We all have our regular running routes, especially those in the neighbourhood, and those long runs along East Coast park. And we usually run at about the same timing most of the time…. more often than not, we meet the same familiar faces – do you acknowledge the familiar faces that run past you? I do, sometimes… when there is some eye contact, and if the person respond, it is a nice feeling – saying ‘hello’, ‘good morning’ to a somewhat ‘stranger’ but not a stranger.
Not just running, even in the morning when the lift door opens and there is someone inside, a simple ‘good morning’ brightens up someone’s day, especially if you live in the same block or work in the same office building, and bump into each other once in a while.
But very interestingly, everytime after I say the first ‘hello’, I hardly see that familiar face again… hahaha… wonder if anyone out there have a similar experience, but I thought it was kinda weird. Anyway, I just wanted to say that, while we are engrossed and training hard for our next personal best, do stop and say ‘hello’, it is nice to stop and smell the roses once in a while, or say ‘hello’ to the sunrise at the Bedok jetty. It makes those long boring runs more interesting and keeps us connected.
Wilson Kipsang (left) and Usain Bolt (right), record holders for Marathon and 100 m, respectively.
Records in running progression
On September 29th, 2013 the men’s Marathon word record was broken, with Wilson Kipsang from Kenya finishing the race in 2:03:23. This is roughly a 40% improvement since 1908, when the record was 2:55:18.4 (Johnny Hayes, USA).
Similarly, all running sports have seen dramatic improvements in records. For example, the world record for 100 meters is currently 9.58 seconds (2009, Usain Bolt, Jamaica), compared to 10.6 seconds in 1912 (Donald Lippincott, USA). In women’s Marathon, the record has been brought down to 2:15:25 by Paula Radcliffe (UK, 2003) from 3:40:22 in 1926 (by Violet Piercy, UK).
Are we humans getting faster?
The bigger picture
Disappointedly, the trends are inverted when it comes to non professional athletes, and especially the youth.
In a recent report, Dr. Grant Tomkinson and his team from the University of South Australia’s School of Health Sciences, analysed 50 studies on running fitness between 1964 and 2010, involving more than 25 .000.000 kids aged between 9 and 17, in 28 countries worldwide.
Their study was based on measurements of how far kids could run in a set time, or how long it took to run a set distance. Tests typically lasted 5-15 minutes or covered a half-mile to 2 miles.
It was found, that on average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their counterparts, 30 years ago. Even more so, heart-related fitness has been declining at a rate of about 5% each decade, since 1975.
The results are correlated with obesity and body fat across different countries, and, not surprisingly, the study indicates that “about 30 percent to 60 percent of the declines in endurance running performance can be explained by increases in fat mass”.
Country-by-country
Surprisingly, the largest drop in children’s running performance over the years is seen for Africa, despite the hordes of professional running athletes originating from there. Today’s african children are slower by about 23%. The decline in fitness seems to be levelling off in Europe and Australia, and during the last years modestly in North America. The later being however, the second slowest continent (21% decline), according to the study.
Asia has scored 3rd, with a 17% decline; however, the numbers for China have continuously been getting worse: data from annual fitness tests (China’s education ministry) show that the country’s students are getting slower and fatter. In 2010 male college students ran 1,000 metres 14 to 15 seconds slower than those of a decade earlier. Female students’ performance was worse by about 12 seconds in running 800m.
Is an obsession with academic testing scores for China’s competitive college admissions to blame? Many experts believe so, especially when it is combined with the increasing popularity of indoor alternatives, such as video gaming and web surfing. On the other hand, Japan has never seen a falloff in fitness. It should be noted that 20 million out of the 25 million children in the studies originated from Asia.
Dr. Tomkinson said, and we can only agree, that children need to be more inspired and encouraged to do more vigorous exercise. If the current trends continue, the public health consequences could be dire.
Southern Ridges, Singapore. Running from Marang Trail to Kent Ridge.
A few days ago I found out about the Southern Ridges trail, and I immediately knew I had to run it. I did it this morning and I enjoyed every bit of it. The trail is about 9km in total, it connects three parks (Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park) and can be separated into the following trails: Marang Trail, Faber Trail, Henderson Waves, Hilltop Walk, Forest Walk, Alexandra Arch, Flora Walk & HortPark and the Canopy Walk.
Having ran various routes in Singapore, this one has gone straight to the top of my list. I don’t really know why it is not so popular with runners (or is it?) but I would definitely recommend it. It is a rather challenging route (quite a few uphills) but offers breathtaking views, clean and fresh air, and it is totally car-free. But let’s take things from the beginning.
Marang Trail
I entered the trail from Marang Road, which is right beside the Harbourfront MRT station (take Exit D). It is extremely easy to find as there are signs and markings on the pavement. There, I was greeted by one deck of stairs after the other. Within a distance less of about 500 meters, there is a gain of about 90 meters, so you get the idea. When on top, a quick stop by The Jewel for photos of the beautiful panoramic view of the harbour, the cable car and the southern islands during sunrise is a must.
Entrance to Marang Trail. Right by Harbourfront MRT station (Exit D).
Faber Walk
Next up is the Faber Walk. Amazing views all along, somewhere along the route is supposed to be a Merlion sculpture but I missed it. Hopefully next time I get to see it. Most of the route is sheltered, which is great for a morning run.
Panoramic view from top of Marang Trail / Faber Walk.
Henderson Waves
Now that’s an impressive pedestrian bridge. It is hanging at 36m above Henderson Road and has a wave-form shape, with curved steel ribs that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved ribs form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within. The wave-forms are lit with LED lamps at night from 7pm to 2am daily. I have to get back there at nighttime.
Reflection at Keppel Bay as seen from Handerson Waves bridge.
Hilltop Walk
I missed the entrance to Terrace Garden, the highest point in Telok Blangah Hilltop Park. Will be back for this! Other than that, it is a downhill run that serves more as a connector rather than an attraction itself.
Forest Walk
My favourite part! The Elevated Walkway, is a metallic zig-zag structure that offers you the experience of running through a tropic forest at eye-level with the forest canopy. The walkway’s height varies from 3 to 18 meters, and the route is about 1 km. The metallic walkway is great to run on, and there is a constant breeze of fresh air as you run through the treetops. That was an amazing experience, please give me more of that!
Forest Walk elevated walkway. Photo by edwin.11. (Flickr: Forest Walk.) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Alexandra Arch
A pretty nice 80-meter bridge. You can take a glimpse of the Interlace condo. At the end of the Alexandra Arch, there is a path lined with flowering plants which leads to the HortPark.
Floral Walk & HortPark
HortPark is a gardening showcase centre. It comprises 40 showcase gardens and offers a myriad of exciting ideas and suppliers’ contacts for gardening enthusiasts. Tip for runners: there are water fountains near the restrooms. There is a rather long upslope part towards the end, leading to the Canopy Walk.
Canopy Walk
This is a 280-metre long boardwalk that offers a great view of Kent Ridge park and the battlefield. Lots of birds as you run, once again, through the treetops.
I think this is where the Southern Ridges trail is officially over, however, if you’ve ran this far, let me give you two options to continue your way:
A: South Buona Vista Rd + NUS Campus
Keep on running straight after the canopy walk for about 300 meters and then make a left. After a rather steep downslope you will get yourself to South Buona Vista Rd. Make your way uphill till you get to NUH intersection. From here, you will have three ways to enter the NUS campus: 1) Kent Ridge Rd. is the most challenging and will eventually get you to the central library (you can exit to Clementi Road after that). 2) Prince George’s Park Road is mostly downhill and will take you closer to Pasir Panjang Road. 3) Lower Kent Ridge Rd. will get you to the most central areas of the campus. Tip for the latter option: Water fountains near the NUS sports facilities.
B: West Coast Highway / Park
If you want to end up to West Coast Park via the West Coast Highway, make your way to South Buona Vista Rd as above, but this time go downhill instead. You will hit West Coast Highway soon enough, make a right and keep on running on the sidewalk. West Coast Park is only about 2 km away.
Marang Trail to NUS Kent Ridge campus.
Southern Ridges trail map (www.nparks.gov.sg)
Start your own personal running blog with Just Run Lah!
Just Run Lah! is proud to support NTUC Income RUN 350, Organised by Young NTUC!
About the race
RUN 350 is Southeast Asia’s premier eco-run in support of the global 350 movement. This movement aims to raise awareness to the need to lower atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to 350 parts per million, which scientists believe is the level required for Earth’s sustainability.
First held in 2010 at Pulau Ubin, RUN 350 saw 1,000 runners coming forward to run for the cause. In 2011, aided by NTUC Income, RUN 350 grew more than 7 times to 7,200 runners. By 2013, the run had already grown in stature with more than 10,000 runners involved. To date, almost 700 trees have been planted through Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Tree Programme.
What is the 350 Movement?
The number 350 means climate safety: to preserve a liveable planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 400 parts per million to below 350 ppm.
In the last century, CO2 level have increased at an alarming rate from decade to decade, thus urging us to reduce our emissions and slow the effects of climate change before irreversible damage is done to our home.
NTUC Income RUN 350, Organised by Young NTUC is in support of 350.org – an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis–the solutions that science and justice demand.
The mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis – to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.
Logo of the global 350 movement
Greening RUN 350
RUN 350 has implemented a number of green measures, these include:
– Paperless Race Entry Pack Collection
– Race handbook to be given in e-format
– Waste recycling
– Reduced use of plastic
– Bring Your Own Bottle initiative where participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles with them to RUN 350
This year, NTUC Income RUN 350, Organised by Young NTUC is proud to introduce its inaugural Medal Recycling Campaign – making it the first run in Singapore to introduce a Medal Recycling Campaign. The public is encouraged to donate their old medals and give them a new lease of life. The medals will be processed and be used in the production of new medals.
Medal recycling bins will be available at various locations island wide until 28 February 2014. Visit www.RUN350.com for a list of medal collection points (till 28 February 2014) and to register for the Run now! Registration closes on 28 February 2014.
Let’s make a difference by running for a greener future.
Besides being obsessed with shoes in the last 2 years, I was also trying out all kinds of earphones… nah, this post is not about the earphones that I’ve used and had before, but just wanted to share that I need to have music to accompany me during those long distance runs.
My ‘love’ for music started way back in the 80’s – “Beat It” by Michael Jackson was what got me started, although prior to that, there was Carpenters, Bee Gees, Bonnie M, etc from my father’s trusty radio – but it was Beat It and Thriller that got me started to like English songs. My favourite playlist are songs from the 80’s, those were the days when the Pet Shop Boys, Aphaville, Depeche Mode, A-Ha rule the billboard charts. Personal fav while running include Slave to Love by Bryan Ferry, Forever Young (12″ mix) by Alphaville, La Femme Accident by OMD, and Domino Dancing by Pet Shop Boys, Freedom by Wham! and many many others – just my 80’s playlist alone, I can run 2 marathons!
Once in while, for a change, I will have canto-pop as my running motivation, while not as fast paced as the 80’s, but they provide the right pace for an easy jog. Songs like 十分十二寸 by Geroge Lam, 斤两十足 by Sam Hui, 梦半by Anita Mui, Monica by Leslie Cheung and many more, enough for a half marathon.
Now, for a good boost, the song that gets me going is actually Korean! “Cabi Song” by Girls Generation and 2pm, the startup beats gave me a good kick, and when the song played, images of the MTV came up and that gives me the added adrenaline to get going.
Oh, and if you want to know, I’m using the Bose SIE2i earphones 🙂
Project Happy Feet: Slipper Race, Singapore 22 February 2014.
We are always happy to publicise and support a good-cause event; this time we would like to bring your attention to the upcoming Slipper Race2014 – Total Defence Edition organised by Project Happy Feet, to take place in Singapore on February the 22nd.
Why Slipper Race?
The Project Happy Feet Slipper Race is Singapore’s only non-competitive walk in slippers to raise funds for Project Happy Feet’s beneficiaries. The race is inspired by the many school children in countries such as Cambodia who walk more than 3km to school either barefooted or in slippers – if there is a school nearby. By getting participants to walk in a similar distance in slippers, we hope people will put themselves in the shoes (or slippers!) of these underprivileged children and do their part to contribute towards them having a chance at education. For the younger participants, we hope they walk away with an appreciated for what they have been given, and feel inspired and empowered to do something for their counterparts who are less privileged. Though the event is not really a race in the competitive sense, we hope to send the message that there is a great urgency for us to do something about education for underprivileged children around the world, and that we should race against time to give our support and make that positive impact now.
About Project Happy Feet
Project Happy Feet is a Singapore-based not-for-profit organisation set up since 2009 to empower the lives of underprivileged youths and children in developing countries by supporting their education and training through fund-raising for education-related initiatives and programmes that positively impact them or their families. To date, Project Happy Feet has raised more than SGD 500,000 through its fund raising initiatives such as Chefs for a Cause in 2009, the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race since 2011 and supported more than 4,000 children and youth in Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Nepal through its programmes.
Mission : To empower lives through education and training to alleviate poverty.
Vision : A world where children go to school with happy feet, and poverty if alleviated.
Quick Facts:
•
Registered as Public Company limited by guarantee on 7 July 2009
•
Improves lives of underprivileged children and youths, especially in developing countries
•
Supports training- and education-related programmes and initiatives
Corporate Governance:
•
Funds fully audited (by H T Khoo & Associates)
•
100% of donations are designated for specific causes and are channeled to benefit identified beneficiaries
•
100% volunteer run
•
Operational costs underwritten by Emergenetics Caelan & Sage Pte Ltd (registered in Singapore since 2005)
Beneficiaries
The Project Happy Feet Slipper Race 2014 – Total Defence edition will benefit the following organisations:
THIS LIFE CAMBODIA (CAMBODIA) This Life Cambodia is a not-for-profit, non-government community development organisation with a focus on education. It provides technical advice and support to individuals, communities and non-profit organisations in Cambodia. Its ultimate goal is to help local people and groups become fully self-sustainable by providing educational and training opportunities, securing project funding, building infrastructure and creating networks to support their needs. Funds raised at the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race 2014 will be channeled towards the Lower Secondary School Development Program, focused at developing community competency in designing long-term sustainable solutions for schools in Siem Reap. www.thislifecambodia.org
SPED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME BY COMMUNITY CHEST (SINGAPORE) The SPED Financial Assistance Scheme, a programme supported by Community Chest, provides financial assistance to needy students from special schools so that they can enjoy fully subsidized school fees, uniforms, textbooks and a 75% subsidy for national exam fees. The scheme aims to enable low-income families that face financial difficulties and challenges to support their children with special needs.
Race details
Event Date: Saturday, 22 February 2014
Event Time: Event ground opens at 3.00pm, Flag-off at 4:00pm sharp
Venue: Outside Singapore Management University School of Accounting
Heel-toe drop (or offset, or differential) is a term that came along with the boom of technology in running shoes, and the increasing interest in barefoot running. So what exactly is it, and why are people interested in it anyway?
First of all, one needs to know what the “stack height” refers to; and that is simply a measure of how much material is between the bottom of your foot and the ground.
Now, measuring the stack height at the heel and the toe and subtracting those numbers, will give you the heel-toe drop. To make things clearer, heel-toe drop has been defined by Brooks Running as “the difference between (midsole + outsole) heel height and (midsole + outsole) forefoot height” .
To put things into perspective, some realistic scenarios would be: heel stack 23mm, toe stack 11mm, giving a heel-toe drop of 12mm, or in another case, heel stack 18mm, toe stack 12mm, giving a heel-toe drop of 6mm. It is easy to see that the heel-toe offset indicates how “wedgy” the shoes are; the higher the number, the more your heel will be left higher than your forefoot.
Traditionally, running shoes have been built with a 12-15mm heel-toe drop. but the minimalist shoe movement of the last few years has brought about lower stack heights and smaller forefoot drops. Moderate minimalist shoes typically have a 4-10mm heel-toe drop, while, zero-drop shoes (heel-to-toe drop of 0 to 4mm) are also available, aimed to provide an as close as it gets “barefoot” running experience.
As far as to which are better for you, many studies have been published, and the argument that is often being made is that running in shoes with a larger heel-toe drop encourages a heel strike. This, in turn, can not only diminish running efficiency and speed, but can also potentially cause injuries, as it is associated with higher impact forces and greater rotational forces (overpronation). On the contrary, a lower heel-to-toe drop is supposed to encourage a midfoot strike, and help the runner maintain a natural position.
I have been wanting to join one of the fun runs organised by a running club in Singapore for quite some time now, and last night I finally went for it. I joined the Kikikukiki (or K5) Runners in their weekly BayFront run.
The meeting was set for 7:30pm at the entrance of Labrador Park MRT station, and even though I arrived a bit early, many of the club members (easily recognisable by their striking-green Kikikukiki tees) were already there.
Once the necessary introductions were done, and after a bit of chit-chatting we set out for the run. We were a total of around 30 people, and there would be two groups: the faster and slower runners; I joined the first one and hopped for the best 🙂
After about 5 minutes into the run, there was a mild hill to climb, before we reached Labrador Nature Reserve Park. The weather was perfect for a run with a very comfortable sea breeze. We “circled” the park and then headed for the Keppel BayFront. I had never been here before, and I was really impressed by the scenery. The boardwalk structure allowed for an easy and steady run. Soon we hit the Keppel Bay Vista bridge and made our way into the island.
A short pit-stop for photos and we were on our way back. Retracing our route, we once again made our way to Labrador Park, where would be our gathering point. More chit-chat while waiting for the rest of the runners, a few group photos and then back to the parking lot for a chilled cup of 100 PLUS.
All in all, I am really glad I took part in this, and I will definitely be back for more.
If you want to join the K5 Runners, check out their Facebook page. They organise weekly runs at Jurong International Business Park (Tuesday evenings), Labrador Park / BayFront (Thursday evenings) and MacRitchie Reservoir (Saturday mornings).
Your face lit up the moment you woke up. You do your pre-race ritual, had your quick breakfast fix and started doning your race gear. You take your race pack and dump all the essentials inside, dropped your hotel card inside, and headed out of the hotel. From the comforting air-conditioned hotel temps, you exited the hotel and headed out, bare, to the race site. You feel cold, and began to chatter as the chilling temps in the morning begin to get you.
Step by step, you walked to the race site to deposit your baggage. Your pre-race attire is stripped, baggage is deposited and you queue for the portaloos in your race gear. You are shivering now and began to jog on the spot and move your limbs to generate heat, akin to other runners warming up and down Nathan road.
You walked to the start point and got yourself jammed up in the middle of the pack. You feel warmer with the bodies around you. For now…
The siren goes and you are off. The adrenaline within you goes off as you run past the starting line. You felt great off the blocks but the human jam forbids seamless overtaking. 4km in, you are running on the West Kowloon Highway and one last turn awaits you and you’ll be running on the expressway. The crowd eases now with the entire length of expressway available to you. The undulating terrain starts now. You head up the hilly highway and witness the awesome Stonecutters Bridge in sight, approximately 2km away. The gradient increases and lo and behold, you are running up the bridge. It is an L shaped design. Once you are done, a water point awaits you for conquering the first major obstacle in the marathon.
Next up, you enter the first tunnel on-route. You feel warm, air seemed thicker and you feel harder to run inside. When you are near to the exit, the temperature drops and you feel the cold chilly winds coming your way as you exited the tunnel.
Shortly after, you will reach the legendary Tsing Ma bridge. The bridge is uphill, and you will uturn in the middle of it.
You will then uturn into another bridge which is almost the same, uphill to and downhill fro.
These routes enable you to meet up with fellow runners whom you might know. You caught up with many of your friends, exchanging hi-fives, shouting HIs.
Your route brings you down-slope to the second tunnel of the route. Upon exiting the tunnel, you have ran 25km and your legs is starting to give way. You feel determined to charged through the entire route, refusing to give up.
Upon exiting the tunnel, you’ll be back on the highway, with ups and downs greeting you at every sight. You feel strong winds brushing past you and witness different runners running different paths of the highway. You will reach the West Kowloon Highway and there will be a water point there. You have now ran 30km of the route and you will see a pool of 21km runners merging with you. The lanes seemed packed now but its still all right. You used the 21km participants as your pacers and start drafting off them.
You continue your route for 4 more km before entering through a gate with massive supporters.
At 34km, you will enter into the final tunnel on-route. This tunnel is unique and is one of the highlights of the race. You run downhill for 1.5km before running uphill for 1.5km. You are exhausted now, but you cannot give up now. You exited the tunnel feeling extremely cold with strong, chilly headwinds coming your way.
After conquering the uphill climb, you go through a series of downhill and find yourself by a pier. You try your best to absorb the scenary and the supporters whom came down cheering for you. Your legs is giving way, but you trottle through as much as you can.
Your facial expression depicts the pain you have on your entire body, but you are still there, fighting your way through.
Your last obstacle comes crashing down on you. You saw a flyover with a steepness akin-ed to Upper Pierce. It is approximately 200m high but you are determined to get past it. You saw alot of runners walking up this challenge. You ran past it, and you saw the sign ‘Causeway-bay’. Surely the end is near.
You wind through Causeway-bay, a familiar shopping district. Looking up, you see residents cheering you. There are tons of supporters on either side of the road. You absorb their cheers, you smiled at the photographers, there is no giving up now, not for yourself, not for the supporters.
One final turn and the finishing line is in sight, you ran the final 195m on green platform and ran past the finishing line.
The quest for a marathon flat can be taxing. For the most of us, it could get boring racing and training in the same shoe again and again. Most end up getting new flats to race and in turn realize, awww this shoe is not for me.
I saw the takumi sen in Hong Kong and never looked back. I was on a trip with my girlfriend and she purchased this pair of racing flats for me as a gift. It cost 1099 hkd in Jan 13.
This shoe felt really good on the feet. Initial impressions seemed positive. I was jogging up and down the store at Tsim Sha Tsui and was convinced this is the shoe i need. The key decision criteria lies in how this shoe wraps around your feet comfortably and the responsiveness it provides on every stride. I could feel it just by jogging in it!
I could fondly remember my first test-run in it. I brought it out for a 10km tempo run and clocked a very good pace but didn’t felt too hard. I describe the shoe as ‘the shoe that doesn’t slow down’ to my friend!
Thereafter, I used it for all my tempo runs and crucial LSD leading up to my marathon.
This shoe gave me a PR in 10km, 21km and 42km. I’m not an elite runner but this shoe works for me at sub 5:10 pace in a full marathon.
500km into runs and there’s significant wear and tear underfoot. The responsiveness is wearing off but hey, its a racer. 500km is hard to come by nowadays. I have this shoe for more than a year now and I’m still using it.
There’s new colorway for the shoe. Its widely available in Hongkong. SG is selling it through runners gait.
A man’s meat is another man’s poison. This shoe works for me and i highly recommend it to runners looking for the following attributes:
Low stack heights
Light weight racer
Meshy Upper
High Responsiveness
Midfoot / Heel-strikers (For heel strikers, do note that the outsole will wear out faster)
Minimal cushioning
No habit of going sockless
The Adidas Takumi Sen is available at Runners Gait at S$229.
Well, back in those days when we do not have the internet and running was simple, we only had one pair of shoes and use that pair for all kind of stuff. In the recent 10 years, shoe technology has gone from just simple gels, foam to all kinds of space jargon and what have you…
I am extremely guilty of being a shoe-whore (a word I learned from the internet) – now where do I start – alright, 4 years ago, when I decide that I want to take up running ‘seriously’, my first pair of running shoes was the Nike Pegasus – I never bothered what pronation was, what a neutral foot strike was, I just went with what caught my eye on the shelf, and what was comfortable. Ran the shoe down in my first uncompleted marathon. And after that I started to know that there is such thing as a running shoe review. Thereafter, I started to know about over pronation, under pronation, neutral, foot strikes… and all that jazz. Running became complicated, I was trying on new shoes every 2 months, and dumping shoes the moment I ‘feel’ they were not right for me!
2013 – Saucony Mirage 3, Mizuno Enigma 3, Brooks Pure Flow, Brooks Pure Cadence, Newton Distance S, Newton Motion, Mizuno Cursoris
2014 – Brooks Pure Flow 2, Brooks Pure Cadence 2
These shoes were purchased because I was reading too much and was bought into the marketing hype….
Now that I am listing them out, it looks scary! I was buying more shoes than my wife!! Some of those shoes, I only ran in them for a month, and donated them to red cross.
So today, I tell myself – just run in what is comfortable and what works. Having experimented and understanding how I ran, I now only have 2 pairs of running shoes which I am the most comfortable with…. Would I say ‘money well spent?’ – well, I don’t know, I just know I won’t buy 6 pairs of running shoes a year anymore….
Spectator signs are great; runners love to read them as it breaks the monotony of the course. They come in all sizes and shapes, from personal notes and inside jokes to purely motivational, and from funny and innocent to somewhat offensive. We have put together some of the best for you.
Funny
Who needs them anyway.
Husbands can probably relate!
Run, bitch!
One for the moviegoers
Can’t say I am not tempted, but I think I’ll pass…
Well, technically… you are right.
Listen to the ladies
#RunnersProblems
Brave the pain.
Cute
One for the running moms
Who can say no to this little guy?
Woof.
So deep this one.
Motivational
Listen to your heart
You can do it!
Post-run makan just got one step closer. And yes, this is listed under “motivational” on purpose!
Runners, which one is your favourite? Do you recall seeing any at your last runs?
Spectators, if you’re planning on watching a marathon, make some signs – the runners will love you for it. After all, nothing is better than putting a smile on someone who is struggling.
I usually don’t take part in races that are 10km or less, but this (and the Mount Faber Run) is an exception, as I wanted to support the community, plus it will be my first time running at the Punggol Park.
Based on info on the blog, there were a total of 280 male and female runners doing the 10km run. The weather was great and the race was very well organised. I had a very good run, and perhaps it’s because of the lower number of runners, I actually breezed through and managed a new personal best 10km timing of 55mins – may not be fast for many out there, but it’s my best so far 🙂
Need to keep up with the training, I’ve signed up for two 35km training runs organised by 2XU in preparation of the 42km in March… gotta keep going and going and going……
Start your own personal running blog with Just Run Lah!
Off to a good start of the year with this refreshing 10km+ run. Running through the NUS Kent Ridge campus (from UTown, passing by the sports complex all the way to NUH), followed by an enjoyable descent through the “green” South Buona Vista Rd. Next on, a flat stretch along West Coast highway and finally the slight ascent on Clementi Rd.
I recommend this route to those living near by, it is well-lit and there are water fountains near the NUS sports complex. You can also combine your run with Kent Ridge Park or West Coast Park.
Do you train nearby? How is 2014 treating you so far? Leave your comments below!
This is the first post on my sub-blog “The Running Angmoh”, and before I get on with my running year’s review, let me get the opportunity to introduce myself.
I moved to Singapore in mid-2013 to join the National University of Singapore, and I have been loving my time ever since. I had visited Singapore before as a tourist and fell in love with the place, and after about 2 years of trying to get a position here I made it in 2013. As far as it goes about running, I started doing it a few years back to get in shape, but it was not long before I got hooked on.
Singapore’ running community is huge, and it is an amazing place to run (if you don’t mind the humidity and heat, that is – which I don’t); there are plenty of routes to take for training, both in urban environment and trails, and the city offers an amazing selection of running events to participate.
During my first year here, I took part in a total of 8 races (even though I registered for 9, see below) and covered a total of 108km. Here is how it all went down.
Adidas King of The Road 2013, August 11th.
This was supposed to be my first race in Singapore, and I had registered for it before I’ve even arrived. I was really excited to take part in this race, as the route would take me through key landmarks. Running pack collection was at Suntec City, it was well organised but very crowded and it took about 30 minutes to collect.
At the day of the event, I took a cab and went down to the starting point on time. Everything looked fine and people were warming up for the race. Pretty soon though it started to drizzle, and within minutes it evolved into a full-on storm. We all tried to take shelter under the bus stops, the MRT stations and the underpasses. There was lack of information and no updates from the organiser for hours. Only by word of mouth we found out that the race had been delayed twice, before the final announcement for cancelation was delivered. This was a rough welcoming for me, and I still find that the decision to cancel the race was not fully justified. By the time they announced it there was not a thunderstorm ongoing. Adding weight to my point of view is the fact that another race on the same day was carried out as planned.
Runners taking shelter from the rain minutes before Adidas King Of The Road was called off.
To make things worse, the organiser offered to send the “finisher” medals of registrants by mail. I received their email asking for my postal address, to which I replied that I would rather get a partial refund or coupon, as finisher medals are for race finishers and is something more to runners than just a race memorabilia. As expected, they said that sending me the medal was all they could do, to which I kindly refused. Seeing now NTUC’s plan for race medal recycling, I regret not having accepting it.
Nestle Love Your Heart Run 2013, August 17th.
Running pack collection was at City Square Mall, it was a breeze and included a handy shoe-bag filled with delicious Nestle products. I remember being really nervous about the weather when I went to sleep the night before the race. Luckily though, when I woke up the sky was clear and I could only hope it would stay the same. I took the MRT (early opening of lines is a huge plus for Saturday races) down to Bayfront station and proceeded to the starting pin. It was a no-frills, race with just the right amount of participants. Everybody was lax and enjoying the run. We ran by the Garden’s By The Bay, the Marina Bridge and the Promontory, and I got to enjoy the amazing view of Singapore’s skyline.
Beautiful sunrise shot taken from Gardens By The Bay east during NESTLÉ® OMEGA PLUS® ACTICOL® Love Your Heart Run.
RunNUS 2013, August 25th.
I couldn’t miss my own University’s running event. The organisers were pretty generous with the race pack, which included a variety of handy items and vouchers. The race started at the sports complex and took us all through Kent Ridge campus, including the newly built “UTown” complex. I enjoyed the chit chat with people I had met during Love Your Heart run, and fellow colleagues. The run was challenging, and the number of slopes adding to the heat made this a rather slow course; luckily hydration was plenty and the volunteers did a great job.
Tri-Factor Run, October 6th.
This would be my first run on East Coast Park. I had only been there before for cycling. I went for the 10.5km category and arrived at the event site quite early. The ongoing expo offered good deals on many products, and the flag-off was on time. For many participants, Tri-Factor run is the last part of their triathlon challenge and they couldn’t hide their eagerness to receive that final piece of the medal-puzzle. The run was well organised and smooth, with plenty of sports drinks and goodies for everybody at the finishing line.
Tri-Factor Run 2013 aftermath.
Newton Challenge, October 20th.
Time to return to East Coast Park, for a 18-km race this time. I took the organiser’s shuttle bus from Dover very early in the morning. We arrived just in time for a quick hydration and stretching, and soon proceeded to the starting pen. Turnaround number was huge, but the event was well organised with plenty of hydration points and good crowd control. It got a bit too hot and sunny at the last few km’s, but it was a rather enjoyable run. I should add that both the singlet and finisher medal were of great quality. On a personal note, the black pepper crab waiting for me at the nearby Jumbo was definitely a motivation to cross the finishing line faster.
Chua Chu Kang BIG Farm Walk & Run 2013, October 27th.
A “neighbourhood run” which turned out to be one of the best value-for-money events. I decided to take part in this as it would offer a unique route in a part of Singapore that would otherwise be not readily accessible to me. On top of that, there was no big sponsor behind it. Race pack collection was held at Chua Chu Kang Community Center, it was a breeze and consisted of a t-shirt and a (not timing or named) bib number. The turnaround at the day of event was overwhelming, and it feels like it exceeded all organiser’s expectations. There were some bottleneck problems at the first kilometre of the race (mainly due to construction works), but as we moved onwards the road cleared and we then entered the farm area. A very generous goodies bag was waiting for us at the finishing line including fruits, biscuits, buns, golden rabbit candies and plenty of other product. There was even a Mr Bean truck giving away delicious soya bean milk to all finishers. I should mention that the registration fee was only S$10 (or S$8 for PAssion Card Members).
The starting point at Brickland Road. Image taken from Chua Chu Kang BIG Farm Walk & Run facebook page.
The Trailseeker, November 9th.
I had heard a lot about the Green Corridor, but I never got the chance to visit. I joined The Trailseeker for a 22km run stretching from Portsdown avenue to the Dairy Farm and back. It was a misty and cloudy morning, and the sun was only half way up when the flag was waved off. It was the first trail race for me and I really enjoyed all the greenery and running along the abandoned rail. Things got a bit too crazy after the 9th kilometre or so where we had to pass through various natural obstacles such as streams, logs and slopes. Needless to say we were all pretty soon covered in mud knee-deep, which made the remaining half of the race particularly hard. Hydration could have been better, and there was no food at the finish line. Apart from that, it was a well organised and not overcrowded event. Funny fact, for some reason it felt like this race had the largest angmo-to-local ratio.
Winding-down after the challenging 22km Trailseeker run.
Brooks Run Happy, November 16th.
This would be my first night-time race. I by far prefer running after sun down, and I love Singapore’s lit skyline, so it wasn’t a hard decision for me to join. On top of that, I got a fairly good deal through Groupon. The organiser offered free shuttle buses from Marina Bay MRT station which was a very convenient service.
Even though parts of the event were enjoyable, I am not very happy with this run. It was overcrowded, crowd management at the starting pen was very bad and confusing, and most of the volunteers hadn’t been briefed about the locations of amenities. The first half of the course was at Gardens By The Bay East. The route was lit very poorly and there were plenty of non- participants hanging out. Kids on bikes and families with strollers made things dangerous, and I am glad that to my knowledge nobody was injured. Things were made worse due to the fact that this event attracted a lot of inexperienced runners and party-goers. I have nothing against people who decide to walk at races – I am not a pro athlete or very fast runner myself, after all – but to suddenly freeze, pose and take a selfie in the middle of the run, just feels wrong to me. The second half was somewhat less crowded and easier to run. Admittedly, the party at the finishing area was good, lots of drinks, alcohol-free beer and food.
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, December 1st.
The last event of the year and a must for almost every runner here. Race pack collection was held at Singapore Expo; I went to collect on Friday morning, and it luckily didn’t take more than 5 or 10 minutes. Unfortunately, apart from the singlet and bib, the bag was only filled with useless flyers. I didn’t have time to explore the rest of the expo properly, but a wide variety of exhibitors were present.
I found the route for Half-Marathon (which I ran) excellent. The starting point at Sentosa boardwalk was readily accessible thanks to the early starting trains. There were plenty of volunteers to help people around. Flag-off was on time, and we made our way into Sentosa island. Running by the beach during sunrise was inspiring, and passing through Universal Studios was particularly fun. Mascots would greet and encourage runners, and many people stopped to take a photo with their beloved heroes.
On our way out of the island, we had to run through the underground parking lot. I don’t know if this was an absolute necessity logistics-wise, or who came up with this idea, but it definitely wasn’t a good one. Ventilation was poor, and to make things worse, some of the tourist buses had their engines on. I believe I was within the first 15% of runners at that time and it was already uncomfortable; I don’t want to imagine the situation later on, as the number of oxygen-gobbling runners increased.
After exiting Sentosa, we were already at our 9 or 10km mark. The next 7-8 kms before entering the city were smooth. A huge merge occurred with runners from the Full Marathon and the 10km run. Arguably, this was a poorly executed plan, as there were no barriers between runners of different categories, and made the last few kilometers of the -already struggling- Full and Half marathon runners much more difficult.
The final stretch near The Padang was very enjoyable to me; the cheering crowds* and feeling of completeness gave me a boost as I crossed the finished line with a time of 2h08m. Not a personal best, but definitely a run to remember.
* “There will be a day when you will no longer be able to do this, but today is not the day” and “Smile, your toenails will grow back” were two of the best banners I spotted!
My medal rack got richer by 7 medals this year.
It is now time to prepare my race schedule for 2014 and focus on training. See you all out on the streets!
Did you run any of these events? What’s your take on them? Let us know your opinion below.
Start your own personal running blog with Just Run Lah!
Start of the year, and well, I don’t believe in making new year resolutions anymore… I’ll just go ahead and do what I want to do, set short term goals, instead of making a resolution for the new year.
Happy New Year, and may you have a great year of running and keeping fit!
