What you need when running a hot weather marathon?

Water mist tunnel:

@ SSC

The Most High Tech Cushioning for your running................

Is it the Nike Air? Asics Gel? Brooks Hydroflow? New Balance,Adidas,Saucony,K-Swiss?

I will say None of these.....

My answer is YOUR OWN MUSCLES!!!

Your own Muscles got damaged and regenerated to become stronger and overtime, it is able to take more and more load....

The cushioning in running shoes got squashed and ability to take load decrease with time...10 years ago and 10 years after, the people who are selling these "HIGH TECH" cushioning said the same thing: You got to change a new one after you hit 400km.....

But your muscles? it got stronger after 400km.......


So start using your muscles to take your load for your running.............

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

It has been a hectic December...and it will be until end of this year......
That's the reason why there is not much updates this month despite of the several events

• Survived StandChart Singapore Marathon on 6 Dec in about 5hrs 34min but the timing chip screwed up so timing did not captured by the system......no finishing certs this time
• The day after the marathon is the start of my 2 weeks in-camp training.......almost fainted with my aching and weak legs when we are assigned to rooms on the 6th level (with no lift loh!!)
• 2 days after the marathon is the fitness test.....went thru wth pains and suffering and managed to scrapped thru the 2.4km run by 2sec to get at least a $100 to recoup my marathon registration fee and my cab fare from Sengkang to Boon Lay in morning peak hour the day before
• Wearing boots for 2 weeks for me who wear running shoes to work everyday is no joke.....especially after marathon...every step aches for the first week and lucky they all went off in the 2nd week
• lack of sleep in second week where < 3hrs for most of the days......
• In-camp ended with a weekend rush to do route recce for Click-4-Klick....10.5km and 13.3km seems to be very very long for me now...................I din managed to run all the way..and walked quite a fair bit
• 4 days in the office dunno what to catch up......too short a time to take over a task as after that is 10days of holiday again
• Flying off tomolo morning 6am.......and back to tuesday....2 days to prepare for the charity project before it kicks off....I left with the sunday before 1st working day next year to recharge for the new challenging year

so long.....I will be BACK!

2 days combo

Marathon training took a new meaning this year......instead of run, run, run.....I started to do swim(closed water in the pool), bike(stationary in the gym), run(weekend long run in the trail).......this is call indirect training

This week is hectic.....and I did a combo for yesterday and today...

Last sat thunderstorm run took a toll on my lower legs muscles....never have I ache for so long after long run....walking also can feel the "pain"

In anticipating evening rain....I decided to head to the gym for a pedalling session for 35min.....tried to maintain >90RPM and I did an average of 39km/hr with different intensity....took the program called alpine pass

Reached home later than usual last nite...I decided to head for a run to ease off the lower leg ache.......went at consistent speed not over-pushing..I did a reasonable 8km and found my aches disappeared

Today still felt the ache on the lower legs....after a long day of frustrating work.....I head down to the pool for my weekday swim

I decided to do some set training.....warmup for 10 laps and found myself swimming my faster 10 laps at 11min.........actually planned to do 10x2 laps with 30s rest...but after 8 laps....i decided to call it quit.......swim interval not my game.....and I went on to cool down with 14 laps to make up a total of 2km swim to wrap up the day....i will stick to my slow continuous swim..........

Hope for good weather tomolo for another short run before resting on friday and get really for another double whopper over the weekend

Happy 牛 Year!!

Strong NE wind........

A Pasir Ris Beach....

赤壁2：赤壁十不做

周瑜不去看曹营

蔡中蔡和不诈降

黄盖不被周瑜打

庞统不献连环计

周瑜见风不吐血

孔明不在七星坛

周公不要杀诸葛

刘备不在旁观战

曹操不逃华容道

曹操不是关羽放

哪赤壁还有什么看？

还能看到张飞做汤圆

Chinese New Year Light up Celebration at Chinatown 2009 (牛车水春节亮灯庆祝活动)

Chinese New Year Celebration activites usually starts at Chinatown about a month from the actual day with the lightup Ceremony....this is the first year I actually went down on the very 1st day (3rd Jan) to immerse with the crowds and atmosphere...

There are dance and song performances, the dancing lions (瑞狮)and dragons（祥龙）

The usual streets are closed for traffic for the chinese new year goodies stalls, which starts on this very day:

No forgetting the fireworks(烟花) and the firecrackers(鞭炮) to boost the atmosphere:

At the end of the celebration, the 200 lions(瑞狮) and 9 dragons（祥龙） parading the streets under the beautiful street lightings along Eu Tong Seng Road:

There are also Chinese New Year Countdown on the 25 Jan and activities on the 15th day of CNY on 7th Feb at Chinatown...

Tomorrow is the day..........

After 9 days of only play, no work....the holiday has finally come to an end....tomorrow is the first day of work in the new year....I can expect how hectic it will be.....and I do not like January schedule....just 3 weeks of work and I will be off for another 11 days holiday.....3 weeks is not too short but also not too long.....I think the most hectic will be the next few weekends.....trying to prepare for my first winter holiday and also to prepare for CNY.......

Let's hope the economy will have some good news so that everyone will not be so stress........

I better go for my swim later....

2008 to 2009

I am late in writing this.....but late is still better than never

2008 is considered a happening year for me.....first time travel to China "hometown" where my grandfather came from....get to see the old village and the house that he used to stay....get to know I still have quite a number of relatives there...especially many cousins....and also to where the area where the Hakka and Hokkien came from.....first time travelling with 11 other relatives together and seen an hour long fireworks and get to light up a 5m long firecrackers....

Before 2008, we knew of losing our job in May...I was lucky to be able to find another one in June.......

I was sicked since end of 2007 thru to 2008 until I came back from the cold China in Feb....My health went down again in Oct after 1 month of no exercising due to a neck strain which I got to went for Physio sessions for the first time in my life....got "hung" for 4 times......

I went for army half marathon and finished in 3hrs and went for Nike Human Race which I did much better......I improved my swimming technique and managed to struggle 30 laps without stopping.....and I signed up but did not get to the start line of the Singapore StanChart Marathon for the 2nd year...

No a good year in terms of health and fitness but overall, it is much better than previous 2 years......

Last 1 week which span across 2008 to 2009 was to re-discover Singapore...as a "illegal" tour guide, we went phototaking at Raffles Hotel, Merlion, Fullerton Hotel...we went Jurong Bird Park to feed Lories and see the penguin having their lunch....Night Safari was my 2nd trip and the otters are as cute as ever.....I get to see Song of the Sea for the first time and went Underwater World for the 3rd time in my life.....we touched star fishes and see different Rays swimming in the tank....Gracie, the Dugong waved at us......Lau Pa Sat eat satay, Rojak and BBQ Sting Ray is a must.....count down at Queen Elizabeth walk and see a 5min Fireworks and scream with more than 100k others at the small Bay on this tiny island....

Into the new year......I just hope for better health and fitness.....improved economy and working environment at my workplace.......and to get back into my long Runs and Swims....

Sakae Building

I was walking along upper paya lebar road when I saw this bulding under construction that caught my eyes........

What so special is this building? Taking a closer look at the banner....than I saw this is actually belongs to Sakae......the sushi that got queue every on weekday at compasspoint...no wonder they are doing so well and now getting a building for their own.....

Updates on the New Installations in Bugis Area

Remember I blog about New Installations in Bugis area 2 months back?

Below is what happened to the 2 buildings:

The New Shopping Mall with Cineplex called iluma..........

And defining a concept of economy hotel called Hotel Ibis:

Christmas Tree trends

Traditional kind of Christmas Tree found in my office

Then I found this at Suntec convention Centre:

And I found this at Conrad Lobby:

And I heard there is one more teddy bear tree somewhere in another location.....is it a trend that bears has replaced the actual tree???

I will be back

Taking a break!

and I chickening out this sunday.....

I WILL BE BACK!

Hang Man 4....the last one

The last hanging session.....but I din "killed" me....OK....after 2 times already numb liao.......the therapist decided to released me since my condition did not get worst and there is nothing much they can do.....

She put me to my first ultrasound to relax the tight muscles.....i must say that it is very good...in fact...too good that I felt weird having the tighter side being more loosen than the other side....

I shouldnt write much since I am on MC today after my relapse of my old problem last night.......

MJ Birthday Cake

Because there are 4 colleagues having their birthday close together in Oct, my manager got this 1.5kg cake to celebrate:

.....Obviously, he is one of those mahjong siao....

Hang Man 2

The therapist off the lights

So I din get to take the prosecution in the hanging room this time

Hanged Alive in Mt E!!!

This is ME...hanged in the room of rehab in the Mountain called Elizabeth

OK...I still alive...because I am sitting on a chair

The Hang Man machine pulled my pig head up and hold for 2min before release and the process is repeated for 15min

Have you heard of this ball?

I was thinking what to eat at hougang festival market food court when I saw the name of this stall.....lol!!!

Sengkang West Anyhow Run.....

What can I say about this morning weather? Perfect? Superb?....cooling and gloomy sky....wet grounds and few vehicles on the run due to Holiday

My neck started to felt a bit not so good after monday's run.....but I decided to go ahead for one this morning..decided not to push for the usual slopes.....i went around Sengkang West area and tried the new Bridge and new road that was just opened for operation.......managed to find a good 10km route where every 2km point is a prominent junction for pace monitoring.....finished a struggled 01hr 01min 01 sec...

My Neck problem seems to come back after running......look like I may have to hand up my shoes for the rest of the year if this still drag on