Ride for Rainbow 2014

Ride for Rainbow is a fundraising event organized by Club Rainbow (Singapore). Club Rainbow (Singapore) was set up in 1992 to provide a range of comprehensive support services for the families of children who suffer from major chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses. By working closely with KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), the National University Hospital (NUH) and the neonatal ward of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Club Rainbow presently helps more than 600 children and their families.

Children in Club Rainbow range from newborn babies and youths up to the age of 20 years. They require frequent visits to hospitals for treatment, complicated therapy and long-term medication. On the recommendation of their respective doctors, these children are referred to Club Rainbow for follow-up support. As a mother of 2 young children, I wanted to do my part for these children.

With a pledge of riding 100km, I managed to raise $2,870!! Thanks to all my generous friends :)

On 3 October 2014, Children's Day, more than 300 riders set out from Asia Square. Some were riding 60km, some 100km and some 140km. It was one of the most well-organized and sponsors supporter event I have participated.

There were free flow of Starbuck coffee to keep us awake. Bananas to keep us energized. Mineral water for hydration. Pizzas to fill us up before the ride. After the ride, there were Macdonald Sausage McMuffin as breakfast. Ice bath for muscle recovery. On the spot massage station to relieve the muscle aches...

The routes were well-planned. As it was not a race, every rider was riding responsibly and everyone doing their part for the charity event.

Did I mention that the jersey was very comfy and came in women's cut? Finishers received a New Balance sponsored jersey :)

Before we left Asia Square, my friends and I were already discussing about signing up for this event again next year.

Kudos to Club Rainbow for a well-organized fundraising event!

TRI-Factor Triathlon 2014

Finally did my last race for the TRI-Factor Series, which consisted of 4 races.

TRI-Factor Swim 1.5 km
TRI-Factor Bike 40 km
TRI-Factor Run 10.5 km
TRI-Factor Triathlon Swim 750 m, Bike 18 km, Run 5 km

Besides cycling for 40 km, there were many "first time" for me.

First time swimming 1.5 km in the open sea. And I did breaststroke... *faintz*
First time running 10.5 km. Good thing I had prior training to prepare for the run.
First time doing Sprint Distance in Triathlon.
First time swimming 750 m freestyle in open sea. Thanks to the open sea training from "Master G".

Part of the fun about triathlon was the setting up of your transition area. Even though there is a recommended way to place your gear, it always boil down to personal preference. Everything needs to be in proper order so that every transition runs like clock-work. I've seen cyclist wearing his helmet the wrong way during transition. This morning, I saw a runner, running with his cycling helmet in his hand. I think he must have forgotten to remove his helmet during the transition :)

I first met Abdul Alim in UBS Cycle the F1 Circuit last year. Met him again this morning at the Tri event. Such an inspiration! There's no reason not to "Tri" - (try)

A friend, who came to support to her husband, caught me at the finishing line. What a surprise to receive this picture after the race :)

Did my first triathlon in September last year. So much has changed in a year. I am glad I embarked on this journey to livestrong.livehealthy :) No regrets!

The race will not be complete without a posed pic in front of the finishing line :)

So TA-DA! The puzzle is now complete! Was told that the first 500 registrants for the series will receive a personalized round medal top fit into the middle. And the cyclists who have completed the Series will receive a cycling jersey from Quickspeed. Looking forward to receive them (if I qualify).

Gonna rest now... 2 more races to complete before the year end.

Ride for Rainbows in October (100 km charity bike ride)
Great Eastern Women's Run 2014 in November (21km half marathon)

Shopping - The Fun Part of Working Out

Ever since I started working out on a more serious note, the number of sports wear in my wardrobe had been accumulating. These are my favourites...

For SWIMMING:
TYR Swim wear
- I bought them during the twice-a-year Warehouse Clearance Sale. Usually the one-piece swim suit would go for $25-35 each; almost 50% off. I have 2. I leave one in the office for my occasional lunch time swim. Look out for the sale announcement on newspaper...

TYR Goggles
- I have a few pair of goggles. I bought them at the sale too... Usually they would go for $15 each. I am still contemplating if I should get one from Aqua Sphere.

Swimming Caps
- As for now, I am using free swimming caps that were given in races. Need to start looking for something bigger that can cover my ears for open sea swim.

Zoggs Pull Buoy
- I use this for my freestyle training.

 

For CYCLING:
Cycling Jerseys & Padded tights
- When I am out for my usual rides, I will wear cycling jerseys and padded tights. I bought my first cycling jersey from a Rodalink sale. The rest are events jerseys given during races like OCBC Cycle.

- I have a few padded tights. 1 is free and the other 3 are from Riposte, which I bought from TYR Sale :)

Cycling Shoes
- I am wearing Bontrager RXL Tri shoes. Bought them from Treknology3.

Tri Suit
- For trainings, I like to wear Tri Suit. I can easily jump from the bike to the sea without having to change my attire. I have 2; one from Pearl Izumi and another from 2XU. Love them both :)

For RUNNING:
Sports Bra
- Everyone needs some motivation to move their feet. For me, I like to have matching sports bra and running tees.
- My favourite are Nike Pro Sports Bra. They come in so many colours! My first pair in black was a birthday present. Now I owned a few :) And after knowing my size, I can easily get them online from international websites like Amazon or local online store like Zalora that sells sportswear for women.

 

Running Tee
- I like those racerback Dri Fit tees from Nike or Adidas. Again, the colours must be well-coordinated :) And I like them in looser fit for comfort.

Running Shoes
- I have a pair of Nike Vomero+ for my usual runs. Whenever I travel, I will bring my New Balance W730, which is much lighter.

So much to buy.... cycling helmet, shades, running cap, shoe laces, arm bands, water bottles, and the list goes on... :)

TRI-Factor Run 2014

Last Sunday, I ran the longest race I've ran thus far - 10.5km at TRI-Factor Run 2014. To prepare myself for the run, I ran from home to work twice; which was about 10km. Running through Orchard was like an early window shopping trip. I just counted from malls to malls :)

It was a beautiful Sunday. Punggol Waterway was such a nice place for a morning run. Weather was perfect! I arrived about 30mins earlier with a tummy-ache. Queued for toilet and there was NO toilet paper....*faints* Had to re-queue for another cubicle. Had a buddy that came and ran the last 5km with me. Overall, I was happy with my 1h19mins official timing.

TRI-Factor Run marked the 3rd instalment of the series. One more medal to complete the puzzle. I am looking forward to September 7, 2014, TRI-Factor Triathlon - my first attempt at Sprint Distance :) Gonna be exciting!

My Prize: Ultegra Di2 Groupset

I have never owned a bike when I was a kid. My first bicycle was a Raleigh mv8 from a group of friends. It was an excellent gift! As it came with quick wheel release, the bike could fit nicely into my car boot.

Months later, I signed up for my first Triathlon - Cold Storage Triathlon held in September 2013. I was intending to race on my mv8. As my birthday falls in the month of August, another group of friend came together and gave me a sum of money to buy a bicycle. After weighing the need for a 2nd bicycle, I decided to visit Rodalink, which is near to my place.

Rodalink carried mainly 2 brands; Polygon and Colnago. While I was shopping, I noticed that Shimano, the Japanese cycling component manufacturer was holding a contest. Take a pic with the demo bicycle and upload it to their facebook for a chance to win a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset. I did not know what a Di2 groupset was, but decided to participate anyhow. This was the picture I posted.

I went on to buy a Polygon C4.0 that day. Polygon C4.0 came with Shimano 105 groupset. I did not think much about the contest, until one afternoon, I received an email from Shimano!!! 

A draw was conducted and I was picked from among the many, many entries! This guy from Shimano picked my name!!! Within 2 weeks, they delivered the groupset to my office.

At this point, I did not realize how blessed I was... Later, I found out that the entire groupset cost close to $2,000! TWICE the price of my new road bike :) I did some research on my prize.

Di2 is built on the electronic shifting technology. Since everything is electronic, changing gears become easier, effortless and faster by simply touching the shift buttons. Additional benefits include an automatic trimming front derailleur great accuracy plus easy adjustment and installation. Some people advised me to sell the prize to buy a new bike. However, I decided to keep the prize for sentimental reason :)

Well, the rest is history! Polygon C4.0 is a cheap and low-entry road bike, but mine is fitted with a high-end groupset. Quite a mis-match actually ;) The bike has served me well and I love the "zinc... zinc... zinc.." sound whenever I shift my gears. Till today, some people looked very puzzled when I tell them that I ride a Polygon C4.0 with Ultegra Di2. I will always follow up that I won it from a contest :)

Thank you Shimano for the prize :) Next post, I will share how I won a Sony Action Cam in another contest :)

TRI-Factor Bike 2014

This is a super outdated post. Went overseas the day I completed the race; just found time to share my experience in my first bike race.

First of all, thanks to OCBC Cycle Singapore and Volvo Singapore for lending me their V40 Cross Country for a weekend drive. It came at a perfect time as I needed extra transport to travel to Changi for the race over the weekend. First of all, it was a white beauty and it's not known as a "tanker" for nothing. It's tough on the outside but stylish on the inside.

Best of all, the boot was big enough for me to fit my bike in.

The bike rack came in handy as I could offer another rider a lift. This beauty runs on diesel and I was told one full tank can take you to and fro Penang, from Singapore. That's very decent :)

Back to the TriFactor Bike race... I was early and had the chance to get close to the starting line. There were less than 50 female riders in the 40km race. Managed to say hi to a few familiar faces. Changi Coast Road was straight and flat. It was less crowded than I expected it to be and the 4 laps of 10km turned out quite nicely. The only complaint I had was the narrow u-turn at the 10/20/30 u-turn. I had to slow down and uncleat, just in case.

This race marks the 2nd race in the TriFactor Series and my 2nd medal for the puzzle. 2 down and 2 more to go.

Next up.... TriFactor Run in August. That would be my first 10.5km run :)

Ride For Rainbow 2014

This Children's Day, 3 October, I'm participating in a cycling fundraising event; Ride for Rainbow. I'll be cycling 100km to raise funds for Club Rainbow. Club Rainbow (Singapore) was set up in 1992 to provide a range of comprehensive support services for the families of children who suffer from major chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

I've always wanted to cycle for a cause... So why Club Rainbow?

1) I count myself fortunate to have 2 beautiful and healthy children. Kids are in the center of my heart.
2) Late last year, my sister was diagnosed with Leukemia. She was fortunate that her insurance covered all her medical expenses. She had the best hospital care and didn't have to worry about cost. I understood the burden of medical bills.

100km is a long distance but it's not something I've not attempted before. This time it's going to be more exciting because I know that I am riding for a cause close to my heart.

As I do my part, you can help support my effort by donating. Any amount is greatly appreciated!! https://www.rideforrainbows.org/Support-a-Rider/Lee-Pui-Cheng-Dawn-57/

THANK YOU!!!

Meeting The "Iron Mummy"

I chanced upon the blog of "Iron Mummy" and was inspired by her journey to Triathlon. First of all, the word "mummy" appeals to me :) She is a full-time working mother to 2 young boys and started training for triathlon only after she and her family moved to Singapore 2.5 years ago. I was curious and wanted to read more on how she juggled work, family and training. The more I read, the more inspired I became. I thought why not email her and ask if she was open to meet up.... After a few email exchanges, we finally met up on 20 May!

I invited a few of my kakis along and it was a fun time of nothing, but just sharing about our passion for triathlon. We were initially nervous....not sure what to expect or what to ask her. She turned out to be a very friendly lady and this was her first time receiving request to meet up :)

Without sharing too much on her personal life, these were my takeaways....

- It is possible to live without a car in Singapore. She cycles to work and if it rains, she runs. It's all about planning.
- You can train without compromising on family time. She wakes up at graveyard hours to cycle and gets home before her children wake up. She jogs while pushing her 2 children on a twin buggy.
- Overseas races are also family holidays.
- A supportive spouse is much needed.
- Don't be afraid to ask for sponsorship; the worst you can get is a "no" :)

My greatest takeaway had to be this.... "as long as you are moving".

So it doesn't matter if you are swimming breaststroke or backstroke. Or whether you are cycling at 20km/h or 40km/h. Or whether you are running or walking and catching your breath.... In the words of the Iron Mummy, "as long as you are moving".

It was a great meet-up. Looking forward to meeting her in some of the upcoming races.

TYR TRI-Factor Swim 2014

TRI-Factor Series was founded in 2009 that sets a progressive platform which aims to help sporting enthusiast to complete their first triathlon. It is a 4-leg series of sporting event that starts with a mass swimming event – TRI-Factor Swim, followed by a mass cycling event – TRI-Factor Bike and mass run – TRI-Factor Run, ending with a finale TRI-Factor Triathlon.

As I won the race slot from a Facebook contest held by SwimBikeRun magazine, I did not have the choice of which category to sign up for. Which was a blessing because it "pushed" me to try out the Sprint category. I had to swim 1.5km; equivalent to 30 laps in an Olympic-sized pool.

Of the 4 races, 1.5km swim was my greatest challenge.
1) Open water swim
2) To prepare myself for the swim, I've only tried swimming 30 laps in the pool three times
3) Worse of all, I was suffering from a neck muscle strain

1 week before the race, I was trying a new "toy"; the hand paddle. I read that it helps to improve stroke technique while building arm strength. Its unique shape improves water feel and distributes pressure evenly for reduced shoulder stress.

However, instead of reducing shoulder stress, I ended up pulling a muscle instead :( I visited my usual TCM for muscle relief massage. I was told to rest. I tried swimming a day before the race. I could still feel a slight strain; but I managed to swim 15 laps on breaststroke.

The race was held at Sentosa, Tanjong Beach. On normal non-race days, it was a favourite hangouts for dudes and volleyball gals with washboard abs... Last Sunday, Mother's Day, was my first time at the beach.

Met some friends at the race

 

I was the last few to come back from my wave... But I was a FINISHER :) Exclusive from this year’s series onwards, individual event medals will be awarded for finishers. The four individual series event medals form part of a big puzzle medal composition.

Last month, TRI-Factor announced that they were partnering with QUICKSPEED, their Official Cycling Jersey! Full Series Finishers (All 4 Events) will receive an Exclusive Series Finisher Cycling Jersey and an invitation to a Series Finisher only event after... the Series!

 

Kudos to TRI-Factor for seeking to better the events :)

 

1 down; 3 more to go.... Next up....40km bike in June :)

I.AM.A.TRIATHLETE.

I can swim.

I can cycle.

I can run.

Last September, my friend invited me to participate in the Cold Storage Singapore International Triathlon 2013.

I can swim.

I can cycle.

I can run.

I thought why not? Sounds fun. I signed up for the easiest category - Mini Open Women Category.

First of all, I had to overcome my fear of swimming in the open sea. Going for a cruise had never been my idea of a holiday. Blame it on the movie "Jaws". Blame it on "Titanic". But I never liked the idea of not being able to touch the floor or not knowing what is floating around my legs... 

On the day of my open water trial, the waves were cruel. I was the first gal in the pic. The waves kept coming into my face. The salt water I swallowed would have been enough to cure any throat infection. We had to swim towards the buoy and turned back after touching it. I felt like I was going to touch the ships...

When I received my number bib - "2013"; I knew that it was going to be a good race. On the day of the race, the sea was calm. Weather was good. I was feeling very high! I repeated the YouTube videos I've watched to prepare myself for the race, over and over again in my mind. Set up my transition the way I saw in the video.

No cleats. No race belt. No tri-suit. No competitors. My goal was to overcome my fear and to stretch my physical abilities.

I swam 200m.

I cycled 10km.

I ran 2km.

Who cares if it was only a mini category... And it didn't matter how slow or fast I was.

"I.AM.A.TRIATHLETE." and it was only the beginning :)

Since then, I have participated in...
- OCBC Cycle Malaysia 2014
- OCBC Cycle Singapore 2014
- Aquathlon (swim+run) by MetaSprint Series Singapore
- Duathlon (run+bike+run) by MetaSprint Series Singapore
- Triathlon (swim+bike+run) by MetaSprint Series Singapore

I am looking forward to my next series of races where I would be moving from mini category to sprint category. Watch this space for my race updates.

UBS Cycle The Circuit 2013

Recently a friend asked me what made me start a blog. I told her because I have a lot of stories to tell and this is one of them... My UBS Cycle the Circuit 2013 experience.

Somewhere in early September 2013, Straits Times held a "STAR" - Straits Times Appreciate Readers contest. 10 readers will win a chance to cycle around the 5.073-km track with triple Tour de France Green Jersey winner Robbie McEwen on 22 September, the morning of the Grand Prix.

This was the photo I sent for this contest.

I received an email on 17 September, congratulating me for being selected! I was elated! It was certainly an experience of a lifetime to cycle on the Marina Bay F1 Street Circuit! I collected my exclusive cycling kit from UBS the following day.

The kit consists of a cycling jersey, a matching cycling pants, water bottle, helmet cover, gloves and a bag. We had to wear these items for the ride. On top of that, we get to invite a supporter to a Breakfast Buffet in Ritz Carlton after the ride. UBS was kind enough to allow me to bring 3 and I brought my gals along :)

Reporting time was 6 a.m. The ride started at 7 a.m. and we had to finish 2 laps of 5.073km before 8 a.m. The atmosphere was very high even though the cyclists had to register very early. The hospitality was fantastic. Not long after I had registered, I realised that everyone seems to know everyone. I later made some friends and found out that this was an exclusive event organized by UBS for their corporate clients. UBS had partnered with ST to as part of its STAR program to reach out to the community. There were a total of about 160 riders in this event and I was ONE of the lucky ones!

My family joined me for breakfast and I had an opportunity to take a picture with Robbie McEwen, triple Tour de France Green Jersey winner. I was so "buay paiseh"; I went on stage to take a podium finisher pic :) Now I can say that I went on the podium before....

The organizer was very thoughtful. There were 2 roving caricature artistes during breakfast and these were what we brought home. They did one for my gals also :)

ST covered the event the following day.

Cycling on the F1 circuit was certainly an experience that no money can buy. I counted myself super lucky to have been selected.

This pic from RunKeeper was a "proof" that I really rode on the Marina Bay Street Circuit :p