Derrick Deaton’s story is one of a combination of being physically active and wise about food which pays off with “magical” results. Before he started his weight loss journey, Derrick weighed 529 pounds, which he attributed to a “sedentary lifestyle and eating whatever you want.” He decided to commit himself to becoming healthier, by eating better and being active. He started by just walking, and then running. In two and a half years, he lost 346 pounds, and in August 2014, he completed his goal and ran the Disneyland Half Marathon.
Watch his amazing transformation here as he shares his story:
What better way to start the year than with an easy 5km race right in my own backyard. I was quite happy to save some taxi money by cycling down to Big Splash (all of 5km) for the Brooks Run Happy race. Managed to arrive seconds before the 10km category flagged-off that could have made my ride a lot trickier to get around the participants.
Lovely sunrise on East Coast Park.
Quite surprisingly there were only a mere 193 participants in this category, whilst the half marathon had 977. I’m so accustomed to high numbers of runners in the 5km category it was nice to be part of a small race for a change.
I can’t say I had a spectacular race timewise. My ParkRun run was better the day before on the same route. However, I still managed to rank 29 out of the 193 racers.
Whilst I am very familiar with East Coast Park and its running route, I was somewhat disappointed with the turning point beneath the Fort Road footbridge across slippery muddy grass. Unfortunately, I lost momentum having to walk the section and then finding it difficult to wind myself back up for the last couple of kilometers. Nor did it help that the category was longer than 5km. I kept looking for the end and it just didn’t seem to come. The route ended up being 5.4km which I finished in 38:12min. Not the greatest but then I’m not a particularly fast runner.
Thankful to cross the finish line, I happily collected my finisher medal, coconut water and donut. Since I was on my own this time (no Team Costa buddies), I soaked up the atmosphere for a time before I hopped back on my bike and cycled home. By 9.00am I was done and dusted, sitting on my couch with a coffee and waiting for the rest of Sunday to unfold.
This was a cute race, regardless of the muddy spot. I enjoyed the smallness of the race, the proximity to my home and as always the East Coast Park location.
This is the most beautiful night running route in Singapore. From the skyscrapers in the CBD, to the majestic Marina Bay Sands, to the lush vegetation in Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer, there are so many iconic sights for you to see. Running up Marina Barrage will also give you an elevated breathtaking view of Singapore’s night scenery. If you are working near the CBD area, this is a good relaxing jog for you. You may even get to make new running buddies, as there are many runners who come here everyday.
The East Coast Park is the most popular running route in Singapore, and often included in many big marathons. The park is a great place for a breezy long run in Singapore. It is shaded enough for daytime runs, and well-lit enough for night runs. You can start basically anywhere and run out and back in either direction.
MacRitchie Reservoir is a running route that requires no introduction to any Singaporean. Most runners know the combination of trail, pavement and boardwalk that make up the circuit at our country’s oldest reservoir like the back of their hands. Although the trail starts on asphalt, it eventually goes deep into the forest on a rough dirt track.
Centrally-located and fully equipped with lockers, coolers, food kiosks, toilets and shower facilities, MacRitchie Reservoir is also developing an amenities hub to better serve its visitors, making this favourite runners’ haven even more convenient. This is a must-go for runners who love nature and trail running!
The Green Corridor, also known as the Rail Corridor, is one of the most unique trails in Singapore. It is an uninterrupted stretch of greenery and woodlands that runs the entire length of Singapore, from the old Tanjong Pagar Rail Station in the south to the border of Malaysia in the north. Part of an old rail network, the trail remains scenic with old bridges covered in graffiti, majestic houses and trees. A run here will take you away from the bustling city to the countryside.
Bailey Matthews is a British schoolboy, from Doncaster, who has won awards for his sporting achievements in the face of his cerebral palsy. Despite his physical disability, and having difficulties completing daily tasks, Bailey Matthews is a young boy with incredible spirit and is currently aiming to finish 5 triathlons.
His sporting achievements include completing his first junior triathlon (a 100 m swim, then a 4 km bike ride, ending with a 1.3 km run), at Castle Howard in July 2015. He was roared over the finishing line by crowds close to tears as he cast aside his specially-adapted walking frame, to finish the last 20 metres of the race unaided, despite stumbling twice. A video of the incident, captured by a spectator, went viral, being viewed more than 27 million times. on Facebook.
His mum Julie Hardcastle, 40, said: “He doesn’t see himself as different to anyone else.” | Photo credits: Daily Mirror
In September 2015, Matthews received a Pride of Britain award, and in December the same year, he was presented with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award at a ceremony in Belfast.
Watch as he receive his award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year and clips from his triathlon video that went viral:
Chinese New Year is coming! Some of you may have already started snacking on the chinese new year goodies while the rest of us are still preparing for the festive occasion. Before you start popping those yummy goodies into your mouth, find out how much calories each serving gives you! Enjoy yourselves but remember to not overeat!
We have all been there before. We let the devil in our mind speak to us and we choose to do anything else but run. But running has so many benefits and can even make you a happier person (think endorphins!). Here are 5 negative thoughts you should get rid of immediately, and what you should be telling yourself instead:
Organised by the NUS Business School Alumni and Bizad club, the NUS Bizad Charity Run is held annually to raise funds for those in need while promoting the spirit of contributing to the community by rallying students, staff and alumni of NUS Business School and their friends. This year, Bizad Charity Run 2016 aims to rally past and current Bizaders with the general public around a common theme: Inclusivity. To help foster this spirit of inclusivity, a series of activities and material have also been put together for building up to the actual race day, and to help better understand the needs of those they seek to help.
Muscle tightness and strain affects a range of performance athletes.
Runners: Tight hamstrings can cause your strides to be shorter than they should be. This means more effort and longer time over the same distance.
Cyclists: Tight ITB and quads, besides being extremely painful, can affect your cycling cadence and lead to knee problems over time.
Swimmers: Tight muscles around the shoulder restricts you from achieving the optimal swim stroke.
Your muscles have to be well rested and relaxed to perform at their best. When they are tense, tight and shortened, they may hold back your performance and you will find yourself having problems to improve your timings or distance.
Sports Massage
Sports massage is a popular form of treatment for soft tissue injuries. Getting a regular sports massage also forms part of many athletes’ recovery, injury prevention and injury management strategy. It is anatomy-based and employs various massage techniques to:
release trigger points (knots)
relieve muscle soreness
reduce muscle tightness
enhance recovery
and prevent injuries
A sports massage is performed by a sports massage therapist, or a physiotherapist, who has understanding of anatomy and physiology of human body in order to identify the type of technique to use for its utmost effect.
Photo credits: http://www.zestsportsandspa.com/
Targets the root cause of the problem
A sports massage is a good choice if you have a specific problem – for example, a tender knee from running. The therapist may also be able to help you identify the root cause of a specific problem, and this may lead the treatment to other areas around the body. If need be, a visit to a movement therapist can also help correct the movement pattern that might be causing your injury in the first place.
How sports massage help our muscles
Sports massage helps increase blood flow to the tired muscles, speeding up recovery. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker. This applies to knots and tight muscles and can be very common among runners.
On the other hand, sports massage can help break down scar tissues and improve tissue elasticity. Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma and can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain, especially in the muscle, tendons or ligaments. Inelastic tissues is also a reason for why strenuous training do not translate to improvements sometimes.
Stress and pain reduction
Tension and waste products in muscles can often cause pain. Massage helps reduce this in many ways including releasing the bodies endorphins. Your muscles will also relax through the heat generated, circulation and stretching during the sports massage. In fact, when a person receives a sports massage, their body releases the happy hormones endorphins. They are the body’s natural pain reliever and can help to decrease anxiety, provide pain relief, improve mood and enhance a person’s state of well-being.
The two teachers met, bonded over running and were the first couple to have their solemnisation held at Singapore Sports Hub VIP Suite. The couple always had an interest in sports, and there was no better way for them to celebrate this special day with a sports theme. JustRunLah! speaks to Wei Guan as he shared with us their love journey and how running has brought the two of them together.
JustRunLah!: How will you introduce yourselves to Singapore running & fitness community?
Wei Guan: I’m Wei Guan and this is my newly wedded wife Si Jie. We just had our sports themed solemnisation ceremony at the Singapore Sports Hub!
JustRunLah!: What are your favourite sports and how do you think sports have brought the two of you closer?
Wei Guan: I love football and she likes to swim. Although our favourite sports do not coincide, we both like to jog. Our first date was jogging in Labrador park! I used jogging as an excuse to ask her out on the day we met. It worked like a charm. Subsequently we met up to jog for the next few dates. So I would say jogging brought us together! She has also learned how to watch football, which was completely foreign to her, and will cheer Liverpool with me during live matches. We also volunteered at the SEA games last year! So sports is a really important part of our lives.
JustRunLah!: Both of you being teachers, how did you find time to exercise / run?
Wei Guan: It’s really difficult because our weekends are used for markings. But since we usually do our weekend markings at home together, we would go for a jog in the evening as a break from marking.
JustRunLah!: What inspired you to hold your solemnisation party at the Sports Hub VIP suite?
Wei Guan: It was entirely Si Jie’s idea. As I’m a huge football fan and jogging brought us together, she thought of infusing sports into our solemnisation ceremony, to add a little bit more meaning into our special day. We actually made a soft booking at another venue for our ceremony, but she decided to email Sports Hub to try her luck if they would allow us to hold our ceremony there, and they did!
JustRunLah!: You encouraged your guests to translate their weddings gifts to cash donation to MINDS. Why did you have the idea to do so?
Wei Guan: Compassion is a really important value a person should possess. In school we often talk to students to be compassionate and help the needy. So what’s a better way to demonstrate this value than doing a small fund raising on our special day? It’s the least we can do. Besides, as we are holding our wedding banquet separately, we don’t wish our guests to fork out ang bao money twice for us.
JustRunLah!: What other benefits do you see in sports/running which helped in your physical, social and emotional well-being?
Wei Guan: All of us lead stressful lives. Engaging in sports really help us to manage stress, especially when we were so overwhelmed with work. Take a break by going for a slow jog or a swim will help us to relax. Through sports I am also able to keep in touch with old friends when we meet up to play football. Not to mention sports help to keep our waistlines in check! Especially when we haven’t done our wedding photoshoot yet.
JustRunLah!: What is the most challenging feat which you have done together?
Wei Guan: I think it would be hiking/climbing mountains when we travel to Hong Kong every year.
JustRunLah!: What advice will you give to other people who want to encourage their partners/family members to engage in a healthy lifestyle?
Wei Guan: Try something easy/manageable first, e.g. running short distances. Lots of encouragement (or nagging) does help.
JustRunLah!: What do you look forward to and what are your goals now that you two are a family?
Wei Guan: We are looking forward to our new phase of life together. I also hope that after she has moved in with me, we can try new sports together, e.g. badminton. She also has been asking me to teach her to play football!
JustRunLah!: Finish this sentence: Running/Sports is…?
Wei Guan: Sports is a way of life. It unites people and builds character.
Congratulations on this new chapter of your life and we are glad to share the happiness with you. We wish the two of you a lifetime of love and happiness, and just run lah!
Went to Taipei for new year count down a few weeks ago, it was a good trip with the shopping, sight seeing and the good food. And of course, I must run! Although I’m not familiar with Taipei, I’m grateful for the technology known as GPS and Taipei is generally considered a safe place. Didn’t really plan on where to run and I just put on my running shoes and go. As long as I can get back to the hotel, good enough!
As my friend is not a runner, so I went for the runs alone. Although it had been raining most of the time and being afraid of the cold weather, I still try to go for the runs. I’m not scared because I run in the quiet midnight, but I’m running in an unfamiliar place. I’m know I’m rather irritating because I’m scared but I still want to run. Find it actually much more easier to run in cold weather as I felt not so tired during the run but the sad thing is I didn’t sweat as much. Had fun exploring Taipei. And this makes me super excited to run a marathon overseas! I had never run a race overseas. I shall start with somewhere near, I planned to run the Penang Bridge Marathon on the 27.11.2016 and my leave is already approved! I’m looking forward to it!
If you were to list examples of sports drinks and energy drinks, you would probably be able to do that. But do you know the difference between these two types of drinks and what they do to our body? Many energy drinks promise to give you that extra boost of energy while some are marketed towards the sports community (think Redbull and Monster). That may have blurred the lines between energy and sports drinks since energy is an important factor for performance. Let’s find out what these two drinks are and the important differences between them.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are the most appropriate hydration fluid during strenuous activity. Sports drinks contain moderate amounts of mixed carbohydrate to maximize energy supply to working muscles. This helps to minimise the risk of causing GI distress, which can happen all too easily when the stomach is overloaded during exercise. They contain no stimulants, only carbohydrate, electrolyte minerals and salts to replace those lost in sweat.
As the body and muscles work, they heat up. Releasing moisture (sweat) is one way the body tries to cool itself. That creates the possibility of dehydration, which in turn negatively affects performance.
Photo credits: http://www.express.co.uk/
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks contain primarily caffeine and sugar, which provide perceptions of wakefulness and energy for whenever they are needed. The large influx of glucose into the blood stream and caffeine to the brain will make you feel like you can really push through in your exercise. Even maximal oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion during physical activity have shown to be significantly greater after consumption of energy drinks.
However, when you combine caffeine and fluid loss from sweating, it may result in dehydration during exercise. The typical energy drink also contains significantly more carbohydrate and calories than the typical sports drink. They are much more likely than sports drinks to cause stomach upsets during exercise. Many energy drinks are also carbonated, further increasing the associated risk of GI distress.
Photo credits: http://www.bellanaija.com/
Which one to drink and when?
While caffeine is well known to boost exercise performance, most sports drinks do not contain it. A sports drink with caffeine would work really well for you the first time you use it, but not as well the subsequent times. However, it is interesting to note that there is a placebo effect for taking caffeine before a big workout, which gives people the perception of feeling readier to work out, even if it doesn’t make you go faster or last longer.
The ideal sports drink should be non-caffeinated and contain some carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium. Caffeine in energy drinks can give you that extra boost before you start your exercise. But sports drinks can help to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes and is better at minimizing the possibility of dehydration than water alone.
Take your sports drinks during exercise. And if you must, take your energy drinks 1-2 hours prior to physical activities but never during the activity. Remember: staying hydrated is critical.
Alcohol is something many of us like to indulge in once in a while, while for some it is more than that occasional few drinks. It is true that having 1 glass of wine a day has benefits such as reducing your risk of heart disease;and that drinking can also act as a social lubricant. But let’s face the truth – we all know that there are far more benefits of quitting alcohol than there are from continuing to downing shots and glasses.
Especially for athletes and active individuals, alcohol can affect your training before and after workout. Quit drinking and you can bid goodbye to the mornings you can’t wake up; you will feel more energetic even during Monday Blues. You can have a faster recovery from wounds and physical rehabilitation needs. Not drinking alcohol also means less fats accumulation in your body, since drinking alcohol is technically consuming empty calories, which translates to weight loss. All of these can make you become a better runner, so why not?
Here are more benefits you can get when you stop drinking alcohol, you may share them with your friends to quit drinking together:
Busselton, Western Australia
Next race: 4th December 2016
Incorporating the iconic Busselton Jetty, IRONMAN Western Australia is renowned worldwide for being the place to go for a personal best, with the bike and run courses amongst the flattest on the global IRONMAN circuit. The course comprises of a 3.8 km swim around the iconic Busselton Jetty, 180 km ride through the outskirts of Tuart Forest National Park , and 42.2 km run along the shores of Geographe Bay.
Since its debut on the Australian calendar in 2004 the IRONMAN event has seen tremendous growth, both in size and reputation among the triathlon community, and widely recognised globally as a world class sporting event. The event has become enormously popular with athletes and spectators alike and is renowned as a spectacular destination race and holiday venue.
A total of 2,500 triathletes gather from over 45 countries, including former world champions and rising stars of the sport. The event boasts of the one biggest and most complete triathlon expo to date. It is also the Asia-Pacific Championship race for the Ironman 70.3 races. In fact, local celebrities, actors and actresses, local politicians are avid supporters of this race, making it THE biggest and brightest race in Asia.
“It is very Kona-esk. If you want to race Kona, do this race – the heat, the wind, the atmosphere the crowd. This race is the jewel of the crown here in Asia.” – Geoff Meyer, CEO, World Triathlon Corporation for Asia Pacific
An IRONMAN 70.3 covers half the distance of each segment of a typical triathlon race. The swim leg starts at the beautiful Shangri-la Mactan Beach – with crystal clear water. The bike traverses four cities forming an M-Loop, showcasing urban Cebu. Here you will experience the famous headwind of the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Cebu! The run is along the roads of Punta Enngano, lined up by 100,000 townsfolk cheering every participant.
Since the mid 1980s Roth and triathlon have become as inseparably linked like Munich and its Oktoberfest. DATEV Challenge Roth is without doubt the “heart of the triathlon” and attracts not only the biggest names in the sport but also 5,000 athletes from 60 nations and 180,000 spectators making it the largest long- distance triathlon event in the world.
Roth is renowned for its thousands of enthusiastic spectators lining the course with hotspots such as the Beer Mile and the famous Solar Hill where athletes can hear the crowd before they see them. Up to 30,000 people line this famous hill – you can’t see the road for the people but as each cyclist approaches, the crowds separate like the parting of the Red Sea and the athletes are carried up the hill on the noise alone!
The first Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon began fourteen years ago and has carved its own category in international triathlon as an extreme triathlon race. Norseman has remained true to its core ever since, and continues to attract triathletes from around the world to the ultimate test of endurance, grit, sportsmanship and friendly competition through some of Norway’s most amazing landscapes.
The Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is also an “unsupported” race, where competitors need to have personal back up crews that follow them with cars to provide them with food and drinks. This is especially crucial because of the inherent dangers of being highly fatigued on a mountain. The course comprises of a 3.8 km swim in the Hardangerfjord, a 180 km ride to Austbygde at Lake Tinnsjøen, and a 42.2 km run to the top of Mt. Gaustatoppen.
The Laguna Phuket Triathlon is Asia’s premier destination triathlon featuring a unique 1.8K swim, 55 km bike and 12 km run through spectacular tropical scenery. Over the past twenty years the popular race has attracted thousands of age group athletes as well as triathlon legends Mark Allen, Greg Welch, Craig Alexander, Paula Newby-Fraser, Michellie Jones, Chris McCormack and Chrissie Wellington.
The swim legs starts on the beach between the Dusit Thani Phuket and Outrigger Laguna Beach Resort, the bike course takes athletes onto a unique tour of the northern part of Phuket, ending off with the run through which finishes at the Laguna Grove.
The race also partnered with the Challenge Family to Challenge Laguna Phuket and featuring the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest, which is a week-long carnival of multisport fun and tri-related activities for you to enjoy at Laguna Phuket.
There are many reasons that China is the world’s popular destination for tourism – rich culture, natural wonders, amazing architecture, and many more. China is so culturally different from countries outside of East Asia and has many of the most amazing sceneries in the world. If you are looking for an exotic adventure, packed full of new sights and experiences, China is the place to go. Here are 3 races in China that you may join this year to experience all of it:
Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Race date: 27 March 2016
This year’s Dujiangyan marathon event, themed Traveling with Your Running Shoes, is set to attract runners from all parts of China, and foreign nations. The race is a lighthearted route steeped in history, passing alongside the clear sparkling waters of mountain streams. As you run along the touristy site in Chengdu, every stride you take will fill your lungs with the clean and cooling fresh mountain air. The course provides exciting views of the sites of natural beauty and cultural significance, including the world heritage sites ― the Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Mount Qingcheng.
“The participants will enjoy the best environment and weather conditions,” said an official of the organizing committee, “And the special design of the marathon route will give them a look of many places of interest in Dujiangyan City, such as the irrigation project, the old temples, the ancient city walls, the Nanqiao Roofed Bridge and the panda base.”
JN100 Ultra Trail is one of the JN100 series, taking place along the south area of Yangzi River. The long distance outdoor race is a challenge to human’s physical and mental limits. Held in Ningbo Siming Mountain, the race route crosses three areas – Fenghua, Yinzhou, Yuyao (the area of Siming Mountain) – a total distance of 100 km, with about 6000 metres of cumulative climbing. Starting from Yinzhou Longguan village, Shanggu Mountain, the 100 km track leads you to the historical and picturesque scenery of Jiangnan Spring of Siming Mountain. Runners will get to experience the amazing natural beauty and local culture of Jiang Nan, running through the Sakura forest, historical and ancient sites, a tea plantation, a canyon, and a sea of bamboo.
JN100 Ultra Trail is also ITRA authorized and the quaifying race for UTMB. 100K finishers will get 5 points and 60K finisher will get 4 points.
Running a marathon on one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Great Wall, is arguably the dream for many fellow runners around the world. Discover the long history and picturesque scenery around one of the seven wonders — the Great Wall, and explore the unique culture of China’s capital city — Beijing.
The JinShanLing Marathon boasts one of the most challenging course, with one of the most breathtaking views in the world. It is an ideal destination for runners seeking a challenging and pleasurable race. The JSL Great Wall marathon is the most popular race in China, as it continues to attract hundreds of foreign participants. Most runners are known to be impressed with the quality environment and pleasurable race.
Sahara Race 2016 is one of the desert races from the 4 Deserts race series. Ranked by TIME magazine as one of the Top Ten Endurance Events in the world for two consecutive years, the race series have garnered widespread media coverage from around the globe, through online, print and television media channels.
Gobi March, the first 4 Deserts event, was held in September 2003 near Dunhuang, China. For over 12 years, 4 Deserts has organised more than 45 races. The success of the race series is reflected by the growing participation in its races, with roughly a total of 7,000 competitors from more than 100 countries.
Central to 4 Deserts is its ethos to support local medical and education charities. 4 Deserts has worked closely with Operation Smile, raising more than US$750,000 to provide free surgeries for children around the world. Money was also raised to support people affected by natural disasters that have occurred in countries where events are held, including major earthquakes in China and Chile. 4 Deserts also encourages and supports competitors in their own fundraising efforts for charities personal to them – millions of U.S. dollars have been raised by 4 Deserts competitors through its events.
Photo credit: www.4deserts.com
Mental Muscle will be competing in Sahara Race 2016 under the 4 Deserts race series. This coming year, the Sahara Race will be held at the Namib Desert in Namibia, Africa instead of the Sahara Desert due to the recent civil unrest around the region.
Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world and also home to the largest sand dunes. It is situated on the west coast of Southern Africa with the Atlantic Ocean to its west, stretching more than 2,000 kilometers. The area is known for its colourful history, greatly influenced by the cultures of various colonisations over the decades. The 250 km race will be held over 7 days, from 1–7 May 2016, consisting of 6 stages, with participants completing approximately 40 km each day, the rough distance of a full marathon.
The Team at Mental Muscle
Formed in August 2015, Mental Muscle consists of four friends, Nicholas Eu, Jonathan See, Stephen Hwang and Jon Tan, all of whom are fourth year undergraduate medical students, age 22, from the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
The four friends love outdoor adventures as they constantly challenge themselves and push their limits. At the same time, they share a common passion to serve, having been inspired by numerous doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals, who go the extra mile to serve their patients.
They came together and formed a team to run 250 km in the Namib Desert (Sahara Race 2016), hoping to test their limits, develop their mental strength and tenacity through this gruelling challenge. While doing so, they want to run for a cause they strongly believe in, which is to raise awareness for mental illnesses.
Through their psychiatric posting in medical school, the team members came to learn of psychiatric illnesses and the adversities faced by patients. Concerned about the lack of public awareness of mental illnesses, the need for social support for these patients and the negative societal stigma surrounding them, the team then decided to dedicate their run towards the cause of improving awareness and support for psychiatric patients.
Thus, the team was named “Mental Muscle” out of the members’ respect for the mental strength they have witnessed in psychiatric patients. Running 250 km in the Namib Desert will not be an easy feat and it will allow the team to pay tribute to psychiatric patients who have demonstrated so much bravery and determination in overcoming their illnesses.
The Reason Behind
When the team Mental Muscle was given the opportunity to learn psychiatry, and interact with patients who suffer from mental illnesses, their perceptions of mental illnesses were changed. They realised their past perceptions were due to a lack of awareness – of the conditions, the impact they can have on a person’s psyche – as well as a lack of understanding – of the people who suffer from these illnesses, and the trials and tribulations they face in their daily lives.
To most, mental illness is a distant notion, a ‘thing’ in the media that ‘people’ like to talk about. The opportunity to interact with people who have been affected by these illnesses can change how they are understood. People with mental illnesses are not too different from the average person. Like us, they too have families to support, daily needs to fulfil and aspirations and dreams. But all these are made more difficult by the illnesses that they have.
In Mind Matters: A Study of Mental Health Literacy, a nationwide study was conducted among adult residents aged 18-65 years in Singapore by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The study obtained information on Singaporeans’ recognition and beliefs about five common mental disorders – alcohol abuse, dementia, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. The study also examined and compared the extent of stigma associated with these mental disorders:
9 in 10 people believe that those with a mental illness “could get better if they wanted to”
Half believed that mental illnesses are “a sign of personal weakness”
Mental health literacy regarding specific conditions, especially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia was poor.
Psychologist Guy Winch, in his TED talk “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid”, makes an interesting point. It is easy for a person to go to someone with a mental health issue and say, “It’s all in your head, why don’t you just snap out of it?”. Yet how often do anyone walk up to someone with a broken leg, and say, “It’s all in your leg, why don’t you just walk it off?”
The reason, Mental Muscle believes, is that society do not understand mental illnesses as much as it does for other ailments of the body. As a result, there is a stigma that surrounds mental health, and it has very real effects on people who have mental illnesses. People have to understand that mental illnesses are not any different from other diseases. They need to be treated just like heart diseases, diabetes, or even cancer. The patients are unable to ‘get better’ just because they wanted to; and it can happen to even the strongest person.
This misunderstanding is an example of the perpetual social stigma facing mental health in Singapore. This is the social stigma that prevents patients from seeking help; the stigma that even some of our own family and friends have. This is the stigma Mental Muscle is trying to change.
They are here to change the way people view mental illnesses today.
After a long hiatus from running, I finally got the chance to don my running gears and head out to East Coast Park for the Brooks Run Happy Half Marathon on 17 January 2016, flagged off at 5:30am. This is my first time running a half marathon race and also my first race event of 2016! Seems like my running resolutions for the new year ahead is off to a great start.
As i was overwhelmed with work during the past few months, I ended up missing out on both race pack collection dates and was worried the night before that I might not be able to participate. Thankfully, race pack collection was still available on race day itself. The reason for choosing this race is because I wanted to try out a half-marathon distance over a race route that is not too complicated, with moderately flat elevation.
Race concept
Marketed as a ‘carefree, casual 21KM run‘, this race ranks runners according to nett time instead of gun time. In a way, this takes off some anxiety from runners regarding race ranks and timings as there is no need to squeeze all the way to the starting line in hope of running as close as to the official gun time. Another ‘happy’ element I observed were the Brooks race singlets where participants would get one of the 4 random designs, adding an element of fun.
Race experience
Ample hydration points with drink choices
Initially I was slightly worried about having insufficient hydration for the 21k distance as I was not armed with any personal hydration at all. However, I was extremely glad that there were sufficient hydration points with drink choices including chilled water, coconut water and one station of energy gels for the 21km participants.
Muddy U-turn and seemingly never-ending finish point
Towards the last 2 Km or so of the race route, there was a slippery muddy U-turn point where we had to get our shoes soiled and dirty. No idea why it was like that but it did break the momentum for most of us. As for the way back to the finishing point after the U-turn, it felt both psychologically and physically draining for me. I kept looking out for the finishing point banner and struggled to keep myself running. I guess that’s the price to pay for the lack of proper training prior to race day and inconsistent pacing.
Happy and joyous race atmosphere
I crossed the finishing line together with another lady who hi-fived me and we patted each other’s back to congratulate ourselves for finishing. Throughout my race, I was also being motivated by pacers, runners and volunteers alike. It was really a heartening sight to see runners in Singapore being so friendly and encouraging to one another, regardless of their background, running profile and culture.
Prompt Racetime notification and post-run goodies
Racetime SMS
Brooks Run Happy 2016 Medal
I received an SMS notification from Racetime shortly after i’ve finished my race, informing me of my unofficial timing. This is a really great feature that I’m sure many runners would love and it has been used for many other races too (as you can see from my previous SHVM 2015 sms hee). My garmin GPS watch and Racetime chip timings were exactly the same, so I guess it’s rather reliable and accurate!
All finishers were given an adorable finisher’s medal with a No.1 sign, a bottle of coconut water, cookie, dark navy blue finisher’s tee and doughnut. I really like the design of the medal as it makes all finishers of the race feel like a winner.
Post-race reflections
Running with friends are the best!
Wonderful post race scenery
Well, 21km is definitely not the same as simply doubling the energy, effort and perseverance of a 10km race and there is much more for me to work on. I was targeting for a 2:00h finish and I think if i minus out the times when I stopped and pushed myself harder, it would be a possible goal. Nonetheless, I was glad to have made the first step in any case by going beyond my comfort distance of 10k. I hope everyone enjoyed their race as much as I did and hi-five to you if you are doing your first half marathon distance or race of 2016 too!
