5 Nov was the finale of the trilogy, organiser marketed it as the race to clock PB, as the route will be flat and straight. I was very excited, hoping to clock a sub-2 for my graduation run. Whether true or not, I had already bought the bundle when they launched the series, even “up the mountain cross the river” also will attend.
As usual, the route only released not long before the race. What a disapointment, its a 2 x 10k loop, meaning running the same stretch of road for 4 times. The route is really flat and straight, no devil slope and bottleneck, wide path for overtaking, perfect!
But the actual run wasn’t that perfect for me. The route is so straight that it is like never ending, no turns, no bends, and boring. No volunteers to cheer us up, no views to enjoy, no motivation, the 5k stretch seems longer than usual. Finally come to a U-turn and then the same 5K in opposite direction. I tried not to look in the opposite side as what I can see is a stretch of orange army.
There are only 2 hydration points along the route and not evenly positioned. I think there should be another 1 station at the u-turn.
Instead of clocking a PB, I struggled till the end and finished with the worst timing of the series.
Only can blame myself for not running for 3 weeks before the race and just did a warm up run 3 days before.
Every failure will have a lesson learned. Will make sure to be more prepared before the next race. HM is not that easy especially for leisure runners like me.
Will do more long distance run and be prepared for my 2 FM (Tokyo Marathon and Sundown) in 2018.
There’s just so many choices. You don’t know where to begin. You don’t even know how to begin. It is however worth taking the time to sort out the choices to find the perfect sports bra, because like running shoes, sports bras do matter. It is equally as crucial to find a sports bra that suits you. Running is a high impact sport and will cause any cleavage we may have to bounce. This could actually lead to breast pain or chest pains. This is why it is of utmost important we find the perfect sports bra – for us!
Size Does Matter
Size does matter. Breast pain is directly related to size. The more well endowed, the more likely you are to have a problem during vigorous sporting activity. Compression bras are better at alleviating this kind of pain as compared to looser fitting bras. So this means, if you are well-endowed, go for a sports bra that has some sort of compression. Runners with a D Cup or E Cup should always choose a bra with more support.
Photo Credits: Virtual Sport Injury Clinic
If you have smaller breasts – A or B cup, should they not cause you any discomfort of pain, this means any sports bra would do for you, even those designed for low impact activity such as yoga. You could use them for running.
However, regardless of breast size, some form of support is always good. Bouncing can very unfortunately lead to premature sagging. However, using a sports bra with support will help alleviate bouncing and help keep this issue at bay.
Better Support For Better Performance
A good sports bra with the right fit could shave off a couple of minutes off your run. With the right fit, our pectoral muscles would not need to expend energy to keep things in place. This helps make or running form more efficient. This saved energy is channeled to our running – what really matters! So yes, get a good sports bra with the right fit and good support for a better race time!
Find The Right Fit
C’mon girls, sports bras are expensive! And if you are going to be forking out so much dough, you better make damn right sure it is the right fit and it is comfortable. Choose a sports bra with a snug fit. Always try them before purchasing. The straps should not hang loosely over your shoulders, neither should they dig into your skin. Run up and down the store, it’s fine. It’s more important to test it out thoroughly before spending on it. Make sure the material is breathable and comfortable!
Photo Credits: Groupon
And one more thing, lots of people wear the same sports bra for years, maybe even a decade. It is important to replace them often. Think of them like running shoes. Running shoes have a life span, and so does sports bras. A good benchmark would be to replace them as often as you replace your running shoes for them to perform it’s function of providing you the support you need, for you to go the extra mile!
High Cholesterol puts you at risk of many coronary diseases, and could also lead to a fatal heart attack. The standard limit of cholesterol level in our body is at 5.2 mmol/L. Every 1mmol/L above the normal limit is associated with a 35 per cent increase in risk of death by heart attack! If you’re cholesterol level is high, it’s never too late to do something about it. Here are a couple of ways to lower your cholesterol levels naturally!
#1 Cut The Trans Fat
Trans fat is one of the worst culprits! The main source of trans fat are processed food containing partially hydrogenated fats or shortening such as pastries, crips, fries and sweets. Put that don’t down for a healthier you!
#2 When You Go Out, Don’t Go Deep Fried
Deep Fried Food outside tend to be fried with oil that has been re-used many times. Reheating oil repeatedly produces harmful compounds which will increase your risk of heart problems. If you are really craving that deep fried chicken, don’t head out to KFC, cook it at home yourself and ensure you discard the oil after use.
#3 Choose Unsaturated Oil
Photo Credits: Style Craze
Cook at home with unsaturated oil. Options are – olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil and corn oil.
#4 Eat More Soluble Fibre
Soluble fibre helps reduce your cholesterol by binding it to the bile acid in your small intestines. Have a serving of oats for breakfast. Or boil barley gingko as a dessert. All these contains soluble fibre. Other products that contain soluble fibre are oat bran, fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans and nuts.
#5 Choose Snacks Wisely
Lay off the Pringles, crisp, m&m’s and Baskin robins. Opt for a handful of almonds or cashews instead. Grab a banana instead of that cream puff!
#6 Exercise Regularly
It is recommended to have 30-60 minutes of physical activity 2-3 times a week. You can brisk walk, or cycle in the park, go kickboxing or just do some squats and planks. Pick an activity you like, and make it a lifestyle!
#7 Limit Your Saturated Fat Intake
Saturated fat is present in animal products – meat fat, skin, butter, lard, and cream for instance. They are also present in plant derived products such as coconut milk and palm oil. Saturated fat increases your cholesterol level hence the need to limit your intake.
Make these 7 ways to lower your cholesterol habit!
I don’t usually do run reports for non-ultra events. Simply cos distance too short and so nothing much to write about.
I was proven wrong this morning.
So here I go, YOLO Run review.
REPC
We collected our stuff on Day 3. To be fair, it was smooth and done within 5mins. I guess after 2 days of foul-ups they learnt something?
Pre-Run
HM was scheduled for 0500hrs.
At around 0430 the pens opened up and we moved to the front.
After the usual MC talk and pacer and elite runners introduction, we got ready for 0500 flag off.
It never happen.
At about 0510 we were told there were obstacles along the route and they are clearing it. Funny, I heard the same thing during ST Run delay. Weren’t route closed and set up prior? And what obstacles can there be? I saw Soh Rui Yong sprinting by the side as a warm up. So fast pace, warm up……
Then at about 0520 we were told flag off will be in 8mins. 0530 came and went and there we still were. MC told us to stay warm up. Err…… We were all huddled together before the start line, how to do more warm ups? Stay warm by hugging each other? I saw Rui Yong running by the side again.
0540 MC announced the said obstacles were still there and LTA is currently clearing them. Really? LTA was involved? I am so curious about this obstacle that I have written to LTA to seek clarifications. I mean, we cannot let (possible) incompetent organisers throw government agency names around to cover up poor organisation skills right? Right? By the way, Rui Yong went for warm up run by the side again.
Simple: I don’t buy this obstacle bull$#@t. Especially when we only ran on pathments later, we did not even run on public roads. LTA clears obstacles on pathments? My best bet was the flag off party was late. So late till eventually, they decided to flag off without them after the crowd started to boo them. Usually they will have event organizer or some sponsors up there to flag runners off. Today there wasn’t any. Late? No show? Not informed?
So a poor guy went up the stage, waved a little flag, MC counted down with us, and we flagged off the elites. Yes, not us main body. Just the 8 or so elites. I do not understand the logic. Why the 8 of them first? They worry we will catch up with the elites like SEA Games Gold medalist Soh Rui Yong?
Another minute later the MC tried to get us to count down with him again for our flag off. And this time, he counted down himself as the runners chose to remain silent.
So at 0550, we started our 0500 run.
Run
First few km was pretty straightforward. Though I was surprised to see a hydration point signage barely 500m out. It was only later that I realised that sign and some other distance markers along the way were meant for the GE run the next day.
Some of the paths we ran on were pretty dark which could be dangerous to runners who are not used to night running. A few lights or marshalls there would be helpful.
After crossing a bridge at about 3km, we came to a water station. As I approached it, I heard someone shouting at us ’10k runners, this is your u-turn point.’ Though I did not look at the 10km route, I still find it surprising they are turning back so early. Perhaps they are not taking a direct reverse route back I surmised. Then a thought came to my mind; Don’t they know there were no 10km runners yet since we 21km guys barely started? I guess there must have been some miscommunication there. Perhaps that’s why the 10km runners were turned back there later and ended up with just a 7km run.
When nearing the Sports Hub, we had to cross 2 sections of the road. And surprise surprise, there were Cisco officers there to stop runners from crossing if traffic got too heavy. This was a competitive run however you want to call it so why were runners stopped? If this was a fun run with no timing tracked stopping for traffic would have been fine but this was obviously not a fun run. Should not the roads be closed for runners? Budget constraints so not able to afford a road closure?
The water station after the Sports Hub just across the bridge had no tables. The volunteers had to use the big covers from the ice boxes as make-shift table tops to place cups. A cost-saving measure to not rent tables?
Though Lucozade as a drink option was good, pouring them out from cans was not. The volunteers had a hard time trying to pour drinks in time for runners. This scene reminded me of a certain run at Coney Island last year. And at the 12km mark, the water station there did not provide cups. They simply did not cater for cups and not a case of running out of them judging from the absence of empty cups along the way after the water station. So we were given 1.5ltrs bottles of water. Expecting us to share drinks with runners from the same bottle? Another cost saving measure by not getting cups?
The highlight of the run came at the 19km mark. I arrived at site seeing a huge crowd gathering in front of the path I came by this morning. I also saw runners turning right and going up the bridge but a pacer who was with me told me the route is straightahead through the crowd. I realised now I was looking at the 21km runners who were returning, 10km runners who were turning back too and quite number of 5km runners just heading out. Did organiser not know these 3 groups of runners will merge at one location? So I took about 10mins to clear the path through.
The jam
Once cleared from the Hello Kitty buying queue lookalike, I slowly made my way back to the finishing, which was about 700m longer than a HM. Then I found myself at the back of a queue. That was when I realised, I was going to queue to cross a finishing line for the first time, ever.
Post Run
After queuing to cross the finishing, I found myself at the end of another queue – collect finisher entitlements. I looked left and right before seeing a sign that directed 21km runners to the extreme left lane where there were luckily no queues. Took my medal, helped myself to 2 cans of Lucozades and approached the table to collect the Polo tee. I was a little surprised when I was asked what size tee would I like to have. I then realised our tee sizes were not indicated on our BIBs. My first thought was, good luck in getting your tee sizes to those finishing towards the end.
I saw yet another queue right away. That of the baggage collection. Fortunately for me, I never utilize baggage deposits, thus I did not have to join this queue. But unfortunately for those who did, I got to know most queued for more than 2hrs to get their bags and some fainted while queuing under the sun. Seriously, this is another wtf moment when I got to know of it. It is not like they can give up, stop queuing and go home. They need to get their freaking bags back! So no choice LL queue. The last I heard, some were still queuing at 1300.
After thoughts
These people honestly do not know what they are doing. From REPC right till collection of baggage at the end, nothing was done right. Don’t tell me tee is nice medal is nice kind of bs, the focus of any run should always be the run itself and runners well being. No use having fanciful stuff to ‘glamour’ your run when the basics are not even right.
Serving the podium to the elite runners on a silver platter by eliminating all competitions by letting them run first? By flagging off the elites first, the organisers are basically almost guaranteeing them a top 3 finish since there were basically only 5 males and 3 females (or thereabouts). I am sure they do not need that. If the elites are not included in the prizes that would be fine but I was surprised to see them with their top 3 prizes at the end. I am not questioning their ability to come in tops even if they were to start with the regular runners but to do it this way somehow diminished the value of their finishings in my opinion.
Then the delay of 50mins to flag off? 10km became a 7km? Hundreds of runners crowding to cross a small under the bridge path? Queueing even to cross the finishing line? Queuing for 5hrs to collect baggage?
Verdict
In my honest opinion, do not join their events again. Somehow I was not surprise when I got to know this is the same organiser that did the Coney Island Trail Run last year because I see similar patterns.
I am not like some run reviewers who sugarcoat their so-called reviews always try to skip over issues that even the blind can see. Perhaps trying to stay on the good side of organisers so as not to jeopardize their future write-ups. I say it as it is. Like one of our ministers said years before on the word ‘ponding’; let’s call a spade a spade, flood means flood. Not ponding. This YOLO Run was a super cocked up run with organisers keeping quiet till even now on the cock ups. No apologies no explanation. Nothing. So let’s say it as what it is.
When you thought Sundown was bad, along came 2XU Ultra. And when you thought nobody can do any worse, out came YOLO Run and proved everyone wrong.
YOLO – You Only Lai Once
ps: pardon the lack of photos because there was really nothing meaningful to show after such a debacle
The more efficient your run, the more energy you save, and the stronger your run will be. Running more economically means you can run more efficiently with the energy you have – without the need to take a gel for more energy. Here are 5 tips for a stronger run!
#1 Pull With Your Hamstring
Once your foot strikes the ground, pull your ankle and foot up with your hamstring as opposed to pushing off the ground. Pulling your leg up uses your hamstring muscles as compared to pushing which uses more of your quadricep muscles.
#2 Heads Up, Stand Tall
Always maintain proper form. Keep your head up and eyes focused on the road. Remember to always engage your core muscles to keep your body in an upright position. If you are engaging your core muscles, this takes the stress and pressure off from your knees. And always keep your upper body relaxed. Don’t tense your shoulders.
#3 A Hush Stride
Don’t run like an elephant! A quiet stride means your leg is spending less contact with the ground, and the less time your foot spends on the ground, the better. Your foot will have lesser time and lesser chances of rolling inwards hence creating injuries.
#4 180 Cadence
We have all heard this magic number – 180. Having a 180 cadence reduces the risk of you overstriding. Stride rate is the number of steps you take in a minute. The goal is to hit 180 strides per minute. You want to spend your energy pushing forward, not upwards. If your stride rate is less than 180, it is likely that your energy is being used to propel yourself upwards instead of forward.
#5 Develop A Forward Lean
A slight forward lean, from your ankles not waist, can help improve your running efficiency. Remember to engage your core muscles to ensure you are leaning from your ankles and not waist! Remember, your body should be in a straight alignment from you ankles up, all the way to your shoulders!
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and so isn’t optimal running efficiency. Don’t rush it. If you go against your natural running form too sudden, you may end up injuring yourself instead. So remember, take it slow. Slow and steady wins the race!
It hits us once a month – but what happens when in coincides with a big race! I mean it’s already tough on us once a month but happening on race day is just disastrous. Take a look at Mary Keitany. During the New York City Marathon, she lost to Flannegan. Her agent later confirmed that her period had just came that morning for the first time in 3 months, leaving her with low energy levels.
However, it’s not all cons with our period. Back in the day, Paula Radcliffe suffered period cramps yet went on to break the World Record in Chicago.
Understanding Your Hormones
During your period, progesterone and oestrogen are at it’s lowest. In other words, this makes you more neutral, and more manly biologically so to speak. It is during this time that your body is better able to convert carbs into energy. However, before your period and the hours when it just hits you, your uterus produces a compound called prostaglandins. This compound induces your uterus to contract to push the endometrial lining out. So, the hormonal advantage is unfortunately shadowed by the horrible cramps.
What To Do?
Photo Credits: Kidspot
Should you wake up with period cramps, use a hot pack to aid with blood circulation. Do a light warm up to raise your core temperature. This helps your body break down the inflammatory compounds and also produce pain-killing endorphins to make you feel better. You can take painkillers as well such as Ponstan however, you should always try them beforehand because you never know how something new may affect you on race day. Also, fluid intake is more significant during your period. You are losing blood, which is in effect fluids. This puts you at a higher risk of dehydration. Pay attention to hydration and eating more iron-rich food during this period.
After Your Period – Does It Make You A Better Runner?
After your period ends, oestrogen levels are on the rise. Your body tends to use fat instead of carbohydrates to produce energy. This means carbo-loading is of little effect. After you ovulate, progesterone levels are on the rise which tends to give you the moods swings and the bloated feeling. The spike in your hormones actually make you an inefficient runner, so to speak. Your body tends to retain more water and causes a delay in sweat response, making it easier for your body to overheat in a race.
So, honestly speaking, apart from the cramps, the best time for you to race – is during your period!
Many people – young and old become victims of heart attack. A heart attack happens when the flow of blood into the heard is impeded. This is often caused by a build up of cholesterol and fat that forms a plaque in your arteries that feed blood into your heart. This interrupted blood flow damages the heart muscles.
Here are the risk factors that put you at increased risk for a heart attack.
#1 Age
Men 45 years and older of age and women 55 years and older of age are at a higher risk of having heart problems.
#2 Diabetes
Diabetes means your body does not produce sufficient insulin or your body does not respond to insulin properly. Insulin helps control your blood glucose levels. Having diabetes may cause your blood glucose levels to rise, and if uncontrolled can lead to a heart attack.
#3 Family History
If you have a family history of heart problems, you may be at risk. They probably result from a number of genetic changes that although individually have a subtle effect, but works collectively in a complex manner to put you at an increased risk of a heart attack.
#4 Stress
A cropped shot of a handsome businessman under strain as colleagues request various things from him
Stress exposes your body to constant elevated levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Persistent exposure to these hormones are unhealthy and increases your risk of having a heart attack. Try yoga – it’s been known to reduce stress.
#5 High Blood Pressure
A healthy heart blood pressure is 120/80. High blood pressure can damage your arteries, hence putting you at risk for a heart attack. You can manage your blood pressure through a healthy diet, an exercise regime and maintaining a healthy weight.
#6 High Cholesterol
High cholesterol form the building block of plaque that ultimately blocks your arteries and hence putting you at risk for a heart attack. Should your total cholesterol level to good cholesterol level ratio be more than 5:1, you are at risk of a heart attack. Control what you eat, and take in good cholesterol such as Omega 3 and 6 to ensure you have a healthy level of cholesterol.
#7 High Fat Diet
Research has shown that a high fat diet is estimated to cause 31 per cent of coronary heart diseases. Cut down on the burgers and French fries and make sure you have enough of your vegetables.
#8 Obesity
Excess body fat increases your risk of a heart attack.Excess weight can put a strain on your heart. To avoid this, eat a diet low in fat, sodium, refined sugars, saturated fat and trans fat.
#9 Smoking
Smoking has been greatly linked to cardiovascular problems and even lung cancer. This is the most preventable risk factor for heart problems. Quitting smoking can greatly decrease your risk for a heart attack – regardless of how long you have smoked previously. Be concerned for your health, quit smoking.
#10 Inactive Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle means your heart muscles may become weak. Physical activity makes your heart muscles stronger. Make sure you get at least 2.5 hours of physical activity every week. You can do this over a course of 3-4 days. Or even just 30 minutes of light physical activity such as brisk walking or cycling everyday can make a difference!
The Ironman Triathlon is tough – first you need to brave 2.4 mile swim, then hit the road on a 112 mile ride before finishing in style with a 26.1 mile marathon. It’s demands a lot from you – strength, grit and determination. But, on the other hand, the Ironman is also a very simple sport. Don’t make it too complicated – it really is a straightforward swim-bike-run to get you to the finishing line. Follow these 3 golden rules and they will get you to the finishing line!
#1 Eat Often
Photo Credits: Art Cyclery
The golden rule has always been to eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty. You should always fill up your tank at regular intervals rather than waiting for it to be almost empty. Once you feel the hunger pangs, it could be too little too late. This is when you risk bonking and hitting the wall. Although every individuals will differ in terms of how much calories they would need, but one thing for sure, you need a lot of them. So be sure, to eat on your bike. Try out your nutritional needs on your long training rides.
#2 Pace Yourself
GALWAY – SEPTEMBER 4- Start of Pro athletes at first Edition of Galway Iron Man Triathlon on September 4, 2011 in Galway, Ireland
It’s easy to get carried away on race day – with the music booming at the startline, the excited peeps surrounding you, and your adrenaline rushing through your veins. It’s easy to get caught up with the excitement of the day. You may end up going out too hard, to pay the price in the later stages of the race. Remember, it’s and Ironman race – things are going to suck! It’s really not question of it, it is a question of when. The struggle will come, but you can control when it happens. Don’t let it come too early by pacing yourself well.
#3 Be Prepared, Be Very Prepared
Anything can happen on Raceday! You must be prepared for all eventualities. I mean, we must all love suffering pretty damn much to be doing an Ironman, but the more you suffer during training, the more prepared you would be to suffer on race day. Seek out those suffering experiences! The more you seek those experiences out, the less like you are to make dumb rash decisions on Raceday. You would be come, because you’ve been there done that. You won’t break under pressure!
The lead up to City2Sea Melbourne was an interesting one for me. I totally forgot to condition for this middle distance race. The last time I ran 15km or further was the Sydney Blackmore’s HM in September where I bumped into some members of the F1 Runner’s team. Also, I became a pacer for the newly formed Adidas Runners Melbourne crew last week which was delightful news in the lead up to this run. Although Adidas is a major sponsor of City2Sea, I have no intention to promote the brand and any of its products.
The City2Sea race is the last of the ‘City’ series nationwide, including City to Surf in Sydney and City to Bay in Adelaide among others.
Fortunately, Melbourne’s weather was forecasted to be pleasant. And so it was! Conditions pre-race were slightly humid but cool with close to no wind. Despite the 8.20am start, bag drop closed at 7.15am as the bags were transported to the finish line down at St Kilda Beach – hence the name City2Sea. The starting chutes were fantastically organised, with an intersection of 4 large footpaths segregating the start line, sub 75 minute (5:00/km) pre-qualifiers, general entry runners and general entry walkers/joggers. Preferred starters (sub 59 minute for male (<3:55/km) and seeded invitational athletes stand at the start line. When the gun went off, elite, preferred and pre-qualifying runners ran in order. The other two categories saw a 10 minute staggered start at 8.30am and 8.40am.
The race began with a short flat before a pleasant 300m or so descent and I was able to cruise down it into Melbourne CBD. From there the run was moderately flat albeit a looping descent and climb under St Kilda Road to join the opposite lane of traffic and a suffering crest around the 13km mark.
Running down St Kilda Road was a challenge as it was either mildly descending or ascending. Basically it was hard to gauge what was a sustainable effort with the false flats. A 5km loop around Albert Park lake followed after the first half of the run down St Kilda Road. Its usually very windy there most days of the week but I think we only experienced some mild crosswinds on the way back around the lake. Then came the killer crest that almost sucked the air out of my lungs! But a little determination from my fellow pacer from Adidas Runners Sydney pulling away from me hit me hard and I managed to raise my pace to finish the last km in 3:39. But he still finished a nice 7 seconds ahead.
I couldn’t be happier with my finishing time of 59:12 as I was doubtful I would even break 60 minutes given the last few weeks of not-so-frequent training. But oh so close! 12 seconds off a preferred start spot. I’ll be working hard all of next year to dip under the magical number 59.
The only negative thing I could say about the event was the Km markings. They were not evenly spread out or accurate, and were made even more confusing with the 5km race markers thrown in between. Imagine seeing 5km and thinking I’m one third there, only to see the 2km marker 500m down the road and go HUH? But its a mental trainer and I am appreciative of it. I was tracking at 40 seconds below target time (60 minutes) at 5km and 10km splits but at the 14km mark my watch read 56 minutes which was extremely alarming as I was running a steady pace expecting to see 55:20 or something similar. And no way I did that last km in 3:12… So that’s probably the prime example of a really misleading marker.
Post race was pretty good. The finishing line and event village were spacious and well organised. And what a surprise, meeting Cadel Evans (2011 Tour De France champion) at medal collection/drinks area.
Cadel Evans!
Post race social is the best, especially when your mates are awesome and it’s by the beach.
Ex pacers from Nike Run Club Melbourne
What a splendid way to spend a Sunday morning. I’m looking forward to the next run already!
Stay tuned to some back dated race reviews I hope to find time to do soon.
The Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR), the region’s largest all-women’s running event, saw more than 13,000 women lace up their running shoes in celebration of health and happiness this Sunday morning.
Flagging off from the Singapore Flyer, the race took participants through some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks and scenery. The crowd of eager runners were joined by Guest-of-Honour Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Members of Parliament Tin Peiling, Foo Mee Har, and Rahayu Mahzam.
The Half Marathon (21.1km) saw Singapore bests such as SEA Games representatives Jasmine Goh and Rachel See, as well as Mok Ying Rong, Anne Qihui and Jenny Huang among the field of runners. These local elites were joined by Olympians from the region, including Chen Yu-Hsuan from Chinese Taipei and Nary Ly from Cambodia, and SEA Games 2017 marathon champion Mary Joy Tabal from the Philippines.
In the face of fierce competition, Jin Ming Ming, 21, from China broke the finishing tape at the time of 1:20:34 and secured the title in the Elite Open Category.
“I came here with the goal of winning. There are many races in China but this is my first time in Singapore as well as my first international race. I feel pretty good and this is a very well-organised race. Running and winning races gives me great confidence and I also bring glory to my country,” said Jin.
Not to be outdone, Mok Ying Rong, 24 years old, emerged victorious in the Elite Closed Category, with a winning time of 1:30:46. Mok said: “The competition was really stiff, I went into the race feeling pretty nervous actually. So I’m really happy about today’s outcome. I didn’t feel very pressured, instead it gave me that added adrenaline to push myself one step further today. The Run is always very organised and it’s just good to be competing against so many of the region’s best. I carried out my race strategy right from the start, which was to follow the lead pack and to break away only at the last few km. I’m really happy that my strategy worked.”
This year, Great Eastern continued to enhance the race content, injecting new experiences for participants with a slew of refreshing elements to elevate the Run. Participants of the 5km Live Great! Fun Run were in for a treat, as they navigated between fun Instagrammable photo walls, mega-sized ball pits with 135,000 colourful balls to wade through, and a diamond sanctuary zone that presented the opportunity for lucky runners to win one 1-carat diamond solitaire necklace (worth $12,000) and two 0.3-carat diamond solitaire necklaces (worth $1,200 each) from IV Masterpiece.
The new 2km Mummy + Me Run category was another highlight of the morning, providing a unique platform for mothers to run with their daughters aged 7 to 12 and creating lasting memories. Jasmine Goh, national marathoner, also ran in this category with both her daughters, 10-year-old Cherish and Faith, 8-years-old.
Mr. Keith Chia, Great Eastern’s Head of Group Brand and Marketing, commented, “We are delighted with the great turnout today. As a LIFE company, we are constantly championing healthy living and innovating to offer new experiences to our participants.
We introduced the GEWR mobile app, which enabled us to further enhance our engagement with participants, such as providing race information and updates.The app also enabled participants to do their part for charity by clocking their klicks on the app. S$10,000 was garnered through this initiative, with Great Eastern donating S$50 for every 1,000km collectively clocked.
This year participants were able to accessorise their outfits and contribute to charity by customising their race bibs and/or t-shirts, in addition to the popular ‘Don a Tutu For A Cause’ initiative.
In all, a total of S$ 57,662 was raised to support two causes – Breast Cancer Foundation and Women’s Health Research and Education Fund.
Ok! This year medal sibeh nice! 😍 Similar to the one I gotten in Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon this year but my tiny runner wants a separation with the medal and for months I haven’t find a hook to hook them back together yet 😂 Hopefully it doesn’t happens the same for this GE medal 😆
GEWR is experienced and reputable plus it’s the don’t know how many years that they are organising this run, cock ups dont happen like YOLO run, that’s why I’m back running my third GE after running my first ever half marathon running GEWR in 2015. Now I’m already looking forward to the next GEWR! Flag off is punctual, bag deposits and collections is swift, there are with more than enough space to run and hydration points are ready, race pack when I collect no queue, race tee nice, finisher tee nice, medal nice 👍🏻 After run race village activities and booths. Enjoyed the Magnolia milk and the Little Pony Photo booth especially 😍
Though the queue to collect the breakfast pack after the run was not that long when I finish the run, but I went around take some photos and look again, queue sibeh long already so I don’t want queue, that’s how much I hate queues. See lah see lah, take pictures some more 🤣 I don’t even know got breakfast pack in the first place so it’s like a bonus thing. Never read race guide 🤣 I was also wondering 2hr10mins pacers should overtake me already only when around 15km, the 2hr15mins pacers overtake me then I know the pacers time are 15mins apart 😆
I had no aim for the run actually as I thought I should treat this as a LSD for Osaka Marathon which is in 2 week’s time and my friend said we will run 7 mins pace wthen 1 day before race day she said she aim to run 2hours(I think my friends and I always says want to run together but once flag off will all disappear in a short while) 🤣 They too competitive and fast liao, so I run my own, didn’t really do much of long distance running lately and lack of determination so I walk quite a lot at the last few kms 😆 I’ll run another 10km tonight and hopefully that’s enough for Osaka Marathon, just hope I can reach before cut off time and anything better than that is bonus!
Photo Credits: Axel Chua
And thanks to all the supporters, photographers and runners cheering for us and one another! ❤️ Ya, quite a few people saw me walking and give me a push by encouraging me to hang on and keep running! Really thankful and blessed 😊
You Only Live Once, I think many runners can link it to a tagline that You Only Run Once 🙁
Confirm many people gonna boycott the organisers. If next year there is no huge discounts for runners that were in this mess, next year they can expect the runners to be very little. Not angry but disappointed because the run is only 6.9km according to my Garmin! 😕 Maybe I’m silently wishing I can run a personal best for this run but my Garmin was telling me I might just run about the same timing at most. Recently busy till some runs I did not blog but this one really must blog because of such madness. YOLO Run Facebook page are full of complaints from frustrated and angry runners.
My 10km medal is not really something memorable and meaningful or something that I could keep with pride anymore because it’s just 7km, the organisers should mail us a 7km lanyard right? And sibeh jialat, a friend said he queued 4 hours to collect his bag! WTH! Luckily I returned in 40 minutes for the 7km and the first thing I did is to collect my bag and done within 5 minutes. While queueing, I heard that the runners front and back also says they ran just 7km, so it’s not just me. The first thing I thought after my baggage deposit when I see the baggage deposit has only a few counters for all the 21km, 10km and 5km runners is confirm jam one. And it really jam till jialat jialat. Lucky me if not queue 4 hours, really can siao 🤢 Runners even end up go and find their own bags. Volunteers must be very poor thing, confirm kena scold a lot although it’s the organisers fault.
See this picture I took, it’s not the start pen hor, it’s the medal and finisher entitlements collection. Honestly, sorry to say that it’s the worst running event ever so far 😰
When I woke up at 5am I thought jialat already, struggling to wake up, dilly dally then took Grab down. Reach race village at 6am and deposited my bag with a queue of about 10mins. Thought hoseh liao, start pen will have many people already but end up start pen not even open leh. Then I heard that 21km runners were flagged off at 6am when they should be flagging off at 5am. Erm, though we tick the we agree to the terms and conditions blah blah blah but is too much lah, is really poor organising. Everywhere is queue seriously, it’s a queue at every point. Nightmare. Queue for baggage deposit and toilet. But the queue for baggage collection and medal entitlement really really is horror 😨
There was a delay in flag off for 10km and end up we were only flagged off at 6.50am, saying that the route near sports hub is in a jam. I squat down after standing too long as I get a little dizzy. I’m anaemic and I thought had gotten better already recently apparently I need more iron pills. Finally flagged off and the distance board is “cheating” the runners for the whole run, like 500m into the run and 1km distance board is there and haven’t even 7km there’s the 9km distance board. Though I’m not stucked in any human jams or had any bottlenecks for the run but the lane for running is really so small and some part we can only run in a single file. The organisers maths and agaration failed really badly. Ratio, how many runners to how many baggage deposit counters, how many runners running and your path to run on have to be how wide. Tsk tsk tsk.
Race pack collection is another chaos. A friend told me that during the race pack collection, she was told by the volunteers that the sports bra for the ladies ran out of sizes and they asked the participants who chooses M size to take either S or L. LOL! But if our boobs not that small cannot squeeze them into a smaller size ma or if our boobs not that big also need a loose sports bra for what right? 🤣 Plus, we actually selected the size that we wanted during registration so why was there delay or shortage of sizes? 🤔 At least the organisers let the runners change the size on race day.
I like the idea of sports bra as an entitlement for the women runners, it’s the only run that I know of in Singapore that gives sports bra as an entitlement with the race pack and my sports bra from last year’s YOLO run is still very fine and have it’s elasticity and support. Not bad quality actually. I dare not collect race pack on the first day of collection very long time already because I scared of queue. Heng I never collect on Friday during the first day of race pack collection, many participants complained in their Facebook page that they waited 3 hours to collect their race pack and some can’t even manage to collect their race pack when they make their way all the way there. Tsk tsk tsk 😩 I went on Saturday afternoon to collect queueing for about 45minutes. Also can faint sia 😢 Anything less than 15 minutes to queue for a racepack is reasonable for me. Next time always collect on last day or collection. I was told that the sports bra not ready for collection and asked me if I would return in the evening to collect or collect on race day. Tsk tsk tsk. So I collected chop chop for the sports bra luckily on actual day.
(Maybe our thumbs should point in the opposite direction! 🙂 )
Have to say, they really need to apologise for an event that is supposed to be fun and happy day to spend time at turns out so jialat. I’m sure next year they will not expect many runners to return at all unless they make deals sibeh nice nice for this year runners. Luckily it’s still not that bad for me as I’m not stuck in the queues and jams, if not I will definitely not run anymore YOLO run. But still, I ran only 7km, can I get a 30% refund? 🤣
Many Ironman athletes have a great swim, a great bike ride but a horrible run. Many athletes end up walking the run. They don’t plan to, but they end up doing so. Here are 4 reasons why you may be struggling when you hit the run leg and how to overcome it.
#1 You Did Not Eat Enough
Nutrition slash your fuelling strategy is very important in long gruelling endurance races. Eating too much or eating too little on the bike can cost you your run. Eating too much can cause gastrointestinal problems. Blood is drawn away from your stomach to your working muscles. Eating too much will render your body unable to digest the food, hence causing gastrointestinal problems. Too little can cause you to become dehydrated and cause you to hit the wall. Your body just does not have enough energy!
Solution: Always practise your fuelling strategy! Remember to never try anything new. No new gels, no new isotonic drinks, no new breakfast. It is hence imperative to always test out your your food intake during your long runs and long rides. This is to better understand how you body will react to such food and fuel.
#2 You Went Out Too Hard On The Bike
This doesn’t mean you should take it easy on the bike. You just need to manage your swim and bike times such that you have some reserve in the tank for your run. Remember, the ironman is a 3-discipline sport, not a duo-discipline one.
Solution: Always make sure you aren’t going all out on the bike. It is easy to let your ego take over. Always remind yourself, saving 20 minutes on the bike could easily mean losing more than an hour on your run. Remember to keep your effort 5-10 per cent below your 70.3 distance effort. If you’re going faster or the same as your 70.3 speed, you know you’re going way too fast. Always always keep yourself in check so you don’t pay the price later on.
#3 Too Little Time In Transition 2
Often we are tying to save time in transition. We get off the bike, put on our shoes and off we go! The less time wasted on transition equals a better timing no? Unfortunately the answer is no! You should ensure your legs are ready for the run before going out. If not you may end up cramping and wasting more time instead.
Solution: Shake your legs out and ensure you are properly hydrated and fuelled before you hit the run leg. Remember to prepare yourself mentally, physically and nutritionally for what is to come. Eat, hydrate and prep yourself mentally! Even sitting for a couple of minutes could do you good. Don’t rush, take your time!
#4 Overtraining
Overtraining is a killer. If you’re still doing really long run and long bikes up till one week before the race, your muscles could be still tired from your last hard gruelling session. You will feel the effects especially in the later stages of your race – the run leg – the marathon. And it is here that you will pay the price!
Solution: Make sure you taper and rest well before your big race. Always listen to your body and monitor your heart rate. Your tapering should be 2-3 weeks at minimum to allow your body to rest, recover and rejuvenate for your big race! There should be no hard sessions during the final week of your race, but you should keep your body moving with light swims, short bikes and easy runs!
Downhill training may seem counter-intuitive. You may be inclined to think to run faster and become stronger, the most effective way to train is to run uphill. Running uphill takes your muscles more, making you stronger. But downhill running can be a more effective way to increase your running speed. The main benefit of downhill training are the strength gains you gain from it. Downhill running is actually harder on your body, particularly your quads, hips and knees.
Develops Coordination, Increases Speed
Sprinting downhill develops your coordination and speed. When you run downhill, gravity pulls you down faster. This forces your legs to learn to handle the high speed travel. Your body will respond by adapting to a higher stride rate. Over time, your coordination will also improve. Your body will learn to have a higher stride rate which will translate into an increased speed over a flat surface due to the newly accustomed higher stride rate.
Strengthen Your Legs
Downhill running puts a huge eccentric load on your quads and hamstrings. An eccentric muscle contraction is the muscle activation that increases tension on a muscle as it lengthens. This is the reason why people tend to get sore when they run downhills. Downhill running means more muscle damage. Training downhill allows your body to adapt to this stress load by repairing the micro tears in your muscles and tendons, enabling your body to withstand more pressure and load in the future. This is how you become stronger.
Types Of Downhill Training
You can do a downhill fartlek – run fast slash sprint on the downhill slopes and recover on the flat and uphill. Focus on the downhills instead of the uphills. This may seem counter-intuitive. Ideally, look for a course that has hills of varying steepness and lengths. This will be a continuous run that helps develop your endurance as well.
Downhill Intervals – Look for a downhill that is about a kilometre long and sprint down it. You would be going almost all out on this downhill sprint. Recover by walking or slowly jogging up the uphill before doing the repeats again.
Downhill Long Run – If you are able to find a 15-20km downhill course, this would make a good overall downhill course long run. For instance, you can run down Frasers Hill in Malaysia.
Downhill Running Technique
Due to the gravity pull, it is easy to overstride. When running downhill, you must be cautious with your form. Ensure that you aren’t overstriding. You must ensure what is allowing you to go faster is an increased cadence. Remember to concentrate on candence and avoid tensing up. Keep your hips and back relaxed. Make sure you are in control of your run, not gravity!
The one-north Run 2017 was held in the one-north area, Buona Vista on 5th Nov 2017 (Sunday). Categories are 5k, 10k, and kids dash with parents of 800m.
Its been sometime since I took part in Singapore races, the last one was POSB kids run in September. My results were not what I had expected, but it was a nice run with my Tortoise running club friends.
This time around for the one-north Run was because it is near my neighbourhood and it is about one of the cheapest runs I can find in Singapore after the early bird discount.
The Race Course
The 10 Km was not really fully subscribed. The route was rather winding and full of slopes. Going up and down within the concrete jungle of the new Mediapolis area. This place has changed a lot since my younger days where it used to be SAF camp, with a lot of greenery and fields. It is now full of character too, colonial houses dotted around the Wessex area.
Although it was supposed to be a 10km, my watch had clocked it to be 9.5km only. I guess the many buildings around the area had caused the mis-calculations. One north is now a media and hi-technology hub with many startups around. This race was organised and sponsored by all the businesses in this area.
Waking up early about 5 am, I reached the start point by bicycle, the now O bike which is an app driving company, so happened that its giving free rides on that weekend, quite a good way to save the environment.
In the wee hours, runners at the baggage drop off
People were strolling in to the start line. 6:30 am was the flag off, and many of the booths were still not up yet. As I have not collected my bib, I went forth to the information counter to collect them as I missed the initial collection. There was a shoe time chip provided too.
The weather had been good with a heavy downpour the night before, making it cooling for the runners. The best part was being able to take a shot with my favourite Media corp idol, Zheng Ge Ping! Kym Ng was also there too.
With Media Corp celebrity Zheng Ge PingWith Media Corp Celebrity, Kym Ng
After Run Perks
After the run, get to enjoy the various interesting items that the booths have to offer, from hologram photograph souvenir, balloon sculpting, to face painting. There was also food trucks around and of course the Milo truck.
The halogram souvenir photographMilo Trucks, all runners’ favourite!
There are ample grounds in the vicinity for runners to rest and stretch, organizers have also thrown in the bouncy castles for the kids to enjoy.
Bouncy Castle for the KidsLucky Draw Bib (the top prize was iPhone X), Finisher medal and Tee.
On the whole, the race was well organised and not too crowded, the best part is that the proceeds collected from the race were all given to Charitable organisations such as AWAA, Community Chest and the Singapore Children’s Society.
The last race for the Performance Series this year was held in Changi Exhibition Centre at 5:00 AM. The Performance Series always find new and interesting places for participants to run and try not to hold their races at the common ground such as F1 Pit. 😛
Race 1 was held at Stadium Riverside Walk (I did not go because I was overseas), race 2 was at Punggol East, Corney Island and race 3 at Changi. The drawback for this was that public transport was a problem and so we had to purchase 2-way shuttle bus tickets cost $14.00.
I didn’t do well in race 2 due to calves pain and backache (the time of injury). Took me almost 3 hours to complete 21KM.
I am happy that I did well in race 3 with a PB (2:23 official nett time). It was the first time I ran a sub 2:30 for half marathon, though the course was about 500m short on Strava. The race route was a straightforward 2 loops and to some people, it was boring. I was OK with it because it was rather flat, simple and easy to run. Not to mention the good weather too. Run route need not be complicated.
Map from Strava
I started the race following the 2:20 pacers for a while but I knew I couldn’t sustain the pace for the entire distance and true enough, slowed down at 7KM but still feeling great and carried on running at about 7 min pace. Hydration stations provide Lucozade and water. I don’t really like Lucozade because it is gassy and too sweet for my liking. So I mixed it with water. Placement for the hydration stations was rather odd because 2 stations were quite close and after these 2 stations, there was no more station for a very long stretch about 6 – 7KM? And I realised there were no toilets too along the route. Nevertheless, I had no major issues.
I collected 2 medals, one finisher and one running series. As for the finisher shirt, I feel that the 10KM shirt has a better colour, same thing for race 2.
I finished the race feeling very happy with a PB and glad that my PF has recovered about 90%. I hope to run injury free forever.
But the actual run wasn’t that perfect for me. The route is so straight that it is like never ending, no turns, no bends, and boring. No volunteers to cheer us up, no views to enjoy, no motivation, the 5k stretch seems longer than usual. Finally come to a U-turn and then the same 5K in opposite direction. I tried not to look in the opposite side as what I can see is a stretch of orange army.
Instead of clocking a PB, I struggled till the end and finished with the worst timing of the series.
Photo Credits: Virtual Sport Injury Clinic
Photo Credits: Groupon
Photo Credits: Style Craze
Photo Credits: Kidspot
Photo Credits: Art Cyclery
