Cycling is like life. Cycling with no goal is meaningless. What meaning is there cycling in circles? Or living aimlessly? Meaning comes from direction and destination. Join me in my life's journey on a mountain bike :)

Blogging since 2003. Thank you for reading :))

Firsts

Some "firsts" are cycling-related; most are not, because I have a life outside of cycling too!

2017
12 Nov: rode on penny-farthing (two replicas), scooted on kick scooter (two types), trishaw, recumbent, reverse bike (steers in opposite direction)

2016
3 Nov: bought my first stock, which also happens to be my first exchange traded fund and real estate investment trust. Three firsts in one!
14 Jul: personal retreat. Pondered three questions. a) if money was no problem, what would life be like? b) if I knew I'd only 5-10 years left to live, what would I want from life? c) if I knew I'd only 24 hours of life left ... (questions from "The True Cost of Happiness", 2009, Wiley)
24 Apr: finished reading two books, total 740 pages in three weeks, with two weeks of 6 full working days and several days of hospital visits after work
12 Mar: in sailing boat, hand on the tiller too
26 Feb: ride on recumbent bicycle
22 Feb: bake bread
9 Feb: sorting medical prescriptions including use of tablet cutter and pill box (not for myself)
3 Feb: my first flatlay photo
















2015
18 Dec: ran in China (Shantou)
9 Nov: used elliptical trainer, and in a "community gym" too, $2 per entry.
7 Nov: made milkshake
18 Oct: ate chicken feet (cooked, of course) and deep fried durian ice cream
28 Sep 15
First professional shoe shine, at Marina Bay Sands
First virtual reality experience, at ArtScience Museum
17 Sep: my first course (doodling) at a community club
17 Sep: my first pilates class (also at community club)
9 Sep first self-defence lesson
7 Sep first chiropractor session, first spine X-rays
21 Aug: outdoor film screening! Virunga, http://virungamovie.com/
9 Aug: saw National Day fly past with my own eyes instead of on TV
25 Jul: ran my first trail ultra. It was also the first time I ran with a swollen ankle (twisted ankle minutes after flag off). Halfway through, I hurt my other foot too!
17 Jul: bought raw Japanese rice (”Japonica”) to cook
3 Jul: forum theatre. Performance explored racism, stereotypes and terrorism
21 Jun: training run over 3 hours: 3 hours, 20 mins. And my longest trail run ever so far. As I ran longer than expected, I ran the last leg in the dark (7.45 pm). Unusual for a long run, my legs didn’t hurt. Was it because, in the last few days, I ran for three consecutive days? Or was it the Acti-Tape?18 Jun Touched koala bear (Australia Zoo)
17 Jun: spun in two different directions at the same time, including upside down, (Pandamonium ride at Dreamworld). Felt sick! 120m free fall (Giant Drop, about 30 stories high. I was the only one on the ride at that time). Touched kangaroo
16 Jun: saw whales, in the open sea, and dolphins too (Sea World Whale Watch). Played “dance revolution” after a kid paid and then refused to get on. Ate vegemite chocolate
14 Jun: Sat in a roller coaster in Movie World, Gold Coast, that went vertically up (4Gs) and down (-1G).
My first run outdoors in a foreign land (I’ve run in hotel gyms before). 1 hour, 15 minutes, at 10pm, Hope Island, Queensland, Australia
6 Jun: ran for the first time with strangers that was not a race.
27 May: found myself being led to a room, stood in front of a camera, and interviewed by journalists from different media. Saw myself on TV; while I’ve been on TV, it’s previously in the background, unlike today, where I talk to the camera.
27 May: made a government minister and others laugh at my jokes, during a presentation.
23 May: ran with an ultra ultrarunner, who is on day 38 of a 50 day journey to run 50 km day after day. I carried his water bottle too at one point. Video
17 Apr: ran on the trail, about 2 hours 20 mins. My longest, and first, trail run. In the dark too. With a headlamp and water bottle. No dinner. No food. No compass, No whistle. No phone. A little spooky, but no problem.
10 Jan: cooked mushrooms

2014
29 Dec 14: ran barefoot for the first time. 1 hour, in a gym
21 Sep 14 did my first 3-digit ultramarathon, 101 km
7 Jul 14 cycled (raced) in Inner Mongolia
3 Jul 14 Stayed in hotel for four hours then pushed bicycle box in Beijing. Cycled in Beijing
21 Jun 14 folded plastic bag into triangle
20 Jun 14 sat on sofa made of cardboard
16 Jun 14 used pallet jack
14 Jun 14 Shot video while on roller coaster. shot airsoft gun, 100% success
13 Jun 14 in vehicle with lions outside a stone's throw away, Taiwan
19 May 14 First unconditional medical leave
11 May 14 Fried French fries
10 May 14 queue up to enter sale (Rodalink). Saw pax in wheelchair go up bus
6 May 14 Run in town, and with Debs
18 Apr 14 buy and cook hash browns
16 Apr 14 Art talk and dinner
14 Apr 14 Tried electric scooter
23 Mar 14 met hibakusha (atom bomb survivors) e.g. Michiko Hattori, www.peaceboat.org, NLB
22 Mar 14 cycled without proper lunch, just junk food
20 Mar 14 cooking class at Palate Sensations, with chef Daniel Sia. Ate ants
15 Mar 14 took downtown line, moderated a panel, went to rock concert: Zultania, Jive Talking, Rolling Stones. With Debbie and her dad
2 Mar 14 crossed a road with bicycle, which included leaving it on top of a hedge!
Feb visited hospice
27 Feb 14 first leadership coaching session
15 Feb 14 Cycled to wake, saw photo of 107 year old (deceased)
16 Feb 14 grocery shopping with cash only + neighborhood shops not supermart
17 Feb 14 eat dinner with teaspoon (first time I took written note of firsts)

2013
2 Apr 13: first ultramarathon

No comments: