Happy 24th

Finally, I'm officially 24 now. Time passes so fast, just a year ago I was 23. Oh well, that is all in the past with a wonderful 23.

Right after mid-night, I received numerous SMS from friends. And when I was checking my Friendster and Facebook, there were tonnes of birthday wishes and blessings. These are the greatest gifts anyone can ever have because heartiest words of blessings men a lot. I really feel touched in a way and really appreciate them all. I wanna thank you all for sending those messages and gave me your blessings, as I'm glad and happy to have friends like you all in my life. Then of course, I wanna thank God for another life and with blessings in every single inch of my life.

Even though it is my birthday today, to me it is just another ordinary day that I live up to. I see clear blue sky then cloudy conditions, it is a beautiful day indeed just like when I was born. I woke up after 7 to do my training which I had a run on the track just now, I didn't feel so good because the sprint from yesterday really got my legs so I was having a moderate pace instead. But I felt good after the run, recovery was even faster so I can do my swim later. Surprisingly, when I was out on the track I thought I would be running alone as usual but who knew my ex-gf turn out to be on the track doing her training as well. It has been over a year that we have not spoken a word to each other, perhaps she is still angry and dwelled in the past. She can hate me as much as she wants, but I've moved on and having a better life. Yet, she will always have my blessings and in the hope that she would be a better person and all the very best in her life.

Well, Happy 24th and I hope to have another year of adventurous journey like I always have for myself. Life is truly wonderful, and beautiful as the creation of God is always there for us to see. So stay positive and take the negative as a lesson, as the journey ahead is long and waits for no one but ourself.

by Jack Ho

The 13th PBC Triathlon 2008

Photo by William Ting

This year, I was in tough luck for the race. But yet, I did what I could and what I do best to overcome the race. Just two days before the race, I fell sick with a fever and nose-block which I felt so bad that I couldn't even know if I could race on Saturday. So training on Thursday was forced to cancel and had a day off, it was boring without training because before I fell sick all trainings were going so well and preparing myself for the race was definitely on the way, especially conditioning training. So on Thursday, when I got sick I just felt so devastated and upset because I knew I will not do well on Saturday to do a sub-2 hour’s race.

I felt better on Friday and was really glad that I could recover so fast thanks to the 2XU compression top, but the nose-block was definitely the biggest set-back as it would interrupt the breathing system during the bike and run. So on Friday, I decided to go down to the track to do a final fitness check on myself and my performance just to clarify that I was able to race on Saturday. I was in my full 2XU compression top and tight just to speed up all the process of recovery and enhancing my performance, so the track session actually turn out very well. Then, I knew I could race on Saturday. During the briefing, I was hoping to see Jeff Cowie who is my major competitor but he didn't turn out due to some injury so the race would seem as a one man race after all. Winning wasn't in my mind, it was all just about how to race with peak performance and strategic performance, and have fun.

So on race, Saturday, I woke quite early before 5 just to get myself ready. The weather seem perfectly fine at first but it rained heavily around 5:30 am so I thought the swim would be canceled and the race would be a duathlon again just like last year. Well, thank God as the rain stopped just around 6! When I got to the race-site, everything seemed fine as the sea was calm and wind condition was perfect. So right away I knew it was gonna be a fun race for the day. Everyone was busy setting themselves up in the transition area, but I was warming myself up before I could I get everything right in the transition area. Without Jeff Cowie, the race was gonna be a big disadvantage for me as I thought when I was looking around at the rest of the competitors. After I got everything set in the transition area, it was time to move out to the beach to head for the start.

The start of the swim was fun as there was no large wave to wash us into the shore so basically it was pure sprinting towards the buoy. I was caught up with the swimmers who are from the relay teams in the group, as no one else in the individual category could follow during the swim. So I was the only individual in the first group of the swim, which I knew it was gonna be a tough and big disadvantage for me. Being the first guy out of the swim is never easy because the pressure and stress of breaking away from the others during the bike would be very energy consuming, and the run would be very tough as the body would get exhausted from the bike. So with the second swimmer a few minutes behind my back, I was on my bike to pull myself way ahead of the rest. It was tough cycling on the beach using a tri-bike, but big fun on the road. By the 3rd lap, the only guy who me was Simon on the beach as he was using a big rear tyre which was a brilliant idea that I have never thought of. So using a road-bike or tri-bike was a big mistake on a beach-road course. During the run, I found it hard to run because I wasted too much energy during the bike-leg as to stay ahead of the lead. So I kept myself very consistent on the run though Paul Hague caught me up!

At first I was running with a French guy named Erik, he's really a good runner and we were pacing together. But I was dying hard to push myself ahead and stay away from the catch. But in the end, it was a great race though I got 3rd with a lost to the French guy. I learned something new from this race somehow, it was something I have never experienced or felt throughout my triathlon career. Erik and I had a chat after the race where he pointed out, "Jack, you're a good triathlete with a very strong swimming, cycling and running which your strongest leg is swimming! But it's even harder to be chased rather than to chase." the moment he mentioned that very last sentence, it just clicked my mind right away of what Kimberly has experienced in the past. Kim has always been the fastest swimmer in many races, but she was always caught up during the bike as being the first person to get out from the water without having a group to draft on the bike or work things out together is tough being alone as she had to push herself ahead of the group behind. And there, Erik reminded me a lesson that I have just learned from the race. I admitted that it was really tough to be chased as I kept worrying of people coming from the back and was doing whatever it takes to stay ahead of them. So after all, I was the main target in the race where everyone was chasing my butt.

I'm happy that I've learned something new in such a small race, yet it was fun after as it is really worth having such an experience. Winning or losing didn't matter at all as it was all about having fun. I didn't feel tired at all after the race, but my nose-block remains disturbing until present moment. And even though I was sick, I was still able to race and have a great time. Yet, I've learned a new lesson and discovered my new capability. As for that guy who has been telling everybody he could defeat me, he's just gonna have to try even harder next year as there is no point bragging about it the whole time. Triathlon for life!

When a mile seems very long

Gently, the wind blew across my face yet it felt dry and humid for a second, and the sweat felt stingy in my eyes. My eyes kept blinking in order to remind myself not to fall asleep or shut my eyes to blackout. My lips were dried, they felt so dry as the scorching heat burn every little inch of it. And my tongue felt dry as well, with air gasping in and out, my throat were dying from thirst, yet my lung kept breathing heavily.

My shoulder felt heavy, and the pain given by the heat felt as if someone has been pinching me all the while. My chest worked like a machine, it kept pumping for more air non-stop and it will never stop. Yet, the heat increased the weight on my shoulder as it felt heavier from time to time.

My toes felt numb, and my feet were sore. My legs felt tired, but it got stronger as it kept running forward. Again, the heat stabbed my thigh deeply when the burning sensation could be felt.

It was under the hot sun where I was running, a run where it is part of my routine. The heat and the dry-air could literally be felt sucking out all the fluids in my body as I felt like a dried sponge. The road seemed like a hot pan as heat could be seen released from far, it felt burning hot as if I was running on fire. Every step being pushed forward felt so difficult, but then that is only what I felt.

"Why am I doing this?" I asked myself.

"Keep running Jack, keep running." I said to myself.

"Why suffer and torture yourself, Jack?" again, I asked myself in a dying voice.

"Reward will come later, it's only a little hardship." I told myself.

Then, I began to realize the reality surrounded me...it is all thoughts, just thoughts that made me weak and tired. My heart was still beating fast and strong like ever, and the voice of every single beat started to sound like the ringing bell of the Sunday church. It is then I woke up to reality, it is then I got to see the real side of the world, it is then I saw myself running.

I started to push myself, leaning forward, empower my legs, and start running with even faster pace. My breathing started to work smoothly, and my sweat dropped like heavy rain. My fist gripped even harder, it felt like a raging power that rush within me. I felt unstoppable; the speed and the rush on my blood, it all felt even faster. I was running, running in reality on earth. What surrounded me were just obstacles which they represented challenges, challenges that meant a game for me. It was fun, I smiled to myself as it took all my pain away and that is when I knew I was alive to live another and do what I do best.

What you think is only what you put in your mind of visualization. The reality bites, but yet it kept me going as the tougher it gets the stronger I am. Never stop believing as of there is hope then let there be miracles.

What did I do when I finish my run? I smiled, and that was just another day of my life pumping my heart out to the joyous moment of another story to tell. Pushing through the limit where a mile seems to be a distant.

by Jack Ho