Venturing Overseas & Overseas Adventures

Would you consider working overseas? In the early-1990’s, many PMETs shied away from the idea of being expatriated. However, it soon dawned on many with the opened markets of China and Indochina that opportunities presented themselves for those who dared venture overseas. A foreign land presented apprehension and anxiety, yet proposed a plethora of purposeful possibilities. As opportunities appear less in an abundant labour market, moving overseas seems like the useful way to go. Here are some reasons to work overseas.

Doing different things with your career can certainly add value, whether it is perceived or actual. Taking on new roles and responsibilities is basic when it comes to enhancing your value as a staff. As a manager overseas, you have many opportunities to express yourself as a leader: Territorial Manager, Cross-Cultural Manager, Country Manager, and Specialist. How you effectively lead your team, work closely with others, manage expectations, recognize results, evaluate fairly and regularly – these build up to your resume of your abilities and capabilities.

******

Building our capability for the second and third disciplines of triathlon, was what our team did this morning. Our team of eight riders – familiar faces and trustworthy people from our swim sessions – realized that we had our work cut out for us with the medium-paced distance we set ourselves to do. We did about 70K over the Selarang circuit (30K for each loop) followed by a moderate, 6K run 'brick'. Matt, Chris, Wilson and I would be doing Ironman New Zealand on 3 March, so it was time that we cranked our pedals for the 180K of rolling ride around Lake Taupo.

Photo-credit: Wilson Ang [Pit-stop at the patrol-station]

We took turns, leapfrogging, to take the lead, for as long as we could; I did my best setting the pace for the first loop since I had fresher legs. Since this was our first group ride, we did not punish our bodies unduly. I climbed up the steep Hendon Hill with my cries of ‘Attack!’ Matt wrote that he would return with ‘Counter-attack!’ at our next ride. Rain did not dampen our spirits during the run, although the heightened humidity was an issue. In total, I consumed six packets of High-5 energy gels and my legs felt decent during both the ride and run; my hydration was adequate.

I took this morning’s ride as a gauge of my current fitness and how my body responded to Coach’s training prescription this week. I almost completed his sessions, except for two swim sessions that I could not do due to a re-emergence of bursitis/tendinitis in my right, formerly injured shoulder. I will not re-instate these two sessions over the next 7-10 days however will integrate swim-specific sessions next week. The guidelines for training are: If you miss a session, move on. If you need to rest, rest. Train hard but stay injury-free.

Since there are no more Ironman triathlons hosted in Asia, we have to venture overseas to seek new endurance adventures. Part of the triathlon lifestyle is traveling. It is a race cum vacation. Ironman participants travel with their Iron-Mates, without which the celebration becomes hollow and meaning-less. For a report on celebrations, here is Matt’s report on our recent post-Ironman WA/Singapore Marathon gathering.

Yellow Ribbon Run & Weekend of Gatherings

Gathering:

1. An assembly or meeting.

2. An assemblage of people; group or crowd.

3. A collection, assemblage, or compilation of anything.

This weekend was about gatherings.

It began with our second anniversary buffet lunch at the Merchant Court Hotel with our Saturday Lagoon Swim group. The twenty of us who gathered, shared many laughs, and perspectives about our personal progress. I discovered that Vincent Yang and I would be applying for our Boston Marathon slots tomorrow morning; we are both on the borderline list (less than five minutes). Poor Clifford burnt his right fingers on a hot ladle; it may have absorbed the heat directly from the flame.

I then had dinner at Caroline’s place, before she skates off soon to her new UN role. Clifford showed us how his blisters had expanded in size, caused by edema (water retention) in order to cool and protect the scaled tissue. He skipped this morning’s Desaru long ride, as he cannot grip his brakes and handlebars without pain. Instead, Matthew – our other fearless leader – led a team of rowdy riders into Desaru for an edifying and unifying ride; some will be doing Ironman Western Australia this December.

The series of gatherings were capped this morning with the Yellow Ribbon Run – already in its third year. About 9,000 participants showed up to do either the Competitive 10K or Non-Competitive 6K Fun Run that carved a historical route in the east of Singapore. Three members of parliament flagged us off, through a gate that resembled the exit of the new Changi Prison. This symbolic gesture was about releasing ex-offenders from the second prison called discrimination. People deserve a second chance until they prove us wrong. Instead, allow them the chance to prove us right that rehabilitation works and we can re-orientate ourselves and seek new bearings.

Running is a metaphor for creating a new purpose. Whether we seek fitness, enhance our health, boost our self-esteem, or feel fulfilled through a sense of achievement – running allows us to feel free, and free ourselves from our mental shackles, inhibitions and self-imposed limitations. Looking at the numerous happy faces this morning, I can only pay tribute to this natural sport of moving fast on two legs. Singapore Blade Runner was there at front of the start-line, and he sprung forth joyfully in his 10K challenge.

Annoying, my GPS lost it signal and I ran ‘blind’ throughout the race. I ran, mainly, by intuition and instinct, and struggled through a blindingly fast, first 4K before I settled down into a reasonable pace, and got out-chicked and out-run by better short-course runners. The route is, challengingly, hilly with enough slopes to upset your balance. I was relieved to cross just under-45 minutes (officially, 44th, with a time of 44:44). It is slightly similar to last year’s timing (where my champion chip did not work), and I felt a little flat in my legs after last week’s Mega-Tri race (2K swim, 102K ride, 27K run). I was impressed with many faster Masters and Youth runners. Jason Lawrence and Vivian Tang emerged as top male and female, respectively. Many youth runners were tearing down the route as if their lives depended on it – such was the commitment of the competitive runners.

I was pleased to meet up with Alvin Ho, Delphine, Wee Yeh and his wife, Danny, Roy Foo, Chiang Meng Chai, David Ong (who ran and snapped pictures); Dennis Quek, Sanae Tsuji, and Sin Guan who were riding today; and members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) Ring 115 (Singapore).

Photo-credits: David Ong, Ng Chee Meng, Runevent Shots, Vincent Yang, Le Giang