Just realised I got a comment from no less than Mr Brown. Mr Brown's article in the Today paper is one of those articles that the Mrs and me look forward to reading every week. I don't know how he discovered my blog - I haven't expect anybody to read it becos how do you search or find a blog out of the millions out there. Other than the famous ones reported about in the papers, I have not been able to search for other local blog. I tried searching using key words but usually end up with irrelevant results or worse no results. Anyway, Mr Brown if you reading this - thanks for the encouragement.
Even though I now consider myself a seasoned runner, his few words of encouragement gave me new motivation to push on because truth be told - I often feel like stopping - why am I pushing myself so hard - to run faster and further with each run - when life is so unpredictable and one can die anytime. Look at all those recent deaths after running cases - most of them are so fit and young yet they just drop dead like that. Why not just eat drink and be merry - for who knows what tomorrow bring?
Everybody need a reality check now and then. Sometime after doing things our own way, one need someone to pull you back a bit - to say "whoa, wait a minute! are you going too fast for your own good". Also sometime when you feeling lousy, you need someone next to you to push you on. And not surprisingly, all my encouragement and motivation have always come from people older than me but most surprisingly from strangers like Mr Brown.
One time I was running at East Coast Park. A guy ran past me and in order not to loose out, I caught up with him. However, his blistering pace soon killed me and I slowed down considerably. He must have been aware of me like all runners are aware of each other and also slowed down and waited for me. We got to talking. Turn out he was slightly over 50 years and had ran more than 10 full marathon. That time I was training for the 2004 Dec marathon and was not confident at all that I can complete it never having run such a long distance before. He gave a lot of tips and advices and I really appreciated that becose to do so he had to slow down his pace to match mine.
Just as a harsh word can spoil one day, a word of encouragement can uplift and turn a lousy day (or lousy run) into a wonderful day.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Running sucks!
Running sucks! No matters how experience you are and how often you run, you find yourself gasping for air as the air get sucks out of you with every step you pound on the pavement. Your side hurt (stitches they call it although I don't see any stitches there), you develop cramp in your thigh, foot and for some in the stomach. For those who run longer distance, your toes turn black and drop off, you start to get pain which never goes anway and your knees seized up everytime you walk up and down the stairs. All in a rotten deal but yet why are there so many people running all over the places?
Just take a walk in any parks on a weekend morning or evening and you find tons and tons of people - the young, the very old, the skinny, the fattest guy who waddles more than run, the showoff who runs barebodied in the skimpiest of short or sport bras, the very fit training for the next competition and the nutcase wearing full body suit with hood. Nowadays, even during lunch time in Shenton, you can see people sacrificing their lunch hours to run.
So many people can't be wrong. And so I slog on, one step at a time.
Yesterday morning, I was at Sentosa practising for the coming New Balance Real Run, which is a 10 km trail run. This time, I was pacing a friend, somebody 10 years younger than me. As I run alongside with him, I reflected on my running journey. I had come a long way since than.
I started running regularly in March 2004 after deciding that I need to beat the middle age blues. As I ran, there came a time when I felt that all this running was going nowhere. So I began to set targets - and km by km, I set out to conquer them. Since then, I have completed the Sheares Bridge Half Marathan, the SC Singapore marathon and this year my target will be to better the timing. Now I no longer consider myself a beginner - a run for me is usually about 8 - 10 km with a longer run on a weekend. I am now able to run faster and longer distance. And most important of all I feel younger at least in mind although not in appearance.
Maybe running doesn't sucks after all!
Just take a walk in any parks on a weekend morning or evening and you find tons and tons of people - the young, the very old, the skinny, the fattest guy who waddles more than run, the showoff who runs barebodied in the skimpiest of short or sport bras, the very fit training for the next competition and the nutcase wearing full body suit with hood. Nowadays, even during lunch time in Shenton, you can see people sacrificing their lunch hours to run.
So many people can't be wrong. And so I slog on, one step at a time.
Yesterday morning, I was at Sentosa practising for the coming New Balance Real Run, which is a 10 km trail run. This time, I was pacing a friend, somebody 10 years younger than me. As I run alongside with him, I reflected on my running journey. I had come a long way since than.
I started running regularly in March 2004 after deciding that I need to beat the middle age blues. As I ran, there came a time when I felt that all this running was going nowhere. So I began to set targets - and km by km, I set out to conquer them. Since then, I have completed the Sheares Bridge Half Marathan, the SC Singapore marathon and this year my target will be to better the timing. Now I no longer consider myself a beginner - a run for me is usually about 8 - 10 km with a longer run on a weekend. I am now able to run faster and longer distance. And most important of all I feel younger at least in mind although not in appearance.
Maybe running doesn't sucks after all!
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Middle Ageism
Read Mr Brown's article in Today (22 July 2005) on middle age. Like him, I went out and bought a load of Star Wars figurines when the movie Revenge of the Sith was run. These now sits proudly in the display cupboard with the Ultraman collections which replaced the tea pot collections.
You know you are old or middle age (politically correct terminology I suppose?)when
1. It takes you 3 months of hard running to lose 0.5 cm off your waist or 1 kg of weight but 1 nice buffet to gain 1 cm and 1 kg weight
2. You thought of having sex every night and that's all you do - think about it cos you are asleep the minute you lie down on the bed
3. You fall asleep in the middle of Friends, CSI, Charmed and Smallville
4. You wake up at 8 am on a weekend morning to watch Astroboy and Justice League
5. Your idea of a night out is supper at the Bedok South Hawker centre eating bak-chor mee.
Then I read in some articles that exercise will increase your metabolism and help to loose weight, keep your mind alert so you don't fall asleep in the middle of the meeting or in front of the telly and best of all improve your sex life.
So encouraged by this and since it was the cheapest and easiest, I took to running. I have never been good at running, running only when the IPPT was around the corner. Even then, it was not a problem passing the IPPT not in good time but nevertheless, still a pass. But not having run since reaching the big 4 and no more IPPT or ICT, when I first resume running at the ripe old age of 41, it was a nightmare! I could barely made 10 minutes and the next day the whole body felt like it was going to shatter with every step I took.
Running sucks!
You know you are old or middle age (politically correct terminology I suppose?)when
1. It takes you 3 months of hard running to lose 0.5 cm off your waist or 1 kg of weight but 1 nice buffet to gain 1 cm and 1 kg weight
2. You thought of having sex every night and that's all you do - think about it cos you are asleep the minute you lie down on the bed
3. You fall asleep in the middle of Friends, CSI, Charmed and Smallville
4. You wake up at 8 am on a weekend morning to watch Astroboy and Justice League
5. Your idea of a night out is supper at the Bedok South Hawker centre eating bak-chor mee.
Then I read in some articles that exercise will increase your metabolism and help to loose weight, keep your mind alert so you don't fall asleep in the middle of the meeting or in front of the telly and best of all improve your sex life.
So encouraged by this and since it was the cheapest and easiest, I took to running. I have never been good at running, running only when the IPPT was around the corner. Even then, it was not a problem passing the IPPT not in good time but nevertheless, still a pass. But not having run since reaching the big 4 and no more IPPT or ICT, when I first resume running at the ripe old age of 41, it was a nightmare! I could barely made 10 minutes and the next day the whole body felt like it was going to shatter with every step I took.
Running sucks!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Old people unites
Just discovered my 11 years old daughter got a blog. Got her to show me how to do this. Can't believe kids nowadays. The things they know. Just 5 minutes ago, was using IM to talk to my 14 year old son in the next room. That got his attention straight away - otherwise he forever glued to the com.
If old froggers like us don't catch up with the young, we will fall behind - at work and in life and the generation gap will grow wider and wider and the young punks in the office will climb all over. The bossess will think we are idiots and make us report to these young jokers if we are lucky or worse get them to replace us!
All people above 40 - rise up and take the challenge - learn as much as you can and keep yourself healthy so that you will forever have the ability and energy to keep up with the youngster.
If old froggers like us don't catch up with the young, we will fall behind - at work and in life and the generation gap will grow wider and wider and the young punks in the office will climb all over. The bossess will think we are idiots and make us report to these young jokers if we are lucky or worse get them to replace us!
All people above 40 - rise up and take the challenge - learn as much as you can and keep yourself healthy so that you will forever have the ability and energy to keep up with the youngster.
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