Weight and Motivation

It's that time of the year again...time for the dreaded Annual Physical Exam (APE). Last year, my APE was horrible. I was classified as Stage 1 Obese. I was well over 185lbs, ate very bad, drank quite alot of alcohol and smoked like a chimney. It was then when I realized I had to make a lifestyle change.

I started with boxing...and then started running because of Hannah. Part of that story is here. A month later, I literally and figuratively dove headfirst into my first triathlon. Since then I have been hooked. What started with a plan to lose weight and become healthy,has turned into somewhat an obsession.

My APE results came in last week, and it was not good. From being Obese Stage 1 a year ago, I was now classified as Overweight. I had high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) which, as the doctor said, may lead to heart problems. He also said I should watch my diet and put in some exercise. This was not what I was expecting at all. After all the hard work and mileage I put in over the past year, I thought I'd be at least at the 'Normal/Average' range. Looking at the brighter side - I no longer smoke, drink...and I am no longer obese.

Oftentimes I find myself watching 'The Biggest Loser'. I guess you could consider it my guilty pleasure(aside from Dr. Love). I draw inspiration from the show, as I can relate with the hardwork that the contestants are putting in. My own 'Biggest Loser' Before/After is chronicled here. Just last weekend, during the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, the 2005 Biggest Loser winner, Matt Hoover, completed his first Ironman. Although he missed the 17 hour cutoff by just 3 minutes, He completed the distance. This is indeed an incredible feat for someone who lost half his body weight.


Another inspiring story at this year's Ironman World Championships is Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a double amputee (above the leg) and paralympic champion. After a great swim, he struggled to finish the 180km bike leg, and missed the bike cutoff. Unlike other above the leg amputees, Rudy chose to ride a normal bike instead of a hand cycle, which meant he had only his gleutal muscles to move himself forward. His quest to be the first above the leg double amputee to complete the Ironman ended prematurely, but he will be back.


I guess it is that time of the year...time to HTFU and work my ass off and try to be a BAMF like everyone else. I will be back, and at next year's APE, I hope to finally make the cutoff.

Race Report - Powerade Duathlon (3rd Leg)

This race report is going to be totally different, simply because it's not mine. As soon as the 3rd leg of the Powerade Duathlon was announced, I egged Hannah to make her debut in multi sport. She said she would consider, assuming she could do well enough in some key workouts which would indicate her being ready to tackle the 7.5km run followed by a 32km bike and a 3.5km run.

Fast forward 4 weeks later and Hannah was not only just finishing the event, but finishing strong. She strutted her stuff, 'chicked' some men and even managed to grab a podium spot, finishing 3rd in her age group.

I figured an interview of sorts would provide some insight into first timer's experience.

PositveSplit: How long have you been running?

Hannah: I've been running for 2 years. I started with a few minutes at a time, and eventually graduated to 5ks early last year. After a few 5ks, then came some 10ks and 15ks. Since then I have done 3 Half Marathons and a 25km race.

PS: How did you prepare for this race?

Hannah: Main workouts mostly consisted of brick (actually double brick) workouts, and runs off the bike. Since I was somewhat comfortable with the run portion, I focused on the run off the bike, since that was a totally new experience.

PS: Did you enjoy those bricks and double bricks?

Hannah: Most of them were tough, but the feeling and sense of accomplishment afterwards made it all worthwhile.

PS: What was you strategy for the race?

Hannah: The first run (7.5km), I planned to run in a steady pace, which is slightly slower than my 10k race pace. On the bike, I was nervous about riding with alot of other riders. I just planned on maintaining a steady pace. Once I was off the bike, it was a matter of just completing the last run with whatever I had left.

PS: What was the most difficult part?

Hannah: The last run. The sun was up, and it was already very hot. My legs were already fatigued from the first run and bike segment. Thankfully, I only had 3.5km left to run. I took advantage of all the aid stations and managed to grind it out.


PS: What was the best part?

Hannah: Suprisingly, I really enjoyed the bike segment. The last 50 meters to the finish line was also great. I also enjoyed very much the constant cheering coming from the circle of triathlon friends we have made in such a short span of time. (You know who you are.)

PS: Would you do it again?

Hannah: Definitely. Hopefully next time I could improve on my bike time and run times. Also, I hope I can learn how to confidently drink water whilst on the bike.



PS: Going back to running, what is your favorite running distance?

Hannah: None really. Each distance poses its own difficulties. Shorter ones demand a higher effort while longer ones push one's endurance. However, most of my runs range from 10-12km.

PS: What's next on the list?

Hannah: I hope to do my first marathon in the upcoming Condura Marathon in February 2010. I would have never imagined myself doing one. Hopefully this will be the first of many to come.

*Photos c/o PositiveSplit. (Finally!! Haha!)