Julie and Her Running

Julie and Her Baby!

2010-04-15T01:16:00.000-07:00

Not much running these days...although I'm trying to keep up with some exercising. Walking, swimming and yoga. Julie and her baby is priority now.

Julie and Her Baking

2010-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

Since no more running, I shall switch to baking. A-Ha!

Nonetheless, I've tried to squeeze in some light-moderate activity.
Mon - Jog from home to Clementi Road, via Old Clementi Road, 42 mins. Almost died under the sun.
Tues - Swim 10 laps
Wed - Walk from Bukit Batok MRT to home - 30 mins
Thurs - Swim 20 laps
Fri - Walk from hospital to Lakeside MRT - 30 mins

At least, some decent activity.

I've also started on some crazy baking spree. Here are the products for this year:
1. Peanut cookies (melt in the mouth, maybe not crispy enough)
2. Cornflake cookies (used my good old recipe)
3. Pineapple tarts (too dry)
4. Sesame cookies (Recipe from TH's book, too sweet, I should half the sugar amount next time)
5. Steamed Pumpkin Kueh (Verdict not out yet, still steaming!)

Of which, I'll be giving most of the above to my MIL and grand-MIL's family.

Recipe for pastry for Pineapple Tarts
220g butter
375g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 yolks
50g sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Beat butter till light and creamy, add yolks, then the rest of ingredients. ALWAYS glaze with egg yolk, otherwise the tart will turn out to be too pale.

Recipe for Steamed Pumpkin Kueh (obtained from a forum - Just happened to like it!)
240 gm rice flour
1 litre water
250 gm pumpkin (skinned and deseeded)
80 gm dried mushrooms
50 gm dried shrimps
100 gm Chinese sausage
70 gm corn flour

Seasoning:
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp pepper

Garnishing:
1 stalk spring onion (diced)
1 tbsp fried shallots
1 red chilli (sliced)

Method:
1. Soak dried mushrooms and dried shrimps. Chop dried shrimps into small pieces. Cut mushrooms into strips.
2. Boil Chinese sausage and cut into strips.
3. Shred pumpkin into fine strips.
4. Fry pumpkin, mushroom, dried shrimp and Chinese sausage with seasoning till fragrant.
5. Pour in 600 ml of water, let it boil. Set aside.
6. Mix all flour with 400 ml of water.
7. Add in fried ingredients mixture, mix well.
8. Pour mixture into a lined 8" container.
9. Steam over high heat for 1 hour.
10. Sprinkle garnishing and ready to serve.

No more running....

2010-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

I wonder when I would stop running completely....I think that day is coming pretty soon. Haha...it's been hard to get inspiration to run these days. Especially when Snail Jogger President is also getting rather lazie these days. I went to the gym for some cardio workout but it's tough doing 15min elliptical and 15min cycle. So boring...

After dinner, I feel as bloated as a whale. How do whales run????

But still I try my best to do my 30mins of moderate exercise 3x a week. Either swimming, slow jog or brisk walk. I think I should start searching for my yoga class.

Back to running at the club

2010-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

TH and I came down to MF to run last Sun. It was good company to run with. And I felt like I could still last a good 1 hr 30 min, even if it was a slow jog. And along the way, I got some good advice on how to cultivate the bump. The hawker centre opposite the club is also open and it's much more spacious and airy, compared to last time. My food choice was good old yong tau foo.

After lunch, we made our way to Marriott Hotel for the Young Parents' talk. It was a rather informative talk. I like the scientific sounding speakers, who babbled on about how to tell whether the pregnancy is healthy, and what superfoods to feed the baby. TH took plenty of notes, which I wonder if he will read through them again. haha. I like the reminder on how we need to maintain a good relationship between spouses, before being able to bring up a happy baby. Happy job = Happy husband = Happy wife = Happy baby.

Next up was a trip to Plaza Singapura, to collect the Crocs that TH won during the MR Ultra. He didn't fancy any and generously allowed me to choose a pair of pink Crocs slippers. I seriously think that Crocs are way overly priced...if not for the free pair, I probably wouldn't own one. Anyway, I'm now the owner of a pair of Croccy pink slippers which seem to allow the expansion of swollen feet in the later stages. Yay.

Then we browsed through a baby shop, that's selling strollers. Gosh, strollers cost SO MUCH!! Almost 1.2k for a jogging stroller. Weigh over 10kg, with heavy duty wheels. Eeeks. How horrifying.

Then it's back to Marriott Hotel for dinner at Pool Grill. We are finally using the 100 bucks voucher we won at Vertical Marathon last year. Hard earned prize and we spent it all on dinner. Thanks to my meticulous calculation, we didn't spend a single cent on dinner. Dinner comprised of a wagyu burger with caramelized onions, beetroot and a generous portion of thick fries, a seafood thin-crust pizza and a thick slab of salmon with macadamia ricotta crumble, celeriac patty and some baby broccoli. WE WERE STUFFED. Da-bao 1/2 of the seafood pizza. It's really too much food for us. I'm glad we didn't go stuff ourselves at the buffet. It would have bust our 100 bucks voucher, since the buffet is $60++ per pax. Here, at the pool grill, we were able to see the skyline of Ion Orchard and enjoyed our quiet dinner.

Final destination was at Borders where TH bought a pair of headphones and a pair of Classical Music CDs. That's to serenade me and the little bump.

A mighty long day...but well spent...when we are not in town, we are out running, but when we are in town, we really maximised our time!!

Snail Jogger Club - Honorary Member

2010-01-19T05:20:00.000-08:00

Ah Mei has enlisted me into her Snail Jogger Club. Or rather, I've opted to join the club, since I'm jogging at snail pace these days. Ah Mei is the President and I'm the honorary member. Hopefully, I'll graduate from the club in 1 year's time.

Meanwhile, we have been running rather consistently, albeit slowly. A good 30 mins for the shorter Hillside loop. I tried my best to lift my legs today and even tried to catch up with a lady runner in front. But she sprinted past me after I caught up. chey.

hopefully, it's some leisurely laps in the pool tomorrow.

End of Year 2009

2009-12-31T01:57:00.000-08:00

I ended the last day of 2009 with a lazie hillside loop, 31.29mins. Wow, super slow. While TH is off for his fat-burning run, to lose that 1.2kg that he has gained. His target being 60kg.

2009 has been really special. Tied the knot in June to a special man - TH, aka as PP and my year of running has been satisfying. I managed to get a few PBs and a few prizes. Not bad for a leisure enthusiastic runner. Here's my recap of good moments...

National Vertical Marathon (Lover's Challenge) 10.22min 2nd place
10km Newton Run 48.36min (PB for 10km)
21km SBR 1:50 (faster than last year!)
21km Lake Merced Half Marathon 1:44 (PB for 21km, in SF, where weather is nice and cool)
30km GE Pacesetters 2:41 (PB for this race, and came in a surprise 2nd)
42km Gold Coast Marathon 3:43 (PB for marathon; also during our honeymoon)
50km Northface trail 100km duo 6:29 (teamed up with hardcore PS and again came in a surprise 2nd)

I'm impressed! haha. On the other hand, I've had my share of slow runs. SCSM 2009 4:57. PW for the last 2 years. haha...actually, it's all cos TH and I are cultivating our little bean. Running will have to take a back seat from now onwards.

Year of lazie runs, or rather jogs

2009-12-28T02:40:00.000-08:00

Today's 28 Dec. Soon coming to a new year 2010.

I shall begin my year of hillside jogs. A regular loop, 3 times a week with a slightly longer run on Sun. That's my new year resolution.

To start off, I ran this evening. 31.01min. A Personal Worst for this loop. More PWs to come. Haha. Snail Jogger's probably not running till the new year 2010. I hope she becomes my regular partner. Then I won't feel so lonely.

Lazie runner

2009-12-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

I've been off running for quite a while. Wondering if I should start running more regularly this week. Since last week, I have only run like once? well well, this is at most temporary. hopefully, i will start running again more regularly, once the new year comes. Sometimes the more anxious you are, the worse it gets.

Gentle Runs

2009-12-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

I'm onto this gentle running mode these days. This means, running less than 10km each time or running less than 1 hour each time, whatever is less. This usually means running less than 10km, haha. My regular running pace has slowed down to a gentle trot, enough not to raise my heart rate too much.

Trotted around Hillside on Mon. Somewhat humid.
As well as yesterday. 1 loop around Hillside, followed by a detour to Bee Zhen Xiang to get some prawn rolls and little bah kwa for Mary.

Mary's flight is delayed by a good 24 hours, or more. Can you believe that?! SQ flights!! That's so mad.

Lazy Snail Jogger didn't jog yesterday. Crampy pains. Sigh. She could have paced me.

Recovery Run

2009-12-13T04:38:00.000-08:00

I did my first run after Singapore Marathon.

A short 4.75km run, as part of the Tiong Bahru Challenge. Except I chickened out of the challenge. haha, got TH's sister to run it instead. I decided to opt out of the 30-storey stair climbing.

I felt surprisingly fresh after a week's rest. Running felt good!! I kept a comfortable, relaxed pace.

TH took part too. A hectic 5km + 30 storey climb. He came in 20th. Not easy to be in top 5 for local men. Competition is stiff! But we were lucky to get a lucky draw prize for my bib number. :)

And later in the evening, we washed the car and went for a swim. How tiring. Swimming is SO TIRING. Running is so much easier!

We rewarded ourselves with Domino's pizza. I have been wanting to order this pizza, ever since I saw an outlet along Bukit Timah Rd. Service was great! They delivered within 15min (30 min guarantee) and we had complimentary cinnamon stix for online orders, which I liked! Fresh, hot bread sticks, topped with sugary cinnamon. Lovely! Here's how the Domino's brochure described them - "Soft and fluffy breadsticks baked to perfection, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Served with sweet icing." The icing is redundant for me. We tried Hawaiian Paradise and Extravaganzza. Next time, we can probably try the pizza topped with its secret sauce - that's chicken temptation and classified chicken.

Okie, time to start running again. I think I shall start my hillside 1 loop jogs this week. Time to get Snail Jogger to run along with me!! She needs to fit into that wedding dress!!

Singapore Marathon 2009

2009-12-06T01:45:00.001-08:00

Finally over!! What a relief!! I've been pondering whether or not to run the marathon. Finally ran it. Just under 5 hours. Managed to find running buddies, around the same pace. Eddie and Shirley. That was great....so I won't zone off and end up walking or DNF.

The weather was great. Overcast with some gentle winds. But I discovered I still ended up with visible tanlines. I guess the sun was just shining through those clouds.

I had 2 toilet breaks, one at hawker centre and another around the chalets. Toilet breaks were great. I had time to ensure I wasn't running too hard.

The water points were great too. Plentiful. But only one distinct water point had ice-cold 100-plus. I remembered that clearly.

I still felt a major strain on my thighs and knee joints after the run in the afternoon. I guess running 42km definitely takes its toil on a body, even if the pace was a manageable one.

So so happy to finish the race, feeling good. I felt fully well-hydrated and had plenty of water and isotonic drinks. The race pace was at a conversational pace. I felt I had plenty of oxygen!!

And now time to rest and relax for the rest of the year. While poor TH still have the ultra-marathon to train for.

Slow and easy LSD_23km

2009-11-29T03:59:00.000-08:00

I've been lazie this week. Partly cos I was on call and also partly cos I was feeling so tired...

Mon - A mini hillside loop with Snail Jogger
Tues - 1 hillside loop
Wed - 1 hillside loop
Thur - Rest
Fri - Rest
Sat - Rest
Sun - Club-NUH-Queenstown LSD of 23km. It was a great run. Nice relaxed pace. Had some company (Jamie and Ivy) to run alongside too, from Ulu Pandan Canal onwards. I initially thought of taking a short cut back to club, running back via Depot Rd, instead of going back via HarbourFront. But Ivy was quite determined to run the HarbourFront stretch...so I thought I should try to complete that too. I kept myself fully hydrated today, topping up my water bottle 2 times and drank 1 can of lemon tea and 1 bottle of H2O. Luckily, the weather was quite kind today. Other than the sunny stretch along Ulu Pandan canal, the morning wasn't that hot and humid. Good old Henry was ahead....I never saw sight of him, after I went for my toilet break at NUS.

Windy LSD_31km

2009-11-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Did a lazy LSD this morning with MF Safra. Lazy...cos I was taking frequent toilet breaks...urge to pee-pee...and hydrate and cool myself. I guess I was that slow, that Derrick told me off when I met him on his return journey...to pick up speed and run faster. But I didn't care...I just wanted to enjoy the long run and not end up over-heating or dehydrating.

ECP has 3 of my favourite things...runners, babies and dogs. I saw plenty of runners at ECP and that's great for motivation. Babies aplenty too. I saw a Caucasian couple and their twin baby boys, having photos taken by a professional photographer. And of cos...lotsa dogs....woof!

I'm looking forward to tapering down for the Singapore Marathon that's on 6 Dec. I guess for this year, I'll take it easy....aim to finish in 4:30.

Weekday runs

2009-11-20T22:52:00.001-08:00

The weekend is here!! How fast.

This week, I did the following:

Tues - Morning and evening runs (1 loop each) 26.24, 27.16
Wed - Rest
Thurs - Morning run (1 loop) 26.25
Fri - Morning and evening runs (1 loop each) 28.45, didn't time my evening run.
Sat - Rest

I've been doing these morning runs, partly because when TH wakes up, I also wake up and since it's still early, I go for a run. Glad I did so, cos the evenings are mostly wet and rainy....much too dangerous for a run.

Also, I do notice that I've been running slower. Well, what happens will happen...most important is I need to listen to my body.

Some running is better than none.

2009-11-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

I did 2 loops of hillside today, one in the morning and one in the evening. Snail Jogger is still not back home yet, at 7.58pm. And the skies are thundering with lightning. And Di is snoozing away, before dinner! Felt quite unmotivated to run these days....well, some running is better than none.

I found this on a blog.

10 Things Happy Couples Do
1. Go to bed at the same time. Remember the beginning of your relationship, when you couldn't wait to go to bed with each other to make love? Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner wakes up later to do things while their partner sleeps.

TH ALWAYS makes me go to bed when he sleeps. Although sometimes, I snooze off before him. HAHA.

2. Cultivate common interests. After the passion settles down, it's common to realize that you have few interests in common. But don't minimize the importance of activities you can do together that you both enjoy. If common interests are not present, happy couples develop them. At the same time, be sure to cultivate interests of your own; this will make you more interesting to your mate and prevent you from appearing too dependent.

Definitely, we both love running. When TH saw the NorthFace article on the website, I think he was envious. Haha, then he proclaimed himself to be my manager. DUHZ.

3. Walk hand in hand or side by side. Rather than one partner lagging or dragging behind the other, happy couples walk comfortably hand in hand or side by side. They know it's more important to be with their partner than to see the sights along the way.

I think we do this most of the time??

4. Make trust and forgiveness your default mode. If and when they have a disagreement or argument, and if they can't resolve it, happy couples default to trusting and forgiving rather than distrusting and begrudging.

I have to learn this. And so has TH. But I think we are both making progress. :)

5. Focus more on what your partner does right than what he or she does wrong. If you look for things your partner does wrong, you can always find something. If you look for what he or she does right, you can always find something, too. It all depends on what you want to look for. Happy couples accentuate the positive.

TH: PAY ATTENTION!! Look for the right things that I've done!!

6. Hug each other as soon as you see each other after work. Our skin has a memory of "good touch" (loved), "bad touch" (abused) and "no touch" (neglected). Couples who say hello with a hug keep their skin bathed in the "good touch," which can inoculate your spirit against anonymity in the world.

I think we don't do this, cos TH says he's quite dirty after a day of work.

7. Say "I love you" and "Have a good day" every morning. This is a great way to buy some patience and tolerance as each partner sets out each day to battle traffic jams, long lines and other annoyances.

TH always gives me "have a good day" messages!!

8. Say "Good night" every night, regardless of how you feel. This tells your partner that, regardless of how upset you are with him or her, you still want to be in the relationship. It says that what you and your partner have is bigger than any single upsetting incident.

Sometimes, we are too tired to say good nite. Especially after running!!

9. Do a "weather" check during the day. Call your partner at home or at work to see how his or her day is going. This is a great way to adjust expectations so that you’re more in sync when you connect after work. For instance, if your partner is having an awful day, it might be unreasonable to expect him or her to be enthusiastic about something good that happened to you.

Only I do weather checks on TH!! But sometimes, I'm too grouchy to do that, especially when my patients make me mad!!

10. Be proud to be seen with your partner. Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and are often in some kind of affectionate contact – hand on hand or hand on shoulder or knee or back of neck. They are not showing off but rather just saying that they belong with each other.

I think we do that too...:)

Northface Race

2009-11-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

Hey, I got a little website posting on the North Face Race. How lovely!

LSD again

2009-11-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

Did a similar route LSD as last week. But this week, I was more kiasu. Started at 6.15am, with Ivy and Michael...it was great running in the dark, cool morning...no sun...just coolness. I took along an Evian 330ml bottle, since my usual pink bottle is away at Yishun. Had on my old yellow Asics running shoes, with a good hole in the left top flap. There was more motivation to run this week, as the weather was more cooling and besides, I had already run the route last week and could break down the parts better.

Temptation to walk is always there....but at least the weather is cooling enough to not walk too much. Just keep running.... I saw the Apec vehicles coming out from the hotel entrance, as I was running towards Flyer. And later, during my run back, I was banned from entering the Flyer as there was a private function. The streets are nice and quiet from the Apec conference.

Reached the club house at 11am or so....It was a slightly faster run this week...but not fantastic. My thighs and knees do ache more this week. One horrid thing was I can't find my shoe bag, at the end of the day when I returned home. WHERE IS IT?!?! I have my safra purple top and paris marathon tights, albeit smelly, inside!! And my loccitane rub-on perfume and deep heat rub!! URGH.

My Sister's Keeper

2009-11-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

is a real tear-jerker...I caught the movie with my sister yesterday at Vivo...where everyone seems to be out on a weekday night.

The movie is better than the critics' review. This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I read and I've been hooked on her books ever since. The movie's ending is a good ending, where only one died and the rest lived happily ever after. Different from the book ending, which left a somewhat horrid after-taste. Knowing that life can be so vulnerable.

Anyway, next time, I should bring a good pack of tissues, and not rely on those hard napkins from the toilet.

Weekday rruns

2009-11-11T03:50:00.000-08:00

Tues - Ran from WP hospital to end of PC and back, around 50min worth of running. Panting...rushing to finish the run, to meet TH later!

Wed - Ran hillside loop, alas, without Snail Jogger. She arrived home too late. And we are going to watch The Sister's Keeper later. Ran without my watch, but I tried to run home. Those Asics GT2130 seem too well-worn already....

LSD 39km

2009-11-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

Not sure whether to thank TH or not for this LSD. By some stroke of luck, TH was my aid support this morning. He had a tooth extraction (2nd right molar) yesterday afternoon and the dentist told him not to run and exert himself. And he actually obeyed. I guess he will listen to higher authority at most times.

So this morning, he gave me support at various points along the way. The scheduled run was 38km, U-turn at cable ski lagoon. I had his Garmin on, which gave me real-time info on the distance covered and the pace. But I discovered the Garmin 305 didn't really fit my wrist well...later on, after I whined, TH placed the Garmin on my water bottle, which worked just as well.

The day was hot. And there were 2 groups starting off from MF this morning. The first group had left earlier around 6.30am? I was with the 2nd group, which somehow was just too fast for me. Or I'm too slow for them. Anyway, somewhere even as early as the Flyer, I really didn't feel like running anymore. Met TH at the stadium. Well, he said he will be at the lagoon next and urged me to run further. I had multiple breaks. First toilet break at M hotel. Next at NTUC petrol pump. Then at B1 carpark. My legs didn't feel great and the heat was getting to me. Along the way before Macs, I met Ricci who handed me a 100-plus. Then I somehow managed to continue till the lagoon. Telling myself that I will loop around the lagoon and then hop onto the car. That's 20km so far. But TH managed to convince me to move on. So I continued...but my pace was getting slower. Managed to finish the ECP stretch and then met TH at the stadium again. Well, I still continued on. URGH. He told me to run till the 2nd toilet and see how I feel then. And then from the 2nd toilet, the next point was along Shenton Way. And finally he met me along Keppel Road. That was already 37km, I think. Anyway, as long as he convinced me that he doesn't mind waiting, I guess I should continue running.

Reached the club at 12.30pm. Last one to arrive. I felt SO TIRED. The heat is really bad. I had on the Optic Nerve sunglasses that I won at NF. I guess I'm not a sunglass person after all. A cap is good enough. Or maybe I have to try them on a couple more times, before I decide.

I had 2 packets of Repalyte and lots of Ribena and 100-plus and 1 Hammer pill for electrolyte replacement. Well, whatever, I wouldn't have been able to finish this LSD, if TH wasn't around to push me from one point to the other. This heat in the morning is making my face all red and warm and feeling very sleepy now.

Snail Jog

2009-11-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Thought I would be running alone. But I met Ah Mei, the Snail Jogger, as I was reaching the end of the loop. I decided to continue and run and meet her in the opposite direction. Total running time around 40min. I tried the new Northface shoes. They felt weird. I guess Asics GT2140 suit me better. I usually don't have to spend time to break in the shoes. These Northface shoes felt heavy and the laces are tricky. Not secure enough around the ankle. Yeeks.

LSD 34km

2009-10-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

Long run today. Decided to join MF Safra for some company. There was another 35km progressive run at Macritchie though, but I guess that would be too tough mentally.

Started off with Jamie and Henry. A nice easy pace, that allows one to chat. Both told me that their first water point is at Ford Rd, petrol pump. Wow. I was thinking about Singapore Flyer, or M Hotel! I decided I was too much of a wimp and aimed to stop only at Ford Rd. Well, I stopped earlier, at a water point that's meant for GE 10k. The girls have all ran past that water point so I stole some water and 100-plus from the water point!! Also had my Repalyte. 1st packet. Felt energised and ran ahead....

I saw Henry ahead initially, then he stopped to take out his handphone. Probably msg his wife. How sweet. We saw Lucille earlier before Singapore Flyer, I think her pace was probably good for 1 hr 10 min.

I ran ahead of Henry...ran ran ran. The weather was good and I thought I better pick up the pace while I can. Finally reached Macdonald's. Around 1:43. U-turned. Then ran back towards B1 carpark. Willpower not to stop at B1. Finally made it to Fort Rd petrol pump. Dashed into the toilet. My tummy was no good. Took a 3 min break. Was hurried out of the toilet by the NTUC Fairprice lady. She said hers was urgent!

Well, well, I went off and then tried to push on towards Kallang. Had another water point at the GE 10k, flipped the water bottle over me. That was nice. Then the last break was at Singapore Flyer. That was a SUPER LONG break. Around 10min, I think. Poop Break, plus drink up on water.

I ran together with Henry for the last section. It was great. My legs felt really tired, but having a partner helped. Yay, reached MF clubhouse around 11.10am. Probably took gross time of 4 hours for the whole run. At least, one more LSD done!

Henry said he's aiming for 4:40. Thought he would be able to aim faster.

Still in recovery mode

2009-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Went down to the club for the Thurs run. Club - Depot Rd - Hort Park windy slopes - Kent Ridge Hill (3x) - Hort Park - Depot Rd.

It felt really tough running. My legs felt heavy running upslope and there was simply no lift to run faster. Maybe all my legs are used to is that moderately slow Northface pace. Recover faster!!

Lonely Hillside Loop

2009-10-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Today, the only member of the Snail Paced Jogging Club refused to join me for my run. So I went off alone at 7.45pm, just wanted to feel my legs after Sat's race. They felt not too bad. But I took a long time to finish the loop, ran in Ellie's direction. 27.56min. I guess my legs still need time to recover.

2009-10-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

"You train best where you are the happiest. "

Frank Shorter, American distance runner and Olympic gold-medalist

Really? Then my training must be shitty now. Anyway, I'm still recovering from NF. What training?!?!

Julie and Julia

2009-10-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

It's a rare occasion for TH and I to be sedentary and laze out. But after yesterday's race, we did just that. Be sedentary and just laze.

We woke up late. 8.15am. Ate leftover soup and leftover fish for breakfast. Yeeks!

Lazed.

Ate lunch. Big-piece dark soya sauce chicken. Soup and fish. Then we went to library to return books and bought tickets for a movie. Julie and Julia. I thought it would make me excited about cooking. In a way, it did. But it's not that exciting, for a movie.

Cooking is an art. Got to look nice, taste delicious and be healthy. I think nobody does it better than my mum. I discovered that when I was in Primary 3. When I went to my classmate's home for a project. Discovered that her mum cooked bee hoon, which needed tomato sauce to taste edible. Since then, I haven't met another mother, who cooks better than my mum. Maybe equivalent, but not better. I really think it's quite torturous if I have to eat somebody's cooking which doesn't taste good for the rest of my life. URGH.

NF 100km Women's Duo

2009-10-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

2nd Place!

At the finish Line
Super Shag at Zhenghua Park, with 15km more to go!

It was a week of anticipation, that ended in a pleasant surprise win - 2nd placing!

Started the week, not knowing how much to run before the race. Tapering is always a problem for me. Anyway, in the end, work was too busy and tiring for me to run a lot, so I ran 1 hillside (regular) loop on Tues and 1 hillside loop (downsized to Ellie's version) on Thurs. I tried to practice the race pace, which I think was around Ellie's regular jogging pace. My legs didn't feel fresh fresh....but anyhow, it's best not to over-strain them.

Come Friday, we went on our great plan to park the car overnight in Macritchie carpark...suggested by my partner PS. I thought it would take the pressure off driving there early on Sat morning and finding there is no car park space. Lucky, she stayed really close by, so we managed to get a lift back home.

Come Saturday morning, Ah Mei very sportingly woke up and gave us a lift to MR carpark. Running needs supporters....what will we do, without supporters to give us a lift to start point?! THANK YOU!! just like Anson gave me a lift to start point of Lake Merced. and just like Di gave me a lift to all the other runs that I've done...

The atmosphere before the race was not-too-exciting. I thought the compere wasn't too professional. We went to check into the registration area. First to check whether we've got our handphone and course map. Next to check body mass. 43.6kg. Then to weigh our hydration bag to see if we've brought along enough water. All done. Then to mingle in the registration area. Went off to pee and also donated some pee for a study on hydration status. I think I'm pretty well-hydrated. My pee was faint-yellow. TH didn't....what a waste!

Then back to registration area and waited for the start. Luckily, found PS before the start and we both started running together. I thought our beginning pace was quite fast. Haha, I must be unfit, I felt tired even after exiting Northern Trail, some 4km into the race start. But my main aim for the first half of the race, at least before the U-turn, was to stick closely to my partner. Don't lose sight...and probably I will be able to keep running.

The section along Rifle Range Road was horrid. The organisers cordoned off a super narrow section of the road with yellow gate barriers for us to run in. That was only sufficient for 1 runner to run, with no space for overtaking. The pace along this stretch was also torturingly slow....the guy in front of me wasn't moving fast enough. I didn't feel that I should overtake initially. I think PS also felt it was too slow, cos she overtook when there was a chance (gap in the barrier) and I quickly followed behind. Hehe. We came up to the first aid station, just before PUB station. Only food food food...no water! Well, luckily I'm well packed with water.

We hit the next aid station at Bukit Timah Visitor Centre, this time with water!! Yay. I couldn't wait to pour water over myself. To cool down.... Went up the BK slope, some 45 degree angle. Tried to power-walk up. Finally hit the top before we turned left into Rengas path - North View path. This was another nightmare stretch. Where our knees had to suffer as we went down steep stairs. Really steep!! I really have to focus and try to land on the balls of my feet on the edge of the steps. That helped to speed things up, rather than landing one step at a time. I was SO HAPPY to exit out of the North View Path without any falls or trips....Next aid station was Zhenghua Park, where I topped up my hydration bag. PS said I topped up my bag many times. Indeed, I did. I think I topped up 3 times. Each time, to the fullest. I would rather run with a full and heavy bag, than an empty bag. Cos the weather was getting hot...and any moment, I thought I would faint from the heat. The volunteers tend to think I don't want to top up to the max, and each time, I have to prompt them to top up to the fullest.

Then finally started onto the Zhenghua Park Connector, into the veggie farm (with a excavator digging away?!) and upslope, more upslope into the Mandai army area. This time, we could run straight through, as the gates were open. We reached the road, near the Zoo, pretty soon. And finally the lorong asrama area. That was an area where we had to do a loop around and exit out. Some 9km, I think.

Had a good break at the aid station at lorong asrama. I had Hammer Gel - apple cinnamon flavour. It actually tasted better than my memory of Power Gel. I remembered I tried Power Gel some years back and it tasted so super disgusting. Dry. Thick. Intolerable. I wonder how runners could make themselves eat it. But Hammer Gel was different. It tasted like real food!! Gooey. But tasted like apple pie filling. Macdonald's Apple Pie? I also poured the hydration salts into 100plus and drank it all up. TH's usual way of keeping cramps away. I usually don't like those hydration salts. But for today, I thought I better keep up my energy. I was actually feeling rather tired and sleepy. In fact, I think just at the Mandai stretch, PS was asking me whether I'm ok. Cos I'm usually running ahead of her and today, I was behind...and at times, quite far behind, I thought. Not sure why...maybe I was having doubts as to whether I could finish the race. But I've been thinking that anything beyond 42km...like 50km, 100km, anything could happen. You could fall. You could have stomach problems. You could have cramps. Anything could happen. It's hard to tell.

Well, we saw JW at the lorong asrama aid station. Turned out it probably wasn't her day today. She still continued into lorong asrama stretch anyway, but I think she probably stopped after exiting. What a pity for LC, her running partner....well, anything could happen.

It was great to run with a partner in the lorong asrama - hill 256 area. We managed to stay close together and keep moving. Walk the upslopes and run the down slopes. Always keep moving, that was the strategy. We reached that disgusting yellow-sand/mud hill. As usual, I'm usually quite duhz when it comes to figuring out the easiest and fastest way up. Anyhow, I literally just scrambled up and grabbed the tree trunks to stabilize myself. I think PS was probably more experienced. Reached the summit and saw a guy standing there. He was there to register our bibs again. And then, we passed the little gantry and continued on our journey in the disgusting lonely stretch.

Finally finished the loop. YAY. YAY. YAY. We have now run 30km!! At that point, I probably perked up more. And then PS commented we should be able to make it within 7 hours, the initial target, and maybe even less than 7 hours, if we keep going at this pace. Wow. I think although my legs were tired, at least there's something to aim for now. So just keep moving.

We headed back to the Mandai camp area and then into Chestnut Track. Now along Chestnut Track, not sure exactly where, there is this lovely stretch of trail, where the tree branches formed a canopy overhead and provided this perfectly shaded trail to run on. I felt that stretch is very romantic...always looked forward to this particular canopy area. So far, I think I have run that stretch 4-5 times. Lovely. It reminded me of a similar stretch in San Francisco's Land End.

Along Chestnut Track, at times, I couldn't see PS behind. Was a little worried, she would be too far....Anyway, I still kept moving...just made sure I walked ALL the upslopes and jogged the flat slowly and opened up my strides only on the downslopes. Saw her behind me again somewhere mid-way....and then we exited out of Chestnut track together and headed up the tarmac roads towards Zhenghua Park. David and Anthony and friends were there to cheer us on. And took photos of us. Where I looked super shag!!

Anyway, off to Bekeluar Track and Lassia Track. Whatever it is spelt. I took a 100plus from a group of supporters at the top of the hill along the pipe line. That was great! And finally went onto Sepanang Road and then back to Bukit Timah aid station. Yay. More water. I saw PS at bits and pieces slightly behind, within sight. And each time, at the aid station, we would meet up. Haha, probably also because I spent some time at the aid station. If not for her, I may not have wanted to start running after each aid station. Anyway, at BK, she told me to go ahead and run ahead. Haha...I will try...though I'm not sure whether I could be that much faster too. However, the thought of finishing faster and ending the torture faster kept me going....

I was not that much ahead of PS and at the next aid station, before Rifle Range, we met again. And then, we didn't meet till the end point....Although the strategy was to run the downslopes and walk the upslopes, I succumbed to walking the flats at certain points too. Along the golf course, for example. Haiz. Legs were tired. Though it didn't feel like cramps. I resisted stopping and taking out the deep heat, cos I thought that would mean more time wasted on NOT MOVING. Also resisted taking out my gummy bears and dates, and just ate whatever there was on the aid stations.

Yay, finally made it to the finish line in one piece. I think my timing was around 6 hr 30 min. Felt this twinge of tears and emotions rising, as I exited out of the trails towards the finish line. Wah, I finally completed my first ultra distance of 50km on trails.

David was there to take photos of me at the finish. And TH was there too with a big bottle of 100plus. Turned out that Jamie saw me coming in and alerted him. Chey! The volunteers checked my body mass again. I think my weight stayed the same. I wasn't dehydrated. Probably expected this too, cos I was drinking and drinking throughout the race.

PS came back shortly too, around 9 mins later, I think. So we got a chance at the podium finish?! And we did. Came in 3rd initially. Then the first team was disqualified, cos they replaced the woman with a guy and they self-admitted. So we are 2nd!! See, anything could happen!!

Maybe, I'm suited to running trails...:)

Trail Running

2009-10-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

However, on hind sight, there are so many lovely runs in SF and California that I really regretted not doing the Santa Cruz run when I was there.

There are so many many trail races...Pacific Coast Trail Runs organises so many races around California. So enticing!!

Last NF Recee Run

2009-10-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Did another run today, starting from Rifle Range Road. Gosh, the tummy was unwell. Having ate Malay curry rice for lunch and spicy Shanghai food for dinner, I had 2 bouts of severe toilet explosion before I felt well enough to run. Was glad to have started the run on a clear system. I need to stay away from spicy food for this coming week.

The weather was alright. Not super hot. No rain. Just alright. It was a jog-cum-walk day. I really hated the steep steps down Rengas Path and North View Path, I felt like I would twist my ankle any moment. Anyway, I did twist my ankle, somewhere along the way to the flyover. I felt my right ankle rotate outwards and back inwards, could almost hear the structures in my foot snap. But so far, it felt okie. I guess I'm really not suited to trail running. Whatever. The date is set. 24 Oct. Saturday. 7am. Rain or shine, I shall aim to complete the race in one piece.

Running Marathons

2009-10-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, actually some 9 years ago, when I first started running, I thought it would be cool to run a marathon when holidaying. Kill 2 birds with one stone. And currently, here are the marathons I have run:

Singapore Marathon (more than 5?)
Penang Marathon (my first, and slowest)
Canberra Marathon
Paris Marathon
Gold Coast Marathon

I guess I'm considered quite lucky to have run marathons in all these places. But for now, I guess I have to put aside my dream of running marathons all over the world as TH pursues his dream of getting a PhD.

Time off

2009-10-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

As Deepavali falls on a non-working Saturday, I'm entitled to take time off for 1 day. My very thoughtful boss suggested that I take two 1/2 days since they didn't require my services back at the main building and I would be able to still cover my own workload in 1/2 day. Well, it's probably for the better, since I get two mornings to myself.

1st morning - It's an early trip to M'sian High Comm to register our marriage. We were lucky to finish up all the nitty-gritty by 10am...and it was rather non-eventful, except the passport photo machine broke down. It was repaired in time for TH and Ah Mei to take their passport photos, so we didn't have to prolong our stay at the High Comm unnecessarily.

Next up, I decided to recee the NF route starting from BT visitor centre, up Rengas Path and North View Path. I had to go down horrifyingly steep steps down. Disgusting. And I took almost 1 hour for 7.2km. Yeeks, almost late for work.

After work, I was feeling motivated and decided to run from Hillside to Holland Village. That's a distance of 7.6km in 45min. That's a nice comfortable pace, given my left thigh was still feeling sore. A major episode of DOMS, after last weekend's warrior runs.

What shall I do tomorrow??

Running Idols

2009-10-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

In no order of preference....

Haile Gebreselassie - I like his very toothy wide smile.

Ryan Hall - he is America's fav running guy, I think.

Scott Jurek - ultra-runner. His performances are very outstanding!! More outstanding than Dean K. Plus, he is also a physical therapist. :)

Blackall Range - lovely view

2009-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Weekend Warrior

2009-10-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

That's me! I did another 30km this morning...joined MF Safra for the run from club to ECP carpark B1 and back. My left thigh is slightly sore at the beginning of the run and became ultra sore towards the end. But I persevered. Haha, so proud of myself!! Persevered despite the heat and humidity. I was spurred by Henry's words that he will try to cut down his timing this week by taking less breaks - first one being the petrol pump near B1.

So I continued running till I reached B1 and didn't stop at my usual M hotel and Flyer. At the petrol pump, I went for toilet break, bought a cheap Red Bull at $1.35 and ate my Snickers and then withdrew money $20 from atm. Wah, I did so many things!! All in 8 mins!!

Continued running till B1 and U-turned without stopping. Went towards Kallang Park and stopped for a break again. My water was depleting. I suspect that my pink bottle is leaking. The water simply disappeared in no time. Continued running back to Flyer and stopped for a toilet break and purchased a 7-11 100-plus, with lots of crushed ice. Yay! Then I headed back. Stopped for the final time at Macdonald's to top up water. The morning was really hot.

Finally reached back club-house in net time of 3:06. I think the rest time was around 30min. I noticed that the pavement was nice and smooth along the stretch from Harbourfront towards Kampong Bahru Road. How nice...

Almost had the luck to sprain my ankle 3 times today...luckily it stayed good. Now, I'm ultra-sleepy.

Well-done, Julie!! I clocked 60km in 2 days over the weekend. Now to see if there are any adverse effects from being a weekend warrior....

Lovely run....

2009-10-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to like the location of Hillside more. There are quite a number of hidden trails around the Bukit Timah and Zhenghua area. And this morning, I followed Fennel's group on a 28-32 km run. Met up with the group at the traffic junction opposite MacDonald's. Ran up Rifle Range Road, turned left into Kampong Trail. Next is Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Visitor Centre, then up the BT hill, and then stairs to the summit. Down slope and left turn into catchment path...which was a tricky path with lots of rocks, branches, etc. Ta-Da! Emerged at the big pipe and turned left to run towards Zhenghua Park.

Down Chestnut Ave and left turn into the trail...took the left side of a forked road and emerged at the Bukit Panjang Community Garden and then followed onto the flyover...meanwhile, it has started pouring and the shoes were all submerged in red mud. Lovely pink-streaked Asics GT2140. Took cover at the flyover and then reached the vending machine at end of Zhenghua Park.

The return route was more or less similar but we headed right to the end of Rifle Range Road and I had some energy left to run back home.

Started at 6.15am and reached home at 11.30am. My legs felt adequately sore now.

I think I still very much prefer rainy weather. It's much cooler and not as humid. On the down side, we had to climb over 2 gigantic trees that fell and blocked our running path.

Well, it was a good run today. I was able to follow the group's pace and for once, it was lovely having people to run with, who are not too fast. I was literally able to follow the footsteps.

The beginning of the week was nothing to boast about. I ran on Tues, Wed and Thur, one hillside loop of 4.5km for each day. Motivation was low. Hope to get back into running mode soon.

Sister Fat Cheeks...

2009-10-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

provides a lovely summary of our family's trip to SF. Beautifully summarized...with lovely group photos...alas, I had one with eyes closed and another with tummy showing as I hanged from the tree branch.

Anger Management

2009-10-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Anger managment...

Honeymoon video

2009-10-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with uploading videos on youtube. Managed to get one up...

LSD_Club to Carpark B1

2009-10-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

Managed to join the club for a LSD. First time in many days, almost 14 days, since I'm doing such a long distance. Ran with my hydation pack, new white skort and Gold Coast tee. Although the sky was relatively overcast, I still felt rather hot and humid.

Took multiple rest stops...and finally completed the run around 10.45am, having started at 7.15am. Was glad to have Michael pacing me from Esplanade bridge onwards. He probably thought I didn't want a rest break and I was too tired and just wanted to follow.

Yay. 1 LSD for the week. How nice. Now, I'm dead tired.

I think I managed to clock about 60km for the week. What with the jet lag, I've been able to wake up early to run.

NF 100km Duo

2009-10-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Nervous about the race on 24 Oct.

Start time: 7am
Cut-off time: 9 hours
Aim to run within 7 hours. Thus, aim to finish by 2pm!!
Race kit collection: 10 Oct, at Novena Velocity.

My hydration pack is a Camelpak bought by TH. Nice red colour. Holds 1.5L and finally I've managed to attach the straps across my waist to hold the bag in place (a great suggestion by Dora).

I had a look at Northface hydration packs while I was in SF (Sports Authority and Sports Basement). They didn't look great on petite bodies. I think Camelpaks are still better.

jet lag runs_part 2

2009-10-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

I managed to return home, in time for another evening run at the trails before the sun sets today. How wonderful!

I started off at 6pm, went into the Quarry Road at Jalan Asas, turned right into the mountain bike trail towards Bukit Timah Reserve.

Next into Sempang Road (whatever it's spelt), then Lassia Track and finally Bekaluar Track (but I chose to run along the pipeline in the open, rather than the trail). I believed the trails here are somewhat trickier than the trails in SF's Land's End. The sloping trails are strewn with rocks and branches and requires a vigilant eye at all times. Land's End was a lovely trail...branches forming a roof overhead...trails are flat and sandy...lovely to run on. I'm looking forward to doing a trail race/marathon in SF one day.

Finally exited via Hillview Park Connector and returned via Rail Mall. I decided against running the rest of the Hillside Loop. Better to take it easy for now. Lovely run...no pressure to keep up with a group.

57:08min

jet lag runs

2009-10-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Clocked a couple of runs since I'm back...

Wed - 1 hillside loop, 26min. Legs felt fine. But boy, was it humid.
Thurs - 1:13min, was bright enough to run the trails from Jalan Asas to quarry to Zheng Hua Park and back via Hillside loop.
Fri morning - 1 hillside loop. Didn't bring my watch along. Surprisingly, I was able to wake up at the same time as TH. TH went his maddening fast runs...I was quite content to do just 1 loop. Just so, my legs don't forget how to run. Though I know, we are all "born to run"

"Jonathan Beverly principle."

2009-09-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Jonathan, the editor in chief at Running Times magazine, once wrote an article about couples who run together. He said the woman should be able to reach her arm out at any time and smack her husband in the chest. Apparently, when my wife does this, all she feels is air turbulence.

That's what happens to me too. TH always violates the "Jonathan Beverly Principle"...:(

Now that my fitness probably has dropped after returning from SF, I probably have to start from scratch. That means running at Hillside...hillside loops, with my sister...

Lake Merced Half Marathon

2009-09-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is a runners' mecca, so says Runner's World. Haha, probably...I found this race during one of the weekends that I'm here with my family. Lake Merced Half Marathon, a short drive from Anson's parents' home. How nice!

Early 7.15am, Anson drove me there, together with my sis. Weather is chilling cold, but I still decided to go with my sleeveless top and tights. I think I will be fine, once I warm up during the run. Slightly nervous, since I haven't done some running since Tues. Just lots of eating and walking. I guess today's race will be a good chance to burn off some calories and wake those legs up!

The crowd is slowly gathering. The queue for the loos is long, and I gave up after a while. The race spokeperson announced that this is the 4th year the race is held and the participant numbers are increasing. Looks like it. Quite a big crowd gathered today. The half marathon starts at 8am, while the 4.5mile loop starts at 9am.

The race started and I tried to start off with an even but fast pace. At the 1-mile marking, I checked my watch. Around 8:15min. Did some mental sums in my head...this pace per mile is not slow and if I maintain this, I should be able to do a PB. So I tried to keep up the rhythm.

When the first loop is done (around 4.5miles), my legs did start feeling slightly sore....especially my right ankle. But the weather was lovely...cool...not sunny...and the people around me kept going, so I did too. The 2nd loop was done, almost even pacing...8min to 8:30 per mile. By the start of the 3rd loop, I knew I have to stay focused to stay on pace.

Not easy at all. The ladies ahead of me were really consistent...and they kept pulling further and further away from me. One lady overtook me and off she went. I tried to keep pace with some older male runners around me. Little did I realise that one of them was actually in the 70 to 79 age category and he ended up first in his category. Wow, it's a mean pace for a guy that old.

For the 3rd and last loop, we cut across the dirt path and the bridge...before we continued on the usual way. The pavement is wide enough for 4 runners to run side by side. There is also the dirth path just next to the pavement. How lovely....

I finished 1:44. A PB, a hard-earned one. I almost felt like giving up. It helped though, when I knew my sister and her bf would be waiting for me at the finish line. Must not run that slow!! My sister managed to take a photo of me at the finish line. How nice! I was presented with a black finisher ribbon with gold words on it. It's a lovely change, compared to the usual medal that I get in Singapore.

We hanged around till the prize presentation ceremony was over. Luckily, Ellie and Anson were not in a hurry to rush off. I think I came in 5th or 4th for my age-category. I saw the girl ahead of me came in 3rd. Mean competition. They had age categories for 20-29, right up to 70-79. Very motivating.

While we hanged around, I ate some cake and cookies. Took some cliff bars and granola packets away and a brownie for Anson. A nice change, from Singapore's post-race food. 100-plus and bananas.

It's a lovely race...my thighs did work hard for the race...they felt adequately sore now in the evening. YAY!!

Motivation

2009-09-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. "

Sir Roger Bannister, First athlete to run the mile in less than four minutes

I suppose I was hardly the "man" who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful, when my hubby is around.

11.3km trail run

2009-09-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Explored the area around Hillside today. Entered via Jalan Asas, ran to Quarry, turn right into Mountain Biking Trail. Ran to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Pee break. Entered Sepanang Trail, turn left...followed onto Lasia Trail, Belakuar Trail, turn left into Hillview Park Connector, left turn to Wallace Trail. Exited Wallace Trail via the steep slope that TH and I ran before, before the sign boards were up. Pee break. Turn left into Dairy Farm Loop, wrong exit to Main Road, kept with the mountain bike trail, went under the tunnel and emerged at the same point that I entered into the Mountain Biking Trail at the Quarry. Ran up to the Quarry, back to Jalan Asas and then back home.

11.3km
1:18hr
6:58min/km

TH's GPS is very cool. At least, I'm not so fearful when I ran unfamiliar roads. Plus the sign boards put up by the National Park guys are very timely...just as we are all training for the NF race.

weekend floops

2009-09-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

Sat - disastrous run at Macritchie.

Sun - run with Yishun Safra. An enjoyable, more manageable run, with many waterpoints. 20km. 2 hours (net). I discovered new routes of running within Yishun neighbourhood, which is great. But I think there's something wrong with the legs...they have forgotten how to run. DUhz.

Lousy week

2009-09-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

For me...

Tues - Too tired to run AT ALL. Went home and slept at 10pm.

Wed - Ran from westpoint to home. Fell after 100m of running. Scrapped my left knee and twisted my right ankle. But my right ankle still good to run, though my left knee was burning like mad. Still hurts.

Thurs - One over-confident stroke patient came down stairs too fast and lost his balance. Sat down on step. I had to fill up incident report. The patient commented that if it was "Su....", he probably wouldn't have fallen, cos Su...would be sturdy enough to steady him. Fine. I'm only 41kg. And the patient is twice my weight. 86kg. Stroke at 39 years old. I'm very very upset. Seeing neuro-surgical patients is so hard. Hard physically. I perspired like mad...and I feel so tired at the end of the day.

Plus, my period started today. Hate my period. Period. How come I see so many pregnant ladies these days in the streets? I think one of the biggest myths about getting pregnant is that you must be at a healthy weight. I see so many fat pregnant ladies and mothers these days. The stroke patient has 2 young kids, 3 years and 9 years old. And he used to be 90 plus kg. I'm so god-damn jealous.

This week is Physio Day week. Sick. And I worked damn hard on Physio Day. Seeing some 8 patients in the morning and 9 patients in the afternoon. Feel damn tired.

Plus my running is horrid this week. A pathetic 15km so far. Super-low mileage. Yesterday, I ran past Jurong Lake. Which was very full. To the brim. And thought what if I were to jump into the lake? How do people feel when they drown? Isn't that an un-controllable feeling? Of sinking?

How come my hubby has to work so damn hard? Why?

2009-09-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

4.68km 24.02min Avg 5.08min pace
(Ran 1 Hillside loop, Ellie's direction)
1.03km 7.05min Avg 6.52min pace
(Ran back to search for Ah Mei, ran with her back home) Her pace is average 7min pace.

Total distance: 5.7km
Total time: 31.07min

This is meant to be recovery run. But with TH's Garmin, I was compelled to run faster. Cos it was satisfying to see the running pace reflected concurrently while running. I also ran slightly faster at the beginning, cos there was this girl in red speeding away and I was so tempted to catch up with her.

I reckon Ah Mei has probably run around 4km, if she averages 7min per km. I shall verify the distance with TH's Garmin next time!!

Weekend Runs

2009-09-06T05:44:00.001-07:00

Weekend is over in a flash.

Friday - Ran from westpoint to NTU to meet TH. Distance prob about 8 to 9km. 52min. With hydration pack.

Saturday - No Running. Received last minute notice to work on Sat.

Sun - MR 30km Progressive Run. Arrived nice and early at 6.30am to register. Then around 6.45am, skies threatened to pour. Went to toilet at 6.55am, heard the skies pour and thought the start will be delayed. Urgh, when I came out of the toilet, the run has started already. TH was waiting for me. He urged me to wait till 7.30am when it's not pouring as much. I negotiated for 7.15am. We started off at 7.15am, but it was still drizzling. It actually sounded pretty bad when we were waiting in the shelter, but when we started running, it was not as bad. Met Lai Chee on her way to MR.

Was feeling slightly quarrelsome. Cos TH promised to run WITH me, but he's forever 100-200m (if he's kind) ahead of me. URGH. That's why I wanted to run with a group. At least there'll be people around my pace. Felt better along the way. Not as quarrelsome. It's hard to quarrel when the legs start hurting. No energy to argue. Just want to keep running to reach the destination. It's quite a bit of road running, rather than trail.

I rather enjoyed the run. TH waited for me at strategic points, so that kept me going. I thought the pace was alright. 1 hr 10 mins per 10km, that's TH's Northface target pace for me. I think we were running slightly faster than that...although it hardly appeared so, as I'm always lagging behind.

The distance actually didn't seem that long. 31km, according to TH's GPS. I did 3:17. My official time was 3:37. Minus 15min delay, that's 3:22. So my net rest time was 5min. That's not too bad. I ran with my hydration pack. Also drank 2 cups of 100plus at the Pierce gate and 1 cup of water at the fitness corner junction. My pack was still half-full with water, when I emptied it just now.

But I ate a lot. Found some chewy nougat at NTUC at TH's home. It's not bad. Small, handy, doesn't melt. Ate a Mars bar, offered by the MR volunteer. It's nice, but it melts, and ended up into a gooey mess. Also ate the half-packet of gummy cola, that TH left from yesterday's run. That's quite a lot of food for a run, but my tummy was rumbling away before that. After run, I had a hot milo to stave away any impending cold/flu and bought a chicken pau ($1.50!!) at the canteen to keep TH's blood sugar levels up.

Overall mileage this week:
8+10+9.6+2+10+8+31 = 78.6km over 5 days of running
Considered high. But TH beats me hands down with just 4 days of running.
90km!! And that includes 60km over just 2 days!! Disgusting.

Work to home Run

2009-09-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Decided to run back again today. Ended work late, 6.45pm and was famished. Ate the half apple, banana, mini apple wafers and was ready to go. Borrowed TH's GPS and wanted to verify the distance. 10.3km, +/- 500m, cos I walked a short distance while waiting to locate the satellites.

The legs kind of felt dead, what with the full hydration pack, but I tried to keep up a steady pace. 6.5min pace, average. Managed to reach home in slightly over an hour. And was ready to receive another scolding from mum for running so much.

Double Day

2009-08-31T07:25:00.001-07:00

First time doing a double run on one day.

Ran from home to work. Via Bukit Batok Central & Jurong Park Connector. 59min net running time, with my hydration pack. The park connector was lovely, as it encircled the lake. There were couple of people running/walking in Chinese Gardens and people doing Tai Chi.

Joined club for 6 loops of MF, 1.6km each, in the evening.

9.21
9.12
9.05
8.55
8.39
8.03

I somehow was able to run upslope, by lifting up my thighs , rather than shuffling my way up. Was trying to remember how TH broke up the hill segments. Gentle upslope from carpark, steep slope...flat to recover, steep slope to reach cafe, and that's all for the upslope on 1 loop. Repeat, repeat, repeat. The weather was fantastically cool. Perhaps that helped me to run faster.

Expected my mum to reprimand me for running so much when I reached home. Luckily, it was only a short session.

Work-Home

2009-08-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Ran from primary work place to home today. With my Camel Bak, which I stuffed with 2 handphones, my staff card, purse, card pouch, pimple cream, work chop, 2 pcs of paper, home card and keys. And filled almost to the brim with water. Mega heavy today. It's an art trying to fill the water bag, without spilling the water. I'm still trying to perfect the art. Not very successful today.

Ran from N.Buona Vista Road, left turn to Dover and straight down Clementi Road, all the way to home. 8.3km. 46.34min. That's around 6 min pace. Legs felt slightly heavy going up/down the rolling slopes of Clementi Road, but it was nice, running with the hydration pack. Fairly heavy. And best part is it's not moving much. Yay!

Now I thought I found the perfect trail run to do in US. But my future bro-in-law is such a conservative guy (TH would love him for this), that he's forbidding me from going, in case something happens. Then my mum was ignited into her usual nagging, like how I run too much, and how I should settle down. Well, it's not that I don't want to. But some things can't be rushed, can they??

The many faces of TH

2009-08-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hard at work, sewing new waist-straps onto his Camel Bak

Yishun-Vitties Run

2009-08-30T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ran to discover the Vittles Cafe at Sembawang Cottage today. Total 9.57km. 55mins. TH doesn't believe I ran the distance in that timing. HMmmph.

I think the 2nd half of the run was slightly faster cos it started pouring. Really heavy...and all I wanted was to run home as quick as possible to shower and get dry.

Vittles is appealing to me cos it offers free popcorn (straight from the popcorn machine) for diners. I must bug TH to bring me one of these days!

Macritchie-Zhenghua-Mandai LSD

2009-08-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Followed Ricci's group again for another LSD on trails. 32km, according to Wenlong's GPS. 3:46 hr, includes some break time, I think. After a while, I was not very interested in finding out the net running time. In fact, I walked up some slopes especially on the way back after Rifle Range toilet. I just wanted to get back!! My right tooth was aching badly, so that could have distracted me from the strain on the knees. My ankles felt better this week. My thighs felt really overworked...the endless upslopes felt so tiring. Downslope was very very welcome. We hit Zhenghua Park, went down the road and entered the trail. Thereafter, it appeared to be a straight route till we hit the Mandai Camp, before we U-turned.

It was great running with a group, though I was trying so hard to keep up. I reckon I wouldn't be able to cover the distance, if I were running by myself. Ricci & Lai Chee waited at strategic points, so that's great for not getting lost. Good old TH zoomed ahead after the U-turn.

Swissroll Failure

2009-08-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Swiss rolls, though appearing simple, are one of the hardest stuff to bake. Mine are just edible. No fat in them though, just eggs, sugar, flour. I spread them with Mary's chestnut spread. They taste slightly better. Even Ma says they are dry. urgh.

Okie, on to running. I ran 7-8km today, normal loop around work place. 44min. My breathing was easy...but my legs (specifically quads) felt really heavy. Almost couldn't make myself run up the South Buona Vista slopes. URGH.

Running Labrador Hill

2009-08-25T09:59:00.001-07:00

Running takes second place now that I'm in my baking fad. I want to try stuff that I haven't baked before.

Anyway, today was MF run at Labrador Hill

7.39
7.39
7.45
7.48
7.52
6.14 (water break 0.46) + 1.36 = 7.50
9.15 (It was drizzling during the last lap and I was too excited to end the lap. Forgot to stop the watch at the base)
14.40 to run back from Labrador to Club.

Nice workout. I probably can't inspire myself to run such hills if I'm on my own. Now back to thinking what I can bake tomorrow!

Baking stories

2009-08-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

The final product - Chocolate Lace Crisps

Cooling on the rack

In the oven - little balls flattening out into lava rocks

Apricot, blueberry, raisin cake (with Cointreau)

Last night, I baked Apricot and Orange Cake from this library book "Best Kept Secrets of the Women's Institute - Cakes & Biscuits" by Jill Brand. (Last picture)

Recipe

115ml Cointreau (This is my favourite liquer)

115ml orange juice

225g dried apricots, finely chopped

115g sultanas (I substituted with Mrs Siao's dried blueberries from Alishan and some raisins)

175g butter

3 tbsp honey (I used Patsy's Manuka blend honey)

4 eggs, separated

175g self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

I added 1 tbsp orange oil.

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat, leave to cool.

2. Cream the butter and honey.

3. Beat in egg yolks. Fold in flour, baking powder, mix in fruit.

4. Whisk egg whites till stiff.

6. Pour into 20 cm round tin (I used square tin, works just as well.)

7. Bake at 180 deg celsius, or 160 deg celsius fan-forced oven.

8. I baked for 1 hour, it's cooked.

Well received by my dad and sister.

ellie says:
moist, juicy, juicy texture of the apricots, soaked with orange juice, nice tangy taste, unique.

Dad likes it cos it's not too sweet. It has only 3 tbsp of honey!! I probably should add more sugar next time.

TH doesn't like it. He prefers the banana cake last time.

I rather like the tart taste of the cake. Thought they may taste nice with a coating of jam or kaya to taste sweeter. Note: The cake is slightly crumbly when cut. Probably benefit from slight refrigeration, as I read somewhere.

Tonight, I baked Chocolate Lace Crisps from Women's Weekly - Cakes, biscuits & slices also borrowed from the library.

Recipe

100g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely (I used Coles chocolate we bought from Brisbane)

80g butter, chopped coarsely

1 cup (220g) sugar (I used 200g)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup (150g) plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder (20ml for each tbsp)

1/4 tsp baking soda

40g icing sugar for coating

1. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat.

2. Add remaining ingredients, except icing sugar. Stir. Cover and refrigerate for 15 mins till firm.

3. Preheat oven to 180 degC / 160 degC fan-forced. Grease oven trays, lie with baking powder.

4. Roll level tsp of mixture into balls and roll each ball in icing sugar. Place on trays 8cm apart. Bake 15 mins.

I realised a liberal coating of icing sugar makes them look prettier. Whiter. I baked for exactly 15mins. The cookies are on the crispy hard end. TH comments: sweet, crisp, nice. Okie, at least I think he likes them. I think these are best eaten with cup of bitter coffee since they are sweet (200g sugar!) and coated with icing sugar.

CamelPak and running

2009-08-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

Even Ah Mei knows about Camel Pak....wow...

TH bought me one on Saturday at Queensway...a nifty one with side pockets, front pockets, zip and stuff. He was lusting after it, actually. It was a quick decision to buy the hydration bag...within an hour, so we didn't have to pay for one hour parking PLUS the per entry parking...and we even had time to eat my favourite muah chee at Queensway shopping centre. Only $1 for warm nutty muah chee. Can't get that in many places.

Sun's trial with the bag was a learning experience...we ran the reservoir cum stadium route. 1hr 25min for me. The bag was moving sideways...and caused a little abrasion bump on my left shoulder. Other than that, it was fun, having endless supply of water on my back. I learnt how to adjust it more snugly. Fix the side straps first (anyway it had to go to the tightest) and then fix the chest straps (also to the tightest). There was still some movement around the shoulder area...so either I wear sleeved tees or I attach shoulder pads to the straps or I have bigger boobs.

Mon's trial was more successful. I ran from Westpoint to Phoon Huat to buy baking stuff. The bag didn't move that much now that I fixed the chest straps across my boobs. Okie, they were squashed...but the bag stays nice and tight. I survived the route to Phoon Huat in 46-50 mins. Reckon the distance is around 8km or so. It was great...I can now officially run to and from work.

Macritchie Run

2009-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Met up with some friends from MF Safra to do this run, as an orientation to trails for the Northface race.

We started from Macritchie, went up the trail for the 4.5km route, turned right, went into Golf Course, went up some steep slope and ta-dah...hit Bukit Timah Hill, via some Durian Loop. Kampong Trail, Rifle Range Road and what-have-you. I've to jump and run sideways to avoid the rocks. My left AND right ankles almost twisted...but luckily, my agility was barely enough to save myself. Saw monkeys...many monkeys carrying their babies. Finally knew how to reach Zhenghua Park from Bukit Timah. Came back via the Northern Trail which Melvin delightfully reminded me that there is a net descent...so even though there were some ups and downs, overall, I was still running downwards towards the end.

25km. 2 hr 53 min. Minus the rest breaks...of almost 1/2 hour?

I was so glad Freddy was the sweeper, otherwise I'll be lost. Plus the guys waited at the crucial points. Definitely not an easy pace for me to maintain. AM I GLAD I SURVIVED MY LONG RUN THIS WEEK!! YAY

Sheares Bridge Run 2009 results

2009-08-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 16, 2009
40022 / WOMEN'S CLOSED
TIME: 1h:50m:21s (gun) / 1h:50m:15s (net)

21st in division which means I probably won't get to be in the seeded region next year!

Split timings

First 9.2km - 5min 5 sec per km
9k to 17k - 5 min 19 sec per km
17k to 21k - 5 min 23 sec per km

positive splits....started race too fast. Or not fit enough to maintain the 5min 5sec pace...

Westpoint to Home

2009-08-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Ran from Westpoint hospital back home today, via the Jurong Park Connector (Jurong Lake) and Bukit Batok Park Connector. It was a rather enjoyable run...especially along Jurong Lake...peaceful and quiet waters, with runners that were keeping by their lanes. Bukit Batok area was slightly more hazardous, what with the construction and traffic lights. I took about 1 hour...the total distance should be about 9-10km.

Still in recovery mode...as the legs felt somewhat heavy still. Only the experience of finding out the route ahead...kept me going. Reckon I'll give the MF loops a miss tomorrow. Don't think my legs would like going up and down that slope.

Discovery Runs

2009-08-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Rather tiring trying to run these days...so I've decided to change my focus. Run to discover. New routes, new places.

First up is the Dairy Farm Road park. I decided to run to explore the trail leading from the park. Turns out to be a little scary, cos I started running at 6.30pm and the sky seems to turn dark fast. I exited onto the main road, next to MOE Adventure Centre, ran along the road, hit a dead end to the quarry and U-turned and exited from the road to hit good old Upper Bukit Timah Road, next to the church. I went along the usual hillside loop to run a total of 58min today. Good enough for me. My legs still felt rather heavy from Sun's half marathon.

Sheares Bridge Run 2009

2009-08-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

Good old half marathon in Singapore...I wasn't having very high expectations for this race...having felt sore legs for the most bit of my training since Gold Coast.

I truly had a taper week leading up to SBR. Ran once on Mon, 1 hillside loop 23min, Ran once on Wed, 1 hillside loop 24min. That's it.

TH and I had a change to our usual pre-run routine and ritual. No more Southeast Asia hotel. Instead, we drove to Fort Canning carpark, which turned out to be a popular spot among runners. The night before, we had dinner at 6pm. Turned off the lights at 8pm and probably snoozed off at 8.30pm or 9pm. Woke at 3.45am. Left at 4.20am. Reached carpark at 4.55am. Ran a short distance to Excelsior Shopping Ctr, which had lovely toilets. We both cleared our bowels very well. Met Ricci and bro-in-law, Melvin Snr on our way to the start point. TH wanted to run some more to warm up and I wanted to shake out the sand from my shoes. Then, we left to go to the start point. Discovered that we could actually go to the seeded area. Went there and discovered it was actually a pretty small group of runners, mainly overseas army personnel who were invited to run, I think.

Anyway, after last year's experience, I guess it's good to start at the beginning....rather than having to cramp and squeeze through the back. I had my 1:48 pacing band with me. That's my target timing. 1st km - 4:45min. Too too fast. I tried to slow down, but somehow was still a little too fast during the first 5km, then I gradually slowed down...I hit my 1st 10k in 51:11. Which is exactly what the pacing band reflected for 10k. But my final timing was 1:50. A very horrible positive split of around 2 min. I guess I wasn't very good at gauging my pace for half marathon. But then again, if I didn't take a bet to try to run faster at the beginning, maybe I wouldn't know whether I could meet my target goal?? Anyway....it's a good attempt, though I didn't meet my target timing.

Sheares Bridge Run 2009 - PB for half marathon 1:50. My legs do feel adequately sore now in the afternoon. Weird, TH says his legs are not sore....I think he will feel the effects tomorrow.

Some thoughts: Half marathon doesn't seem to be my cup of tea at the moment. I lack the endurance to carry on the speed that I have for 10k. Maybe not enough leg strength....perhaps some strength training would be good? Maybe just plain tired. Of Running.

Lookout in Phuket

2009-08-11T08:48:00.001-07:00

Our lovely tour guide always asked us "Are you happy?" I think we nod our heads...all the time...

Idiotic foodie pictures....

2009-08-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Green Curry Chicken....Thai Beef Salad

Chicken satay

Runs over the weekend

2009-08-09T03:50:00.001-07:00

Okie, Thursday doesn't count as the weekend.

Thursday - Hillside home to Ten Mile Junction, left turn to petrol pump (break for Pocari Sweat), turn left at Bukit Batok. Around 12km. 1:07hr

Saturday - Macritchie, with Amelia and Yean. Around 14km. 1:32hr.

Sunday - Hillside home to Dairy Farm Rd, trails, with TH. Around 7km. 38min.

I feel like a complete beginner on the trails. Duhz.

Would you trust

2009-08-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

a recipe that calls itself "The Most Fabulous Banana Cake"?!?!

NO!! was not a very pretty cake. The cake sank in the middle. It's still edible, but way too sweet for our palate. I think I still prefer banana bread recipes.

Banana Bread with Coconut & Pecans

2009-08-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the recipe taken from "More of Magnolia" by Allysa Torey, a book that Colleen lent me ions ago. Haha.

3 cups flour (assume plain)
1.5 tsp baking soda (I was kiasu and worried that the cake would not rise with just this amount of soda, so I added 1 tsp of baking powder & 1/2 tsp more of soda)
3/4 tsp cinnamon (sprinkled a whole lot of mixed spice in, but I think I'm going to get cinnamon soon, the flavour is more distinct)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil (used corn oil)
1.5 cups sugar (1 cup brown, 0.5 cup white)
3 large eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla
1.5 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup sour cream (didn't measure this, and just dumped the remaining sour cream in)
1.5 cups pecans (This is the MOST EXPENSIVE ingredient)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut (used dessicated coconut, somehow I'm not impressed by the use of this ingredient, especially after my sister commented that the cake seems drier with it)

I divided the mixture between 2 loaf tins of 8 x 3.5 inch, which yielded decent but somewhat small loaves.

The taste was alright. My dad couldn't differentiate between which one was made with oil (today) or butter (2 days ago). My sister made a wild guess which was right. I'm giving the cakes or bread away so I can make more tonight. I still have PLENTY of bananas!! I think I can make 10 more loaves!! OR MORE....I'm getting sick of the smell and taste.

Banana Coconut Cake

2009-08-05T04:10:00.001-07:00

Here's the recipe that I copied from a library book.

Linda Collister is the author of the "bread" book. I didn't want to borrow the whole book just for that banana recipe.

50g coconut
100g butter
100g light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas 250g
3 tbsp yoghurt - add 1 tbsp lime juice (I substitute with sour cream)
250g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

450g loaf tin
180 Deg Celsius

A decent, fair looking loaf...which my sister commented was somewhat dry as compared to the first day's loaf. Somehow the first day's loaf went down well with my amateur foodie sister. Sugar amount was less, hence a mildly sweet loaf.

Telok Blangah Hill Reps

2009-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was so glad that the reps were cut down to 1k loops instead of the original 1.2km. Also glad that they were intervals instead of OTOT 1 hour. It would be quite hard to get myself to keep running for 1 hour. Instead, run and recover seems much easier especially when the whole group starts together. Here are my timings....

4.58
4.15
4.30
4.25
4.29
4.22

Not a very good spread of effort. But I guess this is my best effort, given my legs still feel so d_mn heavy.

Need to change the name of this blog to...

2009-08-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

To Julie and Her Baking! Especially after a horribly tiring MF run..., it's probably high time I take it easy for the next 2 weeks before AHM on 16 Aug. Also suggested by a fellow runner.

My baking adventures started off on a Saturday...when I decided to bake this walnut cookie recipe from the cookie book that TH gave me. Baking helps to destress. And I've gone through phases that I baked alot...and baked a little. It sometimes depends on whether I get any supporters for my baked products. What I bake, usually depends on what I have in the kitchen, and what I deem healthy or cheap enough to bake.

Oatmeal Walnut Crispies was my first try. It tasted almost like the usual cookie recipe that I usually do...that my sister commented that my cookies are not any different. Well well, I need to gather some basic confidence first. I love my cookies crispy and I believe so does the rest of my family....so I probably won't bake chewy ones. The cookies don't taste that sweet.

On Sun, my reward after the run is loads of rotting bananas...see the picture on top. I can't seem to get the pictures to align properly....anyway...rotting bananas are perfect for cakes and stuff. Luckily, TH helped me to carry them back to the car.

Banana buttermilk pancakes

I took the first recipe that appeared on Google. Buttermilk...is supposedly meant to make pancakes fluffy...and I've long wanted to try using buttermilk in pancakes. Unfortunately, these pancakes are not as fluffy as I would like them to be. They also don't look very evenly browned. The first few pancakes off the pan are usually horribly untanned and improve as you continue to cook the rest...but these pancakes still look rather uneven. They also don't seem to bubble that much...perhaps the baking powder has lost its power.

My attempt at baking banana bread last night was better. I got good reviews from my family. I've modified the recipe slightly to include 1 big scoop of sour cream as my butter is only 100g, instead of 125g. I've also used only plain flour and added 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda. The sugar amount is just nice, 170g comes up to a moderately sweet loaf.

Okie, here's to more successful baking. I've just topped my ingredients from Phoon Huat, where unsalted butter costs $1.75 compared to 2 for $6.45 at Cold Storage!! Also bought some nuts. Here's the price comparison

pecan nuts > macadamia nuts > walnuts > almonds > cashew nuts > peanuts

Pecan nuts being the MOST expensive!! And Peanuts of cos the cheapest....

Horribly Tired MF Run...

2009-08-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

20km Time Trial at MF

2009-08-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

Supposedly 20km, but according to TH's garmin, it's about 19km. My time 1:46. The effort was horrendous...the legs are heavy. I probably started my 1st loop slightly too fast. When I ran down Henderson Road, my first gauge of the 1km split was 4.48min. Gosh...knew that was too fast...probably tried too hard to start fast at the beginning. My first loop was 52min...very tempted to stop then...but I didn't. I topped up my water at the water point after the 1st loop and continued on. Jason and another lady was ahead. It was very very difficult to keep them in my sight. I guess my legs were just too heavy to push. Going up Kampong Bahru the 2nd time was torturous. The saving factor was the weather. It was cool and shady.

David commented that I had lost too much weight...and lost my power. But the weight loss is definitely coincidental....I didn't make a deliberate effort to eat less. In fact, now that I get free breakfast and lunch during working weekdays, I actually eat quite a bit. Don't have that hungry feeling at 10+ each morning and 4+ each afternoon anymore. Must be the running. Prob running too much. Now I'm 41.1kg after lunch. I think the scales are faulty. I actually feel heavier....

Anyway, for the next few days, I think I will have lots of baking to do. Banana cake. Banana bread. Banana muffins. Banana whatever.

Half Dead

2009-08-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

After the 4.8km race.

Inter-institute Games

2009-08-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

At the newly revamped Macritchie. 4.8km. 20.03min. 3rd in Women's Open.

Tough race, I had to try so hard to keep up the pace. The competition was stiff. Before the race, I already had butterflies in my stomach. Went to nap at TH's place...felt really tired after a whole week of work. Perhaps the nap was refreshing enough. Still feeling slightly off when I reached MacRitchie. Good Old TH went to do a 10km run, before he came to support me at the start. It was always very good, when TH is my supporter. Both at the track & field and now at the road race. He always looks so happie then. And cheerful.

The start was furious enough for me. The first 2 ladies Trina and Baoying zoomed off. I tried to run fast, but not too fast...I am a slow starter. Near the fitness corner, before the turn left, there was a lady on my left. Gosh....someone caught up...it spurred me to keep pushing the pace...though my tummy was cramping up. Along the road to the finish, I realised how much I relished running on pure road....no need to watch for obstacles...just run. I guess I need to change my mindset and start training for trail soon. I finally caught up with the 2nd lady Baoying near the finish....finally! It was a hard chase. TH appeared and spurred me to push harder. I probably revved up my engine too early...or I probably gave up too early...I overtook BY, but along the downslope, like what TH said, I probably didn't try to open my steps and run faster. BY overtook me and the rest is history. Boo boo. She was 19.57 and me 20.03. Good Run overall. But good to also remind myself what a terrible pace 5k requires. And how I shouldn't give up that easily.

On another note, it was good that my colleague Melissa came along this year to run the road race. I always have a hard time convincing people from my dept to join the race.

Breakfast and Lunch

2009-07-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

It was a week of FOC breakfast and lunch....yay yay.

mini ciabatta with cheese, tuna, tomato
baked rice
mango pudding
fried lao shu fen with nuggets
briyani with chicken
mini cheesecake
salad and sandwich
fried rice with chilli long beans, tofu and chicken
pulot hitam

okie, a lot of food...I'm starting to put on weight.

10k MF

2009-07-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

Haven't done the 10km MF loop for a long time. 51.11min. Was keeping pace with a stocky guy after reaching the summit. He was on my right all the time...and at times, I felt I couldn't see the traffic on my right, cos the moment I turned my head, I saw his stocky body. At times, I was wondering if he was watching out for traffic, cos he seemed to jump into the road in front of Harbourfront bus-stop. But the good thing is I was forced to keep up the pace, until he shot ahead after Kampong Bahru Road. What a lovely run!

Non Run Day

2009-07-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

No leisure run for me today, not even with Ah Mei's invitation. My left eye is red and itchy. And overall, I think my body is just too tired, after waking up so bl_ _ dy early for the last 3 days. URGH. I feel horrible.

Queenstown killer reps

2009-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening was lovely and cool....and I did my hillside run with sis. We managed to chat from start to the end of bukit batok park, just before the right turn, before she proclaimed that she couldn't keep up with me anymore...and off I went on my own. Anyway, she was running with her little purple dumbells. Gosh...why would anyone run with dumbells?! She claims it helps her control her arm swing so that her arms don't flail around. I noticed that her legs do not flail around much anymore. Maybe her running biomechanics has improved from the hillside running. I believe that running uphills actually do help in improving running biomechanics. You have to lift your legs to run up and in so doing, it's hard for the legs to flail.

In contrast, tonight was a horribly humid night. We did a 25.04min warm up run from club to stadium. Here are my 5 sets of 1200m.

5.52
5.35
5.31
5.36
5.32

I guess I was not quite sure how fast I should start running. Anyway, I can't write much now. URGHZ...my internet usage is highly controlled now at good old YISHUN.

MR 4.8k run

2009-07-26T05:43:00.001-07:00

Since I was working today, my long run plans have gone up into thin air. Instead, I went down to MR to run the usual 4.8k route, as a recee for the inter-institute run this Sat. My legs and heart feels so thrashed these days.

Leisure Run

2009-07-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, my left quads didn't ache that much, after yesterday's deadly hill run. I did my usual hillside run, minus my lazie sister, who c/o of abdominal pain. But now there she is, gorging away on her dinner. haha. 25.44 min.

Telok Blangah Hill Reps

2009-07-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

My left quads are still screaming away in pain today....but a run is a run....you just got to do it. Telok Blangah Hills Reps...a short loop...up and down and round the carpark.

5.59
5.35
5.37
5.40
5.41
5.47
5.54
6.05
5.52
Total 52 mins worth of running.

Somewhere around the 4th loop, my bowels felt like moving. Had to suppress the urge for the next couple of loops....was a relief when Ong asked us to stop after the 9th loop. If he didn't, I might have wanted to push on....and I guess I could have made it, since I had 8 mins left to run the 10th loop, if I wanted. Anyway, the soul is willing but the flesh is weak and wobbly. My left quads felt so so SORE....Big time of DOMS this time. Plus the weather felt so humid...so even though the effort was great, I wasn't perspiring much. How terrible. I have a bad heat loss system.

Looking at the split times, I probably started out too fast after the 1st loop. Couldn't maintain the effort....and I felt like an elephant running the 8th loop. Boo.

Leisure run

2009-07-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Was quite surprised that my left quads was very sore today. Could it be the hill sprints and stairs yesterday? Well done then...it has been some time, since my quads ached so much. Went for a hillside run with my sister. Lovely cooling weather...that I didn't have to drink from my little bottle at all! 27.06min, 2.52min to meet my sister. I think we were both slightly faster than the last time we ran together!

Tues run

2009-07-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Skipped the run with Safra today and joined Charles for the hospital run. Turned out that I also couldn't rush down for the run anyway. 8 patients + 1 pre-op!! boo. Luckily, it's only 1/2 day of madness...for the other 1/2, I get to see patients in good peace, and enjoy a great lunch with dessert. yummy!

Sam was the coach...and he made us do some very short hill sprints, stairs and a 3 odd km run to prepare for the road race coming up soon. I hope we win the overall title this time! Stairs were lovely. Hill sprints were terrible. How come my legs seem so hard to lift up? Sam says I need to strengthen my legs more. Hate to do the traditional strengthening leg exercises in the gym. boo.

21km

2009-07-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

What lovely weather to run in these days. But what horrible legs I have these days. Slow to move. At least, some running companions made the running more enjoyable. TH and I joined Safra MF for the morning run. So I tagged along Henry, Little Eddy, Jason...managed to catch up with Henry at Esplanade. Thereafter, I was kind of slacking along....luckily, running along with Henry, I had less chance to skive along. Completed the run in 1:57. Which appeared slightly faster than the last time we did the run. But then again, that's net time. I think I took a longer rest break this time!!! boo.

Gold Coast Marathon splits

2009-07-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here are my marathon splits...

5KM 00:26:21 05:16
10KM 00:25:57 05:11
15KM 00:26:01 05:12
20KM 00:27:40 05:32
25KM 00:26:21 05:16
30KM 00:26:34 05:18
35KM 00:26:17 05:15
40KM 00:26:38 05:19
Finish 00:11:16 05:07

Half Way 01:51:52 05:18
Finish 01:51:18 05:16

Almost even splits!! YAY!!

Flat as a tyre, heavy as stone

2009-07-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

that's how my legs feel tonight....how come the cooling weather is no more?? It's so hot and humid tonight. I feel like dying. 1:15hr. I think the route must be shorter than 14km cos I ran by the park connector, which was a straighter route. Plus I had this horrendously long pee break at the petrol pump before the McDonald's at Ridout. What a horrible run. Boo.

Lovely Hillside Run

2009-07-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

Joined my sister for an easy run around my neighbourhood. What lovely weather these days....coooling. Started off with my sister and ran the usual 4.5km route, while my sister went off on her shorter route.

Flat as a tyre

2009-07-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Joined the club for interval work at Labrador Park this evening.

3 sets of 1600m - 7.18, 7.24, 8.07 min
1 set of 800m - 3.52min

Flat, flat, flat. The legs are willing but the heart and lungs are on strike. DUHZ.

Post marathon run

2009-07-12T05:56:00.001-07:00

Today is my first run, since the Gold Coast Marathon on 5 Jul. It was good doing the long run at the club, seeing familiar faces, and having people to run along with.

Today's long run is 2 loops of the MF 10km route.

1st loop - 57.49min
Rest - 4.24min
2nd loop - 62.09min

Total time 2.04

Well, I felt somewhat weird running today. My left elbow is really...and my breathing heavy. My left foot arch felt strained. I was just glad to finish a long run today - clock up some mileage. Time to pick the tempo for the half marathon on 16 Aug.

Gold Coast Marathon Photo

2009-07-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

So sad I only have one pathetic photo taken....anyway, the trick (according to my sister) not to have pudgy arms, is to raise your arms up high, like what I did!!

TH had tons of photos taken....I'm so envious...but then again, I think my one and only photo is nicer than his tons of photos....:)

Gold Coast Marathon 2009

2009-07-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

This was my first marathon for the year 2009. And I was feeling not too confident about the event, having had a long taper before the marathon. 2 weeks before the marathon, I was busily preparing for our wedding...so I left my running more or less in the backyard.

Having done 3:55 for Paris last year, I wonder what I should aim for this time. Ricci told me 3:45 was possible. Well, the pacer groups comprise of 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, so I reckon 3:45 sounds like a good pace to try to follow.

TH and I collected the race kits on Saturday morning. The expo appeared less exciting than Paris...I had to buy the Gold Coast running vests, even though they cost an exorbitant AUD 40. Also bought Asics socks, wrist pockets, Powerbreath... TH also met Lee Troop and was wondering who he was...signing autographs...he turned out to be a marathoner with a PB of 2:09! haha, we both got his autographed Asics poster. After some shopping, we left to head towards Holiday Inn for the carbo lunch.

This was my second Carbo lunch that I've attended, first being the Canberra Marathon. But TH's first. TH chose to sit beside a Japanese couple...so we pretty much kept to ourselves during the lunch, what a pity. I thought the Carbo lunch talks were pretty okie....a Jap elite runner was mentioning how she felt that feeling nervous before a race is good for her...cos it means that something exciting was going to happen. And another mentioned that he would eat some chocolate the night before, cos he believes that the fat is useful to us...we need to burn fat later on in the race and there is a limit to how much glycogen one can store.

After the Carbo lunch, we headed off to swop our GPS device, which had conked out on us. Some shopping at the supermarket, then we decided to recee the route by car....haiz...ended up with a broken rear lamp as we reversed into a wooden lampost. Well, too much excitement for the day, so we headed back to our Earls Court Motel to hibernate. Actually was already feeling pretty tired...maybe it is the bright Gold Coast sun...which seems to pierce into your eyes...too bright...too tiring.

We had monster sushi rolls, salad, bread with basil spread, brazil nuts for dinner...all in the comfort of Earls Court Motel. Which though basic, was a really convenient place for the marathon. We only had to run 5-10mins to the start point, which was more than sufficient for my warm-up. Not enough for Teck Hou, though, he had to run an extra 20min?

I think I woke up a few times....having slept at 9plus...was feeling anxious....anyway I managed to wake up at 5.30am, to prepare. Ate my delicious Baker's Delight apple and walnut scroll...yummy with icing sugar frosting...unlike TH's horrid grainy bread...had our coffees and off I went to the loo. Was great to clear the system. I had stuffed 3 dates and a packet of Jetstar jelly beans (free!) in my tights. And a fifty dollar note for those just-in-case moments, knowing that good old TH never brings any money....

We ran to the start....squeezed in...then TH had to run some more to warm up...I reluctantly followed...actually what I wanted most was to pee (again!)...cos the weather was so cold, I feel like peeing again. Anyway, I only followed him a little...then I stopped...then the official stopped me from running over...so I was like waiting forever for him to return, while I feel like peeing....haiz.

Finally managed to pee...luckily the queue was not that long. Then we went to the start area. There were divisions for runners aiming for different timings...and I plonked myself in the 3:30 to 3:45 area. Saw the pacer with red balloons...that's for 3:45 timing. He was readily talking to the runners about the course, the pacing strategy, etc. Then just before the start of the marathon, we saw Lee Troop running in. He's doing the 10km race...and he looks like he is first...then he'll be pacing the men elite until 30km. wow.

There was definitely less people in the Gold Coast marathon than Paris. More breathing space around. People walked towards the start line, and even before they reached the mat, they started running. In Paris, people walked towards the start line and continued walking until they stepped on the mat and chip time starts.

The weather was cool and chilly..and both TH and I were only wearing our usual running attire...no gloves...whatsoever. Was busily vibrating my legs in standing before the race....if I had to wait any longer, I think my teeth would start chattering too.

Off I go...following the 3:45 pacers....the first few km were nice and easy....I was looking at my split timings and matching them against the Runner's World paceband that I got at the Expo. Well, the first km was slightly slow. So I was anxiously trying to catch up initially. Finally managed to hit the split timings by 3-5km. The first 10km was to warm up. Next 20km seemed to be getting tougher...I was having second thoughts about being able to make it in 1:51 for half marathon...hey, I've never reached that time before...and my left thigh was getting heavier....well, I did manage to hit that split time at 21km. But I knew I've got to concentrate really hard for the second half of the marathon. The sun was coming out...and though it was windy...it was still getting slightly warmer. I did pour some water over myself....3 times, I think. And replenished myself with water and the Eudora Lemon-Lime beverage...I almost bumped into a huge runner at a water point.

We went past the start line around 30 odd km. Here's the part to really really concentrate. Not to allow the fatigue to take over. And really focusing on the km distance markers to break down the route. ONE km certainly takes a long time to come. Focusing on the pacer with the red balloons also helps. I was losing them at some points....especially after water points. Drifted in and out of the pacer group...along the way, people were sometimes cheering the 3:45 group as a whole. Finally at 40km, managed to catch sight of the 3:45 group again. Stuck close and found enough energy in me to run hard for that last 2km...the last few km are always pretty emotional for me...when it's like realising all the work you have put in during your training has really paid off...the consistent pace...even splits, though hard to keep up at times, all paid off at the end.

It felt really good, turning into the finishing area, although there was slightly more distance to go...1km more...it felt good...feeling like that's almost nothing left in me...to continue running anymore...I know I would regret if my legs didn't ache alot the next day...and indeed, my legs ACHED big-time for the next couple of days...how nice!

TH was waiting for me at the finishing area...my only regret for the Gold Coast marathon is that TH didn't get his PB too. Well...I'm sure he'll achieve a better timing in future...

3:43 chip time...that's my timing for Gold Coast Marathon 2009. Something that seems impossible to me at the beginning...I must admit that following a pace group or having a pace band, really forces me to push through the entire race....Though I still need to depend on myself to maintain the pace....not giving up when the pace group seems to be getting further away...not letting the tough bits get to me...there'll definitely be tough patches during the race...if there aren't...it means I haven't pushed hard enough at the beginning or the pace is too slow for me.

Collecting our certs at ROM

2009-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sending Kampung Ah-Ma at the airport

2009-06-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Actual Day wedding photos

2009-06-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

S0me photos taken by my sister...anxiously waiting for the ones taken by the photographer...having nightmares...will they turn out nice?

Is raising a kid so expensive?

2009-06-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Now that the wedding is over, I can think about other stuff....

Wah, is it really necessary to send a child to a playschool that charges 800 to 900 bucks per month!! Will I ever do that?!?!

Well, I think I would like to home-school my kids, if I can. So scary...has early education become such that you need to send the kids to such expensive programs in order for them to be vocal and creative and engage in conversation easily with adults? What ever happened to play and fun? SCARY!! What happened to PAP kindergartens? Out-of-date?

Wedding Mood

2009-06-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

If there's ever such a thing....haha, I hope I'll be in a wedding mood forever!

Here're some of the special things that I think I'll remember forever...

1. Ah Mei and Teck Hou bargaining at the door. I could hear them loud and clear from my room....Teck Hou's answers were very funny...but quite true.
what's my sis's favourite movie - but we don't watch much movies!
what's my sis's hated animal - rats. NO? but she's okie with cats!
What's my sis's fav food - she's quite generic (true too)...not too picky with food!
what's my sis's fav brand - but she doesn't go for brands! (Asics?)

2. Teck Hou doing 20 push-ups...fast forward by the camera man. He told me he could have done more, if not for ellie stopping him after 20!

3. Mrs Chia and her serious words... made me both laugh and cry during the solemnization ceremony plus TH's very solemn vows

4. Holding onto my dad's arm and marching in before the solemnization...makes me feel like crying already...which I think I did.

5. The pretty wedding cake and especially the TH and JO bears atop. Made by Ah Mei...who helped me coordinate stuff...fetch Mrs Chia...every so important task! Be my emcee. Collate songs...you need a trust-worthy sister for your wedding tasks!

6. TH's out-of-tune voice, as we sang Jolin * DT's song. aka Julie & TH's song. And when he joined me to sing "Top of The World" Wedding songs should be happy and chirpy!!

7. Mary's surprise video. That's one thing I really didn't expect!! Made me feel like crying again. haha. Unfortunately, it was very soft....so I'm going to watch it again later.

8. The guests who turned up for the wedding. TH's relatives were very early for the solemnization and I was so paiseh, everything was not set up yet. And me the bride was dashing out...placing the albums and setting up the solemnization table with the certs.

9. Proud of my parents...and hoping they were proud of me too. Ma helped me to tidy up the odds and ends...place the placecards (even my 2 grandmas chipped in), pack the cupcakes...I'm sad she didn't totally relax...and enjoy herself...and my dad...busily shaving at midnight and dressed himself up in a long white shirt for the tea ceremony.

10. Anson - for being a good sport. Agreed to be emcee with my sister. Accompanied us to do little chores all of the week. Bought us 80 bucks champagne and I was upset some guests didn't finish it all. I DID!! Cos of him, I now have 3 one-hundred dollar USD. haha...very special.

Dearest TH - I feel very lucky to be married to him. 20 June 2009 is a really special day....a day that brings both tears and smiles to my heart.

Hysterical Julie

2009-06-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

I just watched in full the solemnization video that Anson took on my sister's camera. It showed my face (full view) and TH (back view). Gosh, I looked like a hysterical woman!! Occasionally crying...occasionally laughing. haha...I don't remember I had displayed such extreme emotions that day!! It actually looked really funny now!!