The day after Langkawi

i always laugh when i watch this video because it's so real !
the day after ironman, even getting out of bed is a a herculean effort...nevermind the staircase and crossing the road.hahahahaha :)

Thoughts on Orthodontics

Not many of us are born with Hollywood smiles.
Orthodontic work is one aspect of dentistry that i enjoy doing because it gives me the pleasure of enhancing someone's beautiful smile.

In all cases, i take the Before, During and after pictures.as well as study models and xrays for references and comparisons as the treatment progresses.

The orthodontic appliances nowadays are easy to use, actively functional and most of all comfortable for the patients to wear.

Pictures above showed a medical student having her braces removed today.
"Yaye!" she exclaimed happily :)

Hello again...after 35 years!

Dad had a surprise phone call 2 days ago...from his friend Mr.AK Lee .The last time they met was 35 yrs ago!
Mr.Lee was in town to do some charity work and he brought along his family.they are from KL.
Before they left Sabah,Dad invited them to our house for dinner.
Naturally they talked about old times...some were pretty amusing !

Denise meeting a new friend at IKEA yesterday. a small handshake and a short while later, both ended up crying.hahaha!

what did i do to deserve this double decker banana?
how about a bike run brick this morning...
i dressed it up with some cinnamon powder n yoghurt..plus a glass of Powerbar Recovery.
mmmmmm.....

Is tomorrow Sunday again?

Sunday is my only day off from work.....but it's always filled with so many activities i am always wishing Monday is another REST DAY!

today a SBR medium long training morning.
made myself lunch ...well actually some roast chicken,baked potatoes, salads n pumpkin soup leftover from last night.
i was ready to jump under the duvet for an afternoon nap when Mum said," Fi....it's your turn to look after Denise!!"
so an hour of babysitting.....followed by a trip to the malls......aka Fiona-can-you-be-the-driver-please?
came home...took Cameron for a walk in the garden then a light gym session to before dinner.

Man ...is it 9pm already?
i better turn off the lights soon....i am tired!

Happiness

"Happiness is a direction, not a place."

i find that when i feel passionate about something, i don't mind sacrificing anything to get it.
It rings true in triathlon....

i treat it as a lifestyle, not training...
i treat it as a relaxation, not torture...
i treat it as an education, not nonsense....
i treat it as a way to help others help themselves...

Stay Healthy.... keep fit :)

Cosmetic Dentistry : Colour selection

Clients nowadays prefer the natural look...unlike the olden days when golden n silver teeth were popular.
So in cosmetic dentistry, the dentist needs a good eye for colour.
Tooth colour selection is not as easy as it seems... as there are many types of materials available
and teeth have different shades n hues from one tooth to another.
To get it spot on, it takes good experience n expertise.

A caucasian young man broke his 2 front teeth a few weeks ago.
the upper left incisor had 1/3 corner of the tooth chipped off. but can be repaired with composite resins.
the upper right incisor could not be saved. a root canal and a post n core was placed into the root canal for added support.

After considerable discussions with the patient, he decided to go for the Empress 2 Full Porcelain crown as i had recommended.
there are many choices of crowns available... but i chose the above for its superior tensile strength , translucency and it's ability to catch the light well.

the patient presented with 2 problems:
1) he has a short lip...presenting a gummy smile
2) the root canal tooth has darkened considerably.

SO in essence, the margin fit of the crown has to be exact otherwise it would look fake. also, i need to choose a colour to offset the darkness of the post n core.

eventually i combined 3 colour shades to make up the final colour of the crown.
2 shades ligther for the main body to offset darkness of the post n core, but kept the margins with 2 yellower tints to mimic the margins of the neck of the tooth.

The patient was very pleased with the final restorations.
he said to me, " hey Doc...that looks even better than my original teeth!"
" thank you !" i said..... as that certainly was one of the best compliments a dentist could receive.

Thank you for reading...keep smiling :)

Fiona's Burritos

hey...share with you one of my favourite lunch menus.
it's easy n fast to make, tastes great n highly nutritious....Burritos!

my favourite vegetable fillings are fresh green salads
tomatos
onions
hummus
avocados.

other fillings that i like are eggs
tuna
chicken breasts
mozarella cheese.

usually i just warm the burrito in a grill for 2-3 minutes (not too long otherwise the wrap gets dry n flaky) .
then i just prepare my fillings. wrap them up n munch munch munch :)

Topsy Turvy Sunday

Have you ever experienced one of those days when nothing seemed to go right?
i have had quite a few of those....
As the events unfolded , i would be cursing n swearing*&%$$%%#^....but as i reflected on them at the end of the day, they always made me laugh at myself!

this morning, as i was pushing my bike towards the main gate of my condo , i slipped n fell HARD on the cement floor of the carpark.
if i weren't an athlete, my hips would have been broken !
A closer look at the floor...there was an oily patch ,possibly an oil leak from a car belonging to one of the tenants.
Bloody hell, it was so painful ! my left wrist was alittle bit swollen as it took some jolt from the impact and the "screws" from my hips are a little loose now....hahaha!
luckily i didn't break anything....i think with a few easy days ,i should be on the mend.

Then as i was already cycling at the outskirts of town ( about 1hr from home) , i reached down for my drink bottles and alas! there was none there...clever me had left them in the fridge ! it was too far from home and there were no shops where i was cycling. luckily on the way back, i found a "Kedai Runcit" and downed 2 WARM coco- cola. Yucks!
wow... i survived a 4hr ride under the hot sun with 2 cokes.... i woudn't recommend that to anyone though!!!

Came home...and the maid showed me my beloved NB 766 running shoes.
My puppies ate them for lunch today!!
hahahahaha.... i hope your Sunday was better than mine :)

Tempting Desserts

Mum !!!!! you are one B-A-D momma indeed!!

Mum made 4 types of desserts for dinner tonight!
here i am trying to keep lean for the Langkawi race and there she is making all sorts of goodies to tempt me :(
needless to say..........i couldn't resist ...no matter how strong-willed i was!!

i had a scoop of fruit jell-o, 1 teeny weeny bite of the apple crumble, 1 tablespoon of the "fish" almond jell-o and lots of rock melon.

.................................................................................................................
today's workout :
3.5k swim
40k bike

My Cheerleaders !

wow ! i couldn't believe it when Dad announced he n Mum would be coming to Langkawi to cheer for me!
this will be their 1st trip to Langkawi island ....and the first time they will actually witness me doing an Ironman race!

i am very excited...a little bit nervous cos i very very rarely have a family support crew at any of my races.
but it's definitely an incentive to swim faster, bike faster n run faster cos they will be watching me!
i have to find out where they will be positioned on race day....cos that's when i have to pick up my pace.......swim like a shark.... bike like Lance ...and then make a 100m sprint when they see me.
yep! got to make it look easy in front of them......then i plan to slow down to a trot when i am out of their sight. hahahahaha :)

i am also very lucky to have my best mate Razani come n support me. He n Zafrul were wonderful companions last year...helping me from A to Z...and never once complained when i get panicky about the race!
they helped me set up my equipment, chaperoned me to everywhere, collected n washed my bike then packed it neatly for me after the race.( not that i was lazy...i was so flipping worn out after the race!)

cycling in the rain !

i don't like riding in wet weather...but it was pouring this morning...i had no choice!
nevertheless it turned out to be a quality ride for me.
today's bike menu was 4hrs ride. 1st hour high revs spinning then about 70km worth of hill work.
i was seeing stars n asterisks towards the last few hills!!@#$%^&%*$*

i have been experimenting with new workouts for this year's ironman in langkawi.
i cut down about 30% overall mileage but keeping my workouts quality with lots of strength work.
Razani assured me that would be better than just churning out the miles.
the thing i found about strength workouts was that i needed more rest n recovery and i needed more prtoein intake.
so far my recovery has been good so i am keeping positive about the race. i am sooooo looking forward to it!
post ride today , i made myself the perfect smoothie : banana milkshake!
ingredients: 1 banana
skimmed milk
banana nut crunch cereals
2 scoops whey protein
ice cubes
all chucked in the blender for 30secs and sipped through a big straw. BURPPPP ! nice :)

i have also adjusted my seat a little. 5mm up and the nose 3mm down.
i found the change made my rides more comfortable.

Razani recently sent me a new pair of NB 902. it's a light trainer racer.
i will be wearing it to run the marathon.

it's a little scary that the race is only 35 days away!

ortho case

my niece Jackie was going off to Melbourne to study.
Before she went, i completed her bracing work in about 9 months.
Retainers were made to keep her dentition in position.
She had mederate crowding in her upper n lower anteriors with the classic "dracula " canines high up on her upper arch.
pics show before ,during n after brace work.

Recovery Lunch

today i did a double run workout : morning swim 3.5km then 5k run
afternoon 10km run.
that calls for a good recovery lunch !
japanese udon n prawn tempura... and some spring onion omelette.
Yum!

this afternoon a special treat to myself... i had a 1.5hr body massage.
i slept right through the massage until the girl woke me up with some deep tissue massage on my legs!
go easy Lady!

Opportunity

When OPPORTUNITY knocks, the man still has to get up and open the door.

everyday we are presented with little opportunities.
did we take it....or did we let it pass?
the little opportunities may result in either an amazing day or just another day....

in my daily life, i try to seize the day.
everyday may look the same , but i choose to maximize my day.
it's about doing a good deed whenever i can, being the best that i can and sharing n helping others ...
the little good things that we do will make up a great day.

AT PLAY,

i have the opportunity to wake up early to train... for i know the sacrifice will pay for a good race in Langkawi.
i have the opportunity to rest n nap.......for i know it will speed up my recovery.
i have the opportunity to practice sound nutrition....for i know the fruits n veges will do my body wonders.
i have the opportunity to stretch n flex.....for i know it would help me to be injury free.

AT WORK,

i have the opportunity to work hard.... for i know my future will be secure.
i have the opportunity to be nice to my staff ....for i know they will be loyal in return.
i have the opportuniy to help my patients... for i know i can alleviate their aches n pains.

AT HOME,

i have the opportunity to spend time with my family n Cameron... for i know they are what matters most.
i have the opportunity to lend an ear... for i know someone may need a listener.
i have the opportunity to lend a hand...for i know someone may need a little help.

did i take these opportunities? it's easy to miss them especially when i am busy and tired!
but it sure makes me think!
So when OPPORTUNITY knocks , i will get up and open the door.

...............................................................................................

today's workout :
bike 60k
run 15k.

Ying Ying at the Lok Kawi Zoo (Sabah)

an educational tour of the wildlife for Ying Ying.
that girl is not afraid of wild animals...in fact i would say the animals are afraid of her!
Ying Ying is known to pick up cockroaches n beetles without fear!