This Morning

I saw peace amidst the chaos,
calm within the storm

I stood and observed the swaying trees,
the rustling leaves,
the rush of the morning crowd

Saw the impending storm in the distance,
consuming the rising sun;
Slowly but surely, bit by bit

I lift my head to the heavens;
take in the orange skies,
feel the patter of rain on my face,
fill my lungs with sweet morning air

A sense of peace, sense of calm
my world has stopped revolving;
Stuck in this moment of bliss...

First Class Seat

Pooh Bear watching a rock climb comp!! First-class seats yeah..

AR Training

This is how my white shirt looks like after AR training yesterday. Hopefully I can plan equally tough trainings in future.
Seriously 'Prison Break'!

NP Adventure Race - The Pinnacle 2008

I'm alive!! Yes, I survived The Pinnacle 2008. Through all the concussions and fractures, I'm a survivor; we are survivors. 3hr 25mins...


From Left: Kai, Myself, Tong, MeiQi, Clyde, Steven

Another race!

New race; The Pinnacle 2008, organised by Ngee Ann X-ventures. It's taking place this Sat, 28 June 08. Pre-race jitters, stress, training..tell me about it. It feels like Adv S'pore 07 all over again (3wks of training for a total newb?!)

Await the race report =S (That's if I'm still alive)

My Views

Endurance Races Run Into Litany of Complaints(http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_249640.html)

Here's what I think, from the perspective on an endurance athlete (adventure racing is counted right?) as well as from the perspective of a race organiser (Avontuur de Republic 08).

Endurance Athlete:
Wa la! So many races on the calender, this is going to be so exciting. Variety to choose from, more races to motivate myself during training and more chances to widen my social network or like-minded athletes.
If I can't manage the XXX 21km run, maybe I'll try XYZ 15km run. Not bad right? At least it gives me more time to train up and complete the race =)

Yes, some athletes tend to look at who the organisers are as this can also tell (a)if the race is going to be a good one, (b)roughly the size of the crowd and (c)the cost of the race. I do think this is important, but given the lack of adventure races in S'pore, don't have much of a choice; train hard and attend all that the school is willing to subsidise =P


Race Organiser:
We always hope for the best to happen, that everything will go well and everyone will have a ball of a time. BUT, there will always be a worst-case scenario we haven't thought of (or refused to think about). But other times, it is really not our fault that the situation calls for an unaviodable change. However, we do have the responsibility of making sure every competitor (and marshal for this matter) gets the correct information and is able to complete the race based on the instructions given.
Much as we can, there will not be last minute changes and alway always (I cannot stress this more) have a back-up plan! Yes, do it once, do it good; but there are always things beyond our control.
We put in our best in hope that everyone will be able to challenge themselves and go one step further, our only wish is that the participants out there understand that we are doing our best.


Everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon of endurance races (adventure races, marathons, vertical marathons, biathlons, duathlons...) It's fine, perfectly in line with "A Sporting Singapore". It's fun for everyone but please, if you are an inexperienced organiser, do seek help and support for the race. Check your dates and locations, make sure it does not clash with other races/activities/events. Make sure everyone is clear about their job scope and NEVER NEVER assume. If you are not sure how an adventure race goes, ask. If your not sure of the usual procceedings of a triathlon, ask. Most importantly, do NOT do this for profit. Endurance races is not a business opportunity! Lastly, this last paragraph goes for all events/competitions, not just endurance races.

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho

Just finished a really really good (in my honest opinion) book , The Zahir by Paulo Coelho. Yes, it's rare to hear that Mel is reading a novel - a big step away from the usual magazines, so this also proves that the book is darn good. Here's a brief summary and some of the things that struck me.

It's basically about a man who finally found true love and gets motivation from his true love to pursue his passion for writing. He starts to take this love for granted when his career takes off and then one day, he suddenly loses this true love. The book then goes on to talk about his journey to find it again, through the trials of temptation, hate, comfort, cluelessness and a sense of loss. It may sound really cliched, but when you read the book, the author manages to describe it with words that really sink in and impact you.

Then comes the ending that is really really romantic (yes, as "tough" and "garang" as Mel may look, she does have a soft and romantic side; though it may only be 0.07% of her). There is a thorough description of what goes through the protagonist mind and heart as he goes on a journey to find his wife again. Especially the part where he is just outside her door =)

Read it for yourself to get the full story, this is only my version of it. Even Bear bear, Eeyore and Mr Turtle enjoyed it!