The Gym Session before the bus trip

At least I had the decency to shower and change before the trip.

Anyway, coach was late today because his water seeped into his engine (although the flood was only 1 foot deep), so I did the Snatch.

First 2 sets (6 reps each) were done using the 20kgs barbell.
Another 10kgs and I did 3 more sets (4 reps this time) before I tried the weight that I have a 3% chance of success --- 40kgs.
So got first one (100%)
miss second one (50%)
got third one (67%)
and fourth one (75%) (coach also arrived at this time)
then miss fifth, sixth and seventh (45%) (hhhmmmm, do I see a trend?)
Got the eighth one (50% again)
and missed the last one (38%)

Anyway, did some pulling, snatch-style
So 40kgs was loaded for 3 sets (3 reps from starting point and 3 quick ones immediately following the last rep)
Think I loaded another 10kgs and did another 2 sets (same reps as above).

So moving on to something I haven't touched in weeks, Front Squat.
So 40kgs was very very easy even at 6 reps for 2 sets.
Added another 10kgs and procceed to bang out 3 reps on the 1st set but only 2 on the next set.
Last attempt was 60kgs.
Down, uuuupppppp........threw the bar away (PHEW!)

That's all for now.

First gym sessions in two days

No juniors today, they have all gone to Korea for the Asian Championships.
Apparently there are two categories in the Juniors, which I have never even heard off.
The first batch that left already are competing in the Junior Men/Women category, competitors must be under age of 20; while the second batch leaving in 3 days time is competing in the Boys/Girls category, where you must be below 16 years of age.
And no, there are no competition for those under 12 years old. (Sorry but something to do with growing up first).

Another point of interest, 3 Sir Lankan (or is that Ceylonese) weightlifters in town for two days with their manager (Yes they will be coming back tomorrow). One of them looks like a distant cousin of their favorite spin bowler, Mulitharanan (did I get the spelling right? whatever)

Started out with the clean and jerk.
20kgs barbell: 4 sets of 4 reps each.
Then I added another 10kgs and did about 2 sets of 3 reps each before my coach advise me to slow down to 2 reps. I did another 3 sets and we upgraded the whole load to 40kgs.
I did another 5 sets (1 rep) before adding another 10kgs to make it 50kgs.
Another 5 sets (1 rep), no problems.
For the last 3 sets, we just added another 5 kgs just to see if I can break my personal best.
And I did!

Okay then we did the pull, about 3 reps per set with 3 lights ones at the end following the last pull.
We maintained the 55kgs barbell earlier from the Clean & Jerk and I did 2 sets before we upgraded it to 65 kgs for another 2 sets.
Last 2 sets were done on a 70kgs barbell.

After questioning my fatigue, coach moved me straight unto back squat.
So I tested out 50kgs and did 1 set of 8 reps while coach wasn't looking. He came back and told me to cut it on my 5th reps (and I confessed I did 8 reps on the last set)
So he upped the weights to 60kgs.
I managed 3 sets of 3 reps each and the coach immediately added another 10kgs to the barbell (actually he ordered, I added).
So I did another 3 sets of 2 reps each (broke my personal best as well) before coach tried out 75kgs for one last rep.
I went down but the way uuuuuupppppp was a real sssssttttrrrruuuuuggggggggglllllleeeeeee (and that is even with coach helping lighten the barbell off my shoulders). Somehow the weight managed to tip to the left.

So end of gym. Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.

I have not gone back to the gym for two days now

So that means today is a must go, but I fear for my aching muscles (much better now, thank you!)

Still reading up on the Italian scandal-judgement-repercussion, no signs that AC Milan will be selling KAKA to Chelsea (that will show them that money can't buy everyone, including Ronaldinho, Gerrard, Gattuso, etc)

I am boring

If you know of any interesting Scrabbler blogs out there, drop me a link now because I have been trawling through most Scrabble blogs and they are boring as hell, not to mention that 40% of them are actually spammers which makes it even worse at times...

Just the other day in Bangkok during King Cup, Nigel Richards says I write my column like a football commentary (Guilty as Charged)

Bought my bus ticket down for Singapore

Hope to beat the Causeway rush on Saturday but no promise.
Btw, that gym post below was for yesterday's session.
I think I have to give today a miss to rest my aching back and hips and thighs and .......

Anyway, will still have to come to Singapore on August 10th to attend a friend's registration ceremony to his uni-sweetheart.

1st day back at the gym

Didn't see some regular faces, but most of the juniors were there outdoing each other along with some new juniors as well.

Started out with warm-ups and good morning exercises.
Had to wait about 30 minutes before the juniors cleared the room.

Did the snatch with the 15kgs barbell,
started out well with the 1st set of 12 reps,
but when I started out on the second set, it fell apart from there when I stumbled on the 3rd rep and the bar fell on my right foot.
So I took a break and resumed. Managed to finished 6 reps in the 3rd set and retired before my hips buckled.
Increased the weights by another 10kgs and I stumbled again on the 4th reps, this time the barbell hitting my left foot right above the ankle.
Did one more set of 6 reps before my coach moved me to the Clean & Jerk.

So started out with the same weight (25kgs) for the Clean and Jerk, did about 2 sets of 2 reps before managing a 3rd rep in the 3rd set.
I then walked over to the opposite platform and loaded a 20kgs barbell with 10kgs and started using that.
My coach came back and watch me complete one set with 3 reps before telling me to add another 10kgs to the barbell.
I missed the 2nd rep in the 1st set but caught the others quite smoothly. I no longer feel any pain on my palms and I still have to learn to push my elbows forward and catch the bar on my collarbone.
2 more sets and I set up the stands for my back squat.

I banged out 8 reps on my first 2 sets with the 40kgs barbell before adding another 10kgs.
At 50 kgs, I manged 6 reps each in the remaining 4 sets before calling it a day.
Sat around kibbitzing my coach's daughter clean and jerk with whoever was left in the gym at that time.

The blackhole of a blog

The only reason why I am writing this is out of frustration when 1 in 5 of my post to my blogs doesn't get published and the contents irrecoverable.

I don't what is the fault behind this,
be it server communication problems
(most of my posts disappear while waiting for them to be uploaded and I also get a lot of error messages from the blogspot server now and again while typing my posts),
formatting problems
(posts have been sucked into the blackhole whether or not i used the blog icon on my google toolbar or the form from my blog homepage),
etc but I want to see how many people have experienced the same problem as me (albeit even if not on my level of frequency)

Causeway Scrabble Challenge has been announced

At last,

which got me wondering...
Which 30 players would you like to see play in the Premier division in the Causeway Scrabble Challenge? (remember to pick only 5 players each from Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand)

Just post your answer in my comment blog

The World Cup party in Bukit Bintang is just getting started

Went down to scout around one hour earlier while shopping for some things. Now safely snuggled back into the office finishing some overdue paperwork before I join the crowd.

Anyway, most of the setup was done in the afternoon (mobile toilettes, etc) but i will attempt to describe what it looks like.

The setup is pretty sparse. Several rigs have been raised along Bukit Bintang, only every other one carries a multiple-LCD displays. At least the France and Italy booth were correctly placed where they should be --- just outside the building where I am working. So quick chat with the promoters and I walk off with plenty of goodies.


At one end of Bukit Bintang, we have our good old Giant LCD screen, which Maxis outfitted with a billboard size football backdrop that fits the football displayed on the screen from time to time.

Pretty smart of Hotlink and Maxis to grab Bukit Bintang so soon.
I am probably hearing Flipsyde 'some local hip-hop act channelling the wrong pitch over the buzz of my office equipment and computer. I heard that they will be bringing in the 'Crazy Frog' later on.

Anyway, nothing is even happening at KLCC. Go BB!!! We rule at every party.

King Cup epilogue

Back home and been through the polyclinic for the usual post-travel check-up.

Day 1: 5-0, + 298 (4th place)
Slight improvement over last year. The only major difference was that I avoid Nigel Richards this year (actually delayed it until Round 6, so kena sic!) while I met him in Round 5 last years hence the 4-1, +100, 14th place finishing on Day 1.
Beat: Prakash, Odette, Chatchawin, Akegapun, Marut

Day 2: 3-5, - 160 (22nd place)
one extra game, one extra win. I delayed the matchup with Nigel and Atiruth so ouch! And the follow up just had to be a table filled with my cab mates: Andy, Aaron and Alpha. Being the non-A male on that table, I lost to Andy and Aaron to drop even further. Then I hit the speed demon, called Alastair Richards. Lucky for me, his last rack was FJLSX and I stuck him with the FX to overcome a 42 points deficit. The horrible thing was that he left me with two minutes to figure out the endgame. Then I lost to Daniel Srichawala after he hit me with FUrMENTY which I had never seen before (apparently it also has an angram....BAH!). So sit down for rematch with Marut, nuff said, he lost again (why doesn't this happen to me more often). Another game with Thien T and I settled the day with a so-so record.
Last year was also iffy: 2-5, - 121, 38th place

Day 3: 5-2, + 134 (10th place)
Whee, I love charging up the standings. Wish everyday was like Day 1 and Day 3.
so started out with stupid losses to Apirat and Sompong. Then John Lam gave away his game to me. Then I picked up wins over Michael Tang, Apirat (rematch!), Marlon Prudencio (a bingo-bango-bongo looks nice) before finishing off Nawapadol S (thanks to a 122 point ZEROING thru his WALKER).
I also did well last year going 5-3, + 20 (26th place) They key now being my positioning.

Day 4: 1-6, - 296 (40th place)
Why me! Why me! This is so freaking unfair. Even last year wasn't so bad when I maintained. I don't need anymore meltdown like this in my life. Not after Penang Open.
So down I go to Jakkrit, Tony, Marlon, Karen Richards, Chatchawin, Arun Methaseth before I salvaged a game from Ishtiaq Chishty.
I just wish that I could replicate last year's Day 4 where I went 4-3, + 28, 24 position. (Even that would have given me 6th hypothetically)

AAARGH!
Well, there's causeway anyway later this year and King Cup next year.