2 Races

Ha ha out of the blue I suddenly have 2 races coming up the next weekend and all on the same day.

Next Sunday morning will be the inaugural Yellow Ribbon Run, a competitive run organised by the Prison Service to support the Yellow Ribbon project. Collected the race pack today which comprises the number tag with champion chip and 1 running vest and also donated some money for some items which some guys there were collecting on behalf of the Yellow Ribbon project I supposed?

In the evening next Sunday will be a charity run, Run Singapore in aid of the President Challenge. For this, managed to get free entry which is why I am going in the first place. Collected the race pack on Friday which comprises 1 shopping bag, a t-shirt, 2 water bottles and a luggage tag or something like that.

Just going to enjoy myself at both these runs. Not going to aim for a good time but just have fun.

Eastside Run

The state of my fitness is terrible. This morning struggled to finish a 12km run during this month Eastside Run. AC Leong was kind and patient enough to be our guide and pacer as me and M and Dewi struggled to keep up with his 'jogging' pace.

My uncalibrated Sportsband showed a whopping 14:45km and a pace of 6.15min per km but actually based on the mapmyrun,



the distance is probably closer to 12km which means even after minusing the walking along the more muddy part of the trail, the traffic light and toilet break, we were still running at about 7.45min pace. Very slow hor?

Think I better find some time to calibrate the darned thing.

New Toy

New toy. But now ain't got no Nike+ shoe to go along with. So means going to get new shoes soon?

Despite the bad review that I gave (read here, here, here and here), somehow I still like it.

This new version comes in black/yellow or white/pink. So sad no more orange.

But I am glad they do away with the black/green LED face. Without light, that was almost impossible to read at night and in dim light. This new version is still without light but at least the LED face is now replaced by a LCD face which is much easier to read although not as stylo.

Hopefully, they will also have fixed the seal so that it is more robust when it encounter water.

Back to the Doc

Finally I get to see a doctor for my foot but the appointment date was so far out by the time it comes around, with the rest that I been getting, the good doc pronounced that since it was healing, to just wait and see. Sigh so was it a waste of money?

But anyway, my intention was to see whether the doctor at the SMC could figure out why all the injuries were on one leg. But after pushing touching and bending the leg, the only things she could say was that it seems to be okay and she couldn't find anything wrong and recommended a gait analysis to see whether it was due to my running gait.

Oh she did said the shin problem was probably stress facture and not shin splint but there was no point in doing an x-ray at this juncture since it appears to be healing.

Okay so I going back to do a gait analysis but only after the ankle has fully heal. And Mr Philip, if you are reading this, remember to make my video 'shwee shwee'. Can add sound effect or not:)

Singapore Bay Run/Army Half Marathon 2009

Darned I should have just ran the damn race. I abstained because I wasn't in tip top shape and has this silly notion that what must be done must be done well or else don't do. So I didn't run and what did I ended with with trying to take pictures of my friends? A busted ankle! Serve me right.

Anyway, 70,000 people did ran making it the largest run event in Sg. So I guess the organiser for the SCSM will want to do something to better that? M was one of those who ran even though like me she wasn't fully prepared and her mileage was low. She lazy bum; I don't run, she also don't run. Weather was good. Got almost 6 minutes extra time of cooler weather since the race was flagged off earlier than 5.30am the scheduled flag off time. I think she did around 2hours 7mins - not an improvement but I supposed that was the best considering her recent stress level so high.

Me also had a difficult time taking photographs. Never knew photo taking can be so frustrating. When the elite runners came back, it was still too late and I had to use flash. But the flash recharge was too slow and I couldn't snap continuously. Also, the auto focus didn't work well because of the dim lighting and I couldn't use manual since the runners were running all over the place. By the time the sun came out, the main group of runners were back and it was extremely tedious trying to look out for friends. By the time I spot someone, they are either too close or blocked by somebody else so in the end, a lot of the photos came out blur or the faces were blocked rendering the picture useless. Sianz, I think I should stick back to running.

Okay back to the SBR/AHM. By all account, it was a well organised race except for the flag off screw up which I noticed was the same for the non-competitive 21km as well. So either my watch is running on kerosene or the General's watch is on supersonic battery. There were drummers, stilt walkers, Transformers and belly dancers (anybody got pic?) as part of the support. Never heard any complain about drinks etc. Probably the only bad thing was the goodie bag. This one really sucks. Some Salonpas sample, the event tee and that's about it. Some people had the race booklet but both of us didn't get it in our pack.

At the end, met up with the large group of Sgrunners and Team Fatbird for a group photo. Here is my take + more on Facebook

Cursed

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. I think I have been hexed or cursed and I am not meant to do any running for this year or maybe the rest of my life.

Just when the shin splint seems to be on the mend, I went and twisted my ankle again!

There I was walking on the other side of Esplanade Bridge watching the runners flagged off when all of a sudden i stepped on an uneven floor and almost went down. With my hand holding the camera, I wasn't going to go down like that and smash it to pieces so I did a sort of mad dance as I scramble for balance trying desperately not to go down. In the end I succeeded but at a high price to the ankle.

What a *&%O)()&%$%!

Pre-SBR/AHM

In another 3 days time, it will be the annual Army Half Marathon now renamed Singapore Bay Run. This is the 2nd biggest running event in the Singapore Runnng Calendar and I have a very soft spot for it despite its poor goodie bag and the crowd.

Way back in 2004, it was my first race. Having started running only in March that year, I was very much a newbie when I signed up for it. Back then, I knew nothing about training methods; fartlek sounds like something escaping from down under and gel was something you apply on the hair and not ingest. I had no branded singlet or shorts. For my very first race, I worn a FBT split short and a 1 size too small Hatyai Nature Run singlet given to me by my good friend and mentor Uncle Sebas and I just went and run. I finished in a time of 2:02:38. It was only when Uncle Sebas told me it was a very good time for a 42 years old newbie uncle but I should have run faster a bit to do a sub-2 that I learnt that there was such a thing as good timing and pace and a sub-2 was better than a 2:01 or 2:02.

From that point on, my innocence was lost[sob] and I no longer run for the fun of running. Every run was a training for some upcoming races. For every race I set myself a target time and since then for the AHM, I am proud that I have never ran past the 2hours mark again despite being older, lazier as the year goes by and perpetually carrying an injury or another.

This year I have set an even loftier standard - to do a sub 1:50 but as things stand now, I will not be at the starting line come 16 Aug 2009. You see, I have chickened out. With the shin only partially okay and grossly insufficient mileage, I know even though I can definitely complete the 21km, I will not be able to do even a sub 2 not to say sub 1:50. So rather than lose my records, I have decided to do a DNS (see after so many years, I can now speak the runners lingo).

But to everybody else who is doing it - enjoy yourself. Smile when you see me. I be rooting for all of you!

Nike LunarGlide+

Been meaning to get the Nike Lunarglide+ cos the latest version comes in my fav color but how does it wears? So jumped at the chance to try it out when Nike did a shoe trial at Bedok Reservoir, leg be dammed!

The trial shoes come in black with orange sole for the men and white with orange for the ladies although from the website, there are more color options available.

The size 12 I got was wide enough. After the experience with the Lunar, was a bit concerned that the width will be too narrow but this one seems roomy enough. We did a short run round the reservoir plus 2 short run up the killer slope covering about 6km.

First feel of the shoe was that it was comfortable enough. At around 300gm, it was light too. Unfortunately, for the most part we were running on the reserovoir trail and the ground was soft so couldn't really feel the extent of the cushioning. It held well enough on the trail though. The short distance and the surface plus the easy pace means that I couldn't really put the shoes to a more vigorous testing but I like what I feel so far.

So I guess I will go ahead and get a pair since the RL is offering a 30% discount off its shoes for the TNR which means the shoes will cost slightly over a $100.00 worth the money if it can survive for 500km.

For a more detail and solid review of the shoe, read this

Still No Good

From 15/9/09 till 28/6/09 (2 weeks) ran 38.1km
From 29/6/09 to 19/7/09 (3) did 25.5km
20/7/09 until 5/8/09 (2.5) another 22.9km

So in total ran 86.5km over 2 months or to be exact 53 days which makes it an average of 34.6km per month or 1.6km per day which means not enough mileage!

Since the pain level for the shin is down to level 1, the PF is also 1 and the ball of the foot problem almost non-existent decided to do an easy run last night just to see how the legs would hold up. Altogether, did just 7km or so in close to 45 mins.

And of course the &#^)__^#* pain came back strongly this morning. The pain level for both shin and the PF shot back up to level 3. There goes my hope of doing the AHM. At this rate, I think I need to sit out the running until end of the year.

Anyway, finally decided to listen to my own advice and made an appt to see the friendly people from across the road. But haha the appt is on 21st which means .... why not just go and piah the AHM on 16th and see the doc thereafter. After all.... hmmmm should I or shouldn't I?

God's Will, Fate or?

Past 3 days as I drove the Princess to school, I passed by a funeral wake and looking at the expanding tentage, I guess he must be a very popular guy and my heart goes out to his family. I don't know him, will not be attending the wake yet in a sense I feel that I know him for like me, he aspires to keep fit and train hard for it. I train hard probably harder than most people since I don't have natural talents and have to work doubly hard just to keep up and sometime I do wonder, will I like him just drop dead one day while running?

Much has been said in the papers and forums about his death and whether it could have been avoided; the usual stuff - train adequately, know your limit, go for health assessments blah blah blah and all easier said than done and so I shall not go into that. Personally I think his death was unavoidable. For that matter, all death. Some people like the Taoist believe in the 生 死 线 where life and death are pre-destined. Some will call it God's will, fate, destiny and some said karma.

Me? I subscribe to the belief that there is a higher order somewhere and everything that happens, happen for a reason and one cannot escape it. So if it is time to go, it's time to go. Nothing you do can prevent it - not swimming for 5km every day, not training for 7 days a week. If it's not your time to go, nothing you do will make you go. Just ask the guy in New York who fell 47 floors and live. Or closer home, an ex-colleague's child who fell 6 floors from his HDB kitchen window and escapes with just a fractured leg. In contrast to this, just look at how many people die each day from seemingly innocent incident? We laugh at all these silly way that people get kills but yes it happens. Time up that's it!

So to all those who are having second thoughts about participating in endurance events or even taking up sports to keep fit - please go ahead and continue. No need to listen to those well meaning people who asked you to stop because of incidents like these. More people die in traffic accidents and air plane accident annually than people who die doing sports but that doesn't mean we stop taking planes and cars or crossing the roads. People have die from eating fish, fishball, sweets. Does that mean we should stop eating these? Just remember to train well for it and take care and more importantly, ensure that your family is provided for, just in case..... cos you never know. somehow somewhere someone might be waiting....

Inter Constituency Road Race 2009

The Inter-Constituency Road Race for this year and finally after running in it twice I managed to siam this year. This is just a short 4 - 5km run but have to run at high intensity which is not for old fogey like me who can just trot around the Bedok Reservoir where it was held. M was not so lucky though. She got drafted in last minute when the Team Captain couldn't find a third lady runner and approached me for help. I of course promised to help and assured him if I can't find somebody M will run so she kena stuck. I so kind and helpful hor.

Anyway, I turned up as usual to give support to the team and M. I am bemused at the elaborate actions the organiser took to prevent cheating. First, all runners have to exchange their i/c for the number tag. Then they were supposed to gather in a competitor tent where another official will issue a non-removable paper wrist band (the type one get at theme park) but not before the runners verify with him/her their name and i/c number. Geez, what are they so afraid of? It's not like they are giving cash prizes. In fact, the top 5 individual runners in the 3 categories only get a medal. The team winner do get some cash but I understand it is pretty miserable too so why the kiasuness? As this is an official sanctioned event by the PA and all the team managers and team captains are RC members, I doubt they will dare to 'import foreign talents'. What if they lose their PBM if they get caught?

Another interesting thing they did was to announce that each team can only send 2 runners to the front of the start line. I suppose the intention is good - to avoid the usual problem of crowding but there were less than a thousand participants so what was the problem?

Anyway, back to the race. The team with the younger runners usually win and Bishan East CSC came in first. I suppose with their home ground being Macritchie Reservoir, they can't really lose. The young turks all came in under 2o mins with the winner coming in 14mins+. [clap hand].

Our team captain came in 2nd in the Veteran category in 2007 but opted to run in the Open last year and was unplaced. How to fight with the youngster? This year he switched back to the veteran and yah came in first in a time of 16mins. [clap loud loud].
M also did a personal best despite having to work in the morning and complaining of the heat. [big hug and smack,,,,]

Good friend, Azreen representing Pasir Ris East or is it North's team came in the top 5 and so he too walked away with a medal and cash! [cheers]

More photos here