Category Archives: training updates

It’s good to finally be able to find the perfect place to chill out with an excellent cup of coffee. Papa Palheta is located at 140 Bukit Timah Road, pretty close to Newton. Great service and not to mention a really great brew. Go check them out.

If you’re ever in Melbourne, drop by The Final Step and you won’t regret it. Tucked in 1C Murphy Street, South Yarra, it’s was pretty much where I would go to for my daily coffee.  The cosy and chill out setting is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and just relax before you get back out on the streets. You’ll be greeted by Ben, who will make you a kicking cup of coffee. Check out their review

It’s been super hectic since I got back from the games. Didn’t help at all that I went for a much deserved holiday with the missus to NZ! Just seemed like there was so much to do. Reports to write, budgets to update, work to be settled. Even with all that in mind, I still enjoyed every bit of my time in NZ. Stayed at the Plews Palace with buddy DP and his housemate AM. And I can’t forget Maggie-dooz! Pictures to be up soon, hopefully!

Straight back into the grind with plenty on the to-do list. Along with that, reports for the games and my training with Mercs. And I have to start looking for a job, because my current contract runs out at the end of the year, with a very unlikely non-renewal.

But still, all is good. Got back into the boat on Tuesday, raring to go.

Super quick update. Apologise for the lack of it. Only had a couple days after getting back from Melbourne to get myself ready to head off again for the Asian Games. Frantically scampering around from place to place, plenty of administrative issues to settle and get myself familiar, training still to be done. That’s all behind now.

Just arrived back home to nice little TeamSG welcome. Came in 3rd in the B Final. Did the best  I could, improved heaps, but I’ll be back stronger and faster.

Cheers to all who have been part of this amazing journey. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I did!

Read the article about PACE (Program for Athletes Career and Education), offered by the Singapore Sport Council, in the mandarin newspaper, mypaper.

mypaper – 6 October 2010, page 1

mypaper – 6 October 2010, page 4

Mother nature wasn’t too kind on the morning of the TT. Many would know me for my rather high tolerance for the cold, considering the climate I live in. But this morning definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. With only a long sleeve top and zootie, I literally could not feel my feet and hands. Any attempt to warm up seemed futile.

Not a brilliant start plus poor steering. Coming back down into the headwind, I struggled to hold onto the handles. I did have some moments, need to work on the consistency. It was certainly a morning with plenty of take-backs.

Then it was brekkie followed by a session in the 8s. Woooot!

It’s been a week in Melbourne and rowing with Mercantile Rowing Club is simply just amazing. Really cool bunch of peps, awesome group of rowers. Everyone’s just been so welcoming. And the rowing is going really well. Focusing on what is most important, getting the boat to move super fast.

Staying with Eddie and Lachy, who are members of the club. They’re really cool dudes. It’s great to have housemates who are rowers as well, plus I get to have the full aussie experience. Couldn’t ask for more.

Will post more pictures soon and more updates.

Speed strokes this morning went well. Super quick turns during the off strokes. Much harder to hold the rates into the headwind. But i’ll take a headwind anytime over crosswinds.

It’s going to be some tough few weeks. High intensity stuff is fun, exciting and delightfully painful. The stuff that you hate doing is what’s gonna make you stronger. And as AB would say, 2 tablespoons of cement, toughen the ***k up. So let’s just get on with it.

Things have gotten a little topsi-turvy. After what I feel is simply a long ding dong case of speculation and not wanting to take responsibility, I am now back on my own. I never had good vibes to begin with. Guess it all eventually showed.

Past week or so I’ve just been trying to sort myself out, with really very few people here to help me out. Dan P and his mate Dann B stopped over for a few days and it was really cool to finally be hanging out again with like-minded, hardcore training athletes. Really helped to put things back into perspective.

Dropped by the SiS office recently to pick up my REGO. It’s just the most amazing recovery drink. Go check out the really awesome banners of their athletes. SiS will be sold in retail shops pretty soon. So watch out for it!

Things are looking up after a stressful week. A much needed Skype consultation with John to sort out the issues that have had a negative impact the past week, as well as some work on performance related issues. Psychology plays a major role in elite sport. I used to believe that psych really only comes into play when I’m at the start line of the finals. It’s starting to become clearer to me how the the mind has an effect on me as I work on the physiologically and technical aspects of rowing. Some work for me now on how to manage the relationship between thoughts, emotions and actual behavior, i.e performance.

Great outings on the water the past couple of days. Weather’s turning out to be much nicer compared to the past few months of erratic thunderstorms. Started off yesterday with a couple of 4km pieces at rate 24, focusing on latching on at the catch, and maintaining splits throughout. Today’s steady state work was really nice as well. I actually felt from cool to cold riding to the shed this morning while I was on a downhill section. The last time it was it cooling in the morning was actually at the beginning of the year, in January and February. Climate has certain shifted away from the norms. Nice flow of strokes throughout the session, kept my HRs to within the zone, and I stuck within my target split times. Pretty good indeed.

Weights training had to be shifted to Tuesday and Thursday this week, because the gym is closed this Friday, which is  Public Holiday. I’ve yet to figure out the rationale behind stopping athletes from training on Public Holidays, or having to rearrange training schedules because of it. There is really no such thing as weekends or Public Holidays for me. It’s just another day out in the ‘office’.