Our FitBit, JawBone, Garmin tells us 10,000 steps should be our daily goal. But, where do they get this number from? There is actually no scientific evidence as to why 10,000 should be the magic number.
The 10,000 Idea
The 10,000 steps ideal surged to popularity when the pedometers were introduced. The early version was called manpo-kei which translated to 10,000 steps in English. Over time, 10,000 steps just became the standard baseline what everyone tried to achieve. But does this really work for everyone?
Should You Be Taking More Than 10,000 Steps?
10,000 steps should roughly be equivalent to a 5 mile distance. Of course if you’re trying to be fit, the more steps you take, the better. Why stop at 10,000? Many of us unfortunately live a very sedentary lifestyle. Many of us are struggling to even hit the 3000 mark. However, if your goal is really to be healthy and maintain a healthy weight, this is the very minimum mark you should be hitting – nothing less!
Are Fitness Trackers Accurate?
Photo Credits: Tech Crunch
Your Jawbone, your Fit Bit does come with a hefty price tag doesn’t it? Some models go up to hundreds of dollars. However these models count you steps, count your calories, and even help analyse your sleeping patterns. They use precision monitor sensors and algorithms to track your steps, your active type and even your idle time. The devices also have a built-in accelerometer that maps the human body’s biomechanics to give you a super accurate number of steps you’ve taken in a day.
Reaching Your Daily Goal
You don’t need one of these expensive gadgets to track your 10,000 steps. If all you want is your step count and you don’t need the rest of the details such as sleeping patterns and calorie-count, you could consider a basic pedometer. They are a lot lighter on your wallet and performs the very same function of counting steps. Try increasing your daily steps by 10-20 percent. Take the stairs instead of the lift! Make a lifestyle change!
As I started preparing for my first marathon back in 2008, if you had told me I would run a second one, I would have said you were crazy. If you had told me I’d be running my 25th marathon on the route of the original marathon, I would have called the hospital and had you committed. And yet, on November 12th, there I was.
Known as “The Authentic” because it is the origin of the modern marathon, the Marathon-to-Athens race actually has two important places in history. The first, of course, is the legend of Phidippidies, the messenger in 490 BC who ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a victory in battle, and then dropped dead (all marathoners should remember that the first person to do this died!). Greece’s second role in the marathon’s beginnings came in 1896, when the modern Olympic Games were revived. Held in the Panathenaic Stadium – the world’s only marble stadium, built on the site of a stadium from 2,500 years ago – the Games featured the marathon as a uniquely Greek part of the competition. Though the distance was slightly different – the 42.195km/26.2mi standard came in 1908, as I later learned at the Marathon Route Museum – today’s Athens Marathon follows the same route, and ends in the same stadium (also the site of the 2004 Olympic Marathon Finish Line).
Our Finish Line would be in the Panatheniac Stadium, the site of the original Olympics 2,500 years ago — though unlike those athletes, we would not be nude.
So, the first thing we had to do was get to the town of Marathon. The race provides buses, and through sheer luck (certainly not any planning on my part), my hotel was at one of the main pickup points. I boarded at 6:15am for the 1-hour journey. We walked from the drop off point to the Marathon Stadium, leaving our clothes for after the Finish with a fleet of DHL trucks that would be waiting for us in Athens. The stadium was packed; they had 18,500 registrations this year, the biggest field ever. At the stadium, in addition to 300 porta-potties, were the Marathon Flame and the pillars showing the starting line for the 1896 Games.
Celebrating #MedalMonday back at the Starting Line of the 1896 Olympic Marathon.
I was in Block 7 and we were scheduled to go at 9:14:30am. We were a couple minutes late, but not enough to matter, and as we headed out I was pleasantly surprised that the road did not seem as crowded and full of elbows as I have come to expect. I had been warned to start slowly because the hills ahead would suck the energy right out of us, and I tend to go out fast because I’m excited, so I purposely watched my GPS and kept my pace about 30 seconds slower that I would normally start.
The race would go along Marathon Road between Marathon and Athens, taking us through a number of small towns along the way. When we hit a town, the local folks were out in force to cheer us on. In between towns, we relied on our own motivation. I was wearing my Team USA singlet and got lots of “Go USA!” and “We love America!,” and I only got spit on once (though that was by another runner just after a water stop, and he apologized profusely, so I’m pretty sure it was an accident).
Between kilometers 11 to 32 – so, half the distance of the race – the route pretty much goes uphill. There are a few dips that will deceive you, but before you know it you’re heading up again. I knew it was coming, but knowing it and being mentally prepared for it are two different things. I remember climbing a steep hill and then leveling off at kilometer 16, thinking “wow, that was probably the steepest one,” but every time I thought that, Greece had a surprise for me around the next turn. The biggest incline was between kilometers 21-23, but at least by then I was beyond the halfway point, which is mentally helpful.
Around kilometer 27 I could feel the pain starting in my legs so I decided to pop a couple Tylenol. I slowed to a walk along the right side so I would be out of people’s way while I dug through my belt for the pills. By the time I started up again, I was cold. Like, really cold. The sun was behind the clouds (it didn’t come out until I reached 33km), the temperature was about 20C/68F, but we had a headwind, and by walking I had stopped generating a lot of body heat. That meant that my sweaty clothes were getting cold and I didn’t have the heat to counteract it. I had learned this in a cold-weather race a couple years ago, but was not thinking about it in the context of Athens in November. I saw some people who had stopped to get help with something from the paramedics, and now they were wrapped in foil blankets and in some cases even had people hugging them. I did not want to be one of those people.
I managed to pick up the pace again and after a while the feeling of cold went away. After the 32km point the uphill battle also went away and the downhill battle started. I don’t have a lot of experience with hills, so I definitely learned one new thing: just because you’re going downhill doesn’t mean it won’t hurt as much as going uphill, it simply hurts in a different way. By this point in the race my legs are going to be aching whether I’m running flat, up, down, or sideways, so my plans to make up time in the downhill stretch were pretty much dashed. Doing the math in my head I realized I wasn’t likely to hit my goal time, and that’s a real psychological blow when you still have about ten kilometers to go. It makes it hard to push yourself when you know the goal is out of reach, and so I started doing more high-fives with the kids along the route without worrying about my time, which probably wasn’t a bad idea anyway.
Not a whole lot of smiles late in the race. (thanks to Michael McPhail for the pic)
As we came into the outskirts of Athens the crowds got bigger and more excited. I was still getting “Go USA!” but also “Go William!” and I figured if they could read my name on my bib that meant I was running too slowly and should pick it up. I also did some more math and realized that even though I couldn’t hit my goal, I could still finish faster than my last few races, and that would be nice. So I found my last bit of adrenaline and really started pushing through the final 5km. (In the end, I finished my fastest in two years, suggesting that maybe it’s not age, but instead perhaps poor training, that has led to my slowdown these last two years…and that’s something I can fix.)
Approaching one of the final aid stations, I needed something other than water, and I saw this was one of the stations that had Powerade. I grabbed a cup, and then a few meters later saw volunteers pouring cups of Coke (Coca-Cola is a sponsor, hence the Powerade). I haven’t had Coke in a race for a few years but figured “why not?” and grabbed a cup for the road. A tiny sugar and caffeine boost could be helpful in the final stretch.
As we neared the Panathenaic Stadium the crowds got really big, and really loud. Running through the final kilometer I felt my excitement rising, knowing that the last 170 meters would be on the track inside the stadium itself. A friend had told me to run that distance slowly, just to absorb the feeling of running in such a historic space. I took his advice, even if it meant losing a few precious seconds, and am glad I did. It was like finishing as an Olympian. I was looking at the crowds in the stands so much that it’s a miracle I didn’t run into any of the runners in front of me.
Happy to have run it, but also kinda happy to be done!
Overall, I enjoyed it. The weather was pretty good, the race is very well organized, the runners had plenty of room on the roads, and the crowds got into it. It’s very international; in my block alone I saw people from the US, UK, Russia, Italy, Belarus, PRC, Taiwan, Latvia, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, and Switzerland. And of course, there’s the history; it isn’t just a marathon, it’s THE marathon.
Getting to Athens is easy enough, even though the flights are pretty long. Scoot flies between Singapore and Athens twice a week, and most of the European and Middle Eastern airlines can get you there with one connection. Hotels in the central part of the city, especially around Syntagma Square and the Acropolis areas, can be a little expensive, but they are still reasonable, and you can also find Airbnb’s around these good neighborhoods. The marathon also gave us free public transit passes for 5 days, which I put to a lot of use.
If you’re looking for a run through a city on flat streets with huge crowds of spectators, Athens is not the place for you. But if you want to dip yourself into the history of the sport and take on a challenging course, then nothing beats the Athens Marathon.
I was first introduced to the Low Rope obstacle of the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) during Basic Military Training (BMT). Low rope is equivalent to the ‘Rope Climb’ in Obstacle Course Racing (OCR). In this article, I’m going to share a technique I’ve used to overcome this obstacle.
Either you have really strong upper body strength to muscle your way up the rope, or, if upper body strength is not your forte (fret not!) consider using this technique.
This technique will require: 1) Grip strength 2) Negative pull-up hold 3) Control 4) Abdominal (core) strength 5) Quadriceps strength 6) Feet curling technique
The technique I’m going to share can be summed up to 3 steps:
1) Jump
Jump as high as possible and grab the rope at the highest point possible within your reach. Stretch out your arms above your head simultaneously while you perform the jump, and allow yourself some air time before setting your grip on the rope. Maintain grip and exercise good control with minimal movements of your body (Do this as light as possible with good control so you don’t expend your energy with attempts to stabalise the rope). You’d require grip strength, a negative pull-up hold, and control to perform this step.
A gymnast on rings represent good control. Photo Credit: nbcolympics.com
2) Tuck
This is a very important aspect of overcoming this obstacle. This is how you will cover the vertical distance of the rope. The tighter that you can tuck your knees to your chest, the less repetitions you’ll need to get to complete this obstacle (signified by the ringing of a bell located at the top of the rope). You’d require a strong core and quads perform this step.
Remember: It’s Knees to Chest! Photo Credit: https://www.12minuteathlete.com
3) Curl
The curling technique will secure your feet tight, so you’ll have a stable base to step on, to advance on your vertical distance. This should be done in concurrent with the tuck, or immediately after the tuck. You’d require the feet curling technique to perform this step.
You can practice this feet curl technique using any kind of flexible rope. You can do it while sitting down as well. The point is to practice this technique until it become a muscle memory. When you have this step checked, you can work on the first 2 steps, which is 1) Jump and 2) Tuck.
I hope this technique that I’ve shared will help you sharpen your low rope and rope climb skills which can be useful when you have to: 1) Complete your SOC requirements, 2) Clear the Rope Climb obstacle during your next obstacle course race, and 3) Whenever you need to climb a rope in any circumstance. This technique works for me, and I hope it’ll for you too.
Struggling with the motivation to workout? Need to get stronger? Need to shed a couple of kilos?- Hiring a personal trainer is a great option! You get all the motivation you would need. You are less likely to bail on a workout when someone is there to hold you accountable. A personal trainer would also give you the extra push – making you stronger, faster, better. But, before forking out your dough on hiring a personal trainer, you’ve got to make sure you hire one that is good for you – suits you and your training needs. Here are 8 common mistakes people make when hiring a PT!
#1 You Don’t Know Their Credentials
Always ask them about their credentials. You want to be able to be sure you are in good hands, that you are training with someone who really knows his or her stuff. Ask them what courses they’ve taken or whether they’ve gotten any certifications. Also ask them about their experiences!
#2 You Don’t Know Their Area Of Expertise
Photo Credits: Prevention
Every personal trainer has their own area of expertise. Some specialise in training the elderly, some are experts in training those with joint pain and some are body builders. Identify your needs and match them with their area of expertise. For instance, if you’re a runner looking to improve your marathon timing, it wouldn’t exactly be smart to hire a body builder would it?
#3 You Did Not Have A Trial Session
Always have a trial session to see whether their personality is compatible with yours. If you don’t like military style motivation, having someone constantly shouting in your face would not be pleasant. A more laid back personal trainer would be a better fit for you. It all depends on what suits you! Have a trial session to help you determine this.
#4 You Are Getting Along Too Well
Photo Credits: Strength Sensei
If you’re getting along too well with your personal trainer, that could also be a problem. You would spend your time chatting away instead of actually working out. It will interfere with your progress because instead of running an extra mile, you’re too busy gossiping. You need to find a trainer that strikes a balance between being motivating yet being able to push you to your limits at the same time.
#5 Don’t Forget To Ask Yourself If You’re Making Progress
If you’ve been putting in the effort and training for awhile, but you realise that you’re not making much progress, you need to ask yourself the question whether this trainer is actually right for you. The best trainers listen to what you want, not tell you what you want. They help you achieve what you want. If your goal is to lose weight, that’s what they help you with, not bulking up and putting on more muscle. Constantly make sure there is progress to make your monies worth!
Feeling lightheaded after a workout is a normal phenomenon. A sudden stop after running can cause dizziness because of the sudden drop in blood pressure.
#1 Suddenly Stopping
When we run, our blood vessels dilate and our heart pumps faster to meet the oxygen demands of running. This is such that Oxygen can be quickly transported to the muscles that demands it. The stronger pump serves to assist with the venous blood flow.
But,a sudden stop in running, your heart loses this pumping assistance. However, your blood vessels remain dilated. This causes blood to pool in your extremities, hence causing your blood pressure to drop significantly. This drop leads to you getting dizzy!
#2 Dehydration
Running a race differs from a standard training run. You push harder and run a faster pace as compared to a training run. This leads to a higher heart rate and more sweating, which means losing more fluids. We also don’t rehydrate as well as we blaze pass water stations. This loss of fluids causes a lower blood volume which means low blood pressure.
Photo Credits: BBC
So, instead of just stopping and plopping down at the finish line, here’s what you should do instead to prevent you from feeling dizzy for what could be a whole 20 minutes.
#1 Just Keep Moving
Keep moving even after you’ve crossed the finish line. Just walk up down or walk in place. Take deep breaths and keep moving for at least a couple of minutes. You can shake your legs out. You can clench your fists to help contract your upper body muscles.
#2 Hydrate Yourself
Doesn’t a nice 100plus or gatorade at the finish line sound so good? Remember to always rehydrate yourself! Pick up that can of 100plus or water and start drinking up. You need to replace your loss fluids and electrolytes. This also helps return your blood volume and hence your blood pressure.
#3 Wear Compression Socks
Photo Credits: Top Stretch
Another option is to wear compression socks. Compression socks help return your blood to you heart. This assists in blood flow and circulation, hence decreasing the likelihood of dizziness happening.
#4 Cooldown
After a fast and furious race, plenty of us give the cool down a miss. We sit around, catching up with friends, and talking about our run. This is not wise. It is always wise to cool down. This is to give your body time to return to normal. Cooling down allows for your heart rate to gradually return to normal.
But should you start to feel dizzy after a run, lie down and elevate your feet on a bench or chair. This will assist blood to flow back to your heart!
The riggers of running long distances temporarily lowers your immune system. When you put your body under stress, your body churns out the stress hormone – cortisol. This hormone suppresses the immune functions, hence lowering our immune system. Here are some spices that will help you boost your immune system to keep falling sick at bay.
Why Spice It Up?
Did you know spices help boost your metabolism? – Yes, your spice rack holds a hidden power. Having a higher metabolism means your body burns more calories. Boost your metabolism by adding these herbs when you cook. Not only does it take your cooking up one notch, it’s healthy eating!
#1 Garlic
Garlic is a great antioxidant and is known to help fight cold and flu due to the presence of the compound – allicin.
#2 Ginger
Ginger is very well known for it’s anti-inflammatory capabilities. This is in addition to it’s ability to quell nausea. Ginger also improves blood circulation – much needed for recovery.
#3 Tumeric
The bright yellow colour spice gets it’s colour from cucurmin. It’s anti-inflammatory, it’s anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and an antioxidant. it’s trademark health benefits are immense.
#4 Cayenne Pepper
Photo Credits: Green Blender
Cayenne Pepper is a great anti-oxidant. It also has great anti-inflammatory properties making it a great spice for a runner. It’s spicy kick also makes food really tasty.
#5 Cinnamon
Cinnamon is well known to help you weld off the cold because it is a great immune stimulator. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
These spices are a great way to flavour your meals. This way, you can reduce using too much salt. For instance, you cayenne pepper to give your grilled chicken breast some kick instead of using too much salt. Or, use more garlic to cook your vegetables instead of salt and soy sauce.
The Standard Chartered KL Marathon (SCKLM) cemented its pre-eminent position as the premier running event in the country by clinching Gold in two categories at the annual SPIA Asia event (Asia’s Sports Industry Awards and Conference) held here recently. Dirigo Events, the owner and organiser of SCKLM, won for the Best Mass Participation Event and SCKLM technology partner MYLAPS earned the Gold in the Best Sports Digital Platform category for the SCKLM App.
“There were some big names vying for the same awards and equally notable personalities within the judging committee, so to be crowned winners is indeed an incredible honour. This industry recognition validates all our efforts thus far and will serve to spur us on to continue to deliver the best event experience for all our SCKLM stakeholders. We would like to thank all our sponsors, partners and participants without whom this achievement would not have been possible,”
-Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events and Project Director of SCKLM-
SCKLM2017, which was the ninth edition of the event, recorded the highest turnout for the event to-date with close to 36,000 runners taking part. Of these, over 1,700 were international running tourists contributing towards the country’s tourism revenues and in total more than 70 nationalities were represented, making SCKLM a truly inclusive mass participation event.
The SCKLM App was developed by MYLAPS and launched for SCKLM2016. To date the App has been downloaded a total of 23,096 since its launch and become the most downloaded sports app in the App Store and Google Play on 21 May 2017, the day of the event, with 1,085,782 screens viewed.
“The App has proven to be really popular with our runners as it has useful features like a Live tracking page which allows users to track any runner, all Race Day related info, access to the Runners’ Guide and seamless social media connectivity that allows users to instantly post race photos,”
-Gloria Ng, Director of Dirigo Events-
SPIA Asia is an annual event which celebrates the brands, agencies, marketers and organizations which positively influence the sporting landscape in Asia. The Awards are a meaningful and credible platform judged by industry experts, while committed to create legacy through raising funds for local development initiatives. The SPIA Asia Sports Business Conference is the only one of its kind, which brings thought leaders of the industry together to discuss the specific topics and themes that are changing the face of sport in Asia.
For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:
BMW China gave every runner in the Shanghai marathon a personalized art piece by using their individual running data to celebrate their achievement, encouraging them to “LET THE WORLD SEE OUR ENERGY”.
In China, BMW is not only one of the most beloved car companies but also has a profound history with running. Thanks to BMW, if you ran the Shanghai marathon this year you received a personalized 3D art piece after finishing the race.
Partnering with China’s most popular running apps such as CoDoon, JoyRun and Rejoice, BMW dove deep into runners data regarding speed, pace, distance and total calories burned. In collaboration with world class visual data artist Joshua Davis, BMW visualized runners’ running data in a beautiful 3D way using codes, colors and shapes. For example, cylindrical shapes represent the runner’s pace – the taller the cylinders, the faster your pace. Color represents speed: red is slow, blue is medium, and green is fast. By interacting and rotating their personalized art, runners discovered even more data from different angles.
Once runners created their unique 3D art pieces, they could compare with friends, share on social media and use the information to improve their next performance. That’s BMW’s invitation to runners: LET THE WORLD SEE OUR ENERGY.”
“BMW aspires to earn a place in running culture while staying authentic to their brand. So we asked ourselves, if cars and running have almost nothing in common how can BMW add value to the running experience? The simple truth was performance. BMW has a rich heritage using technology to enhance performance in everything they do and we thought, what if they could do it for runners? This was leap off point our creatives took and ran with.” said David Lin, Senior Strategist from Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai.
The campaign also included OOH, WeChat promotions and an H5 encouraging everyone to LET THE WORLD SEE THEIR ENERGY.
BUTUAN CITY – The penultimate qualifying race for the 41st National MILO Marathon was completed Sunday (November 12) at the Father Saturnino Urios University Gym with familiar faces sharing podium honors. Bobby Tadlas recaptured the title he last held in 2015 while Christine Hallasgo completed the double conquest by their team the Malaybalay Runners.
Tadlas, who qualified last season via winning the Tagbilaran leg, clocked 1:13:31 over the 21-kilometer course. Coming in Second Place was Jemarwin Cabran (1:18:31) followed by Alvirg Busa (1:21:18).
Hallasgo, a back-to-back champion of the Cagayan de Oro leg in 2014 and 2015, tasted success again with a time of 1:30:45 that is good enough to land her among the Top 10 of the Men’s Division. She was clearly the runaway winner against Janette Mendoza (1:47:59) and Jaylou Maloloy-on (1:51:27).
Tadlas and Hallasgo will lead the city’s qualifiers to the National Finals set for December 3 in Cebu City. Tadlas hopes to improve on his 18th Place finish in last year’s Nationals hosted by Iloilo City.
In the other distance categories, the 10 kilometers was won by Ruel Alguffera (35:03) and Lovely Andrin (45:36) while the five kilometers went to Rico Jay Patanao (17:22) and Afjeel Clampiano (22:34). The three-kilometer children’s race was ruled by John Paul Esoro (11:43) and An Mansacoban (13:33).
The MILO Marathon will hold its final qualifying race this Sunday (November 19) at Cagayan de Oro. This will be the last chance for runners to earn slots in the Philippines’ oldest and most prestigious footrace.
5 Nov was the finale of the trilogy, organiser marketed it as the race to clock PB, as the route will be flat and straight. I was very excited, hoping to clock a sub-2 for my graduation run. Whether true or not, I had already bought the bundle when they launched the series, even “up the mountain cross the river” also will attend.
As usual, the route only released not long before the race. What a disapointment, its a 2 x 10k loop, meaning running the same stretch of road for 4 times. The route is really flat and straight, no devil slope and bottleneck, wide path for overtaking, perfect!
But the actual run wasn’t that perfect for me. The route is so straight that it is like never ending, no turns, no bends, and boring. No volunteers to cheer us up, no views to enjoy, no motivation, the 5k stretch seems longer than usual. Finally come to a U-turn and then the same 5K in opposite direction. I tried not to look in the opposite side as what I can see is a stretch of orange army.
There are only 2 hydration points along the route and not evenly positioned. I think there should be another 1 station at the u-turn.
Instead of clocking a PB, I struggled till the end and finished with the worst timing of the series.
Only can blame myself for not running for 3 weeks before the race and just did a warm up run 3 days before.
Every failure will have a lesson learned. Will make sure to be more prepared before the next race. HM is not that easy especially for leisure runners like me.
Will do more long distance run and be prepared for my 2 FM (Tokyo Marathon and Sundown) in 2018.
There’s just so many choices. You don’t know where to begin. You don’t even know how to begin. It is however worth taking the time to sort out the choices to find the perfect sports bra, because like running shoes, sports bras do matter. It is equally as crucial to find a sports bra that suits you. Running is a high impact sport and will cause any cleavage we may have to bounce. This could actually lead to breast pain or chest pains. This is why it is of utmost important we find the perfect sports bra – for us!
Size Does Matter
Size does matter. Breast pain is directly related to size. The more well endowed, the more likely you are to have a problem during vigorous sporting activity. Compression bras are better at alleviating this kind of pain as compared to looser fitting bras. So this means, if you are well-endowed, go for a sports bra that has some sort of compression. Runners with a D Cup or E Cup should always choose a bra with more support.
Photo Credits: Virtual Sport Injury Clinic
If you have smaller breasts – A or B cup, should they not cause you any discomfort of pain, this means any sports bra would do for you, even those designed for low impact activity such as yoga. You could use them for running.
However, regardless of breast size, some form of support is always good. Bouncing can very unfortunately lead to premature sagging. However, using a sports bra with support will help alleviate bouncing and help keep this issue at bay.
Better Support For Better Performance
A good sports bra with the right fit could shave off a couple of minutes off your run. With the right fit, our pectoral muscles would not need to expend energy to keep things in place. This helps make or running form more efficient. This saved energy is channeled to our running – what really matters! So yes, get a good sports bra with the right fit and good support for a better race time!
Find The Right Fit
C’mon girls, sports bras are expensive! And if you are going to be forking out so much dough, you better make damn right sure it is the right fit and it is comfortable. Choose a sports bra with a snug fit. Always try them before purchasing. The straps should not hang loosely over your shoulders, neither should they dig into your skin. Run up and down the store, it’s fine. It’s more important to test it out thoroughly before spending on it. Make sure the material is breathable and comfortable!
Photo Credits: Groupon
And one more thing, lots of people wear the same sports bra for years, maybe even a decade. It is important to replace them often. Think of them like running shoes. Running shoes have a life span, and so does sports bras. A good benchmark would be to replace them as often as you replace your running shoes for them to perform it’s function of providing you the support you need, for you to go the extra mile!
High Cholesterol puts you at risk of many coronary diseases, and could also lead to a fatal heart attack. The standard limit of cholesterol level in our body is at 5.2 mmol/L. Every 1mmol/L above the normal limit is associated with a 35 per cent increase in risk of death by heart attack! If you’re cholesterol level is high, it’s never too late to do something about it. Here are a couple of ways to lower your cholesterol levels naturally!
#1 Cut The Trans Fat
Trans fat is one of the worst culprits! The main source of trans fat are processed food containing partially hydrogenated fats or shortening such as pastries, crips, fries and sweets. Put that don’t down for a healthier you!
#2 When You Go Out, Don’t Go Deep Fried
Deep Fried Food outside tend to be fried with oil that has been re-used many times. Reheating oil repeatedly produces harmful compounds which will increase your risk of heart problems. If you are really craving that deep fried chicken, don’t head out to KFC, cook it at home yourself and ensure you discard the oil after use.
#3 Choose Unsaturated Oil
Photo Credits: Style Craze
Cook at home with unsaturated oil. Options are – olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil and corn oil.
#4 Eat More Soluble Fibre
Soluble fibre helps reduce your cholesterol by binding it to the bile acid in your small intestines. Have a serving of oats for breakfast. Or boil barley gingko as a dessert. All these contains soluble fibre. Other products that contain soluble fibre are oat bran, fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans and nuts.
#5 Choose Snacks Wisely
Lay off the Pringles, crisp, m&m’s and Baskin robins. Opt for a handful of almonds or cashews instead. Grab a banana instead of that cream puff!
#6 Exercise Regularly
It is recommended to have 30-60 minutes of physical activity 2-3 times a week. You can brisk walk, or cycle in the park, go kickboxing or just do some squats and planks. Pick an activity you like, and make it a lifestyle!
#7 Limit Your Saturated Fat Intake
Saturated fat is present in animal products – meat fat, skin, butter, lard, and cream for instance. They are also present in plant derived products such as coconut milk and palm oil. Saturated fat increases your cholesterol level hence the need to limit your intake.
Make these 7 ways to lower your cholesterol habit!
I don’t usually do run reports for non-ultra events. Simply cos distance too short and so nothing much to write about.
I was proven wrong this morning.
So here I go, YOLO Run review.
REPC
We collected our stuff on Day 3. To be fair, it was smooth and done within 5mins. I guess after 2 days of foul-ups they learnt something?
Pre-Run
HM was scheduled for 0500hrs.
At around 0430 the pens opened up and we moved to the front.
After the usual MC talk and pacer and elite runners introduction, we got ready for 0500 flag off.
It never happen.
At about 0510 we were told there were obstacles along the route and they are clearing it. Funny, I heard the same thing during ST Run delay. Weren’t route closed and set up prior? And what obstacles can there be? I saw Soh Rui Yong sprinting by the side as a warm up. So fast pace, warm up……
Then at about 0520 we were told flag off will be in 8mins. 0530 came and went and there we still were. MC told us to stay warm up. Err…… We were all huddled together before the start line, how to do more warm ups? Stay warm by hugging each other? I saw Rui Yong running by the side again.
0540 MC announced the said obstacles were still there and LTA is currently clearing them. Really? LTA was involved? I am so curious about this obstacle that I have written to LTA to seek clarifications. I mean, we cannot let (possible) incompetent organisers throw government agency names around to cover up poor organisation skills right? Right? By the way, Rui Yong went for warm up run by the side again.
Simple: I don’t buy this obstacle bull$#@t. Especially when we only ran on pathments later, we did not even run on public roads. LTA clears obstacles on pathments? My best bet was the flag off party was late. So late till eventually, they decided to flag off without them after the crowd started to boo them. Usually they will have event organizer or some sponsors up there to flag runners off. Today there wasn’t any. Late? No show? Not informed?
So a poor guy went up the stage, waved a little flag, MC counted down with us, and we flagged off the elites. Yes, not us main body. Just the 8 or so elites. I do not understand the logic. Why the 8 of them first? They worry we will catch up with the elites like SEA Games Gold medalist Soh Rui Yong?
Another minute later the MC tried to get us to count down with him again for our flag off. And this time, he counted down himself as the runners chose to remain silent.
So at 0550, we started our 0500 run.
Run
First few km was pretty straightforward. Though I was surprised to see a hydration point signage barely 500m out. It was only later that I realised that sign and some other distance markers along the way were meant for the GE run the next day.
Some of the paths we ran on were pretty dark which could be dangerous to runners who are not used to night running. A few lights or marshalls there would be helpful.
After crossing a bridge at about 3km, we came to a water station. As I approached it, I heard someone shouting at us ’10k runners, this is your u-turn point.’ Though I did not look at the 10km route, I still find it surprising they are turning back so early. Perhaps they are not taking a direct reverse route back I surmised. Then a thought came to my mind; Don’t they know there were no 10km runners yet since we 21km guys barely started? I guess there must have been some miscommunication there. Perhaps that’s why the 10km runners were turned back there later and ended up with just a 7km run.
When nearing the Sports Hub, we had to cross 2 sections of the road. And surprise surprise, there were Cisco officers there to stop runners from crossing if traffic got too heavy. This was a competitive run however you want to call it so why were runners stopped? If this was a fun run with no timing tracked stopping for traffic would have been fine but this was obviously not a fun run. Should not the roads be closed for runners? Budget constraints so not able to afford a road closure?
The water station after the Sports Hub just across the bridge had no tables. The volunteers had to use the big covers from the ice boxes as make-shift table tops to place cups. A cost-saving measure to not rent tables?
Though Lucozade as a drink option was good, pouring them out from cans was not. The volunteers had a hard time trying to pour drinks in time for runners. This scene reminded me of a certain run at Coney Island last year. And at the 12km mark, the water station there did not provide cups. They simply did not cater for cups and not a case of running out of them judging from the absence of empty cups along the way after the water station. So we were given 1.5ltrs bottles of water. Expecting us to share drinks with runners from the same bottle? Another cost saving measure by not getting cups?
The highlight of the run came at the 19km mark. I arrived at site seeing a huge crowd gathering in front of the path I came by this morning. I also saw runners turning right and going up the bridge but a pacer who was with me told me the route is straightahead through the crowd. I realised now I was looking at the 21km runners who were returning, 10km runners who were turning back too and quite number of 5km runners just heading out. Did organiser not know these 3 groups of runners will merge at one location? So I took about 10mins to clear the path through.
The jam
Once cleared from the Hello Kitty buying queue lookalike, I slowly made my way back to the finishing, which was about 700m longer than a HM. Then I found myself at the back of a queue. That was when I realised, I was going to queue to cross a finishing line for the first time, ever.
Post Run
After queuing to cross the finishing, I found myself at the end of another queue – collect finisher entitlements. I looked left and right before seeing a sign that directed 21km runners to the extreme left lane where there were luckily no queues. Took my medal, helped myself to 2 cans of Lucozades and approached the table to collect the Polo tee. I was a little surprised when I was asked what size tee would I like to have. I then realised our tee sizes were not indicated on our BIBs. My first thought was, good luck in getting your tee sizes to those finishing towards the end.
I saw yet another queue right away. That of the baggage collection. Fortunately for me, I never utilize baggage deposits, thus I did not have to join this queue. But unfortunately for those who did, I got to know most queued for more than 2hrs to get their bags and some fainted while queuing under the sun. Seriously, this is another wtf moment when I got to know of it. It is not like they can give up, stop queuing and go home. They need to get their freaking bags back! So no choice LL queue. The last I heard, some were still queuing at 1300.
After thoughts
These people honestly do not know what they are doing. From REPC right till collection of baggage at the end, nothing was done right. Don’t tell me tee is nice medal is nice kind of bs, the focus of any run should always be the run itself and runners well being. No use having fanciful stuff to ‘glamour’ your run when the basics are not even right.
Serving the podium to the elite runners on a silver platter by eliminating all competitions by letting them run first? By flagging off the elites first, the organisers are basically almost guaranteeing them a top 3 finish since there were basically only 5 males and 3 females (or thereabouts). I am sure they do not need that. If the elites are not included in the prizes that would be fine but I was surprised to see them with their top 3 prizes at the end. I am not questioning their ability to come in tops even if they were to start with the regular runners but to do it this way somehow diminished the value of their finishings in my opinion.
Then the delay of 50mins to flag off? 10km became a 7km? Hundreds of runners crowding to cross a small under the bridge path? Queueing even to cross the finishing line? Queuing for 5hrs to collect baggage?
Verdict
In my honest opinion, do not join their events again. Somehow I was not surprise when I got to know this is the same organiser that did the Coney Island Trail Run last year because I see similar patterns.
I am not like some run reviewers who sugarcoat their so-called reviews always try to skip over issues that even the blind can see. Perhaps trying to stay on the good side of organisers so as not to jeopardize their future write-ups. I say it as it is. Like one of our ministers said years before on the word ‘ponding’; let’s call a spade a spade, flood means flood. Not ponding. This YOLO Run was a super cocked up run with organisers keeping quiet till even now on the cock ups. No apologies no explanation. Nothing. So let’s say it as what it is.
When you thought Sundown was bad, along came 2XU Ultra. And when you thought nobody can do any worse, out came YOLO Run and proved everyone wrong.
YOLO – You Only Lai Once
ps: pardon the lack of photos because there was really nothing meaningful to show after such a debacle
The more efficient your run, the more energy you save, and the stronger your run will be. Running more economically means you can run more efficiently with the energy you have – without the need to take a gel for more energy. Here are 5 tips for a stronger run!
#1 Pull With Your Hamstring
Once your foot strikes the ground, pull your ankle and foot up with your hamstring as opposed to pushing off the ground. Pulling your leg up uses your hamstring muscles as compared to pushing which uses more of your quadricep muscles.
#2 Heads Up, Stand Tall
Always maintain proper form. Keep your head up and eyes focused on the road. Remember to always engage your core muscles to keep your body in an upright position. If you are engaging your core muscles, this takes the stress and pressure off from your knees. And always keep your upper body relaxed. Don’t tense your shoulders.
#3 A Hush Stride
Don’t run like an elephant! A quiet stride means your leg is spending less contact with the ground, and the less time your foot spends on the ground, the better. Your foot will have lesser time and lesser chances of rolling inwards hence creating injuries.
#4 180 Cadence
We have all heard this magic number – 180. Having a 180 cadence reduces the risk of you overstriding. Stride rate is the number of steps you take in a minute. The goal is to hit 180 strides per minute. You want to spend your energy pushing forward, not upwards. If your stride rate is less than 180, it is likely that your energy is being used to propel yourself upwards instead of forward.
#5 Develop A Forward Lean
A slight forward lean, from your ankles not waist, can help improve your running efficiency. Remember to engage your core muscles to ensure you are leaning from your ankles and not waist! Remember, your body should be in a straight alignment from you ankles up, all the way to your shoulders!
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and so isn’t optimal running efficiency. Don’t rush it. If you go against your natural running form too sudden, you may end up injuring yourself instead. So remember, take it slow. Slow and steady wins the race!
It hits us once a month – but what happens when in coincides with a big race! I mean it’s already tough on us once a month but happening on race day is just disastrous. Take a look at Mary Keitany. During the New York City Marathon, she lost to Flannegan. Her agent later confirmed that her period had just came that morning for the first time in 3 months, leaving her with low energy levels.
However, it’s not all cons with our period. Back in the day, Paula Radcliffe suffered period cramps yet went on to break the World Record in Chicago.
Understanding Your Hormones
During your period, progesterone and oestrogen are at it’s lowest. In other words, this makes you more neutral, and more manly biologically so to speak. It is during this time that your body is better able to convert carbs into energy. However, before your period and the hours when it just hits you, your uterus produces a compound called prostaglandins. This compound induces your uterus to contract to push the endometrial lining out. So, the hormonal advantage is unfortunately shadowed by the horrible cramps.
What To Do?
Photo Credits: Kidspot
Should you wake up with period cramps, use a hot pack to aid with blood circulation. Do a light warm up to raise your core temperature. This helps your body break down the inflammatory compounds and also produce pain-killing endorphins to make you feel better. You can take painkillers as well such as Ponstan however, you should always try them beforehand because you never know how something new may affect you on race day. Also, fluid intake is more significant during your period. You are losing blood, which is in effect fluids. This puts you at a higher risk of dehydration. Pay attention to hydration and eating more iron-rich food during this period.
After Your Period – Does It Make You A Better Runner?
After your period ends, oestrogen levels are on the rise. Your body tends to use fat instead of carbohydrates to produce energy. This means carbo-loading is of little effect. After you ovulate, progesterone levels are on the rise which tends to give you the moods swings and the bloated feeling. The spike in your hormones actually make you an inefficient runner, so to speak. Your body tends to retain more water and causes a delay in sweat response, making it easier for your body to overheat in a race.
So, honestly speaking, apart from the cramps, the best time for you to race – is during your period!
Many people – young and old become victims of heart attack. A heart attack happens when the flow of blood into the heard is impeded. This is often caused by a build up of cholesterol and fat that forms a plaque in your arteries that feed blood into your heart. This interrupted blood flow damages the heart muscles.
Here are the risk factors that put you at increased risk for a heart attack.
#1 Age
Men 45 years and older of age and women 55 years and older of age are at a higher risk of having heart problems.
#2 Diabetes
Diabetes means your body does not produce sufficient insulin or your body does not respond to insulin properly. Insulin helps control your blood glucose levels. Having diabetes may cause your blood glucose levels to rise, and if uncontrolled can lead to a heart attack.
#3 Family History
If you have a family history of heart problems, you may be at risk. They probably result from a number of genetic changes that although individually have a subtle effect, but works collectively in a complex manner to put you at an increased risk of a heart attack.
#4 Stress
A cropped shot of a handsome businessman under strain as colleagues request various things from him
Stress exposes your body to constant elevated levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Persistent exposure to these hormones are unhealthy and increases your risk of having a heart attack. Try yoga – it’s been known to reduce stress.
#5 High Blood Pressure
A healthy heart blood pressure is 120/80. High blood pressure can damage your arteries, hence putting you at risk for a heart attack. You can manage your blood pressure through a healthy diet, an exercise regime and maintaining a healthy weight.
#6 High Cholesterol
High cholesterol form the building block of plaque that ultimately blocks your arteries and hence putting you at risk for a heart attack. Should your total cholesterol level to good cholesterol level ratio be more than 5:1, you are at risk of a heart attack. Control what you eat, and take in good cholesterol such as Omega 3 and 6 to ensure you have a healthy level of cholesterol.
#7 High Fat Diet
Research has shown that a high fat diet is estimated to cause 31 per cent of coronary heart diseases. Cut down on the burgers and French fries and make sure you have enough of your vegetables.
#8 Obesity
Excess body fat increases your risk of a heart attack.Excess weight can put a strain on your heart. To avoid this, eat a diet low in fat, sodium, refined sugars, saturated fat and trans fat.
#9 Smoking
Smoking has been greatly linked to cardiovascular problems and even lung cancer. This is the most preventable risk factor for heart problems. Quitting smoking can greatly decrease your risk for a heart attack – regardless of how long you have smoked previously. Be concerned for your health, quit smoking.
#10 Inactive Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle means your heart muscles may become weak. Physical activity makes your heart muscles stronger. Make sure you get at least 2.5 hours of physical activity every week. You can do this over a course of 3-4 days. Or even just 30 minutes of light physical activity such as brisk walking or cycling everyday can make a difference!
Photo Credits: Tech Crunch
Photo Credits: Prevention
Photo Credits: Strength Sensei
Photo Credits: BBC
Photo Credits: Top Stretch
Photo Credits: Green Blender
Instead of clocking a PB, I struggled till the end and finished with the worst timing of the series.
Photo Credits: Virtual Sport Injury Clinic
Photo Credits: Groupon
Photo Credits: Style Craze
Photo Credits: Kidspot
