Finally a bike that runs on 100% BD!
the max speed is 210kmh.....
http://www.thecrucible.org/about/diemoto.html#4
looks like a bike from mad max thunderdoom!
wonder when a commercial model would be avaiable.....?
Friday, September 21, 2007
Bike on 100% Biodiesel breaking land speed record
Finally a bike that runs on 100% BD!
the max speed is 210kmh.....
http://www.thecrucible.org/about/diemoto.html#4
looks like a bike from mad max thunderdoom!
wonder when a commercial model would be avaiable.....?
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
I made it!
timing is out finally!
Swim 00:49:15 Swim rank 133
Bike 03:55:46 Bike Rank 185
Run03:44:59 run Rank 189
total 08:29:59
Overal rank in category 189
I made it to become Singapore's first "Last Ironman"
IT was a nail biting one sec!
Swim 00:49:15 Swim rank 133
Bike 03:55:46 Bike Rank 185
Run03:44:59 run Rank 189
total 08:29:59
Overal rank in category 189
I made it to become Singapore's first "Last Ironman"
IT was a nail biting one sec!
A very long day
It is finally done.
I have signed up for the Inaugural Ironman 70.3 Singapore during the Race Expo of Singapore Marathon in Dec 2006. that was 9 months ago.
I was 9 months of training almost every weekend, 3-6 sessions a week, some involving jumping into frigidly cold waters at nights for swim training while others are keeping warm at home.
Race day went as planned. at least for the beginning until accident struck,
I fell off the bike.
In a freak accident, i lost balance when my cleats suddenly came off the pedal and i crashed into the road kerb. My first thoughts, as i was lying flat on the road, was "this sucks!". that i would have to give up the race.
Then i realised that i may still have a chance when i realised i could walk. the medic gave me a dressing as i assess my bike-
1) handlebars are bent
2) chain is stuck between hub and cassette
3) Rear D not responding
so i struggle with what i have to get up and going again.
the rest of the bike trip was done at a dismayal speed and i had to climb Sheares bridge with the gears stuck to the biggest ratio. Throughout the bike leg, i was too busy managing the bike to really take stock of my wounds. I know i have a wound on my head as i could taste blood as it flows down my chin.
"To complete no matter what " was the only thought on my mind when i decide to squeeze water over my head to cool down towards the last lap. Bad Mistake. The water was actually power drink , i.e. saline, and within seconds the wounds starts to react to it....like a hundreds ants biting u all at once.
Made it to T2 finally. It took another few minutes of time lost for some medic to apply a really inadequate dressing and i was off to run. As i walk out of T2 i realised i could not bent my left knee. And the only choice i have is to try to walk really fast. And so it became a 21km brisk walk.
Rain started to pelt down as i pass Kallang and the dressings gave way and the pain was very sobering. Each drop of rain that hits the spots sends a tiny shock to the brain, it was like some kind of sadistic torture. The more sadistic experience is having to go thru rain and sun and then rain again as i walk the lonely road.
When i came round on my first lap, i saw the familair faces of my love ones and my friends. some of them with a pretty shock look when they realise the stat i am in. Ju and Mei held up a fantastic banner saying " Ah Ku You Are My Hero"
The cheering and support gave me the determination to finish whatever i have started.
the next time i got back to T2 i was hoping to still have a chance to cross the line before cut off. And Terence started the las stretch of the race walking next to me and shouting at the onlookers to give way.
As i turn into the finaly 100m strech i could see some people shouting to me that i could still make it and i started to run. forgetting the pain and willing my legs to push forward at all cost.
Cross the line and fell. Not from exhuastion but from the knee seizing up.
Yes i have cross the line. Finished what i started and i could give nothing more.
It's been a long day.
I have signed up for the Inaugural Ironman 70.3 Singapore during the Race Expo of Singapore Marathon in Dec 2006. that was 9 months ago.
I was 9 months of training almost every weekend, 3-6 sessions a week, some involving jumping into frigidly cold waters at nights for swim training while others are keeping warm at home.
Race day went as planned. at least for the beginning until accident struck,
I fell off the bike.
In a freak accident, i lost balance when my cleats suddenly came off the pedal and i crashed into the road kerb. My first thoughts, as i was lying flat on the road, was "this sucks!". that i would have to give up the race.
Then i realised that i may still have a chance when i realised i could walk. the medic gave me a dressing as i assess my bike-
1) handlebars are bent
2) chain is stuck between hub and cassette
3) Rear D not responding
so i struggle with what i have to get up and going again.
the rest of the bike trip was done at a dismayal speed and i had to climb Sheares bridge with the gears stuck to the biggest ratio. Throughout the bike leg, i was too busy managing the bike to really take stock of my wounds. I know i have a wound on my head as i could taste blood as it flows down my chin.
"To complete no matter what " was the only thought on my mind when i decide to squeeze water over my head to cool down towards the last lap. Bad Mistake. The water was actually power drink , i.e. saline, and within seconds the wounds starts to react to it....like a hundreds ants biting u all at once.
Made it to T2 finally. It took another few minutes of time lost for some medic to apply a really inadequate dressing and i was off to run. As i walk out of T2 i realised i could not bent my left knee. And the only choice i have is to try to walk really fast. And so it became a 21km brisk walk.
Rain started to pelt down as i pass Kallang and the dressings gave way and the pain was very sobering. Each drop of rain that hits the spots sends a tiny shock to the brain, it was like some kind of sadistic torture. The more sadistic experience is having to go thru rain and sun and then rain again as i walk the lonely road.
When i came round on my first lap, i saw the familair faces of my love ones and my friends. some of them with a pretty shock look when they realise the stat i am in. Ju and Mei held up a fantastic banner saying " Ah Ku You Are My Hero"
The cheering and support gave me the determination to finish whatever i have started.
the next time i got back to T2 i was hoping to still have a chance to cross the line before cut off. And Terence started the las stretch of the race walking next to me and shouting at the onlookers to give way.
As i turn into the finaly 100m strech i could see some people shouting to me that i could still make it and i started to run. forgetting the pain and willing my legs to push forward at all cost.
Cross the line and fell. Not from exhuastion but from the knee seizing up.
Yes i have cross the line. Finished what i started and i could give nothing more.
It's been a long day.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Why do i race?
Had an interesting conversation with the medical doctor last week at Alexander Hospital where I went for the full medical checkup.
Doc : "From what I am looking at...you are quite overweight"
Fata : "yes. looking at the BMI, I am almost obese"
Doc : "but I see you are training quite hard....your excercise level and intensity indicates you have strong cardio strength"
Fata : "yah...I do that to train for the coming race .... the Half Ironman"
Doc : "oh...Wow.....sounds interesting...tell me. Why do you race?"
Fata : "erh..."
I did not have the answer to this question . In fact these days I keep getting similar questions
" why do you race?"
"why did you decide to be an entrepreneur?"
"What is an civil engineer got to do with Bioenergy?"
Actually yah...the mother of all questions seems to be ... "Are you mad?"
Many of my close friends would have understand the kind of person I am..that my life philosophy seem to be "to commit to something really ambitious and kill myself trying to get to that target.."
Today my coach, my dear sensei, voiced concern over me cramping everything I want to do in a super short time. That I want to do everything without actually thinking of the consequences....that if I were to carry on like this I would crash badly.
I have been doing a bit of thinking about this, about all the comments from my friends and my coach . And my question to myself is :
" Am I sleeping very well?"
I am attempting to use this as an indicator of both my physical health and my mental health.
My FATALOGY on Sleep postulates that :
"The level of one's well being is directly proportional to how much and how well one sleeps"
Simply,
1) If you worry too much you cannot sleep.
2) if you sick, you always want to sleep
Ok, the exception is if you your hobby is sleep, then boh pian.
I start by assessing what’s on my plate:
1) I am CEO of a startup company
2) I am trying to be a father, starting a family
3) Trying to run my first ever 70.3 race
what are my possible risk ?
1) startup company fail - risk losing all my efforts and all my savings and opportunities
2) lose health if continue trying to manage everything all the time (thus no time to recover)
3) Cannot finish the race well
4) Cannot complete the race at all
5) stress out too much so that everything fails!
I don’t have the answers to mitigate these risk.
But I am sleeping well. That speaks a lot
Most of the time...I fall asleep quickly and I wake up naturally without alarm.
Dix complains that I am cursed with the not being able to sleep later than 930am...even on Sunday.
In fact the last time I had failed to sleep well was before I took the jump, when I was still answerable to my boss and the worrying about reporting bad news about projects.
These days...I report to myself, I know the implications of bad news, good news etc. I don't get overly excited nor do I get depress. Yes there are moments of anguish and frustration but somehow I have inherited the mutant qualities of my ex-boss (current mentor)- the nonchalant yet purposeful attitude towards problem solving.
As for cramping too much stuff, I don’t know how much is too much. I am crazy but I am not stupid.
Therefore, in conclusion, I realize the concerns are real and the risk could be huge. But compare to a person who is buying a 1.5 million house with a civil servant pay hoping to flip that ….. I have a lot less to lose.
At most I will
- lose my business (but I would gain the knowledge so I wouldn’t fail again)
- not complete the Race (but I would have gain better fitness from the training)
But I am sleeping well!
PS : I passed my complete health check this afternoon and the doc has cleared me for the RACE! ☺
Doc : "From what I am looking at...you are quite overweight"
Fata : "yes. looking at the BMI, I am almost obese"
Doc : "but I see you are training quite hard....your excercise level and intensity indicates you have strong cardio strength"
Fata : "yah...I do that to train for the coming race .... the Half Ironman"
Doc : "oh...Wow.....sounds interesting...tell me. Why do you race?"
Fata : "erh..."
I did not have the answer to this question . In fact these days I keep getting similar questions
" why do you race?"
"why did you decide to be an entrepreneur?"
"What is an civil engineer got to do with Bioenergy?"
Actually yah...the mother of all questions seems to be ... "Are you mad?"
Many of my close friends would have understand the kind of person I am..that my life philosophy seem to be "to commit to something really ambitious and kill myself trying to get to that target.."
Today my coach, my dear sensei, voiced concern over me cramping everything I want to do in a super short time. That I want to do everything without actually thinking of the consequences....that if I were to carry on like this I would crash badly.
I have been doing a bit of thinking about this, about all the comments from my friends and my coach . And my question to myself is :
" Am I sleeping very well?"
I am attempting to use this as an indicator of both my physical health and my mental health.
My FATALOGY on Sleep postulates that :
"The level of one's well being is directly proportional to how much and how well one sleeps"
Simply,
1) If you worry too much you cannot sleep.
2) if you sick, you always want to sleep
Ok, the exception is if you your hobby is sleep, then boh pian.
I start by assessing what’s on my plate:
1) I am CEO of a startup company
2) I am trying to be a father, starting a family
3) Trying to run my first ever 70.3 race
what are my possible risk ?
1) startup company fail - risk losing all my efforts and all my savings and opportunities
2) lose health if continue trying to manage everything all the time (thus no time to recover)
3) Cannot finish the race well
4) Cannot complete the race at all
5) stress out too much so that everything fails!
I don’t have the answers to mitigate these risk.
But I am sleeping well. That speaks a lot
Most of the time...I fall asleep quickly and I wake up naturally without alarm.
Dix complains that I am cursed with the not being able to sleep later than 930am...even on Sunday.
In fact the last time I had failed to sleep well was before I took the jump, when I was still answerable to my boss and the worrying about reporting bad news about projects.
These days...I report to myself, I know the implications of bad news, good news etc. I don't get overly excited nor do I get depress. Yes there are moments of anguish and frustration but somehow I have inherited the mutant qualities of my ex-boss (current mentor)- the nonchalant yet purposeful attitude towards problem solving.
As for cramping too much stuff, I don’t know how much is too much. I am crazy but I am not stupid.
Therefore, in conclusion, I realize the concerns are real and the risk could be huge. But compare to a person who is buying a 1.5 million house with a civil servant pay hoping to flip that ….. I have a lot less to lose.
At most I will
- lose my business (but I would gain the knowledge so I wouldn’t fail again)
- not complete the Race (but I would have gain better fitness from the training)
But I am sleeping well!
PS : I passed my complete health check this afternoon and the doc has cleared me for the RACE! ☺
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Finally, our Processor is ONLINE!
Today is a great day.
After 6 months of planning, designing and the last 2 weeks of slogging it out at in the lab and a dozen spillages covering me and haiwoon with loads of disgusting used cooking oil....
We have Biodiesel from the processor which we had painstaking brought to reality!
it's a great feeling being able to convert our ideas into reality through engineering and being a maverick about it!
quoting Hiro Nakamura on his impending quest to "save the world" : "Now for the Hard part".....
Here's a view of our processor!
After 6 months of planning, designing and the last 2 weeks of slogging it out at in the lab and a dozen spillages covering me and haiwoon with loads of disgusting used cooking oil....
We have Biodiesel from the processor which we had painstaking brought to reality!
it's a great feeling being able to convert our ideas into reality through engineering and being a maverick about it!
quoting Hiro Nakamura on his impending quest to "save the world" : "Now for the Hard part".....
Here's a view of our processor!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Finally Our "1 Min of fame"
After Much anticipation, there is finally a day where:
1) the world is peaceful - no new war, no new disaster
2) the national leaders are resting - the boss is in Langkawi with our neigbour's boss
3) the only other news worthy item is - our neighbour's ex boss is in hosipital
the result of these "unhappenings" is ..... there is finally free air time for our segment is done 4 weeks ago shown. And it was on both CNA and channel 8 as well!
Let hope that this additional publicity would bring the company to yet more unopened doors and opportunities.....
But that;s for another day....Today.....life is good!
the channel news article
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276119/1/.html
Will post up the chinese version as soon as i can
FATALOGY On Self Publicity
1) the world is peaceful - no new war, no new disaster
2) the national leaders are resting - the boss is in Langkawi with our neigbour's boss
3) the only other news worthy item is - our neighbour's ex boss is in hosipital
the result of these "unhappenings" is ..... there is finally free air time for our segment is done 4 weeks ago shown. And it was on both CNA and channel 8 as well!
Let hope that this additional publicity would bring the company to yet more unopened doors and opportunities.....
But that;s for another day....Today.....life is good!
the channel news article
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276119/1/.html
Will post up the chinese version as soon as i can
FATALOGY On Self Publicity
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Week 1-2
Don't know if i would be able to log this journey into becoming my own boss as religiously (i doubt i can) but here are some of the happenings last 2 weeks
1) CNA interview
somehow the video we did on the bd trials with the Musso Club caught the notice of the PR people from ITE HQ and subsequently Channel News Asia deem it as news worthy and wanted to do a piece to be shown on Singapore Tonight.
The button was pressed 2 weeks ago while we were in the middle of scaling up the setup by 20X. So in the days that follows I had to juggle all the work really had. like writing a press document, helping setup up teh new system, finialised the design of the 100X sacle up set, manage Todd's new factory's building, keep up training......luckily we had the help of some ITE staff which helped prepared some of the materials needed to do the press wanyang....
Terence gave me last minute Tuition, more like a 5 minute tutorial, on how to constantly stress on the 3 points i want to talk and bending the answer to my advantage. (for a CEO of a 83 man company, 5 mins of 1 to 1 tuition is quite a lot!)
Well the taping happened in our worshop last friday, we had finished the setup just in time and i fixed the filtration system in such a way that you can turn on a tap and the golden liquid (BD) would flow out into the beaker (for the dramatic effect). The CNA guy came with a cameraman and proceeded to ask me questions about what is biodiesels, what is the market etc....i kinda stammered a bit because some of the questions i had not prepared for the onslaught of queries (MUST remember to ask for questions prior to interview if there is a next time).
Then there was the lab part and they shot our 2 champion student workers at work playing with titration and the GC. Huda was kinda nervous when they interview here but i think she did splendidly.....
Thereafter, we did the most exciting part.....the vehicle trials....Jeffery the the gang from the Musso Club volunteered thier trusty cars for the demo....and viola....the results were the same as the first trial we did....and this time we caught it on the CNA video (hope it comes up)
2) KT, Naina and Angelia
It's kinda wierd having the last day of work on friday, saying goodbyes to all the staff and yet appearing again on monday... as if nothing had changed...under the current arrangement, i will stay on to work on some projects for KT for survival to tie over the cash crunch at the business....this is an ideal arrangement although for myself it's a constant juggling act of trying to do many things at one time.....(like what's new)
Angelia and Naina were very concern about my welfare.....when they realised i have not even gotten a table for the office...they jumped into an action plan to help me get redisgn teh arrangements of the tables, explained to me the need for a airport, the need to have my back facing the wall.....and eventually they gave me an airport (the water kind...not themac kind) as a present....It's really a nice gesture! Cool!
3) On EBD
We went to EDB last month to inquire if we could tap into some grants to develop the yet to design 100X plant....after i submitted our first draft to the officer....she infromed me that it's her last day at work and she has passed my case to another colleague which is on leave......and up till last friday...no reply yet.
interestingly he most important criteria in the application of the innovation commericalisation fund is
1) innovation
2) project must not start before approval
with the depts delaying thier approval, we are running out of time. All i need is a simple yes or no so we could move on wirh decisions...
If yes.....happy....we get some money
If no....not game over....we will fund the development ourselves....
Simple?
Will try to call them again tomorrow to sort it out again!
ok that;s it....
looking forward to stalking the TV to lookout for my 1minute of fame tonight!
1) CNA interview
somehow the video we did on the bd trials with the Musso Club caught the notice of the PR people from ITE HQ and subsequently Channel News Asia deem it as news worthy and wanted to do a piece to be shown on Singapore Tonight.
The button was pressed 2 weeks ago while we were in the middle of scaling up the setup by 20X. So in the days that follows I had to juggle all the work really had. like writing a press document, helping setup up teh new system, finialised the design of the 100X sacle up set, manage Todd's new factory's building, keep up training......luckily we had the help of some ITE staff which helped prepared some of the materials needed to do the press wanyang....
Terence gave me last minute Tuition, more like a 5 minute tutorial, on how to constantly stress on the 3 points i want to talk and bending the answer to my advantage. (for a CEO of a 83 man company, 5 mins of 1 to 1 tuition is quite a lot!)
Well the taping happened in our worshop last friday, we had finished the setup just in time and i fixed the filtration system in such a way that you can turn on a tap and the golden liquid (BD) would flow out into the beaker (for the dramatic effect). The CNA guy came with a cameraman and proceeded to ask me questions about what is biodiesels, what is the market etc....i kinda stammered a bit because some of the questions i had not prepared for the onslaught of queries (MUST remember to ask for questions prior to interview if there is a next time).
Then there was the lab part and they shot our 2 champion student workers at work playing with titration and the GC. Huda was kinda nervous when they interview here but i think she did splendidly.....
Thereafter, we did the most exciting part.....the vehicle trials....Jeffery the the gang from the Musso Club volunteered thier trusty cars for the demo....and viola....the results were the same as the first trial we did....and this time we caught it on the CNA video (hope it comes up)
2) KT, Naina and Angelia
It's kinda wierd having the last day of work on friday, saying goodbyes to all the staff and yet appearing again on monday... as if nothing had changed...under the current arrangement, i will stay on to work on some projects for KT for survival to tie over the cash crunch at the business....this is an ideal arrangement although for myself it's a constant juggling act of trying to do many things at one time.....(like what's new)
Angelia and Naina were very concern about my welfare.....when they realised i have not even gotten a table for the office...they jumped into an action plan to help me get redisgn teh arrangements of the tables, explained to me the need for a airport, the need to have my back facing the wall.....and eventually they gave me an airport (the water kind...not themac kind) as a present....It's really a nice gesture! Cool!
3) On EBD
We went to EDB last month to inquire if we could tap into some grants to develop the yet to design 100X plant....after i submitted our first draft to the officer....she infromed me that it's her last day at work and she has passed my case to another colleague which is on leave......and up till last friday...no reply yet.
interestingly he most important criteria in the application of the innovation commericalisation fund is
1) innovation
2) project must not start before approval
with the depts delaying thier approval, we are running out of time. All i need is a simple yes or no so we could move on wirh decisions...
If yes.....happy....we get some money
If no....not game over....we will fund the development ourselves....
Simple?
Will try to call them again tomorrow to sort it out again!
ok that;s it....
looking forward to stalking the TV to lookout for my 1minute of fame tonight!
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