manners on the road

Dear Lousy Driver,

I do not claim to own the road. Neither do i consider myself to be a contender for the most courteous motorist on the road. But it's saddening how you have become. You may have caused an accident. Because of you, you gave rise to road bullys. Because of you, you may cause a traffic jam.

These days, just signalling will not cut it that you have been thoughtful to other drivers. There are other ways to make the roads a better place for us both. A simple wave to indicate "Thanks dude!" would have made my day, when you try to cut into my lane in the early morning traffic. I understand that morning moodyness, when you just woke up and am rushing to work. But so am i, so am i.

You decide to once again make me feel like a fool once more when i notice you speeding away in lane 2, and cutting in at the last minute on the chevron making your way into Pan Island Expressway (PIE), off of Central Expressway (CTE). Yet once again, i fail to see the hand signal, let alone the courtesy to be in line, just like the rest of the pack who joined in back at the Novena entrance / exit of CTE. You failed me repeatedly. How could i trust you again?

I manage to summon enough courage to join you at Sepang International Circuit on a private trackday. With good faith that every driver present is courteous and knows the rules of the track, i set forth in my car to go around the track. You and i were going down the track, with me leading just half a car length in front of you, which indicates i can take the correct racing line. No, what did you the lousy driver decide? To meet me at the same corner, from where you were, almost colliding to me. Did i miss something at the pre-trackday briefing? Are we on some circuit race here? I believe not, cos i am always at every trackday organized by a group of friends whom i trust my life and my car to.

Why, oh why, would you decide to do that? Do you not love your car? Do you not cherish your life? Time and time again, i have given you a chance to repent. But you did not. Perhaps i should write to the local authorities about road courtesy slowly disappearing from our roads. When i think of the road courtesy campaign years back, it brings a smile to my face. We could always try a little kindness, and give way to others who share the space we live in.

I love my car, i love my roads, i love the Sepang International Circuit,
but no... i don't like you, yes you. You lousy jacka** driver!


With best regards,
for the safety of other road users, and me,
Daftbitch

is there such things as two bad days? or is it the mind playing tricks?

I was reading an article off Shape Magazine May'08 edition, written by writer/sportswoman Janice Lee Fang. She went on saying you almost always feel better the next day. I don't think i agree with her on that.

I went for, whatchamallit, an eight-k run last afternoon, having slept in on that lovely Saturday morning due to a thunderstorm that killed my ride at 530am. As i prodded on that road around my neighborhood, i find myself singing alongside Adam Levine : is there anyone out there cos it's getting harder and harder to breathe. I felt absolutely in the pits, and as much as i wanted to run, i couldn't. My legs felt heavy, my heart felt heavy, and i am well-rested, trust me on that. I ended up spitting a whole bout of phelgm. Well, you see darlings, triathlon (swim bike run) never promises a germ-free environment, much less wax lyrical about being the most hygienic sport around. In the end, i walked back home, and decided i could do with some retail therapy and call it an early night, praying damn hard that tomorrow(which is today) will be a better day.

I made plans to be awake by 5am, so i could put in a 50k ride and be home by 7am to watch ironmanlive.com kickoff of IronmanChina and to get ready to leave for KL. I rode 10km down the road. Once again, the song "harder to breathe" kept ringing in my head. My body is failing on me. I was having trouble catching my breathe. I decided to U-turn and head home. When riding alone, i count on gut instincts. If the body says No, it means you're better off at home. That marks a very short 20k ride. Oh, funny thing did happen, this runner did a double take on me, and gave me a smile when he realized the cyclist is not a man. I do still have my womanly features, you know. :)

So here i am... at home, writing this blogpost, at this really unearthly hour.
And oh yes, awaiting the kickoff to IronmanChina.
I really wonder if i can ever reach the day i can tell everyone i am ready to do my IM.
Who knows? Maybe i won't reach that insanity level. Maybe i will.

Godspeed to those doing IronmanChina...

I am now very starstruck and in awe... just cause i saw Belinda Granger and husband Justin Granger at the airport, checking in at the same as the rest of the TriFam guys, who are heading to Ironman Haikou, China.

That being said, i think it might be a very light push to start training. I may not ever get to be a pro, but hey, at least i can try to get closer to completing an Ironman70.3 race. A friend i knew called me out of the blue, to ask for his bike trainer back, and then talked about how he heard i've been training really hard. My reply was "no... who did you hear it from". His reply : "your gang?", to which i am baffled. Cos i train alone. And i haven't been training per se.

I am not a sandbagger, but i like to do things my own pace and keeping things casual. When i met the bunch of TriFam guys at the airport, they wondered why i didn't sign up for 70.3 China, my reply "i haven't been training", which is a honest response. I have been riding, but at once a week, i doubt the distance or intensity would allow me to survive. Truth be told, 70.3 is do-able, but how at the cost of how much pain thereafter?

As i wondered about this question, perhaps i should go for a run to clear my mind, and to tell myself i can do the Ironman70.3.

affirming yet another frivolous belief...

As much as i walk the walk and talk the talk about being a "brother", and the boys acknowledging me as one of them, others are quick to point out i'm still female and perhaps feminine, in terms of my choice of clothes (i love dresses), and colors (hot pink rocks!), and of cos emotions (sensitivity and innate whining).

This week, i have yet another female characteristics being highlighted to me that i am still a female. The story goes that Jin Kiat, the guy who can run a 3 hr 20 minutes marathon, went for a jog with me. I am sorry to slow you down, dude. Heh! At the end of that 8km run, i had a bloodied shoe, thanks to a bloody blister and the fact i forgot to bring socks. The blister was a result of me not wanting to dirty my pair of white Gucci shoes, due to a downpour. Come on, who would dirty a nice pair of white Gucci shoes? It would be such a sin. So i put on a pair of pumps and went for lunch. That one hour proved to be a costly mistake, of cos, add the running, it's awfully in pain, and bleeding.

Jin Kiat had only one thing to say : AI SWEE MAI MIAH ( literally, rather be pretty over losing my life). The vanity of women... tsk tsk, but i had such a justification : Gucci. He went onto add : women are known to have high threshold of pain, you have proven it. Right... *rolls eyes*
Of cos Juls asked me why i would run with a blister. And then Sean asked me to rest.

Of cos, i did not heed advices, and went for another run the very next day, going for 10km, just by placing a plaster over that wounded pus-filled thing and not forgetting socks (ugly black ones for fear i stain those dstrainers). Ewwwww i know. But i did the 10km and did it feel great.

Of cos running those mileage only made me feel one thing.
Absolutely zero guilt having that heineken or that lychee martini or that nice asahi beer. Ooh...









So before you decide to drink up, let's just keep on running.









This message has been brought to you by yours truly, after watching way too many Heineken ads and having way too many Heineken beers.

Push Up...

Before you think this is yet another blog post about sports, be it swimming, cycling, running or wakeboarding, stop your thoughts. This is about fashion. Yes, the laziest woman probably alive is going to discuss fashion on her blogpost. But it's more about a fashion invention : the pushup bra. According to an article in The New Paper for 7th April 2008 which is a spinoff of a survey done by Telegraph UK, the pushup bra ranks as the greatest fashion invention ever, ahead of stilettos, g-strings, and the LBD (little black dress, duh?).

Somehow, i find myself agreeing to the list of fashion inventions, at least for most of it. The bikini and classic white shirt didn't get a mention in that list of top 20, instead hot pants got in. Like huh? Yes, repeat after me. HUH? Hot pants? Seriously, if you don't have legs and the body of the supermodels, and whales need not apply, Hot pants is left for the few selected blessed individuals. I personally would never be seen in hot pants. Shorts are shorts, hot pants barely cover those ass cheeks.

What do we have in our closet that we deem as the greatest fashion inventions, or the commonly known word for it : Must-haves? Everyone is different. Some swear by their black pants, other swear by their baggy jeans, while others would frown at the mere sight of women walking down in oversized shirts and jeans two sizes too big.

With that in mind, i list my 20 greatest fashion invention... and must haves :

1. Pushup bra (with or without straps, they're a must have).
2. g-string. VPL is a no go
3. running shoes... which can be a fashion sneaker too.
   
4. ankle socks... i don't run with longer socks, cos i looked dorky. I need them with my sneakers too.
5. running tights... i discovered them and they are godsend, trust me! doubles up as tights under tunic and tent dresses.
6. White tank tops, preferably wifebeaters. It screams street cred !
7. Shorts / Berms. They are my weekend staple.
   
8. Mini-skirt. So they say, if you got it, flaunt it baby. Enough said!
9. That black dress. As long as they compliment your figure, you have got it!
10. Skinny jeans. They're the bootcutjeans of the 08. Slims you down, and great with heels or ballet pumps. You can jazz it up and take it down...
    
11. Bootcut jeans. Classic!
12. White shirt. How can we not have this other classic
13. Ballet pumps. Everyone should have at least a pair
14. Black killer stilletos. Nothing's sexier than them that screams power
15. IT bag. Number one accessory !
16. A jacket. It helps jazz up an outfit.
    
17. Flip flops. How can anyone not own a pair?
18. A handphone. Believe it or not? your cell phone or that blackberry is a fashion accessory
19. Your belt. It can be a good accessory which is functional
20. Lipstick / Lip balm / Lip gloss. Pucker up for that kiss...
    

Oh yes,i got to mention number 21 too. A great arm candy who never fails to make you laugh!

too much too soon

So i've been lazing around. I haven't quite gotten started since the Bangkok trip, only going to swim class on tuesday, which i didn't push hard. Somehow the body didn't feel right. So the entire week was met with rain, and work. Random stuff and excuses i manage to make, just not to head out. I didn't feel like running.

Weekend rolled around, had a long day on Friday, just running about. Of cos, it was some joyous occasion which i had a few drinks too much. By 2pm, i called it a night and went home. I felt drunk and hungover.

Surprisingly Saturday felt alright. I felt bloated with the alcohol, but figured with the heat & humidity outdoors, i could do with a swim. Went to do 1.5km in the pool, followed by a 6-7km jog to Labrador Park. Thanks Uncle KC, for being my training buddy and being my pacesetter. Awesome pace, and i felt good.

Sunday was the most awesome time, yet marked one of the worst rides i ever did. The boys were moving at a pace that i can't sustain. You might be thinking above 30kmph (i know i suck...), but no ,.. they were doing about 20kmph. How can i cycle this way? If my cadence drops below 70, i feel like i am heading for stationary fall. O_o Seems just yesterday when 19kmph was what i could come up with. Highlight : Went up the viaduct. Woot!

Of cos, nothing quite sums up a drive along ECP on a Sunday evening. I think i wanna be finishing my Ironman in this kinda sunset..... if i ever find my courage to do so. To think i actually still think about Ironman, despite the fact my quads hurt and i can barely walk up and down the stairs, bringing me back the day past my 21.1km last December... sheesh!

And so my butt got lazier

I wish i have the energy to move.
I wish i can be faster.
I wish i am motivated.

Sigh... all are wishes. The mind is willing, yet my flesh ain't moving.
My training has taken a dip. My weight has taken a huge increment. I look fat, but seriously, i got enough of those "wah you put on weight" kinda talk, that i just resigned myself to it. Am i even moving towards doing anything? No... cos i don't care. I'm Eve. I may whine about it for a lil, but that's it. Ok fine, i whine alot about it, then i forget about it. Heh

I had a nice relaxing trip to Bangkok. I so want to go again, yet i can't. Julz told me "no more holidays" , cos after that i always say lazy to train, i just want to laze around.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME.
unflattering pic... but you know, i can't always look glamorously cute. reality is warped.