Unexpected...

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

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!

Cycling in Vellore, India

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

10:15pm India time. I am finally here. I was hit by a wave of warm breeze when I stepped out onto the Indian tarmac.

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

I 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. 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, we went 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 and 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

K.O.M. Ipoh 2010

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...

Sweet dreams are made of these

What it means to attack...

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 true meaning of cycling...

Week 9 round-up

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 day
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.

Week 8 round-up

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..

Week 7 round-up

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. =]

Week 6 round-up

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...

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

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

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..

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

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

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 run 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.

Week 2 round-up

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