Hello all! I am Zhao De, turning 36 this year, with chubby cheeks and extra fats around my waistline. I used to do multi-sports in my tertiary days, representing my school for IVP tournaments in Kayaking, Dragon-boating and Triathlon. My constant running, swimming, cycling and gym training helped me to keep in shape until 2 years ago.
I took the sabbatical leave to take care of my newborn baby as my wife’s work requires her to travel frequently. During that period, I felt stressed, sleepless and anxious. I paid little attention to what I ate, stopped exercising and eventually gained a lot of weight. I started to experience difficulty in breathing and got tired easily.
In mid-2017, I was called up for IPPT- FFI from my NS reservist unit. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and obesity. It was alarming! Immediately, I started my diet plan by cutting down carbohydrates and sweets. I also instilled a daily exercise regime by going for slow jogs around my estate. 2 months later, I was recalled back to the medical centre. My medical tests showed a slight improvement in my blood pressure (130/90). My weight also decreased from 90kg to 85kg. For this time, the Medical Officer endorsed my IPPT-FFI. In order to keep up with the yearly check, I better improve my overall fitness, health and maintain a healthy BMI. The message is clear, I need to stay fit to take care of my family.
I learnt about V8Runners from Grace and Ivan who are my close friends, they recently moved to Vue 8 Residence. Grace & Ivan invited me to join V8Runners for their weekly Sunday morning runs at 7 am. This interest group was formed by Vue 8 residents, promoting fitness and health among their residents. The first time I met the founders, Stanley and Jade, I immediately hit it off with them. They are also running shoe lovers! On top of that, I also formed close bonds with new friends who share common topics. I felt happier and less fatigue after these months of training. Most importantly, my blood pressure and cholesterol level are now in the normal range!
I have participated in the weekly runs since October 2017, every session is fun and enjoyable. The weekly session comprises of warm-up, core muscles strengthening exercises and in between some yoga! To date, we have completed many long distance runs, hill runs, stairs climbing and trail runs. In each run, I will try to improve my intensity, distance and consistency. I honestly feel that I will stay with the V8Runners forever as I enjoy their camaraderie!
Our team have participated in 2XU Half Marathon, Sundown Marathon and The Performance Series together. I hope that in the long run, we will also participate in overseas running events.
