The Men’s Health Virtual Run is a brand new concept that brings runners from all walks of life together to strive towards a common goal – clocking in 100,000 km in 2 months. The goal is to individually clock in 100km, and collectively hit the 100,000km mileage. Participants simply need to clock in the distance for the Virtual Run using their running devices – be it their daily routine runs or a race, making each run more meaningful and rewarding.
This inaugural first of its kind event kickstarts on 1st November 2016 and ends on 31st December 2016.
RUN YOUR OWN RACE. AT YOUR OWN PACE. AT YOUR OWN TIME.
Need Motivation? – We got your back!
This innovative event rewards participants with great prizes as they hit mini milestones. You will receive rewards as you accrue your mileage and achieve certain distances – 5km, 21km, 42km, 100km. Each level allows the runner to redeem various prizes from ASICS vouchers to Spa treatments, to golf packages and so much more.
Get your money’s worth – You do the math
The Sign Up Rewards are worth $128 and are given to each participant with no registration fee required. You can see how lucky you can get with over $15,000 worth of lucky draw prizes to be won. These perks definitely complement the slew of fun social media challenges that will help shape this event into a fun, exciting and purposeful one.
What the Celebrity Runners have to say
Singaporean actor and host Allan Wu who is also a participant of Men’s Health Virtual Run, said: “The Men’s Health Virtual Run will be an exciting time for everyone to work together with one common goal of getting in better shape and fitness through running, so let’s get synced up and go!”
Jeri Chua, former magazine editor turned endurance athlete, said: “Every epic adventure starts with a single step.”
Jeri competed in several international ultra races including the Tor des Geants – a 330km race through the Italian Alps.
“When I run an ultra, there’s never a guarantee that I’ll finish, but it’s all about the journey, and what I learn along the way. 100km might seem impossible at first, but you’ll be surprised what you can achieve if you just keep moving. This challenge could be the start of a life-changing experience, so get out there and take that first step!”
Hard to believe we’ve just completed the fourth Performance Series race. The months are clicking by with each race in a different location and the fourth one on my home grounds.
Held at Bedok Reservoir, John, Remek and I opted for the first wave at 6.30am. It was close to home and it meant we would be done by the time the sun woke up. Except there was no sun, just the threat of rain and distant thunder whilst we were waiting to be flagged-off.
As the threat loomed, I fiercely hoped for the run to start. I did not care about running in the rain but I did care about the race potentially being cancelled. It would have been a huge disappointment for the series.
Off we went right on schedule with a very very light shower and distant thunder in our midst but only a couple of kilometers into it the sky opened up and the rain turned into a downpour and the thunder was awfully close.
Regardless of the situation, I was for the first time in a long, long, long time having a good race. I was happy with the pace I was maintaining perhaps because the weather was cool and perhaps because I have been training four times a week for several months and it was finally paying off.
Running around the reservoir was pleasant, although I did not particularly enjoy the fine gravel path that was so much of the route.
Around the fifth kilometer i was surprised to see one of the shelters filled with runners, although we were back to a light rain. I figured, “Great!! I’ll be ahead of all of them”. Unbeknownst to me, since none of the marshalls flagged me down, the runners were redirected to the shelters as a safety precaution. According to the TPS organizers the NEA advice was CAT1: Lightning detected within 1 km radius of sector which meant all runners had to be re-routed off the racing course and into shelters.
Anyway I continued on my merry way thinking if I keep this up I’ll most likely have a new PB on a 10km distance, until my route was detoured and found myself running through the Start line with either side of the path flanked by an endless sea of blue tees just standing around. Certainly by now I realised something was amiss and not quite right till I reached what seemed like the Finish line and a marshall who directed me off my course because my wave was cancelled part-way. I had just reached 6.5km, “Nooooo!!!” is what I thought thinking I was finally have a good race. Anyway, I stopped my watch, collected my medal and joined John and Remek, who were both just as disappointed.
Now here’s the clincher. John and I were registered for a 21 Day Virtual Run Challenge. The TPS 10km race was on the last day of the challenge and was meant to get us to the 100km that we had as our target. With our wave cancelled, lo and behold we were 3.5km short for our challenge.
What did we do after our race, you might ask? Got in a cab, went home, walked straight rough our condo to the back gate, walked through the underpass onto East Coast Park and went to finish that 3.5km.
So we partially completed the fourth TPS race and our 21 Day Challenge. We were well rewarded with a couple of coffees and the cold Coronas were not too far behind.
BUTUAN CITY – Multi-titled runner Juneil Languido won his duel with Richeel Languido to take home the 40th MILO Marathon Butuan qualifier last Sunday (October 30) at the Father Saturnino Urios University grounds. The Languidos will now be joined by 34 other runners who successfully met the time standards for the National Finals set for December 4 in Iloilo City.
Juneil, last year’s runner-up to MILO King Rafael Poliquit in the Nationals held in Angeles City, finished the 21-kilometer course in a time of 1:13:06 compared to Richeel who clocked 1:14:09. Third Place went to another veteran runner in Elias Tabac who timed 1:18:59.
The Women’s Division went to Esterlita Organiza in a time of 1:47:35. Joining her at the podium were Janette Mendoza (1:54:43) and Gina Factura (1:57:13) with all three ending up the only female qualifiers who hope to challenge reigning MILO Queen and 2016 Olympian Mary Joy Tabal for her title.
Runners will now have their final chance to qualify for the Nationals when Davao City hosts the final regional qualifier this Sunday (November 6) at the SM Lanang Premier grounds. Davao marks the 13th leg staged since last July to search for the best runners for the Philippines’ oldest and most prestigious marathon.
Other Winners: Jesswar Lopez and Melody Perez (10 kilometers), Raymundo Lopez and Fretzie Bisande (five kilometers) and Joshua Reyes and Jema Ferol (three kilometers).
Whether we are on the bus, on the way to work or just chilling out at home, we all love to take a selfie or a wefie if our look is right (because no one takes one when they look like crap and that’s the truth). These self portraits have taken over our world and are almost like a no brainer especially when we are in the company of great friends or attending an awesome party or gathering. It has also become a great way for runners and athletes to document our progress and show the world how much we have done and changed because of exercise. For runners, these are known as runfies.
But like selfies and wefies, they should be done at the right time and for the right reason. Especially so for runfies when, technically, you are taking a photo of yourself while you are running. Here are some dos and don’ts to take note of when you are contemplating on taking your next runfie.
Do’s
1. Take a runfie before and after your run. It’s a fun way to show off your running attire and also the before and after effects of your route.
2. Slow down when you want to take a runfie. Although there is a “run” in the word, it doesn’t mean you have to be going at full speed to take the photo. And anyway, it will probably turn out blurry if you are running.
3. Angle it from the top down or at face level so that you take a good and flattering shot of yourself, your attire and how “worked out” you are.
Don’ts
1. Ignore the traffic when you are trying to get that perfect photo. Always look out for traffic and make sure you do it only when you are safe and in the clear. It’s really not worth it to land up in the hospital for that perfect runfie.
2. Take pictures of yourself throughout your routes, especially if you are the type to post every single runfie on social media. There are unsound people out there who may just decide to use that information to stalk you and that’s very unsafe for you and those who may follow the same running route.
3. Angle your runfie from the bottom, for goodness sake. The reason why you are taking runfies is to show the world how fit you are and not how thick your legs are and how heavy your double chin can be.
Unlock your best run. Though at one point, I thought it is possible that I could finish within the 32km within 3hrs35mins, but I was lazy and not determined enough, after entering Gardens by the Bay east I walked a lot which is still about 8km more to finish. I saw Justina and Chee Beng just slightly ahead, Justina suffered a leg injury and had not recover yet and I walked a little while with them. I figured that anything faster than 3hrs57mins is a PB. And I finished in 3hr49mins, 8mins faster than last year’s Newton 32km ? And according to Garmin, today when I’m at 21.1km, I beat my best half marathon timing which I gotten in GEWR2015 by more than 3mins! ? Seriously, I ran at least 5 half marathon this year but I couldn’t even beat 2hr24mins my first ever half marathon timing ? The distance markers placed along is route are pretty accurate according to my Garmin. So nice just next day afternoon of the race, results is out! ?
Really want to thank Pinoy SG Runner’s Coach Arnel and Coach Jayson and all the fellow runners at PSR giving me advises and encouragement during the run and trainings, going to PSR trainings I really improves a lot in running ?
Unlock your best run. What is a best run? I suppose that any reason can also be why its a best run. It may be the first time a completing a long distance run such as 21km or 32km or getting a personal best timing or simply relationship goals like running together with your spouse, buddy buddy or hold your sweet heart hand and cross the finishing line together can also be considered a best run.
Unlock your best run. I did and I didn’t. I really walked a lot. Now when I looked back, I can only feel regret and disappointment as I didn’t push myself harder. I can definitely do better than this. Now I’m angry with myself for even walking. No matter how slow I could have run, I should have keep on running. And I will definitely challenge myself again the 32km again! Ah, that’s why it’s called as “Newton Challenge” ? Seriously even without giving us the finisher tee, all runners will be very prideful enough even just wearing the race singlet! Even the shortest distance to complete is 21km! I took M for finisher Tee as I think too highly of myself that I can fit a size M nicely and it turns out to be too big for me and July say: Look like you’re wearing a “boyfriend shirt” ? What if the boyfriend is smaller size than me? ? But no, it’s not a “boyfriend shirt”, I earned it myself! ?
(Photo credits: Ming Ham)
Thank you Ming Ham for this great photo! It captures really a thousand words or even more than that ? This picture is a super emotional photo, it’s just near the finishing line when I’m trying to chiong the last distance running at maximum speed to get my timing recorded. Can see the struggle, the 感動-ness I have to finish the run.
(Photo credits: RunningShots: Erwin)
This is my second time joining the Newton Challenge. Honestly speaking, what attracts me back to running this race is partially because of its super chio medal I got last year ? I was hoping this year’s medal will be nice too. Medals are not just useless piece of metal like some would said, but it means memories to me, it meant that I had conquer my mind last year. Last year, I ran the 32km distance as well, it was my first longest distance ran my entire life till I did my first full marathon in SCMS 2015.
(Photo credits: Pink Apple Events)
I’m all wet and was soaking in sweat. Couldn’t even unlock my phone as my hands are all wet with sweat, what I’m wearing were also soaked with sweat so I used my finisher tee as a hand towel ? Maybe it’s a good idea to give a small dry towel too after the races as it’s always a problem that after run, I have no where to dry my hands so that I can use my phone. Oh, maybe another idea is that I rather get a Chio FINISHER TOWEL than a finisher Tee. Good idea right? My finisher t-shirts are really piling up, giving towels is more practical too! I didn’t even look properly at the medal and finisher tee after I crossed the finishing line but the first thing I do is to enjoy the iced cold towel ? Though no Sun and I was seriously very cold the entire run, but it’s still very shiok to enjoy the cold towel and the bottle of super cold Pocari Sweat ? Newton Challenge really provides the BEST hydration service ? ALL the water I take at hydration points along the running routes are cold and there’s enough hydration point, I think almost 1 hydration point is available at about every 2km.
(Photo credits: July ❤️)
Just 5 mins after I crossed the finishing line, while I was with Sabrina and YiHeng queueing for the Pocari Sweat photo booth, I start to feel unwell. I was giddy , my vision went white that I thought I was about to faint and I feel very vomitty. And this crazy zhar bor dunno why tahan so hard just to take the photos. Look at her forcing a smile and how pale she is ?
And immediately after taking the photo I literally couldn’t move so the entire 1 hour plus or so, I was just sitting at only 3 steps away the tentage of Pocari Photo Booth sitting down loading myself with water and food after that. And miraculously the power of a doctor, I feel better seeing Dr Mok! (LOL! Have to specify more when you say tell people you see a doctor, seeing as in really just use eyes and see, no consultation of my symptoms ?) Manage to get a very nice photo with him ?
Thank you July and Romain to come support us and help us take nice nice photos ? And thank you YiHeng for collecting my baggage at the deposits and collects food for me, really appreciate his kindness ? Really enjoyed the Soya Beancurd and the food. Guess it’s the only running event that caters food for runners like rice and bee Hoon. There’s also ice cream and the water at the race village prepared is really enough for the runners that I think no one would complain of being thirsty.
I guess this is the first time after a running event I took the least photos around with friends. I didn’t even have the strength to go look for Kelvin, ChiuPing, Eugene, Rey, Thomas, Serene and HaoHan. Wonder is it because the night before NewtonChallenge, I couldn’t sleep. I only slept like 1 hour when I could have slept 5 hours at least, but I think the rest of the time I was just rolling here and there on the bed but simply can’t sleep.
I bought the shuttle bus ticket pick up from Yishun as there is no pick up available at Khatib MRT station which is nearer to home so I will need to walk at least 30mins to Yishun MRT but luckily Jasmine offered me a ride as her friend is driving, thank you Jasmine and Kok Leong! ? And congrats to Jasmine for coming in first in the 32km women’s closed catergory ? And I’m really lucky because I get to know after that that the shuttle bus to pick the runners up at Yishun is late for more than 20 minutes! ? How can like this ?
Flag off is at 4.30am exactly, after Jasmine and I deposited our bag and head to the start line, it’s the first time the start line is at the slope of Marina Barrage, I felt that it’s quite dangerous as it’s quite dark is a very potential place for people to fell down ? Floor is also wet due to raining previously and it’s a downward slope so hopefully everyone is safe ??
Race Entry Pack Collection is fast, collected it on the last day of REPC and there is no queue at all. Now I try not to collect my race pack on the first day of REPC as the first day is more crowded usually. There’s also a pair of Newton socks given this year for the early bird registration. I like the race singlet, it’s comfortable to wear, already wore a few times before race day, it looks nice too and also particularly just because it’s not Compressport ? Seriously I realised when I was packing my clothes a few weeks back and notice too many race singlet’s brand collected this year by the runs I participated in is printed with “Compressport” ? Hopefully I will get to keep more other brand’s race singlet.
[Deepavali]
On Saturday, Sabrina and I went to Bukit Timah Hill for a hike, we figured that as next day is Newton Challenge, we will just be going for a easy walk. There is no other plans made actually but then we decided to head to Dhoby Ghaut for lunch and who knows just nice it’s Deepavali and Istana is open! And well, since National Museum is nearby too so we just went! It’s really fun and we were out whole day since 8am and I walked about 32000 steps on Saturday ? Justina helped me collected my race pack for the coming GEWR but they didn’t give me the tutu along with the race pack, so I went back and collect it on Saturday and we bump into Justina ? And have fun at the photobooth. And then Sunday too, after Newton Challenge we went to Marina Square for breakfast and take go to the photo booth for some pictures again ? We took many beautiful photos on Saturday and just want to share it here too ?
SINGAPORE, 29th October 2016 – The world largest 5km nightrun, Skechers Blacklight Run Asia Series debut in Singapore with 4,000 runners at Palawan Green on Sentosa. Participants aged between 6 years to 75 years old were treated with an exciting Blacklight Run pre-run party led by resident Zouk DJ, Jade Rasif where participants were treated with special glow powder and latest trend of music.
Upon nightfall, the runners were then flagged off for their 5km run where they will experience three unique Blacklight Run TM Zones along the course, each with a distinct colour – green, pink, orange – where runners/ walkers will be showered in Blacklight Run TM UV Neon Glow Powder that glows in the dark.
Guest DJ “DJ Automatic”, the original Blacklight Run DJ, who has shared the stage with Kanye West, Lil’ Jon, T.I and Pitbull brought the after run party to a whole new level in Singapore.
Managing Director of organisers Orange Room Pte Ltd, Elvin Ting said “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring a world-class event into Singapore for the first time and we really want to provide this unique glow experience for people in Asia. It’s an amazing night with thousands of instagramable pictures taken and we want our all our participants and partners to enjoy every minute they spent with us on this national holiday.”
USA DJ Automatic Merrit mentioned, “I played in many major cities across the world including New York but Singapore is definitely one of the very best to date.”
Ms. Susan Chua, Vice President of Skechers Asean commented, “We are delighted and honoured to bring the world’s largest nighttime 5km Blacklight RunTM to Singapore for the first time. Skechers Blacklight RunTM is perfect for anyone who loves exercise, music and wants to enjoy an exciting nighttime run in Singapore. Participants will enjoy memorable moments throughout the 5km distance.”
This year’s edition of the Newton Challenge 2016 took place at the Marina Barrage on a very fine Sunday morning with a favorable cool weather and with the challenging ramp included on the final stretch of the race route making it somewhat unique. This is my second time taking part in this race and I noticed that there were a few minor flaws but nevertheless, the entire experience was completely awesome as, again, I achieved another personal record.
Race Eve
Facebook update at around 7 PM regarding the weather alert was good showing that the organizers are monitoring all the possibilities, however, I feel that not everyone is quite active on social media so this could have been easily missed out by some. A SMS rather should have been a much better way of reaching out to runners.
Race Day
With all my running essentials packed the night before, I woke up with only just enough time to gear up, have a quick bite and be on time at the Ang Mo Kio shuttle bus pick up point. I left my house at about 3:20 AM and ran a few blocks scared to miss the 3:25 AM shuttle bus. I regarded it as a warm up but then it was already 3:25 AM and I was still a block away. I felt a bit of a relief when I finally saw the bus at a distance and a few runners on the opposite side waiting for the go signal to cross. I have thought I did run fast enough to catch the bus but I thought wrong because the bus left 10 more minutes later. I have learned from my running friends coming from Yishun pick up point that their 3:15 AM shuttle bus was also late. Furthermore, their 3:15 AM bus hit the road even much later than my 3:25 AM bus which already departed late! How bad of a service was that?! Something must have gone terribly wrong there.
I managed to find my running friends on site despite the massive number of runners scattered all over the place. I felt there were not enough signage also to lead runners to the bag deposit, to the toilets or porta-loos if there were or even to the start line. All I saw was a very long but fast moving single queue leading to the baggage drop. The volunteers are doing a good job here.
Baggage Drop Queue
Making this edition unique is the start line wherein you need to make your way up round the marina barrage ramp and down. The down slope of the ramp didn’t help to kick start my run because of the narrowness of the ramp itself making it too ‘squeezy’ for the huge wave of runners slowing down the flow and the bottleneck continued until after the 2nd km mark.
The Marina Barrage Ramp full of runners patiently waiting for their respective waves to be flagged off
From this part onward lacks guide lights or at least some volunteers as this area is almost pitch-black. It was extremely dark that I had no idea on what I was stepping on. I was pre-occupied though on keeping my pace at 6 mins while having a little chit chat with my running buddy @naturerunshoot so I wasn’t really bothered for myself about the unlit path. The bottleneck just started to loosen after this dark area so my concern was the safety of other runners that when one stumbles a domino effect will happen considering the amount of runners.
As compared to last years edition, this year’s route is still better. If I remember it right, the whole course last year was the entire ECP requiring us to do 2 long loops somewhere to complete a 32. Hydration points are situated well except that there were a couple of hydration points along ECP where they were on the right side of the lane. Weren’t they supposed to be on the left side so that they won’t disrupt the momentum of the fast runners on the right? Few feedback from social media sources were ‘no bananas’ and ‘no energy gels’ which is quite true because these are basic necessities for long distance runs along with water or isotonic drinks. On a lighter note, generous muscle spray bottles are available on select points.
Aftermath
I was able to finish strong at 3:13 nett timing and I owe it to the training my group were doing to better prepare us for a full marathon coming this early December. A lot of things happened simultaneously after the race but me and my friends chose to gather on one corner and waited for the rest, did some serious cool down exercises and finally queued for the totally awesome food.
Post-race StretchingGot to stretch those tight muscles.
Overall, this year’s edition is well organized except for few minor but tolerable flaws. I would definitely take part again next year.
Runners collectively named Pinoy-SG RunnersMy Newton Challenge 2015 finish of 4 hoursThis year’s strong finish shed about 45 mins from last year’s record
We keep hearing the words Dri-Fit amongst our fellow runners and exercise friends, claiming how good it is especially in our kind of weather. It keeps them dry and comfortable while they work out, keeping their bodies cool and feeling fresh.
But while we keep hearing about this wonderful product, do we know what it is exactly? According to some sports brand sources, Dri-Fit outfits are made to fit the form of an athlete and brings the sweat up from the skin to the surface, keeping the athlete’s body dry. A boon especially when you get involved in a sport that results in you sweating like crazy.
You may be wondering, though, what the difference is between a regular cotton top and a Dri-Fit top. With the high level of curiosity, some fellow exercise enthusiasts, like myself, have gone to the extent of trying out both tops and comparing the effects.
Cotton is comfortable and works well for about 15 to 20 minutes before it starts absorbing too much sweat and gets heavy, with your body coated in almost the same amount of sweat as well which was pretty awful.
Dri-Fit, on the other hand, soaks up the sweat and before you start thinking, “It’s the same as cotton oh my goodness!”, it gets sucked up to the surface and leaves your body feeling dry and clean. The Dri-Fit top remains light and continues performing throughout my exercise regime.
This brings us to the next question. So does Dri-Fit suit every exercise style? Based on my observation, the answer is yes. It really doesn’t matter if you are a yoga buff or a marathon runner, Dri-Fit outfits aim to keep your mind off the icky feeling when you are exercising and keep your body feeling fresh and raring to go. But one thing to keep in mind is the fit of the Dri-Fit outfit you intend to wear. For a runner, something a little loose is good to give the body some space to move. For gymnasts, or those who do activities that require form-fitting outfits, it’s always best to get a Dri-Fit outfit that suits your workout requirements.
In warm and humid Southeast Asia, some of us have even started utilizing Dri-Fit tops in our daily lives. You have to admit, in our kind of weather, even going to the supermarket 10 minutes away for our groceries can result in a sweat bomb. In this case, Dri-Fit helps to keep us active, dry and cool to take on more.
Most of us love to eat. With our wide array of cuisines, we are constantly spoiled for choice on the types of food we can choose from for each of our meals.
In recent years, buffets have been super popular, especially among the youth because of the value-for-money and eat-all-you-can concept. This springs the problem of us overeating because we feel that we aren’t making the best use of the amount we have spent if we don’t eat everything. In fact, we should only be eating until we are 75% full, not even a 100%. Why? Here are the reasons.
1. Bloated and ill
You will notice that when you overeat, or even eat till you are entirely full, you tend to start feeling uncomfortable from the overstuffing. Then you may feel nauseous and ill. These symptoms are common when people attend buffets and cannot control their food intake. If you cannot imagine your own stomach being filled to the brim, imagine filling a balloon with water. As the water goes into the balloon, it inflates and inflates until it eventually bursts. Our stomach will not burst but it will be expanded to the point of discomfort, and that’s where our ill feelings come from.
2. Overeating can disrupt our sleep
You may be really tired but because you had too much to eat at dinner, you can’t seem to go to sleep properly, tossing and turning and feeling some sort of discomfort in your tummy whenever you attempt to move. This is a sign that you have overeaten and your body probably hasn’t had enough time to digest the food properly before you put yourself to bed. The tiredness comes about because all our blood has gone to our stomach for the digestion of all that food. And it is especially unhealthy to overeat at dinner because our stomach will not have enough time to digest all the food before you head to bed. It can not only cause us to feel uncomfortable. It can also cause us to have terrible nightmares and wake up feeling sloppy.
3. Lack of energy
It’s not only during dinner that we should not be overeating. Especially on the weekdays, eating too much during lunch can cause an epic slump right after because of the same reasons mentioned in the point above. You will find yourself very unproductive and sleepy and this is definitely not a good thing when you are stuck in the office where your actions are always being monitored.
4. It affects your health
At the core of it all, your health gets greatly compromised with continuous sessions of overeating. Getting your stomach up to 75% full will make you feel comfortable and just nice. Anything more than that will just cause more harm to your overall internal system and energy levels.
Have you ever experienced that moment when you are consistently losing weight and all of the sudden your great progress just stops??? Your weight just doesn’t seem to progress anymore and feel that your journey has already ended??
We’ll miss you, Glenn!
You have just experienced a “Weight Plateau” my friend!
A Weight Plateau is one of the most critical phases that one should consider facing when trying to lose weight. It is a phase that could lead one’s progress to success or down to failure, but haste your fear as this is a normal thing when it comes to losing weight and is definitely beatable!
A Plateau normally lasts between 3-5 weeks, so patience will definitely be needed!
Here are 3 of the main reasons why we face “Weight Plateaus”:
1. Inconsistent training
Being consistent with your workout plan is key! Always try to make time for your workout even on how busy your day seems. Things such as cheat days and lack of commitment to your goals would definitely lead you to a Plateau and could lead you to a relapse which would lead you back to square one.
One of the most easiest ways to get through this is just to re-evaluate yourself, trace back where you made mistakes, make changes with your program and most especially set a more concrete goal.
Added tip: Focus on your program and always keep yourself motivated.
2. Excess Water weight
Water plays a major role to your body, an average adult body consists around 55-60% of water and as you progress on becoming more leaner, the water percentage would increase due to muscles consisting more water compared to fats.
Agua!!
This is where patience is needed, our body naturally flushes out water in a timely matter and so meaning we just need to wait! Based from my experience, since I started drinking a gallon of water a day this was one of the main reason that Plateaus occurred. I lost a lot of body fat, and stopped losing weight then all of the sudden I started to urinate during late nights then boom! when I woke up one morning I lost 3 to 4 pounds! Just be patient and let the body naturally do the work.
Added tip: Sleep more! less sleep leads to food binging which affects water retention.
3. Meeting new caloric needs
This is a very common phase that anyone could face. When we start to lose weight the lowered daily calories we intake would start to become our maintaining calories and a way for you to get through this is just by simply adding more intensity with our workouts (ex. increase weight or just adding more intensity) or by lowering your daily caloric intake again.
One of the tools that I really suggest when undergoing this phase would be the myfitnesspal app (you can also visit the site: https://www.myfitnesspal.com ) Track your calories! It really does play a major role in a weight-loss program.
Love yo’self!
Added tip: It is okay to get comfy to the weight you have just progressed to, it is okay to slow down on your diet once in awhile.
It is normal to have a Plateau once in awhile and it also just means that you should just continue what you are doing. Losing weight doesn’t just happen overnight, it would normally take months to years before you meet that body you have been dreaming of. Having patience and persistence is important!
If you are one of those who prefer to do something more interesting than running, cycling may be a good sport to consider. Those who are serious about cycling swear by the amount of good the sport has done for and to them.
But besides the adrenaline rush that comes from the ability to go really fast on a bicycle, what are the various health benefits that come with it? Taking into consideration that you probably only need a few hours a week pedaling away to attain them.
1. Your heart gets stronger
As with any exercise, bicycling requires loads of stamina, which also means a set of stronger lungs and a stronger hear. Doing regular rides can help to strengthen your heart muscles and make you feel healthier and better about yourself.
2. Increased muscle strength and flexibility
You are also doing some form of cardio when you ride your bicycle. If you notice, there are a lot of maneuvering required to maintain balance and your core may even be worked while doing so. Every part of your body is being exercised when you are vigorously pedaling away, which makes for a great workout.
3. Improved joint mobility
This is obvious. When you ride a bicycle, you are constantly moving all your limbs at almost the same time, especially your legs. You may actually have better joint movement after riding for a while and maybe even get rid of the pain in that knee.
4. Decreased stress levels
Similar to other forms of exercise, going for a ride can take away the stress of the day. A good 5km can ensure that you will have sweated out all the pressures of the work day by the time you get home, especially after a good shower.
5. Better posture and coordination
Your coordination will definitely improve because of the constant movement of all your limbs and senses while you are on a route. However, having better posture is dependent on the type of bicycle you ride. If yours is a mountain bike or one of those racing kinds, your back may be compromised.
6. Bones become stronger
As with your joints, your bones will also get stronger from all the pedaling and movement.
7. Body fat will dip
Those of you who are looking for an adrenaline-filled exercise to lose weight, perhaps cycling may be the one for you.
8. Diseases can be prevented or managed
When your body is strong, your immune system is also kept strong, keeping diseases and illnesses at bay.
9. Reduced anxiety and depression
Like how riding a few kilometres can help to reduce stress, it can also dip your anxiety and depression levels to an all-time low. This is definitely beneficial for our mental and emotional health in the long run.
As we grow older, our bodies start to decline in almost every aspect. Our metabolism dips to an all-time low, we get tired faster and everything starts sagging. This is because our bodies are no longer as capable of absorbing some key nutrients which may be a result of a blunt in appetite because of the declining food tasting abilities. It may also be because some foods become difficult to chew or digest in our golden years. We could also consider taking cognitive supplements to help keep the memory functioning well. Be prepared to do some research as there are many websites out there to choose from (you could check out this AlphaBrain review, for example) and see if there is anything available that meets your needs and could prove helpful.
There are several supplements we will need to keep our bodies going as we age. Here are some of them and reasons why we should be getting enough of this bunch.
1. Calcium
I am only in my early 30s and am already experiencing pain in my joints due to old sports injuries. Because of that, I try to have as much calcium as I can get from dairy products such as cheese and milk. We all know how calcium helps to fortify our bones and teeth and keep them from breaking easily but did you also know that not enough of it will cause you body to leach it out of your bones? If cheese and milk aren’t your thing, you can always reach out to your local health store for calcium supplements that work just as well.
2. Fibre
According to some health professionals, it is necessary for us to take a dump at least once a day to clear our bowels and system. However, as we get older, our bodies don’t absorb as well as it used to and what happens is we get constipated, which is really uncomfortable. Besides ensuring regular bowel movement, fibre is also required to protect against heart disease. Fibre can be found in most vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and whole grains, but if these are not items you have on your regular menu, you can seek out fibre supplements from your doctor too.
3. Omega-3 Fats
The first thing most people will think about when they see this is salmon. And salmon is a really delicious way of getting your day’s worth of this supplement. Omega-3 fats are unsaturated fats found primarily in fatty fish that have a wide range of benefits including reducing symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis and slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a disease that reduces vision in the elderly. It may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and perhaps even keep the brain sharper as we age. Talk to your doctor if you need to take supplements for this.
4. Vitamin B12
The entire B vitamin group has lots of nutrients that are required for the well-being of our bodily functions. Vitamin B12, in particular, is important in creating red blood cells and DNA and for maintaining nerve function. Unfortunately, older people don’t get a lot of it because they aren’t able to absorb it from food as well as the younger folks. Although Vitamin B12 can be found in fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, it may also be a good idea to seek out your doctor’s opinion on starting you on supplements.
Hold Court’, ‘#CreateYourCourt’ are words normally associated with Tennis. I came to know about this event when I was scrolling through Facebook and saw the #CreateYourCourt posted on Adidas page. Naturally I was curious and decided to find out more.
EVENT INTRODUCTION
#CreateYourCourt is a Women only event which encourages women to put their own spin on the rules, and transform their training. This event had also invited some of Adidas’ biggest global tennis stars — Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep, in an immersive and adrenaline-filled women-only workout experience in the heart of the city.
#CreateYourCourt is a series of different workout events throughout the entire day on 20 October at The Adidas Court, The Pavilion – Far East Square. These 1 hour Workouts can be a Speed Training based on HIIT, a dance-based Mobility Training, a Power Training based on POUND®fit, or an hour long dance-workout finale led by Adidas Trainers and Creators.
SIGNING UP FOR THE EVENT
I signed up for the dance-workout finale and was lucky enough to get a slot. I read through all the classes brief write-up and thought this looks interesting and do-able hahaha… I’m not someone who dances or fancy going to a Body Jam class at the gym. In fact my class preference would be a Step workout class or an aerobics class but I thought, hey I should just be thick skinned and just try. If I don’t try I will never know. I decided to drag my friend Cheng Yee (CY) along since it’s more fun working out with a friend!
We got our confirmation on Tuesday morning! The Ultimate Dance-workout Finale is a workout inspired by Tennis that combines fly tracks which provide the peaks and troughs of intensity that you need during a workout! The music will also guide you through an immersive and infectious total body aerobic workout – ending the series of training sessions on a high note with adidas Trainer, Nor Dee Dee.Dee Dee is a professional dancer with more than 15 years of working dance experience. She was one of the first trainers to establish street dance as a regular activity in gyms, and has been recognised internationally for her work as a dance choreographer. She strongly believes that every dancer should find their own natural and achieved style.
EVENT DAY
The dance-workout finale was scheduled to start at 20:30 hrs but participants were encourage to be there 15 minutes earlier. Dressed in our Adidas dance/ workout outfits, CY and me met for a quick dinner before heading to the Venue. When we got to Far East Square, there were direction sign boards that lead us to The Adidas Court. I was so glad that they had those boards if not I think I would get lost. We happily registered ourselves and got a short introduction to what we could do before the class started. There was hair braiding services provided by Toni and Guys, a juice bar that will provide shots of fruit juice before or after each session, an interactive video game center and lots of photo opportunities.
CY and Me decided to check out the juice bar first. They had really interesting combinations of juices and were really yummy drinks. After that, we decided to go around taking some photos around the area. 15 minutes passes really fast when you’re having fun!
Soon Dee Dee was up on stage asking the participants to join her on the Adidas Court. Like most Singaporeans, we are very shy so a lot of us huddled at the back but Dee Dee encouraged us to move forwards. I was a bit nervous because I was standing in like the thrird row which was pretty front and normally for dance classes all the very good dancers would stand in the front! I always felt like a penguin during dance classes because some moves were just hard to do.
Warm up started with some simple dance moves like body rolls and dynamic dance stretches to slower tempo songs! That slowly build up to like a dance routine. Moves were fun and pretty simple to follow! What made the session even more enjoyable was the energy that Dee Dee brought to the class. The songs that she played were super catchy and fun! She also did a breakdown the dance moves so that beginners like me can catch the moves. We were all movin’ and groovin! What a party!! I sure didn’t feel like a penguin hahah… Check out the pics below! Photos are courtesy of Adidas Singapore.
Soon the class ended and all us had that high! You know that feeling when you just completed a workout! Group photos were taken and that was the end of the session! Big thanks to organisers Adidas for the invite and Dee Dee who made the class soooo enjoyable. After that session, I can tell you I was quite inspired and may actually consider taking some dance classes.
You Only Live Once – YOLO. Easy to understand, a catchy phrase that can appeal to most, if not all. This is the name of the run that started in 2015. The company behind the run is Singapore-based garment manufacturer X-Change Republic and the founder of this company is Xavier Bay, a 26-year-old Singaporean, who started the company right after he completed his A levels at age 18. His entrepreneurship story is indeed an inspiring one. Back in 2015 YOLO Run, for every runner who ran shirtless then, a T-shirt would be donated to an underprivileged child from a developing country.
I started running in late 2014, and got the ‘race’ bug in 2015, completing average of 2 per month. Carpe Deim was my motto for the days then as I woke up to a fresh morning run almost every day. YOLO appealed to me then. I thought it would be a good idea to challenge the mindset to do a shirtless run in public, and in the process contribute something back to ‘society’. So I just signed up in 2015 for the fun run then. It was with some trepidation though that I took off my T-shirt back then because when I reached there early in the morning, I didn’t see any man who was shirtless in the baggage deposit queue, though the women seemed more sporty in their attire. But for the cause, I just went ahead. Nearer the start time, other men appeared shirtless but it seemed that men were more shy in that event. But by the end of the run, everyone has also shed off his/her inhibition to a large extent.
I bumped into my neighbor who took a short video. Was a bit shocked to watch the video after the race as I thought she had taken a photo. It was then a 5 km fun race and we just needed to put on a wrist tag which was rather smart. I also didn’t notice a photographer who took a fairly close up shot too. The race was breezy and I did enjoy the novelty and liberty of running shirtless in a race, oblivious of my ‘flabbiness’.
Photo Credit : Yolo Run 2015
This year, same YOLO run, but different format. There is still a 5 km run but additional 10 km competitive run. For the competitive race, there is a nice unique medal. For each shirtless runner, X-Change Republic Pte Ltd would donate a sports bra to the BRAS (Breast Reconstruction Awareness Singapore), which is essential in the recovery process of patients.
For those who are keen to just get a review of the race, immediate next few paragraphs are my impressions and what I gathered too from some of my running friends and own observation. I participated in the 10 km race so it’s generally focused on that.
Race Registration was $55 for Early Bird for the 10 km category. This was good value for your money as you get a singlet (or a sports bra for female), a Tee-shirt, a draw-string bag, a Yoga-mat, a nice customized box amongst the usual promotional items. There were lead up sessions (some complimentary) to the race but I was too busy with life’s mundane matters to attend. I believe they are useful but can’t comment further as I didn’t take part.
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Race Entry Pack Collection was done at Sports Hub, OCBC Arena, a bit distant but a nice place to collect and no place is really that far in Singapore, especially if you are a serial race runner. Collection was done within 5 minutes for myself and there were the usual promotional setups but pretty decent display for participants to take photos to enter the photo contest too. The surprise was that the items were packed in a nice personalized box with your bib number and name sticker pasted.
Race Venue was at Gardens By the Bay, Bay East Garden (near Tanjong Rhu). This was a tricky venue (lack of car parks near there) but not unfamiliar to most serial runners again.
Shuttle buses were provided at limited MRT stations to venue for a fee of $4. Free Shuttle Buses were provided too near Stadium MRT. This was great except that on race day itself, long queues were seen forming at the Stadium.
Queue at Bag Deposits after the Race (and some for the 5 km Start)
Bag Deposits: A number tag was issued and stapled onto your bib. This was, I thought a good way to identify the bag except that it was not taken advantage of. Long queues were seen at the bag deposits especially nearer race time and after the race. Folks were in the queue for 30 minutes or longer (it took me 25 minutes, a friend 30 minutes and another friend 45 minutes to collect our bags). Assuming that the turnouts were already as expected, perhaps improvements could be made in the following areas :
Big number signs could be shown at each queue to indicate the range or just the counter number. I saw that after queuing for a lengthy time, some participants were redirected to another counter. It could be that they had forgotten which queue they had been in previously. The net result is that the other queue then had some people redirected there waiting to be served while the rest of the folks in the queue started to wonder.
The bags were just thrown a bit randomly into the racks behind at least at the counter where I had queued. They were not in any order so the volunteers needed to search every shelf. They asked for the description of your bag when collecting, which caused further delays.
The number of volunteers were inadequate, I believed. There was only one at the counter where I collected mine, though I saw two at the one next to him. It would have been ideal if the tent set up was such that there is another queue on the opposite side for collection. But I could understand the lack of space and resources. Still, if the bags were arranged more in order, in the running sequence they were issued out, it would have probably relieved the frustration of the long wait at the baggage deposits/collection.
Source: YOLORun Website
Race Route : It was one of the more challenging ones as it was a loop, which meant that the dreaded Marina Barrage slope had to be negotiated twice, once at the beginning and the other near the end 8-9 km. Some runners had feedback that the distance seemed a bit short of 10 km, but I had seen at least one runner who showed the distance to be just exceeding 10 km. Still, the route is fairly ‘standard’ and a nice scenic one. The weather was comfortable that day though the race started at 7 am, a fairly late time, I felt for a 10 km race. Towards the end there was a light drizzle but everyone did seem to have a great time (maybe because of that, as it lowered the temperature). I noticed at least two hydration stations. It was adequate as I needed only one these days. An improvement would be perhaps to make the encounter with the barrage to just once or change the route completely. A 10 km run for newbie (and exposed !) runners starting at 7 am will normally be a very hot affair under Singapore’s sun by the time he/she finishes. (Mileage signage seemed a bit sparse at the beginning or perhaps I had missed them.)
After Race : the event repeated its successful debut by having the Yoga session (Stretching) by influential Yoga Instructor – Liv Lo, sponsored by Manduka (as promoted). I didn’t stay back for the session but as per last year’s session, witness the abundance of participants from the photographs. I believe this was probably one of the most participated after race events compared to the other races. Speaking of photographers, this event is embraced by many in the scene : Running Shots, Runcapture, YoloRun, Run Society (Jackson Teo), and Umar AK. I’ve shared some of their great efforts too in this blog and you may find yourself in their FB pages. Thank you for all the nice photo shots ! (Photo Credits are due to them for the running scenes.) This race will get a full 5 stars for photo coverage if this is high in your requirements for a race.
Race Results were announced on YOLO website 2 days after the event early Monday morning. An email was also sent by SpaceBib. Communication and marketing gets high rating too in this race. On the ground communication for transport could be improved to avoid too long waiting queues. The Race Medal is quite unique (see further below).
The above is as objective a review as I could do. What follows is more my personal account of my 25th event’s medal this year or the 25th challenge.
As it was, I caught a bad cold in the week before the race after the Swim For Hope. Though the cough and bad throat seemed to disappear on Wednesday, they came back on Thursday again. So You Only Live Once philosophy came a bit differently this time to me. I had to be in good condition still for the other challenges that I still had on hand, a TOGO1050 that was ongoing (cycle 1050 km in 9 weeks) and preparation for the Spartan Beast, I decided I had to wear my ‘most skimpy singlet’ – not a shirt, for this race and not risk worsening the cold. It was also good advice by my other ‘adventure’ buddy Francis. He couldn’t make it for the race due to another commitment but my other running buddy SY turned out in full force with his twins. His blog is out and he had decided to YOLO run with his twins, which would be one of the precious moments when he looked back on his races for the year, I’m sure.
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Photo Credit : Runcapture
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Running Shots
SY and his twin power ! Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Running Shots
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit : Umar AK
Photo Credit: Umar AK
Photo Credit : YoloRun
Photo Credit : YoloRun
Photo Credit : YoloRun
Photo Credit : YoloRun
SY and I.
So just as well too, towards the end of the race, there was a drizzle but I enjoyed the run, much more than expected as I had to cover the Marina Barrage twice. I didn’t PB for this 10 km race but am getting back slowly after the past series of injuries. The difference for this race was that we collected the drawstring bag, the yoga mat and medal at the finishing line with a can of energy drink.
Unique Medal
The number of registered participants seemed close to 5000 for the 10 km, quite sizable for their first time organized competitive event. I believe that there is a certain level of attraction for those who wish to run ‘free’ perhaps for once a year or see it as a motivation for themselves to get in shape to run shirtless. For others, it could be the novelty of doing something different. After the race, there is the popular yoga stretching exercises. Before that too, there was some fashion show. All in, I believe the participants generally did enjoy the event to a large extent. For the fans, I’m sure they would look forward to next year’s and hopefully too, there would be other surprises. Till the next challenge, safe and happy running!
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Win A Free Polar M600!
Great news for JustRunLah! readers. We are happy to be giving awayone (1) free Polar M600! Fill in the form below to take part in the contest!
Contest has closed and winners have been notified – Thank you for taking part!
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