Company's Retreat at Orchid CC

Saturday was the start of the company's Breakaway Weekend at Orchid Country Club. Originally supposed to be held at Kukup, Mgt chickened out and changed it to OCC cos they said there got dengue. As if Yishun got no dengue! Anyway, we enjoyed the time there though. The activities lined up was great fun - suppose to help promote teamwork and all that jazz. The food was not good but plentiful. The highlight was the bowling game. We had 3 games each - 1st game for team high score, second one - handicap where the winner is the team with the most 1 pin standing and 'bohgay'. The last one was one eye jack where we have to wear an eye patch to bowl. Not easy but sure great fun!

Sebas got his MR 25 Elite Run the next morning. He supposed to go back but the bowling ended late so he decided to give the MR 25 run a miss. Sayang! He got a 50/50 chance of getting his sponsorship. I suppose he got so many free Nike stuff that he can pass up the chance 2 years in a row.

Sunday morning, woke up early to go for a short run. Decided to follow the advice of the good people at sgrunners and run to the dam. First time I ran there although been there once during my reservist many years ago. Sebas came with me. That guy - everytime he ran, he must let go. Down there no toilet so he kena do his business in the bush! Later on the way back saw a dead snake on the ground. Hope the snake didn't die from being bombed by him! The run itself was nice - nice scenery and little traffic. Wasted not enough time otherwise will love to run into Seletar West Camp. Took 1hour 02 mins - my guess about 11km but could be shorter since we stopped to look at this guys who came up with baskets and baskets of crabs.

On the way back met some runners including Dreamrunner. He was yelling something like Sanji so I guess Sanji must be with him. Said hi to a pretty girl running behind the guys. Found out today she is Cheeryrunner.

After breakfast, we have water sports - weird games like jenga in the water, scrabble etc hot sun but fun. Lunch and then adjourned to the function room for a wild game where we shouted ourselves hoarse. Teabreak debrief and the retreat finally ended at 5pm.

Surprise - the Mrs finally pluck up enough courage to drive on her own and pick me up. What a great way to end the weekend!

Pierce Reservoir

This Sunday, got company's retreat no time to do long run. No choice - took leave yesterday to do my lsd run for this week. Originally decided to run from MacRitchie to Lower Pierce and back giving a distance of app. 25K but the heavy rain the night before put paid to that. Decided not to dirty my shoes so decided just run 2 loops Pierce will do. Also read on the sgrunners forum the guys talking about prata at Jalan Kayu and realised have not eaten prata for some time - why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone?

Pierce Res is probably my favourite place to run. Other than the kamizakee drivers, it is really peaceful with nice scenery along the way and mostly sheltered. The running is all on hard asphalt ground making it easy to run on unlike MacRitchie. The killer are the slopes and there are 3 steep slopes not counting the extremely steep slope inside the SICC ground going to MacRitchie. The route from Lower Pierce to Upp Pierce ending at the dam is only 8k but with the side extension to the PUB Pump house and the side road to Upp Thomson Rd, the distance can be increased to 14k.

Started late at 8 am after dropping the kids off at school. Weather was fine initally - took the first 14 k in 1.37 hours about the usual time. Stopped at the car for a drink and decided to walk via the broadwalk. Then decided to be gunho and do some variations. Did some fartleks and backward walking on the way up to Upp Pierce. Felt good and did a final sprint on the dam. Coming back, the sun has risen and it's hot. Took the first 2 slopes slowly and up the last slope, couldn't summon enough leg strength to run up and decided to walk part of it. Getting hotter and hotter. Even the monkeys have disappeared! Finished the slope and contemplating whether to skip the route to Upp Thomson Rd but in the end decided - what the heck and continued. By the return leg, energy level running low and had to stop to walk for about 100m. The walk refeshed me and managed to pick up speed for the last stretch from the prata shop junction to Lower Pierce carpark. Total time taken: 3.20.17 hrs.

Finally then got to enjoy my prata but seems like standards have dropped. Didn't taste as good anymore!

1st Run with sgrunners

Went to East Coast for the LSD. Plan is to meet up with some sgrunners and run with the SAFRA runners. Ha! finally got to meet up with some of the runners from SGRunners, namely, Dreamrunner, DO, Brokenrunner, Ultraman, Ironman Dreamer and Gentle(?).

Supposed to be a 31 km run. Still a slight drizzle after last night heavy rain. Weather was cool. The run started at about 7.10 am. Cleared the East Coast Park in 23.17 mins app. 6.30 pace. From there, proceeded via Fort Rd, Kallang to Marina Promenade and Esplanade. Ultraman, DO and Dream Runner overtook me somewhere along the Kallang stretch after MacDonald. Then Ironman Dreamer came along and then Broken Runner also overtook me. Never mind, continued the same pace. The 21km runners turned back at the Esplanade. Said hi to Broken Runner on her way back. Stopped for a toilet break. Went up to Marina South and saw just slightly before the u-turn, Ironman Dreamer followed closely by the DO, DR and Ultraman. Man these guys are fast!

On the way back, stopped at Clifford Pier to get a drink. At the sight of the people eating, realised I was damn hungry. Damn tempted to just sit down and eat. Got the drink and scuttered out of there before temptation set in!

Earlier, had bumped into this Safra runner who keep running backward every few hundred metres. Asked him the purpose. He explained that rather than stop to rest, running backward will help stretch the rest of the leg muscle and when you turned around, will feel refreshed. Decided to try these on the suspension bridge since the distance was just nice. Alamak, the bladdy leg nearly cramped toward the end of the bridge! Saw DO, Dreamrunner and Ultraman behind me. I thought they were in front? Turned out they detour to watch Bollywood filming. They must be thinking I bladdy showoff running backward.

Continued down Tanjong Rhu and the 3 of them overtook me once again. At the East Coast Park, DO and Dreamrunner disappeared leaving Ultraman. He has stomach cramp from running last night with Dr William Tan and now running another lsd! Buah tahan. He's good. He shuffled, glided and almost walk but try as I could, couln't summon enough energy to overtake him. In the end, ran the inner footpath which is slightly shorter and managed to overtake him.

Finished in 3.01 mins according to my watch. At a consistent 6.30 pace, I think the distance is only about 29 k. Can't be more than that.

Stayed to chat with the rest for a while before rushing back to pick up the family.

Good run. Good company. Must run again.

Running Home

Finally I did what I had wanted to do for a long time. Ran home from office yesterday. Supposed to run with Novaflux and Sebas but Novaflux got class so in the end it was just down to Sebas and me.

Started at Republic Plaza at 6.16 pm. Down to UOB Centre along Singapore River underpass to Esplanade - saw all those people doing the Bull Run. Thought the runners supposed to be in half office attire - how come majority in t-shirts and singlets? Anyway continued along Marina Promenade and bump into BC on his run going back to his office. Poor him - still going back to work. Cut out to Nicholl Highway Merdeka Bridge and down to Stadium Walk. Went behind the Indoor Stadium and cross the suspension bridge to Tanjong Rhu and down to Fort Rd and finally reached East Coast Park. Time: 47.01 mins. Running at aggraration speed of 6.10 pace I suppose that makes it about 7.5 km.

From East Coast to Bayshore underpass, took another 41.33 min stopping to buy a drink at the vending machine. Distance app. 6.5 km.

From the underpass to Bayshore, then Upp East Coast Rd to Bedok Corner, down behind Eastwood. This is the part of the route I don't like. Have to run along the road and the traffic is damm bladdy heavy. For this 3 km stretch, took 19.29.

Reach the part connector - a short 1.1km + down Upp Changi Rd East and Simei Ave and home sweet home. Not bad stil maintaining the pace. Time taken: 17.37m. App 2.5.

Total distance covered: 19.5 +/- 0.5 km. Total time taken: 2.05.42

This Sunday - Sebas will be doing his practice at MacRitchie. He got an elite runner qualification coming up next Sunday. Have to complete 10K at MacRitchie under 44 mins. His previous best time was 39.02. Now with age catching up, he's not so confident. But if he qualifies - it's another year of sponsorship from Nike. Wish I can qualify too!

Won't be joining him this 2 Sundays though. Let him do his fast run. Me - has decided to join some of the people from sgrunners and do a 30k.