Monday’s Musings

I was watching an episode of the original 1970’s (actually 1968-1980) series of ‘Hawaii Five-O’ where Steve McGarett utters, ‘Every man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.’ The late-Jack Lord was the leader of the police squad on the Big Island, home of the Ironman World Championships for the last 30 years. The Kona Lottery closes on 28 February.

Onboard the Airport Express service en-route to my hotel: Wearing my Ironman NZ team t-shirt, I am reminded of a need to taper correctly. Coach sent me my second-last weekly program which involves less mileage, however with just as much intensity to keep my system alert for next weekend’s race.

David Chambers rode 200K a few ago, and faced one of the many unpredictable and prevalent sandstorms. Even Tom Cruise had to endure this as part of his filming challenges on Mission Impossible.

All the best to Team IM Melbourne in the inaugural race in late-March! It will be a busy month of the new year with the 226K triathlon challenge. Have a great week, all!

Procrastinating Procrastination

This morning, the sky looked sad and gloomy. It has rained overnight. My riding partner text me early to decide on our plan to ride at 7.00am. I suggested that he go back to sleep since it was drizzling in the east. The fact that it was the last day of the Singapore Air Show meant traffic congestion, and bad news for cyclists.

I sat it out, monitoring the weather. It was so easy to find an excuse to skip a three-hour ride. Instead, I decided to brave the weather and last as long as I could before I had to cease all activity. One hour after riding a risky, traffic-enhanced road, I decided to climb the 4K-loop of Selarang Hill. There is an initial, gradual 1K climb and ends with a steeper but shorter climb, punctuated with a few rolls. Not that demanding however good stimulation of the fast-twitch muscles. A small dose of the hurt locker would be a useful prescription for an Ironman taper. I completed seven consecutive loops before heading back. I also took on the ‘beast’ – Hendon Hill that is a short but steep climb just to extend my legs a tad more. I was pleasantly rewarded with the strength in my legs, earned through once-a-week, double, strength-ride sessions.

I was pleased to bump into Germany-based triathlon friends, Grace and Hans; we had a brief chat before I bade them adieu. I also bumped into 'Otterman' Siva (and introduced to his wife), my ex-junior college friend and now biologist/zoologist lecturer/researcher at the National University Of Singapore. I considered it a productive morning, achieving my easy ride with pockets of Ironman-paced efforts.

Instead of holding back, hold up. Crash through the wall of indecisiveness! For once, just suspend your procrastination and begin the task. Warm up, and then extend the work for as long as you can. You will be better off for doing so.

Raising Funds & Raising Hope

My friend, Vijay wrote a comment on Facebook to me:

In lieu of your worthy cause:

"Your now a Purpose Driven Knife."

Excel You shall, Go forth you Will.

This poem is an encouraging reminder of my tasks at hand on 3 March. Already, we have raised a total amount of NZ$3,158 for our charity through Ironman Team-Varella, Cystic Fibrosis for Kids (CF4Kids). We are actually number 5 on the top-fundraisers list. I am very grateful to my partners-in-charity who will help fulfill expectations and, perhaps, dreams. Also, I am on-track and hopeful to complete my 16-week preparation for Ironman New Zealand. It is my final two weeks of tapering: less mileage, sustained intensity and stimulation, and more recovery.

It warms my cockles to know that so many friends are behind my charity of choice, as well as supporting me. After last night’s 17K run in 90 minutes (meeting my goal pace: 11kph, cadence 90-92, RPE: 6-7.5), and this morning’s lagoon swim (3.2K) with 29 other swimmers, I feel confident of my recovery and race targets. With this morning’s wetsuit swim, I managed to stroke my way near the leading pack and enjoying my invested motions. Those twice-weekly pool-buoy sessions (using arms only) are translating into more efficient movements; this means I am wasting less effort, yet still putting myself into the grind, and finding my groove.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s 3-hour ride and 30-minute run. Then, I will head off for a 3-day working trip before I pack for the Big Dance in Taupo, Auckland.

These valued words of encouragement and support empowers me, and directs me to my goals with purpose.

Working With Whatever Washes Your Way

Swimming in open-water (river, sea or lake) has its moments of danger and excitement. For one, there are no guides except the persons north, south, east and west of you. For another, you may not get the best visibility of what is below you. The sense of danger lurks at any moment from a swift, deft kick to the face or torso from an oblivious swimmer to strong waves that threaten to toss you over like a capsized boat.

Nevertheless, swimming in natural elements can be an achievement. Malaysia hosts the Kapas-Marang point-to-point, island-land 6.5K Swim. It is a relatively safe warm-water swim, where you need to be self-sufficient and hydrated. Survival skills for open-water is a must, and a competency that may just save your Speedo-ed behind when waters around you turn temperamental. The ability to stay calm and composed is a requirement in case the conditions for swimming change. With experience and time, and swimming with reliable swimmers you may just accomplish a deeply satisfying goal.

Leadership Lessons: How often do you switch you resilience on? How much of your values of tenacity, adaptive, choice, composure and decisiveness do you activate? Swimming through tough times may just strengthen our resolve to build the capabilities and potential of our team. Wade through shallow waters, then test the deeper waters and stroke through with smooth and fluid strokes. Stay alert to danger, and enjoy gliding through the environment for it may be supportive. Swim through the floatsam and jetsam of confusion, and make sense of it. You don’t have to understand everything, all the time.

If Only…

My swim was as fast as my running.

My legs were as fresh for a 42K run after an 180K ride, as it is before a marathon.

There were more hills to train on, where I live.

An iPhone would meet my needs for minimal applications.

People would communicate and connect more with high-technology equipment than less.

I could qualify for a Kona slot sooner than later.

There was an Ironman race in Asia that met WTC’s confabulating standards.

Cycling on the roads could be safe and foolproof.

People can think deeper before they talk shallow.

Wishful thinking could replace fantasizing.

Leadership Lessons: If only leaders would quit talking and start doing something useful for others. If only we can spend more time thinking and doing both inside and outside the ‘box’.

In Appreciation of Volunteers & Officials

Thank you, Dr Leow Jo Lene for this uniquely attractive piece of recognition!

Updates on IMNZ 2012

I am doing much better: My injuries, sustained during a freak accident, seem to be healing. I can swim, ride and run with less discomfort. Overall, my fitness is enhanced; I have achieved some of my goals like hitting an average running cadence of 90-92 footfalls per minute, holding the pace during my time trials (with heavy gears), managing the short intervals during swim-sets, and adjusting to my renewed nutrition plan.

Last week, I missed my last long ride and still have a 90K, tapering ride to do this weekend. On Monday, I swam 3.1K (main sets being 20X100m with pull-buoy) followed with an hour running at 11kph pace (my desired Ironman marathon pace). On Sunday, I rode 100 minutes on the stationary-bike, followed immediately with 20 minutes on the treadmill at race-pace. So far, all systems go! With two and half weeks left, my taper has to be precise and safe until I reach Lake Taupo.

Coach Craig ‘Fox’ Holland has been encouraging and directive with my weekly training program, culminating this week as the beginning of the tapering weeks. Dhubai-based David Chambers has been supportive from afar, with his constant e-mails and status of his quest for endurance glory. My donors to my charity, CF4Kids have also been my motivator, placing their faith in my personal challenge and cause.

It has been said ‘Third’s time a charm!’ I truly hope so, as this has been my toughest preparation for the 226K-triathlon format since IMWA 2006. I look forward to my 4K swim this evening before my club’s AGM. I have still more to do, before I sculpt the great statue from the block of stone! I just need to remove the unwanted bits and pieces before revealing the wonderful statue from within.

Results or Efforts Matter More?

Which are you focused on for performance measurement? Results or efforts?

In profit-driven companies, results matter more as part of your performance. Your performance centres round your KPIs, Key Results Areas (KRAs) and goals. Salespeople have to sell as much as they can. Marketers have to deliver on brand communication and brand development. Leaders have to lead the company to higher returns-on-investment (ROI) for their stockholders.

In cost-centres, efforts matter more. How you manage funds and budgets become your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The time your staff spends on keeping the house in order validates their performance and, thus, employability. Values like accountability, integrity, transparency, and due diligence are the expectations of a highly-critical public which is trigger-happy on criticism, blame, and hullabaloo.

In triathlons, the journey is as demanding as reaching the destination. How you achieve your athletic goals is contingent to your efforts during training. Certainly, the more scientific the process the more likely you may attain your results. However, you still have to do then time if you are to be faster, stronger and higher. Your results are very much dependent on your fitness, lowered risk of injury, and how well you feed your body on race-day.

Leadership Lessons: Which matters more to you: results or efforts of your staff? Why? What are you doing to bring either up to speed?

Playing Catch-Up

I have missed a few triathlon-training sessions over the last two months. These were due to injury, clash of work schedule, and fatigue. Coach ‘Fox’ reminds me, now and again, that a missed workout is irretrievable, and to let it go. There is always the next session to look ahead to. Some of my friends in endurance sports believe that a missed workout promises a day of rest, for recovery, and preventing boredom and fatigue. There is a greater likelihood of meeting with an injury from meeting over-arching goals.

The same goes for my daily blog postings. On most days, I would be able to submit a new post. It may take me a day to think through a salient point, or some gleaned insight I experienced yet I will post it up. Last weekend’s travel and lack of Internet access held me back from committing to my long-term plan of ‘one daily post, everyday, for three years’. So I miss a day or two (longer if the host country blocks access to social media platforms), so what? I can still reinstate myself with subsequent, multiple postings.

In school, playing catch-up may not be useful as you end up cramming information with little comprehension, let alone understanding the material. You may suffer a cramped mind during the examination. It is consistent practice and rehearsal (training) that leads to the possibility of better grades.

Leadership Lessons: How often do you have to play catch-up? When do you know when to let it slide? What do you do when you miss an appointment, meeting or coaching session?

Magical Musings

I was away over the weekend. I attended a magic lecture by magician, Allen Okawa. Allen is a friend of my late-friend Roger Klause who was a major influence on many magicians worldwide through his ideas and tutelage. My friend, Sid introduced me to Roger in 1998 on my first trip to the USA as well as my first magic convention.

Thai organiser Sid and Hong Kong-based professional magician, Sean McFarlane chat about magic

I enjoyed Allen’s variations on some of the classic plots in magic, mainly on cards, coins and novelty magic (for instance with cowry shells). He was entertaining, too, and that is as important in performance as in lecturing. The younger audience in attendance also left with a shift in their perception about magic. Magic is more than showing tricks to each other; it is about experiencing the human condition through each illusion. Art evokes emotions, deeper thought, and feelings.

Allen Okawa strikes a pose with lecture-attendee

What came across as important, too, was the naturalness in the way he handled an object or tool. Anything arousing suspicion destroys the illusion, and the art is in creating the illusion. A magical presentation is about theatre, and how the actor plays the part of the magician convincingly. David Copperfield, Lu Chien and David Blaine are actors on television and/or stage who display their art, as artists, through their playlets. Each act is a recreation and dramatisation of humankind’s ability to defy the laws of nature: produce, vanish, destroy and restore, and transport (across time and space) objects, livestock and people.

How much magic do you enjoy in your life?