Osim Singapore International Triathlon 2007

Yes, the day has finally come for me to try my first official race. I found out through the tough way (that is, putting myself through the entire osim race course) to realize the one by TriFam is like way shorter. There's a need to document this first official race of mine, so bear with me.

At the swim leg, there's no denial that it wasn't a pretty sight. I may adore the sun, sand and sea. But to compete with 114 other women at the same time all rushing to hit the water is not something i am accustomed to, especially with zero lane marking. It's one huge lane and everyone's going to swim, shove and pull through it. Just the thought of the current and other people grabbing my ass and legs makes me want to hurl. By the time i hit the sea, i was trying my very best to keep up with the top pack. At the first 250m swim, i wanted to raise my hands up and perform a DNF (Did Not Finish). I persisted to the next 250m, and i felt this is a torturing. By the end of the 750m, i ran out with a smile, telling myself the 1500m swimmers are crazy and i will not ever do it again.

The transition zone is a nightmare, a complete mud bath of sorts. I ran towards my bike, with mud covered feet. Washed it a lil, put on my shimanos and ran towards the bike start. On the way, i shouted at Kian Yan's coach Zul, and he told Kian Yan after the race that i had this fierce look. But the truth is I hate mud and can't wait to get out of it. Bike loop 1 was the start of a long ride, my knees started to swell up, which was not good news at all. I knew then that i should not have gone out cycling on thursday. But Bike loop2, it's screaming to give up. I kept feeling that this is just the most incredibly mind-torturing thing ever. Seeing others go past me wasn't that great of a feeling either. I began questioning myself through the bike leg why i am doing this. At the end of the bike leg, i felt a sense of joy that i am almost done.

Running across the transition zone to park my bike and put on my Asics, all i can think of is the amount of mud and muddy water in my shoes. Sigh... i hate mud. Running out, i felt a wave of emotions. I wanted so much to cry, i felt so miserable. Yet i couldn't, as i know there's nothing worth crying about at that moment. Next was the feeling of that Gu gel coming out of my throat. I stood aside and tried to hurl, but i couldn't. So i continued my 5km run. Coming towards the finish line, i felt so incredibly happy. Something i couldn't quite put to words. It's that "high". It was then i decided maybe, yep maybe, i should go do the ladies tri on Sept 23rd.

For more pictures, please go to my flickr' file of Osim Singapore International Tri'2007

I came in position 45th of 115 ladies in the Sprint Category. Timing : 1 hr 42 minutes.
Now to focus on becoming stronger, faster & better.

Cheers,
Evie

Seasons of Love

?

a weekend of bliss...

So i hear cries calling foul, even before i announced i haven't gotten my lazy arse out to train / exercise, considering the Osim triathlon is coming right up. Perhaps like a friend mentioned i got to find more triathlete friends, so my life would be so focused on it. Hahah, i don't know about that.

I did head out to cycle on Thursday night, for a couple of hours. Sometimes i wonder whether i lost my sanity after cycling, though i know of people who cycle twice or thrice as hard.

Friday night was the start of what i would call a BEAUTIFUL weekend. I did naught. Nothing. The entire weekend. Rested, shopped, ran errands. That's it. Ohhh... and eating. I ate a lot. I went to a wedding dinner with my sister and her friends on Friday night, followed by drinks at zouk. Too much of food, fun and laughter.

Food-wise , citing the Saturday for example... :
I had fishball noodles, lychee ice, a bit of bah chor mee.... some ribena, and soybean milk.
That's lunch for 3 hours.
And then Kazu for yummy yakitori dinner... i seriously overdid it. And then top it off with THE BAR from Ben & Jerry's.
All these food in a span of 12 hours. I was only awake from 12 noon to 12midnight on Saturday.

Whatever it is, it was extremely comforting to know throughout my day of non-activity, i had my bike with me at the back of my car. What a reminder eh... that i should be out bursting my lungs on coastals or roads instead of eating and relaxing.

You know what... it's been a long time baby... since i had a weekend like this.

ranting over a tree

After my "run" or rather my attempt to cheat in the distance covered during my run at Macritchie on tuesday, i drove home ... and can't help but notice the tree along Braddell is gone.

Since it's also PMS week, i might as well rant, and i have the rights to do so, no questions to be asked. I am a woman, i have PMS, i earn my right to rant.

So the tree is gone, cos some "good" citizens out there reckon it's dangerous and no one is following the speed limit of 40km/hr. The tree costs 200k to preserve it, they designed the Y shaped fork along braddell road to allow drivers to go around the tree. So many drivers have past it through the past two years. I haven't seen any major accidents ... oh make that no accidents yet. I mean, if the drivers on the road can't drive around a tree, they shouldn't even be given a license to drive.

Damn the idiots.
Bye Bye Tree.

it's just the beginning

So i had a pretty crazy week. I cycled three times over the past week. Gawd, i wonder how i did it too. I guess my mind's pretty brain dead when Sunday came. And i had these tights and jersey lines. Omg... plus the lines from my swimwear. This is not good not good at all.

I went for a run at MacRitchie... finally, after a week odd of not running. Being a skiver, i tried to take a short cut out to the carpark. Of course, what i didn't know is the short cut is 3km long, when i have barely over a kilometre out from where i took the short cut. DOH! I feel like such an idiot.

Lunchtime Tipple

Lunchtime tipple 12th July 07
Originally uploaded by daftbitch.

Check out the half pint of Kilkenny...

I went for lunch with my bunch of friends, who claimed i disappeared. Then again, we went out on Vesak Day for partying at Zouk's mambo. That's when zouk is filled to the absolute brim, and i got a cut on my foot that day. Owells, that's another story.

So after lunch, they decided to have a pint at Harry's. It doesn't stop at one. I fell in love with the half pint kilkenny glass, and they decided to order one for me. And guinness draft doesn't taste half bad. Hmmm, think i shall stop here.

SO MUCH FOR A LUNCHTIME TIPPLE....

Surprise visitors ....

Over the past two weeks, i had to entertain friends who were working overseas and coming to Singapore for a couple of days. I would drop anything just to spend time with these two dudes. I am thankful that we managed to know each other, through very different means. We never did go to school together... we just so happen to know each other.

First up was Eugene, who came back from Sydney, with his wife, for a period of two weeks. So Angie & me managed to catch up with him over a very long dinner at Wheelock Place. I've known him for about ten to eleven years. Since he lives in Australia, and me in Singapore, we meet twice a year... and hardly keep in touch through the rest of the year. Funny how we met through a mutual "friend" whom we now disown. Eugene's like the jinx, who brings about my chance encounter with our "friend" everytime he's back in town. Seems like it happens each and everytime he rolls back into town.

Next was Seggy, who really takes the cake. He flown in on a Saturday afternoon (3pm) and has to leave by 1015am on a Monday morning. Seggy is one of my closest guy friends ever. He lives through every lil' shit i put him through, and i, in turn, repay him by sitting through every shit he puts me through. I have gone through ups & downs with him. So he knows when he could push me around, and when i really just need to talk about anything under the sun. We see each other once or twice a year, if time permits, and schedules permit. He lives in US, while i am in Singapore. Still, we do try to ichat each other, or call each other.

Sometimes it's friends like these, that remind me how blessed i am. to be surround by them, to be with them, and to know what friendships are about. it's not just about being next to each other every waking minute, these are the people who will stand through the times.

me & tri...

I haven't had much time to update the blog. Mostly cos i couldn't find the time to do so.

I am now the accidental tri-chick. For weeks leading up to the triathlon, and for the countless number of times i had to go home early so i could head out to train, I have friends making wise-cracks about my inability to complete a tri. But now... i feel i completed one, the trifam time trial sprint. A friend said it's mock, so it isn't real. Well, it's a time trial with proper timing, and it's a sprint distance. I did fairly alright, i guess. I can't really put words into how i felt when i came close to finishing. I guess it's that feeling of liberation, that i can. Yes, I CAN.

Can you?