Speed is relative

Just got back from a short road trip to M'sia. We went as far as Penang before turning back to Singapore. I did about half of the driving ;p Needless to say, driving on the NS highway was definitely something blog-worthy ;)

As some of you may know, I don't own a car and hence I don't drive often. Majority of my driving experience is limited to weekend driving ;p (esp for those of you who were lucky/ unlucky enough to be my passengers ;p) Furthest for these drives would be to the eastern and western ends of our little island ;p I don't break 90km/h on expresways in general. Don't worry, I do not roadhog. I don't even take the 1st lane on the expressways hehz. Meek as this may sound, but I've long decided that there's no point in causing myself undue grief for being caught for speeding, particular since I don't even drive that often ;p

As such, driving on the NS highway has always been pretty much an adventure to me. Speed limit on the highway is 110km/h. Frankly, driving on the NS highway at 110km/h feels rather normal even though I'm very used to only 90km/h i.e. when I'm stuck behind vehicles that are going at 90km/h, well, I'll just overtake ;p When I get overtaken by other vehicles, I'll try not to be competitive and catch up and overtake them in return ;p Sometimes, I do feel that I'm roadhogging even at 110km/h. Frankly, when the road is all clear in front of me, the temptation is always there to erm go beyond 110km/h. hehz. Over the course of the roadtrip, I got to play around with stuff like the overdrive (which I never use in Singapore). Longed for cruise control for the vehicle (something which I got to fiddle around with in the US and Australia ;p) and of cos, for a roadster. When driving at such high speeds, the importance of the vehicle's pick-up is greatly amplified ;p

Oh I should add that a lot of my friends were very concerned when they heard that I would be driving on the NS highway ;p Friends in my office were advising me to go easy on the speed and to be extremely careful while driving :) 2 friends that I met for dinner a week before my trip were advising me on the speeds (as well), the bernoulli effect of large vehicles passing me by and erm on how to recognise tsunami alerts :) Was really touched by all these concerns ;)

Back in Singapore. Was driving around in the West today. Did my normal 90km/h on the highway. Oddly enough, it didn't feel as slow as it did on the M'sian highways. ;p I guess speed is largely relative to some extent ;p

Finally satisfied :)

Hehz. This is definitely very long overdue :) My blog posting for my marathon ;p Will attempt to write it in a different way ;) But I guess only the runners among you would be able to empathise with this more ;p


Preamble: This is my 2nd attempt at the 42.195km run :)


First attempt in 2005 was miserable and grueling as my knee gave way at the 12km mark. So it was horrible for the next 30km. Mostly walking. Though I completed the run, but I really didn't feel proud of the attempt at all. Declared that I won't be doing the marathon anymore.


Took a one year break. Did only 10km runs and half marathons.


Come 2007. I definitely signed up for the marathon again on an impulse. A moment of madness perhaps. Trained much lesser than before. It didn't help much that it kept raining on the days when I scheduled my long runs. It really didn't help much either that I had to burn 2 weekends in Europe in the middle of winter, 2 weeks prior to the run. So much for training hard for the run ;p


By the week of the marathon, my maximum distance covered was only 22.5km ;p which as most seasoned marathon runners should know..is pittance...a well trained runner ought to have ran up to a maximum of 30+km in preparation for the marathon. Oh well....





Day before the run


To bolster my confidence, on the day before the run, I judiciously followed every single tip that I could find for the actual run:


a) realised that the power gel brochure in the race pack contained instructions on the number of packets of power gel that I should be consuming at specific points in time.


b) Worked out my game plan for the run based purely on my usual running speeds and giving allowances for myself to slow down every 5 km into the run after 21km ;p





Decided on the eve of the marathon that I will be happy if I can complete it in 5hr 30min. Feeding (power gel) time at all the stated distances. Yes. I ran carrying 5 packets of power gel. 3 packets strapped to my left arm. 2 packets in my back pocket. heh heh ;p Here's the game plan:


10km - 1hr 5min


15km - 1hr 40min


21km - 2hr 25min


26km* - 3hr 5 min


30km - 3hr40min


35km - 4hr 25min


42.195km-5hr30min


*spared myself the weight of one more packet of powergel. cos there's a complimentary packet given out at the 26km mark ;p





Day of the run


Start - Clear skies. Felt rather relaxed. Quite happy to see that my biggest boss was doing the flag-off ;p Was unabashedly in the sub 5hr pen with my other friends who were faster runners. Didn't want to be honest and be all alone without friends in the sub 6 hr pen hehz ;p started off at a really leisurely pace. It's gonna be a really long run anyway. no hurry.


10km mark - did a time check. Shocked to see that I was 2 mins behind my scheduled timing. Realised that I've been taking it too easy. Decided to speed up. Feeding time. 1st packet of powergel. Lighter load on the arm ;p


15km mark - Probably overdid the speeding up by too much. Was 20 mins ahead of schedule. Eeks. wonder how long I can last at such erratic speeds. Time to slow down a little again. Need to sustain for another 20+km..Passed the 5hr 30min, 5hr and 4hr 45min pacers along the way. Decided that there was no need to be too happy. Knowing myself, I'm very sure that I will lose steam in time to come..and they will pass me eventually ;p Feeding time again. different flavoured power gel. hehz. Backpocket starting to feel heavy. Strapped the 2 packets to my left arm ;p


21km mark - was still 15 mins of my schedule. Realised that I just did a personal best in terms of a half marathon ;p Morale boosted! Felt v happy all over again ;p Posed for a picture for my friends who came to support. heh heh ;p Ok. another "reward". Powergel again. More cups of water to swig and to toss aside ;p Yes. I'm rather unladylike during runs, jostle for drinks, crush cups or toss half-empty cups to the side of the road. Having some fun at trying to aim and make sure that my cups land in the designated areas hehz ;p


26km - Still 15 min ahead of scheduled time. fatigue starting to set in. but still holding on. Kept running. Told myself that I shouldn't be stopping to walk! Perservere. powergel up in front! I can only stop to walk when I'm having the powergel....you can imagine how happy I was to finally reach the powergel station....was quite contented that I managed to get a power gel flavour that I've never tasted before ;p (not that powergel is appetising to begin with ;p)



30km - Still 15 min ahead of scheduled time...couldn't quite take it anymore...starting to walk and run....walk in the shadier parts. run in the sunnier parts...bottomline is to keep moving....drinking and of cos...eating the powergel at appropriate times to regain my energy level. Spotted my supporter friends at the 33km mark ;) My morale was boosted all over again! Posed for pics again ;p hehz. Happy once more!



35km - 15 min margin remains...the sun did not matter anymore. Primarily walking. Ran when the road was downward sloping..just to gain on the time a little. 4hr 45 min, 5hr, 5hr 15min pacers passed me. Quite satisfied that my earlier prediction came true. 5hr 30min pacers catching on....starting to wonder if I should push myself a little more to finish the run before 5hr 30min......consumed last packet of powergel. No load left. Walking/ running free and light.



40km - 15 min ahead of scheduled time still. But still walking...couldn't quite push myself to run to aim for better timing....weather was hot...told myself that I'll let myself walk all the way till the 41++km mark..before running till the end....



41++km - Reached the esplanade. Told myself that this is it! I gotta run.....cos I've got friends who are cheering me on at the esplanade bridge ;p I need to be seen running in ;p (That was where I was last year...cheering my full marathon friends on, after my own half marathon) Felt motivated all over again...and was actually able to start running :) V happy to see OL waiting for me there. She ran for a short stretch with me (she did the half-marathon ;p) and we had quite a good chitchat that cheered me up considerably ;p Onwards till the v end..!



42.195km - Managed to sprint to the finish line, per my usual fashion ;p Yes yes. I tend to get very sluggish in the 2nd half of most of my runs..but I'm usually able to muster up enough energy..the rush of adrenaline.. to do my sprint to the finish line...regardless of the total distance I ran ;p Perhaps it's a matter of pride ;) I've always felt that it's so much better to be seen running to the finish line than to stroll all the way there ;p Finished the run in 5hr 13min ;) Completely satisfied. Told myself that this is it. No more marathons. I'm going back to doing only the half marathon ;p I hope I can keep my word this time round ;)

Back

Yes. This must certainly be very long overdue. I've been back in town for 2 weeks. Been busy, tired and procrastinating to blog ;p But I'm back :)


Was in Zagreb Croatia for a week. Beautiful place. Felt very comfortable and safe there.

Thought I'll just share some of my Croatian musings with you guys. In point form :)

First thing that I learnt about Croatia - Colours of Croatia's flag. One of my friend (superman/batman/TLM - whichever is the flavour of the month;p)'s first reaction was to offer his knowledge of the Croatian national football team ;p


First TV program that I watched in Croatia - CNN program on SIA's inaugural flight to Sydney on the A380. Purely coincidental Heh hehz ;p Felt inordinately proud to be watching about our airline's achievement even though I was far away on the other side of the world in Eastern Europe ;p


First glimpse of Zagreb's touristy sites - Picture of the steeples of the cathedrals ;)First impression of Croats - Artistic easy-going people. As can be seen from the numerous statues that dot the streets and the architecture of the many refurbished old buildings, plus the numerous art galleries that you can find everywhere.

First unforgettable expriences in Zagreb - Snowflakes! My first time seeing snow :) Apparently, the temperature dipped below ice-point after midnight. In the day, it was generally a cool 5 to 7 degrees. There was only once, after dinner, when we were still strolling the streets at 1 degree celsius. Have attached a picture of the layers of clothes that I don before stepping out of the hotel ;p turtle neck, woollen vest, woollen sweater, winter coat, scarf. I started wearing gloves towards the last 2 days!

Funniest question that was posed to us in Zagreb by an artist who created jewellery from metal - "what are you doing here in Zagreb in the middle of winter?" ;p

Best view that I've ever had from an aircraft - this has gotta be the view of the alps and of London as we flew in from Zagreb :) Ok. I need to agree that flying in smaller aircrafts do have its merits :) Even though, I need to declare that the B777-ER is still my favourite aircraft to-date! Till I get to try the A380........;p

Going green

It's been a rather eventful weekend. I thought I'll make full use of it before I spend my next two weekends in midair and crossing time zones ;p

Was on Pulau Ubin on sunday and paid a visit to Chek Jawa :) Yes. The photos in the collage above are all my handywork ;p Especially like the refurbished old tudor house which has since been transformed into the new visitor center for Chek Jawa. I can still remember how dilapidated and run-down it was, 2 years (?) ago when I was at Chek Jawa on christmas eve. The visitor center is now bright and airy. It's a very comfortable feeling to just sit there, to enjoy the scenery and the gentle breeze :)

Perhaps because I have always liked old buildings :) I always marvel at the blend/ integration of old architecture and new architecture in many cities around the world. We could certainly do with more of such integration in Singapore :)

Have always had a particular affinity to Pulau Ubin. Like it for the peace and quiet it offers. The largely untouched features of nature. Not that I do not like the vibrancy of city life. But a brief sojourn to tranquil Pulau Ubin once in a while is always refreshing:)

I've brought/ guided quite a number of groups to Pulau Ubin before. So if you ever feel like a short outing to Ubin, dial 1800-kestrel ;p Hehz.

New Rules

Went for something really interesting today. No pictures to show yet ;p Will load them when I get them :)

Was the drummer (once again!) for my company's dragonboat team ;p

For the uninitiated, you must think that the drummer must be a really important person in the dragonboat team. Well, it's a "yes" and "no" answer :)

For teams who train with a drummer, more likely than not, yes. The drummer is important and will play an important role in determining the pace of the boat (if I get my facts right ;p).

For teams who do not train with a drummer, as in the case of my team, the drummer is there more for an ornamental purpose. Mainly because for competition purposes, a complete team consists of rowers, drummer and the coswain (i.e. the person who steers the boat) ;p

So, as my friends aptly put it, I qualify for the race cos I'm light i.e. less likely to upset the balance of the boat that they are used to and of cos, lighter additional load to carry;p

In any case, during last year's race, I recall I spent a fair amount of time clinging to the drum for dear life in the initial stages when I was trying hard to find my balance (if I drop off the boat, my team will be disqualified!), not really beating the drums at all subsequently (cos it felt rather pointless, no one is really listening ;p) and I was having more fun viewing the race from my vantage seat i.e. perched high on the boat behind the drum ;p

This year, there was a slight difference though. At the starting line, the announcer/umpire emphasised that "drummers have to drum their way from start to finish, if not, the team will be disqualified". No more free lunch for me. For the first time in my short "drumming history", I had to beat the drums in accordance with the pace of the boat (not that it really mattered ;p), but it felt "more like it". Must say it was a rather beautiful experience, as I felt the pace of the race so much more better from the perspective of a participant, rather than that of an observer as in the previous year ;p All in all, it was a more fulfilling experience this year :) Lesser number of bruises as compared to last year ;p *thumbs up*

Was ambling about in between races and cheering my teammates on ;) Spotted a certain company's dragonboating tee which I really liked. Won't mention names. But it's rather obvious. The design of the sleeveless tee is rather dressy. Pretty much in hard rock cafe t-shirt fashion. Back of the tee reads in pink wordings "Aircrew 2007 Dragonboat". Looks real cool ;)

For my dear junior..

This posting is for my dear junior, who did a really sweet posting on his blog for me. I was absolutely touched reading it ;) (I won't be so obtuse as to give the link to his posting, but hint hint. It's one of the blogs that I read frequently. One of those blogs on the left hand column of my blog ;p)

Speaking of this junior of mine, I can still recall that very first night where I spent close to an hour on the phone, literally cajoling him to join my eca group. That was definitely an exception. But I'm glad I succeeded ;p For those of you who know me, I guess you would know that I don't beg/ "whine" for things in general ;p sounds like a toughie huhz ;p

Am glad that I've kept in touch with this junior of mine through the years. We maintained contact even for the 4 years when he was away in the US :) We have managed to keep the friendship going for the past 10 years. Really gotta thank him for being such a wonderful friend, for lending me a ear always and for being my trip adviser, for my 2 mega trips to the US ;p Here's to many more years of our friendship :)

My week of sin...

It's been an eventful week. I think I"ll call it my week of sin! Before your thoughts start running wild, pray, please do hear me out :)

On second thoughts, I could probably call this the week of cheesecake and mudpies. Within a short span of 6 days, I've had 3 slices of cheesecakes and 2 slices of mudpies. The week has been eventful and foodful (a kestrel-coined term) ;p


Mon - started my lessons in something new. Gotta say it's fun and interesting. But I don't really think it's easy ;p Interesting classmates as well ;)

Tue - Had that first slice of bakerzin cheesecake plus a teh tarik during an afternoon meeting. Thought that I would have time to go for a long run after that. But was caught up in another meeting. Didn't have time to run. Haiz. So much for the carbo loading. arrghz.

Wed - start of my own private celebrations. Had really yummy jap food at this place called Matsuo - sushi platter and tempura udon (per pax) for lunch. Went for an indian wedding in the night. Yum Yum. Loved the north & south indian food. Must say my indian friend has the same taste as me ;) the songs that they chose to play for the march-ins were mostly my favourite English songs ;p

Thurs - Boss bought us yummy cheesecake brownie. Loved it so much that I had two slices. Sinful but absolutely delicious! (I got the address of the shop. Let me know if you're interested ;p)

Fri - Had yummy pasta for lunch. Am quite impressed with the standard of TCC's pasta ;) Celebrations continued in the evening with my first beloved bunch of friends ;p Mouthwatering wood-fired thin crust Italian pizzas (this is what I call the real thing!). Followed by a session at a min2 ge1 chan1 ting1 ;p Was absolutely cool to have the singers singing the b'day song for me ;p

Sat - Went for tea at the V cafe. Had this yummy chocolatey stuff. Yepz. Chocolate always works for me. I'm an absolute chocophile ;p Nice chit chat session with an old friend who turned up as well :)

Sat (cont'd) - Went to shop at zara for my birthday present. Am absolutely thrilled with what I got ;) A dress! This was followed by dinner with another beloved bunch of friends. Followed by yummy desserts at Ben&Jerry's @ Dempsey ;p Once again, chocolatey stuff (esp for me) if you can see ;p

Would love to thank all my lovely friends for taking time out to celebrate my birthday with me :)

Would also like to thank my msn friend, for remembering my birthday and for offering to throw my favourite flowers at me on facebook ;p

Lastly, would like to wish my twin all the best for his exam. Tough luck that your exam is still so close to our birthday (thought that would have only been during our school days) ;p Gambatte!