here is my (blah blah blah) story…
obstacles are those frightful things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals
other than one’s mere will, angels, people who are planted along the journey, give one that much needed boost. without you, my obsession would never have taken form, much less grown in capacity. thank you, adeline, for kicking my ass every time we run, your will is amazing and don’t ever lose that. thank you, weiyong, who runs regardless of rain or shine, morn noon or nite, step by step clementi (commonwealth now?) to east coast, what an inspiration! ever optimistic mary (good luck in france), you got me into this, u still race? my all favourite uncle cool richard, who had lent me his bike for my maiden race, keep looking so dashing on the water! edgar, thank you, for your painfully honest feedback and belief in me.
may 2006
“hey, have you signed up for the osim triathlon?” asked mary (thank you mary!).
that was to be the start of what is to be at this moment a long short story of mine.
“huh? what tri-tri-ton? oh you swim, bike and run ah? i have not swam like in 5 years and i can hardly finish the length of a pool with front crawl. ah, i have no bike 
” was my pathetic reply.
to cut the introduction to my long story short, i found myself clicking the “register now” button at the end of the day. “no big deal,” i told myself. After all, the so-called triathlon i have signed up for was a tiny one, the mini triathlon. i convinced myself (quite unconvincingly) that i can breast stroke my way round the 200m swim course, somehow borrow a bike to cover the 10km ride and run/walk/crawl to the finish after an additional 2km. what have i done?
june 2006
well, i have been running regularly for a while now, regular aka sat/sun evenings after a day of wind waiting by the beach. nothing serious, just running to keep fit, running to get into the all sweaty feeling. i cannot remember when but eventually my best buddy, adeline, came running by the club and there i have a running partner.
i would be forever thankful to adeline. she has always been the bunny i could never catch. my memories of our runs were of me watching her buttocks get smaller and smaller with every step she took. i called her mad after every session. she was the one who had provided the “push” factor for me to complete my first long trudge to fort road in mar 2004 (it also triggered my first ever bout of itb syndrome…sigh).
so i guess, the 2km run shouldn’t be that much of a problem. oh well, that is if i ever emerge from the sea still breathing. the swim was definitely the most daunting leg. afterall, i had not visited the pool for the last five years. even if i had, i have no slightest recollection of ever being able to complete a 50m length in the freestyle. now how do i do 200m? 200m divide by 50m, er… 4 laps. ya right, i can count that with one hand but how do i get enough breath to do that? i only remember never ever being able to catch my breath during the freestyle. oh, that helps.
on my first dip in the pool, i was determined to conquer the length. i told myself to do it 50m by 50m. i joined the “slow” lane and splashed away. halfway through, my legs and lungs told me to switch to breaststroke to save my insignificant life, drown victims do not look pretty. *pant*pant*pant* my stubborn streak and head decided otherwise, i pressed on. was i at the other end???
ah ha! it wasn’t that all bad. let me catch my breath and try again. i was sure i wasn’t the most fluid swimmer in the pool, but i sure i was damn proud of myself: i have overcome the devil in the pool. that 50m was the beginning to many 50m to come.
alright, so i can splash myself round the course, now i need to beg/borrow/steal a bike, any bike. *drum roll* tada! my ever favourite uncle richard toh to the rescue. before long, i was riding home in his shiny mountain bike. it was my ignorance that prevented me from practising more for the ride for i thought it was to be the simplest leg of the race. after all, even toddlers could pedal. i was so wrong.
jul ~ dec 2006
these months presented a lot of new experiences: my very first mini triathlon (jul), my first roadie (jul), my first 10km race (aug), my first sprint triathlon (aug), my first aquathon (sep), my first overseas sprint (sep), my first longer distance triathlon (oct), my first broken bone due to training (oct), first time missing a registered race (nov), training in winter (nov/dec).
definitely not an endurance person, shorter distances absolutely suit me. i love all the sprints as the races were over before i knew it, just get out there and blow it all up. then i had to be tempted.
after going on for 5hrs (when most others have finished) in the pulai race (2k/60k/15k), my weak-willed pea-sized brain told me this game was not for me. i had really thought that was it, this shortlived romance was over. however, instead of pawning off my roadie, i was hooked. the irrational side of the brain wanted this soul to build resilience, to battle flagging thoughts when the going gets tough. the rational portion has been weeping ever since.
2007
i suck at going far, both as a kid and as this aging person. i still suck. taking part in longer races was like suicide but what is there to lose anyway? my ego? hence, i have set my eyes on an exciting battle of the mind and body in sep back in singapore: the 70.3.
the journey continues.
2007: character building?
tough year.
indeed.
new country, new climate, jobless and friendless. basically, my existence was reduced to nothing.
arriving in winter was tough. do not be mistaken, i love winter, probably my favourite season of all. on hindsight, i probably did sink into some dark realm of depression the first couple of months watching the gloomy low hanging skies releasing their never ending supply of rain.
thank goodness it was the year i try to go long. my anchor? the 70.3 singapore. endurance has never been my thing and converting my inexperienced body was definitely a huge project. then again, i always welcome a challenge.
i had to go injure myself early in the season. well, they say: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. armed with new found patience, determination and the usual wilfulness, i got on with training. the results were not fantastic but i did overcome my own expectations finishing mid pack.
there are other things to be thankful for. both work and relationships shifted into higher gears.
perhaps 2007 was meant for character building… in the bag? thriving in a new environment, a half ironman and my longest road race ever!
2007 races
ubc od tri (vancouver, bc)
squamish od tri (squamish, bc)
peach classic tri (penticton, bc)
desaru sprint tri (desaru, malaysia)
70.3 singapore tri (singapore)
triladies od tri (singapore)
nike women’s half marathon (san fran, ca)
2008: go long
i do not like running.
ridiculously, it is going to be THE thing for me in 2008.
the knee knacker is not exactly my idea of ‘I don like running’ deal but I did go ahead and enter my name in the 2008 lottery. running 50km trail within the cut off time of 10hr does not thrill me very much, in fact I am terrified.
the most absurd of it all?
i sealed my commitment for the gobi march of 250km over 7days.
what was I thinking???
let’s just call it an addiction, of a strange desire to go long.
the turning point? the half marathon. from running barely 5km to 10km to 21km… i realise i might just could. i secretly crave to witness if I could really go long.
run a marathon?
i do not like running.
2008 goals
run long both on trails and roads
improve mountain biking skills
