Athlete's Circle - There's an athlete in everyone

He's hands down a true champion - The Straits Times

2011-11-14T11:40:00.001+08:00

Here's an article featuring Adrian, AC's director, in Wheelathon360. Wheelathon360 is Singapore’s first-ever Wheelchair and Handcycling sports community race event open to both the able-bodied and the physically challenged!

He's hands down a true champion
By Jennani Durai
12 Nov 2011, The Straits Times

Paralysed handcyclist, who survived 7 bullet wounds, aims to inspire disabled by pitting skills against the able-bodied

SIX years ago, in a small American town, Mr Foo Fung Liang was shot seven times by an assailant armed with a .22 semi-automatic pistol.

Emergency room doctors had not expected him to survive, but he did - although the 40-year-old remains paralysed from his abdomen down, and still has four bullets lodged in his spine and chest.

More than just pulling through, Mr Foo has gone on to don Singapore colours in a sport not many have heard of - handcycling.

The athlete heads the Handcycling Association of Singapore, coaches young disabled athletes in the sport, and considers it his mission to spread the word among them that they can do it.

True to his word, he will race Mr Bobby Bostic today - and Mr Bostic is an able-bodied cyclist who will power his much-lighter race bicycle the usual way.

A handcycle weighs 13.5kg, twice as heavy as a normal bike.

Mr Foo, who represented Singapore at the Asian Para Games last year, is one of six disabled athletes who will go head-to- head against able-bodied marathoners, triathletes and cyclists on the track around the F1 Pit Building.

This is part of Wheelathon360, Singapore's first wheelchair and handcycling sports community event, held to spread the message that disabled athletes can compete alongside able-bodied ones.

'Being disabled should not disqualify you from being in sport, and I've shown that for the last four years,' he said.

The event will raise funds for equipment for disabled athletes and for programmes to introduce handicapped children to sport. It is organised by sports events company HiVelocity, whose director Adrian Mok is among the endurance athletes racing against disabled athletes.

Mr Mok said the event hopes to promote integration between disabled and able-bodied athletes and change people's mindsets about what disabled athletes are capable of. Referring to the head-to-head races, Mr Mok said: 'I really think the winning margins will not be very big.'

Mr Foo added: 'We hope to show them that, given the right resources, they can compete with able-bodied people.'

The 2004 shooting which left him paralysed took place in the town of Ferriday in the American state of Louisiana. Then hired as a designer for a restaurant, he and two others were closing the place for the day when the robber turned up and opened fire.

The case has stayed unsolved. Louisiana's police have had no luck tracking down the suspect that Mr Foo picked from a line-up. With him back here now, the investigations have not been taken any further.

During his period of recovery, the former competitive tennis player sank into depression when he knew he would never walk again, but handcycling rekindled the spark for life in him.

Seated in a handcycle and powering himself along, he said it was the first time he did not feel disabled. 'I found it liberating,' he said. He trained for two months and took part in the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore triathlon in 2007 as a member of a relay team. He was supposed to cover his 90km leg of the race in his handcycle in five hours.

'I took around 5-1/2. They disqualified me,' he said, laughing.

Undeterred, he returned the next year and finished the race; he has since completed it thrice.

He acknowledges the mental barrier can loom large at first, but he overcame it in the belief that sport is even more important for disabled people than for the able-bodied. 'Through sport, not only can we gain confidence and self-esteem, but the health benefits are also more relevant to disabled people, as our immune systems are not as strong. So it's more important to stay active,' he said.

Spreading this message to disabled people is close to his heart. He said: 'I want other disabled people to know they can do a lot more than they think they can, and that sport can help them do it.'

This is a man to whom the Louisiana surgeon, surveying his horrific injuries, had said: 'You're really not supposed to still be here.'

Mr Foo said: 'I've been told repeatedly that it's a miracle I'm alive, that there is a reason my time is not up yet. So maybe this is my calling.'

Marathon Run Clinic + Open Sea Swim by ACE

2011-11-11T16:12:00.006+08:00

Well, check it out! ACEndurance, the triathlon training school by Athlete's Circle, is conducting a run clinic for runners and another open sea swim for triathletes!

Contact ACE Coach Ling Er at choolinger@athletescircle.com OR 63726389 for more details and to sign up! Limited seats only.

Full details below:

Marathon Run Clinic

Topic covered

Race day pacing: Setting and holding the pace
Nutrition tips: Eating right.. Pre, during and post race
Tapering: How it works
Race day Warm-up: What it does for you

Details

Date: 19th Nov 2011

Time: 7.00am to 10.30am

Location: Bukit Merah swimming pool studio

Attire: Running top/bottom/shoes

(with extra change of clothes)

Fees: $15 (for public)

$8 (for ACEndurance athletes)

Activities

7.00 - 7.30am: Quick tips on running techniques

7.30 - 9.00am: Run intervals for marathon pacing

9.30 - 10.30am: Run clinic

10.30 - 11.00am: interaction with ACEndurance Coaches

Speakers

Adrian Mok

Top endurance athlete

Represented Singapore in Ford World Ironman Championships (Kona)

Melvin Wong

Top long-distance runner

Singapore's 2011 National Vertical Marathon Men’s Open Winner

Open Sea Swim Course

Topics covered

Race day preparation
Open water swim drills
Do’s and Do Not’s
Race day swim start stimulation

Details

Date: 26th Nov 2011

Time: 7.00am to 9.00am

Location: Tanjong beach. Sentosa

Attire: Swim attire

Fees: $10 (for public)

$5 (for ACEndurance athletes)

Coaches

Choo Ling Er

Top female triathlete

Represented Singapore in Ford World Ironman Championships(Kona)

Lim Jiajie

Top open water swimmer

NUS Aquathlon Team athlete

Highly experienced triathlete

Hope to see you guys there! ;)

AC Review for ON running shoes

2011-09-13T15:40:00.004+08:00

What’s it?

A product from Switzerland, the most striking difference between the On running shoes and other running shoes is the circular pods at the base of the shoes, called CloudTec™. These 13 specially-positioned CloudTec™ elements absorb up to 25% of the impact your body experiences during a run, think of it as active suspension in your shoes.

While it takes away impact from vertical landing action, the jagged edges within the CloudTec™ lock in upon impact and enhance traction for forward displacement. With a flexible midsole, the shoe fit into a category of natural running essentially suitable for all running gait.

On running shoes comes in 2 models: Cloudsurfer (290g – US 9) and Cloudrunner(330g) for high mileage and impact runners. Runners above 85kg are recommended to use the Cloudrunner.

What’s hot?

Starting your first run in the On running shoes, you will get a nice “bouncy” feeling from the unique CloudTec™ elements at the base of the shoes.

The 13 Clouds react to your running stride and foot strike independently, activating your postural

muscles (muscles meant to support and correct your running style naturally) meaning that the shoes are great for runners of any running gait: even for overpronators and heel strikers.Nice and smooth; Running felt easier!

What’s not?

You might experience some soreness at your ankles and calf areas for the initial few runs in the On running shoes. This can be explained by the dormant postural muscles which are activated by the CloudTec™ elements, but your muscle should very quickly strengthen and adapt to this.

Runner who land on the tail end of the heel area will feel an empty spot due to the rear position of the Cloudtec. It's not exactly suitable for broad feet due to its narrower toe-box and its sizing not standard as other shoes. Oh sadly, you can’t use for trails too.

Recommended for

Any runners looking for a light-weight trainers to for their easy and long run.
Beginners and Intermediate runner will appreciate the cushioning and consider using it for marathon race day.
Fast/Serious runners looking for supplementary shoe for recovery runs or just walking around!

Word from our expert(s)…

Adrian (Veteran triathlete & AC Director):
“Running my long runs with different shoes, I find myself gravitate to ON. The cushioning is just unlike any others out there. I also find the shoe fantastic for bike to run. I felt lesser impact and was able to push up the run pace very quickly in a triathlon run. I have also scored my PB in the run segment of an Ironman race!”

AC’s Ratings?
Ride: 8.5/10
Fit: 7 /10
Cushioning: 9.5/10

Price
SGD$269.00

You can get them at:

Running Lab (Singapore)

Athlete’s Circle (Singapore/Malaysia)

Who's your bunny?

2011-07-04T14:16:00.000+08:00

Lucky Leong's Bike Time Trail
730am, Sat July 2, East Coast Park, Singapore.

40 km ALL OUT was the order of the day from ironguides Coach Shem Leong. A staggered start with riders aiming to hold their goal race pace, had everyone pushing hard, chasing down their"bunny" up the road. Some were caught, some got away!

We had a lot of fun : ) and a seriously good training session.

Team Absolut rock up- Respect!

Good Morning Ladies!

Enjoy your training- Andy & Carl.

ironguides crew, Graham, Stephen, Paul- Don't Mess!

40km done and dusted.

Even the bike are knackered.

Our winner- Jon Hew- Team Salsa

37km/hr- 2nd Place, The Maverick accepts his prize.

These guys look confused- bike lust or rack envy?

How many times do I have to tell you, "It's NOT about the bike!"

It's all in the (ironguide) legs!

Thank you everyone- pls come again!

Thank you everyone that came along and helped out with logistics. Hope the rest of you can join us next time. To be looped in on future training sessions, email me, shem.leong@ironguides.net

Open-water swim/ run coming up next. Can't wait- Keep you all posted!

Mondays with Shemi

2011-06-29T14:12:00.001+08:00

Nice running on Monday!

We did:

6 x 20 sec fast strides

6 x 400 as 300m easy - mod, 100 Hard

6 x 400 - holding best possible splits on 3.00 or 3.30.

Well done!

Pointers-

* keep a high stride rate with a shorter, smaller step on the fast strides- it's a neurological drill designed to increase leg speed

* keep the "easy portion" easier so that the fast 100's can be run at a high speed (90%max)

* Remember your splits for the 400m intervals and we'll be working to bring these down.
* This weekend, when you head out for your long easy run, count how many times your right elbow drives back in 30seconds. Your stride rate is this number multiplied by 2.

* If it's below 90, aim for 90 and above and if its about 90, aim for 94.

These sessions are not designed to "slay" you every Monday evening. Intsead, use this as part of your weekly running schedule to throw some speedwork into the mix and to keep your running programme consistant and sustainable.

1st time free trial.
Purchase lots of 4 or 8 sessions online here.

http://www.ironguides.net/seasia/singapore

Till next week- Enjoy your training!

Shem

FOCUS

2011-06-17T12:41:00.002+08:00

Thinking about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.

Shem Leong

This article is written for the obsessive competitive streak in all triathletes and runners- that little voice that tells us that, surely, we can go a little bit faster next time.

Every athlete putting in dedicated training to a well thought out plan will eventually approach their physical limits for that season of their athletic career. Getting this far along is very commendable, but having invested so much time into their pursuit of peak physical potential, many athletes begin to dream big about breaking through to their next level. It could be a sub 5 hr half ironman, 4’30 marathon, 2’30 Olympic Distance Triathlon- deep down, everyone has THAT time that they would love to beat.

In looking for that last 8- 10%, many make the mistake of hammering away at harder and higher training loads. This would probably work if you have the luxury of ample training and recovery time, coupled with sound guidance from a good coach. For the majority of us, time-crunched athletes, the extra time required is simply not available and the “cherry on the cake” towards a truly satisfying race performance may feel so close yet so far away.

Think back to the last race that you raced a PB’d. You’ll need to run that race again- and then some! Where could you have pulled back precious minutes and seconds? Chances are that you could have made significant gains from handling the “low – energy” patches of the race better. The moment when you decided to ease up 3/4s the way through the run and it became a whole lot less painful, or when we couldn’t find it in our legs to keep up with the bunch that you had been riding with. Regardless of how fit you are, there comes a point in every race when we have to decide whether to bite down, suffer more or whether to ease up and “cruise for a bit”.

Between 2 identically trained and fit athletes or 2 versions of yourself, the one that is able to stay focused and push through the body’s signals of suffering is the one that will cross the line 1^st. That sounds obvious because it is. Yet I often get this question from my athletes, “How do I tap into the mental edge.”

“Focus” is the uninterrupted connection between the athlete and their task; that trance like state of deep concentration, when you are aware only of the things relating to your performance; that sense of effortless control and a total absence of self consciousness, when the boundaries of self and task have melted away into one seamless activity. Some athletes refer to this as “flow” or being “in the zone”.

“Focus” should be practiced by tuning into your body and body movements while training and competing. This will result in an awareness of key feelings when things are going well. Think back to the last time that you were able to push hard, perform well and really enjoyed yourself. You may have experienced this for a few seconds or a few repetitions or if you have been practicing, for the whole training session. Yes- Focus can and definitely should be practiced whenever we are out there.

Practice controlling irrelevant and distracting thoughts (dissociative thinking) during training and competition. Replace them with task oriented and positive thoughts. Consider your form, breathing pattern, stride rate, hydration/ nutritional state, race strategy and redefine your perceived effort to perform more effortlessly. This is known as associative thinking and the tougher the going, the more it’s required to stay competitive.

Here are a few tips to help you stay focused:

· Relax. For the 10 - 15 mins before training, as you’re making your way to the track/ pool/ setting up your bike on the trainer, clear your mind of the daily distractions , You only have this slot in the day to get it done so make it count and put aside those first/ last few items your to do list. Meditate, on the coming task. How did you perform it last week? How could it have been improved? Remind yourself of what it feels like to swim/ bike/ run with good form. How your arms feel in the water catching a good pull, how you ride better turning perfect circles, what it’s like to run “tall” and “light”. Don’t simply rush through the warm up (or worse still, skip it) and charge headlong into the set thinking, “I’m going to smash myself/ this set.” Ask yourself what it the purpose of this set. Is the focus on strength building / Leg turn over/ spending time in threshold or just getting some volume distance in. Taking a step out of the “training tunnel” and studying the big picture for a while will help you align your training efforts with the intended purpose of the task at hand.

· Have a mantra. Repeating choice words will direct your mind away from negative/ distractive thoughts towards a positive experience. An effective mantra addresses what you want to feel and not the adversity you want to overcome. Use short, positive and instructive words to transcend the suffering that you’re feeling. Choose one word from each column to create your own verse. Have a few favourites to get you through different sections of you race. I would love to hear what mantras you use ! : )

A	B	C	D
Run	Strong	Think	Power
Go	Smooth	Feel	Speed
Stride	Quick	Pull	Brave
Pedal	Light	Be	Steady
Be	Fierce	Hold	Courage
________	________	________	_______

· Performance checklist. It is important that you are able to access how you’re doing in that moment, while on the go. Practice going through this list to make little adjustments to improve efficiency. While running- starting from the top down:

o Is my face relaxed? Try it. You will automatically feel a lot more relaxed.

o Is my head bobbing around? Fix your eyes on the next point you are running too and hold a stedy gaze.

o Are my shoulders relaxed? Drop your shoulders to save energy and release tension.

o Are my arms swinging smoothly back and forwards? Try to minimise side to side rotation form the shoulders.

o Breathing- Is it regular? Can I exhale a little deeper while still keeping a lid on it? Am I gasping for breath? Is it getting ragged? Am I breathing deep from my diaphragm?

o Form- Am I running tall and relaxed? Is my trunk engaged, pelvis stable, glutes firing nicely?

o Stride Rate- If you don’t have a foot-pod device, take a count. Is it up there at 90 strides per minute?

o Foot strike- Am I striking under the hip? Are my strikes light and powerful, so that I am spending minimal time in contact with the ground?

o Pacing- How far am into my race? How do I feel? How should I pace myself of the rest of the run? Does my perceived effort match my race strategy? How much futher before I can confidently "let the hammer drop" and I can push ALL OUT for the finish.

o Nutrition and hydration- How long ago did I last take in some fluids? Do I need electrolytes or gel? How does the stomach feel?

What about swimming or biking? Maybe you could share with me what thoughts keep you focused while out there on the road and in the pool?

When the all the physical training is done, it’s the psychological factors that most affect our performance. Think about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.

Enjoy your training and racing!

Shem

15 June 2011

Shem.leong@ironguides.net

Ironguides at the races.

2011-03-22T15:09:00.003+08:00

I am so proud of each one of these athletes. As their coach, I have witnessed their dedication, their struggles and the highs and lows of their journey and I am convinvced of the positive effect that their passion for the sport has had on their lives. Well done Athletes!

Ironman New Zealand 5 March

Olivier Monnard- 10: 45

Incredible 1st Iron-distance race- Olivier is developing into a well rounded athlete with no big cracks in his game. His focus, hunger for performance and unwavering work ethic couple perfectly with The Method to produce fantastic results. This is only the tip of the iceberg for Oli...

Elvia Suyardie- 12: 24

Not to be outdone, Elvia also shone on the day with a solid and very comfortable IM debut. Her love for The Method and peanut butter and ice cream is proving to be a killer combintation. Well done!

Neil Van Heerdan- 11:18

Neil continues to impress us all with this solid perfomrance at his first Full IM distance race. Having recently relocated his family, Neil proves that this Superdad can do it all with style, precision and passion. Nice work out there!

Andy Ching- DNF

A crash on the bike was not enough to put Andy out of his second Ironman attempt. He battled on upto 15km on the run when the exposure to 14 hours in the cold, rain and wind eventually forced a system shutdown in this brave soldier. Andy, take a break and regroup- your day will come...

Shem Leong - 11:53

After a great start to the race, an embarassing wrong turn on the bike in the pouring rain saw this ironguides coach put himself out of PB contention by riding in excess of 200km on the bike. Nevertheless, I had a fantastic time just being out there with my athletes.

Aviva 70.3 Singapore 20 March

The Method Triathlon Club: 9 Athletes- 9 PB's

Graham Ross: 5:48
Follwing a well paced bike leg, Graham toughed it out in the run, struggling with nutrition, to PB his previous 70.3 effort. Only his 2nd half IM race, this rookie is learning quickly how to manage and adapt to the challenges of race day. Nice one!

Ray Zarbarte: 7:03
3 years in the making- Stepping up to the half ironman challenge for the 1st time, Ray's journey through injuries, diet and weight loss is an inspiration to us all. Thanks to his amazing family that believed in and supported him at every turn. Ray's new found fitness is turing heads at the office and giving him more energy for the kids. Keep it coming Ramon!

Rudolph Gildemeister: 5: 31

Rudolph's focused approach through the daily trials of balancing travel, work and family saw him through in a very solid 1st time performance. A steady strong bike leg, pulled back lost time on the swim and left him fresh at T2 to run a superb half marathon. Watch this space...

Jeneane Paxson 6:08
Jeneane's inquisitive approach, attention to detail and commitment to her training resulted in and a perfectly executed, negative split bike ride that put her in the perfect postion to slash her half iroman PB. Good stuff Cookie Monster!

Joseph Wong 5:34
Just off his 5:30 race day target, Jo did very well to take a chunk out of his previous personal best time. He continues steadily improving on last season with regular attendance and much love for our irongiuides squad sessions. Nice one Jo- Keep up the good work! IM China- here we come!

Bernard Sechuad: 5:21
Countless Saturday morning hill reps in the big gear have certainly paid off. Bernard's strong bike leg set him up well to make quick work of the half marathon. Not one to rest on his laurels, Bernard has sworn to work on his swim as he edges closer to that elusive 5 hr mark. Next stop- IM Switzerland.

Saul Alvarez: 6:39

Awesome- Saul continues to amaze us all. His first half ironman after only his first OD- Saul is in a good positon to continue building up towards his first IM in Switzerland later in the year! Living proof that a "little bit every day" can turn your life around. Bravo Saul!

Pierre Vignuad: 5:49
The newest member to our Singapore crew, Pierre, only been on the Method for just over a month, made a very impressive half Ironman debut. In his own words," after the 2 first weeks adaptation I could definitely feel a huge difference in my fitness level and race results…" Can't wait to see how Pierre develops this season! Welcome to The Method Triathlon Club and Well Done!

Sarah Tan: 6: 07
Heartbreak Hotel- After putting in over 3 months of perfect training, Sarah was raring to do some serious damange on the course. Disaster came in the form of 2 flats on the bike course. Undaunted, she rallied hard and ran a superb half marathon. Well Done Sarah- that is the TRUE Ironman spirit right there. We do our best to overcome a bad hand and live to race another day. Take heart- there's only victory here!

See you all soon!

Shem

ironguides Swim Squad Sessions

2011-01-24T18:13:00.000+08:00

We had our first couple of swim sessions last week. Good stuff! Swimmers enjoyed pushing themselves against the clock ( and each other ) with some Fast 50's, 200m Time Trial efforts. With plenty of space, we were able to observe technique and give stroke pointers to everyone. Vinnie finished them off with 15 mins non- stop ALL OUT 25m relay- ironguides style.

Pick your lane

Writings on the wall

Head coach dishes out the pain

Paddles and pool bouy anyone?

Come and join us while the free trails are still on : )

shem.leong@ironguides.net for details and slots.

Check out The Method in 2011- Free Trial Sessions!

2010-12-31T14:13:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a breakthrough race in 2011.

ironguides is happy to be offering free swim/ bike/ run classes in January to help you get the ball rolling. Starting from Tuesday Jan 18th, we are offering any combination of 2 Swim, 2 Bikes and 1 Run class Free of Charge upto the end of January. Come and experience how The Method will add a new diemension to your training.

Venue and dates as follows:

Swim

Bukit Merah Swimming Complex, 3500 Bukit Merah Central ($5 pool entry fee)

Jan 18th (pm)/ Jan 20 (am)/ Jan 24 (am)/ Jan 25(pm)/ Jan 27 (am)

Bike

Mt Faber, Pender/ Morse Rd Junction

Jan 18 (am)/ Jan 25 (am)

Run
SPE Track, 21 Evans Rd
Jan 19 (pm)/ Jan 24 (pm)/ Jan 26 (pm)/ Jan 31 (pm)

AM sessions run from 630 - 800am
PM Sessions run from 730 - 900pm
Slots are limited so pls let me know early, which classes you'd like to attend.
More details here: http://www.ironguides.net/singapore (registeration not requied)

So get rested over the holidays and then let's get fit!

Please drop me a line for booking and queries:

shem.leong@ironguides.net
92299114

* * Your Best is Our Business * *

ironguides 3rd place- Team Time Trial- Men's Open

2010-12-31T13:15:00.000+08:00

48km Time Trial in the big gear - 53 mins

A short hard session to wake up the legs?

Team ironguides pulled out all the stops to take 3rd in the Men's Open.

Thanks for the hurt, Boys! Thanks A LOT : )

Together with the other proud graduates from the School of Pain

Inspired

2010-12-02T15:51:00.000+08:00

This guy always challenges me to chase perfection in everything that I do.

Check it out- I think you'll agree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw&feature=player_embedded

To all the athletes doing Stan Chart, Phuket 70.3 and Ironman WA this weekend, and to all the others dissappointed by injury or going through tough times - Never give up.

ironguides wants you.

2010-10-27T13:51:00.001+08:00

Think you might enjoy coaching?

ironguides- Singapore

Now recruiting subcoaches

Either Swim/ Bike/ Run specialist or all 3

Coach training camp Dec 10 - 12

* Pls send your CV to shem.leong@ironguides.com

* Inquiries- Shem: +65 92299114

* Brick by brick *

My thoughts on running...

2010-10-07T20:07:00.001+08:00

A Case Study:

The Development of Good Running Technique at Track Attack

Shem Leong

As the fore-foot versus mid-foot versus bare-foot debate rattles on amongst a background of articles, scientific research and specialist opinions, I have clearly noticed a pattern in the development of a more efficient stride amongst the regular runners at our weekly “Track Attack” sessions.

To stake my ground, I believe that it is not which part of the foot that strikes the ground 1st that is consequential to an efficient stride, but rather, where, in relation to the hip the foot strikes that makes the biggest difference. This is nothing new; the momentum killing, braking forces that result from a foot strike in front of the hip is well documented and my runners have experienced marked improvement by learning to shift their strike-point rearwards, from in front of their hip to directly underneath it.

Achieving this, however, is much more involved than simply reminding my runners to “Drive your elbows” and “Run Tall” (although, to the outsider, this may appear to be the case if you drop in one of our sessions). To understand the wisdom behind these 2 adages its best to dissect and compare a typical untrained runner’s stride with that of an elite runner’s- Read on!

An untrained runner, their style and common problems with it

Many novice and intermediate runners, before they are turned on to the finer details of beautiful running, are unaware of the little intricacies that make up efficient and functional running form. Most come in with a natural, default stride rate anywhere between 76- 84 strides per minute and their thick heeled running shoes (more rubber means they’ll last longer, more foam means they provide a more cushioned ride, right?) make it comfortable to reach out beyond their hip and land squarely on their heel – a typical over-strider.

On hearing about the “Stride Rate” Phenomenon, (the more steps you take per minute, the faster you go- isn’t that pure genius?) they experiment with swinging their legs forwards and backwards more purposefully, attempting to emulate the smooth and graceful “float” of elite runners. This is where the real trouble starts. To the untrained runner, it’s instinctive (but erroneous) to use their legs as shock absorbers, scooting their legs furiously while “sitting down” on their pelvis to lessen the impact in an attempt to achieve that effortless and comfortable ride. The overall effect has them in an exaggerated shuffle- as if they were training for speed walking. You’ve seen them, maybe you’re one of them!

While increasing your stride rate is a step in the right direction, and the initial correction made above does go part of the way to retraining a runner’s neuromuscular firing patterns, many runners stop here, having found their “new and improved style”. Yes- running a higher stride rate does inadvertently shorten your stride length and facilitate a more “under the hip” foot strike- but without the complimentary ballistic strength, proper posture and a deeper understanding of running biomechanics and how to apply it, many high stride rate runners cease to develop beyond this.

An elite runner- their style and how they achieve it

In fact, elite runners apply a lot of power at the exact moment of strike, and transition much more quickly than the rest of us to a relaxed “flight phase” in between strikes. Because they are able to generate more power, elite runners spend much more hang time in the air moving forward than the common runner; this is what gives the impression of graceful flight. Ever wonder why, in still shots, they are always captured majestically flying through the air, 12 inches off the ground, while the rest of us are caught unglamorously flat footed, mid strike or, at best, hovering a few centimetres above the ground just before an impending heel-strike?

Top runners are able to cover larger distances between foot strikes. Contrary to popular belief, this means that they actually have a substantial stride length. Many runners emulate their heroes by over-extending their lower leg, reaching forward to cover more ground prior to foot-strike, which has their foot touching down in front of their hip- a typical over-striders gait. The difference in elite runners is that their ground is covered “flying” through the air after an extremely quick and powerful strikes under the hip.

This part of their super-power can be explained by their ballistic supremacy- the ability for their highly developed muscles (calves and gluteals in particular) to contract much more explosively and repeatedly for a longer time before fatigue. The result is that each powerful strike propels them for a greater distance in the air before they strike and push off again on the other leg.

Coupled with a high stride rate, this translates to the beautifully efficient running and tremendous speeds of top athletes. One of the biggest tell-tale differences is the amount of time that their foot is in contact with the ground; for every nanosecond that a foot is planted on the ground, not moving, precious kinetic energy is being dissipated into the ground causing deceleration. Top runners are able to 1) minimise this contact time and 2) produce a tremendous amount of forward propulsion in that reduced time while untrained runners lose a lot speed here.

Putting it all together

So then what does this mean for us- the everyday runner who dreams of running more efficiently, more beautifully and faster, in our journey to chase down PB’s. To simply state that increasing your stride rate will make you a quicker runner is to over-simplify a complex developmental process that comprises neurological re-wiring, proper muscular strengthening and learned sensitivity to accurate proprioception (awareness of body/limb positions while moving through space and time). We need to pick apart the problem and take baby steps in each direction.

To clarify, I do believe that “driving your elbows” to increase stride rate and shorten your stride is the correct 1st step to take. This addresses over-striders in particular and teaches us how to land “under” the hip as opposed to “in front” of it.

Concurrently improving the ballistic capability of the running specific muscles through Plyometrics and hill reps gives us that extra “snap” at the moment of launch so that we are able to cover more distance gliding through the air. Biomechanically speaking, “running tall” allows for a more pronounced knee lift following the swing-through phase of the stride. This gives the runner extra leverage to slam our foot powerfully into the ground. The right drills will give our brains a good impression to follow.

Needless to say, we need to back this “impact-heavy style of running” up with the correct functional strengthening exercises. These will stabilize the joints and give our body the toughness to withstand greater forces at higher intensity. For example, external rotators of the knee and hip abductors are important muscle groups for keeping the pelvis stable during alternating arm and leg movements.

Last but not least, a dedicated core work routine that strengthens the deep abdominals is priceless because this will allow you to run “tall” for longer, holding perfect posture and mid-section form. An “engaged” torso, in a state of constant rotational torsion, transforms your trunk into a taut spring which is a much more effective means for us to harness the energy returning to us after each foot-strike.

So the next time you hear me call out “Drive your elbows” or “Run Tall”, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

** See you at track! **

Air Meb

I bet Haile can dunk.

Visualisation: Thinking about racing while training

2010-09-06T14:42:00.000+08:00

Visualisation: Thinking about racing while training

Shem Leong

As your fitness improves and your big day draws nearer, race specific workouts are the perfect opportunity to “go there” in your head and visualise how best to handle yourself on the day. After all the hours spent beating your body into peak condition, it’s only wise to spend some time preparing your mind for the unique effort required to perform at your best on race day.

“Visualisation” sounds like a big word (and it may conjure up images of tranced-out pro athletes floating cross-legged in a zero gravity relaxation tanks, chanting mantras to themselves) but in actual fact, if you’ve ever wondered, “What are the winds like going to be in New Zealand?” or “How hot is it going to be in Philippines?”, then you’ve actually just dipped your toes into your very own weightless relaxation tank.

Instead of pulling your foot out quickly at the 1st thoughts of the pain and discomfort of race day, the next time you have such questions, I encourage you to hang around and let your imagination get the better of you for awhile. After all, once you’re locked into an all out 10 min big gear time trail in the last hour of your long training ride, what else are you going to do? (Come on, seriously, who actually enjoys the “scenery” for more than a few pedal strokes over 90km)

Studies have shown that envisioning a tough, painful race experience, compared to a lovely “perfect day” scenario actually goes along way more towards preparing you to push that All Out effort required from you at your A race. Going there in your head, prepares you to go there in your body.

In the last month of training leading up to Cobra 70.3, Philippines, I found myself spending an increasing amount of time, mentally matching different training intensities from different sessions, to various snapshot moments in the race. Time and again, I would catch myself thinking, “This is how I want to feel with 500m left in the swim/at 67km into the bike/ 3km into the run/”. I firmly believe that these intuitive moments were a crucial step in the mind-body process of building the best possible race day pacing strategy.

Here are some more weird and wonderful thoughts that came to me while sweating it out.

Swim

While pounding out the “all out” laps on the swim strength sets, I’d throw my arms out hard in front of me to ward off the invisible age groupers fighting for my piece of open water real estate. My furiously churning arms were “enter at your own risk” windmill blades that dared anyone to cut into my line. In fact, my paddles became lethal decapitating blades for those extra persistent irritants that simply refused to swim straight.

Sprinting 110% on the ALL OUT reps was the only way to break free of the washing machine mess at the swim start. And the easy laps after the hard ones were welcome relief after successfully sprinting up to the toes of a faster draft 10 meters ahead.

All this, swimming alone in a 30m pool one a quiet Sunday.

Bike

Turning right onto “The Hockey Stick”, a 1 hr out and back stretch, for the last hour of a race specific endurance ride, I was surrounded by rice paddy fields on Cam Sur’s village roads. School children, clutching colourful flags, had come out in droves to see what all the commotion was about. I kept my head down and focused on turning smooth powerful circles as I wacked the chain into the smallest cog. “This is when it counts,” I told myself, “...last 30ks of the bike, this is when NOT to fade.”

Even though it was a warm Singapore morning, I knew it would be hotter in the Philippines. How would I cope with a 5 degree increase in temperature? How would I change up my usual nutrition and hydration plan? In another A race, at the start of the season, I had not taken on enough fluids and suffered devastating cramps on the bike. As a result, I was unable to recover for the rest of the race and suffered badly. “Not going to happen this time...” I reminded myself, as I slowed down to a cruise, picked up an imaginary bottle of water from an imaginary aid station, took an imaginary gulp and emptied the rest down my neck and back. This little mental exercise left me feeling much more confident and well prepared.

Run

Race experience has taught me that it’s difficult to run with my legs still wobbly from the bike so I stride easy with small steps at a decent stride rate while munching on a salt tablet, patiently waiting for my legs to catch up. It’s a good idea to know how your body responds to what you’re planning to put in on race day- in this case, upwards of 4 Nunn rehydration tablets washed down with a bit of water.

“Building into” your long runs in training, progressively increasing the intensity/ perception of effort through the run, teaches you to start easy and finish strong. It is especially useful to cast your mind forward to race day and add the mental filters of suffering, discomfort and heat because this prepares you dig deep, stay calm and in control when the going gets tough on the big day. I believe that I’m generally able to tolerate the heat quite well, because in training, my mind is often running in far hotter places.

Conclusion

Practice fine tuning your mental grip during training teaches you how to manage the red line better while racing. Only by “going there” in training are you able to get familiar with the coping mechanisms that you can employ on race day. Shutting out the pain works only for awhile, soon you realise that the discomfort is very real. At this point, prepare a rock solid answer for when you ask yourself,” Why am I doing this?” What is it about this sport that gives it meaning?

Resign yourself to the fact that, for whatever reason you’re in it, you’ve come this far on your own terms and through your own ambitions and motivations. At this point, realise that embracing “good pain” will only make you stronger and allow your body to follow your brain into new psycho- physical limits over and over again in training. In doing so, you continuously and invariably redefine your pre-existing, self-imposed limits to performance.

So take the ceiling off your perceived best efforts and layer on the race day filters in your preparation to squeeze out every last drop on your big day.

The Roo

2010-08-13T11:35:00.000+08:00

Ever get that feeling after a good ride, you catch you bike looking at you?

I swear, the Roo breathes...

New Van

2010-08-10T16:26:00.000+08:00

Check out our new van... I love it.

And don't forget to sat Hi to Benson when you see him : )

We'll hook you up with all your race day needs!

ironguides @ Port Dickson, Malaysia 2010

2010-08-10T16:22:00.002+08:00

Some pictures from Port Dickson International Triathlon, 2010, Malaysia.

A nervous morning

Good Times

Well Done Athletes

Top 10 : )

Prize Giving

Thank you Andy & Kat!

age group achievements

It's good was see our sport so healthy in Port Dickson, Malaysia. The atmosphere was laid back and festive, the food was great and smiles abounded everywhere you turned. All this despite the participant field being much larger ( and deeper!) than last year. Triathlon Malaysia sure know how to put on a great party. Kudos to Uncle Chan and his team.

ironguides had 3 athletes in the Age Group Top 10. Awesome performances and a positive affrimation that dedication to The Mehod pays off. On the same course, compared to last year, Elvia Suryardie, took 7, 5 and 1 min off her swim, bike and run respectively, while Coach Shem took 5 and 8 mins off his swim and bike. Given his relative "newness" to the sport, Olivier Monnard's Top 10 debut at this race was nothing short of spectacular.

Of course we would not have had half the fun if not for Andy and Kat who organised the 20 car convoy, hotel accomodation and the after-party in Melaka for everyone. Thank you for your hard work and making it so memorable for everyone- You Rock!

'Till next year....

“ALL OUT” means “ALL OUT”

2010-08-03T12:49:00.002+08:00

“ALL OUT” means (slightly more) “ALL OUT”

Shem Leong

One of my athletes asked me, “How can you do 20 x 1 min ALL OUT? It wouldn’t be ALL OUT if you could keep on repeating it over and over again.”

I recently had my eyes opened by Matt Fitzgerald’s article in Inside Triathlon- “You are a Quitter”. He references Marcora’s ground-breaking study that suggests that our decision to pull the plug on any strenuous endurance effort, weather in training or racing, is a voluntary decision that originates from an “off” signal in our mind, a psychological phenomenon, and not a function of any bio-physiological determinant of our potential maximum exertion effort.

Immediately after a high intensity endurance ride to exhaustion, Marcora’s research subjects were able to triple of their power output in short 5 seconds bursts. (Similar to having a sprint finish at the end of a marathon). According to the conventional model of endurance fatigue, that proposes an involuntary decline in performance when some physiological limit is encountered, this would not be possible.

In short, this new theory states that our mental tenacity to “hang tough” and endure discomfort, rather than our ability to clear lactic acid/ absorb and carry oxygen/ store glycogen is a more significant determinant of true maximum potential performance.

This information plays special significance when training by perceived effort, as ironguides athletes on The Method do. As we have experienced, our ALL OUT efforts are not defined by wattage or speed or even heart rate. Instead, our efforts are entirely determined by the intimate communication between mind and body and this is a powerful realisation to make. Here’s why:

An ALL OUT effort is just that- whether on your 1st 25m sprint of a swim strength session or a 10 min time trial effort at the end of a 4 hr ride, “ALL OUT” should describe your mind set and attitude more than a certain speed or lap split. It should imply a readiness to pull your body and mind to a slightly new level of discomfort. That place will be somewhere you have never been before, somewhere that requires the sprouting of new blood vessels and recruitment of dormant muscle groups, somewhere that forces gaseous exchange at new maximum levels. More importantly, that someplace will cause you to redefine your perception of effort. It is here that you learn to handle new levels of discomfort. It is here that you force yourself to hold perfect running form/ a powerful pull through on your swim stroke or a smooth, even and powerful pedal stroke.

The question is how you respond when you’re there- “in the moment”? When every ounce of energy you produce is begin channelled to forward propulsion and you’re tethering on the verge of blowing up. Mental attacks rain down in the form of split second thoughts to let up and catch your breath or to get off the front of the pack; thoughts that- once you give in to them- bring a flood of relief and comfort. I challenge you to override these signals- like carrying a bowl of hot soup- your fingers are burning, yet somehow you resign yourself to holding on until your broth is safe and sound on the dinner table. You flick your fingers to cool them down. They’re a bit red but everything is alright. Your body’s reflex to let go of the bowl is a feed forward safety mechanism that kicks in way before any real threat to your physical make up materialises.

In the same way, those invading signals to your brain telling you that holding this pace is too tough or that one more ALL OUT repeat is too much are just pre-emptive safety mechanism signals that, given the right practice, can be dealt with effectively and positively. So resign yourself to finishing that ALL OUT effort your coach may have set you, as best as you can.

In our quest to go even more ALL OUT, it helps to break it down into the smallest little portions. Here are some tips to help you out with this:

1. Break it down into even smaller bits. When you are in “ALL OUT” mode, dissect your pedal stroke- think and feel. Are you applying power all the way round through 360 degrees? Which part of the circle needs evening out? Play around and feel the difference between activating the different cycling muscles involved- your glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings. A tiny shift in your saddle can help awaken under-used muscle groups. It’s a great feeling to “find” and develop a new set of muscles that will eventually help you pedal more efficiently. Don’t doggedly sit in the same position mashing down over and over again, as hard as you can until your quads cramp. When you eventually develop a coordinated pedal stroke with all the involved muscle groups firing in the right sequence with the right timing, you’ll find yourself flying along in the big gear, with your HR sitting comfortably low and your legs churning out smooth, even circles.

2. When running, towards the end of a tough intervals/ hills set, you’re close to your limit- break it down. Don’t think, “How hard is this?” Or, “I’m dying...” Instead set your focus on just 1 thing- could be simply driving your elbows to maintain a high stride rate, or breathing that tiny bit deeper to get in more air, or reminding yourself to “Run tall... Run tall or focusing on picking up your heels quickly for a faster foot strike. Whatever proprioceptive cue you’ve called upon, bearing an ALL OUT effort when it’s unbearable, breadth by breadth, second by second, lifts the ceiling of what you had previously thought possible. The next time your body is under the same physical duress, your mental “ALL OUT” signal is only going kick in a little later, or at a slightly higher pace.

You can imagine my disappointment, on urging one of my athletes to “Think about how you want to run the next hill rep”, when I got the sarcastic and uninspired answer “Uphill.” : )

3. It’s the same with swimming- when your arms go cold and are filled with useless deoxygenated, lactic acid blood, when you want to stop in the middle of the pool and just cruise in- Dig Deep. ALL OUT means you’re reaching for more water at your fingertips, ALL OUT means your focusing on thrusting water back with your triceps because your Deltoids and Lats gave up 10meters ago, ALL OUT has you exhaling 3% more air so that you can inhale 3% more.

My advice is that you heed this subtle shift in endurance training paradigms that has us moving away from a pure numbers game, towards a “Brain Training” approach, and tune into what you’re thinking and feeling the next time you are ALL OUT. Always look to redefine perception of effort and go slightly more ALL OUT.

absolutely ALL OUT (kinda)

Hello AC Malaysia!

2010-07-20T21:48:00.001+08:00

I was fortunate enough to have the oppurtunity to visit Athlete's Circle, Malaysia over the weekend. I was tempted to squeeze in a swim strength set but I had purposely left my swim gear behind. This was a work trip and I wouldn't have time. So I went exploring instead and found a nice catus garden- as you do.

A sleepy plane and cab ride later, I stumbled upon the familiar black and orange signage that told me that I had arrived at my home awya form home. Tacx trainers lined the walls ready for Sat morning's big gear session. Everyone inside was busy perparing for that evening's talk and it was a bustle of positive energy.

Super happy to see such a good turn out from the Malaysian athletes. They were warm, keen and best of all, full of interesting questions. It was a pleasure sharing the secrets of The Method with them; many nodding in enlightenment as I went into the 5 physiological systems and the importance of hormonal balance in endurance training.

Saturday Morning- Everyone was keen to try out ironguides staple big gear set after hearing about the benefits of a slow twitch bike vs. fast twitch run. We started off with some single legs drills before hitting the hard stuff. Once the crew got dialled into the right resistence and cadence, they really gave it their best. As pools of sweat started to form, you could tell that they were loving in - kind of : )

With enough time to squeeze in some fast strides, the atheletes got to experience one of my favourite ironguides bike/run session. I told them to repeat this set every week for full neuromuscular recruitment and adaptation. It was cool!

The AC Malaysia crew showed the utmost professionalism, dedication and teamwork in putting this together. It was great working with you and getting to know you better. Thank you Lee Fong, Jolene and CG! Our athletes and I had an enriching and awesome experience beacuse of you.

We had an hour before we had to leave for the airport and the hotel pool beckoned so I bought some trunks and goggles and jumped in for a swim tolerance set. Got that swim in after all : ) Better than lazing around getting burnt!

Track Attack @ Oosters

2010-06-03T14:50:00.002+08:00

Track Attack headed down to Oosters to celebrate a string of recent Half-Marathon & Triathlon personal bests and finishes.

Track Attack @ Oosters

This week, by the time we would normally have been finishing up our planks set, some of us had already polished off our 1st round of Belgian Beers.

The Usual Suspects

Awards were presented to:

Most Improved

Most Hard-Working

Most Noisy Runner

Most People Brought to Track Attack

We had a fantastic time replenishing our athlete bodies with Mussels, Chips, Pork Knuckle, Beef Stew, Mousakka, Sausages, Waffles, Creme Brulee, Apple Crumble- Oh yeah!

The Aftermath

Thanks, Stu, for the drinks, the hospitality and a perfect night!

A Handsome Bugger

'til, next time...See you at track!

Vesak Day Long ride

2010-06-03T12:11:00.000+08:00

The plan was to do the East Loop and then bridge over to the west side via Keppel Flyover. The longer ride would take it up to Raffles Marina and back via Clementi. Pleasanlty surprised to see that a sizeable group had showed up at 6.30am and delighted that Team Absolut were on board to keep the law.

Keeping in the spirit of Vesak Day, our long ride started very peacefully and went something like this:

1st hr - easy
2nd hr - easy- mod
3rd hr - moderate - moderate hard
4th hr - 3 x (10 min Time Trial/ 10 mins easy recovery)

A quailty ride with quality athletes- ironguides style.

1 Pit Stop

Big gear work @ the end

Absolutly Perfect

Drop me an email for information on future long rides:

shem.leong@ironguides.net

Enjoy Your Training!

Out of this world Date Night

2010-05-30T12:11:00.073+08:00

Merrill invitved me to test out the healing and rejuvinating properties of her hyperbaric chamber. I thought it would be a good idea for a unique date with the Missus. Besides, how can any right minded athlete turn down the oppurtunity to chill out for an hour breathing in Oxygen enriched air at 4PSI.

Improved complexion

Recovery from hard training

Quality time

Weight loss(??)

We felt really relaxed and very mellow after our session, a little bit dopy and kind of s l o w.. it was nice. By the time we had dinner and were on the way home, I suspect that the extra O2 had infused into our brains. Mel's crazed singing triggered an incredible laughing fit and we are in tears as we pulled up home, almost crashing into the gate : )

Feels great!

These are a few of my favourite things...

2010-05-07T17:33:00.000+08:00

I love the adidas adios, then they changed the colour.. and I love them even more- just like that!

I also love Bauerfiend's off-the-shelf orthodics. These super dull blue inserts are much less glamourous then the shocking pink Ferrari's above, but they are just as important to my running. They also smell a bit- but that's my fault : )

Not having any past running injuries, I didn't think I needed them. I was skeptical to start with and expected to ditch them after a few runs. They felt weird at first, but they grew on me, and now I will not run without them. World of difference! For serious runners- seriously- get a pair.

Happy Running!

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore 2010 - This one's for you.

2010-05-05T16:38:00.000+08:00

The months leading up to Aviva were busy and I had only committed to race late in the day. These lame excuses and my generic “I’d be happy with a Sub-5.” answer to anyone that bothered to ask took the pressure off myself or raise my expectations for a PB. But somewhere in between “the depths of my heart” and “the back of my mind”, (possibly in the region of my Adam’s Apple), I really wanted was to see how close to 4:45 I could push it. It’s in there somewhere...

I got caught up in an awful mess at the start of the swim. I hadn’t raced a triathlon in over 6 months and the lack of race experience showed; I was lined up too far back, jogged into the water instead of sprinting in, tried to catch a draft too early instead of making a break to clear the group. As a result, I got wacked and pummelled as other eager triathletes swam over and into me. By the time the pack had stretched out, we were well into the 1st half of the swim and much time had been lost. I was left with a reasonable draft (for which I am thankful), but on hindsight, I really should have pushed the swim from comfortable to comfortably uncomfortably.

T1 was a lazy effort- as if I was reluctant to start the bike. I felt like a nervous teenager getting dressed to go on a date. “Where does this go?”, “Have I got everything?”, “Should I bring the salts?”, “Race belt positioned properly?” all this dilly dallying took 3 mins when it should have taken half that time.

Both quads cramped hard half way through the bike, after a strong and steady 1st loop. The painful spasms took over and I pulled over to dismount and stretch- thoughts of a DNF crossed my mind. I had been riding with some fast guys and my heart sunk as they disappeared into the distance. Not long after that 2 more huge packs flew past while I stood there in the middle of the expressway, pulling my tight quads back into shape. This was obviously not going to be an easy day; I may be looking at a super slow time or I may be looking at walking most of the way in the run or I may even be forced to stop 10km down the road. Or, I may just be able to pull this one back and save the race.

Claps and cheers from the side of the road lifted me as I gingerly pedalled off to give chase. It was at this moment that the battle really begun. I rode very conservatively for the next half lap as my legs were still twitching- threatening to fail on me at any moment. I prayed hard and the cramps eased as the electrolytes took effect. By the last lap I was able to hold a reasonable speed- catching and passing people. But the faster age groupers that I had been racing with were still some way off. Talk about clawing my way back...

Off the bike in 2.30 mins - Not bad everything considered. T2 was packed and it took forever to get my bike racked. The compression socks took an eternity to pull on and what should have been a 1.5 min affair again turned into a 3 min ordeal. Calculating the lap splits for a PB, I knew that it was going to be painfully close, but by now, I was ready to hurt myself.

It was stinking hot, windless and humid. Great conditions for a run! I started conservatively hopeful to build into it, but the cramps were relentless and disabled me every time picked up the pace. Quite a few times I was forced to stop and stretch as the precious seconds ticked by. I was really suffering and the Nuun tablets that I had been munching on (6 in all) did little to restore normal function to my legs.

Fortunately many students, past and present were on the sidelines that day screaming me on. Their support alone gave the suffering some meaning and fuelled me towards the finish line. Running past Mel, Vinnie and the supporters in our ironguides tent, I was reminded of how far I had come, and how blessed I have been, in the short time since starting this crazy journey as a Tri Coach.

I crossed the line wasted, in 4:52, in pain and inspired to take this as far as it will go.

If you are reading this- Thank you! This race was for you : )

April Desaru Ride

2010-05-05T13:10:00.001+08:00

This was supposed to be an easy ride but I got excited, pulled to hard for for the first 80k, bonked and got dropped by a chick. How embarassing! Next time, I'll stick to the plan : )

So who's coming next time?

ironguides @ Boy's Town

2010-04-05T16:11:00.006+08:00

Last Saturday, 3 ironguides athletes and myself ran a brick training for 40 boys from Boy's Town who are preparing for the OSIM Triathlon Sprint and Mini distances.

These 12 - 16 year old boys are "at risk" juvenile offenders, some of them orphans, picked up by social workers for rehabilitation. Boy's Town offers them a caring and understanding environment to channel their energy positively.

Needless to say, we all had a great time, in spite of some over active jellyfish! The boys enjoyed full support with 2 aid stations on the multi-loop swim/ run course that took them through some very pretty scenery (a huge beach volley ball gathering at the run turn-around).

Thank you Mike, Elvia and Olivier for your help! We were truely blessed to give back to community through the sport that we love- it was clearly a case of "better to give than to receive", and we'd do it again any day!

For more information on Boy's Town, visit www.boystown.org.sg.

Aviva Ironman 70.3- Race Day Do's and Dont's

2010-03-16T11:01:00.000+08:00

Dear Aviva Ironman 70.3 Athletes,

I hope your taper is coming along nicely and that you didn’t ride too hard or too long weekend. It was nice to see so many of you out there on the road getting comfy in your aero- tuck. 7 days more- Aviva Ironman 70.3 is definitely in the air and you should be getting excited!

You may start to feel a little more tired and sore and lethargic- Don’t worry! This is simply your brain telling your body to ease off in this final week as it winds down into “rest and repair” mode. Your job this week is to keep on “teasing “ your arms, legs, heart and lungs with a bit of work in all the 5 systems; Speed, Tolerance, Neuromuscular, Endurance and Strength, so that they stay hungry for more, while giving them ample time to recover.

Here’s a check list that will help you have a successful day.

Pre- Race

DOs:

Send your bike in for a service. Look for frayed cables, cracked sidewalls and cuts in the tyres, a worn chain (I just changed mine and it rides like a dream), squidgy brakes. Check that the spoke tensions are equal and that the shifting is accurate. Tighten all the screws in your cleats and all the ones holding your cockpit together.
Get some new goggles (nice to see where you’re going) and try them out at least once in the coming week.
Get a massage in the first half of the week.
Add salt to your food. Start stockpiling Sodium and Magnesium in your body. With this weather we’ve been having, you’re gonna lose a ton of it out there.
Stay well- Like a finely tuned F1 super-car, the fitter you are the more susceptible you are to picking up bugs and nasty infections resulting in fevers, colds, gastric, diahohreah, vomiting. Eat well, load up on Vitamin C and get that extra hour a night of sleep.
Work out in detail your nutrition plan for raceday- How much of what are you going to carry and where are you going to carry it?

DON’Ts:

Change the height/ position of your saddle!
Stuff your face for 3 days going into the race to “Carbo-Load”. A sensible diet in the week, with a full meal on Friday night or Saturday lunch will ensure that your glycogen (energy) stores are full and that you’ll have time to clear out any access.
Don’t go overboard with hydration using plain water. The access will flush out salts along with it. Go for moderate amounts of sports drink instead.

That is a lot to keep in mind during the final week. Truth is, getting to the start line of any long course triathlon is really half the battle. Once the horn goes off, it really should feel like a hard training day with lots of friends all in their very best gear!

Race Day

DOs:

Start the day with a simple breakfast that’s easy to digest. This is just to get the digestive juices flowing.
Have 2 glasses of water to hydrate the liver.
Bring a snack to munch on as you set up in transition. You might be there for upto 2 hrs before the horn goes off. So stay topped up nutritionally, sip at a sports drink and have a gel before the race for a mental and physical advantage.
Do line up in the appropriate place on at the start. If you’re not that strong a swimmer, it’s a better idea to line up towards the rear so that you can calmly take your bearings and look for a suitable draft before hitting the water. Place yourself too far forward and you’ll get a ton of people swimming over you (an experience similar to drowning).
Sight frequently- look where you’re going. Don’t rely on the blindly following the person in front of you- he might be charging towards the wrong buoy.
Find a draft in the water. It saves energy.
Go out easy on the bike and build into your ride. The 3 lap course makes for easy pacing. Easy- Moderate- Comfortably Uncomfortable. (Read that last one again and then go think about it.)
Eat on the bike. As a rule of thumb, aim for 200 calories an hour. Remember you need to run a half marathon after you get off the bike. On your training rides, one gel an hour may get you comfortably to the end of the ride (at which point you then proceed to pig out), but on race day, you’re eating for the run. You can never absorb as much calories as you burn while you’re on the go, so you’re eating to minimize the calorie deficient in order to keep from bonking on the run.
Get out of the saddle from the aero position once in a while to give your butt, back and legs some relief. The climbs are a good place to do this.
Be responsible. Ride Safe. There are others out there enjoying their big day. Don’t take unnecessary or stupid risks by squeezing into little spaces or getting caught in the position where you need to slam on the brakes. Yes, it’s a race, and we want to put out our best effort and yes we also want to finish the race!
Do call out if you’re passing but don’t swear in the same sentence.
Start the run easy with small, light steps. This will help you get used to the change from riding to running. Stay easy, and don’t try to force the pace. Your rhythm will come as you progress into the run. Run conservatively and only as fast as you can while holding your form you’ll be grateful later on.
Keep eating on the run, keep taking salt. The weather recently has been hot and nasty, you’ll be losing a ton of salt.
Smile- It helps with the pain, seriously.
Stop early and stretch out properly if you get that crampy feeling. Don’t wait till it’s too late.
Always thank the volunteers and be nice to them. They’re out there for you.
Do push yourself in the closing stages of the race. Keep your eyes fixed on the runner in front of you and try to pull them in.

DON’Ts:

Don’t be afraid to sprint up to the next guy ahead to swap for a faster draft- could be worth it!
Don’t hit back when you get hit/ punched/ grabbed. It’s nothing personal. Open water is not the place to lose your temper- for safety reasons as much as for energy conservation ( think of your skyrocketing HR, as the adrenalin kicks in if you decide to retaliate- what a waste of energy). There are hundreds of other arms flailing about out there in the murky waters, it’s not anyone’s fault. Just stay calm and get out of each other’s way and hang in there. The field will soon thin out.
Don’t worry that your heart is absolutely pounding by the end of the swim leg. The sudden change from a supported horizontal position to a vertical position will make you think you’re having a heart attack. This is normal, take an easy jog easy to your bike and think about getting through T1 quickly.
Don’t chug half a bottle of water/ electrolytes/ sports drink in the transition. This will quickly end up sloshing about in your stomach. Don’t stuff your face with an energy bar/ slurp down a double caffeinated gel. There’s plenty of time to feed on the bike. Give yourself sometime to settle down on the bike before you start nibbling away.
Don’t try the “jumping onto the bike with the shoes clipped in” thing unless you have practised this. You could end up with a bloody toenail-less toe.
Don’t hammer it out of T1 even if you feel great. Your girlfriend/ wife/ kids will be impressed but your legs will be flooded with Lactic Acid right at the start.
Don’t spend all day steering from your elbow pads. If you are unable to stay seated comfortably in the aero position for most of the race, then it’s not very aero, right? Book an appointment with me to get fit properly after the race.
Don’t be afraid to adopt a structured run/walk strategy. By imposing regular breaks, you’ll be able to run with better form for the duration of the half marathon.
Don’t throw your Powergel wrappers on the floor : )

That’s all from me, I wish you all the very best on race day and look forward to seeing you smiling out there!

And to my ironguides/ TrackAttack athletes- "ALL OUT!"

Shem

Athlete’s Circle/ ironguides Coach- Singapore

**Your Best is our Business**

shem@athletescircle.com

shem.leong@ironguides.net

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore Training Camp

2010-03-09T09:28:00.002+08:00

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore Training Camp
(26-28 Feb 2010, Changi Beach Club)

conducted by ironguides Head Coach Vinnie Santana and Singapore coach Shem Leong.

Final Preparation for Aviva 70.3 Pt 1: The Taper

2010-03-08T12:01:00.002+08:00

Dear Aviva Ironman 70.3 Athletes,

At this stage of preparation, with the months of hard work behind you and a mere 2 weeks until the big day, you should all be close to your fittest now. You’ve done the late night track sessions, given up a social life for 5am bike rides, and rushed to the pool after work to get a swim in. Well Done! There’s not a lot more you can do to improve your fitness but how do you taper just right to get to the start line in peak form, feeling fantastic and raring to go? Too much rest could see you feeling flat and lethargic while increasing or even maintaining your current training load may not give your body a chance to fully recover.

Remember that training session when you were able to hammer it up climb and drop the rest of the gang? Or what about when you felt like you were flying over the last few kms of a supposedly long easy run? Or that night when you could have swum forever? You may not have known it but at these times, when you were “in the flow” and your energy and power came effortlessly and in abundance, you might well have been “Peaking”- Triathlon’s “aligning of the stars”- where mind, body and soul are all in sync, brining you to powerful place where physical performance and self confidence are both riding high.

How can we time this peak for Race Day? What can we do to get to the start line with that unstoppable feeling? In my experience many factors help us to bring on a peak. One of the most important ones is getting the taper right.

Tapering:

At this stage, 2 weeks out, hopefully you have just finished a solid block of hard training and are feeling pretty fatigued. Taper is a period of reduced training load designed for your body to rest and repair while all the physiological adoptions occur. You may have heard some athletes talk about “soaking up” all the hard work- this is what they are referring to. Taper right and you will get to race day feeling fresh, full of energy and raring to go. If you train between 8- 13 hours a week, I recommend a 10 day taper. A shorter taper is needed is you train less than this.

Here are some general rules of thumb that I use in planning my athlete’s programme. Hope you find them useful!

a.    Tapering is not a period of complete rest. 10 days of doing nothing will see you very well rested up, but also feeling flat, lethargic and possibly carrying a few extra kilos. We all know you triathletes can eat!

b.    Keep the training sessions regular- the same frequency as before. Instead of skipping full days of training to get Rest, head out there as many times as you would do on in a normal week. Keeping the training stimulus regular will keep the engine purring instead of turning off the ignition altogether. You can also use the extra time stretching to make sure you stay supple.

c.    Reduce the volume. A safe rule that is commonly used is to reduce training load to 50% of total, 10 days out, and to further half it (25% of total) in the last week. For example, if you usually do a 16km run on a Sunday, run 8km 2 weeks out and then 4 km the week before.

d.    Keep some intensity in there- a light 15 min jog will work up a light sweat but it’ll do little to activate the upper limits of your cardiovascular range that you have worked hard to achieve. By keeping some intensity in your training with short sharp intervals, you will still be stimulating all the right systems used on race day. Gaseous exchange, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, muscular strength, neural firing patterns, elasticity of connective tissue, cellular energy production; these are some of the important systems that you will continue to activate (in small doses) during taper to keep them ticking over. Here are some sets for you to try out that should do the trick:

i.    15 x 400m run with 45sec rest interval. 4 easy, 4 moderate, 4 comfortably uncomfortable and the last 3- HARD.
ii.    7 x 200m in the pool with 20sec rest interval- 3 easy, 2 moderate and the last 2 All Out
iii.    1.5 hr easy- moderate bike with 3 x 8 mins All Out time trial efforts thrown in randomly.

e.    Watch what you eat during taper, especially in the last week where training load is cut down drastically. Remember that your calorific burn rate is cut down as well so you don’t need to, and won’t get away with, stuffing your face after a short session. In fact, because of the reduced training load, you would be storing glycogen (carbohydrate stores) just by eating the same portions. No need to pig out at the pasta Party. If there ever was a time to eat healthy, that would be now.

f.    All the training sessions that you put in the last week/ 2 weeks, should leave you “wanting more”. Mentally this allows you to put aside something for race day. Physically, you want to perform the sessions hard enough just to tease out the right physiological response to keep that system ticking over. Don’t kill yourself on any sessions during this time to “test your fitness”. Trust in the many hours that you have already put in, overdoing any training session will hamper your body’s ability to recover fully.

g.    It’s weird but the fitter we are, the more easily we get sick. Top up on Vitamins and Anti-Oxidants to keep our immunity high.

In Part 2, I’ll be sharing more on preparing for the big day in terms of nutrition, pacing, and some other important Do’s and Don’ts- So stay tuned!

Feel free to drop me a note if you have any thoughts on this newsletter.

Enjoy your Training!

Shem Leong
Athlete’s Circle Coach
ironguides Singapore
shem@athletescircle.com

Decisions, Decisions

2010-02-24T14:47:00.000+08:00

Life is full of decisions and I have been faced with my fair share recently.

To the unfamiliar, my decision to race the 2010 Chapter of the Aviva Ironman 70.3 would seam like a pretty trivial decision- If I can finish it, why not jump in and give it a go, have fun doing it and enjoy the race?

But those that know me, know that I enjoy the race in a different way.

I love to race. I love to set PB’s and push myself to new levels. This is what I enjoy doing. I race when I know that I’ve put in my best efforts into planning & training & recovering- in short, I love chasing that perfect race. I’ve had that experience a few times now and not much comes close to putting out your absolute best effort on the day, having worked hard at it for the preceeding months. That is how I respect the sport. It has given me so much ( a story for another day perhaps), that just to jump in for the sake of it would be selling myself short.

This time round however, I feel that I haven’t been able to give my best effort. There’s a whole lot of other stuff going in the background- growing up stuff, career stuff, getting married stuff, Church stuff. So my brain is telling me to let go of this one and forget about 70.3. But my brain is also telling me that everyone else has “stuff” too; why should I be excused from “stuff”?

As triathletes, we all juggle too many things than we should and we want to be good at all of them- swimbikerunworkfamilykidsrelationshipssociallife anyone? But thats who we are, thats we we love it. The sheer audacity of pulling out a sub 5 hr half-ironman while keeping everything else undercontrol- Well, that’s something special!

So I set myself some tasks this weekend to get a sense of where I’m at fitness wise; Saturday-90km TT, Sunday- 12ks worth of trail intervals. Nothing superhuman (to be expected) but not too shabby either. There’s a little bit of time left- am I dreaming to think that a few good sessions, a sensible diet and some tightening up of the core will get me to the start?

We'll see you there!

Shem

7am, Macritchie Carpark

Running the good race.

2010-01-27T17:00:00.002+08:00

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009

Shem Leong

It’s been 2 days since the 2009 Standard Chartered Marathon and the endorphins are finally returning to normal levels. Vibrant flashbacks of a fantastic run are merging into a single memory to remind me of the significance of this race.

3 weeks ago I was sidelined with a pulled left calf. It was my 1st real running injury and a healthy dose of humble pie. Turns out I am not invincible; overloading coupled with inadequate warm up is a recipe for disaster!

Disappointment and frustration followed me around everywhere as I felt my peak form slip away. Unable to train and taper properly, I felt the looming uncertainty that lay around the corner at December 6. In the meantime, I was on my feet, giving running lectures, 3 days in a row at the race expo. Not the ideal preparation at all!

It was with lowered expectations that I lined up at the start. Somewhere deep in my heart, I still wanted to come in under 3:15. But, all things considered, I told myself to be happy with a 3:45. My calf was not quite 100% and I had definitely lost some cardiovascular condition. What the heck! A 2 time Ironman World Champion once told me, “Never give up!”

The horn goes and we’re off down the road- the loud disco-pop giving way to the resigned pitter-patter of thousands of expectant feet. I settle into a nice light rhythm.

“Start Easy, Stay Easy” I tell myself. This is a line straight out of one my lectures. Time and again, during the course of this run my belief in my own running principals and coaching methods would be put to the test.

1. Shem’s 10km rule: Get the 1st 10 k out of the way without even feeling it.

“What 10?”

I thought as I passed the marker. Starting at a very conservative pace, I was conscientiously restraining myself from picking up the speed. So far so good- 10 km effortlessly down and my race had suddenly become a much more manageable 32 Km.

2. Halfway Over-Easy: Keep it easy to at least half way.

Keeping the same easy pace all the way to 16km had me feeling good. I had been “putting something aside” for the end of the race, but now, the first whispers of doubt interrupted my regular 2- 2 breathing pattern, “Too slow, you’re not going to make it at this rate. It’ll be impossible to pull it back in second half. You how hard it gets at the end, you better speed up just a little! ” I picked up the pace and felt my breathing deepen. As of in response, the exact words that I had shared with my Track Attack run class echoed in my head,

“You WILL feel like going harder- DON”T!”

The best coaches believe in their training protocols and are able to defend and justify their methodologies. This situation presented a perfect and unique opportunity to practice what I had been preaching. Do I really believe?

In faith, I slowed my pace dropped my stride rate back down to 92 and got to halfway. My legs still relatively fresh- now to see how much was left in them!

3. Check in, Zone out:

I was starting to get excited. So far the race had gone according to plan and intuition told me I was in a good place. I had got to halfway at 1:40 and this would be the last time I was going to check the clock. From here on it was going to be an exercise in balancing physical fatigue with mental tenacity- a true test of both the smarts and the spirit of running.

I performed a quick check that I was still holding good form- Running tall, Shoulders relaxed, Stride Rate? I drove my elbows back just a little quicker and got them going up to 95 strides per minute. “That’s better!”

Nutritionally, I had taken in about 200 calories / hour and been grabbing water at almost every aid station. My energy levels and hydration were fine. The caffeinated gels had taken effect and my pupils were dilated in wide eyed wonder;

“You’ve worked hard get there. It’s not every weekend you’re in this position- Running well, under control, 26kms into a marathon. This is your chance- Don’t let go.”

I pealed out the 1st half a Nuun electrolyte tab and popped it into my mouth. It’s effervesant tang momentarily jolting me out of my running daze. Finding its way into the corner of my mouth, it sat there slowly dissolving as my mouth greedily soaked up the sweet, salty froth.

With all systems go I just zoned out and let my elbows do the running.

4. Break it down, bring it home

2 gels, another Nunn Tablet and 10 km later I passed the 36km marker. I was nicely surprised that my stride rate had crept up to 98 and I recognised that it must have been the stride repeats that I had thrown into the middle of my long runs.

“Better watch out for The Wall!” The Wall- that notorious Bermuda Triangle, made famous by countless marathon horror stories the world over- that hits you all at once and reduces your best effort to a whimpering walk. But The Wall never came.

By breaking down the distance into shorter manageable bits, interval training encourages your body to hold perfect running form, reinforcing good running habits. This becomes especially important in the closing stages of any race when the body is already fatigued and close to its limit. With 6 km to go, I was transported back into a recent Track Attack session;

“3 x 2km”

This was not new ground; we had practiced this during class, at race pace, holding good form. It gave me the confidence to speed up and run hard without fear. Soon it was 2 x 2km, “You can do it”, and then 3 x 1km, “You’re there- Hang on!”

My heart leapt as I turned the last corner and saw the race clock- 3:13! I sprinted down the finishing chute and crossed the line in disbelief at what had just happened- I was speachless!

Looking back, I will always remember this race for long time. Not only was it a HUGE learing experience in marathon running, but also because it is a tremendous affirmation for me as a coach to continue believing in what I am passionate about... .

10 Marathon Tips

2009-11-24T16:25:00.003+08:00

by Shem Leong

1. Taper - A well structured taper is essential to run a good one on race day. It gives your legs a chance to fully rest and “soak up” the many kilometres that have been put into them in training. It is NOT an excuse to do nothing and “Carbo- Load”- Please! There are many factors that will determine a good taper- training load, recent race history, recovery from injury, etc. As a rule of thumb, cut down on total weekly volume to 75%, 2 weeks out and then again to 50% in the 1 week leading up to race day. Retain some speed work and intensity to keep the specific neuro-muscular impulses firing - this will help maintain a high stride rate.

2. Visualisation - Spend some time in the weeks/ days leading up to the race thinking about the race. Put yourself in different points and situations throughout race day. This will help you to prepare well when December 6 comes round. For example:

a. Pre race: How are you getting to the start line? What time do you want to be there? How am I going to carry my gels?

b. Race: How am I going to pace myself? How am I going to feel at the half way point? What is my nutrition plan like? What happens when I hit “the wall?” How am I going to respond?

c. Post Race: How am I getting home? Where can I get a snack after that? How do I recover properly from a huge effort like a marathon?

3. Gear- Plan your outfit. You should use the most comfortable running gear you have. How are you going to carry your gels? Is it time to treat yourself to a new pair of running shoes? Don’t leave this till last minute because you need break in them beforehand.

4. Nutrition - Read the labels. Know what you will be putting in your body as fuel for your big day. Try to get at least 150 calories every hour after the 1st hour of your run. You can get this from sports drinks (e.g. Powerbar Endurance Formula) or gels (e.g. Powergels). This works out to about 1 gel every 40 mins. Larger athletes will need more than this. Remember that it is important to wash your gels down with water because it helps with absorption.

5. Nutrition - If you are a heavy sweater (you sweat through your shoes) it is essential to replace the lost electrolytes as the race wears on. Excess loss of sodium though sweat will affect your muscles contractility. Replace these with salt tablets/ Nunn Rehydration tablets/ “extra sodium” gels. * Try sucking on a Nunn tablet - I find this works well. When you’ve had enough, and you will know when, simply spit it out.

6. Hydration - Aim to take in moderate amounts of water at regular intervals at the aid stations. In most cases a few mouthfuls is often enough. Do not wait until you are very thirsty and gulp down a whole litre! This will disrupt the concentration gradients in your stomach and may lead to bloating - a very uncomfortable situation when running.

7. Pacing - Start EASY! The adrenaline and atmosphere at the start will have your heart rate 10 beats above normal and raring to go. HOLD BACK. No matter how good you feel, do not sprint off at the start- Take a few kilometres to let your body find its natural rhythm – and then back it off a little more. Yes! The energy you “put aside” in the first half of the race will pay big dividends in the closing stages of the run. Try to get the 1st 10 km out of the way as effortlessly as possible. Remember - START EASY!

8. Pacing - If you are following my advice to START EASY, you should be able to reach the halfway mark with no problems. This is the time to make an assessment- if you are feeling fantastic, showing no signs of fatigue and still raring to go - then you could increase your effort a little. If you are feeling OK - no problems, nutrition on track, legs still in good shape, relatively fresh- maintain the current effort because a marathon has a way of biting back after 30km!

9. Pacing - Running a marathon will never be a simple, painless stroll in the park. At some point, you will have to grit your teeth and “Man-up”! Whether this happens with 10km to go or 500ms before the finishing line, the important thing to know that from here onwards, the race is run in your head. Stay strong and focused - Nothing else matters, just hold your form and run tall.

10. Enjoy your race - Enjoy putting your body to the test! Relish the fact that you are able to run a marathon - that in itself is special. Remember everyone that has supported you and be thankful for them. Encourage those having a tough time on the day with a smile or a few kind words. “Never give up!”

My class...

2009-11-18T15:42:00.000+08:00

I am so proud of these guys!

They've put in the hard work and come a long way.

Everyone is shaping up nicely to run a good race come Dec 6th.

Good stuff- Bring it on!

Life of a tri-coach...

2009-11-12T17:09:00.000+08:00

Joys of an ironguides triathlon coach

2009-10-29T11:18:00.000+08:00

1. Seeing 2 sexy Cervelos hammering up Bukit Timah flyover to get to your run class on time : )

2. A new runner completing their 1st 10 k (and the ongoing transformation)... Amazing!

3. My class asking for planks afetr 1 hour in the hills.. Is this normal??

4. Seeing beauty in this.

5. Getting turned on by these- Can't wait!

6. Knowing the meaning of WOBBLY legs- and knowing they're gonna make you FLY!

7. Finding the perfect shoe- adidas adios

I know why Haile digs them!

8. "Product testing" for 2 hours in the trail-

BV Compression- Yes Please!

9. Discussing the finer points of bike gear over dinner

10. Just spreading the love...

What have I done?

2009-10-02T01:43:00.002+08:00

For those who have register for races before, I am not sure what the process is like for you. As for me, I am always nervous. You know... the usual question, Should I or Should I not?

Last night, I finally pluck up the courage and sign up for Ironman Western Australia in Busselton on 5 Dec. By the way, those 2009 race not 2010! Yes, there is 8.5 weeks to go....

Committing to a big race like IRONMAN is always so hard. First, it is the money issue, I paid AUD 680 to torture myself, not even counting in the airfare and accomodation bit. It is an irony that I am in this line of business where I charge people to do my race and yet I am really a stinge when I go do other races!

Money is the first hurdle, next is your partner or spouse. We might think we are offering our love ones a chance of an exotic holiday but this is not always the case. My spouse will attest to how selfish and inconsiderate I am on my individual pursuit versus the well-being of the family. The argument never stop there. I remember last year I have to trick her to going St Croix (Virgin Islands... can you believe this and how many of you out there would like to go?) with a nice family holiday with shopping in Florida and Disney World for my son. This time, I am kinda glad that she said she is not interested in going Perth, now this will help me save loads. You see... my point is whatever the case, you still have to ask them if you like to be your support crew and offer the option to consider. This very often leads to complicated logistic planning. Trust me, this is much worse than thinking how you pack your bike and gears for the race.

Then, there is work commitment. In your mind, you will always want the perfect race. Meaning having optimal time to train. Again, this is not going to happen. I have one thousand things going on the same time and still writing this blog at 1am. Working 60 hours week and travelling all over does not help. Remember your priorities in life is always family, work and then self interest. This balance should never be compromised if you want to remain married and employed. So do remember my golden advice to you.

Next, there is this nagging injury. I have laid off running now for 1 month and the heel spur seem to go away. Guess what, today with only a 20min run on the treadmill, it still feel funny. Not good at all... Can I finsih the Ironman with minimal or no run training?

So, my philosophy is train with minimum but race with maximum. Whatever outcome, stay happy. I will still do my best whatever tomorrow brings. The facinating thing is this. Once you click to enter and make your payment, your motivation flows. I shall stop here as I have a 6am bike ride tomorrow!

Stay happy..

Adrian Mok

More new toys!

2009-09-29T00:35:00.003+08:00

We're getting this fantastic new toy... I mean tool.. soon. It will help you choose the right running shoes.

Bauerfeind had the genius idea to make insoles out of pressure sensitive material that would fit nicely into your running shoes. When hooked up to the transmitter, it sends the real time colour coded pressure data to your laptop that displays the pressure changes in your footbed as you run.. incredible stuff!

Insoles strapped on

Transmitter ON

Away we go!

(Check the high stride rate BTW: )

Wish I had taken a picture of the screen display, thats the most impressive bit. Will keep you all posted when it comes into the store so you all can come in and have a go. You'll be amazed : ) Shem

Phuket, Thailand- Triathlon Training Camp Oct 22- 25

2009-09-28T23:45:00.002+08:00

Phuket, Thailand

Triathlon Training Camp

Oct 22- 25

Race Specific for Laguna Phuket Triathlon

Speed work for IM Weatern Australia

For more info:

smailto:shem@athletescircle.com

2009-09-28T23:22:00.001+08:00

7 am Faber Loops

A great way to start the week!

6 of these in the Big Gear, seated, in the Aero position..

You're gonna be flying in no time!

Who wants to join? 92299114 text me.

: ) Shem

Shem is a computer geek gamer!

2009-09-28T23:13:00.001+08:00

I always thought "Gamers" were a geeky, spotty bunch with a warped sense of reality and smudged glasses (Sorry, Gamers!) Maybe this was cos I was CRAP at them. Until now-

Check it out! Tacx Fortius Multiplayer Trainer

1- Load it up

2- Choose your team

3- Choose your bike

4. Game on!

To say that this is an amazing piece of equiptment would be a gross understatement. You can upload different courses, you can choose the weather conditions, steer and the electronic braking system even increases the reisitance when you are riding uphill! Needless to say, I worked up quite a sweat on one of the climbing stages.

Col and I "hard at work" : )

Drop in with your bike and check it out!

: ) Shem

Adrian @ Jungfrau Marathon, Switzerland 2009

2009-09-08T13:48:00.001+08:00

Adrian @ Jungfrau Marathon, Switzerland 2009

more photos here

Track Attack! - Speed Endurance Sessions by Athlete's Circle & Ironguides Coach Shem Leong

2009-08-31T12:16:00.002+08:00

Athlete's Circle & Ironguides Coach Shem Leong will be conducting Speed Endurance Sessions which emphasize on efficient running form.

Starting at 7.00pm on 2nd September (Wednesday), there'll be 13 sessions that will focus on intervals, drills and strength work.

Location at SPE (old NIE) track, Bukit Timah, 21 Evans Road, Singapore view map here

More info, check out our event post on facebook here
also visit Ironguides Singapore or contact Shem (+65-9229 9114, shem@athletescircle.com)

more about Shem

Athlete's Circle - There's an athlete in everyone

2009-08-31T11:55:00.000+08:00

Athlete's Circle is a concept store, a playground for the sports enthusiasts.
We believe in creating great friendships and doing what we love.

Athlete's Circle Singapore
27 Boon Tat Street
Singapore 069623
Tel: +65-6372 6388

Athlete's Circle Malaysia
D-5-LG1, Level B1, Block D
JAYA ONE, 72A Jalan Universiti
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel; +603-7960 2313