What it feels like to be a biathlete (or even triathlete)

It was the 3rd day of Chinese New Year. There was no visiting with my parents, so I decided to go and swim that day. That day was meant to be set aside for swimming long beforehand, but I decided to do some running after that as well. So as to decide whether my mind and body can handle the strenuous exercise and henceforth sign up for the Navy Biathlon on 26th March.

Friday morning. There were more people than I had expected at the swimming pool. Especially kids taking swimming lessons. They are quite irritating at times. Well, I did my usual 50 laps and then got out of the pool to go shower and changed out of my swimming suit into shorts and a dri-fit top, after which I got my bike and cycled home. Dumped my stuff and then out of the house I went after putting on my running shoes.

There was a time difference of 22 minutes between the point I got out of the pool and the moment I sarted running. It was around 10.15am but thank goodness it was quite cloudy. It was not as sunny as I expected and hence, the run was totally bearable.

When I started running, my body trunk felt rather heavy on my 2 supporting legs. But I could still go on as my mind was fresh from the swim and a good night’s rest. I ran a new route somewhere to Teck Whye where it was more shady, but there were quite a bit of slopes as well. They were the more laborious terrain I got to go through in this urbanized neighbourhood of mine. :p Zapped a lot of my energy.

After the 52 minutes run, which I had hope to run longer actually, I went home and I was actually quite energetic on the whole. Felt good to have done what I set out to do and to test my limits. Finally, im one step closer to my dreams! Signing up for the Navy Biathlon was inevitable! *Chuckles*

Looking back at how far I had come, I realized I have continued to grow this few years although there’s no more Judo trainings. I’ve come to appreciate running in a manner I have never before and am pushing myself to do things I used to dream about only in the past. I could still remember how I was so inspired by the 1st triathlete I knew when I was 15. That was during OBS and the person was my very own instructor. Ever since then, I developed an almost unspeakable and unexplainable respect for these multi-sport athletes who have to excel in not only 1 sport, but 3 sports! And it’s an endurance test out there! I did not even DARE to dream about becoming one, for they’re simply super human beings! At least that was how a 15-year-old used to view them!

Haha… It’s been almost 7 years already… And that 15-year-old has certainly started to dream of being one triathlete, or at least, a biathlete over the years. And she’s certainly one step closer after signing up for the Navy Biathlon 3 days after she tried out the biath training. When she told a veteran triathlete (who also happens to be a budget traveler) that she finally signed up for a full-distance biathlon, it seems like he was more than happy to hear that!

It was the NUS biathlon today; 800m swim, 5km run. I did the team relay with an old pal of mine, Lili. Hah… Actually missed the closing date to sign up for the race, but due to some glitches on the organizing committee part, we got to participate and even had fun! Albeit our flag-off was only at 1pm! I must say that this is the worst organized race I’ve ever taken part in, and the latest to start as well. Registration starts at 9am, but when we arrived at 10, the registration queue was sooo long that it stretched for 100m! Serious! It’s also the 1st time I ever woke up to the sun already risen on a race day. Hmph.

We had fun nevertheless, and it stirred the athletic seed in me again. The event just ended, but im missing it already! It’s a gathering of athletes who have trained hard for the dual-sport event and who understands the pain and experiences fellow biathletes go through during the race and during their individual trainings. Great feeling. Brought me back to the old Judo days when we would be in 1 big group and never mind if u did not win a match, it was the number that counts. And with numbers come power and a sense of belonging and pride of being an athlete in whichever discipline u are in. I really miss that feeling. Very often nowadays, I can only relish in that feeling as a loner. Looking at those groups of bi/triathletes, I really envy them.

It was a really fantastic day. Not only did I manage to complete the event with a good pal, but I managed to drop by the Operation Lumos chalet to visit the guys down there, namely Zhixian, Annie, Jason, Zhenping, Mai bug, Joyce & Kevin. Jingyi, my Judo senior was one of the participants as well! Great to see everyone and know that everyone’s still as cheerful, talkative and lovable. :)

On the way out, actually met another senior, Wenyun, on the bus. He had just finished a Salsa performance on Siloso Beach! Missed it. And talk about a small world. Small Singapore actually. Met Nifal, a judoka from another school on the way out of Sentosa before we crossed the bridge. He was biking. Wenyun and I were just talking about Sureen, another judoka before we met Nifal. Seems like it’s time for a gathering… Hah!

Before ending this off, I almost forgot to mention the most important person I met at the biathlon actually. And that is my OBS instructor. Yeah, he’s a triathlete who has just did his 1st Ironman challenge in Langkawi last year. F.Y.I, the Ironman is a very tough race comprising of 4km of swim, 180km of biking and a full marathon of 42.2km!!! Take my hats off him. Did not go up to say ‘hi’ though. Will do that the next time I see him at Navy Biathlon! :p

I would be training hard for my very first biathlon on the 26th March! It's something that I never thought I would actually will myself to carry out, but I truly understand what it means by 'Where there's a will, there's a way." It's not impossible, it's doable, I may not be the top few(I don't aim to!) but I have taken up this challenge and plucked up the courage to sign up for the biathlon. I will do it to prove something to myself! ;p

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
Sir Edmund Hillary, first to summit Everest (1953)

The website of an amazing woman

The below is an amazing website by an amazing woman. She's actually the founder of The Body Shop and she is really one woman Im so inspired by. Kudos to her! Check out the website and take your time out to read all those topics she has written on. Totally mind-blowing. And if u haven't had enough, check out the 'links' page. More than sufficient to keep your weekends occupied! Enjoy!

http://anitaroddick.com/index.php

"Activism is the Rent we Pay for Living on this Planet."
-Anita Roddick

'Finding Neverland'

The movie was magical, with a warm afterglow that accompanies as u leave the theatre after the show ended. And I watched it with 2 great pals. What a great way to remember this movie. And there cannot be another better time to watch this movie other than today…

It’s already a magical day to begin with, as I’ve said in the earlier blog, cuz I was handing out postcards and putting a smile on people’s faces. Too bad my digital camera ran out of battery, otherwise I would be snapping lotsa photos in school…

After I met Minghui at Orchard MRT, we were walking to Lido when a voice called us from behind and it belonged to Marabelle, an old friend whom I have not seen in ages. She was from NY and went on to RJC. A somewhat special friend cuz I got to know her better after OBS in Sec 3. A hug brought back those warm memories from NY days. And did I just mention earlier that I was missing the good, old days in NY when we used to write postcards to one another?

Marabelle was telling us to add her in MSN and TADA! We met another 2 NY friends, Yanling and Mildred. Gosh, I haven’t seen them in ages too, as im not in NUS. Oh gosh… Mildred was still so Mildred…. Hah… She’s still the same old her, the way she ‘oei’ me when I seemed to express ‘exasperation’ at having seen her! Sighz…. Only NY girls who know her will understand this… It’s sweet how some people can just remain the same after so many years… that warm feeling when u see them and it seems like it was just yesterday when we just graduated out from that ubiquitous white sleeveless uniform……. How time flies…

Jingyi joined us after that and hehe… she had quite a ‘big’ problem locating McCafe! :p Hehehe… We had dinner at the expense of my 1 cup of café latte there. Btw, Minghui loves the music there. Great place to chill if not for the occasional cigarette smoke.

Lido plays their movies on time now!!! Same went for the past few movies which I caught there. Don’t be late, guys… Or else u will might just miss the 1st few precious minutes of the show…

“Time chases us, eh?� as quoted from an old lady inside the film. Yeah, indeed. Do u remember how as a kid, we’ve always, and I really mean, ALWAYS, wanted to grow up faster so that we could have more freedom and be able to do the things we want? But now that im finally an adult, how I wish time would stop in its tracks. Because growing up is scary. It indeed is. So much more responsibilities to shoulder, and the inevitable issue of facing life and death, together with the heartbreak that comes along with it. This is clearly demonstrated in the movie when the boys have to face the cruel reality of the passing of their father. At the same time as im growing up, there will always be a kid in me, the one that wishes she never have to grow up, so that she need not go through the trials and tribulations of Life.

The other special theme being explored here in the movie reminds me of the book, ‘The Alchemist’, a favourite book recommended to me by Zhixian in JC1. I did not know how to appreciate the book then, but after I read it a 2nd time last year, I can definitely relate to it. There’s a theme in the book that kept recurring, “If u dream hard enough, the entire universe will conspire together to make that dream come true.� That’s certainly something very magical and I finally understood why my dear pal loves the book so much. ‘Finding Neverland’ reminds us of the innate human need to dream of the impossible, to ‘believe in something more enchanted than everyday life’ so that it can get us through the mundane existence of our routines. To dare to dream and not be afraid to be laughed at. Very sweet.

After the movie, believe it or not, we met another friend in the toilet! Wanling, my dear sweet ex-classmate, actually did not intend to visit that toilet in fact! And Minghui met her NJ friend as well. WHAT A COINCIDENCE!

3 of us parted at 2210. Minghui messaged me to tell me that she met Yanjie, yet another classmate of mine, on the bus! Scary. What’s with the evening? Things happened for a reason?

Just last weekend, I was telling a friend about this wallet that I took out to ‘survey’ and found NTUC receipts (from Coronation Plaza!), bus tickets and small notes dating from 1997! Goodness! I had wanted to throw everything into my ‘recycling envelope’ but after scrutinizing every piece of them, I placed them back into my wallet and kept it back in its original spot. All those memories from the NY days came rushing back…… How could I throw away these few pieces of seemingly insignificant paper which reminds me of the most memorable days in my school life and of which some of them are the most remarkable in my life?

Truly miss those NY days. They are what shaped me for who I am today. Somehow, this seems so in-tuned with the movie I have just watched. Missing those old days, those old days when I still possessed the child-like innocence in me, those old days when my eyes have not seen the ugly realities of the many aspects of Life, those old days when my spirit was weak and still need much buffing.

Despite the years that have gone by, I know I have a choice. I have a choice to keep the child in me alive. I have a choice to keep my dreams burning. It’s totally up to me. No one nor anything can take them away from me. Unless I succumb…

I love the way the movie ended. There was no romantic, lovey-dovey relationship between Depp and Winslet, but the love is there, beyond words and beyond understanding. It’s a kind of love which they understand they just needed each other.

Magical. I cannot find another appropriate word to describe the entire movie. U have to watch it yourself to feel the magic and find yourself. Hope u will enjoy it as much as I do.

My day had ended in a magical way…

“Young boys should never be sent to bed. They will always wake up a day older…�
-James Barrie

¡El tesoro cada día! (Treasure each day!)

It's the eve of CNY eve today and im right now blogging in the school lab. Wah... My quiz this morn only took 30mins to complete, so now i have loads of time before lunch. Passed the quiz, but did not do very well. Actually forgot to read one whole set of notes!!! RAAAA.... Well, i did not put in the best of effort during the weekend as well, so guess it's kinda like a punishment?

CNY is coming soon and im supposed to be one year older. With it comes an extra year of wisdom accumulated over the past year as well, i guess? Gave out postcards to my classmates wishing them 'happy CNY' this morning in the lab before the quiz and it felt good. :) Always love giving out simple things to make one's days. Remind me of the good old days back in NY where we have the 'shepherd and sheep' game! *chuckles*

"Good morning, it's week 6 (of school) already!" This was what i said to all of them. Heh. Why the reminder, u might ask? Cuz for some of u who might not have already known, Im flying off to somewhere in week 8! And that's in about 2.5 weeks' time! :))) The details will be revealed at a late date after I have confirmed my air tickets. But my visa for the country is already done, and it's issued to us for 3 months' stay in the country! Haha... no, im not going for 3 mths. Only 2 weeks the most. :p Stay tuned to this space for upcoming news of my trip!

Meanwhile, enjoy the long hols of the CNY, for those who do not have to work or study on Fri/Sat! Time passes so quickly! ¡El tesoro cada día!

The curse of Polyethylene

It’s the 2nd day of Feb today and I went for a run. The weather was rather good, as there were dark clouds rolling in before the run. And I was hoping it would not rain. A bit humid, a bit breezy at times, and a bit of sun before the clouds totally covered the sun. That’s Singapore weather for you, eh?

I was quite sure it was going to be a good run, and it did turned out to be! Most prob because of the amount of carbohydrates I had ingested for lunch! :p As usual, I ran through this ‘green’ area around my place. Where there’s a canal running through the place and where there’s lots of wild dogs and lately, also some illegal immigrants? Saw some blue groundsheets up and hanging in the bushes and there are some self-erected tents. Mmm… They have found this ‘haven’ of mine… I certainly hope they are not the ones setting fire to the several bushes I saw today. They are already charred and this is not the 1st time I saw this kind of scenario. Hopefully, it’s due to some bush fire that ignited due to the extreme heat experienced this couple of weeks.

I have taken some photos of this area last year when I just gotten my digi cam. But haven’t found the chance to post them online. Always too busy writing about something else or posting some other photos. This area that I always go running in is actually a canal that connects Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok. It’s close to lots of greenery! And I’ve seen many different birds (kingfishers, warblers, egrets, some bright yellow birds and even a juvenile eagle today!), a rabbit (most probably released by some irresponsible pet owner), small hens/chickens(?), a dead, small snake hanging by the railings, a dead dog decomposing in the canal for 1 week, and even a monitor lizard scurrying away as I approached! What a place with an abundant wildlife! Spotted some beautiful sunsets here before as well.

I was pleasantly surprised when I chanced upon this ‘green haven’ last year while running. The key to the ‘wildness’ found here is because of the fact that the area is actually a military area. An army trunk just rolled past in front of my path today. And I have certainly seen those trucks more than once!

However, the sad thing I want to point out in this entry today is actually the amount of RUBBISH I saw in the canal today. As I ran towards Bt Batok, im actually running upstream and the water should be cleaner. It’s always cleaner! It was such an eyesore as I saw so many plastic bottles in the stream of water that was flowing down… So many NON-BIODEGRABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES. Plastic again… This material is really a nuisance when it’s not properly disposed of. And there were many huge clumps of leaves, I suppose. I concluded that garbage bags full of leaves and plastic bottles which were placed by the side of the roads after the cleaners finished work were dumped purposely by some pranksters into the canal. If u guys notice, especially drivers, there are often these black garbage bags by the roadside which are actually meant for the garbage truck to pick up at the start of each day.

It’s really a sorry sight. The water is no longer clear at its ‘source’, and it did not flow smoothly down each section whereby there’s a ‘kerb-like’ edge. Leaves, waterbottles, plastic bags are all stuck there! Plastic bags are strewn all over the place as well, especially the part where I first entered the canal route. Why? Because there are so many dog-lovers who would bring the wild dogs food in PLASTIC BAGS and sometimes STYROFOAM BOXES (???!!!!) and as they’re not civic-minded enough, not Nature-lovers, don’t give a damn about the environment and about the pollution they have actually caused, they don’t pick up the plastic bags to throw them away!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!!!!! ‘Dog-lovers’, my foot!!!!

I felt such exasperation and anguish, but I could not do anything! Could I like call up the Ministry of Environment to clear up this mess or something?

Please, please everyone, I really hope that you would always think twice before deciding to do something like that. And everytime u decide to use an extra plastic bag or buy a plastic bottle of drink, please think twice. Reuse that plastic bag or bottle if u really have to. We are all educated people, we don’t need anyone to tell us about the greenhouse gases released by burning plastic or the many marine animals that die each year due to improper disposal of rubbish in the oceans. Don’t think that you are not making a difference, everything u do actually impacts in an indirect, if not direct way! And if u do not need to think twice the next time u’re making a decision, I certainly hope it’s because it has set in subconsciously and it’s a HABIT! Then u will be able to influence other people and the list goes on…….

Quoted from a source I read recently, “We don’t INHERIT this Earth from our ancestors, we merely BORROWED it from our children.� Ponder on this, fellow earthlings…

"Nature provides us a free lunch, but only if we control our appetite."
-William Ruckelhams

Happy 1st Feb!

It’s the 1st Feb! How was your first month of the year 2005? Mine was busy in the last 2 weeks, (and it promises to be even more so) but it’s a fulfilling one. Everyday lived like it’s the last, more or last. Although if I had the choice, I would prefer to live out each day traveling! Hah! Enjoy the 2nd month!