Mudslide at Sime Track

We have been finally blessed with a spot of sunshine today and yesterday, and as the newspapers report, the clothes lines are full and hanging out once more. But just a few days ago, in the midst of the fury of the afternoon monsoon that came in from the north, I was running at MacRitchie and enjoying the slow rushing streams that gush down Sime Track after the Ranger's Station about 4.2 km deep in the trails. Then, in yesterday's evening news, I caught a report about mudslides at Bukit Timah, near Tiap Tiap Hut trail. My own visit there a few months back did suggest that the man-made trails there were very unstable and would not hold up to a week of constant wash and run-off. In fact, what the TV news cameras showed was much less terrible than what I would have expected. Still, hikers and joggers appeared to ignore the National Parks cordon and skirt the site at their own risk. Yesterday, I decided to hit Bishan Swimming Pool at 2.20 pm and thankfully, it was almost deserted. By before long, the school children were escorted in for some event and by 3.30 pm, the regular swimming instructor there was holding his class of tiny youngsters in the main pool. Certainly, I am encouraged to see so many dedicated swimmers, and possibly among them, some future national record-breaker. But the Sports Council would have done better in anticipating the need for more olympic lap pools and do away with the wading pool, or re-design the pool layouts to accommodate the need for more lap swimming by enthusiasts such as myself. Anyway, for reasons I can't say, I counted as many as 60 laps in less than 90 mins of swimming, which is probably my best yet! Incredible. Yes, I did feel a bit sore on the bed last night... and I slept very, very soundly, too. But this afternoon, I heeded Nature's gently prompting and found myself heading back to MacRitchie with the sky slightly grey and brimming with faint light from sunshine all morning long. To my surprise, when I arrived at the Ranger's Station, the starting point into Sime Track was completely cordoned off with no way to skirt it. Backtracking, I could see the reason why: there was a HUGE mudslide which completely wiped off whole portions of the trail into naked red earth and completely demolished vegetation which washed down the slope at the side of the track. It would have been horrific if some jogger or hiker was caught in that mudslide. Just then it occurred to me that it could not have taken place yesterday but the day before... perhaps even just minutes after I myself had passed that track in the rain. Like my other entry earlier which spoke of fallen trees, I am beginning to re-evaluate the inherent dangers that lurk and may present itself to trailrunners like myself. But that is the same thrill and adventure that all outdoor enthusiasts intrepidly face. Nonetheless, it's only a worthwhile adventure when, just like Bilbo Baggins - hobbit of noteworthy renown - is erstwhile when you do get there and get back again. I definite admore George Mallory, but do not want to emulate him in death and passing.

Sprained Sinews & Fell Trees

On Wednesday evening, after the rain, the weather was simply too cool not to head out and make for a night run. So I got into my GCS Comp once more and dressed for the wet and cold, ran the short 6KM route from home, through the Westlake Braddell Secondary School campus, past Mount Alvernia Hospital to MacRitchie Reservoir. Once there, I was not sure which way my instinct would lead me and my heart laid towards the long trail, entering at Little Sisters of the Poor. But it was falling into twilight, which at the equator was to last minutes before darkness set in. So, I let my instinct rule by safety and found myself running towards the fitness park entrance, which ordinarily I would consider my exit. I followed some runners in, and that was by itself comforting. The fitness area was flooded as usual, and unusable. Just past the 1.5KM mark, there was a fallen tree which had blocked the trail, but not so severely we could not skirt it. I ran past it and though suddenly to myself that just a few days ago, in the rain, that heavy felled tree could have easily fallen on me, or any other runner. It struck me just how much we take nature's own dangers for granted, simply because statistically, there were fewer of us out there to make the numbers. For all our urban tree planning, kerbs and commercial activities, we hustle and bustle mostly away from these falling branches and landslides... so much so that the more likely dangers are falling tiles and slipping on walkways. But in other parts of the world, these mudslides, burst river banks and falling branches are just as real. And I was immediately grateful to be able now to live and share in the forgotten experience and dangers. Yesterday afternoon, at 3 pm, I found myself vacillating between running or swimming, and the rain seemed just as vexed. Then I decided that I could make the run. But the pain in my right knee joint did not subside despite my treatment of it with moderate rest, diet and some massage. I knew that it would be a hairline fracture within the marrow and only worry about any small clot travelling upwards to the brain. I won't need any aneurysm or mild stroke from a sports injury right now. At the same time, I did not want to consume any anti-coagulant such as aspirin or ginko extract. But to keep my blood pressure down, I allow myself some starfruit and starfruit juice. The run was more a jog and I felt fully at ease. At the Golf Trail I took a breather, not that I needed it, but I felt cautious, as well as particularly aware of the calm and vivid colours that besiege nature after the rains. When I reached the fitness park at 7KM mark, I decided to run up my upper body with some chin-ups (done with ease) and rest. I wanted to soak in the whole scene and fresh air. I then started on the job back. I felt rather hypoglycemic by now, for I had skipped lunch to run, then faced with the uncertainty of whether it would happen or not. By the time I reached the last leg of the trail, and faced the felled tree, I was overtaken by this slender and athletic caucasian runner, wearing a www.triathlonfamily.com adidas tee shirt, asics running shoes, arm-strapped Sony-Ericsson player and Polar heart-rate monitor. He seems to have all speed with him, but I could follow his pace for a while and towards the last 600M decided to sprint - just as Dexter Jr used to do to me! - and make for the exit. It was great to be in the open again, with the flat calm of the lake mirroring the pearly sky above. Couples and families are all heading out and this late afternoon seemed more like a weekend. Then a voice calls out, "Hey Beiron, well done that last part, heh!" I look surprised to my right, smile spontaneously and greet my fellow runner. We adjourn to the cafe at the hilltop of the reservoir and chat: he's begun the triathlon experience just nine months ago, and runs splendidly to my mind. And he's also started on perfecting his front crawl strokes (probably with coaching through TriBob, I think at the Farrer Pool at Kampong Java Road), eager to make for his Langkawi race soon to come. Then he's off running back to his Novena apartment for a 4 pm appointment. I wonder if we'll get to meet and exchange notes again. It was great to run into another enthusiast and someone who empathises the whole experience of getting started in a sport such as this. At Westlake Secondary School where I am working on my chin-ups, a blue cab drives up and the driver waves at me. He's looking for the school office. I could not help much, but a young bloke in a black polo tee with the word "Security" stamped on its back appears and he tells the driver that the school is now defunct. Sadly, I also learnt that the LTA planned to build a new link road through the campus and that would ruin the current beauty of the place. We share our thoughts about the sheer natural beauty of the place in the mornings... and I also mourn the probable loss of my fitness workout area in the school campus. We chat for a long while before it begins to rain again. He's name is Sebastian and he works three jobs, with this security assignment being the one before he hits Clarke Quay to bartend. A former Army regular with the Special Ops, we talk about all sorts of things. I guess we will both meet up another day and say more. But it is time to head back and stay warm and dry... and get some dinner.

Rain Reigns; Can't Rein In The Rain

Saturday, 31 December 2005 Why should calendar dates matter, that we define life by weeks, days and months, years and life cycles? I was just glad to wake to another day of life, and vaguely guess what the rest of the day holds, let alone know what I might do in the evening of this day or the rest of the afternoon. Does knowing the future matter? By late afternoon, this last day of 2005, in what may be described as the most peaceful year (era?) of my life (or in another mind's eye, the most tumultous yet?), the weather seemed to wane but the last dripping of bright afternoon sun pre-supposes that there is a chance of yet another great day to run in the open. By 4.30 pm, I am out of my usually lethargic body and my happier self is afoot in a trot by Westlake Secondary School. I make good pace, and find myself very much in the best of moods. I pass the canoe lodge at MacRitchie Reservoir I think I recognise a friend sleepily lazing on a bench unawares I pass behind him. By this time, I decide to wish every jogging passer-by "Happy New Year". My first greeting meets a couple, and I get a hearty greeting a few surprised footsteps behind me, and I know that I have already done the unexpected. I mean, it is New Year's eve and we are sharing an activity outdoors. This must indicate a kindred spirit of sorts. You think. But I also get to meet a few others to trudge the same route coming from the opposite direction who seem too lost at words to return the same greeting. Perhaps, they did not understand me. Somewhere along the first two kilometres, the forest gets very silent, and then around the 2KM bend, the frogs all come alive and I am humoured by this. The overcast sky and drop in atmospheric pressure must have fooled them that it is already night, this smart mind of mine thinks. I jauntily laugh as I increase my pace. The cool air and overcast sky keeps the air fresh and keen, my body does not tire, and I feel the light breeze that comes from my quickened pace cool my skin and refreshen my kinetic spirit. Just past the 2.4KM mark, the drizzle begins with an onslaught that immediately made me certain this would be a great run, probably the best in my whole life... a simple man's backyard penny adventure, almost. The light over head is now just a grey blur, and my brand new Tag Heur sport sunglasses have nothing to polarise any more. The rain is now pouring, and transforming puddles into pools by footsteps I take. The leaves which were rustling just now are flapping in the petering rain, and the sound of the forest - once quiet before the storm - is drowned by the liquid madness. But I get entranced and now I am less worried but more excited... as just the thought of trail hikers being waylaid and hiding out in the cramped shelters seep into my mind. When I do run past the shelters in this mad rain, I feel some kinetic energy pulse through me, perhaps from knowing that these people must all think I am mad and just too absorbed to know better. That latter is true... and to be honest, it was my best pace in the post-triathlon race "era" for 2005. I run past the ranger station, smiling and energized, my body not feeling dehydrated or even dampened by the pouring rain. It seems like the weather is just fuelling my spirit and that is just energising my effort to keep the race and run, run, run, splashes and skids, and miss even spraining my right ankle when I slip. The rocky trail has turned into a gushing stream and disappeared beneath it. The trail is just splurting downstream after the ranger station towards Jelutong Tower, and if you know that route and the direction I am taking, it is sheer fun to run that stretch with wild rain turning trail to raging stream... My Salomon GCS Comp in now really proving how great the shoe really is... the grip, the aeration, the feel, the support and lift, the plough and the stride. The shoe was built for extreme conditons and it surely underperforms when it's used in any less wild situation than this...! I am like - wow, now I really dig the shoe - even when previously I have test-used it in other conditions and already believed it's potential... but now, you just know that for the outdoor and wet conditions, this works wildly great, man! So, I past a few more stranded trekkers, and they all seemed so surprised and shocked to see me run at the pace I am at... I am quietly surprised at what my body is doing as well, and I can bet that my heart rate never exceeded 159 bpm... In any case, the experience still had some real "hair-raising" surprises like when the lightning cracked overhead relentlessly and disturbingly near, too. When you are out in the open, as I quickly came to realise, the sky and anything which thunders overhead all seem strangely near. The high humidity in the dense wet air transport sound so effectively it makes every thunder sound closer... but when I tried to call out the seconds after the lightning and did not get pass "one", I found myself ducking and thinking, "Hey, if my hair starts to stand on end, I am going to dive to kiss the ground and don't care any more what I look like..." But I am drenched to the skin, and luckily, the Salomon XA Tech Tee and race tights are all doing a fine job of insulating me despite being soaked clean. Also, as I hit the Golf Trail, and pass the golfers in their shacks, I note their expressions of bewilderment and concern for my safety. I thought to myself if they would call me to safety and lend me a jacket to keep warm (?), but instead I hear myself calling out: "Happy new year, gentlemen!" and they all gaily reply back. That kept me warm for the next kilometre, you bet! Back into the MacRitchie trails in the last few KMs, and it was a breeze. No stitches or anxiety. At the 9KM mark, the rain breaks... like the eye of storm, and I look to the left to see the lake, the forest trees and sky in ethereal light and crystal clearness. The scenery is more like it apperaed out of a New Zealand postcard, temperature and all, then anything you might feel about Singapore if you have been stucked too long in an aircond office or stuffy flat. By the time I run to the end of the trail, the weather seems to have come to the end of its tantrums, and I feel powerful enough to continue back to Westlake and Toa Payoh North. But when I get into the Westlake school campus grounds, the rain starts to pound again. My thoughts go out to the small group of Malaysian student hikers speaking Cantonese who just got started on their trekking towards the Treetop Bridge inside the MacRitchie trails. Hahah! Well, it is all the adventure that outdoors in Singapore can offer - out fickle weather - to make up for the scarcity of geography and space! I get back home, soaked, and just wished my best pals were all awaiting me with absolut apeach vodka and the TV spluttering noise from the new year eve programming. But instead, it is not a fantasy, and no one has broken into my flat to surprise me. I get home, bathe, change, and within a few hours am downtown, lounging and wet again in a spa, to welcome the new year with fullness to get more physical in 2006. No prizes to guess my new year resolution, but I know better now, it will be sporting alone and for my own sake, too. With rain, who needs company!

Farewell, the Brave

In Memoriam To Sylvester Ang. It is exactly one year ago, today, that you left, and your life passed on like grey ships on the far horizon to the great beyond. It's another adventure and surely, you will be joined by more worthy companions. Many memories of our sitting and chatting linger on fresh, and though at that time, what matter we discuss might have been trivial, today is recalled with freshness and ardour. In sport you have inspired and often encouraged me; and in your work and friendship, afforded me only the best of yourself. Unfortunately, time and space separates our friendship now. But the part of yourself, which remains true, in great humour, and simplicity, and honesty, is luminously alive in the humble urn of my memory. How often now you accompany me in spirit as I go my way, you know! That is cherished and treasured. May your spirit and memory endure. In peace, and love. d. 24 December 2004

The Easy Route

Had a great run this morning, and it was made easier because I decided to run the reverse route, from the exit to the entrance of the MacRitchie trails. You see, when you reverse the profile, the factors of resistance are also changed with the gradient working the other way. I felt a great deal more engerised and empowered, but while my strength and endurance has improved since quitting my job end-October and after that bout of illness in November, it has also whetted my appetite for food. All that carbohydrate and mucous-producing foods over Christmas will not help for sure. Meats, diary, sugar, etc. will all add to what will kill me eventually, for sure! If I were to follow my instinct when I eat, I will definitely be done for. In the freezer, the passionfruit/peach-mango ice cream is already at half tub (2 Litre, mind you!). But at the same time, as I run these few days, my thoughts fleetingly go back to Sylvester and many of the other dearest friends who have been such great inspiration the past year, including Halil and Philip of ClimbAsia who survived the surprise tsunami at Krabi on 26 December 2004 morning. I remember SMSing them frenetically. I think of the people who have kept in touch with me despite the doldrums I have been experiencing and their incredible empathy and support. For these few, they are the most precious souls in the world, for making time and caring to extend all that support to me, and not forgetting me. So, back into those wispy dirt tracks, and creating those lispy swim trails... Next, it will be back on the bike with my new attachments and get pedalling around the island. It will be a ride to look forward to... Love and peace to all this Christmas, and may all your sporting new year resolutions come true, too!

Out Back Among The Trails, Hills

It rains every third or fourth day, and with each day alone and home, I feel the awful sense of isolation and exile. It's like being in a hermitage. Someone asked me why not take a flight out of Singapore and get out in the open and the wild. Little do people know that the open and the wild is not "out there", as it's all a condition of the mind. While I may not have been urgently back in my running and swimming and diet regimes of earlier this year, there being no objective or drive to do so... I am already in the sort of self-imposed exile and isolation, where being forgotten and among the peripheral life of urban society leaves one to live with the mental and emotional gymnastics required to sustain a healthy perception and sensibility. You don't need to be in perpetual state of zensumi or nirvana to understand what Kerouac meant to describe being a beatnik. If I have not jumped the trails or conquered laps, there is also my need to work the mind's muscles and lever the world around my life with the fulcrum of consciousness. I mean, every day, I can imaginatively place myself out of this flat in the middle of Singapore, to the furthest reaches of space and geography and imagine myself isolated and in self-imposed exile. Of course the comforts of life follow me (I have cable and electricity!), but every time I am out in the open, in the long bright hours of the afternoon, I can see myself free from the incumbences of this location. Just breathing the air, looking at the bright blue above, noticing every little expanse of nature in its fullness around, from leaf to twig, from dirt trail to mud pool and glare of sun, I know I am connected to the whole earth in an odd and inexplicable way. Again, the imagination is the playground, and as I run or swim, stroll or slumber, there is the great expanse which the verdant mind is a willing canvas for the happy mental athlete to cavort and frolick all the way.

Amos Tirop Matui

Sunday, 4 December 2005 Kenyan Amos Tirop Matui wins the 2005 Standard Chartered marathon in Singapore this morning with his personal best time of 2 hours 15 mins 55 seconds! Congratulations to all my friends who completed the full and half marathons: I am inspired! The amazing fact is that there were 30% more participants, swelling numbers up from 14,000 last year to 21,000, with many more disappointed (like myself) for not being among the "first" to sign up. There is a real market for sneakers in Singapore, for sure. But as I strolled around the Civic District and noted the "runners" streaming around after their race, it is still amazing to see so many avivd enthusiasts with apparel and footwear which certainly could be a lot better, given there being so many brands with new technologies to offer. Perhaps, the message has not got to the ground and grassroots, and there weren't the right incentives for enthusiasts to make that leap out of their "comfort zone". The idea that consumers do marry brands for life does mean we aren't always looking for the best that works, but most usually what we think we would like to associated with that makes us look among the best. Perhaps, then the sports brand with the real technologies apply PR more than advertising, as I would suppose that getting the technical benefits outweigh the whole hype that marketing tends to exploit to get the most out of the consumer. Great news also at the SEA Games on Friday, 2 December with Cheng Jing Hean winning the inaugural Triathlon in Manila, Philippines, with the fantastic time of 1:58:41:14. Well, perhaps, after all these years, building the infrastruture of trails, sidewalks, and a national corps of servicemen who run, run, and run, is paying off. And paying off better than those politically contrived programmes intended to take Singapore to the World Cup, for instance. The formula therefore is clear: give us the facilities and infrastructure and as long as the grassroots and retail brands support the sport, there will be an avivd market and strong potential contenders for the crown. Until then, the Kenyans and other international sportsmen will dominate and set the standards. We should welcome that. But all that money that is put into the Singapore Marathon this year suggests that we need more supporting events to culminate in one such as this, so as not to deprive the many more thousands who would have signed up and stomped their way through the 42km. That's alot, when you realise that Singapore is just 660 square kilometres large!

The Bane of All Ill: Bad Weather!

It's been three weeks since I quit my stint at Estee Lauder Singapore, and definitely was relieved and happy to be freed from the bad weather I had to keep facing at work there. But the bad weather which has afflicted Singapore these past few weeks, coupled by my far too earnest interest to lose the extra kilos and regain my training regiment, resulted in a dented toe here and a sprain there, have made it all but impossible to get trim and fit again. So, finally, the sun seems to break through in the afternoons and the monsoon showers that come with the mornings from the Northerlies slight dry up, leaving a nice wet trail for the crazed trailer runner like myself. The run is up again, today, Friday, 3.30 pm, and although I was planning to hit town, bags and all, I think I might turn back and head home, slip on those soggy shoes and make the run. That's probably how the surf-riders feel when the waves come in, or the kiteboarder when the wind kicks up, and the snowboarder when fresh powder hits the slopes. Outdoor sports is an opportunist's game, and the weather if ill, is the worst ache to hit the soul. Well, maybe I will get around to use this break from work to storm back into action. Meanwhile, I will have to let go of the old die-hard habits of mid-night suppers, chips for snacks after 7pm, and popsoda drinks all day. Apart from that, the cheap junk food diets that pay for my internet connections! See you all around, folks. Meanwhile, my pot-belly is going to be kept warm beneath lots of clothing...! But with Christmas and the New Year looming round, I think it more sensible to target putting on mass now than trying to look like a seasoned triathlete. What do you think?

A Race To Remember

Aquathlon, Saturday, 3 September 2005 When I heard about the recent Aquathlon, I immediately committed myself to it, and got myself registered (thanks, Stan!). For someone starting out, getting past the first step to the inevitable is a great way to get out of the comfort zone. It’s like that small, tiny push to that ball bearing which ignites the kinetic energy within it. The other great thing was that a whole lot of friends I knew were planning to do the race as well. Among these were some of my former colleagues, and the members and staff of Club Oasis at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Unlike the frenetic and anxious state of my very first race, I awoke calm and rested this time. The only downside was that after the NUS Triathlon, I seemed to have lost some steam, and after two weeks ran my practice 11 km at MacRitchie which resulted with some soft tissue damage in my left foot. Then a few days later, I hit my right foot against some furniture, and while preparing a snack, flicked the sharp knife and nicked my fingers… I was being careless, bruised and chipped away without any real workouts! Right up to the morning of the race, I was not sure if the sprains and aches as well would go away, or if I could go the full distance with these. When we were there, it felt good to see more and more relaxed faces and some familiar ones. The best was seeing the junior racers, who were all dressed up like pro triathletes and seemed very confident and race-ready. Before long, and after sipping water, and munching on bananas and Snicker Bars, the first races were flagged off. It was terrific to see the guys in the Mixed Sprint Relay prepare for the wet start: Dean and Dexter Jr chatting with their friends and looking all relaxed. Dean was in the water first, and Dexter, as always, plunging into the water at the very last minute and swimming with ease to the starting point. Dean previously had motion-sickness in the sea, but at this race, he put in both good time and came out strong and went on to run with his wife, Connie, through the whole Sprint distance. Dexter Jr flogged a casual swim but with dreadfully good time clocked (all without training and after falling ill the week before, he explains), and also went on to run the rest of the race with his good friend, Enda. They both clocked the top fifth spot in the Mixed Sprint Relay. So, you can understand the sort of pressure I face just by being among them! But it was all not perfect at the race – at least for the weather. For, just after the guys ran off with the gals at the Mixed Sprint race, the wind came up and it started to pour. Now, that’s an understatement. It was both sudden and furious: the barricades and banners, race EXIT signs, were all simultaneously blown down, and with the water raining down immediately, people scurrying with their race packs from the transition area, and spectators milling into the few shaded areas, it was real helter-skelter. In fact, apart from being worried about the windchill the racers will face, I was pretty amused and happy about the whole wet affair. You see, it happened right before the race briefing for my flag off! But again, it meant that my energy levels might sump slightly. But at least, having been advised by Dexter Jr, I had waterproofed my running gear at the transition point, and crowned with a pink swim cap, I was happy as a mouse to move into the large shelter nearby with the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, there was the Women’s Open category which was in the midst of their long distance swim when the race was abruptly halted and they were re-called, disappointed. But the rain was thrashing and indeed it would have very uncomfortable to stay in the water through the burst clouds. So, Rina, my lovely ex-colleague, and eventually second in the competition, had to get out of the water and do the race all over again. When the weather settled into a warm, humid and clear day, and after Dexter Jr, Enda, Connie and Dean, and Raymond (who ran the Sprint Relay with another club member) were all back, I was already at the wet start and ready to confront my own demons. As this was my first long distance race and just my second full event, I knew it would be good enough to just clock the finish and if anything, as Dexter Jr advised, measure my performance over the years to get better. In other words, if you are just starting out, leave space for improvement! Sounds like sound advice from the book “Office Rules”, too! The swim was great fun, and I never felt like it was a race. The only annoying thing was to have free-style swimmers who don’t know where the hell they are swimming and are constantly zig-zagging into everyone else’s lane. Other than that, I could see many really strong swimmers ahead of me, and trailed one breast-stroker who was simply powerful! He was bobbing up and down, and left a real furrow of water in his wake. I tried to stay in that slipstream… After the first lap, we were being over-taken by the first and faster swimmers of the next wave. They were really impressive swimmers – straight, powerful, and nerve-wrecking fast! I swear they had motors implanted somewhere. I clocked a calm 37:30 on the 1500m swim. I will have to nail that down to 33 mins on breaststroke or switch to freestyle and nail that distance at 30 mins, to gain on the faster racers of my category. As I got out the water, the funniest thought which got into my mind, was “Hey, you got to try and look good!”, and slowly inched my way towards the transition area. Oddly, the area was not frenetic and I suddenly lost steam, sat down and simply took my time. Perhaps it was a mistake, but I was not really feeling too racey at that time! It was nice to be in my dry Salomon XA Series shoes, which I really feel terrific wearing. Soft and light, they may not have the advantage of the flat-down hard die-cut outsoles, but it has a smooth feel to each step – a unique bounce. Off into the running lap, and I knew my strategy from the pace of the other racers. Most were already tired, and in all, only a small handful ever over-took me, and I over took a few more. But the pace was more of a fast jog. I knew if I had my heart rate monitor with me, I could have put in more speed and extend my strike a few percent more. In any case, I was able to keep going and never had to pant. I only breathed through my nostrils through the whole 10 km, and clocked a respectable 50:18 to end with a finish of 1:27:47. I don’t think I could have done any better for a first race, long distance, and feel terrific about myself afterwards. But I know that you don’t have to feel you are in perfect physical condition to participate in any athletic event. You do it because you love being there among friends and doing the sport. By the way, my aches all went away after the race. I got back into Club Oasis and even worked out. The next day I rested completely, and on Monday after the race, I swam 55 laps in the Bishan training pool, and another 15 at Hyatt. Then on Tuesday, I ran another good 12.5 km at MacRitchie. I took a break from all that for a few days, and signed my contract with my new employer at 5.50 pm on the Friday, at the end of the week. Getting back to work will break my whole training regime, but hopefully not take me away from doing what I now enjoy so much.

Blown To Wind

Tuesday, 23 August 2005 I received much advice from among athletes and enthusiasts on how to achieve my best when running headlong into endurance sports. They talked about how they overcame pain and cramps, and some mentioned about experiencing the fabled “runners’ high” or being blown by their third or fourth wind. From the past year of running, swimming and marathon house-cleaning, I know diet and nutrition is paramount for any endurance activity. I could also tell that the likes of Lance Armstrong, whose physiology is aided by genes and conditioned for particular sport needs, is significantly above the average Joe or Tom’s physical threshold. A notch lower, a rookie athletic enthusiast like myself who shies away from high protein intake with voluminous amounts of vitamins and other supplements, or from high intensity workouts and periodisation methods, would not have a metabolic and physiological make-up for dedicated body-sculpting programmes of any sort. Here are what I have learnt works, for myself, in a nutshell: Objective: to lose fat mass, gain muscle strength (fast/slow/endurance) Increase my cardio activity to above 60% max heart rate, at least one hour once weekly, and at least 30 minutes, twice weekly; Work out with weights resistance training, preferably with short intervals two or three times weekly; Schedule full day rests without any work outs at least twice a week; Include protein nutritional supplements at least daily, increase as your body muscle mass and strength increases to twice or more daily, in conjunction with high intensity work outs; Snack on dry high fibre or caseinate protein with low glycemic index carbohydrate foods in the evening, and avoid full meals five to six hours before sleep; Break your diet if you feel weak or aches, etc. Re-schedule your work outs and give your body more time to rest. Objective: Endurance and power (race event) Caffeine, it seems, really works. What I have found about this stimulant is that it actually distorts your perception of effort and delays the sensation of fatigue in the central nervous system. By affecting the brain’s neurotransmitters this way, it enables me to overcome the early onset of tiredness. Double espresso shots work extremely well for me (within 20 mins) rather than caffeine pills, although my source reference Matt Fitzgerald insists that a 5-6mg/body weight kg – that’s about 500mg for me – 30-60 minutes before racing would help. Carbohydrate gels. Never took this before until I got into my very first race events and there, everyone had a favourite flavour or several packs stashed away or strapped on their bikes or bodies! These contain electrolytes, antioxidants, caffeine (some do), and easily assimilated carbohydrates. Sports drinks have higher water content, while the gels naturally are nutrient source. For endurance events, sports drinks and gels are interchangeably used, based on your own preference and need. Energy drinks. I did not touch any of these as I was concerned about spiking my glycemic index and result with a sharp decline when glycogen stores are not accessed efficiently. Herbal extracts, amino acids are now added to fast-acting carbohydrates and these are becoming popular boosters for sports and recreation users. Taurine and caffeine are commonly added, these have some basis for improving aerobic performance. Recovery drinks. Nothing beats a quality protein shake as far as I am concerned, after a hard work out or race event. Next to that, bananas are great too, in restoring the body’s mineral and glycogen balance. Electrolytes are the basic tools for rehydration, and carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and protein to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. I know from experience that the benefit is best felt if consumed within one hour of intense work outs, when appetite is suppressed naturally by the body, and fat is being metabolised. At the moment, what athletes often leave out is including a high fiber source with their nutrient in-take. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not always as handy, being expensive or time consuming to prepare. Salad – very perishable and expensive - if you are just the only person to feed, and do not have time to be at the local supermarket three to four times a week. My solution is to include high grade cereal and bran with fruit bits (dried or cut). The ideal time is in the evening, as a supper snack. I know there are many other proficient athletes who fare better than I with their own nutritional lifestyle for endurance and power. A friend I know includes 1000 mg zinc, 5000 mg vitamin C, and 3000 mg vitamin B with his other nutritional supplements. Indeed, the fact remains that the more you spend on high quality foods, the better the impact on your physique and strength for sure, assuming you are training harder and smarter than the average Joe or Tom. If you have better suggestions or ideas, I would be glad to hear from you, too!

Wet Blanket On A Bright Sport

It's interesting how we should pay more attention to our gut and instinct, than what we tend to hear when we are already at the point where excitement, anxiety and immediate release all comes together. Perhaps, I was dazed and not paying attention as I thought I did. But I knew from the NUS Triathlon race route details that the Bike Segment required six laps. I had even reminded others of this. But as we stood at the shoreline, before the flag-off, I distinctly heard the MC say it was six laps, but five around the counter. This I really thought, meant that the distance to and from the mounting and dismounting lines would account for the final lap distance. So I thought. With that in mind, I was already doomed, and did not know it. It did not help that the triathlon system did not have an electronic display after the counter to show participant ID and lap counter. In any case, I counted five and moved with steely confidence back towards the race event area. And therefore, I disqualified myself immediately. It is frustrating when race organisers also do not do enough to ensure that the enjoyment of participants - who pay for their experience - is not let down. But I am grossly disappointed and let down. It does not matter what we say now, for it is an error and it does significantly subtract from the whole effort. Now, I again must know how great athletes must confront their failures, too. The race times and details are otherwise of casual pace, which I intended was not never at any point pushing myself. I was genuinely having fun then. It is not quite so funny anymore when you have soaked in the pleasure and gratification which actualisations affords you, then only to discover to your embarrassment that you did not qualify to have finished the race event. I cannot fool myself to take-back all I have said about doing this event, short of just one bike lap, which even on a broken bicycle, it would not have prevented me from doing. That is exactly what makes the mistake foolish, and preventable. But the fact that I was sharing the experience as a whole with so many friends, past associates and the Salomon athletes (who all went on to win top spots in their own categories...), does make the memory still invaluable and sweet. It is back to training... and this time, perhaps, I will find myself more careful and less laissez-faire. But perhaps, again, the sport demands that I just enjoy it at face value. Either strategy is good and works; perhaps balancing it dynamically and not sticking to just one idea. By the way, the kind young man who spoke to me at the flag-off, Kenneth Kuo, was none other than the WINNER of the NUS Men's Closed Category. Look at his race results: 1 4038 KUO WEI KENNETH Men's Closed SWIM 00:09:45 6 BIKE 00:33:42 RUN 00:21:06 TOTAL LAPSED TIME 01:04:32 RACE POSITION 1. And my results, incomplete though, just for the record: 6054 BEIRON ZHENG Veteran's SWIM 00:12:35 5 BIKE 00:37:49 (0 Fail in BikeLap Count)RUN 00:25:25 TOTAL LAPSED TIME 01:15:48 As Dexter Jr advised me (a good mentor in turn he is in such matters, above second from the right): This is only the beginning and there will definitely be more races to come. So keep up the good work and race when you feel like it. For me, every time I participate in a race, it's really just for the fun of it. I know I'm not going to finish amongst the top few, so why bother. It is really just a challenge to myself to do better than the last time and a gauge to measure my fitness. I guess I did alright this time, a few minutes better than the last. (E-mail of 5.17 pm, Tuesday, 16 August 2005) That is true, and this time, I believe I heard it well. To more races to come, then. Well, I am surrounded by the comfort of wisdom, and the consolation of good mates! See you all out at practice...

Rookie Veteran At NUS Triathlon, 14 Aug 05

I was at the recent OSIM Intl Triathlon, and did not get to do because I had not registered. Three weeks ago, at the insistance of another Club member and one of Singapore's original Ironman (Mr. Yeo), I registered with a mate of mine, Dean, for the NUS Triathlon. I won't elaborate about what concerned folks tell you that encourage and others, discourage you. But facts about sport and life, are the same - brutal and hard, if you can accept them. I was disappointed perhaps that another best mate of mine was nowhere to support me this time... But you go through the motion and say, "Well, it's going to be my first time, and failure is just postponed success." Not the best mantra to get that peace of mind and focus, but it was one of favourites. I went on with the dieting, cardio and controlled weight training and kept my dry weight to 73 kg, tough if you understand my body liked the extra it had been carrying around for 41 years. In the morning, yesterday, I was filled with silly jitters about the triathlon... what should I eat, how much, when, what if... My heart rate (HR) spiked and I could almost feel if that arryhmthic sensation would continue, it would be more intense than the event itself. It really felt like I had just completed a marathon run and I have not even yet got to the race of the day! Did anyone tell us rookies that was to be anticipated. I think if I woke up with a wife and kid, I would have been happily distracted. Or if I woke up and a seasoned triathlete mate had my morning planned, I would have been gladly preoccupied with his company to notice my own anxiousness. I was all tensed and cramping already. Well, finally Dean and his wife came around (a relief!), and in the car, I found myself slightly relaxed. We got to the race park at 50 minutes before my flag-off. I thought it was 1330 hrs, no. Well, this was not going to help. I am not even talking about logistics or even if someone had shared with me about setting this out, rain-proofing this or that. Forget the details... get to the briefing. Ah, well, it was over before I knew it. Get that PowerGel in (am I allowed to use that brand name, of course!). It was my second time I ever took that. By the time I was at the starting point, my nervousness was over. I mean, it's a given...just look at those Veterans. Hell, they weren't fat or overweight! These blokes have been doing it for YEARS, and they were powerful, confident and strong!!! I was the ROOKIE among the veterans. Give it up, that monkey on my shoulder whispered. Give it up, and hide in that water! Then, this guy next to me, said, Hi. I said it was my first time. He said, Great. Just watch out for the kicking and splashing (sportsmenship or just power-stroking to the front)? Ah, yes, I was warned. Then he assured me, and we exchanged names. Ah, another TriFam guy next to me, and a friend of Joe's and Adrian's. You know, folks... I suddenly felt calm and at HOME!!! Wow, I looked at Kenneth Kuo - an NUS Enginneering student and with that lean muscled frame of an triathlete, and said, hey, thanks, really. Off we went into the water... powerstroke, breaststroke, kickstroke (you hit me, I push you aside, hah!). You, wanna get in my way, go faster or I push you off with my next stroke, hah! Well, it was chaos... the same way the universe got born and how I came into the world, right. Forty-one years ago. I got out of the water and made that U-turn to complete the first lap, and at the corner of my eye saw three shapes in the water and someone shouted, "Go Thomas Go!" it's funny how friends spot you in that funky cap and googles. My tattos maybe, or that lame limp I make when I fake running. I dive back in. It's getting fun. Now, I understand what that training is all about. It's full-dress rehearsal: the body just takes over. It's just like reciting my Hail Marys, you know... like going through the motion (not that I say my prayers that way)! Then the transition (thanks, Dexter Jr - you prepped me very well for that, really dude, my inspiration this past year to what I have accomplished so far, best friend). The bike ride was a relief. Someone told me my thighs would ache? Maybe not yet... The buses and cries to "Slow Down!" were an inconvenience. This guy cuts infront of me and I catch his rear wheel and fly over my bike. The rear brake breaks, and stuff come flying off my bike. I fix the chain and get back on. I'm OK, no blood. I count the laps, which after three, I am feeling really good, and have adapted to the gears I need - just two... it's fun now. I see some really serious people calling Right! and I giveway. I liked that. Rules, decorum, orderliness that the swim lacked. Then I hit the dismount line. No cheers, no recognition. I threw off my watch before the start because it was not about performance, but depth experience... getting to love the sport first, I thought. How am I doing? No one to tell me. Transition to the running segment was really good. Off on the red carpet and the turns. My shoes are soggy. There'll be blisters for this, but I'm fine. I know this route well. Off I go. Then I see some surprises as friends along the way with their water and 100Plus are cheering on. I like the NUS volunteers who clap and smile. I see strained faces on the opposite side. No cramps, breathe deep, they told me, exhale fully. I do that. I look around, love the sky, the trees... still missed the trails at MacRitchie; the hard ground is not the same. Finally, the lap is done and I run past the Dolphin Park. Should I sprint? No cheers, so I don't. Inline skaters, bikers, runners and a dustbin trolley all on the same narrow road. Pedestrians, disinterested and dog-walkers unaware of runners who are so tired we would step and maim their pets if we had to... Orderliness breaks into the strain of completing this race.I still did not sprint. No cheers, no push. Now, it felt very personal and alone. I just want to finish this, it wasn't that hard. No cramps, not breathless, but my mind was not pushed to make that 30 second difference to impress anyone with the last 30 meters. Finally, it has come, and the FINISH line looms, and I cross it (who cared about the time lapsed?) and entered into a whole new world to begin with, earning my first badge into a fairly exclusive community. But most of all, even though this was half the real thing, fulfilling a 20 year dream when in Hawaii I bought my Dave Scott book, and imagined it all happening to me. Two decades past, thanks to Dexter Jr and Dean Chee, all those incredible Salomon athletes and Polar folks, mountaineers and climbers, adventure racers and endurance sports fans who have inspired and motivated me... THANK YOU, each of YOU, for your love of your sport and Life that made it possible for me to cross the threshold of hope into realising a long-time dream. I don't feel like a rookie anymore. I just feel like I am now part of a triathlon family... This race was personally dedicated to all those who have been my inspiration, near and far: the Salomon athletes - Adrian, Seng Leong (you looked great), Hairull (always!), Alvin, Kim Hong (wow!), Ee Ping, Esther, Kenneth, Aloy, Cheong - you are all the prime factors, Daniel, Stefan, Shukor, Faisal, David, and all the others - mountaineers, climbers, trekkers and adventure racers, YOUR NAMES are just too long for this, but you know who you are... and those others, Mr. Yeo, Philip Pow, Dean Chee and Connie, Stan and Allison, Chong Jin, Francis, Enda, Hayati, and so many more who have encouraged me, and not least, my protege and (often absent best bud), Dexter Jr Tai, who completely transformed my world view when I took him in, and in turn nurtured my love back for sport as athlete not just as sponsor and spectator, who kept me balanced and taught me about Life from another perspective (his!)... Thanks, everyone, for the love and friendship, and inspiration. Last, and never forgotten: TO SYLVESTER ANG, one of the best, and my great friend. You left me too much for me to ever forget. I did this for you, mate. You know it. Rest always in peace.

From Finish To The Starting Line

It was some weekend - the last in October 2004 - which would have made my epitaph more interesting, if it were already not forgetful. For on that sunny Saturday, at the Corporate Triathlon, with the indirect urging of persons who have inspired me so, I ran the 5 km relay on behalf of an ailing colleague. I was largely unprepared mind you, and completely clueless to the necessary preparations and machinations of a race which all these inspired companions of mine were clued into. Fortunately, I was already then in pretty much the best shape I have been my whole life then - 7.5% body fat, weighing 73 kg and a taut waist at 28-30 while improving on my chin-ups and speed. Ok, so it was thanks to the alien we know from my earlier entry as Dexter Jr. Interestingly, this weekend, I hope to be ready for the NUS Triathlon, and although it is only half the Olympic distance, this would be my very first attempt to fulfil a long forgotten dream. When I was 22, back when I was traversing the globe in a world then which did not know 9/11 and its horror... I was reading up the exploits of Dave Scott and those many incredible Ironmen. For I was never able to find the opportunity and realise that dream of swimming, cycling and running well enough. I think it was terrific that the good chap (Dexter Jr) and a few of my other inspiring friends - the late Sylvester Ang, my ex-colleague Rina (incredible woman, she is!), and Club assistant manager and trainer, Dean (what a generous guy!) - were all to encourage me and lead me to this new found joy and level of confidence about myself. It may be about preventive medicine, but training for endurance sports is a whole new ball game even for a veteran of life's ins and outs! And there are some things which the body does not tell you until you come right to its threshold. At that point you are confronted by the plain, brutal facts about your genes and your strength of heart. Am I apprehensive and anxious about the Triathlon (half-distance) - well, indeed. It's not just the novelty and expectations that are comcomitant with this experience. It is plainly because it means so much to some one who understands what aging is becoming to him. I guess in the end, it is also about conquering fear. And that was what Sylvester has bequeathed to me - a rich legacy not to fear pain, for he always said, it is only temporary. At the Corporate Triathlon I spoke of a the start of the entry, Sly was the one person who genuinely put himself in full empathy of my own doubt and drew me out. As I made for the final bend towards the lagoon, knowing that the race was about to finish, I saw him appear to cheer me on. And he was merciless about the energy and strength he expected of me. Last week, I ran the same distance and route I did in the October event, and was surprised at how much more easy it seemed, because I was familiar with the turns and bends. But then, I was exerting every atom of energy and he cheered me on, to be fearless, to enjoy the adrenalin rush of courage over pain. I sprinted the last few tens of yards... I never bought those pictures from Sportox, but the moments are deeply imprinted on me. Honestly, I was too busy pushing those steps towards the finish line, I could only see the blur around me as the final arch loomed ahead and I passed beneath it. It was never meant to have been a finish line - for they all secretly knew, I was just really about to get to start. Thanks, all those incredible souls and generous friends who keep me at it, and keep faith. I can see there's a whole lot more to life than those cubicles and office politics. It's time, to get out in the open...

A Fine Catalyst

We are not always aware of whom and when changes are effected in our lives. But when I met Dexter some six-seven years ago, he was working part-time at the Club. The first thing which struck me was his honest-looks, fresh face, and smart decorum. Then we talked about his name, which led me to recall knowing another of his namesake. It actually turned out to be his own Dad. But the years to follow drew us to our own myriad life experiences. Then a year ago, our paths crossed again, and I was able to catch up on this young man's life. He had just completed his national service and was working part-time again at the same Club, through a mutual friend. We talked about our separate experiences and as I did, I asked him about his own aspirations. I did not know then, what terrific influence he was to exert on me in the coming year ahead then. The first thing which struck me was his plain joie de vivre, his honesty and frankness. But he was also very reserved. As we spoke and exchanged thoughts, I felt there was a meaningful opportunity to groom him and give him a new perspective towards life, connecting with himself and coming to a greater appreciation of all manner of things around. But in fact, he was to change my own life rather dramatically. Firstly, being a natural athlete, he never felt any real impetus to have to try specially hard to be great in all physical sports. He had terrific balance, a good eye, excellent coordination, and a sense of humour and ego which made him simply a great buddy in the field and to break a sweat with. I was also to learn about his great love for motorcycling and motorcross sports, not too unlike an older brother of mine, Joe. He was a self-taught mechanic and simply good with his hands, and this was also reflected in his best friend, Don - an artful motocross enthusiast and mechanical genius. Dexter now proudly owns and rides a Harley Davidson Dyna Superglide. You don't ask him where and what he would be doing on any fine Friday night! Motocross aside, he now commutes fashionably in a Gilera Runner, too. What a modern urban male! But the short space of time I was permitted to work and get to know him well, led me to understand this young man's spirited heart and soul. It's refreshing to find someone who's deeply loyal and struggling to work out how best to keep his own sense of peace. I think that is the first thing which he extended to me inadvertently even as I was influencing him in his own professional development. Then, he was able to get me up and into what became my best physical shape in my entire adult life - fit, stronger, and healthier than I had ever been before. Which is rather odd, when you realise I am already 41, and 17 years older than him. Dexter Jr's still popular among friends and continues to inspire me to move towards and surpass the old and odd notions about my own physiological limits and whether emotional maturity has a specific threshold where Wisdom is absolute. Of course, we think Wisdom is infinite. I don't hear and see this young man much, now that our paths have separated once more, and we head off like loosed boats in a lake stirred up by a light storm. I recall his many musings and these still inspire me to keep going on, and feel great about these changes in my body and health. But there's always the lingering sense of a happy friendship that is fading, and the joys of meeting subside as our worlds don't collide or meet as they would. But within the necessary absence is a longing and a tranquility. Perhaps there is already a deeper understanding. No, he's not my brother, nephew or just a godson, or friend or colleague or trainer. He's really much more. He changed much of me for the better. A catalyst which refined me inside and out. Well, thanks, buddy - for getting me harder and stronger, happier for meeting and knowing you, and for allowing me to love you well as you move on ahead to cut new trails through life's great journey ahead. We will certainly catch up some day. Until then, I am happily committed towards achieving those dreams we talked about, and perhaps, our paths will collide soon enough and we can measure the extent of our own growth and wisdom. I think we can look for friends, but it's just terrific when they find us. We just need to keep our lives open, find time, and create opportunities.