Basic Workouts in Busy Times

This is not a particularly good picture, since it was probably taken from a moving bus. Anyway, it is one Hsiu-chin sent me from the Philippines where she is currently (together with the new camera that we bought!). She informed me that where she was staying there were no hot showers. This reminds me of trips I have made in the past to Indonesia and Thailand, where we stayed either a long way out of town or else the people who made arrangements for us did so with a view to keeping costs down to a minimum. Of course, we generally had to endure those kinds of living conditions for a few weeks at the most. For a lot of people, living like that is a way of life.

In Taiwan these last few days, there has been a lot of news and speculation (just how close anything is to being proved is hard to say), that certain members of the former president's family, who all had quite humble beginnings, have been stashing away millions of US dollars in Swiss bank accounts, in the Cayman Islands and large sums of money have even been transferred through financial giants such as Merrill Lynch, causing some to wonder what kinds of internal controls exist in such organizations. Anyway, the last few days have given us ordinary folk the opportunity to see how some people live, having millions in various secret bank accounts, living in luxury accommodation, eating in fine restaurants, wearing expensive Rolex watches and never having to do any work. On the other hand, a lot of people have been protesting, asking the government to raise the minimum wage. These are the people who have to work hard and who are getting less and less in real terms as the prices of food and gasoline continue to increase, and some of their earnings are allegedly siphoned abroad by unscrupulous moneygrubbers.

I consider myself fortunate in that, while I have to work, at least I can enjoy a hot shower at the swimming pool or at home, and I don't need to resort to credit cards unless purely for the convenience of using one. I wonder what these people with all these assets who have never worked do with their lives. They must be pretty miserable, I think. I'd rather spend my time swimming than prancing around some upscale shopping mall in Manhattan, even if I had other people's money to spend.

This week has gone quite well, although I am busy with work (so little "free" time) and I also have to cook (and buy) almost all my food while Hsiu-chin is away. The boys do help, being fairly good at shopping and cooking when they feel so inclined, but they keep different hours from me and often go out with their friends. So at times I feel a little hungry, mainly because I just get sick of preparing things all the time. Although Hsiu-chin did not always cook, at least the meals she made were tasty.

To maintain my sanity, I continue with the morning swims, but that is about it. On Tuesday, 4,300 meters, on Wednesday, 4,100 meters, and today (Thursday), 4,200 meters. I have been trying to break up the workout so that I am not just doing long, slow distance swimming. Maybe the first half of it is pretty consistent and relaxed, but I gradually start taking rests and then do sets of 250s, 150s, 100s and 50s, where I gradually increase the pace. I have not set any records this week. I "raced" my friend over 200 meters each day, and my times have been either 3m 07s or 3m 08s. I feel I am just hanging in there this week, while I try and get on with and finish various jobs that have been coming in. I don't know when things will get easier, but at least I will continue to have one swim practice each day when the pool is open.

I read on Bree's blog that she plans to do the Kentucky Ironman this coming Sunday, having had to pull out of Ironman Canada. I am glad she gets another chance to qualify for Kona, although it must still be a big challenge. These are long races. I wish her all the best and will lose a little sleep Sunday night (in Taiwan) to follow her progress.

Competing and Failing

Bree Wee, Professional Triathlete and Amateur Hawaii Ironman Course Record Holder

The Olympics of course had many outstanding successes, but there were also the failures (excuse me for the negativity implied by such a word, but it is hard to cover it up for what it is). Like the sprint team members in contention for a medal who dropped the baton, or the girl who hit the last hurdle, or the guy who pulled his hamstring and couldn't even get over the first hurdle when it mattered. Probably what weighs more on my mind over the last day or so is Bree's having to pull out (or be pulled out) of Ironman Canada due to getting sick after more than her fair share of adversity (a flat, mechanical problems, a bee sting, etc.)

When I did the Kona Ironman, they told us that just getting to the start line was a major accomplishment. In fact for me, just finishing was the main goal. The first time I made it (after being on the verge of exhaustion for many hours) with just 17 minutes to spare to the cut-off. On my second attempt, despite a good swim and bike, knee pain prevented me from running, and while walking in pain was possible, it took too long to get to each aid station and I also started to feel cold, so by about 9 pm I felt so sick and dizzy I felt I would pass out. I felt I failed, because my children and friends had all gone to the finish line to wait for me, and I never came (except by ambulance).

A well-known saying goes: "If you aim at nothing, you will be sure to hit it." For many of us, at least in many areas of our lives, that is precisely what we do. In sports, however, if we wish to improve, we have to set ourselves goals, but they have to be realistic enough so that we can be challenged to reach new heights while at the same time not getting too discouraged or else just driving ourselves into the ground.

This year, several of my acquaitances were unable to swim across the English Channel when they were scheduled to do so, and some did not even get their feet wet. The generally unstable weather had a big part to play in this. Then Bree had a verybusy, in my opinion, first year as a pro Ironman-distance triathlete, which had its ups and downs. At least two brilliant races, but she missed the Kona slot by a fraction in one. Then she had a bout of sickness (actually two) each of which would certainly not have helped much with all the training needed. Then there were the mechanical problems with the bike, just when they weren't needed, plus maybe the added pressure that they created that got to her stomach.

I think a big difference between being a pro and an age grouper is that, for someone who is a resident of Hawaii, it is relatively easy to qualify for Ironman (not in every age group of course), but I was a relative newbie and I qualified in three out of four consecutive years. However, for Bree as a pro, the competition for a slot was that much more intense. There were three slots at IMC, and the fifth place woman got the third slot (the other two girls apparently had already won their slots in other races). The fifth place finisher, Lisa Bentley, a seasoned veteran, incidentally went 9hr 42m, which is still a pretty hard time to beat just to get a slot for Kona.

I guess that is the stuff competitions are made of. The people we saw in the finals of swimming or track at the Olympics were usually the best in their respective disciplines that the world had to offer. So many others had trained for years only to never make it.

Still, losing maybe should not matter, as sports are only games, and we saw many good examples of sportsmanship on TV where people acted graciously in losing. There were also a few who were not so gracious, and that not only made the viewers a little uncomfortable, but also did not help the competitors themselves to come to terms with what happened. Perhaps it is wrong to say that they were only playing games. Many were out competing, having trained full-time for years and feeling a sense of duty to repay their country, families or sponsors or whoever else for all the help received along the way. Indeed, I think a lot of people competed under a lot of pressure, which might not have been the intention in having the games in the first place. I might add, that Bree always seeks the best interests of those she competes against. There is never any sense of animosity, and her great attitude is evidenced by the many friends she has both in and out of the sport. For her, I guess it must be a great pity that there are such things as slots. Why can't just everyone join in a race? Why not, indeed?

In my own swimming training this year, I have tried to be realistic in goal setting, attempting to at least see improvement without constantly berating myself for being unable to reach some standard that I think I should be able to reach but without doing the necessary training or needed conditions. Yesterday, I swam a total of 4,000 meters (this time mostly faster swims of 500m followed by about a minute's rest), which ended with a 200m meter "race" that I completed in 3m 04s, equal to my fastest time for that distance so far. That brought my swimming for the week to 28,050 meters.

However, that is about as much as I can do for the moment. Some mornings when I woke up last week, I wondered if I would be better off just staying in bed. I had a fairly heavy cold most days, and most of my waking hours apart from swimming were spent working (always plenty of it) or watching the Olympics or resting (during those times when I could not really function effectively at anything). I don' t like to feel very tired especially later in the day after a workout. I am not young and so I often wonder if something terrible might happen to me. It is for this reason that I have set swimming goals to be accomplished over the space of one year or so. Of course, I might accomplish them sooner, but I don't want to give myself that extra pressure. If I don't get my 200m swim down to 2m 50s by the end of this year, then doing so by the middle of next year will be just as good. It is important to get it down there and then maintain it, so that it is not just a one-off achievement. Now, there remain just 14 seconds....

I wish Bree all the best as she mulls over her training and race schedule. At least she won't have to wait another four years. I also hope the English Channel weather gets better for the month of September so that many aspirants at least have a fair chance of making it across.

Finding Another Harry

Steve Hooker of Australia after a successful pole vault at the Olympics in Beijing last night. He not only got gold, only starting to jump when most other competitors had already been eliminated, but also broke the Olympic Record by clearing 5.96 meters on his last jump. While I seldom watch this sport, it was very entertaining watching the event unfold. I, for one, will miss the Olympics after they are over.

I have had a busy week workwise, plus a heavy cold, so my "Swim Camp" was cut somewhat short. Still, maybe I will do it again in a couple of weeks. Having covered 11,050 meters in the first two days (Tuesday and Wednesday), I did 4,100 meters on Thursday which culminated in a "relaxed and efficient" 200m in 3m 07s. On Friday, I got out of bed slightly earlier (though still lacking sleep) and covered 4,700 meters. At the end my friend and I raced the 200m and I again did it in 3m 07s, beating him by about 2 seconds, as opposed to 5 seconds the day before. This morning, while still feeling the effects of my cold, I covered 4,200 meters in all. Over the first 3k or so, I maintained a good steady pace (slightly faster than usual) in part because I was pulling two other swimmers and when the slower ones saw us coming they moved over to let us pass. At the end, however, I covered the 200m "race" in a slower 3m 14s, while my friend did a personal best of 3m 04s, equalling my best time of a couple or more weeks ago. I think I was a bit tired and maybe not motivated enough as I had not done any speedwork today.

When I lived and trained over a period of several years in Kona, I would often train with a friend called Harry, as we saw each other a lot and our speeds and desire for hard training on a regular basis were very similar. We also did most races together and so the Peaman or Mango race was as much a competition against each other as against anyone else. We also occasionally learned to work together which helped in the smaller races. While at times I beat him, on the whole he was the stronger athlete, and despite being younger and taller, somehow I never reached the stage where I could consistently beat him.

After returning to Taiwan last year, I did not feel very motivated to do anything. I no longer had a bike, and running alone on very steep inclines (around where we used to live) alone did not appeal to me, and I opted to walk instead and enjoy the scenery and also take some work along with me into the hills. Then, of course, I was particularly busy getting the old house ready for selling, and if I wasn't my doing the work myself, then I was paying huge sums of money having things done professionally.

When we moved down to Kaohsiung early this year, I had one or two opportunities to join a few members of the expatriate community to swim or to run. However, everything involved a lot of time just getting to a venue or else being forced to sit around drinking beer that I really looked forward to going back to Kona. Fortunately, I quickly found out about an indoor 25m pool nearby and while at first I went in the afternoons and swam some and did not talk to anyone, after I went in the early mornings, I met this guy who at the end of a workout challenged me to a 50m race. Well, a little race at the end of the pool session when the lanes became clear became a kind of ritual each day (we rarely miss a workout), and I now realize that I have found a new "Harry", or at least a swimming one. He is still faster than me over 100m, and now we share the same time for the 200m (freestyle). He thinks that I would beat him at anything longer because I cover roughly twice as much distance as him in our workouts. While he has trained as a swim coach and can swim all four strokes quite well, as with many people here he is not particularly motivated to increase his speed as there are few opportunities for him to race here. If people are not planning to go to the Olympics, or they are beyond the prime time of their youth (my coach friend's daughter will soon finish elementary school), they are considered to be "old" and there is nothing for them. This is a great pity. I looked at the qualifying times for US Nationals, and there is not much difference in times for people aged 25 and 55 in the longer freestyle swims. This goes to show that many Americans maintain their speed and fitness through most of their life. I think very few people in Taiwan realize that there is more to exercise than just swinging their arms to music in the park once they reach middle age.

So in a sense, while I don't think we are really trying to beat each other on these swims, I am getting good training and if we continue to improve in this way, then I will have a better chance of beating the real Harry when I make it back to Kona, even if just for a visit.

Meanwhile, I plan to run a marathon in early November in Taiwan (just try to go slowly without a lot of training), and I hope to at least have a bike by the end of the year so that I can consider applying for Ironman Japan next year. In that way, maybe I can just be part of something bigger as opposed to just seeing every day as just so many meters and a personal time for a specified distance. If anyone wants to race Ironman Japan next year, then hopefully we will meet there.

Congratulations Simon Whitfield & Swim Camp News

I know he was beaten close to the finish, but what I find remarkable about Simon Whitfield (whom many of us who have lived and trained in Hawai'i and know or have seen race personally), is that he won gold in Sydney in the year 2000. So eight years later he is still right up there, bagging the silver medal and missing gold by only five seconds. That is truly inspiring.

Recently I wrote about having a Swim Camp this week, which really meant extra training sessions at the pool on my own. Well, this week has proved a difficult week for doing it. First, I have been inundated with work, much of which is quite urgent and, secondly, I have quite a heavy cold, probably because one of our sons had one a few days ago. Thirdly, the pool was really crowded in the afternoon when I went for that extra session. It is August after all and there are so many kids there, too.

On Monday morning, I did my usual steady workout, covering a total of 4,650 meters, which included a 200 meter race in 3m 08s at the end of it. Then in the afternoon I returned to the pool. Due to the crowded conditions, I decided to do 50s fairly fast (using more of a power stroke as opposed to swimming easy). In this way I could wait until there was sufficient distance between me and the next swimmer to at least get a good start and I could regularly review lane conditions. I covered a total of 2,000 meters in this way. It was not all 50 meter swims, as when conditions got better I occasionally did a more gentle 200 meters.

This morning (Wednesday), I clearly felt a little more sluggish and my pace was a little slower. I covered a total of 4,400 meters and near the end my friend and I raced over 200m. I went 3m 14s, which shows that I still felt rather beat. However, I realize that when I recover from all of that, I will be a little stronger and possibly faster.

What I learned so far, is that some speed work with fairly lengthy rests between swims is beneficial to me and will help me get the strength I need to swim faster and hopefully break 3 minutes for 200 meters. I also realized that there is no point trying to push myself too much when I am busy with work, etc., as I need more rest and there is no need to put myself under a lot of pressure. So hopefully in the coming weeks there will be more time to devote to these extra workouts, and then there should also be fewer people at the pool (after schools start up again).

I might add that the extra workouts or distance have not affected me in terms of injuring me. Like anything, if we build up gradually there is no reason why we cannot do more workouts. Just listen to your body.

All the best to Bree in Penticton. It is a big race for her as she competes with many fantastic athletes for three Kona slots. In addition, Congratulations to Lisa for finishing the Beijing Olympic triathlon despite having a nasty fall off the bike. Everyone in Holland and Canada (where she resides) is proud of you (as are many people elsewhere)!

Putting Money in the Bank

As I prepare for my week "more focused swim training", I was particularly impressed by a quote from Michael Phelps (probably now the foremost authority on swimming!) who said: "Bob (Bowman) has a saying, "Putting money in the bank"." I had heard of this before and have even used the expression in my blog before (at least I think so), but I did not realize it was Michael's long time swim coach, Bob, who said it. So I decided to go through my blog records and try to find out how much money I have been putting into my swim bank. The weekly summaries are as follows:

Apr 16-Apr 21 18,500 meters

Apr 23-Apr 28 20,900 meters

Apr 30-May 04 20,800 meters

May 6-May 11 28,100 meters

May 13-May 18 19,725 meters

May 20-May 25 30,750 meters

May 27-June 01 31,150 meters (a record)

June 02-June 08 21,150 meters

June 10-June 15 23,800 meters

June17-June 22 21,900 meters

June 24-June 29 29,100 meters

July 01-July 06 24,000 meters

July 08-July 13 19,950 meters

July 15-July 20 23,550 meters

July 22-July 27 26,750 meters

July 29-Aug 03 26,150 meters

Aug 05-Aug 10 26,300 meters

Aug 12-Aug 17 26,450 meters

If I added up correctly, that gives a total of 439,025 meters (439 km or some 273 miles) in 18 weeks, which is a couple of days over 4 months. I started going to the pool in early March, but I did not keep records for the first several weeks. In any case, the first couple of weeks I was doing more like 8,000 to 10,000 meters a week at the most, and I only "broke the 4000m barrier (for a day's swimming)" on April 24. The first few weeks I was just getting back into swimming after not swimming since the Hapuna Beach swim in Hawaii on July 01, 2007, in which I did relatively poorly compared to previous attempts at that race.

Training in swimming is a learning process, and from all the workouts, the blogging about it and comments and encouragement from friends, as well as the Olympics, I have learned a great deal. However, I feel I am only just beginning, and there is so much more to learn, and so I will try to swim more this week, while at the same time trying to continue to put money into my real bank account, too. Of particular note is that I went through "shoulder problems" during the first two weeks of June, but I adjusted my approach to warming up and have not had any discomfort since. I can't wait to get in the pool tomorrow!

When we engage in some activity and persist in it, whether it be swimming, learning Chinese, or cooking or whatever, we will certainly see improvements. The big deciding factor is whether we keep at it, for "Where there is a will, there is a way (有志者事竟成)." When I first started to learn Chinese, I just bought a book called "Teach Yourself Chinese" and it was a real struggle. However, my passion and determination led me to study under some of whom I consider to have been the best teachers of Chinese in Taiwan, and then to continue with my language studies after language school when my energies were mostly focused on making a living.

It is probably not surprising that I feel euphoric these days - the Olympic Games being held in Beijing and my watching all the TV coverage in Taiwan with Chinese commentators. I truly feel I am in the right place at the right time. Swim training should be a lot of fun, and my only regret is that some of my equally inspired friends cannot join me for it. I will continue to put pennies into the (swim) bank, and I hope one day I can hit the jackpot in a swim race.

Forever Friends - One World, One Dream

The title of today's blog posting is that of a song that is part of the Beijing Olympics, only that what I saw on TV was sung in English, and the one you will hear as you read this is in Chinese. To me at least it is in a language I am familiar with - the same people are singing it, only this time in their native language.

At times I wonder if all these songs are just for PR or even propaganda, but one thing is that anything that encourages friendship, especially across linguistic and ethnic barriers, is a great thing and something our world needs so much.

China is leading the medals table, and while I don't know whether it will still be at the end of next week, it all goes to show that China has emerged as a big and powerful nation, with its people ready to mightily influence the whole world whether for good or not so good. So I am glad that I made that effort to learn the language many years ago, starting at the time when the "Gang of Four" in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution was perhaps the main event of the time. Who could foresee then that a modern and increasingly prosperous Beijing would host what may be one of the best Olympic Games in history? I certainly did not, although I did foresee the people having a lot more hope and purpose in life than they did then.

So, Michael Phelps got his 7th gold medal, winning by 1/100th of a second. Unbelievable, but at least the slow-motion action replay was there to prove it. Rebecca Adlington of the U.K.'s victory and world record in the 800m freestyle was really impressive. There has been so much that has been so great watching and so inspiring. It has certainly helped me focus on my own goals.

Well, as I mentioned before, I will try to have my "Swim Camp" next week. What this means is that I will try to go to the pool three afternoons next week in addition to my usual six mornings. In the afternoons, I want to have a shorter workout and focus on some speedwork, but also perhaps some "slow" things like experimenting with other strokes (trying to learn the mechanics of them) or just spending some time at the pool relaxing. At the end of all of that, maybe the following week, I want to have a crack of breaking 3 minutes on a 200 meter swim. My best so far (a little over one week ago) is 3m 04s. This morning I went 3m 07s but I felt pretty strong on it, meaning that with a bit more speedwork, I could have pushed the pace a bit more.

This week I continued swimming each morning, and after a total of 4,400m on Tuesday and 4,600m on Wednesday, I did 4,600m Thursday, 4,300m Friday and 4,300m on Saturday, or a total of 22,200 meters in five days. Tomorrow morning (Sunday), I will have my last swim for the week. Of course it does get boring and I get tired especially during the day when I should be working, but my swimming just feels a lot smoother than it has ever felt before. My swimming distances are no comparison to those of Michael Phelps or any others among those Olympians. Not that I should make any comparison. We all have our personal goals and aspirations. The main thing is to keep at it while there is opportunity and not give up.

Help, I can't breathe!

While efforts were made in Beijing to improve the city air quality in time for the Olympics, today in Kaohsiung, which will host the World Games in 2009, for about one hour this afternoon I could hardly breathe in my own home. It was not so bad with the windows closed, but it definitely goes to show just how much a single family here can do to increase greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbate the already critical problem of global warming. Why three metal cans when one will do? Although the fires were already blazing, there remained a huge amount of paper money on the sidewalk waiting to be burned.

August is the "ghost month" in Taiwan, and in their efforts to placate or drive away the spirits that are temporarily released to roam to and fro across the earth, the more religious and superstitious in the community (a surprisingly large proportion of people in Taiwan) burn huge quantities of paper money (often with the "Bank of Hell" printed on the notes) right outside their homes and apparently without any concern for who will have to suffer from the huge clouds of smoke generated (which they always make sure doesn't blow into their own home).

It is certainly difficult to talk to the more superstitious neighbors about this. To them religion is of course a very personal matter and they have always done this and everyone else does. The environmental authorities also turn a blind eye to it. Only international pressure might eventually lead to change, just as it did over an international outcry over various body parts of tigers being sold in Chinese medicine shops some years ago.

To be fair, these particular neighbors have so far only done things like this on so grand a scale on key Chinese festivals during the year. Normally, they don't cause any trouble. However, suffocation from gas inhalation is a little like drowning in water. It may only last a short time, but that is enough to kill you. Somehow people need to be educated, and to learn that what they do is fine as long as it does not endanger the health or lives of other people.

Turning to the Olympics, I have really enjoyed the swimming coverage, with nearly every swim race morning and evening being shown live. I have also watched a few other sports like weightlifting, archery, tennis or badminton, mainly because athletes from Taiwan have been competing. To see race after race with so many different nationalities represented really amazes me, and with so many sports being played, it seems that each nationality or race of people is able to excel in something or other.

It is great to see so many people competing who have been training hard and overcoming a lot of difficulties and doubts in their journey to Beijing. In a country like Taiwan, it is unfortunate that there are so few athletes who have gone to compete, relatively speaking. It is not so much an issue of whether the money exists to train athletes, but few people it seems aspire to something like being an Olympian, and if they do, there are so many social pressures to discourage them and cause them to opt for a more secure future career-wise, which will often lead them to develop a lot of unhealthy habits like workaholism, no time for exercise, smoking or eating poorly.

While increasing numbers of people are doing some form of exercise here, whether it be cycling, swimming, tai-ch'i or modern dancing, the vast majority do little or nothing. Sport is just not ingrained in the national consciousness as it is in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. Fortunately, the local government of Kaohsiung has been actively promoting health and fitness and has built a lot of bike paths around the city. That is a good start, and one can see many people riding bicycles. When I first arrived in Taipei over 25 years ago, very few people rode bicycles and if you did, you rode at your own peril and there was nowhere you could ride, except in a sea of rapidly-moving motorcycles.
The last couple of days I went swimming as usual: 4,400 meters on Tuesday and 4,600 meters today (Wednesday). Nothing particularly spectacular time-wise, but it did feel very smooth. Maybe I am being a bit laid back this week. At least I feel comfortable and I am maintaining similar times to those in the more distant past with less effort. Next week I hope to have my swim camp. How much I do will depend on how much work I can still get done. With all the swimming on TV this week, my work has suffered a little, although I guess I need to take a break sometimes. Michael Phelps said he needed a lot of time to rest, and so should we. We cannot be on the go all the time.