SWISS MERCHANT RACE PACK COLLECTION, WEEKIAT'S 21ST BIRTHDAY.

For the past 2 weeks.

These past few weeks was busy yet manageable. ICT, ICT and more ICT preparations. My section didn't get a chance of getting to the Zoo on Friday due to hand-over cum 'take-over', which was then postponed to next Monday. ZZZ.

Saturday.

After meeting up with the gang and collecting our race packs yesterday, we headed down to Marina Square Swensens for our lunch. As for tea-break, DUNKIN DONUTS! :D

Zijian left earlier and I've enjoyed the bus journey back home with Hsia. Not to mention we did a little shopping at Vivo-city when we had to change bus in between the journey (:

Also got Weekiat's present from Body-shop before heading down to his party at CDANS. Met up with quite a few of old Secondary School classmates and caught up with them for a few hours before heading home just before midnight.

Happy 21st Weekiat! (:

MEETUPS AND MORE MEETUPS.

Halloween night with Zoe-ho and PCC on 301010, follow by The Social Network on 311010! (:

Wonderful day, memorable night!

Saturday morning run on 301010 with clique.

Meet-up with the clique after Nike 10-km run, 241010 at City Hall.

First meet-up with Hsia and Zijian just before the Nike 10-km. Initial plan was to play bowling since they brought socks for the occasion. In the end, karaoke got the better of course and we got on a bus to Clementi to satisfy our craves.

231010, Partyworld Clementi.

Meet-up with Sheryl and Salina for dim sum buffet, not forgetting having cheeky chcolates at night with Salina on 201010.

BELATED NEW BALANCE REAL RUN 15-KM ENTRY!

I've reached early at Changi Exhibition Centre. Well, not as early as I expected. This taxi driver was lost when I told him to go Changi Exhibition Centre. Instead, he drove me to Expo Exhibition Centre and left me there. Angered, I got another cab and got myself down to the venue on another cab.

I started my race preparations while awaiting for Zijian and his friend to come.

The first part of the race was all trail. I started off the first 5-km (All trail) at a pace slightly slower than race pace but enough to cover the distance at a good speed, finishing the first checkpoint (4-km mark) at around 18 minutes 47 seconds. I decided to pick up the pace a little after I hit the road at the 6-km mark, and after having a water break, I was in my racing pace and got my second water break at the 8-km mark, which is also the second checkpoint with a time of 39 minutes 14 seconds.

At this point of time, I saw the eventually champion of the 15-km, Silas Muturi Gichovi, nearing the 10 to 11-km mark already, with a few other guys thinly spread behind him. I was beginning to feel a little tired at the 11-km mark when I talked myself into hanging in there, while slowing down my pace slightly so as I crossed the 12-km, checkpoint three at a timing of 57 minutes 52 seconds. The slowing down of my pace served another purpose, not to get myself killed while running that 600-meters killer sand near the beach, which eventually did, but fortunately near the last 5 meters or so, when I walked for 10 seconds or so to catch my breathe.

I then started to run and get back to my race pace as I get closer to the 13-km mark. In my mind, my brain's telling me to stop. However, when I caught the time, 1 hour 7 minutes! I started to pick up the pace a bit and decided to follow behind this runner whom was of reasonable speed. We ran together towards the 14.5-km mark when I decided to make my move.

I started to run, like how I always did in my interval sessions, a sprint to the finish. He just didn't follow and runner after runner, I passed many of which were slowing down nearing the finishing line. I eventually caught up with this fast runner which I've followed at the 10-km mark and lost. I guess he just didn't have enough gas to complete the last 150-meters when I caught up with him and passed him. He was surprised, and he should too! HAHA.

15-km; 1 hour 16 minutes 59 seconds. A PR for 15-km.

After grabbing a can of 100 plus and collected my goodie bag and my personal belongings, rested a little while before having my foot massage. We then caught up with Alvin before heading off to Changi Village for a little meal and a walkabout around Tampines before heading home to rest.

I've spent the entire yesterday recovering from the race, and had a short 2 x 2-km intervals, 2 minutes per 400 meters run today. I'm going to up the intensity a little bit after I've planned my workout regime once again this week to cater for my Swissotel Vertical Marathon this coming November the 21st.

Wish me luck in my training! (:

Got really inspired and found new motivation in my running when I watched the video 'Spirit of the Marathon' on Youtube.

NEWTON 30KM RACE RESULTS ARE OUT!

I must say I did fairly bad, according to my own standards. I started out too fast and screwed up the whole thing. But I guess it was still a good race experience after all. I swear i'll be back next year, stronger and faster than ever.

My current results, in a instant;

Overall Race Position for 30km MEN - 218th/1280th.

Overall Race 10-km/20-km/30-km best split time;

10-km split 00:49:13.81 minutes

20-km split 00:55:13.27 minutes

30-km split 01:09:40.89 minutes

Best split time 00:49:13.81 097 minutes

I would have rather gotten something like this for my split times, given more time to train...

10-km split 00:55:00.00 to 60 minutes, warm up pace for run

20-km split 00:50:00:00 minutes, or slightly slower than race pace, for the final kick in the end

30-km split 00:45:00:00 minutes, or below...

That would have changed my timing to 2 hours 30 minutes, a whopping 24 minutes off my current timing and moved my position from 218th to 54th! That's a hell of a jump!

Top runners 10-km, 20-km and 30-km split timings; first link (I am placed in 97th/1265th)

Top runners in 30-km overall, second link (I am placed in 218th/1280th)

http://www.newtonrun.com/p10men.pdf

http://www.newtonrun.com/30mens.pdf

I guess it's all over now, no point whining about it. I want to look forward to my New Balance Real Run 15-km tomorrow.

3 simple goals in mind;

1. To complete the race, without dying (:
2. A time goal of 1 hour 30 minutes
3. IF POSSIBLE, lesser than 1 hour 30 minutes, that would be a bonus (:

Wish me luck for tomorrow! :D

NEWTON 30KM AND DIN TAI FUNG ON 101010!

I've finally completed my Newton 30-km race! I wasn't really happy about what happened during the race though, due to being under-trained, running too fast in the first 5-km costs me dearly and taking too many breaks and water breaks often but nevertheless, a timing of nearing 2 hours 51 minutes for my first 30-km. I've also created a new PR in the 21-km mark when I crossed it at around 1 hour 50 minutes. The last 10-km was hellish for me as I was not prepared for what's coming next. What seemed to be 'just a short 10-km' became a hell of a pounding on my feet, in which, forces me to walk-jog-walk almost all the way. Then I've paced this young girl, around my age, maybe a little older to the 28-km mark when I lost her due to severe fatigue. But still, what happened has happened. I only can put my 100% into the upcoming 15-km trail-sand-road race real run this coming Sunday.

Gear that helped me during my run, excluding the second pair of Nike Free Run I've brought the previous day before the race shown in the photo.

I've found the Nike Free Run 7.0! But unfortunately they didn't have my size of 9.5. I would have brought it on the spot then! Then again, I guess I'm going to get my Newton Distance shoes first by the end of this year.

Caught the wonderful movie, Eat Pray Love with Adeline. It was a great movie (:

Next, a much deserved dinner with her after Newton 30-km at Jurong Point,

DIN TAI FUNG! :D

111010

I've got to the library to return/borrow books today when I came by this interesting book in Popular. It was too much of a distraction and I just simply couldn't not resist it. So...

I'm going to read it after I'm done with my library books! (: