August 7, 2014 · 9:32 am

Bitter sweet reality check

Spending time with a fully dedicated sprint coach was probably one of the best training decisions I could have made. Should I have done it earlier in my transition? Maybe. Would I’ve then been able to take in as much? Maybe, maybe not. One thing’s for sure, the feeling of putting the trust in someone who knows your abilities and is helping you get the best outcome you could possibly get, is just what I need. Gear choice, training efforts, race strategy. It’s about having the confidence that I’m in good hands, on the right track. Thanks Carl and the entire aboc sprint squad for taking me in, showing me the ropes. Ergo sessions will never be the same.

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Image copyright @Ell On Wheels

While goals and targets now have a little more direction, a couple of issues have risen with uncertainty. But what’s life without the occasional unexpected speed bumps. At the end of the day, overcoming the odds only makes life more meaningful.

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July 10, 2014 · 7:33 pm

Hello Melbourne, it’s been a while

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3 years to be exact. It was the exact time in 2011: winter and the Tour de France had just started. It brings back fond memories, especially after surprising my ex-flat mate, at his awesome cafe Let Me Be Frank. Oh yes, you haven’t quite got rid of me yet. It was probably one of the best times I’ve had rowing and it certainly was a positive turning point for me.

This time I’m hoping to make that positive change on the bike. I’ve been fortunate enough to be taken in by Carl (http://www.aboc.com.au) one of the very few independent track sprint coaches in the country and I’m extremely thankful to not only be given this opportunity, but be able to take up the opportunity as well.

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I only have a month, but we have already started working on a couple of the fundamental aspects. A few tweeks on the bike and after a week, I’m already feeling some significant positive changes. I’m also just in time for Round 4 of their Winter Track Series this weekend. As always, looking forward to racing and putting myself to the test.

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Big shoutout to the people at Rudy Project Singapore, for believing in me and providing support for the past 7 years. The Rudy Project Swim Bike Run expo will be happening on 26 – 27 July at Ngee Ann City civic plaza! Heaps of prizes and hampers to be won! Be sure to drop by!

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Of course big thanks as well to Maxinutrition Asia, TRG, Solitude of Strength, MSTI, G8 Performance, The Sufferfest, for their amazing support!

Ride safe!

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May 19, 2014 · 3:15 pm

Southeast Asian Track GP

It’s been a rough few days. 8 days to be exact. I always look forward to track time but I never seem to be able to come out with a positive experience. Being left behind by the bunch, again, is a crappy feeling especially when I still not able to put everything I have in the tank out on the bike.
Thanks to the couple of trained sets of eyes who have helped zoomed in on what is holding me back.
Apart from the weather, the proceedings went well. The SEA GPs are great for us as we don’t have a track. Being able to race the likes of the french, malaysians, aussies (in last year’s edition), doesn’t come often if you’re not world-class. You’ll definitely learn plenty, IF you can at least hold onto their wheel, which I can’t yet. So it hasn’t really done me any good.
An intervention is absolutely necessary. It’s in the works.

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May 8, 2014 · 8:54 pm

Back on the road. On the track

Things haven’t been all smooth sailing and that’s a little of an understatement. Hitting crossroads and massive speed bumps all at one go, sure put some doubts in my head.

3 months since I last raced (and spend time on the track), it’s given me plenty of time to reflect, physically and emotionally. I’ve always had belief in myself. Strong belief. But it’s starting to waver, and fast. I spent my previous years as a rower, surrounded by the people who believed in me, who set my mind straight and were responsible for grooming me into the athlete I am today. Almost 2 years of struggle as a cyclist, it’s clear that without the support structure, everything is starting to crumble.

Time isn’t on my side. There’s only so much more I can hold on to. It’s good to finally be able to get at on my feet again and it’s thanks to a couple of people who are showing belief in me. The next few months will be crucial as I make some important decisions that, in my opinion, will either make or break.

The next 8 days at the Southeast Asian Grand Prix will be a good start to turn things around.

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April 8, 2014 · 9:46 pm

in local cycling news

Singapore Cycling recently opened up nominations for National squads and the 2014 Asian Champs across all disciplines. Here’s the link to their website for the announcement of those who have been selected.

http://cycling.org.sg/announcement-of-athlete-selection-results/

Congratulations to everyone to has made the squads and the 2014 ACC team

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February 19, 2014 · 4:43 pm

Solitude of Strength

It’s almost a month since I last raced in Shuzenji and things are looking good in the training department. I got in a motorpacing session last week where the main aim is to ramp up my top end speed. Ideally I would want to do it as part of my regular schedule, but in the not so ideal world we live in, at the moment, I can probably only afford ($) to do them twice a month.

Other than that, I’ve pretty much settled in at Solitude of Strength, a new-age, avant garde, strength training facility. Somehow, SWF didn’t quite feel like home. The people are great but I didn’t quite fit into the vibe. When National Weightlifter, Lewis told me he was going to open his own gym, I had a good feeling about it. I wasn’t in town for the opening, but as soon as I got back, I dropped by for a visit.

One of our very few national athletes who is now giving back to Singapore sports, wants to encourage more athletes, regardless of what sport you do, to see strength training/weightlifting as a fundamental component to all sports. With that in mind, Lewis allows all under-18 national athletes to train at SoS for free, senior athletes at half the price. He recently did an interview for Fitness Sutra. Read it here

http://www.fitnesssutra.com/2014/02/05/lewis-chua/

If you’re looking for a place to start an exercise/fitness regime, get fitter/stronger, train for that next sporting event, drop by to have a look.

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February 10, 2014 · 1:20 pm

Japan Track Cup rundown

I need to be more prompt in penning down these race experiences, even though its still rather fresh in my mind, like it was just last week. Those psych sessions with John from way back certainly did me some good.

International teams didn’t stay at Cytel. We were put up at a cottage-like hotel, Olive no Ki, 30 mins by bus away from the track. Better facilities and amenities, but I would have preferred convenience over comfort.  Of course, Cytel would be meant for local teams and technical officials.

There were reasonable expectations going in. In a country where the keirin is professionally raced, you can only expect a huge depth of really strong riders. I started out conservatively with regards to gearing. Bad decision. After the first lap, I knew I was in trouble as I was already running out of leg speed. So I kinda threw that one away. Shucks. Then I rode big but it was clear I still didn’t have enough horsepower to ride side-by-side with the big guns yet. Leading up to this, bulk of the work has been focused on strength gains. My 200m time was nothing to cheer about either. There is still quite a long way to go.

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Apart from that, it is the familiarity I have with my bike at high speeds. At 60km/h and above, the slightest twitch gets magnified. I followed for as long as I could, but it felt like I was fighting the bike as soon as everyone throttled. I kept losing momentum in my legs as I fought to stay in.

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The coaches at CCC Shuzenji could see improvement. The standard of the race was simply too high. In spite of that, I still took plenty of lessons back home. I’ve gained some first-hand knowledge on what is physically required to race at that level and that is something I can work on on the road. One thing’s for sure, motorpacing sessions are vital for me. So if anyone knows of anyone who does it, give me shout. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks to Noda-san and CCC Shuzenji for the support. It definitely made a difference knowing that I was looked after. I envy teams that go to races with an army of support staff. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a race with even just a coach/manager. Big shout-out to MSTI for the entry and race kit, as well as the continuous and unwavering support of Maximuscle, Rudy Project, The Sufferfest, Compressport, G8 Performance and Solitude of Strength.

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Photos by MakotoAYANO

https://www.facebook.com/cyclowired.jp

http://www.cyclowired.jp/

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January 5, 2014 · 1:42 pm

New year Ups and Downs

Because putting a year end post is too mainstream, I decided to reflect on 2013 a week into 2014. Not exactly. 2013 did not end on a high note at all. The thought of hitting a slump at the end of the year did not seem appealing to me at all. But when it comes, it comes, and it hits you hard. So hard it knocked me down for almost an entire month. In all aspects of life, emotionally, financially, physically, mentally. The worst I have ever been. The thoughts that creep into your head start to overpower you. It starts to mind-f*** you (mind the language). You question everything that you do in life, everything you believe in, everything you have done. In short, you lose yourself.

There have been a couple of pleasant moments in 2013. Ride the wave, but never take it for a free ride. No matter how good it/they may be, I always remember all the other bad experiences that has put you down. Crappy races, dealing with dodgy characters, money woes,  just to name a few,. Yes, a few. When the bad experiences outnumber the good ones, that’s when you should re-evaluate things, and in my case, a little too late. That is also when you will only start to see who your true friends are: when you’re down. Sometimes, they are just round the corner, without you even realizing.

A turning point was when I seeked solace at Solitude of Strength (Facebook here. Website is still in the works) There’s something calming yet engaging about the place. Maybe it’s the vibe the Buffalo brings to the  place, maybe its the people. There is belief all around. Walking in at 7am in the morning, barbell on my shoulders, looking down the row of platform, I could focus once again. I found the energy I have been desperately looking for all year.

It’s the people who still believe in you when you’re down and/or not at your best who matter the most. Thank you to the CCC Shuzenji family for taking me in.

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Always make time to say hi to the people who matter to you and so will the people whom you matter to.  I spent my last day in Perth riding in 40 degree weather to the Wibbs’. I never really got a chance to catch up properly at the track as Friday nights are always hectic. Ken could see the disappointment in my eyes after State champs. “Don’t worry about it Wai, keep going at it. You’ll come back again and smack it.”

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Sometimes, just a few words and simple gestures can have a powerful impact. We spend so much time getting caught up in life that we miss out on them. Life is an ever-changing journey, but one thing remains, the people who were once there to help you get back up on your feet, are the friends you can always count on.

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December 8, 2013 · 10:07 pm

4 weeks on

It’s been one heck of a roller coaster the past 4 weeks. I have had time to reflect on my time back at the CCC Shuzenji training camp but recently I find myself trying to keep my mind free of anything training related when I have any bit of downtime. Maybe it’s because there hasn’t been any exciting developments to talk about, just plenty of what-ifs.

I definitely kicked some goals at the end of my two weeks at Shuzenji. We were fortunate enough to be allowed by the JBCF to do a flying 200 and kilo time trial in an actual race setting. Having to go through the proper race proceedings was good practice for me. The result however left me quite deflated. I was all over the place in the kilo and couldn’t hold my line. My flying 200 was just as disappointing. I made used of that second week to nail those key aspects of my riding that really needed to be addressed: posture, leg speed, handling. I stuck at it, and my training times consistently went down as well. At the end of it, I definitely came out a better rider and I have the coaches at CCC Shuzenji to thank for that.

Coming back to Perth was a good test to see how far I have come. I started out at the Speed Dome, and the locals will be able to see if there is any improvement, or not. The first thing that hit me was that the pace has definitely stepped up a lot from the last time I was here. I had a quick catch up with Travis the first few nights at the track and he mentioned it as well. It took me about a week to find my race legs as well as get used to bunch riding on the track again, which meant I didn’t do too well in the Keirin at the State Championships. Disappointed yes, but I knew I had focus on the coming couple of weeks. I started the week really well, kicked plenty of goals at track sessions and was looking forward to the weekend to finish up state champs with something to cheer about. But my luck ran out and I had to wake up in the middle of a Thursday night scrambling for lacteol fort and panadol. Friday was a complete wipe off as I slept the entire day, waking up at 3 hour intervals just to eat and take meds. Fortunately, all was not lost. I still rode the sprint and the kilo. Though I was still a little woozy on Saturday.

I’ve got another week of track sessions and a Wattbike test with Andrew on Wednesday which I’m really looking forward to. Apologies for the lack of photos. When you travel to train and race solo, it’s not quite as convenient to go around snapping pictures with my phone. But I’ll try to get some cool visuals up.

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November 9, 2013 · 7:09 pm

Konichiwa

I’m glad I’ve made it back to Izu Velodrome for CCC Shuzenji’s second training camp for the year. The past few weeks have been a little crazy. There was certainly no resting after a less than satisfying display at the Track Asia Cup. I’m still looking for that breakthrough on the bike I need to mix it up with the big boys. I remember my time at Mercantile with Sandy, when I finally started to feel some blade work and actually move the boat properly. Not quite the same equipment, but I’m determined to find that same element which will get me the speed I need on the bike

The sessions with Louis on the road definitely helped upped my game. Working on acceleration on the road with a racing track bike isn’t exactly the easiest thing to put together, in particular the logistics, considering I do not own a 4-door vehicle. With the recent videos of cyclists circulating around the Facebook hemisphere, location was our main concern. Huge thanks to Louis for taking time out to put it together. I owe him heaps.

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The CCC Shuzenji training camp was initially a no-go for me. I just haven’t been working enough to save up moolah for it. I decided to move on and I’m looking elsewhere for a more supportive work environment. Fortunately I managed to pull together enough in the nick of time and so here I am.

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One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a cold two weeks.

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