Second Wind Issue 3 2015 by Paul & Marigold

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2015

Sea Games Special

Jun-Jul

Vol.01

No.

secondwindmagazine.com

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Track Star Melvin Wong

CONTENTS Sea Games Special Jun-Jul 2015 Gear 12 14 16

Gear Guide The Right Fit Review Column

Feature

20 Melvin Wong: Balancing

Work, Family & SEA Games

Soh Rui Yong: Top 5 Lessons I’ve Learnt Through My Overseas Running Experiences

Jonathan Ma: From Newbie To SEA Games

Training

32 Run 33 Cycle 34 Triathlon 36 Performance 40 Q&A With The Experts 42 Where to Eat 43 Where to Chill

Racing

46 Yak Ru Mountain Bike Race 50 Pride of Lions 53 Race Calendar 54 Sara’s Column

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EDITORIAL SEA Games

Special Come the SEA Games, we would already have seen amazing sporting achievements – the opening Singapore Sports Hub, retired athletes making stunning comebacks, and athletes going all out for a chance to represent the country. However, we may not know some of the stories behind the scenes – athletes struggling to make ends meet when doing the sport with no financial backing, their disappointment that comes with each setback, and the emptiness when giving their all is still not good enough. And then there are the questions that keeps coming back – should I do this, why am I doing this, to what end will this journey bring, will everything I do be worth it? When we put all these into perspective, we will realise that becoming a national athlete is not easy. But then again, not many know exactly how tough it is. Hence, we have dedicated an issue focusing on our athletes and their journey. Our purpose is to share with you the stories behind their highlights, and not let their precious takeaways from such unique experiences go to waste. But more importantly, we want to remember these distinguished characters behind the games. While the SEA Games might be an event that comes and goes as part of our SG50 celebration and as South East Asia’s biennial sporting celebration, we want to thank the sportsmen and sportswomen for playing a part in Singapore’s growing sporting culture. We want to applaud their courage to continue pursuing their dreams in a community and economy where sports is still gradually finding its footing, as well as for being the inspiration for our community and population. We hope that beyond the launch pad provided by them through the SEA Games, we will soon be able to see a tightly knitted, mutually sporting community made up of athletes, organisations and government agencies, which will then provide a platform for greater acceptance of sports in Singapore. As we wish for a bright future for Singapore sports and look back at all the sacrifices put in, let us, with thankfulness, enjoy the games.

CONTRIBUTORS Fabian Williams is the head

Scott Larsen is the founder

Wilson Low is a lead coach/ outdoor squad leader at Athlete Lab. He is a Triathlon Australia certified triathlon coach and Australia Mountain Bike Instructors Association certified mountain bike instructor.

Derrick Ong is the founder

Deborah Wong is owner and Pilates instructor at Breathe. After graduating with a Bachelor in Medicine and a Bachelor in Surgery (MBBS) from the National University of Singapore, Deborah decided to pursue her passion in Pilates by undergoing the instructor certification with STOTT PILATES.

Edgar Tham is the Chief

Bevan Colless has a degree in

Dr Chong Weng Wah Roland is an Orthopaedic

coach of Fabian Williams Coaching Concepts (FWCC). His qualifications include the International Association of Athletes Federation (IAAF) Level 1, Australian Track & Field Coaches Association Level I, II, III & IV coaching certifications.

Sports Science from the University of Technology Sydney and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) from the University of Sydney. He is an elite age group athlete.

Lemuel Lee is a coach at

CrankSmart Fitness & Performance. He holds a diploma (with merit) in Sports and Exercise Sciences and is currently pursuing a Bachelor in Sports Science and Management at National Technological University. His achievements include being the 2011 National Road Champion (Men’s Elite). He is NCAP Theory Level 2 and NCAP Technical Level 1 certified.

Editorial Board Editor K M Chua Shuwie Chang Sara Ng Photo Soon Tong, Calibre Pictures Richard Tan

Publisher Second Wind Magazine 29 Leonie Hill #05-05 Singapore 239228 contact@seconwindmagazine.com

and co-director of Tri Edge. His coaching qualifications include Triathlon New Zealand High Performance Coach (Accredited Level 2), SwimSafe New Zealand (Accredited Level 1), Triathlon New Zealand Technical Official (Accredited Level 2), Triathlon New Zealand Youth Development Manager (2006 – 2008).

and Director of Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Nutrition & Dietetics from Deakin University, Melbourne and is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) in both Australia and Singapore.

Sport & Performance Psychologist at SportPsych Consulting. He was the founding Head of the Sport Psychology Unit of the Singapore Sports Council in 1996. He was team consultant and travelling psychologist to numerous national teams at competitions, from SEA Games to Olympic Games.

Surgeon with a main interest in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Currently at Roland Shoulder & Orthopaedic Clinic, he is also a visiting consultant to Changi General Hospital for complex cases.

Timothy Lim is a bikefitter and engineer at LOUE Bicycles. He is an advanced certified S.I.C.I and RETÜL bike fitter and NCAP certified cycling coach. He also holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Mech. Engineering from the National University of Singapore, specialising in precision engineering.

Publishing Consultant & Creative Design

Managing Director Arvind Pasricha Mobile: +65 9189 9672 arvind@paulandmarigold.com www.paulandmarigold.com

Views expressed are not necessarily those of Second Wind Magazine. The magazine, consultants and writers take no responsibility for the consequences of any action taken based on any information published in Second Wind and neither shall they be held liable for any product or service advertised in the same. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Second Wind is printed by Atlas Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd (97608-x) MCI P 110/02/2015

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THE EVERYDAY

WARRIOR By Second Wind Editorial Team Photos Richard Leong, Relish Design + Photography

Noel Teh

At what age did you start cycling competitively? I started racing at the age of 18. My parents did not allow me to get a bike initially, and wanted me to focus on running instead. But I finally got one when my dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customer introduced me to his friend at Rodalink. He gave me a discount for the Polygon Helios 600 and I managed to pay half the bike off as deposit using my savings. My dad forked out the remaining later, after I told him about what I did. Do you have a full time job? If yes, what is it? Yes, and no. Currently, I work for my dad as a chef apprentice at his seafood restaurant. It is my role for now before I serve my national service, which I deferred so as to race the SEA Games. My main focus now is to do well for the games. After which, I will serve my national service and then continue training under my dad to take over his place. How does your training schedule look like? I ride every morning and do strength work in the gym three times a week. Sometimes, I will swap the gym workout for an interval. It depends on what my coach, Lemuel, has in plan for me. Do you have any time management rules you live by? Truthfully, I am always late. (Memo to self: try to be early than late.) How was your experience growing up in Singapore as a cyclist? I grew up just like most Singaporean cyclists, cycling with local groups. I rode with FS7, then

BIOGRAPHY Age 21 Profession Chef Apprentice Team Specialized Mavericks

Cycleworx, and subsequently fellow national riders. Now I race for/train with the Specialized Mavericks as well. How about your experiences racing overseas? I do not have much experience racing overseas. When I was 18, I missed out a trip to the UCI headquarters in Switzerland for the World Junior Championships because I was nursing a broken collarbone. Having said that, I did race three Australian tours including the ones in Perth and Canberra, which were great experiences for me as the gap between our standards was not too big.

How was it like when you got to know you qualified for SEA Games? It has always been one of my goals to represent the country. So for me, it was a dream come true, and looking back at the ups and downs, it was really quite the ride. What plans do you have beyond SEA Games? To be honest, I wanted to continue racing beyond SEA Games. The OCBC cycling team did offer a glimpse of hope for me to do so, but it has been disbanded recently. As of now, I do not see myself living off as a cyclist in the future, given the less than conducive environment.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

Inside

Gear Guide. The Right Fit.

GEAR Find out about the latest gears for champions in our gear features, and learn more about bikefit through the man heading Loue Bicycles, reference lab for gebioMized pressure analysis in South East Asia. Lastly, check out what we have to say about the latest Garmin and ASICS releases.

GEAR

Gear Guide

For Champions Spuik 16RC As the successor to the 15RC, the 16RC has a dynamic and ergonomic design. Its extremely lightweight upper is strong and easy to keep clean. It also has vents to allow moisture to drain out and a precise closure system consisting of Kevlar cables and two wheels. Comes with replaceable heel pads adding durability to the shoes and two pairs of insoles, one of them perforated. Available through SPORTIVO PTE LTD

Scratch Labs An all natural sports drink, it replaces both the fluid and electrolytes you lose in your sweat while providing just enough calories to help fuel your working muscles. Flavored with only real fruit and containing no artificial colors or preservatives, the drink mix won’t upset your stomach, leave a bad taste in your mouth, or challenge your IQ with tongue twisting chem-lab ingredients. Available at retailing sports shops

Nazaré 2 NAZARÉ2 benefits from the use of NEILPRYDE’s C6.9 ultra-high modulus carbon fiber. The result is one of the lightest aero road bikes, tipping the scales at 920g. Available at NEILPRYDE online store zestyledirect.com

Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

GEAR

Rudy Project Wing 57 Designed with the aid of legendary aerodynamics guru John Cobb, the new Wing57 has undergone extensive wind tunnel testing to become the best TT helmet on the market. The unique tail is made with geometry that works best for all TT positions and back profiles. Available at Rudy Project stores island-wide

Pioneer PM910 Set and Cycle-Computer Within each pedal stroke, the Pioneer’s Power Meter System independently precisely measures torque, force location, and force angle at 12 different points of the rotation. The exclusive Force Vector display featured in the Cycle-Computer graphically communicates each leg’s power output, pedalling efficiency, power loss, torque and force angle. Further analysis of the rider’s performance parameters is also possible through Pioneer’s free online service, Cyclo-Sphere. Available through Elite Bicycles Asia

Knight 65 Carbon Fibre Clincher Wheelset The Knight 65 is engineered to minimize “wind steer” by moving a higher percentage of lift the to back of the wheel, as well as to add lift to reduce the watts required for the same result – provided through its proprietary parabolic shape. It will enhance your performance on flatter road races and crits, as well as technical or windy triathlon courses. Available exclusively at JR Cycle Services

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

GEAR

The Right Fit

Bringing BikeFitting

To the Next Level

Contributed by Timothy Lim, Bikefitter & Engineer at Loue Bicycles louebicycles.com

In recent years, bikefitting has gained popularity among the cycling community and more bike shops are offering the relevant services. Technology in bikefitting has also improved with the use of cameras and motion capture systems. Recently, I introduced our second bikefitting class in partnership with German company gebioMized. The class was introduced in hope of raising the level of bikefitting in the region and spread the awareness and importance of bikefit to cyclists and bikeshops. The bikefit class had two levels - Level 1 focused on bikefitting basics and theory, with the use of saddle pressure mapping, and Level 2 on advanced theory, cyclist physical assessment, and in depth analysis with pressure mats of the foot-pedal interface. gebioMized is a German brand for customised/individual cycling products. The brand name is a combination of ‘customised’ and the name of their parent company, ‘GeBioM’, which has been active in the field of biomechanics for more than 10 years. gebioMized products are results of their insights gained in more than 10 years of research in cycling. The gebioMized pressure analysis system makes use of pressure mats at the contact points of the bicycle, for example, the saddle, shoe/pedal interface, hoods, aeropads for tri/tt bike and MTB grips. In addition to the system are also high quality cameras (Up to 80Hz) for 2D motion capture for motion analysis, giving the bikefitter a holistic approach to the entire bikefit process.

Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

However, at the end of the day, the bikefitter is still the most important ‘tool’ in the entire process, and this is where bikefit education plays an important role. With the right knowledge, experience, attention for detail and technology, the best results can be achieved. Next Level Fitting There are currently two methods of bikefitting; static bikefit which involves measurement of the cyclist in static position with goniometers, plumb line, measuring tape, and assessment with ‘eye power’, and dynamic bikefit, which involves capturing the cyclist’s motion and analysing him/her in dynamic motion. The gebioMized pressure analysis system allows for the analysis of pressure between the cyclist and all the contact points. With the pressure system, there is no guess work, and parameters such as maximum pressure, centre

of pressure and percentages of distribution can be analysed. The bikefitter and the client can see where high pressure points are and further analysis of the pressure distribution will aid the identification of potential problem areas, making the entire process more efficient, accurate and visual. In this way, it can help bikefitters “fix” cyclist with common issues such as hand numbness/pain, saddle issues, foot numbness, etc. Next level bikefitting for our SEA Games National Road Cycling Team Some of the cyclists that benefitted from Loue Bicycles Next Level Bikefitting includes National Road Cyclists of the upcoming 2015 Sea Games team, including the Ladies road team cyclists Dinah Chan and Serene Lee, and from the men’s team Benedict Lee, Noel Teh, Darren Low, Goh Choon Huat and Low Jiwen. We wish them all the best!

GEAR

The Right Fit

Reviewing The ASICS FOOT ID System By Second Wind Editorial Team Photos ASICS

In our perspective, Singapore definitely has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to sport biomechanics, both technology wise and expertise wise. And while it is common knowledge that a bike fit is important and there has been a gradual increase in professional bikefitters to cater to this demand, runners have not been able to enjoy the same blessings. Till now, to a certain extend.

O Shoe-fitting

On May 14, ASICS announced the opening of a new running speciality store. On top of what a standard Singapore ASICS store has, it also boasts a state of the art proprietary ASICS FOOT ID System. The ASICS FOOT ID is a designated area of the Suntec City ASICS store offering static and dynamic measurements, including foot shape analysis and gait cycle analysis. It has two different components – the ASICS FOOT ID static and the ASICS FOOT ID dynamic. The ASICS FOOT ID static measures the foot shape and the ASICS FOOT ID dynamic analyses the consumer’s gait while running. Together, they help runners find the most suitable shoes based on their feet and their run. The entire ‘fitting’ and shoe recommendation (and sales) process takes at least 15 minutes and the runner is guided through by an ASICS

retail assistant. Runners can take away with them a data print out of their analysis, which has plenty of information on their feet – from foot width, toe angle to arch height. And if they are ready to cash in, a pair of recommended ASICS shoes as well. These analyses are made possible by lasers and cameras that generates 3D models of each foot, as well as a motion sensor system which tracks movement angles when the runner runs. Cyclists who have been through RETUL or the latest GURU bike fitting systems will surely find the motion sensor technology familiar. Our Take Just like many other systems, we believe that it is one thing to have mechanical capabilities, and it is another to have the right people to complete the package. We say this with the consideration that there are indeed plenty of factors naked to the untrained eyes of non-biomechanists, non-sport scientists and other non-experts. It is only, therefore, with the relevant knowledge, or experience, that we believe someone can make a conclusion on which shoes are best for an individual. With this system, ASICS is halfway there in guiding runners into making buyer decisions with utmost clarity. As for the other half, it is way too early for us to conclude for ourselves if such technology, together with aid from ASISCS’s retail assistants, really does translates into wiser shoe choices. Eventually, we certainly hope to share that it does. But looking at the big picture, regardless if it does or does not, it unquestionably provides a new perspective to the Singapore running scene and is showing us the way towards a Sound Mind in a Sound Body.

LOCATION ASICS STORE SUNTEC CITY 3 Temasek Boulevard, Unit #02-476 Suntec City Mall Singapore 038983 TELEPHONE 63360801

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

GEAR

Review Column

Garmin

Vívoactive Review

By Dr Derek Li

The Vivoactive sits in a unique category, in that there aren’t really any true competitors on the market. It combines the basic features of a Vivofit, a 910xt, and a smartwatch in a sleek and lightweight package at a fairly attractive price point (S$399 msrp). At a mere 38g in weight, it is currently Garmin’s lightest GPS watch.

The first thing you need to do once you have the watch fully charged is to set it up. The easiest way to do it is to pair it with the Garmin Connect App on a smartphone, or the Garmin Express programme on a PC. iPhone users should note that the Vivoactive only works with the latest version of the Garmin Connect App, which requires iOS 8 and above. Additionally, you also need the latest version of Garmin Express for the watch to communicate with your PC. The watch comes stock with a certain set of applications: Alarm, Activity Tracker, Run, indoor run, walk, indoor walk, bike, indoor bike, swim and golf. There are also built-in widgets like notifications, weather and music controls (of e.g. iTunes). These widgets require Bluetooth connectivity with smartphone. The watch can also communicate with the Garmin Virb action cam with a downloadable add-on. However, that’s just the start. Garmin developed an online app store called Connect IQ which makes the watch customisable. However, the current app selection is limited.

Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

GEAR

The running app has three customisable screens that can be toggled by side swiping or made to auto scroll. Each screen can accommodate three data fields. In this respect, it is closest to a Forerunner 220. The watch does support additional sensors e.g. footpods and HRMs but does NOT support running dynamics e.g. ground contact time and vertical oscillation, something in the Forerunner 620. Outdoors, the watch often picks up the GPS signal very fast (<15s) but this relies on your watch syncing with a PC every couple of days. If you are using a treadmill, you can choose the indoor running app. This will use the internal accelerometer to estimate your pace unless you have a footpod paired – something I’d recommend. To-date, no brand on the market has managed to make a watch reliably predict pace based on arm swing, and Garmin is no exception. One thing to note is that the watch differs from its usual GPS offerings in that there isn’t a whole lot of beeping. There is no beep for any alerts (e.g. pace/HR zone alerts); it relies solely on vibrations to notify you. The vibration is not very strong and can often be missed unless you are looking out for it. Another limitation compared to the Forerunners is the lack of a “race” mode, which is an update to the Forerunner series. In the Race or extended GPS mode, the watch captures the GPS for 20 minutes before going in to standby, instead of the normal mode’s 5 minutes, while waiting for you to press the start button. This is very useful when you are at the start line and don’t want to fiddle with your watch while waiting for the gun to go off. The running app does allow for quite a few alerts, including eating and drinking alerts, and “turn around” alerts which can be quite useful, but again, without a beep, you may well miss the alert altogether. One other cool feature is that you can actually use the watch even when it is charging. You can go to the USB mode under settings > system > USB mode and change it from the default “mass storage”

Garmin Vívoactive PROS

 Very lightweight  Can easily pass off as a casual watch to be worn at work  Good price point given the breadth of functionality  Very customisable

CONS

 Fairly basic functionality for each of the sporting apps  Inability to switch off the activity tracker  Inability to configure soundbased alerts

to “Garmin” and that allows you to use the watch as per normal while charging. This is useful for those ultrarunners among us who need to charge the watch on the go during long races. Finally onto the activity tracker. It basically predicts how much you walk (counted as steps) based on arm swing using the internal accelerometer. You can override the out of the box dynamic targets manually to set the target you want, but you cannot switch it off. While such activity trackers are slowly gaining popularity among the public, I found it quite annoying sometimes as my job requires me to be desk-bound for several hours at a time. Even though I get out of my chair every 5-10 minutes, it does not count as you actually need to walk about 100m to “silence” the move prompt. If you are planning to use it to bike, the Vivoactive can pair with ANT+ cadence and speed sensors but is not compatible with ANT+ power meters at this time. Also, there is no “triathlon” mode, so you actually have to re-activate separate apps when you want to switch from swim to bike to run. If you want a multisport watch for racing, then this is not the watch for you. With regard to battery life, it is pretty good if you use it as a standalone watch without connecting to a phone. Advertised battery life is three weeks when not in GPS mode but that seems a tad optimistic. In full GPS mode, advertised battery life is 10 hours and my experience seems to suggest that this is fairly accurate. Overall, this watch has a lot of potential given its customisability, and covers a lot of sporting functions, albeit in a fairly basic form; call it a jack of all trades but a master of none. If you are heavily invested in a particular sport (e.g. running, cycling, golf); then it would be best to get a dedicated watch for that sport. However, for a weekend warrior looking for app support for the occasional run or bike ride, then this watch will work just fine.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

Inside Melvin Wong. Soh Rui Yong. Jonathan Ma

Photo Richard Tan

FEA

ATURES Read about our SEA Games athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stories in this segment. From the work-life balance tips from Melvin Wong, to lessons learnt training overseas from top marathon prospect Soh Rui Yong, and the first steps of national triathlete Jonathan Ma, we have got it all covered.

FEATURES

Cover Story

Melvin Wong

Balancing Work, Family & SEA Games By Second Wind Editorial Team Photos Soon Tong

What’s your profession?

the delayed time. Otherwise, I would head down to the training venue (changes each day depending on the workout) and do my workout there. I normally do one training session a day so as to maximise my rest and focus fully on the one session, typically in the evenings.

I am a sales associate at a financial information and news provider. Having spent the last four years in the Data Department, I have recently switched departments to take on a more front line client-facing role.

Share a little more about your profession – what you do, working hours, the work environment. My day job requires me to ensure that my assigned accounts are well managed and that our clients utilise the full suite of the firm’s products and services. This would include providing timely updates about our new enhancements and making sure that appropriate training is conducted for the relevant stakeholders. It is a great challenge to connect several moving parts and ensure that they maximise the full value of my firm’s services.

How does your schedule look like? On weekdays, I start my work day at about 8am and finishing up around 6.30pm. On days where I need to work a little later, I would reconfigure my training schedule to suit

20 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

My weekends would be inserting a long run on one of the mornings and a workout in the evening. While most of my friends sleep in during the weekends, I would like to wake up early to clock my run. Overall, I feel that as long as you can craft out a schedule that is sustainable, you will slowly and surely reap the benefits. “I normally do one training session a day so as to maximise my rest and focus fully on the one session, typically in the evenings. ”

Teach us a trick or two about time management. Time management requires several qualities but I would highlight two that works for me. Firstly, you must have confidence that your schedule will reap benefits in the long run. This is a mental aspect of self-assurance that may be overlooked. I personally feel that once your mind gets the buy-in that this is going to work (as opposed to exploratory phase), you will put in the 110% to go achieve it. Whether it’s a training or work/family schedule, you should craft out a plan and combine the moving parts together to form a personalised schedule. Don’t allow others to dictate how you craft it out – ultimately; you know your requirements best. Be confident in the plan that you come up with and stick to it!

FEATURES

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

FEATURES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no benefit in trying to squeeze in a session when your body is under the weather as it will not be able to absorb the training stimulus.â&#x20AC;? Secondly, be disciplined to stick to your plan. We have many distractions in the form of digital devices and social interaction. The mobile phone could provide you with ease of communication but we often overuse it and it becomes a filler while we wait for a friend or during our commute to places. Social interaction in the form of gatherings and meet-ups are omni-present in our lives but we need to determine whether it is wise to go along and possibly hinder the recovery from a workout earlier on. Being discipline here requires acute sense of judgment to make decisions that will be valuable in the long run.

What mindset do you try to bring into training? I am convinced that my schedule is bringing me closer to my objective so I approach every workout with a mindset that I will finish it and at the same time, looking forward to the next one. If you dread doing a workout right from the start, that negativity will latch onto you the entire session.

Do you skip trainings, and under what circumstances do you do? I do forgo trainings if I am unwell or when I am mentally unprepared for the session (could be a result of work volume/personal matters, etc). There is no benefit in trying to squeeze in a session when your body is under the weather as it will not be able to absorb the training stimulus. And it is also unhealthy if you keep on forcing yourself to go through the motion of the workout if your mind is elsewhere all the time.

Has it always been so? Yes, always have been!

Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

FEATURES

So when did you start running?

To be honest, the main goal for me to run both events, at any race and Malaysia Open especially, is to lower my personal best. I strongly believe in managing what you can control so the time is the only thing I can control within my means. The selection criteria have never been in my mind before and even after this meet.

I started running in 2004 but spent the next eight years in triathlon as a competitive age grouper. I have only started running seriously back in 2012 after getting married.

I raced the 10,000m on the first day and 5000m on the second day. The 10 felt tougher because of the sheer 25-lap concentration and being the first event of the meet, I can’t help but feel a little nervous at the same time.

What does running mean to you? Running is a way to enjoy an activity in the form of a physical exercise. Some people may seek to enjoy the adrenaline that comes with running; others could enjoy the company of fellow peers or even the travelling and food that comes along with running. For me, running allows me to sharpen my mind and bolster my physical fitness both at the same time. I like to put myself in a competitive state in running because I get to go through the mental rigours of calculating my paces and recognising the physical efforts and mental mind-state associated with that pace. And of course, I get to improve my fitness and learn from my fellow runners about other related topics such as recovery and nutrition. Running is a lifestyle that I’d hold closely to.

What’s your training philosophy? Commit your heart, mind and soul to your goal and work relentlessly towards it. In other words, the relentless pursuit of excellence!

What are the milestones along your journey so far? The one milestone that still remains relevant today is the “King of the Road” title in 2012. I emerged as the fastest local in the 16.8km race and hence, earned the title – which many of my running friends still joked about with me. It was pretty special as I have just finished a two-week high key In-Camp Training (ICT) and did not have confidence that I would finish the race strong. The victory was a pleasant milestone.

How about the turning points of your journey? In the run-up to the SEA Games Qualification, I have used Malaysia Open and Singapore Open to gauge myself over both 5,000 and 10,000 events.

“the 5000m was a turning point for me in my running journey”

However, the 5000m was a turning point for me in my running journey. I had limited race competition on the track and was always either in the front pack or at the back. Racing for the finish line with a string of competitors was really foreign to me. I changed lead for second position a couple of times with another Malaysian state runner in the middle five laps – all these while a string of runners were waiting patiently behind us to capitalise on any dip in our pace. With two laps to go, I poured out whatever courage I had to make a surge after taking the lead for second position just moments before. And this proved to be the defining moment as I raced to the finish line in second place. This move not only re-defined my confidence but also cement my first ever sub16min 5k! The pursuit of a sub-16min 5K took more than two years but it was so sweet when you finally achieved that goal. And this was definitely the turning point in recent weeks.

Was SEA Games the aim for this season? To be honest, it was not the aim for this season. The aims were to lower personal best and break personal barriers.

Now that you are representing the nation, what does it mean to you? As a Singaporean, I can never be more proud than donning the Singapore flag upon my chest.

Finally, what are your expectations for yourself this SEA Games? To continue lowering personal best and be an inspirational figure to a larger community who, like myself, have a family to feed and a workforce to account to.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

FEATURES

Top 5 Lessons Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Learnt Through

Under-recovering, not overtraining

When I was in Singapore, I ran no more than 60-75km a week. That was considered a lot, and the common belief is that our bodies canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take the stress of running more than 100km a week. Training overseas has opened up my eyes to the reality: that to achieve success in running, and to match up to the best in the world, one needs to run a lot. As my coach Ian Dobson says, if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one common factor between Olympic champions and world record holder in every event from 800m to the marathon, it is that they all run a lot.

My Overseas Running Experiences By Soh Rui Yong

The human body adapts to the workload it is put through, and given enough time, it gradually grows stronger as the training load increases. As long as an athlete increases his mileage and intensity gradually and handles other aspects of recovery well (sleep, nutrition, icing, elevation, stretching, sports massage, etc.), the body will adapt and become stronger through training. The physical limit knows no boundaries.

Dream bigger

Being in a high performance running environment with tremendous positive energy around, has encouraged me to reassess my goals. Everybody here has dreams of representing their country at the Olympics one day, and more importantly, they believe that they have what it takes. While I once thought that I would retire happily from running if I held a Singapore national record, that soon became a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. Running 31:15.95 for the 10,000m in Portland last June to break a 41-year old national record was an incredible confirmation that I am on the right track. To follow that up with a 2:26:01 Singapore debut record at the California International Marathon has inspired me to believe that if I stay healthy and keep working hard, I have what it takes to qualify for the Olympic Games one day.

24 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

FEATURES

Train moderate to race hard

Growing up as an athlete in Singapore, I was never exposed to the number one rule that presides over Team Run Eugene, and many other teams in the United States: no racing during workouts. This philosophy sounds simple enough – train smart, and conserve your racing efforts for race day. With my training group back in Singapore however (perhaps due to the competitive desire to prove ourselves), we loved racing during workouts. Maybe we thought that we were pushing each other to get better by giving it our 100 per cent each time, but what we were possibly doing was expending all our spirit on the training ground, and leaving little for the race. All it took was one surge from one athlete in our group to ignite the spark, and soon, everybody would be going balls out, no mercy on the track, or along the trails of Macritchie Reservoir.

Activate different energy systems

On workout days back in Singapore, I would run repetitions, always at race pace. For example, 10 x 1km @ 10km race pace, 5 x 1km @ 5km race pace, 5 x 600m @ 3km race pace, etc., always with short rest. Training overseas has exposed me to a different style of training – on workout days, I often open up with a 5-7km tempo run on the trail, before stepping onto the track for 800m x 4 or something faster. We also treat rest as something flexible – adjusted accordingly depending on my state on the day. It hasn’t ever happened because I usually keep myself in good shape, but if I ever start struggling in a workout, we are fine with adjusting the rest accordingly. After all, the point of interval training is to train the body to run at a certain pace with good running form. If I’m struggling and start losing my form and running slower than what is required, then the session has lost its purpose.

I used to push so hard on the long runs to bury my long run partners, and set new “personal bests” on the fixed training routes we ran, then challenge the middle distance runners on the last lap of our track workouts together, covering the last 400m of a long workout (20 x 400m with 40sec rest, for example) sometimes in as fast as 58 seconds. On more than one occasion, I remember having incredible workouts, then going into a race and failing to run up to my own expectations. I couldn’t understand it then, but I do now. In furiously burning up the training ground and posting great times, I was racing low on “spirit”. “Spirit”, I believe, is an intangible attribute that a runner builds up through runs in natural, scenic environments such as Pre’s Trail, Ridgeline Trail, MacRitchie Reservoir or Botanic Gardens, and expends during hard track sessions or exhausting race efforts. This is something that I feel is constantly overlooked in the sport of distance running: While track sessions might be the quickest way to get a runner into racing shape, too much of it can eat away at the mental state of a runner, eventually leaving him drained of his passion for the sport. While it is definitely beneficial to have hard workouts once in a while to prepare well for a race, having too many of them in a row does not work well for me, and I have benefitted greatly from a “moderate effort, high mileage” approach explored here. Now, I save my best performances for the race, having a deep pool of spirit to dig into when the going gets tough.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

FEATURES

One day of rest a week works wonders

Despite churning week after week of 160km weeks, I always take one day a week – usually Saturday, completely off from running. I study, watch a movie, play video games, hang out with friends, take a nap, do anything but run. Many runners have insecurities about taking a day off but taking one day off a week lets my body replenish its glycogen levels, rebuild muscle, and climb out of the fatigue “hole” that one puts himself in by training hard. It allows me to be excited about returning to training the next week, and in the long run, prevents injury.

Conclusions All this is not to say, however, that developing as an athlete in Singapore did me no good at all. I had great coaches, particularly Mr Steven Quek, who educated me on the importance of nutrition and recovery to support my training load. Mr Quek’s teachings are as good as gold to me, and I keep them close at all times. His focus on the long-term development plan for me, that is, to continue running well into my 20s and 30s and not as a teenager, is also a big reason why I have developed adequate range of motion, strength, flexibility and not to mention a stable mentality, all of which help me stay healthy and injury-free. Up till today, I have yet to have developed a serious injury that has taken me out of training for more than one week (ankle injury suffered in Feb 2014). My stable foundation and education, combined with the dynamic training programme I’m working on here with Ian, have combined beautifully to create the healthy athlete I am today, able to handle the high mileage required to become a good distance runner without breaking down. Ultimately, it is a confluence of background factors, together with the personality of the individual that makes or breaks a successful distance runner. One must only believe that it is never too late to try something new, and potentially achieve greatness.

26 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

FEATURES

From Newbie

To SEA Games By Jonathan Ma Photos Richard Tan

Whenever people ask me how I got into triathlon, they would often react with surprise when I tell them that I had no prior competitive background in swimming, cycling or running. Even as I look back on the past seven years, I still wonder at how so many pieces of my life had to fall in their little places in order for me to be where I am now.

2008

The Beginning Even though I started swimming since I was a kid, I was never at the level where I would actually call myself a swimmer. I swam only because I enjoyed the freedom in the water, and getting a tan so that I could at least be tall and dark. Running-wise, it was only during National Service when I realised that I was a half-decent runner because I would consistently be one of the first to finish my 2.4km runs. So in March 2008, I signed up for the now-extinct Singapore Biathlon and finished the race with a singlet barely covering my budgie smuggler. I had expected the whole affair to be tiring, but what I did not expect was the feeling of euphoria and accomplishment after I crossed the finish line. In other words, I was hooked like Captain Hook. In August, I matriculated into National University of Singapore and was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a varsity aquathlon team, which I joined without second thoughts. It was in this team that I met people that took my budding spark for multi-sports and fanned it into a full-blown inferno, particularly Jiajie. He convinced me to buy my first bike (an Orbea) and partially responsible for sending me into a downward spiral of spending on bike equipment and accessories. The first sprint triathlon soon followed, and now I could call myself a triathlete!

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

FEATURES

2009 – 2010 Baby Steps

Determined to take this triathlon thing progressively, I signed up for the 2009 Singapore 70.3 Ironman right after completing the sprint. Perhaps as a punishment for my overenthusiasm, I suffered not one, not two, but three flat tyres during that 70.3, no thanks to some strategically-placed thumbtacks on the bike course. Still, I managed to finish the race with help from my friends Jiajie and Norman. The rest of 2009 flew by in a blur of trainings and racing. I was addicted to the sport and nothing could hold me back – except for bike crashes, of which there were many. 2010 was a milestone year. Within 365 days, I completed my second Half-Ironman in Singapore, and also qualified for the World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. Before that though, I tackled my first full Ironman at Frankfurt, Germany. This undertaking was not helped by a persistent shin splint that limited my longest run to 14km before the race. I still remember the mix of nerves and excitement on the day of my first full Ironman. As the start gun sounded off and the Lagener Waldsee turned into a giant washing machine,

28 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

“I still remember the mix of nerves and excitement on the day of my first full Ironman.”

I found myself falling in love with the sport again. Throughout the rest of the day, I experienced the highs and lows that came with racing an Ironman, but when I reached the finish line at the 10 hours 45 minutes mark, I was overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions; if I could bottle it up, I would label it the best feeling in the world. I finished 2010 off with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida. Racing among the best in the world, I finished with a respectable timing of 4 hours 46 minutes. Conventional wisdom would dictate that after having a relatively good year, I would continue racing the Ironman distance in 2011. What I did not see coming was a weariness from the long distance training and racing. I had developed what I would call “Ironman Fatigue”.

2011 – 2013

The Overhaul I decided that for the next couple of years, I would scale down in terms of mileage and focus on racing Olympic Distance (OD) Triathlon, with an eye on racing the ITU draft-legal circuit. Now, to quote a disgraced former-7-times Tour de France

FEATURES

2014 – 2015 The Dream

I felt a serenity and focus come over me; at that very moment, I knew I was ready. champion, the draft-legal triathlon “a shampoo, blow dry and 10k foot race”. I suspect he might be high on something, but draft-legal racing is anything but a grooming exercise. For this to work out, my training mileage was reduced, but the intensity was racked up several times over. I am talking about heart-pounding-out-of-chest, saliva-hanging, eyes-rolling-backwards kind of intensity. In long course non-drafting triathlon, there is room for error that one can make up for somewhere during the race. This is not the case in draft-legal OD format. From the moment one starts, it is a mad jostle for positions with everyone trying to get into a pack to avoid being left out of a strong bike pack. Once out of the water, it is lightning-quick transitions and then an intense bike leg, with sudden surges and attacks akin to actual bike racing rather than triathlon time-trialling. Another lightningquick transition later, one is onto the 10k run where 40 minutes is considered pedestrian. This demands a participant to be good in all three phases of swim, bike and run, and not be just strong in one or two. From 2011 to 2012, I was adapting to this new style of racing. Gone were the triathlon bike and the aero helmet, and in came a road bike courtesy of my sponsor Orbea Soon Watt Singapore. My first draft-legal race was the World University Games in Yilan, Taiwan. It was ridiculously hot and windy, and the swim took place in a muddy canal which rivalled Singapore’s waters in terms of poor visibility. It was a race of attrition: the leader blew up, DNF and several others bonked due to the heat. Keep in mind that these were some of the brightest young talents from around the world! I consider 2013 to be a highlight year of my triathlon career thus far. Locally, I won the 2XU Mega Tri Olympic Distance, Trifam Sprint, and Trifactor Triathlon. I also raced three ITU Asian Cup races in Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Midway through the year, there were already rumours that triathlon would be a SEA Games sport for the 2015 edition that Singapore would be hosting. I decided right away that my next target would be making the triathlon squad for that SEA Games and I would work towards medalling.

Throughout 2014, other triathletes were starting to emerge or were making a comeback, all with an eye on making the very same squad I was gunning for. Faces became more familiar and despite the competition, there was also a feeling that we were all fighting for a common goal to do the nation proud. It was announced in January 2015 that the trials for the SEA Games squad would be in early March. In the days leading up to the trials, I was a bundle of nerves. Two years of training dedicated to getting to the SEA Games, and 3rd March was going to determine if that dream would come true. That morning, as I strode across the beach to get ready to warm up in the waters of East Coast Park, I felt a serenity and focus come over me; at that very moment, I knew I was ready. The race executed according to plan in the swim. I stuck close to the strong swimmers and was fifth out of the water with Kenneth Gan and about 15 seconds behind the pair of Clement and Wille. Bryce and Zacharias were 1:45 up but I was confident that we would neutralise that advantage on the bike. I caught up with Clement and Wille and we overtook Zacharias soon after. The trio of us soon became four with Bryce joining us about halfway to go. For the rest of the bike event, we tried to catch each other off guard but as we approached T2 together, it was going to come down to a leg race, and that was when my race started to unravel. Three weeks before the trials, I had a Grade 1 tear in my calf muscle. Though I had recovered by the trials, it took away two weeks of precious training on the track, and it was evident that my legs’ conditioning were not as sharp as they needed to be that day. Throughout the 10km, I watched as Clement and Wille ran away from me, and with them, the two spots for the SEA Games squad. Finishing third meant that I was a reserve for the squad, which also meant that I had to keep up my training – potentially for nothing. Eventually, I came to terms with the result, and started to embrace my role. I still have much love for this sport, and I could not let this result define myself as a triathlete. There is much more that I look forward to in the future, including the dream of making it to the Kona, Hawaii Ironman World Championships. As much as I have invested into the sport of triathlon, I feel that I have gotten so much more out of it. Besides the obvious physical benefits, mentally I have gleamed so much from the discipline and determination needed as part of training. Perhaps the greatest takeaway is the huge community that I have gotten to know, the training partners, friends and other enthusiasts of the sport. Triathlon is growing so quickly in Singapore and I for one, am excited to see its development over the years ahead!

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 29

Inside Run. Cycle. Triathlon. Tri. Performance. Q&A. Where to Eat. Where to Chill.

Photo Athlete Lab - Specialized Mavericks Social Ride

RAINING Midway through the year, we hope to help you find your second wind for this season, providing you with insightful articles and perspectives. Hear from the professionals on what they have got to share to help you understand your sport better.

TRAINING

Run Run 5 Tips To Your

Best 10KM

1 Be prepared: Micro analyse Ensure that you have a detailed training plan and undergo a holistic and thorough training regime that addresses all your specific race requirements. Speed, strength, power, endurance, speed endurance, cardio efficiency, and running economy are components you should look into. You should also pay attention to what to wear for your race, nutrition and hydration plan, race strategy, projected race pace, knowledge of the race route including terrain and elevation, and how you want to get to the race site. All these details and pre-race preparation minimize race day surprises, hiccups and potential mishaps ensuring a smoother race culminating in eventual faster times.

2 Train smart & Rest hard Due to our potentially hectic lifestyles it is important that our limited training times are fully and effectively utilised. Training pedagogy and protocols have greatly evolved and it is imperative that we move along with times and move away from outdated training methods which will not only save us time but minimize wasted efforts. Along with training smart one has to learn to REST HARD as well. You only get stronger when your body is rested and recovered and not only when you are training hard. Learn to give yourself adequate rest after training sessions and in between hard training days to maximise and benefit from all the hard work you put in during training itself.

3 Race as you have trained to Do Not and i repeat DO NOT attempt to try anything new on race day. Stick to the tried and tested. Race day should be the perfection of training executions. Conduct all necessary trials during your training phase to iron out what works for you and what does not. Put it all together in a plan and perfectly execute it on race day.

Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

4 Anterior-Posterior

Musculature Synergy

Muscular imbalances are the reason for most injuries and are associated with poor or stagnated performances. Athletes mainly focus on developing the anterior muscular structure and ignore the posterior chain, wherein the latter holds the key to performance and hip extension is typically seen as a primary function of the posterior chain. Main functions and muscles would includeMultifidus (spine support) â&#x20AC;˘ Gluteal Muscles (hip extensors, femoral rotation) â&#x20AC;˘ Hamstring Muscles (hip extension, knee flexion) â&#x20AC;˘ Gastrocnemius or Calf (plantar flexes ankle, knee flexion) Work on these components with exercises such as squats and dead lifts to unleash a stronger and faster you.

5 Self Myofascial Release

(SMR)

Body maintenance is crucial to peak performance. Its a double edged tool that when used right will yield the desired benefits. Alternatively it may do more damage, thus roll with caution. Contrary to popular belief more rolling will not help alleviate pain, whereas the accuracy of its positioning will. Understand which body parts and or structures can or should not be foam rolled and why. For example, the iliotibial band (ITB) which is a broad band of fascia and connective tissue, continuous above with the tensor fasciae latae muscle which is attached to the iliac crest, and extending down to be inserted on the outer side of the tibia below the knee. iliotibial band syndrome is one of the commonest causes of knee pain in runners, with pain localized at the insertion on the lateral aspect of the tibia where the band rubs on the lateral tibial condyle. It is usually caused by road running, especially on prolonged inclined surfaces, and also associated with excessive pronation. The key to treatment is to identify the cause and improve the athlete's flexibility, stability and muscular imbalance and to roll the vastus lateralis and not roll the ITB. Contributed by: Fabian Williams, Head Coach at Fabian Williams Coaching Concept Photos Fabian William

TRAINING

Cycle

A Day in the Life of a Professional Cyclist By Lemuel Lee

– Things they don’t tell you

The life of a professional cyclist often looks glamorous. Clean, shiny bikes, spanking new kit, nothing to do the entire day except ride, the occasional coffee stop; life seems too good to be true as a professional cyclist. It very well is! The life of a professional cyclist is by no means an easy, relaxing one. It entails having to make time for training – both on and off the bike, recovery (a thing most taken for granted), media obligations, and sponsor obligations. Here’s what a typical day looks like:

*The meaning of ‘leisure time’ varies across different cyclists. For some pursuing an education, it would mean study time. For some, it would mean family time, or picking spouse or kids up from work or school respectively.

0700hrs – Wake up, breakfast, stretching & core exercises

**The number of hours spent sleeping is subjective to individual preferences too.

0800hrs – Attend to personal matters (like clearing emails)

This typical schedule, or shall I say ideal schedule, is interrupted by other obligations that a professional cyclist is committed to once in a while too. Media obligations, like radio or TV interviews, and Sponsor obligations, like the launching of a new store by the sponsor, typically takes up half the day. This would mean some adjustment to the schedule, of which training will be started earlier in the morning at 5am, or later in the day after lunch. With such an intricately planned schedule, it is also often difficult for an individual who is training hard to have much of a nightlife. Any time to recover and ‘hang the legs’ at home will be greatly appreciated the next day during training.

0900hrs – Out for a ride! Part of the reason for riding at this time is to simulate race-like conditions. Most Asian races typically start at this time, usually in similar weather conditions. It is also of course, to avoid the dreaded peak hour traffic. Lunch is typically done during the ride. I like to wrap a small sandwich in foil to keep me going. Depending on the training for the day, it could mean a shorter three-hour ride in the AM, lunch and a bit of nap time, before a gym or interval session in the PM. 1500hrs – Back home, small recovery meal or drink, stretching 1600hrs – Nap 1700hrs – Leisure time*, uploading training data

1900hrs – Dinner 2000hrs – Household chores, leisure time* 2200hrs – Sleep** (More recovery!)

Unlike what some people imagine, the life of a professional cyclist does not consist of a threehour bunch ride and the rest of the day spent in a café. It entails commitment and discipline to proper training and adequate recovery, fulfilling media, sponsor contractual obligations, whilst accommodating to other facets of life despite a physically fatigued and mentally drained body. It is by no means glamorous, and involves a great deal of suffering and pain.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 33

TRAINING

Triathlon

Drills to Perfect Your Transition Contributed by Scott Larsen, Head Coach at Tri Edge www.triathloncoachingsg.com

Transitions are the fourth discipline of a triathlon and generally are the most overlooked aspect of the event. Simply put, any moment you are not moving in the direction of the finish line, is time lost. Standing still is simply something you want to keep to an absolute minimum! Here are my top five drills to perfect your transition.

Practise getting in and out of your cycling shoes every time you do a wind-trainer/stationary trainer session. One of the biggest fears of most triathletes is putting shoes on and taking them off on the bike. Coming back to the statement earlier, putting shoes on or taking them off in transition means standing still. Why stand still when we can be travelling 30-40km/h and get the job done! By practising this on the wind-trainer, you take away all concerns of falling off and the correct technique can be developed. The correct technique is as follows: • Get onto the bike, either by standing and swinging the leg over, stepping over or the running jump • With the feet on top of the shoes, bring the bike speed up to your race pace • Once you are up at race pace, put the right foot to the bottom of the pedal stroke so the left foot is ‘high’ • Then using the right hand to hold the bar, with your left hand reach down to hold the toe of the shoe. Put your toes into the shoe. Move your hand to the heel and slide in your heel. • Once your foot is in, bring your bike speed back up to race pace, before doing up the strap • Repeat this process for your right foot. Make sure you use the right hand when putting the right foot in! You should never cross your hands over the bar

34 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

Running the bike from the seat. This is a fun drill that you can work on whenever you are out riding. When you get off your bike at the end of the ride, or mid-way point, use this time to do about a 50-100m holding your bike at the seat (no hands on the handle bars). For a more structured session, you can set up two cones and with some friends, have time trial races or relays pushing the bike from the seat. Out 50m around the cone and back. The benefits of running the bike from the seat are as follows: • Your legs will not accidentally get tangled in the bike • You have greater control at high speed • Being upright allows you to take in more oxygen and also, off the bike, stretch the back out • You can keep an eye on cycling shoes and other equipment on the bike to make sure nothing bounces or gets knocked off

TV time, shoe practice. There is no better time to work on putting your shoes on and off. Once or twice a week, set up the running shoes and put them on and off 20 times. This is ideal in advertisement breaks to pass the time.

TRAINING

Once or twice a week, set up the running shoes and put them on and off 20 times. Bike to run transition • Visualising where your bike should be reracked at the end of the ride with 5km to go. Where is the bike entry and run exit • Taking your cycling shoes out while still on the bike • Running the bike from the seat to your transition spot • Re-racking your bike • Remove the helmet • Putting on the running shoes

Visualisation. As a drill, visualisation should be done pre-race as well as during the race before getting to the next section. For visualisation of transition, here is a process (for non-wetsuit events) that you should go through: Swim to bike transition

• Turn your number belt around to the front

Pre-race preparation and warm up walk through. This is a very important drill and something our team will practice at EVERY event. As part of your run warm up, do 3 x jogging through each of these transition components:

• Feeling strong coming out of the water and running at a solid pace, in control of your heart-rate

• Running from the water to your transition spot

• Knowing the layout of transition and running directly to your bike

• Bike entry to transition spot

• Placing the goggles down and putting the helmet on • Putting on your number belt – number at the back • Picking the bike up and running it from the seat, to the exit • Bringing the bike up to speed and getting the shoes on

• Transition spot to the bike exit

• Transition spot to the run exit For major events, we would suggest this drill to be done the day before the race as part of the pre-race warm up as well. This gives the athletes a total of six repetitions of the transition layout and flow. Come race day, you should know the transition area well. There should never be a time when you need to ask an official where to go or feel ‘lost’. We hope these transition drills help.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 35

TRAINING

Performance

What Is The Single Trait That Separates Winning Athletes and AlsoRans? Or Is There One? Contributed by Edgar K. Tham, Founder & Peak Performance Coach, SportPsych Consulting www.sportpsychconsulting.com

Athletic Personality? Thousands of research studies have been conducted on the various aspects of sport personality since the 1960’s and 70’s. And interestingly, till date, the research has yielded very little conclusions about the relationship between athlete personality and sporting performance. The 5C’s Fortunately, more recent studies have explored the specific mental skills or strategies used by numerous competitive athletes. The conclusion made is that successful athletes do seem to apply more effective mental skills and strategies than non-winners. In addition, from our consulting work with medal winners at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympic Games since 1993, we have found that athletes need and should apply the 5C’s of mental toughness:

Composure – Staying calm and relaxed before and during any pressure situation

“Before the [Olympic] trials I was doing a lot of relaxing exercises and visualisation. And I think that that helped me to get a feel of what it was gonna be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything that I could do to get ready for that meet, both physically and mentally.” — Michael Phelps, Winner of eight gold medals at a single Olympics (Beijing, 2008) Here are some practical tips to help you be calm and relaxed before and during races: • Don’t over-emphasise on race outcomes or results. They usually put undue pressure upon you due to their unpredictability. Focus instead on the process of racing (i.e. your race plan; more on this in the next section on Concentration). • Learn to use relaxation exercises on a regular basis. This teaches you to be in tune with your body’s tension levels and be able to relax on command on race days. • Go to Edgar’s website at www. sportpsychconsulting.com and click on the Free Audio menu section to download a Relaxation Exercise (in audio MP3 format) that can be used on your mobile devices.

36 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

TRAINING

Concentration – Paying attention and focusing on what matters most during stressful times “My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win....Channel your energy. Focus.” — Carl Lewis, Multiple Olympic gold medallist and World Champion (Track & Field) Here are some practical tips to help you be more focused and follow your race plans: • Have a tried-and-tested race plan months before the race day. • Don’t get caught up with what’s going on around you at the competition site. Just concentrate on your own process goals and get the job done! • Control the controllables. Let go of things that you know you cannot control. Focus instead on the things you can control (e.g. your race plans, rhythm or stride, transitions).

Confidence – Having self-belief and trust in one’s own abilities and preparations

“We need to do some workouts that scare us. These are the confidence builders. You will be able to commit to finishing at whatever cost.” — Dr Danelle Kabush, PhD Sport Psychology (Canada), Former professional triathlete & elite mountain bike racer, Mental Performance Consultant, Canadian Sport Institute Here are some practical tips for building self-confidence: • Build your race confidence through difficult and challenging workouts in practice. Consult your coach or trainer on specifics. • Mentally rehearse your race plan daily in the weeks and days leading up to your actual race day. • Recall all your past accomplishments in both practices and past competitions (where relevant). This raises self-confidence based on the fact that you have done it before and can do it again.

Coping with Challenges – Preparing for and recovering from mistakes and adversities during competition

Here are some practical tips for building your ability to cope with any kind of challenges before and during races: • Expect the unexpected (e.g. flat tires, mechanicals, bonking). Be prepared and have a plan to deal with anything and everything. • Keep your thoughts positive. There is a saying that goes like this, “A positive mindset doesn’t guarantee success, but a negative mindset guarantees failure!” • Remind yourself that the physical discomfort is temporary. It will soon pass... Just hang tough and finish the race that you’ve planned and trained for!

Cohesion - Developing a teamoriented attitude and mindset

“Family support is crucial to your success. Training buddies and access to group workouts can make training more enjoyable. Be sure you have access to a coach or training advisor, training facilities and help when you need it” — Ingrid Loos Miller, Long-time endurance athlete and Ironman, Author of “Ironplanner: Iron-Distance Organiser for Triathletes” Here are some practical tips for enhancing the cohesion and team spirit with your coach(es), teammates and important others: • Acknowledge and appreciate all the people involved in your preparations (e.g. teammates, coaches, parents). We are all together in this! • Inform everyone on your team about your personal preferences for race preparation (e.g. diet, quiet time, space to do your own thing). This minimises confusion and/or conflicts. • Understand that when during competition periods, everyone will be feeling a little stressed up. So be more forgiving of yourself and all others.

Final advice – know your own Mental Toughness Quotient (MTQ) and work on improving it Awareness is the first step to making improvements. So if you wish to improve your personal mental toughness skills levels, you can complete a complimentary psychological profiling at www.sportpsychconsulting. com/mtq. This online self-awareness quiz will provide you with a personalised mental toughness profile together with more performance enhancing tips. All the very best!

“If it’s hurting me, it’s killing them.” — Sebastian Kienle, Winner of the 2014 Ironman World Championship, as well as the 2012 and 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championships

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

TRAINING

Performance

Setting Reasonable Triathlon Goals For Injury Prevention And LongTerm Success In Triathlon

It often happens soon after one of your first races, once you have got bitten by the ‘triathlon bug’, the urge to get better and faster can sometimes become almost an obsession. You start scrolling through different races, often targeting an Ironman and envisage yourself standing on a podium. Inevitably, this means increasing your training load and unfortunately, this is the time when many people get injured. When planning out goals, I usually recommend people to be in training for three years before entering a full distance Ironman. It seems these days that the lure of becoming an “Ironman” is so strong that not many follow that advice. When planning your season, you should be looking for a 16-week block of consistent training leading up to an Ironman. Increasing the loads we place on the body too quickly causes most triathlon injuries. Our bodies are amazingly adaptable and they can handle most things we throw at them, but they need time to recover from each training stress. It is very rare for a triathlete to get an injury unless something has changed in the training load, and as a physiotherapist specialising in endurance sports injuries, it is our job to try and work out what has changed. If the person has gone from running 10km to 60km a week, then the answer is pretty obvious. But more often, it is the subtle changes, such as a change in footwear, running surface or even saddle height or cleat position that has caused the injury.

38 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

I am a firm believer that running every day is not necessary and not a good idea for triathletes. In fact, Nicola Spirig, gold medallist at the London Olympics, only ran every second day as her coach knew the importance of avoiding injuries. In triathlon, we are fortunate to have three different sports to train, and we can train the body in one ‘system’ while it is recovering from a training stress in the other. It is the repeated training stress with inadequate recovery that causes most injuries. I often recommend double run days for my athletes and patients, provided that the preceding day and the following day are ‘norunning’ days. The double or even triple run days allows you to keep the running mileage up, and also ensures that the runs are done with fresher legs and hence with better form. The time off the feet the following day or two then allows the muscles, tendons and bones to recover and prepare for the next time! Double bike and swim days can also be a great training tool, but those sports are not as high injury risk so they can be trained on consecutive days more often. So remember – increase your training loads carefully and follow the training stress-recover-training stress model to avoid injuries and improve performance. Enjoy your training! Contributed by Bevan Colless, Founder/physiotherapist, Singapore Physio singaporephysio.com

TRAINING

Contributed by Deborah Wong, Owner and Pilates Instructor, Breathe Pilates www.breathepilates.com.sg

Performance

Can Pilates Replace Weights Workout For Endurance Athletes?

The majority of endurance athletes accept the idea that strength training is beneficial for their sport. While strength training alone will not replace running, cycling, or swimming, it can supplement your training in terms of injury prevention, correcting imbalances, and improving power for small bursts of speed on hills or at the end of a race. Equipment Pilates is undoubtedly a strength training programme. Depending on your height, the number and angle of springs will be set at a resistance to fit your needs. Initial tension is 5lbs for the first inch of tension per spring, and then increases by approximately 1lb per inch, and resistance can come up to be as much as 150 pounds (Multiplying the number of springs and distance travelled will give you the approximate tension in pounds). Injury Prevention Strength training helps with injury prevention by increasing the stability and integrity of a joint. Endurance races are often unpredictable and the forces transmitted through the joints are not always conducive to joint health. The improved musculature of strength-trained muscles surrounding a joint can improve stabilisation through faster activation and quicker response, and therefore improve control and minimise injuries when facing uneven ground. By using springs for resistance in Pilates, there is greater resistance at the muscleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strongest point of contraction and less resistance on the initiation and completion of the contraction so there is less stress on tendons and ligaments, while working the muscle. Contrary to traditional weight training, Pilates has a strong emphasis for execution in proper form and is relatively low impact. Most Pilates exercises are also eccentric (lengthening of muscles against resistance) in

nature, which is proven to be very useful in combating against the high-force eccentric contractions that have been associated with muscle damage and injury in sports. Correction of Imbalances The repetitive motion of running, cycling and swimming can amplify structural and/or muscular imbalances. Many athletes wonder how to adjust their running to correct these imbalances, but in most situations, they only continue to exacerbate the imbalance by repeating the same repetitive motion over and over again. Strength training helps you to even out muscular imbalances by working on the weaker muscles in isolation. Improper and inefficient muscle activation patterns (i.e. the hamstrings firing before the glutes when running or cycling) can also be corrected with regular Pilates practice. Improved strength Endurance training and strength training target different muscle fibres. While endurance training develops stamina and promotes recovery, strength training develops power output during hard efforts such as overtaking and uphill climbs. For increased strength, you will need to work your muscles to fatigue, with progressively heavier resistance over time. While Pilates is able to help with muscle tone and strength initially, traditional strength training might need to take over once you get stronger and exceed the tension that the spring resistance is able to provide. However unless you are building strength for powerlifting, body building or Olympic lifting, it is rare that you will exceed the weights offered by Pilates equipment.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 39

TRAINING

Q&A

Got a question for our experts? Email it to us at contact@ secondwind magazine.com

With the Experts

Question What is KeyHole Surgery?

Answer Often when the topic of surgery comes up during the discussion with my patients, the question of ‘how big will my scar be’ or ‘how many stitches will there be’ comes up. The pleasant surprise will then commonly be that with current technology, many sports-related joint injuries can be treated via small key holes now.

reconstruction (dislocation of the outermost part of the collar bone which many cyclist suffer from after a fall), tennis elbow release, knee meniscus debridement (clean up)/repair, ligamentous (anterior and posterior cruciate) reconstruction and hip labral debridement repair. These are on top of the diagnostic arthroscopies we do for the joints and debridement of these joints.

KeyHole or Arthroscopic surgery is a type of orthopedic surgery that utilises an instrument called an arthroscope, which essentially is a lens connected via fibre-optic cable to a monitor. It is so called keyhole as it can be performed requiring only small incisions, usually around ¾ of a centimeter. These incisions are called portals. The word ‘arthroscope’ is derived from the Greek words meaning “to look at joints.”

Technically, using a lens also allow surgeons to see certain parts of the joint that would otherwise be inaccessible through a limited mini-open incision as the lens can get into awkward corners of the joint easier. Arthroscopic surgery has made some previously very long and arduous surgeries a lot more controlled and straightforward. This allows us to provide our patients a more predictable outcome in terms of results.

The arthroscope is made up of a lens and a light source, and is connected to a video camera. The surgeon can view the inside of the joint directly through the arthroscope, or an image may be displayed on a monitor. This image gives the surgeon a clear view of the tissues inside the joint. The surgeon can then use other tiny instruments specially designed for arthroscopic surgery to perform necessary procedures. Arthroscopic surgery can be used as a diagnostic tool, or for therapeutic procedures ranging from easing the pain of arthritis patients to mending torn ligaments. This range includes shoulder stabilisation, rotator cuff repair, capsular release for frozen shoulder, acromioclavicular joint

40 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

In some surgeries, arthroscopic techniques have become mainstays over open procedures; like shoulder stabilisation surgery, rotator cuff repair, acromioclavicular joint reconstructions, knee meniscus and ligamentous reconstruction. Open surgery is often only reserved for complex or revision (repeat) ones. For example, rotator cuff tears (a problem that can occur from swimming) can be easily repaired through 2 to 3 small ¾ cm stab incisions with sutures and anchors which fix the torn tendon back to its original position. Another benefit of arthroscopy is that a lot of these procedures can be performed in a day surgery setting which can often reduce cost.

Dr Chong Weng Wah Roland Orthopaedic Surgeon at at Roland Shoulder & Orthopaedic Clinic

TRAINING

Question Can a high fat diet help me perform better for longdistance races?

Answer There is a belief within certain racing circles that going on a high fat diet (65-70% of total calories) will help to improve endurance performance. The logic goes that switching to a high fat diet (as opposed to a traditional high carbohydrate diet) will result in an adaptation to fat burning as a primary fuel source, sparing glycogen which is in limited supply in the human body. While the theory sounds quite promising, the scientific evidence just doesn’t measure up unfortunately. While some studies have shown that substrate adaptation can occur for well-trained athletes in as little as five days of a high fat diet, there really isn’t any improvement in terms of race times. Other studies have shown an increase in perceived effort in exertion as a result of such a diet, as well as a decreased ability in the body’s enzymes to use carbohydrate as a fuel source after going on a high fat diet. Clearly, for high intensity work e.g. in break-away sprints, a high carbohydrate diet is still critical to ensure maximal performance and success. So by all means, still have your healthier fats – nuts, olive oil, avocado, oily fish etc. – in moderation as part of a well-balanced and varied diet. But the bottom line is that for endurance and ultra-endurance races, work out a proper fuelling plan that contains adequate amounts of carbohydrate at different stages.

Question What is the Female Athletic Triad?

Answer This is a phenomenon which occurs in some female endurance athletes as a result of low energy availability wherein the amount of calories consumed is inadequate in meeting the needs of the energy expended through exercise and essential to maintain normal biological functions (like menstruation). Athletes displaying the female athletic triad often have some form of eating disorders or disordered eating, disturbed menstrual function (either irregular or ceased) and low bone mass density resulting from the lack of oestrogen (which is released during menstruation). So how do you know if someone may have the triad? In recent years, it has been recognised that athletes may display two out of the three triad symptoms, and that there is a spectrum of manifestations of the symptoms. If you notice that a particular athlete is eating much lesser than before and/or significantly ramping up the training load, reports irregular periods or no periods, and has experienced stress fractures at a young age, quite likely this person would be having the triad. Such athletes are often deficient in other nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium and often feel tired or fall sick easily. If you know of someone whom you suspect may be having the triad, please encourage her to seek help from a healthcare professional like a sports physician or dietitian.

Derrick Ong Founder and Director of Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy www.eatright.sg

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

TRAINING

Where to

Eat

Yen Soba

By Shuwie Chang Photos Shuwie Chang

Soba are Japanese buckwheat noodles that when made freshly and properly, puts the subtle flavours of buckwheat on display. It is hard to find them Japan, and even harder in Singapore. Perhaps Japanese restaurants are your best bet, but recently I chanced upon a very affordable handmade soba stall. I was so happy, I ate two servings at once. Located at Bugis Junction Level 3 Foodcourt, Yen Soba dishes out refreshing and headclearing handmade soba noodles. Fresh buckwheat seeds are milled into flour and skillfully shaped by hand into fine strands of noodles by the soba chef daily, then served in a hot broth or chilled in a thin dipping sauce. The difference is with those dry noodles you buy off the supermarket shelves versus the freshly handmade ones? Elasticity, taste and smell. Fresh soba noodles have the advantage of a smooth yet resilient texture, and well-made noodles coax out the subtle nutty flavor of the buckwheat flour. Apart from its sweet earthy song, Soba noodles are nutritionally great as well. It is high in protein, fibre and amino acids, and also contains rutin- a kind of bioflavonoid that has been credited with a number of health benefits, including improved blood flow and prevention of varicose veins and leg edema and help improve metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance. Soba is also low in calories, and has effect of lowering blood pressure and aiding digestion. RECOMMENDATIONS First, the Yen Soba and Zaru Tempura sets. These are springy cold noodles served with a light dipping sauce; simple and old school. Adding on their lightly fried tempura and everything just seems

42 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

perfect for the little price you pay. (For a more flavor-some choice, try out their green tea soba option.) With the hot menu, the soba aren’t as springy but the broths are surprisingly flavourful. I am referring to the Chicken Tonkotsu and Tonkotu dishes. The usual ramen affair is replaced with soba; the noodles are a lot softer, but the broth was thin and the meats were tender. If you’re a soup person, like me, you will love these. At Yen Soba, prices are really affordable and I am pretty sure there isn’t another quite like it in Singapore presently. The soba chef notes that rolling soba noodles by hand is an art form that takes years of practice and not something that you can fudge and get away with. The fresh noodle produce can only be made two to three hours ahead of time but not much more and hence you can often catch him cutting the fine strips of soba noodles by hand, behind a glass panel at the stall just hours before lunch and dinner times. If you have the time, it is fun to watch the dough being rolled out and cut and I am pretty sure you’ll appreciate the freshly pressed soba in the next bowl that you order. Let the quiet flavours of buckwheat whisper in your mouth, and enjoy.

TRAINING

Where to

Chill Palm Ave Float Club By Shuwie Chang Photos Palm Ave Float Club

Floating in a pod of skin-temperature water saltier than the Dead Sea (500kg of Epsom salt in 1,000 litres of water) is said to increase activation of Theta waves, which facilitates relaxation and deep meditation.

Time in the tank, floating on the water surface is said to induce a neurological state similar to sleep, dialling down the sympathetic nervous system — the part of our brains associated with fight or flight — while turning up the parasympathetic nervous system, associated with rest. Freed from gravity and all sensations, your body is able to conserve vast amounts of physical and mental energy, and the deep relaxation of floating resets the body’s hormonal and metabolic balance, strengthening resistance to, and accelerating recovery from stress, injury and vigorous exercise. Some studies also suggests that flotation therapy can help with a laundry list of conditions, including muscular pain management, addiction, lowering blood pressure and facilitate traditional psychotherapy for anxiety and depression. But the best part is…it’s finally catching on here in sunny Singapore! Palm Ave Float Club was founded just at the start of last year; what started as a home-run gig has since expanded into a shophouse located in a tranquil neighbourhood in the east of Singapore. Palm Ave Float Club houses three float pods in individual rooms, each with its own shower facilities. So basically you

use the loo beforehand should you need to, take a shower to get yourself clean, then switch off the lights, step into the pod and float! As easy as that. Despite a sordid history Initially, I had deep concerns about biding my time in there. As a new age adult and an active athlete with a constant exposure to stimuli, 60 minutes of sensory deprivation sounded like some psychological torture liken to the olden days of solitary confinement. But not to worry, I assure you the contrary is true! In a sensory deprived environment, the pod actually teaches you about the noises in your head since there is practically no other distractions present to you for the hour you spend your time in there. While everyone’s experience is different, I left Palm Ave feeling a lot calmer and relaxed than I did in weeks. Reflecting on the session as I made my way home, I was painfully aware of the noises that I had almost forgotten about in my hour of disconnection; the glaring street lights against the night sky, the hustle and bustle of people on the get-go, and the incessant car honks from the streets. So while my single visit wasn’t exactly transformative, to me, that was good enough therapy.

LOCATION 20 Waringin Park Singapore, 416333 (Nearest MRT: Kembangan, 10 minutes walk) WEBSITE palmavefloatclub.com FACEBOOK Palm Ave Float Club INSTAGRAM @palmavefloatclub

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 43

Inside Pride of Lions. Calendar. Yak Yu

Mountain Bike Race. Saraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Column.

Photo Ms. Shanta Nepali, Yak Ru Race

RACING The bulk of the segment is dedicated to our friends in Nepal. Read about the experience of a fellow Singaporean who raced there recently. We hope her piece will inspire you to help out with an upcoming mountain biking relief eďŹ&#x20AC;ort by Athlete Lab.

RACING

XTerrain

Mountain Bike Racing in Nepal

Yak Yu

By Raquel Yan Jiehui Photos Raquel Yan Jiehui and Ms. Shanta Nepali, Yak Ru Race

My experience at Yak Ru was amazing. Besides riding, the race director and his crew, the fellow racers and the landscape make the whole journey really memorable. It was not ‘ups’ all the time but if you learn to go with the flow like a Nepali, everything will be just fine.

The race started with a group ride in Kathmandu. We were put up at the event marketing director Sunil Sharma’s guesthouse; we later departed to Thamel to meet the local riders. They were all cheery, sipping their morning tea, and spoke little English. I had to use the toilet and one of them taught me to take in a deep breath before entering the loo. It is a really thoughtful tip if you are coming from a clean, urban city like me. I also learned later of local alpine toilet etiquette – to throw used toilet paper in the bin, as plumbing usually freezes up and would choke if waste paper were thrown into toilet bowls. These local riders, later I learned, were mostly national riders or from the Nepal army. They were bombing down the broken tar roads and rocky trails like those MTB videos you see on YouTube. There was a long climb; honestly it was really a test to see whether you could survive the whole race so the idea was to keep pedalling and don’t get off the bike! I was freaking out a bit after the ride because I was to pedal up more hills (or mountains) in the days ahead. The first stage of the race was long. I spent more than seven hours out there, double the time from the elite riders! There were two long narrow stretches of rocky but scenic trails on the mountain side wall, overlooking the river. I easily spent hours pushing my bike and cursing the organiser for choosing this trekker trail instead of the wide and relatively smooth jeep track opposite the river. Of course, I had forgotten

46 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

about all the suffering when I completed the first stage. Race director, Chhimi Gurung, later explained the ‘back to the roots’ concept of Yak Ru. He wanted trekkers to return to the original Annapurna hiking circuit’s trails, of which many segments of his race covers. Fact: the trail was really beautiful, yet it might soon disappear if trekkers keep using the jeep track. Ajay Narsingh Rana, race commissaire and the ‘sweep-rider’ appointed by Chhimi, also shared with me his past experience of the old route, and suddenly it all became clear. We bike racers were such an eye-catching sight on the trail; hopefully, the race achieves its aim of raising awareness and conveying this message of trail preservation to tourists, guides and the locals. Another thing that really warmed my heart was that the race director and race crew were all involved in one good cause or another. The race director was doing a clean-up expedition to one of the peaks (OK, I forgot which one) to educate the locals on rubbish management. The rubbish on these summits are really high and he shared that the problem was because many mountaineering teams marked successful ascents with non-biodegradable flags or banners on the summits. It all sounds really dumb now but it is really a prevalent problem throughout the Himalayas.

“I had forgotten about all the suffering when I completed the first stage.”

RACING

The race director’s effort gave me a good learning point. There was also our logistics man, widely-known in these parts as ‘Snow Monkey’, who shared the issue of snow leopards being endangered due to villagers’ ignorance. The villagers believed that anything that harms their livestock should be killed – and that includes the snow leopard. Therefore, ‘Snow Monkey’ is making an effort to raise funds to make compensation-payments for any loss of livestock, in order to keep the villagers from exacting vengeance on the snow leopard population. These are just the tip of the iceberg of the many problems that beset the high-mountain regions in Nepal. By the third stage, I was getting really used to the different styles of race management. We had a briefing every night as a platform to update all on the latest – be it the weather, the political situation, and so on. We were only

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 47

RACING

informed of the time to start and baggage deposit arrangements the night prior to each stage. It was also on the rest day at Manang (for acclimatisation) that we were informed that we were not able to cross Thorong La Pass due to the unfavourable snow conditions. I was soaked from the rain on Stage 2 and experienced snowfall on Stage 3. The snowfall got heavier and news trickled down from the higher villages that many tourists were forced to U-turn or seek evacuation due to treacherous conditions developing on the pass. The decision was made in consideration of the safety of the whole Yak Ru contingent – race crew, logistics, staff, and racers alike. As a snowstorm just killed 43 trekkers in October 2014, we mutually understood the reason for this call. I was disappointed but would have made the same decision if I were in such a position. Nevertheless the last three stages had already given me a great view of Nepal’s wonderful landscape. The route for Stage 4 was scouted and marked out on our rest day; the crew having managed to find us a really awesome circuit consisting of climbing (again!), technical descents and fun singletrack – all at altitude above 3500m – probably the world’s highest XC race! I had to walk a lot of the gentle climbs that I could otherwise do easily at sea level. Just imagine if the race were to continue to Thorong La... solid altitude-specific training for this race is essential! Prior to this stage, race contender Narayan Gopal Marhajan actually lost more than an hour with a broken rear derailleur mishap in Stage 3. Wilson offered him his spare rear derailleur; the guys got working to bolt the replacement on his bike, and he came back with the Stage 4 victory.

48 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

RACING

I am so proud that a win in Yak Ru requires more than just one’s physical capability. Stage 5 ended at the small village of Timang, followed by a re-group and subsequent noncompetitive bunch ride towards Taal (rest town for the day). It involved nearly 2000-metre elevation loss, down very rocky jeep trails – essentially, endless rock gardens. This time, Danish rider Jasper Silkeborg suffered a massive sidewall cut. Nepali Army captain and fellow racer Rajiv Chand caught up with him and immediately assisted him in repairing the busted tire. Rajiv himself punctured once, and in total, the two of them used up four tubes for the last 10km of the race. At Timang, the finishers gathered and resorted to shoring up the gash with a section of a plastic bottle. I felt really motivated by their enthusiasm and willingness to get their hands dirty for another racer. I realised that this competition – unlike most, if any other bike race – is primarily one built upon friendship and passion. Throughout the stages, I received a couple of ‘khata’ from the elders and organisers. Khata are traditional ceremonial scarves from Tibetan Buddhism. Due to the country’s proximity, it is a common practice in Nepal too, to offer khata to wayfarers like us: as a gesture to wishing us a safe journey. I find it very comforting that the villagers gave us so much support and well wishes. On our day’s finish at Taal, the community offered to put on a traditional dance performance. The organisers were having a

“I find it very comforting that the villagers gave us so much support and well wishes.”

good time given the hard work they put in for such a logistically-challenging race. The night ended with everybody – the villagers, the organisers, and the racers – on the dance floor. Yes, loud music in the mountain seemed kind of inappropriate, but everybody deserved to loosen up. The race doesn’t end somewhere for you to take a bus back home or to the airport. The original race route consists of two more massivelydescending group rides for the full circuit, passing through the lower Mustang region on the other side of Thorong La. The one I did have similar descents from where we came up instead of the complete circuit. The descents are long, rocky, and require specific training to handle. Descents can get really tricky too; our group of riders had multiple punctures. Worse still, Ajay rode a bike with a leaking hydraulic brake line. This resulted in him losing his rear braking capability, despite a desperate field-fix on our rest day at Manang where a re-bleed was attempted using vegetable oil. He ended up with a sore ankle from his repeated tapping of the ground with his feet to slow himself. Sometimes, I wondered how I will end up if I just lost my concentration and flew off a cliff. Wilson really enjoyed the group ride and told me it was ‘so relaxing’. My reply: because the Nepali racers are mad-fast; so their group ride pace is as good as my race pace. Yak Ru is more than five stages – you not only prepare for the massive climbs and altitude, but also the descents, until you return to the city and relative civilisation – in one piece. I have seen so much more in Yak Ru than just the racing. I can see all the hard work from the organisers – route marking, logistics support and the endless discussions they have to do after our rides each day due to the ever-changing environment. Every crew member was so friendly and it felt like an extended family expedition. I see camaraderie amongst the leading racers and for me, I enjoyed so much awesome views throughout the rides. I was alone most of the time and did my sightseeing, photo-taking and self-meditation throughout the days – it was really a great mountain retreat, more than a race! I was easily twice the time slower than these top Nepali riders, but at no point did the organiser seem impatient with my slowness at the aid stations and finish points. They always gave me a warm cup of juice at the finish line knowing I had to face bad weather and longer hours. Furthermore, they presented me with a handmade stone-crafted tablet to applaud my effort as the only female rider in the race. Yak Ru is thoroughly an unforgettable experience. It does not try to sell you photos or merchandise; instead, you are enriched by making friends for a lifetime.

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 49

RACING

Prideof Lions

Having a good coaching programme and a group of dedicated runners to run with meant that I could get more training done on the track despite being always tired from swim and bike training. I often reach the track with my legs feeling like lead from the morning’s bike ride, just to have my training mate Renuka Santianathan pull me through a seemingly impossible track workout.

By Second Wind Editorial Photos Richard Tan

Ethel Lin Zhiyun

While I am not able to run as much as those who specialise in running, being a triathlete means I get the benefits of cross-training of a substantial volume and intensity through my swim and bike training. Do you have any goals beyond SEA Games? The SEA Games has been my goal for most of my triathlon career and I do not have any concrete sporting goals beyond that currently. I am excited to be able to enjoy the sport – travel to run some beautiful trails, trying out new events like the 3000m steeplechase on the track and half ironman events – and, maybe, wait for the next dream to hatch.

When did you start racing competitively? I started training and racing “competitively” when I was 17. I joined the school swimming team and competed in the national school championships that year…I came in second last! I went back the next year and squeezed into the finals (top 8) for one of my events. I then started competing in the triathlon when I was 19, almost 10 years ago.

What are the most important life lessons you have learnt through sports?

What are your proudest moments as an athlete? Making the national triathlon team a few years back and qualifying for the South East Asian Games (“Games”) in both the triathlon and athletics this year are the biggest milestones so far but over and above that, my proudest moments are the ones where I manage to do more than I thought I could. It could be a big race or a mundane training day. When I overcome whatever bad conditions or a seemingly impossible task at training, I surprise myself and feel incredibly proud. What does it mean to you to represent your country? It has always been my dream and goal to don the national colours. It was something so far away I was afraid to say it out loud. So it has been a great (and sometimes frustrating) challenge and a milestone to work for. It also presents a platform to express our values and reflections, and hopefully spread something positive to the community through doing my best in the sport I love. How did you manage training between the three events you were selected for? Running is one of the three components of triathlon so training for the track events was very much part of my training for triathlon. I joined a specialised track and field group – Trackstar Athletics under Coach Elangovan – in order to improve my performance in the triathlon, and qualifying for the track events was very much a bonus and honour.

50 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015

“The SEA Games has been my goal for most of my triathlon career”

Progress and, if you are lucky, success comes through a long interactive process. Most of my memories of my journey in sports comprises failing. I tried for the national triathlon team at 19 and 22, and failed. I only finally donned the national colours in 2010 – five years after my first attempt. From then, it was the start of yet another tortoise climb in the bigger, faster, international field. Apart from the big milestones and races, you struggle daily to beat yourself – to do a bit better at the sport, to be a better person through the sport – and are frequently disappointed when you fall short of your own expectations. I aimed for perfection a lot more when I was younger and often found myself frustrated and sometimes giving up. Over time I learnt to strive to be a bit better than I was the previous day. Is there a question you’ve always wanted people to ask you? What is it, and what’s your answer? Influence of my family: I take a moment before every race to remember my grandfather (who passed away a few years ago), how he persisted for years after his first stroke and how hard he took his last few breaths. My family is very much lower-middle class; everything I have and am able to experience and achieve today are a result of their hard work and sacrifices. When I remember to race and live as hard and as well as they did, I will usually be all right.

RACING

PROFILE NAME Ethel Lin Zhiyun AGE 28 OCCUPATION Lawyer BLOG WEBSITE ethelslarder.wordpress.com

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind

2015

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RACING

Race Calendar RUNNING JUNE

7 Laguna Phuket International Marathon, THA 14 Compressport Penang Bridge Half Marathon, MYS 14 Perth Marathon, AUS 27 Surf Coast Trail Marathon, AUS JULY 4 Sundown Marathon, SGP 4-5 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, AUS 25 Australian Outback Marathon, AUS

For full calendar visit secondwindmagazine.com

26 Tri-Factor Run, SGP AUGUST 1 Hoka One One Taupo Marathon, NZL 2 Brisbane Marathon Festival, AUS 16 Kuching Marathon, MYS 22 Frost & Sullivan Corporate Challenge Charity Run, SGP 30 Da Nang Marathon, VNM 30 Hokkaido Marathon, JPN 30 Sunshine Coast Marathon, AUS September 13 Cadbury Dunein Marathon, NZL 20 Sydney Running Festival, AUS 26 Vietnam Mountain Marathon, VNM

28 Hong Kong National TT Cycling Championships, HKG

7 Ironman70.3 Centrair Chita Tokoname, JPN

28 Kawasaki Marin Enduro, JPN

13-14 113 Desaru, MYS

JULY 5-18 Tour of Qinghai Lake, CHN* 25 Tour de Shinshiro, JPN 26 JCRC 5th Round Gunma, JPN 28 NRS Tour of The Murray, AUS

14 Goto Nagasaki International Triathlon, JPN 14 Bali Triathlon, IDN 14 Ironman 70.3 Cairns, AUS 14 Ironman Cairns, AUS 14 Challenge Camsur, PHL (Half IM Distance) 27 Milo Youth Triathlon, SGP

AUGUST 1 Saturn- LuoMa Highway Challenge, TWN 15-19 Jelajah Malaysia, MYS* 23-27 Tour Of Borneo, MYS*

JULY 5 Jeju International Triathlon, KOR 12 Kaike Triathlon, JPN

28-30 OCBC Cycle Sinapore, SGP

25-26 Singapore International Triathlon, SGP

September

26 Patthalung Duathlon & Triathlon International Championships, THA

11 Cycling Australia Junior Road National Championships, AUS

AUGUST

11-13 Tour de Hokkaido, JPN*

2 Ironman 70.3 Philippines, PHL

13 JCRC Round 6 Hitachinaka, JPN 20 Tour of Taipei 200 Challenge, TWN 23-27 Tour de Brunei, BRN* 24 Cycling Australia Masters Road National Championships, AUS October 2-9 Tour Of China, CHN* 3 National Cycling Club Series Race 6 Tatajia Mountain Road Race, TWN 3 Cycosports Nongsa Challenge, IDN

8-9 XRace123, MYS 16 Hua Hin Triathlon, THA 23 Ironman Japan, JPN 23 Metaman Bintan, IDN 23 TRI-Factor Triathlon, SGP 30 Challenge Gold Coast, AUS (Half Ironman Distance) September 5 Singapore Aquathlon, SGP 5-6 113 Bukit Merah (Perak), MYS 6 Sado International Triathlon, JPN

October

3-11 Tour Of Singkarak, IDN*

3 Singapore Duathlon, SGP

11-18 Tour Of China II, CHN*

4 Ironman 70.3 Gurye, KOR

18 Japan Cup, JPN*

31Hong Kong ASTC Triathlon, HKG

16 Banyuwangi Tour de Ijen, IDN*

CYCLING

17 Great Southern Cycling Challenge, NZL

October

20-28 Tour of Hainan, CHN*

3 Singapore Duathlon, SGP

25 JCRC 7th Round Gunma, JPN

4 Ironman 70.3 Gurye, KOR

31 Tour of Taihu Lake, CHN*

31Hong Kong ASTC Triathlon, HKG

JUNE

5-16 28th SEA games Criterium, TT and Road Race, SGP* 6 Mars-Taipin Mountain Challenge, TWN 7-14 Tour De Korea, KOR*

13 Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast, AUS 19-20 Beijing International Triathlon, CHN

TRIATHLON JUNE

14 JCRC 4th Round Shuzhenji, JPN

5-7 X3 Challenges, MYS

21 Hong Kong National Road Cycling Championships, HKG

7 Hong Kong Life Triathlon Championships, HKG

27 National Cycling Club Series Race 5 Si Yuan Yakao Road Race, TWN

7 5150 Subic Bay, PHL 7 Coral Coast 5150 Triathlon, AUS

Jun-Jul 2015 / Second Wind 53

RACING

The upcoming SEA Games has captured the attention of the public with endless news coverage and athlete features. Within the sporting fraternity, selection trials, qualifying criteria, and medal prospects have been the focus for many of the top local athletes and national sport associations.

Sara’s Column Photo Running Shots

Major games are undoubtedly celebrations of sporting excellence: opportunities to witness sporting performance at its finest. But what truly draws us is the chance to see sporting spirit at its best. This is where we are afforded a glimpse of all the hard work behind the glitz and glamour of the sporting arena, and where the proverbial peaks and troughs of human emotion experienced by the athletes in the months leading up to the race build up to a spectacular display of raw will and ferocity of spirit. As much as sporting achievement and excellence is a reward of talent and hard work, so much appears to remain in the grip of chance that sport very often becomes a gruelling test of one’s faith and belief in his or her own abilities. One great training day can be followed immediately by another extremely bad one; a solid 12-week block of training may culminate in an extremely disappointing race. On the flipside, a less than ideal training season might precede the best race of your life; and taking six weeks off from a niggling injury might lead to the best run split you’ve had. These occurrences are sometimes beyond explanation, regardless of whether you are a professional athlete or an amateur. I too, remember the moments of moping around at home after having to miss a race that I had trained long and hard for. But someone once told me: don’t let success get to your head, but don’t let failure get to your heart. This is perhaps the best piece of wisdom I can offer you for your athletic endeavours. To all of you out there chasing sporting excellence, bear in mind that spirit comes before achievement, and may you find deep within yourself an abundance of that indomitable spirit which drives us and defines sport.

54 Second Wind / Jun-Jul 2015