I arrived at a new milestone last week. I completed 12 hours of workouts which had 4 bikes, 4 swims and 2 runs( both bricks). I thought the last few weeks I have been rather soft with myself and resolved to ramp it up. I completed 6 km of swimming and tried to practice bilateral breathing. Not very successful but at least I can get a bit further than the last few attempts.
On the bike, i started the week on Monday with a 3 loop RRR ride after a 1.7km swim. I rode with the joyriders on wednesday and kept up with them till Mandai road when I got dropped but at least I held some ground this time so I felt good. On saturday, JN, BFG and I did a long ride where we did bukit-timah-Clementi rd-Commonwealth- Farrer-Adam-Thomson-Mandai-Kraji-Neo Tiew-Lim Chu Kang-Jln Buroh-Westcoast. JN develoepd cramps and we had to stop for a while. We continued and climbed up Keppel and then the West Coast highway till Vivo city. I had heard a lot about Keppel and was mildy dissapointed that the climb was a bit short. We cycled into a head wind adn according to BFG were riding at 35 km/h( although i had no idea as my watch had gone to sleep!). We got off and then went on the AYE! Turned off at lower delta road and went back on Paterson, Scotts and Stevens road. All in all i did 90 km in 3.5hours( not counting stop points).
I thought i spent so much energy that I was positively falt on Sunday and could barely keep up on the FOTR. In fact i was so out of sorts that I elected not to climb RRR. I felt a little better in the afternoon nd was able to do a slow 8 km run over 50 minutes. I deliberately timed it before the sun grew milder to make sure i simulated race conditions. I would need to do a lot more runs in the sun as I think I will hit the run leg at about 12 noon so I might as well get used to it.I used my HRM and tried to keep HR less than 160 throughtout which was not easy as any mild exertion sent by hr soaring.it was almost a 6:30 per km that i did.
At this moment i shall target for the following
S 1 hour
B 3:15 hours
R 2:20 for a race time of 6:35- 7 hours
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Counting My Blessing's and being Thankful
Too often, we fall into a mood of self reproach and pity, bemoaning our plight of not making as much money as our private colleagues, or not having the lungs and legs of our friends who appear to swim, bike or run faster than us. We fret about the inadequacies within our lives. Of our kids not being the bright students that they should be and our spouses not as understanding as they should be.
Three days ago, I was cycling 45 km and was trying to get some climbs on the overhead ramps and undulating hills of Clementi, Queensway, Farrer and Mandai road and feeling frustrated that after 2 months of riding, I still found it as every bit tiring as the first outing. I must admit feeling a bit down; gosh i most likely will end up being bottom 5th centile at the race given my speed and endurance level.
The I went to work and spoke to one of my patients GL( not her real initials). She was a young spritely girl who has just graduated a few years and had begun work in a promising career as a professional and all seemed great and the future was as good as she could imagine to be. She had a great boyfriend and while they have not touched on issues of matrimony, she could really see her married life taking shape. She had some headaches for a number of months and she she brushed it off, attributing it to stress. The headaches did not go away and she began to feel a lot sleepier and tired. She was found a week before christmas by her mother collapsed in the toilet. She was brought to hospital and a brain scan showed a tumour. She told me she could not believe it. What she did not know was that this was a brain tumour in the part of the brain called the brainstem, which is the part of the brain that connects the forebrain to the spinal cord. Its a critical part of neurological real estate and its where the brain fibres cone down from the numerous centres of the control through a narrow passageway as they pass to subserve their various functions in the body; sort of like a neurological Kyber pass. There was also the matter of swallowing control, heart rate and blood pressure controls and breathing control centres within millimetres of the tumoour. If you think this is bad news, the news just got worse. This is a tumour of blood vessels and to make surgery more complicated was the fact that she could bleed to death.
I laid the facts bare for her. She had by then been put on the ventilator as we were worried she could stop breathing. I watched her eyes widened , then lowered in abject depression. The operation was going to be a very long one and carries a signifiant chance that she would never wake up or be completely ventilator dependent and disabled, paralysed from the neck downwards. She fought back tears and asked to be alone. She called me back to the room after 15 mintues and wrote in a notebook that she was going through the operation and for me to speak with her ageing parents to allay their fears. I operated for 12 hours and finished at 1 am and it was a difficult procedure.
She awoke and it took us a full 3 weeks to get her off the ventilator. She was still weak and it will be months before she will be able to walk. In the morning I saw her and she never failed to be me a weak smile and a half formed thumbs up. She would write " I am getting better!" complete with the exclamation mark. Her strength of spirit was indomitable. She refused to back down. I look at her and know that she will take a long time to regain full ability if ever and then she will have to pick up the pieces again. The hospitalisation probably would have put a financial strain on her as she is an only child and her parents are old.
"This has been life changing for me doc." she writes. " I have come to value life more and be thankful for every inch of improvement I make because I was going to die without the surgery. Surgery was painful and I have gone through significant moments of trials and tribulations but what doesn't kill me will make me stronger".
It took a young girl's sharing of her illness to remind me of life's mercies and joys. I felt ashamed, while I was fretting about my hapless cycling ability, this girl was fighting for her life. I was grateful she shared this with me. Too often, surgery is about correcting diseased anatomy and we forget occasionally under those blue drapes is a human being with hopes and dreams not unlike ours.
Three days ago, I was cycling 45 km and was trying to get some climbs on the overhead ramps and undulating hills of Clementi, Queensway, Farrer and Mandai road and feeling frustrated that after 2 months of riding, I still found it as every bit tiring as the first outing. I must admit feeling a bit down; gosh i most likely will end up being bottom 5th centile at the race given my speed and endurance level.
The I went to work and spoke to one of my patients GL( not her real initials). She was a young spritely girl who has just graduated a few years and had begun work in a promising career as a professional and all seemed great and the future was as good as she could imagine to be. She had a great boyfriend and while they have not touched on issues of matrimony, she could really see her married life taking shape. She had some headaches for a number of months and she she brushed it off, attributing it to stress. The headaches did not go away and she began to feel a lot sleepier and tired. She was found a week before christmas by her mother collapsed in the toilet. She was brought to hospital and a brain scan showed a tumour. She told me she could not believe it. What she did not know was that this was a brain tumour in the part of the brain called the brainstem, which is the part of the brain that connects the forebrain to the spinal cord. Its a critical part of neurological real estate and its where the brain fibres cone down from the numerous centres of the control through a narrow passageway as they pass to subserve their various functions in the body; sort of like a neurological Kyber pass. There was also the matter of swallowing control, heart rate and blood pressure controls and breathing control centres within millimetres of the tumoour. If you think this is bad news, the news just got worse. This is a tumour of blood vessels and to make surgery more complicated was the fact that she could bleed to death.
I laid the facts bare for her. She had by then been put on the ventilator as we were worried she could stop breathing. I watched her eyes widened , then lowered in abject depression. The operation was going to be a very long one and carries a signifiant chance that she would never wake up or be completely ventilator dependent and disabled, paralysed from the neck downwards. She fought back tears and asked to be alone. She called me back to the room after 15 mintues and wrote in a notebook that she was going through the operation and for me to speak with her ageing parents to allay their fears. I operated for 12 hours and finished at 1 am and it was a difficult procedure.
She awoke and it took us a full 3 weeks to get her off the ventilator. She was still weak and it will be months before she will be able to walk. In the morning I saw her and she never failed to be me a weak smile and a half formed thumbs up. She would write " I am getting better!" complete with the exclamation mark. Her strength of spirit was indomitable. She refused to back down. I look at her and know that she will take a long time to regain full ability if ever and then she will have to pick up the pieces again. The hospitalisation probably would have put a financial strain on her as she is an only child and her parents are old.
"This has been life changing for me doc." she writes. " I have come to value life more and be thankful for every inch of improvement I make because I was going to die without the surgery. Surgery was painful and I have gone through significant moments of trials and tribulations but what doesn't kill me will make me stronger".
It took a young girl's sharing of her illness to remind me of life's mercies and joys. I felt ashamed, while I was fretting about my hapless cycling ability, this girl was fighting for her life. I was grateful she shared this with me. Too often, surgery is about correcting diseased anatomy and we forget occasionally under those blue drapes is a human being with hopes and dreams not unlike ours.
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Real Hectic Week
I was raring to go after nursing the flu for last 3 days of the last week. I hadn't recovered fully but I felt so lethargic that I felt compelled to go out and ride. Had a superb ride and did 41 km in 1:45; not the fastest and on the coastal I didn't have the lungs or legs to follow PK, HC and JN but was at least able to keep them in my sights which was better than nothing! Learnt to get out of my saddle to climb and practice the "ol' scrapping gum from the sole" drill.
I followed it with a 50 lap swim in the pool and felt really good about it. Took 1:30 but I felt good at the end of the session and was able to do another bike on Tuesday and rode 45 km, taking a slightly longer route, going down Bukit Timah, Clementi and Commonwealth and then down Farrer road to Lornie before doing the old familiar route again. By the time I hit Bukit Timah, traffic was heavy and got impossible at Nanyang Girl's. I had cars horning me, one passed by me so close I could feel the side mirror shave my wrist. Another pushed me towards the medial line of the double yellow and that;s when I decided I had enough and stopped and then walked across the bridge before making the rest of the journey back home cycling back to the estate, quietly resolving to finish cycling by 6:30 before the rest of Singapore wakes up and rushes to school.
At this age, a crash and a broken long bone would probably signal the end of my chances to do another race. The injury would rule me out for at least 6 months and another year to regain my aerobic fitness so that would really be it wouldn't it?
After that I was literally innundated by work, operating till 1 am on Wednesday, 8 pm on Thursday and had no time to play with Maisey's and even 'kins, let alone do any workouts.
CH called and asked me to cycle today and we started a little earlier than our usual rendevous time. It has been a long time since I cycled with CH; i think it was as far back as OCtober or November so I thought my performance with him would be a good gauge of how much I have improved. CH was always leaves me in his dust and I thought if I could keep up with him, it would give me some hope. We decided to ride down coastal road to the temple and back. There was a strong breeze and CH tired out after heading out in front. We took turns drafting and finished and turned around in a very short 1:17 for 35 km( this included some rest time and some time chitchatting on the return leg.
Well its Friday and I have Saturday and Sunday to make up for serious training time. Thus far, I have only done 4:35 and will need to make up substantial time and mileage for this week.
I followed it with a 50 lap swim in the pool and felt really good about it. Took 1:30 but I felt good at the end of the session and was able to do another bike on Tuesday and rode 45 km, taking a slightly longer route, going down Bukit Timah, Clementi and Commonwealth and then down Farrer road to Lornie before doing the old familiar route again. By the time I hit Bukit Timah, traffic was heavy and got impossible at Nanyang Girl's. I had cars horning me, one passed by me so close I could feel the side mirror shave my wrist. Another pushed me towards the medial line of the double yellow and that;s when I decided I had enough and stopped and then walked across the bridge before making the rest of the journey back home cycling back to the estate, quietly resolving to finish cycling by 6:30 before the rest of Singapore wakes up and rushes to school.
At this age, a crash and a broken long bone would probably signal the end of my chances to do another race. The injury would rule me out for at least 6 months and another year to regain my aerobic fitness so that would really be it wouldn't it?
After that I was literally innundated by work, operating till 1 am on Wednesday, 8 pm on Thursday and had no time to play with Maisey's and even 'kins, let alone do any workouts.
CH called and asked me to cycle today and we started a little earlier than our usual rendevous time. It has been a long time since I cycled with CH; i think it was as far back as OCtober or November so I thought my performance with him would be a good gauge of how much I have improved. CH was always leaves me in his dust and I thought if I could keep up with him, it would give me some hope. We decided to ride down coastal road to the temple and back. There was a strong breeze and CH tired out after heading out in front. We took turns drafting and finished and turned around in a very short 1:17 for 35 km( this included some rest time and some time chitchatting on the return leg.
Well its Friday and I have Saturday and Sunday to make up for serious training time. Thus far, I have only done 4:35 and will need to make up substantial time and mileage for this week.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Down with the Flu
This week started off with cycling and ended with some of that. The mind has been stuck on debating the pro's and con's of each individual road bike.
All went well until the evening of wednesday when I started to get a case of the sniffles. I shrugged it off as a case of allergy to an obscure agent I had become exposed to but it quickly deteriorated to a sore thrat, cough and fever. Downed a number of Decolgen and even resorted to antibiotics but the URTI marched on and I developed myalgia which in effect put out all aerobic sessions. I had difficulty even coping with prolonged talking in the clinic because it just really aggravated my throat. Had to call off saturday's ride.
Had some spare time which I used to good effect clearing paperwork which had been piling up. Had to push away some overseas engagements to Taiwan and Bandung at pretty short notice. Had time to check out some cool bikes, namely trek madones and pinarello dogmas. Dream bikes for now.
I was quietly determined to ride on sunday with the usual gang and we rode 41 km in 1:35 minutes. Started off a little late as HC could not find the place.Overall a good ride and I practiced getting out of my seat to do a bit of climbing. On the straight on the coastal road though, I could not hold much and dropped back quite significantly. Gosh I really have a lot of improving to do!
The we got to chatting about bikes and JN intimated that there is a bet going on that I will end up buying the Dogma. If money could truly buy speed, I would be sorely tempted, not that I could afford to part with such princely sums but I think there is always added pressure with the acquisitions of such bikes because you should be worthy to ride these gems. What is the use of riding at 30 km/h on such machines which can take you faster potentially? The real action is the amount of wattage you can produce as you push those pedals( albeit with the correct technique of course which I still don't have!). To paraphrase the great Lance Armstrong, " it really ain"t about the bike!
SO should I even buy another bike? The Ordu seems great. A bit rough but fast and nimble and certainly I would think a spectacular buy but something in me feels like another bike. Senesible to buy another Orbea( orca) or splash out some real dough on a Pinarello/ Trek? Decisions, Decisions. Problem is after the dust is settled and the bike is bought and a hole in the pocket is burnt, my cycling would be as crap aswver. Now wouldn't that be the real tragedy?
All went well until the evening of wednesday when I started to get a case of the sniffles. I shrugged it off as a case of allergy to an obscure agent I had become exposed to but it quickly deteriorated to a sore thrat, cough and fever. Downed a number of Decolgen and even resorted to antibiotics but the URTI marched on and I developed myalgia which in effect put out all aerobic sessions. I had difficulty even coping with prolonged talking in the clinic because it just really aggravated my throat. Had to call off saturday's ride.
Had some spare time which I used to good effect clearing paperwork which had been piling up. Had to push away some overseas engagements to Taiwan and Bandung at pretty short notice. Had time to check out some cool bikes, namely trek madones and pinarello dogmas. Dream bikes for now.
I was quietly determined to ride on sunday with the usual gang and we rode 41 km in 1:35 minutes. Started off a little late as HC could not find the place.Overall a good ride and I practiced getting out of my seat to do a bit of climbing. On the straight on the coastal road though, I could not hold much and dropped back quite significantly. Gosh I really have a lot of improving to do!
The we got to chatting about bikes and JN intimated that there is a bet going on that I will end up buying the Dogma. If money could truly buy speed, I would be sorely tempted, not that I could afford to part with such princely sums but I think there is always added pressure with the acquisitions of such bikes because you should be worthy to ride these gems. What is the use of riding at 30 km/h on such machines which can take you faster potentially? The real action is the amount of wattage you can produce as you push those pedals( albeit with the correct technique of course which I still don't have!). To paraphrase the great Lance Armstrong, " it really ain"t about the bike!
SO should I even buy another bike? The Ordu seems great. A bit rough but fast and nimble and certainly I would think a spectacular buy but something in me feels like another bike. Senesible to buy another Orbea( orca) or splash out some real dough on a Pinarello/ Trek? Decisions, Decisions. Problem is after the dust is settled and the bike is bought and a hole in the pocket is burnt, my cycling would be as crap aswver. Now wouldn't that be the real tragedy?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Its a New Week!
Well a new week and we started sunday with a ride with 5 in the group. AY our resident champion cyclist joined us and we had a great bike through our usual haunt. A 5 am ride starting from bukit timah through Mandai road and then charged up Rifle Range road. We all nodded in the affirmative when we are at the end of the RRR:" what a great workout!" while still catching our breaths.( 45 km 1:50)
We finished up and went on to breakfast. WL made us a superb breakfast before we broke up. I had enough energy to run 5 km after that in 33 minutes which was at RPE3 but felt more like RPE5!
The workout week ended with me completelt a 11:49 total for the week.
Perhaps it was the strenous week or it was the first day of work in the year but when i hit the pool on monday, I was quite tired and only managed 22 laps and was done in half hour. I managed little better on Tuesday when i could only have time for a 10 km run( done at RPE 3; 1:06).
This morning I met JN and we joined the joyriders. Perhaps, it was the lingering fatigue but I did not start well and had to play catchup adn ended up being dropped big time. JN and I struggled dead last and we were quietly grateful to JL for staying with us and giving us tips and encouraging us.JL commented " dude, you are actually not a bad cyclist, you just have not developed the technique" . Wow, what a nice way of breaking the news in the softest possible way. Thankfully, I am in the habit of getting dropped so often that I am used to it adn I think it actually pushed me to try even harder. Today was another one of those days. I pushed so hard and tried so hard I have an abrasion on my right buttock, which I did not realise until I was seated on my chair performing surgery. Buttocks are supposed to exist in your subconscious and subliminal plane of thought until 2 scenarios: one when you are in the act of defaecation and the other when you have a lousy lesion in your end, be it hemorrhoids or abrasions! I finished the 43km in 1:20 and then proceeded for a brick run of 4 km which i covered at 30 minutes. That would make my tally of training to 3:20 this week
We finished up and went on to breakfast. WL made us a superb breakfast before we broke up. I had enough energy to run 5 km after that in 33 minutes which was at RPE3 but felt more like RPE5!
The workout week ended with me completelt a 11:49 total for the week.
Perhaps it was the strenous week or it was the first day of work in the year but when i hit the pool on monday, I was quite tired and only managed 22 laps and was done in half hour. I managed little better on Tuesday when i could only have time for a 10 km run( done at RPE 3; 1:06).
This morning I met JN and we joined the joyriders. Perhaps, it was the lingering fatigue but I did not start well and had to play catchup adn ended up being dropped big time. JN and I struggled dead last and we were quietly grateful to JL for staying with us and giving us tips and encouraging us.JL commented " dude, you are actually not a bad cyclist, you just have not developed the technique" . Wow, what a nice way of breaking the news in the softest possible way. Thankfully, I am in the habit of getting dropped so often that I am used to it adn I think it actually pushed me to try even harder. Today was another one of those days. I pushed so hard and tried so hard I have an abrasion on my right buttock, which I did not realise until I was seated on my chair performing surgery. Buttocks are supposed to exist in your subconscious and subliminal plane of thought until 2 scenarios: one when you are in the act of defaecation and the other when you have a lousy lesion in your end, be it hemorrhoids or abrasions! I finished the 43km in 1:20 and then proceeded for a brick run of 4 km which i covered at 30 minutes. That would make my tally of training to 3:20 this week
Friday, January 1, 2010
Long Ride Saturday
After a day of rest on New Year's day recovering from the revelry and merrymaking, I was raring to go. There were 4 of us and we planned the Lim Chu Kang route. It was the usual 5 am set off time and we rode down Adam- Lornie route. HC had not quite exorcise his demons from the last group ride although I thought he felt more comfortable after the last ride with me.Nevertheless we did not go up the ramp at Macritchie reservoir. On passing LH we saw the joyriders no doubt preparing for their morning ride. I took over the lead from JN after LH and decided to go down old upper thomson road for HC to face his last demon when he crashed out and was pleased he kept up well and took the corner onto the main route without event. Mid way down Mandai route, we were overtaken by a peloton of uber fast riders and literally ate dust. A second group came up and I was determined not to be left behind and actually tucked nicely between the front 3 and drafter them and was able to keep up the pace. They were going at 33-45 km/h all the way to the Mandai shell station. PK took over and we swung right down Kranji road. The road was a narrow single carriageway( 2 way road) and traffic was quite heavy to our surprise. We actually were stopped at the Railway crossing and the barriers were down because the train was passing through. How cool is that in Singapore?? We rode to the Kranji reservoir and took a break there, swigging our water and chatting. As we prepared to restart, PK's bike ran into some troub le and in the dark we were fiddling around and discovered he had broken a spoke which meant he had to take cab back to home base while the rest of us continued. I was totally unfamiliar with the route and JN had to leda. The next stretch was quite an unforgettable experience. As we wound round Neo Tiew route passing places where I only passed while I was in the army, we passed and sniffed farm manure and we passed some satellite/ radio stations where the pylons were spaced nicely apart. With the sun coming up, The pylons stood silently interconnected with wires. The base of the pylons were shrouded in swaths of mist. The imagery was surreal and the horizon was made the softer with the mist rising slightly to blur the edge, in stark contrast to the sharp sillouette of the radio pylons.
We came down to Lim Chu Kang road and with the long straight I leapt out of the seat and sprinted forward and told JN I will meet him at the end of the road. I was riding at 40 km/h but ran out of gas in barely 1 km to my embarrassment. I had over-estimated by capability! We rode down Old Choa Chu Kang road and Bricklands road before turning to Choa Chu Kang estate where at this point we became lost and had to stop to ask for directions. A kind elderly man pointed us the way to Upper Bukit Timah route and we made it back to rendevous with PK where we had a great breakfast at JN's house.
66.5 km; 1:38
We came down to Lim Chu Kang road and with the long straight I leapt out of the seat and sprinted forward and told JN I will meet him at the end of the road. I was riding at 40 km/h but ran out of gas in barely 1 km to my embarrassment. I had over-estimated by capability! We rode down Old Choa Chu Kang road and Bricklands road before turning to Choa Chu Kang estate where at this point we became lost and had to stop to ask for directions. A kind elderly man pointed us the way to Upper Bukit Timah route and we made it back to rendevous with PK where we had a great breakfast at JN's house.
66.5 km; 1:38
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