Official IronmanBernard Profile

Bernard Tang is a 30 year old Banker who can balance a successful career, a gruelling Ironman Triathlon training regime of 6 to 8 times a week and still have time for family and friends.

Bernard has noble plans to raise money for a Children’s organisation, MILK, and also to raise the awareness for the sport of triathlon. His love for triathlon started in 1997 when he was convinced by his teacher from his alumni, Temasek Junior College, to give the Navy Biathlon a try. Being a competitive swimmer from a young age of 4 years old, Bernard is used to the regime of training twice a day, 10 times a week, 52 weeks all year where he has swum competitively for school level, club level and inter-national level. Following a strict training regime has instilled discipline and the hunger to win always, which he has brought into the working world.

Bernard has almost 10 years experiences running 3 businesses which has since been successfully sold or liquidated before moving on to joining the banking industry. As a Private Banker currently, he feels it is no different to running a business where as an entrepreneur, he has managed front-office roles of sales and business development to back-office roles of training of staff and financial accounting.

Outside of work, Bernard is a popular guy who has many friends of all walks of life and diverse nationality and cultures. Having travelled to many countries for his businesses and having studied in the University of Auckland (New Zealand) in a student-exchange programme during his University days, Bernard finds it easy and a joy in striking a sincere conversation and making long-term friends. Coincidentally, the Ironman Triathlon he signed up for and is training for will be in Lake Taupo, New Zealand where the size of the lake is bigger than the size of Singapore!

Bernard is also a big practitioner and supporter of volunteer work. Having done both active work and find-raising for many organizations, for example; leading 40 hearing-impaired individuals on a canoe trip, building drainage and schools for developing countries, giving maths tuition to youths, raising funds for SPCA, Red-Cross, YMCA, MILK, Raleigh International, and several other worthy causes.


Bernard Tang
IronmanBernard
tangbernard@hotmail.com
http://ironmanbernard.blogspot.com

My FIRST MARATHON!!!

It's wednesday in the wee mornings and it's a few days away from the standard chartered marathon. A Full 42.2 km of non-stop running!

I have done a few half marathons before but Never a full marathon. My mission is just to complete it. I'm not even thinking of going hard. My furthest I've ran is 28 km and it was some weeks back. I'm gonna attack this marathon systematically and gradually so that:

1) I dont get injured
2) I can still walk the next day and even start my training for other parts of the triathlon

The most important is the proper rest and sufficient preparation for the race. Water belt, rehydration salts, Power Gels and my handy mp3 player to focus on the music instead of the pain.

Stay tune for the marathon update.




Frame of Mind: Keep on Cranking!

IronmanBernard

One of the many reasons I head to Desaru in JB

Many people know I head to Desaru in the Johor state of Malaysia especially during the Monsoon periods. There are Surfable waves during the Monsoon caused by the North East Currents that head this SE Asian region from around late Oct/early Nov till late Feb/Early Mar. There's a good almost 3 months of heading up every weekend to catch some ridable waves.

Surfing also building up my endurance and ability to paddle in tough conditions during triathlons. Plus I dont feel tired as easily cause it's a sport and game at the same time.



Here's a reason that I head north of Spore. The FOOD. Excellant cuisines you will find for a fraction of the price! It's just the economies of scale I tell Ye.

Cheaper labour and rents means bigger smiles on the consumer's face!

This is a Ba Kut Teh Store which is on teh perpendicular street of Jln Kris (less than 10mins from the Msia causeway) and I would label the street the Holland Village of JB. Heaps of Sporeans. Safer too.

I missed out on the Vertical Marathon this sunday morning as I wanted to concentrate on a LSD run in the late afternoon. My focus is now on the marathon.

Does anybody out there knows how to upload an excel file on the net? Some people have asked and I would like to share my ironman training file to anybody who wants to plan and train smart. Planning is crucial to create focus and also leads to as little injury as possible.







IronmanBernard

Corp Tri

FYI... I came in TOP 10 for the recent Corporate Triathlon. 9th position to be exact out of 190 participants.

My position has improved even though my timing is slower by 2mins compared to last year's. Well... there was almost 350 participants last year. Alot of people are boycotting the corp tri... I can clearly see why... However I shall not publish the reasons.... Maybe TAS should take time to find out. Call me TAS. I'm a regular competitior who's willing to give frank feedback. :)

It's not easy...

I realised it's not easy training for long distance triathlons while colcking long intense hours for work when the financial mkts are working non-stop.

My body is also slowly breaking down due to lack of sleep... hence my slackness in adding new entries to the ironmanbernard blog. My apologies. I dont even have much time for myself nowadays.

I've to either wake up real early to put in the hours for training or do it during lunch or after work. The trouble is a chicken and egg story. If I sleep late as I work late and entertain quite a bit for work... there's boil over effect the next day. I think sleep is impt for any competitive athlete... especially one who is working intense hours.

So I'll end this entry with a quick note... was extremely tired when I reached home at 745pm. Took a nap till 810pm and started running SLOWLY for 90mins. Think I covered only 13.5 kms..... well.... better than nothing.

Time for sleep! :)

Ironman Training

Here's a little preview of my training schedule in preparation for Ironman NZ.

It's an excel sheet I've done up to clock my mileage and to add increment every week. Although the training seems like a short preparation of slightly more than 4 months.

I've been training regularly since June in preparation for the Desaru Half Ironman which was held early Sept 2006.

I will have to figure how to upload an excel sheet so that you can view the details.

Corporate Triathlon tomorrow !!!

Allo everyone!

It has been awhile since I last penned my thoughts. It IS HARD to balance between career, family and a torturous sport like triathlons. People and friends do ask me how I do it. Do what?!? I say... Find the time to train 6 times a week?!?!

How do I do it? Time Management and communication with your love ones!!!! and busting my chops 6 times a week! Thats how I do it!

Work has been really busy but I love what I do. Right in the heat of the financial markets. Big grown man can cry or developed countries could crumble if the markets crashed Big Time.

Anyway, I'll keep this short. It's the Corporate Triathlon on tomorrow and I'm hoping for a really fast time. I did a 1hr 12mins low last year and I was pretty unfit. I've done 1h06mins before in some trifam races but I dont know how accurate their distances are. I'll be happy with a sub 1h10mins time for tom's race.

Anyway.... here's my new ride and it will be going thru it's very 1st virgin race tomorrow morning!