6-monthly reflection 1

Hearing the news felt surreal. I was not surprised as I had already prepared for the worst. It was also the only obvious outcome when I found out that my meeting was scheduled forward. In that instant, I felt an immense sense of injustice. I had completed all the milestones required for progression but I was held back by those 4-months in KTPH.

That posting coincided with the darkest days in my short life thus far. I only managed to trawl myself out of it a few months after. I did not feel a need to share this with anybody and perhaps that was why it seemed like I was ‘out of sorts’ by many during that period. I am not trying to find myself any excuses to pin all of this to, but perhaps the only shortcoming I had was the way I handled it all. I feel that the assessment that I am perhaps still a little too immature for progression is probably not too far off. I am just disappointed in myself, and this feeling had made me a little sore.

For the next few weeks, I allowed myself to let the gravity of being retained sink in. I refused to reflect on the situation and pondered alternative outcomes based on the various choices I could make. It did not help that one of my fellow colleague shared that he was quitting. I allowed myself to entertain the idea of leaving all this behind and just call it quits. I harboured the thought of taking an extended break from work to ‘rejuvenate’ myself and coming back stronger. I told myself I was jaded from work; I was burnt out. I told myself that I could not push on, not in such circumstance.

One thing that any endurance athlete can tell you is ‘mind over body’. I have had personal experiences participating in Ironman Triathlons to know that it is when you reach a nadir in the race that you experience your second wind. You get into a sort of trance state where just a moment ago you wished you were relaxing on your couch. Your body goes into auto-pilot and you just carry on like you were possessed. The thing is, you have to reach that state of absolute suffering in order to experience such liberation. The mind is a powerful thing.

Thinking back, I was acting like a spoilt brat. My mind was weak and it ended up telling me that it was not possible; that this retention was the end. I allowed myself to believe that this was pervasive and permanent. I just cannot deal with failure. My life up until that moment has been pretty smooth sailing. I do not think that I have ever learnt to fail, to pick myself up and go again, to become stronger. I have been blessed and it has made me take many things for granted. This was my wake up call. This is God giving me a life lesson to learn from.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says: ‘No temptation/testing has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted/tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted/tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’

I now take this in my stride. I will use this opportunity to build myself from the ground up, to gain more experience, to become a better person, doctor, surgeon, son, husband, and father. The one thing that has prevented me from taking the easy way out of this situation is my son. Having grown up without a father, I am still grappling with learning how to be a man, a father. I cannot fathom a day where my son comes to me for advice in life and I would be none the wiser. Passing up this chance for growth will then become a life-long regret.

The race is long and 6-months is nothing much compared to the grand scheme of things. I will focus on the bigger picture and continue on even when it seems so tough and that I cannot possibly go on. Then and only then will I experience my second wind, my breakthrough and see the light at the end of the finish line.

You reap what you sow..

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

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.

Sweet dreams are made of these

A blessing...

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 and 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 =]

Ironman Switzerland (12th July '09)

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)

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)

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...

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 =]

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. =]

Avoiding the sun..

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!

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

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!

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. =]

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..

A new friend to be made...

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! =]

I, Norman

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!