Iron-made Motivations

As I bought the latest copy of Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) magazine, I noticed the words ‘Unsuitable for the Young’ on a yellow sticker affixed to its cover. This warning label is plastered over several titles, most of which imploring under-21 year-olds to not buy openly. It reminded me of how, as a young rebel, I used to get my hands on objectionable material and media. As I grew older, my quietly rebellious streak assumed a sense of discernment where I filtered what I read, watched and experienced. The more something was ‘exclusive’ or ‘out of reach’, I was tempted by my curiosity, and my interest was piqued.

Having done several Ironman triathlons, I can attest to the wonders it has done for my self-esteem, confidence and my value. Jim Collins said: ‘Swim 2.4 miles. Ride 112 miles. Then, run a full marathon. Brag for life!’ How true. Bragging is optional, yet you are entitled to your personal pride and sense of achievement. Medals end up in a special shoebox, and certificates go into a folder. Post-race t-shirts may get over-used and worn out eventually, and your weekend wardrobe never looks normal again.

Ironman Lanzarote advertises on its website: Normal limits do not apply.

Ironman Malaysia touts itself as: The Toughest Day on Earth.

Norseman XTreme Triathlon: Are you ready for the world’s toughest long-distance triathlon?

If I had a t-shirt, I would have it printed: ‘Ironman Coach: First three lessons free!’ ‘Triathletes do it three times in a row!’ 'Iron-man: TRI-al by fire.'

Train well and safely!

Any Time Is the Right Time

Yesterday morning, I sent out two brisk e-mails at 5.15am, 30 minutes before I was to set out for my 200K ride. One dealt with my revised accommodation in Perth for Ironman Western Australia, and the other with a potential project overseas from a repeat client. What in the world, you may ask, to respond at such an unearthly hour?

I also rode 190K yesterday, a 7-hour personal event last attempted about nine months ago (just before my accident). As it is less than five weeks before my 10^th Ironman attempt, I needed to chalk up some real mileage, and to assure myself I could still do it. Riding has not been my focus for the last six months as I was intent to drive up my running speed for the marathon.

Being self-employed about 10 years ago, I have learnt to appreciate and value my time, as well as other people’s time. Traffic jams on a rainy morning startle me and cause me anxiety. Keeping people waiting in a meeting is anathema to good business practice. Exceeding the allocated presentation time is also not very useful. Coming late to a wedding dinner is also a ludicrous expression of manners and respect.

Here are some thoughts on leading your time, and that of others:

1)    Think like a lawyer; respect every minute. The clock starts clicking when you engage an advocate/solicitor on the phone.

2)    Time is an abstract that you need to manage very well. Despite what we believe about this concept, we cannot ‘make time’, ‘save time’, ‘invest in the time’ and ‘spend time’. Time passes at each moment even if are doing nothing.

3)    Prioritise according to what matters to you or others. Prioritise according to your relationships. If clients are more important than your colleagues, place clients’ needs before them (most of the time). Review Steven Covey’s ‘First Things First’ in his landmark book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’.

4)    Be in the moment. Distractions make us lose our focus. Enjoy what you do, however mundane it may be.

5)    Learn from doing chores. Treat chores and errands as discipline. You can approach your exercise as a form of discipline.

6)    Make time to daydream. Visualisation is part of the role of the Seer or Visionary. What will you like to do in your future, and with others? What are your dreams, goals, aspirations and ambitions?

7)    If you had 30 days to live, what would you do? Such scenario questions drive our sense of urgency and purpose. Do something, with somebody, or time will pass us by.

Cracking the Double Century-Ride

This morning, I decided to attempt a 200K ride. I rode on my road-bike, with integrated aero-bars, and road-tyres. In the past, I used my ZIPPS 404 that were light, durable and exceeded my expectations once I pushed past 33kph.  42K into the ride, on the second of the 30K Selarang/Coastal Road loop, Hui Koon suffered a flat – a group of roadies riding with us heard the loud ‘pop’. His tyre had a two-inch gash, which pretty much destroyed any chance of patching it, or completing the ride. Disappointedly, we flagged down a cab and he loaded up his bike. I could tell he was very disappointed. I am sure he will do some hard rides in the coming week to compensate for the missed opportunity.

I managed 193K after being battered by sidewinds and headwinds, the dreaded heat, and after I witnessed a fallen cyclist; I think she was bleeding at her chin. Fortunately, her friends were with her and tended to her, sitting her up and assuring her; there was also a suspect truck adjacent to them. It was nearly one o’clock in the afternoon and I decided to head back home due to the insistent heat. My quads were noticeably tight as I did 5 loops worth of gentle slopes; in fact, this was my longest ride so far. My longest one recently was about 70K. I had spent the past six months on developing my marathon legs. After Berlin, I did a 30K and 15K race, and decided that I better get my posterior on the saddle. The past fortnight of evening fast 30-60K rides seem to have engaged my latent riding muscles. Kevin of Perth wrote that the 7K I missed were marginal, and I agree. Today’s ride is 110-120K more than I have done for a while. It was a pity I could have enjoyed more company: I was riding shotgun before I went solo.

*****

Is Macca giving 2011 Kona Ironman the flick? It was reported that this looks likely as he just won his second Ironman World Championships title three years apart in the seventh fastest time ever. Next to fellow Australian, Craig Alexander (twice world champion), he may be the oldest competitor to defend his title, which will be challenging in the face of new and hungry professional triathletes. Macca blew his chance to defend his title in 2008 when he experienced mechanical issues with his bike. It must be sweet to savour success twice (at Kona) in one’s career.

In conversations with friends, it seems that most prefer Crowie’s introverted personality. The extraverted, chatty, and smack-talking Macca may be more direct and honest, however he seems to back up his opinions with performance. It has been four times in a row, since 2007 where Australians have dominated in the Ironman World Championships reign. Rinnie joins them as the female Australian pro to win Kona this year. Mirinda Carfrae assumes the title after Chrissy Wellington, and before that Australian Olympian, Michellie Jones. In Aussie-speak, a braggart is a ‘tall poppycock’. Personally, I like some pre-race excitement, like the Ali-Frazier press conferences in the 1970’s, and also the WWE harangues. Sometimes, the bark is louder than the bite.

Exceeding Personal Expectations

This week has been an unexpected one of results. The over-riding factor was that I used every available hour to ride or swim – two areas that required immediate attention in the next five weeks.

My training preparation has been based on a 3-on-1-off approach; that is, three days training followed by one day of rest. This seems intense enough yet spares my body of depletion and fatigue. I kept my sessions short and intense, with interval-rides on consecutive days. Same mileage but done with more speed and power, stretched over two or three days. I also did short bricks of run-swim, or swim-ride. Just this evening, I rode for about 75 minutes worth of intervals, with warm-up and cool-down. I did one hour of swim drills at midday, before work, and that was one training load off my mind.

Tomorrow morning, I intend to do a moderate 21K at 5 minute/K pace – just to keep my run-legs reminded. Can’t wait for Sunday – my double-century ride on my roadie. I will ride 200K with Hui Koon on Coastal Road; we should be doing about seven loops of the 30K circuit and rehearsing race-day nutritional needs. Most of our feeding will be done on the bike, with Gatorade as the main source of fuel (plus Power-Gels, Power-Bars, et al); that is also the official racecourse hydration system. Incidentally, Hui Koon and I engage the same coach, Craig ‘The Fox’ and all three will meet up at Ironman Western Australia on 5 December. It should be a memorable event for me, with personal expectations of a PB in the 11-hour range. The week should end in the 15-20 hour total training range.

Patience Pays Off Eventually

It has been said that Patience is a virtue. Wait long enough, do enough, and you may enjoy the results of your persistent work. Consider those documentary filmmakers on the National Geographic channel – they are the epitome of patience. The best photojournalist wait weeks or months just to get another shot of the same subject or scenery. The colleagues of the irritating and testing medical genius in the Emmy-winning television series, House, M.D. exhibit extreme patience with his neurotic, medication-infused behaviors.

My friend, Hui Koon did a PB in his swim tonight. He shaved off a significant amount of time in the swimming pool, after months of dedicated swim sessions and master-classes. I am sure that he will do much better than his recently, admirable 1:10 in his wetsuit. With the certain, inherent buoyancy afforded by the neoprene, second skin this means that swimmers can swim more effectively from the trade-off.

I, too, have experienced the outcomes of my patience. After my unfortunate and untimely bike accident, I had to heal completely before Ironman New Zealand (IMNZ). I recovered recently from a series of over-distance related running injuries. I can now run unshod (almost-barefoot) for more than 10K consistently. My core stability has improved after weeks on the wobble-board and lying in the challenging Plank position. I completed the grueling hot and humid 84K night ultra-marathon after weeks of senseless, high-mileage plodding after my dismal IMNZ.

Starting a business requires patience before you experience results. Patience is a subset value of Endurance. It is also related to Loyalty. Loyal friends are patient in their relationships. Activate your patience on a daily basis. Continue improving so that you rise above your standards. Continue exploring so you remain contemporary.

Shorter and Sharper Sessions

Five weeks out to IMWA. My preparation menu includes shorter but frequent sessions; 2-hour sessions of intense riding, or one hour hard running followed by an hour of swim drills. Splitting a six-hour bike ride into two sessions of three hours, is still achieving the results. An hour of running can be made more exciting and rigorous with a mixture of surfaces such as trail, track and grass. Throw in a couple of slopes and you have as stunningly, challenging workout. Intensity shifts the body into overload, and over-drive. Train as if you will race makes sense.

Next week, I will deliver a mini-workshop on innovative practices with my associates. I will make a 40-minute presentation while my colleague will do his part in 25 minutes. I suggested the format of 10/20/30 as proposed by Guy Kawasaki (in ‘The Art of the Start’) to my colleague. The ability to condense our thoughts into a specific timeframe ensures that we crystallize the thinking into a pinpoint focus. Say less and mean more. When we cleverly integrate PowerPoint slides into a verbal presentation, it enhances its effectiveness. A picture is worth a thousand words! Infuse the passive listening with active questioning and interactive activities, and you change the impact of your delivery.

KISS it.

Leading with Your Energy

‘Movement never lies.’ ~ Originator of Modern Dance, Martha Graham.

Energy is what keeps us alive and allows us to express ourselves. How do you manage it, and lead with it?

The physical laws of energy are stated as: ‘Energy cannot neither be created nor destroyed’ and ‘Energy is converted from one form to another’. We lose much of our energy through our body heat, via conduction, convection and radiation. Nervous energy burns additional calories. Exceed your heart-rate zones, and you will dip into another energy system (aerobic versus anaerobic); one burn’s more fat, and the other sugar.

That is a real worry for endurance athletes when can lose huge amounts of heat (energy) through our three disciplines and its media: water, wind and mechanical action.

At your next endurance race:

1)    If the conditions permit, use a wetsuit in your swim. Cold water can deplete energy through shivering and the risk of early-stage hypothermia.

2)    Keep insulated, as windy conditions and wind chill factors can severely lead to shivering, cramping, hyperventilation and a false sense of adequate hydration.

3)    Fuel your body. Eat and drink at regular intervals. No fuel equals energy deficit. Work out your energy requirements per hour.

4)    Ensure your core body temperature stays stable. If it hot, stay in the shade. If it is cold, use additional clothing (stash in your special needs bag).

5)    Focus on positive energies and emotions. Nervousness, anxiety, doubts and worries lead to sub-optimisation of your movements. Tensed muscles fatigue easily. Get into comfortable rhythm, stroke gracefully in the swim, get your bike fitted, and relax your upper body during the run.

Your leadership, and how you express yourself through your values, involves energy. Being friendly and demonstrating humility enhances your energy, and radiates to others. Optimism, composure, faith, respect and flexibility are useful values to adopt on race day. Minimise energy wastage. Utilise it. Release it. Renew it. Enjoy other people's positive energy. Value your energies.


Photo credit: Bernard Sim

It Just Adds Up

Tonight, I rode again – my second consecutive evening. My legs are still strong, save for the last 7K of tonight’s fast 30K ride with my buddies from Eastern Night Riders (ENR). I like this group, for they have a sensible yet competitive attitude towards riding, are protective of their pack, and because the ENR is the first three alphabets of my first name. Perchance I may be a patron of this group one day!

I started my late ride at 6.45pm and did my hour or 30K equivalent of interval training on the 2K stretch of straight road – ruler-straight as a landing strip. After a quick comfort break, I joined the group of seven riders for the fast and furious pedaling session. Aristol and Tee went off like a rocket, overtaking a lone rider who, subsequently, gave chase. I led the second pack, doing my best to brave the headwind. It was windy, since the road circumvented the major airport runway. I managed to hold fort until I was overtaken by one of our younger riders who is preparing for IMWA, too.

Little things count. Every kilometre ran, swam or rode add up to one’s fitness. It matters that every muscle is stretched or core muscle activated. Our body responds to physical stress by coping and adapting. With adequate rest and recuperation, we become stronger, faster and more enduring. A student asked me today how I coped with training and my family life. I replied that I use whatever time I can, even if it is short to churn out a hard workout. Short and intense replaces long and moderate, or longer and easy (Long Slow Distance). You can enjoy cumulative gains as each session builds your resilience and robustness.

Keep doing the hard yards, disciplines, chores, training, and practice. Practise new skills regularly; apply what you have learnt. It will add up to your results and outcomes.

Making Time and Squeezing It In

Take a sheet of paper and pen. Write down: What matters most in your life now? List about 5 things.

Whatever your list was, those things listed suggest your priorities in life. If it were important, it appears on this list. You also, unconsciously, ranked what matters to you. Will you make time for these things? I am certain that you will. We tend to do more of what matters to us: our well-being, health, career, finances, happiness, family, travel, etc.

As I am preparing for my tenth Ironman triathlon, I make time to train as frequently as I can. At this stage, it is not so much about distance and endurance, as it is with speed and intensity. My run legs are primed, and I need to focus more on my riding and swimming. My target is: fresh legs after every discipline. I have dedicated myself to squeeze out packets of hours to swim or bike or run.

This evening, with a gloomy forecast, I did a two-hour bike ride. For most part of the ride, I pushed into the wind. I attempted intervals, and pushed mettle to the metal and tar. My legs felt strong enough to last through the 90 minutes, which pretty much depleted its enthusiasm. The bidon of High-Five carbohydrates before and during the ride helped, and I did not experience a dip in my energy. I believe that if I continue with this approach, I will be able to match with the Big Boys on the Tuesday evening ENR Ride. Time invested will spell into results and that well-warranted smile!

Having Friends Over

When was the last time you had friends over for dinner? Have you invited friends to join you on a vacation tour? Have you invited close confidants to give you feedback on a public presentation you made? What was that like?

It is a tough decision when you have limited spaces and group dynamics can be challenging. Who sits next to who matters, as it will affect the energy of the group if there is any hint of awkwardness and residual resentment. Our workplace is rift with an abundance of confusion and misunderstandings.

A few hours ago, on Sunday evening, I invited a dozen guests over to my magic club’s 60^th anniversary gala show. This show featured some of our best professional talents in magic. We showcased an astonishing array of magical acts including J C Sum and Magic Babe Ning, Jeremy Pei, Jeremy Tan, Gician Tan, Joseph Then (ventriloquist) and Sherman Tang. American, Jay Scott Berry who is a musician and magician was our only overseas guest artiste and lecturer.

I was glad I invited my colleagues and good friends. They in turn brought along friends and family who they thought would enjoy the experience. It is important to place our sense of faith and trust in our friends, colleagues and associates. Having made that decision to invite them, I was also glad that they enjoyed the event, as I was mindful of their commitment to attending. It is so good when everything falls together well.

Thank you for making my evening special, my friends!