Boon Pin's SC Marathon 08 race report

In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I was feeling slightly trepeditious.

Meng Ee, my visually handicapped partner whom I was working with for the better part of this year to help him break new ground, was starting to feel the strain of distance running.

In our last long run a few weeks back, he was flagging with the distance that we hoped to cover. By the time we got to PA in Kallang, it started to rain and we took shelter at the bus stop on the main road.

It was no doubt a welcome pit stop for him though I was very concerned that we might have had to cut short the session without having completed the all-important 30-32km pre-marathon run.

But because I noticed that Meng Ee was drained, physically and emotionally, I decided to hold my tongue.

After a long time waiting for the rain to subside, I was very glad when Meng Ee decided to continue.

Just when I thought we had crossed the biggest of our obstacles, Meng Ee in the week after told me about an injury sustained in that last long run. We decided to rest for one week.

Then one day at work, he fell into a 7-foot manhole outside of work because there were insufficient warnings around the manhole!

With all these challenges, it really was a miracle that we got to the start line on Sunday. Thank you Jesus!

After a prayer, we started inching our way to the timing mats at the start point of the race. Barely had we started our run when the elite runners had already returned to the Esplanade bridge!

We took things relatively easy and were kind of on pace with the 8 kmh that we were doing during our training runs.

By the time we entered East Coast Park Service Road, we saw Kibet, the reigning world champion, about to leave for Fort Road on his way to the finish line with his rivals trailing well behind him!

We started to do a mixture of walk-run during the whole East Coast stretch, taking our time to go to the toilet twice. Despite our leisurely pace, Meng Ee was actually passing lots of able-bodied competitors who were looking depleted.

I tried to look out for Crazies but saw no one. Eventually, we got to the U-turn point at the sailing centre and Meng Ee was so happy!

I was also very happy because for once, Meng Ee was happy to eat whenever I told him it was time to, be it PowerBar gels or Nuun electrolytes tablets. Thank you Jeffrey, Fiona and PowerBar!

In fact, Meng Ee started to ask me when it was time to eat on the stretch leading out of East Coast and even requested for a banana when we got to the stadium. Because we were replenishing so regularly, we were spared of cramps and the dreaded wall.

Unlike our normal training sessions, we had only stopped once at East Coast to spend some time stretching.

However, I experienced something I never had before during the race – an aching in my lower ribs/intercostal muscles. It was not a bad pain but I noticed it was like an ache similar to how our quads and calves feel after a tough training session.

Dr Andrew, what does this kind of ache signify? Should I be worried?

Meng Ee and I eventually got to the Padang where he sped up so rapidly he whizzed past his parents and sister who were there to witness his amazing achievement.

Our time was, I think, 6hrs 3mins (I had pressed my watch too early at the start of the race, about 3mins before we got to the first timing mat). Though our goal was to complete the marathon in one piece with no timing pressure, I had estimated at the back of my mind an approximate 6-hour finish.

Meng Ee has come a long way since the start of this year when he had never been able to complete a run longer than 5km without huffing and puffing. Praise God!

I hope he will go on to do more.

Speaking of more, I am very pleased to inform you that Yuan Ping, whom I had worked with in last year's StanChart Marathon, went on to do more.

She was so uplifted she decided to wheel herself in the 10km category this year. However, she probably got a bout of the jitters which was why she sent out her SOS sms at the last minute.

Thank you Kok Tian, Kok Aun and Chris for stepping forward to volunteer their services.

Kok Aun, in particular, was remarkable because unbeknownst to me at the time, had not run 10km in the last 6 months! But such is the confidence of Crazies, yes? :)

He told me after his race with Yuan Ping that Yuan Ping had wheeled herself for 70 per cent of the way. That's truly amazing, considering that she was only able to wheel herself for less than 200 metres every 15 mins in last year's marathon. Thank you Lord, and well done, Yuan Ping!

BP

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Training Plan (by Coach Boon Pin)

Here's what our resident coach dished out for our Aviva 70.3.

Jeffrey Foo recommended this plan : "if everyone follows the training plan 100%, am very sure you can break sub 6 or 5.30 even, good recommendation, try not to miss weekend bricks which is critical, good luck!"

IM 70.3 training programme

As we prepare for this year’s 70.3, let’s focus on three components:

1) Efficiency in your exertion – using as little effort as possible for the maximum performance

2) Physical and mental training – apart from the obvious, to work on stretching and mental focuses

3) Physical health – watch what you eat and drink

But before we go any further, I have to be a bore and ask that each of you be responsible for your personal health.

If you are on medication or it’s been a long time since you had a medical checkup etc, you should do the necessary. Please contact Dr Andrew for Dr Jimmy’s contact if you have misplaced his contact. Or if you need Dr Low’s contact for some nagging injury, you can get it from me.

The programme will be put out in 4-week installments. It is broad-based in that it focuses on one long mileage workout per discipline and will get any of us to the start line ready to race. However, those aiming to improve their performance over last year should be working in shorter, more technical sessions on other days. Naturally, those who are doing other races in between or aiming for a podium finish will need to make adjustments based on their needs. J

One last thing, caveat emptor hor: I am not a trained coach, so triathlete beware. L

+1 WEEK OF JUN 9

swim: 1.2 km swim (every 4 laps, sight 1 lap)

run: 12 km long, slow run

sat: 60 km bike (climb on big gears with low cadence)

+2 WEEK OF JUN 16

swim: 1.4 km swim (every 3 laps, sight 1 lap)

run: 14 km long, slow run

sat: brick (70 km bike + 30 min jog)

+3 WEEK OF JUN 23

swim: 1.6 km swim (every 2 laps, sight 1 lap)

run: 16 km long, slow run

sat: West Coast hilly bike x 1

-1 WEEK OF JUN 30

swim: 1.2 km swim (enjoy the swim)

run: 12 km long, slow run

sat: 60 km bike / drills

+1 WEEK OF JUL 7

swim: 1.5 km swim (every 3 laps, sight 1 lap)

run: 14 km long, slow run

sat: 70 km bike (climb on big gear, low cadence)

+2 WEEK OF JUL 14

swim: 1.7 km swim (every 2 laps, sight 1 lap)

run: 16 km long, slow run

sat: brick (80km bike + 30 min jog)

+3 WEEK OF JUL 21

swim: 1.9 km swim (every 1 lap, sight 1 lap)

run: 18 km long, slow run

sat: NTU hilly bike x 2

-1 WEEK OF JUL 28

swim: 1.5 km swim (enjoy the swim)

run: 14 km long, slow run

sat: 90 km bike

+1 WEEK OF AUG 4 (possibility of Big Day on Aug 9?)

swim: 1.8 km swim (every 1 lap, sight 1 lap)

run: 16 km long, slow run

sat (Aug 9): 3.5 hr bike + 8 km jog (or a Big Day combining all 3 disciplines)

+2 WEEK OF AUG 11 (peak)

swim: 2 km swim (sight every lap)

run: 18 km long, slow run

sat: brick (2 hr bike + 60 min run)

+3 WEEK OF AUG 18 (peak)

swim: 2.2 km swim (sight every lap)

run: 20 km long, slow run

sat: brick (90 min bike + 90 min run)

-1 WEEK OF AUG 25 (taper)

swim: 1.5 km swim (enjoy the ease in your swim)

run: 10 km jog (enjoy the ease in your jog)

sat: brick (90 min bike + 5 km run)

WEEK OF SEP 1 (race week)

mon: 60 min bike with slopes

tue: 30 min run

wed: 30 min swim

thu: 30 min bike

fri: rest

sat: 20 min easy bike, followed by 10 min jog

sun (Sept 7): 70.3 race day

SAAB City Duathlon 2008

Thanks to Mecca Tan, we have a photo report of the race. Wow, Kane's son did C2T proud by donning the C2T jersey on the podium. :-)

To access Mecca's online album, click here. Sorry can't link Picasa to Blogspot.

Sundown Marathon : account by Maryanne Wong

Last weekend’s ultra marathon was awesome!

I am certainly one that didn’t prepare enough for 84km.

My longest training distance was only 38km two weeks before race day; after one month break from running due to sprained ankle.

I went on to the race with mixed feelings. I more or less had planned to run/walk from the beginning initially but decided not the waste my energy for the first 42km. I am not sure if anyone could agree or experience the same but I sort of had a hunch that I will do better when enthusiasm level is high as well as with company of a few friends in the beginning of race will somehow get me to a certain good distance before I hit the wall or staggered out to run alone which can jeopardize the focus. If I could maintain a slow and steady run for the first loop, not too much exertion, secure 42km within 5.5 / 6 hrs, I am quite… safe. Afterall, my target was just to finish the race. I mean, I can’t be kidding myself here… this is 84km and I haven’t been training much.

So yeah, that was the mental calculation and that was exactly what I did.

The first loop started off alright, until 20km where I felt slight pain in left ITB. I was worried so kept my foot strike easy and as light as possible. I started to apply heat rub at 30km on left knee and quad just to keep it ok. I enjoyed the part from Changi-East Coast stretch but hated Kembangan-Bedok. Too much concrete, road humps, concrete slabs that made a lot of noise, the park connectors were very narrow. The sandy part in Bedok reservoir was a good break from hard pounding. I like this stretch. Many got sands in their shoes but I was lucky. Then those overhead bridges along Tampines-Pasir Ris stretch. Urrgghhh….they killed my momentum. For all the upward and downward slopes, high and low, I stopped and walked. My idea was, I can be slow but I can’t risk having any cramps. So, slopes – no good - walked. I finished 42km at 6:06.

At the pit stop, I changed into a new pair of socks, downed a pack of endurance drink, snacked half a bar of chocolate chip energy bar and off I go. This time, I ran with a plan 5min run / 2 min walk because I felt tired. However, just as I started the second loop, my legs were really heavy and the thought of another 42km, I started to loose it…..thought I may not make it. I was sleepy too. Thank goodness I saw 2 friends. I stayed with them throughout with 5min run / 2min walk interval. The same applied – slopes - walked. It was a good plan.

At 66km, I felt my legs muscles were pulling and at any moment, I could have cramps all over. I slowed down, walked, relaxed ….. another 18km, I can’t stop or just walk all the way, still too far to finish, too risky. I decided to ‘chase time’, make use of the opportunity before the cramp attack. So, I broke away from my friends. I ran ahead - still on run/walk basis but running slightly faster with smaller steps. The idea is to run as much and make it till 70km, then walk all the way if I must. I managed to keep going without having any cramps till 80km! I was thrilled. That gave me new hope. Empowered again, I ran to the 84km finish line.

The overwhelming ending got me teary, I didn’t see the time on official clock when I passed it.

Preliminary result on Sundown website is 13:42.

My Polar RS200sd clocked at 13:38.

For those who know my love-hate relationship with this running computer, I prayed that it is doing me good at least this time. Overall, I’ve been blessed – went to Chinatown for dinner. No MC on Monday. Absolute blister – FREE ! J

This was physically the longest and mentally toughest but crossing the 84km mark was a lot.. a LOT more sweeter!

Will I do it again? YES… I’m so in love with running J

Thank you for all your support and cheers.

Maryanne

Sundown Marathon : account by Winston Tan

I went to the race with a run/walk plan. 8min run with 2 min walk for the 1st 42km and 7min run with 3min walk for the 2nd 42k. The walk break will start after the first 18 min of running. My target isto finish between 13 to 14 hours which I believe is comfortable based on what I have done for my training. Anything under 13hr is a bonus. But things did not goes according to what I hope for.

After just 10km of running, my leg began to feel heavy. At about 20km, I felt some pain in my right quad. At 30km, pain in both ITB. And thing just went downhill from there. I realised that I am not perspiring much. My tri top and arm are still dry. This is when I know the going is going to be tough for the rest of the race because this has happened a few time during my training.

I finished the 1st loop in 5hr38min and started the 2 loop with a 10min walking break hoping that I will feel better after this walking break.
However, I still feel the same. So instead of doing my 7min run and 3min walk plan, I change to run 50 steps and walk 30 steps. This goes on until about the 60km mark when a blister developed under the ball of my right foot which I found out later was about the size of a 50cts coin. With this blister and pain in the bottom of both my feet, I decided that I will just walk the rest of the race hoping to finish within the cutoff time of 14 1/2 hr.

Finally after 13hr28min, I crossed the finishing line at Changi Village.
Even though the going was tough, I enjoyed the race and the "PAIN". At the end of the race, I am so tired that I even forget to collect my finisher medal.

Now I will like to thank a few person.

First of all, thanks to my wife, Chris, and my 2 lovely kids, Yan Ting and Peng Liang, who has given so much time to train for this race. They also stayed up till midnight to see me run passed the route at Tampines Ave 9.

Thanks to my colleague, Kath, who travel from the northern part of the country and joined me in the latter part of the race.

Thanks to Jeffrey and all at HiVelocity for organising the race. Thanks to Yong Seng who joined me for the night run. Thanks to Sharon about Karno book.

Half Marathon. Half Ironman. Full marathon. Full Ironman. Double Marathon.
Double Ironman?


Winston.

Sundown Marathon : account by Boon Pin and Meng Ee

Just a quick race report from me for my Sundown run with Meng Ee, my visually handicapped partner. I am including him in this email so that he can feel the warmth of the Crazy2Tri family. Meng Ee, meet my buddies. Buddies, meet Meng Ee. :)

Our debut 10.5km run went well, though I was not feeling 100 per cent and I felt the first water point was a bit far away from the start line. Thankfully, it was cool so we didn't feel too parched before getting our first cup of drink.

Though we only started after everyone had crossed the start line to avoid the crowd, Meng Ee was very consistent in his pacing and was able to progressively overtake some sighted runners who were either slower or had stopped to walk before the first water point.

The return stretch just after the road turning into the Desaru ferry terminal (am I right? wasn't able to see very well) was a little rough in that the path was narrow (the so-called seamless paved pathway ended just before the Cargo Terminal) and there was lots of low hanging branches to avoid. Then as we got near the SAF ferry terminal, some parts of the pathway had cracked due to the roots of the trees near those parts, and Meng Ee had to be alert to the sudden dips and bumps.

The next thing we knew, we were at the finish line where I heard briefly the announcer alerting the crowd to a blind runner crossing the line.

What was very gratifying for me was that this was the first time Meng Ee had ever run this kind of distance and yet, lots more left in his tank, so he could have gone on for more. As such, the ending was slightly anti-climatic, as in there was a little bit of a "that's it?" kind of feeling. Heh.

However, we had decided to be conservative in our first run and had estimated a 1hr 30mins timing. To finish about 10 minutes faster without dipping into any reserves was a good way to complete our debut.

Boon Pin	Koh	01:21:16.02	00:42:14
Meng Ee	Wong	01:21:15.85	00:42:14

We did a quick post-run interview with My Paper to finish off our earlier chat with the paper. Will keep you guys posted when the story runs.

BP

May Day Desaru ride (Andrew Leong)

Contributed by Andrew Leong

6.45 - 7.00 am - Changi Ferry Terminal
===============================
Everyone arrived on time in high spirits. As usual, Eric Kong no-show.....
Collected our ferry tickets and boarded the ferry to Belungkur.

8.00 -8.15 am - Belungkur Terminal
============================
Arrived at Belungkur and completed immigration and customs.

8.15 - 9.30 am - Desaru Town
========================
We were ahead of time. We started our journey to the first pit stop for refuel which is 26km from ferry terminal.
Weather was overcast and it felt like a fantastic day to ride. No strong sun.
Slight tail wind and it made the ride enjoyable.

10.45 am - Sedili Beach
===================
40 km from Desaru Town, we arrived Sedili Beach.
We were riding in 2 packs - a faster group and a touring group.
I am in the touring group and was enjoying the slight tail wind and cross wind.
Weather continued to be kind, slight overcast.
After 5 km, passing the Desaru roundabout, here comes the hills. About 5-6 of them. No problem to all as we were still strong and fresh. We were averaging at about 25-27 km/h.
Spend 5-10 mins to take a break and group photos.

11.40am - Sedili Kecil
=================
Another 15km, we arrived at Sedili Kecil.
Finally a treat to all for the hard work.
Roasted Kampong Chicken Rice for all.
3 big plates of Kampong chicken and rice for all, 8-10 large bottles of 100 Plus, 8-10 bottles of Mineral Water, 8-10 cans of soft drinks and hard boil eggs.
We paid RM $11 per person. What we paid doesn't compute!

12.30 pm - Return Journey, Ladies and Gentlemen start your engine
=====================================================
One of us had a cold start. His legs all cramped up after mounting onto the bike. We waited another 20 mins for him to get a taxi.
Noon sun were out and we were heading a slight head wind.
Fatigue kicks in. All are struggling a little bit.
We had fun learning to ride in pack and taking turns to draft. However, this did not last.

About 30 km, Sharon had a flat. It took four of us, 2 spare tubes and another 20 mins to fix the flat.
Statistically, Sharon had a flat on her training wheels every other ride. About time she should get a new set of training wheels. Otherwise, we will ban her from the group ride! (Just joking).

Time was getting critical to make it for the 5 pm ferry. Some decided to continue instead of waiting. This was how some of us got lost on the way back.

Edwin, Sharon, Bernard, David and me started riding back as sweeper.
Caught up with Andy struggling with Cramp. Pass him a gel and couple of salts tablets.
Another 3-5 km away caught up with Boon Pin, he said he was taking photos!

3.15 pm - Desaru Town
===================
Edwin, Sharon, Bernard and me will back at Desaru town at 3.15 pm. The rest (Mark, Mel and others) was not there. Later we learned that they were lost. I told them to proceed to the ferry terminal from where they were. In the end, they 'tonpang' a lorry back to ferry terminal.

David waited for Boon Pin. Boon Pin had a flat. In the end they took taxi to the ferry terminal.

Edwin, Sharon, Bernard and me had a 26 km time trial back to the ferry terminal. This is my toughest 26 km back ride. I am all out just to make it to the ferry terminal. Bernard arrive at the ferry terminal much ahead of time. I managed to arrive at the terminal at 4.50 pm. I am the last one to make it for the 5 pm ferry.

Sharon and Edwin were 5 mins shy and miss the 5 pm ferry.

In the end all make it to the ferry terminal at 5.15 pm and had a wonderful fellowships, savoring ramly burgers and watch sunset while waiting for the 7 pm ride.

Shall we do it again?

IM Port Macquarie Race Report

Here's the report from Jeffrey Foo.

MY TAKE FOR IRONMAN PORT MACQUARIE ‐ I’LL BE BACK!
1. To conquer the bike course, the climbs
2. To clock a 4hr marathon time
3. The volunteers and supporters

Full report (with photos) can be view here.

C2T AGM

Ching Hong called for a AGM for the crazy2tri group today. We were invited to the Borneo Motor's cafeteria where it serves some delicious local food - fish head curry, claypot toufu etc.

There must be about at 30 of us present. This AGM didn't need a quorum to start, so nobody counted. Being Singaporean, we were all going for the food. Ching Hong had to bring our focus back to the objective of the meeting. Within one minute, we voted for Kok Aun (absent) to be the president, Boon Pin as the resident coach and Dr Andrew Loy as our team doctor.

Then came the planning of events and checking who is going for what : China Ironman, Port Macquarie Ironman, Sun-down marathon, Bintan Tri, Aviva 70.3, Stanchart marathon, Western Aus Ironman, 09 Langkawi Ironman, 09 China Ironman. The two most subscribed events are the Aviva 70.3 (by default all to go) and China Ironman 09.

Then it was all over.

Terence : More rest needed

Yesterday was my first ride after my Langkawi Ironman. My knee was still a bit sore but I decided to go ahead with the ride at 6.15am. There were eight of the crazy2tri guys.

During the ride, I asked Andrew Loy (our Doc) about my knee soreness. He said it's the inflammation of the tendons. After the 63km ride, I felt tightness around the top of my right knee. There wasn't any pain, thank God.

Today, I detected a slight swell around top right knee. I did some googling and found out that my symptom fitted that of Quad tendonitis. This particular site (iTendonitis.com) gives a pretty good insight into Quad tendonitis.

The article says : "The best way to start to treat your quadriceps tendonitis is to rest. Best will allow the tendon to repair and the inflammationto go down. In most cases you will have to rest the affected area for about 4-6 weeks. It's important that you let your quadriceps tendon fully recover." (And it shall, in Jesus' name.)

It's not a coincidence that I have been listening to a recent sermon by my pastor on "REST". The bible equates "the promise land, which flows with milk and honey" to "Rest". God wants us to rest by believing on the perfect and completed work of Christ on the cross.

Guess I will take it easy for the next 2-3 weeks.

Langkawi Ironman 08

Terence : D-day account

The 2008 Langkawi Ironman race was flagged off at 7.30am, half hour later than customary. We were told the day before that ESPN Sports will be covering this race and morning doesn't break until around 7.15am. Also, the age-grouper would start 15 mins after the pros.

Our gang were all at the transition area at 6am. Usual fare : weigh in, body marking, fill up water bottle, pump up tires, warm-up, queue up for toilet, etc. MC announcing the numbers of participant from the 38 countries represented. One visually handicap participant from Japan, one with prostatic leg, two on hand-powered bikes. There was a absence of usual pump-up music as it was prayer time for nearby mosque.

3.8km swim
0700 hr. Slipped into the super calm sea for warm-up swim. Watched the pros pushed off at 0715. I floated on my back near the start line, eyes closed, appreciating the restful moment, minutes before the start of a long, long day.

0800 hr. Half hour into the swim. By now, have settled into some rhymn : 6-7 pull, sight. Fixed my sighting on a tall white building in the distance. Once in the while, got caught in a pack which make my strokes choppy and I have to swim away. Compared to my last race, I was doing my sighting much more smoothly, thanks to my swim coach, Bernard. But where is the 1.9km u-turn bouy?

0826 hr. Finally, I was making the turn at the half way. Glanced at my watch and was dismayed I took 56 min. I have to catch up to better my timing from last year. The swim back felt better - I realized I forgot to kick as I was getting caught in the pack in the first half, which I duly corrected. I sped up a bit towards the end. As I walked up the ramp, I was happy to see that I finished my swim in 1:36 hr.

I made it a point to transition fast this year. No more change of clothes - one suit all the way. No gloves. No socks and shoes on the bike. Look around the tent for familiar faces. Spotted Enrico, and then Roger. Downed a powergel, strapped on number tag, helmut and eye shade and I was off.

180km bike
Saw Luan (here's her blog) and the supporter at the bike mounting point. Heard her cheering "Well done, Nai". I slipped into my shoes as I rode out into the main road. Passed Seaview Hotel. Bridge. Right turn. Left turn. Enrico passed me. Then the much anticipated 10 degree Lisram Highway slopes. Blood has not quite got to my leg yet (from horizontal swim position) so the climb up the first slope was shaky. Down slope at 50km/hr. No brake this time - need all the momentum to get to the next big slope.

Next is the "PIE", the 6-lane East-west express way leading to airport. Passed a local school and received cheers from the school children. Nice. I was reminded of the two big hills from our recce the day before. These hills are not as steep as the one we encountered in last year's route (when a number of people were walking up) but it was longer and combined with cross winds, it was a silent killer. By now, Roger has passed me. Man, he was fast on the bike.

Made the u-turn at the second circle (timing mat) near the airport and then turned left to Ulu Malacca Road ("CTE") that led us to the almost northern tip of Langkawi, Tanjung Rhu beach. This stretch is mostly flat and I tried to keep to my cadence of 95 rpm. Saw Luan, Jennifer and Jimmy at the beach, cheering and snapping pictures.

Made the tight u-turn and passed the timing mat and back-tracked down south for the next segment. Saw Chris Oh earlier just before the u-turn, about 500m separating us. Half hour later, caught up with Chris. "Go, go" he told me. At "PIE", turned left towards Kuah town and was immediately faced with a big climb. Urg...

Few rolling hills later, came to Kuah town, marking the end of first loop. 65km done - 115km more to go. Back on west-bound "PIE" again and start of loop 2. Saw Ping passed me. She is a chilly-padi on the go. I remembered our first half-ironman in Desaru in Sep 06. She finished way ahead of us (in the same league as Boon Pin) and she ran with me to the finishing line.

By now, I started to experience a small stomach cramp. Oh no! Bad memory of last years' stomach cramp came flooding back. I prayed that the cramp would go away. Head winds, combined with the slopes and mid-day heat were telling my body (who was in turn convincing my mind) to give in. Told myself to get over the PIE, which was bare without trees.

On the north-bound "CTE", my stomach got worse. The word DNF was now written on the wall. I remembered my Endurolytes (Salt and electrolyte tablets) which I brought along without planning to use them - I never had to use them during training. Nothing to lose, I popped two tablets and prayed. And I recovered after 15 min. So they are right, you really need those pills.

Finally, loop 2 was over. By now, my body got the message : you can't quit. I looked at my Polar watch and was lifted in my spirit. I had a shot at sub-7 bike split (last year was 7:06).

On the third and final loop, I began picking up speed (I think). I was spinning faster, closer to my target cadence of >95. At some stretch, I was doing 110 even. On the stretch back to Kuah town, I took the risk (of thrashing my quads) by climbing out of saddle. This is what I experimented after watching a few elites rode past me : as you approach the slope, you pick up speed, then as your speed drops, drop down to one gear (heavier) and then stand up and climb using your body weight to maintain the momentum, which hopefully will bring you to the top.

Eight and a half hour later, I gladly handed my bike to the volunteer (thank you so much, all the volunteers) at T2. I was doing better than expected, up to this point. I entered the transition tent - no familiar faces. Have not seen Mecca (Michael) and Logan yet. Took sometime to splat on the Sunblock, wear my socks and shoes. Another pack of gel - my ninth or tenth pack. Strangely, I didn't find the gel so repulsive this race.

Luan and Jimmy met me outside the tent and we posed for a picture. Luan passed me a Kit Kat and off I went. The start of a marathon. 42.2km to go.

42.2km run
The marathon route was exactly the same as last year's - four laps of 10km each. Strangely enough, I was actually looking forward to the "jog" down the memory lane. I spotted Logan and Halil, outside their condo, looking fresh from shower and clean clothes. They must have DNF'ed and their sufferings have ended. I couldn't quite figure out if I was feeling sorry for them or for myself.

As I turned into Jln Air Hangat - the 6.5km stretch where car fumes mixed with oxygen powers your leg muscles - I saw Roger Chow running towards me. Also saw the guy with prostatic leg, who already has one rubber bangle on his wrist (one bangle per 10k loop). Also saw the visual handicap athlete from Japan and he was guided by a Malaysian runner who had to clear the way by uttering "excuse us".

There were drink and food station every 1km, so I can look forward to 42 buffet helping along the way :-). I finally met Michael, at half a kilometer after the u-turn, which means he was only 1km behind. (Can you imagine that Michael was a 20-stick-a-day smoker, non-active guy just 3-4 years ago.)

Somewhere in the second loop, I saw Ping and Jimmy was accompanying her. I later heard that Jimmy ran almost 30km all in all. (What's love got to do... got to do with it)

I tried to keep a pace of 8km/h or 1:15 hr per 10k loop but found that to be too ambitious. After the first lap, I had to stop at every aid station to get the anti-cramp sprayed onto my quads to relief the pain.

Luan came back with her jogging shoes on my second lap and accompanied me from Seaview hotel to Condo Istana. That boosted my morale. On my third lap, I asked Luan to buy the deep heat rub for me - didn't want to waste time going to the medical tent anymore. She did so many "domestique" work for me that she later wondered how I could have done this without her last year.

On my last lap, I told Luan to wait for me at Seaview. The plan was to run up to the finish line together. It didn't quite work out as she couldn't catch up with me and she didn't want me to slow down. Looking back, I regretted that I didn't slow down for her. (That means we have to do another Ironman - Ha Ha).

SWIM 1:36:56 BIKE 6:51:47 RUN 5:48:06 OVERALL 14:29:59 POSITION 292

Second-time Ironman.

Chris Oh : Langkawi Ironman 08 account

On Thur we did the recce ride on the highway, which is the new route, the hills look bearable. But it was not to be so after 140km, it was really a torture to go up those hills at less than 10km/h.

During the recce ride, I already felt a bit of chest tightness. I thought I was not having enough rest as the night before I had trouble sleeping.

That night, I also did felt a bit of chest pain halfway through the night, but was alright the next day.

On race day, although I did try to sleep early at 9pm plus, but just could not sleep. Must be the race anxiety.

The race started at 745am, everything was smooth. Had a good swim, at turn around at 48 mins, and back at 1hr 29min. Lots of sea bugs and jelly fishes. Strangely not of us got bitten though all of us touched or kicked most of them.

Had a smooth transition, but the HR monitor is not working so I cannot tell my HR. The 1st loop was good, going quite well and feeling ok. Enrikoh passed me on the 40 km and terence on the 80 km. After the 1st u turn, I notice I was going a little too fast, so I slowed down my speed especially on the climb. Then I felt my legs begin to tired, a worrying sign that I might have hit the hills too hard, as I climbing is very lousy. After the 2nd loop Mecca passed me and I was suffering already. I do not have my HR, I do not know how hard I was going. I felt the tightness in the chest again. After the u turn, I could not do deep breathing, every deep breath I did, I felt pain in my chest. By then I was debating within myself should I stop, nevertheless I continued till the 120km mark medical stop. I just rest on the stretcher although the medical staff did asked me if I want to give up. I just told her let me rest a while.

Kok Chin came thereafter, he told me he is having double vision and headache. I did encouraged him to stop as this can be very serious. But he proposed we continue further at a slower pace to see if everything will be ok. So we did just that, ride beside each other for the next 20km before Kok Chin need to stop to bathe his head to stop the headache. At this point I decided we should call it a day.

That is when both of our races end.

Though I am disappointed but I felt I am right to listen to my body. Even before the race, I felt that I am totally not ready for this race and with the current stress at work, it kind of 'damaged' my body and health.

Well, at least I live for another day to try out other races but not IM in the near future as I realised there is not way to go for an IM without proper training and preparation.

Congrats to Terence and Michael who broke their PBs.

Congrats to Hui Ping and Clement who has set their PB, now is for them to break them again.

Andrew Leong tracking race in real time

Andrew's update @ 9.15pm
----------------------------------
Roger Chow has completed with a fantastic time of 13:11 in his first ever IM.

Chow, Roger 367/244/203 41 01:36:37 06:17:11 05:01:56 13:11:10

Mecca Tan and Terence still have 10 km to go....

Mecca Tan

FIRST RUN SEGMENT: 6.1 km 6.1 km(47:56) 7.64 km/h
SECOND RUN SEGMENT: 11.1 km 5 km (43:15) 6.94 km/h
THIRD RUN SEGMENT: 16.1 km 5 km (42:17) 7.09 km/h
FOURTH RUN SEGMENT: 21.1 km 5 km (41:10) 7.29 km/h
FIFTH RUN SEGMENT: 26.1 km 5 km (43:05) 6.96 km/h
SIXTH RUN SEGMENT: 31.1 km 5 km (43:56) 6.83 km/h
SEVENTH RUN SEGMENT: 36.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h
EIGHTH RUN SEGMENT: 41.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h
FINAL RUN SEGMENT: 42.2 km 1.1 km (--:--) -- km/h

Terence

FIRST RUN SEGMENT: 6.1 km 6.1 km(48:34) 7.54 km/h
SECOND RUN SEGMENT: 11.1 km 5 km (42:12) 7.11 km/h
THIRD RUN SEGMENT: 16.1 km 5 km (41:12) 7.28 km/h
FOURTH RUN SEGMENT: 21.1 km 5 km (40:21) 7.43 km/h
FIFTH RUN SEGMENT: 26.1 km 5 km (43:00) 6.98 km/h
SIXTH RUN SEGMENT: 31.1 km 5 km (41:58) 7.15 km/h
SEVENTH RUN SEGMENT: 36.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h
EIGHTH RUN SEGMENT: 41.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h
FINAL RUN SEGMENT: 42.2 km 1.1 km (--:--) -- km/h

Andrew's update @ 6.30pm
-----------------------------------
The top three men
RACETIME: 09:06

Faris Al-Sultan (#1) won in 8:34:42
* Petr Vabrousek (#11) at 9:04:54
* Elmar Schuberth (#10) at 9:06:03

Crazy2Tri Buddies

Halil, Chris and Logan did the right thing of pulling out. There is more IM races in the future.

Mecca Tan has a very good bike split. He has to pay for his P3C.
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:48:56) 2:52/100m 438
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (50:57) 28.26 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (36:11) 24.87 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (55:51) 27.93 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:39) 29.36 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (36:01) 23.32 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (58:15) 26.78 km/h
SIXTH BIKE SEGMENT: 134 km 14 km (34:50) 24.11 km/h
SEVENTH BIKE SEGMENT: 149 km 15 km (38:00) 23.68 km/h
EIGHTH BIKE SEGMENT: 175 km 26 km (59:17) 26.31 km/h
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT: 180.2 km 5.2 km (13:13) 23.61 km/h
TOTAL BIKE 180.2 km (6:53:14) 26.16 km/h 348


FIRST RUN SEGMENT: 6.1 km 6.1 km(47:56) 7.64 km/h
SECOND RUN SEGMENT: 11.1 km 5 km (43:15) 6.94 km/h
THIRD RUN SEGMENT: 16.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h

Terence
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:56) 2:33/100m 368


FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (48:31) 29.68 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (33:47) 26.64 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (53:39) 29.08 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:31) 29.49 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (38:25) 21.87 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (1:00:59) 25.58 km/h
SIXTH BIKE SEGMENT: 134 km 14 km (34:52) 24.09 km/h
SEVENTH BIKE SEGMENT: 149 km 15 km (38:28) 23.40 km/h
EIGHTH BIKE SEGMENT: 175 km 26 km (59:11) 26.36 km/h
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT: 180.2 km 5.2 km (13:24) 23.28 km/h
TOTAL BIKE 180.2 km (6:51:47) 26.26 km/h 313


FIRST RUN SEGMENT: 6.1 km 6.1 km(48:34) 7.54 km/h
SECOND RUN SEGMENT: 11.1 km 5 km (42:12) 7.11 km/h
THIRD RUN SEGMENT: 16.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h

Roger Chow
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:37) 2:32/100m 367


FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (51:04) 28.20 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (32:39) 27.57 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (49:26) 31.56 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (27:28) 32.77 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (33:47) 24.86 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (51:58) 30.02 km/h
SIXTH BIKE SEGMENT: 134 km 14 km (29:34) 28.41 km/h
SEVENTH BIKE SEGMENT: 149 km 15 km (34:05) 26.41 km/h
EIGHTH BIKE SEGMENT: 175 km 26 km (54:38) 28.55 km/h
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT: 180.2 km 5.2 km (12:32) 24.89 km/h
TOTAL BIKE 180.2 km (6:17:11) 28.67 km/h 244


FIRST RUN SEGMENT: 6.1 km 6.1 km(40:33) 9.03 km/h
SECOND RUN SEGMENT: 11.1 km 5 km (34:16) 8.75 km/h
THIRD RUN SEGMENT: 16.1 km 5 km (36:17) 8.27 km/h
FOURTH RUN SEGMENT: 21.1 km 5 km (35:31) 8.45 km/h
FIFTH RUN SEGMENT: 26.1 km 5 km (--:--) -- km/h

Andrew's update @2pm
------------------------------
Faris goes through 11 km
RACETIME: 06:16

And his competition has yet to make it to 6km of the marathon here.

His first 11 km took 45:05, which is about 4:06/ km.

That would equate to 2:52 marathon!

Crazy2Tri Buddies : Terence and Roger continue to pull strongly on the bike. Still no news on Logan. Eric says he is having McDonalds for lunch!

6 hrs 23 mins into the race

Mecca Tan
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:48:56) 2:52/100m 438

FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (50:57) 28.26 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (36:11) 24.87 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (55:51) 27.93 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:39) 29.36 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (36:01) 23.32 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (--:--) -- km/h

Terence
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:56) 2:33/100m 368
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (48:31) 29.68 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (33:47) 26.64 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (53:39) 29.08 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:31) 29.49 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (38:25) 21.87 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (1:00:59) 25.58 km/h

Chris Oh
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:29:43) 2:21/100m 307
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (51:06) 28.18 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (35:40) 25.23 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (58:05) 26.86 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (35:33) 25.32 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (41:20) 20.32 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (--:--) -- km/h

Roger Chow
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:37) 2:32/100m 367
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (51:04) 28.20 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (32:39) 27.57 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (49:26) 31.56 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (27:28) 32.77 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (33:47) 24.86 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (51:58) 30.02 km/h

Andrew's update @ 1pm
Al-Sultan has less than 5 km to go
RACETIME: 05:16

The 2005 Ford Ironman World Champion is flying through the bike course here today.

He'll be at T2 in the next 10 minutes or so. He is at least 20 min ahead of the chase pack.

Faris
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (50:00) 1:18/100m 2
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (34:25) 41.84 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (23:53) 37.68 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (37:31) 41.58 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (19:42) 45.69 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (24:10) 34.76 km/h
FIFTH BIKE SEGMENT: 120 km 26 km (38:02) 41.02 km/h
SIXTH BIKE SEGMENT: 134 km 14 km (21:07) 39.78 km/h
SEVENTH BIKE SEGMENT: 149 km 15 km (25:20) 35.53 km/h
EIGHTH BIKE SEGMENT: 175 km 26 km (40:31) 38.50 km/h
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT: 180.2 km 5.2 km (--:--) -- km/h


For our Crazy2Tri :

Oh no, looks like Logan may have DNF!

Mecca Tan
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:48:56) 2:52/100m 438
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (50:57) 28.26 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (36:11) 24.87 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (55:51) 27.93 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:39) 29.36 km/h

Terence
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:56) 2:33/100m 368
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (48:31) 29.68 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (33:47) 26.64 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (53:39) 29.08 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (30:31) 29.49 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (38:25) 21.87 km/h

Chris Oh
OTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:29:43) 2:21/100m 307
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (51:06) 28.18 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (35:40) 25.23 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (58:05) 26.86 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (35:33) 25.32 km/h

Roger Chow
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:36:37) 2:32/100m 367
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT: 24 km 24 km (51:04) 28.20 km/h
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT: 39 km 15 km (32:39) 27.57 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 65 km 26 km (49:26) 31.56 km/h
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT: 80 km 15 km (27:28) 32.77 km/h
FOURTH BIKE SEGMENT: 94 km 14 km (33:47) 24.86 km/h


Andrew's update @10am
------------------------------

Al-Sultan, Faris 2/--/-- 30 00:50:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

Mecca Tan
437/--/-- 44 01:48:56 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

Ng, Terence
367/--/-- 45 01:36:56 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

Oh, Chris
306/--/-- 37 01:29:43 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

Chow, Roger 366/--/-- 41 01:36:37 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

Loganathan
446/--/-- 41 01:51:57 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

D-1 day

Woke up (thank God!) around 8am. Last night, the hotel received a bus load of Thai tourist and this morning, they pretty much wiped out the breakfast buffet spread. Luan and I ate what was left.

Bella Vista (previously called Tiara Langkawi) sits on a prime spot in downtown Kuah, facing the bay. It's about 10 mins drive to the Jetty (Eagle Square) and the official Seaview Hotel. From where I was standing on the 3rd floor looking out to the bay, I could spot in the distance the buoys and the flags where we will be swimming alongside the next day. (See pic)

We headed to Seaview Hotel to get my race registration done. Drove past Bayview Hotel where the Crazy2tri stayed last year. Old memory came back. There were close to 20 of us and loads of fun doing our first ironman.

Seaview was bustling as expected. SMS Logan and Michael (or Mecca - his name was changed to reflect his new status as a Faris challenger). Mike and Roger is out in the recce bus. After the customary medical check, got my race barang and timing chip, we spotted Logan, Enrico, Halil, Ping and Jimmy (Ping's boyfriend)

Route recce
Time was 9.30am - one hour before the race briefing. Decided to go for the route recce in our rented car. Ping and Jimmy came with us. This was Ping's first ironman, so Lisram Highway naturally caused her jaw to drop. From Lisram, we turned into Padang Mat Sirat (a.k.a "PIE") which is the east-west highway connecting airport to Kuah. Along this stretch are the rolling hills, the biggest shown here, near the airport. Went through the two circles, passed the airport, u-turned back into "PIE". We then turned left into Ulu Malaka Rd ("CTE"), heading north towards Tanjung Rhu Beach. That's it, we have covered almost the entire one loop and it's time to rush back to the race briefing.

We checked in our bikes at 4pm, had early dinner and then headed back to hotel and condo for our attempt at "sleeping early". Of course, I was tossing and turning the whole night, filled with anxiety - as expected.

I reviewed my game plan in my head :
- Swim (from my coach, Bernard Tay) : make every pull count. Smooth rhymnic kick. Left shoulder roll more. Keep neck relax while sighting (look for 2-3 red flag). I will be relying purely on right technique I learnt in past 9 month to get my swim through as I have not swam beyond 1km since Aviva 70.3
- Bike : Spin at 100 rpm. Power = Force x cadence. Since I have not clocked more than 120km since my Batam ride in April last year, I have to rely on my aerobic engine to turn up the cadence.
- Run : Chi-running form. Form, form, form. High cadence (80-85).

No wonder I couldn't sleep...

D-2 Day

Wake up in the morning, wondering if I should go for another short run. Decided against it. Went into the office to clear some work and emails. My boss wished me luck, his parting words : "take it easy, there is nothing to prove - you have done it".

4pm came and I headed home. Luan had just returned from Shanghai and her sister was going to drive us to the airport in our MPV.

At the airport, we met a Belgium couple (Stephen and Natalie) and a Malaysian, Kenneth, all going to Langkawi for the race. Roger and his wife, Jennifer was there too. We chatted and learned that Stephen (who looked very rugged with his flowing long hair and deep setted eyes) was about to do his second ironman for the year, after Busselton. Next, he is going NZ. His target is to complete 15 ironman this year! If we are crazy2tri, he must be mad_with_tri (and a wealthy one at that). His PB stands at 10hr+. :-P

-Terence

Landed in Langkawi airport just after 8pm. Rented a car (Proton Wira) after getting assurance from the rental guy that our bike case would go in, and it did.

We made our way to our hotel, Vista Bella. Checked in. Unpacked and assembled my bike - spent a bit of time trying to get my real derailleur to thread in properly. While unpacking, Luan went to the lobby (WIFI hotspot) to update her blog.

Next, was supper and then to bed. D-2 night is always important as the night before a race is typically quite sleepless.

D-3 day

Went for a short run in the morning to wake up the legs. Focused on maintaining cadence of 85.

SMS'ed Logan who arrived last night at Langkawi. Said weather was hot at 40C. Yahoo weather said it will be "mostly cloudy" for next 4 days and temperature will be around 34C. We shall see.

Reached home around 7pm. Started packing my bike into the bike case. Everything went smoothly. Praise the Lord.

To go or not to go? Langkawi Ironman

Saturday 9 Feb. 3rd day of the new Lunar year. 14 days to Langkawi Ironman. Today is my go/no-go day. I will decide if I should go to Langkawi IM after today's 130km ride, consisting of two loops (Mandai - LCK - West Coast). Up till now, I have only rode two century rides - one on Christmas Day and one three saturdays ago.

There were only three of us : Joe Chua, Kok Aun and myself. Kok Aun has to be back by 8pm so he would turn back at the end of Mandai Road. We RV'ed with Joe at Thomson Road and he said he would do one loop. We did a relatively easy pace and saw Kok Aun off at Mandai Road junction. Joe and I continued to Neo Tew with Joe was leading much of the way.

My aim today was to get used to my feeding (Enery gel, yuk!) plan of 1 gel (110 cal) per 40 min. I also want to see if I can maintain 85-95 rpm cadence for all two loops. After finishing the first loop, we stop at Long House (Thomson) for a 100-Plus. Joe bidded farewell and adviced me to marry up and cycle in a group. I said I would but I did not see any groups later - must be CNY holiday.

Loop 2. Along old Upper Thomson and Mandai Road, I felt my quads stiffening and lost power. Oh shit, it looked like No-go. I quickly feed on my gel - the stop at Long House must have disrupted my feed. I focused on maintaining my target cadence to get best possible efficiency. (Power = Force x velocity. At the same power, increasing velocity means less force needed from muscles contracting). Fortunately, my legs somewhat recovered. The heat from the sun reminded me of Langkawi 07 and I wondered why am I still open to this "nonsense" again.

Loop 1 averaged 29.3km/h, loop 2 - 28.1km/h. Kok Aun said in his sms : "Not bad, considering the traffic lights".

Conclusion : Langkawi 08 - here I come. I want to see if I can finish in 15 hour with virtually no special training program. :-)

Written by Terence Ng

Ching Hong in Athens

Greece is very nice ...unfortunately i have no time to do some tour ... i flew from Athens to Thessoloniki (greek name for Thessalonia where Paul the Apostle wrote a book to them) ... nice town but i had no time to tour the place - just went to meeting and then flew back in the evening. I understand Corinth (where Corinthians book and where Paul spent two years here) is nearby too.

I had an hour or so before dinner, and I went for a nice run today ... about 1 hour, but i was surprised by the cold and came back with frozen fingers. Beginning of the run was cold all round my body but after half an hour it is fine as the body warms up, but the hands got cold. My body insulated by two layers so it is okay. I ran to the original Olympic stadium where the first Game was held in 1896 .... wow !! It is amazing .. but unfortunately they do not allow us to run inside the stadium .. it will be so cool to do so. Also ran around a small park near the parliament and some historical building.

tomorrow, i hope to run around the old town of Acropolis (below the temple Pantheon) .... all within my hotel area.

Written by Ching Hong