This is also the first ever 10km night race held in Sentosa. The route is very challenging as it has many slopes and thus this route feels way longer than 10km. With so many slopes on the route, many may assume that there may be a lot of bottleneck but to my surprise, the number of bottlenecks is rather negligible. Kudos to Puma to control the crowd so well.
The after run events were awesome as well. They brought down my favourite local band to play. THE SAM WILLOWS! They sound so good live! There are many people queuing for the photobooth and Wave Riding too. Did not manage to try the Wave Riding as I just did Lasik not long ago. I did not stay till the end of the program but I believe that the whole night is very high with music playing for the whole night.
I am so going to conquer this run next year again and own all the slopes!
More than 17,000 fans sung the birthday song for Hello Kitty
On Saturday, Singapore’s first Hello Kitty Run took place. This scenic 5km fun run took place at Sentosa, to commemorate Hello Kitty’s 40th birthday.
Before the flag off time, more than 17,000 Hello Kitty fans taking part in the run, had gathered at the Sentosa Gateway to sing the birthday song and share in some cupcake joy with the well-known feline.
Race flagged off at about 8am
Then at about 8am that morning, the race flagged off in waves.
As I was part of the second wave, I started running at roughly about 8.11am.
Scenic and straightforward route
The route was a pretty scenic and straightforward one, bringing runners from the entrance of Sentosa, all the way to Siloso Beach. It was a pretty challenging route with plenty of hills and upslopes.
As well, there was plenty of hydration along the route, so I thought that was quite good. It meant that runners wouldn’t get thirsty.
Colourful Hello Kitty themed decorations provided great photo opportunities
In addition, there were also colourful decorations, such as balloons and Hello Kitty themed checkpoints along the way for photo opportunities. I had a field day taking pictures with these.
Rain didn’t spoil my morning of Kitty fun
The rain that arrived during the race was unfortunate and may also have been quite disappointing – but I certainly didn’t let that spoil my morning of kitty fun.
Moreover, there were plenty of additional photo opportunities at the beach carnival immediately after the run – and due to the rain, the bonus was that I did not have to queue at all, for these, because many runners had chosen to take shelter instead.
Click here to read a more in-depth review of Singapore’s inaugural Hello Kitty Run.
The running craze in Kota Kinabalu Sabah hit in 2008 during the 1stBorneo International Marathon (BIM) was established with a mere 530 runners. Now coming in its eighth edition the run has grown to 7,000 runners. The first marathon was the Daily Express Sabah Marathon held in 1984. There has been a loooong gap with no road races (except triathlons till 2001). Trail running events still remains popular, in fact Malaysia’s oldest trail race began in Sabah with the Sabah Adventure Challenge now in its 16th year and of course, who doesn’t know the toughest mountain race, Mt Kinabalu Climbathon, tormenting runners since 1986.
A scenic run
BIM categories are 10k, 21k, and 42k. It was designed to feature Kota Kinabalu’s pre and post war sectors as well as the highlight, the beautiful coastline overlooking the South China Sea. All runners will get a chance to divert pain and fatigue while running to seep in this scenery. If you are lucky enough, runners can also steal a glimpse of the iconic Mt Kinabalu in the background and sun rising behind it.
The BIM course is relatively flat therefore it was said that the course is the best chance for a PB. A run into the University Malaysia Sabah was introduced recently when the organizers improvised the course. This includes a slight elevation just to give runners a bit of a workout mid-way. Other than that it is flat all the way passing through shopping malls and housing areas.
A comfortable run and your chance for a PB
We have heard people claim that BIM is PB-hunting course with its mostly flat route. The organizers plan to keep it small (under 10,000 runners) so that you don’t need to maneuver and zigzag your way out from the crowd a lot. It is one of the best excuses to visit to Sabah. You can go to their famous beaches after the event for a quick therapeutic and relaxing escape just 2.5 hours away from Singapore.
Borneo International Marathon will be held on 3 May 2015. To register go to www.borneomarathon.com
I’m the Ninja Turtle, and this is my first post on JustRunLah! Although a Singaporean born and bred, I have spent the last ten years living overseas – I know, lucky me. I’m currently based in a city/town (terminology disputable, one man’s cosmopolitan city is another man’s kampong) called Metz, in the northeast corner of France. I travel as much as time and wallet permits me to, and I love running in new destinations with new sceneries. I also love routine, and have a trusty handful of running routes I generally stick to, for the sake of measuring my performance and also because I have a questionable sense of direction and tend to get lost.
As my first post on this site coincides with my last day in this country for 2014, I decided to take a few photos during my morning run in an attempt to capture the essence of one of my favourite running routes in the Parc de la Seille, highlighted by the season’s mood.
It’s a beautiful time to run – the trees in the park are changing colours and shedding their leaves.
Vivid visual reminders as we approach the tail-end of autumn.
I’m hyper-sensitive to sensations, and when I run, all my feelings are magnified. So, while on one hand, I’m quite miserable about my fingers being frozen numb, it is more than compensated for as I feast my eyes on the landscape. No such luck in winter, of course.
My route today took me off-road and into the nearby Parc du Pas du Loup (Park of the Path of the Wolf), where I often get my butt kicked by the steep hills. (Don’t worry, there aren’t any wolves in Moselle, they live in the next department, Meuse.) This park is a bird sanctuary, but at this time of the year, the animals are hiding.
The prune trees, maple trees, and willows are boasting their foliage though.
Readers will probably learn in the coming posts that I am an indiscriminate runner, meaning I run on all types of terrain. In fact, I secretly enjoy squishing in mud a little bit too much, which explains why I have to do laundry about 5 times a week.
I have a love-hate relationship with this downhill slope; it is easy on the heart and lungs, but I’ve tripped on stones and roots too many times here!
As I still have my suitcase waiting to be packed, I did 6.4km today and called it done. I’m feeling a little heart-sore as I know I will miss running my usual routes while I head off for the next two months. Nonetheless, I’m very excited about what my travels will bring.
Like the migratory birds, I am heading south for warmer climes. Unlike these birds though, I shall return in the dead of winter – silly me.
Thinking of the best Christmas gifts to get for your loved ones, flipping through catalogues to decide which is the prettiest and tastiest logcake, decorating a Christmas tree- Yes, those are what many people do to kick off their preparations for Christmas. Yet, this year, you get the choice of starting of your preparations for Christmas in a unique way. In fact, it is one of the healthiest and most charitable ways to kickstart your Christmas preparations too!
Santa Run for Wishes 2014 will be held at The Promontory @ Marina Bay on the 29th of November 2014 from 4pm to 10pm. There will be 2 categories for this run for both adults and children- 2.2km and 5km. For adults, the race fees are going at 58 SGD for both categories whereas for children, the race fees are going at 38 SGD for both categories. Not to forget, every single cent and dollar of the race fees collected will be going to Make-A-Wish Singapore, which is an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions between the ages of 3-18 years. Isn’t this one of the most charitable ways to kickstart your Christmas preparations?
Besides, you get to dress as Santa for the run itself! The race tee itself will mimic Santa Claus’ costume and in each racepack, one will receive a Santa hat too! In addition, you can dress up as an elf, a reindeer, Olaf the Snowman and so on to enter in the Best- Dressed Competition. Most importantly, after completing the race, you will get to receive a medal that is modelled after a Santa Claus. Who can ever resist the Santa- filled goodies of this run?
Event T-shirt
Santa Hat
Santa Medal
More than a run
Looking at the title of this event, it is inevitable that many of you will be mistaken that the run is the only highlight of the event. Yet, this is not true. Besides the run, a spectacular carnival of more than 20 different family-oriented and fun-filled stations will be there too! Not only will there be food stalls, many game stations, ranging from archery fun shoot to bumper boat and even, bouncing castle, will also be available. You might think that only runners or the friends and family of runners can get to enjoy this carnival. Do not fret! Public can enjoy it too! The public just have to pay 10 SGD to enjoy the carnival. Children under the age of 3 will not be charged with any fees.
Be a Santa and bring a gift
Share in the joy of giving and bring smiles to another! All runners are welcome to bring a gift which will go to the beneficiaries of Make-A-Wish Singapore. The gift will be a wonderful surprise and make the children’s Christmas extra-special. Feel free to be creative and bring along anything that you feel a child age 3 – 18 years old will enjoy. Our only request is that the items should be brand new. There will be a gift collection area at the race venue. Thank you for being an extraordinary big-hearted Santa this Christmas!
Sounds exciting? Cannot wait to be part of this joyful event? Eager to be Santa Claus? Well, stop hesitating and register here!
…to Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2014 (SCMS) and the organisers have just released the running route for this year’s edition of the run to be held on 7 December 2014. It is said to provide a better and smoother running experience for runners as they have significantly reduced the congestion issue by shifting the merge point from the previous 3km mark to the last 500m instead. The starting points remains pretty much the same as last year, with the full marathon starting at Orchard Road, half marathon at Sentosa and the 10km run at Esplanade Drive.
This year’s theme, 1 RUN IN MIND, aims to reach out to different parts of Singapore. It encourages runners to represent their respective community (Central, East, West, North-East, North) to participate in the run. Posts on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter encourage runners to tag their running community during their training runs too. (eg #scmswest). Apart from the usual running clinics and run with pacers before the race, “Run in the Hub” is also held for the first time. It is a weekly run held in various parts of the island to encourage runners from the particular community to come together on a Wednesday evening each month to run together. On top of that, Ekiden teams this year are also required to raise $500 for a charity organisation.
This year’s registration model is also quite different from the other races that we usually see. Instead of the “Early Bird, Normal, Late Registration” model, the organisers are using the number of slots filled up to determine the price that the runner have to pay should they wish to register for the run (categorised as Priority+, Priority and Normal). 2013’s runners holding Standard Chartered Bank cards are allowed to register first, followed by 2013’s runners or card holders, followed by the public. This means that the public still stand a chance to register for the run at a lower rate should they register earlier. Till date, the half marathon slots have all been taken up, while the 10km run and Kids Dash selling fast. Apart from that, due to some technical difficulties that resulted in some runners’ timings not being recorded last year, the organisers provided a $20 off for the affected runners’ registration this year.
My views
SCMS 2013 was my first full marathon in my entire life. The whole running experience was generally good.
Starting the run at Orchard Road did provide an alternative to the usual starting point at the city area, following which is the usual East Coast Park to clock in the full distance. The weather last year was cloudy and cooling, so heat was not a big issue. Compared to Sundown Marathon 2014 that I took part in earlier this year, I would say that SCMS did a better job in providing welfare for the runners.
Muscle rubs are easily available from most of the volunteers. Bananas and gel were also still available for the slower runners. However, one point that I felt requires improvement was the collection of baggage after the run. The baggage collection area, located at the Seating Gallery, was rather far from the finishing point. I could see many runners having difficulties walking over and complaining along the way due to cramps or abrasion. Hopefully this issue can be resolved this year.
If you have yet to sign up for the race, registration closes on 31 October 2014. Late registration will start then. (Additional $20 on top of the normal rate)
To the runners doing SCMS this year, continue to train hard! See you on 7 December 2014! 🙂
I am temporarily based in London for a work attachment so I decided to join this run last Saturday (October 25, 2014) to get a first feel of the racing scene here.
This would be my first race in the UK – apart from Singapore, I have also taken part in races in Greece and Thailand – so I thought I’d share this experience with you and try to make a short comparison with the running scene in Singapore.
The race route was 2 loops in the north-east part of Hyde park, passing by Serpentine lake. A very flat terrain offering a run uninterrupted by cars and traffic. Hyde Park is a great place to run, and fellow blogger Jason has already made a photo-post about it, check it out here.
Registration and pre-race
Forget the fancy top-level-domains and well designed HTML5 websites that you get in Singapore. For this race (and many others that I have looked through) you just submit a form through organiser’s site and pay through either a third-party website or by posting a cheque (!!!).
The price was GBP 20 (approx. S$40) for either the 10km or 5km race. I should note that as stated on the organiser’s website “A donation from each entry will go straight to The National Osteoporosis society; just by participation alone you will be helping”.
There would be no race singlet or race pack collection day. Basically you show up at the race, check in, get your bib and run.
Baggage deposit area
Warming up
Registration area
Starting pen
Horlan!
According to the website and pdf booklet, the starting point of the race would be “The Bandstand”. Keep in mind, Hyde Park is 2.5 square kilometres; to put things in perspective, the whole Gardens By The Bay area is 1.1 square kilometres. Stupidly enough, I didn’t think to ask for clarifications.
I came in walking from High Street Kensington, and met the west corner of the park first. There was a map which showed a bandstand located up north, so I made my way there. I got to the bandstand but nobody was there. I recalled having seen another bandstand near Serpentine Lake (south east corner of the park) so I thought to check that out. After about another 25 minutes walking I made it there, just 10 minutes before flag-off.
Warmed up from all the walking I was ready to go and glad I had set off early so I didn’t miss the race.
Flag off
Not a very big turn around compared to Singapore races. My estimate was about 300 people. Looking at the finishers list, I see there were 236 for the 10km and 80 for the 5km.
I picked up my bib and dropped my bag without any delays. There was a short warm-up session, the necessary safety announcements and off we went.
Now, I am not a particularly fast runner. I have a timed PB of 51m:07s for 10km, and 2h:01m for a half-marathon. Still, I always find myself in the top 20% or so in Singapore races (judging from the few races that release percentiles).
I was really surprised by how fast everybody was. I did the first km in 5:20 yet I was still getting overtaken all the time. I tried to keep up that pace all the way to the end, but got cramps after around the 6th km so I had to slow down. I am not a big fan of running loops, but there were a quite few turns and changes of scenery so it wasn’t so bad. I should note that the only hydration point was passing the start line, which was about 5km into the run.
All in all, it a very comfortable run, and the unusually nice for London weather played a big part. Big thumbs ups to the little boys and girls “marshals” cheering along the way and handing out gummy bears. And to the lad playing his guitar for us at around the 3rd km.
Baggage collection
Finish line
Gummy bears
Finisher’s bag
Running route as recorded by my Sports-Tracker app.
Post race
A finisher’s medal, more gummy bears and a bottle of water were waiting for us at the finish line. The finisher’s bag contained tea (it’s England after all), cereal and a few vouchers and samples.
I ended up doing the 10km in 58:07mins, which placed me in the 70th percentile! Obviously, I am not into competitive running, but this was still quite surprising. Of course I am not saying that the British are faster than Singaporeans, and I don’t have enough data to support any argument, but my theory is that people who are not seriously into running do not bother to join races here(John, what’s your take on this?). Running has become more of a trend in Singapore than most of the other parts of the world – which is not necessarily bad!
On the other hand, this was a rather low-key race, so I will try to join more events for as long as I am here and let you know.
After hanging around for a while, I changed and made my way home walking through the park. It was a nice Saturday morning!
I hope you enjoy the photos and looking forward to hearing your thoughts and overseas racing experiences 😉
0345 today, this is getting ridiculous! This time I slept on the sofa so as not to disturb Mrs Strider, and crept around the house very quietly to avoid the dog freaking out and barking at me. This seemed to work out OK and just before 4 I was out the door on my way to collect my usual race partner Shug.
Today we’re off to East Coast Park for the Newton Challenge. 32k, a classic ‘pre marathon’ distance and that’s exactly what we (and most others I suspect) are using this race for, pre SCMS. Today’s plan is to do 5min/k pace steady for the whole race. SCMS target is 3:20-3:30 so if I can do this today without major disaster I know I am ‘in the ballpark’ as the Americans say.
Last time I did a race of this distance would have been 2003, as a build up to my first London Marathon. In the UK, it’s a ’20 miler’ and my memory of that one was that it was freezing (UK early morning in March) and quite hilly.
East Coast Park today is neither of those things. It’s flat as a pancake and it’s hot. I’m on a two gel strategy today (GU – courtesy of Neil, who kindly stepped in when I realised I didn’t have any at 7pm on Saturday night! – cheers mate 🙂 ), having had a banana in the car on the way over. Shug is going with the Camelbak full of iced Squincher, his race tipple of choice.
Loads of cars on the Service Road, so we end up parking somewhere down by CarPark B1, meaning we have about a kilometre walk up to the start line. Quick bag drop and head for the starting pen. Wow – starting pen is really narrow and there are already loads of people in it. Shug and I push through as best we can but we get stuck a long way from the front. In fact, so far back we end up in the Second Wave ! That’s a new experience for both of us, but the plus side is we spend pretty much the next 2.5 hours overtaking people.
Second Wave flag off is about 5 minutes after the first guys have gone, so probably around 7 mins after the first flag off. Since we aren’t racing today, this isn’t such a big deal, but it’s a good reminder to get there early when we ARE racing.
Flag-off
We push our way through to the start line for wave 2 and quickly we are on our own. Wave 1 back markers are still 6-7 mins up the road, so we have the first 2-3k pretty much on our own. Slowly we start to pick up the wave 1 runners and by the first turn at NSRCC I am recognising the usual people I race against just ahead of me.
Pace is spot on and it seems very very easy at this stage. First gel at 10k. Top Marks for the organisers, Pocari Sweat and Water is Ice Cold at every station. The big lump of Iced Squincher in Shug’s camelbak thumps up and down at the same tempo as our feet (side note – lucky for us, our stride is pretty much identical – so running together is easy – have you ever had to run a long time next to someone with a different stride length to yours? For me it’s one of the most distracting and annoying things ever, I just have to get away ASAP!)
Heading back down the park on the Ocean side, nice breeze – here’s where we start to see the 18k front runners coming through – Lexxus Tan, the F1 coach is leading the 18k and already he seems to have about 500-600m clear space from the next runner.
About this time Ming Ham (official F1 photographer) appears out of nowhere, sprints ahead of me, turns and takes a photo, then disappears again – haven’t seen that one yet – but I am sure it will be great.
Photo Credit: RunGallery SG
Round the loop and back up to NSRCC, we are still working our way through the field, chatting comfortably and holding this 5min pace pretty well (at this time ave pace was 5.05min/k). Into the last section of park up alongside NSRCC and all of a sudden several groups of rude road bikers appear, trying to ride at full pace down the middle lane of the park connector whilst hundreds of runners are in the inside and outside lanes running in opposite directions. This upset me a bit, because it was just unnecessary. 1) they could just chill out a bit for the 1 kilometre of their ride when they have to slow down a bit 2) surely as fellow athletes they could be a bit more gracious 3) its a well publicised large running race, so just go somewhere else if you can’t do 1) and 2). After shouting at the worst offenders, we make the turn at 22k for the last 10 back down to the finish.
Second Gel and second wind, we picked the pace up slightly, moving to 4.55min/k’s from there to the finish. By this point the paths were pretty busy with 18k’ers, but not a problem and seemed to be a day for runners with good etiquette (unlike cyclists!)
I had elected to wear my Mizuno Racing flats as another pre marathon experiment, previously I have done 1/2 mara in them with no problems, but this distance (more like this much time I think) they are not so good. By around 25-27k my feet are starting to feel quite sore, so I grind out the last 5k as quickly as possible to get finished.
At the finish line
Crossed the finish line in 2hrs38mins, average pace 4.59min/k. Excellent pacing, spot on the target and a nice negative split. Felt great throughout and it’s given me (and Shug) a lot of confidence for the coming marathon.
Funnily enough it was pretty much the same time as I did the North Face 25k in, meaning I managed 7k more in the same time on the flat.
Arrived at the race village, caught up with some mates, found out that friends Stuart & Carol won the 32k, Lexxus and Vanja won the 18k and Ben (JRL member!) was 3rd in the 18k as well – so lots of congrats throughout the extended group of running mates I am making here in SG.
Great selection of food and drinks again (more ice lollies) finished off a really good race for me.
I dont think I would do this distance unless I was entering a marathon shortly afterwards, but as an event I would put this one right up at the top of the list alongside North Face and Mizuno Passion Run – really well managed and executed.
Strava Screenshots below show the nice consistent pacing and the negative split
I’m a relatively new runner having only been doing it since July this year. I started running for several reasons. One: to keep up with my 6 year old daughter; two: in a lapse of judgement I registered for a mini-triathlon that required running and; three: to overcome the belief that I held for a couple of decades that I can’t run.
In a very short period of time I had to develop sufficient skills to swim, cycle and run. I’ve been swimming laps in my condo since the beginning of the year. With my buddies we engaged a swim coach who drilled us in the pool weekly and trained us in open water on Saturday mornings. By July I was pretty proficient and comfortable with open water swimming. It was a mere 250m that I had to deliver. So swimming skills – CHECK.
In December last year, hubby and I bought ourselves entry level, hybrid racing bicycles. Mostly for pleasure but to be used in a race if necessary. I didn’t have strong legs and easily settled into approximately 21-22km/h for 10km stretches (the fastest marathon runner keeps the same speed). For serious cyclists this speed would be their warm up but to be fair, I’m only just returning to physical activity after a 6 year hiatus (what with a newborn and lack of sleep, any parent would understand). So cycling skills, not awesome but passable – CHECK.
And then there was RUNNING. I only had to deliver 1.8km but that was 1.8km longer than I had ever trained for, especially after an open water swim and a 10km cycle. I knew I would have to walk half of this at the triathlon. I registered on a whim but I was cautiously optimistic. I knew the distance for running was short, which meant that even if I had to walk it wouldn’t take me forever. So running skills – WORKING ON IT.
During those moments of wisdom on a Friday night, having poolside drinks along with my buddies, we persuaded one another to register for races that at other more logical moments we would probably reconsider. Lo and behold the next thing I knew, I was signed up for a mini triathlon with my hubby, plus two 5km runs, one 8km run and two 10km runs before the year was out.
Then reason and common sense flooded me. I could barely knock out 1km without passing out. I’ve paid for the races though and there was no backing out now. Without further ado, I strapped on my running shoes and commenced my running training. It came with lots of pain, anguish, “I can’t do it”, “why am I doing this”, and “I’ll never get better”. It was a mental war that I think was much more catastrophic than the physical trauma I was experiencing.
The triathlon date finally arrived. Buzzing with excitement and nervousness, I had my strategy in place. Swim the best you can, cycle without burning out my legs and run/walk – whatever worked. And that’s exactly what I did. I happily came out 3rd from the swim, and then promptly dropped to 13th in cycling and running. Doesn’t sound too bad but then my gender representation in the mini triathlon wasn’t that big and my “veteran” category was even smaller.
Pre-race prep
Feeling a bit lonely
He beat me by 9s
First lap
Transition area
Exiting transition
Hubby finishing
Tired but happy
And now for running
With the triathlon under my belt, my focus turned to running. I had a mere two weeks to train myself up to 5km for the SAFRA event. Hubby and daughter entered the Father and Child category (loved the Superkid and Superdad t-shirts along with the jigsaw puzzle-like finisher medals). My first couple of practice runs were around the East Coast Park cable skiing lake which equated to about 2.5km. Within a short time though, I swiftly increased it to 5km. My pace severely suffered taking me from 6.5km/h to 7.5km/h, yet I was satisfied that I had completed the distance without walking.
The race day was spectacular. An endless sea of NSmen in their very cool singlets. My daughter kept referring to them as Minecraft singlets. On a brilliant Sunday morning, the sun just barely making its presence atop the Esplanade Bridge, I took off amongst thousands of other competitors of all ages, gender and nationality. With a slight detour through the business district, the race mostly centres around the Marina Bay precinct.
Fatigue was kicking in quickly, possibly because I took off too fast (I’ve been warned that adrenaline will have me running faster than usual) and I hadn’t learned to pace myself yet. The idea of climbing stairs on the way to the Helix Bridge, however short, was most unappealing and I ended up walking it. As I carried on, I entered the bottle neck that joined the 5km & 10km participants. For several hundred meters it was hard work trying to weave my way through the crowds and quite honestly I stopped trying and just took the opportunity to rest my legs and lower my heart rate. As the bottle neck opened up again, I was left with about 600m to the finish line. Somewhere along the way my hubby and daughter cheered me along with my girlfriend whose husband had just finished his half marathon. Crossing the finish line at 32min was sweet as pie. Though hot and sweaty, I felt accomplished. I’ve just completed my very first running race. Ever. At the ripe young age of 44. They do say it’s never too late.
A sea of red
Bottleneck area
Father/Child event
Great finisher medals
Once is not enough
The next race was the SMU Mile Run in Fort Canning Park. Possibly my favorite park in SG which was my main reason for registering. I was aware of its hills and I knew it was going to be a difficult run. What I didn’t account for was how life got in the way that limited my training schedule thereby having only three running sessions between the two races.
Once again I had my strategy in place. I know my body well enough to push but not too much. I have a child to be responsible towards and injuries due to foolishness is not in my character. I fully expected that I would run the straights and downhills and walk the uphilsl. The course looped three times. I managed ok on the first loop but got progressively slower around the next two. The stairs usually did me in. Regardless of the slower effort, I was in good spirits and yet again happy and accomplished, finishing the race at 36min.
Storing another finisher medal in my cabinet, it was time to take this whole running thing a little more seriously with the 8km NorthPassion run from Yishun to Sembawang in October. Not quite sure of the best way to increase cardiovascular and physical endurance, I started cross-training and strength training. I had a number of emotionally demoralising training runs that left me a little stressed about my ability to participate well in the race, until a dear friend gave me a book on the subject of Mastery. Unbeknownst to her the first 17 pages were just the words I needed to read that readjusted my state of mind and provided me with an understanding of what happens to the body when under duress. I learned about homeostasis – a condition of equilibrium that resists change and boy were my legs resisting change. I resumed my training with a new understanding and peace of mind.
The turning point
The afternoon race started on a grey and cloudy day that was threatening to rain at any moment. Relieved I wouldn’t have to run in scorching sun, I started with an easy pace that I hoped to maintain as much as possible. I didn’t anticipate the hills though. Lots and lots of hills. Not quite what I was looking for in a supposedly flat Singapore and certainly not on my first 8km run. I employed the usual walk the hill strategy in order to run the flat and downhill sections. Fifty-eight minutes later I crossed the finish line a little out of breath and sore legs but otherwise in good form. I managed to place in the top third of the race settling in at 109 out of 335 participants with an average pace of 7.20km/h. Read the full article here: My first 8km race from Yishun to Sembawang [Photo credits to Running Shots team – cheers guys for your efforts]
I was curious enough to see how I would fare if I was to run 8km on a flat surface. Three days after the race, shoes back on, I tackle the track on East Coast Park and succeeded to run the entire distance non-stop with an average pace of 6.54km/h, followed by another round today with an average pace of 6.47km/h. It’s a slow yet progressive journey but things are looking up. In the words of George Leonard: “Mastery is the mysterious process during which what is at first difficult becomes progressively easier and more pleasurable through practice”. Couldn’t agree more.
What next? The 10km Great Eastern Women’s Run followed by another 10km at the Standard Chartered event. Both are very large events and very early in the morning. Wish me luck.
It was a sunny saturday afternoon and I was feeling quite skeptical about turning up for the race as it was my 2nd attempt at participating in an obstacle-based event. The first was AAC trail adventure in 2013. I managed to catch bus 175 from Clementi with the company of some fellow runners who were in the waiting queue too. That was when I managed to pluck out my phone to retrieve my confirmation slip on rfyl’s website.
Without much hesitation, I signed up for the first wave, thinking of getting it done and over with but never expect that I will complete the race with so much fun. The first wave started slightly later while we (survivors) waited with great anticipation. During the wait, I had the chance to chat with some local and overseas participants. And the race started…. It began with a short run (which reminded me of tempo runs) where all of us ran in ‘fear’ before we reached the first few obstacles.
Lurker’s nest
It was quite dizzy walking through the maze, especially after all the crawling under the net (Limb By Limb), hurdling over (at Inverted Guillotine) and uncurling myself from wires (at Laser Grid).
Zombies
We (survivors) didn’t know what to do at the first few face-offs with zombies. Some brave heroes decided to take the lead by counting down together with the rest of us ‘chiong’ (dashed) together into zombies zone where all the screaming and ‘catching’ started. I unfortunately got some red ink smacked on my arm and got two lives taken.
The highrise
This was one of the most challenging obstacles for me. The climbing up was easy but I was stuck at the top where I have to cross over to descend. After some encouragement from the participants, I managed to complete this.
The Smokehouse
This was the second last obstacle and the air was choking. Then, it was the last face-off with the zombies! The race was ended with a splash after a glide down the mini slide. I managed to survive with one life and proudly got my Survivor medal and finisher tee. A big thank you to Just Run Lah for the complimentary bib. It had been a ‘fearful’ yet exciting race!
Photos courtesy of Run For Your Lives Singapore 2014 (Facebook page)
Recently, Singaporean ultra runner Ong Kai Wei tackled the 245km Sparatathlon, which is billed as the toughest road race in the world.
Cut off times for the runners are very tight
The main reason for the difficulty of this race is primarily because runners are required to complete the distance within a short 36 hours.
Moreover, to keep the athletes in check, cut off timings are also imposed on the various checkpoints along the course. These include a time of 9 hours and 30 minutes at the 81km mark and 16 hours at the 123.4km checkpoint during the race.
So this means that runners can’t simply go faster at the beginning, give themselves a bit of a time buffer and take it easy at the latter stages. Rather, they have to be on their toes throughout the entire distance.
Surreal moment for Ong when he finished the race
It was a very surreal moment for Ong, a 39-year-old research engineer, when he crossed the finishing line. But it took many months of hard work. In fact, Ong had developed a five-month training plan solely dedicated to preparing himself for this race. And now, he feels that it has definitely paid off.
It was not easy for him
But even though he was well trained physically and mentally for this journey, the going was not easy for him, though. Only 42km into the race, he suffered an ankle sprain and had to force himself to push through the pain barrier for the rest of the distance.
Has always dreamt of taking part in the Spartathlon
However, despite the setbacks, not once did Ong think of giving up throughout his arduous journey. After all, this event had been one of the races that he had always dreamt of finishing – ever since he took up running about five years ago.
Now plans to take part in a 48-hour endurance challenge
Now that he has finally completed his Spartathlon journey though, Ong isn’t going to take it easy. Instead, he now plans to take part in a 48-hour endurance challenge – to test his own limits and see just how far he can go.
Click here to read more about Ong’s Sparatathlon journey.
50 Days before Standard Chartered Marathon, I signed up for the full marathon after starting running again following a 6 months break.
As a JustRunLah! blogger, I hope to promote and encourage running through daily involvement with the community and get back on this running journey with everyone.
I aspire to demonstrate to all runners out there: It does not matter if it’s a 1km or a 10km today. It’s a matter of starting and going on a healthy journey and a healthy habit.
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore: I have run the full marathon numerous times, but this should be the worst preparation I will go through. But wait! I still have 49 days, don’t I? It is never a losing battle unless you throw in the towel.
My target: 3hrs 59mins
I have failed many times at trying to achieve 3:59. Many have said, I’m too heavy. Or, I’m not a born runner. My closest to date is 4:01. In 2014, I will go for it again. But this time round, I hope to motivate all runners around me along the journey. Focus on the journey, not the destination. If I make it, so be it.
How? From 19Oct (Monday) onwards, I challenge myself to clock 1 hour of running daily and at least 3 hours over the weekend. Too often, we are too focused on the distance and speed of each run. Let’s enjoy the journey, enjoy the chat with your buddy, enjoy the scenery or just enjoy that time-off with yourself.
My diet: Just water!
Additionally, I challenge myself to eliminate all soft drinks from my diet and to have just two cups of coffee a day. This should bring my weight down and hopefully my shin splints do not recur again.
Where? Rather than the usual ECP training ground, I will attempt to train for this year marathon via a different route. NUS Sports and Recreation Centre, Kent Ridge Park, Hort Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Mount Faber Park, Labrador Park – this route is a hidden treasure for runners. The whole loop should take me beyond 30km. It consists of steep slopes that will make your calves and quads cry out for mercy. But never mind, JustRunLah! My first attempt will be on 26 October at 6:45am. Any buddies wish to join me?
To all my running buddies,
“Each step is a victory. Whether it is a 1km or a 10km. When you tie those shoes laces and head out for your run, you are choosing to get stronger, fitter and healthier.”
The first of its kind in the world, THE MAZE CHALLENGE ASIA is the perfect event for sports and fitness enthusiasts who want to do more than just the normal marathons. A temporarily built giant maze that will be complimented by physical obstacles in its course, providing a great body and mind workout, through visual perception, coordination and critical thinking.
10% discount for all JustRunLah! readers
Get 10% Off the registration price by using code: [textmarker color=”B50000″]JustRunLah[/textmarker]. Register at www.vip.my
What to expect
You will be given a unique number and race bib, which will be timed by our system the moment you are released at the Starting Point.
Your challenge will be to go through a set of obstacles and also a giant maze in the fastest time possible.
Beat the rest of the participants and win Exciting Prizes! Do you have the physical and mental strength to go through this?
Hi everyone! This is my first post here. I am currently a NTU Year 1 HSS student, really excited to be part of JustRunLah! bloggers.
Recently, I just participated in NTU’s annual X-Campus Run. Below is the review of the run.
NTU X-Campus Run 2014 Running Route (Source: NTU Runners’ Club blog)
This year’s singlet design
The Race
NTU Runners’ Club held its annual NTU X-Campus Run last Wednesday on 15/10/2014. Unlike previous years, the run this year is only opened to NTU students and staff. This could be due to the fact that the school just held the 5tylo-Mile-o Run at Padang during NTU Fest not long ago that was opened to the public, hence this run is designed purely to cater to NTU’s staff and students.
Singapore’s weather had been rainy recently, with showers and thunderstorms in the early mornings and late afternoons. On the day itself, there was a slight drizzle 1 hour before the actual race (at 6.30pm). My lessons just ended and after meeting my friend, we made our way slowly to the Student Recreational Centre (SRC) to the run. Really glad that the rain stop at about 6pm. Though the floor was a bit wet, the weather makes it perfect for a post-lessons evening run. The route this year is also slightly different from previous year, with both the starting and ending points at the SRC.
Flag-off
The race flagged off punctually at 6.33pm, with approximately 300 runners running off together. The first part of the run is flooded with runners like any other event, but slowly it began to stagger off. We ran across the new Hall 17 and 18 towards the back of the SRC, past NIE and along the perimeter of the campus. Distance markers were clear along the way, except that I think they missed out the 2km marker? As we know that NTU is pretty hilly, the uphill along North Spine indeed proves to be challenging for some runners as they began to slow down. But I did managed to continue, telling myself that it is good uphill training. The downhill part that follows was pretty awesome as I opened up my strikes and the breeze makes the run very enjoyable. Ran past Innovation Centre and eventually back to where I started at SRC.
The aftermath
The whole running distance was 6,75km, and I managed to complete it in 33mins. 🙂 The post-run procedures were slightly confusing. I was issued a red bib and told to collect my goodie bag (facewash, sweets, 2 pens and some flyers) further down. There was no queue yet, but I got confused with what to do with the bib. Asked the volunteer at the goodie bag counter and she had no idea. Asked around and eventually was told to return it to another counter for the time to be recorded. Hydration wise, water and Red Bull was provided for the earlier runners. However, it ran out quite fast. My friend whom returned 10 minutes after me and there was no more water nor Red Bull.
On the whole, the running route was great and volunteers were friendly. But hydration wise it can be better managed for the runners that arrive later. It was a good mid-week run in school! 🙂
JustRunLah! and SportSanity work together to bring you exclusive discounts in registration fees. Keep an eye on the race calendar for discounts year round.
How do I get it?
Follow this link to order online, and enter “JUSTRUNLAH” in the discount code field, to get your Premier card at the discounted price of $22.5
Free classes too!
If you sign up now, you’ll also enjoy a selection of free classes! You can choose the adult’s set (valued: $784) or kid’s set (valued: $270)
Getting to the site
