Training Again

The back brace is off, Kapil's wedding and the eating marathon of India, Christmas and the New Year is over. As usual I've stopped drinking until my birthday in March and now I must start the long, slow, painful and frustrating path back to fitness and hopefully competitive triathlons again.

I'm 10kg heavier than I was this time last year, I've just got over food poisoning but am currently suffering from a terrible chest cold and having finished my second course of antibiotics I feel no better.

All that said I have a desire and some would say a foolish goal of competing (completing) in the Langkawi Ironman (3.8k swim, 180k bike, 42.2k run) on the 24th of February.

I started my long runs on Friday the 12th January with an unconvincing 8.5k run around Country Heights. The next day I staggered around our usual 21k run course but started early so that there were not too many expectations. Sam and Julie came by just before half way with some great and friendly support (thanks guys).

I got home feeling grateful that I'd survived and jumped into an ice-bath in the hope that I could stave off some of the impending stiffness. The next morning I embarked on a 140k cycle to Bentong which was equally tough but I survived it again. I met a really great English guy called Tom on the ride, who's planning to do his first Ironman in Langkawi. He and I chatted our way through the worst of the ride which helped enormously.

The following weekend (19th and 20th) I decided that if Langkawi was to be a reality I needed to push the envelope still further. To this end I embarked on a 150k hilly ride to Titi on Saturday followed by the Great Eastern 30k run on Sunday morning.

Once again I survived both (although I did think I was going to die in the first 10k of the run as I couldn’t breath).




Harro, one of my good running friends helped me through the worst of it and we paced each other for the first 20k.



One of my regular running partners Julie was on fire and won the women’s race with what appeared to be ease (and a big smile as she raced past in the opposite direction already more than 5k ahead of me).

Sam, Carmen, Cecil, Freddie, Mon, Dino, Marianna, Eugene, Goh to name but a few were all having awesome races and were great inspirations to me as I trotted around. All of them took the time to encourage me on which means a lot when it's such a tough day.










One of my staff also did the race, Joey. She’s not what you would call a natural athlete but has done a few 10k runs and entered the 20k option of this race. I was a bit concerned that I hadn’t seen her during the run but then I came across her with a big smile on her face and several kilometres further ahead than I’d expected – Great job Joey, I was really impressed and pleased for you.

I passed Hairul going in the opposite direction - he was about 3k ahead of me - he couldn't stop laughing as I waddled past. I was starting to feel good by then though and was moving faster, I wondered whether I might see him again later in the race! As it turned out I caught him with about 3k to go and he laughed again (all in good spirits I must add - I can't begin to tell you how friendly, supportive and fun the running/cycling and triathlon community is in Malaysia - everyone is so friendly).

I finished in 3:05 feeling pretty good and very satisfied. I had an ice-bath again when I got home and can now harbour hopes of Langkawi being a realistic possibility.

FOOTNOTE: Woke up the next morning without too much muscular soreness but chest cold had got 10 times worse and I had to spend the day in bed - oh dear!

TriTwins First Birthday

At about 5:45 a.m. December 31st 2005 I was just rousing from my slumber to do my usual long cycle when the phone rang and Shilpa said that it looked like she was going to have to have the twins today so would I mind not going for my ride and coming to the hospital. WOW, I was taken aback but she reassured me that all was OK but for the twins health it was decided to have the caesarean now. Don't worry she said we'll wait for you.

So I shaved, brushed my teeth, showered, had my breakfast and then made my way to the hospital. It turned out that all was not quite as "OK" as Shilpa had expressed an breakfast at least should have been skipped - I arrived to be told that it was already happening and was told to sit in a chair and not watch through the little window at what was going on - I watched anyway.

Minutes later two very premature babies were whisked out and to the NICO ward - that was 12 months ago now and it seems like only yesterday and yet lifetime ago too - it may not make much sense but I know what I mean.

Anyway a year of highs and lows, tears, scares, joy and laughter have passed by (not to mention a fair share of pooh, vomit and sleepless nights) - it has been a rollercoaster alright but now on December the 31st 2006 it's Sid and Seb's first birthday.

Shilpa had organised a little party for them with balloons a gorgeous cake and of course lots of presents.

My Mum and Dad were here too so that was an added bonus for the party.

Sid and Seb were still a bit under the weather from their bout of food poisoning (Sid had even had to spend two days in hospital - poor little lad), they put on a brave face though and did their best to enjoy themselves.

Today was truly a landmark in all our lives - Sid and Seb, thanks for coming to join us; we love you - HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Christmas Day - The boys first Christmas

We arrived home on Christmas morning at around midday from India. We'd been travelling all night from Jaipur to Delhi, Delhi to Bangkok and Bangkok to KL.

We planned to open Christmas presents with the boys and then have Christmas lunch (a late one as it turned out with our good friends John and Emma).

Of course the boys were oblivious to all the pomp and ceremony and as predicted enjoyed the wrapping paper and boxes more than the presents. We all had great fun though.








The champagne was popped and Christmas was officially underway.

Christmas lunch was next and Shilpa and Emma surpassed themselves making a magnificent traditional spread in double quick time.

Christmas crackers were pulled, bad cracker jokes told (they were actually better than John's best jokes though!) and merriment was had by all.









Later that afternoon Ian, Izyan, Nina and Alasdair came over and so did Mike and Bella, Christopher and Asha. More crackers were pulled and more appalling jokes told until we banned John from telling anymore.

The evening ended off with a dip in the hot tub and more booze of course, before Simon retired to bed feeling a little sorry for himself - as it turned out I had caught a dose of food poisoning from India which turned pretty unpleasant over the next few days but what was worse if that the boys, Shilpa and one of the maids also caught it.

Oh well eh! Christmas day went to plan - AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ALL HAD FUN!

Kapil and Ritu's Wedding

Shilpa's brother, Kapil got married in Jaipur, India, on the 22nd December 2006. Ritu was his lovely bride and the wedding was held at an amazing Rajasthani Palace that is now the (Rambagh Palace)Taj hotel.

(Kapil and Ritu were the first people (other than me) to see the boys when they were born (even before Shilpa saw them), they paid a flying visit to KL on the 31st December 2005 and arrived just a couple of hours after the birth).




Shilpa, myself, Rohana and the boys flew into Delhi via Bangkok on the 20th December. Our good friend Ashley joined the flight in Bangkok so we had an extra babysitter to lend a hand.

We were collected at the airport by a 4X4 that Ritu's father very kindly sent for us and we headed off into the Indian traffic chaos (nightmare) and a six hour drive to Jaipur.

Over the next day or so we met up with all the relatives including my parents and the festivities and eating began.

Naturally the boys were a hit with all the family and had some amazing outfits to wear. Shilpa's Mom an Pop bought them their Sangeet outfits and Ritu's parents bought them some gorgeous Sherwani's for the wedding itself (thanks guys they were magnificent).

The Sangeet (pre-wedding evening) and wedding itself were out of this world. The boys found it quite tiring and were a bit of a handful but all said and done we had a great time.










Shilpa and Ranjan (Shilpa's sister, Meenu's husband) were the MC's at the Sangeet (I was too shy so made myself useful babysitting with Rohana). They did an amazing job and were congratulated by just about everyone there.















Simon and Ashley shaking their stuff at the Sangeet. (You dance at Indian weddings - it's not optional, you have NO CHOICE)











Congratulations to Ritu and Kapil. They are a fantastic match for each other, and Ritu is certainly going to keep the boy on the straight and narrow, that's for sure!

We also had the pleasure of spending some time with Ritu's family who are absolutely lovely - it was a real joy to have met them and we look forward to seeing them again soon.

And a final note of thanks to Mom and Pop for all the organsing that they did for the wedding too, they put us all up in a great hotel and really went to town to make sure we were all well looked after and the wedding was an outstanding success.

Geat job, Mom and Pop, all the kids safely married; now it's time to relax for you two and start spending some well earned time on thinking about yourselves for a change.

12 Days of Christmas

Extremely funny - sent by my sister-in-law Meenu

Alfred J Brown (21 Jan, 1919 - 21 Oct, 2006)

Some of you will have noticed a distinct lack of postings in recent weeks. This is because I've been struggling to come to terms with the passing of my Grandad and struggling to find the courage to attempt to write something that will do him justice.

I cannot say that I've come to terms with losing him nor can I say that I've found the right words to express who he was (or even who he was to me). In fact I'm writing this as I go, no plan, no direction but the time had come where I felt he deserved better from me, he had a big impact on my life and left just as I was really getting to know him and only a few short months after the twins had arrived.

"Alf" to many but "Grandad" to most of the people that I ever heard talk about him. He was an icon to all those that met him, full of life, always a smile and a cheerful demeanour, witty and sometimes a bit cheeky, occasionally cynical but never scathing; when all said and done he was a gentleman, a man of great integrity and unequivocal quality.

When I was young Grandma and Grandad were always a bit scary. It was without much enthusiasm that my sister and I would embark on a visit with my parents. Grandma was always very strict and never really seemed to appreciate or embrace my wit and sense of humour (but then looking back, who would have seen the funny side of a plate of boiled vegetables flicked meticulously around the kitchen). Sadly Grandma passed away in 1989 when I was travelling.

Equally Grandad didn't seem like much fun either in my early years, he wore a brown suit (even on the beach apparently) and was a civil servant (which seemed very boring to me), he did teach me to play chess though and out of the hundreds of games we played I think I managed one draw – sharp as a razor and gave no ground on that front – a good lesson, although I cried a lot.

It was at one of my sister's weddings (Yes I only have one sister - you'll work it out!) in Germany that I really came to appreciate what a legend of a man Grandad was. I shall save that story for another time, as that is a story in its own right, but suffice to say I found in him a firm friend, ally, comrade and fellow renegade.

What I'd failed to see all these years was that he was one of "us", he was a good laugh, he liked a drink, he liked to dance, he loved to party, he wasn't infallible (as some would have us believe our elders are) and he certainly wasn't the run of the mill “given up on life” OAP (old age pensioner) that you so often see. Grandad he was a live wire and got out of life as much as he could.

Grandad came to visit me several times in Malaysia, he came to my wedding in Thailand too (where he stole the show of course). In fact he had a special relationship with "Malaya", as he insisted on calling it, partly because that's what it was called when he was here after the war and also because he knew he'd always get a reaction out of someone - usually me.




He was based in Butterworth soon after the end of WW2 distributing food and basically helping the country get back on its feet. He loved it and openly admitted that when the time came he really didn't want to go home.



Another little anecdote about his life; he and Grandma were taking a European cycling tour during their early married life. Unfortunately the date was 1939 and they found themselves in Germany when war was declared. After a very rapid retreat they found themselves back in England very soon afterwards – unscathed I’m pleased to say.

Despite the horrors of the war, Grandad still spoke very highly of the German people that he met on that trip and even managed to meet up with some of them a few years ago. It seems almost poetic that I moved to "Malaya" and Angela settled in Germany.


Another little fact that the vicar pointed out at the service; Grandad took up sailing at the age of 77! How cool is that! Here he is sailing his yacht "Trilby" that he kept at Burnham on Crouch.







I could go on an on about Grandad and I know that those of you that knew him would not be in the slightest bit bored but for now I'll leave you to smile at the photos and celebrate his life with me - a man that meant so much to many - Grandad we love you and miss you so much.

Can World's Strongest Dad

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''
"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''
That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Double-Click on the "PLAY" button

Simon says "Are these guys amazing or what? Have the patience to watch video, it will change your outlook on the day and probably your life - it will certainly bring a tear to your eye".

Chris Flies in Florida

Well here it is, the Florida Ironman, less myself due to the recent shunt. Apparently the professionals on hearing my withdrawal barely batted an eyelid - now that's just rude.

Anyway my great friend Chris Wayman was there to suffer alone (well with 2191 other people) in my absence. Here are some photos and what Chris had to say afterwards.

"Hi Everyone,

Quick update from IM Florida. Boy were Gary and I wrong when we entered IM Florida expecting a hot flat race (as we were lead to believe). We arrived to hot sunshine and no wind. The night before it seemed a little chilly........but at 5am entering transition we were certainly shocked.

The air temp was about 5oC and it was blowing a gale. Gels had become solid and bottles of SIS we too cold to drink!! Standing on the beach watching the pro start made an April swim at Kingsdown look warm, as we watched them battle the waves...then we were off, again more like swimming in the channel (at least the water was 20oC plus). Unfortunately the swim was marred by a fatality.


After a cluttered transition we left Panama City on the single loop 112 mile bike course and we are still wondering how you only get 10 turns in 112 miles!

What made this worse was that the first 50 miles we into a 20-30mph head wind (think I prefer hills!!). A quick course but hard work.





The run was two laps around the beach resort and nature reserve (didn't dare to stop for a wee behind a bush at one point due to an alligator warning!). The support along the run was amazing, with thousands of supports shouting your name.






Huge thanks must go to our support team of Chantal, India, Kofi and Nikki.
A great race, would recommend to all, especially if after good ace and a holiday

Chris Wayman 11:16:09, 446 out of 2192 (1:12:10 - 2.4mi swim, 5:35:35 - 112mi bike, and 4:22:41 - 26.2mi run) "

That's Chris talking to me on the phone after he finished. If you could have seen me, I had a smile from ear to ear but was a nasty shade of green with envy.

Food for Thought

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

•First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
•They took aspirin, ate peanuts, blue cheese dressing, tuna from tin and didn't get tested for diabetes.
•Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
•We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
•As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
•Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always great fun.
•We drank water from the garden hosepipe and NOT from a bottle.
•We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
•We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

•We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
•No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
•We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
•After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

•We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

•We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
•We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
•Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.

•We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
•Local teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
•The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

•This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
•The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
•We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And if YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

Bali in a Brace

As some of you might know I was booked to go to Florida for the Ironman there at the beginning of November. Unfortunately my attempts to see how far a human being can slide on concrete (and survive) put paid to that idea.

Instead the family took a break to Bali and here are the pictures to prove it.


Despite my apparent grumpiness we had a great time although it was tough looking after the boys 24/7 without help.













We stayed in a gorgeous Villa that Shilpa had spent weeks negotiating an amazing deal. I think they just gave up in the end and said pay what you want and we'll provide whatever you like.




The boys did their best to eat as little as they could and throw up what they did - little angels!




Daddy took the boys swimming almost everyday. They loved it, especially Seb. Sid is still a bit wary.



Blimey, how much of this do I have to drink before I can touch the bottom?



See Dad, I do like it really!




Nick dropped by a fair bit to help with the boy's education




Mummy did her best to keep her three boys out of trouble.




A good time was had by all and we came home positively exhausted.

Happy Diwali (Deepavali)

Hi guys,

We had a great Diwali yesterday - although I was on my feet all day (no maid at the moment; only part timers helping out), I managed to have a great day with Simon and the boys and some friends whom we had over for dinner.









I didn’t get a chance to take as many photos of Sid n Seb as I would have liked to but attached are a few of them wearing Kurta Pyjama - thanks Nurl (Meenu) and Ranjan - they looked sooooooooooooooooo cute (nazar lag jayegi).................

We are off to Bali in a few hours................

Luv n hugs
Shilps