I'm totally sunburnt and dehydrated!
*just a warning...its a pretty long post...but i can't help it...i had a great time there...but heaps of photos below!*
Spent a great weekend down at Busselton with Weiliang, Min and Ben. Went down specially to watch the annual Busselton Full Ironman Competition, as well as to support a mate who was taking part in it! Was a hell of an experience...i totally give full respect to these athletes man....i dun think i can ever take part in such an event in the near future, less in the entire course of my lifespan here on planet Earth!
Busselton is like a 3 hr drive south of Perth. We specially set of at like 3am early Sat morning so that we could reach at 6am, just on time to watch the flag off of the Ironman race. Was quite a scene when we got there....heaps of athletes all decked out in their fancy wetsuits and coloured swim caps with their entourage, support crew and loved ones backing them on. The weather wasn't the best to begin with, strong cold winds were blowing and it was pretty cold considering that summer is starting in like less than a week. As supports, i was already freezing my arse off!
Music blasting, supporters cheering...competitors gathered at the starting point of the swim leg. Just watching them gave an adrenaline rush kinda feeling...
There were like competitors from all ard the world...including a few from Singaopore! Other countries include Germany, Japan, USA, Belgium, Canada, NZ, HK,South Africa....hepas more!
BANG...the race started...oh my goodness...i never really saw anything quite like it b4. A sea of coloured swim caps...didn't even look like humans swimming...all u could see were lots of violent splashes...for a moment it kinda looked like bird wings just above the surface of the water...really! The lead guy was getting a great head start....awesome sight!
A new record was held for the swim leg...the first male competitor that completed the 3.8km swim, came in at like 44mins! (if u din know...thats hell fast ok!) So yea, if u were wondering...a FULL IRONMAN consist on a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle, 42.8km run...all one after the other...so yea, it's one crazy competition alrite! And there water conditions for the race wasn't the best...super choppy due to the bad weather, and not to forget...the water was freezing...there was even a case of hyperthermia i think! its that bad!
The cycling leg was cool too....imagine 180km of cycling....my butt we be super sore man! Not to mention most of them were going at super fast speeds...definitely more than 35k/hr...and to mantain that speed for the course.....simply amazing k! This time round, i think the 2nd place guy from the swim leg overtook the 1st place guy due to some breakdown halfway...so yea, the first person completed it in like 4hrs plus. *that's damn fast too...go calculate the average speed la!*
It was great fun just standing there, supporting all the participants. Always saw such events on TV but never had a chance to experience one....so there i was watching the pros and just ur usual normal athletes sweat it off! I think half the time i was also looking all their bike...they came in all sorts if colours and models...had my eyes on countless 'beautiful' bikes...wished i could own one of those...then again, no point acting to 'pro' when i'm not caught up for such stuff!
I think one of the most inspiring athletes who participated and shd be given full respect was this guy,who i think was paraplegic...raced in his special wheelchair....and he was doing really well...somewhere in the middle of the pack. Amazing! RESPECT!
I reckon it was fun to watch the athletes at the transition zones...from swim-bike, bike-run.....one thing u notice in general was that majority of the athletes never really showed any signs of torture on their faces..in fact they were smiling...enjoying themselves...it also helped that the commentators were really good...funny, lively, and updates were great!
By the run leg, the sun was blazing...ok, aussie weather is crazy...first started off so damn cold in the morning to the extent that ppl wore beanies and scarfs....come afternoon...god, the sun was scorching...think the temp went up to abt 33 degrees! I was already complaining...imagine the athletes! Hence why i got sunburnt depsite having applied sunblock! Dun play play with aussie sun k! By this time, u can see most of the athletes all tired out...but they just keep going...and going...and going...wah lau, still can run faster than me despite completing their previous legs of the race! 42.8km....errr....no way man!
The atmosphere was really cool at the finishing point...ppl started gathering at abt the 8th hour thur the race, expecting the first winner to come running thru...cheering and mood steadily rose to climax....(ok,sounds a lil' wrong) but yea...true enough the first guy came running thru at abt 8 1/2 hrs! From the looks of it...he was surprised, and i must say he still looked in pretty good shape, not much signs of extreme fatigue...he could still dace and hop! hahah! And u know like how u see on TV, they high five the supports as they come running thru the finishing line...yea...was exactly the same! hahah...yea, so the first place guy was some aussie dude...think his name was Mitch Anderson....2nd place was some NZ bloke. Top ten finishers all came in under 9hrs!
Was one hell of an Ironman experience for me!
race start of the swim leg
scary....
watching and supporting from the jetty
Min and Me freezing in the cold...
swim finish
cooling down after the swim leg...
cycling leg
prarplegic athlete...respect!
running leg
ooo....
Yea, I shall repeat it again...BLUR TOOTFACE!
Wonderful Ja happily headed down to the city yesterday morning to meet a friend and get some stuff settled.
Everything was good...went to the bank, cashed in my brankdraft, settled some account stuff. Met a friend for lunch, walked ard, bought stuff and all....basically, it was just another post-exams chill out day.
Last errand to run....change my flight ticket (coz i pushed back my flight to a later date). So yea, had to go down to the Value Air office in Perth to have my tixs exchanged. I made sure that brought all my details stuff (ie: passport, ID, reference email...). Happily got to the office enterance and search my bag for my stuff....
DAMMIT...
I didn't bring my current plane ticket to exchange! BLOODY HELL!
What's the point of coming all the way down with ur passport and all w/o ur plane tixs at hand to do the exchange!
I'm so irritated with myself...
Stoopid ME!
It's just been 2 days since my last final-exam paper, and yet it feels like I've been realxing and enjoying for a week. I think I've soaked in too much of the holiday mood in one shot! But nonetheless...the pass 2 days has been awesome. The 3 crazy monsters of HM (ie: Sharon, MJ and myself) were in a world of our own...i think it all started out when we saw a few small kids having so much fun on this jetty-like/ platform thingy in the bay...yea, Madtilda Bay is ...ya...a bay connected to Swan River. So while the rest of the group was happily chatting away and devouring the delicious food...the 3 of us wondered off and decided that it was a great idea to climb up onto that platform like thingy...we had to wade out a little..ard knee height. Living up to our great name...we happily ran like mad gals toward the end of the platform...only to realise halfway thru our excitement that the entire end half of the platform was covering with dried bird shit! YUCKS..GROSS! Yea,the stupid seagulls and pelicans love to hang out there and leave behind presents! How inconsiderate! Anyway, that didn't really stop is...what the hell rite...its only dreid bird shit...haha! But yea, i guess the most impt thing was that we were really enjoyin and soaking in the wonderful scenery...the water was so clear and calm...there were a few sail boats out further...breeze was refreshing...LIFE in Aust! I'm really gonna miss all of these when i greaduate...its just so different from back home...something that u can never do back in Sg. I need to appreciate all these little things more...even if it requires me to blurly run over a platform of dried birdshit!
My face is as red as a lobster now..(imagine, just 2 days!) from my swimming and tennis sessions. It felt so good just getting back into doing all my favourite sports again! As i mentioned earlier...i really felt super uncomfortable during the entire 2 weeks of my exam period...just sucked man..withdrawal symptoms! The feeling of aching again is just GREAT! I'm insane!
Anyway, we had a little post-exam celebration cum final get together for our darling 3rd year on Friday. Had a simple BBQ at our usual spot...Madtilda Bay. I reckoned it was great...thanxs to the organisers...food was awesome..the chicken wings were yummalicious! It was just a totally different amtosphere in the air...weather was awesome...sunny but not too hot...everyone was realxed and just so light-hearted...(duh..the exams are OVER!) Was just nice to see everyone having fun chilling, chatting, laughing and just catching up with one another.
Scene @ Madtilda Bay ...lovely
Parked Sail boats....Duckie..QUACK!
Gathering round the table filled with yummalicious food!
Hmmm...notice how Sharon is cautiously walking!
Now u know wat I'm talking abt when I said the platform was pretty shitty!
Hmmm...Mj's turn to walk the platform!
Kids fishing with nets in the bay...
Sunset...ain't it lovely...amazing works of nature!
All that's ahead now is FUN FUN FUN!
I guess the papers wern't horridly bad or anything...
Not the best either...
Oh wells...
Don't really give a damn for now...coz...
SUMMER BREAK has started!
3 months of holiday, heaps of sleeping in till late, muching and snacking on food,
more fun time with friends, more time for sports...and of coz...back to Singapore to catch up with all my loved ones! I can't wait...
I miss my mummy and daddy
I miss my irritating but still lovable siblings
I miss my grandma
I miss my best friend - Jo
I miss my comfy bed with its purple stripe bedsheets (which my sis has taken the opporuntity to invade while I'm here in Aust)
I miss the char kway tiao uncle below my block (i rely on him to fill my tummy for supper)
I miss all the guys in Blitzkraft (duh..coz there'sno gal for me to miss in my team!)
I miss rowing in kallang
I miss coaching dragon boating
I miss the comfort cabbies/taxies
I miss riding the ever so convinent NEL
I miss Orchard Road
I miss eating roti prata....
Oh goodness...the list just goes on...
Bottom line...I'm just gald the dreaded exams are over and that the long awaited summer break has finally begun! There's just so much to look forward to...I'm excited!
(i feel like some small kid now who just received a long awaited present)
Pretty amazing how its the end of yet another semester...
I'll be in my 3rd and final year of uni next year...
That just sums up three things...one: I'm getting older...two:I think I'm getting smarter in the process...third: I'm one step closer to achieving my ultimate dream goal in life! Woohoo!
Wells...something i look forward too...
Hell Week
Its gonna be a week...actually 6 days of intense cramming and regurgitate info.
This is perposterous!
Prolly the most atrocious exam timetable i ever had!
ok just for fun...posting this pic up of the social league volleyball finals...Sets Maniacs (black) and our favourite rivals....Achilles (red)...and then u wonder how in the world they have so many freaking players,and we only have our fixed 6 players....hmmmm
the power of DAN ENGLAND...