November 28, 2003

  • I ate too much wasabi green nuts for the last two days and am paying for it now with a slight tummy problem and a bad sore throat, starting of cough too.  Urgh.


    Went to rock climb at Emmanuel House on Thu and nobody was there except my two instructors.  Teck Guan had called me earlier to ask if I was going and I said yes, then he said I was the only one who replied "maybe" to Yen Pin's invite.  It's such a waste of the rock wall!  They would have left after setting up the ropes for the next day if I didn't go.  In any case, I hadn't planned on climbing at all but while waiting for Teck Guan set up abseiling stuffs, somehow I got two climbs in with Yen Pin as my belayer.  Could not even remember my ropes tying but somehow it all came back as Teck Guan did it with me.


    At first I stumbled barely 1m up the wall, then restarted and went more smoothly.  Made it all the way to the top, sweating, then came down and went up almost immediately again, this time choosing single coloured rocks.  Halfway up, I couldn't reach for the next rock and didn't wanna bother trying for it, so I just used one of the yellow coloured ones instead of the pink.  Going up on a single coloured rock is more difficult as it means you can use only half of the available rocks for climbing, not to mention there are huge gaps at times.


    Made it through the second climb faster then came down and watched Teck Guan practise rescue with Yen Pin as the rescued.  After that we packed up and went for dinner ... mmm!!!  At my fav dim sum stall just outside Geylang St 27.


    On Fri went out for a good recovery with Joyce and ANZA.  When we reached the meeting point at Rat's Corner, it started drizzling, then heavier... and eventually when we started out, only five of us went (two ladies dropped out), then the other Chinese guy from one of the local teams (offhand I just forgot it, red coloured jersey, not from Liquid Elements... doh) also turned off and went home.  So the four of us plodded on while I kept dropping back because I didn't feel comfortable going speed in the rain.  Our speed was really recovery because going up the Gap, only Joyce speeded away and disappeared into the hills as the three of us guys took it easy at the low gears - my HR read 136bpm only - before we were passed by the OTHER ANZA group doing "secret training" looping the hills there.  Things speeded up as the few of us went with the other group.


    Apparently they even mocked a race sprint (presumably for the NTU sprint/climbers points).  By the time we turned into Holland Rd, only Joyce and myself were left as the others have detoured.  So we went back the short route and she left for her swimming while I went home and cleaned up the bike (including polish  )


    Went to watch Star Runners in the evening.  Very nice movie.  Inspiring... like Rocky.