As the year 2017 is coming to a wrap, let’s look back at the year and take a look at the good and the bad, the highs and the low in the realm of Malaysia’s running and fitness. There were definitely great highlights, but there were also some disappointments.
The Soaring Highs
#1 SEA Games Kuala Lumpur 2017
Malaysians rallied behind one another to support our athletes. There were so many inspiring moments. Muhaizar ended our 44 years medal drought in the marathon, delivering us a bronze medal. We showed great support for our athletes, but we did not forget to give the athletes of other nations the hospitality they deserved. The opportunity to witness so many inspiring moments and the chance to show our athletes unwavering support is definitely a highlight for many.
#2 SCKLM Delivers Again
Standard Chartered KL Marathon didn’t fail to impress – once again. It’s that time of the year where many attempt a new distance and a new personal best. Many run their virgin marathon, many run their very first half marathon and many gun for the elusive sub 3 and sub 4 barrier. It’s always a great sight to see the wave of emotion and happiness when months of hard work and dedication pays off as you cross the finishing line. Just stand at the finishing line and watch – it is so much happiness!
The Low Points
#1 The Indefinite Postponement Of The ATA KL Marathon
Previously known as ATA KL Marathon, it has now rebranded itself a couple of times. Initially set for March, they postponed their race to 15th October in which they changed the name to the Selangor Marathon which was then once again postponed to the 17th December. Then, once again it rebranded to the Klang Heritage Marathon and the new date announced to be on the 14th October 2018. This of course is to the outrage of many. The new postponement is accompanied with an announcement of threat of legal action and no refund!
What makes it even more a joke is the continuous use of the company Metlife despite Metlife severing it’s ties with the ATA Metlife KL Marathon. It has also once announce the start location being One Utama, only for representatives of One Utama to come out and say there will not be such race being flagged off from One Utama.
#2 ATA Sarawak Marathon
The ATA Sarawak Marathon is arguably the worst marathon organised in Malaysia. Finished medals were insufficient, water stations were inadequate and that basically made it one horrible event. It is a disgrace – to have trained really hard for a marathon to be disappointed by the organisation of the event.
We hope for more highs to come in 2018! Here’s to a better 2018!
When you browse through your social media sites, it’s another someone celebrating his latest PB or it’s someone sharing another awesome route in another country. Hey, stop being envious of other people’s RUNCATION. Because you can do one! All you need to do is read on, mark your calendar and plan in advance. Check out four upcoming 2018 long weekends in Singapore!
New Year’s Day – 1 Jan 2018 (Monday)
Chinese New Year – 16 Feb 2018 & 17 Feb 2018 (Friday & Saturday)
Good Friday – 30 Mar 2018 (Friday)
Hari Raya Puasa – 15 Jun 2018 (Friday)
Here are 6 shortlisted races for you!
January – Ultra-Trail Tai Mo Shan 2017
While it is customary to celebrate New Year’s Eve with plentiful amounts of food and alcohol, there are plenty of people like to do their New Year countdown through running. And here you go, the Ultra-Trail Tai Mo Shan (UTMT) will be held on 30 Dec 2017 for its 3rd edition.
Categories:
There are 3 categories for your pick: Ultra-Trail Tai Mo Shan (UTMT, 162km), Tsuen Wan-Ta Shek Wu-Fo Tan (TTF, 115km) and Yuen Long-Ta Shek Wu-Fo Tan (YTF, 50km). Choose wisely at your fitness level. Run safe and have an unforgettable new year celebration in nature!
February – Corregidor Marathon 2018
Photo Credit: Corregidor Marathon 2018
In a runcation to the Corregidor Marathon, you can simply leave the smog and heat of city behind as you enjoy the cool sea breeze when you take a ferry trip to the beautiful and historic Corregidor Island. Besides participating the race, you can also do water sports or join a historical tour to experience the breathtaking sights.
Category:
Two-day event with Marathon and 15KM on 17 Feb 2018 while Half Marathon and 10KM on 18 Feb 2018.
February – Kyoto Marathon 2018
Photo Credit: Kyoto Marathon 2018
Kyoto Marathon is another race that will be held on 18 Feb 2018. The course of the marathon starts at Nishikyogoku Athletic Park and finishes at a point near Heian-jingu Shrine. It takes runners passing by seven UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites and several other highlights, including spectacular views of the five mountains on which huge bonfires are lit during the Gozan no Okuribi summer festival.
Categories:
Marathon, Pair-Ekiden and Wheelchair race.
February – Okinawa Marathon 2018
Photo Credit: Okinawa Marathon 2018
Do consider the Okinawa Marathon which also will be holding its 26th edition on 18 Feb 2018. The marathon course will add to your memorable experiences by passing different cities, towns and village in central Okinawa.
Categories:
Marathon, 10KM Road Race and Relay Marathon.
March – Sungai Menyala Forest Trail 2018
Photo Credit: Sungai Menyala Forest Trail 2018
“If the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is the Monza of the Asia Trail Master Championship series, then the Sungai Menial Forest Trail (SMFT) is the Silverstone.” That is how brutal it is. Port Dickson welcomes all fast-paced runners for a 50k race that is sometimes called “the easiest trail of the season”, but then has close to 50% a DNF rate. Nothing is impossible, so go challenge it and earn your Asia Trail Master Championship points!
Categories:
10KM, 25KM and 50KM. Endure the heat and start planning out your hydration strategy!
June – Hawke’s Bay Trail Run Series 2018
Photo Credit: Hawke’s Bay Trail Run Series 2018
The race 3 of the 6 race Hawke’s Bay Trail Run Series 2018 will be held on 17 June 2018. The Hawke’s Bay Trail Run Series gives you the chance to see parts of Hawke’s Bay you may not ordinarily get to see while at the same time experiencing the excitement of running off the road.
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You can pick among the short course (5KM to 9KM), medium (11KM to 15KM) and a Half Marathon.
Runners, we aregreat people. You want to know why we’re so run-mazing? Here’s why having running friends are probably the best company you can get!
#1 You Will Never Be Alone
You will always have someone to run with. Fear no more those boring lonely long runs, because we’ve got you covered. We will be there with you through that hard lung busting 5km time trial. We will be there for you through that long 32km run. We make your runs a lot more fun!
#2 We Are The Most Supportive People – Ever!
We truly understand your sport! We know what it’s like 35km into your marathon. We are there for you to cheer you on. We got your back. We understand your pain! We totally know what to say to keep you moving! We are so chirpy and we’re the best cheerleaders – ever!
#3 We’ll Eat With You
We would eat anything with you! We’re down for ice-cream,waffles and pancakes. We can eat because we’re almost always hungry. We make great food buddies. We can run together with you and indulge together with you!
#4 We Can Geek Out With You
Not everyone would understand your mumbo jumbo about splits and pacing! We are here to geek out and nerd out with you! We’re very interested in your runs and analysis of your runs. We’re interested down to your very last km split! We understand the running language!
#5 We’re Always There
We’re always at a race with you! We’ll be there to take photos with you and take photos of you! You can count on us to cheer you on, and even take a great finishing photo of you! You won’t be going to a race alone, you don’t have to be nervous alone, because we’ll be there, with you!
#6 We Follow You on Strava
We’re your loyal Strava follower. I mean who else can you share a new course record on a segment? – us! We understand the excitement of creating new segments and owning the course records of segments. We would even fight you for some segments, making owning course records come with more pride!
Sometimes an unplanned rest day becomes a week and turns into months. Sometimes an injury puts us out for longer than anticipated. Here’s what happens to your body when your workout comes to a halt. So it’s always good to keep your routine and if you have an injury – cross train!
#1 Your Blood Pressure Rises
Regular exercise helps lower your blood pressure. With a stronger heart, your heart cam pump with less effort. This in effect lowers the pressure in your arteries. However, should you drop your workout routine, your blood arteries will start to harden and narrow. This does not happen overnight, don’t worry. So, taking a few days off wouldn’t hurt! However, a pro-long hiatus will cause a rise in your blood pressure and physiological changes and it takes another 3 months for your arteries to get back in shape.
So, remember to always exercise regularly. If you are injured – cross train!
#2 Your Muscles Start Resisting Insulin
When we exercise, our body converts glucose to energy used to power of workouts. Reducing that expenditure of energy will cause our body to adapt physiologically as well. Our body becomes less insulin sensitive. Improper insulin regulation prompts your body to store what’s not used as fat. This is the basis of weight gain as well.
#3 Your Muscles Shrink
You are going to get small. Pro-long hiatus will cause you to lose muscle strength. Your muscles will start to be converted into fat. This again does not happen immediately. It happens over a course of time. Don’t let the hardworking you have put in for months be wasted by taking such a long hiatus.
#4 VO2 Max Drops
VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize. It is measured as millilitres of oxygen used in a minute per kg of body weight. This helps determine your cardio capacity and performance. An recent research shows that just a 12 days break shows a 7 per cent drop in VO2 Max.
#5 You Get Grumpy
Exercise makes you happy – even if it’s a simple hike, a short jog or a nice swim. When we exercises, our body produces happy hormones – endorphins. You may not notice it, but it’s there. You just have a better energy boost and mood after exercise. However a hiatus will make your grumpy and agitated. Some people say it’s exercise withdrawal syndrome.
You’ve put in the hard work so far. Don’t take too long a break from it. Make exercise part of your life – make it a lifestyle. 3 – 4 times a week is enough to keep you healthy. If you have sustained an injury, don’t let that stop you. You can always cross train!
Tis’ the season to be jolly – yes, it’s that time of the year again, it’s Christmas. Looking for something to get your loved ones who happens to be an absolute running addict? Here are 5 Christmas ideas for you. These would make perfect gifts for any runner.
#1 Running Shoes
Photo Credits: Triathlete.com
We’re absolutely crazy about running shoes. We all have a favourite brand and can’t wait to try out their latest release. It could be that new Mizuno Wave Sonic, or the Nike breaking 2 shoe, or that Asics Gel-DS Racer 11. It may sound like a whole bunch of jargon to you, but it’s music to our ears. We’re always eager to bring new shoes out for a spin. For some inexplicable reason, we get even more excited about running when we have new running gear – so, feed our happiness this Christmas.
#2 GPS Watch
Photo Credits: Garmin
We get excited about all the numbers – how many km we’ve ran, what pace did we go out, what our splits were, what our heart rate was, what the elevation gain was! And that’s why every runner has a faithful friend – the GPS watch. Get your loved ones a GPS watch so they can go full on nerd mode with their running. we’ll be staring at numbers, crunching numbers and charts. It’s a gadget every runner wants – be it that Suunto Vertical or Garmin Forerunner 235 or if you’re feeling rich, that Garmin Fenix 5.
#3 A Good Headphone
Photo Credits: CNET
We runners go on really long runs. Sometimes it’s good to have the company of our favourite music – running to the beat of our favourite tunes. We wouldn’t mind an Ipoh shuffle or a Wireless headphone to keep us upbeat and motivated. It also distracts us from the counting down the kilometres which sometimes can get quite dull.
#4 A Good Hydration Pack
Photo Credits: South China Morning Post
If your significant other is an avid trail runner, a hydration pack would be the perfect gift. Hunt for one that doesn’t bounce and gives great ventilation. Salomon, Innov8 and Ultimate Direction have great hydration packs. During our long runs or ultra races, we run with our hydration pack – as one. We need them to be as comfortable as possible.
#5 A Race-cation
Photo Credits: San Fran Marathon
Sweep your loved on off their feet by surprising them with an international marathon. Register them for the Gold Coast Marathon, or the Kyoto Marathon, or maybe the Vietnam Mountain Marathon? Nothing spells more excitement than a race-cation! There is nothing that a runner loves more than being able to see a new place by foot! For even more inspiring ideas, check out this awesome white elephant gift list from GivingAssistant!
Admit it, there have been times when you have pushed yourself a little bit too hard. Wanting to transcend ourselves and push our limits is in our nature as athletes, however, what you might not know is that even common injuries can have a long-term effect on your life – some even resulting in complications or contributing to long-term disabilities, if this is a concern for yourself or someone you know, it would be advisable to seek out a free NDIS registration guide. Here we are discussing five of them that runners usually face.
1. Stress fractures
Stress fractures might refer to anything from a tiny crack in the bone to severe bruising within the bone. They occur in weight-bearing areas, like the heels of our feet, where we constantly put pressure on to support our movements. Re-injury is unfortunately very common, and studies have shown that approximately 60% of all athletes who have sustained a single stress fracture will later sustain at least another one. Clearly, stress fractures that aren’t properly managed can lead to larger, harder-to heal stress fractures, or even chronic problems where the fracture never heals. That means constant discomfort and limited movement of the area where the stress fracture has occurred.
2. ACL injury
An anterior cruciate ligament injury is the over-stretching or tearing of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the knee. A tear may be partial or complete. According to Sports Injury Central, it is most commonly torn in sports that involve sudden stops, jumping or changes in direction, but can also be seem amongst runners.
Depending on the severity of your ACL injury, treatment may include rest and rehabilitation exercises to help you regain strength and stability or surgery to replace the torn ligament followed by rehabilitation. Similarly to stress fractures, athletes who had undergo surgical replacement of the ligament are at high risk of needing to undergo a second surgery later on. What makes things worse is that undergoing repeated surgeries means you may never recover the original strength or condition of the ligament in your knee, making your chance of repeated injuries even higher.
3. Sprain
Sprains can occur from the stress to the ligaments or joints – the parts that allow the movement of our bones. It is one of the most common sports-related injuries, especially the ankle sprain. You have probably suffered a sprain injury before, so you would know that the less serious ones naturally ‘heal’ over time with rest, so it is unsurprising that many of us may think lightly of a sprain injury.
However, you’re advised to use a brace for proper healing, and your doctor might prescribe you one. Those who have suffered a severe sprain in the past are susceptible to new sprains in the same spot. Most notably, one of the risk factors of a sprained ankle is having ankle instability. More severe cases require prolonged bracing and a possibility of surgery to repair ligaments.
4. Hamstring strain
The hamstrings are tendons that attach the large muscles at the back of the thigh to the thigh bone. Hamstring strains (or “pulls”) can typically be caused by rapid acceleration activities such as fartlek or interval training. Injuries can range from a minor strain to a major rupture. Continuous hamstring injuries can affect your mobility and your flexibility, so if you have faced such pain before, you need to take action to prevent recurrent injuries.
Continuous hamstring injuries can affect your mobility and your flexibility, so if you have faced such pain before, you need to take action to prevent recurrent injuries. Professional guidance is highly recommended for both an accurate diagnosis and a good chance of avoiding such repeat injuries and lifelong issues.
5. Lower back pain (sciatica)
The term sciatica describes pain, that might include tingling, numbness, or weakness, in the lower back area, traveling through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of each leg.
Because sciatica is caused by an underlying medical condition, treatment is focused on addressing the cause of symptoms rather than just the symptoms. Sciatica pain can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back, otherwise known as spinal stenosis. In addition, pain in one’s neck, otherwise known as cervical spinal stenosis, is exceedingly more dangerous as it compresses the spinal cord. Spinal cord stenosis may thus result in severe symptoms, including body weakness and paralysis. As with any kind of pain, you are advised to seek professional help if experiencing lower back pain.
Do’s and don’ts
Remeber that your goal is to be a strong and healthy individual in the long run. So, take plenty of time off to fully focus on recovery so that you can return to the field as good as before. Don’t rush back to training, and stay away from competitive races for a long time.
If despite focusing fully on recovery you find you have sustained serious injuries that have resulted in permanent disability, you may wish to look into benefits and compensation, to help cover medical costs, pain, suffering, and lost wages. For instance, military veterans injured at work can take a look at this VA disability calculator 2023 to see what they could be entitled to. Legal experts can work with you and help you to access all that you are due.
Even if you are not experiencing any pain, always ensure you set aside days to rest so your muscles can recover. And if you do, consult a specialist who will be able to advise you on treatment or recovery plans to prevent the long-term effects that may happen if the condition is not managed.
Adapted, with permission, from an article by Dr Tan Ken Jin, orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital specialising in foot and ankle disorders and sports injuries. This article first appeared on Health Plus.
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 42.195KM
Date: 3 December 2017
Flag Off: 5:20AM (Pen E)
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This is my second FM after The Green Race 42KM (DNF and you can read my story somewhere in this blog). First FM running on the road. I am still a novice in running.
Why did I sign up for Full Marathon? Because half marathon is no longer challenging enough and I feel I should go for the full distance to better experience how people run and complete a marathon.
2 years ago I said I couldn’t run a 10KM. I would die. But I ran a half marathon at 2XU compression run for the first time. It was painful but I survived, just nearly puked. After that first half marathon experience, I was hooked and looking forward to many HM races along the way and I have completed 13 HMs so far and 32KM twice. Shorter races do not appeal to me.
I took part in SCSM for the first time this year. As an IAAF Gold Label Race, I was expecting a superb race experience at this prestigious event in Singapore. REPC was good, collecting of race pack was quite fast. I saw the baggage deposit service at the REPC was quite empty. Seems like not many prefer to deposit their bags in advance or they were not aware. To me, I do not bring bag for races and do not need baggage deposit service. I go to races with just a waist pouch storing my essentials like money, ezlink card, credit card just in case, phone and gels. After running, I just go home with stinky clothes. I would suggest to runners not to bring any bags for races for your own convenience and peace of mind ?. To race organiser, for such a big and prestigious event, baggage deposit should have been managed properly but sadly it didn’t happen. I was shocked to see the horrible long queue when looking for toilet in the morning. Portable toilets were not sufficient as well and far away from the flag off pen. Many runners missed their flag off due to baggage deposit delays and I saw some who chose to carry their bags along to run. It was not a pleasant experience for them. A lady was carrying a large leather handbag on one shoulder with her to run. It was agonising.
I was assigned to Pen E based on my estimated finish time so I was at the very back of the pack. I was flagged off at about 5:20AM. The new route was good, no bottle neck and we had ample spaces to run. Though early morning was dark but Singapore is a bright country with countless number of lamp posts. I was still able to see many heritage sites while running by. They were beautiful and I enjoyed it. At East Coast Park, I was looking at the sea and ships while running and imagined myself lying on a boat floating on the water and enjoying the breeze, peace and quiet, away from the busy city life. It was heavenly. When I saw the aeroplanes flying, I imagined myself sitting in the plane enjoying the in flight food and entertainment… I was telling myself that after this gruelling marathon, I was going to take a well deserved break and enjoy my holiday ?.
I was praying for the clouds to shield us from the merciless sun and the clouds really helped. It was mostly cloudy with certain parts being slightly hotter but bearable. I was grateful and pleasantly surprised for the two water mist tunnels that organiser had installed along the route, together with the powerful fans blowing. They were saviours. Some volunteers were sleeping but some were very encouraging and shouting words of encouragement. They were great! Upon reaching 30KM, I was hurting and frowning and couldn’t acknowledge their cheers but I was grateful. Thank you! Happy that hydration points still have enough water and 100 Plus and the 100 Plus were cold! The distance tracked on my Garmin watch went a bit haywire after 10KM and it was clocking about 1KM faster than the marking. But I trust SCSM marking because they were professionally measured. GPS watches can sometimes get interrupted due to many factors.
This man was pulling a tire for the marathon distance. I am not sure if he manage to finish. Strong man.
A few runners saw me spraying my muscle spray and asked me to lend them and I did. I could empathise their pain because we were all suffering. Along the way, I saw some were vomiting, some collapse on the ground but conscious, they just need some resting. Heard an old runner fainted and was helped into the ambulance. I hope he is fine!
I was walking with my sister for the last 10KM because the legs were simply too painful to run. We just aimed to be able to finish before cut off. So happy to cross the finish line eventually but the distance to collect the finisher tee and medal was quite long. Still couldn’t rest the legs until we collected the items and went to find a place to sit down. Finisher tees were too big for us because smaller sizes were all given out. Organiser should take our sizes upon registration and indicate the sizes on the bibs and we should be ensured of our sizes upon finishing the marathon. This part was very disappointing. Ironman Asia, please fix this issue for your future races as not to tarnish your reputation further. Otherwise, the entire race experience was wonderful. Thank you.
Marathon runners are amazing, they have high endurance level and the never say die attitude. No matter what is your timing, able to finish the brutal marathon is already a huge achievement and you should give yourself a pat on the back! You can now enjoy a feast and eat all you want because you have just burned over 2000 calories! To those who DNF, no worries, train harder and try again!
A quote from the late Grete Waitz, “Whether you are a Kenyan trying to break 2:06 or you finish in 6 hours, we respect one another. The 6 hour person for the speed of the Kenyan, and the Kenyan for the tenacity of the 6-hour person. At the end of the day, we are participating in a sport we both love”. Well said.
The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon was held on the 2-3 December 2017. This is my first time joining Standard Chartered Singapore marathon and also my first ever half-marathon. The new running routes and the famous iconic landmarks of Singapore along the route motivated me to try running this half-marathon. The half-marathon route is much more appealing than the 10km one, for me. Authorities had come to close major roads for this run, since it’s the largest and most well-know event in Singapore. No wonder about 50000 runners from around the world took part in this race.
Pre-race preparation
The longest race I have taken part in is 12km puma night run 2017. I trained by running a few long training runs of up to 14km once a month and a few short runs a month in addition to swimming ? once a week as usual. After all, I took the courage and signed up for my first ever half marathon 3 weeks before the race.
Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC)
Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) was held at Marina Bay Sands Expo from 30th Nov to 2 Dec 2017. There were little runners queuing when I came in to collect my race pack on 30th Nov. This is my first time seeing so many exhibition booths after walking pass the collection counter. Bought some shotz energy gels and crampfix at the REPC Expo. I Tried taking a packet of energy gel and it seems suitable for me. Normally, I never take any gels for 10km runs and other short runs. For this half-marathon, I decided to take energy gels along the way to ensure that I don’t run on empty.
Before The race – getting there
I took grab taxi to SCAPE because I want to deposit my bag at there. Things didn’t turn out as planned. There’s no way my taxi could get to SCAPE because of the road closures and traffic congestion around Orchard area. So, I alighted near Paragon Shopping Center at 4:20am and made my way to another baggage deposit area at Anguilla Car park near Wisma Atria because the volunteers directed me there.
Before The race – bag deposit
When I arrived at the baggage deposit area, I saw a queue about few hundred meters long. It was disappointing to see this especially when the organiser do not allow runners into the start pen after 5:20am as stated in the website. I decided to stay in the queue until I deposited my bag at 5:50am. Waited for about 70mins to get by bag deposited. There were runners expressing their frustration with the baggage deposit service online. While waiting, I contacted my 2 colleagues who signed up for the race and none of them turned up. So, I was left alone throughout the entire race. ?
During the race
Because the start point is so far away from the baggage deposit area, I need to travel another 1 km on foot before I start my Half-marathon! By the time, I crossed the start line, it’s about 6am!
The Start point
Thankfully, me and the other late runners were allowed to cross the start line. While running along Orchard Road, I saw that the road is partially opened to the traffic already.
Orchard Road opening to traffic
Somewhere along Victoria street, at the 3km mark, the road are going to be reopened by the road Marshall. By right, me and the other late runners will be disqualified. Thankfully, the road Marshall is lenient and let us proceed.
Before reaching the 9km mark, I saw a water point and slowed down by walking. Then I felt a discomfort in my stomach that makes me want to puke. Just drank a cup of water and continued running until the discomfort is gone. There were energy gels provided near 9km mark, I just took one and kept it in my pocket. Shorty after, I Took 1 banana and slowly ate along the way. Tried to maintain pace by running at the speed of 8.5km/h throughout until I reached 15km marker which was near Marina Bay Sands. From there, I saw an uphill slope along Shears bridge. So I run-walk my way up but at a slower pace than before, trying to go slow and keep my heart rate down.
Uphill slope on Shears bridge
From the descend of Shears Bridge at 16km mark, I tried to maintain running speed of 8.5km. By the time I reached the last kilometer, I slowed down again due to fatigue and cramping legs. I took crampfix (that I brought along) and endured to the end with the determination to finish the race.
1 Kilometer left
At the finishing point
The crowd who stationed near the finish line kept cheering all the runners on. Medal collection was smooth and they provided towel dipped in icy cold water. Apples, bananas, bottled water and 100 plus were provided as well.
Post race thoughts
There were sufficient hydration points offering both water and 100 plus. Waited 5 mins for the collection of my baggage. Overall, it’s well organized except for baggage deposit where there’s room for improvement.
Personal accomplishment
Felt the great sense of accomplishment that I’m a half-marathon finisher. I had never thought that I’m able to do so. Had been praying for this race and thankfully, God brought me through till I finished the race in 2hours 36mins 42sec. Hoping to recover from my muscle soreness fast and also hoping to do more half-marathons next year.
As the year draws to an end and you wrap up a year of training, goals and races, it’s wise to look back at your year in review to see what went right, and what went wrong. If you’ve had a great year, you would want to repeat the experience, but if you’ve fell short, you’d want to analyse what went wrong, fix it for a better next year.
Record Everything
Write down everything – all the details. Start from the week before your big race – what you ate, what you drank, how much you slept, and how you tapered. Then move on to race day – what you had for breakfast, to how you felt during your race, to your fuelling and hydration strategy. Pen down exactly how many gels you took at which kilometre of the race. If you had a great run, mimic your race strategy as closely as possible. If you bonked, you may want to take a second look at your training and fuelling strategy. Develop a fool-proof racing strategy for yourself! Use JustRaceLah! – The Running Mobile App of Asia – Pacific to record notes of all the races you run.
Study Your Splits
Photo Credits: Diary of a slow runner
Your splits reveal a lot about your run. Did you run positive splits? Did you run negative splits? Did you go out way too fast? It’s easy for us to go out way too fast at the start due to the atmosphere, upbeat music and adrenaline rush. However, we always find ourselves paying the price in the second half with a large slowdown. If this is one of the reasons you missed your goal this year, learn to run even splits. Patience is key, especially in long distance running.
Common Race Problems
Here are some common race problems and how to overcome them.
Stomach Problems – Always practice your fuel strategy during training. Make sure what you consumer sits well with your stomach.
Heavy Legs – Review your tapering process. Your legs could be still tired from your last hard workout.
Bonking – Check your pacing. You may be going out way too fast. Also, ensure you are fuelling and hydrating yourself well.
Cheers to a good year, and here’s to a greater 2018!
This marquee event, aptly called by some the ‘Race of the Year’, took place from 2 Dec to 3 Dec. The running routes encompassed going through the many iconic heritage places we are familiar with.
Personally, I think this is also one of the very few races where the authorities allow the closure of major roads to facilitate the run. It is little wonder then many serious runners opt to run in this race, with participation from runners around the world. This is one reason I decided to try my first half marathon in SCSM!
Pre-Race Preparation
I do runs once every 4 days, one longer run during weekday and a shorter recovery run during weekends. To give my body enough rest before SCSM, I stopped doing any physical training one over week before the race day. This was also to create the ‘hunger’ to run.
Race Pack Collection (REPC)
Runners can retrieve their race kits from 30 Nov to 1st Dec at MBS – a 3 days period before the ‘Kids Dash’ event started on the 2nd. Though I believe this arrangement of collecting the race kits just before the race itself is probably to maintain the ‘hype’, personally I would prefer to collect the race kits at least one week in advance. The reason is because I like to try out the event tee for a final preparation run before the race – either to have a feel of the tee or to exchange to another size with other fellow runners. Well, this is only my perception.
There were many counters for the race packs collection. There wasn’t much of a queue when I collected on Friday at around 11 am.
Race Pack CollectionRace Pack
One thing I like during the race pack collection is you were able to deposit your bag right away. I think this will save a lot of time queuing for bag deposit on the actual day. Things may simply get dis-organised or ‘rowdy’ when you have so many participants!
The REPC itself was like a mini market of sorts, with the sponsors and partners marketing their products. This must be one of the largest of its kind in local races, apart from the OCBC Cycle where merchandisers market on cycling products.
There weren’t too many people, so I managed to get a photo shot after a relatively short queue! I think this is the advantage of collecting during weekdays?
Variety of Merchandisers!Free Photo Taking!
Night before Race Day
I tried to give myself at least 5 hrs of sleep before waking up at 1.15 am. But ended up didn’t sleep a wink, perhaps due to the ‘excitement’ of the race couple of hours away. Also, not used to sleeping so early. So far, only the duathlon and spartan race had given me sleepless nights (Lol)!
Race Day – Going to Venue
I opted to take the shuttle service. Pickup location was at Bedok Interchange at 3 am. It was nice to see runners gathering at the stated time to go together, even though we may not know each other. Well, there was this ‘sense of common purpose’.
Runners waiting for their SBS Bus!
At the Venue
The atmosphere was good. People were chatting, taking group photos, doing warm-up exercises etc. I proceed to search for the available restrooms to use, but some volunteers whom I asked did not know where they were located. Until I headed towards Mandarin Hotel where the staff (Lol) directed me to ‘Scape’. It was also then I realised that was where the bag deposit areas were as well as the mobile restrooms – just outside Scape.
The baggage queues were really long. Fortunately, I had decided not to bring any bag as I believe the queues could be long. I had this bad experience in another race where the queue was long and after depositing my bag, I did not have the time to queue to use the restrooms (Lol). Lesson learned, I guess.
Long Baggage Queues!
The Race
I entered Pen ‘D’, which I guessed was for runners with the same projected finish times (which we indicated during registration). Everyone was full of expectation waiting for the gun to go off. After kicking off a number of waves, my turn started off at around 5.10 am.
It was a very hot and humid morning. I had hoped for a rainy saturday and followed by a cooling sunday morning (Lol)! The event tee was not dri-fit, so the perspiration really took a toll on me. Really not comfortable to run when your shirt was ‘sticking’ on you.
Fortunately there were sufficient hydration points along the route. Both plain water and 100 plus were provided, which I think was good, giving runners options to choose. Not only did I drink up, but also pour some water on myself to cool off to prevent heat exhaustion.
My knees started to hurt quite badly and ‘locked’ when I reached around 16 km mark. The rest of the run wasn’t easy then, as I started to walk, hop (Lol) and jog. Each stoppage I needed to do squats and stretching to relieve the pain before continuing to run along at a very slow pace. I controlled each stop to 1 min or 2 min, as I know anything longer than that my heart rate will slow down and cause ongoing running even more difficult as momentum was lost. I certainly did not want to DNF for my first half marathon!
The run up Esplanade Drive was excruciating, as I need to endure knee pain and at same time, tried to hurry along to pass the Finish Point under 3 hr, a personal target.
At the Finishing Point
The crowd was good. I believe many had come to cheer for their friends. There were tourists too, some of whom encouraged runners to endure the last few metres to the finishing point.
Medal collection was smooth and each runner was given a hand towel dipped in ice cold water. Apples, bananas, bottled water and 100 plus were provided as well.
Towels dipped in ice cold water!The Finisher Medal
Post Race Thoughts
The closure of major roads allow the runners to run in relatively wide roads. I feel this was good as it gave faster runners a wider berth to run without having to ‘zigzag’ through front runners. The routes were relatively flat, except for the slopes we (half marathoners) encountered at the Sheares Ave and Esplanade Drive.
I also feel the event was well organised, considering the huge number of participants, though there were some feedback regarding the bags deposit and road closures affecting some residents/businesses in Chinatown. Well, the event organizer and authorities will have to think of ways to improve this for next year’s run.
Personal Achievement
I have set to complete the race within 3 hr. My official net time was 2:58:39, just 1.5 min shy of the 3 hr mark. I knew I would probably finish beyond 2:45 when the ‘2:45 min pacer’ ran past me.
On hindsight, I believe this timing could be improve if I increased my training activities before the race, and of course, my knees gave lesser problems. I had expected to finish between 2:30 to 2:45 hr, so the result was a bit disappointing even though it is a ‘sub 3’ (Lol).
Me at Pen D
Targets for Next Year
I don’t aim for specific PB, but having said that, I do hope to improve my timings. I will probably take part in another 2 half marathons, which events I have more or less identified.
Lastly, congratulations to all runners who completed their races and got their well deserved finisher medals.
I joined the Mizuno Wave Run for the first time last Sunday morning at Clarke Quay Central. It had been a staple event in the last 11 years but I guessed it differs from the other local races in its simplicity and in its uniqueness of venues. There was only one category 10 km race and it started off in front for Clarke Quay Central Mall.
This year’s theme revolved around the colours of the rainbow. To celebrate love and to celebrate Mizuno Iconic shoe, Wave Rider 21 years. It also represents Mizuno commitment in continuously providing a sound & healthy sport scene for the people in Singapore.
Race Pack
Rainbow Logo Tee
Race pack collection was a breeze at Velocity@Novena Square. The race pack had quite a variety of goodies. I got this slot free, thanks to JustRunLah (Mr Peter Tan). I had thought one of my running buddies was going but he had some other commitments. But it was fine as I always enjoy the ‘lone wolf’ run as my friends called it, own pace, own time.
I reached the venue early and walked around the sidewalk, enjoying the view. Despite it starting off at 7.30 am, one of the latest start time for 10 km races, the weather was very kind – cool and breezy. The emcee was a young man who looked athletic, again, not like the usual you get in other races. The race was flagged off punctually without too much fanfare.
It started off and finished in front of Clarke Quay Central Mall. The 10 km route included a different sight of the Boat Quay, The Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and Marina Promontory before making a turn back to an almost parallel route (not to mention past Floating Platform, go through tunnels), then detoured to Robertson Quay before finishing at the mall. Although the sidewalks we ran along was at times narrow, even at the start, there somehow wasn’t any big squeeze like most runs. Perhaps due to the numbers, perhaps because I was able to get nearer the front before we started off. There were stairs too to climb, both up and down, but again, I felt light and I heard no complaints from anyone. For me, perhaps it was because leg muscles had memory of the 69 storeys climbed last week !
There were the usual hydration stops but I only stopped at one so I didn’t really count them (probably at least two). The volunteers were cheerful and a couple of the road marshals were just amazing. They were just cheering loudly and encouraging. When I gave a thumbs up to one of them, a lady, I could see she appreciated it as she stepped up her encouraging cheers.
Go through ‘tunnels’ – Photo Credit : Tan Kim Lai
Different Scenery – Photo Credit : Tan Kim Lai
Photo Credit : Tan Kim Lai
Photo Credit : Tan Kim Lai
I saw a few photographers including my new FB friend, Mr Tan Kim Lai. It was a very enjoyable run for me as I rated it top for its different sights, light atmosphere, cheery volunteers, varied route – you don’t just get the long stretches of same old mundane paths. And to top it off, it was a very fine breezy weather even up to 9.30 am or thereabouts.
I was a bit surprised to find no finisher medal queues. The medals would be sent to runners instead. Collected the Lucozade Sports drinks from the cheerful volunteers. I stayed back for the lucky draw but didn’t win any. Chatted briefly for the first time with Kim Lai in person too, since our interaction has been mainly virtual. The results were released on Tuesday morning, earlier than the 2 pm which was announced if I didn’t hear wrongly then.
This should be the 10 km finale race for the year for me and the grand finale race would be the full marathon at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon the coming weekend. Till then run happy, run safe!
Have you ever started your run and wondered who sucked all the air out of the atmosphere? You start gasping and you’re really not sure how ‘out of breath’ you can possibly get? Don’t worry, while it can be distressing if you’re just starting out, those initial feelings happen to even the most experienced of runners. Ben St. Lawrence, dual Olympian and Active8me running program coordinator shares 4 really simple tips to keep in mind about your breathing when you run.
1. Avoid shallow breathing and practise breathing deeply
Put your hand on your belly and do some practice breaths where you are drawing air deep into your torso. You can also attempt some short shallow breaths into the lungs to really see the difference (and know what to avoid). While running, try to remember how the deep breaths feel and bring your breathing back to those breaths.
2. Stay relaxed
Easier said than done, right? Think about where you are holding your muscles. Are your shoulders bunched up? Are your arms hugging your chest as you run? Is your neck rigid? Move through these parts of your body and consciously relax them. Release your shoulders, loosen your arms and allow your upper body muscles to work with you instead of against you so that your chest is open and free to expand.
3. Breathe mostly through your mouth and a little through your nose
You may have heard the common advice of ‘breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth’, but this is not useful in running. You can suck more air in through your mouth than your nose, so it is more efficient for filling your lungs with the oxygen that your muscles require.
4. Control your breathing
You can do this by counting the steps you take, as you breathe. For example, you may take two steps for one breath-in and two steps for one breath-out. You can mix it up, for what works for you. Ben personally does three steps for a breath-in and two for a breath-out during slower running. For his faster runs he takes two steps for a breath-in and one step for a breath-out, making the out breath more forceful. The key is to remain consistent. Controlling your breathing by maintaining an appropriate count across your run will allow you to get a lot further without getting out of breath.
So, you’ve completed your big race…congrats! Your mind is on cloud nine with the ‘runners high’ as you cross the finish line, but your body may be feeling a little different. Any running race is both mentally and physically taxing. However, taking your recovery seriously – from the point you cross the line – will ensure you’re ready to bounce back into training for your next big event, sooner rather than later!
We asked dual Olympian and running program expert at Active8me, Ben St. Lawrence, to share his best 6 tips for race recovery.
1. Easy recovery walk and consider wearing compression socks
Avoid sitting down straight after your race! Continue to walk around for a cool down. This will allow your body the chance to clear by-products of muscle metabolism (namely lactic acid) which will help to reduce overall soreness. Wearing compression garments may also help with circulation and reduced soreness.
2. Re-hydrate within 30-60 minutes of your race
Dehydration, especially in humid environments, can affect both your performance during a race and your recovery afterwards. You lose water and salts when you sweat, which can be compounded when racing in humid environments. This can lead to cramping and excessive soreness. Ideally you should rehydrate within the first 30 to 60 minutes after your race, using water and electrolyte drinks.
3. Refuel within 30-60 minutes of your race
Not everyone can stomach a 3-course meal post-race, but it is important you replenish depleted glycogen stores and provide protein for muscle repair and adequate recovery. A small wholefoods meal of carbohydrate and protein is best, but if you can’t stomach eating, a chocolate milkshake might help. Studies suggest that chocolate milk has a beneficial ratio of carbohydrate to protein that will diminish factors of muscle damage.
4. Rest for recovery
It’s really important to ease back into training. Take the time to prioritise rest and sleep over the days following your race. You may have a residual ‘runners high’ motivating you to rush back into running, but you are at higher risk of injury during this time. Swimming, walking and cycling are great ways to keep your body moving as you work back into run training.
5. Have a massage for recovery
A light massage can increase blood flow, alleviate inflammation, reduce muscle tension and generally make you feel good! Having a professional massage is ideal but you can also use a foam roller or do it yourself.
6. Reward Yourself
An often-overlooked factor in recovery is celebrating the culmination of your hard work. Running a race is both mentally and physically challenging so you should remember to replenish your mental stores too. While a celebratory drink is fine, be aware that alcohol causes further dehydration and will impede your physical recovery.
There you have it…recover like an Olympian! Do you want more great tips from Olympian and run program co-ordinator at Active8me? Check out his quick tips for better breathing while running.
Ice and heat are natural and very affordable ways to relieve pain. However, there is so much confusion out there. Here is a simple guide that gives you a rough understanding on when to use cryotherapy and when to use thermotherapy.
What Is Ice For?
Ice are for fresh injuries – it helps reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. Ice is a rational and affordable way to dull the pain and inflammation. So, if you have a freshly pulled muscle, use ice! Ice constricts blood vessels – which numbs the pain, reduces inflammation and eases bruising. Ice is normally used for injuries less than 6 weeks old.
What Is Heat For?
Photo Credits: Medical News Today
Heat is used for muscle soreness, stress stiffness and chronic pain. If you have a standard case of muscle soreness, soak your legs in warm water instead of iced water. Heat dilates your blood vessels and increases blood flow. The increased blood flow helps flushes the lactic acid. This helps relax your tight muscles and relieve your acing joints. Heat is normally used for injury more than 6 weeks old or muscle stiffness.
When NOT To Use Heat?
Heat should not be used for any acute injuries. Using heat can aggravate your injury. Adding heat to a fresh injury will increase inflammation and delay healing. Your injury will swell up and be more painful.
When NOT to Use Ice?
Muscle aches should not be treated with ice. If there is no inflammation, icing your muscles would not be of use. It may in fact worsen your ache.
When To Use The Combination Of Hot And Cold Therapy?
A combination of both hot and cold therapy should be used after a tough workout. This helps in flushing the lactic acid out. You first immerse your legs in iced water for 3 minutes, then in warm water for 2 minutes. You keep repeating this process. When you soak your legs in iced water, the blood vessels constricts. When you immerse them in warm water, your vessels dilate, and this change causes a pressure changes that causes your blood to rush through your veins and arteries. This blood rush helps clear the lactic acid that is accumulated in your muscles.
Now, since ice and heat therapy is one of the cheapest, safest and easiest self treatment option, learn it, understand it, and put it to good use!
Ask any runner, ask any of us and we would tell you there is something magical about races. Running a 10km on our own is just different from running a 10km in a race. Running a race is painful. There will come a time, no matter the distance that you hit a low point. And that’s where you, all of you play the greatest role in helping us runners get through our low points. You do your magic, and we somehow find the strength to dig deeper and hang on.
Here are the top reasons why we need you!
#1 You Keep Us Going
Photo Credits: Ka-ka-ka-katy
We suffer! There comes a point where we all suffer. The longer the race, the more likely that suffering is real. We feel down. We feel low. We feel discouraged. But, you lift our spirits up. We don’t know you, but you tell us we’re doing great and we can do this. You cheer us on. And sometimes, that’s all that takes for us to keep putting one foot ahead of another.
#2 You Are Everywhere
Things can go wrong at any point of a race. Maybe our cheering squad is at the 35km point, but we hit a really low point 25km in. We need something to boost our spirits. At any point of the course, you are there! We can count on you, any time, any where! You’re that magical person that keeps us from quitting.
#3 You Are Our Random Act Of Kindness
Photo Credits: Mouse Planet
From high fives to that cool popsicle, to gummy bears to perhaps some coconut water, to a cold towel and maybe a spray! You really got our back. If we ever have problems before hitting an aid station, you’re there to help us out. If we ever need a drink, or an extra energy gel, you are our saviour.
#4 You’re Out There, With Us
Braving the cold or heat, you’re there with us. You get out of bed early, just to cheer us on. And we are forever thankful for that. We sacrifice and suffer, and you are with us every step of the way. Suddenly, we are like your family. You come out to cheer for your loved one, but you keep going and cheer for every other runner that passes.
So, thank you! And do not stop cheering us on! Because, we need you!
CEBU CITY – Mary Joy Tabal successfully defended her title by claiming the 41st National MILO Marathon Sunday, stretching her reign to five years. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian blazed through the streets of her home city as she fought off emotions from the sudden death of her father on the eve of the race.
Rolando Tabal would not be at the Cebu City Sports Center finish line to greet his daughter but the younger Tabal did enough to win in 2:58:01. The time may not be her fastest but it easily edged a pair of former MILO Marathon Queens Christabel Martes and Jho-An Banayag-Villarma who clocked 3:04:20 and 3:11:26 respectively.
While all eyes were on Tabal, Jeorge Andrade of Davao City emerged as the surprise winner of the Men’s Division in a time of 2:39:34. The new MILO King Andrade broke away and beat a star-studded pack that included Second Placer Erick Panique (2:42:10) and Third Placer and five-time MILO King Eduardo “Vertek” Buenavista (2:43:34).
Andrade qualified for the National Finals in General Santos last October 15 where he beat out Tabal’s coach John Philip Duenas for Third Place. Before that, Andrade’s best MILO success was taking the championship of the 10-kilometer side event of the 2014 Davao qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Team Kenya stamped their class anew by ruling the Open Division led by overall top finisher Eric Chepsiror (2:25:09) and fellow podium finishers 2011 MILO King James Tallam (2:25:25) and Josphat Chobei (2:26:41). Elizabeth Rumokol topped the distaff side in 2:41:32 followed by countrywoman Nancy Joan Rotich (2:50:35) while Tabal copped Third Place.
Both Chepsiror and Rumokol took home PHP 300,000.00 each while Andrade and Tabal won PHP 150,000.00 and will be sent to race in Incheon, South Korea in 2018 as the Philippines’ official representatives. Tabal also received an additional PHP 200,000.00 for her Third Place finish in the Open Category.
In the side events, the absence of foreign runners resulted in double prizes in the Open and Local Category of the 21-kilometers with Arlan Arbois (1:15:21) and Marychiel Morales (1:39:19) getting PHP 23,000.00 richer. Other winners include Ruel Algufera (35:01) and Melody Perez (42:13) for 10 kilometers, Peonilo Erlincito and Mary Joy Loberanis (20:36) for five kilometers and Kent Lloyd Gabino (10:45) and Antonet Velayo (12:06) for three kilometers.
Photo Credits: Triathlete.com
Photo Credits: Garmin
Photo Credits: CNET
Photo Credits: South China Morning Post
Photo Credits: San Fran Marathon
Photo Credits: Diary of a slow runner 
Photo Credits: Medical News Today
Photo Credits: Ka-ka-ka-katy
Photo Credits: Mouse Planet
