my Aviva 70.3 2009 experience vividly; it was the most memorable race of my life. It will be the benchmark of all my races that are to come...

I always believe that a good race experience is more than just the results; it should entail the process of training for the race, the enjoyment of the race, the supporters and the entire race atmosphere. Results are just a bonus.

I planned as I did last year on my goal for this race - 5hrs 15mins was the time to hit. The splits are as follows: 40mins for the 1.9km swim, 2hrs 40mins for the 90km bike, 1hr 50mins for the 21km run and 5mins for transition and 'chill-laxing' time.

In the transition area before the race

As the gun went off, I mentally prepared myself for a long race ahead. I entered the water and started to find my stroke for the swim. The waters were relatively calm and the swim was comfortable. Upon exiting the waters from my 1st loop, I glanced at my watch and the split was within reach =] I did a mental calculation in the water on my 2nd loop and decided to up the tempo abit; I came out of the swim within my targeted time!

I mounted the bike started to churn away. I was going faster than my targeted speed as I felt really good and comfortable. This was probably where my race went wrong...

I remembered 3 weeks ago during the 90km time-trial that Jon Ma, Amos and I did that I started conservatively but ended strong. Today, that was not the case. I could not replicate the form I showed that day. My first 2 laps were within my targeted splits, but the 3rd loop took me 58mins. That was where the additional 5mins came from. The timing was not my major concern, what worried me was the run that is to come. A glorious 21km more to go...

As I ran into transition, I overshot my transition area and had to back up, loosing some time in the process...I have to work out a system of identifying my area as it was David who helped me point out my bike after the swim (yes, I was pretty lost in T1 as well).

I felt weak on the 1st km on the run as my leg muscles spasmed away and threatened to cramp up on me. This was the portion of the race that I learned from the most.

One thing that came to my mind while running was that what I am doing now is a priviledge; It is not an entitlement. This thought really got me going as I remembered my 2 month plus hiatus from exercising late last year. I thank God for keeping me healthy to be able to enjoy this sport.

I also remembered what Coach David told me a few days before regarding relaxing your muscles in order for them to perform and I put it into practice. It was not easy to hold yourself back knowing that you can go faster, but I did and it paid off.

My muscles felt so much better after the 2km mark and I continued to slowly increase my pace but maintaining the rhythm and the 'lightness'. I only had one thought on my mind:

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - Muhammad Ali

I kept repeating it in my head and pushed forward on the run. It was really a battle of the mind under the crazy Singapore sun beating down mercilessly. All I wanted to do was to finish the run quickly and 'pang kang' (Hokkien for stop work), but I held back the temptation to go faster for I knew if I did, I would have crashed out with major cramps.

The support from friends and relatives made the run so much more enjoyable - it was the ONLY thing that motivated me to reach the 7km U-turn point after every lap. I dare say that the support from close ones were equal, if not more compared to the electrolytes and water at the aid stations.

Thank you everyone who took time out to support us today! =] Without you there, it would have been so much more painful and it will not have made this race so memorable.

With 2km to go, I increased my pace and surged for a strong finish. It was finally over. As I crossed the line after 1hr 56mins on the run, I felt really good. It was merely 4mins faster than my run last year in the same event, but I died real badly for the 2hrs last year. I felt strong today and that is a good sign =]

After the race, we hung around the buffet area and I caught up with Renny whom I met during my Ironman in Switzerland. He was here promoting the new Taiwan 70.3 race. It was nice seeing him again =]

As Jon Ma had a high chance of getting a Clearwater 70.3 World Championships slot via roll down, we decided to wait and see if he gets it. The thought of being able get a roll down slot myself did cross my mind but I got over it quickly when I saw my name on the no. 9 spot. There were 8 people before me and there are 2 slots, what are the odds? I thought it to be very very low.

It was only after the automatic qualifiers slot allocation was announced that I saw a glimmer of hope. The top 2 in my age-group did not claim their slots which means that Jon Ma will definitely be going to the World Championships and I might have a small chance of going too!

It seriously DID NOT cross my mind that I could get a slot, so when it finally came and was finalised, I was really elated and thankful to God for this unexpected blessing. It seemed so surreal! =]

Jon and I settling the paper work

This is a new experience and something to look forward to, but first, let's get down to training =]

What it means to attack...

2010-03-14T09:23:00.008+08:00

Alberto Contador attacks with 2km left in Stage 4 of Paris-Nice 2010. His assault on the climb got no response from the field...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_CB7LgCoEo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3lcCb9yPP0

Enjoy.

The hibernation is over.

2010-03-13T21:17:00.006+08:00

The thought of deleting this space has occured to me many times.. I find it really dumb (pardon the use of this word, I cannot find a more apt alternative) to blog about the things I do, my opinions on matters and talk about my private life on this cold space called the Internet.

However, one thing that prevented me from going ahead with my action plan was a simple word - inspire.

I do not claim to have inspired people to do things beyond what their minds can conceive nor think of myself as an inspirational figure. I do, however, believe that a blog can serve its function to perhaps stir up that thought inside you that laid dormant for so long.

Reading Ashley's account on his Ironman in Langkawi a few weeks ago really inspired me to be disciplined in the things I do. So many times, and especially during races, we often comment about how fast this guy was or how strong that guy is, and fail to see what happens behind all the glory the guy is seemingly basking in. He worked his ass off to get to where he is currently; that is discipline wherein lies the glory.

Glory is not merely about the results; it is what you did to get to where you are.

I guess that was the lesson I was supposed to learn from my Ironman experience in Zurich, Switzerland in July 2009. I truly enjoyed the process of preparing for the Ironman. Countless crazy sessions on the swim, bike, run with Nicolas can never replace the Ironman finishers' medal. The process is my own unique experience and nobody can take it away from me =]

It is the same for my family in NUS - Aquathlon. I never fail to get goosebumps whenever we race as a team and do well. The process, all the times we died together during the swim sets and the crazy hill intervals, was truly memorable and bonded us as a team; the results was just the icing on the cake =]

NUS biathlon and the end of the biathlon season is 2 weeks away. I look forward to see stars rise among our ranks.

In conclusion, I will come out of hibernation and hope that my future posts will touch you in any way that leads you to live life to the fullest!

The true meaning of cycling...

2010-03-06T21:02:00.003+08:00

It feels good to be back..

2010-01-09T15:31:00.003+08:00

Cold water shot through my system like electricity; I struggled to breathe. My arms felt like lead, disobeying my command to move. Invisible creatures welcomed me with sharp stinging pains; the sodium felt nice in my mouth. I was at peace in the water...

It felt really good to be back training with the team after being out for so long. I knew this week was going to be tough, but I paced myself and tried to ease back into training slowly.

Something I never shared regarding my Ironman experience was the emotion I had when I crossed the finish line in July 2009. I had no emotion. I had visualised that moment prior to the race so many times in my mind; Would I cry? Would I be too overwhelmed for words? There was nothing of that sort that day. Blank.

Until now, I still cannot understand what happened back there in Zurich. I am hoping to find an answer and I know there is something to be learnt. Time will tell. For now, I am happy to be able to do the things I love to do and once again feel the sensation of sand rubbing against an abraded ankle =]

Mindless entertainment =]

2009-11-27T20:36:00.005+08:00

These originals are from a group called The Lonely Island. Their songs are totally mindless and pretty creative. The first 2 videos are recently discovered by me and the last 2 helped make my mugging for the 1st Professional MBBS earlier this year more enjoyable =] Have fun!

This is really impressive!

2009-11-19T23:37:00.003+08:00

The singer in both videos is Sam Tsui, a student from Yale.

It made it! =]

2009-11-17T23:21:00.005+08:00

This is so killer man.. My photo of Old Trafford made it to the newly released 9th edition of the Schmap Manchester Guide! Whoohoo!

That is my photo in the red box! =]

London, United Kingdom (5th-8th August '09)

2009-11-11T22:33:00.005+08:00

Our final destination was London! There was so much to be done in London that we hardly covered the tip of the iceberg...

Having caught the Phantom of the Opera in Singapore, I wanted to check out the original West End version and compare the differences. I recognized the actors from the musical staged in the Esplanade and left Her Majesty's Theatre preferring the play I saw back home. Perhaps it was to do with the seating...

Anyhow, I caught Les Miserables on the last night before we left and was glad I did. It was such a beautiful play...Simply brilliant! I felt that the production made use of pretty simple props but was able to bring out the desired effect due to the killer revolving stage. That was the bomb!

Tower Bridge

Funky building along the River Thames

The London Eye

Jose Mourinho at Madame Tussauds

David Beckham at Madame Tussauds

Sensory and Motor Homunculus at The Natural History Museam

Big Ben

Jason and I cooking instant noodles illegally at the already closed kitchen in the hotel =]

Our A380 flight back to Singapore at London Heathrow Airport

A conclusion to a wonderful journey at Singapore Changi Airport

Dover, United Kingdom (4th August '09)

2009-11-09T21:21:00.009+08:00

Dover. This was my favourite place out of all the places we visited. A small, somewhat quaint town where the White Cliffs are located. I felt immediately at home when we stepped out of the train station to a map of Dover where Marine Parade could be found =]

This was also where we had our killer adventure! Pictures speak a thousand words...so let us begin! =]

Coincidence =]

I found Marine Parade! It was also built facing the sea...

The White Cliffs of Dover in the distance...We hiked all the way there =]

This was actually a very dangerous as the land I am lying on is sloping downwards!

The adventure begins on our way back to the town centre. We decided to try an alternative way back and I believed there was a way back by the beach. Therefore, we begin our journey down the zigzag path to the beach.

We then had to climb down this really tall ladder to finally reach the beach

The rocks we had to climb over to reach the steps near the port which supposedly leads to the town centre...I think....The intial plan was to walk near waters to avoid climbing, but the tide was rising, we had no choice but to move inland and climb...

After about 45mins of climbing , we reached the steps I saw near the port. We were quite shocked to see a locked gate in front of us. We are stuck! There is no time to back track as the rising tide will sweep us out to sea! The only way out was to pick up the phone outside the gate...

There is always time for a picture to capture our adventure =]

We waited for the police to come to our rescue. They took our student cards and recorded our names and particulars. We then took the police car back to the town centre. What a nice way to explore a place! =]

Liverpool, United Kingdom (3rd August '09)

2009-11-09T20:59:00.009+08:00

This destination was for Jiajie's pilgrimage to Anfield. He and I visited both stadiums and I came to a conclusion that Old Trafford was much more classy than Anfield but the Liverpool fans are really with their team through thick and thin. They are indeed the 12th man on the pitch; my hair stood when I watched how the Liverpool fans travelled to Istanbul to support their team in the Champions League Final against AC Milan which turned out to be as great as the comeback from Manchester United against Bayern Munich in 1999.

The Kop

Statue of Bill Shankly

Silverware in the museam

The dressing room

Notice Xabi Alonso's jersey; it was still there when we visited. His move to Real Madrid happened a few days later...and so did the decline of Liverpool Football Club.

This is Anfield!

The pitch

Anfield

Manchester, United Kingdom (1st-2nd August '09)

2009-11-09T20:25:00.008+08:00

This destination was planned purposefully by Jason for my pilgrimage to Old Trafford! =] Thank you Yipster! I will let the pictures do the talking...

The street leading to Old Trafford

Old Trafford

The Megastore

Silverware in the museam

Names of all the players who played for Manchester United Football Club

The dressing room

Rooney might have sat where I was sitting =]

The ultimate 4-lung midfielder Park Ji Sung

Tunnel

Entrance into the pitch

Home team!

I really wanted to get my hands on some pitch turf, but the security was really crazy. The closest I got to was touch the pitch =]

Old Trafford - Fortress of the Red Devils

This killer photo was taken illegally as I sneaked behind the posts placed to prevent visitors from getting onto the field and proned to capture. It has been shortlisted for inclusion in the 9th edition of the Schmap Manchester Guide! Cool beans =] I will keep you guys updated if it has been chosen.

Amsterdam, Netherlands (30th-31st July '09)

2009-10-21T01:15:00.007+08:00

The next destination was vice capital of the world, Amsterdam. It was a waste that we only had 2 days to spend there. Amsterdam is a very beautiful city with wonderful city planning creating a fusion of past and present.

The people in Amsterdam are also super friendly, and they speak really fluent English! =] One could really let one's hair down in this really happening city. We visited the city centre for the day and explored the streets, food and culture.

Fast food vending machine! Killer cool...

The famous fries. This could be a meal on its own!

24k Gold Vodka! What the hell!

A range of Absolut Vodka in the Vodka museam

Vodka in a Kalashnikov and grenade

A typical street in Amsterdam

We then stayed back in the city centre to check out the red light district as the skies darkened, transforming the city into a totally different place..Lights of all colours do their best to draw eyes to their masters behind glass windows. This was where I experienced the temptation...

Red light district, Amsterdam

Beauties behind glass..

Munich, Germany (28th-29th July '09)

2009-10-21T00:55:00.004+08:00

We stopped by Munich, Germany for 2 days to visit Nicolas and Xiuqing. 2 days was insufficient to cover what Munich had to offer...However, the meal that Xiuqing fixed us on the last night was uber delicious. Not forgetting the company we had consisting of a German and a French student; they were hilarious.

We noticed this painting on the wall at Xiuqing's hostel. It was pretty descriptive of the 4 of us remaining at this stage of our eurotrip.

Slacking bird: Me!
Shitting bird: Jason
Upside down bird: Melvin
Birds in love: Jiajie and Michelle

I also visited Dachau concentration camp on my own in the day prior to the dinner we had at Xiuqing's hostel. I never regretted my decision to split from the group as the tour guide that brought us around was very well-informed.

I hardly took any photos there as I wanted to respect the place and the people who once walked on the very same concrete that I was walking on during WWII.

It is hard to imagine how human beings can be so devoid of emotions in times of stress (war) and resort to the things they did to other human beings. We are all told that history is written for us to learn from mistakes of the past in order to not make them in the future, but is this so in reality? Does theory and talking on paper translate to practice and actions in real time situations?

We human beings sometimes just fail to learn this important aspect of life...

Paris, France (24th-27th July '09)

2009-10-21T00:23:00.013+08:00

The Louvre

Parisian artists plying their trade

Buskers entertaining the crowd

Moulin Rouge

We stayed in a hotel in Pigalle, and it was very near Moulin Rouge. Pigalle is where cabaret apparently originated. Shops flanking both sides of the streets ALL sold sex toys, DVDs, live sex shows and the like. It was indeed an eye-opening experience; it was like living in the heart of Geylang, Singapore!

A fish market

Market

The markets were very similar to the ones we have in Singapore! This was a very astonishing discovery. It seems like markets do not vary much in their layout and appearance.

Jason on his 2nd 'bombing' incident. The first was in Florence, Italy. Birds just seem to enjoy 'showering' him with 'gifts' of love.

Arc de Triomphe

Last stage of Le Tour de France with the winning team, Astana leading the peloton on 1 round of victory lap before the sprint finish.

The Eiffel Tower

We chilled out like the Parisians do =]

Eiffel Tower shots

The cafe we waited 45mins to dine in...

...was well-worth the wait! Crepes and cider make a wonderful combination...

...desserts to top it all off! =]

We took the TGV to Munich, Germany

Italy (13th-23rd July '09)

2009-10-20T23:23:00.020+08:00

Venice, Italy

St. Peter's Square

Couple soaking in the atmosphere caught in action

Typical Venetian canal

A typical Venetian street

Picturesque views

Venice beach where Jason collected a whole water bottle of sand

A pizza each for dinner =] Notice Jiajie's pizza from hell (all fries, guaranteed nose-bleeding food)

Pisa, Italy

Pisa, the land of leaning things including this lamp post

Leonardo da Vinci street

Pisa

We spent most of our time there pulling off stunts like this

A more sensible photo

Trains in general in Italy

Rome, Italy

Fountain de Trevi

Building

Our staple food in Rome - Kebab. Jason ate this for 3-4 days in a row.

The Parthenon

Roman ruins

Another group shot

We were at Roma '09!

Water-polo match

Some alcohol I found in the supermarket. 70% alcohol content! That's like sucking on an alcohol swab!

St. Peter's Basilica

The Colosseum

Nice group shot at night with killer backdrop

Amazing keyhole which enables unobstructed view of St. Peter's Basilica

Ironman Switzerland (12th July '09)

2009-09-05T12:16:00.010+08:00

Months of planning, preparation and training finally saw us through to this stage. We rode to the race site for our bike check-in prior to race day.

The 5 Ironman-to-be =]

The way the organisers prevented bike theft was to photograph each athlete with his/her bike at check-in and at check-out. Also, the organisers provided every athlete with raincover for their bike (good quality ones). Such protocols are never seen in Singapore races even though participants pay large amounts of money to take part. One finds it hard not to wonder where does all the money go to...

The weather was superb on the morning of race day. There was no hint that rain was ever going to visit the 2,222 of us racing that day. We proceeded into the transition area to set up our equipment and to put on our wetsuits.

Nicolas, me and Jiajie in our wetsuits

Flying the Singapore flag

Due to the 5 of us participating, Singapore had a whooping 11 participants at this year's Ironman Switzerland. This places us as the top asian country represented =] Cool..

After some more cam-whoring, we proceeded to Zurichsee for our warm up. Upon entering the water, my body was sent into shock and breathing was pretty hard. I tried to force myself to swim like I did that day at the wetsuit test but the cold was unbearable.

As the swim start was a mass start in Zurichsee, we made our way to the starting point. However, before we knew what was going on, the gun sounded and the race was underway. I was still pretty disorientated from the cold and was struggling to find form, it did not help that everything happened in about 5mins!

Swimming with 2,222 people was indeed an experience. There was so much jostling, kicking, pulling that you feel you are swiming just to stay alive. I kind of like this feeling as it awakens our primitive survival skills...It is a good reminder for us once in a while, lest we grow too weak and feeble in our technologically superior generation.

Jason and Nicolas were ahead of Jiajie and I and somehow we lost them in the multitude of people. The 2 of us took in the experience and even stopped to pee in the water on our 2nd loop as we could not hold it in any longer. It was super hilarious...

The water in the lake was so clear that we could see what was on the lake bed. I even saw fishes! After coming out of the swim, we made our way to the portable toilets in the transition area to pee again (I think the cold weather had a hand in this frequent peeing). Prof Sven was there supporting us too, and we saw him while waiting for the toilets (there was a queue, proving my hypothesis). It was really nice seeing him there =]

Jiajie and I then got into our cycling gear and got ready for the bike leg. We wanted to link-up with Jason and Nicolas who were around 5mins ahead of us.

Bike out

We spun at 37km/h the moment we got on our bikes. My race plan was to maintain 30km/h throughout the bike course, but this 7km/h increase in speed felt good; I felt fresh. However, this was going to be my downfall later in the race.

Preparing for Switzerland's bike course, I did many hill trainings at NUS, Mount Faber and Desaru. However, the hills, or rather mountains that we were going to face puts all these trainings to shame. First, there was the rolling hills which were pretty surmountable. Then came the climb that felt like an eternity...

My mindset on climbs is to power up it so as to reduce suffering time. I will gauge the distance of the climb and work towards the top. However, the top in this bike course was not really the top! After reaching the 'top', the route winds and goes up again...This happened for a couple more times (you can sense the helplessness I felt having been 'deceived' so many times)!

I was climbing at 8-12km/h; I dismounted and pushed my bike up the slope, knowing that there is still a long way to go in this race. After 40-50km, we saw Jason at the side of the road and shouted for him. The 3 of us continued the bike leg together. Coincidentally, the 3 of us all wore the OCBC cycle Singapore jersey. It was a sight to behold =]

After reaching the top, there was a killer descend in which Jiajie hit 80km/h, Jason 78km/h and myself 76km/h. My eyes nearly popped out when I saw the bike computer!

Heartbreak hill

Towards the final 5km, we came to Heartbreak hill. It was literally heartbreaking to go up that darn slope, but one has to because throngs of supporters lined the narrow route up. It was like a scene out of Tour de France! =]

This picture does no justice to the climb =]

After Heartbreak hill, we completed 90km of the bike course; the whole course repeats itself...

End of lap 1

I decided to throw all my timings out of the window and just enjoy the race, the experience. The bike leg was the deciding factor... After another crazy lap of 90km/h which saw Jiajie's knee begin to act up, Jason and I reached the transition area behind Jiajie who went ahead first.

Bike in

I was super glad that nothing had gone wrong with my bike in the bike leg and now knew that absolutely nothing could stop me from completing the race =] I had a very fast transition and was out of the transition area before Jason as he wanted to take it slow at the start of the run. I felt really good in my legs and so I went ahead.

1km into the marathon

3km into the run, I saw Jiajie walking infront. He could not run as his knee hurts even when he jogs. He decided to walk the marathon. I walked with him for quite a while until Jason caught up, and the both of us ran off together.

14km into the marathon

The marathon was a feast! The aid stations were everywhere and they were stocked with almost everything. I stopped to have a buffet whenever I saw an aid station and I was really certain where all the money we paid went to.

Towards the 25km mark, my legs begun to ache and I stopped at the aid stations to stretch. This was when I realised that I had not been eating much on the bike leg. My body had no fuel to function... As the weather was really cool and chilly, I did not feel the need to eat much on the bike, and now I was suffering the effects of my poor judgment.

26km into the marathon

I then met a Taiwanese guy who was walking and I decided to relax and chat with him. We chatted and I learnt loads from his experiences of completing Ironman events around the world. We walked for 8km...

At the final 8km, I started to run again and knowing that it was the last few kilometres, I ran fast. I was averaging 4.5-5mins/km and it felt good.

The final few kilometres of the marathon

Finally, I saw Lemin and got hold of the Singapore flag from him for my final sprint to the finish line. Lemin, Michelle and Xiuqing were really hardcore supporters who were there with us each step of the way. They were there for the entire duration of the race and it was always nice to see them whenever we made a lap pass them.

Not forgetting Jason's family who were also there throughout. Their encouragement and photography made it possible for us to have our memories and experiences captured in time.

It was finally over, after 14hrs 27mins, it was over... This race taught me the value of friendship, support and love for the sport. I will be looking back at this experience as a stepping stone for future races. All the mistakes made will be learnt and all the successes built upon. I look forward to more Ironman finishes! =]

Lastly, thank you all who made this possible. Thank you all who stood by us each and every step of the way. Words do no justice to the love I have been showered with...

Zurich, Switerland (7th-11th July '09)

2009-08-22T15:30:00.017+08:00

The 13hrs flight finally touched down in Zurich Airport. Our adventure of a lifetime begins! Honestly, by that time, I was looking forward more to the travelling post-Ironman compared to the Ironman. I had dedicated weeks of training for this event even through my examinations, and up until 2 weeks before we departed Singapore, I was feeling the effects of over-training...I knew completing the Ironman was no longer a problem, it was the timing and the feel good factor after the race that took centre stage now...

When we exited the arrival gates, we were greeted by Michelle's uncle and aunt. Uncle Paul and Aunt Pauline (not her real name, but I thought it sounds cool as she does not have an English name) were real gems! We were treated to the highest level of hospitality that made us thank them so much until they got pissed (not literally). =] Uncle Paul's cooking was the ultimate killer concept, and we enjoyed every single meal we had at their restaurant, Chang Cheng Chinese Restaurant.

Mellingen, where Chang Cheng Chinese Restaurant is located =]

After lunch, we got down to business and started setting up the stealth weapons. With the help of Lemin, we managed to settle things pretty quickly. By evening, Jason, Melvin and I were on our bicycles ready for the first test on the roads. Jiajie decided to give it a miss as he wanted to rest. The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, my arrector pili muscles contracted. The weather was so cool that I really doubted my ability to race through it. We got onto our bikes and took a spin around the town of Mellingen.

Setting up my Radon

As promised, friends... =]

Cycling around Switzerland was a joy. You are greeted with postcard scenery everywhere you turn! It sometimes take the pain away from the climb you are undergoing. After about 20mins, I decided to head back as my hands and ears were almost numb from the cold. As I was turning into the restaurant, I mis-judged the curb (I suspect it is due to the cold making my brain freeze) and fell from my bike. Thankfully, I was not seriously hurt and my bike was ok. I was really frustrated, but the weather remained my top concern.

Day 2 in Mellingen

The following days, we toured the city of Zurich and Mellingen. Everything was done by walking, and by the end of everyday, my legs were super tired. We made a trip down to the race site to check it out and to collect our race packs. As we were among the first few to collect our packs, we chatted up the race referees and tried to gather as much information about the course and weather forecast as possible.

A friendly race referee and us

Nicolas joined us the next day from Munich, Germany. The 5 of us then made our way to lake Zurich for our wetsuit swim. As I took off my shirt, the cold wind immediately hit me and I was shivering like crazy even after I had my wetsuit on. As I plunged into the lake, icy cold water entered my wetsuit and for a moment send shockwaves through my body. I swam to generate heat through my body and slowly got used to the water.

Nicolas joining us from Munich, Germany

Wetsuit swim at Zurichsee

Zurich is a very beautiful city. I find it the perfect city where everything is prim and proper, orderly and clean. We frequently visited the Apple store for free internet usage and MacDonalds for free toilets as toilets in Zurich can cost up to S$2 per entry!

A typical street in Zurich

Travelling to Zurich from Mellingen costs around S$30 per return ticket! Therefore, we normally spend the day in Zurich, returning to Mellingen at night for dinner, wine and ice-cream =]

Zurich Main station

We also spent our days before the Ironman doing a slow 20min run around the town of Mellingen which took us along the river, through farms and stables. It was really a very pretty and peaceful experience. Life is really pretty serene in Mellingen. Also, we did another short bike ride as Nicolas and Jiajie needed to test out their bikes. The weather was now getting better each day. It was starting to feel more and more like how summer should feel =]

Singapore (6th July '09)

2009-08-21T11:30:00.006+08:00

Family members and close friends stood around the departure gate, grouped into their cliques waiting for the 6 to finish their baggage check in.

"Would they be able to adapt to the weather in Zurich, Switzerland?"
"Would they complete the Ironman?"
"Was the training they did in Singapore sufficient to tide them through?"

These were perhaps some of the thoughts in the minds of family members and close friends...They being there that late night seemed like an extra boost of support that was channelled into the Ironman days later. There were expectations to be fulfilled; we cannot let them down.

I remembered I was particularly touched that day when so many arrived to send us off with their well wishes. Stated beautifully by Wei Lynn who was there, "friendship requires effort". Yong Sheng, who had to report to camp at 8am that morning, also said that he being there in spite of that shows sincerity. Lastly, my Medicine friends who were in the midst of running the Medicine Freshman Orietation Camp came down too! This really set me thinking about the number of times that I have put in effort to maintain friendships; there were not many...It seemed that I had taken these friendships for granted, thinking that they will remain as they are with time. This is something that I wish to improve on. =]

Thank you all who came to make the sent off such a memorable one! I cannot thank you enough for the love you all have showered upon us!

It brought tears to my eyes...

2009-08-14T00:43:00.005+08:00

This alone is enough motivation for me to start training for my next Ironman...The post on Zurich and the Ironman will be up really really soon =]

The whole cycle repeats itself once more..

2009-08-12T14:16:00.003+08:00

...but this time, there shall be change.

I just got back a few hours ago from Jogjakarta, Indonesia. After returning from London Heathrow on the 8th of August, I found myself back at Changi airport the next morning for my flight to Indonesia! Talk about hardcore travelling... =] That's a whooping 5 flights in 36 days!

I am now tossed right back into the thick of things as the semester kicks off yet again. However, I am determined to break the cycle... There is much to be improved, much to be learnt and done; proving this, I am now going through the webcasts of 8 lectures that I missed while in Indonesia.

In the following days, I will update my Ironman and the Eurotrip experiences on this space so that the memories will be with me when I look back.. Ok, back to the lectures.. =]

Temptation

2009-07-31T08:02:00.001+08:00

Tonight, I was truly tempted by what I saw at the red light district in Amsterdam. Ladies, dressed in nothing but bikinis, displayed themselves behind glass panels for gawking men to make their decisions.

I felt pretty uneasy for these ladies, who even though depended on this profession to make a living, be looked upon as objects of purchase or exhibits in a showroom.

As my eyes met with one of them, I felt the ancient sin of lust slowly overwhelming me. As I told Jason, it was as if her eyes gave out electric currents, enticing me. I immediately smiled and looked away, unable to believe what just happened in seconds that seemed to me like a few minutes.

As we walked down the street, we saw more and more of them. Thankfully none of them possessed the seductive skills that I experienced a few metres back..Smiles were exchanged between us as they looked on with hopeful eyes on each batch of tourists passing them by. I made it a point to at least smile at them, acknowledging them and greeting them as how normal people behave.

I left early with Jiajie, and was glad that he made the return with me. For I knew that had I gone back alone, I MIGHT have ended up in one of those rooms lining the streets in Amsterdam's famous red light district...

Crazy weather in a crazy place

2009-07-31T01:52:00.003+08:00

I am currently in an Amsterdam library sponging off the free internet service to type this post =] Amsterdam does indeed fulfil its labels of sex and drugs; however, it is also a very beautiful place in its own right. The people here are very friendly (the friendliest so far since Zurich), and the streets filled with endless surprises...I got 2 books here for €12! What a steal! =]

Drizzling rain occur once every 45mins-1hr, and the temperature cooling. The gang and I reached Amsterdam last night at around 11:30pm after a very eventful 7hrs train ride which almost saw us stranded in Frankfurt, Germany due to the delay in departure of our train. Thankfully, all things worked to our favour and we managed to board the connecting train to Amsterdam. We made our way to the hotel to check in and subsequently decided to look for dinner as we were starving.

The Burger King at the station near our place was closed for the night after we walked back to check. Disappointed, we took a slow stroll back to our hotel. Melvin then spotted a sign that read 'MacDonalds', and so with hopes rekindled, we took the path to the Golden Arches. It seemed like we were Harold and Kumar in search of White Castle late at night to satisfy our stomachs.

We took a long walk in the blistering cold of the night, braving the elements, with one goal in mind. The yellow globalised logo slowly revealed itself behind dark trees and bushes in the corner of a lonely street. Jason and I almost made a sprint for it! As we walked closer to the restaurant, our hopes grew; the lights were on, there were cars parked outside and the main gate was not locked. I was sure of leaving the place with a full stomach!

However, to my horror, MacDonalds was done for the night too...I shot for the stars, but failed to even land on the moon. We made our way back to the hotel cold, hungry and disappointed. I had Oreos and Milo powder to fill my stomach before turning in at 3:20am. What an adventure...

Anyhow, Jason and I will now be making our way to the Crumpler shop in search of his legendary leather Crumpler bag which cost a bomb. Jason is slowly consolidating his reputation as a spendthrift... =]

Greetings from afar..

2009-07-22T02:26:00.003+08:00

Hello friends! It has been a long while since I updated this space..hahas.. =] I will do a short reflection of the trip so far..Up till now, we have been to Zurich, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Rome and the Vatican city. I saw the actual picture above (blog title) with my own eyes! Hahas.,it was beautiful..Rome is such an unbelievable place..Imagine living alongside ancient ruins and architectural wonders! My goodness..

Yesterday, for the kick of things, we decided to check out the water-polo matches as the 13th FINA World Championships are being held here in Rome. The last match between USA and Italy was insane; the stadium was packed and the crowd jeered whenever the USA players got possession..Italy still lost in the end, proving that it takes more than just cheering to win a match.

So far, I have discovered things about myself that I thought were put away for good, things that I thought will never surface again..I was wrong. However, I am glad to be given the chance to discover them once again and to plan out my next step of action =]

I also wish to thank all the people who came to send us off that day..It was really touching to me and it really showed what friendship was all about. I love you guys! =] Till the next post, take care!

All about the Influenza virus

2009-07-02T11:57:00.005+08:00

After my morning nap from 9.30am-11.30am, I checked my email and to my surprise, I saw that there was a compulsory assessment that I had to take after reading up on an E-module from NUS school of Medicine regarding the Influenza virus. Cool beans! Even though I am pretty pissed that they are giving us this in the midst of my holidays, I am also quite interested in the topic! =] So here are some of the things you have to know about the virus..

The Influenza virus is an ancient virus that still continues to haunt mankind. In 1918, it killed anywhere between 50 and 100 million people and when autopsies were performed, the victims’ lungs were found to be blue and sodden - indicating death by drowning, apparently triggered by a massive overreaction of victims’ immune system to a new virus.

The world has become more vulnerable due to the one feature that most differentiates present day transmission scenarios from those in 1918: the advent of large-scale air travel.

In the old days, geographical distance at least provided a measure of protection as signs and symptoms had time to develop and those afflicted could be screened at border entry points. Today, with hardly an airport unreachable within 36 hours from any point on our planet, the speed - and pattern - of microbial movements has altered dramatically.

This pandemic will and can return to strike us; so much so that scientists tell us the question is not “if” but “when”? Many scientists are warning that the current H1N1 flu outbreak has all the hallmarks of a pandemic, there are others who say it may turn out to be no worse than the normal flu.

In her declaration of the present outbreak entering the phase 5 level of threat on 29 April 2009 (signaling a pandemic was imminent), WHO Director General made a reference to the fact that “it really is all of humanity that is under threat”. Was she exaggerating? Think about this and decide for yourself. For if and when the big pandemic flu finally hits us, it would be too late to realize that our complacency has not only been costly, but possibly terminal! Currently, the outbreak is in phase 6 level of threat, indicating a pandemic.

Hence, it is important to stay vigilant and informed. Some websites to stay tuned for information are: World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Health (MOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Influenza virus is very 'smart' as it can mutate leading to evolution of new strains in a process known as antigenic drift. This helps the virus to evade the immune system of its host and enables it to circulate in human population.

Also, the virus is capable of antigenic shift which is a process usually resulting when viruses from different host sources (e.g. humans, pigs, birds) concurrently infect the same host and are allowed to mix. The resulting hybrid product's potential to wreck havoc depends on its virus virulence (potency or aggressiveness) and the ease of human-to-human transmission.

Human-to-human transmission occur primarily via droplet transmission or contact transmission. Droplets are produced during sneezing and can travel up to 1 metre before hitting the ground. Physical contact with an infected person through handshakes, hugging or kissing can direcly transmit the virus. Physical contact with inanimate objects that have been contaminated can indirectly transmit the virus too if you do not wash your hands prior to touching your nose, mouth or eyes.

It is hence important that we have social responsibility to the people around us. When we have flu-like symptoms, we should put on a mask, visit a GP and avoid crowded places. Every single person is important in combating the Influenza pandemic.

Also, to protect yourself from contamination, you should wash your hands not just frequently but thoroughly. Avoid touching your face unnecessarily and avoid touching surfaces that other people may have contaminated, such as escalator handles, door handles. If you are unable to avoid touching them, wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you can, and remember not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth. It is also recommended to avoid crowded places if you can help it and to keep rooms when ventilated.

All information cited are from the National University of Singapore's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in collaboration with Centre for Instructional Technology.

Week 9 round-up

2009-06-28T22:31:00.003+08:00

Monday: 2.5km wetsuit swim (morning), 14km pace run (afternoon) and 1.8km easy swim (evening)
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 2km wetsuit swim (morning)
Thursday: 35.5km long run (evening)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 80km bike ride and 5km run (evening)
Sunday: Rest day

Total Swim Mileage: 6.3km
Total Bike Mileage: 80km
Total Run Mileage: 49.5km

This week has seen the effects of the large amount of training slowing starting to show. Physically completing a workout is no longer the question; the problem was more toward the mental side. More often than not, Nic and I dread the workout even before embarking on it, and these are sure signs of over-training.. Therefore, we both decided to take it easy from now on to fully get the mental faculty back to its optimal performance for the Ironman in 2 weeks time.

I did my last killer training on Thursday. It was a mileage run and I decided to try the 30km coastal route that we usually cycle for our trainings as the running route in East Coast Park has become really very boring. I brought along 2 gels with me as I started off from carpark F2. The plan was to hydrate whenever I see a petrol kiosk or foodcourt along the way.

I did not bring money and that was a mistake! There were so many times during the run that I wanted to just stop and take a cab back to F2, but I held on. It was also pathetic to be at a petrol kiosk with no money to buy drinks and having to hydrate from the toilet's sink. Lesson learnt: always bring money. =]

Anyways, I was dying entering the last 8-10km, and the sky was dark already. My legs were dead weight and I decided to just stop and walk back figuring that the distance was already more than my intended 30km. I walked out to the main road to see where I was in relation to PK (pang kang) bend, and to my surprise, it was right ahead staring at me! I had given up when I was already so close to the end! Freaking heck.

I went back to running and finished the run with a time of 3hrs 35mins. After that, I seat down as my legs were really tired and I proceeded to lying down to rest before walking back to F2. It was quite a good workout, but I hope I will not feel such pain after my Ironman in Switzerland..

Here is a poem infront of my table that I always read when I feel like giving up. The author is unknown..

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit-rest, if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
as every one of us sometimes learns,
and many a failure turns about,
when he might have won had he stuck it out;
don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
you may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
it seems to a faint and faltering man,
often the struggler has given up,
when he might have captured the victor’s cup,
and he learned too late when the night slipped down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,and you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems so far,
so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
it’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

THE killer concept!

2009-06-26T16:46:00.005+08:00

Today, I will finally exclaim it to the world (sorry Nic, you have to hear this again) that my phone is freaking killer! Whoosh..seriously man..it is more of a computer than a phone..I feel updated with the times..

It has always been my belief that a handphone is supposed to just be a handphone. It should have the call and SMS function and maybe the camera function will be a bonus add-on. Therefore, I have been faithfully using my Nokia 6300 while the people around me upgrade to touch-screen, huge phones. The slim and small 6300 has been my pride all these while.

It was until mum urged me to get a smart-phone to keep up with the times that I started looking around for a new handphone. The Nokia E71 (white) caught my eye and the rest is history.. =] I took about 2-3 days to understand its functions and how to use it..gosh! It has been an eye-opening experience to see how technology has advanced over the years..I am currently downloading maps into my phone for my Eurotrip after the Switzerland Ironman, got to get busy.. =]

Week 8 round-up

2009-06-21T20:45:00.003+08:00

Monday: 14km pace run (afternoon) and 1.2km easy swim (evening)
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 2km wetsuit swim (morning) and 28km long run (afternoon)
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: 55km bike training [15km hill intervals] (morning)
Saturday: Desaru bike ride [20km-15km-35km-35km-15km-20km intervals]
Sunday: Rest day

Total Swim Mileage: 3.2km
Total Bike Mileage: 195km
Total Run Mileage: 42km

This week has been a pretty tough week for me. However, I am very happy with all the progress made in my training! =] I also learnt that rest is as important as the hardcore training itself..On Monday's pace run, I managed to hit 1hr 07mins! However, the 28km long run on Wednesday took more out of me. On the whole it felt better than the previous 28km and I completed it in 2hrs 51mins.

I begin to realise that the event in Switzerland is merely something that you just do, the real fun is in the process leading up to it. This realisation was reinforced by Jason during one of our long runs, and I felt it to be very true. On Wednesday's 28km, Lemin, Jiajie and Michelle joined Nicolas and I on our 2nd 14km. Their encouragement and support really made the last 14km more enjoyable even though I was silently dying inside..This was similar to the previous long bike ride where many of our friends cycled with us throughout the 180km, coming and going off, accompanying us through the long journey..This is why I do what I'm doing, this is why I love triathlon. The support you get from the community is insane! =]

Friday's hillslayer training was prematurely ended because Nicolas and I felt really weak. We decided to rest instead for the long ride the next day at Desaru. This was my 2nd time going up, and there were altogether 23 of us who went up this time. Coach David organised and we merely tagged along. Although my initial intention was to relax and spin down, I found myself caught in the thick of the action.

I was once again glad that all the trainings in Singapore has served me well against the killer headwinds in Desaru. The only downside to this trip was that some people just do not have draft ethics. In cycling, especially when the winds are ultimate killer, it is only courteous to take turns fighting nature. Jon Ma was the usual mad ass right smack infront fighting on his own, thus I decided to help him out. However, when I am drained and he took over, nobody except Alvin allowed me to slot back into the pack. I felt quite disturbed but said nothing. It is ok if you are just resting on someone else's wheel, but try to keep in line! I had a very hard time trying to get the draft because of some amateur's weird drafting antics..This once again prompted me to take the lead until I could not pull the pack on anymore, repeating the cycle. It was quite a bad 30km ride back to the sugarcane oasis in terms of experience, but the training was superb!

The highlight of the trip was definitely in the last 17km back to the jetty. Ling Er reminded me of the drafting formation which I mentioned earlier, and we decided to try it out once more, having failed 2 times before. Nicolas, Alvin, Ling Er and I each took turns at the front for about 10s before pulling over to the left and slowly taking position at the end of the draft line. The 2nd in line is now in front pulling the pack for 10s, and the cycle repeats itself. We started out abit rusty but got better as each rider got more and more accustomed to the plan. The 4 of us were riding easily at 36-38km/h! This was a really cool technique (something I saw on TV while the Tour of Turkey was aired). It was super fun and energy saving too! =]

It is now time to rest for next week's killer training! I have now less than 3 weeks before I fly off to Zurich..how time flies..

Unexpected finds

2009-06-15T22:26:00.005+08:00

Today, I spent the morning doing groceries with mummy..We went down to Giant at Tampines to get the food items. Giant is really really gargantuan and they sell almost everything! Nicolas's poker set was also bought from Giant! =] I made my way to the non-food items section and looked around. I came back with a $9.99 kickboard and a $5.95 Eeyore (shown below).

It was so darn cute that I decided to place it on my car's dashboard! Hahas.. We finished off the grocery shopping and went home for lunch. After chilling around for awhile, I made my way to school with Nicolas for our 14km pace run and swim training with the team..It is now time to rest =]

Week 7 round-up

2009-06-14T21:49:00.007+08:00

Monday: Church camp
Tuesday: Church camp
Wednesday: Church camp
Thursday: Church camp
Friday: Rest
Saturday: IPPT
Sunday: 140km bike and 5km run (5km warm up and 5km cool down ride)

Total Swim Mileage: 0km
Total Bike Mileage: 140km
Total Run Mileage: 5km

This week has been pretty chill, a good time to rest and recover for the final burst of training in the last month leading up to Ironman Switzerland. It was a good time to rest not only the physical man, but the spiritual one also. I think I over-rested the physical dude because after my IPPT, I was aching all over today! =] I am still trying to figure out the reason why..

Anyways, Nic and I decided to kill ourselves in the next 2 weeks. Therefore, we started with today. The "cursed" long bike ride followed by a 5km run was completed today! The curse has been utterly shattered...The pace for the 130km was very good I thought, maintaining in the region of 30-35km/h. Our quadriceps muscles were like rock solid after the ride. The run felt good and we both felt pretty strong. This is a good sign; now to look forward to the next 2 weeks' training. =]

Avoiding the sun..

2009-06-14T08:13:00.008+08:00

This morning, before the sun came out, I made my way to Nicolas's place for our 1st wetsuit swim. It was 5.45am in the morning when we put on our wetsuits. Having tried on my wetsuit a few days before and knowing the trouble I had wearing it, I bought the Body Glide! =]

It has significantly aided me in my efforts to put on the wetsuit. I now stand a good chance in the fastest wetsuit wearing competition..hahas! =] Anyways, we entered the pool and started swimming. The wetsuit really made you float and keeps your body streamlined when you swim. However, swimming in it does require some getting use to as we both agreed. It was pretty tiring on the arms as some work done is used to counter elastic forces. =] There has to be more wetsuit swim sessions prior to our Ironman in less than a month's time.

After the swim, when we unzipped the wetsuit, hot air emerged from within. It was really killer..imagine swimming in it under the sun! We had a short but fun time at the pool this morning..there will be more to come.. =]

Happy day!

2009-06-11T21:11:00.007+08:00

My past 3 days were spent at church camp.. It was a superb time to recover from all my training and prepare for my IPPT this Saturday. =] I have gleaned a lot from the people around me and the workshops given during my time in camp, and I hope to be able to apply them in my life.

I left early today to meet Nicolas for our medical screening at Raffles Medical located in OUB Centre. The entire thing took about 4hrs. When we left the carpark, the parking fee shown was a whooping $16! Needless to say, we both exclaimed in astonishment. Madness beans! I have never incurred such a hefty parking fee before in my entire life.. The conclusion was that parking in the CBD area is killer.

After the medical screening, I made my way to the post office to collect my airmail from the USA. My 2XU wetsuit has arrived! =]

Brand new wetsuit for just S$180 with shipping included! My goodness..killer deal man!
I tried it on and had a really tough time getting into it. I think I need to get some Body Glide to apply.. All in all, the suit fitted me well and I am really glad! =]

Now, there is one less thing to care about for my Ironman in 29days time! Another thing to add to an already happy day is that I passed my 1st Professional MBBS examinations! I got a B. Whoots! Now, I can fully enjoy the rest of the holidays without having that at the back of my mind! Praise the Lord! =]

Week 6 round-up

2009-06-07T16:55:00.005+08:00

Monday: Rest (cough)
Tuesday: Rest (cough)
Wednesday: Long swim (4km)
Thursday: 5 x 2.5km hill run intervals (morning)
Friday: 70km bike ride + 5km run (morning)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Long run (21km)

Total Swim Mileage: 4km
Total Bike Mileage: 70km
Total Run Mileage: 37.5km

This week has been quite a chill week for me, and next week is not going to be any tougher as I will be attending church camp. =] So far, I think all the training has been logged in with less than a month before I fly off to Zurich for the long awaited Ironman Switzerland. Just 4 more weeks to go!

Vintage Raleigh restored...

2009-06-06T17:46:00.009+08:00

Today marks the end of my Phase I restoration project with my Raleigh. Much have been done to it since months ago, and I'm very proud of how it turned out to be. Here is the final product for Phase I:

Some of the things to be fixed onto the bike first was the front and rear Campagnolo sidepull caliper braking system and the cool bell.

The Campagnolo downtube shifters, front and rear derailleurs, crankset and bottom bracket were then added on after much deliberation in converting the initial singlespeed Raleigh into a 6-speed bicycle.

Nicolas gave me one of his beautiful yellow Topeak bottle cage and I thought it looked perfect on the Raleigh, hence I got another one.

Initially, the rear derailleur cable was red, but I thought black looked much nicer and blended in better as all my other cables were also black. Therefore, I got it replaced. =]

These pair of Mavic rims with Campagnolo hubs and skewers are tubular! My goodness..never did I expect that my first pair of tubular wheelset will be on this vintage bicycle. I had always envisioned it to be for my Argon 18...hahas! It will come, soon after I recover from my burns... =]

Week 5 round-up

2009-05-31T16:49:00.007+08:00

Monday: 28km long run (afternoon); easy swim (evening)
Tuesday: 50km bike ride
Wednesday: Rest (flu)
Thursday: 16km pace run (night)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 165km bike ride
Sunday: Rest (cough)

Total Swim Mileage: 0km
Total Bike Mileage: 215km
Total Run Mileage: 44km

This week has been quite a relax week for me. After Monday's long run in the 3pm heat, Nicolas and I almost died on the next morning's bike ride at 5.30am (which explains why the mileage covered was only 50km). After the bike ride, I was down with sore throat and then subsequently flu. I decided to make this week an easy week since Nicolas was also going to Thailand to chill out with his Dad. Training proper will resume next Wednesday =]

In the next few days, I caught up with loads of lost sleep and rested pretty well. On Thursday, Jason and I went on what he believes is the first and last time he will ever do it long run. He picked me up at my place and we headed to F2 carpark at East Coast to begin our run. My aim was to do a long relax run as I was still recuperating, but the pace picked up quite abit as we U-turned at Fort Road. It was a good run, not because of the training value, but because of the things we talked about during the run. HTHT, as what Junyang will call it. Heart To Heart Talk. =]

On Friday, a few of us met up to watch Terminator Salvation. It was a pretty good time of fellowship I would say, but a pity that I could not stay for dinner as I had other stuffs to attend to. Tonight, Jason is organising another movie outing to watch Night at the Museam 2. He is on a movie-going high!

The bike ride yesterday was one that was planned at the start of the week. A 180km ride followed by a 5km run. I prepared my nutrition plan the night before and made sure everything was settled for the ride the next morning. I woke up the next day feeling abit sick, but I decided to go ahead with the ride as I wanted to test out my nutrition plan consisting of dried fruits and nuts, jelly beans and M&Ms. The previous nutrition plan failed and hence I was determined to make this a success.

The ride seemed to be plagued with a lot of problems for Jason, Jiajie and I who are participating in the Ironman in about a month's time. None of us completed the 180km ride, much less the 5km run..Jason, as usual, was beaten by the Zzz monster and failed to meet us at E2 carpark. Therefore, Jiajie, Serene, Junyang and I started off first while he joined in later. Throughout the entire bike ride, our friends joined us to motivate and push us on. Serene and Junyang were there from the start, then Yu Qiang joined in after our 1st loop followed by Yong Sheng aka Bear Bay who joined us after our 3rd loop.

Yu Qiang, as he was riding the next day, dropped off after about 40km with us. Next, Serene dropped off to call it a day after the 100km mark. Jiajie then had pain radiating down the lateral aspect of his left thigh which originated from his knee. He decided to stop and rest while Jason and I continued. Yong Sheng dropped off after the 130km mark, and Junyang left us after the 155km mark. Jason and I were left on our own from the 155km mark. There was another 25km to go.

As I was feeling a little jaded and tired from the 5hr+ ride already, I decided to take Jason's draft (something I don't believe in doing during training). It proved to be a bad decision. My front wheel clipped onto his back wheel and I was out of control. I was falling to the right but then suddenly I steadied the bike and was moving into the other lane of the coastal stretch into oncoming traffic then I fell to my left and skidded into the paths of oncoming vehicles. It was another fall for me again, or should I say, another dumb fall again.

Jason then helped me to the side of the road and helped me check my bike while I did checks on my body. I felt the world slowing down and felt dizzy, so decided to lie down to rest for awhile. Thoughts of the incident went through my head and I chastised myself for the once again lack of focus while biking.

Jason and I then shared the packet of M&Ms that I brought for the ride which exploded in my back pocket during the fall. Thankfully, I escaped with just minor cuts on my palms and a mis-aligned STI shifter. It could have been much much worst with the heavy traffic on the opposite side of the road, I could have been hit by a vehicle! I knew that God is always watching over me, protecting me. Jason also agreed that it was a miracle that I escaped unharmed.

I hailed a cab and was on my way home after 165km on my bike computer. Jiajie, Jason and I then met up again at 2pm at our favourite eatery, Fei Fei Wanton Mee, for lunch. We sat there for 3hrs talking about almost everything under the sun. I could not agree more with Jason when he said that the real fun is not in completing the Ironman, but in the process the leads up to it. =]

Week 4 round-up

2009-05-25T08:37:00.003+08:00

This week marked the start of my full time training for the Switzerland Ironman. It was killer fun! =]

Monday: 19km long run (morning); 4km long swim (evening)
Tuesday: 100km bike ride
Wednesday: 12.5km hill run intervals (morning); easy swim (evening)
Thursday: 85km bike ride (43km flats, 42km NUS + Mount Faber hills)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10km run (Bintan Triathlon)
Sunday: Rest

Total Swim Mileage: 4km
Total Bike Mileage: 185km
Total Run Mileage: 41.5km

The trip up to Bintan for the event over the weekend was super fun! =] We did pretty well, especially Orlanda and Serene who were first-timers. Both of them clinched 3rd position in their respective races (Sprint and Olympic Distance). Lemin did very well too, a super strong swim time and the best transition time in T1 and T2! He came in 4th. Junyang and Angela who were also first-timers did well in their races too, coming in 6th and 11th respectively. Our relay team consisting of Dong Xiang, Jiajie and myself came in 2nd.

It was a very beautiful sight to see everyone enjoying themselves, and to see so many people taking their first steps into a journey of a lifetime - triathlon. I hope we all still enjoy what we love doing. =]

Something I always wanted to do..

2009-05-19T17:57:00.005+08:00

Today, I took my Raleigh out for training. This was something I always wanted to do but never did get down to doing.. =] With my Argon at T3 awaiting some minor fixing, I decided to try training with the singlespeed Raleigh..

The intended mileage today was 110km, so I slipped on my running shoes (Gel Noosa Tri 2) to be more 'flashly', as I did not have front and rear lights on this bike, and headed out. Serene, having gotten her pedals and cleats recently, was ready to try them out today. The entire bike ride went by smoothly, even the weather was superb! =]

The Raleigh held up well on the flats as well as the slopes; it was killer. In the end, the average speed clocked was around 32km/h for the 3 loops of coastal (90km). Never have I imagined this bike to be capable of that.. =] Singlespeed is indeed pretty cool, without having to change gears at all throughout the ride.. =]

I will slowly convert this bike into a tourer.. =] I will post the pictures up when I start to 'zeng' it =] Hahas..

Week 3 round-up

2009-05-17T08:11:00.004+08:00

This week was one of the toughest weeks of my life..I have never studied so hard for an examination before in my entire life! Medicine is really in a league of its own..

Monday: 1st Professional MBBS Paper 1
Tuesday: 1st Professional MBBS Paper 2A
Wednesday: 1st Professional MBBS Paper 2B
Thursday: 1st Professional MBBS Paper 3; 4.5km swim
Friday: 1st Professional MBBS Paper 4
Saturday: 180km bike
Sunday: 20km run (2km warm-up, 18km pace run)

Total Swim Mileage: 4.5km
Total Bike Mileage: 180km
Total Run Mileage: 20km

Anyway, I am even more motivated to train harder for the Switzerland Ironman as Lemin and Michelle are both coming up to support us! Whoots! After which, we will travel Europe together. Super killer rocks sia..

Good day

2009-05-16T19:15:00.005+08:00

Today, I sent my sister off in the morning as she is going to attend summer school at UC Berkeley for 2 months. In doing so, I missed Sentosa training with the team and the early morning run with Nicolas. My plan for the day was to go on an easy 80km ride to get myself ready for what is to come next week when I resume my micro-cycles. I started my ride at 10.24am.

Prior to that, I checked the weather forecast and it was all clear =] The ride started out really good, I felt really fresh even though the last time I cycled it was 40km (heavy rain) 11days ago. I planned to cruise through training today for there was a 38km run waiting for me the next day. The 38km run was Coach David and his friends' training programme, but he asked me along =]

Knowing clearly I was going to die tomorrow, I wanted to ensure that I live today. However, after 2 loops of coastal, I felt really good; hence I went for another round. This will take my mileage up to 110km..The deciding factor to turn insane came went Nicolas called me to indicate that he was not going to turn up for the 38km tomorrow. This set me thinking...

So far, my rn mileage has been a consistent 21km. A 38km run will be a huge jump for an increment! Hence, I decided that I will do a 16-20km run tomorrow, and another 26km run on Monday morning (my micro-cycle starts with a morning run on Mondays). If I did the 38km, I think it will leave me dead for at least a week, destroying my training programme. Therefore, I decided to go for it, a full 180km mileage for bike today.

I completed the 3rd and 4th loop in good time and started on my 5th loop. Initially, I felt really drained, adding insult to injury was the headwind. It started to get more forceful now..Also, the sun has been up in the skies throughout my ride; I started to feel its effects..

I struggled to maintain my speed at 30km/h. It was then, the skies took pity on me and rain fell.. It was weird because throughout the entire 30km loop, some parts were raining and some parts not..hahas..but I'm not complaining, the rain somehow boosted me and I was hitting 30-33km/h all the way to the finish.

All in all, I completed the 180km in 6hrs 17mins. It was 4.41pm. I will recover for tomorrow's run at 4.30am, and then start the week fresh on Monday. =]

Attempt the difficult; attain the impossible.

A new friend to be made...

2009-05-15T22:41:00.004+08:00

This is currently my favourite clip from Youtube:

I hope you like pain...

=] This actually ties in to my post-examination plans in a way.. Pain. Pain is a friend too, and I have to make friends with it too. After my spots examination today, I met up with Coach David for lunch at Parkway Parade and then chilled at his place for awhile discussing my training programme for the upcoming Ironman in July.

Exciting sets are to be done; insanity is a strong pre-requisite. I personally feel that after the whole Ironman experience, I will be a better person. There is so much to be learnt, reflections to be made and challenges to overcome. I am very excited.

After the discussion, I met up with Nicolas and Mr Ho in Victoria Junior College to catch up, leaving just before the skies pee-ed on the eastern side of Singapore. Weather nowadays is getting super erratic, I hope it does not affect any of my trainings! =]

Into the wind

2009-05-14T21:51:00.008+08:00

Today saw the burden lessen with all heavy papers for my 1st Professional MBBS cleared. There is a final paper tomorrow where they give you specimens and you have to identify them and answer questions related to them.

I really feel that the examiners are expert mind-gamers (Jason, you pale in comparison). A neuroscience question in the physiology paper, no neuroscience questions in the neuroscience, head and neck and musculo-skeleton paper! There was also the physiology question in the anatomy paper too. Sometimes, you do know the answers to all those questions but you begin to doubt because the paper type was specifically told to you! Well..thankfully I answered to the best of my abilities..

After the paper today, I really craved for some sort of exercise. Ever since last friday's 21km run prior to church service (killer post on this after the exams), I have not done anything other than hardcore, insane mugging. Hence, I decided to swim today. The weather was good and I initially decided to do a 4km swim. However, something overcame me in the water and I decided to add 0.5km to the mileage. I completed 4.5km in 1hr 47mins in a comfortable, relaxing manner.

I felt really good to be back doing the things I love. I felt so at peace in the water today that I almost fell asleep! Sleep deprivation has had its toll on many many of my course-mates. I have heard stories of some of them sleeping during the examinations! Seriously man..all this studying is just to pass the examinations, let alone ace it! I have never experience something as BIG as this before. The 1st Professional MBBS examinations showed me the limits of my mugging capacity. It has never reached such frontiers before; I'm in unchartered waters (in my life).

Anyways, I had a mini-reflection during the swim today as I focused on my strokes and gliding technique. I realised that the more you struggle, the more you sink. That is the same for life. Chin Ee has been the latest to impact me with his words. Trust your brain. That was what he said prior to the paper on Tuesday. There is no point panicking and wallowing in past actions, look forward to the future where your actions might still be able to effect some sort of reaction.

I really have to thank all those (tagboard people) who have showed me encouragement after the paper yesterday. Thank you! Jason, who self-proclaimed to be my source of encouragement through my entire examination, your support has been really evident =] Nicolas, thanks for that phone call, it really made a heck of a difference brother! Not forgetting God who has never left me throughout this entire time even though I felt that He did; I was the one who moved, He didn't.

Lastly, I will end off with something the man of the moment, Chin Ee, texted me:

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

What else can I say...

2009-05-13T12:38:00.004+08:00

I took my 3rd paper in 3 days this morning...So far, the 1st Professional MBBS examinations has abolished so much of my once-held-in-high-esteem-thoughts about examinations.. I never believed in 'hugging the buddha's leg at the last moment' or simply put - mugging right before the start of the examination. I always saw it as redundant and would rather use the time to calm myself down for the paper. This examination has seen me waking up at 5.45am to study prior to a paper at 9am; not once but twice, so far..

I could always finish studying almost everything there is to be studied prior to a paper. However, that is not the case for Medicine. There seem to be an endless amount of stuff you have to know.. I was dealt 3 hard blows from the past 3 papers and all I am asking is to pass. I hope I do pass. I need to pass.

I will hang on..with 2 papers left, I must..God, save me..

Week 2 round-up

2009-05-10T21:16:00.003+08:00

This week was pretty disappointing for me in view of how much I have achieved last week..Well, something's gotta give. I focused more on my run mileage this week. It is just 5 more days to pure training.. I can do it!

Monday: 3km swim followed by 21km run (evening)
Tuesday: 40km bike ride (ended prematurely due to rain)
Wednesday: Mug
Thursday: Mug
Friday: 21km run (evening)
Saturday: Mug
Sunday: Mug

Total Swim Mileage: 3km
Total Bike Mileage: 40km
Total Run Mileage: 42km
Total Mug Mileage: insanely high

I could have made it big!

2009-05-09T22:07:00.003+08:00

4D Results for 4th May 2009

1st: 8279
2nd: 1376
3rd: 4017

That was my carplate number..hahas! If I had known, I would have bought it man.. =] But well, it is not possible to know it beforehand..hahahas!

I, Norman

2009-05-05T18:38:00.006+08:00

I, Norman, am going to Ironman Switzerland 2009! =] The idea above was inspired by Joshua who saw that with a play of characters, IRONMAN can be NORMAN! The rest is history, as you can see..hahahas..

I'm currently de-stressing from my biochemistry metabolism by meticulously creating the above.. I really love the look of it..Ok, time to hit the books again!

Rain is my friend!

2009-05-05T07:55:00.005+08:00

Got up at 5am today for a ride with Nicolas scheduled at 5.30am. Thanks brother, for ditching your cosy bed the 1st day after your examinations to accompany me in my quest to conquer the world while it sleeps =] It was agreed upon that after 80km, MacDonalds' breakfast awaited us.

Both of us having sore buttocks and legs were taking it easy today. Upon hitting the end of Changi coastal road, there was a slight drizzle. However, we decided to go ahead with the training. Within minutes, the clouds let out their accumulated wealth on us, and soon, it became a little too heavy for both our liking. Cycling with Rain is really quite an experience, you work harder to overcome puddles formed on the ground and also your overall weight as water soaks through everything. Oh, and my favourite part: free bike wash! My cassette looks super clean (like it was de-greased) after the brief encounter with Rain.

Hence, my mileage today is a mere 40km, but I am glad to have made a new friend! Well, I treat that as a sign for rest. Will use the remaining of the day to train my mind...to the books!

I think I'm getting sadistic...

2009-05-04T21:40:00.004+08:00

Today, Joshua cycled over from school to join me in my 3km swim followed by 21km run training. The plan was to complete the entire session in 3hrs. After mugging for hours, I really needed an outlet! =] The entire session was pretty much uneventful with us feeling super tired towards the end!

After the swim, we realised that we did not bring out any gels or food to snack along the run, hence we did a pit stop at MacDonalds'! This is really my 1st time doing such a 'transition'...after getting a box of McNuggets, we proceeded with the run, snacking on the nuggets! It was really hilarious!

Thanks Josh for the company today and for doing the sick sets with me. I really can't fathom how it would have turned out had you not come..Ok, back to the books..bleh!

Week 1 round-up

2009-05-03T19:20:00.005+08:00

This week marked the start of my intensive training and studying. It was really very fruitful, although there are some areas which can still be improved on.. =] So here are the workouts that I did:

Monday: 16km pace run (morning) and 4km long swim (evening)
Tuesday: 80km bike ride [at 30km/h] (evening)
Wednesday: 21km long run in 2hrs (morning) and 3km swim [1km-easy, 1km-pulling, 1km-swim] (evening)
Thursday: 2km swim [pulling] (evening)
Friday: Desaru bike ride [20km-15km-35km-35km-15km-20km intervals]
Saturday: Rest/Mug day
Sunday: 110km bike ride (afternoon)

Total Swim Mileage: 9km
Total Bike Mileage: 335km
Total Run Mileage: 37km

There needs to be more work put in for the run.. I hope that all these training will aid me in Switzerland.. =] Now, let's look forward to the new week! =] 2 more weeks to freedom!

Something to de-stress...

2009-05-02T17:18:00.001+08:00

Love Story by Taylor Swift meets Viva La Vida by Coldplay - Piano Cello by Jon Schmidt

Enjoy =]

It is paying off!

2009-05-01T22:22:00.004+08:00

Today, I did my first long bike ride in Desaru! =] The entire ride was 145km long inclusive of travelling to and fro Changi Ferry Terminal. For the entire 104km in Desaru, we met with all the elements: sun, wind and hills. Prior to this trip, I was in full anticipation to see whether or not my training programme was effective in battling the strong headwinds and steep hill climbs in Desaru as stated by many who have been there.

I took the first 15km in moderate pace and tried to maintain 30-35km/h while in the same time fighting off the temptation to catch the break away pack led by Lemin. I held on in the peloton. I realised something during most of my long distance trainings that patience is a very important virtue in endurance sports. You have to be very aware of your abilities and not over-push in the initial stages when you feel fresh and strong only to crash at the latter stages when you have nothing left in you to produce that final kick. Therefore, I held on.

In the subsequent 35km, I pushed the speed abit and was in the chase pack..throughout the entire ride, I made up my mind that I was going to try and take on whatever the elements threw at me. That meant simply no drafting and taking on the hills with good cadence even though at times my legs seem like they have no strength left in them.

After a short water break, we were back with the return leg of 35km. Initially, my legs felt really tired, but as I progressed into the ride, it loosened up and I was back in action =] Deciding to catch the break away duo, I worked with Lemin and Joshua in the chase pack. I felt pretty strong and decided to go for it, increasing the speed, taking on the hills as they came. This time, the winds decided to pay me a visit...The headwinds in Changi costal road was nothing compared to those in Desaru; my bike computer showed that my speed was decreasing even though I was cycling just as hard. I hang on to the course, delighted with the breeze that came. I needed this new friend, and I was determined to make it happen..

I kept at it and continued to push. There are times when the combo of direct headwinds and hills came to put an end to my pursuit, but I was glad that all the training done in Singapore has put me in good stead to overcome them. I ended the 35km feeling good and pushed to the limit. It was a very good ride.

After the seafood lunch, we made our way back to the jetty which was 15km away. I was determined to end this training on a high after Lemin gestured that we overtake those infront. Prior to his suggestion, I was hesitant to making that move out of respect for all the veterans who were so much more learned than us young punks. Somehow Lemin managed to stoke that fire in me..I broke out infront and made the break away with him. Soon, we were joined by the strongest cyclist in the entire trip who was consistently infront during the ride. He pushed the pace in an attempt to drop me. He succeeded and pulled away for a considerable distance. I looked at my bike computer and there was only 7km to go; I had almost nothing left in me. Not to mention, the strong headwinds were present. I was merely hanging on to complete the ride back to the jetty in a respectable manner.

Soon, I saw that the uncle infront had trouble with the strong headwinds. This was where friends matter.. I summoned whatever little that I had left and increased the speed to 33km/h. I could see him getting bigger and bigger. He was within striking distance. I timed my overtaking to coincide with a road hump and a slight downslope. He slowed down for the hump; I sped up for it, lifting myself off the saddle as I took on the hump and immediately paddled as hard as I can to drop him.

All that I had on my mind was to reach the jetty. There was only 4km left and the headwinds were still beating down on me. This was where I thought of the various rides in the early morning or late evening at Changi coastal road battling the headwinds. It has became my friend. As Jiajie puts it: During training, the wind is my enemy; during competition, it is my friend.

I ended off the ride on a high note and was very delighted =] All my training is indeed paying off!

I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard. – Randy Pausch

Carpe Diem!

2009-04-27T23:35:00.003+08:00

Today, I started my 9 trainings per week micro-cycle. The day begun at 5.30am with a 16km pace run. As I approached the turning point, I spotted Coach David! We completed the run together and had a little chat afterwards. The run was pretty good, averaging about 5min/km.

The bulk of the day was spent mugging in school for my 1st Professional MBBS. It was a pretty productive session. I then went for my 4km long and easy swim at 7.15pm. Dinner was 'da-baoed' and eaten as I completed my final wrap up on renal physiology. The day ended at 11pm with not only my brain being fried, but also my body hinting to me that sleep beckons =]

I hope to be able to do this for 2 more weeks and perhaps do some maintenance during the examination period and enter full throttle after it. A 70km bike ride awaits me tomorrow =] Till then, hang in there people! A week more to freedom, 3 weeks more for me! =]

A beautiful sweep...

2009-04-25T17:46:00.004+08:00

Today, the NUS Aquathlon team participated in the TAS Inter-Collegiate & School Aquathlon 2009 and we won both the male and female tertiary categories! Today, it was evident to me that the team comes first...Every action from every member counts. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

Kudos to Ying Ren who claimed top spot again, without surprise. Zhiyun is also slowing making winning a habit by clinching yet another top podium finish. Joshua and Orlanda, from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, secured 3rd placing in their categories too! Beautiful.. As you can see from here, being a medical student is proportional to winning races..Hahas! =] Ying Ren and Serene are medical students too!

I was very pleased also that the relay team consisting of Dong Xiang and Serene came in 1st. When the EXCO was discussing who to field for the female relay team to partner Dong Xiang, Serene immediately came to my mind. When she agreed after I approached her with the prosposal, I knew this was the team to beat! =] I was glad that this plan worked out beautifully.

Seeing the carvings on the overall male's champion trophy today, I gushed with pride. NUS was engraved for 4 consecutive years! Next season, the EXCO has really huge shoes to fill to take this already established team to greater heights. All the blood, sweat, tears, burn-outs, ups and downs from our seniors made it possible for us to taste the sweet results that we have now. The pressure is immense..

Thank you Zhiyun for reassuring us that our current sets for training is OK (because when Nicolas and I plan for running sets, we really just go by logic and the little experience that we have). =] Well, now that post-season has officially started for us, and the examinations are just around the corner, we can afford to focus on the important things on hand.

I will be looking forward to seeing Zhenyi and Serene at the pool after the examinations. They are a welcome addition to the team! =] Lastly, even though Jiajie and I got 4th today, I was glad that I gave all I had in the run and done my best (even if my best is not good enough). I did my personal best for a 5km run and will ride on this tide and aim for greater heights!

Befriending session...

2009-04-16T18:08:00.005+08:00

I made a couple more new friends before going to school this morning. The alarm rang at 4.10am and it took me 15mins to ditch the cosiness of my bed in exchange for the early morning perspiration that was awaiting me the moment I stepped out of the house.

The befriending session started at 5.45am, and I ended off feeling stronger than before...

I called to the winds and they embraced me, silencing off my adversaries; I called to the hills and they lift me up, adding lead to the legs of my enemies; I called to the sun and it gave me added power to unleash my fury upon the competition. They are my friends, be afraid of them... - Norman

The beauty of University life...

2009-04-15T00:01:00.004+08:00

...is when you know there's a bunch of people looking out for you. After my anatomy practical today, I received an SMS from Ying Ren (thanks bros, that was really super helpful). I then decided to mug at a corner table in the canteen in case I got hungry and wanted to eat and also partly because I was lazy to walk further to other 'mugging places'.

While buying a drink, I saw the 'ever-unfriendly' Dongs, and brief acknowledgements were exchanged. =] Hahas..Angela was the next in line followed by Aldrich and lastly Jiajie. It was nice to speak to them in the midst of such intense atmosphere as the exams are just 2 weeks away for them! Encouragements were free flowing and you know such words are not superficial, they mean what they say..

I really wonder what my University life would be like without the NUS Aquathlon team..I believe I have grown a lot in the past academic year. I look forward to the next year with hope and anticipation. We have to scale new heights and break new grounds! =]

Studying at the corner in the canteen was pretty productive for me. =] After which I went for track training and was glad to have survived the sets amounting to 7km. Tomorrow will be a long and slow run day.. =]

Sometimes you're down, sometimes you're up

2009-04-13T21:30:00.004+08:00

Ever since last Wednesday's run with Coach David, I've not been training until the ride yesterday at Changi coastal road. Perhaps I have been training too regularly, so much so that when I actually take a break for 3 days, it felt like I was slacking for weeks!

The ride yesterday was pretty bad for me. After the 2nd loop of 30km, I was almost spent. It was a stark difference compared to last week's 100km ride. I attributed it to the lack of Thursday morning hill slayer training last week as I was resting.. It will be back this week, the hill killa sets are superb and must be done albeit tough!

Today, I went to the pool after school and did a 4km swim. I felt that I should be doing more of such training in preparation for the Switzerland Ironman just 3 months away! Speed work at such a time would be pretty meaningless (or is it?) =] I hope to up the mileage to 6km eventually, although Jason claims that 5km will be sufficient..We'll see..5km sounds really good too. =]

I will be doing the track sets tomorrow and I hope my right lateral arch wouldn't act up again..I need to be well..I really need it.

Something that has to be learnt...

2009-04-12T22:17:00.001+08:00

More haste, less speed...Indeed, indeed.

What a gorgeous beauty...

2009-04-08T19:31:00.008+08:00

Fully restored top of the line 54cm Raleigh Professional MK.IV (cream & brown) singlespeed bike circa 1976:

Ever since I first saw this beauty, it has been on my mind. =] I am going to do my own modifications to it during the holidays.. These are some things that I plan to add on to the bike:

Retro bell

Panniers

I will also be adding front brakes as well for safety measure.. =] I will post up updates on the modifications..This is so darn exciting!

Remember why you are doing what you are doing...

2009-04-08T14:37:00.003+08:00

I believe many has seen or heard about Team Hoyt before, I was one of them. Perhaps through the years and after getting too caught up with the things surrounding us, we tend to lose focus on why we are doing the things we love. The initial excitement of completing a race is replaced by competitiveness and results. The simple joys in life replaced by feelings of dejection having not met expectations.

Do take some time off to watch this incredible video and remind yourself the reason you are doing what you are doing. The triathlon is a celebration of human spirit and its limits...

I cried like a baby after watching this, and I hope it impacts you the way it did for me.

Love is not because, but no matter what. – Jodi Picoult

Inspirational Gianna Jessen

2009-04-05T22:44:00.001+08:00

Gianna Jessen's Biography from www.giannajessen.com

Gianna Jessen does not quit. Giving up is not an option to her. Gianna has what she refers to as the "gift" of Cerebral Palsy. She weighed a mere 2 lbs at birth and the doctors said she would never be able to hold up her head, sit up, crawl or walk. She began to walk by the age of three years old with the help of leg braces and a walker.

Gianna doesn’t believe that her Cerebral Palsy takes away her life, but, rather, enriches it. . . she walks with a slight limp today and runs marathons. On April 30, 2005 she completed her first 26.2 mile marathon after running just over 7 hours and was presented with the coveted blank blank award! On April 23, 2006 she completed the London Marathon as well. She is now determined to run marathons all over the place, because she was never supposed to even walk!

Gianna understands the plight of orphans, being one herself. She was placed into the foster care system early on in life, eventually being taken into the loving home of a woman named Penny. Penny has been a mother to 56 foster children in her life. Gianna was later adopted by Penny's daughter, making Penny Gianna's grandmother. According to Gianna, Penny saved her life.

Gianna is a Christian. Her life was given to her by the grace of God. She shouldn't be walking, but more miraculous still; she should not even be alive. Gianna's biological mother was 17 when she had a saline abortion in her third trimester. Many Americans don’t realize it is legal to have an abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. After being burned alive for approximately 18 hours in the womb from the saline solution, Gianna was delivered alive in a Los Angeles County abortion clinic. Her medical records state, "born during saline abortion"...this is what caused her Cerebral Palsy.

Gianna's travels and experiences have led her all over the world. Her life has been covered by many major news media outlets, including, most recently, the BBC News and World Radio, Sky News, and The Good Morning Show in England, reaching many people with a message of hope and conviction. In November 2005, Gianna spoke in several colleges all over Ireland and in December of the same year, spoke at a meeting held at the House of Commons in London. She has returned to England this year to speak in several parochial and public high schools. Gianna’s audiences include: churches - church youth crusades and women’s ministry retreats; various corporations as a motivational speaker; secular and Christian youth organizations and schools – middle school age through college, as well as several times before Congress - most recently having her testimony read before the Supreme Court in Carhart v. Gonzales.

A successful training session..

2009-04-05T15:42:00.003+08:00

The 2 wolves set out the moment the sun peeked behind dark clouds that seemed like they were going to burst any moment. Lightning was spotted in the distant mountains, and the 'white-haired' blizzard was about to mount its assault onto the grassland..

The aim was clear, the motive instilled..They were going to go against the elements. The dark clouds were soon chased away by the 'white-haired' blizzard and the heat of the sun belted down onto the wolves. They were undeterred..Unstirred from their task at hand, they forged ahead. It was clear that they were training for something; something that would ensure their survival in the future.. The wolves were going against the elements to use them as an advantage when the right time came: when they were pursued by their mortal enemies - the humans.

Soon, the hills, heat and the 'white-haired' blizzard were moved by their persistence and they became friends. The wolves could summon them anytime in aid for survival. They were stronger, tougher, harder than before. It was a successful training session...

n/b: Inspired from Jiang Rong's Wolf Totem

Hill Killa..

2009-04-02T22:32:00.005+08:00

I woke up at 4.30am this morning in preparation for my assault at the National University of Singapore. After downing my cup of Milo, gobbling 2 small sandwiches and popping a vitamin C tablet into my mouth, I was out on the roads. I love riding in the early morning as cool breeze and minimal traffic greeted me.

Having arranged this assault the day before after swim training, I arrived at Temasek Hall carpark on the dot of 5.30am. Soon, Nicolas and Jiajie arrived and we started our workout. Jiajie planned out the route of advance and we followed. It was painful, mind-screwing and impossible to complete if you are alone.

Each attempt to slay a hill was met with insane resistance. It seemed that they (the hills) know that we were coming for them. Each cycle I took on the pedals while climbing was accompanied by thoughts of just giving up and chill off. I was severly tachypnoic!

After 24km of hills, we were totally spent. We made our way to West Coast MacDonalds as the one in NUS was still not opened. It was really satisfying, having know that you killed some hills before starting the day. Breakfast never tasted so good..

Nicolas and Jiajie had classes and so they rode back to school while I made my way home as it was a free day =] After bathing, I was out again to Parkway for a meeting with Coach David regarding my Ironman Switzerland training.

We planned roughly the skeleton for the training programme and he shared about his experiences. It was a very fruitful meeting and I left feeling so much more inspired and motivated to train hard. It is definitely going to be tough, both mentally and physically; but I believe that with proper time management, it is possible. =]

Let the tough times begin.

What a very very long name...

2009-03-31T23:13:00.005+08:00

Ok, this is something interesting that I learnt which I immediately linked to something which one of my friends always does. As I was typing the title for this post, I realised something too..Both subjects that I am writing about have long names! Whoah..this is way killer man..

Subject 1: Song Xiuhua Shafiqah Nadiah

Subject 2: Levator Labii Superioris Alaequae Nasi

It is a muscle which is located at the sides of your nose enabling you to do what Shafiqah is doing. =] Ok, she is also using her nasalis muscle..

Hahas! This was from way back in Victoria Junior College.. =] Ok, that's all..

Aviva 70.3 Half Ironman 2009

2009-03-23T13:45:00.022+08:00

Yesterday, I've completed my last race since the OCBC Cycle Singapore 5 weeks back; it was my 5th race in 5 weeks. My month of March has been really fruitful and very very memorable. I believe that obstacles are placed in our lives so that we have the chance to show the world how strong we are.

I dare say that the Aviva 70.3 Half Ironman yesterday was the best race I've completed thus far in life..

On Saturday, the TRI21 gang met up to deposit our bikes for our race the next day. Upon reaching there, I realised that I did not prepare any raincover for my bicycle! Thankfully there was the really-super-convenient 7-11 around, and I got myself 10 trash bags. I decided that I was going to go army style. I wrapped my bike up with around 6-7 trash bags as shown above. Joshua helped Nicolas cover up the rest of his bike with the remaining trash bags. It was really cool that Nicolas and I were side by side in the transition area =]

It indeed rained hours later..and I was glad I made the right decision. I went back to check the bikes of Jiajie, Jason, Jonathan Ma, Melvin, Joshua, Nicolas and myself after the rain as I had to attend the late briefing having missed the actual briefing the day before as I was celebrating mum's birthday. Everything was in place and everyone's water-proofing was effective.

Race day arrived and the amount of activity in the transition area was comparable to a market in the early morning. Nicolas and I started unwrapping our bikes and subsequently inflating our tires to the desired pressure. Next, I set up my equipment and we headed out to the start point.

The men's wave was flagged off at 7.25am, 15mins after the women's wave. I waited with anticipation for the start. Prior to race day, I made sure that I checked out the swim route so that I did not make the same mistakes like my race during Singapore Biathlon. I made a list of everything to bring and a rough plan for the things to do prior to the start. Having done all that, I was looking forward to a smooth race in the starting pen.

My target time for this race was 5hrs 45mins. Splits: Swim 45mins, Cycle 3hrs and Run 2hrs. I incorparated allowances in the timings so that should anything happen, I might still be able to hit it. =]

The starting horn went off and everyone made a dash for the sea. I found a nice line of approach to the floating buoy and stuck to it like a guided missile. I felt good during the swim and did not make any zig-zag movements this time.

Upon coming out of the water for the 1st lap, I felt really good; my Timex showed a 21mins. I was before time. =] Heading back into the water, I was determined to complete the swim below 45mins. However, I beared in mind that there was still the cycling and running leg, hence I was also prudent with my energy usage in the water.

I emerged from the sea after 43mins and was really delighted with my timing! It was a really good swim leg for me and I felt really good. It was evident as you can see in the picture above =]

I jogged to the transition area and was encouraged on the way by my family and some of the NUS Aquathlon members who came down to support us like Patricia aka Xiu Mei, Lemin and Qiurong. Yong Sheng and Desmond from TRI21 were also there to cheer us on, not forgetting coach David who was our official photographer and encourager =]

I quickly changed into my cycling cleats, put on my race belt and helmet and pushed my bike out of transition. I took it easy on the 1st 5mins to get my body adapted to the rhythm that was to carry through for the next 90km. I bit into a honey stick that Nicolas passed to me before the race and it burst at the other end, causing honey to squirt onto my arm and thighs. I laughed and managed to clear up the mess, not wasting a drop of honey. It tasted sweet and light. Nice snack for the start I thought. My plan was to up the pace in lap 2 and drop back abit in lap 3 to prepare myself for the run. I completed the 1st lap in 56mins.

After the U-turn at East Coast service road, I pushed up the tempo and went out for lap 2. It had been a really smooth race so far for me and it made me all the more determined to blitz the 2nd lap for the bike. After the U-turn at the other end at Keppel, I sped up again knowing that there was just 15km to go until the start of lap 3. This was where I started to get complacent and distracted.

2 lanes were sealed off for the cycle leg with 1 lane still open to traffic on the Keppel Viaduct. Huge rectangular orange and white plastic road blockers were placed between the cycle lanes and traffic lane. I saw a male cyclist veer into the traffic lane and there was a huge container truck behind him! Officials were behind him and I wanted to see what was going on..When I turned my head back to the road, I brushed pass the road blockers on my left and was sent flying into the air and subsequently crashing chin first onto the road.

The 1st thought that came into my mind was, "Norman, you are so retarded; why on earth are you not focusing on the darn race!" I was helped to my feet by the officials and escorted to the side of the road. I felt blood dripping from my elbow, knee and chin. I checked my bike to see if it was still race-worthy and it seemed OK. After wiping some blood off with a tissue paper, I rode off to rejoin the race. All this took place in about 3-4mins.

The pain caused by the wounds were like steriods to me. I was woken up by it to stop my nonsense and to focus. I maintained 35-40km/h on the way back to East Coast with blood dripping onto my bike and leg. After the U-turn going into my last lap, I saw Jonathan Ma at the side of the road fixing his punctured tire. I shouted out to him and he mumbled for a spare tire. By then, I was already pretty far off and I wondered whether or not should I stop to pass him my spare. I stopped. After that, I was away again into the race. Before the Keppel U-turn, I saw Jason and Nicolas, by then I was pretty tired and was taking it easier on the last 15km. As I entered East Coast service road for the 3rd time, I saw Nicolas and shouted to him. "Bros, let's run together!"

We ended the bike leg together and entered transition to put on our running shoes. I completed the bike leg in 2hrs 55mins. I was quite glad that I was still within target. =]

All that was left is 21km of run. I wondered how I was going to complete it alone. Now that we were running together, I was quite looking forward to it knowing that we will pull each other through.

Our starting pace was pretty fast, going at 5mins/km. If we maintained that pace, the run will be over in 1hr 45mins. That was 15mins faster than my target time of 2hrs! =] We decided to go until we felt tired then slow down for 1km and slowly pick up pace again. One thing was that was definite was that we were going to cross the finish line together..

At the 1st aid station, we asked for deep heat and I applied it onto my super sore quadriceps. The run was accompanied by the frequent "how are you feeling?", "is this too fast?" and "let's take it easier until the end of the bridge". Nicolas was the one doing most of the encouraging as I occasionally injected some thoughts and words.

We were encouraged by our family and friends at the transition area and was always looking forward to running pass them knowing that somehow they could impart some strength to us. We were determined not to let them down. My gaping wound has started to clot, but the blood on the chin has drew quite a lot of attention.

Concerned spectators were frequently asking if I was OK and fellow racers showed their concerns too. The atmosphere was really charged up. Before we knew it, we had only 4km to the finish line! At the 19km mark, my left hamstring and calf muscles threatened to cramp whenever I wanted to push abit faster. We slowed down but no walking, as agreed prior to the run. As the finishing point was in sight at the last 1km, I upped the pace a little and the cramping sensations were gone, we crossed the finishing point hand in hand with our run time at 2hrs.

As Joshua puts it, this was the best photo taken by coach David. I was really thankful that Nicolas was there with me during the run because I know that I could not have done this alone. He shares the same sentiments too. During the run, he brought up something which I always marvelled at; that we were from the same Primary, Secondary, Junior College and Tertiary institute. We have known each other all our lives, and this was really something to cherish.

This was why the Aviva 70.3 Half Iroman yesterday was the best race I have completed in my life so far. "Happiness only real when shared." - Christopher McCandless

After the race, I immediately went home to bathe and headed out to SGH for stitching work to be done on my chin. Well, at least I will have this scar for life to serve as a memory for the race yesterday where I completed it with my brother. My total time was 5hrs 45mins... =]

Training for the one time you might need it..

2009-03-19T16:29:00.004+08:00

Today, I volunteered as a CPR facilitator for the Singapore Heart Foundation as they are having a course at my alma mater, Victoria Junior College. Even though it is the March holidays, the school was packed with students from various CCAs, training for their upcoming season. My eyes darted for the soccer boys; it was an unspoken form of identity, and memories of myself doing the same thing as them years back flooded into my mind.

I saw my coach, Mr Tan, and chatted awhile with him. Through him and Alex (the current VJC soccer captain), I gathered that the season was only 11 days away. The soccer boys already had all their heads shaved and the battle to reclaim the title begins..VJC has always been the favourites, and I am pretty sure that Mr Tan has prepared his team well for the challenges to come in the next 2 months.

Mr James Ho, my GP tutor, was also around. I held a brief conversation with him due to me needing to carry out my duty. The CPR session that the students went through today was different from that which I went through last year to be a certified first aider. This is called CPR 3A where the 3As refer to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. There were quite a few steps left out but the general skeleton was there. I guess the rationale was that some CPR is better than no CPR.

Anyways, I had a great time facilitating and helping the students out when they needed assistance. This session was made possible through Mr Tan who made sure that every sport CCA in VJC was down today. It was good contributing back in whatever little way I can to a school which nurtured me into who I am today.

When the world sleeps...

2009-03-16T22:48:00.003+08:00

I was out on my bike, 'bustin' my ass' as Lance Armstrong puts it, this morning. It was the first time in a very long while that I managed to wake up in the morning for training before school. =] The ride was magical..Everything fitted into place beautifully and the weather was perfect. It rained the night before, but the roads were all dried up and the temperature low.

I hit the roads at 5am and cycled to school, then further down West Coast Highway overcoming the 3 uphills as I went 2 loops back and fro, making the total count 12. I felt good today, and it only got better as the mileage increased. At around 6.55am, the sun slowly peeked behind some clouds and turned the sky into a beautiul shade of orangey-purple. I felt like I was in a Disney storybook as I headed back to school =] The planned 3km slow swim later in the day was twarted by bad weather and lightning..Mugging was done instead but more dozing off occured..

Well, I am happy that I've accomplished what I set out to do today. =] It shall be running tomorrow..

Biathlon season ends...now for triathlon!

2009-03-15T00:38:00.008+08:00

I took my bike out for a spin today to tuition. After tuition, I met up with Jiajie and Jon Ma to watch Manchester United vs Liverpool at Simpang Bedok. Manchester United lost 4-1! Dang. I thought that the match went wrong in every way possible for Manchester United tonight. Well, the English Premier League will definitely be more exciting now..I rode back home from Simpang Bedok and it feels really good to be back riding again. I have shelved it aside for pretty long as I did not want it to hinder my biathlon season training and races. Now that the season is over, it is time to start training for my Switzerland Ironman =]

This is something I think I have to watch regularly from now on so as to motivate myself for my Switzerland Ironman. It never fails to hype me up whenever I watch it. Hahas..

Jiajie met up with Mika today at Key Power International and she told him that Ironman Switzerland is the most beautiful race =] I have to complete it this July! That is my baseline goal.

Next Monday to Wednesday, I will be doing bike training before school. I will then deposit the bike at Chin Ee's room (thanks Chin Ee!) and bathe before going for lectures. I hope I really get down to doing it!

This was something I saw that could serve as a cycle training motivation. Enjoy! =]

Not forgetting running..Reincarnate NOW!

The tough month is almost over!

2009-03-14T16:03:00.002+08:00

Whoots! Today was the NIE Biathlon at NTU, my 4th race in 4 weeks =] It was not exactly a very good race for me as my core gave up, again, during the last 1km. I really have to solve this mystery man..was talking to Coach Tay about it and he thought it was probably due to the sudden intensity that I have placed on my body that it went into shock. Maybe I need to do more transitional trainings..maybe my core is not strong enough..Well, I will slowly uncover it.

I was particularly happy with my swim today! Prior to the race, I warmed up at the diving pool and felt very comfortable in the water. It was this feeling of total immersion and gliding in the water, it was marvellous! Upon plunging, I surged forwards and kept ahead of most of my competitors. The feeling was the key. I never felt so at peace in the water before. It was so pleasurable! =] I managed to come out 4th in the swim leg and was already planning my strategy for the run leg. I decided to keep it relax until the 1km mark and then slowly build up the pace. I almost pulled it off but was hindered at the final stretch by the mysterious force! I felt like shit as it was the final part of the race. Giving up really crossed my mind but I just endured and took the pain in. In the end, I finished the race.

The thing that I am most sad about was the fact that some of the seniors are leaving the team as they are graduating in a few months' time. NUS Aquathlon is like a big family to me, so it feels as if some family members are leaving for some faraway place. Hahas..but I think they might drop by once in a while to check us out..hopefully. I feel like I am emo-ing..bleh.

Also, I suddenly feel that a huge part of my life is missing after the end of this biathlon season..The meeting up with everyone during Monday and Wednesday's swim training, the run sets on Tuesdays, long runs on Thursdays and sentosa training on Saturdays will certainly be missed. Going through hell with your teammates is really a very very enjoyable experience. There is so much to learn from others and yourself. You blossom faster. I look forward to the next season with immense anticipation, hope and thirst for greater success for the team!

Lastly, I will end off with a quote from Qiurong during my conversation with her after my race. "Years later, you will look back at this race and realise that this was the race that made you faster."

OCBC Cycle Singapore Prize Ceremony

2009-03-11T11:53:00.007+08:00

The 4 of us attended the above-mentioned event yesterday at El Toro. It was clear that the prize presentation was not the main thing on our minds as we tucked away at the freaking killer concept food that was provided by the restoro bar. I strongly recommend that you try this place out! =]

Jason and I both agreed that sometimes in life, you need something like this to affirm you that you are not going through all those insane trainings for nothing. This is the kind of thing that will motivate you to scale greater heights, to put in more during training, to go through hell and back. The 4 of us are really blessed to have had the opportunity to experience this. We had a whale of a time and I hope to be able to experience more of such. =]

Support..

2009-03-09T00:01:00.002+08:00

serene says: hey i read your blog, congrats for sing bi =]
norman says: =[
norman says: u read it so u noe i'm pretty disappointed rite?
norman says: but thanks rene..that means alot..
serene says: yeah
serene says: but you gained so much more from it, don't you think?
serene says: a result is just a result that you celebrate for days, perhaps weeks or even months
serene says: an experience is sth you gain for a lifetime

That was it. An experience is something you gain for a lifetime. I realised that I was still pretty disappointed or should I say discontented with my Singapore Biathlon results..However, I will use this experience to catapult myself further. Jason, if you're reading this, I hope you do the same too. Brother, Switzerland is the bomb, the biggest of them all! 'The experience of a lifetime', in your words. =]

The girl who silenced the world at the UN for 6 minutes

2009-03-07T18:14:00.003+08:00

This was something Nicolas and I talked about regarding the nature of man while driving home from school...She really summarised everything beautifully, smart child =]