Hunger... alw hungry..

The one thing I hate about training is the hunger that comes with it. Sometimes after training for 3-4 hours a day, the hunger pangs can get really bad.. coming every 2-3 hours.. ugh.. I hate.. not cos I get to eat as much as I want while losing weight.. but food is EXPENSIVE!!! Really...

So, a new resolution.. I'm gonna start cooking... more often. Made Kailan with soy sauce today with rice... so now I got extra rice.. will try to make my own Yong Tou Fu tomorrow for lunch or dinner.. :)

Well.. the good things is that I'm getting better at cooking...

Trudge on..

I can see my toes....ooo

After much deliberation and reading.. I have finally succumbed to the much debated barefoot running... and bought my first pair of the Vibram FiveFingers. Only one shop in Singapore sells them, so the craze has not hit Croc-like widespread yet in this tiny island, which is quite funny, considering how kiasu the inhabitants can be with running (I've seen some runners wear the 2XU compression pants for a 10k race). Well, i'm hoping barefoot running can help with my Left knee as it still hurts at certain twisted angle. So with much enthusiasm, off I went to Novena and plonked SGD170.10 for a pair of the Black KSO's.

Boy, was it weird. I put it on from Sq 2 Novena itself, and walked around ION Orchard (looking for pau's) and back home again. It felt.. very very comfortable to walk in them.. no joke albeit, looking a whole lot weird. My gait was automatically adjusted with very little effort and soon it felt as though I was walking in the mall barefooted. Plentiful of stares followed me, but hey.. I was actually enjoy suntanning in the limelight :) .. ok.. so for walking, the Vibrams get a BIG :) from me.

Next, the real test.. OK Desare LTU is like.. in another 4 days.. but as always, curiosity gets the better of me. I geared up for a 10k run in the Vibrams. Mentally, I've stoked myself to get calves soreness and feet pain.. so oh well.. time to go..

I sped down on the tarmac fast.. fully on my forefoot... not even touching my heels.. for the first KM.. so exhilaratingly fun.. I love speeding through as the cooling wind hits my face....hmm ok.. no facial description.. back to feet.. Well, the sole of the vibrams is just a piece of rubber.. so, though it sticks well to the ground, every little bumps, and cracks and drain covers is very much feel-able. Well, at least I won't get abrasions and cuts easily as compared to real barefoot running.

Up to about 5 km, the sore starts... ouch ouch ouch.. it really felt torturous but great.. (another S+M moment). Tried to slow down and land more on the midfoot to heel, but it feels worse to do that.. wow... our feet is really meant to run forefoot all the way. The last 1 km was bad so I tried to run faster to finish the run. Counting down the bustops... 3...2...1... end!!! My trial run has ended. Let out a silent hooray.. and YES!!! I've done it..

Barefoot running till now is still tough for me, but it really feels good. Will continue to try out the Vibrams for every other thing I can think of.. and see how it goes.

So, till the next review... trudge on...

Update 19.08.09 - stepped on a stone.. ouch..

Weekend in.... rare occasion.. and Yoga..

I travel out a lot, and I have fun out alot.. but now, time for a change, time for a relaxing post...

YOGA...to be more precise, Bikram YOGA.. and I love it so far..

It all started with a trip to the Vivo True Fitness Gym where I wanted to sign up for a gym membership. Went in look see look see and was directed to the manager Siva who then suggested that I try Hot Yoga, or Bikram Yoga at Pacific Plaza. Hmm... have always wanted to take up yoga as part of my supplementary training to triathlons, especially since it had some good reviews on rehab and muscular power training, so hey, might as well just give it a go. Now.. Siva suggested Bikram Yoga, not the other forms of Yoga as he said that I would like the challenging part of it - after all.. it's not Hot unless it's done in a 42 degCelsius room with a humidity of 40-50%.. just thinking of that scares me enough.. so never one to step down from any challenges.... I agreed :).. and my first class - Thursday...

Arrived there 30mins before class and was eager to start. Met Sue who helped me about the classes they had in Pacific Plaza. Eager to start, clad only in Bra top and running shorts as I have been warned of how hot it can get, I grabbed my bottle of water and a towel in my hands and
went into the studio, and boy, was it HOT HOT HOT and HUMID HUMID HUMID.. its so hot and humid that I had difficulty breathing in the first few minutes. phew... after regulating my heart beat (which went up too).. i took a deep breath and settled myself down somewhere in the middle.

Bikram yoga only practices 26 poses which are repeated twice in each class. Sounds easy, huh?.. but NOPE.. it is all hard work. Each pose works almost every muscle, every joint in the body. It focuses on concentration, mental commitment and balance to keep the pose intact. With it comes muscular endurance and power as well as flexibility that helps to maintain the pose. For me, even after the first pose... I was ouch ouch ouch already...

The instructor only verbalises the instructions, and visual clues comes from everyone else. No fret though, if u can't get it right, he/she will come by to help you.. (I got a few personal tips along the way). Water can only be drank after 2 sets of each pose is done... but the instructor suggest not to drink too much, cos you'd still need an empty stomach to continue.

Well, after 26 poses and 1 and a half hour later, I came out... sweaty... hot... tired...dead-ish.. but after the shower.. I was rejuvenated. Woke up the next day with no sores, jsut stronger and have a will to continue on. In short.. I LOVE it. Bikram yoga to me is great.. I love the strength it gave me even after one class and am eager to go back.... hehe. .signed up for a year... and went for my second class this morning... and again was tortured :) hehe

Well, that's my review of Bikram Yoga.. and how I became a convert. To all those out there.. got try if you dare... it's not as easy as it looks

Trudge on...

Who says running isn't fun...

It was time again for the KL Marathon, the yrly event in which I do a pilgramage to KL, meet up with friends, gossip all night long with the girls, buy lotsa PowerGels (they need to sponsor me by now), sleep only 2-3 hours before the marathon.... and run. This year's marathon was hosted by StanChart Bank as one of their new races in the Greatest Race on Earth league (Singapore another one of the races). So no more Ambank, welcome StanChart..

OK, background on training first... haven't done much traning for this marathon as currently having a bad Left ITB problem. So, mileage down... and took the last few months off training to relax and do other stuff in life.. In short.. this was gonna be an exciting race. so with no PB in mind.. Here goes.....

Friday:
Went down to KL. Met up with Alan and Ivy. Passed them some Rotiboy. Ran at some Bukit Jalil Park for 30mins. Went back to Puchong and had teh tarik, durian (lotsa durians) and instant noodles for dinner. Met up with Fipink. Had tau foo fa for supper. Slept late at 1-2 am

Saturday:
Woke up around 9-10 am. Slacked around Ivy's place. Breakfast at 10+am at nearby mamak.. Went back to Ivy's place. Registered for IMWA.. sob sob.. money fly away again. Went to REPC at 1pm on train.Makan-ed lunch with Ivy. Ivy left. Headed to KL Sentral. Waited for BK while having Starbucks Mint Tea (my new fave). Met up with BK at 5.30pm. Had dinner with BK at Secret Recipe. Checked in AnCasa Hotel (the one at the opposite end of PuduRaya) nice....

The goodies...

Realised Newtons too dead to run in.. Went out to MidValley to hunt for shoes. Bought Nike shoes : Zoom Start and Free 5.0. Went second dinner (BK, not me) at DOME. Krispy Kreme.
BK had air mata kucing. Back to hotel. Surfed the net for one hour. Slept at 12+

KKreme from MDVL

Sunday:Race day. Woke up at 3.45am... groggy. Curse myself for not sleeping more a few times. Contemplated to skip the race to go back to sleep. Looked at BK.. ok.. no.. will go for race. Wore InJinJi's and new Nike Zoom Starts shoes (for convenience sake, I usu wear what I'm racing in to sleep... so tat I dun need to pack too many clothes).
My new shoes

Ate half a donut. All ready.. ran slowly to Dataran (race start).

Took about 10 minutes to arrive. Slight drizzle. Looked around, can't find anyone I know. nevermind. Head to start point. No balloon Pacers (FM lied) Bang. Race start. Slow jog. Met Mohan taking pics (he flashed me and I flashed back).We laughed, chatted. He left.

At the race start

All throughout the race, BK and I chatted omos nonstop (except when he went to Portaloos and when we collected water) When the sky was bright enough, started to take pics of Landmark esp the Standard Charted Building - hint hint for sponsorship :p.

Standard Chartered building at the back

Ran ran ran.. met Unker from Taiping who sang MJ songs. Chatted with him as well. Halfway through met Kenyan who got lost (half marathoner who ended up in the full marathon route). Continued to run run run...

In front of Mahathir's Bakery

BK doing the VISA dance

Left knee started to hurt .. uh oh. Walked bit and stretched. Last 2km, knee bad.. walked to the end. Saw spiderman. Five hundred metres more, BK bought Teh Tarik ice from some mamak shop.

Met Ben who asked me to hurry up.. but I was lazy. Saw Callie cheering me on. Plotted the grand finale about 5 metres from the finishing line for about .... 30 seconds. Photogs wondering what we were doing. Saw Kian Yaw. Dropped to floor. Crawled to finishing line.. hehehe.. Jumped over fence. Got camera from BK. BK ran across finishing drinking teh tarik.. yay!!! We finished the marathon!!!

After race.. took pics here and there. Almost forgot to collect medal and finisher's tshirt when about to leave for hotel.

Finisher medal and oversized T'

Reached hotel. Me showered. Called to request for chkout extension. Chked email. Msg-ed Kenny for lunch. Slept. Someone called and woke me up. Smiled. Went back to sleep...zzzzz....

Called again for chkout extension. zzzz again.

Woke up. Packed. Chked out. Cabbed to KLCC. Makan-ed. Walked around. Starbucks for drinks and seats. BK left for KLIA. Called someone to wish him Good Luck!!!. :) Almost dozed off there. Waited waited waited for bus. Took bus. On the bus now...

Well, short and simple. This has got to be the fun-nest marathon ever. Though came in late about 5 hours, we took our time to have fun during the race.

At the restaurant

After all, some races are meant to be enjoyed while keeping in mind that when it comes to the key races, performance should be of priority :). It helps to keep running as an enjoyable and light hearted sport as it should be. To end it all - To Callie, Ivy and Kenny, congrats on your 10K. I hope you enjoyed the race as much as I did. And to BK, my running partner for so long.. TQVM!!!! It's been fun, and I hope to do more fun races with you in the future!!! Liiiike.... The Trailblazers in Nov...

Trudge on... and Don't Ever Stop Enjoying Life (and Running too...)