Shoes Laces Locking System

I am a lazy guy and I also don't particularly relish tying shoes laces halfway into a run which is why I got all these shoe laces tying thingy.

Lock Laces: This one I have been using for a long time. Convenient once tied, there is no need to do any further adjustments. It is pretty cheap too at around $12.00 but comes in only a few boring colors. The main disadvantage of this otherwise easy to use product is that adjusting the laces to fit different thickness of socks or a ankle guard can be a nightmare. Also, I am never comfortable with just yanking off the shoes after run without loosening the laces.

Yankz Laces: This one comes in many beautiful colors with a fair bit of them in luminous color. And I got the shoes to match! It is also reasonably priced at around $15.00 but I don't really like its way of tying the laces together. Make the whole thing seem so messy. Also, like the lock laces system, it is hard to get the correct fit especially if we use different thickness of socks. Adjusting the laces can be a messy affairs.

Boa Lacing system: This come comes with the shoes and so cannot be purchased separately. Of the lot, this is the most neat and easiest to use. Just twist the knob at the back of the shoe to tighten and pull to loosen. But somehow, the lace will become looser after running longer distance - maybe that is deliberately built in to suit long distance running where the foot expand?
And finally my favourite.

Lace Lock: At $1.50, this no brand cheap and good device and can be fitted onto any lace. Just loop the lace through the hole and pull and the lace is tightened. To release, just press the 2 parts and the lace is loosen. So the shoe lace can be tied normally, adjust to fit different thickness of socks etc and best of all, it comes in many colours to fit any color shoes.

New Balance Real Run Practice Run

Didn't sign up for this race but nevertheless decided to go down for a look see at their practice run. Actually just wanted to kapo a bit and see how the trail was.

The training run started at last year end point and down through the chalets.
Once passed the chalets, it was straight into the 4.5km trail. And finally, they got the trail part correct. The last few runs, the portion where they called 'trail' were actually park pavement. The trail here was all flat and a breeze to run on. No rocks or uneven ground but along the way there are patches of mud pool. Part of the trail is quite narrow so it might be a squeeze especially if the ground is wet and runners are trying to avoid the mud.
Also, there are a lot of areas where there seem to be a quick patch job and sands have been dumped on the road. There are no shades throughout the trail. If the sun is up, it is going to be hot. If it is wet, the whole place is going to turn into a swamp. This is going to be one tough run. You guys have been warned!

Out back on the runway route, the 15 km and 10 km split off at the junction with the 15km runners turning left on Changi Coastal Road and u-turn about 10metres before the fire station. The 10km runners turn right towards the park and the beach (similar to last year). Water support for this run is adequate with drinks station (100plus + water) at the 6 stations spread evenly throughout.

Weather was good today but mindful of the ankle, decided to only do 10km. Up to the beach, chicken out and turned back on the pavement instead of running on the sun. Overall, it was enjoyable especially as I was taking my time and stopping every so often to take photos.

All the pictures here:

The Joy and Love of the Game

The Straits Time today had an article on page C34 written by journalist Rohit Brijnath entitled 'Amateurs play for the joy and love of the game.

Rohit Brijnath writes mainly about cricket but this piece really strike a chord in me.

The gist of it:

- He first talked about his friend continuous engagement of cricket despite a 'bum' knee and why he continues to play on

- He then went on to talk about why amateurs like us (yes u and me) who don't profit from sports or take it as a career continue to slog on.

- He described weekend hackers as 'charmingly mad', when it come to playing, "they cannot be stopped." Here he is talking about ball games but it can be applied to runners as well. His next words:

- (Talking about golfer) "Professional are expected to constantly construct brilliant shots, amateurs are in constant search of just one memorable one...........and when we hit such a shot, ......., then we can't forget it. We'll tell our wives in excruciating detail, we'll bore our friends, we'll replay it endlessly in our minds, we'll walk around with a private grin. We get joy from ridiculous things, small things, it's why we keep coming back to sport......"

Sound familiar? Even to us non-golfer?Don't we all feel the same when we do a PB or run a race and finish in fine form or complete what seems impossible to complete initially - like a marathon, an ironman or a ultra marathon?

He went on to describe the feelings one get from sports:

• the rediscovery of prayer (Oh God, please let (insert your own desire here)
• the taste of sweat trickling into the mouth,
• the first burn in the lungs,
• the feel of a sticky shirt
• the rhythm a runner finds as she flies through the middle of an evening run
• the nervousness before the whistle
• the cold shower
• the explosion of adrenalin

He described amateurs thus: "because we want to test ourselves, discover parts about ourselves..... Many of us are competitive creatures, we want to....run faster than the next guy on the treadmill. Even if we we lose, if we fail, and we constantly do, it's the challenge that sustains us......"

Don't we have felt all these and more? He wrapped up by talking about Erik Compton,28 who was born with a defective heart, got a new heart at age 12, a heart attack at age 27 and is now into his third heart. Instead of resting, he is now training for the USPGA Tour. His conclusion of this mad man? "Courage, Resilience, Stubbornness." Or something more simple? Maybe just a love of the game?

Is that why so many of us continue to run, despite the injuries, the long hours, the sweat, the grim and for some, the loneliness and sacrifice?

Is this the joy and love of the game?

NB: Unfortunately, the ST does not allow reproduction of its articles on blogs or any other medium so I can't reproduce the whole article here. The ST Online is also only subscription based so no link either.

Short Run

After 2 weeks and 4 days, finally went for a short run. Accompanied the new store supervisor from RL and jog a short round Fort Canning. There is still some swelling but the pain is not very obvious although there is still this niggling pull. Was fearful that any over exertion might just cause the pain to come back so in the end did just 4 km and call it a day.

Hopefully it won't swell up like a balloon tomorrow morning.