The Theatre Behind All Engagements

Theatre can teach us much about how we can live our lives. After all, Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world’s a stage, and we are the actors…’ Life is full of its moments of drama, and this makes us engaged with them. The dramas involve conflict, relationships, how we relate to each other, and whether we resolve the conflict. In comedy or suspense, tension is followed by relaxation. Taking the director’s blueprint for shooting a film or directing a stage-play, we can cleverly apply it to our athletic pursuits. The four elements listed below describe how you can direct yours session with purpose and premise.

Scene: In the living-room (as per set-up).

Setting: Training for cycling (day or night); mindful that it is not noisy if it is in the late-evening.

Characters: You, the time-crunched athlete. Who else is around you, who may render assistance (get you another towel, fill your water-bottle, or watch out for your safety).

Situation: Training for a triathlon, and the weather is inclement. Need more bang-for-buck for each training session. Your training menu for the session is your script, so stick closely to your script.

The Ironman Has Landed!

Dex Tai has arrived in Europe. He is getting ready to race in Ironman Austria, his first of a trilogy of 226K triathlons as part of his cause, Racing For Autism.

Congratulations to Tomoya, one of Singapore's fastest half-Ironman triathletes! For his podium position in Japan last weekend, he secured his entry to Kona to compete in this year's Ironman World Championships. 

How Do You Fail? Gracefully, Or Disgracefully?

‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall.’

How much of this is true? If you consider it as a test of physicality, size does matter when you multiply it by the physical laws (force, acceleration, magnitude, direction). Size times gravity = OUCH!

The OUCH Factor. How painful is it? From ‘I can live with it’ to ‘bearable’ to ‘excruciating pain’. When we make mistakes, how do we recover? How can we learn from our mistakes? How will we really know if we have learnt from our transgressions? How do you make amends? How do you seek forgiveness when you have betrayed somebody’s trust?

Somewhere down the relationship chain – us and another person – are a collection of values and beliefs. When we violate a value, whether it is a shared or unique one, we may create friction, doubt, and distrust. Values have value. Honesty may not be the best policy for single-minded, prejudicial and discriminating people. No amount of facts or affectations can easily shift a person to another perspective or paradigm unless he/she makes a deliberate choice and decision to step aside of themselves. To put it in grandiose terms, ‘time to get your head out of your backside!’

Love him, or hate him, triathlon professional and champion Macca articulates his approach to failure with distinction.

How do we stop ourselves form falling or failing? Perhaps, a better question would be: How do you bounce back when you fail and fall?

Lessons Learnt From Films

There are many useful things we can glean and learn from films, if we are willing to be broadminded and creative. Last night, I watched the fascinating work of fiction called ‘My Name Is Khan’ (2010).

Set in the USA, the protagonist (played by the talented Shah Rukh Khan) suffers from Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism, however he is a savant). His key message was a poignant one, and he travelled across country to deliver his two lines to the national leader. He stays true to his cause and survives by repairing broken things; he is a genius at fixing things. We are led to appreciate his character, motivations and skillfulness – beyond his physical clumsiness, reduced empathy and repetitive linguistic behaviors. The character of Jerry Espenson in the TV series ‘Boston Legal’ is an attorney who suffers from this syndrome, and has several quirks (often mistaken for actual symptoms) like ‘purring’ and shouting ‘Bingo!’ when he is nervous.

A hard film to get (but you can watch it in parts on YouTube), and a heartfelt one.

In the Korean film ‘Marathon’, an autistic youth runs the marathon in under 3 hours. Inspired by real-life autistic celebrity Bae Hyeong-Jin, this film raises the compelling issues of raising children with the mental condition. We have yet to fully fathom what causes autism, and the range of similar conditions. Those who have this condition are, generally, emotionally-withdrawn and seem to be distracted easily. There are certainly many forms and shades of this condition.

Both films explored sibling rivalry, when more attention is paid to the disadvantaged member of the family. The Hollywood-made film ‘Rain Man’ (with Dustin Hoffman & Tom Cruise) focused on sibling exploitation, whereas a lower-IQ parent fights for custody of his daughter in ‘My Name Is Sam’ (Sean Penn & Dakota Fanning). These films led me to resource from Wikipedia, and from there it linked me to other resources. I am led to conclude that this syndrome has a wide range of manifestations, and we have yet to fully understand how it works, and manage it. I can empathise deeply with parents and families of autistic children. It must be unduly tough and stressful to raise children with ‘special needs’.

One should be discerning when diligently pursuing knowledge. Knowledge applied is a powerful thing. You can seek information, support a cause, or raise funds to assist a charity. Instead of raising our eyebrows in horror, we can raise our hands in honour.

Remember to support my friend, Dex Tai for his 3 back-to-back Ironman triathlons. He is racing for his charity 'Racing for Autism'. Please help out in your own unique way.

Decisive Moments: Never Too Late!

This may sound like a cliché, yet the above phrase rings true for many, and it may be a truism. The saying ‘Better late than never’ assures us that ‘now’ is the ‘decisive moment’ to anything. As your own leader in your life, and also with others, be decisive.

World-renowned photographer, Cartier-Bresson used to describe his creative work as ‘decisive moments’. The difference between an amateur photographer and professional photographer is, a professional knows WHEN to take the photograph. Learning from the wisdom of hindsight, or learning not to make the same mistakes twice, is crucial to developing our smarts. Intelligence unapplied becomes useless, and create self-doubt and regret if we are not mindful or aware.

Uncle Kor is, arguably, Singapore’s oldest marathoner. He decided to initiate changes to his life and lifestyle, and he now influences positively to a new generation of runners. Now, he is not reckless and is completely aware of his physical and medical limitations. Running is an activity that adds to his life, and he derives numerous benefits from it.

Do you have to wait for a life-changing moment before you institute changes to your current life? Do you need to experience the ‘tipping point’ of life’s dramas and crises before you will commit to doing something different? When is the ‘right time’? Procrastination can rob us of our proverbial ‘nine lives’. Use them, but don’t use them up at once.

Your next moment is a decisive one. Do something. Do anything. Don’t let it slip by unaware!

Grin, Grind and Grunt

I have ridden on my turbo-trainer four times this week, totaling eight hours since Tuesday. Not the best place to ride when you have good weather, but way safer than riding on congested roads filled with temperamental riders and drivers. It is during these long and hard, indoor, rides that my mind has to work tough to not surrender to the discomfort and pain. It is also through sessions like this, that I ask questions and reflect on values like patience, persistence, determination, tenacity, commitment, decisiveness and diligence.

Working hard and putting in effort, can take its toll on our mind and body. Our brains are easily distracted, so any opportunity to deviate from our conscious awareness and sensation is a welcomed relief. Pain versus pleasure: easy choice isn’t it? Down play one, and crank the other one up.

When you prepare for an examination, nearly complete a stretched-out project, or even a sports race you can draw deeply upon your reserves. By reserves, I mean your energy, mental stamina and psyche. Recall what it felt like at the end of your examination period – what did it feel like after you completed your task? Did you feel drained and relieved? You just wanted to sleep over it, or just do something recreational.

Part of the grind is to keep doing the hard yards, engaging your discipline, and activating your resolve. Persist in your goals, and you will develop strength of character especially when it comes to marathon projects and tasks. You grin quietly to yourself as you go about your task. You may grunt as long as it activates your energy systems to help you through your grind. Grind out your best results, and perform to the best of your ability.

Sometimes, a ride on a turbo-trainer or climb up a long flight of stairs can be edifying and refreshing on one’s being.

Tests, Assessments & Data-Collection

My warm-up. Taking it easy so as to prepare myself for the impending, increasing intensities. (Photo-credit: Matthew Wong)

Measurements are useful when you can use them. In science, measurements form the strong foundation of scientific basis and enquiry. Empirical evidence can be useful in backing up anecdotal evidence, and substantiating hypotheses and theories. Raw and refined data become reference points including benchmarks, de rigeur standards, and for calibration.

Harnessed for safety. Mouthpiece adjusted comfortably. (Photo-credit: Matthew Wong)

This afternoon, I had my fitness assessed at the Sports Performance Laboratory of Republic Polytechnic. I underwent a series of tests, from the physical to the physiological. I was hooked up to a treadmill and completed my sub-maximal stress test. As there were no medical personnel present (other than laboratory technicians and the course supervisor), the test protocol only explored the penultimate aspect of my lactate threshold. My blood was tested before and immediately after my run on the treadmill. I also acquired knowledge of my VO2 uptake (shy of my maximum ability). To keep us (the subjects safe), Sports Science experimenter, Matthew ensured we were hooked up to a harness in case anyone of us blacked out from exerting ourselves unduly. There was no shame (for four of us: Lap Huan, Joyce, and Robert) to stop the test once we experienced discomfort. Our fingers were pricked to measure blood-lactate levels, and our immediate Rate of Perceived Exertion (scale of 6-20) recorded, after dismounting from the stopped treadmill.

The whole set-up was assuring from the assessment team: from experimenter to laboratory-assistants to supervisor-on-duty. The whole process was non-threatening, respectful and useful. (Photo-credit: Matthew Wong)

We had some fun playing with the mouthpiece, making our pale impressions of Darth Vader. Most subjects we talked to expressed reservations about breathing into the transparent, plastic mouthpiece. I learnt that the expired air was collected with a more unpleasant mechanism years ago (clamped nostrils and a breathing apparatus similar to those used by scuba-divers). I enjoyed my first experience having a sophisticated battery of tests run on my fitness; I felt like a Space-Cadet in NASA. I also had a rewarding chat with students/friends like Dave Lem, Brian Tan and Kenneth Koh (a sub-11:00 Ironman finisher). With next weekend’s session (with a new variable), I will learn how fit I am for my next Ironman triathlon. I await, with deep, purposeful breaths.

The useful, subjective, however intuitive RPE Test: How hard did you go? (Photo-credit: Matthew Wong)

Leadership Lessons: How often do you put yourself to the test? Which measurements do you regularly administer? How do you measure your performance and progress? How often do you talk to your staff about their Individual Development Plan? How much do you measure and manage?

Pedantic & Purposeful Preparation for Switzerland

I use Social Media 2.0 in a variety of active ways. My preferred applications include Twitter, Facebook and Blogspot. I use these tools for learning, sharing and building online and face-to-face relationships. I gratefully appreciate the opportunity to sense and recognize different perspectives from the experiences of others. Seek and ye may find. Ask and you may learn. Apply and you will realize through your experiencing, reflection, genuflection and insights.

In recent weeks, I have interviewed my Ironman friends (Reeves Lim, Neil Franks, Walter Strach III) who completed Ironman Switzerland since 2007. I have learnt that the bike course used to be three loops, and it will be done twice this year. The run course is relatively flat around Lake Zurich.

Most of my questions revolved around the ride, including two climbs known as ‘The Beast’ and ‘Heartbreak Hill’. As such, I have focused on building my riding strength, so as to ensure more resilience during my marathon. To earn my sub-4-hour marathon, I would have to not only improve my run but also to ride strong and not be fatigued. I recall the challenging times and experiences climbing in Ironman Lanzarote in 2008 and 2010. My lack of training and experience riding hills, led me to my longest race rides and a compromised marathon time. I took 4:44 to complete my marathon last year on the Canary Islands.

Running my ass off, for the final sprint into the finisher's chute. A tactical race (and tempo-training run), I had to start near the line and complete first. In terms of nett timings, honorable participant 5240 ran slightly faster than I. However, I placed a position ahead of him. Congratulations, mate! That's the way races go.

The past two weeks, I have earned my personal bests in training and racing. All my races are strategically arranged to allow me to peak on-time, and develop my sense of competition. My A-race is Ironman Switzerland (15 July), and so I need to be in my A-Game, with my A-races supporting my preparation. All the racing and [mostly] solo training will, hopefully, converge to a surprising finish, with memorable milestones throughout the race period. My friend, Dex Tai will be doing three back-to-back Ironmans beginning next weekend. It is part of his Cause and charity of choice, while I will be using my race to promote my Causes. I am grateful for my current fitness, supportive community, and dedicated family for allowing to achieve my performance best.

Another training run, a month ago. I used this race to assess my relative fitness for the 21K. A marathon would have affected my recovery and recuperation. I was pleased for holding this pace and still earn a sub-1:40 finish. My ranking was still top 1-percent of the field!

Leadership Lessons: Do your homework. Research thoroughly, interview comprehensively, and study the course assiduously. Mental rehearsals can help you create a sense of familiarity and déjà vu. Training is the ‘done that’ while your attempt is the ‘been there’. Create simulations to achieve a ‘been there, done that’ sensation. Make your training sessions tough enough without scaring yourself. Enjoy the process/journey.
Photo-credit: Running Kaki

Cycling Indoors & Ramping It Up

You spin the initial spin, and it is quite hard. It takes a short while for your wheel and turbo-mechanism to gather momentum. Then, you gather your rhythm and pace and it does not get any easier. Cycling without a change of scenery is hard on your mind and legs. The punishing heat and humidity does not help either. However, these reclusive sessions builds discipline and mental strength.

The set-up for turbo-training: fan, towels, water, HRM, and proper bike-mounting on the trainer. Notice my dropped wallet - thus, I could not order pizza on-the-move like Dean Karnazes.

You decide to amplify the intensity, which can be a premature move unless premeditated and committed to. Endless and mindless spinning leads to a fixed pattern that is hard to shrug off. You need to break the habit (of incessant spinning at a fixed speed/power unless you are doing an aerobic session) by doing something else. You insert a specific training set, be it a series of 30-seconds all-out sprints, or a more calculated 10-minute moderate pace with your highest gear. Of, you can elect to do a more challenging (and painful) 30-minute time trial on a high-gear. You can also create a hill, by raising the front wheel with a phone-book. You can create a ‘party mix’ of various permutations and combinations. Commit to these complementary sessions long enough, and you will experience new growth in your riding abilities. Come rain or shine, you will save time because your set-up is ever-ready for an aerobic session or spinning class!

However, there are repercussions. You will need to mop up a big puddle of sweat and other residue – evidence of a spent session. Such is the consequence of training in private. How to Ride Inside: Indoor Trainer Workouts for Cyclists.

Indoor Riding: Purely Mental & Keeping Your Focus

I spent the last two days riding on an indoor-trainer - a generous gift from marketing consultant, Reeves Lim Leong. For the relatively uninitiated, I mounted my road-bike on an indoor-trainer (an apparatus that locks your bike in place, and allows for variable resistance). The version I use is the Minoura Rim Drive Trainer, which operates with two wheels over the rim of my road-wheels. The advantage of this type of contraption is that, it spares my expensive race tyres from being worn out. The version I used previously (years ago) was abrasive on my tyres, and left sticky shreds of residue after each riding session.

The roller pressure is kept at an even 365 watts, and larger resistance would cause more rim/roller pressure and wear them out. The initial pedal resistance is not very hard, and gains nice momentum after a few revolutions. I have up to seven levels of difficulty to adjust to. Due to the varying resistance offered from each style and model of trainers, it has often been described that, an hour of indoor riding might be equivalent to 1.5 hours outdoors. It certainly feels that way, since you do not enjoy a variety of surroundings and scenery.

Considerations for doing indoor sessions with your trainer:

1)    Keep you room ventilated. Open all windows.

2)    Use a fan, and ensure that you are adequately cooled especially when the humidity is high. Set your fan to blow at your face-level for most effect.

3)    Ensure that you have adequate fluids. Fill up two bottles of hydration.

4)    If it is a session that is 3-4 hours long, consume nutrition as per your long rides outdoors.

5)    Lay a large towel directly underneath your body, including the pedals. This will assure your family against a wet and slippery floor. Use a smaller towel, draped over your handle-bars/aero-bars set-up.

6)    To ease into the mundane situation of riding-but-not-moving, you can catch up on the news on television.

Deca-Ironman Kua Harn Wei has spent 4-6 hours on his trainer when it rains. Rumour is, he used to do it consecutively, every day, for three weeks as a prelude to his 10 Ironmans done back-to-back for 10 days. Indoor-trainers may be testing on your patience and mental resilience, yet it is as Spartan (and mentally punishing) as it gets. It is certainly safer than riding on the roads these days (unless you mounted your bike poorly). However, you do lose the effort put into balancing, bike handling, and experiencing headwinds/side-winds and other impediments. Nevertheless, you can train and rehearse your entire bike leg in safety, and with strategic relevance. You can mix your program up with power sprints, strength intervals, time trials and tempo training.

Leadership Lessons: How mentally tough are you? Handling your boredom and impatience can be a useful skill. How do you handle senseless, mindless tasks like irrelevant meetings and useless presentations? How do you maintain strict focus over your professional behaviors? How aware are you about displaying appropriate behaviors?