The dry run

If I had to do this mini-tri all over again I probably would do things a little differently.

For the most part – and this is totally my fault – I’ve been navigating through this like a blind person.

I am three days from this event and i have NO idea what to eat, how to carb load or even what in the world to wear on Saturday!

And in about 30 minutes time i am going to attempt to ride home from work on a racing/road bike…. never been on one before, wish me luck!

However, i did attempt to do a dry run on Sunday. I roped in my long suffering niece Sarah to run with me, while my vacationing buddy Simei came for the swim with me.

Shiny, happy (exhausted) people

I didn’t do the full distances but I now have a rough idea of how hard it is going to be on the day itself. My legs really felt like jello going from the swim to bike, and after run (and subsequent bike home) I was laid up on my couch feeling rather sorry for myself. But interestingly, while my body was tired, my mind was racing.

All this exercising has had quite a few advantages. I’m amazed at the changes I’ve seen happening with my fitness. At the start of the year I was barely able to make it pass 1km on the treadmill. Last week, I went for a 45 minute run two times after work with Lyn – see photo! – and even combined one run with a cycle home. Amazing.

Keeping a sense of humour is important!

While I will probably never be super duper fit… I love that I am fitter, and relieved that it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.

Now, I just need to cross that finish line within the three hour mark. Here’s hoping.

And if hope is not on my side, I’ve told everyone I know who will be there (and now you) to HURL ABUSE at me should they see me flagging or looking like i want to give up.

Trust me, it is the only way I’ll keep going!

So if you see me on Saturday – race number (S370) – please unleash your inner sailor and curse at me!

Making sacrifices

I’m the sort of person who heads right for the bar the moment I walk into a party. In fact, i don’t actually remember the last time i was at a party and did the no booze thing. So, tonight was a first… at a farewell party where the booze – and it was good stuff too! – and food flowed. And what did i have? OJ.

Did i mention i didn’t have a puff either? 4 days and counting.…

This mini-tri has been challenging in many ways, funnily enough, I’m not totally hating it.

I find myself looking forward to jumping into a swimming pool at 730am in the morning, not grumbling through a 3.5km (just a little), and actually smiling – even though my ass hurts like hell! – while biking up a hill.

It has been an interesting two months. I have NO idea how I’m going to do on the day itself and in a way I don’t really care. I’ve had a lot of memorable moments thus far, and that’s the important thing.

Not long now…

Pedal power!

Hallelujah! I am alive!

Last Friday, I decided I could not put off cycling training for the mini-triathlon, and since I hated Spin Classes with a passion, I decided to cycle to work.

All 13 km in 40 mins and not one car swipe. Thank you God!

I have to say I don’t scare easily but cycling on the road is very, very scary, and I certainly did not help matters going helmet-less.

RELAX… I have one now (thanks Muffs!).

However, over the last few days I have observed a few strategies to ensure I don’t get mowed down.

1)Squeaking ‘get away from me’, ‘good away!’, ‘omg!’, ‘can you NOT see me?’ is not going to keep the traffic away. Pay less attention to worrying about getting run over and more attention to the road and you’ll be right.

2) Work out the route well ahead of time. Use Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), it is a godsend! Back roads help a lot!

3) Don’t try and cross lanes if you see even the tiniest bit of traffic coming your way. Just wait.

4) Cycling behind a bus is not a bad idea. Think about it, this way you won’t get mowed down (cause you’re behind it) and any other bus on the road will spot you cause guess what? They’re looking out for the bus in front of it.

5) Merging with traffic, NOT fun and very very high ‘accident’ potential. So, either wait for the coast to be clear or pedal like hell!

While I’m not quite ready to invest in a bike – big shout out to Edwin for loaning me his! – I am enjoying cycling to work. My head isn’t as foggy when I get into work, and amazingly I’m arriving on time – another miracle!

Hallelujah!

I made it! Hurrah!

Excuses, excuses…

It’s been a while since my last post. No excuses, it’s been a little hectic on my end.

What with training, the Audi Fashion Festival (and TOS’ amazing After Party Series), production for the June 2009 issue, and friends visiting from out-of-town; I barely had a moment to myself.

But now that it is all over – phew! – I’ve proven something to myself, that all those years putting off working out/training/committing to anything, with the much-too-convenient excuse of ‘I’m busy!’ has just been utter BS.

It is possible, but i need to adopt the right attitude and discipline – something I’ve always had trouble with.

Case in point, 15 years ago when my mother got called to school for the first time because of less than satisfactory grades. I don’t need to tell you that my mother wasn’t pleased with me… to make matters worse, my best friend decided to set me straight once and for all.

I believe her words went along the lines of: ‘you don’t study during your free time. You have to make the time to study.’

Whenever I feel like quitting anything, I mull over her words – it does the job!

With friends Melanie and Darren at TOS After Party @ Supperclub - 8 May

Running is the new black?

I have to say I’m amazed by the number of people who’ve sent me emails/text messages since this blog has gone up.

From what I can tell running seems to be the popular exercise of choice of many, and this includes a sizable number of reformed non-runners.

The other evening running from the The Fullerton to the Singapore Flyer – great way to see the The Flyer by the way – I was floored by the steady stream of people pounding the pavement. Short of sounding obsessed about running, because I’m not, it’s just that I could complete 1.5km at the start of the year. And as of last week, I ran my first 5km without stopping!

My lovely niece, possibly my biggest cheerleader, made sure I did not stop moving for the full 40-plus minutes.

Stretching out the pain

‘Keep bouncing, keep bouncing. Don’t stop. If you do, you’re going to regret it cause I’m going to tell everyone you stopped and walked. You’ll feel SO ashamed you’ll feel like you need to go out and run again.’

She’s one smart cookie… I kept running or ‘gummy-bear-ing’ [In reference to the bounce movement. Anyone remember ‘gummy bears bouncing here and everywhere’?] when I could not run. It looked pathetic but stopping was not an option.

I was exhausted – as you can tell from the photo – but it felt really good knowing I’ve done the full 5km.

Surprise, surprise less than 48 hours

My kick ass niece Sarah

later I repeated the ‘feat’ at the gym – treadmills make running so much easier! – 42.30mins and counting.

It’s not a great timing but who cares, all i want is to cross that finish line.

Words of wisdom

An ex editor once gave me the key to tackling any unexplored territory.

‘It’s fine if you’re not the sort of person to do XYZ… Just make sure you have friends who do.’

Since I’m a novice at this whole triathlon stuff, I’ve asked my network of friends for their tips on how to wing it.

Here’s what some of them said…

‘If you feel like stopping for rest, just say to yourself, “I’ll keep going for 5 more minutes”. Repeat.’

— Dr Simon Davis, training for the Busselton Ironman in December 2009

‘Try and lose 5 lbs, it helps you feel a bit lighter on your toes. On the day, take in everything and enjoy the experience knowing that you did your best and you proved you can do it.’

— Jon Bett, completed the Singapore Half Marathon 2008

‘A few days before the race, eat a little more rice, pasta and potatoes, and exercise less intensely. This will help you be rested and ensure your muscles are full of glycogen (ie carbo loaded) before the race. Don’t worry if you are a little heavier after this – if you do it right it wont be converted to fat – the excess carbs will be used as fuel during the race. Also practice drinking water while running at race speed, it can be hard not to choke!’

— Daniel Butcher, placed 7th in the Oxfam 100km Bush Trail Race in 2007

‘Bring food and sports gels that can provide you an energy boost during the event, but you’ll need to drink some water when you take them or you’ll gag and die.’

— Matt Biviano, training for a half marathon.

‘Train on a day, off a day too — it’s more fun to run when you know you don’t have to pound the pavement tomorrow.’

— Laura Dannen

What drives me

One of the biggest driving forces throughout this past month has been my mate Simon.

A friend since university days, we’ve shared a lot of silly moments together, and also a lot of good ones. Through it all, if there was one thing i know about ‘Stubby’, it is adopting a positive mindset is the key to overcoming the impossible.

Case in point the Busselton Ironman in 2007. He was all set to do the running leg (42.2km) as part of his fundraising efforts for Pain For Gain (http://www.painforgain.com), the charity he founded. Tiny problem, he was violently ill for 48 hours prior to the race. It was touch and go for a bit but in true Stubby style he finished the race with enough strength to give a high five.

It was in March when he was here for the Aviva Ironman 70.3, that I decided to take part in the Bintan Triathlon. After watching him swim/bike/run his race at his own pace, all the way smiling and giving me high fives, I was convinced of one thing: it doesn’t matter how fast you go, just get to the finish line.

A little positive encouragement never hurts though. Since I’ve told him I’m taking part in the Bintan Triathlon (http://www.bintantriathlon.com/) he’s been sending me sms’s 2-3 times a week that read as such: ‘You’re a triathlete wonder woman’.

Also, he’s promised to ‘warm-up’ by running the full 5km with me.

I’m going to need all the help i can get!

My first 5km…

I don’t run. I dislike it intensely. Something about perspiring in public just puts me off the whole exercise.

I did toy with the idea of walking the full 5km during the mini-tri but that’s just lame. Hence, two months away from the big day, I decided perhaps it was time to embark on my first 5km run.

Disclaimer: The closest I’ve ever come to smelling 5 clicks was the enforced regular school 2.4km run. Oh and once on a treadmill i chalked up 3.5km, but I walked half of the way. Doesn’t count.

Knowing full well I was going to need a lot of help, one Wednesday evening, I sought out my colleague and fellow mini-triathlon(er) Sarah Porter to go with me to the Nike Run Club SG. The route would take us from Wisma Atria down to the Botanic Gardens, a quick round inside and back out again. As an added incentive, we got to run in a pair of Nike’s to get a real feel for them.

Digressing from the whole running bit for a moment, up till then, I never realised how hard it was to choose the right pair of shoes. For Sarah who has had a knee reconstruction, her shoes must have proper arch support to stop against her ankles and feet bending inwards (pronanting). For myself, lower back problems and all, i needed something with some arch support, so it was a pair of Nike Air Span 6’s that i eventually bought. Shame though cause I really liked the look/feel of the Nike Lunar’s – very bouncy!.

Back to the run. It was hell. Seriously. At one point, i thought I was going to pass out. Fitness aside, i stupidly wolfed down some pasta salad an hour before the run. Yes, this is the sort of running idiot that I am.

I did make it to the end though, big thanks to Sarah who eggged me on and Meng who patiently ran alongside me dispensing tips on how I should train up to complete the full 5km.

‘Regulate your breathing throughout the run. Build up by walking 4 minutes, running for 12 and keep doing that for more than 30 minutes. Aim to increase your time by 10% each week and make sure you’re falling on the front of your foot.’

It’s been three weeks since I completed my first 5km. I’ve not since repeated the feat BUT i am comfortably running 3.5km thanks to friends (Lyn, Knut, Sarah) and family (Lani and Shuen) who have been supportive running buddies.

I’ve still got a long way to go but at least I’m making headway.

My running mate Sarah... I'm so tired I can barely open my eyes!

Tri Bob Training Session 1

One of the first questions I had was ‘where the hell do i start?’

Thankfully as part of the whole gig, I’d scored some free passes to Tri Bob training sessions (www.tribob.com) (Phew!) and with daily sessions, I could not fail… right?

I rocked up to my first swimming session brimming with confidence. I like to tell people I was ‘born in the water’, hence I certainly wasn’t expecting to freak out the way i did.

Tri Bob Training

Arriving at the Farrer Park pool 20 minutes before the session started, I felt panic set in as I watched the group ahead of me. These guys were ridiculously good. In fact, most of them looked liked they swam for a living!

As I could not resort to Dutch courage – drinking before swimming, bad idea – I sped dialed my long suffering gym partner, Lyn. After five minutes of listening to me rambling she calmly (but firmly) told me to suck it up. I believe her words were, ‘Of course you’re scared. You’re totally out of your comfort zone. This is probably one of the hardest things you’ve done in the last few years. Going to bars/clubs isn’t difficult at all!’

She had a point. Damm. Obediently, I trotted over and began to suit up.

For the next hour, I was put through a range of drills – arm recovery, catch-ups – they were anything but easy. On the upside, I was swimming faster and smoother by the end. On the down side, I’d swallowed a lot of water, got kicked because i did not keep a body length’s distance and felt like a complete muppet for not being able to breathe on my left and my right side.

Post session, as I sat down and reflected I realised my ego was getting in the way. Of course I didn’t know how to swim properly. This is why I have these sessions!

Clearly, if I want to finish the swim leg in a decent time I’m just going to have to suck it up, and some chlorinated water.

Now, if only i can train myself to breathe on both sides.

My foray into the world of triathlons…

‘You’re doing what? Have you lost your mind?’

‘Are you on drugs? Do you need me to fly back and sort you out?’

‘Wait, you can’t even run 1.5km! How are you going to do all three together?’

‘I think you need a lot of training. Otherwise you may come in last or worse, have a heart attack!’

These are just some of the reactions when I told friends and family that I was taking part in the Bintan Triathlon (http://www.bintantriathlon.com) happening on the 23 & 24 May, 2009. Granted I’m only attempting the Mini-Triathlon distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) but I decided to do this sometime in March, that’s 8 weeks to train up.

Not a lot of time. Less so for someone who isn’t fit at all.

Exercise, me? Ha! Not unless you consider drinking/clubbing a sport.

But seriously, for some time now I’ve been growing tired of my unhealthy lifestyle; that and my muffin top has been growing at a rate that I can no longer ignore.

While I would like to say I took it upon myself to kick start my foray into the world of triathlons, i didn’t. It was the combination of running a triathlon piece in the May issue of Time Out Singapore (www.TimeOutSingapore.com) and an offer from Tri Bob (www.tribob.com) – the organisers – to sponser my entry and training sessions that clinched it.

So here we are, one month from the race…

I’ll be honest, I’m a long, long way off and I’m scared shitless.

At the same time there is a part of me that is extremely excited. When I cross that finish line – and I will, just don’t take bets on how long it’ll take me – I’ll know I’ve achieved something very, very real.

And that’s what I’m after, if someone like myself can finish this race, anyone can.

Just to challenge myself further I’ve decided that beyond achieving a physical personal goal, I’ll like to use this opportunity to make a real difference in someone else’s life. This is something I’ve decided to do through a fundraising group called Pain For Gain (http://www.painforgain.com/).

Set up in 2007 by a dear friend of mine, the organisation’s mantra of ‘simply reaching the finish line’ has been a huge inspiration. The fact that they reach out to schools and causes that are not normally known appeals to me even more.

If you can care to find out more (and hopefully) give towards the cause I’ll be challenging myself for, then go to Pain For Gain (www.painforgain.com).

All the same, I hope you’ll keep coming back to my blog to read all about my bumbling efforts to become a lean, mean triathlete.

As I’m often heard saying… Onward ‘ho!