Bye Bye 2017, Hello 2018

2017 is a new refreshment year to me, here is what i've been go through:

1. Feb. 2017 - Quitted my 9 years job working at a local developer firm, learned a lots for residential development for Hong Kong market. Thankful to have such opportunities and challenges given from the firm that allows me to growth. 
2. Officially turn on my training mode for the real challenges for a Full Ironman training. My week is like: 
3. March 2019 - Spending some time with Mom in Phuket, getting away from the hustle and bustle life and prepare to wind down myself a new life without a job. 
4. The preparation for a sabbatical is amazing experience and i recommend everyone should try once in a life time. How i should schedule my time, use it properly and efficiently, i set up a time schedule for myself includes training, studying, meeting old friends, travel to explore in a budgeted way. i really enjoyed how i back to a basic life, taking bus instead of taxi, finding more fresh food and cook for myself, figuring how i could spent my expenditure wisely. Feeling like back to a normal basic life, starting from scratch and i realised i have missed alots of opportunities and my rights. 
5. Submitted my admission for postgraduate study at HKU at Faculty of Architecture at Architectural Conservation Unit (ACP), YES! Finally my awaited dream come true and the school accepted my application in April 2017. 
6. 2017 Travel - Travel to Phuket with Mom in March. Boarding to a cruise with my mom and her friends from HK - Shanghai - Nagasaki - Kumanoto - Miyasaki - HK in April. Bangkok in June. Kamakura in July, meeting my first colleague Toshi back in 2002 RAD. Many fond memory working in Wyndham Street. Many tireless nights, white modelssssss. He brings me to his neighbourhood and i hope we can see each others some time. Oslo, Vega followed by a road trip tour round from mid North to South via Fjord and Mountain in August with Charles meeting Frederic for his Vega Island project. Back in Phuket in Nov. for Charles 70.3 Thailand, a relaxing holiday for me meeting old friends. 
7. Welcoming my favourite baby EWalk from my best friend Joy.
8. Farewell: my best friend Irene in June, trashing her house on a very last minutes. packing whole things with with her. Another sweet one with Josie whom we train and drink, leaving to LA for her dream. 
9. Oslo - Vega - Bronnoysund - Kristiansund - Trondheim - Molde - Isfjorden - Andalsnes- Trollstigen - Geirangerfjord - Alesund. Boarding to Hurtigruten for 1 night experience is amazing. We staying in a podium cabin, the ship is rocking like a roller coaster at night when we sail down at the Norwegian Sea is crazy. My head keeps turning. The road trip experience with Frederic and Charles is fun. Travelling in the beautiful mountain and fjord. 
10. My first day at HKU kick started in Sep. feeling to excited in every second to learnt new things and the hungriness of knowledge and inspiration. I'm so enjoyed every second of it and founded my interest of reading and writing. I realised that i have been missing so many things such as History subject, its never too late to go back to school. 
11. My D days (Ironman Korea 2017) finally arrives on 10th Sep. in Guyre, Korea, in a very remote UNESCO heritage site. I have been training through Team Siri training plan via Training Peak monitoring my progress and performance. My race went very well and i did not feel any pressure on it. 
12. Seeing Yvon and his family in Oct., I'm glad he've been going through all these year and still remembering us. A Blood cancer survivors. 
13. Nov. - Charles BIG 40. I have organise a race to celebrate his BIG 40, invited all his friend to join and i have custom-made a ceramic medals for all finisher. The race consist of 40km and run for 4km followed with a beach BBQ and custom-made cake. Charles is super happy!
14. 11 Dec. my first day of back to a full time job after a 9 months off being a Tai Tai. 

Become One - "You are an Ironman" say from Whit Raymond

Ironman - A 3.8km Swim, 180km Bike and 42km Run

The purpose of the swim is to get you on the bike. The purpose of the bike is to eat for the run. The purpose of the first run lap is to put money in the bank to pay the monkey that will jump on your back the second lap.The Second Lap Monkey. He is very a big monkey. If this is your first Ironman, you have probably felt in your training everything that you will feel on race day, except the Second Lap Monkey. You can’t train for that. The Second Lap Monkey carries a big stick, and its name is Pain. Love it, hate it, get angry at it. Breathe it with every breath, feel it with every step and use it.It lets you know you are still alive, more alive than most people will ever be in their whole lives. The clock keeps on ticking and everything bad must eventually come to an end. All you have to do is keep running in a straight line until someone tells you to stop.(Anon)

The race is located at Gurye, Korea. Remote countryside with lots of paddy field. Temperature is cool at the morning and evening say 17 C and can reach hot and sunny in the noon around 28C. Language is a problem, none of us can communicate with the local or even understand the menu. We take a flight from Hong Kong to Incheon followed by a 4-5 hours bus ride with heavy luggage  - bike box logistic. Thanks Charlie doing all the loading and unloading works for me. 

Pre race

The transition area and the Finish area is scattered around 2km by walk. The hotel (Blue Sun Resort, never again) we stayed is around 6.5km from transition. Before the race we have to do the following in different day per the event schedule: 

- Athletes check in 

- Race briefing 

- Bike check in together with the Bike & Run bag drop 

- Race day Bike and Run Special need bag drop, street wear bag drop 

- Swim course open for test

Even though the above sound a bit hectic with not so well organised shuttle bus around, I'm still feeling great and happy, no pressure and all i want is just Eat, Sleep and DO IT!!

Race day - 10 Sep. 2017 Sunday

Wake up at 4PM, i have made myself a boiling water in our room for my dry veggie meal (Salt, rice and veggie) great loading up and i really need the rice recently. Put up my timing chip, put on my suit and a jacket with the street wear bag with a stand pump, we leave our room at 0445 and take the shuttle to the swim start. I'm not panic and rather familiar know what to do, step by step. Thanks Andrea's head lamp when it is still dark and a bit cold. I take out the bike cover which is full of water, lubricate the chain, pump my tires and put on the power food and load the water. There are some girl asking me to borrow my pump(Again and WHY?) but i rejected it. (I have had lots of unhappy memory about the pump and i'm not willing upset myself again! Either i cannot use my pump after i borrowed to someone or make someone bike's flat, or i have wait them to finish it 1 by 1, thats not my responsibility and EVERYONE SHOULD BRING THEIR OWN PUMP!) I discharge myself at the bike area and pick up my pump and went to meet Charles and Andrea nearby the swim start, we stayed away with the hyper Korean man. I put on my very comfy ORCA wet suit and lubricate myself at the neck and underarm, zip up and went for a jog. I'm so clam under the heavy fog with this beautiful mountain landscape, so clam that i can't even justify myself i'm soon will start a race.

The Swim - 3.8km in a foggy lake (1:28:31)
And i told myself
"I knew it, the day is finally NOW, at THIS MOMENT, I'm going to put all my hearts out and live my day!"
And I'm jump from the pontoon by a rolling start, i swim far from the buoy and way away from the crowd. Yes, and i liked it. Swimming all alone by myself and was urged couples of time to swim close to the people. I swim really effortless, didn't feel any tireless or pain. The swim is started at the outer loop of 1.9km clockwise then we have to go through a small bridge with time chip sensor to make another 1.9km loop anti-clockwise. It is pretty easy to me to swim that distance or may be i really didn't push hard to it. I just enjoyed the whole way in the lake water with the fog without seeing anythings from 30meter ahead. This time i wore my old Timex Ironman (Cost HKD 100 only) watch as i don't feel comfortable with the Garmin Fenix 5S. I dont care about my time too, and i feel pretty comfortable with it :) Come up from the water without dizzy or collapse feeling and i made it one third of the race now! HAPPY!



Bike - 180km rolling to me (7:40:35) 
Went to the transition tent with my bike bag is a bit chaos! There have around 10 ladies in the tent either sitting or standing on a bit muddy grass, i sit at the corner and immediately take out my wet suit and pour some fresh water from my bottle outside the tent. Quickly change into my new speed suit, gloves, eat the energy jelly, put on socks and bike shoes, sun cream and get out of the humid tent and look for my bike.

The bike consist of country side paddy field road plus going to south of the city for 3 loops. All the way long up and down gentle slope which i'm not familiar with. Have to hold my brake most of the time.  At the first beginning of a tough short climb, the person in front of me crashes with the opposite person due to the road is narrow and the opposite line is coming from a sharp turn down hill. I immediately turn left to the road side and avoid any accident. During the ride, i told myself not to have any accident hit by someone, i force myself to be highly alert on that, otherwise the effort i made the last 6 months will be gone! I maintained my slow pace and rolling around this 180km bike course. Of course there have lots of people took over me and looks like i'm the last batch of the 300 riders. At the bike special need bag area, i saw a lots of things which is new to me. People can enjoy cup noodle there, drinks, rest, sleep. A pair of couples is riding together and the ladies seems to be in pain after the 90km and the guy is doing a massage to her! Shouldn't this allowed?
At one point when i'm climbing up in parallel with a guy, suddenly i feel that my left leg is hit by a front wheel. WTF? I dare not to turn my head but immediately i realised there have 2 guys on my left overtaking me, which means 4 rider is riding parallel occupying the road. I slowed down and give way. I'm scare at that point as anything could stop me from the race. First the wheel, second is accident, third may be careless mistake or eating issue. No, no one can stop me at this point! Hold on the handle bar and keeping moving!
I made my hammer drinks at this last stop and finished half bottle of it and carry the last batch of nutrient to ride the rest. The whole ride i keep hydrate and eat, hydrate and eat, without any mistake with Hammer. The weather started to drop when i'm all the way back to the boring highway seeing some people is already running made me a bit upset and discouraging. When my bike turn the last loop close to the T2, i saw Jing is running out and he is looking good, tall and proud. I told myself i should be run like that too! And i only left the last leg.....

Run - 42km, a Marathon after 9 hours of continuous workout (4:39:24) 
I took my Run bag and just sit on the grass to change my socks and Hoka shoes. I sit on the lawn is feeling q enjoyable despite i'm in hurry mode. Thanks god i made a good decision with a better cushioning shoes instead of my all time favourite Newton Running. I need the cushioning to lift myself up the entire way. I run out the the T2 with my fuel belt and cap (All black this time), after 5 km of the first part of the run, i reach to the crowed and saw Charlie and Andrea is there, they are so happy to see me. I smile to them, grasp a coke and this is so dame good! I walked at this section and enjoying this special moment cheer from the crowd with music. The second part of the run consist of 3 laps of 11-12 km. Q discouraging and boring, especially you saw some people already with the neon ribbon on the hand and you have NOTHING YET! (The neon ribbon is a mark that you finish the first and second lap) I keep focusing the pace that i can hold and looking straight to the road. After the first lap, it became complete darkness. The little light bulbs partially on the road ask me not to give up, when theres light theres a hope! I keep moving each little steps and walked whenever i wanted. I passed so many peoples in the run which i cannot believe it. I didn't stop at each aid station much, i drank the coke until my body  said NO. The last 10km i did not stop at aid, just keep moving forward. There have a Korean girl run with me at the last 10km towards the Finish, I knew i can speed up a bit to hold the remaining 8km, so i pace up a bit. The girl started to yell and may be she say why i speed up. I neglected and focused to the FINISH. The last 8km is really in suffer mode, i did not want to slow down but i knew at some point my body might stop. So, i'm pushing my body to the limits without a sensible control. Hardly climbing up the last section and wandering through the approach to the FINISH line. Is my day! And i nail it, pushing through to the finish is unbelievable amazing feeling! My expression say it all and i waited to this day for so long. And heard Whit Raymond saying that "You are an Ironman" I just couldn't believe my ears! It was so emotional and all my scarification, my money, my efforts paid off!

"Everyone can do it!" WRONG! 
I'm huge believer in PROGRESS! PROCESS! PRACTICE! No one is magician! (Of course i can say it now and loud!)
I've been training Triathlon since 2004. I still clearly remembered there have 1 girl asking me 2 years ago Did you finish an Ironman. I say No, it takes long time to prepare and get into there to make a good time. I would rather prefer to stay at 70.3 distance to ramp up. She was so surprised and saying to me with an example of XX is completed an Ironman and she just been in Tri for few years within a cut off time with an admire expression. I told her, yes she is good to just finish but i don't see her in progressing anymore rather more fail each time now. Sorry, thats not what i wanted. I wanted to be in good shape with progress! I'm so sorry for her in fact!

It tooks me really long time to prepare with scarification. I tried to train my first marathon 2 years ago, in the same year i placed myself in a very difficult challenges in Gobi for a 100km stage race and later on a Ultra trail race by the end of that year. I want my body to get prepare all this suffer, she adapt it slowly. And knowing that there will have a big job coming up. After a year, and coincidentally i decided to go back to school and take some time off. And i take this time to train for my first.

People somehow is forgetting and believing everyone can do it, as long as you dare to it and in a result it might be fail, injured, mentally ill and never returned to this game. From the last 13 years in Tri, i witness this and i told myself I did not want it! I want to be in Triathlon forever in my life and enjoy it with improvement and pushing myself to limits. Muscle have memory, you cannot run a marathon without progressing your training volume and intensity by just short period of time. Same as your mental brain, they need some buffer zone to get into it, prepare to suffer in a uncontrollable condition which is unavoidable. Such as unfavourable weather, accident, mental breakdown, lonesome hours . But this can be earn from year to year with your experience.

I hope you find it benefit. There are always a race to you, but Injury will stop you. Don't sign up a race spontaneous, evaluate yourself if you are capable of the distance, training hours, intensity that balance your social and work life. I knew one of the lady in HK, from the day i knew her she is at her Olympic age group champion and she is now mother of 2 and standing still on the Olympic age group champion in 3 groups older. Our best role model. (Not me) If you want to know, i can give you some hints.

cheers!

Becoming mad when approaching to FINISH, laughed to myself and i don't even know there have a camera. I told myself, every steps i cannot fall otherwise all the effort i made will fail. Photo: Active.com 

How my life of this 6 months break

Combining the training schedule to life is never easy, the work break is definitely give me a plus side of manage my life alots easier. So my typical week starts like below:

Monday: AM - Theshold power pool swim / PM - Windtrainer at home
Tuesday: Aerobic Brick - 3 hours bike + 20-30mins run @TriFitness gym
Wednesday: AM - Track interval run / PM - Club swim
Thursday: AM - Kick / drill swim set at IVE pool / PM - Farlek / Theshold Run at track
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: Long ride up to 5h15mins, Run off bike 30mins
Sunday: AM - LSD Run up to 2.5 hours / PM - Swim for post run set
In between time i have to work on my school assignment, EAT & REST. I take nap almost everyday in between sets for up to 1 hours. Sometime, just really tired and i will over slept.

Training alone is never easy, requires high discipline, concentration and laser focus. Especially the swim, i joined Sonic swim squad every Wed. night to allow me have a proper swim. And Lo Yau Tun every Monday morning which definitely enhance my speed. 

I'm able to throw in some trips with my family which is great to spent time together.

March - Relax holiday in Phuket with my mother 

Easter - 9 days cruise trips with my mother

June - Bangkok  retreat with mom

July - a trip to Kamakura to see my first colleague

August - Trip to Oslo and Vegaöyan a UNESCO site for properties development.

Training with friends on long ride, wattbike is also a great ideas. 

Eating healthily is also essential especially for a long day. I usually have a boil egg, a toast with butter, a sugar earl grey tea and coffee. Sometimes will add on musli with yogurt. Big pasta / rice for lunch with chicken meat. Big avocado, tuna, quinoa salad, big rice bowl for dinner. 

6 months breaks from work

I have finally made my decision to resign my 9 years job at a local developer firm. Needed this break to reinforce and realised myself how to move forward. Leaving a comfortable space is never easy, but you know me. I don't like easy, "If this is Hard, I knew i"m doing it RIGHT" is my motto.

So, i made plans of what i can do as most of the project manager job. Giving a limited 6 months time off and a limited budget i have saved (Thanks Wing Tai) then execution. 

I quickly look for what Ironman race with reasonable time that i can train and in the same time prepare my Interview of the Master Degree in Architectural Conservation.

I get to know Team Sirius for long time of powerful person Siri Lindley, admire how Miranda Carfrae's performance in Kona. So, here i go to follow her 23 weeks Ironman 140.6 Intermediate training plan: 

Team Sirius 23 weeks to Ironman  - Intermediate training plan 

And i committed, training like a full time person. 2 session per day, 6 days of training per week. Going through 3 peaks during this 23 weeks. And the peaks is not just 1 week, it consist of 3 weeks of a complete block up to 22 hours/week. Oh man! This is my journey. 

Friend, Friend

Friend, Friend

Why you didn’t say a Good bye!

Your words are always keeping in mind. And I couldn’t realize life is so short and fragile.

Friend, Friend

Why you didn’t say a Good bye!

Your empty bottles are always in my ledge. And I couldn’t realize your son is crying like blind.

Friend, Friend

Why you didn’t say a Good bye!

Your heaven is so dry. And I couldn’t realize heaven is bright and peace like you lied down.

Friend, Friend

Why you didn’t say a Good bye!

May you rested in peace and let us realized life is too short and we have lived to life.

Gigi Wong 9 January,2017 

In remembrance of  Mr. Anson Lee and Mrs Lee (Brian's mother) in 2017

#byebye2016 #Hello2017

2016 continuous navigating where i am from 2015. It takes so long and it feels like not reaching the shore yet! Works is Another year of wrap up! here is my Top 10 in 2016:

1. March: Finish my first ever marathon in Nagoya Women's marathon, come back with a sub 4 result at 3 hours 56 mins. Great post race pamper by Charles, who acts as supporter, driver and masseur. We went to the Ise, Toba, the southest tips for the onsen holiday. Surprising my legs feel very fresh after the onsen.
2. April: Went to Kyoto with my Mom in April for Mom-daughter time. Now i knew that my mom don't like to stay in Ryokan style house. 
3. June: Finish my first 100km stage race with my best best friends Lyn, Evan and Frederic in the Gobi deserts in June for the 3 days Action Asia Mongolia ultra marathon race. 
4. August: Attend Susana's wedding in Santander in August, my best ever training buddies back then when she is in HK. She witnessed my first 70.3 half ironman races in 2008 in Hainan., China. We trained, pushed each other, shoulder to shoulder in swim and run. i never can catch her in the bike, still great great great memory. She is beautiful, the Spanish wedding set in a hill top restaurant with a gazebo. We arrives in noon time, beautiful ceremony with live string music. Followed a long lunch and wine o' clock. We traveled with Janice, Frederic (Fly from Norway), Evan and Lyn, a truly sporty summer holiday! We almost running, sun bathing everyday. We went to Madrid for 3 days then back to Kong. 
5.  September: Our anniversary trip to beautiful Monopoly where we stayed at the old trulli houses near Alberbellos. Escaping from the tourist places, driving to each cave beaches, eat the organic from the farm, feeling so energized. This man is making me happy everyday over the past 16 years and i love you! 
6. September: Entered my debut 100km Ultratrail race in Hong Kong, claimed the hardest and having the highest elevations of the race in Hong Kong - The North Face 100 #TNF100. I'm so lucky to get this lottery bibs and was selected for a 3 months intensive training with the North Face athletes under the The North Face Running Academy (TRA). I learned a lots about the skill set for trail running, how to use my running poles, how to go downhill fast and safe, knowing a great group of people with the similar mindset. The training is tough every week under the heat in HK, spent numerous of hours in the mountain and knowing HK is such a beautiful places. And it got me to a mindset that never stop believing myself, and never stop exploring. 
7. October: Struggle at works and i decided to leave. This is not the environment i liked to work, the people, the direction and a place that i cannot say have enthusiasm at all. May be i'm wrong, but this is my life i choose. 
8. November:  
9. December: FINISH my first ever 100km Ultratrail race - The North Face 100. Details to find it here: 
10. My niece was born - Hillary Hui (HH) the first child of Eric and Florence Hui, born at 12 Oct. 2016'. The first child of the Hui's family. The English name is suggested by me, the same year that Hillary Clinton is nominee of the President of US, it represent Hopes, Courage, Optimistic, Fairness. The the double H represent the Hui's family. 

Beach yoga on the remote beach on Lantau on last day of 2016

Another #getsetgoal #better2017 #newyearresolution #newyearnewme

1. 希望做一些有意思又快樂的事情
2. Start my Master degrees 
3. Well, its time for a Full Ironman 
4. Time to prepare startup 
5.  Learn Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism 
6. Start to eat green and clean (Once a week first) 
7. Start meditation
8. Reuse and recreate unwanted items
9. Explore some places i never reach before
10. Talk to people i don't like before 
11. Explore further, deeper of myself

Post 100KM body effect

How your body feel after running a 100km race (The North Face 100, 100km Ultra Trail race in Hong Kong on 11-12 Dec. 2016)

1. After crossing the finish line: Cannot speak, don't want to open my mouth, feeling hard to breath. Just change my top and wrapped myself a big towel and go home immediately. Cannot have the joy of finishing. On the way home feeling the sun is so bright that i don't want to open my eyes. 
2. After 3 hours: sleep, breathing is strange, still like in a dream. 
3. After 6-7 hours: eat 2 steam eggs, congees a bit, no appetite, legs is so stiff. Dinner no appetite. 
4. After 1 day (Monday): Walk is pain, legs is strange, difficult to walk downstairs, feeling pain. Want to eat rubbish. Feeling the sun is so strong and don't want to open my eyes.
5. After 2 days (Tue.): Swell, both legs and feets are swell, fatigue. 
6. After 3 days (Wed.): Went to Physio, massage a bit. loosen up the tight muscle. No appetite. 
7. After 4 days (Thur.): Can walk downstair properly still abit of strange at my right knee. 
8. After 8 days: First Physio to just loosen the muscle 
9. After 9 days: Diagnosis of ITB problems and have my first acupuncture 
10. After 16 days: Feel magical that i have no problem at all to walk downstair, say only 5 %. 
11. After 22 days: Run my first 5km. OK. Muscle memory still there.