Ultramarathon

I did it, I actually did it! I actually completed the MR25 Ultramarathon! Took me 9 hours 11 minutes and 10 seconds to complete the 54-km cross-country route, with all its slopes and bends, mud and rocks.

Each lap around MacRitchie Reservoir was supposed to be 10.5 km, but given the heavy rains these few days, some sections were cordoned off (due to mudslides), and each lap increased to 10.8 km instead. My timings are as follows:

Lap 1 - 1 hr 10 min
(followed by 03 min rest) [1 hr 13 min]
Lap 2 - 1 hr 35 min [2 hr 49 min]
(followed by 13 min rest) [3 hr 02 min]
Lap 3 - 1 hr 41 min [4 hr 43 min]
(followed by 16 min rest) [5 hr 00 min]
Lap 4 - 1 hr 57 min [6 hr 57 min]
(followed by 8 min rest) [7 hr 05 min]
Lap 5 - 2 hr 09 min [9 hr 11 min]

My 1st lap was good; I thought I kept the pace well. But by the 2nd lap, I could feel my left quad/knee area getting painful, and my right ankle was also starting to ache. When I finished the 2nd loop, I was unsure if I should just withdraw from the event, or bite my lips, bear the pain and push on. In the end, I chose the latter.

Surprising, Lap 3 didn't prove to be that difficult, even though my legs were getting wobbly. I decided to brisk walk and run Lap 4. For the final lap, I took a leisurely stroll with Fennel and Tooty.

The SgRunners support station was immensely helpful and much appreciated. Tktan offered me some much-needed deep-heat muscle rub, and even peeled longans for me to eat (because my hands were covered with the muscle rub). SassyRunner helped to get me drinks to quench my thirst. Sotong and Laokayu were busy taking pictures of the runners, and encouraging them to persevere and go on. Thanks to the other SgRunners who also came down to cheer and support us! I really appreciate it!

Many thanks also to the MR25 uncles who helped to man the waterpoints and checkpoints along the way. Your encouraging words kept me going! :D

It was an exhilarating experience... I only decided the night before that I WOULD take part. I'm glad I did. It really ends 2006 with a bang! =D

No more fast food!

Discipline has been slipping. I really need to watch my diet and step up on my exercise regime.

Thai Chendol on Christmas

Many thanks to Philip for inviting me over to church this morning. It was a good Christmas service, complete with a very interesting drama production of the Nativity, contemporary-style. It managed to effectively draw out some of the social themes associated with the birth of the baby Jesus, such as the scandal and stigma faced by Mary and Joseph over the virgin birth.

I met up with Hosea over lunch at Lerk Thai @ Paris Ris. Habitat for Humanity Singapore has a few interesting events lined up in 2007, and I'm looking forward to joining them. I also explored with Hosea the possibility of us both going to Cambodia some time in March/April 2007. He said he may be able to make arrangements for us to lodge at an orphanage where we could help out the local staff with looking after the children. That sounds good. Balasing and Tiwazz had earlier also indicated interest in going to Indochina. Perhaps I can link everyone up into a single group. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about the visit though -- not sure if I can get my leave from work approved.

After meeting Hosea, I went over to Funan Centre to help a colleague purchase some software, only to find that it's not available in retail stores but rather only available through online purchases. How strange.

Anyway, Happy Christmas to everyone. May the love, joy and peace that Christ brings fill every household in the world, including yours and mine.

Terrible news

Heard some terrible news in middle of the week. A family I know is in trouble - the parents are entangled in a messy divorce and the children are caught in between. It's an ugly, dark and worrying situation, the details of which I will not go into here. MCYS has been roped in to help to restore some degree of stability, sanity and calm to the family. There is not much that I can do to help; I've been advised to leave it to the professionals. I guess all I can do is to pray for a miracle this Christmas.

To the Orient and back

I am finally back at home after a week-long journey to Beijing and Guiyang City (贵阳市), the capital city of Guizhou Province (贵州省), the poorest province in China. It has been quite an experience for me to visit both cities because the two showcase very different faces of the rising nation in the midst of its peaceful development (和平发展).

Beijing has transformed much since my last sightseeing tour there some 13 years ago. It is now impressively modern. Everywhere, it is apparent that the city and its citizens are making all sorts of preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. The various state-of-the-art sports complexes are in their final stages of construction, and even the nearby residential zone - aptly called the Olympic Village District (奥运村街道) - is also undergoing major upgrading of its public amenities. I visited the Residents' Committee of Anhuili Neighbourhood (安慧里社区) in Olympic Village District, and was impressed by how closely knit the local community was in terms of their volunteerism and collective social responsibility. For instance, they had set up their own grocery store where the richer residents could donate items for sale and where a portion of the profits goes towards helping the needy in the neighbourhood. They also have their own Neighbourhood Watch, where they even help to ensure that every household has at least installed some lock or alarm system to prevent break-ins by thieves.

13 years ago, I didn't think much of the Forbidden City (紫禁城) in Beijing, because the place was gray, dull and falling apart. But during my visit this time, I was presented with a vibrantly colourful Forbidden City, where even the worn-out road tiles have been replaced with brand-new ones. The heritage site is currently undergoing extensive restoration works to bring it back to its former grandeur and glory – in time for the expected influx of tourists coming to Beijing in conjunction with the 2008 Olympic Games. Much care has been taken to ensure that all the colours and materials used in the restoration will match exactly what was used during the original construction. Once all the restoration works are completed, I am sure the Forbidden City will look simply magnificent – just as it used to be in ancient times when it left hundreds of foreign emissaries speechless and awestruck by its sheer scale, fine craftsmanship and architectural beauty.

But my fondest memories are in Guiyang, where the air is refreshingly clean and the sights simply breathtaking. A largely hilly and rural province, Guizhou is also home to a large number of minority ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive culture, clothing, songs and dances. I had the opportunity to visit a Miao tribe (苗族) located in the hills of Nanhuazhai (南花寨) near Kaili City (凯里市), about 2.5 hours' drive east from Guiyang. The Miao people are extremely friendly and warm. As I walked up the hill, I was stopped every hundred metres or so by Miao ladies who waylaid me and made me drink from a bull's horn their special Miao brew of wine before I was allowed to pass. (By the way, the upslopes are great for hill-training in my opinion.) At the summit of the hill, around 20-30 fair-skinned Miao women and strapping young Miao lads presented a medley of traditional song and dance items. Though the entire performance was somewhat staged (to lure tourists!), the entire tribe – including children and the elderly – nevertheless turned up in full force in their traditional garb and participated in the dance of friendship to welcome all the foreign visitors like myself.

I also spent some time at Huangguoshu Waterfall (黄果树瀑布), which is to the southwest of Guiyang. It is the largest natural waterfall in China. While it was not as huge as I had expected, it was very scenic nevertheless and great for photography outings.

On the whole, my trip to China has been exhausting at times, but also very memorable. I have made some good pals during the journey, and here's a toast of Maotai wine (茅台酒) to everlasting friendship! :)

Run your own race

The SCSM is now over, and I agree with Ripley, life sorts of loses a bit of its colour and flavour post-race. Of course, there's still the grand finale - the Ultramarathon - to look forward to at the end of the year, but I don't know if I can last the distance without injury. It's going to be a gruelling 50+ km cross-country event...and my latest half-marathon was a sober reminder of how not to make light of long-distance running without adequate training.

Anyhow, I'm flying overseas tomorrow, and won't be back in town until next Sunday. Given that it's winter and almost sub-zero where I'm headed, I don't expect to do much outdoor running. Perhaps I can squeeze in some time to pop by the hotel gymnasium and do some lifting, and hopefully regain the mass which I had shed because of all the running.

Christmas is around the corner again too, and that reminds of a really good song by Steven Curtis Chapman on a related theme. Now I'll need to go find that CD.

This is one of my most favourite pictures that I had taken at SCSM 2006 -- Catwoman with a "No Fishing" sign in the background =)

This lady's a very active runner...this year, I think she's also been to the KL International Marathon, the Great Eastern Ladies 10 km run, and many other runs too...but this is probably her first in a cat-suit! :)

Just relax...*jab*...*jab*...there, it's done.

Received my influenza and Hepatitis A jabs today. Ouch. And I was warned by the nurse not to get bitten by rabid animals. On the way home, I bought a big tub of yoghurt, something healthily delicious enough to distract my good self from the numbness in my left arm.

And surprise, surprise! I received an MMS from Bose this evening. It turned out to be a picture taken on 20 October 2000. That day, I had played host to Bose and his delegation from the University of Malaya during their 20th Engineering Society's Study Scheme Overseas Study Tour of the UK. What a small world, and what a coincidence to have met Bose again (without realising it earlier!) in the running scene in Singapore! =D [p.s. I won't reproduce that picture here, because my hairstyle then was hideous...lol :)]

Recovery

Went for a recovery swim in the morning, then had a session of much-needed massage. Then I headed to John Little to look for some winterwear in preparation for my trip to China next week. Found a jacket that I really liked, but it was $299. *sigh* Maybe I'll just make do with my lounge suit, and hope it won't get too cold.

Later in the evening, I decided to satisfy my curiosity regarding the latest spate of cinematic Tiger Beer ads. Not that I'm an advocate of beer, but this is really very impressive stuff. Intriuging storyline. Masterful filming. It's a pity the TV ads were rather sparse on the details though. The story continues here...

Also read a friend's blog. Really hope that he gets better from his gastric flu soon. I pray the Lord - who is the Healer, Provider and Deliverer - will pour forth His blessings and mercies upon my friend and his family during this time, especially as the season of Christmas draws near. May He grant them much strength and health, peace and rest, joy and love.

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

It was a great day to race. The skies were cloudy, so everyone was spared the harsh rays of the sun. My heartiest congratulations to all who took part and completed the various categories in the SCSM today, especially the full-marathoners, well done!

I didn't really have a good half-marathon myself...I failed to meet my sub-2 hour timing. In fact, my Polar HRM hung the moment the race started, so I had no indication of what time it was during the run :P Nevertheless I kept up a strong pace at the start. But I paid for it towards the end. My legs were like lead by the time I reached the turning point at Nicoll Highway (~17.5 km). Run3 overtook me in the last 1-2 km, as she usually does :) I got the end-point, saw the gun time of 2:02:15, felt really disappointed, collected my medal, grabbed a drink, then went over to the Esplanade bridge with SassyRunner and Run3 to cheer on the rest of the half-marathoners. I've now lost my voice and my arms are aching terribly with all the cheering, clapping and waving... but I think it was for a good cause, so that's ok.

At around 11 am, I stationed myself at the Esplanade underpass and started to take photos of the full-marathoners that ran by. It was their final stretch before the finishing line. Some were in good form, others limping in tears, and still others holding hands and encouraging each other to persevere to the end. It was an emotional experience for me to see the power of the human spirit driving people to complete their 42.195 km. It takes a lot of guts, a lot of courage and a lot of willpower to do it. And when one considers how many of these full marathoners are doing it for the first time this year, it's simply incredible.

For me, I didn't meet my target this year, and I didn't even attempt the full marathon. Personally, that feels kind of lousy, but I am grateful nonetheless for the opportunity to have cheered fellow runners on and to have been swept up in the shared experience of the thousands of runners today.

Well done, everyone. Good job. See you at the starting point next year.

Carl Lewis!

I met the legendery Carl Lewis at a motivational seminar in Simei this morning. Thanks to TLR for informing me of such an event, and for driving me to the event site! Met quite a lot of other familiar faces at the seminar, including Sotong, Brokie, Penguin, BabyMonster, Ripley, Carine and Wei Long.

Lewis is simply inspirational to listen to, has a great sense of humour, and is in great shape for a 45-year old retired sprinter and long-jumper! He briefly shared with us his 18-year career, and then took questions from the audience which comprised coaches, athletes and people like myself who are just fascinated to meet the King of the Track in person. The questions covered a wide spectrum of topics, such as Lewis' vegan diet, how he coped with disappointment, his take on stretching, his views on drugs, his most memorable competitive event and the words of wisdom bestowed upon him by his own coach.

Toward the end of the Q&A session, there was a lucky draw, and Ripley emerged the sole winner of a pair of black Nike Air Max 360, autographed by Lewis himself. Incredible! :D

Later on, Lewis went onto the track to host a running/long-jump clinic for some school athletes. I'm not quite sure how much the students were able to learn from the master in that short session, but I'm quite certain that those young apprentices were spurred on to achieve their own personal bests. =D

After the session with Carl Lewis, I met up with the Malaysian Pacemakers who had arrived in Singapore earlier in the morning. PM16 Bose was my point of contact with them. While I got to meet PM01 Ronnie and some other members of the gang, I didn't get to see PM40 f00k, the whom I had contacted over MSN and arranged to meet up. Maybe I'll bump into him tomorrow at the Padang instead.

When I met the Pacemakers, they had just collected their race-packs from Marina Mandarin Hotel, so we headed for Suntec City for a quick lunch. Then we took a bus down to Queensway Shopping Centre to shop for shoes and other sports gear. It was great to make new friends in like-minded runners from across the Causeway. All the best for the SCSM tomorrow, guys and gals!

Carbo-loading...

Had a good chat with Mum yesterday night and today morning about life's priorities. Guess being grounded ain't all that bad, if I spend the time communicating with Mum.

Went out later in the evening for a carbo-loading session at Swensons with the SgRunners. It was great, there was a whole bunch of us, and I met a few new faces, such as Edbaey and Mun. =D I had the salmon and mushroom pasta, which was yummy. But I skipped the ice-cream even though my glycogen store was probably still half-empty. (In fact, even now as I type, my stomach is growling...) At Swensons, I took the opportunity to practise my photography skills -- learnt from Bala that taking pictures with ISO 800 was a bad idea for a night, in-door setting. Another valuable lesson there! Later on, some of us went on to have coffee at Orchard Cineleisure, where I had even more practise with my Powershot A710IS. :D

Tomorrow morning, I'll be attending a talk and running/long jump clinic at Simei. MP Teo Ser Luck will be there too, cool! But the star attraction will be Carl Lewis of 100m in 9.86s fame! Cool! Although I'm neither a sprinter nor a jumper, I can't wait to meet him because he's such a legend in the sporting arena. =)