One year has just flown by and it's time for the race of the thousands again, and to meet up with all my good friends and associates in the beautiful land of the kimchi, Korea. How can I pass on a chance like this?!

This year, it's much colder in Seoul. Temperature fluctuates between 4 to 10 degrees daily. A couple of times, I almost caught a cold and had to be really careful to shake it off.

With the racing route moved to Yeouido, it's a whole new experience for me. The elements are really against the skaters this year:

1) Plenty of uphills

2) Very strong winds along the coast of Han River

3) Air polluted by the yellow sands blown over from the Goby Desert of China

4) More than 7000 skaters - too many human obstacles along the way and also resulting in many falling skaters making it extremely hazardous to zoom down the route, especially the downhills.

I was flying with the 1st pack when we started. The Korean gals are really strong this year, they were keeping the tempo fast and furious. With the dry, cold and polluted air, the uphills, the millions of feet to avoid... It was the race of my life

I pushed and dropped... and pushed and forward... and pushed and dropped... mannn... the cold air was so bad that when I decided to take a sip of drink, I actually got throat burn from the cold water!!! Imagine that!!! Never before have I experienced cold water burn!!!

So many people fell in front of me, left of me, right of me, behind me... But I was able to avoid them all At one moment, there was this woman who fell slowly but surely RIGHT ACROSS my path and I was quick enough to literally JUMP over her. No time to stop and help... just continued pushing. Thank God for delivering me. It was one crazy race because there was FULL turnup.... 7000+ skaters. Definitely more scary and exciting than last year, but more challenging because of the dry cold wind and uphills. Still, there were some backwind and I attacked whenever possible. I caught up with the 2nd pack and then it was uphill WITH killer wind to complete the strain It went on like this forever....

During the last 4km, I CRASHED!! Was chasing this skater and was looking on the ground... last minute she changed direction to avoid a slow skater and BAMM!!! I CRASHED right into the slow skater. He fell on my left and I FLEW.... With that kind of fall and I didn't even get one scratch... it can only be God's angels lifting me... My helmet really saved me too. I was rolling all over, but didn't feel anything... was not dazed and only knew I had to go. A quick "Very Sorry" to the poor chap and picked myself up and GO GO GO!! Finally, I dashed across the finishing line and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw my Korean friends waving wildly at me and giving me the thumbs up.

I had the most incredible throat burn... I mean really BURNING!!!! I was happy that I completed the race in good time - despite all the elements.

Then it was off to collect more autograph of course. Wah... I tell you... I'm really really blessed with all the wonderfully nice athletes. They were always next to me and available for my camera... kekekeee

Overall, it's a worthwhile race and I really enjoyed myself.

I want to thank all my Singapore friends and supporters, Korean friends and associates for your prayers and well-wishes. Most of all, thank God for His flying angels :)