February 2015 Race Highlights

February 27, 2015

A short calendar month, February was nonetheless eventful, with both Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year. Amidst the socialising, our runners still managed to turn up at some of these events. Here’s a summary of February’s races.

Safari Zoo Run 2015, 7 & 8 Feb, Singapore Zoo

The month started with the 7^th edition of the Safari Zoo Run 2015 twin events – with competitive runners running the 6km and 12km categories on 7 February, followed by the family run on 8 February with distances of 6km and 2.8km. The run is held in the memory of the beloved late Ah Meng, the Singapore Zoo’s iconic orang utan.

Over 9000 people showed up in the two days, running through the scenic routes that wound past the animal exhibits. With some uphills and downhills, the route was just challenging enough, but not too much to compromise fun for the kids.

Both races did reasonably well in all areas. Participants were most satisfied with the route planning, as well as the race day expo and activities. The wet play area was definitely a hit with the children. The generous runners’ entitlements included an event T-shirt, a Singapore Zoo towel, a finisher’s medal, and free entries to the parks.

safarizoorun — Photo credit: Safari Zoo Run Facebook page.

Terry Fox Run 2015, 8 Feb, East Coast Park

Now in its 34^th edition, the Terry Fox Run 2015 was once again a success. Participants came together for this non-competitive run in the memory of Terry Fox, the brave young Canadian athlete Terry Fox who attempted to run 8000km in an effort to raise funds to support cancer research. Despite succumbing to bone cancer at the age of 22, his legacy continues, and on 8 Feb at East Coast Park, Singapore participants contributed to his fundraising vision with a donation or a purchase of the event T-shirt.

Runners were very satisfied with the event overall. Hydration and amenities were adequate, with ginger cookies and a Milo van as post-run treats. The event’s route planning and pre-race logistics fared the best. Flagging off at Big Splash, both routes were out-and-back, with runners on the 10K route headed towards the Bedok Jetty, while the 5K runners headed towards Fort Rd.

The event gave special recognition to cancer survivors, who were flagged off before everyone else. Runners drew inspiration from the courage and spirit of those who’ve not only fought the battle against cancer, but also refused to let the illness stop them from running. With pleasant weather that was not too hot, runners had a real blast at this event, knowing they’ve also done their bit towards raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

terryfox — Photo credit: Terry Fox Run Facebook page.

Meta Sprint Series Aquathlon 2015, 8 Feb, Palawan Beach Sentosa

Kicking off the first multi-disciplinary competition for the year was the Meta Sprint Series Aquathlon 2015, where participants had a choice between the 750m swim plus 5km run Sprint Distance, or a 250m swim plus 2.5km run Discovery Distance. The race was also open to children, with a Kids’ Category of 150m swim plus 1.5km run. Organisation was commendable, with the staggered flag-off times for the various categories helped to prevent congestion during the event.

Elites put up a great show for the audience, with close wins and tight competition. The swim-to-run transitions were generally unencumbered, and the flat and fast course that wound along the southern shore of Sentosa. For recreational participants, the safe and calm waters provided the right incentive for runners to dip their toes into the world of aquathlon. Entitlements were not shabby either, as participants got to take home an event T-shirt, a beautiful medal, a certificate, goodie bag gifts, and various sponsor vouchers.

MetaSport-Aquathlon-2015-Samples-1637-800x534 — Photo credit: MetaSprint Official webpage.

Brooks Marina Run 2015, 14 Feb, Gardens by the Bay

Dedicated runners who chose to spend their Valentine’s Day evening running with their beloved, or simply for the love of running, found themselves at the Brooks Marina Run 2015. The race offered half-marathon and 10K distances, and 6000 turned up for the race.

JustRunLah!’s photographer was at the event to capture our readers. To search for photos of yourself, click here.

Valentine Run, 15 Feb, Bedok Reservoir Park

To celebrate Singapore’s 50^th year of independence, the theme of this year’s the Valentine Run at Bedok Reservoir Park was “Back to 1965”. Runners took part in a 4.3km fun run, followed by a carnival of activities including a pledge of love and friendship, live band performances, and various games. Some runners got to re-live a blast from the past, with traditional hawker foods and childhood favourites (who can recall the days of the kacang puteh man’s cry from down the street?)

With the cost of registration only $15, and the runner’s entitlements including an event T shirt, a medal, a goodie bag, it was a good value-for-money event.

Marina Party Dash 2015, 15 Feb, Gardens by the Bay

Wrapping up for the month was the 5K untimed Marina Party Dash 2015, which was less of a race, and more of a water-soaked, fun-filled family event. Runners were encouraged to come in disguise, and instead of a timing chip, runners were presented with water guns. There was no way one could avoid getting wet, since volunteers were planted along the route to aim at participants too. All participants who finished within the generous cut-off time got medals. Other runners’ entitlements included a picnic mat, and a post-run meal of sandwiches, fruits and sports drinks.

The fun of the run aside, race day expo and activities also rated well; the organisers had an array of stage games lined up, a Family Olympic Challenge, booth activities, and live bands performing. All in all, it was definitely a family-centric event, with high fun factor and a great way to initiate children to the world of running and racing.

5 things I learnt from Marathon running

skinnykenyan

February 25, 2015

Why would you run a marathon?

Before i run the marathon for the first time, i struggle to find a logical enough reason to explain my purpose in doing so. I blabber out reasons like… justforfunlah! seehowlor! which makes no sense. After i finished running the marathon, the answer is clear.

Why should we even explain ourselves? Those whom run it will know the reason why.

Everyone runs for distinct reason(s) unique to their life.

After 5 years of running, I’m just like anyone else, a leisure runner. When I’m happy I’ll run more, when i feel ‘high’ i run bit faster. I don’t do 150km per week neither do i run most of my runs at race pace. Like you and every other runner out there trotting away in the year of the goat, i firmly believed slow and steady shall prevail in the long run (literally).

There are 5 things I’ve learn through Marathon running. Here we go:

1. It’s as unique race.

When you started your running regime, you ran from 1km to 2.4km to 4km to 5km, so on and so forth. Thereafter, you train for a 10k race, subsequently to a 21km race. You complete these races. You look back at your effort for 21km and in your mind, you must be thinking ‘crazy man, how to run 42km?!’ A marathon is long, not as long as a ultramarathon, not as short as a 21km race. This distance could be deadly if you didn’t prepare for it. But even if you did, the training promises nothing 100%. It doesn’t mean that you train well for it, during race day you’ll shine and clock your personal best. Why? In my opinion, its more of a mental than a physical race. A marathon is unpredictable. For a leisure runner with minimal talent, we can only afford so much time, without compromising personal commitments. And that the fun part of it. The distance is fixed, ultimately it depends on yourself. Your peers could help you get there, but on race day you are on your own (even with your peers around you).

2. You are stronger than you think.

I remember when i first started running, i always find myself sprinting the final 200m to the finishing line. When i finished the race, i pant like crazy and wonder why would I have so much energy at the end. Is that really andrenaline kicking in? Could it be your speed trainings and negative split trainings aiding that last 200m? Could it be pure luck? Could it be you’re rushing to the portaloo? They say that after 30km, you would hit the wall. True. They say after 35km, you will run out of energy and walk all the way to the end. True too. Now, look back at your training, what is the longest run you did prior to the marathon? Probably 30-35k? During your longest run, you would probably include some water breaks, walking, waiting at traffic lights etc. Look, during race day, you are likely to run nonstop and even after passing your longest training run mark, you continue to trot, push yourself and finish with a florish at the finishing line with a smile.

3. No short cut, sheer hardwork is required.

Recently I was privileged to know some top distance athletes in Singapore whom were humble to share their training schemes with me. They did 180km in their PEAK week. Like what?!?! So there you have it. The kenyans do 2xx km per week to get the speed for a marathon. You get what you sow. Its pretty obvious. Even with talent, hardwork is still required. As most runs ain’t at marathon race pace, I would think you need to get used to the distance that’s required, forcing your body to understand 42km manageable at a pace you wouldn’t typically run during your long run. During my training, i’ll usually run the final 10km of my long run at race pace. Thats about it. Lots of training is required if you wish to do well in a marathon. If i run once a week, i shouldn’t be expecting myself to complete a marathon with ease. For me that is…

4. The best had yet to come.

The final 5km is always the most torturous journey during a marathon race. Your body is depleted and you are practically using every ounce of your mental energy, the runners around you, the support crew along the way, to egg you on. In the final 200m, you do your best to cross the line with a big wide smile. But you know in your mind, and you are absolutely sure, the moment you cross that line, you’ll do better in your next marathon. Some might say ‘ahhhh no more marathons in a while’, most of the time, they’ll do another the following year or in half a year! #runnerslie . Its akin to studying for an exam. When you scored 75 marks in your maths, your confidence rises and you feel, maybe, just maybe if i work abit harder, I’ll get 80. Is that possible? Of course! Is it attainable? You bet.

5. Management of life comparison.

This is pretty personal. To me, i compare running a marathon with a normal person living his/her life from birth till the end of life. Basically when you started off running the first 10km, you tell yourself you got this, you make sure your effort is steady, pace is steady and this is the part you smiled the most. This is similar to the first 20 years of your life. Basically everything is planned out for you. Your life is usually smooth flowing and there’s little cause for concern as there are always support around you. Sometimes you need them, sometimes you don’t (same as the water points in the first 10km :p). When you start your 11km to the half marathon mark, you still want to ensure a steady effort, but you realised its not as easy compared to the first 10km. Same with your life, from age 20-40, you find yourself grappling with making decisions of your own. Choosing and evaluating your partner, finding a suitable apartment, doing renovation, finding and retaining the right peers in your life. While you find your self having to make decisions of your own, you can still count on the peers around you and yes you will always count on them for a second opinion now, be it your family, your friends or colleagues. The 21-30km mark can be the most daunting to some. Mentally you know you have completed half of it but there’s another half to go. Some start to fatigue midway through and saw their pace dragged away. Some took this opportunity to make up for loss time while managing their expectation and making plans for the final 10km. This is similar to a person’s life. When you are 40, everything seems to come to a stand still. For some, age is a concern and just looking at the numbers ‘4’ and ‘0’ together is daunting enough. For others, they start making plans, they made friends with younger peeps, get involved in running more and being healthy, start making plans for family while managing other commitments. Then come the final 10km (i once had a friend whom told me a marathon was 40km, last 2km on andrenaline so don’t count them in). Your legs are heavy, you feel like dying but you know if you slow down now you’ll crash to a point of no return. In life, when you are past 60, i would pressume peeps just want to take it easy and ‘crash’ in their comfortable sofa and enjoy a retired lifestyle. This contrast is what motivates me in the final 10km. I am not 60 now and i will not be 60 anytime soon. I usually ran the last 10km faster than the first 30km by inducing this concept into my brain. I could run less (maybe even retired from running) when I’m 60, but that time has yet to come.

There will always be non runners whom when they knew you run marathons, come asking for your timings. And when you tell them the timing, the first look of their face betrayed whatever they wish to say in the next instance. Why? They use their 2.4km timing and start multiplying, without taking into fatigue into consideration. They will never understand the above points unless……

They run a Marathon.

– skinnykenyan

Image credit: 123rf.com

Striking the Academic and Athletic Balance

Team JustRunLah!

February 24, 2015

Being a student is no walk in the park! As a result of their involvement in various interest groups and societies offered by their schools and other communities, students often find themselves juggling their academic commitments with many supplementary activities. Of these, sports is a popular choice, and one that requires high level of dedication, hard work and effort in order to make the cut for their varsity teams.

Consequently, some student athletes face the dilemma of choosing between sports and studies as their main focus. While trying to achieve success in both areas might sound intimidating and an almost impossible task, many outstanding student athletes have proven the possibility and continue to be inspiring role models for many.

Train together and study together

During a sports competition, team players work together to score goals, defend against opponents, and support each other in order to emerge as victors of the game. Applying this concept of teamwork in academic life, students can form study groups and help each other out by organising weekly study sessions. Find out each other’s strength and weaknesses among the modules, and assign a subject “in-charge” to be the peer tutor for that module. This increases efficiency and effectiveness of studying because less time is consumed in understanding the concepts and encourages learning from one another.

Study teams can also form academic goals and work towards it in unison. For instance, as the first team goal, to achieve a 100% pass grade for everyone in the team for all modules. Increasing the level of difficulty in achieving those academic goals can also motivate everyone to work harder and strive for greater academic excellence.

Consult teachers and coaches

If students happen to miss classes and important seminars due to trainings and tournaments during their sport seasons, teachers are always there to provide academic assistance. That said, if you are requesting out-of-hours consultation and your professor is doing you a favour, don’t waste his/her time by being ill-prepared. It is highly advisable to have done some basic reading on your own, and go in armed with a list of questions. With issues to be addressed identified, the consultation will be steered in the correct direction, and enable students to get the best out of that session.

If students feel that they are unable to cope with the intensity of the trainings, they should speak to their sport coaches about it instead of struggling to manage both, only to find themselves losing out at both ends.

Veteran cross-country coach, Mr Steven Quek, who has been coaching student-athletes at various institutions since 1986, has done extensive research on developing ways to achieve success in sports while meeting the demands of the rigourous education system in Singapore. At the 2014 National Schools Cross Country Championships, his teams from Raffles Institution (A Division Boys & Girls, B & C Division Boys) and River Valley High School (B Division Girls) achieved a record-breaking five championship titles.

To quote the reputable teacher-coach, “it’s really about getting the kids’ studies and CCA (co-curricular activities) in order… When their lives are in order, they can do sports well.” With one of his former student-athlete, Miss Renuka Satianathan, Mr Quek has published a book, titled Excel in Sports and Studies – You Can Do It!, equipped with useful tools to aid athletes in managing their hectic student lives and that excelling in both areas is not an impossibility.

Talk to your senior peers

Alternatively, some students prefer approaching their senior peers, people who have been through similar experiences and can offer advice in a less formal context. Peer mentorship allows students to learn from their seniors and apply to their lifestyle and at the same time, enable senior students to develop their leadership skills.

Family support

Family is the most important pillar of support for student athletes who are struggling to meet their sports and academic demands. Parents are advised to align their expectations to their child’s capabilities and self-determined targets, and refrain from adding even more pressure on them during the crucial periods of the competition seasons and school examinations.

Be independent for your own learning

As in studies, so too in sports, there are bound to be challenges in the pursuit of excellence. The desire to succeed in both may seem intense, yet it is not completely impossible. Just as a single bad race does not break a whole season, a single bad test score does not spell academic doom. Apply the same logic in training as you would in academia – of identifying areas of weakness, and working to improve on them.

Incorporating the good habit of using a diary or planner will enable students to keep track and allocate time for training, studying and leisure. Having an organised study desk, free of distractions, can boost concentration while studying. These are just a few of the many tips that student athletes can adopt to support their studying needs.

At the end of the day, student athletes have the final say in deciding what to do in their spare time in between study and training breaks, weekends or holidays. With self-discipline and determination to work hard and train hard consistently, students will be surprised how their seemingly hectic campus life starts to fall into place.

Cover photo credit: http://mrspattie.com

Running @ Kuantan, Malaysia

Zhiyong

February 23, 2015

Country: Malaysia

State: Pahang

Highlight: Teluk Chempedak Beach, East Coast Mall

Accommodation: The Zenith Hotel

Water points: Petrol kiosks / Shops along the route (Please bring some money)

This running route was done during a business trip to Kuantan. Kuantan may not be very popular amongst Singaporeans and the transportation there is also quite limited (currently only Firefly flies direct from Singapore to Kuantan). However, for a relatively economical way to enjoy Club Med facilities, Club Med Cherating Beach in Kuantan can be an option. Kuantan is also famous for production of handicrafts, batik, keropok (dried fish crackers) and salted fish.

Preview of running route:

– See map of route here

The Twin Races: Brooks Marina Run / Marina Party Dash Run 2015

red3

February 22, 2015

Being a loaded racing weekend for me, I was grateful both events were in the afternoon. The Marina Run was my first 10km for the year and third since I started running mid-2014. The Party Dash was a 5km fun run and I had hoped for a very easy one since my 6 years old daughter was racing with us.

Here’s a glimpse into the races.

Brooks Marina Run – Valentine’s Day Event

“Roses are red, Violets are blue, I know it’s Valentine’s Day….” and that’s about as far as it goes because sweating it in a 10km run with my buddy Michelle ain’t romantic at all but that’s exactly what we did, along with the other 6000 competitors who joined the race.

My Valentines Running Date — My running Valentine buddy

Sluggish, lazy, sore quads from previous training sessions, certainly not in the mood, neither of us knew how this run was going to unfold. All I thought of was that I will run, walk or crawl to clock up 10km and complete the race.

Flagging off from Gardens by the Bay East beneath the south side of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, we headed for the Marina Barrage Bridge. Within 30 seconds of crossing the Start line, I lost Michelle in the crowds. See you at the end buddy.

Always time for a selfie with my supporter.

As I crossed the bridge, I caught a glimpse of my support team, waving and photographing from level 2 of the Barrage’s Pump House. I will see you guys at the end too.

The rest of the race was a slow and steady pace along the shoreline of the Marina Bay and Kallang Basin. With my Suunto watch directing my pace, my aim was to complete the race by running (or more like jogging) the entire route. Keeping my cardiovascular exertion in check by slowing down, my focus was mainly on my legs and the usual fatigue and discomfort I feel after several kilometers of running. I was satisfied when I reached the 5km mark, still feeling in pretty good shape. By the 6th km, my knees and quads were subtly niggling and it was time to talk to my head and pump up the music. Swaying between “just one more kilometre to where is the next km marking to don’t stop to carry on” type of conversation, I was relieved to see the 9km marking. As I rounded the Costa Rhu condos and saw the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, I kept wondering why I couldn’t see the Finish line until I realised that the last kilometre was an extra 500m longer. The run in the end was 10.5km and boy that last 500m was definitely not welcomed.

However, I was satisfied with the overall effort. Slightly better than my Great Eastern Women’s run in November 2014, I ranked 346 of 1945. Michelle on the other hand did exceptionally well by ranking 68 of 1945, making it to the top 3% of racers.

Hold me up floor, Im stuffed. — Hold me up floor, I’m stuffed.

FullSizeRender — We may have been sluggish but we had a sense of humour.

Marina Party Dash

Whilst the Marina Run left me fatigued, I was ever so thankful that this race was untimed and organised purely in the name of fun. Being in the same location as the Marina Run the 5km was a 2 x 2.5km loop in front of the Marina Bay Golf Course.

Since it was untimed most of the participants only completed one loop which was more than enough to maintain the fun factor and motivation for my child. We were joined by our friend and his family.

The highlight of this race was the water pistol each participant received in their race pack instead of a tee. Loaded with water and ready to rumble, Wonder Girl (aka Trinity) had her eyes set on her target, Deathdeala (aka Daddy) and her friend, Michelle. Along the way Wonder Girl realised that Triple SSS (aka Mum) may have looked harmless as she was photographing but was quite efficient shooting with her left hand.

Deathdeala was in full swing, guns blazing, mowing down anyone in the way with water. Somehow I think he lost himself in one of his Call of Duty games. Taking ‘incognito’ positions behind trees that were thinner than him, Deathdeala was hoping to spring upon the unsuspecting oncoming gunslingers. If only he wasn’t so invisibly visible.

What he didn’t expect is Triple SSS sneaking up on him and dousing him in water. Down for the count, Triple SSS then descends upon Wonder Girl smothers her with mummy kisses and proceeds to blast her with water. Mission accomplished and I was out of there.

Never one to accept defeat, Deathdeala rose from the ashes and duplicated himself with Deathdeala II. The war was raging all the way to the finish line where they took their final victims down who were attempting to cross the line.

Somewhere along the way we did do some running but not much. We clocked up 2.8km in about 25min but didn’t care much for that as we headed for the carnival festivities.

Being a very small event, perhaps 300-500 participants, it eliminated the usual post race mayhem at the finisher tent where we collected fresh sandwiches, fruits and sports drinks. The kids entered the highly entertaining Musical Statues game on stage. Comical game hosts kept us in stitches for the next half hour. Michelle earned the nickname Madame Tussaud for her perfectly frozen stance, and Trinity was nicknamed after Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ song. The kids were so good at the game the rules had to change with a final dance off. Trini completely let loose and came out one of two winners.

Besides this game, the carnival consisted of Family Olympic Challenge, more stage games, activities at the booths and music performances from local bands. Another family orientated event just like the Safari Zoo Family Run that comes highly recommended. We certainly had tonnes of fun being water gunslingers with our swanky bib code-names.

Review – Gaya Island Resort: A Private Paradise

Team JustRunLah!

February 22, 2015

We received the following review from one of the couples who won a luxurious vacation and we thought we would share it with all of you:

I was absolutely delighted when I found out I won a free 3D2N trip to Gaya Island Resort (GIR). A quick glance through the website and the phenomenal reviews on Tripadvisor got me extremely excited – it’s going to be a real treat!

Getting there

Looking for the most economic route, we decided to go with AirAsia, which flies daily from Singapore directly to Kota Kinabalu (KK). However, here was when we encountered our first hiccup: AirAsia flights arrive at 8:05pm. GIR provides free speedboat transfers from the Sutera Harbour Marina in KK starting from 8am with two-hour intervals, and the last one departs at 6pm. A private charter is available but extremely costly (RM700), so we had to extend our trip by another day and book an extra night at another hotel in KK. We made the most of it, however – the KK town is small and easily navigated with the help of a map. We visited the night market and enjoyed some delicious durian, which wasn’t in season in Singapore, and tasted the local Ba Kut Teh.

The next morning, we visited the Filipino market and walked around the area where we found some top quality local treats (such as kek lapis and dodol). We then took a short taxi ride to the marina about one hour before the speedboat departure at 12pm.

This was the lovely office at the marina. We were greeted by friendly staff and treated to some refreshing sorbet while we settled down in comfy couches. The staff confirmed our reservation and the timing for our speedboat return transfer to the mainland three days later. After that, we took a stroll around the Sutera Marina Resort, which was also very pretty:

Soon, the staff informed us that the speedboat was ready. We walked down the dock to where the Sutera 2 was awaiting:

The resort

A short 15 minute ride later (where my shorts got a bit wet from the sea spray, you’ve been warned!), we arrive at Gaya Island Resort!

Lush, green, tropical – it felt amazing to be surrounded by such natural beauty. We headed towards the reception and were served a welcome drink. A friendly staff member shows us a map of the resort and introduces the different restaurants on the island (more on that later), the location of various facilities, and then brought us to our room. The room is absolutely stunning, see for yourself:

The bathtub was gigantic!

There were his and hers vanity counters, and the toiletries were really pretty! They smelled amazing too: cucumber, pomegranate, pomelo and watermelon scents.

The outdoor verandah. Ours was located at the ground floor, near to the main restaurant of the resort. It meant that we had a really short walk to the restaurant and pool, but didn’t have much privacy.

We headed for the pool next, which, like everything else on this resort, is absolutely stunning in design:

Pool bar! We ordered a cocktail here, and it was delicious.

You have the option of lying in the sunbeds next to the pool, or right by the beach. We really liked that the resort wasn’t crowded at all, there was always space to ourselves and the staff would come over with iced water and beach towels after you settle down.

Amazing reading library at Gaya Island Resort.

The food

Next, onto the food. The quality of the food served at Gaya Island Resort was pretty good. We tried the Omakase restaurant on our first night. The price for the teppanyaki menu (RM200++ per person) was rather astronomical. The food was delicious and it was a treat seeing the chef display his skills, but overall the meal wasn’t quite value-for-money.

We wanted to visit the nearby private beach where the Thai restaurant was located. Hourly transfers are provided, but unfortunately for us, the weather was poor when we were there and the boat rides were cancelled. The staff was kind enough to arrange for a Thai set menu to be served to us at the resort’s main restaurant, and it was delicious. The good service is a nice touch but once again the meal was rather pricey. At least the view was pretty!

The activities

The resorts offers a wide range of activities from snorkelling, kayaking, nature walks to sunset cruises, tribal dinners and yoga sessions. Only a few are free, and as you can expect, some of these do not come cheap. Prices range from RM30 to 300++ per person. We opted for the nature walk (which was free, thank goodness), and it proved to be a really educational experience!

You can only go on the trail with a guide, as all sorts of dangerous and poisonous creatures lurk beyond. Our guide was excellent – she was full of interesting tidbits of information and was extremely alert of wildlife around us all the time. She would stop and point out termite hives, interesting plants and trees, lizards etc. She even told us that a poisonous viper was spotted nearby a few days ago! At this point I was getting chills down my spine, while my boyfriend was having the time of his life! As far as for wildlife, it’s worth noticing that we even spotted a wild boar running across the grounds once! That being said, the room itself is perfectly clean, possibly due to excellent housekeeping services and a nightly turn down service.

All in all, we would recommend GIR for a nice getaway from busy city life, especially since Kota Kinabalu is so easy to get to. The resort and rooms are absolutely stunning and would make you feel at ease in an instant. Prices tend to be quite high, however, and if guests did not want to try the resort’s activities, they cannot head to the mainland for the day (unless you’re willing to get a private charter), which means that you’re limited to the island for the duration of your stay. Still, we had a wonderful time.

Many thanks to JustRunLah and Gaya Island Resort for a memorable stay!

Disclaimer: The present article and any opinions, advice, statements or other information contained in this post are not necessarily endorsed by JustRunLah!. JustRunLah! has not verified the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the present article.

Gear Review: SleekTag Grip – Take Your Motivation With You

TheRunningAngmoh

February 22, 2015

SleekTag: Grip

The Grip is part of SleekTag product family, that is, tags that come with an engraving of your choice. The tags come in different formats, including wristbands (click here to read a review by fellow blogger The Ninja Turtle) for active adults and kids, as well as for your pets.

Since this is a completely customisable gadget, there are many ways how one can use it: You can engrave your favourite motivational quote or make matching tags with your friends or your significant other. More importantly, you can engrave vital information such as your drug allergies, your blood type or emergency contact number that will aid tremendously people who will help you in case the unimaginable happens when you are out.

I was given two pieces of the Grip, one in black and one in blue. I chose to engrave JRL’s slogan on one, and a quote from a spectator’s banner I saw while running Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2013. It took only 3 days to get the items delivered to my mail box after I placed my order.

Fitting the Grip on my shoe was very easy. It uses a velcro tape which offers a firm… grip! I have taken them out running a few times: they are steady and don’t really affect your running at all. And, as you can see above, the blue Grip blends really smoothly with my new shoes.

Last but not least, the Grip has a highly reflective band (see photo below, taken with flash on) which is a must for those of us who prefer running at night.

What’s more, you are not limited to placing it on your shoes: The Grip can be easily fixed on a bicycle, a running belt, a back bag or on any other sports equipment you usually bring out with you.

The tag size is 28 mm x 18 mm and it fits in a maximum of 4 lines (15 characters per line). You can choose the text you want to be engraved while placing your order online, and choose from different colours and polishing.

One thing I would like to see is the ability to engrave sketches and images, and another amazing enhancement would be GPS tracking integration – that would bring safety to a whole new level.

The Grip goes for $17.90 – Get yours today online at JustShopLah! – Singapore’s Sports Marketplace

This post was sponsored by SleekTag.

Review: U Run All Access by U Sports, NTUC Club

Team JustRunLah!

February 20, 2015

What is U Run All Access?

Previously known as the ‘U Run Premium Package’, the annual running package introduced by U Sports, NTUC Club, is now rebranded as ‘U Run All Access’ package, bringing about attractive lifestyle benefits and exciting features for avid runners and enthusiasts with its comprehensive registration and notification system.

U Run All Access offers a one-stop, no-hassle registration for any 3 to 5 of Singapore’s most popular running events all year round. There are 3 flexible running packages available at a fixed price, namely the 3, 4 and 5 Runs packages. U Run All Access is open only to NTUC / nEBO members. Non-members will have to sign up as a NTUC / nEbO member before registering for U Run All Access.

How it works?

Upon registration, members will be given run credits to utilise for running events. Each running event under U Sports’ list of participating events is worth 1 credit and members can utilise the credits for registration of races that interest them. For instance, if a member has purchased a 3-runs package, he/she can utilise the 3 run credits for his/her choice of runs that is available under U Sports Calendar of Events in the year of 2015.

Features of U Run All Access Package

– Convenience

Convenience is the first key feature that users will experience. The race information for all listed running events are made available on the U Run All Access portal, hence saving users the hassle of having to cross-reference between multiple event sites for important details such as date, time, venue and race categories. Also, there is no need for users to repeatedly key in personal information when signing up for a race as details has already been recorded during registration for U Run All Access.

– Guaranteed Race Slots & Timely Notification of Running Events

Early birds need not fret as all package holders will be informed once registration for the race is available on the U Run All Access portal. The timely and efficient notification of race events via email enable users to refrain from worrying about missing out on their desired races, especially the popular ones that run of out slots within a short period of time. Package holders can also be assured of their race slots as after the running credit has been used for the race, registration is confirmed and the race slot is guaranteed

– Flexibility

To top it all, the flexibility of the U Run All Access package provide package holders the freedom to mix and match their races throughout the year which is not limited to any race category or distance. To clock extra miles, budding runners can also join the U Run weekly running sessions at 2 different training venues: Novena Velocity & One Marina Boulevard, where one can expect to meet new running buddies and gain valuable advice from elite runners and trainers. Registration is free via the U Run Facebook page and what’s more, refreshments will be provided too!

– Useful Tips & Exclusive Privileges

Besides the user-friendly registration portal, useful race reminders, and running tips from experts, package holders are well-rewarded with exclusive privileges and benefits such as hospitality booths at selected races. Attractive discounts from affiliated merchants are not to be missed as well.

With the wholesome benefits and features of the U Run All Access Package, signing up for races can be so easy, efficient and rewarding! So grab your package now and click away for a run-derful year ahead!

For more information about U Run All Acccess, visit www.usports.sg.

This post is sponsored by NTUC Club.

Barcelona, Spain – An Architectural Delight

SG Unfit Runners

February 19, 2015

20141015_060842527_iOS — Early morning run at Barcelona

15 October 2014

Whenever I mentioned to fellow runners that I did a run in Barcelona, the first thing that they asked, “Ah! So you ran on the beach of Barcelona? Did you enjoy the beautiful bikini babes and the morning sun over the horizon?”

I did visit the famous beaches of Barcelona but all we saw were nude men parading their body fats.

I was sure that there were more beautiful places to have a jog in this large Spainish city than heading straight to the beach. Afterall, one of the motto of SG Unfit Runners is to “explore the neighbourhoods via running”. Thus, I decided to opt for a run that took me around some of the non-touristy areas of Barcelona.

Exploring a city when you are walking down a busy street at a tourist district in the evening is a totally different experience as compared to getting up early in the morning and jogging around the neighbourhood. You will notice people and buildings which you will never have experienced as a tourist.

In Barcelona, the architects got really creative with every other buildings in order to differentiate one block from another. Balcony railings, wall decorations, window shades, strange shapes roofs, shape of the windows. I was amazed by the huge amount of combinations and permutations that I encountered during my run. There have been commendable mentions of how the Singapore government tries to differentiate Singapore’s public housing by designing identities for each neighborhoods. Compared to the grey blocks of public housing in other parts of Asia, Singapore is a leap ahead. However, comparing that to the creativity on how this is implemented in Barcelona, Singapore seems drab and boring.

I guess famous architects such as Antoni Gaudí and other Modernista architects really make a difference in determining the character of a city.

Notice all the interesting shapes of the window and door frames — Notice all the interesting shapes of the window and
door frames

One of the markets at Barcelona. Pity under renovation

Running along the tightly packed neighborhood of downtown Barcelona was a pleasure, as compared to my running experiences in Asian Cities. The traffic was pretty light and there is an abundant of wide pavements for both the cyclists and pedestrians.

My run took me to famous landmarks such as Plaza de España and Montjuïc fountain. I essentially covered a great chunk of the Sants Montjuic & Eixample district.

A historical bullfighting ring revamped into a modern mall

One of the other striking feature of Barcelona was the number of the Catalonia flag hanging from the windows. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and there is a movement to declare Catalonia as an independent state, breaking away from Spain. The people of Barcelona shows their support for the movement by displaying the Catalonia flags from their windows and my run took me through neighborhoods where there were an abundant number of the flags hanging from the windows. It seemed to me that the support to break away from Spain is pretty strong. Spain, of course, will not allow their richest and most prosperous region to break away from the country and the political war between the two regions have been raging on till today.

Comparing fresh produce price with Singapore

Barcelona is a big city and the options which a runner can go are numerous with an abundant of myriad landscapes and routes: Beaches, parks, old city, new city, hills. On top of that, Spanish breakfast is one of the most satisfying among all of the European countries we have been to (A good breakfast is always a strong motivation for our runs!). Even though the Unfit Runners spent close to a week in the city of Barcelona, there were still many places which we wanted to go, but time just simply flew past. Before we knew it, the last day of our 25 days journey came to an end and it was time to spend all our Euros on stuffs for our friends and girlfriends. I think they will be more interested in the blings blings than our various running adventures.

Adios Spain!

Visit SG Unfit Runners for more routes for absolutely unfit people. Don’t visit us if you are very fit and do ultramarathons without breaking a sweat! SG Unfit Runners is a finalist at the Singapore Blog Awards.

Interview with Ashley Liew

Team JustRunLah!

February 18, 2015

Like all other skills in the world, it certainly helps to start running early in life if we wish to become good at it. However, with schools still using running laps as a form of punishment, or simply as warm-up before the fun of games, not all of us are fortunate enough to develop and foster a positive attitude towards running at a young age. It is only later as we get older, that on our own free will, we are re-introduced to, and fall in love with running.

Some runners may lament the lost opportunity of building a solid foundation in those so-called golden years of childhood and adolescence. Yet, it is never too late to start running at any age; in fact, some late-starters go on to become the top of their game. This week, JustRunLah! caught up with Ashley Liew, 2012 winner of the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, and a prospective representative for Singapore at the upcoming SEA Games. As our interviewee proves, one’s chronological age when starting is no limitation to becoming one of the best runners in the country.

Read on for more details…

JustRunLah!: Yours is an inspiration story for most late-starters. You didn’t start sports till you were in JC when you ran your first marathon in 2004 as a personal challenge. What started out as a reason for weight loss became a transformation, as you ultimately improved your game over the years, bagging the SCMS win in 2012. Did you ever see yourself being so successful in running?

Ashley: No. I previously considered it a personal success just to finish a marathon. Running was simply a means of losing weight, as well as regaining self-esteem knowing I could better my personal best by 5 to 10 minutes annually from 2004 (4h29m34s) to 2008 (3h34m14s). I was content with where I was. My perspective was completely changed after I met Coach Rameshon Murugiah in December 2008. Beneath my lack of formal training (as well as some flab I still had) he saw a heart of quiet determination. Finishing local runner-up at SCMS 2009 with 2h51m22s was a life-changing moment that made us realize I had more potential. I am blessed to have met gracious souls who have facilitated that expression.

JustRunLah!: You are a marathoner and an Ironman! How have you evolved personally on this journey as a runner and an Ironman? Swim, bike and run, which is your weakest leg?

Ashley: The journey has humble beginnings. When I did my first triathlon, I was so slow on the bike that I had a motorcycle escort accompanying me. By 2010, I had a triathlon bicycle sponsor, made it to two Ironman 70.3 World Championships, and completed my first Ironman. During that Langkawi Ironman 2009 pre-race dinner, a table of “experienced” Singaporean athletes at my table scoffed among themselves in dialect when I told them the time I was going for. I let my legs do the talking on race day. My second and final Ironman in Texas 2012 was my final shot at qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman World Championship. Battling an early bike mishap that affected me throughout the rest of the race, I missed Hawaii but pulled off a time of 10h3m29s (2^nd-fastest all-time Singaporean). Throughout my triathlon career my swim was the weakest leg, having to work on my technique almost from scratch. I would be behind in the swim, catch up on the bike, and catch up even more on the run. It was exhilarating coming from behind to do that each time, for it epitomized my life as the underdog. After Texas, I had to make the painful decision to focus on either triathlon or running. I went back to my “roots” with the latter and have no regrets.

JustRunLah!: You recently made a self-funded trip to Kenya for training. How is the running culture and attitude different in Kenya compared to the USA or Singapore?

Ashley: Running is a way of life. The culture of simply being active is moulded from young. Children do not even realize they are running when they join mzungus (Swahili term for white people) for short bursts along the dirt path. They grow up in an environment that celebrates the successes of their neighbour who has been a world champion. I can only say all this of the town of Iten I was in. Iten has a population of 5000, 3000 of which are professional runners! Professional is a euphemism for not having a job, but that is what it takes to be focused and successful. Life is hard there so running cannot be a fringe activity like it is elsewhere. Running offers a glimmer of hope of a way out of the cycle so they give nothing but 100% commitment in workouts, even if it means struggling to finish. While running in South Carolina I often feel I am the odd one out, but in Kenya that title goes to the inactive person. It is like being home! No wonder Iten is a running mecca.

JustRunLah!: What was it like running with the pros?

Ashley: They are gracious to accept mzungus during their runs, even if most of us are in a different league. On occasional workouts they hitch a surprising fast start to throw us off, but it is all good. After all, Kenyan training is based more on feeling and effort rather than strict GPS pace. Then we hang on for dear life. They respect you for finishing a workout, whether you finish with the lead pack or several minutes behind. Imagine the competition with 2999 other runners, yet they respect each other. There are so many training groups that have a sub-2h10m marathoner and you may never realize you are running next to one because they are so humble. I was grateful for their constant encouragement as well, which got me through shared experiences of mental struggle during a fast pace.

JustRunLah!: What were your biggest takeaway lessons from this experience?

Ashley: The debate of nature versus nurture on what makes Kenyans successful is not a debate. The 7850 feet altitude and genetically-endowed lean muscle mass definitely play a role. However, their unparalleled sense of self-belief is the biggest factor in the equation. To quote what my newfound friend Mathew Sutter told me, “life is a struggle of ups and downs but tomorrow will be a good day”. No matter where they are in their running career, each of them wholeheartedly believes they can someday be the best. It sounds almost delusional, but at the top level that is what it takes. As a common Kenyan saying goes, “train hard win easy the Kenyan way”. Self-belief, coupled with the eye of the tiger in training, is my biggest takeaway.

The Triple Races: Terry Fox Run / Aquathlon / Safari Zoo Run 2015

red3

February 17, 2015

It was a weekend laden with racing activities. Eight Team Costa members and two Little Leaguers* participated in three separate racing events on Sunday, 8 February.

Here’s a snapshot of each event:

Terry Fox Run – East Coast Park

Organised by the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS) in memory of Terry Fox, who was an athlete, humanitarian and above all a cancer research activist. Terry died of cancer at 22 years of age in 1981. However, prior to his death, Terry embarked on an ambitious “cross Canada run, to raise funds and awareness for cancer research”. He completed 5,373km out of 8,000km in 143 days before succumbing to ill health that forced his withdrawal. During that campaign, Terry successfully raised $23,000,000.

Inspired by Terry’s drive and determination, Isadore Sharp, founder of the Four Seasons Hotels and a father who lost his son to cancer, proposed an annual fundraiser in Terry’s name. A non-competitive fun run, where each participant could run, walk or ride was born in September 1981. Now in its 34th year, the Terry Fox run is an international event reaching every single continent, except for Antarctica of course.

Which brings us to Sunday and Singapore’s Terry Fox fun run. A non-competitive race, free-of-charge was held on East Coast Park. Registration was purchasing a t-shirt or donation to the cause. Flag-off was at Big Splash with 10km route heading to Bedok Jetty return and the 5km route heading to Fort Rd return. This would have minimised congestion given the narrow paths in the Park.

Paul and Caitriona, husband and wife team, tackled the 10km category at paces of 5:05 and 5:57 respectively. When asked why they chose this run, Caitriona says: “…because it’s close to home, first race of the year, a good cause and we get an idea of time before the Green Corridor race”. The run ticked lots of boxes for the couple, especially with East Coast Park as their backyard and familiar running territory. It also made it easier to have their support team in attendance; their gorgeous girls. Whilst the last kilometre became challenging for Caitriona, mostly heat related, she still accomplished her sub-60 min target and shaved six minutes off her last 10km race.

Terry Fox 1 — Paul & Caitriona with their support team.

Aquathlon – Sentosa

First one off the ranks for this year’s series of multi-sport races, the Aquathlon took place on Palawan Beach, Sentosa. A combination of swimming and running, it affords athletes the opportunity to spread their wings and bring diversity into their regular training.

Four of our members participated, with Stan and Marcus completing the Sprint category (750m swim / 5km run), and Michelle and Lisa the Discovery category (250m swim / 2.5km run). This time a year ago most of them were committed runners and participating solely in running races. During one of those “Friday night by the pool” moments and perhaps too much liquor the brilliant idea of participating in a triathlon was born.

Stan completed his first sprint triathlon in April 2014, which was quite a fete given that swimming was a different endeavour for him. A natural runner and cyclist, swimming presented Stan with new challenges and a new sport to develop. Will, determination and a healthy dose of curiousity of what he can accomplish, saw him complete another Triathlon in August 2014 and shaving 12 minutes off his finish time.

After several years of running races and repeat routes, Michelle, another committed runner, was seeking new athletic horizons. Ten months ago she took her first swimming drills session with our swim coach, Desmond Ho, and has progressed from barely completing a 50m lap to taking 4th place in overall women’s position in her first mini-triathlon just four months later. She has since competed in another Triathlon and last week’s Aquathlon coming in 10th out of 86 all women’s category. Let’s just say that Michelle has never looked back and is enjoying the diversity in her athletic pursuits.

Marcus and Lisa, are another husband and wife team, who compete when time affords it. Whilst Marcus is no stranger to multi-sport races, for Lisa it’s all very new. Having only just begun running four months ago and not usually a swimmer, the Aquathlon certainly stretched her current athletic skills. Yet, Lisa crossed the finish line in 14th position out of 86 female competitors. I’d say that is a fantastic effort for her first multi-sport race.

As multi-sport races gain traction in 2015, so will Team Costa’s participation. As the MetaSport’s ‘Metasprint Series’ culminates in a triathlon in April, the Tri-Factor Series commences with the swim followed by cycling, running and finishing with the Tri-Factor Triathlon in August. Team Costa will certainly be busy both racing and training for the these series along with other races in between.

Safari Zoo Family Race

Now this was one big fun day for us. Given the racing mania going on in our family and being huge fans of both the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, it was a no brainer for us when it came to registering. We hijacked Michelle’s older son, whilst she was racing her Aquathlon, and together with our daughter we bought the 2 adults/2 children early bird family package for $152. Joined by good friends it increased the fun value to both adults and kids.

We tackled the 6km route beginning with the Night Safari. The highlight was seeing animals that you wouldn’t normally see during the day, such as the Malayan tiger, near-white Asiatic lions and Indian rhinos that look like they’re wearing metal armour. Half way through the race we crossed into the Singapore Zoo to finish off the rest of the race.

Whilst we took off together, it wasn’t long before Justin’s legs needed more speed and John had no choice but to follow suit. Trini and I were left in the dust. Not that it mattered. We enjoyed every single animal pitstop which was enough of a rest before continuing on. By 3km Trini was struggling but her unfailing spirit kept her going with plenty of walking in between. It took John and Justin just over an hour to complete and Trini and I an extra 10min. To us adults their effort was unbelievable. We were concerned that the length of the race would be too long but we were happily proven wrong.

Once the race was complete, medals collected and lunch devoured it was time to hit the wet play area for a couple of hours. With their unwavering energy, we ran some more, splashed a tonne and lay beneath the jumbo water bucket that rained a tropical downpour.

As a family who likes to extract every ounce out of an event, we took the opportunity to visit the River Safari with our complimentary tickets from the race. Needless to say by the time we all arrived back home some 10 hours later, we were all well and truly wrecked.

This particular race is a wonderful and well organised event for families with children. Three zoos in one day, wet play area, race tee, medal, zoo towel and carnival for $38 each (early bird); that’s what I call value for money.

P2080173 — And the jumbo bucket came pouring down…

* Little League is a parents organised sports games held in our condo. Team Costa is training its next generation of athletes of which two of its members, Trinity and Justin, feature in this blog.

Your Ang Bao… Run!

Team JustRunLah!

February 17, 2015

In 2015, one evidently missing event is the MediaCorp Hong Bao Run. In 2014, 5000 runners were up early to take part in the 8km run through the city. The event was the first running event to be held after the Chinese New Year, with participants getting a shot at winning the $88,888 grand prize in the lucky draw and 10 consolation hong bao prizes of $888 each.

So, this year, with Chinese New Year falling on Thursday and Friday, most of us are looking forward to a long weekend of 4 days in total. Amidst the “Ang Bao” Run of visiting your relatives and friends around the island, will you be changing into that running attire of yours and spending that bit of time for a run with your running buddy, or simply head out for a run yourself?

Here’s a look at what you can be doing in between this 4 days of “Ang Bao” Run.

Stop giving yourself excuses! Kick-start, or step up that running habit this long weekend.
Head to that interesting running route in Singapore you have always wanted to try.
As a runner, encourage your relatives / friends while visiting by sharing your experience and positive changes since you’ve started running.

During this year’s “Ang Bao” Run, most of us will no doubt be enjoying the wonderful food on the table. Another pleasure is catching up with friends and family, and amidst the common compliments most runners receive, a common one is “looking good, what’s your secret?” But the real VALUE of this year’s ANG BAO stems from the fact that we as runners realize the importance of keeping fit and healthy amidst our busy lives.

Making time to run is an ang bao we give ourselves, and spreading this important message is an ang bao we give to others.

Therefore, in 2015, JustRunLah gives all our buddies a Running “Ang Bao”. Happy Chinese New Year to all our buddies!

Reasons to Start Running from Young

Team JustRunLah!

February 16, 2015

Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle once said, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”. Indeed, during the stage of adolescence, our bodies and minds are developing and changing as we explore different ways of life, which ultimately shapes the future lifestyle we would lead. As such, the habit, passion and culture of running should all the more be incorporated and inculcated during the precious stages of our youth. Regardless of running from young or running to be young, it is never too early or late to do what we were born to do – Run.

Lesser life commitments as a youth

Being the young one, we tend to have relatively lesser life commitments at that point of our lives in terms of having to balance and manage family matters, work and other social involvements. Our sphere of control and involvement mainly revolves around managing school work, participating in campus activities and possibly part-time jobs to earn extra pocket money.

Evidently, the excuse of “having no time to run” is invalid for most youths because of the simpler and more manageable schedules. Making time for regular runs or jogs would be an easy arrangement as compared to working adults who have long working hours and irregular work schedules.

Peak stamina and health

With muscle strength, cardiovascular activity, bone development and metabolism at its prime, youths often find themselves running fast, light and efficient. At this stage, it would be the best time for youths to challenge their physical limits and potential by trying out risky yet rewarding running routes, regimes and methods.

In addition, should there be injuries resulting from sports-related activities, the recovery rate for youths are comparatively faster due to stronger immune system, process of cell renewal, muscle regeneration and bone development. That being said, it is also advisable for youths to monitor acute injuries suffered at this stage because some of the after-effects might worsen as our body system weaken with age.

Building a foundation of fitness and battle against obesity

Running is a physical activity that brings about a multitude of health benefits, of which it includes developing strong cardiovascular strength, build strong bones, strengthening of muscles and of course, burn calories. Obesity is a major health concern especially among youths due to weight fluctuations as a result of puberty, where hormonal changes affect eating habits, physical and psychological development amongst many other aspects.

By incorporating running as a regular lifestyle activity from young, youths are better able to manage obesity problems and set a strong fitness level to cope with the natural health issues that subsequently come with age. Albeit one might encounter challenges from different aspects of life such as social issues of fitting in and so on during years of growing up, these problems would prove much less than a challenge for those with a healthy body and mind.

Value of sports in character development

When youths push themselves to complete goal distances, motivate fellow running buddies by pacing with him/her, beating their personal bests – youths reap life lessons and values that are unattainable from textbooks or passive education. The determination, perseverance and spirit of sportsmanship amongst many other values experienced from sports, are undoubtedly a huge bonus in enriching a youth’s well-being and character development.

You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.

― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Running during adolescence is not only the best time to stretch one’s physical capacity and builds the basics of a healthy lifestyle, it can become a life-changing passion and make the years of growing up a fulfilling and exciting one to remember.

Supporting your teenage runner

Team JustRunLah!

February 15, 2015

For parents by teens

What is your first reaction when your child comes back from school one day and tells you that he or she has joined the school’s track and field team? Are you going to be excited and looking forward to witness your child receiving medals and trophies on the podium? Or do you frown in disapproval with feelings of anxiety that your children might be returning home in the subsequent semesters with red-marked Fs on their exam papers and warning letters from school?

More than just “Dad” and “Mom”

Parents play a significant role in a teenager’s life, when exploration and self-discovery take place and parenting influence the development of these changes to a large extent. Young athletes see their parents as life coaches, friends, training buddy, role models, part-time chauffeurs, and cheerleaders, so it is imperative for them to gain your approval and support.

When your teen makes the major decision to pursue a sport, it is a commitment that involves health, time, money and personal life. Parents too, have to make adjustments to the way they perceive their child’s needs, well-being and development.

There are various ways to cheerlead your teen. Simple gestures such as driving your kids to their race venues, or taking time off from work to watch their races mean a lot. Your physical presence to witness your teen giving their best shot from months of hard training is the ultimate reward. Alternatively, host a post-season party, which offers you a chance to meet and celebrate the members who form your child’s social circle, and understand the culture of the team.

A crucial stage in development, we should encourage our teens to live balanced and healthy lifestyles.

Athletic success at the expense of academic success?

The greatest concern among most parents is how the intimidating training schedule of their teens may ultimately compromise their academic performance, yet a study from the University of Arkansas has shown that an emphasis on athletic success and participation is associated with higher scores on standardized tests and higher graduation rates. The main reason attributed to this result is that students learn important skills from sports and apply it to their studies.

Where the home front or the classroom may not provide the opportunity to develop certain important skills, sports can. Sports teams are built upon various roles such as captain, secretary, treasurer, equipment manager, and so on. From these duties, teens learn to manage their training, foster team relations and develop a sense of responsibility that extends beyond themselves.

Through playing sports, they also get to understand and apply values of resilience, determination, perseverance, teamwork and leadership, virtues that are better experienced first-hand than simply conceptually discussed about or read about from self-help books.

Contrary to hindering academic progress, playing a sport enhances classroom performances. Teen athletes often demonstrate the ability to apply the same discipline and focus on their studies, as much as they do on sports, and it is no wonder many student athletes continue to become inspiring role models for teen athletes.

One stellar example is Soh Rui Yong, a Sport Singapore scholar and a competitive distance runner, who holds the current national record for 10,000m. Soh shared his life as a student athlete in Oregon through a recent interview, where he described waking up early in the morning at 6am every day to get training done before school, and twice a week to get strengthening work done in the gym before a run. Soh also includes short naps in between or after classes to aid in recovery and help make his second run of the day easier during double session days. He is a great example of a student who can excel both in academics and sports with a well-managed schedule and balanced lifestyle. His athletic and academic successes also demonstrate that the pursuit of one does not simply jeopardize the other.

Students who engage in a sport, like running, tend to perform better in the classroom.

Proactively Supporting Your Child’s Success

By recognizing your teen’s desire to run, and offering your support and encouragement, you are also well on your way to building a better relationship with your child. Here is how you can help.

Firstly find an opportunity to sit down and chat with your teen to note down important dates of their school and sports commitments. Mark down their school examination periods and competition dates on your schedule so that you can use it as a guide to know when is the right time to give an academic or athletic boost to your child.

With these important dates in mind, avoid planning other activities that might affect your child’s involvement in these areas. Committed youth athletes from top colleges for track, do not really fancy the idea of missing trainings especially nearing seasons due to external commitments or activities because it will affect their confidence as well as performance.

Additionally, understand that athletes have a different way of life. While typical teenagers wake up an hour before lessons to prepare for classes, athletes usually wake up earlier in the morning for pre-lesson training sessions, or they might have night trainings till late at night. As such, timetables or schedules that fit for most teens might not be applicable to your teen runner. Try to accommodate and understand their needs of having an early breakfast or late transport back home. Instead of seeing this as troublesome or inconvenient, observe and witness the effort and commitment that your child is putting in setting aside his time to focus on things they wish to pursue.

In the world of sports, teenagers can make their decisions and be the best they can be. But all these would amount to nothing if their closest kin do not acknowledge their efforts, or appreciate their dedication. Therefore, parents, give it a second thought when your child invites you to their races, or tells you about the stress they face from coping with sports and studies. You have to believe in their abilities and understand the life of a teenage athlete if you are to be their greatest supporter. You would be surprised at how much these playful and seemingly childish teen of yours have matured and grown in their pursuit of sports.

Back to racing

Pushing Forward

February 15, 2015

My first race since April 2014.

A long period of shin splints and knee injuries got me off running for a good 7 months. Started running again for SSCM14 in November last year. But it has been too long a break, physically and mentality, I’m off the mark.

So, 14^th Feb 2015, Brooks Marina Run was my first race and my first half marathon in 10 months. Leading up to the race, I was training once a week with a mileage of just 19.5km (East Coast Park, B2 carpark to SRCC water point and back). Not enough mileage right? I know. I know.

Yesterday, my buddy and I reached the start point 30mins prior to the starting time. Did a bit of stretching and with a game plan of a 6 minutes pace, this should bring me back nicely at 2hours 6mins. BUT, I felt good, as usually do at a race, adrenaline pumped up, forget about the lack of mileage and training, told myself “I’m ready!”

1 minute prior to flag-off, came the notice that 21km route will be changed. Hack, came some internal messages. The horns went off and I’m sprinted off. 5:20 pace, 5:30 pace, hmmm this isn’t as tough as I thought. I’m gonna hold this pace as long as I can. BIG MISTAKE! I’m not longer as fit / seasoned as I used to be. And I totally forgotten about that.

Did the first loop 10.5km in 58minutes. I was “Hmmm, I may go below sub 2 hours for this.” ARGHHH!!! At the 15km mark, my old problem started returning, right knee flaring up once again. “I can’t stop!” this message kept me going for the next painful 6km. Water station without water added to the misery at the 18km mark. Turning in to the finish at 2hours 9mins. I did the same race at Punggol a few years back at 1hour 48mins. Am I disappointed? I can’t deny it. Am I glad that I finished my first race after 10 months out? Yes, I am.

How much you put in equates how much you get in return!

To all newbie out there. Stay in there!

To all seasoned runners out there. Do not stop unless you have a valid reason!

Running is like a relationship, comes when you nurture it and goes away when you neglect it. Till the next race, I will be patient, I will put in more effort. My friend, please come back soon!

Race Review: Standard Chartered Taipei Marathon 2015 (by ‘Elf’)

Elf

February 15, 2015

Another One in The Series No surprise here – this is (yet another) review of the Standard Chartered Marathon series – this time round in Taipei. As compared to the other runs in the series, this tends to get lesser attention, at least among Singaporeans, probably due to it’s location(compared to Bangkok and KL) as well as it is rather ‘young’ event(compared to Hong Kong) and also that it gets announced rather late. However, having ventured the other 4 events, I decided to try this one out.

Arrival

Arrived in Taipei on a Friday evening after a 4 hour flight and got a taste of the weather ahead. Even through the aero bridge, I could feel the cold outside – it was still tolerable but it was about 15 degrees. After clearing immigration and customs, headed out to the City Bus counter to get my free ride into the city. The free ride is courtesy of the Taiwan visitor association – they tend to give out freebies to visitors to Taiwan. Just head to their office at Chevron House with your proof of visit and see what you get.

Even if you don’t have a free pass, head to the counters for a very affordable ride into the city. Do check the bus timings as there was no service to Ximending at night and instead we took a bus to Taipei Main Station where there are other forms of transports to other locations. We took the train Ximending and then a short walk to the hotel. (Sounds easy – but with a almost 3yr old kid and a huge luggage, it’s not!)

Race Pack Collection

The next day after settling in and lunch, headed out for race pack collection at Shinkong Mitsukoshi. Located near the Taipei City Hall station, this shopping area has a collection of high end boutiques with open walkways where you can find a few street performers. What is rather striking about the race pack collection point is it’s simplicity – it was probably not made up of more of than 16 of the type of tent pictured.

I suppose to match the simplicity – check out the race pack(envelope). It basically contains the bare essentials needed for the run the next day.

After collection, we took a short walk to Taipei 101 for lunch. Those looking to do the touristy stuff – just look up and you will know where to head towards. From Taipei 101, it is also easy to head to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial – the big square. After getting back to the hotel, I took a walk to the start point just to gauge how long it would take me the next morning. After a 10mins walk, I thought I should have reached(and actually I did). But the lack of any set-up, played some tricks on my mind.

But after seeing some banners around, I was quite sure this was the start point and headed back to the hotel.

Race Day

Got up at 0345hrs and left the room at about 0415hrs. Once outside, discovered it was drizzling – bringing back memories of the last run I had here in 2009 where it was drizzling as well before start. This time around it was slightly different – it was freezing, despite my 3 layered top! I basically hoped that it would stop. In any case reached the start point by 0430hrs and headed for baggage deposit(which closes at 0500hrs). Not sure if it is a must – but i bought a storage bag for NT100. The bag has a slot for a ‘baggage tag’ which is given out together with the race bib. Runners basically proceed to look for your truck and trolley and hand it over to the volunteers.

Spent the next 30mins in the rain trying to keep warm. Runners were then gathered for a warmup which I must add was enthusiastically joined in by most runners – me not included. After warmup, city and race officials as well as sponsors were welcomed up on stage for a few words as well as a one minute silence for the GE235 crash which took just a few days earlier. After the solemn minute, the mood was hyped up again for the start of the race.

From flag off, I found the pace to be slightly slow and check on my watch showed that it was close to a 8min/km pace for the first km. Perhaps due to being wrapped up in their ponchos, most runners were not keen to push it and hence(I don’t always get to say this) I picked up my pace slightly and went pass a few runners.

The first slope was encountered at the Zhongshan bridge at about 4km. This was also where the ‘Pee Brigade’ appeared.(It is never easy to hold when you need to go and all you need is one to lead the wee to get the rest started.) Back to the race, it was again relatively flat till the Tiding Boulevard highway where the full and half marathon runners parted ways.

Up to the bridge it was again relatively flat with a slight slope up before the u-turn point at about 13km. As I encounter the 3hr pacer, I was abit puzzled as I was looking to a 2.5hr finish. After overcoming my brain freeze, I realised that the slow start had resulted in this overall pace. Nevertheless I told myself to just keep the pace and enjoy the run.

From the bridge down, it was back to the streets again before heading to a series of parks along the Keelung River for the last 2km. Around this juncture, the lead runners for the full marathon were also making their way back as well and lead rider had to horn his way through to get half marathon runners to make way. I would think it is pretty frustrating for the lead runners but this is something that they probably need to be prepared for when you have both the full and half marathon runners running together.

The finish point was abit chaotic as people stopped to take photos of the finishing point and friends and family were allowed to be there as well. Irritation was short lived though as volunteers approach the runners with towels and the finisher medal. There was also a surprise(at least for me) in a goodie bag being given containing energy drink, water, banana and a meal pack containing buns. After collecting my baggage, instead of waiting for the shuttle bus (which I also had no idea where it was) I made my way over Dazhi Bridge to the nearest train station and back to the hotel – in time for breakfast 🙂

Over the Dazhi Bridge - note the red bags with a slot for the bag tag — Over the Dazhi Bridge – note the red bags with a slot for the bag tag

As mentioned earlier, this race is probably still considered as new and hence may have some teething issues. Credit however must be given to the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association which has been organizing runs and will pick up more pointers along the way. Logistic point of view they are almost there -the deposit baggage is something pretty cool(and a good Souvenir). Runners would also probably enjoy the freebies that come with the race.

Besides, apart from the run Taipei is a nice place to visit. If you(as always recommended) are able to catch a cheap flight, a couple of friends to join you, you probably can get by with less than $600 for a short race weekend.

Breakdown as follows:

Flight:$280

Hotel:$160

Transport: $20(500NT)

Food: $80(2000NT)

Misc: $20

Total: $560

With this I will probably take a break(and save some money) and stay off half marathons for a few months as I stay on home ground for a few runs. But I’ll definitely popping overseas for a couple more runs and if anyone wants to join, I’ll be happy to offer whatever advice I can help with. 🙂