It’s almost the end of 2016.  I’m done with my races, and its time to look back and reflect.

These are my short quick thoughts about these events.  I don’t have to rate every part of the each event (ie. route, race pack, baggage deposit/collection, post-race amenities, etc) to compare them all.  Whatever memory that stood out and is stuck in my head are what makes them what are, and will also sway me to run them again or avoid them next year.

Compressport Rail Corridor Run (January)
Event participated – 10K
Venue – Former KTM railway line between Bukit Timah and Tanjong Pagar

What’s good…

Route – I always liked the rail corridor trail.  This time, its done in reverse – from Bukit Timah to Tanjong Pagar.
Race pack – The fit of the event t-shirt is good for me.  (No, I don’t wear these shirts as fashion items, nor to show off my latest achievements.  The singlets become my home clothes or workout/running gear, the t-shirts I wear when going out to do chores outside or my clean clothes to swap out after doing my one-way long runs.)
Post-race amenities – They have water to hose down the mud off your legs.

And the not so good…

Route – The 5K group started exactly midway through the route (duh).  So average-Juan runner me ran into wall of people who were just flagged off.  And most of these people joined a trail run to tiptoe around the mud.

Condura Skyway Marathon (February)
Event participated – Half-marathon
Venue – Filinvest Alabang (Philippines), Skyway (elevated expressway)

What’s good…

• Route – Simple out and back course.  Mainly flat and fast.
• Medal – Collecting the medal, they hang it around your neck.  A lot better than receiving it in an thick plastic pouch from an poker faced volunteer.  You don’t feel stupid because everyone’s walking around with a medal.
• Start time – It may seem odd to flag off at 330am, but by the time you’re done, the sun is just about to go up.  Maybe I’m just a morning person.  What’s best to do after a long run, on a glorious morning, to celebrate my current fastest 21K?…
• Breakfast! – No, breakfast isn’t provided in the event.  But due to the flag off time and the venue, I had to stay at a nearby hotel just for this.

And the not so good…

• Unfortunate event – Two male runners died. One doing the half, the other was just 1 km away from completing the full.  Not sure if this played any role on the cancellation of the 2017 event.

Green Race Ultra Challenge (February)
Event participated – 1 round @ 9.3K
Venue – Trails around Bukit Timah, portions of former KTM railway line, Dairy Farm, Durian trail, etc

What’s good…

• Race pack – Instead of the usual drawstring or eco bag, you get a dry bag.  The event shirt looks plain, but actually felt good.  The giveaway guava-based snack from some South American country was actually nice.
• Route – New trails for me, and challenging too.  I developed a taste for tackling climbs/hills this year, be it for running or cycling.
• Medal – That wood coaster-like medal.  Most unique I ever earned.  Also, like Condura, they hang it around your neck, and just right after you cross the finish line.

Green Corridor Run (March)
Event distance – 10K
Venue – former KTM railway line between Bukit Timah and Tanjong Pagar

What’s good…

• Route – Maybe I like this more for sentimental reasons.  The very first running event I joined was the 2014 edition of this run.

And the not so good...

• Baggage collection – I did this event for 3 straight years.  The long wait witht to get your stuff was always there.  You can always pretend you’re a KTM train as the queue is over the leftover railroad tracks.

Coney Island Trail Run (April)
Event participated – 10K
Venue – Coney Island, Punggol promenade and waterway

What’s NOT good…

• Race pack – The event shirt is probably the cheapest looking I ever encountered, I just gave it away.  On hindsight, this was an bad omen.
• Hydration stops – Undermanned.  Totally unprepared for the crowd.  Coupled that with the late start at 8am.  And worst, no water available after crossing the line. Unforgivable.
• Medal – I don’t want to pick on the medal as well, but it does look like a cheap tourist souvenir.

Straits Times Run (May)
Event distance – 18.45K
Venue – Marina Bay???

What’s good…

• Distance – Odd distance, good for long run workouts if you don’t feel like going for a half-marathon.

And the not so good…

• Race pack – The two-tone event singlet looks…. old.
• The fact that I cannot remember much about this event.  Nothing memorable, good or bad.

MSIG Action Asia 50 (July)
Event participated – 21K
Venue/route – Chestnut trail, pipeline trail, Zhenghua park, trails around Bukit Timah, etc

What’s good…

• Route – Mostly new trails for me.
• Post-race amenities – One of the few races that gives out real food to finishers.  Who wouldn’t be happy to have nasi lemak after 21K?.  But to top that off with a cucumber-lime popsicle?  Most memorable.  I will most definitely run this event again.

And the not so good…

• Race pack – Weird colour for the event t-shirt.  And the billboard-y sponsor logo laden back.
• Advisory – Headlamps were not mandatory for 21K runners said the organizers.  But they should have warned, and I knew, that at 630am start time it can still be hard to see esp under dense foliage (trail run, duh).  My Black Diamond was useful even for just 15-20 mins.

Pocari Sweat Run (July)
Event distance – 10K
Venue/route – Marina bay area

What’s good…

• Route – Fast, flat.  Route is well known so easy to plan your pace.  I achieved my 1st sub-1 hour in this event.
• Race pack – The luminescent blue almost muscle-shirt like singlet

And the not so good…

• Route – The routes here must have been used 367 times already.
• Crowd – This being one of the more popular events here, coupled with the route held on promenades, PCNs, and sidewalks, and a late afternoon start, its mainly a dodge and weave activity for the first 3K.  And the smell of humanity at the starting pen…  Gives new meaning to Pocari “Sweat”?

Puma Night Run (Aug)
Event distance – 12K
Venue/route – Seletar Aerospace Park

What’s good…

• Route – Just the fact that this isn’t anywhere near Marina Bay / GBTB,  or Nicoll Highway, or East Coast Park, or National Stadium.  And its near my home.
• Race pack – I dig the flourescent yellow/green event shirt.

And the not so good…

• Venue – Kind of a long walk between the bus stop and the start/finish line.  I just thought of it as my warm up.
• Start time – The heat/humidity got me at the U-turn at the end of West Camp Road. Maybe better to delay the start further by 30 mins, or hold the event on a different month

OCBC Cycle
Event distance – The Sportive Ride @ 42K
Venue/route – National Stadium, closed roads within CBD, AYE, portion of MCE, ECP, Sheares Bridge, etc.

What’s good…

• Route –  Same as last year, which I thought was the best route so far in the history of the event.  A good portion of upslopes and flat fast straights.  No looping where you’ll get mixed up with the slower riders.

What’s not so good…

• Jersey – They’re Pearl Izumis, but the sleeves look iffy.  The overall design isn’t actually a looker either.

Salomon X-Trail Run (Oct)
Event distance – 10K
Venue/route – Punggol, Coney Island

What’s good…

• Route – Think ankle deep mud, gravel, water-logged grassland, etc.  The view above the Punggol promenade opposite Coney Island was great. Glad I wore my Salomon Sense Pros.  I want more surprises next year.
• Race pack – Nice shoe bag.  And with 2 Lucozades.

And the not so good…

• Hydration stops – More of a preference – I’d rather have water, though the Lucozades are quite good.

So what do I look forward in 2017 races?

• I hope organizers come up with 2 or 3 new routes next year.
• Maybe I can finally force myself to go to far flung venues in the West (lazy North Easterner here).
• More trails runs.  Newer trail routes.
• More road closures for events, rather than PCNs and promenades.
• Doing full marathon still isn’t appealing to me.  I am not fast enough to finish it within 4 hrs, and it certainly isn’t appealing to me running 5 hours or more straight.  Four or 5 hours in the trail though is always different.

Of late, there have been much vibes about the conservation and heritage effort in Pulau Ubin, an island situated in the northeast coast of Singapore mainland a.k.a the last frontier.

Supporting the call was Lincoln Han, Coffee Tea Runners and Alfa Chua, chairman of Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Community Sports Club (CSC).

Together with their teams, they co-organized the inaugural Pesta Ubin Run 2016 held during the 5-week long Ubin open house known as Pesta Ubin.

The no-frills event attracted over 200 runners for a 5 km fun run on the Sunday morning of 15 May 2016.

“Ubin is part of the growing-up memories of many Singaporeans. I hope that through organizing the Pesta Ubin Run, we can play our part to enhance the conservation and heritage effort in Ubin, so that this unique place can continue to exist for many more generations to enjoy.” cited Lincoln Han, a regular to Ubin since his teenage days.

The 5 km route this year took the runners from the Assembly Area through Ubin town and Sensory Trail before making a u-turn near Puaka Hill.

“The run was really cool and refreshing. You don’t get to see so many durian trees, quarry and kampong houses in Singapore anymore.” identified as Sun, she came with her husband, Javier Wong.

Said Javier:“The weather was great, the run was well organized.  We didn’t know Ubin has so many attractions including Sensory Trail. And we didn’t expect that there were some old-school games to engage the participants after the run.”

The rave reviews have certainly encouraged Alfa to organize the run in 2017: “Ubin is a living lab where people can appreciate the history of the island and beauty of its biodiversity within close proximity at the same time. I was glad to see runners slowed down their pace to admire the scenery because you cannot get the same visual senses elsewhere in Singapore.”

Added Lincoln:”I am thankful that the runners heeded our advice to keep the place green and clean at all times. I look forward to a bigger crowd next year.”

The 2^nd edition of Pesta Ubin Run is scheduled to be held on Saturday, 20 May 2017.

It has been two years in a flash.  Starting late in 2014, I ran to release steam, like from an overheated engine.  Forex trading has its hectic and heart-rending moments as most beginner traders might testify to.  Running was one form of release for me.

The distance I covered initially was a mere 3.5 km.  2015, I started to run races.  After completing three 10 km races in 3 months, I thought I was ready for a half marathon and signed up for one.  The half marathon took place in 5 months from my first race !  All I went on was just pure will power and the romantic notion of being a naive runner like the legendary but fictitious Forrest Gump.  So I ran the Marina Half Marathon without knowing anything about replenishing glycogen and calories through energy gel, or even lubricants for chafing of the body parts.   I learnt my lessons the hard way.

But that wasn’t the end.  I decided that it was time for a full marathon.  Another 5 months after, I completed my first full marathon and that PB remains my PB though I continued to run another 2 full marathons among other races.

At about the same time, I started to use Facebook regularly.  My group of FB friends then were largely my ex-colleagues and after a few posts, it was obvious that they don’t share my new found hobby.  Most were younger than me and had ‘better’ things to do.  Mostly to do with work, food, travels and relationship, probably in that order too.  I guess I am beyond that for various reasons.

Luckily I am self-driven so the lack of ‘likes’ or comments didn’t affect me.    Rest of the family members thought I was wasting my time and energy (and money) with all the races. Only my younger son showed some passion for the active life.   We ran one race and one vertical marathon.  He had moved on to do gym fitness and weights.  The only marathoner I knew then was my brother-in-law.  I was encouraged by his accomplishment in completing a number of marathons by then, while he was still holding a busy career job and everything.  He is my initial real life inspiration.

Back to the present, I started the year 2016 with some crazy goals.  To do another full marathon in another 5 months despite the loss of toe nails and suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.  To continue with Spartan Super although I had felt worn out after doing the Spartan Sprint.   To complete two half marathons one after another weekend.  To keep up with my 24 challenges of 2015.  This meant on average 2 races per month.  All, I did accomplish and a bit more.

By then too, I had two close, largely virtual, running pals: Francis and SY.   They were faster runners than me so we may meet at beginning of the race and then finished off separately.  There were also two young friends I made while volunteering, who also continued to give moral support for my running efforts.  I started Kenjoe Running group although that has very limited success because my FB friends were still largely busy working who still have better things to do (… I think).   I was reminded many times that I could promote the site if I pay for it.  Erm…not necessary.  I just want to write to myself oftentimes to remind and to track progress of my ‘training’.  There is indeed a paradigm shift in thinking.  It is not really exercises anymore.  It is training.  Gives it some focus, some meaning, to accomplish something in the future.

I continued with the ‘high’ volume of races and it came to 28 for the year 2016, surpassing last year’s, with the last virtual challenge done today – a short 5 km.  This had been a mixed year, characterized by more injuries than anything else.  Still there was a lot to be thankful for.  Here are my rather random thoughts/reflection after running for over two years with some attempts at cycling and swimming.

1.  Running is good for health even when it doesn’t seem to be so at times.  Running is good for the heart, muscles, brains and add years to your life.  Search on the internet and you will be able to find something above.  I want to share that running helps even your joints.  Yes, I used to have knee pain some years ago.  But I have not experienced knee pain since taking up running for over two years now.  I know a lot of friends who said that they stopped running because of knee pain or even stopped exercising.  I believe running actually helps to relieve the pain.  And it does so by building up the muscles and ligaments supporting the movement.  The key is consistency and pace.  There is no need to run like an elite if your purpose is to maintain a level of fitness.  But I believe it is a mistake to stop activity entirely because your knee hurts.  It becomes a vicious cycle, not enough activity, weaker knee support and therefore more pain.  (But if you have already worn out your cartilage, that’s a different matter altogether ! So you can still walk.) On another level, running regularly builds up your mental muscles and resolve.  I dwelled a bit on that in previous blog so I’ll not do it here.
2. Set your own expectation realistically.   Don’t worry about how you do in comparison with others in terms of pace and mileage.  Learn about yourself through running.  You are responsible for yourself.  Even if you were to beat someone, you are probably still going to be slower than another person.  Even if you are number one today, you may not be number one tomorrow.  You are your best competitor and you win when you beat yourself.  Every individual is different.  If you watch marathoners running in races, you will see all kinds of strides, forefoot, heels, mid-foot and some barefoot or even quirky struts.  You just need to put your best foot forward each time.
3. Adapt and Up the challenge.  The body has a great ability to adapt.  If you do the same thing over and over again, the body finds the most efficient way of doing it after some time.  That is how you can hope to excel.  But after a certain stretch, you may not find it challenging any more.  Perhaps it is the diminishing returns effect.  So you up the challenge or vary the challenge.  Of course, you should also give yourself time and listen carefully to your body.  Rest (and recovery) is also one discipline of training for improvement.  I try to vary mine through the participation in swimming and cycling.
4. Grit is everything (… almost). Grit is the power of passion and perseverance (quoted from Angela Lee Duckworth).  With passion you can cultivate a talent.  With perseverance you can continuously improve.  You will encounter setback in your running.  Setback is not a failure.  Not picking yourself up after one is.  The effort to get back requires some level of grittiness.  You have to be willing to reset, relearn and start again.  I don’t profess to have a lot of grit but I am reminded of two events in my life.  When I was hired in my second career, almost every week for a year or more, folks would joke about when I would be packing my bag and leaving.  Because my predecessors all lasted only a short time on the job due to the many challenges.  When a year passed and I was still there, thriving (thanks to my boss and friends who helped too), nobody joked about it anymore.  I stayed on for over 17 years.   After I fell from my bike in November, I suffered a few fractures.  My mobility and flexibility were affected in the immediate weeks.  I haven’t swum nor cycled since. But I tried to recover back my running pace.  I am slower and more careful.  I ran the last race of the year with reasonable pace.  Sure it hurts still.  I still couldn’t do sit ups but I look forward to the day when I could do it again.  Move on. Develop a growth mindset.  Check out Duckworth’s introduction to Grit (source : Ted’s Talks) https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
5. Dream a bold dream and pursue it.   Also have a few inspirational models to emulate.  Not everyone will have a glamorous life or be an elite runner or elite triathlete.  It doesn’t however mean that the ordinary Joe or Jane (locally Ah Beng or Ah Huay) should stop dreaming.  “Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.” (German philosopher Goethe). Be the best you can be is a good motto.  Having some real life figures and learning lessons from them could motivate and show you certain short cuts or lessons which you may not need to go through the hard way.  Surround yourself with folks who are encouraging and positive.  It’s better to be alone than to be in a group of naysayers (at least for me).  Reflect.  I love the internet for some of the inspirational sharing.  If you have not achieved your resolution for whatever reason, see this for inspiration : how an 86-year-old nun could complete over 40 ironman:
   [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpjA1L1gSFA]

   

6. And lastly, be grateful too and celebrate your little wins and your friends‘ too.   No personal win is too small.  Don’t worry about someone laughing at your inflated feelings at completing a marathon in more than 6 hours for example.  He/she doesn’t know what you went through to achieve that.   Running does open another door socially and intellectually.  I run enough to be able to blog regularly.  I enjoy writing though as a blogger, I probably couldn’t make a living out of it as some might be able to.  I made a few worthy friends and learnt a few worthy lessons from observing more established runners/ bloggers/ photographers.   I enjoyed the regular ‘chats’ with my running buddies and volunteer friends.  I’ll like to believe there are a few fans out there and continue to write.  I have enjoyed blogging using JustRunLah’s platform and thankful for the opportunities given through some of the races.

It will not be always fair weather for running as I learnt this year, both literally and figuratively.  It’s how you made lemonade out of lemons.  It’s how you see a glass half full instead of half empty.  So here’s to all runners and future runners : have another great year ahead.  May the Running (force) be with you.  As usual run happy and run safe.  On a closing note, as running is always a good metaphor for living, replace some of the above with that word and you get life’s lessons too.  Happy New Year 2017 too.

(Note: Photo Credits are due to Runcapture, Running Shots, HC Ang, Francis Tan, SY Chia, Chris Shaw and friends, and extracts from race websites (2XU) too.)

It is the time of the year again when most people start to write and share their new year’s resolution. This blog post is a reflection of my thoughts after reading the original article by Zdravko Cvijetic. Everything is inter-related and provides a holistic approach to personal development.

1. Change the unhealthy lifestyle

Key takeaway: “First you have to take care of your health.”

Healthy diet – Start by making small changes like reducing foods high in sugar etc
Physical activity – Start by slowly increasing duration and/or intensity

Approach:
i.  Pen down weekly plans and make sure that they go into the “To-do” lists.
ii. Re-visit the plans to make adjustments when more information is available (through consultation with experts or self-discovery)

2. Change the short-term mindset

Key takeaway: “There is a difference between: ‘Working out to have summer body’ and ‘Working out because that’s who you are.’”

Set a long-term goal and work on short-term habits which contribute to the ultimate goal.

Approach:
i. Similarly, pen down or share the long-term goal with someone and identify short-term activities/targets which lead to achieving that long-term goal.
ii. Re-visit the short-term activities/targets and determine the status towards that long-term goal.
iii. Make the goals easily accessible so that they provide constant reminders to yourself.

3. Change the “Playing Small” mentality

Key takeaway: “If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never realise your true potential.”

Take the first step towards that bold dream you have. Do not be afraid to fail and definitely not be afraid to succeed.

Approach:
i. Keep that dream in a private little corner and share it with people who show great passion towards the same.
ii. If you are bold enough to share it with everyone you meet, be strong and ready to face all sorts of feedback.
iii. It often takes many great people around you to help realise that dream.

4. Change the fixed mindset

Key takeaway: “Who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow.”

Success is not created by talent alone. Spend time to acquire new knowledge and skills which will benefit and help bring you closer to your dreams or goals.

Approach:
i. Dedicate some time each day or week to develop the area which you are most passionate about. There are many online resources available, including articles, videos and interactive platforms.
ii. To take it to another level, try working on weaker areas (e.g. public speaking) which are also complementary

5. Change the belief for quick results

Key takeaway: “Making small continuous improvement every day, will be compounded over time, and give them desired results.”

My greatest advice for everyone is “Consistency is key”. Build good habits and results will naturally follow.

Approach:
i. Do not give up when the desired results are not visible in a short time.
ii. Focus on the journey more than the outcome as some results may take longer than others to be seen.