From humble beginnings of a mere 3,000 participants, the 2015 Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR) celebrates its 10th year anniversary with a participation of 17,000 women.  One of the largest races in Singapore it draws women young and old, local and foreign across three major categories: half marathon, 10km and 5km.

My debut in the GEWR was in 2014 as a running greenhorn with only three months experience under my belt. Whilst I completed a 10km run back then, this year I settled on 5km as I continue to heal my fractured ankle that happened way back in March.

Joined by friends from the Team Costa group we were grateful the haze has abated so that we may have a good and enjoyable race.  Given nearly two months of air pollution and limited outdoor training opportunities, quite surprisingly multiple personal bests have been accomplished.

With a familiar route and a sea of red tees, Michelle, Lisa, Caitriona and Avni tackled the 10km route, departing the Flyer past the F1 Pit onto Nicoll Hwy, returning via Republic Boulevard to finish off at The Float.

Michelle knocked off a minute from last year’s GEWR race to finish off in 54.53min and in 39th place.  Those bi-weekly 50km cycling outings are definitely paying off.  For Caitriona, this is her first GEWR but when compared to her 2014 SCMS race, she shaved off 9min on her 10km.  Lisa is no stranger to GEWR having completed 5km last year, however, she is a total newbie to 10km distances and she marked that well with GEWR’s 10th anniversary, finishing very well at 1:09hrs.  Lastly, Avni is no stranger to races or long distances.  With legs of steel and sheer determination she crossed the finish line in 58:48min.

Photo credit: Running Shots (thanks guys always doing a great job)

Forty minutes later the second half of the Team Costa ladies were flagged off for the 5km category.  Vika and I were joined by Angela, Wizzy and Kate who are new to GEWR. I lost sight of Vika after a couple of hundred metres and not surprisingly she finished ahead of the rest of us in 32min.

Angela did quite well given that she’s never run in any SG event before.  It’s not easy handling the humidity here, so she did quite well for someone who hasn’t trained and still managed to finish off in 36min.

Wizzy and I maintained the same pace for the first couple of kilometers until her fitness outdid mine and the gap between us just kept widening.  After the 3rd km I didn’t see her in the crowd anymore.  With a finished time of 36.34min, I was only half a minute behind her.  It was a good yardstick for me.  I’ll be chasing you again Wizzy.

With regular 6km jaunts to our local mall, Kate is a solid walker with GEWR being her first exposure to a racing event.  Whilst walking alone can be calming and solitary, I think Kate enjoyed the atmosphere and camaraderie of the group and overall event.

To celebrate a race well done we met up with friends at Cafe Melba for a seriously good breakfast and some great company.

In overall, GEWR was a great event, well priced at $31, with tonnes of goodies in this year’s race pack and a nice gold finisher medal commemorating their 10th anniversary.  Thanks GEWR and see you next year.

For the third year running, Singapore’s largest orienteering race Ubin WayFinder was held on 1 November 2015 at Pulau Ubin. This year, my 2 friends and I decided to participate in the non-competitive Ubin Explorer team category as it was our first time trying orienteering as a sport. I was pretty glad that it was a haze-free morning as I had been anticipating this race since my race pack arrived a few days before the race!

Race Pack

While most races will require runners to proceed to a certain venue to collect the race packs, Ubin WayFinder actually sent the race pack directly to my house! I would say it is a good move as it actually saves me the trouble of going down to collect the race pack in the mist of my busy school schedule. (Plenty of reports and presentations to be done. :/ ) The registered mail arrived at my house about 5 days before the event, which consist of the event tee and the race bib. The event booklet was emailed to the participants on the same day as well, providing the essential details such as things to bring, point to take note during the orienteering race, how to read the legends on the map etc.

Race Day

Left house slight past 6am to meet my teammates before taking a cab to Changi Ferry Terminal (CFT). Upon arrival, we proceed on to the registration area at the CFT. Volunteers were also present to help assist in the registration process, which includes checking the essential items that are required for the race-compass, whistle and race bib. We were also issued the timing chip so that we can “check-in” at the various checkpoints.  At the same time, we were issued coloured chips so that we can take the ferry over to Pulau Ubin in groups of 12. Personally, I feel that the ferrying of the participants over to Pulau Ubin could be improved as there were several times where there was confusion with the crew trying to find groups with the same allocated colour chip so that we can be transported over.

Upon arrival at Pulau Ubin, participants were directed to the main pavilion to wait for the flag-off. I was early enough to witness the flag-off of the Mixed Duo Category- each pair, consisting of one male and female, were eagerly queueing up before the officials flag them off in intervals of 30 seconds. Meanwhile in the pavilion, there was a photo-booth for participants to capture their moments at the event, deejays playing music etc. The general atmosphere was quite high as I could see many teams participating in the Ubin Explorer category are actually families- with kids as young as 5 years old!

15 minutes before the flag-off timing at 8.30am, we were given a safety briefing by the official staff to introduce to us the key checkpoints, things to look out for during the race etc. And after much anticipation, we were finally flagged-off! After looking at the map, my team decided to focus on a few checkpoints to clear- there were a total of 15, and we thought that attempting to clear all in 2.5 hours would be insane given that it was our first time doing orienteering.

Some of the checkpoints were really challenging (and ulu)- we had to venture into the woods, go pass trees and forest just to find the particular checkpoint. Along the way, as we meet other participants, we were also sharing information about where the checkpoints were. I think this is the positive spirit of orienteering as well! 🙂

The checkpoint that really wow-ed me was the Ubin Highest Point. We had to climb some steep steps before finally reaching this checkpoint, but I would say it is totally worth it. The view at the point is simply breath-taking!

We decided to head to the Finishing Point approximately 2 hours into the race, considering that the cut-off is 2.5hours. Upon arrival, the friendly crew generated the real-time data and we were told our official timing. Banana, 100Plus, Red Bull and goodie bags were also given out to those that had completed the race.

Race Reflection

On the whole, I would say that my teammates and I enjoyed the race a lot. It was challenging considering the terrain of the race, but we had fun throughout. I would recommend this event next year for those who would like to try orienteering for the first time.

This morning I ran my first ever race and first ever trail in my life! (There’s always a first for everything, eh?)

I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to perform because I had never ran a race or a distance longer than 5km before, but these worries proved to be unnecessary once I started running. On the other hand, I didn’t have much concerns for the orienteering segment of the race because I chose a great partner for my Mixed Duo category and also because I had prior orienteering experience from my NCC days.

Throughout the trail race, we got to see the rural, undisturbed, natural side of Pulau Ubin as opposed to the bustling urban jungle on mainland Singapore. As this was my first ever trail running (I was probably too brave to sign up in a competitive category when I had no prior experience in trail!), I went into it as a blank slate and came out with many useful learning points. These points can be important and I would like to share them with all runners who are thinking of starting on orienteering or trail running:

#1 Be prepared!

I saw several other runners carrying a backpack to hold their water bottles but I was holding mine in my hand. While my bottle did not give me too much problems during the race, but trust me, you would rather have free moving arms while you are trying to balance as you climb up the hills or waddle through the muddy mangrove swamp. And yes, you do need the water to rehydrate during the race because you may take more than an hour to complete it! For me, I do not like to carry backpacks when I run because they tend to bounce too much and hinder movements. What I noticed though, was that many trail runners were carrying this thing called a hydration pack, which looks like this:

This hydration pack can be very useful because it comes with a tube for you to drink from the bottle without having to take it out from the bag. It is also very lightweight and you can keep small important belongings such as cash and keys. Great for people wearing bottoms that do not come with zipped pockets!

#2 Stay protected

The Ubin Wayfinder organisers were kind to recommend us participants to wear long sleeves and long pants to protect ourselves from insect bites and scratches. But being the typical Singaporean who doesn’t like to cover up so much in the hot weather, I only wore the race tee and a mid-length tights. As expected, I had plenty of scratches on my arms and legs, and a couple of bites from red ants, with lots of mud. Most of the scratches I had were on my legs. However, they are not a big deal, and can be prevented with full length bottoms and tops.

#3 It’s okay to go to the wrong checkpoint

It is the toughest at the beginning because you are not familiar with the map. My team had difficulties finding our first few checkpoints and we even made a few big detours because of that. But after the first few mistakes, we learnt how to read the map better and the rest of the checkpoints became much easier to locate!

#4 Anything is possible

As an inexperienced trail runner, I could not tell if there was a route behind the trees right off the pavement, when there were no markers or signs. Turns out that in trail running, any route can be a route! Never would I have thought that I would be pushing away tree branches to open up a route, or to be crossing over a mangrove swamp and getting myself all muddy. It definitely felt like an adventure and I was like a kid discovering new things.

#5 Be aware of your surroundings

As you push away the tree branches to make way for yourself, do be careful if there are people behind you. Likewise, try not to walk too close if you see the person infront of you pushing away any obstacles. I had the first hand experience as my partner released a tree branch, which swung back too quickly, and slapped me in the face. And of course, look around and enjoy your surroundings instead of only focusing on the trail – you’d never know what you’ll find! In my team’s case, we found a few durians and spotted some monkeys.

I really enjoyed myself during this trail running as I get to experience the beauty of Pulau Ubin firsthand. I love how there are abandoned kampong houses in the middle of the forest, how animals roam freely around the island, and how the air is so fresh! I guess I will probably find more opportunities to explore this island, or even other islands around Singapore. For now, I am happy that I have completed my first race and it was a trail race! Let me flaunt my first race medal and race pack:

Happy running y’all! I hope my tips are helpful for new runners like me!

Back to this race for the second year running! 

Great race as usual. Too bad I wasn’t on form (trying not to blame the haze, but oh wells, that is still part of the reason) and thus the unofficial timing of 2 hours 20 minutes. Well, it is still an improvement from last year’s run.

Before the race

I was so worried that the race may not proceed on as usual due to the recent haze situation. Luckily for us, or with the power of all of the ladies, rain and wind came and blew the haze away. However, due to the haze too, I am unable to get in my long distance runs out and have to resort to treadmill running.

Also, I guess everybody knows that before the race, you are suppose to feed your body with enough food and with food that will not cause any stomach upset. But, my mom happens to cook curry chicken the night before the race and “forces” me to eat papaya too. I believe you can guess what this combination will do to your body. Now that I have learnt my lesson, I will NEVER do this again.

First 7km of the race

To be honest, I was trying to aim for a timing of below 2 hours for this race. Therefore, I started the race off by chasing after the 2 hours pacers and getting in front of them, which I manage to do. However, I got tired really quickly and the 2 hours pacers took over me at about 3km into the race. The route of this part of the race is slightly different from last year. This year’s route included running around OCBC Arena aka Sportshub which includes a few slopes at the tunnels.

Second 7km of the race

Because of the last 21.1km race in August (2XU Compression Run), I brought a Maxifuel gel with me so that I can fuel myself with sugars and salts to prevent muscle cramps and minimize fatigue. The gel works like a miracle! Okay, this may be too over the top but it really does wonders. The banana provided by the race at about 13km also helps to provide me with energy. However, at this point of time, the arch on my right feet start hurting (due to abrasion, I think).The run started to get very hard from then on.

Last 7km of the race

Haii, the 2 hours 15 minutes pacers passed me. I think this is where my mental strength came into action. My glutes, hamstring, quads, calfs, knees and arch of my feet were hurting like hell. At about 15km, I had to stop due to some pain in my knees and thanks to a lady who asked if I was alright and offered me salts. However, I ran on after a while of rest and slowly jog my way up the marina barrage and down to gardens by the bay. There were a few supporters there with placards and cheers which boost my energy quite a bit. However, the last 1 km of the race was a torture. My muscles were so stiff and painful! There is still another small slope after the Merlion Park. And at last, I finished the race strong!

Post-run reflections

Not my best run, that is for sure. Have not been clocking distance after the August 2XU Compression Run because of time but still no excuses. Furthermore, I did not do enough stretching the week before which caused my muscles to stiff up almost half of the race.

Congratulations to all ladies that participated in the runs! Especially kudos to those who ran with their tutus!! All of you are so cute!

-runforfun.justrunlah-

Today marks the 10th year of the largest all-women race in Asia, the Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR) where 17,000 over female runners from Singapore and beyond challenge their endurance, speed and celebrate the journey to greatness. This is the first time taking part in the GEWR and I’m glad I did in their milestone event this year!

Race Pack Collection

I collected my race pack on the last day of the collection date and I’ve got to say, the GEWR 2015 race pack is the most elaborate and generous of all the race packs I’ve received thus far. The huge red gym bag contained a bundle of sponsored items from female personal care items to a stack of retail and food vouchers, not to forget a race tee plus a memento tee for the 10th anniversary special!

I’m not sure if any other ladies experienced the same problem as I did, but the sizing for the shirts seemed to be larger than I expected. There was an option for exchanging shirts but unfortunately the size I wanted was unavailable for exchange as they are reserved for participants who have yet to collect theirs and had indicated that size when they registered. Though slightly disappointed, it did not affect me too much as I can always give to my fellow female friends who suit the sizing to wear for their runs too! To me, the race pack is a bonus and the race experience is what I am paying for – for clear and safe roads, organized and fun race day programmes, and perhaps a well-designed and memorable finisher medal.

Race Day: Finally, clear blue skies!

I was hoping all week that the haze would clear and I am super thrilled that it finally did! GEWR organizers notified runners twice of the haze situation before race day to pre-empt runners and kudos to them for letting us rest without worries the night before. My race flag-off was at 7am and I arrived an hour earlier to deposit my bag, which is a few hundred metres away from the starting pen. Mobile toilets, pre-race hydration booths were spotted and of course, ladies in vibrant tutus were seen getting hyped for the race! For those who are puzzled, runners can show their support by purchasing and wearing these special tutus, where all the proceeds from the sale of tutus go to the Breast Cancer Foundation, Community Chest (in support of children with special needs) and the SingHealth Duke-NUS OBGYN Academic Clinical Programme.

Well-planned and challenging race route – Turns, bends and slopes

It is a personal habit of mine to check out what I’m in for the night before a race day. At first glance, the 10km and 21km route seemed rather complicated, with numerous loops, turns and long stretches of roads/bridge that challenge one’s stamina and endurance to conquer the varying elevation. For 10km, I felt that the road was moderately flat, wide and I did not experience major bottlenecks. I guess this is probably why the flag-off timing for 21km was so much earlier.

Though there were many barricades placed throughout the route, there were still occasional road users like cyclists and random joggers who shared the route with GEWR runners. I’m not sure if that affected any runners, but I would advise everyone to keep on a lookout for each other’s safety and I believe it is a basic courtesy of non-race participants to give priority to event participants since it is “their day”.

Sufficient, varied hydration points

Hydration points were plenty where most offered mineral water and a few having isotonic drink options. Areas for throwing used paper cups were cornered and volunteers were very helpful and encouraging as well.

Clear and Motivating Distance markers

The GEWR distance markers captured my attention because each distance marker had a motivating statement and one of which I remembered vividly was the one towards the finishing line where it said something like, “You have been through tougher times than this!” That really made me push on and run the remaining distance.

Post-race carnival

Like most major race events in Singapore, a race carnival with food, beverage, photo and game booths were set up for today to let runners enjoy some post-run treats. For GEWR, there was a tentage that offered free massage services and another for runners to relief heat and sweat with mirrors, clean wipes and face sprays!

I enjoyed myself snapping photos with fellow female running buddies, snacking on hotdog buns, sparkling water, cotton candy and watching the adorable girls donning their tutus completing the Princess Dash!

Race Reflections

At the 7-8km mark, I experienced a numbing sensation on both my thighs, as if my legs were jelly and lacked strength to go on further. Thoughts of giving up and walking to the finishing line did flash through my mind multiple times but the disappointment and regret would me feel really bad that I gave in so easily. So that made me chuck that thought away and I even resorted to pinching my thighs to inject some feeling into it. As nonsensical as it sounds, it somewhat worked and I held onto the belief of ‘mind over body’ and eventually I managed to complete the race successfully.

The past week hasn’t been smooth-sailing – Suffered some minor respiratory infection due to the haze and was busy managing work commitments, which resulted in a mere 5km mileage for the week. With that, I told myself last night that I would just run today’s race as a physical and mental relief from cooping in the office and run for the empowerment of women!

With some motivation and encouragement from my running buddies that sometimes a period of good rest can be beneficial to ‘refresh’ one’s running, I managed to surprise myself with a new PB I never imagined would have happened so early! A sub 50min was supposed to be my 2016 new year running resolution. So now it seems like I need to ‘refresh’ my goals for the new (and hopefully haze-free) year! Congratulations to all superwomen who finished their races and I look forward to GEWR 2016 and upcoming races too! Hope you had a great Sunday sweating it out with your female friends and thanks to all who came down to support!