Repositioning Yourself For Optimum Impact

What do road-bicycles, clothes, and shoes have in common? Clue: The F- word.

Fit! How equipment or attire feels next to your skin and sinews are important. Given time, improperly fitted gear will provide physical feedback. Abrasions, calluses, cuts, cramps, numbness and muscular fatigue can hold you back from your full ability to perform physically. Comfort reigns; carelessness pains.

My conversations with runners and triathletes recently yielded interest in reducing fatigue, and warding off debilitating conditions like muscle cramps. I postulated that how you ride could seriously impact on how you would run afterwards. My friend Barney Tee strongly states: ‘The ride determines the run!’

Muscles used for cycling & running are similar, however the exact focus is different. There are strong reasons why you should not pre-exhaust them with bad techniques. Power your way through the ride, yet save your calves and hamstrings for the run.

I have adjusted my cleat position on my riding shoes and I have kept my calves released (not so tensed) during my run. Now, I ride more neutral with my feet parallel to the ground when I pedal. Find your best feet forward. Re-position your cleats onto your soles of your bike-shoes at the joint of your forefoot. You can mark it out with a silver-coloured permanent marker. Better style, get a bike fit done by a certified professional.

In sports, I strongly believe that rehabilitation is the foundation of performance. You cannot train hard if you are injured. Heal before you reveal. Reposition you body by seeking experts like physiotherapist, chiropractors, and body coaches. Yoga, Pilates and core stability work help to align our spine, enhance joint integrity and usher in muscular strength and power. Move about when you can and stop playing prisoner to your chair!

Leadership Lessons: Deliver to your audience’s needs. Tailor your material exactly. Express, then impress. Dress for the part – impressions matter. Speak with authority, commitment and conviction. How do you position your leadership style for greater influence? How do you spread your personal values around your team, department and organisation?

Timeout: The Pause That Refreshes

It is nice to take time out to chill. The hustle and bustle of everyday, mundane, work-driven life can be quite a burden on our sense of self. The occasional break, whether deliberate or random, can provide relief to our sense of direction and bearing.


Tonight, my team of endurance sports friends gathered for drinks and food. We exchanged war stories, and traded moments of humour. It makes what we have worked on more meaningful. Beyond the training and strenuous work, is a pot of pleasurable and productive conversations. 


Tomorrow, we head out for our open-water swim. Our fearless leader, Matt will be headed for Bali for a week of well-deserved rest with his wife. The usual gang of suspects are quite motivated, so the team looks intact, with new faces joining us at almost every session. I believe that the group is self-motivated and will sustain in numbers until the end of the Singapore Biathlon. Then, we will assess if the team was truly born out of interest or of desperation. It does not really matter, as there are enough races to keep us focused on developing our personal capability. I would fully appreciate the integrity and intent of the team.

I had my bike fit this afternoon with Master Bike Fitter and Elite Bicycles founder, David Greenfield. I am appreciative of the company's sense of delivery, where they actively follow up on my progress and riding comfort. I had some significant adjustments to my aero-bars, but beyond that I was reassured that my bike measurements were consistent, and that my core strength was enhanced. David has his subtle way of, elusively, taking other peripheral measurements. I believe that he and his colleagues are seriously passionate about the quality of their work, and demonstrate values that will see them through to a successful business future.


Next week, we will hear read about shocking news concerning celebrity sportspeople. It make shake your confidence about the revelations of foul and unfair practice. Anyway, one thing at a time. Enjoy your weekend! I am looking forward to my Desaru long ride, and  quality family time. Thank your for reading, Readers! I am deeply touched by your support of this blog. Live long and prosper!


Photo-caption: Sentosa Swim Team (Karolina, Richard, Enrico, Desmond and Vijay) with Elite Bicycles co-director Adeline Khoo and David Greenfield (4th and 5th from left) at an open-house talk session.

My New ELITE Bike Arrives Today!

I will be getting my Elite Bicycles Razor Carbon frame set up to my needs this afternoon. Since I like familiarity, I will attempt to get similar components. As one friend described it, it is my 'hybrid triathlon bike'. For the merely curious and pedestrian, pictures of my new carbon stead will be posted this evening. I feel like an expectant father. Meanwhile, I made plans to ride and run tomorrow and Thursday. It won't be a pretty deal: 120K ride/10K run - bricks before the race. Should be fast and furious. Stay tuned!
*****

It was a quiet ride with Eastern Night Riders (ENR), all five of us with two new riders Peter (friend of ENR co-founder Edward Kor) and Andy (new expatriate on the block). I caught up with the rest, eventually, when I arrived to find the car-park deserted. Thankfully, I joined up with Caroline, Ed, Tee, and the two new friends. My new ride was initiated by a trial-by-fire moderate-paced ride of 30K (excluding to/fro time from home - about another 14K). Here she is, in all her splendour. My name and surname is on each side of the front forks, for easy identification during Transition. Handcrafted by David Greenfield of ELITE Bicycles of Philadelphia, USA it was specially painted to my request by Keith Hatton, ELITE's Art Director. Maroon happens to be my company's corporate colours.

There are additional parts not featured yet, like the Edge Composite 1.45 wheel-set. These are similar to the ZIPPS 404s I used before. It arrives tomorrow, so I can ride it out on a 120K route. Well, that's the plan. My body will have to adjust to my new mount, although it has been custom-fitted to my body. Glad to know from bike fitter/director, Daphne Wee (who spent the afternoon tweaking the bike with me) that there was not much variation from my original measurements. Perhaps, my body has learnt new good habits since my first fitting months ago. Looking forward to tomorrow's ride with IMWA participant, Hui Koon.