The main reason I started this blog is to use it as a diary of all the events and races I'm doing. It serves as a reminder of all the good times I've had while doing these events and hopefully it can also help to motivate others to become more active.
Today I would like to look back at some of the events that I participated in first at the beginning of 2008. I remember making a decision towards the end of 2007 to become more active. At first I started playing squash on a regular basis. Then at some stage (I can't remember exactly when it was), I started following a training program. It is something I've always wanted to do. I've always wondered what it would take to become the fittest and healthiest I can be. I was probably holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other while wondering if I'll ever be healthy and fit again; if I could motivate myself enough to start training and to keep training. I've always been fairly active, but I've never really come close to my full potential. And I guess this was the challenge: to try and be the fittest I can be. So I chucked away the cigarettes and kept the beer to a minimum (I even quit drinking any alcohol for a long time..ha, but alas, I've realized the 'health' benefits of moderate alcohol consumption).
So then I decided to do my first race. It was a (1) duathlon race in Taipei. A couple of us, including my friends Chris van Rooyen and Ceri Lines went through to 
the race. The first leg of the race was a 10km run. I can't remember that much about the run, but I do remember a couple of hills. That was followed by a 40km bike leg. The bike was flat for the first 30km, and then there were some crazy hills up to the finish line. The last 500m felt like a 45 degree incline to the finish line.
I remember doing quite well and finishing 56th overall. I felt good about the race and enjoyed it even more than I expected.
(2)The next race was a half marathon (21km) in Taipei. I think it was part of a series of three races (maybe the UMC marathon series, or something like that). I started off a little too fast in that particular race. The first 10km felt really good. The course was next to the sea, so there was a welcome breeze. It was also mostly flat and I don't remember any serious hills.
During the last 10km I had to slow down a bit. My legs started hurting and I might have had a couple of stitches too. It was at this stage that my friend Ceri overtook my. He was coming from behind and obviously had a better strategy worked out for the race. He was pacing himself so that he could still have energy for the last 10km. I learned quite a bit about pacing that day. I finished that race in 1hour 35min, about 5minutes behind Ceri.
(3)The next race, also part of the UMC series, was held in my hometown, Hsinchu. The start was at Naliao Harbour and I must say the course was pretty unimaginative. Most of it was on a highway with concrete walls on both sides!! I didn't enjoy the race that much, because I made the mistake of drinking milk with my cereal in the morning before the race. That caused me to get stitches, so I had to slow down. I was also pretty upset when a police officer stopped me to let some cars cross the road!! Right after that incident, another car drove in front of me and it felt like I was dodging cars to the finish line!! Anyhow, I finished the race in something like 1hour and 35minutes, which was surprising seeing that I wasn't feeling that well.
(4)Following that, we did a small cycling event close to Hsinchu. It was an uphill time trial of about 20km or so. There were only about 60 participants. My friends Chris and Ceri did well. I remember Chris overtaking me in the last 50m (and I had a 1minute head start!!). After the race I felt very lightheaded and had to sit down for quite a while. I think it must have been something I ate, because I haven't experienced the same problem since then.
(5)Then there was the 3km swim at Shimen Reservoir. It was a really nice swim with hundreds of people taking part. Some of our triathlon friends, Attie Slabbert, Justin Van Rooyen, Joshua Colp and Chris Scheller from Taichung came to join us. We all cycled from Hsinchu to Shimen Reservoir.
Well, I think that covers it. I might have left out some races. I will come back and update this post if I can think of races that I left out.
It's good to look back at where it all started. I feel very relieved and thankful that I decided to start training and doing races. It has changed my life in many ways. I don't think I can go without exercising ever again. I'm truly addicted to lactic acid!!!!
Today I would like to look back at some of the events that I participated in first at the beginning of 2008. I remember making a decision towards the end of 2007 to become more active. At first I started playing squash on a regular basis. Then at some stage (I can't remember exactly when it was), I started following a training program. It is something I've always wanted to do. I've always wondered what it would take to become the fittest and healthiest I can be. I was probably holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other while wondering if I'll ever be healthy and fit again; if I could motivate myself enough to start training and to keep training. I've always been fairly active, but I've never really come close to my full potential. And I guess this was the challenge: to try and be the fittest I can be. So I chucked away the cigarettes and kept the beer to a minimum (I even quit drinking any alcohol for a long time..ha, but alas, I've realized the 'health' benefits of moderate alcohol consumption).
So then I decided to do my first race. It was a (1) duathlon race in Taipei. A couple of us, including my friends Chris van Rooyen and Ceri Lines went through to 
the race. The first leg of the race was a 10km run. I can't remember that much about the run, but I do remember a couple of hills. That was followed by a 40km bike leg. The bike was flat for the first 30km, and then there were some crazy hills up to the finish line. The last 500m felt like a 45 degree incline to the finish line.I remember doing quite well and finishing 56th overall. I felt good about the race and enjoyed it even more than I expected.
(2)The next race was a half marathon (21km) in Taipei. I think it was part of a series of three races (maybe the UMC marathon series, or something like that). I started off a little too fast in that particular race. The first 10km felt really good. The course was next to the sea, so there was a welcome breeze. It was also mostly flat and I don't remember any serious hills.
During the last 10km I had to slow down a bit. My legs started hurting and I might have had a couple of stitches too. It was at this stage that my friend Ceri overtook my. He was coming from behind and obviously had a better strategy worked out for the race. He was pacing himself so that he could still have energy for the last 10km. I learned quite a bit about pacing that day. I finished that race in 1hour 35min, about 5minutes behind Ceri.
(3)The next race, also part of the UMC series, was held in my hometown, Hsinchu. The start was at Naliao Harbour and I must say the course was pretty unimaginative. Most of it was on a highway with concrete walls on both sides!! I didn't enjoy the race that much, because I made the mistake of drinking milk with my cereal in the morning before the race. That caused me to get stitches, so I had to slow down. I was also pretty upset when a police officer stopped me to let some cars cross the road!! Right after that incident, another car drove in front of me and it felt like I was dodging cars to the finish line!! Anyhow, I finished the race in something like 1hour and 35minutes, which was surprising seeing that I wasn't feeling that well.
(4)Following that, we did a small cycling event close to Hsinchu. It was an uphill time trial of about 20km or so. There were only about 60 participants. My friends Chris and Ceri did well. I remember Chris overtaking me in the last 50m (and I had a 1minute head start!!). After the race I felt very lightheaded and had to sit down for quite a while. I think it must have been something I ate, because I haven't experienced the same problem since then.
(5)Then there was the 3km swim at Shimen Reservoir. It was a really nice swim with hundreds of people taking part. Some of our triathlon friends, Attie Slabbert, Justin Van Rooyen, Joshua Colp and Chris Scheller from Taichung came to join us. We all cycled from Hsinchu to Shimen Reservoir.
Well, I think that covers it. I might have left out some races. I will come back and update this post if I can think of races that I left out.
It's good to look back at where it all started. I feel very relieved and thankful that I decided to start training and doing races. It has changed my life in many ways. I don't think I can go without exercising ever again. I'm truly addicted to lactic acid!!!!
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