Running Sucks

The headline said it all: "Run faster on Coffee". Reading through the Sunday Times Life section this evening, the headline caught my attention. Experience runners have always warned of the danger of drinking coffee before a run and here was something that ran contrary to the advice. The article went on to describe the experience of 2 runners and the effect the caffeine in the coffee has on their run. Apparently, what works is that the caffeine increases the power output of muscles by releasing calcium that is stored in the muscle. This enables athletes to keep going longer and faster in the same length of time. Caffeine also affects the brain's sensation of exhaustion so in effect keeping one going longer. This is the best news ever. So the next time I head out for a run in the morning, I going to give that milo a miss and have my cuppa!

The last (?) of the team event for this year - the Head Over Heels Couples Run 2009 at East Coast Park. We took part in it last year and enjoyed it so came back for a second round. There was about 200 couples or so who signed up for this run to commemorate the sanctity of marriage. Of course, non-married couples were allowed to sign up as well although in the rules and regulations on their website, there was this qualification: " In accordance to the Ministry of Community Youth and Sports (MCYS) regulations , this event is strictly for heterosexual couples. " Well I supposed time has change and event organiser now has to set out this type of rules from the outset otherwise.... Anyway back to the race. Unlike last year, there were only a few recognisable faces like Mr & Mrs IMD and their brother/sister in law who came down all the way from KL to support this event [bravo!]; Acidburn/partner and Jeremy/partner. Up and rising Sumiko Tan also took part (this time with a di...

Have to clear last year's leave so took the day off. Decided to pop in to MR again. The last time I ran the full loop there was in June last year. My, how time flies. MR has always been a jinx place for me and I approached today run with a little apprehension since I was running alone. What if something sway happen to me again and nobody around to help? Neh.. I wasn't going to let a small little thing like that stop me so . Reached there around 7.40am. The new car park has been up and running for some time and can park in the shade. Good - no more hot car after run. I was also glad to see the construction of the new plaza in full progress. Hopefully, it will include a toilet with shower facilities. Went up via the Little Sister way or what is known as the Northern Trail. The ground was a bit wet. Did it rained last night? I remembered my first time running there so many years ago with Uncle Sebas. I was huffing and puffing as I tried to negotiate the rocky trails with it many u...

Got an email from a friend appealing for donation and support for a guy suffering from a  rare genetic disorder Morquio Brailsford Disease, Spinal Sclerosis and blinded on one eye due to Glaucoma but who intends to travel 200km over 3 days (21-23 Apr09) within Singapore on a battery powered wheelchair, covering places like East Coast Park, MacRitchie Nature Reserves, Orchard, Shenton Way, HortParks, South Bouna Vista Rd etc to raise $200,000.00 for the Spastic Children's Association of Singapore (SCAS) to help people with cerebral palsy under their care. This guy put people like me to shame and deserve my utmost respect.  For more information, to donate or to run alongside him, click here

These posts absolutely cracked me up! Those of you still sitting on the fence and trying to decide whether to take that first step into running - may be these will turn you off forever! or make you so confused that you will get up from your butt and go run that first km This is a gem. Especially this comment: " You forgot to mention that most people look really stupid while running. Beyond what to do with their hands, runners seem to be torn about what sort of facial expression to make. Is it best to look like the running is easy and smile, only to risk bugs getting plastered to your teeth. Or, is it better to have the constipated look, showing how much effort it is to be physically fit" http://www.pauldavidson.net/2006/02/20/why-running-sucks/ This one from an ex-runner trying to return to running: http://completerunning.com/pamalamadingdong/index.php/archives/2006/05/06/running-sucks-and-i-hate-it/ I like this quote from this lady: " I have large "let's give C...

Last evening just immediately after the warm up for the RL run.  The front runners had already took off towards the Esplanade side. The last three ladies were as usual taking their own sweet time to run off running parallel to each other along the wide promenade. Me as usual was still standing around.  Then I heard a loud whack and looked up to see this guy running towards me. He had delibrately kicked at one of the ladies. I was stunned! I think the ladies had blocked his way and instead of giving them a wide berth, he had decided to bulldozed his way through and in the process aimed a kick at them! By the time I realised what had happened he had ran past me. I shouted at him but he continued running. On hindsight and probably because it happened too fast, I should have chased him and kick him.  Even if they had really blocked his way, there was no excuse as a fellow runner to kick anybody. What if she had fell and seriously injured herself on the hard pavement.  Just don't let me...

The second of 3 run events that we (meaning me & M) will be taking part as a team so volia Team Mekko! No prize for guessing what M stands for:) It wasn't a good run today. I like to do a race giving off my best and enjoying myself. It doesn't mean I will go all out but I least I try to put in more efforts and not run it like a training run. Unfortunately though, running as a team means each team members may have different objectives or goals and so it panned out that way today as well. Originally, the plan was for us to run at each own pace as the rules for the team event was that combined time counts. So I had grand vision of finally getting my sub 50. I figured with a flat route, not so many runners - this was my best opportunity to bust the 50mins limit. However, that idea was put to bed when at the start line the MC announced not once but many time over that team members should run and finish together. After the sour face at the Valentine Day's Run, when I heard t...

I have this morbid thinking that one day I will just drop dead during a run be it from a heart attack or an accident. So I am kiasu. I wear bright clothing during night run. Not for me the cool look of the black knight. Most time, I am in my fav colour or white and probably the only people on the roads who can't see me are blind people. But that's not to say that accidents won't happen and I have this fear of being found lying on the road and brought to the hospital and the nurses checking me out and yeeeh, no underwear or worse... torn underwear! So I make sure everything I wear are in order and with holes only in the right places:) Now I am certainly not kiasee. Cos death comes to everybody as sure as day turns to night. But not being afraid of dying doesn't mean I want to end up there anytime soon so I make sure I stay healthy and reduces the odd. But if the grim reaper calls or for some reasons, moi end up in hospital, I do not want to be a John Doe. Also I don'...

The Cold Storage Kids Run kicked off yesterday at Novena Square. The company being a sponsor for the 2nd year running, I dutifully made my way there to witness the launch. Sad to said, the venue was very bad - despite its proximity to the MRT, the crowd was not as big as at United Square. In fact, there seemed to be more foreigners than local there. Anyway, in the afternoon, there was a Kids Hunt where 2 celebrities, Alexandra Duric and Indra Sahdan Daud and their children joined the first 20 registered participants in a healthy food hunt in the Cold Storage supermarket. Me being the company's representative, got to meet up with these 2 nice gentlemen and their so cute children. The hunt was in wave of 5 and of course the first one to get everything in the hunt list wins but everybody goes home a winner cause they get to keep whatever they manage to grab in 5 minutes plus the winner got additional voucher from the company and Fila, the apparel sponsor. ...

The foot had been itching like mad the past days. Probably from the medication that I had been applying to ease the sprain on the left foot. I think it is either the Camphor or the Menthol inside the Eagle brand ointment. Just like the Tiger medical oilment, initially there is no reaction. But after prolong usage, the itch comes. The common ingredient in both these 2 brands are the Camphor and the Menthol. So look like I cannot use them anymore. Okay at least I know what caused this but this... I can't believe it actually happened to me Was walking along the MRT walkway towards office when the right calf suddenly seized up. Yeah, I had a cramp in the morning while walking to walk! How in the world did that happened?  Interesting.  A new but not nice experience. Maybe slacking is not so good for me.Yeah, been slacking big time what with the foot sprain, work and no race to train for... Maybe this is my body telling me to buck up and put more effort into my keep fit regime. 

The first real read competitive race of the year and I choose to walk 90% of it. Ha ha ha. But I had a really nice time this morning helping out as a volunteer. The Mrs and I were roped in to perform what was termed "Run Marshall" ie instead of jagaing at a certain point along the route, we were supposed to run along with the runners and look out for runners who were unwell, lost, etc. Specifically, we were given the sweeper role for the Veteran's race. That mean we had to make sure the last runner complete in one piece. I was given a walkie talkie and I also brought along my ailing compact camera hoping to take some nice shots enroute. The only equipment that I was not carrying was a broom to sweep up the runners and the many roadkills along the roads. After our race was flagged off at 7.45am, we started walking 500 metres later. And that was the pattern throughout although I did play cheat and occasionally dashed ahead or took shortcut to take photographs. Being the swe...