10 Ways To Use Diversity In Fitness Development

What do you do when you get bored of your training and racing?

Motivation can wane through time, so we should be mindful when our enthusiasm and passion loses it fizzle and sizzle. Just as we can 'get our goose cooked', we can experience fatigue, boredom and lethargy. Over-training and over-racing can accelerate our sense of malaise. So, what can do to rejuvenate our interests?

1) Reduce training mileage, and maintain intensity (tempo, track-work, running up slopes).
2) Focus on speed and strength (higher intensity, strength-training).
3) Race in shorter events (add intensity and focus).
4) Participate in fun events (Colour Run, Illumination, mass yoga, Superhero Run).
5) Challenge different muscle groups (do CrossFit, yoga).
6) Take on challenging races that challenge different aspects of your fitness (Spartan Race, aquathlon).
7) Focus on your weakest area (swimming for me).
8) Take on harder terrain (ride on hills, off-road running).
9) Slow down and do fun activities (trekking, mountain-biking, wear a costume in a short run).
10) Do a team charity event to raise funds.

All it takes is to include variety, diversify your energies and interests, and learning new skills - and you will be confident with newly-discovered fitness and prowess!

Focused On Your Priorities

There are those who still think multi-tasking is a core skill that adds value. Instead, multi-skilling adds more value than juggling numerous tasks. As a manager, you can delegate specific tasks to your staff as long as these tests them adequately and engages their capability. Never delegate to staff work that is yours to do, for that is irresponsible and creates risk of disappointing results.

Steven Covey (author of the ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’) proposed a 2X2 matrix on time management. The axes of ‘Important/Unimportant’ versus ‘Urgent/Not Urgent’ describe tasks that need to be attended to immediately, or later. Your manager (reporting officer) and you decide on the priorities based on their relative importance to you.

You can focus on one thing at a time, in order to do it well. Too many distractions will only shift your focus. The ability to shift focus fast and with purpose will enhance your value as a staff who can manage crisis, as well as interruptions, meetings and time-wasters. As a manager, focus on what matters to your staff, even the small, seemingly unimportant things. Create a happy working environment that enhances the value of every staff.

In sports, focusing on your weakness can be useful in promoting your overall fitness. There are so many facets of fitness including strength, power, agility, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. By focusing on one positive aspect at a time, you can build a more stable, strong and steady body that is injury-free. This will make assist you in performing to your best (and optimally) during races.

Fighting Fit For Your Forties (Part 2)

There are measurements, and there are numbers. As clichéd as it sounds, age is merely a number; we can measure our physical fitness and health in other ways. The thrill of earning a personal best (PB) time is priceless. It suggests – even for a short while – that, perhaps, we can slow down the allegorical hands of time. We cannot buy time, however we can spend it in ways that matter more to us, and that it creates meaning. One thing is certain: despite the insanity of what endurance athletes subject themselves to, there is no denying that the Masters’ level athletes put in their very best. They can inspire us to look forward to our futures with a sense of certainty, optimism, purpose and adventure. I believe that these four individuals of distinction illustrate for you their spirit of camaraderie, competition and commitment.

EV: How do you deal with injuries? Which kinds did you experience?

FY: Depending on what type of injuries. I had shin splints and plantar fasciitis before. I saw many doctors, physiotherapy, and TCM. Didn't really help, not because they were no good but just that I was too impatient. I started to run when there was a slight improvement on the injury. So, the important point learnt was – Be Patient. Stop all running activities and let the injuries completely heal before attempting to get back to running. And when running after recovering, start from scratch and gradually build up the base, and not pick up from where you left off.

MH: Injury is something that all sportspeople need to deal with it as we will never know our limit until we cross it. I have been trying to manage my current injury, but due to my field-based job, even surgery (based on my specialist’s assessment) is not an option. Thus, I cut back on high intensity or any load-bearing regime to minimize the downtime by cross-training (with low impact activities).

MK: Injury is so annoying, isn't it? And, the older you get the more it happens. I never got rid of my Achilles Tendon problem since 2006. I do calf-stretching, icing, massage, or stop running completely if it gets worse. I also do cycling and swimming to keep fit.

VC: I will always ensure that I give sufficient and appropriate attention to my injuries and try to get sufficient rest to recuperate. Unfortunately, the Singaporean in me gets the better of me, very often. I tend to get back to my training before I am 100% healed. But I will work my way back to my former rigour, rather than dive straight into it. So far my main injury is the iliotibial band syndrome (ITB).

EV: How can we sustain a fitness lifestyle through our 50’s and 60’s (and even race in competitions)?

VC: A healthy diet and a fairly active lifestyle would be a good starting point. With good health, it is easier to proceed to keeping fit, and then pushing your body further.

Freddy: Just try to enjoy every run without the pressure and stress. Cheers.

MH: Listen to your body, as it is your best option to stay in the game longer. I hope my five-cents worth of feedback can assist you in your story.

MK: Forget about competitiveness! Just enjoy the exercise. Appreciate how you are. Appreciate you can still do races. Do not be afraid to pull out from races, if you do not feel like doing it. Races are for fun, not for suffering. Being healthy is most important.

EV: Thank you, Lady & Gentlemen for all your sharing. It helps us appreciate that aging can be a graceful and natural process. It can also promote the best out of our physical fitness through mutual training and competition. Train smart and safely.

Photo-credits: Boon Yeong (Mika & Victor), Marathon Mohan (Freddy Yeoh), Franxis Yong (Melvin)

Fighting Fit For Your Forties (Part 1)

In my long-term observation of aging athletes, I stay steadfastly fascinated by athletes in their forties, and beyond. The top age-groupers in triathlons and running, occasionally, return with terrifying times that match even those in their 20’s and 30’s. Sister Madonna Buder inspired me when she was racing in the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona in her early 70’s. When I raced for the second time in Clearwater, Florida for the Ironman 70.3 World’s, Sister Buder was there, too packing enough heat in her strides to be taken seriously. My new friend, a 46-year-old senior officer, from the U.S. Armed Forces showed me how he can still run a sub-1:15 time, in the recent Singapore Bay Run (half-marathon). The ‘40-49’ and ’50-59’ age groups combined were, probably, as large as the ’30-39’ in the inaugural Mega-Tri race. Pronounced running groups like Team Fatbird has a majority of Masters-class runners who, regularly, run and race both locally and internationally.

I decided to interview three local, Masters category, amateur endurance athletes to find out what makes them tick and stick with their sporting lifestyle.

Photo (Passion Run 25K 2010): From left to right - Melvin How, KK Chin, Enrico, Freddy Yeoh

Freddy Yeoh is a humble endurance athlete, so it was hard to extract this interview from him. I consider him a positive force in the endurance community and he is encouraging. He runs to keep himself sane and healthy amidst a hectic life, balancing family, career, and passion. He explains, ‘Running just happens to be the easiest form of lifestyle that keeps me focused and maintain my self-discipline.’ He is an IT network-manager in a local multimedia firm.

Mika receives her podium award from Deca-Ironman Kua Harn Wei

Mika Kume is a 40-something, elite age-grouper from Japan who regularly stands on the podium. She is a multiple Ironman triathlete, ultra-marathoner and serial marathoner. By day, she works in a major accounting firm. She won a podium placing at last weekend’s Mega-Tri long-course event. She caught up with me on the last loop of the 27K run, and she crossed the finishing-point seconds before I did. I respect and admire her greatly.

Melvin How is a Resident Technical Officer, having worked in the construction industry for nearly 24 years. He longs for a desk-bound job so that he can totally rest his nagging, chronic heel condition (since 2009) and bounce back stronger to race. Nowadays, his approach to races is cautious with various backup plans. Alternative plans kick in to limit further damage, or else risk further injury or retire permanently from sport. This Ironman triathlon finisher has won the challenging vertical marathons on several occasions, and earned podium finishes in the Masters’ category in running.

Victor Chan is one of my inspiring friends, and among some of the friendly competitors I had the pleasure to race with. You may recall that, a few years ago, he was the poster-boy of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. He has completed numerous long-course events including several Ironman triathlons finishes. At 59-years-young, he is still a formidable tour de force in his attitude towards training and racing. Both Mika and he earned podium finishes last weekend at the inaugural Mega-Tri long-course.

EV: Which changes did you make as you matured into a Masters’ category athlete?

Freddy Yeoh: Well, I started out in the Master category. Nevertheless, a critical change that I noticed is that as one ages, the ability to recover decreases, be it after a hard workout, or due to injury. Hence, it is important to honestly assess one’s body system, every now and then, and ensure that one does not pile on too much, too quickly, for the body to adapt.

Melvin How: You must listen to your body more attentively, as injury tends to linger longer, or maybe never heal at all until I hang up my running shoes. Recovery between training sessions seems longer and my ability to put up with the strain seems lower, too. Thus, I review my training log from time to time to tweak, whenever necessary, and to switch to more lower-impact exercises like swimming, cycling and stretching.

Mika Kume: I became more rational after I realised I was in the Masters category. Do not go crazy such as to participate in two races in a day; or attempt Ironman Langkawi one week after completing in the Tokyo Marathon. Don't be so greedy. Relax, listen to your body, and rest, eat, and sleep.


Victor Chan: I am more cautious about potential injuries that may come because of age. Other than that, the rigour of my training, my focus and the effort I put in, is still very much the same.

How often do you train – minimum and maximum number of days?

MH: My current volume is about 12-15 hours in preparation for the Desaru Half-Ironman distance and Mount Kota Kinabalu Climbathon. I rest, at least, once a week; sometimes, twice, if the fatigue does not go away. I run less nowadays, with one Long Slow Distance (LSD) session, and one interval or tempo session. I will reduce it by one day in the lead-up to a key race, and will just stick to a routine. If I had a non-important race – like the recent Singapore Bay Run – I rested a full day.

MK: A minimum of zero days a week - but still do your stretching. And, a maximum of seven days a week, and that includes yoga & stretching.

VC: I always train 6 days a week. But I vary the levels of intensity of my training, depending on different factors like upcoming race or work commitments or family commitments.

FY: My motto is very simple: just run whenever I can. Depending on my schedule, I usually do 2-3 short runs on weekday nights and one longer run on Sunday. I noticed I used the word run instead of train as I don't really specifically train – that is, doing interval training and speedwork. Most of my runs are done at a conversational pace. That is also known as low heart rate run. The formula I used was ‘Maximum Heart-Rate Minus Age Minus 50 beats. I came across this formula from some articles a few years back. Basically, it teaches the body to adapt to running at a lower heart rate. Progressively increase your cadence and pace while maintaining a low heart rate. I used to wear a HRM-belt but ditched it, and just tell myself to relax on my runs.

Which aspects of training become important as we age: core strength and stability, flexibility, nutrition, sleep, or developing muscle strength?

MH: To err on the side of caution, plenty of rest and sleep is more important then training. Strength training & core stability work are important than aerobic exercise, as we lose 1% muscle mass every year from the age of 25 for men. If we lead a sedentary lifestyle, we may want to reduce the muscle loss by continually overloading them. Nutrition is about 65% carbohydrate, 15%-20% protein, and the remainder comes from fat. The main emphasis is on moderation, as there is no such thing as sinful food as too much of a good thing is also bad. Balance or moderation on food portion is more important. I eat 5-6 small meals a day, and try to maintain my body-fat composition within the 12-15% range year-round, to stay race fit.

MK: Oh - all are important! If I can choose two – especially for aging athletes – I think flexibility and muscle strength are more important as they protect you from injury.

FY: No specific training program or nutrition plans for me. I like to have some beer and snacks during the weekends. I seldom do strength or stability training.


VC: Everything gets more important as we age, especially our core muscles. Our core muscles affect our performance and make us more prone to injury.

Photo-credit: Richard Leong & Boon Yeong. Part 2 continues tomorrow.

Fit For Travel, Fit For Lifestyle

Have you ever gone on group tours where you overhead callused or careless remarks like: ‘Why do they bring older people on tour?’ This is because some people have difficulty catching up or following the speed of the tour. Mind you, the Tour Directors may be sensitive to such realities and pace the tour (to the slowest moving ones) but they do get questioned, as I have witnessed.

The life cycle of humans indicate strongly that most tend to travel more only during their retirement. More and more, families are traveling in their youth, including bringing their children on overseas vacation at an earlier age (pre-teens). Being fit is an important aspect of your ability to cover more places of interest, as well as keeping up with the main group.

My ex-colleague, Edward who is based in Seattle shared with me last year that, when his colleagues invited him for a hike, it was 4-6 hour tough climbing excursion. He was not ready at all for his first foray into weekend hikes! He is now a fit, budding triathlete and blends well into the strong sporty and outdoors culture.

Executive fitness is as important as being fit for your vacation. Here are some ways to stay fit, year-round, for working trips or pleasure trips.

1)    Maintain basic fitness by doing fast, and long walks, a few times a week.

2)    Do core stability workouts a few times a week. You can do it at home at your convenience (before your shower or meal).

3)    You can do short circuit training sessions that last two to three sets (10-15 minutes long).

4)    If you have a gym, do 2-3 workouts per week as a goal. Weight-training is important for those over-40 as we tend to lose more bone mass then.

5)    Any activity is still activity! A bit goes a long way.

6)    Do some strength training for you may need to haul heavy luggage (yours, and others) when moving from airport to airport, hotel to hotel.

7)    After each business day, head for the gym to de-stress and aim for a 30-45 minute workout. Add variety, and switch order of activities or mix them up (swim, ride, run or strength-training).

8)    When traveling, stay hydrated with bottled or plain water.

9)    Move around when on-board your plane or train. DVT is a potential threat if we stay too still for too long.

10) Bring a small first-aid kit with you on all travels. Your local clinic can provide you with the basic set that includes medication for traveller’s sickness, fever, flu, cuts, stings and abrasions.

Time to Rethink Time Management

Have you ever attended a workshop on time management?

What did you learn from it? Did you consider why you attended that session? Are time management workshops for people who cannot manage their time?

Time management is more than scheduling and prioritizing. Are we expected to do more in a day? Time is a finite measure. There are only 24 hours in a day, and how we utilize each moment is dependent on what we decide as important. I have always been concerned that some trainers of time management workshops do not adequately demonstrate their teaching. If your trainer did not make time to exercise, or decide to eat and sleep properly then I would question their ability to optimize their waking hours. Time to walk the talk about their prescriptions!

The reality is: we can make time for whatever we want to accommodate into our day, and our lifestyle. Our quality of life corresponds to our quality of time invested into our tasks, relationships and thinking.

According to recent research, the concept of managing time is about managing your energy. Managing energy means being fit, well rested and focused in our use of energy.

When we are energetic, we are capable of doing more things. We can more effectively shift our perspectives and positions. Recall when you are sick, how did you feel about your energy? Did you experience lethargy and a general disinterest in unimportant things? Movement took a colossal effort, and it left you spent and over-extended; energy was siphoned from your resources.

Motivation is about movement, motility and motive. It engages us to do things we like, or dislike. We are motivated by pain or pleasure. Humans tend to move away from our prejudices and move towards our preferences.

Energy comes from our food. Nutrients from our food give us our source of bio-chemicals to create energy. Vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates, fats and protein are what our body needs to repair, fuel and grow itself. Rest and recuperation allows our body to heal, get stronger through a process of adaptation.

Having been an endurance athlete for the last five years, I have learnt to appreciate what it has been like to train for marathons (42km) and Ironman triathlons (226km). I have also applied this mindset and lifestyle of an amateur triathlete into my profession. Working longer hours and training about 15-20 hours per week parallels each other. You have to decide on how you use your time, have adequate rest/sleep, and recover fully from each day. You put out what you put into your body.

By becoming fit, we can:

1. Sleep less, and function at a high level

2. Do more things per unit time (be productive)

3. Stay alert (at the most critical moments)

4. Lead others to more purposeful things

5. Become more “centred” and “focused”

6. Be less prone to panic during crisis

7. Make sense of the confusing, and consider multiple perspectives

If you lack the energy, strength and fitness you will be limited in your actions as a leader. So, manage your time by managing your energy, and achieve a whole lot more! It is our source of sustenance and motivation, and our continued interests in others, and ourselves.