"You have to make your deposits before you can make a withdrawal!"
That was the best advice Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder of Blackstone Group, received from his high school track coach, Jack Armstrong. It stayed with him all through his career as a successful investment banker.
Now for that extra loop up MF and RRR.
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Less is More
On two counts.
First, taper started this week, and with that lower volume but same intensity. Still did a 3.8km TT swim w/o wetsuit (6th), bike intervals and brick run.
Second, contentment (αυταρκεια) signifies a competency, a sufficiency; that measure or portion of secular things which is necessary for the support of life. So it is with training. The rest is faith.
Less is more.
First, taper started this week, and with that lower volume but same intensity. Still did a 3.8km TT swim w/o wetsuit (6th), bike intervals and brick run.
Second, contentment (αυταρκεια) signifies a competency, a sufficiency; that measure or portion of secular things which is necessary for the support of life. So it is with training. The rest is faith.
Less is more.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Motivation
Found this wonderful post by Stacy with beautiful pix and motivation.
My favorite:
'If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.'
William Arthur Ward
My favorite:
'If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.'
William Arthur Ward
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The reason I blog
It is somewhat of a puzzle even for me as to why I keep this blog. A documentation of my adventure through midlife is probably the most compelling reason. What else? Training log for sure. Amusement, perhaps. It is also a medium for verbalizing my thoughts, fears, doubts, hopes and aspirations.
Sometimes, I faltered and thought of stopping. But somehow I kept going.
Of late, I have discovered another reason to keep this blog going. It is best captured by a line I read in Craig's blog (btw, I hold Craig's writing in extremely high regard):
In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller writes, “The saddest thing about life is that you don’t remember half of it."
Yes, I write to remember.
Sometimes, I faltered and thought of stopping. But somehow I kept going.
Of late, I have discovered another reason to keep this blog going. It is best captured by a line I read in Craig's blog (btw, I hold Craig's writing in extremely high regard):
In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller writes, “The saddest thing about life is that you don’t remember half of it."
Yes, I write to remember.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Inspiration to Run
I usually run the first half of the marathon and run-walk the last half. It gets harder to run 26.2 miles at my age, but I'm inspired by the memory of friends I've lost.
Harriette Thompson, 87-year-old grandmother of ten and marathon runner
Harriette Thompson, 87-year-old grandmother of ten and marathon runner
Sunday, April 25, 2010
imaRunner: Singapore Blade Runner
I didn't recognize him until we passed each other.
"Good morning," I said.
"Hi brother," said Singapore Blade Runner.
This man has been an inspiration. Check out his blog here.
"Good morning," I said.
"Hi brother," said Singapore Blade Runner.
This man has been an inspiration. Check out his blog here.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
imaRunner: Yong Yuen Cheng
The greatest distance to cover in any race is the distance between your ears. Strength does not come from physical capability, but from an indomitable will.Quote by Yong Yuen Cheng, 218 km Run Round Singapore top finisher in 31:28:51
Amazing achievement by one of our own - a 38 year old physics HCI teacher.
To read of his past as a sickly child and determination to succeed in road racing as a
teenager is inspiring.
See "It's crazy only if you're unprepared" by Jeanette Wang in ST April 5, 2010.
Yong's parting words "I feel lucky that this has become a good lesson for my students."
Friday, January 29, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Interview with Singapore's DecaIronman Dr Kua Harn Wei
Enrico recently interviewed Dr Kua Harn Wei on his philosophy, passion and achievements. Read on ...
Monday, June 29, 2009
Called to Action by Kristin Armstrong
Every now and then, an article jumped out at me and tugged at my heartstrings. This article "Called to Action" by one my favorite writer Kristin Armstrong is one.
Read more.
Fortitude. Such an obscure word these days. But fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues since the time of Plato (the others being prudence, justice and temperance). Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. Fortitude is the word to describe the early Christians willing to give their lives rather than to renounce their faith. Fortitude is what enables our migrant forefathers to cope with poverty and losses. They persevered with courage and determination.
Running fosters fortitude. Fortitude to break the one minute mile, to go sub-3 (or sub-5 in my case), to head out with our sneakers regardless of fatigue or mood. And of course, fortitude for the next test round the corner, whatever that may be.
There is an underlying purpose and meaning behind my training, always. It isn't about the next race or the next workout. It's about fitness and fortitude for the next test around the corner that I cannot see. Everyone will face a challenging experience, whether we want to acknowledge its inevitability or not—the doctor calls to say he needs to discuss the test results in person, or a police officer has news at the front door, or you find a lump in your breast, or you lose your job, or your child is diagnosed with something, or your spouse walks out the door. When my next moment comes, I want to be strong and centered enough to handle it with some measure of grace. But perhaps even more importantly, I want to be fast enough to be first on the scene when a loved one needs me, and I want to be fit enough to help carry their load for as long as it takes to reach the other side.
Read more.
Fortitude. Such an obscure word these days. But fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues since the time of Plato (the others being prudence, justice and temperance). Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. Fortitude is the word to describe the early Christians willing to give their lives rather than to renounce their faith. Fortitude is what enables our migrant forefathers to cope with poverty and losses. They persevered with courage and determination.
Running fosters fortitude. Fortitude to break the one minute mile, to go sub-3 (or sub-5 in my case), to head out with our sneakers regardless of fatigue or mood. And of course, fortitude for the next test round the corner, whatever that may be.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
My First 100 Years: A Look Back from the Finish Line
With a title like that, how can I resist picking up this book?
R Waldo McBurney was 102 years old when he published his book in 2004. A quick internet check showed that Waldo is still alive!
What's even more remarkable is that Waldo started distance running at the youthful age of 65. He set the world record at the World Masters in 1995 in triple jump, shot put and high jump, and in 1999, the world record in discus, 200m and 500m race walk. New records were set by Waldo in 2003 in shot put, 100m and 5000m.
This was Waldo's account of his participation in the master's mile at Fort Hayes State College track meet at the age of 75:
Two years ago, I went to a track meet of small colleges in the new coliseum at Hays, ready to suit up for a masters mile run. I knew I would be lapped three times by the young runners and I would be running three laps after the race was over. That would be too embarrassing, and besides that, the spectators would know the winners and would have no interest in the slowest runner to appear all evening. They would no doubt head for the door rather than wait around for my finish. Under these circumstances I decided to leave my running gear in the car and go to the balcony to enjoy the meet with Vernice, my wife and date. I met the other master milers, all new acquaintances.
This year, I decided to swallow my pride and run even at my slow pace. I would ask the others how I could best keep out of their way as they passed me. The building atmosphere was dry and warmer than my near zero practice trails had been through my winter runs. Running was hard, and my mouth got dry. After the others finished, the crowd made so much noise I couldn't hear Fred Irwin, my pace advisor, call out the time. Two younger runners joined me in my second solo lap out of respect, hope, sympathy, support or encouragement. Whatever the motive, I appreciated this fellowship. I wound up the run with a kick, which was accompanied by cheers from all over the place. I didn't know until afterwards, but the spectators had come to their feet. It was as if someone had revealed how to retain the fountain of youth under the generally accepted handicap of old age.
The reaction of the crowd was a surprise to me. I would prefer that this praise would be directed to the One who created us all in such a fearful and wonderful way.
...
I trust that this experience will be instrumental in helping people become aware of the marvelous potential of the human body and help motivate each one to care for it with all diligence and thankfulness.
The book is a first (living) person account of life in the early 20th century, where there's no running water, except from the well, bath once a week on Saturdays and laundry wash the next Monday, using the same bath water. A work week was 60 hours, 6 days a week. School was 2 miles walk/run each way, and that was after doing farm chores such as milking the cow, feeding the chicken, etc. That was before the days of the automobile, toothbrush, birth certificates and penincillin. Such perspective!
Waldo also shared his views on nutrition, exercise, and of course, his journey from jogging to running to race walking. Throughout the book, one may use adjectives such as phenomenal, great, and incredible. But as Waldo himself put it right in the introduction:
But these achievements are not the greatest things in life. The following quote helps my humility and discourages my pride:
"In strength of horse or speed of man
The Lord takes no delight;
But those that fear and trust His love
Are pleasing in His sight."
Ps 147:10,11
Read more.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Saul Raisin: from severe head injury to triathlete
April 2006. Saul Raisin was on in full sprint in the final stretch of the first stage in Circuit de la Sarthe in northern France when he crashed his bike. Suffered severe head trauma and went into coma. His family was advised to expect the worst. 6 days later, Saul woke up paralyzed on his left side and with no memory of what happened.
Neurologists were surprised that someone with his brain damage could survive. Yet survived Saul did. Not only that, he was riding a stationary bike 3 months after that. He trained himself to cycle and run. In 2007, he competed in the US Professional time Trial championship. He finished last, but was triumphant!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
David Goggins and Badwater 135 ultra 2007
Determined to raise money for the children of soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, he started taking part in ultramarathons. He went on to run Badwater twice, finishing third in 2006. He also completed the Hawaii Ironman in 2008 with little swim and bike experience. What an inpsiration David Goggins is!
His website: I am nobody special.
Read more...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso
New book (2008) by the man who invented the Yasso 800, dubbed the "Major of Running" and the chief running officer at Runner's World. The book chronicles Bart's conversion from drugs, alcohol and aimlessness to running. He recounts how he progressed from running to beat his older brother to the Boston marathon, Badwater ultra (146 miles), Bare Buns and racing in various continents.
Bart is frank about how he felt neglected by his father (who eventually became his firm supporter) in his growing years. He found redemption through running. He also has a high tolerance for pain, which helps explain how he excels in endurance events (never give up!).
The book contains many interesting events, adventures and misadventures as well as several heart touching stories. In Clean Streaks, Bart relates how he trained a team of 6 convicts from a rehabilitation center to run a 22 mile relay race in Pennsylvania. Running as a team was an alien concept to the ex-addicts. At the completion of the race, the team was ecstatic. "For once, they were receiving recognition for doing something positive and not being punished for screwing up, and they relished the acceptance of other runners."
Bart also described how he came up with the Yasso 800 training system when he reviewed his running logs when he trained to break 2:50 to qualify for Boston. He formulated his system in the mid 80s, but it was only in October 1994 that Runner's World published an article and dubbed the method the Yasso 800 (courtesy of Amby Burfoot). Bart is quick to note that the Yasso 800s aren't perfect - adjustments need to be made for a hot day or hilly course, and it has to be 10 800s in one workout five to six weeks before the race.
But a deserving credit to an icon in the running world!
Bart is frank about how he felt neglected by his father (who eventually became his firm supporter) in his growing years. He found redemption through running. He also has a high tolerance for pain, which helps explain how he excels in endurance events (never give up!).
The book contains many interesting events, adventures and misadventures as well as several heart touching stories. In Clean Streaks, Bart relates how he trained a team of 6 convicts from a rehabilitation center to run a 22 mile relay race in Pennsylvania. Running as a team was an alien concept to the ex-addicts. At the completion of the race, the team was ecstatic. "For once, they were receiving recognition for doing something positive and not being punished for screwing up, and they relished the acceptance of other runners."
Bart also described how he came up with the Yasso 800 training system when he reviewed his running logs when he trained to break 2:50 to qualify for Boston. He formulated his system in the mid 80s, but it was only in October 1994 that Runner's World published an article and dubbed the method the Yasso 800 (courtesy of Amby Burfoot). Bart is quick to note that the Yasso 800s aren't perfect - adjustments need to be made for a hot day or hilly course, and it has to be 10 800s in one workout five to six weeks before the race.
But a deserving credit to an icon in the running world!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
What does Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Palin have in common?
Read from RW Nov issue that Jennifer Lopez is now a triathlete! And 6 months after giving birth to her twins.
This was at Malibu, CA and she raised more than $125,000 for Children's Hospital in Los Angeles! She finished the race in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 38 seconds.
Read more...
Did you also know that Sarah Palin ran a 3:59:36 marathon? This was in the Humpy's Classic Marathon in Anchorage back in August 2005, about a year before she became the first female governor in Alaska history. That time was good for 63rd overall, and 15th among the women.
Palin is a mother of five kids and her parents were marathoners. She says exercise is still very much a "family thing," and that "Conventional running is my sanity."
Read more...
PS: President George W. Bush ran 3:44:52 in the 1993 Houston Marathon and Vice President Al Gore completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:58:25.
This was at Malibu, CA and she raised more than $125,000 for Children's Hospital in Los Angeles! She finished the race in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 38 seconds.
Read more...
Did you also know that Sarah Palin ran a 3:59:36 marathon? This was in the Humpy's Classic Marathon in Anchorage back in August 2005, about a year before she became the first female governor in Alaska history. That time was good for 63rd overall, and 15th among the women.
Palin is a mother of five kids and her parents were marathoners. She says exercise is still very much a "family thing," and that "Conventional running is my sanity."
Read more...
PS: President George W. Bush ran 3:44:52 in the 1993 Houston Marathon and Vice President Al Gore completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:58:25.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Medals4Mettle
RW Oct 2008 featured Steven Isenberg, MD, a head and neck surgeon in Indianapolis, who was so moved by a cancer-stricken colleague that he gave him his finisher's medal. "You are running a much more difficult marathon than the one I completed."
Dr Isenberg went on to start Medals4Mettle, a non-profit organization that collects medals and donates them to people battling illnesses. Not surprisingly, most medals go to children hospitals. Todate, Medals4Mettle has collected more than 3,500 medals. This meant more than 3,500 patients have been uplifted in spirit!
Some future plans include working with marathons to arrange a meaningful way to distribute unused medals and arranging the gifting of unused marathon T-shirts to deserving recipients.
What a simple and wonderfully inspired idea.
Dr Isenberg went on to start Medals4Mettle, a non-profit organization that collects medals and donates them to people battling illnesses. Not surprisingly, most medals go to children hospitals. Todate, Medals4Mettle has collected more than 3,500 medals. This meant more than 3,500 patients have been uplifted in spirit!
Some future plans include working with marathons to arrange a meaningful way to distribute unused medals and arranging the gifting of unused marathon T-shirts to deserving recipients.
What a simple and wonderfully inspired idea.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
imaRunner: FunkeeMonk
FunkeeMonk posted this in the SGRunners Forum on Sept 1:
Hi everyone!
I'm not exactly too new to this forum, just been procrastinating with writing this for months. :-)
I'm one of those people that just HATED running with a passion. Never managed to pass 2.4 during my secondary/high school days, and the annual cross country runs were absolute torture for me. So it came to no surprise that my first 2.4km categorisation test during my enlistment into the Army for National Service came in at a stunning 16 minutes. I can never understand why people would actually want to run for fun ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmhDfWIE30 ) -- what kind of fun is that? :-)
So as a conscript in the Army, I never managed to get IPPT (the .sg military standard fitness test) Gold, although I did manage to get Silver. The fastest i've ever done in the Army (during SISPEC, an infantry leadership training course, at the peak of my running fitness) was around 10:15 I think. I just wasn't motivated enough to run any quicker. BTW, if you think that this is fast, you must realise that training in SISPEC (at least in the company I was in) is an intense intense endeavour (relatively speaking, excluding the elite units like CDO/NDU/Guards), and half of my company achieved IPPT Gold just 2 months into training. Running is just something that I do just to make sure I can book out for the weekend and not stay back. :-)
So fast forward many years to 2008. I didn't run during those many intervening years, unless i'm training up for IPPT, and even managed to fail 2.4 once and had to attend RT.
I realised I was turning 28 this year, and it suddenly dawned on me that i'll soon be hitting the big three-O. Like many, I came up with a list of new year's resolutions. I started thinking of things that I want to do while my body is still relatively young. I've come across books and articles before saying how one can finish a marathon by just training for a year, so I know that this is a surmountable challenge. I had this mental image that i'll be lying on my death bed one day, thinking of all the things i've done and not done in my life, and regretting that i've not finished a marathon when I had the chance.
So I shocked myself when I decided to finish a marathon before the end of 2008. What the hell am I doing??
I headed to the library to borrow this book: Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer and spent a few painstaking hours devising a training program for myself based on the author's original plan. Its basically what is documented in that book, but streeeeeeeeeetched out to fill an entire year instead of the original shorter schedule.
So 3 weeks later, I laced up my running shoes for the first time in a looooong while, and headed out to Pasir Ris Park to put my plan into action.
My god.
I felt pain and aches in muscles I didn't even realise I still had, and when I returned from that first 3km run (more like an attempt to run), I was TOTALLY exhausted. But I kept thinking positive and convinced myself that as long as I keep to my schedule, I will make it. Somehow.
Of course, it didn't help that I carry previous injuries in both my ankles and my left knee from my time in the Army that I need to keep a lookout for too.
Honestly, I hated running during the first 2 months into this schedule. I didn't really know what I was doing and it was just horribly tiring. I hated the act of running, but coming home after a run, plugging in the iPod to upload the run stats to the Nike+ website became a habit that became my source of motivation and inspiration. Without the little games that I came up with on the Nike+ site, and the encouragement of others leaving notes for me on the Nike+ site, I would not have made it past those first few months. Or it'll be very very difficult at least.
Upbeat music, podcasts and listening to US Army cadence songs (I know, INSANE!) helped a great deal with keeping myself slightly more interested in running during those early months. And I kept to my schedule religiously.
Then something changed. I started to find my runs feeling a little easier, and I really started to enjoy my runs now. I look forward to it as a way to destress after work and a way to get some fresh air and enjoy a bit of greenery and nature. I feel happy after my runs and the sense of accomplishment after breaking a previous unconquered distance made me feel a joy that i've not felt in ages.
I signed up for my first race, the 15km Passion Run (to coincide with a scheduled long weekend run) and looked forward to the Army Half Marathon I had put into my schedule too.
I tried to make running a little more fun by roping in a good friend of mine to run with me, and after nagging at him for a while, he finally joined in and I tried to spread my new found love of running to him.
Then disaster struck.
While out in Pasir Ris Park during a warmup jog with my friend, I stepped on a dried fruit in the park in the evening darkness and sprained my ankle. So that's it. My old Army injury's back, and I was forced to stop. From my past experiences, I knew it would take 2-3 months to be even able to walk properly again and I was dismayed. I went home, soaked my ankle in an ice bucket (GAH, it hurts!) and hoped for the best.
Amazingly, maybe because of the ice soak quickly after the run, I managed to recover in record time, and I was able to run again in just one month! Trying to get back the momentum after stopping for a whole month was tough, but like finding an old friend, before long, its as if i've never stopped before.
There were a few times when my old injury in my left knee threatened to make things difficult, but rest and an increase in green vegetable intake made all the pain go away. Especially the latter, as now I have no pain in the left knee anymore after I did that, when it hurt consistently during my days in the military.
I trained hard for my first race at the Passion Run and I find myself strangely excited about racing. I had an amazing time at the very well organised race, and managed to come in at 1:23:58! I strove to come in at 1:20 (because its a nice round number, hehe), but I was very happy that I managed to complete the race. I found myself addicted to races and kept an eye out for more races to join.
On a totally crazy whim, I decided one weekend to run from Orchard Road back home to Pasir Ris just for fun. I bought a map from Borders, and off I went! It was AMAZING. It was such incredible fun, and although I took a loooong while to get back because I deliberately ran very slowly (its my first time doing anything like this and I knew it was going to be quite long), it was interesting the entire way.
I ran past thousands of migrant workers along the entire stretch of Serangoon Road (on a Sunday! You can imagine the crowds), past backalleys in industrial areas and when I saw familiar Tampines again, it dawned on me how small Singapore now seems. I knew Singapore is small before, but when I reached my lift lobby and realised that I actually started off at Orchard Road, "small" took on a whole new meaning. I looked at my Nike+ kit, and there it said - 25km.
I've just completed the longest run in my life.
2 days later though, I caught a cough and flu combo meal and I couldn't run for the entire week. I was devastated. The Army Half Marathon is just a week later and if I don't recover in time, I would miss out on a race I was looking forward to for 8 months.
Thankfully, lots of sleep and fluids made my body shake off the bugs, and I managed to recover 5 days before the race. I did one last training run on Tuesday and did abit of carbo loading to prepare for the AHM on Sunday. Its totally surreal. I'm entering my first ever half marathon race when just 8 months ago, I couldn't even manage 3km without wanting to just lie down and melting into the earth. Never in my life would I imagine myself volunteering to join the AHM. If you told me that i'll one day do this while I was serving NS, I would have asked for what you were smoking (and whether I could have some).
The route in the AHM was so-so, but the organisation was world-class (big thanks to all the NSFs and regulars who sacrificed their weekends for this!). I strove to make it in under 2 hours (again, nice number), but my Nike+ kit stopped working midway through the race and I couldn't keep track of my timing. I was really miffed at first when I realised I came in at 2:04:14 because I knew that I would have managed to keep it under 2 hours if I knew it was going to be this close (spent way too much time stopping at the water stations and looking at the few pretty girls around :-)), but I was still really satisfied with the race.
I just finished the Nike Human Walkajog (hehe, can't really call it a race when more than half of the people I had around me in the 2nd wave were walkers) and i'm really looking forward to more races in the future.
I've turned from a a kid who never passed 2.4 in high school, to a reluctant slow-ish runner in the Army, to someone who will now run for fun and kicks. I don't even need music to accompany me on runs anymore. :-)
Running has now become a part of my life. I'm still going to train hard for my first ever marathon (well, I guess for me, almost everything's a first-ever in the world of running) but even if I somehow don't make it, I don't think i'll feel too bad about it. I've picked up something that I think would stay with me for years to come, and this is all just the beginning.
Read more from FunkeeMonk
Hi everyone!
I'm not exactly too new to this forum, just been procrastinating with writing this for months. :-)
I'm one of those people that just HATED running with a passion. Never managed to pass 2.4 during my secondary/high school days, and the annual cross country runs were absolute torture for me. So it came to no surprise that my first 2.4km categorisation test during my enlistment into the Army for National Service came in at a stunning 16 minutes. I can never understand why people would actually want to run for fun ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmhDfWIE30 ) -- what kind of fun is that? :-)
So as a conscript in the Army, I never managed to get IPPT (the .sg military standard fitness test) Gold, although I did manage to get Silver. The fastest i've ever done in the Army (during SISPEC, an infantry leadership training course, at the peak of my running fitness) was around 10:15 I think. I just wasn't motivated enough to run any quicker. BTW, if you think that this is fast, you must realise that training in SISPEC (at least in the company I was in) is an intense intense endeavour (relatively speaking, excluding the elite units like CDO/NDU/Guards), and half of my company achieved IPPT Gold just 2 months into training. Running is just something that I do just to make sure I can book out for the weekend and not stay back. :-)
So fast forward many years to 2008. I didn't run during those many intervening years, unless i'm training up for IPPT, and even managed to fail 2.4 once and had to attend RT.
I realised I was turning 28 this year, and it suddenly dawned on me that i'll soon be hitting the big three-O. Like many, I came up with a list of new year's resolutions. I started thinking of things that I want to do while my body is still relatively young. I've come across books and articles before saying how one can finish a marathon by just training for a year, so I know that this is a surmountable challenge. I had this mental image that i'll be lying on my death bed one day, thinking of all the things i've done and not done in my life, and regretting that i've not finished a marathon when I had the chance.
So I shocked myself when I decided to finish a marathon before the end of 2008. What the hell am I doing??
I headed to the library to borrow this book: Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer and spent a few painstaking hours devising a training program for myself based on the author's original plan. Its basically what is documented in that book, but streeeeeeeeeetched out to fill an entire year instead of the original shorter schedule.
So 3 weeks later, I laced up my running shoes for the first time in a looooong while, and headed out to Pasir Ris Park to put my plan into action.
My god.
I felt pain and aches in muscles I didn't even realise I still had, and when I returned from that first 3km run (more like an attempt to run), I was TOTALLY exhausted. But I kept thinking positive and convinced myself that as long as I keep to my schedule, I will make it. Somehow.
Of course, it didn't help that I carry previous injuries in both my ankles and my left knee from my time in the Army that I need to keep a lookout for too.
Honestly, I hated running during the first 2 months into this schedule. I didn't really know what I was doing and it was just horribly tiring. I hated the act of running, but coming home after a run, plugging in the iPod to upload the run stats to the Nike+ website became a habit that became my source of motivation and inspiration. Without the little games that I came up with on the Nike+ site, and the encouragement of others leaving notes for me on the Nike+ site, I would not have made it past those first few months. Or it'll be very very difficult at least.
Upbeat music, podcasts and listening to US Army cadence songs (I know, INSANE!) helped a great deal with keeping myself slightly more interested in running during those early months. And I kept to my schedule religiously.
Then something changed. I started to find my runs feeling a little easier, and I really started to enjoy my runs now. I look forward to it as a way to destress after work and a way to get some fresh air and enjoy a bit of greenery and nature. I feel happy after my runs and the sense of accomplishment after breaking a previous unconquered distance made me feel a joy that i've not felt in ages.
I signed up for my first race, the 15km Passion Run (to coincide with a scheduled long weekend run) and looked forward to the Army Half Marathon I had put into my schedule too.
I tried to make running a little more fun by roping in a good friend of mine to run with me, and after nagging at him for a while, he finally joined in and I tried to spread my new found love of running to him.
Then disaster struck.
While out in Pasir Ris Park during a warmup jog with my friend, I stepped on a dried fruit in the park in the evening darkness and sprained my ankle. So that's it. My old Army injury's back, and I was forced to stop. From my past experiences, I knew it would take 2-3 months to be even able to walk properly again and I was dismayed. I went home, soaked my ankle in an ice bucket (GAH, it hurts!) and hoped for the best.
Amazingly, maybe because of the ice soak quickly after the run, I managed to recover in record time, and I was able to run again in just one month! Trying to get back the momentum after stopping for a whole month was tough, but like finding an old friend, before long, its as if i've never stopped before.
There were a few times when my old injury in my left knee threatened to make things difficult, but rest and an increase in green vegetable intake made all the pain go away. Especially the latter, as now I have no pain in the left knee anymore after I did that, when it hurt consistently during my days in the military.
I trained hard for my first race at the Passion Run and I find myself strangely excited about racing. I had an amazing time at the very well organised race, and managed to come in at 1:23:58! I strove to come in at 1:20 (because its a nice round number, hehe), but I was very happy that I managed to complete the race. I found myself addicted to races and kept an eye out for more races to join.
On a totally crazy whim, I decided one weekend to run from Orchard Road back home to Pasir Ris just for fun. I bought a map from Borders, and off I went! It was AMAZING. It was such incredible fun, and although I took a loooong while to get back because I deliberately ran very slowly (its my first time doing anything like this and I knew it was going to be quite long), it was interesting the entire way.
I ran past thousands of migrant workers along the entire stretch of Serangoon Road (on a Sunday! You can imagine the crowds), past backalleys in industrial areas and when I saw familiar Tampines again, it dawned on me how small Singapore now seems. I knew Singapore is small before, but when I reached my lift lobby and realised that I actually started off at Orchard Road, "small" took on a whole new meaning. I looked at my Nike+ kit, and there it said - 25km.
I've just completed the longest run in my life.
2 days later though, I caught a cough and flu combo meal and I couldn't run for the entire week. I was devastated. The Army Half Marathon is just a week later and if I don't recover in time, I would miss out on a race I was looking forward to for 8 months.
Thankfully, lots of sleep and fluids made my body shake off the bugs, and I managed to recover 5 days before the race. I did one last training run on Tuesday and did abit of carbo loading to prepare for the AHM on Sunday. Its totally surreal. I'm entering my first ever half marathon race when just 8 months ago, I couldn't even manage 3km without wanting to just lie down and melting into the earth. Never in my life would I imagine myself volunteering to join the AHM. If you told me that i'll one day do this while I was serving NS, I would have asked for what you were smoking (and whether I could have some).
The route in the AHM was so-so, but the organisation was world-class (big thanks to all the NSFs and regulars who sacrificed their weekends for this!). I strove to make it in under 2 hours (again, nice number), but my Nike+ kit stopped working midway through the race and I couldn't keep track of my timing. I was really miffed at first when I realised I came in at 2:04:14 because I knew that I would have managed to keep it under 2 hours if I knew it was going to be this close (spent way too much time stopping at the water stations and looking at the few pretty girls around :-)), but I was still really satisfied with the race.
I just finished the Nike Human Walkajog (hehe, can't really call it a race when more than half of the people I had around me in the 2nd wave were walkers) and i'm really looking forward to more races in the future.
I've turned from a a kid who never passed 2.4 in high school, to a reluctant slow-ish runner in the Army, to someone who will now run for fun and kicks. I don't even need music to accompany me on runs anymore. :-)
Running has now become a part of my life. I'm still going to train hard for my first ever marathon (well, I guess for me, almost everything's a first-ever in the world of running) but even if I somehow don't make it, I don't think i'll feel too bad about it. I've picked up something that I think would stay with me for years to come, and this is all just the beginning.
Read more from FunkeeMonk
imaRunner is a series about ordinary people and their not-so-ordinary running achievements.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
imaRunner: Tom Longboat (1888 - 1949)
Tom who?
That question is not unexpected. Tom Longboat was a native Canadian who used to outrun all his peers at long distance, way back in the early 1900s. He outraced Dorando Pietri of Italy (who won the 1908 Olympics marathon, but was subsequently disqualified) in Dec 1908 in Madison Square Garden, New York City in a time of 2 hours 45 min and 5.2 sec over 26.2 miles to win a handsome prize of $3,750.
One-on-one races around racing tracks were widespread and popular in those days (along with betting). The Longboat-Pietri race was attended by 14,000 roaring spectators. It was prompted by the misadventure associated with the Olympics that year - the Americans objected to Pietri's win on grounds that he was illegally assisted. That fact was indisputable. When Pietri staggered into the track for the last leg of the marathon, he collapsed three times, and was revived by officials, and carried even, with pushes and small pats. Pietri was disqualified and the gold went to John Hayes, an American. The disqualification and the fact that Tom Longboat was the pre-race favorite set up this one-on-one race in New York.
Tom Longboat won the 1907 Boston marathon and was regarded as the world's best distance runner after he defeated Englishman Alfie Shrubb in 1909. He won more races than any of his contemporaries, over distances ranging from 3 miles to the marathon. He went on to win two more indoor marathons after New York. He also ran an exhibition solo run of 35 miles from the city of Hamilton to Toronto (where he lived) in 1907. Talk about ultra marathons. Tom Longboat was a pioneer ultra-marathoner!
In Jack Batten's book "The Man Who Ran Faster than Everyone: The Story of Tom Longboat", Tom was described as "a good husband (he had two wives) and father (he lost a 5-year old son to an automobile accident), a diligent worker (he ended his days as a street cleaner - a humble but respectable job in the depression years), an amiable and gentle man (he always respected his opponents and was always quick to forgive his enemies), but most of all, he was a runner." He didn't have the mega endorsements of today, modern technology - shoes, supplements - and training programs. He also had to fight stereotypes and prejudice his entire life.
Voted the #1 Canadian sports figure of the 20th century by Maclean's Magazine, he was one of the most celebrated athletes in the country's history and is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. If he were alive in this day and age, Tom Longboat might well have been the Olympic marathon champion in Beijing this year.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Why do I run? A Collection
Over the months, I have come across several beautiful expressions of "Why do I run?" Here are some of my favorites.
LaVikinga:
I run at 0430 in the morning because I am self conscious of my form and my lack of speed. I wear the shoes best for my feet & running mechanics, in whatever hideous colors are left for Amazons with big feet. I run in the sultry 100% humidity & heat of the predawn hours of the deep south. I run in the least possible amount of comfortable clothing, but I wear 3 sports bras because God was generous (Finding a sports bra that secures in all different directions is darned near impossible).
I run in the cold and wind. I run in the rain. I ran when we went on safari in Africa. I've never entered a race because I am embarrassed to be so slow.
I used to run because I was trying to lose weight. Now I run to keep from losing my mind.
I run when I ache. I run when I'm sick. I run when I'm recovering from my surgeries I've had to put my sagging body back to its original form. I run on days when my body argues with my mind that it just can't do one more mile.
And there are mornings when the few other moon lit members of early morning lunatics whizz past me. I feel defeated and demoralized. I'll never be like them. Why do I bother? And then I remember my journey has been the longest. My trail has been the hardest. THIS is my marathon. I run because I have to. I run, because now I can.
SM (my good friend in Tokyo):
I run not to lose weight - I have too little of it already!
I run not to show off my form for though I am not bad in that department, I am no exhibitionist!
I run the way I run because I believe it best instils an exercise discipline to my otherwise exercise-less lifestyle (apart from the occasional golf game which I still rather enjoy) and to challenge myself to achieve a personal objective for the next 12 months.
I also run because I am inspired by your running....
PK:
My eight-year daughter asked me innocently, “Why do you run so much?” I did not give her an immediate answer as the question had led me to wrestle with my motives for a long while. Other than standard reasons of maintaining health and fitness, I can attest to the benefit of being able to use the time on long runs to pray, reflect on deeper issues, think creatively. After ruminating on her question for nearly three months, I am almost certain that I would say to my daughter that I run because I have to.
Ripley (Oct 2007):
i just run because i love running... but i know i can't run everyday cos got no time lah... but sat and sun i'll be running slightly longer distances but also, not that long... however, for certain events, e.g. if i know i've signed up for a trail run, i make sure i run trail to get a feel of it... if i know i've signed up for a back-to-back run, i make sure i do back-to-back lsd... but my effort is never hard... this is to allow me to enjoy and most importantly, to get a "feel"... that's all... this kind of training, i won't even classify as training leh... in fact, during races, my mentality is not to race but to run and enjoy the scenery... so choices of events are especially important... i'm geared to more trail, small but scenic races, rather than those big cities... although i still aim for some big cities one as they are still full of history... maratona di roma is one great example...
What is your reason for running??
LaVikinga:
I run at 0430 in the morning because I am self conscious of my form and my lack of speed. I wear the shoes best for my feet & running mechanics, in whatever hideous colors are left for Amazons with big feet. I run in the sultry 100% humidity & heat of the predawn hours of the deep south. I run in the least possible amount of comfortable clothing, but I wear 3 sports bras because God was generous (Finding a sports bra that secures in all different directions is darned near impossible).
I run in the cold and wind. I run in the rain. I ran when we went on safari in Africa. I've never entered a race because I am embarrassed to be so slow.
I used to run because I was trying to lose weight. Now I run to keep from losing my mind.
I run when I ache. I run when I'm sick. I run when I'm recovering from my surgeries I've had to put my sagging body back to its original form. I run on days when my body argues with my mind that it just can't do one more mile.
And there are mornings when the few other moon lit members of early morning lunatics whizz past me. I feel defeated and demoralized. I'll never be like them. Why do I bother? And then I remember my journey has been the longest. My trail has been the hardest. THIS is my marathon. I run because I have to. I run, because now I can.
SM (my good friend in Tokyo):
I run not to lose weight - I have too little of it already!
I run not to show off my form for though I am not bad in that department, I am no exhibitionist!
I run the way I run because I believe it best instils an exercise discipline to my otherwise exercise-less lifestyle (apart from the occasional golf game which I still rather enjoy) and to challenge myself to achieve a personal objective for the next 12 months.
I also run because I am inspired by your running....
PK:
My eight-year daughter asked me innocently, “Why do you run so much?” I did not give her an immediate answer as the question had led me to wrestle with my motives for a long while. Other than standard reasons of maintaining health and fitness, I can attest to the benefit of being able to use the time on long runs to pray, reflect on deeper issues, think creatively. After ruminating on her question for nearly three months, I am almost certain that I would say to my daughter that I run because I have to.
Ripley (Oct 2007):
i just run because i love running... but i know i can't run everyday cos got no time lah... but sat and sun i'll be running slightly longer distances but also, not that long... however, for certain events, e.g. if i know i've signed up for a trail run, i make sure i run trail to get a feel of it... if i know i've signed up for a back-to-back run, i make sure i do back-to-back lsd... but my effort is never hard... this is to allow me to enjoy and most importantly, to get a "feel"... that's all... this kind of training, i won't even classify as training leh... in fact, during races, my mentality is not to race but to run and enjoy the scenery... so choices of events are especially important... i'm geared to more trail, small but scenic races, rather than those big cities... although i still aim for some big cities one as they are still full of history... maratona di roma is one great example...
What is your reason for running??
Dean Karnazes: Why do I run?
Dean Karnazes shares his motivation for running in his book "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an all night runner".
Just as a race-car driver pushes his vehicle to the limit, or a pilot tests the "edge" in an experimental plane, I wanted to see how far I could go. What I now realize is that the way other people seek physical comfort and blissful well-being, I seek extremes.
I run because I've never been much of a car guy. I run because if I didn't, I'd be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary.
I run to honor my sister and unite my family. I run because it keeps me humble. I run for the finish line and to savor the trip along the way. I run to help those who can't. I run because walking takes too long, and I'd like to get a few things done in this lifetime.
I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.
Just as a race-car driver pushes his vehicle to the limit, or a pilot tests the "edge" in an experimental plane, I wanted to see how far I could go. What I now realize is that the way other people seek physical comfort and blissful well-being, I seek extremes.
I run because I've never been much of a car guy. I run because if I didn't, I'd be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary.
I run to honor my sister and unite my family. I run because it keeps me humble. I run for the finish line and to savor the trip along the way. I run to help those who can't. I run because walking takes too long, and I'd like to get a few things done in this lifetime.
I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.
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