Team Sunday Dragons!

Eating and exercise: 5 tips to maximize your workouts

2011-04-19T14:42:00.003+08:00

Knowing when and what to eat can make a difference in how you feel during your workouts. Here are five tips on eating and exercise to guide you.

Eating and exercise go hand in hand. When and what you eat can be important to how you feel when you exercise, whether it's a casual workout or a serious athletic competition.

Here are five tips for eating and exercise to help maximize your exercise and athletic performance. Just keep in mind that the duration and intensity of your activity will dictate how often and what you should eat and drink. Running a marathon demands more energy in the way of food than does walking two miles — but whatever your exercise, you'll benefit from paying attention to your meals and snacks.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast

If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to eat breakfast — that may mean one to two hours before your workout. Most of the energy you got from dinner the previous night is used up by morning, and your blood sugar may be low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise. If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a lighter breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink. Emphasize carbohydrates for maximum energy.

Good breakfast options include:

· Whole-grain cereal
Low-fat milk
· Juice
· Bananas

If you're not a fan of eating in the morning before you work out, try a sports drink or have a bigger bedtime snack the night before. And remember, if you normally have coffee in the mornings, a cup or two before your workout is probably OK. Just don't try any foods or drinks for the first time before a workout, or you risk an upset stomach.

2. Size matters

Be careful not to overdo it when it comes to how much you eat before exercise. The general guideline:

· Large meals. Eat these at least three to four hours before exercising.

· Small meals. Eat these two to three hours before exercising.

· Small snacks. Eat these an hour before exercising.

Eating too much before you exercise can leave you feeling sluggish, or worse, with a case of diarrhea or stomach cramps. Eating too little may not give you the energy to keep you feeling strong throughout your workout.

3. Snack well

Most people can eat small snacks right before and during exercise. The key is how you feel. Do what works best for you. Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won't give you added energy, but they can help keep up your blood sugar and prevent distracting hunger pangs. Good snack options include:

· Energy bars or drinks
· Bananas or other fresh fruit
· Yogurt
· Fruit smoothies
· Whole-grain bagel or crackers with peanut butter
· Granola bars

A healthy snack is especially important if you plan a workout several hours after a meal.

4. Eat after you exercise

To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible. If you aren't hungry after your workout, drink juice or a sports drink to provide replenishing carbohydrates.

Good post-workout food choices include:

· Yogurt and fruit
· Peanut butter or meat sandwich
· String cheese and crackers
· Nuts and dried fruit
· A regular meal with meat, starch, and cooked vegetable or salad

5. Drink up

Don't forget to drink fluids to help optimize your exercise and workouts. You need adequate fluids before, during and after exercise to help prevent dehydration.

To stay well hydrated for exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you:

· Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.7 liters) of water during the two to three hours before your workout.
· Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (0.12 to 0.23 liters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. You may need more the larger your body is or the warmer the weather is.
· Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.7 liters) of water after your workout for every pound (0.5 kilogram) of weight you lose during the workout.

Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluids. But if you're exercising for more than 60 minutes, use a sports drink. Sports drinks can help maintain your body's electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy because they contain carbohydrates.

Let experience be your guide

When it comes to eating and exercise, everyone is different. So pay attention to how you feel during your workout and your overall performance. Let your experience guide you on which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you. Consider keeping a journal to monitor how your body reacts to meals and snacks so that you can tweak your diet for optimal performance.

*Image from http://www.squidoo.com/thehealthyway

*Article from http://www.mayoclinic.com

Setting Up the Crew Positions

2011-04-18T10:32:00.004+08:00

Anyone has any comments on the below article? Agree? Disagree?

The boat crew is broken into three sections, the front which is the first six paddlers, the engine room which is the middle eight paddlers and the back which is last six paddlers. Weight of the paddlers must be taken into consideration when setting up the boat. Any serious weight distribution problems will adversely affect how the boat tracks for steering. The biggest paddlers are placed in the middle or engine room and lighter paddlers at the front and back sections.

The front six paddlers set the pace and should be reserved for paddlers with good long paddling strokes. The rest of the boat needs something visual to follow. The rest of the boat will have short choppy stroke if the front has short choppy strokes.

The middle eight or the "engine room" is usually reserved for the heavier, stronger paddlers. During the middle of the race the engine room dictates the pace. The stroke rate of the crew is usually determine by the engine room. The stroke rate is not too fast as long as the big engine room paddlers can twist and reach. Once the engine room paddlers start shortening up on their stroke, you know the pace is getting too fast.

The back six paddlers of the boat should have the strongest people in the boat. It is not uncommon for a novice crew to setup the boat with weaker paddlers who get out of stroke. For an intermediate crew or an advanced crew this would be a missed opportunity. A series which is a sequence of more powerful strokes meant to advance the boat and is initiated by the back six paddlers and ripples to the front of the boat.

Depending which section the paddler is sitting in, the water reacts differently in each section. At the front, the water is dead and more difficult to pull the paddle through. Moving to the center of the boat where the engine room is, the water rushes by quicker. The water is fastest at the back of the boat. What does this do to the timing of the strokes? Since the water is faster in the middle and back of the boat, paddles will "fly" back quicker. Middle paddlers will tend to rush their exits relative to the front paddlers. Front paddlers will need to have long strokes (up front) and be quick on the exits because of this natural tendency of paddlers behind them to rush. In the back because of the even faster water, paddlers will have a tendency to pause at the end of their strokes. These back of the boat paddlers need to long in their strokes and to drive the paddle in the water even harder to slow down the paddle and to be effective. That is why they say that the strongest paddlers should be in the back of the boat.

Side to side and front to back weight distribution must be taken into consideration when setting up the boat. The steersperson must have the knowledge of how to move paddlers around to improve the balance of the boat. Having the boat off balance can seriously affect how the boat tracks. The steersperson is 100% responsible for the safety of the crew. The steersperson has the best view of any obstructions on the water and must make the required commands to the crew to manoeuver the boat. In race situations the steersperson must also be able to read wind and be knowledgeable of how the boat reacts in certain conditions. It is not good enough that the steersperson can just keep the boat straight, he or she must be able to bring the boat to the line in whatever wind conditions and make the manoeuvers or commands to hold the boat on the line.

*Article from: http://www.stratforddragonboat.com/training.htm

PA Paddle Championship 2011

2011-04-17T21:30:00.002+08:00

Date: 16th - 17th April 2011
Venue: Bedok Reservoir
Race Distance: 300m

Open Mixed-20 Crew Heat 4
1st: Pasir Ris East Mixed Dragons - 1:20:99
2nd: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1:23:90
3rd: Tampines Central CSC - 1:24:99
4th: Filipino Dragons - 1:26:64

Open Mixed-20 crew Semi Final 2 (Re-Race)
1st: Republic Polytechnic - 1:19:02
2nd: PLK Paddlers Team - 1:19:84
3rd: Synchro.NY (NYJC) - 1:21:39
4th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1:22:08
5th: Kebun Baru CSC Team Dragnix - 1:25:51
6th: Friends United - 1:30:66

*we were 2nd before the re-race.

PA Paddle Championship 2011 - Race Draw results

2011-04-12T23:16:00.008+08:00

Date: 16-17 April 2011
Venue: Bedok Reservoir Park
Race Distance: 300m

Mixed-20 Crew Heat 4
Lane 1: Tampines Central CSC
Lane 2: Sunday Dragons
Lane 3: Filipino Dragons
Lane 4: Pasir Ris East Mixed Dragons

*top 2 of each heat + fastest loser progress to semi finals

Training: 13 February 2011

2011-02-10T14:50:00.000+08:00

Date: Sunday, 13 February 2011

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park

*Please meet at 7.45am at the beach area to launch boat.

Tips for Rowers

2011-01-25T09:01:00.002+08:00

KEEP A TRAINING LOG

Many competitive paddlers have a detailed training log which records their training activities: on-water, weight training, pool etc. Usually a little booklet showing the date, work-out (ex: 3 sets x 1.5 km paddling @ 60%, 2 min rest between), how they felt about it.

Body weight and basal or morning heart rate is also sometimes included. Training logs will help you in the long term. If you have a bad racing year, you can look back at previous years logs and find out how hard you trained and felt in previous years. Good paddling years are usually a result of how well you have trained.

Coaches should also keep a log the team training from year to year. You can draw from this data base of work-outs each year and adjust accordingly. As a former paddler as well as a coach, I know how hard I can push the training by looking at my previous training logs. If I have done the work-outs myself I know other people can also do the work-out. The amount of training a team does will determine how well a team will perform in races. Remember, practice makes perfect.

OVERTRAINING

Overtraining can result in sudden loss in body weight and increase in morning heart rate. Training becomes flat. Body becomes susceptible to injury and illness. Good habit of getting into is checking your heart rate before getting out of bed in the morning. If the heart rate suddenly goes up more than six beats over the usual rate, overtraining has probably taken place.

The body has been overloaded and the heart is working extra hard to compensate. Reduction in overall activities and more recovery time may be necessary.

*Article from http://www.stratforddragonboat.com/training.htm#TIPS

Training: 30 January 2011

2011-01-25T08:58:00.000+08:00

Date: Sunday, 30 January 2011

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park

*Please meet at 7.45am at the beach area to launch boat.

Training: 23 January 2011

2011-01-18T09:27:00.000+08:00

Date: Sunday, 23 January 2011

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park

*Please meet at 7.45am at the beach area to launch boat.

Paddling Basics - Techniques

2011-01-11T17:56:00.003+08:00

Came across the website of a foreign dragonboat club...thought this is worth a read...

The technique that will be discussed is based on flatwater sprint canoe style used by the two time International Dragon Boat Champions - The Canadian Men's Dragon Boat Team. There are six key parts to the dragon boat stroke. When done properly, a boat flies; executed improperly, the boat will feel sluggish and heavy. The first three components set up the stroke, while the last three are considered to be the work-phase part of the stroke. The six components are called: rotation, reach/extension, catch, pull, exit, and recovery.

Rotation
The image some coaches use to help paddlers picture rotation is that a pole is inserted through the head, along the spine, and then anchored to the dragon boat seat. Another way of achieving full rotation is to present your back to the shore or have your chest facing your partner. Full rotation, or twist as it is sometimes called, allows for maximum reach/extension. Shoulder position is the key to rotation. For the outside (or bottom) arm shoulder to extend or rotate forward, the top arm shoulder must come back behind your head. Try not to drop the outside shoulder to low. Keep the two shoulders parellel to the water as much as you can. The inside or top arm shoulder needs to move to the water side also to facilitate twist. This also helps to get your weight over the water by leaning out. Throughout all this keep your back straight, head up and stick out your chest.

Reach/Extension
This position in the stroke is crucial in maximizing the length of the stroke. The position of the outside paddling arm is equivalent to pulling a bow and arrow. The outside shoulder should be extended forward. The torso leans forward for additional extension. A proper reach position also know as the setup is the foundation of a proper dragon boat stroke. The reach position is the extended position with the paddle a few inches above the water before the driving it into the water. This reach position determines the length of a stroke and a long stroke means more water is pulled. The reach position is the end point of the Recovery phase, but is the beginning of a new stroke cycle. "A-Frame" analysis is often used to determine the correct lines of the setup.

The "A" Frame Set Up Position

Key points when analysing the "A" Frame:
- straight line from top hand through top arm shoulder to the hip
- Straight top arm at the elbow
- bottom arm parallel to the water with that shoulder extended forward
- top arm should is behind the head

The reach position determines the rotation of the torso. If the torso is "rotated" forward upon the paddle entering the water, the torso will naturally want to "de-rotate" back to the normal seated upright seated position.

As mentioned previously, the lower arm position is similar to drawing a bow and arrow. The bottom arm is extended straight forward parallel to the water. The lower shoulder is extended forward and therefore the shoulder on the top hand side comes back and up. In the Reach position, these four points on the body should be lined up in a vertical plane: (a) top hand , (b) head, (c) lower shoulder and (d) lower hand.

As well, from the side view there should a straight line from the top hand, through the top arm shoulder to the hip. The torso rotation, extension of both arms and the forward lean are maximum.

The upper arm should be straight with very little bend at the elbow if possible. The top arm shoulder should be behind the head on the setup. The lower arm is fully extended and is locked at the elbow. The lower hand grip should be relaxed and not grip the paddle too hard. The paddles flips forward into the reach position where it is at its highest potential energy level. From this position, the potential energy will be used to submerge the paddles as the stroke progress.

Catch
The catch phase is the most critical to the speed of the boat. The catch is the moment the paddle blade first bites into the water. With the torso leaning forward as much as possible, the catch is initiated with the outside or lower arm shoulder dropping to plant the first four inches of the paddle blade into the water. There should be an attempt to maintain the paddle angle of the reach position. To do this do not start to de-rotate or un-twist during this phase. Once the tip of the blade is planted in the water continue to submerge the paddle by driving the top hand down. Paddle blade should now be fully buried or submerged. The shoulders and hips are still in the extended forward twist position ready for the pull phase.

Pull
Once the paddle is fully submerged or "buried", the next component of the stroke is the pull phase. The buried position is also call the "vertical" position or "90/90" which means fron the front view and side view the paddle is straight up and down or at 90 degrees. The paddles should then pull back directly parallel with the boat. The top hand stabilizes the paddle as the bottom arm and back muscles pull back. To use the back muscles effectively, the paddler sits up while pulling and continues to drive the paddle downward with the top hand. Maximum power and endurance will come from using the larger muscles of the back, shoulder and trunk rather than relying on the smaller arm muscles. Note that both arms should be straight at the elbow while pulling through. Hips and shoulders should work together and move back with the paddle.

Exit
Conventional paddling theory says that the exit of the paddle should occur by the time it gets to the hip. In 2001, the Canadian National Teams introduced a new stroke that included an exit that was well past the hip. The bottom hand pulled back until it was at the hip but the blade tip was a good foot behind. The theory behind this new stroke is that the "pull phase" needs to be longer because of the relatively heavy boats compared to flatwater boats. The longer pull phase also produces the "glide" which seems to be the key to boat speed.

Recovery
This part of the stroke is the rest phase when the muscles are not working as hard; recovery speed plays a large role in determining the stroke rate. During recovery, the torso starts rotating and leaning forward to setup for another cycle of the stroke.

*Article from http://www.stratforddragonboat.com/training.htm

Diet Rules You Should Break

2011-01-11T10:37:00.002+08:00

Don’t eat late at night.
“It’s the total calories you consume over a 24-hour period – and more often, over a week – that causes you to gain weight. When you eat those calories doesn’t matter,” says New York University Medical Centre’s senior clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller.

Keep a schedule for meals.
While it can help to accord some consistency to meal times, forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry or forcing yourself to wait when you’re hungry makes it harder to stick to your diet. “Eat when you’re hungry, not when the clock says it’s time to eat,” says Elizabeth Somer, author of Food & Mood. And of course, stop eating when you feel satisfied.

Eat more fat so you can eat less.
It has been proven that while fat does take longer to digest, “it’s actually the least satiating of any food group – so no, it will not help you control your appetite,” Somer says. The foods likely to stave off hunger the longest are proteins followed by carbohydrates, then fats, she says.

Stick to your diet strictly.
It’s okay if you caved today – just get back on track tomorrow. “Every meal matters, so if you ate that big old piece of birthday cake at lunch, get right back on track with your next meal,” Heller says. “You don’t have to have a full day of healthy eating in order for it to count.” Just maintain some discipline.

*Article from menshealth.com.sg

Training: 16th January 2011

2011-01-11T10:15:00.000+08:00

Date: Sunday, 16 January 2011

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park

*Please meet at 7.45am at the beach area to launch boat.

Training - 9th January 2011

2011-01-04T21:38:00.003+08:00

Date: Sunday, 9 January 2011

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park

*Please meet at 7.45am at the beach area to launch boat.

Come on, Sunday Dragons!

2011-01-04T21:32:00.004+08:00

Just as everybody is thinking that the Sunday Dragons are lying low and no longer a force to fear in the local dragonboating circuit.....

We are back!

Look forward to lots of splashing action in 2011!

Sunday Dragons, Sa!

We are so proud of you, captain!

2010-11-20T20:25:00.000+08:00

28th Singapore River Regatta 2010

2010-10-30T18:14:00.004+08:00

Date: 30th-31st October 2010
Venue: Singapore River
Race distance: 300m

National Championship- Women Heats (10-crew)
1st: Singapore Polytechnic 'A'- 1:58:85
2nd: ITE - 1:59:00
3rd: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1:59:89
4th: Irish Business Associataion - Gaelic Dragons - 2:02:75
5th: Police Sports Association - 2:07:34

National Championship - Women Semi Finals (10-crew)
1st: Paya Lebar Kovan CC Youth Group - 1:53:32
2nd: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1:54:65
3rd: Temasek Polytechnic Team B - 1:56:85 (3 sec penalty)
4th: Singapore Polytechnic 'A' - 1:59:00
5th: NUS Alumni - 1:59:14

National Championship - Women Minor Finals (10-crew)
1st: Austcham Paddle Club Team A - 1:55:00
2nd: NTU Team B - 1:55:38
3rd: Canadian Association of Singapore - 1:55:88
4th: Team Kiyah Splashh - 1:56:08
5th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1:58:55

28th Singapore River Regatta 2010 Race Draw Results

2010-10-24T17:47:00.007+08:00

Date: 30th-31st October 2010
Venue: Singapore River
Race distance: 300m

National Championship - Women (Heat 6)
Lane 1: Irish Business Association - Gaelic Dragons
Lane 2: Singapore Polytechnic 'A'
Lane 3: ITE
Lane 4: Police Sports Association
Lane 5: Sunday Dragons

*total of 8 heats, 5 semis & 3 finals

Sunday Dragons - Then and Now

2010-07-20T10:02:00.002+08:00

2007

2010

Gosh....we never age at all....exercise makes you look forever young...haha...

Sunday Dragons - 3 years old!

2010-07-18T20:08:00.006+08:00

We have come a long way since the team was officially formed on 15 July 2007. In the past 3 years, we have made many great friends and bonded through the 1 thing that we all enjoy doing - dragon boating.

Here's a sincere and big thank you to all who made Sunday Dragons possible in one way or another!

Special appreciation to:

Zhenyi, who patiently and slowly corrected our strokes and inducted us into dragon boating during our humble beginnings….

Our dearest coach Hak Loon who brought us this far...

Last but not least, who can forget the main slave driver behind the team, Choon Kiat, without him and his passion; we can never be where we are today….

SAVA Sprints International III, September 2007
25th Singapore River Regatta, November 2007
MR500, March 2008
North East Dragonboat Championship 2008, April 2008
Singapore Dragonboat Festival 2008, June 2008
26th Singapore River Regatta, November 2008
PA Paddle Championship 2009, April 2009
Singapore Dragonboat Festival 2009, June 2009
27th Singapore River Regatta, November 2009
PA Paddle Championship 2010, April 2010
Singapore Dragonboat Festival 2010, July 2010

And numerous Sunday mornings….

One more race to remember

2010-07-17T11:57:00.002+08:00

SDBF 2010 National Championships Mixed (20-crew) Minor Finals

Lane 1: Temasek Polytechnic

Lane 2: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B

Lane 3: Mountbatten CSC Team B

Lane 4: PLK Paddlers

Lane 5: NTU Team A

Lane 6: Sunday Dragons

One of our best races to remember

2010-07-17T11:23:00.003+08:00

SDBF 2010 Inter-Business Houses & Clubs (10-crew) Plate Finals

Lane 1: PA Water-Venture

Lane 2: REACH Dragons Team B

Lane 3: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B

Lane 4: Canadian Dragons Team A

Lane 5: Tampines North CSC Team A

Lane 6: Sunday Dragons Team B

The Power of Sunday Dragons Girls...

2010-07-14T20:49:00.002+08:00

Scared yet?

Tell you a secret: This is not our full strength....

Singapore Dragon Boat Festival 2010

2010-07-11T17:33:00.002+08:00

Date: 10 & 11 July 2010
Venue: Bedok Reservoir
Race Distance: 800m

National Championship Mixed Heats (20-crew)
1st: SAFSA - 3:33:02
2nd: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B - 3:37:67
3rd: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 3:38:94
4th: Hwa Chong Institution - 3:43:40
5th: Austcham Paddle Club Team B - 3:47:22
6th: ITE 1 - 3:52:52

Inter Business Houses & Clubs Open Heats (10-crew)
1st: PLK Paddlers Team B - 4:37:16
2nd: SUNDAY DRAGONS TEAM B - 4:39:72
3rd: CareGiving Welfare Association Team B - 4:52:03
4th: Prison Sports Recreation Club - 4:53:34
5th: American Dragons Team B - 5:20:12

Inter Business Houses & Clubs Open Heats (10-crew)
1st: German Dragons Team A - 4:46:52
2nd: PA Water Venture - 4:44:19
3rd: SUNDAY DRAGONS TEAM A - 4:46:52
4th: NUS Alumni Team B - 4:55:57
5th: Canadian Dragon Boat Team B - 5:08:18
6th: Austcham Paddle Club Team B - 5:14:34

National Championship Men Heats (20-crew)
1st: Mountbatten CSC - 3:22:30
2nd: Austcham Paddle Club - 3:32:30
3rd: Ngee Ann Polytechnic - 3:35:73
4th: Police Sports Association - 3:37:29
5th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 3:43:82

Inter Business Houses & Clubs Open Semi-Finals (10-crew)
1st: Singapore Paddle Club - 4:16:75
2nd: SAFSA Composite - 4:17:01
3rd: Canadian Dragon Boat Team A - 4:29:19
4th: SUNDAY DRAGONS TEAM B - 4:32:69
5th: Kiyah Splash Team B - 4:33:40
6th: NTUC Club - 4:46:88

Inter Business Houses & Clubs Open Semi-Finals (10-crew)
1st: German Dragons Team A - 4:22:01
2nd: Friends United Dragonboat Club - 4:31:47
3rd: REACH Dragons Team B - 4:33:18
4th: SUNDAY DRAGONS TEAM A - 4:36:33
5th: Tanglin-Cairnhill CSC - 4:45:10
6th: Silent Dragons @ Sembawang - 4:55:91

National Championship Mixed Semi-Finals (20-crew)
1st: Austcham Paddle Club Team A - 3:29:79
2nd: Singapore Paddle Club - 3:30:27
3rd: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B - 3:39:68
4th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 3:45:45
5th: NUS Alumni - 3:47:52
6th: British Dragons Singapore - 3:49:27

National Championship Mixed Minor Finals (20-crew)
1st: Mountbatten CSC Team B - 3:36:28
2nd: PLK Paddlers - 3:37:14
3rd: NTU Team A - 3:47:08
4th: Temasek Polytechnic - 3:46:07
5th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 3:48:65
6th: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B - 3:54:18

Inter Business Houses & Clubs Open Plate Finals (10-crew)
1st: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 4:30:43
2nd: Tampines North CSC Team A - 4:30:87
3rd: Canadian Dragon Boat Team A - 4:32:34
4th: REACH Dragons Team B - 4:38:14
5th: Filipino Dragons (Singapore) Team B - 4:39:38
6th: PA Water Venture - 4:42:32

If you liked the salad today....

2010-07-10T19:19:00.003+08:00

Big thank you to Chin Mien for the fantastic and super nice salad! I'm sure all of us who had some will agree with me. =)

Here's the simple recipe:

MH Workout Meal: Tuna Salad

Fuel up and activate your recovery systems with this speedy salad.

(For 1 serving)

BABY POTATOES
How much? 80g
Why? Unlike large potatoes, which have a higher glycaemic index, baby or new potatoes are considered lower GI food. This means it causes gradual and smaller rise in blood sugar, which helps minimise hunger.

CUCUMBERS
How much? 60g
Why? Fresh cucumber is a very good source of vitamin C, which supports recovery and enhances the immune system. It is also useful as a digestive aid and has a cleansing effect on the bowels.

CANNED TUNA
How much? 80g, mashed
Why? Tuna supplies lean muscle-building protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which protect the heart and improve brain functions. Omega-3s also reduce muscular inflammation.

PARSLEY (didn't put cos didn't manage to find it in NTUC)
How much? 15g
Why? Potassium, which is found in parsley, is also known as the “muscle” mineral because it plays an important role in muscle contraction and nerve transmission. It also maintains the electrolyte and acid-base balance in your body.

PINE NUTS (replaced with almonds because NTUC don't have pine nuts)
How much? 30g
Why? Technically, they’re not nuts – they’re seeds. Pine nuts contain iron, a component of haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying and energy-shuttling red pigment of blood.

CHIVES
How much? 15g
Why? Chives contain sulphur, which aids the circulatory and respiratory systems, and can help to overcome fatigue.

THE DRESSING
1 tsp extra-virgin oil
1 tsp mayonaise
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
Salt and pepper

THE METHOD
Mix ingredients well and drizzle over the salad when you’re ready to eat.

*Recipe from: http://www.menshealth.com.sg

Featured Rower of the Month - Choon Kiat!

2010-07-07T15:32:00.004+08:00

It's July friends! As we prepare for the most demanding race of the local dragonboat racing calendar, we decided to know more about our beloved captain, Choon Kiat!

What does Sunday Dragons mean to you?
That is everyting that is related to largonboat. Sunday Dragons is so important to me that if I recalled correctly, I have yet to miss training other than work. I even plan my holidays around training & races. Haha. (yes lah sibeh on....the other person who never misses training is like....Hak Loon lor....)

Now that you are part of the National team training squad, how many minutes do you exercise every week?
err... lost count. haha. more than i would like. (tsk. anyway, in order to reap health benefits, one should clock a minimum of 150 mins of moderate intensity physical activity every week....75 mins per week if you do vigorous intensity...dragonboat is vigorous heheh...for weight loss, 250-300 mins of moderate intensity per week please....of course, diet plays a part too...anything more than 300 mins per week may not work so well...cos research shows that some people start to eat more when they exercise more...)

Do you have days when you don't feel like training? How do you overcome that?

It is macham everyday lor. Then i think of Cindy & Chung Tai then I noe I cannot be like them. hahahaha. (I see that these 2 people are quite impactful to your life....anything to say, you 2?)

Why did you pick up dragonboating? Why not kickboxing, bodybuilding, tennis or some other team sport?
Cuz it is a team sport. luve the adrenaline of crossing the finishing line. Freaking high lor! enjoy every single second every1 tat sits on the boat is working 2wards a single goal. (I'm sure many of us feel the same about dragonboat! that's why we are all part of the team mah...)

Now that dragonboating is so close to you, what will your life be like without it?

haha. err... i oso dun noe leh. any1 got someting to intro boh? (still dragomboating!)

Who is your best friend? If it's Anson, why?

The pig is juz my bitch. Haha. my bestest fre is my wife aka my auntie. she is super supportive of everyting i do. i see more of my team mates than i see her. (so sweet.....)

Of all your boyfriends (Chung Tai, Kaiming, Anson, Alvin), who is most unforgettable? Why?

Tis 1 easy. Chung Tai! cuz he neber fail to fail me. now i noe let's do it = to 1 session out of 10. haha. (err....ok....Chung Tai again...)

What do you do to relax or have fun?

err... actually training with sunday dragons is really bery relaxing & fun. at least for me lor. haha. (I bet you find it most fun when the rest of us look like we are going to die haha!)

What is your proudest moment so far?

err...with sunday dragons is last yr when we did well for the PA paddle championship. That moment I noe we can race with the best if we want to but sadly, most of the time we chose to relax one corner onli. (Sunday Dragons Sa!)

As the founder & captain of Sunday Dragons, anything to say to the rest of the team?

err... i am juz 1 of the many that started the team lah. hope every1 will continue the sport even if Sunday Dragons is no longer ard. (Yep, after all we made many good friends and felt all the benefits from the sport!)

Tell us something about you that few people know.
err... i really hate exercising. (Yea right....*roll my eyes*)

Describe yourself in less than 10 words!
i live to eat! (This is true! heheh...)

SDBF 2010 - Race Draw results for Day 1 (10th July 2010)

2010-07-07T09:09:00.003+08:00

National Championship (mixed 20-crew) Heat 2
Lane 1: Austcham Paddle Club
Lane 2: ITE 1
Lane 3: SAFSA
Lane 4: Sunday Dragons
Lane 5: Hwa Chong Institution
Lane 6: Filipino Dragons Team B
*Total of 6 Heats & 3 Semis for this category.

Inter-Business Houses & Clubs (Open 10-crew) Heat 1
Lane 1: PLK Team B
Lane 2: Sunday Dragons Team B
Lane 3: American Dragons Team B
Lane 4: CareGiving Welfare Association Team B
Lane 5: Prison Sports Recreation Club

Inter-Business Houses & Clubs (Open 10-crew) Heat 5
Lane 1: Sunday Dragons Team A
Lane 2: NUS Alumni Team A
Lane 3: German Dragons
Lane 4: Canadian Dragons
Lane 5: Austcham Paddle Club
Lane 6: PA Water-Venture
*Total of 10 Heats and 5 Semis for this category.

National Championship (Men 20-crew) Heat 1
Lane 1: Sunday Dragons
Lane 2: Austcham Paddle Club
Lane 3: Mountbatten CSC
Lane 4: Police Sports Association
Lane 5: Punggol East CSC Naga
Lane 6: Ngee Ann Poly
*Total of 5 Heats and 3 Semis for this category.

It's Peiyi!

2010-07-07T09:02:00.002+08:00

Alright! Nobody got it right this time...heheh....actually, on a closer look...yes, it's Peiyi lah...

Does drinking ice water burn calories?

2010-07-07T08:56:00.003+08:00

For anyone trying to lose weight, this question is an exciting one! If you simply want to know if your body burns calories warming up the water, the answer is yes. But if you want to know if drinking a lot of ice water can help you lose weight, or keep weight off, this "yes" needs to be qualified with some calculations.

First of all, calories are case-sensitive. There are calories and then there are Calories. Calories with a big "c" are the ones used to describe the amount of energy contained in foods. A calorie with a little "c" is defined as the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.

What most people think of as a Calorie is actually a kilo-calorie: It takes one Calorie to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. So when you drink a 140-Calorie can of cola, you are ingesting 140,000 calories. There is no cause for alarm, because the conversion applies across the board. When you burn 100 Calories jogging a mile, you are burning 100,000 calories.

So, considering that the definition of a calorie is based on raising the temperature of water, it is safe to say that your body burns calories when it has to raise the temperature of ice water to your body temperature. And unless your urine is coming out ice cold, your body must be raising the temperature of the water. So calories are being burned.

Let's figure out exactly what you're burning when you drink a 16-ounce (0.5 liter) glass of ice water:
- The temperature of ice water can be estimated at zero degrees Celsius.
- Body temperature can be estimated at 37 degrees Celsius.
- It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
- There are 473.18 grams in 16 fluid ounces of water.

So in the case of a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body must raise the temperature of 473.18 grams of water from zero to 37 degrees C. In doing so, your body burns 17,508 calories. But that's calories with a little "c." Your body only burns 17.5 Calories, and in the grand scheme of a 2,000-Calorie diet, that 17.5 isn't very significant.

But let's say you adhere to the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day" nutritional recommendation. In 64 ounces of water, there are 1,892.72 grams. So to warm up all that water in the course of a day, your body burns 70,030 calories, or 70 Calories. And over time, that 70 Calories a day adds up. So, while you definitely shouldn't depend on ice water consumption to replace exercise or a healthy diet, drinking cold water instead of warm water does, in fact, burn some extra Calories!

*Article from: HowStuffWorks.com.

It’s spirit that matters, for flag, fans and glory

2010-06-29T22:56:00.004+08:00

22 June 10 The Strait Times
by Rohit Brijnath

THE hottest team at the World Cup, if you factor in ranking and surprise, is also the coolest. New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen, when famously asked about the possibility of a traditional dance before play, replied: ‘Skinny white guys doing the haka! Very intimidating.’

But the skinny white guys are special: They have ensured that ‘Kiwi footballer’ is not quite an oxymoron. Their talent may not glitter, their technical skills may not gleam, still they have a shine to them. It is a spirit that can’t be measured, but a spirit that can be seen.

It is these skinny white guys who England and France, head down in penitence, should go and see. Guys, they should ask, we might have footballing history, we are burdened with louder expectations, but can you remind our teams, swollen with swagger, about football’s spirit. Because we seem to have lost it.

Spirit in sport is like some ancient tonic, it lifts the team and glues them together. It defies easy definition, but we can feel it in a team’s driven body language, in the strength of their runs in the 89th minute when muscles mutiny, in the way they slap a teammate’s buttock in support after an error, in the way, especially, that teams hold together even in distress.

It is the zest of men who put team above individual, a group of athletes who disavow pettiness and politics, who do not fall apart like cheap machinery at the first signs of stress. Spirit is not about winning, it is about the giving of the self to a cause.

Take an example from outside football, from Game 4 of basketball’s NBA finals. It is the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtic’s primary players are benched. They don’t complain. They applaud their replacements.

Later, their coach, Doc Rivers says: ‘They were fine. They were cheering... they were begging me to keep guys in. ‘Don’t take them out! Don’t take them out!’ It was great. That’s the loudest I’ve seen our bench, and it was the starters cheering from the bench.’

The Celtics won the game.

Spirit is Germany at the World Cup, it is 10 men playing as if they were 15. Spirit is the USA surging back from 0-2 down against Slovenia.

Spirit is Lionel Messi, one moment pirouetting in his rival’s box, next moment tackling in his own box. His inspiration can lift his team, but his perspiration binds them. To see the world’s finest player sweat is to embarrass any teammate into action.

Messi is our standard, he carries no offensive air, no stench of arrogance. He is genius worn lightly, he comes to play not to politic, his spirit is worn like a halo.

Alone he makes the French team look like spoilt, has-been heroes whose failure is everyone’s fault but theirs. It is football without dignity from the great nation of Platini and Fontaine.

Spirit is definitely not walking out of practice at a World Cup as France did. Spirit is not abusing your coach, however ineffective he may be. Spirit is swallowing complaint and playing furiously, playing for each other, for fans, for a flag, for pride.

Sulking is what 11-year-olds do when given detention in school. Not footballers living in luxurious accommodation. Want to protest? Wear a black armband, sign a petition, just get over it.

Spirit isn’t mutiny, it isn’t a rebellion as is rumoured John Terry was attempting. An England team stung by calamity was a perfect opportunity for Terry to advertise a united side, not suggest a fragmented one. Immediately, instead of answers to a team’s woes being found, distracting questions arose about a former captain’s motivations. A man of the hour he has been, but now he wasn’t.

Spirit is taking criticism in your stride as Wayne Rooney might want to remember, after castigating booing fans. Yes, spectators can be fickle, and stadiums unfriendly, but booing is also a fundamental sporting right. Not everything can be worship.

Fans, waiting for four years for a Cup, ordinary people dipping deep into their passion and their wallets to travel far, can shrug off losing. It is a lack of spirited effort that affronts them.

It doesn’t matter either if England coach Fabio Capello is wrong, if he should be playing Joe Cole, if his policy of telling players too late whether they are playing sucks. Fact is, even the wrong 11, when representing a nation, have to have the right attitude and play at a 100 per cent, at full, committed tilt.

Spirit is also the coach’s job. Sport is essentially a democratic activity, but coaches are like benevolent dictators. Like a conductor with his orchestra, the coach decides the footballing music his team will attempt, he selects his performers. But no fine music is found without spirit, without the conductor setting the mood for a collective tilt at greatness.

The coach must challenge temperamental heroes, stroke egos and bruise them. In India, a cricket coach once grabbed a player by the throat; John Wooden, the late basketball coach, rarely used an expression harsher than ‘goodness gracious’. It takes all methods to discover harmony.

It is a complicated dance where feet are constantly stepped on and Raymond Domenech, the French coach, has lousy footwork. Spirit he has failed to build, dissension he has let fester. He is not attuned to his men like the Lakers’ Phil Jackson often seems to be, he is not adroit in managing men without indulging them as Alex Ferguson appears.

Spirit is also Capello’s challenge as muttering in, and about, his team rises in volume. Certainly he must listen to Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, for they wear the boots, their instincts speak to them. But listening does not mean appeasing, being flexible does not mean including a player to satisfy sullen stars.

Eventually, a fine balance must be found and wisdom discovered in the words of the American general, George S. Patton: ‘Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.’

But eventually Capello does not play. His men play. Well-paid men. Revered men. Armani-clad men.

Spirit must come from them, they cannot look for blame, or find excuse, but search for a courage within. It is how heroes are forged. The bulldog spirit, they must know, is an English phrase. It is an old one. Now they have little time to prove it still lives.

Spirit is going down to train in the relentless rain, rowing your best in the 3rd set of fartlek, and shouting encouragement to team mates even though you can hardly breathe. Sunday Dragons, I am proud to row with you. -- FJ

Guess Who? VI

2010-06-28T16:58:00.002+08:00

Hello folks! It has been quite some time since the last baby photo was uploaded...alright, here's another one....keep guessing!

Training - 3rd & 4th July 2010

2010-06-28T08:52:00.001+08:00

Date: Saturday, 3 July 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 3.45pm near the boat house for warm up.

Date: Sunday, 4 July 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA, Kallang

*Please meet at 7.45am for warm up. Land training after rowing.

Free Weights or Machines

2010-06-26T20:19:00.005+08:00

Is There a Difference Between These Modalities of Lifting?

There is some question as to whether machines offer the same benefits as free weights when lifting. Some people believe there is no difference between the two while other believe strongly that there is indeed a difference. While both forms of lifting offer benefits, the discrepancy arises from a belief that machines don’t require the same amount of stabilization necessary when using free weights.

The stabilization argument is a valid argument and one of the major differences between the two forms of lifting. The ideas expressed here are not that one form of lifting is better than the other but rather that both have there place in the fitness arena. As an advocate for fitness any form of movement would be better than none at all. Since this discussion is however based on the comparison of the two forms and which one is better let’s take a closer look at each one.

Machines are easy to use, they do not require the same amount of stability free weights do. Machines generally require the user to select weight by inserting a pin in the appropriate resistance level of a weight stack and begin moving the weight along a predetermined path, based on the design of the particular machine. The predetermined path of movement doesn’t require much stabilization so you don’t work the same volume of muscle you would using free weights. This is conducive to a quicker workout since it doesn’t require the adding or removing of weight plates.

Free weights on the other hand take more time to work with because you have to load and unload the plates based on the desired resistance level. If you are lifting heavy you will need a spotter or spotting device to ensure proper technique and safety. When lifting free weights you recruit many more muscle (fibers) groups due to the simultaneous control and stabilization required. It is this stabilization (muscles recruited) aspect that makes free weights superior to machines. Bodybuilder utilize free weights for this very reason, but specialized machines are also used from time to time for change of pace and isolation work.

The bottom line is this: you can reap distinct benefits from each form of lifting. Free weights will build muscle faster and efficiently, but machines do offer fitness enhancements as well. Don’t give up on machines if your goal is to improve your fitness level, machines will allow you to achieve this.

By: Chris Christian
*Article from: http://fitness-trends.suite101.com/

10 Ways to Boost Immune Health

2010-06-20T21:21:00.003+08:00

As we train hard for the race, it is also important that we keep our immune system strong and healthy. The last thing we want is to train so hard and then fall sick during the race weekend. These tips may be useful for us, keeping us fit and healthy for the race!

1. Drink your lemons. Lemon is the ideal food for restoring acid-alkali balance. Drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in water, or adding it to tea, salad dressings (in place of vinegar), baking or cooking, helps maintain the body's internal "climate" at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments. Apple cider vinegar is another great way to improve your body's alkalinity, but the taste of lemons is much more pleasant!

2. Give your body an herbal boost. Hundreds of herbal supplements and tinctures exist to give the immune system additional support. Essential oils are an excellent source of immune-stimulating compounds, and the rawest and most natural form of any medicinal plant, but there are other supplements which can be effective. Fresh herbs and whole food remedies are always preferable over packaged herbs or supplements, since they have a much higher potency and frequency and your body absorbs more of their value.

3. Get a full night's sleep. Everybody's different: your body may need anywhere from 6 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Whatever your personal sleep requirement is, get it! Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin.

4. Eat plenty of protein. Protein is a building block for a healthy body, mind, and immune system. Diets low in protein tend to be high in carbs which convert readily to glucose, spiking blood sugar and stressing the pancreas and the immune system.

5. Drink plenty of water. This is almost, but not quite, a given; most headaches occur because despite the number of reminders, people still aren't getting enough water! Headaches and thirst are both signs of dehydration. You should be drinking, in daily ounces, half your body weight in pounds. (i.e. Body weight in pounds, divided by 2 = number of ounces of water per day.)

6. Stop drinking coffee. Contrary to recent marketing as a source of antioxidants, chocolate and coffee are two of the worst things you can do for your immune system and your health. Caffeine robs your body of minerals and vitamins, and it dehydrates you. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee. A mineral supplement helps to offset caffeine's damage, too.

7. Worse yet is the impact of refined white sugar. If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick. You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight distribution, immunity and your ability to think clearly when you break the cravings and stop eating refined sugar. Many holistic nutritionists consider sugar a drug for its impact on the human body; some practitioners are known to prioritize eliminating sugar from the diet over recommending that people quit smoking. Healthier sugars such as agave and stevia do exist, but avoid artificial sweeteners; they are even worse than cane sugar.

8. Stock up on raw fruits and vegetables for their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre and enzymes. The nutritional content that you receive from raw fruits and veggies is unparalleled. Many vitamins, including C, are antioxidants and will protect cells - including those of your immune system - from damage by toxins in the environment. Dark-coloured produce (berries, kale, broccoli) tends to be higher in flavonoids, polyphenols and other antioxidants. The perfect source of minerals is seaweed, which is sold dried, but can often be found raw (dried at low temperatures to maintain most of the enzymes and nutrients) in health food stores.

9. Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Most of us spend 90% of our lives indoors, inhaling dubiously filtered air and other people's germs, so take every opportunity to get outside. Time spent outdoors in the cold also stimulates the thyroid gland.

Finally...

10. Nurture yourself. Make sure you take time to yourself, spend some time with friends, and indulge yourself in a massage, a hot bath, or an energy work session when you want one. Our bodies respond to our emotions - if you're feeling harassed and anxious, it can manifest in a sore throat or a cold. Create a space within yourself and your living environment for harmony, self-love and joy. Pay attention to warning signs of sore throat or exhaustion so you can keep them from getting worse. Take a "mental health day" every few months to make sure your emotional needs are met. When you're happy, you're far less likely to get sick.

*Article from: http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com

Training - 26th & 27th June 2010

2010-06-20T21:03:00.001+08:00

Date: Saturday, 26 June 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 3.45pm near the boat house for warm up.

Date: Sunday, 27 June 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 7.45am near the boat house for warm up. Land training after rowing.

Coffee Can Save Your Life

2010-06-19T20:53:00.003+08:00

Coffee has been revving people up since the 15th century and with thousands of studies on caffeine, scientists have solved pretty much every mystery besides Neslo (Nescafe plus Milo). Add the cream of that scientific knowledge to your cup to maximise its benefits for…

YOUR HEALTH
The University of Scranton in the US found coffee to be a significant source of antioxidants, protecting against cancer and heart disease. Harvard researchers also found drinking more than four cups daily protects against gallstones and liver cirrhosis. This is thanks to its soluble fibre, which also explains your midmorning toilet visits.

BUT
“Coffee doesn’t provide the same variety of antioxidants that fruit and veggies do, and they’re harder to absorb,” says the Scranton study author, Professor Joe Vinson. And there’s a bitter taste in the post-dinner cup: Drunk within an hour of a meal, coffee reduces absorption of iron and immune-boosting zinc, the University of Lyon found.

YOUR HEART
Easing fears of heartbreaking news for heavy drinkers, Harvard researchers tracked 128,000 people for 20 years and found drinking more than six cups of coffee a day didn’t increase heart disease risk. Even better news: In 2007, US scientists at Brooklyn College found men who drank four cups of coffee a day had a 53 per cent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who never took a sip.

BUT
Caffeine constricts your arteries, raising your blood pressure. “However, if you don’t have hypertension to begin with, the temporary blood pressure increase isn’t a problem,” says cardiologist Dr Matthew Sorrentino. “Plus, the impact on blood pressure tends to be significantly lower in regular caffeine drinkers because their bodies become tolerant to its effects.”

YOUR BRAIN POWER
Beyond merely preventing you from nodding off during that 9am meeting, one to two cups of coffee before tasks can increase your short-term recall and alertness, according to a University of Arizona study. “Caffeine also has a mild mood-elevating effect,” says Dr William Lovallo, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the University of Oklahoma. “That’s because it releases dopamine, which stimulates the area of your brain responsible for pleasure.”
In the longer term, caffeine has been found to slash your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 60 per cent and Harvard researchers have also found that drinking four cups a day can halve your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

BUT
Drink more than four cups per day and that caffeine hit merely relieves withdrawal symptoms rather than lifts your mental abilities above the caffeine-free competition, according to researchers at Bristol University. To ensure your java keeps you full of beans, limit yourself to just two cups a day and sink your mug 10 minutes before crunch time.

YOUR WAISTLINE
Caffeine’s an appetite suppressant, which also turns up the calorie-burning heat of your heart rate and metabolism. “Drinking six cups per day combined with exercise and a low-fat diet can boost fatburning by up to a fifth,” says Catherine Collins, chief dietitian at St George’s Hospital in the UK.

BUT
“Without diet and exercise changes, there’s currently no proof it has any significant effect on its own,” says Collins. That delicious Italian biscotti lurking on the saucer won’t help either.

YOUR MUSCLES
Caffeine pumps up your nervous system, increasing heart rate and breathing, which primes your body for peak performance. And it may also have a direct effect on your muscles. Experts reckon it triggers a release of extra calcium in your muscles, “and this means stronger muscle contractions,” says Dr Terry Graham, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph in Canada.

BUT
“Other chemical compounds in coffee appear to counter-act caffeine’s ability to impact your exercise session,” says Dr Graham. So to achieve these positive effects, you’re better off using caffeine pills or caffeinated energy drinks.

YOUR ACHING HEAD
Big night? Stick the kettle on. Caffeine increases production of stomach acid, helping your body absorb pain-relief drugs more quickly, according to research in the Archives of Neurology.

BUT
Go cold turkey and your grey matter won’t thank you. “Sudden caffeine withdrawal invariably causes headaches, so wean yourself off by cutting your intake by half every other day,” advises Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association. Or swap beans: Arabica beans have about 1 per cent caffeine, while Robusta pack double that. “Roasting reduces caffeine content, so a stronger taste can actually mean less caffeine,” according to the British Coffee Association’s Zoe Wheeldon.

YOUR SMILE
An espresso a day may keep the dentist away. The chemicals in coffee prevent tooth decay by stopping bacteria from attaching to your enamel, Milan University researchers found.

BUT
A scrape could still be needed. “It prevents bacteria from sticking to your enamel by sticking to the enamel itself, which can cause discolouring,” says Dr Amolak Singh of the General Dental Practitioners’ Association. Our tip: Brush with a toothpaste containing bicarbonate of soda to keep your whites pearly.

Article from: http://www.menshealth.com.sg

Training - 19 & 20 June

2010-06-14T20:21:00.002+08:00

Date: Saturday, 19 June 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 3.45pm near the boat house for warm up.

Date: Sunday, 20 June 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 7.45am near the boat house for warm up. Land training after rowing.

Life is.....not so good

2010-06-11T14:50:00.005+08:00

2007

2008

2009

2010

8 more trainings!

2010-06-11T14:13:00.006+08:00

8 more trainings guys! Let's not forget our motivational quote:

"The will to win is the most over-estimated phenomenon in sport. It's not the will to win. Everyone wants to win. It's the will to prepare to win that makes winners."

Training - 12 & 13 June 2010

2010-06-07T23:10:00.002+08:00

Date: Saturday, 12 June 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 3.45pm near the boat house for warm up.

Date: Sunday, 13 June 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 7.45am near the boat house for warm up. Land training after rowing.

Featured Rowers of the Month - The Nanas!

2010-06-07T13:43:00.003+08:00

This month, we feature our most committed rowers: Robin and Cynthiaa! They are valuable assets to the team, bringing with them life experiences, sagely advice, timely encouragement, laughter, optimism and chilled 100+! Their day jobs are a façade. In reality, Cynthiaa documents Sunday Dragons life with her trusty camera while Robin comments on the local dragonboat scene.

How long have the both of you been on the team and what made you join us?
Robin: After I knew MADragons (MA stands for Mediacorp Team A- anyway we only had team A as there were always not enough rowers during the 3 years / I’m still very proud that I was the one who came up with the team name) was going defunct 2 years back, I wanted to join Seahawk as my friend Ah Hock is there and there are enough old seahum in the team so I could join them for veteran races when I reach 40. However I always wanted to be coached by Hak Loon (but not anymore when my name was called repeatedly by him like a recorder that won't stop in every training) and also I wanted to introduce Cynthiaa to db (cos she always complained I spent too much time on db) so I went around sourcing for a leisure team as her fitness wasn't there yet for db. Bingo when on a Sunday after my training I spotted Cindy going for training and Hak Loon was the coach! Much later after I joined the team for the 1st training did I realise that I was totally misled by Cindy!

Cynthiaa: Since 4 Jan 09 (18 months). Robin's passion for DB has definitely made an impact on me (even when he worked the night-shift in his previous job, he still went for training... and DB to him was more important than ermm, "ME"). Fact is I wanted to spend more time with my busy hubby & keep Fit.

(Yep, our most committed rowers were attracted by our fantastic coach. A loss for Seahawk and a coup for Sunday Dragons!)

Both of you have definitely made a huge and positive impact on the team. Especially for Cynthia, from the demure wife and newbie rower to the super fit 21km finisher and number one female warrior of Sunday Dragons! How did you do that?
Robin: The only 'impact' I made was sharing the welfare drinks with others but recently, only a few want to drink the ice-cold 100+ as they are scared of getting a scolding by Hak Loon.

Cynthiaa: I always remember how the team moltivated me (especially CK, Summer, Georgin, FJ, Kennix & Janus… Also Robin lah) and I didn't want to let them down. Also, after joining DB, I hardly visited the clinic (touchwood)… I didn't train specially for the 21km run but did manage to run home from office occasionally, which saved me time, $$… and I still intend to do that until I quit the job. Anyone can do 21km... You can walk and run... hahaha.

(If we did a poll, we’re sure the drinks will be voted the most popular welfare initiative. Maybe Hak Loon is the only one on the boat who has never taken a sip… Thanks for the impressive sales pitch for DB and keeping fit, Cynthiaa!)

How do the both of you maintain your motivation and passion for dragonboat?
Robin: We don't! We are constantly worried that our names will be called in the boat and that already enveloped us with fear to row better.

Cynthiaa: I believe both of us wanted to avoid our names being called during training :P, so we always exchange tips & look out for each others’ flaws during & after trainings… we love talking about DB stuff together...and have made many good DB friends along the way.

(Once again, we see the influence of our coach, haha! Seriously though, we see the pay-offs of your diligent attitude in your rowing!)

What are some changes you noticed in yourself and your other half since joining Sunday Dragons?
Robin: Cynthiaa had to buy new clothes since picking up DB but heng she didn’t ask me to pay. Since I joined SD, I became haolian as I realised many younger peers look older than me.

Cynthiaa: Nothing much ... only realised that Robin is more lame than I thought he was. At times, I really hope he hits the right note at the right time… (And he is harmless, really.)

(Yes, guys in the boat, Robin is referring to YOU. Cynthiaa, we know Robin is humless, since he joined SD and not Seahawk, where the seahums are.)

This question is for Robin: where do you get your brand of humour from?
Robin: It is inherent and can't be replicated. Requires an IQ level of 120 to constantly churn out thought-provoking and highly intelligent jokes. Ok lah, I admit that many a times my jokes were so lame that kids also won't laugh. The fact is, I joke according to the other party's level of understanding.

Cynthiaa: 吴宗宪 (who else?)

(!! You pitch your jokes according the other party’s level of understanding, and we get lame jokes…what are you trying to say about us?? Now that you’ve said it, Cynthiaa…)

And for Cynthiaa: how do you tolerate Robin's humour? How would you describe his sense of humour?
Robin: We brainstorm jokes for the following week at home.

Cynthiaa: I'm a good wife, I just laugh along (sometimes I do roll my eye balls). I've been hearing his jokes for the past 15 years... and surprisingly I still get tickled.

(And Robin tries to implicate, oops, credit, his wife. Cynthiaa stands by her man’s humour. Altogether now: AWWW…)

What does "nana" really mean and where is it from (like banana? or pineapple?)?
Robin: Nana is 7 in Japanese and knowledge in Sanskrit but these are not the answers. Nana is short for nenehpok!

Cynthiaa: Mmm... continue guessing lor..

(The truth is out!)

How much time does each of you really spend on Facebook each day?
Robin: I only spend 5 minutes each day and Cynthiaa is already complaining!

Cynthiaa: Every morning to check for messages and have a game of Bejewelled before I sleep if I’m not too tired… I can go without Facebook.

(Aye, we suppose this does not include times when you upload photos. And we’re sure labelling and commenting take more time!)

Is it really so fun to flirt with each other on Facebook when you are married to each other and live under the same roof?!
Robin: No we don't do that. The fact is Cynthiaa is always hogging our only laptop playing Bejewelled and I sometimes need to add comments to those pictures posted on Facebook to entertain others.

Cynthiaa: Did we??

(Perhaps flirting with their spouse comes so naturally that they do so unconsciously. Will other married team mates try it out and give us the verdict?)

How much do you love Sunday Dragons?
Robin: I was born on a Sunday 40 years ago in the year of the Dog. If Sunday Dragons were named Sunday Dogs, I would love the team even more!

Cynthiaa: As much as I love dragonboating!

(We know you love the team. *wink*)

Describe yourself in less than 10 words.
Robin: Providing entertainment, bridging people, self-critical, love a sport called Dragonboat! (Heng used hyphen, considered only 1 word!)

Cynthiaa: Contented, peace-loving, easy-going and loves Hokkien songs.

Training - 6 June 2010

2010-05-30T17:48:00.001+08:00

Date: 6 June 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Please meet at 7.45am near the boat house for warm up.

Sunday Dragons @ Adidas Sundown Marathon 2010

2010-05-30T16:44:00.006+08:00

On the night of 29th May 2010, a bunch of courageous Sunday Dragons braved the darkness and did us proud, running through the night at the Adidas Sundown Marathon 2010!

Our Number 1 female warrior Cynthiaa getting all ready for the challenge!

Other Sunday Dragons getting all ready to conquer 21km!

But this one seems to have the same problem as Derek....cannot tie shoelaces....

All set and ready! (Other Sunday Dragons who went and not caught on camera: Dylan, Johnny, Adrian, Matt, Wayne)

All looking good....still can smile and pose at the camera....later then they know how to die....

Spotted Wayne!

Surprise surprise! 2 more Sunday Dragons spotted as supporters after the halfway mark! (notice the team's email address below...so smart, can do marketing/recruitment some more....estimated number of runners who saw it: 1,000. haha!)

These 2 were obviously super motivated by it!

Spotted Matt too!

Proud 21km finishers! Nothing much lah....they have completed longer distances before...

Looking good after running for 3 hours!

This one.....forever full of energy!

Good job Sunday Dragons!

Training - 30 May 2010

2010-05-27T14:55:00.003+08:00

Date: 30 May 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Circuit training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am near the boathouse for warm up.

Training - 23 May 2010

2010-05-17T09:27:00.002+08:00

Date: 23 May 2010

Time: 7.45am - 10.00am

Venue: SDBA

*No land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up.

Team Meeting at Killiney Cafe, level 1, Millenia Walk after training. Please try your best to attend. See email for agenda.

Check this out....

2010-05-14T17:11:00.006+08:00

Hello Ladies (erm, ok only a few of us)....

Came across this article which I think is quite good and comprehensive for those who may want to look into training more seriously so they can look like this:

Go to this link below:

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/womens-body-bible.html

Have fun! =)

Diet for sports men

2010-05-14T13:47:00.004+08:00

Diet is one of the important and basic biological needs of man. Diet is the foundation for good health. It is essential for life, growth and repair of human body, regulation of body mechanism and production of energy for work. The above functions of diet can be achieved only through adequate nutrition which should consist of essential nutrients in the required proportion. These nutrients include:

i) Proteins
ii) Carbohydrates
iii) Fats
iv) Minerals
v) Vitamins.

During sports training, the energy requirement of the players will be high as such the diet should be accordingly planned otherwise the players will not have the stamina to withstand the training and the player will show the signs of fatigue which may result in internal and external injuries to the players.

IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION AND DIETICS FOR SPORTS MAN

Nutrition is important aspect for all, especially for sports men. They need balanced food to maintain their stamina. Good food habit provides them energy to perform their activities in a better way.

Sports man should organize his diet. He should take palatable, acceptable, good quality food to maintain his health.

RIGHT SPORTS DIET FOR RIGHT SPORTS MEN

The energy requirement of an athlete depends on the following factors. The right sports diet should have adequate provision for the following:

1. Quantity : Calories according to sports.
2. Quality : Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fluids
3. Variety : Different types of food
4. Palatability : Proper cooking
5. Acceptability : To suit different customs, habits and tastes.

Approximate percentage of calories which may be derived from different components of nutrients.

Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat

1) Light sports 60% 15% 25%
2)Moderate sports 60% 14% 26%
3)Heavy sports 60% 13% 27%
4) Endurance sports 60% 12% 28%

IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR PLANNING A DIET SCHEDULE

The energy requirement of the players is dependent on body size and
composition, age, physical activity, climate and environment.

1.Age :- The energy requirement of adolescent and adults are greater
than that of children and old people. Most of the active
sportsmen belong to growing age group of adolescents and
adults.

2.Sex :- All other factors remaining constant. The energy
requirement of women is relatively less than that of men.

3. Body weight :- Energy requirement is directly proportional to the
body weight . It increases or decreases according to the type of
activity and muscles involved during exercise period.

4. Climate and Environment :- In hot and humid environment, energy
requirement is less. Higher the altitude , colder the climate and
greater will be the energy requirement. Athletes, who undertake
regular motivated physical exercises, develop the capacity to lose
heat efficiently.

5. Physical activities :- The energy requirement of an athlete depends
on the intensity, duration and types of his activities. Based on these, it
could be grouped under four categories.

Group I :- Light sports, Sedentary sports or skill Games
EX :- Chess and carom
Energy requirement :- The energy requirement of athletes doing these sports would be 50 calories/kg body weight/ day.

Group II :- Moderate sports. These sports involve skill, moderate strength and moderate endurance.
EX :- Badminton, Cricket, Table Tennis
Energy requirement :- 60 calories /kg body weight/day

Group III :- Heavy sports. They involve skill, maximum strength and high endurance.
EX :- Boxing, Football, Hockey, Squash.
Energy requirement :- 70 calories /kg body weight/day

Group IV :- Endurance sports. They involve skill, moderate strength and extreme endurance.
Ex :- Marathon, cross country running, channel Swimming and rowing.
Energy requirement :- 90 calories /kg body weight/day

It is recommended by the Nutrition Advisory Committee of I.C.M.R that the calorie in-take of an Indian should be as given in the following table.

Activity

Sedentary work

Men - 2400 calories, Women - 1900 calories
Moderate work

Men - 2800 calories, Women - 2200 calories
Heavy work/Players

Men - 3900 calories, Women - 3000 calories

The following foodstuff consumed per day provides 5000 kilo calories to an athlete

CEREALS - 600 gm
BUTTER - 15 gm
JAM - 15 gm
EGGS - 02 Nos.
PULSES - 60 gm
SUGAR/GLUCOSE - 150 gm
MILK - 500 gm
OIL - 200 gm
MUTTON - 200 gm
CHICKEN/FISH - 150 - 300 gm
GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES - 125 gm
FRESH VEGETABLES - 100 gm
ROOTS AND TUBERS - 150 gm
FRUITS - 150 gm
TEA/ COFFEE - 80/20 gm
SALT - 40 gm
CONDIMENTS - 15 gm

It is better to table a diet chart during the training period as well as the time of Match/ competitions for various sport activities in consultation with a proper dietician.

Proper diet not only helps to improve the performance of the players but also considerably reduces the internal and external injuries.

“HEALTH IS WEALTH ” This saying will suit even more to the sportsmen. The wealth of the sportsmen is their performance. So health plays major role for their stamina and for better performance. Sportsman needs good quality food, fitness and courage.

By: Dr J.RAJAKUMAR
From: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/diet-for-sports-men-222322.html

Training - 16 May 2010

2010-05-10T12:08:00.001+08:00

Date: 16 May 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up.

How to choose your running shoes

2010-05-06T09:11:00.004+08:00

Running is probably one of the easiest sports. The only 'equipment' you really need is a pair of running shoes. Having said that, you do not just need to have a pair of running shoes, you need a good pair that is appropriate for your foot type and running style.

Remember, the only thing that separates you from the ground when you are pounding on the road or sidewalks or trails, are your shoes. So do bear this in mind the next time you are tempted to choose color and/or fashion over the function of the shoes.

An appropriate pair of running shoes is essential to bring you through the distance and prevent you from sustaining unnecessary injuries. So how would you go about choosing an appropriate pair of running shoes for yourself?

For starters, you must know the 'dynamic movement' of your foot when it comes in contact with the ground. I've coined the phrase 'dynamic movement' because your foot is constantly in motion, adapting to the running surface you are running on. The part of the foot that comes in contact with the ground on impact and how your foot rolls after the initial contact would technically determine the kind of shoes you should buy. Of course, your running mileage and body weight would play a part in getting the right pair of shoes for you too.

How does your foot come in contact with the ground?

Heel Strikers
The back portion of your foot (your heel) comes in contact with the ground first and then the foot rolls onto the sole and pushes off from the ball of the foot for the next stride. Being a heel striker, you will introduce more shock to your knees and ankles as your leg will be fairly stiff on impact. Heel strikers tend not to make use of the natural shock absorbent properties of their arch and foot, which are the first areas of shock absorption during a run.

Recommended shoes:
Due to the reduced use of the natural shock absorbers of the arch and foot, it is recommended that running shoes with cushioned heel regions would help lessen the shock and impact on contact. Most cushioning shoes will provide the support.

Mid-foot Strikers
The mid section or the ball of your foot contacts the ground first during a run. The leg tends to flex on contact with the ground, introducing less stress on the knees minimizing pressure on the ankles.

Recommended shoes:
It is ideal to have running shoes with cushioning or padding in the mid section of the shoes. However, there are not many running shoes in the market with substantial mid-foot cushioning.

Forefoot / Toe Strikers
The front (closer to the toes) of the foot is the first to contact the ground. A forefoot striker will also have the leg flexed on contact to the ground causing less stress on the knees and ankle. The running form is much like that of a sprinter.

Recommended shoes:
Similar to mid-foot strikers, the shoes should have more cushioning or padding in the front section of the shoes to help with the shock absorption.

What is your foot type?

Neutral
Runners with neutral foot type have their foot roll inward evenly which is just enough to reduce the impact on contact. Cushioning shoes will be sufficient for runners with this foot type.

Pronators / Over-pronators
Pronators or over-pronators have their foot roll inwards too much such that the impact on contact to the ground is unevenly distributed and more impact is placed on the inside of the foot. Motion control shoes would be most ideal for runners whose foot pronates.

Supinators / Under-pronators
Supinators or under-pronators have their roll outwards more and hence, the impact is placed more on the outside of the foot. Cushioning shoes would be recommended.

Size of Shoes

Runners are well known to have 'ugly' and bruised toes, on occasion with missing toe nails. If you are one of those, your shoes size may not be right for you. There should always be a space between your longest toes to the front of your shoes – usually half a thumb space would suffice or a finger space between your heel and the back of your shoes when you have your toes touching the front of the shoe. The reason for this space is that your feet will slide forward slightly (even if your shoes fit) as it contacts the ground and it will also expand a little during your run.

By: Dr Tan Swee Kheng, PhD
From: http://redsports.sg

Life is Good.

2010-05-03T22:11:00.003+08:00

2007

2008

2009

2010

Featured Rower of the Month - Jackson!

2010-05-03T21:40:00.002+08:00

How time flies! We are into the 5th month of 2010! This month, we speak to one of our newest and most ON rowers of the team, Mr Jackson!

Being one of the newest additions to the team, what made you join us?
Thanks to Alvin's active & persistent recruiting! He asked me a few times near the end of last year if I'm interested to row, and I was rather interested to pick up a new activity. What's more, on top of the exercise, I get to have a nice tan! (Haha, this is probably Alvin's biggest contribution to the team! We are happy you are one of us!)

How has your life changed since joining Sunday Dragons?
No more late Saturday nights! And everytime I see a friend or colleague that I've not met for a while, I will have to explain why I became so tanned.... (Isn't this just one of the best things that has happened to you? heh.)

Tell us how you feel about the sport and the team.
Rowing is much, much more technical than I had thought! And what is really interesting is the team dynamics where people of different sizes and fitness row in unison. Speaking about team, I think the company is really what made the experience so enjoyable! SD is full of funny people and every training session is full of fun and laughter (and sometimes, badly sung songs) (Darius actually sound not bad, Alvin is the one who always spoils it. =/). And oh, here's the obligatory sentence about SD full of good looking people... (Great that you are enjoying the sport! How about getting some of your friends to join us too? Anyway, we ARE good looking, not obligatory ok!)

You have just gone through your first dragonboat race with us. Tell us how you feel about it.
Gone in a flash! It was over before I could think of anything! I think my techniques are not good enough to keep up. Need more training!! And it was also a very wet race! (Thanks Robin!) (Look forward to more races to come!)

Tell us about what you do for a living.
I'm working with the government agency that stamps passports, check car boots and issue ICs. If you dunno, (shame on you), I'm working at ICA. (Please lor, we know ok...we are not only good looking, we are smart people too!) Currently I'm involved in developing operational projects, but am waiting for my secondment to Ministry of Home Affairs that should take place soon.

How did you end up in this profession?
I sold 4 years of my life (and my soul!) to the government for the price of a tertiary education. So instead of pushing paper at some ministry or something, I had wanted something more frontline and interesting. And hence my choice of ICA, where I can catch smugglers, illegal immigrants etc. Ironic how I'm now gonna get posted to do the policy work I had wanted to avoid. (Wah seh! Another scholar in the team! You see, we are a bunch of smart people hor...no bluff...)

What other things do you do during your free time?
I'm doing muaythai, but have not gone for a couple of months now due to an injury. I'll also try to visit the gym twice a week when possible. I also go to the golf range to pop some balls occassionally. And of course, I've to accompany my wife when she feels like going out for a shopping spree! (Very well-balanced, very good!)

We know you are Alvin’s friend. Honestly, what do you think of Alvin as a friend? (you can be honest, no problem haha!)
He is fun to hang around with, cos when you're not laughing at his jokes, you'll be laughing at him! And he sucks at chess. (Ahahaah.....he is just plain stupid! And ugly!)

Tell us something about you that few people know.
I can eat a lot. And I really mean a lot! (Next time ask u to organise team buffet!)

Describe yourself in less than 10 words!
Newbie rower seeking improvement! (Way to go Jackson! Sunday Dragons Sa!)

Team Dinner!

2010-05-03T21:10:00.008+08:00

Almost a tradition for Sunday Dragons, we all look forward to a good meal together after every race.

Well, that explains why we always have unprecedented attendance during gatherings!

Erm...training attendance is never so good lor....haha....anyway, it was a delicious Indian buffet this time after the PA Paddle Championship 2010.

Just check out the pictures!

Nice grilled skewers....eat all you want....quite yummy!

Just looking at them makes people feel hungry....

Not forgetting the free flow naans and curries and other dishes at the buffet line! Everybody eat until very happy....

See all their satisfied looks....

These are the main reasons why Sunday Dragons is so well-known in the local dragonboating circuit....excluding zhenyi of course...haha...

As usual, they must be laughing at how stupid Alvin is.

Even rare guests turn up at the team gathering!

Another rare guest, the legendary flowery shorts Xiao Chun! We are sure he will be back in action with the team full time soon!

Really a big turnout considering the size of our team, 1 photo cannot even fit everyone!

Training - 9 May 2010

2010-05-02T19:55:00.001+08:00

Date: 9 May 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up.

It's Dylan!

2010-04-26T23:19:00.002+08:00

Not much people guessing this one.....was it so difficult? Anyway, the younger photo of Dylan very cute leh....

At PA Paddle Championship 2010....

2010-04-26T22:51:00.006+08:00

Although we didn't do well this race, we did find out some interesting stuff about our rowers......

At 1.15pm - Derek tying shoelaces....

At 2.00pm - Derek still tying shoelaces....

At 3.00pm - Derek is glad that he is almost done tying his shoelaces...
Conclusion: Derek has a huge problem with tying his shoelaces. And according to Robin, he basically has problems with tying things, like tying the knot! haha!

Err....we also have 3 Powerpuff girls wannabes who think that they are very highly skilled and very chio....

The most eerie thing of the day is, these 2 people are more than 20 years apart in age and we can't really tell who is the younger one....

Wah Lau.

Training - 2nd May 2010

2010-04-26T22:48:00.002+08:00

Date: 2 May 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up.

Go Go Captain!

2010-04-26T22:25:00.006+08:00

30 April 2010 marks the day where Sunday Dragons will be really, really proud of. Our beloved captain, Mr Gan Choon Kiat (in the red circle, this has to be his best looking photo ever) will represent Singapore, on behalf of Sunday Dragons, to do our nation proud at the Asian Dragonboat Championship 2010!

We Sunday Dragons are all behind our captain and the National Team, cheering them on to do the country proud!

Go Go Captain! Go Go Singapore!

"Pain is temporary, glory is forever!" ~BLR

PA Paddle Championship 2010

2010-04-24T18:25:00.003+08:00

For a long time since the formation of Sunday Dragons, we didn't make it to day 2 of the race. Here are our results:

Date: 24 & 25 April 2010
Venue: Bedok Reservoir
Race distance: 300m

Open Women's Heats (10-Crew)
1st: Team Rudy Project - 1’42’29
2nd: Endorphin Kayaking (EK) - 1'49'44
3rd: Mountbatten CSC - 1'50'77
4th: PLK Paddlers - 1'53'31
5th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 2'01'01

Open Mixed Heats (20-Crew)
1st: SMU Team A - 1'17'33
2nd: Tampines North CSC - 1'19'22
3rd: Eunos CSC - 1'19'36
4th: SUNDAY DRAGONS - 1'19'66
5th: German Dragons - 1'21'29

Let's really train harder for our next race!

By the way, we forgot to take a proper full team photo this time......=/

Go Sunday Dragons!

2010-04-21T14:16:00.003+08:00

This coming weekend marks the 10th race for Sunday Dragons!

We may not be the best team around but our spirits are definitely high! And not to forget, we are surely one of the most popular team around because the commentators talk about our name almost every race as we make our presence felt in the local dragonboating circuit.

Just ask around, who has not heard of us SUNDAY DRAGONS?

A quote to end off this post:

"The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit." - Ken Doherty

Keep our spirits high and let's aim for the best this weekend!

Sunday Dragons Sa!

About Rowing Training

2010-04-15T15:31:00.002+08:00

Rowing has become popular not only with aspiring oarsmen and women, but with the general population who see it as an effective form of fitness training.

The success of the Concept 2 rowing ergometer has meant that health club members can develop substantial rowing-specific fitness without ever taking to the water. Several events now exist purely to test the competitor's proficiency on an indoor rowing ergo.

Rowing is often labelled as one of the most physically strenuous of all sports, and it's not without credence...

In tests designed to mirror the demands of a 2000m race, caloric expenditure has been calculated as 36kcal per minute making it one of the most energy demanding activities ever studied. It's not surprising then that the aerobic power (VO2max) of elite oarsmen and women is substantial.

Aerobic energy metabolism is responsible for up to 75% of the energy required to row a 2000m race. The rest is derived from anaerobic metabolism, predominately through the lactic acid system with a small contribution from alactic pathways. Muscle fibre type composition in oarsmen and women resembles that of distance runners although they demonstrate significantly greater leg power than other athletes.

Tactically, rowers take a unique approach to race pacing. Up to the first 500m are completed with a vigorous sprint so athletes can look back on competitors. This places an immediate strain on the anaerobic energy pathways, which is followed by about 1000m of very high steady-state aerobic activity. The final 500m consists of an exhaustive, anaerobic sprint. Unsurprisingly, studies show Oarsmen and women have an exceptionally high tolerance to lactate accumulation.
Strength is also important to the rower. Peak power, power endurance and muscular endurance should be the ultimate goal of a rowing training program. Excessive hypertrophy can be detrimental to rowing while peak power, rather than maximal strength, is associated with good performance.

*Article from: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/rowing-training.html

Training - 17th and 18th April 2010

2010-04-11T22:42:00.001+08:00

Last 2 trainings before the race!

Date: 17 April 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Water training only. Please meet at 3.45am outside boat house for warm up.

Date: 18 April 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA (Kallang)

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up. We will be training in 2 small boats.

Guess Who? V

2010-04-07T22:41:00.002+08:00

Ok folks, first guy for all of you to guess! Should not be too difficult.....heheh!

Basketball Legend Michael Jordan's Quotes

2010-04-07T22:32:00.002+08:00

There is an adage that you get to witness history in the making only once in a lifetime. Those who have watched Michael Jordan play would confirm this adage. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan's scintillating performance on the basketball field remains etched in public memory. Get a dose of inspiration as you read these Michael Jordan quotes.

"Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation."

"I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. "

"I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it... I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it's an illusion to me. "

"If it turns out that my best wasn't good enough, at least I won't look back and say that I was afraid to try; failure makes me work even harder. "

"Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. "

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. "

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. "

Information from: http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/MichaelJordan1.htm

Training - 10th & 11th April 2010

2010-04-04T20:12:00.002+08:00

Date: 10 April 2010

Time: 3.45pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir

*Water training only. Please meet at 3.45am outside boat house for warm up.

Date: 11 April 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA (Kallang)

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up. We will be training in 2 small boats.

Quote of the Day

2010-04-04T13:28:00.000+08:00

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. ~ Lance Armstrong

Featured Rower of the Month - Peiyi!

2010-04-03T15:16:00.002+08:00

Hello Folks! Its April and we are all gearing up for the first race of 2010! As we train hard, let us get to know our super soft spoken girl and one of our youngest rower on the team better...I bet quite a few of us don't even know how her voice sound like cos she is always so soft haha!

How long have you been in the team and what made you join us?
About ten months, first introduced to me by my sister. Cause it’s a team sport. I like the energy in the boat where everyone row together. (eh, get your sister to join us lah! Quick quick, can come for trial sessions first mah....after April race ask her to come try out leh...)

What does Sunday Dragons mean to you?
A group of people who are passionate about what they do especially in this sport. (Thanks thanks, I cannot agree with you more haha.)

Tell us about 2 members in the team whom you look up to and why.
Chin Mien and Georgin. Cause Chin Mien is always mentally very positive and Georgin is a very focus and calm person. Both of them (and Cynthia too haha) are like iron woman. (Hahaha....err...iron woman....ok lor....none of the guys in the team impress u? hahah...but i can understand la....just look at them....*sigh*)

Has participating in dragonboat rowing changed you in any way?
Yah physically I have a bump now on my right side permanently Haha but I guess it had made me stronger mentally and physically fitter too with the training sets though sometimes I feel like throwing the paddle into the river. (A bump? Oh my god, hope its nothing painful or what....eh yes yes, i always feel like throwing the paddle into the river too haha....but we always tahan and after that will feel damn good about ourselves....)

Tell us about what you do in school and what's next in your life.

I am a chemistry student soaked in all the toxic fumes, breathing in chloroform and getting myself semi-knocked out during lab. Why I choose chemistry, guess it was the better subject I did for A levels. As for what is next in my life, I am still figuring out before I face a mid 20s crisis haha. (Wah, you sure damn high everytime u are in lab lor haha...)

What other things do you do during your free time?
Volunteer at MINDs teach the children there simple crafts and other sane and normal things any human being will do like eat, sleep, go for movies, read.. (wah volunteer at MINDs....cool leh...sibeh on lah you...)

What is your favourite sport before you took up dragonboating?
Maybe jogging (leisurely haha if that is still considered a sport) cause can activate the cells, see people, see trees and maybe some dog poop on the floor too haha.

Do you have a boyfriend? Tell us about him!
Haha nope. (ok tell us the next time what you look for in a boyfriend we help you keep a lookout haha...)

Tell us something about you that few people know.
Flying bugs, insects, cockroach, anything that has wings and more than 2 legs are my worst enemies. (u mean you are scared of birds and most animals ah?)

Describe yourself in less than 10 words!
A little boring. Somewhat blur. Maybe not so quiet.

It's Janus!

2010-03-31T13:42:00.002+08:00

Heheh...not so easy for this one...did anybody get this right??

About Nutrition

2010-03-29T16:38:00.002+08:00

It’s important for you to eat healthy and eat at the right times because 70% of what you do within dragonboating is about your diet. Today I’m going to explain in detail about the different types of nutrients within foods that you need to be aware of. These are the build blocks to eating right and having a fit body for dragonboating.

Macronutrients
Macronutrients are the food substances that fuel and repair our body. They are made up of carbohydrates, protein and fat. It is only when these macronutrients are in the correct ratios that a person can have a lean, heathy body, irrespective of their total calorie intake. The macronutrient profile, when combined with food timing, is an excellent way to burn both fat and strengthen your muscles for dragonboating.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (carbs) can be broken into two broad categories, simple and complex. Simple carbs include fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (diary sugar), sucrose (white sugar), maltose (malt sugar) and glucose (blood sugar).

Some experts argue that because fructose (fruit sugar) is ‘healthier’ than sucrose (white sugar) large amounts of fruit should be eaten regularly. Although fruit is definitely a healthy food loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals and fibre, eating a large percentage of your carbohydrates from fructose is not sufficient to help you build lean muscle and strength.

Lactose (dairy sugar) is a naturally occurring simple sugar you can eat in moderation if you tolerate it well; however a lot of people do NOT. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest diary products. There are a lot of people who don’t have the enzyme to digest lactose and therefore get gas, bloating, water retention, abdominal cramps and diarrhea when they eat diary products. Dairy products should not be used as your primary source of protein or carbohydrates.
Dairy products contain simple carbohydrates and all simple carbohydrates should be minimised in your diet. Whereas complex carbohydrates include both starchy and fibrous carbs. It is the fibrous carbs (vegetables) you should include in your diet more frequently. Also starchy carbs are often slow release (low GI) and they contain too many grams of carbohydrates and these you should also minimise.

Protein
All animal proteins (fish, meat, poultry and eggs) are ‘complete’, which means they contain all the necessary amino acids. If you are a vegetarian, your diet would combine different plan products (rice and beans) to include all the essential amino acids.

Fat
Fats play a vital role in many processes including primary energy reserves, membrane constituents, hormones, fat-soluble vitamins, thermal insulators and biological regulators. For these reasons, fats are absolutely essential in your diet. Most vegetable fats are ‘good fats’, while most animal fats are ‘bad fats’. Trans fats are the main problem and must be avoided.
Many food companies use trans fats to make their food more appealing. Some examples of these foods include cakes, pastries and biscuits which give it a more solid consistency, and to prolong shelf life. Trans fats are also found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, and snack foods. Like saturated fat, trans fats are bad for the heart.

Try to avoid products that have partially hydrogenated oil listed on the ingredients list and also avoid foods that have high trans fat content e.g. deep fried fast foods and takeaways, cakes, pies and packaged biscuits.

Alcohol
Just like protein, carbs and fat, alcohol is a macronutrient. Whilst training for dragonboating try to minimise the amount of alcohol intake and keep in mind that there are 7 calories in a gram of alcohol. As it is a toxin it is the first fuel to be used during your recovery process and that way you are not getting the proper nutrients into your blood stream if you have alcohol too often.
As you may have realised by now, nutrition plays a huge role in dragonboating. Though, the above nutrition can be applied to any other sport. What is crucial is understanding how it works and then tracking what you are feeding your body.

*Article from www.dragonglobe.com

Training - 4 April 2010

2010-03-29T15:19:00.002+08:00

Date: 4 April 2010

Time: 7.45am - 11.00am

Venue: SDBA (Kallang)

*Land training after rowing. Please meet at 7.45am inside SDBA for warm up. We will be training in 2 small boats.

Training - 28 March 2010

2010-03-24T11:38:00.001+08:00

Date: 28 March 2010

Time: 8.45am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am outside SDBA for warm up.

Will it kill you to exercise?

2010-03-17T13:47:00.003+08:00

Experienced marathon runners, professional athletes and people who work out religiously are those we expect to be at the top rung of the fitness ladder. So when they suddenly die – like 42-year-old Deutsche Telekom Asia chief executive Lee Wee Sing did during the Osim Singapore International Triathlon – it is a matter of much concern and speculation. Heart diseases are often silent in young people, manifesting only during rigorous exercise, and leading to a cardiac arrest and sudden death. We explore some of the hidden conditions that could spell your final workout.

HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY (HCM)
This is a congenital problem where parts of the heart muscle get thicker, causing difficulty in the pumping of blood. According to a report in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, HCM represented a common cause of sudden death in young and previously undiagnosed male athletes. A person with HCM does not experience any symptoms; the first sign is unfortunately death.

Some people may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting spells or dizziness, which must be taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly. Detailed history taken by a physician about early death in the family due to cardiac reasons may provide a clue to this problem.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD)
While exercise is said to prevent CAD, it could also trigger a heart attack in those who already have fat deposits in the arteries of the heart or the coronaries. Besides, a person who exercises could have other pre-existing risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol levels and the like, increasing the overall chances of CAD.

Congenital defects in the coronary arteries can also compromise the blood and oxygen supply to the heart during exercise resulting in anginal pain (chest discomfort), myocardial infarction (death of a part of the heart muscle) or an abnormality in heart rhythm, causing sudden death. Such conditions are more common in the younger population compared to atherosclerotic coronary disease (thickening of the artery wall due to fatty build-up). This can be diagnosed by examining those who experience cardiac complaints like chest pain or fainting spells with a treadmill stress test and coronary angiogram.

MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE (MVP)
According to a report in the Singapore Medical Journal, MVP is one of the common heart valve problems affecting 5 to 15 per cent of the general population, where the valve separating the left atrium from the left ventricle is floppy. When the left ventricle contracts to pump blood out to the body, some of this blood regurgitates back into the atrium. Usually this is a harmless problem, but in some cases the heart’s electrical system gets hampered, giving rise to arrhythmias in the form of innocent missed beats or improper pumping by the ventricle, which can be fatal. Defibrillation pads used at this stage can put the heart back in its normal rhythm and save the victim’s life.

ARRHYTHMIAS
In most cardiac causes of sudden death during exercise, abnormal rhythm is the final cause of cardiac arrest. This could be due to HCM, CAD or MVP. However, the conduction pathways in the heart responsible for maintaining normal heartbeat can have congenital defects, leading to conduction abnormalities, which could end up fatal. These people experience palpitations and an electrocardiogram (ECG) may pick up some abnormalities. Death due to conduction disorders are tough to diagnose on post-mortem. If in a case of sudden death on exertion and there is no evidence of infarction, inflammation of the wall of the heart or of cardiomyopathy, then it could be assumed that the death was due to arrhythmia.

MYOCARDITIS
Inflammation of the heart can lead to rhythm problems that can cause sudden death. Athletes rarely let fever pose as an excuse for missing a run or a workout. In the rare chance that this fever is due to myocarditis, exercise can trigger a fatal arrhythmia. To be on the safe side, any exertion should be avoided during a fever or when you are recovering from illness.

EXERCISE-INDUCED HYPOGLYCAEMIA
In Type 1 diabetes patients who are on insulin, the increased insulin in the blood can cause lowered blood sugar during, immediately after, or six to 12 hours after exercise. Severe hypoglycaemia can be prevented by not exercising when insulin is peaking and by taking insulin in the subcutaneous fat layer. According to the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association, it is important to carry a fast-absorbed carbohydrate source and to monitor blood glucose regularly before and after exercise. Eat extra carbs before exercise if your blood glucose level is less than 100mg/dl. Any symptoms like fainting or chest pain on exertion, or palpitations with chest pain or breathlessness should be taken as a serious warning signal to see a physician and get a complete examination.

*Article from www.menshealth.com.sg

Training - 21 March 2010 & Additional Training

2010-03-14T20:06:00.002+08:00

Date: 21 March 2010

Time: 8.45am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am outside SDBA for warm up.

We will also be having additional training leading up to PA Paddle Championship on 24th & 25th April 2010. Please take note of the training slots for April below and hope to see all of you at training for the final preparations before our first race of the year!

Mixed-20 crew training at bedok reservoir, 3.45pm-6pm
Saturday, 10th & 17th April (Please meet at the boathouse)

10-crew training at SDBA (Kallang), 7.45am-11am
Sunday, 4th, 11th & 18th April (Please meet in SDBA)

Sunday Dragons Sa!

Guess Who? IV

2010-03-10T21:23:00.002+08:00

Hello fellow Sunday Dragons! Time for a challenge! Let's see who can get this right....heheh...

Training - 14 March 2010

2010-03-07T22:20:00.001+08:00

Date: 14 March 2010

Time: 8.45am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am outside SDBA for warm up.

Featured Rower of the Month - Matt!

2010-03-07T21:59:00.004+08:00

In the month of March, we talk to one of our most hardworking and also one of the quieter rowers on the team, Matt! Oh yes, in case you are not aware, he is a certified coxswain as well. Great asset to the team. =)

How did you get to know about Sunday Dragons?

It was by fate that I joined Sunday Dragons. I met one of the Sunday Dragons rower, Kai Ming (ex-rower already....maybe you can get him back? haha.) in one of the courses I took with SSTI. Chatted with him over break time and found out that he was with Sunday Dragons. He invited me to join in and I agreed. Totally by chance. (We are all glad you spoke to Kai Ming, that is definitely a special moment for you and the team....fate is such an amazing thing...haha!)

How long have you been in the team and what made you join the team?
1 year plus I suppose. I decided to join cos the gals and guys were tough. (Ahem, we shall take that as a compliment. Yes! We are tough! And you are one of us!)

How do you feel about the sport?
Its mentally and physically challenging. I am glad I am in it. I always thought it is a mindless sport. "Just do it", no thinking kind of sports. (Haha, we are sure you are not the only one thinking that way....everybody who tries the sport should feel the same...you just keep getting better as long as you train...)

Has Sunday Dragons changed your life in some way?
Made me fitter, less susceptible to sickness, allow me to know more nice peeps. =) (Looks like joining us is the best thing that happened to you hahah...get your friends to join us too!)

What other things do you do during your free time?
Giving free tuition, resting, ktv with frens, housework and other boring stuffs u can think of... hahaha (eh....yes, not very exciting....maybe being part of Sunday Dragons is interesting enough since we are such happening people to hang out with haha...)

We all know you are going to be a teacher. So why do you want to teach?
I find no meaning in my previous work. Having to work and help people at the same time is a bliss for me. (noble, noble)

How long have you been a vegetarian?

1 year plus. I just prefer vegetables and fruits over meat. (hmm, ok...healthy diet you have...we should learn from you...)

Is it difficult being a vegetarian?
Nope. being a dragon boater is tougher. (hahahaha....yes yes yes, totally agree!)

Tell us something about you that few people know.
I was super overweight when I was in Primary 6. I am still overweight now. (Show us your Primary school photo leh....sure damn cute looking!)

Describe yourself in less than 10 words!
An overweight guy with fats around waist (but will only get fitter!)

It's Summer!

2010-03-07T21:54:00.002+08:00

Well, this one is obviously easy....1 look and we can tell already...after 20+ years still can tell haha...

Training - 7 March 2010

2010-02-28T21:02:00.000+08:00

Date: 7 March 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am outside SDBA for warm up.

Durian Lovers!! THE Fiesta is Back

2010-02-24T20:01:00.000+08:00

http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/promotion-dining.htm

No more tears, Robin!

Check out their Brand new creations for 2010!
Durianmisu - Pure D24 durian pulp is paired with a lavish combination of lady's fingers, espresso and mascarpone, then sprinkled with cocoa powder to present a cupful of sheer luxury. There is no alcohol in this unique version of tiramisu.

Durian Eclair - A generous amount of D24 pulp is sandwiched between choux pastry and drizzled with either chocolate or fondant (sugar icing) for a delightful treat.

Ego is his ally, armour, weapon and fuel

2010-02-22T10:14:00.003+08:00

Ego is his ally, armour, weapon and fuel
Section: Sport
By: ROHIT BRIJNATH
Publication:
The Straits Times 16/02/2010
Page: B9
No. of words: 943 SPORTING LIFE

THE room feels crowded. The world's fittest man, his ego and I are sitting in a room. Chris McCormack, winner of almost every triathlon that matters, says he idolises Muhammad Ali. If you look closely, there is a resemblance.

Apart from the minor fact that he's white, owns a bad haircut and probably a lousy left jab, he's a modern version of Ali. There's no scrap he doesn't think he can win, no rival he can't beat and nothing he won't say to advertise all of that.

Ali wasn't the first to think he was The Greatest, but he said it most proudly and loudly. Elite athletes don't always articulate it, but they think it. This belief they are The Greatest is evident in Federer's dismissive forehand, Kobe's walk, the glare of Woods and Armstrong.

Ego is the champion's engine. At 16, an athletic nobody, McCormack grabs an A4 piece of paper and draws up a list of 28 races he's going to win. The short distance world championship. The Chicago triathlon. The Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. The Hawaii Ironman.

His brothers tell him, "You're a dreamer, mate". Older folk call him an "arrogant little turd". McCormack no longer has the paper. It's in his dad's house in Sydney. It's framed. Every win ticked off. No one is laughing now.

I want to meet McCormack because I've never met the world's fittest man and he said he was. You might think he's a fine horn blower. Actually, he's very likeable, his cockiness doesn't offend, it's amusing, instructive, it's refreshing in an athletic universe of the tedious cliche.

What McCormack presumably means is that whoever wins the Ironman world championship (3.8km swim, 180.2km bike ride, 42.2km run), and he once did, owns the title of "world's fittest man".

But I have to ask, what about the others. Like the Tour de France guys. Naah. "I know some, they can't run two miles." Decathletes? Nope. They have more power but "they run a mile and fall over".

He knows I'm having fun and plays along. He's also, like most athletes, a believer that his sport is the toughest. "We exercise at higher intensity at long periods. If the Romans ever wanted to get a message across the land, someone to hurdle rivers and run, they'd call the triathlete."

Then I show him something from the Net about a fellow called Joe Decker, who is referred to as The World's Fittest Man.Apparently, in one 24-hour session, Decker biked 100 miles, ran 10, hiked 10, power-walked five, kayaked six, skied 10 on a NordicTrack, rowed 10, swam two, not to mention an assortment of a few thousand crunches, jumping jacks, push-ups and some weightlifting.

McCormack looks at the paper and goes: "Solid". Then he says: "I never had a crack at it." As if to say, who knows, mate. How can you not like this guy?

Ego is many things to him. It is his ally. He races because he thinks he is the best. Else why race? "If you don't believe in it (your dream), who believes in it?"

Some athletes, he says, are asked, "How do you think you'll go, and they reply, I hope I go well." Hope, he shudders, if you're hoping after 20 weeks of training, go home.

McCormack's intentions are never disguised because coy and him can't sit in the same post code. For him, publicly stating what he wants to achieve is like putting a goal in motion. If it means pressure, then fine, he likes its taste. Uttering his ambitions can also help unnerve an opponent. In a sense, his ego is both his armour but also his weapon.

In Germany once, he's asked how he feels before a race and he says fantastic. Then he reminds the cameras, and thus his rivals, that he's never lost in Germany. They know, but he's reinforcing the point. He's thrusting doubt into the equation. And for him this is the battle, ego on one shoulder against doubt on the other, both jousting to rule the athlete's mind.

There is no coach in your corner in the triathlon. No three-minute break. No time-out. You're alone, he says, out there "on the fine line of suffering".

It is when doubt hisses in the ear, about the training session you missed, about the rival who looks stronger. But ego can resist this, ego can propel you forward one foot at a time. You have to own this self-belief because in suffering there is no one you can turn to, he says, but yourself.

Ego is one last thing to McCormack. It is his fuel. He doesn't care for sports scientists. White coats, he calls them. "These guys with their PhDs, they tell you what you can't do." They tell him he can't win the Ironman Hawaii. He sweats too much and it's humid. He is too big at 78 kilograms, when the perfect weight for it, he knows, is about 69 kilograms.

Can't, they tell him. Can't is not in his vocabulary. He wins Hawaii in 2007. But his ego isn't satiated. At 36, he wants to win it again, just to prove a point to the white coats. They can measure Vo2 max, he explains. "But they can't measure heart." Ali, you think, would approve.

14 Blades The Movie

2010-02-21T21:43:00.008+08:00

Hmm...looks like our guys are very inspired by the movie
《锦衣卫》. Check them out....

紧衣卫 number 1

紧衣卫 number 2

紧衣卫 number 3

Once a 紧衣卫，always a 紧衣卫。

In case you think I'm so boliao to think of this, you are wrong. This is obviously an original idea that only 1 person can think of. And he is none other than one of them, 紧衣卫 number 2.

Haha, have a good week ahead everybody!

MH Workout Meal: High-Protein Salad

2010-02-21T21:13:00.005+08:00

Power up for your toughest workout with this high-protein, low-fat salad.
(Clockwise from top left)

FRESH HERBS (BASIL, CORIANDER, MINT)

How much?

2g, roughly chopped

Why?

They are high in vitamin K, calcium and iron – all of which are crucial in producing glycogen for a healthy liver. This can play a part in weight loss. What’s not to like?

RADISH
How much?

To taste, sliced.

Why?

Its antiinflammatory properties will boost muscle recovery. Plus, it improves digestion and contains almost no calories. Try not to eat too much though; it could irritate a sensitive stomach.

ROCKET LEAVES

How much?

2 good handfuls (30g)

Why?

Rocket is a great source of folic acid, which helps to build muscle – so you’ll have something to show once you’ve shifted that gut.

GREEN PEAS
How much?
50g

Why?

Their high fibre levels stabilise blood sugar levels and reduce mid-afternoon cravings. Peas also provide the nutrients that support energy-producing cells and systems of the body. Just what you need before a workout.

KIDNEY BEANS
How much?

100g

Why?

These health-boosting beans are a great source of cholesterol-lowering fibre, and are high in protein and vitamin C. They also detoxify the body and help with weight-loss efforts.

SPRING ONIONS

How much?

10g

Why?

A superfood and great source of riboflavin, which aids metabolism and iron absorption – key for energy production.

SWEET CORN
How much?

100g

Why?

Sweet corn is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. It also has a low-GI and is rich in fibre, which promotes digestion.

EDAMAME BEANS
How much?

40g

Why?

The only veg with all nine amino acids and a nearcomplete protein. Its low-glycemic index (GI) helps you resist cravings as it will keep you fuller for longer.

THE DRESSING >>
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp light olive oil
1 red chilli, diced

THE METHOD >>
Mix the dressing and set aside in a suitable container. Put all the other ingredients in your favourite Tupperware. Pour over the dressing just before tucking in.

*recipe from www.menshealth.com.sg

Training - 28 February 2010

2010-02-21T21:07:00.002+08:00

Date: 28 February 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am outside SDBA for warm up. 8 more weeks to race!

Guess Who? III

2010-02-19T09:01:00.001+08:00

Alright folks....this one sure is easier....keep guessing! =)

New CNY song

2010-02-17T14:35:00.001+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW5ohDcPvno

Here is 2010's hottest CNY song. Comes with dance steps too

Training - 21 February 2010

2010-02-17T08:46:00.002+08:00

Date: 21 February 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet outside SDBA at 8.45am for warm up. 9 more weeks to first race of the year!

Luck Predictions for the year of the Tiger

2010-02-09T15:09:00.003+08:00

Hi Team! As we usher in the year of the Tiger, thought it will be good for all of us to have a peek into our luck predictions for the year…..so here it is, check this out….

~ RAT ~
Rat in the team: Derek
Secret Friend: Ox
Allies: Dragon & Monkey

Mixed Year – For Wealth & Career
Relationship and reputation luck improves
Excellent prospects in love & marriage
Very good education & exam luck
Can have health worries. Need Cures.
Conflict with three killings
Easily distracted by romantic liasisons
More sociable & friendlier
Life force & spirit Essence is average.

Best Months: October – Wealth
March , December – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: Feburary, April, November, January 2011

~ OX ~
Ox in the team: Dyon
Secret Friend: Rat
Allies: Snake & Rooster

Average Year – Career luck is good
New opportunities at work. Promotion luck.
Can expand business. But stay alert.
Health luck not good. Should remedy.
Easy to fall sick. Look after your health.
Be patient & control your temper.
Life force and Spirit Essence is low.

Best Months: August – Wealth
October – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: Feburary, September, November

~ TIGER ~
Tigers in the team: Yazid, Cynthia, Aaron
Secret Friend: Boar
Allies: Horse & Dog

Difficult Year – Average Spiritual Essence
Grand Duke Jupiter resides in the Tiger direction.
Competitive pressures and intense politics in office
Be wary of the epidemics and cut down on travelling
Health luck not good. Should remedy
Believe in yourself and stay optimistic
Moderate relationships. Less socially active
Financial luck not great
Life force is weak.

Best Months: August, November – Wealth
October – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: February, September, November

~ RABBIT ~
Rabbit in the team: Peiyi
Secret Friend : Dog
Allies : Sheep & Boar

Above Average – Excellent speculative and windfall luck.
Strong inner confident. Positive mind.
Career luck is good but avoid office romances.
Good networking and popularity.
No excitement in love and relationships.
Spirit Essence is good but Life force is weak.

Best Months: March, December – Wealth
May – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: April, June, January 2011

~ DRAGON ~
Dragon in the team: Juliana
Secret Friend : Rooster
Allies : Rat & Monkey

Not An Easy Year – Money flow out easily.
There is betrayal & cheating.
Hard work & determination will overcome financial & work-related setbacks
Jealousy & politicking – be alert & avoid gossiping.
Easily feel like giving up. Pessimistic.
Avoid risky investments. Stay low profile.
Love life is not promising.
Average health, some stress and tension.

Best Months: April, January 2011 – Wealth
June – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: May, July

~ SNAKE ~
Snakes in the team: Edmund, Choon Kiat, Darrick
Secret Friend : Monkey
Allies : Ox & Rooster

Good Year – Great success & plenty opportunities.
Working career is smooth sailing
Avoid too much partying and staying out late.
Socially more active and mixing with people
Life force and Spirit Essence is great.
Health luck is good.

Best Months: April, January 2011 – Wealth
June – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: May, July

~ HORSE ~
Horses in the team: Janus, Wendy, Ryan
Secret Friend : Sheep
Allies : Tiger & Dog

Good Year – but full of stress & strains.
Quarrels and stress create obstacles.
Stay calm. Do not be hasty in making decisions.
Plenty of inner energy and self confidence.
Small success during the year.
Life force and Spirit Essence strong.
Health luck is moderate.
Love luck is strong but you need to be considerate and to avoid arguments.

Best Months: September – Wealth
February, November – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: March, October, December

~ SHEEP ~
Sheep in the team: Darius
Secret Friend : Horse
Allies : Boar & Rabbit

Difficult Year – Double affliction causes obstacles and troubles.
Must have 5 Yellow Cure at home
Good year to lie low. Stay cool.
Do not overspend. Be patient.
Stay focused on your work. Work hard.
A little success but also some set backs.
Need to take care of your health. Eat healthy.
Life force & Spirit Essence is very weak. Need remedy.

Best Months: February, November – Wealth
April, January 2011 – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: March, May, August, October, December

~ MONKEY ~
Monkey in the team: Matt
Secret Friend : Snake
Allies : Dragon & Rat

Not a Good Year – misfortune causes loss, obstacles & difficulties.
Conflict at work and with the law.
Lack of direction. Shortage of success.
Sui Po Star brings money problems and relationship woes.
Take care of your health. Do more exercise.
Life force and Spirit Essence is positive.

Best Months: February, November – Wealth
April, January 2011 – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: March, May, August, October, December

~ ROOSTER ~
Roosters in the team: Adrian, Wee Lim, Alvin, Kennix, Dylan, Jackson
Secret Friend : Dragon
Allies : Ox & Snake

Good Year – filled with achievements and developments.
Promise of increase of wealth & money.
Upward mobility & superlative success.
Busy and constantly moving around.
New Growth & creativity.
Love luck is good. No problem here.
Life force and Spirit Essence is strong.

Best Months: July – Wealth
September – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: August, October

~ DOG ~
Dogs in the team: Johnny, Summer, Georgin, Fengjie, Dianne
Secret Friend : Rabbit
Allies : Horse & Tiger

Mixed Year – small wealth & success luck
Good opportunities for establishing long term projects.
Be careful of whom you trust. You need allies and good relationships.
Love luck is unstable.
Exercise more and be careful of what you eat.
Happy occasions and small victories during the year.
Avoid making too many major decisions this year. Stay confident.
Life force and Spirit Essence is weak.

Best Months: June – Wealth
August – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: March, July, September, December

~ PIG ~
Pig in the team: nil
Secret Friend : Tiger
Allies : Rabbit & Sheep

Average Year – Lack of vitality, physically and mentally.
Will get support from colleagues and subordinates.
Stay low key & do not simply trust people to avoid being cheated.
Gains from short term investment.
Health is average but better to eat at home.
Life force and Spirit Essence is average

Best Months: June – Wealth
August – Windfall / Money

Bad Months: March, July, September, December

*Reference from Lilian Too

It's Fengjie!

2010-02-07T21:36:00.003+08:00

Alright, the answer is out! Fengjie!

Look out for the next one.....=)

Training Break on 14 February 2010

2010-02-07T21:15:00.003+08:00

Hi Team,

In view of the Chinese New Year festive holidays, there will be no training coming Sunday. Training will resume same time, same place on 21 February 2010.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Featured Rower of the Month - Juliana!

2010-02-06T11:43:00.008+08:00

Hey all, time for our second featured rower of the month! This month, we speak to our super cool and rare breed of female left rower hahaha....Juliana! Woo!

How long have you been with Sunday Dragons?

Around 10 months. (Hmm....feels longer than that leh....and I'm quite sure quite a few of us will agree with me....see, you create such an impactful presence in the team!)

What made you join the team?

I wanted to join a more competitive team outside the corporate team that I have been training with. I was introduced to Sunday Drgaons and I found it exhilarating and challenging during the trial sessions. I got hooked since then. (Go Juliana! Go Sunday Dragons!)

What do you like most about the team?

The unbeaten spirit of the team. The constructive criticisms, the bickering and non-stop teasings during trainings. And of course my favourite coach, Hak Loon. I have improved so much since joining the team, thanks to the coach and the wonderful team-mates!! (Whilst I am writing this, I have this funny feeling that somehow the boys in the team when reading this, would silently be hoping that one of the reasons I like the team is because of the handsome cute guys...ha! Those interested to find out will have to come down for a trial to see for yourself!) (Totally agree! We are such a fun and cool team!)

Is dragon boating your favourite sport? What else do u do during weekends (when double training sessions have yet to kick in haha)?

Dragon Boating is one of my favourite sports, amongst others like swimming, wakeboarding etc etc. What makes this different is that dragon boating is truly a team sport and there is no one better or stronger player in the team. We row as a team and we either lose or win as a team. What do I do during the weekends? Well, I try to take it easy after the crazy morning trainings with my corporate team and Sunday Dragons respectively. I usually laze around at home with my dog, I read (I read a lot) and/or invite friends over for good food and wine. (Siu Pak your doggie is sooooo cute!)

Tell us about what you do for a living.

I am an office lady working for a bank. (Erm ok.....a highly paid office lady you must be! haha!)

Ok you are not local. So where are you from? How did you end up here?
I was born and raised in Hong Kong - am half English half Chinese. Decided I needed a break from the hectic crazy lifestyle in HK and Singapore seemed the next best option. Haven't regretted the decision for a single day!

Tell us something about you that few people know.

I've had surgeries operated on both ends of my body :p (Erm, u must be injury prone....better take good care of yourself...although you are only 18 haha!)

We all know you love to drink. Tell us what is so good about your favourite drink.

Who says I love to drink!?! (Think I am in denial. Ha!) I think it's more the company of good friends over some good food and wine that I really enjoy. I don't have a favourite drink though on a typical outting with friends, I tend to choose a nice chilled Sauvignon Blanc or a Lychee Martini.

What do you hope to see in Sunday Dragons in 2010?

Win win win win win win win!!! (And more cute handsome hunks!!!!!) (Yes win!!! Erm, for the cute handsome hunks, I'm quite sure the guys think we already have a team full of them haha....)

Lastly, how tall are you exactly (without heels please)?

172cm. Strange question.. why? Thank god you are not asking for my weight. I don't like to lie. Ha. (Haha.....just curious....and the guys in the team who may think they are taller than you, they now know they are wrong haha....)

Training - 7 February 2010

2010-01-31T19:21:00.001+08:00

Date: 7 February 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet outside SDBA at 8.45am for warm up. 11 more weeks to first race of the year!

The Michael Phelps Diet: Don’t Try It at Home

2010-01-28T23:12:00.004+08:00

Swimmer Michael Phelps’s next career may be in competitive eating. Besides grabbing five gold medals at the Beijing Olympics so far, making him the winningest Olympic athlete ever, he’s got to be setting new marks on the chow line.

A New York Post account of Phelps’s… wait for it… 12,000-calorie-a-day diet, gave us a stomachache. Could one human being really consume that much and still be in Phelps’s shape? And could this possibly be healthy for Phelps, even considering his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week exercise regimen?

Here’s Phelps’s typical menu. (No, he doesn’t choose among these options. He eats them all, according to the Post.)

Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelet. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.

Lunch: One pound of enriched pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread. Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.

Dinner: One pound of pasta. An entire pizza. More energy drinks.

Does a diet like this make sense even for a calorie-incinerating human swimming machine? We checked in with Mark Klion, a sports medicine doc and orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He reminded us that the eating game all comes down to basic math.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn exercising, you lose weight. But an athlete like Phelps, who exercises up a storm, has to worry about eating enough to replenish the scads of calories he’s burned. If he doesn’t, Klion explains, his “body won’t recover, the muscles will not recover, there will not be adequate energy stored for him to compete in his next event.”

But what about the choice of foods? All those eggs and ham and cheese can’t possibly be good for him, can they? Says Klion, “I think for him, because of his caloric demands, he can probably eat whatever he wants to.” And besides, Klion says, if you’ve got to eat that much, it better be enjoyable, or you won’t be able to keep up. Phelps might not be so eager to shovel down a pound of tofu in a sitting, Klion points out.

Still, Klion cautions that he knows plenty of athletes who’ve been training for marathons and have gained weight because they thought they could eat whatever they wanted. So it really does take some planning. Some resources on the Web might help, such as this calorie-use chart from the American Heart Association and a calorie calculator from Runner’s World magazine. This calculator from the Calorie Control Council includes a bunch of different activities, from dusting to playing ice hockey.

But these kinds of calculators don’t really apply to a someone like Phelps, who exercises way more vigorously than the typical person, says Kathleen Laquale, an athletic trainer and nutritionist who teaches at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. Even by athletic standards, Phelps is in his own league. Laquale says cyclists in the Tour de France commonly consume a paltry 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day.

*Article from http://blogs.wsj.com/health, By Sarah Ruberstein

Guess Who? II

2010-01-24T19:06:00.004+08:00

Ok folks, 2nd quiz on the blog!

This one not so easy....heheh....have fun!

For our new rowers, you can check out the post dated 20 December 2009 to look at all the rowers' photos before guessing who this person is. =)

Answer will be revealed soon!

Training - 31 January 2010

2010-01-24T18:53:00.001+08:00

Date: 31 January 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet outside SDBA at 8.45am

It's Cynthia!

2010-01-21T22:10:00.007+08:00

Isn't this a giveaway? 1 look and we know who she is....

All of you got it right! Little Cynthia was so cute!!! =)

Look out for the next quiz!

Training - 24 January 2010

2010-01-17T20:45:00.002+08:00

Date: 24 January 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Water Venture (Kallang)

*Land training before rowing. Please meet outside SDBA at 8.45am

The Best Liew Lian in Singapore

2010-01-15T08:57:00.004+08:00

Hi, my name is Robin nana Lim. I always believe that we should share good things with people we love, especially those wonderfully good looking rowers in Sunday Dragons. So here I am with my first sharing. =)

Singaporeans who are durian lovers are a privileged lot cos this supposedly seasonal fruit can be seen all over Singapore almost whole year round. However, there are 2 factors to enjoy a good durian - good harvest and honest durian sellers. Like most typical Singaporean, I am always scouring for honest durian sellers who can satisfy my insatiable craving for bitter durians.

One day while eating durians with some friends, they commented that a durian stall at Tg Katong is worth the money spent for the top-quality durians. So I followed them to the stall at Tanjong Katong one evening.

On my first bite of that legendary Mao Shan Wang Durian, tears welled up in my eyes and I was lost for words to express my ecstasy. Since then, I always have to fight back my tears everytime I have Maoshanwang.

That place I am talking about:
264 Tanjong Katong Rd
Secret Password to good Durians : "Pauline"

It's true!!

Me and my BFF (Pauline) who introduced me to this little piece on heaven on earth!

I may look like I'm smiling, but at the same time, I'm fighting back my tears, same for the guy behind me.

This picture speaks for itself. =) *wiping away my tears*

On Sleep and Power Napping...

2010-01-13T23:54:00.005+08:00

Well, I'm sure all of us suffer from sleep deficiency during the week and enjoy our naps every Sunday afternoon after a gruelling training in the morning. So read on for some sleep facts and what it does to you when you do not have enough of it...

Facts on Sleep

While small children typically take naps in the afternoon, our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep, even those who get enough sleep. Many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking or what we can call the “after lunch” effect. Research shows that you can make yourself more alert and energised with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, gives you better reaction time and more efficiency for the next dragon boat race. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of sleep and how a power nap can help you!

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep per day; 6 hours or less triples your risk of a car accident. (Interestingly, too much sleep–more than 9 hours–can actually be harmful for your health; recent studies show that those who sleep more than 9 hours per day don’t live as long as their 8-hour-sleep counterparts!)

The Effects of Missed Sleep

Sleep is cumulative, so if you lose sleep one day, you feel it the next. If you miss adequate sleep several days in a row, you build up a ‘sleep deficit’, which impairs the following:
• Reaction time
• Judgment
• Vision
• Information processing
• Short-term memory
• Performance
• Motivation
• Vigilance
• Patience

Fatigued people also experience more moodiness, aggressive behaviors, burnout and more stress.

The Benefits of a Power Nap

Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning (though the last two hours of morning sleep have special benefits of their own). The body seems to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.

How Long Should I Sleep?

When you sleep you pass through different stages of sleep, known together as a sleep cycle. These stages include light sleep, deep sleep (which is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself), and rapid-eye movement sleep, or REM sleep (during which the mind is repaired).

Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Also, longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if your sleep deficit is relatively small. However, research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of how long your sleep cycles are, and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle. (It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy, rather than the deeper states of sleep.)

You’ll really feel the difference and if you do feel a bit sluggish after a power nap then you know you’ve overslept.

*Article from www.dragonglobe.com

Guess Who?

2010-01-11T14:10:00.005+08:00

All right folks! The first quiz on the blog. This one is definitely a give away heheh. So no clues given. Keep your answers coming via the comments function. Do remember to leave your name too so we know who got it correctly.

Of course, the owner of this photo should not be participating....hahah....For those who have yet to send me your cutest shots, keep your photos coming! =)

The correct answer will be revealed within 2 weeks so stay tuned!

About Dragonboat Paddles

2010-01-10T21:45:00.008+08:00

Alright, here are some information about the commonly seen paddles around. Thought this may be quite useful for those who are thinking of buying their first paddle or a brand new paddle. =)

The paddles featured below are all endorsed by IDBF202a specs to ensure that they follow a stringent specification so as to ensure fair competition. The choice of materials and construction of paddles give rowers a different feel to paddling.

Wooden Paddles - Generally cheaper but heavier than the carbon fibre ones. Also usually the choice for beginner rowers due to its relatively lower cost.

Typhoon 8 wooden paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Lithunania

Made of topgrade Chinese Baisha and Poplar wood

Varnished T-grip

Oval shaft grip for greater comfort

Finished with imported European varnish

Less than 600g

Grey Owl Carbon Shaft Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Canada

Maple T-grip

Carbon shaft

7 layers of blade lamination

Camberer dash and bass blade with urethane tip

595g

Grey Owl High Performance Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Canada

Laminated ash with bass core

Maple T-grip

3 layers of shaft lamination

7 layers of blade lamination

Camberer dash and bass blade with urethane tip

510g

*if I'm not wrong, most of us are using this now.

Grey Owl Club Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Canada

Solid ash shaft

Maple T-grip

1 layers of shaft lamination

4 layers of blade lamination

Ambered bass blade and urethane tip

630g

*erm, this one also looks like the one most of us are using...so I'm not sure....heheh.

Carbon fibre paddles - Generally much lighter and of course, more expensive. I'm not an expert in paddles but I do know that once you switch to a carbon fibre paddle, you never want to go back to a wooden one. =)

Trivium S12 Racing Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Lithunania

340g, +/- 5% (at 130cm length, including T or sculpted handle)

Carbon Keylarblade

Two shaft designs that allow length to be adjusted, catering to growth of the paddler; hotglue or allen key option

Available in different colours

Ergonomic T or palm grip available

*Think Johnny is using this paddle...

Typhoon 8 Dragonfly Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Hong Kong

Carbon composite with Matte finish

Single piece shaft, no joints

Ergonomic oval shaped shaft for more comfortable grip

Choice of T or palm grip

*Think Alvin is using this paddle...

SimonRiverSports Carbon Racing Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Canada

Carbon graphite material

Sculpted handle for comfortable grip

Round carbon shaft with T-grip

Single shaft standard: 46 inch, specified lengths upon request, ranging from 41-51 or 103-127cm

Ranging from 450-510g on average depending on paddle length

Strong, stiff and light

RAAB Carbon Racing Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Czech Republic

Choice of wooden or carbon T-grip

Anti-slip shaft design

Imprinted branding on paddle blade

High firmness

400g

Grey Owl Jet Racing Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: Canada

Molded carbon fibre composite one piece shaft and blade construction

Foam core blade design

510g

Burnwater Reactor Racing Paddle

Specifications

Country of origin: USA

100% carbon fibre

Ergonomic elipitical shaft

40g carbon T-handle

430-460g w/carbon

*Paddle specifications from PaddlezUp

If you wish to find out more about which of the paddles featured above suit you better, please feel free to check with the expert, i.e. our coach. If not you can always check with our more experienced rowers. =)

Of course, there are other paddles in the market that are not featured here. If you see any paddles in the market worth featuring here, do feel free to let us know. =)

Training - 17 January 2010

2010-01-10T18:11:00.005+08:00

Date: 17 January 2010

Time: 8.45am - 12.00pm

Venue: Bedok Reservoir Park

*Change in training venue due to canoeing event at Kallang River. Team run before rowing. Please meet at 8.45am at the carpark facing the condos.

We will head back to Kallang the following week.

10 Tips for Improving Timing in Dragonboating

2010-01-07T17:29:00.006+08:00

Ok, time to post something related to dragonboat. Not so sure if this is tested and proven but maybe something worth a read. =)

Heads Up.
Don't watch the paddler in front, move with body in front and watch top hand.
Practice long distance continuous paddling.
Get rid of people with big egos or super type As who always put their head down and paddle madly out of sync when you aren't looking or in a race.
Get a coach who will correct anyone when they get out of sync.
Have a common technique for the entire crew.
Reshuffle paddlers within the boat who can't be in sync with the strokes to a better position.
Recover with bottom hands rising to the catch (gives crew a chance to sync up - don't go right in)
Use a common paddle for the crew.
Pushing hard and raising intensity during training without raising stroke rate - teaches stroke rate control while changing power and intensity.

*article from http://www.dragonglobe.com/

2010 Training Schedule

2010-01-04T23:10:00.005+08:00

There might be changes along the way due to race dates & venues.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tPO81nXM1EVtBBEkVkUpRdw&output=html