Five Things Monday

I kinda dig the bullet (or rather numbered) format of FTF and thought it would be nice to have it for Mondays for a wrap up of the weekend. Of course, if there’s anything interesting to share. Warning: picture heavy post!

How was everyone’s weekend? I know that Jess and friends back in UK are enjoying an extended weekend with QE’s Diamond Jubilee celebration. Ok, I’m definitely envious because it’s so hard to coming into the office this morning especially after a fun-filled weekend.

1. The weekend kicked off with a group run with Tham, Siak Yeng, Hooi and a few other friends. I opted for the 19-20km option while the rest went with 25km (makes it sound like a restaurant menu, eh?). Ran with Tham for the first half and with Hooi on the return journey. Easy comfortable pace – shout out to the guys! Followed this up with a “planned” 19-20km (same route) on Sunday with Kenny. Now tell me this: which part of a 4-hour pacer do you not understand???? LOL! The dude went faster way faster than his MP! Something like 5-5:15 min/km and at some point, even 4:50 min/km. I bailed out and decided to do the DH route. Kenny was a gem and decided to stick with me even though I told him to go ahead and finish his second BA-Hartamas set (19-20km). oh yeah, totally kicked my butt keeping up with him. I owe each and every one of the guys a huge favour!

2. Saturday evening was The Marathon Shop’s opening dinner. Think lots of discounts on all running gear (Vibrams, Garmin, Injijji socks, camelbacks etc) and naturally buffet dinner. Here’s the spread.

3. Kelvin’s wedding lunch reception at Noble Banquet yesterday and the most awesome was the carrying of the bride into the room in this.

Very traditional. I doubt even this is practiced in China these days.

With friends.

Glorious food abound!

4. Hands up anyone who went to bed at or before 9 last night! I had a light dinner (Chinese pastry with black sesame seed filling – recycled pic) since I was stuffed from lunch before lights out. Totally and absolutely wiped out from the weekend’s activities.

5. Lastly onto mundane stuff, yesterday and this morning’s workout. Yes, I put in a strength training session after my run and the previous day’s long run. Super duper sore naturally…and that’s just from yesterday. The back and lats will be kicking up a fuss soon.

Chest on Sunday

Single sets of:

a) Smith machine bench chest press (and I broke 65lbs!)

b) Smith machine incline chest press

c) DB bench chest press (the weight wasn’t the issue, just the balancing)

d) Technogym cable chest fly (oh whoa…heavy + difficult = Sue looking like a dork!)

e) Push-ups on Bosu (hips more or less gave way towards the end of each set. Phail!)

f) Kettlebell pull-overs

g) Abs crunches on fit ball

Backs & Lats Today

Single sets of:

a) LF cable lat pull-down (medium grip) (whoops…I should have gone with the shoulders option when Michael offered!)

b) LF cable low row (hmm…heavy but I’m not dying dying, so maybe back & lats is a better option. Let’s hope these words don’t come back to bite me!)

c) Precor T-bar row (OMG…45lbs isn’t too bad. Are we onto a winning streak here???!!!)

d) DB bendover back row (ok, maybe it’s time to chew my earlier words)

e) LF cable upper back row with iron bar

f) LF cable criss cross rear delt (we both agreed that this is a more difficult option compared to the Technogym)

g) LF cable pressdown (the first set was ok-ish; naturally it gets uglier when someone piles on the weights!)

h) Reverse abs crunches

What???? No pull-ups or chin-ups today?

Five Things Friday

Yay! We’re back to FTF after a hiatus of a couple of weeks!

1. I’ve a feeling this weekend will be a blast. Oh wait, feeling? Scrap that. It’ll be a blast for sure. On tap this weekend: group runs, dinner with friends in celebration of The Marathon Shop’s opening of a brick and mortar shop (after a couple years operating online – which is still available) and Kelvin’s wedding reception.

2. Currently digging this BB cream that YM got for me from Sasa HK and the dude is there again this weekend. Time to send him my shopping list perhaps?

Will let you know how this compares to my previous Skin79.

3. Speaking of shopping, KM and SF are off to Houston this weekend to sort things out and have asked for my shopping list. Hehehehehehe. I’m thinking Polo, Coach and all things American? What say you?

4. Bento Box Lunch: PBJ sandwich and a side of grapefruit

5. We postponed this morning’s strength training as Michael had an early start to a work course/training. I hopped on the elliptical for a fabulous boring one hour before finishing with some abs crunches and push-ups. You can pick up your jaw from the floor now. No clue what made me do that except perhaps some loose screws around my head.

I hate Leg Workouts

Why do I let Michael put me through this agony, week after week, month after month???!!! Yesterday's killer workout:

Single sets of:

a) Smith machine squats (I half-a**ed this because I can’t get my form correct! My butt absolutely refuses to be pushed back or rather my tummy decides to jut out front. Oh yeah, the 45-75-100lbs plate weights didn’t help either. Since it was half-baked, Michael made me do full squats for a drop set at the end…with 25 plate weights!)

b) Cybex plate loaded leg squat press (glutes started to stretch from the first set)

c) Kettlebell and DB walking lunges (the leg squat press did me in because I could feel my quads and glutes burning on this)

d) Technogym leg extension (felt heavy on the first set and I was wondering why 45 was not do-able. It was 50.)

e) Cybex Eagle prone leg curl (90? Never started with that! E.V.E.R.)

f) Abs crunches on fit ball

Back to the Hills – 31 May 2012

Part 1 here. I’m a glutton for punishment because despite the light drizzle (if it’s raining before I start a run, I back out), Kenny bailing out due to the aforementioned rain and nursing DOMS from Michael’s killer workout…I was pounding the exact same route as Tuesday at the exact same start time. Lo behold…a marginal 1 sec improvement to the average pace! Slight change by kicking off the 2 laps first and tackling the final hill after some “recovery time” around the furniture mall loop.

Route: 2 laps around Taman Desa Seputeh + 1 lap around Taman Seputeh

Distance: 2 * 4km + 2km = 10km (Garmin: 9.53km)

Timing: 51:30 for 5:24 min/km pace

Warm up: House to train station (391m; 2:38)

Taking it nice and easy since (1) warm up and (2) more MOST importantly, and the tunnel wasn’t lighted!!!

Lap 1 (3.368km; 18:34)

I definitely felt the quads this morning but not the glutes. I better not say anything to jinx that! BTW, anyone notice that while it’s “easier” powering up inclines but just about 10-20m to the top, it’s so so so much (like bazillions) times tougher? Oh, just me? Not sure if my tank is empty or if it’s always that much steeper at the top. If it’s the former, then I’ve a whole lot of work to put in. That drizzle? More or less killed itself just 300m into the first km. Waved hi, said “Good Morning” to quite a few folks this morning – hey, it’s the first lap…taking it easier + not wiped out yet.

Lap 2 (3.403km; 17:49)

Looks like the dogs were back in action this morning. A white small one ran out from the compound about 200m into the first km…and again on the return journey. Did I mention that when dogs run out of their usual “hiding spot”, they bark like nobody’s business and chase you??? Thereafter, your HR goes into 250 (plus minus 50%) and since you did a leg workout the previous day, leg turnover can be compromised??? Ok, over-dramatizing it…I was lucky the dog was kinda trained and only moved 10m; then again, that’s no excuse for irresponsible owners and unaccompanied dogs on roads.

Finishing mile: Train station to house via Old Klang Road loop (2.363km; 12:24)

More dogs on the 1km stretch along Jalan Bukit Desa Utama (?) (I need to watch out for the signboard the next time!) but at least the ones making the most noise were in the shop compound. Though there was one that ran across the road as I was about to start the first climb (there’s at least 3-4 climbs on this 600m stretch!!!) – white dog (what’s with that colour scheme today???) – no barking, no chasing. Kenny’s dog perhaps? Sorry, never had a dog growing up…so all of them look the same to me. Again that last hill killed me! Which also equates to glute workout! Yeah, definitely feeling it then.

And now. And probably this afternoon. And again tonight. And tomorrow.

Bento Box Lunch

Picked this up (Chinese pastry biscuit with malty filling) from BMS Organics on the way home yesterday. Looks like today’s tea snack is covered.

Thursday’s Mantra: 3Rs - Rest, Re-hydrate, Re-fuel.

Sundown Marathon 2012 – 10km

Date: 26 May 2012

Venue: Nicoll Highway, Singapore

Distance: 10km (Garmin: 9.85km)

Timing: 48:27 (Gun); 48:22 (Chip); 48:24 (Garmin)

Pace: 4:54 min/km (Garmin)

Result: 13th (Women Open) (results here) (all results here)

Website: www.sundownmarathon.com

Wow it’s been 4 years already?!?!?!?! Previous years’ edition here, here and here.

This event will go down as the most rain-soaked and drenched event ever for the 21km-ers and 42km-ers and quite possibly Singapore as well. It was a relentless downpour from 2+ am (2 hours after flag off) to 6 am.

New this year: running in the city instead of Changi/Airport roads. The flag off for the 10km was at 10:30pm from the open field at Nicoll Highway with the other 2 categories 2 hours later. Yeah, I do have friends who were running both the 10km and 42km! Amazing feat, eh? Ok, back to the route: loop starting and finishing at Nicoll Highway with a few switchbacks along the highway and through Kallang PCN and Geylang area.

Km1-2

Can I say extremely crowded at the start pen? There were some 9,000 runners for the 10km and I had trouble “weaving” myself to the front or close to the front but since there was a full road closure on both sides of the highway, the crowd more or less dispersed once the air horn went off. Down Nicoll Highway and by km1.5 (or earlier?), the race leaders were on the return side. Now this is probably the first boo-boo for the event. They were on the same side of the road as incoming runners – apparently the bike marshals made a mistake and I heard that these runners had to jump the barricade to get over to the other side. First switchback along the highway and before km2, a hydration station.

Km3-6

Along Nicoll Highway to the next switchback and constant reminders to myself: hold back, don’t push it yet, let’s get to km8 or km9 and then go, you don’t wanna blow up. After the switchback, it was back to the event point and naturally, you can’t look like death! Well, even if you feel like death, hold it off…you can’t have the crowd seeing you at your worst…especially your family, friends etc. Plus, they were cheering and clapping.

Km7

Let out my first words and no, it wasn’t a swear (thank you very much). More like “OMG” which the guy next to me heard. Why? Because we were lead into the Kallang PCN. If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, you know I don’t dig Kallang’s running path – the path is rock hard (feels that way to me) and I can’t get any response from my soles. Now if I can’t even manage this in broad daylight, what makes you think I could do it in moonlight (or the lack thereof)? Guess what I did: used Monica’s cue from her Ragnar race. Yeah, I was scared even with runners and volunteers abound. Oh BTW, I think us runners also killed whatever passions couples taking an evening stroll had for that night! LOL!

Km8

Yay! Back to asphalt! This was probably the most scenic stretch: Geylang/Kallang area shops, restaurants etc vs the previous sections of highway, highway, highway and dark park.

Km9-10

Back onto Nicoll Highway for the homecoming. Minor bump at Merdeka Bridge and then it’s a cruise downhill to the finishing chute with the announcer hollering your name as you run in.

Pros:

a) Pretty ok-ish organized event for this size and which event is without hiccups.

b) Plenty of hydration stations – every 1.5-2 km and at the start/finish area. I was pleasantly surprised that at one of the stations, the volunteers giving calling out that their station is without 100Plus – good for those who intended on having it and instead of searching for it, they could skip that station.

c) Distance markers at every km although they ran off by about 50m (and increasing every km) with my Garmin. No issue with this since Garmin is not known to be accurate.

d) Full road closure thus minimal congestion especially at the start/Nicoll Highway. The later start was due to the approval for a later closure to minimize disruption to businesses/community etc.

e) Easy access with the Nicoll Highway MRT just 2 steps away although I did miss the last connecting train after the race.

f) Announcers calling out your name and nationality as you come in.

g) Preliminary results by Sunday afternoon and RunPix results on Monday, less than 24 hours after Saturday’s flag off.

Cons:

a) Lack of directions – to the start point and after the event. I had to ask around for directions to the station.

b) Extremely crowded start pen and the walkway to that – miss a step and you could be off the curb and sprain your ankle.

c) Dark pathways along Kallang PCN – I was so afraid of breaking my foot. Before you say anything – this was the same area I injured my foot 2 years ago.

Photo log: