a quick one

on monday i hit 20!

not 20th birthday, but 20th pullup lah. a breakthrough, considering the previous pb of 19 was since jul 07. so the 6 most recent sets from mon-tues: 20, 16, 19, 17, 16, 12 (unlimited rest inbetween)

then guess what happened yesterday.

21

(:

and it was after training and muscles felt pretty worked out from the previous days.

ok, new ambitious target: 30. yes, and soon enough i'll do 100 pullups in 4 sets (:

but one pull at a time yea (: btw the muscle plan is working out pretty well. strokes wise still need to improve alot, and i believe i can do this.

What if you believe?

i can't wait for school to start (:

thinking about it makes me excited.

going to restart the train-study-eat-sleep cycle again (:

can't wait!

wheee

i'm finally going back to school (:

i got an offer from NTU sport science and management. term starts in august

things are going according to the great conspiracy

training has been ok, wind is really strong in the afternoon and so is the sun/heat. On wednesday i made an interesting discovery, as to how this kicking and rotation thing actually work! it was quite cool (: now to get the feeling each time

yay, can't wait for school to start, then i can double train properly (i.e. 1.5hours+ of water x 2 + land ). i do enjoy rowing alone most times actually. and it's a bonus when it's quiet too. today was strange. training was suppose to be 'fun', like we were having this relay thing. but it didn't feel fun to me, and yea, i don't like the waiting around too. hm.. must strike a balance.

anw i don't really watch tv, save for spongebob. but the 9 o clock show on channel 8 is interesting. too much to say here, but it has a great storyline (:

and congrats to RJ. so far we've double-gold for cross, track, table tennis, waterpolo, (and probably swimming next week). interesting year

now to get my driving license

Nationals 2009

I don't know what to say.

Well, actually i do. In short, the results were disappointing. Girls got 5th, guys got 6th. Just like that year when we didn't manage to bring home a team plaque. To compound things, CJ girls got 3rd. Good for them, but yea, it's going to be a struggle to regain jiaolian's favour.

Before Nationals, i said we'll wear our jerseys with pride. And yes, win or win, post-Nats I'll be wearing mine with pride. It was a very strange ending. For as long as i've been at MacRitchie and from old photos, this is probably the first Nats team photo without Jiaolian or the teachers. Somehow i feel like i've shortchanged the team, but there wasn't anything i could do.

The results might speak otherwise of the team's efforts, but in all honesty it was a good fight, to the end, and i'm proud of this team. One year ago, I asked them for one year of their life. I asked if they were willing to pour their lives into canoeing, knowing there might not be a shiny piece of metal to show for all their efforts. I asked if they were willing to do this together as a team. No one gave them a chance, but i thought, why not? I believe in every batch there is hope. If they were determined to give it a shot, i thought the least i could do was well, do everything within my power for them.

You might ask me, why bother. Probably it's because i know if they choose to carry on the fight to uphold the name of Raffles Canoeing, this will be a life-changing experience for many of them, just like it was for us.

I've never expected anything in return, but this team gave me so much more. I've made it to training with the national team, my dreams still lie ahead, but i'll say it here, i'll never even have gone here without the team of 0809. It isn't just about having people to train with; you guys made me feel a part of something great. Thank you for slugging it out at all the 2ks with me, for reminding me how fun canoeing can be, and for showing me what it means to be a raffles canoeist.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Oscar Wilde

Having witnessed a 4th interschool canoeing nationals, i conclude this is a blood sport. All year(s) long, these student athletes train with that one final showdown in mind. And i would say the A div year is the epitomy of brutality, there is just so much at stake; most of them never to pick up a paddle again after this last burst. You won't see this array of emotions at natioanl juniors or elsewhere, because simply, this is it. When you see those uncontrollable tears these tough-as-nails, muscled, won't-flinch-at-3249328659 pullups canoeists shed, then perhaps you might understand how this works.

I saw that fire and intensity in your eyes as you took each stroke. (I watched all the races life/on tape). You fought till the end, all the way for Raffles. That instant you crossed the finishing buoys, the smiles, the tears, they are as real as it can get. Was that two/five minutes worth a year of blood, sweat and tears (literally)?

When you look back on your canoeing days, i hope you'll remember this race for what it was, no more no less. One year ago, it might have puzzled and angered you as to why I said we must fight for 3rd/1st. Now that you've finally crossed over to the other side, I hope you'll understand, for without a destination, there could never have been the journey.

Again we lost to the better boats. Congratulations to the girls of NJC, ACJC, CJC, SAJC and the boys of NJC, ACSI, HCI, SAJC and MJC and thanks for showing us what it would take to bring home a title next year.

To the team of 0809, I hope this was the best year of your life.

Susan Boyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

You need to watch this

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent

Inspiring (:

YAY

REST DAY TOMORROW

after 27 days

exciting (: wheeeeeeee

ok, story telling time. friday did 8k in the morning, strokes felt very good. Afternoon program: 10 x 1k. and it also means 1k paddling up to the start each time. So that's 20k. Finished the program at 7.15pm, but training still wasn't over. did the box and medicine ball 4min, 2 min twice. then ko-ed. training ended at 8.25pm. ggxx, that's the latest latest ever, even later than ll those monster land trainings.

then this morning was guess what, 2k time trial at 7am. tried out my new strokes, was a decent row, so quite disappointed when i thought i heard coach say 10.41. then went to ask him again, 10.31! PB. i seem to pb in less-than-ideal conditions

and i know i can go even faster

did the 3hour weights program again today. Throughout the last 10x 1 min, somehow i kept thinking of joohui, and the time she read us the letter her friend wrote to her. didn't stop, kept fighting on, for my dream, for my team, and all who believe in me. It helped that coach kept shouting "Suffer now, then you won't suffer in the race.", "Last 30seconds, if you stop now, you're never going to be an internationalist.", and something about world champs.

World champs and international races are still far from where i am. but i know i'll get there.

It's one week to school nationals... more thoughts about this tmr. ahh anw, i got myself a pair of tights today, enough of abrasions and cuts.

The line in the letter goes

What if you believe?