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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

MR TT Practice 2

Managed to squeeze in some time this morning to go MacRitchie. This time chio BC along to try and follow his pace. The Mrs also came along.

BC said he haven't run for 2 weeks. Thot I could keep up with him for at least the first half - no way - within 20 seconds, he was at least 100 metres ahead. Try as I could, couldn't keep up. Maybe the effect of the food the past 2 days. Reached the half way u-turn point in 12.15m. BC was waiting for me there. Then he took off again. He finished 24:10. Me finished 25:16 slightly off the qualifying time. Don't think I'm ready for this weekend TT. Will try a few more practice run - maybe with Sebas and BC b4 trying for the April.

The Mrs did a credible 32:42 on the woman route. Not bad for a first attempt.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Physio

Wah and I thought I damm fit. Yesterday afternoon physio session was pure torture - macham like recruit days only difference I paid good money to be tortured. The physio made me go through various exercises to strengthen my legs and correct my running posture and balancing. Those with the machines was easy enough. Then came the nightmare:

1) Calf Raise - These I have done thousand of times in the gym - so no problem right? Wrong - the trick was to do 10 super fast immediately followed by 10 super slow for 4 repeats on a slant platform without holding onto the wall for support. At the end of the 3rd set especially after the super slow, my leg was quivering. Worse was to come:

2) Ball Squat - Easy I thot - no way - do the squat and hold for 1 minute (the bugger actually gave me a timer - no guestimation). After 2 squats, the whole bladdy leg was quivering non-stop. Suffered through the 10 repeats

After that the physio laughed and said tomorrow my legs sure pain like hell. He damn right - worse than after the marathon!

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

MR25 TT Practice

Afternoon got physiotherapy at CGH. Took the whole day off tho. Decided to go to MR for a run. Reached there after dropping the Mrs off at work. Weather good even at 9 am.

Decided to do the MR25 Time Trial route instead of the full 11km route since they said a landslide had blocked off part of the trail. Just see what type of time I can do b4 deciding whether to take part in the actual event.

Started off fast and reached the turn to Lornie Rd in 8 mins. Turned up the slope to the road before realised i didn't see the 2nd fitness corner. What a dork! Turned at the wrong place. Wasted all the effort. Ran slowly back to the starting point. Took 22:54m probably 1km short of the actual route.

Went back to the car for a drink and decided to go back for a 2nd round. This time no more energy so ran at normal running pace. Went past the junction where I turned wrongly earlier. Checked the watch. Already 11m +. They said to finish within 25m, must reach the u-turn by latest 12m. Sigh! Nevertheless, plodded on and reached the u-turn in 13.47m. Ran at a slightly faster pace on the return leg. Completed this 2nd run in 26.46m. Console myself not too bad since wasn't going all out and if not for the stupid mistake earlier, might actually have finish within 25m.

Will try again - maybe on 19 Feb.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Run-Laksa-Shop

Joined fellow runners from sgrunners for what is the 'run-laksa-shop' session - a run round the Kent Ridge area followed by laksa at the former Depot Road laksa stall (now at Alexandra Village) and shopping at Queensway Shopping Centre. The run itself was divided into 2 parts - an earlier one starting at 6.30 am to the 'Cantebury' area and the second run to Kent Ridge at 7.30 am.

A total of 13 runners came for the 1st session. Led by DO and Dream, we went to the Canterbury area which turned out to be the area behind Alexandra distripark next to the former Institute of Dental Health. The residences there comprises of mainly black and white bungalows. Very nice and quiet area. We ran a few small loops around the area before turning back to Queensway SC for the second run.

More runners came and off we went to Kent Ridge via Commonwealth and the new expressway. Very scenic especially from the higher ground. We split off later on to run to NUS while the rest who didn't want to go so far, went back from the peak.

All in, estimated we covered about 18 km taking a total of about 2h:20m of running time within a whooping total time of 3.5 hours (stopping to take photographs, walk and admire the scenery).

The laksa was a bit disappointing though. A bit too lemak. Remembered that it was fiery chilli hot previously. Too bad had to rush back to pick up the kids for tutition. Otherwise will have love to stay behind to get to know the rest of the runners better.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

JPMorganChase Captain Briefing

Attended the briefing last evening. The Ang Moh really know how to do things in style. What can be easily disseminated over via email or posted on the net they have to book a auditorium, get some makan and do a ra-ra over the whole thing. This also mean good gift - 1 free Yoga mat. Not bad for 1 hour work!.

Too bad they decided to raise the reg fee to $30.00 Very ex - some more don't allow subsitution. What happen if staff resign?

This year I think can rustle up at least 8 runners from the Company. Got to get them in shape first though.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Therapy

Went for the 1st session of therapy this morning. The physio very professional. Asked more questions than the doc the other day. Did his own assessement of my leg and discovered my problem. After examining the leg, he asked me to do some balancing and squats and found out my right leg (where the problem is) was weaker and also that there were some muscles out of alignment. The weaker leg caused the injury and the muscles alignment was contributing to the pain.

Got the physical trainer to show me some calf exercises and than the physio did the massage. Really hurt like hell. He tried pushing the muscles on the calf back into place but damn bladdy painful. He said he can feel the lump there and the goal is to get in back into the right direction.

Next session next week - more massage and he also promised to show me some exercises to help improve leg power for faster running.

Bonus - he also did a body fat analysis for me - 13.5 and I still think I fat!

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Cbangi Sports Medicine Centre

Went to Changi Sports Medicine Centre to see the doc about the leg. CGH now has a ultra modern specialist clinic devoted to sports medicine - also for people recovering from surgery and weight loss. Headed by Dr Ben Tan. Service is good but seems to cannot avoid the waiting time. Appt was for 9.15 am but only got attended at about 10 am. Why the delay?

Anyway, the lower right leg has been hurting on and off for the past few months. Since this is the low period, decided to go and check whether anything wrong. Lucky, no fracture. X-ray shows all clear - doc said probably shin splint due to calf not strong enough. Prescribed therapy but best of all no ban on running.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Running Lab Thursday Run

The Mrs came today - not too sure why? Maybe she think I never go running but somewhere else or just to spy on me and check out whether got competition. Ha ha I hope not!

Quite confident she can do the run but even more surprisingly, she managed to keep up with Karen all the way and finished the app 8km. Me old man lag far behind.

Also luckily, the ladies from VRP never hatam me for the comments on the sgrunners. whew!

Monday, January 09, 2006

Thailand Land of the Temples

Thailand here I come. Can't believe my good luck. After reading the forum on sgrunners, was contemplating doing the temple run but didn't know how to bring it up to the Chief Commandant.

Then lo and behold, she went and won the first prize of a trip for 2 to Bangkok at her company's D&D. So she said to go during the March school holiday. She wanted to go in the first half but the Running God was with me and somehow the travel agency lady persuaded her to take the 2nd half which means we come back on the 3.45 pm flight on Sunday 19 March - and volia I can now take part in the run!

Best of all - no need to pay for the trip except for the registration fee for the run. The rest the Commandant will treat.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Father in Law

Came back last night to find the Mrs in a lousy mood. Oh-oh - thot she angry I came back late. Turn out she angry with her father.

Apparanently, he wakes up in the middle of the night and shits all the way to the toilet but in the toilet instead of letting go in the toilet bowl - he does it all over the floor. Urgh! The maid threw up whenever she has to clean up the mess. Worse thing is, he has been doing it for the past few days. Lucky thing he's not staying with me otherwise I sure go bonkers. So last night she drove over to Roland's place and took him to see the doctor. The doc said he has dementia but he appears okay- still can remember every thing and even when we last go and visit him. The guy not even 70 but since his so call 'fall' last month - he has been behaving weird.

Me think he is doing it deliberately becos he doesn't want to stay at his son's place and be restricted in his movement. He wants to go back to his own house and then his Thai and Indonesian girlfriends can take turn and stay with him. But how to let him go back. As long as the brace and cast on his hands are not removed - he cannot go home - who's going to feed, wash and change his cloth for him?

Sunday, January 01, 2006

New Year Resolution

It's the first day of 2006. The start of a new year. A time to review the year and plan ahead for what's coming.

2005 didn't start well. Father passed away in the 2nd week of January, than we had the system upgrading project which was supposed to go live by June but instead stretched until November causing me to lose much time for training for the SCM. Then there was the period during August and September that I was sick on and off and caused me to miss the Army half marathon. Hopefully 2006 will be a much better year.

Looking ahead - since it's 1st January and as all respectable people do - a time to make new year resolution, so here goes:

1. To have a body like Jean P VanDame
2. To make a million dollar (to pay for the transplant to get the body parts)
3. To have a mansion with a 30m swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, indoor gym, 12 bedrooms, 16 toilets
4. To make a billion dollars (to pay for the abovesaid mansion)
5. To break the world record in the 100m, 10km and full marathon
6. To make a zillion dollars (to bribe all the officials to change the records and be rich and powerful enough to cover up the bribery without repercussion)

Seriously, just some personal running targets:

Distance Target Time Target Date

1. 2.4 km < 9m:30s 31/3
2. 5 km < 22m:00s 30/4
3. 10 km < 50m:00s 30/6
4. 21 km < 1h:47:00s 30/9
5. 42 km < 4h:45:00s 31/12
6. 5 Km (MR) < 25m 30/6

7. To get the Mrs to take part in the half by December
8. To get Alvin and Alicia to take up running and run 10k by December

Running Target

 

2.4 km Target: 9m 30s by 31/3/06 (Self Time)
10m 00s by 30/6/06 (Self Time - Revised Target)

1st attempt: 10m 44s 8/1/06 Gym(threadmill)
2nd attempt: 10m 35s 4/2/06 Tampines Stadium
3rd attempt: 10m 37s 10/5/06 Tampines Stadium
4th attempt: 10m 13s 13/6/06 Gym(threadmill)
Abandon

5.0 km Target: 22m 00s by 30/6/06 (Self Time)

So far: kaput!

10.0 Km Target
: 50m 00s by 30/9/06 (Race Time)

Failed miserably

21 Km Target
: 1h 47m 00s by 30/9/06 (Race Time)

Ing Temple Run: 1:54:08 19/3/06
Army Half Marathon: 1:58:01 27/8/06
Gave Up


42 Km Target
: 4h 45m 00s by 31/12/06 (Race Time)

So far: Never even got off the ground!


MR 25 Time Trial
: 25m 00s by 30/4/06 (Race Time)

1st Practice: 26:46 24/1/06
2nd Practice: 25:16 31/1/06
3rd Practice: 25:01 7/2/06
4th Practice: 24:48 15/3/06 (done)

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