Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hamstrings

With exactly two weeks to go before Powerman, training has been disrupted by my left hamstring. Since last weekends race in the Philippines, I haven’t been able to run. I tried to go for an easy run two days ago, but had to quickly abandon that plan. The good news is that I’ve been able to cycle pain free. Still, not being able to run properly just before the race of the year is a major bummer.

Most likely, I have pulled the hamstring. As there was never any swelling, I’m assuming there is no tear in the muscle. I hope by resting a few extra days and taking some anti-flammatories I should be able to resume some light running on Tuesday. Since running is my strength, I don’t believe it will be too much of a set back, but the situation is far from ideal.

Monday, October 20, 2008

2008 Philippine Duathlon Open

Reality checks can be bitter sweet at times. After this weekend’s race in the Philippines, I have a double feeling about my performance. On the one hand, I’m extremely pleased with my run performance. On the other hand, I’m a bit disappointed with my sixth place position, but in all honesty I’m being too hard for myself. I was beaten by five national athletes. What do you expect?

I knew that if I wanted to have a shot at winning the race, I would have to run a very good first 10 km. And that’s what I did, but to my surprise, athletes who I had beaten before, were able to follow the tempo. We had to run four two-and-half km laps. The first two laps were led by another competitor and the eventual winner Catiil, but gradually I started catching them and for the last lap-and-a-half I more or less dictated the tempo. At all times, I felt very comfortable, although I did pick up a slight strain in my left hamstring. I decided to continue as I felt it wasn’t serious enough to quit. I finished the first 10 km run in 33:29, a few seconds behind the other three of the leading group. I did not sprint into transition as the others did, as that usually just blows up in your face later on in the race.

I did not have a bad bike, but still I struggled. I don’t have the explosiveness to keep up with any decent cyclist. I don’t have any training partners and I knew before the race this was going to be my biggest weakness. It was also an undulating course, which is the kind of course I am totally not suited for. It’s either flats or monstrous mountains, but anything in between I struggle on. Three more guys passed me on the bike, but my aim was to catch them on the second run. I saw them running when I entered transition after 1:09:34 on the bike.

What can I say about my second run? With a strained right hamstring I pulled a fantastic 17:03 off the bike for the last 5 km run. And still, I only managed to catch one guy, so I finished 6th overall. I just wasn’t able to beat the two hour mark, as I finished in 2:00:06.

The ambiguous feelings I have stem from the fact that if I were to be stronger on the bike, I could actually compete for a podium place in a race like Powerman. Nevertheless, the reality is that I can’t enjoy the luxuries of proper training partners, full-time commitment to the sport, on site professional coaches, etc.

This does not take away the amazing performance of the Filipino national team. They did a wonderful job and some of their athletes have improved tremendously. If the SEA Games were to be held today, the podium would be all Filipino. They don’t just have one Ryan Mendoza, they have four or five of them running around, and all of them are in their early twenties. A 16-year-old, who competed and won in the sprint category, managed a 16:32 for the first 5 km run.

I was hugely impressed by the commitment and professionalism of the Filipino Triathlon association. They have a proper system in place, backed up by an excellent coaching team. In the years to come, this South East Asian country could become one of the leaders in Asia’s multi-sport scene.

I would like to thank the Triathlon Association of the Philippines for inviting me to the race and taking care of my accommodation in Clark and Manila. A special mention goes to Mr. Carrasco and Rick Reyes, who invited me to stay at his home for my last night in Manila. Thank you for your generosity and hospitality.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The wedding planner

As I was walking down the stairs from class, one of my Vietnamese teaching assistants gave me an invitation card for yet another wedding. “Who’s getting married?” I asked her. “Mai is”, she replied. I had to think for a second and then it hit me. The first thing that came up in my head was “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Am I working at a school or am I in the middle of a soap opera without knowing it? A bit like Jim Carrey in The Truman Show. Our dear bride-to-be used to have an affair with one of our teachers. Obviously, she kept a Vietnamese boyfriend on the side, but he was kept in the dark about her little romance. Then again, this being Vietnam, I’m sure he has a few girlfriends on the side too.

The ironic thing is, the above mentioned teacher only left our school two weeks ago. They sure don’t take a lot of time to take care of business in Vietnam.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Not a gambling man

If anyone followed my advice and put money on Craig Alexander at a local betting shop, don’t forget to buy me a drink next time we meet. I’m extremely pleased to see a fantastic athlete like Alexander win the Ironman in Hawaii. Here’s an excerpt from the press conference. I think it says enough about what a great athlete he is.

Some other aspects of today’s presser that told much of the story of the race:

Turns out that Craig Alexander said some encouraging words to Andy Potts as he went by him on the bike.

Of the man who had never run further than 15 miles, had never done a 100 mile bike, but still managed an eighth place finish, the ever-sportsmanlike Craig Alexander had this to say:

“I was really happy for him to get eighth,” Crowie said. “He’s definitely a danger if he ever wants to focus on this race. He’s a pretty quick learner.”

When asked why he would encourage a competitor like that, Alexander said:

“When you reach out to people in the race it takes away a bit of the pain.”

I’m also pleased that Rutger Beke has made a successful come back. Considering he had a four minute time penalty during the bike, it took an enormous amount of mental strength to keep his focus and not do the easy thing, which would be to give up. In that perspective, it reminds me of my race in Desaru where I had a very bad swim, but never gave up. The satisfaction of reaching your goals afterwards is indescribable.

Also, I’d like to congratulate Carmen for her inspiring performance in Kona. You are truly an Iron(wo)man.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Heat & Sanity

Roughly 90 km from where I live, there’s a city named Bien Hoa. There’s nothing mind-blowing about the place, apart from the fact that it has a quite famous mental hospital. The moment I even mention Bien Hoa and their infamous hospital, my students always chuckle. I’m seriously contemplating having my mental sanity assessed by the local psychiatrists. Then again, I hope they have moved on to modern day techniques and have dropped old ones such as lobotomies. Just kidding! :-D

One of the main reasons I love living in South East Asia is the weather, and I can now officially declare the rainy season to be over in southern Vietnam. OK, that’s not entirely true; currently it is the stormy season. Vietnam does frequently get hit by hurricanes which create enormous amounts of damage and deaths, especially in the north of the country. Just a week ago, a storm ravaged some northern provinces.

The end of the rainy season has brought scorching hot weather with temperatures over 35°C. For some reason, this shift from Mother Nature has had a positive effect on my training. For some reason, I thoroughly enjoy running in this heat at midday. For some reason, I just think that’s not normal. The Vietnamese certainly don’t. They must be amused seeing me on another masochistic and torturing run every day. Crazy foreigner!


I’m really getting excited about next week. The Open Duathlon Championships in the Philippines will only be my second Duathlon of the year, but unlike the first one in Singapore, I’m much fitter and will not hold back on particularly the run. It’s going to be full on business and I will try to give it my best. I’m going with certain ambitions, but realism keeps me in check. I have various tactical scenarios in my head for what might happen and most importantly who might be there. The goal is to utilize my strengths to the maximum.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Powerman Malaysia Request

Are there any people interested in sharing a hotel room in Lumut for Powerman Malaysia? It's a great way to cut the costs. If so, leave a comment and I will contact you ASAP. Thanks.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

My Vietnamese students



Some pictures of my adult and teenager class. Instead of boring everyone with superlatives about them, here’s a little anecdote.

While I was teaching in Kuala Lumpur, I once gave my higher level adult students some pictures spread out on a piece of paper. I wanted them to create some sentences using the grammar point we had discussed that lesson. After completion of the task, I asked them if they had recognized the person in the bottom picture. The picture showed me running out of the ocean in the Bintan Triathlon. One of the students immediately replied and said: “But of course, that’s Tom Cruise.” As you can imagine, I gave her some extra marks on her next exam.

How I adore my sloth days

Last Friday, I had my beloved sloth day from training. For the past month or so, I’ve been able to focus well on the schedule my coach had prepared for me. My endurance level is excellent, but I’m a little bit worried about my explosiveness. The constant solitary nature of training is starting to get to me a bit, thus having an effect on my motivation level. I guess it’s the end of the season blues, but the prospect of Powerman keeps me going. It’s the only Duathlon race in which I can test myself against some of the best duathletes in the world.

In two weeks, I will have my penultimate race of the season and my last warm up for the big one on November 9. The Open Duathlon Championships in the Philippines are going to be intense and I hope Aussie Rafael Baugh will be there. He finished 12th at the recent World Championships in Rimini, and even though I know he’s a more talented athlete than me, I relish the challenge.

As Powerman is a longer distance, it will be in my advantage. I prefer longer distances, and if it was up to me, they could add some kilometers to both the run and the bike. My goal will be to finish in the top ten, and if possible as close as possible to the number five spot. If I can run both run segments in roughly 37 minutes, my placing should be good. I have proven in various races this year that I am capable of reaching those targets. I can’t wait!!!
P.S.: Powerman Malaysia = 11 km run - 64 km bike - 10 km