to rest is to go a longer distance.

So now that my aunt's been laid to rest, and i've had a good National Day weekend recharging myself. I spent that mostly sleeping. It's been a long time since i slept 10-11 hours at a go. I felt good and ready to rock the world again. 

 I've gone back to running. Mostly couple of kilometres, just to keep the engine going. And of cos, to check if the pain persists. I realized why i love running : the scenery, the calmness, the time to think. Mostly, cos it's not as time-consuming as cycling. Just put on a pair of shoes, and go. 

Unfortunately, the pain persists. I talked to the doc, and talked to friends. And i came to finally embrace : to rest is to go a longer distance.

For now... i shall take a short hiatus from running and cycling.

No one said i couldn't swim. And oh yes... and maybe finally getting back to the driving range. 

Shape Run 2009

I've been waking up at 5ish all weekend. I had one heck of a weekend. I feel so unbelievably drained on Sunday. For the sake of shape run, i will roll awake, and to get some sort of run going. 

At 6ish Sunday morning, I went to grab Jac to meet up with Carol & Maye-E for the run. Jac & metried to find them but failed in the end and decided to just do our own thing. It was crowded and humid. When we started out, all we wanted to do is to find a toilet. Such is our life now, taking things easy, and just having a good time. Jac "dropped" me once we're out of toilet, and i managed to catch a sight of Carol & Maye-E towards the end. And waited for them at the finish line. Meeting up with the girls again, for Shape Run, was a good thing. We may not have started together, but hey, at least we had breakfast together. O ... and we have to start thinking about working out together to fight the flab. GE Women's 10k? 

Before i forget, the clock read 1:00:something when i passed it. Did i just PB?

running in the cold...

The temperature hover around high 20s to low 40s. Occasionally, coupled with windchill. Not exactly a recipe to put on those long tights, and a long tee, and my running shoes to head out for a run. I should be sitting by my fireplace, bundled with a blanket and some warm chocolate.

Of cos, that's not about to happen. With the amount of indulgence (krispy kreme doughnuts, some burgers, some buffets), i should really workout. It's killing me to feel lethargic, and i wasn't about to put on anymore weight. 

I'll confess i didn't bring any running shoes to US with me. Partly cos i wanted a new pair. I ended up getting a pair of trail running shoes (to further motivate more seshs at MR when i get to Singapore). Adidas Response Trail 15 --- sworn by some hardcore runners. Truth be told, i've gone through a fair number of shoes, before deciding on this pair. It fits my budget : ok ok i was cheap, it barely cost 70 Singapore Dollars, around 38 USD. Plus the colors are friendly. I could use these same greys & pinks on any pair of jeans, and tee and just go out. Good for travelling. I am a huge fan of grey & pink. 

So i took the shoes and myself all bundled up, from my home in Franklin TN to the Christ Church. Distance is 5km. That feeling of coming back feeling good, and the shoes serving the purpose of keeping me on track in the grass patches, and along the wet and slushy ground just made me want to go out and run. 

Run Baby Run

All the way to my first 42km

Monday morning would tell you how you feel through the week. With a scenery as such, with low lying dark clouds and light rain, my thoughts were "this is going to be one hell of a week". True enough, i was almost right. I felt sick, from some "cooling" herbal tea my mom fed me, when i complained of "pu juah" (body suffering from heatyness from last week's total mileage of 42k). So i was down mostly, on Monday & Tuesday. I am not going to deny this... yes i overate on tuesday.. thanks to Angie's birthday dinner.

On wednesday i woke up bright and early, to grab badminton courts. And then went on a 8.6km run. Every metre counts, at this time. I wasn't feeling my best yet, and yes i am still feeling full. But i did play badminton on that day too. On thursday evening, i went with Julian for a quick run around the neighborhood for about 7km, before heading off for dinner. Dinner is, as always, super. We probably eat more calories than we burn during those 7km. But what the heck?

Saturday morning... i had trouble rolling awake... and dragged myself to East Coast Park F2 carpark to meet with Uncle KC, Matsuoka-san, Kelvyn and Gary. And we embarked on the run. I was surprised i did 21.4km, and felt incredibly awesome. Slow and steady, the way i like it. I got home for lunch, and got into my compression tights, stretched myself a whole lot more and slept. I was groggy and having tummy issues, wondering how am i going to run the day after.

Sunday morning was the Nike Lunar Trainers trial. I decided to give them a shot. They promised cushioning, and seems to me a few of my friends are fan. O they felt good, but i suffered a slight blister, as i am a fan of low socks. But they felt good! I went on a 14k run. And they surprisingly held up quite well. And they look gorgeous.

Am i ready for those 42k? After the weekend of pooom-powwweerrr run, i don't see why not. Whether i'll live through it, i wouldn't know. I am just going to keep on trying.

slowin down...

As this year sails slowly towards the end, i have less events to aim for. Just two more left : GE Women's 10k (9 days away) and Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (51 days away). I will confess right now : i haven't been running.

Somehow i find the lack of motivation to move. Which also explains my recent acute weight gain. Woe is me! I will lament all day and still fail to understand that char kway teow and running must go hand-in-hand, that is, the equation Char Kway Teow = Running; Char Kway Teow without running = fats. I must remember that. I'm really too lazy and needless to say, too unmotivated to move my growing fat ass. Singapore Marathon is not something i can wing it and go. I look back at the year and laugh at my absurd insanity to just wing the half-ironman races and just go!

Hopefully, my newfound love for MR will spark me up to go for it. The greenery is awesome. Of cos, sweating buckets feel absolutely awesome. I never perspire that much over one run... in my entire life. Okay, it also made me realize i want a pair of Adidas trail shoes, which i saw at the Queensway, but i haven't seen it at the stores. It's a need, a want, a desire... ok i need them.

*char kway teow is chosen as unhealthy. i have been eating unhealthily. That's all i am saying, not specifically, CHAR KWAY TEOW...

road bikes at HDB void decks?

How often do you get a bunch of bikes? Cannondale Synapse, Scott CR1, and Specialized Allez? All parked at the void deck, alongside your everyday commuting bike...?

An interesting sight nonetheless...

This week, i hardly trained. Feeling tired & burnt out. And having way too much work. But you know what, it's the weekends.

I might just hit the road for 12km tomorrow and enjoy the weekend....
It's friday and i'm loving it...

Training

The week went by... i've been trying to push myself to clock more road mileage. Rain has prevented me from going out to cycle, but to run more... sigh, i can't help but wish i am cycling instead of running sometimes.

This week 22nd Oct to 28th Oct 07
Monday : run around ECP
Tuesday : Yoga
Wednesday : 5km run around home
Thursday : 5km run at ECP
Friday : REST
Saturday : 8km to 9km at ECP
Sunday : 5km at MacRitchie Trail ...

I think trail running can kill me. MacRitchie's great overall, but the humidity inside the forest is a killer. I felt like giving up a couple of times, and telling myself maybe i should clock lower mileage. I ran i walk, and you know what, hey... at least i completed the 5km.

I think i might be on the path to being able to complete my 21km.
hosey !

Saturday morning run...

As i woke up at 7am this morning, and drove towards East Coast Park this morning, i felt that cool breeze hit my face, and wondered "what am i doing awake at this hour to go for my run training?" Then, i thought about an article i read the night before ...

Lifted from The New Paper Oct 27, 07
Titled : Detoxing? No, i am preparing for a race by Esther Au Yong

"I have not had a drink for close to two weeks. And, boy, am I yearning for a pint of beer now.
No, I'm not quitting alcohol nor am I on a detoxification programme.
(I'm taking part in races held on consecutive weekends; this Sunday will be the last one.)

Detoxification, of course, is all the rage these days among clubbers, especially after a heavy week of drinking.

Take some messages I've seen on my friends' Facebook status updates - that's the part where Facebookers tell all and sundry how they're feeling, what they're doing, whether their pet dog has eaten... you get the drift.
One said: 'XX is detox-ing... two more days to go!'
Another read: 'XX is proud of herself for finishing the nine-day detox.'

Earlier this week, when I told a work acquaintance that I can't drink with him this week, he asked: 'Oh, are you on a detox?'
Okay, since it has become a noun, I guess it (detoxification, I mean) should be taken seriously.

Then - and this takes the cake - while buying a packet of my favourite orecchiette pasta at Jones The Grocer at Dempsey Hill one night, the sales assistant, who looked like the partying sort, said to her colleague: 'I sooo have to detox. And this is the kind of pasta I should be eating. This is good pasta.'

If I wasn't shocked to silence, I would have been polite and said: 'Why, thank you very much, I'm glad I chose the right pasta.

'But pray tell, what's this detox all about?'

A quick search on the Internet threw up this general definition - a detox is a dietary regimen that attempts to 'detoxify' the body by removing 'toxins'.
Usually, detox diets suggest eating fruits and vegetables and limiting the intake of processed food, including alcohol.

So, I suppose, I am on a detox of sorts. Trust me, when avoiding alcohol, it's far easier - and apparently more fashionable - to tell people that I'm detoxing than to explain to them that I've a 15km race coming up.

Besides, I hate getting disbelieving gasps, which are inevitably followed by shrieks of 'you got wake up so early to train one meh'?
Or the classic, 'you gotta be joking, right?'

Hey, party girl doesn't have to mean unhealthy girl okay?

But I bet you that pint of post-race beer on Sunday will go down smoother than any I've tasted on a typical, alcoholic night out with the mates."

This article details what i wanted to tell my gfs, I made some of them read it. Few understood why i chose to hang up my Gucci heels and swapped them for my Asics DS Trainer. Give up my beauty sleep and head out for some heart pumping andrenaline rush. Few thought my craze for multisports is going to be a one-off, but no one saw it last for six months and counting.

Hey, like seriously, a party girl doesn't have to mean unhealthy girl. That Saturday morning, the rain fell on my face, i had to run in some faint drizzle, after a delay of an hour. It is on that faithful morning, i clicked in between 8 to 9km. It's been some time, and was unbelievably fast too, much to my surprise.

And you know what, it felt GOOD. :)

in this crazy life, through these crazy times...

I am prolly not the best person to speak of sports. Much less, discuss the power of the mind. Bizarre and powerful, that's what the mind is.

Many of you would have known by now, i am doing the Osim Tri (sprint) this July. For those still continuing to read this, please support me. I am surprised at why i would choose to do it. Needless to say, since it's barely 10 weeks away. I am really pulling no stops this time round. Sprint might seem short to some of you. To me, it meant the world. I am in nowhere near the physique required for this multisport. So all i have is the power of my mind.

Instances :
1) point & shoot... whilst telling yourself that you can do it. I realized, sometimes it's not about the technique. It's about my heart. If i tell myself i can hit it, i will. golf golf golf...
2) another mile is nothing on the knees. It's not about your legs, it's about your heart, urging your feet to move on. Run Run Run....

There're plenty more...
I guess sometimes technique helps. I used to think i'm proficient in swimming. It's my forte. I used to swim competitive like ten years or twelve back. Now, i'm not so sure. I am searching for a coach to help me in my front crawl. Sigh... worry worry worry.

If at first you don't succeed, tri tri again...

incredulous...

If i tell anyone that i went to a factory in Skudai, Johor, Malaysia, all alone without knowing the exact location, i am sure to hear a "yeah right...."
I actually did it. Now all i can hear is : " crazy girl...". That's right, i know i'm nuts. Now laugh all you want. No need to thank me for providing some laughs. I took the entire friday afternoon to go there. I lost my passport (sort of) at home, turning my room upside down to hunt it down, leaving for Malaysia at slightly around 3pm. The route took me rounding the area of Skudai for three times. It's messy, the lack of road signs did not help. And my lack of proficiency understanding melayu did not help the situation. I made it back to Singapore after the meeting ... at about 8pm. But at least i had dinner with some friends, followed by some drinks with some others.

If i were to tell you that i actually spent 30 to 40 minutes in the pool, another 30 mins on the stationary bike spinning away, and another 45 minutes running on the treadmill like a lab rat, i am sure to hear "liar liar...", ohhhh i also hear some of my friends keel over from their laughter.
I actually did it. Now all i can hear is : " crazy girl...". That's right, i know i'm nuts. Now laugh all you want. No need to thank me for providing some entertainment. I spent Saturday morning, despite beers the night before, going at it at the pool and gym, almost to simulate a much easier triathlon-a-la-Eve. I survived, despite feeling the fatigue that follows. I had a chilled out day, forgoing any sms-es to wayward my plans to hit the bed. Bought some magazines, had some ice cream ( need sugar rush), and hit the bed. The thing about working out is i have this radiance in my skin, and i feel way more relaxed. It's at the point of running, or when your head hits the water that all worries disappear.

Sundays are best to relax, i guess. Sunday's always good to relax.

Easter Friday...

The week has gone by. Why am i home at 10.30pm on a Good Friday night, when i should be boogie-ing my ass at the hottest club around? I need to rest and just chillout in bed watching tv. I've been working out a whole lot the entire week.

Let's start with the workout diary :
31/03 Sat : ran estimated 2km, walk 2km back.
01/04 Sun : driving range for 2 hours, ran 2.4km walked 200m (timing 15 mins)
02/04 Mon : driving range for 3 hours
03/04 Tues : ran 2.4km ... walked 2oo m ( timing 14mins 38secs)
04/04 Wed : swam 1km, ran 1.3km ... sprint walk 1.3km (by today i felt like surrendering)

i am hooked on rushes. i feel uneasy when i sit around.
at the same time, i feel tired. at the same time, muscles need a rest.
So the past two days, i basically loaded on the calories. There goes the workout. Heh heh :).
Ohhh, funnily, i dig the movie Music & Lyrics. I love 80s.